Future Hairstylist???

Ok, so the kids got up really early this morning and Steven and I were just so tired. So, we put Sam in the exersaucer and turned on cartoons in our room for Jason and Sara Kate and Sam to watch while we just rested. They were playing fine and enjoying the cartoons when all of a sudden Sambo started getting upset. So, when I sat up, this is what I found..................




Sara Kate decided to cover Sam and the exersaucer with VASELINE!!!! He had a wonderful hairstyle and I just want you to know, it spreads and spreads if you try to wipe it!!! Thanks to a friend at work, we discovered that Dawn dish soap gets it off! We laughed so hard we cried. There is NEVER a dull moment here!

First day of School

Jason and Sara Kate are going to Helena United Methodist Playschool. They go from 9am to 1pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. They have been so excited and didn't cry at all when we took them the first day. They are loving the break from home and all the crafts, playground time and singing they get to do.

Visit from Kuno

Our friend Kuno, the black lab pup, came to visit for a few days while his family went out of town. He is so sweet and loves the kids and all of the food associated with them. He totally enjoyed feeding time with Sam. I don't think Sambo minded too much either!!! Thanks for coming, Kuno!

Sara Kate's 2nd Birthday!!!

Sara Kate turned 2 on August 30.... of course, it was a monsoon because we planned a party, but we finally outsmarted the weather. We had her party at the Trussville YMCA. It was the way to go! We had a ball playing with the toys and bounce house, eating cake and socializing. Happy Birthday sweet baby girl!! We love you so much!

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July and August '09

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Whew!!! July and August have flown by.... or maybe just for me. As many of you know, Steven was laid off on July 3. I have been working as much as possible to pick up where he left off, hence the lack of postings... He has been Mr. Mom and doing a wonderful job, however, I do believe he would give me that job back in an instant for a full-time job. I am so blessed to have such a flexible job with such sweet friends. I think this time would be so much harder if that were not the case. I am working a lot and am so tired, but so blessed and thankful that I can. We have also been getting the house ready to possible put it on the market since we no longer need to be out this far and will hopefully be able to see it quickly once it is listed in the winter.
We kicked off July by going to the McWane center to help Alex celebrate his 7th birthday. We had so much fun and he has grown in to such a fine and handsome young man! We have spent most of our days at home to save money and avoid the heat. The kids love dressing up and that is what they do most of the time! We have been working on potty training, and that comes and goes in phases... no rush, we are used to diapers around here!!! Samuel has started crawling, has two teeth on the bottom and is cutting FOUR on top!!! He isn't so sure he likes baby food, but he is getting better about trying new flavors... he originally would just spit and spray them at me :) He has pulled up on a few things, but doesn't have the best balance yet... it won't be long!
Please pray for Steven to find the job God wants him to have and soon!!!

Well, April and May have been a whirlwind at the Allen house. I had to have surgery in April for retained placenta, Samuel has had an ongoing ear infection that is still not well and Steven has been off work since the last week of May. We have managed to enjoy ourselves despite all of this. We spent Mother's Day at the Lake with Buddy, Pops, PawPaw, Uncle Matt, Aunt Katie and LeLe. We had a great time. Easter was a blurr as I had to work. We celebrated it in pieces with the family. We have been using our Zoo pass and playing outside alot. I just returned from a 9 day business trip that was exhausting, but worth it for the money. I missed my babies so much and was so very happy to come home to them. Thank you all for helping with my angels. I hope to post some pictures as I get them from all who helped!!!
Hope you enjoy these random pictures from April and May 2009!!!

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It has been way too long since we did portraits, so, here they are, finally. Jason is three, Sara Kate is 19 months and Sammy the bull is 2 months. They are growing up so fast. Enjoy!

Jason turns 3!!!

