Ask and You Shall Receive

Last time I posted, I asked for prayers for the daughter of a friend.  What transpired afterward was far too many coincidences to not be considered a miracle.  I received a series of emails describing their extraordinary experience.  She gave me permission to share her miracle with you. 

“I had the nurses print off the novena [of Saint Raphael] for me because although I have a computer here [at the hospital] it does not connect to the hospital printers so I did not bother trying to print it.  When my husband arrived home last night around 11:00 pm the novena spontaneously spit out our printer. I am serious I did not hit print so it was not in the computers memory! I read from the Bible, the book of Tobit, last night. Feeling very comforted by the physician of God. I called the church for a priest to perform anointing of the sick...

Thursday night was the first night we prayed the prayer and the night it spit out the printer. It is said that if it is God's will St. Raphael will whisper into the doctors’ ears when they need guidance, or obtain an unexplained healing. Friday morning our doctor came in and said, ‘I woke from my sleep at 4:00am and said, I know what it is. It's the Motrin. It just hit me all of the sudden.’ Our eyes were big as saucers! Not an hour later my dad came by to visit and said he had had a dream last night that the doctor had an epiphany and said he knew what was making her sick. After I told my father that that exact thing had taken place we just praised God.  Our priest came by Friday afternoon...

It seems that through the viral illness' she acquired and was not getting over she developed a sensitivity to Motrin. To keep her from having breakthrough seizures she was given Tylenol and Motrin alternating for almost two weeks. Through that time she built up toxins in her system from the martin that actually prevented her from getting better. So she acquired an allergy to Motrin. We stopped the Motrin on Friday morning and has not had a fever since and her rash and swelling are disappearing…

As Raphael tells Tobit and Tobiah in the book of Tobit. ‘Thank God! Give him the praise and glory. Before all the living, acknowledge the many good things he has done for you, by blessing and extolling his name in song. Before all men, honor and proclaim God's deeds, and do not be slack in praising Him.’ Tobit 12:6.”

So now we pray prayers of thanksgiving. 

St. Raphael Pray for Us

My friend’s baby daughter is in the hospital sick with an undiagnosed ailment. They are trying to get to the bottom of it.  Her parents are requesting friends to pray the Novena of St. Raphael. I am posting it here, so I will remember to pray it.  Join me if you feel inclined.  It is simple and quick.

Glorious Archangel Saint Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court,
you are illustrious
for your gifts of wisdom and grace.
You are a guide of those who journey
by land or sea or air,
consoler of the afflicted,
and refuge of sinners.
I beg you,
assist me in all my needs
and in all the sufferings of this life,
as once you helped
the young Tobias on his travels.
Because you are the medicine of God,
I humbly pray you to heal the many infirmities
of my soul and the ills that afflict my body.
I especially ask of you the favour

(Make your request here...)

and the great grace of purity
to prepare me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

More Miracles on the Way

So I had a little/big emotional meltdown about a month ago, and thought “What the heck is going on? Something is not right.” The next day I said to myself, “The last time I recall crying like that was the day before we found out we were pregnant with Alex…Oh!?” Surprise! Baby Clayton #3 is due at the end of September. Joy!

I have been pretty excited about it. But, I have not wanted to say anything until I had the beautiful little picture above and saw the sweet baby’s heart beat. We told our families and some supportive friends. I think when I am pregnant the actual word appears written on my forehead, because people have started asking me about it. Of course, I did not deny it. But, I always get a little nervous to tell everyone until I see a little heart beating.

It’s been a fun month—a little nausea, major fatigue—but, all-in-all it has not been that bad. It has not been a picnic in the park for my husband. He has picked up a lot of slack. I am so grateful for his help.

More big news is that I am finally leaving work in one month to be a fulltime mom. This takes a lot of pressure off being pregnant, because I will not have to keep up with being employed fulltime, taking care of a home, loving my husband and children, and being pregnant! I just have to fight my way through the next month of work.

I always wonder what’s on the minds of all the other moms I see at our daycare. I just want to ask them, “Isn’t this hard for you. I feel like I am drowning! And our babies are here with all these strangers, we hardly know for nine hours a day!”

On to my next adventure of learning how to be a fulltime mom. Any helpful hints of what you have learned being a fulltime mom are welcome. I know its going to be hard—harder than being employed. There is going to be a learning curve. What I do on the weekends and evenings with the kids is not going to be the same as what I do every day with them.

My mom was a stay at home mom and I don’t remember her doing a whole lot with us. We played by ourselves or with each other most of the day. We went on errands with her. She would let us paint. We always had a great backyard growing up, and my husband and I don’t have a yard. So I think that essential element is missing.

I am excited to be raising my own children. After we had Alex, I had to go back to work and we all suffered a lot. I was really angry that raising your own children in America today is a privilege. I was really upset when we had to put another baby in daycare. But, it wasn’t really a choice for us—sometimes when you make your bed, you do have to lie in it a little while until you can afford a different one. Now we are at a place where we will have the privilege of raising our own children.

