May I officially introduce... Cooper Cole Allen

Toby and I recently (Dec 22) had to go back to the hospital for a follow-up ultrasound regarding the "markers" the doctor saw at our last appointment 4 weeks ago. If you need a refresher, we met with a genetic counselor who explained to us that the baby had some choroid plexus cysts, an echogenic cardiac foci (or something like that), and his kidneys were a little "brighter" than what would be considered normal. So, knowing what to expect at this next appointment, we went in hoping that the markers would be gone, but with full acceptance if they weren't. Needless to say, we had good news and bad news... the good news is that his kidneys seemed to functioning properly and there were no additional markers / findings. The bad news - everything looked exactly the same. The doctor verified to us that even if the cysts and the foci were gone, the odds of a chromosomal abnormality such as Down's Syndrome would not be reduced. We're still confident (as confident as possible) that he's going to be completely fine, but I'd be lying if I said the thought didn't cross my mind everyday... how will I react if he does have Down's Syndrome...
Anyway, onto more exciting news... Toby and I have officially given him a name. Drumroll please... dddddrrrrruuummmmm rrrrrooooollllll....

Here is COOPER COLE ALLEN at 24 weeks - about 1 1/2 pounds:

In case you were wondering, that's his hand by his mouth... not sure what's going on there. We decided on Cooper because from the list that we had, that was both of our favorites. And Cole is Toby's middle name, so we're just passing on the goodness.

And me... and my belly... at 24 weeks:

Feeling him move around and kick and punch, or whatever he's doing in there, has been absolutely amazing. He's pretty active just before I'm getting ready to go to sleep, so I find myself regularly yelling at Toby to come and feel my belly. Just recently, we've discovered that we can actually SEE him moving around as my belly moves also. Now that is quite intriguing, to say the least. Nonetheless, we are enjoying these moments as the time seems to be flying - only 3 1/2 more months. I find that I am smiling more at what some people might think is nothing, but I know it's because I feel his little hands and feet moving about. Toby has also become quite the communicator - he likes to talk to Cooper through my belly button. hehe... And I adore him for that. He often starts his talks with, "Cooper! Cooper, this is your dad."

So that's my news for now. Thanks for all your prayers and support throughout our journey! It's been a bit of a roller coaster, but I wouldn't change any of it, as it's made us appreciate the blessing we have coming more and more each day.

So long December... So long 2009...

Well, it was my original intention to post a blog on a weekly basis - or at least every two weeks - but clearly, that isn't happening. So now I find myself trying to play catch up. December... what happened during the month of December... Well, Toby and I had both of our Christmas parties. At my Christmas party, I must confess that we (though Toby would say him) won over $200K at the craps table. Yeah, so, it was fake chips; but, as our luck would strike, we had over 200 raffle tickets that we put in a raffle prize bag and actually did NOT win anything. We never win. EVER! So long $100 Starbucks gift card. So long spa package... maybe next year. **Toby would like me to add that he did not want those raffle prizes. There Toby... it's been declared. He wanted the iPod; however, since we have 3 iPods currently (2 of which are out of service), he did not win that battle.

Anyhow, I thought it would be fun to reminisce from Toby's first Technip Christmas party. This is us in 2007:

And here we are this year - 2009: (Not sure what the Hollywood theme has to do with Christmas)

Time sure does fly when you're having fun! Notice my growing belly... And to think, in 2007, Toby had no idea what he was in for. :)

Other than Christmas parties and the end of my 2nd to last semester in my MBA program (yay for 3 A's this semester!), we've done nothing more than work on baby Allen's room. Toby had this grandious idea to paint stripes on the wall - and not just any stripes, these are meticulous stripes. He's been doing a wonderful job and I'm so proud of him for taking on this task. I'll definitely be posting more pictures of his room soon, but for now, this is all you get...

Here's the proud dad...

I guess the "theme" would be monkeys. I was determined to not have a bedroom that looked like a zoo threw up in it, so we've managed to just scatter some monkeys here and there. I absolutely LOVE the bedroom... it really is perfect. I was so motivated last weekend that I actually managed to redo the bathroom as well. So now, baby Allen has a monkey bathroom. Gotta love it!

OH! And for you northerners (you know who you are) reading this... I would just like to say... it snowed in Houston this year. I think it came down for a couple of hours and was entirely melted within another two hours, but nevertheless, it felt just like Christmas - a little early. Here it is - our big snowfall - isn't it gorgeous???

And that's about it for our December. We had a wonderful Christmas break; we managed to spend a little bit of time with my parents, Toby's mom and step-dad, and Toby's dad. For Christmas, Toby got me a fancy sewing machine. I'm VERY excited to use it; if only I could figure it out. :) Someday... someday...

