For the most part, my in-laws are on-board with this whole breastfeeding until whenever idea, but sometimes even their comfort zone is stretched. Like last night, when we were out to dinner at the fancy Columbia Tower Club (read, tallest building in Seattle). All of us were fancified in our finest Christmas garb, and dinner started out past Potamus’ early bedtime. He was holding up like champ, mugging for photos and throwing Chex all over the fine carpetting, when he started to get a little cranky. Boof had been feeding him some asparagus, but he looked tired and maybe like he wanted a nursing snack, so I threw my hooter-hider on and hoisted him into my lap (after quickly shovelling the bison steak and mashed potatoes into my mouth, YUM!). After going through the routine of unhooking the nursing bra and whipping it out, while struggling to hold his wiggly 1 year old legs, I looked down to see his smiling face happily munching on asparagus and totally ignoring my exposed breast. With a laugh I squeeled, “ahaha, he’s eating asparagus under there!” The whole table giggled, too, and then they said “well, I guess it’s about time to wean, eh?” To which, I agreed.
But later, it got me thinking, about how the general public views weaning. Because, truthfully the weaning process was begun a few months ago. At this point he’s down to a few times at night and maybe, maybe once during the day, if I am home, and we’re going down for a nap. But weaning is a relationship, ESPECIALLY since young Potamus doesn’t take liquid in any other form, that I’m not about to cut cold turkey. And Boof is even protective of my time with Potamus, acknowledging that it is the quickest, most effective, way of calming a fussy tired cranky needy sad little growing baby. The incident was funny, even downright hilarious, and there is truth to the whole weaning comment, but I wish that overall people saw weaning as a process and not a light switch to be turned off when one leaves the room.
Any funny weaning stories that you might have? Share here!
boof & monk-monk 
Cute pic! omg bison steak! Last time I had that was in Colorado. The only exotic meat you find here in Florida is gator. The midget and I were doing good supplementing food into her nursing routine without dropping any nursing sessions, until she got wicked constipation & I tossed her back into an exclusive breastmilk diet & supplement with probiotics. It IS a process and you have to go by the psychology and physical readiness –like my midget’s mind was cool with taking in solids, but when none came out for a few days and created a bottleneck clusterfuck of….yeah, you know….I had to take a step back from introducing solids. I find that the folks who want me to wean early are the ones who feel most left out from nursing because they can’t feed her or spoil her in the #1 way of our Nation…with food. And we’re Jewish, so EVERYTHING revolves around food. And nursing excludes them on that level, amongst many others. Does that make any sense?
YES! and Potamus is constipated right now, so we have been nursing more (because I am on winter break, but that’s gonna have to stop when I go back to work 😦 ), but our pediatrician suggested some pear juice, which, so far is the ONLY thing he likes drinking besides my milk. While I’m not a huge fan of juice, I am enjoying that it’s helping him figure out the whole sippy cup business!
Such a cute picture! I can imagine how funny that must have been to look down and see him eating asparagus. lol I agree with you that weaning is a relationship and a process. I’ve heard it compared to a dance. And it really is such a great way to calm a little one, and it’s great when they are sick. . . there are so many great things about it! How awesome that you have given him this gift of yourself for as long as you have. What a blessed little guy he is (and a blessed mama you are!). ♥