Searing kidney pain, accompanied by nausea and complete inability to keep even liquids down brought me to the emergency room this week, accompanied by my husband and nursing baby. I knew it was a kidney stone; I've dealt with them before. I didn't realize what a conversation starter the baby would be, though!

Weight Gain, Nature Study, Sacraments, and Easter Baskets {7QT}

Happy Spring! We've waited through a loooong winter and it's finally here!

9/52: Baptized!

Lucy's Birth Story

It all started strikingly similar to Edith's birth—I woke up after midnight to go to the bathroom, kept an eye on the clock when I had more contractions than usual, and downloaded a contraction timer app when I realized the contractions weren't going away. I figured either things would stop within an hour or two, or else we'd have a baby by morning.

Well. Wrong.

Ten on Tuesday {Volume 2}

This post brought to you by phone blogging, since morning sickness still hasn't disappeared, so I'm doing lots of lying in bed...

Small House Living, Standardized Testing, and Belly Banishers (7QT}

 We live in a 3-bedroom house. With 6 kids. It should probably feel tighter than it is, and it actually *does* start to feel pretty tight during the winter when I can't get the kids outside as often as I'd like. But people have asked how we make it work, so here's how!

Taming the Grumpy Baby's Tummy

This post is sponsored by Happy Family Yogurt but the content and opinions expressed are my own.

Edith has never been the happiest baby in the world, despite her appearance in pictures. She's very... particular. She likes to be held all the time. But only facing outward. She likes to read books. But SHE has to be the one to turn pages, throwing the book to the floor when she's done (and screaming for you to pick it up again). The list could go on and on.

A couple of months ago, though, she turned even grumpier. I didn't think it was possible.

No teeth on the horizon, her sleep was about the same as usual (meaning, still bad), and she wasn't on the verge of any new milestones (unless you count the walking she refuses to even attempt, despite being capable).

Ah, though, every time she needed to go #2?

TRAGEDY.

My Sunday Best, Volume 58: Picking My Battles (and Sister Pictures)

Happy Trinity Sunday! It was super-hot today, so we dressed as lightly as we could... I had pulled out a hand-me-down dress for Edith and decided to put her in it for Mass, and then remembered that I have pictures of all three older girls wearing that same dress, sitting in the same chair. Just in case you've been wondering who looks like whom, we have...

Edith's Birth Story

We begin this story on Saturday morning, November 26. I had been pregnant for approximately a million years and was 4 days past my due date. Now, this wouldn't seem so bad considering the latest I'd ever gone before was 5 days late. 

BUT.

When we found out about Edith's lung issues, the MFM specialist said we'd probably induce around 39 weeks. So I was planning on no longer being pregnant by mid-November. Which makes that extra almost-two-weeks unbearably long.

Anyway. Saturday. I started losing my mucus plug and was convinced labor was imminent, despite not being entirely sure how that all had played out with previous children... I WAS SO PREGNANT. CLEARLY I MUST BE DONE!

So I told Andrew that we'd probably be having the baby that day, holed up in the dark bedroom with the labor ball and my kindle, and waited for things to start. Andrew even sent the kids to my mom's house (in our back yard, so not exactly a huge hardship) for a while so that he could be there helping but...

Nothing.

However, Andrew *did* head to 7-11 to procure a giant bag of ice and the biggest cup ever (seriously, it held maybe a gallon of liquid?), which was an immense help when labor actually did begin.

So pizza was ordered for dinner, much grumbling was done by me (it hurt so badly to walk! The baby was looooow and I was soooo uncomfortable!), and we went to bed hoping that things would start up overnight.

Nope.

Baby News for the Excessively Nosy

Well no, I don't think you're nosy... But I really did leave you hanging with some vague "it's okay-ish" updates after our marathon day at the hospital, and since we met with the MFM specialist again this morning and have more answers, I figure I might as well use my "kids are eating crackers at my mom's house while I try to keep things quiet so Peter goes to sleep" time and hammer out a quick update. 

Maybe a Miracle?

We had our first ultrasound this pregnancy about a month ago. We brought the two older kids, because they got to come with us to see Peter's ultrasound and thought it was really cool. And we've never had any health issues with any of our babies, so I guess we just assumed we were invincible?

