Piper took an interest in nursing while I nursed Bridget. Every so often she'd want to give it a try. She was still little enough that when she showed interest I'd let her attempt it. It was never successful. Nor did it take longer than a second or two before she'd had enough. It was sometimes as if she needed to know that she could get close like that to Mommy if necessary.
She's watched me sling Bridget. She's watched me nurse. She's watched me change diapers, and teach her how to use the potty. She has watched me mother, and her little brain has just been soaking it in.
She has a little baby doll that can wet. She got it for her birthday as part of our potty training plan. It was a great success. And a big hit. She has loved that baby.
Now we've been talking more and more about the new baby coming to live at our house. I tell both of the girls how small new babies are. And how they need to be held by their mommies and nursed a lot. And how mommies have love for all of their children, but we'll all have to work together to take care of our new baby.
I learned with Reagan that calling the baby ours meant that he felt a certain responsibility as well, and less left out by the new arrival. After all, it was his baby too!
So, I've noticed Piper carrying her baby more and more, and I've watched her observing the new mommies at playgroup doing with their babies what her mommy did. Breastfeed.
Tonight at bedtime I found her on the couch, lovingly cradling her doll with her shirt pulled up and her baby to her breast. She was nurturing her baby the way she thinks mother's should. By breastfeeding.
I don't think I've ever been prouder of her. She's not going to think that breastfeeding is weird. She's going to know that it's beautiful and natural. I let her stay up a few minutes longer to finish nursing, and then encouraged co-sleeping so she could take care of her baby during the night if it needed anything.
I love being a mommy!
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