![“You are love that’s come to live at our house today”]()
by Catherine | Sep 12, 2013 | Faith, Family
For the second time, I was able to catch a milk-induced sleepy smile from Harold.
I
Can’t
Get
Enough
Of
This
Baby!
When I was watching Harold smile and dream this evening, I instantly thought of this scene from The Lady and the Tramp. Click on the video to watch on YouTube. You won’t regret it!
Darling is singing the song “La La Lu” to her new baby boy in the nursery, and her dog, Lady, enters to see what the fuss is all about.
I always liked The Lady and The Tramp, and I always liked this sweet song, but I didn’t pay attention to the lyrics until I looked them up tonight.
“La La Lu” is officially my new favorite lullaby! I bolded my favorite words.
“La La Lu”
I am your mother
And I’m so glad you’re here
You have a father
Who loves you, oh so dear
We call you baby
‘Cause we don’t know how to say
That you are love
That’s come to live
At our house today
La, la, loo
La, la, loo
Oh my little star sweeper
I’ll sweep the stardust for you
La, la, loo
La, la, loo
Little soft, fluffy sleeper
Here comes a pink cloud for you
La, la, loo
La, la, loo
Little wandering angel
Fold up your wings
Close your eyes
La, la, loo
La, la, loo
And may love be your keeper
La, la, loo
La, la, loo
La, la, loo
The song is not only beautiful and soothing, it has some deep theological meaning in there! Hear me out… We’re getting Harold baptized on Sunday, so I have our parish’s baptism class for parents on the brain. The deacon leading the class talked about how our families (aka, our “domestic church”) reflect the Holy Trinity.
Our children are the love between us made flesh. Scott Hahn says it better. He wrote in his wife Kimberly’s book, Life-Giving Love, “The one flesh union of persons in the act of marriage is so powerful that nine months later you might have to give it a name.”
So, Harold (and Jane and Walt and Therese and any future babies that we may have), thank you for being the “love that’s come to live at our house today.” Your dad and I pray that “Love (with a capital “L”) be your keeper.”
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| The kids with “The Child Jesus” statue in our parish courtyard |
![Want to Become Catholic? Jump On In!]()
by Catherine | Jul 1, 2013 | Faith
So, you or someone you know is thinking about becoming Catholic? Maybe you’re still unsure, but you want to start investigating. Well, now’s the perfect time to jump on in! The water’s warm!
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| St. Peter’s Square in Rome |
Thousands of men and women are received into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday each year. These new members of the Church go through a process called RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.
Most Catholic churches around the country begin their RCIA classes in the fall. My parish, for example, starts their classes in September. RCIA is an opportunity for those that want to present themselves as candidates for baptism to learn the ins and outs of the Catholic Faith.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explains (via their RCIA site) that RCIA:
outlines the steps for the formation of catechumens, bringing their conversion to the faith to a greater maturity. It helps them respond more deeply to God’s gracious initiative in their lives and prepares them for union with the Church community. This process is meant to form them into the fullness of the Christian life and to become disciples of Jesus, their teacher. This includes an initiation into the mystery of salvation, the practice of faith, hope, and love, and other virtues in a succession of liturgical rites.
Persons baptized into another Christian church and now seeking full communion with the Catholic Church are also welcomed to participate along with catechumens in the RCIA in the process of learning about the Catholic faith and being formed in that faith. They bring to the process of preparation their prior experience of Christian life and prayer. For a baptized Christian, reception into full communion with the Catholic Church involves reception of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation and then a Profession of Faith followed by the celebration of Confirmation and the Eucharist.
Each candidate’s journey will look different dependent on their previous spiritual formation, but the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a helpful Q&A site about the RCIA process.
Once you know the basics of the RCIA process, the next step is finding a Catholic church near you where you can begin your journey. Search online for your Catholic diocese’s (or archdiocese’s) website. With any luck, it will be up-to-date and list all of the Catholic parishes within the diocesan boundaries. Contact the nearest parish by calling the parish office and inquiring about starting RCIA classes in the fall.
