We have ourselves a CRIB!

This weekend was a big step for us. Nick and my Dad put together the first piece of Sofia’s bedroom furniture…her crib! After having the carpet replaced that morning we just could not wait to assemble the crib. We’ve had it for weeks and could not take seeing the massive box sit in the garage any longer!





We have not started the “decorating” just yet. Painting and the “spiffing up” will eventually come.


Nick and I did however, do some detective work and dug up his baby box filled with all sorts of precious little treats. We found his baby blanket, baby mobile, baptismal outfit and an adorable hand knitted outfit we decided Sofie will come home in. Here are some pictures of our finds.



Here are some of Nick's baby goods.


Sofia's crib filled with some early gifts for her.


Here is Nick, posing next to his handy work...all done with the good ol' Allen wrench!
It took all I had to keep Nick from crawling in there and taking a nap with all of Sofie's soon to be friends.

We will continue to post pictures as her rooms comes along.

Me at month six

Today, was picture day. I have been told numerous times..."we want to see a side profile, show us the bump". Well, here I am bump and all.




I'll admit, it's been a bit strange. Knowing that there is a little being growing inside me. I feel strange movements, things that I have never felt. Flutters, kicks, bumps and swishes. When Sofia does move, no matter where I'm at or what I'm doing I get this huge smile on my face.

She does not move a lot but I've noticed she moves more often with music. I've started playing music at night for her. We listen to classical, Nick wants her to listen to 80's hair bands but so far it's just been Beethoven, Bach and Vivaldi. I'm sure she will grow up to appreciate all music.



You know, it's funny...I am unable to wear my normal clothing, my shoes no longer fit properly with the exception of my kitchen clogs and flip flops (luckily I live in sunny Arizona). I'll admit, I've cried some days but then I had to laugh and think of the reward.

All these changes are taking place in such a short amount of time. Only 100+ days before Sofie is here.


Nick, pointing out what he did!

Pregnancy is a strange and yet magical experience. It's a journey that both Nick and I are on together and have been experiencing phenomenal moments with each other. These last few weeks, seeing my shape metamorphosize has been so fascinating. It really has become real!




I'm just really glad to be near my family during this
pregnancy. I can't imagine being 2000 miles away and
having to do this without them. I am sure that with everyones help and love Nick and I are going to be wonderful parents!

Sofia gave us a bit of a scare.

This week has been a challenging one to say the very least. For those of you who don’t know, Mama Chana is very ill. Without getting into details we are asking for prayers in abundance. My family and I drove out to L.A this weekend to comfort her as best we could.

Sofia and I are dealing with it as best as we can. We had a bit of a scare on Sunday. I was feeling some pains that sort of felt like menstrual cramping. Being with ALL of my family at the hospital for Mama Chana they suggested I go to the emergency just to get checked out and be at ease if it turned out to be nothing. Well, I’m a hard head and figured I knew best…I didn’t want to go. But, I thought about it and decided to take their advice and I went to see an E.R. doctor.

Well, luckily I did because I was dehydrated. And those pesky pains…well, those were contractions! They admitted me right away and immediately hooked me up to a fetal monitor to check Sofia’s heart beats and confirm it was regular. They also confirmed I was having minor contractions and connected me to an I.V. with re-hydration fluids. They measured my uterus to make sure the birth cannel was closed and that Sofia was not trying to make a quick escape.

Nick was right there with me. We both were really scared when the Doctor said the word “contractions”. The best thing to come out of the whole ordeal, Nick felt Sofia kick for the first time. It was so cute, he had this smile on his face that I will never be able to describe; a smile that will always be in my memories. He likes to think it was a head butt (ala Chuck Norris) rather than a kick.

Three hours later, I was given the okay to leave with strict orders to drink TONS of water an ease up on my salt intake.

I’m feeling fine now, my ankles are a bit swollen but I think that’s just from the long car ride home. I’ve been drinking water by the quarts full and eating salt free foods. Nick has been such a wonderful nurse, making sure I always have a big bottle of water next to me and making sure I keep my feet elevated and even cooking me dinner. He is such a wonderful husband. I love him more and more each day…Sofia is going to be one lucky girl to have such a great Daddy!

Nick's Blog

Hey everyone, I dont know how many of you are reading these but I hope that alot of you are. I know that we move around quite a bit, so this is a good way to keep our family and friends all over the country up to date on whats been happening.

So far Tina has been doing a pretty good job of blogging it up. But I feel that I need to contribute once in a while too.

So here we are, still in Queen Creek, AZ. As you have already read, we are having a girl and naming her Sofia. I really wanted a son, someone who I can watch wrestling with, take to the comic book store, and teach about the subtle nuonces of 80's hair metal bands (GNR VS Motley Crue, Skid Row VS Poison, etc). Then I got to thinking, why cant I do all of these things with a daughter? The answer my friends is that I can. And I will. I do realize that she may very well turn out to be a "unique" little girl, but I have to have some kind of influence over her to save her from a childhood of museums, baking, classical music and art history (from Tina), boring! This kid is going to grow up appreciating a good Zombie movie as much as a artsy foreign film, a bowl of Count Chocula as much as foie gras and a WWF steel chair to the head as much as some PBS educational piece. I want my daughter to be a little like me, not afraid to be herself no matter what people think. Hopefully she wont turn out to be a drama class nerd! My biggest wish for her is that some day she will tell me how much fun her childhood was and that doing all of these unusual things with her Dad was the best time of her life.

