Currently...

Thinking about... Becoming a Jamberry Nails consultant. Actually, I've decided I'm going to do it, so it's more thinking about all of the possibilities! I've still got my Etsy shop going (please go take a look!), but I've really been wanting to do this, too. I just keep coming back to the idea of doing it, and there's only so many times you can hear "I love your nails!" before thinking, "Hey, maybe I can do something with this..."

Also thinking about how stinking big my girls are getting. Is there a way to stop this?! Please? Just for a little while?

Planning... a trip to NC for the 4th! I'm super excited about this for several reasons. The first is because I love the 4th. Seriously. Maybe it's because deep down I've always been patriotic. Maybe it's because OMG, the history. Maybe it's the fireworks. Maybe it's the BBQ celebrations. Maybe it's because my birthday is 5 days afterward. I don't know. I'm excited. We haven't been to NC in a few months, and being so close it's hard not to want to go. Plus, Charlotte has practically been begging to "see cousins" for at least a week now. I know we'll all have a great time. Plus, the potential for free babysitters (thank the Lord for grandparents ;-))! So basically....I'm excited. And now I need to find our leftover sparklers from last year. Hmmmmmm.

Watching... Duck Dynasty. I'm a teensy bit obsessed, and so is Joe. I don't know if it's because they're rednecks (and remind me of where I grew up), because they're hilarious, or because they're a good, down-to-earth family. Either way, we are enjoying it. And buying all the Duck Dynasty things! Haha!

Craving... all the chocolate! You'd think I was pregnant with all the cravings I've been having lately. {I'm not. I swear.} AF has reared her ugly head, {SEE?! Not pregnant! :P} so along with her presence I apparently get pregnancy-style cravings. Never noticed that one before. Anyway, I made this Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Cup the other night and it totally hit the spot! I think it's going to be my go-to we have nothing in this house that I want treat. You can thank me for sharing that later. ;-)

Nope, she's not mine. Not at all. 

Loving... that we've cleared out a bunch of junk in the house, and things are finally starting to look the way I want! It's kind of sad that it's taken this long to get things arranged the way I like, but I guess that's just the nature of having little ones around. We still have some clutter to get rid of, and things to put in storage, but I'm thrilled with our progress. I can relax so much more without all the junk in the way! I have conceded that we will have toys all over the place, but I can't handle clutter in every corner of the house. I didn't completely realize how much it was bothering me until we rearranged some furniture last week. But when I sat down and saw what our hard work did, I felt a little lighter! Once we get things a bit more cleaned up around here, I'd like to do a tour of our house. Because it's better late than never, right?!

Trust me, it looks so much better now.

Hoping... that our summer PWOC study goes well, and will provide me with some friends. It's no secret that I'm super introverted and have a hard time making friends. I really just want someone I can connect with - someone who will "get" my introvertedness and be willing to deal with it. Someone who will challenge me, invite me over (or come to me!), and deal with my craziness. That's not too much to ask, right?

I'm also hoping that your week is off to a great start! Happy Monday, friends. Make it a good one!

Little Miss Millie

Time with this girl has been a bit of a paradox. The first two (ish) months seemed to crawl by. Once we conquered colic and got a decent nap routine going (and daddy came back), it seems like time has just flown! Now, all of a sudden, she's trying to sit up, blowing raspberries at us, rolling over, and all sorts of things. How did this happen!?

Seriously, though, this girl is one big bundle of cute. Looking back at pictures, she looks almost identical to Charlotte. Except for those squishy cheeks and rolly thighs. But OMG I love them!

I have no idea how long she is, or how much she weighs. Her 6 month checkup is next week, and I'm looking forward to it! (Minus the shots, of course. Hate those.) That said, she's very solidly in 6 month clothes. 3 month dresses still fit, but I'm pretty sure that's just because they're dresses. I put her in a pair of 9 month sleepers the other day....and, um, they kinda fit. Ack! She's not quite long enough for them yet, but....it does work. *sigh* We also just started putting her in size 3 diapers. Let me share something real quick: Charlotte is in SIZE 4 diapers. Let that one sink in a minute, okay?

