Kate's Update

1 year and counting!

2009-08-09T20:41:00.004-05:00

I was reminded by my friend, Lauren, that I've abandoned this blog. It's been a while. Looking back on the earlier entries and pictures is pretty amazing. Time has flow by so fast.
Charlie turned one on July 24th and it was great fun. Byron's Mom, Maggie, flew down from Green Bay to celebrate with us. For the most part we laid low; relaxed around the house, back deck, and park. Byron and I took some time off of work, so we could really be together.
On the 23rd Maggie stayed home while Charlie took his afternoon nap. Byron and I jumped into the '84 Rabbit convertible that we found last year. A tangent from the story...This was the car I wanted in high school. The woman we bought it from lived across the street from my high school and the last four digits of her phone number are my birth date. To top it off she is an ICU nurse!
Now back to the story.
We found a cart for Charlie to push goodies around the house at Brookside Toy and Science, a great local shop. The name explains almost all of it. The owner must be a rocker too b/c they have amps for sale in the back :-). We also stopped in the Dime Store and found the real pin the tail on the donkey paper kit to tack up on the wall, a string of letters saying "Happy Birthday" and party blowers. We also found a miniature plastic "kitty" and "1" candle. The cat and the 1 were the cake toppers. We have a cat, named kitty that lives outside. For a while Charlie was saying "kiiiitty". He almost sounded like a character in a horror film creeping up saying, kiiiitty. He's moved on from that and says "Hot" now.
He's finally comfortably acquainted with the pool and we spent the last three days going to the local pool at some point in our day. It's a great break from the 90 some degree heat we've been having here in KC.
We started our morning off at the pool yesterday, Saturday, and if you have a family that's the time to go. 10:00 is too early for the teenagers and young adults to rouse from their post party slumbers. The pool was quiet with a few families playing together. We enjoyed having lots of space to walk up and down the pool and talk. Admittedly we haven't bought the swim diapers yet, so we may be illegally dipping our son into the communal waters. Luckily there's been no poop, just a hugely absorbant gel diaper as proof! I feel like we have to conceal the evidence when we take it off of him after our swim. I thought one of the families was criticizing us under their breath yesterday, but maybe I was just worrying too much. Time to stop thinking like this and just buy the darn swim diapers. Oh the things you don't realize are necessary until you have a baby!
It was good that we went to the pool yesterday because we spent the rest of the day at my Mom's dredging out stored paraphernalia from years past! Books and more books, English papers from high school! Nursing school stuff. Letters that I've kept from anyone who's ever written to me. I've never had the heart to throw them out.
I spent some time reading threw a number of them. One was a letter from Ken who was our leader on the Outward Bound journey I took in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I sent him a letter at some point to request guidance for a possible career as a mountaineer. He wrote a generous letter back with a contact in Oregon. I never pursued that.
I found pictures and maps from my trip to Ireland with Emily the summer after Junior year of college. One was a letter with information on a Spanish immersion program I inquired about threw Austin Peay school in TN. They offered a program in Mexico. I didn't take that route either.
There were letters from my Grandma McDermott interspersed throughout them all. A nice voice to read since she just died in May.
Byron said I was melancholy all day. I guess it was all that momentary living in the past. It was like John Cusack in High Fidelity accept I wasn't revisiting relationships, but life directions I explored but choose not to take.
As I sorted through all the stuff Charlie climbed the stairs up and down with Byron or my Mom. Then I'd get pulled back into the present and see this amazing little guy, talking, laughing, climbing, and pretending to talk on the phone.

Quick note

2009-03-22T09:18:00.005-05:00

I've got a couple of minutes while Charlie is on the floor absorbed with a new hand-me-down toy that keeps saying "the wheels on the bus go round and round". Thanks, Caroline and Christian! I guess we've officially been suckered into the noise making objects! There's also a piece of tupperware to balance things out at least a little bit.

Things are good. The weather has been warming up a bit around here. The sun has been out and that helps.

