yum!

Now that sweet Maria is on a good schedule in terms of napping, Thomas and I find ourselves with the perfect opportunity to spend time one-on-one in the morning for an hour or so during her morning nap.  We've made some care packages for friends and family recently, a few of which have featured a favorite snack around here -- homemade granola bars!  We've experimented with lots of mix-ins like walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, peanuts, and chocolate chips.  We have yet to find a combination that we don't like!

You need to hear Thomas say "spatula" in person -- it's almost as cute as this picture.

Featured ingredients

Thomas' little collection of ingredients he sampled between bouts of mixing

Pure deliciousness

Hey lady, enough is enough with that camera!

Sleeping angel

Since both Drake and I have decided to forgo chocolate for Lent this year, granola bars have tended toward the fruit and nut variety.  Celebrating the Resurrection is sure to bring chocolate back into the snack rotation!

you know what? i'm tired.

Maria's been up every two hours (on the dot) the past four nights.  What happened to that span of two or three weeks of one nighttime wake-up?  I'm longing for those days.  Getting hour-and-a-half increments of sleep consistently is taking a bit of a toll.  I know this is normal for infants and all that, but I must say that I'm sick of hearing about babies who are sleeping through the night at this age.  Right now Maria is sleeping in our bedroom, but both Drake and I are ready for her to be elsewhere -- buuuut, where will she go?  I know the obvious answer is that she would go in Thomas' room, but that brings on a whole new situation to adjust to.  Is it better to have just me on little sleep or start dealing with a potentially sleep deprived toddler as well?  That's somewhat rhetorical, though I'd welcome any experiences/insight/advice any of you have with adjusting your kids to room sharing, particularly adjusting a nursing infant to a toddler's room.  Maria is about 4 months old, and Thomas will be two this week -- thoughts?

I think all moms are sleep deprived to some extent.  And it really affects my mood - one or even two nights of shoddy sleep I can seem to manage just fine, but three or more nights really is tough.  The kids don't always nap at the same time, and, when they do, Maria will sometimes only nap in the Moby.  And then when I wake up to loads of laundry waiting to be folded and put away, dirty dishes in the sink, toys strewn about the floor, well, it takes a great act of the will not to sink into instant discouragement that sets the tone for my day.

So this is what I'm going to do with my tiredness today.  I'm going to offer it for a few specific intentions that friends have expressed -- several newly pregnant families, K who is getting married this week, D as she takes her nursing boards, and L as she awaits ankle surgery next month.  I'll keep each of you and your intentions close to me today.  I'm one tired momma, so I'm fully confident that you'll all get many prayers on your behalf!

And in the meantime...room sharing insights?

perspective

I read such an encouraging article today as I sat down to eat some lunch.  With a toddler napping and the little lady curled up in the Moby, I was searching for some encouragement in the midst of a busy, busy morning.

This morning went a little something like this: I started things off by sleeping right through my alarm.  That's seldom a good thing.  And, as fate would have it, everyone (myself included) woke up at the exact same time.  My dear husband hurried to jump in the shower and get out the door for the sometimes-dreaded Monday routine (out the door before 7am and not back home until 9pm).  Sweet Thomas awoke demanding milk, a diaper change ("change your diaper!"), and trucks (whodathunkit?).  Little Maria needed mommy milk and a diaper change as well, not to mention the cuddles she so freely gives and receives.  And all this, mind you, was happening in a two minute span.  I took about half a second to take a breath and then began to meet these needs.  When I walked into the kitchen, my glance was met by an overflow of dishes, pots, and pans that I was simply too tired and busy to do last night.  I then saw the mountain of shoes by the door, the crusted cheese on the table, and the toys scattered around the floor.  I realized I needed to wait to do my workout because I was behind on laundry (unless I wanted to work out in a skirt and wool sweater).  I felt so "behind," and I had been awake for a whopping five minutes.

And, as I sit here typing, the floor still has toys all over it.  The kitchen is still messy.  The laundry is nowhere near complete, and the shoes are still overtaking the doorway.  But, I know for myself that I've been working hard all morning.  I've nourished a baby several times over. I've changed at least five diapers.  I've got dinner in the crockpot.  I've made a number of necessary phone calls.  I've read books, played trucks, and completed puzzles with my almost-two year-old.  I've sung songs, kissed cheeks and bruises, done goofy dances, and even squeezed in a workout (and shower!).  Not too shabby for a morning, even if I don't have much to "show" for it.

