July 31, 2008

What do you want for Christmas?

Innernets, let it be officially known that I want this:


The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Collector's Edition by J.K. Rowling

Come to me, my precious.

Wait, wrong reference. Whatever. Hubba hubba. ME WANT THIS.

Okay, now that Christmas 2008 is taken care of, let me move on to some scraps of Specifically Random for you......

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While carousing on Amazon, I looked up the Twilight Saga series by Stephenie Meyer. Why do I do this to myself?? Why? Am feeling an overwhelming compulsion to head to Border's immediately after dropping Arun off at school this morning. I suspect, resistance is futile.

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In other news, Blogger is now allowing for email responses to comments. Finally! Folks, you can look forward to that feature coming soon to a blog near you. It has always bothered me that I could not respond personally to comments.

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Finally, a bit of a rant for you. It has been that sort of week with the blogosphere rife with negativity. Might as well get this one out of my system.....

I am SO excited for Leah and Simon that they found out they are having a boy. Truly, having a boy has been so much damned fun. And yes, having a girl has been just as much fun. I always wanted two boys and one girl. While I will not get that 2nd boy, I am so grateful that I have one of each.

However. As the mother of a boy, what I have not enjoyed is the rude comparisons between my boy and my girl.

Everyone knows the word "misogynist", right? It is such an oft-used word these days, it would be difficult not to be familiar with it. Well, how about misandrist, defined as "someone who harbors a basic hatred of men"? As the mother of a boy, it became clear to me how many women out there simply do not care for the male species. It is absolutely shocking to me how many people think it is perfectly acceptable to inform you of all the so-called "bad character traits" of boys. And I have heard some doozies - boys are hellions, boys are aggressive, boys do not like to snuggle, boys do not like books, boys are destructive. I find all those comments not only insulting to my son, but also to my husband and my father, two of the most affectionate men I know.

Am I alone in this? Am I over-sensitive to this?

And if I hear the following quote one more time, it will be too soon:
A son is a son til he gets him a wife,
A daughter is a daughter for the rest of her life.

July 29, 2008

That's it, is it not?

Innernets, your votes have been tallied. Housecleaning it is. I should confess that I do have a super-secret Babysitting Weapon - my mother. And to boot, she lives in Lawrence,KS. It is a cinch to dump the kids off at her place, then hoof it to downtown and hole up in a coffee shop for a few hours (or days?) On Saturday, I did this and found myself hanging out in a new, little tea shop called Teapouro. Then yesterday, my sister and I did a double swoop-down on our mom and left ALL THE CHILDREN with her so that we could frolic downtown together. We had lunch at Milton's and then went shopping at the Phoenix Gallery and the Toy Store. Seriously, I think it has been at least a few years since my sister and I have had a conversation that did not involve at least one instance of at least one of us bellowing at our kids to just Lock Their Lips. Admittedly, our mom look a wee bit haggard by the time we returned, but she was none worse for the wear. [Stage Left: Evil Laugh]

In other news, I would like to give a shout-out to Elmo. Oh, sure, we have had our differences over the years, but truly, the Great Red One is totally rockin' our house these days. Arun is obsessed with the whole Elmo's Potty Time video. My general theory regarding toilet training is "when he is ready, he will let me know." Overall, I am hoping he is "trained" (I HATE that word. Bleh.) by this November. So. Um. I do not normally seek advice, but I am definitely open to it on this subject. We talk about it and I ask every now and then if he would like to perch his royal bum upon his Diego-Embossed Throne. So far, no takers. Eh.

July 28, 2008

What did I learn at BlogHer 08?

Someone asked the very valid question as to what it was that I learned at BlogHer 08. What with all the drama and snipping that has been going on, you would think that all we did was drink and snub each other. While I am not going to go into detail on the sessions I attended, I can highlight some things I came away with. For more details on each session, I recommend you check out the Liveblog section for BlogHer 08.

