the right time

i've read a few articles on the best time to wean. but really, there isn't one- when it feels right to mommy and baby... and daddy, then it is time. experts warned that it's best to wean when all other aspects of baby's life is normal (what is normal?) as in, you're not relocating, or baby's not ill, or just entering daycare, or teething or ... or a bunch anything that's can 'normally' go wrong that is not considered normal, and can make weaning 'more' difficult for baby.

well-- tough. it's tough...... cuz life keeps happening, it doesn't stop so you can wean your little darling.

we love supergirl soooooo much. words really would never do us justice. and as a mommy, i'm am positive you know exactly what i mean. we just moved into our new place, less than one month ago, it'll be one month in 2 days. the whole last week supergirl had roseola, high fever, followed with rashes. she's teething. she has 5 teeths just popping out. and it just felt like the perfect time to wean, she seemed ready, we seemed ready.....

so admist all this 'normal' chaos, we did it!
supergirl adjusted to this new home like she never left the old one! teething is uncomfortable for her, at sometimes more than others, but she's a trooper. she was clingy during her feverish days, so i just held her more and loved loved her more, as much as i can. and thru all this, her daytime nursing ceased... and now her nightime nursing ceased...

what a month to remember forever and ever.

i'm not saying our family have it hard. i believe this is just 'normal' for all parents'! we're just happy we've persevered, though it's tinted with some sadness.

is this it?

it's more overwhelming than i thought it would be. this whole weaning situation. it's so bittersweet, like something is coming to an end.... such as when you're reading a great novel and you don't want it to end, but there has to be an ending.... that's almost how i feel.

supergirl's appetite has increased by an incredible amt the past few days! she seems to be hungry constantly and always asking for food. which is a good thing we think. and last night, first night ever since her birth, she fell asleep without nursing. it's such a momentous moment when it dawned on me that my supergirl is done with my boobs! she's a big girl- she's totally ok with just eating solids. i'm sad. there was a moment before she fell asleep and she placed her hand on my chest and looked at me with those knowing eyes and asked for milk. it was so timid, and i just gave her a big hug and soon she was asleep. i'm so emotional.

once today, she placed her hand on my chest again and asked. i distracted her quite easily. is this it? the end? the end.

weaning part II

it's been 10 days since i've last posted. i've completely stopped nursing supergirl anytime during the day. (i do miss it!) i still nurse supergirl once before bed, but i've cut the time shorter. also, when she wakes during the night, most times obviously wanting to nurse, i will comfort her (i love her so much!) to sleep, without giving in to nursing her! so far it's working and i will keep at it and i guess there will just be that 'night' where i won't nurse her at all.

will that be the end? i'm feeling a bit nervous and sad.

i had engorgement discomfort for 3 days when i first started cutting out daytime nursing, but my body has adjusted. but whenever she nurse, there is still milk! i wonder if and when the day comes... what will happen to my boobs! =P

night.

weaning and winning

supergirl is growing up so fast. superdad and i just love her sososoosososososo much. we tell her we love her about a gazillion times a day. i kiss her just as much! she's just so adorable and so smart.

she's learning to feed herself and it's just adorable watching her do it! it is a messy ordeal. we do still feed her the majority of the time.

i've started weaning her..... and it's been much easier than anticipated. the first week, i was weak. she'll cry and cry for my milk and i just give in to her. i am exhausted though. she still wakes several times a night-- and she's 15 mos old! even with her eating solids, she just has a habit of waking 3-6 times A NIGHT and want my breastmilk. it's my own fault that i always give in to her, and mostly i'm exhausted and just want to feed her and she'll fall asleep. finally the last week, i've toughened up. i would only nurse her once during the day, and once at night before bed. (she usually falls asleep nursing.) she still cries sometimes and superman has been kinda non-supportive cuz he can't stand to hear her cry! but it worked. supergirl is just so smart and quick learner, and seems to understand that mommy wants to slowly stop nursing her. (kinda breaks my heart.) she no longer sticks her hand down my shirt and cry for milk! or whine until i'll nurse her. we've been more alert to her hunger pangs. we'll give her cereal and milk whenever we feel she's hungry and it's working... so far. today is the third day with NO NURSING at all during the daytime! usually she'll want to nurse before her daily nap. but now... she'll just roll around in bed, and perhaps wants me to hold her or rock her, but she won't beg or cry for my milk! awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.....................

i still nurse her once per night. for the past 3 morns, she woke at 7am crying because she is hungry. we just give her warm milk in her sippy cup and she likes it!!! and she'll play a bit and go back to sleep.

so...... i'm thinking this is a success story by any means.
i've been nursing supergirl since birth... and it's been A LONG YEAR and some weeks........ but i enjoyed it so much too. i've read that weaning is just as hard on the mother..... and i agree. i miss it sometimes. i miss that 'kind' of bonding we share. i'm believing it's actually harder for me to let go than supergirl. albeit, i look fwd to sleeping thru the night.......

