Tandem Swingy Ball World Champions

Ashley and Nicole are the world's best tandem swingy ball players. I have installed the "Big Swing" and the girls are loving it.

PanCan 5K Walk, Chicago

The PanCan walk went well. The weather was a bit rough (50 degrees or
so and a really strong wind with some occasional drizzel) but it beat
the forcast and we made the 5K walk. We were walking in memory of Sue
Brown (Luke's grandma) and all of her grandkids (and kids) were there.
It was good to see everyone and the walk was fun, though a bit
anti-climatic and disorganized- evidenced by the fact that we didn't
get a picture with everyone or many pictures at all, but for having a
18 day old at an event of this size, we did prety well. Luke held up
great and slept through the whole thing.
Alli and Missy set up camp under a bridge and hung out with Luke while
the rest of us did the walk. Thanks to everyone who donated to
PanCan... it was a huge turnout and it was good to be together with so
many people who's lifes have been affected by Pancreatic cancer and
remind us and them that we/they are not alone. Nicer weather may have
allow a bit more socializing, but we'll take what we can- thanks to
all who were there.

We survied another week

Luke is doing really well. The girls are really enjoying him. Today Ashley said that she really loves her little brother...but she loves him a lot more when he is awake. His parents kind of feel the opposite, especially in the middle of the night. Luke will be walking his first 5K in memory of Luke's grandma tomorrow morning down at Grant Park: PanCan Walk. It should be quite wet, so that will be interesting. We'll keep you all posted with how it goes.

He's got mad skills

So in order to keep you up to date on all of his "skills" here is a video of his Pacifier sucking ability. His other skill is creating a lot of heavy diapers, but no one wants to see a video of that.

Almost a week at home

Luke is doing well. We have been home a week tomorrow and I think
everyone has begun to adjust.

Melissa is recovering quickly but also being good about taking it
easy. Her sisters have been taking turns helping out by watching the
girls ever since my mom left on Tuesday. The pain from the c-section
is all but gone and while she does get tired a bit more quickly it is
perhaps the best recovery so far.

Luke is eating, sleeping and growing like crazy. He had is 1 week
check up and he was already 1/2 a pound over his birth weight. (Target
is to reach birth weight by 2 weeks) He started off this week being
up a lot at night and on Tuesday night only let us get 15-30 minute
blocks of sleep. He did better wednesday and then last night he did
great, but unfortunaltly that is because his tear ducts are clogged so
opening his eyes is hard; so he sleeps. It is getting better already
though, so that is good.

Ashley and Nicole really like having a "babee" in the house and will
randomly decide they need to find him to give him a kiss. Luckily he
is a good sleeper because when they find him sleeping in his bassinet
and nearly tip it over he grunts some and then goes back to sleeping.
There is some natural jealously going on and on occasion they are a
bit more needy than regular, but overall they love the extra visitors
who swing by and all the excitement. The nice weather has helped out
a lot in terms of giving them something new to do.

Luke's Homecoming

Saturday Morning Luke decided it was time to leave the hospital and go hang out with his sisters and grandparents. Everything really smoothly but it was a very tiring 15 minute drive home so Luke slept almost all day.

The first night was not so bad. He was up to feed every 3 hours but is very happy. I've posted more pictures on our photo site and more are on the way.

Paparazzi

I'm getting the hang of this stuff. Things are going really well today. I let my parents sleep a little, so did I, my sisters came over too. Check out a few more photos (will it ever stop- every time I turn my head someone has a camera- you'd think I was a first kid or something) on the bottom of my album

How life is like a construction site

So I'm only 30 hours old and I have not had much of a chance to get out, but as I stare out the window at this construction site (see a picture of my view, click here), I'd like to draw some parallels.

1) Both are pretty scary: Whether it's learning how to breath or walk across an I beam, you get the hang of it pretty quick though and then it's just old hat.
2) A good team is important: Lots of guys on the construction site make it all come together; a great mom and an okay dad, great doctors and a talented nursing staff in here and my life is coming together nicely too.
3) Communication is key: outside they have a cool little radio gizmo they use to communicate with the crane operator. Pretty high tech looking. My communication is a bit simpler. If I want something I cry till all these people figure out what it is I want. Pretty sweet gig :)
4) There is clearly a designer with a plan: So it's amazing to watch this building outside come together- such coordination and clearly a designer. And as i stare at my hand an watch all this amazing stuff happen with my body and my mom's, pretty undeniable that there is a Designer. *Romans 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
5) Sometimes things don't work out right the first time but with a little effort it ends up working: The guys outside put these pieces of steel into place and then have to use the torches and chains and brute force to get them to set right. Kinda like when I wasn't breathing quite right; just took a little effort to clear out my lungs and get back on track.
6) Life can be pretty gross at times: Whether that is a flying port-a-potty(click here for a picture of that) or one of my diapers, things get gross at times, but it is all a part of life.

