January goodtimes.

Hey yall hope that 2009 has had a blessed year so far, The boys and I have been having a lot of fun, Ashley took Brayden to the monster trucks last Saturday and they both had a really great time me and Bryant stayed home, I just didn't think the fumes would be good to have a infant around. Brayden came home and told me the trucks went meow meow, needless to say I am not sure that is exactly the right way they are suppose to go, but hey what do I know I wasn't there. Later that night while Ashley was working Brayden ask mommy do you love me,and I said of course why would you ask something like that??He said cause daddy loves me he took me to the monster trucks so are you gonna take me to the circus if you love me. Bryant has been full of smiles he giggles all the time. On Tuesday I ask Brayden if he was going to go with me on Thursday to take Bryant to the doctor and he said okay but you gonna take me to chuck-e cheese, and i told him no, that we had to take brother to get a checkup and that they would probably have to give him shots and he said no I not let them give brother shots he said i gonna punch Dr bill right in the nose between his eyeballs. I explained to him that he couldn't do that and he proceeded to tell me that he would just kick him in the knee...needless to say we decided that him staying with Maw Maw was the best thing, he always has so much fun at her house. I took a couple of pictures of Bryant's doctor visit.

****Bryant Dressed and ready to go see Dr Bill *****

****Bryant at Dr Bill's office just after he got weighed, now to wait on the Dr to see him *****

So Bryant's doctor visit went well he weighed 16 pounds 6 ounces and was 25 3/8 inches long with a head size of 17 1/8 inches, I am so amazed at how fast he has grown since he was born, I never imagined he would have gotten so big so fast, he is wearing 6-9 months in his all of his clothes. I told the doctor that he showed an interest in food , every time I will be eating he will reach to get it, well Dr Bill said that normally he rather keep them on Breast milk only until they are six months but since he has an interest now that I could go ahead and start cereal, but Brayden was happy just eating milk he was kinda reluctant to eat cereal at 6 months even. Yesterday afternoon was Bryant's first taste of Oatmeal and he was the funniest thing he didn't act to happy with it at first he made a face like he ate a bag of lemons then he started to giggle, and I couldn't get him fed fast enough, he was reaching for the bowl wanting me to shovel it in. Of course I took a few picture of him enjoying his first oatmeal.

****This is a picture before I made a mess of him, I am not the best at clean feedings;}*****

****Bryant after his first spoon full not real sure if he likes this messy stuff****

****Yummy I want more its all on me not in my belly****

Brayden has become a little comedian he decided that he wanted to be big like daddy and go hunting so his first item of hunting clothes was the boots We took a picture of him wearing them he was too funny, he absolutely loves the camera if we get it out we have to take a picture of him.

****Camo Boots,spider man underwear,and a long sleeve shirt since he got potty trained he rarely wants to wear pants he rather wear a long sleeve shirt and his boxers,all Boy****

In November I turned 30 which really isn't a big deal to me, but my hope was to have been in a marathon by the time I was 30 which hasn't happen yet, but Ashley being the thoughtful person he is bought me a new pair of shoes, for my 30th birthday and I was so stoked about getting them on and starting my new journey to be in a marathon, well the shoes were so uncomfortable for me, my feet were so sore after just walking in them I was so disappointed, because these shoes were awesome they were Merrells and Ashley has worn several pairs of Merrells out and they seem to be the best shoe, even in Runners world they are ranked the best running shoe,but they just didn't work for me:{. Well I put the shoes back in the box, because the company he bought them from has a 100% satisfaction guarantee http://www.planetshoes.com/ I put them on the table for a few weeks, and then finally took them time to send them back, the company didn't ask any questions they just took them back and gave me a credit. I finally found me another shoe to replace them, I think I was just using my shoes as an excuse to be lazy....well I ordered me a pair of New Balance,and they are wonderful I love the looks of them, and they are light, and very comfortable. So no more empty excuses, I am going to get myself back into a normal regimen.

I will keep you all posted on my progress well I will try to keep you all updated on my progress as of last Wednesday I went back on the diabetic diet and I feel so much better in fact I have lost 5 pounds which I desperately needed. I hate to admit this but since November I have gained an astounding 15 pounds....when I stepped on the scale that was the point I said NO MORE EXCUSES!!! Having a new baby has given every excuse not to take care of myself, and that is just not acceptable, so I will let you guys know how things go, but I am just setting realistic goals for now, hopefully by next week I will have shed another 5 pounds, I know that may seem like a lot but in the grand scheme of things it really isn't nothing. I need to lose a total of 40 pounds but that is long term I am setting short term goals. I will keep you all posted, hope yall are all doing well.

