Brown Life

Hi

2010-02-18T11:58:00.000-08:00

"Sissy...Move"

2010-02-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

Madison Hope 16 days old

2010-01-28T18:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas

2009-12-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

Good Morning Sunshine

2009-12-02T22:47:00.000-08:00

Early Christmas Gifts

2009-12-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it is an apple!

18 Months Old

2009-12-02T21:52:00.000-08:00

Lincoln's Favorite Words
Daddy
Mom/Mum
apple-apples, applesauce, any round fruit
dactor-tractor
boord-bird
there
out
go-to tell Buddy to get on his mat
no-usually directed at Buddy
sit-Buddy
mmm or ma-more
ball-anything round that is not fruit
me-mail, mailbox, mail truck
bye-bye-can mean good-bye, stop doing that, go away, or let's go
Joe's O's
shoes

Sounds
Whoa
Wow
whoo-whoo-train sound
whooooooo-fire engine
beep beep
uh-oh

Always working. Always.

34 inches tall, 25 pounds, hit all milestones

We Laughed

2009-11-02T20:01:00.000-08:00

Usually when Lincoln starts throwing his snacks and food to Buddy, I say "all-gone" and take his food away. Joe's O's and Gorilla Munch are too expensive to be dog food.
However, today was a different day. We were all suffering from the time change, Buddy included. Early in the day, when I was making Lincoln's lunch he laid down on the tile floor and started sucking his thumb. If you know my boy, that's just not him...ever!
At about four o'clock both boys (Lincoln and Buddy) were roaming around the house wondering what to do.
Today I let this go and we laughed.

Halloween

2009-11-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

Lincoln's favorite part of Halloween was opening the door and handing out the candy. By the end of the night he got pretty good at it too. He would stand up on the couch, resting his chin on the window sill, and wait for trick-or-treaters to come to our house. Then he would hop down, open the door, and pass out the candy. Dominic and I just looked at each other and remarked how this would always be a wonderful memory. It's the simple things.

Lincoln and "Bobby" Playing Fetch

2009-10-20T15:44:00.000-07:00

17 months old...

2009-10-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

and he has decided to wear the hat!

She's Coming

2009-10-08T10:19:00.001-07:00

Pregnancy Tickers from WiddlyTinks.com

Uh-oh

2009-09-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

Lincoln has begun to use uh-oh appropriately.

16 Months Old

2009-09-23T13:21:00.001-07:00

Lincoln's "words" at 15 months

2009-09-17T19:51:00.000-07:00

The last few days of Lincoln's 15 month have brought with it many new sounds and words. What an answer to our prayers. These are the most consistent ones we hear.

uh-oh
Mommy-can mean anyone or anything
Mama-again, can mean anyone or anything
Ma-more
bad-bird
apple-apple, lime, most round things
ball-ball, other round things
baby in a really high pitched voice-baby sister doll
there
this
I did it
me, me, me-doesn't seem to have a consistent meaning
alawaga-alligator
hippo-hippo
uh ma-help

Shoes, Belly Button, Tongue

2009-09-13T11:56:00.000-07:00

15 months old

2009-09-11T19:06:00.000-07:00

Listen carefully and you will hear the singing. It sounds like Phoebe's rendition of the bagpipes for all the "Friends" fans out there.

I hesitated to post this last one, but I promise he did not get hurt. It looks like he hits his head at the end of the video, but really, he didn't. I like it because it is so classic of Lincoln's personality.

14 Months Old

2009-07-20T18:28:00.000-07:00

Lincoln's "Words"
Buddy- Ba with and occasional Uddy
Mickey- Ma
I want something- Me, me, me
Sounds with unclear meaning- Baby, I, Eee, mom

Mmmm

2009-06-18T15:41:00.000-07:00

Lincoln enjoying a snack at his table. Listen closely and you will hear mmmm.

One Year Old

2009-05-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

20 pounds (10th percentile)
31 inches long (80th percentile)

More Good News

2009-05-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

Lincoln had his first day in the up to 18 months walkers' room at church and he came home with a few new skills. One, self feeding. Two, getting to the standing position on his own. Both were skills he had achieved sporadically before, but now he does them consistently. Those two little girls in the room must have been good peer tutors (teacher term for all you educators).

Daily Discoveries

2009-05-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Lincoln has discovered the outdoors. He has also discovered how to get there. He especially likes to go in the front yard via the front door. Yesterday, we went out and he waved at a car that was all the way down by the mailboxes. He kept waving at the car until it passed by our house and turned the corner. He knows what door handles do, but thankfully he cannot reach them yet.

