ALL ABOUT THE ALLENS

15 MONTHS OLD!!

2010-06-10T18:15:00.000-07:00

Allen family pic 2010-Katelyn 13 months old

About to go to a swim party!

Always, I mean always carries a blue ball with her.. Our little girl LOVES blue!

Trying out her new sunglasses and she lives in that ball pit!

Momma's girl...

It's SUMMA.. TIME!

Such a sweet little princess!

Sorry for the delay on blogging, but I probably won't be blogging as much because it is hard to keep up with! I am now back to work, so life is busy being a Mom, wife, maintaining a household and raising a toddler! But I wouldn't trade it for the world! She is such a blessing!

KATELYN'S STATS:

31 INCHES
23 LBS 3 OZ(SHE HATES TO BE WEIGHED AND SCREAMS EVERY TIME!)

AT 15 MONTHS KATELYN IS:

Taking 4-5 steps on her own. Still a little timid, but I think she will take off running soon
Doctor said she is above average in intelligence (she could tell because of her strong-willed nature during the office visit..) We choose to look at it that she will be a good leader one day
loves Little Gym (been going for a couple of months now). Her favorite is the balls and bubbles. She is also doing well with somersaults over a bolster
She loves balls of all shapes and sizes, but GOES FOR THE BLUE EVERYTIME!
Favorite foods: Mum Mums, Teether Biscuits, Watermelon, Grapes, Bananas, Pancakes, banana oatmeal, cheddar cheese and LOVES ALL VEGGIES! (little turkey still prefers them puree though, but we are happy she is eating it!)
starting to feed self with spoon most meals. It's a MESS! BUT FUN!
Still taking 2 naps a day(1 1/2 each) and sleeping 12 hours at night 8pm-8am. Have I mentioned lately how much we love the fact that she loves her sleep?!
Loves water! (starts swim lessons in July)
Says Mama, Dada, Ball, Dog, Woof, Mama Night Night (1st phrase!), Bye Bye. No!
Seems like she stepped out of babyhood quickly this month-suddenly she wants to sit at dinner table, eat what we eat, talk on the phone (ANYONE KNOW IF THEY SELL IPHONES FOR CHILDREN-FAKE OF COURSE!)
My challenge lately is finding ways to satisfy her need to mimic the things she sees me do, but SAFELY
loves books! (reading with us, on her own or pulling them all off the bookcase
can point to eyes, ears, nose, mouth, belly button
has to have her bear and pig every night to sleep

We love you Katelyn Grace with a pretty face! You make our world a brighter place!

Mommy and Daddy

1 YEAR OLD... WOW!

2010-03-10T13:45:00.000-08:00

This was her birthday outfit for her 1st birthday party! It was princess theme.. of course;0

This was my bunting that I had as a little girl and my Mom saved it! Who knew that it would actually snow in Texas that my sweet little girl could wear it! How special! Thanks Mom for saving this for all of these years!

This little girl still loves Mum Mums!

She really got into unwrapping presents.... We would have her open 1-2 presents a day for like 2 weeks instead of opening up her gifts from everyone all at once... She really had a good time each day learning what she got from everyone!

Happy 1st Birthday Princess... (dinner on her birthday!)

She loves to look outside and point to all the trees, grass, sunshine.. you name it!

1st attempt at pigtails!:)

At one year Katelyn is:

29 1/2 inches
21 lbs. 11 oz.
very attached to Mommy/Daddy again (doesn't like us out of her sight for very long)
She dances on command with/without music (We call it her "shimmy shake") She even dances when she is excited (i.e. if she gets her way or if she is happy to see you)
She blows kisses for attention! (with big fish lips and a smack!)
Still a great sleeper (12 hrs a night with 2 naps about 1 1/2 hours)
Still nursing 2x a day.. She has thrown up 4 different kind of organic cow's milk, so we are now on toddler formula which she still doesn't like the taste(she only wants breastmilk!) little stinker, so we are actively weaning and trying to get her used to toddler formula at this time. She is a good eater with all solids! Loves her veggies, sweet potatoes, chicken, etc
got her 1st ear infection:( She has 4 teeth coming through right now..
Definitely her Momma's girl and like me already in so many ways (She doesn't like to be dirty.. For example, she wouldn't eat her cake on 2 different tries because she didn't want to put her hand in it!, she doesn't like socks....I put them on and she immediately takes them off.. Hmm. sounds familiar!)
Loves to go for a wagon walk every day
Loves to push her baby around the house and her shopping cart
Loves her books... we read to her every day
Can do a dog bark, say MaMa, DaDa, off, Buh for Bailey
Starting to feed herself with a spoon (sometimes, but it is messy!)
Learning her body parts (knows her nose, eyes, ears, hair) and wants to go over it again and again and again:)
Wants to open ever cabinet and drawer and pull up on everything! and pull everything out of the cabinet/drawer... We are working on clean up, clean up.. get one thing out at a time.. ha.ha.. a girl can dream right:)
Loves her sippy cup, picks up tiny objects, plays patty cake and loves this little piggy..
Loves climbing through her tunnel and playing in her Barbie house and loves to swing! We all love to be outside

Wow, this was one fast year and it was the most memorable/wonderful year of our lives.

We love you baby Kate! Are you now a toddler? Nah, not officially until you walk right?

XoXO-

Mommy and Daddy

11 MONTHS OLD

2010-02-10T09:11:00.000-08:00

Oh boy are we busy these days! We go on daily car rides.. She loves to honk the horn at Bailey and anyone else in the house..

Always soo happy... She does anything for attention! She blows kisses, dances (like a shimmy shake!), and sings..

Pushes her shopping cart everywhere!

Loves to eat!

Yay Mommy... more food!

Dancing in her high chair

Playing in her new little house... She likes to crawl through the tunnel as we chase her

Katelyn had a great 1st Valentine's Day.. we went over to Lisa Peters house as Brendan had his 1st birthday party! I didn't get a good shot of all the littles together, so hopefully I can steal one off of Courtney's page. Ha!

Happy V-day!

Posing in the morning... Daddy's little sweetheart!

Loves her books, No she is OBSESSED with all her books

At 11 months Katelyn is:

sleeping great still (THANK YOU GOD for a great sleeper) 12 hours at night and 2 naps a day (about 2 hours each)
still nursing about 3-4 times a day (beginning the weaning process starting this week) and getting solids 3 x a day
blows kisses and dances for attention (well does anything for attention!)
OBSESSED WITH door jams, books, balloons, her bear and BAILEY. Everything is buh, buh, buh.. Lately..
plays peekaboo (will hide under the blanket and bring it down from her face and giggle
started sign language (can sign more, milk, finished, Mama, Dada)
drinks from a sippy cup well (She loves her cup!)
cruising holding onto furniture and pushes her shopping cart with assistance from us
loves opening all drawers, cabinets (she now has her own cabinet in the kitchen so I can cook and she will stay busy!
has developed an uncanny knack to get a hold of things she shouldn't have and get into places she shouldn't go!
starting to become Miss Independent in so many ways!
she carries out several indepedent tasks like sitting, squatting, crawling and standing alone with some support
able to hand feed herself independently (but she doesn't like her hands dirty), so she would rather us feed her with a spoon
she purposely drops objects so we can pick them up

We love you Baby Kate and we thank God every day for bringing you into our lives!

Mommy & Daddy

CONGRATS RYAN!

2010-01-19T13:08:00.000-08:00

Ryan completed his 1st 1/2 marathon in Houston this past weekend and we are so proud of him! What a great accomplishment. Go Ryan!

I am not sure why this picture is blurry, but Katelyn's new favorite thing is clapping for herself for EVERYTHING. It's so adorable!

She loves to take little naps while I take her for a walk... So precious!

Katelyn kissing

2010-01-15T19:22:00.000-08:00

TEN MONTHS OLD...

2010-01-10T18:44:00.000-08:00

Unbelievable that it has already been 10 months. I know I say this every month, but WOW! Time flies... I will just be updating the blog monthly as I discovered facebook and it is too difficult to keep up with both!

Katelyn in her pretty Christmas dress after she met Santa Claus.. which by the way she was NOT a fan of;0)

Christmas morning with her Daddy! She had a wonderful 1st Christmas and really enjoyed climbing on all the boxes and eating all the paper!!

Such a happy girl:)

Christmas Eve before we went over to my parents which is a tradition that I treasure.. it is such a special time every year:)

Helping Mommy unload the dishwasher...

Hanging out with Mema and Pepa on NYE.. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Saying Night Night to Daddy on NYE.. Already looks tired.. Our little one LOVES her sleep:) Praise God!!

All bundled up and about to go on a walk with Daddy

I love my Daddy!

