pregnancy hormone weight loss drug | Small Catholic Family

pregnancy hormone weight loss drug

The other day while searching "small Catholic family" in hopes of finding some encouragement or advice about raising a small Catholic family, I came across The Catholic Family Handbook, written by Rev. George A. Kelly in 1959. The entire text is available online for free here. (I havent read it in its entirety so I cant vouch for its content.)

Here were a few snippets from the book that brought me some comfort so I thought Id share in case they brought comfort to others too:

"Although the first purpose of marriage is the procreation of children, Catholic couples will not necessarily have offspring. There may be many reasons why they cannot have babies or why they are limited to one or two. Some wives have difficulty in carrying a fetus to full term and have many miscarriages. Sometimes the husband or wife may be sterile-- unable to do his or her part in conceiving a new life. There may be mental, eugenical, economic or social reasons which make it justifiable to practice the rhythm method. The fact that a Catholic couple has no children, therefore, is no reason for concluding that they are guilty of any moral lapse."

__________

"Considerations for parents of small families. If you have but one or two children, you should try to create for them opportunities such as exist in larger families to develop their characters. In particular, you should discourage selfish tendencies--a natural hazard in the small family. Since you can concentrate all your attention upon your child, you may tend to worry about him to a greater extent and to bow to his whims more often than do parents of a large family. There is a natural danger, therefore, that he will become accustomed to having his own way and will not recognize that others have desires which should be accommodated too. 

In training an only child, it may help you to remember that self-denial is the virtue from which other virtues spring. You should therefore strongly resist the tendency to do everything for him and not permit him to want for anything. So that he may learn to get along with others, encourage him to cultivate friends. Invite them to your home where he will be the host and thus must exert himself to please them. 

Finally, give him the freedom to develop in his own way. You must control the impulse to worry unduly about every ailment, to stand guard over him at play, to check up constantly on his teachers to make sure that they are doing their job right. Such actions would betray a tendency to interfere abnormally in your childs affairs. Unless you avoid them you may find yourself ultimately trying to dictate where he should work and whom he should marry, and you will make it difficult for him ever to make decisions for himself."

It was incredibly affirming to me to see these included in a Catholic book for families...from 1959! I would love to see more resources for Catholic parents of small families - both in terms of spiritual encouragement and practical advice. Maybe there are resources like that out there already and I just dont know about them yet? 

a small faithful family indeed

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during pregnancy weight loss plan | Its My Favorite

during pregnancy weight loss plan

"Its My Favorite" 

 1. 

a new mini series of sweet moments 

Holding hands with Kael is my favorite. He will get a burst of energy and run ahead. In his minds eye, hes chasing a tiger or flying like Buzz Lightyear. But then, he will  stop in his tracks and reach out with a huge grin on his face (his grin slays me)  and asks to hold my hand. It never gets old. All of a sudden, time slows down and I can feel every part of myself soaking up the precious feelings of trust and tenderness. Watching my 2.5 year old toddler turn into a little boy has been the most amazing chapter of life that Samuel and I have experienced, so far. Last night, Samuel walked into the kitchen with tears in his eyes, after tucking in our  little Forest friend and said, "Gosh I love our sons, Jess... Kael, hes just so sweet." More tears well up in his eyes, with a smile that leaves my heart in a puddle. Those are the moments I live for. There are days of whining, frustration and tears, of course. But, I am overwhelmed with tidal waves of love and awe, as I watch this boy of ours lavish sweetness and the most sincere affection on our hearts.

 Kael, you can hold my hand forever.

Jess

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natural weight loss during pregnancy | Remember Windland

natural weight loss during pregnancy

I wrote this on July 8th. 

"The word "tradition" itself derives from the Latin tradere or traderer literally meaning to transmit, to hand over, to give for safekeeping. "

Today, it rained, then the sun came out. It rained again and once more, the sun decided to have the last act of the day, not much different than most days this month. But, July 8th is a day that will forever be noted on my calendar. It was the projected due date of my baby, Windland, that we lost a year and a half ago in a miscarriage. I wrote my heart about that time here and here.

