So the updates... Brian's surgery went well on Monday. He'll be home recovering for about two weeks. Today we're on day three and he's still in a bit of pain but the doctor says the first to 7 days are the hardest. We're just glad everything was fixable and went as planned for the doctors on Monday morning.

Thank you for all you support and prayers, you've been wonderful friends and family.

He has some fun projects to think about and start on while he is home. He's going to reformat an old laptop for Brae. And then I'm going to Braedenize it which we're both excited about. And he's also going to be building a super awesome PC from scratch. The casing came to the house yesterday. I got him a hard drive for it last week and then other pieces should be rolling in shortly. He's psyched.

Braeden will be seeing an ENT specialist on Friday morning. I have no worries, I really feel like everything is going to be okay. I think they may want to schedule a CAT scan of his sinuses and check on his adenoids, but hopefully they'll look at him and say he's going to be A-OK.

As for me and Baby, we're hanging in there. Counting down, literally, until our due date. I know I had Braeden a couple weeks early, but maybe this birth will be different. I'm trying to stay as comfortable as possible, but this is not easy. It's a pain to waddle, it's a pain to sit and laying on my sides makes me need to flip over and over like a flapjack because I get so sore. Fortunately, I know this too shall pass and as long as Baby is doing alright then we're set. My next appointment is tomorrow.

Labels: brae, brian, family

Seeing as how I have 36 days left until my due date I haven't been able to get around very quickly and sometimes getting off the sofa just tires me. In addition, Brian will be having surgery on Monday and I have been very strict in telling him all I don't want him to attempt doing, because I want him to get better and recover quickly without any further damages to be dealt. You know what I mean?

And so, last night Braeden cleared the dinner dishes and put them in the sink of his own accord. No one asked him to do it, he just did. He is five years old, eye level about 2 inches above the sink and yet he completely took over and helped out.

He gives us trouble some times it is true, but he is the sweetest little boy ever. I told him he'll have to teach his baby brother how to be such a big helper.

Labels: brae

Mom and I went to the Perryville Outlets today. This has become a tradition for the two of us and we typically go twice a year. Once in the Fall and once in the Spring. This typically coincides with Braeden's birthday and then my birthday.

Each time we head to the outlets it's exciting for us because we know we'll be eating lunch at Chesapeake Food Works. They make THE BEST sandwiches, all kinds, I'm not lying. We seriously look forward to their sandwiches each time we plan a trip. This time I had one with pastrami, coleslaw, russian dressing and swiss cheese. DEELISH!

I also enjoy looking in Rue 21 and the Osk Kosk B' Gosh store. But my favoritest store of all is the Book Cellar. You can get excellent paperback books for $1! Since I love books, LOVE THEM, I always find it hard to remain disciplined while in this store, but today I think I did very well. In fact I ended up buying more for Braeden then for me and I think that is perfectly acceptable.

The only bad thing is that each time we go to the outlets there are less stores. They can't seem to stay open. This time we noticed the Mikasa and Claire's stores were gone. I hope they are able to remedy this and get more shops opened soon. I'd be bummed if the outlet center shut down.

Mom and I had a great time walking around and talking about life. I'm so happy we were able to go and that my feet didn't swell up too big by the time we headed home. Thank you to my Mom for making my birthday weekend more special.

When I got home Brian was busying cleaning the grill. This is great news! I can't wait to have more grilled dinners. Brian makes the best grilled chicken and of course Brae and I love turkey burgers.

He had also fixed the shelf in one of our kitchen cabinets and gone grocery shopping. this was a very productive morning for Bri and I'm thankful for all he did.

Now I'm eating dinner and relaxing. Tomorrow will be my 28th birthday. Braeden is coming home early from his father;s. Greg and Jada are coming down for dinner, as well as my parents and my in-laws. It will surely be a wonderful day!

Labels: birthday, brae, brian

On Friday evening Brian, Braeden and I made our way to Baltimore for a weekend of fun. We booked two nights through Harbor Magic to stay at the Brookshire Suites with a package rate that included VIP tickets to the Baltimore Aquarium. The tickets also included admission into the dolphin show and their 4D theater experience which this weekend was about the "Shallow Seas".

This was Braeden's first experience staying in a hotel and as a family it was our first experience taking a trip together, just the three of us. Braeden was very excited!

The Brookshire Suites were far less than spectacular. Turns out the hotel used to be a parking garage, I did not know this when I booked the package. Maybe then I would have realized it might not be the most comfortable of environments. The giant bay windows in the room provided absolutely no insulation to the weather nor did they keep out even a decibel of sound. Even on the 9th floor there were times we could hear people talking down on the street. In addition there must have been three dozen times when emergency vehicles drove by during the two nights. And the big metal sheet covering the pot hole right outside the hotel also made for some great noises every single time anything drove over it.

On top of the sounds, the parking garage made into hotel also meant very low ceilings. Brian could touch the ceiling without fully extending his arm. Anyone six feet or over would have had to duck to get through the short doors. Even I was able to look over the shower curtain and into the mirror, and I'm only 5'3".

Oh the fun doesn't end there...

The carpet was also used as trimming around the bottom of the walls. It was folded up and glued, which as I am sure you can imagine did not look good or work out well and it was sort of flapping over. The sofa which was supposed to be a sofa bed looked more like a piece of furniture which had been thrown out on the street after a domestic violence situation. There was what Brian and I deemed a stab wound in the middle cushion and each cushion you sat on was grossly stained. Plus all of the pillows were sewn together AND sewn into the sofa, so you couldn't move them at all.

Then came the complimentary breakfast. There was supposed to be a shark character dressed up in costume for the children, but there wasn't. And the breakfast included cold scrambled eggs, cut up red potatoes (also cold) sausage and what I am surmising was supposed to be fresh toast. On the other side were danishes (probably from 7-11) and slice fruit. You could also choose dry cereal, a bagel or toast. They had three toasters and only one and a half of them worked. To drink they had water, juices, coffee and tea. They ran out of orange juice on the second morning. They also ran out of watermelon during the second morning.

Needless to say we won't be staying at the Brookshire Suites ever again.

Saturday morning we walked to the Inner Harbor, took pictures and looked around on our way to the Baltimore Aquarium. The aquarium wasn't too packed when we initially walked in, but everyone and their brother showed up quickly. We went almost immediately to the dolphin show which was packed and so we had to sit way up high. There really wasn't a bad seat in the house though, and Braeden liked watching the dolphins do their tricks. The show only lasted 15 minutes and I felt it had more talking than dolphin tricks, but it was still pretty cool to see how intelligent the dolphins were.

After the dolphin show we fought the crowds walking around and looking at anything we could get close enough to look at. At times we had to coerce Brae to push his way to the window so he could at least see the fish and ocean life through the windows. He says he liked seeing the sharks, but I think he liked the turtles the best. He ended up buying a stuffed sea turtle which he named Tortoise and a notepad with turtles on it as well.

Before heading back down to the bottom floor for the 4D theater show we attempted grabbing a bite to eat at the top floor cafe. Where I stood in line for 25 minutes (with four people ahead of me) waiting to purchase a $3.50 soft pretzel and $3.00 bottle of water. Nothing had been prepared, even the french fries were fried only when ordered. It was well after noon and so a lot of people were hungry and waiting. But while Braeden was eating his soft pretzel and telling us it was the best soft pretzel ever, what could we do? The long wait and expensive pretzel was worth it to see him smiling.

The 4D show was a 3D movie with extra effects. The theme was "shallow seas" and it was pretty interesting. After we were crammed like sardines into the little theater of course. Braeden laughed nearly the whole time because we were getting sprayed in the face, our chairs were shaking, things were bristling at our feet and we could feel the wind from the movie. When the water snake was coming at us 3D we also felt a poke in our backs, the chairs had all sorts of effects programmed into them, it was really quite interesting.

After the aquarium we walked on the Chesapeake. Braeden chose this ship, probably because it was bright red and placed right outside the aquarium entrance. But it was pretty cool. Although difficult for a 31 week pregnant mama to climb around in. He was curious about everything and was running around looking at things. I think he liked the steering wheel area the best.

Now it was time to take another potty break and eat some food. We went into the gallery at the Inner Harbor. We ended up choosing Chicago Uno's Pizzeria for food. Brian and I shared a deep dish Chicago's Classic and it was delicious. We also had onion straws, also delicious. Braeden ordered iced tea and cheese pizza but he fell asleep on the table before the food arrived.

We stayed in at the hotel the rest of the night. My legs were swollen, I was having painful contractions and it was clearly time to rest up. We weren't sure what we would do when we woke up, but we were thinking about the Children's Port Discovery Musuem. When we found out it didn't open until noon we ended up going to Geppi's Entertainment Museum in Camden Yards. It was super cool. Brian and I loved looking at all the old toys and comics, everything pop culture related from he 1800s on was in this museum. Braeden was pretty bored in some of the rooms, but he liked the comic book room and he enjoyed the more recent pop culture where he recognized Star Wars, Batman, Superman, Ghostbusters and such things.

Then we drove home. We picked Mya up at my parent's house. And we pretty much sat and watched movies in our pajammies Sunday night. While I uploaded nearly 200 photos from our fun-filled weekend.

Labels: brae, brian, life, vacation

Braeden is back at day care today. This is his first day out of the house, aside for the doctor and hospital visits, since last Tuesday. When he got out of the car to see his Gram this morning he said, "Look, I'm walking." I could have cried right then.

He really had been too sick to walk. Nearly a full week of just laying on the sofa, whimpering during his naps and throwing up or having diarrhea completely wore down his body. He has lost a noticeable amount of weight and his eyes are still very dark and sunken in, but he has made huge progress. Yesterday afternoon he actually wanted to eat something and he started drinking his grape propel (courtesy of Barb) without me having to remind him to drink. It was like a miracle to me. The sudden will to get better he began displaying.

He had a stomach bug of some sort. It's going around and it seems to be just destroying the children who catch it. He only had a fever one day which is good because he dehydrated even without running a fever.

Saturday we spent 8 hours in the ER at A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children. It was packed in the waiting room. They did an abdominal x-ray which showed a blocked/impacted area of his intestines which was something he was dealing with in addition to the bug. It was causing him great pain.

I won't get into everything they did to help him get better, but let's just say that little boy has been through hell and back over the last seven days.

I am so, so, so very grateful to see him perking up now.

Thank you to everyone who has helped out and prayed for him!

Labels: brae

Okay, so last Friday we went to have dinner at the in-laws for Brian's birthday. Aunt Gerri, Uncle Bill and Kevin were there as well. Terri made delicious baked ziti and there was also yummy salad. In my eyes it was essentially the perfect meal. The only thing which would have made it better would have have been a glass of red wine. And that will have to wait.

Brian was given a shop vac and a blu ray dvd player. And shockingly enough I was also given something. Terri and Todd bought me a FANTABULOUS digital SLR camera for my birthday which is coming up in March. The early gift was a huge surprise and I am already getting a lot of use out of it. I love it. I could not have asked for a better present.

It's a Nikon D60, 10.2-megapixel DX-format CCD imaging sensor and exclusive EXPEED image processing. Yes, the very same you see Ashton Kutcher with in all those camera commercials. It really is just incredible.

On Saturday Braeden was sick, he threw up and had a horrible headache. It was a rough day. Fortunately, it was only a 12-hour bug apparently because he seemed better on Sunday. In fact, he wanted to go to his swim lesson with Team Delaware and so we went.

Much to my dismay Team Delaware practices at the 1614 in Newark and the building is very run down. In fact, if I didn't already have Brae excited about the lesson I might have backed out upon seeing his dirty the area in the locker room and around the pool was. I really hope they work on it, I know Team Delaware is just renting the pool, but they should know the atmosphere is very underwhelming.

Braeden was afraid at first to get in the pool and do things without his life vest. However, the coaches were very good with him and he ended up having a great time. He bobbed in the water by letting his face go underwater, he blew bubbles, he practiced kicking and for a millisecond he even attempted floating on his back. They ended by jumping off the side and into the deeper water. Braeden tried it as long as the coach was within arms reach and I was super proud!

Sunday night it started snowing and we were warned of a major snowstorm. Monday morning when we woke up there was about 6 inches of snow. Work was closed and we were in for a fun snow day. By the end of the day we had a little over 8 inches I think, but the wind was fiercely blowing snow drifts in areas so I'm not sure if we got more or not.

Brian, Brae and I played outside for a bit, but it got bitter cold very quickly. There are a lot of fun photos which you can see at the link in the above paragraph. Braeden got both Brian and I good with his snowballs. Very fun.

And then Tuesday morning Braeden was throwing up again, coupled with diarrhea. He was so, so sick. So I left work and went to get him at daycare. And we've been home since then. Today is the first day he has been able to keep water in and he also had a half piece of toast and half a banana. This is definite progress. Although he still has not gotten off the sofa, he is laying down and very, very tired. This bug definitely got the best of him. Yet, bless his little sick heart, he's craving chocolate glazed donuts from Dunkin Donuts.

