Welcome Baby Lucas!

Lucas Alexander Brown

Born Oct 8, 11:08 PM

7 lbs, 15 oz

21 inches long

Birth Story to follow at a later date.  

Any Day Now

Today I am 37 weeks 5 days pregnant.  This means that our little Chirphead could decided to come into this world at any time.  Boy are we ready.  Clothes are sorted and washed, the carseat inspected and installed properly, the Pack'n'play and changing table are built, we've had our shots... now we just need our little boy so we can bring him home.  

I still consider myself very lucky for the symptoms that I've experienced in this pregnancy, but these last few weeks have been extremely difficult.   I am, however, amused by the pregnancy waddle.   I'm less amused by increased insomnia (it really doesn't help when everyone tells you to sleep now there won't be time later... I'm TRYING to sleep but my body isn't cooperating), increased pains and decreased mobility. Unfortunately these all lead to increased irritability, but poor Keith has been a trooper.   It helps to know that these symptoms are temporary, but after living with a chronic condition for years and working hard to accept physical limitations outside of your control, it is hard to experience a sudden decline in ability.  Like all of my symptom accounts, I'm writing this not to complain but to remember what I experienced through this pregnancy.  I want to remember that each discomfort passed with time, and nothing lasted the whole length of the pregnancy.  

Let's focus on the (what is hopefully) the near future.  What am I excited for?

• To snuggle our baby boy.  Keith likes to tell me that I've been snuggling him for 8.5 months now, but I want to smell his (likely very little) hair, kiss his fingers and hold him close.  I want him to kick me from the outside so I can watch the wiggles.
• To see Keith snuggle our baby boy.  Keith is just as excited to actually meet our little one as I am.  
• To Breastfeed.  I know that there can be challenges with this, but I am excited to try to feed my baby and experience this closeness.  
• The introduction of Indy to Chirphead.  This is going to be a relationship that is going to need constant supervision, but we are prepared with baby gates and additional activities for Indy.  This won't be easy, but in the end will be wonderful for our family.  
• Beer.  Harpoon made a pumpkin UFO this year, and Keith and I went on a quest to find it.  We now have a 6 pack in the pantry waiting in the pantry for me to taste. 
• Wine.  We have accumulated 6 bottles of my favorite summer wine since the availability goes down in the winter. 
• Sushi, Lox, hot dogs, & lunch meats.  I don't really need to explain these ones, do I?
• Pancakes and Cookies.  Since we know the baby is pretty big, I have cut out carb heavy meals since sugars just go straight to the size of my little boy right now.  This has been hard because these are the food items that I'm craving the most right now.  So I've already put in a request for a cookie cake upon my return home from the hospital.  

Likely my last time holding both my baby boys at the same time for a while!

We had an appointment with our OB today... and guess what!  I am 1 cm dilated and my cervix is soft, which is AWESOME for a first pregnancy.  This means that we are really on our way.   Given the big boy I'm carrying, the OB would be happy for me to go into labor 1-1.5 weeks early, which is what we're hoping for, too.  Wish us luck! 

35.5 weeks - the end is in sight!

As the pregnancy is rolling to a close, I am feeling pretty lucky with my symptoms.  I didn't start swelling until week 32, and even that was mild.  (Thank goodness it is September and starting to cool off!)  Unfortunately pregnancy related insomnia seems to have settled in, which means that my fatigue levels are increasing greatly.  Thankfully Keith is picking up a lot of the slack from my decreased activity level.  I'm having more difficulty maneuvering and getting up and down, but that is pretty normal when you are carrying a watermelon on your front!

Speaking of our little watermelon, Chriphead is going to be a big boy.  Big enough that we got to see him one more time this week!  He is measuring in the 70th percentile for size, which is still considered average.  The tech told us that they tend to estimate larger than smaller, but everything that she looked at was normal and healthy.  I'm very relieved that he's not expected to be 10+ lbs!  

Oh yeah, we learned one more thing at the ultrasound today.  Chirphead is still a boy!

32 Weeks and all is well!

Chirphead and I are both really healthy at our 32 week check up.  Now we start going to the OB much more frequently...  I finally feel like the end is in sight!  The fundal height was 34 cm, so he is a big boy, but still normal and nothing to be concerned about.  We may do another ultrasound at 36 weeks to check the size, but it is really hard to determine in-utero size.  (I'd just be happy to see Chirphead one more time before he comes out!)

