Celebrating the End of a Novena

"But if I finish all of my chores and you finish thine
Then tonight we're gonna party like it's 1699"

- from the song, 'Amish Paradise,' by Weird Al Yankovic

Tonight we finish a Novena to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus which was offered for, among other things, the health of our unborn child. We have some concerns that things are not going well with this pregnancy, and so we have been storming Heaven with prayers.

Now, at the end of this Novena, we rejoice, thanking God for answering our prayers. We do not know what that answer is, but we still praise Him for hearing us, knowing that His divine will is Love and Mercy itself.

We must stay the course.

Look Who Is Expecting!

When you wish for a Mustang,
donate baby clothes,
plan a cruise to Alaska,
what do you suppose?

God gives you a sign,
for you and your wife
at the end of a chapter
(you thought) of your life



Where once you expected
a minus, a dot
you see a small 'plus' sign,
'Not Pregnant' less 'Not'

Instead of the end
to a chapter of life
God adds to the blessings
for you and your wife.

SMD
10.3.2010


It sounds like bad poetry because it IS bad poetry. But is is also true. God has blessed us again; this is the 16th pregnancy for Carolyn. We are still amazed that God has smiled on us and granted us this blessing. We thank God for this child - whether he or she lives for a few weeks in utero, fifteen years, or long enough to bury us - we cannot stop thanking God for this tremendous blessing!

Please pray for Carolyn and our unborn child.


ADDENDUM: Sadly, Carolyn suffered a miscarriage shortly after I posted this entry. I have another note regarding this at THIS site.

A Boy's First Gun

Bernard is growing up so big, I thought it was time to get him one of them there firearms.

Here he is, holding his new Kentucky Rifle - still packed in its original grease and ready for a good cleaning and a bit of target practice. You can tell that Bernard can't wait to take it to the range and get it set up for deer season.


See how he knows, even at nine months, to keep his hands off the metal and on the stock. See how lovingly he gazes at his new gift.

You can almost see the thoughts in his head; the squirrel hunting, javelina stalking, and the day he takes his first deer with that there Kentucky Rifle. Good hunting, boy!

Living Without the Cross

Mr. Moose makes a rare appearance in this photo:



Two years ago we learned that the 'next year's model' Noisykid had died in utero at 11 weeks gestation.

This child would have been born around the time that Theodore died.

We named her Therese Mary Catherine.

Today I was reminded of this when we saw an autistic child in a restaurant, and my wife reminded me of something which our Priest said shortly after Theodore's death.

"The only thing harder than living with the Cross is not living with it."

We thank God for all of our children; those who live and for those who have died.

On a lighter note, here is the youngest, Bernard, sporting some cool shades:

20th Anniversary Photo Collection

July 1, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of our marriage. God has blessed us in so many ways over the years, and I thought a few pictures would be nice to put on the blog.

1989. Here we are saying our vows. The color is due to the natural light rather than a flash during the wedding:

1990. Our oldest son, Dominick, came along in April:


1991. The following year brought us our first daughter, Bernadette. She looks very serious in the picture:


1992 is the year we were blessed with Theodore. He slept through the shoot while I had to hold Dominick:


1993. Nathaniel arrived right before the end of 1993. I recall going to the department 'Holiday' party a few days earlier, and everyone kept grabbing Carolyn's belly. It just drove me nuts - I would never do that to someone else's wife! Note a recurrent theme in this picture: sleeping baby and squirming older brother.



1995. Augustine was born in March of that year. Dominick and Theodore were just doing their own thing when this picture was taken. Theodore had a red ball in his hand that we could not get away from him.



1996. San Antonio, Texas. Benedict was just a few months old when we moved to Texas. This was our almost last time getting our picture done at one of those 'studios.'


1997. After four boys in a row, Genevieve joined us in June. She was the first Texas Native, the first Air Force baby(at least on while we were on active duty), and our largest baby to date. The Air Force didn't believe in inducing labor, so she was born on her due date at 11#, 4 oz. No obstetrician has let Carolyn go full term since. Here Genevieve is giving a big Texas Howdy! to all the folks:

1998/1999. This picture is either really late 1998 or early 1999, because Jacinta was born in December of 1998. Also, there is no way we would be wearing jackets in the summer in San Antonio.



