Farmer's Market

My little bird is now a little over 2 months and it feels like my life before her was so very long ago. It's been a tough 2 months but has been getting easier - or at the very least, I have recovered from surgery and I've adjusted to a constant state of sleep deprivation - a state I am told which will last for a very long time. I am getting to know her much better - she is a baby who is very definite in letting me know whether she is happy or sad - and we are settling into a rhythm with one another.

My house, sadly, is a mess, since I haven't quite figured out how to incorporate household work, including dinner, into our rhythm. I need to re-do my dinners so that they can be cooked very, very quickly or at least in very quick stages throughout the day. I'm told that I should be in survival mode for the first 3 months and just focus on keeping myself and the baby fed, but it's hard to feel accomplished with barely managing to feed the both of us when the house is in such disarray. I keep imagining other mothers being able to handle newborns much better.

I am working on being much better about getting her out of the house. Whenever she cries, a quick solution to quieting her down is to step outdoors and let her look at the sky and the trees and the bushes and the various buildings and to feel the wind and fresh air and smell the grass and flowers. We avoided bringing her to public venues for the first 2 months of her life until she had her vaccinations since very young babies are subjected to a battery of tests if they get sick within the first 6 weeks, but we're beginning to venture out with her more now. I try to take her out for a quick stroll to the park each day, and we've decided that we'll try to take her to the farmer's market each weekend since we're fortunate enough to have one near us that is held year round. 

Yesterday was her first farmer's market experience. M hitched her up in the baby bjorn and we strolled out into the market. She napped the entire time but was extremely happy afterward. We bought mandarins, smoked fish, several types of bread including cinnamon bread, as well as bolanis (a stuffed Afghan flatbread) - pumpkin and spinach - and lentil curry spread. It was a warm, sunny day and so very good to get out. Next time we go, I think I will buy some salad greens (I saw some very nice looking kale) from one of the vendors I like as well as fresh strawberries.