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Ok, so for those of you who pay that much attention, I retroed the date... I am so far behind, but trying!
My first baby, Jason turned three! I can't believe it! He has changed so much in the last year. He is so full of life, imagination and animation! He cracks us up on a daily basis. He is so sweet and loving, such a good big brother and such a sweet spirit. I am so thankful every day for him and what he has brought to our life.
We had to cancel his birthday party because he and Sara Kate are getting over strep throat and the weather was cold and misty... too much for an outside party. So, we will have to reschedule a Spiderman cake eating party for a later date. Instead, we met the family at Frontera grill in Trussville. We had such a great time. My Sam, Grandaddy, Buddy, Pops, PawPaw, Uncle Matt, Aunt Katie, LeLe, Poppa, Uncle Josh and Aunt Amanda all showed up to celebrate our special boy. He had a great time wearing the sombrero and singing. What a great time!
Then, on his real birthday, Buddy came over to make cupcakes. He can take them to school so she came to help us make them and spend the day with us. He and SaraKate had such a ball with her. They made a huge mess and enjoyed every minute of it!
Then, I took them to Publix to get a cookie cake and some chicken for supper. We sang to our biggest boy and had some wonderful cookie!
We love you so much Jason, Happy Birthday big boy!!!

One month old!

Baby Samuel is now one month old! Can you believe it? He is doing great. He now weighs 11 lbs and 3 oz!!! He is 21 and 3/4 inches and a chunky little monkey. His siblings absolutely love him and want to touch and hold and just be near him. They really are so sweet! He loves to look at them and is even trying to squeal or coo at them. Saturday, he smiled for the first times on cue. He has a precious smile and a dimple on his left cheek! He has rolled over once and when he gets really mad, he tries again and again... He is rather spoiled and loves to be held. He does have a bit of reflux and is now on medicine, he seems so much more comfortable now. I am so thankful too because he seemed so miserable in the evenings! Jason and Sara Kate's new favorite thing is to put all of their toys in the crib and then climb out and put them in the big boy bed and back and forth and so on.... so here are some pictures of our fun!

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Three's Company

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We have been having so much fun getting to know Baby Samuel and just playing together. Last weekend it snowed and Jason and Sara Kate and Daddy went out in it to play with our neighbors, Ms. Deanna and Mr. Billy. They loved it. The kids were so tired when they finally came in that they slept right through the afternoon with no power in the house... Baby Samuel is doing great, he eats every two to three hours, which leaves Mommy little time to do much else. He is a sweet boy and LOVES to be held. His big brother and sister just adore him and so far, have not been jealous.

February update....

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Well, the past week has been a blur! We came home on the 18th, PawPaw's 81st birthday. So, we had a little party for him at the house and a little welcome home dinner for Samuel with PawPaw, Buddy and Pops. Then, on Friday, I took Samuel to Dr. Huie for his follow-up visit. He was back to birthweight and doing fantastic. Dr. Huie told me I could take him out some, just to be careful... that being said. I decided not to miss another of PawPaw's birthday parties, like last year. So, we suprised everyone by coming to the party in Anniston...(half way for the Atlanta part of the family and the Alabama part). We all love PawPaw so much and love to get to see each other on this annual celebration! We had such a good time. Then on Sunday, Mimi, Poppa, Aunt Amanda and Uncle Josh came to meet baby Samuel. We enjoyed them so much. Between all of this, we got some candid shots of the kids loving on thier new baby. Sara Kate thinks he is hers and wants to carry him around and squeeze him and love on him... it is just priceless. Jason is a little more timid, but loves to kiss him and look at him and talk about him. Neither seem to be jelous and both are doing so well with him.

Tuesday, I decided to be brave and take the kids to Chick-fil-A for a change of scenery.... it was a disaster. When we got there, we got our food and sat down. Jason was so excited about playing that he began eating so he could. Samuel was starving and crying so I was giving him a bottle and setting out the other's food... all of a sudden, Jason got a funny look on his face and began vomiting, all over the table and his shirt... So, I stop feeding Samuel to clean him up and strip him (of course, I had no change of clothes for Jason). Sara Kate decided she was finished and started trying to climb out and Samuel started crying for more bottle... so then I get the bottle going again and Jason is melting down because now I can't let him go play in case he is sick (though, I really think he just gagged on too much). Then Samuel spits up all over himself and now, I am done. SO, I pack them up and head to the van. On the way, Sara Kate finds the red button on my key chain and sets off my car alarm... so, needless to say, we won't be going anywhere alone for a while.... if I had gone anywhere but Chick-fil-A I would likely still be there cleaning up and crying, but the staff was just so helpful and kind that I survived and now am just laughing at the whole story. Great baby book story for sure!