1999. One day after our 10th anniversary, we lost our first child when Carolyn had a miscarriage at about two months. We named our little one Anastasia Innocent. This was a painful lesson in realizing just how much our children are a gift from God, whether we have them for years on Earth or just a picture on an ultrasound.

Several months later, our parish started to put together a directory with family photographs. On summer evening we posed for this picture in a sweltering office. The photographer later disappeared with all the money he had collected, leaving just proofs behind. Some of the children were noticeably wilting in the photo:



2000/2001. January, 2001 shows that we learned our lesson, and we now take all family pictures during the cooler Texas months. No more August photo shoots. Cornelius was born in August, 2000. He was the first complete 'civilian' child we had, as I had separated from the Air Force in July, 2000.

2001. September 9, 2001, Marcellinus was born, and he came home on 9/11.



2003. In 2002, we moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. One of our wildest adventures in this neck of the woods was building a house. Here we are posing in front of it with our first Dallas child, Maximilian:




2005. You can barely tell we are posing around one of our tractors in this picture. Our youngest daughter, ZelieLouisa is sitting on Carolyn's lap. Note the brown grass - that is what happens when it doesn't rain for months.



2006. Note the boys are getting bigger in each picture. Our numbers have not grown, despite our prayers for more children.



2007. Once again, the joy of a new life became sadness as we lost another child at just a few weeks after conception. This year we posed by our picture of Divine Mercy, and we took consolation in the prayer which ends with the words "....Your Will, which is love and mercy itself."


2008. In the picture above, Theodore stood by the picture of Divine Mercy, with his head inclined toward it. Theodore died suddenly on April 3, 2008. In the picture below, we included his portrait as a reminder of how much he remains in our hearts.

2009. This photo montage helps explain why for years the customary greeting I would hear was, "how are you? Is Carolyn pregnant?" It appeared that those days were over, but God smiled on us again, and in January of 2009 we were blessed with another son, Bernard. He is a blessing to all of us, and here he is braving the 100+ heat in San Antonio last weekend:

Our life together has been blessed beyond our comprehension with our children and friends, and most importantly our Faith. We have tried to do the Will of God in our marriage, and in particular we have been open to life since the the beginning. Over the years, rather than wishing for this part of our lives to end, we find ourselves praying and begging God for more children. Our children are the only gifts we have on Earth that can follow us to Heaven, and we intend to see all of our children there one day.

I recall a comment from a book on marriage which has stuck with me for years. It said that choosing a good spouse would bring a bit of Heaven into the marriage. I have been blessed with my wife Carolyn. She is my best friend, and she is motivated by the desire to see her husband and all of her children get to Heaven. It helps that she loves God so much, for I can be difficult at times. I thank God for my wife, and I thank Carolyn every day for saying 'I do' to me twenty years ago.

UPDATE, DECEMBER 30, 2009!

LATEST FAMILY PHOTOGRAPH:

Front Row: Genevieve(12) holding Bernard(11 months), Marcellinus(8), Cornelius(9), and Maximilian(6)
Middle Row: Carolyn(young), ZelieLouisa(4) held by Bernadette(18), Benedict(13), Jacinta(11), Stephen(old)
Back Row: Augustine(14), Nathaniel(16 today, 12.30.2009!), Dominick(19)

UPDATE: HERE IS OUR VIDEO COMMEMORATING OUR 21ST ANNIVERSARY:



ANOTHER UPDATE: A PICTURE FROM CHRISTMAS, 2010:
...and for good measure, here is a picture of Carolyn and I from over the Summer. Carolyn is so beautiful, and I am so blessed to be her husband.






YET ANOTHER UPDATE:  Here is our latest picture from January, 2013.  Note that the children are getting bigger while we seem to be shrinking.  Also, the photographer neatly arranged it so the Native Texans are all in the front row, while the 'Northerners' are in the back.  Actually, since I was born in California I should be in a row all by myself.

