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Friday, November 28, 2008

I am SO Thankful!

Right now we are in Bellingham visiting with Mom and Dad St.Hilaire. We have had a truly wonderful time. We do not really get to see them very much and we miss them. My contribution to the feast yesterday was mashed potatoes. I used a recipe my mom used last year. They were delicious!

I have so much to be thankful for! Today we journeyed out to the mall (at about noon- so everything good was gone). We went to Macy's to look for a few items. In the men's section we witnessed a man being very rude to a woman who was with him. From eavesdropping, I think the woman was his mother. I would guess he was in his 50s. Watching his rudeness put a pit in my stomach. He was terrible, and she just took it. I wanted to go over and scold him for treating her in such a terrible fashion. There is no reason for anyone to talk to another person that way (especially to your mother!).

I kept seeing them around the store and I really wanted to say something. Sometimes the teacher in me blurts out behavioral corrections to strangers. At the checkout stand the mother said something to her son and he shushed her with a finger over his mouth and a condescending look in his eyes. She turned away and sat down. I couldn't believe it.

I am SO thankful to have a husband who respects his mother and me. My mom always told me that you can tell the character of a man by how he treats his mother. I told Andrew how thankful I am for him. It is so great to be in a relationship based on love and selflessness. I am very aware of how selfless Andrew is in our marriage. He is always taking care of me. Most of all, I can see his compassion in his eyes every time he looks at me. I am very blessed and so thankful.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

And so it begins...


I had to blog about this experience while it is still fresh (though I should be packing for Bellingham right now...). I was just at the bank and the teller asked, "Are you expecting?" I smiled and said "yes," but my thought was "Hm, that's weird. I wonder if it says that on my account." Then I naively asked, "can you tell just by looking at me?" She said, "Yea, it's pretty clear."

There you have it--the first stranger to make a comment! I was kind of embarrassed and turned bright red (something that happens often lately). And then I got even more embarrassed for turning red, so I got even redder. She could tell I was uncomfortable and tried to make small talk... it was just a really awkward situation.

And so begins the comments, and (from what I hear) belly pats from strangers. I am sure I will get use to it, but it is a little, well, embarrassing.

Monday, November 24, 2008

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for...

...Pictures!!!!

Pregnant belly picture #1 ~ taken near the beginning of October at about 8-9 weeks:



Pregnant belly picture #2 ~ taken November 19th at 16 weeks:


Other than the baby sticking out a little more, did anyone notice that I shrunk a little??!?!?!  Very crazy... maybe it's the shoes (I hope!).

Monday, November 17, 2008

"Fireproof" (and baby stuff)


We just went on a double date with my parents yesterday to see the movie "Fireproof." It is truly amazing! We all left with "salty cheeks," as Andrew said. My cheeks were more than salty, I was sobbing during one scene. I don't think I have cried that hard in a movie since I saw the "Passion of Christ" for the first time but it could have something to do with me just being more emotional lately.

For all the married couples out there, this is a perfect date movie. (And for all our unmarried friends, it is just a great movie- so go see it!). I think it really dug to the core of problems in marriages. Although Andrew and I are pretty new at this whole marriage business and do not really have the problems presented in the movie, I could definitely understand and relate to the movie's message, just because it's main message was "love is a choice." True love is not easy, sometimes it means we love people when they are not deserving, but just look at how much Christ loves us, and we are SO undeserving. We must approach marriage with the same spirit of dedication that Christ has in His love for us.

I don't want to spoil too much... so I won't say anymore. I just praise God that people are making movies like this and I know we need to support them. I know it has been in theaters for a while now, so it may be heading out soon. So if this message is coming to you too late, it would also be a good rental later on ;)

*******In other news...

Andrew and I went to our second doctor's appointment. We did switch doctors because of some pro-abortion vibes we were getting from our other doctor. As it turns out, one of my coworkers has a husband who works in the same clinic as our first doctor. He is Catholic and shares our values and beliefs.

So this was our first appointment with him. He was really great. We heard the baby's heart beat (insert salty cheeks here). We only got to see the heart beat with our first ultrasound, so this was the first time hearing our baby. We heard the little tyke loud and clear!

