Preschool Craftiness

Another idea I had for Leyla was to buy a box and label it "CRAFTS" and then stuff it with all kinds of paper, markers, glue, glitter, and fun craft stuff. I looked up a TON of activity ideas on Pinterest and pre-school teacher websites and was inspired. I have made her a few activities and we have done several. I was extremely happy with the result because she really pays attention, enjoys them, is learning, and is distracted for a good while from the TV!

Here are a few of the activities I have made her that are my favorites.

 This is her felt faces book. I wanted to make felt faces and found this book design on Pinterest. It was too cute. I had to sew it all by hand because I don't have a sewing machine, but it really wasn't that difficult and turned out super cute. There is a pocket pouch for all the different pieces - I simply cut out a bunch of pieces that could be used for eyes, ears, mouths, noses, hair, hats, etc. There are four faces: one green, one orange, one white, and one brown. The green and orange are obviously for making silly monster faces :)

This is another one I spent a lot of time on. I made several different colored shapes and used them to form images like the one shown. I took pictures of each one and then cut and pasted them onto index cards, laminated them, and put them on a key ring. The shapes are laminated and have little magnet strips on them. The idea was to buy her a magnetic clipboard or dry erase board so that the pieces would be easily contained (like for use on the plane...). For now she just uses them on a cookie sheet. There are several images: caterpillar, butterfly, train, boat, sun, flower, house, clown, fish, castle, etc.

 I just made this one a few days ago and Leyla loves it. She was so excited she wouldn't stay in her seat! She kept jumping up and down every time she matched the letters right, saying "It fits! It fits!" All I did was draw on one half of an index card, a letter, and on the other half, images that began with that letter. Then I cut them in two pieces randomly to make "puzzle" pieces. She recognizes the A and B, but she names all the pictures, and fits them together easily just looking at the shapes - she is really good at puzzles.

I love this one! I took old bottle caps - we drink way too much coke and save all the bottles under the sink, so I had several to use (Marcos takes them to the mountains or recyces them). All you do is cut out images in foamy and glue them to the bottle cap. I had to make a stamp pad because I couldn't find one with multiple colors, but the stamps work really well! Pretty amazing, that simple to do. I made shapes and letters ABC and numbers 123.

These are two Christmas crafts we did today, on the fridge. Reindeer with her foot and hands, and a Christmas tree with her cut out hands.

The past month or so...

It has been about a month I think since I updated, so this is going to be a long one!
I tried to update a few weeks ago but had exceeded my upload limit, so, I have been trying to fix it and was only just now able to.

#1: First, Leyla had her 3rd birthday and got exactly what she wanted: a Tasha Backyardigans piñata and cake. She had so much fun! I tried to put her down to nap before it got too late, so she would be in a good mood for the party, but she wouldn't sleep! I put her to bed and she played in her bed. Then when she came out she had changed entirely out of her clothes and had chosen the dress to wear for her party.

I made her a Tasha cake that I thought turned out really well! I was very happy, and I only came up with  the idea on a whim, when I couldn't decide what kind of cake to do. The main problem was she wanted a pink cake, but the  character Tasha is not pink! So I made a pink on the inside cake with pink accents in the icing. She was happy.

#2: Now, in baby news, I am now 29 weeks and in 3rd trimester! Hard to believe, but I am getting  more and more anxious and ready for this baby to be here. I can't wait to get to the US and relax somewhat, shop for the baby, and enjoy being with family and friends. These pictures are from about 27 weeks.

 This is his sweet little face! If you turn your head to the left, you can see it. Where it says "carita," right  underneath are his eyes, then his chin is on the right. I think the cord is running right in front of his nose, because there are a couple odd-looking stripes there.

 Pretty straight bones!

#3: Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays! I don't know why some pictures won't rotate, even if I've saved them, but anyway, here is Leyla helping to decorate the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving lunch! I made a turkey and dressing, and we went to Joann and Dwight's to share a meal with some other friends. It was all very yummy.

  She put all the ornaments in the same spot, on the same branch.

 We went to Tegus for my birthday and to take advantage of Black Friday sales. Here is Leyla posing with the big teddy bear at the huge Christmas tree in the new mall. She loved it.

 We bought her a little table and chairs that she LOVES; she sits there to color, paint, create, eat, and watch TV. It has been great for her, and just what I had in mind.

 I also bought her this new bedding set and a curtain (should have bought another panel...). It looks a little grown-up so it won't need replacing, plus it ties in all the colors I have planned for the room perfectly. Not sure still if we will be able to paint the walls, but, the baby's things will be blue and green, and the furniture will be white with accents. The bookshelf is the only piece we have so far, with the blue inside panel. Next up is a changing table and a cube shelf-bench for the other wall for toys and a reading corner. I plan on painting it white and the inside of half the cubes blue, pink, and green. Can't wait to get it all done!!

23 Weeks and Other News

Well, I am past the half-way point now! Incredible! Now that I am not working, I am busy making a few preparations for the baby and getting the house in order!