Apparently not.

Verdict: really stinkin' cute 💗💗💗

A photo posted by Rosie Hill (@rosiehill425) on Sep 7, 2016 at 9:18am PDT

Let's Play the {Baby} Name Game!

"But wait!" You say, as I crowdsource for baby name possibilities, "There's a blog for that!"

Yes, yes there is. And I kept thinking, "I should email Kate and see if she has any ideas, because we're at a total standstill in the baby naming process right now."

And THEN she goes and has a real life and has to close consultations just when I need her the most!!! This is what I get for procrastinating, because I knew I was going to have a write a really long, ridiculously specific email and... I didn't want to.

So instead, you get a really long, ridiculously specific blog post and YOU get to help us come up with baby name possibilities for Andrew to shoot down!

Aren't you excited???

A Tale of Two Babies {7QT}

--1--

There aren't many times when having twins is easier than having one baby. But one really nice thing about Mary Claire and Elizabeth was that they would sit and play together starting from a pretty early age. 

Peter sitting and playing by himself? Not so much.

But a couple months ago he and Margaret (Cristina's little girl) both reached that wondrous stage where they could both sit in each other's immediate vicinity and not fall over! 

Margaret is a month older than Peter, so I think they were almost 8 months and almost 9 months here

And they discovered a wonderful game.

Which Margaret wasn't sure about, but Peter pressed on!

--2--

It was an exercise in curiosity...

And the sharpness of new teeth...

--3--

And in persistence!

--4--

And really, it was such fun!

--5--

Until someone got a little *too* persistent...

--6--

At which point poor Margaret's ladylike sensibilities weren't having it anymore!

--7--

So the big kids' insistence that "Margaret and Peter go very well together" was finally realized! 

I'm blogging every day this month!  Feel free to follow along using the buttons on the sidebar or on the bottom of the screen, if you're reading via your phone!

Linking up with the lovely Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum!

The Baby Who Doesn't Sleep

Why isn't there a Patron Saint for parents whose kids refuse to sleep?

There's gotta be one, right? I find myself invoking St. Elizabeth, St. Ann, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Monica, St. Gianna, really any saint I can think of who's ever had kids. Mine are not children who fall asleep easily.

Sometimes I wonder if it's because God knows I *need* that downtime to be forced into silent prayer, to meditate on my day and my needs and my gratitude even though those prayers very often degenerate into "Thank you Jesus for our home and after I finally get this baby to sleep I need to run that load in the dishwasher and switch the laundry to the dryer and then John Paul seems to have disappeared and hasn't done any of his schoolwork for the day and I wonder when we'll be able to cut that board to make shelving for the kitchen..."

Meanwhile the baby is nursing and his eyelids are fluttering but somehow after 5 children the slooooow slipping away and rolling off the bed eludes me some days, for who knows what reason. I pull away and his head pops up and I sigh and get back to nursing him, hoping that the twins don't manage to find that purple Sharpie *again* and mark up the white cabinets in the kitchen.



And even the prospect of getting him down for a nap away from me is a new one - nursing naps on the couch have been the norm for months, so there I sat glued to the cushions, halfheartedly parenting from my perch but mostly just perfecting my angry voice without waking the baby. His sweaty head nestled in my elbow, cheeks pink, chubby thighs thanks to that extra serving of ice cream (HIS chubby thighs, not mine...) - there's nothing like it, but what I wouldn't give to put him down for half a second so I can pee.



But goodness, when he *does* fall asleep?

Well, I've become one of those parents who stares creepily at their sleeping children. And takes pictures. Because that rumpled bedhead, those fat little feet, that belly peeking out of the sweatsuit...

He's inconvenient, this baby. But he's also immeasurably precious. And after all that hard work it takes to finally get him to sleep, the reward is so much greater to hear those tiny snores, the deep breaths, to see the stretched out tiny body that manages to take up 3/4 of a king-sized bed.

I swore off co-sleeping this time around (I think I do every time - it's NICE having a big old bed with nobody in it but your husband!), and he's still in our bed all night long. The crib isn't even set up. John Paul was like this too, and I know it doesn't last forever... But I wouldn't mind having the bed to ourselves again. 

Someday he'll sleep. For now I'll give him the extra snuggles and hold him close and try to pray my imperfect, distracted prayers with this reminder to be still.

