Breast milk... The Original Soul food!

I never knew.. That one of the things I would consider to be of immense beauty was nursing a toddler.

I never knew it was in the cards for me to nurse a 16 month old while 7 months pregnant.

I never knew that I would want to keep nursing past a year..

I never knew that sometimes I would hate it but the thought of weaning makes me as anxious as it makes my daughter.

I never knew I would want to take so many pictures of my daughter nursing because I'm trying to capture the tenderness and beauty behind the eyes that look up at me while we sit together.

I never knew nursing a toddler though challenging is way more awesome than nursing a floppy newborn lol..

I now know...

It makes me angry that the nursing relationship with my first daughter was sabotaged from day one..  It makes me more adamant to get information out there to anyone I know that is pregnant..  I don't mean being pushy.. I just want you to know how awesome this is.. I wouldn't want anyone who means to breastfeed to miss this because outside sources are doing everything possible to sabotage women and their efforts. Sounds extreme but it's true.

Sometimes it's hard sure...  My little chubster comes up to me (She's actually up on my lap as of right now coincidentally asking for Bah bah? as she calls it tugging on my shirt)  and here she is  I had to take a pic of course... notice the growing belly lol and blogger on my laptop tee hee Boppy's hold laptops pretty well.

Sometimes she comes up to me at times where I don't feel like it but she quickly reminds me how I can't stand the sad baby face and I let her.. and I quickly melt. Other days it makes my skin crawl.. but  then I see this..

and it makes it all worth while..

Nursing her is a joy, a gift and something I don't think anyone but another nursing mother could understand.. so if you don't understand.. don't try.. and keep comments like are you still nursing? When are you going to  wean? you are spoiling your child!  to yourself.. this is not about you.. not about me.. it's about taking advantage of a great gift we were given.. our brains! We are mammals, we have breasts to feed our young but we also have brains that tell us this is more than nutrition.. this is comfort, bonding, the original Soul food!

People do many things in the world that are bad and hurtful to other people.. breastfeeding is not one of them..  you know the commercial "I'd like to buy the world a coke"  Well... I'd like for every baby out there to get some mommy milk!  I can't buy it.. I can't force it.. but I can try to facilitate it.

So Lactivists! Keep fighting the good fight!  I have mentioned it before and it was a lactivist that helped me get where I am today in the breastfeeding journey.. so keep doing your thing!

Get some babies their soul food!

Sincerely..
One mom in awe of the beauty that is nursing.
and one happy baby in awe of how good mommy can make her feel instantly.

I need your help.

This is one of those "I have a picky eater" cries for help.

Now,  before you formulate an answer for me please take this into consideration:

If You have been blessed with a child who eats a big variety of foods YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHERE I'M COMING FROM! So though your input is appreciated It wont do much. You can also assume why my child is picky and you can boast about how your child is an adventurous eater because he was exposed to healthy foods since day 1. umm nope... sorry to break it to you but though congratulations on your parenting you only have about as much to do with it as you do with the color of his/her eyes.  My husband and I love a variety of fruits and are big fans of vegetables.. we can be picky ourselves but never to this extent. and yes we were picky eaters as children.

My children once ate vegetables and  fruits and grains and yogurts and they cried for more artichokes and preferred carrots over chocolate.

Now I am not saying I am not at fault here... I have slowly given up hope thus reinforcing their (especially the 5 yr old's) unusual eating habits. I am a short order cook who only makes her perennial favorites in order to just get her to eat something! 

I also say both my children because my 15 month old the one who I made sure to feed as much as a variety as possible, the one who would eat all kinds of squashes and table foods and loved everything we would eat at the table is starting to mimic her sister and refuse to eat anything unless it's what her sister is having. 

This is where I draw the line.. this is where I need to ask for help as I feel this is a parenting issue where I don't feel in control anymore.. if that is the right word for it.


OK, let me explain my 5 yr old's pickyness.

Her pickyness stems from visual/texture  she definitely eats with her eyes first, and it has to be a certain texture or she will not eat it.. for example she likes cheese however she will not eat it if it is melted, she likes chicken but it can only be in the form of  chicken dinos (she will not eat any other kind) or it has to be grilled chicken breast  heck let me just give you the least of what she will eat since it's not even that long.

Drinks:  Milk, Soy Milk, cranberry, grape, apple juice. (sometimes orange)
Meats:  Chicken (dinos or grilled breast) Bacon (If it's super cooked she hates soft parts)  She used to eat red meat but now refuses it.  Hot dogs (Hebrew nationals are the ones we give her though she would eat any well we tried soy once and she spit them out)  Eggs (sometimes hit or miss, If they have chorizo in them which is a Mexican sausage then she will almost always eat them)
Cheese:  mild cheddar or string cheese only (as a snack with mustard yeah daddy's weird snack she likes)
Pasta:  pretty much any pasta as long as it has tomato sauce.  But only tomato sauce, no tomato chunks, no cheese, no meats. She HATES mac and cheese.
Bread: She has no problem with.
Fruits: Apples.  (yup only apples)
Vegetables: corn (only grilled) and potatoes as french fries (though I don't consider that a vegetable) 
Nuts:  cashews. peanuts. sunflower.

oh and of course.... Pizza but even then it has to be a certain kind from a certain place or she will not eat it.

What happens when I sneak food, or try to make her eat something? She gets disgusted, gags, and has even thrown up and gotten ill after oh and of course the crying on the floor..

Does she know when I sneak stuff in or substitute? The majority of times yes.. though sometimes it's been successful to lets say hide squash in pasta sauce.

What if I don't give in and give what we have as the only option? She wont eat.. she will go all day without eating.. which is why often I just give in and have her eat something... ANYTHING!


So my call for help is for those who have had experience with picky eaters... PLEASE HELP!!!  What can I do? What can I cook?  I am loosing the battle with my 15 month old and that is what is killing me the most!

I'm at a loss please steer me in the right direction...