**update** He's throwing up again, this afternoon. Prayers needed my friends. 1:30 p.m.

And so here we are. Thursday. I'm getting some work done from home. I'm watching Two and a Half Men dvds as requested by Braeden. And I'm just hoping this weekend will bring intense rest.

Labels: birthday, brae, brian

Lots to update you about and yet so little energy on my part.

Friday Braeden was pretty sick. He had a migraine and actually asked to be placed in a dark room away from the noise of the other children in daycare. Of course I then went to pick him up and upon pulling up in our driveway he threw up all over the car. It was gross. And my Jeep still smells even after being cleaned and aired out. The night before he had slipped off the sofa and the left side of his face slid across the carpet. He had a wicked rug burn which is now fading quickly. Brian thinks he probably had a mild concussion from the fall and that might have contributed to the headache and vomiting. But his pediatrician said he had no signs of a head injury when we took him in to be checked out. Who knows.

Saturday morning Braeden was feeling better and his father picked him up. As you all probably know I ache when Braeden is away, even if only for 24 hours.

Saturday afternoon, Brian and I went to Baltimore for David and Emily's wedding. I took many photos and posted most of them on Flickr which you can peak at using the above link. The wedding was beautiful. Both David and Emily looked elated the entire time. The reception was also lovely and I had a great time observing the crazy dancing of people who had gotten tipsy and the children who were just loving life.

We came back on Sunday after having stayed the night in Baltimore at the Hilton Garden. Neither of us slept very well and naps were needed before Braeden was to arrive back home. Braeden and I played a bit of Monkey Ball on the Wii that night.

Yesterday was Joy Sparks' Memorial Service at Clayton Hall. Carrie and I drove over together along with everyone else here at work. The service lasted about an hour and a half and I think I cried the entire time. I didn't know her as well as others since I have only been working here for a couple years. However, from the time I did get to know her she always lived up to her name. She was a joy in every respect. She will be missed dearly by many.

Today is Brian's 28th birthday. I got him a new home theater system and it's already hooked up since it came early. Braeden woke him up this morning by jumping on the bed and singing Happy Birthday. He also gave him a handmade card and framed painting, both of which he was extremely proud of and I wish I had my camera to snap a picture of his Cheshire grin.

Braeden and I made a vanilla/vanilla cake for tonight. And we'll have something special for dinner though I haven't quite figured that part out yet. Either way it should be a very nice birthday night. And I only wish we all could have spent the day together instead of having to go to work.

And now I must get back to work. And try to stay awake.

P.S. Today is National Pancake Day!

Labels: brae, brian, life, work

Oh sigh.

Today I will be taking Braeden to Cedar Lane Elementary to sign him up for kindergarten. I am trying very hard not to let him know my anxieties about this, because I want him to be excited.

Brae is very smart and he's pretty outgoing. He learns very quickly. But he is easily frustrated. Usually he'll push himself to continue trying, but sometimes he gets so mad at himself he sort of just shuts down. Hopefully we'll be able to improve that fight or flight response, because I don't want school to be a hard struggle for him, I want him to love learning.

I didn't. I do now, but when I was in school I struggled. I was one of those students who had to read the book more than once to get it. And when it came to math, forget it, it's still a jumble when I look at equations. I could do the word problems, but straight math clouded my brain.

For Brae, I want to support and encourage him. As most Moms feel, I think he's going to save the world some day some how. He already adds so much to our family. He could be whatever he puts his mind to being.

Yesterday I looked over his preschool papers. I noticed he wrote to letters in his name backwards, so I mentioned it and tried to show him how one paper he wrote it correctly and to see if he noticed the difference. He got so upset with me, he ran into another room. I tried to assure him I wasn't mad at him at all, I'm very proud of how hard he tries. He finally decided to look and listen to me, but his initial reaction was one of hurt.

Today Brae brought handmade Valentine's cards to daycare/preschool. He didn't want to buy cards this year, he wanted to draw each child their very own Braeden-made Valentine.

We'll see how it goes during registration. And I'll try to be just as brave as him.

Labels: brae

In an effort to encourage Braeden's creative eye, he and I sat down yesterday and created his very own Flickr page. He told me what to write in his profile and what type of icon he wanted.

We then hooked up his Fisher Price Digital Camera to the laptop and he picked 40 out of 267 photos to display on his Flickr page. He dictated all 40 photo titles and descriptions as I was typing.

He likes to take photos and I think this is a wonderful way for him to express himself.

Please feel free to check out his snap shots on his very own Braeden Quinn Flickr Page.

Labels: brae

As you know, Braeden came home from his father's house sick on Sunday evening. So Monday I did get him in for a doctor's appointment at 9:20 a.m. and the doctor he saw said it was a virus. I hate when they tell me it is a virus, because essentially it means aside for Motrin or Tylenol there is really nothing you can do.

This morning Braeden's fever that was nearly 103 degrees has finally broken and I was able to take him to day care, which means I was able to go to work.

He still isn't feeling 100% as he is still coughing, but hopefully he'll continue an upward climb. Though I foresee a sinus infection brewing as he is now looking a bit more congested in his nose. I'll keep an eye on that and make sure it stays clear.

The doctor ordered some lab work and I took him to Lab Corp Monday morning after his appointment. Hopefully I'll hear from her today about the results, if not, I'm calling the office. His IgA, IgG and IgM levels are being rechecked. Plus she decided to do a complete CBC and CPT. Another test she ordered was to check his tissue transglutiminase levels, this is to check for a risk of celiac disease.

Whatever it is that comes back from these results I have already decided to pay more attention to his daily food intake to see if something triggers negative reactions in his body. I'm also going to continue reading about supplements for children to see if there is anything I can give him which might help his immune system get stronger.

Aside for the Braeden update, I don't have much to add. I'm tired and feeling stressed, it's not easy seeing your kid feeling so sick. Bless his heart though he is a trooper.

Labels: brae

Right now I am waiting for someone to get in at work and give me my new IP address so I can attempt to work from home remotely.

I'm also listening to Braeden play TMNT on his Gameboy. He just completed Act 7 do I'm assuming that means he is doing very well. Though I could do without all the weird sound effects.

We're home today because he is sick. His father and Jennifer brought him home yesterday evening and said he had a cough. After they left I took his temperature and indeed he had a fever. But this morning his fever is even higher at 102.8 degrees, he's a little furnace sitting next to me and so far the Motrin has not knocked it down much. So I called his doctor's office and am waiting for them to call me back since it forces you to leave a voice message! That is just so irritating. I made sure to call right at 8 a.m. so I wouldn't have to wait all morning for a response. Hopefully, they will call me back shortly, if not I'll just harass them.

As for the weekend, Brian and I had a nice weekend. We watched movies at home including "Eagle Eye" which we both ended up really liking. And we watched a Doris Day movie "Do Not Disturb" which was very cute as are most of her movies. On Saturday night we went to dinner at Polidoro with a gift card in hand. It was nice to go out and the salad was yummy but our meals were not, nor was the service so I don't think we'll be going back unless they change hands again.

Labels: brae, brian, movies, weekend

It's true, even when I'm not pregnant I am overly emotional about things. So clearly right now is the wrong time for me to look back at my comments on Digg and read people's replies.

Who cares what people say about my comments? So what is I have been buried like 100 times? Why should it matter to me?

Oh but it does. The curse of being over sensitive is getting to me.

Essentially if you leave a comment on a story and it in anyway implies you have a heart, well then you're doomed to be berated and laughed at. I'm the kind of girl who would give up a swing for someone else at recess. The other diggers apparently are the bullies who would then push that kid out of the way so they can have a turn first.

Yeah, I said it. I don't like DIGG commenting bullies. Those cynical whiners out there who are so bitter and skeptical that they can't just appreciate when someone actually cares. I mean seriously, are you that miserable? Are you!?

So here I am, even devoting a post, so that I can now complain about something ridiculously trivial! WHY!

Oh well. It's Friday. It's fabulous Friday and I'm going to leave work early so I can get some things ready for Braeden's birthday party. That's a topic worth writing about for sure. Braeden is going to be 5 YEARS OLD! I still can't believe it. How fast the time has gone, quicker than a blink I'd say. My baby will be in kindergarten next year. He wants to learn to ride a bike without training wheels. He practices sounding out words and reading what he recognizes. Oh my heart, you'll be the apple of my eye until the day I die and even in the after life. I love you, Brae!

Labels: brae, digg, rant, stupidness

You are probably wondering why I haven't been updating as much and have been slacking on commenting 'round the blog-o-sphere lately.

Truth be told I'm ill! Even now with the lights off and the monitor brightness set to zero I am still massaging my temples between types to try and ease this headache.

Which brings me to my next announcement.

While all the books suggest waiting until the end of the first trimester to announce your pregnancy, I just cannot keep quiet!

That's right. Brian and I are expecting. The baby is due sometime during mid-May from what we are guessing. But we don't have our first doctor's appointment until September 19th.

Braeden is thrilled by the news. He says he is going to be a good big brother, but I know he'll be a GREAT big brother. He is already trying to take care of me and he is taking time to talk to the belly. He is so excited, I kknow if he had a blog you would all already know the news. He told my Mom before I got a chance to tell her!

The morning sickness is all day long, just like with Braeden. But I don't remember these headaches with him. Though I am very sure they are related to the changing weather, too.

Anywho, that's the big and yet oh-so-little news!

And here's the new blog that Brian and I will be writing on "Little Us".

Labels: baby, brae, brian, life

You may or may not remember the Journey concert my family had planned for last night. Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick were at the "Tweeter" center in Camden, NJ.

...

Carrie came down to Newark to have lunch with me yesterday. She had a craving for sweet potato fries and seeing as how I have never turned such a fry down, we decided to go to Iron Hill Brewery on Main Street and share the appetizer of said fries. Delicious!

The concert began at 7 p.m. so we left the house accordingly. With Brian's skills we made excellent time and then hit the crazy backed up concert traffic. There they were, hundreds of vehicles blaring Journey music while inching forward every so often just to get to the parking area.

I don't do well in moving objects. And the inching forward and stopping was the worst. Brian pulled up onto the scary sidewalk and out came the fries. Chunky sweet potato disaster!

After the under cover cops assaulted the main selling t-shirts two cars ahead of us my stomach did even more flip flops and Brian turned around to get me to a rest area. When we got back out on the highway a car accident completely stopped traffic on whatever highway we were on. We proceeded to follow the cars on their mass exodus in reverse down the ON ramp. Yes, that's right. Riding backwards down hill does wonders for the belly.

Bless his heart Brian was doing everything he could to safely get us to a place where I could release all the grossness building up in my body.

We ended up at Cooper University Hospital and I used their urine coated public restroom. An hour later...I realized there was no way in the world we were going to be able to battle the traffic back to the concert.

So while apologizing profusely and crying on the way home Brian assured me it was okay and there was nothing I could do. Eventually Braeden piped in and told me to stop apologizing because I didn't mean to get sick. How blessed am I to have such wonderful guys in my life!?

Needless to say, we missed the concert. And yes I feel wretchedly guilty about it, but there will be other shows in our future and I need to just suck it up.

There you have it and now I am on the mend from the crazy Camden and backwards driving!

Labels: blessings, brae, brian, carrie, concerts, drama, driving, health

It's not that I haven't been woken up at 3 a.m. in the morning before, I mean it happens all the time. Maybe I can blame the fog on the fact that the Olympics had me up late and 3 a.m. was really only a few hours into my slumber. Whatever the reason, I now have a contusion on my forehead. Between trying to get Braeden to stop crying and also trying to get him a tissue (which ended up being toilet paper since we didn't have tissues in the bathroom) I somehow pivoted in such a way that I ran straight into the corner of the wall. The goose egg knot formed almost immediately, but it has gone down since. I just have a pounding headache and the start of an odd line-shaped bruise near my hairline on my forehead. Oh the joys of motherhood and clumsiness.

I started playing the John Deere computer game last night. I enjoy the time management/strategic games you can get from sites like Playfirst.com and BigFish.com and this is one of their newer games. It is frustrating me. Much like Sim City, I am finding I do not know how to start something from scratch and profit without having all the helpers quit on me. I also am not good with keeping an eye on the calendar and many times my entire field of corn dies because I try to plant it in February.

Yesterday, I left work early because Braeden is sick again. He has an ear infection, only the 308th infection of his little life. I feel bad for him. If only he could stay healthy for longer periods of time. I think it may have begun as allergy symptoms, he did after all claim he is now allergic to carpet, but then those symptoms became more severe and the runny nose turned into a stopped up mess of gunk which in turn became an infection. Poor kid.

My boss stopped working for the College of Ag and moved to another area on campus. Right now I'm not 100% sure who my boss is, but it's okay because I work with good people. It's just really hard not to have Chris here, she was undoubtedly the best boss I have ever had.

Carrie went out on maternity leave last week as well. She'll be back in January. The baby is due this weekend and already weighs approximately 8 lbs. 11 oz. I have been sewing and getting things together for Baby Finnie and can't wait to meet her!

