I've been tagged...

My friend Anna tagged me so here is some info you guys might enjoy!

What Was I Doing Ten Years Ago?
I was a freshman at Auburn trying to figure out who I was... and not doing a very good job of it! I was dating my first boyfriend Hal and I lived in the dorm (Glenn Hall) with Amanda! Mandy, you were there too! I was about 5 years away from meeting Hays. I had a lot of great friends, most of which I still have today, plus a lot more that I didn't even know then!

Five Things on My To-Do List Today :
1. Make it through work
2. Clean off my desk
3. Ask Anna furniture questions
4. Talk Hays into finishing the ceiling fan
5. Make dinner

Five Snacks I Enjoy (Can I write "anything not nailed down?"):
1. Pickles
2. apples, grapes, or oranges
3. Sun-dried tomato and basil wheat thins
4. My small daily ration of Diet Coke
5. Brownies and ice cream

Five Things I would Do If I Were a Billionaire:
1. Pay off all debt for myself and Hays
2. Pay off all debt for all family members
3. Invest
4. Donate to cancer research
5. Hire a cook and a maid

Five Bad Habits:
1. Leaving dirty dishes in the sink (this is a new habit)
2. Procrastinating
3. Watching a LOT of reality shows
4. Not always eating very healthy
5. Spending too much time reading blogs!

Five Places I Have Lived (I only have three):
1. Gadsden, AL
2. Auburn, AL
3. Birmingham, AL

Five Jobs I've Had or Have:
1. Dairy Queen (when I was 16!)
2. Outback Steakhouse hostess
3. East Alabama Medical Center Emergency Department Unit Clerk
4. Auburn University GTA: Biology Department
5. High School Biology Teacher

I Want to Know More About ( a nice way of saying "your tagged")
1. Hays Latimer (love you!)
2. Laura Graham
3. Mandy McPherson
4. Fran Skipper

Long time no blog...

Yes, I know I have not blogged in a while. I haven't had too much going on these days, besides work. I will be SO relieved when school gets out and I can relax for a few weeks before craziness starts again.
Many people have the impression that teachers are lucky because they get the summer off. However, I have never been one of those teachers! Between practicing with my dancers, taking them to camp, tutoring for the Graduation Exam, and Band Camp (again, with my dancers), I have a jam-packed summer! Not to mention the numerous workshops that I am required to attend. The only good thing about a lot of those days is that they only require about 3 to 4 hours of actual work, as compared to 9 or 10 on regular school days. I can handle that. AND I can safely say that no one expects me to be outside at band camp this year!
We are going to the beach the day that I get out of school and I am SO excited! Hays is taking a couple of days off work and we will have much needed time to rest and relax! We haven't been to the beach with Hays' parents in a LONG time, so it will be really nice to have quality time with them as well!
We had our annual yard sale on Saturday at Kenley's house and I have to say that a yard sale takes a lot of work, but it is a GREAT way to make some extra money and get rid of junk that you never use. We always go through our things and if we haven't used them in a year, we put them aside for the yard sale. My goal was to make enough money for a new ceiling fan for the nursery, and we made that and then some! The ceiling fan is now in pieces all over the nursery and I hope it is installed before the baby is born.
Most importantly, as far as baby news goes, everything seems to be going well! Margaret Anne is kicking SO much these days. Hays is amazed at how much she kicks at night when I sit still. I have been feeling great, and aside from the occasional swollen ankles (after a long day at work, mostly) and all of the kicks, I hardly feel pregnant, which is incredible! I have even been cooking dinner most nights, which is kind of a miracle because I didn't do that before I was pregnant. Last night I stayed up past ten, which may be a record for me.
I hope you guys enjoyed my rambling thoughts for today. I will try to post more often!

R.I.P.- Daisy's Favorite Toy

Daisy decided that she would put an end to her favorite toy tonight! Last week she pulled the squeaker out of this toy (she doesn't like to squeak, she likes to "gut" her toys), and tonight she finally put it out of its misery. The picture tells it all. This is how exciting our Monday nights get!

The Hazards of Pregnant Cooking!

This is Meredith's potholder that she has had since her and Amanda lived together in college! Don't worry, her hand wasn't in it when this happened (which was like 4 minutes ago). This is what happens when you turn on the wrong stove eye! Our Ceran cooktop is awesome, but it is very easy to turn on the wrong eye because I think we are still used to the old metal ring eyes! For anyone who would like to write a eulogy for Meredith's potholder, feel free to comment. It has served our family well!

