Let the Good Times Roll

Friday, February 22, 2013

Spring... Maybe?!?!

This past week I've been craving warm weather. Everyday I wake up and think, 'Today is the day it will be warm!'.... and then it never is. So, last night I decided to be proactive (but not productive) and make a countdown chain for the end of the summer. Ideally it would have been for when we leave for California but we don't know the exact date we're leaving... this will have to do!

Not sure what we're going to do when we get to
#16 in the top left...

My toes want to be painted AND seen. My hair wants to heat up in the sun. My body wants to feel sand underneath it. My windows want to let in fresh spring air. My heater (and electric bill) wants to be obsolete. My baby wants to go on a walk... outside. My stuff wants to be in storage and WE WANT TO BE IN CALIFORNIA!!!

I'm just a little excited...

This past weekend we went over to The Palisades near Swan Valley. It was too snowy to

hike, like we wanted to do, so we got food at a little diner and square ice cream. I've GOT to get better at taking pictures of these things because the ice cream was so cool. Instead of using a round scoop they use a square one... Again a picture would be nice. While we were driving around we got to enjoy some beautiful scenery, see some eagles (it was like we were back in Alaska!), and find some moose tracks in the middle of the road. For those of you who don't know, a moose is the one animal, on my wish list of Alaska animals, that I didn't get to see! I want to see a wild moose so, so badly!!!

Crazy man fishing...

Michael's dream cabin... minus the snow :)

Dad!!! I'm naked!!!
Turn that thing off!!!!

Big Boy!!

Tripp is getting very mobile. Does he crawl? Does he scoot? No. Rolling is his movement of choice. He's gotten to where he can roll all the way across the room just to get to his Sophie. But! He will pull himself up to a stand using my fingers! I think he's getting WAY too big... And teeth you ask? One (for sure, maybe two) on the way in! Advil/ Tylenol have become great friends and everyone is exhausted but SO excited. We're one step closer to finger foods!

First bite of solids. Not so sure about Rice Cereal.

Waiting for Mommy to get everything together!

Food... Who knew it could be so tricky?! The doctor gave us the go ahead to start him on purees at 5 months. The little guy is still only sleeping about 4 hrs at a time (during the night) and they seemed to think this would help me get a little more rest. Oh how wrong they were!! Not only did it mess with his little tummy, but made it so he woke up every 2 hrs! The logic behind solids is that it will fill the baby up. What happened with Tripp (and I'm not sure if this is the case with all kids) is it filled his tummy up but the food didn't have enough calories. SOOO, then he was waking up hungry but still had the solids in his tummy taking up room and could only nurse but so much... and the cycle repeated every 2 hours. The night I decided to take him off the food he slept for 4 hours straight. That may not seem like a lot but I was so grateful. We're back to about 4-6 hr stretches (which is what we were before he got sick) with the occasional wake up because his teeth are bothering him. (and Advil/ Tylenol do their magic :) )

After a couple of days he was
getting used to the idea...

Trying to convince Daddy this really isn't a good idea...

Now, I think I'm going to wait on food until he can do finger foods. I feel like that would be easiest for me (I can just rip up what we're eating in little bites) and will make sure his bowels are developed enough to handle the food (getting backed up isn't fun for anyone!). Of course, that's subject to change if I feel like he needs more! Again... why can't babies come with instruction manuals?!

Did someone say pickle?!

Life is so good. School is chugging along (51 days according to my chain), and summer will be here before we know it. Also, I fit back into my favorite jeans! You'd think that'd make me be content with the clothes I have... since I haven't gotten to wear them for the past 7 months (yeah, I exploded out of my clothes the last month. So dang close.) but I really want to go shopping!! I guess it's just the curse of being a girl and the sadness of being poor. Can't wait to be done with school and making money.... A girl can dream right?!

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Catch up!

It's been forever...

Christmas was good, New Years was good, etc, etc.

So! Now! I'm in school, Michael is working and in school, and we're both so exhausted. Looking back on when Tripp was born is like looking back on a vacation. Those nights weren't bad at all and it was honestly one of the most peaceful times in my life. I want to go back to Alaska!!!! I miss my midwives, the scenery, oh and did I mention my midwives! I feel so blessed to have such a great connection with the women that helped bring Tripp into this world. I'll say it again... I miss Juneau. Rant over.

