Pregnancy Update: Week 35 Recap!

How far along?  This is the end of week 35…I just realized my due date is ONE MONTH from yesterday!!! 

Total weight gain:  I weighed 160.5 this morning...started at 131 pounds.   29.5 pounds so far….not bad!!

Baby’s size/development this week: Only one more week until the baby is considered full term (37 weeks).

Maternity clothes:  I had a day off today so I wore a skirt and tank top and felt pretty darn comfy J

Miss anything?  Feeling like a normal human being!!  I took a walk on the bike path today and all these people were jogging past me and it occurred to me that the experience was a lot like going to a bar and not being able to drink.  Bah!!  I can’t wait to go fast!  And run people down!!  Also there are a lot of volunteer opportunities this weekend for Earth Day (including one on our block even!) and I can’t participate because I’m too pregnant.  Boo!!  I just don’t think planting trees or picking up trash or whatever would be all that productive for anyone at this late date.

Food cravings:  Wednesday I felt like total crap (my stomach was upset and I was super tired) and I ate peanut butter puffins cereal for dinner (with some strawberries and milk).  I don’t usually buy boxed cereal, but I just NEEDED it.  The box only lasted like….16 hours.

Anything making you queasy or sick?  I was kind of queasy several days this week due to a stomach bug or something.

Sleep:  I have felt REALLY tired this week – so glad it was only a four day work week.

Best moment of the week:  Last weekend Chad and I went for a walk and we saw three snakes along the bike path (which I heard is a sign of a healthy ecosystem) – that was pretty cool because how often do you see snakes!?  Two of them were cuddling.  Aww.  Friday was nice because I just got to hang out at the house and clean or nest, or whatever it is that it’s called at 9 months pregnant.

Nursery:  I did some cleaning of the changing table Friday and this morning I lined it and put all the diapers away.  Before yesterday there were large piles of diapers and diapers hanging on drying racks even though they were dry.  Sunday morning I hope Chad can put together the pack and play so it’s one less thing we have to worry about (he doesn't know this yet – ha)

Weddings rings on or off?  Wedding ring is definitely still on.  Little bit of swelling in the hands this week though, especially after going for walks in the warm weather.

Belly Button: Dude, my belly button is still in.  This thing is amazing!!

Movement?   Moving all the time!  Yesterday afternoon when I was eating a tuna salad sandwich I felt my stomach shudder…so then I thought that the baby really hates tuna or really loves it J

Labor signs?  I don’t think so.  When my stomach was upset on Wednesday I had some pains in my stomach—that felt like the kind of pain you have with an upset stomach, and not at all what I imagine a contraction to feel like.  But then I started getting paranoid and thinking “What if this is what it’s like and I am just totally misreading it!?  Better safe than sorry – I’ll call my doctor just to make sure.”  They told me to take some tums and be sure to drink enough water.  So instead I went home and ate lots of cereal and drank lots of water.

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:  I've just been really tired this week.  My stomach is getting HUGE.  Chad said he felt like it sort of grew out of nowhere in like a day and I agree with him.  Like one day it was quite large and the next day it was HUGE.  Still though, at our doctor’s appointment on Wednesday my stomach was measuring 35 centimeters, which is spot on for 35 weeks.

Daddy is feeling:  Note from Mommy:  Daddy is still insanely busy.  I think I’ll make him update next Friday though J

Mommy is feeling:  This was kind of a stressful week.  Lots of distractions on top of feeling tired and having that stomach bug.  I’m letting all the stressors of the past week roll off my shoulders though.  Three day weekend with beautiful weather – what more could you ask for!!  I’m using the weekend to get lots done:  continuing to clean out house and take stuff to Am Vets for donation, I made more peanut butter yesterday afternoon, doing all the laundry this morning.

Workouts this week:  

Saturday:  4.5 miles/1 hour on elliptical

Sunday:  1.6 mile walk on the bike path with the husband (saw snakes!)

Monday:  3.09 miles/40 minutes on elliptical

Tuesday:  None

Wednesday:  None – missed yoga.  Super pissed about that!!

Thursday:  None

Friday:  2.75 mile walk along bike path

Books I'm Reading/Media I'm Ingesting:

Lots of interesting pregnancy-related material this week, but none of it in book form.

