A Day in the Life of Kateri

although, really, this is more of a glimpse. And a photo-dump. Which I love, and is really more at my pace on these days where there is ne'er a moment to spare for writing.

 

 

Kateri generally wakes up laughing.

 

Or maybe she's just REALLY excited about food

 

Our routine lately has been:

 

me: sleep in as late as possible . . . every. last. second. counts.

Pat: wake up earlier, take a shower, make breakfast for himself and Kateri (eggs), wake up Kateri, change her diaper, and get her a bottle, leave for work

 

Yes. Pat is a saint. Maybe I should think about starting his cause for canonization right now.

 

Looking at Daddy

Kateri loves eggs, which is a huge blessing. Boiled, scrambled, over-easy, she isn't picky!

 

Saying goodbye before Daddy leaves for work

Yes. In case you were wondering, that IS a Chicago Bears lunch bag over Pat's shoulder. Football Dreaming over here, folks!! (though still enjoying the baseball, too)

 

Kateri loves to help me with all sorts of chores. Sweeping, folding laundry, removing every bit of clothes from her drawers and dispersing it all over kingdom come *wait* that's not helping, you say??!! please do me a favor, and explain that to my daughter!

 

She is usually ready for a nap by ten or eleven. The other day, she stayed awake for about two hours, in her crib, not crying, no books, no toys, diaper stayed on (yes! true story). Then she fell asleep for 2.5 hours. That is a LONG time. She was in her room FOUR AND A HALF HOURS. Crazy. Finally I broke the cardinal rule of 'Never disturb a sleeping Toddler' and went in to check on her.

 

She was so cute! And sound asleep! So I came back out and grabbed a camera and went in again (yes, treading on some seriously thin ice here). But guess what?! WORTH IT!

 

How is it possible to actually sleep in this position?

 

 







love those crossed ankles.

 

And, what would you know, she stayed asleep and I didn't even wake her up!

 

One of Kateri's favorite non-toy toys is rabbit water bottles. Why this fascination? I have no idea. But she loves them. We have some extra bottles we keep on the deck, and as soon as we're outside, Kateri makes a B-line for them and picks up as many as she can. Usually this involves a lot of picking up and dropping and trying again.

 

She then attempts to carry them down the five steps off the deck. This is a feat, as she has to go tummy-down herself to get down. But she will go carefully, step by step, picking each up and moving it down bit by bit.

 

She is then free to carry the bottles all over! Which, in her mind, is apparently on par with something like skydiving, in my mind. BUT I am glad she can get her kicks that easily now, because I'm sure it won't be like that for long!

 

Determined to get another bottle

 

She's got this!
 



Score!! Now off to conquer the world!

 

Kateri also helps Pat whenever she can.

 

 

The other evening, Pat thought it would be fun to take Kateri out to feed some geese.

 

At first, we ran into a logistical problem. The geese would not be fed. They had no interest in us or our food! Despite the tantalizing delights of pieces of gourmet white out-dated hot dog buns, they quickly turned up their beaks and waddled in the opposite direction.

 

The Nerve!

 

 

dejected and rejected

 

Kateri demonstrating what she is supposed to be doing right now.

 

 

Eventually, though, they saw the error in their ways and decided that yes, after all, they would like a delicious morsel of refined and processed wheat bread.

 

Wait! Are those bird brains approaching??

YES! They are!

 

 

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag . . ."

 

This song was stuck in my head for days after this trip, by the way.

 

On the way out of the park, a little boy caught a fish. Fish are one of Kateri's favorite things, after birds, dogs, and cows. When the little boy's dad was releasing the fish, he was kind enough to show it to Kateri. She was completely awed. And she even got to touch it!!!

 

Whoah!!!

So that's all for now, another dirty diaper is calling my name loud and clear.

 

So we will keep on enjoying all the fun summer activities

 

 

Maybe one day, if she is very VERY lucky, her mom will fill that pool with WATER! ;)

 



Sebastian's One Month!

Written on July 11 . . . Just a little late in posting ;)

 

Sometimes sleeping requires a lot of concentration around here!



Can't believe this cutie pie is a MONTH OLD! How did that happen?  

