Cloth Diaper Excitement!

Finally the post you've all been waiting for, I'm sure!
I was interested in cloth diapers before she was born, mostly because I saw how much the family I work for paid for their diapers, and also because I kind of like the idea of soft cotton instead of plastic on her little bum. In my research about endo, one of the things that they suspect has something to do with it is the use of bleached products (tampons, etc) in that area. Endo is also thought to be genetic, so I want to give her every chance to NOT get it.
But we started with disposables anyway, mostly because of the up-front cost of cloth, and for the convenience of course. It turned out they were not as convenient as I thought. Basically I had to change her outfit every time she pooped. (And believe me, I tried every brand.) Then the poor thing got a rash that would not go away, no matter what I did. We switched to Seventh Generation Diapers and that helped quite a bit, but they are really expensive.
Then I finally ordered a few Bumgenius diapers, and they were great. No more blowouts, and her rash went completely away. I only got 4 of them because they were so expensive, but I was using them and doing laundry every day. That got annoying really fast.

Here's Madeleine in her pink bumgenius.

We saved up for a few more weeks and I ordered a package from Green Mountain Diapers, with one fitted diaper, some prefolds and 2 covers. I really like these too, and they are way cheaper. I have never had a blowout with any of the cloth diapers, although if she poops with the prefold, it usually gets on the cover. I think I still need to get that right.
So now I have enough to wash every other day and use them full time, except I still use a seventh generation disposable at night, for convenience. I'm going to place another few orders and hopefully we'll have enough to let me do laundry a little less often.
I just do a short cold rinse to help prevent stains, then a long hot wash with Charlie's Soap. Then throw everything in the dryer (except I hang dry the covers and they dry overnight.)

For work, I just pack about 6 of them and take a tote bag to put the used ones in until we get home. I do that when we go out too. We have an extra large bag at home.

I was kind of nervous about the whole thing at first, but it really is no big deal. And surprisingly, I really like it! I love making her feel all nice and clean at diaper changes, and wrapping her up with soft cotton. We take our time, I let her air out, and we talk and I kiss all over her tummy. I really enjoy diaper changes - it's bonding time.

Here are three great posts about cloth diapering.

Now, we'll see if I still like it this much when she starts solid food.... :)

Well, she doesn't seem to like weddings...

Last night we tried to go to a wedding reception of an old friend of Ken's. We got there around 7:00, and unfortunately just happened to walk in right before they announced the bridal party. The clapping REALLY startled Madeleine, and she started crying. Then Ken's dad took her and she started really screaming. We took her out in the hall, and I could not get her calmed down. So I tried to nurse her out in the car. That worked for a few minutes, but as soon as we went back in, she started screaming again. I mean screaming like I've never heard her scream before. We tried to calm her down for about 40 minutes, but I finally had to leave. She did not stop crying until we got home, I got her in her pajamas, and started feeding her.

On the way out, Uncle Terry said, "Can't you just see her in a white dress someday?"

Oh Yes, I can.

Roly Poly

Finally the kid rolled! And I missed it!
I laid her on the ground on her back and went into the laundry room to fold diapers. When I came back she was on her tummy!

Speaking of diapers, I PROMISE I'll post about it this weekend.

And Nick, you finally commented! I missed you! How have you been?
In case you were wondering, Nick is my favorite cousin. He's almost exactly one month younger than me and I always had a great time with him growing up.
Some great "Nick Memories:"

Spending the night at his house with the 4 boys. His family was so much fun that is one of the reasons I want to have a big family. They were always coming up with something fun to do. (They had a little girl several years after the last boy - and Nick and I are her Godparents!)

When Uncle Bobby took us all to play tennis. I won't elaborate, but that story still comes up at every family get together.

Playing "booty" in the tennis courts.

Playing video games when we brought Skipper down to Alabama. Blake, Jordan and Maggie were eating grapes out of a bowl on the coffee table. Whenever they'd get up, Skipper would jump up there and eat a few, then jump down before they noticed.

When we entered the neighborhood basketball tournament and WON the whole thing - the grand prize was super soakers and we had a great time with those too.

Our Rhode Island trips - Georgetown and playing basketball every night. Going to the beach when Christy "dove" into the ocean in slow motion as the wave was going out and she landed on the sand. Then she acted like she meant to do it and rolled over just as the new wave crashed down on her head! Walking down to the beach with just the "kids."

Always playing football in your backyard and Nick you would always include us in your "plays" even though you guys were way better than us!

How Michael would never let you and me be on the same team! :)

Playing cards all the time - slapjack, rummy, poker, etc.

Going camping with you guys.

Hope you are doing great, Nick! We'll be down there for "Thanksgivin'."

Google

Most people who get to my blog through Google search for "How to lose 20 pounds in 7 days" and get to this post. I'm sure they are disappointed with my method!

Today, someone got here by googling "Insensitive neighbors feeding squirrels peanuts."

OK!

I earn every penny

Could also be titled: Why I"m drinking an iced venti soy chai from Starbucks right now.

You know the scene in Caddyshack, where the lifeguard finds the Baby Ruth in the pool? Well, today, it wasn't a Baby Ruth.

I decided that I'd be brave today and take all three girls for ice cream (well, sorbet for Grace and I), then to mom's pool. The ice cream went well. That was the last thing that went well today.

We got to the pool, Grace was ready to go in. I got Ava all dressed in her swim diaper and bathing suit with the floaties in it. She's a little tentative in the water, but when I got in with her she seemed to be having a good time. Then she happened to get her mouth under the water just a little. After that, she was terrified. She held on to my neck and wouldn't let go. She wouldn't even sit on the steps. But she didn't want to get out - she just wanted me to hold her in the pool. But she just kept crying. Finally I bribed her with a piece of cheese to get out. She was totally done with the pool so I took off her bathing suit and dressed her in a regular diaper and clothes again (all while I was holding Madeleine - I"m getting good at multitasking!) Anyway, we were having a good time watching Grace when my mom decided to get in the pool. Ava LOVES my mom. She thinks she's her second Grandma. Ava starts begging to get back in. So my mom's friend says, "Why don't you just strip her down and let her go in her diaper." So I did. She was having a great time, but when she got out, her diaper was sagging down to her knees. So I just took it off. She wanted to go back in with my mom. I was holding Madeleine under the umbrella, enjoying watching Mom holding the little naked girl. She was playing on the steps and kept running over to me and talking. When this girl talks, she talks in paragraphs but no one can understand a word she says. She kept running over, talking, then running back to the pool. All of a sudden, she jumped out of the pool. Mom noticed the "Baby Ruth" sitting on the step. Then I looked down at Ava and noticed that she wasn't done. She was squatting and pooping right there on the patio. My mom's dog Skipper, who, as Uncle Louis in the movie Christmas Vacation would say, "couldn't hear a dump truck driving through a nitroglycerine plant," somehow sensed what was going on and came running - as much as a 15 year old Westie can. Ava finished up, stepped in it, and started running. I jumped up, holding Madeleine in one arm, grabbed Ava with the other, and tried with my foot to stop Skipper from "investigating." I handed Madeleine off, grabbed Ava up with a towel, took her inside and cleaned her up and got her dressed. Then mom had to fish out the poop, shock the pool, and I had to pick up the big pile off the patio. Then I got some extra strength cleaner and scrubbed the "poop deck." I have to say, she did try to warn me! Maybe it's time for some potty training.

Is it just me, or does it seem like every other post on this blog is about poop?!

Maybe I should rename it "Up To My Elbows."

Wow!

I woke up this morning to find this amazing drawing over at Chez Ouiz.

Isn't she a great artist ?!

Thank you Ouiz!!!

Tagged!

First one by New House New Job


Five Things I Love about Jesus.

