Advent Unplugged Wrap-Up

This Advent I linked up with other bloggers and took intentional steps to "unplug" from social media as well as make this season a time of reflection as we prepared for Christmas. You can read about my goals for Advent here and how it was going about half way through here.

After mass this afternoon, we will officially begin celebrating the birth of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ! It seems Christmas is sweeter this year because of the steps I took to make it reflective. Below are a few updates on how this Advent went for me:

I really appreciated not having the Facebook app on my phone. I found I wasn't as distracted from what was going on in my own house and conversations with my husband and I was using the time when I was nursing to read things that were enhancing my life in some way. I'm really not convinced that I'll download it again. In full disclosure, there have been a few times where I did use safari to go on FB for one reason or another, but it definitely wasn't the norm. As I said last week, I think there was more addiction to this form of social media than I originally thought; so glad that it became more apparent to me so that I can avoid being that "into" it again. 

The Relevant Radio app was actually only used a handful of times, but I found it fruitful when I did tune in. I'm excited to keep using this as a way to learn more and grow in my faith and am grateful that it was part of this Advent season for me.

Being aware of the daily readings allowed me to follow along with the Advent season and gave me something to reflect on each day. This is something I have done intermittently in the past, but I really hope to keep this as a part of my day from now on. 

Setting aside time for Brandon and I to reflect upon quotes from Padre Pio and a corresponding bible verse was also helpful. We talked about things we wouldn't have otherwise and it was a good reminder each morning and evening that Advent is a time for reflection and preparation and prayer. 

Last week in a meeting someone asked, "Are you all ready for Christmas?" 

"I still have presents to buy and wrapping to do. But I'm really not feeling stressed. Advent was a time of preparing my heart for Christmas and remembering the true reason for the season, and I'm just really looking forward to Christmas."

Thanks to Haley for providing the inspiration to unplug and be intentional this Advent, and for hosting this link-up.

Have a very, very Merry Christmas. I wish you and your family many blessings as you celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!

~Danielle

Let's Be Thankful.

Oh, it's that time of year again--the last week of November. The season of having no idea what holiday we're celebrating.

When I was in 7th and 8th grade, my English teacher would always wonder aloud what an alien who just landed on earth would think about certain situations. She was getting us to see life from a different perspective. And, you know, I think I'd be a super-confused outer-space species if I landed in the USA during the last week of November.

Can you imagine? There are fall leaves and turkeys next to snowflakes and elves with a splash of scary ghouls hanging from trees (Yup, I have actually seen at least a dozen houses that still have Halloween decor strewn about their lawns...) It's a time spent with family, eating a whole lotta delicious food and really taking a moment to be grateful for what we have. Until we turn around and go shopping because we must buy all.the.things. And the music sings of the most wonderful time of the year which isn't actually happening right now. "Holiday" drinks are available, not the national holiday we're celebrating this month, but for the one more than 30 days away that stores and malls and banks and people-a-plenty have also already decorated for. It's not yet Thanksgiving and we're pumpkined out, already feasting our eyes on the beauty of Christmastime.

Now, don't get me wrong--I think it's great that we eventually find so much cause for the celebration of the birth of Christ, I'm just not so sure it's a great idea to celebrate this holiday before Advent is even upon us! And when I say "we" I mean we. I'm pointing fingers at this strange cultural phenomenon we find ourselves stuck in the middle of each November, but also pointing a big, fat, flashing arrow right back at myself. 

Because I luvah me some Christmastime. 

The teensiest bit of a chill in the air and my thoughts sprint right to Christmas carols and cookies and decorations. There's this fluttering of my stomach while the Nutcracker theme frolicks around my head. Oh the season of wrapping gifts and receiving Christmas cards and delicious cookies...Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la...

wait....it's...the middle of November.

When I wake up with Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree stuck in my head (like this morning), I have to remind myself that Thanksgiving marks more than just the beginning of another season. It is a holiday where we have the chance to focus on what is most important to us and verbalize our gratitude. We gather for a delicious meal with the people we love and celebrate what we have been gifted with over the last year. And did you know that scientists have proven that one of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness is how much gratitude you show?

I must say, happiness is an understatement to what I feel about this past year. I'm thankful for the life of my son, for having the opportunity to spend so much time with him. I'm thankful for the constant support of my husband, for his patience and willingness to do whatever is necessary for the good of our family. I'm thankful for my mom and dad and sisters and grandparents and all of Brandon's as well. Thankful for friends, new and old, for the house we call home, for our parish and the thriving community we've found there. Thankful for the gifts and talents I have and for the opportunities to grow.

For just the next few days, let's abandon decking the halls and focus on the holiday-at-hand. Let's show gratitude for the gift of family and friends; for the hardships we've overcome and the ways we've grown; for the blessings of health and home; for the grace received. Let's be thankful without getting knee-deep into the next holiday's celebration. Let's be thankful.

