Produce:

grapefruit

oranges

broccoli

corn

bananas

Meals:

chicken cutlets with salad

chicken parmagian (from the leftover cutlets) over pasta

pot roast, mashed potatoes, broccoli/salad (x2)

potato and egg pie with red peppers and toast

grilled cheese

Not a stellar box this week, so we had to buy a lot to make up our meals. The oranges and one of the grapefruit my husband used to make delicious fresh juice. I will use the other grapefruit in a fruit salad along with a honeydew that has been ripening up on the counter. It has been too hot to bake, so we bought our first loaf of store-made sandwich bread in a long, long time.

In other news, we are slowly gearing up for the move. We should get the key this weekend, and then we can start moving things over a little at a time. I may have mentioned in my last post that I want to do some painting in our bedroom, and we will do that before moving the bulk of our furniture over.

Daniel is now almost 9 months, which still shocks me whenever I think about it. It is so strange to feel simultaneously that he couldn't possibly be that old -- he was just born yesterday, wasn't he? -- and that he has been part of our family forever.

He is such a joyful presence in our lives -- full of smiles and laughter and silly little tricks. Even now, while he is getting his two top front teeth, he is just the sweetest thing (except when he bites....!). He now loves to play peek-a-boo, comes across the room to me when I call him, and can stand for short periods of time unsupported. He loves to pull all the books off the shelf in the living room, eats any small pieces of paper or shoes he can get his hands on (and also bugs, but we won't go into that!), and tries to match notes when I sing to him. I think he has learned to recognize the baby sign for cat and hungry. I want to start him on a few more soon

His finger infection has cleared up almost completely now (his middle finger is still a little red and puffy, probably from the trauma inflicted on it by the doctors, but the sores are gone), for which I am incredibly thankful.

All in all, things are very good here. :)

Produce:

Granny smith apples

plums

oranges

roma tomatoes

Meals:

rotisserie chicken (on sale at Kroeger), mashed potatoes, and peas

bulgur stuffed peppers

spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce and salad

chicken and rice stir fry

fish with lemon basil pasta

We had the chicken last night so we could get the sale price on it, and I used the leftovers for chicken salad which we will have for lunches (a nice break from our usual cheese quesadillas).

I have not written in so long because I have been just too tired. It turns out that I have fibromyalgia, which is a fancy way of saying that I am tired and achey all the time and my doctor can't find any other reason for it. She has a medication she wants me to try, but I can't take it while breast feeding, so it is out of the question for the time being. Apart from that, her recommendation is to "relax and get plenty of sleep" -- not easy things to do with an 8-month old baby who has been sick or teething for the past month or so...

My sister in law has moved in with us, and she has been a great help around the house, cooking dinner about once a week, watching the baby so I can get some sleep, and helping me stay on top of the dishes.

For the time being we are all living in our tiny apartment, but we will be getting the key to a bigger place at the end of the week and (after some painting and general preparation) moving before the end of the month!

I have to say, I have mixed feelings about the move. On the one hand, it is so wonderful to have Charity with us, and I really like the new place (right next door to our dearest friends down here!). On the other, I have enjoyed living where we are so much. It is the first place that I have really felt at home since leaving my parents' house.

Oh well. I am sure I will come to love the new place just as much...