A somewhat belated introduction

Just coming out of my baby bubble to introduce our little daughter.
Born at 14.10hrs on the 13th October. She's a dainty little thing and weighed in at 5lb 14.5 oz ( 2.680 kg).
Healthy and well. Thanks be to God!


The past week has been one of cosy seclusion. It's hard to describe how awed I feel without getting terribly profound. I look at her and my throat gets tight and another big fat tear starts to roll down my cheek.
It must be love. And it feels like healing too, like a warm compress on a chronic ache.

Before she was born we had narrowed down name choices to a couple of favourites, but now she is here those names don't seem to fit.
I am praying for divine inspiration because I know she has a name.I just don't know what it is yet.

This poem is from my little book of quotes. When I was 15 and rather romantically inclined, I kept a little notebook and jotted down anything that I found beautiful. Sometimes it was a line out of a film or a book. Sometimes it was something funny that a friend said. There are lots of poems in there and this is one of them.
I think it's very apposite right now.


My Baby Has No Name Yet

My baby has no name yet;
like a new-born chick or a puppy,
my baby is not named yet.
What numberless texts I examined
at dawn and night and evening over again!
But not one character did I find
which is as lovely as the child.

Starry field of the sky,
or heap of pearls in the depth.
Where can the name be found, how can I?

My baby has no name yet;
like an unnamed bluebird or white flowers
from the farthest land to the first,
I have no name for this baby of ours.

Kim Nam-jo
(trans from Korean by Ko Won)

(*Many thanks to my communications secretary for putting the birth announcement on her blog while I was out of commission.)

Pregnancy diary 38 weeks.

Pics taken on oldest sons mobile phone and emailed to me. I wish he'd told me to do something with my hair, I'd forgotten I'd pulled it back like that. Sons are, sadly, pretty rubbish at 'styling' photos. I'd also woken up with a 'morning headache' which always gives me a somewhat wan appearance.

Anyway, I just wanted a record of the bump before it's gone. I'm always a bit surprised to see myself in photos because I feel gargantuan, and I'm now staggering around with a bocky pelvis that feels like a wobbly jigsaw ( in addition to my varicose veins).
Then I see myself in profile and think "Is that it?".
Everything else is holding up pretty well, but I seem to have got some very old ladys legs by mistake.

Anyway, by tomorrow midday all being well, I will have a baby in my arms rather than my pelvis. No idea if it's a Paddy or a Bridget ( no, we haven't chosen names yet, they are just the current 'pet' names) but whatever variety, I can't wait to meet this most precious little person.

I'll be out of commision for a few days, and I can't ask husband dear to do blog duty amongst his other jobs keeping the domestic ship afloat. So if you're interested, head over to Elizabeths blog where she will do the bloggy birth announcement thing on my behalf.

And now. I must away to bed. Early start tomorrow, and a big day ahead.
Prayer from those of you that are the praying sort would be much appreciated.

Europe really, really, like, 'hearts' Obama

And in recognition of his, um, being not George W Bush ( Distinctive: Obama being for world peace, Bush being, like, y'know, against. Obviously ) he has been awarded the Nobel peace prize!
Which, in fairness, he probably ought to share with every Miss World contestant who has ever espoused the same desire for an end to, like, fighting, and hate and bad stuff like that.

I was on the fence about global harmony, I could see both sides of the argument. But I'm really starting to come round to Obamas way of thinking.

I broke up an argument between my 6 year old and my 11 year old today, and I got them to sit down and listen to eachother( and me LOL!) . I said

"Guys, it's all about respect. Things may seem broken, and you may wonder if we can fix it, but today, I believe that together, we are able to say, in the spirit of Bob the Builder, 'Yes! Yes, we can!' "

My gift for oratory and rhetoric was a bit lost on the little savages, but it's a start.

Oh and, I can count on one hand the number of times I've smacked botties, let alone waterboarded any of them ( a practice that has always been strictly verboten in this house)

And even though I have owned a pair of cowboy boots, they came from Faith shoes on Oxford street and weren't the real article. Furthermore I've never worn them at the same time as I've worn my cowboy hat (TopShop). And I wouldn't know an oil well if I fell into one.
So I'm definately nothing like Dubya.
So can I be in the running for the peace prize too?
(Not that it matters, but does the winner get a million dollars, or is it pounds? Either way, it'll more than cover my bathroom remodelling budget. And there's bound to be some left over for charity)

7 Quick(ish) Takes

1.

I love to use up leftover food and make something really tasty. It's a particularly satisfying and delicious frugal thrill.
This week, sitting in the fridge, I had the cold and fatty remains of a roasted shoulder of lamb and a dish with a couple of servings worth of tomato and lentil soup.
A couple of onions, a tin of tomatoes and some curry paste later, et...voila! Delicious frugal lamb and lentil curry.


2.