A Reunion of Sorts

This past weekend officially kicked off Wedding Season 2008 for us. My friend Ellen E. from high school got married on Saturday, and I was very much looking forward to this weekend because I knew lots of my old friends would be there! Friday night Meredith and I had dinner with Scott S., Stephanie M., and Will C. at Jackson's and it was VERY fun and hilarious. I thought back on it, and the highlight of the conversation had to be Will telling stories about his grandmother, who they lovingly refer to as "Dragon"! To give some history, Will's uncle called her "the old grey duck" one time (evidently, she has grey hair and is short, but I still didn't connect the "duck" reference), and she did not approve of that name, so he suggested "Dragon". I believe this name emphasized her fiery personality and spirit, so she immediately took a liking to it and has answered to "Dragon" ever since. Most grandmothers prefer a more endearing name like Nana or Grammy or Memaw, but I get the impression that Dragon is a non-conformist. So you now have a clear image of why I enjoyed dinner so much! There was also talk of Stallone movies and past Halloween costumes, so who wouldn't have had fun? After dinner we trucked over to Fox & Hound for a post-rehearsal dinner cocktail party, which I guess marked the beginning of the reunion. As soon as I walked in, I saw a friend from school I hadn't seen since my sophomore year of college or so. It is amazing how much time passes but it seems like you just saw them. The party was fun, but Meredith and I were both looking forward to sleeping in, so we headed home at a decent hour (for perspective purposes, a decent hour to us is 11:00, and no, Meredith did not drink at the party!). On Saturday I spent most of the day working in the yard, and my grandparents even stopped by to impart some of their horticultural wisdom on me, because I need all the lawn and garden care advice I can get. Thanks Gma and Gdad! Meredith supervised my work from her lawn chair and towel in the middle of the yard. Ellen's wedding was held at Briarwood Pres, which is gigantic, and I thought the music was superb! Our friend Elizabeth P. sang "Pie, Jesu" and "Amazing Grace", and both were phenomenal! Props to Elizabeth for the tunes. The reception was held at The Club, and the band was great! I think it was the Tip Tops. Also, the wedding cake was the best I've ever had. I'm not sure where it was from, but I am willing to crash wedding receptions to search for a better cake. At the end of the reception, Meredith coaxed me into going home so I would get up and go to church, and in hindsight that was a good move. It was great seeing old friends at the wedding, and it was fun catching up! Here are some pictures from the weekend!

In the midst of a mental breakdown...

I want to know how many more people are going to tell me how big I am to have to go til August to have this baby. I am guessing about 300, since I get about 2 comments per day. And these are random people, mind you. The last 2 comments I got about 30 minutes ago were at a place of business. And don't think I won't mention to the owner that she might want to tell her employees to keep their opinions to themselves. I am about to pay them $300.00, people! I don't care if it's pregnancy hormones. I don't like it. Not one bit.

This face...

Is so sweet!

BIG Weekend!

Well, we had a VERY exciting weekend! Amanda called me Saturday morning to tell me that Emily was coming that day. Hays and I were standing in the middle of Home Depot buying paint and supplies and my first thought was to drop everything and run to Atlanta. But, seeing as how Amanda had lots of family there and we had no idea what time Emily would actually make her appearance, we decided to go on with our painting and leave early for Atlanta the next day. SO, yesterday we got up very early and drove to the ATL to see sweet little Emily. She was born healthy and precious at 5 lbs, 13 oz and 18 inches long. She is the tiniest baby that I have seen, but she is so cute and I can already tell that she is very smart.

Here are some pics:

Emily Renee Green

The happy Green family!

Sweet little girl! I did not want to leave her...

The boys were all VERY attentive!

Benji (Dad), Hays, and Erick

For some Latimer news, we got the nursery painted on Saturday (hence the buying of paint and supplies at Home Depot)! I am so glad to have that done. Also, Hays finally felt Margaret Anne move for the first time on Saturday night. He was so excited! She was kicking up a storm this weekend! I think she knew that there was something very exciting going on. We were singing "Tiny Dancer" in the car yesterday and she seemed to really get excited then. Maybe she's another little music lover like her Daddy!

Amanda's Baby Shower!

We had an awesome time this weekend giving a shower for my best friend Amanda. She is the best looking pregnant woman I have ever seen! Rachel did the decorations and they were SO cute! I wanted to put a few pics up for all to see...

Rachel made this Diaper Wreath!

And this Diaper Cake!

And these cute "lollipops!"

Alyson(Amanda's sis) made this cute diaper cake!

Pinning on her baby sock corsage...

The Hostesses - Minus Amy and Beth :(

High School Friends

Rachel, Steph (T-dog), me and Haley

Best Friends!

Gotta love all these girls! Every time we get together it is like no time has passed.

