Pen and Paper

Whoop! Gotta love Fighting Texas Aggie Tennis!!

2010-10-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday Mom, Emma & I took a day trip to College Station to see Daniel compete for A&M in the ITA Tournament. He played exceptionally well despite a back injury, GO DANIEL! Emma loved seeing her Uncle Daniel play, she was waving to him and pointing and saying "Uh-Oh"! It was a long day, but well worth it. We were able to stop in and see Rachel, Sherman, Clowey, Ryan, Tyler, James and June and Mom got to spend some time with them as well! Good day! Here are some pics of Big D!! :) Love you brother!!!

State Fair of Texas 2010

2010-10-24T17:14:00.000-07:00

This was Emma's 2nd time to the Fair, but the first outside the womb! :) She enjoyed all the animals, and of course watching all the people. She did have a run-in with an ostrich, I guess he thought she was a yummy snack, Emma started crying she was so scared, but Grandpa was there to comfort her and show her a new animal! She also loved the bird show, pointing at them as they flew by. It was a great day with the family! Here are some pics of our grand adventure!

A Day at the Dallas Aquarium

2010-10-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

My dear friends Nikki & Story, Yetunde and Stephanie & Connor joined Emma and I for a day at the Dallas Aquarium. It could have been a bit challenging, but our kids were excellent and it was a great day! If you ever get a chance to go, I would highly recommend a day at the aquarium. Here are pics of our fun-filled day!!

1st Birthday Party

2010-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

Emma's first birthday party has come and gone. I'm exhausted!!! :) I decided to take on the task of making personalized party favors and making Emma's cakes. Fun! The day was amazing! Nanni & Aubbi and Auntie Rachel traveled up and helped immensely and Grandma & Grandpa opened their home once again for an incredible time of celebration. We had a great turn out from our community and Emma did so well opening her gifts and she pretty much devoured her cake! Here are some pics of the fun day! THANK YOU everyone who came out and supported our little girl. I know our family and Community are a vital part of Emma's life. We love you all!!

11 Months

2010-10-03T18:01:00.000-07:00

Well 11 months have come and almost gone and I have yet to post! Emma is steadily crawling, she will stand free from holding anything and go up and down. She will take steps holding on to something, not quite ready to let go yet, but getting closer. She has also learned how to say "please" and "all done" in sign language, so communication is getting there. She also can wave goodbye. I spend most of my days watching my step as Emma is constantly underfoot. And with the addition of her 4 teeth, eating solids has become an all new adventure. So, now we're gearing up for her 1st Birthday!! Can't believe it's here already.

Here are some recent pics.

10 Months and a Family Visit

2010-08-18T20:20:00.000-07:00

Well, 10 months has come and gone and I can't believe it. Emma is crawling everywhere and pulling up on anything that is vertical. She also is cutting her first teeth!! 2 on top! The front left tooth is almost completely down, and the right one is cutting through. Crazy times for sure. Here are some pics.

Also, Emma was able to meet Great Uncle Tim, Great Aunt Linda, 2nd Cousins Timothy, Jonathan & Catlynn and 3rd cousin Ethan! We had a great time with the family and were so glad to see them again! Here are some pics of our time with the fam.

Now, we are looking forward to our trip to Trinidad! Can't believe it's just around the corner! We love you Larcel & Karla and are soooo happy for you! Sarah & Daniel we look forward to spending time with you Aidan and Noah!! Love you all!

My Kind of Mind is Launched

2010-08-08T21:22:00.000-07:00

So, after much prayer, process, conversations, encouragements and second-guessings I've finally created my own business!! After having some creative outbursts over the last few years, I've been struggling with the concept of being good enough to actually sell a product. I was driving in the car and thinking and praying about the idea when the phrase "my kind of mind" came to me. I realized that through a processed life and our journey to become more Christ-like we in turn take on the mind of Christ. All creativity is found in Him and without Him I am nothing. So, My Kind of Mind was born in a desire to capture the creative nature of Christ and see it manifest through designs I create. The tagline "Where Creative Concepts are Conceived" speaks to the seed thought that is created in the Mind of Christ and implemented by human hands.

My current focus is creating the Nunni Sak and selling that, but I hope to expand to other baby related items and one day implement photography prints and paintings. If you know of any Mom's who need a nursing wrap, I'd be greatful for the recommendation!

