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Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Introducing Sophia Aurora Mallory Brown

Please welcome the much anticipated Sophia Aurora Mallory Brown! She was born Sunday, April 20, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. Weighing in at 7lbs 10oz and 21 1/2 inches long. She certainly takes after her daddy with her long torso and big feet and long toes. (Aunt Meg and Aunt Julia, she'll be picking up diet coke cans with her footsies in no time!)

Here are just a few photos to whet your appetite. I'll post her birth story (the G rated version) and some other photos when I have a moment. Right now I'm just trying to stay on top of things with soooo little sleep!

Thanks for everyones calls and text messages. I hope to talk to you all soon. We love you! Kelly, Phillip, and Sophie.

Birthday


Wow!


Day 1


Day 2


Day 2: Coming Home

Friday, April 18, 2008

Sophia still hasn't arrived! 41 weeks and counting

We are all still patiently waiting for Sophia's arrival! Yesterday marked 41 weeks of pregnancy and today I am officially one week past my due date. I have an appointment this afternoon to make sure she is still doing okay in there. They will check her heart rate, fluid levels and growth.

Mom and I have cleaned the house, done the laundry, cleaned the windows and ceiling fans, vacuumed, hung photos, organized, planned menus, and played a lot of Yahtzee! I believe we have done everything we can in preparation for Sophia's arrival. I've even put some items in her diaper bag just to be on the safe side. We're not sure what she is waiting for.

We are off to run some errands today and will certainly do a lot of walking! Perhaps we'll have wings or Mexican for lunch so I have a little spice.

Here is what a woman 41 weeks pregnant looks like and how a Gramma in waiting spends her time! Stay tuned. Hopefully my next post will include photos of our bundle of joy.



Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Still pregnant...

Just a quick update that, no, Sophia has not yet arrived.

I had a doctor's appointment this afternoon and I have made a bit more progress but so far I can't tell when actual labor will start! They did a NST or non-stress test to make sure she is still okay in there. She has a strong heart rate and was appropriately responding with movement.

I will have a special sonogram on Friday if she hasn't arrived yet. They will test for her amniotic fluid level, her heart rate, and growth. If she still hasn't arrived by Monday, I'll go back to the doctor for another NST. And then if stillllll nothing I will start the induction on Wednesday evening. Let's hope she decides to come sooner rather than later!

I'll take some pictures of the now finished nursery and my ever expanding baby belly and post again tomorrow...or not... because hopefully I'll be at the hospital!!!

April 15th, tax day, 105th day of the year, Sophia's birthday??

I'm offically 4 days past my due date...trying to stay positive and not necessarily say that I'm 4 days late. I must keep remembering that babies are born on their birthday, not on their due date.

Today in history: in 1802 William Wordsworth (one of my favorite poets) and his sister saw a "long belt" of daffodils which inspired him to write I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud

I WANDERED lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.


In 1947 Jackie Robinson debuts for the Brooklyn Dodgers breaking baseball's color barrier

In 1452 Leonardo da Vinci was born

Will today be Sophia Aurora Mallory Brown's birthday too?

Yesterday I did start feeling some pressure and discomfort. I've never wanted to feel so uncomfortable before in my life! So maybe something is starting but I felt good enough this morning to come to work. We'll see how the day goes. I have a doctors appointment at 3:15 pm and the Comcast people are going to come between 3-6 to install the internet, so maybe since I have "plans" she will decide to come.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Due Date

I'm due today. And I'm at work....

I'm hoping to have an Aires baby...the cut off is April 19. Let's go here Sophia!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

40 Weeks...Still working!

We still don't have internet at the house so here is a very quick update being sent from work!

I am 40 weeks today and tomorow is my due date! I have worked all week, getting some last minute items for Reunions finished up.

I had a doctors appointment on Tuesday and have made some more "progress" but the doctor believes I will be late (really?) My favorite doctor in the practice is on hospital duty on Tuesday, April 15 so that's the day I'm hoping Sophia will grace us with her presence. If she has not yet decided to leave the warmth of my womb I have an appointment Tuesday afternoon and another on Friday, April 18. On Friday I will undergo a Non Stress Test to make sure everything is okay in there and at that time they will schedule a sonogram to check on her. And then we'll wait some more. If she still hasn't come out I will be induced (such a yucky word to me) on April 24th. So say some prayers, do a chant or an African Tribal dance that our little girl decides to be born soon!

Below are pictures from weeks 39 and 40 (taken just this morning.)




Wednesday, March 26, 2008

37 weeks, 6 days

I am full term now and anxiously awaiting Sophia's arrival. She is still moving a lot and I hope making her descent! I'm overwhelmed trying to get projects at work in order. We are about a month away from the annual reunion at Madeira and it is always a lot of preparation. It is difficult knowing that our staff will be down by two because one of my co-workers is also expecting a baby any day now. I'm just trying to get as much done as possible so that my coworkers feel like things are in control for the weekend and it will run a smoothly as possible!

We officially moved into the house over the weekend. Slowly the boxes are being unpacked and we are finding space for our "stuff." I better get a move on the guest bedroom for when Mom and Dad arrive as well as other guests in the near future! The only problem with the house is that we think the hardwood floors are causing some distress on Dolly's back. She can't get enough traction when walking or even when standing at her bowl to eat and we think it may be causing her some back issues again. She woke us up at 1am this morning yelping in pain. Phillip is going to take her to the vet today. I'll keep you posted.

We had some "Belly shots" taken by a friend of mine. I haven't picked my favorite yet but here is a little sample.



