We made an offer on a house today

Some of you know that David and I have been seriously house hunting for about a month now. So much time and mental energy has gone into this process, especially David's. He's been incredibly diligent with researching areas of town, crime maps, flood plains, home listings, repair/renovation estimates, and more. We've been out with our realtor several times and have seen about a dozen houses. We've number crunched, deliberated pros and cons, and pored over pictures and details with family members.

Yesterday, after seeing 3 new (old) houses, we returned to our previous top choice and sat in it for a while (I nursed Teresa while sitting on the hearth). It just felt right. So we decided to make an offer. This morning we met with our realtor to complete the paperwork. Now it's in the seller's hands.

Overall, we have great peace about moving forward on this house. We've put it all in the Lord's hands and we trust that He will continue to guide us. However, an eminent "big change" has left me unsettled and poor David is suffering the brunt of my stress-induced behavior. My mind is already racing ahead to all the stuff we will need to get and do if we get the house. A mixture of excitement (so much to learn!) and fear (so much could go wrong!) about the future is hindering my ability to function in the present. Lord, help me!

David knew we both needed a break, so he suggested we go to see the movie "Up." I was fearful about taking a 3-and-a-half-month-old into a movie theatre, but David was reassuring. Everything turned out wonderfully! The movie is really cute and, although the high volume woke Teresa up as soon as we took our seats and kept her awake the whole time, she only fussed briefly twice. The rest of the time she nursed, stood supported on my legs, or sat in our laps and watched the screen. We covered her ears when the soundtrack got intense, but she was happy as a clam. Even changing her diaper in my lap went smoothly. Deo gratias!

One last little thing to share: when the movie ended, I had Teresa in my lap covered by a cream-colored blanket with medium-sized bears on it (a spare blanket we keep in David's car and rarely use). She actually bent forward and stroked one of the bears repeatedly. She is amazing!

Humbling experience of the day

Today I bit the bullet and performed one of my least favorite chores: I scrubbed our bathtub. Just as I was finishing up the job (rinsing off the walls and knob and spout), the drain stopped draining. Dirty water pooled in the bottom of the tub.

I reached in to see if the drain was plugged with hair - nope. I tried the plunger - that only stirred up more muck. So I called our apartment office and asked whether a maintenance man could come and unplug my drain. The assistant manager wrote up a ticket for me.

Two hours later, the friendly maintenance man arrived. When he first came to work for the apartment complex and paid a call to our home, he noticed all our sacred art and inquired about my faith. He shared the story of his (recent) conversion to Christianity. So we have a little bond. And maybe he won't tell everyone how silly I am after our encounter today!

Back to the story: after he explained that my long hair was the likely culprit (even though we use a hair trap), he took a wetvac into our bathroom and started suctioning. Then he turned the machine off and called out to me: "Do you ever take baths?"

"No," I replied as I went into the room.

"How long have you lived here?"

"Two years."

"Have you ever taken a bath here?"

"Maybe two when I was pregnant," I answered, remembering the relief a hot water soak provided when I was in labor and forgetting the lovely little soaks I took postpartum.

"Did you use a stopper or did you flip the drain switch?"

"I used the switch," I assured him. Then the lightbulb went off.

"It was up."

Doh! I had accidentally flipped up the switch while I was cleaning it, but I didn't even think about it when the water didn't drain. So silly!

I thanked the maintenance man profusely, apologized for taking his time for something so silly, and lightheartedly proposed that it was probably a pleasure for him to get such an easy job. He agreed, having replaced a water heater and a garbage disposal already today.

As we prepare to purchase a home this summer, I'm thinking about how much I'm going to miss the ability to call the office for maintenance help. Then again, I'm sure I'll learn a thing or two when I have to do it myself (with David, of course). For instance, how bath drain switches work!

More videos: signs of development

Teresa's definitely growing stronger and showing us new skills this week! She enjoys being pulled up to sit and even stand for a little while (I don't have a video of that yet). And she kicks with both legs on her changing table when she's between diapers (we call it "smackdown" and probably won't get a video for modesty's sake). Here are some other things she's done:

"Talking" and playing with toys on her Bumbo tray:


Turning herself part way over (she can twist her shoulders but can't quite flip her big diapered bottom):


Lifting her head way up during tummy time, and even using her arms a little:

Your latest dose of Teresa videos

I can almost always get Teresa to smile at me when I wave her arms around and make high-pitched sounds:


Teresa loves to touch Papa's hair:


She usually hates tummy time, but this one was successful for a minute or so:


Does this count as playing with Teresa?


Today Teresa enjoyed some time in her new (used) Bumbo seat:

Book Review: A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family

Do you know the feeling of not wanting a book to end because you enjoy reading it so much? I definitely felt that way the whole time I was reading A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family by Mary Ostyn. The author is a mom to TEN children (six of whom are adopted, 2 boys from Korea and 4 girls from Ethiopia) who homeschools her brood in Idaho. I'd first read Ostyn's writing at Owlhaven, her blog often linked to by Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer (another blog I followed for a long time). When I discovered that Ostyn had written a book about her experience as a mom to many, I put in a Request for Purchase at my local public library and was delighted when they bought 5 copies (if you live in Charlotte you can place one on hold here). One came right to me and I dug in.

