Brown Paper Blog

Videos are on Vimeo.com

2011-04-01T12:04:00.000-04:00

http://vimeo.com/user6530095

From now on I am going to post all my videos onto Vimeo.com - use the above link and book mark it! They make it so easy to upload from my iPhone that I had to use it.

I played around this morning and chucked some up there - just some goofy Harry videos!

Found photos

2011-02-21T21:23:00.000-05:00

I have been a bad mommy. Since I bought my iPhone I have not taken many photos with my Nikon! I did take some recently, that I will get up this weekend.

In the meantime I forgot we had these photos that I took last march using my friend John's camera and fun lenses.

Enjoy seeing a little, fat baby face that I miss.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T15:53:00.001-05:00

Christmas Morning 2010, originally uploaded by prettie77.

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy new year. It is going to be a busy one, with another little Brown on the way in May. As you can see from this picture, Harry and Franklin have mixed feelings about the matter.

We spent this Xmas with colds, but, we persevered. My fabulous in laws took care of Harry and fed us while we rested in between sneezing and blowing our noses.

Harry really is not interested in presents yet, but we thank you for them anyhow! I think I am going to put them away, and save them for when the new baby comes, and use them to distract Harry.

Wanted to update everyone on Harry's expanding vocabulary. He adds to it by the week. It is hilarious.

EAT! - nuff said
Kuh! Kuh! - truck, bus or train or any other large vehicle
Blankie - blanket (his best buddy for when he sleeps)
Binky/Paci - pacifier
Buh - book
BuhBye! - good bye. His fav thing to say.
Doggie - this is used for any animal that even slightly resembles a dog
Baby - yes he says this thank goodness
Bawl - ball (loves them)
Ooh! - says this when he sees christmas lights
DaDa - loves to yell this
Mama - only when he is whiny and tired or hungry
Nahnah - banana
CHEESE! (always yelled)- cheese
Mook - milk
Guh - i think this is grapes
Papa - grandpop, and he usually whispers it
Spooh- spoon
Gallgone- All gone
No, No, No - he does this while wagging his finger at you

Merry Xmas from Harry

2010-12-27T22:39:00.001-05:00

Finally figured out how to blog from my phone!

Excuses, excuses

2010-10-03T21:57:00.000-04:00

I feel guilty that I haven't posted and Harry updates for all of my avid readers. Things in the Brown household have been so busy as of late. Tonight I just got around to processing and posting the photos from our 2 trips to the beach this summer and of Harry's first birthday!

Harry had a great time - we went to Ocean City for a weekend to be with the Paulinas and Har loved playing with his cousins and eating sand. Made for interesting diaper changes.

Afterwards, he was spent.

We also spent a week in Wildwood with the Paulina and Brown Grandparents. He didn't like the sand there as much as he did in OC. Must have been the approaching storms that affected the taste.

At any rate - he had a great time being spoiled by both of his grandmoms, loved exploring the condo and took in all the sights on our many walks. He got to see both sets of cousins that week as we celebrated Maria's 40th bday together.

He also really liked the ceiling fan in the master bedroom. Everyone morning he would wake up and point at it. The other major thing he learned about was BIRDS. He loved to point at the seagulls, and ever since then, pointing is his THING. He is always pointing at the ceiling or sky no matter what. If he points out the window, he utters "buh" for birds. Very cute.

More general Harry updates:

Now he has 4 teeth and one more coming in
Still not "officially" walking, although he has taken a few steps (last thursday to be exact) but hasn't taken one since
He very clearly says "eat" now. Figures.
At his first year check up he was 75th percentile for weight and height
He can locate his ears, nose, teeth and belly on command
He went to his first Phillies game on Labor day! (VERY hot day, we had to hide in the shade)

Overall he is a little crazy monster that loves to crawl around the house and get into trouble. He enjoys going behind furniture, going under my desk and pulling on wires, opening and climbing into the panty and of course petting and pointing at the dog.

I now have an iPhone so expect some mobile updates! Woot.

Video from April through August

2010-08-13T09:45:00.001-04:00

Harry April-Aug2010, originally uploaded by prettie77.

I know, I know. Mommy has been slacking in getting a blog post, videos and photos up to the internets. Here is a compilation of Harry stuff from the past few months!

We are crawling very well now, and have 4 teeth, and can climb steps too!

A visit from Grammy and Pop Brown

2010-07-01T22:04:00.000-04:00

My inlaws came out for a visit in late May - I took some photos before they left. This one is my favorite!

Busy B's

2010-07-01T22:03:00.000-04:00

It has been busy around the Brown household over the past month. Mommy has been working late and too much, Daddy traveled for work, and in the meantime Harry has been doing some growing up!

He finally figured out how to crawl - he took his first tentative tries on Sunday June 20. Him and Daddy were playing, and I was outside when Eric yelled to me to come in to see! He does a traditional crawl and another that Grandpop Mart calls PegLeg - one leg bent at the knee and the other stuck straight out. He loves to crawl at the dog and pet/annoy him.

On the day he turned 10 months old, he finally cut a tooth! We knew it was coming, because for days he was cranky. Then Grammy Dianne called me at work to tell me that she saw it while giving him lunch.

Harry has spent a lot of quality time with Grammy and Pop Paulina. Last Thursday, we were hit with a quick but severe storm that blew out the power for three days! We stayed with the grandparents because it was in the high 90s and they had AC. We all had a mini-vacation at the Paulina B and B. Harry loved crawling up and down their long hallway. He also pee'd on Grammy's rug after a failed attempt at a diaper change.

We posted up some pics to Flickr for your enjoyment. There will be video to come. We are off to Ohio this weekend and I will check back in soon. We are off to Virginia for vacation in a week and a half and I will post pics when we get back!

Enjoy the holiday!

Nine months - I could've had another baby by now!

2010-05-23T17:31:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow our little man is turning nine months old. He is very quickly becoming a little boy. He is very squirmy these days, on the verge of crawling. He loves to pull himself up on his crib bars, and on mom's legs. He rolls all around his crib, and ends up in various positions at the end of the night. The other day, he tore off his cloth diaper and we found him nude from the waist down in there.

Today he clapped all by himself! I started to show him, then while he playing on the floor alone, he did it. Then I asked him to do it again and he did. Wah! he also enjoys nodding his head yes and no, and also doing tongue wags. He does parties for a small fee.

We are still quite the eater. Our new yummy things are veggie and real beef burgers and Veggie Booty, goldfish crackers and any thing else I put in front of him.

Yesterday we had a cook out, and some of my friends brought their doggies. Harry loved being licked and nipped by Kelly's new boxer puppy. He had his fingers and toes in Eddie's mouth. He was hysterical with laughter. (He often lets Franklin clean his fingers.)

He always giggles when he sees a dog. The other night, after feeding himself a bottle, we sat on the sofa and he watched Hotel for Dogs for an hour. He loved it! He also likes to watch the tv show Glee with me, and he likes Bert from Sesame Street.

In other Harry news, we moved up to the convertible car seat and out of the infant version. He likes being up high and looking out the window. It is a whole new world!

Harry Potty

2010-05-02T14:02:00.001-04:00

Harry Potty, originally uploaded by prettie77.

Harry likes to catch up on his reading while having his thrice-daily constitutional.

Springtime with Harry

2010-04-09T21:21:00.000-04:00

Things have been a little nuts lately for both sides of my family. So I just want to take this moment, and let everyone know I am thinking about them, and I hope that everyone stays positive.

I also want to remind them that looking at cute pictures of babies will also help. See this example:

Now, don't you feel better?

Easter (see pics) this year was a lot of fun and the weather was fabulous. We celebrated at my Aunt and Uncle's home, and my cousin Jean prepped a great party for my Uncle Steve's 50th. Harry was a bit crabby, but I think it was because he did not get a Cadbury egg. Grandmom Diane got him a super spiffy outfit!

In other Spring-related news, Eric and I are psyched for the baseball season, and can't wait until Father's day when we can take Harry to his phirst Phillies game. I am also looking forward to working on my vegetable garden that I am sharing with my neighbor. We are sharing a plot at Rose Tree park - she is retired and can work on it during the week, and me on the weekends. This way, I can grow all of Harry's veggies without going broke - that boy eats alot.

