the village mentality, breastfeeding, motherhood
I am very grateful to have received a milk donation this week. What this means is the ability to put my children down and simultaneously soothe their fussing without the added spit up and horribleness that was coming with formula. They're happy, I'm happy. They're sleeping awesome. It is great! I can sleep for once without them on me without feeling horribly guilty WHILE simultaneously getting the chance to pump at night and replacing what I'm removing. There is also more milk for me when I can get a bigger cooler.
While walking Pris tonight, because I could because I had happy babies who were hanging out in their pack n play, I realized that it truly does take a village to raise a child. Mike asked me how weird it was for me to give my children someone else's milk and it's not at all. When I had them I told myself I would breast feed which then turned into I will give them as much breast milk as possible which was slowly becoming maybe I'll give up on breast milk entirely because I'm getting beaten down. This has renewed my enjoyment of breastfeeding because there isn't that damper of, will all of this get thrown up later? My point is, NOW they're getting breast fed as they should be. THAT makes me so happy it trumps any sensation of being weird-ed out.
I can go to work and be at ease. I am happy and it is comforting.
I have to also admit that while I have quite a few friends who have stated how odd it is that I'm a Mom (mostly in a joking manner), or even my Mom who likes to say how happy she is that I'm enjoying Motherhood (because I wasn't going to...?) at the end of the day I still don't comprehend "feeling like a Mom". Don't get me wrong I am bonded with my children, I love them, but I've realized I look forward to putting on a cute pair of heels. I LIKE dressing up still. Because I've spent so much time naked now I've realized I look forward to putting together outfits and wearing clothing. Motherhood somehow hasn't translated into hairy legs and sweat pants as much as it's translated itself into: I want to have sex. I want to wear cute shoes. I want to dance and more importantly I want my kids to be big enough to dance with me. With my hair being almost unwearable down (grown out hair cut is far too grown out) I've learned all sorts of new, cute methods to put it up. While I do look forward to hand crafting little people I have to admit that in the short term I look more forward to going back to work and continuing being a people.
That and I really want to know what my kids will be into it and helping them do those things.
Blah, blah, blah I lost my point.
On the other hand there are lots of comments about how I'm the "best Mom ever". Totally untrue. The truth is if it wasn't for the tribe of Moms I've put together through LJ I'd be completely lost. Every day I learn something from someone else. All of us are different and all of our parenting styles will continue to thrive, grow, and change. None better than the other. Just different. The awesome part though is we will all respect each other at the end of the day and help each other when shit gets weird, because let's face it we have kids. Kids are weird, thus shit is weird.
But because I love you parent types male and female alike I leave you with this shirt that says everything I can't about parenting:
http://www.zazzle.com/perfect_for_playdates_tshirt-235563941816624861
While walking Pris tonight, because I could because I had happy babies who were hanging out in their pack n play, I realized that it truly does take a village to raise a child. Mike asked me how weird it was for me to give my children someone else's milk and it's not at all. When I had them I told myself I would breast feed which then turned into I will give them as much breast milk as possible which was slowly becoming maybe I'll give up on breast milk entirely because I'm getting beaten down. This has renewed my enjoyment of breastfeeding because there isn't that damper of, will all of this get thrown up later? My point is, NOW they're getting breast fed as they should be. THAT makes me so happy it trumps any sensation of being weird-ed out.
I can go to work and be at ease. I am happy and it is comforting.
I have to also admit that while I have quite a few friends who have stated how odd it is that I'm a Mom (mostly in a joking manner), or even my Mom who likes to say how happy she is that I'm enjoying Motherhood (because I wasn't going to...?) at the end of the day I still don't comprehend "feeling like a Mom". Don't get me wrong I am bonded with my children, I love them, but I've realized I look forward to putting on a cute pair of heels. I LIKE dressing up still. Because I've spent so much time naked now I've realized I look forward to putting together outfits and wearing clothing. Motherhood somehow hasn't translated into hairy legs and sweat pants as much as it's translated itself into: I want to have sex. I want to wear cute shoes. I want to dance and more importantly I want my kids to be big enough to dance with me. With my hair being almost unwearable down (grown out hair cut is far too grown out) I've learned all sorts of new, cute methods to put it up. While I do look forward to hand crafting little people I have to admit that in the short term I look more forward to going back to work and continuing being a people.
That and I really want to know what my kids will be into it and helping them do those things.
Blah, blah, blah I lost my point.
On the other hand there are lots of comments about how I'm the "best Mom ever". Totally untrue. The truth is if it wasn't for the tribe of Moms I've put together through LJ I'd be completely lost. Every day I learn something from someone else. All of us are different and all of our parenting styles will continue to thrive, grow, and change. None better than the other. Just different. The awesome part though is we will all respect each other at the end of the day and help each other when shit gets weird, because let's face it we have kids. Kids are weird, thus shit is weird.
But because I love you parent types male and female alike I leave you with this shirt that says everything I can't about parenting:
http://www.zazzle.com/perfect_for_playdates_tshirt-235563941816624861