Lord, That I May See

I've been feeling so blessed recently.  Of course, I am always blessed, but this month I have been realizing it daily.  I originally intended to record my "1000 gifts" this Lent like I did two years ago, but somehow I haven't started.  I feel the gratitude several times daily and when it wells up inside of me, I don't feel the need to write it down.   Two years ago, my Lenten resolution of recording God's blessings was a discipline practiced at a time in which I did not readily recognize the gifts of God in my life.  That discipline bore fruit in helping me to recognize the joy that is my life.  I love the quote: (maybe from Ann Voskamp's book ?) "Gratitude doesn't come from joy, joy comes from gratitude."   It's true!   Those 6 weeks in 2011, I had to make myself write down those 20 blessings every. single. day. and if I didn't look hard for them I wouldn't be able to make my list by the end of the day.  And so, by the end o...

Some links that I have been enjoying today.  Thanks to those who pointed them out to me! "If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original.” "Introverted people live in a human-sized hamster ball" "He’s not afraid of doing the hard things, even if it includes being called lazy or fearful by us."

Sunshine, while kneeling on the pew looking backward: "All those people have crabby faces. I don't want them to have crabby faces."

1.   Long week here!   Let's see . . .  we haven't left the house, but we've had 5 days of sickness from Turtle, a missed playdate  a cancelled baby appointment and no Atrium, a planned and replanned date night that never worked out, had two nights of fevers, a midnight nosebleed episode, three nights of kids squeezing into our too-small bed with a too-pregnant me, a evening of puking (me! ugh!) and no hockey team victories.   *Sigh*  Hope next week is better!!  2 .    AND Downton Abbey was a heart-breaker this week!  I was crying in sadness and disbelief.  Just add that to the list of bad stuff about this week. :(  And this is definitely worse than any of the above, hence it needs its own sad number in the Quick Takes.   I tried to describe to D., who doesn't watch Downton Abbey (or anything else remotely slow . . . or British), how tragic this episode was and failed to instill in him ...

I have documented my belly growth with Rosebud and Sunshine , so I might as well do so this time too. I feel gigantic and with a whole 11 wks left, I despair of looking like anything other than a beached whale in March/April. Despite my goal to gain less than my usual 38-40 lbs this pregnancy -- so much for my bi-weekly workouts! -- I am right on track for that, like usual. It doesn't seem to matter what weight I start at! Anyways, enough about weight! The baby is growing well and kicking me all sorts of ways and I love all the movement! My own little pal that keeps me company everywhere is still not too painfully strong, which is wonderful :). Not that she/he will ever stop being wonderful, it's just that soon my attitude will shift too such end of pregnancy sentiments as "when will this huge person in my middle get out of me???". But not yet. :) Here's the 6+ month shot:

that I will not be at the March for Life with my children on Friday: Eight Reasons Not to Use Graphic Abortion Images at the March for Life  I will pray hard. I will go to Mass. But this article points to several things about the March that I agree with very wholeheartedly!

One morning at breakfast: Sunshine:  "When the new baby comes I will hold it and kiss it." Me: "Yes, you will!" Then Sunshine pauses, looks at me and says, "And you will kiss me and then I will break the baby's legs." She fake-laughs kind of sheepishly, looking at me closely the whole time. I don't really react.  How does one react to that?  I think I change the subject.  Later she is looking at the cover of this book: Sunshine, wistfully: "I wish that Mommy bunny could hold me. Does that Mommy bunny like her baby?"  Me: "Yes, Mommies always like their babies." Then I hug her and smooch on her just like the Mommy bunny is doing on her baby.   She smiles a little, but I can tell she is still thinking about something serious. And then I realize. She's jealous. She's already starting to struggle with the dilemma of being "replaced" as the baby -- something that every child with a younger sibling...