These Are The Moments...

Delaney Piper Frost

2010-06-01T13:11:00.008-04:00

I'm once again way past due on this, but I needed to get it down before it starts to fade away...be prepared, it's gonna be long!

Like most pregnant women, once I hit that magical 37 week mark where they tell you it could happen anytime and start checking to see if you are dialated, I started every trick I could think of to NOT be pregnant for another 3 weeks. And when I went to my ultrasound and doctor appointment on Friday, March 19th at 37 weeks and they said I was barely 1 centimeter dialated and my baby already weighed 8 lbs 15 oz, there was no way I was waiting around another 3 weeks. Of course, the doctor wasn't interested in inducing me that very second like I asked, but he did give us a few tips to try and speed things up. So the rest of that weekend was spent doing lots of walking, eating spicy foods (Buffalo Wild Wings has worked wonders for me BOTH times now!) and a few other things I won't mention here...lol. But I think it was laughter that did it.

On Sunday evening after a long trip to the park with Brayden, I took a walk with our neighbor Heather, her dog Gracie, Brayden and my mom up to the baseball field in our neighborhood. Heather had just bought one of those sticks that a tennis ball goes in and you can fling it really far for the dog to chase and she got a mini version for Brayden to use. So we were up there getting ready to leave with me waddling along behind my mom and Brayden with Heather and I decided to give Brayden's stick a try to see how far it would go. Well, apparently my aim when throwing balls on sticks is not too great, because it whizzed right by my mom's ear, so close we could see her hair move. I thought I was dead for sure (I'm still laughing hysterically thinking about this) because I would have really knocked her out. I was only about 6 feet behind her and whipped it as hard as I could. When we realized she didn't get hit, we laughed so hard. So so so very hard I could barely stand. We laughed the whole way home and right before the house I had a really hard contraction. But only 1 big one and that was it. So I went home, spent some extra time cuddling Brayden that night. Got a long hot shower and actually emptied and repacked my hospital bags because the weather had gotten so much warmer.

Time for bed and I'm still feeling great. But I can't sleep. So I lay there tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable, which is impossible and getting up to pee every 15 minutes. Around 1:30am I roll over for the 10,000th time and feel a big pop. I run for the bathroom and yep, my water broke! Brayden was in our bed and I'm whispering for Andy to get up and let him know it's time. I go into Brayden's room and sit on a towel on the floor to call my mom and the doctor. Andy calls Mark to come over and watch Brayden. Then I head back to the toilet to sit and wait to go to the hospital. At this point I am feeling no pain and having a great time! I'm happy and excited and ready to go! Brayden starts to wake up from all the lights on and running around Andy is doing. My mom shows up and Mark comes soon after. Brayden is laying on our bed yelling in, "Mom, whatcha doin in there? You going potty?" Then he realizes my mom is here too and he's out of bed and running around. So much for being quiet and keeping him asleep. Andy gets the bags in the car and Mark shows up and it's time to go! We head to the hospital at around 2:30am with me still laughing and no pain at all!

We get to the ER and they tell me I'm the 6th one to check in that night in labor. We head up to Labor & Delivery and get all settled in our room. They check and I'm still only 1 centimeter but my water is definitely broke so there's no going home now. At around 4:00 they let me get out of bed and walk for a bit to try and get the contractions started because I'm having a few, but very light and not painful. This is such a different experience from Brayden where I was in pain for days and get to the hospital having horrible contractions! We spend an hour walking the halls and they finally start to pick up and get painful. When we go back to the room at around 5:30am they check again and I'm about 3 centimeters, which is enough to get my epidural! I spend the next 45 minutes getting pumped with fluids and waiting on the anesthesiologist. This was the only time I was in any major pain and it still doesn't compare to what I felt with Brayden. Contractions have picked up to 5 minutes apart and getting stronger. They come to give me my drugs and all is good again. I did feel more pressure with contractions this time so I knew when they were happening, but the sharp pains were gone. They roll me over on my left side and we try and nap for a while since I'm thinking this will take the rest of the day. My mom goes off to make some phone calls and get something to drink. It's about 6:30am at this point.

At around 8am, after spending my nap time facebooking and texting everyone, I start to feel some pressure. I tell the nurse and she says she will get the doctor to check me and see how things are going. I send Andy to find my mom but she shows up right then and I let them know I'm ready to push. Dr. Cirucci comes in around 8:30 to check me and I'm having a lot of pressure and I'm 10 centimeters! It's time to push! The nurses get me ready and tell me we are going to start practice pushes. They aren't sure I'm completely 10 yet and think it will be a little while. There is another woman right across the hall that is about to deliver too. I push for about 10 minutes and she is right there and ready to come! The nurses scramble to get the bed ready and find the doctor. We hear the people across the hall cheer as their baby is born and the doctor runs into our room to catch Delaney! Once the doctor was in the room, one more push and she was here! I was shocked at how fast it went! I pushed 2 1/2 hours to get Brayden out and she was here in about 15 minutes! She was born at 9:04am on Monday, March 22nd, 2010.

Right before she came out, I hear my mom say "Oh my goodness" and wonder what this is about. Well, Delaney came out with a full head of curly dark hair! That was such a shock since I was expecting her to look just like Brayden. She also came out with the cord wrapped around her neck but everything was just fine. I had very little to no tearing this time and only had 1 stitch. I was up and walking in about an hour after having her.

Also, this time I decided to give breast-feeding a try and she had a great latch and fed very well right from the start. We were moved back to our room and got settled in for the next couple days.

To Be Continued...

Brayden

2010-03-02T12:20:00.004-05:00

I have been trying for about 2 weeks now to sit and write about Brayden. Not about what he's doing exactly, or how he has grown. But about him as my little boy. About him as the center of my world and the love of my life and how that's all going to change, but I know deep down it won't. But everytime I try, I just end up crying and don't get very far and can't seem to get the words right to express what I mean. But yesterday I had a very special moment with you that made me need to get this done. So I wrote you a letter.

Dear Brayden,

As much as I am looking forward to meeting your baby sister, I can’t help but feel a little wistful, a little sad, about all the changes that are soon to come. When I was pregnant with you, the only thing I worried about was how much delivery would hurt, how I’d take care of a newborn and how badly my sleep would be interrupted. This time around, I’m not really concerned about those things at all. The only thing I worry about is you.

For nearly the past three years, you’ve had the undivided attention of your daddy and me. You are the center of our world, confident in our love for you, and I think that’s a big reason why you are such a sweet and caring kid. Because it’s my job to worry about you, lately I have worried about the impact on you when a new baby is thrown into the mix and we simply can’t make you the sole focus anymore. I don’t want you to feel jealous, or sad, or not as important as you used to be. One piece of luck that’s on our side is that you are such a good helper, and you seem to love babies, so I hope that you will enjoy being a part of the baby’s everyday care and that you will feel important and special in your role as “big brother.”

I know that I am probably overthinking all of this, as many parents before me have done. That’s because I know that soon, our relationship is destined to change. No longer will it be “just us.” And you are so wonderful, so sweet, so loving with your words and actions, that I selfishly don’t want anything to change. On Monday's, our day to spend together just the 2 of us, I go to bed feeling so sad that this might be our last Monday together just us. But change we must. That’s the nature of life. And when I’m not being all weepy and emotional about it, I know that as our relationship grows and changes, there will always be sweet new memories to be made.

You are so lucky to be getting a sibling soon. I’m grateful that you will have someone to grow up with, to play with, and even to fight with. Someone who can commiserate with you about how crazy your parents are, someone who will hopefully always have your back. And believe me, I think your sister is extra lucky to have you as her big brother because you are already so loving and caring.

Even though I tell you all the time, I am so proud of you and the little boy you are becoming. Your daddy and I love you more than words can express. You make us proud every day, and we are so fortunate to be here with you as you grow and learn. Life wouldn’t be the same without you, and soon, we are going to feel doubly fortunate to have another child. My love for you won’t ever change… my heart will just grow to allow room for another special baby to take her place in our family.
I love you, you're my boy and I'm your Mommy.
xoxo,
Mommy

Long Overdue...

