Lydia Rose Brown

We proudly announce the birth of our daughter, Lydia Rose Brown, born Monday, June 11th, 2012, at 1:28 a.m.  She weighed 9 lbs. 3 oz. and was 21 inches long.

If you'd like to hear more about her birth, read the previous post. :)

Lydia's Birth

She's here!  I'm twelve days late in posting this, and most of you have already heard the news by now, but I wanted to go ahead and post about Lydia Rose Brown's birthday.

Here's the story:  On Thursday, June 7th, I went to the doctor for my 38 week appointment.  I was at 4 cm and 90% effaced, and I had a few other signs that made my doctor say that she'd be surprised if I didn't go into labor that night.  Woo-hoo!  I was ready to have a baby, so I let Josh know what was up and went home to finish some cleaning and other last-minute nesting projects.  I did have a couple of hours of contractions that evening (which is nothing big for me--I've had them for months), but no labor.

No biggie, it will happen the next day, right?  Friday morning, I called my cousin, Lauren, and talked her into going to the zoo with the boys and me.  We walked around there for a couple of hours, then went home and did some more deep cleaning, but alas, labor did not begin.

This is the last picture of me before Lydia was born.

Saturday rolls around, and I'm still waiting.  By this time, I'm just annoyed that I'm still pregnant.  And Sunday was more of the same.  The worst thing is that other than not having contractions, I felt like I was in labor (lots of pressure, sore back, etc.) 

Anyway, Josh's college group from church was going canoeing that Sunday afternoon, and since I wasn't in labor, he went ahead and helped out with the trip.  He didn't actually canoe, but he shuttled the kids from their cars to the river and went to the party afterwards.  I stayed home and pouted. :)

Sunday evening, I started to have back pain with my random contractions, and one particularly strong one at around 8:30 made me think I might be in labor, but they were so random and far apart that I wasn't sure.  But, I texted Josh and had him come home around 9:00, because I was very uncomfortable and having trouble getting the boys to sleep during a thunderstorm.

Josh got home and got the kids to bed, then we just sat around waiting to see if this was the real thing or not.  Contractions were very painful (back labor!), but they followed no pattern--10 minutes, then 13, then 25, then 8.  Around 10:30, I called Lauren to come spend the night, just in case we needed to leave for the hospital. 

Finally, I called my doctor, since I was in so much pain (have I mentioned that back labor is the worst?).  I was really hoping that she wouldn't tell me that I had to stay at home until contractions were 3-5 minutes apart.  I was relieved when she told me to go ahead and go in.

So, Lauren arrived and we headed to the hospital around 11:15 p.m.  During the 10 minute drive, I had three contractions, and from then on they grew steadily closer and stronger.  We had to go through the ER to get to Labor and Delivery, so we didn't get up to the room until 11:50.  My doctor had called and alerted the nursing staff that I would go quickly, so they had everything ready for me.

Only 30 minutes after arriving, they already had the epidural in and I was feeling pretty good.  I was grateful for the sweet nurse I had who, after finding that I was at 7 cm when I arrived, just took care of getting me comfortable before making me sign any paperwork.  We actually "checked in" after Lydia was born. :) 

Anyway, it was pretty quick and smooth from there.  I was quickly fully dilated, then we waited a short time for my doctor to arrive.  As soon as she got there and got prepped, a couple of quick pushes and Lydia was born at 1:28 a.m.  Dr. Taggart kept talking about how huge she was.  And at 9 lbs. 3 oz, 21 inches long, I was glad she came 10 days early.

We named her Lydia Rose.  I liked the way it sounded with Brown, and the Rose is after my grandma, Roselia, and my aunt Rose Ann.  Since her birth was pretty quick, she came out with a nice round head and no bruising--just perfect.  She did spend a little time in the warmer to bring up her body temperature, but everything else was healthy as can be.

My daughter and me.

Proud daddy.  He's happy to finally have a daughter.

These are two proud brothers.  They love her so much!

My three children and me.  I'm so blessed!

Eli's 2nd Birthday

Eli turned 2 on April 9th, the Monday after Easter.  We were blessed to have all of the Browns and Sheppardsons come to celebrate with us.  We spent Saturday morning at the zoo, and had fun even though it was a little chilly and rainy to begin with.  After the zoo, we returned home and had a backyard Easter Egg hunt. 

