There's always next time?...

I was really trying to be successful at 7 posts, 7 days. But in the end you win some and lose some, right? This weekend ended up being low-key but filled with visitors and friends, which was wonderful!

We absolutely love hosting at our home. Whether it's game night with friends, a spontaneous drop-in from Fr. Alan, or weekends with family, it is when there are shoes by the front door and the couches are full that our home feels most alive.

This weekend was especially fun because on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons Brandon's family was here to keep us company.

We celebrated a few birthdays by eating cake with the richest/sweetest frosting ever.

So...maybe I only finished 5/7 posts. But the way I see it, I was able to blog way more than usual this week and I was also able to spend time with important people in our lives.  And that's a win.

Silas James at 6 months

Silas,

Today you are 6 months old. You've almost tripled in weight, and I'm sure my heart has grown at least five times in size for you since we first met. It's hard to remember how little you were on the day you were born, and sometimes I forget that even now you are so little after carrying you around all day.

You are such a cuddlebug and are usually most content in someone's arms. You've begun giving Daddy and I "hugs and kisses," which really means you reach all the way around my neck with both hands, grab onto my skin and pull as hard as you can, while simultaneously opening your mouth wide and licking my cheek.

Sometimes you fight sleep when you should be napping. I turn off the lights and nurse you and rock you. And when that doesn't work, I put my lips on the skin next to your ear and make a "sshh-ing" sound while bouncing around the room or rocking in the chair, and you calm down. This may sound terrible, but the little fussy face you make is just so.darn.cute and I hope I never forget how you scrunch up your nose and eyes in an expression of frustration and let out a little complaint. Life can be so hard for babies.

You are really getting the hang of sitting on your own. You lose your balance and fall flat on your face sometimes, but you don't cry--you just chuckle. Quite the tough guy already. We build you towers out of nesting cups and you knock them down every single time, grabbing one of the colorful cups and bringing it straight to your mouth. Until another cup grabs your interest and you pick that one up instead.

You get the hiccups at least once a day and you sneeze even more. 99% of the time you laugh right after you sneeze, as though it's the most delightful feeling in the world.

Diaper changes also delight you and you just can't wait to stick those toes of yours in your mouth. You smile and giggle, especially when we blow raspberries on your tummy and neck. We’re met with the softest, squishiest skin! You've always been a wiggle-worm, but in the last month you really like to show your stuff when it's time for a wardrobe or diaper change. And you just love bathtime! No longer do you just look at us calmly while we wash you. Now you’re turning and grabbing the faucet and the sprayer, putting your face in the water as you attempt to suck on your toes, and grabbing onto the cup as we pour water over your head.

Daddy and I just watch you in awe. It's incredible to see the little personality you’re already developing and we find so much joy in you, laughing at every single thing you do. We get such a kick out of the blank, stoic stare you give us sometimes and we love to watch you sleep peacefully. We have so many nicknames for you and will frequently call you Si guy, Little Man, Mr. Man, and lovebug.

It's always hard to imagine the future, but after having you in my life for just 6 months, I am so curious to see what it holds for you. What kind of foods will you love? What will pique your curiosity? What will you find joy in? And what will define your childhood when you look back on it as an adult? 

You’ve brought joy to our lives and we thank God everyday for the wonderful little child we are blessed to care for.

Love,

Momma

Five Favs (vol. 3)

In honor of spending the week at home, this five fav's is dedicated to my favorite memories from my parents house!

1.

The Trampoline

Wow, did my sisters and I spend a lot of time in the backyard on our trampoline.  We'd have friends over and be out there all afternoon.  When I think of childhood summers, I think of black feet and "butt jumps." We would put the sprinkler under it on really hot days and lay on it to watch the stars at night.  It was kicked to the curb at the beginning of this summer (RIP) because of how old and potentially life-threatening it became but I will always fondly remember the fun it brought us!

2.

Our Bedrooms

I am the oldest of three girls and there were two bedrooms for us to share.  We switched off who had their own room and who was sharing every year or so.  I have to say that looking back I am so glad that I was made to share a room for much of my life.  There are so many memories I have, like chatting with Lauren after it was "lights out" (and my mom having to come in multiple times to tell us to go to sleep already!) making forts out of the bunkbeds, and having to take an entire day to clean the pig-sty of a mess we had created in our room.  Now this arrangement definitely didn't come without it's fair share of sisterly-love bickering, regarding mostly space and clothing as we got older (if someone else was wearing it, then it was most definitely not hers and they needed to remove said article of clothing immediately because she did not ask!!)

