The End of the Bohemian Experiment

It didn't work out for us. It was fun while it lasted--a blast actually--but we are pulling the plug.

So long nighttime bonfires.


Adios evening canoe rides... (sniff)


...to our secret lakeside bouldering spot...(sniff)



Farewell Diving Rock. (sniff, sniff)


Early morning yoga...mist rising from the cool water...breaking the perfect stillness with a cannonball. (sniff, sniff, SOB. Waaaaaa!)

Wow. Do I really live here? Am I dreaming? Are we nuts????




Ok, I'm over it.

Say helloooooo to our new lake.....


Lake Tahoe.

That's right peeps. The Cards are leaving Kentucky and moving to Lake Tahoe. Not a bad trade, I say.

The fact is, as much as we love our lakeside retreat and our bohemian lifestyle, Keith's job sucks. He's learned a lot in the two years we've been here, but mostly learned that it's definitely not the right fit for him and this is not the right job for the rest of his life. Lots of reasons...better told over a pile of treats and a beverage.

Keith is really excited about his new job. He'll be joining an group of orthopedic surgeons and will have a lot in common with them. It's a group of active guys with skiers, hikers, bikers and climbers among them.

So this summer we are headed West. We'll actually be living in Carson City, NV which is just "down the hill" (as locals say) from the lake. A short (and amazingly gorgeous) 20 minute drive will have us at the beach. And trust me, I plan to be there a LOT. We also plan to resurrect skiing in our lives (plans that were killed the moment we left Utah 10 years ago). Keith is already shopping for his new mountain bike and mapping out adventures to circumnavigate the Tahoe Rim Trail. And rock climbing at Lover's Leap? Oh yeah baby!

(Keith at the summit of the Leap last summer)

We were in Lake Tahoe for a week with my family last summer and had a blast. As we were driving down the mountain on our way home, I turned to Keith and said, "You have to get a job here!"

Funny how things turn out.

If you are one of the dozens of people that had plans to come see us when we moved here...you know what they say about snoozing and losing. You better either hustle or start planning your Tahoe vacation. Although, unless we come up with a couple cool million pretty fast, I doubt we'll ever be living the lakeside dream again. Sigh...

***By the way, all the gorgeous images (except the iphone shot of Keith) are courtesy of my amazing and talented sister. I can't wait to live so close to you sis!!!

I'm in trouble

I went to the doctor yesterday for my 32-week checkup. And first of all, I'm already sick of going to the doctor once a month. Now they want me to go every two weeks? Then weekly??? Oh please. I'm so over it. The baby looks healthy (thank goodness) and I feel great. I'm thinking of cancelling all the appointments and letting Keith take my blood pressure. And I'll step on the scale now and again for good measure. Geez people...I've already had two babies. Enough with being all careful. I'll just be sure to let them know when I'm in labor--how bout that? I'm spending more on the babysitter than I am to have the baby! (Yay for good insurance, but still....)

Anyway, my doctor does a thorough ultrasound at 32 weeks. Kinda fun to see the little monkey again. With my others I never got another ultrasound past 20 weeks.

The problem is....BIG baby. It measured in the 93rd percentile. A whopping 5 pounds already!!!! And I still have 8 weeks to go!

Granted, I've already had a big baby. Leah about broke the scale at 9 lbs 12 oz. But no one anticipated her being big since Bennett had been a lean 7 lbs 8 oz. I went into Leah's birth thinking I would have another skinny thing and everything would be a breeze. And then she was the biggest baby in the nursery. She never even fit into newborn clothes and I ended up giving away loads of things that ended up being too small. And even though her delivery actually turned out to be a breeze in the end, my anticipation of the event wasn't a big deal since I was expecting a pixie.

Now I have 8 weeks to freak out about delivering a toddler again.

Don't get me wrong--I can't wait to get my hands on some fat baby rolls. How can you not love cottage cheese thighs and back fat on a newborn??

It's just the anticipation of getting those chubby rolls down the old birth canal that makes me want to run and hide and pretend I'm not giving birth in 2 months.

Honestly, I've stayed very active during this pregnancy and gained a very healthy weight so far. I still go to the gym a few days a week for yoga and cycling. Is it possible to put a baby on a diet in utero???

Excuse me while I go freak out some more. But I think I might need some cookies to make me feel better....

Quote of the Day

"Mom, when you have a baby in your tummy, you just get fatter and fatter every day."

Thanks for being honest, Bennett. If he's thinking it, I'm sure everybody else is too. I really needed to hear that today.

Quote of the Day

From Bennett:

"Mom, I really know my numbers. I've known them for sixty-nine-eighty years!!"