Brian starts class again soon. I believe this course is in Life Span Development, after which he will need to take Biology before he starts towards his P.A. degree.

My brother is concerned about aliens talking on his cell phone and the fact that Mom doesn't know anything about Darfur. These are the things he discusses with me when he calls. It might have something to do with Jada having been in Israel for the last two weeks. Fortunately she returns home tonight and hopefully he'll unwind a bit. Lol.

And so that's the update from the personal realm of this lovely blog. I'll be getting back to work now, forehead throbbing and all. Tata.

Labels: brae, brian, carrie, Gregory, life, work

Though I am no longer in school it still seems that Summer goes by way too fast. Of course I don't need to worry or fret over who will be in my homeroom class or which math teacher I'll get stuck with, but I still wish I could hold onto Summer a little bit longer.

Don't get me wrong, I do love the Fall, in fact, Fall is my favorite season. However, now that school is no longer a concern of mine I do still think about all that is coming up. When Summer ends it means I have the chain of crazy birthdays and holidays knocking at my door.

Braeden will be 5 in October, my first wedding anniversary will be in November and Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas are no longer just pin points on the horizon. They are actual silhouettes, sounds and saving plans.

My best friend, Carrie, is due in two weeks and she will not be coming back to work until January. So if I am dreading anything it is four months of work without her here. Even though I am absolutely thrilled and happy for her and I can't wait to meet Baby Finnie. Baby Finnie will be the second little girl for Carrie and her husband Jonathan.

But before Summer is complete there are still things to be excited for in addition to Baby Finnie. Brian and I will be taking Braeden with us to see Journey in concert on August 26th. Along with Journey there will be two other greats sharing the stage, Cheap Trick and Heart. Braeden will be wearing his "Don't Stop Believin'" t-shirt. He has already been to several concerts and he loves them!

The weekend before the 26th Brian and I will be seeing Rascal Flatts. He is taking me to see them as an early anniversary present.

Fortunately, when it comes to music our whole little family can get along. ;o)

Labels: brae, brian, carrie, concerts

The hiatus is over and we are back from vacation.

It started off with a bang. Braeden was sick. Very sick. I ended up taking time off because of that and the sickness rolled right into vacation. The poor kid had a fever up to 105.7 at one point. It was awful.

Fortunately the sickness has passed and he is now doing very well. Plus, we also did make it down to Fenwick for our summer stay at the beach. Rough waves and stormy weather was not enough to keep me down. I love the beach. Everything from the salty air to the freezing water is therapeutic for me. I took hundreds of pictures and will upload them to Flickr when I get a chance.

Right now it is back to the grind and I am at work sifting through e-mails. My personal e-mail account had over 500 messages and my PR filters had more than 2,000 messages. Granted I get tons of messages from publicists every day, but this is just crazy! My web work (full-time) only had 55 messages and I am relieved about that number.

Brian and I watched "The Dark Knight" yesterday afternoon. If you haven't seen it then please go and see it right now. I am still amazed at how well the filming and acting in this movie ended up being. There weren't any crazy action movie special effects that made it either...this was acting, fabulous acting. I mean the effects are always great but sometimes it is disappointing if that is the only cool aspect of the flick. The rumors are true, this was Heath Ledger's best role yet.

More on vacation later and back to work now. I hope all of you are doing well!

Labels: batman, brae, brian, life, vacation

Let's laugh and dance on a Tuesday.

Labels: brae, dance

This evening will be day four of seeing Dr. Schreiber. Last night my visit was the shortest yet and it was mostly due to my not being able to relax. Not much you can do in terms of readjusting people when their muscles are all tight. Bless his heart for trying.

Brae and I did the Wii Fit exercises again last night after we got home. It feels good to work out as a "game" because it's not so grueling. Ya know?

There was a slight mob outside on our street last night around 9 p.m. I asked Brian to call the police after it lasted about 15 minutes. I was afraid someone would get hurt and the kids wouldn't get out of the street. Traffic couldn't pass and obscenities were heard loud and clear. Little ears were alert. When Brian called the police claimed they already knew, but as far as I know they never drove by to check it out. *sarcastic shock*

When Brae came home on Sunday night he was oh so cuddly. In all honesty, I know no other feeling so warm and loving as the feeling of a child running up to you and throwing their arms around your neck in a tight embrace.

He had a bruised face and wicked sunburn which his doctor noted on Monday when I took him for a physical. Meh. I was told he fell into a table. I know he is clumsy, it just doesn't look "table-esque" to me. But now on Wednesday I can say he does look better and says he is feeling better. Now if only I could take him with me to work so I can know it for sure. =o)

This brings me to the worst feeling in the world...the feeling of helplessness when it comes to keeping your baby safe. Don't get me wrong, I have and will always do everything within my realm of power to protect my boy. It is when he it outside my realm that I worry. Fortunately, my Mom has a day care and I know he is in good hands when I am at work.

Remember when the whole blog idea first started and we thought it was mostly private? How fantastic it would feel to just pour my heart out entirely...

Friends, let me ask you this, do you believe talking about things makes them better? So often I am told I need to just talk and let it all out. Truthfully, I have done this, I have opened up, but it doesn't heal me. Talking does not remove the poisons for me. I must be doing it wrong, I'm not letting go, I don't know how. And this brings me back to the beginning...I store all the pain and tension, right up in my neck and shoulders.

Dr. Schreiber, poor Dr. Schreiber, what a mess you have on your charts. =o)

Labels: brae, brian, chiropractor, home, pain, truth

How blessed am I? More than I could ever say with words.

Mother's Day, as hectic as it was, ended up being just perfect. Brian woke up early and started making breakfast. He was then joined by Braeden in the kitchen and the outcome was delicious. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage! Talk about the works. Brian also had coffee ready and gave me a new mug. I love it!

I was able to sit and relax, plus I ended up sewing a shirt which I'll be putting up on Etsy. I miss sewing, I've been so busy and tired that I haven't been able to take the time like I would want, hopefully I will be able to soon.

Braeden gave me a book about gardening and a movie with the help of his Gram and with the help of Brian he gave me the second season of Two and a Half Men! Plus I got several fun Mother's Day cards which made me laugh. Including one which sang "Under Pressure" from Braeden. Very cool.

Saturday we went to Kevin's graduation party and then Jackson's birthday party. Kevin graduated from college, go him! And Jackson turned six! There were same-aged boys going crazy at the party. Man it was interesting. Brian and I were kind of dumbfounded and also scared since we know we have that to look forward to with Brae.

Sunday after all the festivities from the men in my life we then went to my Grandma's. Her birthday was Friday so we celebrated her birthday and Mother's Day. I also got to see my Mom and I gave her a bag I made along with the same movie she had picked out and let Brae give me (P.S. I Love You) and a book by Max Lucado.

Then we went to see Brian's Mom and we stayed there for a couple hours just talking and having fun while Braeden eventually became a human wire and started making up his own language while bouncing around. This was his body shouting of pure exhaustion from a very busy weekend.

The only thing bad was the Flyers losing. =o/ Sorry guys.

And the work week has begun with rain, flooding, power outages and 45 mph winds. Yes, it is Monday.

Well I hope you all had a fabulous and bless-filled weekend! Happy Monday!

Labels: blessings, brae, brian, busy, hectic, life, mothers day

In case you were wondering.

Braeden is an artist. You heard me. An artist. And this time it's not just his oh-so proud momma saying so. When we went to the University of Delaware's Ag Day he entered a coloring contest. He had to color a "Tick Ranger" yep and he spent a good 30 minutes working on his masterpiece. He used every color crayon on the table and turned the ranger into a sort of kaleidoscope piece of art.

Yesterday I received a phone call informing me he won the contest. They are sending a prize in the mail and needed his address. How cool is that!? Four years old and already being recognized for his artistic talents! There were hundreds of entrants! I hope they send his finished artwork along with the prize, I want to frame it!

High five to my Brae boy, may he never lose his unique coloring abilities!

Labels: brae

When work overwhelms me, or really when anything does, I get this shooting pain down the back of my head, neck and through my right shoulder. I've seen a doctor, I know it is stress related. Working on a computer all day long I have carpal tunnel going on and that also causes more tension in my arms anyway. The combination ends up being quite painful at times, enough so that it will wake me up and then I can't fall back asleep. Sure they gave me muscle relaxers and such but I really don't like using them because they make me so groggy.

Any tips friends? Claudia gave me great tips on allergy suffering so I know y'all have remedies. Dish 'em out. The allergies are still being wicked, but I'm coping. I think more than anything I'm just exhausted from them. I mean even without taking medicine there is something about having bad allergies that makes you tired. Refer to the scene in the Wizard of Oz with the poppies. "Something with poison in it, but attractive to the eye, and soothing to the smell. Poppies..." Oh you know.

Also I'd like to announce that Braeden has been eating a wider variety of foods over the last couple weeks. My friend Barb sort of drilled it into me that I need to be firmer and most importantly utterly consistent. Brae knows me too well, he'll push all the right buttons and break me down. You have seen how cute he is so I know you understand.

We have grilled dinner two nights recently. One night turkey burgers and the other night lemon pepper chicken. Both nights Braeden ate the entire portion he was given. AND he ate his vegetables! He has been surprising the heck out of me. Brian has enjoyed grilling and I'm enjoying eating the meals. They are healthier and so delicious! Plus I love the smell of food grilling. Yum-o!

Yesterday we went to the local park after I picked him up from day care. He rode his bike, I walked next to him with Mya. Brae still has training wheels and man does he fly. We ended up going 1.2 miles maybe a bit more. And so he ended up sleeping through the night!

My Etsy store has sold a few more things since my last post about the online shop. I feel I have hit a plateau though. Ah well, I enjoy sewing, it feels good to complete a project and be proud.

Back to rubbing my shoulder. Happy Wednesday!

Labels: brae, brian, diet, satan aka pollen, work

My Mom's puppy, a pom named Lexie, greets us at the door each morning when Brae is dropped off for day care. At first Braeden wasn't at all interested in playing with or even acknowledging this new addition to the family. However now he is all about it and it's funny to see how he interacts with this feisty little pup.

This morning Lexie was looking at him and he was standing above her. He stretched himself out and said, "How low can you go?" In his made-up limbo accented fun voice.

I shoved all of my hair under a baseball cap before leaving the house this morning. My reason? I thought if I hid all my hair it would not be able to absorb any of the pollen in the air and therefore I would immediately be on top of my allergen hate game. I tried holding my breath, too. It seemed to work, until I got to work that is... I park near a greenhouse behind Townsend Hall which is the main building of the College of Ag where I work as the web developer. The smell of cows and the birds pooping all over my car are actually my favorite part of the outdoors here. Because on the way into the building I pass through the botanical gardens. I have no choice. And I had my hair up under the hat, but I could not hold my breath for the whole walk. I am now an itchy, sneezing, bitter mess of a girl.

A lot of people suffer from seasonal allergies and I am not so self involved that I think I am the only one. However, I am feeling pitiful at the moment and would like you to know my allergies are probably worse than yours. My eyes swell shut, my face welts up, I sneeze almost every other second, my stomach hurts, my ears itch, my eyes itch and all of those symptoms combined make me tired and irritable. Oh yes. This my friends may be worse than PMS. True there are a plethora of anti-histamines on the market but I have tried nearly all of them and they do nothing to mask or ease my symptoms.

And so....be prepared to hear my tales of pollen woe until about mid-June.

Thank you.

Good-bye.

Labels: brae, lexie, satan aka pollen

Right now you are hearing a strange sound and wondering what it is, well I'll tell ya what it is...MY STOMACH GROWLING. I am so hungry I am slowly becoming evil.

I'm still doing the dailyplate.com thing and two days now I have eaten more calories than I am supposed to eat. I am not overweight, I know, and I don't look like I need to diet but I feel like I need to and I am unhappy with the way I feel in my clothes. Brian is doing this with me which definitely helps, except for the fact that he seems not to get irritable when he gets hungry and I'm freaking biting his head off. Heck, I chomp the air for pete's sake.

Anyway, yesterday Braeden and I did some yoga together and that was fun. We also did some cardio. And then we went to the Y with Barb and Sammy. It was a family afternoon and they had all sorts of vendors for us parents to get some free stuff, moonbounces, balloon animals and such. We had a good time but the kids ended up tired and upset because the fire truck left before they had a chance to see it.

Barb and I sang some karaoke and then Brae ended up playing over their house for a bit. I'm not sure he will be invited back because when I walked two doors down to scoop him up he was throwing a fit because he wanted to take home Sammy's Captain America action figure. Bah. I'm sure both the kids have forgotten already, but I feel bad he behaved that way.

Gymnasts are like little elves. There is an eleven year old girl, four feet tall, who can throw her body all over the place spinning and jumping and balancing. It's just amazing. And all of these girls have an enormous amount of glitter on their eyes. If it were me it would end up in my eye balls and I'd be vaulting blindly into the air. Lol. I applaud them all. They are trying out for the summer Olympics right now at the 2008 Pacific Rim Championships airing on NBC. It is just incredible.