 

 

 

 

 

I still can't believe it.

 

Sebastian update:

 

Favorite thing: Eating

General behavior: Very smiley and generally happy (except when super gassy~ how can those horribly loud obnoxious sounds come from such a sweet baby?!)

Most frustrating thing: when the pacifier falls out (end of the world!!!)

Most content: Being held and occasionally in the swing

 













Fridays are for Falcon's

Every Friday, my mom and my aunt drive up to Falcon's Landing (a beautiful -- and ritzy -- retirement community) to visit my dear grandparents, Nonie and Nano. We try to make it up to visit as often as we can!

 Last week was extra-memorable because Mary and Lia were able to come as well. I love this picture of Nonie studying little Lia's precious fingers, and Lia studying Nonie's beautiful face (and sweet Charlotte who loves them both!)

We, of course, used this opportunity as a big photo-op!



Charlotte and Kateri are always beyond thrilled when that camera comes out!

Four Generations of ladies (and poor Sebastian stuck in the middle haha. Good thing he will have a boy cousin soon)!

We had these five littles (including the little guy still baking!), and so we were only missing little Zoe to round out all of Nonie's and Nano's great-grand babies! (We missed you, Kris!!)

I love going to visit them, and there are always highlights to every visit. Seeing Nonie and Nano is one of the greatest gifts of my life, and I am so thankful that they live nearby!

Nonie is a fount of wisdom and has given me great advice, from cleaning tips, to the best way to burp a baby (I guess she would know after having twins!!), to moral dilemmas. She is witty and quick to laugh, and never ever complains. Nonie always takes great care to look beautiful~ it is no surprise that she modeled in the past! She always makes it a point to walk (yes WALK) to daily Mass, in spite of icy biting wind in the winter or oppressive heat during the summer. And, speaking of walking, she walks FAST.  She will give you a run for your money if you walk next to her, and you may find yourself out of breath! She is an inspiration in many ways, but one of the biggest ways that she has inspired me is in her balanced approach to eating healthily and exercise. She is a great proponent of moderation in all things. She has had an exercise and stretch routine her whole life. And I am sure this plays a part in her speed-walk! Not only does Nonie take great care in taking care of her health, she also makes it a point to read, play word games, and stay on top of the news. She loves adventures, and has many stories, one of my favorites is when she travelled down California . . . her chosen mode of transportation?? . . a motorcycle! Nonie loves her faith and lives it every day. I am so thankful for her prayers and for all that she has taught me! It is a great gift to see her once a week!

Nano always has a great welcoming smile and really shares his joy, especially his joy with the little grandbabies. He is a lover of routine and perfection. This doesn't surprise me as I am sure that that attention to detail helped him fly over two hundred successful missions for the air force. He is so humble and, though he has truly done many great feats, rarely will talk of it but when he does, he says it was only his duty. Nano has taken his love of perfection to cooking, and he is, without a doubt, a talented chef! Soups, chilis, apple pies, breads, granola, even his sandwiches are works of art! A few months ago, we were all talking about Nano's cooking, and he looked at Nonie and said he only cooks because  "A beautiful woman should never have to cook!" Nano is very witty, and he often chimes in to the conversation with funny one-liners. One of the ways Nano has always inspired me is his willingness and readiness to try something new. After he retired from the air force, he decided to become a salmon fisherman! He bought a beautiful little fishing boat- the Mokoli- and learned all the ropes. He even was interviewed by the news as he unloaded his catch! What a blessing to know this amazing man~ I am so thankful for his wit and wisdom, and all he has taught me as well!

I absolutely LOVE watching Nano watch the little grandkids.

It is a treasure to see how much he loves them, and how much they love him! So much joy to go all around. I am especially impressed because dear Nano is in constant severe pain, but he always makes it a point to see the little 'greats'.

Sebastian and his great grandfather.

 

 

 

Nano and his first great grandson!

 

 



They look pretty happy to share each others company!

Charlotte has watched Nano using his cane, and she is very intrigued by it. She knows exactly where it 'goes' in their apartment, and she also will use it to provide constant entertainment for the rest of us!

