The past couple of weeks...

Well, it's been a crazy few weeks. I have been extremely tired, and nauseous... that being said, I am feeling like I'm actually in my 2nd trimester now! Good thing since I am over 4 months along! Can't say I have MORE energy, but I don't feel like collapsing at any given moment, and the nausea is pretty much gone!!!! YAY!!!

Week before last, I was having weird palpitations with my heart. After a couple of tests and a heart monitor for 24 hours, turns out that I'm just pregnant! I didn't know that fast heartbeats for no apparent reason could be caused by pregnancy!? Oh, Well... better safe than sorry! That has actually cleared itself up as well!!!! Go ahead and think it - my body is weird... and even weirder pregnant!!! Hence why this is it... no more pregnancies!!!!

Last weekend, BJ HAD to go deep sea fishing for work down in Key West. But, my dear sweet husband came home early to be with me on Mother's Day!!!! Here's what he was tortured with seeing each morning:

Mother's Day was wonderful. I was at my parents' while BJ was away, and Bo, Jennifer, BJ and Nanny all came in for the weekend. We had a blast on the lake. Bo has a $75 jet ski... and it's just that. But even preggy got up on it!!!! Yeah, I have pictures, but, as usual, they will have to come later!!!!

Sam's doing GREAT! He's walking/running all over the place. Everything is a dog or a ball these days... but it's so cute to hear him say it - he's a southern boy, that's for sure! He has the cutest expressions, and can sure express his displeasure with those expressions! I never knew he had such a big lower lip!!!! The problem is, that he screams and kicks when something doesn't go his way! I'm hoping we can learn OTHER avenues for expressing our anger!!!!! The funniest, though, is when he does something he KNOWS he shouldn't, then picks his head up and gives the cutest melt-your-heart smile... it's so hard to stay firm!!!! But, for my sanity, and for those around us, I must!!!!! I love that kid, though!!!!!

You guessed it... pictures will come soon! Not enough time to upload!

Holy Pictures!!!

So Sam is at the lake with Mimi and Pop Pop, so I am MAKING the time to post some LONG over-due pictures!!!

On Sam's real birthday (March 31), we were in VA at a wedding for some dear friends. It was beautiful, and they were so happy!

I am not sure where BJ was here, but Bo was inside doing wedding stuff. Jennifer is on my right... that's Bo's new girlfriend (or old????)... they dated when the were graduating high school and ran into each other in the last few months and are dating again!!!! The other two are Chris and his fiance Amanda - we went to college with Chris, who is also a very close friend!

Keeping Sam happy... not such a hard job!Sam couldn't hold his little head up by the end of the night! Bo's face when Sam plopped his head on his shoulder was SO CUTE!!! It just made his night!!!

Here's Sam's birthday brownie that Mimi and Pop Pop had for him before the wedding... my child is not shy!!!

So Sam had a bunch of birthdays... this was actually Easter too, but he got presents then too!!!

This was so cute, because Sam crawled up in Bo's lap and started "showing" him how to use the computer!!!!

The Easter Bunny brought Sam a swimmie suit! He looked like the Hulk in it! This summer will be so fun watching him swim for the first time!!!My little boy is getting so big!!!

This is him first starting to walk (on my birthday)... Now, he is trotting... running is coming VERY soon!!!!!
I believe that is all for now! Preggy mommy must eat!!!! But at least we are somewhat caught up in the life of Sam!!!!

Little Update

OK, so I haven't been the best blogger lately...

Here's a quick update:

• Sam's ONE... I can't believe it! We had a little party for him this past Saturday - yes, I have pictures, but they're on Mama's camera, and she's in Orlando (not for fun), so I will get them from her when she gets back. Sam got a bunch of wonderful presents, and has been in toy-bliss ever since!!!!!
• Sam is walking like a champ now. I'm giving him a week, and I bet he'll be running!
• I'm still fighting the morning sickness that lasts all day... I THINK it's getting better, then, BAM, it's not. SURELY it will pass soon! Saturday was 12 weeks, so I'm officially in my second trimester... can't believe that either!
• Sam is obsessed with Stormie's water bowl - he wheels his walker over to it (literally, you can envision the wheels off the ground as he careens aroung the corner), tumps it out, tries to eat some food and he's off again before I can even get over there! I have started spatting him for it - I hate the little cry he lets out, but it seems to be working... we shall see!
• If it's not Stormie's food and water, it's the blinds, or the living room. He's just obsessed with things and places that aren't his... go figure!
• He's still such a happy little boy! And, today, he napped for TWO AND A HALF HOURS... and he's sleeping right now!? So far, for another hour!!!!!! What the heck is going on here? Last week, I was praising God for 30 or 45 minutes!!!!!
• He now has a bunch of little teeth - with which he has bitten me with... once! Then he bit himself... didn't do that again!
• Poor Stormie gets chased and harassed all the time... if she's in the right mood, she'll chase him back, though! It's pretty cute!!!

