The Sisters are here!!

It wasn't until just a few years ago that my eyes would light up when one would say, "Dominican Sister." That was until we met a pretty amazing one, Sr. Anna-Laura. Name ring a bell? She's part of the Nashville Dominicans, located in Tennessee. We met her and many other young (average age is 28!), vibrant, holy-filled women, while living in Indiana.

After I met them, I joked with Scott that it was a good thing I met him before meeting the sisters!

To be quite frank - I thought only old women became nuns. I'd really only seen "Sister Act" with Whoopi Goldberg and nearly laughed myself out of Mass one day when we started singing one of the songs from the movie. It sounds slightly different at a Sunday morning Mass. Oh, Hollywood, why did I believe you?

Timeout while I give you some quick catechesis...a nun is a cloistered woman who lives in a monastery and devotes most of her day to prayer. Nuns are rarely seen. A sister, however, lives in community (at the motherhouse) with other sisters and participates in active ministry, i.e. serving the poor (think Mother Teresa), teaching (Dominicans), working in hospitals/healthcare (Daughters of Charity for Seton hospitals).

The Dominican sisters have this aura about them that just makes you want to be holier. I love being in their presence. And, I particularly love for my children to be in their presence. The Diocese of Austin is blessed and honored to have another order of Dominican Sisters join us here in Austin, the Ann Arbor Dominicans (or Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist to be proper).

ALG with buddy Madelon Rose and Sr. Mary Cecilia

They were founded in 1997 with just four sisters and as of this month have 99 sisters. That's pretty amazing growth considering the statistics that tell us religious life is fading away. Spend 15 minutes with these young sisters and you will KNOW that it is a vibrant, growing, faith-filled community. Four of them live just down the street from us: Sr. Elizabeth Ann, Sr. Maria Gemma, Sr. Mary Cecilia and Sr. Thomas Aquinas. Sr. TA is teaching at Will/John Paul's school and the boys make sure to give me the "sister sighting" report each afternoon at carline.

It is a JOY to have them here. Last weekend our parish invited them to attend a Welcome Shower so we could give them a proper Texas howdy. It was lovely.

Our fervant prayer is that their order may flourish here in the capital city and that come 10 years from now, we'll have 100 Dominican sisters living in Austin!

Update 8.27.09

Yes, yes, sorry to disappoint those of you looking for your QOTW fix. Momma's a day behind. To be honest, I feel like I'm about 3 months behind. Such is life. I'm been a little buried with work the past few weeks and the few weeks looking ahead. But, work is good. It pays the bills.

On to much more important matters: Baby W!!

Thursday I went in for the weekly BPP. The baby got a 10 out of 10 and Dr. H said "perfect" three times. That's a winner in my book. The bambino is finally, FINALLY, moving much more regularly. It's difficult to express how much different this pregnancy is than all my others. I was used to boxers in utero. This one? Notsomuch. There are many days I have to drink some cold OJ and hang on the couch to do my "kick counts".

My report at the OB was equally good. I'm having some swelling largely due to this insanely hot, third ring of hell, heat that we're having. Can someone please tell the Big Guy that 60+ days of 100-degree temps is not acceptable to pregnant women? It makes us grumpy. That's probably the reason why Scott has made two Blue Bell ice cream grocery store runs in the last four days.

I love me some Blue Bell.

All in all, a pretty darn good report yesterday. Next week is the growth scan, so we'll know just how big the baby is and we can start inching toward a delivery date. Yowzers. I have got to finish my nesting.

Funny story. I was at Joann Fabrics last night - proof positive I'm nesting - picking up some drapery fabric. Three different women stopped me and said things like, "Oh aren't you the cutest thing," "I just wish you every blessing with this baby," and my personal favorite, "You're having number five? That's great!" Loved. her.

So, moral of the story? If you're depressed and hot and super pregnant, stroll through a fabric store around 8pm with a basketful of fabric. You're bound to draw some sweet comments.

This weekend is full of said nesting, a birthday party and some time with friends. Make it a great weekend. I might even get a post up tomorrow from the Dominican Sisters shower. Maybe.

Top Ten: Signs I'm OCD

We all have funny quirks - things that give our friends and family fodder to poke fun at us. I have so many I don't even know where to start. But, I'll just give you five that come to mind and then I'll give you five that show I'm the mom of 4.5 kids. Hey, we all have to live a little. I joke that I prayed for patience and God gave me children. He's a funny guy, that one.

