Not The Brightest Apple....

Mama (yelling):  Ok, everybody... time to get our school work finished!  Up and at 'em!  Let's go!
(I wander off to check my e-mail... and notice that I am being gmail "chatted" by my own son.)

SPORTS FAN!!!!  Get down here!
(he comes waltzing downstairs....)

Why are you on the computer??  Didn't you hear what I said?

Sports Fan(incredulously):  How did you know??


:P

The Craziness of our Days

I want to remember this time... this blessed time when my entire life is ruled by a little man who is not yet two feet tall.  Who cannot even hold his own head up, and spits up constantly.  Who cuddles and snugs and makes the funniest faces when trying to wake up... and who is the center of our universe these days.


We are in survival mode here in the Nut House.  Those of you with little ones right now know (and are living out!) exactly what I mean.  Other Mamas of littles now grown will nod in remembrance.  It is a crazy time.  But a blessed time of crystal clear priorities...

~The baby is screaming, he must be picked up/changed/fed/held/rocked.

The dishes can wait.

~The children need some family time.  Some games/movies/mom-and-dad/special time....

The laundry can wait to be folded.  Need something? Look in the clean basket.

~Mama needs a shower today.  No, really, it has become a priority.  ;)

The vacuuming will be done later.  Please hold Little Dude, and pass him to another older sibling if he fusses.

~Nap time! Which equals tv time!

Yes, I know the children have been watching all morning.  One more hour this afternoon won't rot their brains too much.  I just need them in one place so I can rest and not worry.



And so it goes.  Our housecleaning is haphazard at best.  DH is trying not to do absolutely everything.  He is such a do-er though.  And the kids are being rallied to constantly step up more and more to help him out.  Sat night their reward was a trip to the movies, how DH managed to stay awake after running errands all day is beyond me.

I stayed home and snuggled with Little Dude.  Because that is all I can manage to do these days.

That is my A- #1 Top Priority.

And I'm going to treasure it for as long as I can....

:)

While I Wrestle With The Written Word...

... in composing Little Dude's birth story...

I thought we were overdue for a wee bit of updating.

Here is our little man, as of yesterday....

He absolutely consumes me.  Constantly in my arms, I hardly ever put him down.  Most of this is by choice, of course, but I also anticipate some fussy days ahead.  (actually got a taste of that today.... eeek)

I am walking a tightrope these days...  finding that while I am eager (and sometimes downright impatient) to be fully 100% recovered, I also do not want to wish this first month away.  Because it will pass.. and all too quickly. I love this newborn stage... the snuggles, the smells, the utter dependency... so sweet.


The siblings are, by turns, helpful, joyful and somewhat oblivious in this new chapter of our family life.  The girls cannot stand to hear him cry and go rushing to his side at the slightest peep.  The boys can't stand it either, and they go running outside.  LOL.

Little Boo is most adamant about scooping him up and out of the arms of the failing comforter, especially in the evenings when DH is trying to keep the little man awake for a few hours.  She marches up to her dad, hands on her hips, demanding that he hand over the little guy.  Then she waltzes away with him, singing and snugging her baby brother.

It definitely is nice to have the extra set of arms.  It guarantees that I can get dressed most mornings.
;P

Thanks to our homeschool co-op, the kids are still able to keep up with their schooling, while learning important life lessons here at home.  Pitching in and helping out, or pushing limits and bending rules?  It's been an interesting transition.  But necessary, as we iron out our new roles and make room for this most welcomed little one.

We have amazing friends.  AMAZING.  Our meals are planned out, every weekday, from now until Dec 22nd.  Yes, you read that right.  Little Dude's godmama has been working the phone lines, keeping us well-fed.  We are so truly blessed.

And that's it for now.  The little man awaketh, and I must run.

Thanks for your many e-mails and well-wishes.

Life is full here, and so very very good.

:)

Our New Life...

I simply refuse to believe that it has been two weeks since I last posted.

TWO WEEKS.

Because, that would mean that little Dude would be an ENTIRE WEEK OLD today.

And that?   Is simply not possible.

And so... the starting of life... in pictures:


The clock in the operating room, marking the exact time.... (4:29pm)
















First night with Mama...

A visit from the siblings....

Gosh, there are a lot of them!!

Little Love is needing some extra attention as she rapidly assumes her role as a "big" sister....
:)

And, clearly, someone needs to do some explaining to Ben the Cat.

A longer, more eloquent post to come on how wondrous are the ways of God and how lucky we are to be a part of this communion of saints here on earth.

For now, please know that I am so very grateful for the outpouring of prayers and good wishes. I could feel the many graces carry me through each moment of the surgery and subsequent recovery. Prayer is so powerful!

Much love and prayers of thanksgiving to all~

:)

Overflowing

My inbox, that is. (along with my Facebook wall)

And, consequently, my heart.

