April Book Review

Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert by Terry Tempest Williams


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love the red rock wilderness of Southern Utah, and this is the entire subject of this book. The book itself is a collection of random writings: poetry, personal essays, political readings and letters, journal entries: The kind of random book only an experienced published author can get away with writing. For me, I like TTW's personal essays the best.

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes by Thomas Cathcart


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
An interesting book that reminds me of a miscellany or hodgepodge. You're not going to really get a good introduction to philosophy this way, but you will learn how to analyze and break down jokes according to different theories (so the subtitle should really be "Understanding Jokes Through Philosophy," not the other way around). Fun to read in spurts.

The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer by Harvey Karp


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book covers the five S's of soothing an infant: swing, side/stomach, suck, swaddle, and shhh. Great advice, especially for new parents. It also has lots of helpful little blurbs like how to burp infants. Because I didn't begin reading it until after my baby was born, I was a little impatient with all the cultural history and theory at the beginning - for those more practically minded, don't read this book chronologically, just skip around to the relevant parts.

Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first full Mary Oliver collection I've read. I loved it. Fabulous natural imagery, New England imagery, the ocean, the woods. Themes of spirituality and God. To view selections, see older blog posts where I've pulled out pieces of her poetry:

Hello, Sun in my face.
Hello, you who made the morning
and spread it over the fields and
into the faces of tulips
and the nodding morning glories
and into the windows of, even, the
miserable and the crotchety-

best preacher that ever was,
dear star, that just happens
to be where you are in the universe
to keep us from ever darkness,
to ease us with warm touching,
to hold us in the great hands of light-
good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day
in happiness, in kindness.

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Mozart and Giraffe

Atticus loves his little gym. I would definitely say it's his favorite toy. I know, the giraffe is a little too close to his face, but he doesn't seem to mind. That's his favorite part - I think he loves the spots.

12 Weeks: What I did on my Babymoon

Today my little one is 12 weeks old. I can hardly belive how much time has gone by and how much he's grown during just three months. He's gained at least five pounds, if that tells you anything about how he's changed right before my eyes.

It's probably time I get around to calling him something on the blog, right? Thanks for all those who gave me your input in the poll. I think I will call him henceforth Atticus. Yes, I know it wasn't the actual winner, but I'm the mom and, according to my SiL Brooke, I get a million votes. I was hesitant to do it b/c I have two friends who actually have little Atticuses, but hey, I also have two friends who have boys with little baby's real name, so that has never stopped me before.

So, what to say about the last 12 weeks? I could write a sweet letter to Atticus, and maybe I will one day, but right now I can still barely think straight. Just this morning I tried to put my left shoe on my right foot. I don't think I've done that since I was about four years old. So, let's just say it takes me a little longer to get my thoughts collected.

But speaking of collections, I thought it might be fun to mention some of the things I have done on my maternity leave. I have friends who call this a babymoon, and it certainly is a wonderful time to get adjusted to my new life and to get to know this little soul who chose me as his mom.

Ready? Here we go:

1. Took two airplane flights in which I changed two diapers on the back of toilet seats (the flight attendant told me there were no changing tables!)
2. Walked three times to the California beach
3. Weeded and mulched five flower beds
4. Enjoyed excellent meals provided by family and friends
5. Ate out 12 times with baby in tow (counting our trip to CA)
6. Cleaned up basement to eliminate one junk room
7. Created a baby-safe downstairs family/play room
8. Organized--a bit--the final remaining junk room, went through all boxes and made DI run
9. Walked Thanksgiving Point Gardens twice and Red Butte Garden once
10. Watched 25+ movies - I could provide the titles, but really, isn't the number shocking enough?
11. Saw Alice in Wonderland in 3D - with Atticus
12. Spent one evening a week at my mom and dad's while Kevin was in class
13. Had a weekend evening out at Stina and Dave's
14. Attended book club
15. and the Mormon Women Writer's tour
16. Organized the baby blessing
17. Had two family photo shoots
18. Visited my cute pg sister three days in the UC
19. Read one book of poetry, five non-fiction books, three novels and started two more
20. Took naps many days
21. Went walking or running most days
22. Had several heavenly therapeutic massages
23. Sang in an Easter production of Handel's Messiah
24. Began to make a few changes to eating more healthy and organically
25. Healed from four infections and childbirth
26. Spent endless hours nursing. organizing, housekeeping, and did I say nursing?

So what's next? Getting back into work, maintaining daily exercise, and perhaps finally getting on that first date with Kevin that's baby free.

Paradise Lost

A time of paradise is drawing to a close. My son is almost 12 weeks old (in fact, today is 12 weeks from his due date), and I'll be returning to full-time work next week. It may surprise many parents that I think of this time as a Garden of Eden - there are so many things about parenting newborns that are immensely difficult - but knowing that it is a temporary time made it so fragile and precious. Twelve weeks is so very, very short a time.

I'm nursing as I type this one-handed, with burping breaks to take in his smiles and coos and to read him "That's Not My Monster." I feel I could stay like this forever.

I don't often get too personal here on this blog. I have readers from all over: family, friends, online friends I hope to meet, and coworkers. There's also the feeling that I should be more private on a public blog. That's why even though I love political dialogue, you won't find much of it here. But let me just say, the decision for a mom to work is a personal one. I'm disheartened reading about warring SAHMs and working moms (fortunately my acquaintances don't do this - I'm referring to larger debates on the church or national scene). We all have this choice, and no matter what choice we make there will be benefits and drawbacks, tears and gratification. Each family is unique. Women should not have to open their hearts and pocketbooks for society to inspect to determine if their reasons are true and good. I long for a day where we can all be supported in our churches and in society for the hard choices mothers and fathers make for the health of their family, regardless of who is earning the wages.

California!

First a little stop in a familiar city to wait while my friend's plane came in.

The air is so fresh you can almost taste it!

Mom sure gets up early to go to the beach!

At the beach again. Is that Swamp Thing behind us?

And delicious breakfast. I think I'm committing an unpardonable sin by posting this pic of friends in pajamas and towel-head! (But that's why I do it.)

Poll: Baby's Blog Name

Baby and I are back from California, and I'll post pictures soon. We had a wonderful time with old and new friends discussing spirituality, feminism, and food. I ate vegetarian four days straight, but never missed meat. If I could have my friends cook for me all the time, I'd even go vegetarian. And - I even lost weight!

It was wonderful to have so many loving arms around the baby, but travelling with him solo was an adventure (let's just say they don't put diaper changing stations in airplane bathrooms).

In the meantime before I post picutres, I've decided to use an alias for Baby on the blog for safety. So I'd like to get input from you. For a few days, I have a poll up in the top right corner. I've decided I want it to start with the letter A and I like names that are more literary or Biblical. So there you go!

Gethsemane

The grass never sleeps.
Or the roses.
Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.
Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.
The cricket has such splendid fringe on its feet,
and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body,
and heaven knows if it ever sleeps.
Jesus said, wait with me. And maybe the stars did, maybe
the wind wound itself into a silver tree, and didn't move,
maybe,
the lake far away, where once he walked as on a
blue pavement,
lay still and waited, wild awake.
Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not
keep that vigil, how they must have wept,
so utterly human, knowing this too
must be a part of the story.

- Mary Oliver