Quick Takes

-1-

Quick-someone tell me how to stop this terrible and sudden shooting pain in the ligaments that attach my legs to my pelvis.I got this with Hannah, but only the night before I went into labor. I have six-ish weeks left people! It seriously feels like my legs are being pulled off of my body. I told Ted that I think I now know what it would feel like to be quartered. I'm scaring Hannah with all my sudden screaming. And I'm afraid I might drop her if it happens while holding her. Any tips? Dr. Google only tells me how to stop round ligament pain-which this is not.

-2-

I managed to do almost everything on my to-do lists this week. Including watching Downton Abbey. Wasn't it wonderful? My favorite parts were the cute little comments about what was to come "after the wedding....". They were so sweet and innocent. Just the way it should be.

-3-

Hannah hit a big growth spurt this week. Her fat thighs have made a comeback and her chipmunk cheeks have returned. After being the same weight for over six months, she gained two pounds! (after my monthly prenatal appointments are over, I'll never know how much she weighs again.) To celebrate, we turned her carseat forward facing. (What?? She's not two yet you say? We're three weeks away people-I'm going with it.) The results-a MUCH happier girl in the car who talks even more, sings even more, and stays awake! I think it's as much fun for me as it is for her. Today I watched as she took off her socks and shoes and proceeded to count her toes. Her precious fat toes.

-4-

We got a Costco membership for Christmas! I'm going for the first time this weekend. Anything I should keep my eyes out for? Any great deals you love and buy on a regular basis?

-5-

I have so many posts in the works but am just too tired to finish them. When nap time rolls around I can hardly make it to the bedroom before collapsing and praying that she sleeps for two hours. I'm even sleeping in later than ever thanks to Hannah still being on Central time. I slept until 8:00 today! And got a two hour nap. And it's not even 8:00 pm and I'm already fighting to keep my eyes open. How do you know when you're just regular pregnant-with-a-toddler tired and when it's something more?

-6-

The reality of this baby coming is starting to set in. I'm much more anxious than I was with Hannah-which is weird because it's not like I haven't done all this before. I think it's because we're so much farther from family this time around and none of them will be here when the big day comes. If baby numero dos comes around the due date, the first family member won't even arrive until almost two weeks later. And there's that sweet little almost-two-year-old I have to take care of this time around. Couple that with the fact that I haven't had the energy or motivation to pack, wash baby clothes, make freezer meals, etc etc etc.....well I'm starting to get a bit stressed. It's going to come together. Right? Right??

-7-

Today is January 10th.....and I had the windows open at 11:00 am.....because it was warmer outside than inside. Quite a change from the 10 inches of snow we had in Missouri last week. I, for one, am hoping that it cools back down and we can have a few more weeks of fake winter here in sunny Florida before the nine months of summer hits.

-Bonus-

We're taking down the Christmas decorations tonight and realized we never took a family picture in front of our tree! This last minute photo shoot will have to suffice. Hannah obviously didn't get the goofy face memo.

Happy Weekend!

Quick Takes

-1-

We're still in Missouri with  my side of the family this week. And we woke up to six inches of snow the day after Christmas! Hannah loved it during the ten minutes we allowed her to be out in it.

-2-

My mom and sisters and I saw Les Miserables Wednesday evening. It was the first time I had been to a theater since I was 35 weeks pregnant with Hannah two years ago. What a great movie. So nice to watch a well done film where good is portrayed as good and evil as evil. Great singing. Awesome music. Holy ending. Two days later and I still can't get it out of my head. Did you see it? What did you think?

-3-

Tomorrow marks 32 weeks!

-4-

Today is the Feast of the Holy Innocents-the baby boys who were killed by Herod in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus. Ted, Hannah, and I went to Mass this morning and prayed for the victims and familes of Sandy Hook. Bonnie wrote an excellent post, as usual, about the sensitive topic of what to say to families who have lost children.

-5-

I just learned that Christmas lasts until the Sunday after Epiphany (January 6th). I always thought it ended on Epiphany. Since January 6th actually falls on a Sunday this year, Christmas lasts until January 13th. Ted noted that this year has the shortest possible Advent and the longest possible Christmas. Pretty cool!

 

-6-

What were your favorite Christmas presents? Some of the highlights around here include a subscription to the Magnificat (no more excuses for failing in daily prayer....), a giant crock pot that's made for feeding nine people (so it should almost be big enough for me and Ted...) and wooden cutting food.

 

-7-

I'll end with a Santa photo circa 1989ish. I know you're jealous because your grandma didn't make you a special elf costume. Sorry 'bout your luck.

 

 



Merry Christmas! It's not over yet!

Christmas Highs and Lows

Low: Hannah waking up at 4:55.

High: Ted playing with Hannah all morning and letting me sleep until 6:30.

