Quick Takes

1) I just finished my first semester at UMSL.  I am studying accounting in hopes that I will eventually sit for the CPA exam.  Accounting is interesting, but other areas of business interest me as well.  I enjoyed my finance class at Missouri State, so I may pursue a finance minor.  Guess we'll see what happens.  Thankfully I was able to get one semester down while being a full-time stay-at-home daddy with the little miss.

2) Gianna is fascinated with a photo album that my wife's mom gave to us.  She flips the pages back and forth, back and forth.  I am not quite sure why she likes it, but I think the crinkly sound of the pages might grab her attention.  

3) Only 11 days till Christmas!  Gianna's first--outside the womb--and I am pretty sure it will be the first one we get to celebrate in our own home!  The first couple of years we were either out of town or at my wife's parents' house.  This year we will be waking up in our cozy little apartment.  Hope Santa has time for a visit :)  

4) Next week is Gianna's godmother's birthday.  Auntie Carol will be__ on Dec. 19th.  Happy Birthday to a great fairy godmother!  (It's an inside joke that would take too long to explain).  

5) Gianna is a huge fan of frozen squash.  I baked a squash last week and froze the 'meat' in an ice tray.  After eating two cubes of it yesterday, I tried feeding her a banana, but she pointed to the empty squash dish and grunted.  I got more out for her, and boy was she a happy camper.

6) It was a great week of feast days in the Church's calendar.  St. Damasus I, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Lucy, and St. John of the Cross were honored this week.  According to a post on Facebook by my older brother, John, St. Damasus "commissioned St. Jerome to revise the Latin text of the Bible by producing a single 'Vulgate.'"  Cool deal.  May these great saints continue to pray for us!  

7) Speaking of the saints, last Saturday was the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.  Besides being an awesome celebration, it was a day of remembering a miscarried child for Lauren and I.  Nicholas Marian went to God on this day in 2010.  Although it was a sad time for us, we have great hope that he--we both have a strong inkling that he was a boy--is praying for us in heaven.  Praise God for the gift of children!  

That's all for now.  Take care, everyone, and happy Advent!

What's Happenin'

It's been a long time since my last post.  Can't even remember what it was about.  Guess I need to go back to read it before I write this one.  Nah.

Anyway, so much seems to be happening these days in the Kelly home.  Gianna is learning new tricks and mommy and daddy are learning how to handle this growing child.  Recently, the baby girl got a runny nose.  It kind of happened all of a sudden.  We have been wiping it with basically whatever: napkin, towel, rag, our own hands.  It is messy, but it is worth every wipe.  I have used the NoseFrida--thanks Ted and Katie!--on her once, but she freaked out, so I've stuck with just wiping her down. 

On a much happier note, Gianna is walking on her own, shall I say it, two feet!  When we were down visiting my family in Springfield for Thanksgiving, she said heck with this holding on to people stuff and started taking steps.  She is moving all over the house now.  We are quickly figuring out how to baby-proof things before Gianna gets a hold of something.  Looks like the Christmas tree will be harder to figure out than I first thought.  We want to put it on a table or stand, but we think she will reach it.  Any suggestions on baby-proofing a Christmas tree are most welcome!

Gianna is eating a wider variety of solid foods.  To name a few: avocado, banana, sweet potato, apple sauce, squash, pickle.  She can pretty much eat an entire banana every morning when I feed it to her.  She has yet to start feeding herself, but she is getting there...baby steps :)

A couple of Saturdays ago, we attended a Mass of consecration of children to the Blessed Mother.  There were about 100 people in attendance.  Also in attendance was staff from the St. Louis Review, the archdiocesan newspaper.  The photographer took a few shots of Lauren and Gianna and of several other families.  This past week's edition came out on Thursday, and guess what?  Lauren and Gianna were on the front cover!  It's a pic of Lauren smiling at Gianna, and the caption reads "Keeping Watch over Families."  We have received many comments thru texts, phone calls, and Facebook.  I think the best one yet came from Lauren's doctor.  He said in his voice mail that the photographer did a good job of capturing motherhood in action.  I thought that was very kind of him to say.  It was also very thoughtful of him to even call knowing that he is a very busy man.  My girls are celebrities now...

