5 Month Update

Nathanael turned 5 months old last week. I know it's cliche to say it, but his time with us sure has flown by. It seems like just yesterday we brought him home from the hospital. He continues to be a delight...so smiley, so easy (during the day, that is). This month he had his first cold---thankfully a mild one. He has rolled over both ways a few times. He has mastered the art of eating mush, but still has not mastered the art of sleeping. He actually seems to be regressing in that department, much to my dismay. He had been sleeping a 4 or 5 hour stretch at night, and now he's back to waking every hour or two. I thought it was just a growth spurt, but it's been going on now for a few weeks. He nurses for just a minute or two and falls right back to sleep, so obviously he's not waking from hunger but rather out of habit or for reassurance. I'd be all ears for tips! I know the goal is to teach him to comfort himself when he wakes up instead of needing to nurse for comfort, but I'm not sure my heart can handle the "tough love" (a.k.a. crying) it might take to teach him this important lesson. Please pray for my parenting wisdom, patience, and perseverance to function joyfully during the day on very little sleep...I'm especially in need of joy...I seem to have run out :} Thank you!

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

"1st Game of the Season Pre-Game Photo" taken by a very proud momma who sadly had to miss the game due to mastitis and a baby with a cold :( I'm told it was a mighty exciting game... Joseph's team was behind by one, two outs, the final batter at the plate with two runners on base. The batter jacked one to the outfield bringing the two runners home and ending the game with a 13 to 12 score! Hurray for team red, white, and blue!!! (It's probably better that I wasn't there...my obnoxious cheering might have embarrassed my boy. Poor kid...it's only a matter of time.) :}

Favorite Things

The other day Dominic found my little digital camera and had a ball taking pictures of his favorite things. I know I probably should not have let him play with such an expensive "toy," but the delight on his face while he was snapping photos of Orcy the Orca and Sparkles the Shark was just priceless. He even snapped a few candid shots of Nathanael and I, which turned out a bit blurry, but I will still treasure them always. Watching the joy on Dominic's face as he took photos of his favorite things reminded me how I need to be thankful for the ordinary moments of my day and to rejoice in the "favorite things" that are right in front of me that I often fail to see. Right now some of my favorite things are:

• nursing my Nathanael as he unlatches to give me a big toothless smile


• seeing my boys play baseball together in the backyard...brothers and the best of friends


• being comforted by my husband's calming spirit and his warmth next to me at night


• hearing Dominic say "Mommy" 10,000 times per day with his sweet high-pitched voice


• sipping hot coffee with lots of cream and sugar to help me get through my sleep-deprived day


• finding a quiet moment to read a good book or an encouraging blog to recharge my tired soul


• talking to kindred spirit friends


• soaking in a hot bubble bath

Those are a few of my favorite things this week. Just writing them down brightened my mood just now (which needed brightening as I'm feeling kinda lousy with a mastitis infection today). I encourage you, my kind readers, to ponder what are your "favorite things" today...look for them, write them down, and let them lift you up.

"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things." Philippians 4:8

Dominic's favorite things right now: Spakles, Orc, and Orcy :)

Nathanael's favorite things both start with "M": milk and mommy

Dominic holding some of his favorite things. His sweet smile is one of my favorite things :)

Two of my favorite things: nursing and sipping sweet tea

I'd love to hear what some of your favorite things are this week :)

Michael's Nerf Birthday Bash

Michael turned 8 this week (April 3rd to be exact) and chose a Nerf theme for his party. He wanted to have a big Nerf war with his best buddies, and they all had a blast playing "Capture the Rag" across the street at the baseball field. To make the war even more exciting, God caused snow to fall on the troops, adding a whole new level of manliness and determination to the game :) After the big battle, in which the Birthday Boy's team emerged victorious (how fitting), the boys returned for pizza, ice cream cake from Dairy Queen (I gave up baking for Lent), and the opening of presents. Michael received a few new Nerf guns, a Nerf football, the Military Combat DVD series from the History Channel, season 2 of MacGyver (OK, I admit I picked that gift), a die cast airplane, some fishing lures, and a very special St. Michael necklace from Grandma Theresa (which was the smallest but favorite gift of all). All in all, it was a boy's dream birthday come true. How Michael wishes every day could be so fun, and how glad I am that every day is not...a mother can only handle that much chaos and testosterone in her house once a year! :)

Michael, we love you more than all the Nerf darts in our house, minus the ones that our cat has eaten, times the number of Nerf guns we own, plus infinity...squared! Now that's a whole lot of love! :)

Michael with his "Nerf Master" ice cream cake from DQ...

Michael with "The Last Supper" puzzle from his friend Brendan...

Michael with a new N-Strike Nerf gun and some extra darts...