We have been enjoying all this wonderful weather. We take Harry outside and sit him on his blanket while we do yard work. He loves it! The rolling over has gotten a bit better - he will occasionally roll from his belly onto his back. His sitting ability has gotten even better, and he barely falls over. He loves to lunge forward to grab things (especially that remote control) and often ends up on his belly. Still no signs of teeth, but he was a bit crabby today so maybe its teething - who knows!

Getting to know you

2010-03-29T21:33:00.001-04:00

Getting to know you, originally uploaded by prettie77.

7 months

2010-03-28T21:48:00.000-04:00

To quote my Facebook status from March 24th, "As of 6:30 this morning, Eric and I have been trying not to "mess up our kid" for 7 months." I think, so far so good!

I finally got around to downloading the video I have been shooting here and there of Harry over the past 2 months or so. It's what you expect - alot of boring shots of him sitting, eating, laughing. (see previous post)

He is sitting up very well these days! He only topples over if he tries to look behind him or gets overzealous going for a toy. Grammy Dianne got him the tub chair (that you see above) to help him in the tub to sit up straight. For most of the bath he leans over the front edge to grab whatever toy is just out of reach. Post bath, we like to wrap him up like a baby burrito and look in the mirror.

He and the dog still aren't the best of friends. But I had Harry give Franklin a treat today, and I think that might have swayed Franklin a bit. Franklin mostly just lets me know when Harry poops by sniffing the air and walking away.

Last week we had him on the swing for the first time at Aunt Maria's house! I had him on my lap on the big kid swing, then Uncle Dave got out the baby swing so he could go for a solo trip.

STILL no rolling over! But we are quite the eater. We have now acquired a taste for pancakes. At Harry's check up the other week to get a booster shot, he weighed over 20 pounds! Thank goodness we got some more hand me down clothes from Cousin Brett and Cousin Dylan. I get sad when I have to put away another bunch of baby clothes he has grown out of. Time to have another! :)

Harry - Jan through March 2010

2010-03-28T21:46:00.001-04:00

Harry - Jan through March 2010, originally uploaded by prettie77.

Marching On!

2010-03-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

We can't believe it is almost spring time in the Brown house hold. We're looking forward to hikes, walks in the park, and showing off Harry's gams to the world when he can wear shorts for the first time.

He has been so much fun lately. He is sitting up on his own much better, although he has made no attempts to roll over. Eric likes to take him in front of the large bathroom mirror - Harry thinks the baby on the other side is a riot! He is still sleeping through the night too. We put him down awake, after a few yawns and some eye rubs. Then we do a story or two, usually ending the night with "Pajama Time". Then it's a kiss goodnight and we are done!

He is still very talkative, and is almost saying "da-da" on command. Like a dog. Maybe we need to use applesauce as a motivator?

Speaking of sauce, Harry's mealtimes have been fairly successful. He said peas are not his favorite but if we throw in some applesauce he is game for anything. His Aunt Maria introduced him to pickles and my mom let him nibble on a whole wheat pretzel last week. So, his future as a foodie is imminent! He also has a severe drinking problem - we are trying to teach him to drink from a cup, but it gets a bit slobbery.

This past weekend I took Har to "Mommy and Me" yoga. He loved it! He laughed at the other babies, and thought that my feet floating above his head were hysterical.

Besides working on his downward facing dog, Harry has fallen in love. With the remote control. We have to watch out when he is on the sofa - it can get dangerous! I am hoping to get him a new love - the new baby girl born last week to our neighbors Jess and Adam! Here he comes, Amelia!

Happy 6th months, Harry!

2010-02-24T21:40:00.001-05:00

No, that's not me who you see here with Harry. That is Cia - she and her husband watch Harry three days a week. My dad came over with my mom to pick him up tonight to snap a photo of our six month old.

I didn't get a photo with him today :( The sorrows of a working mommy. But I'm glad he is with someone all day that seems to love him as much as I do!

He is growing so fast. Just last night, he showed a new side of himself - the overtired, cranky, you need to feed me faster side. Harry loudly told us he does not like carrots, and that we need to get something else into his belly pronto. Adorable. I love 6 month olds!

Times they are a changing.

2010-02-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

Harry is officially a latch-key baby. I started to work again at the beginning of the month and Harry is going to a sitter Mondays through Wednesdays. On Thursdays he is at home and Grammy Diane comes over to play.

As you can see here, he isn't being well cared for:

The Cinaglia family get the pleasure of caring for Harry the rest of the week. Cia and her husband Dave watch their two youngest kids and a handful of other kids from their house. Harry loves all the mayhem that goes on there, and they get to change his poopy diapers (Cia called me the first time they had to change him, and she was worried he was sick due to the foul odor emanating from his pants. She just wasn't used to his stank yet.)

Harry is also now eating solids on a daily basis! Daddy feeds him at night before I get home. So far he has had butternut squash, apple sauce and sweet potato and has loved it all. Banana is still up for debate.

We visited Great Grandmom Marie yesterday to wish her Happy Birthday! Everyone at the home LOVED Harry! We got stopped in the hallway by everyone wanting to say hello.

Harry's buddy Riley Poole (who you have seen before on this blog) and his parents are moving at the end of the month. Although Harry is sad about it, he is glad that he will be able to chat over Skype with them so he can do his best imitation of the baby from the eTrade commercials.

Here you can see Riley saying goodbye-

I will close with a word from Franklin -

Sorry. He is sleeping. Will get back to you later.

This is what Harry says to the snow...

2010-02-08T22:09:00.001-05:00

Harry 5.5 months, originally uploaded by prettie77.

Psssbbttt! Bring it!

Chatty

2010-02-06T20:51:00.001-05:00

Chatty, originally uploaded by prettie77.

Face time

2010-02-06T20:46:00.003-05:00

Face time, originally uploaded by prettie77.

Rub a dub dub

2010-02-06T20:46:00.001-05:00

Harry at the Spa, originally uploaded by prettie77.

What's up with grandmoms and baths these days? During our 2 day stay over at Chez Paulina, Harry was treated to a wash by Grandmom Diane.

Piglet, the movie

2010-02-06T20:44:00.001-05:00

First time eating rice cereal, originally uploaded by prettie77.

This is towards the end of the meal - he started to squeal for some reason! He obviously takes after his mother with his love for food.
He now squeals all the time!

I want to start up the cereal again soon! Maybe next weekend :)

The piglet

2010-01-18T21:32:00.003-05:00

Upon suggestion from our pediatrician, we decided to introduce Harry to some rice cereal this weekend. She said that perhaps his caregiver can give him some to tide him over until I nurse him after work.

We put him in the bumbo for this first meal but I did a bad job trying to get it into his mouth. Eric did a much better job getting him to actually open up and eat! He seems to really love it. Video will be posted up soon.

There are some more pics on flickr...

That night, he did not sleep too well. I think he was a bit gassy from it. I think we might wait at least another few weeks until we try it again! We have an eater, people!

Of note

2010-01-14T21:45:00.002-05:00

I forgot to mention this before...

The day I gave birth, the nurses and midwives were extremely busy. They talked about how it had been the busiest weekend that they remembered. So, a month or so again I got the quarterly newsletter from The Birth Center and it lists all the babies born in the last quarter. There were 6 babies total born on Harry's birthday, the most out of any other day in the quarter!

Videos are up...

2010-01-14T21:37:00.004-05:00

Here is that video of Harry getting his bath at Grammy Brown's!

Also, here is a video of Harry and Riley hanging out. It features mouth bubbles! And Riley laughing at Harry.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-09T10:24:00.003-05:00

Sorry we are a bit late wishing everyone a happy new year. I liked them because some of the profits from the cards went to Livestrong Cancer foundation. Speaking of Livestrong, Eric is doing well!

We had a quiet holiday for the most part. It was so nice having Eric home, even though it was because he was recuperating from his surgery. We spent xmas eve at my mom's house. Harry was tired and cranky and had a hard time going to sleep due to all the noises! This side of the family can get pretty loud at times :)

We spent xmas morning relaxing at home, then visited my great-grandparents for a while in the afternoon. Great Grandmom Marie loves to show him off to all of her friends.

Aunt Maria and Uncle Dave made us an amazing dinner at their house. We had fun hanging out and playing games with the kids.

The next day we drove to Ohio - Again, Harry was great in the car! We had a great time with all the cousins. Harry was held by everyone and got passed around alot. His cousins taught him how to make raspberry sounds with his mouth. (He now amuses himself all the time by doing it. the drool gets everywhere...sigh...) He even got a bath in Grammy Brown's sink!

