A Great Time was had by All -- and then some breast talk

We're back from our four day adventure in Chattanooga, TN and nearby GA. It was a lovely break from Springfield, land of no landscape, and well worth the 500 mile drive each way. Kellan loved the trip. Anyplace that's full of happy tourists eager to smile at a baby works for him. I'd definitely recommend it to anybody looking for a family-friendly holiday destination. I know it sounds cheesy, but there's literally something for everyone. From the steam and incline railways, to the aquarium and children's museum, or Rock City and the Civil War battlefields, its just a darn fun and scenic place. Check out the city's website

Unless you are or have been a nursing mother, you may not understand the following: One of my greatest pleasures during our four day excursion was complete freedom from the pump. The ability to nurse Kellan on demand is something that I've missed since returning to work nearly three months ago. And you know, I think he's missed it too. During those four days he nursed frequently and well. And he was happy. He never fussed, whined, or exhibited any unhappiness during the course of the weekend. Not that he's generally a fussy baby, but when he's home with Nic, there are moments and its a rare day that is entirely fuss-free. Whether it was simply having both of us and our full attention, or whether the brief return to nursing on demand had something to do with it, I don't know. We're off to San Diego, CA for ten days next month though, so we'll see if there's a similar effect.

That will be interesting. My mother feels that we should long since have stopped nursing. In her mind, when solid foods were introduced, nursing should have been discontinued. And when I didn't do that, and Kellan got his first two teeth (a couple of weeks ago), she was in absolute disbelief that I was still going to nurse him. Kellan is 8 1/2 months old now and I fully intend to nurse until he is ready to quit. Should that be at a year, 18 months, 2 years, whenever, that's what we'll do. I'm providing him the best start in life and its what these lovely breasts are meant for. I don't know what the western hang-up about breastfeeding is, but historically women nursed their babies for upwards of two years (usually closer to four). It is a totally natural and entirely non-sexual process. For more information, see the La Leche League International site.