Catholic school open house bonanza, and nesting abounds...

Well. :) This was a very interesting weekend, and as always, I shall provide all the details. :)

I did in fact do a spell of nesting on Saturday. I went though the changing table/dresser combo that currently still lives in Hank's room. I had cleaned it out before, so it wasn't too bad. This means I now have to locate the bag in our storage marked "newborn" but I'll deal with that another week. I got all of Hank's stuff fit nicely into his larger dresser unit, and the changing table piece ready for the move to the nursery whenever the nursery actually exists. I consider this a success.

Sunday I was a bit nervous, since I had to teach Children's Liturgy of the Word. Last time it had gone well, so I was hopeful. Alas, this time was another one of those weeks. I had a larger group that included several young children circa age 3, and it was impossible to keep them still and quiet, thus distracting the entire group. I did the best I could, and it certainly didn't go terribly, but it wasn't a stellar installment either.

After Mass, we stopped for a brief lunch break, and then it was time for Catholic school open house #1. I was nervous, because I know that I'm certainly biased in favor of sending Hank to Catholic school in the fall, and that Mike is biased in favor of keeping him in public school since we live in a great district and pay the taxes to show for it. I was praying, so I was resigned to whatever outcome might come our way. We packed into the car and drove 2 minutes to contender #1, St. A's.

Immediately upon arrival, we were greeted warmly. People lined the hallway, saying "Welcome to St. A's!" It could have been creepy, but it wasn't. :) It was just such a pleasant change from our public school orientation last May. Right away, we were directed to the principal, who has a reputation as being "not a warm and fuzzy." I was worried that this would bother me, but honestly, it didn't. She was just fine. Certainly not the warmest person I've ever met, but not unkind or objectionable. She greeted us nicely and even spoke to Hank for a minute. After that, we were given a gift bag with some informational sheets and directed to a parent volunteer to give us a tour of the school.

There commenced the most thorough tour I've ever been on. :) We were there for nearly 2 hours! We visited every classroom, grades pre-k through 8, including all of the "specials": art, music, gym, computers, and the library. Every single teacher was kind and genuine. I was getting warm and fuzzies all over the place. The first grade teacher in particular was raved about amongst the others, and I noticed that she was wearing a small brown scapular around her neck. Every classroom had a crucifix on the wall and a saint statute in one corner. Statements of Christian values were posted in each room.

Instead of state testing and wellness policies, this school emphasizes traditional Catholic values and service, strong academics, particularly math, and the sense of family that they like to pervade their school, with an encouragement of children having fun at school in additon to learning. They have a monthly school Mass (it would be nice if it were more frequent, but I can live with this) in addition to Masses celebrating holy days and other feasts, full sacramental preparation for first reconciliation and eucharist, altar server training, service requirements for all students, daily prayer, and adorable little extras, like the first grade Christmas pageant.

The children all wear school uniforms, of which I highly approve, and the school has a strong code of conduct without being "over the top," which is how I perceived the public school. The tuition is extremely reasonable, and since we attend at a parish without a Catholic school, we qualify for their parishoner rate. We can afford it.

After we left, Hank announced, "I love this school, Mommy. I want to go here!" I did my best to stay quiet until Mike spoke first. He said, "let's talk when we get home," which I knew was a good sign. :)

Following a trip to the grocery store, Mike and I sat down. He said that going in he wasn't prepared to make a change, because he thinks our public elementary school is a good one, which it is. But that he was very impressed by St. A's, and thinks that it might be a better fit. He's leaning toward trying it for first grade. I was estactic.

The decision isn't final yet. I think we should let it simmer for a few weeks. There is still another open house that I'd like to go to. St. B's, which is Thursday evening. Mike can't attend that one with us due to a class commitment, but Hank and I will scope it out. I think it's always good to compare.

But in the end, I'm hoping to have Hank registered for Catholic school, most likely St. A's, by the end of February, to begin in the fall. With the 3 of us having as positive an impression as we did, my thought at this juncture is that this is a winner.

Last night, I couldn't sleep, my mind was such awhirl by the unexpected developments of the day. Even though the tuition is affordable for us, we still have after care costs to consider (school starts nice and early, 7:45 am, but ends at 2 pm), plus the new baby. If Mike is home, these costs won't exist, but eventually we'd like him to find a job in his new field, obviously. I will go back to work, so we'll have daycare costs, which for an infant, are *significant*. Catholic schools also come with fundraising obligations, and I'm worried about those too. But once again, I shouldn't "borrow worry." One thing at a time. Hank and I will attend this other open house on Thursday, we'll let a week or so of thinking time go by, and we'll make a decision. And then we'll go from there.