~Danielle

7 Quick Takes about Sleeping, Food, and Fall (what's not to love?)

So I've been thinking about my next blog post for 2 weeks. So much thinking that it led me to an accidental hiatus from writing at all. It was as though I really wanted to have something great to say. Something that reflected how deeply my thoughts have become lately. But every time I'd get on the computer to start I'd be distracted by email or facebook or the baby would wake up. So I'm just going to give up on trying to write something meaningful for the time being, and instead indulge in a little bit of miscellany with these 7 quick takes of what's been going on around here. (Check out much more interesting quick takes over at Conversion Diary!)

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Little man is going to be a whole half-a-year tomorrow! It's been the longest and quickest 6 months of my life, and I have an almost 20 lb baby (and quite the lower back ache!) to show for it. He is such a wonderful baby and we've pretty much had zero of the horror stories people love to tell you about when you're around 38 weeks pregnant. Silas is mostly happy with a side of complaining every now and then, and has been a fabulous traveler and sleeper (the two things I'd always joke we were praying for in a baby!)





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Yes, I just said he's a good sleeper, and I mean it, too--he will typically go to bed around 7:15 and be mostly sleeping until around 7 the next morning. He does sometimes wake up for a feeding or two, and sometimes he doesn't want to go back to sleep unless he's laying in bed next to me, but overall he's quite the bedtime winner. 

BUT, I suppose this wasn't good enough for me because I tried "Cry It Out" on Wednesday and ohmygracious that was so not fun for anyone involved!

Okay..let me back up. I've been reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" because it was recommended by many other mommas. And in there the author talks about how important it is for babies to 1) be on a regular nap schedule (which we most definitely are not) and 2) be able to go to sleep on their own (which doesn't really happen unless he's in the car or stroller or nursing.) And he says that babies can do it by 16 weeks.

SO I looked at my 26 week old child and I tried it. And although I only tried once and you're supposed to give it at least a week: I'm not a believer. Nor am I a Belieber. So we will never be doing it that way again and I am going to say never, Mr. Bieber. Baby boy can sleep when he wants during the day and even take 4 little catnaps. Because he's generally a super happy camper and something else that the book emphasized was that bad sleepers=difficult babies and we just don't have one of those up in here.

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Last night I went out baby-less with a few friends who also left their small children with other caretakers. And it.was.great. Sangria + a perfectly cooked burger topped with provolone cheese and bacon (oops, you're drooling!) + having a full conversation with other mama's about any/everything was super nice. Of course we still chatted about our lovebugs, but absence makes the heart grow fonder, yes? Even if maybe it's only 2 hours of absence. I'm feeling blessed to have these women in my life who are in similar situations! I can bounce questions of off them regarding parenting...although I think I may be learning more about food from them than anything else! Who knew I was so food-illiterate? Kimchi? (yes, I googled how to spell that...) Fried okra? Scotch egg? You're probably laughing at my naivete/lameness...and this was just last night's lesson based on what was ordered around me.

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And so I'm trying to step up my food game just a teeny little bit lately. Mostly for my husband's sake. Tomorrow I will be making Minestrone Soup! Ok...I confess...in the crock pot. But I thought of it ahead of time, made a shopping list, went to the grocery store, and will now prepare it! Gold star, right!?

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I just can't get over how beautiful the trees are looking! Boy, do I love fall. I mean, take a look at the tree below. I snapped a photo of it while sitting at a stop sign. 

Here's the funny thing: As much as fall is my absolute favorite season weather-wise, as soon as there's even the slightest chill in the air, I find myself thinking about Christmas. Not just the day but the whole season! There's this little knot of excitement that forms in my stomach, a feeling I've only ever had incited by all things holiday and advent and thinking of the perfect gifts for friends and family members. See, I'm getting myself excited already. I have to remind myself that there are other holidays that happen between now and December 25, other holidays that I really like! So I just need to keep remembering how much I love the leaves and the pumpkin spice everything and the walkable weather and not let myself get wrapped up in the Christmas season quite yet.

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My husband and I are Downton Abbey fans. (Haven't seen it? Do what we did and buy all three seasons and watch them as rapidly as possible because they are that good!)

We are really ready for season 4 and really kind of jealous that in the UK they've already seen like 4 episodes! Looking forward to January 4th!

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This weekend is soo much slower and less jam-packed than last, and I'm glad for the break. Looking forward to cuddling with hubs and baby and not having any sort of schedule.

Hope yours is great too!

~Danielle 

7 Quick Takes: Fall, Facebook and Pope Francis

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Hello?...yes, is fall available? I really thought fall weather was supposed to be here for the season, I must have misunderstood because it's been in the high 70s-low 80s all week! We sure have been enjoying this weather, getting outside to a park or for a walk every day.  Although I do love the cooler weather fall typically brings, it has been a treat to get a little extended summer!