On Sunday Jan.4 after Ashley got off work we headed to the Tombigbee river in Boligee which is one of our favorite places to be any time of year it is so relaxing down there. This time of year we go down there to hunt the dike walls, but due to the rain Ashley decided not to put the boat in. Instead of Ashley going hunting he decided to stay home with the boys and let me go hunting on one of our friends property. I was reluctant to go but he insisted that I needed to go since I had not been this season. Well I went hopeful to see the big deer, well I climbed the tree stand and just sit there thinking about my life. Hunting is a time were you can sit in complete silence with out any interuption and just think about everything going on. As I sat in the stand thinking how wonderful my husband is,he made the suggestion for me to go, let him keep the boys. Brayden was more than happy to spend time just him and his daddy, that don't happen very often so he loves that time. Unfortunantly Bryant was still struggling with a stomach bug so he was grumpy the whole time I was gone, but not one time did Ashley complain, I thank God for the small blessing's. Needless to say I didn't kill anything, but those three hours in the woods alone were just what I needed. It is just so hard to explain the feelings I felt.

Brayden also loves going down to the river because he gets to ride his tractor, and he can come and go down there because there is no traffic, we are the only ones in the camp. January 05 me and Ashley were inside, Ashley was preparing lunch and I was taking care of Bryant well I looked out at Brayden and he had his tractor stuck on a pine tree stump.....Of course I had to get the camera before we could get him unstuck. Brayden has also developed a desire to shoot guns with his daddy, I hope that his addiction isn't as bad as his daddy's I took a couple pictures of him and Ashley shooting it was really a sweet moment. Brayden keeps begging his daddy to take him hunting, but I don't think he is quite ready yet.

Bryant spent most of the time being held while we were down there, but when we would lay him down he would scoot on his back its so funny to watch him scoot around while the whole time making baby babble...It want be long before he is pulling his self up, and him and brother are both running from me.

Signet 2

In September 2007 a month after I had gotten off the Diflucan. Ashley and I started trying to have another baby. After 4 months of trying I thought oh no here we go again, and toward the end of December something in my heart told me that I was pregnant and I decided to wait until January to take a test and I was right...I was pregnant with another baby who was due September 13 the day before Brayden's birthday. This pregnancy was alot differant than the first. I was carring all my weight in my belly this time and with Brayden I gained all over.I even failed my glucose test and started the diabetic diet and went back and failed the first hour and past the next two hours so I just stayed on the diet until after I had Bryant. I honestly can say I felt better than I have ever felt while I was on the diet.

***This is a picture of Ashley,Brayden,and Me at the zoo the day before I had Bryant**

On August 26 I went into Dr. Stones office and he wanted to go ahead and induce me because he thought Bryant was going to be another big boy. I told him I wanted to wait until September so that him and Brayden would be 3 years apart in school so On September 2 I went in and Dr Stone checked me and told me to come in the next morning to be induced. On September 3 I woke up got a shower got dressed and we headed to the doctor ready to welcome our new baby boy into the world.

Well I got to the hospital and got changed into my hospital issued gown, and the nurse got some blood work,started my IV and did some paper work, and the whole time we talked about how I would never have a child naturally that it just don't make since when there are such good medicines out there. Well my water was broke around 6:00 am and about 7:15 or so the nurse came back into my room to tell me that my **My wonderful nurse who was pregnant and due March of 09**platelet count was too low...What that meant was I would not be getting my wonderful epidural this time around that I would get some local meds but that would be it. I honestly was scared that this was going to be long day..many thoughts raced through my mind. Well after about 6 hours of being in labor and about 30 minutes of actually pushing Bryant was born about 12:15. In all honesty yes I did feel him coming but I think that made him get here alot faster because I could tell exactly what I was doing they told me to push and I did. I had a wonderful lady that made me get on my kness and that really made me feel alot better. Bryant was born weighing 7lbs 8oz and 20 3/4 inches long. He was such a beautiful baby,but had to stay under the heater alot longer than I wanted.

**Bryant's first pictures**

Dr Timothy Stone.....He was the same doctor that delivered Brayden.

Me&Bryant&Brayden notice the matching shirts...

Daddy &Bryant....Daddy is so proud of his boys.

On September 05 2008 we were released from the hospital to come home it was such a beautiful day.We made a quick stop at Walmart to get Bryants pictures made then we headed to the house to get a nap, cause you never get any sleep at hospitals. Bryant came home weighing only 7lb 2 oz and he wanted to sleep more than he wanted to eat so whenever we went back to the doctor he was up to 7lb 4 oz but still not enough weight so I had to start him on a feeding schedule and wake him every two hours to eat, needless to say it was a bit tiresome but it was well worth it. When we went back to the doctor
09/22/2008
Weight: 7 lbs. 10 oz.Height: 20 5/8 in. so we dr bill told me that I could go back to letting him sleep for hours at night or until he woke up but needless to say he was on a schedule that I could not break so regardless every two hours he woke up to eat. Then we had to come back on 10/01 for a regular checkup and he weighed
Weight: 8 lbs. 5 oz.Height: 21 1/2 in

