Garden Happenings

Lily and I have been going to the garden about once a week to harvest pounds and pounds of strawberries. I'd usually pick a couple of spinach leaves for some salad or a sandwich as well. Other than that, I had pretty much let the patch go wild. Today I finally got around to cleaning it up and planning the next set of plantings. 

While clearing out the well-spent spinach patch I found that some volunteer tomato seedlings had sprung up. I'm fairly certain they are cherry tomato plants because those things are like weeds. I was planning on planting the broccoli here and the tomatoes in the next row over so there wouldn't be tomato plants in the same spot two years in a row. I suppose I could try transplanting them to the new spot, but I feel like that has disaster written all over it. So I'm contemplating just leaving them where they are and adding a few Roma tomato and Big Boy tomato plants to the mix. Is this a really bad idea? 

Here's a picture of Lily mugging for the camera while holding her watering can. The little tomato seedlings are right next to her. 

Our carrots finally decided to start growing! This makes me very happy. I love fresh carrots from the garden. They taste great, they're cute, and they're fun to harvest. I'll do some thinning on Thursday, and sprinkle some more seeds so we can have a longer harvest. 

Later in the week I'll be picking up a couple of tomato plants, like I mentioned before, and also some bell peppers and broccoli. The original plan was to try watermelon, too, but I'm starting to think better of it. I'm a fairly negligent gardener, and if the strawberries are any indication of my ability to reign in my plants, then I should not even consider doing something as large and unwieldy as watermelons. We'll just have to get them at the farmers' market or the grocery store. 

Finally, our little lavender plant is just about getting swallowed up by the strawberry behemoth, but it's still lovely. 

Co-sleeping

A lot of people, friends and random strangers, have been asking me about this lately so it seems like it deserves a post. I've written a little about this before, but I can't find it and things have changed since then anyway. 


We are confirmed co-sleepers. Some people call it bed sharing, or just part of attachment parenting, but whatever you call it Lily sleeps in our bed. She has been sleeping with us since she was born. Starting around 9 months she was sleeping at least part of the night in a crib in our room, but by 15 months she was getting too big to put down without waking up. So now she's back with us. We have a crib with one side removed bungee-corded to our bed frame so she has some extra space to spread out in. 


The thing you need to keep in mind when co-sleeping is that generally your kid needs more sleep than you do, so unless you have the world's greatest morning sleeper, they need to go to bed earlier than you do. For us that means around 8PM I give Lily a bath, put on her PJ's, give her a kiss goodnight and hand her off to Joe. He takes over and helps her brush her teeth, then lies down on the bed with her until she falls asleep. This whole thing - bath to sound sleep - takes about 45 minutes. Then he can usually get out of bed without waking her up, build a protective fort of pillows along the edge of the bed so she can't roll off, and we get to hang out sans toddler for a couple of hours before going to bed ourselves. 


Obviously, this doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes (like right now) I can hear her chattering away to him almost an hour later. Sometimes she wakes up if you twitch a muscle and so you're trapped in bed. Sometimes the grown-up falls asleep, too, and that's fine. But most nights, it goes off without a hitch. 


The thing most people ask about is, ahem, 'alone time'. All I'll say is, you'll figure it out. We're having another baby in December, so there's proof enough. And no, we're not like creepy Maggie Gyllenhaal in 'Away We Go' (which if you're expecting or have kids and haven't seen this movie, you need to rent it now). 


This works for us. I like having her so close so I don't have to get out of bed when she wakes up in the middle of the night. I like when I wake up first and she's still asleep but slowly wakes up, smiles and says "Mama!" I like feeling her little body snuggled next to mine when she gets cold. I like having half an hour a day all to myself, no baby, no husband, nothing. I like having a couple of hours for just Joe and me to sit and talk, or read, or watch grown-up TV, or whatever. I like that Lily and Joe have something that only they do together. (When I have to put her to bed it's usually a disaster.) Joe likes having the time with her. Lily likes having the time with Dada. It's good for all of us. 


I know lots of people who would hate this arrangement. And that's totally cool. We do this because it works for us, not because we think it's superior parenting. We started it out of laziness and cheapness (we didn't want to buy a crib in Tucson only to have to pay/work to move it 6 weeks later). 


I also have no idea what we're going to do when the new baby comes in December. Originally the plan was to try to transition Lily to a toddler bed or a twin bed after she turned two. But I don't want it to seem like she's being replaced by the new baby. And it'll be getting cold then. For a kid who refuses to sleep under a blanket, parental body heat is a requirement. We also don't really have the room for another bed, anywhere. So, the plan now is to just all snuggle together and see how that works. Once it stops working, then we'll try something else. Suggestions are certainly welcome. 