Musician

2009-05-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Soccer Player

2009-05-01T10:21:00.000-07:00

Good News

2009-04-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

Lincoln has not wanted to self feed, but he definitely likes to eat. I am okay with feeding him because it is a wonderful time for us to look at each and "talk" inbetween his whines and screams for more food.
If you've been around me lately you know that I've been a little frustrated with Lincoln's lack of desire to feed himself. All the information says he should be doing it by now. If there is one thing I have learned it's that Lincoln marches to the beat of his own drum. He pulled up before he sat up. He walks before standing up on his own. He babbled just a little at 4 months and then quit for several months. He eats with a fork but won't put the food in his mouth with his hand.
Yesterday, I realized I had been going about it all wrong. I gave him a fork with a piece of carrot on it which he promptly picked up and put in his mouth. Now he only wants his food on the fork.

11 Months Old Today

2009-04-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

Walking

2009-04-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

10 Months

Hanging out in the backyard.

2009-04-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Daddy is Home!

2009-03-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

This is what happens every day when Dominic comes home.

Lincoln 10 months

10 months Old - Learning to Walk

2009-03-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

I walk, I run with some help

2009-02-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

Play ball!

2009-02-23T22:21:00.000-08:00

Determination

2009-02-21T09:53:00.000-08:00

Lincoln 9 months.

Future Veterinarian

2009-02-19T08:16:00.000-08:00

Lincoln at 9 months.

Hi?

2009-01-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

Lincoln was excited to see Buddy sleeping on his mat and decided to go over and take a closer look. I thought this might be a cute video so I took out the camera. Lincoln was distracted by the camera and what happens next is pretty cute. Is this Hi?

Lincoln has hit several milestones this month: [in order] creeping, getting to a sitting position on his own, waving (Grace was first), pulling up on everything (yikes), crawling, babbling a little more (I was concerned about this one), teeth (two on the bottom). Maybe we can add Hi to the milestones in his 7th month of life.

Standing

2008-12-28T15:25:00.000-08:00

Lincoln standing in his crib.

Christmas

2008-12-28T15:22:00.000-08:00

Lincoln opening his gift.

Lincoln Chooses a DVD!

2008-12-24T15:32:00.000-08:00

7 Months Old

2008-12-18T19:17:00.000-08:00

Best "Buds"

2008-12-15T20:43:00.000-08:00

Lincoln loves Buddy and Buddy loves Lincoln. Daily, Lincoln commando crawls his way over to Buddy and grabs his tail, or his paws, or any part (yes, any part) he can get his hands on. Buddy has been very gentle so far. Typically I let them have a little fun together always monitoring how aggressive Buddy is getting.
A couple days ago, Lincoln was in his walker and Buddy was licking the tray. I left the room for a few seconds to put something in Lincoln's room, no doubt another load of laundry. When I came back Lincoln had just had a bath thanks to Buddy's tongue. Lincon's hair was all wet and Buddy was still licking his face. Kinda gross and funny at the same time.
Here they are enjoying each other.

Bath Time

2008-12-03T14:27:00.000-08:00

Lincoln loves his bath time. Here is the joy we experience every night.

Six Months Old

2008-11-18T18:57:00.001-08:00

BOO

2008-10-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Little Peanut

2008-10-09T15:47:00.000-07:00

Guess who stuck his foot in his mouth and sucked on it today? Yep, my Little Peanut. I didn't get a picture of it yet, but here's this cute one.

Guess what I'm going to be for Halloween?

2008-10-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

4 Month Check-up

2008-09-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

Looks like we don't have the monstrosity we thought we were going to have seeing as though he is a little less than average now.

15 pounds 3 ounces
25.5 inches long
16.75 head circumference
45th percentile

I'm really working hard at crawling. I've changed my tactics from putting my head down and pushing with my feet, to positioning myself on my stomach and raising my arms and legs up and grunting. This doesn't move me at all, but I'm coordinating my legs and arms. Sometimes this turns to tears, but I'm determined!

I Laugh Now

2008-09-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

Lincoln did his first real laugh yesterday. This is video of his second one.

Crawling?

2008-09-09T09:03:00.000-07:00

Lincoln works hard at crawling and gets very frustrated when he can't accomplish what he wants. It's fun to watch him eye an object across his crib and go for it. Yesterday, I found him awake from his nap on the other side of his crib with his Jordan socks in his hands.