Moving on to Tripp! What an awesome little baby... He is so darn cute and just loves life. His teeth have been bothering him lately (at least I think it's his teeth, who really knows until they come, right?!) and he's been in kind of a funk but he still continues to smile and giggle and sequel. It's so hard to NOT feel guilty for doing school work instead of playing, when your playmate is just so darn adorable! He's decided he hates everything to do with his tummy. I'll lay him on the floor and he immediately flips over. He needs a toy out of his reach? Oh, he'll flip to his tummy to grab it BUT as soon as it's in his fingers he flips right back over. And did I mention the kid is so fat that when he flips over it kinda shakes the floor?! There's just so much to love :)

Michael has been doing awesome with school. He's got some pretty hard classes right now but he still makes time to work and spend time with us. We've made it a priority to spend time as a family. Sometimes work and school have to be set aside for a few hours and that's okay! Money will find its way to us, school work will get done and life will move on as long as we do it together.

"In family relationships love is really spelled t-i-m-e, time."
-DIETER F. UCHTDORF

I'm so grateful that Michael can be with us. I know a lot of women who's husbands are in the military and my hat is off to them...

That being said, we're so excited for this summer!! I've been researching sun lotions for Tripp and resisting the urge to by him a bathing suite now (he's growing so fast I'm not sure what size he'll be!). I've made it a goal to get WAY ahead in my school work this weekend (and we can see how well that's working as I'm sitting here blogging instead of actually doing it) so that I can start exercising. My excuse is that I don't have enough time but that's just silly. I can find an hour, 3 days a week to exercise.

I've been in this 'lets get realistic' mood lately. And here is what I've decided.
1. I'm only getting older... and so is my body! Time to treat it good!
2. I may be getting older but I'm a really slow cooker... Ramon Noodles can be healthy, right?!
***side note- if anyone has some FAST recipes that are GOOD and healthy, throw them my way!***
3. School really sucks but I HAVE to finish
4. I complain a lot and need to change my attitude
and lastly...
5. My house will always be a mess. I just need to get over it.

So this is where we are in the Allen house. Life is good. Crazy. Messy. Tired. Blessed. Fun. and on and on and on....

Photo Dump!

Just relaxing with Daddy...

Must Eat EVERYTHING!!!

Thanks Mimi for the jumper!!!

It's a really winner :)

And the packaging paper isn't so bad either!!!

Sleep fort :)

Told you it would always be a mess...

Did someone say ice chips?!

So cute :)

Even cuter...

Why must you love me so much?!!?!

I'll help you umpack, Mommy!

Yea, Alabama!!!

Literally eats...

EVERYTHING!

Don't worry, I got this!

Passed out in his snow suite.

The night of projectile vomit...

Even he can't escape his mouth.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

The Hardest Part

When you get pregnant, everyone bombards you with advice, warnings and helpful tips. I LOVED all of the information and help thrown my way (although you do have to take each thing with a grain of salt...) but no one ever tells you about the hardest part. They tell you about not getting any sleep, constantly changing diapers, a never ending state of mess (who knew you could clean all day and still go to bed with your house trashed?), basically always having someone else's bodily functions on you... but, THE HARDEST part is watching your baby grow up.

While Tripp was inside of me, I felt like my heart was his little umbrella. I could protect him from anything and everything! You would literally have to go through me to get to him. and I loved it! I miss being pregnant! I miss feeling his kicks and knowing that he was always right there! Now that we are two separate people I feel like he has taken my heart, ripped it in half and is stretching his half as he grows. I feel like I'm going to explode. It hurts yet feels wonderful all at the same time!

I know that one day he will leave me. He'll go on a mission, to college, travel, get married, etc. While he will always be my baby, I will not always get to cuddle with him, hold his tiny little hand, make him smile by being silly, or toss him in the air. That is what hurts. It's a deep hurt that will never go away.

On the flip side, it's the most rewarding thing I have ever done. I feel like I have found my place in this world through this tiny little man. I love hearing him coo from his bedroom when he wakes up, I get excited when he has a dirty diaper because that means everything is working right, and I love watching him discover his hands!

To wrap up my thoughts, this is what I have found. Being a mom is bittersweet. You love your child so much it hurts. You want to keep them young but watch them grow. You try to hold their hands while teaching them to fly. And, it's the most joyous struggle everyday.

Trying to eat his mat during tummy time!

His best friend 'Mr. Moose'

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Baby Bliss

***Another post I forgot to publish***

5 October 2012
This blog post is long over due but... Tripp finally came!!! Our little boy is 6 weeks old and growing like a weed. It's hard to believe that a month and a half ago he was only 7lbs 6oz and is now over 10lbs. Where has the time gone?

from this

to this

!!!

