I remember very distinctly when I stopped nursing Madi. I was an emotional wreck for weeks, as I muddled through the sea of wildly fluctuating hormones and the mistaken belief that I would never have those moments of closeness with her again.
But when the time came to wean Fiona a couple of months ago, I was a little nervous about how I would feel. She was going to be the last kid to go through this phase and I was prepared for the worst. But, surprisingly, the nostalgia that so often overwhelms me was put on the back burner as Fiona and I sat down in the glider with a sippy cup of milk and pulled out one of my favorite children’s books, Goodnight Moon.
As I flipped through the familiar pages, saying goodnight to the bowl, mush, and the quiet old lady whispering hush, I was reminded how much I love reading to my kids before bedtime. While I loved the peace and quiet of nursing, there is something special about snuggling with a pajama clad kiddo, rocking and reading in the dim light of a small lamp.
This time around, I am especially enjoying revisiting the books that the other kids loved. The classics, like Goodnight Moon, are the ones I grab first, maybe because of their simplicity or perhaps it is the familiar words.
There are other books that make Fiona’s “favorite” list, like the Baby Animal touch and feel book. She makes the most adorable “ooh ooh aah aah” sound when we come to the baby gorilla page. And there is the Bedtime Peekaboo book, where when she sees all the animals sleeping, she goes “zzzzzzz”.
Before I know it, she will be reading her own bedtime stories and it won’t be so easy to have her snuggle on my lap. But for now…I’ll savor every moment….and the next one…and the next one…
— Post From My iPad