From here, each parish will vary in how they go about the process. Regardless of where you are, you will be offered literature, resources, and meetings with various parish personnel to equip you on your journey with the information and prayers that you need before classes begin.
Once you begin your RCIA classes, you will be paired with a “sponsor” who will attend classes with you and serve as your mentor during the RCIA process. A sponsor is “called to show the candidates good example of the Christian life, sustain the candidates in moments of hesitancy and anxiety, bear witness, and guide the candidate’s progress in the baptismal life.”
So, whaddya think? Still on the fence? Keep asking questions! Now’s the time to tackle your biggest hang-ups with the Catholic Church. Enlist a well-catechized Catholic to help you find the answers to your questions. If you don’t have a friend that can serve in that capacity, or if it’s the wee hours of the morning and you have a question you need answered, check out Catholic Answers’ site Catholic.com. Second to the Vatican website, this is the second most frequented site related to the Catholic Church. This site has it all–tracts on sticky issues, discussion forums, a blog, an online library, archived episodes of the 2-hour daily radio show Catholic Answers, etc. (The Catholic Answers daily radio show is a phenomenal, unintimidating resource for those exploring the Faith. All of the shows are rich in content, but I highly recommend that those skeptical of the Catholic Church listen to a Q&A Open Forum for Non-Catholics episode.)
Another fantastic resource is Catholics Come Home. Whether you are non-Catholic, a non-practicing Catholic, or you’re a Catholic hoping to learn more about your faith, this site has plenty of information to help you along your journey!
Please use the comment box below to pose any questions or offer additional resources for those investigating the Catholic Church. Feel free to e-mail me at cboucher08@gmail.com as well!
![7 Quick Takes Friday (Volume 2)]()
by Catherine | May 24, 2013 | Everything Else, Faith, Family, Marriage, The Homefront
7 Quick Takes from this week:
– 1 –
I started facilitating “The Bible Timeline“ study by Jeff Cavins and Tim Gray this month. Holy Toledo! I am learning so much, and we’re not even halfway into Genesis. Not only do I feel like I’m growing in my head knowledge of Sacred Scripture, but the structured study is instilling the desire to read Sacred Scripture as my own personal love letter from God. I love, love, love it!
– 2 –
As fantastic as “The Bible Timeline” study is by itself, I’m learning so much more by doing the study with Jeff Cavins’ book “Walking With God: A Journey Through the Bible” at my side. Basically, the book breaks down the story of salvation history into 12 periods (the same 12 periods explored in the Bible Timeline), and draws you into the story.
For example, have you ever read the story about Noah getting drunk and passing out naked in his tent? Then, remember how his son Ham shows up and “uncovers his nakedness”? Yeah, I know. I thought it was strange, too. Well, that whole story would have thrown me for a loop had I not had Jeff Cavins’ book nearby. I wouldn’t have known to explore the passages in Leviticus that explain that this Hebrew idiom (“uncover your father’s nakedness”) actually means to have an incestuous relationship.
Having this book as my reading companion (as well as the Catechism of the Catholic Church) is helping me to confidently read Sacred Scripture within the heart of the Church.
– 3 –
My hair dryer of 3 years broke, and I got a brand new one. It’s nothing fancy, but I had no idea how terrible my old one was until I got this new one. Am I the only one that was just introduced to the hair dryer retractable cord?! Wow! That feature is amazing! I just push a button on the hair dryer and *zoom* the cord is gone. Even though I carefully kept my old hair dryer cord untangled, it managed to twist itself so tightly that it ended up being more like one of those old school spiral telephone cords. With each use, it would wind itself up more and more, and I’d end up untwisting it at least once a month.
Not only am I loving the retractable cord, but new dryer cuts my hairdrying time in half, and my hair seems less frizzy. When your getting ready time is limited with little kiddos, this is a big deal! Have I dedicated an entire paragraph to my new hair dryer? Yes, yes I have.