Website: My Kind of Mind

9 Months

2010-08-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

Emma turned 9 months on July 10th. On the 12th we had her 9 month check-up and she weighed 16lbs. 13oz. and is 26.5" long. She's in the 20% for height and weight, so she's gonna be little like her momma :)

From about 8 1/2 months to about a week and a half ago, miss Emma would get up on her hands and knees, preparing to crawl. She did do some scooting, mostly backwards, ending up under the couch with her hands and head sticking out on several occasions. Quite comical. But, a week and a half ago she decided forward movement was the way to go, so she has started crawling. She migrated from short spurts to roaming the halls following Mommy. One morning I set her in the living room to play with her toys, while I went to do some dishes in the kitchen. A few minutes later I turned to go check on her when I hear a deep sigh, I look down and Emma is laying on the kitchen floor exhausted from her crawl to the kitchen. I exclaimed "You made it" to which I got a big smile!! She is just too adorable. In about a day and a half she mastered the art of going from a crawling position, back to sit, which is great!! She also pulls herself up on anything that is vertical, walls, couches, legs, toys, tables, chairs....the list goes on.

Some of her little quirks just crack me up, when she is sitting on the floor, she uses her heels to turn and rotate on her bottom to see things around her! She also loves having her sunglasses on, whenever you put them on her she gets a huge open mouth smile and giggles; Nanni has captured it on video and it's priceless! No teeth yet, but she definitely gums everything in sight!

Here are some pics of Emma as well as a few videos!

Allen USA Celebration

2010-06-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

We had a great time out in Allen this last weekend. They host a 4th of July celebration in June! They have concessions and live music (The Commodores) and a stupendous fireworks show. We went early and swam at Mom & Dad's and then we walked to the park to partake in the festivities. Emma fell asleep, but then woke up once the fireworks started. She handled it typical Emma style, just stared wide-eyed at all the pretty lights. Gotta love her! Here are some pics of our fun day!

Daniel's Graduation & Isaac & Daniel's Graduation Party

2010-06-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Daniel graduated high school!!! We were able to take part in the graduation and celebration! Here are some pics of the ceremony and party!

Meeting the Kids

A few weeks ago we were able to meet Rachel & Sherman's foster children Clowey, Ryan, Tyler & James. We had a great lunch together, then the kids played soccer with Dad and we chased chickens and inspected the garden. They are sweet kids and it was great fun to meet them. Here are some pics of our fun day!

Texas Grand Slam

We also went to Daniel's last Texas Grand Slam in College Station. He made it to the Quarter Finals in the main draw and 6th place in the overall tournament. Awesome!! After the tournament he was offered a spot on the Texas A&M Tennis Team!! Whooop!!!! Incredible weekend! We are sooooo proud of him! Here are some pics of the tournament.

Graduations & Birthdays

2010-05-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

Emma is continuing to grow and change everyday. She is truly extraordinary! Here's a great video of her trying to talk. We're working on "Dad-da"

Isaac and Stephanie graduated a day apart, so Aaron flew to Virginia to be with Isaac, while Emma and I stayed home to be with Stephanie. Here are some pics of Stephanie's graduation!! We're so proud of both of them, and super excited Isaac is headed back to Texas!!! Whoop!

The morning after Steph's graduation, we drove down to College Station for June's first birthday party! Her birthday is actually tomorrow (26th), but she celebrated early with her friend Peter. We were so excited to be apart of her celebration! It was great to see our great friends, Nathan, Shawna & Daniel as well! Miss them! Here are pictures of June's party!!

6 Months

2010-04-28T09:46:00.001-07:00

Well Emma is 6 months old!! I can't believe it! Time has flown. She weighs 15lbs, 9oz and is 25 3/4in long. She is getting louder and louder, and definitely knows how to express herself. She can sit up on her own, but she loves to stand!! She's also eating 2 meals a day, she enjoys oatmeal, peaches, carrots, applesauce, mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries and blueberries) and drinking water out of her big girl cup. She is fascinated with Cryn, watching him whenever he's on the move. Soon she'll be chasing him around the house! She is my love and my joy and there isn't a day that goes by that I'm not laughing at/with her!

