Big Milestones

I have been so proud of Maria lately, I had to find a place to brag about her.  So that is what this post will be about.  At 14 months she is such a big girl.

And a happy 1st anniversary of her baptism.  She officially joined God's family a year ago on Tuesday.  Does anyone have some great traditions for remembering that special day?

On to the big things she is doing.  What I am most proud and excited about is her big cousin skills.  She loves her 4 month old cousin and has somehow learned that you need to be gentle.  We have a great picture of her in that role thanks to my wonderful brother-in-law and his excellent camera!

Another exciting payoff of months of bedtime routine is Maria's ability to put things away.  We have carried her around with us while picking up at the end of the day.  Our modeling has worked because she will now put clothes in the hamper and toys in their respective places with only a little help.  Bedtime routine is now longer, but we don't have to carry her around and help her!

The most surprising milestone we are in the process of reaching is toileting.  I don't think ECers like the term potty training so I tried to stay away from it.  Maria chose now as the time for using the toilet.  There were a couple days she walked over and I let her sit.  So, about a week ago I decided to give her more diaper-free time and see what happened.  There have been a few accidents, but not as many as I would expect and we have not used more than three diapers (usually just one or two) a day in the past week.  This is excellent timing because my generous friend who let us borrow diapers for a year is needing them back for her little one on the way and I have only had the budget to buy ten of my own.  As luck would have it, that is all I seem to need for this child and will wait until the next to buy more (baby arrival gifts anyone?  Here is your idea if/when the next baby comes and you decide you would like to give a gift).

Other than that, we have been dealing with the pain of some more molars and swimming lots at the beach and in a couple different pools.  Maria loves that water and I am happy to spend my time there with her this summer :-)  We also had a great time at the zoo - once with daddy and once with Nana.

What a life :-D

The big One

Maria had her first birthday earlier this month.  It is crazy to think that my baby girl grew up into a toddler.  It seemed to happen overnight and I am still processing it.  Gone are the days of crawling and even walking is old news.  We have moved on to climbing and exploring the world around us.  Parks, wagon rides and games outside like watching the bubbles mommy makes are our new favorite activities.  Happily playing inside all day is a thing of the past so we try to either go outside or on at least one "field trip" every day.

I don't have many pictures on this computer right now, but I do have a lovely video to share.  This is a great Catholic singer/songwriter I just heard about AND the video includes two adorable toddlers that I'm sure Maria would be great friends with if we lived in FL.  The video is for her kickstart campaign to raise money for her next (and first full length) album.  Go here and check it out!

A week of highs and lows

We'll start with the low items first so we can end on a wonderful note

Last week a lot of pro-life people were pleased to hear that the Susan G Komen foundation stopped giving grants to planned parenthood. What a great help to women to focus more on cancer research and screening than to fund an organization that provides abortions which happen to increase your risk being diagnosed with breast cancer. That didn't last long though, senators and pro-choice groups gave Komen such a hard time that they reinstated the grants. How did that happen?

Another low is the fact that Catholics as well as people of other faiths will lose some of their freedoms in 2013 when employers will be forced to provide (pay for) birth control, abortion pills and sterilizations when it is against what we believe. Can someone tell me why the country is picking a fight with the Catholic Church when they run so many hospitals around the country? Please don't say women's health trumps religion because too many are saying that and I love my Catholic doctor who treated my symptoms by removing endometriosis surgically instead of putting me on hormones and not explaining what could be causing my pain. For a funny and eye-opening analogy check out Kaitlin's great post here.

Now for the highs

I heard about a couple pregnancies - praise God for new life!
I also became an aunt. I have a beautiful niece that I will finally be meeting tomorrow. I can't wait to see how Maria reacts to having someone younger than her in the family :-)

Culture of Life

So I know the big country-wide topic these days is contraception and the Catholic Church - hmm...that sounds a lot like a paper I know ;-) But that is not what is on my heart right now.