2010-02-11T20:02:00.004-05:00

Well, I've neglected this blog for way too long. It's time for a LONG overdue pregnancy update!

I'm now 33 weeks along and quickly approaching the end! Most of you already know, but this one is a little GIRL! We are planning on naming her Delaney Piper Frost. We had ALOT more trouble deciding on a name this time, but that one seems to have stuck.

Things have been going along pretty smoothly. I was again diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and this time it was a little worse. I failed the 1 hour test so badly that I wasn't even made to suffer thru the 3 hour, but sent straight to the doctor. Luckily, I have been able to modify my diet enough to control my sugar levels during the day, but I do have to give myself insulin shots at night before bed. I've been doing this since about 18 weeks.

Besides that, everything has been moving right along. I have not gained much weight this time, probably due to the new diet, so as of my last appointment I am only up by 8 pounds. But at that last appointment, I was caught by surprise to hear that now that I am past 32 weeks, I am considered slightly high-risk, due to the diabetes and insulin. Because of this, I now will not only be seeing the OB every week instead of every other week, but I also have to go in for weekly Non-Stress Tests. I also will get to go in for ultrasounds every 2 weeks from now on to measure the growth and make sure she doesn't get too big. I had no idea about this, so this came as a huge surprise when I had to schedule all of this. Thank goodness I have a flexible schedule and will be going in every friday morning for the next month.

Once I hit 37 weeks, they will move my appointments to the Sewickley hospital and I will probably have to go twice a week. And they have already warned me...pack my bags and bring them with me to these appointments, because if necessary, I will be going straight to the hospital if needed!

So this has put me in a bit of a panic. I guess I have been just plodding along this time, not really in any hurry to get anything done. And now it feels like it's going really fast and I'd better get my butt in gear! So this week Andy and I have started doing some major cleaning and organizing around the house. We are going to start this weekend with pulling out the carseat and swing and just finding all the baby stuff that is packed away. The nesting has begun!!

Loving Two

2009-10-29T14:57:00.003-04:00

LOVING TWO I walk along holding your 2-year-old hand, basking in the glow of our magical relationship.Suddenly I feel a kick from within, as if to remind me that our time alone is limited.And I wonder, how could I love another child as I love you?

Then she is born, and I watch you.I watch as the pain you feel at having to share me as you have never shared me before.

I hear you telling me in your own way, "Please love only me" and I hear myself telling you in mine "I can't".Knowing in fact that I never can again.You cry, I cry with you.I almost see our baby as an intruder on the precious relationship we once shared. A relationship we can never have again.

But then, barely noticing, I find myself attached to that new being, and feeling almost guilty.I'm afraid to let you see me enjoying her -- as though I am betraying you.But then I notice your resentment change, first to curiosity, then to protectiveness, finally to genuine affection.

More days pass, and we are settling into a new routine.The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast.But something is replacing those wonderful times we shared, just us two.There are new times -- only now we are three.I watch the love between you grow, the way you look at each other, touch each other.

I watch how she adores you, as I have for so long.I see how excited you are by each of her new accomplishments.I begin to realize that I haven't taken something from you, I've given something to you.I notice that I am no longer afraid to share my love openly with both of you.I find that my love for each of you is as different as you are, but equally strong.And my question is finally answered to my amazement.Yes, I can love another child as much as I love you, only differently.

And although I realize that you may have to share my time, I know you'll never share my love.There's enough of that for both of you -- you each have your own supply.

I love you both and I thank you both for blessing my life.

~Author Unknown~

Take A Guess!

2009-10-28T12:21:00.001-04:00

My BIG ultrasound is coming up soon! Monday, November 9th at 10:30am we finally get a glimpse of our little one! I can not wait! So while you are waiting, please go to this site and vote for what you think! Boy or Girl??

http://www.acepolls.com/polls/1048993-baby-frost-ii---boy-or-girl

12 Week Appointment

2009-09-21T21:12:00.002-04:00

The other day I went for my 12-week appointment at the doctor's office. Pretty amazing I'm out of the first trimester already! It's going way too fast for me. With Brayden, it seemed like it took forever and this time it just flew by. I guess it being during the summer really helped because we have been busy all the time.

Let's recap the past 12 weeks. Well, the 8-9 that I actually knew I was pregnant. Sick, tired, sick, tired, sick, tired, tired & now fat. That's pretty much how it went. Since I basically felt perfectly fine with my first pregnancy, I was tricked into thinking this one would be the same. Nope, not at all. I have every symptom possible. Haven't missed out on a single one. And I'm still waiting for it to start to go away. While it has been better the last 2 weeks, I definitely haven't been able to eat the same and I'm still waiting on the "burst of energy" to kick in.

My appointment was pretty uneventful. Got weighed (actually lost 1/2 a pound!), peed in a cup and checked my blood pressure. Everything looks good. Then we tried to hear the heartbeat. At first we had no luck and the doctor was worried I would panic I think, so she decided to try something else. I had to have an internal anyways, so after that, she must have got him/her up and moving. When she tried again, we were able to hear it right away. So everything is looking good and right on track. I don't go back for 4 more weeks. I do have to go for the glucose screening sometime soon. Not happy about that one...that drink is nasty. But since I had gestational diabetes last time, I have to test at 14 weeks and again at 26 weeks.

That's about it for now. At least on the pregnancy front. I'll post a good one with some pics of Brayden later in the week!

Big Fat Slacking Slacker...

2009-09-21T21:10:00.003-04:00

Yep, that's me. I suck. I totally basically quit my blog for the entire summer because I'm lazy. But I'm back! Yes, I'm actually going to start up again! I feel pretty obligated to now...because I'm pregnant again! Most everyone that would read this already knows that, but I thought I'd throw it out there just in case. And since I kept a pretty decent blog during my pregnancy with Brayden, I better not start out slacking with this kid or I will never catch up. So here we go again! I know some of you will be pleased! ;)

Some Suggestions...

2009-05-21T07:14:00.002-04:00

I wanted to provide some suggestions for those that have been asking on what to get for Brayden's birthday. These are simply suggestions and in no way requests!

He is currently wearing a size 2T and will be in that size for awhile. Most of it is still pretty roomy on him, so I expect him to be wearing it thruout the fall also. He could use some more summer clothes. He is currently in shoe size 7 and definitely could use some sandals. He only has 1 pair right now. However, he will NOT wear the flip-flop style where they go between his toes. I'm also on the lookout for some new hats, he really likes to wear them and needs them when out in the sun due to his light skin and thin hair. He also could use some new pj's in summer styles.

Brayden's favorite TV shows/characters are Blue's Clues being his #1. He also likes Little Einsteins, Elmo, Thomas or anything Choo-Choo. He's just getting started to watch Disney movies a little, but still doesn't last for the whole thing. He's also just getting into really liking to build puzzles. The type with big chunky single pieces. Coloring has also become a big hit lately and he doesn't have much of that.

Finally, Brayden is definitely very BOY-boy. His favorite things to play with now are trucks and balls. And spend as much time as possible outside. We do already have a push mower for him, but besides that, there isn't much outside for him to play with. And as you know, we don't have much of a yard, but there is room for a few things. He loves any kind of bigger tonka-style truck or digger that he can push around. He loves kicking or hitting a ball, so any sports type stuff would work also. He loves following Andy around with a screwdriver and doesn't have any sort of tool set or work bench either.

Finally, we have decided to look into getting on of those plastic climber/slide combos or a wagon to get him with any of the gift cards we receive from Toys R Us. Target is also a good place for gift cards because I buy alot of his clothes and diapers from there. Any cash we receive will go into a savings account for him. And please, if you don't mind attach the gift receipt to whatever you get. Just in case we get doubles or need to return any broken items.

I hope this helps those of you wondering and please don't feel obligated to get any of it or even anything at all! Just come out and enjoy the party and have fun!!

Toddler Times...

2009-04-26T22:22:00.008-04:00

Let me start with I WAS NOT HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED!!

Brayden and Daddy were hanging out at home when I went out to do some shopping. Now, I left them from lunch and they were on their way home, Brayden fell asleep in the car. When I talked to Andy almost 2 hours later, he was still asleep. Not 15 minutes after that, I get a call just as I'm pulling into the neighborhood. Can you go get some carept cleaner?? Now, my first thought was oh god, he puked. But nooooo....

