RUTHIE, ERIC & REAGAN BROWN

41 WEEKS

2010-01-17T09:08:00.001-08:00

Reagan made it through her first cold & is feeling much better. The coolest thing that happened this week is that Reagan communicated for the first time through sign language. We've been doing baby signs for the past 5 months & using maybe 7 signs with her. When we were at dinner & feeding her little Gerber Graduate yogurt bites, she did the sign for "more." It was really cute & very exciting to think that she's able to communicate with us in that way! Reagan loves playing in her blue bathtub; especially when it's not bath time. Here are some photos of her in the blue tub, the real tub & in her room.
41 WEEKS

40 WEEKS - SICK BABY

2010-01-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

So, Reagan is sick for the first time this weekend. She had a runny nose on Thursday & by Friday had developed a raspy cough. Due to the wintry weather, Reagan's pediatrician's office was closed, so we couldn't get in to see the doctor. Despite not feeling well, Reagan slept pretty well waking at 11:30pm & 5am but quickly going back to sleep. Although she nursed well before bed, she cried when she tried to nurse this morning. I figured it was possible that she might have an ear infection, plus I wanted a doctor to listen to her chest, so Eric & I brought her to the weekend clinic this morning. Turns out she does have a minor infection in her right ear. 24 hours on the antibiotic & I bet she'll feel a lot better. Here are a few shots from earlier this week when she was feeling well.

WEEKS 37-39

2010-01-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

What a fun holiday season we've had. We spent Thanksgiving day w/Eric's family & then headed up on Friday to spend the weekend w/my parents, sister & her boyfriend. Christmas was celebrated multiple times; the Sunday before with the Browns, at Eric's office party on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day with my family. Eric's parents were able to join us for Christmas dinner along with my Aunt Becky & her family. Of course, Reagan made out like a bandit. She didn't really know what was going on but has enjoyed all the wonderful gifts she received. Since Thanksgiving, Reagan has really started moving. She really didn't start fully crawling until about the week before Christmas, but she hasn't stopped since. She's now pulling herself up to a standing position. When I got to her room this morning, she was standing in her crib. She's growing so fast & is so much fun. Reagan continues to be an extremely happy baby & loves people. She charms anyone she sees out in public with her gap-toothed grin & double-handed wave. As we like to say, "She's a doll!"
37 WEEKS

38 WEEKS

39 WEEKS

WEEK 34, 35 & 36

2009-12-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

Reagan is 8 months old today! I can't believe how fast this year is going. Reagan has changed so much these past few months & is so much fun. She is an unbelievably happy little girl & so smart, too. Reagan loves to read & especially to turn the pages all by herself. Her second top tooth is working it's way in; it's almost here, thank goodness. Teething continues to disrupt her sleep, but overall, she's been a trooper! On November 12, 2009 (Eric's & my 4th anniversary), Reagan slept through the night for the first time. She did that for 3 of 5 days & then was back to waking up. Still, she's making progress. She's eating her solid foods really well & is growing wonderfully. She weighed around 16 lbs. 5 oz the other day.
WEEK 34

35 WEEKS

WEEKS 31, 32 & 33

2009-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

Three more weeks have passed...wow, time is flying! Reagan's top tooth has finally broken through her gum, so she should have a few days of relief until the other tooth begins to move down. She tolerated the pain pretty well, but the night the tooth came in, she wouldn't eat & was a bit fussy. Her refusal to nurse had me worried for a little while, but thank goodness for Motrin. We spent last night at my parents' house as Eric was out of town. My mom was playing patty-cake with Reagan & Reagan started clapping along w/my mom. It's so neat to watch her imitate us & pick up on new things so quickly. She's been babbling a lot lately as well. Da-da-da seems to be her favorite sound at the moment!
HALLOWEEN

31 WEEKS

33 WEEKS

WEEKS 28, 29 & 30

2009-10-28T13:48:00.001-07:00

There are a couple of things I know for sure about Reagan. First, she is a very happy baby. Second, she does not like to sleep! Naps have been hit or miss these past few weeks. Some days she'll nap for a couple of hours throughout the day & then other days she'll only go down for a half hour. That makes for a LONG day. Still, it's hard to complain. She's growing so quickly & I can't believe October is just about over...that means Reagan is already 7 months old! She still hasn't started crawling but continues to roll wherever she wants to go. As of yesterday, Reagan is teething again. Her top left tooth is beginning it's journey; I just hope it breaks through the gum quickly. I think the other top tooth isn't too far behind. I haven't shot any photos yet from the 30th week, but for now, here are some shots from a few weeks ago.
WEEK 28