That's all I can think of right now... BJ and I are doing good - hanging in there! Bless his heart - he comes home from a hard day's work to a wife who can't get off the couch and a one-year-old that won't stop; he fixes dinner, plays with Sam, takes care of me, puts Sam to bed, and then puts me to bed! I know he's exhausted - but he's the best husband in the world! I am ready for this burst of energy thing to kick in... I don't really remember that when I was pregnant with Sam... =)

Pictures to come...

P.O.D.

Path Of Destruction...

That is Sam's new nickname - given by Mimi and Pop Pop!!! And it's so true. Wherever he goes, he leaves a wake of, well, destruction behind him!!!! Toy boxes unloaded, Stormie's toys unloaded... basically anything he can get his little hands on!!!!

Have I mentioned that he's walking? He took his first steps a couple of weeks ago (on my birthday!), and he is getting more and more stable and confident everyday!

I am doing better. Some days are worse than others. I just got Sam down for a nap, so I am about to eat and go take a nap too!

Here are a few pictures - I got SOME downloaded from the camera... there's still more!!!

Here's mommy's little helper - he found his stash of "un-used" toys... well, that is no longer the case!!!

This is Sam just getting started!!!!Have I mentioned that he's a climber??? He can push his toy boxes around and use them to climb onto the couch and various other objects!!!! This time, he is helping Mommy unload the dish washer!!!

Sam LOVES balloons! So, everytime we go to Mimi and Pop Pop's, he always has balloons! He got some for his birthday, so everytime we come downstairs in the morning, he says "Boon" and points! It's so cute!!!!And he drives! I think after this driving experience, Daddy's truck was in Auto 4WD for about 200 miles - he was wondering why he was getting worse gas mileage!!!! Sam likes to push buttons while he drives too!!!!

Here's why...

OK, so here's why I have been awful at updating my blog and posting pictures...

I am pregnant again!!!!!!

Yes, it was planned, but, as I get further along, I am wondering what the heck we were thinking! I am due October 27th, and am about 9 weeks along now... we had our first ultrasound Friday, and everything looked great! I am EXTREMELY tired (partly due to Sam, partly to baby #2), but I figure that I need to learn to function in this state of tiredness for the next few years!!!! I have had morning sickness again... all day!!!! It's not quite as bad as when I was preggy with Sam, but it's harder, I think, because I am chasing Sam constantly! I have actually been napping (hence, no computer!), and Mama and Daddy have been AWESOME!!!! I go out there one or two (sometimes 3 or 4) nights a week, and they take care of both me and Sam! I am so incredibly blessed to have such loving parents!!!!! They are DEFINITELY the busiest retired people I know... between me and Sam (Mama has done laundry and cooked and all that fun stuff), going and helping Bo with stuff, both of their mothers at different ends of the state needing something or another, and keeping up their own home, they are BUSY!!!! BJ says he's the lowest maintenance of us all.... yeah....

Anyway, that's my excuse! I'll still try for updated pictures soon - right now, I need sleep!!!!

Bad Mommy!!!

Oh, what a bad mommy I am!!!! I have promised pictures, but, in all honesty, I haven't TAKEN that many lately!!!!! What's my problem????

Well, last week, when Sam and I went to Mama and Daddy's for Thursday night, because BJ had a late meeting; it turned into Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights!!!!! (BJ came out there after work on Friday) We went to the farm on Saturday... and I think Mama MAY have gotten a COUPLE of pictures on her camera!!!!! I'll post those when I get them!!!

Sam FINALLY clapped... we have been trying this patty-cake thing for awhile, but, what got him to do it, you ask???? GOING 30 MPH ON THE 4-WHEELER!!!!! It was SO CUTE!!!!! Mama was driving with Sam in front of her; Daddy was behind Mama holding onto Sam, and he was just laughing and clapping the whole time they went fast!!!!! Now, I'm sure that's all kinds of breaking the law, but it was worth it for that smile and that clap!!!