While Brayden was apparently "still sleeping" according to Andy, he was actually quite busy. Now what do you think he was doing?

HE WAS DUMPING OUT AND PAINTING WITH 8 BOTTLES OF NAIL POLISH!!!

IN OUR BEDROOM!!!!

Yes, that is correct. I got home to Andy holding Brayden in the hallway trying to clean him off with wipes. While Brayden was crying hysterically. I called my mom - you'd better come save your baby! He was really upset and Andy claims he didn't yell at him, just asked what the heck he did! So he got to go downstairs and get cuddled by Grandma while we cleaned up.

Andy's story is that he thought he was still in bed sleeping. He went to go upstairs and check on him and noticed his bedroom door was open. So he called his name and Brayden came running to the top of the stairs. He held his hands up and yelled MESS! So Andy went up to check it out. Somehow he managed to not get any on his clothes and very little on himself. Just a little on his legs and a stripe between his eyes. But oh my poor bedroom. The area on the carpet that is covered is about 2 feet wide by 4 feet long. My dresser and footboard on the bed had it running down. And I keep them in a shoebox in my vanity and he had taken the lid and poured them all in it. I guess I should be happy that most of it did end up in there. But I'll let the pictures tell you the rest. And yes, we called a carpet place and apparently there is not a whole lot you can do for it. So chances are, Andy will be replacing it with wood flooring sometime in the future.

Pictures!

2009-04-20T19:20:00.004-04:00

I finally got a chance to sort thru all the pictures we took in March. There were a TON of them, I guess due to the weather finally getting nice and us spending so much time outside! Here's a link to my favorites!!

Brayden Pics!

A short update

2009-04-09T20:20:00.003-04:00

I forgot to mention this earlier, and I know some people would be interested!

Brayden is no longer having any skin issues and isn't on medication anymore! We were on 2 different medications for the hives/dermographism for about 3 months. But when the prescriptions ran out the last time, around early March, I decided to take a break from them to see if he was still breaking out. And it has worked! Apparently, the reaction was just from a virus that was in his system and took awhile to work it's way out. He has been off the medication for over a month now, and no more bad reactions. His skin has been completely back to normal!

Also, and I really hope I'm not jinxing myself with this one, but I was calling to make an appointment for his 2 year check-up at the end of May. And I realized that the last time we had been to the doctor - besides the dermatologist for skin problems - was his 18 month check-up. That's right...we have made it pretty much entirely thru winter without a single doctor visit! He really hasn't been sick at all! No sinus infections, flu, ear infections, stomach viruses, nothing!! Yay!!

And...I booked his birthday party! It's gonna be Sunday, May 31st at around 3 in the afternoon. Invitations will be coming out as soon as I get my butt in gear working on them!

Big Boy Bed!

2009-03-30T12:33:00.004-04:00

This weekend we made the move from the crib to Brayden's new big boy bed. It's a toddler bed that looks like a firetruck and is so super cute! However, he seems to think it's a playground and his new favorite toy. Last night was his 2nd night in the bed. And so far, it isn't going horrible. Both nights he has went straight to bed in it with no problem. The first night, he came back out once and I took him right back in and he went to sleep. Of course, he was up at 1:30am and came into our bed, but that was sorta normal with the crib too. Last night he went straight to sleep with no issues. And he lasted in his own bed until 3:45am. So overall, it's going MUCH better than I expected! Now, naptime is a totally different story. Yesterday, Brayden and I had the biggest battle ever to get him down for a nap and he never ended up in his own bed. But today, it only took about 30 minutes of playing in his room before he lay down ON HIS OWN and went to sleep! My big boy is growing up quick!!

Here's a few pictures of him and his new bed!

Avon!

2009-03-25T10:55:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to let people who follow my blog know that I have been selling Avon products now. I have an online website that you can order from and the items will be shipped directly to your home. Here's the website www.youravon.com/christinefrost and here's a code to have your first order shipped for free! MFSWR

Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can help you with!
Thanks for looking!!

Brayden Update!

2009-03-19T11:50:00.002-04:00

It's been awhile since I've posted. Life has been a little crazy, but things are settling down. For those that know about our car issues over the past 2 months, we have FINALLY got our Hyundai back! And it's running better than it has in years! And the best part...it cost WAY less than we would have expected for the work that was done!! So if you are having any car issues, let me know and I'll give you this place's contact info. They did a great job!

Brayden is definitely turning 2 pretty soon. He has such an attitude lately. And he is so grown up all of a sudden. He has finally started talking alot more and repeats so many random words. His favorite word last week was "baggie" of all things. I can't get him to say things like Nibbles (our dog) or Up or On, but he walks around yelling about baggies and gets them out of the drawer now. Crazy kid! His second favorite thing to say right now is "Leah-Leah." That's his cousin, my niece. He wakes up asking if she is coming over. Everytime we go outside he asks if she is at Grandma's. If we get in the car he wants to go see her. He LOVES little Leah!

Then there are the "ewwwies." I laugh just thinking about this. Brayden is TERRIFIED of the ewwwies. What are ewwwies, you ask? Well, pretty much anything fuzzy. This could be a hunk of fur that has come off of our super-hairy cat Munchkin. Or it could be a teeny-tiny piece of lint. Or one of my hairs. Or as we discovered yesterday, a piece of that fluff that flies in the air outside that you catch and make a wish with! If he sees one of these it is a total freak-out. Screeching ewwie, ewwwie, ewwwie and pointing. If you get near him with it, he gets this panicked look on his face (not that I would ever take a gob of cat hair and tease him with it like that...haha) and runs. And the best/worst of it is in the bathtub. When he is in the tub now, he will find that teeny-tiniest piece of lint that came out of his toes or who knows where else and obsess over it. We have to scoop every little bit out as fast as possible. Or the trick I have found is that I just have to make sure I put lots of bubbles in so that it hides them. It's just the funniest thing you have ever seen.

This weekend is going to be a busy one! And i will be sure to post some pictures from playing outside lately soon. Sorry for slacking so much!!

A Sad Day...

2009-02-15T19:02:00.003-05:00

Last weekend, we got some sad news. Brayden's Great-Grandpa (Todd's Dad) passed away. Unfortunately, we were unable to travel to Ohio for the funeral, but he will be missed dearly by everyone.

Before & After

2009-02-15T18:34:00.010-05:00

Here are a couple of the before pictures...it was getting a little crazy!

And during the haircut...yes, he is in a pink barbie car because that's the only one that was open!

And my handsome little boy afterwards...

Fun Day Out!

2009-02-15T15:08:00.006-05:00

Last weekend Brayden and I met up with a couple friends at the Children's Museum. We were needing to get out of the house...way too much time stuck inside with the cold weather! So we invited a few little guys that are right around Brayden's age and headed downtown. I wasn't sure if he would be old enough for most of the stuff, but I was so wrong!! We spent about 3 hours there and probably could have lasted longer! He had SO much fun! There actually wasn't much he couldn't play with or do. And i've already talked with Andy about it. For his birthday, instead of a toy or something, we are hoping to get a membership to the museum so that we can go all the time. That way whenever we have a free day off or Andy is home with him for the day, we could run down and spend an hour or two hanging out and playing!

Of course, tons of pictures were taken...hanging out in Mister Roger's Neighborhood

Playing in the sand tables...and the water room!

Andy + Christine = 10 Years!

2009-01-29T21:43:00.005-05:00

This past weekend Andy and I celebrated our 10 Year Anniversary! Well, not wedding, but since our first date! I can not believe it has been that long! That makes us only 18 and 19 when we first met. Wow.

So we got a night out on our own. My mom kept Brayden overnight (YAY!) for us so we could get out. We went out to Dave & Buster's for dinner and some fun games. It was a great time. And of course, we used our tickets to win some toys for Brayden. One (a dinosaur) that he is absolutely terrified of...lol. But there wasn't much to pick from for his age. We actually got home pretty early and watched a movie. Then...the best part! BED! (get your mind out of the gutter...haha) We got to SLEEP! All night long! All by ourselves with no little feet kicking and no sitting up to yell Choo-Choo at 4am. No waking up at 7am wanting to "eat Eat EAT!!" It was glorious!

