Brownlandia

The Tree

2011-12-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

We decided to make a special trip to pick out our Christmas tree this year. We drove to a tree farm outside of Elon, NC about 30 minutes from our house. They have cut-your-own long leaf pine trees. We had a nice time walking around the farm and then we bought a frasier fir tree that was pre-cut from the mountains (apparently they only grow over 3000 feet in elevation)!

Haircut

2011-12-08T13:42:00.000-05:00

As with everything about Emma, her hair is growing fast too! It was starting to get a bit uneven looking so Momma tried to cut the front to make it look less stringy. Ooops....so Emma then went in to get her first profressional haircut!!

A special occasion

2011-11-01T21:43:00.000-04:00

One of our dear friends got married a few weeks ago and we had a blast at her wedding. We wish Sheri & Barry all of the best in their new life together!!

It was Emma's first dress-up function, so I decided to make her something special to wear. The dress is from toosweets patterns over at etsy...the 'best bubble dress'. I made the little flower to add some flare. The clip in her hair is an original too! I also made shoes to go with the outfit (maryjanes in the same material as the dress, with pearls on the buckle), but unfortunately I made one size too small and they didn't stay on for more than the first half hour. Needless to say, I was disappointed but I hope to try the shoes again soon in a larger size...maybe black to go with some of her church dresses.

Thank you to Lisa Albert for these great pictures!!

Emma's friend Jack with his daddy Brian.
Jack is about 4 months older than Emma.

Crawling....almost!

2011-11-01T17:26:00.000-04:00

Emma took her first crawl last week. She actually moved using her knees right before bedtime. You can see the stages of the movement below.

She also loves to push up on the tips of her toes as far as she can go and then flop forward. She does this over and over again to get where she wants to go. It made me laugh the first time I saw it!

Hoooooot!!!!!!!

2011-11-01T17:16:00.000-04:00

I made Emma an owl costume for this Halloween because her 'school' has a special time to dress up and do fun activities on Halloween. However, Emma didn't get to go to school yesterday (it has been a rough sickness week), but we did dress her up for the occasion!!

Emma is showing off her new favorite 'fish' face!

Newest Addition to the Brown Family...

2011-10-20T13:27:00.000-04:00

...it's a boy!!!!!!!!!

Please meet Maximus Brown (note the 'M' on his forehead). He joined the Brown family yesterday evening. We inherited Maximus from Emma's teacher's mom (got that straight??)!!! He seems to fit in quite well around here. The first hour he was here, he ate at least 4 bugs, climbed half of the tree and pounced on countless leaves blowing in the yard. He is very curious but also sociable. We hope he will really like to eat mice, moles, and groundhogs :-) Emma LOVES Maximus, but he is a little more cautious about her so far!!

NC State Fair 2011

2011-10-16T20:23:00.000-04:00

Leaving for the state fair.
One of our new Brown family traditions!!

Standing in line to see the animals.

Emma trying to find the rooster that kept calling...EAA--EAA--EAARRLLLLLL!!!!

I think she had a good time because we wore her out!!

Best Weekend EVER!!!

2011-10-16T20:15:00.000-04:00

Catching Up

2011-10-08T19:55:00.000-04:00

It has definitely been a while since I have posted on the blog. We got a bit busier once I started back to work. Now, we have high(er) speed internet (YEAH!!) so it should take a lot less time to post and keep things updated. Here's a quick tour of the past 3 months.

Baby dedication at our church.
Grandma got to come down and visit for the special day!!

Emma's very first feeding of oatmeal.

Daddy, can I have it please....????

The first bite of peas....

...and then the second bite of peas.

I think more of the carrots ended up on Emma than in her tummy,
but it was a learning experience.

The TV watching position

Anyone getting sleepy?

We visited Lake Greenwood, SC for 4th of July with Eddie's friends from college.
We all took a day trip to the zoo.

Our friends visited for an evening of tractor rides, feeding the horses, climbing in trees and catching lightning bugs.
Here are Ivy and Charlotte hugging on Emma.