It is also good to know that Chirphead is currently head down, so he is getting ready to meet us!  We are slowly getting the apartment in order for his arrival, but I feel like we are in pretty good shape to care for a baby.

2 years of Indy - Our First Baby

Indy's First Day Home

Two Years Later ("Mom, why are you wrapping me a towel?  *Sigh*")

Today is the anniversary of Indy's adoption, the day we became Indy's parents.  The decision to get a dog was a big one, and we knew that it would change our lives forever.  Keith and I knew that it would be a big responsibility, and that our lives would forever take a more scheduled pattern.  For the first time we would be responsible for a being who was entirely dependent on us for food, love and care.

The way home from the airport, after we had cleaned up his crate a bit.  

I didn't expect how much I would come to love Indy, how I feel his life is integrated into my being.  I love the kisses he gives my chin every morning.  Whenever I get upset (pregnancy does that to a person), Indy comes over and snuggles me.  I love watching Keith and Indy chase each other around the house.  I love Indy's reaction to the word "Walk" or "Run" (whines and running back and forth to us and the back door) and how he will freeze if you ask him "Are You..." or "Do you want..." because he knows those phrases usually come with something exciting for him.  I love that he can tell when we are going to run errands without him, and will run to his crate without us asking him.  He may not be perfect (those are part of other posts), but he is a member of this family!  He will always be my first "baby boy."  

Indy comes home, and immediately gets his first bath

"I'll stick with you, Mama!"

In ~2.5 months, Indy's pack is going to change with a new arrival.  We are doing everything we can to make the transition as smooth for him as possible.  Indy doesn't like strangers in our home, but I honstely believe he will see the baby as more of a puppy than another person.  We cannot wait for Chirphead to be able to join Keith in the "I'm gonna get ya" chases around the house.  

It is amazing how many of these things we considered to prepare ourselves for the arrival of our puppy also apply to the arrival of our (human) baby.  I'm just grateful that we won't have to take the baby outside every 30 min in those first few days home!  

29 Week Update

We're behind with our postings, but I wanted to give a quick update now that I'm into the beginning of my third trimester.  (Horray!!)  At 29 weeks everything continues to be perfectly healthy.  I DO NOT have gestational diabetes (yay!) and Chirphead is growing at a good rate.  At my appointment today I measured 30 cm, consistent with him being about a week ahead of schedule.

August is going to be a crazy month for pregnancy stuff.  My appointments are about to increase in frequency, and we're taking a ton of classes.  Last night was our first birthing class, and it went pretty well.  It is nice to see other first time parents as nervous as we are.  We even met a couple with the same due date!  Over the next few weeks we will have 3 more birthing classes, 1 breastfeeding class and 2 newborn care classes.

Knits for Chirphead

Two days ago I shared an in-progress image of the Zebra Woobie (a blanket with a stuffed animal head in the middle) I'm making Chirphead.  I finished this project today, and as I was adding it to the growing pile of knits for Chirphead I realized that I wanted to share all of the projects I've completed thus far.  

Many knitters report being questioned on if they are making baby items or if they are pregnant while knitting in public.  (Thankfully I had never been asked if I were pregnant while knitting until recently!)  I have always loved knitting baby items, and I have taken this pregnancy as an opportunity to go a little nuts.  It didn't help that the newborn photographer we've booked googled me and commented on how she knows I'll come to the shoot with the best props.  You bet Chirphead will have the best handmade props!  

I completed a few of these projects before I knew I was pregnant, the winged Hermes Baby Socks are even my own design!  I completed the Baby Marley Hat over a year ago, and knew that it was something that I would need to save for my future child.  I used the Turtle Love Bib to announce the pregnancy on ChemKnits.  The striped baby socks were just a quick little project that I whipped up while taking a breather from some larger projects.  

Why does Chriphead need two owl earflap hats?  I made the small one first and then panicked that it would be too small for a newborn baby.  The crochet hat has some stretch, but I didn't want it to be obviously too small.  I whipped up a second version so that way one of them should fit my son!  (If the other is too small it can become a doll toy.)  Most of the other projects haven't been published yet on ChemKnits, but the details will be out in the coming months, including the Alpaca Baby Shawl (the blue blanket), a hungry caterpillar cocoon and hat, a pumpkin hat (for Keith).  

