In light of the comment left by “AnnieMouse” on this post, I’ve decided to share it, and my response to it, in the post. Hi AnnieMouse (I’d love to call you by your name, but since I don’t know who you are, I guess this will have to do), Thanks for your comment. In order to best respond to it, I have copied it in its entirety into this email, in italics: my responses, in bold. I want to preface... Read more
Modeling the FuzziBunz in Grape I’ve been meaning to do a post on our experience with cloth diapering, but with all the insanity over here, I haven’t gotten around to it. Until now! Maggie napped off and on this morning until 11, ate, and then…just hung out. This is a baby that for the last two weeks has cried if while awake she’s not being held. I couldn’t put her down for more than ten minutes if she... Read more
This is a post that I do not want to write. This is the post that I’ve rehearsed a thousand times in my head, wondering how do I speak the truth so that I do not make you all turn away? This is brutal honesty, and is there anything more terrifying than that? I had a feeling that, despite my waiting, and despite how very much I wanted Maggie, that motherhood would not come easily to me. This sense of... Read more
*** 1 *** In case you aren’t friends with me on Facebook, I’m just going to come right out and tell you that today is my birthday. I’m 27. So I guess that means I’m in my “late twenties” now? Or would 28 be more “late twenties”? Who knows. *** 2 *** Tonight Atticus and I are having a baby-free date. Last Friday night we were baby-free, but that was because we were attending our friends’ wedding. I... Read more
again. I try really, really hard to avoid Church politics, which is actually not that hard most of the time, since, in some kind of miracle, I had been very blessed to have many friends who love the Church as much as I do. But every once in a while I see something that truly makes me want to bash my head against a wall crying, “Why God? Why?” Some theologians in Germany (not to be confused with *the* German... Read more
Betty had a wonderful post today asking everyone to talk about their wedding gowns. I just love hearing about the dresses that other women wore on their special day. I was so inspired I decided to post a few photos of from my wedding! I wore a satin A-line gown with ruching at the waist. The little bolero jacket was perfect for Mass. My favorite part of the outfit was the mantilla-veil I wore. It felt so elegant. This is... Read more
Miss Margaret Gianna was born six weeks ago today! Please enjoy a stirring photo montage. I call this her Thriller pose. Baby’s first Notre Dame shirt Look at that face! Read more
I used to write to a man on death row. I started writing to him when I was a junior in college, and I wrote to him every few months for about four years. His name is Vernon. While I was in college, I had the opportunity to visit the jail where he is incarcerated. I wrote this in 2005 after a visit to the prison. 401 East Madison St. From the smooth, cool, brown leather of the sofa I... Read more
*** 1 *** Ladies, what are you doing for Valentine’s Day? I know it falls on a Monday, so any festivities that take place during that weekend count. We’ve never been really big on V-day, but I think of it as a nice occasion to do something special for/with Atticus. We’re going to have a date at home (because, what else do you do with a six week old around?) and that will be nice. A bottle of wine, some... Read more
When I Am Asked by Lisel Mueller When I am asked how I began writing poems, I talk about the indifference of nature. It was soon after my mother died, a brilliant June day, everything blooming. I sat on a gray stone bench in a lovingly planted garden, but the day lilies were as deaf as the ears of drunken sleepers and the roses curved inward. Nothing was black or broken and not a leaf fell and the sun blared... Read more
Fumbling Toward Grace
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