Month 5 Bumpdate {Baby Boy}

How far along: Second trimester::Weeks 17-20::

Size of baby: a banana (which is such a strange fruit to compare to a baby- is it by length?)

Weight gain: 151 pounds so like 12 pounds gained.

Maternity clothes: I'm in that weird in between time where the full panel maternity jeans don't fit great but its all I can comfortably wear. I think I should try the under the belly jeans but kinda don't want to invest too much more money into maternity clothes.

Gender: boy!

Movement:So I was at my doctor's appointment last Wednesday and he asked if I was feeling movement and ever since Easter Sunday, baby boy has been amping up his kicks! But he assured me its common to not feel anything up to 24 weeks, doesn't that sound like forever?!

Sleep: Beside super bizarre dreams and the occasional bathroom run, I'm getting good sleep.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach (still).   

Cravings: I haven't had a strong craving since the first trimester potato chip binge. But I'm happy to say chocolate finally tastes good again.

Symptoms: I am officially back to pre-baby energy levels. It struck me as I did all four loads of laundry including folding and putting away that I wasn't even tired and that was such a comforting thought. Now, I still take advantage of a nap here and there but I don't depend on them anymore. I'm starting to get some "growing pains" on my sides as baby boy stretches out but nothing horrible. And oh joy, heartburn has started. 

Highlight of the Month: Being legit pregnant, there is no mistaking the belly for a food baby anymore haha. And just being halfway done has me feeling so excited and accomplished. We went for the Level II ultrasound on Monday and I'm giddy about having another peek at little mister.

Week 17

Week 19

Week 20

Linking up here.

   

   

Park People // Our Favorite Local Playgrounds {California Moms blog hop}

I don't want to brag but we've got some awesome parks at our disposal. Living in Central California affords us plenty of outside play time since we usually have mild weather most of the year. Basically our house is centrally located to all these park locations so if it was a map it would look like a circle with radiating lines (a sun or a bike spoke are my favorite analogies.) This was my most anticipated prompt for California Moms so without further ado, our favorite playgrounds!

Our Park//

I grew up playing at this park so it holds a very special place in my heart. It has gone through a few changes since I was a kid (like having no swings, wahhh!) but it's still my favorite park. It has two separate play areas; the bottom and bigger kid play area has sand and the top smaller kid play area has fibar. This is also the site of like 40% of my Instagram feed ;)

Two Red Parks//

This playground is about 15 minutes away from our house and nestled in a military housing tract. Its almost always empty so we get the run to ourselves.

This has two play structures the smaller one for younger patrons, a climbing wall, swings,  a variety of slides and a fireman pole.

Little Blue Park//

This is the cousin to Two Red Parks and just down the street in the same military housing neighborhood. Its tucked between two houses and enclosed so it feels safer and more intimate. 

Pickle Park//

This is right by Kinsey's school and another old haunt of mine and Brian (who grew up just down the street!) It's also where we all got puppy fever (Floyd is the park mascot and the sweetest Corgi ever) circa 2014. These are old school pictures from Kinsey's little days and a little Brielana.

Deer Flats Park//

This is up the street from Pickle Park. It has a huge green space for t-ball, a small basketball court, monkey bars and swings. Apparently I don't have any recent pictures of this park (and of course, we have plans to meet friends here on Friday, haha- isn't that always the way?!)

And that's a tour of our favorite local parks! Happy playing!

And check out these other California Mom Bloggers to see their favorite local parks! 

Jenny at Princess Turned Mom

Justine at Little Dove Blog

Sarah at Foxy's Domestic Side

Linking up here.

   

   

Easter things // Pastels {A Year of Color #4}

I may very well be the very last blogger to share about Easter but I couldn't think of a better representation of pastels! So it'll be short and sweet.

We dyed eggs on Saturday. Somebunny (I'm not saying any names but we all know which little lady it was haha) spilled the green dye and wouldn't you know, PAZ dye is washable! All the praise hands.

Bless Target for always coming through for basket fillers. Everything minus the girls books, Pjs and jellies were from the Motherstore.

It rained on Sunday so that was only a little depressing. I didn't get to wear my planned outfit (a floral maxi) but the girls sure did look adorable. Dresses were sent from Great Grandma Mary from Arkansas.