The Nerf war party after the "Capture the Rag" game was complete (notice that they don't seem to mind their frost burned cheeks one bit)...

Joseph and Michael getting all set up for the big battle...laying out all the guns with baggies filled with 10 of the correct darts for each gun (to keep the game fair, each soldier was given the same number of darts even though some guns hold more and some hold less...the boys thought of every detail)...

Michael proudly showing his new St. Michael medal, which he has been wearing faithfully and probably always will...

Dear St. Michael, please defend our Michael in battle until the real war is won and he joins you in Heaven to praise God with all the angels and saints forever!

Sleet Won't Stop Pro-Lifers

This past weekend marked the midway point in our 40 Days for Life campaign, and we celebrated in the sleet! Only the hardiest of pro-life souls were in attendance--over 50 total!--many of whom were families with little children who didn't seem to mind the snow and rain mix one bit. In fact, the puddles to splash in were the best part for my boys, keeping them happily (and soggily) entertained while the rest of us prayed, sang, and solemnly remembered those who have been hurt by abortion.

This midway event is called the "Candlelight Vigil" because we all held candles as we stood in prayerful vigil outside of Planned Parenthood. Statistically, 1 in every 5 babies in America is aborted, so at one point during the ceremony 1/5 of the people turned off their candles in remembrance of those babies who never even had the chance to shine in this world. It is a somber reality to think of the silent holocaust that is occurring around us daily, but at the same time, I am beginning to feel hope that the tide is turning and that more and more people are becoming aware of the truth that life exists in the womb, that those unborn lives have rights, and that abortion is harmful, not helpful, to women. People are realizing that being pro-choice is NOT being pro-women because the choice of abortion ultimately hurts women in one way or another---perhaps through depression, future infertility, or increased risk of breast cancer (just to name a few of the negative side-effects).

During our Candlelight Vigil we not only prayed for an end to abortion, but also for healing for those who have experienced abortion. One of the reasons I so strongly believe in the 40 Days for Life movement is because it doesn't just focus on saving the lives of babies, it focuses on sparing women from so many harmful side-effects, on helping people find God's healing if they made a choice that they now regret, and on calling upon God's power, not our own, to bring about a culture of life in our world. 40 Days for Life is not a protest, it's a prayer, and the prayers of thousands of participants all over the world are being answered in miraculous ways. For those reasons, and so many more, 40 Days for Life fills me with hope. May these pictures share some of that hope with you...and for more hope-filled stories go to: http://www.40daysforlife.com/.

Joseph watching the sleet fall upon us as we pray.

Ben, our campaign director, leading us all in prayer...

A moment of silence, remembering the lives lost to abortion, the hearts forever scarred...

My boys playing in the puddles, sending pine cones and rocks floating down the streams...

Two of the cutest pro-lifers on the block: Agnes and Grace...

My husband with Nathanael, the youngest pro-lifer at our event...

Dominic proudly letting his candle shine...

Michael proud to be pro-life and proud of his newly lost tooth...

Joseph sprinkled with sleet and looking so sweet...

All the vigilers marching around Planned Parenthood, surrounding the building with our prayers for healing, hope, and conversion.

4-Month Highlights

This month Nathanael turned 4 months old. He continues to be an easy, happy baby, bringing joy to everyone in our home. Everyone loves making him smile and giggle. He is starting to grab toys and loves to put everything in his mouth. He has even rolled over a few times. I just can't believe how quickly he is growing! He is still waking up 2 or more times a night, so we started giving him some rice cereal, in hopes that it would curb his hunger and encourage him to sleep longer...which so far has not been the case...drat. Nathanael was not too impressed with his first feeding of mush, thus most of it ended up on his face or bib. But now that I've given it to him a few times, he's starting to get the hang of it...and hopefully this will mean that he will soon get the hang of sleeping through the night too! Patron saint of sleep, whoever you are, pray for us! :)

Our handsome little dude at 4-months

Like father like son...both handsome as can be

"What on earth did you just put in my mouth???"

Michael was proud to be mommy's big helper and gave Nathanael his first feeding of rice cereal

"Aha! I stole the spoon. Now they can't feed me that nasty mush!"

Wanna Kiss?

Womb Now Empty

A poem I wrote for a friend who I am grieving with today, as she has grieved with me in the past (sadly, more than once for each of us). And for all mothers who have also borne the cross of miscarriage...

Womb Now Empty

Womb now empty
Eyes brimming full
Questions without answers
Why given then taken, tiny soul?

Emotions so myriad,
Heart too numb to share
Flee to an inner cloister
A few friends welcome there

Cradle to be barren
Tiny saint in heaven instead
Comforting is the thought
Still many tears are shed

Womb now empty
But heart stretching full
Soon in Heaven reunited
Mother and child, same goal