all kinds of sleep.

adam sleeps anywhere and with anyone, he has radar, if he is alone for too long he will figure it out and wake up.

We're coming up on twelve years cumulative breastfeeding. Wow.

three years and 27 days of nursing so far.

My Only Self-Weaner and My Current Nursling

My third daughter weaned herself when she was 2 years and 7 months old. My son is still nursing, he was just a month old here but now he is 2 years and 10 months old and still nursing. He will wean himself too, one day.

The school year 2013-2014

The school year that just ended a few weeks ago, my kids were in 11th, 4th, and 1st grade. This is a picture of them at the start of the year and the end of the year.

little people, called toddlers

adam is our last toddler and he is making the most of it, he wears me out, but he has his sweet and cuddly moments with the cats and with his sisters.

it's about more than the milk

breastfeeding a toddler is about more than the milk. it's about cuddling. it's about responsiveness. it's about love. it's also about milk too.

rear-facing for as long as possible

"I a good helper"

This picture, in terms of breastfeeding, represents four years and two months, two years and one month, two years and seven months and two years and nine months and counting. The first time around I succeeded because of sheer determination, the second and third times I succeeded because I had the first time and knew I could do it again, the fourth time I succeeded because I had success behind me and I was determined. Breastfeeding isn't so hard after the first baby. Sure, I had stuff with all four babies, from leaking boobs to sore nipples to engorgement to baby not waking to eat, although to be fair, the one who did not wake to eat had holes in his heart so he was tired. Anyway, it is worth it, I'm glad I did it, I'm glad my last child is still nursing, he is awesome and cute and funny.

i love adam's hair

before adam's open-heart surgery he was bald. i have trimmed his hair once in the 2 years and 4 months since his surgery. i just can't trim it more, i love it so much! sometimes he asks for a pony tail, in part i think because i sometimes wear a pony tail and in part to get his hair out of his face. i never thought i liked boys wearing pony tails but i like adam wearing one and i like not cutting his beautiful hair.

rear-facing longer is better

when i had my first child back in 1997 i didn't know what i know now. but now, four kids later i know that the longer they face rear in the car the better. adam is 2 years and 8 months old and safely and comfortably facing backward in his car seat. yay for knowing better and doing better!

two yeas and eight months so far

adam likes to nurse to sleep and during the night doing what i call the left-right-left-right-left-right and repeat. he must think i have eight boobies.

Two Years Six Months Breastfeeding

Two Years Two Months

We are two years and two months since Adam's open-heart surgery!

2 years, 4 months

The real Apryl.

Calm down, Apryl. I tell this to myself but it is so hard to do. What am I feeling not calm about? Mess, clutter, dishes, laundry. This stay home mom gig turned into more of a try to keep the house not a mess gig. I wish I could just play with my kids when they are home and play with my toddler all day without stressing because there are (let me pause to count) 12 things out of place on my computer desk. Some call my behavior OCD, but I just call it normal keep things tidy-ness. I mean, shouldn’t everything be picked up all the time? Shouldn’t all desk and table and counter and shelf surfaces not be a mess? Not be cluttered? This is my battle with myself, but damnit, it comes out more like my battle against my family (four children and one husband), the people I love the most. I do not want to nag, I do not want to say many times a day “Who left this here?” “Who did not put this away?” “Why am I the only person who sees this mess?” But maaaaan, why AM I the ONLY person who sees it? It is not fair to them, it is not fair to me. We moved from one thousand square feet to nearly three thousand and it does feel spacious and it does feel open, but it still feels messy, sometimes. I try to pay attention to when I feel so overwhelmed by mess, but I have yet to find a very real pattern I can try to kick the butt of. For now it is time to go bathe two children, it is cold right now and they have a late start in the morning, but they still need to go to bed in seven minutes. Ha ha, ha ha ha. Seven minutes. They need washing, they need dressing, one needs her teeth brushed, then they need to be read to, and I have to use the bathroom myself. So, as much as I want them in bed in, oh, now six minutes, realistically if they are laid down and ready for lights out in 36 minutes we will be doing well.