First off, the fucking air conditioning at the mall wasn't working for shit. It was hotter than blazes in there. A bunch of hot people in a small space doesn't make for happy shopping.

Secondly, people are just horribly rude when you have a stroller. They cut you off, stand chatting in front of you without moving unless you say,"Excuse me!" pretty loudly, and last but not least, in a two story mall with escalators all over and one lousy elevator, you'd think that people would be nicer about letting you get on the damned elevator without giving you a hard time. You figure an elevator is there for handicapped people or people who can't otherwise use the freakin' escalators -- you know, people with strollers.

Thirdly, I hate Sears. I've never seen a store that could use more fitting rooms more badly than Sears. And talk about bad ideas on floor planning....they have the maternity/nursing section right next to the junior section. I mean, what are they trying to say? Hey, all you teenagers, you'll be here soon? And of course, there is NO FITTING ROOM at the maternity section and the nearest fitting room is -- you guessed it-- in the junior section. I'm sorry, but are they trying to cause a homocide? There is nothing more frustrating to a pregnant woman or a new mother than standing in line to go into a fitting room with a couple of nursing bras while giggling girls try on 45 different outfits which they have no intention of buying. I finally took my handful of nursing bras to a different section of the store, ignored the looks and stood in line where it was silent and pleasant. Of course, then I was pissed to discover that the bra that I paid $34 for in a nursing store in Davis was only about $14 at Sears.

The good news of the day is that Nordstrom's has a Women's lounge.

Mike found the Women's Lounge in his search for the Men's lounge because Russell announced he had to go the bathroom. You see, we've had a few incidents with Russell, where he tells us he has to go so late in the game, that he's essentially already crapped his drawers, so we both get this panic-stricken face and Mike races off to find the nearest restroom. Being that I was in the maternity store in the mall, picking up a nursing top for Stasi, we were right next to Nordstrom's.

Mike found me with screaming baby in tow and told me about the Women's lounge he found. I immediately took baby out of the stroller and pushed it one-handed through Nordstrom's to this Women's Lounge, skeptical about what it might hold for me. I get in there and all I can say is God Bless Nordstrom's! I walked in to another person nursing her baby. They had a baby changing station, complete with disposable baby sheet things and you could even buy a diaper for $1 if you needed to. Of course, I got her changed and came out into the lounge to find each and every chair taken. I stood there with my fussy baby and waited until someone's butt parted with one of those upholstered bench seats and then, blissfully, fed my baby in a less than public place where I didn't really care if someone saw my boobs.

Okay, it's not like I care anyhow. I figure if my baby has to eat, old stupid people can shut up about it and let me feed her. I try to use blankets and things and be discrete, but sometimes that isn't always an option, so I do the best I can to keep our feeding thing to ourselves.

Thankfully, the public is getting far more cool about mothers nursing wherever they are. It would be pretty damned limiting to be stuck at home all the time just because you were trying to do the healthiest thing by your kid and nurse because some old fogey might get their support underwear in a bunch. I've embarrassed a few old fogeys feeding her in the car, but I figure if it's my car and I'm not mooning them, they can deal.

On a different note, I've got about 50 emails congratulating me on Genevieve's birth and no time to respond to them, thanking them for their good wishes. That in mind, I'd like to thank folks.

CS -- I'll write soon, I promise. Just am more tired than hell. And I love the crocheted stuff you sent...it was very precious. Thank you!