WEEK 29

WEEKS 26 & 27

2009-10-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

Reagan is now 6 months old. She is (as she has always been) such a happy baby. She absolutely LOVES the dogs & laughs at them from her belly which is the sweetest sound. Reagan weighed 15 lbs 2 oz. & was 27 inches long at her appointment. While she's in the 87% for height, she's only in the 29% for weight. But, hey, who doesn't want to be tall & thin? She's eating solid foods a couple of times a day & hasn't turned her nose up at anything yet...I'm hoping that continues!
WEEK 26

WEEK 27

25 WEEKS

2009-09-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Reagan is growing like a weed! She can now sit up "like a big girl" in her stroller for walks which I think she really enjoys. Reagan can see everything interesting on our walks, feel the breeze & most importantly, not be stuffed into her car seat which gets soooo hot. For the past 5 or 6 nights, she's only gotten up one time a night to eat which has been absolutely wonderful! Reagan's really beginning to fill out & is just a perfectly happy, thriving baby; I am so thankful.
I joined a moms group called Mom2Mom & am loving the fellowship of the other moms in the group. It's nice to know you're not going through the whole motherhood thing alone. Reagan goes to the childcare provided by the church while I'm at the group meeting & is doing okay with that; she's usually hungry or tired & needs mommy to address both of those needs. Still, I think it's good for her to be away from me a little here & there...and good for mom, too!
I'm just so in love with her & grateful that she's a beautiful, healthy little girl!

WEEKS 23 & 24

2009-09-21T05:46:00.000-07:00

My mom, Reagan & I went up to Charlotte last week to visit "Aunt Ashley." We had such a nice visit. Reagan did great with the traveling & didn't seem to have her sleeping or eating disrupted which was a relief. We spent a good bit of time enjoying the nice weather & walking around the wonderful neighborhood in which Ashley lives. Reagan got tons of attention from her aunt & granna. One of the highlights had to be when Ashley was playing with Reagan just after Reagan had finished eating. Poor Ash ended up with spit up in her hair, on her face & on her shirt...guess she learned the hard way not to slosh Reagan around after a meal.
These days Reagan doesn't stay still for a single second when she's awake. She is in constant motion & fascinated by everything in the world around her. She recently started making this growling sound with her throat & can't seem to get enough of making that noise. For the past two nights, I've only had to get up once w/her in the middle of the night which has been great. Hopefully this new trend will continue. Reagan has been napping really well, too, doing a long nap in the morning & afternoon. She has also been eating solid foods for a few weeks & doing great with that. I really haven't found anything that she won't eat just yet; I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will continue to be a good eater as she grows. Overall, Reagan is such a happy, sweet, smart little baby & we couldn't be more in love!
WEEK 23

WEEK 24

LABOR DAY 2009

2009-09-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Labor Day today. Eric made us breakfast & then Reagan & I took a walk; the weather was beautiful. When we got home, Eric went to fly & I watched some of the US Open & played w/Reagan. Reagan took an almost two hour nap & then my parents were here on their way back from Florida for a quick visit with us.
The best news from this holiday weekend is that Reagan's second tooth came in overnight on Sunday. After going down to bed around 7, she woke up screaming at 8:45 & I knew the tooth must be cutting through her poor gums. I was able to rock her back to sleep & then, for the first time ever, Reagan "slept through the night." She made it until 5:52am. Of course, when I woke up at 3am & she was still sleeping, I had to go into her room & check to make sure she was still breathing. I'm hopeful that since she's through this stage of teething, Reagan will have a little relief from the discomfort & sleep better. We'll see!

WEEK 22 - 5 MONTHS OLD!

2009-09-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

My new resolution is to keep up on this blog more regularly. I hope to update it once a week on Reagan's "birthday" which is each Tuesday. Of course, today is Wednesday, so I'm already behind!
As I type, Reagan is rolling around on the quilt my grandmother gave to her. She loves to roll around & seems to prefer spending time on her tummy...I guess after 5 months on her back, she's ready for a change. She's engrossed with the t.v. Right now, I have the US Open tennis on & she's glued to the t.v. The other weekend, she couldn't keep her eyes off the golf I was watching. I hope she becomes a little athlete!
Also, her first teeth are coming in! Both of her bottom teeth are beginning to break through the gum. She's been acting like she's teething for about a month now, so I'm glad that the teeth are finally making their appearance & Reagan will get a little relief from the discomfort. It doesn't seem to bother her during the day but has been a little disruptive to her sleep the past two nights. Tylenol seemed to help. I can't believe she's already getting her teeth; she's going to be grown before I know it.
Here are a few shots that I took of Reagan yesterday:
22 WEEKS

