Welcome to the World, Isaac Alan!

Weighing in at 7lbs, 6oz and 19.5 inches, our little man entered the world at 9:43 pm on November 1, 2017. He came two weeks early and one week before my scheduled c-section.

On October 31st, I had my weekly OB appt and I was 1cm dilated but Dr. Rothen said that he was very low. She asked what my plans were for Halloween and I told her that I'd be taking Allie trick-or-treating that night. She said "Don't go into labor trick-or-treating." I didn't go into labor that night but I was not expecting what would happen the very next day.

It was the morning of November 1st and I was working. I was busy that morning with my live lesson and then immediately following a meeting with my substitute teacher as well as the other 9th grade English teacher to create an assessment. When I finally got a moment to break free from the office around 10:30am, I went to the bathroom and noticed some bleeding. I had lost my mucous plug. I knew that could happen days or even weeks before you actually go into labor so I wasn't that concerned at that point. However, I kept feeling "trickling" and wasn't sure if it was discharge from my mucous plug or if my water had broken. I felt that same "trickling" feeling when my water broke with Allie. I called the OB office to find out if there was a test they could do to see if my water had broken in the office because I'd rather avoid going all the way to the hospital if I didn't need to. They told me that I would have to go to the triage for that but if I wanted to wait, I could see if I started having more intense contractions (I had just been having braxton hicks so far that day). At this point, I decided to go take a shower in case this was the real deal. I sent Chadd a text around 11:30 right before hopping in the shower to let him know that my water may have broken and that I was going to monitor my contractions for a bit before we head to the hospital.

Once I got out of the shower and dressed, I started doing my make-up and my hair and that's when my contractions became more intense. I downloaded an app and began timing my contractions.  I sent Chadd another text around 1:50 to let him know that we should probably go to the hospital after his 2pm demo. I wasn't sure if I should eat but I decided to have a grilled cheese because I was starving and I knew if this was the real thing, it would be awhile before I could eat again. By 2:30, my contractions were starting to be 3-5 minutes apart. I ended up sending him another text telling him, "I think we need to go." He then called me and told me he ended his demo and was on his way. He came by my mom's first to get me and we weren't able to say bye to Allie because she was taking a nap. We then rushed to the house, I grabbed my packed hospital bag and Chadd quickly packed some some stuff for himself. We arrived at the hospital around 3:45 and Chadd dropped me off to check in and he parked the car.

As soon as I checked in and saw how packed the triage was, I was extremely nervous thinking back to my last experience while in labor with Allie and how long it took me to actually get checked in a triage room. Around 4:10, my vitals were checked and I asked how long the wait would be. He said he didn't know. My contractions were still about 3-5 minutes apart but they were becoming more painful. I was called two other times while waiting in labor in triage: once to go over paperwork and once to speak to a nurse and tell her my pain level and answer other questions. I made the classic mistake of telling her my pain level was a 7. I asked her if my water did really break, when would they be able to perform a c-section and she said, it would most likely be 8 hours after the last time I ate so probably around 10pm. While sitting in the waiting room, the contractions kept getting stronger and tears were just streaming down my face. It is beyond embarrassing and frustrating to be in such pain in front of a waiting room full of people. A lady all dressed up in a suit (looked like she was from corporate) came to check on me several times and said she would tell the nurse that my pain was getting worse.

Finally, at about 6:20pm, I was taken back to a triage room. I was given a gown and told to undress and put all of my clothes in one of those plastic hanging bags. The nurse came back in to check me and confirmed that my water was broken and I was 5cm dilated. She said I would be having my baby by midnight for sure. The nurse also asked if I would be interested in trying a VBAC. I immediately said no. She called the on-call doctor which was Dr. Quirino (the one who delivered Allie) and Dr. Quirino asked to speak to me. She told me she was on her way and she asked me to remind her why I had a c-section last time. I told her that I tried pushing with Allie for 4-5 hours and that Allie was sunny side up and that she had manually turned her but she turned back. Dr. Quirino remembered and agreed that I probably wouldn't be the best candidate for a VBAC but that she was on her way and they would start prepping me for a c-section. Four different people tried putting in my IV and none of them would stick. I was then moved upstairs to pre-op.

