Brayden & His Puddy.......

This adorable little boy fell in love with his Puddy (my dad) all over again this past week & even though they just left yesterday we miss them so much!!  He of course loves my mom & sis too but it seemed like every time he saw my dad he reached for him!  It was so wonderful seeing him interact with my parents & of course I balled like a baby yesterday morning as they drove away.......love you guys very much & can't wait until the next visit!!

We had an amazing week/weekend & I will post more pictures & info about our week & weekend later tonight........it stinks to come back to the office after being out for 2 days & see the piles of work that have to be done!!

Wordless Wednesday......

Song of the Day: Robbie Williams - Angels

Mother's Day Weekend in Post It Note Tuesday Form!!

We went to Copeland's at Atlantic Station & the food was delicious!!

Then walked around & shopped so what could be better right??

What An Amazing Mother's Day........

I have so much to post but didn't get a chance to upload any photos from my camera yet & I think that photos make a blog just that much more enjoyable so I will do a full update tonight BUT I can't wait to tell you all what B got me for mother's day........

Not only did he get me the most beautiful frame but he started crawling & standing up in his crib..........he thinks he is a bad a** now :)  Oh yeah & my mom, dad, & sis got here yesterday & this is what they are home doing right now (thank God for pictures via cell phone!)

Happy Mother's Day To You All...........

Awesome Mom

Before I was a Mom,

I never tripped over toys

or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not

my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind

and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held down a screaming child

so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night

watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,

I never held a sleeping baby just because

I didn't want to put her down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces

when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small

could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,

I didn't know the feeling of

having my heart outside my body..

I didn't know how special it could feel

to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond

between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small

could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night

every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth,

the joy,

the love,

the heartache,

the wonderment

or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,

before I was a Mom

Happy Mother's Day To You All!

Thankful on a Thursday.........A Day Late!!

I scheduled this to post yesterday but as you can see that did not happen so it is a day late!!

I am always thankful for so many things but when it comes posting time I forget everything

 so I started writting things down & holy cow you should see the piece of paper that I write on;

there are so many things on it & that is what I am MOST thankful for........

11.   To feel so blessed each & every day

12.   I am thankful that we have 2 of the most wonderful furbabies in the world & that they love Brayden too

13.   I am VERY thankful for quite dinners at home with Lance - last night was great baby!!

14.   I am thankful for morning where I feel like I am the best wife & mother & nothing has gone wrong.....PERFECTION!!

15.   I am thankful for this little boy letting his mommy take a TON of pictures of him ALL THE TIME!

16.   My parents are making the trip here from VA this weekend & I will get to spend my 1st Mother's Day with my mother.....couldn't ask for a better present!!

17.  For long walks with the family........

18.  For Gerber Apple-Prune Juice & the fact that it helps Brayden so much with his belly issues

19.   For Waffles & Peanut Butter......my version of the Breakfast of Champions

20.  For Blinds in our house; without which I would still be blinded by the sunshine everyday :)

What Are You Thankful For???

Song of the Day:  Hoobastank - Running Away

A Wonderful Giveaway.......

Go here to enter.......

9 Month Stats & A Little Bit Of This & That......

This beautiful handsome little boy had his 9 month birthday on Monday

& we had his 9 month check up yesterday.......

Weight - 19.6 lbs

Height - 28.25 inches

Happy - All the Time

Crawling - Almost (finds a way to get where he needs to go though)

Pulling Up - Trying to on Everything

Eats - Everything (except green beans still) & we are trying fish this weekend

Has Mastered - His Pincher Pick Up

Talking - No Actual Words YET but he is a very vocal little man

Curious - About Everything (see)

Walking - All Over the Place (with our help of course)

Teeth - both bottom are in & we think #3 is about to start

working it's way through up top

STTN - sometimes YES & sometimes NO (but each day it gets better & better)

As Brayden gets older Lance & I continue to feel more & more blessed to be his parents; he already lights a room up where ever we go.  His smile is so sweet & warm & he just loves everyone he meets.  Brayden already seems to have a heart of gold & he defiantly is a joy for Lance & I to be with every day.  

Our little boy is so loved so much!!

These are from last weekend.......

Pitching a fit w/PaPa & JuJu because.......

All he wants to do is walk!!!

 & this is Brayden with his Grandpa & MiMi

In other news I finally stepped on the scale again after a month & I only have a half a pound to go to hit my pre-pregnancy weight; it only took 9 months to get this close but these damn last 2 pounds have been a bear to lose.......Can I get a WooHoo!!!

