Life with 'Boo' and her Glue...

Happy Birthday, OUCH!!

2010-04-19T19:19:00.002-04:00

I wasn't feeling so good on my Birthday, so we didn't do anything. Not a big deal, since birthdays aren't what they used to be-full of parties, etc. That night, I started to get this pain in my ears that was like no other. I have never had an ear infection, that I can recall. The next day, I called in to the Dr. and got myself an appointment. He said it looked like an infection, but since he wasn't an ENT, all he could do was refer me to one and give me a prescription for Vikatin and ear drops. I was in SOOOO much pain, I was about in tears. I went upstairs to the OB and make sure it was okay to take this pain medication being pregnant. They said it was okay--thank God!
The next day, the meds didn't work and Rob was off work. I had him call and get me into the ENT that day. My ear canals were swollen shut so the ear drops weren't going in. The Dr. had to put in wicks in each ear so they would open up and allow the medicine to get to the infection. The best description of this was that it was worse than child birth. This whole experience. It was awful.
I was really sick with the pregnancy this day and had gotten sick 4 times already. I rushed out of the room after he put one in and got sick again. Braeden and Rob heard me yelling. It was HORRIBLE. He put the other wick in. I have NEVER been in so much pain as this double ear infection. I don't wish it on anyone!
Well, 2 weeks later, I can now hear and doing much better! My birthday was postponed and have yet to figure a date out to reschedule. Happy 33rd Birthday to me! :)
**Alana**

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T20:09:00.013-04:00

As a child, Easter was one of my favorite holidays. We would all go to Church, then go to my Grandparents house and have an Easter hunt with my sister and cousin. That was So much fun! I miss those days a lot.

We missed the local egg hunt this year. I looked it up on the website as I did last year. And, it said the times. So, I called to confirm and pre-register as I did last year. The man that answered told me a totally different time and that we just need to come down. Well, when we got there, it was all over with. Bummer. I have to say I wasn't that surprised.

Here we are coloring eggs. Last year, he wanted nothing to do with it. So, I thought this year, I would try painting the eggs. He did a much better job. He got really upset when one cracked.

So, there is the finished product. The two 'marble' looking ones are the ones Braeden did. They turned out the best, I thought! (the eggs never completely dried with all the paint on it) ha ha!

So, we took Braeden to the mall to get his picture done with the Easter Bunny. He did such a great job. While Rob and I waited in line, Linda strolled him around in a cart. He hopped right up on his lap, gave him a hug, smiled and was just a great experience!
Here's the picture. He's so dang cute, if I must say so myself. :)

Easter morning, Rob woke Braeden and I up. I had fallen asleep with him, apparently. We went downstairs to see what the Easter Bunny had left him. He was so excited! Nothing like a sugar high on Easter morning!

So, off to Linda's we go. She had about 6 baskets for him, not kidding and a bunch of clothes and shoes. This kid is s-p-o-i-l-e-d!

And, we are off for the hunt. Arista and I hid the eggs we colored in Linda's yard. These were my favorite spots/colors.

Whew! What a day!

Arista hates getting her picture taken. I know this. So, I snapped my camera over and over and over at her....

This pic is for her! The funniest one! The breeze picked up and I got her smiling! ha ha

This is my 1 year Anniversary blogging! I remember Easter last year was around my first one. I have enjoyed it over the last year, I just hope I can continue doing so after the next baby comes.
**Alana**

The Circus is in Town!

2010-04-06T16:14:00.007-04:00

I have not been to the circus since I was a little girl. I remember it was always such a fun time going with my mom and sister. The same circus came to town and I got us all (Linda and Arista, too) tickets and we had a good time! Seeing Braeden's face light up when he saw the animals was just priceless. He could care less for the clown acts. ha ha! Here are a few of the pics.

I think the elephants are the most gentle giants. They are amazing to watch.

Braeden and his popcorn. It became a disaster. The people infront of us got showered with it. And, a sippy cup thrown at them. And, kicked. And, spit on. Oh my...I got a few dirty looks. :(

**Alana**

I'm pregnant!

2010-04-05T02:04:00.006-04:00

I knew it! Monday morning, March 29th, I started to get nautious. And, next thing I know, I am hugging the toilet. I got sick. This was Rob's first day back at work (part time). And, he happened to be just opening the front door when I was in the bathroom. The same thing happened when I was pregnant with Braeden. I just get sick the one time for me to tell myself, " take a test."
The next day, Rob picked the tests up. And, this is what it did. 2 lines= Pregnant

I have been preparing myself over the last 2+ years that the next one was going to be a little devil. I mean, I can't have 2 easy kids, right?! So far, I have been nautious several times with this pregnancy. Which I never did with the other one. My first appointment is April 16th. I have lots of questions for them.
Rob and Braeden got me these flowers for carrying our newest addition to our family. Wasn't that sweet?

**Alana**

Spring Is In the Air!

2010-04-05T01:42:00.005-04:00

This was our first real day 'out' playing. We got out Braeden's tricycle and he rode it for the first time! He did pretty good, just didn't grasp the concept that he had to pedal and there was no button to push to make it move. :)

He loves this momma and baby turtle. He has to bob its head every time he goes past it.

We LOVE bubbles!

Rob drew this with the sidewalk chalk. He is so good at drawing, or at least MUCH better than me!

This guy is hanging from our tree.

This sign is in our wheel barrow. I didn't have any flowers popping up in it yet, but I do now! Pretty.

**Alana**

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-04-05T01:16:00.008-04:00

This is about as crazy as we got this year....Braeden had on my belt and suspenders. And, Rob's belt from a couple of years ago. Cute!

I had my friend Stephanie and her son over for our weekly 'play date'. We try and do fun stuff such as a hobby or a new project while the boys are playing. So, I am remodeling our dining room chairs. The pattern does not match my decor and has been driving me nuts! This is date #2 we have worked on it and still have 2 more steps until they are finished. But, I am really pleased with how they have turned out! Stephanie and I keep amazing ourselves with what we can do and how creative we can be! It's fun.
Here it is the before:

Working on it:

So, I decided that our stairwell going to the basement needs a make-over. We hired painters and this was the outcome. Love it!
Before:

After:

**Alana**

This n That (Feb-March)

2010-03-29T16:12:00.008-04:00

Here are a few pictures of Braeden's play dates we try and to once a week, with my friend, Stephanie. I have known Stephanie for over 15 years. We used to work together at my first 'real job' back in KS. This is her son, Jacob.

We went to the mall and the boys had to ride on these fun rides.

These boys are our friends' kids. Love these kids. Evan and Aaron. They will soon be big brothers to their little sister.

My mother in law hosted a triple birthday party for some of the women in the family. Here is a pic of all the sisters at the table.

Rob's best friend from High School, Matt, came into town for business and he came early to spend the weekend with us. Him and his wife are expecting their first child in May, so we over loaded him with a lot of tips and information on newborns, etc. We had a good time!

Our friends Ashley and Dave just had a baby boy. And, this was at her shower. This was the first time out of the house and leaving the boys by themselves in a LONG time. So, I took my time and enjoyed myself with her and the other gals. :)

**Alana**

Funnies

2010-03-23T00:45:00.010-04:00

Braeden loves talking on the phone, like his mommy. So, I put him on speaker and he thinks whoever he's talking to can see him and what he's doing. He 'shows' them his toys, food, whatever. It's so cute. Here is was talking to my mom and he was showing her him jumping on his zebra. (Disclaimer--my husband dressed him in these PJ's)

Here he is brushing Elmo's (MoMo) teeth. As you can see, someone was on the phone and he was showing them. :)

Rob and I took Braeden for his quarterly Bingo show-off for Linda. She gets such a kick out of it. She says all her bingo buddies asks when he is going to come in. He has been coming in since pretty much a newborn. Her friends give him little gifts. This time, he got a little football and Bob the Builder cars.

He was being shy when the women were coming up to see him.

My child could eat Mac and Cheese everyday. And, sometimes he does. This day, he wanted to take his lunch with him.

Besides Mac and Cheese, he LOVES Cheetos. He is like his mommy. I am a sucker for cheese--any kind of cheese! I have no idea why kids want to put objects in their ears, but this was the first time he did this.

In an earlier post, I had written about Rob and his 'rock collection' as a child. We went to get some fish supplies and while Daddy was inside, we played. And, I have to say, "like father, like son". He played with rocks for about 20 minutes. As always, he had them in a perfect order and we counted them several times.

At the same place, we had to discover the statues...
"Boobies" Braeden is fascinated by them right now. He puts his hands down my shirt and grabs them and says, "boobies!" It is so funny! We are waiting for him to do this to a stranger.

I was kneeling down with him and I asked him where the "boobies" were. And, I totally got busted by one of the employees who was right behind me and said something like, "Smart kid!" oops! :)

Braeden and I went over to Arista's apartment and her kitty Rufus (foo foo) hides in her kitchen cabinet. Braeden had to crawl in there and hide and give him kisses.

It's amazing how each day, there is more laughs from Rob and I with something new he does or says. His biggest thing now is he will grab your hand, lead you to where he wants you to go and say, "hurry!" And, one of our favorites: When we ask him a question and his response: "No. No way!" Another favorite and daily saying is "Mom? you ready?" "Daddy? you ready?" "Ginny? you ready?" "Mimi? you ready?" "Goggy? (doggy) you ready?" And, believe me, he is ALWAYS ready! :)
**Alana**

Bye, Mimi, Bye.

2010-03-10T00:56:00.011-05:00

---Long post---
I haven't even typed anything and I am an emotional wreck right now. I have been dreading this blog, as much as I dread hearing these words come out of my son's lips.

Arista, you have been living here with us for a little over 2 years now. You met Braeden for the first time at 3 months old. Oh, how I wish you were with me when I had him. But, I would not change anything from you just getting to see him every once in a while vs. getting to watch him grow with me.
You were here for basically all of his 'firsts', and I am so blessed. You were here when he was first smiling. When he watched his first Baby Einstein DVD. When he crawled for the first time. When he got his first hair cut. When he took his first steps. When he ate real food. When he talked the first time. And, when he said, "Mimi" for the first time. Seems as if your name is one of his favorite words. You have taught him so much. What you have done, is absolutely priceless. And, I can't thank you enough. He loves it when you get home from work each day and demands to go downstairs with you to see the kitties. He loves you unconditionally. You two have a special bond that he has with no one else. I hope you know this and never forget it.

