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Laura
Buford, GA, United States
I'm a follower of Jesus. I'm also a wife and mother, and I practice law. More about me here.
Disclaimer: This is a personal website. The views on her are my personal opinions and not those of my employer. Nothing on this site is intended to be used as legal advice.
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Amigos

  • Jon Owings
  • Mike Shea
  • Michael Shea
  • Patrick Shea
  • Angela Duggins
  • The Goforths
  • Emily Jones
  • Clay Jones
  • The Cox Family
  • JR Rozko
  • Elizabeth Wiggs
  • Zach Wiggs
  • Angie Ross
  • Maribeth Malahy
  • The Watsons
  • Katie Cordell
  • Mandy Pelton
  • Michelle De Boer
  • Tracy Jones
  • Melody Burchett
  • Carie Alley
  • Tricia Cartner
  • Laura Dawkins
  • Mike & Jen Berk
  • Brandon & Bess
  • Steph K
  • Kelly Keith
  • Mongrel Horde
  • Travis Gilbert
  • GAR (AKA Batting Stance Guy)

Archivo del blog

  • ► 2010 (4)
    • ► May (2)
    • ► April (2)
  • ► 2009 (4)
    • ► November (2)
    • ► February (1)
    • ► January (1)
  • ▼ 2008 (78)
    • ► December (13)
    • ► November (4)
    • ► October (6)
    • ► September (9)
    • ► August (9)
    • ► July (11)
    • ▼ June (20)
      • Weekend Fun
      • Acceptable or Not--Breastfeeding in Public???
      • Update on Nash
      • Nash's Dr. Appt.
      • Living Hope Church Picnic
      • Shea and Her Doll
      • Wish I had the time . . .
      • Happy Father's Day!
      • Water Play
      • Nash looks like me too!
      • Shea Looks Like her Mommy!
      • My Daughter is a Monkey
      • Get Back!
      • More Reasons that I Am Not a Morning Person
      • Nancy's Wedding
      • NKOTB!!!
      • Weekends
      • Not a Morning Person
      • Fear and Idols
      • Rotten
    • ► May (3)
    • ► April (3)

Links

  • Picasa Web Albums

Other Blogs That I Read

  • Desiring God Blog
    [image: Did We Sin Our Marriage Away?] If a couple sins their way into marriage, should they split up and start over? Pastor John calls a weary husband and...
  • Courtoons
    Courtoons the book is a collection of legal cartoons I posted on this site as a blog that gained popularity around 2009. It’s already been called “the most...
  • South Carolina Nursing Home Blog
    The State newspaper reported the ongoing struggle for low paid health care givers in South Carolina. Low wages, high turnover and burn-out makes life diff...
  • Rocks In My Dryer
    I mentioned I'm recovering from a pretty major hip surgery. I've debated whether to share the details here, but I have decided I will. I will document my p...
  • Stuff Christians Like
    I won’t ever win a humility contest. I don’t know if they have those, giving someone an award for being humble, probably defeats the purpose of humility....
  • Sam Shaw Online
    Believe Kids Are A Blessing Read The Jesus Storybook Bible To Them Pray With Your Kids Concerning Taking Risks Teach *First Time Obedience* Give Rules For ...
  • Because you never know...
    Hello, Everyone, Here is the link to my current blog. Hope to see you there! http://capriciousbubbles.blogspot.com/
  • By Grace Alone
    I’m now blogging HERE. If you know me, it should be easy to remember: marissahenley.com. Please come check it out!
  • The Pipers
    I was very honored that Mandi at Organizing Your Way asked me write a post in her series this month “More Than Resolutions.” And then I read the topic that...
  • Day on Torts
  • Enjoying God

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Bio and Articles

  • Laura's Attorney Profile
  • Nursing Home Admission Contracts
  • Nursing Home Arbitration Agreements: Fighting the Exigent Circumstances Argument
  • A Case for the Future

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The Owings Family

Mostly musings about my family with some religious and law-related postings here and there.

Weekend Fun

Monday, June 30, 2008

This past weekend, we were able to hang out with some of our old friends in Memphis. We all used to attend the same ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship). We had a great time at the sprinkler park.

















