Five on Friday

I'm linking up with Darci and some other fabulous women this week for Five on Friday!

{One}

Pool time with sweet friends, we went to the pool twice this week once with one of my sweet friends and her precious boy and then again for a birthday party.  L is really starting to love the water again as he was a bit hesitant when we first started going this summer.  I am planning on starting him back in swim lessons so he can really enjoy the water and be a lot safer.  

{Two}

We took L to see his first movie this week!  We went to see Monsters University and I was quite impressed with how well he did.  I learned a few lessons along the way though and as he gets older the experience will only get better.  Had they not had so many stupid previews and crap at the beginning (about 45 minutes worth) he probably would have sat through most of the movie undisturbed.  Looking back I should have had the hubby take L into the lobby until the actual movie was about to start and then bring him in so his attention wasn't wasted on previews and dumb short films.

Captivated by the previews

{Three}

Baby Kicks.  I am loving that I can feel this baby kicking more its such a sweet reminder of the miracle of life and a reassurance that things are going ok.

{Four}

Finally getting our living room together.  Up until now it was a hot mess of random stuff.  We finally ordered a rug and another couch and I am working on the curtains.  Things should be together soon and I'll show some update pics.  I am still searching high and low for a sideboard with storage for the one wall and a few side tables I like.  The issue is I have this vision in my head and have not been able to find what I am looking for.  This is mainly why it is taking so long to get our house furnished and decorated...I'm indecisive 

{Five}

These coconut bars are so good! More like a coconut ice cream bar than a Popsicle.  They have bits of coconut and just taste heavenly! A perfect summer treat for this crazy hot weather we are having!

Fruttare Coconut

Baby #2 Lately

I'm sad I haven't been keeping up with this but I figure as I near the halfway mark I will be better at it.  Most of the first half is uneventful anyhow.  To be fair, I really wasn't great about doing these with my first pregnancy either so its not just second child syndrome! So I will catch us up until now :)

How Far Along: 18 weeks, 19 tomorrow

How Big is Baby: The size of a bell pepper; about 6.5 inches from head to hiney

Weight Gain: About 2 lbs

Sleep: I have been having more pregnancy related poor sleeping nights.  My number one symptom this pregnancy has been a stuffy nose and I hate breathing through my mouth when I sleep so if I wake up when I sleep and my nose is stuffy I can't go back to sleep and I toss and turn.  I have had to break out the old lady nose strips and vicks.  It definitely helps but the whole deal is rather frustrating.

Diet/Cravings/Aversions: I kept waiting for the morning sickness to hit this whole time and it never did.  Week 7 was a little queasy but basically as long as I keep food in me I'm good and the times I do feel a little queasy is usually at work around 3 am when my 11pm lunch has worn off and I'm due for a snack.  With L I was horribly nauseous and sick for 20ish weeks and had a major oral aversion to having food in my mouth.  This time not at all things are so so different in this department.  As far as cravings it varies, I have been craving ethnic food mostly asian though and mostly stuff I can't get here in the states :(

I'm really just not a big eater, I love food but not a lot of it and I often find myself having to have a reminder to eat something or else I will go too long and start to feel crappy.

Movement: YES! Just in the last week have I started to feel more movement. I Started to feel little flutters at 16 weeks which is the same as with L but nothing real consistent until this week, its such an amazing feeling!!

What I'm Loving: Naps, Naps, Naps I have been so tired this pregnancy like more than I remember being with L.  They say my hematocrit is ok but I guess I just need to drink more water and eat more fruits and veggies both of which I have been lacking

Symptoms: Like I mentioned, I am so tired, and have this annoying stuffy nose.  I have been having more headaches which I think is from lack of caffeine and water intake.  I really usually only drink coffee or soda when I'm at work and I think not having any on my days off is whats causing my headaches.  My hips have started to be sore too if I am in the same position for too long.  But honestly this pregnancy has been so easy there are honestly days I forget I'm pregnant.

What's different: This pregnancy has been so crazy different than with L.  My face hasn't broken out as bad, I haven't been nauseous at all (queasiness doesn't count I have never felt like I was about to vom any minute like with L...TMI sorry) I have been way more tired, and I have been able to exercise where I didn't at all with L.  I would not have dreamed of doing a half marathon during my pregnancy with L and I was able to this time around at 10 weeks.  Was it easy? Heck NO but I was able to do it and still have energy the rest of the day.

Also, what they say about showing faster the second time...so true! I thought for sure I could avoid that phenomena but oh no I feel like as soon as I had two pink lines my clothes were tighter.  That was actually something that led me to believe I may be pregnant because I had started to run more and usually when I do that my stomach shrinks pretty fast and this time it wasn't.  I never bought much in the way of maternity clothes with L but this time they are a must.  none of my pants fit anymore but I think its gonna be all about the skirt this summer!

