This is your story, Morgan Lily

So although I am sure I will never forget a single detail of May 12 and May 13, I thought I should document the birth story of our daughter. At the time it was the most scary, painful yet incredible and exciting time ever. Looking back at it, it was nothing short of amazing. I would relive every single second again. Even though our moms can quote me saying "enjoy this grandchild, you are not getting another one" at the height of my contractions, after Morgan arrived I instantly forgot every single pain and it became the best thing I have ever done. Labor and delivery is one of the most miraculous journeys ever and words can not describe how incredible and really just how "cool" it all was. So here is your story Morgan.

Thursday, May 12th I had an OB appointment (remember I was going twice a week). The plan was if I was dilated 3 cm I was going to be induced that day. If I was not dilated at 3 cm then we would set a date for the following week. So the morning of the 12th I was sure I was not dilated so I did not have it in my mind what so ever that we would be having a baby. Chris was excited because he was hoping it would be that day but I just kept telling him not to get his hopes up, we were coming home after my appointment. In fact, Chris told me to throw my bag into the car just in case and I distinctly remember laughing and telling him it was a waste of time. Boy was I wrong! I had been up since 4 am that morning due to my PUPPPS rash and was just simply miserable. I was not sleeping, was so very swollen (yes see the evidence above. I already look like my old self, crazy just how swollen I was) and just beyond uncomfortable. Lets face it, my pregnancy was not an easy one...see post "Against All Odds" below. In fact, Morgan fit all old wives tales for having a girl. I craved sweets, the pregnancy was not so easy, and she sucked out all my beauty! Hence the swelling again. I did not realize just how puffy I was until I see myself now compared to then. So that morning just as usual, my blood pressure was checked and it had spiked this morning which was alarming to the Dr., as was my PUPPPS. So once he saw my rash and saw my blood pressure, he said "how do you feel about having a baby today?" Now, I was dilated maybe 1/2 cm and this baby had not dropped what so ever. So I knew that he must have had a reason to want to induce me that day even with my body not being ready. Chris and I froze in that moment and I looked at him with a scared "holy crap" look and he had the biggest grin on his face and was already so excited. I responded "really, because I can wait a few more days" and Chris responded "awesome, lets do it!". Now, anyone who talked to me days before this appointment is probably shocked to hear I did not want to do it because for days..okay weeks, I prayed Dr. M would say those magic words. But actually hearing them instantly sent me into a state of fear of the unknown. I instantly started thinking about how I was not mentally prepared, what if the baby was not healthy, what if the baby is not ready, we aren't ready! But ready or not it was happening. The next few hours were a blur as we dropped off Chris' car, he tried to get me to eat something and we checked into the hospital. Chris was extremely calm and just plain giddy. I on the other hand was a nervous mess! At this time I also sent my family into panic as my mom was in Georgia and my dad was in North Carolina. My dad had to drive back to GA from his business trip then got on the road and was there by Friday. My mom, quickly threw things together and hopped on the next flight and made it that night. THANK YOU mom for being there. I can not thank you enough. I needed her and she came so fast. Price of flight, distance, and effort to get here did not matter. I would have been devastated if she was not there, but she made it. And I cried when I saw her.

Once we were at the hospital they started me on pitocin..aka the devil..and also had to put a balloon catheter in to force my body to dilate. I am not going to lie...everything they did was painful. Luckily I had Chris by my side the entire 14 hours holding my hand, rubbing my arms and shoulders and saying encouraging and loving words. His support throughout this entire day and seeing him as a dad has made me fall even more in love with him. I could not have done this without him. He was my biggest support system and we truly were, and still are, a great team. But that day when I needed him most, he stepped up to the plate big time.

But back to the "process". If you know anything about pitocin, you know that it instantly brings on full contractions. Strong and close. So starting at noon I had strong contractions that were 2 to 3 minutes apart. They could not give me my epidural either until I reached 4cm because they needed me up and moving to try and get her head to drop. So 8 hours later, many painful cries and hand holding (Chris' hand I think still hurts) I finally reached 4 cm and they could take the balloon catheter out, break my water and give me drugs...ahhh relief! From 8 to midnight I sat at 4cm and was told we could be in labor for another 12 to 24 hours. I think it was this point I told them to turn off the pitocin and send me home, or do a c section. Please keep in mind at this point I had been up for 20 hours and so they tried to get me to sleep but it was hard.

