tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7236208490412482252024-02-07T14:10:26.281-08:00Our Little ArkOur little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-73528839993536851782011-01-18T10:44:00.000-08:002011-01-18T10:44:06.154-08:00Late Christmas PresentI will post all our Christmas pictures hopefully this week. But as you are about to find out, life has been changing over at the Brown's so my blogging has slowed. <br />
This December 29th we received a late Christmas present. You can see them below!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95VkN5Hdq6SZ8PzuLQSQkGJCHTVbSCTBVqcJLYLw9riKQfrIGDDTMMBxY7uAitk_vkC0NvsmQ3EvY15bPKnwotgeuyioyd8hie4F92NSnE9VRnTfNM5A7XTEFU37lRCEas5DqE5-LFpY/s1600/IMG_0250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95VkN5Hdq6SZ8PzuLQSQkGJCHTVbSCTBVqcJLYLw9riKQfrIGDDTMMBxY7uAitk_vkC0NvsmQ3EvY15bPKnwotgeuyioyd8hie4F92NSnE9VRnTfNM5A7XTEFU37lRCEas5DqE5-LFpY/s320/IMG_0250.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><strong><u>YAY! WE ARE EXPECTING AGAIN!</u></strong></div>The big reveal to Brandon:<br />
I finally took a test Dec 29th and got the positive sign! Brandon was on the other side of the house at the time. and Noah LOVES taking things from one parent to other. So with his mission noted "Noah, take this to daddy". I let him take the wrapped up test over to Brandon and waited for the reaction. <br />
I then hear "Hey buddy, what cha got?" "WAIT, Are you serious? Are you serious?!" hahaha. All while Noah is watching us, thinking we are crazy.<br />
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How we told our family:<br />
I ordered these shirts from zulilly anticipating some good news at some point this year. The night we found out we were already scheduled to have dinner with Brandon's family so we thought wed go ahead and tell them. We all put on our shirts and started calling my parents to try and fill them in before our dinner. Of course my mom is at dinner with my brother, my dad is on the way to dinner with friends! So we just went with it. We stopped by each parent, each time revealing our new shirts and new addition to them, all while capturing it on our new Flip video. Ill have to put them up later, their reactions are all so funny! <br />
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I'm now about 6 weeks along. And due the beginning of September. How I'm feeling.....well that has been a lot different from Noah. Last time I felt good just tired. This time, I have constant nausea, but thank God, no throwing up. Already feeling fat and wondering how I'm going to keep this belly in check! But I can't complain because I know I am so blessed to have this little miracle again. <br />
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Ill have more pictures of our surprise reveals later today!Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-67364581605177454552011-01-04T07:56:00.000-08:002011-01-04T07:56:37.032-08:00Spiritually EmptySince I'm at work and unable to upload pictures, I decided to post this little blog entry. <br />
As most of you, I too have some resolutions for the new year<br />
1. sell my house<br />
2. become more organized <br />
3. cook more <br />
4. Slow to anger and speech and quick to listen (which will only happen if I do more of number 5)<br />
5. Learn a new passage of scripture every week. <br />
This last one is what I am focusing on here. Being the wife of a husband in ministry is more trying than I every thought. I never imagined the spiritual warfare or how emotionally empty it could make Brandon. We have learned so much about ourselves and our marriage over the past two years. <br />
It is my hope in the new year to become a prayer & scripture warrior for him. I am learning that I can not wait on him to lead and teach me something new everyday. That we are all sinners and when you are always giving out spiritually and not taking in, eventually that tank is going to get empty! I feel like that is the place we are in now. Feeling like God is more of a job right now and the passion Brandon once had is being lost behind the day to day. <br />
My hope for the new year is that I can become a light to my husband, reminding him of the passion and AMAZING ability he has to go people just as they are and reach him with God's word. If any of you have heard him speak or know him personally you know what I'm talking about. His ability to just lay the gospel out to anyone from a rich suburbanite to the homeless guy downtown, to the Muslim kids he works with daily....You know it has to be a God given talent. <br />
So that is where I am, I hope you pray for us as the new year starts. That I could become that prayer warrior he needs and that Brandon can again have that closeness to God that made him seek out a life in ministry. <br />
That being said here is my 1st passage to learn. I read it yesterday on the Desiring God blog. I think it is very appropriate for me. Someone who can be quick to anger at times. <br />
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This weeks passage is from 2 Timothy 2:22-26<br />
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.<br />
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I will be posting a new passage I'm learning every week. Feel free to follow along, and put on the words of God as a suit of armor. <br />
GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-26231688207635564962010-12-28T08:34:00.000-08:002010-12-28T08:34:04.307-08:00Just a sweet momentNo pictures in this one, just a sweet moment I want to jot down so I won't forget.<br />
The other night (Sunday) after dinner and a bath (which Noah learned how to squirt soap on his tummy and rub it, haha) we got all lotioned up. Then we let him play with just his diaper while the lotion dries and we read his Bible story for the night before his prayers. When Brandon started reading Noah was actually into it, he wanted to look at the pictures and then he crawled up into Brandon's lap. He sat there listening to the story while smiling & pointing out pictures on the page.<br />
It just melted my heart watching Noah sit up there with his daddy listening to the story of David and Goliath, getting excited when Brandon points out pictures or acts out the story. <br />
Of course Noah didn't stay up there long. Soon he was on the ground walking all over with his skinny legs and talking 500 miles a minute. He gets so excited about who knows what and starts to stomp all over and giggle.<br />
After his PJ's were on and prayers were said. Noah and I kissed daddy goodnight, rocked while he drank his bottle and then I layed him down, kissed him goodnight, and said I love you. <br />
