What We're Doing. And Eating.

TGIF! Brace yourself for a post that is only fifty percent about my child. Baby steps, my frinternets, baby steps. 

Here's what we're doing at the White Hot household these days:

• Riding in the stroller like a big girl. I simultaneously love and hate it: 

• Growing plants. In March, when I was getting close to being the most pregnant a human has ever been in the history of the world, my Mom came to visit and plant my garden for me, because I was not in much of a state to be hauling bags of dirt and bending over pots for hours on end. And also because she is the best Mom ever. I was surprised by all the naysayers who told me over and over again that I wouldn't have time to garden once the baby was here. So, because I am a little bit stubborn, I was determined to keep the garden alive past the end of April even if it was by sheer force of will. Fortunately, my girlie likes hanging out with me while I water, so the garden is still growing strong:

First garden tomato. Nothing better.

• Watching these two become friends:

 Makes my Mama heart happy.

• Watching my two favorite people together. When Hugh is giving Pen her nightly bath, I stand outside the door for a few minutes and listen to them; it never fails to make me tear up. I am much, much luckier than I ever deserved to be. Also, this baby owns Hugh, heart and soul:

• Getting ready to start traveling again for work next week. Also known as The Event Of Which We Do Not Speak. No photos of that, because photos of me pumping and/or crying are probably less than appropriate for the old blog. 

And now, about the eating. Much like it did before this darling girl entered our lives, the cooking inspiration and, more to the point, motivation, ebb and flow around here. If I can get it together to make a meal plan of fast and easy dinners and go to the grocery before Monday morning, we are eating home-cooked meals all week long (note: this has happened for a total of exactly two of the last twelve weeks). 

If not, well, it's every man for himself. Because our super sleeper is down for the night between 6:30 and 7pm every night. And the hour before that is spent bathing/nursing/snuggling/reading to the sweet baby. And, since I am not 75 years old, I refuse to go out to dinner at 4:30pm. Let's be honest, usually I'm still eating my afternoon snack at that time. 

So, our days of eating dinner out two or three times a week are on hold, for now. This means if I don't get to the grocery store, we're eating some combination of takeout/sandwiches/something from the freezer/leftovers/cereal. I know this is just a phase in our lives, and for once, I'm doing a pretty good job of not worrying about it. I'll be back to the kitchen every night again one day.

Here are some standouts that have come out of our kitchen lately:

• Oven Hot Dogs - Awesome.

• Tomato Sandwiches - Because what else would you do with perfect homegrown tomato?

• Carbonara - Making up for lost time by eating this once a week.  

• Lots and lots of pizza. Apparently that was less of a pregnancy thing and more of a pizza is delicious and I want to eat it every day thing.

Well, looking back at these meals, I feel like I should call this post God Bless Breastfeeding and All Its Calorie-Burning Glory.

On that note, I'm off to clean up the kitchen before my favorite baby wakes up and my favorite husband gets home (before 1pm - woo hoo fourth year of med school, we love you!).

Have a happy weekend, my happy friends. Maybe I'll even see you on Monday!