Later that afternoon, we headed to Papio Greens golf center for Eli's party.  Through his work, Josh somehow won a free party for up to 30 people there, so we were able to invite a couple of other families to join us for unlimited mini golf and hot dogs.  It turned out to be a great place for a party, since all the kids loved the mini golf and there was a driving range to keep the adults happy, too.

The family was able to stay through Easter dinner, so I got to use my fancy dishes for the first time.  Eli and Micah were so happy to have spent so much fun time with their extended family.  Micah really loved the birthday party, too.  He has already told us that when he turns 4, he wants to have a party with mini golf and he wants to invite the same friends that came to Eli's party.

I snapped a picture of the entire Brown family at the zoo.

After the zoo, we had an easter egg hunt in the backyard.  Micah had too many eggs for his basket, so he turned to the wheelbarrow.

We all worked together to make the cake.  Eli still talks about it.

He blew out the candles like an old pro.

And he thoroughly enjoyed the cake. :)

It was too bright for him to say "cheese" while looking at the camera, but he had an awesome time playing mini golf.

This was taken on his actual birthday.  What a great kid!  We love having him in our family.

Quick 5 #13

1. I. Am. Tired.  32 weeks pregnant, and for the last week or so, I've had absolutely no energy.  I really don't feel bad that I'm not keeping the house clean, but I do feel bad that no energy translates into less patience with the kids.  That is one aspect of pregnancy that I will not miss.

2. Speaking of pregnancy, all is going well.  I still feel pretty good, other than some achiness and the exhaustion.  But I'm huge.  I've gained the "maximum" 35 pounds so far, and the baby can gain a pound every two weeks from here on out, so I will definitely get bigger.  And the doctor says I'm measuring 2-3 weeks ahead of where I am, which means I most likely will have another big baby.  That's okay, though.  I like 'em sturdy. :)

3. Micah saw a pogo stick on a t.v. show, and he's convinced that he needs one.  I wasn't too worried about it, because although I've never specifically looked for one, I've never seen one in a store.  But then today we went to a garage sale, and wouldn't you know, they had a pogo stick.  Luckily, I let him try it out (with me holding him up), and I was able to convince him that it was a little too big for him.  Here's hoping that pogo stick desire wears off quickly!

4. Eli got some sunglasses for his birthday, and when he put them on I said, "You're looking great, Eli!"  Now, whenever he gets dressed, he'll go tell Josh, "I lookin' great."

5. My dad turned 68 yesterday.  Happy Birthday, Dad!

Quick 5 #12

1. Eli is 2-years-old now. We had a party over Easter weekend, which I will post pictures and blog about soon. He's quite the big guy now, talking all the time, making jokes, and showing us in various ways that he is indeed a toddler and no longer a baby.

2. About a month ago, we switched Eli to a big boy bed. He has struggled a little to learn to stay in it, sleeping many naps on the floor behind his door. However, he always stays in it at night. Why? Because Micah sleeps in the same twin bed. Yes, we have two separate beds for them, but Micah keeps saying that he just wants to snuggle with Eli at night, and honestly, they both sleep all night when sharing such close quarters, so we're cool with it.

3. Last Sunday, I went to my friend Tracy's house so that we could teach our high school girls' small group, and when I got there, I was greeted by a surprise baby shower! It was lots of fun, and our baby girl now has lots of cute outfits and accessories, as well as a couple of sweet pink blankets. Between that and a ton of hand-me-downs I've received lately, this baby girl won't be needing us to buy her anything but diapers. :)

4. Micah has a favorite word: Avacado. He says it randomly and frequently, and he pronounces the "v" as a "b," so it sounds like "abacado." It's like his answer to everything, or sometimes he just yells it to be silly. People give him funny looks, but he doesn't seem to mind. And Eli imitates him, so sometimes both my boys are randomly yelling "Avacado!" for no reason whatsoever.

5. We're gearing up for a busy graduation season. There are 43 seniors graduating out of our student ministry (some are only marginally connected, but we still like to go to their parties to wish them well). Between those and my baby cousin's graduation (can't believe my youngest cousin is 18!), we will have two or three very full weekends. For some reason, though, I really love attending all those open houses. It's just great to chat with each kid and find out what their plans are. You don't get a chance to do that during regular student ministry events.