At 10 months old Katelyn is:

1st word that comes to mind is ACTIVE! (OH BOY IS SHE BUSY!!)
she is turning into an independent little person who gets around, plays, and communicates like a pro
Says Dada, yay, Buh (aka Bailey) By the way, she is OBSESSED with Bailey (she wants to chase him, screams in delight when she sees him and loves it when we all play together)
got her 1st tooth!
coordination has improved alot (now has a fine pincer grasp-can self feed well ) & pulls up on everything/anything that she can
blankie baby--LOVES, LOVES her blankie for nursing, snuggle time, etc
starting to dance to music--so cute!
can walk while holding onto furniture
drinks from a sippy cup "feels like such a big girl" and likes to use her sippy cup as a teether as well!
understanding the meaning of "no" which we tend to say alot these days!
hates "lying on her back" for diaper changes ESPECIALLY when tired
loves to crawl with a toy in her hand (she is usually carrying something with her everywhere!)
her real personality is starting to emerge (especially with family!)-really outgoing & social
learned how to blow kisses -it melts your heart
loves her books and LOVES Mema to sing to her!

We love you sunshine! We couldn't imagine our lives without you!!

Mommy & Daddy

NINE MONTHS OLD. WOW!

2009-12-15T19:36:00.000-08:00

Our little one is on the go and very hard to get pictures of these days!

Being so serious!

Aww... she was sitting still for a minute

Mischievous grin..

Posing in her chair.. so funny!

Katelyn's stats
Length 29 inches 75-90%
Weight: 20 lbs. 9 oz. (90%) as of 12/11/09, but on 12/15/09 weighed 20 lbs. 5 oz. due to pneumonia and being in the hospital for a couple of days.

At 9 months Katelyn is:

raising herself to a standing and upright position from sitting down
so much more mobile this month!! and into EVERYTHING and putting EVERYTHING IN HER MOUTH
pops her lips together (so cute!)
had her 1st fever, 1st time of ever being sick, 1st trip to the ER and was hospitalized 2 days for pneumonia (12/12/09-12/14/09) Poor baby! It was sooo sad to see our baby sick!
Still nursing 4x a day and getting solids 3x a day
Has become an expert crawler!
Sleeping 12-13 hours a night now! Yay!
Babbles non-stop! (sounds like real sentences that only she can understand!)
loves to hum/sing different songs at random times....precious
can stand alone and steady while holding onto table and spread her feet wide apart for balance
still has separation/stranger anxiety, but it is improving!

We love you Baby Kate!

Mommy & Daddy

Video of Katelyn's Baby Dedication

2009-11-24T10:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Melanie! We love you.

2009-11-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday honey! Katelyn and I are so blessed to have you in our life. You are an amazing wife and mother. We appreciate all the love, patience, and kindness you show us everyday. It is so much fun watching you bond with Katelyn and how see adores you. I am very proud of you and how well you have adjusted in your new role as a mother (the most important job in the world). We love you and thank God for you everyday!

Here are some of Katelyn's 7 month pictures.

8 MONTHS OLD!!

2009-11-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

I love that toothless grin

Her new favorite thing: SWINGING IN THE BACKYARD!

Sitting pretty ready for church:)

At 8 months old Katelyn is:

still nursing 5 times a day (getting solids 3 times a day). She loves to eat all veggies/fruits except for peas!!
crawling everywhere! & getting into everything! & putting everything! in her mouth
can wave goodbye ( it is so cute because she waves backwards and stares at her hand when she does it)
loves patty cake and if you're happy and you know it (actually loves all songs!! especially when Mema sings them) My Mom knows all the words to songs,but I sing stuff to Katelyn and just make things up...
looks for dropped objects off of her highchair
loves music and books (especially with texture)
can rake a small toy toward her and pick it up
Momma's girl lately: we are dealing with separation anxiety BIG TIME!
loves to be outside (swinging in the backyard/park, having a picnic in the backyard or going on walks in her stroller
looks to people & pets when named (Me, Ryan, Bailey)
attempts to gain our attention by vocalizing (aka screaming or coughing loudly)-SO FUNNY!
reaches for objects and able to trasnfer items from one hand to another

WE LOVE & ADORE YOU BABY KATE! YOU ARE OUR SUNSHINE!

Mom & Dad

UPDATE ON BAILEY:

He is pretty much back to normal. He had his stitches out this week. He still has to wear his collar a couple more weeks, but it still makes me sad to look at him. He now looks like a bird dog Shih Tzu. Kind of strange right? But we love him and all his quirks. Thanks for continued prayers & support. We are thankful that he is alive and healthy. God is so good and faithful!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

The Grandparents hanging with Katelyn on Halloween at Trunk or Treat at the Methodist Church

The Allen Fam on Halloween

Katelyn's a beautiful fairy-don't you think?

We bought this for Katelyn for her 1st Halloween outfit. I think we bought this in August. She outgrew it about a week before Halloween..so I went on a frantic search two days before to find her something. The good news was there were lots of sales...The bad news was it was difficult to find a costume in her size! We had a wonderful Halloween and really enjoyed seeing her taking it all in by watching all the other children. She was so good! She didn't once try to take off her hat or her shoes! I was so shocked. We are so blessed with a very well behaved baby!:)

Videos of Katelyn

2009-10-31T07:17:00.000-07:00

Katelyn's 1st Rice Cereal - August 24, 2009

Katelyn crawling: please ignore my annoying proud Mommy voice:)

Mema making her laugh!

BAILEY UPDATE

2009-10-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ryan brought Bailey home yesterday with 3 pain medications and an antiobiotic. He was restless all day and night (we got 3 hours of sleep!), still very uncomfortable and tries to bite at his tail alot. He is not handling this tail amputation well, but really who would? Poor guy he is still having alot of the phantom pain (where it feels like his tail is still there but it obviously isn't)... Please continue to pray for him to have a speedy recovery. The vet is expecting at least 14 days before he can remove the sutures, so he has to continue to wear that e-collar (which he hates!) We are praying he settles down tonight, so we can get some sleep!Thanks for all the continued support and prayers:)

FAMILY OUTING AT THE PARK

2009-10-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Mema & Katie joined us at the park for Katelyn to swing for the 1st time!

Allen family pic

Katelyn absolutely loved swinging!!

She loves to be with her Daddy!

We are really enjoying this weather...Almost every day this week, Katelyn and I throw a blanket down outside in the grass and play! She loves to be outside! It is so funny that when I put her sunglasses on, she doesn't even attempt to take them off!!

Wearing her new bling shades!

Feeling grass for the 1st time...

PUMPKIN PATCH

2009-10-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took Katelyn to the pumpkin patch and had a great time! The weather was absolutely beautiful! She is obsessed with anything orange, so we had a difficult time getting her to look at the camera as all these really cool ORANGE pumpkins were on the ground!

I am ready to go to the pumpkin patch!

Mema & Katelyn

Halloween family pic

Katelyn's 1st time to see a billy goat..

Trying to lunge out of Daddy's lap to "pat" the pumpkin

FAMILY WALK

2009-10-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Katelyn wearing her new bunny coat from Mema... I love this coat!

We have been going on family walks in the evenings since the weather has been so nice!

Look at that little ruffle butt..so cute!

UPDATE ON BAILEY

2009-10-24T19:48:00.001-07:00

On Friday, Ryan took Bailey to the vet to get his bandage removed off of his tail and it was awful! Apparently the tissue was necrotic (aka dead) due to lack of blood flow and we were now faced with a new VERY HARD decision. Do we remove the tail or not? Do we wait and see if it he gets better when he is home? I was not at the vet so I had 100 ?'s that I wanted answered for my FURRY BABY! So, the vet mentioned to Ryan that he was on call in the emergency clinic last night...So I called and asked him questions about what to do.....He recommended we remove his tail in the next COUPLE OF DAYS due to risk of infection, gangrene,etc... My heart dropped.....Here we are on Tuesday, dropping him off for surgery for a simple mass removal on his tail...thinking no big deal..it's routine...he will be okay....NOPE we are wrong. This is by far one of the hardest things Ryan or I have ever had to deal with. Since Tuesday, Bailey has been in pain....won't walk, won't potty, won't eat, just cries... and gives you the saddest little eyes:(... We have had our fair share of tears and demanded answers... After calling a couple of other vets including one I trust in Dallas, we tried to get more answers..We knew we couldn't stand to see him like this anymore...It was tearing us up and we just wanted effective pain management!! When the vet mentioned he could do the surgery to remove his tail on Tuesday, that seemed like forever to us as we have had to watch him suffer for 4 days already! Apparently it is common to have tail amputation with a mass removal on the tail as there is not much tissue there...

