Michelle's Baby Shower + No Bake Energy Bites

I have a dear friend, Michelle, who will be giving birth in September. It has been a long, hard road for her and I am so pleased that life is finally going her way. She and Nils will make wonderful parents!

Her friend Pam hosted a great baby shower for her. Pam makes cake bubbles (small balls of cake covered in chocolate) and is very artistic, as well as creative. We had a lot of fun.

We decorated receiving blankets, onsies and made fancy headbands. We also did a game involving plastic babies in ice tied to balloons. And of course there were presents.

Instead of cards, Pam requested that we give the baby a book. I opted for a Richard Scary book, one of our family favorites. It was really hard to decide which one to pick. I also gave her nicely scented lotion (because giving birth is a very smelly process) and aloe infused super soft socks (because the ones from the hospital are scratchy and yucky).

My favorite part of the gift I have them was the two playlists that I made for them. Nils LOVES music. He published playlists for their wedding and their reception, so I thought he would love some songs for the playlists to start or add to the ones that he has or wants to create for the baby. The playlist includes songs I used to play for our kids when they were young. I've added some newer songs, too.

1. Stay Awake / Julie Andrews 1:45
2. Inchworm / Danny Kaye 3:14
3. Hushabye Mountain / Various Artists 1:55
4. La la Lu / Peggy Lee 1:37
5. Edelweiss / Various Artists 2:16
6. Lullaby / Trout Fishing In America 3:41
7. Baby Mine (From "Dumbo") / Betty Noyes 2:07
8. Feed the Birds - Tuppence a Bag (From "Mary Poppins" 3:49
9. When You Dream / Barenaked Ladies 5:19
10.(They Long to Be) Close to You / Carpenters 4:36
11.The Luckiest / Ben Folds 4:25
12.Waltzing With Bears / Mack Bailey 3:48
13.All the Pretty Little Ponies / Kenny Loggins 3:59
14.Leatherwinged Bat / Kevin Roth 2:14
15.You Are My Sunshine (Pt. 1) / Elizabeth Mitchell 2:49
16.Somewhere Over the Rainbow / Israel Kamakawiwo'ole 3:31
17.Lullaby / Jack Johnson & Matt Costa 2:47
18.Gotta Have You / The Weepies 3:20
19.All Through the Night / Kevin Roth 2:06
20.Blessed Be / Alison Krauss 3:26
21.Night Mantra / Renee & Jeremy 3:20
22.Takes My Breath Away / Tuck & Patti 4:57
23.Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) / John Lennon 4:04

------

1. Gotta Have You / The Weepies 3:20
2. Daughters / John Mayer 3:58
3. All My Days / Alexi Murdoch 4:57
4. Blackbird / The Beatles 2:19
5. Common Threads / Bobby McFerrin 4:17
6. Takes My Breath Away / Tuck & Patti 4:57
7. The Lovely Years / Fisher 3:00
8. Power of Two / Indigo Girls 5:22
9. In My Daughter's Eyes / Martina McBride 3:14
10.I Knew I Loved You / Savage Garden 4:10
11.I'm Yours / Jason Mraz 4:03
12.Little Bird / Jonatha Brooke 2:30
13.White Winter Hymnal / Fleet Foxes 2:27
14.Hands In Pockets (feat. Laura Gibson) / Portland Cello 3:26
15.First Day of My Life / Bright Eyes 3:09
16.Tiger Mountain Peasant Song / Fleet Foxes 3:29
17.Sunshine On My Shoulders / John Denver 5:14
18.Annie's Song / John Denver 3:02
19.Night Mantra / Renee & Jeremy 3:20

I listened to some of the songs just to make sure that the CDs worked. It made me feel a little melancholy. Ellie joined me, listening and talking about the songs that we would sing to her. Even now she plays some of the songs for herself.

Isn't Michelle cute when she is pregnant?
------

Here's a recipe that Ellie is trying out. It is pretty tasty!

No Bake Energy Bites
via: Gimme some Oven blog

1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Method

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.