Prayer Buddy Reveal

I had the privilege of praying for Ania who blogs at The 411 on the 418's this Advent Prayer Season.  On May 10, Ania announced her pregnancy after years of struggling with PCOS.  I was elated right along with her (although I'm sure not QUITE as much!  :-D).  I had begun following her a year or more ago & had prayed along with her during her journey to become a mom.

Ania, I prayed the Christmas Novena, the St. Andrew Novena & one more (I forget, sorry!) for your intentions that you mentioned, as well as the desires of your heart to be fulfilled.  I am glad to read that some of my prayer for you has helped in a small way.  Know that I will continue to keep you in prayer, especially as .... ummmmm ..... you have only 2 weeks left before your due date!!!  I'm beyond excited for you!  I wish you the utmost in blessing in 2013 for you and your family!

An early morning God-incidence

Christmas is next week.  I have a to-do list a mile long, it seems, but I do have half of the gifts bought that I need to, so I will count that as a win.  One of the projects on my to-do list was to find a substitute for my Holy Hour, which falls on Christmas morning, as we will be out of town visiting our families.  Last night, I got up to go to Holy Hour from midnight to 1 am just like normal.  I spent my time in prayer, then went to the back of the chapel to copy names from the substitute list.  I was worried that I wouldn't find anyone to either trade with or have substitute for me due to the holiday.  Back to my seat I went to finish the hour.

I am reading St. Faustina's Diary (a gift from my mom years ago, but I've never read it, until now) during part of Holy Hour and got lost in the words & pages I was reading.  I realized it was 1:05 am and the next person had never shown up.  He has been late before, so I gave him until 1:10 am.  Then I tried to call him, but no answer, as it went to his voicemail.  I sat back down & thought, "Ok, I was just enjoying reading this book.  I will have another hour to enjoy reading it.  God must have a reason for having me be here for another hour."  A few minutes later the phone rang.  It was the guy who was supposed to be there.  

As he apologized for over sleeping & not hearing his alarm, I had an idea.  Instead of him coming in this morning, I asked him to take my hour for next week and we would be even:  I would do two hours this morning & he would do two hours next week.  He agreed.  It couldn't have worked out more perfectly!!!  

After I hung up the phone, I was elated.  I was dreading calling people to see if they would come in to cover or trade, as some of the people on the list are either no longer available or have restrictions on when they can come (I found this out the hard way when Luke was born ... try getting someone to cover your hour the first night after your son was born!  That's when hubby went by himself the first time.  I couldn't leave Luke's side.)  I was so happy that God had arranged this so perfectly and I hadn't had to make one phone call.  He truly blessed me this morning - so to glorify Him, I wanted to share.

I would love to hear some of your stories of how God has worked in your life (aka "God-incidences"), taking care of you & providing for your needs.  Please share your stories in the comments.  I feel the need to rejoice in God's providence & blessings on me this year, which is a 180 from where I was at this time last year.  

Also, I have to add ... as this just hit me ... I am praying the St. Andrew Novena, which ends on Christmas Day.  The words of the Novena are as follows:  (emphasis mine)

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment

in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary,

at midnight, in Bethlehem, in piercing cold.

In that hour, vouchsafe, O my God!

to hear my prayer and grant my desires,

through the merits of Our Saviour Jesus Christ,

and of His Blessed Mother. Amen

My Holy Hour next week would begin at midnight on Christmas Day.  Another God-incidence, I believe.  I will set my alarm & pray the Novena at midnight, for "in that hour" I will beg God to "grant my desires" that I have prayed for in my Novena.  To my Prayer Buddy (and several others), you will be especially prayed for at that time.  I pray that God will grant the desires of your hearts.

Walking App suggestions?

Hello, ladies! Thunder Thighs, here. Does anyone have a good recommendation for the name of a walking app I could download for my phone to use at night (like the Couch to 5k for running ... but for walking)? I have some pain in my knee and don't want to be too hard on it at this point in time.

I'm trying to not be super depressed about splitting out another pair of jeans in the thighs this afternoon. Although I do believe jeans are made of thinner material now than they used to be.

P.S. Lucky as Sunshine, a big thanks to you on the DVD you sent. I need to put that to good use. Splitting out your jeans is great motivation ... so is seeing a photo of myself. :-D

Baby Sickness -- Q & A

Luke has been a sick little boy these last few weeks.  We are at it again with another ear infection, which we discovered at the doctors after we took him in to check out the serious eye goobers/pus he had in his left eye for about 3-4 days (over the Thanksgiving holiday, no less).  More antibiotics in his system for his right ear, this time.  I'm sure it has spread to his left ear, as he has been grabbing at that for the last several days.  His pediatrician has said that because he's had 2 infections within the last 2 months, with a third infection, she will refer us to the Ear, Nose & Throat doctor to discuss the possibility of ear tubes, to help with the pressure & drainage in his ears.  My poor baby is only 8 months old.  Is this common in someone so young?  I am up for anything to ease Luke's discomfort.  We have been keeping him dosed up with Motrin to keep the pain at bay.  I had a ton of earaches as a kid, so I remember the pain.  Ugh.  I was hoping to get some input from those who are familiar with ear tubes ... pros & cons, how have they worked for you/kids, etc.