And in even bigger other news.......my mom, dad, & sister get here on Sunday & we are all so excited to see them.  I am super excited that I will get to see my mom on Mother's Day & Brayden is SUPER DUPER excited to see them all; especially his Puddy (my dad) since he didn't get to make the trip here last time!!

Song of the Day: Sugarland - All I Want to Do

***RECALL INFORMATION***

McNeil Consumer Healthcare Announces Voluntary Recall of Certain OTC Infants' and Children's Products
Fort Washington, PA (April 30, 2010) –McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc., in consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is voluntarily recalling all lots that have not yet expired of certain over-the-counter (OTC) Children's and Infants' liquid products manufactured in the United States and distributed in the United States, Canada, Dominican Republic, Dubai (UAE), Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago, and Kuwait. (SEE RECALLED PRODUCT LIST BELOW). McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.

The company is conducting a comprehensive quality assessment across its manufacturing operations and has identified corrective actions that will be implemented before new manufacturing is initiated at the plant where the recalled products were made.

Consumers can contact the company at 1-888-222-6036 and also at www.mcneilproductrecall.com. Parents and caregivers who are not sure about alternative pediatric health treatment options should talk to their doctor or pharmacist and are reminded to never give drug products to infants and children that are not intended for those age groups as this could result in serious harm.

For additional information, including affected NDC numbers, consumers should visit our website www.mcneilproductrecall.com or call 1-888-222-6036 (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time, and Saturday-Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time). Any adverse reactions may also be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Program by fax at 1-800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. markets a broad range of well-known OTC products.

Note: Product NDC numbers can be located on the label of the bottle above the brand name

PRODUCTS NDC Number
TYLENOL® INFANTS' DROPS
CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS' DROPS 1 OZ. GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-144-01
CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS' DROPS 0.5 OZ. GRAPE FLAVOR* 50580-144-15
CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS' DROPS 1 OZ. CHERRY DYE FREE 50580-167-01
CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS' DROPS 0.5 OZ. CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-143-15
CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS' DROPS 1 OZ. CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-143-30
CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS' DROPS 0.5 OZ. GRAPE - HOSPITAL 50580-144-18
CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS' DROPS 0.25 OZ. GRAPE - SAMPLE 50580-144-40
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® SUSPENSIONS
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 2 OZ. CHERRY BLAST FLAVOR 50580-123-02
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. CHERRY BLAST FLAVOR 50580-123-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® DYE-FREE SUSPENSION 4 OZ. CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-166-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. GRAPE SPLASH 50580-296-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR 50580-407-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. VERY BERRY STRAWBERRY FLAVOR 50580-493-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 1 OZ. CHERRY BLAST FLAVOR – SAMPLE 50580-123-01
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. CHERRY BLAST FLAVOR – HOSPITAL 50580-123-03
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSIONS
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COUGH & SORE THROAT CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-247-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COUGH & RUNNY NOSE CHERRY FLAVOR 50580-249-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS DYE-FREE SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD & STUFFY NOSE GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-253-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS DYE-FREE SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD & COUGH GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-254-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS DYE-FREE SUSPENSION 4 OZ. MULTI-SYMPTOM COLD GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-255-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. FLU BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR 50580-386-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-387-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD & ALLERGY BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR 50580-390-04
CHILDREN'S TYLENOL® PLUS SUSPENSION 4 OZ. MULTI-SYMPTOM COLD GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-391-04
MOTRIN® INFANTS' DROPS
CONCENTRATED MOTRIN® INFANTS' DROPS 1 OZ. BERRY DYE FREE 50580-198-01
CONCENTRATED MOTRIN® INFANTS' DROPS 0.5 OZ. BERRY DYE FREE 50580-198-15
CONCENTRATED MOTRIN® INFANTS' DROPS 0.5 OZ. BERRY FLAVOR* 50580-100-15
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSIONS
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BERRY DYE FREE 50580-184-04
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 2 OZ. BERRY FLAVOR 50580-601-02
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BERRY FLAVOR 50580-601-04
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. TROPICAL PUNCH FLAVOR 50580-215-04
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. GRAPE FLAVOR 50580-603-04
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR 50580-604-04
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 1 OZ. GRAPE SAMPLE 50580-603-01
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 1 OZ. BUBBLEGUM SAMPLE 50580-604-01
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 1 OZ. BERRY SAMPLE 50580-601-01
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. BERRY HOSPITAL 50580-601-50
CHILDREN'S MOTRIN® SUSPENSION 4 OZ. COLD BERRY FLAVOR 50580-902-04
CHILDREN'S ZYRTEC® LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES
CHILDREN'S ZYRTEC® 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM SYRUP 50580-721-04
CHILDREN'S ZYRTEC® DYE FREE 4 OZ. GRAPE SYRUP 50580-730-04
CHILDREN'S ZYRTEC® SUGAR-FREE DYE-FREE 0.5 OZ. GRAPE 50580-730-15
CHILDREN'S ZYRTEC® SUGAR-FREE DYE-FREE 0.5 OZ. BUBBLEGUM 50580-721-15
CHILDREN'S ZYRTEC® SUGAR-FREE DYE-FREE 2 X 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM LIQUID 50580-721-08
CHILDREN'S BENADRYL® ALLERGY LIQUIDS IN BOTTLES
CHILDREN'S BENADRYL® ALLERGY 4 OZ. BUBBLEGUM FLAVORED LIQUID 50580-535-04

