Recent Favorite Things

1.  Frozen banana bites.  Oh. my. word.  I ran across the simple recipe for these delightful little treats, and I'm declaring right here and now that I am in love.  So is my hubby.  They only have four ingredients: banana, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and coconut (but I used slivered almonds b/c I didn't have coconut).  Try them!  Photo and recipe are both from (never home)maker.  They are the perfect thing when you feel like you must have a sugary treat because they are so small and mostly just banana. Win!

2.  Baby kicks and squirms from inside my belly.  That is my favorite part of whole pregnancy gig, and it is beginning to happen more regularly and noticeably.  Magical.

3.  Princess asking Smooch if she'd like to play with her, and Smooch always replying with an enthusiastic "Yea!" or "Okaaaay!"  Annnnd that it gets me off the hook so I don't have to play princesses constantly each day.  Only sometimes now. :-)

4.  Smooch's new skills...just as I was beginning to wonder if she was EVER going to make up her mind and just do it!  (Ignore my evil laugh at the end of this video.)

By the way, I bribed her with chocolate a few days ago, and that was the first time she took some steps and seemed pleased about it, wasn't tricked into it (bribery is not the same as trickery - ha ha), and she's been getting her confidence up little by little ever since that day.  Today, I have coaxed her across the room again and again. This means so many wonderful things for this pregnant momma whom has been growing physically weary of toting this toddler around.  And the look on Smoochie's face is a sight to behold- she's so proud of herself and no longer so paranoid of falling!  Before, confidence and will were the only two ingredients that were missing from her recipe.

5.  The temperatures in our neck of the woods are no longer flirting with the 100s.  Is anyone besides me just craving Fall already?  I don't like to jump the gun, but it happens to be my favorite season of all time.

6.  My Stud is turning 31 this week, and I'm still in my 20s.  ;-)  I'm just saying...

7.  After almost a year of hit-and-miss nap taking, most recently falling asleep only one out of every ten or so days, Princess has started to nap like a champ again!  She's five for five, and I think it may have something to do with the fact that I've been (very intentionally) physically wearing her out before nap time with trip to the park, children's museum, pool, or just initiating some climbing and running at our own house.  Nevermind that when she takes a good nap, she lays awake until at least 10 p.m. :-(  She inherited that from her mother.  Oops.  Sorry for passing that on, Princess girl!