Not too long ago, I attended a food event by Kim Ricketts. What We Talk About When We Talk About Food: An Evening with Seattle Writers”.
Matthew Amster-Burton,read a passage from his book, Hungry Monkey and I was hooked.
I will explain why.
I am obsessed with breastfeeding. I love it. I am drained, exhausted, I feel like an old cloth but I love it. I love the feeling, I love the cuddling. I can't believe milk comes out of there. I hesitate to talk about breastfeeding because I know some people have a hard time with it. I did too. It took me 3 weeks to teach the little rascal how to do it. I finally got it and I love it.
Then Matthew comes along, reading a passage from his book about how breastfeeding is not what they make it out to be. He explains how colostrum, the first milk is really nasty. He talks about how gross it is. How babies hate it. That was it. I was hooked.
Breastfeeding is known to create a bond between moms and apparently it bonds dads too. Even if you hate it, you are in the same boat, it's like a parent cult.
I finished Hungry Monkey in 3 days. Another reason to breastfeed, you have no choice but to sit on your butt and relax( and in my case read!)
The book talks about a dads journey into the food world with his little girl. The smart choices, the stupid choices. Who in their right mind feeds their 6 month old a doughnut, Matthew?
The true star of the book is Iris (Matthew's daughter), the comments she makes, the father daughter activities they do together. The book reminded me to enjoy the simple things in life, it also reminded me of all the ingredients that I forgot existed and how much fun it is to shop at Uwajimaya.
Matthew is funny and sarcastic and all this comes through in his book with a snazzy city boy attitude. The kind of attitude that people trade for suburbia when they have kids. It's nice to see that you can have kids and live the city life.
(I wish my husband agreed but for now I am winning the battle)
To all my obsessive mommy friends, get the book and lighten up!
5 comments:
First of all, look at those thighs! Gorgeous. I loved what he read that night too. I even clapped when he read the part about how it's supposed to be easy and isn't. I had a very hard time with my first one (still nursed him to 9 months) but a much easier time with my second and actually enjoyed it.
Great post! As a Seattle food writer mommy, I can completely relate. Thanks for sharing.
Even though I'm not a mom (yet), your review makes me want to read Matthew's book.
Is that Elai in the photo? Adorable.
I'm so happy to hear happy breastfeeding stories! I'm definitely going to do it, and while I've heard it can be difficult at first I'll keep trying. I'll have to check out that book too.
I grew up in the city and I would never think of raising kids elsewhere. I am always appalled at people who move places like Mercer Island and Bainbridge "for the schools". yeah, maybe the schools are great, but there is so much more to an education than that!
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