Kohlrabi

Well done, Daniel Moore! That funny green thing is a kohlrabi. According to the newsletter our CSA provides, that literally means "cabbage turnip." It tastes a bit like broccoli stems, though, at least the bulb-shaped bit at the bottom. Pretty tasty. (The leaves are edible but we haven't tried those yet.) Kohlrabi can be eaten raw but we chose to steam it for just a few minutes, dice it, and put it in chicken spaghetti. (Thanks for the recipe, Lindsey! I don't make it nearly often enough...it is so versatile.) It worked well. As long as you don't overcook it, kohlrabi keeps a nice, slightly crunchy texture, and the flavor is strong enough to be noticed but it didn't overpower the other ingredients.

My internet research tells me it would also be good with a simple cream or cheese sauce; I'll try that if we get another one in next week's delivery. Left raw, its texture is a bit like a raw potato...I wonder if I could fry it and make kohlrabi fries?

Shameless Product Pitch

I have found another product under $5 that I couldn't live without: Swiffer wet cloths. You see, I hate to mop. Of all household chores, that might be my least favorite. So my kitchen floor is never as clean as I would like and that really bugs me. But a few days ago I saw a Swiffer commercial and I actually paid attention. Took a little trip to Kmart, bought a package, and tried it out this morning. So easy, so fast, and I am no longer ashamed of my kitchen floor!
It's the little things that make all the difference, isn't it?

Fresh from the Farm

Zach and I joined a fruit and vegetable CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at a local farm this summer. We decided to join after I read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle--an excellent book about the benefits of organic and local eating. We really liked the idea of getting healthy, fresh food while supporting local farm families, so we joined this CSA that some friends had told us about.

We got our first delivery this afternoon. It included the three veggies shown below. Spinach and arugula are on the right and the bottom, but I'm curious: do any of my blog readers know the identity of the tall, funny looking thing leaning against my blender? I knew nothing about it until this week--it is apparently used a lot in Central American cooking but we Americans often ignore it. Leave your guesses in the comments! If no one knows I'll reveal its identity when we figure out what we're going to do with it!



The spinach and arugula became a tasty pesto which we ate on pasta for dinner. It felt really good to be eating something healthy that was grown just a few miles down the road.

Enjoying the Outdoors

We had really beautiful weather this weekend during Megan and Andrew's visit, so we spent plenty of time outdoors. Sunday we walked the first mile of the Hoodlebug Trail. We saw caterpillars, chipmunks, a crawfish in a stream, and tons of green trees.

On Monday we took a picnic lunch to Blue Spruce Park. I was surprised that it was not more crowded, being Memorial Day, but we had no trouble finding the perfect shady spot for our blanket! Austin seemed to enjoy feeling the strong breeze and all of us enjoyed lounging on the shore of the lake.

Even More Love

Austin's Gran Becky had to go home on Thursday (sad) but his Aunt Megan and Uncle Andrew arrived that day (happy!) so there is still an abundance of loving arms to hold him around here. I think Austin is becoming a little less sleepy and a little more social--he seems to be loving all the attention.

Megan and Andrew don't have kids yet but they are thinking about starting their family in the (months/years?) to come. I told them they could "test drive" my baby and try out as much baby care as they like while they're here. So far they have proven quite able to dress, diaper, bottle feed, and just generally love on the baby, and they fight for the chance to push the stroller while we're out. They will make such good parents! Here are some pictures to prove it.

Austin's neck has gotten so much stronger since the last time he was in the Baby Bjorn!

Austin's great-great-grandmother, Grannie Hardy, who is 95, sent him a quilt this past week. She has been making quilts for decades and is very talented--we hope Austin will treasure this gift for years to come. The quilt is especially meaningful to me because it includes scraps from our wedding quilt. What a neat link between generations!


I tried to get some video of Austin's tummy time the other day because occasionally he will lift his head up impressively high. He decided not to show off while the camera was rolling but I still want to try posting a video here for the first time. (Note: this is from our old digital camera, not our fancy new video camera, so the quality is not great and there is no sound. We still need to buy editing software for the video camera.)