So after ALOT of prayer, we decided to do the surgery today. Our biggest concern was PAIN MANAGEMENT! It was so hard for Ryan to have to bring Bailey back up to the vet AGAIN for another PROCEDURE when we knew he would be in even more pain for awhile. Although we know in the long run this is the best thing for him, we are worried about quality of life, how will he act now, Will we ever have our Bailey back again? Is he mad at us? So... another thing frustrating is we wanted him comfortable.. Well, they do the surgery at the clinic and then 30 minutes after the surgery, Ryan had to pick Bailey up and transport him to the Emergency Clinic, so he can be monitored until Monday morning. The good thing is he is on a morphine IV drip and hopefully staying comfortable. It has been a very emotional day and I have been up to the hospital twice and it broke my heart to say goodbye to him tonight:( I know he is in better hands up there as they can manage his pain...We pray this is a quick recovery and we have our sweet Bailey back soon..Please pray for him to have a speedy recovery and for us to recover emotionally from all of this as it has been so hard on our family.

Thanks for all your emails, phone calls, texts....We really appreciate all the support! We will keep you updated on his progress!:)

PLEASE PRAY FOR BAILEY........

2009-10-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

As I am typing this post, I have tears in my eyes for our sweet little dog Bailey. He is currently crying, yelping, moaning, you name it.... You see in the picture above his tail is wrapped in gauze... A couple of weeks ago, Ryan and I discovered a mass on his tail and we brought him into the vet last week and he recommended we remove the mass. It was fairly large and it has been sent to the lab to make sure it is not malignant. We were anxious about the surgery, but knew it would be best to remove the mass. Since he is not put under very often, we went ahead and had a teeth cleaning done as well. Poor Bailey ended up having 5 teeth pulled and he is only 5 years old! I was upset about this as I never consented to his teeth being pulled....it just happened. Needless to say, yesterday Ryan comes home with Bailey yelping and his tail was already bleeding. Ryan took him back up to the vet, he was given a shot for pain & they wrapped the tail. I have never seen my dog like this.....it is breaking my heart in two... He won't walk......we carry him everywhere & he hasn't pottied outside...We have already had 2 accidents in the house... Little did I know that this surgery would impact him in this way:( PLEASE PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR "FURRY BABY".... We are so sad to see him like this... On a happy note, baby Kate is doing well & we have lots to update when I have some more time to blog.. I am now off to take care of a dog that is in alot of pain and we can't fix it.....It's just plain awful....

7 MONTHS OLD!

2009-10-10T17:40:00.000-07:00

7 months old... Here's the photo shoot! This is such a fun age!!

I am ready to play Mommy & Daddy!

You talking to me?

Sucking her bottom lip... Teething stinks!

Getting playful...loves to eat her dress!

Staring at her Daddy which always makes her smile....It melts your heart:)

At 7 months Katelyn is:

rolling up a storm, getting up on all fours (in quaruped position) & will definitely be crawling soon. Has anyone heard of Downward Dog in Yoga? Ryan and I laugh as Katelyn will get in this position in an attempt to crawl, but will end up rolling over on her back!
has now tried green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, Baby Mum Mums & rice cereal....loves them all..still doesn't like oatmeal and gagged on peas yesterday..She had a little rash on her cheeks today, so the pediatrician thought it could be a possible food allergy
still nursing 5-6 times a day & getting solids (2-3 times a day)
she is a good sleeper for naps, but has recently been waking up in the night again!! Just when we think we have something figured out, it changes....so we realize this is the life of parenting.. Anyone relate? lol
Teething stinks! She moans in pain, her gums are swollen & this has been causing her to wake up in the night!
When she gets excited...she does a slaps her knees & laughs...Actually she will do anything to get our attention! Sometimes she does her fake cough, sometimes she grunts, sometimes she does her belly laugh, sometimes she just babbles.....cracks us up!
We have a CD that we play for her at night and naps & now she hums & sings to her lullaby CD as we rock her to sleep...it is such a special time!! I look forward to it every day! It is so sweet how she tucks her face into my neck
Sleeps on her stomach with her butt in the air..Can now find her paci on her own at night and put it back in her mouth....PRICELESS!
Her favorite book is touch & feel books (she LOVES feeling all the different textures)
She likes to roll over in the middle of diaper changes...
Loves to play dropping games off of highchair....cause/effect... I drop something & Mommy picks it up......This is fun!
When she is in my lap, she leans forward to grab any & everything she can get ahold of
She bears weight on her legs when I hold her upright & loves to bounce
sits without support & is able to turn to reach for objects
still loves peek a boo & patty cake
can clasp hands together and hold onto sippy cup, but still needs assistance to sip
loves to grab at our faces (especially our noses)
Obsessed with my diamond necklace! Ryan says Uh-oh to that:)

It amazes me how, in such a short amount of time, I have fallen crazy in love with every little thing about her. Even though it has only been 7 months, it feels like we have never been without her. She completes our family & life wouldn't be the same without her here. I want to cherish every little moment of every little stage because soon she will be running around like crazy & that sweet baby of mine will be a distant memory. I love everything about her from her dark hair/blue eyes to her chubby little legs & toes. I love the way she giggles with excitement when she sees me and if anyone else is holding her she is looking around to make sure her Mommy is near. I love holding her in my lap & watching her lift her head to look at me...that sweet little stare melts my heart every time! Why God chose to make me her Mommy, I will never know... but I can promise that I thank him daily for such a perfect little blessing & I will thank him the rest of my days!

We love you Baby Kate, Little love, Our princess, Punky Girl, Sweet love!

Mommy & Daddy

Updated pics

2009-10-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sitting like a big girl in her chair

Putting on an outfit and getting a picture before she outgrows it or maybe she already did, but we put it on her anyway & took a picture. Man, she outgrows stuff so quickly it is hard to keep up with what fits and what doesn't?! Does anyone else have this problem?

I don't know why this picture is sideways and I couldn't fix it.... Isn't it cute though?

She tried out Baby Mum Mums & liked them, but she tried to shove the whole cracker in her mouth, so I have learned to give her 1/2 a cracker at a time... The picture I took of her with her Baby Mum Mum was sideways too, so I left it out and put a picture of the box!

All done with peas, carrots & rice cereal... This little girl loves her veggies! (except for peas!)

Trying out her new bath seat....

This past weekend we went to Aimee Dewey Witherspoon's to celebrate sweet Abby's 1st birthday! It was so much fun and it made Ryan and I start thinking about Katelyn's 1st birthday! It will be here before we know it! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABBY!

6-7 Month Pictures from Deb Evans Photography

2009-10-05T11:17:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we had some more pictures taken of Katelyn & here are the Sneak Peeks! I am very pleased with them & can't wait to see the rest!

Katelyn wanted to eat the tutu in most of the shots!

AWW.... I love love love this one! It really shows her happy personality!

In all of these family shots she was very serious! So the only thing that made her laugh was to bouce her up & down... Needless to say it was difficult for Ryan and I to try to bouncing her up and down, 1-2-3 pose, smile & try to look normal!

One of her Christmas dresses....

Thanks Mema for all your help and making Katelyn's beautiful bows!

4-5 MONTH PICTURES OF KATELYN BY DEB EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY

2009-10-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

Look at that sweet potato face.......

2009-10-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

70's RETRO BUNCO NIGHT......SO FUN!

2009-09-28T18:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Ryan and I attended our Woodsedge Community Group Social & this month was "70's Retro Bunco Night"....When I received the Evite, I thought, "How fun is that!!" We get to dress up, hang out with our friends & play Bunco! I haven't played Bunco in years.....BUT IT IS SOO MUCH FUN! Ryan and I want to have a Bunco party..Well, I do anyway:)

Aron & Julie Tipton: Thanks for having us over!

Sean & Ivey Carroll......they won the 70's Couple Contest...Check out the gold shirt....Well, I know what I can be for Halloween now;) Thank you Mom & Katie for getting my outfit all together & babysitting our sweet love:) Ya'll are the best......

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO LATELY......

2009-09-25T18:30:00.000-07:00

Shopping with Mommy at the Grocery Store-Isn't her new shopping cart cover A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! I love it and was excited to take her shopping & try it out!

Yay! Daddy's home.......Such a "Daddy's little girl"

So happy after naptime! I am still not a fan of the breathable bumpers (I really miss her pretty & frilly bumpers!), but our pediatrician recommended them & we want to do what is safest.....

Katelyn's hair is finally growing back! Yay!!!

She loves to eat everything as you can tell in this picture

Oh my, look at those adorable feet! I love these Mary Jane socks! So precious!

She is starting to turn away alot when I try to take her picture as she is so distracted by everything in her environment!

1st ponytail! Didn't last long....her newest thing is pulling her bow out of her hair-Stinker!

Never leave home without the teether! They are a must have at this stage!

GO RED RAIDERS!

2009-09-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

Football season is here, so we had a Texas Tech photo shoot to support Ryan's alma mater!

