Comments for For Your Marriage

Comment on No More “Superwoman” by 5stringjg

5stringjg — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:12:58 +0000

I was the same prior to pregnancy. I thought some women were just complainers. I had a very difficult pregnancy with my daughter and now I know better. It does open your eyes and creates a bonding experience with others who have gone through it. Sleep when you need to. Growing a baby is hard work. And it will be harder to get that rest later. We also moved when I was about 6 months pregnant and I had high blood pressure (pre eclampsia). I wanted everything done yesterday but I couldn’t do alot of it. It was frustrating! My husband finally moved the boxes out of the nursery and got most of it ready with only 6 weeks left to go and I went into labor 2 weeks early. Well, it all worked out. Hang in there. I enjoy hearing about your journey.

Comment on Pizza…and Pregnancy? by 5stringjg

5stringjg — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:00:41 +0000

That is wonderful! Congratulations! It is a very exciting time. Try not to worry. These things have a way of working themselves out and you will get lots of love, help and support from your families. You will love being parents. Very excited for you.

Comment on Dream Job by rosemars

rosemars — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:30:17 +0000

Best of luck in your new position – it sounds like an amazing job!

Comment on “And With Your Spirit” by 5stringjg

5stringjg — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:26:51 +0000

We definitely stumbled through it this past weekend. It was surprising to me how many times I forgot to say “and with your spirit”. I figure if my mom endured the changes after vatican II, I can get through this.

Comment on I didn’t blow up the house by 5stringjg

5stringjg — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:34:11 +0000

Very nice reflection. That’s a great way to look at a to do list.

Comment on Mind Your Own Beeswax! by TRose

TRose — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:59:57 +0000

My husband and I were blessed with a surprise baby boy 9 years after we were married and 5 years after a doctor told us that we would probably never be able to conceive. Those 9 months were difficult due to medical issues, but they were the most gloriously miraculous months of my life. Whenever I see a pregnant woman, I get misty-eyed and I hope that she is experiencing the same feeling I had – of being a walking miracle, touched by the almighty hand of God. It still makes me want to cry with joy and thanksgiving and my son is almost 11 now. Rather than attributing the questions to inquisitiveness or rudeness, perhaps you could assume that these folks are just wishing the same joy for you. Giving them the benefit of the doubt could make your reply a little easier. I also like the suggestions given above. Take care and may God bless you both abundantly.

Comment on Mind Your Own Beeswax! by jawns

jawns — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 16:47:29 +0000

When my wife and I were newlyweds, we decided we would neither actively try to conceive, nor actively try not to conceive. After nearly a year had passed with no pregnancy, we started to actively try to conceive, and we eventually went to a fertility specialist.

My wife and I were agreed that we would not pursue any treatments that would be inconsistent with our faith, but I still felt a little weird being there. It turned out that my wife had endometriosis — a common cause of fertility problems. She had an outpatient surgery to correct the problem, and two months later, we conceived without any other medical intervention.

Our experience has made me hyper-sensitive about fertility problems, and I make it a point to never tease any couples about when they’re going to have kids — because maybe they’re TRYING to have kids, and it just isn’t happening.

As for how to respond when someone asks you when you’re planning to have children … I didn’t mind indicating that we were open to children, so I would usually say something like, “It’s up to the Big Guy Upstairs,” or “Only time will tell.”

But if you want to avoid the question altogether, just give them a smile and ask pleasantly, “Why do you ask?” Or, via Miss Manners, “How soon do you need to know?”

Comment on Mind Your Own Beeswax! by 5stringjg

5stringjg — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:41:00 +0000

Let’s hope that by your writing this, some people will finally get it that it is impolite to ask such personal questions. It is really hard to come up with what to say without being rude. Maybe you could just say, “When we are expecting, I will be sure to let you know.” Maybe that will keep them from continually bringing it up. Good luck! I enjoy your blog posts.

Comment on Housekeeping and Prayers by mont

mont — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:20:29 +0000

Please share the traditions you end up choosing. Your post inspired to finally start our spiritual corner. God bless!

