Friday, January 30, 2009

Message for Grammy & Sissy

Sean is obviously missing his Grammy and his Sissy.  He asked to see them both this morning, and even sang a sweet song about missing his Grammy.  I did my best to capture it, but he clammed up as soon as I pulled the camera out.  

I did get this out of him, though....



And yes, he just got his hair cut last night!  Doesn't he look like such a big boy??  *Sniff Sniff*

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Goodbye 1989

Well, our master bathroom still screams late '80s, but at least we've finally brought our main living area completely into the 21st century.  We started replacing the light fixtures in our home five years ago, when we moved in.  Our dining room light has been the last hold out, and we stopped replacing light bulbs at least a year ago.  We were literally down to one dimly lit bulb this past month, and we knew we could not be selective any longer!  

Here are the two best shots I could find of the old, tired chandelier.


Christmas Party 2007


Sean's 2nd Birthday Party

And here is our awesome, new, updated, current and fabulous new dining room fixture!  And did I mention we are blind as bats in the bright dining room?  We can't remember long it has been since we had that room fully lit!



And I need to mention how awesome my husband is, that he can throw up a new light fixture in less than an hour!  Thank You, honey!

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

FINALLY Some Real Snow!

We finally got some real snow yesterday, none of this "dusting" crap we've had all winter!  YAY!  Too bad it's meant two days home for Trey, but at least we've been having fun!  Ryan stayed warm inside while I snapped a few photos of my older boys.


Snow-shoveler Trey, Sean and Sophie


Sean'd open his eyes, if it wasn't so bright out!


Right after fallin' in.


Droppin' in for a Snow Angel!


Momma's lil' angel making an angel in the snow!


Sean's First Snow Angel!


Daddy & Sean eating snow - the white stuff!


Watching the neighbors shovel their driveways.


Sophie had fun, too!


Sophie trying to dig her toy out.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Was there Life Before Ryan?

Actually, there was, though at this point, it hardly seems like it!  But here are some random photos from the few weeks before Ryan's arrival that I didn't get a chance to share.


Look at these awesome Big Brown Eyes! 
I can totally claim those as mine, if nothing else on this kid!


Too cool for school


Trying whatever I can to get Sean to start eating normal foods again.
This trick did not work!


Daddy & Sean at Hope's birthday party at Jump 4 Fun.
Who's having more fun, again?


Sean getting his footing.


Climbing up into the Big Kid house.


Sean, Isabella & Addison
The weekend after Thanksgiving, when there were only Three Cousins!


Daddy & Sean, crashed out!


Sean, using and abusing Sophie, as usual.

These photos were taken at Dairy Queen around 5:30pm on Wednesday, December 3rd.  Two hours later, I was in labor.  I will never, ever regret this stop for ice cream with my Boo!


Yummy!  Ice Cream!


Big Cheeser loves his ice cream, just like his Momma!

Monday, January 26, 2009

It's A Gas, Gas, Gas

And unfortunately, I'm not referring to Jumpin' Jack Flash!  I'm referring more to the burping every ounce, beating my baby's back, circular massage on the tummy, the fact that Ryan can belt out a tune out of his rear end.  Poor Baby!  He's just so gassy, and continues to be incredibly fussy because of it.  

On Friday, I talked to the pediatrician on the phone, and we basically ruled out reflux.  For this week, we are trying a different formula, the Similac Sensitive, which is the milk-based, lactose-free version.  Soy is next on my list.
We're already burping every ounce; extending the feedings, trying to get him to slow down; massage techniques.
Next on my list is trying different bottles.  We have a million and one Avent bottles, as that's what Sean used.  But I'm going to pick up one bottle of each of the top brands at Target this week.  I've heard good things about Dr. Brown's, Drop Ins and Vent Aire.  Actually, Avent is supposed to be one of the best for gas, and we didn't have these problems with Sean.  But I know every baby is different, so maybe that will help.

Am I leaving out any other options?  Will my baby ever be comfortable again?  

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Bestest Gift of Ever

The kids got lots of fun stuff for Christmas, some of which they even still play with.  ;-)  But without a doubt, the coolest gift of the season was a John Deere Gator for Ryan and Sean from The Latta Family - Grammy, Poppa, Nana Roxy, Aunt Mandy & Uncle Nick.  Of course, I think it will be a few years before Ryan gets much use of it, but the boys surely have years of fun ahead of them!  Thank You so much, guys - Sean loves it!


This'll be so cool....Dad....hurry....

My friends and I can't wait to go cruisin'!


I look so cool with my new ride.


Pulling out ever so carefully.


Look at me Go!


I make this look good!


Watch out, I drive crazy!



The roads will never be the same!

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Last Days of Christmas

We still had two more days of Christmas, but I'll wrap it up in this one post!  But first, I was reflecting this week on the family Christmas traditions I grew up with, and how Mom and Dad managed to keep so much in tact even after they got divorced.  They never split the holiday, instead swapped years so that Jessica and I could have Christmas with one parent, keeping our family traditions (mostly) the same.  

And I also realized that it has been Six Years since I celebrated Christmas with my family as I did growing up, and I will likely never celebrate a Christmas the way I remember.   So I wanted to take time to say Thank You to my family - Mom, Dad, Grandma and Jessica - who have never once complained about my absence.  Instead they have gone with the flow, celebrating with Trey and the kids and me when we could fit them in our schedule.  Even if that meant Christmas in January!  I love you all so much, and am so thankful for everything you do for Trey and me!

