baby blues

Location: The Chandler Mall
Time: Noonish

Ok, so you kind of have to picture this as though it were illustrated as a Baby Blues comic strip.

I am walking through the mall, passing countless mirrors, each of which seeming determined to reflect the frumpiest, frizziest, and wrinkliest image it could muster. I was feeling relatively dumpy.

So, I pop Logan on my back in a beautiful Babyhawk. He giggles. Suddenly, I am feeling FABULOUS! The carrier ties around my true waist, making me look super thin (think corset effect). My boobs look huge. The straps cover the stains on my shirt. The carrier print matches perfectly with the purple shirt and cargos I was wearing.

I felt like supermom- put together, kids perfectly behaved, mocha in hand. I strutted across the mall to the tune of "Brick House," which was playing in the back of my mind.

She's a brick... house...

You get the moment, right? I felt too legit to quit.

Then, I felt something running down my back. I look back, and see a trail of yellow drips on the clean, mall tile. I see the active dripping coming from the carrier.

I realize that Logan was not giggling when I put him on. He was pooping. And it was all over me, the carrier and the mall. It was the first post-immunization shot poop (i.e. equal in volume to his body weight).

The brick house? Gone.

If I could have stopped laughing at the absurdity of it, I probably would have been embarassed.

got milk? taboo talk about milk.

Yesterday, at church, despite the strong and well-conceived sermon echoing through the room, my eyes landed on a "Body by Milk" poster. I read the poster, studied it, and was reminded of others I had seen just like it.

This milk campaign is not new. For generations, mothers have been chiding children to drink their milk. Somehow, milk was this miracle substance which would make us stronger, smarter, and more able to reach our full potential.

The "Got Milk" campaign is genius- featuring well-known celebrities and athletes, showing potential and health. Many of the women featured are not super models. They are not super-thin. They are strong, robust and healthy.

Of course, as internal discussions usually do, this train of thought led me to remember that I have a super-power. I make milk.

Breastmilk and cow's milk are nutritionally very different. God designed cow's milk to optimally feed the development of baby cows.

God designed breast milk to optimally feed the development of baby humans.

Outside of the breastmilk-formula debate (which I have no interest in discussing at this moment), it is generally accepted and acknowledged

that in a world where the fittest survive, why would any animal waste energy or resources in promoting the survival of another species?

Evolutionary rules preclude any logical deduction that cows were designed to nurture our children.

However, I digress. We all know that cow's milk is substandard to human milk, even past infancy. It just isn't "normal" in the western culture to nurse a child past their first 6 weeks.

However, we have to at least consider the absurdity with which we accept the normalcy and healthiness of feeding our children and adults cow's milk while we shy away from reports of feeding these same people human milk.

Now, I am not even close to being exempt from this taboo. Even seeing my breastmilk bottled in the fridge seems a little personal, private, and hidden. I feel a sense of invasion and lack of privacy when someone else handles my breastmilk. I would never think to bake a cake with it and then donate that cake to the church. I would not mix my breastmilk into another child's cereal without at least feeling very aware of what I was doing.

So, as I stood examining this poster, I started to wonder where this taboo around breastmilk came from? I cannot deny that it exists. It has rules, structure. Who can drink it? Where? In what situations?

This taboo has led to an unfortunate situation. Type in "expressing breastmilk" into an a Google Image search. If you find an image, it is likely from a fetish website.  What kind of commentary is it on our society that the only images of our breasts actually functioning are highly sexualized? What messages does that send to new mothers?

Ok, to be fair, breasts are sexual. It is normal and healthy to see their beauty in form and function. However, when the act of sexualizing them starts to impede on their function, then we have an issue.

Well, I guess I don't have a conclusion, opinion or point. I just thought it may be interesting for us to take a moment and really evaluate how we feel about milk. Cow's milk. Human milk. Why do we feel that way?

For me, I know my children will drink both human milk and cow's milk. The reason is simple- they go through gallons of milk a week, and I just am not interested in pumping that much. It is cheap, accessible and easy, and for that I must say "Thank you!" to the cows!


Edited to Add:
Ok, so after some thoughts, I think this taboo is worsened, if not caused, by a few factors:

1. Our society is both highly sexualized and highly prudish. We are just incapable, it seems, of getting past the breast-for-sex idea. We have been unable, as a culture, to really embrace breastfeeding for the beautiful, normal, and natural act it is. Even pro-breastfeeding info is medicalized, sterilized and detached.

2. We see breast milk come from the source- the breast. There is very little removal of the artifact from the source. In contrast, we very rarely see cow's milk come from the cow. It is sterilized, pasteurized, skimmed, and then sold in stores in bright, white, well-lit, plastic bottles that we can grab without much thought of where it came from.

So, the next time you cringe at the thought of breastmilk while drinking a glass of cow's milk, just stop to think for a second about how absurd and illogical that reaction is. Sure, we will still have the reaction, but at least take the time to acknowledge it and evaluate it.