Comment on How Marriage Has Made Me a Better Person by estermp

estermp — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:38:31 +0000

I’m from Madrid (Spain), married this year also, the 2nd. of July. So we are kind of walking this road toghether! :) Thank you for all your posts, since many months ago, you have been a wave of hope in my life. God bless you and your marriage.

Comment on Housekeeping and Prayers by Sara

Sara — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 01:45:28 +0000

Good for you – glad to hear!

We’ll definately post more on our family faith traditions as we establish them. Keep reading, as one of our upcoming posts will be about our traditional Labor Day camping trip – our first as a married couple.

Comment on Housekeeping and Prayers by rczarn

rczarn — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 23:17:44 +0000

I really enjoyed reading this post and learning about family faith traditions. Please share the traditions you end up choosing. Your post inspired to finally start our spiritual corner. God bless!

Comment on How Many Children Should We Have? by tina

tina — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:38:54 +0000

Stacey, I enjoyed reading this article. My husband and I have been married for almost a year now, but friends and family have been asking us when we will have children and how many we’ll have from the day we announced our engagement. My response is always the same: “As many as God gives us.” Most of my peers go into marriage with a specific number and even names preset, and I’ve always felt different and uncertain with myself for not knowing how big or small I want my family to be. My husband feels the same way. When we were in high school together, my parents discovered they were pregnant with my sister; she’s a full 16 years younger than me, and 8 years seperate her from the next sibling. My parents graciously and excitedly prepared for her, and I believe that taught my husband and me that God will help our family to grow until He is satisfied with its size. Your article has bolstered our confidence to accept however many children God blesses us with. Thanks!

Comment on How Many Children Should We Have? by Amanda3701

Amanda3701 — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:52:43 +0000

Great post. We are firm believers in letting God decide our family size, as both our parents did a generation before us. Nobody is more surprised than me that we *only* have two children. We anticipated a minimum of thee and were comfortable with four or five (or more, if God so chose). My standard answer is “we will be done having children when I hit menopause.” Before then, only God knows. Our boys are 4 and 6 now, and even active trying for the past year produced no results. Maybe God knows our family is complete. We rust in him. Maybe he knows that we need a nreak for now to get things in order before we are blessed with another “later in life.” We are 36 and 37, but would never consider we are “done” having children. Unless that is God’s plan for us. I want to shout out to all those NFP naysayers that you don’t know unless you give it up to God. Easiest thing we have ever done.

Comment on How Many Children Should We Have? by krasinac

krasinac — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:19:16 +0000

Thank you so much for this article which is so timely right now in our life. We’re currently expecting our third child (fourth if you count the last baby we lost to miscarriage) and we are getting the same question, “Do you think you’re done having children now?” I used to be able to readily answer that question, “No, we’re open to more children and I can’t wait!” But now, faced with some growing pains financially and otherwise I can’t so easily say, “I can’t wait to have more.” It is suddenly feeling much harder to trust God’s will for our family. NFP will be a serious, serious concern after this child is born. We are committed to NFP, but nonetheless concerned what it means for our family if God’s will includes more children.

Comment on Moving Days by debbiebloomfield

debbiebloomfield — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:44:30 +0000

Congratulations on your marriage, Justin ans Sara!
I happened across this little story while looking for some NFP promo stuff.

Justin may remember me from his time as a FOCUS missionary in Michigan.
Mrs. Bloomfield

Comment on Unsolicited Advice by mmbertram

mmbertram — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:41:19 +0000

Thank you for your post and for reminding me why my husband and I have chosen this path for our family. God Bless!

Comment on Unsolicited Advice by stmaxfan

stmaxfan — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:41:35 +0000

Wow. I am amazed at the rudeness of people. If that person was so convicted in his/her beliefs, why didn’t they approach you and have a conversation with you? I have 5 children and homeschool 4 of them. My oldest has a disability and goes to a therapeutic day school, so usually, I am out and about with 4 in tow. I am getting used to the horrified looks on people’s faces when they ask, “Are all these yours?” and I answer, “No, there is another one, but he’s not with me right now.” When people get very rude, I remind them that my kids are paying into THEIR Social Security. I also make sure to tell them that our lives are never boring or dull and that my husband and I enjoy our children and enjoy spending time with them. I am amazed at how many people out there view children as a burden or a liability. My husband and I also use NFP in our marriage. I would like to point out that, indeed, the Church hierarchy advises us to use this method, but, ultimately, the directive comes down from the Holy Spirit, who is Love itself. So, Love dictates that we use the symptoms and signs created by Him to plan our families.