With Luke's ear infection, comes a sore throat & cough (which we may find out at our re-check tomorrow is bronchitis).  It isn't helped by the temps in the house at night, either.  We keep our house about 72 typically, but have been running it higher at 74 to help with Luke's sicknesses.  At night, the temps seem to drop regardless (and when you breathe dry air through your mouth because your nose is plugged, I don't think that helps either).  We've run the humidifier at night in his room, but sometimes it will quit working in the middle of the night.  I think it may be due to our hard water creating a calcium buildup or something inside.  Luke also likes to squirm out of the covers I put in his crib.  Usually he will start at one end of the crib with a few blankets from his waist down.  Then by morning, he will be huddled at the other end with no blankets.  When I change his diaper in the morning, he always feels a little cold, so we get a bottle & snuggle under a few layers.  I dress him in the one piece footie pajamas (not a super-thin fabric), but even with that, I'd still like to keep him warmer at night.  Aside from a space heater (which I'm nervous about due to a fear of a fire starting (yes, I'm paranoid)), do you have any suggestions on how to keep Luke warm?

Since I'm questioning everything under the sun, here's another one.  Crib bumpers.  We'd purchased a crib set with the thick bumpers that I know you're not supposed to use due to suffocation risk.  So I put those bumpers away & haven't used them.  When Luke started to get wiggly and make 360's in his crib, we wanted to get something so his arms & legs wouldn't get stuck in the slats, so we purchased some bumpers that have large air holes at Targ.et.  Those worked ok, but kept sliding down all.the.time, which drove me crazy (you tie them onto the slats).  I wondered if there was an age when you could use the "thick" bumpers if you know that your child can move away from it.  I'm not willing to risk Luke suffocating with these bumpers, though, so I'm posing the question to get some input before making any changes.

Lastly, but definitely my biggest headache in the question department ... thermometers!  I want to throttle all thermometer manufacturers.  Seriously!  I realize with a squirmy baby that the temps won't always be the same, but with a whole degree difference, I think that is for the birds!  We initially purchased a forehead thermometer, but after comparing that with my digital thermometer I used when taking my BBT (I took it under Luke's arm), I realized that the forehead thermometer was crazy!  So I bought the Brau.n Ear Thermometer, which you can stick in the ear after putting a plastic sleeve over the tip to prevent ear wax getting on the sensor.  That reads a little better, but still varies a little.  I'm about fit to be tied!  Any good recommendations on thermometers?  I'm not thrilled about going "old school" and trying to stick a thermometer up Luke's (very cute) behind.

We like to pull ourselves up on anything now!

Luke is very mobile!  He has been crawling for a month and will go from the crawling position to sitting just like that.  He likes to crawl around his piles of toys for the most interesting things ... this time, he was going after the yellow ball.  

Having fun with Cookie Monster (a gift from his birthmom).   Yes, I stuffed CM in the back of his pants to "ride along" because I thought it was too cute.  I am "that mother."  :-D

Showing off our "I can pull myself up and stand in my crib now" skills.  We've learned to hang on, as when Luke doesn't, he takes a tumble!

Update on my Grandma

About 1/2 hour ago, dad called to say that Grandma passed away this morning. Thank you for your prayers.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine on her.
May her soul and the souls of all the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

My Grandma ... Prayers Please

If you have a minute, could you please say a prayer for my Grandma (my dad's mom)?  She is in intensive care at the hospital tonight after being taken there this afternoon.  I was updated today about how she's been ... she hasn't been eating, drinking, walking or having a will to live.  The latest update is liver failure, possibly some sort of heart arrhythmia & her blood pressure being too high.  My immediate family is at the hospital there with her now and her other son is traveling in from about 2 hours away.  They are not sure if she will make it through the night.
I appreciate your prayers for my Grandma most of all and then for my dad, if you could.  He has been there most of all for her and it is so very tough to hear about your dad crying and there's nothing you can do.   I will update as things change.

Grandpa & Grandma at my Wedding in 2006.

Grandpa passed away 5 years ago this October.  Grandpa passed away just days shy of their 60th Anniversary.  

