the nursing toddler

The nursing toddler is a funny creature.

"Milky" as she calls it, is a friend to her. She talks to milky on her play phone. Okay Milky. See you later! Buh bye!

And then, her version of the knock knock joke.

Knock knock! She says

Who's there? I say

MILKY!! She says, laughing hilariously, because of course, this is hilarious to her.

And tonight my little Baby Green tucked play silk flowers into my shirt as she reached for "her milky." "Der," she says, "flowers safe and cozy and warm and cozy." "Come on Ah Ah" (monkeys make an AH AH sound when they talk, after all) she says to her Curious George doll, "my bankie, my milky, cozy mama."

Because of course, to the nursing toddler "milky" means "safe and warm and cozy mama".

So, I haven't been shy on this blog about the nursing and the "extended" nursing, as they call it, and etc. Not really. I mean, I am not by any means so "lactivist" type that is going to attend a "nurse in" or anything, again, just not my personality.

HOWEVER.

Yes, we are very supportive of breastfeeding here.

I try to smile right at moms who are nursing their babies in public. I talk about it in a casual way. Encourage mom's who are struggling. Its what we do to take care of babies and we don't need to be all hush hush about it. You know? Its just natural. Its part of babyhood. It seems like its either something people are "lactivist-y" about or something people don't want to talk about.

Sometimes though, one needs to make a stand and say, "hey y'all its okay to talk about this!"

I am feeling like this lately about the extended nursing thing. The nursing toddler.

All of my babies have nursed until two, two and a half. And each time I got to about four or five months pregnant with the next baby and I was like, okay, dude, I cant do this anymore. DONE.

Yes. Nursing past two.

Yes. Nursing while pregnant.

And, yes. I was the one to say "ENOUGH." But, they were mostly done, and we replaced it with cuddles in the rocking chair and saying over and over that "milk-a-milk (little man)" or "milk-a-side" (little miss) was ALL DONE. I just couldn't do it anymore what with the intense contractions I always would start getting at four or five months pregnant and the up at night with toddlers and etc.

In any case, with little man I was terribly concerned with hiding the fact that he was still nursing at the age of two. It seemed weird. I felt weird. I am sure other people thought it weird.

But, by toddler number three. Eh. NORMAL. It feels normal. She is such a baby. My baby. Not to say it is for everyone but, you know, I figured, well, I wonder if other people out there feel the same and maybe sometimes just saying it out loud is okay. Nursing a toddler is sweet and normal and good. These little tiny people and their crazy antics and dear sweet moments.
 
And she daringly walks up the stairs, one careful wobbly step, and declares "I biggie baby!!" and she jumps around the house like a little grasshopper and she shakes her head of curls in defiance and twirls in her skirt saying "I Queen Baby!" And yes she is our queen, and we are charmed. And she cuddles into me and I smother her in kisses, cherishing these last precious baby months.

 Safe and sweet and cozy and warm and mama.

Just as it should be.