Let me get back to the idea of a culture of life. Many people believe children are blessings. New mothers are overjoyed by the arrival of their children and change forever. Less than a year ago, I experienced that glorious, and at times scary, upheaval of life as I knew it. I love being a mom even if I don't like some of the sleepless nights. I also love bringing my child with me when I go out and there is where the problem lies.

I am unashamedly an attached parent. I walk around with her in a carrier while I grocery shop and she loves it! I bring her places and let her explore while I have some adult moments in the company of my child. I let her learn about Mass by experiencing it every week and many people love to see her. But not all. And so, I must explain myself.

I realize there are some adult only places. I definitely wouldn't take my daughter to a night club and there are other events/locations to be sure. Mostly I think adult spaces are more that way because nothing there would interest children. I don't want Maria to be bored purely for the sake of me doing something I find entertaining. However, I do expect Maria to learn and discover what my daily life is like by accompanying me on errands and other commitments I have in my life.

One of those commitments occurred Saturday. I went to a mini-medical conference  The doctor talked about building a culture of life and accepting children as gifts. Thank you - what a wonderful message. Your words are lovely and were well received by many. Praise God, one of the local doctors actually looked into having her come to that hospital.  There were other presenters that were equally welcomed and informative and I was blessed to see the event take place at a distance.

I had come to help by manning the registration table. Once my job was complete, I stood in the very back of the auditorium to see if I could catch any of this important family information. Shortly after I entered, I was taken outside by someone that I thought had a question for me. Instead, he told me I was being inappropriate and, though he loves children, she was a distraction to everyone in the audience and I should leave. Did I mention she had only babbled two words?

I completely understand the need for professionalism, especially when talking with doctors. The presenters dressed well and were prepared as professionals would be - complete with powerpoint slides and handouts. Yay for them. There was a NFP couple there to present their story. As presenters, they chose to leave their son with family so as to not be distracted while presenting. Perfectly acceptable decision. I was not presenting and my parents were out of town. I brought my lovely daughter. Even so, I was aware of the need for others to hear the presentation, so I didn't take a seat - I stood in back. I could be out of the room in a second with Maria if need be. Had she started crying or screaming, that would have been the case. She did not and I wanted to hear the presentation while being a witness to the idea of "openness to life" in daily activities. Maria does not know to be silent and I don't think people expected her to be. I felt comfortable bringing her because I knew I wasn't getting credit for being there so if I missed parts because of her volume it would be okay. I did not realize I would be banished from the beginning.

So my lasting thoughts

Our words

• children are a blessing
• be open to expanding your family with a gift from God
• God created you and you should honor yourself, your fertility and your spouse
• God creates and blesses your children

Our actions

• children are a distraction
• a child talking is inappropriate
• children must not interrupt adult time

It is hard for me to digest that a "family life" event is not welcoming of children if they utter two sounds. A thank you to most everyone else in attendance for loving my child and asking about her. Special thanks to the two moms who were required to pump in the bathroom for showing empathy to me and my child. And...

A question for those promoting family life

How can our words be taken seriously if we scold anyone that has the nerve to bring his or her child to a public, family event?

Maria's first Christmas

is upon us with many fun new things.

We put up the tree two weeks ago and at first it didn't seem like a big deal. We put it in front of our big window facing the street. That window happens to be in the formal living room that we don't really use yet so it took a while for Maria to figure out such an exciting thing was in the room. Now we crawl over, sit by it and feel the funny branches and plush santa ornament that is hanging within reach.

On Dec 5th we put out our shoes and on the morning of the 6th discovered St Nick came and got chocolates and a calendar for daddy and a personalized ornament for Maria. It was nice to celebrate the beginning of Santa Claus.

Speaking of Santa Claus, we did not go see him this year. We did not get invited to any breakfast with Santa events (missed my grandma and childhood memories when I thought of that) and we did not want to pay for the mall photo so we passed this year. I will need to research breakfast with Santa events in my area next year so we can have that experience.