That's enough pictures Mommy!

You can tell it is her naptime here..... She starts getting the glazed look in her eyes......

YUMMY...

2009-09-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

Our little Katelyn ate her 2nd veggie of her life yesterday...SQUASH! Oh my goodness, this little girl loves squash. Multiple times she tried to grab the spoon as I wasn't feeding it to her fast enough. She liked carrots okay, but never grabbed at the spoon. Ryan and I are thankful she likes vegetables because as a kid we both laughed that we would order french fries and mashed potatoes as our two veggie "sides". Needless to say, we are really "TRYING" to do better at eating vegetables. They are just not near as good as carbs. Ryan and I love anything carb related-chips, pasta, pizza, mashed potatoes, french fries,etc. Ryan said the other day he needs a shirt that says "I run to eat." Sounds like our little Katelyn is taking after her Daddy:)

Kyle, Papa & Katelyn-My Dad watches Kyle(my nephew) a couple days a week and today he brought him over to hang out with Katelyn. I think they both had so much fun! Katelyn was really watching Kyle and laughing alot. I definitely think kids LOVE other kids. Kyle is so sweet and loved being able to help with the baby!

FIRST VEGGIE!

2009-09-14T18:06:00.000-07:00

Katelyn tried carrots today....Her face was so funny when she 1st tried it.. She definitely knew it wasn't breastmilk. I think most of the carrots ended up on her bib, but she is doing pretty well with eating with the spoon. We went through 2 bibs, 2 burpcloths & 2 wet washcloths! This little girl can create some laundry!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PE PAW!!

2009-09-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Birthdays have always been a big deal in my family and a great reason to get together and CELEBRATE! I grew up always having a "family" birthday party & a "friend" birthday party. Never hurts to have 2 parties to celebrate! I am looking forward to now being able to carry on that tradition to Katelyn. Yes, folks we have already been thinking about her 1st birthday!

Hanging with Nanny (great grandmother)

Getting love from her Mema

From left: Kyle(nephew), Brad (my brother), Daisie (my niece)

Chillin' with Aunt Katie and beloved Sophie the teether... NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!

Brendan (Katelyn's 2nd cousin)-We just went to his 1 year birthday party! Happy Birthday Brendan!

Getting some love from Aunt Shellee

Pe Paw & Tyler (nephew)

A little glimpse of what birthday parties are like at my parents house. Seems like chaos, but we love it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PE PAW! WE LOVE YOU AND WE ARE EXCITED THAT WE ARE ABLE TO CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY WITH YOU! WISHING YOU MANY MORE! XOXO, RYAN, MEL & KATELYN

SIX MONTHS OLD!!

2009-09-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

MeMa and Katelyn: Katelyn loves her Mema & so do I! Thank you Mom for all you do for us! We love you so much and appreciate you!

I love this onesie-"I am the princess, We'll do things my way!" Isn't that the truth?

Our little one is six months old, Is that possible? How did she become 1/2 year already. SIX. MONTHS. OLD.

Katelyn's stats when she went to Dr. C on 09/11/09

Length: 27 1/4 inches (90-95%)

Weight: 18 lbs. 5 ounces (75-90%)

Dr. C was very pleased with her progress and said "keep doing what we are doing"

At 6 months Katelyn is:

sitting independently without support of her arms (Yay!Sometimes she will topple over especially if reaching for something to her far right or left)
still waking up at night-sometimes once, sometimes twice...She usually will nurse and go right back to sleep
imitates speech sounds (imitated twice saying uh oh!) Ashley you are my witness!
3 naps a day (1st two 1 1/2-2 hours) 3 rd nap 45 min-1 hr.
looks at and studies objects for a long time(sometimes I wonder what all she is thinking about & I just see her absorbing all this information & learning!)
holds onto objects in one hand and transfers to the other hand
puts EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING IN HER MOUTH! Today, she grabbed Bailey's ear and tried to put the fur in her mouth! Luckily Bailey handled it well! I think it will be the 1st of many times she wants to get Bailey's attention!
babbles ALOT
loves itsy bitsy spider, pat a cake, peek a boo
loves to grab Mommy's hair (I now wear it in a ponytail almost everyday!)
loves to feel different textures (especially her blanket!)
loves Mommy/Daddy to read to her
Nurses 6 times a day
Loves rice cereal-HATES OATMEAL (not just gagged, but threw it up!) It was lovely!(note the sarcasm here)

Katelyn you are our pride & joy!

We love you more than all...

Mommy & Daddy

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

2009-09-10T10:45:00.001-07:00

Katelyn found her feet! It is so funny to watch her as she often will suck on her big toe! She is definitely teething! Ryan went to Dallas to go see his friends and do another triathalon on Monday, so Katelyn & I stayed busy this weekend with lots of visitors. I didn't take pictures of everyone, Sorry!
Friday-Saturday: Nini & PawPaw came to visit.

On Sunday, Patrick (Katie's boyfriend) got to meet Katelyn for the 1st time. He was so sweet to drive all the way in from Houston and brought us Chuy's for lunch. Thanks Patrick & Katie!

Krissy (sister in law) with Kyle on left (3) & Tyler on right (5).....stopped by to say Hi. Aren't my nephews precious? I can't believe how much they have grown. Time flies!

Happy Baby!

Ashley & Jamie came to visit from Dallas this weekend and we were so excited to see them. It has been too long! Ashley and I have known each other since we were 9 & have lots of fun memories together!

Yay! Daddy is home! This was the first time that Ryan had been away from us since Katelyn was born and we missed him terribly! We are so glad he is home and love him so much! Congrats honey on another triathalon! We are proud of you!

IMPORTANT MILESTONE.......

2009-09-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

Katelyn sat all by herself today!

We were clapping for her so she got really excited and this is the face she made. So cute!

RUBBER DUCK BATH!

2009-09-02T19:37:00.001-07:00

MeMa let us borrow this rubber duck bath and we tried it out this week..Katelyn loves it! She likes to lean back and eat all her toys & kick her legs in the water. It is adorable!

Hanging out after bath time letting the lotion dry while doing some tummy time!

PLAY DATE WITH NOLAN

2009-08-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

Today Nolan and Courtney came over for a play date and we had so much fun! We thought this picture was so funny and called it parallel or independent play-Katelyn and Nolan are doing their own thing and aren't even aware of each other. Today is Nolan's 6 month birthday and we were floored by how fast time flies. We know it is SO important to cherish each kiss, each snuggle, each hug as they grow up too fast! Happy 6 month birthday Nolan!

Loving on our babies!

STARTING SOLIDS.....

2009-08-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we have started rice cereal, I don't want my baby to grow up:( She really took to the spoon pretty well and decided her sippy cup was a teether....LOL We just handed her the cup to see what she would do and she brought it right to her mouth and started trying to drink out of it. We gave her like 3 sips of water for fun--it was precious!

The directions on the box said to desired consistency.. We were like, What consistency is that for a 1st time?!

I am ready Mommy & Daddy!

Yum, this is good!

I don't know if I like my hands or the rice cereal better? Hmm..

All gone! She did great for her 1st day of cereal and we are gradually going to increase the consistency and move her on to better foods like veggies and fruits!

WEEKEND OF MANY FIRSTS FOR KATELYN

2009-08-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

First time to ride in her new stroller! We had to cross the straps as the stroller is still a little bit too big for her

1st time she sat in her highchair and ate dinner with us. She was so funny as while we were talking at the dinner table she was babbling with us!

Did we really pack this many bags for a ONE NIGHT STAY to Galveston?! YES! Ryan and I never knew how much stuff you need for one little baby!

1st time K got to use her new suitcase and her sunglasses!

Hat too! She is now ready for the beach! Galveston, here we come!

We made it after one stop to nurse and another to change a blow out diaper! Onto the 2nd outfit for the day, NO PROBLEM:) Why do the messiest diapers seem to be in the car?! Thanks Laura for the Piddle Pad recommendation in the car seat! It came in handy already!

Chillin' on the bed at the San Luis Hotel

People are starting to think Katelyn looks like her Daddy... I think so too!

Ryan made her a make shift "activity center" on the bed

This was K's first time in a Pack & Play. Thanks Adam & Jess for letting us borrow it! She woke up multiple times in the night, but I think she wasn't sure where she was. She is so much more aware of her environment now!

View from our hotel room. Apparently, San Luis is a party hotel as they had blaring music playing from the pool until 2:30 am! We called downstairs to complain as it kept waking up Katelyn. Are we getting OLD or what?!

1st time to go swimming in a big pool!

Katelyn was sleepy after swimming

Time to go home in her new "big girl carseat". This was a first for her to ride in it and I think she LOVES being able to sit upright and look around. She did great on the drive home except for another blow out! Good thing I brought a whole box of wipes and extra outfits! We had a fun 1st adventure on our FIRST ALLEN FAMILY vacation to Galveston! Looking forward to many more!