Grandpa & Grandma were our babysitters when my parents worked.  We enjoyed sleepovers, early morning cartoons, late night tv (Golden Girls, anyone?  too risque for my parents), lots and lots of good food, a candy dish!, many stories read on Grandpa's lap & so many handcrafted items (my Grandpa could fix/build anything).  I have wonderful memories of growing up with them.

One of the last family get-togethers with all their Kids and Grandkids able to come together.  

My sisters (blue shirt & black/white shirt), little brother (green plaid) & brother-in-law (striped), as well as my dad, have taken care of Grandma in the last five years with cleaning, meals, hygiene, church rides & overnight stays.  They have been excellent caregivers.  Grandma just moved into an assisted care facility earlier this month at 94 years old.  With their help, she was able to be in her own home as long as she could.

Painting ... and Poop

Wouldn't you know it ... but the weekend I get motivated to paint our living room, dining room & kitchen & hallway, but DH and Luke are sick.  And it isn't the sniffle kind ... it is the kind that comes out the "Other End".
So far, Luke has had it easier than DH (who has to be very.close to the bathroom), but I'm not sure whether he's on the tail end of things.  He had had at least three big "blow out" diapers where poop was E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E.!  It was gross, but for me, I can handle poop better than snot.
Last night, Luke (and DH) was super irritable & fussy when going to bed and even this morning, he is almost inconsolable.  We've been napping on schedule and keeping our bedtimes, but when he is not asleep, Mama has to be close at all times.  I wish it was me who was sick so he could be healthy & not feel so bad.
I didn't give up on the painting totally.  I've been painting about 2-3 walls at a time each day when Luke has been napping.  I have about 5 walls to go, plus the basement stairs (it is an open floor plan, so when you paint ... you PAINT!).
Well, I'm off to console Mr. Luke who is up.  I stayed home today from work ... so we will see what the rest of today will bring.

Messed up Bedtime ... Thanks Daylight Savings Time!

The Daylight Savings Time change really messed up Luke's routine.  Instead of him going to bed at 8 pm, with the "fall back", we're going to bed at 7 pm (which is just fine).  But the really great part is ... instead of getting up at 6 am, we're getting up at 5 am!  It was super-fun this morning (and yesterday morning) to pry my eyelids open.  I realize that in a few more months, we'll switch back.  I really wish we could just do without the whole time switch.  Now that we have electricity, it doesn't make a big difference as to when it gets dark.

How do you do it with your child(ren)'s schedules & the whole daylight savings time switch?  Do you gradually switch them over?  Do you adjust your schedule of bedtime so it is consistent?

6 Month Photos

Hi everyone!  Time has slipped by before I got Luke's 6 month photos up, but I do want to share them with you.  I know I haven't shared any pics of Luke in awhile, so here we go!

As I sat rocking Luke to sleep last night, I marveled at him.  I was holding my son.  Something I had longed for for years and years.  I tried to soak it all in as a memory for some day when he was older and not so little (and maybe not so quiet?!?  ha!).  How lucky I am to be chosen to be his mom!  And I am SO eternally grateful he is mine forever more!  

Happy 6 Months to my sweet little boy who filled the ache in my heart!  I love you, Luke!

Ahhh ... Husbands

I'm just about mental here. It probably doesn't help that it's CD1 either. But I've been thinking of writing this and then deciding not to ... then I should ... then no. Anyway. Here goes.
I'm about fit to be tied with how much help (lack of, actually) I get from my hubby in the day to day. Lets demonstrate. Take today, for instance. Pretty typical. Get up at 6, feed Luke bottle til 6:30, put him back to sleep or play in crib so I can shower and get ready. Shower. Get ready. Husband wakes up about 7:15. Bonus points given as he went to Holy Hour for me last night. Give him a pass. Finish doing hair. Go into Luke's room, get him dressed, in carseat and out the door. I take him to daycare. Husband has left 10-15 mins before me.
Go to work. Work 8-5. Deal with crappy situations. Try and manage two men at work who are our installers, as well as quote some jobs. It's like herding cats.
Its 5:15-5:20. Leave for home. Hubby gets Luke. Meet him home about 5:30-5:40. Get Luke out of carseat and hug, kiss, hold him. Hubby changes clothes, comes out to couch. Has a seat. I play with Luke a little bit more. Have to go to bathroom, get changed, so have hubby watch him. Instead of getting on floor, hubby's version of playing with Luke is to bring him up to sit on his lap. I start cooking supper, Luke wants to nap (he naps between 6-7 for 1/2 hour). Hubby can't put him to sleep. Majorly fussy. I stand up and rock him, walk with him. He dozes. Supper needs to be finished. Ask hubby to help. Huge imposition. Gets up off couch and adds ingredients. Surs back down. Food simmers. Timer goes off. I get up to finish the meal, turn food off and add one more ingredient. Can't do it holding Luke. Put Luke down. Luke wakes up early. Grumpy. Have hubby hold him. Hubby asks if food is ready yet. We eat. Luke plays on bouncer for awhile. Hubby warches tv. Luke gets grumpy. I finish my food on floor with him. He lasts awhile longer.
Fix a bottle one handed then put a fussy Luke to sleep. Doze as Luke is eating. Luke goes to sleep. Come back into kitchen. Put food away. Wash all bottles. Wash a load of dishes by hand. Start dishwasher. Clean counters. Pick up living room. Feed cats. Hubby still sitting on couch.
SO FRUSTRATED I CAN SCREAM!!!

