Aunt Elise Visits!

My sister Elise flew in from Champaign to meet baby, visit, and deliver on an offer to make us a bunch of food.

THANK YOU, ELISE!

 

 

It was so nice to have some company (Luke has been working on his record - coming out next month, stay tuned!- , and I am used to being surrounded by people all day, so home-with-baby is quite an adjustment), especially getting to spend time with one of my favorite people.  And a person I don't have to get dressed for.  Dream houseguest!

 

 

Elise is a new vegetarian and we made some delicious meatless food: vegetable enchiladas, black bean chili (Slow Cooker Revolution), roasted butternut squash soup, and whole wheat buttermilk waffles (ATK Healthy Family Cookbook).  These are all make-agains, especially the chili: spicier than expected, ameliorated with a hearty dollop of sour cream (as are most things).

 

I'm inspired to re-commit to less meat in our diet. (We watched Forks Over Knives, an uneven but thought provoking documentary about a plant-based diet. And I'm looking forward to perusing Martha Stewart's Meatless when it becomes available at the library.)  She also introduced me to Perfect Formula pink gel coat (which I might have to buy now).



Elise at work:

The fridge has never been so well-stocked.

We culled my wardrobe of ratty t-shirts, capri cargo pants that no one should ever wear, disintegrating bras.

Elise and Clementine:

 

In other news, Clementine is starting to sleep longer stretches through the night, though not every night.  I'm dealing with unilateral engorgement (not fun), which ranges from uncomfortable to agonizing... for the first time in my life I am truly looking forward to going to the gym but even the thought of any sort of jostling is wince-inducing.  Hopefully this will improve over the next several days.  I wondered why they sent me home from the hospital with 800 mg of ibuprofen with three refills.  Now I know.

 

What else, what else...

 

Listened to Josh Ritter's new record today.  Worth a listen.

 

I keep thinking I'm going to get so much done every day- done as in completing online continuing medical education credits, or quality reading, or whipping up another batch of waffles to freeze before the buttermilk goes bad- and it doesn't happen.  It took me three days to flip through Self magazine, and nine hours elapsed between the second and third sentences of this post.  Luke reminds me my only job right now is to be a mom, which is more than enough.