I learned the following:
  1. I learned that corporate America and the media has, indeed, taken notice of the lowly mommyblogger. Sure, I have heard and read much of this newfound love but, um, wow. It blew me away how the sponsors and media were all over this event. I felt like I was being courted or romanced.
  2. I learned some things I need to look out for as a mommyblogger in regard to privacy and security. For one, I really need to figure out how to watermark my photos (something I have been meaning to do). Otherwise, I am fairly satisfied with how I have handled privacy and security on this site. One important note that was brought up was the fact that every parentblogger needs to keep a running tally of "information" he/she has written about before to ensure privacy. For example, I do try to keep my writing of my son's school at a very minimum for security purposes. Also, I keep a mental list of what I have already revealed to prevent me from accidentally revealing more information that would allow someone to "connect the dots" as to where he goes to school.
  3. I learned that I am so very, very happy with my current level and makeup of my traffic. Sure, I have gotten some rude comments in the past, but none ever progressed to the level of Trollworthy. One blogger, in the Naked Blogging session, brought nearly the entire room to tears with her experiences with two trolls. And believe me, the blogger in question is fairly innocuous so it was such a disturbing story to hear. It could happen to any one of us out here.
  4. As far as commercialization and monetization goes, I learned that I am probably most comfortable with just staying in the BlogHer Ad network and with some pimping myself out to publishers to review books. I am not really jazzed about reviewing tons of different products (NO LAUNDRY DETERGENT EVER), but I do think that reviewing books fits into what I have been doing here for the past 4 years.
  5. I learned that Macy's is a fairly odd and uncomfortable place to host a cocktail hour. Yikes.

July 25, 2008

Which would you rather have: a nanny or a housekeeper?

I would rather have a housekeeper.

In a few weeks, our lovely sitter T is heading off to college. I am teary-eyed just writing this. She has been so responsible and responsive with our children. She comes nearly every Wednesday afternoon for just a few hours and Arun asks for her throughout the week. All of us are going to really miss her.

There was a time when I desperately needed Kid Free time and it needed to be regular and scheduled. However. Lately, I have been feeling that I need a clean house more than I need free time. I am not quite to the point where I could be exposed on a future segment of Oprah, but I am seeing how easily one's piles of crap can get out of control.

So, I have scheduled the house cleaning service again since our babysitting fees are going away. Anyone who has a cleaning service knows that it is not quite as simple as you sitting on your couch, eating bon bons as someone in a duster vacuums under your feet. Hardly. The cleaners come next Wednesday and this means that I have loads of things to put away before they can come in to do their jobs. Actually, that is what I miss the very most about the cleaning service - the fact that it forces my Lazy Hand into picking up. Sad, pathetic, yet very, very true.

I am calling this entire project Take Back the Dining Room. Wish me luck.

July 24, 2008

How much is that puppy in the window?

Great balls of fire, Innernets. X has come across a FREE puppy found in a dumpster. A wee black Labrador, to be exact. The breed he has always wanted. Now, if this puppy was a husky (preferably a Malamute), I would be all over that. Maybe. Um. Perhaps not. We go back and forth on the dog issue about once a year.

I am more than okay with our current pet situation.

The cats? Got that covered. Throw them some water and food. Occasionally, serve as their personal doorman letting them in and out and in and out and in and out.

The tarantula? The easiest pet ever in the Domestication of Things Wild. Throw in some crickets, wish them the best. Then, later on, pick out the carcasses, dribble some water in Sofia's thimble-sized water dish, mist her cage. Oh, snap.

A dog? I do not feel ready for that sort of commitment.

I say, until all the children in our house have full sets of molars, can butter their toast, can dress themselves and most importantly, can wipe their own asses, I am just not ready for a dog.

Not. Ready.

July 21, 2008

Who do you think you are?

My Dearest Arun and Anjali,
If I ever catch you being being rude to service personnel, I will Kick Your Ass in a manner befitting of a Queen*.

Love you!
Mama

*Also known as "royally"
_________________

On my flight back from San Francisco, a gal and her pal boarded at the last possible second, then one of the gals threw a tantrum that she did not get to sit with her friend. Hissy Fit Gal was incredibly rude towards the air hostess. She was also not particularly happy about sitting in the middle seat, next to me and my BABY (Yes, people, you read that correctly - I had the nerve to board an airplane with my BABY.) When the air hostess refused to serve the gal the requested Bloody Mary, I was so fucking relieved. When the gal went the bathroom, the air hostess asked if I was doing okay and I offered up my business card should she need backup that Hissy Fit Gal was out of line. The guy sitting in our row followed suit. It was a long flight although, I particularly appreciated the irony that my baby acted better than Hissy Fit Gal.

Oh, right. Almost forgot.... I went to BlogHer and yes, it was really fun. The end.

What's that you say? Not enough? Okay...