What can I do to get him to help? I've tried asking ... he says I nag. I've tried being silent and doing it anyway, I get really burned out. I feel like I'm his butler or something, not his wife.
I could deal with the house stuff and picking up, but I'm more irritated than anything about the way he interacts with Luke. He never plays on the floor with him. It's always me (which I don't mind all all, trust me), but I want him to *want* to play with Luke and enjoy him being a little boy. Not playing video games or being on the computer all the time. I am mostly sad for Luke and don't want this pattern to continue as Luke gets older.

Ladies, how do your husbands help around the house and how do you get them to help? Am I crazy for wanting my husband to help? Did your husbands play with your 6 month babies voluntarily? I'd like to get some input on whether I'm overreacting or whether this is severe PMS.

Motivation

I've been lacking the motivation to write blog posts, and update everybody on what all has been going on in my life. I've also been lacking the motivation for doing other things in my life ... Like losing weight.
I've been saying since January 1 that I am going to lose 30 pounds. And here it is almost the end of September, and I haven't done a single thing but gain weight. I've thought about running, but haven't started doing that. I thought about doing videos, but haven't done that either. I have no excuse anymore, as we re-carpeted the basement and got rid of all the dead bugs that were hanging out in the carpet. Ewwww.
It's harder now with Luke, but it's not impossible. He usually goes to bed about 8 PM, and so by 8:30 PM at the latest, I could be going downstairs to exercise. I had no excuse before Luke. :-)
I'm having a hard time with work & loving on Luke after work (til 8 pm), finding the time and motivation to do things. I'm not a morning person. I'm usually always late getting to work by about five or 10 minutes. Plus, I'm usually the one up with Luke at varying times of the morning feeding him his bottle, getting him ready/entertained and getting me ready. Also I am the one that rocks him to sleep at night starting at 8 o'clock.
I thought about a running app: "going from couch potato to 5K," and I've also thought about Jillian Michaels workout stuff. I know it may not be realistic, but I want to try and lose 20-25 pounds by the end of the year.
Any recommendations?
What do you guys do to stay in shape?

Please Pray for a 1 month old baby

My friend S and her husband B had twins about a month ago. One of the babies, Anna, had some breathing problems and stopped breathing 4 times. She was finally taken to Childrens Hospital in Omaha and had emergency surgery on Friday afternoon. She went home Sunday afternoon.
It was just posted that Anna has an infection that was recently diagnosed as meningitis. I guess they couldn' t diagnose anything earlier due to all the meds she was on. She is back at the hospital and has had some testing and a spinal tap.
I has no idea exactly what meningitis was, so I searched the web:
Acute bacterial meningitis is an infection of the meninges (the system of membranes which envelops the brain and spinal cord) that often causes hearing loss and is fatal in 5% to 40% of children and 20% to 50% of adults despite treatment with adequate antibiotics. It is caused by bacteria that usually spread from an ear or respiratory infection and is treated with antibiotics. Corticosteroids are drugs that can reduce the inflammation caused by infection. This inflammation has been shown to aggravate damage to the nervous system in experimental meningitis studies in animals.

Could you please pray for Anna? Her parents are worried sick. I would appreciate it so much.

First Meeting with Luke's Birthmom

We just got home about an hour ago from meeting with Luke's birthmom & her family.  We ended up going to Coyote Canyon, which is a buffet restaurant and sat in the back room at a table, away from the crowd, so we had some privacy.  We got to the restaurant early and formulated a plan for where to go, where to sit, what to do, etc.  We decided I would sit back at the table with Luke and hubby would go up front to meet everyone then lead them back.  It worked out really well!

When Luke's birthmom, Becca, rounded the corner and came back to where we sat, her face lit up and she was so happy to see Luke.  I gave him to her right away.  She just hugged him so tight.  It made me tear up, as I couldn't imagine being in her shoes ... watching her baby be raised by someone else, when she loves him so much.  She talked to him for awhile and took him in.  Her boyfriend also was all smiles and making faces at Luke.  It was so special ... meeting her son again after four months.  Becca said she had been looking forward to it so much.  Her mom, her mom's boyfriend & her sister also came to see Luke too.

