Hallelujah

Many of you may already know this because I tend to complain about it quite often (sorry) but I'm not a big fan of nursing. Not that I think it's a bad thing I just don't like doing it. Amazing- yes, fun- not at all. I've nursed all my boys exclusively for the first 6 months and after that I get this overwhelming urge to break away. I don't make enough milk to do a lot of pumping (TMI) so I start supplementing with formula. The kids have all loved the effortlessness of a sippy cup. Teague on the other hand has different opinions. He loves to nurse.

LOVES it.

When I got the urge to wean him(and I admit it came on very early this time) he flat out refused. He hated, HATED formula and soon wouldn't even attempt at sucking on anything resembling a bottle.

Not even his binky.

It was me or nothing.

So after MONTHS of trying every bottle nipple, every sippy cup, every brand of formula at every temperature, even trying chocolate AND strawberry Nesquick -I finally got the baby to take a bottle of . . .

vanilla flavored soy milk (thanks to my sister-in-law Christy for that idea).

So what does this mean? It means I can leave him for more than 3 hours at a time. And when the nearest movie theatre is 45 min. away it means a long awaited date night with the hubby. It means no more nursing at the dentist office, parking lots, dressing rooms, restaurants, the side of the road, t-ball games, etc. because lets face it, it's awkward and annoying. In a word, it means FREEDOM.

*SIGH*

It feels good.

(Just to avoid any negative comments: I know it doesn't have all the nutrients of formula but it's SOMETHING other than me and, judge as you may, I think it'll be fine on occasion.)

Irresistible

Teague has a way of drawing people in, especially the ladies. His smile stops them in their tracks. Make eye contact and your heart will melt. It happens everywhere we go. So maybe I shouldn't have been surprised when Delwyn leaned over to me one Sunday and said this, "There's a strange girl holding Teague, what do I do?" We had laid him in the aisle so he could play and he had been making eyes at a girl we had never seen before behind us. Apparently, she just couldn't help herself. She was moved. Moved to action. She had to pick him up and gush over him. So captivated by his smile that she must've forgot that this child belongs to someone and perhaps she should say something like, "can I hold your baby?" But really who could blame her and she did return him, eventually. (picture courtesy of grandpa Larson)

uh-oh

Cache brought a girl home the other day, the granddaughter of our neighbor across the street. He brought her in, found her a chair to sit in, situated it in front of the TV next to his. Then he called to me, "Mom, can I have some milk?" Then leaned over to her and asked "You want some milk?" she nodded "Mom- 2 milks!"

Summer Lovin'

The kids have literally been outside all summer. We have a pack of kids on our street and they spent the summer playing in the road and roaming from one neighbors house to the next. Somehow managing to pick up treats at each one. But now school has started and there's that chill in the air signaling summer is really over. I'm missing it already- with the kids doing this . . .

While I do this . . .

And the kids do more of this . . .

with their popsicle stained lips . . .

Our newest addition

Our newest family member . . . You should've heard Cache in the back seat when we turned the corner and saw it in the driveway. He was excited.

Jonas informed me that someday they are all going to get motorbikes and then I can have the 4-wheeler. ummmm, thanks?