Breaking Out the Old School

Wow-- I have a million things I'd like to write about today but just as I run... so shall I write one step at a time and see where we get.  Deal?

Just returned from my trip to Pella, Iowa-- where they make Pella windows.  Go figure.

As a fan of Mr. Roger's growing up it was totally cool to go visit an actual manufacturing company and see how lumber gets turned into a window in the course of just a few days!  (Remember that time Mr. Roger's had a neighbor that made crayons?  No? Oh well-- I loved that show and fully admit I was and am a dork!) Anyway, the people at Pella were about as cheery as Mr. Roger's neighbors used to be too... And to see all the really cool tests they do to make sure you get a quality window was neat-- like this machine that simulates a shipping transit, another that thrusts a 2x4 into a window with the impact of a hurricane force.  If I had been allowed to have my camera back in there I would have taken pictures to show you. 

Here is one of Pella, Iowa-- I wouldn't book your vacation here but it was cute if you will be close... all photo's via my iphone this trip.

And another from Des Moine in a very cool sculpture park...

They treated us right and packed our agenda from morning to night.  I went from about 7:30-11 every night!  Plus they fed us about every 2 hours so I stayed busy and stuffed.  I was able to get in my 8 mile run Saturday before I left and allowed myself a hall pass to skip my Tuesday morning run.  It worked out because I really would have been tired trying to fit that in too. 

Mr. Roger, Hall Passes... wow, I am breaking out some old school today, kids.

And in case you are wondering I did not make the self-imposed deadline of dropping all feedings (Talked about here and here).  But I am down to just one feeding a day and may have cried a little when I dropped the morning feeding.  Oh how I love the bonding time of nursing and if my body would have a period I'd still be nursing more!  Come on and ovulate, body so I can do this baby thing again soon!

It was so good to see my family again after three days away.  I miss my boys when I'm gone!  It was a nice break for this Mama though!

Oops... the little boy beckons for dinner... on tap tomorrow... a 5:45 run of 5 miles.  I'm back in the Bluegrass State and ready to run!

This weeks Weaning Update

Since I was soooo sick for a couple days last week I decided to extend the "dropping a feeding" out a couple more days.  How's that for justifying?  So as of today we will be down to just a morning and bedtime nursing.  My two favorite cuddle times with the little guy.  Let's talk about my emotions after one or both of those gets dropped.  For now I am feeling ok with things and my big 12-month old boy is nursing for shorter amounts of time anyway.  After a few minutes he signs "all done" and then he wants to eat real lunch or dinner.  He is still trying to get the sippy cup thing but we're sticking with it and he takes a bit more every day.   The kid loves big people food-- he loves him some veggie lasagna and red beans and rice this week! 

Have I mentioned my goal timeframe for weaning... I am taking a solo trip for a few days to Iowa at the beginning of October (for some architect continuing education junk) and thought it would be nice to go to bed and wake up without feeling full and needing to take along pumping stuff.  So that is when (right now) I am shooting to have dropped all feedings.  One month to go. 

Would love to hear what you feed your younger kiddos!  I want to keep him trying lots of stuff so he isn't a kid who will only eat two things when he's older-- but it has to be easy enough to cook for a non-chef person like me!