3 month anniversary!

Thats right, its been 3 months since I got D! Things have been going
really well! He hasn't bitten in almost 7 weeks, so I am VERY proud of
my little man. And his vocabulary is just booming. I can't believe how
much I understand of what he says. This past Sunday, we went to the
zoo. I don't have pics up of it yet, stupid camera batteries, but I
will get them soon.

In other news, we got our new apartment! The movers come today and
we'll be sleeping in the new place tonite, so I am VERY happy about
that. My loud neighbors in the current place were driving me nuts last
night, so I TRULY can not wait to be on the 2nd floor with noone above
me. Its about time!

Well thats about it for now, just had to update you guys, because
Jalissa told me I have GOT to update this. lol I just keep forgetting
about it. Pics to come!

--Brandie

Is October over yet?

Its been a pretty good October, so I don't know what I'm complaining about...lol but I'm ready for November to get here. Mainly because, well, I'm moving...on November 20th. Not too far, just a couple miles down the road to a different complex. But I can't WAIT, I am so sick and tired of my neighbors above me and their big stomping feet and loud music. BLAH!
Soooooooo we went to the fair twice...here's some pics...

Jalen and D in the big ferris wheel...Jalen is faking being scared and D is so over it...lol




















The cousins clownin...

D at the petting zoo!

All in all, the boys had a GREAT time!

I let D try out a gymnastics class, and next he's gonna try out a Water Babies class. I'm kind of scouting around to see what really catches his interest. He liked the gymnastics but it really didn't keep his attention that well and he got TIRED half way through. He does love to swim (ok he's LOVES water in all its various shapes and forms!) so we'll see how that goes.

As for me, I'm doin ok. Satan has really been messing with me lately, tryin to put ideas in my head and I'm NOT HAVING IT.

OH! My cousins wife had her baby. They named her Audrey, and she is SO precious. BIG CHUBBY CHEEKS that you just GOT to get your hands on.

Well thats all for now, I'll post more pics here soon.

--Brandie

Random thoughts

When you think about your life, do you ever wonder what God has for you in the future? I'm sure we all do...and its been driving me crazy...I've been at Ebby for almost 6 years now, and I keep feeling like God has so much more for me than being here, but i just can't get past this huge roadblock thats keeping me from seeing it. And its frustrating!

I wonder because theres nothing I'm just GREAT at...yeah, I'm good or passable at a lot of things, but GREAT...I can't think of anything. And I think I need to figure that out first. But I have no idea where to
start. Any ideas? I'm open to suggestion!

--Brandie

A no biting Monday...but NOW WHAT...

So, last week was a ROUGH week for little man D, well and for mommy too...lol He had THREE red light days, which means he bit 4 times in those three days and was pushing other kids and being rough etc. BLAH...well so we had us some LONG talks this past weekend and "worked things out"...and yesterday he did not bite at ALL, did not push or anything. However we have a new problem...

He can't keep his hands out of his pants...yeah...great...allllll day yesterday from what his teacher said. I have noticed lately that at bathtime and diaper time that he tries to play with himself. I haven't been wanting to make a huge deal out of it. a) I don't want him to be ashamed of himself and b) I don't want to place undue importance on it. So I usually just move his hands away and redirect him to something else, he has NO attention span so its actually usually pretty easy to get his attention on something else...lol

But I guess right now, I need to add that to my list in talking to him about appropriate behaviors....greatttttt...like we don't have enough that we cycle through every morning before school. No biting, being nice to the other kids, listening to his teacher, etc, etc, etc...I'm
afraid that soon he's gonna bust out with "well damn momma, what CAN I do"...I can SO see him saying that...lol

The week is going pretty well so far...last night was the Search for Significance class, and we had SO much to cover that they kept us late. But it was good stuff. I've been thinking a lot about the codependency part of it, because I know I'm in at least ONE codependent relationship. Yeah, it sucks...I'm workin on it though...lol

Well its the end of the fiscal year up here at work, so things have been crazy. My coworker and I both got new computers so we spent two days getting those all set up with our software and programming stuff.

This coming weekend, my friend in Missouri is coming to DALLAS! WOOOO...she's bringing her 4 year old daughter, and we're gonna hit up the fair on Saturday...gonna be a GREAT weekend!! At the very least, it will take my mind off my grandad...at the most, its gonna ROCK...cause I haven't seen either of them since March...and that was a pretty quick visit to Missouri plus I was sick with allergies half the time...so yeah I can't WAIT.

Thats all for today...I'm out...