It's so easy (for me at least) to only be judge my work in terms of product.  What an American I am - basing my worth on my utility!  Somehow it's all too often not enough that I know for myself how hard I was working.  Gosh darn it, I want other people to know it, too!  Silly, pervasive, relentless pride.  And then, that pride coupled with vanity, makes for a discouraged mother who overlooks her blessings completely and puts more stock in the way things look.

But what am I "looking" for exactly?  Do I really want a perfectly clean-everything in its place-spotless-tidied place to live?  Well, sometimes, yes.  But that is simply not a reality right now, and I would venture to guess that it's not a reality in any home housing children.

Check out some inspiration here.  The article says everything I wanted to say...only better.  And now I'm off to cuddle an infant.  Enjoy! 

a little look at life

Tonight I leaned down to kiss the sweet, soft, cushy cheek that I found a few inches below my chin as I walked around donning the Moby baby wrap that has become a daily necessity.  Today was a rush-around, get-things-done-in-every-spare-moment kind of day...not ideal for celebrating the Sabbath.  But for those few seconds, I stood still, and it seemed that time did, too.  I took those moments to thank the Lord and our Lady for the gift of our children - the gift of which I am so undeserving and yet find myself with the immense privilege of having on a daily basis.  In the midst of the leaky diapers, the toddler tantrums, the sleepless nights, children are gifts.  They are not burdens in any sense of the word.  And one of the greatest (if not the greatest) gifts of all is that they are my path to sanctity.  I praise God for that - for the holiness that can be achieved if I merely forget my own plans, my own desires, my own way of thinking and trade it in for the plans of the Giver of gifts.      

Thomas is pure joy to be around -- and perhaps that's not the case 100% of the time, but then again, it's certainly not the case for me either.  The love he shows his sister makes me want to be more kind, more giving, more compassionate.  He loves to learn, whether it's colors, shapes, ABC's, numbers, the taste of an unfamiliar food, a new prayer, or a new way to make Mom and Dad smile.  He loves life, and I love it more because of him.

Maria, aside from being gorgeous, incredibly kissable, and a great, ahem, daytime sleeper, reminds me of enjoying the little things in life.  Whether that's food, clean clothes, or a good cuddle, Maria is pretty easy to please (unless, like the rest of us, she's overtired). She doesn't need the most modern stroller or latest play mat.  She appreciates what is given to her - and while a 7 week old can't differentiate too much, she certainly knows Mommy and Daddy, has learned to trust them, and relies on them for her every need.  Hmmm...maybe I could stand to learn a thing or two from her about trust.  Sounds like the makings of another blog post. 

And Drake?  Well, he's my soulmate, my confidant, and my earthly stronghold.  He challenges me to be a better person, a more faithful Catholic, a more selfless spouse, and a more adventurous soul :).  Sharing in the parenting of our children is one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given.

Praise to the most holy Trinity for so many gifts - all of which I am undeserving and yet have been freely given.  And as we await the birth of our Lord on Christmas morn, I pray for the grace to live a life worthy of the coming of the Christ child.  Come, Lord Jesus, come!

so thankful

The other night I walked into the house after some very chilly and admittedly stressful errands with the kids.  Lines were long, aisles were crowded, parking spots sparse, and I somehow made it back out to our van with an item in my car that I hadn't paid for, causing another trip back in.  But somehow I forgot about all of that when I walked inside to find:

sitting on the kitchen table with the screen open to my gmail account and some of my favorite music playing.  My first thought?  "What the HECK?"  I stood there staring until Drake came back inside with the kids.  He informed me that my dad had called while I was out and wanted to know if Drake thought we could benefit from having a second laptop.  The short answer is "absolutely."  Since Drake gave it the thumbs up, my dad went ahead with his intended purchase and brought over this new (well, refurbished, but new to us!) computer in the hopes that I could have a little more computer access, have music, etc when Drake is using the computer (which is almost all the time given his vocation right now).  With a husband in a doctoral program who also is creating a website as part of his duties as the webmaster for the state music therapy executive board, there is little time for my computer use.  And honestly I had just learned to live with that and would try to sneak on when time allowed.