I'm so proud of the finished woobie zebra that I need to post another close up picture here:

Knitting while pregnant

Sometimes, knitting while.pregnant is especially cute!

Chirphead's Zebra Woobie - In Progress

25 Week Update

Once again, we are horribly behind on updates.  With Keith headed to Seoul this week, I should hopefully have the chance to update you on two amazing Brown visits, our Strut for Strays walk and our road trip circumnavigating Lake Michigan to get to Mackinac Island.  (Hopefully this is more doable than my plan to complete three photo books by the time the baby is born...)

Just shy of 25 weeks.  

Why haven't I been doing much blogging?  Well I have actually been doing a LOT of blogging.  I'm working hard to get enough ChemKnits posts scheduled so I can have a maternity leave once the baby is here.  I don't want to disappoint my readers by not producing content.  It helps that I have a list of knitting and dyeing projects that I need (want) to complete before the baby is born.  Some of these items are for the baby, others are for Christmas.

Today I had my 25 week update at the doctor.  All of my vitals continue to be really good and all tests are coming back negative.  I get to do the 1 hr diabetes test in the next few weeks, but I'm hopeful that it will go smoothly.  The only thing that concerns me is that Chriphead is currently measuring large.  I really don't want him to come out at 10 lbs!  I suppose my reaction is normal, and I didn't listen to when the Dr. said that I'm only measuring 1 cm large for how pregnant I am right now.  From my internet research, this is not "too large" enough to warrant any concern or additional tests, especially when everyone does the gestational diabetes test by 28 weeks anyway.

Mr. Chirphead is getting stronger and stronger.  Sometimes his kicks are so strong that it makes whatever I had resting on my belly jump!  While we were on Mackinac last week, Keith felt the strongest Chriphead kicks yet, and not to mention the first time he had felt multiple kicks in a row.

Chirphead's Gender Revealed + 20 Week Ultrasound Photos

It's a Boy!!

The story behind the gender reveal

Rebecca makes a lot of yarn dyeing tutorials for her YouTube Channel, and she had a great idea for her Dyeing Experiments series.  White vinegar (an acid source) is an important component of dyeing yarn, so the plan was to have two dyebaths, one with vinegar and one with plain water and to "dye" two skeins of yarn.  Only one would retain the color, thus revealing the gender.  Unfortunately this did not go as planned and we ended up with a vibrant pink yarn in addition to the blue.  Reds require less acid to bind to yarn than pinks, so it is possible that this experiment would have worked better if Chirphead were a girl.  Nevertheless, it is still a good video for the YouTube channel, but meant that we did not use the video itself to share Chirphead's gender with the world (Facebook) as planned. Thus the miniskein of blue yarn. 


20 Week Ultrasound

The anatomy scan went extremely well.   Chirphead is really healthy and is moving like a champ.  Below you will find our favorite pictures.

Look at that cute little mouth!!

Chirphead is really advanced! While we were watching we saw him grabbing his foot while sucking on his thumb. (I'm pretty sure it is supposed to take them months after birth to discover their toes.  The next two pictures are the attempt to capture these impressive simultaneous acts.  

And finally, a 3d image of little Mr. Chirphead. Rebecca sees Keith in this face shape.  Something about the forehead and nose makes him look just as handsome as his daddy! 

If everything continues to be healthy, we may not get a chance to see Chirphead again until he is born.  We already think he is beautiful. 

Indy is very interested in his baby brother!

Rebecca had a gut feeling that Chirphead would be a boy.  Just in case, before the ultrasound she and Indy had their morning nap and an extra snuggle session.  Rebecca has been calling Indy her "baby boy" ever since he was a puppy and knew that this might be the last chance that Indy was her ONLY baby boy.   After the ultrasound, Indy was greeting Rebecca super enthusiastically and Rebecca felt nothing but excitement to be playing with her baby boys.  :)

20 Week Update

We're half way there!  We are so excited to meet Chirphead, but we need it to stay inside me a little longer, okay baby?

