Thursday, March 29, 2007

Ethan Laughing, Ethan in the Sunday Suit

Ethan Laughing, Ethan in the Sunday Suit

He was looking at Daddy, who always makes him laugh and smile more than Mommy.

Ethan in His Sunday Suit

This litte outfit used to be Matt's.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

The Essence of Banality

The pronunciation of "banal," in case you wondered, fits the bill.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Simple Pleasures: Google Homepage

I'm easily amused. So Google has this new thing... if you click on 'Personalized Home' then it gives you a cute screen with little people sitting on a bench. This little scene corresponds to the weather wherever you are. How does Google know? Anyway, it's raining now and my Google homepage reflects that. It's great for people who are too lazy to check the weather, or for those who use my personal favorite: guess what it's like outside based on the inside temp.

New Mom Question of the Week

How do you know when to switch to the next size up in diapers? This is probably like all those other things: You just know. Like 'How do you know when you're really in labor?' and people say 'You just know.' Hum. Ask my colleagues in L&D. We see a lot of people who aren't sure. The only reason I knew I was in labor was that I was being induced, and I was hurting... and I was 5-6 cm. That's always a good sign. So, if anyone wants to offer any comments on the next size up, feel free.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Sunday, March 18, 2007

New Word (Concept? Thing?)

Tabblo
As in, "The link above is to a circles tabblo."

Top Ten Empowering Things to Do

I'm in a list-writing mood. I've come up with several list-style ideas lately; lists I haven't been able to blog due to either feeding, holding, changing or doing laundry for sweet baby boy Ethan. Some examples: Picks for New Moms (strollers, t-shirts, camelbacks, best places to buy used camo and seabags, etc.), Quick and Easy Meals, Shortcuts Around the House (the best one is: Clean the house, then don't move or touch any thing. Better yet, move out for a while. This is probably the only way to keep the house permanently clean.) Here's the one list I have completed:

Top Ten Empowering Things to Do (in 20 min. or less)
10. Organize something. Not a fund-raiser for a local charity, although that would be good. I had in mind, the sock drawer or the medicine cabinet.
9. Do something nice for your sweetie. Something simple like folding his laundry (since that's normally his job, right?).
8. Take a brisk walk.
7. Learn something new, like sign language for baby.
6. When you come across something you need to do, do it, as long as it will take 2 min. or less. This way, you get something done rather than sitting there thinking of all the other 2-min. things you need to do, too.
5. Finish something, even if it's the banana bread sitting there on the counter. Or, alternately,
4. Don't finish something.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Camo and Combat Boots

My Navy reserve detachment's headquarters unit has a new commanding officer, which means, among other things that my unit now runs around in camo and combat boots rather than uniforms on drill weekends. I had been holding out, hoping the US government would give me cammies for free, but it was not to be. I was informed that officers would have to purchase their own. I duly went to the uniform shop and bought enough camouflage to get me and my post-pregnant body through the weekend. Because our unit is now more operationally-focused, we're participating in a four-day evolution in April with a Seabees unit. By keeping my ears open and my mouth shut, I learned some new terminology ("evolution," for example). Thus, thanks to the HQ unit's new CO, I now know what a Camelbak is. That's important. What if I had shown up with a canteen?

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Sleeping Baby

Reading Material for Nursing Moms

Motherhood: I now consider it a great accomplishment, accompanied by some peace of soul, to have showered, dressed, put my contacts in, and fed the baby three times by 10 in the morning. Some days, I accomplish all that, minus showering, dressing and contacts.
Books I've read or am reading while nursing: On Becoming Baby Wise, Gary Ezzo & Robert Bucknam; The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League; Five Red Herrings, The Documents in the Case, and another one I can't remember by Dorothy Sayer; Mistletoe from Purple Sage by Barbara Burnett Smith, and The Marriage Sabbatical by Cheryl Jarvis. Sorry, no classics at this point. I am thinking about starting Bullfinch's Mythology, so I can understand all those references to mythology in modern literature... References that educated people are either supposed to understand or pretend they understand.