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Sunday, December 09, 2007

We are having a girl!

First of all I apologize for the delay in posting the most recent ultrasound photos and sharing with many of you that we now know we are having a girl.

On Nov. 19th we had our second round of ultrasounds and all looks well. It is amazing that now our Peanut does not fit into the full frame on the ultrasound machine. Equally incredible is being able to see her ribs, vertebrae, the bones in her hands and feet. Sometimes I am just astounded that I have a human being growing inside of me. Take a look...








She was fairly uncooperative during the ultrasound. She didn't roll over a lot so it was difficult to be 100% sure that she was a girl...You can see that she was on her side and stomach and didn't want to look at the "camera" so to speak. If you can't figure out the "gender" shot it is an odd view. What you see is the back of her thighs and her butt! I'll leave the rest of the interpretation to you.

It has been very rewarding for us to know that our Peanut is a girl. Even if we discovered it was a boy we would have been satisfied. I like that the gender now gives our little one a slight sense of identity and personality.

She has only recently started moving around a lot. It is a weird feeling and difficult to describe. I sort of imagine the movements as the globs of goo in a Lava lamp as they move towards the top of the lamp or perhaps a rolling pin rolling out dough with rocks in it. Phillip has felt her move just a few times. I feel selfish that I get to experience her movements often but as I continue along he will have more opportunities to feel her as we grow.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

18 weeks 3 days and showing

My girlfriends are all very curious to see how I'm growning and what I look like pregnant. I'm the first of my 5 best friends to be expecting a baby! So here is what I look like. It may not look like much of a change but I can assure you that my pants don't fit and I can only wear knit shirts. Button down shirts are out of the question unless I start raiding Phillip's side of the closet!

I feel really good. My sciatica has seemed to nearly disappear this week which is good because I haven't had any PT this week. I have a regular check up on Tuesday and then we have the "BIG" ultrasound and will learn the gender of our little peanut.

Peanut received his or her first gift, "Oh, Baby The Places You'll Go!" Gramma and Granpa Larson sent it along with some maternity clothes for me. We have read it to Peanut each day since we got the book and today Phillip decided we should also read Peanut a non-traditional children's text, The Declaration of Independence. I guess it's good to let Peanut know what he or she is in for now!

Sunday, October 21, 2007

15 weeks, 3 days pregnant

Just thought I'd give everyone an update. At a little over 15 weeks pregnant (that will be 4 months on Friday) I'm feeling really good. My energy level has sort of come back to "normal"--now I'm not out running 5 miles or anything but I don't feel like I have to nap each afternoon. I'm starting to put on a little weight and I'm starting to show just a bit.

The only problem I do have is pretty bad sciatica. Sciatica is basically an inflammation of the nerve and muscle in my right hip/buttock. It is very painful and annoying. Basically when I'm standing or walking it will "catch" and I have a difficult time turning around or bending over to reach something. I'm pretty sure I've had self-diagnosed issues with my sciatic nerve for years but just dealt with it. However when I told my OB this she said "Already?" because this is a symptom of pregnancy that usually doesn't spring up until the third trimester when you have a lot more weight and your hips and pelvis have expanded to carry the baby. So I have been going to physical therapy for a week and will continue to go for about 5 more weeks, longer if need be. They have taught me to do some stretches to help alleviate the pain and pressure and each visit I get local deep tissue massage and heat therapy. The massage is great but because the area is so tender it is a bit painful.

We have just about one month until we go in for the next ultrasound at which point they can hopefully determine the sex of the baby. We will certainly share this information with you all! I hope the next several weeks fly by because we are excited to find out.

Although we don't really have room for a nursery in our apartment we have decided the eventual nursery will be farm themed. I collected a lot of cow stuff working for COSI so we thought we could put some of it to use.

That's about all from here. Just anxiously awaiting all the coming changes to my body and our lives.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Baby, You ought to be in pictures

We had our first Ultrasound today. It was pretty incredible to see our baby on "the big screen." Peanut, as we refer to the baby, seemed pretty lazy at first but after a walk around the hospital Peanut became much more active. Kind of like doing summersaults or jumping on a trampoline! Enjoy the first baby pictues.