One of the more mild photos ;)

 

 

 Charlotte was very pleased with using Mihi's scarf as a bandanna.

And of course, I cannot help but snap a few pictures of Sebastian with his aunts!

Mimi used her magic and Sebastian slept for over an hour in her arms!

Another time, I needed a hand with Sebastian as I changed Kateri's diaper. Lucy was so sweet to step up right away to the challenge. You can tell Sebastian felt very comfortable!

And, Sebastian with Libby, who will be joining the Nashville Dominicans August 15th (!!!! What a day to enter!)

And, any post would be remiss without a picture or two of my little joy, Kateri!

That little face!

I am so thankful for our wonderful visits with Nonie and Nano~ they are a treasure indeed!

Five Favorites: Labor and Delivery Style

Linking up with the amazing, hilarious, and insightful Heather for five favorites.

So it is over a month (what!? how did that happen?) since Sebastian made his grand entrance, and though I've already written (ad nauseum, I'm sure) about the whole story and how finally holding him was really a miracle, I am going to write one more post. JUST ONE! I promise!

So, over the past few weeks, I have thought a lot about what really helped me during his labor. Every mom and every pregnancy is so different, and who knows if these same five things will be helpful (to anyone else or even to me). BUT, after having a ton of ideas for the labor and dealing with the pain, these are the five things that we actually tried and what worked for me! (*Other ideas we just didn't get to trying.)

~Five Favorites~

1. This Exercise Ball:


This thing was great. And there is sand in the bottom. Sand in the bottom. and you know what that means?! It STAYS! The ball stays in one place, and doesn't go rolling around in all the hospital grossness. This is huge. After working in a hospital for three years, I know that the amount of super bugs and germs on the floor is astronomical (not to mention, any remnants of blood and other body fluids that happen to be left behind, yum, yum yum, yum). So, the LAST thing I would ever want to do is lean on a ball, and possibly put my face against, a ball that had rolled around that nastiness. Incredibly gross. And, though generally not a germophobe, being in a hospital makes me otherwise!

So this ball is perfect! The sand in the ball makes it stay in one place. I still asked Pat to give it a good wipe down before I actually leaned on it, though (thanks, Babe!). So if you are a germophobe as far as hospitals go, this is the ball for you!

I bought mine at Walmart, and it was about $18. Not bad!

This ball made a big difference for me towards the end of labor, though I know a lot of people like them earlier. Great to bounce on or lean on! And I definitely did a lot of leaning towards the end , which brings me to my second favorite:

2. Gardening Pads

 These serve two GREAT purposes!

(a) When I was kneeling down and leaning against the ball, I knelt on these. Awesome because not touching the hospital floor (score) but also so much more comfortable! My knees were so sore (SO SORE) because I did the whole scrub-your-kitchen-floor-on-you-hands-and-knees-to-get-this-baby-moving the night before. But, despite that, the knees didn't bother me a bit since I had these garden pads!

(b) Not sure how many people experience hot flashes in labor, but I sure did. I would suddenly feel like it was a sweltering desert. Pat would grab one of these gardening pads and use it as a fan. It was A-mazing. Highly recommend it.

3. Ice (or whatever your beverage of choice is)

I thought I was drinking plenty, but noooooo way. Ice chips were somehow more palatable then anything else (??why? I don't know). I was so thirsty and dehydrated by the end. As in, ravenous, for water. So ice chips, or water, or whatever is the easiest.  Next time, I plan to drink a bunch more. I brought coconut water, but that stuff is just gross. I wish I liked it because everyone raves about it, but nope, can't stand the stuff.

4. Comfortable flip flops

These are the ones I had (and love~ especially because I got them on sale!). You already know my aversion for nasty hospital floors (and, for the record, dirt, mud, rainwater etc don't bother me at all. But hospitals. different story). So flip flops are essential so that you can walk around, sit on the bed, slip them back on, whatever.

5. Weleda Arnica Massage Oil

This stuff is great! I really think it made a huge difference in the tearing department. Despite only pushing a few times, and with a baby that was posterior AND over a pound heavier then my last, only first degree tears. It also smells really nice! I found it at Target, should you be interested at all.