From midnight to 2 am I progressed to 6cm and then from 2-3 I progressed to 10cm. It happened fast. And once I reached 10 cm all I wanted to do was push, but part of me told our nurse (who was nothing short of amazing, we loved her) that i was scared and did not want to. But when push came to shove, Chris and our nurse talked me through each contraction and each push. And not so sure what happened to my epidural, but I felt a lot. I felt every contraction and every push. I only pushed for about 30 minutes because at one point I had to stop pushing because my Dr. was not there! So as soon as he got there..which he was not even on call, so thank you to the most amazing Dr. for getting up in the middle of the night to come in...I pushed once and Morgan was here!

It was the best feeling. I cried hysterically. My Dr. even commented on how I was deliriously happy. Chris stated he had not seen me cry that hard. I don't know if they were tears of relief that the pain was done, tears of joy that she was here finally, and healthy, or tears of recognition of the tough journey of infertility and pregnancy were over and it was all so worth it. Maybe it was all of that combined. All I do know is I have never been so happy in my entire life. That split second was the best second of my life. Dr. M held her up and said, "well, what is it?" And Chris and I both got huge eyes and said.."It's a GIRL!" Which i then started crying even harder. I always wanted a little girl and assumed I never would have one. I could not believe a sweet little girl was ours. Never mind being able to dress in ridiculously cute clothes with ruffles on the butt, tutus, over sized bows and headbands, and an absurd amount of pink that she will hate me for one day; I would have a daughter to share in all those special mother daughter moments with. We would have a daughter to watch grow up into a loving wife and mother herself. I would have a daughter to watch melt her daddy's heart and become daddy's little girl...which she has already done in a mere 2 weeks. I would have a daughter to do all those special things my mom did with me and have that special mother daughter bond. Our princess had arrived. As I mentioned before, she already has Chris around her little finger and I have seen a whole new man in him. He already has a huge soft spot for her and he is just amazing with her. It is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Nothing will top that moment when Chris and I both looked at each other and said it was a girl. It was the best surprise and I am so happy we did not find out! Although I now refuse to dress her in any of the gender neutral clothes we had as they were much more "boyish". Lets just say her closet already triumphs mine..rightfully so!

But back to Morgan's arrival. She arrived at 3:47 am and it was not like the movies with lots of doctors and nurses rushing around and a screaming mother. It was a magical and peaceful moment with a doctor, nurse, husband, me and baby. It was quiet, calm and the only sounds that were heard were my tears and Morgan's tears. The second she came out they put her on my chest and I instantly fell in love. Within a second I felt a love deeper than I ever knew existed. I never knew I could love someone so much that I just met. She laid on my chest for about 45 minutes and she was so alert. I just kept kissing her and she just looked around at her new world. It was such a miracle. Our lives changed at 3:47am on May 13th, and they changed for the better. We are already better because of Morgan. Thank you sweet pea.

It was not until about 6:30 that morning that we were moved into our room and the emotional high only continued. I think within 44 hours I slept 4 total, but I was not tired. We were running on pure adrenaline. In fact, when they brought Morgan back into our room after she was checked we both were still in shock this tiny miracle was ours. The emotions that she has brought me these past 2 weeks aer so raw and so true. We are so in love, so happy and so blessed. Thank you Lord for blessing us with Morgan and thank you Morgan for teaching us how to love this deep.

I will post a link later for more pictures of Morgan..seeing how we have so many and it is hard to chose what to post!

Morgan Lily Brown is finally HERE!!

Morgan Lily Brown blessed our world exactly 1 week ago today. Here were her stats:

Morgan Lily Brown

Born Friday, May 13th at 3:47 a.m.

6 lb 0oz.

19 3/4 inches long

This week has been the most amazing week. It feels as if she has been a part of our lives forever and it feels like we just started living. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful, healthy little girl. She is a true miracle. I have experienced so many emotions in this last week that I find it hard to put them into words. Thank you Lord for this blessing. I plan on sharing the "story" of her birth and many more pictures and updates from our first week together soon! Til then, here is a peek at our little peanut!!

A Letter to Baby Brown

A friend recently asked me to write a letter to Baby B because she was going to make a special gift from it. First of all, thank you Hillary! What a sweet idea, I can not wait to see it! When she asked me to do this I did not realize how challenging of a task it would be for me. How do I put into words everything I have been feeling and my love I already have? And how do I put into words my dreams for this sweet little person? After typing, deleting, and retyping I think I was able to somewhat capture this experience, my love and my hopes. But I thought I would share it on here so when I print all these entries out and put them in a journal, it will be somewhere else.

