Merry Christmas!!

To You, From Us!!

Number 11

We have so much to be grateful for this year...
but most importantly these 3 blessings:

Maryn
Avery
and
Parker

And they are ours forever!
I can't think of a better anniversary gift!!

While Visions of Sugar Plums Danced In Her Head...

If this doesn't get you in the Christmas spirit, I don't know what will.

Why We Love Her

I mean seriously, where does she get this stuff? She finally lost the last baby tooth up top...it was so nasty looking. It had been loose for almost a year, and was sticking straight out at a 90 degree angle. It didn't come out in the most pleasant of circumstances--she got hit in the face with a volleyball in gym class--ouch!! Apparently she went running to the girl's bathroom holding her mouth and boink, out came the tooth!! I asked her if she cried, and she said no, she actually couldn't stop laughing!! She was so glad it was finally out and we would have to stop bugging her about it.

How can you not love her? We certainly can't help it. She is creative, funny, affectionate, smart, talkative, kind, imaginative, and wonderful in every way. This kid loves to read and draw!! If she doesn't have a book in her hand, she has a pen or pencil and her trusty clip-board stocked with fresh sheets of white paper. That kid can go through a ream without any hesitation. She is constantly illustrating her life!! She also loves to talk--she asks question after question of Mark (mostly Mark) and I, especially at the dinner table. Sometimes we can't get her to stop talking long enough to eat!! Her favorite foods are lo mein and cheeseburgers. Her favorite treats are Dad's chocolate chip cookies and gum. She still loves her blue blankey, and her pal Perry the Platypus. She is a great friend and biggest (little) sister. (I always tell her that my "biggest" sister was way littler than me--;-)!!) Avery is her best friend, and I'm so glad they have each other. She is also great with Parker, her little face widens into a great big smile when Maryn's around. As do the rest of ours. Maryn is a sweetheart, and we love her sooooo much!!

Happy 9th Birthday to Maryn!!

Yes, I love technology...

But not as much as you, you see.

But I still love technology.

Always and forever,

Always and forever.

First Time For Everything

Last weekend I tried something for the first time...at least I think it was my first time. I may have done it unknowingly years ago, but like I said, I didn't realize I was doing it...it was unintentional and unplanned. (Are you on the edge of your seats?!? HA!!) So this time, my "first time", I decided in advance that I was going to join the masses and venture out into the abyss that is known as "Black Friday". The name is a little dark and forboding, isn't it? Nevertheless, I was undaunted. I bought myself a paper, I scoured the ads, I made my list, I strategized my travel route, the whole kit and kaboodle as they say. I was blood-thirsty for savings...I wanted to see what all the hub-bub was about. How many times had I listened to enthusiastic black friday shoppers squealing about the great deals they had fought tooth and nail for? How many tales had I heard of people actually getting into knock-down drag-out brawls in the electronics section of Wal-Mart? How often had I received tips and tricks from experienced black friday-ists...hide your much-sought after merchandise in your clothing so that other shoppers won't steal it right out of your cart...they would tell me. But wouldn't store personnel think that you were shoplifting, I wondered? Nevertheless, I was ready. Ready to take the plunge.

Thanksgiving morning dawned bright and early. I'm usually up at the crack of dawn anyway, feeding the peanut, so instead of rolling over to sleep for another couple hours, I got up, got ready and set off for my first taste of "serious shopping". My first stop was Walgreen's. I was a little nervous. But for naught, I was the ONLY one in the store, besides the employee's and an old guy getting his prescriptions. Hmmm...I thought. Maybe this Black Friday stuff is just a bunch of hype? I hit my next stop...K-Mart. Things started looking more serious. The parking lot was almost full. There were a lot of people in the store, but it wasn't jam-packed. I got in and made my way to my first destination...item was O-U-T!! I couldn't believe it, I already missed my chance!! Nevertheless, I found most of my other items and didn't have to wait long at all in line. Because of my "success" I decided to go back out on Friday morning. Maybe Thursday was my warm-up...a way to get my feet wet if you will. I had no idea what lay ahead of me in the morning.

(Thanksgiving was great by the way...we had dinner with our Bishop's family. The missionaries were there as well. Great food, good conversation, very relaxing and enjoyable. Barbara made a new twist on yams that was yummy...pour orange juice concentrate, a can of crushed pineapple, and some walnuts over canned yams and then bake until gold and bubbly...it was delicious. We were so stuffed by the end of the night that we didn't need to eat again until Friday evening practically.)

Anyway, I digress.

I was up at the crack again on Friday, and after I finished feeding Parker I set off for my second go-round of doing my part at stimulating this sad economy of ours. My first stop on Friday was Target. It was packed!! I couldn't even find a parking place at first. And then when I got into the store, I couldn't even find a cart!! This was intense!! I made my way to the back of the store, grabbed my items as quickly as I could, figuring I'd find a stray cart somewhere along the way. It wasn't happening and my arms were filling. I finally begged an associate in electronics to find a cart for me...bless his soul, I think he could see the beads of sweat on my shiny forehead...he found me a cart and I was a happy shopper once again. I got almost everything on my list at Target and was ready to move onto the next place when I realized that the check-out line started back in shoes and wound it's way through the entire store...through the linens dept., through the grocery dept., through the beauty aisles, finally getting to the front where they then gave you a number of a corresponding lane to wait for. UGH!!! Needless to say it took awhile. The thing that I thought was hilarious as I slowly made my way to the front of the line was looking down at the end-caps in the aisles...people had discarded sale items along the way...obviously changed their minds at the last minute, probably realizing they had been a little over-eager, and imagined the total that waited for them at the cash register...I was able to pick up a few extra goodies from their cast-offs. Made me feel like we were all in this fight together. HA!!