First, I finished the baby blanket :)

I made the giraffe first and the blanket to match. I think they turned out perfect! The blanket is thin with lots of breathable holes and is a teddy bear pattern. Of course, for Honduras, I didn't want a super thick blanket!

 
 October 17, Loyda had her baby! His name is David and he weighed 6 lbs and 2 oz. She was a week overdue and ended up having a c-section, but he was born healthy and she is recovering very well.

My next project: I had been wanting to do this for awhile and finally decided to just go or it! Here is the before and below is the after: 

it would not load the right direction!!! but, there it is. I had problems getting the oven door to stay upright but for the most part it turned out the way I wanted! Leyla has been busy making cakes :) Now the next project will be to make her some felt food! Her birthday is on Monday so I will post about that next!

Half-way there!

It is hard to believe I will be 20 weeks tomorrow. It has already gone by so fast! I feel like I started showing WAY soon (mostly because of the bloating, ha) but since I got in the 2nd trimester my waist hasn't changed too much. I was worried at first that my weight gain would continue but it has stabilized, thankfully. I have started feeling him move too! Just little movements - different from Leyla though! When I first felt her move I remember she had hiccups a lot, and her movements were like tiny punches. This one seems to "slide" from one side to the other in my abdomen, and I will feel hard spots low, below my belly button, but I only occasionally feel the little punches. It could be because I am feeling him sooner though. I don't remember exactly when I first felt Leyla move but I remember waiting for what seemed like forever and I know it was at least 20 weeks if not past - I've been feeling this one for a week maybe two now.

The latest picture I took at 19 weeks. Definitely got a bump, pants don't fit, and I'm up a bra size!

I made Leyla some play-dough this week to have some fun with her and help her learn her colors - we made such pretty little balls, pink, yellow, orange, green, and blue! We made a caterpillar, too.

Then Roger and Loyda came over and played too - and next thing I knew....

The two kids had a big green blob :(

 Roger helped me out by cleaning the pila, since Marcos had to go to the mountains and hadn't had time - so then he was tired, there was no electricity, and it was unbearably hot - so he was trying to rest and Leyla came along and decided to play doctor! She wouldn't leave him alone and kept giving him "medicine" and poking him everywhere. :)

It's a BOY!

I am 17 weeks pregnant and we found out at 15 weeks *surprise* that we're going to be having a boy!!

I was surprised that this little guy let us see so early (with Leyla we waited forever to know) but I was not surprised to find out BOY. I just had a feeling. So far I'm 2 for 2 guessing the gender of my babies!

I was hoping for another girl, just because financially it would be easier (I already have tons of clothes and girl stuff) and because I know what a girl is like. Now, having a boy, it will be like having a first baby all over again because it will be a different experience!

However, since I had a sneaky feeling it was going to be a boy, I had already gotten myself used to the idea. So I wasn't so shocked or upset. Then I started looking online for boy clothes and toys and they were so cute so I started getting excited. It will definitely be different and new but he will be a blessing. I know Marcos is excited and I am happy for him to have a son that he can share his love of the outdoors and adventure with! I am definitely going to have one girly little girl and a manly, sweaty boy! :)

Long days

I am 12 weeks now, just one more week to go to be out of the first trimester! I already look pregnant...not sure if it's a second baby thing or bloating or what. I haven't exactly been watching what I eat - just eating when i'm hungry! But I'm afraid I have gained a little more than I should have! I want to start exercising again - something I have been afraid to do now after I spotted. Things look good now however so I think I should be okay.

I was so happy to not be on bedrest and able to relax this weekend - although I still had to clean the house and pick up. Everything started off prety normally until a little before lunch Leyla started telling me her tummy hurt. I thought maybe she was just hungry. Then she threw up. She threw up bubblegum and the little bit she had eaten at breakfast; so I thought maybe she had swallowed her gum. But she threw up again about 30 minutes later. And every 10 minutes after that...She is finally doing better (9:00 at night!) but I am exhausted! She has not eaten or drank since this morning around 11 or so and has thrown up if she tries. She kept asking me for water but would throw it up 2 minutes after. I was so worried about her getting dehydrated and the fact that she hadn't eaten.

We went to the pharmacy and consulted with the doctor and gave her a suppository for nausea and bought some nausea medicine. After that she still threw up but the episodes were being stretched farther apart and she seemed to hold down maybe a little liquid. We bought her some gatorade and she drank that, took her medicine, and went to bed. I think the last episode was maybe 8:00. I really hope she sleeps all night and doesn't need to throw up during the night - I am so worried she will get it all over herself and her bed or choke or something. But she was feeling better and I am happy she drank the gatorade and kept it down. The medicine is supposed to work really well so hopefully it will do it's job.

I have no idea what the problem is - she has had no fever, no diarrhea, no other symptoms. But she only ate the same foods that I ate, since last night! She may have eaten dirt or something outside but she said she didn't (If she understood my question). I just hope she is better tomorrow! I do not want to go through this again!

