A Day in the Life

Robbie and I have quickly learned how much our days (and nights of course) are changing. Today is Sunday, and although we are missing our church and out of our normal routine, it's been a great day and weekend. Last night we had dinner brought to us by friends from our Sunday School class (they have been the BEST at keeping us feed and loving us). After dinner we gave Parker a bath and all 3 hit the bed early. When Parker woke up and ate around 1:00am, Robbie sent me to the guest room to get some good sleep and boy did I! He is the best daddy and husband... I needed the sleep and really I think he liked having Parker all to himself for a night! When I woke up this morning, they were both sound asleep so I think it went quite well. We may even have to do that again. :) We all three stayed in bed a while this morning. Sometimes when Parker is sleeping, he's just too cute to walk away from. Then we made a big outing to Sonic for lunch. We've learned that a trip to Sonic is a big treat for us (another big change as I don't think we hardly ever went their before!) but it's not very far away, you don't have to get out of the car, and you can make a quick exit if you need to. Parker loves the car, but only when moving. Also, sonic drinks are my favorite because I love their ice. We also got to enjoy some time on our back porch with beautiful weather (temps in the 70's and no humidity...felt like early fall!) and our sweet Sam. Oh, a day in the life. The best part is, I love this life.

Doctors Appointment

Last week Parker had his newborn checkup with his pediatrician and everything was great, other than a few little surprises. We have gone in several times since his birth for weight checks, just to make sure he was gaining well. The day after the hospital, he was 7lbs 8oz, under his birth weight which is normal. The next week he was up to 8lbs 2oz, then last week during his doctor visit he was back to his birth weight at 7lbs 15oz. We also discovered he has some acid reflux and thrush, so he got some medicines and started supplementing with some formula to help his weight.
Today, we went back to the doctor and he was 9lbs 14 oz... almost 2 pounds heavier in just 1 week!!
Needless to say, I think he has his appetite back. Uh oh. Can I blame the Allen side for this??

Date Night!

Robbie and I enjoyed a nice dinner out by ourselves last week. We went to Surin and had sushi (yummy!) - something I missed during my pregnancy. It was funny when we got in the car, we both looked at each other like...whoa. We didn't quite know what to do without a baby with us! Of course we had a great time and are so blessed to have great close-by babysitters, such wonderful grandparents on both sides. Only GiGi and Grand-D were wondering why we weren't gone longer! We have made promises to continue date nights in our marriage and I look forward to many more!

The first couple of weeks

New life

It's hard to believe that three weeks ago tomorrow we were admitted to the hospital to have our baby. Robbie and I have learned alot about our little Parker in the past couple of weeks and are continuing to try to figure out this parenting stuff. We have laughed alot and cried alot too (okay mostly that's been me). There's really just nothing that can prepare you for the new little life you bring home. But here's what we know about Parker so far that I thought I'd share...
He reminds me of his daddy everyday- his cute little nose, chin, face. He may have my mouth (and vocal chords!), but he's definitely his own little person. I think he also has his dad's spirited temper, but I'm afraid most of you would say that "spiritedness" may also come from me. His has a great appetite, loves to eat, and will definitely let you know when he gets hungry. He is still nursing great and now can take a bottle well too! He has beautiful big deep blue eyes that love to look around. I've already quoted him the scripture in Proverbs about bright eyes making the heart happy. He certainly makes my heart happy. He loves to be cuddled and held, but lately when it's time to really sleep he's good to be swaddled and put down. He likes his Praise Baby cd to get him ready to sleep, and reallys loves his fan noise (just like daddy!) when he's sleeping. He likes to be on the move- rocking, walking, bouncing, car riding, whatever. It's amazing what two and half weeks can say about a new little life! We can't wait to learn more about him as he changes and grows.

Announcing William Parker Allen

Robbie and I are happy to share that our bundle of joy William Parker Allen is finally here!


Parker arrived on July 25 at 6:32pm. He weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 22 inches long. He is beautiful and healthy, and we love him more than we even thought we could.


His birth happened in a whirlwind of a weekend...we went in on Friday morning for a check up at 39 weeks and 1 day. There was a concern about my blood pressure, and I had started contractions on my own (started very irregular the night before) so we were admitted to the hospital Friday around 11:00am. Friday was filled with phone calls to family and friends and excitement that our bundle of joy would hopefully arrive soon. After just a little progress on Friday, the doctor started me on Pitocin on Saturday around 6am. I labored all day and finally the doctor made the call to do a cesarean delivery Saturday evening to ensure a healthy mom and baby. Robbie and I were disappointed for me to have a c-section, but had a lot of trust in the doctor and nurses who had given us such great care, and more importantly truly trusted God to give them and us wisdom. From the moment we walked into the hospital, God was in that place. Each one of our nurses were believers and such encouragers to us on our journey... it was truly a God-filled amazing experience! And we did get that healthy baby by the end of Saturday... with lots of family and friends there with us to celebrate his arrival.


We brought Parker home on Tuesday morning and have been loving life with him since. Before I start posting pictures to show off my handsome son, let me just share a bit of my heart because it is full. I have so many wonderful and blessed experiences in my life but this one tops them all. The day we brought Parker home I rocked him in his nursery and was overwhelmed that just days before this little life was in my womb. My life will never be the same.

The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart. Helen Keller