1. He became one of us.
2. He died for us.
3. He opened the gates of heaven.
4. He gave us His mother as our own.
5. He started the best Church and left us with the Holy Spirit to guide it.

I can't stop at just 5.
He also inspires such great love. So much that people would die to themselves, give up everything to serve Him. That's why we have such great saints to look up to and learn from. Just look at Mother Teresa and John Paul the Great :) And even the priests and Sisters at our parish. Ok I'll stop there, although I could go on.

Next one from Ma Beck since I just went to Confession.

1.) How did you start blogging? A friend suggested it would be a good way of keeping people up to date with my pregnancy. Since everyone waited for 4 years for us to get pregnant, this kid was quite the anticipated baby. But I hardly told anyone about it until relatively recently.

2.) What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? See number one, and we continued with the baby news. I love going back and reading about my last few weeks of pregnancy and early baby days.

3.) Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How? Not really. Still mostly about the baby and issues/etc with motherhood. Now it's kind of like a baby book. I can go back and look at how much she weighed, and milestones, etc. Good thing too, because I am slacking with her real baby book!

4.) What do you wish you had known when you started? How many great Catholic moms were out there and how much I can learn from them.

5.) Does your immediate family know about your blog? Some of them. Do they read it? Every once in a while. Mostly strangers read it, surprisingly. What is so interesting about my life, anyway? :)

6.) What advice would you give a new blogger? It gets addictive!

There you go! I tag anyone who wants to play along, with one or both!

Big Girl

14 lbs 2 oz, 25 1/2 inches today. Also her physical exam was perfect.

The Doc said that he recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, but he hasn't seen anyone do that in years. What? It's only 2 more months. I can do it.
Also, he said not to give her milk until she is a year - that some people switch from formula to regular milk around 9 or 10 months to save money. I told him she gets her milk for free and I'd be happy to keep breastfeeding for a year. He said that never happens but to go for it if I want to. Well, it's going to happen in this house, let me tell ya!

I asked if she would outgrow her milk allergy. He said there's a 50-50 chance, but that allergies to dairy are not nearly as bad as a peanut allergy. He said we could do some bloodwork to see how allergic she is to some different things. He recommended that I stay away from all dairy and all peanut products, just to be safe.

He said that he predicts she'll be 16 lbs, 10 oz at her 6 month appointment, and I should bet Ken and make some money :) We'll see if he is right.

4 months old!

I can't believe how fast this is going! People always said that to me but I didn't really believe them. She's been here for 1/3 of a year!
She is such a happy, smiley baby (now that I have given up dairy.) She smiles and "talks" to everyone. She will let new people hold her for a while but always wants to go back to mom eventually. She goes to sleep in her crib around 7:30 every night, give or take a half hour. She still wakes up 2 or 3 times to eat. On a REALLY good night she wakes up once. Around 5am I let her come in bed with me for a few hours. I love waking up to her happy smiley face. On the fourth of July we were trying to sleep in, but she started making noises like she was trying to get Ken's attention. When he looked at her, she gave him a big smile.

Her daddy loves her and says all the time he can't believe how cute she is. He makes her laugh out loud a lot. Almost all the time she has her thumb or fingers in her mouth. She is really good at sucking her thumb. It is always the left one. She tries to get the right one in there but hasn't quite figured it out yet. She hasn't rolled over yet. When I put her on her stomach she gets up on her knees, but won't roll. She does roll very easily from her back to her side, and usually sleeps like that.
She loves Ava and Grace and they always make her smile and laugh. Ava comes up to her every morning when I get there and wants me to pick her up to see Madeleine. She waves at her and says "Hi Baby!" Then she tickles her feet and makes her laugh. When I'm holding her on the chair Ava comes up and says "Baby! Hug!" and gives her a hug. She loves to watch them be silly. Grace can ALWAYS make her laugh. She laughs when she just looks at Grace. Grace thinks it's hilarious to just come up to her and say random words (like Banana, or Knock Knock) and watch her laugh. She'll be playing with them before I know it! We are so blessed to have such a beautiful, happy daughter! And I love those dimples!

Happy 4th of July!

We had a nice day off today. We went swimming at Mom and Dad's, had a cookout, and went to Carmelfest. I even had some non-dairy strawberry sorbet. That is the closest thing I've had to ice cream in a while - it was delicious! Madeleine had a long day and only a few short naps, so hopefully she'll sleep well - if the neighborhood hooligans don't wake her up with those fireworks :)

Don't worry

The great cloth diaper post is coming soon - I haven't forgotten. It's working out really well so far though. (Except people working on the streets around here keep hitting the water mains, so that doesn't help my diaper washing schedule!)

For now I'll leave you with "The Great Poop Incident of 2007."

On Sunday, we were at Borders for our Sunday morning date after mass. She was sitting on my lap, and all of a sudden there was a HUGE noise. I'll leave that to your imagination, but it was NOT very lady like. Then it was clear to everyone in the cafe that we'd be going home and we'd BOTH be changing ALL our clothes.

I had to change her in the car, strip her completely down, basically use every wipe I had. It was EVERYWHERE. She was in her cute little Fourth of July outfit too.

And, we had a great anniversary, paid for by Mrs Duff (Father Dan's mom!) She very generously gave me a Panera Gift card, Starbucks gift card, and 2 movie tickets for helping out with his slide show! So we went to Panera for dinner, then went to see Evan Almighty, then walked around Clay Terrace with our Starbucks. Madeleine was an angel most of the time (except ANOTHER poop incident during the movie.) We kept her out late and she slept well that night too!

This is a new one...

Last night we were sitting in the living room, and all of a sudden we heard a loud "POP" like a gunshot and our electricity went out. Ken went out in the backyard to investigate, and our neighbors were out too. We think a squirrel got into the transformer and...well.. you know. He didn't make it. The electric company came but it was several hours before we had electricity again!

Happy Anniversary Ken!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

One Year Ago Today

I took my very first positive pregnancy test.

(Yes, that is the real thing. I kept it. I'll admit it.)

It was the day before our 4th anniversary. I was only on CD 29, and it had been exactly two years since we had been actively trying. That month we had said a novena to St. Anthony together, specifically to conceive a child. I had one test left, and I woke up knowing that I was going to take it. I told myself that I'd be ok if it was negative again (I'd taken lots of negative tests before.) But I did want to be able to tell Ken on our anniversary if it was positive, and I didn't want to wait until the next day and be disappointed, so I went into the bathroom and took it. It was immediately positive. I was standing at the sink, and I started shaking. My knees almost buckled. I wanted to tell Ken so badly - he was standing in the next room ironing his shirt. But I didn't. I wanted it to be special when I did tell him.

After he left, I called my doctor, the reproductive endocrinologist who had been treating me for endo. They said to come in for a blood test. I did. I was at the pool later that day when they called me and said the pregnancy test was positive. I was amazed.

Later that day, I drove with Ava to Babies R Us to get this bib for Ken.

While I was driving, I heard Blessed Be Your Name on the radio and started crying.
I cooked him a nice dinner, and told him I wanted to give him his present one day early. I gave him the bib all wrapped up in a box. We rejoiced together!

How our lives have changed since then!

First Swim

Madeleine went swimming for the very first time today! She looked so cute in her little orange tie dye bikini. She really loved the water. The fresh air, swimming and sunshine must have worn her out though, because she was completely out in the two minute drive from mom's house. She is taking a good nap now, and she has her very first "real" picture session this afternoon at Olan Mills.

Has anyone else noticed that her left thumb is ALWAYS in her mouth?!

And I actually got some time in the sun, because Mom held her in the shade for a while. I definitely need some sun! I think someone should invent sunscreen that is safe on a baby. I'd buy it.