He just rolled over, curled up and went to sleep. I just love the fact that we get to watch this amazing little person realize about the amazing power of His Creator and the love Jesus has shown him.Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-27792489198162092192010-12-27T13:15:00.000-08:002010-12-27T13:15:45.305-08:00Merry Christmas!I haven't uploaded my Christmas pictures yet, but I just couldn't wait to try out Brandon's Christmas gift....The Flip. I had been checking it out for awhile & then heard some other people saying they used it not only for their kids, but also for their golf swing and kids at school. I thought what a perfect gift for the hubs! Thanks to my mom and Mike for getting it!<br />
Here is my 1st attempt at getting a video on here. Its Noah with his favorite kind of toy....power tools!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hope this works! Merry Christmas to all! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your families! </div>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-85710944897459846582010-12-16T21:03:00.000-08:002010-12-16T21:03:32.978-08:00IM BACK!Well here's hoping I am! I can't believe the last post I have was from a year ago, NUTS! Life with the Browns has been crazy but great over the past year & hopefully I get you all updated quickly. I have enlisted the help of a friend to show me how to put up a lot of picts in a smaller format & as soon as I get that down I will post what our last year has been like.<br />
A quick run down of us over the year though: Noah is now almost 15months old (WHAT?!) and is doing amazing. He is constantly doing & saying new things, cracking us both up. I still can't believe that little miracle is mine!<br />
Our house renovations are done and the house is up for sale!!! I can't wait to show you some before/after picts. We kept everything pretty neutral since we were putting it right up for sale, but Im still feeling lonely in my own house so I got the green light from the hubs to start decorating. YEA!!!!<br />
Im still at St. Jude in the ICU. While difficult at times I still love it. Being there for these families is an amazing priviledge. Brandon is still at Multi National Ministries as the boys youth director. He is so talented & gifted for this job. I can't wait to see where it goes. He is also hoping to finish seminary sometime before the next decade.<br />
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But enough typing....on to the pictures! Here are Noah's 1 year picts from <a href="http://www.ashleighpeak.com/">Ashleigh Peak Photography</a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Please remember to continue to pray for the Harrison's & to hug your babies tight. You can read Alicia's blog at <a href="http://threedoodles.blogspot.com/">threedoodles</a> </div>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-85335735232123557492009-12-12T15:10:00.000-08:002009-12-12T15:10:38.702-08:00I wish you a merry christmas!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last night Brandon and I were wrapping presents for his students and listening to Third Day's Christmas Offerings CD when I was struck by the last song on the cd. The song Merry Christmas inspired me to write a little note here in our blog to say merry christmas to our child, not Noah, but the child we have yet to meet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A long time ago before meeting Brandon I had felt a calling on my heart. The calling of adoption. Don't get me wrong...I always prayed I was able to have children one day, but I also felt that there are so many children out there without someone to love on them and tell them just how much God loves them. I knew that whoever I married had to share in this desire for our family and I was thrilled when Brandon was just as excited to adopt one day as I was. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A year ago or so we were at A Weekend to Remember marriage retreat when one of the speakers told his story about adopting his children. The one part that has still stuck with me to this day was he spoke about their birth certificates. They had some problems with the paper work and finally had everything settled when they got the boys birth certificates in the mail and he noticed he and his wife's age on the birth certificate was wrong. Frustrated he called the agency and fixing the problem when the lady informed him there was no problem that was their ages when their boys where born. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He said he began to think about what he was doing when he was that age & how selfish he was, not knowing that at that very same time his children were out in the world without someone to love & protect them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So to that child or children we have yet to meet I want to say: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While you are not here right now, you have always been in my heart. We love you more than you will ever know and thank God for bringing you to us. I can't wait to tell you just how much our big and amazing God loves you. I pray you are safe right now whenever you are. Please stay strong and know this Christmas you are not forgotten. We love you very much! Merry Christmas my child!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Merry Christmas by Third Day: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #545559; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's a little girl trembling on a cold December morn<br />
Crying for momma's arms<br />
At an orphanage just outside a little China town<br />
There the forgotten are<br />
<br />
But half a world away I hang the stockings by the fire<br />
And dream about the day when I can finally call you mine<br />
<br />
It's Christmas time again but you're not home<br />
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone<br />
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms<br />
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas<br />
<br />
As I hang the tinsel on the tree and watch the twinkling lights<br />
I'm warmed by the fire's glow<br />
Outside the children tumble in a wonderland of white,<br />
Make angels in the snow<br />
<br />
But half a world away you try your best to fight the tears<br />
And hope that heaven's angels come to carry you here<br />
<br />
It's Christmas time again but you're not home<br />
Your family is here and yet you're somewhere else alone<br />
And so tonight I pray that God will come and hold you in his arms<br />
And tell you from my heart I wish you Merry Christmas<br />
<br />
Christmas is a time to celebrate the holy child<br />
And we celebrate his perfect gift of love<br />
He came to earth to give his life<br />
And prepare a place for us<br />
So we could have a home with him above<br />
<br />
It's Christmas time again and now you're home<br />
Your family is here so you will never be alone<br />
So tonight before you go to sleep, I'll hold you in my arms<br />
And I'll tell you from my heart, and I'll you from my heart<br />
