Sharkey Family =): My Secret

An enjoyable pregnancy, a relatively easy labor lasting barely 2 hours, AND a tear-free, drug-free delivery after only 20 minutes of mediocre pushing on my part... How/Why did I get so lucky??? This is my secret:

...or rather, the women inside.
The photos above are of the St. Elizabeth Motherhouse in Allegany, NY.
My aunt (dad's sister) is a nun, although she lives "off campus". ;>
However, I have VERY fond memories of visiting the Motherhouse when I was little. Visiting was always a good time as it was like having 100 grandmothers all doting on us, telling us how cute and wonderful we were, filling our tummies with food and cakes, and our pockets with candies. Hmmm, I wonder if there's a Motherhouse near San Francisco... but, I digress.
Anyway, when I found out I was pregnant, I asked my dad to go to the Sisters and ask that they think of me and the little Sharklette in their prayers because early on I was afraid of a blood clot & miscarriage. Things were going so well that my dad kept going back to visit the Sisters every other week for the entire 9 months of my pregnancy! =)

Needless to say, within weeks after Madeleine's (extraordinary!) birth, I was making plane reservations to take Maddie to meet those wonderful women AND to thank them myself!
Sister Mary Lawrence knows everyone and would take my dad around, making introductions. She did the same for Madeleine and I. Unfortunately, we were so into Meeting & Greeting that we forgot to get a pic of us with her! =( Gives us a GREAT reason to go back! ;) Here she is on her own:
SISTER MARY LAWRENCE SCANLON

SISTER ANN PETER MOTTO made Madeleine an afghan which she LOVES (primarily because she can get her little fingers in it and manipulate it, also because it's pink and pretty! ;)

Maddie loved this Sister, SISTER CHARMICHAEL. It was very hot, sticky day and Madeleine was getting tired, but when we got to Sr. Charmichael, Maddie was all smiles for her! =)