Monday, July 18, 2016

The Return of LMM

Happy Monday, everyone!

Before I begin this post with an explanation as to where I've been over the last week, I want to take a minute to say thank you to everyone who has sent messages of concern, asking about my well-being. The fact that you took time to think of me, and to ask after me and my family was absolutely emotionally overwhelming, and made me realize that there are truly wonderful people out there. I can't tell you how much I needed those messages, or how they lightened my heart. I'll personally respond to everyone just as soon as I can.

It was an eventful week in the M household. Unfortunately, Mr. S got injured at work last week, so I have been nursing (in many respects) the infirm, and because he and our three rambunctious bundles of  joy are my top priority, I stepped away from my computer to tend to the needs of my love. I went through a couple of other rough patches, too, that reminded me that life simply happens sometimes, but as you can see from the photos below, I am okay--and back with a vengeance. ;)

Of course, nothing is all  bad. There is good everywhere. I did manage to finish this:

So, how can I not continue to feel truly blessed--especially when I have people like you out there, cheering me on?
I'll be doing my best to post more this week, and because I am waaaayyyy behind on my podcast schedule, I'll do my all to have that uploaded too. Thank you all for your patience and continued support.

May you have a wonderful week!

Hugs and many blessings to you from me,
LMM 

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Momsicles: LMM's Frozen Breast Milk Pops

The other afternoon, as I was organizing one of my kitchen cupboards, I came across my popsicle molds, which are normally used a lot in the summer so I can make healthy juice pops for the children. I tossed them into the sink to wash, and as I did, my eyes fell on the bottle of freshly-pumped breast milk I had set aside to store, and that's when inspiration struck.

(I'll bet you already know where I'm going with this, don't you? ;))

Breast milk freezes well in a bag. Why wouldn't it freeze well in a popsicle mold?

Because breast milk is a precious commodity, and I have plans for mine, and each mold cavity holds two ounces of liquid, I only filled two of them with liquid gold, and set them in the freezer to see what would happen.

Breastfed children are funny. When my children were little, Mr. S used to laugh every time their faces became smeared with that blissfully bleary milk-drunk expression; you know, the one that causes little mouths to slow their rhythm and little eyes to flutter and roll, and when they got older and began to talk, knowing that children are breast milk connoisseurs, he never failed to ask them the same questions in regard to their breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The conversation always went something like this:

Dad: "Is that good stuff?"

Child 1, 2, or 3: Nods

Dad: "Is it? What does it taste like?"

To which each child would reply with their own opinion. The oldest always said "red popsicles", the middle one (who is the ornery one of the bunch, and has always found himself extremely amusing, even as a toddler) would invariably say, "dill pickles", and the baby, our only little lady, would chirp the word "marshmallows!" with exuberance and joy, followed by the proclamation that it was "deee-wicious!"

(Disclaimer: My breast milk has never tasted like dill pickles. The middle kid, aside from being a clown, loved dill pickles, so I think it was a compliment.)

I allowed my milk pops to freeze overnight, and unmolded one the following evening. I had to let the mold set in a bowl of cool water for a couple of minutes to release the final product, but it finally came out fairly well--and what I held in my hand was a sleek vanilla-colored creamsicle. I was so excited that I went on the search to find the Mister.

"Check this out!" I cried when I'd found him. "I made a Momsicle!"

He looked up from the newspaper with absolutely no surprise. Very little fazes him, particularly now that I am blogging about our life. "Did you say a momsicle?" he asked.

"Yes! I made it from my milk. Here," I said, holding it out to him. "Try it."

He took a bite. So did I.

And, you know what?

It was really very good.

It didn't taste like a red popsicle, and it certainly didn't taste like a dill pickle, but it did sort of taste like a marshmallow, and after a couple more bites, I realized that my little lady's estimation of breast milk is quite accurate: it honestly was deee-wicious. ;)

If you're into consuming breast milk for health purposes, have some extra milk stockpiled, and happen to  like ice cream bars, Momsicles might just be the way to go. Some women give them to their little ones to ease teething pain, too.

Because the calories in breast milk vary from woman to woman, depending on diet, and the time of day milk is expressed, (as well as the size of your popsicle molds) it is difficult to determine just how many calories a typical Momsicle will contain, but each of mine was approximately 22 calories, and you can be sure, no matter what, that your Momsicles will be loaded with lots of nutritious vitamins, nutrients, immune-boosting antibodies, and good fat!




Monday, July 4, 2016

An Adult Nursing Relationship Love Story: Sunset from a Car

If you share a committed and dedicated long-term adult nursing relationship as I do with Mr. S, then you will understand that the act of nursing plays a very large part in the experience, but it seems a bit unjust and one-sided not to mention the R factor nestled within every loving and successful ANR. In many ways, as two people work so closely together to build an unbreakable intimate bond to last a lifetime, the relationship becomes key, and the practice of suckling emerges as a beautiful incidental.

That is what adult nursing is like for Mr. S and me.

Every time he comes to the breast, we create a new chapter in our personal love story.

On Saturday, my aunt kept the children so we could enjoy a few blissful hours of quality adult time. We really had no particular plans, and because my aunt assured us that we should not hurry back, we eventually decided to take a long and leisurely twilight drive along some winding, unchartered country roads.

The evening was beautiful, and the weather was perfect. We rolled down our windows and let the soft summer breeze waft through the car as we cruised along, listening to our favorite songs, sometimes talking, other times, being very still as we enjoyed the quiet contentment of the other's company. S would reach for my hand, taking it in his own, and it was wonderful to feel his strength and presence as the trill of nesting birds and the chirping of crickets provided the music of evening.

So caught up in the moment, I lost track of time, not realizing how late it had grown. The scenery rolled slowly by, and endless fields stretched far beyond us on either side of the curving road.

That was when I noticed the sky.

It was magnificent. The setting sun cast a golden glow against a backdrop of periwinkle, fuchsia, and rose, transforming the trees into perfect silhouettes. It was breathtaking, and I asked S to pull the car over to the side of the road so I could admire the consummate perfection.


I took these photos, doing my best to capture sunset from a car, but they just don't display the true beauty of Saturday's sky, or the wonderful evening I shared with my husband.

Nursing is a bit like that beautiful sunset. It is glorious, but until you have the opportunity to experience it for yourself, you'll never truly realize the beauty and magic it can bring.