As I was thumbing through the thousands of pictures I have looking for the ones you were in or were there, I couldn't help but cry. There are so many precious memories he will look back on and say your name. Mimi. Thank you for being a wonderful Aunt to my baby.

I know you are having a hard time with this change as much as I am, and as Braeden will be. For pete's sake you are just moving 10 minutes away. But, it just won't be the same without you here in our home. Thank you for everything. I love you so much! I hope these pictures make you smile as much as I do... And, we look forward to spending lots more time with you in your new home, making more memories.

**Alana**

Honey, are you okay?

2010-03-10T00:29:00.006-05:00

So, a week ago today, I fell asleep with Braeden in his bed. For some reason, Rob came in and joined us. I was in the middle. I remember knowing he was there, but didn't realize he had stayed all night. Not sure what time it was, but I remember getting really hot and the next thing I know, I hear a 'thud'. It was Rob hitting the floor. I knocked him off in my sleep. I have done this before off our tall King size bed and he ended up with a stiff neck. I begged him to see the Dr., but he wouldn't go. A couple of days later it was fine.

Anyways, I got up immediately out of bed, turned on the light and stood over him, asking him if he was ok. I thought he was since the bed isn't that tall. I just thought he was in a dead sleep. I was wrong. He seriously hurt himself. I had hurt him. He gave me his arm and I pulled him up. Another stiff neck, we thought.

The next morning, he had tingly feelings in both arms, from his elbows down. I insisted he go to the Dr. this time. He had an important meeting he had to attend. So, I called him and his meeting was cancelled. It sounded to me as if he needed to go to the chiropractor. I have had a stiff neck before and that totally did the trick and I felt like a new person. So, I called my chiropractor and explained what happened. She suggested for us to go to the ER.

So, instead of waiting and waiting and waiting in the ER, I scheduled him an appt. with our family dr. He did some strength tests on him, gave him a neck brace and sent us to the ER.

Oh boy. What have I done...again? He had to get 2 MRI's and a MRA on his brain and neck. It all came back ok, thank God! They referred us to the Neurologist the next day. She evaluated him and diagnosed him with a severe neck sprain, to be off work 2.5 weeks and go to physical therapy.

Yesterday was his first day. He has to go 3x per week. He can't drive and is on pain medication.

Like I said before, I have thrown him out of bed (and my son) in the middle of the night in my sleep. It's time for me to find out what is going on. I have an appt. this weekend to get a sleep study. I'm not scared or nervous. I just hope they find out what they need to and get it resolved. The lady at the sleep study place said she has heard of this happening before, called hypersomnolence, so we shall see. This last week has been a nightmare! We have made numerous jokes about it and laugh daily, trying to make the best of it.

I HAVE to post this, because it is just so funny! He thought so too, since he is laughing in the pic. He is in the ER here. On the way to the Dr, he said, "I hope I don't have have a stupid neck brace." That was the first thing the Dr. gave him!! Then, I got to wheel him around in this 'new' kind of wheelchair that totally looks like a shopping cart! I didn't know how it worked. You have to push this lever up and keep it up for it to move. Well, I let go of it, and he went flying out of his seat. It was SOO stinkin' funny! I had the nurse and the girl checking us in laughing too!! Now, this whole experience was a HUGE deal to him, since he refuses to go to the Dr. for anything!

**Alana**

A sucker for you!!

2010-03-10T00:06:00.003-05:00

I am just thrilled to pieces! Braeden has been SUCH a good baby and toddler (for the most part-ha ha!), that I have to tell myself, "this can't be THAT easy!" He pee pee'd in his potty chair all by himself! He has been doing it once a day for 4 days! 27 months old. Unbelievable!

I was on the phone (imagine that), and when I got off the phone, I was looking around for him. He was sitting on his toilet and he peed!!! I made such a big deal about it jumping, clapping my hands, and praising him. Rob was asleep, so I called my mother-in-law, my mom, and then my sister. I had them all on speaker phone and they all told him how proud they were of him! I have to laugh a bit, because I swore getting him in his own bed was going to be work, then it wasn't. So, I was preparing myself for him using his potty chair as a big job, and IT wasn't! Seriously, ...is it supposed to be this easy?! Man, are we lucky!!!

I didn't get it on video, but snapped a few pics of this great accomplishment!!

Sitting on daddy's lap with his sucker.

**Alana**

Fishtank

2010-03-09T23:18:00.009-05:00

Rob seriously needs to go to rehab! He will admit it himself. It is every other day (or at least it seems) he comes home with more fish...or more coral,...or more chemicals,...or more food. Something!

The tank looks excellent. But, I would rather buy something else or save the money! So, I bought myself my first Coach purse and wallet. ha ha! I LOVE it!

Here are some of the most recent pics I took tonight. We have about 40 fish, 60 coral, and lots of live rock.

**Alana**

He has what???

2010-03-09T23:08:00.003-05:00

Braeden and I went over to Linda's to visit with her. Braeden took off his socks and shoes. And, Linda freaked out telling me that there was red bumps all over his feet. I had literally just given him a bath before we went over and there was nothing on him. She swore it was chicken pox. So, we got him into the doctor a hour later.

It was hand, foot, mouth disease. Excuse me? I had heard it once before, but Linda and my mother had never heard of it. It is a common virus and is very contagious. Kids can get it as easily as being in a shopping cart. I am pretty good at sterilizing them, but you can't sterilize 100%. Anyways, there isn't any medicine that can get rid of it. It just has to run its course. He had it for a few days and was fine!

I didn't take any pics of it, but all is well in our home!

**Alana**

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-03-09T22:11:00.004-05:00

This was Rob and I's 3rd Valentine's Day spent together. The first one was during my first visit to meet him after 13.5 years of being apart. And, boy were our dates totally different-then, being care-free and now being married and having a child! :)

The first date, we went to a nice romantic, quiet, 4 course meal, and out after that. THIS year, we planned to go and see Avatar (again) in 3D and then an Italian dinner. Since EVERYONE was out of the house, after the snow storm, there was no way to see a movie! Sold out. So, we went to dinner. I am not usually a wine person, but 2 bottles later, I was all about it!

We exchanged cards and candy. And, Rob got me a dozen red roses. Very sweet.

Not a very good pic of me. But, this is my favorite lil Valentine! And, the card he signed.

xoxox
**Alana**

Stuck Inside...

2010-03-09T19:03:00.013-05:00

Since we were basically trapped for a while, I wanted to do some actual activities vs. playing with cars or watching TV. So, I got him play-doh and we brought out the paints. I don't get them out to much, because they are SO messy, but that's the point I guess, right?

Here are a few of our 'snow day' pictures. We had a lot of fun!

As you can see, Braeden still lines up everything in a specific order.

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Grammy came over and stayed the night. And, he had to walk in her boots.

**Alana

Blizzard 2010

2010-02-10T15:20:00.009-05:00

We got hit AGAIN with another record breaker storm. 31" at our house this past weekend. The whole area has been closed. Grocery stores have been out of milk, bread, eggs. Stores out of shovels, boots, sleds. White-outs. Roofs have caved in places, electricity out. As of today, it is reported 54" has fallen in 2 storms-one right after another. And, up to 60 mile winds.

Rob spent hours shoveling our trucks out, the sidewalk, the driveway, and stairs. He also did Linda's driveway and sidewalk. The snow is now up to the stop signs. It is so crazy.

Our deck.

Our BBQ grill.

Deck furniture.

We took Marley out in the snow to play and he had a blast! Since the ball got lost in the snow, we threw snow balls and he would chase them. He looked so cute with snow on his nose and ears!

I attempted to take Braeden out to play with the neighbors. It was a not good experience, as I hoped. I didn't have his boots on tight. Come to find out, he had a toy in one of them. Then, he wanted his mittens off. He didn't want to walk around, which I can't blame him with the uncomfortable boots on. He didn't want to get in the tunnel our neighbors made. I was pretty disappointed because I know alot of my friends take their little toddlers out and seems like they like it. Braeden? -Not so much. Oh well. There's always next year! And, we will make sure we have a sled! :)

**Alana**

Mommy's bed to Big Boy bed

2010-02-10T13:18:00.006-05:00

We decided it was time to convert the crib that Braeden slept in a handful of times since he was born, to his own bed. He has slept with me since he was born. His heart beating next to mine. His little sounds he made. His yawns. His hiccups. His smell... It was the most precious bond that I am proud of and will hold onto forever.

I know that I heard many, many times, "if you let him sleep with you, you will never get him out and he will be sleeping with you until high school."

Since the first night, he has successfully slept in his bed with NO problems! I, of course, had to sleep with him the first night...just to make sure he was okay. :) I can't believe how easily this transition has been. I am not expecting EVERY transition to be this way. :) I have even tried to have him sleep with me in our bed for a nap or two, but he doesn't want to.

Here are a few pictures of the before and after. The pics are taken with my new Canon Rebel camera I got from Rob for Christmas. I am still playing around with it, but I LOVE IT!

He has to point and touch each letter in his name above his bed every night. And, has to sleep with a few DVD cases, and you HAVE to have the right ones.

I love his bedroom. I decorated it myself, excluding the paint job.

Here are a couple of pics of him in the bathtub and brushing his teeth. He actually likes to do that! What a great child we have been blessed with.

**Alana**

Holy Snow!

2010-01-11T15:28:00.005-05:00

The weekend before Christmas, the DC area was hit by a blizzard and we got 30"! I can't remember having so much snow since I was a kid living in the midwest. It was beautiful! Here are some of the pictures I took. I have misplaced or lost my camera charger, so these are from my iphone.
9:30am

12:30pm

After it was all said and done.

Here is our Santa...a little under the weather, literally. ha ha!

I felt bad because Braeden was sick and not fully over his cold, so I couldn't take him out in this. Plus, we don't have a sled, so I guess it wouldn't have been that much fun. We are waiting for our next snow, so I can bundle him all up in his snowsuit and play!

**Alana**

Disney, Round 3

2009-12-16T11:14:00.007-05:00

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we flew to Orlando. Rob has a conference there every year, and what better time than Christmas to go! If this doesn't get you in the Holiday Spirit, nothing will! This year, my mother-in-law went with us. Rob and I were a little nervous about the trip as we all stayed in the same room, and Braeden has hit the 'terrible 2's'. Even though he really IS a good kid, he still has his moments.
First stop...Cinderella's castle! We made reservations to have dinner with the Fairy GodMother and the mice. We got our picture taken with Cinderella.

