Wednesday Daybook

In the great outdoors...
...though the date says it's almost mid-October, the weather is still in Indian Summer. We're having highs in the low 80s and the lows aren't even cool enough to turn off the air. Josh, Taylor and the baby are in the master bedroom, which is over the garage, which makes it the warmest room in the summer, so the air keeps cranking. 

Our electric bill -- ugh!

Autumn, please come!

I'm thinking about...

...31 days of blogging just isn't going to happen! Sorry Ana Maria -- I guess going from not blogging at all, to blogging for 31 days straight is just more than I can manage.

I'm freshly astonished at how much work a new baby is. Add to that a 15yo teenage girl (truly a handful all by herself), a husband who works from home, and three adult children under the roof. It sounds like there should be plenty of people to manage one baby, but there is some peace-keeping thrown in there, lots of hushing, a washer and drier that never stop, meals to cook, and hassling about homework and cell phone policing. Just this morning either Doug or Faith let the dog out when they left for school and didn't tell me. The poor dog was on the porch for 30 minutes before I realized she wasn't in the house. 

I frequently say that my family is not the family I imagined. Not that I imagined a perfect family (whatever that is), but I never imagined the spread in age that we have, I never imagined these grown kids, and I never imagined a grown married couple and a baby living with us again. Not that it's not all good, because it is, and I love it, but I just never imagined back when I was planning my life -- hahaha!

I am wearing...

...a denim skirt, a pink t-shirt and sandals -- summer weather clothes! 

I am reading....

...nothing at the moment. I am waiting on a book I reserved at the library -- We Are the Lucky Ones

I am creating...

...I have just the finishing touches (weaving ends) and blocking to do on the Baptismal blanket I made for Max. I started it back when Taylor was pregnant and worked on it off and on when I was at work (when I had nothing to do but wait for the phone to ring), but, of course, it came down to the week of the Baptism for me to finish it. I'll be sure to take a photo of Max with the blanket on Sunday

In the kitchen...

...tonight chicken tacos are on the menu, but I have started preparing some of the food for the Baptismal party Sunday. 

Around the house...

...lots of baby stuff -- baby stuff in every room. How can such a little person make such a huge change in a house? I have a high chair in my kitchen again (it's nice -- it tilts back so it acts like a baby seat on tall legs), a swing and play mat in my family room, a changing pad on my dining room table, and a cradle that holds not a baby, but his bathtub, cloth diapers, towels and a Boppy! Even my echo dot almost always plays lullaby music.

Plans for the rest of the week...

...Today and tomorrow I'll be cleaning and doing laundry and making what food I can make ahead (mostly just cupcakes). I'm debating about making cookies, but I don't have a shell cookie cutter. I could do Madeleines but they always seem so bland to me -- just thinking out loud. On Friday I'm going for a flu shot -- something I have avoided for years, but I really don't want to get the flu while I'm caring for a baby.

A few of my favorite things...

...Max is definitely one of my favorite things. He is such a happy baby, and so smart. At 12 weeks he is talking up a storm and rolling from tummy to back as soon as you put him down. His parents are very fortunate that he started sleeping through the night two weeks ago. Yesterday he slept almost 12 hours straight! 

...making rosaries -- hopefully soon I will have a little more time to work on some  creative work. Right now I'm just keeping up with orders.

...autumn -- if it would just get here

...This Is Us (do you watch?)

Prayers sent heavenward...

...for my husband and children, to do God's will every day
...for contracts for my husband's business
...for my sweet little Max, and a smooth transition for Taylor back to work full-time and for Max and I to have a smooth transition in his care
...for all priests and religious

...all babies whose mothers are contemplating abortion, for a change of heart

...for friends who have asked for prayers

Photo of the day...

Uncle Noah is getting pretty good with a camera. He did a wedding this past weekend and did a really good job. He also did a shoot with Max and got some cute shots. Maggie kept photo bombing, so we let her in one shot -- she licked Max's ear when she had to opportunity.