Sweet Sayings

Margaret Mary said two things today I don't ever want to forget.

1) After art time, I hung her two pictures up on the wall. She didn't see me doing this and a couple of minutes later looked suprised to see them. Her jaw dropped and she said in the most sweetest, gracious way "oh, thank you mommy!" She was so endeared that I had hung her artwork up on the wall. (Note: we used to do this all the time at the old house, but with putting the house on the market, the move, and settling in, its been a while since we've hung up her work)

2) MM is a PAPA'S GIRL. She seems to think that Love is an either/or thing and says that she only loves Papa and the Papa only loves her. When I say I love her, she says "no, papa loves me," and she often says "i'm papas. Henry's mamas." Nothing can convince her otherwise. Today she was feeding me cheerios and I started eating them in a funny way. Her face light up and she said "I love you Mama!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she paused for a minute and corrected herself: "I love Papa." It was sweet to hear her love for her mama slip out. It was even sweeter to see her fierce devotion and loyalty to her Papa as she corrected herself.



This pic was taken at taken at a fair this week. I was holding Henry and put him down to walk. He walked right over to where Jason and Margaret Mary were, cuddled up, and stayed there for a while. Too sweet.

John Henry's Buddy

There is no one that John Henry has taken to as well as our dear friend Jimmy Mitchell. Jimmy works with Jason at Fraternus and we had the privilege of hanging out with him the past week at training. We would like to think that John Henry is so attracted to Jimmy because of their shared devotion to Blessed John Henry Newman. Jimmy went to Rome for John Henry Newman's beautification and sent us a text from the ceremony saying he was praying for me and my upcoming labor (we didn't know if I was having a boy or girl yet).

Jason and I knew we would name our baby John Henry (if it was a boy) after we heard a piece about his life on EWTN radio. Newman is a convert, like us, and wrote a beautiful poem when he was stuck at sea trying to get home to England. He was overwhelmed by all the work he had to do (he says he was "sobbing bitterly") and on his last leg of the trip, got stuck at sea for a week. Filled with anxiety and frustration, the Lord's sweet will was his only source of comfort, and soon Newman was filled with a great peace. Thus "Lead Kindly Light" was written:

Lead, kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home; lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now lead Thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years!

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on.
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile, which I
Have loved long since, and lost awhile!

Meantime, along the narrow rugged path, Thyself hast trod,
Lead, Savior, lead me home in childlike faith, home to my God.
To rest forever after earthly strife
In the calm light of everlasting life.

Jason and I were in tears after hearing this poem for the first time, and we were so excited at the thought of naming our son after Blessed John Henry Newman.

Did I mention that Jimmy Mitchell made sure to include the hymn "Lead Kindly Light" on the new Marian Grace Album, "What Wondrous Love?" No wonder our John Henry loves him! A man after Blessed John Henry Newman's own heart.

We are sad to say that Jimmy is leaving the Fraternus family to work with Mysterium full time in the next couple of months. You can't really ever leave a family, but it means we will be seeing Jimmy a lot less, unless the radio show he and Jason are planning takes off...

We will miss you Jimmy!

What A Lady

Henry's 10 Month Post

I realize I am a little behind on this post, as Henry is almost 11 months now. Please forgive me. Henry is really growing up to be a determined, strong willed, intelligent and handsome child. He has this great joy about him that I hope he never loses. Margaret Mary tells me at least once a day that she loves Henry and thinks he is super silly.

He loves my cell phone and likes to carry it around with him all day tucked under his arm. He has learned to snuggle and loves to give hugs: big bear hugs where he squeezes you as he hugs you. They are unbelievable. He also kisses on command. Henry has an amazing sense of understanding how things work. He tries to put on his shoes, do his sister's puzzles, uses a fork (with great success), wash himself with a washcloth, etc. A big feat this month is that he is beginning to use baby signs! He says more, milk, help, all done and please. We think he is saying Mama and Papa, but mostly as an imitation if we say it first.

Henry LOVES his big sister and wants to play with everything she is playing with. When she is in time out, he goes over beside her and stands with his nose to the wall. He imitates her when she talks and dances to all her songs. Margaret Mary is very patient with him but is entering this intense play stage where she plays/ reads really intensely and doesn't want to be interrupted.

Henry's temper is also coming out. He gets REALLY upset when you tell him no or when he can't play with something he wants to. Not just a protest cry, but it takes a few minutes to calm him down. It is intense sometimes...

