520 hours and 13 minutes. That's the amount of time that we have spent breastfeeding for the last 18 months. (Yes, I'm anal and still tracked all of their feedings even though I didn't need to.)
The years that we were trying to get pregnant, one thing that I always prayed I could experience was breastfeeding. But, I didn't know if that would ever be possible.
Then God answered the cry of my heart and I was pregnant! And, not just with one miracle but TWO! Breastfeeding two...would that ever be possible?
My two teeny nuggets were born 5 weeks early and with low birth weight. We faced some challenges in the beginning, but with the help of our awesome lactation consultants and my rock star babies, we were doing it. We were breastfeeding! And my girls were eating and gaining and thriving, despite our early challenges.
We made it through mastitis, twice. We made it through thrush. We made it through feeding every. three. hours...nursing, pumping, bottle feeding what was pumped after nursing, for the first five weeks...we made it.
We made it all the way to 18 months! I couldn't be prouder of my girls! My heart is full of thankfulness for the many, many hours that we spent together, all three of us bonding. I have so many wonderful memories that I will cherish forever. I remember the way Emery would play with her hair, or Kinley's hair. The way they would both play with my hair. Falling asleep on the giant nursing pillow after a feeding and we'd all just lay there. Lugging the giant nursing pillow with us whenever we went somewhere so I could feed in the back of the van. Kinley going through a phase where she'd just roll off the pillow when she was done feeding. Kinley playing with and cuddling her lovey while feeding. And, so many more.