WEEKS 16-21

2009-08-28T12:30:00.001-07:00

Wow, another 5 weeks have passed. I think this may have been the hardest & the most fun 5 weeks yet. Up until a week ago, Reagan & I had been struggling with her nighttime sleeping. I was trying everything which was probably part of the problem. Subjecting my poor daughter to another sleep method every night. We had a few nights where I maybe got 2-3 hours of sleep...Reagan would go down to bed but then wake up 45 minutes later to cry for a while, then I'd try to rock her back to sleep only to have her wake up an hour later & on & on it went. At any rate, I think we've made it through this particular challenge. Three nights ago, Reagan would not fall asleep with me rocking her. This is what had been working for a month! So, I put her down in the crib, told Eric I'd be taking a bath & that Reagan was awake in her crib & we were going to let her cry for a while. Surely she'd eventually go to sleep. I got in the tub & sure enough, the whining/fussing started. Not 5 minutes later, I hear Eric in the room (over the monitor) soothing her. I hadn't wanted him to go in the room...I wanted her to cry for a while...but I was glad he did b/c that meant he didn't like hearing her cry either. His soothing didn't work, however, & her cries intensified. I got out of my bath & went to the room & of course, she stopped crying when I picked her up. I knew I wanted to try & break her habit of having me rock or nurse her to sleep, so we decided to let her cry for about 10 minutes & then I'd go in & check on her. Over an hour later (and after vomiting several times from crying so long), she finally passed out. She slept until around 2am which was great. The next night, she only cried for 38 minutes...I've been using my sports watch timer a lot lately. Last night, only 25 minutes. Today for her naps, she's cried for between 10-15 minutes each time...not too bad for a baby that had been relying on me to rock her to sleep. So, I think we're making progress.
On the more fun side of things, Reagan has changed SOOOO much this past month. She is rolling around everywhere. I'll lay her down on a quilt & then moments later she's 180 degrees turned in the opposite direction on the opposite side from which I set her. I think some of her sleep difficulties were probably related to the fact that she was working to reach this milestone. She is very active & I have a feeling we're going to have a crawler on our hands sooner rather than later.
Another new development is Reagan laughing. She's been smiling for a long time now, but her little laugh has started to blossom recently. It is one of the cutest sounds I've ever heard. She LOVES Big Bird & he usually makes her laugh. She loves to touch Eric's beard & often giggles when they're playing together. Despite the challenges at night (& related sleep deprivation for Mommy), she is so much fun & I love watching how she's growing & changing literally every day. Here are a few pictures from the last month!
WEEK 16

WEEK 17

WEEK 18

WEEK 19

WEEK 20

WEEK 21

15 WEEKS - TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

2009-07-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Reagan is 15 weeks old now & becomming more & more aware every day. She has her hands in her mouth constantly, talks (or rather coos) a lot & loves to stand up while being held. She's really beginning to grab at things she finds interesting & they typically end up in her mouth. Occassionaly, a fist full of my hair ends up in her hand which feels great. Unhooking that tight grip of hers can be a challenge. Speaking of challenges, the past couple of nights Reagan has woken up shortly after being put down for the night. She cries & acts like she wants to go to bed, eats & the goes right to sleep...for 45 minutes to an hour. Then she wakes up all bright-eyed & smiley. I'm hoping that this is just a temporary set back. Tonight she got fussy right before bed & ate & went right to sleep. Here's to hoping that she gets a good nights rest!

13 & 14 WEEkS

2009-07-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Reagan is now 14 weeks old & is a super happy, smiley baby. She loves to stand up when she's being held & wobbles around & makes all kinds of different facial expressions. She very expressive & is on the verge of laughing but at the moment only giggles a little bit. This past Tuesday (7/7/09), Reagan rolled over from her tummy to her back for the first time. I missed it b/c I was in the bathroom putting away her bath towels, but my mom saw her do it. She hasn't rolled over again yet, but she gets real close. She babbles & coos quite a bit now & really seems to enjoy talking to me in the middle of breast feeding. She looks up at me & smiles & coos & is rather distracted from eating. Reagan is sleeping really well at night; she goes for about 6 hours when she's first put to sleep. Naps are getting better during the day I think b/c I've gotten her on more of a regular schedule so she knows what to expect. Here are a few photos from Reagan's first 4th of July & from her grandma's recent visit:
4TH OF JULY/13 WEEKS

