30 Weeks, Little Emma

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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