Changes in the house

Now it’s really, really official. There are no more babies in my house. I know I’ve said that before but this time I really mean it. On Saturday, Lili got a big bed.

All my children are now in big beds and it seems kind of weird to me. But mostly it’s a good thing. For one, Lili has slept through the night for three nights in a row. I think she was waking up in the middle of the night because she was hanging off the toddler bed. It just wasn’t comfortable anymore so she would come get in bed with Bob and me. She’s now got plenty of room in her big bed. She’s more comfortable. We’re more comfortable.

The other good thing is we now have room for one more houseguest. It may not seem like a big deal, but we effectively added another bed (since no one but Lili could use the toddler bed). This means we can accommodate 4 extra people without putting anyone on the couch. I like that. I’m sure our families will like that, too.

In other news, we are getting new carpet on Friday. There was a little trouble ordering it (they waited two weeks to tell us it was back ordered, we chose another carpet, oh wait! the original wasn't back ordered and it's been sitting in the warehouse all along, they don't have anyone available to install it, Bob tells them his wife is seriously pissed off, oh wait! they can come this Friday) but I think it's all settled now. Once it's installed, our house will sort of feel like new (it’s a different color). It might even smell like new, or at least not like dog piss. I'm looking forward to that.

A Birthday Letter

Dear Karlen,

Today you enter into the realm of “double digits.” When I was a kid, it was a very big deal to turn 10. Finally being in the double digits meant you were that much closer to being a teenager. I can only assume not much has changed in the past 28 years.

Last night your father commented to me that you are more than halfway towards being out on your own. That felt very strange to me because I still think of you as my baby. I will always think of you as my baby. And because I am terrified of your upcoming teen years, today I prefer to think about the past 10 years.

When you were born, you were a stubborn and opinionated baby. Not much has changed and you are one of the most stubborn, opinionated people I know. You were also a night owl back then, and a night owl now. I remember when you were two weeks old, the only way you were happy at one in the morning was if you were resting your head on my shoulder while we danced to whatever happened to be in the cd player. At the time, you preferred the Cocteau Twins. If I stopped dancing, or sat down, you would start to howl angrily. I believe that is how I lost all my pregnancy weight so quickly. Now there are times when I will find you at one in the morning, still awake, listening to Green Day and reading a huge novel. Sometimes you read Captain Underpants, though.

You’ve had your challenges over the years. Their names are Rowan and Liana. While those challenges are often very frustrating (and annoying), you tend to meet those frustrations with love and respect. It’s only occasionally that you haul off and hit them. The other night all three of you were upstairs and, because the quiet made me nervous, I peeked into your room to see what was going on. You were reading to your brother and sister in bed, and my heart swelled with pride when I saw that.

You’ve also had challenges in school, both with peers and schoolwork. I know the work can be boring for you and often you feel leaps and bounds ahead of your schoolmates. Sometimes you might feel alone and sad, but then you meet up with a few close friends after school and I see how happy you can be. My hope for you is that you continue to cherish the close relationships you have – both with friends and with family.

You are an amazing person and I feel honored to be able to witness your growth from a cute little baby born 10 years ago to the beautiful young girl you are today. And honestly, when your dad said you were more than halfway to being out on your own, it didn’t really bother me because I know you are going to continue to be an amazing person.

Happy birthday, baby!

Love, Mom.