Wordless Wednesday

5 examples of why Dwayne should keep his day job and never pursue a career in photography.

Someone is 7 months old already

Our baby is another month old. This is such a fun time for William. He loves to play, he can sit up (with the occasional flop over!), he recognizes the people that are around him most and he has started saying his first word. Do I even have to say what that might be?? You guessed it...it's "Da Da". I'm only the one that is ALWAYS with him, feeding, bathing, teaching, washing clothes, cleaning messy faces, changing diapers, rocking, singing, carrying him around (he weighs 22 pounds) and all of the other mommy stuff I do. Of course he would say Da Da. It is just the thing babies do. Whenever daddy walks through the door William squeals with excitement, laughing and smiling. He opens his arms and leans towards his dad waiting to be picked up. I tried to capture some video footage of the boy saying Da Da but naturally the minute he sees the camera, he stops.

A funny thing about the boy too is that he likes to be called Willie. His sisters started that one and now we all call him that, ha! Any time he gets fussy we start counting and reciting the alphabet. He LOVES it and responds as if he can say it himself! I really think it is because we did it while he was in the womb. His sister Chardie speaks Spanish to him and he gets such a kick out of it! Hey, it's never too early to learn or to teach! Here are a couple more photos of our big boy

State Fair fun and some mishaps

Hello friends. Remember my post yesterday about getting to be a kid for a day? Well I don't think kids ever feel like this! This morning has been a very trying one. I woke up to aches and pains in my back, legs and arms. I feel like I was lifting heavy weights without stretching first combined with a hangover! I could barely wake up. I managed to get the coffee made. I grabbed my favorite mug, added my sugar and then poured the steaming hot coffee in. I then proceeded to add the creamer. As I began to gently pour, I realize I was adding baby formula, not coffee creamer. UGH! This meant repeating the steps again and wasting a perfectly good cup of Joe. I am still not awake~! Well, we had a blast at the South Carolina State Fair. All of the usual stuff you see every year but there is nothing like eating certain foods unless you are physically at the Fair. One thing that was very noticeable this year was it was not nearly as crowded as in the past. You could walk up to any ride and sometimes be the only one riding. The food lines were very short and the game vendors begged for your business. Some even offered a free game just to have something to do! These were all true signs that our economy is really bad right now for everyone.

It was a very hot day (near 90 degrees) but at least William behaved very well. I really thought he would have been disgusted after the first two hours but he really seemed to have enjoyed the sights and sounds. Look at this happy boy! I tried to upload a slide show but could not get the html thingy right so here is a link to it instead. There are captions for each photo. I hope you enjoy our photos!

Winner of BLYA Contest

Congratulations to the winner of the Business Leaders Youth Alliance traffic contest. Chryss S. She made the only comment for the contest, but her comment really captures what Dwayne is trying to do.

Ismail, I am glad that you have come up with something for our youth. Being a single mother, I am always seeking different avenues for my children to explore to aide them in being productive citizens/youth in our community. I am just so glad that this program will not only reach the youth, jobs skills, but also teach them how to utilize what they have learned in everyday life. Ismail, you the man!!!! Thank you again for a program that will open may opportunities for our youth!!!!

Dwayne - NEEDS HELP

Hey , I let my mouth write a check and now I need to cash it . Check out the story here. Now it is time to put up or shut up and you know your boy is up to the challenge. A new son and a new direction. I have a new blog that will include video and all. However, nothing good is done alone. Hit me up and let's change the world.

Peace.....

New phone plastic

Please tell me why my hubby wants to keep the protective plastic that comes on a new cellphone?! He is one of those people that likes to keep all the stickers and labels on all things new. Does he not realize that the plastic covers are a part of the packaging and serve no other function than just that? As a matter of fact, it covers both the part you speak into, hear out of and also the camera. Does this make any sense? If he got the stupid orange water cooler he would probably leave the "look inside for FREE cup dispenser" label on the already tacky looking cooler. I am to the point that I might just let him have the big orange atrocity. You see folks, this is why I opted not to name my baby boy after his father...I would lose my mind! That's my tacky husband!

Happy 35th Birthday Papo!!

On Thursday June 26th, Dwayne celebrated his 35th birthday. We stayed in and had a nice dinner and drinks. We got a small cake since his office is throwing a luncheon for him today. We don't want to be caked out. Here are a few photos...