Alright. Now, moving on.

This little miss is a champion nurser! She eats every 3-4 hours now, and takes good naps in between. (Hallelujah, praise the Lord!) We just started trying some oatmeal a few days ago, and it's going pretty well so far. She's been sleeping through the night for about a month or two now, and I am immensely enjoying a full night's sleep! Occasionally she will wake up in the middle of the night, but it's usually because she's rolled over in her sleep and woken herself up. I'm just thankful we've said goodbye to those 2am feedings. Mama needs rest, y'all.

Here we have one of Millie-girl's favorite pass-times: finger sucking. Mostly, it signifies a need for sleep. However, she will also shove those things in her mouth super quick-like if she's really hungry. It's pretty funny when I'm getting ready to feed her, but I'm not quick enough for her liking and she shoves her fingers in her mouth instead. LOL! 

Another favorite activity: toe-nomming. ;-) She can be found doing this anytime she's in an upright position and no toys are available to chew on. 

The rest of the time, she's usually chilling out and watching her big sister do any number of silly things. She loves the exersaucer, and tolerates the door jumper. During tummy time, she tries to get her knees up under her, and will rock back and forth for a few seconds. Or she'll roll over. She will chew on anything she can get into her mouth, including Mommy's hair. 

She will blow raspberries during feedings, after feedings, when she's upset, when she's happy, and when she has something to say. Basically? This is the coolest sound ever! Also, as you can see in the picture, she randomly spits up. :P But she has pretty blue eyes and a silly, sweet smile, so we overlook that little tidbit. 

It's hard to believe this little girl has been a part of our family for a whopping 6 months now. Even crazier is the thought that she'll be 1 by the end of this year! The first few months of her life were incredibly challenging, but I don't know what I'd do without this sweetie-pea. She brings a little extra sweetness to our lives that I just didn't know was missing before. 

I love every single ounce of this baby, and I can't get enough of her sweet smiles, giggles, raspberries, and squishy cheeks!!

Freedom & A Trip to the Library

Today, this is what freedom looks like to me:

Yes, a car in the driveway signifies my newfound (and long awaited) freedom. Why? Because until we purchased this little thing, we were a one car family.

As unhappy as I was about the idea of Joe riding a motorcycle, I'm practically over-the-moon knowing that I have the car (as long as the weather permits) and that I can freaking go somewhere. 

We've had one car since we were newlyweds. Not 2 months after we got married, I was in a car wreck on the interstate. No one was injured, but we only had liability insurance on my car. Since I was the one who [wrongly] ended up with the ticket, repairs weren't covered and we didn't have the money to fix it. {Read: we didn't have any money.} So, my car was hauled off to the junkyard and we became a one car family. 6 years and 2 kids later.....I'd say it's time for another vehicle, wouldn't you?!

To celebrate my newfound freedom, I took the kiddos to the library this morning. It's something I've been wanting to do for a while, and it's only 10 minutes from home. A perfect outing! 

 Reading books in the kids' area.

Making friends.

We were only there for probably half an hour, but we had a good time! Charlotte played with puzzles they had out on activity tables, read a few books, and met a new friend. While they played, I chatted with his mom for a little bit and picked out some new books to read to Charlotte at bedtime. It really was a fun little trip for me, and I'm hoping to make it a regular event!

Millie went with us, of course, but she was practically worn out by the whole thing. I nursed her as soon as we got home and then put her to bed. Poor baby. ;-)

Hooray for mommy having a car!

Breastfeeding the Second Baby

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that I had a really rough start with breastfeeding Charlotte. Looking back I feel like she was probably lip tied and we just never caught it. Anyway, we struggled for a while, and it was pretty painful to say the least. So naturally when Millie came along I was preparing for the same thing. Sure, I had hopes that it would be different this time around, but I really didn't know what to expect. Thankfully, breastfeeding this particular little girl has been fairly easy.

