Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Monday, June 25 ... Script

"Monday Night's Dinner, a one-act play" 
or 
"If everyone spoke English (or if everyone spoke 'Rowan')" ...

Act I
int. kitchen
a family of 3 sits down for dinner.
Mommy, Daddy, and baby Rowan, 14 months


Mommy
Ok, time for dinner. Here are a few pieces of salad.

Rowan
I'VE BEEN WAITING SO LONG!!! HAVEN'T YOU REALIZED THAT I'M STARVING!?!?!

Mommy
Don't forget to chew chew chew.

Rowan
THERE'S NO TIME FOR CHEWING!!!


[Rowan CHOKES on carrot]

Rowan
THE FOOD IS TRYING TO KILL ME!!!

Mommy
Ok, let's try again. How about you sit on my lap?



[Mommy puts Rowan in her lap]

Rowan
Mommy has different food! I WANT MOMMY'S DIFFERENT FOOD!!!


[Rowan LUNGES for Mommy's plate]

Mommy
It's the same food. You food is just cut up smaller. It's the same.


[Mommy SIGNS the ASL sign for 'same']

Rowan
DAMMIT WOMAN! DON'T BOTHER ME WITH YOU CONFOUNDED FINGER MOTIONS! I WANT DINNER!

[Mommy puts Rowan down and IGNORES him as he begins to cry]

Rowan
I'LL NEVER EAT AGAIN!!!


The End

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Sunday, June 17 ... Father's Day at the Zoo

We spent Father's Day at the Queens Zoo. It's a little weird to think that there's a zoo just over a mile away from my apartment.

Momma and Rowan at the Zoo

There are Bears and Bald Eagles and Ducks and lots of things. Rowan was very excited to see animals that were not puppies, which is what he's used to. I think he's begun to understand that other dogs are dogs, just like Gipper is a dog. But an Elk is not a dog. That was a shocker.

Father's Day at the Zoo

Father's Day at the Zoo

Father's Day at the Zoo

And Goats. That was a new one. Mommy was crazy and tried to make baby feed the goats.

Father's Day at the Zoo

Father's Day at the Zoo

Father's Day at the Zoo

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Tuesday June 12 ... things I'll forget

This morning baby was all about the snuggling. And nursing. And snuggling.

Chris brought him in around 5:45ish (not really sure ... I was pretty out of it). Bay nursed and snoozed, nursed and snoozed. Every time he fell sleep, I tried to pop him off, but then within a few minutes he'd be awake and fussing. He just didn't want to be awake.

Then around 7:00 he really fell asleep. He was passed out on top of me. And at this point it was getting on time to get up. I had to take a shower, and I really didn't want to rush. So I slid out from under him and settled him in the middle of the bed. I put the pillows on the floor around the bed -- this way if he rolled off he wouldn't concuss himself, but if he woke up he would be able to see the edge of the bed and climb down.

I got in the shower, and after a few minutes I heard one loud "WAHH!!!" I poked my head out the shower and saw him standing in the doorway. For a minute he looked very upset, but then I said, "Oh! You got out of bed all by yourself and found me!" He gave me a big smile like "Yup! I did!" He was so confused as to why I was standing in the shower, and seemed to not believe me when I said I was having "bath time". So I just kept saying, "So you got up all by yourself?" "You woke up and decided to find me?" That seemed to keep him happy long enough to finish my shower. :)

Monday, June 11, 2012

Monday June 11 ... 14 Months

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Dear Rowan,

You are 14 months old, and oh are you a handful. People ask if you're walking and I laugh. My lord, you're running. You especially like to run and fall. On asphalt. In 1 week you had three nosebleeds.

You talk a lot, though it's mostly with your hands. Your words are still in your own language, and there is no Rosetta Stone for "Rowan". Your favorite signs are "more", "all done", and "food". You especially like to sign "more" when you're walking around and suddenly decide you want Goldfish Crackers. You sign "all done" when we're doing something you don't want to do, like going to bed.


You recently learned "cracker", which is one of your favorite things. You were pretty psyched when you signed it and I gave you a cracker. Pretty soon I'll have to drooling at the sound of a bell.

The dog also enjoys your new-found freedom to get your own cereal.

Cheerios!


You do a lot of funny things, like pretend you're a super hero (really we just dress you up and you run around -- I don't think you can pretend yet.)