We also recently discovered the fun of opening gifts with visiting friends. Maria has not quite gotten the hang of wrapping paper and needs quite a bit of help, but she did enjoy taking the tissue paper out of the bags and playing with the wrapping paper once already torn off. My friends are also 2 for 2 in gifts that Maria loves almost as much as the packaging. She got an old fashioned phone that rings when you dial and is on wheels with a pull cord. She also received a dinosaur walker that she is learning to use. It is a blast to watch her lean and push it forward and then figuring out how to move her feet to catch up.

I am excited to see Maria get excited again and again as the festivities continue. We are blessed to be around so much family and friends that we will have a new experience every day from Christmas Eve through the 29th. It has also been fun having her pass out gifts.

There are so many gifts for my family to be thankful for this year. Thank you Jesus for the gift of yourself and the many blessings we have received in 2011.

My mobile Maria

The day has come - she is full out crawling! Daddy is away this week for work (though he has witnessed the milestone) and won't be uploading crawling videos on youtube yet. I hope to catch her on tape sometime this week while playing single mom and moving in to our new house. Closing went well yesterday. Now I just need to pack, move and unpack all our stuff yet again. What an exciting, busy month November will be

Six Months

My baby girl is growing up. Now being a mom isn't considered a full time job. I keep getting questions - what do you do to keep yourself busy? Well, other than spending all day with my baby, getting chores done, maybe some cooking, and working out I wonder. I mean all you moms out there know how much free time we have. So here is a look at my typical day last week. We had a good week!

This was Friday

6:45 - get up and let husband get ready for work after he watched Maria for a bit while I got some sleep.

7:20 - leave for daily mass at 8

8:30 -coffee and donuts in the social hall, go and meet some of the parishioners at our new church

9:30 - head to mall to get some walking and socializing in with a mom and two girls

12:30 - go to Target to pick something up for an NFP class

1:30 - finally have time for a gourmet lunch - pb&j

2:00- nap time (mom included)

4:00 - chores (can't remember which were on my list last Friday)

4:45 - playtime!

5:15 - Maria took another nap - weird, some time to myself

6:30 - dinner with husband

7:00 - family walk

7:45 - bedtime routine

9:00 - a few moments with Husband to discuss the week, the upcoming move, our NFP class we taught the next day and a million other things we were supposed to discuss

10:00 - collapse into bed - what a thrilling Friday night!

I also go to La Leche Meeting twice a month, am part of a Bible study and book club, teach NFP and give presentations on top of the fall class we teach. I've also started playing guitar again while Maria plays in her jumper. Being a stay at home mom has challenges (among the numerous joys), but I have not found boredom to be one of them :-)

And speaking of my lovely 6 month old daughter. She is doing well, still a social butterfly - new people make her so happy and she them. She is balancing better while sitting now so I don't need to stay right next to her. Her new favorite toy is a metal whisk. And she can say "dada" although she doesn't realize what the accomplishment it is since she is just learning how to use her tongue and not actually talking. I wonder when she will get mom and dad's names right.

A Great Way to Empower the Poor

through NFP

This article even includes footnotes with sources.

How can we get the word out in the US? I was so sad today when I heard on the radio how our Vice President supports the one child policy in China that leads to forced abortions and more. If only our leaders new and believed that there is a safe, natural and practically free alternative to all the "family planning" methods they promote.

Little Tidbits

I have enjoyed my break from posting. Being a stay at home mom has had ups and downs to be sure, but I love almost all of it. I don't think I will ever get used to the lack of sleep, but I'm trying. Most of the time that means choosing one nap to take with Maria :-)

Maria modeling her baptism outfit

It is amazing how life has changed in 6 months. There have been times when I'm reminded of an "According to Jim" episode when Cheryl realizes she doesn't know how to talk to adults anymore. Everything that comes out of her mouth is about the bodily functions of her kids, their sleep habits, or their new cute trick. What else is there to talk about anyway?