Here are some pics of our little chubbs (as she is affectionately called around the house)

Easter

2010-04-27T16:16:00.000-07:00

Easter was wonderful. We all got dolled up for church and took pictures before we left. Ian & Nisha came over to our house along with my family and we ate a light lunch. Then we headed to my parents house for Easter baskets, and Easter egg hunt that you had to be 18 and older to participate in (there's video I must learn how to upload) and a wonderful meal of spiral ham and all sorts of goodies. Good times all around!!

Play Day

2010-03-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Seizing the opportunity to see friends and family, Emma and I traveled down to Montgomery for the week while Aaron is in California. Rachel and Shawna graciously agreed to meet up in Montgomery for a Mommy/Baby play day! We had a great time, the babies played and ate and bonked their heads; all in all a fun day! Here are some pics of our little ones!

Thanks for coming out Shawna and Rachel! I really enjoyed the conversation and time spent with each other! Love you both!

5 Months

2010-03-12T14:17:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to add few more pics to the mix. Emma turned 5 months on Wednesday! She is doing very well with her cereal, so we added some applesauce to the mix which has gone quite smoothly. I think we'll be adding a vegetable this week! Here are some more pics of last month. And some of the new 5 month old!

The World of Solid Foods

2010-03-02T20:58:00.000-08:00

Well Emma has started solid foods!! Her first go 'round was a little messy with little tolerance for her new means of sustenance. But, she's been getting better and better eating her rice cereal. Here's a video of one of her feeding sessions. She also is experimenting with some water, so we got her a big girl sippy cup. I think she likes playing with it more than she likes drinking out of it, but we're working on it.

Here are some more pics of Emma just being Emma!!

4 Months

2010-02-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well we're at 4 Months now and Emma is 14lbs 1/2oz, measuring 24.5in long! She's in the 50% for weight and 90% for height, meaning she'll be taller than 9 out of 10 girls! So, she definitely didn't get her Momma's height! She is changing constantly, getting stronger and stronger everyday. She's also ready to start some solids, so this week we're going to experiment with some rice cereal, so we'll see how it goes. For Valentine's Day I decided to have Emma get some pics done to send as cards, so we went down to our local The Picture People at the mall. Emma did so great, she was laughing and smiling, so it was a great first experience in a photo shoot environment. We experienced a huge snowfall here in North Dallas, about 12" in a 24 hour period! Crazy! But the fam came over and we played and built a little snow family and got Emma's pics with her little snowgirl. Loads of fun! Earlier this week I decided to mess around with my camera and got some (what I think) are great pics of Em! I hope you enjoy them!

3 Months Addendum

2010-02-04T21:30:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give some updates. Emma just keeps growing and I love every minute with her. Aaron has started traveling again, so that's a little tough, but while he was off in California, Emma and I ventured down to Montgomery to spend time with Grandpa Larry, Grandma Lizi, Uncle Daniel & Auntie Rachel. We had a super time! Emma and I decided to have a little day trip to College Station to see Aunt Rachel and Cousin June. While we were there we also went by my old stomping grounds at Petal Patch and Emma met Esther & her son Mark and then we made one more stop to see Shawna and Emma met her adorable baby boy Daniel our dear friends. So, it was a rather jam packed trip, but we had a great time and Emma was such a trooper up until the last 30 minutes of the drive when she decided she was done with being in the car :). Emma slept most of the 3 1/2 hours home, so that made the return trip quite nice.

So I added some pics from the last few weeks and posted them here. Enjoy!

3 Months

2010-01-15T20:47:00.000-08:00

Emma is 3 months old and weighs approximately 13 lbs. She is growing and changing so fast, I don't even know what to do. She's sleeping 10 - 12 hours a nights, so we are just so blessed and rested!! Aaron and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary on the 6th, Emma also decided that would the first time she did a 180 roll. So, fun times all around! She's a regular with Grandma and Grandpa letting Mom & Dad go out for dinner, which is nice.

Here are some pics and a few videos of our growing little love bug!