:)

Thank you so much, my very dear friends, for all of the notes of encouragement and promises of prayer for tomorrow. With each and every note and e-mail, my spirits are lifted and my wary heart is strengthened. You have no idea how much it means to me to read this constant outpouring of love.

I am so excited to hold this little one... to behold his face and have his fingers curl around mine.  To know him and name him.  At long last.

Miraculously, I have been able to accomplish every task set before me this past week. Including confession today with a dear old priest who is a champion of the local pro-life movement and simply overjoyed at the impending arrival of our little guy.  He sent us on our way this morning, laden with graces and prayers and handmade rosaries and lots of extra blessings. 

It's been a beautiful week.

And tomorrow is going to be a beautiful day.

:)

Leaving Good Behind

Yesterday was not what you'd call a stellar day in the Nut House.

By the time dinner was over, I was nursing a Smirnoff and ignoring the chaos surrounding me.  The little girls were fighting, chasing each other all over the downstairs, Sports Fan was moaning in agony, sure that we'd have to amputate his foot because he had stepped on a pencil earlier in the day, and Action Man was punctuating the air with complaints about the state of his uncompleted schoolwork.

Glancing at the clock and noticing the late hour, I rallied the troops.  Little Dear and Little Boo did the dishes, then cleaned up the living areas.  The boys tidied (most of) the homeschool room, and then they were all sent upstairs, leaving a semblance of peace and order.... some good behind.

I continued my pity-fest on the couch with my feet up.  Only one week left to go until Little Dude is born, but I have about a billion things to do.  And the weight of that knowledge plus the burden of other thoughts weighed on me.  Throw in some whacked out hormones, and you've got yourself one outrageously emotional Mama.

When despair starts to creep in, my instincts are to circle the wagons.  I can only deal with a shrunken universe.  My arms clench at my sides, and I bring the little ones in close.  I surround myself with kindness and mercy and venture no farther than what I deem comfortable.  This is not just a physical limitation, but a spiritual and emotional one as well.  Little Love and I read story after story today.  We sat quietly for so long, her head resting on my belly, that she suddenly popped up, looked at me and sighed.. what a loonnnggg snug that was, Mama!  And off she went to play.

Making my way to my doctor's appointment today, my feet dragged, knowing that this would be the last time I see this building before Little Dude was born.  My next appointment would be postpartum, and while I couldn't wait to be holding the little guy, the state of my physical being was not something I was looking forward to.

There are many "lasts" these days... My thoughts always begin with "This time next week..." because, indeed, this time next week, I will be in the hospital, and Little Dude will be born.  He and I will have come through the surgery with flying colors (God-willing) and I will be holding him in my arms. And then the uphill climb of recovery will begin.  And for that, I simply cannot wait.  I am not a patient patient.  But I am eager to begin ~possibly my last~ babymoon. It is always a time of simple joy and peace.  To have baby at home, and to experience the neediness of tending to one so dependent and helpless.  To be fulfilling just the basic needs, and to smile at the smallest of creation.

So, my dear friends, the blog will most likely be very quiet until the big announcement next Thursday.  I need to leave good behind... to prepare our home and lives for this most joyous event.  To ensure.. as best as I can... that those who will be helping out on the home front (thanks, Mom and Dad!) have a smooth transition, and that our veteran members of the Nut House will not be wading in chaos, but can truly enjoy this exciting time.

Please keep us in your prayers.  I know that all will be well.  And I truly cannot wait to introduce the newest Nut House member to all of you!


:)

A Family Christmas Tradition

(aka... Nutmeg hits the "Big Time")

:P

I participated in my very first podcast yesterday morning!  It was a wonderful experience, to talk about a subject that I absolutely love... food, and family tradition.

If you've ever wondered what Christmas Eve is all about in a traditional Polish household, this is a must-hear.  And even if it all seems overwhelming, remember... while I am half Polish, I am taking baby steps and still fully letting my own Mother take the helm when it comes to this meal.

But it is such a fantastic and richly-symbolic celebration of the most joyous of feasts!

You can listen here.

And Michelle has a nice write up (with recipes!) here.

:)

Still In Our Hearts....

We had a lovely visitor the other evening.... can you guess who?

Yes, my favorite blogger from Minnesota!  And her cutie-pie little guy.

We were so very happy to have her... even if just for a few hours on a Saturday evening.

Sigh.  I love the blogging world,where beautiful friendships abound.


:)


You can read all about Margaret's trip here. She covered more ground than a tumbleweed caught in a West-Texas-sized dust storm!

Ordinary Heroes

I am really liking Little Boo's soccer team.  After two full seasons, I am finally getting to know and feel comfortable with the parents and family situations that encompass this team.  As usual, there are lessons learned at every turn, and I regularly walk away with a renewed sense of gratitude and awe at how God provides and how I feel particularly blessed.