Once we were in pre-op, the anesthesiologists came up and they were the ones who finally got my IV in. The nurse started prepping me for my c-section. They had me brush my teeth, they washed me with some special soap, and they put those SCDs on my calves. They were going to do a spinal but Dr. Quirino got called into an emergency so they said they were going to do an epidural instead to relieve my pain.  He had me sit with my back to the very edge of the bed and again I was told that I had scoliosis (even though I was never diagnosed) and this anesthesiologist knew specifically where I had scoliosis (he said something about the lumbar region but remember I was in pain so I can't quote him). My pain level did go down some but I was still feeling a ton of pressure. I told the nurse that I thought she needed to check me again because I felt like he was going to come out soon. She checked again and sure enough, I was 8cm. That's when she started trying to convince me to have a VBAC and I kept saying no. She said "Why would you want a c-section if you don't have to? The recovery would be so much better if you do this vaginally." I reminded her of my experience last time but she was persistent. Even the head nurse came in to try and convince me. At this point, I asked if they could call for my mom to come up. While I was waiting on my mom to come up, Dr. Quirino came back and I asked her what she thought. I could tell what she wanted me to do but I knew she didn't want to push me to do anything I didn't want to do. When my mom came in, I told her that they wanted me to try for a vaginal delivery. She was there for my last labor and all through my pregnancy was in agreement with my c-section. She asked questions including "What are the chances of a uterine rupture?" The Dr. felt that the chances of a uterine rupture were very slim and also said that he was in a much better position than Allie was and she felt that he'd be out within an hour of pushing. She even confirmed this by showing his position to us on an ultrasound. Meanwhile, I was still having intense pressure and everyone including my mom said that the pressure would go away once I started pushing. They all convinced me to try the VBAC and if he wasn't out within an hour or two, we could go into an emergency c-section at any time. Before moving me, my mom asked if I wanted her to stay in waiting room with my dad, Kim, and Allie or if I wanted her to be in the room with me and I told her I wanted her in the room with me.

They wheeled me to a labor and delivery room and that's when I was able to begin pushing. Dr. Quirino stayed with me the whole time along with the nurse who urged me to do the VBAC, a surgical tech, my mom, and Chadd. As soon as I started pushing, the pressure did begin to subside. My acid throat was pretty intense every time I would push but I was able to get some ice chips which helped with that. Everyone in the room helped hold my legs through the contractions except Chadd (because he did not want to see anything) and the surgical tech kept teasing him for it. Before my final pushes, Dr. Quirino asked me to stop pushing through a few contractions while she prepped for him to come out. Finally, when she told me I could push again, he was out within the next few contractions and immediately placed on my chest. I felt so accomplished that I was actually able to have a baby vaginally and so overwhelmed by the love I had for him. I thanked the nurse several times for urging me to do the VBAC.

Chadd held Isaac for a few minutes before retreating downstairs to see Allie, Kim, and my dad and also to get some food because he was starving. Then my mom held him for a little bit as well before they took him to get his stats. My dad and Kim came up next to take turns holding Isaac. We decided we would wait until the next day for Allie to meet him because it was already so late and we wanted her to be alert and excited when she first met him.

We were finally moved into my hospital room a few hours later and Chadd and Isaac were able to get some rest. I don't remember sleeping much because of the worry of wanting to make sure my new baby was okay and the exhilaration of everything that just took place. 

Allie met him the next day and the video below just captures it all. She wasn't sure what to think of Isaac but she was so proud of that balloon (boon) she got me!

Even though our plans were to have Isaac November 9th at 8am via c-section with my two favorite Doctors (Rothen and D'Heureux), God had other plans and I couldn't be more content with how everything worked out. Dr. Quirino was present for the birth of both of my children. I trusted her with my life and the lives of my children and she did not disappoint! She was professional but at the same time very friendly and I felt completely comfortable with her. My only complaint is that she does not work at the Oviedo office because I would love to see her as well for my prenatal appointments if I have any more children in the future. As they all said, the recovery from the VBAC did turn out to be much easier which was helpful since I also had a toddler to take care of when I got home.

"Many are the plans that are in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." -Proverbs 19: 21

Al is Two & We Are About to Have Double the Trouble!

So it's been a minute (or more like over a year) since my last post. I wish life didn't get so busy and I had kept up with this better but I'm going to try to post more often.