Ella and Shea are just about as rough as boys! They kept trying to run while holding hands. Then they'd fall down and roll around. It was really cute but dangerous, so after getting some pics, we had to put a stop to it.

Posted by Laura at Monday, June 30, 2008 0 comments    

Labels: ABF, Goforths, Nash, Shea, Sprinkler Park, Steeles, Summys

Acceptable or Not--Breastfeeding in Public???

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

I know that I'm writing about something that is foreign to many of you and probably grosses some of you out. I carefully considered whether I should post this, and I decided that if you were offended, then you just don't have to read this, although you probably should.

Recently, a mother of a three-month-old infant was asked by an officer to stop breastfeeding her son outside a courtroom in Tennessee or move to a more discreet location. You can read more about it here. This incident really got me thinking about the controversial issue of breastfeeding in public.

Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 68-58-101 to -103 protects the rights of breastfeeding mothers. Here's what those statutes state: "A mother has a right to breastfeed her child who is twelve (12) months of age or younger in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be present." Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-58-101. "The act of breastfeeding shall not be considered: (1) Public indecency . . . ; or (2) Nudity, obscene, or sexual conduct . . . ." § 68-58-102. "A unit of local government shall not prohibit breastfeeding in public by local ordinance." § 68-58-103.

Essentially, no one could legally stop this mother from breastfeeding her young son outside the courtroom. If you read the comments to the article that I linked to above, you'll see that many people applaud the officer for attempting to stop her and think that women should never breastfeed in public.

While a woman is legally permitted to breastfeed in public, does she commit some moral sin if she chooses to do so? When is it appropriate? Is there an appropriate way to go about it?

I must confess that my views on public breastfeeding have vastly changed since becoming a breastfeeding mother. To begin, let me clue you in on some things that shape the views of breastfeeding moms. Many couples take childbirth classes sometime during their first pregnancy. One of those class sessions is normally devoted to breastfeeding. During that session, you watch a very graphic video all about breastfeeding and learn how superior breast milk is to formula. That is just the beginning of the desensitizing. When a woman gives birth, she's completely exposed to a large number of people. All modesty goes out the window. While recovering from birth, hospital staff (men and women) are in and out of her room all the time. If she's breastfeeding, there's a good chance that she'll be exposed to a number of them. Nurses and lactation consultants will also likely "man-handle" her as they try to teach her how to breastfeed because it really doesn't come naturally. While most women are initially uncomfortable with all of this exposure, they have to become somewhat comfortable with it to cope. This whole experience can make women more comfortable with the prospect of breastfeeding in public.

Then, these mothers leave the hospital and enter a world where they receive mixed messages regarding breastfeeding. You're supposed to do it because it's best for the baby, but you're not supposed to let anyone else see you doing it. Now, a breastfed baby must eat every 2-3 hours because breastmilk, unlike formula, is fully digested in 90 minutes. A breastfeeding mom has few choices: totally isolate herself, switch to formula, or breastfeed in public. Now for those of you who are unfamilar with breastfeeding, you may think that the mother has another option: just give the baby a bottle while she's in public. This really doesn't work for a number of reasons. When it's time for a breastfeeding mother to feed her baby, she's got to do it. If she doesn't, she'll become engorged, which in addition to being incredibly uncomfortable and even painful at times, puts her at risk for diminishing her milk supply, clogged ducts, and mastitis. Also, the baby may not take the bottle, especially when mom is around. Although the prospect grosses me out somewhat, ducking into a bathroom to feed a baby may be easy enough with one child, but when you have more than one child, it really isn't feasible (unless you don't mind your older child playing with toilets in a public restroom).

I want to know what you think. As I previously asked, while a woman is legally permitted to breastfeed in public, does she commit some moral sin if she chooses to do so? When is it appropriate? Is there an appropriate way to go about it? Do the same rules apply in all public places? (i.e. are some places more conducive to public breastfeeding than others?) Feel free to comment on the subject. I'm curious to know what other people are thinking. I'm also wondering if this subject is just a little bit too "taboo" for anyone to want to comment on. Oh well. We'll see.