MOTHER'S DAY OUT

2009-08-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

On Wednesdays, PaPa (Katelyn's grandpa & my Dad) has been coming over to watch Katelyn some, so I can run some much needed errands. It is has been a HUGE help! Yes, I know that I can take Katelyn with me everywhere, but sometimes it is so much easier for my Dad to watch her, so I can run errands more efficiently. Plus, I don't interrupt her naptime. Lord knows we don't want to wake a sleeping baby;)

Yay! Aunt Katie came back into town! She has been at Camp Ozark for the summer and she couldn't believe how much Katelyn has grown. She said the blog doesn't do justice to the little personality Katelyn is developing. She is her own little person and is becoming so much fun! She is starting to be a ham for the camera because I take so many pictures!

FUN TIMES...

2009-08-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Katelyn lounging in her new polka dot chair

She is going to be sitting very soon!

Play Date with the Boys-Brendan, Blake, Nolan

FIVE MONTHS OLD!

2009-08-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

Almost trying to eat her dress

Five. Months. Old. Wow! I really can't believe our little girl turned 5 months today. When people say it goes fast, it really does!

Well, I took around 30 pictures today to get 3 that she was looking at the camera! Little Katelyn is definitely teething as she wanted to eat her dress or hands in almost all of the pictures!

At 5 months Katelyn is:

able to roll front to back and back to front
grabs at her feet and tries to eat them
developing quite a personality, she is very social and loves to get out and about
loves going on walks in the Baby Bjorn
laughing & cooing ALOT! (more like a squeal when she is happy: see video below)
Loves Peek a Boo, Bailey, Leap Frog, any teething toy, books (especially the ones she can feel different fabrics), loves for her Mommy to sing to her (glad someone does:))
developing really good eye hand coordination (able to grab at all items on activity mat) & has been raking objects in her hand grasping them and bringing them to her mouth- Yes I am a proud Occupational Therapist Momma!
smiles really big for Mommy, Daddy, & Mema
sleeping better lately, but we are still working on this one. It depends on the night, but she usually sleeps 6-8 hours consecutively
Able to sit supported & play
On her tummy she now pushes the floor with her hands and flexes her feet & actually starting to enjoy tummy time more
LOVES to look in the mirror and babble at herself- So funny!
loves to blow bubbles
Learning cause & effect: when she pushes Leap Frog's Belly-he sings ABC's-now that she has learned this, she does it OVER & OVER & OVER. Sometimes Ryan and I are ready to throw Leap Frog OUTSIDE!
Knows her name! When you say Katelyn she turns her head to look at you!
Loves it when we make silly faces with her and she laughs out loud-We are happy to know someone thinks we are funny!

Needless to say, we feel so BLESSED to have this little girl in our lives and count our BLESSINGS EVERYDAY that she is healthy and growing well. Katelyn Grace we love you to pieces and don't even remember what our life was like without you. It has changed for the better!

FUN WEEKEND

2009-08-09T18:57:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I actually caught a smile on camera! She usually gives me the deer in headlights look. She smiles all the time now-such a happy baby!

Never too early to pray-look at those sweet eyes!

This weekend we went shopping to think about the transition of a new car seat & stroller because before we know it she is going to outgrow her current system. Katelyn was so good in the store and met another little girl that was precious and close to her age. They really stared at each other and started to babble. Who knows what they said in baby language, but it sure was cute! It makes me think of that movie "Look Who's Talking"....

She loves to put EVERYTHING in her mouth! Especially her clothes! I caught it on camera!

Ready to go shop with her 2 new buddies! Sophie (the giraffe and teether) & Leap Frog. She has learned this week a little about cause & effect. She pushes Leap Frog's belly and he sings the ABC's. She also likes to eat Leaps legs & arms!

We progressed to the Halo Sack over the weekend! Hooray! No more swaddling! We made it a slow progression as she loved to be swaddled (i.e. one arm out for about 4-5 days then both arms out for 4 days and then she slept well with just the sack!)

CONGRATS RYAN! Ryan did his 1st sprint triathalon over the weekend in Cypress, TX. It is a 525 yard swim, 14 mile bike ride & 3.28 mile run! Wow we are so proud of him and he did great! Katelyn and I unfortunately didn't get to go cheer him on because he had to leave at 4:00 am and we didn't want to wake Katelyn! We were with him in spirit...

PEEK A BOO....I SEE YOU!!!

2009-08-09T17:25:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I filmed this video one night when we were getting her ready for bed. She is so funny and this week LOVES Peek a Boo!

WEEKLY UPDATE

2009-08-01T19:56:00.000-07:00

Katelyn had her 4-5 month pics made this week and this is one of the "Sneak Peeks" I can't wait to see more! Our photographer is Deb Evans and she does a great job!

Sarah Chandler had her beautiful little girl Mackenzie Ryan and she weighed 5 lbs. 14 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long! She is absolutely beautiful! Congrats Sarah & JP!

Life has been busy as usual at the Allen household & Katelyn's sleeping through the night came to a SCREECHING halt 8 days ago. Hence, why I haven't blogged lately. We have been very tired! Although we have to celebrate last night, she made it 8 hours again! Ryan and I were ecstatic!

Last Saturday night, we went to the Astros game at MinuteMaid Park with Ryan's good friend from Texas Tech and groomsman Clint Cushman & his wife Kristi. We had so much fun and had great seats! We didn't get a picture of all of us, but if you see below I got one picture of the park and it is sideways! I couldn't fix it! Sorry!

Newest development this week! Katelyn LOVES her Bumbo and sits up really straight!

Hanging in Daddy's chair being serious

I LOVE that smile! It is hard to capture it on camera! Usually when she sees the camera I get the deer in headlights look. When I bring the camera down to talk to her, she laughs! Such a stinker:)

Our sweet friends Lindsay & Claire came over to visit and we had so much fun! Lindsay gives great parenting tips and is such a wonderful Mother to Claire. I have known Lindsay since Pre-K and we used to call each other MELON & LEMON. We think it is so neat that Katelyn and Claire will get to grow up together.

Lindsay & Katelyn

Katelyn went to a 1 year old birthday party for Rhys Longmire while Mommy & Daddy went on date night to the movies. MeMa and Pepa said she was very social at the party and had a great time!

Ready for the party!

Pepa giving Katelyn a bottle. I am so blessed that she will still nurse well, but also take a bottle of my breast milk so I have freedom to go out and do things often!

Lauren and Rhys (1 year old birthday boy!)=Katie we missed you!

Katelyn trying to eat her dress & falling over on Rhys!

She is such a "Daddy's girl"-This picture made my heart melt. I love seeing them interact. Katelyn loves her DADDY!

THIS PAST WEEK....

2009-07-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

Katelyn tried out her activity center! She can sit in it, but she is not able to grab at the toys just yet

Went to lunch with Nolan and Courtney.. We had so much fun eating at La Madeline and walking around Market Street shopping. The weather was so nice and our 4 month olds were very well behaved! Nolan and Katelyn are only 11 days apart.

Photoshoot in the blue jean dress.. We have to at least have one photoshoot a week right?

Napping peacefully..

She loves her new teething rings!

She loves to eat her hands too!

I can't take my eyes off of her when we change her diaper because she digs her heels in and bridges to scoot back! I am glad to have the mobile to keep her entertained.

Hanging with Bailey on the floor! Today Katelyn showed off for Mommy, Daddy & Mema and rolled from back to front. We were so proud!! I am hoping to start doing some videos and learning how to post them on here. After she rolled, we were all clapping and cheering and she was looking at us like, "What did I do?" It was so precious and then she was excited squealing, cooing, and laughing the rest of the night and didn't want to go to bed:)

FOUR MONTHS OLD!

2009-07-10T10:05:00.000-07:00

Katelyn went to see Dr. C today for her 4 month check up and had to get her SHOTS:( I hate that she has to get these and I wish I could get the shots for her. Her face turns very red and she gets mad for about 3 minutes and then she calms down with us soothing her.

Katelyn's New Stats:

Weight: 15 lbs (75-90%)

Length: 25 1/2 inches (75-90%)

We were frustrated because we didn't get an exact percentile like most people do, we just got a range. We asked the doctor if we could know EXACTLY what percentile she was. Her answer, "Parents get too focused on that number, so we stick to a range. As long as the baby stays in that range, you are fine." Doesn't Dr. C know we are Type A and like to know EXACT numbers?.... LOL. She is probably good for Ryan and I, so we don't get so focused on the #. The blessing is she is healthy and thriving and we are blown AWAY that she is 4 months old.