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!!! Happy New Year!

IT'S A BOY!!!

Well, for our BIG news... Toby and I had our 20 week scan today and it was more than clear that we've got a dirk bike ridin', mud eatin', stinky little boy on the way. We are VERY excited about it being a boy - Toby maybe more so than me - but I'm so happy that we are finally going to have a grandson on my side of the family... enough with those girls already. :)

The ultrasound was absolutely amazing. I can't believe what technology allows us to see in a baby so small. He was examined from head to toe, including his brain, his heart (all 4 ventricles... wait, does a heart have 4 ventricles?), the organs in his little belly, and even his little fingers and toes. I had to roll around a couple of times to try to get him to move as he wasn't entirely cooperative when it came to determining the sex. Thankfully, he did roll over... otherwise, I'd have nothing to blog about because he would still be "it" or "the baby."

While we believe he is, or will be, a perfectly healthy little boy, unfortunately we did have to meet with a genetic counselor after the ultrasound to discuss some of the findings. One being an echogenic intracardiac focus - otherwise known as a bright spot in the heart - caused by what is believed to be a calcium deposit. The second finding was a couple of choroid plexus cysts - cysts that appear on the choroid plexus, or the part of the brain that supplies spinal fluid. While both sound scary, they are expected to clear up on their own and neither will create any kind of difficulty with the function of his heart or his brain. The concern lies in that when the two are found together, there is an increased indication of a chromosomal abnormality such as Trisomy 18 or Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome). However, on the bright side, my quad screen - 2nd trimester bloodwork - did not indicate Down Syndrome and my doctor said that is generally about 95% accurate. The third "discrepancy" was that the baby's kidneys appeared to be a little brighter on the ultrasound that what would otherwise be considered "normal." Again, there is no indication that anything is wrong, as his kidneys aren't enlarged and the amniotic fluid level is normal, but it is something they are going to watch just to be sure nothing else develops.

It was quite a blow this morning to hear all of these things that "could" be wrong with the poor little guy swimming around in my belly, but we're gaining confidence that everything will be absolutely fine. Or... should I say... I'm gaining confidence - Toby is already confident. We were given the option to do an amniocentesis, which would give us a definitive answer as to whether he has Down Syndrome, but we have chosen not to have the procedure. We have another ultrasound scheduled in 4 weeks and if any other DS markers are found, we may re-evaluate at that time; but in the grand scheme of things... it doesn't really matter to us. We'll love him just the same, and the benefits don't outweigh the risks in our view.

So... in the meantime, we've got a big 'ol boy on his way. OH! And I have no idea how accurate the weight is, but the radiologist person told us he weighed 11 ounces. If that is in fact accurate, I'd just like to mention that according to my Mayo Clinic book, he should weigh about 9 oz... but not until Saturday. So one thing is for sure... he has no growth problems! If you'd like to add us to your prayer list, we'd appreciate it... and so would Baby Allen. :)

Without further ado... here is Baby BOY Allen at 19 weeks and some odd days. (Toby said I couldn't post the picture that clearly showed his boy parts, so you'll just have to take my word for it... no doubt... it's a boy.)

Weekend in Weimar

So while Toby was buying a gun that he swears he'll be able to use when zombies take over the world, and Dad and Paul were killing Bambis - Mom, Jamie, Maddie, and I were roaming around the country fighting off allergies and fire ants. But, really, we went to a Jersey cow farm where we learned that Blue Bell uses milk from jersey cows for their ice cream because it has the richest flavor. Other than that, we didn't learn too much. I'm sure it was a bit more fun for Maddie despite the fact that she was attacked by a slobbery black lab, which led to a slight breakout on her face. She got to bottle feed a baby calf that was in calf jail and she tried to feed a rabbit a Cheerio, but ended up giving it to the chicken. Yep... that was our trip to the jersey cow farm.

Other than that, Maddie recently got a John Deere Gator from Grammy and Grampy and she's bravely learning how to drive it. She hasn't quite got the pedal and steering thing down - you know, both need to be done at the same time - but I'm sure she'll figure it out soon.

And mom... this one's for you. A Weimar sunset from your backyard...

Wings Over Houston

The weekend before last, Toby's dad managed to hook us up with some VIP passes to the Wings Over Houston airshow. (Because, well, we're kind of a big deal.) I must admit, it's probably been somewhere close to 15 - 20 years since I've actually gone to a real airshow, but I remember the Blue Angels like it was yesterday. I have no idea where my fascination of jet engines originated, but when I hear one roar over head (a rare occasion), and so close to the ground, it absolutely captivates me.