Dear Sweet Baby B,

I am just a mere few weeks away from meeting you and I could not be more excited! I have dreamt of you for years and I have prayed for you before you even existed. You are my miracle and you are my destiny. I know I was placed on Earth to be your care-giver, your protector and your mom. Words can’t describe the excitement I feel right now or the love I have for you already! The anticipation of meeting you and holding is over whelming. The love that I have for you already is more love than I have ever experienced; and I know that love will only grow each and every day from here on out! From the second I learned you would be part of our family, I instantly knew of a love that I had not ever felt before. Thank you for showing me how to love in a way I did not know was possible. Thank you for already making me a better person. From your kicks to your hiccups, to every time I hear your heart beat or see your picture my love triples and grows to a new level I never knew it could! You fill my heart, my dreams and all my wishes.

It is so hard to believe this journey to you is almost at its grand finale. Although this is just the beginning, not the end. To know that you are entering the world soon and adding to our family and starting a brand new chapter in our lives is such a surreal feeling. I am in such shock of how fast these past 9 months have gone. In fact, your dad has mentioned numerous of times that soon you will be here and you will be all ours and part of our family of 4 (yes your sister Layla is a member!). You will be all ours to hold, to love, to kiss on and to support. Not our friends, not our parents, not any one's but ours...and we can not wait to rise up to the occasion of becoming a family, becoming your parents and loving you forever.

We often dream of you and dream of the life we want for you. We want nothing more than for you to be happy, loved, and to have every opportunity to reach for your dreams. We will dedicate ourselves to providing a life full of endless opportunities for you. The world is at your fingertips and we can not wait to see what you do with it! From providing for you, to supporting you and to giving you the tools necessary to spread your wings when you are an adult, we promise to always be by your side.

I cannot wait to meet you, although I already feel like I know you and have known you my entire life. You have my promise to always be your biggest supporter, number one fan, and to always commit each day of my life and each breath I take to you and to making your dreams come true. You are a true blessing to everyone that will ever have the pleasure of meeting you. I love you to the moon and back and a million times over!

Love,

Mom

Tasty Tuesday..38 Weeks!! Against ALL Odds

See the bigger picture.

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

My little sweet pea you are doing a great job of "baking" longer! It is great to know you are most likely coming close to 7 pounds!! Dr. M says it's very typical for high blood pressure babies to be a little under average, but hey..in the 6 lb or 7 lb range is perfect to us! And as far as eyes, I have been told if neither your mom or dad has brown then you will not have brown. So I am guessing you will either be blue, hazel or green. My guess is blue. And for hair..well that is a toss up! I was a bleach blonde baby until I was about 3 I think and your dad had blonde hair with some red. My family has dark hair but all started as blondes. Your dad's family has brown and red in it...so it is a toss up! You could be blond, brown (dark or light) or even red.or maybe no hair at all! Either way, you will be beautiful to us always.

So it seems as if my "aches and pains" are contractions! Today my NST showed I am having mild contractions, but they are not coming in a timely pattern or strong enough. The nurse said this could continue for weeks or a few days. There is just no way of telling! Her guess, since I am not dilated much, is that it could be weeks. Lets hope not! And I want to brag about you with the past few NST's. Seems like you have figured out that you need to "show off" or at least participate to make it easier on yourself..aka avoid the buzzer! The past 2 weeks the nurse always says.."what a good baby" because you move a lot and do exactly what you are suppose to do! Ahh you make me so proud! I have also figured out if I drink apple juice during it, it gives you a little head start! But either way, thank you! I hated worrying about your movements and I really hated when they would buzz you!

