Parents - I need your help!

Lydia is almost 3 months old. She sleeps through the night - once a week or so she may wake up to nurse and then back to bed once during the night. We begin her bedtime routine at 7 (bathe, put on PJs, nurse) and she is usually out around 8:30. She will wake up any time after 6am, though usually I'll just nurse her in bed and she sleeps until 9.

I know I am very, very fortunate when it comes to her night sleep.

However, what I need help with is soothing her to sleep and naps. She really, really, really hates going to sleep and she fights it. We try swaddling, dark rooms, quiet, music, white noise, rocking, walking, the swing, etc. The best ways to get her to sleep are at my breast (which can take an hour of her crying because she's so tired and nursing) or being swung in the car seat (during which she'll cry at first until it lulls her to sleep. Also, during the day she only naps for 20-40 minutes and in the late afternoon it can be very tricky to get her to go down.

So:
1 - How do you soothe your baby for sleep?
2 - Shouldn't Lydia be old enough to go to sleep herself? If we soothe her and then lay her down she starts to cry and the whole process starts all over again.
3 - If she's sleeping through the night so well, how much sleep should she get during the day? I try to have her nap every 2 hours, but that doesn't really work. She can get pretty cranky during the day.

Please leave comments with suggestions. It can be so stressful.

She's so CUTE!

Bday Recap

There were dinners and family gatherings earlier in the week. M came and took me out to lunch today. My mother-in-law bought me a fantastic 4 disc Johnny Cash compilation. And Travis did a bang-up job of surprising me again and again.

First it was flowers and French toast awaiting me once I woke up.

Then it was my daughter's new onesie that I didn't even notice until I had finished my breakfast (which I ate in bed with my family).

On the way from Mass to the gym Travis slyly switched the radio over to a CD - the new Coldplay album for little ole me. (I love it!)

Once I got out of the shower my birthday carrot cake was waiting for me. :)

Then, while I was washing up some dishes, Travis brought Lydia to me. She was "holding" her present to me, wrapped in a receiving blanket. It was Stranger Than Fiction.

Mom showed up about 11 so Travis and I could go to lunch at Chili's.

That afternoon he made creme brulee. It was so good. :) I'm a very lucky woman.

I'm sorry for making Americans look dumb...

I recently left the following comment on a blog post about the Church of England and the Vatican:

Although this may show just how ignorant I am, reflect poorly on the American public school systems, and be a huge oversimplification, I'm going to ask a question I have had for a long time: Why is a church that was founded so a king could get a divorce still around? How can people actually feel there is any authority from it's leaders?

Shortly after, I received an email from Ferdinand von Prondzynski, the President of Dublin City University, Ireland. He is a member of the Church of Ireland (Anglican), and of St Bartholomew's Church, Dublin (http://www.stbartholomews.ie/). He wrote the following:

The Church of England was not founded because of Henry VIII's divorce. In fact, Henry VIII did not found any new church, nor did he think he was doing so. He died (as he thought) a catholic, clutching his rosary beads. What he did was break with Rome (as, say, Abp Lebfevre did), but not with catholicism. The Church of England as a Protestant church was not founded until the reign of Edward VI, who was an out and out Protestant reformer. However, it was immediately returned to catholicism under Queen Mary, and then Anglicanism with its own ethos probably dates from Elizabeth I, who sought a middle way between the ultra-Protestants and catholics.

Modern Anglicanism has two origins, melded together. One is the evangelical movements of the early19th century, and the other is the catholic/Tractarian movement of the middle of the same century; the latter restored the liturgy and the sacraments and catholic theology.

Whether Anglicanism can or deserves to survive is another debate - but its origins have nothing to do with Henry's divorce!

Ferdinand said he is willing to go into more detail if anyone has any further questions, so if you do please leave a comment. I, for one, am wondering if you can tell me the difference between Anglicans and Episcopalians. And, is it true that a British monarch cannot marry a Catholic?