TOP TEN: SIGNS I HAVE OCD

1. When I load the dishwasher, I load it the same way everytime. You know you've heard me say it, "There's a place for everything and everything has a place."

2. I dream about The Container Store. No lie. Last night I had dreams about nesting and organizing. I'm pretty sure there were even Dominican Sisters getting our house in ship-shape. I have got to have this baby so all I do is drool when I sleep more than two hours in a row.

3. All clothes, in every closet of our house, must be in rainbow color order. Can I tell you how much time that saves? Looking for a red shirt? No problem, because it's at the front of the red section - because, of course, we also have them short-sleeved to long-sleeved.

4. Our office files are color coded - green for bills, red for important documents, yadda, yadda, yadda - and alphabetized, of course.

5. I cannot, CANNOT leave the house without turning off all the lights, flushing the toilets (those with boys know where I'm coming from here), and washing out the kitchen sink.

But, alas, the sinner can see redemption. I, too, have been saved. Well, a little anyway.

1. Take a look in my "plastic" cabinet. The one with all the kids' cups, plastic containers, lids, et al. I clean it out once a year. The other times are because my mom and MIL are OCD and clean it out for me because it drives them nuts. I gave up organizing it 3 kids ago. 'Ain't worth it.

2. Come on over during laundry day. If you think Martha Stewart lives here, show up about 10am on a Monday morning. You will clearly see that while I ascribe to her art of folding, that's about the only thing that looks vineyard-y around these parts.

3. My side of the bathroom often looks like a tornado hit it. Usually because I hit the snooze one (or 2 or 3) to many times and try to cram 30 minutes of getting ready into 15. Not recommended. Hey, I clean it up at night.

4. We're not as on-time as we used to be. I'm learning that's our new normal. I try. Really, I do.

5. Just ask Scott how often I pick up my shoes and how many pair are floating about our house at any given time. If he had a quarter for every time I asked, "Honey, have you seen my shoes?" he would've left me for the Bahamas a long time ago.

Please don't tell on me. I know there are many more painfully obvious OCD moments. Don't make a pregnant lady cry.

Before & After: Take 2

The very first room we touched was the Master Jedi space. The boys, with a wee bit of help from Mom and the Internet, found some sweet bedding at one of my favorite stores, PB Kids (also known as the store that eats money). But, I told them the catch was that we had to find something to sell to pay for it all.


I'm all about the teachable moment.

We really thought their old bed was going to work great. It was a twin with a trundle that could convert into a bunk bed, at least that's what we thought. When I went to order said bunk, the "conversion kit" was discontinued. Figures. Enter ye old standby, Craigslist. Love that internet nugget. We sold the bed and trundle (much to the boys hoops and hollers), headed over to IKEA and then to PB. I love it when a plan comes together. Here's the result.



Oh, and I would be remiss without mentioning that the rockin' outerspace artwork is from the talented hand of my sister-in-law's brother, Karl. The guy has some serious talent.



I must say, with the exception of Saturday mornings, they do a pretty darn good job of keeping it picked up now that we have a gameroom for all the light sabers, action figures and mish mash of randomness. Have I told you how much we're loving all this space?

The Belly + a little extra

And I thought I was just a little hormonal...until I saw these this morning. Shannon, you outdid yourself. I love them all. Thank you for helping us document such a precious time in our lives, and for such an amazing baby growing in my belly. These really are priceless.

Click on "blog" and enjoy!!

Update 8.22.09

It is with great joy that I write today's update on Baby W. I'm telling ya, just a quick 12+ weeks ago, I lay on that sonogram table with a grim outlook. This week's visits reminded me that there is power through prayer. And, while our answer was one that we hoped might happen, should the outcome have been different, we would still rejoice. Why? Because the entire time God has been with us...through each of you. There's nothing like walking through a horrible storm, holding the hand of your best friend.

Your prayers have given us strength.

Your prayers have shown us that God's plan is, most certainly, different than our own.

Your prayers have inspired other people to carry their crosses with joy.

Your prayers allow us to see that even though God is good, all the time, the challenges still await us.

Your prayers have reminded us to be thankful, in all things.