– 4 –
We found a steal of a deal on Craigslist for Jane’s new big girl bed. We picked it up the other day, and Jane was so excited that she asked all morning, “Is it naptime yet?!”
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| Pretending to sleep in her big girl bed after we got it set up. |
Jane and Walt are going to share a room, and Baby will move into the nursery when he/she arrives in August. (Jane will sleep in her new big girl bed, Walt will sleep in Jane’s old toddler bed, and Baby will sleep in Walt’s crib.)
The day we got the bed, the kids slept in their own rooms at naptime, but they insisted that Walt get to sleep in Jane’s room that night in the toddler bed. Long story short, it didn’t go so hot, and we haven’t attempted putting them together since. We’ll wait a few more weeks until we attempt it again.
– 5 –
Speaking of attempting things again, Jane finally warmed back up to the idea of potty training. For awhile, she was absolutely terrified of the potty. I think a lot of it had to do with constipation. Thanks to a steady regimen of Miralax, I think we, uh, got that problem all worked out. Unfortunately, she just doesn’t care if she’s wet. In fact, I think she’d stay in the same pull-up all day long if I’d let her. Blech!
She told me before naptime this afternoon that she wants to wear her big girl underwear, so I told her we had to go on the potty to wear them, and she said, “OK!” with a big smile. Here goes nothing!!!
I never thought I’d be potty training a three-year-old, but here we are, and I’m not letting myself worry about it. We’ll get it figured out. As one mom told me, “You know, they never ask you when your child was potty trained on college applications.”
– 6 –
I officially start my third trimester of pregnancy tomorrow. Yay! At yesterday’s OB appointment, I did my blood glucose test for gestational diabetes, and I’m still waiting on the results. I’ve never had it before, but I’m a little nervous about the results this time around for two reasons: 1. I was up 5 lbs. from my last appointment, and 2. I was measuring 31 weeks instead of 28 weeks (and technically, I was still 27 weeks at my appointment). Both of those things don’t bode well. Until I get the results, I’m trying not to obsess over it. If I do have gestational diabetes, I know I should be able to manage it with diet. I guess I’m just nervous that I’ll have a baby that will be so big that I won’t be able to deliver vaginally, and I’d like to avoid a c-section if possible. Hopefully I’ll get the results before the weekend…
– 7 –
Can I break out the violin and play a sad song for my poor body?
The old mare is exhausted. After all, I got pregnant with Thérèse August 2012, miscarried November 2012, got pregnant two weeks later (yay!), and this baby is due August 17, 2013. So, by the time Baby arrives, I will have been pregnant for a year with a two-week “break” from my miscarriage. Don’t get me wrong! I am so, so, so thrilled to be pregnant, and I can’t wait to meet Baby, but my body doesn’t seem to be up to the job these days.
First, I had the back-to-back first trimesters with the two pregnancies. With both, I battled some rough “morning” sickness. The second trimester was pretty uneventful, but the sciatica keeps getting worse, so my OB wrote me a prescription for a maternity belt. If the belt combined with the physical therapy exercises I learned last pregnancy don’t help, I’ll probably start physical therapy up again. Spending any amount of time on my feet makes my legs throb, so it might be time for some sexy compression stockings. More and more varicose veins seem to be appearing on my legs. Youch! Having to sleep on my side doesn’t help matters. Whatever side I’m sleeping on goes numb after awhile, so I wake up to roll over, and I end up having to make a bathroom run. I’m averaging 3-5 bathroom trips a night. I just keep telling myself it’s all practice for the nighttime feedings, right???
Wah, wah, waaaaaaah!
All things considered, this pregnancy has been pretty darn good, and I’m counting my blessings that Baby seems to be doing great in there. I’ll gladly take the physical stuff on my end in exchange for a healthy baby. I just know my limits, and I know that sleep deprivation is the fastest way for me to become a meeeeeeeeeeeeeeean mama. Perhaps a little nighttime Benadryl is in order…
Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
Want to join the fun?
Head on over to Jen Fulwiler’s blog at Conversion Diary and post your own 7 Quick Takes!