Posing for her 3 mo old pic on gma and gpa's table

Thankfully, my husband and I signed up to teach a NFP class that started a couple weeks ago. I have another class to prepare for in a week. I will be talking with adults preparing for marriage. This is a topic I can still approach with passion and confidence. Thank goodness for a little time to step outside my family and give back to the community a bit. I still need to work more on spreading the word about this important ministry and healthy/natural means of planning a family. My husband and I are still using it successfully despite my being told by numerous people it is not accurate post partum - when did that rumor start?

In happy baby news, Maria is now about 6 months old. She has her two bottom teeth. They came in at about the same time and took a while to poke through. I thought I would miss the toothless grin, but the two little teeth may be even cuter! She is sitting up on her own and evening chewing on the occasional carrot. We are doing Baby Led Weaning which means she will eat solid foods like what I am eating. She has enjoyed learning how to bite and move food around her mouth on her own. We'll see when she actually starts eating more of it. Right now food is just a toy.

Copying mommy and daddy as they eat

We have enjoyed using her bum genius cloth diapers and do not miss the diaper runs to the store one bit! We are not doing the greatest at EC but still give her opportunities occasionally and on lucky days I catch the BMs - yay for less laundry!

Maria is getting ready to crawl - moving her legs in toward her belly and falling forward. I can't wait to see when she figures out she can keep going without falling if she just moves her hands. She also loves to jump. I bought a jumper that attaches to the door frame and she loves the independence it gives her to move as she pleases while mommy does some laundry or just enjoys the show.

2 months of accomplishments

Well I wrote at two weeks, I thought I would write at two months.

Maria's third week was one to remember. We started taking her potty in the sink and it really works! However, I never seem to be quite fast enough so a bit will get in the diaper, at least I stopped being peed on during changes. She also started smiling sometimes when looking at someone.

Week four brought about a major accomplishment - rolling from her stomach to her back. For everyone that thought it was just spasms because she was upset about being on her stomach, we posted the video to you tube - though that one may have been at week five. She has continued to roll over and now can go over either shoulder. She also started cooing - is there any sound more beautiful?At five weeks she slept 7 hours - once! She has failed to do so again but is getting better at sleeping 5 1/2 to 6 hours again.

Six weeks and she has found a tool to calm herself - her hand! It makes long car trips easier if she is awake and the dreaded diaper changes. She also had her major growth spurt and flew out of the newborn clothes and size 1 diapers - we will be

out of 3 month clothes very soon.

In her seventh week of life she went on two boat rides

and did surprisingly well in her crazy life jacket that makes it extremely hard to find a good way to hold her. She did sleep on her back in it for a while. So cute!

At eight weeks she continues to talk and interact more and is getting close to being on some sort of sleep schedule. She slept 6 1/2 hours last night and turns two months old tomorrow and when she turns 9 weeks she will be baptized. We are looking for

ward to these next milestones!

Taking a break

I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned on this blog that, if you take away the blogging, I don't really think I am from this generation. Here is a list of things I do not have

• A smart phone - my phone plan doesn't even include texting. I would much prefer a phone call anyway
• An ipod - technically my husband has one but we can't get it back from someone after leaving it while in England
• A love of facebook - I was going to delete my account, but then it made keeping in touch while abroad a bit easier. I'm considering deleting it again

Those seem to be the big three. This blog is the only thing that does not fit and is also something I'm going to take a break from for a while. See, Maria is definitely my priority and I don't always have a lot of time for the computer. I try to check my email before my husband leaves for work and then, depending on length and location of naps, I may not do so again for the rest of the day. I wish people understood that and still enjoyed using phones. It is nice to hear people's voices and I can talk and pay attention to Maria, but I can't type because the needs two hands.