• The Longest Shortest Time  (podcast/blog about early parenting) – This American Life (TAL) posted a link to an interesting podcast episode about a woman who felt cheated by Ina May Gaskin's (the godmother of modern midwifery) birthing philosophy when her own birth experience didn't go as planned (and actually ended fairly traumatically with long-term perineal damage).  I can’t say that I agree with the sentiment in the podcast, but it is an interesting perspective I hadn't considered.
• Radiolab "23 Weeks 6 Days” (science podcast) – Babies “born” before 22 weeks are medically considered miscarriages and not viable outside the womb.  Babies born after 25 weeks are considered to be possibly viable and doctors will fight to save them.  This story, which aired last week, is about a baby born in that grey area between 22 and 25 weeks.  It was a heart wrenching and emotional story but we really enjoyed it.
• Call the Midwife (PBS TV show) – I watched a lot of this earlier in the week when I was feeling pathetic and crappy and spending all my time laying on the sofa.

Looking forward to: 

• A gorgeous spring day!!
• Dinner with friends at our house this evening.
• Easter dinner at Chad’s mom’s house tomorrow. Ham! Carrot cake!
• I want to die Easter Eggs!! I hope we can make this happen.
• Planting pumpkin seeds Sunday morning.
• Lazily waking up on Sunday morning with my husband with no reason to get out of bed.
• Yoga this afternoon to make up for Wednesday’s bust!

Week 35 Photo
And here is a photo of me at the start of week 35 rocking the pregnancy cut offs!!! :)

Pregnancy Update: Week 34 Recap!

How far along?  This is the end of week 34…5-ish more weeks to go!!

Total weight gain:  I weighed 158 this morning...started at 131 pounds.  27 pounds so far…

Baby’s size/development this week: Well, the internet is telling me that this baby weighs FIVE POUNDS - that would explain why my stomach looks and feels so huge!!

Maternity clothes:  SO glad it’s spring-like weather this week.  I've been wearing pretty much only dresses and long skirts, which are both comfortable AND cute.

Miss anything?  Not being huge.  Being able to exist without having a weird ache or trying in vain to get comfortable on the sofa.

Food cravings:  Still really enjoying berries….blackberries, strawberries…mmmmm.  Also, tuna salad sounds tasty (but I don’t think that has to do with being pregnant - I just love tuna salad.)  

Anything making you queasy or sick?  No.

Sleep:  Sleeping pretty well.  This past week marked the first time I've woken up more than once in the night to pee, so that’s exciting.

Best moment of the week:  I have really been enjoying this warm weather!!  All the best moments of this week are yet to come, I think!  Also, I have completed washing ALL THE DIAPERS!!  They are ALL clean!!   (I still have to put them all away though.)  After the baby is born, I will never be able to say ALL the diapers are clean again, so I will relish this brief moment in time J

Nursery:  Nothing has changed since last week except the addition of a bunch of diapers...and a drying rack for all the diapers.  I finally got a frame for our baby shower invitations and it looks really cute!

Weddings rings on or off?  Wedding ring is definitely still on.  No swelling here.

Belly Button:  Still in…I’m very impressed with my belly button, proud even.

Movement?   Lots of broad, sweeping movements.

Labor signs?  Not to my knowledge!

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:  I had a long list of stuff and am trying to remember what all it entailed…

• Pregnancy Achievement Unlocked:  I got asked if I was having twins this week!!!!  My stomach is measuring EXACTLY on target, so it’s not like I’m super huge or anything.  Although the person who asked me proceeded to tell me about when her sister had twins, so I am pretty sure she just wanted to share her own experience.  J
• Not Everyone's Birth Philosophy is the Same: In a casual conversation with an acquaintance this week I was informed that the childbirth education classes I took “weren't useful or educational.”  The acquaintance proceeded to tell me that during labor I would forget everything I learned in the 2 hour class, that it was mostly for the benefit of the husband, and that the nurses guide you through everything anyways.  First of all, I did NOT take a single 2 hour class, but rather a series of six 2.5 hour classes, which came with weekly homework and reading, and we BOTH learned a lot.  Clearly the acquaintance and I are not on the same page, let alone in the same book, so after a few hours of indignant steaming, I let it go.  It was an interesting reminder of the variety of perspectives that exist on the topic of childbirth (let alone anything else out there).