We just attended Sparrow's one year old birthday party yesterday. Sparrow is Charlie's friend in case you are wondering. The party was great and we all had a good time. I caught myself thinking how good it was to meet new adults and how much we talked about our children. Their development, our parenthood "anxieties",interspersed with adult topics. I had another one of those parenthood ah-ha moments. I was reminded that having common ground with acquaintances because we have children is all a part of this new life. It's great to think that parenthood will lead us to all sorts of new people and friends because of our children and their relationships.

Whoa! Charlie is going from all fours to almost standing by bracing himself on a toy!

I just took a couple of photos...take a look. You will see from the first one that Charlie has quite a bit of hair now!

Much awaited...Charlie's First Cereal Pictures

2009-01-18T18:42:00.002-06:00

They're in...downloaded pictures of Charlie eating cereal!!!

Secretary of the Arts

2009-01-12T22:09:00.000-06:00

Charlie ate his First cereal!

2009-01-12T19:31:00.003-06:00

Picture of the event to follow. I'll put some others from last Thursday and Friday on here for now.

So He Did It! He ate cereal tonight! He liked it. Charlie grabbed at the spoon, requested more and is now totally energized kicking around on the floor with Byron.

We can't believe how big he' grown and how animated he is in only 5 and a half months. It's flown by like everyone warned.

Christmas was great. Charlie was just the right age. We didn't have to chase after a crawling tree tipper and we were far enough out of the completely sleep deprived newborn days. We were all able to enjoy the traditional eggs benedict at my Mom's house on Christmas morning. Then, Joel and his family joined us in the afternoon. Charlie was a big hit of the day. His cousin's loved being with him and the feeling was mutual. We did miss seeing family in Green Bay and look forward to welcoming another Collum cousin in May!

We wanted to spend more time with Mairenn and Olivia, so last Saturday they came over for a slumber party. Byron pitched a tent in our living room. It nearly took up the entire room :). We made nachos for dinner with "salad" on top as Olivia said and broccoli. The five of us played in the tent and watched as our hair rubbed up against the sides turning our lochs into "Einstein hair". Mairenn named it that. Byron served Mairenn's girl scout cookies and pineapple in the tent. A hit! Then, Mairenn helped soothe Charlie to sleep and Byron set up an air mattress for the girls. We made warm milk and read Where the Sidewalk Ends. It was off to slumber for everyone. We had high hopes for a roaring game of Monopoly, but the tent was too much fun.

As for me I've been encouraged to start drawing again. I was challenged to draw a picture of myself everyday. I'm looking forward to it. I'll be doodling at first I'm sure.

I received an email from a friend today stating that Quincy Jones is starting a petition for a Secretary of the Arts. If you see it circulating please sign it.

Holiday Remenicing

2008-12-20T23:53:00.007-06:00

Today I woke up to Charlie and Byron singing baby song to each other downstairs in the kitchen. Like all Mom's I assume, Charlie and I are on a feeding schedule. My body tells me when Charlie is hungry. I started blinking my eyes and soon thereafter I heard Byron's footsteps coming up the stairs. Charlie singing all the way. They played in Charlie's room a little while he got his diaper changed as I was fading in and out of the morning. The next thing I knew my sweet guys were standing by the bedside, smiling. Byron made us huevos rancheros for breakfast and we all played in bed for a while after eating.
Then it was onto the race against time to get a few packages out and in the mail to family. They should arrive by Christmas thanks to a local USPS branch, Martway, that stays open until 4:30pm on Saturdays. Woohooo!
This year we've decided to stay away from the stores for gifts. Call it a reaction to the national/global and personal financial climate or just being new parents or a combo of the two. Either way, we're trying to be more responsible in many respects.
Don't get me wrong I love to get out and shop for things that I think might help friends and family enjoy life more fully, but our decision this year is making me enjoy the creative process. It's also slowing things down a bit and helping me recognize what a wonderful life we have surrounded by incredible people, great memories and unique experiences.
I've been digging thru boxes to find things to help me complete gifts, and in digging I've found old photos, unused items, journals and time capsules from years past. With all the recent giving as Mom I'm regaining a sense of self by unearthing this stuff.
It's pretty cool.
Giving Always Gives Back. Karma.