Bang! Bang!
  • First, I highly recommend that you not bring your teething baby to BlogHer. Seriously, leave her at the baggage carousel with a couple of granola bars and wish her the best........... Of course, I did not realize that Anjali was teething. I thought that by 5 pm each day, she was worn out from all the all the stimulation. Um, we are home now and she is still out of sorts. And constantly gnawing on something, which sadly includes my nipples (a clear violation of my strict policy that if one is going to munch on my nipples, I should be wearing black leather and getting paid for the privilege) Anyway, I am not sure what to write. It was an odd weekend - actually very quiet. I lost sleep and had massive headaches, but they were from dealing with my 21 lb baby, not from hangovers. Still, I had such a lovely time, even though I nearly missed both cocktail parties and cut short many sessions by running back and forth to check on Anju (I completely missed Saturday's Keynote.) By the time 5 pm rolled around, Anjali was totally done. DONE, I tell you.
  • My very favorite part of the weekend was watching Rita Arens shine during the promotion of her book, Sleep is for the Weak. I have my hot little hands on the book and I can report that it is awesome. Obviously, as a contributor, I am completely prejudiced, but this book is simply lovely with such a diverse set of voices sharing their (our!) experiences as mothers. I will write more about the book and my thoughts on it this week (also, I bought an extra copy to give away. Look for details on that as well.)
  • To many, it appears that BlogHer is about networking and scooping up as many new readers as you can. $$$$$$$ For me, it was mostly about meeting my friends. I was so thrilled to see Marilyn and Brit - I wish the three of us could have spent more time together as a threesome, but our arrivals and departures were inconveniently staggered. Still, I am so glad that I got to have conversations with them that did not involve frenetic typing, hitting "send" and waiting (impatiently!) for a response.
  • I loved having the opportunity to meet up with Average Jane sporadically and frequently over the weekend. Sure, we both live in Kansas City, but getting together these days involves complicated scheduling and certainly not quick texts that say "where r u? meet me in the lobby in 2."
  • Dude. I got to meet The Monkey (yes, that one. The one wearing the Suit.) She arrived in a blaze of glory - dragging a huge purple suitcase, tottering in high heels, her hair in wild curls. Her suitcase contained a veritable arsenal of tweezers, hair products, jewelry, curling irons and a few more sets of heels. I think I fell in love instantly. One of my very, very favorite moments from the weekend will always be the Saturday morning spent with The Monkey. I was rushing around getting ready, she was still in her bed. Her hair was darting from her head at crazy angles all over her pillow as she treated the occasion like Open Mike Night, granting me renditions of a destitute ground squirrel (with Cockney accent) begging for Welfare handouts and her Monty Python inspired US Scareways Air Hostess serving warm bilge water fresh from the Thames. Even if she had not provided the free, hilarious entertainment, she will forever be etched on my heart for the fact that she not only watched my crabby, anxious, tired, teething baby so that I could attend Saturday night's cocktail party sans progeny, but that she got her boyfriend in on the act. And then later, said boyfriend picked up delicious curries from Shalimar for us (including Average Jane). He even brought a 6 pack of Kingfisher in the bargain. Monkey, my dahling. You should most certainly keep the boy toy who not only babysits but also comes bearing curries and beer. Trust me on this.
  • On Sunday, I had so much fun meandering through the TenderNob area (South of Nob Hill, North of Tenderloin) with Brit and her husband. The TenderNob is fairly gritty and the characters are interesting. Plus, it gave me another opportunity to eat at Shalimar. For serious. I ate there for Saturday dinner and for Sunday lunch. With no hesitation. (specfic recommendations? I think hands down, my favorite dishes there are the chicken jalfrezi, the haleem, and the chicken karahi.) Also, a special shout-out to the worldy husband of Brit who taught me the finer points of what a "tea room" is. Gee, thanks! Really.
I have more to write about BlogHer - I would like to write about some of the products I received, I want to write more about the Sleep is for the Weak book, and I would like to write about some of the folks I met. I have a stack of cards that I am eager to get through - my goal is to do that over the next two weeks, so eventually, I will have a post devoted simply to that.

My intent for these BlogHer posts is NOT to make folks feel left out. My hope is that folks will start saving their nickels and dimes now for BlogHer 09. If you love blogging - reading and/or writing - BlogHer is most certainly worth every penny. People, make it happen.

