May-hem!

Where is this month going - better yet, this YEAR?! May has indeed been a busy month at our house: Sophia's 1st School Program, beach trip to Sandestin, a baby shower for my Sigma Kappa sister, a wedding in New Orleans & as of monday, Baby Lopez hit 18wks!

So, here's what's happening with our newest growing member of the family:

Baby Lopez is about 5.5" inches from crown to rump (approx. the size of a bell pepper) and weighs about 7oz (a smidge less than a can of Coke!. Baby Lopez is busy learning how to flex his/her arms & legs - movements that Mommy can feel every now & then! Baby's ears are in their 'final' permanent position, but likely still stick out a bit (ears that only a Mommy could love!). Even a thin covering of myelin is starting to cover his/her nerves - a process that will continue even in the year after Baby is born! If Baby L is a girl (most people are betting on this), then all her little girl parts are there & in place - same goes for a baby boy! Unfortunately, we still have a tortuous week & a half before my 20wk u/s (Mon. June 7th) until we know if Baby L is a Prince or Princess! I'm so excited that I almost wish I was having twins so that I could get a BOGO deal - one girl, one boy! Note my usage in the word "almost"!

Mommy & Baby Lopez - 18 weeks

Baby Lopez is the size of yummy bell pepper!

I'm definitely sporting a cute baby bump these days - thankfully I'm only gaining weight in my tummy - some has gone elsewhere, but I haven't ballooned into a whale, so I'm thankful for that. I continue to workout daily at the gym, but I've noticed my energy is considerably less than pre-baby - which is quite frustrating to me! I don't have a ravenous appetite (yet), and acutally become quite full on just small portioned meals - doing my best to be eating the 'right' things...but every now & then some chocolate sneaks in there!

Sophia's 1st School Program!

The Spring program songs had been taught way back even at the beginning of the school year last September - the 5-day 2yr olds had been practicing all year for this one day (namely their 15mins of fame, quite literally!). Sophia had cracked us up the past several months as she'd sing her little heart out during bathtime or in the morning - we were dying for this day to come!

Luckily, lots of well-wishers attended the performance: Abuelita (Patricia), YaYa (Javier), Nana (Diane), Papa (Mark) and of course Mommy & Daddy! We got great seats, but just far enough back that Sophia wouldn't quite see us -we were afraid if she saw us all, she may not sing at all! Rod went to the back with the rest of the Daddy's to film, & Sophia actually spotted him as her class entered the church - she even waved ecstatically! It was a total hoot to see these 5 classes (10 kids each) climb up to their special places on the risers - some kids were excited, some picked their noses, some pushed their classmates, some even turned around to face the back of the room! Sophia got to sit next to one of her bff's, Violet, so all was well. Photos were hard to snap as Sophia sat directly behind one of the microphones.

Sophia behind the microphone - see her?

The program was literally 15mins long & a priceless 15mins no less! Sophia was SO happy to soak up the attention & bask in the limelight (she must have her Mommy's acting/singing genes!). The kids sang all the classics: "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "If You're Happy & You Know It", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", The Lord's Prayer among others. They even all recited the Pledge of Allegiance! Afterwards, there was a reception chalked full of goodies for the kids & families to enjoy...we were SO proud of our little star!

Sophia the Starlet!

Next came our family trip to Destin with Rod's family. We were all looking forward to a little R&R down at the beach before Patricia rented out their beach house for the next year! We had a great time - yummy food, sunny skies, warm weather & lots of sand time:

Daddy & Daughter Fishing Date

Feeding the fishies

Mommy & Sophia building sandcastles

Beach Babe

Daddy gets buried - Devon shares a cerveza!

Sophia & Gabby at Bistro Bijoux in Baytowne Wharf

Lucy, Sophia & Ella: Beach Buddies!

Sophia used chopsticks all on her own - NO HELP!

The family at a beach favorite: Vin'tij Wine Boutique

We all had a great time in Destin playing in the sun & sand - and I was quite happy with the loot I got at the outlet mall too...now if only we could move to the beach!

More on the Sigma Kappa baby shower & the New Orleans wedding next time...

Swagger Wagon

So if you haven't seen the Toyota Sienna commercials with the hilarious couple bragging about their "swagger wagon"...you're in luck because it TOTALLY just got better. They made a music video & it's pure awesomeness.

I've made no secret that I want a Honda Odyssey mini van BAD (white, tan leather interior, with the touring wheels)& I would put "SWGRWGN" on my license plate. I'm totally secure in being 27 & driving a minivan - if it keeps the peace among children & protects my sanity...count me in. I'd rather have functionality over being the mom pulling out her hair all in an effort to look cute driving an SUV. I've test driven an Odyssey & they are awesome & I'm not embarrassed to say it! HA! However, I've yet to be handed any keys to my very own...