Now, he plays patty-cake all the time!

And another thing that just makes him giggle and smile (Pop Pop discovered) is brownies!!!! When he gets a little bite, he just goes nuts!!!!! Again, SO CUTE!!!!

Well, here are the pictures I have...

Sam discovered that he can 'open' doors - it's just SO FRUSTRATING when they're locked!!!

Here's his first 'big boy' boo-boo... can you see it? It's on his chin! He fell after he flushed the toilet for me, and decided he wanted to go un-roll the toilet paper! His mouth was bleeding, and I didn't even know he hurt his chin until the next day!!!! It was scary for both of us, but we survived!!!He's SO MUCH bigger than the last picture we have of him doing this! Which will probably be the last picture of him drinking his bottle, since he's ALMOST ONE!!!!!! I can't believe it!!!

That's all for now!!!

Sam-date time!

With Sam, there is always a need for an update... so, here we go!!!!

• He is walking around with his walker and all around the furniture! Last night he 'accidentally' took his first step alone - he was walking between furniture and had to let go of the couch to get to the chair! Won't do it again, though!
• He pushed his plastic toy box over to the couch the other day, climbed on top of them and onto the couch! I was right there just seeing what he was going to do with it, but he looked like he had been doing it forever. He later thought he should push the boxes over to the baby jail wall and tried to climb over to the fire place... oh, what he learns SO QUICKLY!!!
• He called 911 yesterday morning! The Gwinnett county police called me back, and I had to explain that my baby called them and there was no emergency! They probably thought I had a 2 or 3 year old!!!!
• Sam fell and got his first bloody lip and chin... it was so sad (and scary)!!!!! He then scratched over his eye after his morning nap, then got the other eye after his afternoon nap... needless to say, he looks abused!!!!
• He has now started pointing at EVERYTHING!!! We were in the grocery store and pointed at every balloon we saw... Mimi and Pop Pop got him three, and he LOVES playing with them!!!
• He has an arsenal of words now: balloon, Mimi, Pop Pop, Big, Ba for bottle, bana for banana, hi, bye, ball, bang, Rock, puppy, , EEEEE and AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!
• He also doesn't want to be rocked to sleep. He pushes me away, I lay him down (for nap or at night), and he lays there and, sometimes he plays awhile, and sometimes he just goes right to sleep!
• He's so smart, obviously, but he is so much fun to watch explore and discover things!

Sam and I are at Mama and Daddy's, so I don't have my recent pictures, but, I promise to post some soon!!!! He's gotten so big! He weighs 25 lbs, and he's tall now!!! He needs to be able to walk so I can quit carrying him everywhere!!!!!

It's been a week...

Quick update on the Laterveers...

• My dad's mom fell and broke her hip and her wrist up in Rome last Friday... Mama and Daddy had to go up there that night and were up for over 40 hours - not a good thing, so they were then sick!
• Mama, Sam and I went to Albany to see the other grandmother and take her to one of her doctor's appointments on Monday... we got back Wednesday, but it was so late that Sam and I just spent the night with them and came home Thursday night!
• Daddy had to pick up his plane in the midst of all of this - so Mama and I were able to pick him up at the airport on our way home from Albany (oh, yeah, and he was on his way home from Rome).
• BJ's brother is on Spring Break this coming up week, so he is here staying with us this weekend! He loves seeing Sam - they're so cute together!
• I wanted him to have a yummy home-cooked meal when he came home from college, so I cooked yesterday (huge feat with Sam pulling on my leg!!!)
• Friends are coming over for dinner tonight, so I'm cooking again... good, though, because Brandon will get another home-cooked meal, and he and BJ can take care of Sam while I cook!
• I haven't even been able to look at my email, MySpace or Face Book until today!!!!! I believe it's been over a week... yes, major withdrawals... rivaling those of caffeine withdrawals!!!!!

Busy week, but all fun things... except for the broken bones, of course! She's doing better... they should be moving her to rehab today or Monday, so that's a good sign!!!!!

I have some pictures, but not the time to upload... stay tuned!!!!

Our weekend...

This past weekend, BJ and I went to Gatlinburg while Sam and Stormie went to Mimi and Pop Pop's!!!! Everyone had a great time (well, Stormie and Rocky wish Sam had let them sleep a little more!)