More BlogHer 08 photos are on the Flickrage.....

Buy the Book, Pretty Please.
sleep is for the weak

Fallen Angel

Not my purple suitcase. Not my heels. Not my underwear. Definitely my baby.

Shine On, You Crazy Diamond


I was a sweaty mess the entire weekend, leading me to panic and think I was going through The Change at the tender age of 37. Jeepers, Trixie!

Cagey, Running Stitch and Slackermama
The rare moment where we all three were TOGETHER.

Libations Grease the Social Wheels


I Came Home Bearing Gifts - Tarantula Droppings and a Hat



July 15, 2008

Why not?

So. I have joined the BlogHer Ad network and I am pretty excited about it. Basically what happened is that X would ask me why I was not doing ads and eventually, I ran out of answers.I am not sure what else to say. I am calling the whole thing "Selling Out and Buying In" which probably explains it best. I will not make tons of money with my current traffic, but whatever I make will go towards my very favorite bookstore, the Dusty Bookshelf in Lawrence. Why yes, I am a total whore when it comes to books. Anyway, those of you peering in through feed readers will not notice the difference since I will not change my full feeds status - Lordy, how I loathe the partial feed. Also, I did clean up my sidebar a bit and added my Twitter stuff, Ravelry link, etc..

In other exciting news, Sofia, our pink-toed tarantula, molted this past weekend. It freaked me out because I was gone most of Sunday and when I looked in her cage, it seemed that there were TWO tarantulas in there. But, um, no. She had merely shed her skin. She is absolutely gorgeous now. Beautiful. I have included a snap of her at the very end of this post, be warned. More snaps of her are on the Flickrage, including one of her molt. And yes, the whole thing was sorta creepy.

In even more exciting news, Arun has learned how to open up the gate that blocks the stairs. To both his and Anjali's delight. Excellent. X and I discovered this as we were playing Wii - we happened to look over and saw Arun pull up the gate and say "Anju, wanna come up, too?" They both giggled maniacally the entire trip up (with us closely observing for safety - we are not that negligent, I assure you.) Anyway - we are so screwed now.

So, I am totally ramped up to head out to SF this week for BlogHer 08. I will not be posting while there because all those years of business travel cured of me of the compelling need to travel with a laptop. However, I will be peeping away on Twitter. Anjali and I get into SFO Thursday evening and we will hop onto BART. I still have not decided where to eat that night, but I am leaning towards the Pot Sticker (X's site, FoodieBytes.com, came in handy for this trip.) I want to hang low with Anju that evening and just let her get used to everything since the next two evenings she will be running around a bit. I am rooming with Monkey in a Suit who strong-armed me into a new haircut, but has graciously offered to style it. I have to keep reminding myself that I have not actually met her because I already know her so well via phone and email. Also, I cannot wait to see Marilyn and Brit. I still have not decided whose leg I will hump first. I hope they will not be offended. Too much.

And yes, Brit, I am still kicking myself that I did not approach Arianna Huffington. If she is there this year, I am totally going to assgrab her. Or just say "Hi." Maybe.

Simian Snaps

This snap brought tears to my eyes. I have so wanted a nice photo of the two of them together. I think I finally have something worthy of blowing up into an 8x10 and framing. What do you think?

Those eyes still get me.

The Birthday Girl dressed in her finest.


Invertebrate Snaps

Sofia, post-molt. (Common name: pink-toed tarantula, Latin name: avicularia avicularia)

July 12, 2008

Where the hell was Crush when Marlin and Dory needed him so?