Minutes after she was born, she bobbed her little head over and latched for the very first time. It was an amazing moment. Like my husband always says, it's so incredible how they've been basically "swimming" for 9 months, and then they're born...and they know how to breathe, and suck to feed. Unlike her big sister, Millie needed absolutely no encouragement to nurse. Now that I think of it...she's pretty much never needed encouragement to eat. Haha! Sorry, kiddo. ;-)

My milk came in on Christmas Eve, and Millie thoroughly enjoyed it! I, however, was in pain and leaking everywhere. :P But apparently, that's just the way it is for me. The crazy leaking everywhere and milk letting down at random times only lasted a few weeks this time. With Charlotte it took almost 8 weeks to regulate. Good times.

Yes. That burp cloth was there to catch any extra milk that might leak out. *sigh*

Our only real problem with nursing in the beginning was that after a couple weeks (maybe? It's all fuzzy now), she started doing this weird head shaking thing. She'd pull off, shake her head, cry, latch, and repeat. Eventually I had the sense to Google it, and wound up finding a forum... Turns out she did that when she needed to burp! Who knew? Charlotte always just spit up all over me, so I didn't know what to do with this one. Haha! We constantly battle the big sister distractions, but that's just part of life with more than one kiddo. Both of them are fairly easy to redirect, so it hasn't been a huge problem. 

This is how we dealt with sister distractions in the beginning: 

sitting next to mommy and watching a show.

It's really been nice having such an easy time breastfeeding from the beginning. It did take me a few days to, you know, remember how to breastfeed a newborn, but after it all came back to me it was nice! The first few weeks weren't problem-free, and I often found myself frustrated because she didn't know how to nurse, but I did. Charlotte and I learned how to breastfeed together, so it was interesting to teach a baby how to breastfeed this time. I'm fairly certain I voiced this frustration to my MIL quite a few times during the week she was here after Millie's birth. 

The hands! So sweet.

Once we got the hang of latching (and figuring out that head shaking thing!) and dealing with big sister during feedings, it was a breeze. So different from all of the ups and downs I had learning how to breastfeed Charlotte, and dealing with awfully cracked nipples. I'm thankful, though, because I'm not sure I would have handled that well this time, what with Millie having colic and then Joe off at NTC for 5 weeks.

For a while there at the beginning, I wasn't sure how I would feel nursing another baby. I felt such an intense connection with Charlotte while she was nursing, and I wasn't sure if it would be the same. It turns out the saying about love growing when you have another baby is the same with breastfeeding. ;-) 

Now that Millie is more active while she nurses, I'm enjoying it even more. There's just something precious, innocent, and sweet about little hands touching your face, playing with your hair, kicking feet up in the air, and then putting her hand on your chest as she falls asleep. My favorite feeding of the day is the last one - where she's sleepy and cuddly, and I can just hold her as she nurses, and everyone is asleep but us. (Well, just me, really. She usually sleeps through that feeding.) I remember feeling the same way with Charlotte, and I know that I will miss that feeding when she gives it up...which will probably be soon. Until then, I'll enjoy it and take many more pictures to remember later.

Flashback Friday/Father's Day

Seems like now that Father's Day was nearly a week ago, it's safe to blog about. ;-) LOL. Hashtag life is crazy.

We had a laid-back Father's Day around here. Doughnuts for breakfast. Gifts for Daddy. {Charlotte actually told him "happy Father's Day!" With some help from me, of course. But still. Priceless.} Church. Lunch. Facetime and phone calls to our dads. Daddy's favorite homemade dinner. Donezo.

Many thanks and kudos to our church, who set up photo booths for Mother's Day and Father's Day! Free pictures of all of us?! Yes, please! Because, really, getting all 4 of us in a picture is rare. Rare.