We all had a great time! We spent all day Sunday at the Animal Kingdom. And, the next days, we went to the Magic Kingdom (3 total times), Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. Braeden had a blast seeing all the parades, characters, fireworks, and the rides-Dumbo, Magic Carpet Ride, tea cups, It's a Small World, and Pooh.

Again, I took over 350 pics, so here are just a few.

Happy Holidays!
**Alana**

Jamaica Mon

2009-12-16T09:29:00.014-05:00

Braeden's God Parents united as one in Jamaica. We were down there for 7 nights, 8 days at the Beaches Resort in Negril. They are partnered with Sesame Street. The whole resort is geared towards children. Everyday, we would see or hang out with some or all of the characters. Braeden was in heaven!

We met this little girl and her mom on the beach. The two were instantly attached. They walked down the beach together and Braeden shared his character toys with her. It was the sweetest thing, ...and I didn't have my camera! Darn it!

Is this not the most precious picture ever?

We bought Braeden these character toys that they had in the gift shop. He carried them around everywhere, everyday. He LOVED them! This pic was in our room.

The night before the wedding, all the guests went to the Rock House restaurant for dinner. It was a beautiful setting and alot of fun!

Beaches offers some pretty fun excusions. We took a ride on a glass bottom boat to see some fish. This was his first boat ride.

He enjoyed it, as you can tell.:)

Beaches has a free nursery/babysitting program with certified professionals. We were not planning on using the service, but after talking to some of the parents that were on the resort and meeting the staff, we were okay with it. We didn't use it but once or twice, but that gave Rob and I an opportunity to snorkle. It was a good time!

One of the guys that drove the boat caught a blowfish, and I got to hold him!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY!

This is a day we will never forget. Braeden, you have blessed our lives with so much happiness I can not even explain. We love you with all we have. You make us so proud and keep us laughing daily.
In the morning, we went over to their sister property, another Beaches resort. It was bigger with a lazy river (which he loved!), and slides.

This night, Beaches had a Sesame Street Parade with a marching band. It was PERFECT for his birthday!

We took a Catamaran ride out in the ocean. This boat was amazing! It seemed as if everyone was getting sea sick, but us! It was fun!

I took over 350 photos, and these are just some of my favorites. It was such a wonderful trip, with no cell phones, no internet; just paradise!

**Alana

Happy HaLLoWeeN!

2009-11-02T10:01:00.006-05:00

This year, we thought Braeden would be more interested in the pumpkin carving. I tried putting his hands in the pumpkin 'guts'. But, he can't stand anything dirty on his hands and wanted nothing to do with it. :( Here are some pics of the carving and decorations.

I started telling him "Cheese" so he will smile. He is SUCH a ham!

Rob picked out Braeden's outfit, Spongebob SquarePants, one of his favorites. Last year, Braeden didn't want anything on his head, so this outfit was perfect--so we thought. He didn't really want it on long. I didn't get very many pictures, because he was 'on the move' and wouldn't sit still. This is Kirsten and Austin, 2 of Rob's cousins.

I was pleasantly surprised that Braeden caught on to the saying, "trick or treat!" so well. Since he's not even 2 yet, he doesn't understand the concept of Halloween. We took him 'tick oh teat'ing with Kirsten, Austin, and Marley. He climbed up all the stairs and said, "Tick oh teat! BYE!" And then he left. He didn't get the candy! FUNNY! Then, there were several houses where the neighbors were sitting outside b/c it was 70 degrees out. And, Braeden would be running down the sidewalk and you would hear, "Come back, Spongebob!" It was so fun! Next year, will be a different story!
Linda came over and fixed her Chili. But, she also brought sushi, spiced shrimp, hummus, and so after the chili was done, we were all full. But, later on that night, we had some and it was so good. It was a very fun night!

**Alana**

The 'Mote'

2009-10-31T16:22:00.003-04:00

I think 23 months is too young for 'remote control', as in controlling the remote. Don't you? Braeden has been saying 'mote' for a few weeks now. So, when the credits come up after his cartoons, he'll say 'MOTE MOTE MOTE"-meaning: "change the channel, mom! The show is over!"

For his naps and bedtime, we have gone through several changes. At first, I never had on the TV in bed while I'm trying for him to go to sleep. About a couple of months ago, he was bored of that, I guess. So, I turned on his favorite, Spongebob Squarepants and after a short while, he would fall asleep. So, we have been in that routine since.

I started hiding the remote when he wasn't looking under the covers. Of course, if he wanted me to change the channel, I would. :) High maintenance child, I know. Anyways, every night when we go to bed, it's just him and I. Rob is doing school work, or working on the fish tank, or something.

So, last night, Rob was actually was with us when I was trying to get Braeden to sleep. We had on his cartoons. Braeden is in the middle of us. Braeden picks up the remote, and throws it under the covers!-and so nonchalantly! I about fell off the bed in laughter because I have been thinking all this time that he never saw me! I told Rob about me always covering it up, and we both just laughed and laughed! OH BOY, do little ones catch on...even if you don't realize it!

**Alana**

Busy, Busy October

2009-10-29T17:55:00.022-04:00

It seems I had a pretty open month this month, but it hasn't turned out that way, which is good. I would rather have things to do, go, and places to see. First of all, after all the sweat, time, and tears, the fish tank is LIVE! I believe Rob and our neighbor started this in March time frame. With work, Rob's school he recently started, family, and other engagements, it is complete as of this week. Here is a picture of the live rock Rob picked up. It's from Fiji.

Last night, we went and got 7 fish and 2 more live rock: 2 are from Florida, and the other one from Fiji. We have alot more to get, but it's a slow process in 'seeding' the tank. But, it looks gorgeous and we are enjoying it. I'm very proud of Rob!

After becoming a mommy, I have really realized how important it is to make sure Rob, Braeden and myself are all on top of physicals, regular Dr. appointments, etc. This year, I decided I am starting the annual mammogram routine. This was my first one. I didn't really know what to expect. It wasn't a bad experience beside it being a little uncomfortable. But, the tech who took my images, said that the images were "text book" and the best she has ever done! I thought, 'wow, that's cool, I guess?! I'm sure she's photographed alot of boobs (ha ha)! The radiologist shouldn't have any issues."
Well, I received a letter in the mail from the hospital needing "additional imaging studies". You can imagine my thought process...UH OH! I called Rob and told him about it. He blew it off like, "it's nothing. It will be okay." My mom had breast cancer, so I didn't take it so lightly. All that was going through my mind, was, "it could be cancer". And, "what if...".
I immediately called and scheduled the appointment. I had to get an ultra-sound on my right breast. I asked the tech how long it would take to get the results and she said "today." So, afterwards, she said she would be back in 10 minutes. And, she did. The results: benign lymph node. THANK YOU, LORD! I immediately called Rob and he said, "THANK GOD!" You could hear in his voice the huge relief he had. When he got home from work, he turned me around, hugged me, and said, "I was really worried. I didn't realize how worried I was. I'm so glad it's not cancer. I don't want you to die." Isn't that sweet?
*******
I took Braeden to Arista's work where they painted pumpkins. He loved it. He made a very...colorful one. See? The different color of paints were all brown by the time he was done. ha ha!

We took Braeden to the Pumpkin Patch. We took him last year and it was a really good experience...this year, not so much! He didn't want to be in his stroller. He didn't want his back pack on. We first took him to see the goats. He got so mad to leave there. He threw himself down and cried on the ground. We took him to see the train. He LOVES choo-choo's. He had a great time playing around in it. Well, it was time to move on to another location. He was not a happy camper. So, we ended up leaving with him on Rob's shoulders pulling his hair and scratching his forehead. Naptime is a MUST with him. If he doesn't have one, he is a crab apple.:) We did not get our pumpkin. And, I forgot the camera in the car, so we had to use the iphone camera. They aren't the best pictures, but it's something. :)

I decided that I am going to make Christmas gifts this year, I think. As I am typing this, I am wondering if I am going to have much time? Anyways, I made a friend of mine a replica of something I have on my wall with my last name. I had a good time doing it. AND, I actually got to go to the store all by myself!!!! (it's the little things in life, right?). Well, here it is. I think it turned out pretty good! She loved it.

Rob took me to the Chiefs vs. Redskins Game! We got tickets from one of Rob's friends he used to work with. He is over seas and has season tickets. We had alot of fun! CHIEFS WON!!!--their first win of the season! I'll always be a fan!

I'll leave this long post with 3 cute pics. For some reason, he's just does not care to have socks and shoes on. So, he has to take them off in the car. When he does this, we always, say "PEEEE UUUUU!" He loves it when we do that. He switches feet to our nose and this goes on for a few minutes. CUTE!

Braeden got in my 'disaster cabinet' which is full of plastic ware. I dread having to go in this cabinet. As you can see, you will appreciate why. :)

Lastly, I left Braeden upstairs for a short bit. I thought he was playing in his room.... Note to self: Do NOT leave a toddler unattended--ever. LOL

**Alana**

Gifts from the other side...

2009-10-12T12:48:00.005-04:00

We all sure wish Ron was here on earth with us. Linda always tells us how much he would enjoy and love Braeden as much as she does. Truth is, he is here, watching over us. He saw Braeden in the womb before we ever met our precious baby.

When Rob was little, he used to collect rocks out of the rock beds when they would go out of town or to a restaurant. Linda told me about this last summer. I remember it clearly. We were going into Outback for dinner. Linda pulled me aside and whispered this story to me. I thought it was so cute! Of course, I had to give him a hard time about it and asked him if he wanted to pick up a rock outside of Outback. We all laughed. Every once in a while, I would still ask him if he wanted to pick one out.

Rob brought home his dad's toolbox from Linda's a few weeks ago. Since he has been so busy with work and school, he hadn't had time to go through it. On Saturday, he was out in the garage and was sorting through it all. In the bottom of the toolbox, there was a sack....a sack of all the rocks he had collected when he was little. Ron had saved them all of these years.

Rob didn't tell me about it until the next day. He brought in the sack, and showed them to me. He remembered a couple of them and what he thought they were when he was little. Braeden started playing with them. I had Rob call and tell his mom. We had her on speaker and the joy in her voice was just priceless. She didn't know Ron had kept them. I'm so glad Rob found these. It just reassures us all that Ron IS watching us. He IS here.