The baby is steadily gaining weight (we're nearing 3 pounds!), still on the super low end of the chart, but this one's a trooper. Movement, amniotic fluid, heartrate and fetal breathing all got high scores this week. And, on Tuesday we reached a big milestone: Week 32. Our sweet, ever-honest, Dr. H reminded us that morbidity is still a concern of his during weeks 33-37. Funny, but I find his honesty very reassuring. While I know that sounds incredibly odd, I like proving medical science wrong. I guess Baby W does too.

Our goal now is to get to 37 weeks and have a good 5-pounder on our hands. I like goals. I especially like to exceed them. We shall see what God has in store.

In other related prayer requests, I'd like to offer up three women in particular...

One who is expecting her first but has some heart problems.

Another who just received word her unborn baby has a severe case of spina bifida.

And another who suffered her fourth miscarriage this week.

The crosses we bear as moms and women are often heavy. But I know from experience it's much lighter when others help you carry it.

QOTW: August 21, 2009

"Well Dad, I better be on my BEST behavior."
Will, at the school orientation, where he discovered his desk is just 6-inches away from his new teacher.

"No want to!"
Clare, for just about everything.

"Mom, guess what? Today, I didn't have to go to the principal's office!"
John Paul's first words after hopping in the van at pickup on the first day of school. I almost drove off the road I was laughing so hard.

"It looks like the baby is 2lbs. 12oz. Keep doing what you're doing Kathryn."
Dr. H after my growth scan yesterday. Woo Hoo! (full update to come tomorrow)

And your Paul Harvey "rest of the story" goes like this...

Me: "John Paul, did you make good choices at school today?"
JP: "Yes!"
Me: "So, did you get a smiley face for your good behavior?"
JP: "Um, I'm gonna go with 'no.'"

He did, in fact, get the smiley face. But as he says, "I was just trickin' you, Mom."

This kid.

So, a whole lotta nothing this weekend. We have a fun Welcome Shower for the Dominican Nuns that just arrived in town and that's the sum total of our plans this weekend. That, and to spend some time in the pool. My kinda weekend. Make it a great one!

From AUS to NOLA

Yes, today is a bit bittersweet. Austin loses her Bishop, but New Orleans gains a familiar face. Bishop Aymond becomes Archbishop Aymond in just a few moments. It's been a privilege and an honor to know him, and for my husband to call him "boss."

We pray that he will lead New Orleans with wisdom and compassion and that they will welcome him with open arms.

We also pray that Austin is blessed with a man who is "of the church" and leads our Diocese to even more unprecedented growth. And, selfishly, I hope for a man who loves stewardship and development, along with Catholic schools, as much as Scott and I do. Hey, it doesn't hurt to put all your wishes out there, now does it?

To Archbishop Aymond - we miss you already...

Updated Prayer Request

On Monday, I mentioned some friends of our were in need of prayers...if you're up at 0630 in the morning, offer one up for Chris. He received a positive diagnosis of testicular cancer and will undergo surgery tomorrow morning (Wednesday) at 6:30, in Indianapolis.

And, some prayers for Dawn and the baby are needed as well. I know how moms are, we worry and when we worry we forget to take care of ourselves. They need a bundle of prayers...

Top Ten: Places Worth Visiting

We all have a place that we just adore...the burger joint down the street, the really cool place where we can always find the perfect gift...you know the place. While I know I could live without them, they are always certain to put me in a good mood. Here goes...


TOP TEN: FAVORITE AUSTIN HANGOUTS

1. Phil's Icehouse / Amy's Ice Cream. This place has great food, a huge playscape for the kids to play and it's next door to Amy's Ice Cream. Really, is there anything better?

2. Sonic. Daily happy hour form 2-4, need I say more?

3. Target. I'm a card carrying member - ok, I don't own the red card, but I do know some of the sales folks by name. I live I sad life, I know.

4. Baris Pasta & Pizza. This little gem in P-town has been a family favorite for nearly 7 years. The folks who own it are New York Italians and man, can they cook a pizza. If you swing by, don't forget to order the fried ravioli.

5. Zilker Park. We don't venture down there too terribly often, but my kids are huge fans of the train (reminds me that I need to take the girls one morning!). The botanical garden is a hop, skip and a jump away, as is the infamous Dino Pit. Fun times for all.