So those are my five favorites for L&D! But I should really include an awesome husband/coach (really makes all the difference) and all the prayers which are tangible and so appreciated. Also a big thank you to Amy Bookwalter who is a great doula and teaches fantastic childbirth classes, and recommended all these items (and many more! these were just my favorites!).

Anyway, be sure to check out Mama Knows, Honeychild for some other favorites.

Answer me this: favorite drink and a buffalo . . . what?!

Linking up for my first time ever with the awesome Kendra from Catholic all year. Excited to go to the internet's favorite virtual cocktail party!



1. How did you get your name?

My mom named me after this saint:



BUT she spelled my name like this saint:

I can't find any pictures of her smiling. BUT she was witty and funny so I'm sure in real life she did.

 

Both of them are amazing, so I consider both of them as patrons!

And my middle name is Marie, after our Lady.

One of my favorite Marian images

If I had been a boy, my name was going to be Kevin. Thank goodness I wasn't a boy (no offense to any Kevin's out there! just not my favorite name :)

2. Do you have a set time for prayer in your day?

No (though I keep thinking I need to schedule something!). Morning offering in the morning~ usually with grace before breakfast.

I love saying the rosary when I run, it feels so efficient and for some weird reason it is easier to concentrate then when I'm sitting, kneeling, or even walking. BUT since I just had a baby and wasn't able to run for the last 29 weeks of the pregnancy (thanks to certain complications), I haven't been able to for some time. SO, I usually try to fit in the Rosary at some point during the day, and that often ends up being in the car on my way to various errands, or at night when I'm up with the baby.

Once a week, we get together with some of our friends for Rosary Night (we pray the rosary and then have a potluck dinner), it is so much fun especially since having littles can make it IMPOSSIBLE to fit in visiting with friends! It is a highlight of every week.

And daily Mass, oh how I need to figure out a way to do this more often. It takes me so long to get Kateri and Sebastian ready to go, and it just never happens in time to make it to Mass. Hopefully as soon as sleeping becomes a bit more prolific, we will do this!

Night prayer with the kiddos is one of my favorite things. We light a candle in their room, and go through all our prayers (which are pretty extensive . . . sometimes I wonder if I should cut them back because they are more like OUR night prayers). BUT it is a nice time for Kateri to really settle down and she (almost always) goes right to sleep once we put her down (which, of course, equals AWESOME!). So for now we'll stick with it!

3. Did your mom work or stay at home or both?

My mom worked as an engineer and was the first woman and first new hire at her company in over twenty years! She was awesome. But she was even more awesome in her decision to stay home with us (big sacrifice!)~ her job wouldn't have been flexible at all hours-wise, so we would have been in daycare all day every day.

I have been so lucky because I am able to work as a nurse, but only for a few hours each week and completely on my own schedule (thanks to my amazing boss. It is perfect). So I feel like I'm keeping a toe in the door (. . . well, maybe just a pinky toe), and it's super nice to be able to bring in a bit of money!  So I sort of do both, but am mostly stay-at-home.

My favorite stethoscope

4. Do you vote?

Yes. Thanks to my husband and parents and in-laws, who are way more in-the-know, and stay more  tuned in then I do.

5. What's your favorite drink?

Mmm it all depends!

Non-alcoholic: real lemonade (Chick-fil-A style) and Sweet Tea (even McDonalds has some mean sweet tea)

Alcoholic: currently, my favorite is hard cider (wish I was sipping one right now!) My favorite cider was served on tap at Pat Troys in Old Towne Alexandria, it was always my go to at Theology on Tap, but sadly the pub is no longer open *tears*. So I am forced to pick another, and my current favorite is Angry Orchard.

Go try it. You won't regret it.

A few weeks ago, it was a mimosa. So much so I wanted Pat to bring some champagne and orange juice to the hospital to celebrate Sebastian's birth. . . But we ended up postponing and drinking mimosas three days later at his baptismal party. At other times, my favorite drink has been: mojitos, anything with pineapple juice, merlot, Patron, and Bailey's Irish Cream. So it definitely depends and changes :)

6. How are your photography skills?

I love photography! But my skills are completely in the very-much-amateur level. However, if I could do anything in the world, I would love to travel across the world and take pictures of people and places and animals.