Another highlight was hanging out with Eric's friends and all of their kids (most of whom we had never met! This is a pic of all of the kids at Eric's friend, Bryan, mom's house:

After we got home, Harry had his first real cold! He was very fevery, snotty, sneezy and miserable. To top that off, he got his shots at his four month well visit on the 31st. By the way he is 50th percentile for height and weight :)

Beyond that, I have experimented with going back to work. I went in 2 times this past month and Harry stayed with my mom. I am in the process of interviewing babysitters since the daycare I was going to put him in isn't sitting well with me.

Harry is still obsessed with his feet and is not making any attempts to roll over. Changing him is getting to be a challenge. He is also a babbling fool! He is very talkative and yappy.

I will post up some video soon! Just trying to get my act together over here!

Who does it better?

2009-12-19T09:16:00.000-05:00

Even though my mom did it first and Harry is copying, who do you think does the "look at my cute tooshie" pose better??

Agony of da feets

2009-12-19T08:23:00.003-05:00

The week after Thanksgiving, Aunt Maria gave Harry a very cute pair of Christmas jammies that had reindeer on the feet. One morning I found the baby staring up at his feet, and since then it has been a love affair.

Every time he in on the changing table he has to hold onto them. The other morning he managed to get his big toe in his mouth for the first time and he made very amusing monster/animal sounds when he did. I think he was very happy with himself.

Speaking of monsters:

For him it must be heaven - he loves to have things in his mouth, and his feet are the perfect objects to do the job.

In other baby news, no rolling over or anything yet. He does hold his head up very well, is now playing in a Jumpster that hangs from the doorway, and is always full of giggles. He loves to play rough - the more bouncing the better.

Last week we went to the King of Prussia mall with my friend Michelle and her son Riley to get thier picture with Santa - it was a Christmas miracle that it went off without a hitch. Of course, Harry is not looking at the camera of course but the photo is cute nonetheless:

We also went to Longwood gardens with the Downey women, Aunt Denise and Grandmom Diane! Harry was so good - Here is with Grandmom admiring some flowers in the Children's garden:

He even breastfed for the first time in public without a hitch! Woohoo! I hope we didn't offend anyone in the cafeteria.

We also visited with my friends Nicole and Jennifer. I went to grade school with both of them, and Nicole had her daughter 2 days after I had Harry. Jennifer and Vincent have appeared on my blog before. He is a bit older!

Here is a pic of Harry, Lexa and Vincent:

This week we have Eric home with us recuperating from his surgery. Harry is the best medicine!

Today we are watching the snow fall and staying warm.

Goobbbbllleee

2009-11-29T11:47:00.002-05:00

Harry had a fun first thanksgiving and more importantly his first family holiday! Grandmom and Pop Brown made the long drive out Wednesday. They gave Mommy a break and held Harry most of the time that they were over. Mommy then proceeded to play way too much Bejeweled Blitz online. She was trying to beat Daddy's high score but alas - It did not happen. Yet.

We had turkey day at Aunt Denise and Uncle Steve's house with the family. Mommy overate (of course) and Harry took a nap on Denise's nice new sofa. He got passed around alot, and had fun watching all the kids play. He even got changed into his jammies by all the ladies. Grandmom couldn't resist putting on his new hat while he wasn't decent.

We spent Friday visiting with Great Grandmom Marie, and friday night Uncle John Malhinha stopped by and hung out with us and the grandparents!

We said a sad goodbye to the Browns saturday morning, but not without a great playtime with Grandpop with lots of giggles.

Then Grandmom Diane babysat Saturday night so mom and dad could have a date! Thanks Grammy! :)

Now we move onto Christmas! Hopefully this time next week we will have our Christmas tree up!

There are more photos up on our Flickr page - Thank you to our whole family for a great thanksgiving! We love you and are so thankful to have you all in our lives.

Three months old!

2009-11-25T10:50:00.002-05:00

Another month with Harry! We celebrated by opening a bank account with Wachovia.

Today we are awaiting the arrival of Gmom and Pop Brown to help up celebrate his first Thanksgiving and family holiday!

In the meantime - Harry will be chewing on his hands which he is really into.

Other favorites - kicking his feet, mommy and dad making fart sounds, holding up his head unassisted, getting tickled.

Busy, Busy!

2009-11-12T11:42:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we had a great time with family and friends at our house. We had a party for people to come and meet Harry, some for the first time!

Thank you to Grandpop for taking photos - Mommy was just too busy to take any!

In other news, we were happy that Daddy had successful surgery on a growth on his thyroid! We were glad to have him home with us for a few days, even if under stinky circumstances. Grandmom was here to help out which Harry just loved. He was so tired from all that playing and hugging and kissing and snuggling and giggling...

Speaking of giggles..

Mommy and Daddy are also mourning the end of another Phillies season. Today Harry is wearing his Cleveland Indians outfit, hopeful that next year is their year!

I'm two months old...

2009-10-26T17:05:00.001-04:00

Check me out.

I slept through the night two nights in a row! And in the mornings, I have giant explosive poops! Woohoo! :)

Hangin' with Vincent

2009-10-23T21:28:00.001-04:00

My friend Jennifer, who I know from grade school, reconnected last year and have been keeping in touch. She had a baby boy, Vincent, 4 months ago. This week Har and I visited and we went for a nice walk, sharing mommy advice and stories.

First visit to Ohio

2009-10-20T16:39:00.000-04:00

There are a few more pics on my Flickr page...

It's finally here...

2009-10-12T16:56:00.001-04:00

My chair for my nursery is finally here! Thank you so much Pop and Grammy and Denise and Jean! I love it. It's fun to hang out and eat there. Mom and Dad like it too. They get sleepy sitting in it...zzz.

Six weeks old!

2009-10-09T08:05:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it has been six weeks. I finally made it to the point that everyone told me would be "when it all comes together".

Well, I guess it has in a way. I feel that we are in a rhythm - even though Harry has been a bit unpredictable this week. He was very fussy and very hungry the other night, and didn't sleep as well as he normally does. Then the next day he slept through the night!

I think that was due to the fact that we had a busy day and I had him out at Kohl's in the morning, then to the dog groomer to get Franklin, and then at Target at night!

On the other hand, breastfeeding is still a challenge and a bit painful for mom. We are still deciding whether or not to keep it up :(

Mom finally got out alone with dad this week! Grandmom Diane watched Harry so we could go to see the Phillies play twice this week!

Next week we are off to Ohio to visit the Browns. Wish us luck in the car - I am bringing the breast pump along for the ride.

Harry's first visit to Cubist

2009-10-02T16:34:00.002-04:00

I took Harry in today to meet my coworkers! This is a pic that Jill took of us before we left for the day. He was so good - he was up the whole time and had fun hanging out. I have some more pics that I will post to Flickr soon.

He is sporting his pumpkin hat that one of Eric's coworkers gave him. He loves to be festive.

Charlie and Harry Brown

2009-10-02T08:50:00.002-04:00

This little stuffed Charlie was from my childhood. I think my mom made it (Right, Mom?).

One down...Life to go!

2009-09-25T22:07:00.004-04:00

We made it! Harry turned one month old yesterday.

Here some new pics.

We have fallen into a rhythm and things are "getting easier" as they say. Harry eats, is up for a while, falls asleep for a few hours, and then we do it all over again!

This week we visited Eric at work. All the ladies in the office were in love :) Today we went to St Francis to visit Great Grandmom and Pop. They loved the surprise. Next Friday I have plans to visit my coworkers in town, and I also booked us some time with my friends that are home with their children.

I also started using my cloth diapers this week too! Milestones all around. Gotta do laundry now, again...

Meeting of the Babies

2009-09-20T20:50:00.002-04:00

My good friend Michelle had her baby Riley the day after we had Harry. We have all been too busy to meet up, but today they came to visit! Check them out...

More photos...

2009-09-10T19:50:00.001-04:00

Take a look...

We wore pants for the first time today! And mom survived being home alone with the baby. All is well. This weekend grandmom and grandpa Brown are coming! Woohoo!

2 weeks old!

2009-09-07T18:25:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! Harry is doing well at home with his sleep deprived parents :). He and mom are having trouble breastfeeding, so I've been pumping and we have been giving him breastmilk from bottles until we can get it together. I've been getting help from his pediatrician, and met with a lactation consultant. Hopefully one day he can be solely breastfed. We are going to work on it! In the meantime, I'm a pumping machine.