But overall, I'm feeling much, much better about schooling issues. And despite all the uncertainty with Mike's future employment, I know we're in good hands. Everything is going to be ok.

New maternity pants and weekend plans

Yesterday, I did in fact stop by another Goodwill. And for a mere $12, I bought 3 pairs of perfect fitting maternity pants. *beams* A pair of khaki cords, and 2 pairs of black work pants. I couldn't be more thrilled.

Speaking of clothing, working on a university campus, I see all sorts of interesting fashion choices. Today, in fact, I spotted a student wearing boots so furry that for a few seconds I seriously thought she had a Lhasa Apso weaving between her ankles. Yesterday, though, was a new first. Walking back from a trip to the cash machine, I came up behind a female student wearing a skirt so short that you could see at least an inch of the control top to her pantyhose. This is not merely immodest, my friends, this is a definite fashion faux pas.

Anyway, I have dance tonight, which I hope I don't fall asleep for. My class runs from 7 pm until at least 8:30, sometimes 9, and it's getting increasingly hard for me to stay alert for that entire spell. Tonight is the beginning of a new session, and I should be fine for this 8 weeks. After that, I'll have to evaluate. I'll be over 30 weeks, and I don't know that I can commit to an 8 week session at that point. Perhaps I'll try to go week to week.

For the rest of the weekend, I plan to nest. Maybe get started on the storage, and clean out the baby's changing table/dresser. I have to teach at Children's Liturgy of the Word on Sunday, followed by the open house for Catholic School A. I'll fill you in on all the details Monday morning. :)

Good finds at the Goodwill...

Now that my bump is growing steadily, I've transitioned to some maternity clothes mixed in with regular clothes that still fit me. And as every pregnant woman has experienced, my maternity wardrobe is considerably smaller than my regular winter fare. I have some things from when I was pregnant with Hank, although much of that is summer clothes that aren't practical right now. I have some loaners, but many of them don't fit. Maternity clothes are tough to gauge and fit. Just because all women get bigger bellies during pregnancy does not mean that any maternity item will fit every one of them. And everyone has different comfort zones with how they want to display their body when pregnant. I know that many women prefer to shroud their bellies more than I do. Me, I love my belly. :) Maybe it's the belly dancing, but I find pregnant bellies truly beautiful. I want to show it off, so I prefer bump highlighting clothing. Long, fitted sweaters and blouses are my favorites, with simple classic pants or long skirts. My current closet selection is limited, and the problem is I don't want to spend a lot of money of clothes that I'm only going to wear for 4 more months.

So, I've been scrounging for bargains to enhance my maternity wardrobe a bit. I hit the jackpot at a Target clearance sale 2 weeks ago. I scored 2 sweaters and 2 dresses for about $24. Well, yesterday I had an idea that worked out even better.

Thrift store, baby! On my way home from work, I stopped off at one of our local Goodwill's. What a gem! I couldn't find the maternity clothes at first, so I shopped the skirt section. Now *this* was a refreshing change from my fruitless search for longer skirts in regular stores. :) Long skirts prevailed over their mini sisters by a total of at least 2 to 1. I didn't pause too long over anything that had a fitted waistline or zipper for obvious reasons (or anything dated and frumpy; these abound at thrift stores). I browsed quickly just for stretchy waists, and found 2 items in my size: a t-length black skirt, and an ankle length brown wool. I was absolutely thrilled.

I scoured my way through the whole store without spotting a maternity sign or anything resembling a pregnant woman with swollen ankles as an icon. So, I stopped a high school kid with a Goodwill vest on to ask his assistance. He directed me "over by the evening wear." OOkkk. The evening wear revealed...evening wear, so I was stymied for a minute or so. Finally, I spotted a maternity tag, although the section wasn't labeled.

I suppose that's because it was so tiny. But hey, I'm not fussy. Unfortunately, the section was not all maternity, mixed in with some other odd choices. But I looked through every item carefully, and picked out a pair of jeans and a pair of pin-striped khaki pants that I can wear to work. I'm betting there are many other maternity clothes in their collection, just unwittingly interspersed amongst the regular clothes. Alas, I didn't have time for such a treasure hunt.

The total for the 2 stretchy skirts and 2 pants? $9! Loving it! I'm going to stop off at Goodwill #2 on my way tonight. Super excited. :)

New 54 Day Rosary Novena, and Catholic school next year?