The Favorite Sister?

Sometimes I wonder if the novelty of Peter has worn off... Nobody's jockeying for his attention anymore now that he's mobile, mostly they're trying to keep him from eating their various books and chokeable treasures. 

But Mary Claire still acts like every time she sees him again is the FIRST time!

"PEEEEEE-der!!! Can I give him a hug and a kiss? And say 'Ip, Pih-bip?' (Her nickname for him) Can I mush him? And say 'Peter WHAT are you doin'?' And I kiss him and he give me a WET kiss?"

She makes him laugh SO hard. Usually whatever it is is incredibly annoying to me until I see how much Peter absolutely adores it. 

Of course, she also thinks it's hilarious to try to ride him when he's crawling. And she runs up to him "mushes" his cheeks until he MUST be in pain.

Lately I can't leave them alone to play together anymore because I'll hear him inevitably cry and run to find that she's pinched him.

"DO NOT pinch the baby!"

"Um, I di'nt pinch him, I 'nidded' him!"

Not a thing.

Or I find his head covered with saliva, because she practiced her spitting skills right over his hair.

It really is nice to see how much these two have bonded, though - the twins have their special twin thing going on and I really wondered where Peter would fit in with all the other kids. I think they still like him!

Perfect Sandals and Baby Updates {WIWS}

This morning was one of those don't-have-time-to-iron-throw-something-on Sunday mornings. Jersey dress to the rescue! Cecilia did NOT wear that to Mass, but she found it afterwards in a bag of consignment store finds, and HAD to change her outfit into this "nightgown dress."

Those sandals are new though; after MONTHS of scouring the internet for a new pair of sandals (and I pretty much just wanted the exact same pair I had before because they were so comfortable), I searched on Amazon and found...

The exact same pair.

In multiple colors.

And way cheaper than I expected.

So I clickety-clicked and $30 and two days later, my new mint sandals arrived!

Seriously, if you need the perfect sandal, these hold up REALLY well, are incredibly comfortable, and come in a million colors and sizes!

This adorable guy has his two bottom teeth! They were hard-won, with many weeks of inexplicable fussiness before they finally broke through (I'm pretty good at babies, but I can NEVER tell when they're teething - he was drooly for MONTHS and those gums look exactly the same to me until the first tooth actually breaks...).

Of course, he's still rather fussy now that the teeth are in. And still won't sleep unless he's nursing and/or wedged in my armpit or Andrew's.

It's funny because he's rather high-maintenance but still gives HUGE smiles to anyone he sees even if he's in a miserable mood, so he seems like a happy, cheerful baby! At least there's only one of him.

He's making forward progress with his crawling/scooting, but only if he REALLY wants something - generally a ball or a shoe (proving my hypothesis that babies are essentially puppies).

He *can* sit up but would much rather try to crawl because sitting is boring.

His hair seems to be staying reddish!

And he's so spoiled by his older siblings, who just want to play with him ALL the time (and snatch his toys, unfortunately...).

Happy Father's Day to all of you & your families!

Linking up with Fine Linen & Purple for What I Wore Sunday.

Painted Nails, Backwards Babies, and MORE Parenting Advice {7QT}

--1--

I may have hit a blogging groove!

Well, okay, probably not... But I'm blogging for the fourth time this week!  So if you only check in via Kelly's link-up, here's what you've missed:

When Blogging Worlds Collide - That time I hung out with some Catholic blogging superstars in my back yard

Spring Style Thoughts - In which I take a bunch of dressing room selfies at Old Navy

What They Said, Volume 17 - Because my kids are the only ones on the internet who say funny things?

What I Wore Pentecost Sunday

My Number One Parenting Tip - this one ended up getting a TON of views, so clearly I should blog more about parenting because I'm a total expert! #sarcasm

And I linked up with Blessed is She for a writing prompt On Finding Joy

--2--

Whew. That's a lot. Sorry.

--3--

I'll just photo dump a bit to make up for it:

I asked John Paul to play with Peter while I got the twins to bed, and returned to see him reading to the baby and trying to teach him how to crawl.

It was adorable. And he still only goes backwards, but he can pivot too so he's all over the place!