On another note, Rob has a picture of me in a frame on his nightstand. Linda had given Rob Ron's driver's licence and Rob put it on the corner of the picture frame. Braeden has been going over to the picture frame, getting it down, and looking at the picture of Ron. It's like he knows who he is and wants to see him. I quickly got my phone and snapped a picture of it. It's simply ...amazing and made us smile.

We can't wait until Braeden gets a little older so Linda and Rob can tell him stories of his grandpa.

We love you, Ron!

**Alana**

Hide 'n' Seek

2009-10-12T10:51:00.003-04:00

Braeden has always loved this game. Recently, he started doing this before bedtime and naptime with the pillows on the bed. The other day, he was hiding Marley.

Where's Braeden?

I would love some wine...

2009-10-07T16:34:00.008-04:00

I have never been a wine drinker. Sure, I have tried it several times. Rob loves it and has tried getting me "into" it, but I just didn't see what the big deal was. Sohee, Braeden's Godmother, is getting married and all her girlfriends went wine tasting for her bachelorette party. There were 12 girls and we rented a bus and went to 2 wineries in the beautiful countrysides of VA. It was a BLAST! I was around women, my age, mommys, out of the house, no baby! YAY! I learned about wine a bit, and really enjoyed it! Of course after drinking wine at 10am from 5pm, I couldn't tell ya the one I liked, but oh well! ha ha

Mommy and Me

2009-10-07T16:26:00.005-04:00

Not too much to blog about. But, I wanted to post some pics. I have been researching "mommy and me" playgroups. I have been to one called "The Little Gym" twice. I took Linda the first time and then had Rob come along with me the second time. Braeden loved it. The session Rob went to was on a Saturday morning. I had to wake Braeden up to be there before 9am. We are not early birds by any means! So, he wasn't as active the second go around, as you can see, he would run, then lay his head down several times on this mat. It was cute. Needless to say, afterwards, he took a nap. But, we enjoyed watching him with other kids. I still haven't decided on one yet, but am looking forward to a new activity with him.

Oh what fun!

2009-09-21T20:17:00.008-04:00

Well, my new activity of coloring has turned into 'grounding' Braeden from it, already. He's not even 2 yet. See what he did and isn't it pretty? I saw him over by the window and thought he was just looking outside....Mommy was wrong!

This past weekend we took Braeden to my sister's property that she manages for her pool party. They had a Fire Truck come and let the kids climb in it. Braeden LOVES trucks right now and he had a good time!

Tonight, I was cleaning the stairs and I had a pair of Rob's toddler shoes in a basket. Braeden found them and put them on. Here they are. He kept them on for a little while, but they are slippery on the bottom and slid on the hardwoods. But, I definitely will put them on him again.

We think we might have an OCD child on our hands. What do you think? Braeden moves his "cars" in line from here to there to there, all over the house. He seems to do this now with more than his "cars". It cracks us up!

The hood is finally finished and boy does it look nice! It stands 6'1". Still have the plumbing and lighting to hook up. We WILL get fish one of these days!

**Alana**

VA Beach

2009-09-14T10:41:00.014-04:00

This trip was my 3rd trip to VA Beach since I moved here. It is a nice beach, clean. The first trip, I was pregnant with Braeden, the 2nd; was the night Braeden got baptized and was our first away from our baby. We went for a conference with Rob's work.

This time, we took Linda and Arista. Arista had not been on a vacation in 3 years. We are so glad she was able to come. We left on Thursday. It was raining when we got there. But, we went and had an awesome seafood buffet and shopping, which made the rain okay. Rob had to work on Friday, so us girls took Braeden down to the beach for the day. Here is our hotel and view from the beach.

Braeden kept taking off to run the beach. Arista took a couple of crackers of Braedens and was feeding the birds. Braeden LOVED trying to catch them. Arista was trying to be avoided being attacked. LOL

Here is day 2 at the beach. Daddy and Grammy brought him down with his backpack on, so he couldn't run off. LOL! Rob was giving me a hard time for buying this. However, he learned this weekend, it was the best thing ever!
Rob, Arista, and I attempted body boarding. I had tried it in Hawaii, but it was very limited to what I could do. I wasn't very good at it, but it was fun! The waves were pretty big and rough. Rob always tells me to dive into the waves that are 'curving'. He makes it look so simple. Well, I tried, and didn't do it right and the wave took me under and it had me all over the place. It scared me. Anyhow I chipped my tooth in the process. Needless to say, that was it for me in the water. Arista had a similiar experience.

Isn't this sweet? Braeden fell asleep with Grammy. He ONLY wanted his Grammy the whole weekend. In the hotel room the first day, he said "Grammy" (or something like it) and it was the most exciting thing for all of us...especially her! :)

Here are a couple more pics at dinner the 2nd night in his hoodie Mimi bought him. He had crayons and has a thing about putting them up to his ear. SO CUTE! He's such a ham!

The last night we went to a place called Chicks Oyster Bar. It was a local place a few miles away from the beach. It reminded me of the town I lived with my dad. It sat on the water. And, the boats came in and out. It was beautiful. Braeden missed out on dinner...This is our dream boat...someday. Rob ordered us a 'special shot.' It was a shot of beer, raw oyster, and hot sauce. Interesting but good!

Lastly, are a couple of night shots of the strip and Neptune that is on the beach behind the Hilton Hotel.

I think they had a good time...

(P.S. Braeden said "a TURT LE" on our drive back. We can add this to his vocabulary list. Awww, the little things our kids to that is amazing and cherished)
**Alana**

Labor Day Weekend

2009-09-14T10:17:00.012-04:00

Rob and I met a few friends out at my 3rd Jimmy Buffett concert this year. This year was a TON of fun! I am not a beer drinker, but for some reason, it tasted VERY good this day! ha ha! We tailgated for about 3 hours and then went in for the amazing show. He has always put on a good show. Here are a couple of pics.

The next day, we had a BBQ at our house with our group of friends. It was fun. Rob borrowed the xbox band thing (not sure what it's called, ha ha!) from our neighbor and the kids had a blast....So did Sohee in Braeden's Elmo Chair, too funny! We watched "The Hangover" at the end of the night, which had us all laughing. A great way to end the night.

I have been trying to think of some new activities for Braeden and I to do together. So, I bought some paint to make drawings. He loved it, and I loved watching him color! Daddy got involved and made a dog (aka: Pig LOL). We gave a drawing to Linda, it was her birthday. It was her favorite gift ever.

**Alana**

Braeden's Current 'Know How's'

2009-08-31T16:20:00.005-04:00

My little baby is not a baby anymore. He's got a mouth full of TEETH now! Where did they come from?! No more 4 on top and 2 on bottom! It is hard to realize this some days. He doesn't need me to help him as much. His new thing are cars and trucks. This is all he wants to play with. He has an array of toys, but these are the ones he gets out of his toy box several times a day, everyday. He lines them all up in a row, moves them, then lines them up again. Right now, I am looking them all scattered around the living room. He thinks anything with wheels is a car. Even though I try and correct him that it is a tractor, or a bus, or a train, or a truck. He can only say car right now, so I believe this is why he thinks that. :)

He's done some really cute things and wanted to share. The other night, he was sitting on his daddy's lap. He pulled up Rob's shirt, pointed at his tummy, and said, "BABY"!!!! It was so hysterical, we both laughed so hard. Which of course made Braeden keep doing it. LOL Honestly, not sure where he got this.

I taught him the word 'hot'. So, he knows that if his food is hot, we needs to blow on it first. He knows the stove is hot, the outdoor grill is hot, and whatever else. Anyways, we were over at Linda's a while ago. I was watering her dying flowers and pulling weeds. Braeden came out bare foot. He said, "HOT!" And, started blowing on the grass. HOW FUNNY !!

Mimi and I have taught him his body parts. However, he still thinks that when I ask him where his elbow is, he goes and runs to get his Elmo doll. Sweet. Rob, has taught him where his wiener is. So, that is our funny part that we all laugh at!

These are the words he is saying on a daily basis: hi, bye, bubble, car, juice (slurred), mamma, da da, hot, car, bath (baaaa), circle (gircle), liiii (light),baby, doggy (goggy), kitty, bottle, choo choo, uh-oh, bob (as in Spongebob) and now, heyyyy (in a deep voice), SO cute! The "Oh God", has turned into "Oh Shit!" The #1 is 'EHHHHH, EHHHH, EHHHH, EHHHHH!' with him pointing at something and you have to figure out what he wants. There are more, just can't think of them all.

He will put things in the trash if you ask him to, which is a nice help. He will also do a jig on the table for you, especially if you tell him to get down. Rob reminds me that he has MY personality! ha ha! I have to agree. He still thinks that the dog water bowl is a mini bath tub. I bought him some play-do. He loves it. He wants me to make 'gircles' out of it. Seems I am getting it out, putting it away and cleaning up more than he plays with it. LOL! He also loves to 'sort' through your clothes. He thinks that this goes here, this goes there, and on and on. He'll do this for an hour.

I love this child like I have never loved before. He brings me smiles everyday. He also gives me headaches, frustration, and tears of joy. He's very affectionate. At night and at nap time, after he's done with his milk, he puts both of his arms around my neck and we go to sleep. This is every night. How could you not love this?

I love you, Braeden Chase!

Love, Mommy

VEGAS, here we come!

2009-08-31T11:12:00.015-04:00

Rob and I had a little 3 night get-a-way to Vegas last week. It was much needed for the adult time, but we missed Braeden terribly. While we were there, we decided we are not leaving him alone over night for a long time. He stayed with his Grammy and Meemaw (Rob's Godmother). They said he wasn't that good.:( Which he loves it over at his Grammy's house, so we figured that he just missed us and was just as miserable as we were with missing him). Bless his heart.

We stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacations Club. Rob is a VIP cardholder and we got to stay there for super cheap, but had to do a timeshare tour. No problem, just a couple of hours of our time.

This flight is 5 hours for us. For about 2 hours of the flight, there was a HUGE storm that was over the Midwest, in particular MO and KS. The storm with lightening was beautiful! The pilot actually announced it and wanted everyone on the 'right side' to experience what he saw. This picture does not do it any justice of what it really was like. How fast can cameras take pictures, right?

The first full day, we hung out at the pool/pool bar for 7 hours and had a great time talking to strangers. Since I have no adults really to talk to during the day, I was willing to talk to anyone!