My next stop was K-Mart to try and pick up the last remaining items. By this time it was around 9 am, and it was too late. They were cleaned out. It was a wasteland after only a few hours!! So I decided to throw in the towel. I had wanted to hit a few more stores but after I realized what they would all be like, I decided it was a lost cause and probably a waste of time. So I quit while the quitting was good. It was a positive experience overall. I can say that I did it now and will probably do it again. I saved a lot of money, and now have pretty much all of my shopping done for the year. It feels really good. Definitely worth it in my opinion.

I finished off my morning with a sausage and egg mcmuffin and a smile on my face all the way home...fa la la la la, la la la la!

Definitely gettin' in the Christmas spirit!!

Happy Monday

I used to hate Monday's. Back when I was a full-time workin' gal. Come Sunday evening, I would start to drag...dreading the fact that in the morning I would have a whole work week ahead of me...looming over me like a big fat bummer.

But this morning I realized that I don't really dread Monday's the way I used to. In fact, my attitude has changed quite a bit. I actually kinda look forward to my Monday's now. GASP!! I'll let you in on my little secret why...

The reason why is because I get to have the house back to myself after the weekend. It's not that I don't enjoy having the family home over the weekend. I actually look forward to that too. I love Friday night and being able to go doing something fun together or stay up a little later than normal so that we can all sleep in a little later on Saturday morning. And then waking up to Mark making his cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning and having him clean the bathrooms...what more could a girl ask for really? Saturdays are good too. We catch up on errands or we go exploring or we do something fun. And who doesn't like a good Sabbath day? Going to Church and seeing Ward friends...coming home, and making a yummy meal, taking a nap, going for a walk, it's all good!!

But come Sunday night, it starts getting a little wearing. The house is usually not as neat and tidy as it was when we started the weekend out. And with school and work looming the next day, the whining quota in our house is definitely past it's maximum capacity. I know that for my family it is the starting to another week of running the rat race. But for me and Parker it is the starting of another week of "us" time.

I cannot lie. I love having this little baby all to myself during the day. It doesn't help that she is absolutley adorable and impossibly happy in the mornings. After I feed her, she is just all smiles and it's intoxicating. We sit and play and watch Oprah, and then I get to dress her up in a cute outfit for the day. I had forgotten how fun it is to pick out clothes for one of my daughters without protest or criticism!! It's great!!

We go about our chores for the day...sometimes she naps, sometimes she sits in her bouncy seat and watches me with her big blue eyes...bouncing and smiling at her reflection in the mirror above her. It's peaceful, and it's quiet besides our high-pitched conversations. I'm doing the baby talk thing again, she's squealing and cooing. It's hilarious. We talk and play throughout our day of chores--unload the dishwasher, load the washing machine, fold clean clothes, put them away, make beds, tidy the rooms of the house, make shopping lists, plan meals, organize, organize, organize. We get our work done and enjoy it happily, even though it may be a Monday.

I feel ready and rejuvenated to start another week...especially because now I get to do it with my little sidekick. This Monday thing ain't so bad after all!!

'Tis the Season

Flu season that is.

And we've had our share so far. None of the "pork-variety", but still.


(If you give a Maryn a virus, she'll want a blanket and couch to go with it. Giving her a blanket and couch will remind her that she hasn't drawn in her notebook lately, so she'll want a pen to express herself...this is Maryn's latest depiction of her malady. Bored, stuck on the couch, and the medicine that is "poisoning" her. Funny girl!!)


Maryn has most recently fallen ill to the Strep variety. We know strep before the doctor even confirms it nowadays. It's all in the voice. We can identify a strep voice a mile away.

So that's what it is...her first strep of the 2009-2010 flu season. I'm giving the doctor her "six occurrences" and then I'm taking her tonsils out myself. Maybe?

Anyway, that's a somewhat lame excuse for my poor posting habits as of late. I will try to do better, unless I catch one of these virus's myself that is.

ICK!!

Re-enactment of the Real Thing

Parker Faye Brown--it's official!


I just love her face in reaction to his face...cracks me up.


The cheesy re-enactment pose.

Aunt Shirlene's handi-work on the dress, Molly Norman's handi-work on the blanket.

She was a ball of crocheted cuteness.

Parker's blessing was this past Sunday, November 1st. We were lucky to have both sets of Grandparents there to celebrate the special event with us. Everything went smoothly the morning of her blessing. We woke up on time, everyone was dressed and ready to go on time, Parker looked adorable in her crocheted dress (by Aunt Shirlene), and I even had time to curl the girls hair in anticipation of getting some darling family shots. I even remembered to pack the camera in the diaper bag so we could have our mini-photo shoot after Sacrament meeting. A shot of Parker with her sweet Grandmothers, one with her adoring big sisters, a shot with her Father and two Grandfathers, one of me holding my sweet newborn babe, you get the idea, right?

Didn't happen. AAGH!! I could just scream.

I guess we have a good excuse though. We had invited some of our new Tonica friends (non-members) to the blessing. We weren't sure if they would really come though. Mark had emailed them directions to the building (25 minutes away), and the early morning time (seriously?) and figured it was up to them. We were hopeful, but didn't know for sure. But there they were, bright and early, there to support and befriend us...it was wonderful!! We were so happy to see them (as were the missionaries, I think I saw one of them salivating)...hee hee. Anyway, because of that we spent all of our time after the meeting visiting with them and kind of explaining the in's and out's of the meetings, the building, introducing them to different people...here's the Bishop, here's the missionaries, etc., etc....you get the drift. By the time we were done with that and they were on their way home, we had run out of time. I needed to scoot back home to get our lunch started and my parents and the girls had already gone onto the next meeting. It just didn't work out.

