The Day-to-Day

No big trips or amazing developments here this past week, only the mundane details of daily life. These little things, though, will probably what we will try to remember most about our time in Italy.

Ben has been very busy at work lately, so his days are filled with meetings, deadlines, and the very occassional cafe break. January is the main month for sales in Italy, so we took a trip into downtown Naples yesterday to look for a suit for Ben. He may need one occassionally in whatever new job lies ahead for him. Lots of looking and trying on but still too high-end for us even with the sales. We still can't figure out how average Italians dress as sharply as they do with the fashion prices so high. Maybe it's a lot of good knock-offs, but I still think they spend a large part of their income on clothes and shoes. Just an outsider's opinion, though.

Luke is determined to eat unassisted these days and has become quite choosy in his tastes. I'd like to think we are maybe just 'losing the battles but winning the war,' but I am beginning to doubt this. I need some new tricks for meal time or a double dose of patience and prayers!

I have been volunteering through the American Red Cross and am enjoying my placement with the Department of Occupational Health. I'm working on a research study right now and am glad to have a chance to keep my public health skills sharp with use. The work is on the epidemiology of work-related injuries, so it's a new subject area for me. I log most of my hours from home, but I go in one or two days a week for meetings in the clinic. This means Luke gets a break from me so he can play with his friends at "day camp," as Ben likes to call it. Luke's never there very long, but it always seems to be enough. Luke doesn't nap well away from home, so he's usually exhausted when we come to pick him up.

The other nice things about working with Occupational Health is that 1) the clinic is on Ben's base, so I can see him for breaks or lunch, and 2) I work with both Navy and Italian personnel. I work most closely with an Italian physician who has provided a lot of insight into the way the Italian social medicine system works. The Navy system interfaces with this Italian one when local Italian employees have a work-related injury or illness. Still much to learn, but it is proving to be a great education in health policy and politics, too.

Tomorrow starts another busy week here, just as it will for most of you back home. Hope it's a good one!

Luke's First Birthday!

Luke's biggest day of all finally arrived on January 17, 2008---
his very first birthday! Whether he knew it or not, it was no ordinary day to Ben and me and all our good friends and family. We appreciate all the cards, phone calls, and emails wishing him a happy birthday. Thanks for remembering him and us on this red-letter day.

We threw Luke an Elmo birthday party for a few of our friends here in Italy. Many of them have known Luke from the beginning, while others are more newly arrived, making his acquaintance in the past few months. Either way, they have all been good to play with him and always ask how he is doing. It was bittersweet to celebrate this day without our family and friends back in the US, but we are thankful for our friends here who cared enough to come celebrate Luke with us.

With bluegrass playing in the background and thinking of home in the South, we served good Southern food for the party. On the menu: pulled pork barbecue, coleslaw, potato salad, hushpuppies, corn on the cob, chips and dip, and of course, sweet tea to wash it all down. I made a white cake with coconut cream cheese frosting for his very first birthday cake. The adults all liked it, but Luke wasn't too interested in it after all. We had all hoped for the big cake smashing and noshing to follow singing "Happy Birthday," but alas, he was either too tired or just didn't like the taste of it. We'll try again next year! Luke's special Tickle-me-Elmo doll served as entertainment for baby and grown folks alike.

Luke received many wonderful gifts, including great books, a teddy bear, a piggy bank, clothes and shoes, a wooden name train, and generous savings bonds. None of his gifts were more special, though, than the handwritten letters from family back home. Ben and I cherish them now as Luke will when he is older.

Ben and I are awed and humbled everyday by the gift we have been given in Luke. Can't wait to share more of him with all of you back home before his 2nd birthday rolls around. Here's wishing Luke another great year and new adventures ahead in 2008!

Luke's First Steps

Here is a short video clip of Luke taking his first real steps on January 4th. Only a week later, he is walking around the house on his own! So cute to see him toddling about and beaming with pride. Enjoy the footage!

Luke's Checkup

Though a few days shy of his first birthday, we took Luke for his one-year wellness checkup today. He "passed" with flying colors and now Ben and I can relax knowing he is wonderfully average on all his growth and development benchmarks. He was in the 50th percentile for height (29.6 in) and weight (22 lbs 3 oz). He's walking pretty well, trying to feed himself, saying a few words very clearly, and chattering all the time otherwise---all in all a good resume for one year. We appreciate our pediatrician, a former submariner, and his advice to just enjoy Luke. It's nice to be reassured that you are doing all you can to raise a healthy, happy baby. This milestone also means Luke and I have made it one year breastfeeding; I'm proud I could do this for him and that he's stuck with me this long.