One final note: Gianna visited Santa this past weekend.  She even sat on his lap.  Lauren wasn't able to go because she was proctoring the ACT, so I snapped a few shots of the baby for her.  See for yourself.  It's of Gianna looking up at Santa with the look that says "who is this guy?"

Happy Advent to all and God bless!

Thanksgiving

This year, my wife, Gianna, and I will be visiting my family for Thanksgiving.  We will be fortunate to see them for several days, and it looks like God will be blessing us with good weather.  In the spirit of this holiday of gratitude, I want to dedicate this post to five things I thank God for:

• For my family.  My wife and daughter are a tremendous blessing.  The great love they show me reminds me and makes me think more about the infinite love God has for us.  I am becoming the man God wants me to be because of them.  Our immediate families are a blessing as well.  They have been very generous in support of us as we strive to be the best parents we can be for Gianna. 

• For the time with Gianna.  This blog began because I wanted to share with others the joys of being a stay-at-home dad.  It has been very joyful!  The time we get to be together eating bananas, playing in the bathtub, going on walks, making it to Mass when we can, talking to and kissing our Jesus and Mary statue ...I would never trade these moments for anything.  I have learned how to be more patient, humble, grateful, sincere...the list goes one.

• For my wife's job.  My wife doesn't view it as a  job, but as a calling.  She puts a lot of effort into teaching her students about physical education and health (I can tell by how tired she is when she returns home).  She wants them to know that their bodies are temples of God, and they must take care of them.  God bless my wife for her dedication to serving these young women.

• For our friends.  We have been able to spend some quality time with many friends since Gianna's birth (you know who you are!).  They have been there to give advice as well as to help keep our sanity.  God bless them all!

•  For our faith.  Our Catholic faith is what keeps us going every day.  It keeps us fed, keeps us accountable, keeps us striving to be better Christians...ultimately, it keeps us on the path to holiness.  Without our faith, we would be truly lost.  Not only do I thank God for our faith, but I thank our parents for passing it along to us.  Besides giving us the great gift of life, our parents gave us this great gift of faith, something they knew would be good for us.  Oh, were they right!  Praise God for our faith, praise God for our parents!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember to count your blessings especially the gift of life your parents gave you.  Without it, you would not be able to celebrate this joyous holiday.  God's love and joy to everyone!

Quick Take Friday

 

1) Gianna experienced her first Halloween this year.  She was a ballerina.  We visited my in-laws and Gianna went through a bowl of candy...no, she didn't eat the candy.  She picked up the wrapped chocolates one at a time, sucked on each one briefly, and threw them on the floor.

2) Gianna is now 10 months old!  In no time she will be walking all over...need to start baby-proofing the apartment.

3) Gianna received her first book today through a book exchange chain letter.  It's called "The Clown of God."  Looks to be a winner...thanks to the person who sent it!

4) Last weekend Gianna and I went to watch my brother's team play soccer.  I am out for the rest of the season...I suffered a mild concussion from heading the ball (it was against my brother's team).  It was dumb of me.  I knew the concussion was coming on right after I hit it.  I feel better, but it was scary.  

5) Gianna voted for the first time this past Tuesday!  Okay, not really.  I held her as I voted.  She was calm as could be.  The boy with his parents in front of us kept her distracted.  Too bad the results ended up being what they were.  Gotta "keep on looking up," as my brother said.  Pray for our newly elected and re-elected officials.  They need 'em.  

6) Tonight we'll be going to my wife's school to see the play "Pirates of Penzance."  Looking forward to the play...not so much looking forward to trying to keep little miss quiet.  Let's hope it works out.

7) Below are a few pictures to enjoy of Gianna incognito.  

Have a blessed weekend, everyone!

Our Growing Girl

Gianna is growing.  She is definitely a petite girl, but she has made some progress since her birth.  Here are some quick facts on our little miss:

-          Weight: 16 lb 9 oz

-          Height: 27 in

-          Teeth count: 5 (almost 6); boy, are they hurting her right now

-          Hair: Getting darker in some places and longer

-          Words: lots of “ma ma ma” and “ba ba ba”

-          Mobility: Skipped crawling; walks with the aid of us or objects

Gianna will be 10 months old in November…how time flies!  I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, well, at least in the absence of Daddy Jekyll.  I am bracing myself for when Gianna begins to walk without aid.  I’m gonna have to start working out more in order to be well prepared.