Labels: brae, brian, diet, fat whale cow, friends, random

What an interesting and jam packed weekend we had. Friday night actually Brian and I stayed in and watched two of the movies from the Blade Trilogy which were pretty cheesy but also very good and yes you can say those two things about a movie and it still make sense. The only thing cheesy were the effects. We drank wine, ate delicious pizza and tortilla chips. I was busy in my sewing machine from time to time and he on his laptop. It was a good stay-at-home night. Of course we missed Braeden, he left with his father at about 6:30 that night. =o/

Saturday morning I was awake before 8 a.m. so I turned on retroPlex (one of my new favorite digital channels) and began sewing. Bri didn't wake up until 11 a.m. so I had a chunk of time to myself and he had a chunk of time to actually sleep soundly.

My Aunt Mares was given a surprise birthday party at 1 p.m. on Saturday. She said she knew something was up when she came home to find her son Michael and her husband, my Uncle Larry, cleaning the house. hehe. The party was nice even though I was a zombie most of the time because I'm still sick. Coughing, sniffling, feeling crappy. I got to spend time with Nikki and her daughter Kaitlyn. They live so far away we don't see them nearly enough and I really enjoy their company. Nikki did a reiki session with me and I honestly think it worked. I do feel better. Though my chest congestion is the same there are other issues I was having which suddenly improved drastically.

My brother and his girlfriend Jada moved on Sunday. I didn't know the plans so when I called they were already packing up the moving truck. Knowing my Dad wouldn't be able to help I knew I had to step up to the plate even though I wasn't feeling well. They moved to Alden Park off of Wissahickon in Philadelphia. My Dad drove Greg's car, my Mom and I were in my Jeep, Jada drove her car and Greg was in the moving truck. All vehicles were packed to the brim with stuff. It was a 60 mile drive and traffic was AWFUL going up 76 west. With 30 minutes to go I knew I was going to be sick. My palms started sweating, I was done for and my Mom is not a woman who can drive in that kind of traffic. I called my brother, he didn't know where we could pull over. He called Jada and she didn't know. Fortunately, my Mom and I praying seemed to help and I made it to their apartment before getting sick. But then I was pretty much out of the count and wasn't much help. Sorry guys. They managed well in spite of the fact that they had to park the moving truck a good 50 yards from the door and then carry it to the freight elevator which was VERY small and get it up to the 7th floor. The elevator had a mind of its own and I had to hold the doors open with my body while they moved the things in and out. Even pressing the button to keep the doors open wouldn't work and it really did try to move me out of the way, it was possessed.

Their apartment is VERY old, but it has so many intricate details in the architecture of the place that I absolutely love. The ceiling have rounded corners. There is a 6-panel bay window and adjacent to the windows is a wood burning fireplace. On either side of the fireplace are built in bookshelves. All the door knobs are crystal. I wish I had brought my camera. Next time I make it up there I definitely will. If I ever have the money to design my own house I would use a lot of the elements from this apartment. The bathroom and kitchen are very tiny though. In my mad dash to the bathroom I threw the door open and it promptly swung back in my face when it hit the toilet on the other side. Yikes!

Jada should be able to bring one of her two cats up there soon and I know that will help to make it more homey for them. Their friend Trouble Adam Boaman lives nearby and I think that is a huge plus because when they lived in Florida they didn't know anybody.

The place used to be a hotel and was built in the 1920s. So there are antiques in the halls and floor to ceiling mirrors when you're walking through. It was a bit scary because nothing is marked. You literally had to walk down the halls trying door knobs to find the one with the stairwell. There are old postal service chutes which are awesome even though they don't work. I really just loved all the details. Though I bet you could easily film a ghost story in that place. =o) Which made it all the more cool in my mind.

Did I mention it is surrounded by a private 38 acre park? It is. The photo in this post is one from their website, it's an area of the central lobby room.

And then my parents and I tried to find our way home. We ended up in the museum district and then we got on 76W again when we needed to be going East. It took us about 45 minutes, maybe longer, to find 95. It was quite an adventure let me tell you.

So then I dropped my parents off and drove home. Brian and I had a bunch to talk about and then Brae came home. Within 10 minutes he had "lost" his pen. My kid loves to "write" and draws lines of squiggles on paper like he's a novelist. Pens are very important. =o)

There you have it. The complete play-by-play.

Happy Monday!

Labels: brae, brian, family, moving, party

This morning I thought about doing a vlog, but my voice is still too gone for me to try it. You wouldn't be able to understand me, I'm all scratchy and gross sounding. This stupid cold will not give me a break.

Good news about the Etsy store. I sold two items already and shipped that out yesterday. Don't worry though I already replenished stock and there are currently eleven handmade creations in stock. =o)

Yesterday I got some new patterns in the mail which I'm psyched about. So hopefully I'll be able to work on some more things throughout the week. I ordered patterns to make maternity clothes because my girlfriend and her husband are expecting another child this August. But I'll make some to sell as well. There are far too few cute maternity clothes!

Being sick has made me very catty. Pray for Brian. Lol. Good thing he puts up with me. He is my saving grace sometimes. As for Braeden, he had me on my last nerve last night. I was so livid with him I couldn't even see straight. I had to sit in my room with a blanket over my head for quite some time before I could even speak to him. I don't mind him being demanding and stubborn, he gets that from me after all. But I do mind him acting like I owe him or like I am his slave and that he can talk to me like he just scraped me off the bottom of his pirate slipper. Grrr!

Enough of that.

Ladies, I have some sales for you.

Wrapables is having a huge sale on their bedding. But more importantly they have adorable items for Easter.

Janine King has fantastic bags for sale right now, they are literally $20- $25 cheaper than normal. She was just featured on the Martha Stewart show.

and

CharlieMae has two pairs of cashmere booties on sale for $7! So if you know a wee little one then quickly hop over there to scoop them up.

Labels: brae, brian, sales, sewing

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.

My Bri sent chocolate covered strawberries to work. He also brought home wine and made dinner, very sweet. =o) This is our first Valentine's Day as husband and wife. I am so blessed. (Though I must say I feel this commercialized holiday further complicates love and romance by perpetuating frivilous expectations. I do like my sweets,hehe)

Braeden has also been cute, asking me to be his Valentine and writing me little scribbled love notes with his new High School Musical pen. This morning I have him the pen and a Disney's Little Einsteins Gameboy Game, he ran up to me proclaiming "It's just what I have always wanted." =o)

I have had a migraine since Tuesday and am still feeling wretched, but the doctor gave me some medicine to try and it seems to be helping a bit, but the headache is still lingering.

I have just been reading the breaking news regarding the shooting at Northern Illinois University where six are dead and sixteen wounded. It upsets my stomach, hy heart goes out to that community. I have no idea what to say about it, these things seem to be happening more and more and it is inconceivable to me. Senseless.

In other news, tomorrow is Friday. Friday is good. A new day. I welcome it.

Labels: brae, brian, tragedy, valentines day

So I'm meshing my sewing craft into the design blog from now on because I wanna be crafty. But I thought I'd let you banter reading people know that I am almost done the space man pajammies. And I'm pretty darn proud of myself.

Last night I finished the shirt and tonight I almost finished the pants. I even made a casing at the waist and fed elastic through it to gather the fabric and make it the proper size for my Brae Brae. The only thing I have let to do is to hem around the bottom of the legs and I'll be done and moving onto the next project.

A friend of mine at work wants me to make him a black vest. And I have so many great ideas for little girl clothes, so I'm thrilled!

Isabella spent some time with us tonight. She colored with her Uncle Brian for a bit. I painted her nails and she ran a muck with Brae for awhile. Her Mom, my cousin Roo, is sick and so we'll be taking care of Miss Belle tomorrow evening as well. She's a good apple that one and cute as a button. Now if only my little one could listen as well. Though I am sure she gives her parents a hard time, too. Kids seem to be that way, easier on other people and wicked to their parents. Why is that?

Right now I'm drinking some sort of light pink sparkling wine. It's not bad. If there weren't bubble it would definitely be too sweet for my liking, but I'm enjoying it all the same.

I'm frustrated that spell check isn't working on Blogger. It hasn't been functioning all week and I'm just clumsy with the keys. So if my entries have been horrifyingly full of errors than I apologize.

Labels: brae, brian, isabella, sewing

Thank all Higher beings it is FRIDAY!

Man. Oh. Man.

So yesterday I had to call out of work and watch my Brae and my goddaughter Belle because daycare closed. My Dad had to have emergency knee surgery, and so Mom had to close the daycare obviously.

You might have read on the wellness section of this blog...about my Dad having hurt his knee. Due to the inflammation and infection around the knee they had been putting off surgery. Until they realized the infection was starting to eat away at his muscles. Oh yum! There is a significant amount of gout involved in the mix and so my Dad is in a considerable amount of pain.

Belle will be three years old on February 15th and Brae is four, so my day was quite hectic and loud. We had fun though. We played DVD Bingo, drew pictures at the easel, ate pizza and watched movies. Then I finished my third sewing project, Braeden's Tranformers pillow. The kids helped me stuff the pillow.

Last night I attempted making a bag for Belle. I had picked up cute scrap fabric that was lime green and purple and had little girls, polka dots, flowers, all kinds of girly stuff on it. I did finish something, and you could call it a bag, but I'm hoping for something a little more even next time. Haha. I should have taken a picture to show you. Bah. I need to take a picture of Brae's two new pillows. So since purchasing the sewing machine I have crafted four items. =o)

I have so many great ideas, but I don't yet know how to put them into patterns and sew them up. Little by little I'll rock it and you'll see, soon enough, J-LO will be asking me to sew clothes for her babies. =oP

Labels: brae, family, isabella, sewing

Blah, I'm feeling wretched this morning. Braeden was up most of the night coughing, hacking, sneezing. I tried to keep him propped up but it didn't help much. I do think he got more sleep than me though. Poor little guy. What do you give a child now for such symptoms? Everything I took as a little girl is off the shelf now or not allowed for toddlers.

Anyway, thought you all should know BleuDame is having a fabulous online sale of up to 90% off their fall/winter items. You won't find these things just anywhere so scooping up their sale items is a good thing. Be sure to look at the 3-tone scarf and winter hat set, it's adorable. And if you don't want to buy it but you know how to crochet you can probably give it a try, it doesn't look too difficult. Crocheting is something I have always known how to do, since I was a wee tot.

Still tackling sewing. I did make a Spiderman pillow for Braeden and he loves it. He took it to daycare this morning. =o)

Labels: Bleudame, brae, health, sewing

Braeden woke up before 6:30 a.m. on this fine Saturday morning in January. He is a complete contrary mess this morning. Crying at the drop of a hat! Argh! Right now he is playing Dig Dug and so is at least quiet but who knows when the next tantrum will arise. It's not even his fault, it is my own. He just wants to paint, that's all, but right now I'm too lazy to get up and get things ready for him. So he is mad at me. Bah.

We were so busy for the holidays, constantly out and about, driving from here to there. All I want to do today is sit, write, play games, read, watch a movie and perhaps Wii with Brae and Bri.

I know I need to get this blog back on track. I need to write more and less and sporadically. I have been doing well so far over the past week or so. Since things are less hectic now it should be easier.

Life has just been so crazy. My Mom had to put her dog down last night. I wrote about it briefly on the music section as a tribute post, but really there isn't a way for me to express the sadness she is feeling. She is a mess and there is nothing anyone can do; time is the only healer in this situation. Lucky was her unconditional, loyal pup for 12 years.

My brother is looking for a job and so he is all nuts right now. I'm sending him ideas left and right so we'll see what pans out.

And my Dad is out of commission with a bad knee which I wrote about in detail on the wellness section of this blog.

But, as Brae says when he is up to bat, "today is a new day." (Thank God for movies like Chicken Little that inspire such positive outlooks.) ;o)

Labels: brae, family, Gregory, life

He is my Wii champion. One of the greats. Braeden in all his 38 inch tall glory, wearing Transformer pajammies and spiderman socks...is currently boxing on the Wii that we received for Christmas. Braeden has already knocked out three people and is working on a knockout for yet another person who is nearly 80 points stronger than him.

In addition to bowing, Braeden can and will beat me in Wii bowling. With very little effort he strikes all 10 pins down at once or walks away with a spare. My four-year-old is a Wii champion of sports. He even gets birdies while golfing though I'd have to say golfing is the sport he is having the most trouble with. My guess is because he doesn't know how to calculate the stroke based on the wind mph and angle.

Brian has been playing his new pc game, Caesar IV and I think I have just as much fun watching him strategize to complete the scenarios as he does playing. As for the Wii he is pretty fine golfer and bowler though I think he is most interested in playing Super Mario Paper. I bought him Guitar Hero for our PS2 but that hasn't been opened yet.

The only bad thing about the holidays when you have multiple families to worry about is that you end up lacking time to be with your own or on your own rather. I haven't been able to pick up a new book yet but I have squeezed in play with Cake Mania. I'm also enjoying the Wii but haven't opened "Dancing with the stars" yet which I think will be fun.