I have a good rapport with Little Boo's coach.  You may remember, in the beginning, how we were a bit concerned about his ...  erm, zealous coaching style.  Having gone through two seasons, though, I have now developed a lot of respect for his level of commitment.  He puts a lot of time and energy into coaching the girls, and all he is asking is that we get them to practice and games on time.  Not really that unreasonable.  And since DH has coached quite a few seasons himself, I can appreciate the frustration of trying to coach a team that is consistently late.  Hard to put in a good one hour practice, when half the team shows up 15 min late.


Furthermore, I think he respects a mom who knows and loves the game... and occasionally still plays.  Even though he teases me for being completely unable to keep my mouth shut during the game,  he also is glad to have Little Boo out there.  Little Boo knows it, and plays her heart out for the team.

But this is all just background.  Social butterfly that I am, the chats I had before and during yesterday's game is the reason for this post.

At the end of the spring season, as I was emerging from my first trimester nausea-haze, I found out that Coach Matt was in the process of getting a divorce.  He and his (soon-to-be) ex-wife seemed on friendly enough terms, and so I had had no idea.  In chatting with some of the moms at that tournament, I found out that the fall season had been impossibly tough for everyone.  The team was awful, and Coach was not mentally there.  They stuck with him, though, and were so grateful for the turn-around that the spring season had brought.  I was impressed.

Coach has a sister... 7 years older than him.  She has become the "acting" mom for his children.  She comes to all of the games and watches his younger son and helps out with his son's soccer team... which he also coaches.  She herself has two sons.  And... she is also divorced.  Apparently her husband is what she called a "deadbeat dad".  Her oldest son plays football.  Guess who is the coach?  That's right, their Uncle.  Coach Matt.  As I watched her sons, ages 12 and 10, run around and tease each other while playing with their cousins, I thought how fortunate they were to have this brother and sister combination to keep them grounded.

In chatting with this woman yesterday, she revealed something else to me.  As the older sibling, she said, she was always protective of her little brother.  Especially, she said, after their Dad died.

Coach Matt was 13.

And I was astounded... almost to tears. To think that this Coach had to navigate the rocky waters of life without a Father, and ends up becoming a Dad as well as a surrogate Dad to his own nephews... and then choosing an authority role as coach for 3 different teams... it was amazing.

These people are not what you'd call the religious type.  I think they go to church, but not on a regular basis.  I'm positive they are not Catholic. And I wonder where they draw their strength from.

To be sure, I don't know all the intimate details of their lives.  I have no idea what the states of the souls are.  But I do know and recognize natural virtue when I see it.

And I have been continually impressed with the way Coach Matt has handled Little Boo's team.  Just the right combination of pushing them to do their best, yet joking around with them, and even sternly telling them when they were not performing the way he knew they could.  My own Dad and DH have been the only other coaches I've ever admired.  So this guy had a lot to live up to.

I came away from the game yesterday with a renewed sense of gratefulness.  God works wonders in people's lives, whether they fully recognize it or not.  He has blessed me with an overabundance of grace and happiness.  Much much more than I deserve.  I look at my family, at my husband who shares this life with me, and I am so very grateful.  At the same time, I do not ever think that I am better than those He chooses to place in my path.  I am continually humbled by the lessons I am learning, because I know that it is most definitely not I that deserves the credit for this blessed life I lead.

In fact, the knowledge of my own sinfulness only makes me cling all the more closer to Him and my Faith in awe and thanksgiving.

Humor Me...

.. and tell me I'm not as irrational as I think.
(didja catch that oxymoron?  IR-rational as I THINK?  heh heh I kill me)


Last night, Lil Sis and I went out to dinner to have our annual* sissy date. And we had a great time, of course.


Right before we left, the manager-lady came over and asked if everything was satisfactory.  Fair enough, right?

THEN!  She goes in for the "Belly touch"!!!

"OOOH!" she coos.... "HOW'S THE BABY?!?"  as she REACHES OVER TO PAT MY STOMACH!!!!

But then she stops.

Lil Sis swears I was not giving her the look of death.  I cannot confirm that, since I was not looking in a mirror, but rather in horror at her approaching hand.

"Oh... Oh.  Are you the kind that thinks it's weird to have strangers touching your belly?"

Um, Why yes, ma'am.  And you are not?  May I touch your belly?

"Well... I just wanted to touch the baby..." and she wanders away.


Hmmmm.
In order for her to touch the baby that is STILL IN MY WOMB she'd have to do some pretty amazing things.  Don't-ya think?

(sigh) 

Maybe I am irrational.  Am I the only person who feels violated when strangers want to touch your pregnant belly??

Oooookay.

Back to my regularly scheduled hormonal breakdowns.  Stay tuned.  It's going to be a wild ride.

We've got three more weeks of this to go.


:P


*yes, ANUUAL. :( Not often enough, and about to get rarer...