Another challenge we have had with Henry this month is that he seems to be getting bored with his toys. I am finding that I have to be more and more creative in how I display them or he takes no interest in them and is fussy. This is a challenge because I'm used to my little boy who plays by himself with his toys all day. I think its time for some new toys.

Last but not least, his appetite is up again (he abandoned solids during a bad teething episode) and he eats a lot!

The send off...

Today is Jason's FIRST DAY OF GRAD SCHOOL!!!! We couldn't be MORE proud of him! This weekend has been a busy weekend of returning home from Fraternus training, new student orientation, dinner, Mass and reception. We (the kids and I) couldn't go to all the events with Jason but we had fun sending him off with lots of kisses, face grabs, and blessings.

Margaret Mary REALLY wants to "go to school with Papa." At the Mass, Jason went up and signed his name in the Augustine Institute book, signifying the studious undertaking he is about to undergo, Margaret Mary got upset because she wanted to sign HER name in the book too. When we talk about buying Jason notebooks and making sure he has a school bag, she asks for notebooks and tells us she needs a school bag too. What can I say? The girl loves her papa!

We love you so much Jason and are excited to embark on this great adventure with you!

To learn more about the Augustine Institute, where Jason is studying, click here.

Our Anniversary Present

Jason and I celebrated our five year wedding anniversary August 5th. Having an anniversary out of town, with two kids at a work conference isn't easy, but everyone pitched in and helped Jason plan a romantic surprise dinner under a pavilion at the hotel. I felt so loved and cherished.

One of the sweetest things was that another couple at the conference was having their five year anniversary on the same day! They gave us a bottle of their "honey mead" which is where the word "honeymoon" comes from. It is a honey wine that is given to a couple when they get married. (They get fifty bottles of this stuff!). Every year on their anniversary, they open a bottle and drink it together, and every year the wine gets sweeter and sweeter, just like their marriage. I was so grateful for the generosity of this couple and LOVE this little tradition. We will have to buy 45 bottles of it. :)

Another sweet highlight of the night is that Margaret Mary stayed with a babysitter (and with another little girl whom MM loves). When Jason went to go get her, she was cuddled up with our friend Colleen on the couch. It is hard to leave my little girl, but knowing she is being loved on so well makes it much easier.

It has been the most amazing, wonderful, grace filled, challenging five years of my life. Here's to many more to come...

Check out God's anniversary gift to us...



Late April!

"its not yours mama"

Margaret Mary is now almost 27 months. She is amazing. She is tough. She is stubborn. She is passionate. She is loving.

* MM labels everything around her as a "momma, papa and baby." When people walk by, she correctly identifies the mama, papa and baby. Whenever there is three of anything, she points out which ones are which. It seems to give her confidence being able to organize her world in this way.

*MM is talking up a storm and it is funny hearing her spit out phrases that I tell her in the wrong contexts. For example:

I touch one of her toys. She gives me a stern look "Its not yours Mama."

I ask for something. She says "No Mama, it will make your belly ouchy."

I ask for some of her food. She says "No, Mama, its spicy."

As you can tell, I spend alot of the day correcting MM's behavior and she is picking up on all the nos. Its a hard, but extremely fun age.

*She loves her Papa and spends most of the day yelling "Papa, dance with me!" She has us turn on classical music, she puts on her ballet dress and her shoes, and tiptoes in circles around the house. It is beautiful.

*She LOVES her little friends and seemed really touched when one of them told her the other day that they missed her. She came up to me and with the sweetest voice said "friend miss me!"

*She also loves to sing and is starting to sing along to all her kid songs. Her favorite right now is "A ram sam sam" and can do all of the hand motions.

*One of the cutest words she says is "pizzut" for pizza. :)

*She has really enjoyed learning about her life as a baby and has us tell her stories and show her pictures all the time. She even goes through phases where she wants Jason to hold her like a baby and rock her. He loves it. She really is growing up so fast.

*She is a little bargainer. When I give her something, she always asks for "one more" and holds up one little finger while saying it. The other day I asked her for one of her M&M's after Mass (which she gets for being good). She said "sure!." Testing her generosity, I asked for two. She looked at me sternly and said "just one."

its getting harder...

It's getting harder and harder to blog now that Henry is so crazy active. When I'm at the computer, I spend more time pulling him away from the computer, the books, Jason's shoes that I hardly can focus on my task at hand. So, until I figure out how to get more blog time in, here are a few pics of my sweet, passionate, persistent, creative little guy...

Memories of Parent's visit...

