It's the end...or just the beginning!!!!

Here is the culprit eating a Christmas ball off the tree!

(Before I get into this post, I want to put a disclaimer that I in NO WAY look down upon any person's choice in regard to the feeding of their child. Nursing just happened to work for me so I rolled with it!)

So the day has come...I weaned Maggie from nursing. Let me just start by giving you the semi long version so you can understand where I am coming from. (get comfy...) I nursed Matthew for a year. It was the part of the whole getting pregnant/birthing/having a newborn part that was relatively easy for me. He came out, he latched on, he nursed for a year and the day of his 1st birthday, he looked at me, I looked at him and it was done. I never understood it any other way. I have this friend, Tracie, and she had a daughter (Emily) that was the complete opposite of Matthew. It literally took my friend 6 months to wean her daughter and Emily would cry and cry. I thought "Wow, if you want to wean her, just do it" (Yes, I am admitting I was very naive!) Enter Maggie...she is my payment, my retribution for how easy I had it with Matthew. Now I totally understand it all. The sleeping, the eating, the weaning...man oh man. Well, I have been ready for awhile to stop nursing. I am not one of those women that nursing takes off the weight. In fact, I am the complete opposite. Nursing keeps the last 15 lbs (or let's say 30 lbs) for me. I have been itching to get off the weight once and for all (especially since Maggie, most likely, is it for us but that is another whole post all together!) and just get my body back. As the one year marker approached, I realized that there was going to be no way that Maggie would be ready to be done nursing. She sometimes will wake up during her nap and cry until I go in there and then tantrum and point toward the rocker in her room where I nurse her until I give in. I thought a lot about it. Yes, there is always the "mom guilt" but then I did something that I had not done in 3.5 years. I put myself first. I thought "What the hell...I nursed this child for 11 months and that is good enough! It is time for me!" So I started giving her formula. She loves it! I don't think she even cares to be quite honest. Of course I have mixed feelings. I am so happy to be free of the nursing (although right this moment I am sore and icing) but it is sad to think that she isn't my baby anymore and she could be it. I am trying to look toward the future and get excited for a couple trip to Las Vegas in March and running a half marathon in May with Chris...all things that I have been dying to do but had to put on the back burner for Maggie. Now I can just focus on myself and be the best wife and mother I can be!!!!!!