Daddy is feeling:  Note from Mommy:  Daddy is feeling overwhelmed this week, so I’m not even going to bother to ask him to write an update.  The good thing is he has Saturday AND Sunday off for the first first time in over a month.  I’m going to make him pancakes while he studies in his pajamas lazily on the sofa. JJ  School ends in about two weeks, so I’m going to have him write a super long "Daddy is feeling" update then, with all of his thoughts, feelings, hopes, desires, and dreams J

Mommy is feeling:  I’m feeling good!

• Physically:   My pelvis feels like it’s going to relaxin apart and the right side of my back hurts from the baby pressing on it.  However, I noticed when I sit up straight, it doesn't hurt so much.  At yoga, they start each class by asking us to say how far along we are and any aches or pains we’re having, and I forgot to mention any this week.  Then I realized when I was sitting in the upright position with my back elongated, I didn't have any pain.  It’s mostly when I try to laze about on the sofa, sit in the car on the way to work, or forget about my posture while at my desk that my back starts to hurt.  The good news is that this is completely fixable by good posture (sitting up super straight right now!).  The bad news is that lounging about on the sofa is way less fun!  Other random symptoms:  minor leg cramps at night, ab muscles uncomfortable when I turn over or raise my torso in the night.  
• Mentally:  I've had some dreams about the baby, so I think I’m starting to anticipate its physical arrival.  Also, each phase of pregnancy seems to come with its own innate fears or concerns, and I've realized that I've started to become hyper aware of my body and whether I can sense any signs of labor.  I also find myself worrying that any stress will cause me to go into labor early – stupid loud bro-y neighbors!!!  (By the way, I’m not saying I think I will necessarily, I’m just saying that these are the random thoughts that pop into my head.)  I’m only about two weeks from being classified as full-term though, so every day I feel less concerned about the possibility of going into labor early.

Workouts this week:  
Saturday:  None  (I spectated Chad’s awesome 5K performance though!!)
Sunday:  2.29 mile walk along the bike path with the husband
Monday:  2.22 miles/30 minutes on elliptical
Tuesday:  2.72 miles/30 minutes on elliptical
Wednesday:  3.4 miles/45 minutes on elliptical
Thursday:  None!
Friday:  Nothing yet!!  What a slacker!!

Books I’m reading:  
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Diane, Diana West, and Teresa Pitman.  
I started reading this book on Monday when I realized that I wasn't going to be taking a lactation class (thank god – I don’t have time for any more classes!!)  I could take a 2.5 hour class through the hospital, but I already covered about 2.5 hours of the same material in my childbirth education class and wasn't going to be learning much of anything new.  I’m still only about 50 pages into it and haven’t learned a lot of new information yet (probably a testament to just how much I have been researching, reading, and watching), but it has been interesting.  The next chapter starts going into technique and life past the birth experience, so I think that's when I'll start delving into new material.  I’m looking forward to trying to laid-back breastfeeding method, where the mother leans back and uses the natural recline and angle of her body to support the baby.  It sounds like a good place for a beginner to start.  Also, I’m still looking forward to watching OUR baby situate itself, take stock of its surroundings, and using its evolutionary instincts to crawl up from my stomach to breast.  It’s so freaking cute in the videos, I can’t wait to experience it ourselves.  Also, I did learn in the book that baby mammals naturally progress to the breast at their own rate and time, and humans are naturally no different.  The other aspect I'm probably most interested in learning about is how to keep breastfeeding going after I go back to work, which is what I foresee to be the most challenging aspect of the whole feeding experience.

Looking forward to:  

• Dinner with friends tonight!  It’s been a while since we've socialized with other humans.
• Urban chicken coop tour on Saturday.
• Having TWO DAYS OFF with my husband!!!!
• Possibly visiting baby lambies at Slate Run Farm on Sunday if we have time.
• Warm weather!
• Grilling out at Chad’s mom’s on Sunday J

Pregnancy Update: Week 33 Recap!

How far along?  It’s Friday of week 33 (the weeks begin on Sunday).

Total weight gain:  Pre-pregnancy weight:  131 pounds.  This morning I weighed 156.8…approximately 26 pounds so far.  Pretty much on target….6 more weeks to gain 6 more pounds….hmmmm….we’ll see how that pans out…

Baby’s size/development this week: Baby is about 4 pounds and 19 inches long (that’s almost 2 feet!!).