Back Row, Left to Right:  Nathaniel (19), Augustine (18), Carolyn, Stephen, Dominick (22), Bernadette (21), and Benedict (16)

Front Row (The Native Texans): Marcellinus (11), Genevieve (15), Maximilian (10), Bernard (4), ZelieLouisa (7), Jacinta (14), and Cornelius (12)  

Volition

Random Thoughts

This has been a busy time at the Noisykid household. Work, extracurricular activities, and just keeping things going has made it harder to blog. Part of it is because I have a Facebook page, and it is really easy to put something on there without much thought. Blogging - believe it or not, is more intellectually challenging than Facebook.

Speaking of Facebook, I actually culled a lot of people off my friends list. Nothing personal, but I spent too much time wading through 'bandwidth' produced by various adults putting on a lot of links to things that I found distracting. I had to get back to the original purpose for Facebook: spying on my children.

Also, we are looking to get a garden going. Here are the little peat pots with seeds in them:

Beans, peas, tomatoes, squash(several kinds), cilantro, watermelon, and carrots. We shall see what grows and thrives in North Texas. We tried growing peppers but something ate the little sprouts down to the roots.

I can't think of where my inspiration for starting a garden came from.....



Nope, not there....

Give me a break, or give me a [redacted] break, to quote our Vice-President. The First Lady should change into something a little more grungy before she gets out there turning soil.

Actually, my inspiration was the memory of the fresh vegetables we had in 2007 - the last year we had a garden. I really liked the zucchini, carrots, and cilantro which grew well for months before getting burned up over the late Summer.

Then there is our newest little addition, who has us wrapped around his finger.


I shall post more videos of my little son Bernard soon!

In my absence, the world has continued to turn, and our President has continued his tradition of offending the weak and vulnerable, either through passage of legislation or making jokes on a late-night comedy variety show. Nothing is sacred or Presidential to this man voted in:



Compare and contrast the above video clip with that of this backwoods, backwards country hick from some unpolished state in the Northwest:



Scripted? Perhaps, but then some things are worth thinking about before opening one's mouth. Which of the above people demonstrates the "nobless oblige" one would expect of the president?

President Obama's insult to those in Special Olympics is especially painful coming so close to the first anniversary of Theodore's death, which will be this Friday, April 3.

What Happened Next

Here are few pictures of the Scorpions and the Ducks(and some friends) visiting young Bernard Noisykid:







Nothing makes for more excitement around here than the addition of another Noisykid. That is my excuse for not posting anything lately. So now I plan on making it up to you - to a point.

When I last reported on Wifeofdadwithnoisykids' labor, I mentioned that my youngest son had flipped into 'breach' position - he went from being head down to being feet down. This caused a lot of consternation, as we were hoping to get this little pre-teen out without a Cesarean section.

So on Tuesday night, here was the score: Baby in breach position, baby stable - based on external monitors, and no real pressing need to slice up my beautiful wife's tummy.


We had to take a step back. Just like so many other momentous events in life, a good night's sleep helped to bring a new perspective to our predicament.

(Unbeknownst to all of us, our son took advantage of his mother's deep sleep to turn back OUT of the breach position. The nurse on that night had to come in at some point in the night to re-position the surface monitors, so she suspected....)

The morning sun brought the news that the baby had flipped into the usual position, and labor started all over again.

For those of you who enjoy movies instead of my stilted prose, I offer you this claymation version of WHAT REALLY HAPPENED. The maker of this video did take some artistic license with this situation:

Baby Video

Here is Bernard at 12 minutes of extra-uterine life:

Return of the Prodigal Gun

This is a post in lieu of announcing the birth of the next Noisykid; my wife is still pregnant, despite my driving to and from Mass, and listening to THIS MAN SING.

The air pistol shown above is the same one which ventilated THIS orange juice container. Shortly after, this airgun, which is powered by CO2 cartridges, started to leak the gas like a tire with a big hole in it. I was very concerned; this is a very accurate little air pistol, and I always enjoyed shooting it. I contacted the company, and they directed me to some local folks who repair air guns.

By the way, this is a Benjamin Sheridan E9 Series CO2 Pistol; either an EB17 or E17. It shoots one .177 caliber pellet at a time.

