This Girls Journey

world breastfeeding week

I just felt like I should say happy World Breastfeeding Awareness week. In the spirit of this week, I wanted to post this video of Salma Hayek who breastfed a baby that was not her on while on a trip to Sierre Leon because the mother had no milk. This video really touches my heart. There are many children around the world who are starving as I type this, and it's nice to think that she did something so small to comfort a small baby.

10 days

I'm back to work in 10 days. I have had one heck of a maternity leave. Sort of... 12 weeks (3 months) of it was actual maternity leave, the other 2 months is the summer break I get from work anyways. Somehow Nola came at the perfect time, and allowed me to go straight from maternity leave right into the summer that I get off anyways. It has gone by so fast. I can't believe she's almost 5 months old. That is ridiculously old. I have an old baby. Darned near a toddler. Not really, but she's definitely not the infant I brought home from the hospital. I am going to miss not having to divide my attention between her and work. I am incredibly lucky in that I will not have to put her in daycare. So I am very grateful for that. I will basically be able to keep her with me while I work. I will of course need a baby sitter for a few hours a week, but nothing more than 5, maybe 6 hours depending on what I have going on with work.

The summer has gone by so fast. I feel like it's just got hot a week ago. Perhaps because I just had my A/C installed a week ago. Before that we were using one fan. Believe it or not, it wasn't a big deal. It was warm, but it was barely as long as there was no oven cooking, or running marathons. I'm going to miss my lazy days with Nola. Oh well. I can't complain. I have had 5 wonderful months alone with my baby girl. Getting to know her personality, and enjoying every minute of it.

 

Here is a pic of my Nola on the 4th of July looking like miss Liberty. The little red star in the middle flashes. That's Daddy in the background holding her. She is such a drooly little baby. Too cute.

bebe gloton

There is a new toy on the market in Spain called Bebe Gloton. It is a doll baby that breastfeeds. Basically there is a little top that a child will wear, that has little petals where nipples would be located, and the doll "latches on" to the petals. You can literally hear gulps, burps, etc. The baby was brought to my attention on my local news this evening. Apparently people are outraged. I can kind of see where people could be upset. In my opinion, there are many dolls that poop, pee, eat, drink out of bottles, and Barbie has boobs and long skinny legs. Why not teach girls an alternative and more natural way to feed babies other than a bottle? Perhaps if more women were exposed to positive examples of breastfeeding as children, then they would be more likely to breastfeed their own children which is the most healthiest option for babies.

I'm not sure if America is ready for this particular doll. Breasts are so sexualized in this country. People are so easily offended by everything. Including seeing a mother feeding her baby in public. Babies have to eat. In my opinion, if you don't want your child playing with it, then don't buy it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. We can agree to disagree. I'm ok with that.