That night, after so many choices to pick from, we decided to go to LeReve at the Wynn Hotel. It was an acrobat water show. It was wonderful!!! I actually tried to video clip some of the show, but got caught (go figure) and lazered by the staff....oops!

The last night, the one we were looking forward to the most, we met 2 of my brothers and their wives out at Margaritaville on the strip. I had not met them (my sister- in-laws) yet...LOVED THEM BOTH! I hadn't seen Kevin since 2001 and don't even remember the last time I had seen Matt. Matt and Rob were on the swim team together in high school (which is how we met). So, it was neat seeing them together again after such a long time.

I have to say, it was, and still is, a very humbling and surreal time for me. I am very proud of them both. It had been too long, and am glad and grateful we have re-established a relationship after too many years. It saddens me that so much time has passed and I have missed out on everything they (the whole family) have done and experienced. And, that they have missed out on my life. I tried to explain this at dinner, before they all stopped me. I am trying hard not to look/ponder of the past and at what has happened, but it is hard, and I am still struggling. I am human.

Divorce is difficult. Divorce is traumatic. The children are so innocent. The children are the ones who suffer. I don't want to suffer anymore. Unless you have experienced it, you truly don't understand it. I am 32 years old and this happened when I was a baby, and am still effected. I think I will always be. It has made me the person who I am today. On a good note, I have realized (especially after having Braeden) that life is just too short. I can't control or change the past. I can not judge. I can only love and look forward to the future. I do not want to regret anything anymore. Family means everything to me; divorced parents or not. This is my family, too. These are my siblings. And I am proud to be their big sister. I am pleased that they still accept me for all my short-comings over the years.

Rob mentioned several times to me that he noticed the 'special bond' Kevin and I(still) had. That was cool and made me smile that he recognized that. I still feel that bond. He was my best buddy. We were inseparable when we were in Indy and had so much fun together. I have alot of good memories when I lived with my dad and step-mom....besides being grounded most of the time because of my grades-ha ha!

We had a great time! I hope they had a good of a time as we did! I was sad to see them leave, and wanted to cry, but totally understand with kiddos.:) This night was worth the trip to Vegas 100% and can't wait until we reunite again and Braeden can meet his (hot)aunts, uncles, and cousins! I sure wish we all lived closer vs. scattered across the US.

Here are some pics of this wonderful night! THANK YOU again for taking out the time and driving to meet us. It meant the world to me. I LOVE YOU ALL! *tears*

*Alana*

More Summer Time Fun !

2009-08-31T10:44:00.008-04:00

It's been a while since I have blogged. Thought I would catch up! We took Braeden to Kings Dominion Theme and Water Park for our friends' birthday. We had been wondering if he was too young to ride any rides, but decided to bring him and we are so glad we did-He had a blast!! He rode his first ride! Mommy needs to realize that he is not a baby anymore and can do more things. Notice his hand on the back of the car in the one picture. Don't you think he needs a sister sitting next to him?

Our friends had a Crab Fest for raising money towards Breast Cancer. What a great idea! Although, I am not a fan of picking out the meat of blue crabs, the shrimp was good! Here are a couple of pics from this day. My mother in law, Linda, and Mimi.

Rob and I bought the country tickets. We went to Rascal Flatts/Darius Rucker, and Kenny Chesney. They were alot of fun. These are the only ones we were able to go to-sold the rest. Rob went to another Phish concert with his buddy Justin in MD. We have decided we are too old for concerts. So, it will be a while before we go to another one. Well, we have Jimmy Buffett this weekend...but after that...

*Alana*

June 25th, RIP Michael Jackson, King of Pop and Farrah Fawcett

2009-07-10T11:20:00.009-04:00

Oh man, what a shock the world was in this day. I know I was. These 2 icons are a part of my childhood. Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' album was my very first. I had Michael's posters throughout my bedroom, along with the doll. My sister had Elvis. :) I guess time will tell to see if my mom kept all of these items after we moved out of the house...I hope she did!

He will never be forgotten. I will never forget where I was when I heard the news. Linda, Braeden and I were waiting for Rob to meet us at Tony's Pizza for dinner. Rob sat down and said that he heard on the radio TMZ confirmed he died of cardiac arrest, 50 years old. I chuckled and said, 'WHAT?' I still can't believe he is gone. So sad.

I have kept the 'People' magazine for Braeden to have one day. Once he gets older, we will be making sure that he hears all of his music and pray he enjoys it as much as his mother did.

Farrah Fawcett was in a movie 'Small Sacrifices' when I was in middle/high school. We taped it from the TV movie. I am not exaggerating when I say I have watched this movie 75 times. It was a great movie! I would like to one day read the book, too.

RIP, Michael and Farrah...
*Alana*

Summer Time!!

2009-07-10T10:12:00.011-04:00

July has been pretty uneventful-and it's only half way through! Our friends Matt and Xenia from Chicago came for a visit. Matt is a friend of Rob's (and my step-brother, Matt) from high school. He is the one who contacted Rob letting him know I was looking for him, via myspace...we can never be thankful enough for that. Matt was one of our groomsmen in our wedding, and then Rob was one in his wedding in Cleveland, OH (a super FUN wedding!). We adore them!

Friday night, we had a bbq. Our friends Matt and Jess came over, and our neighbor. It was alot of fun! Saturday, July 4th, we contemplated going to DC or hanging around here. We really wanted to take them since they were here and all. However, it is a big, exhausting day spending down in DC on the 4th with a million people. We went last year and was down there all day, lots of walking, and sweating, yuck! About 5:30 we headed down there. Arista watched Braeden and we didn't run into any traffic, which was unbelievable! We sat at the mall, and enjoyed the amazing fireworks! On the way back, we got a hot dog-a must! On Sunday, we took them to Tim's River Shore, a great seafood shack on the Potomac. We all had shrimp, crab legs, and hush puppies! Here are some pics from the weekend.

Rob and I got Braeden this pool. I set it up. He has been in it several times, but the water is pretty cold. But, he loves the water pouring down from the top!

Braeden and I met up with my friend, Stephanie (who lives here now and I actually worked with her for several years in KS, isn't that crazy?). At her sub division, they have 3 beaches. She took us there with her 3 kids and Braeden had a blast playing in the sand and in the water. Last year, we had this blow up boat and I felt very comfortable with him in it. This year, he wants nothing to do with it! ugh! He scares me with wanting to be independent! He's too small still! :)

So, I bought some (3) books to help me teach/deal with Braeden's terrible twos. He's pretty good overall, but we don't want him to be 'that child.' I have learned some easy tips that I am putting to test right now.

Here are a few pics of Braeden at a local pool with a very fun baby pool with a slide! This was his first time going down one in the pool. He LOVED it! And, couldn't get him to anything but the slide.

So, I come home from the pool, to find a few small pieces of foil and crumbs on the floor. It took me a few minutes to realize what this was. Marley at a whole loaf of home-made bread ....along with the foil that was in it! UGH! That's gonna hurt coming out!

We went out to dinner with Linda. She has been spending day and night at the hospital with her sisters for the last 2.5 weeks. One of their sisters have been in ICU. They are not sure what is wrong with her, still. The Dr.s have run every test possible and they all come back negative. One day, she just started getting confused and is now (and has been) talking 'crazy talk' with cussing, and like a 3-4 year old. Very concerning. So, we haven't seen much of her. It was a good time and he loves his Grammy.

The tank hood is coming along very well! Rob and our neighbor got this all done in one day, not bad! We are still very anxious to get it done! With our busy schedule, we are hoping it will be complete and ready for the sand and water next month.

Lastly, we got our trips booked to VA Beach, Vegas, and Jamaica! Whoo hoo!

*Alana*

Father's Day

2009-07-08T16:58:00.008-04:00

This was Rob's 2nd Father's Day. I know this has to be a bitter-sweet day for him, with him not having his dad, yet being a dad now. I had a 'brilliant' moment one day in February and started researching portrait artists. I wanted a portrait of Rob, Ron, and Braeden. I called this lady, Lisa and we talked about what I had envisioned. She thought this was a great idea and that she would like to meet.

So, I drove to meet her and brought her some pictures. After contacting 3 of Linda's sisters about getting Ron's pictures (he was not a fan of getting his picture taken), I finally got them and she worked with what I could get. I think she did an excellent job! This will be passed down to Braeden and his kids.

It was extremely hard not to tell or show Rob before, but I am so proud of myself-I didn't! I really CAN wait! So, on the morning of Father's Day, I made Rob a big breakfast, and brought up his framed portrait. He was shocked and was pretty speechless. It is hanging by our front door.

I just realized that I didn't get a picture of Rob and Braeden on this day. Darn it! I'm still learning!

*Alana*

First Family trip home

2009-06-24T15:54:00.005-04:00

4:30 am came too quickly last week when we went to my hometown, the first time for Rob and Braeden. Rob had never been to a small town before. Boy, was he in for a sup rise! The smallest town he had been in, was the town (city I call it) of 20,000+ people where we met. This was 2,000 people. Surprisingly, Rob had a very good time. We stayed with my mom and Kenny.

Braeden had grown alot since the last visit, one year ago. Last year, he was crawling, barely standing. Now, he's talking, climbing, running, has a mind of his own to say the least. Oh yes, and he has reached the 'terrible twos' early. So, it was an adjustment for them to get used to his biting, kicking, slapping, and temper tantrums! Fun was had by all!

Rob drove to St. Louis a few hours away to meet up with an old friend to go to a concert. He stayed a couple of days. He had a good time!

And, we just hung out with my mom and Kenny. I made them a recipe that I got from one of my best friends years ago. It was nice to cook something for my mom and Kenny. Kenny does all the cooking and they had never had this. They loved it!

One of my friends, Christy, drove to meet us and brought her two girls. I hadn't seen her in 3 years! I have alot of respect for this friend for many reasons. She has a heart of gold and is a wonderful mother, aunt, and friend. Thanks for meeting us, Christy! I love you!

I drove Rob around the 'big' town that I grew up in. It took about 10 minutes to show him where I lived, went to school, and where my Grandparents rest. I put flowers on their grave. I sure do miss them and wish they could meet my baby boy. I HAD to go and see my old neighbor, Becky, her new husband, 2 kids and new grandbaby. Becky was my second mom. Ever since they moved in across the street, I was over at their house more than my own. They adopted me. ha ha! I love this family so much and have so many great memories with them!

