Karen Chatters » 9 months

One final hurrah

Karen — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 17:57:45 +0000

Tomorrow marks the first day of our last trip of summer 2011. Summer is already over for most of the country but for those of us with kids not in school (yet), there’s still some time to play. Of course, the 90 degree temps would lead you to believe that there’s still a lot of summer left no matter what the school calendar says. I’m super excited even if the prospect of traveling for 8 hours to get there exhausts me before we’ve even started. We’re heading to Nantucket, a place I haven’t been in well over 10 years, with my entire family. I have a zillion family memories of Nantucket from when I was small and loving it all. I can’t wait for sand castles and cobblestone streets and great food and ice cream and making new memories with my little ones.

I’m going to try not to stress about naps and feedings and laundry and the lack of sleep for a week. My goal is to enjoy the sandy shores, the lobsters, the wine on the widows walk and my family for the entire week. We’ll just worry about life when we return.

Full circle

Karen — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:57:38 +0000

Every summer of my life was spent at the pool at the club my parents belonged to. I’d get up in the morning and head to the pool on my bike (or I’d walk) and after swim practice was over at 5, I’d head home. I spent all day in my bathing suit, I’m sure I never applied sun block and by the middle of July, I’d have to put zinc on my nose, which was in the process of peeling off. Every single summer. I had a group of kids that I spent my days with, smaller kids that I’d babysit for when I was old enough, and every summer a group of life guards that idolized.

We all spent our days in the same Speedo bathing suits, the swim team issued version, played marco polo and shark for hours on end, and never did a minute of sun bathing. We talked to the life guards all day and never missed a minute of pool time. I can remember days spent under the awning, watching the rain fall and yet we just hung out. It may have had something to do with the rule that we weren’t allowed at home during the day in the summer. Or, it may have had something to do with the life guards being cuter and more enjoyable to look at than hanging out with my baby brothers at home. Priorities.

Now that we’re visiting my folks, I’m finding myself sitting by the exact same pool. I look at the lifeguards and think, holy crap they’re so young, like babies. I just remember them being so cool and mature and “old.” There’s no sign of the club issued Speedo’s worn by the swim team but tankinis and ruffled bathing suit bottoms and bikinis. I definitely don’t remember that from my childhood. The venue is the same but these are definitely not the 80′s anymore.

On Monday the kids, my mom and I were the ONLY ones at the pool, just sitting and playing on the edge. We had the life guards complete and undivided attention. As a matter of fact, he was just staring at us because there was no one else to watch. As we sat there, I watched Courtney make flirty eyes with the lifeguard. She was smiling and looking at him coyly, batting her little eye lashes. And then there was Patrick, doing the exact same thing but with the female guard. I swear, it was like looking into a mirror. Or a crystal ball. My past, my present and my future had all come colliding on the pool edge.

I’m pretty sure I’m doomed. If my past behavior is any indication of what we’re in for, we have many many challenging years ahead of us. The good news is that I did so much when I was young, hopefully my kids won’t get away with anything.

Nine

Karen — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:05:06 +0000

My beautiful boy is 9 months old today. He’s officially been out of the oven as long as he’s been in. And he’s amazing. Every day I think to myself that I couldn’t love this boy more and then I do. He’s vibrant and he laughs and laughs and laughs. He couldn’t love his sister more and he lights up when she comes into the room. He allows her to hug and kiss him and tolerates the occasional spill when the love is a little to powerful. He takes everything in and is amazed by everything around him. He also likes to put everything in his mouth. Everything from fish and meatballs to pacifiers and poop (don’t ask).

90% of the time, Patrick looks like this.

Minus the hat.

And then there’s the time that I wasn’t paying attention.

And he fell on his face.

I love you hugely baby boy. Thank you for bringing me so much joy.

Wet Wednesday

Karen — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:47:31 +0000

This week has been one of our best weeks in a while. Despite the fact that I have a sinus infection, or a dead tooth, we’re doing very well. Courtney is getting back on track. She woke up yesterday morning for the first time in two weeks without snot all over her face and a crazy runny nose. Her cough is gone too, which means we’re all sleeping better. As a matter of fact, Courtney went to bed at 7:45 last night and didn’t get up this morning until 9:20. That’s unheard of. I wish I’d known about her plan, I’d have slept in! And her appetite has returned. We went to lunch with some friends today, and I’m not lying, she probably ate a cup of peas. A cup. As well as some cheese, some pizza, some pasta and some other things. I’m not sue where all those peas are going, maybe into her hollow leg, but she ate them ALL.

We hit a rough patch last week with the weaning. When Courtney was sick on Friday she wouldn’t take any milk from the cup, and she wouldn’t do it over the weekend either. It was making me really nervous. I have a drop dead date of October 8th to have this kid off the boob. Fortunately for Paul, Courtney and myself, she seemed to pick it up on Monday without missing a beat. At this point I’ve got her off the lunch feeding and we’re (back to) cutting the night time feeding now. I hope to cut the night time feeding completely in the next couple days. I think the morning nursing is going to be our hardest though. And I’m going to miss it. I’m going to miss lying with my girl, having her put that little hand on my face, look at me with those big brown eyes, and smile her beautiful smile. But she’s not coming to Vegas with me so no more boob for her.

And the best news of all for this rainy, wet, Atlanta Wednesday… My cousin who had a long and ugly battle with breast cancer, and won, had a scary doctors appointment last week. She went in to her oncologist yesterday and it turns out that her PET scan was clear. PHEW! What a relief. I just LOVE good news like that.

Courtney loves the remote, even if she isn't allowed to watch TV.

Promises to myself – FAIL

Karen — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:32:16 +0000

Last week, I got all high up in my britches and low in my self esteem and told you all how I was going to work out every day for 30 days. I was going to do the 30 Day Shred for all 30 days. Every one of the 30. FAIL. Let’s see, I think I made it 4. And then I just didn’t. And then Courtney got sick and I lost a couple of days there. And yesterday I didn’t even take off my pajamas. Seriously. FAIL.

So here I am on what should be day 8 and I’ve just showered and gotten dressed which in my mind means: No more exercise today. However, I did decide last week to do the September Fitness Challenge so I did day 1 this morning (I did do the “test” last week on one of my fail days). And during the resting period of the squats, when I could actually just sit there, I lifted some weights. That has to count for something, yes? No? I know, FAIL.

Also, I’m been dying to bake something. Pumpkin muffins. Oatmeal bites. Something. But I haven’t. In lieu of baking something delectable last week, I made these broccoli cheese bites for Courtney which taste a great deal like cardboard. And I have a million of them. Even Paul thought they were bland. So they must be terrible. Oh well, as long as I dont’ bake some chocolate chunk 1000 calorie per cookie piece of goodness, that’s a step in the right direction.