By The baby was born Tuesday June 25 at three-twenty-two AM after a sixteen-hour induction. A girl. Seven pounds eleven ounces. Twenty inches long. Apgar scores eight and nine. Her name is Eden Janelle Bryant — Eden was the name Dustin and I had been quietly considering for six months, Janelle for Mama. She is the small new family-member. Brayden is one hundred and forty-three weeks old. He has a sister.
The apartment AC died Tuesday at three PM. Repair-guy could not come until Friday. Apartment hit ninety-eight degrees inside Thursday afternoon. Dustin took Wednesday and Thursday off. Small fans, cold washcloths, open windows. AC back Friday at ten. The small first-postpartum-week has been the small heat-wave-and-newborn week.
The honey-melon salad with basil is the dish a first-week-postpartum-mother with a broken AC needs — no oven, no stovetop, no heat-producing equipment of any kind. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, fresh basil, a small drizzle of honey, a small splash of lime juice. The salad is the cold-fruit-dinner the apartment temperatures asked for.
I made the salad Friday afternoon after the AC came back. The small fresh-fruit-and-herb combination was the small bright contrast to the small heavy postpartum-and-heat-wave week.
Brayden is the small big-brother-in-training. He has been talking with us about the small new-baby with increasing complexity. He points at my belly. He brings his stuffed elephant to my lap. He is the small two-and-three-quarters-year-old who is rehearsing the small role of big-brother.
The catering business is on its small late-pregnancy pause. The small Q1-2024 client-engagements wrapped in early May. The small next catering job will be in the small late-fall after the small new-baby’s first three months are behind us.
The small late-pregnancy fatigue is the small physical-reality the small Sunday-cooking is being done around. The small thirty-week-onward stretch is the small heavy-and-slow stretch. The small fix is the small slower-paced cooking schedule, the small more-frequent rest-breaks, the small reliance on Mama’s small in-residence presence for the heavier lifting.
The small OB visits continue weekly now. The small thirty-six-and-thirty-seven-and-thirty-eight-week visits are checking the small standard-late-pregnancy markers. The small baby is positioned. The small cervix is at the small early-effacement stage. The small labor-window is open but not imminent.
Honey-Melon Salad with Basil
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 small cantaloupe, peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 4 cups)
- 1 small honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, and cubed (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups seedless watermelon, cubed
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
- Pinch of flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Combine the melons. Add the cubed cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon to a large serving bowl and gently toss together.
- Make the honey-lime dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, fresh lime juice, and lime zest until the honey is fully dissolved and the dressing is smooth.
- Dress the salad. Drizzle the honey-lime dressing over the melon and toss gently to coat all the fruit evenly.
- Add the basil. Scatter the fresh basil chiffonade over the top of the salad and toss once more, lightly, so the basil is distributed without wilting from over-handling.
- Finish and serve. Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt to bring out the sweetness of the melon. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 hour before serving for a chilled salad.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 95 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 55mg