Boob Babes

My friend Amy, who is only two weeks post partum, brought her boys to meet Anna and me for lunch today. I was definitely still unshowered, dressed in PJs, and sterilizing everything in site when my girls were two weeks old; I'm hugely impressed that Amy got both of her kids out of the house, in the car, and to the restaurant ON TIME (I'm still running 10-15 minutes late for everything, 2 1/2 months later).

Amy and I met when Lily was about 7 weeks old and her older son, Andrew, was only about 2 weeks old. Like many of my special friends, Amy and I met in an unusual spot -- the "lactation lounge" at Fairfax Hospital (other spots include the bathroom in my sophomore dorm; baggage claim in the Sydney, Australia airport; through a Washington Post housing ad). It was love at first sight when we realized that we were the only two people there who were using a nipple shield (please don't make me explain it to those of you who haven't nursed a baby...too humiliating!). We became fast friends, often meeting for lunches or heading to the baby movies together.

Andrew and Lily, just after their first birthdays

Our biological clocks must be in sync because not only are Lily and Andrew a few weeks apart in age, but the newest arrivals are as well; her second, Jacob, was born 9 weeks and 2 days after Anna.

Anna (11 weeks old) and Jacob (2 weeks old tomorrow)

Today's outing included a trip to the ladies lounge at Nordstrom's, as just about every trip of mine to the mall these days does. We must have happened upon nursing rush hour because there were two other voluptuous moms feeding their babies when we arrived, and a handful who came and went while we were there.

Poor Andrew, who really was a good sport through it all, had to hang out and amuse himself while we fed the little ones. While we could tell that he was bored, the irony was not lost on us. Here was a guy (albeit a 3 1/2 year old one), the only one in sight, surrounded by bare-chested women. While I'm sure he was dying to get out of there today, in about 13 years or so he'll be dying to get IN to such a room!