Calling all Moms!

Ok, so I knew that going into the terrible two's could be difficult but I didn't prepare myself for the added switch from crib to big-girl bed in preparation for Kinzie's arrival. Emma loves her bed (as long as the mattress stays on the floor) but she doesn't like to sleep in it! Actually she probably does like the extra room; she just doesn't 1) want to take a nap anymore and 2) want to stay in her room now that she has freedom to get out of bed.

So mom's, what do I do?!! How do I make nap time easier. We made sure to keep the routine the same: 2-3 stories, 2 songs, kisses...but this is what the last three days looked like.

Day 1 Nap - Spent the 2.5 hour nap period continuously putting her back in her bed. We also tried laying down with her but she just wanted us to play with her.

Day 1 Bedtime - Same bedtime routine but then immediately laid down with her for 5 minutes until she wanted to play. Then we left her alone. Had to put back a few times but was asleep in 15 minutes.

Day 2 Nap - Same routine, still tried laying down with her, but then sat outside her locked door while she cried herself to sleep. It took 45 minutes of her playing with her toys and crying off and on until she put herself in her bed and put her blankets on her.

Day 2 Bedtime - Same routine, laid down with her until she feel asleep. It took 1 hour but she didn't try to get up or play; just wanted me to stay by her.

Day 3 Nap - Same routine, still tried laying down with her but ended up locking her door again. She cried herself to sleep in 20 minutes.

So, as I type it sounds like it might be getting better slowly but am I a bad mom for locking her door to keep her in. People suggested baby gates but she would just knock it down. I feel it is the same. Is it or am I cruel? Any other suggestions?

TIme Flie!

I can't believe how fast time goes bye while at the same time moves so slowly. I can't believe it's only been a week since we got home from Mesa. So much has happened. Our cute little town began it's 12 days of Christmas events and we attended the first night consisting of the light parade, the outdoor concert and the dreaded wait in line to see Santa. We also went to Show-Low last night for their light parade and finally put up our tree and decorations. We were going to put up lights outside but got hit with a really cold wind this weekend so we'll see.

anyway, my point is that just when life starts to get so hard or so busy or makes you so tired that you start to wonder when will I ever get time to myself again or time to sleep in past 7:30am, it is inevitably the same child who seems to drain your energy that also fills your sould with incredible light and love.

My little echo continually amazes me with the way she thinks and the things she says whether it is echoing my "oh shoot" in her cutest little voice or her ability to be so fascinated with one thing for so long....the lights on the tree or an airplane in the sky. My little 21 month old definitely stresses me out at times but when I stop to think how many more times she puts a smile on my face, I remember that it is all worth it....and then she spills the milk again and I start counting down until her little playmate arrives (Kinzie) all over again.

Thansgiving or not...

I planned my Thanksgiving meal to the t. I even included low fat items for my sensitive gallbladder. I went shopping Monday afternoon, bought a nice big 20 pound turkey and was going to make pies with a friend Wendesday afternoon. And then...

the pain came back Monday night. Two Lortabs and one hour later I fell into an exhausted sleep unitl midnight, woke up and was able to sleep the rest of the night. I went to work and was hit an attack after lunch....and then again that night. This attack started at about 8pm and by 11pm was extremely painful. I caved in and took 1 Lortab...no relief. I took the second and finally Cale convinced me to go to the hospital at midnight. It was dejavu!

We went straight to the ER this time. They checked me in within minutes and instantly put me in Labor and Delivery with a monitor on the baby. The pain killers were very slow in coming this time. The ER just keeps them coming. L&D, not so much. After my doctor arrived, who luckily was again already there on call, they decided to send me to Mesa again and make sure the ERCP was done this time. THat is the scope procedure to remove stones and expand the bile ducts.

An hour later, I was in Mesa hooked up to more monitors, IVs and more lab tests were taken. My labs this time were more than double what they were the first time they sent me! The ERCP was scheduled for Thanksgiving morning. No food or drink before it and nothing but clear liquids after it. Some thanksgiving. The hospital did give free Thanksgiving dinners to everyone else that day so Cale got some type of holiday dinner.

