Christmas 2009

Christmas Eve - all dressed up for Christmas Eve service

Cohen got to open a present on Christmas Eve, but just wanted to sit in the box! :)

Christmas morning!




Helping Gramma open her present! Gramma flew in at 11 on Christmas morning! It is SO nice to have her here!!! :) She'll be here until Jan 15th! YAY!

Jer opening the cool new espresso machine I got for him!

HUGE belly.... :)


Awesome new camera my wonderful hubby got for me! :)


Testing out the new camera!

Cool new bouncy zebra!

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!!! And have a happy New Year! :)
(I will be posting pics of the baby as soon as he makes his appearance! Only 2 more days!)

Only 1 week to go...!!! :)

Thank you Lord for giving me a healthy pregnancy so far! Please continue to keep me and the baby safe this last week and for the delivery to go well and smoothly!

I am in shock that Christmas is only 3 days away! And then Eli's due in a week! I had no idea how fast this pregnancy would fly by! But I am SO ready to hold my 2 little boy! :)

Week 39

Baby's Length: 21.5 in.

Baby's Weight: 7-7.5 lbs.

Baby's Size: Newborn

New BIG BOY Pics

My friend, Danielle, took these pics from our Mom Group Thanksgiving Party at the Old Poway Park. I think they're awesome! :) I can't believe how big my little man is growing! And he's going to be a BIG brother in 3 weeks! Craziness...

36 weeks ALREADY?!?!?!?

As I have said before, I am utterly amazed at how fast this pregnancy has FLOWN by...! I can hardly believe that by the end of the month, I will have another baby boy! :) I am so excited and can't wait to meet him!!! Will he look more like Jer this time? Will he have red hair like Cohen? I'm pretty sure, by the past ultrasound pics, that he will look something like Cohen. His profile loked similar to Cohen's... But we'll see!
4 weeks and counting.....
Little Elias Richard is due to be delivered 4 weeks from today, on December 30th. But we'll see if he waits that long! :) On Monday, I have another doctor's appointment and we are going to be getting another ultrasound to make sure we're still on track with timing. At every one I've had, he continues to measure a little bigger than expected... I will update on Monday after the appt, hopefully with another picture! :) (Although it would probably be a very squished-looking picture) :)
Thanks to everyone who reads this for all your prayers and support through this pregnancy! But please don't stop! I am definitely going to continue to need them as I figure out a routine that involves caring for 2 crazy boys, instead of 1...! :)

Week 36

Baby's Length: 20.25-20.75 in.

Baby's Weight: 6 lbs.

Baby's Size: Beach ball

Ready for Christmas????

This year, I am not sure why, I have been ready for Christmas since October! I am singing Christmas songs in my head, think about presents and already mentally child-proof decorating... Jer thinks I'm crazy, but I just LOVE Christmas so much more than any other day the whole rest of the year. I wait all year to be able to play the music, turn on the Christmas lights and bake! I bake like a mad-woman around Christmas! YUM! It's starting to get cooler here (50's) and it just makes me want to stay inside and bake a whole bunch of yummy goodies! And this year, I have a little helper (see pic below)! :)
I get to pull out the Christmas bins from the storage in a couple days and I am SO excited! Plus, I think I'm looking forward to this year because I'm going to get a baby for Christmas! The best Christmas present ever....! :)

Delayed Fall/Halloween Pics

A walk in the park...

Happy Halloween, Mr Lion! :)

6 weeks to go....!

Only 6 weeks to go and I am starting to freak out... I can't believe I'm going to have to take care of Cohen and a brand new baby! I know that people do it all the time, have kids so close together, but that's not going to make it any easier. I am already getting impatient and wanting him to come! :) While I wait, I am trying to be productive around the house, getting the boys' room ready and figuring out Christmas presents/projects. I am a huge Christmastime craft freak! So I am starting early so that I can do what I want to do and not be stressing last minute! :)
I am SO excited for Christmas this year! I have had it on the brain really early this year! I think I'm driving Jerry crazy... But that's ok! :) I can't wait! My mom flies in Christmas Day at 1030 in the morning. So she'll be here for present opening and Christmas dinner! That is going to make it SO much better still! I know this year that Cohen can really enjoy Christmas and all it entails. We are going to do all we can being down here without snow to give him the best 1st real Christmas! :) Last year, he was only 4 months, so I'm counting this one as his 1st! :)
YAY! SO excited! And then we get another precious baby boy only 5 days after Christmas... Can't wait.....!