Anyhow, watch this video & you can thank me later. Enjoy!

Hello 2nd Trimester!

Hooray! I've made it to the 2nd trimester - today I'm officially 14wks on the dot! I'll gladly wave nausea & fatigue goodbye in the next few weeks, thank goodness. Both of those are for the birds! Baby Lopez is now the size of a lemon (approx 3.5inches) and is quite busy these days...here's what's new in his/her world:

• Baby can squint, frown, grimace & make all kinds of other 'faces' - thanks to brain impulses, his/her facial muscles are getting a workout moving from one expression to the next
  
• Baby's kidneys are producing urine which is released into the amniotic fluid around him/her - a process they'll keep up until birth
  
• Baby can grasp now & has the ability to even suck his/her thumb!

I ventured into the Dr's office for my scheduled 14wk appt - one that I knew was to be uneventful...well, it turned out to be quite the opposite! Once I met with Dr. Duggar, and we went thru the usual list of questions on how I was feeling, he pulled out the doppler to check for the baby's heartbeat. We were able to locate mine no problem...slow & steady. However, we had a hard time locating the baby's - this made me nervous. I listened closely to the static and the hum of my own heartbeat - watching Dr. Duggar's face the whole time to get a 'read' on his reaction to the missing heartbeat. We did get a glimpse of it, but couldn't sustain it. He in his usual jolly manner, simply sat me up & said, 'Well, you must've been praying for this - let's get you an ultrasound to check on that baby!" I wouldn't say I was praying for that - but it was a bonus as it was a no-charge ultrasound! He sent me to the tech & explained we couldn't quite locate a strong enough heartbeat on the doppler & for her (the tech) to check things out & make sure all was well - Dr. Duggar said not to be worried as it's common to not be able to locate the heartbeat sometimes...it's almost as if the baby was playing a game of "hide & go seek" when he moved the doppler. When I realized Dr. D wasn't alarmed, I settled & decided to get excited about the impromptu visit with my sweet baby! Baby Lopez didn't disappoint either - he/she was having fun in there waving & moving their cute little feet! Baby L was laying directly across my tummy so we got some fantastic photos - I was so tickled that I cried! I was just hating that poor Rod was missing it! Since it wasn't a 'major' appt, I told him to not even worry about attending...who would've known!? Baby L even placed his/her hand up by their face (just like Big Sister Sophia did in her u/s sessions) and even began to suck their thumb!! We tried to peek for the sex of the baby to get any sort of inkling, but it was just too soon - as girls can look like boys and boys can look like girls at this stage. Bummer is I'll have to wait another SIX weeks before our big 20wk appt to check all vital organs & determine gender. Major 'sigh'....

What's fun is that I'm really showing now - now I don't just look fat - it's obvious I'm pregnant. If there is ever a 'bad' part in pregnancy, it's the period where you just feel bloated and look like a fat cow. Moo. However, I'm still waiting on the 'glow' to kick in too....any day now would be nice!

Here's our latest photos of Baby Lopez:

Baby L is approx the size of a lemon!

Sucking his/her thumb!

Another side view of baby

Baby L sort of 'waving' - Hello World!

So, today was a fun day for our little family - it was completed by Sophia getting a special trip after school up to Lake Martin with Rod's parents too! They had a wee of a time...and upon returning home to our house, Sophia joined the neighborhood kids playing t-ball in the cul-de-sac! Now off to the kitchen to eat dinner...we're ALL hungry!

Auburn's A-Day 2010

Auburn University A-Day Game 2010

I was able to talk Rod right into taking his two favorite girls to Auburn last Saturday for Auburn's A-Day game...can you believe it? Poor Rod, the 'Bama grad, married a die-hard Auburn fan & grad (not to forget that I also appeared in their national tv spot during my senior year!) who just can't stay away from Auburn football and the town for very long! The weather was supposed to be perfect, but hot. We made plans to meet up with my brother, Jim, and his girlfriend Amber Saturday morning. Can you believe us Lopez's were ready for departure from Montgomery 45mins EARLY? Believe it, because it happened! We all suited up in the orange & blue (minus Rod who opted for blue...it's progress & I'll take it...slow & steady wins the race ;-) ). Sophia & I happily chatted & chanted "War Eagle" while shaking our shakers in the car & Rod navigated to Jim's house. Upon arrival, Sophia wanted to visit with Hemi, Jim's large & in-charge lab/boxer mix (?). He's huge. Jim then showed us his 'man-cave'....I should've taken a photo...it's awesome. Sophia loved all of his cars in there - to my surprise he let her mess with them & drive them everywhere (he's usually very OCD about placement of his 'things')! We all decided on lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings in Tiger Town to avoid the big crowds of downtown Auburn - the service was so-so & took way too long so we missed out on some of the pre-game festivities. Oh well. We were all full & happy & ready to go to the game. Bummer is when we finally got to the game the stadium was packed to the gills & not a seat was available in the shade - the temp was 90+ with humidity & it was 1pm...brutal. Luckily, we were able to go to the east end of the stadium (across from the student section, but facing west) & we huddled up underneath the smaller scoreboard for a smidgeon of shade. Whew. Poor Jim & Amber stuck it out in the sun for awhile. None of us lasted much past half-time. We were all sweating, tired & ready to get in the a/c! We left the game & mosied to the campus bookstore...it was swamped. But cool. Sophia began a meltdown here, but couldn't be blamed as she was at least 2hrs past her naptime. We bribed her with a tiger print binoculars and a new Auburn cheerleading outfit for Fall (40% off!). After that, we decided it was time to head home. We had such a fun day up on the plains & can't believe that the next time we attend A-Day, Baby Lopez will be 5.5mos old!