***

On Father's Day, I went through some old pictures my mom sent me about a week ago. I found some pretty awesome gems...and some pretty yikes-factor ones. Haha! Such is life, right? Some of my favorite pictures of me as a toddler are of me and my Papa. I suppose partially because my mom and I lived with them for a while after my mom and "real" dad got divorced. We've always been fairly close, so I tend to have a sort of fondness for any pictures of us. Anyway. I love, love, love these:

Naps on the couch -- about 2 weeks old

Coloring -- 1 year old 

(give or take a few months)

Stories on the Stairs -- 2-3 years old

That last one is one of my absolute favorites. I don't remember this picture being taken, but I absolutely remember sitting on the stairs with him listening to his stories. And, oh, he told the best stories! When my brother and I were a little older, we would spend the weekend with them on occasion (they lived about 2 hours away then).  Every night before bed, Papa would tell us stories about all the creatures that lived in Nana's garden. (She always had a huge flower garden.) Eventually, my mom had him or Nana record him telling us stories, and then she typed them out. I have a few copies of them, and I'm actually considering doing something with them so my girls can enjoy them, too. But that's beside the point. Those stories on the stairs - and the weekends we spent at Nana and Papa's house - are some of my fondest childhood memories.

'Biz Talk

I opened my Etsy shop about a month ago. I kept it a secret at first because I was waiting on things to get rolling with this new blog of mine. I suppose I really should have done that awesome giveaway right when I got my new blog up and running, but...I don't even think it crossed my mind at the time. Whoops. That's mommy brain for you!

I had a blast hosting the giveaway, and I'm super excited to send some goodies to a reader of mine. :) Goodies in the mail always brightens my day, and I'm sure it will brighten hers as well. 

I guess that's part of the reason I wanted to open a shop in the first place. I have an ability to create things - albeit simple things - and to maybe, hopefully brighten someone's day while also earning a little extra money. I'd be lying if I said income wasn't a reason to do this. I enjoy sewing and creating, and I know there are people who want to purchase cute, handmade items. I know that I do! (Etsy is one of my favorite places to shop online! )

{shop link}

I want my brand new, little business to be a success. I'm not hoping to be an overwhelming success overnight; I know that is unrealistic. But I want to create. I want to sell. I want to send cute pouches and goodies to people who want them, and send some love to others who need/want it.

So far (and I know it's still early!) I haven't been successful. (I was going to say "I haven't been very successful" but that would imply some success, and that just ain't the truth right now.) There are a bunch of things that I want to do and can't just yet. For instance? 

I want to buy all the cute fabric! I find myself looking at fabric all the time, and wanting to buy pretty much all of it. So many possibilities! But the reality is I can't afford to buy more fabric until I make some sales.

I think of new things to sell constantly. Really. 

The biggest thing that I really, really, really want to do? I'm itching to have an IG/flash sale. I follow a few other Etsy shop owners on IG who have pretty good success with them. I think it would be super fun to host, and make a whole bunch of things for! I'm just not sure I could commit to making a slew of items without knowing how successful it will be, if at all.

Opening this shop is very exciting for me and I'm trying to not get ahead of myself. I want to do a lot, and I know that these things take time. But, gosh. I'm so impatient.

Was It You?

Thanks to everyone who entered in the giveaway! I had a fun time hosting it, and I can't wait to send some happy mail to one of my reader friends. Everyone could use some happy mail, am I right?!

Without further ado..... Drum roll, please......

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Congrats, Katy B!!! You should be getting an email from me soon, if you haven't already!

For those of you who didn't win my totally awesome giveaway, I still have some good news! 

I created a little coupon code just for you. From now until the end of the month, you can get 30% off your order from my shop! And if you order, you might get a little something else from me in your email inbox. Just sayin'. ;-) And of course, you can always order Jamberry nails from Jes! (Or host a party in hopes of getting all the free things!) I have a feeling I might be doing just that here pretty soon.

I'm so excited to see where my little Etsy shop will take me! I hope y'all will stick along for the ride, and enjoy handmade goodies while you're at it.

Hope your week is off to a great start!

The Bean Gets a Big Girl Bed

At the end of May, my in-laws came to visit for a few days. The main reason for the visit was Joe's foot procedure (more on that later, I promise), but they also brought a big-girl bed for Charlotte.