AT 4 months Katelyn is:

still breastfeeding and the Dr. wants us to start rice cereal, once we know she is getting 25-32 oz. of breastmilk per day. That is kind of hard to figure out, so we are currently working on that
smiling and cooing ALL the time
starting to notice Bailey and us alot more
loves to sit in her bouncer and kick the objects hanging down
now enjoys tummy time for 10 minutes while looking into the mirror-this is a new milestone as she has never LOVED tummy time
loves her play mat and is now grabbing for the monkey & bird alot
wants to already put EVERYTHING in her mouth-especially her hands and occasionally she gags herself!
loves bathtime and especially her massage after! I don't blame her:)
still not a fan of naptime-she wants to know what her Mom is up to and would rather play:)
loves to sit up against me while on the floor and read books & play
DIGS HER HEELS IN AND SCOOTS BACKWARDS-SO FUNNY! She has a bald spot to prove it!
trying hard to roll from back to front, but can't quite get that arm over yet
sleeping really well at night, but has to be swaddled. We tried to do away with it and had 4 very hard sleepless nights!

Nicknames since she was born: K bear, pumpkin girl, peanut butter cup, sweet baby K, punky because her hair is wild alot!, princess, love

Katelyn we love you to pieces and couldn't imagine our lives before you came. Thank you for making us want to be better people just for knowing you! We love you more than all...

FIRST NIGHT AWAY FROM OUR PRINCESS

2009-07-04T21:41:00.000-07:00

This past week I have been leaving Ryan notes daily telling him to not make plans for the weekend and I had a surprise for him. Well, Ryan doesn't care for surprises and wasn't sure what I had up my sleeve. As each day went on he became more curious what we were going to do. He had all of these elaborate ideas in his head and I was SO GOOD, I didn't tell him and kept it a surprise. For those of you that know me well, this was REALLY HARD. Anyways, he found the final surprise poem in a bottle the morning of the 4th and it told him to pack his bags for one night. So he was convinced that we were going to stay in Galveston for the night. I hope I didn't disappoint that we just stayed at the Marriott in the Woodlands, but it was such a wonderful night! We went to the "Red Hot & Blue" festival and it was just a walk down the waterway for us from the hotel. The band and fireworks were great & we had a great time drinking wine. We also connected like we haven't in awhile as sometimes life gets so busy! We decided we need to do it more often as we felt so refreshed when we left the hotel. We felt like we had really been on VACATION! Thanks Mema and PePa for watching her! We knew she was in good hands & didn't worry a bit! Oh wow, I just figured out how to change the text. Cool! Okay, it is getting late and I have been blogging for over 2 hours to catch up as I was behind again! I can't seem to find anytime in my day to blog as K usually needs me. We are usually eating, bathing, preparing for nap, or playing. I wouldn't trade it for the world. These last 4 months have changed our lives for the better. We are truly blessed. Good night!

4th of July Weekend!

2009-07-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! On Friday, we went to the Peters' house with our play group friends and had burgers. It was so great getting our husbands together since the moms/babies meet every week!

Brendan & Katelyn hanging out

I was putting this blog post together and started laughing out loud as we had a really hard time getting our babies to all look at the camera. Baby Meredith missed out on the photo op (she was sleeping)-

Katelyn was not happy here, Brendan is falling over and Nolan kept looking at them like, "What's your problem, just smile for the camera".. So funny!

Now Brendan isn't a happy camper:(

SUMMER TIME!

2009-07-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

I went searching all over for a swimsuit for Katelyn this week and was shocked how many places were already sold out of swimsuits or didn't even carry any in a 3-6 months size! I went to Kohl's (didn't even have infant swim suits!), Old Navy & Our Children's Place (none in her size) & finally made the trek to the Woodlands and went to my old faithful stores. Yay! Gymboree and Janie & Jack had plenty to choose from! I love these stores and they always have great sales! We settled on the one from Gymboree, what do you guys think?

I am ready to go swimming!

DADDY'S LITTLE SWEETHEART

2009-07-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE this skirt! So fun! I feel so blessed to have a little girl to dress her up:)

PHOTOSHOOT....

2009-07-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Every morning Katelyn wakes up in such a good mood, it makes us soo happy. This morning I walk in and see her bed is destroyed! Apparently, little Katelyn is learning how to scoot backward, even being swaddled! That must be a tricky thing to do, but I had to get a picture to show you that she managed to scoot from one end of the crib to the other. Note: last night she made it 12 hours and 45 minutes without a peep! Of course, I was still up checking the monitor and worried about her being hungry, but she seemed to be fine. That was the longest she has slept yet!

Okay, I haven't put headbands on her much and wanted to get a vote for the cutest bow. Option 1: hot pink

Option 2: Different colored/big bow

Option 3: White bow on pink

I think my favorite is Option 1, but she sure was good for our photoshoot this morning. As you can tell in the pictures, she was very tired and DEFINITELY ready for her nap.

We tried out the Bumbo today and she is not quite ready yet. It is so exciting to have her use her new stuff, but at the same time kind of sad as she is already getting so BIG. We can't get over that she is almost 4 months old!

After a couple of minutes, she was really leaning to the right. We will try the Bumbo again soon:)

WE MADE IT TO CHURCH TODAY.. WELL, SUNDAY SCHOOL...DOESN'T THAT COUNT?:)

2009-06-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Katelyn before we left for church dressed in her new dress, hat, & shoes

She is posing thinking.. I can't believe we made it out of the house this early!

She is already such a "Daddy's girl"

We are excited to announce that we officially made it to Sunday School today and we were so excited to reconnect with some of our old friends.
We haven't been in a couple of months and numerous couples brought their babies, so it was so fun to see everyone again. Katelyn did a great job and was very good during the class & even when we all went to lunch after. We look forward to trying to make it every week! We decided that we think the key is for me to get ready before she even wakes up which isn't easy for me as I LOVE MY SLEEP!:)

UPDATING THE BLOG

2009-06-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay to all of you fellow bloggers, I have seen some really cool and fancy blogs with digital scrapbooking. I have NO idea how you do that.... Any tips? I feel like the Allens blog needs some updating and I want to work on it this weekend. Hopefully Katelyn will take good naps, so I will have a little time. How do you add pictures to the side of your blog? I love that!:) I probably just need to play around under blogspot some more, but I have to go to BED in case my sweet little princess decides to wake up..

LUNCH DATE

2009-06-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

Abby (8 months old) & Katelyn (3 months-almost 4): New BFF's

William(3 years old) & Aimee

Today we went to Guadalajara in the Woodlands for a lunch date and had so much fun! The girls did so well and barely made a peep almost the whole meal. I am continuing to learn some great tips from Aimee because she is wonderful Mom. We are excited our girls are so close in age and will be able to play together.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

2009-06-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Katelyn & Ryan: She is so blessed to have such a good Daddy!

Katelyn posing in her first bikini E-V-E-R! Thanks Aunt Katie! We took lots of pictures just for you! We wish you were here to see her get in the pool for the 1st time!

Ryan bought this pool and it is perfect for one person to be able to lay out and get some S-U-N! It was the perfect day to do that for the 1st day of summer! Although it has been feeling HOT in Conroe for awhile! We need some rain...

She really enjoyed laying on the raft and kicking her legs in the water. Don't worry everyone she was NEVER in direct sunlight. We probably had her in the pool for 10 minutes in the shade and then it was naptime! What a great day! Ryan we love you and we are so blessed to have you as a wonderful Father and husband!!:)

CHS GIRLS NIGHT.......

2009-06-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

This past week I got together with a bunch of girls from high school at Chuy's and we had so much fun! Guess what the topic of discussion was the whole night..........BABIES! I really don't think we talked about much else and I am so thankful for all of these ladies. All of their babies are older than Katelyn so they gave me great tips! I have known these girls almost all of my life and it is so neat to all still keep in touch!

Susan, Mel, Lindsey

UPDATE.....

2009-06-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

I lost my camera for a couple of days this week, so I am behind on my blogging! Katelyn has started finding her feet this week! Her newest thing is bringing her feet up in the bouncy chair and kicking the items hanging down. It is so cute to watch her!

Hanging in the bouncy chair having fun!

Snug as a bug in a rug! We love Katelyn's newest developmental milestone.. She loves to sleep in her own "big girl crib"! We still occasionally have some night wakings, but it is not very often. Our little girl has gotten strong though and is able to get out of her swaddle, so Ryan aka "swaddlemaster" came up with the double swaddle technique and it works like a charm! When she is not swaddled, she is still waking herself up from naps. She hasn't learned to nap much unless she is sleeping on Mommy!

She has also discovered her hands more this week and bringing them to her mouth often & drooling ALOT more. We are wondering if she is starting teething or if it is just a comfort measure

3 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!

2009-06-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

All dressed up for church-unfortunately Mommy & Daddy were too late to make it this time! Maybe it will be better next week!