Harry has had alot of visitors and help from his Grandmom Diane and Grandpop Mart. Daddy has also of course been alot of help and it was really great to have him home this whole holiday weekend. I have to get used to being alone with him soon! Scary!

There are more pics posted the the flickr site - alot from my dad.

Overall he is a good baby! He only really cries when he is hungry or doesn't like a full diaper! He loves to snuggle up in our necks, and loves to be swaddled and lays on my chest to fall asleep.

Harry is here!

2009-08-26T17:00:00.002-04:00

Harry Gavin Brown was born August 24th at 630 am at the Birth Center in Bryn Mawr Pa. He weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21 inches long!

Everything has been going well since coming home on Monday night. We are all enjoying our time together.

Here are the latest photos! Please come visit!

40 Weeks!

2009-08-14T07:47:00.001-04:00

Belly Contest

2009-08-12T17:28:00.003-04:00

I met the Phanatic today at my mom's office building. We had a contest to see whose belly was bigger. You be the judge.

More photos!

Coming along..

2009-08-01T16:40:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in a while! I am already in my 38th week, and still feeling pretty good. About a month ago I hit the "wall". I started to feel very cranky and tired at night, and uncomfortable. Sleeping in bed is no more - I now sleep on the sofa so my back is supported. I get restless leg and arm feelings at night as well! For the most part though, things have still been very "easy" for me, I feel. The baby is very squirmy and active, and (thank goodness) still in birthing position, head down.

Last week was my official last week at work. Next week I am only going to go in for 2 days! Woohoo.

I celebrated my 32nd birthday on monday of last week! I got a very nice lunch at work with my coworkers. I also ended up having a very hectic day, and I ended up staying late at work which stunk. But - I came home to a great gift from Eric - a new camera! I took some practice photos this week. I just posted some photos of the nursery today to my Flickr page.

Do you all remember this guy?

That is Puppy, my bestest buddy from when I was little. He is taking a place of honor in the baby's room. I have a little shelf that we put up above the changing table of all the new stuffed animals the baby has received as gifts. Hopefully he will not carry on his mother's tradition of hoarding and never parting with stuffed friends.

Eric and I are finally done with all of our classes, and I think I have read every book out there. I am officially done with learning! Now, I am just playing the waiting game. All the things I needed to wash are ready to go, bag is packed, car seat is in - we have everything we will need. Now, we just need the baby!

Which baby do you choose?

2009-07-11T22:22:00.002-04:00

Just had to share this photo we took at our breastfeeding class we took at the Birth Center this past week. These are the instructional dolls we used to learn about correct positioning. The dolls were somewhat creepy, but the way they were piled atop this mat made them seem even more...odd. :)

But hey they served their purpose well! Breast is best, kids.

Gift from Eric's coworkers

2009-07-11T21:29:00.003-04:00

Eric's coworkers surprised him on Tuesday with some gifts! They gave him a cute signed card, a gift certificate to Babies R Us, and they decorated his desk with tongue in cheek "baby Do's and Dont's". They also took him out to lunch, another surprise, and got him a silly decorated cake - with a photo of a baby with Eric's head attached to it.

Quiet time...

2009-07-11T21:10:00.003-04:00

Eric and I spent a few days in Cape May - our "babymoon"! We stayed at Rhythm of the Sea Inn, which is the same place that we stayed last year for our anniversary. We took alot of naps, and read, and ate. That is about it!

On Wednesday night, at Lucky Bones restaurant, there was a musician playing guitar and singing. The first song in his set was "Bad Leroy Brown"! We thought that was a great coincidence!

I got many well wishes from the other guests at the inn, and got a great gift and words of wisdom from a man at the art fair that was being held on the promenade this weekend.

He was am older asian man (chinese?), a paper-cut artist. He saw my belly and guessed that I was having a boy and I had about a month left. He said that his brother is a baby doctor and that's how he knows alot about babies.

He started to cut away at this folded piece of paper, making a small version of me.
I had a hard time understanding exactly what he was saying, but he was talking about how some babies come out too slow or too fast. He said, "If you go like this (and he tensed up) baby won't come out. If you open up, and open up your legs, baby will shoot out!" Then he showed me what he was cutting out.

It was a version of me, like I said, in profile - me to a T, down to the sunglasses I was wearing. It looked like I was lying down with my legs bent, like I was giving birth. The legs opened up only if you held them open (like he suggested for birthing!) and when you did, a little baby head popped out! Of course, Eric walked away to get a drink and I was looking around at some other people around me wondering, am I seeing this correctly??

When it rains, it pours!

2009-07-05T10:56:00.003-04:00

We had baby shower number two last week on a perfect "beginning of summer" day at my Aunt Denise's house. What another perfect day, and another perfect shower! I feel so lucky to have an amazing family on both sides :) Everyone worked so hard (especially my aunt, mom, cousin Jean and sister Maria) to make the day special. I also need to thank my nieces and cousin's children for helping me out with all the gift unwrapping!

Check out the pics!

Tables were set outside under a tree, and we all sat in the shade to eat and open gifts. My cousin made a photo poster of pics of Eric and I from our younger and more good looking years. My mom and sister got an adorable cake with blue icing and a cute teddy bear. Games were played and most of all I got to see the whole family and my friends in one setting. I was happy that my grandmother and great aunt could be with us as well.

My mother and father in law drove out from Ohio to spend the weekend! We were so glad to see them one last time before it gets a little crowded in the Brown house!

The baby's room is now fully stocked and bit more organized than before. I started to actually put things away, and am actively doing some laundry to get things ready. Eric risked life and limb to install the valances, and we are anxiously awaiting for the glider to arrive so we can go pick it up! All of this for a baby that will not be in that room very often.

Speaking of baby - he is moving all the time now, and making it hard to be comfy to sleep at night. Lately I have been waking up at about 3-4 am for a potty break and I have not been sleeping much past 5 am which I guess is a good thing.

Yesterday was July 4th and I spent the day with my mom and nieces downtown. We took in the parade, and then I met Eric for my "potential" last Phillies game for a while. At the end of the day I was pooped, and promptly passed out at about 10pm. I awoke at 4 and didn't/couldn't fall back asleep until 530 am on the sofa. I think this will be the state of affairs for the next month or so.

Good news is that this week Eric and I will be down in Cape May for our last vacation alone! We are spending it at the B and B we went to last year for our anniversary, the Rhythm of the Sea Inn. This week also marks the start of our last round of baby-related classes. Tomorrow night we have a breastfeeding class, then Tuesday night is the first of four birth prep classes at the Birth Center!

I also start my once a week midwife visits/checkups this week! One more month to go, people!

Busy week!

2009-06-04T21:58:00.003-04:00

This past weekend Eric and I drove to Ohio, mainly for a baby shower thrown by my amazing mother in law, and two sisters in law. It was such a nice afternoon! We had it outside at Sarah's mother's house in her gorgeous backyard. It was small and intimate with a handful of family and friends but that's what made it so great. I got to talk to everyone personally and most of them I had never even met before but had heard so much about them over the years.

All the gifts were great and I can't say thank you enough to everyone for their thoughtfulness. I know that everyone who planned it had a super busy week last week, especially my mother law who was finishing up her last week of school, and fitting in the shower was a challenge.

What also made it special was that Marty and Diane came out as well! They of course bought the baby a gift (even though he already got something from them) and surprised me with a gift of a new car seat!

Eric took all the men to the Indians game on saturday night, while the rest of the ladies hung back at home. We had fun playing with the kids, and my favorite quote was from my niece Rachel who told me that when the baby is born, it comes out of my leg! All my nieces wanted to know where the baby was, and then offered their help at the shower opening my gifts since he was MIA!

Back at home tonight, Eric and I just got home from a "Happiest Baby on the Block Class" that I have posted about before. I already read the book, so I didn't learn too much, but it was good to see swaddling in action. We also got the DVD that shows Dr. Karp helping out different parents so Eric and I will have to watch that soon and I'm sure will be referring to it many times. We had to bring our own baby doll, and I had it with me at work today which everyone enjoyed. It had much abuse (still don't know if it was a boy or girl) and at one point it sat on my desk with a cigarette hanging out of its mouth. We have sick senses of humor at my office, what can i say....

Ok, now I need to go put away all the gifts from the shower and get that nursery together! It's a bit of a mess... we got the ceiling fan in for that room and our room in the mail, and hopefully they can go up this weekend!