Madeleine's sleeping and I'm on vacation so...

Were you named after anyone? Mary's cousin and Mary's mother

When was the last time you cried? Probably in the very hormonal first few weeks after giving birth

Do you like your handwriting? Yes

What is your favorite lunch meat? Roast beef.

Do you have kids? One so far. I'm going for double digits.

If you were another person, would you be friends with yourself? Yes I'm lots of fun :)

Do you use sarcasm a lot? I'm trying to cut back, but yes.

Do you still have your tonsils? Yes. But not my appendix or wisdom teeth.

Would you bungee jump? I think so. I reversed bungee jumped once (where they pull you all the way down and shoot you up in the air - it was fun.) However, I used to be much more of a daredevil before I had to pay for my own insurance.

What is your favorite cereal? Frosted Mini Wheats.

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Nope.

What is your favorite ice cream? *Sigh*... I miss ice cream. I love rocky road.

What do you notice first about people? If they are easy to talk to and have a good sense of humor.

Red or pink? Pink for sure. But I like red on Madeleine.

What is your least favorite thing about yourself? My laziness in a lot of different areas of my life.

What is the last thing you ate? Haven't eaten anything today, but I'm drinking an iced soy chai.

What color pant and shoes are you wearing? Jean capris, but it's SO hot I'm going to change into shorts. No shoes right now, but I was wearing flip flops.

What are you listening to right now? Nothing, Madeleine's sleeping right here and I'm trying to keep it down.

What are your favorite smells? One time someone gave me a rosary made out of sandalwood. I love that smell. Plus the inside of old churches.

Who was the last person you talked to on the phone? My mom and Father Dan.

What are your favorite sports to watch? Colts Football. I used to like to watch the Pacers but now Reggie Miller is gone and the rest of them are a bunch of thugs.

What is your hair color? Brown

What is your eye color? green

Do you wear contacts? No. I used to, but I had Lasik in 2001. Love it and I'd recommend it to anyone!

Scary movie or happy ending? I like both, but I HATE sad movies. Actually I don't know what happened to my "movie attention span" lately, but ever since I was pregnant, I pretty much have no patience for movies anymore.

What is your favorite food? Sesame Chicken with fried rice from Mandarin House, and Rocky Road ice cream from Oberweiss.

What was the last movie you saw? In the theater? Who knows? We just watched Deja Vu with Denzel Washington the other night. It was good.

What color shirt are you wearing? White shirt with pink flowers from New York and Co. They were having a big sale and I'm SO glad the longer style is back in.

Summer or winter? Summer, but I like all the seasons.

Hugs or kisses? Both. I love kissing Madeleine's chubby little cheeks and tummy!

What is your favorite dessert? Lemon Merengue or Key Lime pie

What are you reading? I'm trying to finish Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince again before number 7 comes out in July.

What is on your mouse pad? A 2005 calendar. I think it's time for an update.

What did you watch on TV last night? Frasier.

Rolling Stones or The Beatles? The Beatles

What is the farthest you've been from home? Rome

Where were you born? Kokomo, IN

If you're reading this, you're tagged!

Vacation

It's been GREAT so far. Very relaxing. We went to Starbucks and the mall with mom yesterday. Madeleine was a perfect angel. I carried her around the mall in the sling, and she attracted lots of attention. She especially enjoyed looking at herself in the mirrors.
Today we visited baby Mia. She is beautiful, and Donna looks great.
Tomorrow I'm going to Rosary group again, and then getting together with my friends for a "playdate" (more for us than the kids.)
I'm getting a little "taste" of being a stay at home mom. I got a lot of laundry done, cleaned up a little, and much to Ken's chagrin, bought a few things online :) It's so nice to be able to do the chores throughout the day, instead of trying to cram them all in at night.
We're trying cloth diapers. I'll post more about that later, but it's not bad at all so far.

I'll leave you with my little naked card shark. I had to strip her down during the game. She must be good luck because I won!

New Camera!

Finally!!! We have a digital camera that works! Ken and I decided to get a camera for our anniversary present. I'm SO glad we finally have one.

I hope no one minds lots of pictures :)

Tummy Time

Last weekend, I learned that my Goddaughter Merrin rolled over before she even turned 3 months old. Madeleine's pushing 4 months and hasn't rolled yet. (Probably because I hardly ever put her down....) So I tried to give her some tummy time. You see what happened.

By the way, isn't that a BEAUTIFUL quilt that Ashley made for her? We just love it!

And she did ALMOST roll over yesterday. If her arm wasn't in the way, she would have been on her back :)

8 to 5

That is how long my kid slept last night. YEAH!!!

And surprisingly, here's some even better news... tomorrow starts my 10 day vacation! I can't wait. This summer is going faster than I thought it would, but I've been waiting for this week.

Ordination Weekend

Ok I finally got a chance to sit down and write about this!

We had a fantastic weekend. The ordination ceremony in Lafayette was beautiful. We had three men ordained; Dan, Chris, and David. Dan has been a great friend of mine for many years - all through high school and we lived at the Newman Center at Ball State for two years together. (The girls and boys were in seperate buildings, just to clear that up!) But we all called each other "roommates." We also majored in Religious Studies together, so we had many of the same classes. We traveled to Mexico several times for mission trips, kept in touch in his 5 years in seminary, and he baptized Madeleine. So he is very special to me!
We were in the balcony, because the past two years I wasn't able to see a thing downstairs. But from up there we could see everything. My favorite part was when the three of them laid prostrate on the ground and we prayed the litany of the saints. Then ALL the priests in the diocese laid hands on them, then gave them the fraternal kiss. Actually, my very favorite part was communion. I carried Madeleine downstairs and I didn't care who I had to cut, but I was going to Father Dan! Turned out I didn't have to cut anyone, and Madeleine received a blessing from him. The bishop gave my dad the "eye" because no one was going to him for communion - everyone wanted to go to the new priests!
Then, on Saturday evening, Dan's parents threw a dinner reception for him. They had a buffet, music, and even some comedy! (We missed that part because we were getting a blessing from Father Dan.) They also played the slide show we made and everyone loved it. Madeleine was SO good that night. I kept her up till 9:45, and she slept until 5am - that was great for me. They also presented Father Dan with a chalice that the Knights of Columbus had given his Grandmother in honor of his Grandfather when he died.

Sunday was his first mass. Madeleine didn't behave QUITE as well as I had hoped, and Ken and I had to take turns taking her out. But she finally fell asleep around communion time, so we both got back inside. Father Dan was a natural. He looked like he had been saying mass for years. The music was beautiful too - a lot of Latin. After communion, he dedicated his priesthood to Mary, because she gave us her Son, and brings us to her Son. Then, he said that it was a tradition to offer his mother the piece of cloth that he wiped his hands with after the Bishop had annointed them with oil. Then, when she passed into eternal life, she would be buried with it. That way, when she got to the gates of heaven, and St. Peter asked what she had given to God, she could hand him the cloth and say, "I gave Him my son." Then he gave the stole with which he heard his first confession to his dad. It was so beautiful. I am praying that God gives me a child who has a religious vocation.

After Mass, there was a lunch reception in the parish hall. That was SO much fun, because all our friends from high school and college came and I got to visit with them. Several of us have baby girls now. Yay for girls! I got to see my Goddaughter Merrin for the first time since she was about 3 weeks old at her baptism. Darn, Ashley, we forgot to get a picture of the girls together! How could we forget that?!
I also saw my priest from Ball State, Father Mike. He got to hold Madeleine and he gave her a blessing. I saw my friend Sister Margaret, is a Sister of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Mishawaka, and gave her a picture to show the Sisters up there. Apparently they had all been asking about her. I told them to hang up the picture in the convent somewhere, and every time they say it they could say a prayer for her :)
Another friend has discerned a religious vocation with the Sisters of Life in New York, and I got to hear her vocation story.