I wish you Merry Christmas</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #545559;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-65980183409715954752009-12-11T21:02:00.000-08:002009-12-12T05:11:13.274-08:00Noah's newborn picts!Yes my child is almost three months and yes I am just now posting his newborn photos!<br />
<br />
A few years ago I met some of Brandon's friends from Samford, one of them being Mrs Ashleigh Peak. Little did I know (or she know) that a few years later she would have an AMAZING photography gig and be taking picts of my cute naked baby! Check out her site <a href="http://www.ashleighpeak.com/">http://www.ashleighpeak.com/</a><br />
<br />
A little background on the photo session...it took around three hours for Noah to FINALLY pass out enough so we could move him around to get some picts. She was SOOO patient though and managed to get some amazing shots while I was holding him trying to get him to fall asleep.<br />
In the photos where I am holding him by the crib, right after those picts we realized that he had pooped ALL down my shirt. No wonder he was so relaxed in the pictures. hehe! Hope you enjoy them!<br />
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</div>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-50225444397210115162009-11-17T07:28:00.000-08:002009-11-17T07:28:53.446-08:00The first month!Here's a recap of our first month....<br />
First, when you see Noah's newborn picts you will notice he looks like he got punched in the face! The poor thing actually had a reaction to his eye ointment. In the hospital they give all newborns erythromycin ointment BUT they were out for some reason and were using gentamycin ointment instead. I found out that one of the adverse reactions can be chemical burns to the skin, which he had. He started to have these HUGE blisters under his eyes our second night in the hospital. In the pictures you will see they had healed over and were drying up. POOR BABY! Thankfully there was no scarring. We DEFINITELY know it didn't affect his vision, the big guy stares at EVERYTHING!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPACSGy37bzLWnlM8ze87YF0TvplmDzMkOHJhxnRZwGweR3k5_pFNjcti1xR5zAFgnoe4oaXDHmqdoA_LwceKCYF2SkAnRWBn9YizSDMQeyuRxHIFIjTfJCDr-MiyEeXtfoDCoNolagJ8/s1600-h/IMG_0329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPACSGy37bzLWnlM8ze87YF0TvplmDzMkOHJhxnRZwGweR3k5_pFNjcti1xR5zAFgnoe4oaXDHmqdoA_LwceKCYF2SkAnRWBn9YizSDMQeyuRxHIFIjTfJCDr-MiyEeXtfoDCoNolagJ8/s200/IMG_0329.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIST5vf5v6OiMKmjD-CPdLQcJy_zl8hwqo73oDWwUQ8W8vDYR-uTIZdaw8u1DYNBRvEBzmIwXbdfc5-hrFl46_XYPEtXavg0fmFuhVeb4Qtl1RAj9n040vJ087ooV2700irfPEd4y2fg/s1600-h/IMG_0280.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpIST5vf5v6OiMKmjD-CPdLQcJy_zl8hwqo73oDWwUQ8W8vDYR-uTIZdaw8u1DYNBRvEBzmIwXbdfc5-hrFl46_XYPEtXavg0fmFuhVeb4Qtl1RAj9n040vJ087ooV2700irfPEd4y2fg/s200/IMG_0280.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Once we were home we started to try to settle in. Nursing was going well but we started to notice he was grunting ALL the time. We also started to notice that the "babies sleep 22 hours a day" concept was NOT our little man. He was up more than he was asleep. THANKFULLY Brandon's mom and my mom live close by so they would come over and take shifts walking Noah around to keep him from screaming. His poor little tummy....he would bring his little knees up to his chest and just scream!!! It was very hard to come home with your new baby not knowing what to expect and hear him scream every time you put him down. It was especially hard when I had friends with newborns and older baby who were already on schedules and already had their baby sleeping 5-7 hours at night. I spent the first 3 weeks of his life feeling like a failure. I finally found peace in my mother-in-law...Brandon's older brother, Wes, had terrible colic when he was little. Every time I felt like no one understood she would tell me stories about how she felt. It was so comforting to have someone echo the same thoughts and feelings I had. Anywho, back to the little guy....the first 4 weeks were spent sleeping 1-2 hours at a time and eating anywhere from every hour to every 3 hours. But after a while we started to get into a routine of getting up and switching off. The chaos became our norm!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While the sleeping and eating were crazy, we still had a lot of fun first!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First car ride. Going home from the hospital. Dad drove REALLY slow!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRQ2A7HBAce-1r2qSPPHU6iVRPzJUgRA6Dx0_boBS6UwtPXp44HULTYiQfJubX9GO2n0O8krF1VlMcFA7VBlGkGnAIdFV2AMeIB3lkwb14xM9ZhjjasF0m5ssP0PbJHI3kp34YQPkhAo/s1600-h/IMG_0308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqRQ2A7HBAce-1r2qSPPHU6iVRPzJUgRA6Dx0_boBS6UwtPXp44HULTYiQfJubX9GO2n0O8krF1VlMcFA7VBlGkGnAIdFV2AMeIB3lkwb14xM9ZhjjasF0m5ssP0PbJHI3kp34YQPkhAo/s200/IMG_0308.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Noah meeting his cousin Naomi for the 1st time. She likes him as long as their Lolli isn't holding him and not her. (She is the princess!)<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIWGIu_gu3Nv7e5Tz5_nCUfnuJNgXQP3dKiaYA8Byjw8WwVrBeFu6QFZ9YdO8FE2GfiPwaxWLQfVwbi433G_SUuUoXhT_cRUNTTMKYa8k7Q4ZA16rXqbdfE3mZyzMQ7YuYTqatxGA4wY/s1600-h/IMG_0347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIWGIu_gu3Nv7e5Tz5_nCUfnuJNgXQP3dKiaYA8Byjw8WwVrBeFu6QFZ9YdO8FE2GfiPwaxWLQfVwbi433G_SUuUoXhT_cRUNTTMKYa8k7Q4ZA16rXqbdfE3mZyzMQ7YuYTqatxGA4wY/s200/IMG_0347.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First game day with daddy. (They were REALLY into the game!) Notice the orange and white outfit Noah was sporting.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZJBGN3XW6G-cfzOM_Jx0b2XJtML6atWcnmniqfc3zhkeR1PitsnElW5Y2lMUsgWa9-bj5Jzz9X7m4p-yJnEnWHZ6sOp9cXbW-cb47gM8PX-FB-hlVIP4cCRkyOWyZ-ZQ2pD3iNiabyE/s1600-h/IMG_0380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3ZJBGN3XW6G-cfzOM_Jx0b2XJtML6atWcnmniqfc3zhkeR1PitsnElW5Y2lMUsgWa9-bj5Jzz9X7m4p-yJnEnWHZ6sOp9cXbW-cb47gM8PX-FB-hlVIP4cCRkyOWyZ-ZQ2pD3iNiabyE/s200/IMG_0380.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Napping in his bouncy seat. He wasn't even heavy enough to make the seat bounce. Such a little cutie!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnupnwrWZxHnTTunBYFsrXSIXvp6e2sKpkNCfWWPR2Wjveo1cyxWWkQfNe_MZugMlzyj1uYiaFIxnplWOq42cAjlRAU5TFPWHo4Kk30L9wM4_EOQf1kTT7xlVmE5kgl9GtXKQ5VOLQpg/s1600-h/IMG_0385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnupnwrWZxHnTTunBYFsrXSIXvp6e2sKpkNCfWWPR2Wjveo1cyxWWkQfNe_MZugMlzyj1uYiaFIxnplWOq42cAjlRAU5TFPWHo4Kk30L9wM4_EOQf1kTT7xlVmE5kgl9GtXKQ5VOLQpg/s200/IMG_0385.