23 week Update

Baby Kendrick's feet at 20 weeks

Sorry for the lapse in posts and updates on Baby Kendrick.

I had to fly home to NY because my Mom broke her wrist and hurt her back during a bad fall. While I was there we got the sad news that my Aunt Shirley in Philadelphia passed away. On the flight home to Atlanta, I started feeling sick. That turned into a 10 day cold that I really couldn't "treat" with typical medicines because most are not safe for pregnant women. As soon as I got over my cold, my husband caught it. Oh well!!

On a happier note, we were able to shoot the 20 week ultrasound video you saw below. We also got a few pics of Baby Kendrick including my favorite: his/her feet above.

This has been an incredibly active week for Baby Kendrick in my belly. Maybe it's because he/she is getting larger and stronger, but I feel movement EVERYDAY! It's not the kind of movement that keeps me awake - thank goodness! It's just those reassuring kicks that the baby is saying "Hey, I'm in here!" If I lie very still in bed and lift my shirt, I can see my belly shake.

After a rough night of some hip joint pain, I even had a dream about Baby Kendrick's birth. Pregnant women have lots of very vivid dreams. Here's mine:

I was in a hospital bed with my husband asleep next to me. My Mom was sitting on the left side of the bed looking ecstatic about the birth of her "newest" grandchild.

She asked me, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Sitting on the table in front of me was a burrito I had apparently just given birth to!

I had to unwrap the burrito to find out the baby's sex.

I dug through the beans, rice and cheese to find...........

a BABY GIRL!!!

She was incredibly cute and alert. Weighed 6 lbs 2 oz.

But I was questionning how could I give birth to a full term baby when I was only five months pregnant.

My attention turned to a lady sitting in the room who was giving me a "face" because she apparently thought I was further along in my pregnancy.

Then I kissed Baby Girl Kendrick's face and her head jerked back as if I alarmed or startled her.

I asked "Are you OK baby?"

The newborn nodded as if to say, "Yeah, I'm good."

(I should point out - my husband was asleep in the bed next to me throughout this entire dream!)

So I still don't know if Baby Kendrick is a boy/girl. Although my dreaming mind must think it's a girl. I had a dream earlier in my pregnancy that the baby was a boy, but that dream wasn't as detailed as this one. I believe that dream came from the perspective that my husband said if we have a boy, we can stop at one kid vs. continually trying for a boy.

I say - one and done!

I'm back......

Late December and early January were quite busy for me. So that's why I've been kinda MIA (missing in action)!

The Saturday after Christmas, I flew to NY to spend time with my family and a few friends. Then I flew to Atlanta to be with TMIL for New Years. We had a good time. I relaxed A LOT. Then we ran into some car problems on the way back to Jackson.

Then I got right back to work and did another "Who's Accountable" report. This idea came from an e-mail I received from a woman I'll call Tasha, who's been STUCK in her marriage for years. She wanted to know Who's Accountable for the law that won't allow her to get a divorce unless her "so called husband" agrees.

Check out the story here and let me know what you think:

http://www.wapt.com/video/18515996/

On a much lighter and multimedia note, I'm now on www.facebook.com.
My friends Angela and Jeanine have been harassing me about NOT being on it. So now I'm catching up with tons of classmates from Mizzou and NB class of 91!

But it's time for me to watch the Inauguration of the 44th president!

Yes, He Did!

Tuesday night, I had the pleasure of saying LIVE on the air:

"Barack Obama is the next president of the United States."

Before Tuesday, I was not one of those people who walked around saying "he's going to win" or "Obama will beat McCain."

Maybe it's the journalist in me who needs facts in order to believe. Or maybe it's because I worked in newsrooms in the 2000 and 2004 election nights and I can't forget that sometimes we don't know who the president is until hours, days, or months later. So Obama's historic victory is something I didn't want to celebrate ahead of time.

I could hardly enjoy his win TUESDAY because I was working. Although everyone in the newsroom paused to watch his acceptance speech as you can see in the photos below. In fact, my first thoughts were for the safety of the Obama family. I prayed out loud, "Lord - keep him safe and honest."




It wasn't until Wednesday morning while watching news coverage and seeing so much emotion and celebration cross the country and the world - that I was moved to cry.

Earlier this week, I told my colleague, Don Champion, how it would be amazing IF Obama won. There would be a significant difference in what my generation and my father's generation would see as "possible" for African Americans.

For instance, my Dad was born in 1932 when Charleston, South Carolina was segregated. He went to Burke High School - the first public school for black students in the city. He told me he read from old books after the white students had gotten rid of them and the books were even missing pages they were in such bad shape. Later he was drafted during the Korean War and remembers that when the Army bus drove through Mississippi he and the other black soldier were NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE BUS - for fear of their safety. Fast forward to today, I live in Mississippi now. I am an anchor at a TV station - all because of what my parents taught me and because no schools or universities were ever "out of my reach."

What a difference in what one generation can see and CHANGE. And in case you're wondering, based on what my Dad has lived and survived - he didn't think he'd ever live to see a black president.