It was just an incredible weekend. I'm so glad all of us were able to celebrate these men chosen to become priests. I told Father Dan that I was so proud of him, that he had the strength and courage to answer God's call to holiness. I am also so glad that I have such a good friend who is a priest. I feel like sometimes kids grow up thinking that priests and sisters are "too holy" and they could never be like them. But my kids will grow up around Father Dan, and all the other great seminarians who will become priests, and the Dominican Sisters. They'll learn that ordinary people are called to live extraordinary lives, and maybe they'll be inspired to do the same!!

Happy Father's Day

To Father Dan, just ordained yesterday!

And Dad and Ken, the two best Fathers in the world!
We love you and we're so blessed to have you in our lives!
Love, Beth and Madeleine

Snapshot of my day

I'm driving along, turn around at a stoplight to look at the kids, and this is what I see:

Hey Ken

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? :) :) :)

Rosary Group

Yesterday, a friend invited us to come to her Rosary Group that meets every Wednesday. It was in the house right behind us so we just walked over there, not knowing what to expect. The lady that lives there has 7 boys, and there were about 25 kids total. Madeleine was the youngest, and I think the oldest was around 4th grade. There were several babies and toddlers. Usually I end up spending time with people who have kids under 2, so it was really neat to see all the older kids interacting with their moms and younger siblings. We all sat outside, and when we started the rosary all the kids came over and prayed with us. I was really surprised, even the toddlers were respectful and quiet. (Even Ava - she must have seen what the other kids were doing and followed their example!) Grace even led a decade, by herself in front of everyone, and did exceptionally well!

I was so impressed how nice these kids were. They helped their moms watch their younger siblings, even voluntarily keeping them entertained. There was a family with 3 girls around Grace's age, and Grace really enjoyed playing with them. (Usually it's like pulling teeth to get that kid to play with kids she hasn't met before.)

These kinds of families are what makes me want to have a whole bunch of kids.
I hope they invite us back!

Finally!

Madeleine's Godsister finally has a name - Mia Marie.

Now Madeleine knows what to call her new best friend!

We got to go visit her in the hospital yesterday. She is a beautiful little thing!

Something's not quite right....

I just asked Ken, "Did you know our daughter slept from 10:30 to 5:30 last night?"

"Yes. I read it on the blog this morning."

New Baby!

Madeleine's Godmother had her baby yesterday! A little girl, 6 lbs 12 oz, 19.5 inches. Pretty good for being 3 weeks early. Her blood sugar's a little low but she will be fine. No name yet! (She's killing me!) We're going to meet her tonight, hopefully she'll have a name by then.

We went to the beautiful Confirmation last night at church. Ken was a sponsor to two kids. I was nervous, because Madeleine has been going to bed right at 7:30, and it started at 7:00. But she fell asleep in her sling, woke up to eat during the Eucharistic prayer, I got back upstairs in time to go to communion and she got blessed by Bishop Higi! She was quite the angel - smiling and talking to everyone after mass.

Then..... the best thing EVER - she slept from 10:30 - 5:30! (I didn't - I kept getting up and wondering why she was still sleeping.... ) She's still sleeping right now, but I'm going to have to get her up to go to work soon.

Oh and this weekend we heard that our parish is getting not one, but TWO new priests! One of them is being ordained Saturday, he is a Harvard graduate and studied in Rome, taking all his classes in Italian, and still managed to graduate top of his class. The other one was ordained 2 years ago and was always one of my favorite seminarians. We actually played the music at his first mass, and I cried pretty much all the way through it. It was so moving. Ever since his first mass I"ve been praying that I have a son who is called to be a priest. I'm sure this weekend's Ordination festivities will make me desire that even more.

I love babies!

And there are so many of them!

One of the things I love about blogging is that it seems like every month or so, you get to celebrate with someone who has a new baby!
Just since I've been blogging (for less than a year) here are the babies who have been born:

Maggie
Mary
Madeleine
Benjamin
Leo

now there's Charles, just born yesterday and not even blogged about yet!! (Can't wait, Anne!)
And the babies coming soon are:

Bren's
Chez Ouiz's
Rachel's
Meredith's

Isn't it great?!
Even though I've never met any of you (except Anne!) I just love celebrating your sweet new babies with you. So keep them coming!

While you're praying

Say a few for Anne, she is in the hospital probably having her baby Charles - who is almost a week overdue!

Last night I had my first cavity filled. It was not bad at all, but now I can't say I've never had a cavity.... but I needed a little lesson on pride anyway ;-) Madeleine stayed with mom and she did great. Talked and talked, then sucked her thumb and put herself to sleep in the bouncy seat. She's been SO good lately. She puts herself to sleep in her crib every night around 7:30, wakes up at 1:00 and 4:30 but goes right back to sleep after eating. I can handle this, although I do hope she gives up one of those feedings relatively soon.
No baby yet for Madeleine's godmother.

Pray for Madeleine's Godmother

She's been in the hospital for a few days but she got to come home last night. I guess her baby was putting pressure on her kidneys, but she is a little over 36 weeks so the baby would be fine if born now. She's home on bedrest and trying to keep the kid inside for at least another week.

Also we have her daughter today - pray that I can handle these 4 girls! :)

3 months old!

And cuter than ever.

Madeleine laughs!

The angel who watches says "Hey look at that!"

Grace made Madeleine laugh for the first time today! I had never even tried to make her laugh before, because I did not think babies laughed this early (she'll be 3 months old tomorrow.) But today, Grace was playing piano and I started clapping after she finished her song. She came over and started clapping Madeleine's hands and she just started cracking up! It was the sweetest little laugh I ever heard. I may have cried a little :)
Then we called my mom so she could hear, and she did it several more times today. Yay!!

She also slept in her crib from 7:30 to 1:30 last night. What a good baby.

Hello everyone out there

I enabled anyone to comment on my page now, not just people registered with blogger. So... everyone who regularly reads this, please comment and/or say hi!

Just sign your name so I know who you are :)

Unbelievable.

My kid. Fussy girl herself. Fell asleep. In her CRIB. BY HERSELF. Two hours ago!
I could NOT believe it.

She was amazing today. Great in Barnes and Nobles. Perfect at home (we vaccuumed in her wrap, see post below.) Slept on the way to the airport and back. Really, the no dairy thing must really be helping, because she is like a different kid.

Then we finished the slide show for Deacon Dan's ordination in two weeks from today! It is beautiful. It is for the lunch after his first Mass that Sunday.
We took it over and showed it to his mom and dad. They both loved it and cried. It turned out so well. Then his mom showed us his beautiful chalice, and also two vestments that she had made for him. God please give at least one of my children a religious vocation!
Madeleine was SO good at the Duff's house. We were there for over an hour, and she was an angel.

Then, we came home, I fed her, gave her a bath, and put her in her crib to look at her mobile while I took a shower. When I got out, she was asleep!! I almost don't know what to do with myself :)

A summer day in pictures

I found my fist!
Helping Mommy with chores isn't so bad when I'm in my Ellaroo Wrap.
All this playing outside just wore me out!

Modesty

Suzanne has a good discussion about modesty going in her comments on this post.

Ken and I have already discussed this issue, and how important it is to our family. My kid will dress modestly, no matter what "everybody else" is doing. She'll also grow up knowing why it's important to be modest.

This reminds me of a story a good friend of mine told. One day in high school she brought home a shirt that wasn't exactly modest. The next day it was gone. When she questioned her mom about it, she matter-of-factly said, "I threw it away." She never brought home an immodest shirt again. This woman has 6 kids, all practicing Catholics, two are priests. I hope to be as good of a mother as her one day!

