Baby D can sit up on his own! Most of the time. He occasionally wobbles left or right, but for the most part, he sits up! And. it. is. adorable.

Surfacing...Momentarily....

So, turns out having a baby really takes up, uh, all of one's time. But, for those who really miss me, here's a list someone else composed of the best 100 first lines of novels. Enjoy!

Pants! Pants! Pants!

There's been an interesting/hilarious/informative argument about the moral merits of pants and skirts taking over the series of tubes known as the internet. Since I'm not nearly as funny as Simcha Fisher, I'll just post the latest and greatest links and you can chuckle for yourself.

The original offending article 
Pants: A Manisfesto
The Pants Pass
Darwin Weighs In

And for what it's worth, I think just about anything can be worn in a trashy/immodest/provocative way. Are some pants naturally more inappropriate than some skirts? Of course. Can the same be said of some skirts? Naturally. Should we give a little more credit to men, that they can wander this good green Earth, not pouncing on every female they encounter? I should hope so. Though we shouldn't make it easier for men to objectify by handing out views of our butts on silver platters, I really see no reason to restructure my entire wardrobe to eliminate mens' exercise of free will. And while I'm certainly not endorsing Paris Hilton for her own clothing line, I'm inclined to think that even if every last woman wore a floor-length burlap sack from here on out, there would still be affairs, pornography, and lust. Thoughts?

O Hipsters, How I Love to Mock You

Especially in dinosaur and puppy forms.

Quick Takes

1. I think I am going bald. When everyone said, "Just wait until post-partum hair loss starts," I was thinking a few strands at a time. Not clean-the-drain-out-twice-every-time-you-shower and have-a-minor-melt-down-every-time-you-use-a-hairbrush. Thank goodness hat season is almost here (I can say that in September, living in New England).

2. Speaking of New England, isn't fall just the best? Or is it Fall? Or Autumn? Or autumn? Who cares?

3. Every time my son gives me a big, gummy grin I think of how different it will be when he has some teeth in there.

4. Is it sad that I would now list Sandra Boynton as one of my top 10 favorite authors? I mean, have you read Birthday Monsters? I laughed, I cried -- what a beautiful story arc.

5. Did you know it's Grandparents' Day on Sunday?

6. A mother’s heart is a crazy thing. Half of it wants our small children to hurry up and wean, hurry up and potty train, hurry up and gain some independence already. And yet the other half wants them to never do any of those things and to remain exactly as they are forever. When the inevitable happens and they do gain some self-sufficiency, our hearts ache just a little at what feels like the ultimate betrayal. A beautiful post here by Danielle Bean about her own Daniel.

7.

 

Check out conversiondiary.com for some more Quick Takes!

S.O.S.

Any advice for a mom whose four month doesn't nap? Like, ever? And who hasn't had a chance to clean her bathrooms in a month? And who lives near someone whose car alarm has been going off for 2 HOURS? And who is so frustrated with her baby she wants to let him just cry and cry instead of picking him up, and then she feels like the worst mother in the world because for Heaven's sake he probably just wants you to love him instead of being the selfish mom you are so you pick him up but you resent him for it? Because you are just more tired than you ever thought any one could ever be. And why is he crying again? And for how long is he going to want to nurse every hour? And will someone shut that damn alarm off? And why is this so hard??

After the Sabbath was Passed

A link to a beautiful piece of music on Conversion Diary. Why oh why give up stunning music like this for tambourines, drums, and electric guitars?

Mommy Blog Round-Up

The sidebar on the right doesn't include all the Catholic/Mommy blogs that I check if I have a chance (which isn't too often, with a 4 month old who doesn't nap), so I thought I would round up a list of some really good ones. As one of the only people under 30 I know who has a kid, and is a practicing Catholic, it's nice to see what other Christian mommies have to say about raising children, attending Mass, finding recipes...you know, the exciting stuff. Anyway, how these busy moms have time to write such awesome posts, I will never understand. Maybe they don't spend all their time on the internet reading a million other Mommy blogs. Now that's an idea...

I Have to Sit Down
Shower of Roses
O My Family
Testosterhome
The Philospher Mom
Wildflowers and Marbles
A Woman's Place
Conversion Diary
Betty Duffy
Like Mother Like Daughter
Light and Momentary
My Catholic Marriage
Abigail's Alcove

Check them out! And add some in the comments if you know of another good one!

Yet Another Use for Super-Disguise Mustaches

Super Extreme Mega History Heroes!