But I've been living the high life these last few days and figured my first blog post on the new laptop should be directed right to my parents - thank you, thank you, thank you!  I so very much appreciate your thoughtfulness, your immense generosity, and your desire to serve me and our family and ease a little bit of the stress around here.  Heck, now I might even update our blog more than once a month!  Thank you again! 

First Haircut!

Sweet Thomas was born with almost no hair...and then he lost the little bit that he did have...and then he grew the most gorgeous red curls I've ever seen on a boy.  Needless to say, it was worth the wait.  But then it started to get pretty shaggy and, dare I say, a little too much like a mullet.  The Steeds don't do mullets.  So I caved in and called the woman who has cut my hair since grade school - she did my hair for my first communion and our wedding and everything in between.  And she was genius in redirecting Thomas so that she could actually do a little bit of trimming.  I think I can objectively say that he looks adorable!

Before: we told him he would get to sit in a big special chair and wear a cape.  Bonus: it was covered in doggies!

Yeah.  Pretty shaggy.

 

Heyyyyyyyyy, watch it, lady!

Combing Daddy's hair!  Perfect distraction!

Just a few more snips...

Sucker!  Sweet! ;)

Cute!

 Many thanks to Daddy who took these great photos and to Julie who cut Thomas' hair in 5 minutes!  We'll see if Mommy can handle trimming in time for the holidays!

Welcome, Maria Thérèse!

We welcomed our newest family member right on her due date - October 19, 2010.  She weighed in at 7 lbs 7oz and 20 inches long and was born at 1:48am.  Here's a little run-down of the labor and delivery:

I spent that previous evening on a shopping high at Jewel :).  Thanks to a good friend, I found a way to get a ridiculous amount of food for prices that you wouldn't believe if I told you!  So after my second trip to Jewel that evening, I decided to head to bed as my dear husband was still up working on homework.

Well, my time in bed was short-lived (lasted, oh, 20 minutes).  I got up because I was having gas pains (read: contractions).  Thanks to the progesterone injections I had been taking during the pregnancy, gas pains were quite common, and I assumed this night would not be different from the rest.  But then they persisted.  They wouldn't go away.  And I began feeling some intense pressure.  The. Baby. Was. Coming.

We put our plan into action: called some friends who offered to take Thomas (we literally drive by their house on the way to the hospital), called the on-call OB to tell her we were coming, called Drake's mom who would coordinate caring for Thomas, and called my parents to let them know we were on our way to the hospital.

As we found ourselves about 5 minutes from the hospital, I was starting to think this little lady was going to be born in the car.  Honestly.  The contractions were so close together, so intense, and I needed the baby OUT.  As Drake pulled up to the ER, someone came out with a wheelchair for me.  "How far along are you?" "40 weeks." "Do you feel like you need to push?" "Y.E.S."

I was brought into an ER room where there were what felt like at least half a dozen people plus Drake and I in a room made to comfortably fit two people.  They're all obviously in a panic as they could see the head was very far down, and I was complete plus three!  After moaning many times "I neeeeeeeed to push!" they saw that even though I was in some intense pain, I was able, by the grace of God, to control it.  They got me up to a delivery room asap.  


And within about 10 minutes of our arrival into the room, Maria Thérèse was born.  I gave three solid pushes for a total of five minutes.  We had arrived at the hospital at 1:25am, and she was born at 1:48am.  These Steed children sure do know how to get down to business!  I was in labor with Thomas for about an hour with a 30 minute delivery.  The OB suggested that Drake be ready to deliver Baby #3 when the time comes :).

Holding her in my arms right after delivery was surreal - that wasn't our experience with Thomas because he was whisked away to the NICU right after he was born.  It was several hours before we saw him.  So spending those very first minutes of life outside the womb with Maria was a beautiful relief. 

Moments after her birth

 Cozy!

Proud Daddy

Loving. Baby. Hairbows.

Lots of Daddy lovin'

Little angel.

Thank you for all of your prayers. well-wishes, and support on our behalf.  The transition to two is proving to be a beautiful and exhausting adventure. We're so blessed, and God is so good!

Family Fun in the Fall

Despite the fact that it certainly didn't feel like  fall day with 80 degree temperatures, we still enjoyed some family time together.  And heck, we've got pictures (finally!) to prove it!

