Finally Meeting Baby Addison!

Over Labor Day Weekend, we finally had the chance to meet our newest family member, Addison St. Leger - the first neice or nephew for either Trey or I!  Trey's sister, Mandy, and her husband, Nick, were in Hannibal for the week, and we were deliriously happy to finally meet their precious little girl!

Proud first-time Uncle Trey!

Sweet Baby Addie Cakes

Grammy & Sean hanging out

  

Sean meeting Baby Addie, and marveling at her toes.

But he's not really sure what else to think of her!

Baby Addie and Aunt Amy (that still sounds weird to me...)

Isabella and her first real cousin, Baby Addie!  

(Isabella will tell you she is "cousins" with at least half the town of Hannibal!)

Just another photo of my cute kids!

Sean and Isabella modeling Daddy's golf visors.

Massage Follow-Up

This morning, I posted about my aching hips and back, and my desires for the next 10 weeks to move quickly!  At 10am, I had my massage with Anne, my dad's girlfriend who is also a very talented massage therapist.  

I Am A New Woman!  

Seriously, I'm taller, skinnier, and feel five years younger!  I hadn't realized how tense and tight I was, even with all the hip and back pain, until after I didn't feel it anymore.  Of course I look skinnier, I can actually stand up right!  Anne worked the sore muscles, and worked the knots surrounding those nerves that have been causing so much pain.  She sent me home, armed with some ideas on how to help minimize the continued flare ups.  

Now, I can't be sure how long this glorious feeling will last, as there's still a little bambino resting in and around my hips, and I will have to eventually go to bed tonight, and start the process of finding eight hours of comfort all over again.  But for now, some relief.  

Anne, thank you.  And family and friends who live close by, I cannot recommend Anne enough. She'll give anyone I refer a discount on their first massage, and I promise, she's worth every bit!

So, it wasn't just because I was fat

If you haven't figured it out by now, I was the size of a house when I was pregnant with Sean.  And I barely made it through my third trimester, as I had terrible issues with my back, hips and legs, and even the weekly chiropractor visits at the end were not enough.  I slept in a V on the love seat in the living room, trying to find any relief for my aching hips, yet keep the swelling down.  Ugh, it was not fun.

At the time, I presumed that it was my hugeness that caused those side effects.  However, I'm incredibly bummed to realize these past two weeks that it was not my overly large physical stature, but ME!

This go round, I'm significantly smaller, easily 25 pounds lighter at this point than I was at the same time in my pregnancy with Sean.  Heck, yesterday, I wore a pair of regular capris that I had purchased - post-pregnancy - and they were too big!  (Wow, I'm smaller now, at 7 months pregnant, than I was the summer after I had Sean!)

And yet...my hips!  My back!  Yikes, they are struggling once again.  To help illustrate, reach around the back to the top of your bum.  Right above your pencil holder, that part of your spine - that's where all my pain comes from!  On Sunday and Monday, the pain was shooting out of that spot, through my butt cheek, down into my left leg.  It was so intense, that my leg would sometimes buckle under the pain of taking a step.  

Much of the discomfort would be eased if I could sleep on my back, but any pregnant woman knows that's a no-no, as the baby then inhibits your blood circulation.  And it's generally considered bad to impede the flow of blood through your body.  And have you tried laying on your stomach while pregnant?  If you're not pregnant, go grab a volleyball or soccer ball, lay face down, with the ball between your belly and the bed.  Comfortable, no?

So this means at night, it's all on the hips.  One night this past week, I was up at 4am because I physically could not lay down any more, both of my hips hurt so bad!  I've tried the couch all night, as it's easier on the hips, but then not supportive enough for the back - and bring on the aching lower back muscles!

These past few nights, I've taken to starting out in an upright position - last night it was the couch, sometimes it's the chaise lounge in the bedroom.  I do get some sleep, though it's not very comfortable once my head is slumped over.  But I can then move to the bed and have been able to make it through the rest of the night.  The shooting pain has stopped - thanks to trying different sleeping options and lots and lots of yoga stretches.  And this morning, I have a massage with Annie.  I cannot wait - it will be glorious.

Not all my issues are sleep related - I find that my legs, below the knees, start to go numb if I sit too long.  And standing too long leads to leg cramps and bulging veins.  Basically, at 7 months pregnant, I cannot sit, stand or lay down for any extended period of time - so I move around...A Lot!  My doctor assured me that at this point, I'm not facing any health risks, it's just comfort issues.  But they are...My Comfort!  And I have 10 more weeks to go!  

