At Last

It's become cold here in Chicago.

So cold that my fellow mommies and I are discussing who has the best deals on Winter coats.

So cold that I broke out the comforter last night.

So cold that in lieu of our morning trip to the park, I decided to take Amira out during the slightly warmer afternoon instead.

This time last year, an Autumn walk meant no more than dressing my daughter in layers and avoiding the lakefront at all costs. But even if worse came to worse and she caught a minor cold, it wouldn't be that big of a deal for us.

Things are slightly different now.

Today, if my daughter were to catch a cold I'd have to immediately put her on her nebulizer.

I'd have to fill the bathroom with steam and rub her down with Vicks and wait for her breathing to become regular enough for her to get a good night's sleep.

Because at long last the inevitable has finally occured.

After 2.5 years, I've finally weaned my daughter.

I will never again nurse her through an illness.

I will never again nurse her when she falls and hurts herself.

I will never again put her to my breast and know that she'll be sleeping sweetly within 15 minutes...no matter HOW wired she'd previously been.

My baby's not a baby anymore.

And as much as I've longed for this moment over the past 6 months (when nursing began to feel more like a burden than a blessing)

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't bittersweet.