Becca and her boyfriend held Luke while the rest of us got up to get our plates & eat.  In true Luke fashion, he was ready to eat when we were ready to eat (how DOES he always know this?)  We enjoyed the food and company and tried to catch them up on all the things that Luke is doing.  Becca's older son, E, is about two years old (give or take) and it sounds like he is a holy terror!  Or a normal two year old boy ... we shall soon see what that's like with Luke.  :-)  We got to hear about E's escapades and how much Luke looks like E and how similar and different they were.  Lots of comparisons.  It is neat to see pictures of E and what Luke may look like as he grows up.

The nice thing about Becca's family is that you don't have to do too much talking.  They are a very lively bunch ... lots of stories were passed around & shared ... although the story about Becca's boyfriend killing a tomcat was a little much.  What do you say in response to that?  (I am a cat lover.)
It was also interesting to see how our personalities matched up.  Becca is definitely a mother.  She did the one-handed-bottle-lid-removal-while-holding-a-baby-technique flawlessly.  She was so very attentive to him and kept watching to see if he was eating her shirt or the bib and tried to get him the bottle, as she thought he looked hungry. She cleaned out his ear as someone else was holding him.  She told us how to pull him up to strengthen his core muscles to help him sit up better.  She changed his diaper and told me that I should put baby powder in the diaper to get rid of heat rash around his pelvis.  I just nodded and said thank you.  We may try that ... we may not.  It is different getting advice from a younger person (she is 21/22 and I am 31) who lets you know her opinion.  Not bad ... not good, just different.  I guess I think about her being the same age as my little sister (the one who just got married) and it is hard to think about her knowing more than I do (I am of the opinion I know more than my little sister) ... but he is Becca's son too ... so I accept her advice.

Becca's boyfriend said that for two weeks after Luke was born, she was grief-stricken and couldn't get out of bed.  When I heard that, I felt terrible.  I still do.  I question how I can be so very happy and thrilled with the blessing of this amazing little boy and she was/is so devastated and misses him terribly.  I can't give Luke back.  I don't want to.   I didn't know how soon was too soon to call or text.  This isn't like dating.  How many months do you wait before you awake the grief again?  I didn't want to cause more pain, but Becca said she was so glad to hear from me and so glad for this meeting.  She mentioned quite a few times that he looks so happy.  That makes me happy.  Becca also said that she thinks about Luke every single day.  We will see her again soon.  I'm not sure about monthly meetings quite yet, but maybe every 6 weeks would be ok.

Luke was awake the whole time.  He nodded off to sleep once, but didn't stay asleep long.  He looked at Becca, but he didn't remember her like I imagined he would.  I guess I was a little paranoid that he would cling to her and remember she was the real mommy, but he smiled more at hubby and I, so that was comforting.  We have done the parenting, so it is normal for us to be his go-to-people.  I think Luke was overtired from the day, as he didn't have any naps and didn't take a half-hour nap like normal between 5-7.  As I type this at 10 pm, he is up and fussy in his crib.  When I gave him his last bottle, he went to sleep, I put him down & figured he would zonk out, but he's up and moving and babbling.  Since he's not screaming, mommy gets to blog.  :-)  Hopefully he will put himself back to sleep.

All in all, I was really nervous about the meeting.  I didn't know what to say, what to wear, how to act, if anyone would burst into tears (didn't happen) .... the list goes on.  It went pretty well, I'll have to say. I think we can form a good friendship with everyone we saw again tonight.  They are really wonderful people.  I meant to ask Becca what she preferred we call her, but we will save that for next time.  I did ask her if she wanted to fill out pages in his Baby Book (the baby book we got is specifically for Adoption, as there are pages for the Birthmom & Birthdad to fill out about themselves, in addition to two family trees).  She said she would be delighted.  I was thrilled.  Becca also wants to write a letter to Luke for when he is 16-17 about why she chose adoption.  I said we would be honored to keep that for him and share that with him when he is older.  We do plan on letting him know about his adoption as part of his normal life, by meeting with his birth family often and also with shared pictures and night prayers.

Next up on the to-meet-list is Luke's biological dad's side of the family ... which I'm WAY more nervous about than this meeting, as his bio dad was the one who was so stubborn in the hospital about signing papers and created the whole drama fest we endured.  The Adoption / Birth Family relationship is new to me and really causes me to have to come out of my shell.   I'm a pretty introverted person.

All in all, I hope this post helps you get a special insight into Open Adoption and maybe open some hearts to that calling.  Good night!