Have a good rest of the weekend and remember to pray for our priests on Priesthood Sunday.  God bless!

Shhh...

Gianna is sleeping.  She's been sleeping for about an hour.  I've been able to get some work done for school.  This is amazing since last night she had another painful teething I-am-gonnna-scream-till-mom-gets-me-nights.  Please say a prayer that she gets through this teething phase soon...and Lauren gets enough sleep so she can focus at work.

On another note, we went to the park on Saturday and took fall pictures with Gianna.  She sat on the ground and threw leaves around.  A  few of them ended up in her mouth, but it wasn't too bad. I'll be sending out some of those photos to friends and family.  If you want to see them, please let me know through Facebook or email. 

Finally, we had babyfest at one of our friends' house on Friday night.  Five young ones playing (the tickle-me-Elmo dancing time was hilarious) and having a ball.  It was great.  Gianna didn't cry until she was ready to fall asleep.  Praise God for play dates.

God bless you all and happy feast of Blessed Pope John Paul II!

Our Beautiful Daughter

My wife and I love our daughter very much.  She keeps us on our toes and brings so much joy to our hearts.  She is cute, stubborn, playful, tickly, a mommy and daddy-girl, lovable, hugable, cuddly...the list goes on and on.  She is also very photogenic!  When Gianna sees the camera, she gets excited and puts on happy face.  To prove how great that smile is, Lauren and I, after careful consideration, have decided that ONE photo of Gianna on the web would be acceptable.  This shot was taken this evening during dinner.  The smile on her face came after she saw a picture of herself on my phone.  We hope you enjoy, and may it make you smile!

Reflection on Life and Death

Recently, one of my aunts lost her battle with cancer.  It's a terrible disease.  It leaves one in weak and in great pain.  It also brings much pain and suffering to family members and friends.  My aunt was only 58.  She had been married to my uncle for nearly 40 years.  Such a good witness to marriage...two Catholics staying together through thick and thin.  That's a rare sight in this day and age.  God will judge us based on our entire life: what we did, what we said, what we thought.  My hope is that with my aunt, He looks upon her and says "You kept the faith.  You were faithful to your spouse.  Enter into My heavenly dwelling place, good and faithful servant."  What great hope our Catholic faith brings when a loved one's life ends.  We hope for her eternal salvation while continuing to pray for her soul.

While at her funeral, burial, and bereavement dinner, although much sadness was present, much joy was there as well.  Even my uncle, although deeply saddened by the loss of his wife, let out his famous laugh on several occasions (thanks to many, many family and friends being there to comfort him).  What I was blessed to witness throughout the day were the smiles on the many faces when people greeted our daughter, Gianna.  My wife and I were both pleased to know that Gianna was able to ease some pain during a most difficult time.  As usual, she was passed from person to person, sometimes even to total strangers.  But she remained, aside from a few moments of shyness, happy...and she brought happiness.  At the cemetery, I had to let out a smirk while Gianna fiercely pulled the grass off the ground while grunting.  As my wife would say, "she melts my heart!"

Verses from Ecclesiastes 3 resonates in my heart when I think about the events from yesterday: "A time to be born, and a time to die...a time to weep, and a time to laugh."  A new life bringing joy and laughter, an ending of another life bringing sorrow.  Aside from the afflicting emotions, there remains the virtuous gifts of faith, hope, and love: Faith in God's mercy, hope in eternal life, the love of Christ which he showed to us on the cross.  May God shower my aunt with His ever abundant mercy and love and comfort the hearts of those who mourn her passing.  Requiescat in pace, Aunt Dianne. 

