Thursday, July 30, 2015

Saturday Plans

 

Saturday we are going to fly to CA go to Disneyland for the day and fly home.

 

Not really but I was trying to come up with a list of things that are free under two. Since my baby will not be eligible starting Sunday.

champagne and raisins!

We will be living it up though. He has LOVED birthdays this year. He likes singing the song all the time- he’s going to be ecstatic that it is for him! Friday his class is making cupcakes to celebrate. Saturday we are going to have a day of fun with our little one year old. The only definite plan is to ride the SLUT, we drive by it every day and love when we have a trolley sighting but haven’t ridden one yet. Oh, he has pictures first on Saturday.

Then on Sunday, we are having my mom, sisters and niblings over for a party at our house. Water play, bubbles, some Sesame Street themed games, pizza and cake.


This’ll be fewer people than last year because I don’t want to host, I want to hang with my birthday boy and see him take it all in. I’m so excited. I’m more excited about his day than I have been for my own birthday for ~20 years.

 

It’s funny, before I had Andrew I used to think that the kid’s birthday should also be the mom’s day in a way. But I genuinely feel like I was so lucky to get to be the one to have him. I’m so glad I got to bring him into my life, into Michael’s. It was really my privilege and I’m doing my best to show him my gratitude by loving him every day. His birthday is just an extra special one.

 

I still like my mom’s perspective that your first born’s birthday is also your parenting anniversary. We've officially been on the job for two years. Happy other anniversary M!

 

 

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Anniversary

Today is my wedding anniversary. And a great day to pride myself on picking a great partner! 
But it is also the anniversary of another big day. Last year we went out for our anniversary and Andrew stayed overnight at my moms. That was the last day he consistently nursed. He did a few times afterwards and I pumped for a few more weeks for daycare but that was basically the end. 

It is a marked date in my mind because it was regaining my autonomy after 21 months (pregnancy plus nursing).

Before deciding to have children this was one of my huge issues with biological motherhood. It is one of the many reasons I remain staunchly pro-choice. It is a huge thing to ask/require a person to give up her body. 
I honestly struggled with it in early pregnancy. Especially in an era where pregnant women are subject to a slew of well intentioned and barely informed restrictions that are heaped on them at every turn. It irritated me on principle more than in practice generally.  
However when I was 40 weeks pregnant and had a tooth that no one would help me with (not even take an x-Ray of my mouth to establish the issue) I was again bristled by how my personage was unimportant. When I was as sick as a dog and no one would recommend something for relief because no OTC drugs are tested in nursing women  I was frustrated to tears. 

Turns out I don't get to celebrate this anniversary because I didn't even make a full year of autonomy. 

But somehow it feels less oppressive. Maybe because I'm settling into knowing when I need to exert my own needs (I WILL have an x-Ray (IN THE MOUTH) if I need it at 9 months). But I think it is because life with Andrew has shown me what my Mom has always said. "This too shall pass." This is a stage in my life like any other. This is what I've chosen to build our family so it's ok for now. 

*Please remind me of this when I'm feverish with a hot baby body sucking the life directly out of me.