And I got my Family picture! I couldn't rain on our parade ;)

Now it's your turn! Add your link below. Thank you for joining Desiree, Justine, Stefanie and me for A Year of Color! Next month's
color is yellow and the link up will be on Friday, May 19th!

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking up here.

   

   

Advice for a first time BOY mom

I still have "pinch me" moments about having a baby boy, it makes me plain giddy! But what do I know about baby boys? Not a whole lot! So I turned to my favorite boy moms and asked what to expect:

Stephanie of WifeMommyMe "Be prepared for chaos the moment he gains the full use of his legs. I've never seen someone destroy a room as quickly as a toddling 12 month old."

Laureen of Chateau Deveau "Pee, everywhere!! We kept some of the small/cheap baby washcloths close by and would cover him up when changing and that would at least soak some up. Also definitely use one of those washable changing pad liners for the first few weeks. There's lots of rough and toughness, as well as sweet and gentleness. Boys are so fun!!" 

Crystal of Hall Around Texas "Oh goodness! How long of a post are you wanting?! Lol! Boys are so much fun. Also, so unpredictable. He will steal your heart the moment you lock eyes. Boys and their mamas have such an amazing and explainable bond. Be ready for lots of potty talk and also about their boy bits! And they do not get complete control of their boy bits when peeing for years! Mason pee'd up the wall once. Oh I could go on for days."

Elizabeth from Chasin' Mason "Ok, ok. I'll tell you ;) Honestly most people have said it already but you will fall in love instantly. I'm sure this is the same for your daughters but since I only have one kid, I can only speak to a son. The mother/son bond is so special and so wonderful. Also, boy things are so fun! I'm obsessed with all things trains, cars, baseball, you name it. Being a girl myself (lol), it's so fun to experience all the boy things! Also, shopping for boys is just as fun as girls."

Desiree from Macke Monologues "Never, in my life did I think the words, "Buddy, your penis is NOT a periscope!" Would pass through my lips. But, I've totally said that."

Amy from keepin' Up with the Smith's "Also, just the bond between a mother & son is so special. You are truly their first love. You will be the guide (along with their daddy) as to how to treat girls / women. Our job & role in raising sons, who will eventually become men, is so important. 

But the potty talk...my word. Why oh why?" 

Ashley of I Love You More Than Carrots "Always point it down before you close the diaper  haha (I don't know any differently but boys are the bomb. They love their mamas something fierce). 

I'm so glad Amy touched on this because I actually went to bed thinking about this thread and how we're all so quick to say something about pee and penises as if that's what defines our boys, I even had an eye-roll moment at my own previous answer. 

Boys are as sweet as they are strong. They will watch you and want to mirror you every day. They'll ask to have their nails painted, they'll wear your shoes around the house. Little boys want to be just like their mamas when they grow up. It's both beautiful and bittersweet. Knowing it's your job to raise them to love someone else more than you one day."

Tawnya from All of Life's Little Adventures " I don't have any advice because I didn't notice much of a difference between my girl and boy but boys are so special! Congratulations!! I'm so excited for you!!"

Courtney from Sweet Turtle Soup "I'm with Tawnya. So far baby Lincoln and baby Aria have been the same except Lincoln figured out how to grab his little bit before his feet."

Sarah from Seeing All Sides "My biggest surprise: shopping for boys (and dressing them) is way more fun than I ever expected it to be! And there are plenty of boy clothes that don't involve planes, trains, and dinosaurs, thank goodness! I wanted a girl more than anything in this world, yet three boys later and I am content beyond words.  

But yes, the potty talk. Poop and butt cracks and toots and nuts...yes nuts!! A few months ago, Brantley told Craig he was going to "crush his nuts" while playing a game with him. Seriously where do they learn this stuff and how is it naturally instilled in them?!"

Jess from Secrets of a Stay at Home Mom "The amount of times I've said "buddy your penis isn't a toy" is higher than I ever expected. The serious love between mom and boy is amazing! Cam loves his daddy but if he's sad or hurt he only wants mommy and I'm okay with that. Be ready for superheroes, trucks, and lots noise."

Thanks friends for the love and support! Apparently we're in for a whole lotta potty talk ;) Here's to being that much closer to meeting our little guy!

Linking up here.