Little Man

2008-09-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the most recent video of our "Little Man" as he is nicknamed lately. He loves his Daddy.

The online baby book continues.

2008-08-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

During my 12th and 13th weeks I...
found out I weigh 13 pounds, 13 ounces.
found out I am 25.25 inches long.
found a pacifier in my crib and stuck it in my mouth.
turned three months old.
noticed my feet.
started grabbing my feet.
started grabbing Mommy's arm when she carries me.
started rolling.
worked on my crawling skills-I get around by pushing myself on on my tummy with my legs while doing a face plant.
increased my ability to reach for toys, grab them, and shake them.
petted Buddy (on accident, but Buddy really liked it).

Life is good.

2008-08-14T13:28:00.000-07:00

Staying Home

2008-08-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

A choice we made when we were deciding where to make a home and raise a family. This is one of the main reasons why we chose to move to Bakersfield.

When I started telling people at work that I was going to stay home with my baby, the majority of them said how great staying home is. They said how it is best for children. Most of them (women) said how they stayed home or wished they could. Believe me, I have worked in a really good preschool/daycare and there was a definite difference in the emotional stability of the kids who were there half day versus full day, so I knew what they were saying. But did I really believe it?
Then there were the people (usually men) that said, "Won't you get bored?" Of course I said no, but I really wasn't sure.
Let me tell you--after 12 weeks, I am anything but bored. I'll admit, the first couple weeks were tough. Anyone who saw me during this time will verify that I had a difficult time with the transition. I missed my time with Dominic and my time with our dog, but I knew, or at least had heard, that things would get better. When Dominic went back to work I remember wanting to be the one who was going back. Around this time I began to pray that if this was what I was supposed to be doing that God would change me.
Now, I can't imagine life any other way. I know for sure that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I want to be the one praticing language with Lincoln, doing exercises with him, and feeding him. I've even started to enjoy taking care of the house which is a miracle in and of itself.
Of course I am a little sentimental around this time of year with school starting up again, but it doesn't mean I don't love what I am doing. God has given me a gift and it is my job to take care of it (him). I'm sure when I visit my school in the future I will get questioned about whether or not I made the right decision. Now I can say with confidence, I did!

We might have a schedule!

2008-08-07T19:03:00.001-07:00

For the last three days we have been on a good schedule. It's the first time Lincoln has done this for more than two days in a row. He is so much happier when we do the Eat, Play, Sleep cycle and having a consistent schedule makes this possible. The past 3 days have gone like this:
7:30 Morning Feeding followed by language practice with mom (fancy title for we make sounds at each other while his stomach settles)
8:30 Bouncy Seat Play time while Mommy gets ready for the day.
9:00 Playtime with Mommy-this might be rattles or his new favorite, Giddy Up and Go Gym.
9:30 Nap
10:30 Feeding followed by language practice.
11:30 Playtime in Bouncy Seat while Mommy quickly eats.
11:45 Playtime on my Giddy Up and Go mat. Exercise-Mommy holds my fingers as I grip them and she pulls me up from the floor (suggested in Pediatrician's manual).
12:30sh Nap with Mommy
2:30 Feeding followed by language practice.
3:30 Playtime same activities.
4:30 Nap
5:30 Feeding
6:30 Playtime with Daddy!
7:30 Nap
8:15 Bath
8:30 Feeding
9:00 To Bed

During my 11th week I...

2008-08-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

discovered Buddy.
cried because Buddy looked scary.
moved my legs in a crawling motion.
reached out to grab things.
flipped my bird (there is a bird in his bouncy seat that spins and makes the music and waterfall play).
enjoyed looking in the mirror with Daddy.
rolled over from my back to my tummy.
Started sleeping for nine hours!

During my 9th and 10th weeks I...

2008-08-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

slept in my crib.
went to the doctor and weighed 12 pounds 8 ounces and grew to 23.5 inches (75th percentile).
rolled to my side from my back.
practiced my language skills a lot with Mommy.
started grabbing Mommy's hair.
threw my rattles.
invented a sure way to get my thumb in my mouth-drag my hand down from my forehead until my thumb lands in there.
really enjoyed my Giddy Up and Go Gym (thanks Andrea).
grew more hair.
lifted my head up 90 degrees while on my stomach.

Big Boy

2008-07-23T11:51:00.001-07:00

Yep, I'm a big boy now. I slept in my crib last night. There are no pictures because Daddy and Mommy didn't want to wake me up, but here's a cute picture from Daddy's party.