Adopted Children

Six Years

In honor of our Sixth Wedding Anniversary (August 5, 2006), I borrowed JellyBelly's Q & A sheet she answered about her fourth anniversary.  

Happy 6th Anniversary to my DH!!!  I love you!!!

1. Where/how did you meet:  
    We met on a blind date on New Years Eve 2004.  My friend was dating a guy who had a roommate who was single.  And tall.  And I'd had a whole host of bad dates by then, so I dreaded the evening.  I cleaned my apartment and drug my feet on meeting him.  We went out to eat and whatever I asked him, he wouldn't look at me and responded to his friend.  I couldn't wait to get back home, as it was going terribly.  But once we got back to my friend's apartment, we had fun playing games together and I realized his was a really nice guy.  He was just EXTREMELY shy.  As in "never-had-a-girlfriend-shy."  (Love you honey!  I'm baring your soul here.)

2. How long have you known each other: 

Since our first date on New Years Eve ... 8 years coming up on New Years 2012.

3. How long after you met did you start dating: 

Officially we began dating on Valentines Day 2005 (about 1.5 months after we met).  I couldn't wait to become "official", as I knew there was something special about him.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged: 

10 months, he proposed on October 30, 2005 (my youngest sister's birthday).

5. How long was your engagement:  8 months

6. How long have you been married:  6 years

7. What is your anniversary:  August 5

8. How many people came to your wedding reception:  Maybe 100-125

9. What kind of cake did you serve:
We had marble cake with "the good kind of frosting" (i.e. not the cool-whip-type stuff).  The grooms cake was a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

10. Where was your wedding:  Our parish at the time, which is in the same city we live now.  We had the reception & dance at a Holiday Inn.  

11. What did you serve for your meal:  Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, corn, beans, dinner roll ... all the good stuff!

12. How many people were there in your bridal party: 

4 bridesmaids, 4 groomsmen, 1 flower girl & 1 ring bearer

13. Are you still friends with them all:   Yes

14. Did you or your spouse cry during the ceremony: 

I did.  DH didn't.  From the moment I thought about the walk up the aisle with my dad, my eyes kept watering.  And when walking up the aisle, my lip wouldn't stop quivering, so I looked in pain walking up the aisle (oops!), but if I didn't hold my lip in, I would have burst out in sobs.  

15. Most special moment of your wedding day: 

I really choked up saying our wedding vows.  I repeated the first line and then had to take a break as I was crying and couldn't talk.  And my DH reached up with his hand and wiped the tears from my eyes.  My dad said the next day that this action by my DH made it to where there were NO dry eyes in the church. 

16. Any funny moments:

At the reception, my friend (who was a bridesmaid) had bought these huge bright pink granny-panties for DH to pullout during the garter-find-and-toss at the reception.  I didn't know it.  So ... imagine my surprise when he crawls out from under with a huge grin on his face and hold those beauties up!!!  He had them in his pocket all during our wedding too.  Nice.  :-)

17. Any big disasters:

The heat.  I think it was 105 or so.  It. Was. Hot.  Luckily, everything was inside, we just took a few outdoor photos together at a park.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon:  Hawaii

19. How long where you gone:  7 days

20. If you were to do your wedding over, what would you change:  I'd decorate the church more (my decor was skimpy) and I'd pick the bridesmaid dresses differently (I liked my Maid of Honor's dress, but then picked something less expensive for the rest of the bridesmaids) ... oh, and flowers ... I'd do some real ones.  (see #29)

21. What side of the bed do you sleep on:  The Right

22. What size is your bed:  King (we're both good-sized people)

23. Greatest strength as a couple:  Communication ... we tell each other everything and we know we are in it for the long haul.

24. Greatest challenge as a couple:  Infertility

25. Who literally pays the bills:  I do.

26. What is your song:  "You are so Beautiful to Me" 

27. What did you dance your first dance to:  "You are so Beautiful to Me" 

28. Describe your wedding dress:  White "wedding gown fabric (?)" with a lace overlay and an embroidered top and bottom and train.  It was about the 4th or 5th dress I tried on.  My Mother-in-Law cried when she saw me in it, so that's how I knew it was the one.  I took my MIL dress shopping with my mom & my 2 sisters (my MIL had all boys and wasn't ever able to participate in a wedding-gown-dress-selection-event).

29. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding:   I had red roses in a bouquet.  My bridesmaids all had red roses & yellow roses with red tips in their bouquets.  We made a "flower ball" for the flower girl to carry with the same red roses & yellow roses as the bridesmaids.  We made all our bouquets by hand with fake flowers.  It did turn out good, but I would change that to real flowers if I were to do it all again.

