My Catholic Mama Survival Go-Tos

This week has been quite the challenge, to put things mildly. I'd say that since becoming a mom this one is up there with Nathan screaming inconsolably and refusing a bottle due to acid reflux in those early days of parenting. He has been sick this past week, with many sleepless nights and nothing working to console him. The adjustment back at work has been pretty rough, with an entirely new caseload this year (not nearly as wonderful as last year). So when I heard Dan scream "ouch" from downstairs yesterday morning I seriously felt like I was going to collapse on the floor and give up. Our house pretty much turned into an infirmary with not only a sick little baby, but a bed ridden husband with back problems. (If you are reading this dear, I'm not complaining about you. Just explaining the madness that has gone down in our house this week.)

"My child never responds to the nasal aspirator like a panicked feral animal. Deep down in her baby brain she knows that Mommy is trying to help. I enjoy sucking snot out of her face." source I had to laugh when I came across this picture with that very sarcastic caption today, because we have been battling Nathan's super human strength trying to use our nasal aspirator this week.

It is these moments of nearly no sleep and little time to myself that I find myself with limited patience and in desperate need of some serious grace. Enter, my Catholic survival go-tos.

Confession
Since becoming a mother, I have seriously noticed those moments when I am in desperate need of some grace. Since college, I've better understood the importance of frequently going to Confession, but I honestly never noticed a huge change in myself afterwards. My world was just that, mine. Sure, I had a husband to treat with love and respect, but no one truly 100% relied on me for every single thing. I didn't have to be as selfless as being a mother constantly beckons me to do. In fact, I thought I was a pretty selfless person until I became a mother and realized all of my selfish ways! Now that I have someone who needs me all day, every day I'm realizing how much Confession impacts me.  I need that reminder to be patient, loving, and selfless by honestly examining my conscience. I have been blessed with some pretty wonderful priests who have really talked with me and helped me to accept the difficulties of being a parent and to recognize when I need a break. I also desperately need that grace I receive through the sacrament. I really do notice a difference in the way I react to everything after going to Confession, most of all my level of patience. Jenny wrote about pretty much this same exact thing on her blog back in June. I already had ideas for this post in my head, but she beat me to it! She worded it so well, and as I read it I was finding myself nodding in agreement.

If I've recently been to Confession, I tend to notice myself tolerating moments like these at bedtime a bit more, even finding it kinda cute. And it usually doesn't look this cute. He's usually screaming at the top of his lungs. But with a good helping of grace, it's still cute.

Asking for the Intercession of Mary
Since becoming a mother, my devotion to Mary has significantly increased. I find myself constantly praying the Memorare and asking her to pray for me in those moments when I feel like I'm going to fall apart. I also look to her as an example. I wear my Mary medal almost every day as a reminder of how I want to act throughout my day, especially with Nathan. I find myself frequently grabbing the medal and taking a breath as I say a quick prayer, usually a desperate plea for a calm little one or for an increase in patience. Nathan also loves grabbing my necklace, and as he tugs on it around my neck, I find it reminding me of Mary and the mother I want to be.

source I absolutely love this painting, L'Innocence by Bouguereau. I would love to always be as peaceful as Mary is depicted in this painting. 

So those are my go-tos. What are yours? You don't have to be a mom to reply. We all have stress in our lives. What gets you through? I may need to add a few more items to my tool box as we enter more teething and a very busy little guy on the move.

Getting Used to Things

Going back to work is seriously kicking my butt right now, which is why the posts just aren't here. I have a few ideas of posts I've wanted to write for a while that I'm hoping to sit down (ha!) and write up soon. In the mean time, enjoy these photos of our little ham.