Thank you, Ferdinand, for clarifying everything and for giving me permission to post what you wrote.

Da-na-na-na-na-na-na BATMAN!

Loved, loved, loved The Dark Knight.

The acting was great, the plot was wonderful and Christian Bale just keeps getting better looking. Seriously, back in 6th grade I had a crush on this guy from Newsies and Little Women. He looked good in Batman Begins and The Prestige, a little better in 3:10 to Yuma but he looks freakin' great in The Dark Knight.

I digress. Go see the movie, but for Pete's sake, people, don't take your kids. Your child should be at least 13 to see the movie. The Joker is creeee-py and there are some tense moments. I even covered my eyes (but not when Mr. Bale was on the screen). sorry.

And if you do take your kids, my friend will be really ticked at you.

Seriously, though, this movie is so great because the character of Batman is so interesting. I love that there are the 3 sides of 1 man and I love that he sticks to his moral code. I love that he chooses to suffer for the greater good - that he is so willing to put others before himself. Of all the super-heroes, I like him best. He's not an alien or the product of some science experiment gone wrong. He's a billionaire wanting to save something he loves and serve something bigger than himself. And he hangs out with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman. The guy's got good taste.

Mary put the milk in the Bread of Life

Tonight I came across this article about nursing discretely as Mass. The comments were pretty interesting, especially those who found public breastfeeding (especially at Mass) to be immodest, unthoughtful, disrespectful and downright offensive.



I breastfeed at restaurants, shopping centers, parking lots and even Mass - it never fails that Lydia will be hungry. I try to do it discreetly - I put a blanket over myself as I "get the boob out" and "close up shop." I keep the blanket draped on my shoulder so my stomach does not show on the side she's nursing on. I try to keep the shirt covering most of my breast but I do not nurse with a blanket over Lydia's head. She doesn't really like it, and I don't blame her since I don't like eating with anything covering my face.

I understand that breastfeeding can make some people uncomfortable and that for men it can be a challenge if they get a glimpse, especially an unexpected glimpse of boob. But in my mind, there is absolutely nothing sexy about a breast that's squirting milk. I have relatives and friends who are male who become very uncomfortable when I feed my daughter. For them I will leave the table or room, or at least turn away from them as Lydia eats. I also try to remember to ask people if it's okay for me to nurse in front of the, but really if you're a woman I'm not going to try to hide much. I believe the absence of a high profile of nursing mothers is to blame for the over-sexualization of all things breast related* and the amount of women who do not breastfeed or give up early on when there are difficulties establishing breastfeeding.


It's fascinating to look at the large amount of Catholic art that shows the Blessed Mother nursing the Infant Christ. There is nothing sexual or awkward about it. The artists were showing the full humanity of Our Savior and God - He was fully dependent on a woman for life. The works also show the tenderness and love they felt for each other. In my new role of mom, Mary nursing Jesus is one of my favorite things to meditate on, especially when Lydia is at my breast.


And as far as nursing at Mass goes - I like to think of the line from the Gospel and the Eucharistic Prayer, "This is My Body, which will be given up for you." Being a breastfeeding mother is a sacrifice: my body is no longer my own. And now my understanding of God's love and Christ's offering are greater because of that.



*See this article for more info on that statement. The above magazine cover was called "gross" and I heard one man even call it "pornographic." The first statement is a pretty sad reflection of our secular understanding of the female body. The second is just sick.

Blog Shout Out

MaiasauraMade

This blog is done by my very good friend, LB. I've known her since freshman year of high school and think the world of her. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding, she attended my home birth.

Her blog is full of pictures - which is always good. Pictures of her two super cute boys, yummy food she makes, beautiful crafts she produces and amazing tattoos she gets.

LB is a work at home mom and you can check out her online store here. She does custom work and she is really, really talented. Two of my most prized gifts were made by her.

This is the collage she made of our Scottish honeymoon keepsakes. Love it!

God gives grace for the situation, not the imagination.