Did you know that sea turtles eat jellyfish? I did not know this. But Arun did and was fairly nonchalant in relaying this tidbit of terrapinesque information while working his "ocean creatures" puzzle. As he worked out the jellyfish part of the puzzle, he observed "Turtles eat jellyfish." I was thinking "Yeah, right - you silly boy." and looked up what turtles do eat so that I could tell him. You know, as a learning lesson to show him that Mama Knows More Than Arun. *Double Gulp* And so it begins, Innernets. I am officially on my way to Maternal Stupidity (which peaks in about 13 years, so the experts say.)
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Man, we are definitely getting our entertainment mileage out of the Wii (cracked noggins notwithstanding.) I realize how lame it is to admit this, but my shoulder is acting up from all the backhand shots I have to take against Lefty McLefty In the Back Corner. Let's not even get started on my foot. It is getting worse, not better (playing basketball in our driveway while barefoot did not help. Not Help.) Oh sure, I suppose it could be considered unwholesome that we are playing a video game in the name of Family Festivity, but hello! It is not as if we have Pa Ingalls here to play the fiddle by the fireplace. We are in the suburbs, after all.
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I thought it would be wise of me to update my color for BlogHer next week (I have been going gray since my early 20s and regular coloring is imperative since Salt n' Peppa was only cool briefly in the 90s, and even that was in music. Not hair.) While I am not a fan of Garnier Nutrisse styling products (too heavy), I do like their shampoo/conditioner and their hair colors. I have been using a few of their hair colors for quite awhile now and have relied on selecting from the perky models cheerfully peering at me from the packaging. Over the years, they have become like personal cheerleaders in my haircoloring adventures. Because I always chose from the models, I long ago stopped paying attention to the numbers.

Garnier updated their packaging and changed all the models.

I think I picked the right shade, but I was a bit flustered because someone was shrieking bloody murder from her lofty perch in the shopping cart. Someone who may have to color her own damned hair someday. Someone who should understand that mama wants to look 37, not 67.

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Speaking of BlogHer, I have not talked about it too much here for fear of this becoming the Nanny-Nanny Boo-Boo Blog of I Am Going to BlogHer 08 and You Are Not, So Listen to Me BRAG, BRAG, BRAG. Here's the thing. If nobody writes about it, how will everyone know how much fun the conference is? How inspiring it is? How motivational it is? When I waddled my pregnant ass through BlogHer 05, I was not that heavy into blogging. I thought it would be a sweet last boondoggle with Average Jane before I gave birth to my inevitable soul-sucking kid a few months later. And it was a fun boondoggle. But I was also incredibly inspired to pick up the pace of my blogging and to work on my writing style. I think anyone perusing my archives would notice a little difference beginning in the latter part of 05. It is easy to attribute that to Arun's birth, but truly, BlogHer had something to do with it. So, I will talk about BlogHer 08 a bit this week and the week after. Be assured, that I am only doing so because I want folks to be excited about the conference and to start saving their dimes and nickels now so that we can all rock BlogHer 09 together.

On a related note, there has been much talk about Power Bloggers this and Nobody Likes Me that. People, blog for yourself first. Years ago, I struggled with the fact that I am a nobody blogger. I was frustrated that few people were (are!) reading me and questioned why I put so much effort into this little site. Then, I found the intrinsic satisfaction of writing something for myself and connecting with folks - all while recording my memories of these mind-boggling years of early motherhood. It is not about the traffic, that is for sure. Yes, I am looking into putting up ads here (more on that later), but I will never be a Power Blogger. I am totally down with that. I am here because I have made some incredible friends and I hope to continue doing so.

July 9, 2008

How can something be "new" and "improved"?
After all, if it is new, what is it improving upon?

A year ago, I had my Hollywood Birthing Moment. A day full of a drama. A day chock full of Persian baba ghanouj, going into labor while watching the Flight of the Conchords, arriving at the hospital a full hour before I was scheduled to be induced, enduring a scary labor that ended up with an OB consulted for a c-section, except that I volunteered to push before, after, during Every. Single. Contraction to just get that little baby outta my business.

Thus, Anjali was born. She did the Traditional Newborn Cry and I did the Traditional Mama Cry. We did the Obligatory Breastfeeding on the Delivery Table. Cue the angels on high.

I have said it before, but truly, Anjali completes this little family thing we have going on here. Most assuredly, she is the star of our lives.

Stars - They're Not Just Like Us!


They have publicists at the ready to spin their scandals!

They use KY Jelly for purposes their grandmas would have never imagined!

They hide from the paparazzi!

They resurrect fashion statements from
the days of Little House on the Prairie!


They get caught using inappropriate gestures!

Sometimes, they have to file restraining orders!

They pass out in public after drunken excesses at Halloween parties!
In costume, no less!



Their bad hair days make front page news!

But they're STARS - they have Ken Paves on speed dial!

They get caught having their Amy Winehouse Moments!

They support their favorite teams!

They keep their adoring public at bay behind gates!

They throw tantrums during photo shoots!


Happy birthday, sweet baby girl.

July 7, 2008

What do Greeks say when they don't understand something?

