Finished Weening

Karyna is finally weened. It took about a week and a half to make the change from breast milk to formula. I decided to ween her because Nick and I were going to take a trip to Chicago to celebrate our anniversary. As much fun as it would have been to take Karyna with us, we wanted to celebrate our anniversary alone. It is funny how things turned out. I weened Karyna, but we did not end up going to Chicago. Oh well, if I would not have weened her for our anniversary trip I would have weened her a month later for our St. Louis trip.

Weening Karyna was bittersweet, as I guess many kids milestones are for parents. She is the first child I nursed. It was challenging at times, but I am really glad I stuck it out for ten months. I experienced a unique closeness with her that I would not trade for the world.

I have so many nursing memories. I spent many nights getting up three or four times to feed Karyna. I was so tired I would fall asleep sitting on our living room couch while nursing her. I must have been extremely tired because I could never fall asleep sitting up before, unless I was in a car.

I also remember those first awkward moments feeding Karyna in public. I would try desperately to find the most secluded place away from the disapproving eyes of many strangers. Sometimes that nursing spot would be my car. Other times it might be a less than desirable nursing lounge. When we went to a German hotel restaurant in the city of Frankenmuth the quote, nursing lounge, was really a rocking chair squeezed into the smallest corner of the women's bathroom. The changing table was practically on top of the rocking chair, so when ever anyone needed to change their baby-which was often, I was exposed to some very unpleasant smells. The conversations between the strangers changing their babies and I were awkward. We both felt the need to converse since we were forced to share a very small space. All the while during my attempt to be polite I kept hoping they would leave so I could nurse in peace.

One of the best memories I have of nursing is when I used to nurse Karyna in bed. Either before or after I nursed her we would lay gazing into each others eyes. Often Karyna would smile and coo as I stared at how beautiful she was. Most of the time after she finished nursing we would both fall asleep nestled in each others arms.

I am glad to have the freedom back I lost nursing, but I will miss the moments when I held Karyna so close.