I got that from Jen at http://www.conversiondiary.com/.

I must remember this as I have become quite the worrier. It started in college and has only gotten worse. No good, no good at all.

WYD 2005

So with everyone in Australia for World Youth Day I'm getting a little nostalgic for my own WYD pilgrimage from a few years back. Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we.

Climbing to St. Francis' hermitage in Assisi.

The whole group in Rome.

Me and some Sisters of Life in St. Peter's.

St. James the Greater (I was born on his feast day) in St. John Lateran.

Michelangelo's Moses.

"The Dome" in Koln.

Eating a real Belgium waffle.

The lovely Tatjana laughing at me.

In Krakow. Old sewing machines from the ghettos that were made into coffee house tables.

ID pictures from Auschwitz.

The whole gang in Krakow.

The Pope on the Jumbo Tron.

Tatjana and I waiting for Sunday Mass to begin.

Trying to get out of Germany.

Blog Shout Out

So the next shout out goes to THE BYRNEZ CIRCLE OF TRUST

My friend Domo is heading this one up, blogging about her life with her hubby and new house. Or, well, I think that's what she'll be blogging about since it's a brand new blog and there's only one post. But go ahead - stop over there and welcome her to the wonderful world of blogging.

A teacher who lives in the Chicagoland area, Domo's been a faithful reader of mine since the beginning. She's also really fun to hang out with, especially at wedding receptions. Seriously, if you think you might have a dud of a reception you should hire her to be your fun guest who will get the party started.

Acne Treatment

I am currently on Day 5 of my new acne treatment wherein I basically don't wash my face.
Well, I do, but I only use water unless it's at the end of a day when I wore make-up. Then I use a little bit of face wash and a lot of water.
This was inspired by my husband and our friend who use nothing but water ("and shampoo if it ever gets on my face") and have no zits.

The crazy part is that my complexion is actually clearing up. But we'll see how it looks after a couple of weeks.

I love this idea!

This may be enough to make me learn how to sew! Check it out!

http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2008/07/gratitude.html

So here's a confession...

My friend, Mia just wrote a very honest, very insightful post on her struggles with her body. Anyone who has ever fought an eating disorder will, I think, strongly identify with what she says, especially the following part:

Deep down, I know much better than to listen to that evil voice inside my head. But some days, I let her totally control me. I let her ruin my entire day by giving in to her insults and commands. It seems that by now, I should be stronger than that evil bitch inside my head, and just kick her ass to the curb. But for some reason, I just don't let go. I let her tell me that I am not worth it...that I am ugly...that I can't do it...that I am a lazy pig who will never be good enough. So why do I keep her around? Because part of me feels like I would be lost without her. I know that sounds crazy, but even though she puts me down, to me, she is a safety net. With her, I won't have to work on learning to trust my own body and intuition. With her I can be structured and rigid, and by following her strict and rigid rules, I will be safe. It is like being in an abusive and controlling relationship.

In college I was introduced to binging and purging. After 2 years I was able to stop but since then a diet has always terrified me. The structure of a diet along with my lack of self control and the way I use food to reward and punish myself only leads to huge binges. I haven't purged for over a year, but that voice is in my head, too, telling me it's the answer. It's a scary place to be, and thank God I have a husband who prays for me.

The body image issue has made me so afraid for my daughter. I seriously pray on a regular basis that she won't struggle with eating disorders or find her worth in how much she weighs or what she looks like or in if boys want to date her.

God save us all.

Blog shout out

I thought I might give little shout outs to the blogs I love by way of profiling them.


The first up is RADICAL CATHOLIC MOM.

Stay at home mom who lives in Alaska. Her husband is involved with the military and they are both involved in Hispanic ministry.

I started reading her in May 2007. I had just miscarried Peter and needed some Catholic comfort. When I googled "Catholic - miscarriage" her blog come up.