6. Brushy Creek Water Park. We just discovered this place. Best part? F-R-E-E! That's right, it's a free "sprinkley park" as ALG likes to call it. If you get there at 9:45, the water's already on and the crowds are thin. Avoid it like the plague on Saturdays.

7. The entire parking lot at Central Market on Lamar. So many choices - the paper store, the camera store, the maternity store, oh, and the grocery store :-)

8. Pflugerville's Water Park. This 4-year-old waterpark is super cheap and lots of fun. While it's great for the little ones, better take another adult if you have more than 1. They staff it well with lifeguards, but this place has a ton going on.

9. The Arboretum. I'll admit, most of my stops there center around two stores - Talbots (esp. when they're having their sales) and Pottery Barn. I think there are other stores there, but those I amore.

10. Culver's. Scott took me here over the summer and I can't believe more people don't know about it. Ok, I'm sure they do, I'm just a little slow on the learning curve.

There are so many more things to love about Austin - and so many places that aren't on this list. Maybe I'll do a top 10, parts II and III sometime. It is weird, we do have some interesting sights along Guadalupe AND there's a big hullabaloo about some school over on the 40 acres...but we still love this place.

Back to School!

Oh my...today was full of mixed emotions. I admit, I felt bipolar. Happy/sad. Excited/anxious. Confident/emotional. Yes, today was one of those days that a wise mom once told me I would experience again and again with my children.

With every new accomplishment, you are so proud. But, you also realize that's one less thing in which they depend upon you.

Parenthood is not for the faint of heart.

The boys were tremendously excited this morning - even though I had to wake up their cute little hineys at 7. After I heard the chorus of, "Mom, why'd ya have to turn on the light?", they realized what today was and were bounding down the stairs in their new uniforms in 5 flat. We'll see how long that lasts...

After the family picture - yes, you knew we'd do it - Will beelined for his classroom. Can I tell you that almost brought me to tears? If you remember this post, you know that both the boys started a new school this fall. Funny how us mom's worry about all sorts of things, when our kids just take most of them in stride. I am learning that it's all a matter of perspective. We're fortunate and quite blessed that my sister-in-law works at the school and her office is just a few doors down from Will's classroom.

The other day, Will mentioned that Holy Family didn't have a cafeteria and that he'd have to eat at his desk. The Holy Spirit totally had a response ready. I found myself saying, "Well, they can always build a cafeteria...but St. Theresa didn't have an Aunt Amanda. We can't make another one of her!" Will just smiled.

Do you see why I've been so hormonal?

After getting Will settled, I quickly turned around to wipe away the tears. Third grade. He's in third grade!!! So proud. I'm just gonna put that out there.

Ok, on to John Paul. Equal excitement, paired with a little bit of shy. We got everything stored in his cubbie, found his desk and he was tha-rilled that he got to color and draw a picture right off the bat. After a few rounds of photos, some hugs and a parting sweet sentiment from him, "Mom, I love you!", we were out the door. Round #2 of tears.

Tomorrow will be easier, right?

Scott and I just looked at each other and realized in a matter of minutes our family got cut in half for a few hours. Can I just tell you how odd that feels? The girls and I enjoyed a fantastic morning of shopping, running errands and eating lunch at a family favorite, Chick-Fil-A. Admittedly, it was quite nice...just some girl time. And, it was probably a little overdue. Sorry, just realized that was a really bad pregnancy pun.

Anyhoo, we're off to pick up the boys in about an hour. Hopefully, we'll survive the dreaded carline. Those of you who have been in my shoes, know how fun that line is...

Thank you St. Theresa for preparing us so well. Thank you to our many friends who nurtured, loved and supported us. We learned how to be "school parents" from you. And, to the new "scary as all get out" fresh start we're jumping into at Holy Family...I just have this to say.

Bring it.

Update 8.17.09

The weekly visits have begun. Today, we got a perfect score of 10 on the BPP (biophysical profile). Yea!! Because of some scheduling, we'll be seeing the doctor again this Thursday and then every Thursday until I deliver. I guess they just can't get enough of us. It's looking more and more likely that I'll deliver early, just how early is anybody's guess. I should start a pool on the delivery date and the sex. Any guesses?

While I'm sitting in the comfy recliner, listening to the baby's heartbeat, I pulled up my email and my eyes were not prepared for the message before me. Some very good friends and neighbors of ours from Indy just received two life-changing bits of news: 1) that he may have testicular cancer (final results to come on Wednesday) and 2) baby #5 is on the way. I just ask that you offer up some prayers (big ones, if you have them) for Dawn and Chris.