Baby update

I went to the doctor Wednesday because I had a bit of spotting. It is a little scary but I am trying not to worry too much - it has not gotten worse and really has gone away for the most part. I don't have any cramping or any other symptoms. I had some tests run yesterday and I think the spotting is probably due to an infection, not a problem with the pregnancy. Although, it is very important to treat an infection or it WILL lead to a problem with the pregnancy - and we don't want that!

I had an ultrasound and saw the baby. It was so sweet. He/She is lying face down and almost as soon as he/she popped up on the screen, i saw sweet little legs kick out against the wall of the sac! It was super cute. I think I can expect a very active baby...I was glad to see that the baby is okay. Here is a picture of the ultrasound:

Leyla Swimming

I had been trying to get Leyla to dip her face in the water for weeks - but she would only do it a couple of times singing "ring around the rosie...we all fall down" and never on her own. So at the pool in Roatan, I was talking to some friends while she "swam" but of course I had one eye glued on her the entire time. I'm glad I did because she stepped off the step once and I had to run and grab her - she wouldn't keep her floaties on for more than about 10 minutes! Anyway, I watched her and realized that she was watching JC (the other little boy in the video) go in and out of the water and under because she all of the sudden started doing it herself! All on her own! It was so cute to watch and I am so glad I had the camera handy!

Last day in Roatan

We are back in Catacamas! It was a fun, quick trip and I would have loved to stay longer but we always have to get back to reality. Here are a few last pictures of our stay.

 

 We went to a refuge for iguanas, apparently iguanas are eaten (guess they taste like crocodile meat?) so this place is to keep them safe. There were a TON.

 Family photo! I wanted to get the ocean in the background but there was too much sun. Anyway I like it cause we are all smiling!

Group picture of all the Predisan staff right before boarding the bus to go to the airport!

Fun at the Beach

Today we had lots of time in the water! Leyla spent ALL day swimming, and I mean ALL day. During the meeting she went to the beach with Marcos and then afterwards she played in the pool - then Marcos and I went snorkeling and left Leyla with some friends to take her nap. We found out afterwards she had never fallen asleep and went straight back out to the pool! What a hard life! She has been enjoying every minute, although she did get really fussy in the afternoon because of missing her nap. She perked up again at dinner, and now - she's sound asleep.

 The view from our balcony!

 Getting ready to go snorkeling!

The water was so beautiful! Snorkeling was a lot of fun - It was the most I have ever done. We were really out in the ocean and were able to swim around as much and as far as we wanted. We kept our life jackets on in the beginning and then after awhile we took them off so that we could dive down and pick up shells! Then I got really tired because it took more energy to keep afloat. It was a lot of fun and I wish I had had an underwater camera! We saw parrot fish, purple and yellow fish, beautiful bright blue fish, silver and yellow angel fish, tiger fish, starfish, and of course all the beautiful types of coral.

These electric blue fish were so pretty! We saw them on the edge of the reef - which was amazing in and of itself! The reef just kind of dropped off a cliff and I could feel the water temperature drop and it was just infinitely deep! Scary!!

I saw ONE of these guys. Beautiful little fish.

Here's our resort from the boat.

 Back on dry land in the pool!

 Leyla was "washing" everything.

Tomorrow we are going to head over to West End I think and do some shopping and some different tours. There are a few places with dolphins, an iguana park, and a glass bottom boat, so we are going to see what fun we can have over there. Goodnight!

Roatan

The Predisan board meeting is being held in Roatan this time around. All of the directors and a few more of us are here, along with the board members. It's my first time to Roatan so I'm having fun! Marcos and Leyla came too of course because how could they stay home! Leyla has been thoroughly enjoying herself, swimming and swimming, while I'm in the meeting. Unfortunately I didn't get much time at the beach yesterday - the sun was already going down - but the meeting will end today at noon so we have all afternoon and Sunday to do some swimming and maybe some snorkeling.

We took a plane to Roatan from Catacamas, can you believe that?? We chartered a plane. It was actually cheaper than driving, in a lot of ways. And can you guess how long the flight was? 35 MINUTES! ridiculous! I was trying to figure out what we were flying over and then 2 seconds later I looked out the other window and there was the ocean. And the flight was surprisingly smooth! We were really impressed. It was a lot of fun.

 It was fun to see Catacamas from the air, since it's not something most people ever see! There are no regular flights to Catacamas so it's rare. I saw our house though!

Here you can see a few islands and the mainland in the distance.

We are staying at the Turquoise Bay Resort. I think our group alone has probably booked more than half the hotel! So far everything has been great, the room is nice and spacious, the beach is very calm, the food is GREAT! and the staff is very friendly.

 Leyla was so tired from all the excitement, she fell asleep on the way from the airport to the hotel! I love this picture of her!

 All of the Board members and the staff in our Predisan shirts! Today I'm going to take pictures of the resort and the beach and I'll upload them later. Now, I'm going to go eat all I want at the buffet breakfast :)