Anyway, I put this gun aside for a while, until recently on YouTube I watched a man discussing CO2 cartridges. He recommended putting a drop of air gun oil on the tip of every CO2 cartridge before inserting it into the gun. I had never heard of this, so I gave it a try with my nonfunctional air pistol.

It worked. After shooting once, CO2 continued to leak, so I kept on shooting, and after three more shots the leaking stopped. Now, off to conduct the House Blessing!

But first, here are some videos from the Advent/Christmas Season. Enjoy!

Advent Week #4: Monday Morning celebration

In the Old Testament, David danced before the Ark of the Covenant in celebration. This has been considered a prefigurement of what happens in the New Testament, when the last Prophet, John the Baptist, danced before the Blessed Mother when she came to care for her cousin Elizabeth.

"And how have I deserved that the mother of my Lord should come to see me? For behold, the moment that the sound of thy greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leapt for joy."

- Luke 1:43-44

So dancing is okay, unless it looks like this:

Advent, Week #2: Saturday

Please pray that the '2009' Edition Noisykid will stay in the oven for a few more weeks. We spent last night in Labor and Delivery working on stopping labor.

Actually, I slept on a cot which broke into three parts as I lay there. I had to work all day today.

Anyways, keep Wifeofdadwithnoisykids in your prayers.

But now, let's MAMBO!

Click on the link above to enjoy a little musical nightmare.

I actually learned to Mambo in college, but I don't do that kind of thing anymore.

Actually, it's a Cha-Cha.

Advent Week #2: Friday - THE BABY IS UPSIDE DOWN!

If only it were true in real life.

The Feto-Meter shows the baby twirling upside down, which is not the way he is positioned right now. Of course, the Feto-Meter does not show the 2009 Model Noisykid with his outdoor plumbing, either.

We are investigating ways to make the baby 'come about' - a nautical term, from my days in the Air Force. But I digress.

Today is Friday, a day our family usually abstains from meat. However, today is also the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In honor of this occasion, I send you some Meatloaf for your viewing and listening displeasure:




Well, it's cold and lonely on this Texas Winter night. I can see the keyboard by the monitor light.

Prayer Request, Birthday, The Empty Sky Revisited, and Noisykid #15 Pictures

Prayers

First, pray for the repose of the soul of this man who died trying to save the life of his son. I never met him, but I knew several of his sons, one of whom is a priest in the Arlington, VA diocese(that is where my brother, Father Uncleofnoisykids has his parish). This is what he sent me:

"Dadwithnoisykids, you also may have met Mr. Vander Woude when you were in college. 

He was a model of Christian manhood - a Navy and airline pilot; then,
when he had to retire from that because of age, he became athletic
director and coach. I could tell you much, much more.
Suffice it to say he died the way he lived - truly a man for others.
May he rest in peace, and may God have mercy on his family who are now grieving his loss.




Please take some time to say a Rosary today for the Vander Woude family. If
you don't know them - they are Holy Trinity parishioners with seven sons,
one a priest, one a teacher at Seton School, another a coach at Seton, and
the youngest Joseph(in his teens) has down syndrome. Today he fell into a
well on their property and his dad heroically jumped in to save him.

He treaded water holding his son up until rescue workers could get there. It
only took 17 min to arrive from the phone call but Mr Vander Woude senior
did not survive. Please take a minute to pray for the repose of his soul and
give all your children a big hug. Thank you."

May his soul, and all the souls of the Faithful Departed, rest in peace.

Birthday

Yesterday was the 7th birthday of Noisykid #10, sometimes referred to as the 'Ritalin poster child' and one of those who inspired the concept of the 'Ritalin dart.' We are blessed to have such an enthusiastic child living in our midst, for he is always making us laugh with his antics. He was named after a pope and a priest, both of whom we think will intercede for him in Heaven.




We brought Noisykid #10 home on September 11, 2001, which brings me to the next part of this post:

The Empty Sky

Two years ago on September 11, I wrote this post about 9/11. I think it is worth bringing up again because it is good for us to remember what happened on that fateful day in 2001. I render my own opinion as to why 9/11 happened....here is a picture of a priest I know praying for those outside of the Pentagon:





Noisykid #15 Captured on Film!