Wishing Grandma a Happy Birthday (whatever the heck that means)

2009-05-22T20:49:00.001-04:00

Brown Mobile!

2009-05-12T21:06:00.003-04:00

We caved in and finally got a second car, this time with more cargo space to tote around baby junk, the baby, and the dog. We decided on a Subaru Outback and got a great deal! Of course, it's brown...

So after realizing I had no idea what week I am in, I went online and used a pregnancy calculator - I am at 26 weeks! The belly is definitely getting much larger, more uncomfortable, and the baby is kicking all the time. I am not completely freaked out, but tomorrow marks the "three months to go" mark for us! Lately, I have had days where I have been very tired, and have had a few nights where I can not get back to sleep once I am up. Also been having lower back pain, especially if I do any house work or yard work, or even if I go for a long walk. The other day I had a fun leg cramp for two days too!

The nursery has not gotten anywhere. Right now it is filled with stuff - we need to put alot of the hand me down baby things in the attic, and hopefully we will get the blinds I ordered up this weekend (Eric loves to use his new drill). The valances will come in a few weeks, and I still need to find a rug, and order the glider that we want. After that, I also need some sort of bookshelf or table to hold a table lamp and other changing items. We also ordered a small ceiling fan for the room as well! We just now need a baby.

I'm very excited for our upcoming trip to Ohio for my shower out there - Marty and Diane are coming as well. Then I have my other shower (I'm so lucky) here in PA at my Aunt Denise's house. In between all that, I have baby classes out the wazoo. We also booked a few days in Cape May at the BnB that we stayed in last year. It will be our last hurrah. I'm just upset that I can't ride a bike around the town like we did last year :(. Maybe Eric can get a little wagon to tote me around with and we charge money for people to rub my belly for good luck...

Also on the list is deciding what to do with the little one when I go back to work next year. I have a long list of daycares and potential babysitters. I need to start making phone calls this week :(

Baby Brown gets around

2009-04-23T19:54:00.003-04:00

Eric and I (and of course Baby Brown) went to the Phillies game this week, and enjoyed our new seats in section 109! Baby Brown and enjoyed our first (and last) Crab Fries from Chickie's and Pete's. They didn't really impress us, but the Phil's ball playing did!

So the baby is sure getting around. Next month he and I will be going to London for my job. In July, we have a few days planned in Cape May at our favorite inn, and we also have a trip planned to Ohio to visit the family at the end of May for my baby shower! Last night he accompanied me to a Big Brothers/Big Sisters charity bowling game, and then out for a friendly game of darts with my coworkers. He helped me win the game by aiding my arm to get the winning points by getting a bulls eye!

4 months to go!!!

2009-04-13T21:44:00.005-04:00

Only 4 more fun filled months to go!

Currently, trying to work on getting things in to my registry. I have gotten so many things from people that it does not leave me much. But I will think of something. Currently I am considering different types of slings, receiving blankets, clothes, bottles and other things. Maybe a slow cooker for mom or a composter! :)

I found cute valances for the baby's room - AKA Leroy (that's what we call him at work). Just waiting for Target's website to be able to take gift cards. Of course they are fixing this option in checkout this week and I can not get it to work yet. Although the customer service rep said it would work today.

The other item I am trying to find a used upholstered Dutailier glider on Craigslist. Also looking for a cool modern floor lamp or table lamp that might match the green in the curtains.

Also researching all my cloth diapering options which has become very overwhelming. Most moms on forums tell you to get a sampler pack and try some different ones out to get a feel for them all. They also don't exclusively use just one type too.

My mom booked Eric and I for a baby class this June with the famous Dr. Karp of The Happiest Baby book fame. I just got the book from my sister's college friend Betsy to read and have been loving it! Eric and I need to brush up on our shushing and baby shakin.

Also in June we are taking Hypnobirth classes on three saturdays, AND childbirth prep classes at the Birth Center on 4 different Wednesday nights! Hopefully Eric will not divorce me over all this education. I just promised him that I would buy him a burrito after each class.

On another note, last week marked unborn baby Leroy's first Phillies game. Sadly today we lost the voice of the Phillies, Harry Kalas. Leroy has been quiet today because of it. I will definitely need to get him a jersey with the Kalas name on the back.

Baby parts

2009-04-07T21:10:00.002-04:00

We parked in the wrong area. We ran into the main entrance of the hospital only to find out we were in the wrong place. We ran around the corner, and I had to use the bathroom the whole time! It all added up to a bad morning.

But of course the morning gets better from here! It was ultrasound day! We had a very nice tech that showed us all the parts, and everything looked great. She then showed us the baby bits.

I knew it would be a boy because since day one I could only think of girl names, and did not like any boy names that I came across and I said to myself, "Self, I bet you it is a boy!". And he is!

So it looks like I can now hang our Phillies pennant and bobbleheads in the nursery now. But even if it was a girl I still think I would have done that!

Changes!

2009-04-04T07:57:00.007-04:00

I had my first pre-nantal appointment at the Birth Center this past Tuesday and met with Nancy, one of the midwifes. Before that on Monday I met with an ObGyn that supports many women in the area with natural childbirth out of Lankenau hospital. After talking with him, he agreed that I was at the best place for me at the Birth Center. Although if I were to develop a condition that did not allow me to deliver there, he would gladly accept me as a patient later on.

So back to the Birth Center - when you show up for your appointment, they give you your chart, and you perform your own urine test and check your own weight which I thought was fun! I then sat and talked to Nancy about my health history for a while, and we listened to the baby's heartbeat. Then, came all the paperwork that I needed to fill out! All in all it was such a different experience than any other I have had at an appointment before. I am go glad that I switched.

We decided to change my due date after I told her that my period/cycle the month we conceived was a bit off. We deduced my cycle was 30 days, not the normal 28 which makes me due the 13th not the 11th. Lucky 13!

I have homework to do, too, before my next appointment. I have to pick 2 days and write down everything I eat and how much. I also have to read and sign some paperwork that Eric needs to read too. We need to book our childbirth classes that the birth center hosts, and I want to sign us up for Hypnobirth classes too! Those classes are out in Wayne on Saturdays at a maternal wellness center. Currently I am reading a book on that, and have some relaxation MP3s to practice with but I have not tried that yet! We are going to have a very busy spring - I am tired already.

On another note...
This week while Eric was gone, I started to research car seats and strollers which has been very overwhelming and confusing. Why are there so many!?? I also need to decide on a breast pump, which cloth diapers are best among a million other things. I really just want to wrap the baby up in material and just carry it on my head until its 16 and can drive itself around. Might just be easier!

Halfway Mark on the Road to Babydom

2009-03-26T19:31:00.012-04:00

The halfway mark in my pregnancy (start of my 20th week) seems like a good time to start up my blog again! Here is me wearing all borrowed maternity clothes thanks to a coworker, Jill, and my sister's close friend Meg!

For fun, here is me at 18 weeks.

This week we visited the Birth Center and I really loved it, and excited to give birth there, if everything falls into place. I learned that my first prenatal visit on Tuesday will be one hour (!) and all the rest are a half hour. They really want to make sure the mothers are educated about birth, have a library that we can refer to, and offers so many classes for before and after birth. The three birthing suites are gorgeous and new and have jacuzzi tubs in the bathrooms. The common living area is going to be great for the family who are going to be there with me! There is a kitchen, dining room and living room adjacent to a small garden.

I still have another appointment with another potential OBGYN, but I might cancel it because I really do love the birth center. But I feel like I should at least meet him on Monday.

My belly is getting much larger, but has been covered up with my winter coat lately! I have some neighbors that I want to tell but have not seen in the past few weeks. They are in for a surprise when the warm weather comes around and they see me without a coat.

Been feeling pretty good - just been tired alot but I blame it on the time change. I had a few days where I just could not wake up all day. Last week I had a bad day due to overeating at lunch. There just isn't enough room for chocolate milk, a chicken Caesar wrap and a baby in my abdomen.

Sleeping has been getting better. The bed is full of many different pillows that I can hug at night. I have been using an Ikea throw pillow to hug at night, and also a cylindrical neck pillow too. Franklin loves to steal it while I am at work and nibble on it.

I started to clear out the room that will be the baby's room.

It has been a catch all for the past 3 years and I need to get all the rest of the stuff out of there. Let's just call this photo the "before" pic, and once the room is together I'll have to do a side by side!