But mostly under the couch, and seeking out various tasty bits of lint from the floor.

--4--

Andrew took John Paul out on Monday morning, so I gave the girls the FASTEST mani-pedis ever.

Some of the polish is still on their fingers and toes, and it's adorable and they love it!

I just love their chubby little fingers :)

 --5--

I came upstairs after getting Peter to bed and found everyone crowded around Andrew on the couch while he drew various things. I think my favorite part is the fact that the twins were very seriously reading John Paul's chess book.

We got it for 50 cents at the library used book sale and he is OBSESSED. Too bad we don't have a chess set...

--6--

Gratuitous baby pictures:

Grilled chicken & homemade pita as dinner options and he chose... The bowl.  Actually, once he dropped the bowl on the floor he LOVED the chicken and the pita and stayed in the high chair for like, 30 minutes just sucking on them!

Overalls. Cutest.

--7--

Have you listened to Amy & Michelle's new podcast, Little House Mothering? I'm so excited! And waiting for them to interview me on my homemaking expertise, like how to keep a toddler from pulling all the seedlings out of the garden (spray her with the hose) and how to keep twins from taking off their underwear to "wash" it in the water table (never let them go outside/never let them wear clothes).

Parenting. Nailed it.

Linking up with Kelly for 7 Quick Takes! Happy Weekend!

My Number One Parenting Tip

I've been parenting for a while now, and while I don't usually toot my own horn about this sort of thing... I've gotten pretty good at babies. 

After 5 in 5.5 years (including twins), you can't help BUT be good at babies!

So I get a fair amount of questions asking for baby advice, and while I try my best to be helpful, when it comes down to it all babies are different (even my own! Even the ones born within 11 minutes of each other!) and there's just no one-size fits all parenting advice I can offer!

Except one thing...

Wait a few weeks.

That's it.

Baby sleeps all the time? Barely stays awake long enough to stay latched, then falls asleep nursing and nurses all day long?

Wait a few weeks! He'll be looking around, checking stuff out, and you'll miss those hours and hours when you could just sit snuggling the  baby and reading a book!

Baby insists on staying up until the wee hours of the morning, causing you in your sleep-deprived state to have a little fun at the baby's expense? Prime party hours!

Wait a few weeks, and baby will have the whole day vs. night thing sorted out. And you'll have some awesome pictures to blackmail her with in the future.

Baby is constantly pulling up on the furniture, then falling immediately and bashing her head, no matter how strategically you place the pillows around her?

Wait a few weeks! Her balance will improve, the pillows will be unnecessary, and the bruises will fade.

Baby insists on spending every waking moment being walked around the house, causing you to have a permanent hunch in your back from the constant bending?

Wait a few weeks! She'll be running. And so will you.

I can chalk up the majority of baby "issues" to teething, growth spurts, or that's just how the baby is at this stage. Sure, sometimes there are more serious issues that ping your mom radar, and you work with friends and doctors to get those settled. 

But most of the time? It's just a matter of waiting a few weeks and letting things sort themselves out.

Mary's Mantle is a home for homeless expectant mothers in the Detroit, Michigan area; Rakhi gives a beautiful description here, and they need your help! 

The mothers who come to reside at Mary’s Mantle come from all walks of life. Some are recovering addicts, some are recovering from the scars of past abortion, some have been prostitutes, some have been in pornography, some have been victims of domestic violence, some come from the churches in our neighborhoods, most have damaged relationships with their families, and all have been broken by abuse, whether emotional or physical. The time they spend in residence is designed to heal and restore them. While our staff work with them to address the causes and symptoms of their homelessness (job training, housing searches, education, therapy, etc.), the greatest work done is to teach them about the love of God, help them to begin healing, and provide an example of how to be faithful mothers so they can break the cycle of abuse. 

After renting for years, they were able to purchase a permanent home for their ministry, but have experienced financial setbacks in the moving process. Can you spare $5, $10, or more to help these courageous mothers who have chosen life for their babies against all odds?

You can support them directly through their website or you can donate through their GoFundMe page. Here's some extra information about their finances just so you know you're not giving money anywhere sketchy. 

Even if you can't support them financially, please pray for the families Mary's Mantle serves, and the staff and volunteers who are devoting their time to helping those in need!