Luke tolerated the visit, but he loved the playroom at the doctor's office and made fast friends with a 3-year old who was happy to show his the ropes: naming shapes and colors, helping his ride the rocking horse, and "reading" books together. Very cute to see; Luke even tried to hug him!

Not-so "Bella Napoli"

For any of you know follow world news stories, you may have heard about our "lovely" locale this week. Naples, and the whole region of Campania for that matter, is experiencing a major trash crisis. We thought most days here were a major trash crisis, with irregular trash collection, illegal dumping, and alleged mafia-controlled waste industry scandals. This week, however, the proposed reopening of a landfill near our US Navy recreational park sparked huge protests throughout the area. You can read more of the specific details in one or both of the following articles; we will just report on what daily life is like in the midst of these events.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL0773391020080108

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2008/01/09/muck_makes_money____naples_garbage_is_mafia_gold/

Our park was closed because protesters were blocking the only way into the facility, creating a real problem for both the workers and any patrons who wished to use the park. Another tactic employed by truckers was to blockage the exit ramps off the major highways through Naples, the SS 7 and the Tangenziale. Luke and I were unfortunate enough to get caught in one of these impromptu demonstrations as we returned from our Support Site hospital on Tuesday. Cars were 3 and 4 wide on a 2 lane road and I eventually had to make a u-turn in the highway, drive the wrong way up an on ramp and try to find my way home in the dark on secondary roads. Hundreds of other people were forced to do the same, so a 40 minute trip ended up taking 2 1/2 hours. I was livid when I got home but just thankful we were out of that mess.

Ben was delayed in a similar detour, but in his case, the road was blocked because protesters had pushed part of the piles of trash out into the roadways to impede passage. As he sat in his little Fiat 500, masked boys threw bottles and other trash items at the Carabineri (paramilitary police) who were supposed to be controlling the protests and helping clear away the trash. Someone making a three-point turn to try to get out of the gridlock traffic backed into Ben and bent his bumper to 90 degrees. We definately were NOT living La Dolce Vita this day!

Aside from these traffic-related issues, it is true that most of the Christmas trash is still in piles, only shrinking if local residents sneak over and light the trash on fire. Unfortunately, that solution has it's own set of health concerns. From a public health perspective, this situation reinforces the importance of good santitaion infrastructure. We take these services for granted in the US or complain about the taxes that fund them. We certainly won't be after this experience.

Living in Italy sounds glamorous, but it definately has its challenges as well. The ongoing sanitation debacle in Campania is just one of them. We hope it can be resolved for the betterment of everyone's quality of life, environmental health, and safety.

Tom and Susan's Holiday Visit

Tom and Susan returned to the US today after a nice visit here in Italy. Aside from relaxing at home and enjoying delicious Neapolitan pizza, we all went to a great exhibit at the Capodimonte Museum, took a tour of Pompeii, and they even ventured out on their own via train to Florence for two days. Good travelers for sure! We appreciated having family visit for the holidays and look forward to their next trip. Maybe we make it all the way to Venice next time!?

Walking Man

Today was a monutmentous day for Luke. It was the final night of my parents visit to Italy, and Luke decided to put on a show for them! At 10:30pm (determined to stay awake) Luke started walking. He started with 3 to 4 steps from Daddy to Mama, and within an hour he was walking/tottering 20 ft on his own! He was getting lots of positive encouragement from all of us, and was very proud of himself. He was so excited! It is fun for LeighAnna and I to watch him learn and develop little by little. Everyday he increases such skills as walking, talking, interacting, and thinking...and it is priceless to watch!

Happy New Year 2008!

Tanti Auguri in 2008! Here in Naples we rang in the New Year in a truly unique and unforgettable way…on our rooftop! Neapolitan’s love any excuse for shooting off fireworks and as you can imagine, New Years is the crowning moment. From our rooftop, as far as the eye can see and in all directions, fireworks were exploding in the air and constantly shaking the earth. My mom and dad got to experience it with us this year, and they were not disappointed. Luke amazingly slept through the entire barrage, only to awake hours later from cutting his front teeth. Cutting teeth is not fun for anyone involved!

We hope all our friends and family have a happy and healthy 2008…Buon Anno! Keep in touch.