At our next appointment (December 10th) we will have another ultrasound and we will get to find out the gender of our baby. We have decided that we want to know. I figure, it will be a surprise either way... we will just be surprised a little earlier =) Andrew was talking to our friend Lauren about this and she also added that it is nice to be able to call the baby "him" or "her." The unborn are so dehumanized that it will be great to refer to them with a gender specific pronoun. Plus, then we can get going on figuring out a name! At this point, we really have no clue about names... and any names I suggest are apparently too "old-ladyish." I don't see what's so wrong with Esther or Agnes.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Baby Dreams

As Andrew mentioned, baby and I are in our 14th week of pregnancy. I am beginning to feel sensations down there, instead of just feeling bloated. When I reach up to grab a dish from the cupboard and my belly presses against the counter, I feel some extra pressure. It is difficult to describe. It's not pain by any means, only a defense I think to alert me of pressure being placed on the baby. It is odd to think that baby St.Hilaire can feel pain that I can't. It could be that when there is pressure on the baby, they are being hurt or at least bothered. But I don't feel any of that, just an alert.

I was observed yesterday in my teaching practicum. My supervisor is also pregnant, but she is due any week. Thus, I had to do an lesson yesterday and will have one next week because she is taking well-deserved time off when the baby comes. She said she is ready to get that baby out! I told her that will be nice, but will she miss having the baby inside? As a mother of one already, she said she did miss having her other daughter inside after she was born.

I have been having crazy dreams (seems like every night) about the baby in one way or another. Either the baby has just come out and I am watching Andrew be a father, or I am watching other women give birth as part of a preparation class (weird, I know)... These dreams make me really anxious about the arrival of the baby. I just want to hold them. But I have also thought about how much I will miss the closeness that I am beginning to feel now with having the baby inside. With this child, this is the closest I will ever be. It kind of makes me sad to think that I will never be as close and that they will grow up and leave me (sounds like something my mom would say! [love you, mom!]). I especially fear that any of my children may leave their faith. As a teacher, I currently have that fear for all of my students, but it is greatly intensified when I think of my children. I know how special they are, and how much Our Lord loves them. It would pain me to have children reject or deny that love.

Listen to me, the baby isn't even out and I am already a worry-wart! I just know that although I am eager to hold and nurture my child, I should savor this special closeness that I have with them right now.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Christmas in November

Lindsey's parents have been gracious enough to let me play with their nice camera! Here are some festive pictures of Dymphna and one of a statue of Mary that I took at their house:

Halloween came and passed this year in the blink of an eye for Lindsey and me. Rest assured, we were inundated with Halloween costumes, decorations and candy just about everywhere we went, but since we chose not to celebrate the secular holiday in the "traditional" manner, the day went by like any other as we looked forward to All Saints Day and All Souls Day, feasts celebrated by the Church the first two days of November.

Lindsey and I were, however, looking forward to cheap pumpkins and candy following Halloween. We were going to make soup and pie out of the pumpkins and the candy... well, the candy needs no explanation. When Lindsey went to the store two days after, she was disappointed to find no Halloween candy or pumpkins in site, but instead fake Christmas trees and decorations! It's too bad the birthday celebration of the Son of God has become one of the most exploited holidays by our consumer society. Year after year, our attention is largely diverted from the Incarnation to materialism.

On a separate note, Lindsey is now a week into the second trimester and is beginning to show! We're growing with anticipation for the day in which we can greet and hold our child. Each night as we go to bed, I like to reach my arm around Lindsey's womb and pray for our baby. Just a week ago, the thought came across that already I have a child whom I love unconditionally. Amazing.

Lindsey has been doing well. She continues to feel nauseous at times and is looking forward to the day that's over with. Her endurance and positive outlook is something I admire daily. Lindsey is one of the hardest working people I know. She is one who embraces challenges and whose life is complete with selflessness. It's something I learned about Lindsey not long after we met over 3 years ago, and as God has designed marriage as a sacrament, or "sign", that points heavenward, I've witnessed how Lindsey is Christ to me and to others. I am humbled to be her husband and am looking forward to see my wife grow into the role of motherhood, something, I'm certain, will come naturally for her.