This post is dedicated to my sweet little companion Shinobi. I caught a bug from Jonathan and was sick Monday through Wednesday this week and Shinobi was a very cheery friend. It was nasty hot around here and he kept my spirits up during the day and took naps with me. Here he is snuggling his sister and (I think) listening to her heartbeat. He also does a good job supervising laundry drying from his beloved sunbeam. We just love him so much!

The little lady was merciful to me this week by not coming on her due date. I had such a bad sinus headache and sore throat, it would have been rough trying to do labor at the same time. But now I'm back to feeling good and the weather is back in the mid-70's so I can use the oven. I'm trying to entice her out with fresh baked zucchini bread, we'll see if it works...

Picks of the Week 9.23.11

Eat Well, Spend Less: Five Ways With Lentils - Simple Bites

Peach and Raspberry Crumble - Joy the Baker (this was from June, but I'm making it to bring to a friend's house tonight)

This week was way too hot to do much cooking. Too hot to do much of anything really. So I napped and swam. I met up with a friend and went to my first Moms' Group at church too. Jonathan's co-worker let us borrow her air conditioner unit this week. I seriously don't know what I would do without it.

My One Bite at a Time task this week was to create an evening routine. Last week was to create a morning routine. I'm thinking these routines are going to change drastically soon, but I think it's a great idea. Doing a handful of things each night before I get into relaxation mode that set me up for a good morning the next day will probably be very helpful when I have a baby.

We're ready for her! We have some fun plans this weekend to distract us, but we're ready!

Picks of the Week 9.16.11

Pleasure is the Measure of Your Treasure - Desiring God

I didn't have much of an attention span for the computer this week. I did have energy for fun projects though!

This week I got together with Stacey and her mum for some sewing fun. I made a tummy time blanket out of Jonathan and my old t-shirts that have fun memories associated with them. It turned out great and is very soft. All credit goes to Stacey's mum, the sewing queen. Shinobi is modeling it for you.

I also cranked out a dozen of these nursing pads with the leftover flannel. Maybe some of you don't want to know that, but I was glad to cross it off my list. I also made granola bars and chocolate peanut butter "Larabars" from this cookbook to take to the hospital and snack on after baby is born. Actually, they were so good we ate the first batch so I had to make more. And I had to make zucchini bread too since it's zucchini season. 

I spent Tuesday with a college friend and her sweet 5 month old baby girl. She moved to San Francisco with her husband a couple weeks ago, it was great to reconnect. I had my 38 week check-up and all is well, and we met with our fabulous doula again. And can I just say, grocery shopping on week days is so much better than weekends! I also made sure to rest, have phone dates with great people, and enjoy some walks with my little doggie buddy. He's a nice companion to have around.

We have some fun social plans for the weekend ahead. I'm still feeling pretty comfortable and well, so it's been good to have distractions. I can't believe she could show up any day now!

Picks of the Week 9.9.11

DIY: Stir-Fry Vegetable Freezer Packages - Simple Bites

What's More Important: Keeping Things Organized, or Getting Things Done? - What's Best Next

The Chemical Composition of Your House - Daily Infographic (I've shared before about how we have kicked some chemicals out of our home. This infographic has some compelling reasons if you're on the fence about making the change.)

Starting at 8 weeks, Jonathan has taken a picture of my bump every four weeks. Last night he made a progress collage (is there a better term for it?) for me in photoshop that I could put in the baby book I'm working on. I thought it was so funny that I had to share it here.

That last one is from a week ago, ay carumba! Tomorrow is my weekly check-up and lunch with my mama friends, woohoo!

I found a great way to save some money on produce that also happens to be handy for a soon-to-be-mom. Right now, so many veggies are fresh and in-season which means they can be bought for a low price. Simple Bites just posted about how to create stir-fry vegetable freezer packages in detail, so I had to include it in my to-do list for the day.

When I went grocery shopping yesterday, I loaded up on our favorite stir-fry veggies: bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. Then today I chopped and blanched them according to the times listed on Simple Bites, let them cool, and packed them into freezer bags. I even "vacuum-packed" them by sucking out the air with a straw. I think we'll be set for a handful of stir-fry dinners now!

I've been enjoying my days at home so far, I have a nice little schedule I've set up for myself. My first day at home I overdid it a bit, so the schedule encourages me to relax and paces out the things I want to get done before the little lady arrives. I'm getting all the crucial things done first, but leaving some activities to keep me entertained if she goes past her due date. Today my big task was packing the hospital bag, fun stuff!

And, here are a few photos someone took at the baby shower Jonathan's co-workers threw for him. Please forgive the iPhone quality :).

Picks of the Week 9.2.11

Fill Your Mouth With Life, Not Death - Desiring God

Giving Up on Formulas and Labels - Steady Mom

Looks like a fun weekend ahead: Beach trip with home group, college football season starting, dinner/doggie playdate with the Littaus, and chilling in the pool.

Today is my first day as a stay-at-home Mom! It started with some celebration time with the dog, quick egg sandwiches for breakfast and Bible time with the husband, and creating a To Do List for the day. I really want my time managing the household to be purposeful. That doesn't mean always productive; I don't want to base my view of myself on how much I accomplish. But I do want to have a general aim for each day.

That's why I was thrilled when one of my favorite bloggers, Simple Mom, came out with an ebook last week called One Bite at a Time. Perfect timing! It's only $5 and it gives you 52 little projects that will help you simplify routines around the home. I have read her blog for years and she always provides such great content. Some of what is found in the book are ideas she's already shared on the blog, but I pushed them to the back of my mind as tasks I would take on "someday". It's also nice to have all of these ideas in one tidy location.

With their being 52 projects, my plan is to take on one project a week (52 weeks in a year, right?). Of course, there will be some weeks in the very near future in which the only thing I'll probably be able to get done is take a shower and take care of the baby. But, maybe there will be some weeks where I can tackle two projects because they are easier ones. Again, for me it's more about having a direction than being strict. I love the idea of kicking off my first year as a stay-at-home Mom by laying a good foundation though!

Today I am starting with Project 1: Eat Your Frog. It's about doing the thing on your list that you most dislike first instead of putting it off. Then, that task is done and you can get on with the tasks that you don't mind as much. Looks like I'll be vacuuming after I post this...

Anyone else want to join the challenge? As a fun little way for me to make some money, if you buy it from this link or the one above or by clicking on the cute elephant picture on the right side of my blog I earn 30% of the $5 price. Woohoo!