1: The secret is out

Well, I just about let the cat out of the bag yesterday on Twitter, so I guess, though it’s early, I might as well share it with my closest friends on the Internet: we’re expecting Baby #3. He or she is due in early December, so we’re very much in the toilet-hugging, looking-for-the-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel stage of things.

Our five-year-old is ecstatic. She’s also convinced that Hershey’s Kiss is a viable name option. Our two-year-old will be ecstatic once she has a baby to carry. (No, we won’t let her carry the baby…intentionally. But something tells me we’ll have to have our eyes peeled for that little fan of all things baby.)

Prayers appreciated. Hugs welcome. Ginger ale not optional (it seems to be the secret ingredient to my mornings). 🙂

2: Recent reading

Last night I finished Mary Mother of the Son, Volume III: Miracles, Devotion, and Motherhood, by Mark Shea. Wow! It completes his Mother of the Son trilogy and I am so thrilled that we’ll be giving this set away as part of the May giveaway at CatholicMom.com, courtesy of Aquinas and More.

Everyone should read these books. They are among the few books I’ve read about Mary that are focused only on the facts, not on trying to win you over or convince you to love Mary with bells on your shoes.

Mark Shea has long been a favorite writer of mine, though this is the first of his books that I’ve read. As far as I’m concerned, he earns his place by Patrick Madrid and Scott Hahn as a Catholic writer for his work in these books.

I’ll be sharing a more in-depth review in May, but let me just say, real fast, that these are FABULOUS books.

3: The “s” word

It started as a humorous little post on Twitter and Facebook.

My mom just told me one of my first words was…sh*t. Does this explain my lifelong battle with saying it when I’m frustrated?

The reason I bring it up here is that I think a few of you need to know that you’re not alone in your struggle with language. (And, really, this isn’t the worst offender — not by a looooooonnnng shot — in my line-up.)

A few moms replied to me on Facebook and expressed relief that other moms used this word.

There was something in that that made me so…sad. I hope, y’all, that I don’t seem that holy or inaccessible or, well, inhuman. Language use is a special struggle of mine. In fact, it seems to be like a bit of a virus for me; when I’m around people with language I don’t necessarily want to emulate, I have to consciously restrict myself from falling right back into the habit of “f” this and “d” that and “oh ‘s.'”

I’m not proud of this struggle, and I don’t share it here to say that it’s OK. I share it because we can gain strength together, and though there are worse things, I find that so many of my sinful thoughts — the things that lead me into real trouble — start when my language heads down the toilet or into the gutter.

4: Speaking of language…

In fact, this week’s Mary Moment, on the Catholic Moments show, talks about how Mary remains a help to me in my language struggles.

5: Potty training

We’re serious. We’re committed. And…we’re not losing our mind (speaking for myself and the two-year-old only).

6: New on my playlist

My sister-in-law’s parish is hosting Lorraine Hess next week, and I’m thrilled to be able to attend the concert. I downloaded her album and am loving it.

7: Mississippi, here we come

For the weekend, we’re going to a part of Mississippi that, from my understanding, does not have internet. (Well, that’s not completely true: they have dial-up.) Though I spend large portions of my weekends offline when I’m at home, I’m out of town right now and things are all out-of-whack with my routine. I think an offline weekend, spent with some of my favorite girls and a pile of reading, will be therapeutic.

So, that said, I’ll see you Monday! Have a great weekend!

Go to Conversion Diary for the full collection of Quick Takes posts.