I thought maybe we could get some shots after everyone got home, but by the time I thought of it everyone was changed into their casual clothes and Parker's beautiful dress was folded and put away so as to not get it dirty. Surely I hadn't missed my window, right?

We had lunch with our family and some friends from Church and enjoyed the day. It was great. We have great friends who are fast becoming our family away from home. It was nice to be able to thank them for all the things they did for us to get Parker here. It was nice to be able to celebrate her. What a joy she is and how much happiness she has brought into our lives. We truly enjoyed the day. I did manage to snap a couple pictures of Mark and Parker in front of the kitchen window though. These are the only two from the actual day.

But by Monday evening I was feeling sad that we didn't have any pictures. So I ordered the girls to their rooms to put on their clothes from Sunday and asked Grandpa Brown to take some shots.

So here you go...some pictures from our re-enactment of Parker's blessing. And the story to go with it.

Enjoy!!

Highlights from Halloween 2009

Halloween kicked off on Wednesday night for us with the Ward Trunk-or-Treat. Avery came home with a fever that afternoon and wasn't able to go. She was sorely disappointed as you can imagine. Maryn and I went and had a fun night with our little Ottawa Ward. She couldn't decide on one costume this year, so instead she picked 3 different ones for each event she would be attending...for the trunk-or-treat she dressed up as a princess.



(Grandma and Grandpa Brown came to town for a visit on Wednesday night and we've been having fun with them ever since. Grandpa came ready to work, and has been busy helping us(okay we're not really helping, he's doing ALL the work, we just make choices and hold the flashlight) and update things non-stop. Hallelujah!!)

Avery's fever still hadn't broken on Thursday or Friday morning, so she didn't get to go to her class party in school on Friday. She thought that she might be missing Halloween altogether, but I told her no matter what she could go trick-or-treating on Saturday...you can't contaminate just walking door-to-door, right?



This was our little punkin' all dressed up for her first Halloween. Aunt Gretchen sent her this cute outfit.

Our little "ghouls" on Halloween night. As you can see, Maryn decided on being a "magician" at the last minute, and Avery finally got to wear her "snow queen" costume. Parker didn't go trick-or-treating though. She stayed home and passed out candy with Mark and her Grandparents (both sets!).

Tonica's trick-or-treating was actually pretty fun. The hours were 5-7 so we were able to walk the streets safely. It's such a small town we were able to pretty much get every house that was participating on foot. The people were friendly enough...there was only one old creepy shirtless man who answered the door...ewww!! At least now I know where he lives!!

Hope you all had a fun and festive Halloween!!

(Blessing report coming soon...stay tuned...)

2 Months

Here's our little peanut at two months old.

Enjoy!!

The Bell Rings In Some Memories

Mark and I met for lunch today (along with our little sidekick, PFB). He was short on time so our options were limited. It had to be something in Oglesby and the only options in Oglesby are fast-food. Since we had already had our fill of burgers and fries from the weekend spent traveling over to MI., we decided to think outside the bun and spice things up a little with a visit to the Bell.

It had been awhile for me. Years even. I think I gave it up for Taco Time whilst living in Idaho, and whilst living in Michigan I think I only went once or twice. (I think a commercial for a Crunchwrap drew me in or something.) Since there is no Taco Time in our little neck of the woods, I've been considering going back to Taco Bell for awhile. (As if it's this big meaningful decision or something...once again those new commericals for the Black Jack taco drew me in. I'm such a sucker for shiny advertisements of yummy food.) Anyway, I took the plunge today and in doing so was plunged into some serious melancholy.

As I ordered my lunch, it hit me...Taco Bell brings back some fun, happy memories for me. It reminds of me of my 2nd year at Ricks...living at Birch Plaza...hanging out with Sheila, Todd, assorted roomates, assorted boyfriends, Neil, Peanut, Ali-sone (our next door neighbor), and whoever was game to make a trip to Idaho Falls for some sweet Taco Bell goodness. At the time, Rexburg didn't have a Taco Bell and so we'd actually drive the 25 odd miles to Idaho Falls to get some. It was like a mini-road trip for us. It was an escape from the norm, an escape from the day-to-day rigors of school, homework, cooking Ramen, or eating cold cereal three times a day. I loved our trips to IF to that Taco Bell. I looked forward to it. It was a special treat, a way to pamper myself on a small budget.

Each time we went it was a different gaggle of friends. Like I said, different roomates of mine or Sheila's would tag along, sometimes Todd and one or two of his roomies or friends would come. But always it was me and She-She in the blue box (her powder blue Ford Tempo). I am so grateful for Sheila, she has been one of my dearest friends over the years. To pay her back, we'd sometimes foot the bill for her lunch, or fill up her tank with gas. Whatever the price to get our fix.

I'd always order the same thing more or less. A couple of soft chicken tacos, maybe a bean burrito (hold the onions and the sauce). I loved the Taco Salad, the Mexican Pizza, and the 7-layer burrito. The choices were delectable. And to top it off, they had Dr. Pepper on fountain...what could be more perfect? A match made in heaven (did I just say that?!?) My only problem with Taco Bell is that their dessert options are non-existant. Cinnamon twists? Really? That's it? I need chocolate. So we discovered the choco-taco at Maverick. We'd usually pick one of those up on the way home, or if they weren't in stock some other piece of chocolate-y goodness would suffice.

Those were fun times spent with fun friends, footloose and fancy-free. Reminds me of dusty expanses of dried up potato fields in the Fall, mountains of snow and black ice in the Winter, and in the Spring--the feeling of excitement and being in love with life as the world began to thaw out from a long, frigid winter. Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians was on the radio in Sheila's car--we would be belting out Circle of Friends together. Or Blind Melon's No Rain. Sometimes the Cranberries, sometimes the Carpenters, it was all good. Those were the good old days.