New Internet experiences and life without Sadie-girl

2008-11-22T19:18:00.003-06:00

I officially joined face book last week and am amazed at what a not so counter culture it is. More screen time for all of us. I have to work hard to stay connected but not get too sucked into the vortex. 2.5 hours goes by quickly when you're not looking. that happened to me last week.

My old friend Martin was in town a week before Thanksgiving, so we had a dinner here with most everyone that was part of the "girls" wedding party including Martin. We made burgers on the grill in chilly weather. We laughed and used our many pieces of relaxation "equipment". No that's not a dirty thing. I've just collected various homemedic and massage tools over the years in my effort to stay relaxed through changes.

Obama's Weekly Update

2008-11-16T21:38:00.001-06:00

Obama says it well.

सदी पास

2008-11-16T20:28:00.002-06:00

I don't remember exactly what I said during the last entry, but I'll follow up on Sadie's passing.
As things happen it all happened the way it was meant to...
Byron took Friday off from work. Sadie was extremely weak. We called my Mom and My Aunt Carrie who was in town visiting for the weekend from Minnesota. My Mom and Carrie happily agreed to spend the day with Charlie, so Byron and I could spend important time saying good-bye to Sadie.
They came to our home and made it so easy to transition. My Mom looked so empathetic as she hugged me in the living room. Sadie mounted her last greeting for them and then layed down in front of the fireplace by my Aunt Carrie. Carrie pet her and whispered "sweet nothings" to her of comfort and support and Sadie needed that.
Byron pulled out a photo album and shared puppy pictures of Sadie. We also had pictures of friends, family and Sadie out on our dining room table. I needed to see faces of people I love and who love us, and we needed to look at pictures of Sadie during her happy and healthy days.
Finally we went to the vet 20 minutes late...it was hard to go. Byron wrapped her in a blanket she loved, and we put her in her bed in the back of the wagon. She was so frail that it appeared difficult for her to find a position she liked. The vet is only about a half of a mile, if that, from our home, so she didn't have to brace herself around too many corners as we drove.
Once we got there the reality hit harder for Byron. Nursing experience didn't help me too much with my own grief. I was in comfort mode instead of grief mode and it's only gradually slapping me in the face.
I will say that she looked me directly in the eyes as I had my hand on her front paw. I told her we loved her and we were going to take the pain away soon. She had a hard time looking at Byron b/c she knew he was hurting. He put his hand on her other paw and it was a nice moment. Dr. Sipes at Westwood Animal Hospital was very professional, competent and compassionate. He was able to give her an injection of a barbituate and it was literally a couple of minutes before he checked her heart to find that her body was lifeless. She was ready.
I had to look at her for a while to know it was real. She looked so peaceful. I remember her eyelashes looking so pretty. She was such a beautiful animal.
Then, we went to Winsteads for a comfort burger. I played "My Girl" on the jute box. We ordered hot chocolate, burgers, fries and an apple dumpling for dessert. Winsteads was packed and it was probably good. If we had gone home or to a quiet place there's no telling how dehydrated our eyes would be.
Byron decided we should go to the Antique Mall downtown and it was the best decision. Lot's to look at as a distraction. It's his favorite thing to do...look at, touch, fix, spout endless knowledge of when it was made, by who and the history behind it all. We were in the moment and forgot our sorrows.
We found two wooden chairs for children that we ended up buying and a metal shelving unit for his workshop we've got to arrange in the basement. Progress.
Then we headed back to my Mom's. Charlie was a happy clam, and so were the fairy Godmothers. They had a great day together; bathed him, gave him tummy time, and lots of singing and oo-ing and ah-ing.
Mom had a beautiful dinner fixed and we sat down, ate, and talked at the table. Byron turned the TV on to find a documentary on a musician or band ? can't remember who --- oh yeah, oops, can't remember. ugh sleep deprivation :-). I found a drawer full of old pictures, so I passed them back and forth with my Mom and Aunt Carrie. Good times.