Sleepy Time

As a parent, one can sometimes focus on the struggles or difficulties that come along with raising a child: changing a very dirty diaper, arriving to Mass a little late, rocking a bawling child in the middle of the night.  Sometimes these things just irk you.  It really boils down to one thing that most if not all parents desire to have during the child-rearing years: SLEEP.  Aw, good ole sleep.  It would be a lot easier if at those moments of frustration mom and/or dad were with it completely.  But, as we know, with a baby comes lack of sleep.  And, with a lack of sleep comes irritated parents...not all of the time, but it definitely happens.  Since Gianna was born, both Lauren and I, especially Lauren, have battled with trying to find time to sleep.  Some days are better than others and most nights have been very similar: Gianna cries for food, Lauren or I gets her from bed, Lauren feeds her, and we or most of us fall back to sleep.  That has been a pretty consistent routine.  To our surprise, though, that may all be changing.

During the past couple of weeks, we have been trying to put Gianna in bed around nine o'clock.  She occasionally cries or stirs, but usually she sleeps for at least a couple of hours.  Two nights ago, Lauren put her to sleep around eight, and so we both thought she would awake around 11 or 12 wanting to nurse. To jump forward a bit, Gianna and I went to the noon Mass at the Cathedral Basilica that following day.  Since Lauren works across the street, we stopped by to visit her for just a bit.  This is how part of conversation went:

Lauren: Did you get Gianna out of bed last night?
Me: No.
Lauren: You know what this means?
Me: What?
Lauren: She slept until 4:45!
Me: Are you serious?
Lauren: Yes!

Disclaimer: this is not word-for-word what was said, but you get what I mean.  In other words, Gianna slept for almost nine hours straight!  We couldn't believe it.  We thought it was going to be a gradually thing: four hours one night, four and a half another.  But no, she definitely pulled a fast one on us.  And you know what?  She did it again last night!  She slept close to eight hours straight before Lauren got her out of bed. 

What does this tell us?  Gianna is growing up...sob, sob, tear.  It's a good thing, though, and we are happy God is blessing Gianna as well as us with a few more consecutive hours of sleep.   Hopefully this will give Lauren more energy and me, well, more energy knowing that Lauren has more energy :) 

So, pleasant dreams to you all and may God bless you and rock you gently in His arms...and happy feast of St. Vincent de Paul!

This and That

Greetings, all!  It has been a little while since my last post.  I had a busy past week and a half.  Here are some highlights of what has gone on in this Catholic dad's life:
 
- Weekend spiritual retreat.  It was good to have some peace and quiet to prayerfully reflect on life.  God gave me some great insight into how to focus more on Him and others.  It helped that I was around some great friends, Tony and Pam, who run a retreat center in Lesterville, MO.  Although I tried to be in silence during my retreat, what I ended up getting--and needing--were many words of wisdom from this holy couple.  Praise God for Tony and Pam! 

- A trip to the doctor.  Gianna received a couple of shots this past Tuesday.  It was a little painful...she cried for several seconds, but after the doctor was done and gone, Gianna calmed down.  She was a good girl!  I was very happy to be there to cuddle her after that unpleasant experience.

- Two tests.  I have been taking a couple of accounting classes at UMSL.  It has been challenging, but I am learning a lot.  I recently learned that I need to study more for these exams!  I scored a 76 on one of the tests, and I have yet to know the result of the other one.  Although I was frustrated with my performance, I felt that God gave me some peace of heart...He's basically saying "Don't worry about it!"  He knows I do sometimes, but there is no point in doing so.  I need to move on and learn from this experience.

- A weekend with the fam.  My older brother and my dad were in town this weekend.  My older brother stays with us once a month while he takes classes through Ave Maria U.  He's working toward a master's in pastoral theology.  My dad tagged along this time and stayed at the seminary where my younger brother, Joe, goes to school (Joe is in second year of theology, btw).  Although it took some time for Gianna to warm up to everyone (she is still a bit frightened of my older brother...sorry, John!), we enjoyed some playtime and good humor along with a yummy dinner, thanks to yours truly (humbleness, Patrick, humbleness!).  Anyway, it is always a joy to see the fam from Springfield.

- A talk with my wife.  My wife is a beautiful person.  I have learned so much from her  We had a lengthy discussion last night, something we have not had the chance to do very often.  She reminded me of the importance of prayer amidst the busyness that goes on in our lives (her teaching, me going to school, us taking care of Gianna, etc).  We hope to be able to pray together as much as we can even when it is difficult.  Please pray that this happens.  I cannot emphasize enough how crucial prayer is within marriage...I love you, my blushing bride (phrase I picked up from my dad). 