Poland

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Bread being sold at the Shuq in Jerusalem, it really amazed me how everyone touched everything. And there was no hand sanitizer anywhere!

Looking through a few of my albums has made me want to TRAVEL! 

Weekend Re-cap

Sebastian and Kateri really had a great fourth of July. I was so proud of myself because BOTH of my offspring donned patriotic gear! Maybe this whole preparation and planning ahead deal is starting to sink in a bit more. . .

 

Except for the fact that I never got a picture of them together (or separate) for that matter with their red, white, and blue. Face palm, yes.

 

BUT we did manage to get some pictures, mainly because Mr. Dodge brought his new camera over to the Greniers, and so I had to at least take a few pictures!

 



This is the closest I have of Kateri in her patriotic gear. What a grumpy face . . .  But Jeanne's smile makes up for it!

Everyone had a blast at the Grenier's. And the weather could not have been more perfect. In fact, I don't remember any other Fourth's ever being this nice!

Miriam enjoyed her first fourth of July. She will be one in just a month. What a cutie!!

I keep telling Pat we need to get a picture of all four of us. I don't know why it is so hard for this to happen. There are only FOUR of us, and one of them can't even roll over yet, this should NOT be a big deal.

However, I did get a photo of Sebastian with these four:

He fits right in with them (minus that concentrated frown . . . maybe it's obvious-- even in infancy -- who you are really related to).

Pat was so excited to finally open this fancy bottle given to Pat by the amazing Erin and Pete (who we miss greatly!)

which is the same as the whiskey that was made in 1776. This is what the founding fathers drank! Because I'm sure they all did! So the Fourth was the perfect occasion!

And so everyone toasted to the good ol' US of A with honest to goodness 1776 whiskey.

Whiskey is so not my thing, but I did smell it. That has to count for something. And of course that made me even more determined not to partake in it.

That, my friends, is a happy man.

The fireworks were beautiful! We went to our favorite location, which is a secret (and that's why I'm writing about it on a blog for all the world to see. . . not. I can write about it because I know for a fact all the world WON'T read it and it will still remain our top secret place!).

It's actually a fort from the civil war, and is right between the Manassas and Manassas Park fireworks, so you have a great view of both. There's lots of grass for football, Frisbee or cornhole. And it is nice and high so you have a great view of all the many firework shows going on in the distance!

We were really unsure of how Kateri would react to the fireworks because they are so darn LOUD. We prepped her as much as we could by saying, "Here come the BOOM- WAGA- WAGA!" This is what my grandpa used to tell us when we were little and somehow that always seemed to convince us that everything was ok, and not only ok, but AWESOME.

Still, we weren't sure how she'd take it. But when the fireworks started, she looked on in awe. And then she started signing 'flower'. They do look a bit like giant flaming bright flowers! And she was (mostly) fine from there on out!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

This weekend we also went to my grandparents for brunch, which is always a treat!

Kateri dressed up in this beautiful lace dress from Aunt Mary- isn't it cute on her?!


Great Grandpa with his great grandson.

Kateri and Charlotte are actually starting to play together, which is great to see! We have been waiting for this a (very!) long time, (right, Laura??) so even though this is a grainy poor quality shot, we are keeping it!

(although, are they getting along? or is Kateri just trying to steal the hat??;)

 

Sebastian got to wear the cutest little seer sucker suit, given to him by Aunt Mimi.

 



The socks really complete the outfit.

Charlotte, always super adorable, fun, and ready to entertain the 'invasion', as everyone in Falcon's says when we walk down the hallway.

And, with that, I'll leave you with a funny story that happened while at Falcon's. When Pat and I walked in to the apartment, we were greeted by some lovely people who were very eager to see Kateri and Sebastian. After talking to them for a minute or so, one of them said, looking at the two little ones,

"So, are they TWINS?"

ummmmm

Kateri's first time holding Sebastian. He is looking very happy relaxed and trusting to be in her arms.