We stayed the night at Moms. It was just too much to come home to our house knowing we wouldn't be greeted by our girl. I know I know, all this sounds so hokey over a dog, but I never realized how attached humans can be with domestic animals. She was the first one I've lived with for years and loved. Now I truly understand.

I'm gonna wrap it up cause this has been long, but therapeutic to write.

I miss her greatly and it will take a while to get used to life without Sadie.

Sad over Sadie

2008-11-13T23:06:00.000-06:00

Well, the dreaded days are here that we've know we would face for the past four years. Our beloved Dog, Sadie, has suffered from Addison's Disease (like JFK) and she is in her final days. We are moving through sadness, denial and a plan. We have decided to spend the day together as a family with her tomorrow. She has been gradually refusing food since last Saturday until today when she completely refused water and food. She is terribly weak and surprisingly she stands up and goes outside, down stairs, but has nothing to void.
It's very hard to come to terms with as she is such a significant part of our family and has been one of Byron's Best Friends for the past 11 years. We get teary thinking about it, and both cried today about the reality of how close she is to death.

The greatest things about Sadie have been:

When she lays down on the floor she crosses her front paws over each other like the classy "lady" that she is. Even in illness she is doing this.
Welcomes us by running to the door upon our arrival. She's been our security system always...letting us know if someone is walking by, or on the premises - with a loud bark...scaring strangers enough to stay away, but welcoming everyone once they are "cleared" by us.
She's gentle, loves walks, grew to love our cat...to the point where she defends our cat against neighborhood offenders (the only time she's aggressive), never jumped up to eat our food. Stayed behind a barricade even if it was just a wall of pillows or a piece of cardboard. Never jumped up on furniture. Is gentle with Charlie and our neices, Olivia and Mairenn. Loves to rest her head on the edge of couch, a coffee table or our knees when she wanted attention. There's no dog like her. When we would go on walks and while other dogs would "freak out" barking upon sight of a second dog...Sadie would just keep on going sniffing, disinterested in dogs having a spaz. Sometimes it was almost as if she thought she was human. She's a sweetheart and we hope to decrease her suffering tomorrow.

Idealism

2008-11-12T22:23:00.000-06:00

Byron has our computer set to www.boingboing.net as the homepage for the internet.
Tonight I looked over the updates there and found a great video about what if...
The New York Times cover page said "The Iraq War is Over"
see video:
http://vimeo.com/2215007

while watching the video I learned about a woman named Judith Miller and looked up her name on google to find:
http://judithmiller.org/

First-Timer

2008-11-11T19:31:00.000-06:00

This is my first attempt at blogging. My Aunt Carrie suggested it when I was pregnant with Charlie. It seemed like a daunting task until this evening when my friend, Vicky, sent a link to her's. I saw the link to create a new blog and it only took a couple of steps. Thrilling!

Now I can update family and friends on the changes in our family.

The latest news is that we went up to Wisconsin for Charlie's first Halloween. He was Leo the Lion, cause he is one! Above is a picture of Charlie with His Grandpa Kelly and cousin Martha. Martha was incredible with Charlie. Very compassionate, observant and helpful...especially with the passifier. Practice for a sibling!

That trip was the second time Charlie flew on an airplane. The first time MoMo and I took him to Colorado to visit his Great-Grandparents. It was incredible how content he was throughout the trip and it was a gift to all of us to be together.

As for me, I went back to work just before Halloween. It's still an adjustment, but the awkwardness should get better with MoMo watching Charlie, and a good reason to go to work...kids and to get out of the house for adult socialization!

Charlie just started rolling over on Saturday. I slept in while Byron witnessed his first role over! I saw it with my own eyes for the first time today. So exciting. He has made it thru the newborn phase and it's a relief to watch him grow and hit the milestones.

We are so excited that O'Bama won. It's a lot to absorb, but quite a milestone for our country! Intellegence, equality, and the pursuit of the common good can prevail!

More photos sometime soon...