The surgery went well. They removed 6 stones that were in the duct. They are unable to go into the actual gallbladder to get any but atleast got all but 1 in the duct. THe 7th stone was unreachable but should pass easier now that they put in a stint to keep the duct open biggger. The gallbladder does keep making stones but takes a few weeks to do so so hopefully we can get closer to term for the deliivery of Kinzie.

We are back home today. Labs are back to normal for except 1 and that one is close. The are 5 times better than what they were last time they sent me home. We considered staying at a hotel to see if my gallbladder would act up again and that way we'd already be close to the hospital in Mesa, but we were already half way home. So I guess we will just have pray that this works for now. THank you again for all your prayers. We'll keep you updated.

Better but Not Out of the Woods yet...

We arrived home about 9pm Sunday night after a very uneventful day in the hospital. They had given me a full meal and I had no pain. Labs had all come down and were closer to normal range so the stone had appeared to have passed. Monday morning we both returned to work, thanks to no sick leave and I was actually feeling great! That is until lunch. I ate my two little wheat rolls, an apple and fat free pudding only to be in pain 30 minutes later. Luckily it was not as intense and lasted only 30 minutes or so. I immediately went to Walgreens got my prescription pain pills, picked up Emma and headed home. The rest of the night proved to be very painful even with Lortab! I fell asleep finally around 8pm to midnight and then slept good the rest of the night. I think this will be a continuous occurence but not necessarily daily. Today proved to be ok, with slight pressure and gas pain this evening. I'm finding that intenstinal gas from being starved in the hospital can be just as painful and set off the pain of the pancreatitis.

anyway, just wanted to update you all and let you know that I'm fine for now and trying one food a meal to see what I can and can't handle. I have pain pills for bad days and the Lord's promise of a healthy baby to keep my spirits up. 8 1/2 weeks and counting!

Update on me!

Well, for those of you who haven't heard or that we haven't been able to contact, this weekend has been a busy one. For two weeks now my gallbladder attacks have been increasing in frequency and intensity. Finally on Friday, I was hit with one during my last class at school. I tried to tough it out till the end of school (I don't have students last hour) but couldn't. Cale luckily got home early and came right to get me. Our OB sent us straight to the hospital to meet him there due to elevated liver enzymes from the blood work ordered the day prior. Upon arrival we were sent to get an ultrasound of my gallbladder which was very difficult due to the excrutiating pain I was in. Finally the ultrasound was done and I was sent to the ER to be admitted and given pain killers. However, it had now been 2 hours in addition to the pain at school and I had to wait in ER to be admitted. An hour later, they admitted me but of course questioned and poked me first, then gave me Morphine. FYI, morphine increases the pain of pancreitis (which is what I was later diagnosed with) and thus did not help. Finally after yet another hour, they gave me Diladid (sp?). Wow, great stuff! I finally found relief and started to sleep while they prepped me for my helicopter flight to the valley. I was being sent to Mesa to a high risk hospital in case surgery was required and because I was 30 weeks pregnant.



Upon arrival, I becam a low priority at a high priority hospital and things moved very slowly. Cale had to drive down and his dad came with them. It's only a 3 hour drive and were supposed to arrive by midnight. Cale was too sleepy though and had to keep taking breaks. They arrived at 3am. I had had another gallbladder ultrasound at 1am which showed the stone blocking my common bile duct had been passed. However, enzyme levels were still not good. Saturday morning they had all come down into better levels for except my Biliruben levels which were still increasing. Thus, more waiting and observing. We were also waiting to hear what the surgeon thinks but he was in surgery all day.