![Dear Thérèse, A Letter On Your Due Date]()
by Catherine | May 20, 2013 | Faith, Family
Dear Thérèse,
After we lost you in November, I thought I was going to dread today–5/20/13, your due date. Somehow, though, today has actually been a pretty great day. Actually, our little family has been stronger than ever these last few months, and I’m confident that you are the reason for our happiness. I know this seems like a strange thing to be doing, but I wanted to write you a thank you note on the occasion of your due date.
Since leaving our family on earth, you have been our family’s favorite saint and intercessor in heaven. I love that your big brother, Walt, and big sister, Jane, will never know a life without including you, “Baby Thérèse in heaven,” in our bedtime prayers.
Now that my tummy is at the hand magnet phase of pregnancy, I’m getting lots of questions on a daily basis about our family. I am getting braver at answering honestly when people ask how many children we have–even strangers at the grocery store. I always say, “We have two babies on earth, a baby in heaven, and this baby (pointing to my belly) is due to arrive in August.”
Even though I never got to hold you in my arms as our precious baby, you are bringing our family so many blessings on a daily basis. I thought I’d write you a little list of all of the blessings you bring us (at least all of the ones I can think of right now):
- God is finally my primary relationship, Dad is second, your siblings are next, and so on. Keeping that order straight is keeping everyone at their best.
- I find myself offering more prayers of thanksgiving than ever before, especially as I go throughout the day.
- I play with your siblings more than ever. With the housework, I am able to call things “good enough” and mean it when Jane or Walt remind me why I’m home in the first place.
- After asking some girlfriends to pray for my patience with this parenting phase, I find that I’m appreciating the little moments and extending bedtime story time so that I can soak up the cuddles.
- As I know you know, I still have my not-so-grace-filled moments, but knowing that I can ask for your prayers brings me peace.
- I am getting better and better at putting our family first, knowing my limits, saying “no” to extra commitments, asking for help when I need it, and finding time for fun.
- I’m getting better at hearing God’s voice and being brave. I still can’t believe I started leading a Bible study this month! I am grateful for the opportunity to do it because the study probably wouldn’t have started had I been 9 months pregnant with you.
- Perhaps one of the biggest differences I’m noticing is my new outlook on pregnancy and motherhood in general. I don’t take the kicks that I never felt with you for granted. I’m actually excited about trying breastfeeding (again!) as an opportunity and a gift rather than another stressor. (I’ll keep praying that it actually works out this time around, and I’ll remember to pray for wisdom if it doesn’t.) I say it all the time, but I simply cannot wait to meet this miracle baby face-to-face that never would have been a part of our family had you remained with our family on earth! God must have some exciting plans for this precious little sibling of yours, huh?
Your dad is so sweet. I found this on the kitchen counter when I woke up this morning:
 |
| “Catherine on 5/20” |
Before today, Dad and I talked a lot about what your due date would be like emotionally. Dad said he wrote me this card a few days ago so that I would know that he was praying for our family and that he hadn’t forgotten about today being your due date. Of course, the card made me cry, but they weren’t tears of sadness. I guess I cried because I know our family wouldn’t be nearly as happy or strong had we not gone through the pain of losing you. Today, on your due date, I’d love to be swaddling you, breathing in that new baby smell, and kissing your little fingers. Somehow, I know today more than ever that God knew what He was doing when He took you and that He continues to have our family’s best interest at heart.
So, Thérèse, thank you for being our family’s precious “Little Flower.” We’ve been on quite the journey this last year! We’ve had some of our lowest lows and highest highs, and we are the family we are today because of all of it. Thank you for helping us to keep the long view in mind, especially when we struggle with shortsightedness on the bad days. Thank you for continuing to hear our prayers, interceding as our prayer warrior, and helping us to live out our roles within our domestic church on a daily basis. We promise we will try our hardest to make you proud. Dad and I know now that our ultimate goal in marriage is to get our entire family to heaven. Having you already there is more motivation than we could ever ask for! Thank you for everything you’ve already done and will do for our family.
