I’m one of those people who makes a point not to do Christmas decorations, music (holiday playlist) and such until after Thanksgiving.  This is in part because of I LOVE Thanksgiving and want to fully focus on one holiday at a time, but also because when Christmas starts right after or {gasp!} before Halloween it just feels like time is going by too quickly.  And, as any parent will tell you life seems to pick up speed as soon as you add a little person into the mix.  No need to make life go any fast than it already does, right?!

Whether you are waited until after Thanksgiving or were already in the full blown holiday gear a solid holiday music playlist is definitely in order.  Here are some of my favorite holiday songs …

Christmas Holiday Playlist | Life's Tidbits

Carol of the Bells is by far my favorite holiday song.  Not only is the song featured in my favorite ‘holiday movie’, the original Home Alone, but anytime I hear it get that excited holiday cheer feeling in my gut.  The hubby and I started a tradition a few years ago where we watch Home Alone every Christmas Eve.  I can’t wait for our kids to be old enough to watch it with us!

The Little Snowflake is probably the most random song on the the playlist.  In case you are wondering why it made the cut it is because it makes my daughter’s whole face light up anytime is comes on.  Her pre-school did a Christmas Show last year and she pretty much memorized the entire song.  I’m guessing they did a good amount of practicing for the show.  It took us a little while, but eventually my mother-in-law found the song online.  Jellybean still remembers parts of the dance they taught her to go along to the song.

So there you have it, our holiday playlist.  What songs should I add to our playlist?

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Oh BOY, Jellybean is going to have a little BROTHER!!  We couldn’t be more thrilled to be adding a little boy to the family.  Jellybean is working on perfecting her pronouns and for the most part she gets that she’s the big sister and Kiwi is her little brother.  The second trimester feels like it’s flying by and I can’t believe we are already more than half way through the pregnancy.  I am so excited to meet our little man in March.

The 20 week scan was so much fun.  The doctor who performed the ultrasound was great about saying things like heart normal, stomach normal, etc.  Hearing the feedback real time allowed the hubby and I to really enjoy watching Kiwi moving about on the screen.  Kiwi is pretty opinionated and wasn’t really into being ‘pushed around’ by the ultrasound wand.  Anytime the doctor pushed down a bit to see something Kiwi would kick and/or punch that exact spot.  Seems to me we have another spunky child on our hands … and, honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s hard to believe there’s only 1 month left until I’ll be in the third trimester!  Below is a little update on the 4th and 5th months of my second pregnancy.

Pregnancy Update: Second Trimester, 4 months and 5 months pregnant | pregnancy, baby bump, pregnancy silhouette | Life's Tidbits

Second Trimester: Months 4 and 5 in Review

Craving …

fruit {still} and chocolate.  I’ve moved on from watermelon and I am now obsessed with oranges.

Food Aversions …

still not really feeling meat, however it doesn’t make me nauseous to think about eating anymore.  If chicken looks or smells even a little bit off from what I’m feeling at the moment there’s no way I’ll eat it.  Eggs are back in my good graces.  So thankful, they are a breakfast staple.

Feeling …

pretty darn good overall!  If I’m being really honest I’ve been having some restless legs at night and a bit of hip pain.  Compared with the first trimester nausea and headaches and the upcoming third trimester physical discomfort, I’m soaking up the second trimester.  It really is the sweet spot!

Missing …

my family.  It’s weird being so far away from my parents and sister while pregnant.  We are the kind of close nit family that talks daily, okay truth – when I lived in the same timezone as my parents I talked to my father almost daily and my mother usually twice a day sometimes more.  Being abroad has changed those stat drastically, but we all do our best to chat often.  My sister keeps having me stand in front of the laptop and/or iPhone when we FaceTime so she can ‘see the belly’.

Wearing …

mostly maternity clothes at this point.  I was able to ‘hide’ the belly under normal t-shirts until about 16 weeks and then I gave up.  I would say shortly after the 14 week point I started wearing my maternity shorts.  My regular shorts still fit, but the pressure on my stomach just wasn’t worth it.

Movement …

lots of it!  Feeling the baby move is one of the best parts of each day.  I started feeling pressure around 14 weeks and by 16 weeks flutters.  The husband felt him give a pretty good kick for the first time on week 19.  I was definitely able to feel Kiwi’s movements earlier than Jellybean’s.  Let’s keep those baby kicks a-comin’ Kiwi!