Maternity clothes:  So glad it’s getting warm, so I can wear more dresses.  I’m getting pret-ty sick of spandex around my waist!!

Miss anything? Moving like a normal person, exercising like a normal person, spring races and training (I know, I know, I’m training for my delivery date, but I’m talking about 5Ks and halfs!), being free from the effects of relaxin!!!!!  I hate relaxin!!!! (Although when I think of how pregnancy and labor would be if your body didn’t produce it, I’m sure it’s a lifesaver in the end.)

Food cravings:  Hmmmm….Ice cream?  How convenient!  I’m eating a grapefruit right now (and have been eating a LOT of fruit…strawberries earlier).  I have been wanting some El Vaquero…

Anything making you queasy or sick?  No queasiness whatsoever.

Sleep:  Didn’t sleep well on Tuesday and Wednesday, but have been otherwise sleeping well.

Best moment of the week:
Yoga:  I really enjoyed my prenatal yoga class this week.  I was tired and it kicked my ass, but the end where we were doing the relaxation (shavasana/corpse pose - basically laying on the floor with my eyes closed) was REALLY nice.  Also, I want to become more flexible, so I’m hoping the class helps with that.
Other best moments:  Anytime I’ve been able to relax with Chad – we took a walk on Tuesday evening when the weather was so nice, and last night we sat on the sofa.
Childbirth preparation class: Monday night was our last class, which I’m putting in best moments of the week for two reasons 1.) I really enjoyed learning all the midwife had to offer as well as meeting with other expectant parents, but 2.) I am glad we don’t have to stay out ‘til almost 10:00PM every Monday, which was past our bedtime, and a big strain on our already bursting schedule!!  The six sessions were: relaxation, labor, birth, complications, breastfeeding, post-natal care.

Nursery:  The nursery is starting to look super cute!!  I’m going to post pictures soon!  We now have a woodland animal rug and a REALLY cute hand carved fox stool.

Weddings rings on or off?  Still no swelling!!  Knock on wood…only 6 more weeks to go…I’m really hoping the swelling never starts, because that’s something I’m not okay with (unless I have to be).

Belly Button:  Still in!!  Chad says that it’s trying its hardest to stay in.  I don’t know…I don’t think it’s going to pop out, although I guess you never know.  Most people’s do…

Movement?   Lots of movement!  If I look down right now I can see my stomach moving all about, which is really weird because I’m wearing a trippy striped dress.  I’m either pregnant or on some really weird psychedelics…

Labor signs?  Not to my knowledge.  I think I’ve felt several Braxton Hicks contractions though…. Sometimes I can just feel a weird tightening in my stomach.

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:
Videoing Movement:  This week I’ve been taking a lot of videos of my stomach, trying to capture the movement.  A lot of times the darn baby will stop moving the second I start filming!!  Also, it can be difficult to see movement when taking a close-up video of your own stomach – I rested a jar of coconut oil (closest thing at hand) on my stomach and started videoing – you could definitely see the jar moving all about!!
Noting Placement of Baby:  Last night my back was bothering me on the right side (as it has been lately) and I look down at my stomach and it’s COMPLETELY full on the right side and COMPLETELY empty on the left side!!!  I told Chad:  “Poke my stomach on the left side,” and he gingerly brushed it with his fingers.  And I was like “No!  I mean a serious poke, dig in there!!” So he did.  Then I said “Okay, now try and do the same thing on the right side!”  Of course, he couldn’t poke at all because it was completely full of baby.  It’s laying in there head down, with my right side cradling its back and butt – and it literally shows 
Hiccups:  Sometimes I can feel hiccups and it’s so cute!  They never last for very long, but they’re just rhythmic little movements in my stomach.

Daddy is feeling:  Very excited that baby is getting so big! I've been very busy still, making sure that everything is ready for when the baby arrives. I'm also very thankful that both grandparents keep getting stuff for the baby!
(Mommy is also going to add that Daddy is VERY, VERY, VERY busy right now trying to keep up with a hectic work schedule as well as his classes – and preparing for the baby, AND half-marathon training!!  There are at least two day a week where he gets up and does a training run at 6:30, goes into work at 9:00, goes to class at noon, goes back to work afterwards and then gets home around midnight.  Three more weeks of classes and things will get a little more reasonable for him, but until then, please keep Daddy’s mental health in your thoughts.  But also, have no fear, because Daddy is also kicking ass at school and getting A’s in all his assignments!!!  Daddy is a rock star!!)