On July 22nd, Al turned 2 years old! Where has the time gone? We had a Frozen in Summer pool party to celebrate her birthday. Her friends that attended included Stella, Caleb, Jameson, Ryder, Ezra, Maybrie, Easton, and Payton. Cameron wasn't able to make it because he was sick but his momma was there to celebrate. Her party was at Nan-Nan's house where the kiddos played in the pool, bounce house, swing-set, etc and they had pizza, fruit, veggies, cake, and snow cones!

Al was recently enrolled in a 2 year old ballet class at Tutu's with Stella that they attend every Tuesday. They are the cutest little ballerinas I've ever seen.

Allie talks in full sentences and likes to repeat others or herself several times. She also likes to talk in a deep voice and even knows to use past tense. For example, if I say "Did you GO to Nan-Nan's today?" she knows to reply with "Yes, I WENT to Nan-Nan's today." She is a smarty pants! She is also a little mischievous one. If you can't find her, she can be found in the bath tub, messing with the dog's water or even eating dog food. Not sure why she thinks she's a dog but she does.

Before she turned two, we tried potty training for three weeks. She did well with it in beginning and was quite proud of herself but then wanted nothing to do with it during week three. We are planning to try again in September. She totally understands what to do on the potty and could even say "Momma, you clean my pee pee up" but just wouldn't tell us when she needed to go and would refuse to sit on the potty and then go within five minutes on the floor.

She took ISR this summer with Mrs. Brym for six weeks and learned how to float and get to the side of the pool! I was amazed at how well she listened and followed Mrs. Brym's instructions.

Her favorite movie right now is Trolls and she also was really into Frozen and Moana this summer. Her favorite TV shows are Masha and Bear, Peppa the Pig, Puppy Dog Pals, and Mickey Mouse & The Roadster Racers.

She and Stella play together really well which makes life a little easier for Nan-Nan and Nanny Kathy. At home, she likes Mommy or Daddy to play with her and will often say "You be this one and I'll be this one." Usually she likes to play with her Frozen Elsa and Anna Barbie dolls the most.

She is not a fan of eating meals right now. I couldn't even tell you what her favorite food is because one day she likes something and the next it's "Yuck!" Good thing is that she loves her whole milk and drinks a ton of that and I sometimes supplement with Pediasure if I feel she hasn't eaten enough food that day. She does like her snack foods though and is a cheese connoisseur like her Mommy!

Stats at her 2 year old check up:
Weight: 23 lbs, 14 oz (10th percentile)
Height: 35.5 inches (90th percentile)
Head Circumference: 18 7/8 (65th percentile)

In other news...we are expecting our second child, Isaac Alan, to join our family on November 9, 2017! We found out we were pregnant with him in March shortly after I finished nursing Allie at about 19 months. I am currently 28 weeks pregnant and just entered my third trimester!

I pretty much knew he was a boy by the time I was 8 or 9 weeks because I still wasn't experiencing any morning sickness and I was sick with Allie from week 9 to week 22. We officially found out he was a boy at our Gender Reveal party on May 30th (16 weeks pregnant). Chadd and I really struggled with agreeing on boy names but I mentioned Isaac to him and he really liked it. I'm also happy because it's biblical.

This pregnancy has been very different from my first pregnancy. As stated above, I haven't experienced any morning sickness. However, even though I was tired in my first pregnancy, I am much more tired this time. That may be because I have more than myself to take care of now. I have gained weight a lot faster this time and am actually a little concerned about how much weight I've already gained. I had to see a high risk Dr. for three ultrasounds because I have scar tissue in my uterus. It's not affecting Isaac's growth but I will continue to have ultrasounds each month until he's born just to be on the safe side. One thing that is similar is the acid throat. I remember experiencing it with Allie. It's not heart burn or anything but my throat just feels like it has acid in it and the only thing that temporarily helps is milk. My due date is Nov 14th but because I am having a scheduled C-section, I will most likely have him Nov 9th as that's when my favorite Dr. is on call.

We are still in the process of decorating Isaac's nursery. His room was just painted and we have his dresser and crib. We need to find a rug, book shelf, lamp, curtains, and some other little stuff. My mom is almost done with his quilt. The theme is Orlando City as Chadd was persistent about that so my little boy will have some purple in his room.

Allie is very excited to meet her little brother and from the start said that she wanted it to be a little boy. She kisses my tummy and says "I love you" to him. It's the cutest thing! I can't wait for them to officially meet!

The Countdown to One is On! 11 Months!

