Caffeinated Catholic Mama

Seven Quick Takes Friday: Vol. 35

Karianna — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:20 +0000

I tried to avoid it. I wasn’t going to do it, but enough people have asked my opinion on this so here you go. When this story first broke last week, I will admit that I was happy to see a nursing toddler in the mainstream news. But as more people asked me about it, and the more I talked about it, I realized something: This cover is nothing but sensational drivel. And so…

Seven reasons why this COVER irritates me:

I can’t say for sure because I do not subscribe to TIME and I will not shell out the $$ for the mag, but according to those who have read the article, the article is about Dr. Sears and attachment parenting. Extended breastfeeding is only a small part of attachment parenting.

I hate the fact that her DS is nursing whilst standing on a chair. Who does that?! I showed The Bear this picture and her first comment was “Why is he standing on a chair? That’s not safe!” and she’s right… it’s not safe and it’s not realistic.

I hate how the stylists dressed the pair. Her DS in fatigues, looking into the camera, on the chair is a blatant attempt to make him seem older than his three years. Her in skinny jeans and a tank just screams “Hot Mom” or, even better, MILF.

I am trying to put myself in her shoes and imagine what it would be like to be at a professional shoot, all glammed up and I still can’t imagine why she would consent to taking this particular picture, knowing that it does not accurately represent what breastfeeding is.

The headline “Are you Mom Enough” is meant to evoke challenge and to re-ignite or stoke the embers of the ever-present flames of the mommy war. If you took it to mean a challenge, you weren’t alone.

I hate how this cover has not done anything to normalize breastfeeding, if nothing else, it’s made extended breastfeeding mamas into (even more of ) a parody. Not that it’s related but I just saw a trailer for “What to Expect when you are Expecting,” a movie I will NOT be seeing. One of the main characters (according to reviews the character owns a shop called “The Breast Choice”) is reading a book to some people and enunciates at the end of the book: “Breast is Best.” A supporting character, overweight, styled to look a bit trashy/ a hot mess, then pipes up: “I was breastfed for 6 years, look how well I turned out.”

This pic is much more realistic. Even though most moms I know tend to pull shirts up from bottom, rather than down from top… unless they are wearing a dress. Why wasn’t it used? Maybe because he looks like a… baby?

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Be sure to head over to Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes!

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Reclaiming my Joy: Inappropriate Humor

Karianna — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:00:18 +0000

While we were on the retreat at Covecrest, my friend Kim and I started talking about David Crowder (of the “David Crowder Band”.) Recently, DCB came out with a new album… Give Us Rest Or (A Requiem Mass In C [The Happiest Of All Keys]) [+Digital Booklet]a Requiem Mass. What makes this remarkable is that David Crowder is not Catholic. Rumor has it that one of the possible reasons for the breakup of DCB is David Crowder’s increasing interest in Catholicism.

But that’s neither here nor there.

So, we were talking about DCB and the new album and I make the comment of not really understanding what the big deal was if David Crowder was becoming interested/ studying Catholicism. I mean, if we really believe that we are all Christians, what’s the big deal? Her response? (Kim is not Catholic, btw)

Well, you do know that some Christians do see the Catholic Church as the Whore of Babylon?

For some reason, that statement just cracked me up! Imagine introducing yourself to a person:

“Hi, my name is Karianna, and I am a member of the Whore of Babylon.”

OK, maybe it was funnier in context, and you probably had to be there, but still…

Part of finding your joy is being able to laugh hard and often. Maybe it means going to “You Tube” and watching videos of pranks, maybe it’s watching old episodes of “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, maybe it’s going to “I can has Cheezeburger” and looking at memes of cats in strange situations.

Whatever you do, make sure to have a good laugh!

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Total: Just Like Mary

Karianna — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:06:42 +0000

Total. Whole. All. Full. Complete. All In. The Whole She-bang.

Have you totally given your life’s course to God? I know I haven’t. Don’t get me wrong, I really, really, really want to and I often think that I have but then this little thing stops me:

Doubt.

As some of you know (especially if you’ve “liked” the CCM Facebook page!) we are expecting a new baby sometime in late November! When this little bundle arrives, The Bear will be 5, The Dragonfly will be 3 and then we’ll have #3. Now, if I had my way, we would keep adding and adding to our family, but my loving husband doesn’t really agree with that.

I have faith that God will provide us with all that we need with each new life that we welcome, and I know many women like that. My husband, on the other hand, is more… let’s say practical, and I know many husbands like that. Don’t get me wrong, my husband is a good man, but he, like many of us, has doubt. He worries about being able to really provide for the children. He has concerns about retirement (i.e. not wanting to be 85 at retirement.) He worries about college costs. We worries about being “there” for each child. I often am amazed at the wonder of God’s design in man and woman and how we are so complementary… it’s almost like His plan was for a married couple to keep each other accountable with checks and balances. But where is the line between being fiscally and emotionally prudent and doubt?

Doubt is a funny thing. It’s so small, so minuscule, but it can really make you forget everything else and focus only on it. You can have all of the confidence in the world and it takes just one word, one phrase, one book to make you start to doubt.

How many of us have heard or uttered these:

-We’ll have kids when we are out of debt/ more financially stable

-We’ll have another child after I get promoted

-I’d love to stay home, but we just can’t afford it*

-The move would be great for the family, but the job will pay less

-This job would really fuel my passion, but the pay is crap.

I have a friend, Kate, in Arizona. Kate was offered the change to take on a new career at a crisis pregnancy center, a cause close to her heart. The issue? It would require a major pay cut, and considering she and her husband were already pinching pennies, it seemed doubtful that it would be a wise move, financially. So what did Kate do? She took the job at the CPC. She and her husband put their total faith in God’s plan and they trust that He will provide. They turned doubt into trust.

If you read through the beginning of the Gospel of Luke, you will see that doubt is not there. Mary said “yes” to God’s plan with total affirmation. She didn’t haggle, she didn’t worry, she asked how it would happen. She just said: “yes.” She knew that God would provide all that she would need and didn’t wonder how it would happen.

Total. Whole. All. Full. Complete. All In. The Whole She-bang.

Journal questions:

What in your life is doubt keeping you from doing?
Why is it so hard to trust in God’s promise to provide?

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*There is the reality that some families just cannot afford to go from two incomes to one income, and/ or some families are already single parent homes. But I know, personally, I hear this lament from moms in families who are used to a certain lifestyle and hate to give it up.

Next week? Fruitful: Just Like Mary. Can’t wait to read your thoughts!

Read Free: Just Like Mary here

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