My Sister/Niece's Wedding

I'm just getting the hang of creating photo shows, so bear with me.
My sister/niece, Cherie got married August 29th and here's the photo show I created thanks to pics from my big brother, Vernon and my camera phone:


Congrats to Cherie and Mike!

Mom is Home and Morgan Freeman is in the Hospital

Mom came home from in-patient rehabilitation Monday and is doing well. She was anxious to get back to her PC so she could watch me anchor the 5, 6 & 10 p.m. news LIVE here.

Thanks to Family Medical Leave I'll be going to New York Thursday to help care for both of my parents. I'm planning to return to Jackson the first week in September. So the tone of this blog will change a bit because I won't be on-air. But you can still hear about what's going on in my life. Please keep us in your prayers.

Source: EOnline
Now a bit of entertainment news, Mississippi Native and Oscar Winner, Morgan Freeman was injured in a serious car accident Sunday night. It happened a few hours north of Jackson, in Ruleville, and the car flipped several time. Freeman needs arm and shoulder surgery at the Memphis Hospital where he was airlifted.

I did a phone interview with the BBC Monday evening about what happened and how the state is reacting. Governor Haley Barbour released this statement: “Morgan Freeman is one of America’s

most accomplished actors and one of Mississippi’s most admired citizens. Marsha and I are saddened to hear of his injuries, and we join all Mississippians in praying for his full and speedy recovery.” There's also a hurricane preparedness charity that's devoted its site to well wishes for Freeman: http://planitnow.org/morgan/.

We can only hope these injuries won't keep Mr. Freeman from the Big Screen for long.

Successful Surgery

Mom is doing well so thanks very much for your prayers and encouragement.

She was in recovery for a day and a half and was finally admitted to a room Sunday. When she woke up Saturday she said it was the best she's felt in 9 months - which is really a relief.

And this morning (Monday) when she called, she said he got a chance to look at her incision and was relieved. If you saw the photos from the first knee replacement, you know it LOOKED HORRIBLE. This time she says it's a neat, row of staples. Her surgeon had a lot on his hands: NEW knee replacement, scar tissue removal and cosmetic surgery!

She sounds great though and says her room offers a wonderful view of the East River:

Courtesy: www.hss.edu

Mom having surgery today

Asking for special prayer for my Mom today.

She's having surgery at 2 p.m. Eastern time at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City to have a "revision" on her left knee replacement. Family and friends already know this has been a two year ordeal for her.

First she fell at home in 2006 and broke her left leg, then her first knee replacement in 2007 was performed horribly. It took a year for her incision to close, she's been in pain daily and now she's finally found a quality surgeon who's qualified to perform the revision.

And all this is going on while my Dad recovers from hip replacement surgery. Right now, my sister Veronica (from Maryland) and my Aunt Vermell (from South Carolina) are in New York. They're helping with his care and watching out for my Mom who'll probably be hospitalized for a few days then placed in in-patient rehab. I'll be going to New York in August closer to the approximate date when she'll be coming home.

So please keep my Mom and her surgeon, Dr. Charles Cornell in your prayers.

Happy Fathers' Day

This is my 75 year old Father, John Henry Brewer. This is a photo from 1999 when we went to Charleston, South Carolina, his hometown, to visit our family.

This is one of my favorite photos of my Dad because he loves this checkered jacket and looks very healthy here. He's walking behind our families' property in Mount Pleasant, S.C. That is my cousin Lee's house in the background.

This is my Dad at the Morris Brown AME church cemetery where we went to visit the gravesites of my Dad's parents, his grandmother, his first wife and other family friends.

Right now my Dad is recovering from a hip fracture and a broken hip that resulted in a hip replacement. He's at home and getting physical therapy. Please keep him and my Mom in your prayers as he recovers.

Hot & Hectic.....

That's how I'll describe my trip home to NY this week.

HOT: Temps reached 100 degrees in the city and high 90's on Long Island. Several schools canceled class because many buildings there don't have central air. We don't have central air in my parent's home either so I was miserable.

HECTIC: I tried to handle some of the caretaking for my Dad who just got home from rehab, while helping my Mom with things around the house. Also caught up with my friends, Kirsten (who sat next to me when I went to THE VIEW in 2005) and Mignon who had to buy a new Toyota Prius after another driver totalled her Accord.

CRAZY HECTIC: Wednesday morning when I arrived at Laguardia airport for a 6:29 a.m. flight I realized I'd left my wallet & I.D. at my parent's house - 45 minutes away. So as we raced back to our house to retrieve my stuff, I desperately called Delta to see if I could make a later flight, considering I was scheduled to work that evening. NO LUCK. Instead, we bought a one-way ticket on Southwest from Islip airport, which is closer to the house anyway, and I managed to make it back that afternoon. But it took a three-leg flight from Islip-Chicago-Houston to get back here!

It's two days later and I'm still exhausted from that day that started as 3:30 A.M. Eastern and ended when I got off from work at 10:30 P.M. Central!

My Dad, Diet and Decisions

I talked to my Dad Saturday and he was proud to tell me he walked 300 feet!
For those of you who don't know, he had two bad falls in April:
http://joycebrewer.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-dad-broke-both-of-his-hips.html
So this is great progress for him.
Thanks to many of you who have asked how he's doing and how well my Mom is holding up since she's also recovering from a "botched" knee replacement surgery. (I'm sure I'll discuss this in a future post, but it's a really long story!)