I cried only once, maybe twice today. I realize that Ive come so far and grown so deeply. Ive grown  in love, in pain, in joy, in compassion, in questioning, in peace,  in empathy, in beauty, and in the raw realities of living. Ive lived in the darkest canyons of grief in the deepest ocean, craving water instead of air to fill my lungs and Ive been pulled up to the surface of the living, of light and oxygen and love. Cedar really was my rescuer. Hes been the sweetest of sweet joys that a soul could be, given to help comfort and heal. I cannot put into words the love and adoration that I feel towards this happy little boy.  In the same tone though, there is a piece of my heart that will always be missing and aching. I made sure that today, I did something to remember my little love that breezed by our lives a year and a half ago.

Recently, one of my closest friends lost her baby in a miscarriage. It was a tragic and devastating loss. While in the process of grieving with her,  I had a dream. I dont typically dream much. But, in this dream, I dreamed of a little girl with curls, like Kaels but a bit longer and lighter. She was around 2 years old, but was speaking more like a 5 year old. She was showing Cedar and Kael how to skip rocks on a creek bank. Almost being a little momma. All 3 of them were giggling. She turned around and smiled at me and I saw her face. She was mine. "Oh, youre my Windland!?" I said. She nodded and smiled,  then went back to playing as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I woke up. I didnt want to wake up. Whether that was a real dream or not, it comforted my soul immensely.

Creating beauty in the mundane and seeing the good in front of me, instead of only the awful is a driving part of me.  I like to think that this passion is in all of my children; a bit of my wild love for life and people, living and thriving in them.   I live to celebrate and to love. So, to pass by today with only tears, didnt seem natural to me. I had to do something. I thought to myself, Windland was and is my child, a small spirit that I want to blow a kiss to. A kiss with love and maybe somehow an embrace.   So, this afternoon as the boys played, I went outside and thought about the winds of love this baby created. My Windland wasnt a purposeless life. Theres something about making traditions, physically doing, saying or singing something that attaches the dreams, loves or aches of our heart to reality and something good, some kind of hope? I wanted Windland to have one. I needed to have one.

I let the day play out naturally, enjoying the boys and then I found myself outside, making a tiny little crown of greenery from the woods in our back yard. This is for her, I thought. Cedar came out with me for a  bit, playing with the leaves and curling vines. As I wove the stems together, I reflected on the time I had felt, before the pain, and tried to harness that joy and elation. Then, coming back inside the house, I sat down and wrote out her name, as beautifully as I could. It was a sweet moment, in the middle of the crazy, right before dinner time.  Each bend and curve of my pen felt sacred, somehow connecting me to her. I started off to scribble a little note on the other side of the paper when, what started off as a sweet letter, soon turned into a gentle tear and then into heart gushing, finishing with a settled soul and maybe even a smile.  In a way, it made me feel happy that I found my own tradition to celebrate the tiny heart that forever changed me.

For the short time my baby was here, Windlands  sweet breeze created beauty just by her presence. The wonder of winter turning into spring, heart break fading into love and disappointment evolving into hope is something I know. Cedar wouldnt have even been a possibility if I hadnt miscarried, seeing I got surprisingly pregnant with him 2 short weeks later. Cedar is my springtime, my love, my little hope that carries the gentle truth of redemption. Am I still sad? Yeah, I am. Can I imagine or think of life without my Cedar baby? Not even for a second. Thats the complicated reality of life and love, I suppose.