Here's a fun picture of us from a LONG time ago...

Carter's Tagless Clothes Recall

2009-01-22T11:49:00.001-05:00

I don't know if you have read about this yet or not, but I recently saw an article about it on a chat board I frequent and checked it out. Many of you know that Brayden has had issues lately with extremely sensitive skin. So I figured it was worth looking into. I sent an email to the address on the website and they sent me back a response asking me to call and 800 number. I called this morning, and they took my information and are sending me a prepaid postage sticker to send everything back. They only asked me if he had any sort of reaction and I was truthful and just explained that he has sensitive skin and I'd rather be safe than sorry. No other questions except how many articles approximately was I sending. I told them around 30, I believe and was told my sticker would be mailed later today. I will receive a FULL REFUND for all of the clothes that are returned in the form of a check. My thinking is that even if Brayden doesn't have a reaction, do I want to use these again on my future children and possibly risk it when it's too late to return them? Or even give them to someone else who would possibly have to deal with a reaction? So why not get the refund and you can alway purchase more. Especially since most of the clothes I'm sending don't even fit Brayden anymore! And we had a TON of these clothes! Here's the link to the site. http://www.carters.com/Corporate/tagless_message.aspx

Here We Go Steelers...

2009-01-18T16:02:00.003-05:00

Here We Go!!!

Totally Unexpected!!

2009-01-18T15:11:00.002-05:00

About a week ago, I was upstairs, putting away clothes or something and Brayden was up there with me. He was dragging around his little potty so I asked him if he wanted to pee in the potty. He immediately nodded yes, so I figure, what the heck? I strip him down and set him on the potty. What do you think...he pees!!! Probably within 2 minutes of sitting there! I thought it was a fluke. So that night, before bath, I ask him again...Do you want to pee on the potty? Again, yes and he sits down and pees!! I'm completely shocked. And truthfully, not at all prepared to put in the time and effort to start potty-training. He's only 20 months old! And he can't pull his own pants on or off...or talk for that matter...haha. But he loves to sit on the potty now! For the past week, about 3 or 4 times a day, I will ask him and up he goes. I know he has the right idea now because you can tell he's actually trying to go when he's sitting there.

So this has been an unexpected surprise! But how can I argue? Of course, I know we are a LONG way from out of diapers, but it doesn't hurt!

He's Daddy's Boy...

2009-01-11T22:06:00.004-05:00

Daddy has him started training for sports early! And he loves it!!

Some Exciting News!

2009-01-10T19:37:00.002-05:00

We have some exciting news in our house! No, it's not what you think...and it's probably not nearly as exciting to most of you as it is to us...haha. But if you have ever dealt with the situation, you will find it exciting too!

We are officially 1-WEEK BINKY FREE!! They are completely gone from our house and never to return to Brayden's mouth (or hands, or forehead.) He was driving me completely crazy with them. Between him chanting Binky, Binky, Binky constantly; having to have no less than 3 with him at all times, and being woken up repeatedly at night by him screaming binky while having to search under my pillow, thru the covers, etc. to find at least 2 for him (yes, he sleeps in our bed most nights, another story, another challenge.) I was way past done dealing with the binky situation.

So last Sunday morning, we woke up and left the binkys in bed. When he started asking for them (about 10 minutes after breakfast) we just told him they were all gone. He knows what all gone means, so he dropped it for awhile. Surprisingly, he hardly mentioned it again all day! He went down for his nap easily and again at bedtime. He seems to only ask the most when we get in the car, and even that has stopped. So we have made it a whole week and are so excited to finally be done with them!

Doctor Appointment Update

2009-01-10T19:09:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that we were able to see the Pediatric Dermatologist yesterday and everything with Brayden looks good! He does have dermographism. But she said it's most likely that the reason for his hives/breakout/sensitivity is most likely due to a virus he had that caused it to come out. Unfortunately, we won't be able to say he won't get that virus or another one that will cause the same reaction, but it's nothing serious. Especially since he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. While his skin is still showing alot of sensitivity, it is alot better than it was last week already. And they put him on some medication that should help even more. He will be taking Zyrtec every morning and Ataraz every night for at least a month to help control it. Hopefully this will take care of everything and clear it up for good!

Just a Note...

2009-01-07T14:12:00.002-05:00

For those of you who are following or interested, we were able to get Brayden a doctor appointment for this Friday at 2:00pm with the pediatric dermatologist. I was amazed we were able to get in that quickly. But then, it makes me wonder if we got in quickly because he might have something of concern...hmmmm. Anyways, I will update after the appointment and let you know how it goes!!

Happy Hump Day!

It Could Be Worse

2009-01-05T19:47:00.002-05:00

Today we went to the pediatrician for a check-up on a problem I have been noticing with Brayden. A few weeks ago he started breaking out in hives. We saw then doctor then, and it was decided it was a reaction to a virus he had. Well, the hives haven't exactly gone away. While he isn't getting the full-blown hives he was having for a couple of days, he is still having some skin issues. Lately, it seems like whenever and wherever we touch him, he gets a red spot. It only lasts for about 10-15 minutes, but it didn't seem right to me. I'm not talking a small red spot, like a scratch. I mean if I wipe his nose with a tissue, it looks like I slapped him across the face. And after a bath at night, he looks like he was beat up. My mom came over the other day and asked where he got the black eye. Nope, just from where he rubbed his face. And it wasn't going away. Sometimes they look like welts it's so bad.

So today it was back to the pediatrician for the third time in a month. We go in and are waiting for the doctor. I explain to the nurse what's going on. She's looking like she has no idea what I mean, but she says, "We'll just note this as a skin condition." Then the doctor comes in. She looks him over. I take a wipe out and wipe his nose and face. He turns all shades of bright red, but is happy as can be, running around the room. She leaves the room and we wait. And wait. Finally she comes back with a huge book. Now, when your kid has an ear infection or virus, they don't bring a big book in for you to look thru. So I'm worried. Plus, this is the same doctor we had at our very first appointment. The one where I was told he had a thyroid issue by saying he could grow up mentally ill. Yeah, that doctor...so I'm already on edge.

Apparently, he could possibly have something called dermographism. She wasn't entirely sure, because from what I understand, it is pretty rare. Also, we aren't sure if it is something that is short term or long term. But we have the number for a pediatric dermatologist that I will be calling tomorrow to make an appointment with.

The bottom line is, while it isn't pretty, it also doesn't seem to be hurting him. He's not itching the spots or even noticing them. So we'll just hope that this is more on the short term side and hopefully gone soon. But if not, it could be alot worse...

Thinking of Friends...

2009-01-05T19:39:00.004-05:00

We have had a few occurances happen with our friends/family that I think are worth mentioning...

First, my cousin, Mike (Kelly's brother) became a Daddy again to twin baby girls on 12/23/08! While they were born very early (around 28 weeks) and only weigh about 2 pounds each, from what I have heard, they are all doing great and as soon as I get some new pictures, I will be sure to post them!

Second, I want to send some prayers out to our great friend Tammy and her family. Her sister recently lost her full-term baby girl and I can't imagine how very horrible that must be. So if you could, take a second to say a prayer and support to her and her family during this very difficult time.

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-05T19:32:00.002-05:00

I told you, I'm still working backwards...lol

Our new year's eve was one of the best ones I have had. We had a great time hanging out with our closest friends at home. We ordered in some wings, got some pizzas, had some yummy desserts and lots of wine and champagne! There were about 10 of us (can you believe it? a small group with Andy around...haha) and we watched a ~~boring~~ super exciting movie, watched the ball drop and played some Taboo! Overall, a really fun night!

Brayden hung out at my mom's and they both fell asleep before midnight...boooo....

Let's Back it Up a Little

2009-01-05T09:57:00.007-05:00

Ok, I've been slacking again. So we're gonna go back a little ways and catch up. So pretend this post is from 12/25/08!

