Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Play Ball!

After hunkering down for a few days, and getting as much rest as I could, I finally ventured out today with Sean.  It's a gorgeous day, not to mention my day to lead Stroller Aerobics.  Not that I was in the mood, but I needed the excuse to get out.  So after SA, and running a bunch of errands, I found myself surprisingly energized and played a bit with Sean in the yard.  

Sean trying to climb his first tree.

Just a boy...and his thumb...and his sleepy bear...

Sean & Momma 

After awhile, Sean noticed Daddy's baseball bag sitting in the garage, and his focus changed!  He pulled out Trey's glove, put it on all by himself, and started throwing the ball around the yard!

He's a Natural!  (Notice the glove on his right hand, ball in his left!)

Scooping up the ball

Oh, wait, did I say a Natural?  How did that glove get on the other side of his head??

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

YouTube Updated

I've finally come to terms with my iMovie program that came with the new Mac, and figured out how to put together and upload our mini-home videos on YouTube!  Finally - all our videos are uploaded and ready to view!
You'll find some videos of Sean in his gymnastics class, maneuvering a slide, kicking around a ball, a few videos of his awesome dancing and singing!

Here's one of my favorites!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Week 7....continued....

I am ecstatic to announce that the near-disappearance of my nausea and my mild cramping are just strange and changing signs of another healthy pregnancy!  I didn't sleep last night and was a nervous wreck until my appointment, but all fears were put at ease within seconds of the ultrasound.  (Which was a completely new experience for me, as it was internal - the only thing that would have made it more fun is if there was a "vibrate" option on that baby.)

Here is our little bebe in 2D, a lovely mass of cells that measures 1.16 cm (or 0.46 inches).  The heart was so beautifully flickering on screen - yes, I cried!  The heart rate was at 150, once again high, which typically means girl - but let's remember that Sean had a high heart rate, too!  Also, only one baby was found, so stop the twin rumors out there!
  
But much cooler than the 2D image is this (albeit) small image on the right of our baby in 4D.  That cavernous space is my uterus, and that mass that Trey so lovingly described as a wad of gum is the baby!  If you can use a bit of imagination, at the top left is its head, and its body continues along the wall of my uterus, and those are wee-bitty arms and legs just starting to grow down towards the bottom left.  

And my due date was pretty much right on.  The computer said December 7th, but we aren't changing the official date from the 8th.  Besides, Sean was a week early, so I'm officially predicting November 29th right here and now.  After the ultrasound, they sucked out six vials of blood for various testing, and I was sent home completely wiped out.  So I apologize for the lack of phone calls, but I got home, put Sean to bed, and crashed!  Regardless, everything looks perfect!  

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Make Every Day Earth Day!

You all probably already know that I'm a bit of a tree hugger, and over on FitMommas, I blogged a few easy ways to go green to honor Earth Day today.  We're working on incorporating all ten of these ideas at the Latta house right now!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Week 7

I'm waiting to post this week's belly photo until after our first appointment Wednesday afternoon.  I'll hopefully be posting a first ultrasound pic as well.  In the meantime, I ask everyone for lots of prayers for us.  My symptoms have changed, and I have to admit I'm a bit nervous.  There was comfort in the 24/7 nausea, and that's eased a bit.  (But I added heartburn?!)  I took it easy all weekend, and am laying low until Wednesday, when I'm sure we'll get great news.  

Little Miss Cave Hollow!

Congratulations to Isabella, who won the Little Miss Cave Hollow pageant on Saturday up in Hannibal!  We'll find out this week what her duties are for the year, but we do know that she'll be going to State in late August.  
When I get my hands on a photo, I'll post it as soon as possible!

We love you and are SO proud of you!

Edited to add:  Thanks to Isabella's mom, Lisa, for emailing these to me this morning!



Friday, April 18, 2008

All Shook Up!

