Ethan, Grandma & Poppa

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This was on Matt's graduation day, as well. By this point, Ethan had had enough graduating.

Matt's Graduation

We have two words for this: Yeah, baby!!!!

What We're Up To (aside from ending phrases with prepositions)

We're looking into Mommy & Me swimming classes for the summer, planning to do some lap swimming, working on transplanting ferns and herbs in the yard, and planning to buy some hydrangeas and begonias next week. I've registered for a couple of (non-clinical) nursing classes in the fall, and plan to start the distance program at Texas Tech in the spring. Ethan's learned to spit and grab his toes, and occasionally does both at the same time. He's also laughing and smiling more.

Activities for Nursing Moms (Other than Nursing)

What I've been doing lately (quickie activities, because I still fit them in between feedings):
1. Listing books for sale on Amazon.com. Mostly old books Matt doesn't need, because I have a hard time parting with mine.
2. Baking Biscotti for Mother's Day. I gave them all away, so I guess I'll have to make more.
3. Making wishlists of nursing clothes, since I'm tiring of tee shirts.
4. Crunches. Still easier than situps.
5. Pumping. Ethan's weight isn't catching up (in fact, it seems to be dropping), so I am pumping more.

Daddy Reads to Ethan

Daddy Reads to Ethan

Right now Ethan's favorite books are:
Noah's Arkby Lucy Cousins
Where Is Baby's Belly Button?by Karen Katz
Duck in the Truckby Jez Alborough and
Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouseby Judy Schachner

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