Happy birthdays and sleepless nights...

Today is both my grandpa's birthday and my friend Zac's birthday. Happy birthday to both! Last night my family was able to run out to Newberg for a quick b-day get together with my grandparents. It was a short visit, but fun to get together with them.

Last night (well, let's be honest, it was about 4 a.m.) was the first time that they baby has kicked hard enough to wake me up. Sometimes when I am awake at night for other reasons I will feel it moving around, but last night it actually woke me up. I eventually woke Merrick up too because it just didn't seem fair that I was awake. He put his hand on my belly and felt it moving around, and eventually, when baby had settled down again, we both fell back asleep.

In other news... we are starting to get excited about moving into our house. These are the floor plans of our new house (thanks to www.mascord.com).

The main floor

Upstairs

Moving day is scheduled for Saturday, and I very cleverly (if I do say so myself) planned a one-day weekend getaway for that day! I am not allowed to lift or move anything anyway, so instead I am heading to Yakima for the day to go to Hannah's shower. I can't wait to see her - it has been six months since the last time we got together. I am hoping that the moving goes smoothly Saturday morning for Merrick and the other guys that are involved. We will start the unpacking process after church on Sunday and gradually get settled in. I can't wait!!!

Sweet, sweet sixteen...

Once the car issues were dealt with, the remainder of Sunday went rather smoothly. We again arrived early for the games, but this time there were only 2 games to watch.

The first game, Oregon vs. Winthrop, started slow, but really took off in the second half. It was great to see the Ducks pulling away and hitting most of their shots. The weekend of basketball was a lot more fun since we had "our" team playing on both days. It makes a huge difference when you are really into the games and pulling for one specific team. Anyway, the Ducks did win the game and are moving on to the Sweet 16. They will play again on Friday against UNLV. Should be a good game, but I have no plans to make the drive to watch in person this time.

We were really hoping that the second game, Texas vs. USC, would be a good, close one... instead, USC dominated the whole time and it wasn't as exciting as one would have hoped. Most people in stands left early, probably hoping to get a jump on the long drive home.

We left the arena around 4:30. Bill and Sandy dropped us off at the dealership on their way out of town. Merrick and his parents met us there, and we were on the road by 5:15. I hadn't eaten since breakfast at 9:30 that morning, so by the time we stopped for gas and food in Kennewick I was starving. I have never enjoyed a Quiznos sub as much as I did last night. As I was eating, the baby was kicking and punching like crazy... probably saying "its about time you gave me some calories." The rest of the drive was uneventful. We played games and told stories to keep us awake. We got into Lake Oswego around midnight, and Gary and Margaret made it safely to Eugene by a little after one. It felt so good to crawl into my own bed... I am pretty sure I was asleep before Merrick had finished brushing his teeth.

Oregon, Washington, Idaho...

On Saturday we wanted to do something other than watch basketball. We were all worn out from the day before, so we slept in a bit - which was great! Merrick and I went to breakfast with my dad and Craig and then we all headed over to Gonzaga University to meet Gary and Margaret. On the way there the car started beeping, and we realized that it was over heating. Well, we just happened to be one block away from a Jiffy Lube, so we got it there and hoped they could help. The coolant was totally empty, so it seemed that a quick flush and re-fill would solve that minor problem...

We swung by Gonzaga just to see the campus and to visit the bookstore. We were able to sit in the lobby and catch the end of the Ohio State vs. Xavier game - which was well worth stopping to see. From there, Craig and dad headed out to Whitworth to watch the George Fox baseball team play and Merrick, his parents and I headed to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. We wanted to do something other than watch basketball, so we opted for the short drive across the border. We grabbed food at the local Safeway and took our picnic to the shores of the lake. From there we just walked around the town - along the world's longest floating boardwalk, and stopped in various stores and shops. The St. Patty's Day parade was just getting started as we left town, but we wanted to beat the crowd and get out before the streets were blocked. We got back to Spokane and into our rooms just as the Washington St. game was finishing up.

The rest of the afternoon we watched the games on t.v. and lazed around the room. For dinner, the six of us headed east again to Black Angus for steaks. Dad drove, since his van could fit us all. Dinner was fabulous (we were glad we had reservations and only had to wait 20 minutes instead of the over-hour long wait others had). On the way home the van was smelling really hot again, and by the time we got back to the hotel, it was smoking... that is never a good sign. It was now 9 p.m. on a Saturday night, and a quick look under the hood told us that something was seriously wrong. The hose from the coolant to the radiator appeared to be split. Dad spent a while on the phone trying to figure out what to do with the car, and if there was anyone who would be able to help fix it on a Sunday. We needed the car to get home Sunday night, since we all had obligations first thing Monday morning. He ended up getting towed to a place on Saturday night, and Sunday morning, when that place couldn't help, he was towed again to a dealership just outside of town. Their service department was able to fix the car for us that day, and dad and Craig didn't miss any of the Sunday games!

11 hours and counting...

I knew this weekend was going to be full of basketball, but I don't think I knew exactly what that meant.

