Second week

Amelia is almost 2 weeks old! She's eating very well. We've been spending a great week, taking a few walks (sometime starting with a little trauma, but always getting better after a few steps).

Melissa had a great, somewhat quiet, birthday last Friday. Celebrated with many naps and many feedings, and a good meal outside. Lucille made a great apple sauce cake with the apples from our own backyard!

It's been VERY hot in Seattle though. Almost 100F today. Thank god we have windows that open!!! We do what we can to keep cool, but we're finding ourselves hoping for rain and cooler weather.

This is a "cute and adorable" little outfit she got from grandma Carolyn early last week.

(Looks like she's doing the arm's length shot, on this one!)

Amelia!

We are very happy to announce the birth of our little Amelia Juliette! The whole family worked together wonderfully throughout labor. Amelia was born on Wednesday, July 15th, just after 6:30 pm (at 7 lbs 15 oz and quite long: 21"). She made quite an entrance, wanting to shake hands with the world even before she was born. She'll be a social butterfly.... She is beautiful and very healthy and a full head of hair like her daddy. Melissa is also doing very well, and so is dad.

We are loving it!

Long tasty weekend

Last year we joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) and have a box fresh, organic farm produce delivered every week. We were so happy with it that we joined again this year and decided to take a half flat of strawberries as well. This last weekend we made our first attempts at canning- starting with the strawberry jam.



When my sister brought up the crib and bassinet, she also brought the canning supplies that my mom had including some jars from my grandfather's collection. So our jam will be in the same jars that my grandfather used to make jam!

I tried a recipe for the jam that did not require added powdered pectin (to avoid the overly solid jams like in the store). Instead we cooked down some apples and limes to make our own pectin base ran it through a food mill to produce a fine puree. Incidentally we had some leftover applesauce and canned that for baby food in the future! (Now I really feel ahead of the game!)



In an attempt to prepare for our summer with minimal cooking, we made a batch of Lucille's sauce au spaghetti.





And everything is now stored nicely on our new shelves, in the basement.