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First bottle with dad. We were very nervous he wouldn't take it, but there was NO hesitation. All he cared about was that it was food and he was hungry.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYmBq5eHpvCuWfKE_fyj3un90kKP9_SawH98EMxeTRb_d2FOIAgl18l3eTO5fos00jGKq9fvBmHYUaadLd1jz_BCZ-XdfLEjKqVIagqkp0P5V9oUI3QrN8DOiTYhW-xDvX71Nk8RoJQw/s1600-h/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilYmBq5eHpvCuWfKE_fyj3un90kKP9_SawH98EMxeTRb_d2FOIAgl18l3eTO5fos00jGKq9fvBmHYUaadLd1jz_BCZ-XdfLEjKqVIagqkp0P5V9oUI3QrN8DOiTYhW-xDvX71Nk8RoJQw/s200/IMG_0397.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is Noah's best friend, Mr. Giraffe. They spend time staring at each other on the changing table. Noah just kicks and giggles and talks to him forever on that table!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW1e90fZBLViHteZZfU2g2kwNUVcbewv4Ap5mTC5UvQoxqilCXKeqB4DAfoo5MpHEZegGSNVc95RXOy5qChPR609dkfgyLuk6XN3bZZA0E-ocxbiFe81VYogZPMjSnq7_PkCsKhvOn1U/s1600-h/IMG_0411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtW1e90fZBLViHteZZfU2g2kwNUVcbewv4Ap5mTC5UvQoxqilCXKeqB4DAfoo5MpHEZegGSNVc95RXOy5qChPR609dkfgyLuk6XN3bZZA0E-ocxbiFe81VYogZPMjSnq7_PkCsKhvOn1U/s200/IMG_0411.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dad and Noah were hanging on the coach together and Piper felt left out. She sat next to them all night. Every time Noah made a noise Piper was up and right there, checking on him. She is a very good big sis!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoE0SAgUk0-u9_c6etMVhVMgCgGymoEvCwjcbq7aG3sls28Xke253mkKc9-7CV8Q94uG9aS4uZlVVsBdN078JyZEkj12dK4GlrdUI5zSxNBqWeVOBG7swcfqx-ggl__vJWAVeVz66iSkA/s1600-h/IMG_0418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoE0SAgUk0-u9_c6etMVhVMgCgGymoEvCwjcbq7aG3sls28Xke253mkKc9-7CV8Q94uG9aS4uZlVVsBdN078JyZEkj12dK4GlrdUI5zSxNBqWeVOBG7swcfqx-ggl__vJWAVeVz66iSkA/s200/IMG_0418.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is what Noah thinks of Piper and her kisses and barking! Seriously, he made this expression after Piper licked him. haha<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BnbLFZSHwbfp1yGisODBeXDNPmJhCHcdD2Yy6RV8rCobLWjpZYRO6WQ9iRuqFsLihkkvvzAplsb_vSKsB84zGrTSsvsaQ6FMuykUSuMAeH4JmWsJIQLkTmGNg9iNTnZyg55gnLUh1UE/s1600-h/IMG_0423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BnbLFZSHwbfp1yGisODBeXDNPmJhCHcdD2Yy6RV8rCobLWjpZYRO6WQ9iRuqFsLihkkvvzAplsb_vSKsB84zGrTSsvsaQ6FMuykUSuMAeH4JmWsJIQLkTmGNg9iNTnZyg55gnLUh1UE/s200/IMG_0423.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My mom (Noah's na-na) went to change him and told me to run in there. I was FREAKING OUT wondering what happened to him. When I got there I saw this....NO MORE UMBILICAL CORD!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREFVjhBhhZHwHKro4r88i-rBWZcHjBZ90W90Gt44gfcOhQN1CU0j2G3nJE8rEpNJWJE5eAOmbNZyCPoW54BH4r65wtW0wKA_d7fS3WpshN6pVNnwkxZRXM7KZtSbkkFMKr0KC2LiYB14/s1600-h/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREFVjhBhhZHwHKro4r88i-rBWZcHjBZ90W90Gt44gfcOhQN1CU0j2G3nJE8rEpNJWJE5eAOmbNZyCPoW54BH4r65wtW0wKA_d7fS3WpshN6pVNnwkxZRXM7KZtSbkkFMKr0KC2LiYB14/s1600-h/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREFVjhBhhZHwHKro4r88i-rBWZcHjBZ90W90Gt44gfcOhQN1CU0j2G3nJE8rEpNJWJE5eAOmbNZyCPoW54BH4r65wtW0wKA_d7fS3WpshN6pVNnwkxZRXM7KZtSbkkFMKr0KC2LiYB14/s200/IMG_0430.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Noah's first bath. He did SOOOO good. He didn't cry until we got to his face and head. At first he just stared at us wondering what in the world we were doing to him. haha! After I wrapped him up he stopped crying and just stared with those big brown eyes!<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrdv61duhUAEJ0KDw7M3EdXkc9l6mIKcJG8I5rUKIOkXBeIXgikaxj6k5Mb2Z5J7JMoXBlXjpkR79rNp5MXZ1xsedQW7I-EENX-ywrJlDyFX_Q3xcQZ1kwQISRPu42r-gYBhmgjJY5l8/s1600-h/IMG_0433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrdv61duhUAEJ0KDw7M3EdXkc9l6mIKcJG8I5rUKIOkXBeIXgikaxj6k5Mb2Z5J7JMoXBlXjpkR79rNp5MXZ1xsedQW7I-EENX-ywrJlDyFX_Q3xcQZ1kwQISRPu42r-gYBhmgjJY5l8/s200/IMG_0433.JPG" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrYqgFN9qrZBrb2Rdc1MgLyNYOXoKvs8uyFwxOi4RBGx0IUb3N8eQDs7z57KadPQRelcICZzK_c7mBkOb4z34I_iAQ04GLILx0RZDkHEz0l6hYxx74HpmyO1V__vJN6ffz55F0zh2G7c/s1600-h/IMG_0435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrYqgFN9qrZBrb2Rdc1MgLyNYOXoKvs8uyFwxOi4RBGx0IUb3N8eQDs7z57KadPQRelcICZzK_c7mBkOb4z34I_iAQ04GLILx0RZDkHEz0l6hYxx74HpmyO1V__vJN6ffz55F0zh2G7c/s200/IMG_0435.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was after our first stroll in the neighborhood. He LOVES being outside. In the late morning we usually go in the backyard with Piper and sing hyms while slow dancing together. It is the BEST part of my day and warms my heart more than anything. How can I not help but sing praises to God when Im holding this perfect and healthy little miracle that God gave a sinner like me.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpi8wHTQZbLe6VWUzgM01lK_lt9QiE7X_TszY8QkueA-DRqOh6Xp3XvknPgI48glz9fT5aNyj0eKftwLqmNd-Ke1rKczorFpoqpqijKAuURtrYC3vWUwGfGXzdcrMn810h85dIHFl1PE/s1600/IMG_0412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpi8wHTQZbLe6VWUzgM01lK_lt9QiE7X_TszY8QkueA-DRqOh6Xp3XvknPgI48glz9fT5aNyj0eKftwLqmNd-Ke1rKczorFpoqpqijKAuURtrYC3vWUwGfGXzdcrMn810h85dIHFl1PE/s200/IMG_0412.JPG" /></a> Just a cute little picture of him sleeping on his Boppy pillow. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2pcSwOwy9n6qAdRNpgk_LdFOxzB2_ggi3Gum5BFxDdMYsxYfhIcV10JU2EXfCWIb3ij62Ppe-BcGCfOjIHIyquxciTr9g16Ugktn40RM5vcEIBSO308m6m0TiugMsgM5bBIOYBJGWkA/s1600/IMG_0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn2pcSwOwy9n6qAdRNpgk_LdFOxzB2_ggi3Gum5BFxDdMYsxYfhIcV10JU2EXfCWIb3ij62Ppe-BcGCfOjIHIyquxciTr9g16Ugktn40RM5vcEIBSO308m6m0TiugMsgM5bBIOYBJGWkA/s200/IMG_0441.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mandi, one of my old UT nursing buddies, had her bday in late October. We went over to our friends the Ransones' to watch the UT/Bama game and celebrate Mandi's day. Of course we cheered on UT to what turned out to be a sad ending to the game. Noah made sure he was in the right colors for his Aunt Mandi!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_H_2M8gwmPb6mvGXuAEG_9J_eZnYJZVYQoaryZ1FyyUjQ8B0mhfree09f1Ge06Z2d_je2op6D-GpF8Tow2fXtzl-yoD_Kgm5QqR4dHY4e9GZslpKcltciN-S3u6gyqisU5voxDmuikPk/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_H_2M8gwmPb6mvGXuAEG_9J_eZnYJZVYQoaryZ1FyyUjQ8B0mhfree09f1Ge06Z2d_je2op6D-GpF8Tow2fXtzl-yoD_Kgm5QqR4dHY4e9GZslpKcltciN-S3u6gyqisU5voxDmuikPk/s200/IMG_0509.JPG" /></a><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FbjEg2iP8BgJRVH_SKuUW_uyEdrcr6tfuwL4D1g5t20MhzDV93KCYYKWiyHK2QaTD9Os9UVWMlOS_YZ-cgZJnkckIRUEmAdPBC6s6O2wHhSdbx6tEuLCxfOKh77xjaqK4q6FzXZiW-M/s1600/IMG_0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FbjEg2iP8BgJRVH_SKuUW_uyEdrcr6tfuwL4D1g5t20MhzDV93KCYYKWiyHK2QaTD9Os9UVWMlOS_YZ-cgZJnkckIRUEmAdPBC6s6O2wHhSdbx6tEuLCxfOKh77xjaqK4q6FzXZiW-M/s1600/IMG_0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3FbjEg2iP8BgJRVH_SKuUW_uyEdrcr6tfuwL4D1g5t20MhzDV93KCYYKWiyHK2QaTD9Os9UVWMlOS_YZ-cgZJnkckIRUEmAdPBC6s6O2wHhSdbx6tEuLCxfOKh77xjaqK4q6FzXZiW-M/s200/IMG_0510.JPG" /></a> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here are the picts we took on the day he turned ONE MONTH! I had to wait for Brandon to get home so it was late when we finally got them. As you can tell he is moving in it too. We took a TON of them but he wouldn't hold still for a second so we just went with it. I have a feeling he is going to be a hyper guy! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Well that is our first month! All in all it has been one sleepless, crazy, and joy filled month! I still can not believe I have this little miracle! God is good! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</span></div>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-61093660205779192692009-09-30T10:34:00.000-07:002009-09-30T16:32:54.862-07:00NOAH IS HERE!My precious little angel is asleep right now so Im attempting to write this quickly before he wakes up. We will see how far I get, promise to post more later.<div><br /></div><div>Here's how the story goes:</div><div>I had a baby shower on Sunday Sept. 20th. It was given by my awesome youth group girls and the two other youth group leaders that are preggors had the shower with me. After the shower we went to youth group and I told everyone bye and I would see them Tuesday at the hospital.</div><div>When leaving that night I kept thinking, wow I'm done...that was the last thing I had scheduled before Im scheduled for my induction on Tuesday. I had a mental list of everything I needed to run around and do Monday to feel "really" ready for Noah, but wondered if I would make it. That night I joked with Brandon about how I felt like I might go into labor on Monday while running around because my body and Noah just knew we were done and ready for him to come. Well, I guess I was right!</div><div><br /></div><div>At 3:30am on Monday morning I woke up with the worst cramp ever! I had not had any contractions before this so I wasn't sure what it was. I got up thinking I just had to pee or I was just uncomfortable. Sure enough about 12 minutes later the pain came back. I got on facebook and started looking around trying to distract myself. HAHA! Once another contraction came 11 min later I realized it was the real deal! I WAS IN LABOR!</div><div>I couldn't remember if I was supposed to call the dr or not and wasn't sure if I should wake up Brandon yet. I remembered one of my friends, Amanda Cantrell had written on her blog about her labor story, so I got online and read it to see when she woke up Luke. HAHA!</div><div>I woke up Brandon at 4:30 and let him know we wouldn't make it to Tuesday's induction. I let him know they were still far apart so he could go back to sleep. He of course was a little to excited to sleep so he popped up and we started packing.</div><div>After packing we took some pictures of his room and waited on the contractions to get closer. At around 7am my contractions were 7 minutes apart and I decided what was another 2 minutes? We were going! We got to the hospital around 7:30 after stopping by chick-fil-a for breakfast for Brandon and Sprite for me. Carrie, our nurse, checked me into a room since the next day was our induction day and she thought it wouldn't be nice to send me home to contract more to be induced 24 hours later!</div><div><br /></div><div>Dr. Aycock saw me at 9:30 and I had gone from 3 to 4 centimeters in an hour so he decided to keep. PRAISE GOD! He broke my water and then things got fun! The next 20 minutes made me VERY glad for modern medicine and CRNA's. My epidural was amazing! I didn't feel it all and in 5 minutes I was completely pain free! From then on the rest of the day was a breeze! I was contracting like a super star and didn't feel a thing! I was laughing and talking as friends and family showed up to meet Noah.</div><div>Around 1:45 they noticed a dip in Noah's heart rate and decided to flip me on my head, put some oxygen on me, and placed an internal monitor on me. When she checked me she noticed I had gone from 7 to 9 centimeters in like 30 minutes! Carrie said he was probably a little stressed about that. Then she said something really scary...READY TO PUSH!?</div><div>At 2:12 we began pushing (never felt a thing, like I had to ask them if I was even pushing!) and at 2:42pm on Sept 21st Noah Thomas Brown was born!</div><div><br /></div><div>After some time by ourselves as a new family, Brandon invited the grandparents and uncle dave in to meet the newest edition. He was WIDE EYED from the moment he came out. I was in love instantly. I couldn't believe I just had a baby!!!</div><div>That is our story to how our little miracle came to us. Here are some pictures from the day, more to come:</div><div><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWVzi1i6cTvujdj0CQVHDXHIV-2E6bQoNP4lHjTYKmlM0sFIOck0cTIabVjuMbYcRm_3lNxxl7jjVHYOf6jYwkT-Ze3fWJyy9xrXw6rquzZKcm_pjNS5HSYriTSe_7E9qFNAJ7W8tcAcM/s320/IMG_0103.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387324219816201474" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrddJSt2i0BE2PU64daB-VBjya0nw60HyL9pRnHWM0uXWPICqx0ZNmciJY27dmQ3z6x0hs5OLgnldJ3JH29dXHBXrDYC5ww7eWftvHzq2MhvF2VqeMjh1xJTre-pw7rXAkS1aseMmYNE/s320/IMG_0108.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387324253285213858" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3A6vrjNBj32wbChrRR9Goc30Nht7q72-LC8oIxrz-cOmDAklFlOZ4f8JpVjQ6F28A6nEJEVnB3x5xNuU8E1O5Gvf98j9GMs-YHZsxrjhIKG0Hnw-o50L7oQy2SGE3UkfIUN1az6EWXU/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387324237463588498" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJiMN0xQDaLXQ6yerSSkSpxyUrhvkV8MX3wdinPvue1mDaozK2Lh6O5clwXcw-4U4ExmSwjk-Pp_tdFEtvMrDbroRXzuBbk1HXDKFrkAbv79kportu4q_fGKpvTMGXVLVxPqSan6VhAM/s320/IMG_0107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387324246480192882" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwIkI1suUBnLo_0YVmAOGbtXoqSS9mi_D9gUkTTIzVU0c7XKwFpA4fxlMp-FlI-uoU-vDGDeQk5Mlb9OKe5g5Efz4cm9bTAKGrV98k1jueCMfLZs46EqYwxf1cfxY7xzjXJeAkX24pJKI/s320/IMG_0125.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387326820996260146" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH2zQwRvrQOcZK_dad9N_9QZNn4en9pMPyE9gkPNUhZoJjm9CumdWBlXshonqYkc1zdyotWjpGuhPfDm0_LDGOIjzF6C1o7Dlj1QfCCTG4d3a2Oe-I_19BjYwYsw9SPM-6lnmTQ15wFg/s320/IMG_0175.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387326852029966386" /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAjseMosGWvhGP4QHEpconPs33QVFdJX_BixuVrJZTcFgdS_Of1ccenvWqTMra1wnQNoFVGBxgmZh990r5nfPqFs8zzr-HVK25-Po__a8H8PkemI-g3WYpNoXeVLpbx7MFZ6GLCcw3Vc/s320/IMG_0142.