What to expect.. when you're...

Well this will be a bit more of a personal post today as there's a lot going on at work, and I need a 'happy thought'. Much like Peter Pan I wish I could fly away at the moment, but alas Captain Hook is not after me lucky charms.... yeah, it's been that kinda day.

The most important thing here is that Jen and I are expecting! Yes, its true, at some point the big man upstairs went against all logic and has allowed me to procreate.. to some of my older friends: Stop shaking your head in disbelief!

How I found out is a funny story, and so I shall regale you with my tale.

A few weeks into mobilization I came home for a weekend, and thought that I would be a good husband and take care of my wife by cooking dinner. So I went got some burgers (nice good ones), threw them on the grill and had some nice toppings for them. Well Jen likes her burgers rare to medium rare, and she thought it looked great. Within about 5-10 minutes of the first bite, she's running to the bathroom... my grill master ego was shot. Fast forward to the next morning, and I take some asagio cheese bread and make a killer french toast. At least this time she made it through the meal, but then ended up rather ill for the next hour or so.

I had to leave the next morning for work, and didn't think much of it. During the next week Jen was rather terse, or quick on the phone, and I thought she was rather angry at me. So again, thinking I would be a good husband I planned a little dinner for that Friday when I got back home again. The night before she had mentioned she had a little surprise for me when I got home, but threatened to hang up the phone if I pressed the issue. One of the questions that I (honestly here) innocently asked was "I know you're running a little late..." to which the answer was "G-D D-it!!". That reaction had me a bit perplexed, but moving on to the next day.

When I finally got home I told Jen I had a little surprise... there were steaks ready to be cooked, some nice side items, and a bottle of nice wine ready for dinner. She wanted to give me her surprise first. She handed me a little package all wrapped up, and when I opened it I pulled out a little onesy that said "My Daddy Rocks". This is when I do my best Keanu Reeves impression... complete deer in the headlights look going on, I had no clue why she had just handed this to me. Based on this reaction, and my astute question of "what's this for" she yelled out "Put it together stupid - I'm pregnant!" Right so there's the story, at least how I remember it, and its written down - so over the next few months while my mind starts to slowly grip this whole "I'm going to be a Dada" thing I won't forget.

At this point Jen is approximately 14 weeks in, just outside of her first trimester, and I'm learning a whole lot. Here are some things that I have learned over the last few weeks, and mind you, I've been a geo-bachelor and not home every day, so I'm sure there's more I could learn:

- Pregnant women require a vast amount of rest. Yes, she managed over 30 hours of sleep one weekend. Yes, she slept for over 50% of the weekend. Jen sleeps a lot, but good lord!
- One of the most amazing events of my short life thus far is when I went to the second ultra sound appointment. I couldn't make the first one due to work, but I'm more than glad I made the second. I could see the head, the tiny little arms, and it started to look like a baby = wow!
- Movies about pregnant women like "Knocked Up" become infinitely more funny, and you start to understand these little nuances that never made any sense. Yeah, it happens... and I'm definitely reading the 'baby books'.

So that's it, January 16th (or 25th depending on the doctor Jen visits) is the due date. We've already painted the nursery, and its going to be Winnie the Pooh whether boy or girl. Thank the good lord I didn't have to go to Iraq for this whole time!

So I shed my butterbar

Now introducing... LTJG!!
Been too long since my last post, but some things have happened since then... some personal, which I will address in a later blog entry, and some professional. Professionally I've now been in the Active Duty Navy for about 2 months now and I'm fully engrossed in the Navy Aviation Supply Systems. One thing that did happen to me was a promotion!

When I entered the Navy I was a DCO (Direct Commission Officer) and there's a whole process behind that. In a nutshell I spent over 2 years putting together letters of recommendation, interviewing with senior active duty officers, going through medical checks and taking tests. When all that was said and done my 'package' went before a board of Supply Corps Officers. I don't know what happens at these boards, and unless you are selected as a member of them you probably never will, but someone there thought me worthy of being an officer. Here's where two very important dates come into play: Date of Rank and Oath of Office.

Date of Rank: When the board selects you, there are other steps along the way before you can be commissioned into the Navy. First your approved package goes onto a 'roll list' where congress then has to approve you as well. Next you are approved by the President, or so they tell me, I don't think that he actually ever saw my name, but hey - if he did then I find that rather cool. Anyway there's probably nitty gritty that I'm missing, but that's the high level process that you go through. Mind you this is different than Active Duty and really only applies to the Navy Reserve DCO program, so other officers out there may have a completely different experience than mine.

From this point I received a phone call telling me that I was approved and that I was going to commissioned in the Navy Reserve - here's where the Date of Rank comes into play. I'm not 100% sure, but pretty close that once approved by the Executive level for a commission that becomes your Date of Rank. This date is very important on multiple levels since it determines who is senior and who is junior among similar pay grades. It also dictates when you are promoted, which for those interested in pay raises becomes very important! :) More on this later...

Commissioning Date
This, AKA the date on your Oath of Office, kinda confused me at first since I thought it was the date that I was officially in the Navy. Well it was, and it wasn't, and there's differences between the day you take your Oath of Office and the day you may be promoted. My Date of Rank is 30 JUN 06, and the day I took my Oath of Office was 25 JUL 06. Yeah, it takes about a month for the papers to go from the approval stage, to the recruiter so he can swear you in - and the strange thing is that I was one of the faster ones.

The gist here is that while I wasn't sworn into the Navy until 25 JUL 06, I still get promoted on the 30th of JUNE. So on the 30th of JUNE I went from ENS to LTJG.

From ENS to JG
There are some massive differences between enlisted sailors and officers in the Navy when it comes to promotion. E-3 (Seaman or Airman) to E-7 (Chief Petty Officer) have to take an exam, pass it, then go before a board and be selected for promotion. That is a bit different in the officer ranks - 01 (ENS) to 03 (LT) are automatic, at 04 (LCDR) you then have to be boarded in order to be promoted. The rule of thumb is, and this is really over simplifying it, just don't screw up and you'll make LT. Does this minimize the rank of LT as an officer? Some people have told me so, but then again its a very difficult to be selected as an officer to begin with. Making CPO, now that's a different story, lots of respect to those who make CPO in the Navy!

Now I am a LTJG, or ENS (Upper Half), as some may like to call it. What this means is I get a little more pay. Essentially I'm out of that nice cushy situation where everyone knows I've been in the Navy a while, I'm by no means a seasoned veteran, but I'm definitely not brand new... so some of the naive excuses I could have used for the last 2 years don't carry as much weight now!

Look for some more posts to come about work, and also some personal stuff :)