Emma, Grandma, and Mommy travelled to New York to visit Mommy's relatives.
Emma is sitting on Great-Grandma Dann's lap.

Emma visits with Great-Grandma Tyson

Emma loves touching her Daddy's beard

Daddy responds by blowing on her neck. It always gets a laugh!

Momma and Emma after a bath

Our trip to Ocean Isle Beach, NC

Emma's first waves at the ocean.

Grandma is giving Emma a bath in her sink. I think she enjoyed it.

Eddie's birthday party

Emma is dressed for the first Clemson game of the season.
Daddy says she is a good luck charm.

Nana and Emma playing in our little 'house' we stayed in on our trip to SC to visit Eddie's family.
We picked lots of peanuts and got eaten by a few bugs, but it was a good time.

Pa-pa and Emma cooking breakfast the day we drove back home from SC

Grandaddy & Emma
He was making noises and she was laughing hysterically.

Emma enjoying the attention from Papa.


Granny Brown holding Emma She likes to play with her ears!


Cole feeding Emma when the kids visited us in NC

The best weekend EVER...swim outing :-)
Cole, Emma, Grace, Annalese

Growing Up

2011-06-05T13:58:00.000-04:00

Emma is growing up VERY quickly!! She is 11 weeks old today and it seems that each day she learns something new. She is sitting up in her Bumbo seat like a big girl. She also plays with her toys and enjoys time on her playmat with the farm animals. She likes to look at the pictures while Mamma reads her books from the library. She is also fascinated by the TV and will talk to it. And...she has the most beautiful smiles in the whole world!!

Trip to Virginia

2011-06-05T13:46:00.000-04:00

We finally got to Virginia to visit Rebekkah's side of the family. Emma got to meet all of her cousins and stay at Grandma's house. She was such a good little girl on the trip even though her routine was interrupted. She even got to spend a few hours at the river and splash her feet in the water. Emma's cousins can't wait for her to come back and visit.

Our First Trip

2011-05-03T16:58:00.000-04:00

We took our first trip as a new family this past weekend to South Carolina to visit Eddie's family. Emma got to meet so many new people! The trip went fairly well and Emma did much better than expected on the car ride down and back. Eddie was so proud to introduce her to everyone.

Kevin (Eddie's Step-dad) & Emma

Nana (Eddie's Mom) & Emma

Granny (Eddie's Grandma) & Emma

Papa (Eddie's Grandpa) & Emma

Aunt Destiny (Eddie's Half-sister) & Emma

Uncle Roman (Eddie's Half-brother) & Emma

Grandaddy (Eddie's Father) & Emma

Daddy & Emma fishing at Papa's pond

Easter 2011

2011-04-25T17:51:00.000-04:00

This Easter was a very special one as it was our first as a bigger family. We all got dressed up and went to our church for a wonderful celebration of Jesus' resurrection. Then we enjoyed a quiet ham dinner at home (with a little sadness that our extended families were so far away from us). After lunch we spent some time outside 'playing'. Happy Easter!

One Month Photo Shoot

2011-04-25T17:34:00.000-04:00

Our little girl turned 1 month old last week and we decided to have her pictures taken to honor the occasion. Grandma Sue and Rebekkah helped Emma with her wardrobe changes during the shoot. Emma had just woken up from a nap, so she was a very good and compliant model.

The pink dress is very special as it was worn by Grandma Sue and Rebekkah and has now been passed down to Emma. The purple dress is Emma's Easter dress for this year. The last outfit is Emma's birthday suit, proudly given to her by God.

The First Few Weeks

2011-04-14T12:19:00.000-04:00

Some of you might be wondering why it has taken us SO long to add another post. I am learning that there are many things that can be done one-handed, but making a blog post isn't one of those that I have learned yet! The past few weeks have flown by and Emma is 3 1/2 weeks old now.

