18 week baby boy #2 update!

I'm now 18 weeks along and feeling good overall. I wish I knew what the four babies were that we lost. I don't know if this baby is our 2nd boy or 6th! Most likely he's somewhere in-between. We really need to decide on a name for our son. For some reason I have a strong desire to refer to him by his name. Maybe because I already have a boy and girl and I call them by their name. We have two names we really like but are not 100% certain what to name him yet. I hope we don't wait until the day he's born to decide but we might!

I had my 18 week appointment on Monday. Our son looks fantastic! We saw him in 3D. He hid his face but we confirmed what we already knew from the blood test that he's a boy. His heart and lungs look good, his hands and feet look good, everything seems to be developing normal which is what every parent wants. I've only gained 4 lbs which is crazy! I've never gained so little weight this far along in a pregnancy before. Of course I'm still nursing Princess so that might have something to do with it.  

How far along? 18 weeks

Baby’s size? 5.5 inches long, about the size of a bell pepper! He weighs almost 7 ounces!

Total weight gain/loss: I have gained 4 pounds at my 18 week check-up! 

Maternity clothes? Yes and no. My stomach is pushing out so I need maternity shirts or longer ones. Some pants are getting a little snug but I can still wear most of them.

Stretch marks? No new ones for this pregnancy.

Sleep:  Since Princess still isn't sleeping through the night, I still get up with her two to three times every night! 

Best moment this week: Seeing him move and wiggle in the ultrasound. He wouldn't show us his face but I know he's handsome!
 
Miss Anything? Sleep. But I'd sleep fine if I wasn't getting up to take care of another sweet baby. :)

Movement: Yes. I've felt him off and on for a few weeks now. Nothing super consistent but at certain times I feel him.

Food cravings: Mostly Mexican food, especially hot sauce and chips! Also Marble Slab Ice Cream and Snow Cones.

Anything making you queasy or sick: No.

Gender: Boy!!

Labor Signs: Not yet, thankfully!

Symptoms: Besides being tired, feeling him move, and having to go to the bathroom more than usual.

Belly Button in or out? In.

Wedding rings on or off? On!

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and blessed!

Looking forward to: Meeting my son.

Please pray for: A healthy baby and pregnancy.

Easiest Way to Color Rice

This is seriously the easiest way to color rice. Here's what you need:

Easy Way to Color Rice

White Rice
Plastic container with a lid
Food Coloring
Vinegar
Cookie sheet to lay the rice to dry on

I colored 1.5 cups of rice at a time. I put the white rice in the plastic container. Added about 1tsp of vinegar, a few drops of food coloring, then put the lid on and let Blue Rock shake it until the rice was colored. Then I spread the colored rice on a cookie sheet and let it dry for about 24 hours. Enjoy!

Princess had no desire to shake the rice but she loved reaching in the bag and grabbing handfuls of plain rice to play with all over the kitchen floor. 

Math Easter Sensory Bin

I made an Easter math sensory bin for Blue Rock. I colored some rice, which I haven't done in years, and took some plastic eggs and wrote some math problems. Then I gave him the sensory bin to complete. He has always loved eggs and thought this was fun and enjoyed playing with the rice as well. You could also do this with word families and other subjects your child is working on. I'll be making some toddler sensory bins soon.

LegoLand Grapevine

A few weeks ago it was homeschool week at LegoLand in Grapevine, TX. We decided to check it out. My husband was out of town for work so I asked if my dad wanted to go with us. He did and the kids had a great time! Blue Rock especially liked all of the rides and building things with legos. He's really at the perfect age to go. He's tall enough for all of the rides and is able to build a lot of neat things by himself. If you're ever in the Grapevine area, LegoLand is a fun place to take the kids. It's not very big but for a 5 year old, it's perfect. I think the best age range is 3-8. Although little ones can play and have fun too.

LegoLand

LegoLand

LegoLand

LegoLand

LegoLand

LegoLand

Fun in the Snow!

We've had some wonderful snow days recently in our part of Texas. Snow days are pretty rare so when it comes, usually ice is also involved and much of the schools and city close down. That just means we get to spend time at home together and enjoy the fun snow!

Blue Rock loves snow and Princess seemed to like it as well. We got the sled out, Blue Rock played with the neighbor kids, we made snow ice cream, and drank lots of hot chocolate! Here are some pictures from our recent snow days in Texas. 

Snow Ice Cream! Snow, vanilla, sugar, and milk!