Making shadows...


hippie concert :) At least we got to see Henry dance...


Fun (or shall I saw scares) with the new red rocking chair...


And the box the rocking chair came in...


Exploring parks...

The hike at Roxborough Park...



And just a whole lot of other fun moments too...


But probably the sweetest was watching shy Henry slowly form a relationship with his grandparents. At first, he wouldn't let them hold or help him, but by the end he was all snuggly like this...





Did I mention that Henry's walking!?!?

Wiped Out

We are wiped out from my parent's visit this past week. More pictures and stories to come soon...

And He's Off!

He gets sturdier and steadier everyday! Today, he took eight steps! After he falls, or gets to his destination, he turns around, looks at everyone and claps for himself. I think he is as proud as we are!

Happy ten months Henry!

Still hates the carseat...

Isn't it sweet that he likes to hold onto my finger in the car seat just like Margaret Mary did? My arm goes numb pretty fast, but I love that it makes him feel better (or at least stop screaming!).

House Update

It is with great sadness that I announce that the buyer for our house backed out. We had already submitted our short sale paperwork to the bank and hired a title company to negotiate for us. We have been assured that if another offer comes along, the process will be faster because we have already gotten the ball rolling.

My heart is heavy, because living in an apartment really makes me miss having a house. Without a buyer, we are in the foreclosure boat again, which makes owning our own home again five to six years off. I am sad, but I am still hopeful. Who knows the plans God has for our house. I find peace knowing HE is in charge. For now we wait and pray...

Boy Genius?

I think so! John Henry did this toy by himself...twice. He had a lot of trouble with the orange ring, and sat there patiently for several minutes trying to put it on. I was really taken back; the holes in this thing are REALLY small.

Everything is More Fun with Two

After we did this, some kids came over to us and told us that it looked really cool, and that if they had baby brothers and sisters, they would want to do this with them.

Henry thought it was the best thing ever; MM was just happy to swing. :)

Mama's Helper

"Painting" and pouring the garlic butter on top of mommy's cheese biscuits. Yummy!

Look Who is ALMOST Walking!

When he isn't miserably from teething, this is what Henry wants to do all day. Walk; aka push things all over the house. He cruises all over the furniture, can stand up by himself and has even taken a few steps (taken from momentum, not real first steps). He gets so proud of himself!

The Bakers

Today we went to a friends house for brunch after Mass and had a GREAT time. They live about thirty minutes away and have a house that has a great view of the mountains. I love the way the rolling hills and the sky meet on one side of Denver, and the mountains peak high on the other. Living here is such a treat for the eyes.



The Bakers have three older girls that really captivate me in the way they love their siblings. The take care of them, pick them flowers, carry them around, they are almost like second mamas. Margaret Mary loves being around them too, because they kind of adopt her. I love seeing them carry my little girl around...




One of the highlights of the trip was the chickens. Margaret Mary LOVED holding the chickens, as you can see by the picture, and kept on saying "I like this!" and "I wanna hold a chicken...a BIG one!"




Below was my best attempt to get a pic of MM and Isabel (who is three). These girls kinda have an off/on relationship. Today, it was on and Isabel kept chasing MM around saying "come here little sister!". Too cute.



One of my favorite moments of the trip was when we were all sitting down eating, I hear my daughters voice from the playroom: "Papa, where are you? I have to go potty!"

Bernadette

This is Margaret Mary's dear friend Bernadette. She is six (I think) and is so sweet to Margaret Mary. Her mom volunteers for our church, so she and her sister are there everyday after Mass for MM to play with. Bernadette gets out toys for MM, reads to her, talks to her about Jesus, carries her around, helps her get snacks, and really loves on her in such a sweet way.



MM talks about Bernadette all the time. She can't wait to go to Mass each day so she can see her, and wants to spend all day after Mass playing with her little friend.

I love that MM has a big girl to look after her. At Sunday Mass, when there are kids everywhere (it can get a bit crazy), Bernadette will come find Margaret Mary, hold her hand, and play with her. Its almost like MM has a big sister...

On another note: see her "muh", (her pacifier), with the ribbon tied to it? This is part one of our weaning program. MM has been really obsessed with her muh lately, and so we had to make it a little less pleasing to suck on. We tied a bunny to her muh to make it is a little bit harder to carry around all the time. The theory is that the weight of the bunny on the muh will make it so she has to hold the bunny to be able to suck on her pacifier. It is working! When she gets tired of carrying the bunny around she discards both the bunny and the muh on the floor. She rarely has the muh in her mouth anymore. Unless she is at Mass, which is where the above picture was taken. :)
She also calls the bunny a "rabbit", which I think it pretty funny.