I am going to be using my sister's crib and changing table (thank you Maria!) that we need to get from her friend, Betsy who has been using it. Then, Id like to get a cute rug, some closet organizers, venetian blinds, and perhaps valances for the windows.

My cousin and his wife gladly gave me all their large unused baby items that they no longer want since they are done having children. I have a bassinet, a Boppi, play mat, a swing and tons of other things to come. Phew!

Weekender

2005-03-01T19:13:00.000-05:00

My Sunday mornings are not complete unless I get to watch the CBS Sunday Morning Show. This weekend they did a segment on how places in Santa Barbara- featured in the movie Sideways- have been profting from all the attention they are getting since the movie was released. There is a map that shows you all the wineries and other places featured in the film.

The sales of pinot noir are also up since the movie came out, simply because the lead character, Miles, adores it! Heck. I even bought some Saturday night...and I did note a flutter of asparagus.

This weekend I also got to see the Dali exhibit currently at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We had a docent tour and a brunch following, sponsored by the Drexel Alumni Association. The tour guided us through the over 300-piece exhibition in one hour. She did her homework and knew what certain things in his peices "stood for". But she admitted at the end of the tour that although she understood Dali's work, she did not like it! I feel gipped that someone who had no passion for his work gave us a tour. Blah. She kept pointing to things in the peices and saying "Look at this and that..and this here..this is bizarre...". Well DUH - of course an image of a woman with a vagina face is bizzare.

The best part of the exhibit was seeing a hologram that Dali made in '73 of Alice Cooper and his brain. Cool.

Photo Ops

2005-02-28T18:35:00.000-05:00

Eric and I are hitting up Puerto Vallarta in a month or so, and I want to travel light. I have been pondering getting an Aiptek Pencam lately, since it is technically a digital version of a Lomo. My lomo has seen better days and is retired for now to my shelf, but I miss snapping photos with it.

The good thing about PenCams is that there is also a herd of photo geeks out there that compare to the lomo geeks.

The downside is that they do not hold alot of photos on them. So when I am on vacation I am going to have to transfer photos onto my iPod via this handy gadget from Belkin.

Me

2005-02-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

For the past month or so, I have been trying, slowly, to improve somethings. Trying to rise earlier in the morning, trying to get motivated to exercise. I haven't been all that successful. The hard part for me is getting out of bed, getting on the running shoes, facing the cold. Not that I tried it it more than once, but still....

But this past saturday I was wide awake at 7 am, and at about 10 I went out with my mom to jog. This woman has been jogging since I was born, and goes out at least 3-4 times a week and runs for over an hour. For the most part I stayed next to her, but lagged back to walk a bit. Then I would catch up eventually. So I ran for most of the hour! And was I tired afterwards. But I felt really good about it all weekend. I was sore but felt alot stronger and better about my body. So I am going to try to keep going out a few times a week, and do some weights and sit ups as well. If anyone out there wants a running/walking partner email me.

I also want to exercise my brain! For fun I have been playing some online word games. They are addictive! Been looking at classes at Fleisher too...but I would have to buy all new paints and thats a pain.

Bought this print from Space1026...Apparantly, I got the last one. Phew!

Was feeling sexy one nite and took some self love photos...

What else..been dreaming about vacation. One of Eric's coworkers is kindly giving us her extra time share week with RCI. We can pick anywhere we want to go, and it's only 200 dollars for a week! So we are thinking Cozumel, Cancun, Cabo..all the C words.

So to wrap up, I am trying to be a toner, non-old, smarter, and tanned young woman.

Look Honey! Nerds!

2005-02-02T17:36:00.000-05:00

Im honor of Groundhog Day, I am posting all about nerds today. Well, not that they have anything to do with one another. But Bill Murray, who was in the movie Groundhog Day, did play a nerd, Todd, on SNL. Six degrees of Punxatawny Phil right there..

World of Warcraft: I call Eric a nerd because he plays this game all the dang time. It's extremely popular! So, I guess there are alot of other girlfriends out there getting pissed at thier BF's for playing too much, and trying to distract them by flashing thier boobs at their men to get thier attention.

Widgets: Only nerds would make them, but they are cool and I will use them because I am a design geek. They are little applications that play on your desktop and do somewhat useless things like tell you the temperature or show you if you have a new email in your Gmail. But some are really handy depending on what you are into.

Speaking of which, test your knowledge of fonts here.

For photo collection geeks: Bento box photos

Quizzo Update

2005-01-31T18:03:00.000-05:00

Last nite at the Johhny Good Times Quizzo Bowl Spectacular, we came in 11th place out of 42 teams!

...and for your information, Henry Kissinger is a honorary member of the Harlem Globetrotters.

Resale Value

2005-01-27T13:36:00.000-05:00

I am hoping to sell my house in the near future, and like any red-blooded greedy American, I am hoping to make some sort of profit from the sale. These new waterfront high rises are at least a hope for me to help increase my property value, as well as make the waterfront area off Delaware Avenue well, less of a craphole. The Citypaper did a write-up....

The NKCDC (New Kensington Community Development Corporation) has plans on its website for the future of Frankford Avenue as an "arts corridor". I have been to some of the meetings, and they have hired an architectural firm to help plan it. They want to involve local artists in its reshaping, and I think it seems like a great idea. Good luck!

And this is what is going in on the lot of the former Schmidt's brewery on North 2nd Street. More...This essentially has been in development for a few years and it what was drove me to think that Fishtown was a good place to buy a house. My property is only a few blocks from the site, and I hope that as things get built up in the 'hood, I will profit! Whether or not these buidlings are the best thing for the people that already live there, that is another story.

Photos of the brewery before it was demolished.

Q-u-i-z-h-o-e-s!

2005-01-26T19:22:00.000-05:00

This Sunday, Chris and the Quizhoes (our Quizzo team that plays at Good Dog on Thursday nights) will be competeting in the Johnny Goodtimes Quizzo Spectracular. Wish us luck!

Ticketmaster Can Suck It (and U2.com)

2005-01-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

Me, my bro, and a friend all tried to purchase floor tickets to the upcoming U2 show at the Wachovia-Formerly FU-Center, via the Ticketmaster pre-sale this morning. We all joined the U2.com club for 40 dollars, and were given passwords for the pre-sale.

We went in with high hopes, wishing to score the much wanted and cheap general admission tickets. After waiting for about 7 minutes in a queue, we all would get a message to try again - the alloted general admission tickets were gone! So we all got stuck with crappy 200 level seats...

But, God love Ebay. My bro and I snagged 2 tickets for only 400 dollars! Score! :(

So-lesson learned - I am the sucker! But hey, people on there are selling two tickets for alot more than 400 dollars - so in a sick way we lucked out.

Insanity. All of this to see 4 again, balding men (except Larry!) sorta rock it out while not playing any of their good, old songs. Damn you!

________________________________________________

Interesting story about Bono's briefcase that was stolen from him in the early 80's in Portland...And was returned to him in tact!

I just don't get why the people that stole the case left it in an attic when they moved out. If you went to all the trouble to take it and hold onto it, why would you just leave it in your attic? People leave behind dirty mattresses and dead bodies when they move - not valueable rock and roll memorobilia. Assholes.

Freaks and Geeks

2005-01-24T15:26:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard of this TV show that never got a chance, then you are missing out! I was one of you until just recently, when a friend told me all about this great show that was finally out on DVD. Entertainment Weekly (my pop-culture bible) raved about it too. Freaks and Geeks was only around for one season, got cancelled, and it took them years to get the DVDs out because they had to get rights to all the songs used on the show. So, go watch it. If you ever were a geek or freak in high school, or knew one, or dated one- you will love this show.

By the way - Bill Haverchuck is a god.

When it's 1 am and you need to hear Madonna...

2005-01-23T13:08:00.000-05:00

There are two sites that I found, which scour the web for MP3's, so you don't have to. Enjoy!

MPee3
Espew

MyTunes

2005-01-22T14:44:00.000-05:00

Need some new tunes? If you haven't checked out The Arcade Fire yet, give them a shot. They are playing the TLA on the 31st, but of course it is sold out. Damn you XPN for playing them!

My other new-ish favorite band is the Walkmen. We saw them live last year and it was an amazing live show.

Last night at Vox Populi Gallery, we witnessed Mirror/Dash, a noise-rock outfit consisting of Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth. It was fun to watch Michelle get itchy panties over Kim. Hopefully she will be posting pictures soon. Anyhow - I am not a fan of art-noise-rock (is that what you call it) but I really enjoyed the show. But what I loved most was watching all the fans taking photos ravenously...

Snowy Day Distractions

2005-01-22T13:37:00.000-05:00

Tim Burton's Corpse Bride Trailer

The new JibJab Clip

Cute pictures of cats. Michelle claims that I am the biggest cat lover that doesn't actually own a cat. I am proud of that fact!

Someone use the force and get me a Darth Tater!

Elmer & the Woes of Home Improvement

2005-01-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

Apparently, the old privy well that existed behind my house has sunken in a bit.(This is a theory...all I know is that there is a hole in the ground) I went to my neighbor, who owns the property, to let him know. We got to talking about fixing up houses, and he told me about his house (he lives a few streets over) that was a shell when he bought it. The addition to the house that was built off the back, apparantly had no foundation because when they ripped up the floor they found dirt under it! So, they dug down a few feet to lay a foundation - and behold-they found a skeleton! He said it was about 4 feet tall, and assumed that when the house had no addition into the yard back in the day, the people that lived there must have buried this poor soul in their yard. A family friend that was a cop told them not to contact the police about it, because they would never get thier new house fixed up. So they moved "Elmer" (as they dubbed him) to the back of the yard and re-buried him. Now, sometimes at dinner, they set an extra seat for Elmer and make him feel welcome.

Ahh Fishtown. Brimming with history. And then some. Day street used to be called Dean Street. Who was Dean?

Another year...

2005-01-08T13:39:00.000-05:00

Yes I have been on hiatus. I am sorry. I have been busy drafting a fantastic blog-post and getting over my post-holiday depression. To make matters worse, the Tsunami disaster brought me down even more.

But I'm determined to keep busy and not focus on the negative.

On that note - I am going to do what I do best. Get on other people's cases. So please donate money to the cause. Everyone out there can afford at least 10 dollars. Don't get that latte. Don't rush out and download that crap song off iTunes. Have one drink tonite at the bar instead of five. You know where I am going with this.

So here is a list of organizations so you can put your money where your mouth is.

On tap for this year:

Giving blood! Adrienne and I did this last week at the Red Cross on Spring Garden. As healthy caring humans we all should make this a part of our routines. Don't be a wuss - a few seconds of pain are worth it! Plus all the peeps there are really sweet and there were really cute young boys and girls there too. You can comfort them as they are lying there - helpless - on the table. And if you go ona busy day (we were there on employee dontation day) they will order pizza! Score!

Philadelphia Cares is another great way to keep busy and social while doing something nice for others. Don't get me wrong - I am not very good with the one on one volunteering. So I do the dontation night for Career Wardrobe.

Making sock monkeys! I plan to customize mine and pimp it out bigtime. I feel like I am doing good by creating something cute in the world for people to love. :P

THE PA TP

2004-11-28T19:16:00.000-05:00

That is the PA Turnpike to you and me. On the long drive to Ohio this Thanksgiving weekend I stared out the window for much of the time. There isn't alot to see, but these are the hilights littering the side of the pike. All this for only paying 4 dollars round trip! God Bless Union Strikes!

Windmills in Somerset PA. Read the facts about them. We need some more!

Mail Pouch Tobacco signs on the sides of the barns. Some body made it a hobby to find them! This site has a photo library of signs on barns in Ohio. Here is a sign musuem online...

Out of place steps from the eastbound lane leading to St John the Baptist Church

There is a documentary on the history of the tunrpike and the stops all along the way. But I can't seem to find it online. It airs on WHYY occasionally. Keep yer eyes peeled for it.

Being Thankful

2004-11-24T17:06:00.000-05:00

For having friends, family...
For seeing Grenada before the hurricanes hit...
For my basement not flooding...
For good food...
For going to Vegas with Eric...
For being able to ride my bike to work...
For having food to eat...
For living in a country where we can choose our leader (even though it didn't work out in my favor)
For being able to blog freely without persecution!

Happy Thanksgiving. Now go hug yer mom.

Hint Hint

2004-11-21T17:22:00.000-05:00

I love my Kiln Enamel necklace. I bought it last year on sale at this trendy gift boutique in Wayne. If you haven't seen thier stuff, then you are a loser. Deal!

Oh! Christmas Tree?

2004-11-21T16:31:00.000-05:00

Since this is my first house I need to get a Christmas tree that is all my own. But as most of you know, my house is lacking in extra room where one can plop a large tree. I don't have room for a big old "cut down with an axe" tree, and I don't wan't a fake one.

But I was reading about how you can use a Norfolk Island Pine tree as your Xmas tree, then keep it around as a houseplant! Genius!

I also want to make some ornaments this year. Here are the ones I'm going to attempt! Thanks Martha.

Dot Garland
Beaded Stars
Tinsel Stars
Button Wreaths

And of course I will be spending hours making pop-corn garland. Ow.

Headbandz or Hedbandz (depending on what type of English you speak)

2004-11-17T11:38:00.000-05:00

Whilst enjoying a fine fall evening at the home of Miss Sue and Miss Michelle, we played a special little game called Headbandz that they acquired at a local Thrifte Shoppe. I searched endlessly on the inter-web for said game, but alas - my search was in vain. This site from my motherland, England, was the only one that featured a photograph of the game.

It was jolly good fun! Thank you ladies for a special evening.

Poole Pics

2004-11-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

Check out some cute pics of my favorite people.

Nutters

2004-11-16T16:59:00.000-05:00

I love sick, insane comic strips

HOLY CHEESE!

2004-11-16T16:56:00.000-05:00

I dont know who is dumber - the person that is selling this or the people that are bidding???

Giving a Hoot

2004-11-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

Last week I watched clips from Afghanistan:Uneveiled at WHYY. It really broke my heart, made me angry and feel helpless at the same time, but also made me grateful for what I have. I have been thinking about donating money to charities this year, and I think after seeing the film last nite I will most likely give to Women for Afghan Women or a similiar organization,

Sadly today Margaret Hassan, a charity worker in Iraq, was killed. She was one of many people in the middle east working with the people there to better thier surroundings. She worked for CARE International...

Chicago! Chicago!

2004-11-08T18:08:00.000-05:00

My baby is away in Chicago. So, I'm going to take a mental vacation there. I'm dying to see Millennium Park in person.

And I wonder if there is a tour of things that were in Ferris Bueller's Day Off?

On a River...called DENIAL.

2004-11-08T17:37:00.000-05:00

I am not going to bother getting all whiney about the election. Everyone else has done that for me, more eloquently that I ever will. I'm sure everything will be ok. Plus look at it this way - we have 4 more years of jokes.

Bush getting re-elected is funny !

So back to reality...Ewan MacGregor, My Future Husband After Eric Dies, is in this great new show on Bravo. Check it out. It reminds me of my times in Europe, minus the crotch-rockets and friendly Europeans.

BTW - Eric totally looks like Neil Patrick Harris.

Saw The Incredibles Friday night. Downside, saw it at The Bridge in West Philly on a Friday night. On the plus side, it was AMAZING. Go see it. Now. Go.

Is it wrong that I have a crush on the dad?

John Peel

2004-10-29T14:11:00.000-04:00

I was just on the BBC radio website because I was in the mood for some good tunes and John Peel always delivered. As I was listening to the show from Tuesday, there was some other guy on talking about how they were going to miss him. Alas - John died last Monday. Read his obit here. Instead of his usual shows three times a week, they played some of the music from old Peel Sessions.

As I was trying to console myself I listened to this cool 4 part-series about BritPop called "Don't Look Back In Anger".

Fugly

2004-10-28T19:09:00.000-04:00

I watched America's Ugliest Bathroom last nite. They were bad/gross/horrible/unliveable. People need to get a grip.

Now they are having one for kitchens. If you win, you get a new one. Duh. Hell my kitchen ain't ugly but yours might be. So sign up.

Vegas Baby

2004-10-28T16:49:00.000-04:00

Eric and I hit up Vegas this past weekend for our friends', John and Sam, wedding at Paris. We had a blast! Saw all the big hotels on the strip, I hung out with the ladies (and the boys went out separately, to the library I'm sure) and Eric and I had some quality time together.

Our favorite place was the Bellagio hands down. From the food, the interior and the fountain show, it was the classiest place there. And how can I forget...The botanical gardens had huge pumpkins and fountains and a cool glass sculpture ceiling by Chihuly in the reception area.

