Mama-luia

There is a delicate balance of so many factors that go into choosing a name for one's child. It's very humbling as I realize how much one's name shapes his or her personality. A name like Fred for a boy would be so different than say, Tyson. Or how about Augusta vs. Brittany? (No, none of these are on the table, in case you were wondering.) We want saint or Biblical names for our children, but that really doesn't narrow the field down very much. I also would like a name that is relatively easy to spell and pronounce, so our children don't spend the rest of their lives enduring their names being butchered. Other than that, we have a plethora of options lying before us. Thankfully, I don't feel an urgent deadline, as we do have twelve weeks left til my due date, and if this Baby is anything like Noah, he or she will shoot our name choices out of the water as soon as we behold Baby's unique personhood. We will continue to deliberate until Wee One ar...

I am feeling abundantly blessed lately, but not particularly deep. Is this Baby Brain? Here are just a handful of blessings and little reasons for joy I have been experiencing lately: A new niece, healthy, sweet and beautiful. Keep your eyes peeled for my sister to blog about her birth soon. I know you'll want to see photos of this gorgeous child! Grapefruits. Really, I can't think of a better bedtime snack. A little boy developing a new love for baking. "Mama? Hep?" (= "Mommy? Can I help?" Sigh. Of course , my dear!) The fact that the theme song from Civilization IV (which my husband is now campaigning to go get! Ha! I married a closet Gamer!) won a Grammy. That alone is odd and yet fun. And the words, my friends, are the Our Father in Swahili! But in all seriousness, play this song , and dance. Or at least, feel dance-y. The lengthening days. Oh, eating supper in daylight! A beautiful little sign of hope! Making tasty whole wheat pretze...

Just yesterday, Patrick and I were telling Noah he would be two soon, and he could have a party. We asked him, "Who would you like to invite?" Without hesitation, his answer was "TooToo!" This is his adorable 22 month old way of saying "Father Toochukwu" who is our pastor. (Incidentally, Father's name means "Praise God" in Ibi, his native Nigerian language. If you have ever met this extraordinarily joyful man, you'd know how appropriate this is!) I love that at less than two years old, our son already has a real love for priests in his life. Of course, it helps that he has met such wonderful priests already. The Companions of the Cross, our friend Father Hattie, and now Father Toochukwu -- all prayerful, joyful and earnestly love and appreciate children. I want to continue to foster this appreciation for priests in him. I think it will only help him to appreciate the work they do -- most especially, performing the...

My heart has been heavy all day. I have been carrying the memory of two beautiful souls with me, and feeling anguish as I recalled the tragic way they left this world. My heart breaks when I remember . . . Janine's wake, when her father gave the most heart-breaking eulogy that had the entire packed-to-overflowing church sobbing uncontrollably. . . . seeing the equally packed-to-overflowing church at Paul's funeral all singing "Blessed Be the Name of the Lord". Many had their arms outstretched and many, many tears were shed. ("You give and take away, my heart will choose to say, 'Lord blessed be Your name'.") . . . the solemn faces of their classmates in complete shock the morning we found out about the tragedy . . . being home alone when I received the news they had found their bodies. . . . having Paul's parents hug me and console me at his wake. They remembered me, he had told them about me -- the funny girl from his road trip t...