Twice as old as my last blog

Just wanted to give an update on Luke and Mom. He was just complaining that he had not been blogged about for half of his life. He is now twice as old as he was when we last gave you an update on his condition.

He is sleeping a lot today. He has done a good job of getting his lungs clear of fluid and has been a good eater. Visitors are coming by and he seems to like all of them, especially his sisters.

Mom is recovering amazingly. She is now "cable" free and only on tylenol for pain control. She is up and walking around. The only bummer is that she can not seem to fall asleep. Please be praying that she can get more than just rest, but actually fall sleep.

There is a construction project out the window that Dad and Grandpa are watching so that is making the time pass quickly (that and the internet access- which is how you are all kept up to speed on the day in the life of Luke.

More Pictures

Take a look at the photos on our Picasa site (link to the left or here) for even more pictures.
Here are some of our favorites.

The girls had a blast seeing their brother.  They couldn't get enough of holding him.  He slept the whole time, but that made it easier to hold.  He is eating well and very cute.

1st moments with my parents

I like them!

Eyes open

He is doing well, though still in the nursery. He needs to cry up some of the fluid in his lungs, but he is sleeping too soundly. So for perhaps the only time, we are hoping he cries a bit as long as it doesn't start a trend.

It's a boy

Luke Matthew was born this morning at 8:15! 

He and mom are doing well.

Weight: 8lbs 3oz

Height: 20.5 inches

We are amazed at God's goodness and the joy of growing our family.  Can't wait to introduce you all to Luke!

 

It was a c-section so your thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery for Missy are much appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Brandon, Melissa, Ashley and Nicole

 

Missy on April 15

This is what Missy looks like as pregnant as they come.

As ready as we are going to be

Well, just under 24 hours from now we head to the hospital for the arrival of our third child (He is what makes this 5brown and not 4brown). People keep asking if we are ready and I think we are finally at a point where we can say we are as ready as we are going to be. The house has been cleaned top to bottom, the nursery is all set and the bassinet is in our room. Grandma is in town and having a blast with the girls who are also very excited to bring home their little brother.
Now, are we ready to be a family of 5- as a friend put it, move from man on man to zone defense? We will have our hands full and in our own strength we would not be able to survive a week, but the Lord will provide the strength we need. I just went to look up Isaiah 40 and ran into these amazing verses that I just have to share now.

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.Exodus 15:2

Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 1Chronicals 29:12

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. Psalm 28:7

Awesome is God from his sanctuary; the God of Israel--he is the one who gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God! Psalm 68:35

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. Psalm 118:14

"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."
Isaiah 12:2

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Isaiah 40:29

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Ephesians 6:10

And in case you are still reading, this is one of my favorite prayers in the whole Bible an I pray it for you all, and ask for your prayers over Missy and the baby during the delivery and recovery.

Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Climbs better than dad

My Kid's Smart!

So I came home the other night and found my 3 year old sitting at the dining room table with a pen and piece of paper. She had drawn the attached. The only ink on this page she didn't do is the star (her mom did that).
So it appears she takes after her mom in both the striking good looks and the brains!

Leap Day Fireworks

We headed downtown on Friday night. Missy and the girls took the train and I joined them at a station close to my work. The girls loved the train and we made it downtown for a "fancy" subway dinner. We caught a cab at 6:25 and asked for Michigan and the river... after a confused look we explained there was a 6:30 firework show. Apparently he too was a fan of fireworks and did his best to get him there on time. We turned onto Michigan avenue and shortly there after saw the Wrigley building windows reflecting some flashes of light. Our cabby took off and turned up the side street and up to the river. We got out of the cab and were the first people (there we not many of us) behind the cop who kept people from walking too close to the sparks. The girls really liked the first 3 or 4 minutes, but then when the loudest bangs started they got scared and never recovered. Luckily the show was amazing and short (can't bank on nice weather Feb 29th) afterwards we stopped in the Fannie May (ate one for you dad) that was across the street, caught a cab back to a 7:30 train and were home in time for bed time, well almost.

Seattle Trip

Why take a 3 year old, a 19 month old and 7 month pregnant wife on a 4 + hour plane ride?
I had to travel to Seattle for business but we also have been trying to find a time to head out west and see our good friends Becky and Rob who have kids very similar in age to ours. We also had some frequent flier miles deal that was going to expire before we would be traveling again (Missy isn't supposed to fly starting tomorrow due to the pregnancy and flying with 3 kids probably won't happen much; at least not until #3 is a little older.) Additionally I had hopes of getting some skiing in and WA, and OR have just been getting dumped on this year. On top of those factors, flights were only $212 so we took advantage and booked the trip.