Wait a minute...did you think this was supposed to be all about daddy?

Papo and William make a wish.

I thought about baking a homemade milk chocolate cake with yummy cream cheese icing topped off with a few chocolate curls. As you can see I went the smart way~!

Papo and his babies. Of course I would be the one across from them taking the photo.

Don'tcha hate it when.... Wednesday

Hey everyone, you know what day it is so let's get started...

Fellas, members of the BBCDO -Don'tcha hate it when you ask your wife for 10 more minutes of sleep in the morning and she comes back in 8?

Don'tcha hate it when your wife tells you not to do something because it will turn out bad, you do it anyway, and it turns out bad?

Dont'cha hate it when your wife acts like the best wife in the world and then you remember it's payday? ( man that's foul)

My personal one- I hate it when I go to the store to buy something and everybody says "you're that guy with the pretty wife and pretty kids. (HELLO?? I HAVE A NAME!!!!)

Fellas get at me with your Hate it when Wednesday in the comments area, and LADIES, if you think you're brave enough to hang with the big boys, meet us in the comment area and hit us up.

Peace- Ismail the Great

Happy Easter Everyone.

Please take time to enjoy the wonderful blessings in your life. God has blessed our family in tremendous ways. Our daughters are growing into wonderful young ladies, my mother and father are getting along so well. ( I now know what it is like to have your parents do and say mushy stuff in front of you - Ugh) Ha ha ha. Now I can relate to how my kids feel when Shelly and I do mushy stuff. Shelly's parents are doing well and her sisters are also. Shelly is just like her mother strong and constantly moving. William (The Young PRINCE) is taking over the house. ( His stuff is everywhere) I will have to remind him that I am Chairman of the Board of Directors for the BBCDO.

I just want to wish everyone a peaceful and blessed day with your family. Take time to remember that Life is about the small moments. The laughs you share with your loved ones. The tears that you release when you're overcome with Joy. The ball you throw or kick, the tea party, book you read, and the conversations you have.

Give love, Give intimacy, and give of yourself.

Love you all, Dwayne aka Ismail the Great

PRESENTING- William Anthony Ismail

5:21 AM...

Hello everyone,

It is now 5:21 AM and we are getting ready for the hospital. I had to come to the computer to watch Williams' pre-arrival video. I won't lie to you - it did get me feeling a little emotional. I am still hard core though, BBCDO will have a new member soon. I will keep everyone posted through out the day. Keep those prayers coming.

Dwayne Aka Ismail the Great.

THANKS EVERYONE....

The baby or shall I say young "Prince". Yeah I like that ! The young Prince William Anthony Ismail is almost here. Tomorrow, we all get to experience the wonderful beginning of a successful new life.

To all of our friends and family who have stood by us through this wonderful time in our lives, I want to say THANK YOU, and God Bless you all.

Sheliza and I are still growing together after all this time. The heavens above must have realized that it is time for another Shelly and Dwayne Production. I think we will get an OSCAR for this performance. My first child Chardonnay, made me a father, and my second child Briahnna made me a man. When Briahnna was born Shelly and I were officially on our own. We had no family around and no friends. We were living in Tampa Florida. My only mode of transportation was a mountain bike that I rode between my 4 jobs. Let's just say, I was slim and fine back then. HA HA HA.

We fought our way to build something out of nothing, and with determination, love, trust, and understanding, we are here, we are happy, and we are thankful. This blog has opened more doors to precious relationships than we could have ever imagined.

Thanks for being a part of our family's new beginning, and thanks for being you.

Dwayne Aka Ismail the Great

Brief Show _ William's Pre-Arrival Music- ENJOY

Daddy's the man!

We just celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary!! Instead of purchasing gifts for each other, we decided to get baby stuff instead. Here is Daddy working diligently to put together the changing table (which I bought on clearance at 50% off!!!!). He looks like a BIG ole kid!

Of course he has to do his Super Dad pose to show off his hard work. Boy, you sure can hurt yourself with the tools they provide inside the box for you!

We found a baby name

I wanted to let you all know that we have finally settled on a name for our baby boy. Our first choice was Dwayne Anthony Ismail II. After careful consideration of the following things, we (I) said no...