The Life and Happenings Since November

2010-01-12T20:39:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm having to play catch up on posting since life has passed me by. Emma is now 3 months old, but we'll rewind to weeks 6-8 for the sake of this post. In late November we had a conference here in Dallas that brought some of our dear friends throughout the Midwest. Emma was able to meet our wider Congress community, which was excellent. I think I only saw her to feed her and while she was sleeping, other than that she was passed far and wide, but she didn't mind too much. The greatest comment of course being "all that blonde hair"! Ah, well I have a child who's hair has never been seen before and also a pony for a dog, so I guess I'm used to it by now :). The highlight of the conference was of course seeing Uncle Gary and Emma getting to meet and interact with her Great Uncle. He stayed an extra day and we were able to offer him refuge at the "Brown Hotel" so that was great to spend time with him and for him to play and hold Emma. Here are some pics of Emma up to Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving 2009

We were fortunate to spend Thanksgiving this year at my parent's home in Allen. My Uncle Charlie, Aunt Nikki and their sons Jack, Sam and Charlie were able to join us as well. Emma and June got a lot of attention and of course tons of pictures. It was so good to spend time with family, we had a great meal and then went to the park. Fun times! Here are some pics of our escapades.

2 Months & December 2009

Emma turned 2 months on December 10th. Her check-up went really well, she weighed 11lbs. 5oz. and was 23 inches long. Those numbers came out to be 75th% for height and 50th% for weight, so she's cruising right along. She also got her immunization shots :( she cried, but thankfully calmed down fairly quickly and didn't have any side affects other than a little bit of drowsiness. Shortly after turning 2 months, Emma started sleeping about 8 hours a night which has been wonderful.

On December 19th Aaron graduated with his MBA from UT Dallas. He has worked very hard for this and we were excited to see the Finish. His parents came up to celebrate with us and joined Emma, myself my family, Cardin and Larcel in watching him accept his diploma. We had a great family style dinner at Buca de Beppo and then had a great party with the community the following day. Yeah Aaron! Graduation Pics!

Christmas was a great time this year! We were blessed to celebrate Emma's first Christmas with our beloved families. Christmas started early with a celebration with my family on the 20th. Rachel, Sherman and June came in early and made us a fantastic lunch. BBQ chicken, beans and more truly outstanding!! Then we opened gifts, definitely a new experience with two infants in the room, but we managed. After gifts we went for a walk and saw all the Christmas lights, which was great fun! Later in the week, Aaron, Emma and I had our Christmas at the house. Emma was asleep, but we have pictures, so we can tell her all about it when she's older. We then went on our first trip with Emma and headed for Montgomery. We arrived on the 23rd to an anxiously awaiting Uncle Isaac, who immediately took Emma and held her and started feeding her. Emma also met her Great Grandpa Papa and Great Grandmother. So, it was a bunch of firsts all around. She is not short on love that is for sure. We had a wonderful Christmas with the fam and then ventured home again. Here are some pictures of Christmas!!

I'll have more to post later, but this all I have time for today and all the pics I have uploaded.

Week 5 - One Month Old and still chunky!

2009-11-17T22:48:00.000-08:00

Well, one month has come and gone and I just can't believe it! She's here and perfect and I can't imagine life without her. Her little personality is coming out more and more....unfortunately we're in a phase where we've decided that it should take lots of nursing and hours of rocking to get asleep at night. Not sure how I feel about that right now, but hoping it is short lived :)

Emma's a chunk, that's for sure. Her little rolls are getting rolls and she has absolutely no neck! Unofficially I think she's about 10lbs. So, she's basically gained a pound for every week she's been on the outside! Well, at least my arms are toning up nicely!

Here are some pics! Gotta love her!!

The Pecan Hunt, First Bath and Other Adventures - Week 4

2009-11-17T22:37:00.000-08:00

So, a few weeks ago we went on the great Pecan Hunt. Basically we headed to to a local park in Plano where pecans grow wild and you can pick them. So, we loaded up the family and got our hunt on. Emma had her first ride in the carrier, which turned out to be a great little get-up, basically she slept through it all, but she was there. Here are some pics and a couple videos of our grand adventure. We also were able to stop in and see Geoff and Mary Ann, some dear friends we've known forever. They got their first glimpse at Emma and of course documented the occasion with photos as well!

Emma also had her first bath in the bathtub. She's still kinda not real happy about it, she really hates the transition from tub to towel to clothes. Apparently we just don't do it fast enough for her yet. Oh well, you live and learn.

We also had our first 7 hour night of sleep. That was rather pleasant (and somewhat unpleasant - as nursing mom's can identify with) although only one night, but still a step in the right direction.

I'm Raising a Little Piggy...