So long story short, we talked to both the GI doc and surgeon last night and this morning. Consensus: The labs all came down today and are continually falling. Good news. Thus, the stone has passed and infection is low. No need for risking suregery at this point. Surgery at this point would not be laproscopic but rather a large incision with weeks of recovery and drain tubes hanging out of me plus general aneasthesia could put me into labor. So once the OB releases me, I can go home (hopefully today).



Best case plan at this point: Stick with scheduled c-section in 9 weeks or as close to as possible. 2-3 weeks later, have my gallbladder out. In the mean time, eat a no fat/low fat diet to avoid passing another stone and use pain killer for gallbladder pain as needed. However, gallbladder pain is intense heart burn not what I went throug the last two weeks. That was gallstone pain combined with pancreititis.

Sorry so long. Just wanted to update you all and thank you for your love, prayers, support, and help; especially Cale's mother and sister for watching Emma and his Dad for coming down with Cale and helping with blessings. We love you all. Thanks!

Baby Girl finally gets a name!

This name has been a hard one to pick. Naming Emma was easy because Cale had wanted Emma Elizabeth for so long...way before he met me and although I like more unique names I did like that name, so we went with it from day 1.

Baby #2 has been harder. My preference for unique names and Cale's preference for traditional names have definitely clashed. I can't tell you how many names we have gone through trying to find the right one. My first choice was Kaylee named after her dad, Cale Lee, but he was not a fan. So finally we have come to a compromise that we both love.

Baby Girl #2 is Kinzie Danielle Allen, a cross between Cale's choice of McKenzie and my choice of Kinsley.

Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year, but due to being sick for the last 4 weeks with the flue, a cold and the stomach flu, I was not prepared. We were however so excited for Emma's first trick or treating experience. She had a party at school on Friday and had dressed up as a little black kitty. For Halloween night though we added the whiskers. The first two houses she went to she was a little confused but after that she quickly caught on. She was so excited to be a big kid, to say trick or treat, take her candy, say Thank You and be off to the next door. She did not want to go home but finally gave up when she was too tired to walk. She went to bed super easy! We were also surprised by the number of kids out this year. We ran out of candy before 8pm and just turned our lights off. We're excited for next year though and hope to start up our annual Halloween parties again.

Cale's mother's birthday is on Halloween and so we all went out to dinner to celebrate. It was great to see them. They love to see Emma and Emma has really taken to them. It's fun to see her recognize them. She threw a fit 2 weeks ago when Cale's plans changed and he decided not to go visit his parents as he had planned. When he said to Emma, "I guess we're not going to see Grandpa today" she threw a full fit yelling "Grandpa, Grandpa." Who knew? He decided to go and when they go there, she ran right up to him saying Grandpa all the way and gave him a big hug.

Painting!

The week we moved into our new house (July) we started painting the living room, kitchen, hallways, and our bedroom. I quickly finished the living room and bedroom but we ran into a few issues with the hallway and kitchen. The color we had picked for the hallway and kitchen was supposed to be a light brown, beige color but when we put it up on the walls it was peach! Bright peach. Our living room has forest green accent walls and it seriously looked like an 80s teal and peach wedding! We spent weeks then trying to find the right color, browns, greys, purple greys, etc. We finally decided on a brown that was what we originally tried for. After months of our dining room wall having test colors on it, we finally finished the halls and kitchen!! It is so nice to finally feel done with the painting even though we actually have two bathrooms and a bedroom to go, not to mention finishing the last bit of Emma's room. During fall break and right before I got really sick with the flu, we painted the top half of Emma's walls purple...her favorite color. The bottom half will stay white but needs a fresh coat and then a chair rail to separate the two. Even with that unfinished project, it feels complete for now...probably since it's not on display for everyone to see.

Pumpkins!

We carved our pumpkins tonight. Emma watched me start by carving off the top of her pumpkin. She was excited to see all the goo hanging from the lid but did not want to touch it. She never did touch any of the pumpkin guts. She was very patient though and waited for me to carve her pumpkin and then mine. She did get very excited to light the pumpkins. It was dark outside when we did and she was so content to just sit on our porch looking at the pumpkins glowing. She would have stayed out there all night.

