Oh yeah, THAT phase of motherhood

So pregnancy and birth behind me, and now we're in the full throes of postpartum motherhood. Gone is my meticulously clean house. I sit and look and look at that basket of clothes that needs folded. Needed folded for almost a week now! Maybe it's because it's in my living room which makes it a bit more annoying than if it were conveniently tucked away in a bedroom or laundry room where it couldn't remind me that the laundry needed folding! Ah, but I gladly hold my warm baby and feed him, and know the folding can wait.

Gone are the soothing, long bubble baths that punctuated my last trimester of pregnancy. Now we've moved into 'hurry up before the baby wakes' showers. BUT, at least I get a shower every few days, or so.

Gone are the cooking in bulk and freezing every last thing I could. Now we indulge in all the fruits of my labors. Wait, not really. We have been SO blessed this time around to have so many meals made and delivered to us!!!! What a blessing! Tuesday, I took Rose to dance, with all the kids, and when we returned, I made dinner. Ruben sandwiches and potato pancakes. The corned beef was already cooked, so I just made the potato pancakes. We ate at 8p. I'm thoroughly convinced that new moms should just get meals delivered to them for the first six months of that baby's life. It just makes things ever so much easier! Ah, but I am so truly grateful to all those families that helped us out, in any way, this time around. The transition to this phase of motherhood has been so gradual, and such a good way to get adjusted to having a little one around again.

"Reason is always a kind of brute force; those who appeal to the head rather than the heart, however pallid and polite, are necessarily men of violence. We speak of 'touching' a man's heart, but we can do nothing to his head but hit it."

-G.K. Chesterton

"A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it."

-G.K. Chesterton

Welcome Joseph Ambrose!

Welcome new little addition to our growing family! Ah, yes, another boy! You were born at home, in the arms of your mom and dad, and the presence of an amazing birth team. It was quite a bit of work to get you here, but with the strength from God, you came healthy, happy in the wee hours of the morning.

Big sister, of course, a pro at this now. She's so good at holding you.

Dominic, another pro, and super excited to have another brother.

Sam, in true fashion, very reserved and just watched, for a long while, before agreeing to hold you. And beaming once you were in his arms!

And then there's this little joker. He was the first to hold you, held you the longest, and cried when we had to take you away! Nothing but pure, utter love for you, baby. It is so beautiful to witness.

In fact, it is something I will never tire of seeing, and hope remains strong in our family always. The joy, and love, and togetherness that a new baby brings to the whole family. The fabric of our family was just tightened a bit closer because of you, Joseph! We look forward to all the fun and happiness you will bring us!

Just a quick little thing I want to remember:

The boys are in Blue Knights- a Catholic boys club where they learn virtues each month. This month, they were talking about the Holy Spirit, and I suppose the project for the boys was to draw a picture of the Holy Spirit. Everyone was drawing a dove, or fire, and here's Sam, drawing a box. When asked what it was, he said it was a refrigerator. When the teacher asked further, why he was drawing a refrigerator, he said: "because it feeds us."

Deep stuff. :)

I've been wanting to post about the new year and all, since the beginning of the new year. :) This is about right for how behind I am with such things. :)

We had a blast with cousins over and had a fondue party. I never made fondue before, so I spent quite a bit on the fancy cheese and wine to make this classic sauce. Then I winged it making another cheese sauce with beer and plain old cheddar. Honestly, I didn't really like either. The kids tried, and dipped, but no one really thought it was the greatest thing ever. It was an awful lot of fun, though.

After cleaning up dinner, and some party music to clean up the toys a bit, we settled into watching an episode of Star Wars, our current movie series. Following that we delighted in chocolate fondue, which everyone did love. That took us close to midnight. We watched the ball drop, popped a few streamer firecrackers, and put all to bed. It was a really fun night. And I survived the whole night!! I was amazed.

So I don't usually make resolutions of any sort. I have been pondering a few things, though. I've read on other blogs about choosing one word to put into practice over the course of the year. Kind like a theme for the year. I like that idea. I have to admit, I'm not really thrilled with the word I came up with, but it just kept coming back to me. ACCEPTANCE.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/acceptance

Those definitions don't exactly describe what I envision when I see this word, but I can make it work. My acceptance has mostly to do with accepting anything, everything that the Creator sends me- day by day, moment by moment. It encompasses things like belief, and trust, and patience. It also means to me accepting others as they are: the good, the bad, the ugly, and again, being patient, charitable, trusting, that God has a plan for them, too. God is good, all the time. I am going to try to accept his goodness in whatever form it takes.

The other thing on my mind for the new year is a lovely theme song. I think this one will fit nicely.

I am a happy camper :)

My husband really is the best at getting gifts. Surprise gifts at that. I'd say he's good for the next ten years for this one! I absolutely love it!!!

Merry Christmas!

I did very little this year, at least it seems. I didn't get cards sent out, no cookies baked (but lots of cinnamon rolls instead). And I'm okay with that. We had a lovely Christmas. It all seemed to go by too quickly. And now, minutes from the twelfth day of Christmas, I'm hoping you all had a wonderful Christmas season as well. (I have to admit, the nesting part of me is ready to be packed and finished with Christmas, and settle into waiting for baby!)