22 Months

Dearest Gwendy,

You reached twenty-two months without much change. Life has settled into a routine for you. A routine of you getting all the attention, because you, my dear, are high maintenance!

You talk so well, putting more and more words together, to describe things, like your “car bar ban-ket” (Care Bear blanket from my cousin, Penny, it has been one of your favorites since you received it! So thanks Penn-Nut, just in case I have neglected to thank you before!) If I ask you “Whose feet are these?” or “who is Gwennie” You say “mine” or its “Mine cup,” “Mine dith-ter” (sister). I could listen to you talk all day. Oh, wait, I do that. You are so talkative.

Today we took you to the doctor for your delayed 18 month, early 24 month check-up. You weigh 26 pounds, and are 32 inches tall. It seems you are a little short for your age, only in the 25th percentile, while Rhayn stayed up there in the 50-90^th pretty much most of her toddlerhood. It doesn’t matter either way, because you are the most perfect you there ever was. You really haven’t gained or lost weight since you were 9 months old. Weird. You have hovered at 25 pounds since then, easily. That means that those lovely baby rolls of fat that covered your bottom half are gone. When you run naked through the house (and you do that nearly every day) you are a lot leaner that you used to be.

At the doctor you received your last “make-up” vaccinations. You are all caught up, like a two year old should be. You were unhappy about the shots, but since they do those last, you seemed ok with the actual exam part. The biggest shocker was that your doctor was a female, and usually that sends you into hysterics. She was able to listen to your heart, and look in your eyes and ears and you opened your mouth wide for her. Good job, little one. The doctor wanted to do a lead screen on you. Rhayn has never had one, but I figured a tiny prick, a little blood, it would be ok. Nope. It was intravenous blood draw! Ouch. No 22 month old should have to go through that. Your sister was totally scared for you. She had blood drawn not too long ago to check her white blood count. The screams you emitted were horrendous. I felt like the worst mother ever for subjecting you to that. I had never heard of that as a normal two year old test. I guess I let the doctor talk me into something that normally I wouldn’t have subjected you to. I apologize.

We are slowly transitioning you into your “big girl bed.” You adore your bed, until it comes time to sleep in it at night. Then you still want to be next to me. So guess who else spends half the night in your bed? Yeah, your mama. Not that you are far from me, because your twin bed is pushed up right next to my side of our California king bed. You are on a lower level, but it is easy for you to climb right up to me.

I have been sad a lot lately. I think that is has to do with thinking about how much you have grown up, and how you are nearly two now. In just two short months you will be two. Then I will have to come up with a new, improved reason for continuing to nurse you. (Until then I can use the WHO and even FDA recommendations of at least two years.) I know that you aren’t going to wake up at two and just be all done with “gup” I realize that for you weaning will be hard, its going to be hard on me, too. I don’t want to wean you, because I wanted to nurse you so badly, I fear that I will never get to nurse another baby. I mean if we have another (*when) what if they can not nurse? How will that feel? I know how it will feel- horrible. It will feel like I am a failure again. I guess that is why I cling to nursing with you, and luckily, you cling right back.

Your mama,

The Lactating One