1. If I have to call the name Dwayne for two members in my household, I will lose it!
2. Dwayne (daddy) gets in the most trouble in the house so I do not want to yell at Dwayne and the poor baby thinks he is the one in trouble.
3. 2 Dwaynes???? Oh no way! I will have to be committed somewhere or heavily medicated!

We played around with names and I kept picking very standard and simple names that would hold up well in the corporate world. Daddy on the other hand picked interesting names like "Shabazz", "Jehovah", "Josiah" and a variety of others that could potentially cause the boy to have trouble boarding a plane! The girls and I came up with William Anthony Ismail. There is no way you can mess that up. Dwayne was against it for a while but the name has grown on him and he refers to our baby now as William or Will. So we have decided to go with that.

Things I miss most

Here is my list of things I miss most while being pregnant....

1. Starbucks. I know the difference between decaf and regular so there is no tricking me.
2. Aleve and Advil. Tylenol is like candy to me.
3. Allegra D, I sure could use one right now!
4. Beer and Margaritas...especially on date night at a sports bar.
5. Complaining about my "fat" belly.
6. Wearing normal clothing.
7. Climbing stairs with ease.
8. Playing (badly) volleyball, badminton, or basketball with the girls outside.
9. Cutting grass. One of my twisted obsessions, I LOVE it!
10. Lifting things without my family screaming at me for being hard headed.

Other than those things, I really am enjoying my pregnancy. I am enjoying the attention and care I get from even strangers in the stores. My husband has been showing a 'sensitive side' that he will deny in a minute! I feel pretty this time around. My family is spoiling me. I get many more foot and shoulder massages. I get to sit and watch nonsense on TV with my legs propped up while eating whatever I want at that time. I love getting phone calls from all my friends and family just to check on me (it means a lot).

I think I can handle pregnancy for a few more months! ;)

New FO Business - Cash for Lawsuits Now

Hello everyone,

Just wanted everyone to know that I have developed a new division of Financial Options, LLC. This new division is called FO Funding. Check out the website http://www.fofunding.com/
Our team will provide advance cash for lawsuits and legal claims. If you are involved in an lawsuit and you need cash now. Call me! Dwayne -803-223-9385

If you're an attorney and you need cash to cover mediation, depositions, or some other case related cost. Call me! Dwayne - 803-223-9385

FO Funding providing legal finance nationwide.

Explanation of crazy husband

I just wanted to take a moment to tell everyone what was going on in the videos for my last 2 posts. You all know by now that my husband apparently lacks home training. Well, the actual ultrasound clip was obvious. Dwayne could not figure out the boy part thing. Now of all men, you would think he would have recognized that right away.*shaking head* If you could have heard all the thing he was saying to my doctor, you would have been either laughing or choking him. In video 2, he was so happy he started to skip, yes skip down the hall and do a fake cartwheel. There was this older lady going to the elevator and she was scared half to death cause she thought Dwayne was about to take a dive. That poor woman! I had to stop the camera so I could punish him for acting up. And I am having a boy????!!!..... Lord help me!

The results are in! (Part 2)

Check this out...

The results are in! (Part 1)

Today was the big day... the level 2 ultrasound. The one ultrasound that can possibly determine the gender of your baby. We all had minimal sleep last night because of the anxiety, but we were all there together and finally it was about to happen! Dwayne just had to snap a photo of me laying on the bed (stop making fun of my stretch marks!).

I know you're all wanting to know...is it a girl or a boy? Watch the video to find out! Be sure to turn the speakers up!



After the numerous phone calls, emails and text messages, I was totally exhausted. My first son Milo climbed on top of me and we took a well deserved nap.

Pregnancy update

Well, so far so good. I have gained a whopping 3 1/2 lbs in 15 weeks! The doctor said I can have my "big ultrasound" on November 5th to determine the sex of the baby. This will be the longest 4 weeks I will ever have to wait! I wish I were like those nice parents that like to be surprised but dammit I'm not... I have to know!!!!!! I still have no feelings deep down inside that give me any inkling of if it is a boy or girl. Now if you leave it up to ALL my friends, family, and even the people that work at Walmart, they all say it is a boy. Well, we shall see. I will let you all know as soon as we find out. I am going to take the girls out of school early that day and the hubby will meet us. We are all so anxious!!!