More Will Be Revealed

• I fully support breastfeeding as a natural, perfectly normal way for babies to be nourished during the first months of their lives. So spare me the angry LaLeche feedback if you don't like what I have to say -- I'm on your side! But come on -- would a little discretion hurt anybody? We were at the Oakland Zoo yesterday, and there, standing in front of the baboon enclosure, was a woman breastfeeding her...2-year-old? I'm not sure -- I only saw her from the back, but she was just standing there, at the rail next to other people, holding this pretty big kid sideways on her breast. To me, that was inappropriate...and then she switched sides for the kid and walked off, down the sidewalk toward the children's zoo area, STILL BREASTFEEDING. Please, ma'am, find a bench, take a seat and nurse your child in peace. Must you continue touring the zoo while engaging in this, some would say, intimate act? Hey, I don't mind seeing a breast or two, and breastfeeding is a beautiful, loving act. But there's no need for it to be an overtly public act, is there?
• Lindsay update: she was off the pacifier for, oh, two days or so, until she was crazy overtired on Sunday and needed just that wee bit of help to get over the hump and into nappyland. We don't feel too hung up about it; we'll use it when we need it, and gradually wean off it if we can. You can remind me of this blase attitude in about two years if you see pictures posted here of Lindsay still sucking on a pacifier. Walking and sucking? See the previous bullet -- I got a problem with that.
• Ella update: she bounced back well from her Thursday night funk. I kept her in good spirits on Friday morning, and we all dropped her at kindergarten. It was my first "goodbye" at the door, and -- gulp! -- I felt a pang in my heart as I watched my little girl march into Miss Rochester's glass, her backpack swinging to and fro. I can only imagine how emotional the first day was. Ella continued in a great mood all weekend -- very loving to Lindsay, happy, helpful, etc. I am so proud of her for first, expressing her difficult emotions, and second for, overall, dealing so well with so many changes -- new school, new before and aftercare programs, religious school on Tuesdays, now a dance class, etc. It's a lot, and she's really hanging in there.
• Garage sale proceeds: more than $100, which we're sending off to various charities. I'll detail the albums I let go at some point. I was amazed at what people bought...and didn't buy.
• My grandfather is in hospice care and it's just a matter of days now until the end. Not that I'd know any of this if I relied on my father for information. Once again, disappointed by not surprised.

I'll close with photos from the weekend. Oh yeah -- did I mention Lindsay is in pre-crawl mode?!? Just fasicinating watching her get used to using her body in different ways. Last Monday, we propped her on her hands and knees; today, Nicola reports finding Lindsay up on all fours on her own. Crap -- time to babyproof!

// posted by Bill @ 9:41 PM