Sickness

In June 2006 I became sick and went to a local doctor with a complaint of a dry cough. I told him I was taking Histussin HC and it wasn't helping so he diagnosed me with Microplasm without any testing he sent me home with a prescription for Zpack, Tessalon Pearls. I honestly felt like he thought I was a drug seeker. I started the medicine and didn't get any better and I woke up early one morning with fever and back pain. I went to the UAB er and they quickly did a chest x-ray and it was not long after that I was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. I was quickly given to the infectious disease doctor and diagnosed with Cryptoccocal Pneumonia(a yeast infection in my lungs, usually found in Alabama soil, can be carried by pigeon) so the residents immediatly assumed that I had AIDS because normally it isn't caught by someone with a normal immune system. Well nevermind all that I stayed in the hospital for what seemed like forever, because Brayden was only 8 months going on 9 and that was my first time to have to leave him. Well that year I spent 4th of July in the hospital not were I wanted to be. The residents had done a spinal tap on me earlier that day to make sure that the Crypto had not gotten into my brain, well after the fireworks I had a horrible headache that made me feel like I needed to throw up, well the neurologist came in and said the test was normal, gave me meds for the headache. I was released from the hospital with a PICC line in aand home health care (what a joke) well about three weeks went by and I basicly stayed heavily sedated well I got a fever and begin throwing up quickly to be rushed to the hospital only to be told my PICC line was infected. I got sent home to take even more medication...imagine that!The next day the ID doctor called and told me to start on diflucan everyday and to return to his office in a week for a recheck. For over a year I was on the Diflucan everyday, and had to go into the doctor once a month to get my liver checked and do a chest xray well as of August 2007 I was released from the doctor. I will always have residual in my lungs, but hopefully I will never be sick with this disease again. I am so thankful that Ashley didn't leave my bedside throughout the whole ordeal, and Betty stepping in there taking care of Brayden when he needed her the most, and the Cato's for taking the time everyday to call and check on us and come to the hospital to celebrate the 4th with us. I realized how blessed I am through my sickness, Chrs,Grace,Aleasha,Haven,Krissy,Sandra Vinson, Donnie Smith, WJ baptist church, Zelda Frazier, there are so many more that I really would like to recognize but that would take a really long time.

Signet 1

In 2004 Ashley & I decided we wanted to have children, and after months of trying we were told we would not be able to have a baby without taking infertility medications. I was devastated about that news we went and bought the medications,and waited for my cycle well it didn't happen so we went back to the doctor. In his office the nurse forgot to do a pregnancy test so I had to get another sample, and only seconds later she came back to inform me that I was not pregnant, and needed to begin medicine to start my cycle,and so off to the pharmacy to get more medicine. After 3 weeks without a cycle and the medicine not helping I took another test,and come to find out I was pregnant the whole time. Talk about God's time, here I was desperate to have a child, and he had a plan all along. We changed doctor's to Timothy Stone at St Vincents. We had a due date of September 21,2005. The pregnancy was wonderful no health problems but toward the end of the pregnancy I started having issues with my sugar dropping, and on September 13,2005 I went to see him and he offered to induce me the next day so I aggreed and decided to take the rest of the day off so I could go home and wash all my clothes up. That night Ashley & I couldn't hardly sleep I think we went to bed about 10:00 and about 3:00 am we were up bright eyed and ready to go. Ashley got up and fixed him and his mom breakfast, and then we headed to the hospital with a quick stop by Walmart go figure.....Well at 6:00 am I was induced water broke and contractions began and about 10:00 am I was given my epidural and that was so funny I just laughed at everything after that. Well time drug on and about 12:00 Brayden started having troubles his heart rate had slowed down so they decided to roll me over on my side to keep him content. Well about 6:30pm doctor Stone came and had a serious talk with us about having to do a cesearn section cause things were not moving as fast as he would have liked them to and Brayden had already had two close calls, that they thought he wasn't going to make it. Well by 8:30 pm I started pushing and then by 9:03pm we had a beautiful 9 lb 1oz baby boy.

On September 16,2005 we were released from the hospital. This is one of our first family pictures this is right before we loaded up into the four runner.

We stopped off at Walmart for some quick picture with Brayden and then off to the house.This gown was made by one of the ladies that I worked with at Henderson & Walton Women Center. I absolutly loved it but Ashley wasn't so sure of it.

The Begining

On June 28 1999 I was headed into Birmingham traveling on 65 and Ashley got on at Finely Blvd...after a game of cat & mouse he got off the interstate on hwy31 so I waved goodbye to this guy who I just assumed I would never see again and proceded on to the Galleria exit. It was a hot day so I decided to park in the deck, and there he was...I was so embarresed instantly he called me a stalker, we spoke and both went our seperate ways. I went into Jcpenny thought a second and then went back to my car and wrote him a letter.

He called me the following night. In August of 2001 we went to the Galleria to get my watched fixed and while we were there he convinced me to look at rings and I found one super small beautiful and cheap, but he got the lady to show me a big one and I told him how ugly it was and it was gaudy. He said he had forgot my watch in his truck,and we had to go back to get it. He stopped to tie his shoe and I reached in and found a box to turn around and him be down on one knee with the note. October 6 2001 we were married. We bought a house in WJ.