READING W/GRANA - 14 WEEKS

WEEKS 6-12

2009-06-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I've updated my blog. Reagan is now 12 weeks old & has so much personality. She coos & smiles all the time & has such a happy disposition. She has, of course, discovered her hands; they are in her mouth quite often. The first time I remember her hand finding her mouth was over labor day weekend. She was sleeping in a crib in the room with Eric & me down at the lake & I woke up to a sucking sound in the middle of the night. I turned a soft light on & saw that Reagan was sucking furiously on her little hand. Now, they're in her mouth as soon as she's done feeding & at other times, too.
She's starting to reach out to things that interest her. She's really enjoying the play yard that the Yeary's bought for her with all the little toys dangling above her. Reagan's favorite is the smiling monkey; he never fails to bring a smile to her face! Jessi let me borrow her "Bumbo" & that is helping Reagan sit up on her own. She tolerates the seat for a little while & then protests a bit. She's also finally sleeping in her crib on her back. She'd been sleeping almost exclusively in her vibrating bouncy seat, but when we were down at the beach with my mom & sister, I had a rough time of getting her to sleep in her seat. Thank goodness I brought along the pack-n-play & her swaddle wrap. My sister was able to soothe her into a nap wearing her wrap & she slept wonderfully. That night, I swaddled her again & she slept the whole night on her back in the crib. Ever since we've been home, she's been happily sleeping (& napping) in her crib, so this is a huge milestone for me.
Reagan's really beginning to sleep well at night, too. A good night, as far as I'm concerned, is only having to get up once for a feeding. On average, she's going to sleep around 9pm, waking between 2-2:30am to eat & then sleeping to around 7/7:30am. I am working to get her to go to sleep earlier, but I'm doing this gradually so that she'll adjust with ease. During the day, she's pretty consistently going three hours between meals. Generally, Reagan is taking a short nap when we go on our walk in the morning, a longer nap around lunch time & then another, typically shorter, nap in the afternoon. So, things are going well. Here are some weekly pictures from the last 6 weeks!
6 WEEKS OLD

7 WEEKS OLD

8-9 WEEKS OLD

10 WEEKS OLD

11 WEEKS OLD

12 WEEKS OLD

5 WEEKS OLD

2009-05-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

Little Reagan is already 5 weeks old. Her personality is starting to come out...she smiles a lot & also lets us know when she's unhappy. She really only cries when she's wet or tired, but other than that, she's a very content baby.
Last Friday, May 1, my mom & I took Reagan to her 1 month check up. Her weight had gone from 7 lbs 3 oz to 8 lbs 14 oz & she grew 1 inch in length. She is in the 75% for height & the 50% for weight. Since she is doing so well with her eating, the doctor told me I could let her go up to 4 hours during the day between feedings; however, Reagan usually goes no longer than 3 hours before she asks for her next meal. In the evenings, she's eating even more frequently but is also sleeping longer. At night, I'm not waking her up anymore. The longest she's gone between feedings is 6 hours. While this isn't the norm (yet), the longer periods between feedings at night are allowing me to get more rest. Reagan is also doing great about taking a bottle each night from her daddy which gives me a break to take a bath & relax for a bit.

4/28/09 - 1 MONTH OLD!

2009-04-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

3 WEEKS OLD!

2009-04-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

WEEK 3: HOME ALONE

2009-04-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

The third week was my first week at home alone with Reagan. I have to say, things went really smooth. The days go by so fast...I don't know where the time goes. I had a lot of visitors & nice dinners prepared by friends. It will be a shock to have to cook dinner again beginning next week. I was also able to get Reagan out for some walks in her nice jogging stroller. The forecast for this week is for temperatures in the low 80s, so I should be able to get her out for walks regularly. On the down side, I did come down with mastitis. I woke up feeling like I had the flu on Friday & when I went to take my shower, I noticed the redness & soreness on my left side. I knew right away what I had. The doctor's office called in an antibiotic & I was feeling better within 24 hours. My folks came down to visit for the weekend & we had a nice time & some good food. My mom & I went to Crandall's shower at Kathy's house on Saturday which was really nice.

