This post is somewhat inspired by the article in my previous post about suffering and embracing our crosses; a secondary inspiration is my own thoughts about our current family situation and the stressors we find ourselves undertaking (not necessarily by choice but by necessity).
I've been noticing how easy it can be for me to compare my crosses to those of others. It's easy to think that because someone doesn't have the sufferings that I do means that they couldn't possibly understand the anguish I might be facing. I think that's true, but only to a point - it's true in the sense that I cannot fully relate to a person's suffering if I have not experienced it directly. It does NOT mean, however, that it's not a true cross for them. The best I can do is pray with them, for them, and open myself to being a support to them. And besides, what's the point of comparing suffering anyway? Personal suffering = personal path to holiness. Let's leave it at that, eh?
So often lately, Drake has been a constant reminder to me that our suffering is temporary. Some of our current crosses will be, we think, less burdensome about a month from now; some of our crosses may be lightened about 7 months from now...and even though we'll very likely find ourselves with a whole new set of crosses to bear when our current ones have passed, the point is that we're not made for this world. We're made for Heaven, for union with our Creator - and our lives need to be lived to give glory to Him, particularly in the midst of difficulty and trial...when it's not easy, not pleasurable, maybe not even desirable.
I'm praying for the grace to accept (maybe even joyfully) the crosses God has laid before my family, trusting that the sufferings of today will bear fruit in eternal life.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Reminders with Impeccable Timing
I came across this article the other day on one of my favorite Catholic mom blogs. I don't think the timing of these reminders could have been more perfect for my family.
Thanks to Veronica for posting it and reminding me that I had been meaning to do the same!
Thanks to Veronica for posting it and reminding me that I had been meaning to do the same!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
A New Addition
As some of you may or may not know, we're pregnant again! I'm not ready to plaster this all over Facebook, but I'm posting it here for one reason...to ask that you PRAY for us...okay? Okay, great. So here's the rundown:
We are 8 weeks along, giving us an estimated due date of October 19 (and after mornings like this one, that date seems SO far away!). We had our first doctor appointment last week, complete with an ultrasound. So far, everything looks great. We got to see our sweet angel who is about 1/2 inch long and has a heartbeat that clocked in at a perfect 140. I was so happy to share in that moment with Drake - we both exclaimed, "Awww!" as the ultrasound tech showed us the baby. It's incredible that even though the baby is so tiny, we could still make out where the appendages are, and seeing the heartbeat was simply beautiful.
As for potential complications, the doctors are keeping a closer eye on me this time around. The troubles I ran into last time may or may not be a problem with #2. Some good news is that the doctor can intervene much earlier now to (hopefully) prevent bed rest, which is clearly quite difficult with an active 1 year old. But based on the ultrasound, the doctor has cleared me for exercising, which means that she's happy with what she sees. Our next appointment is March 29.
We truly could not be more thrilled about this new Steed. I'm feeling fine, though I'm exhausted nearly all the time and have been battling slight nausea as of late. Drake's been a huge help in taking on more Thomas duties when he's home, cooking meals, etc., and that's been a tremendous blessing.
Again, I beg you to keep our family in your prayers - it's still early in the pregnancy, and my anxiety levels are somewhat high in the hopes that all goes well this time around. But we're remaining hopeful that our Lord is keeping us close to Him in all the varied emotions that accompany pregnancy. Thanks be to God for the gift of life!
We are 8 weeks along, giving us an estimated due date of October 19 (and after mornings like this one, that date seems SO far away!). We had our first doctor appointment last week, complete with an ultrasound. So far, everything looks great. We got to see our sweet angel who is about 1/2 inch long and has a heartbeat that clocked in at a perfect 140. I was so happy to share in that moment with Drake - we both exclaimed, "Awww!" as the ultrasound tech showed us the baby. It's incredible that even though the baby is so tiny, we could still make out where the appendages are, and seeing the heartbeat was simply beautiful.
As for potential complications, the doctors are keeping a closer eye on me this time around. The troubles I ran into last time may or may not be a problem with #2. Some good news is that the doctor can intervene much earlier now to (hopefully) prevent bed rest, which is clearly quite difficult with an active 1 year old. But based on the ultrasound, the doctor has cleared me for exercising, which means that she's happy with what she sees. Our next appointment is March 29.
We truly could not be more thrilled about this new Steed. I'm feeling fine, though I'm exhausted nearly all the time and have been battling slight nausea as of late. Drake's been a huge help in taking on more Thomas duties when he's home, cooking meals, etc., and that's been a tremendous blessing.
Again, I beg you to keep our family in your prayers - it's still early in the pregnancy, and my anxiety levels are somewhat high in the hopes that all goes well this time around. But we're remaining hopeful that our Lord is keeping us close to Him in all the varied emotions that accompany pregnancy. Thanks be to God for the gift of life!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sometimes I Wonder
Being a stay at home mom is absolutely the best thing I have ever done - and by "best" I mean most humbling and simultaneously most gratifying work I've ever undertaken. I have to admit, though, that I still struggle with not bringing in an income. I realize that I'm saving our family thousands of dollars by staying home with Thomas and giving him the gift of my time, energy, and (nearly) constant attention. But not bringing in a pay check is difficult for me to swallow sometimes.
Why?
Well, who doesn't need/want more money? I think we can all think of things we would spend an extra pay check on, whether it's things we need (in our case, a new car) or things we want (like that really cute shelving unit I've been eye-ing at Target). It would give us a little more wiggle room in our budget, something we'd all enjoy.
