Last Saturday, I made Lifetime member of Weight Watchers!

I’ve lost a total of 17 pounds, and my current weight is about 143-144.

Thanks, I do.

6.

As part of maintaining my current weight, I am…jogging. Sort of.

There’s a golf course at the end of my block, and since it’s a municipal course, we’re allowed to use the course’s cart paths for walking and running.

So, in addition to my treadmill walking and weight training, I’m gradually adding in some light jogging. It’s a nice way to get some outside time on the (rare) nice winter day.

Mostly, that’s how I still feel, but I like to eat. And I like seeing 6 on the size tag on my pants. Thus, jogging.

Mmmm, pie.

5.

So I have a YMCA membership for my gym, because I really like the Y.

I like that you can work out at any of the Ymca’s in the city, so I can take a Turbo-kick class at a downtown location, or Zumba at the one by my house. They also have free child-care while I work out, which I haven’t used yet, but I plan to soon!

I also like the cross-section of humanity at the Ymca. Kids, old people, parents, Black, White, Hispanic. It’s nice.

4.

Speaking of eating, we’re going to a lovely little crepe place called “3 Days In Paris” on Saturday after the Farmers’ Market.

So excited. I’m going to make Atticus share a “St. Stephen” crepe with me:
Strawberry jam, ricotta, and shaved chocolate. Yummmm.

3.

So, we’re like having some big football game here or something next week.

Yeah. And while the Colts had the…worst season ever, ever. It will be nice to have a Manning playing the Super Bowl in Lucas Oil. Too bad it’s not this one.

But we’ll take Little Brother. He’s pretty good too.

Go…Giants?

Go Giants!

2.

I’m in the market for a new camera. I want to take great pictures of Maggie and my family doing cool things. I also want to take great pictures of food and quasi-artsy stuff.

Basically I’d like my photos to look nice enough to be something on Pinterest.

What kind of camera should I get? My budget is around $250.

Any advice would be appreciated.

1.

This week I did something so indulgent, it was amazing. When Atticus’ mom was here on Tuesday babysitting, I went to Starbucks and spent almost 3 hours writing.

It was so soul-nourishing.

I normally feel bad about writing instead of doing house-work, so I quickly scribble down my ideas. No more, friends.

I will do this again. Soon.

I’m nearly finished with a reflection on Ann Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts. I can’t wait to share it with you all.

I miss Rome. So there you go. Four Rivers Fountain. Piazza Navona.

Happy weekend friends!

No, I am not pregnant. In fact, we’re still “trying to avoid”. We have a good reason, but it stinks. Oh, how it stinks. Let me tell you about it.

Back in October, when Maggie was ten months old, we decided we were ready to be open to another pregnancy. So we did, and had two cycles. No dice. Then one of my best friends, who was my Maid of Honor, asked me to be a bridesmaid for her wedding. In September. In Pennsylvania. You do the math.

November/December cycle + 9 months = late August/Early September baby = not traveling across the country for a wedding. And yes, it’s important enough to me to be there for her that it was worth it.

Then this cycle rolled around and we were thinking, “Ok. This is the last cycle of avoiding! Woo hoo!”

Then. Then. Then.

I was having this pain in my ear. It felt like being on a plane and the pressure is uncomfortable. So I went to my doctor. A mild ear infection. A week of anti-biotics. Then. Then. The ear pain came back.

I had a sinking feeling. It’s my tooth. The one I had filled a few months ago, but which my dentist said *might* cause me more trouble. Sure enough, I need…a root canal! Oh, and another one. Two root canals. And five more fillings.

Bringing my grand total of dental work in the last 9 months to: 3 root canals, 1 crown, and 11 fillings. You don’t even want to know how much money that is.

Lest you think I’m like this guy:

I have a sonic toothbrush and a waterpik flosser. Which I use daily.

I also have diabetes medication that inhibits calcium absorption. I also recently grew a human, who stole all my calcium to make her bones. Considerate, huh?

So, long story somewhat less long, they only do emergency dental work during pregnancy, and only then during second trimester. Which means no baby until all the dental work is done. Which means at *least* one more cycle until we can be open again.

Ok, maybe not quite as lame as Knight Rider and Webster. But close.

Speaking of other things that don’t exist, I got this book, but haven’t made any bread yet.

I am really pumped. I already had a pizza stone, and picked up a nice pizza peel from Williams-Sonoma. Amazon is sending me an oven thermometer and a serrated bread knife. No, we did not have one of either. Shameful.