30. Are your wedding bands engraved?  No.  I wanted to do my DH's, but ran out of time to do so once I thought about it.  

Birthmother Meeting Scheduled

I'm excited (and nervous) to say that we have a meeting scheduled for next week with Luke's birthmom.  I don't think we'll have a shortage of things to talk about, but I am probably over-thinking the logistics a bit.
Where would a good place be to meet with her and her parents?  I've thought about a restaurant, if we could reserve a back room that's a little more private.  I've thought about the mall, where there is a kids play place, but that will be kind of loud and not private at all.  I've thought about the library, perhaps we could reserve a room.  I've thought about a park, but it is really hot out.  I've even thought about our house ... it might be the easiest.
I'm looking for opinions, ideas and experiences for suggestions of places to go, what to plan for, etc. 
I'm excited for her to see Luke again.  She wrote that she's been thinking about him alot.  I hope this will be a wonderful experience for her, but I'm sure it will be painful at the end too.

Update & Prayer Request

I haven't had a chance to get online and write anything yet, so it is late notice, but I would again appreciate any prayers you can spare.
The first is for my mom's knee surgery today (7/31). Thanks to all of you that prayed before!!! My mom was released from the hospital about 11:30 am on Saturday, the morning of my sister's wedding. We were able to find a wheelchair (the right kind is hard to find!) and mom was in high spirits and spent the day & evening at the wedding & reception. I know she is so grateful for the drugs! (lol) and for feeling as good as she did for so long that day. She was a real trooper!!!
Mom is pretty immobile and requires help to do pretty much everything (she has to keep all weight off that leg for 3 months), so it will be tough on my dad to work, care for mom and care for his 94 year old mom still living at home. Could you pray for my dad ... For strength and his health and for a volunteer to appear and provide help as well for mom?
Could you pray for my sisters and brother still living in the same town as my parents & grandma ... that they will be able to help without being told (it's harder for my 17 year old brother to understand this concept) (my 2 years younger sister already helps a great deal with my grandma, but has work, school and a hubby as well to take care of)? I wish I were there to help, but I'm 3 hours away and trying to decide with work being so crazy, whether to go back home for a few days with Luke to help out.
Finally, the owner of the company I work for ... her husband (the man that hired me and mentored me to be a great cabinet designer/salesperson) ... He is having surgery today (7/31) to replace his pacemaker and the lead wires that go into his heart. He has been frail and the pacemaker has been kicking in, which is a good and bad thing (good that it is working and keeping him alive, bad because of how frequent it has been working and he has had a few scares already about being so close to death if it didn't kick in). If you could pray for his strength and recovery and for peace for his family tomorrow.
I appreciate your prayers a few days ago for my mom's health!!! I hate to ask for so many prayers from you all, but I know the power of prayer ... especially my blog friends. I continue to pray for all you in return.

Prayers for my Mom

My youngest sister is getting married tomorrow, so we are traveling back home for the wedding. Got a call from my dad this morning ... My mom was cleaning a ceiling fan in the bedroom, fell and fractured her tibula/tibia in her leg (they think, at this point). My parents are at the ER now. Not sure if she will make the wedding tomorrow. Waiting on doc. Maybe surgery next week.
Could you offer up a prayer for her pain and for her to be able to attend the wedding tomorrow? It would mean so much.

A Question about Holy Hour

For those of you that are Catholic, I have a question that I'd like to get your input on.  I probably could just ask a priest, but I don't totally rely on their "more liberal" answer like I do yours (I live in a more "liberal" diocese) ... unless you tell me that you have no idea and to check with a priest anyway.  :)
I've had a scheduled hour at our Adoration Chapel for the last few years now (I can't remember when I started going).  It has always been 2-3 am on Wednesday morning and I started going because I wanted to grow closer to God by sitting in front of Him and taking the time out of my day to focus on Him.  There are definitely less interruptions for me, especially at 2 am!
I have had my hubby come with me in the last year or so, as I hoped God would work through my DH and plant a seed about Catholicism not being so bad and opening his mind to the beliefs we believe as Catholics (perhaps through prayer he would convert at some point?).  My DH wasn't happy about that specific time interrupting his REM sleep, so I recently switched my time to Tuesday mornings from 12-1 am, and he'd gone with me regularly until Luke joined our family.
I had a Holy Hour the evening/morning of the first day Luke was born.  I didn't want to leave Luke alone at all (I had to get my "mommy fix" & didn't want to be very far away at all) and I couldn't get a replacement.  I'd spent ALL day calling the multiple substitute list they give you, but it didn't work.  So, as my hubby had been going with me prior, he said he would go pray during my Holy Hour and I could stay with Luke.  So that's what happened.
There have also been two other times in the last 3-1/2 months since Luke came along where I was just totally wiped from late nights / early mornings / 3-4 hours of sleep a night and my DH went to Holy Hour instead of me.  While I appreciate it, I am also wondering if this is a sin of some sort?  Do you have to be Catholic only to go to Holy Hour?  I know DH doesn't believe the EXACT same things I do, but he believes in God, Jesus, the Trinity, etc.  DH says his religion is Christian, not a specific religion like Methodist or Lutheran, & does pray when he goes there (which is the point of going ... to grow closer to God & talk to Him).
My question:  Do I need to confess anything?  Is what I'm doing considered a sin?  Should I be the one going regardless of how I feel and just offer it up?