During my 8th week I...

2008-07-20T15:43:00.001-07:00

was the Party Pooper at Daddy's 30th Birthday Party (seriously, I pooped a bunch of times).
held a rattle.
kept improving my roll over.
went to the doctor and found out my diaper has a preservative that makes strange colors.
sucked my thumb all by myself (just today).
started noticing my hand.
slept for 6 hours at night consistently.

Buddy

2008-07-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

Nap time for the Brown boys.

Buddy is obsessed with Lincoln's pacifiers. So far he has eaten two of them. Maybe we took him from his mom too early at 6 weeks.

During my 7th week I...

2008-07-13T11:54:00.000-07:00

really started sucking my hand without help.
laughed a lot.
stopped sleeping through the night consistently.
practiced my vowel sounds.
rolled over.

During my 6th week I...

2008-07-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

grew more hair on my head.
began wearing my 0-3 months clothes.
smiled a lot at Daddy.
said "Ehhh" in response to Mommy saying "Hi" to me.

During my 5th week I...

2008-06-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

smiled at Mommy when she said, "Hey Baby".
found out I weigh 10 pounds 2 ounces (and counting).
learned that I grew 3.5 inches.
realized some of my up to 7lbs pants are getting too short.
SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!

The Cutest Boy

2008-06-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

Here he is, the cutest boy in the world! I can't believe we have him. Here he is at 26 days old.

Laundry

2008-04-25T09:25:00.001-07:00

They warned me, but I guess I really didn't listen. I was not aware of the amount of laundry it takes to get ready for a baby to live in our home. I think I have done about 6 loads this week, and I'm not even finished! Blankets, sheets, mattress pads, bassinet pads, onesies, rompers, overalls, shorts, pants, stuffed animals, diapers, hooded towels, washcloths, etc. Now in fairness, I have mixed some of our towels and a few clothing items in the piles, but most of this was Bean's stuff. I am so thankful that I have had at least one week to get ready for his arrival. I certainly would not want to be doing this after bringing him home. Now for the important things like learning how to care for Bean. I plan to finish reading So That's What They're For, Baby Wise, Effective Parenting in a Defective World, and any other babycare books I can get my hands on.

Busted

2008-04-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

The thief has been caught! I received a call from a police officer today telling me that he was taking someone into custody who had my expired license, a Home Depot credit belonging to Dominic, and my Office Depot Star Teacher card. Justice has been done, but in a way I feel very sad for this person too.

Bean is Growing

2008-04-05T21:56:00.000-07:00

Here we are at 33 weeks. Bean continues to grow and grow and grow. We're taking on the egg shape now. People at work continually ask me when I am due and they are shocked when I say I have seven more weeks to go. I walked into a 5th grade classroom this week and one of the students looked at me with great concern and asked, "Does your stomach hurt?" Bean has begun his descent which means in some ways I am more comfortable now. This week my school gave me a surprise baby shower where I received more gifts than I could ever imagine from many people I do not even know very well. It was touching. They usually throw the shower on the Mom to Be's last day of work but they had mine early thinking I might not make it. What do we make of this? Are these signs that Bean really might arrive early? For his health sake, I hope not.

Camera Shy

2008-03-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here are the latest pictures of our little Bean from my unexpected ultrasound. The nurse practitioner I saw had written a note to repeat ultrasound at next appointment, but she didn't date it. She wasn't sure when or why she wrote it, so I ended up with a surprise ultrasound on Monday. We were able to see the things that we couldn't last time and everything seems to be fine. He was very active during the scan, so it was difficult to get decent pictures. I got to see him put his finger in his eye, ear, and mouth. I think the first picture is his finger in his open mouth. The second one is him grabbing his foot. The third one is his face pressed up against my side.

My best girl and man's best friend.

2008-03-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well, the pregnancy is moving along quite nicely. We have appointments with the doctor every two weeks from now until the end. We are very excited. We have been working on the nursery and the yard getting ready for the baby shower and the baby's pending arrival in late May. We would have gotten more work done this weekend if Kimberly didn't get food poisoning and spend all weekend moving from the bed to the bathroom and back. We called the doctor and he said there is no immediate danger to the baby; she just has to keep replacing fluids and get some food in her as soon as she can. She seems to be feeling better already. Fortunately, she was already planning on taking Monday off from work so she will get some additional rest.