2009-10-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

So, we went to the Pediatrician for Emma's 2 week check-up yesterday, and I've got a little piggy. She now weighs a whopping 8lbs. 4oz. and is 21 1/4 inches long. She has gained 1lb and 11.5oz. and grown 2 inches since birth!! Our pediatrician was stunned at her growth....she's now in the 50% for weight & 75% for height! So much for small birth weight.

Here are some pics of Emma's room and my little chunk!

Week 2

Week 1

2009-10-19T14:51:00.000-07:00

We survived!! :)

Thankfully Grandma Lizi (until otherwise named) was able to spend the week with us, which made the transition from hospital to home so smooth!! THANK YOU!!!

We had a rough first night, Emma didn't seem to want to sleep when we wanted to; imagine that! But after that evening we were able to get into a routine where Emma was sleeping from about 12AM to 4AM and then 4:30AM to 9AM. So, we've been super blessed with a little girl who loves her sleep! We'll see how her pattern changes as she grows up.

On day 5 we went to the pediatrician for our first visit. Generally their main concern when looking at a newborn is the weight loss issue as they transition of having a constant flow of nutrients while in the womb to nursing/formula outside. We knew Emma had been nursing really well, but did't realize how well...when they put her on the scale, she weighed 7 pounds 1.5 ounces...gaining 9 ounces since birth!!! Our Dr. was very pleased!

Emma has a great temperament, she likes having her diaper changed and doesn't mind Mom changing her outfits! (Yeah I get to play dress-up the baby doll again) She loves looking at her flash cards, calms her down as she focuses on the details. And she likes reading with Daddy. All in all she is just perfect, can't help staring at her all the time. Although I'm going to have stop that if I want to get anything done!

Here are some pics of our First Week!!

Emma's Here!!!

2009-10-19T14:33:00.000-07:00

Emma arrived on Saturday, October 10th at 6:31AM. She weighed 6 pounds 8.5 ounces and was 19.25 inches long.

Due to some last minute high blood pressure readings we opted for an induction to kick-start labor. We went into the hospital Friday (the 9th) evening at 6PM, they got me all hooked up and started the induction at 7PM (generally its a 12hr process). My contractions were pretty steady from about 8PM on although not too intense or close together. Throughout the evening it was pretty clear that I was in labor; by 5AM they checked me and I was dilated 2cm and was 90% effaced. My contractions started kicking in to overdrive and my water broke at 6AM; they checked me again and I was 10cm dilated and 95% effaced. Within the next 15 minutes I was ready to push; one problem though, the doctor wasn't there yet since my jump from 2 to 9 had been so rapid. So, I had to hold on pushing (hardest thing I've ever done) and then the Dr. arrived. I pushed three times and out came my beautiful, healthy baby girl!! So, in about 11 1/2 hours we went from 0-60 and our lives changed forever!

I was able to start nursing directly after birth and she did so well; I had no need to pump and she began feeding at regular intervals. By the time we left the hospital we were already transitioning from colostrum to milk; so that was great. Typically newborns lose up to 10% of their body weight in the week following birth. Emma only lost 2 oz. She's my little piggy!!

Here are some pics of our time in the hospital and meeting the family!!

The Waiting Game...

2009-10-05T13:37:00.001-07:00

Well we're in the 40th week and now the waiting game continues. To speed up the process, we did follow in the footsteps of Larry & Lizi and walked the State Fair on Saturday; for 6 hours. :) I think I dropped some, but we'll see. I have a Dr. Appointment on Tuesday, so we'll see if I've made any more progress.

We've pretty much got the room complete (minus a few decorative components and some shelving). Here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure. I've also included pics of the Heritage Quilt that Emma's most of the women in the family contributed to (incredible, thank you so much!!!) and some of Great Aunt Sharon's beautiful craftsmanship with Emma's name embroidered. She is one blessed little baby girl!

37 Weeks!

2009-09-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

Well we're at 37 weeks and counting. Basically Emma can arrive at any point in time, so the unknown just adds to the anticipation!

We've completed our Bradley Classes and I am feeling much more confident in my ability to tackle this marathon of bringing a new human into this world. So informative and empowering.

The bags are packed, well mostly. I have a clothing bag for Aaron & myself, a labor bag with all the goodies for working through labor (rice socks, Bradley book, robozo and so on). Also packed Emma's bag (in her new Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack diaper bag - another superb Craigslist find).