Thursday, September 13, 2007

First Baby Clothes

Phillip was looking to buy himself a fitted Braves baseball cap, when we first found out we were pregnant and he was online shopping he came across a little something for the baby-regardless of if it a boy or girl. He thought the cap paired nicely with our first gifted Appalachian State onesie!

On other notes, Appalachian State has caused us a bit of excitment these past few weekends as we listen to the football games streaming online. The first game of the season against Michigan was unbelievable! One of his former students who now goes to school there couldn't resist sending a little App pride home to Phillip!

Friday, August 24, 2007

What we did on Summer vacation

Phillip and I were fortunate to do a lot this summer. We kicked the summer off by celebrating our third wedding anniversary.

The first week of July we went up to Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Robi and Will invited us up there for about a week for some R&R before they shipped out for two years in the Peace Corps. Maine is an incredible place! So beautiful and peaceful. Dolly even enjoyed being up there. She had so much energy and enjoyed running around the front yard and exploring the rocky bay.




Robi and Will were off to South Africa in the middle of July.They had a going away party a few days before departing and Robi took this opportunity to mimic Phillip and one of his many faces.

Next we were off to South Carolina for the annual Hilton Head Vacation. What a great time we had! Gramma, Uncle Dan and Aunt Julia and their kids, Bob, Meg, Julia, and many others were able to joing us for a few days! Not only did we have a reunion of sorts but we were also able to celebrate Mom and Dad's 60th Birthdays.



After Hilton Head we drove up through Atlanta on our way back to Asheville. We took in a Braves game one evening. It happened to be the same night that Barry Bonds hit his 755th home run. Not an hour before that happend we took some pictures of Phillip infront of the stadium-appropriately located at 755 Hank Aaron Avenue! At least Hank didn't have to dope up to get his home runs!

We then went up to Boone for a few days to see some friends and get my hair cut. I cut 12 inches off for Locks of Love! What do you think of my new coif?

Before we had to head back to work we took Phillip's Mom to an Asheville Tourists game. You gotta love minor league ball for the intimate stadiums, great seats no matter where you sit, and of course the cheap beer!

All in all we have had a great summer! We got to see many family and friends and enjoy some time together to relax. Just when we thought all the fun was over until next year we discovered one more thing we did on our summer vacation....
We Made A Baby!

That's right! We're PREGNANT! Baby Brown is due in mid-April!

Next summer should prove just as busy but three times the fun.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Finally a Snow to write home about

When Phillip woke up this morning to go to work he said there was just a dusting of snow on the ground. We knew they were calling for the ever famous "Wintry Mix" (I think this means we're not sure what the heck is going to happen). When Dolly and I woke several hours later and I looked outside we were far from a dusting of snow! It is beautiful out and the neighbors have already called upstairs for the annual winter cookout! Here is some of the fun Dolly and I had playing in the snow this morning!






Thursday, February 15, 2007

Honey Bee

I've gone over the edge! How cute is our dog!

This is Dolly's look out spot. She tore the blinds up one evening when she decided we had been gone too long. But she loves to climb on Phillip's pack and look out the window to see if we are coming home.

Her new Valentines day hoodie.

Showing a little chest hair!



Is this a good pose mom?

Monday, January 29, 2007

Mr. Brown Goes to Washington









On January 23, 2007 Phillip was honored and privileged to do what few of us will ever have the opportunity to do-He was invited to sit in the gallery at the Capitol and bear witness to the first State of the Union Address to the 110th Congress.

A friend of his who"works for the government" and was able to secure Phillip a ticket. When he called me at school to tell me the news he declared "I have good news, and I have bad news. The good news is that I'm going to the State of the Union, the bad news is I only have one ticket." So I rushed home to help him get ready (read: sew buttons on his suit jacket).

Prior to heading to the Capitol he had pleasure of eating at The Capital Grille http://www.thecapitalgrille.com/About/Main.asp An experience he hopes he can treat me to before we leave the area! Phillip was the guest of Chariman Bill Young who is the Minority Chair for Appropriations. He said it was an absolutely incredible experience-being in the same place as so many political power players. Additionally, upon leaving the gallery as he and his hosts stopped in the hallway a man came up to greet Chairman Young and his wife, and in turn they introduced Phillip-that man was none other than Michael J. Fox! Even days afterwards you can still hear the excitment in his voice as he retells the story of his trip to Washington and for a history teacher I guess that's as good as it gets!