Within our family, Drake and I make nearly all financial decisions together, be they big or small. He might not always be with me when I see the 70% off clearance racks of baby clothes, but we typically talk about our money spending together and make decisions as a couple. And to be honest, I sometimes just feel (wrongly, I know) inadequate for not providing a source of income for our family. This has led me to a few conclusions:
1. Humility is okay! In fact, I "should" welcome it though that's more often than not quite far from the truth.
2. It really does call us to a deeper level of trust in our Lord's generosity...and that's certainly something I need to work on.
3. It gives me a golden opportunity to be more creative with what we have (and more thankful, too!) as well as more innovative in creating ways to make money here and there. It's also a chance to be a better steward of the money we've been given, using it wisely and purposefully.
4. And now I have just as good a motivator as ever to make that sewing machine come alive - nursing covers (and other baby gear), here we come!
Why?
Well, who doesn't need/want more money? I think we can all think of things we would spend an extra pay check on, whether it's things we need (in our case, a new car) or things we want (like that really cute shelving unit I've been eye-ing at Target). It would give us a little more wiggle room in our budget, something we'd all enjoy.
Within our family, Drake and I make nearly all financial decisions together, be they big or small. He might not always be with me when I see the 70% off clearance racks of baby clothes, but we typically talk about our money spending together and make decisions as a couple. And to be honest, I sometimes just feel (wrongly, I know) inadequate for not providing a source of income for our family. This has led me to a few conclusions:
1. Humility is okay! In fact, I "should" welcome it though that's more often than not quite far from the truth.
2. It really does call us to a deeper level of trust in our Lord's generosity...and that's certainly something I need to work on.
3. It gives me a golden opportunity to be more creative with what we have (and more thankful, too!) as well as more innovative in creating ways to make money here and there. It's also a chance to be a better steward of the money we've been given, using it wisely and purposefully.
4. And now I have just as good a motivator as ever to make that sewing machine come alive - nursing covers (and other baby gear), here we come!
Monday, March 1, 2010
A Much-Needed Date
This past Friday, Drake and I went on a date...a real date! It's hard to describe how much we needed this time out together to shift the focus from life decisions we're currently discerning to simply relishing in the gift of our marriage and relationship with one another. Heck, we even got all dolled up for the occasion (sorry, I know this would be a good place for a photo - but sadly we didn't take any).
We started our evening by going to a local restaurant; The Bread Company was amazing. For all of you Champaign-Urbana folks, I would highly recommend it. We shared an appetizer, pasta dish, meat entree, salad, and dessert and realized that we haven't had a meal that nice in a restaurant since our honeymoon in Costa Rica. After two hours of laughing, conversing, and savoring, we went a few store fronts down to The Canopy Club. We had heard about a comedian who was going to be there and decided to check it out. Unfortunately he didn't exactly live up to the hype, but the acoustic music beforehand was a nice surprise. And we were surprised to find out that we were part of a Jewish celebration called Purim; people were continually shouting, "Happy Purim!" For two devoted Catholics, this wasn't necessarily a celebration that we planned on commemorating, but we did have fun nonetheless.
A trip to Borders was our final outing for the evening - we had a few gift cards that we'd be itching to spend, so we decided on three books to add to our collection. Thankfully I married a decisive man who was able to make decisions within the 15 minutes that we had before the store closed. I'm currently reading Hail Holy Queen by Scott Hahn, and Drake has started a book on apologetics by Peter Kreeft.
One thing we've learned since becoming parents is that we have to be much more intentional about spending time as a couple. With decisions and life events constantly vying for our attention, we're recognizing that our marriage needs just as much (if not more) time and energy devoted to it. What a gift to relish in the gift of one another!
We started our evening by going to a local restaurant; The Bread Company was amazing. For all of you Champaign-Urbana folks, I would highly recommend it. We shared an appetizer, pasta dish, meat entree, salad, and dessert and realized that we haven't had a meal that nice in a restaurant since our honeymoon in Costa Rica. After two hours of laughing, conversing, and savoring, we went a few store fronts down to The Canopy Club. We had heard about a comedian who was going to be there and decided to check it out. Unfortunately he didn't exactly live up to the hype, but the acoustic music beforehand was a nice surprise. And we were surprised to find out that we were part of a Jewish celebration called Purim; people were continually shouting, "Happy Purim!" For two devoted Catholics, this wasn't necessarily a celebration that we planned on commemorating, but we did have fun nonetheless.
A trip to Borders was our final outing for the evening - we had a few gift cards that we'd be itching to spend, so we decided on three books to add to our collection. Thankfully I married a decisive man who was able to make decisions within the 15 minutes that we had before the store closed. I'm currently reading Hail Holy Queen by Scott Hahn, and Drake has started a book on apologetics by Peter Kreeft.
One thing we've learned since becoming parents is that we have to be much more intentional about spending time as a couple. With decisions and life events constantly vying for our attention, we're recognizing that our marriage needs just as much (if not more) time and energy devoted to it. What a gift to relish in the gift of one another!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
12 Month Well Baby Check-up
Yesterday we paid a visit to our pediatrician for Thomas' one year appointment. The result? Everything looks great! Here are some highlights:
Looking forward to this next year of growth and development!
- Thomas weighed in at 21 pounds - this number shocks me based on how much this kid can eat. I am in awe of his metabolism (and little bit jealous too!).
- He is 30 inches long.
- He can "say" these words: cheese, Jesus, dada, Cheerio
- He's clapping, waving, pointing - completely endearing.
- He can self-feed...still working on coordinating that spoon a little bit better, but he's getting there!
- He crawls, pulls up, cruises...I think a little more confidence and practice will have him walking all over the place.
Looking forward to this next year of growth and development!
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