My 20 week checkup went very well.  Chirphead's heart rate is 140/145 bmp.  My Dr. is fantastic and addressed a lot of the concerns and fears I have for labor and delivery.   All my blood work etc continues to be normal, so we are in the midst of a healthy pregnancy!  We are about to sign up for some classes to help us prepare for birth and beyond.

The most prevaling symptom continues to be increased fatigue.  This can vary greatly from week to week, but in general it is something that I am experienced handleing.  I had expected to feel general discomfort, but I did not expect to feel so many pregnancy related aches and pains!   My Dr. recommends getting used to sleeping on your side early, but boy is it making my hip hurt.

There are some good symptoms that are happening.  I'd felt the baby move a few times in the last few weeks, mostly in the evening when I was laying down trying to fall asleep.  At 20w1d I started feeling the baby move multiple times in a day!

Whenever I talk to the baby, Indy comes running over.  I suppose I'm using the same tone to talk to Chirphead as I do to talk to Indy, so I'm starting to explain to Indy how he

Stay tuned for pictures from the 20 week ultrasound... We now know whether Chirphead is a boy or a girl!

17 week update

(Caroline, this picture is for you!)  At 17 weeks I am definitely showing that Chirphead is within me.  I frequently feel like I just look fat rather than pregnant, but in yoga pants the baby bump just pops.  

This week we got another batch of test results back, and everything continues to be normal.  A few weeks ago we found out that our risk factor for Down Syndrome and other trisomy disorders (21/18) was as low as it possibly could be.  This week, we had the alphafetoprotein (AFP) screen, and our risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects is also about as low as it can be.  Each time we hear that our Chirphead is healthy it is a huge relief!  

My pregnacy symptoms continue to be "normal" - Aches/pains as the uterus grows, exhaustion levels that would be reasonable even if I didn't have CFS and I cry really easily.  (I have always cried easily, but now I cry at REALLY stupid things... Poor Keith!  He has been a great sport dealing with these new emotional levels.)  

-----------------------------------------

And here is a cute Indy picture with his newest toy, ROPE.  (A fake rubber rope that we thought would last longer than the fibrous variety, but it already has some cracks in it.  This pup loves to destroy "indestructable" toys!)

15 weeks 5 days

Today we had our monthly appointment with the OB, and we are thrilled to say that everything is still healthy.   Chirphead's heart rate is slower now, ~140 bpm as estimated by the Dr, but this is because it is growing bigger.  My uterus is just shy my belly button now!  

Keith decided to be cute while we were waiting for the Dr to come in, and I couldn't resist taking a picture.   Unfortunately, I missed the great portraits he drew of me next, the first two were actually very cute!  

And so it begins...

There are many things we are going to need to do to make space for Chirphead in our 1-bedroom apartment.  I figured that I could start by clearing out some space in my dresser for our upcoming roommate.          (This also forced me to get rid of some of my clothes.)

We have started to make other changes to the apartment, but that has mostly been trying out new furnature configurations slowly to help Indy adjust.

A baby dresser in Mommy's dresser.

Pregnancy And CFS - The First Trimester

It is no secret that I have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) for a long time.  I don't often talk about it publicly but I am very open to talking about my experiences.  I therefore thought it would be worth keeping track of how I am managing the increased fatigue that comes with pregnancy and eventual motherhood.  I know that these stages are difficult for all first time parents, and adding persistent chronic fatigue and corresponding anxiety issues to the mix can make things complicated.  

Planning

Before Keith and I considered getting pregnant we talked about it with my doctor.  She was very supportive and encouraging that I would be able to handle the crazy tasks, both physically and emotionally.  Nothing about my condition prohibits me from becoming a mother.  I am also thrilled that this is one of the life goals that my disease HASN'T taken away from me.  (I am also excited to be able to say "I'm a stay-at-home Mom" when people as me what I do rather than "disabled" or "taking some time off."  Being a mom is a non-awkward explanation for not working outside the home.)  Being a stay-at-home mom was never my plan as I attended Wellesley and then completed my PhD at Harvard, and I still hope that someday in the future I will be able to work a full time teaching position.  However, I know that I will soon have a little baby who is ready to learn from me and I am so excited for the next chapter in our lives.  

