Memorial Day Weekend and kitchen renovations

We finally got to go to the pool for the first time this summer.  Laila has been asking to go for weeks.  She's a little fish and loves the water.  We graduated from the wrap around floaties to regular arm floaties.  It took her a few minutes to get her balance in the water, but she did great!

 

Always running!  I'm convinced she doesn't know how to just walk.  We are working on this walking thing especially at the pool!  I told her the life guard will sit her in time out if she runs. 

Yeah that didn't really stop her. 

Snack time

Belly shot

 

When I first got pregnant with Laila we had just started renovating our house, which we had just moved in to.  It was a complete home renovation which I blogged about here in 2010.  It was difficult at times once I got bigger and further along.  Its been at least 2 years since we've really done anything else to our house.  But now that I'm pregnant again, of course we decide to do another renovation project.  This time on our kitchen cabinets.  We never really cared for the color but its just such a big job that we have been putting it off.  Here are some before and during pictures.  Its still not 100% finished, more like 70%.  Hopefully by this weekend it will be done and we can relax LOL!

Best picture I could find to show the color (this was right after we re-did the countertops/back splash in 2010)

Doors off 

Cabinets primed-no we aren't going purple lol 

I just realized Laila is eating in both pictures taken different days. That girl is always eating!

It is a mess, priming the doors

In between all that I re-did Laila's letters for her new room to match her new bedding.  All I did was cover canvas with this chevron pattern material from Hobby Lobby (my favorite store) by stapling it to the back of the canvas and re-attaching the ribbon, then hot glued the letters on top! I didn't even have to re-paint the letters since her bedding has that same pink color in it.

 

Mud Run

My husband and his brother and sister did the Mud Run last weekend!  It looked like so much fun and challenging.  I wish I could have done it. 

Before

 After the runners took off Laila wanted to run too

 Future athlete

 Through the first mud pit

 They had to run and carry a concrete block!

She was getting hot and did not want her picture taken

 We got splashed with some mud, yuck!

 All three of them in the "over & under" pit

After

They all had a great time and maybe next year I can participate :)  By the way, I did end up registering for the Houston Half Marathon (January 19, 2014).  This will definitly give me something to motivate me after baby boy arives at the end of September!

Trees and Leaves and Owls Oh My!

I finally.... FINALLY decided on how I want to do the baby boy's room.  I kinda knew awhile back I wanted to incorporate some cute little owls in the room whether boy or girl.  So with that in mind I started my search.  Here is what I ordered!

 The bedding is from Skip Hop.  This is the Treetop Friends collection.  I actually found it alittle cheaper through Amazon!

I've debated about using the bumpers, but they came in the set so I have them.  We did use bumpers with Laila and never had any issues.  We'll see.  If I don't use them I could alway make a curtain valence out of them!  What I do love about this company is that they are the first I've seen (and patent pending) with something called the Complete Sheet (below).

The crib sheet has the same design on the sides as does the bumper, thus eliminating the need for a bumper for the design/cuteness factor.  You still get the look the bumper offers without it. So I ordered one of those sheets too.  I just couldn't resist! 

I also ordered these cute little book ends and a stuffed toy owl from the Skip Hop collection (through Amazon!)  I recommend looking at their bedding collections.  The quality of the material is great and the prices are reasonable.  I got the bedding in yesterday and the sheets are so soft!  They have a lot of different coordinating sets.

I'll post pictures of the completed room soon.  We are moving Laila into the bigger room and redoing her stuff first so she gets used to being in her "big girl" room.  I took the letters of her name off her wall yesterday to redo them and felt a little emotional!  This was her first room and my first baby's room.  It's bitter sweet of course :) But I am excited to be getting to do 2 new rooms! I'll post her finished room when done too!

My Girl

I love this girl so much.  She seems to grow and change every week.  She has such a BIG personality!  She is a busy body!  Her hair is really starting to get longer alot more lately.  I love fixing it and putting bows in her hair. 

I'm so so glad I have a little girl.  I mostly keep her hair in the spout or pulled back because if I dont it just hangs in her face and I dont want to give her bangs yet.

I can already tell she will be a great, yet slightly bossy, big sister.  She already tries to boss us around ha!