- First soccer game.  My team won today, 3-0.  It was good to start another season in the CYC league.  Hopefully I won't be too sore tomorrow...St. Sebastian, patron of athletes, pray for us!

Have a blessed week, everyone!  Happy feast of St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina!

Prayer...

Today's Gospel passage is from Luke 6:12-19.  It begins like this: "Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God."  Wait a minute, Jesus prayed?  Wasn't he God, though?  Why should he have to pray?  I am sure many of us have thought those questions before.  But we can look at it like this: Jesus spent some quality time, in quiet, talking to God the Father.  What a way to spend the entire night!  If only we had the time...

Jesus' prayer shows us that his will was completely and totally united to the Father's will.  Everything that Jesus did--preaching, teaching, rebuking, healing, etc.--was out of love for his Father.  And by praying, Jesus shows us we ought to pray...he gave the great prayer, Our Father, in which we speak to God the Father asking that our will be united to His.  This is our purpose: to accomplish our Father's will, to do what we ought, not necessarily what we want.  That takes a lot...and that is why Jesus showed us we need to pray.  Without prayer, we are truly lost. 

Why do I bring this up?  Well, I have been thinking about what God wants of me.  I know He wants me to love my wife, my daughter, my other family members and friends.  How do I go about doing that, though?  Where does love fit into work?  How can I love completely while taking care of Gianna and going to school in the evenings?  How do I love my wife as I ought to?  These are questions that I have pondered for quite some time and they continually come back to me. 

This upcoming weekend, I will have the chance to maybe get these questions answered, at least in part.  I will be spending most of the weekend in silence while at a retreat center that some friends of ours run in the solitude of southern Missouri.  My hope is to be committed to constant prayer.  The thought of going into the night with God in prayer is awesome...I don't know if I could make it the whole night, but my hope is that He will give me the grace to listen, as Jesus showed us how to listen to Him.

If you have the chance, please offer me up in your prayers this weekend, and my wife and daughter as well since they will be at home.  Please ask for the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts, words, and actions so that I may give my full attention to our Heavenly Father and whatever He has planned for me. 

God bless you all, and have a happy feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary!

Nicknames and Shyness

As a parent, you have the joy of giving your children nicknames or hearing other people come up with nicknames.  With Gianna, many such names have come about.  So here are a few with a brief explanation of their background:

- Pumpkin: Thanks to one of my uncles, this nickname has been in the Kelly family for years.  I do not remember when it came to me, but it has definitely stuck.  It also has a few variations...little pumpkin, pumpkin head; we try not to say "pumpkin head" too much.  We never want her to think that her head is funny looking.  But for now, it works...she's a baby!

- Sweet Girl: This is Lauren's nickname for Gianna.  It usually comes in the form of "How's my sweet girl?"  I always enjoy hearing that name.  Gianna is a sweet girl...and so is her mom.  : )

- Gigi: This name became popular before Gianna was born.  Since my dad was certain that she was a girl, he would ask "How's Gigi?"  I usually told him to stop saying that because I didn't want him to be disappointed if she came out a boy.  But, dad guessed right and the name has stuck. 

- Little Miss: A former co-worker and fellow parishioner came up with this one.  She was my carpool this past school year, and she usually asked how "little miss" was doing.  Even though I don't see my co-worker as much, I sometimes think of Gianna as my "little miss." 

- Wookie: This is a name that till now only Lauren and I knew about.  It goes along with a term of endearment that I use for Lauren, which will remain with me...I think one of my friends guessed it before, which was a shocker.  But for now it is just for me to know.

There are probably more that I am forgetting at this time.  Be sure to let me know if you think of any others.

Final note: Gianna has definitely entered her shy stage.  My brother and two of his friends stopped by this morning.  Almost right away, Gianna started crying and laid her head on my shoulder.  She eventually warmed up to them, but it took several minutes.  Let's hope tonight's babysitting time with G'ma Murphy goes well.

Take care, everyone, and God bless!

Home Sweet Home...