Here's my thoughts. I understand that many people are extremely uncomfortable with women breastfeeding in public. I understand you because I used to be one of you. Sometimes, however, I don't see another option other than never leaving my house. I do value modesty, so I've invested in a good coverup. However, not everyone can afford a $40 coverup, and using it outside in the heat really doesn't work well. Also, I'm personally comfortable using my coverup at a place like the park but not at church. I'm also more comfortable breastfeeding around people who have children than around people who don't. I like for everyone to be happy and don't want to offend anyone, but I don't know if that's really possible. How concerned should I be about other people? So many things to consider. I really hate gray areas.

Posted by Laura at Wednesday, June 25, 2008 8 comments    

Labels: babies, breastfeeding, Motherhood

Update on Nash

We received good news from the doctor yesterday. The neurologist thinks that one of Nash's neck muscles is shorter on one side than the other. We have some stretches that we have to do for him each time that we change his diaper. That should help it out. When he can turn his neck more, the asymmetry of his head should lessen. We go back in two months to check out his progress. If these stretches don't work, then they'll do some other tests to look for another cause, but the doctor was pretty certain that it's just a muscle problem. Thanks to everyone who lifted us up in your prayers!

In addition to the good news that nothing is seriously wrong with Nash, we found out that our darling two-month-old boy is weighing in at 15 lbs 15 ounces and is 25 1/4 inches long. (At his check-up two weeks ago he was 14 lbs 12 ounces and 24 3/4 inches).

Posted by Laura at Wednesday, June 25, 2008 4 comments    

Labels: Nash

Nash's Dr. Appt.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Nash has torticollis. Something is causing his head to tilt one way while his chin points in the opposite direction. In newborns, this is normally caused by some muscular problem. His pediatrician, however, didn't find a problem with his neck muscles. Other less common forms of torticollis exist. One form happens when one of the vertebrae doesn't develop completely. Another is a serious condition that can come on anytime after birth and is usually an indication of a more serious problem, such as a brain or spinal cord tumor. Sometimes torticollis is caused by a simple vision problem. (Can you tell that I've been reading too much on the Internet?) We are going to the pediatric neurologist this afternoon to try and find out what is causing his torticollis. He's also got some positional plagiocephally (asymetric head) from the torticollis. Please be in prayer that we'll find out what is causing the torticollis and that the treatment for it will be simple. Also, please pray that we won't worry or be anxious about the possibilities. I'll update you all with whatever we find out.

Posted by Laura at Tuesday, June 24, 2008 1 comments    

Labels: Nash, torticollis

Living Hope Church Picnic

Monday, June 23, 2008

We had a great time at our church picnic on Sunday. We enjoyed eating and hanging out with our friends. Shea and her buddies had fun blowing bubbles, and they were thrilled to head over to the sprinkler park. Joey (aka The Ice Cream Man) bought everyone popsicles.












Posted by Laura at Monday, June 23, 2008 1 comments    

Labels: Family, Living Hope, Small Group

Shea and Her Doll


I thought that this was too funny not to post it. Some of you may think this is a little TMI, but I just think its hilarious. Saturday morning, Shea got my nursing pillow, sat on the couch, and asked for her baby doll. I handed her the doll, and she then pretended to nurse it. Jon just rolled his eyes, but I got quite the kick out of it. Because I got some great pics of it, I had to post about it.

Posted by Laura at Monday, June 23, 2008 1 comments    

Labels: Shea

Wish I had the time . . .

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

I'm a thinker. I like to wrestle with things, analyze theories and ideas, discuss/argue, etc. Now that I do that for my job, I seem to do that with seemingly insignigicant things. To clarify, I argue about whether someone is a healthcare surrogate, whether that arbitration agreement is enforceable, whether that nursing home killed someone, etc. Those can be important things and are very significant to the people whose lives they affect. I think that what I do is important and does impact people's lives, for the better I hope. However, I long to wrestle with things that have more of an eternal value. By the end of the day, my mind is tired. I don't have the energy to really think about much of anything. I just want to get through the meal prepping, diaper changing, lunch packing, feeding, bathing, bottle prep, pump cleaning, dish cleaning, clothes washing, folding, etc. that greets me at home each evening. By the time that's over, I'm ready to crash. Before I know it, I'm up the next day endeavoring to get out the door and to work on time. The daily grind begins again.

