Shopping for sissy...

Cash really enjoyed going on a little shopping trip for his future sister. He picked out a ton of stuff and every time he would say, "Ooh, that's pretty. I like that."

Noah isn't the happiest camper that Cash enjoys shopping so much :)

By the way, the dress he has in his hands in the picture below is $40. He has some expensive taste, that's for sure.

Erin

Dear Cash,

We danced again tonight. I love that no matter how old you are getting, you still ask to dance with me. And dance we did. And mommy cried. 

Maybe I am just a little more emotional these days due to your baby sister being in my belly. Or maybe its just that you are so terribly sweet and asked me like a perfect gentleman to "Hold mommy's hand" while you looked up and smiled at me. And then you sat in my arms and rubbed my back and asked me to sing to you. It amazes me how much and deeply I love you. And how happy you make me. And how much you love me. You are mine and I am yours. In that moment when we are dancing, the world around us stops and it is just us. And I am not sure I could be any happier.

Just thought you should know that.

Love,

Mom

Little lady...

Here we are at 12 weeks into this pregnancy. I am a bit behind, but this was taken when the Thunder were in the NBA finals. Such a fun time around here. 

Trust me, you will love going to Thunder games with the fam...

Love,

Mommy

Our ever expanding family...

There are times I ask myself, "Another kid? Can we handle 2? Can we be good parents to 2?" Mostly those thoughts come when Cash is acting up or being a little 2 year old that has the stubbornness of his daddy and mommy and the attitude of a 16 year old girl. But we always knew we wanted more than 1 kid. Here is how it came to be... and no, I will NOT be going into that kind of detail you sicko...

We thought about starting to try for another baby around January. Nothing too serious, just weighing our options and seeing what was right for our family. Well, in February I got a positive pregnancy test. I was stoked. Not exactly what I had planned, but neither was Cash. So I figured if this is the time we are supposed to have another baby, then so be it. I went to the Dr to do my blood work and went on about my day. Not giving anything a second thought. I was pregnant and that was that. Then I got a phone call from the Dr saying my HGC and progesterone levels were low. Really low. I had no idea what that meant. My pregnancy with Cash was as easy as they come and I didn't even know what HCG and progesterone levels were. I went back in a few days later to do more blood work and waited 2 days for the phone call. The phone call to tell me that I was having a "chemical pregnancy" and would miscarry in a matter of days. BOOM. Just like that. The phone call came on Valentine's Day and Noah was out of town. So it was just me and Cash. I told him the news because he is such a good listener and always knows the right thing to say :). His response when I told him he wasn't going to be a big brother right now was, "Love you mommy." And that is all I needed to hear. I was sad and confused and thought there was something wrong with me. I probably over dramatized it in my head a bit, but prayed about it and was fine with the result. It wasn't meant to be. And that was okay.

The Dr told us that since I am so incredibly irregular (Sorry Cash, I know you don't care to know that), it would be a little harder to try to pinpoint my ovulation days. Which I never wanted to do to begin with. I didn't want the process to be stressful and business like. So we didn't worry about any of that and decided it would happen when it was supposed to happen.

And just a side note, it is not uncommon for me to go 4 months without a period. Dr says its "normal" for me, but not really considered normal. So I don't know when to take the pregnancy tests or any of that. So on a random Thursday, I took a test and it said pregnant. I was cautiously excited this time. Went to the Dr and got a call that my levels were low again. AGAIN! I was bummed. They told me to come back in a week and they would re-check my levels. A week?? I just couldn't wait. But I did. I prayed and prayed and prayed. And when I went back to check, my levels were really high and I was pregnant.

So that is how you came to be, sweet girl. "For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him." 1 Samuel 1:26-28

Love,
E

Dear baby girl...

I wish we could tell you that we wished a prayed for our second child to be a little girl, but that wouldn't be the truth. Sorry. After having your brother, I couldn't really see myself as anything other than a boy mommy. I wasn't opposed to the idea of having a girl, just never really looked at it as a legitimate possibility. And then those 4 little letters were written on the ultrasound...

G.I.R.L.

And that was it. My world turned upside down with happiness and disbelief. I smiled from ear to ear and thought of all of the fun we will have as mother and daughter. I teared up knowing that my husband, your daddy, the man who is scared to death to have a baby girl, would soon enough have a little girl to love on and play with. And with that we knew, this is how our family is supposed to be. Just like this.

Here are a few things that I know:

1. You will not always have the best looking hair. So sorry. I don't have the slightest idea about how to do hair and neither does your dad. He has put some rules into place about the bows we can put in your hair. "No bigger than a quarter" he says. "And no PINK". We will just have to see on that one.
2. Your big brother is one for the ages. Truly. He is going to be obsessed with you. He is going to protect you, kiss you, hug you, tackle you, hit you, and play with you. Whether you like it or not, that is a fact.
3. You will probably be raised to be a rough and tumble little girl. Again, sorry. I don't know how to be a very prissy girl and would never claim to know how to raise one. But we will play sports and play in the mud. We will get dirty and you will wear some of your brothers clothes. Just the way it is.
4. You will be spoiled. 
5. If history repeats itself, you will be a chubby little girl. (Sorry again, you get that from your mommy)
6. And you will be another one of our pride and joys.

Looking forward to meeting you and seeing who you become.

Until then, take it easy on me,

Mommy

What an exciting time...

What is better than passing my boards and officially becoming Erin Allen, PT, DPT you might ask?? Oh I don't know...

Maybe welcoming a baby GIRL to our family in December. We are pumped and scared :)

This should be really fun....and expensive!

Love,

E

What could it be...

We will announce in a few days what the next little Allen nugget will be. Should be fun!

Erin