And I'm glad I was reminded of them today over my Taco Bell combo meal. It made me happy. It reminded me of how simple things make life so good. But especially how important friends make it incredible. So next time you're at Taco Bell, raise your value meal soda in honor of happy memories, good friends, and being young.

(Thank you Sheila, and everybody else for the memories...I love you all!)

Festive Fallish Fun, Part 2: The Belated Birthday Party Edition

On Saturday we had Avery's belated 7th birthday party...only a month late. Not too bad, right? I actually wrote that on the invitations. "Avery's birthday was actually a month ago, cut me some slack, I'm trying my best, please come anyway..." I made a pretty good case study of a sleep-deprived and spacey new Mom, I think. In any event, it seemed to work. Out of a possible 10, 5 of her friends came. I think she was thrilled either way.



I asked Avery what kind of theme she wanted to go with for her party, and she honestly didn't have any opinions. So I kind of "suggested" we have a "Fall Festival" birthday party. She thought it was a great idea too. She has a lot of fond memories of our Michigan traditions even in the short time we lived there. So a Fall Festival we had.



When her guests arrived, they played outside for awhile, then came in and we colored Scarecrow placemats, had pizza for lunch, and then played some Fall games. We "fished" for apples (instead of bobbing and getting drenched and water everywhere), we had apple relay races, musical towels, a dance party in the basement, and painted some baby pumpkins.



Instead of cake and ice-cream, we had cider and donuts. It was a fun day, and went surprisingly well. I'm glad Avery could have her special day and all the fun memories that go along with it, even if it was a little late.

Festive Fallish Fun, Part One

Well, I finally got some Halloween decorations up...here's a peek at a couple festive spots in our house.



This is in our kitchen/dining room.



And this is on the piano in the living room. We picked up the Peanuts characters last year at the after Halloween sales. The Great Pumpkin and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow are my all-time favorite (if only) Halloween movies. (P.S. Yes, we got a piano...some people in our Ward were just giving it away. I told them I don't even play, but hopefully someday somebody in this house will.)



Look at this little bundled up punkin'--I think we were taking her out for her first walk in the stroller.



I know, the bow is bigger than her head. But I can't resist.



She is our little Parker Punkin'...hee hee.

The Story

I am forcing myself to sit down today and finally bang this story out. It's been a month (can you believe it?!?) since Parker was born and if I don't get this out now, I'm afraid I will lose some of the details in this jumbled-up, cloud-like brain of mine.

So...here goes...

Around 4 in the morning on Saturday, the 5th I got up to use the bathroom and noticed that my "mucous plug" (that's such a gross term, sorry everybody) had passed. After the false alarm I had on Tuesday, I was a little gun-shy and wanted to really make sure that this was the real thing, so I waited. I figured it would still be awhile, so I went back to bed, even though I was having contractions pretty regularly. They were coming about 8-10 minutes apart. I didn't want to wake the whole house up and I was already tired from a restless night's sleep. Around 8 or 9 that morning, I looked up "mucous plug" in my "What to Expect" Bible and it said that labor would probably happen within 24 hours. I informed the family over breakfast that morning that we'd most likely have a baby by the end of the day. They were excited, but for some reason it didn't really sink in with anyone that today would be the day.

We went about our normal Saturday morning activities. Mark cleaned the bathrooms, I did the floors throughout the house, and straightened things up. Maryn got ready for her soccer game, which was at noon that day. We decided to pack up the hospital bag and carseat and head to the game. It was probably best that we were all in Peru if something "happened" than in Tonica, so off we went.

We got to the soccer game, and I hobbled out to the field where Maryn was playing. I was really uncomfortable by this time, was still timing my contractions--now almost 5-6 minutes apart, and sitting in a lawn chair in the hot sun...what was I thinking?!? About half way through the game, I couldn't take it anymore. Avery and I headed back to the van, and we sat in the A/C until Maryn finished her game. Even then, instead of going to the hospital, we decided to head over to get some lunch at Maryn's favorite restaurant. We sat down, ordered our food, and then wham!! The contractions really hit and I got really uncomfortable. I actually got really emotional and instead of screaming in pain, I started crying. The waitress came with our soup and drinks, and Mark had to tell her that we wouldn't be staying. You should have seen the look on her face. She told us that it was fine for us to leave, and we did. We didn't have time to pay for anything, we just got out of there and raced over to the hospital.

Luckily the hospital was only 2 minutes away from the restaurant and when we got there, I was still crying. The attendant at the desk put me in a wheelchair and literally ran me down the hall and up the elevator to Labor and Delivery. In the meantime, Mark had called our emergency crew to take the girls for the rest of the day and night, and he joined me in my triage room. They got me hooked up to the monitors and were in the midst of getting my IV in. It had been about half an hour since we got there when my water broke!! Mark had been out in the hall handing the girls off, so when he got back in things were really underway!! It was a really good thing we had gotten to the hospital when we did, although all the nurses and doctor said I should have gotten there way earlier. Oh well.

The only problem was that because it was Saturday, and because it was Labor Day weekend, my doctor was out of town and I had to have the on-call doctor. He was an old-school doctor from Chicago, originally from Persia. I was a little disappointed, but really had no choice. My pediatrician was also out of town, so we had to have the on-call Ped doc too. Blah. Not ideal, but they both did their job.

They whisked me down to the OR, and got me all situated for my spinal. I was so relieved to be able to have a spinal for this c-section. With Avery, I had to have a general anesthetic and remember just being so scared and then I was unconscious for the entire thing. So I was very happy to be awake and aware of everything that was going on. I chatted with the nurses and was excited for my baby to be born, instead of feeling scared and freaking out. I had great nurses who were very helpful and I remember especially the Anesthesiologist (sp?) was my homegirl!! She talked me through everything that was happening, and was just really comforting to me throughout the entire thing. Mark joined me in the OR, and within a few minutes we heard the cry of our newborn baby girl!!