That email message from Dawn reminded me of a Christian artist's song with the lyrics...

"I guess we're all one phone call from our knees..."

Amen to that.

So, whatever life may bring you today, or next month, or next year - I pray that you will see God's grace and feel His presence. Because really, the whole "control thing" just doesn't seem to stick with Him. You just have to take life as it comes and trust in a higher being. Well, at least I do :-)

Just call him Jack LaLanne

We've all seen that infomercial, right? The one where a very fit, albeit aging, Jack LaLanne bounds into the kitchen letting us know his secret to staying fit.

The Jack LaLanne juicer.

Ok, I'll wait for you to get up from your chair from laughing so hard.

Waiting...

Yeah, so Scott comes home from Target the other day with our very own Jack LaLanne. He's been making juice up a storm. And, I have to admit, it's pretty dang good. It's "whisper quiet", easy to clean and makes some pretty amazing juice.

So, if you live in Austin, you'll appreciate this little nugget (said in my best Anita Culpepper voice on "Does it Work Wednesday")...

You gotta buy this thing.

Belly Laughs

Shouldn't we all be this smiley at 7:30am? Hey, what can I say, the kids were in a good mood and we snapped a few photos. Miracles do happen.

Joe Knows Kids

Call us groupies. Call us crazy. Just don't call us late for a Joe McDermott concert.

This Austin kids' musician is really, truly fantastic. The younger set enjoys his interactive concerts and us adults appreciate his adult humor. As usual, he did not disappoint this week. We caught up with him at St. Thomas More Catholic Church - yeah, us and like 400 other moms and kids (for real). Can you say, ka-razy?? We met up with Alexis and her son, Nate. Thanks for scoring sweet seats you two!

It's been longer than I'd like to admit that we've seen him "in person," although he lives in our van's CD player...alot. I mean, anyone that can make a mom sing things like these is a hit in my book...

"If you drop a brick on your foot, it will hurt..."

"Get yourself a baby kangaroo, hey you know what a kangaroo can do..."

And, my personal favorite...

"Everybody plays air guitar" (must be accompanied by stellar air guitar performance)

This time around the boys decided (actually, Will did, but JP followed) they were waaay too cool to do the motions. Clare and ALG took over just fine. Made me realize, looking around the room at all those kids under 5, that the older ones might be nearing the end of "Oh, Mom, let's go to a Joe concert!" days. Dang. Guess I'll just have to go to the next one without them...

Top Ten: It's Schooltime!

Can you believe it? In just five days, FIVE, kiddo number two will hit the doors of school for the first time. With Will, I did ok. If I recall correctly, his exact words when we dropped him off were, "Mom, Dad, you can go ahead and go. I'll be fine." In one quick sentiment, we moved from a permanent fixture in his life, to the people that drop him off and pick him up from school.

Sigh.

Whether he knew it or not, though, Will did me a favor. He allowed me to see his confident self strolling into a new school with all new faces and he loved every minute. Still does. He cannot wait to go back. I love that about him.

Then, there is John Paul.

I'm really having a tough time seeing him off to school. I'll certainly miss his presence at the house, but more than that...I'm having a hard time realizing he's old enough to skip to kindergarten. How did those five years zoom past my eyes so quickly? But, I've got my big girl underwear all ready for next Tuesday.

Some folks have asked why we send the kids to Catholic school. It's certainly not because I like writing the tuition check every month (ha ha), but we've never seen it as a sacrifice. Sure, it takes some serious budgeting on our part and some important decision-making, but it's a joy to send them to school every morning...here's why:

1. Uniforms. Our only choice is short pants or long? It makes school shopping a breeze. We were in and out in less than 20 minutes for both boys!

2. The majority of parents share our value set. That's not to say that there are some who send their kids there just because it's a private school, but for the most part we have shared commonality right off the bat. It provides a great sense of community for us, and our children.

3. Where else can your children go to the same school, K-8th grade? As a matter of fact, the new Catholic high school is just 100-feet away from the elementary / middle school, so that means our two-minute commute stays the same for about the next 18 years.

4. The mentor relationship between the younger and older ones is really inspiring to see. It's a great honor to watch those middle school students really relish in the status as a role model for the younger ones.