Rolla - we came, we saw, it was a fast overnighter!

The weekend of Labor Day, our Little Miss Cave Hallow, Isabella, had a state pageant in Rolla. I'd never been to one of these things, and all I can say is...I'm glad I have boys.  And Rolla was as glorious as I had imagined.  

But Isabella was wonderful and beautiful and poised.  She came in third alternate in the Little Miss Missouri Outdoors, and no, I don't really know what that means, either.  She had fun, met lots of girls, and is excited to keep doing pageants.  

Isabella on stage, telling the audience why she's so wonderful!

(The lighting was terrible - this is one of the better photos!)

Our Little Miss Cave Hallow

Grammy & Isabella

The whole family

Need Help Prioritizing?

Last week was Mad Crazy.  Pampered Chef training Monday night, garage sale organizing Tuesday night, Pampered Chef party Wednesday night, Trey's softball Thursday night, garage sale Friday night and Saturday morning, plus the MOPS family picnic afterwards.  Plus all the planning involved in between, emails to Photo Card clients, a house to keep clean, a toddler to raise and a baby to gestate.  Much like Gumby, I was feeling pulled every which way, but was trying not to complain, because I had done it to myself!

(Almost forgot the 20+ hours I spent resurrecting the old PC laptop, just so I could run Pampered Chef's software.  Why can't PCs be like Macs - turn it on and it works?  No viruses, no drivers, no complicated languages.  I still have to figure out how to get the PC to talk to my secured Mac network - right now, I'm running sans protection!)

Well, God has a funny way of helping you prioritize, and will help when you ask for it.  Just be careful what you ask for!  On Tuesday, I noticed that Sean had a fever in the afternoon - 103.6!  Wow, he'd never had a fever that high!  He didn't seem to really have any other symptoms, other than the same allergy symptoms I'd been dealing with. 

It kinda sucked, because I had really counted on Wednesday's Mom's Day Out to run errands, but there was no way I could let him go.  So I killed myself running errands as late as the stores were open on Tuesday, and hoping for a healthy kid on Wednesday.  He was good most of the morning, and then a 103 fever hit Wednesday afternoon.  Ugh, not a one-time thing, and I had heard grumblings about a fever-thing going around.  I was glad that Trey and Grandma would be at my party to help out that night, even if Trey had our garage sale stuff to deliver to Ana's.  The show was tough towards the end, because Sean went downhill, and wanted Momma. 

So I realized that MOPS was out on Thursday, which was a bummer cuz Momma really needed a break at this point!  Plus, there was a family picnic to plan with my co-chair!  Instead, I had Sean home sick, again, but this time with a 102 fever.  At this point, I'm thinking...OK, definitely a viral infection, and this is probably the beginning of the end.  Everyone has said their kid dealt with this for about three days.  It was a long day, but we coped.

And then Trey got home from softball practice.  Sean was passed out on the couch.  He started crying, I went to get him, and he was on fire.  104 temp!  Yikes!  While he screamed the whole time, Sean cooled off in a lukewarm bath with Trey, and I knew that Friday morning would mean a trip to the doctor's office.  Which put a crimp in my Friday plans of organizing the garage sale and helping to open it that afternoon!

Sean slept through the night no problem, but woke up with a fever of 104.5.  Motrin is a wonderful thing, however - always bringing Sean's fever down, and on this day, buying me the few hours it took to get into the doctor's office.  I was not surprised when the nurse practitioner confirmed that he had a viral infection - but I was blown away when she pointed out his Double Ear Infection! 

I know, some Moms are saying "Um, Hello!?  I saw that coming a mile away!"  Well, I didn't.  Sean has never had an ear infection, it never crossed my mind he had one in each ear!  No rubbing his ears, sleeping fine through the night, no history.  My poor baby!  

So at this point, Momma's plans are completely out the window.  I left my friends to fend for themselves at the garage sale, taking phone calls when certain items of mine were up for negotiation.  (Ana, you Rock for nabbing $75 for my guitar!).  I had Trey to watch Sean and Isabella while I worked the sale on Saturday, but the MOPS family picnic that followed was out.  (Mandy, you rock for pulling the whole thing together on your own, and Julie, you rock for stopping by my house on the way over to bring my supplies!)

And Sean?  He's fine.  Now.  A few days of antibiotics, and he's almost good as new.  (Though, now I'm paranoid about his bum, as neither Sean nor Trey's stomachs tolerate antibiotics very well.)  He had a slight fever Saturday, but I figured that's the last of the viral infection he was dealing with.  Yesterday, he slept in way late, and then ran, ran, ran with his big sister.  Until he literally crashed and burned on the floor.