So those of you who have dealt with this issue, do you have any suggestions for me about how to raise a daughter who understands the virtue of modesty? Or any stories from your own families would be good too!

Summer Vacation starts today

When I was in school. those words made me so happy. This year, they just make me nervous. This year, summer vacation means that I have 3 kids all day instead of 2. In an hour, I have to pick kid #3 up from school and then it begins.....

I hope I can handle it.
I hope Madeleine can handle all the extra noise.
I hope I still get some quiet time with just Madeleine.
I hope she is able to get some good naps.
I hope giving up the dairy helps with her fussiness so I can do more with the other kids instead of just holding a crying baby all day.
I hope it is not TOO hot and humid this summer so we can be outside.

Wish me luck and pray for me.....

Indy 500 weekend

At least that's what I always thought it was called - not Memorial Day weekend!

Dad, Ken, my brother and sister in law went to the 500 yesterday. (I think they went to see Peyton Manning and that guy from Grey's Anatomy!) Mom and I and Madeleine went furniture shopping and out to lunch. They came home after the first rain delay though, so they didn't see the end. I couldn't believe the cars actually got back out on the track after all that rain. And I couldn't believe that Dario Franchitti (Ashley Judd's husband) won after all that. I'm not a big fan of Ashley Judd. I was hoping Danica Patrick would win, but even though she was in second at one point, she finished 8th. Still pretty good.

When we were little, my cousins Joanne and Tom from Rhode Island always came for the race. We looked forward to them coming every year. Joanne always brought me a Gorham teddy bear, which are now all up on Madeleine's shelf. They were my favorite things to play with growing up. They also always brought delicious treats for us and we always had a great time. When we were really little, we'd always go spend the night at our Grandma and Grandpa's house because mom and dad and Joanne and Tom would have to get up so early to drive to the track. Of course they spoiled us - took us out to dinner, bought us treats, and played Old Maid, Crazy 8's and Trouble all day. When they lived on the farm, my brother and I spent hours outside playing in the barn, hunting for bugs, and picking vegetables out of their garden. Good memories.

Joanne and Tom didn't get to come this year, but we can't go too long without seeing them. We think a trip up to Rhode Island will be in our near future... maybe that will be Madeleine's first plane ride! (Hopefully that is ok with them! :)

We got new sheets today - much better than our "bed in a bag" sheets we've had since our wedding - almost 5 years! Can't wait to try them out tonight. They are in the dryer right now.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Tagged

I was tagged for a meme (I still don't know exactly what this word means..) by FloridaWife to list 8 facts about myself, so here goes:

1. I'm 5'9" and can never find pants long enough to fit me.
2. I have a cute black fluffy cat named Roofus, who loves to bring her toys up in the middle of the night and let the whole house know what she's doing. She also has only 4 teeth but she can gum down her food just fine. We adopted her from a shelter and her name was Teresa (?). We named her Reggie but then she just felt more like a Roofus to me, so that name stuck. I like to give nicknames to animals - My cat growing up was named Sasha but I called her McGee, and my mom's dog is named Skipper but I call him Bo.
3. I'd be happy if we never got a dog. This feeling intensifies whenever I see someone walking behind a dog in the middle of Carmel carrying a bag of poop. We're probably going to have to get a dog someday but not until Madeleine is old enough to carry that bag herself. (Or her daddy can do it, since he wants one so much.)
4. I used to be a lifeguard in high school and college and that was my favorite job ever! I wish I could still do that in the summer.
5. My favorite drink is an iced chai from Starbucks. But now that I have to give up dairy, I have to get an iced soy chai which is pretty good but not quite as good. (Soy doesn't seem to bother her, but dairy definitely does now that I've tested it...sad.)
6. I used to teach abstinence education to inner city kids.
7. I majored in Religious Studies at a public university. Most of my classes were taught by a very anti-Catholic Baptist preacher. I used to start a few "discussions" in those classes and got really into apologetics. Also, on tests, I would put the "correct" answer like the teacher wanted, but then I would write next to it that I was just putting that answer because the teacher wanted me to, but that I didn't believe it and explain why.
8. I minored in Spanish and I've been to Mexico about 10 times on mission trips. Also, my first job out of college was the Youth Programs Director for the Hispanic Center in Indy. It was a lot of fun and I started a soccer league, golf club, boxing club, took the kids fishing, art club and several other things. I had a great time with the kids and learned lots of Spanish, however it seems to be true that "if you don't use it, you lose it."

I tag Anne and Brenda and Heather :)

NOKIDS

Mom and I were driving downtown one day to go to confession at St. John's. We got there, and there was a huge line, as there is most every day. Madeleine behaved herself for most of the time, but then when there were about 2 or 3 people in front of us, she started fussing. Mom and I started bouncing her, handing her back and forth, trying to calm her down. The people in front of me let me go in front of them (how nice!) I went in and had a quick confession, as I could hear her crying in the church. I left the confessional, took her from mom, and went outside to the van to feed her and say my penance. I didn't mind having to hurry in confession, and I didn't mind saying my penance in the car instead of the beautiful church. God has given me this gift and I am very happy to do all the work involved, and maybe miss out on a thing or two.

On the way home, we saw a very expensive red sports car. (Who knows what kind it was?!) There was a youngish guy driving it, and his license plate said NOKIDS. At first, I was thinking (and probably said out loud) - "Why don't you hang a sign on your car that says 'I'm so materialistic that I would turn down God's greatest gift for a stupid car?'" But then I got to thinking. He may think he's happy now, with his money and his "carefree" lifestyle. But he can't take his material possessions with him when he dies. When he's home by himself with all his things, he probably feels a little empty inside. He doesn't understand that true joy comes from living the way God wants him to, and from things that are not of this world. So mom and I said a quick prayer for him, and I thanked God for reminding me that "things" are not what is important. When I got home I gave my sweet daughter a big kiss and hug.

Please God let me think of him when I start grumbling about getting up at night, or having to eat my cold dinner in two minutes, or change yet another diaper or outfit, or not having any extra money. Because she is the greatest gift I could ever receive, and I get to take her with me.

Wow!

That prescription cream really worked so far! Her rash has totally cleared up and she's like a different kid - hardly fusses at all, no screaming, and she even took a nap in her swing. She must have been itching really bad! We had an unexpected day off yesterday because Ava was sick, so we hung out at Mom's house. Mom was saying how different she seemed - very alert, looking around, and not fussing - yeah! I'm also giving up dairy, which is really hard because I love milk and cheese and yogurt (and Starbucks!!) Hopefully that will help too.

*Sigh*

Sorry, I left this post with just a title for a while! Really, I just got interrupted and accidently hit the post button :)

Well, we went to the doctor. He said she has atopic dermatitis, possibly excema, which is very sensitive skin caused by allergies. Poor little thing. So we have to do several things.

1. Prevention - by only taking one bath every three days, and all of her stuff (soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, diapers, etc) has to be fragrance free and hypoallergenic.

2. We have to put Eucerin or Lubriderm all over her every day if she does not have a rash.

3. If she does have a rash (which she does right now), we have to put this prescription cream on her which I got today. We also have to put 1% hydrocortizone cream on her diaper area and alternate it with Lotrimin, since she has a diaper rash AND a yeast infection. No wonder the poor kid has been so fussy! I also bought some hypoallergenic, fragrance and chlorine free diapers from Wild Oats, since the doc said that a lot of the main brands of diapers put fragrance in them and that is not good for her sensitive skin either.

If these things do not help, I have to start cutting things out of my diet (like all dairy, peanuts, and any allergy causing foods.) He also said to keep her away from irritants, and also delay starting solid foods as long as possible since her dad has a food allergy. And if all of this does not help, he said the last resort is to put her on a special, very expensive formula. I really hope we don't have to do that. He said that a lot of kids grow out of this by 6 or 8 months. I really hope so, poor thing.