The doctors took her over to the layette to clean her and bundle her up, and as they held her up for me to see her I was immediately overcome with emotions. So beautiful, so perfect, so wonderful. I couldn't believe that she came out of me. After all the waiting, our Baby girl Brown was finally here!! I remember thinking that she looked so tiny. I was expecting a bigger baby this time because it was almost 38 weeks afterall and the ultrasounds always measured big. But she looked tiny. And she was...6 lbs. 9 ounces...actually an ounce less than Avery's birthweight. She was so delicate and pretty. She reminded me of both of the girls...more Maryn at first because of her dainty fingers and her smallness. But then when I studied her face more, she reminded me of Avery around the mouth and chin. One thing for sure was that she belonged to us...she fit right in with my other beautiful little girls.

After the c-section was over, they took me to a recovery room, while Mark took Parker up to the nursery. I got to see her after a couple hours. The feeling was overwhelming...we were so elated. A perfect day. Our Parker Faye was born, and we were absolutely in love with her from the moment she entered this world. It's such a miracle. We are so grateful.

So there you have the story of how Parker came to be. It's been a whole month since that day and it still seems like yesterday, I hope it always will. She is getting bigger now, actually out-growing some of her newborn clothes even. It's already going so quickly!! I am trying to enjoy it--every day of it--because I do know how fast it goes. I am absolutely in love!!

Ahhh-ctober

Can somebody tell me where September went? I can't believe it's already October--my favorite month of the year. I love Fall...can't get enough of it. Maybe it's because of my Michigan roots, but this time of year has always been magical for me. The colors on the trees, the falling leaves blanketing the late summer grass, the way it's chilly in the morning and sunny and warm in the afternoon. And don't get me started on the traditions...pumpkin patches, apple orchards, cider and donuts. Now I am really homesick. Thank goodness we are planning a weekend getaway in the next few weeks...we can fill our cider mill cravings (as well as try out that new dish at Pei Wei).

Things here are fine. I'm still hanging in there. A little blurry some days, but feeling a lot better on the whole. My pain meds are gone and I'm only limping a little bit now (compared to my all-out Igor hobble that is). Still trying to squeeze in a shower when I can, put on a clean pair of sweats from time to time, reading and posting to the Blog as much as I can, and oh yeah, remember how I have 2 other kids? Trying to stay on top of their stuff too...lots going on, that's for sure. Life goes on...I guess it's time for me to get back on board.

October is looking good...General Conference this weekend. I have a special fondness for Fall Conference. It reminds me of being at Ricks for some reason...and making the trip down to Provo to stay with Jeff and Amy to watch the broadcast at their place. We would visit Grandma Day, she would take us to Chuck-a-Rama, we would take drives up the canyon to see the leaves changing, and we would scope out the hotties on the Y campus. Those were the good 'ole days. It also reminds me of getting engaged to Mark. He proposed to me over Fall Conference, between the afternoon session and priesthood session on Saturday...took me for a drive up Provo Canyon to a cemetary overlooking the valley, and popped the question. Ah, the memories.

Besides Conference, we have other fun things planned. Avery will be having her belated 7th birthday party--a Fall Festival to be exact...should be fun!! Erin and Cole will be making a visit to Tonica--hooray!! And we will be making our first trip as a family of five to Michigan for a weekend. And let's not forget Halloween--can't wait for that either!! And right after Halloween, we will be blessing Parker Faye on November 1st in our Ward. Both sets of grandparents will be in attendance and we are excited to be able to show off not only our new baby girl, but also our n ew place and town to Dennis and Laurie. So happy and excited they will be able to come.

This is going to be a great month!!

A Day In The Life

As I'm sure you all know or at least remember in the not so distant past, newborns are a lot of work. My days (and nights) have changed pretty significantly. I am at the mercy of a little peanut we call Parker. Join us for a day in the life...

After Parker eats, she usually gets a little sleepy. We normally swaddle her up, pop a binky in her mouth, and pat her bum till her gassy smiles and eye rolling float her off into dream land. (But for the sake of the photo shoot, we didn't use any of these tactics.)

So sweet, right? This is what consumes much of Parker's schedule these days. Tough work, eh?

Our little purple Parker peanut...try saying that 5 times fast.

(she stirs and awakens...) "Hey, did someone just call me a purple peanut?"

Better go, we can't keep this little peanut waiting for too long...she's irresistable, isn't she?

Round Three

I keep thinking that one of these days things will calm down a little and I can sit down and write Parker's birth story. (Did I just hear a snort or giggle?) Maybe my expectations are a little unrealistic, but I probably would have had some time had it not been for our crazy week.

We have been riding the jaundice rollercoaster this week and it has not been fun. As many of you know, it's incredibly frustrating and basically a game of wait and see, doctors telling you what to do, and not having a whole lot of control over the variables involved. When we left the hospital Parker's bili levels were totally normal and we kind of thought that maybe this was the baby that would somehow escape the dreaded jaundice unscathed. Maybe?

But by her fifth day of birth, she was starting to look a little yellow. We took her over to the hospital for what would be the first of many, many visits to come. Indeed her bili levels were rising, and her weight was plummeting. Argh!! Not again!!

We went through this with both Maryn and Avery. Maryn's case was probably the most severe and we were instructed to start supplementing her breast feeding sessions with formula, which would push the bili out of her system quicker and help her to gain weight that she really needed. (Maryn was really premature and really tiny.) So we did what the doctors told us and sure enough because of the ease of the bottle and her prematurity, she weaned herself from the breast by 6 months. Not exactly what I wanted, but I was doing what was best for her at the time.