EASTER WEEKEND

2009-04-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

TWO WEEKS OLD

2009-04-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

WEEK 2: AUNT ASHLEY VISITS

2009-04-21T10:07:00.001-07:00

My mom went home on Sunday, 4/5 & came back the next day to spend most of the week with us. Again, having her here to help me while Eric was at work was invaluable. It really made my days easy. She would watch Reagan if I needed to run an errand or would run the errands for me.
On Thursday, my mom went back up to her house. Eric had to go out of town that day, so I went on up to my parents' house, too. Ashley arrived the next day & had a great time spoiling Reagan with cuddling...neither Ash or my mom wanted to put Reagan down. That evening, a major storm system moved in & our area was under tornado watches & warnings all night long. Poor Eric was driving back from western Tennessee & had to go right through the worst of the weather. Thank goodness he made is safely to my parents' house. Saturday, Reagan had lots of visitors come over including Maryanne Yeary, the Mitchells, Fuzzy & Charlene, Delores & Lee Blumentritt. That evening, my mom & sister watched Reagan while Eric & I went out for a nice dinner at La Strada together. It was nice for just the two of us to have some time together.
Sunday was Easter & Ashley had to go back to Chapel Hill. The rest of us packed up & headed to Lynnda & Steve Eagle's house for Easter dinner. The spread of food was awesome & it was great to see the Eagles. When I was changing Reagan before we left for our house, I knocked her umbilical cord & it just about fell off. She wailed, of course, as I imagine it hurt. I put the cord back as best I could I figured it would fall all the way off when it was ready. That happened two days later. Great second week...here are some photos.

1 WEEK OLD

2009-04-21T09:17:00.001-07:00

REAGAN'S FIRST WEEK

2009-04-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

Giving birth to Reagan was the easy part. The first couple of nights recovery-wise for me, were the hardest part of the entire pregnancy. I have a lot of respect for the nurses that work with post-partem mothers. I was completely helpless & they (along with Eric) helped me with the most basic of functions.
Reagan slept awesome the first night in the hospital. I let her go 4 hours between feedings (at the direction of the labor & delivery nurse), & she slept the whole time. The breast feeding went surprisingly well. Aside from some difficulties latching on at times, we both really took to it. Even though Reagan slept, Eric & I didn't. I couldn't take my eyes off her because I wanted to make sure she was breathing & there was so much activity with the nurses in & out of the room that sleep was not an option.
The next day we had several visitors...my mom, sister, dad, in-laws, sister- and brother-in-law & Aunt Becky. Eric had an early meeting on Thursday morning, so we decided that he could use a good night sleep & that my mom would spend the night with Reagan & I in the hospital. Well, no one got any sleep. There were storms all night & our dogs were feaking out at the house, so no sleep for Eric. Reagan was up the entire night, so no sleep there, either. However, my mom & I spent a lot of time looking at Reagan & laughing at all her funny facial expressions.
Finally on Thursday in the afternoon, we left the hospital & got back to the relaxing atmosphere of our home. When I walked in the house, I saw that Eric had taken the time to get a beautiful bouquet of flowers & a cute balloon. The combination of hormones & Eric's thoughtfullness made me cry. Not for long, but I was definitely touched & emotional. Our dogs were very excited to see us & were great with Reagan. They smelled her & then pretty much ignored her after that. Raleigh reacted the way I thought she would...just did her own thing. Zoe surprised me. She is usually very high-strung but she has been a lot more calm with Reagan in the house.
Jessi, my sister-in-law, called that afternoon & offered to bring us dinner. The Mexican soup she brought over was so good & it was great to not have to worry about cooking on the first night home. My mom stayed with us (& would be with us for the next week) which was great. We couldn't have made it through that fist week without her. Here are some photos from Reagan's first week of life.

MARCH 31, 2009 - REAGAN'S HERE!