As usual, I am writing this entry late as Al will be one next week. Say what?

I seriously am dumbfounded as to how this year has gone by so fast. I know people say that all the time and it sounds cliche but when you have little ones, it is really important to hold on tight to every moment because they grow so fast! 

We were staying at International Palms on Cocoa Beach when she turned 11 months old so we took most of her monthly photos there. We had a mini family vacation and Rosie even came out one night so that Mommy and Daddy could go to dinner alone. Allie had a great time at the beach and resort. They had a little Treasure Island splash area with water slides. She seemed to enjoy it but I know she'd enjoy it more when she was more advanced with her walking. We also had a great time at the beach as she loves splashing in the waves breaking on the shore.

Our little one has been quite busy this summer. I kept saying that I wanted her to be walking by her first birthday because I just felt like her party would be more fun for her if she was walking. Well I'm happy to say she is now a walker! She has been taking steps for about two months now but for the past couple of days, she's been mostly walking and only crawling a little bit. Her walk is very similar to her crawl where it sometimes is kind of sideways like a crab. She's starting to take off though, that's for sure! She's now saying Mama as well which makes me so happy! Just this morning she walked over to me, reached her arms out, and said Mama. It was the sweetest thing! She also loves the sound of her voice and can be quite loud when she wants to. She loves clapping her hands to "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" She absolutely loves her dogs and can almost always be found terrorizing at least one of them. Her favorites are pretty much the same as last month except for favorite snack I'd probably say has changed to goldfish.

Daddy just finished her swing set which was one of her first birthday gifts and she loves it! She also enjoys her new bounce house which was another first birthday gift. She had her first Build-A-Bear experience at the mall last week with me, her Aunt Mel, and Stella! She got a puppy with red bows and a red apple dress that we named Ruby for her birthstone.

She's in 6-12 month clothes, some 9 month and some 12 month. Her hair is still growing more in the back than in the front but she does have some little curls. It also seems to be lightning up some as it sometimes could look a little blonde. Her eyes are still blue and she has six teeth (4 on top, 2 on the bottom). She's in size 3 diapers.

We are busy planning her first birthday party which is a Mickey Clubhouse theme! I'm so excited to celebrate the biggest blessing in my life! Love you sweet baby girl!

Nine, Ten, Wait…Shall I count again?

Our darling is ten months old! WHAT?! That means it's time for me to start planning her first birthday. This is really not funny. Time is flying!

I haven't updated my blog in a while so I am going to update for nine and then ten months today. She will be 11 months on the 22nd.

9 months: She had her 9 month check-in on April 22nd. Luckily, she did not have to have any shots for this appointment. She weighed 16.4 lbs and was 28 1/2 inches long. She also cut her first tooth (front bottom right) on April 5th. She cut her left bottom tooth just about three weeks later. She started to test her balance more during this time too by letting go of objects supporting her while standing. She said shit constantly during this month. I promise we don't use this word on a regular basis at our house. It was just a sound she made. She also loved clapping and waving at 9 months!

10 months:  I'm not sure of her exact weight but I weighed her with myself recently and I'd say she's between 17 and 18 lbs. She now has four teeth (she cut both top teeth on May 26th). She even tested them out by biting me while nursing a few times. She'd smile up at me deviously while doing it too. Luckily she hasn't been doing that lately. I sure am going to miss that adorable gummy smile though! Once her front two teeth came in, she didn't want anything to do with the pacifier so I guess I won't have to deal with trying to get her to stop later on! She's in mostly 9 month and 6-12 month clothes and size 3 diapers. Her eyes are still blue and her brown hair is getting lighter by the day; sometimes in the sun it looks strawberry blonde. She's also developing some curls in the back but we haven't seen much growth in the front so she is currently rocking a little mullet. She's taken 7 steps but isn't quite walking on her own yet. She's also stood up by herself without holding on to anything.

Current Favorites-

Activities:

• taking all of the books off of her bookshelf
• splashing the water in the dog's water dishes
• crawling into Kenzie's cage
• playing with the magnet boards and kitchen set at Nan-Nan's house
• sharing her food/water (she has such a sweet personality!)
• pushing mobile items around the house (like her lion or car)
• climbing up on things and climbing out of things

Books: The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Ten Little Ladybugs

Food: Macaroni and Cheese, Mommy's milk

Snack: Cheerios

Toy: Fisher Price Roll-a-Rounds Swirlin Surprise Gumballs

TV Show: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

I'm anticipating that we will have a walker any day now and I'm looking forward to spending the summer chasing her around!