Buddy also completed his 8-week training course last weekend and the true test of his progress came Friday night at Petco. He used to very difficult to control because he wanted to smell everything and eat whatever he could find on the ground. However, this time he was near perfect. He stayed right by our side and didn't every try to pull very much. We were very happy.

Smash and Grab

2008-02-24T20:52:00.000-08:00

I was the victim of a Smash and Grab. It was pretty much inevitable as I see it. The incident took place on my school grounds, in the back parking lot which is fenced in. People park in the back parking lot because it is supposed to be safer than the front parking lot which is not fenced in. Anyhow, three weeks ago I informed the Dean at my school that there was a large hole in the fence in the back parking lot. She told me they have had problems with non-students coming into the school through that hole in the afternoons. She sent in the work order.
One week ago I told my principal that the hole had not been fixed. He went out to look at it. Shortly following, he emailed me in response to an email I sent him saying that the work order had been sent in. I had also told him that I saw two men parked behind the fence in a dirt lot who had come through the hole to pick lemons off the tree on the school grounds. Wouldn't this concern you if you were in charge of the safety of 900 students and 40 teachers?
This past Friday, someone came through the hole, smashed in my passenger window, and took my cell phone and my mostly empty purse and wallet. I wouldn't usually keep those things in the car, but I accidentally left my phone and I left the purse I was not using with the wallet I was not using in the car under some lunch bags. I had intended to go back to my car at lunch and get my cell phone, but thankfully I didn't. I know that if I had I may have seen the criminals and confronted them. In the neighborhood I work in, that would just be a very bad idea. I know myself though, and when Fight or Flight comes up, I definitely Fight.
So, I can't really blame the thieves. They were given the Smash and Grab opportunity on a silver platter. I do however, blame my principal. Maybe now they will make sure the holes in the fence become a priority.

New Family Member

2008-02-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Here it is, our new car. We drove to Lancaster, CA and picked it up on Saturday and we could not be more pleased with the service and the car. We bought the car through Cars Direct, and there was almost a hitch at the end of the deal, but Dominc worked with them and they took care of the problem. We recomend Cars Direct to anyone looking to buy a car not only for the unbeatable pricing (they beat their online price by $300), but for the excellent service as well.

The Battle Part I

2008-02-15T20:16:00.000-08:00

We are fighting a battle right now. It has been rising to the surface for the past couple years and this week it reared its ugly head. We knew it would finally manifest some day, and Thursday was that day.
We are battling our Homeowners Association Board.
On Thursday, our HOA sent out a letter regarding their desire for speed bumps in our neighborhood. They actaully stated that we "cannot stand idly by and allow any of our children to be maimed or killed by a speeding driver".
We really do support the safety of children, but the way the Board has gone about this project is the real problem. A couple members got together and decided they wanted speed bumps in the neighborhood to punish the speeding drivers. When they came up with a map of speed bumps, their homes conveniently had speed bumps in close proximity. These members are the kind people who think children should be allowed to play safely in the middle of the street. These members would hear nothing from the opposition and even said that we could not understand because we do not have children. They are trying to impose fear and guilt in the residents to pass their own agenda.
In response we began to fight back. We created a flyer and posted it on the mailboxes stating that we are against speed bumps and in favor of Emergency Response, Parent Accountability, and Fiscal Responsibility. Oh, I failed to mention that our association is having trouble even getting people to pay their dues with deliquency and foreclosures and yet they want to spend $10,000.
The flyers were removed while other homeowners flyers were able to remain.
I put them up again

To buy or not to buy

2008-02-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

We have recently had quite a few car issues with our 2002 Ford Explorer and our 1994 Acura Integra. Neither of them stopped running, but when we have had one or both of them in the shop every other month it was enough to get our car buying wheels turning. So, we researched on Carsdirect.com. And we researched at Aurotrader.com. And we researched the worth of our cars on Kellybluebook.com and Edmunds.com. We have had frequent conversations about buying used a car, buying a new car, and buying nothing at all. This has taken place for well over a year as we knew we would eventually have to replace my wonderful Acura Integra, AKA "The Reliable One". Since we cannot imagine putting children in the back of the Integra, it seems to make the most sense to sell that car and buy an SUV type looking to the future, while keeping our Explorer and praying that it will continue to run. We plan to keep our car until it dies so we want something reliable.
So, over the last week we have been looking seriously at the Honda Pilot. There was once a time when I wouldn't even consider this car because I thought it to be ugly. I guess I have grown up a bit because I started looking at this car for the price, safety and the reliability factors. All week long Dominic has been working with Cars Direct and Galpin Honda in L.A. to get the best deal. When the price, which we already thought was great, dropped another $1,000 we became really serious. We finally came to the conclusion that this was a deal we could not pass up for our growing family and we bought the Honda Pilot to be picked up from Lancaster this weekend.