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You love very strange things, like cleaning and brushing your teeth. And putting things in the garbage (almost always garbage) and the hamper (sometimes clothes ... usually my iPhone).


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And you know how to use said iPhone. You have your own games, and can slide through the pictures.

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You've also learned to make funny faces.

What up, Berkshires?


In the last month you've been to two weddings, and flown on two airplanes. You don't like being wrapped up on my back anymore -- you'd rather be running. You like walking the dog. And we still nurse at bedtime, first thing in the morning, and as soon as I come home from work. Like I haven't even put my purse down, and you're groping me. I'm taking that to mean "I missed you". It may actually mean "Bitch, where's my dinner?" We'll see when you learn a few more words.

Oh, speaking of words, Momma is trying to stop swearing around you, because you keep copying me when I don't realize you were watching. Like banging on the table and yelling, imitating me getting upset about politics. I'll try to be better about that.

Love,
momma

p.s. This is what your like looks like.






Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Breastfeeding/Pumping ... in the mainstream

The farther I go along the path of working and breastfeeding, the more and more I see the disconnect between the initial pressure to breastfeed and the lack of ongoing support to continue breastfeeding until the recommended age. I feel I am VERY lucky that I have support from my partner, my friends, and even the people at my job, but I see so many other moms that do not have the support they need.

I read this quote the other day:
“Telling moms to breast-feed without full cultural, institutional and legal support is like being encouraged to run a marathon in a pair of flip-flops without any coaching,” ~ Best for Babes co-founder Danielle Rigg.

Now, as someone who loves loves loves TV, and learned most of what I know about the world from SitComs, I am very aware of how breastfeeding is portrayed in pop culture. I feel that "cultural support" can come from positive and helpful messages about breastfeeing in pop culture.

The following is a running list of breastfeeding scenes on TV.




Season 2, episode 2 is actually called "The One with the Breast Milk".

Carol, Ross's ex-wife, breastfed their son, Ben. Joey and Chandler freak out. Ross calls it "this is my son having lunch, and it's going to happen a lot now so if you have any questions, just ask, Carol is fine with it." Love it.

Later, Phoebe heats up the breast milk in the bottle, tests it on her arm, and them licks her arm.



Phoebe: "Ben, dinner!"
Ross: "Thanks Aunt Phoebes. Now you didn't microwave this right, because it's breast milk, you're not supposed to do that."
Phoebe: "I think I know how to heat breastmilk."
Ross and Rachel "Ewwww!!"
Chandler: "Aaah! What did you just do?!?!"
Phoebe: "I licked my arm! What??"
Rachel: "Phoebe, that is juice..squeezed from a person!"
Joey: "What's the big deal?" 
Chandler: "Aaah!! what did you just do?!?!"
Ross: "Will everyone please stop drinking the breast milk??


Phoebe: "So you won't even try it?"
Ross: "No."
Phoebe: "Not even if you pretended it was milk?"
Ross: "Not even if Carol's breast had a picture of a missing child on it."


"The One Where Rachel Goes Back to Work"
Gavin: "While you were on your baby vacation I was doing your job."
Rachel: "A vacation? My idea of a vacation does not involve something sucking on my nipples until they are raw"
Gavin: "Clearly you've never been to Sandals Paradise Island."

Rachel: "Can you please just take care of her for today?"

Ross: "Absolutely. Just give me your breasts and we'll be on our way."


"The One With the Blind Dates"

Joey: All of my feelings from before are totally over, okay. And even if they weren't, when you walk in on a woman using a breast pump...
Ross: Yeah, that'll do it.
Joey: Wow.

"The One With Rachel's Phone Number"
Ross: So, welcome!
Mike: I've got beer
Ross: I've got bottled breast milk.






Pam is a breastfeeding working mom! Yea!

Pam:"Oh, owe."
Jim:"What's up?"
Dwight:"Her milk is coming in. She's getting uncomfortable"
Dwight, don't be gross.
No no, he's right.
The same thing happens with my cows if I don't tend them frequently enough. You gotta milk em, or else they'll moo like crazy.
That's weird my breast pump is missing. have you seen my breast pump?
Alright, this is going to traumatize me a hell of a lot more than you, believe me.
You know what, Dwight, let me just check the bathroom first, ok?
Really? Fine, let your breasts explode. Three squeezes and I would drain you.
Pam: Meredith!
Meredith: I just like the way it feels!
Pam: What are you doing?!
Meredith: Relax.
Pam: Relax!?
Meredith: This is like the Cadillac of pumps.
Pam: Give it back to me now!
Meredith: I was just ... I was warming it up.
Pam: That's disgusting!
It's not a big deal
It's not sterile!
We're both girls, who cares?



