These articles were going to go in my Sunday Surf, but then I realized I wanted to make this into its own post, for a purpose:

• "On Body Image, Pregnancy, and BMI" from Anktangle: Glad my post on feeling fat during pregnancy stirred up this one!

• "Fat and pregnant: 10 weeks" from Raising My Boychick: Along the same lines. This is inspiring me to share some of my bare bump pictures at some point!

I realized after I wrote that note that, while I don't yet have a current bare-bump picture, I do have a current bare-bump video. And I assumed when Sam took it at our 20-week midwife appointment that I would never, ever, ever show it to anyone, because my belly's all jiggly, and stretch-marked, and the doppler wand had to be squished down into my adipose tissue (that's fat for those in the know!).

These pancakes are some of the white carbs to which I referred in yesterday's Carnival of Natural Parenting post. I hate pancakes, myself, but Mikko had them first with his aunt and was hooked. Note that Mikko will not allow a delicate sprinkling of powdered sugar but must have an entire bowl that he can dust liberally all over his shirt, pants, and seat. As Sam puts it, pancakes are nothing more than a powdered sugar delivery system. Mikko very much subscribes to The Fat Nutritionist's way of thinking about food, and I wish I could embrace that freedom as wholeheartedly.

Welcome to the February Carnival of Natural Parenting: Parenting Essentials

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared the parenting essentials they could not live without. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

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I have the advantage of reading several submissions before writing my own post (for I am a procrastinator), and I felt like all my good ideas for parenting essentials would come across as merely piggybacking off of other people's posts — or just blatantly stealing their sentiments.

For instance, do I have a fabulous and supportive partner? Indeed I do. And indeed that partner did outright suggest I write about him. (Sorry, Sam. You'll have to make do with last February's post.)

Welcome to the Sunday Surf! Here are some of the best links I've read this past week.

Sam and I have been going through extreme nesting. Besides paring down our shtuff, we were bitten by the renovating bug before we even closed on the condo we've been living in for over a year now — but of course, had no money once we'd paid for the house! It's funny how that works out. Anyhow, we're trying to do a little at a time, as we have energy and money, and get at least the downstairs powder room (small bites!) finished before the baby comes. So we've pretty much spent the past two days in Home Depot and the paint store, boring Mikko out of his tiny huge¹ skull. And now I've just had a scintillating conversation with Sam about which of three whites to go with for our kitchen cabinet repainting. For this is what you do when you lose all sense.

On to some reading for a reno break!

• "What my overdue baby taught me about my induction" from Dirty Diaper Laundry: Exactly. Let babies cook till they're ready.

I've been up to my eyeballs in excise taxes (the Washington DOR website ate my homework halfway through — grr) and am just now recovering and trying to get back into the swing of things. But so as not to leave you hanging, here is a pathetic post showing our pathetic efforts to fix the pathetic trash heap we call a home.

We're in the midst of a major purge (again) in our efforts (again) to have Less Stuff and less chaos and More Space and more comfort (both physical and emotional) and an efficient living area. Our two-bedroom condo is sufficient for a family of four plus home business (I keep telling myself), but every room is on the smallish side, and I've been feeling very squished and irritable about the situation.