2009-04-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

After much anticipation, Reagan Ashley Brown was born Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 7:50pm! She weighed 7 lbs 3 oz & was 20 1/2 inches long. We couldn't be happier to have her here with us.
Reagan's birthday was an eventful day. I didn't sleep at all Monday night because I was so excited to be induced & because I was so uncomfortable with my big belly & an active baby moving around inside me. Even though we had to wait 5 days after Reagan's original due date to meet her, I am so glad things worked out the way they did. I was able to schedule the induction with my favorite doctor at the practice, Dr. Tanya Beckford.
We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am & were brought right to the labor & delivery room. By 8:30, I was hooked up to two IVs; one to keep me hydrated & the other was Pitosin to help make my contractions stronger & more regular (I was already contracting on my own without the Pitosin). The nurses came in to check on me frequently & it seemed like I didn't feel any discomfort for a long time. I was laughing & chatting with everyone & feeling great; all the while having regular contractions. I can't remember what time it was...maybe around lunch time...when I started to really feel the contractions & got very uncomfortable. Not pain so much as just extreme discomfort. One of the nurse told me there wasn't a prize for going the longest before getting the epidural (which I knew I wanted from the day the pregnancy test came back positive), so I decided to go ahead & get the epidural. Good thing I did because it takes 30 minutes for the nurse to pump you full of the necessary hydrating fluids & 30 minutes for the anesthesiologist to arrive, so once you ask for it, you're looking at an hour wait. The anesthesiologist administered the epidural but had to do it twice. The first time he did it the epidural had gone into a blood vessel & when he gave me a test shot of Epinephrine, my hearing went all funny & my heart rate shot up. The second time was a charm & within a short while I was again feeling no pain.
So the rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful. This was good and bad. No pain, good. No progression in dilating, not good. By 5pm, I had only dilated from 4 to 6 cm. That's 8 1/2 hours on a high dose of Pitosin with only a 2 cm change. After Dr. Beckford examined me, she told us that there was the possibility that a c-section might have to be done. I was okay with this but Eric was not very comfortable with the idea at all. Not because he didn't think it was the right decision but because he is extremely uncomfortable with hospitals, surgery, blood, scalpels, etc. He really wanted to be present for the birth but knew he'd be wobbly if we had to go to surgery.
So, at 5 pm, the doctor decided to break my water & see if this would help the baby's head drop & in turn, dilate the cervix more. Everything was looking good...the water broke, fluid clear & her head dropped immediately from -3 to -1 station. Dr. Beckford was heading toward the door & looked back again at the monitors & then stopped in her tracks. Before I knew it, she was putting new gloves on & an additional two additional nurses rushed into the room. Apparently, Reagan's heartbeat had dropped into the 70s (from the 140-150s). After 5 minutes of tension & watching of the fetal monitors, they got Reagan's heartbeat to stabilize. I was silently freaking out inside...I think Eric was, too.
At that point, Dr. Beckford said they wanted to monitor me & Reagan for an hour without any Pitocin. Around 6 pm, she came back in & I was still 6 cm dilated. Dr. Beckford really wanted me to have the opportunity to deliver Reagan vaginally because she felt my body could do it, but I could tell she thought that the c-section was a very real possibility. The nurse started the Pitosin back at a very low level & slowly increased it over the next hour & a half. Around 7:30 pm, Dr. Beckford came back in to check me one last time. She had booked the O.R. for my c-section & done the paperwork, so I think she kind of anticipated that we'd be heading that way after my exam. So, she sits down in front of me, moves the blanket, takes a look & says, "Oh my gosh, the head is right here!" I was totally surprised. Dr. Beckford was so excited that things had gone in our favor (she was jumping up & down & clapping her hands) & she said to my mom, "Do you want to see the baby's head? Dr. Beckford asked me if this would be okay & I said that it would be just fine...I had lost all modesty about 8 hours earlier, anyway.
So my mom came over & they both saw Reagan's head which she was moving back & forth. At that point, it was decided that my mom would stay in the room for the delivery & I'm really glad she was able to be there. Dr. Beckford told me that I was going to push now & I was like, "Really, right now?" So I gave a "test" push & the doctor was like "Wow, okay, stop. The baby's coming!" She quickly got on her gloves & delivery dressings. Several other nurses on the delivery team quickly came in with all their gear. Dr. Beckford had me scoot to the end of the table & they told me they wanted me to push when the next contraction came along. So we waited for the contraction (which seemed to take longer than the actual delivery itself) & when it came, I grabbed my legs & pushed for 10 seconds. Then they told me Reagan would be coming with the next push, so I took a deep breath & pushed for a few more beats & out she came. Little Reagan Ashley Brown was born at 7:50 pm! Dr. Beckford immediately placed Reagan on my tummy & all I could say was, "Oh my god, there's our baby!" It was an incredible moment; one Eric & I will never forget.
As soon as Dr. Beckford was done with the rest of the delivery process, which was about an hour, my sister & dad were able to come back & meet Reagan. That must have been a long hour for them knowing that she was here but unable to see her. Eric's parents came back shortly after Ashley & Bertie...Rex, of course, had his camera in hand. They looked very proud to be the grandparents of a baby girl. All I can say is that Reagan is a lucky little girl; she is loved by so many people. Of course, we are lucky, too, to have her here with us. Truly a miracle!
Reagan's birthday is by far one of the most memorable days of our life.