3 months old today!

This is her new face when she is starting to smirk, so precious!

In this picture, she is laughing out loud in delight... She is such a happy baby!

Okay Mom, enough pictures for today!

UPDATE: Katelyn has been sleeping 10-12 hours at night the last couple of days! We are thrilled as we know how important sleep is for her development. We are excited because we are starting to get sleep as well! We weren't sure if this day would ever come:)

MOM'S NIGHT OUT

2009-06-05T19:22:00.000-07:00

Courtney, Lisa, Leslie, Mel at Lisa's house before we left for our fun "Mom's night out"

Courtney and I at Cru Wine Bar

Hanging out at Crush in The Woodlands.....

Tonight we decided to go out for a "Mom's Night Out" and we had such a good time getting to know one another better! It is so wonderful because all of our babies are only 2 weeks apart and it is great to be able to share experiences and stories with other Moms that are in the same phase of life as you. Also, we got a much needed break to just eat dinner and feel pretty without spit up or drool on us!

Aimee came to visit!

2009-05-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Excited to meet Aimee and show her this outfit because she gave it to me!!

My good friend Aimee moved from NYC to Texas last week and we are sooo excited she is here! She came over today to meet Katelyn for the first time. Aimee has two little ones, so she gives lots of great parenting tips and is fun to hang out with too!

I just love it that she will cuddle with me on the couch now! What a special moment that Ryan caught of us sleeping.....

MEMORIAL DAY:Remembrance of those who have died for our nation...

2009-05-26T12:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my MeMa(grandmother) & MoMo(great grandmother) came over to see me in my Memorial Day outfit. I was talking and cooing up a storm to my Mema and Momo. I love it when they come over to visit!

Daddy bought me this cute outfit and bow and Aunt Katie bought me these socks.

Memorial Day 2009

NiNi & PawPaw came to visit for Memorial Day to see me too!

Katelyn's Newborn Video

2009-05-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Play Date -2

2009-05-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

Brendan, Katelyn, Nolan

Katelyn is saying to Nolan, "Hey there, watch out!"

Katelyn and Nolan hanging out

Today we had a play date at our house with Nolan, Brendan, and their mommies. It was so much fun! I hope they come over again soon and play....

All my babies were napping....

2009-05-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

My heart melted when I walked in the living room today and saw Katelyn sleeping in her Daddy's arms. It is so great to see Ryan and Katelyn bond. I feel so blessed to have a wonderful husband, beautiful & healthy daughter & a great dog. God is good!

GOOD MORNING SUNSHINE!!

2009-05-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

Every morning Katelyn wakes up so happy! We sing to her "You are my Sunshine" and say "Good morning" & she smiles at us and coos. It melts your heart. She is so fun and becoming more interactive every day. Ryan was able to capture this picture of us and I just love it!!

NAPTIME!

2009-05-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Katelyn sleeping peacefully in her crib

Katelyn's "new favorite" way to be held

This week we are working on a sleep log to figure out a nap schedule for Katelyn. After doing some reading , she should average 14-16 hrs. a day of sleep at her age. We are working on calculating how much sleep she actually gets. Also, we are starting some naps in her "big girl" crib. She is starting to get too long for her bassinet. I think this transition is going to be harder on Ryan and I than it will be on her. We already get up a couple of times a night just to check on her.

1ST PLAY DATE

2009-05-13T16:50:00.000-07:00

Nolan, Brendan, Katelyn, Blake

Today, Katelyn went on her 1st playdate with some friends from our Prepared Childbirth class. It was so fun because our babies are only a few weeks apart. Katelyn had a great time hanging out with all her new boyfriends. We look forward to playing again soon!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2009-05-10T16:23:00.000-07:00

My brother had us all over for brunch for Mother's Day and all the men pitched in to help. It was so nice to be with family and enjoy the day together. My Mom saved a dress of Aunt Katie's (from when she was 2 months old) and Katelyn wore it today. It was very special that Katelyn got to wear this dress my Mom saved for 26 years! Impressive right? I can barely keep up with stuff from last year!

Katelyn and Aunt Katie

Four generation picture-I feel so blessed to be able to capture this for Katelyn!

THANK YOU Mom for being such a great example and I aspire to be as good of a Mother as you are!

Great Grandmother: Nanny & Katelyn

Aunt Shellee & Katelyn

1ST OUTING-CLAIRE'S 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY!!

2009-05-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Captured her smile before Claire's birthday party

This is a cute little smirk she makes when we talk to her

Birthday Girl: Claire... Doesn't she look adorable? I loved her bow!

Katelyn resting in her carseat.. Sweet dreams!

Ryan and I with Katelyn... We didn't want to pick her up out of the carseat- never wake a sleeping baby:)

Susan, Caroline, Katelyn, Mel hanging at the party...

After the party, we were so excited to see Jamie & Ashley! They stopped by to meet Katelyn. Ashley and I have been good friends since we were 9 years old. Ash it is always so good to see you and I miss hanging out with you! I hope you come back to C-town soon!

Aunt Katie came to visit Saturday night so Ryan and I could have a "date night". We went to see our 1st movie since she was born. Thank you Katie for babysitting and we sure are going to miss you this summer!

2 MONTHS OLD!!

2009-05-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well somehow our Katelyn Grace is going to be 2 months old on May 10th. We can't believe how fast time has flown with her. Aunt Katie brought over the cutest sundress to celebrate her 2 months so we decided to take some pictures! Katelyn is starting to be more interactive smiling and cooing. It makes our heart melt when she looks at us and smiles:)

Hanging out and just looking pretty!

This is fun Mom! I am starting to get used to you taking so many pictures of me I might as well start smiling:)

I have always wished that Katelyn would just lay on the couch with me and snuggle and she finally did today. It was so precious and Ryan happened to catch it to get a picture. Doesn't she look peaceful?

Taking a break on her tummy time mat. The pediatrician was really impressed by how strong she is with holding her neck upright. She is starting to tolerate tummy time better every day.

DOES THIS DIAPER MAKE MY BUTT LOOK BIG?

2009-05-08T10:05:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine from college (Reagan Forman) sent me this onesie for Katelyn and I think it is precious! It has been really busy in the Allen household taking care of our precious newborn that it is hard to find time to update the blog. Will post more pictures soon!

UPDATE: Katelyn had her 2 month vaccinations yesterday and we were very anxious about them. She handled them much better than we did. It made our hearts hurt to know she was getting shots, but after much research we know the benefits outweigh the risks. Also, she is NOW 13 lbs (97% for her weight) and 23 inches (75% for her height). The pediatrician was very pleased with how she is growing and said she will see us again in 2 months!

HANGING OUT AND LOOKING PRETTY

2009-05-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Katelyn before her 2 month check up at Dr. Chandler. She looked too cute not to snap a photo:) Thanks Me-Ma for the cute outfit-I think it is the 1st one you ever bought me.

GOOD FRIENDS....

2009-04-29T09:34:00.001-07:00

A good friend of mine from college, Laura Morgan (dare I say I have known her since 1995?! Wow I feel old!) stopped by today to meet Katelyn and bring Mexican food (from one of my favorite restaurants- Chuy's) For those of you that know me, you know how much I love Mexican food! Thanks Laura for all your parenting tips, Mexican food, good company, and gifts for Katelyn. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

GO TEXAS TECH!

2009-04-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Today we decided to put Katelyn's Texas Tech outfit on to gear her up for football season early. I have a feeling we will be getting a cheerleader outfit for her in the fall to celebrate Ryan's alma mater. I know we are proud parents, but doesn't she look precious?!

HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

2009-04-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I before we left for our "date night". We went to Fleming's and had the best steak either one of us had ever eaten and enjoyed walking around the Waterway in the Woodlands. We had such a great time and I can't imagine a more romantic night! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband!

Cheesecake we ate to celebrate! We decided it might be the best cheesecake we ever ate! Yum!

Saying goodbye to Katelyn before we head out for a night on the town...

Our view from our table at Flemings.... We felt like the set-up was an accident waiting to happen!

Not only did my parents babysit Katelyn, but they had this set up for us when we got home. Wasn't that sweet?!

It is hard to believe that just a year ago we were getting married in Maui. What a whirlwind year it has been, but filled with so many blessings! We got married in April, found out we were pregnant in July, moved to Conroe in September and had a beautiful healthy baby girl in March! Wow, I think we will slow down this year and enjoy God's abundant love and blessings!

HANGING WITH DADDY IN THE BABY BJORN

2009-04-25T08:47:00.000-07:00

Today I had to run some errands and Ryan watched Katelyn. He realized he had some work to get done and Katelyn doesn't like you to put her down long, so he broke out the Baby Bjorn. When I came home I cracked up as I thought it was so creative of him. I have been using mine around the house too and it is so handy!

