The Price of Freezer Real Estate

Unless you're lactose-intolerant or out of town, I'm not sure there's a valid excuse to skip a Make-Your-Own Ice Cream Sundae/Shake/Soda Party.  Yesterday Husband & I hosted such an event.  Guests brought their favorite toppings; everyone indulged.  Oh, to snub those ice cream trucks taunting their inane jingles that drive everyone even more batty on these days with triple-digit heat indexes.

The leftovers: 50% left in each tub.  A gap left for the one fully consumed tub of vanilla.

Our freezer, it seems, also feels some excess.  Whereas Husband, Sherbet (who entertained the company in hopes for free licks of ice cream or, preferably, whipped cream), & I would ordinarily find additional sharing venues for such frozen delights, time is not on our side.  In fact, we've been trying to stock the freezer with healthy, homemade meals for after Ramlet's birth.  To facilitate the transfer of chicken enchiladas, swiss cheese veggie quiche, and cheddar cheese with asparagus and sausage quiche from refrigerator to freezer, Husband took three cartons of ice cream to work.  I probably should feel guilty for hanging on to the Black Raspberry Chocolate and the Cookies & Cream, but right now I just wish I had a larger freezer.

Before the ice cream donation.

In the above picture, most of the plastic bags are filled with homemade pizzas courtesy of friends who are new parents and wanted to help stock us up for the first few days (weeks?) of parenthood.  Husband & I added enchiladas, quiches, beef and veggie roasts, carrot apple breakfast bread, and inside-out cabbage rolls to the collection.  If time permits, I'll contribute a bag of French Toast and a pan of eggplant parmesan to our menu options.


Any ideas on what else to freeze in preparation for the little bundle who's eating will take precedence over ours?

Waverly Farmer's Market

Saturday morning at Baltimore's Waverly Farmer's Market in pictures.

 

 

 

The bounty I brought home.  Fried zucchini blossoms for dinner.

What's your weekend's flavor?

Ready... Set... Wait....

After two weeks of "nesting" (read: "frenzied preparation panic"), the relentless to-do list shrunk substantially.  The fully geared-up crib, dresser, and diaper bag collect dust.  The birth center bags clutter up corners of the apartment.  Anxiety about sudden early labor wanes; anticipation about actual labor and motherhood fill in the gap.

No complaints about a little extra time ... yet.  Each day my belly tightens more, and Ramlet kicks at my right ribcage to remind me he's coming.  Later I'll work on some other project, but for now I'll rest with my swollen feet propped up and sipping some organic pregnancy tea.



Thanks for the nail polish suggestions--I went with the first vote of Chop-Sticking to My Story!

Remaining Me

My due date approaches faster final exams before Christmas Break.  I've taken classes, read books, and practiced breathing/relaxation techniques.  Still, no one knows the exact form of this pinnacle moment until it actually unfolds.

Regardless birthing, and motherhood, will become a part of who I am ... part of my identity ... just like my love for vibrant pedicures.

OPI:  quick-drying, long-lasting colors with bizarre names.

If I hold my breath I can still reach my toes so there's time for a little glamour before the big day.  Line up, OPI collection.  Sound off: Suzi Says Da (chocolate-y brown), Blue My Mind (sapphire blue), Chop-Sticking to My Story (burnt orange), Alpine Snow (crisp white), Java Mauve-A (ballet-y pink), Black Cherry Chutney (dark purple with red sparkles), and Sand in My Suit (iridescent beige).

Which color should brighten the birthing room?

Worse Than Doing Laundry

The one thing worse than doing laundry is having laundry to do.

Old, mismatched machines.

Monday morning I threw the brand new organic cotton cloth diapers in the washing machine (apparently cloth diapers need to be washed/dried a few times to maximize absorbency).  I expected to walk away, feeling maternal, as I listened to the pleasant chug-chug-chug of progress.  Instead, an awful grinding sound begged for mercy from behind the laundry closet doors.  Frantically, I rescued the diapers from the cantankerous sudsy pit.  While Husband rinsed the prefolds in the tub, I marched to the leasing office full of pregnant indignation.  The washing machine is on its third round of maintenance issues.  And, the replacement dryer's setting--like on/off--have never worked.  Note: we've lived here less than two months!

Fast forward a direct conversation with the complex manager about the problems (including a moment of pointedly smoothing my shirt over my protruding belly) and a visit from the entire maintenance team to validate my complaints.  Goodbye old machines.

  

The icky linoleum under the machines.           Sherbet inspects my rushed cleaning job.

Hello new, energy efficient models.  

All these knobs and settings to learn ....

Time to triumphantly throw in another load.

Have you overcome a challenge lately?  Or, are you procrastinating laundry day?