Bang! Bang!
  • Happy Birthday to Average Jane, most certainly one of the least average persons I know.
  • Speaking of birthdays, it seems that my youngest child will be celebrating her first one this Wednesday. Um, I suppose I should send out that Evite that has been languishing in draft mode for over a month now. For the birthday party that is supposed to be held this Saturday. Oops.
  • Anyone who speaks me to on a regular basis gets to hear much grousing about all the little things that X does that simply drives me batshit. While he does drive me crazy, I have to say that he has the kindest, most gentle, genuine smile of all times. Driving in the car today, we happened to pull up to him at a stoplight. His smile gave me butterflies. Sweet, sweet butterflies.
  • Our inaptly named male betta, Dory, went to the Big Fish Fry in the sky yesterday. And Arun caught me conducting the memorial service in front of the porcelain god. It wasn't pretty, but fortunately, he is easily distracted.
  • When you become the owner of a tarantula, your Standards of Ick are severely diminished. You will encourage your son to catch jumping spiders on your living room floor. You will also find yourself trying to catch a mouse in your front yard with your bare hands in an attempt to save it from your cats. However, you will still not be able to resist the chills up your spine at the sight of worms coming from the drain in your basement. *shudder*
  • I busted out my Jonny Quest DVDs the other night, which Arun loved. Now, he keeps saying "I wanna watch Jonny Question!" And yes, I snigger at all the horrible stereotypes the show perpetuates and the fact that the foreign villainous characters are not even speaking real languages, but are instead shouting pure gibberish. I figure the show will be a great launching point for discussion with my children on how far the USA has come since the early 60s. Cripes.
  • Commenter Carrie asked about my flaxseed oil consumption and its affect on stretch mark prevention. I wrote about it on the BoobLog, but may not have mentioned here - I did end up with a few small stretch marks, just under my navel. Still, I think the flaxseed oil helped - I had gotten stretch marks during puberty when I grew hips and later, when I gained weight after quitting the cigs. Surely, pregnancy should have resulted in even bigger stretch marks. Anyway, we began using Nature Made Flaxseed Oil long before I became pregnant - we get huge bottles of it at Costco for a reasonable price.

July 2, 2008

Good grief, is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Today, I am on Alphamom posting about 50 Things to Do With Your Kids in the Kansas City Area. Please help keep the crickets at bay and head over there to pop me up side the head with everything I surely forgot (Note: I purposely left off "attending a Chiefs football game". I figured attending both the St. Patrick's Day parade and Scottish Highland games was the extent to which I would be willing to subject my precious progeny (and yours!) to public drunken excesses.)

Also, I have posted on the long-neglected FoodieBytes blog about Putting My Money Where My Mouth Is - I have been musing over all my food options while I am at BlogHer this year. I am SO excited. For sure, I will be fulfilling my haleem and sichuan spicy cold noodle fix.

Finally, as I have been winding down the BoobLog, I will be handling All Things Boobage here from now on. Last week, Kristen had a question about nursing her 11.5 month old son, Caleb:
I fortunately haven't experienced a full-blown nursing strike just a lot of disinterest during the day but he is coming back around. How long did you nurse Arun? I am trying to figure out when I can "hang up the horns" and just nurse morning and evening (and ALL NIGHT). I'm afraid my milk might just dry up completely if I do that. Any advice?
First, foremost, and obviously - I am not a lactation consultant nor a professional.....Insert more legal eagle blather at your leisure.....

To answer your question...... I nursed Arun for 15 months and that worked really, really well for both of us. I am hoping to nurse Anjali for about the same amount of time, give or take (Sidenote: Her nursing strike is over, I was able to hobble through it and keep my supply going by pumping 2-3 times daily. Fortunately, she was still nursing at night. And yes, only a co-sleeper would say that!!) Personally, I am not particularly interested in nursing a two year old, so I hope she begins weaning around 18 months at the latest. So, my question back to you would be "When do you hope to wean?" I would think that after your son reaches 12 months, you could try nursing only mornings and evenings. If you find that your milk supply is decreasing and you are not cool with this, you could opt to pump just once a day. Kellymom has some great advice for "partial weaning", which I suspect is what you are wanting to do by "hanging up the horns". Hope that helps!

Simian Snappage!
Per usual, there are more snaps amongst the Flickrage, but this is a sampling:

Makin' Me Go All Melty.


Wii Are Family
You knew this was coming, did you not?