40 WEEKS, 1 DAY

2009-03-28T06:36:00.001-07:00

Friday was a good day. Ashley & I went to my clubhouse gym & I walked on the treadmill hoping gravity would work its magic. I walked almost 2.5 miles & felt great. We went to lunch at the Redneck Gourmet in Newnan...their pimento cheese is to die for. Got a photography print order out of the blue & that kept me busy for most of the afternoon. Ashley cooked us a pasta dish for dinner from the Cooking Light magazine & then we watched college basketball for 5 hours. The Tarheels won, so Ash was excited. I had Braxton Hicks contractions for most of the evening (like every two minutes or so). In between the contractions, little Reagan would move all around in my tummy. My dad had a ball filming my belly with his new Canon video camera.

40 WEEKS

2009-03-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Here we are...made it to the due date. I haven't had a single contraction...well, at least one that causes me any pain. I'm heading out now to take Ms. Raleigh on a walk & am hoping that gravity will work a little magic. The waiting game is a hard game to play.

39 WEEKS, 6 DAYS

2009-03-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

So, almost to the due date! I saw Dr. Beckford this morning & I am now 4 cm dilated & the amniotic sac is bulging which means it could break at any time. We've scheduled an induction for next Tuesday, March 31, but the doctor has a strong feeling that I won't make it that long. Ashley arrives from Raleigh tomorrow & will be here through Monday, so I'm hopeful that the baby will come while she's in town. Still feeling good & can't believe that our daughter will be here shortly!

39 WEEKS

2009-03-20T11:44:00.001-07:00

39 weeks has come & gone & I'm still pregnant. I saw Dr. Beckford today & am now 2-3 cm dilated. The baby is still pretty high up, so I don't think she's quite ready to be born just yet. The doctor did strip my membranes & told me that Dr. Turner is on call this weekend if I go into labor, but I have a feeling I'll be waiting a bit longer. The weather forecast for the weekend looks really nice so I'll be able to enjoy the outdoors unlike last weekend when I was trapped inside for 3 days with nonstop rains. Next appointment (if I make it that far) is on Wednesday.

38 WEEK UPDATE

2009-03-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Just got home from the doctor & things are progressing...I'm officially 1-2 cm dilated. Of course, I could stay like that for a while, but at least there's been a positive change. Dr. Beckford could even feel the baby's head this time. She's still pretty high up, but at least I know she's pointing in the right direction. Baby Reagan's heartbeat was in the 140s & my blood pressure was low, so all is looking good!

37 WEEKS

2009-03-05T07:30:00.000-08:00

My check up went well today; pretty uneventful. If nothing changes here in the next couple of weeks, it looks like I'll be carrying little Reagan all the way to 40 weeks!

36 WEEK CHECK-UP

2009-02-26T14:34:00.000-08:00

4 weeks to go & everything is going great with my pregnancy & the baby. I saw Dr. Beckford today & will now see the doctor every week. The baby's heartbeat was 148 beats/minute & so loud & strong that Dr. Beckford had to turn the volume down on the devise picking up the heartbeat. My tummy measures 35 centimeters & has grown right up to my ribs. The doctor says there's not anymore room for my uterus to grow upward so I should expect for my tummy to grow outward over the coming weeks. I've gained 21 lbs. so far & may gain a few more, but I feel like I'll be able to get back into shape pretty quickly. Reagan moves around in my tummy ALL THE TIME; she's very active. Can't wait to meet her soon!

36 WEEK PHOTOS

2009-02-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

I shot some self-portraits today so my sister up in Chapel Hill, NC can see how I've grown...and I've definitely grown. Only 4 weeks to go!

34 WEEKS

2009-02-22T08:33:00.001-08:00

The 34 week mark has come & gone. Less than 6 weeks to go! My doctor's appointment last week went well. Reagan's heartbeat was about 130 beats per minutes. Based upon where the doctor found her heartbeat & a little feeling around on my belly, Dr. Beckford thinks she is positioned head down; we'll see if she stays that way. The nursery is looking good & am excited for the upholstered rocking chair to arrive in the next week or so. I need to get a few more of the basic items before she arrives, but I feel like we're pretty much ready.

