It's Raining Baby Showers!

I'm 37 weeks now, which is very exciting as the midwife said that means the baby is term. Not that i should expect to give birth this week or anything, but at least i can be reassured that Gumball is ready enough inside to come out without too much complication. Very exciting indeed!

I just have a couple of days left of work and my body is starting to resent the added pressure of leaving the comforts of my home, and more specifically, my bed. I'm getting tired easily and my poor feet are unrecognizable at times! Thankfully, it's summer so i can wear flip flops and sandals that fit.We had a lovely baby party yesterday with friends. The weather cooperated so we were able to to have it in our backyard as we hoped. We decided to make it an 'open house' potluck so that it was easier to chat with folks instead of having everyone come at once. It also allowed me to have a mellow energy. Friends organized this for us, for the most part, and it reminded me how much we're loved and how wonderful of a community Gumball has already. We also didn't really want too much of traditional shower so the only things that reminded us all (besides my ever-present belly!) were a few decorations i placed around the backyard.I wanted to make my all-time favourite appetizer treat, the Devilled Tofu dish that i think is perfect for a summer backyard party/shower. I also created a lovely drink that had goodies fresh from our garden. Here's the recipe, as requested by some friends present at the party:
Rhubarb Mint Lemonade

1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 lemons, organic preferrable
4 cups water, or to taste

1) Place rhubarb, sugar, and water in pot and boil. Turn to simmer and cook for 15-20 more minutes or so, or until bright red in colour. Add mint in last 5 minutes or so. Let cool.
2) Strain rhubarb and mint with a fine sieve into pitcher.
3) Squeeze juice of 2 1/2 lemons and pour into pitcher. Add water to taste - this can be quite a sweet drink otherwise! With 1/2 lemon left, slice and place into pitcher for added flair.Our amazing friends also brought some great dishes and gifts - very generous indeed. We received some lovely things, and some precious handmade goodies, both by our friends themselves and by local artists (see photo above of the wonderful quilt by our friend Suzanne, the retro cloth wet bag, wooden box puzzle, and a month-long dinner service by our friends Mo and Ben! Of course, we got some other amazing, practical, and exciting other gifts too. I wish i had the space to feature them all. But, for some more photos, go to the Flickr set here. Not only did the gifts but also the energy yesterday solidify how much our friends know us, quirks and all! We had a lovely time and having the party this weekend really helped me jump over the hurdle that in only a few weeks time, we'll have Gumball in our arms! Wow! Thank you everyone.