Bye Bye Boobies

Miss Waverley is being weaned. It's a challenge not feeling like a failure as a mother when bottle feeding has such a strong stigma when you CAN produce milk, but it's just not possible pumping all the time. Yes, I do know some mothers who work full time and still are able to pump enough to feed their child, but this heifer don't milk like that. And, honestly, I don't have the 8 hours in my day needed to squeeze it out. But that's just how I work.

The necessity of weaning comes from it being wedding season and as weddings usually take 8 hours to shoot, plus transportation time -you can't just ask everyone to stop so you can take 20 minutes to go pump to feed your baby. And, oh by the way, do you happen to have a refrigerator nearby to keep it fresh so it doesn't curdle before it gets to your baby's lips. *Sigh* Reality.

Though it's necessary, it's still tough to part from the sweetness and the ease that breastfeeding lends. It's great being able to instantly feed the baby while you're out and about without worry about bottles, formula and water. But we roll with it. It's life.

As Brian's been Mr. Mom lately as I work at LifeSize (a corporate gig I work with on a contract basis) and do my various shoots, formula has been a filler since I'm not wired to pump with success. Formula makes both of our lives much easier! And makes Waverley happy since she gets a full belly. The bonding that it's brought Brian and Waverley has been beautiful to witness. My man is such a good daddy. I'm thankful for this time to explore life outside of the house and he's glad for quality time with the kiddos that Army life simply did not allow.

So although it's rather sad to say goodbye to sweet breastfeeding at 4 months, our cuddly feeding time won't stop and I'll always have my snuggle buddy. She's such a doll.