"Willow"
by: Songs of Water
We hung our harps on the willow tree, still the wind formed hands and plucked out its melodies. 
Our hearts rejoiced as if it were a dream, when the seeds of our tears became a field of wheat. 
Look what hes done, look what hes done for us. He turned our songless night into a symphony of praise.

http://www.reverbnation.com/songsofwater/song/5106298-willow

This was written by a friend of ours, who lost his best friend in an accident right before finding out he and his wife were pregnant with their first child.  The first verse is my favorite: "We hung our harps on the willow trees, still the wind formed hands and plucked out its melodies." The first half of that line is referencing Psalm 137:2, when the Jewish nation was forced out of their land to live captive, pretty much as slaves, in the land of the then current super power. They had lost all heart, joy and hope. "Hanging up your harps" was like "throwing in the towel." They were done with expecting good. The grief and heartbreak was too much.  The part saying, "Still the wind formed hands and plucked out its melodies..." Good lord. I listened to this song again, randomly after I had already named Windland and gotten pregnant with Cedar. I burst into tears when the words spilled over into my soul and the gently, haunting chorus filled up my car. Somehow, they were good tears. It comforted me. In some way, a song settled the confusion of my heart, as I was looking for a place to put my emotions. It gave word and tone to the meaning of my disillusioned state. My brain thinks in imagery so, it was the language I needed to hear.  Even in the sadness, my little breeze played a melody. A perfect little song, named Cedar.


As I am sitting here, writing the thoughts of today,  both of my boys are laughing and screaming as loud as they possibly can, as their daddy tickles and chases them around the living room. Cedar, the pure delight of my soul, goes from moods of happiness to frustration, as he realizes he cant run and jump like his big brother can, although hes walking. What? How did that happen?  Kaels curls are a glowing crown of wild, in the early evening light, and I want to kiss his chubby cheeks a thousand times over. Im soaking up this sweet moment, as if it were the last time my ears would ever again be able to hear the sound of joy. Soaking in the moment has become a gift that has been strengthened in my heart. The art of clinging to the good, pausing and acknowledging the beauty that is in front of me has become my moment by moment practice. Telling my children that I love them is my mantra, holding them to my heart is my physical prayer.  Life has taught and is teaching me this gift.


Today, Im remembering. Im remembering the joy of telling my best friends that I was pregnant, jumping around ChickFila like a crazy person. Im remembering the elation that I felt, when calling my friend Kristina in Florida, squealing on the phone and talking forever that night about this baby being redemption, after such a sad season. There was joy. Im remembering the look on Sams face and him instantly telling me girl names that he loved. I remember feeling Windlands goodness inside of my soul, at the kitchen sink and singing to her. I remember loving and dreaming. This is what Im remembering today.


Windland Sweetheart, 

You were and still are a beautiful dream. Our dream... my dream. 

I love you forever. 

Momma

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baby weight loss success stories | My Moms 60th

baby weight loss success stories

Last year I attempted to surprise my parents by going home with my brother for my dads 66th birthday. Unfortunately, my sister unknowingly spilled the beans and we arrived to happy, but not surprised parents.

This year my brother called me up to see if I wanted to go to our parents for my moms 60th birthday. Initially my reaction was, "Umm, I just had a baby Im not ready to travel yet." 

But the more I thought about it, I decided it would be fun to surprise my parents (for real this time) and to be there to celebrate moms 60th. It helped that both Jack and Isaac do well in the car.

On the drive to Arkansas, it took us 9 hours. This involved three stops (including picking up my brother in Nashville), driving through three intense thunderstorms and one construction site in West Memphis. Thankfully the boys were troopers. 

We arrived after my parents were in bed and somehow made it into the house without waking anyone up. The next morning Jack was up at 6am (uncharacteristic for him). I let him play games on my phone (on silent) until my parents were up.

It was worth the drive to see the look on my moms face when Jack ran down the hallway to say, "Happy Birthday!" to her. My folks had no idea we were there!

Jack had a blast on this visit – he ate blackberries that he helped pick straight from the garden, and he remembered getting to ride the little red wagon (he was 2 when we were last there!). 

He also got to ride around on the lawnmower (without a blade) with my dad and they spent time building lincoln logs together.

We had a lovely, though short, visit. We celebrated with our familys traditional pistachio birthday cake. We also had a blackberry cobbler – that Jack helped make.

In addition to celebrating my moms 60th birthday, we also celebrated my parents 39th anniversary and my grandmas 94th birthday. 

I am thankful that both of my boys have now met my grandma. It was amazing how much my grandma lit up whenever my boys came into her room to visit. She was over the moon about getting to hold Isaac. I think we really made her weekend.