Last night we had dinner at Brian's parents house because Kristin and Ben flew in from Michigan. It was a mini-Christmas since we didn't see her last week. It was good to see her and the spaghetti rocked, but Brae wasn't in good spirits and it was a bit trying to deal with him while also trying to have fun.

Brian, his Dad and Ben hooked up their new turn table. We ended up listening to Genesis, Rainbow Brite and Flash Beagle on vinyl. I have to say it was pretty awesome and certainly brought back fond childhood memories.

Brae fell asleep by 10 p.m. last night and boy did he need it. He was quite contrary. Brian and I managed to stay up to watch the ball drop in New York on television. Of course we watched the Dick Clark celebration and I have to say I think I admire Dick Clark even more now that he is persevering and continuing on in his tradition of hosting the celebration even after having a bad stroke. He is awesome.

And so Happy New Year. I wish you all the best for 2008. Good health and happy times. Be well friends!

Labels: brae, brian, family, new year

Here we are laying on the sofa bed without sheets, but we do have cozy blankets. "Honey I Shrunk The Kids" is playing in HD On Demand and I must say it has never looked better than it does right now on this new TV. (Much thanks to Brian)

Why the sofa bed?

Well as you know Braeden hasn't been feeling well for a few weeks now. He has a lingering cough and intense congestion. When I called his pediatrician yesterday they were unable to fit him in until 2:50 today. But last night Brae spiked a high fever of 102.4 degrees and his congestion became so thick that he began throwing up when coughing. I know what you're thinking...yum. =o/

So Brian stripped his bed down while I cleaned up the bathroom floor and Braeden stood there shivering with gunk in his eyes that was quickly crusting. Brian opened the sofa bed from our lagoon sofa for the first time. It is a queen size and we don't have any sheets to fit it. Always and adventure.

And now it is 10 a.m. feeling like 2 a.m. there is snow in the forecast and I'm anxious to get Brae to the doctor. I will not leave until they help to ease his discomfort. I don't care about the new rules of children cold medicine. I don't care about the new theories in regards to sinus infections not requiring antibiotics to cure. My little boy is going to be treated; they will help him feel better!

In funner news please head over to Odat's blog entry for today because it is flippin' hilarious!

Labels: brae, health

Braeden returned home from his weekend visit with his father and at first things were a bit difficult. Transition can be hard for anyone and Brae is especially sensitive to change.

But just now my little boy ran out of my bedroom and back into his bedroom, waving good night as he made his way down the hall. He knows I'm not feeling well so he gave me a hug, gave me a kiss and told me he hopes things are better in the morning. He climbed down off my bed and then turned around, reached up...grabbed my hand and kissed the top of it.

I don't know about you but I don't think a good night wish can be any more sincere and wonderful than that. =o)

Labels: brae

Okay so maybe not exactly full force, but I am back to work today.

I have had some sort of cold/flu/virus something or other all week. I did come into work on Wednesday but probably should not have done that. Yesterday, I made myself sit and rest as much as I could. But the house is such a mess I just want to furiously attack it. Disinfect!

Brian and I have now been married for 7 days, well in about 45 minutes it will be a complete 7 days, haha. For me it has been blissful. Brian says it is weird to hear people call me his wife. I suppose to some extent it is a little bit weird. But I love being his wife and I feel so blessed.

Braeden is doing better sleeping in his room and eating. His Gram and Pop Pop bought him a Gameboy to celebrate him staying in his room through the night. This was quite a task as I had him sleep with me all through his early toddler years. It began because he was so sick all the time, then stayed out of habit. Plus I was in school and the only way I could get homework done was to have him fall asleep in my bedroom as that was where my computer used to be at my parents' house. Next month I will have been out of school for a year and the times have so changed!

I'm part of my own little family now. We have our own home. We are married! I have a new job and so does Brian. Braeden sleeps in his own room. And he even eats fish and perogies now. Last year at this time he was a three-year-old who still ate baby food. Needless to say his digestive system could use a little bit of work but overtime I feel it will develop. He has been healthier and is growing stronger each day. If only we could get rid of that cough.

I'm hopeful that my brother will be moving home soon.

And Thanksgiving is next week. I'm looking forward to spending family time together. We'll begin decorating for Christmas after the thanks and the giving. Brian tells me he has a fantastic Christmas tree so I'm super excited about putting that up with him and Brae. Woohoo!

Life is great!

Labels: brae, brian, christmas, home, married life, thanksgiving

"Mawwage is what bwings us togwether today...." - The Princess Bride

Let me tell you the story of a girl I know.

This girl is one of the most blessed people out there. She is fortunate in many ways. She has a job she loves, a wonderful little boy who keeps her on her toes, great friends, a fabulous family and in two days she'll be marrying her best friend. (Ok so it's me.)

What could go wrong, right?

We know the guest list expanded so that the ceremony has been moved to the deck. The deck has a canopy type thing, there are plastic sheets as walls and it is heated. Saturday there is a 40% chance of rain and the high is 49 degrees. Everyone bring your umbrellas because it's not an easy stroll around the restaurant and to the deck wedding. The weather.com website thinks it is funny, next to the date it says "Trade heels for flats or sneakers." ROFL! Oh GREAT!

On the way to finalizing the wedding plans at the Chesapeake Inn (my Dad drove my car, I was in the passenger seat and Braeden, Brian and my Mom were in the back)...my Dad decides to put his window down. I'm unsure as to why he did this, as it was in the 40s that night.

No big deal. "Dad, can you put the window back up please?"

I hear him pushing buttons. Every button. Mom is asking him to pull over. There's no shoulder, we're on a back road heading towards Maryland. The window is not going up. Finally we pull over at an old Dairy Farm. Since the power doesn't appear to be working to move the window my Dad decides to pull the window glass up with his hand. He then pushes it down with his hand. This continues while he's still pushing buttons on the door.

We hear the window fall off the track and it goes into hiding in the driver door.

"It's okay Dad I had to take the Jeep into the shop anyway."

"Why?"

"Well, um, you see, I was going to get it ready for winter. Yes. That's right."

We drive the rest of the way to the Inn and I'm chuckling, I hear chuckling in the back. It's always an interesting adventure with my family.

We're finalizing plans for almost 3 hours! I find out that I'll be walking down the back stairwell of the restaurant and THROUGH THE KITCHEN to get to the deck for the ceremony. Me, clumsy me, big white wedding dress...

All is well. We roll with the punches. Eddie (the guy who is helping us at the Chesapeake Inn) does everything he can to accommodate, he knows this is a special day. It's not his fault the guest list ballooned.

The deck will be fun. Maybe we can have photographs taken of the bridal party standing near the tiki hut where there is a giant shark's head protruding from the top. I honestly think that would be pretty funny.

Meanwhile, I'm driving my Mom's car around now and the engine light comes on saying it needs to be serviced. At every red light I feel the engine chugging, it's like a rubber band pulling, the car rocks back and forth but it doesn't stall. THANK GOD!

I go to pick up Brae. My Dad has the window up on my car. Weeehooo! Relief!

"So Dad, you were able to fix the window?"

"Not exactly. I took the door apart. The entire mechanism inside is broken and will need to be replaced. The regulator is broken, the cable is broken and the plastic around it all is broken."

"Well the window is up."

"I taped it."

OH JOY!

I drive home with Braeden and our little doggie Mya and admire the electrical tape job on my driver window. You can hardly tell. Then something falls off the car down near my feet. I see a plastic piece near the brake pedal and a screw. "Hahahaha, oh it's a comedy I see," I say out loud.

But the good news is I am feeling better.

The bad news is...Braeden, Isabella (the flower girl), my Dad and my Mom are NOT feeling well. All is well. I'm telling myself this because on Saturday afternoon it won't matter who is sniffling or coughing

And in two days I'm marrying my best friend.

"Doomed, madam?"
"To be together. Until one of us dies."
"I've done that already, and I haven't the slightest intention of ever doing it again." Westley said.
Buttercup looked at him. "Don't we sort of have to sometime?"
"Not if we promise to outlive each other, and I make that promise now."
Buttercup looked at him. "Oh my Westley, so do I."
- The Princess Bride

 

Labels: bnc, brae, brian, wedding

Y'all must have been sending me some fierce positive energy because I am definitely feeling stronger today. There are other things emotionally weighing on me, but I'm hoping my whole person will be on the mend soon.

Four days to go.

Bri's Dad says it is "3 days and a wake up" to go since he doesn't count the actual day of the wedding.

Brian helped Brae try on his little man tux last night to make sure it fits and miraculously it does. The arms are a little long but nothing a tuck and roll can't take care of =o)

I was literally jumping up and down with giddiness to have the tuxes in the house. I also have my hair jewels, necklace and earrings in my possession. They are beautiful. I'm so blessed to have Aunt Bobbie in my life. If you're in this area and preparing to get hitched you should definitely get in touch with her. Her business is called "Just Like Moms" and she can do everything from the napkins to your wedding dress. Make things easier when you're stopping at one place. =o) Thank you Aunt Bobbie!

It is freezing in my office right now. I have not taken my jacket off since I got in this morning...over 5 hours ago! I need to remember to bring a small heater and/or blanket into work!

Braeden's feeling awful. He's congested and has a cough. His eyes are all red and watery. My poor little man, but he'll be okay. And I'm praying for him to be all mended by Saturday. I can't wait to see him and Brian in their tuxes. So handsome they will be!

Enough blabbing on now. Back to work. My blog is not publishing well. I have been trying to get a music post out there since early this morning. So I hope this one publishes.

Happy Tuesday!

Labels: bnc, brae, brian, health, wedding

Labels: brae

Happy Halloween everyone!

Braeden wore his costume to day care this morning (overtop his pjs since it's so cold). He is spider-man in the black costume. He loves it! He's super psyched about Halloween this year. This is the first year that I really plan on taking him to a few houses. Plus this is the first year in our house so we'll be able to give out treats!

Brian and Braeden listened to some Halloween music last night before bed. Brae had his Harry Potter magic wand and was turning Brian into different things. The ones I can remember are a cow, a crab (my suggestion), a chicken, a frog and Cookie Monster. I have to say my favorite impression was of Cookie Monster. Brian kind of crossed his eyes a bit and changed his voice and said "C is for Cookie." It was hilarious, I wish I had video!

There are 10 more days until the wedding. Things have changed a little bit because the guest list grew. We won't be getting married in the "Anna Room" at the Inn. They have moved us to the deck which upset me at first but I think it has potential to be beautiful and unique. In the midst of my being unhappy about the news I shouted at my Mom, "They throwing us outside because there's no room at the Inn." There was a moment of silence before we both started laughing. Hmmm...where have I heard that line before? And so if Jesus can be born in a Nativity because there is no room at the Inn then I sure as heck can deal with a wedding ceremony on the deck. It put things into perspective that's for sure.

This morning I received the seating chart. Aside for attaching names to little pumpkins I think the seating chart is the only thing we have left to do. And I have to take my dress somewhere to have something looked at but I'm hoping it shouldn't be a big deal. I'm excited!!!

Back to Halloween...I will put up some pics of Brae in his costume later on. In the meantime check out the pumpkin I carved! It was Brae's idea. =o)

Labels: bnc, brae, wedding

Brian, Braeden and I watched the "Roseann's" first two Halloween episodes. The Conner family is one family I can honestly say loves Halloween more than we do. This may or may not be based on their set budget versus our holiday decor budget, but in spirit we share the same love for All Hallows Eve.

The Bs made popcorn for he event and we had a great time laughing at the craziness. I think Roseann had the best Halloween episodes of any sitcom ever; even better than the Simpsons.

I'm happy to report that Brian and I ventured into the Marriage Bureau and received our marriage license yesterday afternoon. Of course it won't be official for 14 more days when Tom signs it, but it's still pretty exciting. We were both giddy over bringing it home and I took a picture of it! Haha!

Today I'm stopping by Serenity so Yvonne can see my hair and mentally prepare herself for the atrocity of making it look suitable for the wedding. Ha!

We also need to go grocery shopping at some point, but in all honesty I'm really just hoping for a relaxing "stay inside and play WoW" day.

As for the title of this post...it comes from the Roseann shows so you'll have to find a way to watch and laugh.

Labels: brae, brian

I am not at all happy when I am woken up early (even if only 15 minutes early) by the sound of the garbage man coming down the street. Who in their right mind wants to hear the slamming of garbage cans at 6 a.m.? To top it all off it also means I need to jump up and make sure all the trash is outside. Yes, I know, I should put it out the night before, but sometimes that's just not an option because I fall asleep early!

Argh!

Anywho, Braeden slept in his room very well last night. I fell asleep on the floor until 2 a.m. but that's not his fault. He didn't get out of bed once AND I had to wake HIM up instead of the other way around. He did a great job, I hope this continues.

Brian's first day at his new job was yesterday. He had to go in even after having been sick the day before. From the sounds of it the environment is relaxed and flexible. He seemed far more at ease with everything and I feel much better after now since he seems less apprehensive.