Quick 5 #11

Apologies to those of you who have wondered where I've been the last two months or so since I last posted. I've been right here, pregnant, and seemingly unable to do anything at all....

1. The busy spring season has arrived for the Browns. For some reason, it's one event or conference right after another from the beginning of February through graduation time in May. That's the life for people in youth ministry, which means that before I know it, June will be here and this baby will arrive.

2. Speaking of "this baby," it just occurred to me that I never posted on here that we're having a girl. The facebook world knew right away, though, so probably most of you knew, too. We're very excited. Josh has always wanted a daughter, so I'm excited for him. :) And I really wanted my boys to have a sister. It's good for them.

3. I have to say that I am loving the weather this winter. We've had all of maybe two weeks of average-or-below-average temperatures, and other than that, it's been beautiful. We went to the zoo yesterday, and were able to run from building to building without totally bundling up. So nice!

4. I'm starting a group for the mothers of young children at my church. It's not an official MOPS group, but it will be similar. It's a lot of work, so I guess that's one of the things that's been keeping me busy lately.

5. I'm getting over a cold that I've had for the past week and a half. I haven't had a cold this bad in years. And before that, Eli had a nasty stomach virus for 5 days. I can't wait for all the sickness to be gone from my house so we can get back to normal (whatever "normal" is).

6. Eli says "Amen" when we finish reading a book.

7. Micah is outgrowing all his 4T clothes. I'm going to have to buy him a few more long-sleeved shirts in 5T to get him through this winter. He is my son who never stops growing, while Eli is my son who grows so slowly that he's now been in 12 month and 18 month clothes for a full year.

October Mini-Vacation

Okay, so I'm a little (okay, a lot) late on this post. But I decided I needed to post about the little vacation we took back in October.
The story goes like this: Josh was at Bass Pro Shop and was approached by a lady selling timeshares. She kept trying to get him to sign up to spend two nights in one of their resorts in exchange for us listening to their presentation. He kept saying no, and she kept throwing in more and more incentives until she offered him more money in Bass Pro gift cards than the cost of the stay in the hotel. So, he went for it.

We decided to go to Wisconsin Dells, since it was one of the closest resorts we could choose, and it was also near Camp Forest Springs, where Josh's brother Matt is currently living and working. If you've never heard of the Dells, it's basically a tourist trap town. It's the waterpark capital of the world, and the world's biggest waterpark is located there.

We stayed at a hotel that had an indoor waterpark and an indoor amusement park (and a lot of outdoor stuff that was closed for the season). I wouldn't recommend visiting the Dells during the off-season, but there were plenty of things to do for our young boys. The indoor amusement park had a lot of kids rides. Here are my three guys on the spinning teacups (it was a little too nauseating for this pregnant mama to ride!).
The kids really enjoyed the arcade, too, especially this mini-bowling.

We splurged on one fun dining-out experience at a restaurant where a toy train brings your food out to you. The kids loved it, especially when the train came by with a bubble machine on it!

The indoor waterpark was pretty fun, too. There was a whole area just for kids, and the boys were brave enough to try the little slides and things. We could only talk Micah into riding the three-story tall slide with Daddy once, though.

After two nights at the hotel (and one morning spent listening to the timeshare presentation), we went on to Westboro, Wisconsin where Camp Forest Springs is located. We were blessed to be hosted by a couple of college friends, Sam and Tawnya Smith, so we were able two spread out in their basement and get better sleep than at the hotel. Our kids had a great time playing with their kids, and Tawnya's cooking was amazing!

While we were there, we went to the camp (where Josh also worked one summer in college) to look around, and I was able to understand the setting where so many stories I've heard took place. Josh and Micah played some mini-golf and we looked at the lake and game room. We also hung out with Aunt Courtney and Uncle Matt at their apartment. It was a treat to get to see them. (And I didn't take a single picture of our time at camp. Bummer.)

It was about a nine-hour drive home, and the boys did great until the last hour. By that time, it was dark, so they couldn't see anything, and Eli had simply had enough of the car, so he cried inconsolably for the last solid hour. But we made it.

So there you go. That was our mini-vacation. Hopefully we'll get to take more vacations as the kids get older, because I hear that's how the most memorable memories are made. :)