13th Oct. is D day.
Last week I saw the doctor. They don't want me to go much past 38 weeks and so they want to deliver me either by induction of labour, or planned section.
I do labour pretty well as a rule, and odds on, it wouldn't take much to get me going. But...she explained that they would, in view of my history, have a very low threshold for intervening and doing an emergency section if things didn't all progress very smoothly. The prospect of a very 'managed' induction with all the high tech bells and whistles is so very different to the midwife led homebirths I have had in the past ( pre twins that is) Even now, the thought of listening to the fetal heart being continuously monitored gives me palpitations. I'm such a worry guts now. Having had something actually 'go wrong' has rather played havoc with my usual Pollyanna ish optimism.
I just want to have this baby lifted out, like the finest Dresden china, and handed to me.
So that is what is happening on Tuesday next week. Kinda weird to have it all mapped out like that, but a huge relief also.

3.

So. With that decision made, I'm now in full on organising/nesting mode.
I am the grim reaper of clutter, the merciless, all conquering nemesis of 'stuff'.
The local charity shops are fairly packed to the gunwales with the fruits of my scorched earth clear out.
Jobs still outstanding include washing the baby clothes in fragrant Fairy non bio (I have found all the little gowns, but no vests. Odd. I know I put them somewhere. I will have to buy some more tomorrow.)
I have the car seat.
I'm borrowing a co sleeper cot from Elizabeth.
Need to get a newborn insert for Ergo carrier.
Oh, and nappies.

4.

I've cancelled our Farmaround delivery for the next four weeks. I think my husband will have enough to do without figuring out what to do with rainbow chard and marrow.
Pizza and bagged salad will be fine for a bit.

5.

Bathroom. We are in the middle of re modelling it. Which is a bijou fly in the ointment of baby readiness.
I'm taking it in my stride however. We always manage to have some ongoing building work when I'm expecting, and this time is no exception. It's all taking shape nicely and I'm giving myself a little credit for being more grateful than impatient. In the past I've indulged a pretty bad attitude to home improvements that don't progress as quickly as I would like.
I think I might be growing up.

6.

My friend Nora came round on Sunday and stayed for 2 nights. She told me to 'line up some jobs', so I did. Long story short, she radically transformed my front garden. Weeds gone, all the leggy stuff cut right back. Lavender and hebe planted along the front path ( I love to brush against lavender when I'm going up to the front door) Spring bulbs hidden in the mud waiting to make their glorious debut come March.
And a clematis potted against the trellis beside the front door.
That is what I call a friend.
Oh and she also helped me to clear out 3 huge Ikea bags worth of books. My bookshelves look much clearer, and it feels like another little victory in the ongoing rear guard action against 'dross lit'.

7.

I had written a seventh quick take about my uncle Peter, but it turned into a longish take about my other uncles too.
I think I'm going to keep that for a separate post all by itself.







(The home of quick takes is here.)

It's hard to believe he's gone

My uncle Peter died on Friday 2nd October, the feast of the guardian angels.

He had been unwell, but the end came very suddenly. I had been communicating with him by text and he had been quite chatty in his responses. Suddenly he lapsed into unconsciousness on the Feast of Saint Therese to whom I had been praying a novena for Peter, which had ended only the day before.

Below is the death notice from the Meath Chronicle.

In 1969 he gave his whole life to God and was ordained a priest. He was truly a man of God.

May the Lord of mercy welcome his beautiful soul into his heavenly reward.

My father is over in Ireland now, in Peters house, where in the company of his brothers and sisters they will stay with the body until the funeral on Monday, at which my uncle Fr Seamus will preach the homily. I wish I could be there, but I can't travel at this stage in my pregnancy.

Please pray.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.
And let perpetual light shine upon him.
May Fr Peters soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

Published: Friday, 2nd October, 2009 6:22pm

Death of Fr Peter Mulvany, PP of Moynalvey and Kiltale

The late Fr Peter Mulvany.

The death occurred on Friday morning, 2nd October, of Father Peter Mulvany, parish priest of Moynalvey, after a long illness.

Fr Mulvany was parish priest of Moynalvey and Kiltale since 2001.

Father Mulvany is reposing in the Parochial House, Moynalvey from Saturday 3rd October from 4pm to 10pm. Removal of remains from the Parochial House on Sunday at 6.30pm to the Church of the Nativitiy, Moynalvey arriving at 7pm.

The funeral Mass is at 12 noon on Monday with burial afterwards in Church grounds. The Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Michael Smith and the homily will be preached by Father Seamus Mulvany, parish priest of Glasson, Co Westmeath, brother of the deceased.

Bishop Smith has conveyed his deep sympathies to Father Seamus Mulvany, the members of the Mulvany family and the parishioners of Moynalvey and Kiltale.

Born in Wilkinstown, Father Peter Mulvany was educated at the local National School, St Finian's College and St Columban's, Dalgan Park. He was ordained on 22 December 1969 and served on the Korean mission until 1983. Father Mulvany was involved in mission education in Ireland until 1985 and parish work in Ballymun, Dublin until 1990. Following his appointment as curate in Navan in 1990, he was incardinated into the Diocese of Meath in February 1992 and became Administrator of St. Mary's, Navan in 1993. He was appointed Parish Priest of Moynalvey in August 2001.