Merry Christmas! lol

We had an absolutely wonderful Christmas. Brayden woke up diarrea and hive free that day and we started the day at home, opening presents. I got a really nice and warm black wool dressy coat and Andy got a nice, dressy bracelet. And Brayden got toys...lots and lots of toys. My mom came over to take the pictures while we opened. After we finished presents at home and took a little time to get ready for the day, we headed over to my Mom's (2 doors down) to visit with my Grandma, brother, sister-in-law and niece. We had a yummy brunch and opened more presents. At this point, Brayden was done and he went down for a nap while the rest of us got to spend some time together.

Then it was off to Andy's parents for the rest of the day. We had a nice, relaxing dinner with his whole family and then spent the rest of the evening opening gifts.

We were all so spoiled! We got lots of gift cards...we could probably eat out for months! And Brayden got so many toys. We haven't even opened them all! I have put away at least 5 of the big ones for him for later when he starts to get tired of these ones. So far, his favorites seem to be the kitchen he got from my mom and the Fold-N-Go Train that we got him.

Overall, it was just a wonderful, happy day spent with family and friends. We are so very blessed.

Please Tell Me Tomorrow Will Be Better...

2008-12-22T23:26:00.002-05:00

Let me tell you a little about my day today.

First, let's rewind to last night. After a great visit with my dad and brother and families, Brayden was happily playing with his new toys. And I start to smell something. No big deal...we've changed at least a million poopy diapers by now. I go upstairs to grab something and my brother yells up, Brayden needs his diaper changed NOW. I know, I smell him...no, he says now. Look at him. Oh yes, all the way up the back of his pretty striped shirt is a brown stain. Lovely. So I take him upstairs to change everything and into the tub he goes. Gross. But he seems perfectly happy and no fever. Later that night we are sitting around watching TV with Andy. I see the poop face starting. I warn Andy, he had a bad one earlier. What do you think is next? Yep, poop all over our couch because he was only wearing a onsie. So into the bath again with Daddy while I scrub the couch. Again, no fever. Now it's bedtime.

Wake up this morning to him happy as can be asking to eat. Bananas, he's chanting. So he gets his banana and we get ready for the day. He's really hungry, eating up the banana and a whole waffle right away. I figure this is great, he must be feeling ok and off to daycare and work we go. When I don't hear from the daycare by around noon, I'm guessing the day is safe and he's all better. I'm super busy at work and really can't afford to miss any days or time this week. But around 4pm I get the call. Brayden has had 3 runny diapers today. But is playing happily, so no big deal, just wanted to let me know. So I go pick him up and we head home. He's a little lazy, but a happy little guy.

We head home and hang out on the couch watching TV and eating toast with juice. My mom comes over to visit and play with Brayden so I can work on finishing up something for Christmas. So they are watching TV and I'm working on the table with some fabric. Brayden comes over and wants to see what I'm doing and then lays down on the fabric. I didn't think much of it and he was playing with it for a little while. Next thing I know, it's time for a bath. He's sitting in the tub playing and I'm doing all the little things, getting his clothes ready and stuff. I look over and his face is BRIGHT RED with PURPLE SPOTS!!! All over it. The only place that looked normal was right under his nose. I called my mom back over and from what we can guess, it looks like an allergic reaction to rubbing the unwashed fabric on his face! So now I have a poopy, purple spotted baby. And it's 2 days til Christmas. Just what I wanted! Off to bed he goes and I check him occasionally. Fast asleep and the spots are fading.

It's about 11pm and I'm getting ready for bed now. Turn off the TV and finishing some laundry. All of a sudden there is a loud rumbling. Now, I recognize this...it's the same rumbling we had last week when someone's carbon monoxide alarm went off and about 4 firetrucks were parked in my street. So Nibble and I go out to see what's going on. No firetrucks, but a large dumptruck and bulldozer are parked running right next to my house. At 11pm. On a Monday night. And my entire house is rattling and rumbling. I go out to ask what's going on. Oh, nothing major, they are just repairing a damaged underground line. SERIOUSLY?!?!? NOW?!?! I ask, are people without power or something? No, nothing wrong, it's just a bad cable line. And they have to heat the ground or something for at least 2 hours before they start digging. And he was nice enough to warn me...it's going to get way louder than the rumbling dump truck when they start.

So if you see on the news tomorrow that a crazy mom started attacking Comcast people in the middle of the night for waking her sick baby. It wasn't me...you never read this.

And It Begins...

2008-12-22T15:18:00.004-05:00

Toys...lots and lots of toys are coming our way this year. The Christmas fun started yesterday when my Dad and Edie and my brother Mark and his wife Katie brought my niece over to have a little early Christmas celebration. Since we don't usually see my Dad and his family on Christmas day, it's just easier to have them over earlier. So they all came to our house for some yummy spaghetti bake and some presents! It was a lot of fun! Brayden got the Little People Farm Playset and Leah got a doll and a vacuum cleaner. Of course, Brayden was alot more interested in Leah's vacuum (shut up Megan, we don't need one). And then he opened this present from his Pap-Pap. THE MOST ANNOYING TOY IN THE WORLD...

A Handy Manny Power Tool Set. I already want to hide it away. Not only does it speak in Spanish to me nonstop, but it sounds very much like a real saw or drill. But this is the best part...it "breaks" on it's own every once in awhile. So that you can get out your niftly little toy pliers that came with it to "fix" it by tightening the screws. So here's how it goes...GRRRR...ZMMMM...GRRRR...ZMMMM for about 5 straight minutes. With random spanish phrases throughout to let you know you are doing a great job at sawing or drilling or chasing the poor dog around with it. Then CLANK, CLANK, CLUNK! UH-OH! Following by your toddler chasing you around yelling "Mama OFF OFF" over and over again until you tightened the dumb screw that is set to unscrew itself again in 5 minutes to "fix" it. And don't think you can watch TV or anything because this toy is LOUD and there are no volume controls. So, if I can warn you ahead and you bought this for your kid, you will hate it. Please give it to some other poor parent that you wish to torture because it's horrible and you will want to tear your ears off. Ours is going on 12 hours old and I already was trying to think how bad it is of me to hide it away. So let's see what we are going to get that can beat this one...lol.

If I don't have time to say it again...I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and lots of love to you all from our family!!

18 Month Check-Up

2008-12-15T09:34:00.003-05:00

On Friday, we went to Brayden's 18 month check-up at the doctor's. We were a little late going (he hit 18 months a few weeks ago) but due to his shot schedule, we had to wait. But everything went well and he is doing great! When he was weighed, he is supposed to just sit on the little scale. Well, when he sat on it, it wiggled and he panicked! I guess he thought he was going to fall off, so he was then terrified for the rest of the appointment. Everything was a battle. But he only weighs 24 pounds, 4 ounces which is less than a pound more than the last appointment! So he's a skinny little thing, but he's just under 34 inches tall! That puts him in the 10th percentile for weight and the 85th for height. I wish I had that problem....lol. Then it was time for the shots and those weren't a big hit either. But overall, everything is going well and we're so happy. Now we don't go back until he's 2!

Only 2 More Weeks!

2008-12-10T09:55:00.003-05:00

Is everyone ready for Christmas yet? I'm getting there. We have the tree up. I have alot of my shopping done. I have baked my cookies and we had a fun cookie exchange so I now have a ton in a great variety. And Brayden knows what Ho-Ho means! My mom got him a small, stuffed Santa Claus to carry around and he now points at any Santa he sees and says "Ho-Ho." But he whispers it...and it sounds exactly the same as when he points to the stove and says "Hot-Hot." But hey...we're getting there! We also have an outstanding (sense the sarcasm) light display outside our house. You'll have to see it to understand...lol. Andy was NOT in the mood to decorate the day I made him hang up the lights. We still need to take Brayden to see Santa Claus. I'm hoping to try and get that done this weekend. I can't wait. I'm guessing it's not going to be a pretty little picture like it was last year. Because I can tell you, we have stopped by to visit with Santa, just not sat on his lap yet. And while there is no tears, there is a lot of No-No-No's from him when we get close. But yes, I am going to torture my child and get a picture of him sitting on his lap, crying or not. So keep a watch for that one coming soon!

