Twenty Weeks

It's a little hard to believe that as of today, I am officially half-way through this pregnancy. We knew about Little Nugget at 4 weeks, so we've been able to savor this early season of his development from the beginning. (Especially since I never had Morning Sickness, Praise the Lord.) But part of me knows that this journey is about to hit an incline, and while part of me is petrified, part of me is so excited I could piddle.

We had so much fun getting another peek at Baby Boy earlier this week. He has been so active, even since the first sono (at 8weeks). I was shocked to see him shake his little tush during that first glimpse (made all the more comical that he didn't even look human at this point, more like a sassy shrimp creature), and he's been a busy bee every time since. This week, he was having a blast playing with his feet, but it wasn't more than about thirty-seconds before he'd tucker out and need a nap. He already makes us laugh, and I can't wait to see those little feet, which I can already feel kicking and playing about.

Those are some precious thumpers

I can't wait to see his face, to hear his first laugh, and to look into his eyes as he looks into mine. I know he'll be obsessed with his daddy, and I would love nothing more than to get a little M, big brown eyes, dimples and all. 

I'm still feeling really good, so I've been trying to take advantage of this quiet time at work to enjoy the opportunities I have here at home. I haven't cooked in ages, and we were both feeling it. It was nice to go to the store with a few meal ideas in hand (because otherwise, we're liable to stock our fridge and pantry with epic snacks and zero actual meals...#adultingishard), and I've enjoyed being back in the kitchen more lately. I was reminded that eating at home doesn't have to mean cooking every single day, and it has sure been nice to have yummy dishes whipped up so they're ready to go when I'm ready to eat. (It seriously goes from zero to toddler-status very quickly these days, so a wait longer than ten minutes to feed the face is danger zone.)

Here are some of the recipes I've made lately and enjoyed:

• Arugula salad with penne, chickpeas, and sun-dried tomatoes from Skinny Taste
• Slow cooker red lentil dal from Cafe Johnsonia
• Spinach, mushroom, and feta crustless quiche from Budget Bytes

You can check out my Food & Beverage board for more ideas.

Have you found any great, simple recipes lately that you're enjoying?