A ridiculously gigantic inflatable pumpkin

Hay!

We went on a hay ride - unfortunately there wasn't enough off-roading to induce labor as I had hoped.

Still can't resist those cheeks!

Thomas continuing his trend of not looking at the camera for any photos whatsoever.

Weeeeeeeee!

Strange lighting, but the tunnel sure was fun!

Fall is a favorite time around here -- we're all (well, Lauren in particular) looking forward to consistently cooler weather, pumpkin patches, warm beverages, crunching leaves, and everything in between!

Sunday Brunch

We love Sunday brunch. It has been a tradition since we have been married to celebrate our Lord's day by splurging a little bit, waiting a little longer to eat (usually after mass and cooking), and feasting. We have gone through stages: the frittata stage, omelet stage, gallo pinto stage, baked French toast stage, muffins, yogurt , and fruit stage...no matter what, we enjoy experimenting and sharing a meal together and with friends and family when possible.

Anyone who has kept up with our story knows that we are in a different kind of stage. We moved, I started school and part-time work, and we are preparing for our second child. Life is blessed, but our morale waxes and wanes. Lately, especially, it has waned. The day-in and day-out grind of work, serving Thomas and each other has led to a multi-layered exhaustion. Yesterday, it seemed like both of us woke up after an epic battle. We limped out of bed, making it barely to the couch. We dragged ourselves through the morning, fulfilling obligations of studying and serving our family. We had the joie de vivre of a paper clip (one of those regular metal kinds) and were ready to break. Pondering how we are going to make it through these next two months (until Christmas break), we decided that we needed to celebrate life more often. Our lives are so routined and packed with to-dos, and rightfully so. Nonetheless, we have felt entrapped by the mundane yet tenacious daily schedule, which has been gradually gnawing at our will to persist, much less to celebrate.

But celebrate we will. We brought back brunch today, and we celebrated: health, opportunity, love, family and friends. We are going to celebrate something at least once a week--some ideas we had were saints we particularly admire, church feast days, or something random. Food appears to be one obvious way to celebrate, but we are going to try other things too, like maybe practicing a special devotion on that day. Of course, adding celebration to our life does not undermine the gravity of keeping up with what we need to do to survive this stage in life. It does however remind us that we are children of God, heirs of life eternal, and we are invited to find joy in the Resurrection. Already today, the mood is lighter in our house (also due to opening up all the windows in our kitchen, S.T.). We have a lot to do today, but, with the enthusiasm with which Thomas says "truck," we will celebrate.

38 Weeks

By the grace of God, I've been pregnant for 38 weeks.  And now I would really. like. this. baby. out.

There's something (read: several things) about the very end of a pregnancy that puts a lot of strain on a mom.  Maybe it's the multiple trips to the bathroom and having few comfortable sleeping positions to choose from that result in consecutive poor nights of sleep.  Perhaps it's simply the physical strain/discomfort of being this pregnant.  Maybe it's the anticipation/worry of how the labor and delivery will go and clinging to hope that the baby will be healthy.  Maybe it's the humility that accompanies wearing maternity clothes yet again as I stare longingly at my pre-pregnancy clothes.  Plus, pregnancy is just even more draining when there's a young toddler to chase, teach, love, discipline, etc.  And ultimately, we simply want to meet this baby outside of the womb and get the anticipation over with!  Whatever it is, we're praying for a safe and joyful delivery along with a healthy baby, God willing.  We've even got a boy name picked out juuuust in case the ultrasound missed something.

Our bags are packed, a list of phone calls (in order of necessity) is on the fridge, car seat is installed in the van, camera is charged, nursing cover is finished...and now we wait.

Please pray with us and for this sweet baby!

a little pregnancy update

37 week today = longest pregnancy to date!  Praise the Lord!

And according to the OB late last week, things are looking healthy for both mom and baby.  Friday was the last day of the progesterone injections, a fact that neither Drake nor I are mourning.  I'm only dilated to 1cm and not effaced at all, so it's likely that we've still got some time until her arrival.  She's head down (and likely to stay that way), and the OB estimates that she's in the high 5's for weight right now, giving her an expected birth weight of 7+ pounds - we'll take it!