5. The seamless meshing of our faith and education into one is probably my greatest joy in sending the kids to Catholic school. What they do and learn in school is merely an extension of our home.

6. The celebration of Mass once a week is really awesome. Although Will did ask why he "has" to go twice a week, that's when I reminded him that if he becomes a priest, he "gets" to go seven days a week!

7. The presence of priests and religious around our children every day. There is something that inspires you to be holy when you are in the presence of people who have made a very visible commitment to serving God. We are honored to know many lay people who do this as well, but to have that priest and Dominican nun presence encourages us all to see the world through the Holy Spirit's eyes. Talk about inspiration!

8. The dedication of our teachers. Now, let me begin by saying I am the proud daughter of a public school teacher. I went to public schools and turned out not too bad! I know that teachers don't get paid near what they're worth. It's a reality that our teachers' pay is about 90% of public schools. I appreciate their sacrifice more than they know.

9. Discipline is importante. There are no nuns whacking kids wrists with rulers anymore, but staff take this aspect of education seriously and, fortunately, get parents' support much of the time. That cooperation between staff and parents really makes a difference with how much time our children are learning in the classroom.

10. That it doesn't feel like school. In other words, I don't join in a sea of unfamiliar faces each morning at drop-off (ok, I might feel like that until we meet all the parents the first week at the new school, but go with me here). Rather, I see those same faces at Mass, the grocery store, the neighborhood and running errands.

That is why, without a doubt, I am a fan of vouchers. As parents, we should have a say in where our children, our most precious resource, get their most important gift - education. Someday I hope that's a reality.

That parents have a say.
That teachers get paid what they're worth.
That all children flourish in an academic setting.
Like Martin Luther King, Jr., I too, have a dream...

Top Ten...postponed

Yes, yes, I know today is Wednesday. Actually I didn't realize it was Wednesday until about 10am this morning. It's been one of those days. I thought all along it was still Tuesday.

So, in my mind tomorrow's belated top ten is really on time. Hang tight.

Update 8.10.09

Wow - I'll be 31 weeks tomorrow! Still amazed and humbled that we've made it this far... This morning's visit with the perinatologist went very well.

Amniotic fluid levels. Check.

Heartrate/beat. Check.

Fetal growth. Check. (Baby W is over 2 pounds - 2lbs 4oz to be precise!!)

Fetal movement. Check.

Fetal breathing. Check.

Placenta - um, still a little bipolar. Great on one side, not on the other. But, it's doing its job and giving nutrients to the bambino. So, I'll reserve the criticism.

Up to now, we've really just been measuring the baby's growth and looking at movement. Next week, I begin BPPs (biophysical profiles). What are those, you ask? Here's webmd's definition:

"A BPP test measures the health of your baby during pregnancy. A BPP test may include a nonstress test with electronic fetal heart monitoring and a fetal ultrasound. The BPP measures your baby's heart rate, muscle tone, movement, breathing, and the amount of amniotic fluid around your baby. A BPP is commonly done in the last trimester of pregnancy. If there is a chance that your baby may have problems during pregnancy [that's us!] (high-risk pregnancy), a BPP may be done by 32 to 34 weeks or earlier. Some women with high-risk pregnancies may have a BPP test every week or twice a week in the third trimester."

Translation? A whole truckload 'o doctor visits.

Between my weeklies to the perinatologist, I also have bi-weekly visits with my OB, soon to be weekly. Oh yeah, and the cardiologist follow-up. And, the OB said something last week about an anesthesiology consult. I'll give them the cardio follow-up. But, here's what I have to say about the anes consult.

Put the needle in my back sir. Story over. I know the risks, this ain't my first rodeo.

Our only scary moment came this morning when I was hooked up to the fetal monitor. The heartrate was a strong 140 and then in a matter of seconds it dipped to 70, then went blank. After a quick meeting with the doctor, he thinks the baby was rolling on its umbilical cord, thus interrupting the heart rate. Whew.

I'm amazed at what technology can tell us these days. And, I'm increasingly thankful that God did not give us this cross to bear with baby #1. I would be an even bigger basketcase than I am now. For real.

So, the prayers are appreciated, as always. I have some cute ultrasound photos to post tomorrow. Well, they might be cute to me, perhaps a little fuzzy and non-exciting for the rest of ya. But I'm posting them anyway.