Trey and I were sound asleep this morning when we heard a light bang, which sounded like Sophie hitting our bedroom door to go outside.  The dog has been known to not wait until we get up to go potty, so I hopped out of bed.  But there was no Sophie by the door, and I walked over to her bed, on the other side of the room, and she was still curled up in a ball.  I was confused, but didn't think anything of it, and went to the bathroom.  Because that's what pregnant women do.  Of course, that got Sophie up - "Yay, Mommy's up!!"
So when I was done doing my business, I let Sophie out to do hers, snuggling up on the couch until she was ready to come back in.  It was about 4:45 a.m.  I headed back to bed, just in time for Trey's alarm to go off, and the poor, tired guy got up.  Imagine my surprise when he came back into the bedroom about 30 minutes later to tell me that what we heard was an Earthquake!  Seriously!  So much for that theory that dogs go crazy before the earth starts shaking, mine was curled up in ball, dreaming about chasing bunnies.

Now, the last time I remember being aware of an earthquake, I was in Kindergarten, hiding under a desk, in San Jose, CA.  Because in California, earthquakes are a dime a dozen, and they train you from infancy to get under a desk or a doorframe when you feel a tremor hit.  

Anyhoo, if you live in the St. Louis Metro area, you'll find that the only thing on the news is our 5.2 earthquake - the strongest this area has felt in 40 years.  And if you live in California, as so many of my extended family does, you're likely laughing at us amateurs.  Either way, I can honestly say I was shaken out of bed this morning!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

"Lower Back Pain due to Pregnancy"

So that's my official coding at the chiropractor's office now.  Yep, it's already started!  With Sean, I didn't start until later - and I barely made it between my weekly appointments those last two months!  So when I felt a bit of a tweak in my back a few weeks ago, I realized I better get started.  And I do know better, Dr. Quinn was adamant that I can't get away with carrying Sean on one hip.  And while I'm better than I used to be, I still catch myself doing a million things with my left hand, while Sean's on my right hip.  Bad Momma!  Actually, that's just a multi-tasking Momma.  Anywho, he cracked my back and neck yesterday, and WOW, did it feel awesome!!  I'm back for another adjustment tomorrow morning.
If you're wondering just how old a lady I am with all my back pain, well, my old Knight's friends may remember that photoshoot where I came back walking like a penguin for a week.  Hauling around 40lb trunks of clothes and accessories can do a number on your back if you're not careful.  Anyway, I apparently wasn't careful, and my back hasn't been the same since.  Shoulda claimed workman's comp while I coulda, right?

Anyway, in other news, everyone at MOPS found out about the wee one on the way this morning - lots of love and prayers for us!  And my dear friend JaLisa emailed me the link to the new widget on the right, so that we can keep track of the little critter in my belly!  I remember my first ultrasound with Sean - he looked like an alien.  So I'm not too worried about the space creature on the right, I know how beautiful he or she will be when they're ready to enter this world!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Mean Parents

I got this email from Trey's Aunt a few weeks back - and I keep reading it, and really appreciating what it says.  So Thanks to my "Mean Parents," who taught me right from wrong, even if I didn't like it at the time!
___________________________________
Mean Moms (or Dads too) 
Someday when my children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me: 
I loved you enough to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home. 

I loved you enough to be silent and let you discover that your new best friend was a creep. 

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes. 
 
I loved you enough to let you see anger, disappointment, and tears in my eyes. 
 
Children must learn that their parents aren't perfect.. I loved you enough to let you assume the responsibility for your actions even when the penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart. 
 
But most of all, I loved you enough to say NO when I knew you would hate me for it. Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm glad I won them, because in the end you won, too. And someday when your children are old enough to understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them. 
 
Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. We had the meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast. When others had a 
Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches. And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was different from what other kids had, too.
 
Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing with them.She insisted that if we said we would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less. We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work. 
 
We had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie awake at night thinking of more things for us to do. She always insisted on our telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn when they drove up. They had to come up to the door so she could meet them. 
 
While everyone else could date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16. Because of our mother we missed out on lots of things other kids experienced. None of us have ever been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault. 

