40 years and counting...
2017 was a good year for me. I turned 40. It wasn’t that big a deal. For the past decade life has been very busy, so there was no big party or gifts, just a low-key welcome to a new decade. The decade of 30 was a big one for me. I remember going to dinner with friends in Germany (where we were stationed) and wishing on my candles that Greg and I could start a family soon. Little did I know exactly 9 months later Miss Emily would come (birthday 3/28, Emmy 12/26). Between 30 and 39 we had 6 kids and had 5 big moves.
So by the time I hit 40, things had settled down, or so I thought. 2017 was a fun year with a trip to Fun n Sun in Florida and a second honeymoon planned to Hawaii. We also continued to homeschool, made more friends, camped in our travel trailer and with AHG, and switched parishes.
Big Family Vacation
In 2017 we went to Sun n Fun, an airplane and private pilot conference in April. Greg has been flying since he was a teen and we all enjoy aviation. He hopes to build his own airplane one day, so we went for all the knowledge being offered. If you bring 6 kids someplace, you will stand out. We were treated so well. We got invited to a Pilot’s Association Dinner. The girls were given lots of loot for just being themselves. We played Flight Simulator in a classroom just because. We saw a great air show. The girls and I also hung out at the beach on the base we were camping at. I love how our girls enjoy travel and seeing new things.
Big Changes Ahead
We switched from our parish to a FSSP (Priestly Fraternity of St Peter) parish in July. FSSP is a traditional Latin parish, but in full communion with Rome. Back in the 80′s Pope St John Paul II allowed these parishes to form. Our faith journey has really occurred over our entire relationship with travel, research, and prayer. Through faith we expanded our initial thought of two kids to four and then more. Through faith we started kneeling and receiving Jesus on the tongue over a decade ago. Through faith we have let God guide decisions in our life. We were always the ones who stuck out at church: big family, kneeling for Communion, dressing up every Sunday, homeschoolers. And then we found Mater Dei, a traditional Latin parish where everyone kneels for communion, there are 10-15 large vans at every Mass, almost everyone homeschools, and a modest dress code. We were home! I have met more welcoming families in our short time at our new parish than I did at 4 years at our old one. It is a true community and we are thrilled to be a part of it.
Vacationing While Nauseous
Greg does his annual tour in Hawaii every year. The year I turned 40 was our year to go. He will have to change units to promote so no more Hawaii. We saved up for my airfare and a week on the Big Island so I could join him. Both our parents took the girls in August so I could go. It was wonderful to go back and explore new islands. We honeymooned mostly on Maui and a few days on Oahu. This time we had a week on Oahu and a week on the Big Island. Wow. I went to Mass every day on Oahu while Greg worked, took naps, had a gourmet breakfast, sat by the pool, walked the beach. When he got off work we explored the island. We flew to Hawaii and went fishing, snorkeling, and took our first helicopter ride. It was a wonderful vacation. I was 8 to 10 weeks pregnant at the time, so food was hard for me, but I still had a great time.
Back into the Grind
We came home end of August and started school and our new routine. On top of homeschooling, Lucy started Kindergarten (we send them to public for kinder only), we continued in American Heritage Girls, Bible study, and co-op, and added Latin choir for the older 3 at our new parish. I taught 3 classes at co-op in the fall, which was a little much, but I enjoyed it. My grandmother passed the beginning of September. It was hard but not unexpected. It is the first passing that the girls were old enough to realize what was happening. They had just seen her on their summer adventures, so I am glad they got that time with her.
We continued with our activities and had a great holiday season with family visits and a bright new year.
And then there were 7
As I quickly approached my 41st birthday, we anticipated the birth of our 7th child. It didn’t go as smoothly as a 7th baby should. I started having contractions in the 36th week, a little early. But then it stopped and nothing. I was expecting to have an early baby like all my other pregnancies, but baby never came. We tried every wive’s tale and remedy to make baby come, but baby was too comfortable. And then my #2 had a birthday coming, and then my brother’s birthday. I prayed baby would stay put to not take their birthdays. So she took mine.
We went to the hospital at 4am on my birthday. It was scheduled because a) I had never been pregnant more than 39 weeks 0 days in my life and b) due to my age, doctors wanted me to deliver by 40 weeks. I was also not doing well physically those last few weeks. Elevated blood pressure, bad swelling and numbness in my feet, and mommy being done. They had to wake baby to monitor heart rate, so nothing was started until 6am. Glad I ate breakfast before coming. They gave me cytatec, which needed 4 hours. And then around 12:30 they started pitocin. I know many people don’t like it, but I have needed it for now 6 out of 7. That’s what I know, just as some moms know c-sections or birthing at home.
Nothing happened. They kept increasing and I could barely feel it even though the monitor showed pretty strong and consistent contractions. So I walked the corridors, I knitted the beginnings of a stuffed animal, I had an ice pop (no food allowed), I painted my fingernails, I sat on the peanut ball. And then I heard and felt a pop that made me jump. My waters had finally broken. This was at 4:55pm. I went from 4 to 6 to 8 quickly. Now the fun began. The contractions that I could barely feel got more intense. I was lucky. I had strong, painful contractions for an hour. My body finally decided it remembered what to do. I quickly could feel baby getting ready to come because I couldn’t take it anymore and I was able to push. Our 7th child came out in one contraction and three pushes. Miss Margaret Mary, perfectly made, a perfect 41st birthday present.
9 More Year, Who Knows
So 41 has started off pretty amazing. I am tired, of course, and we are in the trenches with a new baby and homeschooling and life. We are planning another RV trip to a state park soon with our newest addition and hoping to finish school early summer. I have been out and about since a couple days after her birth. People seem amazed I am functioning, which is partly true because I am very tired. But life doesn’t stop just because you have a baby. I feel pretty great and have been blessed with friends bringing us food, help from our parents, and the blessing of having Margaret Mary baptized at 11 days and Julia receiving her First Communion the next day. My house is not as clean as I would like and I am drinking too much caffeine. My amazing girls have really taken it upon themselves to be more helpful, mainly out of necessity. But this is my station in life, just as some of my friends have teenagers and grandchildren. My grandmother was 41 when her first grandchild was born. Who knows what my future holds. Maybe I will be lucky to be a grandmother in my 50′s. I am looking forward to the rest of my 40′s.