This past weekend, we went to Springfield, MO, my hometown, to visit my family.  Here are some of the highlights from the weekend:

- Gianna met several of her relatives from my dad's side for the first time at one of our classic Kelly weenie roasts, as they are popularly known.  She fared well...although she broke out into tears a few times due to unfamiliar faces.

- Speaking of tears, Gianna seems to be a little scared right now of my brother, J.B.  We think it is because of our close resemblance...the beard, the hair and eye color, the sound of voice.  She may be thinking "Hey, this isn't dad?  What's up with him looking like dad?  Where's my real dad!?!"  Anyway, J.B. has decided that if he doesn't talk to her but only look, they are good to go.  Let's hope Gianna gets past this shy stage soon...

- J.B. and his wife, Emily, had a housewarming party on Saturday evening.  It was a good way to end the day considering we had to be inside most of the day due to the rain remnants of Isaac.  Gianna had a ball walking over to their house (they only live a few hundred feet away): the misty rain and breeze brought her to shouts of joy and dancing while I held her in her daddy-carrier.  We had a fun time eating a home-cooked meal, watching a few old home movies (we almost died laughing), and playing a few rounds of Bananagrams.
 
- Gianna saw my parents' next-door neighbor, Mrs. F., today for the first time.  She is the sweetest neighbor and she has always been so good to us: giving us leftovers, letting us come over to see her dog, paying us to do random jobs around her place...she has a very charitable heart.  Gianna was very well behaved!  We hope to stop by to see Mrs. F. again next time we come down.

- This is the first time in a while that Lauren and I went to different weekend Masses.  I rode with my parents to Saturday evening Mass and Lauren went with my brother, Joe, to Mass Sunday morning.  It just worked out this time without having to get Gianna ready to go...and we were both able to focus a little more in prayer, even if we were disappointed with the opening song choices (send me an email if you want to know what they were).

- When we returned to St. Louis this evening, we were invited over to dinner by Lauren's parents.  We didn't need to worry about going out to get some food to eat!  What a blessing to have them so close!  Guess what Gianna did upon arrival: yep, she bawled at the sight of her grandparents.  It didn't last too long.  She soon warmed up to them both.  We had a pleasant evening as we enjoyed the mini cookout as well as the finishing touches of the painting that went on today in their living room.

May you all have a grace-filled week...happy feast of St. Gregory the Great!

To Whom Shall We Go?

This past weekend, I heard yet another inspiring homily by our friend, Fr. Schumer.  In pondering more on his words and the readings, I wanted to share with you some of my thoughts regarding being a Catholic husband and father.  Here we go...

As a husband, whose marriage was blessed by God and witnessed by many, I have the challenge of leading my wife to Christ.  If I do not use the grace offered me in the Sacrament of Matrimony and do not ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, there is truly no reason to go on.  I might as well sit around with a blank look on my face as I watch life go by without paying much attention.  That is not what I am called to do...that is not the call of a Christian husband.  I must strive to give myself completely, first and foremost, to God: every thought, word, and action.  In doing so, I give myself completely to my wife.  I must love my wife "as Christ loved the Church."  How did He love Her?  He gave up His life for Her, completely.  I must be willing to sacrifice all I have for love of my wife.  This is love: "to lay down one's life for one's friends."   A husband is not his own...he is Christ's and Christ's alone.  I must be for my wife what God wants me to be.  That is the major challenge in this day and age especially for Christian husbands.  Christ needs men to stand up for their brides and say 'yes' to true love: sacrificial giving of oneself to the point of losing everything for the sake of God; 'no' to the societal view of love: receiving as much pleasure as possible and not worrying about how it may hurt another.  The call of the Christian husband is to be Christ to our brides, helping to bring her into close intimacy through prayer especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.  There we meet our Lord and Savior, the One to Whom we are called to go!  There is no other way.  It is through Christ, and Christ alone!