After fighting through two hours of traffic to finally get to the hanger where we could park, our anger and road rage eased a bit with a great BBQ lunch provided by some aviation company at Ellington. We had pretty good seats where we could sit in the shade and still have a good view of the show. When we arrived, they began with a Pearl Harbor reenactment - complete with Japanese and American planes and bombs (no, not real ones).

There were several planes that served as a tribute to the many generations of planes that participated in various wars. Apologies for not being more of an airplane or history guru; otherwise, I could probably tell you what each of the planes are.

If I remember correctly, what was unique about this formation was that it captured 4 generations of planes that played a significant role in the wars from our history. And of course, the loudest and coolest of all, was the F-15. It was by far my fave... only because of its purr... or roar.

There was also this insane stunt pilot who had me convinced several times that he had actually lost control of his plane. It was seriously crazy, but we were definitely intrigued that a plane could perform those maneuvers and recover before crashing into the ground.

And yes, in the pictures below, there is actually someone on the top of the plane. She.. yes... SHE... (girl power!) was doing loops and flips and all sorts of things on the top of that plane.

And of course, the highlight of the show... the Blue Angels. They started off with Fat Albert - that's the C-130 that has the capability to take off on short runways and climb at a 45 degree angle and it flies at an incredibly high rate of a speed for a C-130.

I'm not sure I had as much appreciation for the Blue Angels when I was a kid... in fact, I know I didn't - not as much as I do now. Did you know that they can actually fly with their wings merely 18 inches apart??? Below is a picture. They look as though they're just one unit - or flying on top of one another.

Other pics of the Blue Angels.... Yay Navy!

Farewell Kitty... Farewell

So this week has been slightly stressful for me. Monday morning as I scurried out of the front door for work - running late as usual - I locked the door behind me and headed down the sidewalk to the car, when my path was disrupted by the loud mewing of what sounded like a fairly young kitty hiding in our Mexican Heathers. So I spent about 5 minutes attempting to coax it out of the plants, all the while it was just mewing and mewing and mewing. Finally, I caught a glimpse and thought - oh no, it's a kitten. At that moment, I had to make a decision... get the cat out and feed it or go to work. So, I ran to the car, dropped off my things, darted back to the house, unlocked the front door, and grabbed all I could find that would help out the cat - a bowl of warm milk and some dry dog food that I thought would soften enough for kitty to eat. I dropped off the bowl outside by the plants and kitty sprinted out and immediately began lapping the milk. With a sigh of relief, I headed to work - 10 minutes after my already late morning.

That morning at work, I sat at my desk thinking... hmmmm... I don't think kittens are supposed to drink cow milk. So I did some googling and everything I saw read, "Don't give kittens cow milk." Great... So at lunch, after I had a few hours to process the homeless kitten hiding in my plants, I scurried home and gave it some of Karly's canned dog food. It didn't seem to be too picky at this point. For the rest of the week - up until last night - I fed kitty 3 - 4 times a day. It was so skinny when I first found it Monday morning and by last night it looked to be semi-healthy. I would feed it warm kitten formula mixed with delicious cat food (I'm just assuming it's delicious - I didn't taste it) like oceanfish with salmon and chicken/lamb.

So, the most stressful part of the entire week... as I'm sure many are aware... pregnant women aren't supposed to be around cat feces/litter, especially stray cats, and even more especially, stray kittens as most are still carrying parasites and haven't been vaccinated appropriately. So everyday this week, I've been haunted with the thought of toxoplasmosis... the parasite that is carried in cat feces. ugh... I know, gross. I did play with the kitten - a lot - probably at least an hour a day. And it used our flower garden as a litter box. ...it does smell a little funky by our front door. (Again, gross, I know.) All week, Toby and I tried to find kitty a home and FINALLY... FINALLY... an engineering manager he works with said his mom and dad wanted a new kitty and he would come get it. And he did!! That's the best part. After an exhausting search for kitty last night - it had gone off exploring when it started to get dark - I finally found it. This search involved me crawling around the yard 4 houses down on my hands and knees saying, here kitty kitty, while people drove by and walked... very interesting I'm sure. Kitty is now on its way to Brenham where it will be a country cat with a good home. YAAAYYY!!

So, now, my only thoughts are... certainly, my tender animal heart could not have caused me to contract toxoplasmosis, thus putting the health of our unborn baby in danger. Dear God, please keep baby safe and healthy...

So long sweet kitty, so long... I hope you live a long and prosperous life and catch lots of mice, birds, and snakes.