(HAHA! Turns out I do have an opinion AND a point! Go figure!!)

note: every single one of these images was hocked off google. none are original work. :)

Slings for $25 and Less

Common phenomena: Someone oogles my ring slings, asks where they can get one like it. I tell them where, and the approximate price range for that specific carrier, as well as for lower-priced carriers, higher-priced carriers, just to give them a good idea. That person goes running for the hills.

Let's face it. In today's economy, it is becoming more and more difficult to afford $80 carriers. $80 can be a week's worth of groceries!!

So, in honor of that spirit, I would love to support two fabulous work-at-home mamas who make wonderful, beautiful slings. They make them affordable, too, which is awesome. Their slings make babywearing accessible to the average mama.

The first mama, Amanda, is a local Maricopa resident. Read: $20 for the sling and no shipping. :) Plus, pick up a sling from her, and you just might make a new friend!

Her sells her wares via etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5792286.

The second mama, Jan, owns a company called Sleeping Baby. Her slings account for 9/10 of my collection. If you have borrowed a sling from me and fell in love, her work is probably to blame. She sells slings in all price ranges. Follow this link to find those that are $25 and less.

Here is her site: http://www.sleepingbaby.net/shop/products.php?cat=10.

I am going to post this on Facebook, too. Feel free to "Share" it so that people can have access to some beautiful and affordable slings.

PS. They make GREAT baby shower gifts!

zoo

met a very curious monkey today.

well, baboon. not monkey.

saw some flamingos.

did you know they are pink because of their diet?

shrimp apparently turns birds pink.

i think this is a deer, but to be honest, i am not certain...

who is doing the watching,

and who is being watched?

then i saw a cool cactus...

and thought it would be so much fun to edit that one...

went to visit the baby and her mama

then daegan visited the koi pond.

which you have to admit is fun to take pictures of!

Portraits at the Duke

On November 21st, 2009, The Duke is hosting Amy Jamieson to take portraits in exchange for a donation to the Maricopa Food Bank. This event will be hosted by the Duke Country Club and Golf Course.

We will be having a bake-sale associated with the event as well, and a raffle for awesome goodies donated by local businesses!

About FOR Maricopa
(http://www.formaricopa.org/)

Details:
The minimum donation is $25 (cash only), which will include a 15-minute sitting session and a complimentary 8x10 print. Additional packages will be available for ordering at the event.

As an added bonus, from November 22nd until December 5th, Amy Jamieson Photography will be donating 33% of all sitting fees to FOR.

To schedule an appointment, please call Kristi at 602-697-1974 and leave a message. You will receive a return call within 24 hours.
Thanks!

bits and pieces

exploring photoshop.

begins to beg the question:

at what point does photography stop and graphic art begin?

random thoughts

yesterday had a few random moments in it. random enough, that is, to leave me still thinking about them this morning as I drown myself in coffee and facebook.

yesterday morning. autozone. I pull up next to a beat up pickup truck with an elderly man standing next to it. I walk around to the passenger side of the car, open the front door and grab my pumpkin indio ring sling. I sling it over my shoulder, and he lurches towards me screaming, "don't put that filthy grease rag on your clothes! they will stain!" I look at him quizzically, trying to decide if I want to be insulted or amused... I get Logan out of the back seat, pop him into the sling. "ooooh!" the man says. "you put your baby in there. that makes sense. wow! look at all that blond hair and those giant blue eyes! this boy is going to have a lot of little Mexican girls chasing him his whole life!" ok... I still have not decided what I think about that. I had no idea that Mexican toddlers like infants with shock-white hair. go figure.

preschool. picking up Daegan. I put him in his car seat, and as I do, I lean over and whisper in his ear, "how about mama makes you a peanut butter sandwich when we get home?" he leans back and whispers, "no. how 'bout mama make Daegan cheeseburger when we get home?"

and last but not least, I taught Daegan how to hold our wooden bongos between his legs so that he could beat on them and jump around dancing at the same time. it made for noisy bedtime play.

Babywearing at Wildflower

Today, I had the distinct pleasure of supporting the Wildflower Diapers in promoting babywearing for Channel 12 News. For those of you who have not been there, Wildflower is a shop straight from the fantasies of many of us natural and attachment-parenting mamas. Selling so much more than just cloth diapers (of which they have an amazing variety, some of which were so cute they made me want to use cloth just for sheer aesthetics), Wildflower is a place for mamas to meet, to learn and to share in the joys and traumas of parenting.

Walking in to Wildflower, you are likely to fall in love with a beautifully colored wrap, pet some silk slings, or talk to some mamas who are lounging on the center ottoman nursing infants and toddlers. The store features a comfortable play area for children, and encourages them to make a mess and get creative. It is, in a word, a place to escape for a few minutes and just enjoy life. However, Wildflower Diapers is not a place that I personally visit regularly, since the drive is prohibitively long. It is in North Scottsdale, an easy hour-long drive for me.

Before the news crew showed up, we spent time talking about all things good: carriers, babies, diapers and breastfeeding. I am always amazed at how warm and loving my fellow AP mamas are.

A sampling of some cute diaper covers! :)

Some squish!