We love you, Baby Thérèse in heaven!
All my love,
Mom
![A New and Improved "COEXIST" Bumper Sticker]()
by Catherine | May 14, 2013 | Faith
I think we’ve all seen the other blue “COEXIST” bumper sticker. You know, the one that borrows symbols from various world religions and uses them to spell out the word “COEXIST”?
I’ve always disliked that bumper sticker because, well, I think it sends the message that: 1. it’s enough just to tolerate living next to other people of different beliefs, and 2. that moral relativism is the way to go — we’re all on different paths to the same goal, so just back off if you don’t agree with me.
Thanks to Simcha Fisher, I learned that there’s a new and improved “COEXIST” bumper sticker. 17-year-old Isabel Pope from Ann Arbor, Michigan created it last summer, and here it is:
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| “COEXIST” Bumper Sticker Image from Isalife Pro’s Facebook Page |
From the “Isalife Pro” Facebook Page:
Last summer, at age 17, Isabel had the idea for COEXIST bumper sticker when, stuck in sweaty, going-no-where Ann Arbor traffic, surrounded by a sea of “COEXIST” bumper stickers, she mentioned, “I don’t think they mean COEXIST. Planned Parenthood is right down the street. Not too many people seem to care that babies are NOT coexisting here.”
Out loud, Isabel imagined what a REAL co-exist bumper sticker would look like. Voila. Her imaginings are the design you see on this page.
The bumper sticker finally saw the light of day this past winter, just in time for Father Pavone’s Roe v Wade anniversary visit to Isabel’s parish, St Thomas in Ann Arbor. Father Pavone said of the sticker, “It really challenges the liberal to live up to their own beliefs.”
Now you know what they say: the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to NOT buy the bumper sticker….. so….. order one today!
1 sticker: $3.00
2 for $5
isalifeproductions@gmail.com
If you’d like to order your own new and improved “COEXIST” bumper sticker, contact Isalife Productions at isalifeproductions@gmail.com or via Facebook by searching “isalife pro.”
![A New and Improved “COEXIST” Bumper Sticker]()
by Catherine | May 14, 2013 | Faith
I think we’ve all seen the other blue “COEXIST” bumper sticker. You know, the one that borrows symbols from various world religions and uses them to spell out the word “COEXIST”?
I’ve always disliked that bumper sticker because, well, I think it sends the message that: 1. it’s enough just to tolerate living next to other people of different beliefs, and 2. that moral relativism is the way to go — we’re all on different paths to the same goal, so just back off if you don’t agree with me.
Thanks to Simcha Fisher, I learned that there’s a new and improved “COEXIST” bumper sticker. 17-year-old Isabel Pope from Ann Arbor, Michigan created it last summer, and here it is:
|
| “COEXIST” Bumper Sticker Image from Isalife Pro’s Facebook Page |
From the “Isalife Pro” Facebook Page:
Last summer, at age 17, Isabel had the idea for COEXIST bumper sticker when, stuck in sweaty, going-no-where Ann Arbor traffic, surrounded by a sea of “COEXIST” bumper stickers, she mentioned, “I don’t think they mean COEXIST. Planned Parenthood is right down the street. Not too many people seem to care that babies are NOT coexisting here.”
Out loud, Isabel imagined what a REAL co-exist bumper sticker would look like. Voila. Her imaginings are the design you see on this page.
The bumper sticker finally saw the light of day this past winter, just in time for Father Pavone’s Roe v Wade anniversary visit to Isabel’s parish, St Thomas in Ann Arbor. Father Pavone said of the sticker, “It really challenges the liberal to live up to their own beliefs.”
Now you know what they say: the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to NOT buy the bumper sticker….. so….. order one today!
1 sticker: $3.00
2 for $5
isalifeproductions@gmail.com
If you’d like to order your own new and improved “COEXIST” bumper sticker, contact Isalife Productions at isalifeproductions@gmail.com or via Facebook by searching “isalife pro.”