Port Aransas

For a mini-family vacation, we spent this past weekend in Port Aransas celebrating a couple exciting events and spending time together. Toby and I, my mom and dad, Paul, Jamie, and Maddie as well as Toby’s mom and step-dad, and a couple added friends, had a wonderful time! The weather didn’t entirely cooperate with us as the cool front blew in while preparing for Maddie’s 2nd birthday party Friday afternoon. Yes, she turned 2 already!!

She had a really cute barn cake complete with farm animal cupcakes.

But she was more into the cookies than the cake...

Our other celebration was Lord of Life’s 20th anniversary. For those of you who don’t know, that’s the church where Paul and I pretty much grew up. Our family has made lifelong friends there, who we don’t get to see very often unfortunately; but when we do, it’s always a great time.

We spent as much time as we could down by the water - which Maddie loved.

Maddie and Grammy...

One benefit of that silly cool front blowing in was the added wind it brought, which provided Toby and my dad the perfect opportunity to take on a new hobby… kites. Oh yes, I said flying kites. The course of events was somewhat entertaining. Toby and I decided we’d run into town and buy a kite because it was so windy, so we found one that we thought would suffice for $3.99. After all, it’s just a kite and all it has to do is stay in the air. After much heckling from my dad, we learned that kites don’t just have to stay in one spot in the sky, but rather… they can actually do tricks, care of the person flying the kite. So somehow, the three of us (my dad, Toby, and I) ended up at an actual kite store – I had no idea those existed. An hour and some change later, we walked out with two “stunt” kites and a lesson on how to fly them. Back at the beach, dad was so excited about these kites, he realized he needed a bigger one. Oh yes… a bigger one. So the next day, back we went… to the kite store… with my brother this time who was about to get suckered into this new hobby… and out we came – with a kite the store owner actually said was not recommended for beginners (uh huh… dad). Pshhhh… there are no beginner kite flyers in our party – we’ve been flying kites since we were kids - just not the ginormous ones that pull you through the sand.

They pulled their kites with Maddie's red wagon... boys... so cute.

The first set of kites... for the beginners...

And round #2 with dad's 2nd kite... the big daddy kite... for the master kiter - or my dad.

So as we celebrated Maddie’s 2nd birthday party, Lord of Life’s 20th anniversary, and developed a newfound hobby… the weekend came to an end and here we are – back in reality. It was just too short… but ever so exciting, nonetheless.

Surprise! (For those who don't know yet)

So for my very first blog ever, I thought I should go really big. What a better way to do it than by saying... "We're having a baby!!" Mark your calendar for April 14th, 2010! I have been patiently waiting until the (near) end of the first trimester to spread the news and I'm very excited to finally be able to tell everyone. It's been a pretty exciting 6 or so weeks since we found out. We've been fortunate enough to hear the baby's heartbeat at our first 2 appts. It was absolutely amazing. I had no idea that at merely 6 weeks old, it's little heart would be beating so fast. Aside from learning all the amazing things about how life begins... I've found myself visualizing the nursery in my mind and I've been daydreaming about how in the world we're going to fit our office into our guest room when it's all of 10x10 sq ft. But, sooner or later, we'll figure it out. I've scoped out nursery bedding and even surfed the web for some exciting names. However, Toby already has his mind set on a boy's name... it's non-negotiable he says. Unfortunately for him, it's going to be a girl. :) Of course, we don't know yet, but as this little girl's mother, I already know. (Okay, not really.)

So far we've been to 3 appts. I know, I know... We're only 11 weeks (and some change) along, why so many appointments. With a little medicinal intervention and the help of an amazing specialist with super powers (okay, that's an inside joke between the doctor, Toby, and myself) we've finally got this little stinker to stick. Praise God!!

I hope to keep everyone informed of our progress with regular posts. (I'm very excited to be a blogger!) While I know this is kind of a lame way to "talk" to people, unfortunately, God hasn't blessed me with unlimited cell phone minutes or an excessive amount of hours in my day to contact everyone... SO, this will have to do. Plus, I really needed to catch up with my blogger friends - I'm way behind.

Here's our little peanut at 6 weeks 3 days.

Our sweet little baby at 8 weeks 5 days - a trip to the ER which landed me on strict bedrest for a loooong 4 days. However, this is definitely my favorite ultrasound pic to date. The baby is on its back (head to the right) and if I look close enough, I'm pretty sure I can see its little nose.

The baby at 9 weeks 2 days... This one's kind of weird, but it's head is at the bottom and the bright spot in the middle is where its little heart is beating. And in the upper right is its little feet and for those who are REALLY interested, the umbilical is there too. It was the first time we could see that, so we thought it was pretty neat.

And for the most recent... this is today's appt at 11 weeks 2 days. Good luck deciphering this one. :) All I know is that the head is at the top and the feet are at the bottom.