Today in the Garden

Red raspberries and shelling peas!

I ate one yesterday and today there were a bunch, and lots more to come.

I've had a couple of pods already, but they are coming in quickly now.

A New Deck

After the huge remodel we did in the fall, we only have a few small projects on tap for the summer.   The first one on the list was to get the back deck redone, since there was a hole in it and we were worried that someone would fall through!  We didn't change the size, we just rebuilt exactly what was there in nicer materials.  We chose mahogany decking and the color complements the house nicely.  It is much more solid and the rails are higher, so no one will fall off the deck.  The raspberry bushes made it through the process very nicely and the first berries should be ready in the next couple of days!

Here is a photo from the fall when the back was being resided to match the rest of the house.

Now the back is completely done.

Against All Odds

Against all odds my fruit and vegetable gardens are doing pretty well this year.  In terms of reaching my goal of buying very little produce from the grocery store year round, the gardens are not doing well.  But in the context of "I had a baby during the planting season," they are doing great.  I had to give in and buy most of my tropicals from the local garden center, but for the most part, I'm happy.  I don't have nearly enough of anything for my goal, but I will have a little bit of everything (except zucchini- oops!)  Considering that caring for my gardens and preparing the harvest takes an average of an hour a day, this is the best I can do this year!

The raspberries are starting to turn red! 

The green bean plants are flowering

1 tiny tomato so far

The vegetable boxes are filling out

The flowers in the strawberry patch are blooming

 Poppies and bachelor buttons are my favorite combination

The strawberry plants are still producing well.  I've been getting a bowlful every other day for the past couple of weeks.  Some are snacks, some are breakfast and some are dessert!  I'll be sad the day I pick the last one.  At least the raspberries will be ripening up then.

I bought Special K just to have something to put the strawberries on

A strawberry-rhubarb coffee cake- delicious!

3 Months Old!

June 2013

This past month Ryder has become much more interactive!  He is awake most of the day now, with a couple of short naps.  He sleeps for up to 8 hours now and only gets up once a night for about a half an hour.  What an improvement over three times a night for an hour or two at a time!  He can hold his head and chest up, although in a slightly wobbly fashion, and he loves to be held up standing in our laps to look around.

When he's awake he super alert now and paying more attention to his surroundings.  He will look at doors, windows and lamps anytime he sees light coming from them and loves to look at the ceiling as is something amazing if happening up there!  If he hears the TV or sees the images, he will turn his head to see what it is.  

He interacts with me and Janda (as well as visitors) much more so than last month.  He follows our movements with his eyes and definitely recognizes our voices.  He smiles so much now and he nearly laughs constantly.  After eating he loves to sit in my lap and play.  He smiles when I sing to him, wiggle his arms and legs and make faces at him.  And even if it sounds crazy, he looks as me with a goofy smile and a look in his eyes that says "I love you mummy."  

So alert!

Smiling!

What a cutie!