Ohio

This past weekend we did something I never would have believed I would be doing with an eight month old: we drove to Cincinnati. Yes, you are correct, it is a eleven hour drive, without stops. With appropriate breaks for lunch and dinner, nursing, gas, water and bathroom, it's more around fifteen hours. It was for a good reason, though: Br. G's first vows into the Dominican Order.
And so we left the city on Thursday morning, Fr.J, L, C and I. We finally arrived at the Cincinnati seminary, where we were to stay the first two nights, at one in the morning. We had an overall wonderful ride. C was an angel, sleeping most of it, but also looking out the window, being very active when we stopped at restaurants to eat, playing with her rattle, etc. She didn't cry once. She didn't eat as much as usual though and I therefore got a little engorged. She wasn't too happy to be awake to be changed and put into her bed at one in the morning, but fell asleep very fast and woke up only once, despite the pretty noticeable creaking of my bed. She even let me sleep in until 7:00 and played in her bed while I showered. Our "guest suite" had two rooms: a little parlor with a couch and a desk, and then the bedroom itself. It might have been bigger than P and my first apartment in NY! It was carpeted and so C felt comfortable honing her crawling skills. She can definitely get herself around now, using one foot to push and one knee for stability. Not the most efficient mode of transportation, but it allows her to go back to a sitting position quickly when a toy falls from the sky or when a light needs inspection. She is also very determined to learn how to crawl on her hands and feet. You know, the bear walk. My bootcamp trainer had us do that in circles for a while and my whole body ached for a week. Are babies masochistic? Maybe she wants toned legs. In any case, she can now raise herself onto her feed, but not quite move them in that position yet.
On Friday morning we went to Gethsemani, KY, where St. Thomas Merton lived. St. Thomas was a Cistercian monk, but also a Columbia alum, so good manners assert that we should feel a distinct interest for him. No, really, he was a pretty interesting dude. However, there was not much at the abbey other than a gift shop, a little movie about Cistercians and the chapel. The most naked, empty Catholic church I have ever seen. There is nothing on the white-washed walls, nothing on the ceiling, the ground is cement and even the organ, altar and tabernacle are as bare as can be. We also got a special permission to go and visit his burial site. Obviously, visitors are asked to keep silent everywhere but in the gift shop. C obeyed that command at about 80%. I was a little worried that they would ask me to leave, but nobody said anything.
We were back at the Dominican priory in Cincinnati for vespers after which we all went to dinner, followed by complines. It was a good day, but it ended with me incredibly engorged. It was very painful and I hadn't brought my pump, thinking it would be unnecessary. How wrong I was! We therefore stopped by a Walgreen where I bought a small hand pump. Now I have two of those and use them very rarely, but I don't think I would have been able to sleep otherwise. On Saturday, Br.G picked me up at the seminary at 6:15 (yes, am) so that C and I could attend lauds while our brave drivers would rest and sleep in. I must say that all the offices were truly beautiful. The brothers have very nice and warm voices, were singing without frills but with confidence. It made it easy and natural to pray with them. There was more hanging out after lauds during which something extraordinary happened. Another brother was chatting with Br.G and I and waving at C, who suddenly returned the gesture. I thought it was coincidental, but she repeated it a couple of times so that it was unmistakable. She waved. She's a genius. Now, ok, I don't think she knows what the movement means, she was just imitating, but still. Genius.
Then there was the actual Profession mass. It was a wonderful two hours. We happened to be sitting in the very front, and there was a family with four or five kids right behind us. C enjoyed that a lot, did a little sleeping and a little singing. The ceremony was beautiful, solemn and with something almost mystical. I was thankful for the privilege of attending it, for looking on it almost gave me the impression of invading these brothers' privacy. You might have had the same feeling at a wedding perhaps. The impression of being invited into something much much bigger than you, something to which you're not sure you belong?
That evening we drove to Zanesville where the Dominican priory at which we were staying was, wondered at the poverty of this town, had dinner and crashed. C slept pretty well, again, but the delightful sound of the church bells for the first morning mass woke us up. After mass and breakfast, Sunday was spent in an uneventful drive back.
During this weekend, C also had much time to practise new language skills since she was strapped in her car seat much of the time. She is now good at bah-bah's, tha-tha's and sometimes mah-mah's. No intentional words yet, of course, it's just experimentation at this point. But it will come soon!