We've had a couple showers now, one thrown by Aaron's work where we received a ton of great gifts and one in College Station with dear friends and family. We've got one more this weekend, this is one blessed little girl and she's not even here yet! Here are some pics of the shower in College Station.

Also, Aaron and I took some maternity pictures. I think that a woman's body while pregnant is one of the most beautiful things. It is a beautiful picture of God's awesome creativity and the miracle of crafting new life. Hope you enjoy!

For My Sister...

2009-09-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

So, this post is because my wonderful sister Rachel requested an update of information; complete with suggested topics. :) So, here we go....

Topic One: Bradley Classes

For those of you who don't know we are taking the Bradley route in prepartion for Emma's arrival. Aaron and I have really enjoyed the experience so far. You know they say "knowledge is power" and I completely agree; we're learning the in's and out's of the body, the birth process, exploring all avenues and possibilities. Learning how to cope in stressful situations; and being deeply invested in the process required to make Emma's transition into this world as smooth as possible. So, we have 3 classes left and feel pretty solid about our birth plan and with the knowledge we've gained so far.

Topic Two: How I'm Feeling

Well, I feel pregnant! Frankly, I've never felt so much at home and like a stranger in my own body before! I love being pregnant and sustaining another life. I'm definitely finding that my energy is dropping down again; so I'm more conscious of my protein intake, rest and exercise just so I make it through the day without dropping dead at night. :) Some nights I get more rest than others, but at the very least I'm prepped for several interruptions in the middle of the night :)

Topic Three: What I look like

I look like I'm carrying a basketball that weighs as much as a bowling ball. :) Generally I'm not one to flaunt, but everyone's saying "you're all baby" so I guess we'll see how that pans out. Thankfully I haven't had any significant swelling or stretch marks to this point in time; which is really nice. I've posted a few pics of me, so you can see the largeness that is Sarah + Emma!

Topic Four: Emma's Room

We completed the dresser (click for pics) so we have that in the room now. I also hung Emma's clothes in the closet. We put some shelves we had in the closet for some storage and I emptied my hopechest and we have it in there now so we can use that for blankets and more storage; also I'll probably make a cushion to fit on it so it doubles as a bench. So, we're still waiting to get the bed and bedding; changing table and rocker/glider. Still a lot of big pieces missing, but its improved from the empty room it's been over the last month. :)

Topic Five: How's Aaron...

Aaron is doing well. He's working hard at his job and has long days, but still comes home and interacts with me & Emma. He is finishing his final class for his MBA, he has class on Thursday evenings and he'll graduate in December, yeah!! He's been great with all the Bradley classes, embracing his role as a coach and supporting me and Emma through the labor and delivery process. I love him and couldn't ask for a more perfect person to walk this life with!!

Ok, I feel I've filled my requirement for now! Love you Rachel and thank you for giving me direction in what to write! Can't wait to see you, Sherman and June again!!

30 Weeks, Little Emma

2009-08-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I had my 30 week check-up yesterday and we discovered something. My external uterine measurement was coming up short showing 28cm instead of 30cm (generally the measurement of your uterus coincides with the number of weeks you are pregnant). My last few visits I had been measuring 1 week behind, but this one showed 2, so my Dr. ordered an ultrasound to verify that Emma's development was still on track.

Beverly the ultrasound tech did 4 measurements, Emma's head, femur, abdomen and the amniotic fluid. She also looked to see that Emma was "breathing" (she doesn't actually breathe, but her little tummy moves up & down to strengthen her diaphragm for when she's born), her movement (arms and legs punching and kicking) and her heart beat (a steady 150 bpm). Emma's measurements put her at 30 weeks and she scored excellent on the other areas of observation. Emma also opened and closed her eyes and stuck out her tongue and was sucking on her hand! So amazing! She currently weighs about 3.5lbs. The tech's initial assessment was that everything looked good, and that she was just a little on the small side; meaning instead of in the 50% (average) for growth, she is in the 39%, which isn't bad, just means she's small.

I'm now on the 2 week schedule for Dr. visits so we're getting so close. We started our Bradley classes last week and are finally seeing the Finish line! I'm glad we're going into this as informed as possible; and preparing so that Emma has a smooth transition from womb to reality. Still a little while to go, but its flying by so fast!!

Here are some pics of the ultrasound!