So I guess what I am trying to say is that entering into motherhood is going to make me even less like my generation, as blogging will no longer be the odd category since I won't be doing that either.

Another week gone by..warning, gushing mommy

I already feel like my baby is growing up! She is well past her birth weight and getting close to growing out of some newborn clothes. Does that mean she is no longer a newborn? If that means she is closer to sleeping through the night I will be happy, but some other parts I will miss. She keeps the newborn baby smell for a while right? Nothing better than that!

Well by week three we have done some growing up

Maria has rolled over twice - strong girl! Too bad she still doesn't realize she was in control of doing that :-) I'm not a totally unrealistic mommy when it comes to her abilities

Maria has also consistently used our bathroom sink as a toilet. So far I haven't saved a lot on diapers but I have on laundry. She no longer pees during a diaper change and we haven't had any blowouts. It is much easier to clean and disinfect the sink. Hooray for elimination communication.

This morning, Maria also put herself to sleep. She woke up when I put her down and instead of crying she just looked around for a while and went to sleep. I think that is the first time she had done that without be picked back up and comforted

- not that I mind holding her most of the time. It is nice to have some time to catch up on things though.

In the meantime I have grown up a bit and realized that some of my ideas going into parenting are not going to fly. Back to my quick takes, I have to accept my limitations and accept help. It's been a long, sleep-deprived and glorious three weeks!

The first two weeks

Well Maria's two weeks have seen some major ups and downs. First she wasn't getting enough milk (as seen by a lack of dirty diapers) so we supplemented with formula a few days. Now she is well over her birth weight (8lbs 2 oz) at 8lbs 8oz! She's such a big girl.

The next week I got an infection and went on antibiotics which I am still taking, but Maria is continuing to eat well and all my doctors said it was safe to feed her while on this medication.

As we enter the 3rd week I got tired of being peed on and thought I would try elimination communication earlier than planned. Since she decides multiple times a day that it's a good idea to pee when her diaper is off - resulting in a messy changing table, baby, and/or parent - I gave her the opportunity to go in the sink instead. That would be easy to clean. On our first try we were successful. One less dirty diaper and one large mess avoided. That is my highlight of the day :-)

Quick Takes - New Beginnings

My angel is now 5 days old! We are having a great time in this new beginning. So I thought I would do a themed quick takes of lessons on new beginnings. Maybe each will turn into a post eventually...

1.

Accept your limitations - physically, emotionally and socially - sometimes quiet time is needed :-)

2.

Be flexible

3.

Speak up for yourself

4.

Follow your gut

5.

Enjoy a nap once in a while

6.

Graciously accept help that is offered and don't forget to ask for some.

7.

Give lots of love and encouragement to those around you.

Pretty sure these lessons could cover most new beginnings but it's nice to be reminded of them.

Baby Maria

Just when I thought I was going to have to fight doctors about induction our baby girl arrived on Sunday night after 22 hours of labor. She was 8lbs 2oz and 19 1/2 inches long. She is just beautiful with a full head of brown hair.

Her name, a story I may get into later is Maria Katherine. The short part of the story is her middle name which was chosen recently to honor my grandmother who just passed. She was so alert when she greeted the world and all her grandparents and aunt and uncles. My brother in law was able to take some great pictures which my sister posted. They are the only ones I have on the computer...so I posted two of my favorites.

Due Date

I still haven't watched that movie even though Will has been home for a couple weeks. I'm glad he is close by - makes the uncomfortable evenings much better.

So the big question is - when is the big day? Well I used to tell people the official due date (today) now I just have to say whenever she is ready. I don't know when the big day will be, but I"m getting excited for it. I'm also trying to stay relatively busy so I don't obsess over the fact that my baby is "late."

I went out to eat with my darling husband last night and then went to a book club group. It was so nice to be around a great group of girls and not think about the lack of signs that labor is starting/will start soon.