Along came Avery and pretty much the same set of problems. But instead of supplementing her with formula to get the bili out, I tried to pump breastmilk to supplement her feedings instead. As my family will recall, if I wasn't hooked up to the baby for our hour long breastfeeding sessions, I was hooked up to the hospital grade breast pump for another hour long session where I would only get under an ounce of supplemental milk (on a good day--from both sides, mind you). I was completely confused and frustrated. I ended up so worn out both physically and emotionally that eventually we decided to switch to formula to get the bili out of her system and start packing on the pounds.

After that experience, I decided that I needed to stop beating myself up about breastfeeding. Instead of just letting it go, I made it personal. I felt like a failure, like I was broken/damaged goods, that I wasn't the Mother I should be. And it plunged me into some serious post-partum depression. After I pulled through the darkness and could see things rationally again, I realized that I was just one of many Mothers who aren't as successful with breastfeeding as others. It didn't mean that I loved my child any less, it didn't mean that I was a freak show, it just meant that for me, it didn't work out the way I'd hoped it would. And finally I learned to let it go and move on. (Or so I thought.)

With Parker, I started out with these valuable lessons already stocked on my mental bookshelf. I knew that if it didn't work out again, I could get over it and move on. I could concentrate on nurturing her and bonding with her despite whether she was fed by breast or bottle. The first few days in the hospital went great. She had a vigorous suckle and a fierce latch. I could hear her swallowing and knew she was getting what she needed. My milk came in by the 3rd day, and once again, I felt like things were going well. She was peeing and pooping several times a day, she had white milk on her lips after coming off of the breast. I was optimistic and thought that maybe this time things would be different. Maybe?

But then the jaundice came, and with it daily trips to the hospital for blood draws (imagine this on a tiny 5 and a half pound baby--yes, her weight has dropped that much). It has been heartbreaking. She screamed the first few times when they wrapped that elastic band around her upper arm to try and expose a vein. Even more when they poked that giant (relatively) needle into her scrawny little arm to try and get a sample. She doesn't have a whole lot of surplus to work with here people. But now she's so conditioned to it, she doesn't even scream anymore. It makes me feel terrible. We've done this every day for the past week and every day the results have been high levels. We tried a "bili-blanket" for a few days (see picture above). It seemed to work, but was very inconvenient to work with. Because she's so small, it won't stay wrapped around her middle properly and ends up falling down. Add to this the fact that I'm now feeding her every hour to two hours, while she is hooked up to this machine that is pumping halogen light into her delicate skin. I can feel the anxiety starting to mount.

Along with hospital trips, we've been taking her to our pediatrician's office for weight checks every other day. Most babies are expected to gain anywhere from an ounce to more a day in the second week, and by the end of the second week they should be back up to their birth weight. Parker has only gained an ounce this whole week. She is now only 5.13. Her birth weight is 6.9. I guess the saying about some women producing "cream" and other women producing "skim" is true. I just wish I were producing the cream in this case.

So today is the day we have to decide what to do next. Her doctor decided to take a day off from blood tests...her levels are still high...she's at a 15 as of yesterday. She also decided to take her off of the bili blanket. (I was so glad, that thing creeped me out.) We will take her in to get weighed later this afternoon and if she hasn't gained a significant amount of weight we will have to start supplementing. Is this starting to sound familiar?

We feel like it is what it is. We will do what is best for our baby. It may not be exactly what we had hoped for, but it doesn't mean that it's bad either. We know that this will pass, and that eventually the yellow-ness will fade, eventually she will gain weight and get nice and chubby. It's just frustrating when I had let my hopes get up for something different this time around. I'm trying to make my peace with it. I'm trying not to let my emotions take over, but it's hard. There's a whole lot of stuff swimming around in my heart and mind right now. I'll be okay though, and so will Parker.

We'll keep you posted.

Deja-Vu

I am sure you are thinking that this is a new picture of Parker. Nope. Tricked ya. This is a picture of Avery Jane...the very picture we used in her birth announcement 7 years ago today. The resemblance is striking, don't you think? At first, I thought I saw more of Maryn in Parker, but after pulling out their baby books, I am thinking that Parker looks more and more like Avery.

It's a little like having deja-vu. It was 7 years ago in the same month that I gave birth to Avery. The pregnancy was very much the same (got pregnant around the first of the year, and very, very preggo in the hot, humid summer), and having a c-section as well. Avery's delivery was kind of scary though, and Parker's was (thankfully) much more calm and in control (don't worry, the big story is coming...). They are only separated by an ounce in birth weight, and an inch in length (Avery being the bigger baby of all 3). They all have different personalities though, of that there is no question.

So join us in celebrating Avery's 7th birthday today!! She is an awesome girl--full of life, laughter, and lots of love!! We are so grateful she is in our family.

The Announcement

Parker Faye Brown

6 pounds, 9 ounces,

19 inches long.

3:30 p.m. Saturday, September 5, 2009

Illinois Valley Community Hospital, Peru, Illinois

Details to come . . .

False Alarm

How would I describe my feelings right now? Frustrated, embarrassed, disappointed, a little stupid, confused. Has this happened to you? AAGH!!

Tuesday I had been having contractions all day. My belly felt like a solid, round bowling ball--unyielding and crampy. My lower back ached, and I just didn't feel right. Around 3 pm, I decided to start timing them to see how far apart they were coming. 7-9 minutes mostly. Some were more like 10, others more like 5. I sat for awhile, got up and walked around for awhile, and laid down for awhile. I did this for a couple hours with no changes. They didn't get worse, but they didn't stop either. So I called my doctor's office. They encouraged me to come into the hospital to hook me up to the monitor to see what was going on.