Low: Getting to Mass on time-only to realize that the Mass schedule has been changed and we were an hour early. Or 45 minutes late depending on how you look at it.

High: We still got to go to Mass. And sing Joy to the World, Silent Night, and Hark the Herald, Angels Sing.

High: Pigtails.

High: Hannah took TWO naps.

Low: She woke up from her second nap puny and sickly.

High: Christmas pajamas. Even though we opened gifts at 2:00 in the afternoon.

High: Presents!

 

 

High: A wonderful dinner with my family.

Low: Hannah's dinner coming up all over me and the baby bump just minutes after she consumed it.

High: Cuddling on the couch with my little girl watching Barney while I snuggled her back to health.

High: Watching her gradually feel better and play with her new toys as the day went on.

High: Playing with the box.

High: this:

 

High: Rocking her to sleep singing her favorite song, Hail Mary, Gentle Woman, and hearing her finish the phrases as I was singing. "Blessed is the fruit of thy woom.....Jesus, Howy Mummy......Mother of Dod.....Pray for us sinner now......and at the hour of death, Ah-me."

Low: The horrible backache that's been forming for the past few hours and the kicks that have me buckling over in pain. I seriously feel like I'm about a two days past my due date. And I have two months to go...

High: The wonderful and long massage from Ted. The one he doesn't know he's about to give me as soon as I finish this post.

Low: Not getting a single decent family picture from the day. I think I'll make Ted wear his tie to church again next Sunday just so we can snap a fake family Christmas photo.

High: Getting an awesome picture of the extended family. I can't believe there are eight of us in this picture!

Low: Looking at this picture and realizing how unflattering this sweater dress is...and that it's the only church outfit I packed for the next two Sundays.

High: Christ is born! The word was made flesh and dwelt among us! Christmas is finally here!

Merry Christmas! My massage is calling!

Christmas 2010 by the Numbers (and Prayer Buddy Reveal)

I know I'm a little late on the Christmas post, but at least I'm getting it up during the Christmas season right? It isn't over until the Wise Men sing!

Here's our Christmas 2010 by the numbers:

38.5... hours that Ted and I didn't leave the house. From getting home from Christmas Eve Mass at 6:00 pm on the 24th to leaving for Sunday morning Mass at 8:30 am on the 26th. We enjoyed our Christmas in the comfort of our own place this year.

3... tears that fell down my cheeks during Christmas Eve Mass because my baby was still in my tummy and not in my arms. I know, I know-ridiculous. I just want to meet him so badly!

16... hours of a round trip that we DIDN'T travel this year! I missed seeing friends and family, but boy was it nice to not be in the car that long!

4... hours that it was actually snowing on Christmas morning! Ted and I woke up around 9:00 to a beautiful, white Christmas right here in Mississippi! Apparently, it started at 8:00 and by noon it had completely stopped and melted away. No sign was left indicating it had ever snowed! 4 hours was plenty of time for us to get some pictures though. We knew we'd need proof for our friends who left town for the holidays!

6... issues of Pond Boss that will be arriving at our front door this year for Ted's enjoyment.

14... karats in my new white gold necklace. I lost the chain Ted gave me for our first Christmas together in 2005 and haven't been able to wear my Miraculous Medal or any other necklace since I lost it. I'm so happy to be able to wear them again-even if I'll have to take it off permanently when I start nursing...

5... delicious meals prepared by me and Ted for the holidays. Beef stew, breakfast casserole, baked potato soup, pork chops, and a turkey breast. We're still eating leftovers! Yum!

6... hours that my family traveled to see us on the day after Christmas. It just wouldn't have been the same without them.

6... little Wii characters created to look exactly like us. Ted's was as tall and skinny as we could make him, mine was as short and fat as it gets. Jackie's looked remarkably like her with her blue eyes and freckles and my dad's side part and brown hair was perfect!

178... my record setting score in Wii bowling! That was only game my back could handle.

50+... presents around the tree for the annual family gift exchange. My mom outdoes herself every year.

16... gigabytes of internal memory in our new video camera!! I can't wait to capture every amazing thing our little miracle is sure to do!

4... people that got webcams for Christmas so we can Skype with the new grand-baby. All four sisters/aunts already had one and now all the grandparents (and us!) have one too!

16... hours of old home movies that my mom organized and burned to DVDs. By far, the best Christmas present I've ever received.

2... inches of gap between my two front teeth when I was in 6th grade. Yikes!

1,457... times Jackie and I sang "Who Put the Bop" and performed a stellar dance routine for the camera.

25... years it took me to realize that the song is actually called "Who Put the BOMP"! I just googled it-seriously!?

35... sugar cookies decorated.

3... the dimension in which we enjoyed the latest Narnia movie. Voyage of the Dawn Treader was great, but I could have done without the 3D.