Pumpkin Patch

We took Emma to the Pumpkin Patch this year to get her pumpkin. She got to pick out her very own pumpkin. She picked one immediately but then insisted on being pulled around the patch with it on her lap in the wagon. We watched people paying to launch their pumpkins for $1 and we also let her take a ride on the train for 50 cents. She loved it all. She is at the age where she claps her hands and excitedly says Yeah! over and over. The day started and ended with a hay-ride from town to the pumpkin patch being pulled by a tractor. She sat so good on the ride and waved to every car we passed and said Hi! as if they could actually hear her. We just love taking her to do new things. She gets so excited but is also so polite...not always that way at home of course. She always says Thank You and Bye-Bye as well as Hi. She is constantly making us smile with what she says and does next.

Swimming!

I just had to put these pictures on from earlier today. Emma always loves to be outside so today I had already decided to pick her up and go home and wash the car with her. I'd get her big pool out and let her play while I washed. It was the best thing we could have done. The weather was perfect even if the car didn't get very clean. However, my favorite part was watching her run around in her takini that is now too small for her tummy, shoes that are still 2 sizes too big, and the odd hat she found lying around! What could be cuter?!

Daddy of the Year

One of my favorite things about being a mom is actually watching my hubby being a dad. He is so cute with Emma and just loves to spend time with her. While we were in Utah last month for my high school reunion, Cale took Emma to Hogle Zoo while I went to a girls only luncheon.



The weather started out so cold and nasty but quickly warmed up and as you can see Emma had tons of fun. She loved the giraffes and so her daddy bought her a stuffed one. They had a totally unhealthy lunch and loved every minute of the day! I am also proud of Cale for getting some awesome pictures on top of being a single daddy for the day! It was hard to just pick the few that I did!

Announcing....!

We are excited to announce the estimated arrival of Baby Girl Allen on January 22, 2010!! We are currently 21 weeks along and the countdown is on. Emma seems to understand a little as she loves to kiss my tummy and say baby....However, she also likes to kiss Cale's tummy and say baby! We have been waiting to announce this baby until we knew what we were having and now that we know it's a girl we can also finally start decorating Emma's very plain, white walled, room! Bring on the purple!

Everything seems to be going well with the baby. I have enjoyed another semi-easy pregnancy in that I don't get real sick or throw up. However, I do have to watch what I eat to avoid heartburn and gallbladder pain.

We were hoping to include the video of our ultrasound showing her little face and waving arms but it doesn't seem to be the correct format so I'll keep trying. Sorry for now. And yes, we were pregnant at the high school reunion, the family visit to Texas, and when Brett and Brittany stayed with us a few weeks ago! Surprise to you all!

4th of July/Swimming

The fourth of July was lots of fun as early posted but this pic didn't make it on till now. Cale's parents came up and had a BBQ with us at our new home and also brought little Emma this cute shirt. (They also gave her the cute pink swimsuit and the pool!) This pool was given to Cale's parents last year and they gave it to us for Emma. She loved it. It takes awhile to fill up but she still loved it. Dad even got in with her even though the water was freezing. The temperature of the day was high 90s though.

Just cute!

Just thought that I'd post some of my favorite candid shots of Emma. These were before we moved, taken outside our old apartment. She loves this hat and although she doesn't watch much TV, she liked having it on the floor right after we moved. We couldn't get her to sit farther back. (sorry about the pic, too tired to rotate it)

Return to Arizona

We safely arrived back home in Snowflake. We enjoyed cool rain storms through northern Texas and into Arizona. Most of the 18 hours of driving were actually quite enjoyable, long but fun too. Emma did so well. We had a basket of toys on one seat next to her and books on the other. She really did entertain herself pretty well. We split the drive into two shorter days which helped a lot. The hotel stay on the way out was miserable. We tried putting her down in a crib first, and then the bed, then in my arms, then the crib and finally in the bed again. However, last night was wonderful. She laid right down in the bed and went to sleep!! We all slept in as we were in no hurry to get on the road. Emma woke up at 7 and even went back to bed with me till 8am.