Pop & Charlotte - a SnapChat pic. ;-)

Bossi & Millie

As I'm sure anyone would be, I was a little bit concerned about how she would do with the new bed. We had turned her crib into a toddler bed just a few weeks before, so I had hoped she would do fine with a bigger bed, but you really just never know. When we got her ready for bed, she seemed pretty excited about her big-girl bed, and requested that Joe and I leave the room without reading to her. To say we were surprised would be an understatement! We just laughed, tucked her in, said good-night, and crossed our fingers.

Our first little girl is quite the trooper, and I really should have learned by now that not much phases her when it comes to sleep. We did hear her playing in bed well after bedtime, but that's not unusual. The next morning we woke to find her as happy as always and waiting for someone to come get her! *sigh* Perfection. I am sure there will come a day when she is either big or brave enough to get out of bed, start playing, and/or knock on her door begging for us to let her out. But until then? I'm going to enjoy every minute of this! 

Once we got her new bed, I decided it was finally time to put some decorations up in her room. We moved in a year ago and I didn't hang anything but a shelf on her wall until a couple weeks ago. Seriously. {Never underestimate the level of tired you feel while pregnant and chasing a toddler. I never had energy!} 

It took a while, but I finally decided to a gallery-style wall in her room. I had really wanted to put her bed in the center of the wall, but it really kind of looked weird. So this is what we ended up with:

I think my favorite part of the gallery wall is the canvas of her 6 month photo that I received from Easy Canvas Prints. First, because it's such a great picture of her. Second, because it's a beautiful reminder of where we lived for a short time, and where she was born. I hope she will love it as much as I do! 

The poms hanging in the corners are from her baby shower. Maybe it's weird, but I just can't seem to part with them! And it turns out that, even though they don't 100% match the color scheme in her room, they fit perfectly.

She loves her big-girl bed!

The rest of her room could use a little organization (and possibly some phrases in vinyl above her little kitchen and bookshelf), but I'm not sure what else to do with it all right now. It'll probably be easier to figure things out when we don't need a changing table in her room anymore. We're working on that.

Honestly, I still can't believe that she's 2. I mean...when did that happen? How is she old enough to not be in a crib?! On the other hand, though, I am totally in love with the way her room looks now. And other than the occasional tantrum, I enjoy her sweet little personality that seems to grow and emerge more every day.

I love you, Bean!

*Psst! Don't forget to enter my giveaway! Still plenty of time to enter, and a good chance of winning!

Six: Then & Now

This past weekend, we celebrated our sixth anniversary. Say what?!

Some days it doesn't even feel possible we've been married this long. Other times - okay, most of the time - it feels like we've been married forever. Not in a bad way! In fact, once we were in our first house and settling in, it felt like we'd always been together.

So much has changed since that day. First, we moved to NC. A little over a year later, Joe enlisted in the Army. Then we moved to Georgia for a little while, then Hawaii. He deployed for a year, came back, and I got pregnant with Charlotte. Less than a year after she was born, we moved back to Georgia and I got pregnant with Millie. And in between those major life events were smaller, everyday things. Hard things, fun things, mundane things.

To some, it may seem like the last 6 years have been a breeze. While they have certainly breezed by us, they've been anything but easy some days. Some days, weeks, and months have been tough. I don't always talk about the hardest days in our marriage, because I've found that it isn't always the best idea to let other people in your marriage. There are few (very few) people I've found that I can "vent" my frustrations to, without them feeling the need to hold a grudge against Joe. Often, it's those people who tell me when I need to straighten myself out, and I need that. {<--- Wow. Did not plan on chasing that rabbit!} Suffice it to say, we've had our fair share of trouble. I'm thankful, though, that we decided 6+ years ago that our marriage would always be a priority, and the 'D'-word would never be an option. As I've told people before, it isn't always easy, but it is always worth it.

I doubt I realized the reality of the years to come on that day - the moves, deployment, babies, diapers, hormones - but I'm really glad I've had my best friend along for the crazy, crazy ride. I don't know what the next 6+ years will bring, but I'm happy to know that whatever comes our way, we'll be in it together. 