Little Boo - The Most Important Thing in My Life

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker

I'm awake, because I'm reformatting my old laptop.  It's a long story.  And not necessarily an interesting one.  Long story short, Pampered Chef is many wonderful things, but not currently operating with the latest and greatest - their program is not compatible with my Mac.  I'm still stunned.

So our old laptop is being resurrected, at least for the short term.  And it apparently takes hours to reformat a hard drive and load Windows XP.  Hours.

So to pass the time...let's take a look at my freakin' cute kid.  Late last week, when I thought it was going to be chilly outside (it wasn't!), I decided to teach Sean how to make cookies!  Yay!  Cookies are fun!  

Sean needs to learn how to use the big Kitchen Aid mixer.  There really aren't any parts that are supposed to go around the neck.  And I don't know how he got it over his gargantuan cranium, because this was a doozy to remove.

Digging into the canister of flour.

Ever so carefully measuring out the cups.

Hey, is that a little leg I see?

Look, Ma, no Pants!

And he's just so proud of his hard work!  

There are, of course, no photos of the flour that didn't make it in the cup, but rather all over the cabinet and floor.  

But really, why ruin the moment?

Enjoying the fruits of his labor!  

Yay!  My kiddo's a Baker now!

Bathtime Fun

Hopefully no one will cry "child porn" after this post.  But really, what's cuter than a naked kid in the tub?

Aw, cleaning the tub for Momma!

Check out the crazy waves this Naked Boy created.

And who the heck does he look like here?  

Big Cheeser in the tub

Post-hair wash - my kid without his 'fro.

More action from the Lake

This clip from our Lake vacation has it all - you'll laugh, you'll squirm, you'll say "OH!"  Enjoy!

And he didn't get back in the water for at least two days...

Shutterfly & YouTube...Updated...Finally

Extended family especially will be happy to know that I have finally updated both our Shutterfly site of photos and YouTube site of videos!

It'd been so long since I uploaded to Shutterfly, they completely changed the look and feel of the site - and it's pretty cool! Check it out - May, June, July AND August have all been uploaded today.  We were without an operating camera most of April and May, so the photos we do have are courtesy our family - thank you and love you!

On YouTube, you'll find Five new videos from this summer, including what is sure to become a classic....

Sean and Cole, bustin' a move, while at the lake house on vacation:

Our Lake Vacation

Now that we've been home for a month....

Following last year's lead, we took our annual family vacation down at Lake of the Ozarks, again boarding with the Schneidermeyer's at a lake house owned by a friend of Melissa's.  There really isn't a better way to spend a week with your family than laying by a body of water, debating which drink and chip you'd like to eat next.  

It was a bit different for me this year, only because I wasn't choosing between Miller Chill or a Margarita on the rocks with salt.  Oh well.  We had a blast, nonetheless, and a week away from home without a hectic schedule or a list of to-dos is the best way to enjoy your family!  

Some highlights....

Cole and Sean counting down to Jump Time.

One of many jumps into the lake!  Way to go, Little Man Sean!

Trey and Sean enjoying our boat ride with Schneidermeyer's family friends.

Sean learning the fine art of Skee Ball down on The Strip.

Isabella, Trey and Sean on the Bridge of Death aka The Swinging Bridges.

Isabella, Sean and Trey doing what they do best - chillin' out on the dock.

Me and my first ever catch!  I made it look easy!

Sean posing with Momma's first fish!

Cole and Sean, being silly on the dock.

Our trip was not without incident - Trey changing a tire on our van for the first time ever!

But he's awfully cute, even under duress!

Trey and Isabella prepping for their big race at the Go Kart track.

Unfortunately, spending a week in the Ozarks meant we missed my big Lee family reunion in Portland, Oregon.  However, it really wasn't much of a choice when we looked at the finances of sending the entire family out West for a week versus driving two hours away and spending a week in a house for free!  Good, Cheap Fun - that's what we got at the Lake, and we loved every moment of it!  

Andy & Melissa - same time, same place next year?

Let's make this official...

At this point, most of you reading this are aware that we have named our unborn son!  Drum roll, please...

Baby Boy Latta's first name is Ryan!

My sons - Sean and Ryan.  If you weren't already aware, I'm proud of my Irish heritage!  But Ryan's name is especially meaningful.  He is named after my maternal grandmother, Alice Marie Ryan Lee - an amazing (and full-blooded Irish!) woman who bore 12 children, including three sets of twins.  She was opinionated, loving, smart, tenacious and vibrant, and we all miss her very much.  After I'm done with the Great Photo Organization project, I'll have to scan and post some photos for all of you.