Saturday, March 15, 2008

36 weeks

Only about 4 weeks to go-give or take. That decision is up to Sophia! I can tell you that I have weekly appointments from here on out and at my appointment last week I have already started to make progress. Phillip is concerned that Sophia will make her debut before we are fully moved into the house. I had a daydream that she was going to arrive on Easter Sunday! Only time will tell. Remember that babies are born on their Birthday, not their Due Date!

My only ailment is my swollen feet. They really bug me. I have cankles. My blood pressure is fine, no headaches, just fluid in my feet and ankles. Ugh. To demonstrate what my ankles look like normally-bony, well defined, skinny-I found a picture from when I ran the marathon in 2006. This picture was taken AFTER I ran 26.2 miles!

And my ugly, swollen, fluid filled feet at 36 weeks preggers...



Other than that I really can't complain. This has been a great week. I had a surprise shower thrown by my "Virginia" Friends, complete with hay bales in the hostess' living room! Phillip's students threw us a baby shower at school yesterday. And some super soft, luxuriant, and eye pleasing linens arrived from Tuppens (my sister-in-law) earlier this week. We are brimming with anticipation.

This weekend we will continue to move and unpack stuff at the new house. We will attend a breastfeeding class and our final "baby" class. We are definitely in the home stretch and awaiting Sophia's arrival.

Here is what I look like at 36 weeks. Convenient that I have on the same outfit as the 35 week pictures ;) Clothing options are slim pickin's these days!



Friday, March 07, 2008

35 weeks




I am at 35 weeks as of yesterday. So far so good. The only ailment I have to "complain" about are my recently adopted "cankles." For those of you who don't know what those are they are calves that run into your ankles. In other words I'm retaining fluids and my ankles are swollen as if I have broken them. Not a pretty sight. Dr. told me to cut back on my salt intake and drink LOTS of fluids. Drinking lots of fluids is fun for a pregnant woman who currently has the bladder the size of a pea! I start seeing the doctor every week from here on out. My weight gain is good, I only gained 1/2 lb. this week ;)

Phillip and I have been attending a childbirth class that covers a lot of information about pregnancy, labor and delivery. It has been helpful. We are learning Lamaze breathing but we always seem to get distracted because practicing in class is kind of hokey and then we end up laughing hysterically. The instructor thinks I'm kidding when I say I am going to deliver this baby by laughter! She'll be sorry when I publish my first book on the subject!

We are about 2/3rds moved into the new house. We need to head over there this weekend to start unpacking stuff. It's not fun to be in between places but it's the best we can do considering we both work full time and I can really only pack boxes...not move them down the three flights of stairs!

In my "spare" time I have been making some baby things! I have made some reuseable wipes, washcloths and burp cloths! Not the handiest work in the sewing world but not to shabby for a beginner. Besides, the baby won't know the difference.

The washcloths are flannel on one side and terry cloth on the other. The wipes are 2 layers of flannel.




The only other interesting thing going on is Phillip's new found interest in what it must feel like to be pregnant. He thought he'd test out this query by using Dolly as his "baby."

Monday, February 25, 2008

Down on the Farm

Just a quick update because it is passed my bedtime.

Meg went and painted the nursery for us today and I am quite pleased! We decided to paint two shades of green to coordinate with the farm theme bedding and sort of mimic rolling hills on the walls of the nursery. I'm going to add a picket fence stencil at the joint of the two colors. Here is a quick look. The last photo gives you a bit of perspective looking into the room from the doorway. You can just barely see the closet door on the left and the window on the right. More updates as we add to the room!




Saturday, February 23, 2008

More House Pictures

We went over to the house last week to check out the house, decide which rooms are going to be which, take some measurments and make a plan of some sorts. I felt a surge of panic last night when I realized that we have between 5-7 weeks (or so) before Sophia makes her appearance and not only do we not have anything boxed up and ready to move but we also have a lot of baby preparation to do like washing all her new clothes! Yikes. The exciting news is that Meg is coming for a visit to help us prepare! This is a very busy time for Phillip-doing set design for the school play, planning a discovery day trip, as well as his regular teaching duties. I am wrapped up in Reunion planning for Madeira as well as trying to get things into an orderly fashion at work before being out on maternity leave. So Meg's visit (and willingness to help pack things up) is very welcome!

So here are a lot more photos of the house.
Frontroom

Kitchen

Kitchen and Dining area

Deck

Yard

Hallway (Nursery is first room on left, then guestroom, Master on right)

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

Guestroom

Living Room


I'll post Nursery pictures once it is painted and we have everything moved in.

On a different note, I have finally figured out how to use the sewing machine I received from Phillip's aunt. My first project was sewing Civil War ration bags for Phillip's Civil War display and Gettysburg battle.


My next project are burp clothes and flannel wipes.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Odds N Ends

So as promised, here is the picture of my smushed finger. It is healing slowly. Still black and blue on the flesh side and the nail will be black and blue for a long time. Just hoping the nail doesn't fall off.

My growing belly at 30 weeks. I have only gained 7 lbs since becoming pregnant. I'll keep you posted of the progress in the coming weeks. I feel like her head is on my right side and there isn't much room in there for her to get comfortable, therefore making my uncomfortable. But that's the way it goes.


Nesting: I think I'm in that phase. I've started making things in the Crockpot and freezing for later! It is like a game of Tetris when pulling out ice or ice cream with all the food in here. But it sure does make deciding on dinner a lot easier!

Last but not least the beautiful cake one of my mother-in-laws close friends made for the baby shower last weekend.