Seven, Eight, Milestones Great!

It's been awhile since my last post but Allie's been keeping Mommy busy!

Seven Months:

• On the day Al turned 7 months, I was taking pictures of her for our monthly photo shoot and all of the sudden, she achieved two milestones! She put herself in a sitting position and grabbed onto the crib rail and stood up for the first time!
• She had an appointment earlier that day to receive her booster flu shot. She weighed 15.3 lbs. As a result of this shot, she ended up with a fever for a few days and wasn't as active.
• For weeks, she had been doing somewhat of an army crawl and rocking back and forth on her hand and knees. However, she finally began fully crawling at about seven and 1/2 months.

Eight Months:

• Al went to the pediatrician twice on Mommy's spring break. At first, we were sent home and told it was viral. We went back about four days later because she had a major coughing attack and mucus in her eyes and running out of her nose. She ended up having a bacterial infection in her right eye and right ear. She got antibiotics and while she still has a cough from the post-nasal drip, she is feeling much better! At this appointment, we also found out she was 16.1 lbs. 
• She is super active and has to be watched constantly! She not only likes to grab onto things and stand up but she also is already trying to climb on things. Futhermore, she is crawling all throughout the house. I can't just keep her on a quilt anymore. She wants to roam!
• Recently, our girl has also become a clapper, especially when her favorite show comes on!
• She has upgraded from a size two diaper to a size three and is wearing 6 month, 6-9 month, and 6-12 month clothes. 
• Her sleeping patterns haven't really changed in months. I usually nurse her to sleep around 8:30 or 9pm and place her in her crib. She typically will wake up between midnight and one and I'll nurse her briefly before she falls back asleep. When she awakes again at 4 or 5am, I just bring her to our bedroom and she snuggles with us until we get up for work. 
• She is still our little gummy bear. She doesn't have any teeth physically poking out yet but we can see the white behind her gums. They look like they are going to be big!
• When napping and sleeping, she'll still suck on a pacifier but when she's awake, it's a lot less frequent.
• UPDATE: She cut her first bottom tooth on April 5th!

Current Favorites:

• Foods: Breast milk, pears, and puffs.
• Show: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
• Book: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
• Toy: Fisher Price Puppy and Friends Learning Table and Little People Pink Bus 
• Babbles: Da-da-da, na-na-na, and a tour (kind of sounds British)
• Teether: Baby banana teething toothbrush

Current Dislikes:

• Diaper changes! I have had to become quick like the roadrunner when it comes to changing her diapers. She wiggles and will crawl away naked if I'm too slow. 

As much as I want time to slow down, I do love watching our little one achieve these milestones and seeing her sweet personality blossom!

Half a Year!

On January 22nd, Allie turned six months old!

All about Al:

• Dislikes being on her back so much that she does crunches when you lay her down
• Can rotate 360 degrees when on her tummy
• Has full head control and can almost sit up unassisted (we still have to be near her to make sure she doesn't topple over but she can do it)
• Has started eating solids but still has no teeth
• Hair has grown a ton in the past few weeks
• Weighs 14.5 lbs and is 27 inches long
• Still in size 2 diapers and 3-6, 6, 6-9 and 6-12 outfits/sleepers
• Transitioned from pack n play in our room to crib in her nursery (still working on getting her to sleep through the night though)
• She now reaches for me!!!
• Sucks her thumb sometimes and babbles da da da 
• Tearing up paper is hilarious to our Allie
• Uncle Dirk has coined her with the nickname of Albert 

2015 First Holidays & Important Occassions!

Since we are about to say goodbye to 2015 and embark on a new year, I've been thinking about all of Allie's first holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years), her Baptism and first beach trip. These were such treasured moments for us and we were just so busy living them that I hadn't posted about them here so I will just recap them.