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On Tuesday Silas dressed up in his little overalls and we headed to a friends house with some other babies and their mamas to take some fall photos! Here are a few of my favorites that I took, but there were so many cute ones that others took, as seen on facebook.

 

You can imagine how difficult it is to get 7 babies in one photo looking in the same general direction. I'm sure it would have been funny to get a picture facing the other direction, as all of us mom's are clapping and yelling and frequently jumping in to position babies.

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Our oven has been broken for a little over two weeks now, which means we've had to be pretty creative when it came to dinner.  Crock pot, stove top, grill. Tonight we decided to be uncreative and go out to eat! This is pretty rare for us so it was really nice to not have to cook or have any dishes in the sink. We went to a local place for Mexican food. Yummm.

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I've said it before, but I am way too addicted to checking facebook and have been reflecting a lot on how much time I waste. It really starts out innocently, I just check it from my phone as I nurse Silas.  I know, though, that there are about 1,001 other things I could be doing with that time! It's not enhancing my life like reading a book or saying a rosary or calling a friend would.
This morning another blogger (Hi Rosie!) mentioned that she was getting a smartphone for the first time and mentioned that she was going to avoid installing facebook because she'd spend too much time on her phone otherwise. This comment hit me--well, duh! SO I took the plunge and deleted it off of my phone. I can still access it if I absolutely need to from Safari (but in what circumstances does a person absolutely need to connect to FB via their cellular device?) I can feel the fresh liberation already.

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The latest interview with Pope Francis has made waves and been taken completely out of context and been the talk of the town for the last week. I read a few articles describing it and quoting it, and I decided I wanted to read it for myself.  So I am, and actually have been reading it aloud to Brandon the last few nights before bed.  We're about 3/4 of the way through and I'm super encouraged by his words and reflections. It's so interesting to me that the media is reporting on what Pope Francis has to say so frequently lately, and also that they so easily take his words out of context. I still have a little bit of reading and a lot of reflection to do before I can make any sort of comment on it.

Want to read it for yourself? Check it out here. Want to see what others have to say about it? (Note: Not all of these interpret the interview in context. It seems like a pretty important thing to do, doesn't it?) Check out what CNN says, what Fox News says, what Kendra says (with links to quite a few other articles on the topic), and what Calah says.

I do have to say that it's amazing how the Holy Spirit works, though. How incredible that Pope Francis can make such an impact on people in the short time since he's become Pope. So excited to see how he will be used to evangelize and change the world.

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Lately I've been getting this excited feeling because it's almost October which means it's getting closer to Christmas. I seriously love Advent and Christmas and the Christmas season.

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I'm missing my family lately.  It's been about a month and a half since we've been home, which is not super long...but it seems like a lot has happened both at home and developmentally with Silas. Fortunately I've been chatting a lot with my mom lately and I even got to talk to my youngest sister for about a half hour this week!! She's in her first semester of college, so she's pretty busy--so great to chat with her for a little bit, but I cannot believe she is old enough to go to college.
Time really doesn't seem to make sense lately. The days are long but the nights should be longer; he's growing up fast and I can't believe we've had him five months, but I can't imagine what life was like before him.

Have a great weekend and check out other quick takes over at Jen's!

~Danielle 

Happy 4th of July!

Is anyone else awful at dressing for holidays?  Today I put on a pair of pink shorts and a black tank-top, obviously not very patirotic.  Last year on Valentine's Day I tried to wear pink, but got to work and realized my sweater was coral-at-best, if not more orange than anything.  Let me tell you, all that does is clash with everyone else's nice pink and red outfits.

I did get a kick out of dressing up Silas for his first experience of our country's birthday, though!  He had received 3 different outfits to don for the 4th! We went to watch the annual air show last night, so I put on his "Happy 4th of July" onesie (yes, on the 3rd...whoops)  This morning he immediately got put into an adorable striped romper-type outfit with a monkey cheerfully waving the American flag, as all monkeys should.  (Side-note: Are monkey's the new thing? So many baby gifts we have received are monkey-laden!  They're adorable, but I'm convinced it's the world's newest trendy animal.  Good-bye owl, hello orangutan.)   

Silas' diaper wicked out onto said cute monkey outfit, which gave us the chance to put him in his third adorable outfit of red, white, and blue!  I have to say, he quickly transitioned into looking like a little man.

We're playing it low-key this year and enjoying take-and-bake pizza and dominoes (the game, not the pizza) with our wonderful in-laws and another dear friend.  What I like best is having the hubs home for a 4-day weekend!

I've been doing laundry today which means now that I've realized how un-patriotic I am, I should go put on the correct colored clothing!