INAUGURATION/INTEGRATION!

This morning while I was breastfeeding my beautiful omniracial baby boy, I watched in awe as we watched the 44th President of the United States of America get sworn in. He is biratial but lives and looks like a black man. I can't help but have a positive outlook for the future! 30 years ago people would call me the painful hateful "nigger" and shun me if they found out my race. Even though I am very "lightskinned" and look very white or latina, both my parents are black. My grandmother and my mother used to tell me stories of segregation and how it affected them back then. They lived in Texas where there was and still is great racial discrimination and prejudice. If you could "pass" for white, you did, and everyone understood. It was a ticket out to freedom. No one in my family ever did, although they could have. My son has big blue eyes and blond hair! He has grown so much and is such a beautiful spirit! He has been eating solids since the first of the year! He also eats rice crackers called "Baby MUM MUMMs" isn't that cute? He LOVES them and has one after lunch each day. He is really enjoying food and eats very well. He started with peas and then carrots and then sweet potatoes. All this you mix with rice cereal or barley or oatmeal in that order. We haven't gotten to the oatmeal yet. It is just such a joy to be with him and I am so glad I am still breastfeeding. AAP really stresses the importance of exclusive breastfeeding the first year. We are almost entering his 6th month and I am still going strong. I almost lost my will to do it when he started biting recently. I don't blame him, I know he is teething but it really hurts and breastfeeding can limit your mobility. I was seriously giving that formula the side eye! I just take it away when he does it and I think he is beginning to get the hint! We moved this past December and that was pretty stressful. I was very nervous to drive such a long way alone with precious baby Declan on board. Luckily my good friend Paula came along for the ride and even helped us motor through emptying the boxes for the kitchen! She rocks and has been so supportive throughout my pregnancy. She and I worked on her project for kids called M4TK..music for the kids. She taught a songwriting class in cities such as Long Beach and Compton after school so they can express their feelings about their troubles in a constructive way and make art out of painful situations they may be experiencing. I myself have always used writing poetry, and later songs, to express my feelings of loss, anger and confusion. She was with me when I discovered I was pregnant with Declan. I found out in a music shop in Long Beach! He and I have been playing piano together every day. He always selects the sound "vibes" to play..he is so smart! He went to his second dinner party, Thanksgiving at Marie's parent's house was his
first. We said goodbye to Patrick's friend Robert who is moving to Seattle. I will miss him, but look forward to visiting him there. Declan fell asleep on his shoulder which was so great! I am convinced he remembers Robert from in utero..Declan can grab things with his hands and pass them to the other and drop things on the floor to watch me pick it up and give it back to him again. He likes to forward roll and stand holding on to his floor gym rainbow arches. He has been saying "Mama" this past month and talks alot saying ayyyyeaaahh! and aauuuuuu. He is on the b's now because I am now rolling him around on the big blue yoga ball. This very ball is the one I was bouncing on to chant gong yo and nam myoho renge kyo after I started having contractions. Right after I finished chanting and stood up, my water broke on the rug right there. I swear it smelled like sweet flowers! How amazing. I gave the rug to my friend and neighbor Dean from the North Hollywood house. Now he will always have a part of us with him! HA!