Here's to us, baby!

*Psst! Don't forget to check out my cosmetic bag + Jamberry nails giveaway!

Etsy Launch Giveaway!

What better way to start a new week than with a giveaway, am I right?! =)

In case you didn't know (*wink wink*), I opened an Etsy shop last month. It's something I'd thought about doing for a while, and just kept putting off. Mostly because of the babies, but also because I just wasn't sure. And then....I just started thinking about it all the time. Out of nowhere, I was itching to sew again, and not just for myself and the kiddos.

This new blog was born partially out of my desire to create an Etsy shop. I wanted to have a blog and a shop with the same name - and ultimately, a space that reflected who I am. If I had really planned well, I would have done this giveaway when the shop opened. For some reason, that was the one thing I didn't think of! But that's alright, because giveaways are good pretty much all the time. Right?! =)

My friend Jes also started a new business this month. She's started selling Jamberry nails, which I'm pretty much in love with! When I decided to do this giveaway, I contacted her to see if she'd like to donate to my cause. Thankfully, she said yes! 

So, in honor of both of our brand new businesses, here's what I'm/we're giving away today:

A wipe-clean/waterproof cosmetic bag + goodies

&

One free sheet of nail wraps (of the winner's choice)!

The giveaway begins today and ends Sunday night. Winner will be chosen randomly, using Rafflecopter, and will be contacted one week from today. Good luck! =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Won't You Be My Neighbour?

I did something slightly crazy yesterday. Well, okay, maybe not crazy. But it was definitely outside of my comfort zone, and it sort of made me feel like a true, blue, Suzy Homemaker.

I made brownies and took them to our neighbours.*

We've lived across the street from these people for the past year, and I barely know their names. We wave when we're outside, and we may even have a short conversation, but that's it. It's really not unusual, and most of the time I'm okay with that kind of distance. The problem is that I've been feeling extra lonely and...distant lately. 

I'll be the first to admit that I'm an introvert with hermit tendencies. This is most of the reason why being a one car family hasn't bothered me all that much. I digress. Knowing my introverted, hermit ways, I basically have to force myself to make friends. Somehow, it wasn't all that difficult in Hawaii. I guess it was because I made most of my friends through blogging, and then the rest just sort of fell in my lap because of the Army. We had fantastic neighbors - one couple who brought me dinners while Joe was in WLC and I was 9 months pregnant with Charlotte, and another who took photos of our family and watched our house/car while we were gone over Christmas.

Much to my dismay, there aren't many military spouse bloggers in these parts. Or maybe they just don't advertise. :P Don't get me wrong, I do know people here. I just haven't found that friend here yet. You know, the one who you can call up and say "wanna come over and hang out?" The one who doesn't care what your house looks like or when you last showered, and helps themselves to whatever is in the kitchen. The one who will even invite themselves over - or offer to babysit. Or whatever.

I tossed around the idea of leading a mom Bible study thing over the summer, but that honestly seems a bit overwhelming. I've got so many other things to keep up with... I don't think adding another activity/responsibility is going to help me out. I thought about doing several other things before I suddenly remembered a sermon series our church did recently - on being a good neighbor.

I realized that there's a family across the street with a baby about a month older than Millie. The mother of that baby is home pretty much all the time {except they have 2 vehicles #jealousy}. There's a family next door to them that has a little boy maybe a year or so older than Charlotte. Suddenly, I realized that there is a potential friend living across the street. Why do I keep looking for community - for friends - when there are people all around me?!

Maybe it's the distance that made me forget. It's not like living on post, where you can make fast friends because you already have something in common - the military. We shared walls and garages with our neighbors in Hawaii. It's pretty hard not to make friends with your neighbors in those situations. But here? It's a little bit different. And now that I have kiddos, I feel like it's even harder to make friends. Because naps, and feedings, and tantrums, and life. 