Thanks for your Prayers!

Thank you all so much for praying for my friend, S, on my last post!  She had a very short, quick labor yesterday.  She went in at 7 am to start pitocin and by 2 pm had delivered 2 baby girls naturally.  Not bad for 7 hours of labor!  

I know you all helped her labor be as easy as it was and less complicated than it could have been.  Mama and babies are doing just fine and heading home tomorrow!

THANK YOU, Prayer Warriors!!!

Prayer Request & Weekend Update

My friend, Suzanne, who is pregnant with twins (I wrote about her here ... and yes, I'm over it) is due to be induced tomorrow morning.  If you could spare a prayer for her, she is going to try and have both babies the good old-fashioned-way and try not to go for a c-section unless she has to.  If you could pray for a safe delivery and health of both her baby girls and herself, I would be so grateful!

In other news, we had a great weekend with family on Saturday, when everyone got together at our house.  Luke's cousin, J, is 2 months older than Luke, so they are kind of at the fun age where they still like each other, but don't know why.  I took a few shots of them both and enjoyed babysitting both of them, by myself, on Saturday morning.  It was super easy for about 15 minutes, about 8 am, when they both were asleep, then it got tougher as I had to feed one while entertaining the other and vice versa.  And the icing on the cake was Luke having a 15 minute cry-fest when I was feeding J (who is a big guy) and I couldn't hold Luke ... so I learned to make use of the boppy pillow for J with a bottle and I knelt on the floor beside J and held Luke.  It. Was. Awesome!  (kind of kidding)  Lets just say that I thought outside the box on that one.  I'm not sure how to handle two kids, but I guess other people survive, so I probably would too.  :-)

We started out the day well ... both playing on our play mats.

Then, Luke decided to fuss while I was giving Baby J his bottle.  

After putting Baby J in the boppy pillow & feeding him, I could hold Luke & he would decide to fall asleep ... for about 30 minutes.

The boys then helped me make chocolate chip cookies for the guests who were coming over that day.  I told them all the secrets of making some amazing cookies ... from a package mix!  :-)

Then it was nap time for Baby J.  Luke got to play in his crib and watch his mobile (the best $15 we ever spent!)  Baby J naps for 30 minutes.

Then hubby's mom & brother showed up, so they had to take pictures with the boys.  I don't think Luke quite had Baby J figured out yet ... 

Yay!  Lukie found his toes!  He just stared ... and stared ... and stared.  So cute!!!

Taking both boys to the mall to go shopping!  So much fun to be out and about!  People kept thinking my BIL and I were the ones married and had both babies ... we weren't even sitting close together ... the babies look like visibly (I think) different ages ... some people need to know when to keep their mouths shut!  There isn't a filter on what comes out of their mouths!  :-)

The cutest little K-State-er around!  Love this pic!  

The most unintentional picture ever turned out to be the funniest and cutest thing in the whole world!  Ok, I'm biased ... but how can you have a bad day looking at this lil' guy?

It was hard being so cute ... Luke fell asleep in his carrier.   

Before Cousin J left ... we had to get another shot of them playing ... and holding hands.  :)

Sunday afternoon we played Aggravation with Uncle J (Hubby's bro) who stayed over.  

No, Luke didn't win that game.  :(

Sunday, we were a GREAT napper!  Our festivities on Saturday just plain tuckered us out!

Luke loves to be photographed, videotaped and then look at himself and coo back to himself.  We were just goofing around with the camera.  I think he's trying to say something ...  :)

Luke is SOOOO Big!!!

I am seriously overdue for a post.  I am SO SORRY!  Work has been crazy ... life has been crazy ... and I have not had a chance to sit down, go through photos and type out what's been running through my head these last four(!) weeks ... although I did discover my phone has a "record" device, so I've recorded some little gems on that and will back-post my thoughts.  To catch you up on Luke and so you can see how big he's getting ... enjoy these weekly photo shots.  I'll be back really soon with more Luke-info and updates and questions for you all.  :-)

As my bib says, ladies, I'm THE BOSS!!  I am keeping mommy busy and away from the computer.  All I have to do is smile at her ...  :-)