Well, since Finley is still on a semi-nursing strike, all I really have the energy to do is post a few photos from our Mom’s Night Out event last Saturday.?

? You know you’re not a spring chicken anymore when the old eyelids start drooping before midnight.? Sigh.

We went to an interactive mystery/ comedy dinner theater.? The mystery and comedy?? Great.? The dinner?? I’ve had Swanson’s frozen entrees that put it to shame.? Oh well—it was still nice to have a night out.

The short-lived stay at the local bar afterwards?? Well, let’s just say I really know I’m old after attending that venue.? At least we left before I could disgrace myself by singing (very, very bad) karaoke.

Photos:

Here’s our motley crew.? I guess I should let you know which one is me, since I assume the vast majority of folks reading this have no clue what I look like.? I’m the blond, second from the right.

me and Brandy (I’m still the blond, second from the right):

Crys with the cast of the play (Because she was actually paying attention to the plot and figured out who the murderer was.? Me?? Ha!? One drink and I can barely remember who I am):

me and Elyse:

And that’s all folks—got another hot? date with Mr. Pumpy.? Woo hoo!

….and to top it off, she’s grumpy today as well.? If anyone knows a magic spell that will make those darn two bottom teeth come in faster, please email me asap. I would happily? pay millions of dollars (well, no, I don’ t have millions of dollars—would you take a well-used, slightly defective, growling rottweiler instead?) just for a glimpse of those pearly whites.

Well,? at least? I’m getting to spend some good quality time with my new best friend, who I like to call Mr. Pumpy.? Honestly, just the sight of the darn breast pump these days makes me? throw up? a little, in? my mouth.

And in my spare time today?? Why, I’ve watched some delightful videos on proper latch techniques and breast feeding, and did some scintillating reading on a million and one ways to end a nursing strike.? Of course, the disclaimer is that these techniques may or may not work for YOUR baby.? Sigh.? Almost as? compelling a read as Water for Elephants—Not.

I’m sure one day soon all will return to normal again.? Although the “again” part is probably a bit misleading.? Isn’t “normal” a relative term, anyway?

We have a situation in my house.? A nursing strike, to be exact.

No, we don’t have a shortage of medical personnelle or anything like that.? I’m not talking that kind of nursing.? What do we have?? Well, one pint-sized container of stubborn baby, to be exact.? You see, ever since Finley started teething hard, she’s decided she’d like the milk to simply flow into her mouth, with little to no effort on her part.? Maybe via funnel.? And you may or may not know this, but that’s not exactly how breastfeeding works.? See, the baby sucks, and the milk comes out.? It simply doesn’t just fly out unsolicited (well,? not unless you’re out in public and it’s at a? very inconvenient moment, and you forgot your nursing pads—but’s that another story), and as far as I know, there’s no way to shot-gun milk.?

I know this may not sound like a big deal to some of you, but trust me—it’s gargantuan.? Because? believe it or not,? when the baby doesn’t nurse, the milk doesn’t come.? And the more and more baby doesn’t nurse, the more and more the milk supply goes caput.? Obviously not a good thing.

So now, instead of nursing Finley for about 5-10 minutes tops, several times a day, I get to follow the? following oh-so-convenient schedule:

? 1)? nurse baby as much as she’ll nurse (and listen to intermittent fussing) for about 5-10? minutes.?

2) supplement baby with cup (note–not a sippy cup–a regular cup, no lid) for about 15-20 minutes.?

3) change baby’s soggy clothes after feeding with cup and/or wash baby, since just as milk gets on baby as in baby.?

4) pump milk for at least 20 minutes to get about half the amount baby could have sucked in 5 minutes had she been so inclined, so that supply doesn’t diminish (oh, the joys of pumping).

5) wash out pumping supplies

So, basically, what used to take 5-10 minutes a pop now takes well over an hour.? Several times a day.? Suddenly, what? (negligible) free time I had suddenly took a nose-dive.

And you thought my house was messy before.