Posts by Kate
september, pregnancy and me
They just don’t mix. It was this very week four years ago, while I was pregnant with Stella, that my body began to shut down. The level of protein in my urine indicated kidney malfunction. I had gained over ten pounds in two weeks, all fluid. Soon I was lying in the hospital, vomiting and…
Read Morethe great minnesota get together
On Sunday afternoon, D., Stella, my dad, and I hopped on the bus and headed for the State Fair. The Sunday of Labor Day weekend is not the best day to go to the fair if you hate crowds and heat and are pregnant, but it was the only time that worked for our hectic…
Read Moreit's alive!
We had our twelve-week check-up on Friday and heard the little bugger’s heartbeat. Such a relief. Of course, I have a slew of other worries about the pregnancy, but after an early miscarriage in January, it was a relief to hear that minuscule heart pumping away. And did I mention that I love my doctor?…
Read Morehow hard must you look?
On Sunday afternoon I went to see The Mother Project at the Open Eye Figure Theatre in Minneapolis. It was a six woman production, directed by Augsburg College theater professor Darcey Engen, in which the women’s stories about motherhood, relationships, identity, grief, their careers, and how they balance art and work and motherhood were woven…
Read Morerestfulness and reflective awards
We were up north at my mom’s cabin all week last week and I DIDN’T WORK AT ALL. I didn’t check voice mail or e-mail or even post (obviously). I read two trashy-ish novels (I will not reveal their titles, not even if you bribe me with chocolate) and made bead necklaces with Stella and…
Read Morewriters revealed
Last night I participated in writers revealed debut virtual book club, which was so much fun. There were about eight of us, and we all read Meredith Hall’s wonderful memoir, Without a Map, and then we called into the show for a Q&A with the author. Hall became pregnant at sixteen, was completely shunned by…
Read Morea thought for minneapolis
I’m sure all of you know about the I-35W bridge collapsing into the Mississippi River on Wednesday night. It’s a bridge that I drove over from work to Stella’s daycare. It’s a bridge that countless people drove over every day to and from work. No one I know (that I know of) was injured or…
Read Moreon talent
First, thank you for all the supportive comments on my last post. I really appreciate it, and I actually feel much better this week (if the sensation of having vomit at the top of my throat can be considered “better.”) But, the nausea and tiredness are good things, clear signals that I am, indeed, pregnant.…
Read Moreheartbreak and hoping
Oh why did I do this to myself? Why? For class tomorrow, I’m having my students read Susan Ito’s “Samuel” and Suzanne Kamata’s “You’re So Lucky.” I chose these pieces to spark discussion about point of view, emotional distance, and writing about heartbreak. But I’m not going to talk about how talented I think both…
Read Moreweary
I had a very long weekend. It was the USA Cup, which is (for those of you who don’t follow youth soccer) a week-long tournament in Minnesota that draws kids from all over the world. They descend on the National Sports Center by the thousands to play their little soccer hearts out and bake in…
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