Yesterday, I finished up my very first 54 day rosary novena. It was for an intention very dear to my heart. Today in my Conversations with God meditation, the reading mentions the parable of the sower, and how we should plant seeds, but it is only God that can make that seed grow. We must practice patience and humility over time, because one never knows what that seed is doing at any given point, but we can trust that God is always there working and we should leave it up to Him. It was just so fitting, and really put me at peace this morning.

Today, I'm beginning a brand new novena. My intention this time is two-fold: I'm praying for Mike to find a good job in his new field, in this area (we have no intentions on moving; our family is here, I have a good job here, and we love the area) after he graduates in May, and for discernment regarding where Hank should attend school in the fall. Just as a brief rehash, Hank is currently attending the very reputable public elementary school in our neighborhood as a kindergartener.

My concerns are kind of wide-ranging. He's receiving an excellent education, no doubt about that, and I truly don't feel like he's experiencing any sort of negative influence. Overall, I just feel like I'd like him to have a Catholic education if we're able to afford it. I like the idea of our faith being integrated into his daily studies. As well, my worry isn't the elementary school, but the middle school, even though that's 6 years off. I haven't necessarily heard anything terrible about our public middle school, but I remember my public middle school, and boy do I wish I didn't. That's a tough age, and I would feel much more comfortable with him in a Catholic school with the same kids he's been going with for the previous 5 years. And I'd rather make the switch now, while he's little, rather than in sixth grade when he already is attached to a group of friends.

Interesting, I went to public school K-12, in a city school district even. My elementary school was great, but middle school and high school were rough. In middle school, I was so miserable, that my parents offered to send me to our parish's Catholic school, but by that point I was in seventh grade and quite shy, and I was afraid to move to a totally new place where I knew nobody.

Hank also is on the shy side, and I just think the best time to make a change, if we make one, is next year. And excitingly, Catholic Schools Week begins this Sunday in this area, and with it, a host of open houses. There are 3 Catholic schools in our district. I'd like to stick within our district, since they do provide the extra services, such as speech and fine motor skills (both of which Hank is receiving at his public school) in the Catholic schools as well, and I do have a high opinion of our district.

Out of the three, I have my eye on two of them. Both serve children in grades PreK-8. School A is the closest one to our house. When I mentioned Catholic school to Mike, he said that if we did decide to do that, this is the one he'd prefer since it's so close. Hank's current elementary school is even closer, and it's just so convenient, so location is a consideration. We know quite a few people that send their kids to this school. All have good things to say about it. I have heard a few comments about the principal being a bit "cold" and unapproachable, which could potentially bother me, but we'll see. The school seems to have a solid Catholic identity, holds monthly school Masses and trains all the children to be altar servers. Their open house is this Sunday afternoon.

School B is slightly farther from our house, but by "slightly" I mean that it's still well within 5 miles. It's really no big deal, it's just not right down the street. It has an outstanding academic reputation and has even been awarded a distinction by our state. I don't know anyone that sends their kids there, so no personal anecdotes like with School A. However, their web site just has a very serene feeling to it. I can't totally explain, but I have a really good feeling about this school based on my reading of their curriculum and faith activities. It just seems prayerful to me. Their open house is next Thursday evening.

We're going to go to both of them and see what we think. I decided not to pursue the third school. I think if we're going to make the leap, we have two other good choices, so need to complicate the decision further. We'll see how it goes, and I'll report in fully. :)

A new chaplet in my arsenal...

I just added a new chaplet to my bevy of rosaries and chaplets, and thought I'd share.

Cam over at Full of Grace Creations on etsy made me a chaplet dedicated to Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the only Native American ever beatified, at my request. I detailed Blessed Kateri's importance to my family's faith life about a month ago, and read up on her chaplet.

It's a set of 24 beads, one devoted to each year of her life. Each set of 8 has different significance. On the 8 brown beads you recite 8 Our Fathers; on the 8 red beads you recite Hail Mary's; and on the 8 crystal beads you recite Glory Be's. The colors represent earth, blood/love, and water, respectively. It's officially called a "Kateri Indian Rosary" although I don't totally love that name. :)

Here's my chaplet:


So pretty. :) I plan to ask Blessed Kateri's intercession on any number of intentions.

Weekend dancing and baby growth

Our weekend was so busy that I didn't get much nesting done, but that's ok. I still have plenty of time. I'm still plotting away in my little mind, and I know things will come together as spring approaches.

