7 Quick Takes, Volume 29

{story of a soul, condensed}

Visit Jen at Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

{1} Please say some prayers for my grandfather, who had a stroke about a week ago.  Thanks be to God, he is recovering very well and doesn't seem to have been affected too much physically or mentally, but there are still questions to be decided about a future surgery and some other measures.  Thank you so much!

{2} I'm so looking forward to a weekend of nesting!  I feel like we've been so busy lately, but I can't ignore this sneaking feeling that our baby is going to come a little early before we even have a place for him to sleep or any tiny clothes washed for him.  Andrew and I went shopping for a few things this week, and after two incredibly generous baby showers, we are close to having all of the basics covered, but everything's still in boxes and I still need to order a few of the big things like diapers and whatnot.  We are so anxious to meet our sweet little guy!  Preparedly, of course...

Very anxious indeed.

{3} We're also going apple picking, a family tradition, this weekend!  You know those two showers?  The setup for one of them was that we were going on our orchard trip, only, Andrew and his brothers kept giving me wayyy more details than normal about where to pick everyone up and when to get there and I have to admit I was a little suspish.  But, surprise-revealed or not, it was still such a wonderful afternoon with both of our families, and I've been so amazed at the love and generosity people have for a little baby who's not even born yet.  The other shower was thrown by my friends and sisters-in-law, and it really was a huge surprise--I'd thought Andrew and I were going on a double date with my siblings-in-law for Mediterranean food, which is always enough to get this homebody out of the house and on a date, only to be surprised at the door!  So, so thankful.

{4}  I can't stop with the baby fever takes (I'm wracking my brain for a Bieber joke and am coming up short)...on the subject of preparedness, any advice from you mamas on unexpected items to make sure I bring to the hospital?  I've been reading things here and there and making a list, but I'd love to know if there's anything you found extra comfy or anything you wished you'd brought along, beyond the typical PJ's-camera-birth plan-Gatorade front.

{5} Blog posts telling Robin Thicke to man up are kind of old news now, I realize, but my friend Angie shared this article recently, in which the language from "Blurred Lines" is compared to the language of sexual violence, that really struck at my heart.  Read it.  

{6} Clearly I have my priorities straight...if my baby were to be born tomorrow, he'd have bare buns and no bed, but at least I could record all of it--we've been saving up for a DSLR camera for almost a year, and I pulled the trigger a few weeks ago.  I love it so far and have been trying to read as much as I can.   It was really important to me (and to my ever thrifty husband) that if we splurged on a fancier camera, we learned over time how to use it to its full capabilities beyond the Automatic modes; it didn't make sense to us to get something expensive and very adaptable and then use it the same way we would a regular point and shoot.  That said, I'm a very eager student right now!  This site has been an awesome resource, but I've been a little overwhelmed trying to find other tutorials or books.  Any recommendations?

{7} Also in the interesting articles category, did you read this one about why parents shouldn't send their daughters to college?  All due respect to the Catholic family ministry that published it, but I found the article incredibly presumptuous, negative, and full of logical fallacies.  A few days afterwards, I found myself really enjoying Haley's response, as well as this post from the National Catholic Register, by a stay at home mom who went to Princeton.  Thoughts? 

Off I go to pick apples and feather our nest.  Have a wonderful weekend; let me know what you're up to!