Then, one night we drove to meet some more of my friends who could make it. Thanks everyone for coming! It was great to see you! Here is one of my old co-worker, James. Braeden loves him! Wendy, Angela, Shelli-all in my wedding. And, Elizabeth.

Braeden was an angel on both flights, thank you God, and thank you Motrin! LOL!

*Alana*

1 week; 2 emotions

2009-06-12T08:43:00.003-04:00

For those of you who do not know, Rob and I got married one week exactly after losing his father to cancer. This week 2 years ago was so emotional. Tears of sadness, tears of joy. May 30th, we went to breakfast with Linda and then went to the gravesite to pay our respects and put flowers out. Rob was in a HORRIBLE mood this day. I'm not sure if he was feeling the effects of the loss again, or just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I know this has got to be a hard situation, as I have not had to go through it, yet. He doesn't really talk about it with me. I know he thinks of his dad often, but just never shares his feelings with me. I wish he would. Linda will tell me that Rob said something about his dad to her. Maybe Rob thinks this way of feeling is not 'manly'? I just do not know. Anyways, we miss you, Ron and sure wish you were here with us!

Happy 2nd Anniversary, Rob! We were planning on going to a nice dinner, but Braeden and I went to Linda's for the day. Braeden took a long, late nap and was asleep until 5, and I still needed to get ready. Rob called and asked if we could postpone our date because he needed to work a little late. That was totally fine with me. We still haven't gone. :) It would be nice for a romantic night on the town.

*Alana*

Memorial Day Weekend...

2009-05-29T14:07:00.004-04:00

We were busy, busy, busy! Friday, Rob got off work early and we headed to Lowe's to get flowers and yard work items. I didn't have anything ready for dinner, so we decided to go to Buffalo Wild Wings, which is new here. Arista was with us and we called our friends Matt and Jess to meet up. They came back to the house, and we watched a movie--of course Rob and I fell asleep.

Saturday, we took Braeden to Linda's while Rob and I could tackle all the outside chores. I called Linda to check in with her and she said that she told Braeden that she was going to the bathroom and she would be right back. She heard, "ting, ting, ting!" Well, Mr. Braeden opened up her dishwasher, was sitting on the door, and emptying out all the silverware! Then, she said that Braeden put potato chip clips in ther hair after he found them in her cabinet. He is so funny!! I trimmed all our bushes, which we have alot, I hadn't realized. Rob trimmed the two trees, mowed the back yard, and Arista planted our flowers. She is so good at that! We spent 5 hours on landscaping! It looks wonderful! Then, we went to eat Mexican with Linda.

Sunday, we had our neighbors, Matt and Jess, and Tim and Shannon and their kids come over to BBQ and watch the Indy 500. It was fun! We found a turtle in our back yard and the kids loved it! We set him free, though. I don't think he was happy in what we had him in!

Monday, Linda, Arista and I went and got a pedicure and manicure! Ahhh it was nice! Arista and I went shopping and I found 2 pics that are on either side of the mirror above the couch. I am DONE with decorating! Yah!

Our fishtank stand is finally complete! Rob and Charles did an excellent job! There is still the hood to make along with all the other plumbing, lights, filters, skimmers to be purchased! UGH, when is this going to done already? I hate waiting! ha ha!

That's all to report now. We have another busy weekend ahead of us with entertaining and date night with our friends! I'll leave you with a new pic of Braeden...and his new, fun little stunt---taking off his diaper!

*Alana*

Yard Sale Success!

2009-05-18T12:01:00.008-04:00

I had so much fun with my Yard Sale! The night before I had everything organized, ready to go for the 8am opening. I got up at 7am. My neighbor called and said that there were people already driving by! Goodness sakes, people get up EARLY and don't mess around with these yard sales! I was swamped at 7:15-9am. The crowds came and gone all day. I decided since I didn't have much else going on the rest of the day, that I would extend it hoping to sell all my things, but it really stopped at about 1pm. I learned alot about these yard sales....People are CHEAP! I had a lady tell me flat out, "I go to yard sales every weekend, and I just think your prices are way too high." I told her that everything is designer, and only worn once, twice or had the tags on it! I figured out that more than half were asking to lower by some, so I eventually did. I really wanted to succeed in getting rid of everything, so I agreed only if they asked. I sold about $350-400! -which breaks me even with the new wardrobe that I already bought. ha ha!

Here are a couple of pictures during this day. **Note**the little kids sitting next to Braeden, are our neighbors, Mason and Madison. I just thought this was hilarious and had to share! Mason loves our dog, Marley. We were all outside, and he goes up to the front door, rings the doorbell, and says, "Marley! It's me, Mason!" Isn't that cute? I can't wait for Braeden to talk!!!

Rob and Braeden's yard sale participation and interest. HA!

Rob and our neighbor have been working so hard on our fish stand. I am so anxious for it to get done! It is getting SOO expensive, too! And, we don't even have any water or fish in it yet! I am hoping that I can sand and stain it today or tomorrow (that's my job in all of this). Here is a couple of pics of the progress.

*Alana*

Mother's Day

2009-05-11T16:29:00.011-04:00

This was my 2nd Mother's Day....a surreal day, really. I think alot about how my life has turned out so perfectly. Thank you, God for my life and family! I love them so much and sometimes think I just don't deserve it.

Rob, Arista and I went to Kings Dominion Theme Park on Saturday. Linda watched Braeden for us so we could have a little bit of a big kid day. I had been contemplating on taking him. I was told that there really isn't alot of things that 18 month olds can do. And, I would hate for him just to sit in his stoller for the most of the day in the heat. I know I wouldn't like that, so he stayed home this time. We had a GREAT time!! Ended up, that Arista and I rode most of the rides while Rob sat out; which reminded me of the times my mom would take us to Worlds of Fun and we would take a friend and ride all the rides while my mom sat and waited...This surprised me. I know Rob doesn't like the rides that go in circles. But, his head was hurting with allergies after the roller coaster rides. He sat back and drank beer while Arista and I got our adrenaline rush flowing! I talked Arista into going on the SkyFlyer ride that I had done a few years ago in Orlando FL. It was a ride I never forgot! It's 152 ft in the air, and they release you and you basically fly down and swing until you stop. She loved it as much as I did! It's the closest thing to skydiving that you'll find! Now, Arista is looking into skydiving. Rob won't let me go again, since I am a wife and mommy now...Doesn't mean I won't still keep trying!

Anyways, so we were exhausted after a long day in the heat. On the way home, Rob said the would like to go to the grocery store. In other words, he hadn't gotten a Mother's Day card yet. ha ha! He smiled, admitting this. I knew it. I give him alot of credit for going out after a long day! Braeden and I went to bed at 10pm.

So, yesterday, Mother's Day, I asked Rob if he would take Braeden downstairs after he got up in the morning at 8am so I could sleep in. I thought I was going to wake up to the aroma of Mommy's breakfast being made....hmmm, how nice! **cough** I come downstairs, Rob is asleep and Braeden had trashed the house with his toys, and the Sunday newspaper! What? Excuse me....heeelloooo??? I let Rob sleep while I cleaned up, even though it WAS Mother's Day and all...

I took Braeden to Bingo that Linda attends every Sunday. She loves to show off her "pride and joy" to her Bingo buddies. I like to do things like that for her, she does SO much for us, this was the least I could do--making her day! We came home and Rob power washed the bottom deck and we played outside with the neighbors.

After Linda got home from Bingo, we went to dinner at Chilli's. Linda and I love their salads! We exchanged cards and had a nice dinner! Thank you!! Here's to many more Mommy Days!

*Alana*

What Mommy loves about you!

2009-05-07T16:32:00.009-04:00

I have heard (and am now learning for myself) that kids say and do the funniest things over the months/years that it's too hard to remember everything, right?! Part of me doing this blog is to document as much as possible so we can look back on it and smile and for Braeden to have one day.

Words: Mommy, daddy, kiiiy (kitty-he can't pronounce the T's yet), OHHH GGGGod! (He gets this from me; when he scares me, that's what slips out.), goggy (doggy), car, tru (truck), bye.

He wheels around his highchair all over the place, along with his "Cars" tow truck. He likes to put different things under the seat, like food, washcloths, wrappers, misc. toys, etc. He is now learning how to go up the stairs by holding on the railing vs. on his belly. He LOVES to turn on and off the lights. I say, "LIGHT ON!" and "LIGHT OFF." He gets so tickled! He enjoys going downstairs to see the Kiii's and has me put him on Mimi's bed so he can lay on them like he does with Marley. The kiiiys don't really tolerate it very well! ha ha! He has been putting things on his head like the Easter basket, shirts, towels, his clothes, bathroom trash baskets and walks around and runs into things, it's quite funny! He gets in and out of his toy box and takes out everything and then puts it back in again. This lasts for hours...

His favorite #1's are: mommy and mimi's hairbrushes, his School Bus, Batman 4 wheeler, the phone and remote control. Although he has his own, he wants the real ones! Spongebob Squarepants song! When he firsts hears the song start, he looks for Rob and I to start singing. It's fun!

Recently, he has started to dance. He puts his legs together and bends his knees. I tell him "Shake your tail feather" and he just goes to town! The cutest thing he has done is this face. He puts his shoulders up to his ears and cheeses like no other! His little 2 teeth on the bottom show and the 4 on top. He's SUCH a ham!

A little while ago, Mimi was watching him and taught him lots of things, which to this day he remembers. We say, "Braeden, where are your eyes?" he points to them. He knows where is mouth, nose, toes, ears, and he points to his fingers. So smart! Thanks, Mimi! I'm teaching him his knees and elbows right now.

When he has something in his hand that he's not supposed to (which happens often-ha!), I say, "I'm a gonna get you!" and start to run after him. He turns around, laughing, drops whatever he has and runs for it! It's SO funny!

I love watching his face light up when Daddy and Mimi come home. He gives them BIG hugs! How can you not love this?? He also loves his Grammy!!

My #1 is and has been since he was born: He HAS to play with your hair when he's drinking a bottle. I am a sucker for playing with my hair, and he does it so soft (sometimes... when there's no knots in it or not wet-ha!), so relaxing to me. I LOVE IT! He could do that all day long!

In a previous post of what Braeden does and is so frustrating (but it still IS cute), I have to elaborate on them a little bit.

