first Mass!

Oh cool!!!!! Our son slept through his first mass like a real trooper...and many thereafter. Now at 2.5 it is a little bit of a "challenge" to get through Mass. Good luck!!!!!! --Renee

H was only 5 days old for his first one---slept right through it. Our priest said it was all he could do not to stop the mass and come down to see the baby. Now, at one year, H no longer sleeps and Fr. probably wishes he could see (and hear) a little less of him! Redbone, we take H to our early mass b/c there's no music at that one---it's slightly shorter and when he was really small, we figured it would be easier to keep him asleep. How did your little one do last night?

Our little guy is 3 weeks and has been to mass 4 times. He has slept through every one except yesterday. He loves the music and noise, (we don't keep our house quite in the day). He goes about 4 hrs between feeds, so I feed him before we leave, I do wake him if I have to about an hour before to 'top him up'. Then I warm an ounce of formula at mass just before it starts in case he does wake, it is enough to sooth him until it is done. That's what we did yesterday. Also, I leave the car seat in the car, either hold him or in the bjorn. He hates his car seat unless the vehicle is moving!!! Our mass is a long one too, usually 1hr 10min to 1hr 20min.You will figure out what works for you redbonec. Good luck and have fun!Michelle

Ohhhh, what a wonderful memory. Kelcee was 2 weeks old when we went to our first mass. She loves the music and would drink a bottle and fall asleep. Now at 16 months old, well, you can guess what it is like but all worth it.

Well, mass was fine. Nothing works like planned, though, which is no surprise. She was so tired when I tried to wake her before we left, slept right through a diaper change, so we took the bottle with us. We got there about 15 minutes early, and began feeding her few minutes later. We forgot how noisy she is when she eats--she makes kissy sounds throught the sides of her mouth.The organ music didn't seem to bother her, and slept against my husband's chest during the rest of mass. MIchelle, K doesn't like the car seat either unless it is moving. HBV--I will remember the early mass (ugh!) if we notice the music is bothering K. Maybe we shouldn't bring her just yet then to the life teen mass Sun. evening--we went once ourselves and the music was LOUD LOUD LOUD!!! Lovebug, sounds like we need to enjoy the sleeping through mass days now!

Woobie has attended mass every week since he came home, and he's six months old. There has only been twice that I felt the need to go to the back of church d/t his fussiness,, but mostly because my mother feels the need to mess with him and get him agitated (quite another story, though). He likes the music. I always bring a bottle, extra rags and bibs and he just goes with the flo. Rarely does he nap during the mass, because he likes to see whats going on. Just this week for the first time, he was "playing" with the little boys behind us--they would smile and he would smile and try to go toward them (over me...). It was very cute, but not much "churching" got done that day. Anyway, enjoy your baby at Mass and don't worry about her making noise. Our priest doesn't mind the noise, or if we need to just stand up in the side aisle to calm babies. He likes the sound of the parish growing! :)

I had to share---H is at a stage where he is imitating gestures. Yesterday, during Sursum Corda, he "lifted up his heart" when everyone else did, and he waved at everyone around us during the sign of peace. He has a big fan club at this mass. People know his name that I am certain do not know ours.

That must be fun to watch H immitate the gestures during mass! I have to admit, not good on the Latin, what is the Sursum Corda? I was realizing at mass the other day, how being a parent now puts on a new perspective--I was looking at a statue of St. Joseph holding the child Jesus. My first thought was: "Jesus must be a few months older than K (my daughter) because he has good head control (in the statue)." Not what I used to think when I looked at statues!

Sursum Corda= Lift up your hearts.

It is amazing how going to Mass is different now. Both spiritually and socially. I get much more attention now that I have a child in tow. I was always really reserved and shy before, but now everyone talks to us. Spiritually, things just take on a whole new meaning. God as the Father means something different now. Mary - WOW. What a Mother's example to try to follow! I just feel like I have a whole new set of standards to live up to now and a new sense of direction. (Even if that direction is usually heading BACK to the back of church with wriggling child in arms so I can try to see all the way up to the front of church where everything is happening!)

I agree, Stork---we sit across from the stained glass window of the holy family every week, and I think about St. Joseph and Mary as parents. Actually, this board has been helpful as well in making us think more about ways to take out our faith and reexamine it daily, and how to incorporate it into H's life. I have gotten a lot of inspiration from all of you!