11 weeks old

And we are officially in 3-6 months clothes today! This weekend I packed up almost all of her 0-3 month clothes (there are a few outfits that still fit), and hung up all her 3-6 month clothes. She has a TON! We have a lot of Ava's stuff, although since she was born in November, most of her clothes are for colder weather. Mom bought her 9 (yes 9!) new outfits when she was in Myrtle Beach, and she had some other outfits in that size from the showers. Also, before Mom went nuts buying her clothes, I had taken some duplicate things back that we were given and gotten her 4 new outfits. I think she's pretty much set for this size - I hope she stays in it for a while!

We had a good girls night in on Saturday with Lori, although I don't think fussy girl Madeleine made a very good first impression. And I could not stay up for the whole movie we tried to watch.

On Sunday Ken's dad, mom, brother and 6 year old niece Daphne came over. Ken's brother Terry has a Jeep, and they took out a few trees in our front yard and trimmed some dead branches. Daphne made a new friend with Ryan from next door, and they played outside together. She also painted Madeleine a few pictures. The kid is a pretty good artist!

Madeleine still has a rash on her arms, legs, and chest. So I have made her an appointment with her pediatrician today. I actually called him on Friday and he said not to worry about it. However, I'm going to do the new mom thing and take her in anyway, especially since it seems to be getting worse. Hopefully he can help her out!

4 generations

Yay!

Lori, my best friend from college, is coming today! She lives in southern Indiana, and hasn't met Madeleine yet (hope she behaves!) Ken's band is playing a gig on the south side of Indy tonight so we're having a girls night in. I got pizza, some Ben and Jerrys (pistachio and chunky monkey), and hopefully there's some kind of chick flick on pay-per-view.

Fussy girl update

She seems to be doing much better the past few days! Thank you everyone for all your advice and words of encouragement. Maybe it was a phase, maybe it was because I cut way back on the caffeine. Sorry this picture is so bad, but I couldn't believe this. I laid her down on the floor to look at the ceiling fan (the kid loves a ceiling fan!) and she fell asleep on the floor! By herself!

This is great

This ridiculous article was published in the Indianapolis Star yesterday.

My husband's response, which was published today.

The unedited version of his response that he submitted to the Star:

Marie Cocco’s editorial regarding so-called “right wing” Catholics and how they will address Giuliani represents a confoundedly dense view of what being “Catholic” means. First, the Catholic Church cannot be divided into convenient political spectra just to simplify an issue for a lazy columnist. There is no right or left wing, there is only Catholic. The descriptors come into play only when one deviates from Catholic truths. Case in point: abortion. It is, and has always been, the position of the Catholic Church that abortion is morally and spiritually wrong. Period. Therefore, a Catholic who adheres to this belief is simply “Catholic.” Not right wing, not neo-con, not ultra-conservative. Conversely, a Catholic who supports a pro-choice agenda is rightly singled out as such: a pro-choice Catholic – even if such an identifier is as logical as a “pro-theft police officer.”

Second, Ms. Cocco attempts to equate pro-death penalty Catholics with pro-choice Catholics. This reflects ignorance of the Catholic faith (if only there was a book, a Catechism if you will, where she could have researched this – but I have a feeling that for her if it doesn’t appear in a CNN sound bite it doesn’t exist). For one, the Catholic Church acknowledges a state’s right to ensure the safety of its populace, which if necessary may include the death penalty if it is the only way to ensure such safety. Granted, the qualifications the Church places on the use of the death penalty makes it, in practice, untenable in a country like the U.S., but the point stands that there is no per se prohibition as compared to abortion.

Finally, Ms. Cocco would have unsuspecting readers believe that Catholics (meaning by definition the pro-life variety, lest Ms. Cocco and her ilk be confused) will be flummoxed by Giuliani’s position as both a pro-choice and a conservative. Have no fear, Ms. Cocco, we Catholics have resources which you apparently can’t comprehend to discern how we will address the pressing issues facing us, and fortunately for us, those resources contain wisdom and truth that utterly obfuscate the need for opinionated hack columnists whose opinion of faith, morality, and spirituality was apparently formed during a three-minute conversation at a cocktail party. Giuliani will receive, and deserves, the same scrutiny from Catholics as does any politician who seeks the vote of a Catholic. And in case no one has noticed, there indeed has already been much grumbling by conservatives – Catholic and otherwise – about Giuliani’s abortion position. Which leads me to wonder what exactly Ms. Cocco’s point was in the first place.

Fussy

What is going on?! For the past several days Madeleine has been SO fussy. She screams whenever I put her down, and won't nap unless I'm holding her. It's kind of hard to take care of an 18 month old at the same time when I have to hold her all day long. And even when I hold her sometimes it doesn't help.

Am I eating something that doesn't agree with her?
Am I spoiling her?

Is there something wrong with my parenting?

Maybe she's going through a growth spurt and not getting enough to eat? Maybe she is not getting enough quality naps?

Is she just a high maintenence kid?

I don't want to let her cry (although I've done that for 5 or 10 minutes here or there when, you know, I need to take a quick shower, go to the bathroom, etc).
Grace was so helpful yesterday. I had to leave Madeleine in her bouncy seat when I went upstairs to get Ava out of her crib and change her diaper. By the time we got back down, Madeleine was screaming and Ava was screaming too. Grace went over to Madeleine and made funny faces until she stopped. Then I had to pick her up and put her in the sling b/c that is the only way she'll nap (and she'd been up for several hours!) Ava was crying because she wanted me to hold her instead of the baby. Grace tried lots of different things to help Ava, and finally got her to stop crying by giving her some chips and juice.
But seriously, I need some advice. When Ava was this age, she used to just hang out and watch the world in her bouncy seat, and eventually fall asleep. Madeleine is not happy unless I'm holding her or she's in the sling. When I'm doing these things, she's a very happy, smiley baby. But I just can't hold her all day and also take care of Ava and get anything else done. What can I do? Any advice? Please tell me this is just a phase.

Madeleine and Grace, my little helper

First Mother's Day

We had a great Mother's day. On Saturday we met Ken's mom and dad for breakfast, then had a cookout at my parents' house in the afternoon. Mom and Dad got me a Willow Tree statue called "Child of my Heart," it's a mother holding a baby. It is beautiful! Ken stayed with Madeleine for the first time ever by himself and I went and got a pedicure. That was some nice pampering but I sure missed my baby for that hour!! That is the longest I've ever been away from her.

Sarah Bauer (go to her site on my sidebar) has a new album coming out in June called Radiance. We got to hear it early - yay! Here's a quote from my favorite song:

"Daily chores, so mundane, where was all the meaning? Diapers, clean clothes put away, wondering while she's feeding. Future leader in her arms, she'll keep him safe from harm. Do these small things mean a thing? Rock him gently, hear her sing, 'Take my ordinary, like water into wine. Create extraordinary, transform this life of mine. These gifts are Yours, use them for Your glory. Take me, make me extraordinary.'"

It's a really great album, and that is definitely my favorite song. I'll quote some other songs as it gets closer to being released. Sarah I hope I got the words all right!

Good thing she has lots of clothes

1st outfit of the day

2nd outfit

And it was only 9 am.

Happy Mother's Day!

The Ellen Show was on and she read this submission to a contest from a viewer:

So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom. Well, we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick.. LOVES IT. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done. Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood. We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right--their little butts do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind. And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth. And THAT is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your chapstick on the cat's butt.