Then, the news crew arrived. As soon as they turned those cameras on, Logan started screaming to nurse. I popped him on, pulled up the sling for modesty. Daegan started screaming. I comforted both of them. The reporter shouted to the cameraman, "Are you getting this? She is comforting the older one while nursing hands-free in the sling! Nothing is showing! Quick, don't miss this shot!" Internally, I jumped for joy- not at being on camera, but who could have conjured a more appropriate demonstration of why one would wear their babies?

Susan did the main interview- she was nervous, but amazing! She covered all the basic questions: "Why wear your baby? Why didn't we know about this 20 years ago?" etc. I particularly applaud her for addressing the issue of breastfeeding so tactfully- she emphasized in her own subtle way that excessive cover-ups are not the only way to breastfeed. Yeah, Susan!! What a wonderful attitude about breastfeeding in public.

Rachel was chosen to interview at length, her baby on her back in a beautiful blue Gypsy Mama wrap, because she had been wearing her babies for more than six years. She was calm and articulate, and represented the real joys of babywearing very well. It did not hurt that she is such a pretty mama!!

This mama was chosen to interview because she was the newest babywearer in the crowd. She was lucky- her interview was next to a beautiful purple silk Sakura Bloom. She is wearing a Gypsy Mama Freya- you have seen Freya as a ring sling in my collection. Freya is a light grassy green with copper dragonflies batiked on her.

More of Rachel, this time in a linen Sakura Bloom, nursing effortlessly.

Ok, so there were three or four other mothers there. I was too distracted by kids, conversation and window-shopping to properly document them. My sincere apologies. I got to wear a beautiful gold double-layered silk Sakura Bloom ring sling for the interviews. It matched my dress beautifully! I sincerely wish I had taken a picture of myself in it, but it did not occur to me...

I was too busy trying NOT to buy  these super-cute hand knitted booties for Logan. Seriously, tell me I DON'T NEED THEM!!!  With winter coming, I may just have to cave. We will see!

After they were done shooting, the reporter stayed for a few minutes to chat with us. She was very sweet and interested in possible stories we may have for her. Of course, I shamelessly plugged No Mother Left Behind. I hope that they put the website for NMLB into the story- so many mamas never try to babywear because of the expense of doing so.

Oh, crap. I have been looking at those booties too long now. I may have to take a ride back to Wildflower soon and just buy them...

The story should air on Channel 12 News, during a segment called "Raising Arizona Families," on October 5th at 5pm. Set your DVR's now!! Don't forget!

Here are some contact details in case you are interested in checking out Wildflower Diapers, aka Heaven on Earth:

http://www.wildflowerdiapers.com/store/pc/home.asp

Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, from 11-6 pm, Saturday 10-5 pm, and by appt.

(see Phoenix page for detailed directions):

Wildflower Diapers

13901 N. 73rd St. Suite 218

Scottsdale, AZ 85260

(480) 551-4910

(888) 677-3228

Shadow Boxing

Two of my friends have lost siblings to suicide this month. Two of them. My heart and prayers go out to their families.

It has been 13 years this month since my father's suicide (ok, family, if I don't have the date right, don't correct me. Septembers are when I celebrate him, his birth, his death, his humanity, our loss.)

While I can honestly say that I have resolved my grief, the freshness of the grief of these two families have brought back a residual memory of rawness, of shock. In watching them experience their grief, I remember the experience of my grief, and that hurts.

In church, Pastor Josh said that experiencing death can be like being hit by a train or like being hit by a train's shadow, depending on your relationship with God. It feels like that this time. Like I am being hit by the shadow of grief.

I am house-sitting for one of the families, going twice a day every day to care for the furbabies. It is tough going into that empty, dark, warm house that still seems to echo with the tragic news.

My prayers are out to both families, that the Holy Spirit will enrobe them with His Love and faithfulness, to help their loss heal as quickly as possible.

What a horrible, horrible thing for such young people to do.

NMLB

I am officially now the moderator to the No Mother Left Behind Facebook page!

Yes. I offered.

Yes. I am swamped.

I get it.

However, we need to get the word out about this organization. They have more slings than they have mamas applying for them. How can they apply if they don't know about it?

So, help me get the word out! Join the group. Invite your friends! :)

purple

Courtesy of Dwane, a cood edit:

pomegranate

Please, tell me what you think.  If you like it, tell me why. If you don't, tell me why. I am trying to refine my choices for the art show and need to know what appeals to you! :)

Heart, Head and Spirit- Backpacks for Christ!

Update: I ditched this project and gave the backpacks to Daegan's preschool. There was just not enough interest. Thanks, though! :) There will be more projects coming up, I am sure!

I would love for this one to be done specifically through the Christian community! I bought seven backpacks at Bashas today for less than $3 a piece! I was thinking we would stuff them with supplies, a Bible, and some letters from the heart, to help them through the school year. School supplies are going on clearance right now, so really this project should be easy and quick! :)

Possible donation ideas:

Typical school supplies, like notebooks, folders, pencils and pens.
7 Bibles
Letters that help share God's love and message to children who may not hear it otherwise.
Cereal bars (these kids may not get breakfast)
Toothpaste, toothbrushes

Reusable water bottles

Antibacterial gel

COC invites, of course!

Also, I need a creative solution as to how these backpacks should be distributed.

Thanks!