QOTW: August 7, 2009

"Will, what's the answer to..."

Scott, asking Will the answers to all the "Totally Catholic Trivia" app on my iPhone. Whose phone is that anyway?

{Stunned silence and sly smile}

ALG, on the occasion of her "haircut". Actually, it's not too bad. The gal at the salon was able to blend in those pre-cut bangs. I'm just not looking forward to growing them out.

"Mom, why are they banging again?"

JP, asking why we had to re-roof yet another house. Fun times. Fun times.

It's been a bit of a surreal week. Hard to believe we only have one more week of freedom and then it's schooltime. This has been one of our wackier, to say the least, summers, but it's also been a really great time of growth for all of us (read: ME). We're not off to do anything fabulous this weekend, just enjoy some fam time and piddle around the house. Next weekend the flurry of crazy will waltz right back into the house. I'm trying not to think about the fact that John Paul will be entering kindergarten and I'll have two in school. This mom is having a tough time with that. More on that little nugget next week. Until then, make it a great weekend!

Before & After: Part I

I've talked big about all the work we've done, but I haven't ponied up the proof. Well, I present to you...

Exhibit A: The Dining Room

The "Before" and "After"

No, we haven't officially broken it in yet. But, we will be soon. Our plan is to have a nice meal (fine china, silverware, et al) with the kids on a regular basis in this spectacular room, kind of make it a family fun night. Because, really, every kid should eat pizza on their parents' finest china, right? It was lots of fun to decorate and we are luh-uving those hardwood floors. You know me and white walls - nope, we'll have none of those. We even painted the ceiling! I have more proof that we've been busting tail, but why show you all the goods at once?

Top Ten: Being Pregnant

I decided before I hit L&D, I better jot down the things I love most about this chapter in my life. Because, as we all know, the greatest chapters are always over quicker than we thought possible. Oh, and yes, I'm one of those crazy ladies who adores this chapter of life no matter what the heat index may be.

TOP TEN: THINGS I LOVE ABOUT BEING PREGNANT

1. Being able to eat ice cream at 11pm. Actually, I do that anyway, but I do it totally guilt-free for a glorious 9 months...which will culminate into 45 spectacular months of lactose indulgence.

2. Wearing maternity clothes. I should clarify, there is a stage where you feel "cute" and then the inevitable, "could I get any bigger?" phase. I'm a fan of the former, not the latter. Funny, though, the outfits I loved with each pregnancy turn into the ones that I don't love in the next one, much to the dismay of my debit card.

3. Feeling the baby kick and get those hiccups. I remember the first time I felt Will kick and it was such a natural feeling. It finally made it real that I was carrying a little life inside. And, admittedly, I had a hard time delivering because I knew that I was going to have to share the babe.

4. The looks you get from other moms, especially grandmas. We were at church the other day and this 70-year-old lady just beelined for my belly and practically gave me a bear hug. I think she was more excited than me that I was having another baby. Yeah, but don't think I haven't gotten the, "you're pregnant with what number child?" Those? I just ignore.

5. I can't lie. When you're chest-challenged, it's nice to be able to wear dresses and actually fill out the top without any help from Victoria's Secret.

6. Sitting in the nursery wondering what this child's life will do to your own. The many hopes and dreams you have for him/her, how they'll fit into the family, what the temperment will be, and just how overwhelmed with love you'll be when the OB shouts out, "It's a ...!"

7. The pregnancy hair. I may not have ever felt the "glow" but me, and my hair stylist, most certainly have loved how much better the hair looks and grows. At four months post-partem the honeymoon ends, but I try to forget about that.

8. The pics. With Clare, I finally decided to get belly pics. I'm totally kicking myself for not doing it with the others. Rest assured, the appointment is already made with my favorite photographer and I'll send you the link when they're online. No matter how you feel about pregnancy or how miserable you may feel, you will want to document this chapter. Trust me.

9. The kid-free trips with Scott. With every pregnancy, we've taken a trip somewhere (Will: Napa Valley; John Paul: Italy; Anna-Laura: New York; Clare: San Diego; Baby W: France) to celebrate life before kids. It's always been a renewing weekend for us and our marriage. Maybe that's why I keep getting pregnant!

