Telling the kids

I found this old video of when we told the kids we were expecting this new baby. It is crazy to me that we are almost there. We were saying prayers and John hinted at our news for about a minute.

Once they understood what he was saying (around 1:11) is just adorable. I will remember Rose most this night. She can be seen (around 1:43) and her eyes were filled with tears.

My mom tells me that I reacted this way every time she told me she was expecting. Those were my best childhood memories! (I am the second oldest of 10). I remember with one of my siblings going down the phone book of our small town and calling anybody I knew and telling them my mom was pregnant. I called a farmer I knew just from seeing him at mass to tell him.

I LOVED each and every time she was pregnant. I am so glad our children react with such joy at new life. When my sister, Kathryn, was born and my dad called home to tell us the news. I hung up the phone and literally ran up to the hospital on foot. I remember standing in the nursery window crying when I saw her for the first time. A nurse came by and reassured me that everything was alright. I told her, "I am crying out of happiness."

To this day, my mother always thanks me for being so excited for her. I now understand what she was saying. John and I are blessed on both sides of our family that when we announce the great news of a new baby our families literally throw you a party. His parents really did for this baby. His mother made a huge meal and a cake to celebrate our seventh child. Every time I see John's dad, he always asks me how I am feeling, if the baby is moving a lot, and how many weeks I am. He always reassures me that he is praying for me every day. What a gift they are! My mother corresponds with a Carmelite order of nuns in New York. In this order, there are a total of 10 nuns. Each nun has spiritually adopted each of my ten siblings. My mom immediately writes them asking for prayers for our new child.

What a great way to spread the culture of life! John and I always say that we want more than anything to give this gift to our children, to our families, and to our friends. I feel in my heart that there is no greater news that the announcement of a new person entering this world. SOMEONE that NO ONE has never, ever met before.

Baby Guessing Game 2012

We polled our children to see what they predict their new sibling will be and what we should name him or her.

Papa-(age 20)-"I think by the looks of your pupils it is boyish...although I think it is a girl. We should name her Catherine Damaris. I think she will be born April 9th."

Mama-(age 21)-"I think Girl. Although everybody in America tells me I look like a boy. I wonder if they mean I, as in myself, look like a boy or if my round stomach looks like a boy. Hopefully, the later. I was getting my traditional pre-baby pedicure last night and all 45 Vietnamese ladies at the shop grabbed my stomach and said many things in Vietnamese and I heard "Boy" at the end followed by excessive giggling."

Dominic (age 10)-"I think the baby is a boy and I would love to have a brother named Richard, no, no, Abraham. I think he will be born April 5th."

Lillie (age 7)-"I think the baby is a girl. We should name her Helena, Genevieve, or Gartella. I think she will be born April 5th."

Rose (age 6)-"I think the baby is a girl. We should name her Helena, Sophie, or Catherine. I think she will be born the 9th."

Zellie (age 4)-"I want the baby to be a girl. I want her to be named Zellie. I think she will be born in June."

Vianney (age 3)-"Ummm...Ummm...a boy. Ummm...We should name him "You". ???

Clairvaux (age 20 months)-"Bebe"

34 weeks with baby #7

I can hardly believe we are so close to meeting our new baby. This pregnancy has been on warp speed. It is crazy to think in 6 weeks we will be holding someone new. Most of the residents in our home think this new baby is a girl, but as of late I've had a lot of people telling me that I "look" like I'm having a boy. Can we have six girls in a row? We have several names we like for both so that won't be much of issue.

I found this post when I was 34 weeks pregnant with Clairvaux. I guess I like stripes at this stage in the game. I feel like I look different and bigger than when I was pregnant with Clairvaux. I like fat babies a lot.


My actual due date is April 9th which is the day after Easter. For some reason, this due date makes me happy. Easter is always such a joyful time and I can think of nothing better than holding our new baby.

Our newest gift

How do I feel about being pregnant? Well, if you know me, you can answer that question, but if you don't and if you are my children reading this in 40 years let me tell you.

To me, I could shout from the roof tops with JOY. I could tell strangers in the supermarket "We just found out we are expecting a baby!" (I have).
"Is this your first?", they might ask. NO, it is my seventh and we are so very grateful. And we are.

"Was this baby planned?" My YES!, by God.




Our fertility is something that we will never, ever take for granted nor the gift of each child to our family. It is something that is quite puzzling to me in speaking with so many women. I think most assume fertility will and ALWAYS will come easily to them. We need to realize it is our greatest gift as a woman. God did not give that gift to men. Only to women. AND it is not a given.




Oh, but you already have six, you must be use to this.

To which I reply, "I have never had THIS baby before and I can't wait to see who God decided to give us this time."

A whole new face, a whole new soul, a whole new personality. A whole person that God willing will join us for all eternity in heaven.




You see, children are the ONLY gift we can give GOD that He doesn't have. Let me say that again, God does not need anything because He has everything and is everything, BUT He did not have THIS child, this soul. He gave John and I the free will to say "YES, we are open to LIFE." Slowly think about the concept. What a daunting privilege!
We will give you the greatest gift as a small token of our LOVE for you. It is the greatest gift because it is the only thing on this earth that is eternal. We can do great acts of love in other forms, but a SOUL and the workings of it is the greatest act of love because it brings the human nature to its greatest extreme and greatest potential-continual self-denial and death of SELF.



We must use our fertility wisely and see it as a gift. A gift to God. It is a gift in marriage, but ultimately it is our gift to God. Plain and simple. I asked John's wise mother once a child-rearing question and she replied, "We must realize we have very little control, very little control."



If I trust God on the opposite end of the life spectrum (death), I must trust him at the beginning of the life spectrum (conception). As we cannot plan our deaths, Can we plan our beginnings? If a parent loses a child in an accident, it is debilitating. The loss is tragic. We must see the seriousness on the other end of the spectrum on the begetting of life. We are NOT in control. God is in control. To John and I, THIS is left up to the good God who sees all in our lives and knows what we need and what we don't need.




Our child "planning" motto can be found in the gospel of Luke "'Behold the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done unto me according to thy word.' And with that the Angel left her" (Lk. 1:36-38). ...





At our wedding, we were asked the following question to which we responded "YES."

"Will you accept children lovingly from God, and bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church?"

"Yes Lord, we will accept children lovingly from You."




So to you my dear little one as your mother, I couldn't have been more excited to find out you were on your way. I know that a time will come that I will never be pregnant again, so for this season of my life, I strongly embrace it with both arms. I could only beg God to let me see your face and know who you are. I have said this before, but the moment I see those two pink lines, a small part of me has already changed. I know that at this moment, only God and I know of your existence.

It is as if He hugged me and said, "Thank You!" Thank you for this gift that I didn't have.