Me? I'm feeling fat as usual. The wedding is less than a month away and I feel like a cow. So, I brought an apple and cottage cheese to work for snacks. And I have my typical noodle bowl thing for lunch. I know I shouldn't be eating carbs, but it's low fat and I didn't feel like figuring anything else out. Though I suppose I could have thrown a salad together. Maybe I should start buying those Healthy Choice or Lean Cuisine frozen meals. I have to fit in that dress!

Alright, time to start the work day. Happy Tuesday!

Labels: bnc, brae, brian, fat cow, wedding

So yes I know today is Brae's 4th birthday, but that is not the only reason for celebration! Brian is flying back from Texas late this evening and should be back home early Saturday morning!!! I am so excited! I miss him like crazy!

Braeden was awake at the crack of dawn. Right now he has one arm over my chest, a fistful of (now knotted) hair and he is snoring. Me thinks he has a bit of confused inner time clock.

Alrightie, I need to go ice some cupcakes...now how would MacGuyver get out of this hostage situation. Hey! Where's my theme music? =o)

Labels: brae, brian

Last night was the third night of Brian's stay in Texas. I was able to talk to him a little bit on the phone and again on the computer. He's doing well and has even been told he will be trained for an elevated position beyond pharmacy tech. to medical tech. which is awesome and makes me even more proud of him.

We had a series of storms in our area yesterday. It seemed like the rain cloud hovered over me though because my parents didn't get the down pours and they are literally 8 minutes away. We need the rain, but it came down so hard I don't know if enough of it was able to absorb into the ground before going into the rain gutters.

Braeden and I met one of our neighbors last night and her daughter. Samantha was born a month after Braeden so they are very close in age and the two hit it off almost immediately. They were running around and laughing, it was wonderful! We walked down to meet them when Braeden saw they were decorating for Halloween. Apparently our house being decorated had been an inspiration for them. =o)

It's Wednesday, we're half way through the work week. This is actually my Thursday though because I have off on Friday. Follow my logic?

Finn Finn and Charlotte won't be able to come to Brae's party on Saturday which stinks. But in all honestly they have a perfect reason so I can't be mad. Jonathan's parents are coming in from Scotland for a week long visit and Saturday is the first day they'll be in town.

I'm trying to eat more healthy these days. The wedding is a month away, exactly, from today. So, I had some cereal for breakfast. I brought my Thai food for lunch which is actually pretty low in fat and calories. Plus, I have an apple for a snack. I would like to lose weight, but right now I just need to maintain since the dress fits me very well.

With Braeden waking up through the night and all, I haven't been able to watch any TV. So I am very much enjoying the shows online. Thank God CBS and NBC do shows online now because it's the only way I can view them. I don't at all mind the commercial breaks in between snippets, it would be the same on air anyway!

Hmmm...I think that is enough randomness for the moment. Have a great Wednesday!

Labels: bnc, brae, brian, carrie, tv, wedding

Last night was the second night without Brian. Fortunately we were able to talk on the phone once yesterday and on the computer until it got late. We even had the chance to play WoW together for awhile and he kindly helped me with some tough quests. I may be able to get level 25 by the end of the week. Of course...he is level 58. Hehe.

Brae helped me take out the trash this morning. My intentions had been to take out the screen door that is broken under our deck from the lovely people who lived in the house before we bought it. But I didn't get to that.

Bri's parents are coming over Wednesday night to bring dinner and help out with the silly window that tapers at the top and therefore can't fit a standard set of blinds!

Our new neighbors have finished putting up a fence and so we will only have to put up a back strip, but I think we'll end up going around the "L shape" anyway for more privacy, I don't know. When Bri is back from Texas we can talk about it and hopefully hit up Rooms Today.

I'm thinking about how I want my hair for the wedding. In my head I can see the style perfectly, but I don't know if I'd be able to explain it to anyone so I'm trying to find a picture.

And well that's all I've got for you right now. Happy Tuesday!

Labels: bnc, brae, brian, wedding

Well, Brian arrived in Houston safely yesterday afternoon after a 3.5 hour flight. He was quick to let me know that his rental car is an '07 Dodge Avenger. Of course I was just as quick to let him know he needs to be safe. He will get back home from training early Saturday.

Bah.

Braeden and I made sugar cookies last night. He was an angry bear last night after returning home from his father's and I made multiple efforts to cheer him up. So finally I said we could make cookies; the chef in Braeden outweighed Mr. Grizzly and the rest of the night went well. He took his cookies to his friends at day care. He was very excited about that!

Brae's 4th birthday is this Friday and we're all psyched. But where in the world has all the time gone? I can't believe he is going to be 4..well maybe I can..he does act like a teenager a lot with that attitude of his.

I finally put up some Halloween decor pics on Flickr. I need to take more today but I had to charge the camera battery.

Yesterday my Mom and I went to the Stephans' because Barb came to alter my wedding dress. It went very well and all the ladies loved the dress on me which made me feel like a princess. I'm not really into the frou frou stuff, but I might be on my wedding day because it felt good to feel pretty. =o) I just wish I weren't so short, even in my 3 inch heels Barb needs to bring the dress up another 2 inches! Why is 5'3" so short? Bah.

I didn't get to play WoW last night. I wonder if Brian was playing. I am hoping to have a chance to play tonight. I'm loading it on my laptop just in case.

Since there is only a month left before the wedding, I am trying to eat better. I had a banana for breakfast! I brought in an apple and some thai noodles for lunch. Of course I'm drinking plenty of water. Bri's parents are bringing dinner over one night this week so that night I might veer off the plan a little bit. Haha.

Brae's birthday party is the day Bri gets back. So I'm doing some extra cleaning around the house. I need to figure out a menu of some sort. I'm going to order pizza. Bri's mom is making salad. And I think maybe we'll have meatballs and I'll buy some rolls. And then just come up with little appetizer type things. It should be fun. I'm really excited that we're going to have people over to our house. I'm so proud of all we have accomplished.

Well, I better get to work. Have a great Monday, y'all!

Labels: bnc, brae, brian, halloween, wedding

My parents' wedding anniversary is this weekend, Sunday. I'm only telling you this as a reminder to myself to buy a nice card. =o)

This weekend should be pretty low key. Saturday is Samuel's 1st birthday and a possible dinner with Bri. Sunday I'm supposed to be getting my wedding dress altered, so we'll see how that goes. =o) I'm a shortie, in all other ways the dress fits perfectly.

Last night Brian, Braeden and I continued our Halloween decorating escapades. So far we are the only house in the neighborhood to put out Halloween decorations. I especially love the bats and purple-lit cobwebs hanging over the door. I took pictures to show you but haven't gotten them off the card yet so you'll have to wait in suspense a little longer.

Brian leaves for Texas on Sunday for training. Today is his last day working at the cancer center for Christiana Care. I know he's bummed about the change, even if he knows it will be okay. I just hope everyone he works with helps to make it as painless as possible. That does not mean to make sure he gets trashed at happy hour. Because I don't know if I'll be able to go or not.

Braeden did better sleeping in his room last night. He still woke up twice, but both times he went back in his room and laid down without too much of a fuss. The situation is difficult, but any improvement is celebrated. =o)

Labels: brae, brian, halloween, home

It began yesterday without so much as a scratchy throat of a warning. I have a cold. I'm starting to believe I may have an immune deficiency like Braeden. Actually, I believe I stole it from him because *knock on wood* he has been physically feeling stronger these days.

Brian and Braeden were measured for their tuxes last night at Aunt Bobbie's. I found out that Brae's neck is only a little bit smaller than mine. He has a wide neck for such a young child. This is probably because he is holding up such a big head...um...I mean brain, a big brain!

Brian picked out a tux that I know he is going to look amazing in and I'm excited to see him all dressed up. I'm also excited to know Brae will be all dressed up, too. And I have picked out a dress for Belle to wear as well. She and Brae are going to be the stars of the show, there is no way that Brian and I can compare to those two cuties. Haha. It's okay though, we don't so much like being in the lime light.

The house is coming along more and more feeling like a home. All of the painting is almost done. It looks really good, Brian has done a wonderful job. =o)

Yesterday out love seat came in and is now on the "ground floor." It swivels, actually, it can turn completely 360 degrees, it's the coolest love seat ever. It's round! Oh yes, you all will love it if anyone ever comes to visit!

Friday our "lagoon" furniture is coming in and will be placed on the "middle floor" where all the fabulous paint is happening. The colors are going to look awesome together and I am super psyched. Every day I am loving the house more and more.

This weekend I am hoping we find some time to put up some Halloween decorations. Our powder room is already feeling spookish. =o) Brian, Braeden and I all love Halloween so this is such a special time of year for us. Especially since we're getting married in less than two months!

Now if I could get past this cold and actually start feeling healthy for a change everything would be eerily perfect!

Labels: bnc, brae, brian, health, home, wedding

For the upteenth time this season, I missed Big Brother. Now it wouldn't upset me had last night not been the last show. Evil Dick ended up winning and I didn't get to see it.

Ah well, I suppose there are worst things.

I ended up falling asleep on Braeden's floor. I woke up at 2:30 a.m., took some Sudafed and was going to play WoW since I was awake, but then I heard the pitter patter of Braeden feet. He won't stay in his room. It's like something sets of a response in his body as soon as I leave the room. How does he even know I have left? Must be some sort of spidey sense. I don't know.

There is still so much to do at the house. By the beginning of October we should have furniture in each room, but who knows, the stores keep messing up our delivery dates. I would NEVER buy from Rooms Today again, I'll tell you that much.

Work is pretty busy, there are a lot of projects on my plate and they all seem to be pretty programming intensive. It's okay, but it takes me a while to work out the kinks. You know?

Planning for the wedding is going well. The girls are all measured and their dresses will be ordered soon. The color I wanted is available, so they will be wearing chocolate and I think they will all look smashing. My Mom and I went to see a photographer on Sunday and a contract was signed. That is a relief. We all went to the Chesapeake Inn and picked out cake flavors, colors, tiers, etc. Invitations went out and people are receiving them already, the mail seems to be quick when there is a wedding invitation involved. I don't know when the guys plan on getting measured and picking out a tux, but I just might take Braeden myself and make sure he is all set. One less thing for me to have on my mind that way.

My health has been suffering due to lack of sleep I think. And plus I'm having some trouble with a cyst. Bah! It's very painful. I'm not sure if you know it or not, but think about a sensitve place on or in your body and imagine someone sticking it in a vice and squeezing it. Yep.

The weather is getting cooler. I love this time of year. I painted my nails black yesterday. They look great if I do say so myself. If I hadn't been in a rush I would have put my red hair clip in...I'm feeling the need to be a little bit goth lately. Maybe not a need, but a desire. Perhaps it reflects my current state of mind. I wish I could find more

Carrie, Danielle and I went to Borders yesterday. I bought Braeden two new Halloween books. Very exicitng. Brae and I love this time of year and I can't wait to decorate. But I will wait, at least until the first week of October. People might end up thinking we're freaks, but we're not. We're just strange and not afraid to be different.

Okay with all that said I should probably just get back to PHP.

Labels: brae, house, life, work

Sometimes listening to the radio gets old. I've been doing it lately because I am having traffic issues both getting to work and leaving work. My CDs can't tell me where the crashes are, so I turn the radio dial.

But you can only hear the same top 40 songs so many times before they start to piss you off. So yesterday I popped in my Mat Kearney cd and it was refreshing. Braeden has grown fond of the album during our travels as well. So much so that this morning before we even left the house he asked me to make sure I turn it on when we get in the car.

He didn't get to play WoW last night, because he isn't sleeping in his room by myself. He also didn't get to watch a movie while he was falling asleep. If I'm going to have to sleep on his floor, then he isn't going to get his bedtime perks nor is he going to get to play Codfish and make it to level 5 in WoW.

I hate taking things from him, especially things he loves, but I've run out of ideas. And let's face it, I'm exhausted and sore. Sleeping on the floor is wretched. I know he needs my reassurance, he has severe security issues, but I'm losing my mind.

On another note, yesterday's episode of Big Brother was the "fast forward" show they do each season. Two house guests were evicted. The two ended up being Jessica and Eric, the love birds of the house. I feel bad for both of them. Jessica might never trust Eric again since he was "America's player" and had to lie through a good part of the game. And Eric well, he may lose a girl that he genuinely has feelings for...such is life and sorry it sucks.

I actually spent money sending a text into the show, because I wanted Daniele to get nominated. I used to like her and think she was a good player, but now she just annoys the hell out of me. She whines all the time and she's a liar. I know the game requires you to be this way sometimes, but it upset me when she lied right to Eric's face and then later said she was sorry. She's not sorry. I hope Jameka or Zach wins HOH and kicks her out next week.

On the new home front, things are slowly coming together. We were supposed to have a sofa delivered yesterday, but Room's Today mucked up our order and now we won't be getting it until Tuesday. The rest of our furniture should be in the house within the next two weeks. Lots of money spending going on there and my pocket is pinched.

The red wall is beginning to lose its tie-dyed look now that Bri took over. Though I'm afraid it's still not done and we haven't started the parchment color yet at all. Parchment is covering more walls but won't take as long because it's a lighter color.

