Still Growing...

A few things we've noticed about our baby girl, who's growing bigger every day... (I know that's supposed to happen, but when I can tell that my belly really is bigger from one day to the next, it just throws me for a loop!)







- When I am lying on my right side, she likes to tickle me with her hands and feet to the point that it's unbearable, and I am forced to switch sides... Oh well, she's sure to get her fair share of tickles from her mom and dad in the not-so-distant future.
- Our baby girl is a good sleeper so far... she wakes up when I wake up and goes to sleep when I go to sleep... Let's hope she maintains that pattern!
- My stomach isn't the only thing that lets me know I'm hungry these days... Baby seems to get much more squirmy when I get hungry, and then settles down, content as could be, once I'm full.
- So... We think we have a name picked out (and no, we're not saying!). One night Scott had his hand on my belly, was talking to her, and called her the name we're liking, and she seemed to just wiggle like crazy with excitement. Caught us both off guard at the response; maybe it's a sign! : )
- The belly is beginning to take on foreign shapes, especially when our little girl decides it's time to swim around in there. Won't be long before we see a foot here, an elbow there...

Only 11 weeks to go... Yikes! She'll be here before we know it... Better get to readying her room!

When Tragedy Strikes...

Last weekend brought about a terrible accident for a dear friend of ours, and his family...

Here are a few thoughts from the last few days:
- We are "human BEINGS." Just BE with them (the family) right now... That's what's important.
- Miracles still happen.
- Hope in Jesus isn't just some nice idea we spread around to make ourselves feel better; it literally is what keeps us going at times.
- You can never have too big a support system.
- There is nothing more powerful than being faced with huge loss to make one even more thankful for what one has been given. From the day I said "I do" to my husband, every night before bed I have thanked Jesus for him. That thankfulness has grown exponentially over the last almost 4 years, but the last few days have left me without words as to how thankful I am for him. Seems I have only tears to convey to Jesus my heartfelt thanks to Him for the man He's given me, and what we have together.
- Babies have a way of bringing joy to tragic situations.
- His peace really does surpass all understanding and comprehension, and He gives strength to those who turn to Him that is simply unexplainable.

Please pray for our friend Wes, who is in critical condition after a plane crash, and for his wife and 6-week-old baby boy. Pray that he would not only be able to breathe on his own, but that, with time, he would regain the use of his arms and legs. The outcome looks grim by what doctors are saying, but we have great hope, and we know that we believe in a God that still performs miracles...

Since You've Been Asking......

Here she is at 6 months!

The Real Work Begins...

So, as has become an annual tradition, the Browns and Lubers gathered to celebrate Labor Day in true Alaska fashion - up to our elbows (literally) butchering and processing caribou meat. We spent 8 hours Sunday and 10 hours Monday picking hair, trimming, cutting, grinding, packaging, and learning how to make our own homemade Italian sausage. Our feet and backs were sore from standing, but it was a huge accomplishment, finished with pride. There's no feeling quite like knowing that your meat was handled with the best of care and made to your liking.

The Caribou Hunt!

So... Almost 6 months prego, I wasn't sure if I would be up for keeping up with three men out on the tussocky tundra of the North Slope, chasing after caribou. But... knowing that hunting for me may very well look quite diffent in the not-so-distant future, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. So... I went. And, aside from having to adjust my pack to sinch below my ever-growing belly, it wasn't half bad! Actually, if I was honest, it almost seemed easier hiking this year as opposed to last - I think mostly due to the fact that I was more mentally prepared for the terrain we were hiking in. It wasn't easy - it never is - but it was totally doable! So, the 4 of us headed out on a grand 6-day adventure. We found that Summer has been hiding on the North Slope these last three months (hardly a cloud in the sky the whole time we were out there!). We went with the intention of taking three caribou - the shooters being Joel, Jayson, and myself, and we all came out successful! The boys were such gentlemen helping me lift my pack and helping to carry out the meat from my 'bou (the midwives said there was no problem backpack hunting with my 45-ish lb. pack so long as someone else helped me lift it to get it on... and that I didn't put much more weight in it than that). For details on the trip and pics of the other caribou, visit Scott's blog at http://www.provingtrail.blogspot.com/.

My 'bou in the foreground after the shot, and Joel's in the background still bedded.

The boys packing a load out halfway to the road, against a most georgous backdrop.

Jayson, well... being Jayson!

Big North Slope Sky.

My guy...

All of us with my guy...

Well, we may have "found Summer" up on the North Slope, but it definitely had the look of Autumn to it...

The goofy bunch...

One tired pup.

August Adventures...

Well, August brought more adventures for us, mostly consisting of chasing animals all over Alaska. The month started with Scott and Steve's annual sheep hunt, which returned them home to us with no meat or horns this year, but with good stories and memories to share. Scott and Steve's sheep hunt also gave me an opportunity to spend some time with Amy and Autumn, as they camped out at our place while our "boys" were gone. Autumn sure loved the raspberries from our garden... The boys came back a day early, so we got to spend some time all together, which was fun...

