So many thoughts.....

Well, its been a while since I last posted.  The reason being - I've been busy.  In all of my free time I have been working on a secret project that still has to remain a secret until I finish it.  I will post pictures as soon as it is finished.  What kind of project you may ask?  Well, that is a secret too.  If I tell you what kind of project it will give it away.  So - look for my big reveal in a few weeks.  YES - it is/has taken me this long to work on it & get it finished!

On to my next thought:  Breastfeeding!

A while ago I blogged about the struggles I have had with breastfeeding.  How I didn't really enjoy it & it was just difficult for me so I moved on to pumping & feeding from a bottle except at night.  About a month after that post I met with someone & she talked to me about the importance of having the baby at the breast & the little extra stuff that happens with the baby's saliva & some other stuff I don't really remember.

So, I went home & tried it again.  I grabbed Averley, sat down on the couch & attempted the dreaded task of breastfeeding that I just didn't enjoy.  Averley latched on like it was nothing & we had the best breastfeeding experience ever.  HALLELUJAH!  As long as she continues to latch on so easily & nurses well I am DONE pumping!

Two months later & we are still exclusively breastfeeding....AND ENJOYING IT!  I get it now - I get how a mother & child has that bonding time.  I get why some mom's don't want to give up that night time feeding.  I get how personal it is.  I get how mom's love breastfeeding.  It took me this long but I SO get it now.

Nursing Averley to sleep at night, watching her eyes slowly shut, listening to her cute little hums as she drifts into sleep, her arm flailing around like a crazy lady praising Jesus & then it smacking onto my chest leaving a little red hand print, her cold hands on my warm skin, her tiny sharp fingernails scratching places that I don't want scratched as she kneads my boob trying to get the milk faster, our eyes locked onto each other - I smile at her, she grins at me as milk dribbles out the sides of her mouth.  I love it...I love it all.  Why did I miss out on this in the beginning??  It is so beautiful!


On to my other thoughts......

Declan & his ABC's!
Declan is beginning to repeat letters & it is SO stinkin' cute.  Watching the way he moves his cute little mouth to form the letters is something I could watch all day.  When he says 'O' his little lips move to one side of his mouth & his sweet little voice sounds adorable.  He loves the letter 'T' & 'O' - he will find those 2 letters on our fridge magnets & bring them to me.  


He has also added a few more words to his vocabulary.  He now says pawpaw for Grampa (yes, I know that is spelled wrong but that is what it is!).  He says 'Bell' for Annabelle.  We think he said Ashton today too....not sure though :)


He is at the most fun age right now.  Wrestling around, cuddling, dancing, wanting to be independent.  Loves to be outside when the weather permits.  SO very much looking forward to the summer.


Averley
She is a rolling machine - which frustrates her to no end because she sometimes isn't wanting to roll but crawl & instead...she flops over onto her back.  Then she cries out of frustration.  Its pretty funny.  She will be on her belly, pull her legs in, butt up in the air & then for some reason will start to go onto her side & then FLOP, onto her back.  She's almost there - it wont be long & she will be crawling all over the place.


We are going to start feeding her some table food as long as what we are having can be "gummed" :)  She loves shoving those little puffs into her mouth by the handful & ate a graham cracker today pretty well.  Maybe its time for little pieces of food!


I think that's all for now - hopefully I will be able to write more often if I can get all the kids down for naps at the same time like I did today!  Woohoo!