24 weeks

I'll be honest, the idea of being pregnant has always frightened me mostly because my mother had 3 very complicated pregnancies and I thought that it would be hereditary. Apparently not! In the first couple of months there where moments were I would even forgot about it all together. I would only feel pregnant when it kicked in psychically: a few days with morning sickness, feeling extremely sleepy, constipation, acid reflux, most of which I didn't even know were symptoms associated with the first trimester. I always thought it would get worst but it didn't. At 24 weeks I can say I feel great, except for the part when I have to bend down to tie my shoe laces, that's becoming a hassle. 

there's going to be a baby

A while back, we were walking through a park in Atlanta and found this book on a bench and instagramed it. At the time we "cried wolf" and it was fun. But now, my friends, it's the real thing! I'm 5 months pregnant and there really is going to be a baby!

Oh, and it's a girl!

Pedro in PT #1

Pedro spent the month of July here in Portugal. It was a short stay but wonderful in so many ways! 

oh happy day

After 2 months of skype and letters, Pedro is in Portugal and I am so happy!

são joão

Every year my mom gathers some friends and family to celebrate São João. This year was the first time I actually made it to the festivities! It's not very common in Viana to celebrate São João (the holiday of Saint John the Baptist) but my mother is always looking for an excuse to grill sardines! The night ended around a bonfire and everyone jumping over the flames a little tipsy after all the sangria. It's supposed to bring good luck. 

camping

A couple of weekends ago I went camping with my family to Gerês. It's incredible how building a fire to cook dinner and sleeping on the hard ground can be so appealing. The good thing is my parents love camping. Unfortunately for us, Portugal is loaded with pyromaniacs that get off on watching our forests burn so even within campgrounds you cannot build a bonfire, which takes away most of the fun in camping: if you can't burn things in a controlled environment, what's the purpose of camping?! Naturally we skirted this and built a fire in the bbq pits and played cards the whole night.

happy birthday pedro

He turns 32 today so wish him a Happy Birthday!! 

at the beach

I spent most of last weekend at the beach with my grandma. Everyone always complains about how cold the water is up north, but I always manage to go for a swim. Grandma just sat under the umbrella and napped most of the afternoon. Life is good. 

Loganberries

My dad planted a berry bush thinking they were raspberries but they ended up being loganberries, a hybrid between blackberries and raspberries. Because they are extremely tart, I've been tossing them into smoothies and made jam. Now I have to convince him to grow blueberries... 

new boots

The weather has been awful this past month and I didn't bring with me any winter shoes. Meaning, I had to go shopping for a decent par of shoes, which is always an strenuous task for me because I usually don't like anything (and that's why I only have a handfull of shoes!). What I've been wanting for a while now was a pair of traditional portuguese boots, the ones that are made of real leather and hand stitched. I found them at Trouxa Mocha and they are perfect!