--Brandie

A fine saturday

Well, just when I thought today was gonna be a dull day, I gota phone call... The day started out with D and I just chilling...he got up around 8:15am and came in my room. I had him go shut the door to my room and let him play with his toys while I slept a little more. We got up around 10, he ate some breakfast. We goofed off a little bit...

At noon, my brother called asking us if we wanted to join him and my aunt at Northpark Mall for lunch and looking around. We were going to eat lunch at PF Changs, but instead went to McCormicks, a seafood place. D did really great there...he even tried to pay the bill!



After we ate, my aunt dragged us into Build a Bear to get one for D...she had seen a Pooh bear in the window with a pumpkin outfit on and really wanted that one! Sooooooo we got it!

That was our excitement for the day...after that we came home and chilled and then went to Walgreens around 7 to get some pictures I had uploaded to their website. Came home, ate some dinner, and D was knocked OUT...thats my baby!!!

--Brandie

HUGE SIGH

So, its been a rough week. D has had red days at school both Monday and Tuesday. Today he got yellow, which is better, but its not GREEN which we strive for. He bit both red days, and today he didn't bite but he was still pushing other children.

In sad news, my grandad is on the downhill slope of Alzheimers. He's at the point now where he can't eat much, and he's so tired all the time and doesn't get out of bed much. He keeps falling, 5 times the past 6 weeks or so. And the nurse for his hospice care said today that she thinks it won't be much longer now. So I cried most of the late afternoon today and all through church was struggling to fight it back. My grandad is dying and theres nothing I can do to stop it. I HATE IT, I HATE THAT THIS HAS TO HAPPEN. And my poor grandma is struggling to hold on. The only good news is that with him in the bed all day today, she was able to get things done around the house without him bothering her. My aunt and uncle are leaving to go on a cruise next week, which is a horrible time, and they are praying that he doesn't go before they get back. I know it would wound any one of us to not be there or not get to say goodbye first.

*sigh* So thats my updates...please keep my family in your prayers. I'm just about at the end of my rope, with my grandad, D acting a fool at school, finances are incredibly tight, and this class I am taking at church is stirring up things as well. I know, it could be worse, I know I need to trust in God, I know He's right here beside me through this. But right now, I'm just tired.

--Brandie

Hellllllllllloooooo

Well I followed Jalissa and made the move over here to BLOGSPOT...
MSN's blog changed things to Windows Live and I haven't liked it since, so its a good move, plus I can put html in here, and it has better picture options.
So whats new in my life? Well, I have been a mommy for over a month now and I'm lovin it! D is 2, as of June, and so he is quite a handful, but we are workin it OUT...
This past weekend we went to the Plano Balloon Festival and it was da bomb...Stacy and her two boys, and me and D had a great time watching them inflate the balloons and lift off. Plus Stacy's boys loved the rides that they had. I didn't let D get out of his stroller since he was too little for them.

Well thats it for today's post. Its enough to get me started...

--Brandie

Plano Balloon Festival

Barely a month after I got D, we joined our friends Stacy and her boys for the Plano Balloon Festival. We had so much fun! D was almost too little to get out of the stroller much but the older boys had a blast!

The boys waiting on balloons!

We saw some skydivers!

Mmmmm corndog that is taller than D

The first balloon to go up

D loved this pirate one

The boys with some kind of super hero dude...lol

Sweet J

Pimpin D

Stacy and her boys

LOL all latched up and nowhere to go

Except up!!

School and jammies

D's preschool is uniform but they do get to wear jeans on Fridays, so this is a typical outfit for the Dman. And I couldn't resist including some of his jammies!

D's new trike

D got some new wheels at the shower for him that my work gave us. He was ready to go!!

Cute stuff

This was our second weekend together, he's so stinkin cute!

First day of preschool

D started preschool today at American Heritage Academy. He was all ready to go, and looking like quite the little man!

Our first week together

Here are some pics of D and I's first week together, including him meeting his new "aunties" for the first time!

D meeting his "teedy"

Meeting Aunt Stacy!

And Aunt Keisha!

My second visit

Today was my second day to spend any time with D before being able to bring him home for good. I went out to his foster home, picked him up, and we went to McDonalds and then to the video store before heading back. This was a totally new experience for me. Yeah, I had worked with kids my whole life, but knowing that this little guy was going to be MINE. Whoa. Yeah.

The first time...

Ever I saw his face.

This is the start of a lifetime. I would like to introduce you to a very special little man. I call him "D". And I'm adopting him. This is our very first time to ever meet. It was at his foster home, and only lasted about an hour and a half, but the first time I picked him up, he laid his head down on my shoulder like he knew that he was home. We bonded so fast.