Nursing under Cherry Blossoms April 4, 2008
Sunday afternoon we took advantage of a very nice day in Washington D.C. to see the Cherry Blossom Trees in bloom with Tim’s mother. She was up for the weekend so we found some cool things going on around here, including a Family Fun Day at the Maryland Department of Agriculture on Saturday.
On Sunday the air was a little cold and the sky was overcast but it was really a perfect day to walk around with throngs of other tourists from near and far. We had lunch at the Holocaust Museum Cafe. It serves vegetarian dishes, plus tuna sandwiches and salmon. They do not serve meat because the cafe is not under rabbinic supervision so the meat could not be classified kosher. It was only a short walk away to the circle of blossoming trees around the Tidal Basin. There were buds not yet blossomed but I could hardly tell. It was a beautiful sea of pale pink above and multi-colored tourists below. Many folks were paddle-boating on the water in front of the Jefferson Memorial. Tim used his snazzy new camera to get great shots. I requested only one among all the candids he got, me nursing Sara Ellen at the base of a Cherry Blossom Tree. She’d had a drink on the metro (where we “debate” the no food or drink rule) on the way in and it was time for a quiet drink with Mommy. As I sat down I though aloud to my mother-in-law, “talk about nursing in public.” I have breastfed Sara Ellen pretty much whenever she requested since she was born whether in public or not. Nowadays she can wait or take a substitute whether at home or out. She likes to “drink mommy” so we take our “quiet time” to help her adjust and connect, or just to snuggle. At home sometimes she nurses to sleep for naptime or quiettime. When we’re out sometimes we find a truly quiet place like the family room in our mall. On Sunday we sat at the base of a blooming cherry blossom tree and had a moment. We had a great seat directly across from the Jefferson Memorial, I could clearly see the silouette of the statue. When Sara Ellen was finished she climbed up and galloped away.
I believe that she will happily stop nursing when she is ready. I feel the same way about toilet habits and many other stages, she will make her way when she is ready and confident. I love to watch her try new things, she grows more capable and adventurous all the time. Though I can’t say I’m thrilled when she can unlock the door and run outside or put dvd’s and tapes into the players… you want your child to grow into an independent being, but it gets a little nutty.
How beautiful! In Japan I went to see the cherry blossoms, it was crowded but beautiful. They actually have a single word that means a picnic under the cherry tree. During the day I saw some businessmen sitting with bags of supplies and they were apparently holding the place under the tree until their coworkers got off of work, they’d sit there all day. Your picture reminded me of visiting the cherry trees.
On another note, I love the picture, there’s something so endearing about a daughter snuggling against her mom under a beautiful tree, it’s so peaceful. I like to read your views on nursing. I have a cousin who has nursed all her children exclusively for a year, I think she would’ve done it longer but her kids are only 2 years apart. But I also have another friend who attempted to nurse and was so discouraged by strangers reactions. When I have children I would love nothing more than to nurse and reading your experiences about it is so positive and only makes me look forward to it more so thank you for sharing.
Just like in Japan indeed!