The first few days of the South Beach diet Phase I were a trip.
My sister, Veronica, is doing it too and we talked about it quite a bit Saturday afternoon.
There are a lot of things you can't eat, like fruit and REAL SUGAR, basically BAD CARBS!
Veronica just called to inform me that she briefly broke the diet at church because she had communion his morning - wafer (BAD CARBS) and grape juice (BAD CARBS)!
And after several days without real sugar she enjoyed communion - more than usual.
But it makes me wonder what diabetics do on communion Sunday. They probably bend the rules too. Or it creates a market for sugar free communion wafers and juice!

Also wanted to start something this week so folks can ask me about any of my career decisions in TV. Then I'll post the answer on my blog. So feel free to e-mail me: joycebrewertv@aol.com.
Look forward to your questions!

Florida Photos

Sorry this took so long to post. But here are some of the photos from my recent Orlando visit before I cut it short and went to NY to see my Dad in the hospital.

My nephew,Quinton, at the airport

My niece Chelese and nephews, Alonzo, Quinton and Little Mike

Quinton and Little Mike when then finally got still before bedtime

Little Mike and Quinton running through the condo

My sister Veronica and Chelese on a ride

My sister Cherie and her son Alonzo on
ferry ride to Magid Kingdom

Photos from Animal Kingdom:

My Dad broke both of his hips

Sorry I haven't posted in a week, but I've had a lot going on.

I had to cut my Orlando vacation with my sisters, nieces and nephews short because my Dad fell twice in one week. I flew home to NY after he fractured his left hip, then broke his right hip. His injuries required a right hip replacement along with removal of a rod and pin from a previous surgery because it was not compatible with the new hip.

So he'll be in the hospital for a few more days then he has 3-6 weeks of inpatient rehab.

His spirits are OK. He's in some pain.

The one funny part is that when my Mom was answering questions about him to the ER staff (the second time he fell), they asked her - if he was her father!

Anyone who's met my Mom knows she doesn't look 72!

Elaine Brewer, better known as MOMMY!

Mommy is a trooper. She also buried her brother, Lawrence Brown Sr., Monday in Philadelphia: http://joycebrewer.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-uncle-lawrence-brown-passed-away.html

I'll post pics of my trip to Orlando later this week. I forgot my camera cable so I can't upload them until I get home.

My Uncle Lawrence Brown Passed Away

My Mother's only surviving brother passed away in Philadelphia, PA.

He was a member of "The Blue Notes," the group that launched Teddy Pendergrass' career.

Lawrence Brown is on the far right

This is an article my sister, Belinda, wrote and submitted to the newspaper:

Legendary ‘Blue Note’ Lawrence L. ‘Pop Pop’ Brown, Sr.

Life was never a dress rehearsal for Lawrence Lloyd Brown, Sr. An original member of the R&B/Pop group ‘The Blue Notes’, which ultimately became the world-renowned ‘Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’, Lawrence was an extremely talented singer and dancer from childhood.

Born in Philadelphia, Lawrence was educated in the Philadelphia Public School System. While in junior high and high school, Lawrence ran track and participated in the Penn Relays, which along with his love for singing, sparked his desire to become a performer.

Lawrence started his career performing on street corners and at school functions. In 1957, he and some of his neighborhood friends formed a vocal group called “The Bingos.” They were a popular local attraction that performed at talent shows and clubs. In 1958, he and Bernard Wilson, his lifelong friend, formed another group called the Chordsteppers. Noted for their smooth sound and fancy footwork, they acquired more success and were exposed to much larger audiences outside the Philadelphia area.

It was in 1960 that Lawrence and Bernard joined the original Blue Notes, and with the addition of Harold Melvin, a new and improved unit was born. Although much wider audience acceptance came, show business distinction still seemed elusive.

It was not until the 1970s, after more than ten years with the ‘Blue Notes’, and a name change(to ‘Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes’), that the hits started coming! Teddy Pendergrass, who had been the drummer for the group, became the primary lead singer and the rest is music history. They produced a string of hits such as, ‘I Miss You’, ‘If You Don’t Know Me By Now’, ‘The Love I Lost’, ‘Bad Luck’, and ‘Wake Up Everybody’ – striking Gold – then Platinum!



With Teddy Pendergrass leaving to pursue his solo career, and Harold (who is now deceased) working with another group, ‘The Original Blue Notes’ have continued to sing, perform and record. Lawrence’s dreams as a performer truly became reality! Although he will be sorely missed, this talented, funny, life-loving man will live on in the hearts of all those who knew and loved him – and the music that inspired him.

He is survived by his wife of 42½ years, the former Patricia Parks, and their son Lawrence Lloyd Brown, Jr.

Service will be held Monday, April 14, 2008, at True Gospel Tabernacle COGIC, 1606 Mifflin St., Philadelphia, PA. The viewing will be from 6 PM to 8 PM, followed immediately by the service at 8 PM.