King Arthur Flour is sending me a dough rising bucket, vital wheat gluten, and yeast. Then I’ll be in business. Making the Master Recipe, which is a free-form whole wheat loaf. I’m going to post my progress, which I’m sure you’ll all be waiting for with baited breath.

In flipping through the book, I dog-eared more than half of the recipes as “must try”. There’s also a gluten-free section for people who are into that.

No more 2.99 a loaf at the grocery store for us! (At least I hope I can manage to do this without burning down my house).

Baby #2 and delicious home-made bread (in five minutes a day). Two things which do not exist yet, but which I am eager to enjoy!

We all had the stomach flu over here. First Maggie, poor thing. Then me, then Atticus, then his poor mother who happened to be visiting. Maggie seemed confused that she was pooping so much; it was her first experience with diarrhea. Thanks to lots of Pedialyte and a day off (Thanks, MLK!) for Atticus, we’re all back to normal.

Last Monday I had an article at IGNITUM TODAY, which I forgot to post because I was too busy puking and whining taking care of my family. I wrote about my disordered relationship with food, and some spiritual insights I’ve gained from trying to get ordered. You can read about how french fries do not love me. I don’t love them anymore, but I might still have a crush.

Look at them, mocking me.

I’m in the market for some new cookbooks. So, please tell me which ones you love! I have a few on my list to check out at Barnes and Noble before buying for significantly less money on Amazon.

This one

This one

And this one

I am a cookbook snob. It must have pictures and it must be hardbound so it fits in my awesome cookbook-holder-open-thing.

What’s your favorite cookbook? Does it meet my criteria? If so, please share!

Friends, I am less than one week away from being a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers! Almost six weeks ago I reached my goal weight, and this Saturday, as long as I’m still there, I’ll be Lifetime! Which means, other than feeling awesome and wearing skinny jeans, I’ll be able to attend meetings and use the online tracker for FREE for as long as I maintain my weight. Excellent. I LOVE free. I’m also pretty smitten with Weight Watchers. Of course I’ll have to stop doing it the next time I get pregnant, which will hopefully be sometime this year, but in the meantime, I will enjoy my free Lifetime Membership, which I can then pick right back up with after having a baby.

And I mean, dang, look at her!

That’s all I really have. But let me end with the trailer for Red Tails, a George Lucas film based on the Tuskeegee Airmen in WWII. It looks so, so good.

Go see it and support George Lucas, who spent 90 MILLION dollars of his OWN money to make the film, because no production company wanted to do a film with an all black cast. I know what we’re doing for next week’s date night!

Hope you’re all doing well and I pray God spares you the dire, dire stomach flu.

I recently got Agatha Christie’s Autobiography from the library, and I am so jazzed to read it. I love that lady. The book’s been out of print for years, and it was recently re-released. So exciting! Dame Agatha is one of my favorite authors; I am often to be found with one of her books on my bedside table.

I do love a good mystery.

6.

Since we’re talking about books, I’ll tell you about one I’m reading for my book club.

Fr. Robert Barron’s Catholicism book, based on the scripts from the ten part documentary of the same name.

It’s very good. I highly recommend it for a lovely survey of the Catholic faith. The DVD series is also very good. Atticus got it for Christmas and we have been watching a few episodes this week.

5.

I have a question for you parents out there.

- Did any of your children experience constipation when you switched from breastmilk or formula to cow’s milk? If so, how did you deal with it?

For the last week or so we’ve been doing bottles that are a combo of her formula and whole milk. But she’s been constipated, the poor thing. I know water is the weapon of choice for constipation, but she doesn’t really take water. Any suggestions would be welcome.

4.

Atticus and I had a lovely mini-vacation for our Anniversary. On New Year’s Eve we stayed at the very fancy Conrad Hotel and ate a delicious dinner at the Capital Grille.

Atticus ate lamb chops and I had lobster and crab stuffed shrimp. And french fries with truffle oil. And a drink, the Stoli Dole-y; vodka which had been soaked in fresh pineapple for a week. Amazing.

Vodka soaking in pineapple.

Where we ate. Reminds me of 1930′s glam.

3.

I love old things. Which is probably why I love being Catholic so much.

33 A.D. is a lot of years ago.

2.

The Colts train-wreck of a season is finally over.

We missed him. Terribly.

I wonder if this guy will be all he’s cracked up to be.

I guess we’ll find out!

1.

Hmmm. I seem to be out of things to say. I’ve written a lot this week.

So I’ll leave you all with a song that I just love. Her voice is so haunting.

