Category Archives: Uncategorized

I Just Wanna Do Something Special for All the Ladies in the World

Posted on by lilyellowbird
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This week, local shop owner John Rapp attempted to strip a mother, Nichole Eidsmoe, of her right to breastfeed her 11-month-old daughter, telling her that if she continued to breastfeed, she would have to leave, which is a violation of her rights as a mother.  In response, Eidsmoe organized a nurse-in, a passive rally to raise awareness that not only is breastfeeding perfectly natural and normal, it is protected by Illinois’ Right to Breastfeed Act (found here), regardless of whether it is on public or private property (this also protects a woman from being accused of indecent exposure, as the Act provides that any nipple show during or incidental to breastfeeding is allowed).

But as of this morning, Rapp still had not changed his tune.  According to a mother who attended the rally, Rapp recruited a man to sit in front of his store with a sign stating, “Protect John’s property rights.”  To add insult to injury, Ted McCarron, a supporter of Rapp and his shop, No Strings Attached, equated breastfeeding to flashing, and directed the women at the rally to a nearby adult shop!

I find this to be completely infuriating, and while I was not able to attend the nurse-in due to a conflict with my husband’s job schedule, I spent my time at 11:00 this morning praying for the families at the nurse-in (some 50 plus mothers and their children attended, and even a few fathers!).

Although the nurse-in rose awareness (another nearby shop owner came to the rally and passed out balloons to the children, saying that he supported the mothers’ rights), this event has proved that breastfeeding is still misunderstood and misjudged.  John Rapp’s actions were offensive, McCarron’s comments disgusting, and I feel the same way about anyone else who thinks that a mother should feed her child in a bathroom stall or leave her child unnourished simply because she is in public.

Please help raise awareness about the natural beauty of breastfeeding, as it is clear that we still have a long haul ahead of us in order for breastfeeding to be accepted as normal.  If you or someone you know is uneducated on the topic, I will encourage you again to read Illinois’ Right to Breastfeed Act, and truly consider what a mother does for her child when she nurses her baby.

And might I add, for anyone else who thinks that breastfeeding is simply an excuse to flash, while breastfeeding does help a mother and child bond, it is also hard work for the mother.  We deal with pain–chapping, bleeding, engorgement, pinching, biting, and sometimes infection–in order to nourish our child in the best way possible.  We do it for our children, not to satisfy some sick, underlying desire to expose ourselves to people.  And to those who may comment that it’s ok to breastfeed as long as I have covered with a blanket or other such cloth, my daughter is nearly ten months old, and will not leave any thing on or near her face while nursing, even though I have attempted to use a cover her entire life.  It is a bother to her, and here’s why:  she sweats (because of the enormous amount of body heat trapped under the cover), she is breathing recycled air (which we all know gets a little difficult–when’s the last time you tried to sit with your face under a blanket for 20 minutes?), and she is curious about what is going on around her (which is how children learn).

There.  I’ll step down off my soapbox–for now.  (:  Please take the time to educate those around you in order to help protect our children’s and our rights.

You can find Eidsmore’s account of the incident here, and the local newspaper’s report on the nurse-in here.

 

UPDATE:  See video footage of the nurse-in here, including proof that McCarron was crass and otherwise vulgarly offensive in his comments.

Doves.

Posted on by lilyellowbird
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Nasty, nasty, nasty, SICK NASTY creatures!

If you’re wondering why I harbor such bitterness against doves, here is why:  I’m thoroughly convinced that they are disease-riddled birds, and they are trying to nest on my window-unit air conditioner.  It is sick.

Does anyone know how to keep them off of it??  I got up two hours earlier than normal today because of the incredibly loud “coo-cooing” right outside my bedroom window…and it gives me the heebie jeebies.

So please.  If you know how to keep these nasty birds away, tell me.  I will be forever indebted to you…or at least for the summer.  (:

New Kitchen Sneak Peek

Posted on by lilyellowbird
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THIS is my new kitchen.  (:

Ok, so it’s not really my whole kitchen.  It’s more like…the stove.  (:  But I still love it!  The rest of it is just too filled with boxes to even begin to think about feeling ok to show.

AND I JUST GOT A CALL FROM ONE OF MY DEAREST FRIENDS, TELLING ME THAT SHE IS ENGAGED!!!!!  Ahh, it makes my heart happy.

S0 happy.  

And this is the microwave, which is so inconsequential that it is barely worth mentioning at this point (after having heard my friend is ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!).  😀  At any rate, I love my new kitchen.  But I love much more that my dear friend is marrying the man she loves.  (:

New Shoes and Sunglasses.

Posted on by lilyellowbird
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This is what Miss Z looks like in her party dress after a long day at an outdoor mall, and two new pairs of shoes (thank you, Grandpa and Grandma!).

Ok, so it looks more like a shirt than a dress here, but still!  Isn’t it so cute?

And more importantly, isn’t SHE so cute?  Poor baby was so tired!

Also, baby got a new pair of glasses.  (:

She wouldn’t leave them on her face!

Silly girl.

Then we went to visit our cousins!  Yay!

…At which point she peed all over her party dress.  By the way, this day was unseasonably warm–80 degrees!–I wasn’t just dressing my child in summer clothes in April weather.

They were really into giving kisses.  (:

I have to go get my little booger now.  Sounds like she is waking up from her nap.  (:

Have a lovely Thursday!

The Bulls, and Brats.

Posted on by lilyellowbird
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Now, when I say brats, I don’t mean the kick-their-feet-on-the-floor-while-screaming-in-the-middle-of-the-grocery-store-and-make-their-mother-want-to-crawl-into-a-hole-and-die brats.

I mean the kind you eat.

Unless you’re the lady on that commercial who says that sometimes she wishes she had eaten her kids.

Does anyone else find that strange?

Anyway.  Tonight my hubsband (yes, I know I wrote hubsband.  It was purposeful.  Don’t judge.) made dinner.  And it was awesome.

While it was definitely a man-meal, I can honestly say that it tickled my taste-buds.  (It helps that I typically like man-food.)

Brats and curly fries were ready for me when I got done putting Z to bed, and I whipped up a salad so there was some color on our plates besides brown.

It was FANTASTIC.  I mean it.  I really do.  I LOVE brats.

Almost as much as I have loved getting into watching the basketball games with N (Who is my hubsband.  Sorry.  I must have forgotten to mention that earlier.) this season.  I can’t help it.  I have really become a true Bulls fan.

Pause.

I just saw a crazy huge shark bite something the size of a small house in half on TV.

Unpause.

Ok, so like I was saying.  I have really become a true Bulls fan.

I can point out Deng, D-Rose, Noah, Boozer, and “Hot Sauce” Korver.  Which I know is not saying much, because probably all of the teeny-boppers in America can do that.

But it’s a big deal for me.

And so I’ll say this–even though the Bulls are trailing behind by 4 points tonight (which has been a rare occurrence this season), I am still enjoying eating my brats, curly fries, and salad with my hubsband as much as I would if they were winning.

Partly because it’s not a big deal if they lose this game.  They are already in first place in the lineup.

But mostly, it’s because I really enjoy the fact that N knows that I love brats, that he made them for me, and that we are watching the game together (and getting upset with the TV together).

(: