Camden Kyle Brown

Camden Kyle Brown

Fenruary 16, 2010

12:43 P.M.

7.1 pounds

19.5 inches

Snug as a bug!

Daddy and Camden

Under the dreaded bili blanket!

Our new little family!


Camden and cousin Grayson


Kyle wants a shirt to match!

On the 15th of Fenruary, Kyle and I were walking around the Fashion Place mall. It had been a long day, I was very pregnant, and we were trying to get me to go into labor.

My phone rang, and on the other end, the midwife up at the University hospital asked, "Are you sitting down?" I said, "No... I am walking around the mall." She responded "Well, how about you come up here and we have a little birthday party?"

As it turns out, I was developing preeclampsia and needed to be induced.

We got to the hospital around 9:00 (after I took a shower, shaved my legs, etc.) and they started by giving me a dose of cytotec to see if I would progress at all with it. By 6 am, nothing much had happened, so they started me on pitocin. I got the epidural and took a nap.

I stayed at a 2 for a while, and then my water broke. I could feel a lot of pain in my back, so they kept turning up the dose of my epidural, figuring it wasn't working. After the third time of me complaining about the pain in my pelvis, the resident decided to check me... and to their surprise, I was ta a 10 and ready to push! I went from a 2 to a 10 in about an hour!

I started to panic at this point because I was thinking that I had a while to mentally prepare for the labor, and now here I was, with an oxygen mask on, lying on my side and trying to delay the baby until the doctor got there. Kyle was running around the room, getting the video camera, brushing his teeth, finding me my iPod...

The doctor arrived, and withtin 20 minutes and about 6 times of pushing, baby Camden made his entrance! It was so surreal to hold him in my arms finally. I held him on my chest while Kyle and I cried. I can't describe that feeling- it truly was a miracle and I will never forget that moment of our lives. Everything we have been through seemed to finally make sense. And did I mention how dang cute he is?!

It has been almost three weeks since our little dude arrived, I can't believe how fast the time has gone by! I have been pretty busy learning how to become a mommy... luckily I have had help from the best new dad in the world. Seriously, Kyle is a pro! Aside from the jaundice and being under the biliblanket, and a trip in an ambulance up to Primary Children's hospital (which turned out to be nothing), Cam is a healthy, adorable little dude. I just can't wait until RSV season is over so I can come out of hibernation!

I am still pregnant...

...but you wouldn't think I was even excited about it if you looked at my blog! I admit, I have become a lazy blogger. Facebook is just so much easier! Here are a few belly pics (or as Kyle lovingly calls them, "fat Kelli" pics):

5 months

7 months

8 months

We can't wait for baby Camden to come. He is a little wiggle worm, which is so much fun... luckily he still has plenty of room in there so I am not uncomfortable yet, and his kicks don't really hurt me. Kyle is so cute and tells Camden every day to "just come out already!" I try to explain that if this were to happen, he would probably be the size of a small guinea pig.

Wiggles...

I had been getting really antsy to feel Camden moving around in there. My pregnancy book said it happens between weeks 16-20 for most people, so for the last month I have been anticipating his movement at all times of the day, but not kowing what I was feeling for.

Finally on October 7th, the day I hit 20 weeks, I feel a weird little fluttering/twitching that was unquestionably him moving around! Of course, he waits for the last minute... just like his Daddy :). It is so much fun to feel him flipping around, and I can't wait to kiss his chubby little cheeks. But for now, I don't mind keeping him all to myself :)

Our 20 week ultrasound on Friday the 9th went really well. My favorite part was when they measured his little belly- like measuring out a little belt for him. The rest was kind of boring compared to the Fetal Foto ultrasound at 16 weeks, probably because it was more medical rather than for entertainment. But hey, I could stare at this little guy all day.

It's a BOY!

I have been MIA from blogging... I guess I have a reason!

For those of you who have not heard, we will be welcoming Baby Camden in February of 2010, and we couldn't be more ecstatic about it!

We waited quite a while to break the news. I think this is because it was so hard with the first miscarriage, so we wanted to wait and make sure that this little guy was a fighter (which he definitely is).

I feel so grateful for the long road that we had to take to get to this point in our lives. It sounds so crazy to say it, but I don't think I would have the same feelings for this baby that I do now, had I not been through so much to get him here. I remember wondering why Heavenly Father would take away a baby from me so soon with the first pregnancy we had. That was definitely a trial of my faith, trying to comprehend God's reasons for the trials I was going through. Now I feel like I see his hand even more so in my life, and the life of little Camden. I know that without a Heavenly Father watching over this little guy, he probably wouldn't be able to grow from a tiny little bean to a living, breathing baby.


Although the first 16 weeks of this pregnancy were difficult (throwing up every day all summer), I tried reminding myself that the sickness means that the hormones are working... the last couple of weeks have been really great. One of my students asked if I was pregnant... so I guess I am starting to show a little bit :)

Cayman, we miss you!

Seven Mile Beach

Hell, Grand Cayman

On the way to Hell, Summer was a little grumpy... So I told her to "Oh, Go to hell!" That made her laugh...

On our way to Stingray City, we stopped to snorkel. Yes, I can swim, but the life vest makes it easier!

One of the tour guides suddenly dove off the boat and came up with several huge starfish.

Me and Mommy Dearest at Calypso. I love her SOOO much :)

Don't really know what is up with my hair... But we sat here until I felt cold, so we moved inside :) Am I high maintenance?

Kyle gettin some love from the Stingrays in Stingray city. One totally sucked in his hand, it was the loudest noise! It could smell the squid he had just fed to another one.

All of the Stingrays stay here because they are fed. It is not a beach, but a sandbar way out in the middle of the ocean. They feel really slippery and come and glide up against you.

Giving the Stingray a smooch.

Kyle was loving it! I got out after they tipped over the bucket of squid and were going crazy. I don't want a hickey-leg like Car Car!

Friendly rays...

The balcony of the Sovereign... i'm sad that my parents are moving into their condo tomorrow. This place was so sweet!

Their condo is to the right, and the beach is the backyard! What a life, mom :)

Cruise ships port here almost every day. The beaches get really crowded.

The blowholes... I was trying to stay dry, while getting as close as possible for a pic... don't worry, of course as I get close enough for the pic, a huge wave totally claps me on the back.


Love Kyle and Holly's faces, and don't I look content?

That didn't last long.

Chillin at the Sunshine Grill!

I think this was one of two nights where I actually did my hair and wore something other than a swimsuit.

Kyle looks like a kid on Christmas morning. This is Singh's Roti shop. They make authentic Trinidadian food, where Kyle served his mission. It was really good!

Paratha and PearDrax, a good combo!


At the Turtle Farm... want to know why they have an actual farm? While they claim to introduce some to the wild, their main purpose is for Turtle Soup.

No, I am not freakin kidding! How disgusting is that? It is Cayman's famous dish. Yuck.

Heart Worming

A literal quote from a student's paper, about Marley and Me:

"This book is a very entertaing heart worming book that shows the love for an animal is a great thing in someones life."

Last time I checked, heart worm was not entertaining :)

Excuses...

My students kill me. I tell them for one month when an assignment is due, we work on it in class, but for some strange reason, they had a "catastophic" event that prevented them from getting it handed in on time. Oh well, at least it is entertaining. Here are some funny (and some not so funny) excuses I have heard today for late term papers:

"I had to go to the emergency room for stomach problems"
"I forgot"
"My mom had to use the computer last night"
"My printer ran out of ink"
"My computer crashed"
"I thought today was the 27th, not the 28th"
"If I buy you a coke, can I turn it in late?"
"I though that was for extra credit"
"Can I go to the computer lab to type it?"
"I didn't get it"
"I was too confused"
"I had to work"
"I have mono"
"I had girl problems"

and the day is only half over...