Nod, Nod, Wink, Wink
As I mentioned in my previous post, Ben was all about trying to nurse at the fireworks show. I dressed for the occassion (as I always do) and was very discreet (as I always am) whenever I did nurse him. Unfortunately, as is the luck with Eric & I at public get-togethers, we ended up seated next to one of the loudest and most annoying families in the entire park.
They descended upon us after we’d already chosen our perfect spot in the grass. The kids were wrestling, popping those confetti bottles with no regard for the baby (my luck at parks sucks) and one of the dads kept yelling, “I LOVE AERIAL BOMBS! WAIT TILL WE SEE THE AERIAL BOMBS! MY FRIEND BROKE HIS FOOT SO HE AIN’T BEEN HUNTING…FOR AERIAL BOMBS! I’M GONNA DRINK BEER WHEN I WATCH THE AERIAL BOMBS! AERIAL BOMBS! AERIAL BOMBS! AERIAL BOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBS!” Then proceeded to run in a circle screaming, “BOOM BOOM BOOM” and peeing on the lesser men in the audience.*
So, at one point, I’m nursing Ben and I look up just in time to catch the aerial bomb dad trying to catch the eye of the other dad by wiggling his beer at him. He then proceeds to smile knowingly, wink and nod in my direction. He caught me glaring at him just then and averted his eyes immediately. I shot the same look at the other dad just in time to catch him turning his head to look at me. Yet another eye aversion.
What the hell is up with that? Seriously. If you’re giving me the “hey, something dirty’s going on over there” look, then why not oogle? Is it because I look like the kind of girl who’d kick your ass? Or because you know you’re a raging idiot for trying to sexualize just knowing my baby’s nursing? Because, Lord knows, you couldn’t see any skin. I had clothing surrounding every possible side. Or maybe it was because I said, very loudly, “Oh yeah, because me feeding my son is totally more annoying than your kid screaming at the top of his lungs.”
*Actions mentioned in this sentence may or may not have happened.
Filed under 11 Month, breastfeeding, holidays, rant | Comment (1)No, Daddy, I Don’t Wanna Look!
Despite being late, forgetting my camera, screaming and cursing all the way back to get my camera, parking a mile away, realizing we forgot the stroller and schlepping a 40lb diaper bag that entire way, Ben’s first 4th of July went pretty well. He did very well until the fireworks started and then his day of napping protest caught up to him. He went between wildly wiggling his arms at the fireworks, cheering along with the little girls behind us (they’d say “WOOH!” he’d say “GABADABABADAAAAAA!”) and trying to rip my shirt up while screaming at the top of his lungs.
At about the height of his “I’m dying! DYING!” freak out, a father walked behind us with his very unhappy son. “Look! Look at the fireworks.”
“Noooooooo, daddy! I don’t WANNA look!”
For a moment, I thought Ben was speaking and I was shocked. I mean, with the amount of f-bombs and sailor talk that was flying out of my mouth on the way down, I expected something a lot more creative than that.
Filed under 11 Month, holidays | Comment (1)Happy Mother’s Day
Newport, Rhode Island, 1901. “The Manger. Experimental portrait showing values of white against white, featuring a young woman holding a baby.” 8×10 dry-plate glass negative by Gertrude Käsebier. View Original
Who fed me from her gentle breast
And hushed me in her arms to rest,
And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?
My Mother.
~Anne Taylor
My beautiful son,
I’m watching you cruise across the old recliner to get into something you’re not supposed to and, in the midst of getting up to run and grab my work planner away from you, I’m stopped by your giant smile. You drop the planner and come crawling at me as fast as you can. My sweet, wonderful boy, you’re the reason I get to celebrate today. Thank you so much for being part of my life, part of this family. I love you.
Mama
Scattered to the Winds
All of my friends have scattered to the winds. Hurtful things were apparently said and done, and no one’s taking it very well.
I can’t help but feel winter has everything to do with it. The demonic force that is lack of light, intense cold and shitty shoppers shoving you into shelves when all you need is a damn roll of TP has taken over. It sucks people’s energy and drains them of their positivity. It becomes really easy to ignore the other person’s feelings or let your own sadness envelope you when even getting out requires fighting with people you don’t even know.
On top of that, the holidays suck. They’re stressful, they’re lonely and they’re crowded. You have so much shit to get done. Just you. Your family has their own shit to do. You’re alone and yet you’re surrounded by a bunch of jerks that you’d rather explode than ever be around again (read: shoppers, drivers, in-laws). It has to be the most lonely, stiffling season of the entire year. Add to it that you’re spending more money than you’ve spent on your whole year’s mortgage, and you understand why December has the highest number of suicides for the entire year. Everyone’s sad and I’m sad for them.
I miss my friends. I miss my happy, snarky group of mommies that all loved making eachother crazy. I hope that after this winter passes, we can all re-absorb a little sun and sanity, make our amends and get on with normalcy. I mean, who else will I get to thrill with discussions of boob rot & jungle muffs?
Filed under friends, holidays, rant | Comments (11)Week of the Weak
How do I begin?
Last week, grandpa started having severe heartburn on the 24th. On the 26th, grandma took him to Kaiser (in Aurora, Colorado - want the name of the dumbass doctor? Let me know!), and the doctor sent him home with Prevacid. What? An 83 year old man is complaining of chest pains and severe “heartburn”, and you send him home with Prevacid? The 27th, we took him into emergency at St. Joseph’s hospital. They had him in an EKG for 5 minutes when they rushed him up to surgery. He had 3 main arteries close, they had to do an angioplasty to open one. It was touch and go for a few days. They couldn’t decide if, because of his age, he’d be able to handle a bypass. They kept him until 2 days ago, then sent him home to strengthen his heart for the bypass in 3 weeks. Grandpa is a strong man. He’s feeling better and wants to shovel the walk, already. I may have to tie him down should he try that.
The 28th, we were driving back from closing on the house (YAY!) in Denver Blizzard II, and some girl rear-ended me at a stop light. Rear-ended me going about 25 mph. I spotted lightly for a couple of days afterwards, but tried not to worry too much. I had an appointment for the 4th, so I decided just to wait it out.
We spent New Years in the house. It was fer-reezing, but it was ours. Unfortunately, sleeping in a freezing cold house has left me with a raging cold, and a strange sort of ear and eye ache that I only get when I’m in the house. It’s strange.
So, the 26th through 1st were pretty horrifying. I’m just so glad the week is over.
Filed under 2nd trimester, blizzard, holidays, house | Comment (0)Thanksgiving Turkey Toss
Besides the fact that I’m not looking forward to putting my poor dizzy dog into a car and dragging him all the way across the city, I’m not really looking forward to the idea of Thanksgiving at all this year.
I’ve never been a huge fan of turkey, but just the thought of the smell is making me gag out loud. The idea of ham makes me want to forcibly remove my tongue. It really is that bad. I can’t help but picture how things will look on the way out, so everything with brown gravy horrifies me.
However, I am looking very forward to mashed potatoes, sans gravy. I could eat piles of that right this moment. In fact, I think it may be the only thing I’ll be eating for thanksgiving this year. Which I am completely okay with.
Filed under holidays, morning sickness, pregnancy | Comment (0)
