My Boy...

Who says gender roles/identity isn't something that is biologically determined at birth? This boy grew up with his sister's dolls and 'girl' toys... and look at him now.

Leaf blower extraordinaire! 

Cutting down all the dead fall.

While this looks very dangerous due to all the dead foliage, I assure you that it was safe, as the ground and debris was soaking wet. (Even approved by the Fire Dept who showed up at our house! lol) We literally have a creek running through our backyard right now due to run off! 

Limb Walker?

Yep, as you can see, this weekend was all about yard clean-up!! Felt good to finally get working in the gardens etc, now that the snow (most) is gone!

Koda... seriously... he's so cute. 

I don't think I ever posted photos of our finished backyard Coop. Just needs a little more paint inside!

The chickens also enjoyed the weekend... lots of free ranging to hunt for bugs and worms. 

Where was my 'girl' you ask? She was at the neighbors, playing house. ;)

Controversy of breastfeeding your adopted child...

Yes! It is completely possible and many adoptive Mother's do it. Some with the help of drugs, herbs and a lot of pumping! You have a great chance of successfully breastfeeding your child if you have previously breastfed.

I thought I would share an excerpt of a great article I found on Adoption.com e magazine. The full article can be found here.

"Many people do not like the idea of a woman breastfeeding her adopted child. Some feel that it is unnatural because it isn't biologically that mother's child. Others believe that if lactation has to be forced, it isn't natural and shouldn't happen. If you decide that breastfeeding your adopted child is the best choice for both you and your child, just know that you may experience some negative reactions. It will help you be emotionally prepared."


I really enjoyed a forum member's comment...
"I would agree that a few (not many) people don't like the idea. I don't however, think that anyone needs to take it into consideration is deciding whether or not to breastfeed her baby. For one thing, whether or not someone out there might disapprove is generally not a good criterion for making personal decisions. Especially when it comes to something like adoption, which most people have little or no experience with (ditto, breastfeeding), we need to be able to stand on our own two feet and not depend on the approval of others.




A new adoptive mom who wants to breastfeed has just as much right to do so as anyone, and does not need to apologize or have anyone's permission. The more confidence she can have, and project to others, the better. For some moms, suggesting that there will be many people who disapprove is likely to hamper the development of that confidence and prevent her from succeeding or even from trying. Expectations of disapproval from others can become self-fulfilled prophecies, too.


The suggestion that it might be "unnatural" really touches a nerve, with me. To those who suggest that, I would ask, "Which is more natural; for a human baby to suckle the breast of a human woman, getting at least some amount of human milk, or for a human baby to suckle a rubber or plastic nipple, getting only something that was formulated in a laboratory, based on milk that comes from a cow or a plant?" If anyone actually says that the latter is more natural, I would have to question that person's sensibilities, if you know what I mean! (That's not to criticize bottle feeding or formula, just saying that it is farther from the "natural" situation of a baby being breastfed by the same mother who gave birth to him.)


I have to say, though, that in my considerable experience, most people who are accepting of a bio mother breastfeeding accept breastfeeding by an adoptive mother, too. The biggest issue, and the only one where I think we need to consider what anyone else thinks, is about doing it in public; not whether we do it, but how we do it. We have every right to nurse our babies in any place where we have a right to be at all. We can be considerate of the comfort levels of others by learning to nurse in public without attracting undo attention to ourselves. A mom who does so has every right to expect consideration in return.


There are a few people in our lives (relatives, physicians, social workers) to whom it may be advantageous to share something about how we are able to breastfeed babies we did not give birth to. It's very satisfying when we can show others that we are raising happy, healthy, breastfed adopted babies! "

Very well said!!!

I have given this some thought and will continue to do so. However, I can't help but chuckle, thinking about the looks and comments I would receive. Breastfeeding an adopted baby might be controversial - but what about breastfeeding an adopted child that is a different race! I could just image the thoughts going through people's minds when they see me - white woman breastfeeding a black baby (or other race), sitting next to my white husband, with  2 white children running around! lol!

The Breast Feeding Doll... creepy or natural?

The latest controversy is a doll that was release in Spain in 2009, but now hitting American toy stores this spring. It is a doll that mimics breast feeding with a sucking motion and sound when the mouth is placed against a special bib worn by the child. The baby also cries and burps.

I want to preface this post by saying that I grew up in a family where circumcision is a norm, and breastfeeding past 8 months is not (etc.). These were known to me as "right" and "wrong". Why? Because that's what my Mom believed. Why? Because that's what her Mom believed. And so on. So many of us have been brainwashed with certain societal beliefs... but when we stop to think, there is not a lot of logic in these beliefs. "Because it's gross", "Because that's the way it is"... "Because".

When I became pregnant and introduced into the world of parenthood, I found myself questioning my thinking and the thinking of my parents and the parents before them. Why did they circumcise? Why is it considered "gross" to breastfeed a 14 month old infant? I found that I had to completely erase any previous notions or thoughts and come to all decisions with a clear head. I wanted my decision to be made from logical thinking, not brainwashed preconceived notions. I still have to "check" myself and back up every once in awhile. I think as a society we are terribly guilty of forming opinions and beliefs not based on any logic, because society says.

Back to the doll. We have dolls that eat, drink a bottle, pee, poop, burp, cry and dolls that are anatomically correct. Why? Because children love their dolls to be realistic. It makes the mimicry of "house" more real and engaging for them. My children are 17 months apart. I breastfed both of my children. When my son was born, my daughter breastfed all of her dolls for 2 years! She would lift up her shirt, put the baby to her chest and watch TV. Just like Mommy. Why would she give her baby a bottle? That wasn't how a baby was fed in our house. It was only natural for her to feed her baby the natural way that Mommy did!

So now we have a doll that makes this act of mimicry even more real. Just like the babies that drink from a bottle... these babies make a sucking motion and sound. So what is wrong is that?

Critics say that this will cause teen pregnancies. Really!? Please! Where is the logic there?

One comment taken from the internet is "...I don't want my daughter to go around pretending a doll is sucking on her boob." This is what is wrong - society has sexualized breasts. Last time I looked "boobs" ahem... breasts were put here to nourish our babies. They are nature's bottles. Breast is best, and I think it's actually good to advocate and encourage our daughters to perceive breastfeeding as natural and positive.

The fact is, many little girls are going to be "breastfeeding" their dollies anyway. I don't think there is anything wrong with a doll that makes it sound like the real deal - perhaps if society thinks about it, they may think it may be a better alternative than a child lifting her shirt and baring it all to breastfeed - as all these girls naturally do!

I know there is going to be a wide variety of thoughts on this. I'd love to know your thoughts... and why you feel that way. Natural or creepy? Let me know...