Uncle Jim & Sophia after lunch

Waaarrrr Eeeeaaagle!

Sophia snacking on stadium popcorn

It's SO hot out here!

Uncle Jim & Amber

Happy Auburn Girls!

1st & 10!

War Eagle from The Lopez's!

Heading home...

One tired Tiger!

Come Hell or High Point...

Actually, I took both this past week - I made my seasonal spring trip for work to the High Point furniture market in High Point NC. I love being a buyer for the store I work at, but sometimes it can take it's toll when you're missing your family. The benefit this time was that it offered this preggo some great walking exercise & fresh air (vs. Atlanta's market that is indoors in a few big bldgs). Leaving last Sunday & coming back on Wednesday made me miss my sweet family. However, I think they had quite a bit of fun without Mommy around this past week! Sunday was spent over at Lopez's where Rod, Sophia & Uncle YaYa (Rod's brother, Javier) washed Abuelito's (Rafa, Rod's Dad) cars - Sophia had SO much fun getting soapy & wet! Later that evening Rod, Sophia & Javier were the cook's in Patricia's kitchen...they sent me photos of their delicious creation (flounder in parchment paper) - meanwhile, I settled for a mediocre quesadilla in High Point - ha!

Chef Sophia preparing the flounder

It's all in the details!

Sophia & Javier cleaning Rafa's baby

The week progressed & I came home on Wednesday evening - whew! I was really looking forward to unpacking, & crawling into my own bed. Everything was great until 12:45am...my body just 'woke up' and was wide awake until 3:30am! I tried desperately that whole time to go back to sleep, but if I didn't have a sleeping husband & child, I would've been up vacuuming or cleaning. That's just sad. However, I did try to 'exhaust' my eyes by facebooking it, going on twitter, omg.com, foxnews.com, etc. I even went onto YouTube & watched funny music videos of some of my fave tunes. Finally I was tired enough to get some zzz's...until my alarm rattled me at 5:45am. This wasn't going to be a pretty day to say the least.

I arrived at work to a barrage of voicemails & emails to catch up on (sigh). Then I had to crank up the creative juices to design two ads for the newspaper, update our website & put together our store e-blast. I was doomed. It wasn't helping my cause that I was SO hormonal & emotional either...I was teary-eyed over everything! Finally I took a break to go home for some lunch - while home, I couldn't even get into my fave soap...so channel surfed as I put my feet up. I came across Pride & Prejudice on VH1...some sad music was playing & that is all she wrote...I was bawling. Over that?! Yep. I simply went with it - after, I did feel better. Ugh. These hormones can SHOVE IT. I deemed Thursday the "Hormonal Day from Hell" - it was that bad. The afternoon came & went relatively quickly - then we spent the evening having dinner at Lopez's (thank goodness we didn't have to cook - what HUGE treat!). As usual, Patricia had a delicious meal ready & waiting - thanks!

Friday arrived (TGIF) & the day was a complete 180 from Thursday - Rod even surprised me by sending me flowers at work! He said he felt bad that I had had such a horrible day on Thursday & that he hoped the flowers would help make up for it - boy, did they ever! Truth be told that when Rosemont delivered them, the guy asked me what the occasion was & I said, "No occasion, but now I'm wondering what my husband did that I don't know about yet"! HA!

Thanks Rod for the beautiful surprise!

I was even able to spend the afternoon with my sweet Sophia running errands after my mom treated me to lunch at Panera (I totally had a happy plate! Thanks Mom!). Rod then met up with us girls & we all went to Kabuki for dinner. Sophia was definitely not a fan of the big fire fanfare, but got over it when the hostess supplied her majesty with a sucker! We had a dud for a cook (no flare), but had a good meal, so whatever. We were stuffed after leaving, and headed home to settle into bed. I was wondering how in the world I was going to be able to get up & meet my mom for a class at the gym in the morning after all I ate...we shall see how that goes (as I am meeting her shortly!). Today will be an indoors sort of day as we're supposed to get lots of bad weather...looks like I'll be ironing today. Bummer.