It also seems as if my body is giving me a run for my money lately. The theme to this pregnancy I have decided is "Against All Odds". See it started with when we conceived you. We had many troubles getting you, so that alone was against the odds. But once did conceive you, my progesterone was LOW...I mean real low so the nurses warned me I probably did not ovulate or have a good ovulation so not to get my hopes up. Well, 10 days later I got a positive on that test! I did ovulate and YOU beat the odds! Then with my first blood work, my hormone levels came back low so we were warned I could miscarry..you beat the odds again! Let me tell you how worrisome those few days were! Then at our 6 week ultrasound the Dr. told us you were measuring small and your hear rate was slow and to take it day by day but know it could mean I would miscarry. I was scared to death and so worried but you pulled through! It was so hard to sit back and just let the Lord do what he had planned. I cried a lot after that appointment. So see little one, you already had me worried over you at a mere 6 week! Next, at 25 weeks we started noticing my blood pressure creeping up. This is not you..this is where my body comes into play. Only 6 to 8 percent of women experience this. Well give myself a check for falling into that small category. But that is ok, we dealt with it and YOU stayed strong! You are a tough cookie! Then I developed carpal tunnel syndrome which about 20 percent of women get while pregnant. Check mark there. And finally, this past week my body wanted to just be able to say "I did that too" and added PUPPPS onto its list. PUPPPS is basically an allergic reaction to pregnancy (yes I feel like a super mom saying I am allergic to my pregnancy that is carrying this baby) that about 1 percent of women get. Insert check mark here. It causes no harm to baby or mom thankfully, but causes a very painful itchy rash on the belly that can spread across the body. Luckily mine is on my belly only..dare I speak too soon? When I say painfully itchy, I mean chicken pox, worst case of poison ivy itchy. It allowed me 3 hrs of sleep last night because I was itching so bad. Not to mention it is down right gross looking. I am hoping for some relief with cortisone cream. I can not take the itching anymore! Not to mention when you have carpal tunnel in your hands, it makes itching quite interesting. But enough on my soap box. The weather is gorgeous and we are having a patio night (finally!) with our neighbors. The good Lord must have known I needed some sunshine and heat (yes I got burnt yesterday) to be able to keep my spirits up and to keep me smiling right now. These "challenges" are making these last few weeks HARD but I know it will be worth it and will not even matter the second I hold you. And although this pregnancy has not been easy by any means, I would d it all over again. Every heartache trying to get you, ever fear, every tear, every scare from the Dr., and even every NST. Although I pray the Dr. puts me out of my misery and sets a date Thursday, I know he will do what is best for you and that is all that matters.

So over all Baby B, you defied all odds and stayed in my belly longer than most people, including me and your Doctor, thought you would and that is something to celebrate and be SO proud of. I can tell you are a fighter and you are placed here for a reason. You probably have a stubborn streak like your mom and dad but that and your toughness has proven strong these 9 months. We may have been scared at times..okay many times..over these past 9 months, but it goes to show you probably were just sitting back and saying "geez, chill out mom and dad!".

A False Alarm and Something Borrowed

This weekend was nothing short of..umm eventful? Or maybe lack of? I will let you be the judge of that. Friday night Chris had a lacrosse game so I ordered in and watched a movie, turns out stadium seating is not so comfortable at 9 months pregnant! Pretty uneventful!

Then Saturday, for the second time in 2 days, I noticed quite a bit of um how do I say this..leakage? Not to be graphic but enough to trickle down my legs. So after much debate, texting friends about it, googling and calling my mom and Dr. from home, I came to the conclusion to call my Dr. Now you ask why did I hesitate? Well, I did not want to be one of those neurotic women that call over everything. But I am learning as a first time mom it is just to hard to judge what your body is doing and feeling. But after reading it could be a tear in the sack and amniotic fluid could be leaking I decided it was best to call. So I called and the Dr. on call called me right back after paging him. After asking him if I should be concerned he directed me straight to L & D at the hospital. Now, I have to mention Chris was out with a friend that morning figuring it would be one of his last mornings to go shooting, so when I called him and said the Dr. wants me to come in he simply responded "now?" and when I said "no Chris, tomorrow" (yes hormones have made me extra grumpy, moody, emotional..you get the picture, lately) he said "oh ok what time tomorrow". After explaining to him exactly what was going on he rushed straight home. And no our bag was not really packed yet so I quickly threw things together just in case. Now, I did not think this was "it" at all so I was very calm. Chris on the other hand seemed a little nervous and just plain excited. It was very cute and I loved witnessing his excitement. Everything he learned on the hospital tour went straight out the window! So it was a great practice run!

So to make a long story short, it turns out it was just my mucus plug. But ever since that appointment I have been having mild contractions, so maybe things will start moving. I am by no means getting my hopes up, but something is definitely going on because for the past 2 days, especially at night, I find myself quite uncomfortable with these pains. And yes, I know these can last for weeks..but I am praying my Dr. stays true to his word and picks an induction date for next week.