Sunday morning we enjoyed homemade pancakes and another visit with my aunt and uncle. Hopefully next time my sister and her family can join us as well. They were definitely missed. 

Our trip home was slightly shorter – only 8 hours of driving, three stops, no construction, and no storms.

Until next time...

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hcg pregnancy weight loss | Ora et Labora Preparing for Birth

hcg pregnancy weight loss

Im 37 weeks pregnant. My midwife appointments are weekly now. Weve started to prepare in earnest for the arrival of baby - washing the last of the newborn clothes and blankets, setting up the crib, and organizing cloth diapers. The birth center where I hopefully will deliver the baby requests that I pack my bags by 37 weeks, which has got me thinking about the impending labor and birth.

Ive never been one to worry about or dread labor. I was perfectly calm and confident going into the birth of my first child. Im sure much of that calmness came from naivete but I also trusted my body. Everything went smoothly and I have nothing but good memories of my first birth experience. Its not that it wasnt painful. It was. Or that it wasnt hard work. It was. Its just that everything went exactly how nature intended. It was a beautiful birth experience and didnt leave me with any reason to dread future labors or births. (You can read Lucias birth story here.)

Im not anxious about the physical aspects of birth this time either. Though multiple miscarriages shattered the confidence I had in my bodys ability to protect and nurture my child in the womb, I have no reason to believe that my body isnt fully capable of giving birth. I am, however, quite apprehensive about the emotional aspects of birth.

After my first miscarriage, when I was very early along with our third child (who would not long after become our second loss), I attended a friends birth. It was a lovely, beautiful birth and I was very honored to be a part of it. But, it was also very emotionally traumatizing. After the birth, I sobbed for twelve hours straight. Seeing that birth, perhaps especially because it was so beautiful, reminded me of what I would never have the with the child I lost. I would never be able to labor to bring him forth into this world. I would never get to hold him or touch him or see what he looked like. It wasnt until watching that birth that I realized how much we had truly lost. We lost a whole lifetime with our child and just the thought of missing that very first snippet of that life - just the pregnancy, labor and birth - was overwhelming in itself.

Many people have commented on how healing this pregnancy and the upcoming birth must be for me. That hasnt been my experience so far. Im hoping that the birth will be healing, but Im also preparing myself for the very feasible possibility that it will be the opposite, or most likely a combination of both. Every milestone and notable moment of this pregnancy that would have otherwise brought great joy has instead brought grief, reminding me of what I will never be able to experience with four of my children. I have wanted so badly to focus on the joy and these moments with this child instead of the lost moments with our other children. I desire so greatly to just be able to enjoy the present, but I feel constantly haunted by the past. Its not for lack of trying, but I just cant seem to find a way to consciously make it happen.

When I think about what I want from my upcoming birth, all I want is to be able to bond with my baby and focus on the beauty of his birth without it being completely overshadowed by the pain of previous losses. I know there is no way to completely block out the grief, pain, or memories of our other children, I just dont want those emotions to be the dominant ones. I dont want to look back on our childs birth and only remember the trauma and pain. After all, this birth is not about me but about my child and I dont want my babys entry into this world to be completely obscured by the death of his siblings. My child deserves to be recognized and acknowledged for his individual blessings and beauty to this world, and to have his birth be a joyful event all its own. 

Aside from packing my bag (which I still havent done...) with items to take care of my physical needs during and after birth, Im also preparing in various ways for the emotional aspects of birth. Heres how:

First and foremost, prayer. Im especially leaning on the prayers of others. A dear friend (and babys future godmother) gave me a lovely baby blessing and sprinkle this past weekend and the prayers of the friends that came mean so very much for me. In addition to offering prayers for me there, each woman gave a bead that will become a bracelet that Ill wear while Im in labor to remember all the people praying for me. They also each took a candle home to light while after they are notified that Im in labor as a reminder to pray for me. How beautiful is that? To read more about a Catholic baby blessing, this post includes everything we did and the prayers that were said.

