Two weeks of twang and y’all survived. Just one more week of Texas and then you get Jen back for next week’s 7 Quick Takes.
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Quotes of the week (QOTW) this week:
“Just call me St. Anthony.”
Will, after finding my debit card and his wallet during a frantic search through the house. He’s hired. I was looking for that thing for days!
“Don’t bathe her for a week.”
Will, on Gianna’s baptism. Agreed buddy. That chrism is too delicious to wash off yet.
“No fuzzy, fuzzy.”
Luke, trying to calm Gianna down. I think the word he was searching for was “fussy.”
Me: “How many times have I told you NOT to throw a ball in the house?”
John Paul: “Oh, lots. But we’re just kicking it.”
Le sigh.
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It was the weekend of babies. On Saturday, we baptized sweet Gianna. She screamed through the whole thing, I cried, Luke was a stinker and everyone ODed on chrism and the most delicious baptism cake. Ever. You’ll get more details next week when I sort through all those photos! As a sidenote, I could not love this photo any more. Right after Gianna’s last dip in the holy water, Luke reached over, touched her head and said, “Oooh cold!” God love that kid.
On Sunday, Father’s Day, my sister-in-law gave birth to the cutest little girl (her first!) and made my girls over-the-moon happy. “Another girl!” they exclaimed. It’s just raining pink here. Welcome to the family sweet Evelyn.
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Please tell me you’re following the Humans of New York (HONY) Facebook page. I must say, almost every post brightens my day. It’s the NYC version of people watching. With quotes. Pretty much the best thing going. I kept stalking the page while Jen was in the Big Apple hoping Brandon would find her.
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There are lots of posts floating in the interwebs regarding your post-baby body, but this one is different. Actually, Lauren talks about more than just your post-baby body, she touches on your post-anything body. And I so love her for writing this gem mostly because it hit my inbox on a morning I needed it most. I had just finished wearing some too-tight shorts for a half hour and I was so discouraged. Surely that glass of water I drank would make them fit less snug, no? With every glance in the mirror, I was scrutinizing. With every sweet nursing session I was sighing as I looked at my mid-section. And then this. Lauren, one million thank you’s for always leaving me inspired and uplifted. Why can I never remember the adage: nine months in, nine months out?
We are capable of a many great things — and if my daughter laces up her sneakers and hits the ground running one day, I don’t ever want it to be because she hates her body — but because she loves it.
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First time to Austin? Let me be your guide. I should come clean and tell you that while I’m a fifth-generation Texan and my mom taught Texas history for 15 years, I am not a native Austinite. Holla to the Texas panhandle girls. However, hospitality is what I do and next week I’ll be sharing the must-do’s if you find yourself in the ATX. All you Edel attendees: introduce yourself in the comments and share 1) the one thing you want to see while in Austin, 2) the reason you’re making the trek and 3) where in the heck you’re finding your “outrageous shoes” because right now, this is what mine are looking like (except the cheap 20-year-old version). Raise a sweet tea martini to the greatest state capital on Earth!
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Sometimes motherhood just bites you in the a**. I’ve had my fair share of “who the heck are these kids and why are they misbehaving so horribly?” moments like the rest of you. We’ve all been there. But sometimes, sometimes the circumstances are so vastly different that it brings you right to your knees. Last Friday a sweet friend gave birth to her fifth child, unexpectedly, at the tender gestational age of 24 weeks 6 days. Can I just tell you that nothing prepares you for the sucker punch of the neonatal intensive care unit? I would know. Our 44-day stay, seven subsequent surgeries and twelve pediatric specialists due to our son’s prematurity left me a changed mom. I’ve written about it here many times, but when it happens to someone you love, a dear friend, the piece of your heart that you so delicately put back together comes right back apart. I think God gives us opportunities to reach out – to minister and help heal – those around us who share a common life-altering experience. Four years ago I made a sincere promise to God that I would pay it forward should someone I adore find herself in the NICU.
As it turns out, that person is Veronica.
Four years ago I learned of the healing power of the preemie mom community. Trust me, you don’t want to find yourself in a back alley with us. You will lose. To every mom who has ever found herself in the NICU black hole, may this be your light. May it be your hope. Here’s our preemie, clinging to life and there he is celebrating it. You never walk this road alone, momma.
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Speaking of motherhood, here is the video of Gianna’s birth compiled and created by our amazingly talented birth photographer, Leilani. She and I conspired about music this week and I’ve shared a handful of birth photos here on the blog. Take a peek at our most beautiful day.
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