Wednesday, December 16, 2009

A Trip Down Memory Lane



I was looking through my older posts and came across this post where I announced my 5th pregnancy. I can't believe it has been over a year since I announced I was pregnant with baby number five. I asked for prayers for the health of our baby and for the strength to be a mother of five children. I thank all of you who prayed and I thank God because those prayers were answered. Benjamin is a healthy baby boy and I am a cool, calm, and collected mom. Ok I may be exaggerating the last part.

It does seem with every child we are blessed with the easier it is. The baby is always more relaxed and calm, it may be because mom and dad are more relaxed and calm.

Benjamin has brought so much joy to our family in the four short months he has been with us. My five year old is constantly telling us how glad she is that we had another baby, even if he is a boy. She says she would like us to have another baby only if it's a girl. I tell her she will have to settle for our dog and bird who are both girls for right now.

As I looked back on the posts before my pregnancy announcement I came across a poem I posted. I am not sure if I knew I was pregnant when I posted it, but I know I didn't know Little Ben was going to be a boy.

This poem will forever be Ben's Christmas poem, to him from me.


The Mothers Song
Eskimo poem translated by Peter Freuchen

It is so still in the house
There is a calm in the house,
The snowstorm wails out there,
And the dogs are rolled up with snouts under tails.
My little boy is sleeping on the ledge,
On his back he lies, breathing through his open mouth.
His little stomach bulging round-
Is it strange if I start to cry with joy?


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

An Advent Breather


I have been running around like a mad woman trying to get Christmas together for the big day. Since I do most of my shopping online I have really been running around like a mad women in my head. I have been staying up at night fretting over what presents I should buy, who did I forget, am I spending too much money, you know the usual.

Today I took a breather, I just let it be Advent today and wow did it feel good. The whole family woke up bright and early to get ready for the 8:30 am Liturgy my son's third grade class was doing. We got everyone ready in the nick of time. Well two of our children were late for school but we made it to Mass on time!

I sat in the pew with my husband and my two younger children and just felt a sigh of relief. No shopping, no dead lines, no worrying if the sweater I bought for Aunt Betty was the right color, none of that. It was just Advent and it was beautiful.

I love Christmas, I love to celebrate the birth of our Lord. I love Santa and being with lots of family, but I think I would get lost in all the shuffle if it wasn't for Advent.

I work every year to be more in tune with the preparing for Christ's birth we Catholics call Advent. This year I am doing better than the last. I seem to find little nooks where there is nothing but Advent, like today at the third grade Liturgy or like the other day when I opened my front door and heard the Church bells playing the song Noel.

I find that each year I get better at not being too busy to catch these beautiful glimpses of Advent.

May the rest of your Advent be blessed with joy and beautiful glimpses.