Postpartum Catch Up

God is crazy good, as usual.  Our family has been enjoying a deluge of blessings this spring, and I'm finally catching my breath to share!

And since all this basically went down in May, be prepared for the onslaught of Blessed Mother Blue!  I am definitely wearing my "May dress" super frequently in all of them not only because of the color, but because it makes nursing SO EASY!!! 

First of all, thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes surrounding Luca.  He's home, he's healthy, and he's WONDERFUL!  His big brothers have welcomed him into the fold as though he's always been along for the ride.  My heart is full.

I spent the first month basically strapped to the couch thanks to the various surgical procedures I'd had done pre- and post-partum.  I won't bother to regale anyone with those details; I'm just glad it's behind me.  Luca was well worth every moment of pain.

​Easter rolled around soon after Luca's arrival.  We had a whole slew of reasons to celebrate this year, chief among them Chris' full initiation into the Church! 

​A few nights before the Vigil, he received his first Penance, and then at the Vigil, he was confirmed and received Christ in the Eucharist!  His mother was on hand to witness it, as was our friend, Brett, who stood as sponsor.  Again, my heart is full!  God is so good!

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Easter, itself, was a joy.  We spent it up at my brother's house, and it's always so wonderful to have all the kids together.  Vince enjoys helping hide the eggs for the kids to find, and he's taken to video taping the younger ones scramble for them.  He even edits the videos he takes into shorts.  Chris and I have been encouraging him to pursue video editing as it seems to keep his interest.  I showed him how to use DaVinci Resolve and got him a beefy computer system to run it for Christmas.  It's nice to see him getting excited about things like that!

Anyhow, the kids enjoyed playing with their cousins, finding eggs, and candy. So much candy.

And as if all this wasn't glorious enough, we still had more to enjoy!  In addition to Nate's 1st Penance, he received his 1st Holy Communion just a couple weeks after Chris!  The whole family came out to celebrate and he got his own little party at The Pop Shop in Collingswood.  He was thrilled, especially because his bestie, Frankie, came, too!

And because we still had more to celebrate, the following week, Luca got gussied up for HIS reception into the Church via Baptism!  He's wearing the same blue and white outfit Nico had for his, but because Luca's a good deal chunkier than Nico was, I had to size up the onesie! 

WHEW!  And we're still not done yet!!!  Nico turned 2 the same week Luca was baptized, and Nate, because he's amazing, was recognized as Student of the Month at school!  We celebrated with lunch at Nate's favorite place and a trip to the park with the birthday boy to feed the ducks and explore a brand new jungle gym he'd never seen before!

And still, there's more, because God can never, ever, ever be outdone in love...

Chris got to go to Italy for the first time for a work trip, and while it was really hard on him due to not only the logistics, but being away from the boys and I, the trip spurred him onto a path that really has him jazzed.  It's been wonderful to see him excited for what's to come.

I've somehow found time to piece together some projects that have, until now, been pipe dreams.  A few more are in the works, but several have actually been completed.  Thanks to Chris' support and willingness to be a real partner in parenting, I was able to complete and publish two books on Amazon with two more on the horizon.

I'm excited to report that one of my books, a self-help journal for trauma victims, is being reviewed by a local hospital for inclusion in their take-home information for survivors of assault.  Shoot a prayer or two up for that intention, because I'd love to see this book placed into the hands of those who need it most WHEN they need it most.

Whew!  And still... that's not all. I became Godmother to a beautiful little miracle and got to see another the same day as her sister made her 1st Holy Communion!  That brings my total godchildren to 7! 

I have two rather big pieces of celebratory news to share, but those will have to remain mum for now.  May it suffice for me to say that God is incredible beyond any of my most wild dreams, and He delights in surprising us with grander and more beautiful ways to show us how much He loves us.  In all things, God is good, people.  Trust in His goodness.

I still owe you guys a postpartum doula entry and apparently one on Pentecost (sorry, Jen!), and eventually, I'll get around to them, but for now, I need to get myself to bed.  Tomorrow is a Mass our incredible Pastor is offering in thanksgiving for Luca's baptism (I can't with that man... he is seriously the best and I love him to pieces).  Here he is with Luca after his baptism, and just... look at his face... I can't! 

Alright, my lovelies, I'm going to bed.  My heart is full, and God is good.  <3