Im also planning to take the prayer intentions of others in to the birth center with me. So if you have an intention that you would like me to pray for, especially if its related to pregnancy, loss, or infertility, please leave it in the comments. I would be honored to pray for you. Ill compile them all into a document to print off and bring in with me.

Sacramentals and visuals, like the beautiful matching rosaries my husband and I have, the Marian statue I recently bought especially to bring to the birth, and my images of Our Lady of Guadalupe (whom I have a strong devotion to) will be accompanying us to the birth. I wish I had an image of Saints Zelie and Louis Martin to bring in as well since I have entrusted the baby and my pregnancy to their care, but since they are newly canonized, there isnt much out there of them yet. Maybe I have time to still order something though...

Young Living Independent Distributor Jennifer Anne Hansen sent me Lavender and Peace & Calm essential oils to use during labor. I consider them to be for both the physical and emotional aspects of birth and am super excited that each birth room already has a diffuser.   

Ive also been spending a lot of time recently trying to connect with the babies we lost. Ive been talking to them and referring to them by name (something that is very difficult for me), thinking about what it would be like if they were living now, and grieving the milestones we missed. The first baby we lost, Francis, would be 17 months, and Julian would we 13 months, both most likely walking and talking. The most recent babies we lost, Adrienne and Christian, would be three and four months old, just exiting the newborn stage.My hope is that by fully acknowledging and grieving their losses now, the pain will be a little less later, making more room for the joy of our baby on the way.

And thats all Ive got right now. Any moms whove been in a similar emotional situation during a pregnancy after loss have advice for me? How was your labor and birth? What can I do to prepare emotionally?

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pregnancy weight loss secrets | Chobanis breakyoumake

pregnancy weight loss secrets

In the wee morning hours, before my brain is ready to wake, my husband hands me our youngest son to nurse. I was up in the night with Isaac and my eyes feel like they need to be propped open with toothpicks. It is still dark, but the early morning sounds of birds let me know that the sun will soon be making an appearance. Daniel quietly goes about getting ready in the dark. Before he slips out the door, he comes and takes Isaac from me and kisses us both goodbye. He has a commute that takes a little over an hour, but he will be at work before the boys and I are fully awake. Mercifully, I go back to sleep.

Jack comes to my room at 8:00am and tells me that it is time to wake up. I tell him to go watch TV – it buys me an extra 30 minutes of sleep. Meanwhile Daniel is already sitting in meetings and putting out work-related fires.

I remember the crazy pace of working in an office environment. Always a deadline. Always a problem to solve. Always someone to appease. That is no longer my life. Not exactly anyways. There are no real deadlines (I guess swimming lessons, preschool and doctors appointments are my new deadlines), but there are always problems to solve (Why did God make it dark sometimes and sunny sometimes?) and little guys to appease (I want chicken nuggets, chocolate milk, snacks and my Chapstick. Thats all I need.)

Daniel works long days – currently around 50 hours a week (on top of his commute), but sometimes it is 80+ hours. There are weeks that I dont know how he does it. Most days he doesnt get home until after 7:00pm.

We choose to keep our boys awake so they can see their daddy. While many of our friends are getting their young children ready for bed, we are just sitting down to dinner together as a family. We try to have Jack in bed by 8:30, but reality is that there are days that Daniel and Jack need time to play together and bedtime gets pushed back a little further. They "work" in the garage where Jack learns things like how pulleys work or how to operate a floor jack. Sometimes they ride the four wheeler or go to the park. 

Our bedtime routine is currently a family event, even Isaac likes to sit and listen to us read and sing to Jack. Two books and two songs, followed by prayers. We tuck Jack in and then flop down on the couch to savor the last moments of our day.

Many nights Daniel goes straight to bed after Jack, but some evenings we sit up and talk, or lazily eat ice cream and watch Netflix. There is little time left to have much of a break.

