Today we went to visit Dom at work for the very first time. What an adventure.
His office is moving soon and they are getting all new furniture, so the old stuff is going to be sold off. Dom’s boss said that he could take his chair home, which is great because our desk chair has a broken arm and Bella keeps hitting herself on it. So we brought the minivan down to cart the chair home. And an extra bookcase as well. Not that we own any books or anything. 
So it’s about an hour long drive. I had the fortunate presence of mind to grab the first set of The Lord of the Rings cds that my sister gave me as an engagement present lo so many summers ago that I still have yet to listen to. I guessed correctly that Bella wouldn’t mind listening to a story as she’s so far exhibited an amazing attention span for storybooks. I was so engrossed in Bilbo’s birthday party and the start and stop traffic that I totally missed the exit. By something like 8 exits. Oops. But Gandalf’s fireworks were spectacular.
But we finally turned around and found our way to the building. We got a quick tour and all the women oohed and awed over Bella and Sophie. (Dom’s male coworkers made polite noises, but did not go gaga. Not surprising, men are like that. ) Dom’s office is a funny little room, the building used to be a part of the seminary and his office was once a dorm room and still has a little sink and a clothes closet.
We hung out and Bella drew for a bit while I nursed Sophie and then we went to lunch at fabulous Boca Burrito. Yum, yum, yum. Best burritos I’ve had in a long time. I got a chili verde with black beans and guacamole. And we got a chicken tamale to feed to Bella and nibble on ourselves. Also very yum. Then back to the office, another snack for Sophie while Dom loaded the furniture and back on the road.
The girls snoozed while I listened to Gandalf and Frodo discuss the ring. Bella woke up as we pulled into the driveway and so that was the end of any hopes for a good nap. I tried to put her down but it wouldn’t take. Oh well. It was a fun excursion, Bella was thrilled to finally see daddy’s work, and definitely worth a little poor sleep. (Though I may not think it quite so worth it in the morning.)
FYI, Saturday’s Wall Street Journal ran an excellent article about Edwina Froelich the founder of the LaLeche League. “With the breast-feeding rate of today’s newborns approaching 75% in the U.S., it is striking to contemplate the world of 1956, when fewer than 30% were breast-fed.” “La Leche says that its name was inspired by a Florida shrine to “Nuestra Senora de la Leche y Buen Parto,” or “our Lady of Happy Delivery and Plentiful Milk.”
Know what you mean. Most people assume my daughter comes with a bottle attached or if she is crying they say it is time for a bottle. We don’t own one. Ours are exclusively breast fed too and it is funny some of the looks I get when people find out. Some are very impressed and others think I’m from Mars.
We are certainly indebted to the founders of La Leche League. I hope that the numbers will continue to increase. Sadly, that 75% drops off fairly quickly after the first couple of months. I have a particular devotion to Our Lady of La Leche and several beautiful framed pictures of the nursing Madonna, who in Latin is called Maria Lactans.
The other funny thing is the blind stares Bella shows when people ask if she gives her dolly a bottle. Bella doesn’t know that bottles are for dollies, she lifts her shirt and plays at nursing her toys.
All three of my children were breastfed and weaned when they were ready. We just never used bottles! But I still encounter people who just don’t think it’s possible. My first two were very nicely spaced, the third was a conscious decision!
It’s regional, too, with certain “spots” in a region standing out as more breastfeeding friendly. The assumption around here—among all generations—is that all babies are at least PARTIALLY (preferably fully) bottle-fed.
My children were (are) all exclusively breastfed. They all did the play-nursing with their dolls, too, but I was baffled when they also knew to put a play bottle to a doll’s mouth when they encountered one at friends’ homes. Maybe they just thought it was a sippy cup.
or maybe they were imitating the friends?
Cecilia does both as well but she has no friends with bottles. I think she has seen pictures, commercials, books, etc. though that explained what they were for.
I admit I had to laugh this morning though when she wanted to nurse one of her dolls and have daddy nurse the other.