Dear January,
You've only been here for twelve days so far. Over the past twelve days, I'm mulled over the prospect of making resolutions... to make or not to make, that is the question.
The "year" (yes, all eleven days of it) have been full of new challenges and realities and, since I'm "me," worries. My sweet baby boy currently in utero-- thanks be to God, he is doing well. But I really have no clue what to name him. I'm not sure why I get so much anxiety about the naming thing; really, it's silly. In all my years of scribbling lists of baby names (doesn't every girl do that as soon as she can write?), and adding the complexity of making it a unique name with spiritual/ familial/ valuable significance, not mention all of the odd rules and limitations I've conjured over the years... it's no wonder I have a bit of a naming complex. For me, all of the names I've always "loved!!!" are instantly ruled out once I'm actually pregnant. Why? I have no idea. Just a bizarre pregnancy symptom that seems to only happen to me... yet, I never regret my decisions. In my experience, I've ended up giving my children the least expected, random names. Vasi? No way. SUSY??? Ironically, almost even more bizarre. And yet, I love 'em.
What a great life I'd have, though, if my only worries were about baby names. No, no, there are many other unbloggable things that I fret about, that always seems to be simmering below the surface. Blessedly, nothing too severe or wretched. *shrug* Lord, have mercy. Maybe I'm complaining too much.
However, I am midway through the pregnancy... and, it's January. Both seem equally cruel and endless.
Fortunately, family life distracts me from a lot of my bodily discomforts. I feel a little more light on my feet, not yet completely inhibited by a gigantic belly (oh, that will come soon enough :D). My non-maternity jeans are still fitting (that's NEVER happened before). Although my weight gain doesn't quite indicate any litheness... on the contrary (according to the scale?), I'm probably gaining too much. Fortunately, I feel fine and I don't really feel like I'm eating that much junk. So, to that I say: whatever. I just gain a lot of weight during my pregnancies, and that's that. With any luck, this boy will get huge like his sister Susy and suck all of the fat stores out of me in a matter of months. TMI? Sorry, but I gotta have some hope.
I'm getting over a cold. The lingering, persistent sort. I will try the neti pot tonight for the first time, before I go to bed, which should be very soon. It's almost 11:30 pm, and I am going to make an effort to get to bed earlier each night. Fortunately, Job and I are working hard to get the kids to bed earlier too, so I still feel like I have time to craft and sew.
Speaking of sewing, the Christmas crafts went really, really well! I had a great time, I really do intend to show pictures soon. However, I am not sure if I'm ready to jump back into sewing anytime soon... I'd like to take all of January "off," but I'm already getting a little restless. Pascha will be here before I know it, and I'd like to make Pascha dresses for the girls. I have a niece's birthday coming up... not to mention lots of new babies in the not too distant future-- which means QUILT TIME! And wait, I should sew some stuff for my own little bun too, eh? Now my mind is flooding with ideas, and I might get back to the grindstone sooner than I thought. Have I ever mentioned I'm bad with limits? :) Now that the "nesting" instinct is starting to kick in, why not paint and redecorate every room in the house while I'm at it? hahaha.
Golly, this post might come across as a bit of a downer. But by gum, this year really just seemed to get off on the wrong start. It's more of a "bad taste in my mouth" kind of feeling... lots of uncertainties in the future that I have no control over. Again, Lord have mercy. For those of you struggling with much greater trials, please forgive me. Thanks for letting me blog a bit; I hope you are all well!
Resolutions (Yes, I know I'll be having a baby in 5 months... let me be a little unrealistic, all right? hehehe).
-Illustrate a book. Whether professionally or just on my own. Honestly, I would love to make this more of my creative priority this year. Hmm... that would require limits on my sewing, though... hrrmmm...
-Get an art show lined up in a small, local retail space or coffee shop. Another reoccurring promise I make myself each year. Discipline: There it is again!
-Plant a very, very basic garden... more a "finger foods"/ appetizer garden, to get myself and the kids outside more. Getting fresh air is so much easier when there are strawberries to be discovered, sweet peas to snatch and raspberries to sneak (thanks, neighbor!). Zucchini and tomatoes, that might be fun too.
-Get the kids to bed earlier... get them to sleep in their own beds 100% through the night before little brother is here.
-Get myself to bed earlier, rise earlier
-Be better with my prayer rule and try to do a little more spiritual reading than I did last year.
- Go for more walks... I've been particulary bad about this over the past few months!