We dream about the days when Daniels workload will lighten or when he will have a shorter commute. We dream about the house projects we will accomplish and the family hikes, bike rides and paddling we will do again. Right now that isnt our reality. So we, like many others, muddle through our days. We try to drink in the precious moments of down time. We look forward to the summer vacation that we havent planned yet and try to take time each day to just breathe and be in the moment. That is much easier for me than it is for Daniel. 
  

Chobani Flips has been running a campaign encouraging people to take more breaks. According to their research, Americans all need breaks. I agree. Everyone I know seems to need a break – us included. Greek yogurt is a staple in our home – we love the single yogurt cups with fruit on bottom or plain vanilla yogurt to make our own parfaits at home. Today I want to nominate my husband, Daniel, for a #breakyoumake. I appreciate him so much. He works hard and could use more breaks in his day.

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mother weight loss during pregnancy | Live to Grow

mother weight loss during pregnancy

 "As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible. Joy is always possible. Whenever-meaning now. Wherever-meaning here. Grace, thanksgiving, joy…a triplet of stars, a constellation in the black."
-Ann Voskamp, 1000 Gifts

The book 1000 Gifts changed my world and brought my heart back to itself, a couple of years ago. I first read it in the fall and its become my tradition to pour over its pages once the leaves start to turn.

Starting my morning off by filling my soul with reminders of beauty and creating something lovely, almost always is a guarantee that the day will be a bit brighter and my heart all the more patient. Its like a caffeine high and motivation booster but, 100x better. So, right now Im revisiting this book, Psalms and a beautiful collection of thoughts and verses on motherhood, to start the day. Whichever line sinks into my soul, I write it out, so I can look at it as the hours slip away.

Lately Ive had lots of commissions for script tattoos and logos, which makes my heart kind of sing. Im learning as I go about organizing a business, investing my heart and time into the following; 1) Things that make my heart happy and  2) Things that work with my current lifestyle as a mom; as well as refining my hand at this craft of modern calligraphy. As long as I can remember, Ive loved old forms of calligraphy and penmanship. Id practice for hours, every style of handwriting possible. It feels good to be putting time into this again.

There are changes coming that Im excited about. Broadening this blog, adding new branches, ideas, hopes, dreams. Because, why not!?  This is my open space to enjoy and have a creative expression for my soul to ponder, dabble in spontaneous urges and whims, and journal my heart about the seasons. So Im excited to grow and explore.

Samuel and I are relaunching a new film venture together as well. Talk about a dream. Creating and scheming in the name of art with this guy, my favorite. We work really well together, which to me is a gift.

Change and dreams can be so overwhelming though. And sometimes I feel like they take more than ourselves to make happen and come to life. But the journey is as enriching as it is taxing. Deadlines can get pushed out and stress might slowly become the prominent emotion driving the dream. Thats when I start to get bug-eyed and things get moved to the back burner.  But, I really believe that we are alive to enjoy and be enjoyed with and by those we love and have yet to love.  Every hope and goal we have of creating is towards enjoying and loving.

Life is a short journey with endless trails, paths and roads to explore, in love and hope. Where small hope can turn into a world of endless love, living over and over and over again in the eyes of your family and people that youve shared moments with, small or great.  I want my boys to see Samuel and I doing things that we love, and always in a place of dreaming and conspiring for simple or extravagant adventure; whether thats climbing the neighborhood oak tree or scaling a mountain in South America. My hearts motto has been "why not!? why the heck not?!" *insert smirk here* Yay for living.

Im glad Im alive to love and to live.

Jess

P.S.
If you have questions about my calligraphy shenanigans just drop me an email. bohobabybump@gmail.com

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weight loss program during pregnancy | Trausch Family Part 1

weight loss program during pregnancy

Last Sunday, I spent the morning at my sweet friend, Beths house and took some pictures of her beautiful family, 3 year old daughter Hanelia and precious new baby girl, Eva. (Im in love with her, she is like a little china doll! Swoon.) We had so much fun and my heart enjoyed every second! I took a ton of images, way too many to post, but these are some of my favorites. Beth is seriously so gorgeous and she makes the most beautiful little girls!  Love you Beth! Thanks for letting me play and click away!  

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