So although I never really got my hopes up, it made the entire thing seem SO real and made me want the real thing to get here..and fast! It was such a tease. It is hard to imagine we will be doing that all over again, but for real, very soon! But I have to say very soon still seems very far away. I now understand why the end is the worst. I am not sleeping, very emotional, and very uncomfortable. So yes, that was our excitement Saturday. I think it became very real for both Chris and I and it only upped our excitement and anxiousness!

After all that excitement, we figured we better pack our bag for real and spend a nice evening together in case its the last for a while!

Sunday we spent mother's day with Chris's family for a wonder day! It was gorgeous here so we were finally able to sit outside! We also went to see Something Borrowed , which was GREAT! I highly recommend going to see it and I even more recommend reading the books..I read the entire series last summer! Talk about addicting! After the movie we had a nice dinner. It was a terrific day! Hope your weekend was as fun as ours :)

I plan on trying to post something each day this week..just in case. So stay tuned!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there!! I am just now learning how much you wear your heart on your sleeve every day, worry about things, and constantly think about someone other than yourself...and I am not even with baby in arms yet! But I have also learned children bring a love to your heart that nothing else in this world ever will, a joy to your soul that can not be compared and a selfless feeling that is brought on with so much pride. Again...I am not even met this little one yet either! I can not imagine the sense of love I will feel for this baby in just a mere week or so. I already feel like I love this baby beyond what words can describe, I want to give this sweet child a life full of opportunity, hopes and dreams, and I already feel like I would do ANYTHING for this new member of our family. Crazy how one person I have yet to meet can make me feel this way! I know they say love just continues to grow once they are in your arms, but it is hard to believe that my heart and love can reach new levels. Chris this morning woke up and said "Happy Mother's Day". And it is funny, I teased him about being able to celebrate it today, but I was never serious. I guess I do not truly feel like a "mother". I feel like a care taker of an unborn child, but do not quite feel like a mom just yet. Maybe its the fact I can still carry a purse around, or do not have milk stains on clothes..or still have somewhat good sleep!

So mother's out there, I have a whole new respect for you and for what Mother's Day represents. Whether you carried your child through 9 months of "fun", went through the roller coaster of adoption, or became a mother due to various circumstances you are a MOM and you should wear that badge proudly! I can already tell it is a hard job, but one that no price can be p placed to and one that is beyond worth the "work". And I have a feeling each year I will learn more about my mom and more about my mom's personality and her feelings as I experience a love only she knows as a mom..its like secret "club" of emotions only women can have the bond over.

And speaking of my mom, it just kills me I can not be with her today to say thank you in person and give her a HUGE hug! I think in the past.. errr, dare I say almost 10 years that I have been away, I maybe have spent 3 Mother's Day with her. That must be hard on her. I am thankful we have the phone and thankful my brother and dad are there today with her. I have talked about my mom on here before and I believe she knows just how much I love her, but I have to give a special shout out to the woman who gave birth to me and raised me into the woman I am today. I am lucky enough to say my mom is one of my best friends and we are so very close. Distance may keep us physically apart, but we are truly extremely close...I would venture to say maybe even closer than some moms and their daughters that live in the same town. We talk multiple times a day, email and skype. And we talk about everything! We were like that when I was growing up too. My mom said she would take me everywhere when I was little, were buds from the start. She made bows to match all my outfits, did my hair everyday, came to every single sporting event, dance recital and school function. She drove me every single day across town (which is like 2 hrs in Atlanta) for me to see the best rehab dr. in town when I tore my ACL (twice). She drove me 3 times a week to southern Atlanta for soccer practice up until I graduated (these were our best bonding times as we were in the car 2 hrs at a time together), she traveled everywhere for me and stopped at no expense or no hardship to provide only the best opportunities for me. My grandma would always say "Kristin, do you know how much your mother gives and sacrifices for you daily" and I do not think I ever got it. We prom dress and any other dance dress shopped together, we went for walks, went to the pool and just hung out together. Probably one of my favorite past times together were our "Life Time Movie Sundays". We would find good life time movies (um..as good as they could be) and would get blankets and cozy up and spend a lazy afternoon just watching crazy women on tv. My dad would always laugh at us. We also loved to cook together or would just spend hours in the kitchen just talking. She would be cooking and I would sit there looking at magazines while we gossiped. Anyways, the list could go on and on of all the moments we shared together. But most importantly were the lessons that all these moments taught me.