Ryan's middle name is still up for discussion, but will most likely honor Trey's family.  The names in the running are...

Ryan Conley

Ryan Oliver

Ryan Jacob

Jacob actually honors my paternal grandmother, but it's still in the running.  I've made my decision, and since Trey pretty much named Sean, I'm cool with deciding this one!  But if you'd like to pipe in with your opinions, feel free!  

Week 27 - FINALLY New Belly Pics!

For a long time, I wasn't posting belly shots because I wasn't gaining weight and there was nothing to show.  Add to that my belly shots are self-portraits with the web cam; they depend on the crappy lighting of my living room; and the lack of motivation overall this past summer with all things...life related...and it's been tough for me to get new pics and post them.

But finally, without further ado...two new shots of yours truly and Baby Boy!

Week 27 - with shirt 

Notice the same shirt and pants from some previous shots - just a bit tighter!

Naked Belly!  

Trey and I marvel at the flat edge of my big, round belly!

So at week 27....I've gained about 11 pounds, and at my 24 week appointment, I was measuring exactly where I should be.  And I couldn't be happier, and the doc's happy!  At this rate, if I gain a pound a week, I'll be 24-25 pounds total, which is perfect!  

For comparison...With Sean, I was 143 pounds when I got pregnant.  I gained 50 pounds!  Yes, I topped out over 190!  Complete Misery.  Right now, I weigh between 146-147.  So I'm only a few pounds heavier now, at 27 weeks pregnant, than I was when I got pregnant with Sean.  

And let's be clear that this isn't about vanity.  I proved that you can not only lose 50 pounds, post-pregnancy, but even go beyond that.  And I would like to take time for a major Shout Out to my FitMommas out there - I accomplished that because of their love and support and the awesome group that we put together!  

No, the weight is about comfort and health.  I am still having back problems with this one, and can't imagine how much worse it would be if I was the same weight as last time.  I have major vein issues (YUCK!), worse than with Sean - and can't imagine how much worse it would be if I  was heavier.  Seriously, varicose veins are just plain gross, and I have a nasty one on my right leg - it astounds me what bearing a child does to your body!  

So there you have it!  This week, I take my blood sugar test, and next week is my next doctor appointment - but I'm not having any concerns.  The pregnancy is going fabulously at this point.  My only real complaint is that this kid is in a very different position than Sean, so I'm dealing with much different kicking!  Sean was up in my ribs (and apparently, my wide rear end!).  But this one is way down low, and kicks me repeatedly throughout the day and night in private places that should not be kicked!  Especially from the inside!  Ahem.

A Painful, Hot Night

Warning:  This post may cause visuals of me that you wish not to imagine.  You've been warned.

Don't ever let anyone tell you there are no downsides to pregnancy, because they are selling you a bill of goods. Last night, two of those downsides reared their ugly head.  But before I jump into the downsides, you should know that I had a very long day yesterday, prefaced by a horrible night of insomnia.  I ran on adrenaline and Starbucks all day, and spent my evening setting up for today's first MOPS meeting with the rest of the steering committee.  It took twice as long as it needed to, standing around for nearly three hours before it was all ready.

So, those downsides.  The first:  You become a furnace. It stands to reason that you generate a lot of heat building human beings.  When I got home late last night, it was cool, breezy and a bit damp outside.  I walked into a hot, muggy box that was impersonating my home.  Trey had opened the windows, since it was so nice and cool outside.  But our house does not allow air to circulate, and the thick air hit me like a damp, hot washcloth.  I still had a bit of organizing to do when I got home, stayed up another hour or two, and was so exhausted that I crashed on the couch around midnight, not even bothered by the moist warmth.  

The second downside I experienced last night:  Leg cramps from hell.  I was dead asleep, dreaming about setting up with my good friends Mandy and Jane, when a sharp pain hit my right shin.  So dead to the world I was, that I was yelling at Mandy and Jane "Rub my leg, rub my leg!"  Of course, the pain was real, Mandy and Jane weren't!  I finally became conscious enough to realize the pain wasn't part of the dream.  I have no idea how long it took for that cramp to subside, but immediately another one hit my left foot.  Those of you who've seen my heinous feet, try to imagine those gangly toes being forcibly pulled in multiple directions.  Not pretty.  I started pushing my feet against the arm of the couch, and was finally able to stand up.  I walked circles around the living and dining rooms for at least 20-30 minutes, slowly walking out the cramps that were coming in and out of both legs.  