We arrived in Spokane by six on Thursday evening and got checked into our hotel. We met up with Bill and Sandy (some family friends from the Seattle area) and my cousin Geoff, who also happened to be in Spokane and the nine of us headed to the Old Spaghetti Factory! With nothing on the schedule for the night, we all just laid low and caught up on the games we had missed while driving.

The next morning we met in the lobby of the hotel and ventured out to find breakfast before the games. The arena opened 90 minutes before tip-off, so we got there about an hour early, found our seats, and settled in. That was about 10 a.m. - and at 9:30 p.m., after four basketball games, we left the arena and headed for dinner. Yep, we were there for almost 12 hours. That is a lot of sitting in not very comfy seats. We were exhausted to say the least... but, it was so much fun, and we did see some good basketball games.

Head over heels...

Last night we hit a big milestone for us. We were all sitting around watching American Idol when the baby really started moving. Merrick has been trying to feel it every time, but so far hasn't had any luck. Last night, however, we both felt the biggest kick yet. It literally made me jump. (I guess I need to get used to that feeling so I won't jump off the couch every time it happens in the next four months.) Merrick is pretty excited that he felt movement. I have been feeling little kicks and punches for a few weeks, but nothing that strong. We don't know exactly what is happening in there, but we do know that this kid likes to be awake at night, and seems to enjoy the singing on American Idol (glad someone does).

"Your tiny diver has a few new moves, thanks to her buoyancy in amniotic fluid. She can turn, spin, somersault, and jackknife. Her motions are becoming more forceful and coordinated. The connection between her brain and limbs is growing stronger every day. Your baby can now hear your conversations more clearly than before!. When you talk, read, or sing, expect her to hear you."

Non-baby news... The Gibsons joined the blogging world! I am really excited to be able to keep up with them through their blog. We leave tomorrow morning for our Spokane trip! I know, I know, those of you who read this already know that, but I am very excited so I had to say it again.

Not quite a maternity shirt...

I have been wanting an Oregon Duck shirt for quite a while, but could never really justify the expense. I have plenty of other green that I would wear to games, so it just didn't make sense. Well, with the excitement of the upcoming games, Merrick decided that we "needed" new Duck shirts. Normally, I would have been thrilled by this, but I am certain that the U of O store does not specialize in maternity clothing. Well, we found these (very) green shirts that we liked, so we decided to stop by the store on our way home. I was pleased to discover that the medium I would normally buy still fit - a little tight around the middle - but hey, I was thinking I would I would be lucky to squeeze into an extra-large. So, we wore our new shirts home from the mall, with the tags still on.

Now we are really ready for Friday! I just hope the people sitting around us don't mind, because you better believe that if the Ducks win their first game, we will be wearing these shirts on Sunday too!

We are bound for madness...

About a year ago we entered the lottery to buy tickets for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. We have been planning our trip to Spokane ever since, and it is finally upon us. We don't actually leave until Thursday morning, but today the brackets were announced, so we now know the 8 teams we will see play... and it couldn't be better!

We will see four games on Friday: Notre Dame vs. Winthrop, Oregon vs. Miami Ohio, USC vs. Arkansas and Texas vs. New Mexico State. On Sunday, we will see two more games, as the winners of the first four move on to face each other. We are really looking forward to seeing the play since they have had a great year and we weren't able to make it to any games. The highlight of the trip, however, could be getting to see Texas and Kevin Durant in person!

Merrick and I are going up with his parents and my dad and brother. It is looking like it will be a great weekend! I am sure there will be much more to write once we have actually taken our trip. For now, we just know what games we look forward to seeing.

The three bellies & Ella...

Yesterday Jennifer and I went to Eugene to attend a baby shower for Macy. We found these silly shirts and decided to each wear one and bring an extra for Macy... It was a great photo op, so we lined up for the cameras and let it all hang out. Ella felt a little left out, so we were able to snap a few that included her belly too. It was a quick trip down and back, but we had a great time at the shower and visiting with Macy and the girls.

We, the homeowners...

Yeah, it is official... the house is ours! I have been bombarded with questions about the house since my last posting, so I'll try to give a little more info.

The house has three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a den and a bonus room. There is a small backyard that will be perfect for summer BBQ's and a good place for kids to run free. What we really love about the house is the open feeling on the first floor. The dinning room, living room and kitchen are all one big area that is very open. We were looking for something that didn't have separate living room and family room, and found just that in this house. The bonus room is upstairs, and will be a great place for kids (and Merrick) to play. The office is downstairs, but does have french doors, so can be closed to minimize the noise.

We will most likely be moving in on or around March 31st.

The kitchen - all gas cooking and a pantry... I can't wait!

The "great-room" (eating area, kitchen, living room & dinning room)

Bonus room - aka the "pop-a-shot" room! (Merrick's arcade game that he is dying to have set up.)

Living room... I can't wait to shop for new furniture!

The den/office (looking out towards the entry and staircase).

Say cheese...

This morning we went in for our final ultrasound. It was so amazing to see a baby that in 14 weeks has grown from a grain of rice to the size of a soda can. Yep, our little one is now about 11 inches long and weighs 12 ounces. (I have added in a few past pictures for comparison.) No, we didn't find out the gender. Sorry for any of you where were dying to know. We are looking forward to that one big surprise later this summer!

