He slaps my chest over and over, whining.
His hair quivers like dandelion fluff.
"Are you hungry?"
He pants and cries a frantic response.
I curl his body around me and when he latches, his panic instantly changes into grunting and rooting. With his fingers tucked behind me, he scratches the couch in an un-coordinated repetitive pattern. His other tiny fingers grabbing and slapping at everything they touch. Sometimes they scratch the stitches of his pant leg but most times his fingers find their way into my mouth or nose, his fingernails as sharp as Ginsu knives. His eyes dart back and forth in every direction. Someone walks past and his head jerks up to catch a glimpse of who it is. He forgets that we are not one person and his latch is stretched to it's ultimate limit and snapped loose. Milk slowly drips from both of us. He wiggles wildly back onto his latch but almost in the same second, Ellie comes up. "Wesley!! Are you having a milkshake?" His head jerks up to grin at her, milk spurting everywhere as his milky smile settles on his 6 year old sister. He dives back into his latch, this time slapping and kicking with excitement. It's like a game of peekaboo.
On the latch.
Off the latch. *milky grin at Ellie*
On the latch.
Off the latch. *milky grin at Ellie*
I ask Ellie to please let him be while he nurses.
Ellie disappears around the corner, his eyes following her the whole way, his body stretching to watch her as he holds the latch with his 2 sharp teeth. After she leaves his eyes settle on mine and the rhythmic nursing begins. He stares into my eyes a moment and then his eyes roll back as he fills his warm belly with liquid comfort. His eyes begin to close and he settles his tiny hand into the jungle of my hanging hair. My clothes are wet from his messy job, my chest is scratched from his wild 6 month old flailing, but even in the months of *wild* nursing, there is contentment to be found as I hold and nurse my son, heavy with sleep.
*this post is a response to my sisters post titled "Nursing a 15 month old" You can find it here.*
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6 comments:
Sounds like my nursing experiences as well. On again, off again, on again, off again. Milky smiles at anyone who walks past and makes notice of her, not really caring that she's exposing me as well to the world. Nursing in public is a whole NEW adventure!
Awwww - my favourite part is the un-coordinated scratching. i miss that part :)
Just like reading a story of my life - except for the sibling distractions part:)
Arms flailing - grabbing my hair, my necklace, the seam in the couch behind me...the quick smiles and glances up towards me then the dreamy eyes rolling back....
mmmm.....love it!
I think we need Mel to do a "Nursing a newborn" entry. :) -j
You know, I read your post before hopping in the shower, and was thinking to myself the whole time, "I really need to write a newborn-nursing post!!" Believe me, the ideas are floating... he he...
This was very sweet! My baby is 6 months too and she does the same things! She also also comes off when she hears the sweet potato fries commercial--as though she recognizes the guy's voice--it's hilarious!
(I'm Natalia, from the old 'mamas' email list, and friend of Stephanie's, also been following your dd's health. Must have been sooo worrying! I was hassling Stephanie about how those docs were treating you and your little one. I am VERY glad it's finally being sorted! I spent hours googling for help! LOL)
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