7 Beleaguered Takes

Joining Jen and the gang to assure you all I am not lying in a street somewhere, comatose...

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The first week of my mom being here is over (she's offered to stay during the week to help me study) and already I am feeling at once grateful and guilty. It's like having an extremely competent maid and nanny, who is also your best friend, and charges you nothing, and who makes delicious potato soup...

My point is - why didn't I ever invite her to live with us sooner? And how can I convince her to stay forever? 

-2-

I have ten thousand posts I'm working on that are as yet unfinished, but two I promise to publish if not for you my adoring public, then for Zuzu (8th month bday) and my dad (Father's Day). Better late than...?

-3-

In case you were desperately wanting a Zuzu update, she can pull herself up now! On anything, really...and she is sort of crawling, but as I told dear Auntie Shae the other day, it's more of a pirate crawl? One leg cocked out to the side, with the other in correct crawling position, she extends the one leg and drags the other one along behind...like a pirate. She thinks she's very clever. 

The dog is mostly terrified. 

I'm terrified for his water bowl. 

Edited to add - photo credit by Jen!! (as always)

-4-

I hemmed my first pair of pants the other day and I have to say I am quite satisfied with the outcome, even with the weird jersey fabric I was working with (stretchy sleepy pants). Of course, by the time I've gotten 'round to hemming these damn pants, they don't fit anymore. This should comfort me - seeing as they are what I wore home from the birth center - but I really love those pants. Rats. 

-5-

I started to watch the show 'Call the Midwife.' (PBS via BBC) My  neighbor told me about it. Everyone who watches it tells me about it because they're like, "oh you'll like it - it's about midwives! and nuns!" Because I'm the only Catholic birthing center gal my neighbor knows, maybe. I love parts of the show - some of the story lines are very very beautiful. But the show also does what I knew it would do - tries, firstly, to link poverty and big families , and then links them both to a lack of contraception. So the picture they paint is that big families are for poor, uneducated people who can't control themselves. It makes me angry because it feels they are exploiting the poor and belittling their joys - as if those in poverty are happy about new babies only because they're stupid and don't know better, but that when they despair at the idea of a new baby, that's real and good. 

The show isn't all bad though...the way new life is treated is generally beautiful, and most of the care of women portrayed is good (with some exceptions made for the way 'things were done' then - routine enemas and shaving - puke). 

Now I'm left to scrounge for season 2....

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Spam comments are OUT OF CONTROL lately. But I hate those capcha thingies so...just keep on deleting 'em...

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Inspired by 'Call the Midwife,' I want to change my hair. I love hair - hair that is styled! And lovely looking! But mine isn't. I run every other day or so, and I don't always get the time to wash it on a run day - which isn't a problem, because my hair doesn't grease easily, but it does mean I can't wear it down. And my go-to "messy bun' is really just...ugly. My poor husband. So I'm thinking of going shorter, but not too short, so I can wear it straight or curly.  And investing in some hot rollers (so I can set my hair while hanging laundry on the line or whatever charming thing women in the '40s did). See inspirational pictures below:

My hair-spiration: Nurse Jenny Lee

Further hair-love (obviously not the color):

Tuesday Joys

Since Tom is the music-man for Vacation Bible School (VBS) this whole week at church, it means I have a lot more of Zuzu on my hands - and studying in the later hours! 

I, for some mysterious reason, chose this as the time to introduce Zuzu to her own room and her own bed. She's 8 months tomorrow, and when I came in to get her from her nap the other day, there she was - sitting up! My heart gave a big jump and I said, no no this just won't do. It was either a king bed and bed rails (not in the budget or cards), or introduce her to her own room. So she's learning...learning she can sleep there, learning she's allowed to play quietly in there if she wants. We don't fel comfortable with CIO, so when she cries, I go to her - to nurse, pat, rock, snuggle, giggle. She's learning. I'm learning. It's our glamorous life. *wink wink*

Chewing on some rosemary from the garden...

Decides the camera looks more appetizing

I snapped up some frames at Goodwill yesterday - sale, 50 cents each! Sadly...I discovered when I got home that the old Florida citrus ads I intended to use them with, are too large. Le sigh. But aren't the ads pretty anyway?

All my new ones! 

I have several that are already framed and hanging on my (not yet painted...it's only been two years...) walls:

Great colors in this one...

Partial to this one for obvious reasons

We drive through Zolfo Springs to get to my parents' place in Orlando, so I really like this one

Also at Goodwill, some silly people had gotten rid of some truly excellent books, which I snapped up quite quickly:

A whole ton of books from the Redwall series (one of my favorites!) and the 6th Harry Potter on the bottom, without its dust jacket but still in hardcover!

Zuzu was pleased...or at least, she was pleased to get to come home and hang out in the nude.