And now my tasks (among many others) include: finding that darn camera charger which we still haven't unearthed since our move, finalizing some things with our diapers, getting the admitting paperwork to the hospital ahead of time so that it's one less thing to do when we're there, cleaning out the van (not necessarily a priority, but it's something I'd like to have done before she arrives), and making myself a nursing cover.  Whew.  

counting our blessings

I had a great confession last night with the priest at our new parish, and I was reminded of something critical: the need to keep our blessings at the forefront of my mind.  I personally have to make a very intentional effort to remind myself of how blessed I am in the midst of heavy crosses.  So I'm listing a few for my own sake.

• Drake and I have a ridiculously strong marriage - I'd be completely lost without him.  Being married to the person with whom I converse most easily and honestly, the person who understands me to my core, and the one who desires the holiness of our family above all else is a complete gift from God.
• We've been blessed with two beautiful children - Thomas fills our lives with joy, and we cannot contain the excitement we feel over meeting our daughter in a few short weeks.
• We have a nice place to live, a solid parish, and live near other family support.
• We have food on the table, clothes on our back (and in our closet!), and have been blessed by the generosity of family and friends.
• We have access to medical care and have been abundantly blessed by the competence and kindness of our new OB office in particular.
• We got a great deal on a van and live near the train station, both of which allow our family to get to the places we need to be.
• Drake feels a great deal of peace about his academic program; we both feel tremendous peace about taking this next step for our family.

Father Tom also gave me an effective visual last night in the confessional.  He talked to me about the story of Peter's attempt to walk on water to go meet his Lord.  Peter was thrilled to see Jesus and began to make his way to Him...but then he got lost in his own mind and convinced himself that it didn't make sense for him (Peter) to be walking on water...that's when he began to drown.  When Peter fixed his gaze, his attention, his complete focus on Jesus, that was when walking on water was possible.

Receiving the sacrament of Reconciliation last night reaffirmed my conviction that God desires to sanctify our family through the joys and crosses of this new journey, one big transition that is filled with smaller transitions.  Holy Family, pray for us!

PS. I apologize for the recent lag time in my blogging, though I'm confident that you've found other ways to spend your time :)

so. many. blessings.

We've recently moved.  It was a ton of work both packing and unpacking (which is still something we're working on since we've been here a whopping 7 days), all the cleaning, organizing, etc.  But we were so thankful to have so much help from family and friends -- many thanks to each of you!

This new place feels so much more like our home already than our apartments in Urbana ever did the last two years.  And the more we get organized and settled in, the more I love it!

We had our first appointment with our new OB yesterday - I was apprehensive at first because I really liked my OB in Urbana.  But I must admit that I think I like this OB even more.  And here's why:

• He walked in with a small St. Peter pin on his white coat...clearly Catholic.
• The nurse informed me before he came in that he and his wife are expecting their 11th child any day now.  Pro-life perhaps? :)
• His approach and personality are a perfect fit for Drake and I -- he's extremely down to earth and very intelligent.  He's not worried about this pregnancy at all and even disagrees with the diagnoses I was previously given (with compelling evidence to back it up) as a result of the complications I encountered in my first pregnancy.
• He assured me that the likelihood of my being able to carry the baby to at least week 35/36 is extremely high.

We've been able to go to daily mass everyday this week as a family - man oh man am I ever getting spoiled having my dear husband home all day everyday.  We registered at this parish yesterday and got the ball rolling with Baptism preparations for our little lady.

We've already had several dinners and fun time together with family and friends even in just the one week that we've been here.  It's so nice to have moved closer to many familiar faces.  We were able to celebrate Drake's birthday with family as well as his mom's birthday, welcome my brother home from Africa, have a couple meals and a morning at a local splash pad with some dear friends, and we have plans nearly everyday next week as well.

It's hard to not look too far ahead, but right now we're really soaking in the family time together!

It's been a while since I've posted...and despite my best intentions, I'm doubtful that I'll have much time to post in the next couple of weeks.  I absolutely plan to follow up on my most recent posts about teachings of the Catholic Church (one in particular) once we get our Internet up and running in our new place.