Baby Samuel is HOME!!!! He has done so well and finally, we brought him home today. His bilirubin stayed down and he moved to a crib yesterday. He has maintained his temp and is eating like a line-backer. He is only 1 oz. to his birthweight! Today is also PawPaw's 81st birthday, so the family is coming over for a welcome home/birthday party. More updates to come from that! Thank you all again for your prayers and support. They are so appreciated and still so needed!!!

Monday update on Samuel

We made great progress today!!! Baby Samuel's bilirubin came down to 12.4 this morning and the moved him to a crib with a bili blanket, which is awesome. They told me I could try to breastfeed him today when I came so I was so excited. When Steven got home from work, we went to visit. He was waiting for us because it was past time for him to eat. He was so alert and so hungry.... or so I thought. Not long after I started feeding him, he snuggled up and fell asleep... So sweet. To wake him up to keep him eating, I handed him to Daddy for some special loving and some pictures. Then it was back to feeding.... I fought for an hour to keep him awake to eat, but enjoyed every minute of it. When it was time to leave, they were getting ready to check another bilirubin level. I called at bedtime and it is down to 9!!! If it continues to go down by in the morning and he continues to eat well, they will give us a discharge plan tomorrow!!! Baby Samuel has been dubbed "Sammy the Bull" by a dear friend... I think it fits. He has been a trojan. Here are some of the pictures of the sweet time with Daddy.... Thank you again for all of your prayers and concern... it is working!

Update on Baby Samuel

So far, we have made great progress. As of yesterday, the blood cultures remained negative. That is great news and that means no more antibiotics. He has been eating very well and his breathing has remained normal. The only thing we are waiting on is his bilirubin to come down. It peaked yesterday at 16.5 and they have had him on 3 bili lights. Today it was down to 14, which is promising. They are going to recheck it tonight and if it continues to go down, begin removing the lights one at a time. Then, the only thing we will be waiting on is for him to graduate to a crib from the warming table where they will make sure he can maintain his body temperature. He hasn't had to up until this point, so they want to be sure. So, all that means that maybe mid-week we can bring him home, but it just depends on him.

We finally got to hold him some today and I am just in love. They have been limiting us to keep him on those lights. I can't wait to get him and just hold him and keep him!

I am doing better, still weak from a pretty low hematocrit, but improving daily. I am just so thankful for all the care and expertise I have and am getting from St. V and that everything seems to get better every day. Thanks for all the prayers and calls, please don't stop praying!!!

Love, Kate

Introducing Samuel Robert Allen

Samuel Robert Allen was born at 1:19 pm on Tuesday, February 10th, 2009 at a whopping 8 lbs 14oz and 21 inches long.

I spoke with Kate and Steven numerous times on Tuesday and everything seemed to go very smoothly during the labor process. However, after baby Samuel was born, things took a turn for the worse for Kate. She began hemorrhaging as a piece of placenta or membrane broke off inside of her. After much clotting, they got Kate stabilized and stopped the clotting/bleeding process. Thank heavens for those wonderful doctors and nurses at St. Vincent's!

Kate became stable around 5:00 pm on Tuesday. Although exhausted, she had very high spirits. Since she had such a tramatic day, she decided to send Baby Samuel to the nursery to get some rest.

Wednesday, February 11th
In the early morning on Wednesday, the nurses brought Baby Samuel into the room and explained to Kate that his breathing was significantly fast. They wanted to draw some blood. After the blood was drawn, they decided to keep Baby Samuel in NICU until he resumed a normal breathing pattern. At one point, he was breathing as much as 110 times per minute. They also refrained him from eating so that there was no chance that he would aspirate. He was hooked up on glucose to help with his sugar levels. They determined that his white blood count is elevated. At one point, they were concerned about his heart but luckily, a cardiologist came and his heart checked out to be normal for an infant. He remained in the NICU overnight where his breathing slowed down but still remained faster than normal. Kate visited the ICU every time the doors were open.