Hope you're having a great week as well! 

Lazy Sunday Bits and Pieces

Sometimes I have wondered if my family will ever experience Sundays the way others talk about them. We do not get to all leisurely relax or sleep-in; Mr. Oram gets up at 6:15 to get ready and head to play the 7am Mass. He does comes home for a leisurely lunch, if there are no extra Masses for the day, but then leaves again for rehearsal and evening Mass. Sunday as a day set aside for rest and extra prayer - well, at least he gets the latter if not the former! 

But today, as I registered in the early morning haze that he was kissing my forehead before walking out the door, I snuggled into the covers and gave a contented sigh. When Zuzu woke up, we played around a bit - watered the plants, walked the dog, video chatted with my parents. Then I put her down for naptime early - she seemed tired - and we snuggled in bed. She was a bit fussy, so I just pulled her into my chest and stroked her head, which in a surprising moment of calm, she let me do. I stroked her head for a long time, till I felt her breath, deep and easy. I laid her back down and she startled a bit, wanting to nurse for juuuust a wee moment. I obliged. It felt like Sunday afterall - no hurrying to jump up and study, no rushing to get her down and get on with chores. Just time to drink in her sweetness. 

I love nursing. I love every part of nursing. I love the connection between she and I, the cuddles it promotes, the way it can be sweet or silly at turns. I adore it when Mr. O lays in bed or on the couch with us, holding me as I hold her - looking down at her with me. I don't feel apart from him when we nurse; I feel his eyes on me, know that he is proud of me. It brings a feeling of deep satisfaction about my body, not unlike how I felt after her birth. I am grateful this Sunday for my ability to nurse my daughter and be so supported in it. 

Interesting links for the week: 

• I really adored this slideshow of Extreme Breastfeeding Images. I found the pictures funny and inspiring! Women who take their children with them out into the world are enforcing the idea that our ability to be engaged with the 'greater' world should not come at the sacrifice of family life. 

• A fascinating look at how some Orthodox Jews view breastfeeding. I have a deep and abiding love of Orthodox Judaism; I always say if I hadn't become Catholic, I'd be either OJ, Mormon, or Amish. Pretty much anyone with a strong sense of culture and a tradition of headcovering. :) 

• I thought this compilation of the faces of grooms seeing their brides was heartwarming. What a lovely moment that is indeed! I'm reminded of the line in the Twila Paris song, 'How Beautiful' - "how beautiful/ the radiant Bride/who waits for her Groom/ with his light in her eyes/how beautiful/ when humble hearts give/ the fruit of pure love/ so that others may live/ How beautiful!" When I was walking down the aisle, all I saw was Mr. Oram waiting for me - it felt like I think Heaven will feel like, if I get there, God willing! Clouds of witnesses on either side, but I only have eyes for my Lover, who waits for me with joy and expectation! 

• For those who are secret-aspiring-linguists, like myself, you will undoubtedly enjoy this map showing differences in pronunciation around the country. 

• For anyone who has ever watched the show the Bachelor, this delightful humorous spinoff will have you giggling. Don't forget to watch Episodes 2 and 3 as well! (Mom, please watch these, I promise you'll laugh!) 

• Lastly, have you heard of Imagine Sisters? They are a movement to show religious life to America. Although religious sisters used to be ubiquitous with Catholic schools, they were disappearing for a while there...but not anymore! This movement shows the vibrancy and beauty of resurging religious life in America. Sound great? Well, even better, they're making a documentary called Light of Love! Watch the trailer here. But they need help to make it. Would you consider giving even a dollar for their efforts? As these are women who have made vows of poverty, they are relying totally on donations to make this film! Please if you can, support their efforts and in so doing, support religious vocations.

I hope you all have a restful, prayerful Sunday! 

7 Quick Takes

hosted by Conversion Diary

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It has rained all week thanks to Tropical Storm Andrea. Although the weather did threaten to send me into a complete and total funk yesterday, it has made for nice running weather (when it's not completely pouring). 

Zuzu and Blackacre helping with laundry (Photo a la Jen)

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This is the first full week I've thrown myself into Bar studies and I have to say how impressed I have been with my ability to think when not pregnant and my husband's ability to hang with the baby and keep the house clean. Actually, I'm far more impressed by the latter than the former. He's making me look like something of a slouch, really...

-3-

For the sake of TMI, my babe had a yeast diaper rash that I cleared up with Nystatin and then...came back as soon as I put her back in her cloth diapers (we used disposables while using the cream so that our CD wouldn't be ruined). I was perplexed and worried! Is cloth really inherently unsanitary? Is it bad for her? Uh, no. The yeast infection affected the diapers. So now I have to treat all of them too. Which involves things like turning up your hot water heater, using tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract or craziness like that. 