BABY SHOWER

2009-02-22T08:23:00.001-08:00

My sister & aunt threw me a fabulous baby shower on Saturday, February 7! Everything turned out so beautifully; the food was absolutely delicious & the decorations just perfect. It was so much fun to have all my close family & friends together to celebrate baby Reagan's upcoming birth. Reagan & I received so many wonderful gifts. It was a very special & memorable day!

32 WEEKS

2009-01-31T07:07:00.000-08:00

This past Thursday was my 32 week appointment. I met the last of the 4 doctors in the practice at this appointment, Dr. Turner. All of the doctors have been great so I know that whoever is on-call when I deliver will help make the birth a great experience. The baby's heartbeat was between 150-160 beats/minute. She was moving around quite a bit when the doctor was examining me. The doctor suspects that we will have a fairly active baby in our life in about 2 months. It seems like every time I wake up at night she's moving around & she moves a lot during the day, too. I just hope she sleeps SOME when she gets here. I'm growing in weight & tummy size each visit but haven't gained so much that I won't be able to get back into shape...thank goodness. We've decided on a name (99% sure)...Reagan Ashley Brown. We're so excited to meet her!

30 WEEKS

2009-01-15T08:53:00.001-08:00

Just got back from my 30 week appointment. Everything is going perfectly. The baby's heartbeat sounded strong; the doctor was able to pick it up right away. I am measuring 29 cm & gained another two pounds since my last visit. Except for my constantly pulled groin muscle & occassional lower back pain, I feel great!

WEEKS 20-27

2008-12-27T09:32:00.000-08:00

I've had one doctor's appointment since my last post at 24 weeks. Everything was fine & I had gained 7 lbs...yikes! I am showing now & you can really tell I'm pregnant. I go to my 28 week appointment next Tuesday when they'll do the glucose test to make sure my sugars are fine which I'm sure they'll be. We had a nice Christmas & Baby Girl Brown got lots of nice gifts from her family. Here is a photo of me in front of the tree with my baby bump.

20 WEEKS - IT'S A ...!

2008-11-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

IT'S A GIRL! We had my 20 week appointment today & got great news...we're having a baby girl & she's healthy. We couldn't be happier. The ultrasound was fascinating & we got to see so much of our baby from her arms, legs, profile, nose, mouth, spine, heart & heart chamers, bladder, kidneys & stomach to name a few. The doctor seems to think everything is going well, so that's great. Here are three photos we were given from the ultrasound today.

1) Her profile!

2) The baby's feet.

3) This view is from below the baby looking up. You can see her bottom on the right side of the image & her legs going from the right side to the left side of the image.

16 WEEK UPDATE

2008-10-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

My 16 week appointment was last Thursday. My mom was able to join me & we heard the baby's heartbeat which was averaging about 150 beats/minute. I've read on-line that slower heartbeats usually indicate a boy & faster heartbeats a girl. So, anything under 140 is typically a boy & over 140 a girl. I've also taken a Chinese gender prediction test on the web & it predicted a girl. So, I'm kind of thinking the baby might be a girl, but we'll just have to wait & see at our next appoinment on November 6th. I joked with my mom that we'll know the next President of the U.S. & the sex of the baby in the same week. I know I'll be excited about the sex of our baby but I'm not so sure I'll have the same feelings about the President...yikes! One other update from the appoinment is that the screening I had to check for some common birth defects came back negative, so the baby is not at an elevated risk which is great to hear.

12 WEEK DOCTOR'S VISIT

2008-09-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple of weeks since my 12 week appointment, but everthing went well. I had to wait a long time to see the doctor but it was worth the wait. He was able to pick up the heartbeat externally right away which was a big relief. My next appointment is October 9th & will basically be the same type of visit. Only about six more weeks until we find out the baby's sex! I'm not showing yet, but my lower abdomen is starting to get a little bigger.

FIRST ULTRASOUND PHOTO

2008-08-21T07:58:00.000-07:00

I went to the doctor last Thursday for my 8 week appointment. It was such a relief to see an actual baby on the ultrasound after 4 weeks of waiting. The doctor said that everything is going great. I was able to see an arm & a leg & the heartbeat, too. My next appointment is 3 weeks from today & I even think I managed to talk Eric into coming with me. Hopefully everything will continue to go smoothly!

WE'RE HAVING A BABY!

2008-08-21T07:48:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it, but after almost a year of trying, we're going to have a baby. We found out before I went to the beach with my parents for a week. I still wasn't convinced after taking two tests at home, so I took a third when we got to the beach. I got the digital test because I wanted to see words, not lines.