It snowed in Gatlinburg while we were there, we went to the Ripley's Museum, the Aquarium, The Guinness Book of World Records Museum, and on a Haunted Adventure! There was plenty of shopping too!!! It was great to get away and relax and to be on our own schedule! I dare say, though, that four nights was a long time away from our little man!!!! I missed my little guy, and every kid we heard or saw made us think of him and wonder what he was up to now!!!

Here's the snow...

BJ in the snow...Me in the snow... (can you tell we're from GA where it doesn't snow that often!!!???)

At Mimi and Pop Pop's, Sam has accomplished even more: he now RUNS in his walker, chases the dogs with NO problem, flushes the toilets, drinks through a straw, and has even stood by himself (he didn't realize he did, though!)!!!! He is taller and heavier, and he cried when we got him back in Athens yesterday afternoon!!!!!!! =( He has not one, but TWO new pairs of shoes, new clothes, and loves any food Mimi and Pop Pop offer him!!!! When I offer new foods, it gets spit back out at me!!!!! I don't know what their trick is!!!!

Sam "talks" all the time now... he has developed his own language! Sometimes I know what he's trying to say, other times I know he's trying to say SOMETHING!!! We'll get it down soon!!!!

Here we go with the pictures...

Sam and Stormie nose-to-nose...

Sam eating his first banana...

Sam eating a banana for breakfast at Mimi and Pop Pop's...Oh! Look at the mess... and notice the bed-head!!!!On the move...And up the stairs...Where is everybody????Stormie and Rocky playing... kind of... Rocky is trying to tell Stormie to leave him alone!Mimi and Sam ready for a ride on the mule...

Sam and Pop Pop on the mule...Sam flushing the toilet... isn't it cute????Oh! My! He found the toilet paper...Awww... Mimi and Pop Pop just let him go and go...

And GOOOOOO... Really... that's enough, don't you think????

He needs to flush all of that toilet paper on the floor there!!!!

All in a days.... SOMETHING!

So, now SAM has a confession to make... he would be JUST AS HAPPY if we would just shop for his toys at PetsMart from now on, let Stormie (or any dog for that matter) chew on them a little, and hand them over to him!

I swear... he will only play with his things for MAYBE five minutes. Stormie's toys, however, he will crawl around with all day - and cry if we take them away!!!???

Also, today, he said Banana... well, it was Bana, and it was only once - I can't get him to say it again!!!

AND, he found out that the toilet has water in it, and, since he loves baths, the toilet is a bath anytime! Baby hands are really hard to wash with soap and water!!!!! OK, note to self: keep toilet lids down!!!! Now, with the lids down, I bet that makes the toilet paper fair game!?

SCREAMER

OK, so I gave Sam a bath today, and was 'lotioning' him down (lathering the Eucerin that's like OIL), and he just started SCREAMING!!!!!!!!! It scared me at first, but it was just because he was MAD that he couldn't get up and play!!!! OH MY.... what to do with little screamers?

Later on, we were in the living room, and I guess something frustrated him, and he SCREAMED again!!!!!!!! Oh Boy!!!

So, onto something else! Sam naps, MAYBE two hours total in a day... what do I do? Oh, I get on the computer... I blog, I email, I go to My Space, and I go to Facebook!!!!! You could literally spend HOURS doing this - I bet at least eight hrs could get by before someone would even notice they were gone! I have to re-learn balance, I suppose! My "time off" is spent on the computer! I can't keep going this way!!! =) There's a new video/song out on You Tube that says "25/8 I check the My Space" They're not kidding! At least I have Sam to keep me grounded!

What do these people do that spend HOURS, literally, on the computer??? Do they have a job? Definitely not kids!!!! And these kids need to get outside!!!! Well, not today... it's too cold!!!! =) OK, I need to get off the computer... I'm self-governing here!!!!! =)

Happy weekend!

OH! MY! GOSH!

He climbs stairs now too!!!! He usually can be distracted away from them, but not today... so, I just let him go to see what he would do!

And he climbed ALL THE WAY UP!!! He stopped a couple of times for about .2 seconds... but he was SO FAST!!!! And so proud when he got to the top! We went back down, I got the camera, and he did it again!!!! Then, I put him in his crib, and he was OUT!!! Such hard work!!!! I am TIRED, but at least he's wearing himself out better now too... and I get a little breather here and there!

Here's some more walking pictures...Checking out these rims...Awww... it's so tough!!!!Gotta get back up and try again...And here we go again...Hoping no one noticed we ran into the wall... so, we'll wave to whoever may have seen...Uh! Oh! The wall didn't move for him!!!! Crash and Burn!!!