It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back, so shake him off…

That could be a motto for my life.

Happy weekend friends!

Exactly.

Just kidding. I am so not perfect, which is apparent if you’ve spent any time on this blog at all.

But, I hate “New Year’s Resolutions” as such. They’re just too tempting to someone like me, a perpetually dissatisfied perfectionist. I make an awesome, color coded bullet point list of all my resolutions and how I’m going to finally get off Pintrest my butt and do more! Clean all the things! Paint tables! Make crafts!

Then the dog poops on the carpet, I pace, drink some coffee, and turn on Buffy. You see, my list of resolutions is only perfect in my head and on paper, so it usually only goes that far.

I need a better reason than a new calendar to make changes that are more than skin deep.

For instance, I now weigh the least I have weighed since I was in fifth grade or so. I wish I was exaggerating for dramatic effect. I was a fat kid. I digress. My point is, I lost 15 pounds (thank you Weight Watchers!), and I did it not because a date on the calendar compelled me to change, but because I wanted to lose the baby weight, to be healthy, and to prove to myself that I could see the number on the scale that I now see.

That kind of change happens because of something internal, some kind of grace and fortitude that allows one to keep going when french fries smell so good. It doesn’t happen because of external pressure or because a new year has begun. At least, not in my experience.

So, I’m not resolving. I’m not making bullet-point lists. I’m not making goals.

I’m on my knees praying for change. I’m not relying on myself; I’m going to the Source. It’s so hard for me, but I’m not trying to fix all of my flaws overnight. Instead, I’m choosing one big thing. One theme for the year. One watchword. One virtue in which to grow. One fruit of the Spirit for which to pray.

Temperance. That is, self-discipline.

Discipline, from the root word disciple. To become more like the One I worship. To truly be His disciple.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”

I don’t know about you all, but I could use a lot more fruit of the Spirit in my life.

The discipline to make and keep a schedule for writing and my other duties. The discipline to pray every day, not only when I feel like it. The self-control to not raise my voice at my husband or daughter. The discipline to seek my comfort in God, not food.

The list is not pretty, and it goes on and on.

No resolutions this year. Just one word (OK, maybe two) to guide me. Two words, and many oceans of prayer.

What’s your guiding virtue for 2012?

The birthday girl!

Since her birthday was the 28th, and Atticus had to work, we had an evening celebration with just mom and dad.

There was birthday pizza.

more pizza please!

Then there was present opening.

more presents?!

a new book!

And of course, a birthday treat. No cake for us, but we did have “Birthday Banana Splits” with homemade whipped cream!

Lemme at it!

Where have you been all my life?

What are you lookin' at?

A very successful birthday. After the birthday princess was in bed, I had the chance to snap a photo of some of her gifts. I tried to give her a lot of religious presents, to make her birthday special and distinct from Christmas.

Some of her gifts included: My Big Book of Catholic Bible Stories, My First Prayers with Mary, My First Bedtime Prayers, and two “Saint Softies” from Etsy. On the left is St. Gianna, and the right is St. Margaret of Scotland, Maggie’s patronesses. The little felt dolls are so sweet. Maggie just loves playing with them.

There you have it. Our little birthday celebration for Miss Maggie Gianna. Thank you for all the kind birthday greetings!

Transfiguration by Raphael

1,095 days ago I was getting ready. My hair was done, my makeup on. It was time for the dress.

You know, The Dress.

The dress every woman wonders about and plans for.

There was a veil. Flowers too.

It was a cold, clear day. Sun shone and reflected off of the freshly fallen snow. I climbed into the car with my best friend. Off to the Church, with a little champagne for the road. You see, he was waiting for me.

Atticus with his dad. His best man.

Three years ago I walked down the aisle and together we said “fiat” to what would come next, not knowing what our future could possibly hold. All we knew was to cling to Him, the author of all life and of our love. To cling to Love.

Our first married kiss

Over the last three years there have been so many blessings. Jobs. A home. Two babies, one in Heaven and one here to hold. There have been trials too. The suffering of losing a child. The pain and uncertainty of waiting more than a year for another blessing.

On January 3, 2009, however, we didn’t know what would be in store. All we knew as we left St. Peter’s Cathedral was that God had tethered us together as one for all our lives. All. The beautiful, the messy, the tragic, and the sublime. The mundane, the diaper changes, the nights of rocking a sleepless baby, and of smiling under blankets at the prospect of many more years to share.