Great Memory of Hawaii

2008-01-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite pictures of Kimberly and me. It's on the lanai of our hotel room in Hawaii. We revisted the same hotel as our honeymoon for our five year anniversary. It was a great trip.

He has grown!

2008-01-31T19:37:00.000-08:00

Buddy is now about 7 months old. He is a happy and healthy puppy. He is enrolled in Dog Obedience class on Saturdays. He loves being around the other dogs.

Our New Puppy

2007-07-24T20:48:00.001-07:00

This is our new Puppy. His name is Buddy. We will take him home from the breeder in two days, on July 26th, 2007. Isn't he cute? He will be six weeks old. He is a yellow lab.

Miracles

2007-07-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes miracles come in different ways than we expect. I think we often think of miracles as healing and we neglect to see the less obvious ones from day to day. When we found out about our baby, many people prayed for "a miracle" and in this they meant healing. What I learned throughout the process was that the miracle did not come in healing my child on earth, but it came in the way that God provided peace through the experience. Peace is also a miracle, if not the ultimate miracle. Peace is what sets Christians apart from other faiths.

Recent Events

2007-04-21T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is a recent letter written by us regarding the loss of our first child. I hope that this letter gives comfort to those of you who are experiencing something similar and hope to those of you who need it. This is just a glimpse of the power God has in our lives and the strength He gives to those who pray.

Dear Family and Friends,
As many of you know, Dominic and I have spent the last couple months in the process of grief. At the end of November we found out that our first child had Anencephaly, a fatal neural tube defect. At the time we found out, the pain was insurmountable, and although we knew we would get through it, we did not know how. What we did know was that God had control of this little life, that He chose him to be our son, and that He was perfectly made (Psalm 100,139).
As the days and weeks went on, we fluctuated through the grief process. We had many times of questioning and fear, but also many of peace and acceptance. We often wondered how God expected us to be able to go through this, and of course, why. Just when we thought the physical pain and discomfort could not go any farther, God delivered Dominic Daniel Brown Junior on February 5, 2007, two months shy of his due date. Suddenly all of our questions were answered and all of our fears relieved. We knew that this was God’s perfect timing. At this time more than ever, we realized how God continually gave us exactly what we needed at exactly the right time. When we were feeling sad, it was a phone call, card, or email that brought us comfort. When we had questions, God provided people who knew the answers. When we felt like talking about our son, God provided the ears to listen. When we felt like doing normal activities, God provided people to do them with us. All along God had been growing our relationship with each other and the body of Christ to have the gift of this child, and he was exactly that, a gift.
The moment he was born the nurse gave him to me right away. I was overcome with intense sorrow as you might expect. Then something unexplainable happened. After a couple minutes of weeping, I opened my eyes and saw how wonderful this child was. I saw his beautiful hands, his blue eyes, and his little tongue. I had never seen anything so precious in all my life. The rest of the day we did not feel sadness, but joy. It is unbelievable that we were able to find happiness on a day like this. What we know is that in that moment, the peace of God had come over us and changed us. Later we were given this email of a prayer that was being prayed for us:
“Please pray for God’s Sovereign will and His timing for the baby’s birth…for God’s strength and supernatural peace. Please pray that the delivery of the baby will be as quick and as painless as possible. Please pray for all of the family and healing as they grieve what they have been told will be the loss of this little guy.”
It is surreal for us to read this prayer because it is exactly what we experienced. Our hope is that everyone will be able to experience this peace that God gives. Our hope is that the news of our child has the power to change. Our hope is that his life has been a testimony of God’s love and faithfulness and that God’s works have been displayed in him (John 1:9).
When I look back at my journal from the day we got home from the hospital, I called that day beautiful. We do not think of our experience as the result of our fallen world, a mistake, or even a regret. This child’s life was ordained by God and when we saw how much Dominic Junior looked like his earthly father, we were reminded of how we are made in the image of our heavenly father. Nothing God creates is bad or a mistake. Our son was and is perfect, and God’s plan for his life was fulfilled.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate your support as we mourn our loss and praise God for the gift of this experience.

Love,
Dominic and Kimberly

2006-01-15T20:23:00.000-08:00

We thought we'd give this a try. It seems like the thing to do =)