I Disappeared in 2024
Alice Hildegard being baptized on October 13, 2013 at our parish.
New Year, New Me?
Nah. Not really, but I cut my hair so kind of? Ha!
But, I am hoping to dive back into my podcast this year. 2024 was a whirlwind of change, and keeping up has been hard.
The change happened mainly because my husband, in our attempt to relocate/find a new job (we spent most of 2023 applying for jobs all over the country), did find a new job — it was just local. He’s still a lineman (no, not football), but he left the small co-op he had been a part of and worked his way up for over 14 years. It was a big change for our entire family. This new job provided a lot of opportunities for overtime that he didn’t previously have access to, which meant a lot of work— and I mean a lot.
Shortly after he accepted the offer for his new job, I found out I was pregnant with our 7th (6th surviving) baby. To say that was a surprise would be an understatement!
Alice Hildegard Erickson was born on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary after a fairly easy labor compared to my other children. She was baptized on the following Sunday— October 13th, the anniversary of Our Lady appearing in Fatima and the miracle of the sun!
We named her Alice, because I fell in love with the brilliance of Alice von Hildebrand after reading “The Privilege of Being a Woman,” and Hildegard after St. Hildegard of Bingen. I vowed to name my next daughter after Alice von Hildebrand after her death in January of 2022. St. Hildegard was chosen because she likewise was brilliant but also a lover of music and science. She had a knack for understanding the world around us through science and art while von Hildebrand had such a lovely grasp on theology on philosophy.
My maternal great—grandmother was named Hildagard, and to our surprise, we learned that my husband’s maternal great-grandma was named Alice. It was meant to be!
After an incredibly difficult pregnancy physically and emotionally, I had a fairly normal labor. When I had our last daughter at home, I was in labor for 45 hours or so. So when I went into labor with Alice about a week early, I doubted I was really in labor up until I was near transition! I laugh about it now, but I really was unsure. I think I had mentally prepared for a very long labor instead of a 12-hour labor. She was born a very healthy 8 lbs 10 oz and 20.5 inches long at home in a planned homebirth.
God has been so good to us. Alice might be the sweetest baby we have had thus far. I can’t believe it. She struggled with many of the same nursing issues that have plagued all of our children, but thankfully, so much experience has made navigating oral ties a lot easier over the years. These issues, in a way, are the issues that led to my starting Integrated back in May of 2022.
At that time, I was struggling with severe postpartum rage, depression, and anxiety. My son, born in the height of the scandemic in August of 2020 had a lot of nursing issues and nervous system regulation. I wasn’t sure if I was going to come out of this period of my life intact. By January of 2022, I was at my wits end, and my husband saw the need I had for an outlet. Encouraging me to use my “gift” for public speaking, he encouraged me to start a podcast.
I’m looking forward to diving back into things after another such season of life. I’ve certainly missed doing the podcast over the last year, and I’ve missed you.
He is always sanctifying us, isn’t He? To God be all the glory.
Thanks for sticking with me.