Speaking of Christmas traditions, I remembered one funny story from my mid-grade school years.  We always had a quiet Christmas Eve - Christmas music playing, Christmas tree glowing, a gourmet dinner from Dad, Russell Stovers chocolates from Grandma...and that One present we got to open!  This one year, I'd had my eyes on a specific present for a few days, and that was my Christmas Eve pick!  I remember Mom saying "Are you sure you want to open That One?"  Totally not picking up on her hint, I said "YES!" and dug in.  Only to find sheets for my bed (a waterbed, mind you.  It was the '80s!).  Wow.  I so hated myself that night, that I had picked the lamest gift under the tree.  And we didn't get do-overs on Christmas Eve - it was one gift, and then the rest were saved 'till morning!  Which, for me, was always about 5am.  Even when I was a teenager and Jessica was a little girl, I was in her room at the crack of dawn, jumping on her bed, shouting "Santa came! Santa came!"  Good times, good times!

Anyway, Trey and I are now trying to establish our own family traditions.  And this year, we celebrated with my family on Friday night and Saturday.  Isabella and Jessica both arrived in town on Friday, and that evening we were with Grandma and Papa Z.  On Saturday, we celebrated with Grandpa Phil, Oma Annie and GiGi.   

Friday night...


Isabella and Sean playin' Santa, passing out presents.


Jessica and me 
I have no idea exactly what's up here, but this pic cracks me up.


Grandma, opening her "Big Gift" from Papa Z, Jessica and our family.

Isabella, with her new digital camera!


Isabella, with her new laptop!


Sophie - who got nothin'.  
(She ate her new toy from Santa the day before.)


Trey, belting out a tune on Isabella's new guitar from Grammy.

And from Saturday....


GiGi, meeting her Great Grandson!


Grandpa Phil (notice the change in furniture since Thanksgiving!)


Sean and Daddy opening presents.


Ryan, just hangin' out as usual.


Sean, Trey and Isabella learning how to play Mancala from Jessica.

Actually, I lied.  I have one Christmas post to go - Sean's most favorite-ist present ever.  Stay tuned...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Feelin' the Inspiration

So today is a pretty cool day to be alive in America.  I never thought in my lifetime that we would elect a man of color to the nation's highest office (and really, he's only considered that because he's not 100% white!).  I'm so proud that my boys will grow up to not think of this as such a novel idea.

But most of all today, I am feeling the hope and the inspiration of what we can do together.  Let's be honest, most Americans are pretty selfish.  We didn't become the debtor nation that we are because of our love of service - no, it was the "I need, I need, I need" mentality that got us here, the belief that our things define us more than our character.  As if the labels on my clothes give you any idea of the person that I am.  Trey and I don't ever want our children to think that their personal value is linked to what they own.   Let us spoil our children with love, affection and, most of all, our time.

So the election of a man that has called us all to action, coupled with the state of the economy, is a prime opportunity to change how we interact with one another and what we want to teach our children.  In this spirit, I pledge to:
*Continue smiling at strangers and offering them a hand.
*If I don't have anything nice to say - zip it!
*Stop worrying about how others are living their life and live the best life for me and my family.
*Spend time with family and friends all year - there are 365 days a year to choose from, and any day we spend together is special.  The Latta Home is open, come on over!
*Show my children the value of service by serving and sharing our blessings with others - making regular monthly donations of things we don't use/need anymore; writing letters to those that my Playgroup sponsors; continue to find new ways of living green. 

There's just a few things that I pledge for me and my kids.  If we all picked just a few things we could do in our lives that was from the base of giving rather than consuming, what a wonderful world this would be indeed.  And now I must go, as my Little Man is begging me for his Momma's time!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Christmas Day 2008

As I mentioned before, it was pretty cool to see Sean getting into the Christmas Spirit this year.  He would tell you in the weeks before Christmas that Santa Claus was going to visit us on Christmas to give us presents to celebrate Jesus' birthday.  So sweet!  So we made the conscious decision to be sure Sean woke up at his house Christmas morning, so he could see Santa's visit, stockings and presents and all!  It is so true that everything in life is sweeter when viewed through a child's eyes!

First off, none of us got to bed before Midnight, so I personally was expecting to sleep in until Sean woke up.  Little did I know that my husband would be waking all of us up by 8am to see what Santa brought!  So that's why Sean looks half asleep in the first few photos - because he is!


Barely awake, totally not getting that Santa has come!


Still not quite awake, but going with whatever flow Daddy suggests - Stocking Time!


Digging through the stocking, and starting to "get it" that Santa has in fact come and brought good stuff!


Eating some Christmas chocolate from the stocking.

Ryan wonders "What did Santa bring me?"

One of Sean's big presents from Santa, his own digital camera!


Let me take your picture, Daddy!

Up close and personal with Baby Ryan


Sean telling Papa Z all about the cool stuff he got for Christmas.

We spent most of the day opening presents, and that's not because Santa brought tons of stuff (actually, this is the first year that Santa really brought anything!).  But Sean really dug each of his gifts, and would spend quite a long time playing with them before he was ready to open any more.  Plus, Grandpa and Oma Annie stopped by in the morning, and we played a little Wii.  Then Grandma and Papa Z came over for the afternoon and dinner.  

In all, Santa brought us a new Wii game, and Sean got a play laptop and a toddler (read: practically indestructible) digital camera.  Plus, he opened presents from Grandma.  Oh, and Momma and Daddy bought a shirt and jeans - boring clothes!  Ryan got a new paci holder in his stocking and two stuffed animals, that I believe Santa nabbed at the Free Table from MOPS!  Seriously, given all the stuff the kids receive from both families, it's just plain silly for us to shower the kids with even more.  As it is, Sean favorite new camera, which he hardly put down for a good two weeks, has already found its way to the bottom of his toy bin, not quite a month later.  His new laptop gets a lot of use, however, though I'm pretty sure that's because Momma's always working on hers!

As it was, Christmas wasn't actually over for us Christmas Day - we had two more Christmas' to go!