Now that we have left home, we are all educated, honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean parents just like Mom was. I think that is what's wrong with the world today. It just doesn't have enough mean moms! 
 
PASS THIS ON TO ALL THE MEAN MOTHERS YOU KNOW. (And Their Kids)

Monday, April 14, 2008

We're at Six Weeks!


Yesterday marked six weeks pregnant for us!  Here's my starting stats:
Weight:  135.5
Bra Size:  30F
Symptoms:  Very painful boobs that are spilling out of my normal cups.  And the nausea has hit.  My friend Jessica can be proud knowing that it was one of Daniel's poopers that kick started my nausea last Wednesday, and I've pretty much had it ever since.  Only once or twice has it been debilitating, but it's always there - constant blech!  And the super-human sniffer has kicked in as well - which made for an unfortunate trip to Costco this morning.  Costco is across the highway from the St. Peters Recycling Center, which has huge mounds of compost - talk about Blech!  I thought I was going to pass out in the parking lot.

That belly you see in the photo above is all me!  No baby showing yet!  I didn't think to track my weight and bra size so closely last time, but both numbers got HUGE with Sean so I'm hoping that by paying more attention this time, I won't put on the same 50 pounds.  One nice thing is that I'm already 7.5 pounds lighter than I was when I got preggo with Sean, plus I have a regular workout routine with Stroller Aerobics and Yoga every week.

Plus, after this little bebe has arrived, I'll finally be able to get my life long dream - smaller boobs!  And I'll need all the proof I can get to show the insurance company that this is a medical need, not just cosmetic!  Of course, that'll only cover making them smaller - I don't think I can come up with a medical need to make them perkier!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Charity Garage Sale This Weekend

A few of us in my Playgroup have been busting our butts to get a charity garage sale together for this weekend, and we're trying to get the word out!
What's so wonderful about this sale is that all of our proceeds will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - in honor of one of our Playgroup members and her son, Chase, who has CF, and will be three years old next month. The Playgroup makes no money from this sale!

And the sale will be huge! We have donations from 20 or so families, with items ranging from children and baby clothes and toys to household electronics and decor - and everything in between!  Ceiling Fans! Exercise Equipment! Games! Lamps! Clothes! Toys! And More Toys!

You Name It, We Got It! 
Crazy Good Prices!

Friday, April 11th, 5-8pm
Saturday, April 12th 7am-12pm

27 Concord Trail Dr, 63376
Located in the Butternut Stage subdivision, off of Laura Hill Rd.
Hwy K to East on Laura Hill (toward the Michaels and 
Target).
Turn Right on Butternut Stage Dr, about a mile down Turn Right on Concord Trail Dr.
Follow to the end of the cul-de-sac.

Follow The Signs!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Best Birthday Present Ever

Trey and I both celebrate birthdays this week, and we gave each other the best present ever - better than anything bought in a store...

I have my first ultrasound on April 23rd, please send out lots of prayers for our newest little one for a wonderful, healthy pregnancy!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Happy Birthday, Trey!

Happy Birthday to my best friend in the world, my husband, Trey.
I Love You

Amy & Trey, November 2001

Thursday, April 3, 2008

My Baby's just a cute little boy!

What can I say, my kid has been adorable this week!

On Tuesday, Trey was home with us, as he had his jury duty fall through, and was back home by 9am.  What to do on Daddy's day off?  Snuggle on the couch and watch Backyardigans!

Later that night, the little bugaboo was in full on goofiness - laying on the floor, eating raisins, singing and flinging Sleepy Bear around with his monkey toes - with fresh-out-of-the-bath winged hair.  

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Funny Photo of the Week!

I should start a Phunny Photo Monday or something.  Except today's Tuesday.  Oh well.

I was doing some housecleaning, and found Sean in this position - on the table, watching The Backyardigans, playing with his fire truck.  He thinks he's Hot Stuff!  Check out the kickin' outfit - jammies with shoes and socks.  He was adamant about this ensemble.  Luckily, we didn't go anywhere, so it was no biggie.