5.03.2006

2 milestones

not for bella, for me.

well, this one is sort of for bella. I am done breastfeeding. it happened kind of gradually, over the last few weeks, but I was not ready to say for certain that it was over in case I'd jinx myself. bella still asks for nigh-nigh (her word for nursing) but can be consoled with mokey-moke (milky-milk, her word for milk) instead. it's been about 10 days or so since I've nursed her last, and actually it could be more than that. I don't have any engorgement because I weaned her so gradually, and also because during my cold, I was taking decongestants that dry you up. I thought I'd be really more emotional over it, like I was with her walking, but strangely, I'm not. not really. because she still lets me cuddle and hold her, and she's still drinking milk from a bottle and not a cup. I'm sure I'll curse myself for that soon, but for right now, as long as it isn't attached to me by skin, I'm cool with it. now I'm free to do things that I wouldn't do because of bella - namely, get a new tattoo. silly, huh? I am not a drinker nor a smoker nor a partaker of drugs, so there's not much else that I needed to stay away from. other than medicines - thank god I can take sudafed again.

I want to get bella's name added to my back, where I already have trent's name. but more than that, I want to get something more intricate, something on a bigger scale than the tattoos I already have. why? well, it probably sounds silly, but it ties in with the other milestone - my name.

when I married sean, I took his name on a few things and kept my maiden name on some other things. which I would not recommend, by the way, because it's really gotten me into trouble. at work, they know me by my maiden name in the HR and payroll departments, but my email and all of my colleagues know me by my married name. that's because my license and soc sec # are in my maiden name - I never made a move to change them. my credit cards and bank accounts are in my married name, but my personal email addresses are in my maiden name. but the biggest snafu right now is that the deed to our house is in my married name, which the mortgage company (also in my married name) now realizes isn't official, and they need us to change it poste haste.

anyway, so I have to settle on a name. either go forward with changing everything to milligan, or go back to being patrice colancecco. and I finally, after 3 years, decided - I'm going back to colancecco. it's who I've always been, it's who I relate to, it means something to me. not that milligan doesn't, and not that everyone should make this decision. but it's right for me. and I'm lucky to have a husband that understands that and supports it. I spent 29 years of my life (28? whichever) being a colancecco and it always felt fake to pretend I was someone else.

so, with my newly dried up boobs, I am...

patrice colancecco.

14 validations:

lonna said...

Congrats on 18 months of nursing and a painless weaning for both of you.

What a mess with the names. I hate that it matters so much, but I do know why it does. I'm with you. My last name was good for 31 years - why change it? It's too much a part of me.

Froggylady said...

congrats on the smooth weaning.

I think it's cool that you're keeping your maiden name. I committed to my married name quickly, but sometimes I wish I were still a Kuykendall.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on the easy weaning...I'm HOPING mine will be that easy...somehow I'm guessing it won't. I am really hoping he will be ready somewhere between 2 1/2 and 3 (closer to 2 1/2 if I'm lucky). He's ALWAYS depending on nursing to fall asleep (since birth) so I wonder what the weaning process will be like for us. Congrats on the name decision too!

~A~ said...

Congratulations on getting your body back to yourself.

Now get thee to your doctor for a check up, nag nag nag.

I was thinking since the last email. Have them check your thyroid too, just for shits and giggles, it's good to know where all your levels are at.

Congrats on the name decision too. I have some duel last names too. Both Rob and I legally dropped our birth surnames in adulthood and took MacGregor; his given legal birth middle name, just a family name to me, but important none the less. And then when My Honey and I married, I took his name and dropped my given middle to keep MacGregor and not have to hyphen.

OMH said...

I'm more like A - I dropped my middle name and used my maiden name as my middle name. I never understood the stress of deciding - but then again I was only 17 when I got married. But I'm glad you decided.

Congrats on stopping the weaning - I didn't really miss it until my youngest was starting kindergarden and I thought "remember when - I wish it was still back then" but I've done that with his playing HighSchool football........

Unknown said...

Congrats on the weaning. I have heard some horror stories (I was in sever pain). You will always have that special bond.

As fo the name...I am glad you stayed with colancecco (sp?). I totally agree and understand. My middle name is Snyder. I still have a little bit of it. I'm glad you stayed with who you are.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations on those two really big milestones miz colancecco!

It's funny, I took my husband's name (and have no regrets, thankfully) and now it seems wierd to me that my family aren't Tschoepe's. Not that I'm not Weaver anymore. Like they were the one's who changed.

The minute I'm done nursing I'm going straight to get my nose re-pierced. I don't think it's silly that you want a tattoo. I think it's symolic of you re-claiming your body, which has got to feel good!

NME said...

Congrats on the weaning. I'm jealous. I too look forward to getting a tattoo if and when I ever finish nursing Noah.

Missuz J said...

I had to change my SS Card right after I got married--because I was hired for a teaching job, and they're pretty anal about everything lining up.

That said, I gave some thought to keeping my last name--but Smith is about as generic as it gets. Plus, I figured my mom took my dad's name, so it's not like the women in my family have been Smiths for generations. Did that make sence?

As for having your boobs back to yourself--Hooray! That is DEFINITELY worth celebrating.

Anonymous said...

Bitch

Anonymous said...

Bitch

Anonymous said...

Patrice Colancecco is a self absorbed little bitch that thinks everything she thinks does and says should be noted and jotted down, but for the things she does that should cause her shame. Who the fuck cares Patrice? Your not important.

Anonymous said...

Patrice Colancecco is a self absorbed little bitch that thinks everything she thinks does and says should be noted and jotted down, but for the things she does that should cause her shame. Who the fuck cares Patrice? Your not important.

Anonymous said...

Patrice Colancecco is a self absorbed little bitch that thinks everything she thinks does and says should be jotted down, save the things she does that should cause her shame. Who the fuck cares Patrice? Your not important.