All that is mentioned above can just as well be said for the Christian father.  My duty, my call is to bring my children to Christ.  This responsibility is so crucial...it is a must.  Whatever our children's calling--may they respond to it--we must nurture and support.  I have thought about the day when I may "marry" off my daughter.  If it comes to be, so be it: may it be for Christ and Christ alone.  If my daughter is called to give herself fully to Christ as a professed religious, so be it: may it be for Christ and Christ alone.  In the meantime, I am called to love my daughter with the heart of Christ, offering myself completely for her.  What a calling!  Sometimes I shutter to think what this means, but usually I am lead to think about the life of St. Joseph.  Not only was he called to be Mary's husband, but he was given the grand calling of being the earthly father of the Son of God!  What an example for us husbands and fathers!  So little is known about St. Joseph, yet how loved he is by the Church.  Humbly, quietly, simply, lovingly did he live his life.  He seems to have made no effort to be noticed.  That is what makes him great.  He wanted the Son of God to come to us, through Mary.  He desired to draw no attention to himself so that everyone would be drawn to the one we are called to draw near, the one to whom we are called to go.  What a blessed life...what a blessed man!  Christian husbands and fathers need someone like St. Joseph to model their lives after.  What a gift he is to us: through his example, through his intercession.  May we strive to live as Joseph: humbly, quietly, simply, lovingly. 

I will leave you with this: I am reading a book on St. Joseph called The Mystery of Joseph by Fr. Marie-Dominique Philippe, OP (thanks to Fr. Schumer).  I recommend it to any Catholic man.  In Part I under the section "Guardian of the Virgin," Fr. Philippe says this: "This requirement (of being guardian of the Virgin) demands that his love as a spouse, the love he lives in his heart as a man, be sacrificed to God, so that charity can take hold of everything and become the more significant love" (pg. 38).  How true...and it can be applied to fatherhood as well.  To husbands and fathers who read this, and to myself, I say: sacrifice your love for spouse and children to God...may He reign in your hearts!  God bless you all and happy feast of St. Augustine!

Quick Takes...

1) Happy Feast of St. Bartholomew!  It's always refreshing and uplifting to go to a Mass and hear the priest's insight on the saint of the day, even though you may be holding a squirmy child the entire time.

2) "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is number one on the Pumpkin Top 20.  That song has never failed to calm down Gianna and help her fall asleep.  Thank God for the stars and their twinkle!

3) Never will I again try to tie up tomato plants while holding Gianna in her carrier.  She pulled off several leaves and nearly ate them all while we were in the garden yesterday morning. 

4) I almost forgot!  Gianna finally rolled from back to tummy...and back again!  Although she was on the bed, both Lauren and I still thinks this counts.  We are very proud parents right now!

5) Tooth number three is on its way in.  We were able to see it peeking out of the top part of her mouth.  Our little girl is growing up so quick...we are cherishing all of these special moments.

6) Note on growing up: the most common comments or questions that I hear from strangers are "Aw, how cute (of course)," "How old is she?" and "Enjoy it while you can...they grow up fast."  I don't mind the first two, but almost every time I hear the third one, I cringe.  Most people say it as if there is no hope for her after she grows up, or she'll stop being fun after these early years.  My hope is to be as positive as I can be when I see other first-time parents.  Children are a gift and a blessing...cherish every moment, even the tough ones!

7) So far since the last "Daddy Jekyll" night, I have fared well.  Hopefully that will continue...pray that it will for all of our sakes.  God bless ya'll and have a grace-filled weekend!

Meet Daddy Jekyll

From the title, you probably are thinking "what could he mean?  Is he not being the nice daddy that he ought to be?"  Well, let me explain.

Last night was a rough night...so it pretty much goes without saying that this morning was rough as well.  Gianna was up several times, as was I, holding her and trying to help her get back to sleep.  Other dads out there may understand the frustration of holding a child screaming at the top of their lungs at night, especially when there is no other noise to be heard.  I endured my fair share last night, that's for sure.  Sometimes when I am up with her at these wee hours, it's like I am partially in a dream, and last night's experience was really weird.  For some reason I thought Gianna had the power of three European countries (I believe they were Germany, Italy, and Spain).  So, being in my half-sleep mode, I thought that the more I bounce her, the more chance I had of defeating her power.  This may sound like I was actively thinking all of this, but I believe it all happened within a matter of less than a minute.  Soon after bouncing and rocking Gianna, she fell sound asleep.  I realized, as my wife mentioned, that I was nuts.  I put Gianna back in her crib, but shortly after, she again awoke.  Lauren came to the rescue, and I plunged my head into the pillow.