Mice in the House

By lunchtime yesterday, I had already killed two disgusting insects in the apartment. When I heard Margaret Mary in the hallway yelling "mouse, come here!," I wanted to vomit. Mice? Really? I ran over to her and asked her to show me where the mouse was. She pointed to the corner of the hallway and said "mouse dance with me!" When I discovered that nothing was there, I had to smile. Margaret Mary's imagination is starting to come alive. Apparently, there are mice in the hallway that dance ballet with her (she got this idea from a movie she saw), foxes (a papa, mama and baby) that play in the living room, and a horse that takes a bath with her. It is really cute.

Here is MM playing in the bathroom sink. She LOVES it when I fill it up with water and she will play there for half an hour: singing, pouring and splashing a little bit.



Now, if I could just keep Henry away from the toilet...

My Big Girl

MM needs an update as well. She is talking so much and is able to comprehend so much more each day. It is amazing how her language skills have exploded over the past couple of weeks. We can have actual conversations with her! She tells us about how she wants to sing with an orchestra, dance ballet to loud fast music, wants pjs with horsies on them, is scared of a "bear" in the study and how Henry likes everything that she does. At Henry's 9 month check-up, she wouldn't stop talking to the doctor. The doctor was asking me questions about Henry, and she was singing, dancing, telling stories, talking gibberish, anything to get the doc's attention. I was completely caught off guard. I know that big girls do this, but didn't expect it to happen so soon!

One of my favorite things that she does is add a "a" sound to words in sentences were there are a lot of "a" sounds. For example " I uh drink-uh mama's wawa," and "i will help-a papa."

Margaret Mary utters the phrase "my turn" about once every ten minutes (okay, maybe every five). She is obsessed with things being her turn. The other day at a party, I heard her yelling "my turn, my turn!" When I looked to find her, she was all by herself playing with a ball. Silly girl. The other night, she woke up screaming "my turn, my turn!" She is defiantly two.

We can't get enough of our little girl. Even Henry gets fussy waiting for MM to wake up in the morning!

Potty Talk

It is extremely funny to have a talking, potty training toddler because she says things about the potty experience that we would never say out loud.

Below are a couple examples:

With an extremely impatient tone, "Poopy, GET OUT!"

Jason: are you done yet?
MM: One minute. One more...its a big one.

MM keeps us laughing!

Henry is 9 Months!

Henry's personality has really developed this month. There is so much to say about how much he is growing up. First, his play has intensified. He is so focused, determined and creative when he plays. He will play by himself with one toy for half an hour. He seems to know how to use things. For example, he tries to do MM's puzzles, and when handed a rag, wipes the floor, the cabinets, anything! It looks just like he's cleaning! He loves to dig, to transfer objects from one container to another, to "stir" a spoon in a container, dance to just about anything, stand up on just about anything...



He can even stand up for a couple of seconds by himself! He loves to help me unload the dishwasher and grind up the coffee beans in the morning time. He really seems to get a kick out of sharing experiences with us. When he thinks something is funny, he will smile, but then immediately turn to us to see if we are smiling, and if we are, then he will really crack up. When he is happy, he throws his head back with a smile before doing the happy dance, (video to be posted later), where he twists his torso back and forth while waving his hands. It is probably one of the cutest things John Henry has ever done.

He loves blowing bubbles, esp when there is someone to do it back to him.



He loves singing and clapping his hands. He gets so excited when he claps that he literally bounces off the ground. He still is infatuated with Margaret Mary and laughs and laughs at his big sister all the time.

He is also growing heavy. He now weighs 21.8 pounds! It is really hard to hold him without a sling to help balance out his weight on some other part of my body. Henry has backed off of solids a lot, and we think it is because of the four teeth that are coming through up top. We cant wait to see what he looks like with top teeth; we really enjoyed the "two teethed Henry" stage.

Sometimes he seems really old, and sometimes he still seems like a little baby. He def loves his mommy and hates to be passed at events. He won't even let other children hold him (like MM did at this age). He loves to interact with people, but just from the safety of his parent's arms. He really loves Jason and bounces up and down when he sees him. He has even started cuddling with Jason, laying his head on his shoulder and smiling. Jason loves his son and often picks him up exclaiming "my son! my son!" I can't wait to watch their relationship grow.