Even in the dead of winter, the ducks are happy to preen in the Roaring Fork River, paying no mind to their chilly feet. They politely posed for photos on this sunny and blessed afternoon.
Down By the River
Month: January 2025
Baby Hands
My mom and I have recently embarked on a spiritual journey together. It is currently day eight of Fiat90. These 90 days leading up to Easter are a beautiful meditation and Marian devotion, one I had never heard of until a couple weeks ago when my own mother suggested we try it. Included in this devotion are various forms of fasting, heightened prayer and daily scripture readings.
My very first day of Fiat90 began as a less than average one. Since the birth of our daughter, I have struggled intermittently with nursing, becoming painfully sore at times. With her first two teeth poking through the gums, this was one of those times. She’s also had some slight sleep regression lately, likely due to her teething discomfort and on top of these mommy troubles, our kitchen sink backed up the evening before Fiat90 was to begin. This made it impossible to do the dinner dishes piled high on the kitchen counter. I was dragging a bit when I sat down to do my Fiat90 readings for the first time. Baby girl decided this was the perfect opportunity to enjoy the mommy jungle gym and kept climbing over my lap, not at all pleased that my attention was temporarily diverted. This was as adorable as it was distracting.
However, when I reached the rosary portion of the prayers, her energy changed completely. She stilled, no longer pulling at my shirt and dragging herself across my knees. She became totally enthralled with my St. Anthony rosary as I worked the beads through my fingers. She was perfectly content to hold the other end gently in her tiny hands as I recited each prayer, seeming to understand that this sacramental was not a chew toy like nearly everything else she touches these days. All my cares from that day and the previous evening fell away as I watched my daughter calmly examine the rosary, exploring it with soft, delicate baby fingers.
Colorado Blues
When out for a stroll in the Colorado mountains, it’s impossible to be blue with brilliant skies and views like this. Walks like this with my parents were a welcome blessing this year.
A Date With My Man
Over the past year I have generally allowed myself to bask in the joys of motherhood, simply being present and attentive to every giggle and cry from our daughter. I truly love caring for her and filling my days with all things baby related. For the first six months of her life this was as necessary as it was enjoyable. We are turning yet another page in our story. Baby girl is sitting up on her own and even starting to stand. She’s nearly figured out how to crawl and is now content to entertain herself for a few minutes at a time. Through this growing and learning, my husband has patiently accepted my single mindedness without complaint, happy to know that our needy newborn was being tended by her mother.
Although being singularly focused on our daughter’s care and well being has been an incredible blessing, I was recently reminded of the need for attention among my other relationships as well. In short, it was high time for a day out to reconnect with that rockstar hubby of mine. We are both thrilled to death that I get to be home with our daughter but even in this it is still occasionally necessary to take a break and enjoy a date with the wonderful man I married. My parents were only too happy to give us such an opportunity during our Christmas vacation to Colorado. They sent us out for the morning with two tickets to the Iron Mountain Hot Springs while they savored some long awaited bonding time with their new granddaughter. We spent several relaxing hours soaking in the mineral pools and drinking in views of the river and mountains beside us.
The maintenance of our marriage with romantic outings like this seems like a no brainer. However, it’s a lesson I must force myself to relearn each and every time we leave baby girl at home. I would gladly spend every waking minute with her if I could, but I also love my husband. Any happily married person can attest to the fact that staying together and loving each other through thick and thin is a constant choice and sacrifice which requires thought and effort. They’re right of course. Our marriage, though still in the shiny honeymoon phase in spite of nearly four years together, is just as deserving of care and attention as our beautiful baby girl.
Glowing Glenwood Nights
There are many wonders to enjoy during the Christmas season in my childhood home and we were blessed to witness them this year despite an uncharacteristically dry Colorado Christmas. Even though there was no snow to augment the twinkling lights of the Hotel Colorado and the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool we made sure to stroll by both while we were in town. Glenwood lit in its’ seasonal glory was a first for my husband and baby though it certainly won’t be a last.
Sleep Training
After weeks of easy nap times in the crib, a few difficult days can zap mommy’s productivity. How easy it is to flit about the house accomplishing this and that while baby girl snores gently in her room. It’s on the bad days when she cries herself to sleep that I find it nearly impossible to tear my eyes away from the baby monitor. The mommy guilt is ever present as she wails alone.
Thankfully these are rare occurrences as the hubby and I have been blessed with a very good sleeper. We are determined to keep it that way and thus have resolved to train her to take naps in the crib. Of course, the schedule gets thrown off occasionally with appointments and errands throughout the day. Resetting back into the usual rhythm can take a few more days but blessedly, this little girl loves her naps and is generally happy to take her beauty sleep.
Home for Christmas
Although I am now an adopted Hoosier and happy to call Indiana home, I will never tire of returning to the place where I was raised and gazing up valley. This is a singular view which God continues to bless us with every time we visit.
Traveling for Christmas
Welcome back and Happy New Year to all! We reigned in the new year with the Solemnity of Mary while recuperating from a long journey. Our little family recently returned from our first ever Christmas adventure as three. We left the Shire-like fields of the Midwest in search of snowcapped mountains and family we haven’t seen in months. We spent the days leading up to Christmas playing tourist in my childhood home after an 18 hour drive across country with the little one. Though it was a big ask for our baby girl, still less than a year old, she was a trooper throughout the trip and was showered with love from her grandparents when we arrived. The hubby and I sent up countless prayers before and during this journey to Mary to intercede for our daughter and soothe her along the way. As usual, the Blessed Mother was listening. Although we didn’t see quite as much snow as we were hoping to or have as many hiking opportunities as we’re accustomed to, this Christmas vacation to Colorado was a wonderful blessing which I’ll be talking more about in the coming weeks. For now, I pray everyone had a holy and happy Christmas.
Blessed in the Midwest 