But speaking of spring...whoa baby, is it cold here today. We're used to winter weather, but it's fairly uncommon for temperatures to dip below 0 in this region. There were some school closings and delays this morning due to the dangerous wind chill and buses failing to start. The dead of winter is here in full force. Next week will bring February, and while still plenty wintry, I see that as a bit of a turning point. February is infinitely closer to May than January. :)

At any rate, I didn't get any work done on the baby's room, but he or she is growing steadily. Despite the physical discomforts, I enjoy this second half of pregnancy more than the first. You can feel the baby moving and growing, and with the birth so much closer, the sense of anticipation is just rife with excitement.

I'm officially at that stage of pregnancy where sleeping positions become an issue. Your back is no longer comfortable, and your stomach is getting dicey. You're stuck with your sides, and thus shifting in the night resembles a beached sea creature grasping for the comforts of water. Spending too much time on one side results in a sore hip, so I swith frequently, and doing a full 180 is not conducive to my husband getting much sleep, but it can't be helped. Last time, I procured a gigantic body pillow that Mike called my "boyfriend" to try and ease the aches. We have a double bed only, and this thing took up the space of a full person. I'm foregoing the body pillow this time, hence the flipping.

Besides a little sciatica, I feel great. Finally, I am noticing a slight difference in my dancing. My center of gravity is off, and so turning with anything resembling grace is growing challenging. My little muscle ache is mostly better, but still comes back to bite me occasionally, and 3/4 shimmies "on the up" seem to be a particular problem. I've designed a faker shimmy move that will have to do for the time being. :) Otherwise, I really do feel good. And despite a weight gain of (a very normal) 12 pounds, I feel confident that my body looks feminine and beautiful. I've been better about psychologically balancing my body image this time as compared to last. Probably out of necessity, since I'll be squeezing into my costume again in about 3 weeks to appear in public. With a bare belly. Fit Pregnancy magazine has helped me to see that pregnant bodies are lush and lovely.

And here's a little TMI for those of us who are not particularly lushly endowed under normal circumstances: it's not just your belly that grows during pregnancy. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror undressed over the weekend and nearly fainted. Are those mine?! I look like I could appear in an adult film. I'm enjoying it, while it lasts. :)

New headcoverings...

I hadn't bought any new headcoverings in awhile, and since I'm wearing mine more, I felt justified in adding to my collection. Especially since Melissa of Happy Homestead on etsy is going on maternity leave for a time, I thought now was my opportunity to pounce.

I'm a big fan of headbands. They keep my hair off my face, and they're very easy to throw on in the mornings and wear just about anywhere. I'm not a "full time coverer," but I have to say that I enjoy wearing my coverings both in and out of Sunday Mass. It does seem to remind me to try to "pray without ceasing" when I'm wearing them. They just make me feel soothed.

Thus, I procured 2 new stretchy lace headbands, and I adore them both. These are so pretty, and fit any head size. I feel completely comfortable wearing these to work or out shopping. One is sage green:

and the other is mulberry:

I have to say, the mulberry is the most frivolous of the three (dark purple? it just struck my fancy for deep, rich colors, so I treated myself) but it's my favorite. :) It's just SO pretty. And I've found that I do have a number of things that coordinate with it.

I also picked up a new convertible covering in a fabric called "Spring Daisies":

This can be worn as above, or converted to a headband. I like the colors, very springy. I have several others in this style, and I wear them all often. I wear them fuller around the house, and then cinch them into a headband for outside wear.

I'll fess up and admit that I've been a tad naughty and have been perusing Garlands of Grace for new arrivals as well. Sigh. If only a money tree grew in our backyard... They should have their new spring line out soon, and I may not be able to resist. :) But I have a rule; I have to wait at least a month since a prior purchase. :)

Looking forward to the weekend

Doesn't it always seem that 4 day work weeks feel *longer* than the usual 5 days? It's odd, but true. Very wintry here right now, and I'm looking forward to a cozy weekend.

I have a few new headcoverings arriving today in the mail. :) I will show them off next week. I've been wearing mine a lot more lately, even around the house. I actually wore one to work the other day. I have a lot of headbands, so they're pretty low key. They're just so pretty, and are very practical - they keep my hair off my face!

I'm certain I'll do some more nesting this weekend. Our storage area *really* needs a lot of attention, but I'm not quite ready to tackle that yet. Well, the house isn't quite ready for me to tackle that yet, I should say. Once I get in there, I'm going to want to start pulling out baby clothes and equipment, and we just don't have room just yet until other factors fall into place. SO much tornadoing to come.