This weekend I intend to get a new shower head and maybe a new kitchen faucet since I hate the one we currently have...and I also want to get some sort of strong cleaner because there is a rim in the shower that has nasty gunk growing underneath it and every time I give Brae a bath I see this black stuff and it completely freaks me out.

Tomorrow Carrie is having a yard sale and I'm going to try and stop by and see her and the girl...hehe, Charlotte, I've grown fond of her. I'm hoping we get to hang out a bit this weekend. Finnie rocks.

As for tonight, I don't want to do a thing. I want to read, sleep and putz around on the computer perhaps. But nothing planned, no stress. Though I have a feeling I'll be heading out to do some of the much needed shopping. I might just wait until the morning. And, I might go tanning. I have one session left and I think I deserve to take the time to use it.

That's all for now. Ciao.

Labels: brae, house, life

A long overdue post.

Brian, Braeden and I have moved into our new home. We officially closed on the house last Thursday. Having the settlement off our shoulders was a relief. Now of course our shoulders are aching from actually moving, but I suppose in that respect it can be considered a good pain.

Currently I am feeling VERY overwhelmed. I do this to myself, it's my own ridiculous expectations of how much I should be accomplishing and how fast I should be doing it. I just want to make the house a home for us.

We're planning for a wedding now. The date has been set and now we have a place. We will be getting married at the Chesapeake Inn. It is going to be gorgeous and the more I think about it all the more excited and giddy I am feeling.

Braeden is doing well for the most part. He had his third appointment with the psychologist yesterday and I feel we are both learning a lot. I am learning new ways to help Brae cope with his emotions and Brae is learning how to talk about the things that are bothering him. Right now I just need to make sure I phrase everything more positively. Instead of saying "NO" all the time I can phrase things in such a way that it doesn't seem negative.

Braeden puts himself time out when he is upset or knows he has done something wrong. He yells, storms off, hits whatever is in sight and then sits in a corner somewhere. I have been telling him not to do that, because I don't want him to feel like he is always in time out or to feel like he can't talk to me about whatever he is feeling. The doctor suggested I say "Okay, go calm down." So instead of Braeden punishing himself, he will learn that this is a coping mechanism to chill out and take a breather rather than sitting in the corner for a time out.

It's really difficult because when Braeden hits me I want to yell at him and tell him he can't hit people. But perhaps that is not the best response. Since he is so conflicted and insecure these days it would be better to ask him to be gentle or remind him that our hands are meant to give hugs. We'll see how this goes.

And hopefully things with the house will start to come together and become more comfortable as more time passes. I'll have to start taking some pictures so you can see the progress.

Hope all is well, take care!

Labels: brae, brian, home

This morning I am taking Braeden to the doctor, his pediatrician. In hopes that he can guide me in helping Braeden handle his emotions. Something is bothering my little boy and he won't talk to me openly about it. I'm not sure what to do and it's causing me such inner grief. Aren't Moms supposed to know what to do to take care of their child?

He came home early from a weekend with his father. He told his father he was sick, but then he told me later he wasn't sick, just very sad.

"Why are you sad my love? Why won't you talk to mommy about it?"

Those questions being unanswered are weighing on me heavily. I'm exhausted. Of course then trying to be perfectly normal and happy with Brae means by the time I lay down to sleep at night, I'm a zombie.

Thank goodness I have a lot of work to keep me busy. =o)

Man and I really need to finish the book I'm reading. I love it and I never have time to read it! Hehe. Maybe I can devote some time tonight to catching up on reading.

Well, off to the doctor's office now.

Labels: brae

Labels: brae

July 1st and I'm feeling more blessed than ever.

Brian and I had a fun karaoke night on Friday, we had some wine and sang our hearts out. We had a wonderful and fun night. Then on Saturday we went to Lauren and Dave's engagement party which was nice. Lots of happy people there. It's good to see Lauren and Dave so happy. After that party we then went to his Aunt Gerri's for Kevin and Emily's birthday parties. His whole family was there and I love them so much. They are funny, sweet and good people. His grandmom and I get along well, she's a talker like me. =o) And they had this awesome birthday cake. I need to get the number of that bakery! We watched home videos of the family and I had quite a few laughs, no, not all at Brian. It was just so cool to see a video of someone else's family, and to know that I am going to be a part of that family, too. Even if Mr. Stephan thinks I'm a P.I.T.A.

Saturday morning my Mom and I had a pretty darn successful yard sale. She said I was an excellent publicist. Apparently something worked, because we had so many people show up to this sale! We made over $200 and almost $150 of it was mine. =o) It all went into the bank immediately.

Needless to say Saturday night I was exhausted, but Bri and I ended up eating nachos and salsa and watching "Lady in the Water" which he had not seen before. He loved it, I knew he would. That movie is just incredible, if you haven't seen it you really need to rent and/or buy it because it's amazing.

Today I spent most of the day with my Mom over at the pool. I finished a book, which I'll write about on the book blog. It was an interesting story and I'm not sure how I feel about it even now that I am done.

My Grandpa came out and said "You guys gonna come in for some ham and cabbage?" My Mom and I looked at each other and shook our heads. Said we weren't hungry. Then Grandpa said "You don't have to be hungry to come in an be sociable." Hahaha. Five minutes later we both got out of the pool, dried off and went in to see my Grandparents. The stories we ended up telling and hearing were hysterical. I swear, my family is nearly insane. Nearly. In fact, I think I might be the most sane believe it or not. To my Mom seeing bears riding bicycles to my Dad seeing dead camels being lifted off the side of the road. Seriously, I don't know how I made it to the age of 26 so normal. Haha. It was a lot of fun to hear all the craziness.

And now my boy is home from his weekend at his father's house. We ate some pizza and then I went over to the pool again. Brae wanted to go swimming. We blew up a giant sea turtle float. Both Brae and I were able to float on it at the same time. I asked Brae what he would name the sea turtle. He thought about this some and then he told me the turtle's name is "Sushi." Quite frankly I think that is a brilliant name.

He is being very loving, I am getting many hugs and kisses and he has stopped me at least a dozen times in the last two hours to tell me he loves me.

Brian isn't feeling well and I haven't seen him today. Of course Brae is missing him, too and has asked many times if he is coming over "after." Haha. I assured him that Bri will be around as soon as he feels better.

And so now here I am, filling you all in and letting you know how happy I am. Missing my Bri of course, but feeling so content with my beautiful life. =o) I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Labels: brae, brian, family

Sorry for neglecting the personal blog.

When I'm not shoulders deep in writing water for all the other blogs, I am trying to catch up on sleep.

Right now I'm eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch at my desk. This stuff gets soggy really quickly, thank God I have my own office while slurping it down.

Brian, Brae and I had another very full weekend and I wish I had one more day off to actually relax. Saturday was an errands day. Brae and my Mom and I went to BJs and she had be signed up to be on her business membership so that was cool. Later on Saturday, Brae and Brian and I went to Wal-Mart and stocked up on so many things while also buying some Father's Day goods.

Sunday we woke up early to go to Church. Christopher was baptized at St. Rose's and Christopher and Brae are good buddies. They are in day care together and Christopher is Brae's 3rd cousin or something, but I don't think they know that. Christopher is 3 and a half and was just adopted so his parents had him christened. After everything Braeden scrambled to the front of the Church and went after Christopher to give him a hug. So Brae is in some of the pictures, haha.

Christopher's parents held a brunch at their house afterwards. The breakfast food was deeeelish. And Brae got in the pool for a bit. But never further than the second step. He had a lot of fun though.

And I saw Mrs. Leslie. I lost touch with a good friend, Jenn, and Mrs. Leslie is her Mom. I found out Jenn just had her first baby named after her husband Jamison Jr. Baby boy entered the world six weeks early. He was able to come home on Saturday and now weighs 4 lbs. Welcome to the world baby Jamison. I hope I get a chance to meet you and catch up with your Mommy. I miss her friendship!

Sunday afternoon/evening Brae, Brian and I went to the Stephan's house. I wanted Brae to see Mr. Stephan for an early Father's Day since I know he won't be able to see him next weekend. Mr. Stephan and Brae are pals, they played together most of the night. Well, Brae also threw and kicked a ball around with Mrs. Stephan as well. It makes me so happy to see him getting along with Bri's family since we're all really family now. We had Pat's pizza, Brae ate 3 slices! Yum-O!

And then after an episode of MacGuyver we all fell asleep.

Now if only I could stay asleep, maybe I would feel so exhausted!

Everything is good though. I need to put up some new pics. I have so many to share!

And tomorrow, weather permitting, we're all going to the Italian Festival! Woohoo!

Labels: brae, brian, family, friends, life

Between the two of us, Braeden and I have been in a doctor's office and/or lab 7 times in the last 12 days. No, I'm not kidding or exaggerating.

And Brae has to go back again on Monday.

We still don't know what the lump behind his ear is, but we haven't gotten all lab results back and today he was tested for TB. The nurses will check the site of the TB test on Monday. We're waiting on three different blood tests as well.

Me. I'm waiting on 8 blood tests. They took five vials of blood from me yesterday. Meh. Though I do think I'm feeling better, just still extremely fatigued and a general, all over soreness which seems to linger no matter what.

Other than rushing around and paying tons of copays, things are pretty good.
Brian and I are doing well (despite the tensions that pops up thanks to me not feeling well). And we're planning on spending the day with Lauren and Dave tomorrow in Philly. I'm super excited! I'm covering an Art Star craft fair, but then we're heading to Johnny Brenda's for "The National" show!!! Good times will be had by all. Or else. =o)

And today is Friday which really can't be beat. Knowing that there is a bit of relief ahead for time to just sit and/or sleep...sounds really good. I so just want to not worry about anything and just try and relax.

Well. That's that for now. Hope everyone is well. All new babies, all friends far away and relatives everywhere.

Labels: brae, brian, life

I think I am finally over the stomach bug. Hmmm. But I made a doctor's appointment for tomorrow evening because I am getting sick far too often and there are people in my life **cough cough mom and brian cough cough** who are freaking out and insisting I see a doctor.

Braeden seems to be feeling alright. The doctor isn't as concerned now with the lump since there seems to be a cause for it. (Bumping his head). We go back to the doctor on Thursday morning. And he is going to have a complete physical done. =o)

Now. For the exciting, wonderful, sparkly news.

In the midst of my stomach bug, Brian asked me to marry him.

He couldn't wait until I was feeling better because he had the ring, he was too excited and well I've been sick for 5 weeks now give a take a couple so-so days. Lord only knows when I will be healthy again.

Bri is my best friend and so I am thrilled that we are both finally in this happy place together. I'm so at peace with this decision, I said yes, and my parents and brother are excited. Brian's parents are excited, though I haven't gotten to see them since I still sick. I hope I get to see them soon.

The ring is gorgeous. Very shiny and sparkly. I can't seem to take a picture that does it any justice. There is such intricate details on the band. There are little diamonds almost all the way around the band. And on either side of the center stone (round) there is a cluster of diamonds wrapped in rose gold. They look like little clovers. My Mom says it is symbolic of the three of us; me, Brae and Brian.

Most of all. I am very happy. And I feel so blessed to know I will be marrying my best friend. Don't expect any big wedding or plans. We'll be engaged for awhile and I'm hoping to "elope" with a select few there with us when it happens.

For now, I'm enjoying the sparkly! And hoping I start feeling better so we can celebrate!

Oh and Congrats to Vicki and Tim who recently found out they will be having a baby!

Labels: brae, brian, life

Braeden had a rough weekend at his fathers, which is something I always brace myself for because he often acts differently when he comes back. So dealing with his clinginess and irritable mood is something I can do.

Sunday night my Mom saw a pronounced lump on Braeden's head, near the hairline behind his left ear. It's well above where glands should lay and it's about a 1 cm. lump. It's not red or bruised even though Brae mentioned someone hitting him. I made the first doctor's appointment for Monday morning and went in hoping for the best.

I left feeling more worried.

At the moment he is being treated as if it is a swollen gland that just happens to be located in an odd area. I am to closely monitor it and if it gets bigger I need to bring him back to the doctor immediately because it could be something "serious" that would require "aggressive treatment." Stupid doctors and their vague pockets of information. Though the doctor did say it is possible he has an inflammation of the mastoid bone behind his ear. Typically this happens when the ear has been infected and the fluid has seeped into the air cells of this "honeycomb" structured bone.

The way to treat it is the problem isn't a gland would be surgically.

An incision would have to be made to see that the lump is indeed an inflammation of the bone. That part of his bone would need to be removed. Then the area would need to be drained. This treatment is called a mastoidotomy.

Thank God for Brian. He was able to relax be and encourage me a little bit. I don't know how he does it.

So. Last night instead of sleeping I just watched my little boy sleep. And I kept peeking to see if the lump was gone. I want it to go away. To disappear.

Prayers are welcomed.