Halloween: Because one of Allie's nicknames is Allie Cat, we decided it would be fitting for her first costume to be just that. So I bought a black long sleeved onesie and my mom used her new sewing machine to embroider "Allie Cat" on it. We also made a tutu and headband fit with ears and bought some black tights. A few weeks before Halloween, Chadd and I bought foam pumpkins to decorate because we knew they wouldn't get gross and we could use them again for years to come. He carved Jason and I carved a skull baby to represent little Al. Since we carved pumpkins already, we didn't exactly need to visit the pumpkin patch but I, of course, wanted to get some cute pictures of Allie there and also wanted to get a pumpkin big enough for Allie to sit in. On Halloween morning, we cleaned out the pumpkin and set her inside (with a towel because I know it was cold) and she immediately screamed. Needless to say, it was a pinterest fail and we took her out right away. I still think it makes a cute picture though and it will be something for her to laugh at as she grows older. On Halloween night, after dressing Allie up and painting a nose and whiskers on her face, we went over to Nan-nan's house and enjoyed her traditional chili and baked potatoes while Allie posed for some pictures with Stella. The mosquitoes were awful so we didn't get to walk around and see all of the trick-or-treaters but I think Allie still had a great time!

Thanksgiving: We enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal at my mom's house and were thrilled to have Rosie and Cameron join us over there this year! We had a smorgasbord of turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, twice cut corn, carrot soufflé, green bean casserole, and more. Mel made some really tasty pecan bars for dessert and mom made some delicious hot apple cider that I could not get enough of. Allie was dressed in a turkey outfit with little turkey booties and Chadd took the picture of her below (due to her head looking monstrous compared to her body she dubbed another nickname: Tweety bird).

Baptism (December 13th): It was important to us that Allie be baptized to show our commitment to raising her in a Christian home. We want to show her God's love and beauty through our relationship with each other and our relationship with her. We want her to feel His presence at home, at church, in nature, etc. I hope that she chooses to be baptized again when she's older and has accepted Jesus into her heart. We invited family and friends to witness this special event for our family and everyone came over for BBQ sandwiches and Brunswick Stew to continue the celebration. Thank you to all who were able to be there. I know you all will have a positive impact on Allie as she grows older and closer with the Lord.

First Beach Trip (Weekend of 12/18-12/20): Rosie, Chadd, Allie, and I went to visit Papa Grande and Judy in their hometown of Englewood, FL the weekend before Christmas. Englewood is about three hours away and so we were a bit nervous about the drive since Allie had never been in the car longer than an hour. She did awesome and slept almost the entire way there and entire way back. We stayed in a beach bungalow which was awesome because we could hear the waves crashing to the shore as we slept there those two nights. The weather was actually quite chilly so we didn't get to put Allie's toes in the water. However, she did get to play in the sand and she was highly entertained. We also enjoyed a nice dinner and breakfast with Papa Grande and Judy.

Christmas: On Christmas Eve, Chadd and I exchanged gifts. He got me a necklace with two charms to represent Allie (a July ruby heart and one with footprints that said "Our family just grew by two feet"). I've been wanting something to represent her and he did a great job! We also let Allie "open" a couple of her presents including an awesome blowfish bath toy her daddy bought her and a moving crab. Around 4pm, we went to the children's service at our church with Nanny, Nan-nan, Papa Bob, Melissa, Sean, Daisy, and Stella. Afterwards, we went to Pops and Meme's house and had sandwiches and fried chicken. We also exchanged gifts and Allie was introduced to a lot of new people, including her Linda Pie. On Christmas morning, we went to Nan-nan's and had a delicious breakfast. Allie was reaching for food and staring at everyone as they ate so I felt pressured to let her taste something. We mashed up some bananas and she tried them but only took about two bites. We exchanged gifts and as always, Daisy's were the most humorous. Stella and Allie got lots of similar toys which I'm sure they will enjoy for years to come! We celebrated Christmas evening with Linda Pie, Rosie, and Cameron and devoured Linda's traditional pork roast, scalloped potatoes, and carrot soufflé. Allie's favorite present of all was the cellophane wrap that Linda had included in one of her gifts to us.

New Year's Eve: The three of us went over to Mom & Dad's for a little bit to visit with Aunt Brenda and Uncle Jimmy before they traveled back to South Carolina. Melissa, Sean, Stella, and Dirk also came and we lit up some sparklers and small fountains. One of the fountains was quite loud and it scared Allie so much that I had to go back inside to calm her down. After we went home and put Allie to bed, Chadd and I went outside to enjoy the new fire pit that he built with his bare hands. The fireworks outside woke Allie up so she rang in the new year with us!

We are looking forward to many more "firsts" (holidays and milestones) in the coming year!