* CONCENTRATED TYLENOL® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. GRAPE FLAVOR is also included in JOHNSON'S ® Baby Relief Kit.

*CONCENTRATED MOTRIN® INFANTS’ DROPS 0.5 OZ. BERRY FLAVOR is also included in JOHNSON'S ® Baby Relief Kit.

How I Stay Organized.......

Yesterday I was sweetly asked by Rachel over at Happenings of the Harvey's how I stay organized & get so much accomplished in my day to day life & my answer to her was making & completing list after list after list that I create day in & day out.  But honestly I thought about it last night & most days I feel like the most unorganized person to walk the face of the earth!!

I have found that after having Brayden my "pregnancy brain"/memory loss did not go away; I actually think that my once sharp mind has become mush when it comes to remembering things.  Whether it be something that we need for the house, things that need to be done at work that aren't in my normal day to day or just in general things that I need to do I can't seem to keep up with all of it in my head!  As I look at my desk right now I have 6 post it notes on it already today; 1 for a job related thing I need to do, 1 for what I need to get at JCPenny's when I go after B's appointment this afternoon, 1 with questions for the doctor at B's appointment, 1 with future blogs I want to post, 1 with things I am thankful for (for tomorrow's Thankful on a Thursday post) & 1 with my list of to do's for today while at work......I made this one yesterday before I left just in case!  I know myself very well & know that when I forget something or drop the ball I tend to be really hard on myself & hate that feeling so I make lists & try to avoid this at all costs!

The bad thing is that not only do I make lists for myself but I make them for Lance too.........THANK GOD Lance understands my personality & perfectionist ways & loves me anyway because otherwise I think I would drive him crazy & our marriage would surely end in divorce (just kidding......maybe).  I try not to be too controlling & up his butt about things but it seems like we are always on the go or with the new house there is always so much to do & since the hours that we both work are so different & I generally don't see Lance until 8:30-9 at night & by then I am completely fried I think it is better to make him a list for the next few days & spend the time we have together talking about other stuff or doing other things!!

I have to admit when Brayden was born I was so stress because of this; MY issues with control, schedules, & organization would take over my whole day & I would get so frustrated by the end of every day because not only did I feel like I didn't get anything accomplished but I felt like in trying to get things done I missed out on time with Brayden & Lance........it was a vicious cycle that I had to break & did around the time I was heading back to work.  I had to come to terms & accept the fact that I couldn't be 100% organized & the house couldn't & wouldn't be spotless all of the time or for that fact ever again & that was HARD for this new mom to do but happily I have done it & chilled out a good bit (not completely but a little bit goes a long way right?) & now I enjoy every minute I can & have with Brayden & Lance BUT when Brayden goes down for the night or if I can't sleep & get up early in the morning the old crazy woman I used to be completely comes out & things that need to get accomplished get accomplished!

I know to some of you I may sound like a mad woman & you don't understand my need for order & organization in my life (a lot of people don't) but I am fine with that; I have always been this way & don't see it ever completely changing.  As long as Lance & Brayden understand that their wife/mother is a bit wacky & they still love me then I am good to go!!  I try everyday to be the best wife, mother, employee, friend, daughter & person & that is all I can do!!

Song Of The Day: Lee Brice - Love Like Crazy

Wordless Wednesday..........

We have his 9 month appointment this afternoon so I will post all his stats this evening!!

Post It Note Tuesday........

Random Thoughts.....