11 months

I always make myself take a break at work, at least 15 minutes.

Not really for me though.

For my sweet baby girl.

In those 15 minutes I multitask.  Yesterday I was on the phone getting report from an ER nurse, for a new patient I was going to get.  During this time I was scarfing down food like I haven't had anything to eat in days, and pumping.  The ER nurse asked what that crazy noise was, she heard it over the phone.  And she is right, that darn pump does make a noise that sounds like "crazy, crazy, crazy" as it does the thing it is suppose to do.  

I have been doing this for 11 months, and as annoying as it is to pump, wash, and sanitize all the pieces, I will be so very sad the day I don't need to anymore.

That bond of breastfeeding, goodness it is something amazing, and I feel so lucky to be a mama who can and does breastfeed my babies.

I've spent 34 months of my life breastfeeding, and to think that the next  month will be the last time I do this, well it makes me a bit sad.

3 kids is enough according to Ryker...and P says he isn't quite sure how he would manage drop off at preschool if we had another - further driving home this concern by stating "what would I do, leave one of them in the car?  I only have 2 hands..."

All this to say, I'm savoring her babyhood and paying attention to the little details, her little details.

• Embracing every last second of her milk coma body, and the way she just melts into my arms after she is done nursing.   Then taking the time to sit, be still, for the 45-60 minutes she snoozes and watch her just sleep in my arms.

•  Memorizing the way her little lips move as if she is still nursing, while she sleeps.

• Soaking up the way she snuggles into me when she is in the sling.

• Or the way she looks into my eyes, reaches out to touch my face, holding onto her mama.

• laughing so hard as her little personality begins to erupt from her tiny little body

 I told her "Jovie say ahhhh" I wanted to get a peek at her top teeth that are coming in, I cracked up from the face she made.  Now she won't stop doing it.  Sister knows when she is funny :).

• Watching in amazement at how a tiny little baby can already do so much.

•  Sitting back and watching her explore, learn, and laugh as she pulls wipes and Kleenex out, one by one.

Loving every kiss she dishes out, girlfriend knows how to make her mama melt.

Because all too soon she'll have babies of her own, and I don't want to miss these precious moment of her being my little babygirl.

*****
At 11 months she-

• wears size 6 month clothes, and by the way they fit and the suggessted height/weight for that size of clothes has me thinking she is about 15lbs.
• wears size 2 diapers
• drinks 3.5oz in her bottles for daddy when I'm at work.  She eats every 2-3 hours.
• wears size 0-3 month shoes
• cruises around, and is starting to move just holding onto something with 1 hand.
• is as rowdy as her big brothers
• sleeps from 7pm until 6:30am, waking once or twice to nurse at night.