Excited About …

the nausea FINALLY being over.  It was also really exciting to find out Kiwi is a boy.  The gender reveal also unleashed The Mimi {aka my mother} to purchase an ever expanding sea of blue clothing.  Can’t wait to see the wardrobe that has been acquired for him.

Nervous About …

how we will manage two kids.  We went to dinner with some friends a couple of weeks ago and they were kind of chuckling about how their second child rocked their world a little more than they anticipated.  They were also very forthcoming about the lack of sleep associated with a newborn.  Seriously, I understand why keeping people awake is used as a form of torture … because not sleeping is torture hahaha.  While I know we will rise to the occasion it’s still a wee bit nerve racking.

First vs. Second Pregnancy …

As I already mentioned there’s a lot more movement with this pregnancy than the first.  The first pregnancy I definitely felt worn out from growing a baby.  I thought I was tired with the first pregnancy; I wasn’t.  Tired it what I feel this time around.  Growing a baby takes a lot energy.  Growing a baby while simultaneously toting around a toddler, help her potty/pull up her pants not to mention the emotional energy expended … now that’s a new level of tired.  :)  Check out the fifth month recap of my pregnancy with Jellybean.

Any pregnancy tidbits you care to share?  I would love to hear them!

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Oh pregnancy.  I forgot how you are both glorious and yet terrible all at the same time!  I’m hear to tell you ladies that pregnancy amnesia is the real deal.  There are so many things I forgot happened when one is pregnant … both the physical and emotional changes.  I was reading Jellybean a bedtime story and got all chocked up.  It took everything I had not to turn into a blubbery mess in front of her.

We were fortunate to have a two ultrasounds during the first trimester.  It was beyond exciting to see Kiwi {nickname for baby #2} on the ultrasound machine.  I can’t say for sure what Kiwi was doing in the first scan because the baby kind of looked like a little blob, but Kiwi was very active during the second scan.   And seriously, there is nothing like hearing your baby’s heartbeat for the very first time!  GAH love that little swishing sound!!

Pregnancy tracker, first trimester, baby bump progress, 13 weeks pregnant | Life's Tidbits

**Note: This post was drafted in early September**

First Trimester in Review

Craving …

Fruit and green veggies! Watermelon and strawberries specifically are my favorites.  I admit craving green vegetables is definitely a strange ones.  Asparagus, yum!

Food Aversions …

Meat of any kind.  While it won’t make me sick to eat meat, I really don’t want it at all right now.  I could also do without eggs.  Do eggs count as a meat or just a protein?  Either way, yuck.

Feeling …

Nauseous ALL DAY LONG and headaches are the biggest first trimester culprits. The morning sickness has been pretty bad and unfortunately eating doesn’t fix the problem (with Jellybean I would eat carbs and feel okay for a while at least).  We did so much traveling in August, it was hard to tell what was exhaustion due to pregnancy and what was jet lag.  Either way, recovering from jet lag was a lot more challenging while simultaneously growing a baby.  Shocker.  I know.

Missing …

Wine. There.  I said it.  I missed wine for about the first 4 weeks of my pregnancy and then I decided all alcohol smelled nasty — with a capital N!

Wearing …

All my normal clothes.  Wardrobe go-to’s include: shorts, yoga pants and baggy t-shirts.

Random Tidbit …

The dog absolutely knows I’m pregnant.  Fairly early on – we are talking maybe a week after I found out – we were expecting Sophi started becoming extra clingy.  Though she has always followed me around the house she is now, well, attached to me.  She sits on me or next to me on the couch, always.  If I leave the room she’s never far behind and, dare I be so bold as to try to use the bathroom alone, she looses her mind.  It’s gotten so bad Jellybean has been telling Sophi to get off me because I’m ‘HER mummy’.

Excited About …

The nausea being over. Being done with the first trimester also means we’ve been telling people about our little bundle of joy that’s on the way.  The more people we tell the more exciting and real it feels that we will be a family of 4 in just a few short months.  Also, I’m looking forward to finding out if this little munchkin is a boy or a girl!

Nervous About …

Zika.  When we found out I was pregnant I was a bit concerned about traveling to the States where Zika was more prevalent than it was (or at least as I understood it to be) here in Bangkok.  No sooner had we arrived back in Bangkok did reports start surfacing indicating Zika had made its way here.  I’m trying to stay calm and lather the whole family in bug spray, but generally I feel very paranoid about it.

First vs. Second Pregnancy …

So far the my pregnancy with Jellybean was very different than the current one with Kiwi.  The only real similarity has been I was nauseous with for both pregnancies, though this time around has definitely been rougher.  I often hear each pregnancy is different, but it wasn’t until I experienced it myself did I truly understand it.  A review of my first trimester with Jellybean can be found here.