Posted by Laura at Tuesday, June 17, 2008 1 comments    

Happy Father's Day!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Jon is such an awesome dad. We had a great time celebrating him. As wonderful as he is, he's not real great at waiting to open gifts. Consequently, I let him have his present on Saturday night, which worked out really great anyway. We had a fun-filled evening playing rock band. Shea loves to use "her" drumsticks to play "her" drums. As you can see from the pictures, Jon had a great time singing. On Sunday, we went to church. We were on time for the first time in a long time. Yeah! Shea made Jon a fabulous tie, which he wore for pictures and even out to Osaka for lunch. Jon also got to dress his son for Father's Day. Can you guess what he wore? A USC onesie. Surprise, surprise.











Posted by Laura at Monday, June 16, 2008 3 comments    

Water Play

Sunday, June 15, 2008



We had a great time playing in water this weekend. Shea loves the water and is pretty fearless. On Friday night, we went to the sprinkler park with some friends from church. Frank and Leigh Ann were in town house-hunting and stopped by to say hello. It was great to see them. I'm so glad that they're moving back to Memphis. On Saturday, we had a surprise birthday pool party for Zach. Shea was not afraid of the water and loved sliding into the pool (which made me a little nervous).











Left: Shea at the sprinkler park.
Right: Jon, Shea, Maribeth, and Josh







Left: Joey swinging Ella and Shea around. They loved it and didn't want to stop!
Right: Leigh Ann holding Nash


















Left: Emily and Evy. We're sad that they'll be moving soon! :(
Right: Emily, Taylor, Austin, and Carter







Left: Shea loved the slide.
Middle and Right: Shea playing w/ her Daddy in the pool.















Left: Ella got stuck at the top of the slide, but every time Joey tried to help her, she sprayed him with the hose. It was pretty funny.
Right: Fun in the pool!

Posted by Laura at Sunday, June 15, 2008 2 comments    

Nash looks like me too!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Ancestors - Trace family tree

Posted by Laura at Thursday, June 12, 2008 0 comments    

Shea Looks Like her Mommy!

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Free family history - Vintage photos

Posted by Laura at Thursday, June 12, 2008 0 comments    

My Daughter is a Monkey

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My family has some weird obsession with monkeys. It all started with my dad. He'd tease us by calling us monkeys when we were growing up, and we'd tease back calling him either a monkey or a gorilla. Trips to the zoo were always full of jokes about how dad adopted us from the monkeys there, how we were going so Michael could visit his biological family, etc. Also, for any special occasion, we can expect to receive at least one monkey card from someone in our family. It's great fun to see who can find the best one. Furthermore, on birthdays, someone in my family is guaranteed to sing the monkey version of "Happy Birthday." My brother has even received a monkey lamp as a gift. It's just some silliness that the Shea family indulges in.

Well, the other day, my daughter lived up to her name as a Shea. My dad was playing with her and asked if she was a tiger. "No, not a tiger. I a monkey!" Shea exclaimed. My dad almost rolled on the floor with laughter. It was a priceless Shea family moment.

Posted by Laura at Wednesday, June 11, 2008 0 comments    

Labels: Monkeys, Shea

Get Back!

Shea has some great taste in music. She likes the Beatles, especially their song "Get Back." She sings along to it in the car. She'll sing the chorus:

Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back, get back.
Get back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jojo. Go home.
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged.
Get back, get back.
Back to where you once belonged.
Get back Jo.


Well, we sometimes call my friend Joanna "Jo Jo." Shea apparently associates her with this song because yesterday, after singing "Get Back Jojo," she sang, "Get back, Baby Seth." I asked her, "Anyone else?" She sang, "Get Back Ella." I asked, "What about Mr. Joey?" "Note," she replied. (Note=no in Shea language.) Apparently, Jo Jo, Seth, and Ella need to get back, but not Mr. Joey. Hmm. I wonder what Shea thinks "Get Back" means.


Posted by Laura at Wednesday, June 11, 2008 2 comments    

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