Sophia's 1st Haircut!

Can you believe we have NEVER cut a hair on this child's head until now? She just turned 3 on March 28th....not one little hair has ever been snipped...until Sunday April 11th! Sophia has had the most gorgeous tendril curls ever since her 1st birthday - the kind you can't help but twist your finger around & gently pull - just to see it bounce back up! However, we knew it was getting to be that time to give it a healthy trim. It was getting so long that it was becoming unruly to comb in the mornings & a pain at bathtime (when wet, it would cascade clear past her lower back onto her two little hams!). So, as I updated the blog on Sunday, I asked her if she wanted Mommy to give her a haircut - she agreed! We'd hesitated on taking her to a salon, for fear that she wouldn't cooperate...and really not like all the attention that a first haircut garners in a roomfull of ladies. So, I told her that if she could sit in the kitchen chair very still & watch tv, Mommy would give her a haircut. She was totally jazzed! She helped me set up the chair & the towels to sit on, getting the spray bottle, combs & scissors. She happily watched Garfield as I snipped away. Only after I was finished did I get a little sad - those long beautiful curls were gone. But that quickly vanished as Sophia was oh-SO proud of her new 'big-girl' haircut! We scooped all of the hair into a baggie & then taped one of the best curls onto a piece of paper to document the occasion. I measured the cut hair & discovered I had cut 4 3/4 inches off!! I was stunned! Her hair still looks long, but is considerably shorter. She adores it. Thankfully, after a bath, the wave & curls popped back (which made me happy) and she was swishing her hair around all day! What a hoot!

Sophia with locks on the floor!

Showing off her newly cut hair

Mommy reads this & weeps!

12 weeks & it's now a Lime!

Yesterday, I thankfully made to the 12week mark...I don't care to count how many weeks that leaves me to go! However, I'm feeling good & as usual I received my babycenter.com weekly email update on what the baby's growth & development look like this week. Each week they equate the size of your growing baby to something familiar....this week Baby Lopez is the size of a large lime - hooray!

12 weeks & Baby Lopez is the size of a Lime!

Some important things with Baby L's development this week is that he/she will be able to open & close their hands, wiggle their fingers, toes will curl, eye muscles will clench & their mouth will even begin to make sucking movements! Every week is so fun to read about - it's always such a miracle to think what is going on inside my body - this week they say that if I prod my abdomen area, the baby will like respond with their newfound reflexes...although I'm most unlikely to feel anything. With that said, I have felt a few flutters that I'm convinced are the baby (& not gas), and since it's my second baby, it's not out of the realm of possibility. Hooray! Here's what Baby L looks like inside mommy this week:

12 weeks - What Mommy & Baby L look like

If only I could have ultrasounds done each week to see what Baby L looks like development-wise, it'd be so much fun. However, I'll have to settle for gazing at our last u/s photos from my 10wk appt (which I need to get scanned & uploaded here). I'm so anxious for the day when we find out the baby's sex - right now it's all so 'generic'...and sometimes hard to 'bond' with the baby. Knowing if it's a girl or boy & then being able to call it by name will make a huge difference. Don't get me wrong, it's all very special right now, but I don't find it endearing to call my child an 'it'. Sigh. Thank goodness for modern science!!

My appetite is quickly growing -but am trying to keep that beast under control. I did splurge the other day at the grocery store & bought a bag of Granny Smith apples. I think in the past 48hrs I've devoured at least 8. Oops. Just can't get enough of them! They make great snacks, & they are some 'effort' to eat, so I feel satisfied post-snack. I also was dying for a big fat turkey sandwich like I had had at Subway last week. I'm talking I made that sucker on 12-grain bread dressed with mayo, fresh romaine lettuce, roma tomato slices, banana peppers, pickles & of course, turkey. It was so ridiculously good yesterday at lunch, it was all I could think about the remainder of the day!

8th Wonder of the World - my turkey sandwich!

Last night we ate at Lopez's house and had Patricia's delicious home-made meatloaf (SO not the typical gag-reflex meatloaf that has given this tasty dish a bad rap...hers is EXCELLENT!), eggplant with tomatoes, squash or zucchini (can't remember), cauliflower with oil/vinegar and I added a salad to mine. I was craving the ginger dressing that is served at the Japanese steakhouses & Lopez's found a yummy bottled version at Publix in the refrigerated salad section - hello divinity!!

Makoto Ginger Dressing at Publix = YUM!

I'm thinking we will be investing in some like...now!