At our reception, Atticus’ dad gave a toast, since he was the best man. In part he read a poem, one which he hoped would be true for us.

The Master Speed
Robert Frost

No speed of wind or water rushing by
But you have a speed far greater. You can climb
Back up a stream of radiance to the sky,
And back through history up the stream of time.
And you were given this swiftness, not for haste
Nor chiefly that you may go where you will.
But in the rush of everything to waste,
That you may have the power of standing still—
Off any still or moving thing you say.
Two such as you with a master speed
Cannot be parted nor be swept away
From one another once you are agreed
That life is only life forevermore
Together wing to wing and oar to oar.

wing to wing and oar to oar...

I started this post with an image of Raphael’s Transfiguration, which we saw at the Vatican Museum. The room in which the painting is housed is dark, and at the center shines the brilliant light of the transfigured Christ. It is breathtaking.

On the back wall of the church in which we were married, a copy of the same Transfiguration painting appears. It reminds me of what the vocation of marriage is all about. Working with your spouse to increase the holiness of you both, and of the family. To become more like Christ. To help your spouse do the same. To be transfigured.

As we embark on day 1,096 and onward, I pray that God will make us more like He is.

I have a wonderful example in this man. Thank you and Happy Anniversary my love.

Then she came. She came crying into the world at 5:39 p.m. on December 28, 2010. Before that moment, it was just a day. Now, it’s a holiday.

To the Church, December 28th is the feast of the Holy Innocents. Those babies massacred because of a broken man’s fear and desperate grasp for power that was never his to begin with. The death of a generation in Bethlehem. Those tiny, innocent souls who never stood a chance. I remember looking up whose feast it was on the 28th, when she was born last year. Tears as I looked into her innocent sweet face.

December 28th will never be just another day in our family again. God willing, may we have many more ordinary-turned-holy days.

Greetings and Salutations! Merry Christmas! I’m back!

I hope you all had a very blessed Advent and Christmas.

While I missed blogging, and keeping up with all of your lovely blogs, I so enjoyed having more time for reflection and for spending quality time with Atticus after Maggie’s bedtime.

Taking a break made me realize how attached I am to the blog world, and a period of detachment helped me to see that while I love blogging, this world is just a very, very tiny fraction of the real world. Perspective is good.

So here’s what’s been happening in our little domestic church.

wishing I could stop time here...

Maggie is pulling up now. She did it for the first time about a week before Christmas. She’s discovering new worlds on the couch cushions.

Our little Christmas hearth

The view of our little hearth was particularly special to me. We have our stockings, each monogrammed with our first initial.

On the mantle, the nativity creche that my grandmother made for me.

As Christmas approached, Maggie became more interested in the tree.

So many shiny things...

On Christmas eve we attended a beautiful Mass at our parish, in which Maggie lasted much longer than we thought she would. A gift from her to us.

Christmas morning found our little one waking up to some new treasures.

Look what Santa brought!

At first she thought it was a piece of furniture, but once we put some toys in it, then she was really interested! Can’t wait to see how she plays with it when she gets bigger.

Things to rip? Yes, please.

There was her first dolly.

What should we name her?

And of course, the wrapping paper was the most fun of all!

On Christmas day Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunties came over for dinner and play time. A good time was had by all.

I was particularly pleased to receive a fluffy white robe, a brand-new silicon rolling pin (no more rolling pie crusts with a wine bottle for me!), a coveted face scrub, Fiesta ware, and some money with which to buy a new camera (thank God!, because ours stinks).

Atticus was happy to open a Notre Dame tie, a book on vegetable gardening, and Fr. Barron’s Catholicism DVD set, among others.

I’m making a list of books I want to read in 2012, and thinking about some blog posts for the new year.

In other words, things are good here. I pray they are for you as well.

Look for a picture post later this week from Maggie’s birthday, which is Wednesday. What a year it’s been!

Merry Christmas and lots of love,
Sarah

I’m very excited for the new direction the site is going in. Please stay tuned for my next post!

Has anyone else noticed just how stinking hard it is to keep focus on Advent and Christ in the midst of physical preparation for Christmas. We wives and mothers have to work long and hard to make sure everyone has a relaxing holiday.

Well, since we’re hosting the family for Christmas, and then three days later is Maggie’s birthday, then one week later is our anniversary, I’ve decided to take a blogging break for the remainder of Advent in order to get everything done.

I’ll still be on Facebook, and I’ll probably be commenting on some of your blogs, but won’t be posting until the end of Advent.

I pray you all have a blessed and happy Advent and Christmas!