This is a picture from their website...
There was no snow on
the ground in August! :)

Tripp came to us in a very peaceful way. We decided to have him at the Juneau Family Health and Birth Center with midwifery care. We started seeing the midwifes as soon as we got to Juneau and became very comfortable with the 4 midwives immediately. There is a relaxed atmosphere in that building that is hard to find with the anticipation of a babies arrival. I love the rooms that they have and the tools that they offer to help with labor pains. My favorite part was the tub!

My labor was extremely long... I was 'officially' in labor for 41 hrs and 50 min but really it was even longer than that. They aren't counting the 7 hours before because I had four hours at night where the contractions stopped. Needless to say, we were ready for him to come! 27 hours of my labor was spent in the 0-4 centimeter range and the contractions were mild, easy to get through, and allowed me to sleep. Active labor started at 7 am on Wednesday morning. If I had known then that 14 hours and 50 min later I would be holding my little boy, I think I would have been a little more relaxed... For some reason I had this idea that I would go to the birth center and then a couple of hours later I would have my baby. Boy was a wrong! Labor truly was a process that prepared us for his arrival. But... we were in for a long ride.

I spent the majority of labor in the tub. I knew from the very beginning that the only way I was going to have him without medicine was if it was a water birth. I have always found comfort in water and I now have a greater appreciation for its medicinal purposes. As soon as I hit that warm water the pain lessened and I was able to focus more through the contractions. This was essential because all of my labor pain was in my back. Tripp refused to turn into an anterior position (meaning his back was against the outside of my stomach) but rather stayed posterior (his back to my back). This is the cause of back labor. I spent hours of labor (and days before labor) on my hands and knees trying to get him to turn. He was just too stubborn! The water allowed me to move easily and it felt like all of the weight from my belly was lifted. Basically, warm water is amazing!

Michael played a huge roll in bringing Tripp into this world. Honestly, I could not have done it without him! Simply having him touch my back or hold my hand reminded me that I was not in it alone. He would sit in the tub with me, let me hang on his neck and sway, and stand in the shower aiming the shower head on my back. The few times he left me (to eat, use the bathroom, etc.) I had our amazing Douala Jesse, to help. She was great at keeping me calm and reminding me to use my relaxation techniques. She would also give Michael ideas to help with with my back labor. It was so nice to have someone there completely dedicated to me who had done this before! Jesse was also really great about keeping my energy up with food, Gatorade and water. I sure appreciated that energy in the end!

The first baby & daddy snuggle time!
8-22-12

The hardest part of my labor was at 5-7cm. At this point, all of my dilation had occurred manually by the midwives. I was feeling like my body could not dilate on its own and that labor was never going to end. I had been in labor for over 30 hours at this point I was ready to go to the hospital and get an epidural. Going into labor, I was never against having an epidural. I know lots of women who have had medicine to help with labor and they and their babies have done fine. Having Tripp naturally was something I wanted to do but I knew I was not going to cut myself off from other options. At this point I knew I could have Tripp without medicine but I didn't want to do it. My only concern was for Tripp. I knew that posterior babies cause prolonged labor (which I was officially in) which leads to a higher chance of a C-section. I did not want a C-section unless absolutely necessary and I would have a hard time if I thought my 'giving-up' led to it. Michael was a great help in reminding me that my body knew what to do and that I just needed to give it time. When Kaye, the midwife who delivered Tripp, checked my progress again I had dilated to a 7 on my own! That gave me the confidence to keep going.

9/18/12

Looking back now, a month after delivering Tripp, I'm so glad I decided to have him naturally. My recovery went very smoothly and I was out and about within two weeks. Tripp loves going on walks in the fresh air while snuggled close to me. Tripp has been able to hold his head up since he was born and has always been extremely alert. All of those reasons aside, I am most grateful for my birthing decision because of the confidence it has given me as a mother. During labor I learned to trust my body and my instincts which has given me the confidence to trust my instincts with Tripp. I now firmly believe that a mother knows what is best for her baby as long as she listens and trusts in herself, her baby and the Lord.

8/24/12

I love my new little family. We are so happy! Tired... but happy! I'm grateful everyday for the wonderful birth experience I had and the beautiful baby boy I get to spend everyday for the next 18 years with! I know now, more than ever, that Michael loves me and that I love him. I will always be grateful for his companionship and the love he showed me on that special day. How amazing is the Lord!