The gals witnessed the Thunder from Down Under Friday night at the Excalibur. There was much abuse of tear away velcro pants. And did you know that it will cost you 15 dollars to get a Polaroid with you and a greasy beefcaked Aussie?

Saturday we did more walking and just relaxed saturday night. And watched the Red Sox game. And cuddled.

Sunday was Eric's bday and the day of the wedding. It was a short, sweet and all around great ceremony and reception. I got to know some of Eric's old friends, and we made new friends as well.

Monday we rented a car and drove to the Valley of Fire State Park and to the Hoover Dam. Definitely two must-see for anyone going out to Vegas. Although I am deathly afraid of heights, the dam was impressive and had some cool art deco area signs and sculptures as well. The valley was majestic and every turn had great photographic opportunities.

That nite we drove back to LV for one more night. After driving to Mandalay Bay and finding out that the restaurant that we wanted to dine at was closed for a party, we settled on going to the Pink Taco at the Hard Rock Hotel. Ahem. There were kids eating there! And old people! And no one seemed to care the place was named after a vagina! Despite this, the food was excellent and the girls working there had cute outfits to boot.

After dinner we roamed around and looked at the memorobilia on the walls around the casino floor. I got to see Britney's outfit from "Hit Me Baby One More Time" video and even a flannel belonging to Kurt Cobain.

The only dissapointing part of the trip was not seeing any celebs. Monday night was the NBC Radio Awards. A friend said that she saw Leo Dicaprio at the Bellagio (while we were there at the same time!). I would've settled for seeing Chingy.

Despite the lack of gawking, all the walking, the crazy drunks roaming the sidewalk and all the weddings going on all over the place - we had an awesome weekend. I reccomend for everyone to go at least once. Make sure you have some quarters to blow on the slot machines! Our favorites were the Kenny Rogers "The Gambler", and the one that I won on, the new Monopoly slots.

And be sure to walk all the way down to the Frontier. In the lobby there are really cool old slot machines and even a Family Feud one all the way in the back near Gilley's. Speaking of which, I wish we weren't so tired Saturday night, because they have Bikini Bullriding!

The other thing I didn't get to do was to walk around the old cheesy part of town on Freemont, and re-inact the "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" Video.

Like I said to Eric on our last night there, holding hands, walking around the Mexicans that hand out flyers for strippers: "Vegas makes everyone feel like they are a big shot no matter who you are!"

Imagery

2004-09-26T22:01:00.000-04:00

Let's have Pinhole Camera Day! Learn how to make one here.

If you rasterbate too much you will get hairy knuckles.

Duh

2004-09-26T21:50:00.000-04:00

Haven't you heard the Grey Album yet??? Jeeze.

The new U2 song is out! Their tour kicks off next June in Dublin. Hmmm.

The Fall

2004-09-26T21:13:00.000-04:00

Not the band silly. The time of year. And all the good stuff about it. Like not sweating your bum off while making dinner.

New Handsome Boy Modeling School album (and some others)

Halloween Idea Maker Thingie

Carving Pumpkins and other seasonal stuff the Saxton Freymann way

Hot Apple Cider

Looking at people's dogs. Speaking of which - I love the new mural on the Morris Animal Refuge!

Hipster Jenga

2004-09-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

This should be an Olympic Sport. Thanks for the link Michelle!

MP3 Addiction

2004-09-16T17:16:00.000-04:00

I spent way to much time downloading last nite. I need help. Write to these people and tell them to stop! They all begin with the letter "S", just like SATAN!

Scenstars
Stereogum
Senses Working Overtime
Said the Gramophone
*6ize

Sue and I ate Hot Dogs at Ikea

2004-09-13T21:03:00.000-04:00

And the Lord sayeth they were good. So yeah. If you are cranked and hungry go to Ikea. Two hot dogs and a soda AND a huge bag of chips for like 3 bucks. All in all a fun afternoon.

Make Some Art

2004-09-13T20:58:00.000-04:00

Mr. PicassoHead is a fun way to waste away the day at work. Here is one I did to reflect my mood today. I don't even own a black turtleneck, but I'm thinking of getting one now.

Furrie Friends

2004-09-13T20:40:00.000-04:00

I have had animals on the brain lately. I watch way too much animal planet. I cry when I see handicapped people being aided by dogs that are their best friends...Then I cry when I see a dog or cat getting rescued from a neglegent owner. Sigh.

Eric and I are thinking about getting a dog next year. He has his heart set on an Irish Terrier like he had when he was wittle.

I even had a dream where I had a dog and a cat and the dog would pick up the phone in his mouth when it rang and brought it to me.

I love to look at Petfinder and read all the sob stories. Like the one about Mr. Chips, a dog with one eye.

This is a good directory of animal rescues in the U.S.
Philly based pet-to-person partnership program

Michelle Blogs but I don't

2004-09-13T14:58:00.000-04:00

So ya..I'm lazy. But Michelle Poole has gotten off her butt and blogged!

Home Improvement

2004-08-30T17:39:00.000-04:00

Oh the joys of buying a home. And the agony of getting contractors to call you back! Angie's List might be a solution.

I want to re-make my solarium out of this stuff. And then get a hot tub put in there. And wet bar.

Stuff-n-Things.

2004-08-19T17:42:00.000-04:00

I think I'm spending too much on my cell phone with Verizon. It's expensive! But I compared plans here. I think I might go with AT&T.

Get me this. Please. I'm a Lomo Geek. I think if I get a cat I will name him Lomo. Or Beulah. I love that name. Or Zetta.

I can't decide where I want to eat with Adrienne and Caroline for my belated BDay dinner. PhillyLunchBox to the rescue!

The Best Week Ever has a blog.

Who else had one of these when they were little?

Or one of these?

I had both. Korey survived but I think The animator is long gone.

Baby Rachel

2004-08-13T17:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the world Rachel - You are lucky to have Eric as an uncle!

Friday the 13th Nonsense

2004-08-13T17:05:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia Restaurant Week is Sept 26-Oct 1. Pig out for Cheap.

My friend recomended this case for the iPaulina.

Let the games begin. This time around I haven't really heard much hype at all about the games. I forgot they were coming up and didn't see one commercial about it. Anyhoo. I love the opening ceremonies - but I know that I probably won't catch it tonite. Someone TiVo that shite.

I think Monica needs a car. I should just do the car share! Who else is in?

This pas year, Adrienne and I have made it a point to walk around Olde City and really notice and visit historical sights in the area. All us non-tourists that live here take what's around us for granted most if not all of the time. I think this is next on my list to visit - the Poe house.

This site claims that Philly is America's most haunted city. I admit it does get scary at times.

Brown Paper Blog

Videos are on Vimeo.com

Found photos

Happy New Year!

Merry Xmas from Harry

Excuses, excuses

Video from April through August

A visit from Grammy and Pop Brown

Busy B's

Nine months - I could've had another baby by now!

Harry Potty

Springtime with Harry

More Harry Video

Getting to know you

7 months

Harry - Jan through March 2010

Marching On!

Happy 6th months, Harry!

Times they are a changing.

This is what Harry says to the snow...

Chatty

Face time

Rub a dub dub

Piglet, the movie

The piglet

Of note

Videos are up...

Happy New Year!

Who does it better?

Agony of da feets

Goobbbbllleee

Three months old!

Busy, Busy!

I'm two months old...

Hangin' with Vincent

First visit to Ohio

It's finally here...

Six weeks old!

Harry's first visit to Cubist

Charlie and Harry Brown

One down...Life to go!

Meeting of the Babies

More photos...

2 weeks old!

Harry is here!

40 Weeks!

Belly Contest

Coming along..

Which baby do you choose?

Gift from Eric's coworkers

Quiet time...

When it rains, it pours!

Busy week!

Wishing Grandma a Happy Birthday (whatever the heck that means)

Brown Mobile!

Baby Brown gets around

4 months to go!!!

Baby parts

Changes!

Halfway Mark on the Road to Babydom

Weekender

Photo Ops

Me

Look Honey! Nerds!

Quizzo Update

Resale Value

Q-u-i-z-h-o-e-s!

Ticketmaster Can Suck It (and U2.com)

Freaks and Geeks

When it's 1 am and you need to hear Madonna...

MyTunes

Snowy Day Distractions

Elmer & the Woes of Home Improvement

Another year...

THE PA TP

Being Thankful

Hint Hint

Oh! Christmas Tree?

Headbandz or Hedbandz (depending on what type of English you speak)

Poole Pics