Thursday, Feburary 12th
Samuel remains in the NICU. Today, they placed a feeding tube down his throat to provide him with some nutrients. His bilirubin count has risen so they decided to also place him on a "bili" bed. However, his breathing has become a little more stable. At this point, they are thinking that pneumonia has set in and started some antibiotics today. According to my conversation with Kate a few minutes ago, they are going to keep Samuel anywhere from 3 to 7 days to continue giving him the antibiotics. We are praying that Baby Samuel will come home on Saturday. More than likely, Kate will be released tomorrow, February 13th.

Although Kate and Samuel have had several bumps in the road, we are all VERY thankful for the support and care that they have received from the staff at St. V's and from all of Kate's friends and loved ones. Please continue to pray for this precious family and Samuel's quick recovery.

With much love,
Aunt Katie

Loss of my Best Friend....

For those of you who know me well, you know what a heart I have for animals. Well, Sunday, I lost my first child, my best friend, my Scout. She was twelve years old and I have had her all that time. I picked her out when she was a week old and have loved her dearly ever since. She has been through so much with me and has always greeted me with love, a smile and a "full body wag". She quit eating on Wednesday and then Friday morning, we think she had a small stroke. I took her immediatley to the vet and he said she either had a really bad pneumonia or wide-spread cancer. With the stroke and normal bloodwork, I feared it was the latter. We took her home on antibiotics for pneumonia to see if that would work. She laid around some, but for the most part, she wanted to play and be normal... all except for not eating, not even her favorite, scrambled eggs. When I got home from work on Sunday afternoon, she was outside playing and seemed fine. Then, as I got ready to put the kids in the shower, she looked at me like she couldn't see me. Then, when I came to the kitchen after bathing the kids, she was gone.
My heart breaks so many times a day when I think of her. I miss every little thing. I am thankful the Lord took her before I went to the hospital to deliver Samuel, I believe He showed her mercy and that she didn't suffer much. I hope someday I will see her again. I hope she is playing in sprinklers, chasing squeaky toys and eating her fill of scrambled eggs. She was the best dog a girl could have. I love you my Scoutie.


Scout 12/06/97 - 02/01/09

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January 2009

So, I guess I will have to post a month at a time, or at least that.... Here is our January.
We started off with putting Jason in his "Big Boy" Bed, which went much better than I ever thought it would. Only 2-4 nights of getting scared or unsure and he was fine... the kicker, for him, I think, was that Sara Kate ended up in his crib in the room with him because her room is so hard to keep warm. So, he really didn't have a choice. Plus, he wasn't alone in the room, which helped. So, now they are roomies. That is going great unless one wakes up early or mid-nap... but you can't have EVERYTHING, right?
We have spent a lot of time indoors due to fluctuating weather and a very pregnant and tired Mommie so the other pictures are some of those times. We play dress up alot and the newest rave is the batman, 'pulk' (hulk) and storm trooper masks. As you can see, we all join in. We also went to Chuck-E-Cheese and rode the horse pretty much the whole time. Wonder where they get that from :) Sara Kate discovered oatmeal for breakfast and Jason discovered "oink-milks" cookies (that's Jason-ese for oatmeal). Buddy came and took me shopping for baby Samuel and then came back to the house to see the kids. She and Jason had a ball building a tent between the crib and his big boy bed. We went to our friend Richie's birthday party and Jason bowled for the first time. He really enjoyed that and would cheer and clap as soon as he rolled the ball, he didn't seem to care if he hit any pens or not. We finally opened the present that Steven's great Uncle Marvin and Aunt Joan sent the kids... It was a box full of prizes, the hit being the choo-choo train!!! Jason LOVES it. They also got clothes and books and a puzzle. What a sweet wonderful gift!!! At bedtime, our new routine is to get in Daddy's chair and watch Horton Hears a Who. Aunt Katie and Uncle Matt gave them the movie for Christmas and they LOVE it. So, that is January at the Allen house.
We are still watchfully waiting for baby Samuel to debut and will try to keep you updated.

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