With that craziness out of the way, I awoke early to the sounds of a fussy pumpkin next to me in bed.  Lauren was off to work and I was left to care for our little sunshine until mommy returned in the afternoon.  The morning was not so pleasant, since both dad and baby were not in the best of moods.  It is like we were challenging each other to see who could get the most upset.  But after the noon hour, things improved and with the return of Lauren from work, both dad and baby were blissful again. So, why the Daddy Jekyll title?  I think I suffer from Dr. Jekyll syndrome.  During those early morning hours when I am half-asleep, I seem to be a completely different person.  I get frustrated easily, and I feel that Gianna is crying as loud as she can on purpose just to make me mad.  But, I know it is me and not her.  After talking over this "Dr. Jekyll syndrome" with a good priest, I now realize that I can take those difficult moments and turn them into prayer opportunities.  It is a great way to give myself more fully to God and not think so much about myself.  Hopefully I can eventually say "bye-bye forever, Dr. Jekyll!"

I want to end by thanking God for our priest, for my wife who shows so much patience and gentleness at night, and for Gianna, who without her I would not have a reason to pray at 2 o'clock in the morning.  Have a grace-filled Wednesday, everyone!

Mass, Meals, and Motherhood...

Today we went to St. Ambrose for Mass.  Our friend, Fr. Schumer, is the associate pastor.  He gave a stellar homily on the Eucharist, emphasizing Christ's words "This is my body...this is my blood."  A very Catholic perspective.  Thanks for the inspirational words, Fr. S.!  On a side note, it was open house at the school this morning, so many young children attended the Mass.  What I soon noticed is that Gianna's sounds were not as noticeable due to the volume of noise by other children...let's just say it was a relief to both Lauren and me :)

Afterwards, Fr. S. joined us for lunch at a local restaurant.  Since Gianna had not yet taken a nap, we were very hopeful that she would sleep during our meal.  Day by day I am learning that my hopes can be quickly dashed.  Gianna woke up soon after our arrival.  We survived, though.  We were blessed again to have the sounds of another child draw away any attention from us. 

A few hours later, we arrived home with a sleepy, crying little girl.  These are the times when I am reminded of how blessed I am to have Lauren as my wife and mother of our children.  She gently took the pumpkin into her arms and quickly began to nurse her.  Soon enough, both had fallen asleep on the bed.  God bless my beautiful bride and all mothers who can show great patience at such stressful times...enjoy the rest of our Lord's day, everyone!

Quick Take

1) I went to Mass with Gianna today...that's becoming a rarity.  We've been taking turns going to daily Mass, but since Lauren will be going back to work, I will do what I can to make it with Gianna as often as possible. 

2) It's big news in the parent world when your child does something new.  This afternoon, Gianna rolled from her belly to her back in a new direction!  She has always rolled from her belly to the left.  But today, she ventured into a new world by rolling to the right.  Way to go, Gianna!

3) My wife just rolled her eyes at me when I told her I had five more quick takes to do...the rolling of the eyes is not new.  Love you, precious bride!

4) I have been a sales affiliate for HIS Coffee Company for a few weeks now.  I do what work I can when Gianna is sleeping or playing.  Look at my gadget on the right side of the page and check it out...it's heavenly-tasting!

5) Today is the two-year anniversary of when we miscarried our first child, Mary Ambrose.  It's amazing how time flies.  Dear child, please pray for your family here on earth...especially your parents!

6) We get to see our good friend, Carol, tomorrow.  She's Gianna's godmother.  Praise God for her and her prayers!

7) Finally, we have many terms of endearment for Gianna.  For future reference, when I use the term 'pumpkin,' it refers to Gianna.  Have a blessed weekend everyone!

Well, I thought this would never happen, but it has...I am now part of the blogger world!  The title of this blog was inspired by my beautiful wife, Lauren, who reminded me of the new NBC show "Guys with Kids."  She said I should do something along those lines.  So, thanks to that title, "Guy with Kid" was born. 

This blog will mainly be about my dealings as a stay-at-home dad.  I have been blessed with the honor to be at home with our beautiful daughter, Gianna, during the next year, so I hope to express to everyone many of our happenings.  I hope you enjoy!