I think what I can do is clear out the small dresser/changing table that currently lives in Hank's room and start getting it ready to be exclusively Baby CL's. Hank has a larger dresser in his room that will fit all of his stuff just fine, so I'll make that conversion either this weekend or next. That way, when I do reach the baby clothes, I can start folding the gender neutral stuff and putting it in the baby's dresser, since it will be all emptied out.

We'll also be busy with other things this weekend, so I don't know how much of this I'll get done. Hank is invited to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese (oh, the sacrifices we make for our kids happiness...) and Mike has a few things going on, so I'll be doing some Hank duty myself. We're all going to Mass together for the vigil on Saturday night, which will be very nice. All 3 of us will go about every month or two. Mike prefers the vigil over Sunday morning, so whenever he wants to go, I accommodate. :)

I have belly dance tonight. Yep, still dancing. :) In fact, we have a performance coming up in February, and guess who'll be there with a 6 and a half months pregnant bare belly? I'll post a picture. :)

A little baby to pray for...

I'm a huge message board reader, and one of the secular boards that I frequent these days is TheBump.com. I mostly linger on the May 2011 board, since it consists of women all in the same stage of pregnancy that I am, although I also visit the 2nd Trimester board, Baby Names, Natural Birth, and Pregnant Over 35. I mostly lurk, but I do enjoy my time over there. I usually read posts while I'm eating lunch.

A few weeks ago, it came to my attention that one of the women on the May 2011 board had received a devastating diagnosis for her unborn baby. Her 20 week ultrasound indicated Down Syndrome, which was later confirmed via amniocentesis, and unfortunately his case is a severe one. He has a serious heart defect such that he may not even live to birth. His mother started a blog that I now follow: Prayers for Mason. This is a Christian family that I know would appreciate the extra prayers.

Given my age, early in my pregnancy I dwelled for a time on what it would be like to carry a baby that you knew that severe health problems. I would do what this mother is also choosing: to carry my baby to term or as long as he shall live, and just deal with things as they arise. But my goodness. What an emotional roller coaster, to put it mildly. Dealing with how sick your baby is, but also the fact that they live in you for the time being, but may not make it once outside the womb. Just heartbreaking. It makes any pregnancy woes I experience trivial by comparison, and I vow never to complain about them again. I will offer them up for this family, and urge you to do the same.

Baby CL's world: January edition

So, news in the life of Baby CL... I had my 22 week ob/gyn appointment this past Monday, and the 20 week mark begins the measurement of "fundal height," meaning they measure your belly. Mine is pretty nonexistent when I lay down, so that was that.

Everything else looks textbook, and the baby has a nice steady heartbeat of 140 beats per minute. Hank got to hear it, which he made his "I'm excited, but trying not to look excited" face for. I asked about my groin (ugh!) muscle pain, and she believes that it is just round ligament pain, and will subside with time. In fact, it has already subsided, and hasn't bothered me at all this week, which is a real blessing.

I go back in 4 weeks, and this will be my glucose screening for gestational diabetes, after which I'll begin appointments every 2 weeks. I mean, seriously. This pregnancy is flying by.

My belly is very much in that "cute" phase. Too bad that doesn't last until the end of pregnancy... I have pulled out the maternity clothes finally. I'm still wearing my regular pants with a Bella Band (the maternity pants are still a bit too big), but the tops are a welcome addition since they tend to be longer and more belly flattering.

I noticed an interesting thing when bargain shopping at Target on Monday. Apparently designers think that pregnant women prefer modest clothing because all the blouses, skirts and dresses are longer. That's fine, no objection there, but why don't they make more non-pregnant clothing like this? I was hoping to find some stretchy sweaters and long skirts/dresses, and once again, slim pickings. But buried in the 75% off rack?

*angels sing*

I found 2 adorable sweaters (Liz Lange Maternity) with cowl necklines and a flattering waist that stretches to the hips marked down to $6.24. I scooped both. I also found 2 dresses that although not ankle length, extend well past the knee. I was surprised to see that both were also Liz Lange Maternity. I would have rather bought regular ones so that I could wear them after pregnancy too, but for $7 I wasn't complaining. I got the dresses in black and gray. I also grabbed a long gray sweater/cardigan that I can wear over my more summery maternity tops from my pregnancy with Hank. It was a very good bargain.

Skirts though were very hard to come by, as always. Unless you wear skirts that go to mid-thigh level, which frustrates me to no end. I'll keep looking. Sometimes Old Navy has long skirts. They don't have any right now, but maybe when the spring clothes come out.

Anyway, Baby CL has been very cutely attired the past couple of days. I feel him/her moving around in there regularly, and I can't wait to meet them in just 4 and a half months!