I was kind of excited, but at the same time apprehensive because it didn't feel that uncomfortable. Like I said, they weren't getting worse, they were just consistent. But we went anyway. We grabbed my bag, the girls bag, and everything on our list. We called the babysitters we have lined to take the girls on the way. We skipped Maryn's soccer practice, grabbed some Arby's drive-thru, and got to the hospital around 6:30. Mark handled the hand-off to the babysitter, and I got hooked up to the monitors.

The contractions continued every 8-10 minutes but they weren't show-stoppers by any means. They did a pelvic exam...still only a 2. They hooked me up to an IV to see if that changed anything--which it did. Everything came to a gradual stop. No more contractions. The midwife determined that because everything kind of petered out and I wasn't dilated, and still "only" 37 weeks that there was no legitimate reason to keep me and gave me the boot. I can't tell you how disappointed I was. I really thought maybe this could be it!! Maybe I could be going into labor without just having my water break first (what happened with the girls).

Nope.

I wasn't going to post about this. It's just one of those things that you know you shouldn't feel embarrassed about, but you do anyway. I've birthed two babies before this, I should know what I'm doing, right? I couldn't feel less so. I feel completely naive.

But I'm still hopeful. Don't get me wrong. I know that it will happen...eventually. I just have to wait...be patient. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, and the nurse called me yesterday to schedule my c-section for September 18, if it doesn't happen before then. So either way, not too much longer.

I just hope I don't have to cry wolf again before the BIG day.

What a Parade in Downtown Tonica Looks Like

Tonica "Cruise Fest" is what they call it around these parts. Basically it consists of the parade in the afternoon, also the local bar cooks up some grub that you can buy and eat on their picnic tables, oh and there's an elephant ear stand. After all of that you can jump in one of two rented bounce houses or pay to dunk some Tonica village official in the dunk tank. But after a couple hours, you've pretty much seen it or done it all.

I guess around supper time the Fire Station puts on a pork chop dinner, and the beer garden opens up at the bar. That's when the real party gets started. Ha ha. They also have a bunch of people who own a bunch of old cars cruise Main Street (for what essentially takes less than a minute). We didn't do that part.

We just went for the free candy and pure fascination of it all.


As you can see, the girls didn't quite know what to expect.


Here comes the the Tonica Fire Truck...later we heard that it sprayed some kid so hard they got knocked over and the Tonica Ambulance had to give them a free ride to the hospital.


This is the succession of Tonica Village emergency services. I think they threw out a bunch of candy.


John Deere tractors following the EMT...I don't think they had any candy. They just waved and smiled.


They were in full force that day. Notice our freshly painted water tower in the distance.


Some of the locals...waiting for candy.


Luckily some teenage girls dressed up in 50's costumes saved the day and not only had candy, but balloons too!!


They were part of the one and only float in the parade...put on by the Tonica United Methodist Church. The first float was also the finale of the parade.

So there you have it, what a parade in downtown Tonica looks like. Nothing fancy, but made us feel more a part of this kooky little town. I know someday we'll look back at this time of our lives and have a good laugh.

(BTW, we definitely missed the Yawney's and the Chelsea parade after watching this...I think theirs is right around this time too. Love you guys!!)

A New(er) Set of Wheels

The last time we bought a vehicle was 2002--a couple months after Avery was born. We had been functioning on 1 vehicle up until that time, our little 2-door Escort. I mainly drove the Escort while Mark biked all over Boise--to school, to Winco, and the Capitol building where he worked, and sometimes he'd even pop up on my doorstep at work. (That was a long bike-ride for him). It worked for awhile. Up until Avery was born and then things started becoming more complicated. Suddenly trying to fanangle two babies into a 2-door proved to be a bit daunting. Indeed, the whole crawling back and contorting our bodies in order to seatbelt Maryn, the wiggly toddler and Avery, the squealing infant in the back of the 2-door Escort started to wear on us. It only lasted a couple months and then we figured we needed something bigger--a family car if you will. Luckily we had Mark's Uncle Roy waiting in the wings with a solid, reliable white 1995 Windstar. It wasn't new, but it was a joy for us. He gave us a heck of deal and we were delighted to have more space and another set of wheels to depend upon.

That van has seen us through the long haul, I tell ya. We drove that baby all over Boise, Twin Falls, and then across country to live with us in Michigan. It even drove us here to our new home in Illinois. It has been through a lot with our family, and has really been quite a trusty mode of transport. It's had it's share of problems too, but nothing that ever wasn't impossible to fix and nothing that made us want to abandon it on the side of the road. The only problem I ever had with our Windstar has been my own vanity. It's not a pretty car. It's got bumps, scratches, dents (thanks to me!), and the interior has always had an unidentifiable mystery odor that no amount of car fresheners has been able to mask. When the brakes started squeaking it really started to take it's toll on my ego. We took it into car repair places a myriad of times to try and identify why they would squeak. Everyone was baffled, but still it squeaked. Every time I backed up or sometimes even braked too hard, they squeaked. I was embarrassed by my squeaky, outdated, stinky van. Am I a terrible, shallow person?!?

Anyway, just over the past few months the transmission is starting to fail. It just doesn't want to shift easily. It revs and refuses to shift past 15 or 20, and we've had it. We're ready for a new(er) set of wheels. Only problem is, we have no money...and a baby on the way...which means lots of ensuing medical bills on their way...and a new(er) vehicle just didn't seem prudent or possible at the time.