So I guess that's it. Basically we've just been winging it and making it up as we go along. Sweet dreams!

The Little Mermaid

Lily is IN LOVE with The Little Mermaid. I've watched it with her a few times while fast forwarding through the scary parts. For the past couple of weeks she has been walking around clutching the DVD case singing the melody from 'Part of Your World.' It's adorable.


I've been thinking about getting a fish for a while. We were planning on getting one for Lily for her birthday next month. When I was a kid I had this cute Little Mermaid aquarium with three goldfish in it. So I searched online for something similar and only came up with something bigger and more expensive than I was interested in. Then I thought I'll just get some little plastic figurines from the movie and put them in a fish tank and tada! Little Mermaid aquarium. 


I went to the Disney store to see what they had. It's been a long time since I've been to one of those. I'm really not a fan of the whole Disney Princess thing. In fact it really creeps me out. Also, we don't really have any character toys. They're mostly more generic, open to interpretation/imagination types. It felt weird to be surrounded by so much branded stuff. I came upon the new line of Toddler Dolls, though, and fell in love. They're so cute and chubby. I had gone with my mom, and she was also smitten. Lily had been asleep the whole time, then woke up to us looking at the doll and "Ariel! Ariel!" is all we heard until we left the store. Grandma of course couldn't resist and bought it for her. (Truthfully, if she hadn't, I would have.) 


Now Ariel comes with us EVERYWHERE. She's already been in a puddle, some dirt, smelled lots of flowers, and had a run in with some crayons that Lily was using to apply as 'kissy lips' (lip balm). Lily sings to her, makes sure she eats, and tries to change her diaper (not that she has one, but she tries anyway). All in all, a huge success. 


I've been trying to get a good video of her singing like Ariel, but it's of course impossible to do. She realizes that I'm filming her and sings one bar then waits for me to show it to her. She's a vain little girl. She really does sing the whole melody all together, just not on film apparently. Sometime when we're driving I'll have to just record the sound because that's when she really belts it out. Enjoy!

Thing 2

Here's the official "We're having another baby!" post. I don't know why I've been putting off writing it, but here we are. One week after the official Facebook post seems appropriate. So far we don't really have a cutesy moniker of choice. We called Lily 'the Creature' the whole time I was pregnant with her. For now, Thing 2 works. 


Thing 2 will be arriving sometime around December 4th. That is one day before the end of classes for Joe, and finals are the next week. We're hoping that maybe the baby will hold off a week or so until finals are over and Christmas break begins. If not, that's ok, too, we'll probably still keep it. 


At 14 1/2 weeks pregnant, I'm at the beginning of the second trimester. There's no real baby bump to speak of yet, so there's no point in posting a picture. For the first couple of months I was really tired, and with just a little bit of morning sickness. Then I apparently became lactose intolerant. That's right, I am now sensitive to dairy. Those of you that know me well know how devastating this is. No cheese, no milk, no cream in my coffee, did I mention NO CHEESE???? I actually cried when I figured it out. But, I've been trying all sort of dairy substitutes, I'll write a whole post on these successes and failures. The only good part about cutting out dairy is I just about instantaneously lost 3 pounds and have very easily kept it off. Honestly, though, I'd rather eat cheese. 


I've been working out pretty regularly. I dug out my copy of my favorite prenatal workout video with Summer Sanders. They don't treat you like an invalid and it's mostly light lifting and good stretching. You're supposed to use one of those band things, but I hate them so I use free weights instead. I've been doing it faithfully twice a week for the last month or so and I can really tell the difference. My arms have some definition again that they had been lacking basically since before having Lily. I would like to do it three times a week, but I just run out of days. 


I guess I'll write one these pregnancy updates about once a month. It's weird, I remember the first time around it was this all consuming thought "I'm pregnant." Now it's like I have to remind myself, oh yeah, I'm pregnant. That's probably because I have to keep my toddler from destroying everything. I just don't have the time or energy to think much more about it. 


Don't let my non-chalance throw you off though, we are absolutely ecstatic to be adding another member to our little family. Lily will be 2 1/2, Joe will be almost done with school, and I can just stay inside in sweatpants for 3 months before having to venture too far out in the world. Sounds pretty perfect to me. 

Resolution Check-In 5

1) Exercise for 20 minutes per day. Again, 24 out of 31 days. And the days I didn't I was usually working or doing something else fairly active. I actually lost about 3 pounds, and then gained one back after eating lots of good food this weekend.     