Maybe we get along so well now because of all those arguments over whose shirt/shoes/skirt it really was?

3.

The Bread

Okay, so this is weird.  I am revealing a big secret here that my family is, in fact, crazy. We were really trying to keep that under-wraps, but the time has come.  Sooo...there was this one time after the Easter Vigil.  It's a tradition around here that we attend the Easter Vigil and then come home and throw a little party/celebration, with any foods someone in the family may have given up for Lent and also all foods that will clog your arteries immediately and all drinks that are delicious. (One year we had pomegranate martinis.  They are as glorious as they sound and yes, we know we're really great at celebrating Jesus' ressurection!) SO one year, we came home, put mozzarella sticks and other deep-fried things in the oven and were hanging out gorging on ice cream or something when we noticed this beautiful loaf of bakery bread my mom had bought sitting on the counter.  Turns out it had been sitting there for too long, though, and was as hard as a rock.  What's a family to do?  Well, play hot potato with it, of course.  I kid you not, someone turned around so they couldn't see the circle and sang while we passed chucked this exceptionally stale bread around.  Then we got bored with it so we decided to play football with it. I "hiked!" it to Lauren and she threw it to Tori who threw it back to Lauren who punted it and this loaf of rock bread flew across the room and hit my mom in the mouth.  (wo)Man down! Penalty on the field!  

Oh, and did I mention Brandon was there watching all of this unfold? And we had only been dating about 3 months? What a brave soul to not walk out the door right then and there, never returning to this cray-cray family who plays sports in the kitchen with old bread.

Oh how I wish I had a picture of the bread.

4.

High School Dances

Almost every High School Dance pre-party was held at my parents house.  In the afternoon a few girls would show up and I would do their hair (I sorta have a knack/love for doing up-do's!) and then about an hour before the dance other friends and their parents as well as my grandparents would show up.  My mom always had hors d'oeurves and "kid wine" aka Welch's Sparkling Grape Juice for us and we'd take tons of pictures.  There were definitely around 50 people here for some dances and it was super chaotic and just as fun!  I have always treasured that my mom made sure that our house always felt open to everyone, and not just on dance nights.  It was known among my friends--and my sister's friends--that they could always drop on by and hang out on the red, comfy couch in our living room. I can only hope that our home feels so welcoming to our children and their friends some day!

Oh, high school.  Here's a pre-dance picture on the infamous red couch!

5.

Getting Ready for Our Wedding

On my wedding day I got ready entirely at my parent's house.  It was so special to have my hair and makeup done in their bathroom, put my dress and jewelry on in my parent's room, and take pictures in our living room.  It was truly a little bit like all of those HS dances, and that was just the way I wanted it.  I was so at peace and comfortable on the morning of our wedding, in part because of who I married, but also because I was in a place where I spent so much time: my home!

Despite the look on my face, I was actually having a great day.

And there you have it--my five favorite memories of mi casa.  Head on over to Hallie's for more Five Favorites!

~Danielle

On growing fonder.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

This idiom has been one that Brandon and I would say a lot when we were long distance--which was all of our dating and engaged relationship.  It was supposed to be comforting in the face of "suffering" the distance between us, a reminder that maybe the distance was actually enhancing our relationship.  How true is this phrase, though? Could being away from one another actually increase our love/relationship?

Today I was wondering where this phrase is derived from.  After a quick google search, turns out it was included as the first line of a poem by an anonymous writer back in 1602, and then borrowed by and popularized by a poem written in 1844 by Thomas Haynes Bayly entitled "Isle of Beauty."  It's crazy how this one line, first written over 200 years ago, has had a lasting impact on our culture. Have you ever heard any other part of either poem included along with that stanza? I know I sure haven't. I wonder if there is a part of a song or line from a book written today that will be popular 200 years from now!

The reason this phrase is on my heart today is because the hubs is at home, about 3 1/2 hours away, while I'm at my parents house with Silas for the week.  Now, it's not as though I'm sitting around pouting about the fact that we're apart--it's actually been really enjoyable to spend so much time with my sisters and parents and I'm so glad that I have the flexibility in my life to take advantage of the opportunity to be here this week! It's just that this 4-day hiatus from one another has me noticing how much I really do enjoy his presence in my daily life.  When suddenly a normal part of your life is missing you have a chance to reflect on it, and I'm realizing that maybe I take for granted our relationship on a daily basis.  It's so easy to do that when you have something/someone available to you every day, isn't it?

