Wow. Things have been busy around here, and I have not updated in quite some time.
First, and most importantly, we welcomed our sweet Benedict into the world on September 5th. His birth story deserves its own blog post, and someday I will sit down and write it, but for now I’ll just say that he is here and healthy, and we will be forever grateful for the intercession of Mother Teresa, on whose feast he was born.
And only a couple of weeks after Ben’s arrival, we celebrated the launch of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. It’s been so wonderful to be able to share years of hard work with you. If you haven’t checked out the book yet, you can find it on Amazon or at OSV’s site. I’ve been overwhelmed by the support it’s received so far.
If you have already purchased a copy of the book, I would humbly ask a favor: Could you click on over to Amazon and leave a quick review? It would be such a help!
I’d like to say that things have settled down here now that Ben and the book have both made their way into the world, but that was never going to be the case, so here’s an update on everyone:
Mark
Mark is absolutely loving his second year of residency. He’s about to begin work on a research project on testicular cancer that he’s looking forward to. He is also prepping for his Step 3 exams, and generally working ridiculously hard.
Fun fact: Mark was on call the night I went in to labor, and I had to call him back from the hospital at 4am. The other residents did not understand why he couldn’t just finish up . . .
Gianna
Continues to be an absolute joy. She has grown up so much since Ben’s arrival, and takes great pride in being the biggest sister. We’ve started back homeschooling after our baby hiatus, and she is working hard at “big math” using the stamp game, plural nouns, and counting money. Her only struggle is the cooler weather. She thrives outside, but hates being cold and damp (hello Michigan fall). I’m currently researching rain suits for the big 3 to help with that problem. This one is currently at the top of the list, but leave a comment if you have one that you love or any features I should keep in mind.
William
Yowsa. This boy has big emotions and has been struggling to regulate them for the past months. Thank goodness we have a wonderful therapist that was already working with Gianna and was willing to take him on too. So now we have double appointments, and it is fabulous. She’s already given him so many tools, and I love how she is on board with the fact that we weave faith into all aspects of our life- so instead of a calm down corner he has a prayer corner, and the therapy resources are paired with holy cards.
Charlotte
By her own accounts Charlotte is spicy and an absolute delight. Her personality continues to blossom, and just when I think it can’t get any larger than life, it does.
Me
I am staying busy taking care of all of them, and also tackling some fun projects.
Book number 2 is in the works with Our Sunday Visitor, and if you follow Adalee Hude on Instagram you can keep up with how the illustrations are turning out. I’m very excited to bring the four women doctors of the Church to life for children, especially young girls.
Rebecca and I have been working on a little side project together that we are both excited about as well- it’s a reflection and coloring book of December saints. Following the same format as the Marian Consecration, this book covers 6 saints of December in an easy digital download format. It will be available as part of the Catholic Mom Bundle in a few weeks. Make sure you’re following me on Instagram so you don’t miss it!
In my spare time, I’m working on a few other writing projects, which will hopefully become books someday, and to satisfy my creative desires, I’m participating in the Advent Quilt-a-long with Jen from Faith and Fabric Designs. I love Jen’s patterns, and the chance to work on a Jesse Tree Quilt was one I couldn’t pass up.
So this post was originally titled “A Quick Update on a Monday Afternoon” which will give you some idea as to how quickly things get accomplished around here. Happy Tuesday everyone!