The office actually had a breastfeeding mom before Pam too! Remember Hannah, from Stamford?

Hannah: Why don't you take a picture? It lasts longer. 
Ryan: I'm sorry, but it's a little distracting.
Creed: Ditto to that my brother.




And in a more recent episode, they even talk about how it can be harder on a working breastfeeding mom, since she is up at night with the baby.

Nellie: What you really want is a good night's sleep, working mother of two.
Pam: Woe, that's kind of condescending. Would you say something like that to Jim?
Nellie: Does Jim have to breastfeed? Did Jim carry around those babies for, what is it, 12 months? Be honest, does Jim really get up in the night?
Pam: Well, the only reason he doesn't is because I'm breastfeeding, and Phillip doesn't like a bottle.
Nellie: You must be exhausted. Fancy a nap?
Pam: No.
Nellie: Go on .... have a nap.





Bethenny was a breastfeeding mom! She was also very vocal about it, helping Ameda's "I Breastfeed Because" campaign.



Here she is with daughter Bryn, a few weeks old.


In one episode, Bethenny freaked out that she had forgotten her "Breast Friend" - a breastfeeding pillow - on a trip to the Hamptons. I think we've all been there ...





She also pumped so the nanny could give the baby a bottle. This was a great example of how mom has to pump every time baby is eating, even if she is getting a bottle from someone else.


to be continued ...




*** Updated 6/5/12.

So many celebrities are nursing and carrying their babies!

Jessica Simpson:



She is quoted saying, "It's become a full-on job. It's the worst if I have to pump and give Eric a bottle to give her. I miss holding her and having that closeness."

This is a great example of how pumping may not make things better or easier. Many anti-breastfeeing advocates may say, "Just give them a bottle! Then you won't have to worry about BFing in public!" It's not always that easy, and it's not always better for supply and for learning how to BF well.


Beyonce Knowles:

  

Beyonce is out and about with her baby, wearing her carriers and nursing her in public. YES!!!


Alicia Silverstone:



Alicia caused a stir when she posted a video of her chewing food and then spitting it into her son's mouth. Whatever. I think we've all chewed food for our kid. But then within days this photo was all over the place, of her carrying her son in an carrier and breastfeeding him on the go. I love it. It's so normal. (Ok, she may be a little out there, but it got people talking).

And speaking of getting people talking ...

Time Magazine:



Sigh. I won't go to much into this. I have my thoughts, but this post is not about AP and "mom wars". All I'll say is that this cover DID get people talking about extended breastfeeding. Amid the comments of "abuse" and "sexual" and "disgusting", there were plenty of "no big deal", "I do it", and "Come on people, calm the eff down". I hope new moms saw THOSE comments.


Pink:



Backstage at her concert. Working mom!

Hilary Duff:



Hilary went on the Bethenny show with Alanis Morissetteto talk about breastfeeding. I love that she talked about how it was easy for her. I know it's hard for a lot of people, and those people need support, but soon-to-be moms need to hear that sometimes it goes well! I was TERRIFIED that it was going to be too difficult, that it was going to hurt, that it "just wouldn't work". All I heard was horror stories, and I was so stressed about it. Personally I needed to hear good, supportive stories. The "yeah, it was tricky at first, but then we got the hang of it and it's been great sense!" The "I thought I'd breastfeed for a few weeks, but it's a year and we're still going!" stories, instead of the "We tried once, and it just didn't work. It's not worth trying" stories that my friends thought would be helpful.

Yea Pop Culture.

to be continued ...

1/16/13

This past weekend at the Golden Globes Clare Danes spoke to Ryan Seacrest on the E! Red Carpet. Ryan was asking about Clare's new baby, and she had the best comments! 1) she talked about how she's seen "sequestered" in baby land, all-consumed with taking care of a newborn. 2) She said she was afraid she was going to leak milk all over her Versace dress.