- Sew a quilt for our bed
-Sew/ create more for my own kids (they always get the short end of the stick! :D)
-Have dinner ready when Job gets home (no more complex, time-consuming recipes started once he walks in the door :D). It's either crock-pot time, or quick 30-minute favorites.
- A healthy, safe and natural birth!
- Limits on coffee
- sew a few maternity clothes/ summer clothes
- Not worry too much about the wheres and whens of the future! We're still always hemming and hawing about whether not we should move back closer to church, friends and the wonderful Orthodox school that we'd love to send V. to. Yep, she'll most likely begin preschool at age 4 in the fall... and it's so hard to think of sending her anywhere else.
-Love my kids, be intentional with my time with them. Do my best, let God do the rest!
- Aforementioned Pascha dresses for my girls.
-Get back into writing. Maybe articles, maybe poetry, maybe little books for my kids. Blogging doesn't really count, but it's better than nothing? My "craft" needs much more honing, though :D haha.
9 comments:
I had names picked out when I was single, then married a Greek,and all names were prescribed!! I would have had to have 5 before I got to chose a name!!I did choose Christina after a lot of pleading from my mom "Edna" that she didnt like her name. Petros had to be sure she wouldnt be hurt beyond belief if we didnt name baby to be after her. This went on for 9 months because we didnt know what sex baby was. We did name her after Christ, seeings how her birthday was so close to Christmas.
She has her grandmas middle name...which was a far second in Petros' mind:)
Katherine was Petros mother, Ioannis or Yianni was his father.
Now that all is said and done I love the Greek tradition of naming children after someone. I can see in my own family how they feel special because of the name they carry....
By the way, you are looking great.
Greeks say a boy give you beauty when you are carrying him, a girl saps your beauty!!!
Love you Katie....you remind me so much of myself:)
Congrats on the boy!!
I still have these stories that I tell my boys that I hope to type up and send your way to be illustrated in your spare time;)
Your idea of having an art display at a coffee shop gave me an idea... what about an art dispaly at church? We have so much wall space... i think that would be fun (and I am not an artist!). And open it up to other artsy people in the parish! Anyway, just an idea (yeah, but i don't want to take it on if you knwo what I mean). We actually had other names picked out for our children until I became pregnant and my father in law passed away. Pav. was born almost exactly a year after his repose and it seemed natural to name him after his grandpa. And since we named after one grandpa, we would have to name the next boy after the pappous:) I like names with stories behind them. and don't worry that your worries are trivial- they are your own worries in your own life.
ps. would love it if vasi could be at school with petros! how fun would that be?
Now- since Susie got the vasilopita coin- don't you have to incorporate
"basil" somewhere again in the name equation?????????????? I still can't believe that tiny last piece had the coin!
I agree with Susan- you have looked radiant this pregnancy :)
and I love you too!
I agree - you look fab! Any weight you have gained is all in that little baby :) I am amazed at how much you have been able to do, especially with sewing. You go, girl! Speaking of using a coffee shop for a gallery, your work is at least as good, if not better, than what I've seen in that little coffee shop by Dr. Chong's!
Names are funny. We are so set on a girl's name but clueless about a boy's. Like you, I think the circumstances for naming each of our kids has been different -- the only consistency being that my husband is more certain than I am when we come up with them.
Selfishly, I would LOVE it if you moved closer!!! And if V. went to school with M. it would be so awesome (plus she would adore the school). But there are advantages and disadvantages to every move. Enjoy where you are for now, pray to St. Menas for guidance for the future (Gerontissa's suggestion for us and he has steered us right every time!), and, like Father reminds me "It is much easier and uses much less energy to trust God than it does to worry!"
xoxoxo
I still remember the awesome story about Vasi's name, and did I just read that Susy got the coin this year? How awesome is that, and truly shows St. Basil's prayers for you guys.
And, with that, all will be well!
Love the post, as usual. We had a hard time with names-we ended up with a list of boys and a list of girls. I tried to pick from the saints, along with some family members-trying to be careful though. Each little baby seemed to have their own name when they were born, so it was a challenge! sigh.
Keep it up with the creativity! You do such heartfelt things-stay open to God's grace and I know you will find the way!
Lots of love,
Aunt Helen
A boy huh? Fun stuff! I think our next boy, should we have one, will be some combo of Zane, Quenton, or Cadderly. Since I know no Orthodox names for boys I'm of little help if that's the kind of name you're looking for.
I bet you look cute, you're pregnant! You were cute the first time, I remember you being pregnant my former next door neighbor. I do, I do, and you never looked fat!
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