Secondly, I know that it is going to be hard.  Keith is extremely supportive and we have talked about plans for dealing with the extra chores that come with parenthood.  We are aware that there are many things that will come up that you cannot plan for, but we plan on taking things one day at a time.  It is very possible that we will need to extra help, whether that comes in the form of a cleaning service, dog walker or a babysitter some afternoons.  

Pregnancy Symptoms 

I have been very lucky in the pregnancy symptom department.  (Poor Keith has dealt WONDERFULLY with my random crying and mood swings!)  Here are my experiences with some of the more common pregnancy symptoms.  

• Morning Sickness - Between Weeks 5-7, I had some afternoon/evening sickness that I was able to manage by napping.  The nausea was very light and very manageable   I think that if I were on my feet all day rather than resting on the couch, I may have found it more burdensome  but since most days there was nothing urgent to attend to, I didn't mind it at all.  By week 8, this rarely happened.  
• Aches and Pains - Sorry if this is TMI, but my boobs are now HUGE (not that they were ever small before.)  They are a bit tender, but that comes and goes.  The first few weeks I knew I was pregnant (weeks 4-5) I had pretty constant aches in my lower abdomen, but rarely was it more than just a slight discomfort.  Unfortunately in week 6 I started having HORRIBLE lower back pain to the point where I could not fall asleep due to being so uncomfortable in every position I found.  Thankfully this was done by week 7.  
• Fatigue - Week 3 (before I even knew I was pregnant) I had increased fatigue to the point that it concerned me.  I was feeling so frustrated... until we got that positive pregnancy test.  Suddenly everything made sense and the frustration I was feeling evaporated.  I'm pregnant, I'm supposed to be tired!   Since then my fatigue levels have gone up and down.  I am able doing a little less physically because I am extra tired, but it is much better than it was in those really early weeks of pregnancy.  The biggest difference from pre-pregnancy is that I am now doctor encouraged (and self encouraged) to nap.   I am HOPING that my experience dealing with fatigue is helping me function and cope with this better than the average person, but we shall see.  
• More Fatigue - Weeks 10-14 - After a brief break, the fatigue got a bit worse again.  I am sleeping around 12 hours a day (between night time and naps).  Thank goodness this is something that many pregnant women experience, and not just me!  I do tend to be a little crankier (poor Keith), but this is also somewhat related the mood swings mentioned briefly above.  
• Cravings - I'm not sure if I'm having pregnancy cravings, but if I start thinking about a particular food it suddenly becomes very important that I get it QUICKLY.  Keith has been very supportive of this, running to the supermarket or a drive through to pick something up for me if if I'm too tired to go myself.  The thing I've been craving the most?  Steak'n'Shake burgers.  

Ultimately, I feel that my pregnancy symptoms are extremely managable, and the experience of being pregnant is pleasant!

Baby Registry Information

It's a boy!!

Due Date: October 2013
Location: Evanston, IL

Babies R Us - Under Rebecca Brown and Keith Brown; Registry #49493620.   Note, we seem to be unable to share a perminant link, if it doesn't bring you to our registry search for Rebecca Brown Evanston or the registry # you will get to our registry link.  

Amazon.com (under Rebecca Brown and Keith Brown) - This list contains the items that we need that Babies R Us doesn't carry.  There are also a lot of books that we would love to read to Chirphead that were our favorites growing up.  

PetSmart Gift Cards - To get Indy extra treats and playtime while he is staying in the PetHotel during the birth.

We cannot wait to meet Mr. Chirphead!  We love dinosaurs and ocean themed baby items.  

Boston Marathon Monday - April 15, 2013

I saw a lot of things Monday that I had hoped to never witness in my life.  Someday, I will need to tell my baby that it was there, too.  I plan to tell it that even when there are people trying to hurt us, nothing can damage the community of Boston.  The community and spirit of Marathon Monday continued past the bombs as neighbors turned to visitors to offer kindness and support, as first responders did everything in their power to help those who were injured and keep the thousands of others in the vicinity safe.  Monday, we witnessed more acts of kindness and courage than acts of evil.  I am proud to be from Boston.

