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