Remodeling & Resizing

2009-07-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

Emma's room is done! Well, at least the floors, walls and window treatments! Got to give a huge THANK YOU to our families for making pulling this off. Mom, Dad, Steph and Hannah for cleaning and doing hours of yard and prep work and lending supplies and creative sewing skills - Mom, Dad, Rachel & Daniel for putting in the hard labor, painting, taping, pulling carpet, solving intricate math equations to make the flooring cover the space required, hanging curtains and sharing your time with us! We could not have done it without all of you! I love community and family!!

So, we painted the walls in Emma's room getting rid of the rather dark khaki to a much brighter blue & green to coordinate with Emma's bedding. We also pulled up the carpet and installed a beautiful wood laminate floor to give contrast to the furniture (which we still have to get and put in the room) and the rest of the flooring in the house. We found some gorgeous rust/orange fabric to go with the bedding and Mom made some fantastic curtains that just make the room 'pop'!

Pictures of Emma's Room Transformation

26 Weeks! The weeks are flying by! I can't believe how little time we have left! Everything is going well, had my glucose test (testing for gestational diabetes) last week and am awaiting the results, hopefully we'll have a good test result. Emma is moving like crazy! We're to the point now where you can see her move on the outside; rather intriguing. I definitely find myself watching my belly mesmerized. Such an amazing process!!

WE'RE HAVING A GIRL!

2009-05-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

So, we had our 2nd sonogram last week and discovered we're having a girl! We're soooo excited! After much speculation as to the sex of our little one prior to the sonogram, we've discovered that as parents you know things about your children that no one else can know, and when in doubt trust the still small voice inside that shares the creative identity of your child ;). Anyway, we're fairly certain her name will be Emma Cadence. So, now for decorating the room, I've got to be very creative 'cause my little girl will see the pattern of her world with the creativity of the Father. I'm feeling good, enjoying the 2nd trimester and all its glory and loving watching my belly expand and grow. Bring on the maternity clothes!! Here is a link to pics of my Growing Belly & Baby Emma if you'd like to see our progress as well as a link to my sis' GROWING belly as well Rachel's Bump. I'll try to continue to post pics of my growing belly as the weeks go by. Stay tuned!

13 Weeks and Counting

2009-04-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

Crazy how time flies, had my 13 week check-up yesterday and everything is great. I also heard the heart beat for the first time, little thing pounding 160 bpm. All I could do was smile! I'm also feeling little "flutters" which is the baby moving around. It's so exciting and amazing to actually be able to track the life and development of a new human forming. I can't wait to see what the next phase holds, end of the first trimester almost gone, second here I come!

Murmurs & Echos

2009-04-08T17:51:00.000-07:00

I've had a heart murmur since birth, it only came up in my child hood when I started running track and Dr.'s wanted to verify that everything was alright. Upon telling my Dr. about it, she wanted me to get an echo-cardiogram (sonogram of the heart) to make sure my heart would hold the pressure of pregnancy and child birth. So last week, I went in and had an echo done, preliminary reports are that my heart is healthy and the murmur is not significant enough to cause any problems. So, God is faithful again in giving us sight and wisdom and having His hand direct our lives!

First Glimpse

2009-02-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

Hello All,

We wanted to let everyone know that David (Aaron) and I are expecting our first baby!!! Attached is the first ultrasound of our little bean. The baby (1/4 of an inch long) is doing great with a whopping 147bpm heart rate. I'm due October 10th and we're just super excited. We also wanted to give a big thanks for all of you who prayed and walked this journey with us. We're so thankful for the world we live in that surrounds us with community and fortifies us with accurate sight and the knowledge of truth. All of your support, prayers and encouragement has meant the world to us, and we're so excited to bring new life into such an incredible group of family and friends. More Updates to come!

Hello World

2009-01-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

This is my first posting although I started this blog over 2 years ago. Go figure. So, here we go. As most of my friends and family know I have some photos for sale on a website called www.boundlessgallery.com. I just found out that tomorrow, January 22, I will be a featured artist on the home page of the website! I know I send emails for new inventory and so on, but I thought I'd send a refresher to everyone so you can see/purchase my work and pass it along to any friends/family that you think might be interested. I hope this posting finds you well and pursuing life to the fullest.

Here's the link directly to my website as well: www.sarahbrown.boundlessgallery.com

Outlet

2006-12-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

this is an outlet for my poems and various other creative writings...