Woo Hoo!

Matt joined Tyler Orthodox Presbyterian Church today, and was baptized, AND we presented Ethan for baptism as well. Don't they look adorable?

Sanjaya and Michael Phelps

Sanjaya was on Leno the night after he was voted off of American Idol, usurping Michael Phelps' ("Arguably, the best swimmer ever," said Matt. I'm not sure why. No one was arguing about it. In fact, I agreed with him immediately.) spot. Sanjaya, all smiles and coif described how in two months' time he'd gone from being nobody to being so famous he doesn't need a last name. Sanjaya. Ladies and gentleman, SANJAYA!!! I don't even know his last name. We live in a strange culture. Michael Phelps, arguably the best swimmer ever, and a fine, strapping athlete to boot, gets booted so that we can see the kid who just got kicked off American Idol. That and his smile are now his claim to fame; he can't sing. We live in a very strange culture. At least Michael Phelps can swim. Arguably so.

April Pics of Ethan

Ethan April 2006

Click on the album to see photos of Ethan with Karla, in his Easter outfit, and a few from today.

I'd Rather Be (fill in the blank with anything but Running)

When I joined the Navy Reserve force, I really didn't think too hard about exercise. Looking back, I was probably in denial. I wanted to serve. I didn't really want to run. Fortunately, they still make members of the armed forces exercise from time to time, and the Navy is no exception. Every 6 months, we have to run or swim and do situps and pushups to prove that we're not total wimps, or something like that. I have a hard time being motivated to run, but swimming is not an option right now. Here are some links on motivation from Devine Sports and The Runners Guide. I really don't find the "excitement of race day" to be that motivating. Getting my rear end kicked out of the Navy is more motivating, but running is still hard. Plan to run with Matt and Ethan tonight. My current regimen: every day, run farther than the day before, even if it's only a few steps. No stopping to walk. It's simple to write. A little harder to do.

More Reading Material for Nursing Moms

What I'm reading lately:
The Complete Poems and Plays (1909-1950), T.S. Eliot. I've read Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats aloud to Ethan. It's hard to tell whether he likes it yet or not.
Love Your God With All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul, J.P. Moreland.
The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had, Susan Wise Bauer. After reading the first few chapters, I started in on the first book on Bauer's list, but unfortunately, it was Don Quixote, and the only copy I have is in the original antiquated Spanish. I can read a whole chapter and have no more than a general, vague idea of what went on. I might skip it and go on to the next book, while I'm brushing up on my late 17th-century Spanish.

Books I'm planning to release soon:
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League
The Rule of Four, Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason

Fine Navy Day, Part 2 (or, Adventures of a Breastfeeding Navy Nurse)

Our field exercise with the Seabees surpassed my expectations in more ways than one. I hadn't really anticipated pumping in a portapotty, but managed to find one that was less smelly than might be expected. The barracks had HOT water. I think Napoleon and his troops really could have conquered the world if they had had hot running water. It was cold out, but my fellow officers shared extra bits of clothing, so that I was able to stand outside and teach basic first aid and learn land navigation without being colder than anyone else out there. It never poured rain. Ethan had enough to eat while I was gone, still recognized me when I got back, and I only had to eat two MREs. They're actually quite fun if you don't have to eat them all the time.

A Fine Navy Day

Once, on a sunny spring day, sitting beside the San Antonio Riverwalk with Matt and a CDR (Commander) from my unit, she remarked that it was a Fine Navy Day. We were essentially enjoying a government-sponsored mini vacation, ostensibly to attend a Navy nursing conference (which was actually very instructive). Matt and I spent our evenings eating Mexican food and tooling around San Antonio. The CDR mentioned that it was a fine Navy day because she knew that eventually I'd have some not-so-fine Navy days. She encouraged me to store up the memory of that day because I'd have days in the future when I wondered why on earth I'd volunteered to serve in our nation's Armed Forces. And because she mentioned it, I remembered.

This weekend, I'm leaving my sweet baby boy and my wonderful husband for some days with the Navy. It's not that far away, but it's far enough not to be able to drive home for the duration. I have faith that they'll be Fine Navy Days, despite the pumping, leaving home, and the fact that I don't have a rain poncho. If they turn out to be not so fine, I'll remember that day by the Riverwalk.

Attention Men With Small Feet (or Women With Large Feet)

I'm now the proud owner of three new pairs of combat boots, sizes 7, 6.5, and 6, which means I have two pairs that don't fit me. Ah, the joys of internet shopping... and selling. Look for combat boots and extra camoflauge on ebay in the upcoming days, as I plan to keep relisting the boots until I sell them. Work boots, anyone? Teen rebels? We've got you covered. Shod at least.

New Favorite Recipes

Matt and I had Tuna Burgers with Avocado Dressing at his mom's a couple of weeks ago. They were so good, I found the recipe online and made them yesterday. Served with fresh fruit and veggies, it made a delicious healthy meal. Another favorite, not so healthy: Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake. All of these recipes are from Paula Deen (the queen of butter), but I used margarine and low-fat cream cheese in the cake, and it turned out fine.

The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile

Why I'm Up Late (or, Confessions of a New Mom)

I've gotten in the habit of staying up late, because I used to feed Ethan around midnight; he obliged by sleeping until about 6 a.m., and that from a pretty early age. Lately, he's been sleeping later and later (now sleeps 7-8 hrs. a night), so I've started feeding him and putting him to bed earlier. Unfortunately, I'm not sleepy anymore at 10 p.m. So, I'll muse a little about Ethan.

When he was first born I'd look at him, amazed that he looked just like our son should look, and it astounded me because I'd had no idea how our little one would look. I hadn't really imagined him or her /looking/ any certain way. All of a sudden, after 8 months of waiting, here was this baby, and he looked just like our child should look. Incredible.

Now, I look at him, and memorize what he looks like, and it still amazes me. He looks like himself. We read that by about nine months, infants recognize their name, and will turn when it is called. That astounds me, too: that a child can know who he is without anyone sitting him down and saying, "Now, you're Ethan, and I'm Mommy, and this is Daddy." Before Ethan even knows anything about a philosophy of the individual, or personhood, or the nature and essence of things, he will know that he is Ethan, and that Daddy is Daddy and Mommy is Mommy, and that we are different people who love him. That's pretty profound for a child.

Shows We Watch

I'm in another list-writing mood, so here it is: Shows We Watch. This is like a confessional sort of thing; if I admit how much I watch TV, maybe I'll do it less. :)

24 - Jack Bauer and CTU save the world again, and again, and again, and again, all in 24 hours, minus commercials.

Lost - In its third season, and we still don't know what's really going on.

The Office - It grows on you like mold on cheese. Actually, I really like this one. The characters are so unbelievably outlandish, but all too true-to-life at this same time.

The Unit - GI Joe for grown-ups.

Coming soon: another reading list for nursing moms. I'm excited about my new compact Bible because I can hold it in one hand.