Mommy is feeling:  Pretty good.  Ready to be un-pregnant.  This morning I was thinking how excited I would be when we place the baby on my stomach and watch it crawl up to my chest for the first time.  I try not to think about the lack of sleep aspect, because I love to get my 7-8 hours of solid sleep at night.  Oh well, it won’t last forever, right!?

Workouts this week:
Saturday: Elliptical - 4.5 miles/1 hour 2 minutes (AM)
Sunday: Took the day off – but we did a lot of cleaning
Monday: Elliptical – 2.7 miles/33 minutes (AM)
Tuesday: Elliptical – 2.56 miles/35 minutes (AM)
Wednesday: Prenatal yoga (PM)
Thursday: Slept in!
Friday: Elliptical – 2.55 miles/30 minutes (AM)

Books I am/we are reading:
Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters with the Ultramarathon, Neal Jamison – interesting compilation of short stories by various people (aka crazy people) in the ultrarunning community.
Eat and Run by Scott Jurek – Chad is reading this book for our bedtime story….Scott Jurek is one of THE ultrarunners...he’s probably one of the 2-3 most well-known ultrarunners out there.  Chad usually reads me a chapter per night and I love this part of our day :)
The Birth Book by William Sears – I’ve been reading various sections of this on and off.  I have really enjoyed the books by Sears (have also read a good portion of the Baby Book), which focus on attachment style parenting, which Chad and I will (most likely) naturally tend towards.  I’m enjoying the Birth Book because it focuses on a natural approach with an open mind (i.e.  have an ideal plan in mind, but keep your mind open to various possibilities because births don’t always go according to plan.  Having only one plan set in stone can lead to disappointment and feelings of failure).  Barring any unforeseen medical challenges, I plan to listen to and work with my body, and to minimize pain by minimizing fear (and/or changing tactics) and accepting and trusting that my body was made to carry out the task at hand.  In fact, I think that’s a pretty good birth mantra!!  “Listen to my body.  My body was made to do this!”

Looking forward to:
--Picking up Chad’s race packet for the Clintonville 5K after work today.
--Living vicariously through Chad when he runs the Clintonville 5K tomorrow morning.  I can’t wait to see how he does!!  He ran it in 21:24 race (6:55 minute pace) last year…can’t wait to see if he PRs tomorrow!!
--My doula (aka my mom) is supposed to visit me tomorrow (Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning).  Looking forward to that!  Which reminds me!  I need to put together a birth plan tonight!!!!!!

Pregnancy Update: Week 32 Recap!

How far along? It’s Friday of Week 32

Total weight gain: I weigh 155.4, so….25 pounds!!

Baby’s size/development this week: The internet is telling me the baby is almost 4 pounds and 19 inches in length.  At my last appointment (Monday of 31 weeks), they told me my stomach was measuring right on target, which would be 31 centimeters for 31 weeks, so I guess we’re all good :)

Maternity clothes: The same three (mostly two) pairs of pants over and over and over and over.  And pretty much only maternity shirts because none of my old shirts fit either.  I have a few maxi dresses I’ve been enjoying, and am thinking about hitting up Am Vets to go get some more.

Miss anything? Running, beer, clothes that fit, bending over, sleeping on my stomach.

Food cravings:  All the food!!!  More specifically: ice cream/milk, dark chocolate, fruit (citrus and berries).  Also, peanut butter.

Anything making you queasy or sick? No!!!!!!!

Sleep:  All night long, usually. :)  Sometimes I’ll wake up early morning between 4:00-5:30 and think about things for a while.  This morning I woke up at 5:30 and never did fall back asleep until the alarm went off at 6:00.

Best moment of the week:  Thursday date night with the husband.  We had Thai fusion at Basil in the Short North thanks to Chad’s mom (gift certificates from Christmas:) ), then we came home and did a prenatal yoga work out.  Then we had ice cream sundaes with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, strawberries, and whipped cream :)  YUM!  Then we chatted on the sofa for a bit, then Chad finished reading me Narnia’s King Caspian, then we fell off to sleep.  Another best moment:  Getting a package in the mail from my friend Elisabeth who lives in Seattle!!