My mom is one of the most giving, caring, supportive, loving, selfless, and amazing people I know. She has been through a lot in her lifetime and somehow she always manages to see the glass as half full. She is so positive. She taught me to be a strong woman, to stand up for myself and to be proud of who I am. I thank her in my prayers each night for making me who I am today. She gave me the wings and now I am using them. I am lucky to have a mom like her and lucky to call her a friend. She has played such a major role in who I am today and I hope she know just how much I appreciate her unconditional love and support. And I hope one day I can be a great mom just like her!

Not only am I blessed with a wonderful mom, but I also have a great mother in law. I already know she was a wonderful mother because of the man I married. Heck, taught him to clean, cook and do laundry so need I say more?! But in all seriousness, she raised a compassionate, caring, giving, loving and just amazing man that I am so lucky to share my life with. My mother in law is also extremely caring, loving, giving and supportive. Just over the past almost 9 years that I have gotten to know her she has become not only my mother in law but a friend as well. So we truly are blessed to have 2 amazing mothers that did such a great job raising us, and have given us tools now to form our own family.

I know that this next exciting phase will bring upon new emotions of home sickness. I have prepared myself for that. I think as I learn to appreciate all that my mom went through as a mom raising me, I will miss her more than ever. And Lord knows she will miss me and especially her first grandchild. I don't like to think about it to be honest. It will be challenging, but like anything else it will be okay. We will cherish the times we are together and find ways to communicate through skype and phone when we are not.

So for all mom's out there...thank you for being the Super Women of the Universe! You all deserve more than just a day..but for today I hope you are getting spoiled and loved on! I know I can not wait to have a little one to kiss on next year and to truly celebrate with!

Tic Tock Goes the Clock

We had our 37 week appointment today. Good news is baby and mom look great! And there is no bad news because each day the baby can "bake" longer is good news, but bad news for my body..we wait another week! Like I said, deep down this makes me super happy to know he/she is healthy and will benefit from staying longer, but my poor body is desperate for a break! Sleep is pretty much gone and comfort is LONG gone! I am uncomfortable all the time, swollen, and lets just say I am starting to ache and have pains in places I never knew I could. It is crazy how your body prepares for this! But the most important thing is baby and I are doing great. So I go back next Thursday for my 38 week appointment and if I am dilated 3 cm (DOUBTFUL!) then I will go to the hospital that day. If not, we will set a date for the following week and work with what we got! All I know is this baby needs to drop and I need to dilate; otherwise we could be looking at a 36 hr. labor..those were words straight out of Dr. M's mouth. Yikes! The baby is very high he said...when he checked me he claimed he was basically having to reach to my tonsils to feel the head. Sorry for the graphic details, but I thought it was funny.

So please Baby B, I know I have made it cozy for you and you want to stay there, but lets make this easy on you and me...please drop!! I promise I will make it warm, cozy and safe in my arms or your dad's arms and you will be so loved...just trust us!

And dear body..please hang in there! Not much longer. I feel like each day you bring on a new ache or pain, but hang in there and help get that baby ready. Ok? Thanks!

So here is to watching the hours, minutes, seconds go by until next Thursday.

On a brighter note the sun FINALLY came out in Ohio. I was starting to think we may need to move. It has rained for weeks and now the sun has completely changed my mood and spirit. Sadly, the 10 forecast calls for all rain, so I am going to enjoy the 1 day we get. Just pitful, this weather! Funny this weather falls on Cinco De Mayo. This makes me want nothing more than a patio, chips and queso, and a BIG margarita! Oh, I love those old fiesta days! Turns out my own patio with some water will have to do..but hey the sun is out so I am happy!

Happy Fiesta day to you!

Tasty Tuesday..37 weeks..AKA FULL-TERM..AKA 9 Months!!!

Baby's now the size of a watermelon!
Your full-term (yay!) baby is gaining about 1/2 ounce a day and getting his first sticky poop (called meconium) ready. He's also brushing up on skills for the outside world: blinking, sucking, inhaling, exhaling, and gripping (it's getting strong!).

Hard to believe I am 9 months pregnant. The other night Chris and I were reminiscing about the morning we found out I was pregnant. And we both said that in some ways it seems forever ago and in others it seems like just yesterday. I feel it has gone by very fast! The first 12 weeks were very slow as I was very scared of losing this baby. Then from about 12-20 had some slow weeks and some fast weeks. But from 20 on, it has FLOWN! Going to the dr. weekly since week 25 and twice a week since week 33 has probably helped with that feeling. Either way I can not believe we could have a baby as soon as next week. I am thinking it will be the week after next because I doubt I am dilated, but we will find out Thursday.