I like reading her because she presents views unlike mine and ideas that are new to me. Immigration issues are very important to her, and some of her posts have led me to investigate issues that I never really knew to care about before. Her posts have also challenged me to be more faithful in my tithing.

Oswego Hero

Did you hear about the 3 year old boy from Oswego who wandered away from home and was missing for 12 hours over a rainy night?

My cousin was the one who found him!

Yay Matt! I've always thought you were a good guy - now everyone will know it's true!

Read about it here.

And see him interviewed here.

Viva la Vida

My bet is that Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki will love this album.

Rolling Stone says this about it: http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/21236751/viva_la_vida_or_death_and_all_his_friends

Spike the Punch

While pregnant the number one thing I missed was sleeping on my stomach. The number two thing was alcohol. Gin and tonic, Jack and Coke, Bud Light and - most especially - Captain and Coke. Oh how I love rum. (It's why I'm so drawn to the character of Captain Jack Sparrow. Well, that and Johnny Depp is incredibly good looking.)

So today, when my friend R brought Lydia a birthday present and me a little "travel-size" bottle of Captain Morgan she became my new best friend.

Of course, since I'm breastfeeding I'll have to drink 1/2 of it one day and the other 1/2 of it another, but I'll love every second of it!

Baby Fat

Now that Lydia is 2 months old I can officially go on a diet. While looking up dieting and caloric intake for breastfeeding moms I was led to a BMI calculator, which is something I never should have done. The results were upsetting and depressing.

So the plan is the S Diet that I read about on another blog.

No Snacks, Seconds or Sweets

except on Saturday and Sunday

and Special occasions (national or religious holidays, birthdays, weddings)

Along with that, Travis and I have been going to 7 am Mass and then working out at the college for 40-60 minutes.

Since I'm breastfeeding I shouldn't lose more than 1-1.5 lbs a week or it could mess up my milk supply. Which means that it will take me six months to get back to the weight I want to be at.

Urrrgggh!

She's too cute

Sometimes when we swaddle her, she wiggles so much that the blanket scoots up.

Family picture on the 4th.

Incredi-baby who pulls herself up and stands around.

Snuggling

Last night Lydia was in the crib again. I got up 3 times to check on her and every time she had managed to kick her blanket off. The third time I actually woke up from her fussing on the monitor. When I went to get her she was so cold and I was so tired that I brought her to bed to nurse her there. But as soon as she hit the mattress, all tucked in with me, she fell right back to sleep. We slept cuddled together for the next few hours.

I love sleeping with her. There is something so precious and lovely about snuggling together. I can smell her sweet breath and skin. Her little fingers may stroke my face or arm. She burrows her head into my side. And while she's there I can't help but think that she won't be this small for long and I must drink deeply of these moments.

The Latest

1 - Travis got a new job. It's still a bit of a drive, but is 12 miles closer, saving a gallon of gas a day and adding 20 more minutes to his day. It's a block schedule, which he likes, and he'll be teaching Honors Physics, Physics and Environmental Science. It's a good district with some growth in recent years due to Cat employees building in the town. Go Gray Ghosts!

2 - Lydia can carry on a "conversation" with her cooing and babbles. She is successfully reaching and grabbing things and is on the way to being able to turn over. She gets cuter every day.

3 - We have a new renter for upstairs. He's a friend from EC (he actually took over my job at the college).

4- We set up the crib in the dining room. There's no room for it in our room and sometimes I'm ready for her to no longer be sleeping by us. Other times I'm not so ready for it, though. Tonight will be her first night in the crib - we'll see how it goes.

5 - The intro class Trav was going to teach at the college was cancelled - which is actually good for us because he now has more time to get things ready for the new renter upstairs.

6 - I am addicted to sugar and have been comfort eating a great deal. Therefore, my trips to the gym may be building up muscle, but they are not making my belly fat go away.

7 - We're painting the living room a light, warm yellow called Summer Wish. I like it.

8- We've been watching the HBO mini series John Adams and we've been LOVING it. Rent or Netflix it - you won't be sorry!