My Baby

Starting at about week 26, your baby has slept and awoken at regular intervals. He closes his eyes when he sleeps, and he'll even dream during the last month before birth. No one knows what babies dream about in the womb, but they show reactions ranging from frowns and smiles to crying and kicking. Asleep or awake, you may feel the kicks in a new place around now--in your rib cage, just below your breasts--as he moves into the head-down position where he'll probably stay until birth.

Week 33

Baby's Length: 19-19.5 in.

Baby's Weight: 4.5 lbs.

Week 30 - The 10-Week Countdown Begins!!!

I've actually begun my 10-week countdown already because of my scheduled c-section, but I don't know the exact date yet... My next Dr appt is this Tuesday (Oct 27th), so I will update all new Eli info after! :)
So far, he's been easy. He moves much more than Cohen, though! Always on the go! :) But it's ok. That's my favorite part of being pregnant!!! :) And I'm much more tired, but that's just because I have a crazy, curious and overly active 1-year-old to watch, too...! :)
I can't believe the time has flown by so fast! I am so ready to have him, though. I just want to hold him! I am so excited to see what he's going to look like! I'm voting for the brown hair still, but we'll definitely see... His ultrasound profile looked a lot like Cohen, so we think that he may look like a Hardy again! We'll see....! :) YAY!

Week 30

Baby's Length: 16.25-17 in.

Baby's Weight: 3 lbs.

Week 29

Week 29

Baby's Length: 15.75-16.25 in.

Baby's Weight: 2.5-2.75 lbs.

Baby's Size: Basketball

My Baby

For the past six weeks or so, your baby has been listening to your voice (along with the voices of your partner, older children, and anyone else who's been talking to your belly). Speaking to your baby is not only a key part of prenatal bonding, but may also form the basis of language development. Babies who have been spoken to in utero recognize and turn to familiar voices immediately after birth. There may also be links between prenatal stimulation and the development of speech and IQ. Conversely, studies have shown that songbirds hatched from the nests of silent foster parents don't sing.

~Del Mar Pumpkin Patch~

Cohen and I went with some friends to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday! It was SO much fun! Cohen had a blast! :) Here are a few pics of the afternoon... View my Facebook for more pics.

1st Haircut!!! (14 months)

He was looking a little wild, so I decided to trim him up a bit! He did a good job of sitting still and eating breakfast while Mommy cut his red locks! :)
(Before - wild man hair)

(After - big boy faux hawk!)

All the little red curls left in the sink made me sad... But I did steal one to put in his baby book! :)
And don't worry, he still has curls! They're actually more defined now that his hair is shorter! YAY!

1 last trimester to go....

I can't believe the time has flown by so fast! It seems like I just found out I was pregnant...! Crazy! I hope that the last trimester goes by as fast as the first two! :) We'll see...

My Baby

Now you enter the third trimester--a busy time for your little one. His movements will increase from now until around week 32, when he'll start running out of room to roam. (He'll keep moving after that, but it will feel more like wiggling compared to the sharp kicks you may be experiencing now.) He's also growing strong--and long! He measures about 14 inches from head to toe, and weighs roughly 3 pounds. Your doctor will keep track of his growth by placing her hands on your belly to measure the size of your uterus, also known as fundal height.

Week 28

Baby's Length: 15.25-15.75 in.

Baby's Weight: 2.25-2.5 lbs.

Baby's Size: Pair of sneakers

~Week 27~

My Baby

Your frisky fetus is on another growth spurt, shooting up half an inch this week to measure about 14 inches from head to toe. He weighs roughly 2 1/2 pounds, and will gain approximately half a pound each week for the next 10 weeks. The average full-term baby weighs about 7 1/2 pounds and measures from 18 to 20 1/2 inches, but many normal, healthy babies fall outside this range. Unless your practitioner has told you of a potential problem, it's safe to assume that your little one is right on track.