I am so excited we made it to 37 weeks!! There were times that I was scared with my blood pressure issues. Dr. M said the big milestones were 32, 34 and 37..well we made them! This one causes for the biggest celebration as you are fully developed little one and now you are just baking to fine tune everything even more! I can tell I am getting closer because all my dreams are consuming you now..well when I dream. Seems as if sleep is hard to come by these days thanks to my big belly, restless legs, carpal tunnel syndrome and inability to get comfortable. But I know it is just mother nature's way of getting me ready. I guess your dad is in for a bigger shock!

I am praying my belly does not get much bigger..or I should say I can not imagine it getting bigger. It is so hard to believe your body can stretch the way it does. Recently I have also gotten a bad case of carpal tunnel syndrome. In the morning it feels like I have arthritis so bad. My hands and joints just hurt. I can not straighten my fingers or bend them and my fingers snap if I try. Chris the other morning witnessed them snap and thought it was so weird. The pain is bad enough it wakes me up at night. And to top that, my left hand is constantly going numb all day long. I guess it is all from the water retention and swelling. I envy the girls that do not swell. I have to say the first half of this pregnancy was a breeze, but the second has had its bumps. And I thought my troubles ended once we got pregnant! But I take it all with a smile because it is all worth it and I wouldn't ask for anything else than to be pregnant, even if it comes with everything else!

And I am thinking you may be a girl. I don't really know and my feelings about it change every other day. But I crave sweets like crazy and they say girls suck the beauty out of you....and between my swelling and now stretch marks (which are very minimal and faint and interestingly enough are caused by hormones, not stretching) you are either a girl or a boy going against all the old wives tales! And in regards to the stretch marks...I saw them on my right side about a week ago and am praying they do not get darker or bigger..please Lord! I have heard they go away though, fingers crossed!!

Happy Tuesday yall! I am off to celebrate 37 weeks with an NST!

Hello MAY!!

The countdown is officially started...it is Baby Brown's birth month!!! And as if that were not enough, this month we have Mother's Day, Layla's birthday, and our 3 year anniversary!! Talk about an exciting month!! And it looks as if Baby B's birthday could possibly fall on Layla's birthday or our anniversary as Layla's is the 14th and our anniversary is the 17th! I guess you could say our family likes May! :) So yes May, I welcome you with open...WIDE OPEN, arms! I counted down until your month and at times felt like you were so very far away, but in other ways I can not believe you are already here...I am sort of in denial I guess! And we..okay Chris, not me...has been very busy awaiting your arrival. He has been the best husband and soon to be daddy ever! I had a mile long to do list and he did it all! He organized, cleaned, painted 5 rooms, and tackled our front yard landscaping. He did everything and then some of what I wanted done before baby B's arrival.
Yesterday the rain, thank Heaven above, finally let up so he attacked our front yard landscaping! Last year we ripped up sod and created beds in the back (talk about a project), so this year he redid our front! Since we built, the building company really did a poor job with the front yard landscape. They did not raise beds and barley but any dirt down, so we cringed when we looked at it. Well if anyone knows Chris, once he gets his mind set, there is no stopping him. So I can say I am now so proud and happy to pull into our driveway! He made the beds a little bigger, built them up with dirt, planted and mulched. It took him about 10 hours and he did a FANTASTIC job! I felt so bad as I just sat there in a lawn chair keeping him company as he worked his tail off. So I took it upon my self to make sure I was not only good company but I also was best at providing drinks, breaks and food! I still felt bad..but hey, I am carrying and growing his first born! Here are some photos of his hard work. I am a lucky girl :)
** Dr. update at end of pictures :)

I am so bad with plants and do not have a green thumb, thank goodness he does!

** Update from Dr. M: We had an ultrasound on Friday and baby is already 6 lb 3 oz! I know these can be up to a pound off either way, but I am hoping it is fairly accurate! Baby looks great and is ready to go, but I am not :( We see the Dr. again on Thursday and if I have made any progress in dilating then he will set the date for next week! If not, then I will see him the next Thursday, the 12th, which I will be 38 weeks and he will no matter what set a date within the next week of that date. So..we have about 2 weeks left!! WOW!