Today I went to the chiropractor - so helpful in the last trimester! I went to Whole Foods and got lots of yummy food and ran some more errands. It is nice having some relaxing days to myself. Can't wait to give the big announcement that she is here and reveal the Top Secret name :-)

The Waiting Game

With two days until the expected due date (which means nothing) the waiting game has started. No false alarms and no unreasonable annoyances - just intense anticipation and a bit of discomfort. When does she want to come out?

The waiting game is hard but purposeful. I need to keep learning to remain in the moment and count my blessings that are right in front of me. I've had fun catching up with friends and inviting new ones over to my apartment. It has been great getting back in touch with extended family and being spoiled by everyone who asks if they can get me anything. I keep reminding myself I'm already a mom and there is a little miracle present with me every moment of every day - safe and sound. I don't hear anyone crying and nap time can be any time of my choosing. Pretty soon I will be following someone else's schedule and learning lots of new lessons.

I can't wait! Looking forward to meeting our little one soon.

2 more weeks

until the expected due date. The question "when are you due?" is now asked daily by just about everyone. I tend to give ambiguous answers that seem to tick people off more than I'm ticked off about answering it again. Saying something like soon or beginning of April is just not specific enough for people. Makes me wonder - why are we so focused on the exact date since we know this baby has a mind of her own on when she wants to enter the world anyway?

So I have approximately 2 weeks, or however long baby stays comfortable, to enjoy my freedom and finish reading etc as people say. I haven't done much reading since I've been home, but I have washed just about all the baby clothes and my moby wrap. Now I have to start on the blankets and hooded towels. I have diapers, wipes, and shampoo/body wash. I have somehow managed to not pick up baby powder or diaper cream - who knows what brand to get anyway?

My apartment is moved-in and organized. Yesterday Will helped me finish hanging things - no more pictures on the floor! The extra room is a mess and the crib is still at my parents unassembled. However, I do have a co-sleeper, lots of onesies, sleep and play outfits, swaddling blankets and car seat figured out so I think we are prepared enough.

I've had no signs of labor or false labor yet and I haven't gotten that burst of energy that seems to proceed labor on the day of - no desire to clean though I have grudgingly kept up with most of that. So for all of you that have been waiting for an update - I'm doing really well, getting a bit uncomfortable, and see no signs that this baby is going to have an aqua marine birth stone. April birthday and diamond birth stone all the way ;-D

The Good Life

On Wednesday afternoon my grandma passed peacefully to the next life. She is watching down on us and probably smiling that Will is finally back in the country. There are so many memories I will keep dear to me. She lived a good life for 83 years and struggled for 6 months. We are all glad she is no longer in pain, but very sad to see her go and be left behind.

In December I came home to visit her. I loved her spirit and gratitude for her visitors. She told me about her friend that gave her a card every day and was so excited to get picture Christmas cards, including one from me with a baby bump. I saw her on the feast of the Immaculate Conception and brought her communion. I also sang Hail Mary, Gentle Woman and went through the readings for the day. Little did I know how much that meant to her or her preference of songs.

Today I will go sing at her memorial mass. Included in the program is Hail Mary, Gentle Woman - not exactly a funeral song but one of her favorites and a request. Hopefully I will make it through that song okay for her. I love you Grandma!

Life at Home

I am still without internet, but that gives me an excuse to get yummy soup at Panera :-)

Things are settling down. I had a shower on Sunday and was amazed by and blessed with many great gifts. Things are all put away if not completely organized and I have gotten to take some naps. I've also been to get a massage and an adjustment by a chiropractor. I've got to get some pampering in now right?

Will is still abroad and leaves for a snowboarding trip on Thursday. He gets home on the 19th and I have that day excitedly marked in my calendar - finally I'll get bunches of foot rubs again ;-)

Until then I am just trying to stay calm for this baby. My grandma was recently moved into hospice so we're praying for her and Will's safe return home.