I still have a few months to convince Tina that Axl is a good middle name... any help would be appreciated!

Comments?

Nick

Our baby girl has a name!

Well, Nick and I finally picked a name for our little baby. After much thought and deliberation we chose...



We wanted a name to be meaningful and special. We chose the name Sofia because it is warm, loving, full of joy and meaning "wisdom" The name Addison, was Nick's Grandfather's name. It has always been a special name to us. We wanted to incorporate the name whether it be a boy or a girl.

It feels good to finally have a name, we are getting into the habit of saying Sofia instead of "the baby". Things are starting to become REAL, I now can feel her slight movements. It feels strange and yet totally special and assuring. I am definitely starting to show now. I know she's there and so does everyone else. I find myself smiling at the thought me Nick and I being parents. It has been the two of us (and Bella) for so long and now, we're gonna be a FAMILY!

We can't wait for Sofia's arrival!

Baby Allen is... Baby Girl Allen

Today was one of those milestones a pregnant couple waits for. The day to find out whether blue or pink will be a suitable color. Well, today was our day and we were totally and completely amazed. The color for us…PINK! We’re having a little baby girl. We are still unsure of a name, so be patient.




Friends, meet our baby. She is 18 weeks 4 days old and about 9 ounces.



Here is a beautiful shot of her spine.



And this is a precious shot of her foot...amazing!




This shot just confirms...it's a girl.



The whole thing was a bit surreal. There we were, in this dark room, I was lying there facing a screen that in mere moments would reveal the big secret. The nurse moved the wand showing us our baby’s head, heart, legs, brain and then…out came the words...”and it looks like you are expecting a baby girl”. Nick and I looked at each other and had the biggest grins on our faces. We were so excited to finally know.

The feeling is becoming much more realistic and definite. We are looking forward to buying clothes, toys and all the fun baby stuff we have put off.

WE ARE HAVING A BABY GIRL!
The nurse told us she is approximately 9 ounces and looks healthy. So, for those of you who voted GIRL...good job!

17 Weeks along and 23 to go!

Just to give you an idea of where "little baby Allen" is at, here's the best analogy I found.



Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and it's little fingers and toes are now topped by one-of-a-kind prints.

From what I've been reading, our baby can hear what's going on outside the womb! Loud noises are startling, but classical music is soothing …


Only a few more days until the big ultra sound...as soon as we know we'll let you know.

15 Weeks...172 more days!

It's a bit strange to me to think that there is another being growing inside me. A creation that is both me and Nick. I often wonder who's features will be most recognizable? Either way, I always come back to the thought...this baby is OURS!

We had our first doctors appointment in August. This was the standard check up and Q and A portion. Nick came along with me and was very inquisitive. We set up our first ultra sound for week later. That week felt like it took FOR EVER!!!

I've only seen this done on T.V. With the cold jelly and the monitor...well, it was totally not the same. This time, it was our baby and the sound was totally new and foreign.



We listened to the heartbeat and this image appeared...this was our baby. It was BEAUTIFUL!


Since then, I've passed the morning sickness portion of the ride. I am onto gaining my appetite back and feeling good. I am still tired... ALL THE TIME, but the payoff will be worth it.

Nick and I have since been to the doctors for our second appointment and all is still normal and going well. I have begun to show a little. I'm at the point where my normal clothes no longer fit but maternity clothes are too big.

We have our next ultra sound scheduled for October 2...this is where we find out the sex. Nick and I are hoping for a boy! Either way, as long as it's healthy we'll be happy.

Our Big Adventure

So, we dated for ever and a day; we were engaged for a life time and then we got married. We had a wedding that we had always wanted. It was meaningful, traditional and momentous.

I truly believe Nick is the man that God had in mind for me.



After the wedding, we had the honeymoon of our dreams. We traveled to Italy and saw some of the most romantic cities. When we returned we decided to move to Minnesota. There, we just lived...we experienced different cites and each other. We traveled and really had fun.

Taste of Minnesota 2006


I attended and completed culinary school and loved every expensive moment!



Now, we are heading down the road onto a new adventure. We are going to be mommy and daddy. This will be our first child and we want to do everything right! We want to be able to provide experiences and culture; provide a happy carefree home and most of all allow our baby to have the best childhood we can offer.




We are gonna have a BABY!!

We are starting this blog page to let you guys know where we are at in the many different stages of the pregnancy and to share photos, videos and to share special moments.

We hope you like this page and comment and give all the advice you have, trust me...we can sure use it.