Sigh. 

great cloth diaper change (jen)

-4-

Yesterday while nursing the babe, I discovered that there are large groups of people who hate on specific professional bloggers because they see them as disingenuous. Apparently, these people want to dismantle the image that some professional bloggers project - images of perfection, harmony in the home life, beautiful food, smiling children - and show that they are people just like everyone else. OR show that they aren't disclosing everything to the public; they're leaving some of the nasty bits out, or photoshopping out blemishes. 

Which makes me wonder - do any of us really think that when reading some of the 'bigger' blogs, that we're seeing a completely realistic portrait of their life? Is there anyone that thinks that blogging, as much as it is voyeuristic fun, is completely realistic? 

I can't speak for others, but I do not feel comfortable putting the real nitty-gritty out there. Arguments with my husband? Only if they're light-hearted. Issues with my family or friends? Heck no, that's disrespectful of their privacy. To say nothing of being unable to write truly about anyone's work, because those things have consequences. 

Blogging under your real name means you have to make decisions about how much to let people see. I'm not sure why there are groups who take issue with that.


Photo by Jen...Zuzu loves her Boba

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Today is the Feast of the Sacred Heart, which began with a vision to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in the town of Paray-le-Monial, in France. It has special meaning for me (and I'm sure Jen as well), because I visited it after my college graduation in 2007. We were doing a pilgrimage throughout all of France, but this town. I would move to this town if I ever had the chance to live abroad. As soon as we got off the bus, I could feel the town was different. Everything about it was pure and powerful; the chapels, the old Cluniac monastery that is still there - for anyone who thinks the faith in France is dead, this place is a vibrant example to the contrary. We participated in a beautiful Eucharistic procession there and were able to witness charismatic prayer in French, not to mention hundreds of outdoor confessions! 

It was a blessed experience and I have no doubt that the devotion to the Sacred Heart could change the world. 

Piknik'd picture of Ally, Jen, and I at the Eucharistic Procession in  Paray-le-Monial

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If you have not yet heard, and you have a moment, please please pray for Dwija and her sweet child. 

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us! 

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I am really interested in what traditions you and your family may have in terms of prayer, etc. I always read about various devotions/traditions Catholic families have, and I think "that's great! we should do that! we should do ALL OF THAT!" and then get overwhelmed and do nothing. So tell me - family altars, daily rosary, Bible reading at lunch? I'm all ears...er, eyes! 

this is as far as we've gotten...we work on a skill and a virtue every week. But to be fair, we've stayed on the same skill for like a month....cause we are not so great at it. 

(Belated) Cinco Favoritos

Thank goodness Hallie allows late submissions, cause between Bar studying, a daily running habit, and y'know, dinner, the time to blog is becoming mighty scarce...

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The Wailin' Jennys

The only thing I ever wanted to do in life, but never did, was be something of a folk/bluegrass singer. I always thought I'd be really good at it, but never knew how to learn. Singing along to these amazing ladies and their crazy harmonies is as close as I get! 

-2-

Escada perfume. 

In high school, I would buy every new seasonal fragrance Escada put out. I was never disappointed! On a whim, I picked up and sniffed their newest one while in Ulta this week and was pleasantly surprised - I still love them! So summery and nice smelling, nothing that hints at 'dusky' or 'spicy,' which always makes me want to puke. I adore perfume, it's an accessory I never want to be without, but I haven't worn it that much since Zuzu came along. I always worry - is my perfume messing with my natural musk that tells her I'm her mom? Am I overthinking?

-3-

Growing things. 

Delosperma, a particularly lovely flowering ground cover

With all this rain, the various plants I try to coax into life are flourishing. How lovely! My basil has all-but out grown its pot, my citrus tree is busy putting out fruit, my variegated ice vine (delosperma) is overflowing its pot, and after I severely cut back my mint, it seems to be coming back. Makes me hopeful that I can grow my family! 

-4-

Parenting: Illustrated with Crappy Pictures

Caption on this one regarding why her husband deserves Father's Day: Better yet, he doesn't even roll his eyes when I read a another parenting book and announce that everything we have been doing is wrong and now we are doing it like this.  On a biweekly basis.  

Have you seen this blog? Hysterical. Warning for language. But so many of her drawings really resonate and anything that can make me snort with laughter deserves a FF mention.

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Modern advancements in weather technology. 

Having lived through a tornado, I'm more than a little skittish about bad weather during the Spring and Summertime. In fact, I'm probably downright crazy about it. It makes me jumpy and sometimes causes minor panic attacks (which is awesome when I'm in public places!). And so I'm so grateful that now we have technology that will tell me when tornadoes have been sighted or when they're likely; unlike so many in the past, I have the ability to know when it really is bad or when it's just another Florida thunderstorm. 

(on my mind because we're under tornado watch today)