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.