The next weekend, Scott headed back to the mountains in search of a sheep again. This time, he returned with an incredible story, horns, meat, hide, and the most proud smile you wouldn't have been able to wipe off his face if you tried! A weekend trip out for those elusive sheep, the odds were against him, but he went and he conquered. For more details, you'll have to visit his blog... http://www.provingtrail.blogspot.com/


With some extra time on my hands, I got to work on a project I've been dreading, but knew needed done - I gathered all my magazines (you know, the ones you hang on to because they have one good decorating idea that you'll probably never get around to trying, but you can't bear to let go of nevertheless!), bought a little rubbermaid drawer set from Target, and went to town! I spent hours flipping through old magazines tearing out what I wanted to keep, and ditching the rest. Then, I organized the drawers with different subjects like Decorating Ideas; Remodel Ideas; Diet and Nutrition Articles; Marriage, Baby, and Parenting Articles; Recipe Clippings; etc., and filed all my torn-out pages. It felt SO good to finally get rid of the piles of magazines that have just been collecting dust. I think I took 3 boxes worth of "leftovers" to the dumpster! AND... now I'm actually using the articles and such that are in my drawers... it's so nice to have them handy and accessable. The nesting bug sure has bitten already! : )


August also brought about our big ultrasound where we found out that the lil' pea growing ever so quickly inside me is a girl... Here are a couple pictures of her... I got a big laugh over the calf/foot one - my first thought was, "That is SO Scott's calf!" I hope she inherits her daddy's super-human muscles!

She's a Girl!

More things we're learning:

- It's a girl! And ultrasounds just leave me in awe... Oh, and Scott informs me that "I'll just have to teach her to out throw, out hike, out hit all the boys..." Let's hope they're intimidated instead of infatuated! *Shakes head* Oh the things we get to worry over in the years to come!

- This little girl loves to move! She makes her presense known all day long with kicks and flips and such. ...Much to her Mama's enjoyment!

- Who ever said bike riding was a no-no during pregnancy? Can't believe I waited this long to ask my midwives about it. Bring on the bike rides from here on out! That is, until those little white things start falling from the sky...

- Compression stockings. Never guessed I'd be spending an ungodly amount of money on a pair of tight knee-highs. My legs will thank me, come work days especially.

- Leg cramps. Do I hear moans of sympathy out there? For someone who's never really experienced even a "charlie horse," this came as quite a shock. Here's the scene the other night: it's probably about 3 o'clock in the morning, we're both sound asleep, when all of a sudden, I "scream," as Scott puts it, and grab Scott's arm with a deathgrip, as I'm shouting (at 3 in the morning, it sure felt like shouting), "Ow! Ow! Ow!" When I managed to pry my nails out of Scott's flesh, I wasn't sure whether it hurt more to try to massage my calf that felt like it had some rabbid animal attacking it, or to just not touch it, and hope and pray that it passed. Cries of "Ooh, my leg!" finally gave way to some good chuckles, especially in the days that followed, as we re-lived the moment just for the sake of its hilarity! Scott thought something had bitten me, but says he rolled over and went right back to sleep after he realized what was happening. Not one of his most sympathetic moments, I must say, but that's okay. So... after a bit of searching and reading, sounds like more potassium, magnesium, even MORE water (and hence, more visits to my not-so-favorite room in the house), compression stockings on work days, a little salt before bed, and putting my feet up when sitting/resting are all in order for me in the days, weeks, and months to come. No more leg cramps for this gal! ...At least, I hope not.

- Hormones. Okay... society/media makes it sound like guys have the *hardest* time trying to "deal" with us and our hormones, but what about us - being trapped in a body that just decides to freak out on us once in a while? It's like an out of body experience, where your body is crying over some random, every-day conversation between you and Hubby, and you're sitting next to yourself, thinking, "What is going on? You were fine two seconds ago, and no one said anything touchy-feely or anything worth crying over... And yet you're crying... for no reason. Knock it off! You're gonna freak the Hubby out!" (I must admit, "Hubby" hasn't been freaked out by my little "freak-outs" yet. I just tell him it's hormones, and he takes it all in stride. Even wipes the tears for me if I can't get to 'em quickly enough. What a guy...) Anyways... quite the wild ride, this being-pregnant thing. At least it doesn't happen often - I don't know if I could handle myself if that were the case!

- And speaking of "freak-outs," I've learned that I must have food with me at all times. When this gal gets hungry, it's not a fun time for anyone. It was a learning experience for me when Scott and I were walking through Lowes one evening... I was desperately trying to make myself understand why I was so upset and annoyed with him, when I knew full-well that he had not only done absolutely nothing "wrong" but had been the sweetest husband to me... Then we got home, I ate something, and... suddenly all was right with the world again! Poor guy had to put up with one cranky wife for that trip to Lowes, but we both learned something that night - Liz must have food available, always and everywhere, and if Liz is cranky, feed her!

- I know I mentioned this once before, but I really can't understand why people feel so obligated to tell you their horror stories...? I annouced to some people that we're having a girl, and I was then barraded for the next however-long with horror stories of how terrible girls are when they hit certain ages. Thankfully I have enough sense about me to understand that these womens' stories don't have to be my same fate, and that raising a child to have an interactive relationship with Jesus creates different children than those I was being told about, who don't know Him, but still... I'm left perplexed. How tragic for young moms to be told such terrible things, with such confidence that the same fate awaits them too. It's like chaining shackles to someone, when you say such things. One of the things I loove about knowing Jesus, is that my "fate" doesn't have to be that of my mom's, my dad's, my peers, other young moms, other women - Jesus has a unique journey just for me, and thus a unique journey for our daughter as well. Sure, some of the struggles may be the same, but she's certainly not doomed to the same "fate" as the other girls I was being told about. Another reminder for us that misery does love company. But there's no freedom there; no life, and certainly no hope. Oh, and encouragement? Nope, not one drop. ...And so I claim freedom and life and hope and encouragement for our little girl... things only found by truly knowing and walking with Jesus. (Okay... I'm stepping down from my soap box now...)

- Is it odd that I get very excited that people can finally tell that I'm actually pregnant and not just "gaining a few pounds...?" It only took 5 1/2 months!

- Hubby's expressions are *priceless* when he feels his little girl move and kick. Love that.

- I must say... I get a kick out of a lot of these quirks that come with being pregnant. Some of this stuff is just plain hilarious to me...

- 22 weeks down; 18-ish to go... Really, how does time pass so quickly?