I must say that the first week was definitely the hardest. Along with healing from the labor/delivery process, Emma and I had to learn about each other too. Between feedings and attempting to get some sleep where we could, there didn't seem to be any time for much else. It was a very big shock to me not to even be able to keep up my own house....folding a load of clothes seemed impossible! Thankfully, my Mom was able to stay with us that first week and help out tremendously. From cooking dinner to cleaning to staying up with Emma for a few hours so we could sleep a little...she helped with anything and everything. And to top it off, she was a great encouragement to me during this steep learning curve. What a priceless gift!!

Grandma Sue & Emma

Week 2 was just Me, Eddie, and Emma at home. We had help from friends with meals and we tried to settle in to being a family. Our biggest outing was a trip to the new outlet mall...we managed 1.5 hours and enjoyed doing something 'normal' for the first time with our precious little girl.

Eddie had to return to work at Week 3. I was a bit nervous and we definitely missed Daddy very much, but it was good for everyone to start a schedule. I can't say I have things all figured out, but I am starting to see patterns to what Emma wants to do every day. There are certain sleepy times, fussy times, and eating times. We have ventured out to quite a few places together: grocery store, mall, library. We have also made it to church 2 Sundays in a row!!!

Daddy and his Emma Belle

Bath Time

Tummy Time

Showing off for her Grandmas!!

Each day we see something new in her. She is starting to make a few sounds this week. And, all of that dark hair at birth is growing in from the roots a different color....we think it might be auburn...that red is coming out after all!!

Back to the Homestead

2011-03-23T19:25:00.001-04:00

Imagine the time when you were away from home and most wanted more than any other time in your life to just go home. That was us, Monday morning 3-21-11. Hospital rooms are what they are--hospital rooms--and cannot in any way be expected to be a stay at The Bellagio or anything else other than a necessary evil.

After the delivery, the nurses came in and took care of all the standard protocols of washing, weighing, measuring etc. Within an hour and a half we were whisked away from the relative comfort of the private room in the spacious labor and delivery ward to the confines of the postpartum wing. Here is a shot of our room:

There isn't much more to it than that. Rebekkah was recovering in the bed and I had a recliner over by the window. Baby slept on our chests when she slept. She was a little irritable the first day and night and needed a lot of feeding and comfort. We were happy to oblige. The first night she slept on and off for about a half hour at a time with feedings and cryings in between. Family and friends were there in full force to see little Emma and welcome her to the world. She is very loved and lucky to have the extended relatives and friends that care for her.

The second (Monday) night in the hospital was no different, not a lot of normalcy and I think the baby was feeling that. She didn't sleep much better and seemed to only be comforted when she was feeding. Daddy learned that laying Emma on his chest and giving her his pinky worked very well for getting her to sleep. At about 3 am, when all were finally fast asleep, we were awakened to a nurse busting in and asking where the baby was. Rebekkah panicked, because Emma was sleeping on my chest in the recliner. The nurse was hovering over me trying to take her for her lab blood draw, but half-sleep daddies hold their babies in kung-fu grips and don't give in very easily. Quick-witted Rebekkah noticed she had no credentials and asked her for them. Apparently she left them at home and followed the proper protocols of going to get another member of the staff to come get Emma and take her to the nursery. We then fell asleep again and were awakened when they brought Emma back.

At that point, it was getting close to daylight so we just got up because there was no use trying to sleep again. Nurses and staff were in and out and we saw the pediatrician and attending OB who promptly discharged us. After the standard state-compelled counseling session (my own description), we were free to go.

The drive home was apparently the most soothing thing Emma had experienced up to that point. I was expecting her to scream the whole way home, but she zonked out as soon as we got going. I noticed that I was driving like I was in my truck with a glass shower standing up in the back that I was trying to keep from tipping over.

We finally made it home and what a relief it was!! Emma was the guest of honor, and Grandmas Shirley and Susie were there waiting to capture the moment:

Otherwise, the rest of the day and night were about what you would expect. We spent our time resting and caring for Emma and reflecting on how quickly life has changed and will continue to change.