Braeden can NOT stay out of Marley's water dish to save my life! He puts all of his toys in there, yes, including the ones with batteries! Which is why Elmo can't speak right now!

!

He stands on the dishwasher door, climbs on the chairs, sofas, coffee table, and then stands up!, turns on the bathtub faucet over and over again after it's been shut off by mommy, he pulls the shades shut, reopens them, pulls them up and down. I finally had to raise them to where he can't reach them, along with the cords. He pulls out the magazines and tears them up. I haven't read them yet, and they are so wrinkled and tore by the time he's "finished" with them. He can reach into the kitchen drawers now, which scares me because our silverware is in there, but mostly he gets out the dishtowels and stove mitts. Rob's sock drawer....I have given up, I just let him do it now. He takes them ALL out, and puts them in the drawer below. It makes such a mess, but keeps him busy for a long time! I have learned to keep closet doors shut. Because if I don't, Braeden will get out all your shoes!

Whew! I think that about covers it for now! I LOVE watching him grow and am blessed to be able to stay at home with him and catch all his new learnings!

*Alana

NASCAR, Richmond VA

2009-05-03T14:14:00.016-04:00

I have never been to NASCAR before. KC built a track a couple of years before I moved away, but didn't really have any interest in it, so I never went. Rob's co-workers and boss got tickets and asked if we wanted to go. Since we are planning on getting pregnant this fall, we are trying to do all we can, since life being pregnant with a toddler, and then having 2 kids won't be as easy to have Linda or Arista (Mimi) watch both, understandably.

Rob and I tailgated by ourselves. The weather was forecasting 40-60% rain. It rained while we were eating and had to jump in the car until it passed a few minutes later. Then, it got sticky, although it was only 70 degrees. We took the tram to the track and then Holy cow, the rain poured! Everyone was standing under the stands and I had to put on my poncho from the rain coming through. Then it cleared and was perfect!

It was neat seeing the trucks dry the track, and was LOUD! All the fans got on their feet, and all the drivers drove around the track. The energy was powerful and exciting!! AND LOUD! I had to listen to the cars without our earphones for a while just for the experience of it all! Those cars are F-A-S-T! I mean, I have seen NASCAR on TV, and it looked as if they were traveling pretty speedy, but once you are there, it is So much different! Then, several cars crashed, and one caught on fire! I didn't have my camera out and ready when it happened, so I didn't get a photo of it, darn! Overall, it was a great, great, time! Next weekend--Kings Dominion Theme Park with Braeden, Rob, and Mimi! Again, another new place I have not yet been to.

Catch up

2009-04-29T20:24:00.015-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been pretty busy. After Rob finished the garage storage, he emailed me a couple of links from craigs list wanting to know if we could get one. I thought, "oh boy, what is it now?" Usually he wants something extravagant that we can't afford right now, and the answer is more than likely 'no'. ha ha! Well, I opened the links and it was saltwater fish tanks. The 2 he emailed me were in really good condition and under $250. I thought that would be neat to have a fish tank with live coral, rock, "finding nemo" characters. He said that the choice was mine. I chose the cherry wood 29 gallon one. He tried talking me into the bigger one, 55 gallon, but I didn't like the oak stand and hood. We were trying to figure out where to put it in our house. And, without knowing how big they are, we left and visited PetCo. We decided the 55 gallon would be better (and for the fish, coral).

Rob is a researcher. I think I mentioned that before. Before he buys anything, he surfs the Internet for reviews, best prices, which is a great thing! After a couple of nights researching, he made the decision to build one to fit a 90 gallon. So, he has been working non stop every night on this cabinet. I think it's wonderful that he has found a new hobby and if it saves us money (but not in this case!), even better! Here are a couple of pictures.

My yard sale is ready to go! I have 5 large containers full of marked clothes, purses, shoes, dresses, picture frames, and a few odds and ends. I think I will do well at it. I actually enjoyed going through them. It was a bit emotional letting go of some of them. It was fun remembering when I wore this shirt, or I was with such and such this night I wore this. Thank goodness I have pictures in most of these outfits to remember my skinny-self. **SIGH** So, the sale will be in 2.5 weeks. I am going to advertise it on craigs list, put out signs in the neighborhood, and hopefully make alot of money!...maybe it will pay for this fish tank! ha ha!

I am now on book 3 of the Twilight series. It is taking me longer than I planned, but I can only read with no interruptions. So, that means, after baby and hubby are asleep. I read until my eyes won't stay open any longer. I am still really enjoying it and I think I might just read some more after this series! Who would of ever guessed? Not me! And, certainly not my mother!

As Rob is handy out in the garage, I painted our dining room. It desperately needed some color. It is 2 toned orange and I love it! I did pretty good, I must say. AND, I figured out on my own what takes paint off when you get paint on the walls, baseboards, or wherever. Fingernail polish! It worked and now I am trying to hit all the nicks on the walls. I can easily go through a gallon of this stuff for all the marks we have.

Last night, we were invited to go on a yacht with a Master Sargeant from Rob's work. It was alot of fun. I met Rob outside of Quantico, and we drove to the marina, drank a couple of beers, and ate at Tim's River Shore for all you can eat shrimp. YUM! This was the first time since Rob and I met in Noblesville in '93 where we were on a boat together. The water, the air, the waves, it was SOO nice!

Braeden got sick in the middle of the night 2 nights ago 3 different times. It came out of no where. He woke up with a 104 temp. He has never had that high of a temp, so it scared us. Linda and I took him to the dr. He was tested negative for the flu, which the Swine Flu is going around like crazy, and tested negative for strep. He is on an ear infection med and antibiotic. We were supposed to go to Toddle Time tomorrow morning, but, I think I am going to hold off for a while. Mom and Dad are a little overprotective...

I think that about covers it for now. Hope everyone is enjoying their week! I'm going to leave you with a couple of pics I took this last week. One is taken from my front steps of a full rainbow after a long day of rain. And, the other one is one of our trees in the back yard that has a heart-shaped indention in it. I find this comforting...

*Alana*

So proud...so busy

2009-04-29T12:29:00.003-04:00

Well, the last couple of weeks, Rob has really made me proud! He's never expressed his interest in building things. He's a genius with computers, yard work, your normal 'honey do's' around the house, etc. We decided to tackle the long, over due, very unorganized garage that has been hanging over our heads for 2 years now.

Linda came over and helped watch Braeden while we went through it all. I decided that I wanted to 'clean house' with getting rid of ALL my skinny clothes, cause let's just face it, I am NOT getting in those anytime soon! I was certainly hoping that Rob would find some things that he wanted to get rid of...no such luck. I mean, Rob has everything you need for campings, snowboarding, skiing, concerts, any water sports, and he couldn't find one thing. ha! He dragged out everything out of the garage and had it seperated out in the yard. People were actually driving by thinking that we were having a yard sale!

As we were going through some of Rob's old toys, misc. in containers, we found a pair of sandals that he wore. We put them on Braeden and they fit! It was humbling to see that!

Rob's goal was to get shelves and put all the containers on there so he could fit his corvette inside. He researched and researched all the shelving options. He left, with me thinking he was going to spend $100 or so on them, no big deal. WELL, he was gone for hours and spent $420! I was furious! $420? Are you serious? Our neighbor mentioned to him that they could build storage. So, off they went to return everything and get wood.

After 2 nights of hard work, the job was complete and impressive! They actually built a floor above the garage door. It held everything that we have and didn't even fall down! Good work, honey!

Get DOWN, ...please!!!

2009-04-29T12:02:00.002-04:00

So these are the words I say all day every day lately. Braeden is getting so independent and thinks that he is a monkey! I was talking to Rob the other day on the phone and as soon as I turned around, Braeden was on top of his high chair, literally. I mean he was standing on the "plate part" and was taller than me. It scared me to death! I didn't want to scare him with these words I constantly am reminding him of. I have no idea how he did it. UGH!

I told Rob about that night when he got home that if it was my choice, I would have no highchair, no couches, no blinds, no TV, no dishwasher, no drawers, no dining room chairs, no bath faucets, no toilets, no coffee or end tables, no magazines, no stairs, or no closets. He said "so, you want Braeden in a room of nothing." ha ha YES, wouldn't that be so much nicer? I wouldn't have to get on to him for any of this stuff I mentioned above....on a daily basis. I mentioned that I was going to keep him in a cage, so I know he is safe.

I am being reminded that "he's a boy. he's going to fall." I don't like that comment-"he's a boy..." It doesn't matter if he's a boy or a girl. Toddlers are very curious about it all and are going to try and get away with whatever. I know he's going to fall. But, I'm certainly not going to just stand by and watch so he learns his lesson!

What the ????

2009-04-23T09:05:00.004-04:00

So, I get a phone call the other night from the salon. It was my manager, Sharmen. I REALLY like her alot! She is the one who cut my hair. However, since I had to get on the floor, she had to 'cut it short', no pun intended. Anyways, she says, "I hate to be the bear of bad news." I was completely confused by this. She says "we have received a couple of complaints from clients about how they were not given the customer service by you that they are used to." WHAT?? I have won customer service several awards in my property management career. Apparently, when I called the clients and left messages for their 'confirmation calls' I said "no kids under 12 are allowed" vs. 'children'. And, maybe they were offended? She continues saying that they do not think me working there is a good fit. What the ???? Whatever happened to communication? Why is it that I messed up once and tell me-so I can fix it!? I was and still am just dumbfounded! I actually cried! I LOVED it there! With the exception of Sue,(part owner/bookkeeper) of the salon. I did not like her from the first time we met. This was before I got the job. I was coming in for a facial. She didn't smile, had NO personality and was NOT impressed by her! She is the mom of the girl who owns it.

Anyhow, so I told Rob what happened and he was very sorry but said it was for the best. He and Arista both thought they were very unprofessional from the beginning and just using this as an excuse because they are NOT organized, it's too bad... When I started, I didn't even know the pay, no schedule was done; so I have to agree with them. But, still, it WAS a great fit for me! And for Rob, Braeden and Linda! It was working out great for all of us! I am so pissed off right now! And, who fires someone over the phone????

Sharmen said that she would like to finish my haircut and make it right. I agreed. Even though I do not want to see Christy or Sue, I paid for my haircut and it's not done. So, I go in today to get it done. There is a HUGE part of me that wants to push them aside and ask them, what the ???? Trust me, I will be telling Sharmen about it! And, in hopes that they take this information and apply it to future employees. I mean, if a service provider screws up a haircut, facial, nails or massage and the client complains, do they get fired??