Boy or Girl?
We don't know yet and will be finding out on July 13th at our gender reveal party.  People ask if I have a feeling one way or the other or if I want a girl or boy.  Honestly, my "feeling" changes daily.  Some days I really think it's a boy other days all I can think of is that it's a girl.  who knows?! As far as what I "want" well really I want a healthy baby.  I think a boy would be so fun because L would have a brother kind of close in age and I already have boy stuff.  BUT a girl would be so fun and I can't wait to be able to dress up a little girl!

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose:: 10 Things I Live For

1. Jesus and my Salvation Its what gets me through each day and gives my life purpose.  I know I would not be where I am today without His grace and unfailing love for me.  It is the center of all my thoughts and daily activities.

2. Being a Mother I love being a mom! I have been so incredibly blessed to have a healthy boy and a baby on the way. I love when L gets so excited to see me after we have been away from each other and I love the time we are able to spend with each other.  I love what being a mom is all about and although we have tough days here and there I wouldn't trade any of it!

3. Family I love spending time with family and they are the ones that are there for me when hard times hit.  Granted we have been blessed to not have had much tragedy I know when that day comes, when all else is lost your family is what you have at the end of the day.  I wish our family was closer and that we could see each other more.  One of my favorite things is just hanging out on the back porch grilling and hanging out.

4. Watching L Learn and Do New Things Each day he wakes up and talks more and his personality is bigger, what each day holds with him is always a new adventure and such a treasure.  I feel so blessed to watch him learn new things he has been trying to accomplish, like the day he successfully climbed the playscape its all I could think about the rest of the day because he was so proud of himself and that made me proud!  I love to see the things we are teaching him stick and its not just blowing smoke, like I know we go through colors all the time but when he successfully names colors on things on his own just makes me so happy!

5. A Good Book I get so excited about a good book, I have tons in my queue I need to read.  I wish I had more time to read but I know one day the kids will be gone and I will have all day to read. 

6. Spending Time with the Hubby, Just us.  It doesn't happen often its actually rare these days but I think that lends itself to the times we do get out alone.  

7. L's Laughter It truly is the sweetest sound and his smile just melts my heart every time!  

8. Time with Friends Joining a sorority was one of the best decisions I made in college.  I had moved back to the states from Japan and knew nobody when I started college.  The girls I call sisters are still the girls I hang out with today and there is no thing better than just hanging out with those girls be it at a  fancy restaurant or just at someones house with our kiddos.  We don't call and chat every day but when we are able to get together its as if no time has passed and we pick up right where we left off.

9. Good Food I love food, that's all there is to it.  Usually after one meal I am thinking of what to make for the next.  I don't eat a lot of food, as in I am not obese and I don't gorge myself on food, but I love eating good food (therefore I do love leftovers too).  When I go on vacation most of my planning revolves around restaurants and looking at menus to see what there is to eat there.

10. A Hot Bath and Good Wine or beer, I do love me some beer.  One of the best things I do to relax is just soak in my big tub with a good book and some good wine. Perfection

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose::Who Am I

I am linking up with Becky one of my favorites for a new series she has started called 52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose.  I am trying to get back into this blogging thing, with pregnancy came a complete disappearance of all motivation to do just about anything and Im trying to get back on track with life.

Anyhow...This weeks topic is Who Am I.  This is a tough one really because yeah on the surface I'm Katie a daughter, mommy, wife, nurse etc.  But I have done enough surface intro posts around here that I got to trying to think about really WHO am I? At church this week our pastor kind of touched on this subject and encouraged us to stop being a bystander and be a player.  Be a part of the church not just standing on the side and clapping for all the great things church can do for yourself or others.  In order to get involved and start doing it got me to thinking who am I and what is my gift, what can I do?

No matter where my mind goes it all comes back to the fact that I am a caregiver.
That is my gift.
We just sent off a group to Mozambique, Africa.  I am a bystander on this but my heart is there with them.  I have been to Africa, Uganda to be exact, and my heart LONGS to be back there! One day I know if it is my calling I will go back to serve those people. I have grown up doing missions work and I just love it! Be it overseas or in our country I have had so many amazing experiences showing God's love to others, caring for others.

Even when I think of who I am in my everyday life It goes back to being a caregiver.  I love to care for my son and one day our new baby.  Ever since I was little I wanted to be a mommy, now that I am I love it.  I love when he needs me and its harder these days as he discovers his independence and doesn't  need me as much as he used to, but I am still his mommy and he still needs me to care for him.