And speaking of, our major move is this weekend!  My dear husband has recruited plenty of help in loading up the truck on Friday night with 90% of our belongings, and we hope to be on the road bright and early Saturday morning to meet more help whom we've recruited and who have so graciously agreed to help us.  It's a bit of a tease, though, because we need to come back for another week so that Drake can finish up his last week of work.  And I wasn't interested in being apart for a week, so I'm coming back too.  We'll be "roughing it" in our apartment by sleeping on an air mattress (Thomas in the pack n' play), having only a couple of dishes, our microwave, a few books and toys for Thomas, just enough clothes for the week, etc.  And then we're at our new place for good, and many new adventures begin!

Please send up a quick prayer for our family -- God has truly blessed our journey so far, and we're relying completely on His divine providence through it all.  Thanks!    

We're signing our lease for the duplex tomorrow.  I have some paperwork, one check for the down payment, one check for the first month of rent, and our drivers licenses all ready to go. 

And. I. Am. Pumped.  Great (and hugely residential) neighborhood, a shaded front yard, driveway, garage, full basement, washer and dryer, lots of storage, bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, living room, mailbox.  Bonus?  Great landlords who are ever so kind, prompt in responding to emails/phone calls, and who themselves are excited about us moving in.

God is so good. So very, very good.

And on an unrelated note, He led me to a pro-life OB office who accepts our insurance and who had room in their schedule for me starting in mid-August.  I only continue to see His hand in every aspect of our lives - amen, amen, amen! 

sprinkler park!

We took a little family outing to a sprinkler park nearby - not only was it fun to play in the water and sand, but it was so cute to watch Thomas interact with the other kids.  Whenever we go to library programs, play places, play dates, etc., I'm always astounded at how social he is!  He gets out of his stroller, sticks close to me for a minute or two, and then just goes up to kids armed with a huge smile and lots of waving.  It's adorable, and I'm not sure where he gets his outgoing nature...it surely isn't from his introverted momma!

Thomas and Daddy checking out a water-squirting seal

Woah there!

Some sand time...hopefully he wasn't taking notes from the sand-throwers out there

Kindly declining the photo-op

Water break!

Playing in his own personal pool (aka a large mud-bottomed puddle)

The mark of a good day: curly wet hair, dirty hands, and a smile!

the missionary life

I think it started in high school that I had the aspirations to become a missionary - someone who traveled internationally, eating with the poor, spreading the Gospel, being the face of God for orphans, widows, old, and young alike.  I thought this was a way that I could impact many people and bring them closer to Christ...and, as an added bonus, it would glorify me a little bit as well.  Nice!

Those sentiments didn't change too much in college - in fact, I felt more compelled to pursue the missionary life.  I remember quite clearly nearly sprinting to the chapel one random weekday afternoon as I couldn't focus on my homework or internship tasks.  I just wanted to go.  Go somewhere, do something that I deemed more relevant than my research paper, leave the tasks at hand to serve.  I, like the woman in this fantastic article  I distinctly recall begging God to reveal my vocation to me, asking Him to send me somewhere...or at the very least give me peace about my current situation.

And it was because of that pleading that I realized the opportunities to serve are a part of every moment, no matter the vocation.  Fast forward a few years to the present. 

I'm a young wife of two years and mother of two.  I'm not a world traveler.  I don't have an advanced degree.  Heck, I don't very often use my undergraduate degree.  I don't work outside the home.  I have no paycheck to my name. 

Drake and I were asked somewhat recently if we regretted starting our family right away, foregoing life as missionaries, and being, in some ways, forced to dedicate ourselves to our family.  Without a moment of hesitation, I replied, "We are missionaries." (I'll admit that I surprised myself a bit).  "I'm a stay at home mom.  I don't get time off.  I'm on call 24/7.  I live the spiritual and corporal works of mercy through serving my family, through pouring my love onto them."  I think everyone was taken aback a bit, but I knew I was just stating the facts. 

The life that God has chosen for Drake and I is a beautiful one.  It's hidden, humbling, difficult, and often misunderstood.  I go to bed more exhausted than I ever have before.  Family life, though beautiful and rewarding in many ways, is where the Lord has asked me to serve.  Right here in Illinois, within our home, through the daily joys and challenges.  It's sanctifying in ways I never thought possible.  And though family life might not be the vocation that people immediately associate with "changing the world," I know it to be true that family is the single most important institution in the world.  It's about saving souls, fostering a community of love, and striving for holiness day in and day out.  If that's not going to change the world, I'm not sure what will.

maybe one day

With our upcoming huge life changes, we've been in the process of looking for a new place to live.  We've got our price range, amenity needs, and general area nailed down.  But we've still got to find a place - we're trying to keep weekends open as much as possible to allow for all the travel back and forth, enabling us to see the places in person.  We've utilized Craig's List, suggestions from family and friends, and a host of apartment/rental companies.