15,396... calories in each one of our Mugshots burgers. And oh so worth every single one!

2... attempts at getting a great family pictures using the camera timer. Not too bad!

6... Christmases spent with the love of my life. The last one as "just the two of us".

******************************************************************************
3... weeks that it took Ted to realize the person we'd been praying for every night was the same person in the cute Christmas card photo!

It was an honor to pray for Lauren at Magnify the Lord With Me during the Advent season. Lauren-you are an inspiration to me. Your trust in the Lord and faith in our Church are so admirable. The love you have for your daughter and your desire to be the best parent possible to her is something I hope to emulate soon. I hope you liked the rosary I sent you-I bought the same one for myself as a reminder to pray for you when I use it.

Merry Christmas!

The Beginning of Advent

I realize that today is the last day of Advent, as we will celebrate Christmas at 5:00 pm Mass in just a few hours. Even so, I find myself reflecting on Advent's beginning. No, not November 28-just four short weeks ago-but Advent's real beginning-thousands of years ago.

Ted and I read a passage about Advent by Scott Hahn the other night and something dawned on both of us as we read it. I couldn't even tell you the line or phrase that jolted our thoughts, but we both had the same thought at the same time. 

Advent didn't begin with the Annunciation. Mary's "yes" didn't put Advent into play. Advent marks the time from the beginning of history up until the moment Christ took His first breath. The entire world was in "Advent" for thousands of years as they awaited a Savior.

Yes, that may be strikingly obvious to some, but I had never really thought about that. I always thought of Advent as beginning when Jesus was miraculously conceived and ending at His birth in Bethlehem. But Advent is about waiting for our King and the waiting began long before Mary ever walked the earth.

It made us think about the events of history that brought us slowly out of Advent and into the time of redemption. The prophets of the Old Testament telling of the coming of the Messiah. Mary's immaculate birth and life spent preparing herself to be Christ's mother. Her visitation to Elizabeth and the leaping in the womb. The long, arduous walk to Bethlehem. And, of course, the silent and holy night that Mary gave birth to our Lord.

I've reflected often this Advent season on my own Advent, my own waiting period for my baby to be born. I've tried to prepare myself to be a worthy mother for this wonderful child. I've changed my eating habits, exercised more, taken my vitamins, and studied until I couldn't study anymore. In the same way, I've prepared my home for Christmas by decorating a tree, thawing out a turkey, and setting up our Nativity scene. But I've also been preparing my heart. Even if the baby blankets aren't washed and the crib isn't ready, it's my heart that really needs to be prepared for what's about to take place just six weeks from now. And so it is with Advent, it's much more important that my heart be in tune with Christ's than my tree be the prettiest on the block. It's much more important that my thoughts be directed towards thanksgiving for my Savior than my turkey coming out perfectly.

One more thought flowed out of my head when I first realized that Advent didn't really begin Jesus' conception. My Advent, my time of waiting and preparing for my precious baby to be born didn't begin with his conception either. I've been waiting and preparing for this baby long before s/he was ever nestled in my womb. All the months of negative pregnancy tests, the surgeries, the medicine-these were all physical preparations, little Advents, bringing me closer to the birth of my baby.

But it goes back even further than that. If I really reflect on my life up to this point, I realize that my entire life has been a preparation for this little one. Whether conscious or subconscious, deliberate or passive, I have been waiting and preparing to mother this child for 25 years. Ted said that the studying we did in high school in order to get into college, the work we did in college in order to get a good job-all of this was preparation to be parents, whether we meant it to be or not. The years we spent dating, engaged, and married were strengthening the bond between us, preparing us for the difficult moments that surely lie ahead.

I remember the very first time I went to Ted's house the summer after we started dating. He was so excited to show me his collection of fishing rods that he had stored in his dad's garage. He had entered (and won, obviously) a local fishing contest for at least the last five years and the prize was always a fishing pole. He didn't need the poles for himself (he had plenty!) but he saved them and imagined giving them to his kids one day. He was just a kid himself and he was already thinking about his future children.

The time I spent playing sardines in my back yard with the neighbors. Summers spent taking bike trips to get Pepsi slushies and laffy taffy. Ever childhood event and memory will serve to make me a better parent. Hopefully a parent that remembers what it was like to be a kid and encourages my own children to spend the entire day on their bikes and gives them change for Pepsi slushies, even though I know it's incredibly unhealthy.

My Advent is finally about to culminate with the birth of our first child. Hopefully, even the time spent raising this little one will be its own Advent for future siblings still to come.

Thank you Lord, for this season of waiting and preparation for Your Son. Thank you for the miracle of our baby and even for the years of sorrow that we endured as we waited. Thanks for Jesus. And thanks for His mother.


Merry Christmas!