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387326834857093058" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUHvnWHVFR9R2EkbfNJHqfM1Zul65PcItZYqdtIotZ81wFOR6cu6CJm1ee8Mr7LxI69gaS0iBl92MBBwaJtgGVaW5Sl6ns7HOYV17DSyglqwD7_OM3TkJS_WJvMwPxqYST934rL6wM4g/s320/IMG_0130.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387326829520521858" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD0-6M92a8cYBS57nxcNZXCVY4eCzlOiEFx729kRnQc4CZLC1soLiKXaMGKmhmwFxa9tk_7Zovmij_C_73ii9oXwjV4MF6Z-CrcH2A5V-RWitUUJOWqoTtgzzLqoR26whDinhofpbZbBU/s320/IMG_0154.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387326845124546434" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG7GRD8LyNglW08GlPcgRJGuP2655MKNpySmEryEttj9Z6-tBs-uGes4XHzLllILwZmhnvpGrEBbDF0InhNfvKDoI8xFa87t5dEQ6d5DmSOwVsh9bd5lvXz7ihyphenhyphenb1BUAD7C9It0u7u184/s320/IMG_0197.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387329702292881730" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvagARZRCiGmsMKwXsylvEgK8O6YT1-O-5dAoXujYwx2QMuVvaRCZlbSMYj8HEH8tK6I4H_Z1BOruW_hJD6k_DOzOQdFKIYKsLFPw4CkspmI13GS328u7b_aoqHznSrn7yBlG5hGcYBKw/s320/IMG_0188.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387329696951182018" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwoauIRQQnb_87aR6a8E-FMMpe7MhS6ZJmTbC7IXxnvqSqJgfEKD-1oGBRki0jFh-0cwcM39jugK-gjNd0UIrVcUBYw9-fjqpUa9Cl-K_t0a8kpHw9FAiv0SPV-7h7BKEJ8LWI2hFUis/s320/IMG_0205.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387329711002609602" /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNbTMlbfCV3mZ35awBhdISV7TwoSQuWxIiDnb9rjH19CEp6-990D-DN50QqEwiS2SvLeidgNEzaddVUSBWQ4AFNKNz_OZ7V6RuP8CySR2mzGQ_rAdrLEQSk1zlksTuy2T9zVq34qJGATs/s320/IMG_0245.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387329722724148578" /></div><div><br /></div>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-20886036534855897182009-09-11T15:06:00.000-07:002009-09-11T16:23:04.945-07:00Ready or not!I know it has been forever since we posted anything. Our computer had a little bug so we couldn't use it. But Brandon is backing up all the pictures tonight so hopefully tomorrow I will be able to upload some new picts of the house and the progress Noah and I are making. We are growing bigger everyday! <div><br /></div><div>Here's a quick update on things in our life: </div><div>We are 36 weeks, 37 on Sunday. At our last 3 visits we have found out that our little man might be ready to come before we were ready for him. At our 34 week visit I was measuring 35 weeks and was already 1cm and 50%. Dr. Riseling was excited and told us nothing to worry about, she just thought it meant we wouldn't make it all 40 weeks (FINE BY ME!) She also said that we might have our due date off a little bit. Since we were blessed with Noah without really trying we were unsure of our due date. We originally thought it was Sept. 24th but after our ultrasound at 19 weeks they changed our due date to Oct. 4th. Now, Dr. Riseling is thinking we are somewhere in between there, so whenever Mr. Noah is ready she is ready! </div><div><br /></div><div>Well of course Brandon and I left our 34 week visit VERY excited! (and nervous). We still had SOOOO much to do with the house and Noah's room!!! Thanks be to God for our wonderful families. All of our parents immediately chipped in and started helping around the house to get everything done. Before we knew it the house was painted, Noah's things were starting to come out of storage, and new carpet was in our bedroom. It was amazing! </div><div><br /></div><div>This past Thursday we went to our 36 week visit. The night before I had told Brandon I was done! HAHA. I said if she told me I could go that day then I was going! Before we went in, we both made our guesses about what she would say. At the 35 week visit we jumped to 2 cm and 70% so who knew what she would say this time! I guessed that nothing happened and he was going to stall out on us after all the early excitement. Brandon said he was scared to guess since every time we get surprised. HAHA! </div><div>BOY OH BOY were we surprised. We were 3cm and 80%. She also told us that he very low and she couldn't believe I wasn't having contractions yet. She told me I would probably be go into labor in a week. Next she asked a question that confused us both. "How do you feel about induction?" Induction? But you just said you would be surprised if I lasted another week. Why would I go over my due date? That is when she told us how we might be farther along than we thought and since he is trying to make his way in the world but my body isn't cooperating I might need a little help. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next thing we knew, we are at the check out counter scheduling our induction for Sept. 22nd. So we just cut off like 2 weeks of our getting ready time! I was freaking out, but my amazing husband was calm as always. He was so reassuring that we would get everything done and at the end of the day all that mattered was our little boy was coming home. </div><div><br /></div><div>We are working all weekend to finish things up. Pending that I don't go into labor tonight, I should be able to post some pictures tomorrow of the progress we are making. If not, then our bags are packed and we are ready to go! (Hope it doesn't hurt too bad!!!!)</div><div><br /></div><div>~Amanda </div>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-77931077935685956462009-07-24T07:27:00.001-07:002009-07-24T07:58:57.557-07:00Won't you be my neighbor?Ok, so I'm at work with ONE patient in our unit & if I say those dreaded words that no one in health care dare say I know we will get like 6 patients! So....While trying to stay busy I started looking at houses. We have been wanting to move for awhile, but our renovation is taking a little longer than expected.<br />Now that we can see the light at the end of the tunnel & because our little family is about to expand we have started to look at houses. Here is where the problem lies.....WHERE TO LIVE!?<br />The dilemma: We are wanting to live by friends or at least in a neighborhood with people more our age & not across from people who party till 4 am on the weekends & have drunk friends in our driveway arguing.<br />We also doubt we are wanting to move out east just because we both work in Memphis & I don't think I can get up much earlier than I am now!<br /><br />So here is where you come in! I need suggestions about good/bad neighborhoods and if you have any houses around you for sale. I figure if we want to live by friends, ask the friends! So let the suggestions start pouring in!<br /><br />AmandaOur little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-48866835130339633412009-07-18T15:20:00.000-07:002009-07-22T20:45:06.902-07:00What are little boys made of?<div><br /></div>Sorry it has taken so long to get these picts up here. Life is still crazy in the Brown household, but we love it!