Nursery:  It’s getting closer to being complete!  We got a dresser, rocking chair, and changing table (a la wash stand) from Ron and Sarah last week, and Chad and Denis moved those in, so it’s looking more like a real nursery!!  Also, last Saturday our friends threw us a baby shower, so we got tons of baby clothes, blankets, books, etc.  The room is actually starting to look CUTE!!  I love it!  My mom ordered a bunch of cloth diapers as well as a rug and a two woodland animal stools.  Today after work I'm going to go buy a picture frame so I can hang the baby shower invitation on the wall (adding another fox!!)

Weddings rings on or off?  ON!!!  No swelling here yet, knock on wood!

Movement?  Pretty much all the time…although not right now, weirdly.  One of my favorite activities is grabbing Chad's hand and shoving it onto my stomach at least several times a day.  He seems to like it too though, so that's a good thing :)

Labor signs?  Not to my knowledge….maybe there are signs and I’m just not aware of them!?

Weird pregnancy thing of the week:  I don’t know….my pelvis has been hurting when I walk this morning.  Before getting pregnant, I don’ think my pelvis ever hurt before….

Daddy is feeling:  I am incredibly excited for the baby to get here! It's a little funny looking back on the first two trimesters, I always thought I would be more freaked out about having a kid when it became more immanent. But ever since we found out that Corey was pregnant, I've consistently felt excited, positive, and elated about the baby coming. I've never really had any anxiety about the baby, or being a dad. I've certainly stressed out about everything else in my life during this time (i.e. work, school, trying to keep up with dishes and laundry, the paradox of wanting to go to yoga to relieve stress then stressing over when I'm going to find time to schedule yoga, etc.)... but the most relaxing, calming, and happiest thing I do is start and end my day by curling up with Corey, putting my hand on her stomach, and feeling our child kick, wiggle from side to side, slowly slide an elbow across the inner-plane of her stomach... or just do nothing at all except for sleep, and be expected to join us some time in the next four to eight weeks.

Mommy is feeling:  Like I’m enjoying the last few weeks of quietude before the baby arrives!  Excited about the baby’s arrival every time I go in the nursery!  Like I can’t wait to get my old body back!  Ambivalent about, yet ready for labor!  Ambivalent about, yet ready to become a family!  Not really sure what it’s going to be like…scared about trying to fit everything in (i.e. training for the marathon, working, etc.), but can’t wait to read books together in the evenings, lay on blankets in the park in the summer, and hang out the three of us on our front porch.

Workouts this week:  I’ve had a cold, so I’ve done a little bit less than usual this week.

Sun:     Nothing

Mon:     Nothing

Tue:      Nothing

Wed:    2 miles walking on treadmill in the AM, prenatal yoga at Balanced Yoga in the evening

Thu:      30 minute online yoga video with Chad in the evening

Fri:        2.73 miles/35 minutes on elliptical in the AM

Looking forward to: Having a whole day to spend together with husband on Sunday and hopefully further preparing the nursery.  Also, going shopping with Chad’s mom on Saturday for more baby stuff.  Also, receiving packages of cloth diapers and tiny wooden woodland animal stools in the mail this week from my mom :)

First CSA Pickup of the Season!

Today was the first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) pick up of the year at the for us at the Clintonville farmers market.  Before the growing season starts, you pay a lump sum to a farm, who in turn give you a share of the freshest available in-season vegetables each week.  Rock Dove Farm provides our CSA, a half share costing $350 and running from the first week in June to the last week in October.  

Last year was Rock Dove's first season doing the CSA program and was also a notoriously bad growing season across the Midwest (cold and extremely wet).  We are excited to watch Rock Dove hone their techniques and methods in their second season, and also equally excited to learn how the different weather this year will affect crop growth.  We learned from our farmer that dry seasons are typically better than wet ones, as no one can control too much water, but extra water can be applied in dry seasons.

Our Farmer's Market Haul:

From the CSA for 6/2/12:
Radishes + radish greens
Spring onions
Green lettuce (one head)
Red lettuce (one head)
Spinach
Strawberries
Mint
Dill

Outside the CSA:
Garlic Ramps - $2.00 from Frijolito Farm, Columbus, OH
Rosemary Plant - $3.00 from Swainway Urban Farm, Clintonville, OH
Fresh shelled peas, $7.00 from Folck Family Farm, Mechanicsburg, OH

Farms:
http://frijolitofarm.com/
http://swainway.com/
http://folckfamilyfarm.net/
http://www.rockdovevegetables.com/

What We're Doing with our Haul:
Grilled spring onions and garlic scape
Minted Peas
Dilled Potatoes
Strawberry sauce for homemade ice cream
Frozen strawberries for smoothies in winter
Large mixed salad for meals all week
Roasted radish salad with balsamic and goat cheese

In other News and Notes: Happy Birthday to Mister Distressed!! (June 2)

Gardening and Such

Hello folks, Mr. Distressed here.