***Due Date Update***

So a few weeks ago, when I had my ultrasound, the Tech said that Eli was measuring a little big... Today I had my prenatal doctor visit and she told me that they were moving my due date from Jan 11th to Jan 1st! It seems weird to think that I'm farther along than I had thought. But no problem! That means that we'll schedule his C-Section for the last week in December sometime. I'll keep everyone posted. :)
Here's some more fun (updated) baby info:

Week 25

Baby's Length: 8.5-9 in.

Baby's Weight: 1.5-2 lbs.

Baby's Size: 5 lb. bag of flour

My Baby

The fetus weighs in at 1 1/2 to 2 pounds this week, and measures about a foot from head to toe. Though still skinny and wrinkly (skin hangs loosely until the fetus develops more baby fat), she's growing rapidly and starting to fill the space in your uterus. You'll feel her kicks and pokes more strongly with each passing week, with kick-strength peaking in about a month when she gets too crowded to do anything but squirm.

Eli Richard Allen

My Baby (Parents.com)

The end of this week is an important milestone: Your one-pounder would have a good chance of survival if born now--about 85 percent if given the right care. His body is well proportioned, although lacking in body fat, and the blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. About 50 percent of "early preemies" experience complications ranging from eye problems to intracranial hemorrhage (spontaneous bleeding in the brain); the rate drops steadily from the 24th week onward.

Week 23 (Parents.com)

Baby's Length: 7.5-8.0 in.

Baby's Weight: 1-1.25 lbs.

Baby's Size: Loaf of bread

Week 22 - Over half-way there!

Only 18 more weeks to go... (4 months)!!! :)

Week 22 (Parents.com)

Baby's Length: 7-7.5 in.

Baby's Weight: 1 lb.

Baby's Size: 1 lb. bag of coffee beans

My Baby (Parents.com)

Hair today, gone tomorrow? Your baby develops two kinds of hair in utero--the soft, downy body hair called lanugo, which generally falls off before or shortly after birth, and the hair on her head. Many parents are surprised (to say the least) to see their baby's hair at birth--blond couples often have black-haired offspring, dark ones are just as likely to deliver a little blond or redhead, and parents who have tight, wiry curls often produce babies with soft, loose ones. The bottom line seems to be that birth hair--or lack thereof--bears little resemblance to your child's "real" hair. The birth hair generally falls out by the time the baby is 6 months old, to be replaced by a more logical set of tresses.

IT'S A BOY!!!! (Really!)

So we found out that we are definitely having another boy!!! YAY! We are very excited to give Cohen a little brother! :) Here are some updates on the baby:

My Baby (from Parents.com)

By the end of this week, he'll measure about 7 inches from crown to rump and weigh nearly a pound. Not bad for a little guy who weighed barely an ounce 10 weeks ago! His hearing is developing, and sounds from your conversations can be heard inside the uterus--along with your heartbeat, stomach rumblings, and the pulsing of blood vessels. In fact, the womb is so noisy that it's been compared to an airport runway during takeoff; it's thought that the stimuli prepare the baby for the cacophony of noises, sights, and sounds that will greet him at birth.

Week 21

Baby's Length: 6.5-7.0 in.

Baby's Weight: 10-13 oz.

Baby's Size: Cantaloupe

This is another picture from a picture, so the quality is kinda crappy... But here he is! He would not sit still the whole time she was trying to get pics, so this was the best one we got. :( He was sucking his thumb/fingers the whole time, though! It was really cute! :P
I feel him moving SO much already! He already moves more than Cohen did! I LOVE IT!!! :) I think that's the greatest thing about being pregnant! Although it probably will get old the bigger he gets...

Vacation Recap

Ok, so you all know that Cohen and I were up in Idaho the majority of August! We had so much fun seeing the family! We also did some very exciting things!
We had Cohen's 1st Bday party! Thanks so much for everyone who came... It was great to see everyone! :)





We also went to Silverwood and Boulder Beach Waterpark! Cohen had a blast!!! Here are a few cute pics... To see a lot more pics, visit my Facebook. The link is on the Right...




The last day, we went to the fair and saw the animals, too! :)





We had an amazing time, but it was also nice to get home to Daddy and the house... :P