The Verdict

Zach's trial wrapped up yesterday. The jury heard the closing arguments in the morning and received the case for deliberation around 3PM. They deliberated for 4 1/2 hours and came to a verdict: not guilty.

Having an inside perspective on this trial puts our justice system in a new light for me, especially the concept of reasonable doubt. Zach and most of the jurors felt like the girl had committed the crime, but the prosecution didn't do an adequate job of proving it--there was reasonable doubt. So there is definitely a difference between being "innocent" and being "not guilty." I guess I'm glad our system works that way--it is certainly better than being guilty until proven innocent--but I am even more glad that we have a Judge in heaven who knows the truth and will put all things right in the end.

New Pictures

I've been getting requests from Austin's grandparents for some updated pictures, so here you go!

Austin and Mommy on Mother's Day

What am I supposed to do with all these animals hanging in my face?

Cuddling with Gran

Gran, Great-Aunt Debbie, and Austin

Such a cute look! (hard to capture this kind of face when the camera flashes)

One Month Checkup

Austin went to the doctor on Wednesday for his one month checkup. He weighed 10 pounds 3 ounces! That means he went from the 25th percentile at birth to the 75th percentile now. I thought that sounded like an awfully big gain but Dr. Jabir says he's doing "really well." He is 22 inches long (3.5 inches longer than at birth). Austin had to get his second hepatitis shot, which of course did not make him happy, but I think he was actually just as upset when we pulled the bandaid off his leg later. He is a resilient baby--nothing phases him for long.

Austin's Gran (Zach's mom, Becky) came to town yesterday so he is now enjoying another pair of loving arms, and his great-aunt Debbie is arriving this afternoon. So much love for our little guy!

Juror Number 8

A few weeks ago Zach received a summons for jury duty. Not something he looked forward to, certainly, but we thought it would probably not be a big deal. After all, we live in Indiana, PA; surely if chosen he would be on a jury for robbery, or a DUI maybe, nothing serious, right?

Um, no. Our rather rural little county, population 90,000, has one or maybe two homicides a year. But guess who is serving as a juror in a trial for one of those homicides? That's right, my very own husband. The selection process took all day yesterday and part of this morning, and Zach was selected as Juror Number 8 from a pool of over 100 potential jurors. He was one of the few people who had not heard anything about the case, so he was not really surprised to be chosen. (Perhaps in the future he will pay more attention to the front page section of the paper and not just the sports!)

So, kind of a bummer, huh? The trial will definitely last through this week and most likely on into next week. While it will probably be more interesting than the average jury service, I'm sure it can't compare to hanging out at home with our adorable son. Not to mention, Zach's mom and aunt and my sister and brother-in-law all have visits planned in the next two weeks. Hopefully he will at least have some interesting stories to tell us when it's all over.

My Top Fives

Emily tagged me to share some of my top fives. I don't usually respond to this sort of thing but I thought this list sounded kind of fun and I feel like spending some lazy computer time in my pajamas with a cup of coffee at my side, so why not? (At least until Austin wakes up...)

1. 5 things under $5 that I couldn't live without

• frozen custard from The Meadows, preferably cookies n cream, chocolate almond chunk, or chocolate peanut butter cup
• chapstick
• onesies (it's a good day if we only go through two)
• good smelling body wash
• pens/notepads (in multiple locations so I can always write something down if needed)
  

2. 5 favorite movies

• Pride and Prejudice (the BBC/A&E version for me)
• Bringing Up Baby
• You've Got Mail
• The Lord of the Rings
• What's Up Doc?
  

3. 5 baby names I love (Most of these are names I like for other people's babies but that we wouldn't choose because they're too popular. Also, do you notice the lack of boys' names? Could be a problem if Austin has a brother someday.)

• Emma
  
• Elizabeth
• Sophie
• Grace
• Ava
  

4. 5 songs I could listen to over and over again

• In Christ Alone
• Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (preferably sung by a big congregation)
  
• More Than You'll Ever Know by Watermark
• Thy Mercy by Caedmon's Call
  
• Dance of the Cucumber (from a VeggieTales CD; I've been playing it for Austin and I think it's just too funny for words)
  

5. 5 people who have influenced me in a positive way

• Zach
• Mom and Dad
• Matthew Peer (my college pastor)
• Dr. John MacArthur
• Jamie Pitigoi-Aron
  

6. 5 things that are always in my purse (assuming I am carrying a purse and not just a diaper bag?)