Blessed Theotokos, we magnify you, pray for us.

An Old Fashioned Valentine

For our St. Valentine’s Day celebration we had a private celebration of our love and a little more French cooking.  It was a cooking collaboration, but I think my darling husband had the more difficult portion. We made sauté veal with a mushroom cream sauce, risotto and blanched broccoli.  It was so rich we could hardly finish it and we chased it with chocolate covered strawberries.  It was a pricey home-made meal, but it still cost less than half of what we spent at a ritzy restaurant last year (although I do miss the wine pairing). 

Andrew began his cooking endeavor with an Old Fashioned.  He touted it as his best Old Fashioned yet and therefore, he took a picture to commemorate it (he also insisted I post his picture).

Then he prepped his ingredients and he was pretty proud of those results too, therefore he took another picture.  I think he was really starting to get into it.

It was the first time I had ever made risotto.  It tasted like pretty darn good risotto to me.  I do not recall having had a better risotto.

 

Bon Appétit!

Tot Talk: Kristiana’s First

This is Kristiana’s first Tot Talk and it’s a “you had to be there” moment. but I am going to post it anyway, because she caught me off-guard. 

On Monday morning we were all playing in the living room before school and Kristiana had dropped her toy in front of me and then ran away.  Then she came back for the toy.  I picked it up and handed it back to her and she replied, “Tan tou” (Thank you).

Not only had I never heard her say that, or anything that complex, she used it appropriately.  It was a joyous moment.  It was a sovereign moment.  When I picked her up from daycare at the end of the day, her teachers said that she said thank you whenever they gave her food.

Then when we came home she gave me this beautiful smile to commemorate the occasion of her use of intermediate linguistics.

That's Unethical

Earlier I posted a video slide show of our dear little Kristiana.  However, someone disgusting of the same name has posted inappropriate videos on You Tube, which show up in related videos next to my daughter's video. I have been unable to get these videos to go away.  You Tube does not allow you to control the related videos.  I think it's unethical.  Who wants scantilly clad ladies next to their baby daughter.  At a later time, I will re-post my video of Kristiana after I re-save it with a different name.

A Little More Celebration of Our Life - Enjoy

Celebrating Our Life

I have always wanted to make a slide show of pictures about Alexander’s first year.  Today I did a little research and downloaded Windows Movie Maker for free. And here is the product of my labor—I guess literally. (Next up Kristiana!)

Longing

My dear friends have longed for a baby of their own since they were engaged.  Now five years later, happily married for four years, they are still longing for a child.  God has brought them to adoption.

They have begun their research and for their current living situation they would only qualify to adopt a newborn.  So they are trying to make connections with pregnant mothers who are considering adoption.  They were advised that making personal connections through friends is the best way to begin newborn adoptions.  If you know of anyone who is considering adoption, contact me.  I will put you contact with the best parents anyone could hope for.  They are loving and considerate of each other and of all their family and friends.  Both are well-educated.  Most importantly, they are well-grounded in their faith.  They would have a lot to offer any child.  I would love them to be my parents.  In fact, I have designated them to take my own children in my will.  I trust them with my own children.

Lastly, pray for them in the journey.  Below is the novena prayer for pregnant mothers and those trying to conceive.  May it be done unto them as God wills it.

St. Gerard,
You worshiped Jesus as the Lord of Life.
I ask you today to pray
For my special intention.
(Mention your intention here.)
Lift up to Jesus
All those who seek to conceive a child,
All those having difficult pregnancies,
All who have suffered the loss of a child,
And all who lovingly lift up their children to God.
Pray that all of us,
By caring for mothers, fathers, and children
born and unborn
May build a Culture of Life,
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tot Talk: Stay Home

“Alex, let’s get ready to go to school.”

“No, I want to stay home.”

“With who? By yourself?”

“No, I want to stay home with Daddy.”

“No, you can’t.  Daddy is going to work.”

“I want to stay home with Mommy.”

“No, Mommy is going to work.”

“I will stay home with Mickey Mouse.”

 

Slow Times

I have not felt like blogging lately.  It’s been a frustrating few weeks, and I just don’t feel like the rest of the world needs to hear my every frustration, but hopefully in a few weeks things will be different. 

This morning I awoke to a crying toddler.  She had a fever.  She snuggled up to me most of the morning. Slept part of the morning in her crib followed by sleeping on my chest for the rest of the morning.  Then I gave her some motrin and she perked up for approximately five hours.  Though she was sick, she was an absolute delight.

I sent Alex off to school. There’s a long story to that, which I will explain at a later time.  He had a good day at school.  He really likes his teachers.  He has moved to an older class and they have a lot of stimulation for him.  I think a lot of it is above his head, but he is also maturing a lot too. 

Kristiana went to bed early and I baked cookies and spent a little one-on-one time with Alex.  When I put him to bed, I prayed with him and realized it was only the second time today I prayed.  It made those prayers all the more special.

I am hoping to have a holier day tomorrow.  Maybe I will find my groove—a groove I can share in the blogging world.