We flew home Monday from our 16 day trip to Colorado. It’s so weird going away for such a long time with a newborn – Lucia came back double the age of when she left! Some of the newborn/0-3 month clothes that we didn’t bring with us no longer fit her when we returned. Here’s a picture of us when we arrived at the airport in Denver on Christmas Eve – she doesn’t look like that tiny baby anymore.
It was surprisingly easy traveling with a newborn. She slept or nursed the entire plane flights to and back (and we even had two flights there because of a layover). I have a feeling it’s going to be a whole different story when we fly once she’s a little less sleepy and a little more mobile in only a few short months from now.
Lucia was baptized while we were in Colorado. She was so great, slept through the entire Mass including when the water was poured on her head. It was extra special because she was baptized on January 1, a holy day of obligation for the feast day of Mary, Mother of God, so the homily was about motherhood. She wore the dress I wore at my baptism, and even though I was 5 months when I was baptized and she was less than a month, it fit her well enough. I wrapped her in the blanket my husband had at his baptism, which was made for him by his grandmother (who was at the baptism and recognized the blanket!). We invited friends and family from the area and were very blessed to have many of them join us, including several who were not Catholic or from faith traditions with infant baptism. We had a small party afterward and enjoyed celebrating with our little one.
I’m sad to leave family, but very happy for the comforts of home. A few of the things from home that I missed while we were gone:
- Real maple syrup: The “maple flavored” syrup at my parents and in-laws just doesn’t cut it.
- Cloth diapers: I know it’s possible to travel with cloth diapers, but there was no way we could have done enough loads of wash while at my parents to keep up. Unfortunately, the disposables were expensive, leaked way more than our cloth diapers, and we experienced both diaper rash and blowouts which we haven’t seen before or since with our cloth diapers.
- Changing table: I hated having to get out all the diaper changing necessities each time she needed to be changed. Having them all together already at the changing table makes life so much easier.
- My own bed: Is there anything nicer than sleeping in your own bed after a long time away?
My husband brought me roses Wednesday! The first several months of marriage, he brought me roses at least once a month, but because of finances, it’s been a long time (I had to find the box with my vases in it, so it means that I haven’t received flowers since we moved here in July, if that’s at all telling). I absolutely adore roses (after all it is my middle name and the middle name of our baby daughter).
Have you seen this video of Mark Wahlberg on the “CBS This Morning” show earlier this week? In recent years, I have been very impressed by his faithfulness and his willingness to speak about it publicly (and in such a nonchalant manner). If you don’t have time to watch the whole video, skip to the second half where he speaks about the new Roman Missal translation, his prayer book, and his gratitude to the Lord.
My husband and I met on the online dating site Catholic Match. The company sends out onesies for babies of couples who met on their site and ours was waiting for us when we returned from vacation. Here’s a picture of our Catholic Match baby:
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I'll have to share the Mark Wahlberg video with my husband.
ReplyDeleteI love that you were able to incorporate items from your baptism and your husband's into your daughter's.
That onesie is fabulous! And yes, while it is easier to travel with disposables, I am always so happy to get home and get back into cloth. I am so gladthatyour Christmas went well.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are just precious. I'm so glad you had a wonderful time with your family and at Lucia's baptism. what a special time for all of you! I'm also glad that she was good during travel. I would imagine travling with a baby would be hard but it seems like it went really well this time!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, that onesie is so funny and cute!!!! I didn't even know Mark Wahlberg is Catholic but I love that he's proud of his faith. Can't wait to meet you both tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteThat onesie is so cute!
ReplyDeleteI made our children's baptismal gown and we didn't have any heirloom accessories for it until this time around, when my mom actually found HER baptismal blanket, as well as some hand knit booties she wore as a baby and a few other handmade items. I've been storing them carefully wrapped and I can't wait to put them on our new baby. It's so special to have something that's been in your family for years to put on your own child.
We take trips a few times a year to my in-law's. When I read your list, I laughed because those are all the things I miss when I'm gone. My own shower goes on the list, too. I don't like using other folks' showers. And somehow, no matter how you try, you just can't relax anywhere else like you can on your own furniture in your own living room.
That's so awesome that you met on catholic Match!
ReplyDeleteWhen we were going through stuff when we moved we found our baptismal dresses but they had turned yellow so we had to get rid of them :( That is so cute that you were able to incorporate them!
ReplyDeleteThat onesie is cute! I know it's always nice to get home after being away!
Love that Mark Wahlberg video. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you're home and you had a great trip! Oh and adorable onesie!
Love the pictures of Lucia! Thanks for Sharing the video on Mark Wahlberg. I was telling my husband the other day how Catholic he is and I hadn't found any "proof". Hope you are settled back in after your vacation with family. What Cloth Diapers have you been using with baby Lucia?
ReplyDeleteI saw a video a while back that was an interview with a priest who knew Mark Wahlberg when he was growing up. He was talking about how generous he was donating a lot of money to the parish. They (I'm not sure who "they" is, but I think it was 60 Minutes?) also interviewed Wahlberg and he said he tries to make it to daily Mass even when he is filming a movie.
Deletei love that onesie!! and i've never known anyone personally, who have met on Catholic Match before! so cool!
ReplyDeleteMy brother-in-law and his fiancee met on there as well and I knew another person from church who met her husband there. I've also met a few people online as well. It's more common that I thought it was!
DeleteLucia was baptized at my parish! I recognize that marble and those poinsettas! How neat!!
ReplyDeleteWe were married there as well (and it's the parish my grandparents attend). Isn't it fun when you see something you recognize on someone else's blog?
DeleteLovely post! Sorry to just now be commenting! I was MIA all weekend working on a photobook for G's 6-9 months.
ReplyDeleteI love that onsie! We have so many pictures of G in her rock n play...the dots caught my eye :-)
I didn't travel with cloth (despite wanting to) until she was 6 months old, so you aren't alone in that.
Again, congratulations on the baptism; I'm so glad it was wonderful!
Hope things are well, we need to catch up!
I have been trying to organize all the pictures we have of Lucia by date (not just the ones we took but the ones my mom and dad took) so it makes it easier to do a photobook. I'll probably have to do one just of her first month, and then one every 2-3 months after that (we have SO many pictures!).
DeleteI have been trying to take pictures of her elsewhere so not all her pictures are in the Rock 'n' Play.
I would have brought the cloth diapers if we were only staying at one place, but we stayed at both my parents and in-laws while we were there. And good thing, because since my brother still lives at home, there was constantly a load of laundry going and we barely had a chance to get our laundry in, much less an extra cloth load every day! (Plus, there is something wrong with my parents dryer, my mom didn't realize it until she stayed with us and used our dryer but it too 3x longer to dry anything in their dryer!).
I was just thinking I hadn't heard from you in a while and it's time to write you a new email!
We just got back from visiting family as well. I miss them so much when I leave, but it is nice to get back to our own house! I was so surprised how easy it was to fly with a newborn last year. It does get a bit more challenging, although Gus still nurses and sleeps through a good chunk of the flights now!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Lucia on her baptism!