Here's a few pictures from our recent "photo shoot" with Brayden's Grandpa, Todd. I think they turned out great!

Don't Blink...

2008-12-04T09:46:00.003-05:00

Many of you probably know of the song, "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney. If you don't, it's a country song about how fast time goes by. And I never truly knew exactly how fast time goes by until I had a child. Can you believe that Brayden is 18 months old? A year and a half old already. And it just flew by! My baby is no longer a baby...he is a toddler. There doesn't seem to be much baby left to him these days. He is doing his best to do everything he wants to do when he wants to do it and without any help from me. He is all over the place...climbing the stairs, trying to plug in the Christmas tree, unloading the dishwasher, climbing into his highchair, he's a maniac. I can't even keep up with him most nights. But then there's that moment. When he's crying in his crib after waking up...and you go get him and he will just cuddle in next to you. He'll lay in bed quiet with me and just snuggle and I can look at him like I did when he was just a tiny thing. Where did the time go...

Slacker

2008-11-25T09:23:00.002-05:00

I know, I've been slacking lately. Again...lol. I guess it's just been an uneventful week! Andy has been working a ton of overtime lately, so he's never around. We are on a tight budget for Christmas, so Brayden and I have been staying close to home so we don't go crazy out shopping. I've started my Christmas shopping, but no where close to being done yet. I can't believe it's only a month away!!

This weekend we went up to visit with Megan at their new house. Brayden got to hang out and play with the other kids while I helped her family get some painting done. It's a beautiful house and I know Megan is anxious to get moved in so I wanted to help. Besides that, not a whole lot going on. I got all the stuff for my baking last night, so the rest of this week will be busy. I'm making a Buckeye Cake to take for dessert on Thanksgiving. It's a new recipe that looks sooo yummy. Watch the recipe blog for it to show up soon! Also, I have my big cookie exchange party in a little bit, so I have to get started on that. I'm toying around with the idea of getting up and going out shopping on Friday morning...I know...crazy! Especially in Robinson. But i love it! We'll see how tired I am...

I'll have a better update later in the week. Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

No-No Dinosaurs!!

2008-11-17T13:46:00.003-05:00

Have you seen this dinosaur toy? They sell it at Target, Toys R Us, pretty much every toy section has it....

How about this one? How cute! A big dinosaur you can ride on! When you pet it, it sorta purrs at you and if you feed it, it chomps on stuff. And you can ride on it too!!

Please don't get any of these for my child...lol. Apparently, we discovered this weekend that Brayden is DEATHLY afraid of dinosaurs! And he doesn't discriminate. Not only doesn't he like these giant ones, but little plastic ones, soft and fuzzy stuffed ones, cute and friendly looking ones...none of them. Let's add to the list BOOKS with dinosaurs. Because the toys r us big toy book that he had been playing with also scared the crap out of him and was thrown across the room last night when he came across the pictures! Ok...I'm laughing...are you?? Here's the background story...

We went out to do a little early Christmas shopping on Friday afternoon. We were wandering around the toy section at Target. Andy was pushing Brayden in the cart and I was a couple aisles over looking around. All of a sudden I hear this scream. Mom's...you know your kid's scream. And you know the difference from the happy, laughing one and the OMG one. This was the bad one. I seriously thought he fell out of the cart and cracked his head or something. I'm running over trying to find them. And they are right there with Brayden crying and Andy laughing hysterically. Apparently, they have the first one I posted in a big clear box thing and you can push a button to make it move. Brayden lost it. He was shaking and just screeching like someone was killing him. So we left it and walked around for a little while. Then decided to go back past only NOT push the button this time to see what would happen. Nope...as soon as we got in the aisle, same reaction.

Then my mom and I are at Wal-mart yesterday and I hand him this little, tiny plastic dinosaur and he's all "noooooo" and spends the rest of the trip thru the store nervously looking back and forth to see if one is gonna show up around the corner.

Well, the bad news is this thing is on the end of an aisle in just about every kid's section right now. I guess there are kids out there that actually LIKE dinosaurs...not ours! Of course, this is driving Andy bonkers. He is talking about buying a bunch of little ones and placing them all over our house. Because that is why you have a kid, right...to torment them?? lol!

Binky Update!

2008-11-16T18:43:00.002-05:00

So it's been a full weekend. I started the NO BINKY on Thursday night and here it is Sunday already. So what do you think happened? Do you think we managed to do it? Do you think he cried all weekend long? Do you think we are suckers and totally gave in?

Well....it was VERY successful!! I guess it was just time, because it was WAY easier than I ever expected. Thursday night, whenever he asked about the binky, he was handed the cut ones. Which he would immediately throw. At bedtime, I handed them to him again, he threw them, picked up his blanket and went right to bed. With no fuss at all!!! None! I was completely amazed. You have no idea. I was so worried, I even had the real ones in my pocket to throw in the crib if it got ugly. But there wasn't a peep out of him. AND.....he slept in his crib ALL NIGHT LONG!!! This is an accomplishment in itself, as he has been ending up in our bed around 3am almost every night for the past month.

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful. We spent some time out shopping on Friday. He even slept in the car without a bink. But the car is the only time he has really been asking for them. He will chant Binky in the backseat for about 2 minutes before giving up and looking out the window. Saturday night Andy and I got to go to a Pens game while Brayden spent the evening with his Grandma Gagle. Apparently, she managed to get him to eat some cooked carrots...lol.

Today I did give him 1 (and only 1) while we were in the car on the way home from the store. I knew he needed a nap and wanted it to happen before we made it back to the house. But overall, he has been binky-free for almost 3 straight days! Can you believe it??

I'm A Mean Mommy

2008-11-13T09:32:00.003-05:00

So I've been tossing around the idea of getting rid of the pacifiers. But it's going to be bad...and ugly...and involve lots of crying (probably both of us) and lack of sleep. I keep putting it off. But we're coming up on 1 1/2 years old at the end of this month (REALLY?!? Where did the time go!) and I feel it's time to at least start limiting it. So I've started looking into options. The problem is, I can't find the one that says, "Just pack them away and he'll never ask again!" And my mom and Andy are no help. They say, "Awwww...but he really likes his binky's!" Yes, I realize that. But I don't like searching for them and being bopped in the face with them and hearing BINKY BINKY BINKY over and over for hours. Also, he seems to be getting sick more, especially with cold and flu season here, and I feel like the less he is shoving in his mouth, the less germs. And he has completely given them up at daycare. They don't offer it to him and he doesn't even ask! So if they got it under control there, I figure it's my turn.

So...last night I started with a suggestion from daycare. I took 2 of his really old ones and cut the ends off. Just a little bit off the tip, but it doesn't get any suction anymore. And I waited for him to ask for it. When he did, I handed him one of the cut ones. You should have seen the look on his face. I wish I had my camera ready. He stared at it, he turned it around, he looked pretty worried, he stared at it somemore. Then he stuck his finger in the hole and looked at me and said "Uh oh!" and laughed hysterically. He carried it around repeating "Uh oh!" and then would burst out laughing. I was trying so hard to keep a straight face thru all of this. Then he tried putting it in his mouth. And took it out and stared at it, and put it in. Then he threw it on the floor and went to play!!!!!! For the rest of the evening, I didn't hear "BINKY!" once. Not ONE SINGLE TIME!!! A few times he would pick it up and look at it and just drop it again.

Then came bedtime. I wasn't sure how to handle this one. So I was prepared with both the cut ones and the normal ones. After bath, we headed into his room with him chanting BINKY at the top of his lungs. I layed him down and handed him the cut one. He threw it across the room and was not at all pleased. What was funny downstairs, we apparently not as amusing when it was bedtime. Then we had a little incident. While I was drying his face, he has a little blister on his lip. Well, the towel must have rubbed it wrong, and it started bleeding. Which caused him to majorly freak out. And I broke down and gave him the good binky. Actually, I gave him 4 of them. Go ahead...say it. I'm a sucker. But I had to work in the morning too! So we'll try again tonight. I'll keep you posted!

Look at this face...and tell me how to take away his favorite thing!

Because He's Just So Cute...

2008-11-06T15:11:00.004-05:00

And I'm missing my baby boy at work today...