I'm noticing how much I look forward to him waking me up in the morning for breakfast and prayer.  I realize how much I anticipate when he'll be home from work for the evening.  I love how good his is with Silas, who instantly stops what he's doing to look at Brandon when he walks in the room.  I have missed our pillow talk, one of my favorite parts of our evening routine. And although we've been chatting on the phone, it's just not the same as holding hands while sleepily having a few last words before sleep comes over me. (and it's usually me who falls asleep in the middle of a conversation...)

So does being from him really make my heart grow fonder?  Well, maybe not--I think it just reminds me how fond my heart already is.  And that small reminder and the opportunity to reflect on my fondness of him while we're apart may actually help to deepen our relationship.  How? Gratitude has a way of increasing my desire to make sacrifices for his sake and enhancing interactions when we're reunited. So I'll take this week and enjoy being here with my family, because next week it will be them I'm away from!

~Danielle

Whoops...and 7QT

Well, I think the intention of "7 posts in 7 days" was to do a post a day...that's not exactly how it's going to shake out here, though.  I'll still do 7 posts, there will just be a day with two!

Yesterday ended up wayyy crazier than I thought it could have been, with not one single moment to sit at a computer.  So, Happy Saturday! and 7 Quick Takes...just about 10 hours late...

1.

Yesterday required coffee.  Actually, the last 4 days required caffeine of some sort as little man thought it appropriate to wake up a little more often and I thought it appropriate to not go to sleep until about 2 hours after he had already been asleep. I've been trying not to drink it everyday, as it seems like some of the "experts" recommend not as much caffeine when you're nursing. But it also seems that the experts want you to be awake long enough to care for your child, true?

2.

I'm staying at my parents for a whole 9 days!  This is probably the longest consecutive stretch of days I have been here since...oh...junior year of college?  But my youngest sister had complete ACL repair surgery on the 17th, and needed a "nurse" to be around to do little things like put her on the ice machine, get her food, etc.  So this week I'll be doing multiple types of "nursing".  I'm kinda excited to spend so much time with the fam (and I know they're excited to spend so much time with Silas) but I will definitely miss seeing the hubs every night!

3.

The reason it worked out so well for me to be here this week is because I have the privilege of being the Matron of Honor in a wedding near my parent's house next weekend and the Bachelorette party is today! (woot!!)  So fortunately Brandon is in town both weekends, but will just have to make the 3 1/2 hour drive back and forth by himself.

4.

Silas will be hanging out with Dad and GG (my mom) this evening while I go to the Bachelorette party.  Next Saturday we are leaving him with GG and his aunts again. This will be the first time I have ever been away from him for more than a few hours.  While I'm super excited for being out with the girls tonight and getting to just focus on my lovely friend the Bride for the wedding, it will be so weird not having 100% focus on Silas during these times.  It's not that I'm nervous, perse (I know he's in really good hands!), it just seems weird to be away from him after I haven't for so long!

5.

We forgot the milk.  Yes, the one thing little man needs to stay alive. Don't worry, we remembered other silly things, like his Bumbo seat and some toys....ugh.  I had been pumping this week to ensure that we had enough for the Bachelorette party and wedding...and it's sitting nice and frozen 3 1/2 hours away in our freezer. fail. So now I am frantically trying to pump after every feeding and having a bit of a supply issue (although I'm sure by tomorrow I sure won't after pumping so often today!)  I really hope we get enough for him to eat while I'm gone. Brandon might have to drive to the Bachelorette location in order to pick up some freshly pumped milk. Such is life. (I still can't believe we forgot the milk...)

6.

In better sounding things, I really am so excited to celebrate my dear friend Jennie today.  We met in college and I'm pretty sure we first bonded over the fact that we are "lame" aka really like to just hang out over a cup of coffee and talk about life as opposed to party-hardy and all of that un-lame stuff.  Since then we have spent much time together and basically were involved in all of the same things in college.  She was my church buddy and my travel buddy (Colorado, Mexico, Florida, the gym) and I am just so blessed for her presence in my life--and now she's marrying the love of her life!!  

7.

It's freaking cold out.  A high of 66 at the end of July in the Midwest?  This cannot be real.  But I am absolutely not wishing it was 95 and humid, don't get me wrong.  I guess I should've just looked at the weather when packing my shorts and tank tops.

Check out more 7 quick takers who probably posted them on time!

Happy Weekend!

~Danielle