Our baby at 7 weeks old - just the size of a grain of rice.

Our baby at 11 weeks old - about 1 and 1/2 inches long

Our baby today at 21 weeks old- 11 inches long and 12 ounces. What a tub-o-lard!

The baby stays all tucked up when it is asleep and was a little camera shy today. It took quite a bit of poking, prodding and jiggling to get this little one to turn over and come out from hiding. Once it did, he/she kept putting both arms in front of it's face to "protect" itself from whatever was happening on the outside.

Could we have a little thumb sucker on our hands? This little one might take after uncle Craig.

Hands in front of the face, you can see all the little bones in the forearms and fingers (good news, there are 10 fingers and 10 toes!)

Profile of Baby Brownlee!

A good, strong heart beat!

All-in-all we have one healthy kid on our hands. We are so thankful for this blessing and still struggle with understanding this amazing miracle of life. It can be so mind-boggling at times. Just one more reminder of how good and big our God is!

Home, sweet, home...

Well, it isn't official yet, but yesterday Merrick and I signed all of the loan papers for our new house. The sellers will sign this afternoon, and by tomorrow at 5 p.m., we will officially own our first home!

We won't be moving in until the end of the month, but I'll be sure to keep y'all up-to-date on the happenings of this new adventure.

Sunny days, chasing the clouds away...

I have been a bit slow at posting... so I need to get a little caught up.

On Tuesday morning the sun came out again... for the third day in a row. It was beautiful! I wanted to get out of the house and spend the day outside, so I went out to Newberg to play with Kyler, Ella and Brennan. The four of us packed up and went to Jacquith Park for some fresh air and exercise. I was a little amused to see the looks on the faces of the other women there (with their two children) as I showed up with three kids and pregnant with a "fourth." Not exactly the case, but we went ahead and let them think it. I didn't take a lot of pictures, but Brennan was up for being a ham (as usual). After an hour and half of swinging, sliding and running laps around the tennis courts, we were ready to head home for lunch. That's were the fun really began...

As luck would have it, the new Quiznos in Newberg had just opened that morning. So, the six of us piled in the van and went out to lunch. We rearranged a few tables and chairs to seat us all, and then ordered our sandwiches. Mine came first, so I loaded up my pickles and peppers and headed to our table. (For those of you who have eaten at a Quinos before, you know that the baskets are shaped like the letter "Q." That is important to keep in mind). I set the basket down on the table, sat in my chair, and then tried to put my purse under the table... Well, the purse got caught the tail of the "Q" basket and launched my sandwich in the air, between both Megan and me, and sent it sprawling across the brand new polished floor of the restaurant. Again, it was opening day, so the place was packed, and everyone was instantly staring at me! I just laughed (honestly, what else do you do?). There was bread, chicken, lettuce, pickles and honey mustard strewn everywhere. The manager came and helped us get it all cleaned up, offered to make me a new sandwich (even though it was completely my fault), and when he brought me the new one, he also brought me a bib... what a thoughtful man. Towards the end of our meal, he came back to make sure all was well, and right then, Ella attempted to pick up her drink by the plastic lid and spilled an entire cup of pink lemonade across both tables and all over the floor. The manager joked about calling the police and having us escorted from the building... I think he was only partly kidding.

Well, all-in-all it was a great day! And, when it is sunny and warm, there is no point in crying over a launched sandwich and spilled lemonade - right?

I (thought I had) lost that nauseous feeling...

Uggg... I have (finally) been feeling so great for the past few weeks that I had (almost) forgotten what morning sickness felt like. For some reason, it is back. And, let me tell you, that I am less than thrilled about this. It has been off and on throughout the past 4 or 5 days - not the "all day sickness" I had at the beginning, but it still isn't fun to feel sick. Mostly I just want to curl up on the couch and sleep all day - which is exactly what I did on Saturday. Hopefully this is just a quick phase, and I will be out of it again before I know it.

On a happier note... we had a great time in McMinnville yesterday with Merrick's college roommates' families. Somewhere along the way (I think it was started by Burch) the nickname the "Elite 8" came up, so that is how I think of us. (Although, with all of the kids, we are really a lot closer to the "Sweet 16"). The four guys, their wives and all of the kids, spent the afternoon ruining Joel and Sarri's beautiful house. It is always fun to watch the husbands quickly revert back to the days when they were 19 and living in Weesner Village at GFU. We don't see each other often enough, but we have a great time when we do see everyone. Thanks, Sarri, for opening your house to us (even though I know you never read this blog).

Half time...

Well, I am now 1/2 way through this pregnancy. I can't believe how quickly the weeks are passing. It is a little scary to think that we will be bringing a baby home in just 5 months! There is so much happening between now and then, however, we are trying to just take it one week at a time.

Being pregnant is getting to be more fun... now that I am not sick as often, and I am starting to feel the baby moving around more frequently... it is all a little more real now. We have another ultrasound next Friday, and we are both really looking forward to seeing him/her again.

On other news... I have been working a lot, which has been great. It is just a nice feeling to know that I am in the right place for now. Merrick has been really busy with his work too, but so far is enjoying what he is doing.