The Last Lecture

For those of you who have not heard of Randy Pausch, I DEMAND that you watch the attached video. Randy Pausch is a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, and it is a tradition for professors there to give a "last lecture" on the final day of class. Randy's lecture is significant because, rather than being a lecture marking the last day of class, it is a lecture he gives before his certain death. His perspective on life and how to live it is so powerful that, every time I watch it, it makes me realize how ridiculous some of my concerns or fears are. I first saw the clip a few months ago and forced everybody I work with to watch it, but of course 5 days later had pushed his words to the back of my mind behind more "important" matters. Last night on ABC Primetime there was a one hour special about Randy and his life, and I am so glad I watched it because it is so refreshing to see such a positive outlook on life when death is staring you mercilessly in the face. I will let you be the judge of his message, my only request is that you watch it and then think about how it applies to your life and who you are, or who you want to become.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roRGBqGgbqY

After careful thought and consideration...

I have decided to write this post to get a few things off my chest. I thought about doing a list of "Top Ten Offensive Things Said to Pregnant Women," but then I realized that I have probably said many of those things to pregnant friends without even realizing it. I have been subjected to a slew of pretty offensive comments lately, and they have made me take a long hard look at myself and I am going to be A LOT more careful about what I say to people. If I have said something offensive to you in the past, I am SORRY! I will do my best not to let it happen again!

First of all, I want to talk about a baby shower we had for Amanda this past weekend. I thought it was perfect, and if I look even half as good as Amanda does when I am 36 weeks, I will thank my God and all of my lucky stars. She looks phenomenal to have an almost full-grown baby inside of her! Amanda saw so many people and got so many lovely things for Emily that it made me even more excited to get ready for any showers that I may have. I can't wait for little Emily to get here!

Moving back to my subject, it really bothers me that being pregnant gives people who don't know you very well free reign to say inappropriate, often offensive things, such as "How much weight have you gained?" Or "That is going to be a BIG baby (this has been said in many ways, as in "I bet that baby will weigh nine pounds"). My all time favorite comment (said most often by people over 50) is "My, you sure are blossoming!" Don't people understand that how BIG you are getting is not something you want to hear! And poor Hays has to try and reassure me every afternoon when I get home. So does my doctor at each appointment! In case anyone is actually concerned, I just want to let you know that we are both measuring exactly where we are supposed to be for 21 weeks. We had a great doctor's appointment, and it was pretty funny because every time Dr H would try to put the Doppler on her to hear her heartbeat, she would move in another direction and he would have to go find her again.

Now, I know all of these people are trying to be nice and make conversation. However, I have actual friends that know how to do it without hurting my feelings. They say things such as "Aww, you look so cute!" or "you actually look pregnant." Who doesn't like hearing that they look good? Please keep this in mind the next time you see a pregnant woman. Whether you realize it or not, she is going through a lot of changes and could use some encouragement! And please comment if you have any funny comments that people have said to you. I would like to know that I am not the only one!

An uneventful week...

So I haven't had much to comment on this week. It is 9:53 PM on Thursday night, and I feel like Doogie Howser typing his memoirs at the end of an episode, except I don't have any insightful learnings or anything. Meredith and I have been busy with work and haven't had much energy to do much else but hit the couch at night. I have done some landscaping this week, and I am slowly discovering that I actually ENJOY working in the yard. I'm not for sure, but that could be my initiation into the Old Folks Club. If most of my future conversations start with a comment about the weather or my constant joint pain, I will officially apply for my AARP membership. Is it just me, or does the AARP just seem like a platform for companies to advertise to the elderly through? With spokespeople like Wilford Brimley or Sam Waterston, who wouldn't want to load up on a final expense policy or Dia-bee-tus pamphlets? Anyhow, in our effort to eat a little better, we decided to load up on groceries, and impressively we have actually used them rather than rely on our local Dairy Queen to provide nourishment! We have had pork tenderloin, cheeseburgers, pot roast, chicken and rice casserole, and lots of fresh vegetables. Mmmm...This weekend Meredith is helping give a baby shower in Gadsden for her friend Amanda, so I will plan on sitting in her parents recliner and watching the Braves begin their meltdown earlier than hoped this year. All seems to be well with Operation Margaret Anne, although Meredith seems to think her right ankle is slightly swollen compared to her left. I'm not sure what that means; I like to think the swelling is caused by our child's super-intelligent baby brain! Meredith can feel her moving around and kicking some, but everytime I put my hands on her belly...nothing. She is already learning to hide from her Dad! In other baby news, our friends Jamie and Trey informed us that she is 11 weeks pregnant, and we were ecstatic! Meredith started crying she was so happy! I just noticed that I overuse the exclamation point. Maybe that is a side-effect of ingesting large quantites of Milo's sweet tea before bed. Maybe something interesting will happen this weekend! Peace