I am a nurse and people ask me every day how I do it and how do I see such awful things and still choose to come to work.  Honestly its because I love being a nurse and I love caring for my patients and their families.  Most of the time the outcomes are good despite a long road and it is amazing to see my patients who were once so sick and are now thriving! Once again since I was little I knew I wanted to be a nurse.  I had a children's hospital set up in my closet as a young child, so I think it's just one of those things where I feel its what I was called to do.

A caregiver though is only part of who I am.

I am also not who I was.  I am saved by Christ and as that relationship and aspect of my life has grown other things that used to bother or were important to me no longer do/are.  Many things don't bother me in the sense that I have learned worrying is not going to fix anything but completely giving it to God will relieve so much stress and things always work out.  Is it how I would like at the time, not always but there is always a lesson learned and things always work out.

I am a homebody.  I would rather sit home with my family and just enjoy each other.

I was once a clean-freak but motherhood has changed this.  My house is never as clean as I want it but thats ok.  I have learned to let things go and just enjoy the people and experiences in my life.

I am a runner, I get such joy from running and the experiences it has led to.

And that my friends, is just a little bit more about Who I Am

Five on Friday...or Saturday

I have been wanting to link up with my sweet blog turned IRL friend Darci and some others since she started this link up and finally this week am getting around to it!  Its such a fun link up idea and a fun way to share 5 things I am loving this week.

ONE...free time
I have arranged my work schedule a little better and have had more long stretches of days off from work and I have loved just spending time with my little guy going to the park, watching movies and just enjoying watching him do new things every day.  I have been trying to think up some fun things to do with him this summer as its our last summer with him as my one and only and I really want to cherish it to the fullest.  Do you have any great ideas of things we can do this summer? We already plan to spend a lot of time at the pool down the street from our house!

TWO...New Orleans Style SnoBalls
I discovered not long ago a little trailer not far from our house that sells New Orleans Style SnoBalls.  Should you not know what this is, your missing out.  They actually shave a block of ice resulting in the most amazing summer treat! The ice is so soft like snow and the flavor doesn't sink to the bottom it stays in the ice...I like to get honeydew mellon and pineapple.  Lil' Mama's snoballs will be getting A LOT of my business this summer!

THREE...My attempted green thumb

I planted some flowers in our front yard a while back that are still alive and I started a potted herb garden thats really doing well! The herb garden is what I am most proud of because i just threw some seeds in a pot and hoped for the best. I planted Basil, Parsley, Mint and Lavender. The basil is growing like crazy and the parsley has really taken off too my mint and lavender are growing but not as crazy as the other two.

FOUR...PIZZA!

We recently started making personal pizzas on Naan bread.  Its so incredibly easy and the possibilities are endless!! The hubby likes to get especially creative with his HAH

FIVE...Books

I just got a huge shipment of books I had ordered from Amazon, most of which were pre orders I had forgot I ordered...oops..nonetheless I need to kick my reading into high gear and get these books read, the hardest part is choosing which to read first!

Memorial Weekend and a Little Birthday Fun

Last weekend me and the birthday boy headed to San Antonio to celebrate his birthday with family.  My parents and my brother in law live there and the in-laws and my grandparents came in town.

So, on Saturday everyone headed to my parents house and we had a BBQ/birthday party for the big boy!  I decided this year we would not do the big themed party and just keep it low key with family and it was by far, hands down the best day! L had so much fun just running around the yard with his cousins. We had so much food and it was just so much fun to watch L be so happy and carefree and to just relax and not be stressed about who's coming and was the house clean enough and was there enough food etc.  L got some great gifts that he LOVES and we pulled out Pop Pop's classic Ford truck to go for a spin around the block which was a huge hit!!

The sweet cake my parents had made for L 

 Cousins...L is 8 months younger!! 

 BUBBLES!! Poor guy fell and busted his chin the day before :/

He was CLUELESS about the pinata but his cousins showed him the ropes and he had a great time

Checkin out the coolest birthday gift!

 On Sunday we had planned to go to Seaworld but the weather had other ideas and we decided to hold our tickets for another day this summer.  We went to the Witte Museum instead. Landon loved it they had a lot of fun things for him to see and do there!

diggin for fossils

Pop Pop was an excellent curator!

This is way backwards now but on friday for his actual birthday me and hubby took him to the Children's Museum here in Houston.  He LOVED it!!!I think he will love it even more as he gets older but he really had so much fun checking every thing out

The cool birthday boy had a fantastic birthday weekend!! We had so much fun celebrating him!!!