Alright, enough melancholia and navel-gazing! Let's look at ultrasound pictures of the 2009 Model Noisykid!!!!

Noisykid #15 kept waving his arms in front of his face, so the pictures are not the best quality. Still, it was great for me to see a moving body - and a four-chambered heart beating merrily away.
Here is a foot.
Another shot of the face gives a little better view of the eye sockets.
Here Noisykid #15 shows off his fingers. But here below is the MONEY SHOT, the one we were waiting for. The sonographer asked us if we saw what we saw, and sure enough, it looks like outdoor plumbing.

By nightfall, Noisykid #13's old crib was stripped of any evidence of pink, and large crates of 'boy' baby clothes were opened. The baby dresser was emptied of all girl stuff, and every shade of blue material was put in its stead. Of course, deficiencies in the inventory were duly noted, and shopping expeditions were planned.

Meanwhile, a little baby danced in his mother's womb, waiting for the day that he would join the ranks of the Noisykids.

Deo Gratias!

Thank you, Theodore, for interceding for us!

HOT DOG

Noisykid #11 takes aim at Gettysburg, PA.

Deo gratias!

Hamburger or Hot Dog?

More on that question later.

Now you can see some of my favorite pictures from my blog on Facebook!

For those of you outside the loop, I started a Facebook page so I could spy on my children and their friends. All was well until yesterday when a friend of mine sent me a flair, which is a little button shape like the one above. I couldn't resist, and I started making some Dadwithnoisykids exclusive Flairs.

As an aside, I am shocked and disappointed by some of the things I have seen on Facebook pages. Some of the word, phrases, and pictures that are associated with my kinfolk sadden me. I don't think they realize that what goes on the Internet STAYS on the Internet. Roman Sacristan said it well,when he said that things on the Internet are like nuclear waste; it doesn't go away....



Facebook does have some redeeming qualities, as Rhett and Link point out in this little song:



HAMBURGER

OR

HOT DOG?

Tuesday we get an ultrasound which should show all four chambers of the heart(hopefully), kidneys, a brain, and the outdoor plumbing. On ultrasound, gender resembles either a hot dog or a hamburger. If you need me to explain which one is which, you are too young to be reading this blog. Get off now before I tell your parents!

So check back on Tuesday. It may just be one word; maybe it will be a picture of an ultrasound. Either way there will be news on Tuesday.

Catch you later!

First Friday Thoughts

Number 1:

Today begins week #15 for the pregnancy of Wifeofdadwithnoisykids. In the same manner that we eagerly await February 2nd with its emergence of the groundhog out of his lair to tell us we have more Winter to come, the start of week #15 usually means that the the 24/7 morning sickness has ended.

That is, if it's a boy.

So, with my wife sitting in a rocking chair behind me, trying to hold down dinner while reading to Noisykid #12, the odds of this being a girl just got higher.

Number 2:

We went to Mass tonight - 'we' being Mom, Dad, and those Noisykids who were not at work or visiting friends this evening. I went straight from work, and so I had a few minutes in the pew to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy before the rest of the family arrived. At some point I was distracted, and I began to meditate on the inadequacies of my Blackberry.

As the Noisykids trooped into the pew, the younger ones who were wearing Crocs sat down and proceeded to take off their shoes. Each of them began to conduct some rather involved foot care, starting with removing stuff from between their toes. My wife pointed this out to me, and asked me to get them all to put their shoes back on - after I put my own socks and boots back on.

Number 3:

I have said it before, but it bears saying again: All Noisykids come with a built-in soundtrack. I was reminded of this fact when the youngest air-breathing Noisykid started humming loudly during the Consecration. She was considerate enough to cover her mouth so it wasn't too loud.

Number 4:

Trying to keep order in the pew reminded me of an idea that I have been tossing around. I think there may be a big demand for it, too.

I propose to develop 'Ritalin Darts.' Imagine the way to settle that unruly child from a safe distance. All you need is an airgun, a keen eye, and a Ritalin-tipped dart to restore order in the house. I know a few Noisykids who could benefit from it....
Ritalin Darts are only available by prescription. If you are concerned about possible interactions with other drugs, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or gun dealer. See package insert for complete information, or look at our website, RitalinDarts.com.