I did most of my reading while I nursed Teresa, which was very appropriate...I hope to begin implementing Ostyn's suggestions with our first daughter so that parenting becomes easier as we add to our family (God willing). I enjoyed Ostyn's perspectives on welcoming additional children (and the discernment involved in that decision), the resources needed to raise those children well (money, space, and training - music lessons, sports, etc.), vacations, schooling, and building relationships with and between your children. I found her advice regarding discipline, chores, and activities to be especially helpful - she has gleaned much wisdom from her experience and shares it in a humble, honest, and engaging way.

Here's an example I can completely relate to:

"Play is not easy for me. I am a ridiculously task-oriented person. Sometimes I literally have to look at the clock and force myself to play for 15 minutes straight without wandering off. But I never regret disciplining myself in that way." (102)

I highly recommend this book to anyone hoping to have, enjoy, and successfully raise lots of children. When God blesses us abundantly, He also gives us the graces we need to give Him glory with those blessings. I count A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family as a conduit of God's grace.

Fist sucker

Teresa has taken up fist sucking. Sometimes she tries out individual fingers, too. It's slightly alarming when she looks incredibly uncomfortable with her fist or thumb in her mouth and yet pushes it further in still. But she's gaining control and seems to enjoy this sucking endeavor. She doesn't use a pacifier, but I'm fine with her soothing herself this way for the time being. We're definitely washing her hands more often now!

Let sleeping babies lie...and take pictures of them!

These are all from May - seems I can't help myself!

She is so beautiful!

Teresa

Customer appreciation II

One month ago I wrote a post about contacting companies whose products you love. Sometimes they will mail you coupons and other stuff just because you asked them to! Here's a list of the companies I've since contacted who have responded positively (with links to their contact webpages):

Jif (Smuckers) - 2 35 cents off coupons
Amy's Kitchen (organic)- brochure and coupons (3 x $1 off, 5 x .75 off, 1 x .50 off)
Eggland's Best - frequently asked questions brochure, Mr. Food cooking booklet and a coupon for a free dozen Eggland's Best eggs
CedarLane (all natural frozen foods) - 2 55 cents off coupons
WestSoy (Hain Celestial Group - they make the only rice milk without soy that I could find) - 3 55 cents off coupons
Born Free Eggs (Radlo Foods) - 1 35 cents off coupon
Thai Kitchen - 1 free Thai Kitchen product coupon, 1 free Simply Asia product coupon, 1 50 cents off Thai Kitchen product coupon, 1 50 cents off Simply Asia product coupon, and a Rice Noodle Recipes and Cooking Tips booklet

General Mills and Kellogg's both denied my requests for coupons via form emails. :( It appears the biggest brands that regularly offer coupons in the newspaper circulars and online do not mail customers coupons directly.

Thanks again, Sarah, for the tips on Amy's and Eggland's Best. Also, Carrie received free product samples when she contacted Lansinoh. Does anyone else have stories to share?

Book Review: Bless Me, Father, for I Have Kids

The first book that I received from The Catholic Company through their Reviewer Program was Bless Me, Father, for I Have Kids by Susie Lloyd. I chose this book because it's created a buzz in the Catholic blogosphere lately and I wanted something faithful and lighthearted to read while nursing.

I read Lloyd's first book, Please Don't Drink the Holy Water, when it was published several years ago. I remember thinking that she was an admirable woman for raising six daughters and finding the time to write. I also remember thinking she wasn't a very good writer.

Wanting to believe her writing had improved, I dug into Bless Me, Father as soon as it arrived. Alas, it failed to satisfy.

Lloyd tries to share her thoughts and experiences with various aspects of parenting and homeschooling a large, Catholic family in a funny way. Her stories of teens driving, kids telling family secrets, and families attending Mass together are supposed to be humorous. Maybe they are, to people with a different sense of humor than I have. Maybe I'm too critical. But I have to admit, I didn't laugh. I just didn't think the writing was very clever (it's reminiscent of Erma Bombeck but falls way short of her wit). Some of it really bothered me (Lloyd treats drunkenness, smoking, anger, and violence too lightly and makes fun of her husband in the book). But I made myself finish Bless Me, Father so I could give a fair assessment in this review. I've seen Lloyd's approach described as "offbeat" - well, it's too offbeat for me.

If you are looking for sweet, short stories about Catholic life from the perspective of a homeschooling mom-to-many, I HIGHLY recommend Danielle Bean. She is just fabulous, as is her writing (clever, vibrant, and either highly amusing or deeply thoughtful, depending on the article). I loved My Cup of Tea, and I'm pretty sure Mom to Mom is great, too.