Here are the pictures of my new hair 'do....at least I got THIS out of this mess!

*Alana*

I admit, I'm addicted...

2009-04-10T16:15:00.002-04:00

to blogging! Braeden is sleeping sound in our bed and I am enjoying this blog, now that I have it figured out! I have to share some of my favorite recent videos. They will for sure put a smile on your face, as they do mine!

The first one, is Braeden pissed off! This was taken just the other day. He was having one of his tantroms. I can't help sometimes to laugh-I can't help it!

The next one was taken in the rental car heading back to the airport from Disney, Orlando, FL 12-08.

The next one, is Braeden at the park, for the first time. He loved the swing! March 2009

He loves it when he gets "tummy time" with dad!

Linda got him a Batman 4 wheeler for his 1st Birthday. He was just getting used to it and figuring it all out. He's doing better, but is still having trouble with steering. I am now taking him outside with it on the sidewalk. AND, it goes up in the yard-it's fun!

Braeden is doing more and more funny things daily. He has a new "fetish" of shoes. Mostly, daddy's shoes. Here, he tries them on, for the first time, and for sure not the last!

Thank you, Leslie!

2009-04-10T15:40:00.003-04:00

Leslie is my long lost best friend from 4th grade who ispired me to do this whole "blog" thing. Anyways, she created my header for my blog with her own pictures of the flowers that she took! WOW, it looks so great!

Oh yeah, and I used your "Twilight" books picture...I didn't think you would mind! ha ha!

I love you, Leslie!

2 new passions...

2009-04-10T15:04:00.003-04:00

So, my sister got me the first 2 books of the "Twilight" Series for my birthday. EVERYONE is talking about how good these books are and I just have to read them! Well, first of all, I have never been the "reader" type. In fact, I never read the books I was supposed to have in High School; I found myself cheating--didn't work by the way...

A couple of weeks ago, when the movie came out on DVD, we got it and watched it. I could never see myself being interested in vampire movies or for that matter, a book. "Interview with the Vampire" I saw in the movie theatre and about passed out when all the blood scenes were shown. I LOVED this "Twilight" movie and watched it twice! Thank goodness, there was not much blood. I am on page 115 in 2 days. The only time I can read is in bed at night, after Braeden is asleep. So, I read until my eyes can no longer stay open. I am really anxious to get through all these books (and make my mom proud!)! So, that is my first new passion.

My second? My new job! I started training this week. Gosh, I had forgotten how nice it was to talk to the public. I have always been very good with people, and this made me realize how much I miss this! The first day, I had to go in at 9:30. Whoa, was that challenging! I am not a morning person at all! Braeden and I love our sleep! So, 7:30 came way to quick! I got up, got ready, got Braeden ready, and off we went to Linda's to drop him off. Everyone at the job is really nice. I'm working the front desk. Surprisingly, there is alot to do and this salon seems pretty busy consistently. I check people in, check them out, schedule future appointments, answer the phone, and lots of computer and paperwork. Anyhow, I am enjoying it so far. And helloooo?--who doesn't love(free)discounts on spa services?!

I am posting alot of blogs today, because I actually got Braeden down for a nap and I'm taking advantage.
*Alana*

Happy Birthday, to me!

2009-04-10T14:50:00.002-04:00

Well, I celebrated yet another birthday, my 32nd, *sigh*. They sure are not like they used to be! In my 20's, I used to party like a rock star! It is a joke with my best of friends of how I had a "birthday month" and celebrated every weekend! Oh,...those were the days! Lots of fun times I had, and will never forget.

These days? It is nice to have a meaningful card and maybe dinner. I had mentioned to Rob that I didn't have anything that has "mom" on it. He surprised me when he came home with a big pink gift bag. I certainly wasn't expecting anything after I went shopping for some new work clothes. Braeden got me a beautiful Mom plaque, a silver bracelet with "m-o-m" all the way around it, a coffee mug, a figurine with a mom and child on it, and very nice cards! Way to go, Rob! He did so good! Rob goes ALL out for gifts, he always has been like that. Sometimes that's good, sometimes not--depends on who the gift is for. ha ha! Just kidding!

We went to dinner at City Tavern with Arista and Linda. I was so full after eating shrimp, oysters on the half shell, crab legs and prime rib! It was a nice dinner! Thank you! I love my family! I hope to have many, many more birthdays to come!

Braeden + Marley = Best Buddies

2009-04-10T13:17:00.009-04:00

Rob got Marley (Golden Retriever) when he was 2 months old, unexpectedly. He got a call one night and was told there was one puppy left and asked if he wanted him. Rob had researched the "best" kind of family dog and was really set on getting a Golden. So, Rob told them "yes. I'll be right over to get him." It was love at first sight. Rob had no food, no toys, no kennel, no nothing for a new puppy. Rob stopped by PetSmart and loaded up on all the necessities of a puppy.

Rob lived by his self in our-now home. Just him and Marley. I heard some good stories about Marley when Rob and I talked on the phone for months. One of my favorites, was when Rob came home from work one night and noticed that there were bite marks in 4 cans of beer, the cans were empty of course. I can only imagine. And, knowing Marley now, I can totally see him doing that! My next favorite is that Rob took him to Petsmart for "puppy training" ...well, he got kicked out of that school! That is not a shocker either! ha ha!

Marley is very hyper, loving, adores attention, a baby like. It is said that dogs know when their owners are pregnant. There is just something they sense. Marley was always gentle around me when I was pregnant with Braeden.

While I was in the hospital after I delivered, Rob brought home blankets that Braeden had used so he could get used to the smell. I have to admit, that Marley took very well to Braeden.

They absolutely love each other! Braeden pulls his hair, ears, tail, yanks his lips, and of course he gets all of Braeden's left overs each meal. Braeden likes to share, as I look at it. They are so funny together! It is still a challenge to make Marley learn that "that is not your toy, Marley!" He LOVES B's stuffed animals-his most recent one is B's SpongeBob stuffed animal. Here is a video of a little bit of what Marley "allows" Braeden to do....

Happy Easter!

2009-04-04T12:51:00.009-04:00

This weekend has been so much fun! Friday night, Rob, Braeden, Linda, Aunt Dina and I all went out to Red Robin for dinner. Braeden had a good time with his Grammy and Memaw, sitting between both. He got his balloon, of course, it was let go and up towards the ceiling. Needless to say, he got another one and loved it! Aunt Dina "secretly" announced that it was my birthday to the waiter and the employees came to sing and give me a sundae. If it was to embarrass me, it didn't work...it takes ALOT to embarrass me! ha ha!

Rob, Braeden and I went to Wal-Mart to get his Easter gifts. This is really his 1st Easter, since last year, he was only 4 months old. I got him a basket with a light soccer ball, candy and other goodies in there. We are so excited to dye eggs next weekend! I have not done that probably since elementary school! Linda informed me that she dyed eggs with Rob until he was in college-no surprise there! ha ha Rob picked up Braeden a Spongebob Squarepants T-Shirt, stuffed animal, CD and DVD. He LOVES Spongebob. Rob, Arista and I sing the theme song to him daily, several times and his face just lights up! He's so quick and knows it's coming on by the first couple of tunes!

Saturday, Aunt Sohee and Uncle Chris met Rob, Braeden, Mimi (Aunt Arista) and I drove to Old Town Manassas for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. The first round to go was the 2-3 year olds. I had to fib a bit and say he was 2 so he could participate. At first, he didn't know where or why we were going into the thick grass. He saw the eggs but didn't know what to do. So, Mimi and I showed him. He caught on real quick. When we saw the Easter Bunny, Braeden gave him big hugs and wouldn't let go. It was so sweet! That's my boy!

We were supposed to be going to the Smithsonian zoo tomorrow, but we had a small house crisis...the hot water tank leaked all over the floor in the utility closet and laundry room. Rob did a bunch of research as to replacing it with calls to Home Depot and Lowe's. I got home after getting my hair colored and asked him "do we HAVE to replace it? Have you tried to troubleshoot it first before we fork out $700+?" Ummm, of course he didn't! I tell ya, what would men do without women? Gesh! ...he will be troubleshooting it tomorrow! ha ha

Since I start my new job on Monday (yippee!), I need to buy some new clothes! I'm not really looking forward to it, as one girl would love to, because I need to lose LOTS of baby weight and it just depresses me that I have to buy "BIG" clothes! Oh well, I guess. This will give me more incentive to lose weight and actually GO to the gym that we have a membership to...ummm, for over a year (and haven't gone!). Yeah, I am bad.

Anyhow, wish me luck!

First Blog

2009-03-30T15:40:00.001-04:00

I would like to introduce myself. My name is Alana. I am married to a wonderful man, Rob. And, I am a mommy to a beautiful 16 month old son, Braeden. We live in Northern Virginia. I'm from a small town in Missouri. I moved here 2 years ago. I stay at home, but just accepted a part time position working at a local Salon and Day Spa. I haven't started yet. I'm pretty excited about it, since it will get me out of the house a bit and some interaction with adults-oh yeah, and a little bit of $$, ha ha!

Anyways, I don't know much about this blogging world. I assume I will find out soon enough. I was introduced to it a few months ago from a long lost best friend from 4th grade. She lost her dear husband a year ago, leaving her and their 2 year old, (now 3 year old) behind. She blogs about their life after the loss of her husband with pictures, stories, scriptures, etc. And, I just think it's the neatest thing!!!

A couple of months later, I was once again sent to this site from a great friend from KC who was losing his wife to colon cancer and she blogged. I was and still am just amazed at all the support from friends and strangers they receive(d), all the lives they have touched, including myself. So, makes me think, "hmm, maybe I should blog about my life. And, if something ever happens to me (I pray it doesn't, of course), Braeden and Rob will have something to remember ME by" So, that's what I am doing... cause you just NEVER know!

I don't have a devestating triumph that I am going through. I don't have a life threatening disease that I am fighting. I am not famous. I am just a regular house wife, mommy, sister, daughter, and friend who is living life the best of my ability.

I guess that is enough for now. I am not sure what to do on here next. Post pics I guess? That will give me some stuff to do. I am looking forward to ANYONE who leaves me a comment (gosh, I HOPE someone does-ha ha!)

*Alana*