Labels: brae

Monday morning, so I'm feeling a little bit sluggish, but it's bright outside today, lots of sunshine and that's a good thing. Seems as though I got a little color on my cheeks yesterday while being outside. As superficial as it may be, I love when I get a tan in the summer, it makes me feel better about myself. Plus, the sun gives you Vitamin D!

Mother's Day was wonderful for me. Everyone made me feel so special. Braeden gave me the cutest things that he made during daycare. One in particular that I loved is a book he made. He was asked questions and his answers were written down for him word-by-word. When asked how old I am his response was "3." When asked how much I weigh, his response was "3 pounds." Where does Mommy work? He said "Far away, with friends." When asked who Mommy's best friend is, he responded "Brian." He was asked where does Mommy like to go and he replied "To Uncle Greg's, far away." Among the many questions and answers he also drew several pictures. There is a portrait of me, I have crazy hair. Haha! He drew ice cream which is apparently my favorite food. The book is something I will treasure forever!

My brother called in the morning to speak with both my Mom and I. Hearing from him is always wonderful and I'm happy he thought to call. He also sent Mom flowers, very well done little brother!

We went to my Grandma's for dinner and celebrated both Mother's Day and my Grandma's 76th birthday. As my Grandma loves a good BBQ we had hamburgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, salad and lots of fruit. Everything was fantastic. Brae and I especially loved the nachos and dip. =o) Well, I guess Brae loved the watermelon the most. (Without the "nuts")

I think my Mom had a nice Mother's Day. I had gotten her necklaces, one is a rectangle with a heart cutout and the other is the heart. I'm wearing the heart necklace and she is wearing the shape with the cutout. =o) I also bought her a very nifty bag off of Etsy.com! Love that place!

We went to see Brian's Mom after the BBQ and had another BBQ! I think I'm still full. Haha. Brae ate a hot dog, the WHOLE thing! He played ball with Brian and the Scotties. Good times. Brian's parents were super nice as usual and the evening went by too fast. We did make it home in just enough time to see the last episode of 7th Heaven. I'm so upset the show has officially ended, as I think it is one of the better television shows in history!

So all in all, though busy, the day was wonderful. Actually, my whole weekend couldn't have been any better unless it were a day longer. =o)

Labels: brae, family, life

This evil cold has officially hit the two week mark. Though I'm still coughing and have a headache, I have to say I'm not as sore as I was earlier this week. Thank goodness for some relief.

Brae was an animal again last night. Okay, maybe not an animal but extremely contrary. Sometimes I just don't know what to do other than to tell him he has to go straight to bed without any fun movies. We'll see how tonight goes.

Tuesday night Brian and I went to a viewing. One of his co-workers, Julie, had just gotten engaged and right after that exciting news her brother was in a tragic car accident and he didn't make it. I didn't know anyone there, but it was still hard to be there. We waited in line for nearly two hours just to get into the funeral home. And there were probably another 100 people behind us! When someone so young dies unexpectedly there are no words that can alleviate the grief. Nothing you can say or do will help, it just takes time. Julie was nearly hysterical and I can't blame her one bit. The loss her and her family are suffering from is horrible. My heart goes out to them.

Labels: brae, life

No, it's not the 12 days of Christmas. This is the 12th day of me not feeling well. And I hate to say it, but I amy have to go to the doctor. It has gotten to that point, where now I seriously just don't know what to do to get better. Everything has settled in my chest now, just when I thought I was getting over this freak of a cold.

Last night we watched "How I Met Your Mother" and Lily and Marshall got married. It was one of those weddings that was originally supposed to be very small and intimate. Then their mothers got involved and the numbers went from 25 to somewhere in the three digits. In addition, everything that could go wrong DID go wrong. No flowers, no photographer, her veil ripped, his hair was a disaster and their harp player went into labor. Still, at the end they got married...with just their three closest friends by their side, a random acoustic guitar and a nice top hat outside the Church right after a slight breakdown session. Barney officiated the ceremony and had to run through it super speed fast because he ended up getting so choked up. The show was perfect! (I am going to include this little excerpt on the TV blog, too)

Braeden was good all day yesterday and for most of the evening. But then as it got later into the night he became the monster Braeden. Nothing could please him, he was so tired he couldn't even stand himself. Not feeling well and also being tired my patience was wearing thin. I know Brian's was, too. All he needed to do was pick up his toys and put them away. He adimantly refused and so I told him if I have to clean them up he wouldn't be getting them back. The sobfest that acrued was indescribable. It got to the point where he was crying so hard he couldn't breathe, he started coughing, his face was bright red. So then I had to keep my voice calm, try to get him to relax so he didn't work himself up anymore and have an asthma attack. My shoulders are still tight with tension.

Today will be a better day.

Labels: brae, tired

Just finished my PB&J sandwich.

It was good.

See spot. See spot run.

Okay, no, I'm wilting already. The weekend was wonderful, in spite of the fact that Brae was with his father. I was able to spend a lot of time with Brian. Lots of talking and movie watching.

Brian and I drove around Philly Friday night. Lol. Seems like a silly thing to do, but it ended up being a lot of fun. It seems meant to be as it turns out there was a lot to talk about. I think it was a great car ride and a therapeutic conversation.

Ken stopped by Saturday afternoon. It was really nice to see him. He's been working out and losing weight, he looks great. Happy and healthy. He is preparing to take two weeks off and travel to Hawaii. Lucky him. =o)

We went to see Spider-man 3 with his parents on Saturday night and I really loved the movie. It's making me mad that so many people are knocking it. Yes I agree it had too much going on in it, but the actors all did a fantastic job and the effects were amazing. Not to mention I had great company!

Yesterday Bri and I ate delicious Pat's pizza which is becoming a ritual for us I think. And we watched "An American Haunting" which I thought was supposed to just be a ghost story. It was terrifying, but it was more than a horror flick. And had I know how it would end I never would have sat through it. I like scary movies because even though I jump out of my skin, I like it. I'm weird. I just like it. But this movie upset me. I mean. I was just distraught afterwards. Please don't want it if you would be upset my harm coming to children. Specifically young girls... Thank goodness Brian was there to calm me.

When Braeden came home everything was all back to normal and perfect. Even his attitude. We played ball, he ate a ton of pizza and then he and Brian jammed on their guitars. I took at least 50 pictures because they were so cute together. My rock stars!

We ended the night with a phone call from Auntie Natalie, 7th Heaven and Are You Afraid of the Dark? Good times. Always good times. =o)

Now if I could just get rid of this cold.

Labels: brae

So, everyone I have talked to who has the cold I currently have, has decided it is some sort of cold mutation. Clearly, it has to be, because this is not your normal, everyday average run of the mill cold.

I'm sore. I'm miserable. I'm sneezy and stuffy and even itchy! I'm exhausted and having trouble breathing. AND IT WON'T GO AWAY!

On another note, I received season one of "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" in the mail on Friday. I absolutely love that show and watched it faithfully while it aired on SNICK as I was growing up. So now Braeden is asking constantly if we can watch it, he really seems to like it. Brian and I are helping him see that it is all good fun, nothing to be scared of and now he is enjoying watching it with us. Yay!

I also need to take a picture of the new earrings I have added to my collection. I have begun to buy earrings more and more because I really like earrings and well...I have eight piercings in my ears. =o) SO I bought these cool ones that are stars and they have a hot pink star in the middle. I wore them yesterday. Today I have long, silver, dangling things and they are so cute. Debbie at work admired them this morning. =o)

Oh, also big on the main events. Braeden has his first big boy bike. It is a Spiderman 16" bike with training wheels. He is doing very well on it. He fell a few times, but didn't hesitate to get right back up and keep riding. I took pictures, so I'll have to post them tonight when I get home. Yay!

So all in all, I had a good weekend. Except for being sick and for the period of time I wasn't so very friendly to Brian. Thank God he puts up with me. I'm so lucky!

Labels: brae, family, jewelry

I have to tell you, I think I might like the day before Friday more than Friday itself. Thursdays are the promise for your Friday. Thursdays are your hope day. The day you know you're gonna make it. =o)

Anywho. I'm reading that China is finally letting the US FDA Food inspectors come over to see why so much dog food has been tainted. At first the refused admittance, but now they are saying the FDA is welcome to come and "exchange ideas." Sounds to me like they needed time to cover up the scandal and clean up their mess. Figures.

Ag Day is this weekend. It's a huge deal, a big event for the College of Agriculture & Natural Resources. I'm hoping to attend with Brae and hopefully Brian, but I'm really concerned about how I'll feel since my allergies are so wicked bad and the CANR is a pollen haven.

I've decided I want to adopt all the orphans in South Africa. Yep. All 50,000 of them. I can't stand knowing the condition that exist over there. Even contributing to the charities, I still feel like I should be doing so much more.

Braeden is doing alright. I'm pleased by this because two of the children in his daycare have been sick this week. So for him to be holding his own is absolutely wonderful!

Labels: brae, life, news, work

Life is so good. The only thing I have to complain about is my wretched allergies.

I'm having articles published left and right, which is just an amazing feeling. You can check all of them out by going to the music section of my blog, because I put up some more links this morning.

Braeden was much better behaved yesterday than he has been in quite some time. And he's already into the swing of things with the garden, wanting to help his Pop Pop and Grandpop Willey. He's such a good little boy, always looking to see what he can do.

I've been keeping very busy with writing, reading, working and taking care of Brae. And it's all great, seriously, I feel so blessed!

And even though my allergies are terrible, I've got Bri to help with that, always looking out for me. =o) Thanks!

Labels: brae, family

I feel like my allergies get worse each year. Yesterday Braeden wanted to chase me and have me chase him outside. He was having so much fun, but it got to the point where I could hardly even breathe. And then I was all but disabled by the effects later on in the night. My entire body itched, even my throat and the roof of my mouth. I was so uncomfortable. But Brae loves to be outside. I don't want him to sacrifice anything just because I'm all types of defunct.

And I'm worried about Ag Day next Saturday because I really want to go with Brae and Brian, but I know I'll be so sick afterwards. There is only so much medicine you can take and truthfully it doesn't work very well for me.

But the weekend was gorgeous and so is today. All sunshine and warm weather, it's perfect, I just wish I could further enjoy it.

Brian was good to me all weekend. Bought me medicine, looked after me and watched The Food Network with me almost non-stop because that is all I had the energy or will to do. He's the best!

Labels: brae, funny, life

Easter was wonderful, short of missing Bri. =o/

I had Braeden this year for Easter and that thrilled me beyond belief. He ate with Belle next to him at Grandmom and Grandpop's. You should have seen the two of them, cutest kids ever! Unfortunately, she had to leave before the egg hunt, but I made sure to give her filled eggs before she left.

The Easter Bunny left an enormous amount of gifts for Brae. GINORMOUS!
And I made out nicely as well, with some candy, movies AND a new book which I am thrilled about. It may be the next one on my list. Right now I am reading "House of Wind."

When Tristan and Jack made it over the hunt hiding began. Bobby helped me hide them and we did a great job. I thought it would take forever to find all the eggs. But the boys were really good! And they got so excited each time they found another one. I have some great pictures to share as soon as I find time to get them all together. Even Tristan was catching on, being the youngest we weren't so sure about him, but he knew what he was doing. Egg hunting must be genetic.

Grandmom's raviolis are the most delicious thing I have ever had the pleasure of eating before. She let me take some home and I have a couple in the refrigerator at work. Yay!

Bri, Brae and I watched "Eragon" last night and it is such a great movie. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasies. I want a pet dragon now. I hear they are rare. ;o)

Labels: brae, family

I designated myself to buy and fill Easter Eggs for the kids this year. Even though there are only five children young enough to hunt. It's fun to do this, I bought tinkerbell eggs, tye-dyed eggs, eggs with peace signs on them..very cool.

Easter and the Easter Bunny are trying to rival Christmas and Santa Claus in terms of commercialism. It makes me a little bid day. Both holidays are equally important in religious terms and it shouldn't be all about easter baskets and candy. But I do admit, it brings family together and the kids have a blast. I made sure portions of Brae's Easter basket were filled with gifts from the Easter Bunny's Family Christian Store. ;o)

I woke up with a fierce headache this morning. I am attributing it to climate changes..sinus pressure. But I'm not sure. I had such a fun night last night shopping in Wal-mart with Brian until 10:30 p.m. haha, don't be fooled, it is still far too crowded in there at that time.

I now have a new bed spread, sheets and pillow shams. Since Toby gave me his full-size bed a couple weeks ago and it has been adorned in twin-sized sheets until now. Good times. Red sheets, and a reversible red accented comforter. I love it!

Tomorrow I have Brae for the holiday. I promise a photo gallery of pictures for you, most likely complemented with music. ;o)

Labels: brae, easter

So I found this fun website that allows you to put your Flickr photos into a museum frame. Yeah, so that doesn't make sense when I type it out, but see below.

Labels: brae

Brae picked chapstick from the treasure box after he had eaten all of his meals for the day. And it was Pirates of the Caribbean chapstick. The flavor, which I read to him, is "Cherry Lip Booty" and that made him absolutely hysterical.

See for yourself.

Labels: brae