Comment on Unsolicited Advice by 5stringjg

5stringjg — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 17:22:07 +0000

Josh, what a great post! This makes me so angry it is hard for me not to respond inappropriately. What presumptuous busybodies! As if you must only have 3 children because you can’t figure out how not to. And clearly they are cowards since they left their little present (a very inappropriate one to be left next to a toddler) in secrey. I am going to share this post on my facebook page so my liberal friends can see Planned Parenthood in action.

Comment on The Challenge of Sunday Mass by Nissi2011

Nissi2011 — Tue, 03 May 2011 16:00:53 +0000

Josh,

Thank you for this post. We just have one son (so far) and he’s almost 2 and a half. We take him to mass with us every week and we sit up front too so he can see. We’ve been trying to figure out more ways to include him in the mass so we can get to actually stay for the entire time. It’s such a challenge (like Palms Sunday when we had to go to 2 different masses just to get through one because of his screaming). I think the thing he doesn’t understand most is why he has to be quiet, but everyone else gets to talk throughout mass (the responses). These are great ideas to engage him and we are going to start implementing them this Sunday.

Comment on I Sing of the Stay-at-Home Parent by ecortright

ecortright — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 13:36:31 +0000

Posted for Angela: In response to your article,’I sing of the Stay-At-Home-Parent’ I just want to add… try homeschooling on top of the normal full time stay-at-home life. ;) It’s over the top some days, but thankfully we manage to fall into a routine, naturally. But it is a huge sacrifice all around. Without being fully committed to serving Him, I would be lost playing all of these roles in our family. I’m SO thankful each and every day for the opportunity to walk away from my career to raise our children. I do miss the research and publications (being a food chemist by training), but I would never trade a single moment of any day… no matter how amazing or how difficult it might turn out to be. Thanks for your post. (Sorry WP wouldn’t let me log in to comment even though I am logged in for my own WP site right now. Weird.) -Angela

Comment on I Sing of the Stay-at-Home Parent by Eileen Mae

Eileen Mae — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:22:11 +0000

Dear Stacy,

I am so glad to have come across your blog. I hope that this finds you well.

I do not know if you remember me but I lived in Naples, FL in 2001 and worked with you and Josh in the Diocese of Venice young adult ministry. We attended a conference in Chicago that year. I was sad to lose touch with you after you left for school.

God works in such amazing ways and has put me in touch with some friends that I have not seen or heard from in a LONG time including PJ (through his wife) at Church.

I would love to get in touch with you again.

Thank you.

Eileen Mae (Mendoza) Kudenholdt

Comment on I Sing of the Stay-at-Home Parent by Eileen Mae

Eileen Mae — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:17:45 +0000

Hi Stacy!

Thank you so much for posting this. As a newlywed (one year) we have decided for me to be a stay at home wife in hopes someday a Mom. I often struggle each month whether I ought to go back to work and blogs/articles such as these encourage me more and more that we have made the right decision.

Thank you for sharing this.

Eileen Mae

Comment on Crime and Punishment by Crystal

Crystal — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 05:53:18 +0000

My husband and I went through the same thing about 7 months ago.. Someone brook into our home and took 2 of are flat screen tv’s and a laptop.. Like you said you feel violated. What it came down to was that they were material things.. We gave it to God. To us it was more of a sign, that we watch to much TV and on the computer. We had less of us and God.. Now we spend more time with family and God.. Things we have to go through to open our eyes…

Comment on Boy Meets Girl, Part 1 by Sara

Sara — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:39:28 +0000

Lol, Dori – I’ll never forget that pointed question last time we saw your family. Thanks for reading!