This is her Robert De Niro face..."You lookin' at me? No? Well who else you lookin' at?"

It's Time!

2011-03-23T14:38:00.000-04:00

Here is a short account of the last day and evening leading up to the birth of our sweet little Emma Belle...

Rebekkah's mom came in to town on Saturday afternoon, and are we ever thankful that she did! Rebekkah had been feeling decidedly different the entire day and started to show some signs of progression into labor by the early afternoon. We knew it would be soon, but not how soon!

Things really started about midnight and after a call to the OB office, several walks, telephone calls to family and a mass email, we were on our way to the hospital at 3 am. The staff at Durham Regional was wonderful and really accommodated us and our families during the whole process.

Being that it is a personal matter with lots of medical details, it will have to suffice for me to say that after another 12 hours of labor and one short but powerful surge, we had a new baby at 9:47 pm! Little 8 lb, 1.5 oz 20.5 in long Emma Belle Brown:

Thus ended the long sleepless night and day, and the realization of the beginnings of a new sleepless night and day.

Baby Shower

2011-02-11T08:08:00.000-05:00

I feel overwhelmed with love this week after attending my beautiful baby shower on Saturday. I keep telling little girl how blessed she is even though she doesn't even know it yet. It was such an enjoyable weekend, starting off with a vacation day on Friday for both Eddie and I. Mom, Chris, April, and Bella came to visit Friday afternoon from Virginia bringing along a Case tractor and bush hog. I think this was Eddie's favorite part of the weekend!! This tractor was my Dad's and he wanted so much to bring it to us while he was alive but he was just too sick to get it down to North Carolina. Every time I look at it, I think of Dad and how much fun he and my nephew Cole had working on it over the past few years.

My Aunt Amy hosted an amazing shower for me and baby girl at Four Square Restaurant in Durham. It was such a special time. I am honored that friends and family took the time to attend and also blessed us with very nice gifts for baby girl.

The theme was birds/nests and you can see that it was tastefully woven throughout the shower from the invitations to the floral arrangements even to the baby gifts that we received.

The lunch menu was fabulous and we played a game of finishing the nursery rhyme. I realized that I need to brush up on these with baby girl!!

I also received many wonderful gifts and had a great time opening them all!!

Eddie also made an appearance and was rewarded with his own gift to open...I think these will be his favorites for baby girl. Go Tigers!

What I enjoyed most of all was spending time with the my friends and family on this special day!

Back Row L-R: Aunt Amy, April, Jamie, Janelle, Grandma Sue,
Debra, Jenna, Mary, Virginia, Kristen
Front Row L-R: Allison, Manda, Rebekkah

Babies in progress: Baby Girl Brown and Baby Close (4 months apart!)

Grandma Sue patting baby girl

Baby girl is getting bigger by the minute and so his her Momma! Only a few weeks left....the countdown has begun.

THE Bathroom

2011-01-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

One of the most exciting projects we have finished in the past week is THE bathroom. This bathroom is located downstairs in the entry area of our house. It is a full bathroom and thankfully one that we haven't needed for everyday living. This bathroom has been a constant source of work, frustration, and time loss over the past year.

It all started last December when I wanted to quickly update the downstairs bathroom. We knew it needed a complete makeover, eventually, but the quick fix was to remove the gold and glass shower doors to replace them with a modern shower curtain and paint the walls. When Eddie starting removing the doors, he noticed some mold behind the stripping. By the time he was finished, the entire shower surround was ripped out and there was mold in a good portion of the wall/joists behind the shower walls. What started as a simple project, turned into a complete bathroom remodel.

It has taken 13 months to finish, but we think it is finally done. The last touches were completed this week. It isn't perfect, but it is mold-free and will be a nice guest bathroom. We have learned a lot on this project and hope to apply this to our other 2 bathrooms that will need the same TLC in the coming years. One room down, lots more to go....

More Sewing Projects

2011-01-30T20:54:00.000-05:00

I can't find the time to sew fast enough for the ideas that are floating around in my head. Sewing makes the perfect combination between saving money and making the items with my style and fabrics.