But once again, miracles happen and blessings pour from the heavens. (Thank you Sheffield family!!) And a way has been prepared for us to buy a new(er) vehicle. I can't tell you what a relief it is to be able to bring our new(er) baby home in our new(er) vehicle. It's so nice to know that I won't have to worry about breaking down on the side of the road with a baby in the backseat. (Not to mention the fact that it doesn't squeak, stink, or rev.)

Here's to hopefully many happy memories with our new(er) van. And if y'all know of anybody in the area who is looking for a 1995 Ford Windstar, let us know...we actually have to sell this thing now. Maybe I should use this post as advertisement on Ebay or Craig's List? Ha ha!!

Past the Point of Scary

So here it is...the 36th week. I'm finally past the point of scary. I feel very relieved (and very large...have I mentioned that lately?). And I'm more confused than ever. Nothing is really happening at this point. I've been having some contractions...mostly at night, some during the day. But nothing regular and nothing that stops you dead in your tracks. Just lots of those "balling" up of the belly, an ache in your lower back, and pressure in your pelvis feelings. Help me out y'all...is that anything to get excited about? It's been so long that I don't remember what they feel like or when to start my stopwatch or call the doctor. I think I need a refresher course.

Besides that, things are great. I'm off the couch with a vengeance. On Saturday I went to Maryn's game and then walked around Big Lots for awhile. Came home, did some laundry, some cleaning around the house, cooked dinner, etc. It felt weird, but good. Only problem was on Sunday morning when I tried to get up for Church. I was so sore!! My muscles rebelled big time and I realized that even though I can do whatever I want now, I am still 9 mos. pregnant and my body has gotten used to living a life of leisure. Guess I need to take it easier. So I've been doing more, just not as much as I normally do.

I'm kind of in a nesting frenzy lately. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I made Mark rearrange the sun-room furniture in like 5 different arrangements the other day. And then after all of that, told him to put it all back where it was. Yikes. I fully recognize what's happening to me, but I just feel compelled, ya know? I went downstairs and actually cleaned the girls' playroom this morning. Under normal circumstances I would make them do it, but I just needed to organize. It's the only thing that distracts me at this point.

I guess I had forgotten how it gets at this point...the end of the road. I remember lots of things about when I was pregnant with the girls, but you know how you tend to block out the bad stuff? Well, I guess I did some of that. I had forgotten how uncomfortable it really is at this point. (Insert whiney voice...) I just feel huge, and bloated!! I had all of these goals about keeping my weight gain to a respectable amount, but after the bedrest, it kind of all went downhill. When the calories have nowhere to go, they just settle in my behind and in my face. I had forgotten so many unpleasant things. I had forgotten how even though you're hungry you can't eat very much because there's just no room. I had forgotten how uncomfortable something as simple as breathing can be. I had forgotten how puffy and swollen my fingers, feet, and face could get. I had forgotten how forgetful you can be. I constantly feel like I'm forgetting something lately. AAGH! Save me!!

I know this is temporary. I know it will eventually get better and things will start feeling normal again. I just need to vent, so indulge me. I'm nervous, anxious, excited, happy, sad--all at the same time. I just can't believe this is happening!! After all of this waiting, it's finally time!! We are going to have a baby in our home, in our arms again. It makes me want to giggle and cry simultaneously. I couldn't be happier, but at the same time more scared. This is going to take some serious faith and prayer on my part. I want things to go as smoothly as possible and be in control, but I know that ultimately whatever happens happens, and will work out regardless of how much I worry or fret. It'll be fine. We've come this far and been blessed so much already. I know that I'm not alone. I am well taken care of.

So wish me luck peeps. I will try and post uplifting thoughts in the days and weeks ahead, hopefully more like days instead of weeks. :-)

And any advice you have is greatly appreciated (as always!!)

Soccer Star

Maryn started soccer this season and so far really loves it. Her first game was yesterday and they won!! I have to say that we really enjoyed the game. It kind of took us by surprise. Mark and I aren't very athletically oriented, but we were right there with the other soccer parents yelling at our kids to go, go go!! It was pretty hilarious. Soccer is just a lot more fast paced and kind of exciting than baseball (what Avery played this year), and the organization Maryn plays for is a lot more lively than the Tonica baseball leagues. First of all, her coaches are wild women. They were both screaming their lungs out at the kids and jumping up and down in both frustration and praise. It made things very entertaining. With Tonica baseball, the coaches just kind of stood in the outfield and pointed and grunted (not really, but compared to wild soccer women, it seems like that's what they were doing.) We'd go to Avery's games and most of the spectators just kind of sat in silence, and clapped politely for their kid/grandkid/niece/nephew (you remember that everyone is related, right?). A little weird.

Anyway, she did great and we're really proud of her. There were a few times she got distracted picking grass and flowers, but overall she kept her eye on the ball and made some pretty good blocks and kicks. She's still a little polite when it comes to "getting in there", but I don't know that Maryn will ever really have the killer instinct, and that's fine by me. It's all about having fun, right?

Way to go Maryn!!

First Day of School

Avery Jane starting the 2nd grade. She'll have Ms. Fiocchi this year. This is the same teacher Maryn had last year. She has a pretty tough reputation, but by the end of the year, Maryn really liked her. I guess you have to get on her good side. I hope Avery is able to...I mean who can't help but love Avery?!? I am sure that in no time she will have Ms. Fiocchi cracking more than a few smiles.



Maryn Elizabeth starting the 3rd grade. Her teacher is Mrs. Anderson. She is the Grandma to one of Maryn's classmates and friends, Emily. She is also the Aunt to another one of Maryn's classmates and friends, Sam. We live in a small town, and although I don't think there is in-breeding going on, everyone is definitely related somehow. Tonica residents are lifers, I think. We have heard great things about Mrs. Anderson and are looking forward to a great year for Maryn.



Nothing like a fresh start!! We have high hopes for 2009-2010!!