"She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. " ~Margaret Culkin Banning

October Pictures!

2008-11-04T11:45:00.003-05:00

I can't narrow down all the great pictures we have taken this month to share just a few on there, so I'm attaching a Shutterfly link to some of my favorites. We had such a busy month. We went to a Pumpkin Party with Megan's family, Janoski's to pick out a pumpkin, spent some pretty days at the park, 2 nights of trick-or-treat and Leah's first birthday party!

October Pictures!

Trick-Or-Treat!

2008-11-04T11:35:00.003-05:00

We went to Andy's parents on Thursday to trick-or-treat with Brayden. He loved it! He caught on very quickly. And would get upset when he tried to go to the houses with no light on and we wouldn't let him. Apparently, he felt every single house should give him some candy!! But he really had a blast walking around. At one point, someone put a lollipop in his bucket and he dumped the whole thing in the street trying to get it out. He spent some time chewing on a snickers with the wrapper on it too.

Grandma & Grandpa Gagle's house was a little scary for him. He didn't care for things that made noises or smoke coming from the yard...lol.

Friday, we had trick-or-treat in our neighborhood. Andy had to work, but we still had a nice time. My brother came over with his little girl and we took them around to a few houses close by. My mom stayed behind to hand out the candy...all 10 kids that came.

It's Pumpkin Time!

2008-10-28T20:06:00.005-04:00

The other night, we decided to try and carve the pumpkin. I was curious to see how Brayden reacted to all the goo inside. Andy isn't a big fan, but he was willing to help...lol. So we spread out the newspaper and got everything going. Andy cut the top off and I got the video camera ready. Then we gave Brayden a big spoon and let him try it out. At first he wasn't sure...but soon he dug right in. He was more interested in flinging it all over the kitchen, but hey, it's his first time and he was having fun! Then he wanted to help me pick all the seeds out (we like to bake them to eat!), but was doing too much flinging, so he was sent back with his spoon to the pumpkin. He was such a good helper!

Right now, he's laying on the floor watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! He really likes it!

ChaCha!

2008-10-27T17:51:00.004-04:00

ChaCha is something I recently found out about that is fun, easy and a way to earn a little extra money! It is free to sign up. Cha Cha is completely free to sign up - there is no start up fee and they will never, ever ask you for any money.

What is ChaCha? ChaCha is a human-powered search engine!

How ChaCha works… Subscribers (or customers) text in any question that they need an answer to, to 242-242. ChaCha is totally free for customers (it is advertisment driven). A subscriber might want a sports score, their local weather or the closest Mexican restaurant! Then, trained ChaCha Guides (me) research for the answer- using ChaCha's search engine (or Google). The guide finds the best answer, and sends it back to the customer. You never have to use YOUR cell phone, so no text charges ever! You work whenever you want, for how ever long you want, right on your computer. You can log in for 5 minutes a day or 8 hours a day. The more you "work", the more you make. There is no minimum hours that you must work and no schedule at all. If you need to go on vacation, just go! No need to tell them when you can or cant work.

ChaCha Requirements: -Loves searching online -Fluent in English -Excellent writing skills -High speed internet connection (you will also need to download Mozilla Firefox, but ChaCha will walk you through this) -At least 18 years old -Must live in the U.S. and have a valid Social Security Number

How do I apply? If you decide to sign up, please leave a blog comment with your email & I will contact you with my referral email. Comments are private, so no one will see your address.

How referrals work - By using a referral you have a better chance at having your application approved. For every person you refer, you get 10% of what they make. But they still get 100% - it does not come out of their earnings. You can refer up to 40 people. You do NOT have to refer people to work for ChaCha, this is not a pyramid scheme! However, you will maximize your earnings by referring people. Be sure that you refer people who are seriously interested, otherwise your spots will be wasted. ChaCha very rarely "clears out" inactive referrals.

Just click here to get started. The role you want is “Generalist”. After your iniatial application, ChaCha will contact you within a few days letting you know if you are a good fit for the position, or not. The first round I hear is multiple choice (common knowledge). If you pass this test, you'll receive an email inviting you to take the simulator test. This is the part that lots of people fail. They give you a lot of information to read and review before taking the simulator and I HIGHLY suggest reading it & watching all videos thoroughly. If you fail the simulator there are no second chances.

*If you would like to check out ChaCha as a customer first, set up a FREE account at ChaCha.com then start texting your questions to 242242!

Welcome to the World, Baby Boy!

2008-10-24T15:57:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, my best friend Megan welcomed her 3rd little baby into the world. Miles Andrew was born at 5:17pm on October 23, 2008. He was 8 lbs, 6 ozs and 20 & 1/2 inches long. Not too big, considering he was a few days overdue! He gave his mommy a hard time this past week by not budging until he was given the official eviction notice. She went in yesterday morning to get induced. They gave the medication. She waited. She walked. No progress at all. So home they went.

When I got off work at 5:00pm, I gave her a call to see how she was doing. It didn't sound good. I had originally thought she said they were leaving for the hospital. I find out later that they were actually about to pull in the parking lot. And talk about cutting it close!! Later, we looked at our phone times. I talked to her on the phone at exactly 5:04. Look again above at what time he was born!! I got a phone call from her mom at 5:25 saying I didn't make it in time. I was shocked!

But both Mommy and baby Miles are doing great. When I was visiting with her around 7pm last night, I could tell she was already wanting to go home with her family. Both Gabi and Ryan (her other kids) came to visit and were so excited to meet their new little brother. Congratulations Greene Family! He's absolutely beautiful!!

10 Years...

2008-10-24T15:41:00.003-04:00

That's how many years Brayden just took off my life...I'm sure of it.

He recently has started climbing on everything. E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. We have let him to an extent, but it is getting to be too much. The wipe container is used as a step to get him up on the couch. A little people play set is used as a step to get him on the coffee table. An upside down block container is used to help him reach on his high chair. Well, yesterday he discovered he could pull out our dining room chairs and climb on them as well. This is horrible news to me. Because now I can't keep him off of them. Andy was home with him all day yesterday and got so tired of fighting with him about it that he put them all up ON THE TABLE. So that's what I came home to last night.

This morning, while Brayden napped, I spent the time cleaning the living room and kitchen. That included taking the chairs back down to clean the table. So I didn't think much of it. But the one that goes in the back corner I left up there because it was hard to reach. A little bit ago, we went downstairs so I could do some laundry and Brayden could play in his ball pit. We came back up and I realized I forgot to change over the last of the laundry. So I went back down. I was probably down there about a minute and a half...however long it takes to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer and turn it on. I come upstairs and it's really quiet. And I don't see Brayden. Which is impossible because the gates are still in place. I look around...and there he is. UP ON THE CHAIR...WHICH IS ON THE TABLE...STANDING UP!!! And trying to touch the ceiling light!!!! Arghhhhhh....so there you have it. He's giving me gray hairs....lol.

And as I type, he is sitting in the center of the coffee table, eating goldfish crackers. I have no control.

Daddy's Boy

2008-10-22T11:52:00.002-04:00

If you read my earlier post, you will know that Andy was gone pretty much all weekend. Well, Brayden certainly missed him! When he came in Sunday night, Brayden had just started to doze off on me on the couch. I didn't want him to fall asleep yet, so I took him with me out to walk the dog...which he LOVES to do because we let him hold the leash. A couple minutes after we come in, Andy comes home. Brayden went crazy! He started doing all his crazy dance moves, even though music isn't playing. Then he ran in and grabbed a toy and brought it to show to him. Then off to the kitchen to push his little fridge toy that plays music and more dancing. He was totally showing off and so excited. It was adorable.

Last night, I had got him to bed pretty early...proabably around 8:30pm. I did some cleaning and then took a shower and was about to get in bed when I hear him start whining. I go get him and let him lay down with me in our bed for a little while. Andy comes home about 15 minutes after. As soon as he came in the room, Brayden is up and crawling around...GROWLING and laughing like crazy. Yelling DADA and making sure Andy knows he is in our bed! He is definately Daddy's little man...

Long Weekend

2008-10-19T18:15:00.003-04:00

Brayden and I just had a long and boring weekend. Andy was out of town at SRU for homecoming and working all day today, so we were on our own.

