I have breastfed Luke since he was born up until a few days ago. I have been weaning him for a couple of weeks as I decided to do it gradually and as of this week, he is completely off breast milk and eating real food and loving it. He is the hungriest baby ever! He will rarely refuse food especially if it something he likes. When I started weaning, I had a mix of feelings as it was hard to not have him so dependent on me anymore and breastfeeding was a very special bonding time with my boy. And not to mention that he would never refuse my milk and sometimes would request feedings! I cannot express in words how grateful I am that I was able to breastfeed him for 13 months. I appreciate it even more because of how challenging the journey was. Luke and I “wrestled” together and we did not give up when it seemed almost impossible for him to learn and for me to be diligent to keep trying. I remember those days when I was exhausted, frustrated, overwhelmed, and feeling like I could not do something that I really desired for my baby. Breastfeeding Luke has taught me to be patience, to sacrifice, to give of my time and love, to recognize that God places people on our path, to pause whenever I was out and about or in the house to feed him and to slow down and remember that nothing else was more important than him. It was a learning experience for me that when we do not give up and put our trust in our Heavenly Father with unwavering faith, He will give us strength to do hard things and to be stretched to the fullest. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to nurse your baby and to literally nurture him with nourishment and love. The Lord’s tender mercies are real and those days will be forever in my heart.