It was so nice to visit all the family. It is a blessing that they are all grouped so close together right now. That will probably change quickly in the next year. We were able to see James and Jamie's beautiful little girl, Summer. Emma took right to her and even held her. Her favorite was to keep pinching Summer's nose and saying "poopy." We went swimming, go-carting, out to favorite restaraunts not found in little ole Snowflake, shopping, to the park and Carusel, and of course Harry Potter (Emma did not go to that). We also got to be present for my brother's exciting news that his wife is finally pregnant after so many years of trying. Congrats you two!

The hardest part is of course saying good-bye. I hate that part. I'm not a huge hugger but like to give and get them, just seem to forget to do it, but I hate good-byes. I do them quickly and jokingly to alleviate the crack and pain in my heart and the tears that always flow either in the plane or the car as we drive away. Distance is made so much easier travelled than it was 100 years ago but yet still seems so hard. I love our little life in our little town in our little house but I ache for my family. I look forward to many more trips...and dread many more good-byes. Pictures to follow in the next few days.

Congratulations Cale!

So Cale has continued playing on our old ward's softball team since he started there and they went all the way to the tournament undefeated. Well, the tournament finals are this weekend and we will miss them and the sem-final game this Thursday. Cale is really bummed about this as he has really enjoyed the guys he plays with and the sport. Tonight was the final game for him and they were playing the "best" team in the league. Our church actually combines our stake with the Taylor stake (right next to us) and also allows other churches not of our faith to play too. The game tonight was against one of the other best teams out there, one of these other churches. They gave us a run for our money (ok, the games are free, but you get it...). At one point we were down 17 runs. They call the games at 20 runs ahead. We have always been on the other side, never down. Well in the last couple innings, the guys rallied and came back to be ahead 18-17 and then the other team had bats and scored 4 runs. We luckily had last bats and needed 4 runs to win. The first two outs came way too quickly which left Cale batting with 2 out and still 2 runs down. He'd had a good night all night but this hit was the most important. Emma and I were praying, "Just don't get out, Just don't get out." We knew Cale would be devestated to lose the game and not get to play again. The first pitch came and Cale took it. It was a high ball deep to left field. Emma and I began chanting, "Please be over his head, please be over his head..." It was! Cale batted in all 3 runners and cleared 3rd base as they called the game! Way to go Cale! We are so proud of you. The stands went crazy. Everyone was screaming and cheering for Cale! Emma started cheering "Daddy, Daddy." We love you Cale and just wanted to share your fun night! If you can't compete in the tournament this weekend at least you went out with a bang!!

New Number

So with all the changes we have been making, here is another one for you all. We are dropping our cell phone and going back to a home phone. Here is the number: 928.536.5298

Bugs!

I have enjoyed many of the changes having moved to Arizona; however, I have not enjoyed the huge bugs during the summer months! Grasshoppers everywhere, beetles, cockroaches, and strange spiders that have luckily been few in number but creepy and gross none-the-less. Tonight however, was the grossest of all, maybe because I found it crawling on the floor of my daughter's room and maybe my protective mother bear instincts kicked in but after turning Emma's room upside down looking for anymore we determined it safe to put her to bed. I then began my crazy internet search for this disgusting inch + long bug. It looks like a giant ant and I mean giant. I have finally determined it to be a Jerusalem Cricket, harmless but can leave a painful bite. It also makes a slow drum like sound that sounds like water dripping, which Cale now tells me he heard earlier today in the bathroom! Please let it be the same bug and just made a journey to Emma's room rather than having one in there too! If you click on the title "Bugs!" at the top of this post it will take you to the creepy picture.

Danae pleae still come visit us! We are spraying for bugs ASAP!!

Updates!