2) Send one letter per week. I did a terrible job of keeping track of this this month. I know I sent out a bunch of birthday thank-you cards, and a couple of birthday cards for other people, and graduation cards. I still owe someone a birthday-mail-cake, though.   

3) Bake and decorate one thing outside of work per month. I made a cake for my soon-to-be-sister-in-law's bridal shower. My phone is being stupid and won't let me rotate the picture, so you'll just have to look at it sideways.   

4) Stop comparing myself to other moms. Well, I'm starting to struggle with this again. Now that I'm pregnant I have a whole other set of people to compare myself against: pregnant women. And there are SOOOO many things to compare. But I'm trying not to. We went more places this month and did more things, mostly nearby, but at least out of the apartment. 

A few random pictures that I just like. First, Lily LOVES peanut butter. When I put the jar on the table to make lunch the other day she grabbed it and gave it a big hug. 

This picture is from Memorial Day. Lily played in a sprinkler for the first time ever. She's wearing her Little Mermaid swim suit (there will be a whole post dedicated to Arial soon) and running around the sprinkler so as not to get too wet. She has great form though, I have to say. Joe and I are both runners, so maybe she'll be one too?

Two Recipes That MUST Be Shared

Rustic Strawberry Tart
(I halved the recipe when I made it, but this is the full original version. There are some great pictures on the website I found the recipe from. )


1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
4 tbsp chilled butter, cut into small pieces, divided
3 1/2 tbsp ice water
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp corn starch
pinch of salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tbsp raw sugar (I didn't have any and just used regular instead.)


To prepare crust, lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 1/8 tsp salt in a medium bowl; cut in 3 tbsp butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. (I find that a stiff metal spatula works best.) Add 3 1/2 tbsp ice water; stir just until moist. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Place each dough portion between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; roll each dough portion, still covered, into an 8-inch circle. Chill 20 to 30 minutes (until the plastic wrap peels easily away from the dough). (I just made one dough circle because I halved it.)


Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the berries, sugar, lemon juice, corn starch and salt. Stir to combine. 


Preheat oven to 350*F. Uncover dough; place dough circles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Arrange half of the strawberries in a pinwheel pattern in one of the dough circles, starting in the middle and forming concentric circles of strawberries, leaving a 2-inch border. Repeat with the second dough circle and remaining berries. 


Fold up the edges of the dough circles over the berries, crimping to seal. Lightly brush the pastry with the beaten egg white. Sprinkle the two rounds with the raw sugar. 


Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. 


Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits
(This recipe is AMAZING. They totally taste just like the Red Lobster ones. This will make 12 large biscuits.)


Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp shortening
3 tbsp butter, cold
1 cup buttermilk (Or 1 cup milk and 1 1/2 tsp vinegar, let them sit together until little bubbles appear on the top, about 10 minutes.)
1 1/4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese


Buttery Topping:
3 tbsp melted butter
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
3/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of salt


Preheat oven to 425*F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until coarse crumbs are formed. Lightly mix in grated cheese. Mix in buttermilk just until moist (dry spots here and there are ok - the biscuits will be tough if they are over mixed). Drop the biscuits onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned and golden. While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine butter, parsley, garlic powder and salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the butter-herb mixture over the biscuits evenly or dip the biscuits directly in the butter mixture. Serve immediately. (I reheated a couple in the toaster oven the next night after being in the fridge and they were still pretty good.)

Low Gear

I'm the kind of person that if I'm going to bother doing something, then I'm going to do it well, dammit. Or at least get the greatest calorie burn I can out of it. I've never been that interested in being the fastest or the strongest, just the fittest I can be. I've tried running, biking, swimming, triathlons, biathlons, and lifting. And with everything, I try my hardest. 


I've been riding my bike with Lily in the front bike seat for a while now. And usually I consider it part of my exercise for the day, so I try to make it count. I'll go up a few hills, pedal fairly quickly, and use higher gears so I'm working harder the whole way. 


But it was starting to feel like hard work. Really hard work. So much so that I wouldn't ride the bike. I would walk, or worse, drive, instead. Which is so stupid. So with rising gas prices and rising temperatures I've embraced the lower gears on my bike. 


It turns out I'm loving it. Riding the bike is fun again. When Lily yells "Weeeeee!" as the wind is blowing through her hair (through the helmet of course), I feel the same. Turns out I can go farther, have more energy for more frequent trips, and I don't dread it. And I'm doing it more often. 


This seems like just the thing I need to focus on this summer: Do it in low gear. I try so hard to make every moment count or be productive, and in reality, I don't have to. In fact I probably get more done because I'm less tired, less stressed, and more open to possibilities. 


Here's to kickin' it in low gear and coasting through the summer!