Breastfeeding in the News

In the news last night there was a segment about a woman who was breastfeeding her son in the grocery store and a store employee asked her to cover up or go to a more private area of the store because her breastfeeding uncovered was making the other customers uncomfortable. Apparently this request was extremely offensive to this woman.

Really? That is offensive?

I am a nursing mother, and I appreciate that my state makes it legal to breastfeed in public, even uncovered. But to me, this is a modesty and courtesy issue. I do not think the benefits of breastfeeding make exposing your breast modest. A breast that can produce nourishment for a child is still a private body part and should be kept private.

Also, isn't it common courtesy to change your behavior when you learn that behavior makes others uncomfortable? I think it is. And in this instance no one asked her to stop breastfeeding or to leave the store; they simply asked her to breastfeed more privately.

Dogs, Caves, and Horses

We've had some fun adventures in the last couple weeks. First, we went up to Idaho for Chad's mission president's homecoming—which was lovely—and while we were in the area we stopped to visit my grandmother. We had a nice visit with her, and while we were at her house, my uncle pops in and insists that Charlie "ride" his two-year-old great dane named Tank. A very appropriate name. The dog is huge.

So we give it a try, and Charlie is totally cool about the whole thing. He acts like it's no big deal. Tank on the other hand was pretty reluctant. After that, I help Charlie stand in the grass, and my uncle's little-bitty yet fat, one-eyed chihuahua (also named Charlie) approaches and softly puts his paw on Charlie's chest.

Charlie freaked out.

Apparently giant dogs that could swallow Charlie whole are totally ok, while tiny dogs that could barely eat Charlie's toes whole are terrifying. I do not understand. My baby is a weirdo.

A few days after our Idaho adventure, we went to visit my newly-married sister and her husband who have settled down in a small town nearish Park City, Utah. They took us to see Cache Cave (a popular spot along the Mormon Trail) and to do some horseback riding. The cave was really interesting; the pioneers who stopped there on their way to the Salt Lake Valley carved their names into the rock wall, and dozens of names are still easily legible. However, I was sad to see that some modern visitors had vandalized the cave by adding their own carvings.

The horseback riding was also a lot of fun—despite a sore tush for a couple days after. My brother-in-law's family owns the horses we rode, and we were able to just wander around his family's sheep ranch enjoying the beautiful day. I also got to see some lambs. Baby animals are always so cute—no matter what species.

Vegas Vacation

This month we went to Las Vegas for a big family reunion and had a great time. Between getting some good old fashioned R&R, we were able to go see and do some pretty fun stuff.

Day 1. We went to the Spring Mountain Ranch in Red Rock Canyon. We enjoyed a picnic lunch with the family at the pavilion and then hiked around. There were several 1800s buildings and a "lake"—apparently in Nevada they have a very generous definition of the word lake. The red rock mountains in the area were also beautiful to look at.

Day 2. We took Charlie on his first swimming adventure! In an attempt to be extra safe, I bought a baby floaty for Charlie before we left for vacation, and it worked out really well. The adventure had a rough start. I'm not sure if the pool temperature wasn't quite to Charlie's liking or if he was just freaked out 'cause it was a new experience, but after only a few minutes of wining, Charlie seemed content to watch the other kids swim around while he floated in his inner tube. I think by the end he was enjoying himself.

Day 3. We took family photos, barbequed, and played games in the park. We had a good time visiting with family and eating some delicious chili dogs.

Day 4. In the evening, we went to see the light shows on Freemont Street in downtown Las Vegas and the water fountain shows in front of the Bellagio on the strip. The theme for the light shows was all about the '80s—lots of '80s music and even some classic video game footage. The light shows were pretty cool, but Freemont Street itself was pretty grimy. The water shows at the Bellagio were pretty cool, too. We stayed and watched three. The first was set to Luck Be a Lady, the second was set to something instrumental I didn't recognize, and the third was set to the music of Simple Gifts—it was weird hearing a hymn on the strip, but also cool.

Day 5. We went to the Venetian and enjoyed our first taste of gelato in their replica of St. Mark's Square. We bought the gelato at Cocolini, and however expensive, it was delicious! The gelato was smoother, creamier, and had richer flavors than the regular American ice cream we are accustomed to. St. Mark's Square and the other Grand Canal areas were also really interesting. We have never been to Italy, but when we walked into these areas it felt like we had left Vegas. The vaulted ceilings were painted with partially cloudy blue skies, and with the lighting, I really did have to do a double take that I was still inside the Venetian.

All in all, our trip to Vegas was a lot of fun. It was great to get away from the daily grind, rest and relax as much as we wanted, and go do some fun things that we hadn't done before.

Independent Movement

Charlie has begun figuring out the basics of moving his body by himself. He is good at rolling, and I'm pretty sure he's started scooting—pretty sure because he only does it when I'm not looking. So in honor of this momentous occasion, I would like to list the pros and cons of this milestone:

Pros
1. Charlie has another means of entertaining himself.

Cons
1. Charlie can move by himself.
2. At some point during sleep Charlie positions himself in the corner of his crib (evidenced by the above photo) despite me placing him in the center, and then wakes up horribly upset and screaming as if to say, "How dare you put me face down IN THE CORNER! You are such a jerk!" At least now I know that when he gets older putting him in the corner may actually be an effective punishment.
3. He tries to roll over during diaper changes. Poopy bum plus rolling. Need I say more?

Chicken Lasagna

2 T. olive oil
lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
4 medium chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 jar sauce, Ragu Roasted Garlic Parmesan
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
3 eggs
16 oz. cottage cheese, small curd
Italian seasoning, to taste

1. Mix chicken, 2/3 jar sauce, 2 eggs, and 1 cup cheddar. 2. Mix cottage cheese, Italian seasoning, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup cheddar. 3. Spread olive oil in bottom of 9x13 pan, coating evenly. 4. In pan, layer: lasagna noodles, 1/2 chicken mix, noodles, cottage cheese mix, noodles, 1/2 chicken mix, noodles. 5. Top with remaining sauce and cheddar. 6. Bake at 375° for 30–45 minutes, and let cool 5–10 minutes.

This was a fun experiment for me, and I think as a whole the experiment was a success. The lasagna turned out pretty good—not mouthwateringly fabulous, but pretty good. However, I think the concept has the potential to be mouthwateringly fabulous, but I don't know what the recipe needs to make it so. The lasagna was just missing something, so if you have any idea on what ingredients I could add or change, please leave a comment.

PS: For one of the side dishes with the lasagna, I had some cooked baby carrots, and unfortunately there were leftovers—I HATE veggie leftovers, they usually warm up overcooked and gross. Anywho, I had tacos for dinner tonight and was reminded of going to dinner at a Mexican lady's house while serving as a missionary. We had tostadas at her house, and for toppings she served the typical ones but also cooked carrots and potatoes. So, tonight I warmed up some cooked carrots, sliced them, and put them on my tacos. They were delicious! So the next time you've got cooked carrots leftover, I highly recommend trying them on tacos, or tostadas.

Something AWESOME!

So, as the title of this blog indicates, I was recently exposed to something AWESOME! And instantly had a desire to share it with the world. I now share with you the awesome dip & squeeze ketchup packets made available at Chik-fil-A. With three times the ketchup as a foil packet and shaped like unto a ketchup bottle, this delightful new condiment container can easily fulfill all your fast-food ketchup needs. Either tear off the cap and enjoy squeezing a steady stream of ketchup onto your chosen food product or peel back the foil lid and enjoy dipping your chosen food product into a fabulous pool of delicious liquefied tomato goo. Whether you're a dipper or a squeezer, I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.