Well, we officially moved into our new home. We have been very busy with lots of little things and a couple big things like painting and the giant leak in the ceiling! Apparently our inspectors missed the broken condensation pipe in the attic. Thus, for the week we ran our air conditioning the condensation water was just piling on our ceiling until it finally started leaking and almost crashed in. It is now fixed and awaiting my paint job. I offered to paint to keep the bill lower for the inspectors and because I'm gonna paint over it anyway.

As for painting, we have been enjoying the freedom of getting to choose anything other than white walls! However, some colors have been harder to pick than others. Pictures to follow when we finish!

Our yard is our other big project. We are currently trying to just control the weeds, price fencing, plan a sprinkler system, level and fill the yard, sod and plant flower beds! Yes, it is a lot and will take years to complete. However, Cale did get his solar path lights in!

We miss everybody and are so greatful to all our friends and family that have helped us save costs on kid clothes (thanks Rayann) and other things to be able to save for our house! Come visit! The door is always open (actually they are always locked since Emma can open these style doorknobs but we'll unlock them for you!)!

The Allen's are Moving!!

After 6 1/2 years of marriage, we are finally settling down in one place long enough to purchase a house! Yippee! We are so excited to no longer be renting apartments, no matter how nice they may have been. We thought we'd post some pics for you all to see. We purchased a 1/2 acre of land with the house. the house was built in 2005, 1500 sq. ft. and has only had one set of renters/people live in it. It's been empty for the last year and is actually in great shape. It is 3 bedroom, 2 bath with attached garage. The ceilings are all vaulted helping it to feel bigger. The back has a nice big covered patio and as you can see, the yard needs a lot of work.

The office

Emma's Room

Emma's Bathroom


Master Bathroom

Master Bedroom

Master Closet

Go Carting!

Children MUST be at least age 2 to ride the go-carts. Well, I guess Emma looked that big cuz nobody ever asked and so Cale took her riding with him. She loved it and so did dad! However, she did start to slide down under the seat belt towards the end of the ride. She tried so hard to stay up but was just too little, even if she's taller than most two year olds!

Emma turns 15 months!

Well, my little Emma is now a big 15 months old! She had her doctor's checkup and was still big! She is over the 95th percentile for height (34 inches I think) and is right at the 95th percentile for weight, 27 pounds (with clothes on). She is currently in a growth spurt I think because she had lost 3 pounds a few weeks ago but must have shot up in height since she was eating tons!

She got her last shot today until she is 4 years old! She was such a brave girl. She didn't even cry at all. I strategically gave her her sippy cup of milk right before the shot was given. She flinched but decided she liked the milk and wanted to keep drinking. Why did I not try this bit of inspiration months ago?!! She was very happy to get her sucker though and enjoyed that all the way home.

Danae Comes to Visit...again!

Danae was able to come visit again and we were so happy to see her! That is a second visit for those of you trying to win the favorite Auntie position, FYI. Emma obviously adores her and had lots of fun making a new friend! We took Danae to Flagstaff to meet her ride on Monday night. She had gotten a hotel there for the night and left Tuesday morning. Since she had a nice hotel and a pool, she/we took Emma swimming. Danae and and I opted to watch and film and so Cale had fun playing with Emma in the water. She loved it. She did not want to get out and the pool was cold. So cold, that her lips kept chattering. I'd make her get out for a minute, literally, wrap up in a towel, and then she'd jump back in whether someone was there to catch her or not.

Favorite Memories From Texas Trip!

I have finally gotten around to posting some pics from our trip to Houston. Here are some favorites:

Wrestling with Grandpa Scott and Grandma

Uncle James and Aunt Jamie (had to put her cute prego tummy in here)

Stroller walks to take the girls to school in the mornings with Grandma

Scary Uncle Craig! lol

Grandpa's Chair

The piano and Krista

The Blocks with Uncle Brett...so much that we bought our own!

The Stairs! We need some of those.

And the trampoline! We definitely need one of these.