Extreme nesting

I'm officially nesting, using any and all energy I can find to cook, decorate, clean, and cook some more. I never got the second-trimester energy boost this time around (OK, that's just my excuse for being really, really lazy this summer) so I've found myself with tons of to-dos late in the game. Time for some frenzied productivity.

One of my main goals is to have a bunch of meals frozen. Heading into basketball season with a newborn and a two-year-old, I just don't see myself cooking much for the first few months. In the past 10 days or so, I've made several lasagnas, manacotti, enchiladas, chicken-red pepper casserole, baked macaroni and cheese, three quiches, and black bean, split pea, and white bean soups (I know I'm forgetting some!) The best part--I'm using foodsaver bags to freeze and store the soups flat so they freeze and defrost quickly and evenly (a trick I learned from freezing breastmilk!) and now I have my own little card-catalogue of labeled soups. This absolutely thrills me beyond words.

Halloween decs

Homegrown pumpkins from mom's garden

I put up our winter drapes and "installed" new tiebacks today. I say "installed" because it's just some neat ribbon from Dwell, held in place with some cup hooks. A nice $10 project. :)

Baby's room--when we tell people that I don't know the baby's gender, their first response is often "HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THE ROOM?" Some people seem very concerned about this. So, folks, here it is, the mysterious gender-neutral room, unveiled. :) It's the Pottery Barn Kids stuff we used for Bianca which I still love, punched up with some red accents.

So now, my remaining to-dos are:

Install car seat bases

Finish birth plan

Final meeting with doula

Buy hospital snacks and pack hospital bags

Assemble bassinet for our room--this one I'm REALLY putting off because that thing is complicated

Reassemble swing and bouncer

Locate breast pump and replace some of its parts

Locate receiving and swaddling blankets

OK, who am I kidding, I still have a lot to do.