My Valentines

The latest quotable comes from The Scarlet Pimpernel:

"The weariest nights, the longest days, sooner or later must perforce come to an end."

Indeed! There have been some weary nights and long days, for sure. But I also know this season is fleeting and so am trying so hard to live in the moment.

The moments have held many memories, this week was special because of Valentine's Day. Karis appropriately picked out a fancy red dress (pictures below), which she wore all day. Little girl had an ear infection, so we laid low. We went to Caribou for a coffee date, which was hilarious. She sipped her smoothie and told me all about "her kids", telling me what they did when they born. Karis hilarious! Judah slept through the whole thing (I sure hope he tolerates coffee dates someday). A dear friend delivered cookies and frosting to our door, so that provided a creative diversion. Another friend without young kids and not afraid of our bad germs came by to help decorate them. We whipped up some red jello and made heart jigglers. And no V-day would be complete without our Pope family tradition of buy-one-get-one-free Q doba for dinner.

My favorite part of Valentine's Day was when Trevor came home bearing cards for me and Karis - the smile that lit up Karis's face will remain in my memory . . . she took the card to bed, and when Trevor went in to rub her back (bedtime is a whole other story now, uff da) she was reading it. Still my heart!

Last weekend was many things: interesting, joyful, miserable, ironic. Trev was supposed to be on the men's ski retreat and so my precious mother and grandmother booked tickets to take care of the rest of us here during his absence. Well, we got slammed with what appears to have been "the" flu: respiratory version, aches, chills. I escaped pretty well with just a couple quite uncomfortable days, Karis's lingered and turned into an ear infection, Trevor was in the basement for three days straight. THANK GOD my mom and grandma were here - sickness coupled with a snowstorm would have made me go crazy if I were alone. And also thank God Judah escaped illness. A couple of my closest cousins were also in town and we did manage to have some fun with some meals out and in with them. Memorable!

Valentine's Day this week was the most gorgeous sight with snow on the trees and the sun shining. Again, trying to soak in the moments that make up the days. I'm even getting a box packed here and there, which feels like quite an accomplishment. Not to mention, getting rid of loads of clutter. So cleansing.

The below has only taken . . . several weeks to write . . . and as you'll see, the bulk of text is attributed to other authors!

Karis-isms:

- "You're such a miracle!"
- "Mommy, can you please go to the kitchen?"
- "Can I have some leaves, please?" (spinach)
- "I'll be the mother" (said to one of her younger friends at our small group gathering while she helped her use the bathroom)
- Lately Karis wakes up from her nap dressed differently than I left her . . . most often in a new shirt and tights. Impressive, considering she has to find her way to new clothing in the dark and then wiggle into the too-small tights
- "Some of my boys play 'hey now right now'" (true, this is the game she plays with her closest little guy friends)
- "Who is God?" (whoa, big question!)
- "Life is good!" (after Grandma Lorie asked her "How's life?")
- "A glass for mommy juice!" (a glass in her play kitchen that is actually for ice cream but resembles a wine glass)
- "You can go to Trader Joe's by yourself, I want to stay here with daddy" (said after I came back from being gone overnight . . . sad!)
- "Mommy, don't be overwhelmed!" (after hearing me - from another room - say that I feel overwhelmed. HOW did she get so perceptive? Scary)

Karis has been transitioning well with so much going on - it's been interesting to get to know her even more as she adjusts. I really miss our hours of one-on-one time, and I'm realizing that we're both growing up and separating from each other. I've had moments of grief about this, which I guess is also part of the growing process.

Judah adventures:
- Many people who meet him say "he looks just like Karis!". I love that.
- He is a sleepy, chill child. Falls asleep nursing, sleeps a couple hours at a time (day or night, feels long during the day and short during the night)
- He went to his first ladies' book club (only boy allowed, ha)
- He went to his first ladies' retreat (which included his first trip out-of-state to Wisconsin)

Middle of the night book reading quotables:

From The Social Animal by David Brooks (interesting method of writing - he's making his point about human socialization/self-realization and other things in narrative form . . . with tons of research and statistics woven throughout):

"The average baby demands adult attention of one kind or another every twenty seconds. New mothers lose and average of seven hundred hours of sleep during that first year. Marital satisfaction plummets 70 percent, while the risk of maternal depression more than doubles . . . women who give birth to boys have shorter life expectancies because the boys' testosterone can compromise their immune system . . .

babies organize their internal states by seeing their own minds reflected back at them in the faces of others . . . [babies and mothers/fathers] get to know each other largely through touch, tears, looks, smell and laughter. It is possible to have a complex human relationship without words."

Fascinating! And . . . true, probably?!  I'm really tired. Thankful to be healthy and feeling generally good and mostly positive.

And, from the Mayo Book of Pregnancy and Baby's First Year - advice about transitioning to having a new baby: 
"Postpone major changes"
I laughed at this one as I read it out loud to Trevor. Sure, no problem. But how about Trevor gets a new job (a couple months ago) and we decide to move homes? Exciting major changes for sure . . . all positive and we're thankful.

I'm also reading an interesting book by an NPR journalist about centenarians, If I Live to Be 100. Full of interviews and perspectives from 100-something across the country, I'm reminded to thinking about life NOW. How am I living, who am I becoming? The author reflects on an interview she had with a couple who are both in their 100's:

"My marriage is so short compared to their's. How lucky they are to have had so much time together. What can I possibly do to make the years my husband and I have left together mean more?

Be here now, I thought. Be here now."

This is admittedly a challenge for me right now . . . the days are a whirlwind and Trevor receives whatever leftover patience, kindness, affection that I have to offer. May I remember that "the days are long but the years are short".