Dear Baby,

Your dad and I were born in Boston.  Keith lived in Middlesex county until we moved to Evanston where you will be born.  I moved away when I was 3 years old, but returned at least twice a year and always considered it to be home before returning for college and graduate school, making MA the state where I've lived more than anywhere else.  In the two years we've lived in Evanston, we've returned to Boston many times, including for the 2012 and 2013 Boston Marathons.  In 2012, we went to cheer your Uncle Alan and Auntie Caroline.  In 2013 we traveled to cheer for Auntie Laura.  Keith has run the BAA 5k three years in a row, but this year we missed our chance to register to run my (and your) first Boston 5k.

Keith and I spent the morning in Newton near the mile 18 marker with your Great Grand Papa and Pinto.  (Pinto was quite an attraction, many runners asked him for rides the rest of the way, and at least one stopped to pet him!)  We were right next to some people playing music, so we got to dance while we cheered.  Laura ran towards us grinning with her arms in the air, and we cheered with pride.  Once she had passed, we quickly packed up and then waited for a gap in the runners where we could cross the street.  We squeezed onto the green line train to head to the finish line to meet Laura.

We got off the train at Hynes, as the Copley stop was closed as is usual for the Marathon.  We pushed through the crowds towards the finish line, unsure if Laura had just crossed or if we were going to be able to see her along the final stretch.  Keith and I were one and a half blocks from the finish line when we saw the explosions.  They sounded like cannon fire, and we were momentarily confused since we didn’t expect celebratory cannons at the race.  The air filled with smoke and the street filled with screams as people ran both towards and away from the site.  I felt frozen, and Keith urged me to move.  We didn't want to leave the area without Laura.  We were able to reach Auntie Claudia who had a text from Laura saying she was stopped a half mile from the finish.  Before leaving Boylston St, we lent our phones to a few runners so they could try to reach family, but cell service was already spotty and most calls weren't going through.  We kept trying these numbers as we walked towards home, keeping an eye out for Laura.  Keith recognized her by the zebra print bow in her hair when she was corralled with hundreds of runners next to Mass Ave.  As we shared the little water, coats and blankets we had on us, residents of back bay came with sweatshrits, water, and trashbags for the shivering runners.  We waited for over an hour before the Boston Police directed the runners toward the park and we were able to get a ride home from Claudia.

This is our story, this is your story because you were there, too.  This is when I learned far too early that I am not going to be able to protect you from the evils of the world.  Being smart and responsible is not enough to keep you out of harm’s way.  We are so lucky, but others were not as fortunate.   I am very shaken by what I witnessed Monday, but I am also awed by all of the good that I saw.  I am heartbroken, but my spirit is not broken.  Many of the runners want to run again, and many spectators won't let twisted people keep them away.  I will be back on the sidelines of the marathon.

It is hard to put into words the pain I feel, to tell you about the tears and the nightmares.  But I want you to know that it is okay to be sad and scared when something bad happens.  It is part of healing.  It is also important to think of the good you see despite the evil, it is important to not let those trying to cause terror win.

For me the marathon has always been about a community coming together for support.  This support that I have felt for years as a spectator was even stronger after the bombing.  Responders rushed to assist the injured and protect those of us who were close by but unharmed.  Spectators reached out to the runners to give them water, clothing, and phones to contact loved ones.  Neighbors came out of their homes with trashbags, sweatshirts and blankets to give to the shivering runners corralled at Comm and Mass Ave.  People circled the city in their cars offering the stranded rides home.  There was a lot of fear and heartache, but very little panic.  The mood on the street was more anger and defiance.  We will not let those responsible win.  We will be back.

Love,
Mom

Chirphead's Ultrasounds

We had our first look and listen to little Chirphead at 7w5d.  The heart rate was 160 bmp.  It was the most beautiful sound we'd ever heard!  

Chirphead's size was right on target, so they did not alter the projected due date.  

We saw Chirphead for a second time about a week ago (at 12w2d.)  It was great to hear (and see) the heartbeat again and to see our little one WIGGLE and jump around Rebecca's uterus. In the ultrasound we learned: Chirphead has two arms and two legs and measures 7 cm from head to butt. Chirphead is stubborn - it kept its hands over the face hiding its nose and wouldn't lift its head!  

Thus far, Chirphead is growing perfectly and all tests have come back perfect.  

Coming this October

Keith and Rebecca are proud to announce that we are expecting our first child this October!