A cabin in the woods
Ashley and Nicole were both great on the packed flight out there. We lucked out with the weather as Chicago had gotten lots of snow every other day of that week. Becky picked us up at the airport and we spent the weekend at their house. Rob is the director of Cascades Camp and they live on the property so we had access to a cabin of our own. It is a beautiful area of the country and the rain doesn't seem so bad when the alternative is sub zero temps at home. We spent most of our time at Becky's house but had a good time with the girls in "Maiya's other house", the cabin. Speaking of "other house's", Becky and Rob are just weeks away from their new house being done. The weekend we were there was the one weekend that Rob had to paint the entire house. It was an impressive undertaking and he had gotten a ton done by the time we got there, but there was lots more to do.

Marmalade anyone?
Saturday it worked out for us to borrow Becky's Expedition and meet our cousins, Mike and Leslie, in Yelm. They drove up from Portland and it was great to grab lunch with them. They are about the best listeners and conversationalists I've ever known, trouble is, they are so good that 3 hours of talking and you barely know what is going on with them. Still a great time, but just making the point that next time we will have to spend more time and make it a point to talk about them too. Thanks for lunch guys! our turn next. Maybe Mike can provide Marmalade sandwiches or something (Mike asked for Marmalade for his toast and they had to look around to see if they had any. Turned out they had a 2 gallon drum of it and were willing to open it if he wanted it, but also offered to let him take it home since no one ever asks for it. Mike opted for the latter so if anyone is craving marmalade, let me know I'll get you his number)

On our way back to Becky's (about 15 min drive) the car started puttering funny and upon our return Rob drove it around. It did it again and the check engine light came on. So with one car down, two pregnant women and a house to paint, the odds of me getting to the mountains to go skiing were quickly dwindling. But I was prepared for that. It was first a family weekend with hopes of getting some skiing in. (Crystal, which was where I was hoping to ski had 300+ inches already this season and 3+ feet in the days before my arrival. So much snow that the mountains were closed- power issue, road safety, avalanche danger, etc.) So we stuck around the camp and I helped Rob paint (just a little) and we took some walks when the sun peaked out. We also fed the horses that live just across from their house. It was wonderfully relaxing and great to spend time with Becky and Rob and lend a hand as we could.

Sunday afternoon we all headed up to Seattle to stay at Rob's parents house who were out of town. We grabbed a fun dinner down on the water in Seattle did a bit of the tourist thing (merry go round). Then headed to the very cool house of Rob's parents. They had a hot tub in the back overlooking the Sound and when we turned off the jets you could hear the sea lions barking. Not your typical February day for a Chicagoan.



I went into work on Monday and Tuesday and when my coworkers heard that I didn't get my skiing in over the weekend it prompted a Tuesday afternoon flock to the mountains. Business went great, very busy, but great the two days I was there but the highlight was the chance to see 6 of the "originals" interact and take me skiing. Great guys, fun stories, wonderful skiing. We lucked out with the weather and had the mountain quite to our selves. Bit too long of a story for my already too long blog posting, but I had a chance to ski a lot, on Alpine and Telemark skis... both were great, but I love Tele! No pictures to prove it this time, but definitely made catching the flight back to Chicago much easier knowing that I had gotten some skiing in.

Maybe I'll add to this later but for now thought I'd share that story.
Posting some pictures here as well but my apologies as this is a very poorly photographed trip; busy taking care of the kids i guess; not photographing them.

Sledding Photos

With 10 inches of fresh snow we headed to the sledding hill (yes, man made, we still are flat landers). Of course the trip was mainly for me (Brandon) as Melissa is too pregnant, Nicole is way too small and Ashley is content with sledding on "hills" I make when shoveling the driveway.
 
We got there after suiting up and getting out the door (still a big process) and Ashley was quite excited. Nicole even got excited about getting into her red "infant-boggin". The hill is quite large and does look exciting. Ashley and I raced striaght to the hill (Ashley in tow) and ran up. The trail goes up the side of the hill and there are trees enough that you can't see the runs as you hike up. So we got to the of the hill and Ashley and I jumped on the sled. I asked her, "are you ready?" She gave an excited "yeah!" A woman standing at the top of the hill said, "Wow, she is brave." I joked, "It's her first time, she doesn't know she should be scared." Little did I know, I should have been scared.
 

The snow was only 24 hours old, but it had been warm enough to melt and turn to ice overnight so as we started down the hill we picked up speed quickly. Then started bouncing and bumping and snow was flying everywhere. We eventually "crashed" though I managed to keep Ashley on top of me. Her face was covered with snow and she was trying really hard to have fun but said, "that hills to big for me, I think." We stuck to to the bottom of the hill after that- except for me trying the biggest hill once. I determined that sledding pretty much just hurts, a little fun, even less control- made me wish I could ski soon. Maybe next weekend. Anyway, here are some pictures from the day. We all had a good time and no one got hurt.