10. The miracle in which I get to take part. We talk big about "my pregnancy" or "my kids" but with every child, I'm reminded more and more that God could've chosen any way to bring life into this world. And yet, he chose this very personal, very spiritual experience. He is the giver of life. No doubt. There is no possible way to describe the emotions Scott and I have experienced in those 4 delivery rooms. It is life-changing and I feel honored to get to do it again.

Just call her Paul Mitchell

Doesn't every mother have the same story?

Child gets quiet.
Mom hears giggling.
Mom sees uneven hair and spots evidence on the floor.
Child acts as if nothing is wrong.

Well, the same story unfolded at our house yesterday afternoon. I first thought the fact that ALG was putting on her apron was cute...until I realized she was just reenacting the hair salon. Dang, I should really be able to be 2 and 2 together by now. I 'ain't no rookie mom.

Guess that'll teach me a lesson. When your daughter begs everyday for two weeks to get her hair cut, get yourself in the van. Go to the professionals the first time, rather than for "rescue and recovery." You'll thank yourself later.

I'll post pics soon. It wasn't horribly bad, I just think my initial reaction could've been a little better :-)

No Reason

I have hijacked the blog for just a moment to say how much I love my wife. She is the greatest. She is my wife and the mother to my children. Thank you for who you are and your commitment to our faith.

Hang in there, just a few more weeks to school and you can have two out of the house!

I love you!

I Heart San Antonio

Last weekend, we gave the girls to Uncle Daniel and Aunt Amanda and the boys to my parents, and jetted off to San Antonio. Scott and I have been fans of all things Riverwalk for a long, long time.

I'm pretty sure it started back in (dating myself here) February 1993. My brother was singing for the choir and had a gig in San Antonio, with Dad in tow. So, Scott and I loaded up in his Chevy pickup and headed to SA so Dad could meet this boy that was starting to steal my heart. If I remember correctly, Scott was wearing starched Wranglers, had a sweet cowboy hat and gave my Dad a pretty firm handshake. Dad's exact words were, "Wow, that boy can shake a hand." Indeed. It was love all around and the weekend we decided to make our dating o-fficial. The rest is, most certainly, history.

Since then, we've visited several times and always have a blast. We scored a sweet room at the Westin overlooking the Riverwalk, compliments of a free night stay coupon (love that). Fortunately, we were on the quiet end - no loud bars, drunken guests or blaring music. Perfect-o.

We {window} shopped a little up in Alamo Heights. Ate some out-of-this-world Italian food at Dough (you know us) and ended the day with some more good eats at Rosarios. I may regret telling you this later, primarily because we want to keep this little gem to ourselves, but we think Dough may have some of the best Italian food around. It made Texas Monthly's #2 top spot to eat in SA and, they make their own fresh mozzarella everyday. When they run out, they close. My kinda place.

The quaint Mass at St. Mary's, downtown, was charming. Afterwards, we asked the priest to give us a blessing on the occasion of our annivesary and he exclaimed, "You should've told me earlier, I would've made it a big deal. I mean, people just don't stay married that long anymore!" Wow, and I didn't think 13 years was that long!!

Dinner was at Rosarios - one of our favorite Tex-Mex places NO WHERE NEAR THE RIVER with fab live music. A little stroll down our quiet end of the Riverwalk and it culminated into the perfect evening.

Sunday morning, before heading back to reality, we stopped off in north SA to eat breakfast with one of our groomsmen from the wedding. After we started eating, we realized it had been 13 years, minus a day, that we had all last seen one another. Yikes. Yet, we all agreed we looked as fabulous today as we did 13 years ago...

All around, a truly fantastic weekend. Sorry for the lack 'o pics. I really did bring our camera, but guess who forgot to charge the battery?? Thank goodness Scott had the crackberry.

QOTW: August 1, 2009

Technically, this is a day late and this quote is from one of Will's friends, but I laughed out loud when I heard it. It's so worth sharing...

"Well, that's gonna leave an impression."
One of Will's friends when he saw Anna-Laura streaking through the house on her way to bathtime.

We're enjoying a nice weekend of catching up on some honey-do's, finishing up some baby stuff and hanging with the fam. I love weekends like these. They don't happen very often. Soon enough, we'll be shuttling off to soccer/flag football games, gymnastic meets - oh, and a newborn to attend to. I've got some fun pictures and stories to share. Maybe I'll get the nesting instinct and get all that done this weekend. Maybe.

Make it a great weekend!