$5 huggies coupons

we've always used the kirkland baby wipes. for the quantity/cost ratio, they're a great deal, especially when costco mail us coupons for an additonal amt off. we were just about to go buy another huge box... when i found out about the $5 huggies coupons! i've always prefered kirkland wipes over huggies because huggies tear. they are super soft and gentle but tears just like a regular tissue would, and the kirkland wipes doesn't tear. that was the biggest difference for us, not to mention huggies wipes are more expensive in general.

however, with the coupon..... we were about to get a bag of 184 wipes for only 99cents! what a deal. you can only use the coupon on huggies gentle care products and that's the wipes we purchased. and oh my!- they are soososoooo soft and gentle. can even use on the face. and yes... they are still more fragile than kirkland wipes, but we find this time around that they are pretty thick and quite sturdy. so we're happy!

what a deal!

tax crunch

the dreaded task every year. last year, we had to amend our tax return, so thank goodness we used a cpa. but the $ we had to pay was over the hundreds.

this year...... we opted to do our own taxes. so for $19.95 we e-filed both our federal and state taxes!

we save a good chunk of change, and just had to deal with a few hours of 'headaches' as we sat down together and figure out all the numbers and deductions!

thank goodness it's done and filed.

tired mommy who doesn't like to sleep...

yes yes, i do know we all need sleep-- 'beauty' sleep. w/o it.....
well, i don't like to sleep. it's almost 3 am and here i am.
i really need to sleep to let me body heal itself...... i mean we all know the restorative properties of sleeping... but i just can't seem to do it.
i'm always tired... always awake and i can't get myself to sleep when my supergirl does.

so.... i would say i haven't had a good sleep since supergirl was born.

it's been over a year now..... and at first... i was just tired, but there didn't seem to be any negative impact i'd noticed. i lost my baby weight- fast, my skin was perfect. but after all these sleepless months....... i've totally breaking out and gaining weight, not to mention always craving sweets. i'm sure this has a lot to do with me getting my period back too! but since then...... my hormones been out of whack, add on top of that... i don't sleep, and i've been craving junkfood... mostly chips and chocolate chip cookies.

oh my skin woes. and i used to the girl that everyone comments on what beautiful smooth porcelian-esque skin i have.

i am devastated that i've allowed my skin to suffer to this point.

anyhow, i'm online trying to find a remedy. but i know there is no quick fix. i have to sleep more, stave off the junk food habit.......

but still, i wonder if there is a 'miracle' product out there!!!!!

here's to wishin'

the past 2 weeks...

were filled with many stressful days. packing, moving, unpacking, cleaning, organizing, re-organizing, laundry, and of course taking care of our lovely supergirl. she's been great so far with the move and seem to like her new room/home very well! we are proud to say, we feel, we've raised a very happy baby. she's just so adaptable to change and is sosoososososososo sharp and intuitive. but then, this can be due to the lifestyle we lead. superman and i have always been the go with the flow type of people. our philosophy of life constantly changes, due to all the ordeals, turmoils, adventures, rocky roads, we've encountered in life. i don't want to say we've had a hard life, but we've had a good share of headaches and heartbreaks. sometimes i feel guilty thinking perhaps supergirl has inheritated our resilience in life. i'd hate to think she's living a 'hard' baby life. i do however revel in the comfort that we love her soosososoososoo much, she has all the happiness and love she can want and need. and she's the happiest baby, by our testimony and of everyone she encounters. sigh... yes i know i'm rambling.. it's just been a tough week.

we have settled in our new place and we like it very much. it's very spacious, and for once we have more storage space than 'things' to store. it's usually the opposite. but we're minimalists so, i highly doubt we will be making any new purchases just to fill in the 'space.' besides, in these times.......really gotta save $.