New clothes

Ken didn't think that last picture was too flattering, so here is another one. This is her very first 3-6 month outfit. And yes, this is the same one from the story a few posts back. It's already been through the washer and dryer today. She will sleep in her bouncy seat as long as my foot is bouncing it. I'm getting good at bouncing and typing at the same time!

Fat Baby in a Little Sling

Holy.....

Subtitled: Ken's going to have another diaper changing lesson tonight.

And: I'm going to Starbucks this afternoon.

I get to work at 8:00am. Madeleine sits in her carseat, just watching us happily, while I get Ava's breakfast, change her diaper, and put her down for her morning nap.
I go to pick up Madeleine, and I've never seen so much poop in my LIFE. Her diaper was on completely crooked. (Practice makes perfect, Ken!) It was all over her brand new 3-6 month outfit (first one today!) that my friend Jenny got her. We are going out to lunch with her and her son Jack today so I wanted to make sure she wore this particular outfit. It had a shirt and overalls. The poop was all over the shirt, the overalls, the carseat, the straps, EVERYTHING. I didn't have anywhere to put her, so I just had to put her on the changing pad, so poop got all over that too. Of course there was a load of clothes in the washer and the dryer, so I had to fold the clothes in the dryer, move the other clothes over, take the entire carseat apart, and wash everything. I also had to strip the poor baby completely down and clean her off with wipes as best as I could and then leave her poor little naked self (well, with a diaper) in the bouncy seat while I cleaned everything. And I had to clean all the straps with clorox wipes and then rinse them with water. So now we are waiting for everything to dry so we can go out to lunch.
I'm so glad that everything they make for babies is washable.

I called Ken to tell him about it, and he said, "I guess this is going on the blog, isn't it?"

Yep.

The funny thing is, I really didn't mind it that much. I mean, this is my vocation, and it involves cleaning up a LOT of messes. I just knew it would be a funny story to tell later. Of course it would have been even funnier if it had happened to Ken - he's a little scared of poop. :-)

Stress

I've found that one of the most stressful things I can experience is my baby screaming in the backseat of the car while I'm driving and can't do anything about it. Well, today I found something more stressful.

I was driving home and both kids were relatively quiet in the car, so I decided to stop at the bank to deposit a check. I drove back to the drive thru, and there are two lines. One line had 4 cars in it and the other one had one. So I chose to go in the line that had one. Well, as soon as I got stuck in line, Madeleine started screaming. 10 minutes later (still in line), Ava couldn't take it anymore and started crying too. I knew what she was feeling - I kind of felt like crying too. Well, of course, all 4 cars in the other lane made their transactions and drove away, and the woman in the car in front of me was still sitting there. I was getting really on edge with both kids screaming, so I backed up and tried to go in the other lane. Apparantly I misjudged the distance and I scraped the entire side of my van on the red pole dividing the two lanes. I heard the most terrible scraping/crunching sound (over the screaming, so I knew it had to be bad.) The two people working at the bank window saw the whole thing and offered their condolences. The kids were still screaming and as I drove away, I started to cry too. Talk about stress.

Fortunately, the story has a relatively happy ending. I got home, fed Ava and put her down for her nap, fed Madeleine and put her in the swing, went outside and was able to rub all but the tiniest speck of red paint off my white van. I can barely tell anything happened.

Isn't this kind of like confession? When I do something to offend God, there must be a mark on my soul like the awful red mark on my white van. Then I go to confession, ask God's forgiveness, and he takes the sin away, making my soul look new again. Maybe God's telling me I need to go to confession.....

Denial

Hmm... do you think this kid is ready to move out of her 0 - 3 month clothes? Look at that belly!! I bought this outfit at a little boutique that was going out of business right after we found out she was a girl. (80% off - that's the only way I could afford anything in that store! I got a great diaper bag there too.) So she had to wear it once - after all, it's one of the only outfits that I have actually picked out and bought for her! I was waiting for the weather to be warm enough - and yesterday it got up to 88 degrees. I'm sad to pack away all her 0 - 3 month clothes. She is growing so fast.

Does Every Mother

Think her baby is the most beautiful baby in the whole world?!

Cause I do :)

Mexico

I've gone on a mission trip to Tijuana, Mexico almost every summer since I was 15. I skipped the year that I got married (2002), and last year because I found out I was pregnant right before the trip, but other than those, it's been a yearly event. We go with a group from Loogootee, IN to help out the Missionaries of the Cross, a group founded by Father John Tasto. Father John is originally from Indiana, and is the uncle of a friend who has 12 children! (They had 10, and then almost 4 years after the 10th, they had twins!) That family is amazing, but that is a story for another day.

Anyway, thinking of all the experiences that have influenced my life, Mexico is right there on the top of the list. I have gotten to spend time with some of the holiest people I can imagine (the sisters and Father John.) Their whole lives are focused on Jesus and helping the poorest of the poor. Mother Teresa actually helped Madre Maria found their order, and they live out the same vows as the Missionaries of Charity. They also demonstrated to me at a very young age that holiness and following Jesus doesn't supress one's personality, but rather enhances it. We went to the beach, played volleyball, hit pinatas, had parties, ate meals and went shopping with these sisters. We also visited some of the poorest houses I've ever seen. I had the opportunity to hold babies, change diapers, play with some of the happiest children I've ever met, attend mass, pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament every day, and teach classes. I was also the unofficial translator of the group, so that meant I got to go everywhere!

I probably won't be going back for several years now, and that makes me a little sad. It's one of the weeks I look forward to most every year. But God is calling me to a different vocation at this point in my life, and I am so blessed. I hope someday to take Madeleine and my future children down to spend some time with the sisters and Padre.

Going on these trips has taught me that happiness does not depend on material possessions, but rather on living my life for Jesus. Whatever God calls me to do in this life, and even if I never get to return to Tijuana, I will always be grateful for the time I got to spend with these holy women, and I'll always remember all the love that I experienced, all the lessons I was taught, and all the people who touched my life. I pray that with these experiences I became more of the person that God wants me to be, and that I will be able to extend these gifts I've been given to the people around me.

Possibly

the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.

2 month shots

Were not fun. But also not as bad as I thought. She got 3 shots and an oral vaccine. She jumped a mile and had big tears rolling down her cheeks. It was sad. The doctor said she looks great, and she is up to 12 lbs and 23 inches! She gained over a pound and grew an inch and a half in one month. She is doing great. I brought her home and fed her afterwards and she seems to be back to her smiley self.

We had a good weekend. Lots of garage sales - so Madeleine got some really great "new" clothes and Ken and I got a queen comforter set that is really nice. We've been needing one for a long time. Then we had our niece Frannie's first communion yesterday. Ken had gotten her a beautiful rose petal rosary when he traveled to Rome in 2000. She was only 1 year old then so her mom saved it for Ken to give to her on her first communion. He wrote a beautiful letter to her about his experience. The rosary is blessed by Pope John Paul II, and he told her that he would probably be a saint someday, so she'd have a rosary blessed by a saint!! Yesterday was also Ken's 7th anniversary of becoming Catholic.

We had a lot of Mexican food on Saturday - which was probably the reason for the screaming fest all afternoon yesterday. We went to Abuelos for lunch. My friend Courtney works there and hadn't seen the baby, and they were having some fun Cinco de Mayo activities. Then Sarah and Chris had a Burrito party since Sarah had won 25 burritos from Chipotle. It was a great time. Maybe next time I shouldn't eat SO much spicy Mexican food in one day. You'd think she would like it though, since that is pretty much all I could eat in my first trimester... (Ken was a good sport about that!) Sarah has an amazing song about mothers on her new CD... maybe she'll let me quote my favorite part on here?

Also we took the Graco double stroller back and got a Safety 1st one. This one had better work. And Ken and my dad finally put a new mailbox post in, from the winter when someone hit it with their car and knocked it forward. And it wasn't me this time!