A few weeks ago Ms. Distressed and myself decided that it was high time we bought some seeds, dirt and other general gardening supplies. This is what we came away with:

One interesting side note, we don't actually have a hose hook-up outside. The plan is to run the hose from our kitchen sink, out a window, across our porch to our garden, yikes! We still need to get the adapter to attach the hose to the sink though.

As of right now, we have seeds started for two tomato varieties, basil, oregano, dill, and some kind of squash sprout that was growing out of our compost pile. I also saved seeds from an awesome red bell pepper we bought from our Co-op and if I can find somewhere to plant it, I'll get that in the a planter soon. 

Clearing weeds in the front yard flower bed was an adventure. Digging in the dirt I found nails, shards of ceramics, tree roots thick as baseball bats, buried coaxial cable... all kinds of goodies. Most importantly though, we found lots and lots of worms, which is a good sign of healthy soil.

We got a variety of flowers for the front yard as well.

We used an old hard cider 6-pack sleeve to house our planters, which makes transporting them easier. 

 This is an unrelated photo of our farmer's market bounty from earlier in the morning. *Spoiler Alert!* That 4lb pork shoulder on the left ends up on the grill in a few pictures. Yum!

 After all day of digging in the dirt, we were forced to relax with snacks, wine, and smoked pork!

Saturday Morning Farmer's Market

Mr. Distressed has been working a LOT lately, so when we finally had a day off together with no plans, we were very happy.  The weather was perfect, in the 70s and sunny, so we headed off to two winter farmer’s markets, the last of the season.

What We Brought Home Today and Where We Bought It:

Markets

Clintonville Winter Farmer’s Market: 

http://columbuswinterfarmersmarket.com/

Worthington Winter Farmer’s Market: 

http://owba.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=4

Vendors

Taylor Made: Hot sauce

Dan the Baker: Sprouted multigrain (millet quinoa, flax and oats with whole wheat and whole rye flours)

Curly Tail Organic Farm: Pork shoulder

Speckled Hen Farms: Eggs

Vegetables:  Celery, potatoes, snow peas, onions (to be honest, I forgot the name of the farm, oops)

Personal Musings on my Relationship to My Food

My mom and I had a conversation yesterday about the technological advances in agriculture in the last hundred or so years and how they’ve affected our daily lifestyles.  My mom talked of how much time and energy some of our older relatives spent in food production and preparation, with hours upon hours spent both in the garden and kitchen.  When many in my grandparent’s generation found the convenience of the boxed mashed potatoes, they walked away from the garden and put down the potato peeler without ever looking back.  It’s understandable too.  The new technology of processed foods meant a huge surge in the abundance of free time.  The abundance of cheap and fast food has come at a price though, and our society is currently undergoing an identity crisis, looking for a balance between cheap, fast, productive versus meaningful, slow, thoughtful. 

Food exemplifies how I think about relationships in our world in general, and my desire to understand them (as well as my role in them) as much as possible.  I don’t want to be a consumer, to which large faceless corporations vie to sell me the lowest value product for the highest price.  I don’t want to walk into a grocery store and walk past an employee with a near-minimum wage salary and no personal pride in the food-like products he’s selling.  The vendors at the farmers markets think about their relationship in the world.  They think about growing cycles, animals and the care they need, the value of their products, being effective stewards of the land, and how to remain viable.  This understanding of and role in the cycle of life creates an enormous amount of pride, and the farmers are vested in the annual cycles of the earth, their local economy, and their community.  While I’m not sure I would have the vim and vigor to start my own farming endeavor, I’m so happy I have the option to partake in a system in which I can see the participants’ faces. 

As I sit here and write, I think about all the topics I’ve left out, or barely glossed over.  I’m not trying to write a book though, Michael Pollan already wrote several of those J  I’m just trying to show you a picture of my farmer’s market bounty.