SPRING IS HERE!

2009-04-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Ryan and I were headed out the door to take Katelyn on a walk and enjoy the beautiful weather..... BUT since our little angel is a newborn she made her classic "poo" face before we walk out the door, so we had to capture it! It always makes us laugh because she makes this face and we know very soon that it is time to change her diaper AGAIN!:)

Okay Mom.... I am finished and ready for you to change my diaper!!

Now she is ready for her walk, but we better get home soon because it will be time to eat again!! Isn't her bonnet adorable? Thanks Me-Maw!

Update: Katelyn turned 6 weeks yesterday and is starting to smile:) It makes Ryan and I so happy! She is going through a growth spurt so she is starting to eat every 2-2 1/2 hrs. during the day again! However, the good news is she is sleeping 5-6 hrs. at night now! What a blessing! She is such a good baby and we cherish each day! She is tolerating tummy time daily and starting to get strong neck extensors and doing well with visual tracking of an object.

Fun Visit with Susan and Caroline!!

2009-04-19T18:28:00.000-07:00

Caroline is thinking about kissing the baby......

Caroline was precious when opening her gift we got her for turning 1, she decided to push it around and climb on in before she opened it...... Happy late birthday Caroline!!
Good times with old friends....

Today we were excited to have Susan and Caroline come to visit and meet Katelyn. I have known Susan for over 20 years and love her to pieces! We are so glad you got to come over today Susan and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Thank you Astra Tech!!

2009-04-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

Ryan's company sent us a precious basket (we love the personal detail of her name and date she was born on the ribbon-so creative!) to celebrate the birth of Katelyn, so we took a picture of her with it. Thank you Astra Tech for being a wonderful company!

PRETTY IN PINK!

2009-04-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Our "beautiful little princess"

Okay, Mom no more dress up for today!!:)

Playing Dress Up for Aunt Katie

2009-04-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today we are starting to progress out of "newborn" clothes to some 0-3 month clothes. This is a onesie Aunt Katie bought for Katelyn and since she didn't get to see her in it we wanted to show it off on the blog. Unfortunately she didn't get to wear it long as she spit up, but she will wear it again soon!

EASTER WEEKEND

2009-04-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Katelyn and Verlin (NiNi)

This weekend Ryan's parents (Nini & Papa) came to visit Katelyn for the weekend. They brought Katelyn lots of fun treats and had some loving time with her. We know they are proud grandparents of their beautiful granddaughter:)

One Month Old Today!

2009-04-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe that Katelyn is already one month old! Ryan and I were talking today about how much our lives have changed in the past month and how we didn't realize HOW MUCH our lives would change.

Ways our lives have changed since Katelyn was born:
1. How awesome our God is that he blessed us with this beautiful, healthy baby girl and we thank God every day for bringing this "angel" into our lives
2. We never knew that an 8 pound 4 ounce baby could truly keep us running and busy 24/7! That is why God makes it a team. I truly don't know how single parents do it!
3. Lack of sleep... People say your body adjusts and it has to some degree, but it is funny that I now get excited if I get a 2 hour stretch of sleep at a time.
4. I really am trying to learn to nap in the day. It is not easy! We are go getters and we are used to staying busy in the day, so it is hard to nap.
5. I never knew HOW OFTEN babies pee and poop and how many times you change their diapers. Wow, I change her and then 10 seconds later sometimes she cries and we change her again! Katelyn doesn't like to be wet for one second:)
6. How exhausting motherhood is, but also the most rewarding job in the world
7. How much love I could have for a human being... It is such a deep love that you can't imagine it until you meet her
8. How upsetting it is to hear your baby cry and you don't know what to do
9. Having a child has made our marriage even stronger and closer than we knew possible, it is been a very emotional time for us
10. Breastfeeding isn't easy, but I know it took both of us for me to be successful with it as I recovered from surgery
11. How blessed we are to have supportive family that lives close and we couldn't have made it this last month without them. We didn't realize how much help we would need. Raising a baby takes a village!
12. How long it takes to not only get myself ready, but how much preparation it takes to just walk out the door (car seat, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, extra outfit, etc.)
13. I am learning to become a really fast eater and do things one handed:)
14. How good it makes you feel when you are the only one who can calm your child because "you are the momma"
15. How thankful we are for all our parents sacrificed for us. I guess you don't realize it as much until you are a parent yourself

BLESSINGS!!!

2009-04-09T19:14:00.001-07:00

Ryan and I took Katelyn to the pediatrician today to use their scale as they told us to try to keep track of her weight every couple of weeks. Some of you may not know that in the hospital Katelyn dropped to 10% below her birth weight and it concerned us to say the least. We had to supplement formula for about 4 days and then she was able to leave the hospital (Sat.) without jaundice. By the following Tuesday (3/17/09), she was back up to her birth weight of 8 lbs. 4 oz. just on breast milk. By 03/26/09, she was 9 lbs. 2 oz. The doctor told us to expect her to gain about an ounce a day, so today has been 14 days. Therefore we expected her to weigh around 10 lbs. We were ecstatic to find out that our baby girl weighs in at 10 lbs 14 ounces!!:) We were so pleased! It is so hard to tell with breastfeeding how much they are eating, so we are so happy to know she is healthy & growing well. Another progress this week is she is out of Newborn diapers and progressed to Stage 1. Our little girl is already growing up, we are just enjoying every minute of this special time.....

HAPPY EASTER

2009-04-09T19:08:00.001-07:00

Me-Maw came over today and surprised Katelyn with the most beautiful Easter basket. It was very special because it had a stuffed bunny in it that I had all growing up in my Easter basket. The Easter basket was full of goodies and fun books. Unfortunately Katelyn wasn't a big fan of taking pictures by her basket as she didn't like her hat. Of course she was calm once I held her.... Ryan and I can't get enough of having that sweet snuggle time with her.

Ballerina Girl

2009-04-09T18:54:00.001-07:00

We had to share this picture of Katelyn before she went to bed the other night, We LOVED the ballerina slippers. Thank you Aimee for letting us borrow Abby's clothes. Katelyn can't wait to meet Abby soon:)

BATHTIME!!

2009-04-06T15:10:00.001-07:00

Katelyn and Ryan

She loves to be all nice and cozy in her towel......

Katelyn in her "big girl" bath

Fun Weekend

2009-04-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I decided on Sunday to take Katelyn to take pictures in the bluebonnets. We found an absolutely beautiful field of bluebonnets, but it was freezing.!We couldn't take many pictures as we felt like horrible new parents bringing her out in the cold weather. Here are a couple shots that we took, we will post more soon!

This is a picture of Katelyn before we went to take pictures in the bluebonnets, doesn't she look precious?!

This weekend I was so excited to have one of my best friends visit and meet Katelyn. Unfortunately she was only able to stay one night, but we loved having her here. Gwen was able to give wonderful parenting tips as she has Jacob (19 months) and due with baby Samuel in May. We can't wait to meet him! Thanks Gwen for giving us tips on trying to get Katelyn on a schedule. We are looking forward to having some sleep soon:)

Video of Katelyn's first 18 days

2009-03-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Katelyn's Birthday Video - March 10, 2009

2009-03-10T08:50:00.000-07:00

Recent Update

2009-03-07T09:58:00.000-08:00

We went to Dr. Francis today to discuss whether to induce or do a C-section. This unknowing "waiting game" has been hard on Ryan and I as we stay packed and ready to go to the hospital. I have thought I was in labor multiple times, but apparently it is just my body preparing. The doctor has determined that I have celphalopelvic disproportion, which basically means Katelyn is going to be too big to fit through my pelvis and she hasn't been dropping like she should. She has had a foot wedged in my lungs for months now and apparently it is a comfortable place for her:) On the ultrasound we had today, the doctor is predicting her to be 7.5-9 lb baby! We only could get a picture of her foot today! We think she is going to have big feet like her Daddy:) The doctor also says she has lots of hair... Long story short, we have decided to go for a scheduled C-section on Tuesday March 10, 2009 at 8:30 am. I am very nervous, but the doctor is predicting I would only have a 30% chance of delivering naturally. PLEASE say a prayer for me on Tuesday for everything to go smoothly and for the new transition for the Allen family. We know it is going to be wonderful! We will post pictures soon after she is born!

Katelyn's Nursery

2009-03-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

Excited parents anxiously awaiting the arrival of Katelyn Grace Allen.... "our little princess"

This is where we will be spending lots of time changing diapers

Katelyn's Crib

Katelyn's talented and crafty Aunt Katie made this bow hanger, isn't it precious?!

Melanie's Pregnancy Video

2009-03-01T12:23:00.000-08:00

Watch our Wedding Day Video!

2008-04-26T17:55:00.000-07:00