I don't know if those brownies will kickstart a friendship, but at least I can say I did something. I stopped feeling sorry for myself long enough to bake some goodies, slap a note on some tupperware, walk across the street, and pray to find a friend.

*I know that's the UK spelling, but the American version just doesn't look right to me at the moment! Also, I really hope you have that song stuck in your head now. ("Could you be my - won't you be my neighbour?") Charlotte has watched Daniel Tiger like crazy lately and it's on repeat in my head. You're welcome.

Nursing in Public - What's the Big Deal?

Over the weekend, I had something pretty awesome happen to me. Although, once I got to thinking about it after the fact it made me a little....sad, for lack of a better word.

On Friday, Joe had a procedure done on his foot. Originally we thought it would be a quick in-and-out type thing, but it turned out to be a half-day event. It wasn't really a problem, just more of a frustration since we left both kids with my in-laws, and Millie refused to take a bottle. I was surprised because she's usually more concerned with actually eating, rather than the method of delivery. Haha. I ended up having to leave Joe at the hospital to go and get her so I could feed her. 

By the time we got back to the hospital, he'd already been taken into the OR. I went to the waiting room, found a quiet corner, and nursed Millie without a cover. 

Left: front view; Right: my view.

What nursing in public REALLY looks like.

I got some looks from other people in the room, but no one seemed to mind all that much. {Not that I really cared. I just dread confrontation.} About 15 minutes after Millie had filled her tummy, a woman sitting across from me got up to leave. On her way out, this happened:

My first reaction was, "Wow! That was awesome!!" I gotta say, it did make me feel pretty good. ;-) And if it'd been my first baby, and I'd struggled with it, her comment probably would have encouraged me quite a bit. {And after experiencing it myself, it makes me want to compliment someone else the next time I see someone nursing in public.}

After I got home and had some time to think about it, that experience made me think something different. What kind of culture do we live in that feeding your baby naturally needs to be encouraged? I highly doubt this sort of thing happened 200-300 (or less) years ago. No one needed to be encouraged to feed their baby with their body because it was the norm. Since it was the norm, no one got freaked out when mothers nursed their babies in public. *gasp* 

All over the internet - and the news - you see stories of women getting persecuted for nursing their babies in public, and without a cover. These women are told to go to a bathroom, somewhere outside, etc. to feed their babies. Meanwhile, a mother who bottle feeds her baby (whether it's breastmilk or formula) is allowed to be wherever she wants. Why is this okay? Why is this the norm? I'll tell you why.

Our culture has completely over-sexualized women's bodies. Images, photos of scantily clad women are used to sell everything from lingerie to cars. We figured out a long time ago that sex sells, and pretty much haven't looked back. Our culture decided that breasts weren't for making milk for babies, but for erotic purposes only. Never mind that after giving birth, a woman's body automatically produces milk for her baby. {And starts producing colostrum - first milk - before the baby is even born.} Unless there are rare or tragic circumstances, every single mother's body produces milk for her baby. Our culture deemed breastfeeding weird, extreme, and/or gross because somewhere along the way, we lost sight of the truth and started accepting lies. I'll be the first to admit that the purpose of breasts are twofold: feeding a baby, and pleasing your spouse. 

Feeding a baby is nowhere near sexual, which is why I have no problems nursing in public without a cover. Another reason I don't mind nursing without a cover is that I can do it discreetly, while not irritating my child. I don't think fighting with her and the cover is worth not offending 2 or 3 people I don't know. I'd rather feed my child, thanks. 

Another post I read on The Leaky Boob recently has a picture that perfectly defines how I feel about this nonsense. You can click the link to see it and read the article. A woman is feeding her baby discreetly in the mall....in front of huge portraits of women wearing lingerie. In fact, it's similar to this:

{image source}

I don't understand what all the fuss is about. The sexual nature of breasts has nothing to do with feeding a baby, and it never, ever will. Breastfeeding is about feeding your baby and bonding with them. Why banish a child and their mother simply because of how they're being fed? It's petty and pathetic. 

Get over yourselves, mainstream America. We've got babies to nurse.