22 weeks!

I agree with Jana that the myth about way you "carry" can indicate if you are having a boy or girl seems to be a silly myth, but.... now that I'm well into my second pregnancy, and I know I'm having a boy, I can say that in my case it is true!

          22 weeks with Laila
      (very symetrically round)                                          22 weeks with baby boy

I definitely am carrying lower, and poochier haha.  I can still see my top two ab muscles, which they disappeared almost immediately with Laila.  And clearly I could still wear non-maternity pants at the same time last time.

 

I've enjoyed getting to compare the two pregnancies so far.  Other than the way I'm carrying, my pregnancies have been identical with both no morning sickness.  So that dispells one myth of sick with a girl and not with a boy.  I do get headaches alot more this time as I've mentioned before.  They still come and go randomly.  I've been drinking my 100+ oz of water a day but I still get them occasionally so I'm relating it to the hormone differences with a boy. 

 

Also I've had wierd kidney throbbing.  Got tested, no kidney infection so I'm not sure what the deal is.  Might have my doc do a closer look next visit.

 

Also the same as last pregnancy... gaining weight almost immediately in my hips, booty and thighs and gaining weight from the get go since I never get sick. I'm not a skinny leg pregnant girl, which is totally ok and so awesome of you are.  That's just where I gain the quickest (even when I'm not pregnant lol). 

 

I try to be conscious about weight gain during pregnancy to stay healthy, but I also know I can and will lose it all after.  I don't go overboard, and have stayed right on track where I should be, but I just know myself and my experience last go around.  I'm not stressed about, and I am really enjoying this time and wouldn't trade it for anything!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Mother's Day

My sweet husband sent me, his mom and sister to get pedicures (while he watched our kids) for Mother's Day.  It was so relaxing!

Sunday he grocery shopped and came home with 4 cartons of strawberries and a bag of chocolate.  He grilled up some amazing steaks and my mother-in-law, Laila and I make chocolate covered strawberries!  It was all so yummy!  My husband comes up with some pretty great ideas sometimes!

 She loved this, such a big girl!

 So yummy!!

My MIL did a craft project with Laila one night when I was out of town for work.  They made this for me for Mother's Day.  It's the best gift ever, made by my little girl.

There is nothing like being a mommy.  The unconditional love, both giving and receiving.  It is a glimpse at how much God loves us.  It's imeasurable how much joy it has been to be her mama. 

Being active during pregnancy

After I had Laila, I took a few months to recover and enjoy being a new mommy.  When she was about 6 months old, I started running... and running... and running, and never stopped.  I've always been a "runner" but nothing like a 6-8 miler or even a half marathon runner until now.  I started out running/walking for 20 minutes a few days a week and before I knew it I was getting up to 3 miles then 6 on a regular basis.  I had a new found love of running.  After awhile I added in some weight training as well.

I loved being out side, Laila loved to ride, and it was just so relaxing to me.  Besides that I got in such great shape and lost all the baby weight plus some, without feeling like I was even trying too hard.

I've missed it over the last few months.  I just haven't felt the energy or desire, which stinks.

But...I've definitly felt like being more active in the last few weeks.  I went jogging for the first time in months.  It was suprisingly wonderful.  I felt great and my belly didn't bother me at all like I thought it might. 

My runny buddy

I've had really bad headaches throughout this pregnancy, but over the last 2 weeks they seem to have subsided.  I increased my water intake and I try to get in at least 100 to 120 oz a day.  Its so hard to do!  But I feel like that has helped me feel so much better.

I just got an email from the Houston Marathon Committee, reminding me that I can register during early registration, since I deferred my registration from January 2013.  This is a big decision to make!  Do I commit my $115 now and sign up?  That's less than three months after baby#2 is born!  I think I can do it, I've done it before, but it's like they are making me decide now!  I should do it, ok I'm going to do it.  What's the worse that can happen... I get a really slow time?  I'm also trying to convince anyone and everyone I know to sign up and do it with me... any takers?  It's only 13 miles and I won't be on record pace ha! Let me know!

I also started doing my Denise Austin aerobic videos.  Sounds cheesy, but she has some good workouts.  I just do less jumping than they do.