I started with something simple; a thin blanket for the baby made of flannel on one side and cotton on the other to match the colors in her room. This should be a good weight in case she needs a little extra cover without being too bulky to be unsafe.

I am also hoping to breastfeed little girl and will need something to ensure my privacy. I made a 'hooter hider' which is simply fabric with a neck strap that covers the baby while she is nursing. It is special because there is boning sewn into the top of the fabric so that I can look down and see Baby Girl, but we still stay covered. I can't take credit for the idea as Bebe au Lait was the original source. I love the fabrics that I used, the top is an earthy lime green with brown paisley/flowers. The back fabric is a dark brown with tiny flowers. I love this color combination!

The idea of carrying Baby Girl in a sling instead of toting her in a very heavy car seat carrier while I shop, do things around the house, or any other everyday task is very appealing. I have been searching for which sling to buy and there are so many choices and most of them start at $50 and just go up from there. I decided that I could make one for much cheaper and in a fabric that I actually like. So, I tried the Maya Wrap design. They even have instructions for sewing your own on their website too! I purchased the sling rings online and then picked out a two-sided fabric. Our bear Arthur (a Valentine's gift from Eddie to me a few years ago from the Build-A-Bear Workshop) was the guinea pig. I look forward to using this one day soon to snuggle with Baby Girl.

Getting The Room Ready

2011-01-30T20:21:00.002-05:00

Eddie and I have been working on different projects to get things ready for Baby Girl's arrival. We started by getting rid of Eddie's queen bed in our extra guest room. Then, we added a white crib purchased with love for Baby Girl by her Grandma Susie. Next was an all day shopping trip to find just the right dresser that would serve as a changing table and a nice bookshelf to match from IKEA (thanks to Grandma Susie for her patience with me on that shopping trip)!

I finally had an excuse to start sewing again and am excited to have been able to make a few things for the room. I started with the curtains which add some color and length to the room. Next, I made the little bird pictures that hang above the dresser. The mirror is a hand-me-down with a new ribbon to add a splash of pink!

It seems that the 'bird' theme continues with the peel-on tree mural beside the crib. The bird mobile was a joint effort with me sewing the little birds from fabric and Eddie constructing the mobile and hanging it just above the crib for Baby Girl to look at while she tries to fall asleep. I must say that the bird theme was quite accidental as things just came together, but it is cute and hopefully not too overdone.

The twin bed will be left in the room for guests to use and for us to use on nights where sleep is hard to come by. The light above it is a lantern from our wedding decorations. The quilt is a work in progress. I still have to quilt the top to sew the layers together and make the squares pop. And, of course when that is done the binding will be added to finish it off. Hopefully, Baby Girl will get a lot of use out of the quilt in the coming years.

We think the room is finished, besides all of the little things that we will use daily. My Aunt Amy is throwing a baby shower next Saturday, so after that I can start stocking up on diapers, wipes, and all of the other tiny clothes that Baby Girl will need very soon. 6 weeks to go and we can't be more excited to see this little girl in person!

Then came the baby...

2011-01-23T15:34:00.000-05:00

"Peanut" Brown at 9 weeks.

At 18 weeks, we found out Baby Brown is a girl!!

She was moving so much that they had to perform another ultrasound at 22 weeks so they could see all of her heart chambers. We think she will be very active!

Today marks 33 weeks and growing. We are getting very excited to meet Baby Girl Brown in person. We have been getting to know her quite a lot over the past months. She and her daddy like to play and talk at night. Daddy pokes her and she kicks back. Momma and Daddy also read her a few of her new story books. Momma is getting more uncomfortable by the day, but that just means Baby Girl is getting bigger and more ready to meet everyone! 7 more weeks to go....

Where it all began

2011-01-06T20:02:00.000-05:00

It all started when we fell in love and decided to get married....

We needed a place to live with a little elbow room, so we moved to Brownlandia in Hillsborough, NC.