At this point - I felt the heat.  I'm exhausted, sweaty and feel like I've been Nancy Kerriganed.  I also realized that my back is killing me for not sleeping in a great position on the couch, so I decided to try my actual bed.  When I pushed opened the door, I groaned at how much stuffier it was in there than the living room.  I laid on top of the bed, grumbly, basically naked, wearing only my sleeping bra and full body pillow.  Again, not pretty.  And, yes, I wear a support garment to bed, because when you're carrying around cantaloupes for boobs, they need a little soft support 24 hours a day.  

I woke Trey up with my grumbling, and in the most pathetic, high pitched whine I moaned "I'm Hot!  And my legs hurt!"  Even though it was only about 20 minutes before his alarm went off, Trey and I got up, closed all the windows and turned on the air.  Not long after Trey left for work, I was back asleep, and finally cooling off.  Unfortunately, the leg soreness and occasional cramps have stayed with me for most of the day, but I've been stretching off and on, and hope for a much better night tonight.  One that involves consecutive hours of sleep would be nice!

In case it didn't sink in the first time...

My dear friend Mindy forwarded this quote to me this morning...reminds me of my Old Sentiment Revisisted post. 

"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life.  But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.  Then life would begin.  At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." ~Father Alfred D'Souza

So enjoy your life today, no matter what it brings you!  Relish every word, every sip, every bite!

p.s. Anyone else notice that countdown to the left is less than a 100 days now?  GULP!  I think this baby's comin'!  

A Week of New Adventures

It seems just a few weeks ago, I looked at my September calendar and there was Nothing.  Nada.  Nicht.  Doesn't take long for that to change, however, and change seems to be a key theme around the Latta House these days.  Both Sean and I begin new adventures this week!

Pampered Chef

After four years of contemplation, I became a Pampered Chef consultant this week!  That's right, I've entered the world of home parties and multi-level marketing!  (insert groan here)  But those who've known me awhile have heard me talk about this, know that I love to host PC parties (though I haven't done that in awhile), and know that I love to cook.  And the company was running a special that I just couldn't pass up, and I'm So Excited about this new journey. For those who remember, Mindy is my Director, and she and I are hosting a kick off show for me in two weeks.  So if you're looking for a consultant...I just got my welcome kit tonight, products should be here by the end of the week.  It's like Christmas in September!

FYI - yes, I am still the owner and proprietor of LattaLuv Photo Cards!  I am doing the best to earn my keep, plus one can never have too many creative outlets!  Or tax deductions.

Moms Day Out

Sean starts MDO tomorrow!  I feel like it's a first day of school!  My little guy will go to First Baptist Church of Harvester from 9-3pm every Wednesday.  Sean will learn to follow a teacher and her direction, make friends, and learn some independence from Mom.  I will get...time.  Time to work, time to clean, time to run errands, time to sleep - I don't care, it will be time. I'm sure that day will mean the world once Baby Boy arrives.  And I feel I have an easy opt-out, and just have to give notice before the first of the month if we're not going to continue.  So I didn't just lock Sean into nine months of torture.   Say a happy thought for my little man that his first day goes smoothly!

MOPS

While I've stepped down from organizing my playgroup and workout group (thanks to my awesome friend Melissa B. for taking my place!), I did take on a leadership role at MOPS.  Our first meeting is Thursday, and this, my third year, is my first on Steering.  Actually, I'm co-chair of Hospitality, which is really not that difficult.  We set up for the meetings, do gifts and decor, make sure there's coffee, greet people, and plan an event once a month.  Given that playgroup has a good 20 events a month, planning one is something I can do with my eyes closed and hands tied behind my back.  Of course, the first suggestion I got was a scrapbooking event, but luckily, I had my handy playgroup buds to ask "What the hell do I do here!"  Oh wait, you're probably not supposed to say Hell when referring to anything MOPS related! 

Ironically, this year's MOPS theme is "Adventures in Mothering" - so adventure is definitely the theme of my life at the moment!

Sean and I are also hosting a playdate on Friday, though that's not necessarily a new adventure around these parts.  Just a fun time to have friends over.  So it's a busy week, but my good friend coffee will get me through, as she has many times over!  Actually, I'm meeting with an old MOPS friend, Donna, for coffee after I drop Sean off at MDO tomorrow morning!  And she asked me to bring a PC catalog with me, so it's all just coming together!