How does your first trimester compare? What was the best and worst part of your first trimester?

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It’s Friday!  The week has flown by and yet I’m not entirely sure what I’ve accomplished.  Jellybean has become a little parrot and listening to her speak makes me acutely aware of phrases I say a lot.  Apparently things such as ‘here’s the deal’, ‘remember we’ve talked about this’ and ‘mummy, the dog is driving you bananas’ (always in reference to Sophi is barking) are common phrases as of late.  The good news is she isn’t dropping the F’ bomb … yet.

Now for the Friday favorites …

This long open sweater looks incredibly comfy.  Perfect for fall when the weather is cool enough for layers, but often doesn’t warrant a jacket. Too bad Bangkok is a tab bit warm for this article of clothing.

New dinner recipes are always in demand around here.  Magic Faux-Tisserie Chicken looks totally scrumptious.  Definitely putting it on the meal plan agenda for next week.

Have you started your holiday shopping?  These tiny tag necklaces would be perfect for a mom or grandma.  I must admit, it would also be a great birthday or ‘push’ present! {hint hint hubby}

Speaking of the holidays, loving these hot air balloon ornaments.  Totally adorbs.  I hope they go on sale prior to Christmas!

If only Jellybean would sit still long enough to make construction paper turkeys.  What a fun activity with kids and a cute personalized decoration for Thanksgiving too.

Lastly, for you fellow pregger women out there I’m totally loving these maternity v-neck t-shirts.  Not only do they hold up well to being washed a bajillion times, but they have enough give to last the entire pregnancy.

Have a fabulous weekend!  See you on the flip side.

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Hi there!  Remember me?!  Yeah, I know, it has be a hot minute since this blog has gotten any love.  It’s fall time in the US and everyone is posting beautiful photos of the leaves turning colors and the cooler weather has begun.  Pumpkin food and drinks are in full swing.  Fall is my favorite time of year in the States, but here in Bangkok it’s rainy season.  The weather is hot and humid (as usual) with scattered thunderstorms mixed in throughout with week.  And, unfortunately carving a pumpkin isn’t in the cards for Halloween when one lives in Thailand.

I have some serious fall envy going on!!

Time is quickly passing and before we know it cool season will debut in Bangkok.  And by cool, I mean 75 degrees, if we are lucky.  You might be wondering what’s been going on since I last blogged … let’s do a little recap of life’s highlights as of late, shall we?!

The majority of the month of August was spent in the States visiting family and friends.  The biggest event of the month was my sister’s wedding!!  Jellybean totally rocked being a flower girl.  My favorite part was when she screamed to my husband, who was standing with the other groomsman, “Daddy I have to be quiet”!  It was kind of hilarious as the statement was made at the loudest possible volume she could muster.  Luckily everyone took her disruption in stride and it evoked a good belly laugh from the wedding guests.

flowergirl

Photo by Nikki Cole Photography
September was a very low key month.  It was life as usual here in Bangkok.  I’m very thankful we had a month of ‘normal’ day to day life.  Things have rapidly picked and pace since then and there are aren’t any signs of it slowing down in the near future.

We took a whirlwind family trip to Vietnam in October.  Hitting 4 cities, including Ho Chi Mihn City, Hoi An, Hanoi and Halong Bay in just 9 days.  The trip was quite an accomplishment, especially since Jellybean got a cold the day before we left.  More details on the food, hotels, and all the sights seen to come.

Here we are on our second to last day in Halong Bay.  GAHHH, it’s just gorgeous!

halongbay_vietnam

Halloween was very low key this year, but Jellybean did get the opportunity to rock her witch costume and do a little trick-or-treating.  The most hilarious part was Jellybean would eagerly grab candy from the basket and then follow it up with an enthusiastic “trick-or-treat”!  Despite various attempts we couldn’t convince her to say trick-or-treat before collecting candy.

halloween2016

The biggest news of all to share is … we are expecting a new little bundle of joy come March!!  The nausea and headaches were pretty intense for much of the first trimester as well as the first couple of weeks of the second trimester.  Luckily, I am now in the sweet spot of pregnancy where I feel good and the bump looks like a baby bump instead of like I’ve been eating too many cookies.  :)

We made the announcement to just our immediate families back in August by handing them an envelope with the following inside:

Baby #2 Pregnancy Announcement | Life's Tidibits

So, what’s new with you?

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