• credit cards
• prenatal vitamins (so I don't forget to take them when we go out to eat)
• pens
• checkbook
• chapstick
  

7. 5 moments that have changed my life forever

• my salvation
• my wedding day
• Austin's birth
• deciding to go to TCU
• the day I accepted a job at LeConte Middle School
  

8. 5 obsessions I have now

• feeding Austin (obsession seems like an appropriate word for something you spend 5 or 6 hours a day doing)
• fitting back into my regular clothes (sooooo tired of maternity pants)
• choosing which cloth diapers to buy for Austin
• reading (Zach says I should put this even though I haven't been doing it much lately)
• trying to get enough sleep
  

9. 5 places I would like to go

• England
• Australia
• Botswana (thanks to the Alexander McCall Smith books I've read)
• New England in the fall, to see the leaves
• Grand Cayman
  

10. 5 appliances or kitchen tools I cannot live without

• cheese slicer
• my 6" chefs knife (wish I had 3 of these instead of 1)
• teakettle
• French coffee press (that's really for Zach, but I like him to be happy)
• toaster
  

11. 5 people whose top 5's I would like to see (no pressure, anyone!)

• Megan
• Ashley
• Jamie
• Summer
• ???????
  

Austin is four weeks old today! Hard to believe he's that old already. He has really grown--he is noticeably heavier when we pick him up, and he is close to growing out of some of his clothes. I think his eating and sleeping habits are getting a bit more predictable, although he is still a very sleepy baby. He is, of course, just as cute as ever.

We took Austin to church for the first time last Sunday. It was wonderful to participate in corporate worship again after a few weeks' absence. I only heard half of the sermon because I spent some time in the nursing moms' room (where, incidentally, I made lots of new friends) but the pastor was preaching on suffering and he said something that has really stuck with me: no matter what trials we may face in the future, there will be grace. Now I know that being a new mom is hardly on par with David's or Jesus' suffering (both discussed in the sermon) but the promise of unending grace available to me has really helped me through the tougher parts of mommyhood in the last few days. When Austin is wide awake at 11PM after an hour of rocking/walking/shushing and I'm really, really sleepy...there will be grace. When Austin poops and pees on the changing table for the third diaper change in a row...there will be grace. God is so good.

We celebrated Austin's four week milestone by giving him a bottle for the first time. I am going to a bridal shower this Saturday so we decided this was a good time to try the bottle so we would know if Austin can hang out with his daddy while I'm gone. He took the bottle like a pro but came right back to the breast at his next feeding. Good for him! I am pretty excited about this because Austin's Gran Becky is coming next week and she has offered to babysit so Zach and I can go on a date--now we will not be limited to the little time between feedings!


We've started giving Austin short periods of tummy time...when he actually wakes up enough! I just thought he was awfully adorable yesterday and had to grab the camera.

Time for Comparisons

It's been a few days since we posted any new pictures of Austin. How about starting with some pictures of Austin, Mommy, and Daddy so my readership can decide who he looks like? We have our opinions but leave a comment with yours.

Austin

Austin's Daddy

Austin's Mommy

We don't have a hospital photo for Austin; he refused to open his eyes (typical of his sleepyhead self) so I'm not sure if we'll buy one or not. But if you want to see it, go to www.cherished-memories.com and put in hospital code 53, unique ID 16375.

And now for other pics of our cutie...

Starting to look sleepy

Chillin' on the bed with Dad


Austin's new diaper

Yep, that is a cloth diaper. Zach and I have been planning to use cloth for quite a while--we feel it is a good choice for the environment and we're pretty sure we will even save money. And cloth diapers are so darn cute these days! The kind we are using are called pocket diapers and they work pretty much like disposables except that you throw them into the washing machine instead of the trash when they're dirty. If you don't know much about cloth diapers, I really encourage you to look into them--they're probably not what you expect.