<div>As most of you know Brandon and I are expecting our little boy Noah October 4th. That's right, Im 29 weeks! Wow this is flying by! Here are a few snap shots to get everyone caught up on how Noah and I are growing!</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihC_oMvpNwMQN7RvG88jax7An4BtUkCL3vgrFE7JTcAGitATdwHbIEuWS5XQs-FThszWsV-hdygNnOoWK-iS-StyJQFPo4dym1icxBWmTK3cIdprMKm97OL81VTvdZAY9fyfpqHBDxKdc/s320/IMG_4606.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361411706378559122" /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Brandon & I right after we got the good news! I took the test EARLY in the morning & ran to wake up Brandon. That's why he looks half asleep. Poor guy! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSmIA605Gj0yeinTlUP3osRK70MyohIEwgfWhW3S4xJjBis9jwd5nx94saRD-5U_mFAybiA7B8wqN9lwdkEq3X1WBG-bJxcznYaF3W6HxTBUeEfczTHjFQ65G2vDUw6sF__ywg9YsfZA/s320/IMG_4686.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361414091049549330" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Noah & I smiling with his cousin Naomi at her photo shoot!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8PWzANS8nv-6KOWECJ8FMLFatuCn7m602Rfcv3SU69PEBGOVeWKBhUnCozpQoFm-5hvE2N6LKlIbV4bhFKbzBajxbaw06yT4pjQaWPoaSLR4yHEALv-l5IMStY8N5NR1775Z5u2Vnw4/s320/IMG_4811.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361415308009227474" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">18 weeks. The start of a bump. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFRfUq3NulWd1YP3mEz7-nJ62WlNbStEo-fL0yGm-TcFCQlzUQOAkfAURTkswsTfM3Teqd_40e296kOn6eyE7GIbS_87z4b26X8qIJa1lHgckVkkYlrXy9TBqajoOzjKBG_V3SDJvd9o/s320/24+weeks.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361477219410454802" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">24 weeks. Now with a bump that doesn't come & go! Pardon the messy room in the background. This is when Noah got REALLY active! No need to do "kick counts" he hardly sleeps!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhbAtYunNXeJD3rOHpx8jp6r3uTBnclG6JBMjNBHTKo-p2sc8TNVi5Qgvxpp1dA7gbYApg6pULScUrn1nsMarfu_HkaIeJZiWpy7ROMhJC-1zJcmX3532WnZpVKGjswELLMPxLfVz-Rk/s320/25+weeks.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361477951861008306" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">25 wks with my fellow pregnant youth group leaders. We are all having boys! We almost have a basketball team! On my left: Katie 20 wks & on my right: Sarah 22 wks</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDx8dDyJPnMXVVtIoWSjLBBQ9Kp-OA6BHIyVkh_b_PcYnPa4uNpLzxCR2FoWU8AiwkQ8zSGU6wRUz0DpXhvgyk15WftrI-6piRUC7sgdmhB28GBoaVsc7js3NROjvum12-mxEwbCLApg8/s320/IMG_5107.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361479398341549586" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">At the beach for the 4th, now 27 weeks. I'm going to post more picts from our trip this week. It was Naomi's 1st time to hit the pool! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jxxzrHIbRWD4LT6IqcIVtSdNTNyguLvDFjWK-ptTgrKNqdvQ66WcpRoD5JxN7Zm5Nc6ToDr723xES1uP5YLjAd-cTzpJlxz71OcaKr8S1nDnJ5ucKNb9y9lKKq62rCL2sTKypVz_xOE/s320/IMG_5144.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361482425396239778" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">28 weeks! Noah is growing like a weed! He is very active!! Brandon can see him waving hello from across the room. If this is any indication to what he'll be like on the outside, we are in trouble! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That brings us to present day. I have a picture of me at 29 weeks but haven't uploaded it yet. Ill try to this week. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Here are some facts about what Noah's up to at 29 weeks:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">*17 inches *around 3 pounds *Brain is growing *blinking *practice breathing *hiccups </div><div style="text-align: left;">*he can hear, smell, taste, feel, & see *suck his thumb </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It is so exciting to think in a few months he will be here! It seems like time was standing still at one point and now its FLYING! I pray we finish his nursery and the house before he gets here. We have the crib and glider up together & paint is starting to go up. Hopefully by this weekend I will be able to take pictures of the nursery to show everyone. I LOVE IT! Brandon has been SO great at picking things out & letting me do what I want to the room. We are painting the walls with 10 inch pale blue & green stripes with a 1 inch white stripe in between. I love my man for being up to the challenge of painting that! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">OH! One more thing I forgot! His name!!!! We decided to name our little bundle of joy: Noah Thomas Brown. Noah, a biblical name we loved, meaning peaceful or comforter. Which means he'll probably be a ball of fire. haha. We both liked the story of Noah, a man who was faithful to God even though all those around him had turned away from God. Such a story of faith! The whole world was turning away from God & here is a man building an ark in a drought because of his faith in God! </div><div style="text-align: left;">Thomas is his middle name. This is Brandon's mom's maiden name. There are no men in her family to carry on the name so we said if we had a boy we would pass it along. It is also Brandon's brother (Noah's uncle's) middle name & my step-grandfathers middle name. So that works out well! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Well I guess thats enough for now. I need to put myself to bed so I can get started on another busy week at the Jude! Hope you all are having a great & blessed week! </div><div style="text-align: left;">Amanda </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; color: rgb(74, 139, 91); font-weight: bold; ">What are little boys made of?<br />Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails<br />That's what little boys are made of !"</span></div>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723620849041248225.post-15341430134310003392009-06-15T08:07:00.000-07:002009-06-15T10:35:10.573-07:00Get pregnant and start a blog!<div><div>I've been wanting to start a blog since we were married last May, but as most of you know we have been running at 90 miles an hour since the day we got back from the honeymoon. After we found out we were expecting and the aunts and grandmas started calling in for updates we knew we needed an easier way to keep everyone in the loop! Hence the blog! I'm not really what you would call a " blogger", wondering what people want to read vs me just blabbing on and on. That is all to say, please be patient with me as I learn the world of blogging.