Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul;Like a weaned child rests against his mother,
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
- Psalm 131:2 -
My soul is like a weaned child within me.
- Psalm 131:2 -
Today marks two weeks exactly since the last time Sean nursed, or even asked to nurse. And before that it had been a week to ten days since he had nursed. So I think I can safely say that the child has weaned.
Dr. William Sears in his book The Baby Book describes life as "a series of weanings for a child: weaning from your womb, weaning from your breast, from your bed, and from your home to school." I may not know much about parenting, but I know enough to realize that any of these weanings is both bitter and sweet, something to both mourn and celebrate. And this latest weaning of Sean's is no different for me.
I mourn that his weaning means that he is about to leave all traces of babyhood behind him forever. I mourn that he needs me just a little bit less than he did before. And I mourn that the last several months of nursing him were a little less pleasant than the preceding ones since another little one was added to the mix.
And yet at the same time I rejoice to once again only be nursing one baby. And I rejoice that I can lay down with him at night and all he needs is, "Bobby, hode you." And I especially rejoice that by allowing him to gently and gradually wean himself, I helped instill within him a still and quiet soul, one that is happy and secure and independent enough to move out further into the big, wide world. I wouldn't trade that for all the months and years of unattached freedom that premature weaning could give me.
Dr. William Sears in his book The Baby Book describes life as "a series of weanings for a child: weaning from your womb, weaning from your breast, from your bed, and from your home to school." I may not know much about parenting, but I know enough to realize that any of these weanings is both bitter and sweet, something to both mourn and celebrate. And this latest weaning of Sean's is no different for me.
I mourn that his weaning means that he is about to leave all traces of babyhood behind him forever. I mourn that he needs me just a little bit less than he did before. And I mourn that the last several months of nursing him were a little less pleasant than the preceding ones since another little one was added to the mix.
And yet at the same time I rejoice to once again only be nursing one baby. And I rejoice that I can lay down with him at night and all he needs is, "Bobby, hode you." And I especially rejoice that by allowing him to gently and gradually wean himself, I helped instill within him a still and quiet soul, one that is happy and secure and independent enough to move out further into the big, wide world. I wouldn't trade that for all the months and years of unattached freedom that premature weaning could give me.
1 comments:
Daryl works such long hours some days that I end up doing everything by myself from the time the girls get up to the time they go to bed. It's very tiring! By 8pm I'm pooped! Hope Chris gets home soon!
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