So far, we've got nothing.

We're checking out another place on Saturday - I'm hopeful but trying not to get my heart set on it.  Seems that lately we're running into Craig's List scammers, companies changing their prices and going back on their word (making it more expensive, of course), or just general too little bang for our buck.

Did I mention I'm trying to remain hopeful?

I'm really going to miss central Illinois - and part of why is the drastic price differences/cost of living.  But, God is calling us to do this.  We're confident about that.  And I'm learning that when God calls you to something, He'll get you through it...but that doesn't mean the process will be easy or even all that enjoyable.  I'm also confident that all this will contribute greatly to the sanctification of our family.

God willing, we'll live in a house one day - a house that we own, maintain, and about which we make decisions.  But that day's not today.

And so, Drake and I continue to pray about our future residence, entrusting it to the hands of our Lady.  Holy Family, pray for us!

a little lady

That's right - Steed baby #2 is a girl.  And unfortunately I don't have the ultrasound pictures on a CD to upload onto the computer, so you'll just have to wait until mid-October (or thereabouts) to see this sweet angel.  But thanks be to God, she's healthy, and so am I.  So we're hoping and praying that healthy trend continues for mom and baby.  We've reached the halfway point already - she'll be here before we know it!  But let's hope she stays in the oven a little bit longer than her brother did :).

a glorious weekend

As I mentioned in the previous post, Drake and I had been looking forward to this past weekend for quite some time.  And I'm so thankful that it met, and in many ways exceeded, our hopes for time spent together doing things we don't normally have a chance to do. And this was in large part in thanks to our babysitters - so a sincere thanks again to Stephanie and my parents for taking such good care of our sweet first born.

Friday: After an "exciting" morning of an unexpected 5:15am Thomas wake-up, scrambling to get everything ready, dropping off Thomas at Auntie Steph's, and catching the train a full 10 seconds before its departure (whew!), we found ourselves heading to Chicago.  Here's the classic "let's take a picture of ourselves even though we've been up since 5am" photo:

The day was really packed, but we took everything in stride (literally - lots of walking!).  Overall, we experienced the trifecta of public transportation options in the city (train, bus, el), ate delicious food, checked out a few apartments, stumbled upon a Catholic bookstore complete with an adoration chapel (which also happens to be right across the street from Argosy), took a quick trip to Wrigleyville after a Cubs loss (this was, perhaps, only foreshadowing our second unexpected trip there), and thanked God for a wonderfully promising meeting Drake had with a very well-connected man who just might be able to secure him part-time employment.  Praise God!  

Saturday: Thankfully the day was a bit less busy.  We spent time with some family friends, got Thomas ready for his first overnight with his grandparents, and got ourselves ready for a wedding of some dear friends from undergrad.  After the wedding, we spent time with the Aderholds.  It was so great to be with old friends and spend time with my adorable god-daughter.  We headed to the reception several hours later, and we were forced to lift our jaws from the ground after seeing the dessert table!  Rows and rows of hand-crafted deliciousness, complete with a swan made from white chocolate-covered strawberries, and a chocolate fountain taller than Drake.  It was unbelievable.  The food was excellent, toasts were great, dance floor was packed, and Jon and Maggie are (finally!) married.  Great way to end the day.  Oh, and sorry...no photos.  I made up for it tomorrow, I promise!

Sunday: We had planned on sleeping in, going to a late mass, taking it easy, maybe doing some driving around to find apartments/houses for rent.  But most of that changed when Eileen's house-sitter, Jim, offered us free tickets to the Cubs game that afternoon.  FREE?!  We had a full 20 minutes to decide and try to re-arrange our schedule as well as figure out things with Thomas.  But thanks to my mom's willingness to have him a few extra hours, we were able to get ourselves to Wrigley.  It. Was. Amazing.  We are huge Cubs fans!  We navigated our way to the city (didn't have time to catch a train), paid for parking and food, and sat in the upper deck in $63 dollar seats for which we paid $0.

Welcome to Wrigley!