Friday night I went to play some bingo! It was a fun time...I met a new friend and we had a blast. Although we didn't win anything, we came close a few times and it was nice to get out for a little bit. I got home to Brayden in bed, but there was a little "incident." He was running around with his cup in his mouth and tripped and fell. Which split his bottom lip open. Apparently, there was quite a bit of blood...which I didn't see for myself, but was evident on the towel and his shirt. But he's just fine. There is a cut that is noticable, but not a big deal.

Did anyone else wake up FREEZING during the night Friday?? Brayden woke me up around 2am and I scooped him up and put him in bed with us with some extra blankets. He usually can't stand to be under the covers, so I knew he was cold when he cuddled in and went back to sleep instantly. Saturday we went out and ran some errands and got Brayden was warmer pajamas. He had outgrown all of his long ones from last year and obviously it was time. Then we took a ride out to Janoski's to get some apples. (See our food blog to find out how those turned out.)

Today was one of those days. I really was done being on my own. Andy works nights during the week, so having him gone on the weekend also made this a rough one. I feel like all I said today was "Brayden NO!" I'm sure some of you know...lol. I just would have enjoyed oh...going the bathroom without help...lol. We hung out at the house all day and haven't done a whole lot of anything.

AND....we're STILL waiting for a special little boy to be born...c'mon out Baby Boy Greene!!! We're ready to meet you!

Endocrinologist Appointment Update

2008-10-16T21:48:00.003-04:00

Today we took Brayden to his endo appointment at Children's Hospital. We only go once every 3 months now, so it's not quite as big a deal as it used to be, but still a hassle. He has to have bloodwork taken at Sewickley Hospital about a week before and they send the lab results to Children's. So we went today and everything went great! He has actually been on the same dosage of the medication (Synthroid) for almost a full year. That's good news because even though he continues to grow, the dosage hasn't changed...meaning his body is picking up the slack and his thyroid is actually working enough to make a difference.

He was also weighed and measured. He's up to exactly 32 inches tall and exactly 23 pounds. My tall and skinny string bean...lol.

Besides that, we had a nice dinner at Andy's parents tonight. We forgot the booster seat, so improvised with some phone books and a scarf to tie him in. It was a nice, relaxing evening.

My Sweet Little Angel...

2008-10-14T22:29:00.000-04:00

Just threw the absolute biggest FIT I have ever seen! Wow...I didn't know he had it in him! LOL! I think my mom and I were just amazed. We were watching him as if he were going to explode. We had just got home from shopping with Megan and her mom, where he was just perfect. My happy little man. We came home and I took him over to his Grandma's to show her some of the stuff we got. While I was getting it out of the car, she commented that he was a bear and I had no idea what she was talking about. He played around for a couple minutes. I can't even remember what set him off...but all of a sudden, he was throwing stuff and flinging himself all over the room, making this horrible screeching sound! He walked right over and purposely banged his head off of the front of his little quad. My mom grabbed him and told him he was gonna just sit til he relaxed. He continued screeching and I packed up our stuff to go back home. When I got back, he had calmed a little and we were visiting for a couple more minutes.

Then it started again. I actually had a pulling match with him over a full bowl of cereal that he was prepared to fling across the kitchen which turned into lots more screeching. At full volume. So we leave. I'm carrying him, kicking and screaming, back home with my mom following for the show. I put him down in the living room, only to have him run across the room and decide to repeatedly bang his face off of the leg of our dining room table!! At this point, it's time for a time-out in bed. His first one...but when we went upstairs, he managed to completely relax and was immediately back to his normal self.

I guess the full moon did it??

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

2008-10-13T09:48:00.000-04:00

We had a fun and busy pumpkin-filled weekend!

Friday, Brayden and I spent a nice day together hanging out and picking out some new Halloween decorations. We found some great deals at Garden Ridge and got some sparkly, bouncy spiders that hang in our tree, some light up pumpkins for in front of the house and a strand of pumpkin lights for the porch. I'm working on getting Brayden to say pumpkin...right now he calls them balls...lol.

We were invited to a pumpkin party at Megan's in-law's house on Saturday afternoon. Brayden had such a good time...he never even looked twice at me the whole day! They had fun things that we don't...like ride-on jeeps and tractors and sliding boards and lots of rocks to play in! He was busy the ENTIRE time. Never sat down all day. There were lots of other kids for him to play with and he loved it. He rode on the jeep with Gabi all around the yard and wouldn't get out to give others a turn! Then we took a ride on the tractor to the pumpkin patch to get a pumpkin.

After that, we went home (he was asleep by the time we were out of the driveway!) and Grandma was coming over to baby-sit so that Andy and I could go to dinner. We have had a gift card to the Cheesecake Factory for over a month that we have wanted to use. So we headed out to a nice, relaxing dinner. Came home about 10:30 and guess who's still up? Yep, Brayden and Grandma are sitting on the couch watching tv. She's such a sucker...no crying in the crib when Grandma is over! But he went to bed easily for us after she left.

Sunday, we went to Janoski's Pumpkinland with Aunt Suzy, Uncle Alan and the kids. It was a beautiful day to be outside. We took Brayden here last year, and he was such a little peanut. Now he was much more interested. He loved playing in the hay jump. And visiting the petting zoo area was okay...he liked the stuff in the cages like bunnies and chickens...but the goats and baby cow were a little too close for his comfort. He would walk WAY around them if they came near him, and I couldn't even get him to sit near one with Andy for a picture. We rode the hayride out to the pumpkin patch and picked out a nice big white pumpkin to add to our collection.

Just to be sentimental...here's a photo from Janoski's last year...where did my little baby boy go??

Weekend Getaway!

2008-10-08T14:39:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we took a trip to get out of this place for a little bit. We had been invited over and over again to visit a family friend in Louisville, KY and had never had a chance to do it. We finally took them up on their offer and made the trip! And I'm so glad we did...we had a blast!

It was a 6 hour drive and the car ride was pretty uneventful. This is the longest we have tried to keep Brayden contained, so I was a little worried, but he did a great job. On the way, he back addicted to Wendy's chicken nuggets. Usually he goes for the fries first, but he really liked these! And later we tried to give him Burger King and he refused...so he won and we stopped at a 2nd Wendy's in one day.

We arrived on Thursday evening and just spent the night relaxing. Cooked some burgers on the grill and had some snacks and just spent time hanging out and visiting. The house where we were staying was absolutely gorgeous. Brayden quickly discovered the huge pond in back and was completely entertained with finding rocks to throw into it and feeding the fish. They have alot of land and every evening a bunch of deer come by to be fed. We took buckets of corn out and spread it around and they would let you get pretty close.

Friday was our sight-seeing day. We drove into downtown Louisville and walked around for awhile. Then we went on a tour of the Louisville Slugger Museum and got a personalized bat for Brayden. They also gave us each a mini (14") bat with our tour. Believe me, these will be packed away for quite some time. Brayden immediately took one and attempted to kill everything within sight!

Saturday we got up and went to the St. James Art Festival. Apparently, it is the biggest of it's kind and I believe it! It was huge. I don't think we made it around the whole thing. It was extremely crowded and Andy was getting annoyed trying to get the stroller thru the herds of people. And everything was completely out of our price range, but it was fun to walk around for a bit. After that, back home to relax. But while Brayden and Andy decided to take a little nap, Carleen and I decided to try out the toys in the garage. She jumped on her dirt bike and I took the quad (I was terrified at first!) and we rode around the yard and into the woods. It was alot of fun...even for a sissy girl like me!! But I think that was Andy's favorite part. Every chance he got, he was out on the quad, zooming around the yard. Ask him about his re-enactment of a music video later...lol.

Finally we spent the evening out for dinner at kid-friendly Red Robin and driving around Louisville. The next morning we loaded up and headed home. It was a great trip...and I think we will be making it again!!

Welcome!

2008-10-08T14:26:00.000-04:00

I'm trying out a new blog...the last one wasn't working very well. I hope to keep this one updated more regularly. I'm still figuring this site out, so hopefully we will have some pictures and other new stuff added also. Keep checking back!