<br /><br /></div><div>Here is a quick overall update of the past year to get everyone up to speed. </div><div><strong>All because two people fell in love:</strong><br /></div><div>We were married May 31, 2008 in Memphis. We then had a WONDERFUL honeymoon in the Mayan Riveria in Mexico. Here are a few picts:<br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLu1Nf0pCCwaYu-zjg2-xfy2UINXD1Is8NZIrUSIEDVCp8lmoqxHu8WYBhSgjyJPEk4YiLdaJ7-oZFp9MG1JvmtFUejozivIPcMSFDs7EnCI7TXsAjyExyk1X90IpeeKyGS0Ojr8ozJ4/s1600-h/honeymoon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347596493710081378" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLu1Nf0pCCwaYu-zjg2-xfy2UINXD1Is8NZIrUSIEDVCp8lmoqxHu8WYBhSgjyJPEk4YiLdaJ7-oZFp9MG1JvmtFUejozivIPcMSFDs7EnCI7TXsAjyExyk1X90IpeeKyGS0Ojr8ozJ4/s320/honeymoon.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1WVeBXUZKbIh93qW4Xn3rEzM4M5xJR6AEqegGIB9GpGarLC_zfNtEDuxWqN0GTq5Ri-zDwEmrbVH_yuYGYkY6GDl-g637NdGa_3lXQhrdT9600XPbt3pmpB9D_aahmVLUYGZPt2Dm4k/s1600-h/honeymoon2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347596605918493074" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1WVeBXUZKbIh93qW4Xn3rEzM4M5xJR6AEqegGIB9GpGarLC_zfNtEDuxWqN0GTq5Ri-zDwEmrbVH_yuYGYkY6GDl-g637NdGa_3lXQhrdT9600XPbt3pmpB9D_aahmVLUYGZPt2Dm4k/s320/honeymoon2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><p><strong>School Days</strong><br />The day after we got home I started my residency for Nurse Practitioner school and graduated in August 2008. I started a job in Holly Springs, MS which turned out to be a nightmare but great learning experience. Thankfully God knew that wasn't the job for me and he kept a job I interviewed for in October at St. Jude open all that time. I HAPPILY accepted the job at St Jude in the ICU as the nurse practitioner. IT IS WONDERFUL!!!! I have the most wonderful staff to work with. God was definitely looking out for Brandon and I. </p><div>Brandon started back to school after the wedding. He is finishing seminary at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. When he graduates he will have his Masters of Divinity. He loves the professors there and we are both learning about God in ways we never thought we could. If you have free time you should check out Dr Albert Mohler's blog at <a href="http://www.albertmohler.com/blog.php">http://www.albertmohler.com/blog.php</a>. He is the president of their seminary and is seriously SOOOO smart! </div><div><br /></div><div><strong>Extreme Home Makeover</strong></div><div>We started to "fix-up" our house starting way back before we were married. We are still working! I do have to give credit to my husband and father in law. They have literally re-built our house on the inside. They have done electrical, plumbing, & construction all themselves. This will probably be something we blog about a lot since it is getting close to being over (PRAISE THE LORD). Poor Brandon has been working his tail off with a bruised rib trying to finish the house so we can get ready for baby Noah. </div><div>Here are picts of the house! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3FwbZf3qmQR4rxzFywKI9tHXXIblPOpbReou6MBQUutXfk9LISRnZeYJ-d5Vr4Mg0Dq2NXwCcKtF_f75hsjtlCz32wGAoVad5nNubX04YwKpNYKOeSkhAj9Zdv4xvGp-6FwTO0lwYFQ/s1600-h/home.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347590068783210898" style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3FwbZf3qmQR4rxzFywKI9tHXXIblPOpbReou6MBQUutXfk9LISRnZeYJ-d5Vr4Mg0Dq2NXwCcKtF_f75hsjtlCz32wGAoVad5nNubX04YwKpNYKOeSkhAj9Zdv4xvGp-6FwTO0lwYFQ/s320/home.jpg" border="0" /></a>There used to be a wall there! We tore down the wall to make a dining room & to open up the den. As you can see, while the kitchen got new sub-flooring & tile we had to move all the appliances to the dining room. PS: that ugly oven is gone. We have a nice, new white one in its place. </div><div> </div><div><strong>Working Man:</strong></div><div>Brandon has been looking for a job in ministry for a while. One that he could still do school as well as work. It can be very difficult to keep reminding yourself why you went into seminary when all you are doing is spending hours in the library writing theology papers. This is why most seminaries really encourage their students to continue ministry work outside of school, this is also why most seminary students aren't in and out of school in 3 or 4 years. </div><div> </div><div>Brandon was called to a job not too long ago here in Memphis. One neither of us saw coming. The ministry is called Multi National Ministries. Multi-National Ministries is a non-denominational organization that serves the culturally diverse population of Memphis, Tennessee through educational, recreational, social, and support services. Brandon's job will be as the youth leader to the middle & high school boys. He will teach ESL(English as a 2nd language) at some schools while also being in charge of the after school ministry at Multi-National. Each day after school the kids come to the Memphis Leadership Foundation building where Brandon plays with the kids for like an hour then hosts a bible study. </div><div>As he calls it, "I'm a youth minister without the restrictions of a church and its rules". HAHA! Gotta love my man and his rule breaking self. </div><div> </div><div>Here is the website of where he works. <a href="http://www.multinationalministries.org/">http://www.multinationalministries.org/</a></div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong></strong> </div><div><strong>BABY NOAH! THE REASON FOR THE BLOG!</strong> </div><div>For about a month I had been praying about what God wanted for us in terms of expanding our family. I had the overwhelming desire to talk to Brandon about stopping our birth control and letting God decide when we would have kids. I was SO nervous about asking him, but being the great husband he is he had been praying about it too & wanted the same thing! We decided in January to not try nor prevent us from conceiving a little one. Well, 2 weeks later we got a positive test! Guess God was trying to tell us it was time! We were so excited!!!</div><p>I took the test by myself that morning and ran in to tell Brandon who was half-asleep. He sat straight up and said, "IVE GOTTA GET A JOB!". haha!! The next few months were slow going & full of anxiety for me. My history in nursing is LeBonheur ICU and St Jude ICU so you have to understand my view of the pediatric population is skewed. Thankfully I have a husband who is clam and logically and knows exactly how to bring me back to earth. </p><p>We are currently in the 2nd Trimester, at 24 weeks. You can keep up with it on the time tracker on the blog. I can't believe its been 6 months already! My friend Jessica said after the ultrasound time would fly, and it has!!! </p><p>I will post more about our little man in my next post since he is reason most of you are reading this. </p><p>Well that's our life over the past year summed up in one note. My first successful blog! Wohoo! </p><p>~Amanda~</p><div><br /><br /></div><p></p></div>Our little arkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152983562467836505noreply@blogger.com6