Seven Quick Takes Friday--Volume 42

One.
Hey, I had a baby this week! I am bleary-eyed and ought to be napping with Gemma right now, but the midwife will be here in 20 minutes to do her PKU and 3 day check up, so what's the point? We'll catch another 2 hours tomorrow morning between 4 and 6 a.m....

Two.
The Catholic Church has brought me the best friends a mom could have. The day I gave birth there was a meal brought for us. The following day, Wednesday, my friend Cindy picked up my kids and took them to a movie, Mass and lunch at another friend's home, and then brought them home. Yet another lovely mom came with a meal--and dessert!--served it to us, cleaned up and graciously departed, offering to take the kids to her home the next day. My gratitude knows no bounds!

Three.
Minor disaster has kept me from resting quite as much as I would like: the door was left open on the meat freezer and we accidentally thawed out about 30 lbs of beef. So I am marinating and cooking a lot of meat! I have a chuck roast in the dutch oven, a round roast in the slow cooker and Bret will grill a London Broil. On a Friday! Since we won't be eating it today, I take it we'll be freezing a lot of it. I still have spare ribs and a gorgeous rib roast in the fridge. Think I will do up the latter for tomorrow--it's our 22nd anniversary.

Four.
Bret has taken Gabriel and Adrian for hair cuts. Sigh of relief!

Five.
We have finally settled on Gemma Eliana for the baby's name. Eliana is Hebrew for "My God has answered", or "God listened", which seems apropos since we have wanted another girl since I was pregnant with Sebastian! I was rooting for "Magdalena", my confirmation Saint, but Bret expressed a preference for Eliana, and he has never before expressed a preference to one name over another (yes, I know I'm fortunate--I've heard many a tale of the battle between parents in naming a new baby!) She will hopefully be baptized on the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen.

Six.
My cups runneth over...

Seven.
Yes, this is actually a photo Bret took of me in labor. I chatted and smiled right up to my water breaking, after which it was impossible to chat or smile. Thankfully, Gemma was born 7 minutes later and I could smile more than ever.

I promise I'll post more baby photos as soon as I can see well enough to pick and choose among them. And don't forget to stop by Conversion Diary to see more great 7 Quick Takes.