The pregnancy issues just keep coming

You'd think they'd be over with since this kid is going to be 2 months old tomorrow! But no. I went to the dentist today, and unfortunately, my 27 year record of no cavities has come to an end. They actually asked if I had acid reflux or if I was bulemic because they said I had some damage caused by acid on the back of my front teeth. I said no, but that I had just had a baby and had severe morning sickness. They said that would do it, and that it had also caused my cavity. Oh well... 27 years was a good run, and of course the kid was worth it! Now Ken's trying to scare me by telling me about the drilling. It can't be THAT bad, can it??

We had a very nice day off today - hung out with mom, ran some errands, looked at some garage sales. (Mom got a nice booster seat for Madeleine (and Ava) for $5.) My dentist's office is in this really nice neighborhood, Village of WestClay. Actually NICE is not the word for it. It has million dollar homes, like CEOs of big companies live there - and some Colts players of course. And yeah, I know - only in Indiana would a person get to have a race car driver for a dentist! Anyway, we saw the sign that they're having their neighborhood garage sale tomorrow, so mom and my sister in law and I are going. We missed it last year, but we did catch it the year before. I bought our coffee table and end table there. I guess the people there just get new furniture all the time because they had some really nice things that I could never afford new, but they were selling for really cheap. I remember 2 years ago seeing a rack of designer baby girl clothes for $1 each. I should have bought them all! I guess most of these people don't have very many kids. If I had a house that big I'd have like 20 kids ;-) (You'd need that many to keep it clean!) Of course I'd have that many anyway, if God thinks I can handle it ;-)

More Double Stroller Issues

I just want to take these two girls out with no problems! (Well, at least no more problems than the girls themselves will give me!)

Babies R Us had the stroller that I wanted, but not in a box. They would not sell me the floor model. They said they'd order it for me, but it could take up to 2 weeks. Well, I can't wait that long. So we went to Target. They had the Graco Duoglider, but it was $20 cheaper. I bought it, brought it home, tried it out, and found that our Graco carseat does not fit very well into it. Also, it seems a little more cheaply made than the one I tried out. So hopefully we'll find the right one sometime this weekend.

I've resorted to carrying Madeleine in the sling and pushing Ava in the regular stroller. I just can't bring myself to use the Jeep one again. Today is our neighborhood garage sale and I might try to put it out to sell. But I do feel kind of guilty for selling it to some poor unsuspecting mother. Of course, it might not do as badly if they don't have such a heavy toddler in the front, but who would know?

Anyway, enough with those issues. I have the day off tomorrow! Yeah - a 3 day weekend! I am going to the dentist in the morning (Mom's going with me to watch Madeleine in the waiting room), and then hopefully we'll do something fun. And I'm hoping to keep my 27 year record of NO CAVITIES!

Sarah and Chris came over last night and made us Linguine with Clam sauce - delicious! We also got to hear Sarah's new album. It is really great! Check out her link on the side of my page. Her 3rd album, Radiance, should be out sometime in June. Sarah's also having a Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday and hopefully Madeleine will behave.

Sunday we have Frannie's first communion. She's our niece and Ken's Goddaughter. I love first communion. Come to think of it, today is the 20th anniversary of my first communion! I wish I was organized enough to post a picture of that, like Ma Beck, but I'm not!

By the way, I added several blogs that I read. I hope no one minds!

Madeleine is sleeping on my chest, and Ava is upstairs in the crib. Have I mentioned how much I love nap time? ;-)

Speaking of Catholic Dads

Ken is doing a great job. It's interesting to see the different parenting styles that we have. I think Madeleine (and our future children) will really benefit from having such a great daddy. One of my best memories so far of Ken with Madeleine is this: Ken always holds her while I take a shower in the evenings (no time in the mornings, unfortunately!) One day I stepped out of the shower and heard him singing "What a Wonderful World" in his best Louie Armstrong voice to her. Then he started singing a U2 song. She was loving it.
He also has figured out the best way to calm her down when she is screaming - deep knee bends. It ALWAYS works. He is the best person at calming her down.
He is also really helping me out with all the household duties. He's been cooking and cleaning EVERY night! Am I lucky or what?
And he gets her dressed in the mornings. (I lay her clothes out the night before.) She is always so happy when he changes her (even though he's had some issues lately - like putting her shirt on backwards the last 2 days!) He's learning! And she's becoming really smiley. She loves it when her daddy comes home in the evening and talks to her.
My little angel is only 8 weeks old. I'm looking forward to seeing Ken develop more as a Daddy, hopefully of a very large family someday too!

Catholic Dads

I found this great blog today:

www.catholic-dads.blogspot.com

Ken you should start a blog and join!

Night and Day difference

Much Better

Now I can actually take both girls out! I think we're going for a walk on the Monon trail today. It's beautiful weather again. I love spring!

Last night Madeleine slept for 6 HOURS STRAIGHT! I kept waking up to see what was going on! That has never happened before, but it was great. She slept from 9:30 to 3:30, then woke up again at 6:30. That was the best sleep I've gotten since I was about 7 months pregnant.

Warning

Never get this stroller. It's almost funny how awful it is.

Good baby

Yesterday was a busy day for us! We had 1st communion at OLMC. The kids were SO cute in their little white dresses and veils, and little suits and ties. The twins I used to watch for 2 years made their first communion yesterday, and so did Madeleine's Godparents' daughter. So Madeleine was a perfect angel through the whole mass, except when the mob streamed out into the narthex after mass - scared the kid half to death! Poor thing. Then we went to Madison's party. Madison's dad (Madeleine's Godfather) made a beautiful toast to his daughter. He said that he was going to make decisions that she wouldn't necessarily like, but that was ok, because when he gets to heaven, God wouldn't ask him how many material possessions he had, but if he had taught his children about Him. And he would be able to say yes. Then Madison thanked everyone for coming and sharing her special day.
Sarah and Ken played a few songs for the kids, and of course they were a hit! And Madeleine got to see her daddy perform for the first time. She loved the music.

Then we got to go home for about an hour, then went out to dinner with some friends. I was a little nervous about that because the evening is generally her fussy time, but she was great! I just had to go out to the car and feed her when the check came. Then we went to Frassati to hear Dr. James Keating. I didn't get to hear too much of that, but I did hang out in the back with all the other moms and babies, and then in the nursery, which was fun. Actually for the past several years I always wanted to be one of the moms hanging out in the back of the room!

Ken said Dr. Keating was excellent. I did hear him say that if a person is depressed, they should think about what they are putting in their minds, what they are listening to, reading, or watching on TV. He also said that sometimes it hurts to change your ways and let Jesus take over your life, but the hurt is always worth the change.

And of course she was a perfect angel in Mass again today. The kid screamed through her whole baptism, but she's been great at Mass every week since. She attracts a lot of attention too!

She does have kind of a stuffy nose, and kept us up from about 2-4am last night. We tried saline and suction and a humidifier. Any more suggestions?
It's such a beautiful day today, we are going to have to get outside.

Good thing it was cold

We just had to wear the bunny coat!

The Escape Artist

Well, I discovered today that taking the two babies out in public can be pretty challenging. We met a few friends at Barnes and Nobles for Story hour, then hung out in the cafe and then went in the kids section again to play with the trains. I have the double stroller from hell. At least Madeleine slept most of the time. Ava doesn't like being confined in the stroller or the high chair, and when she is out, she tries to escape! And she is fast! And of course she pooped twice in the 2 hours we were there. We're going to have to work on listening skills. It's a good thing MaryEllen and Melissa were there to help me catch the little Escape Artist.

Mom called from Myrtle Beach and said she's spent over $100 on this poor deprived child. I think she misses her!