Stella gets her groove back...minus the Stella...........and the groove (according to Jon). But I STILL GOT IT!

I am FINALLY getting back to normal routines after welcoming our newest member of the family!  And one of those routines was blogging!  I was doing so well, and then I fell off the wagon for the past several months.  But, I have finally found made the time to get back to it.  So, the perfectionist in me is being silenced, while I try to briefly review all of the events and activities of the past four and a half months.  Bare with me, it might be rushed…but at least I’m getting back on track.

With so many events and activities occurring, I am just going to feature some of the highlights of the past few months:
MARCH

-GOD IS GOOD!!  Did we move?  No…after much prayer and thought, Jon and I realized that God was already answering our prayer in search for a place to live.  That place is our current home.  After sleepless nights, and a leap of faith – we came to the conclusion that the miraculous house that God so graciously provided for our family back on "8/8/08", as we refer to it, would be the place for us to stay.  In order for this to happen, my amazing hubby has started moonlighting (a.k.a.-working on his Saturdays off) to make ends meet.  I have been paying off debt, revamped our budget, and will be joyfully clipping coupons, making clothes, and saving wherever we can.  God has always been our faithful provider and has been with Jon and I through seasons of mac-n-cheese, and steak dinners.  I have no doubt that “He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” Phil. 1:6. God has provided his direction and solution to my desire and decision to stay home with my sweet babies! 

APRIL

-Ellie started walking!!!  She took her sweet time, but is now "wunning" as she calls it, and is now running circles around us by the way, but this was a momentous occasion! As my due date approached, Ellie was still crawling primarily, and I started thinking I would be carrying TWO babies around after I delivered.  But, Ellie made it happen in her own time-when she was ready.  Bring on the free spirit!
-Snow in April?  It was a little late, but we finally got our couple inches of snow for the year.  Ellie was a little weirded out by it, and refused to stand in it...she doesn't like being cold.
-Easter – I was ready to go with coordinated Easter outfits and all, and on Easter Sunday, we watched the sermon…from urgent care! Jon was at home with Ellie and I was terribly sick with a wicked cold/infection that gave me a rotten headache for almost a week!  So, I went to urgent care, while Jon and Ellie had church at home.  Then my family came over as planned for Easter lunch, and I at enjoyed taking some fun pics of Ellie in her Easter attire.  Plus, we got to see our dear friends, the Birklands’ before they prepared for a move to Nashville, TN.
MAY

 -Enjoyed a wonderful Mother's day with my little family, and ran errands in preparation for being homebound when Charlotte Grace arrived.

-I survived my last month of teaching before my labor countdown.

-Said goodbye to my classroom, my students, and the amazing staff of Smiley School Elementary! *sniff, sniff!

-Enjoyed TWO surprise baby showers – one at work, and one with my family.

-May 31^st – my due date – came and went…as we all knew it would.

JUNE

-Enjoyed a week of Mommy and Ellie time before the newest little Allen beauty arrived.

-Ellie started adjusting to being away from daycare and with mommy full time, and preparing for a new sister to share the spotlight with.  Let’s just say…she has my sassy passionate spirit for sure!

-Counted the days I was past due…one, two, three, four…

-Scheduled my induction, and went into labor ON MY OWN (around 5am)!  Such an answer to prayer!  But, I was still induced at 8:30am, on June 4^th. 

-We welcomed sweet, precious Charlotte Grace Allen, 8lbs. 5oz., 21.5” long, delivered at 10:12pm, June 4^th, 2011!!!
-I rejoiced at only 12 hours of labor, and 12 minutes of pushing!  (As opposed to 30 hrs labor/3 hrs pushing last time). Whoo!
-Sleep is angry at me, and all but disappears for weeks.

-Sam and Delilah (the pups) can't believe there's another little wookie to steal their attention, but manage to take a liking to her.

-I hang in there thanks to my amazing “honey, could you just do” husband, my house-cleaning/food preparing mom, and all of the fantastic friends and family who provided entertainment, food and company during our stay at the hospital and once we returned home with our little family.
-We celebrated Father's Day with my Dad and Jon, and then I recreated the holiday the following weekend, when I actually had the time and energy to put some thought into cooking breakfast for the amazing father of my children.  He deserves the moon!
-Jon attends his annual Ortho Dept. dinner and receives a 2^nd place award for his research project!! Whoo hoo hubs!

-I don’t remember anything that happened after that……….sleep, I just need a little sleep!

And that about brings us to…

JULY!!

-We started things off by celebrating a wonderful pre - 4^th of July celebration at Coronado Island on my Aunt Becky’s boat.  We drove down with the girls for a day trip to see my dad’s family and introduce Charlotte to the ocean.  Jon, the girls and I all realized our sea legs were a little wobbly, but we survived and thoroughly enjoyed such a relaxing day. My Dad’s family has always been great about planning an annual/bi-annual event to get together with everyone.  It’s really amazing to look back on all of our trips/vacations together and think of the wonderful memories.  It makes for a very close-knit family, and I hope to encourage my family to do the same as our kids grow up.

-Ellie started running!  Oh….Good…..Lord!  Thankfully, without a pregnant belly-I can sort of keep up.  She is loving her new found freedom and is a little more adventurous than I’d really like her to be. She’s also nailed singing her ABC’s song, boasting it at the top of her lungs whenever prompted. We are working on numbers, and colors still elude her-but she is amazing.  I just love watching her little brain work.  She’s such a sponge right now, and we’re enjoying teaching her new things. She is also VERY into pretend play and playing with her cousins and any little friends that come to visit.  

-Momma Lori and Grandma Charlotte came for a visit!  Last week, we were so blessed to spend time catching up on hugs and snuggles with Jon’s mom and Grandma Charlotte (our little one’s namesake).  Jon hadn’t seen his mom in a year and a half, nor his Grandma in several years, and it was so wonderful to have some time with them.  Jon’s Aunt Vicky was gracious enough to let us all hang out at their amazing house and pool, and we swam until our skin couldn’t get any prunier!  Ellie had a blast hanging out with her cousins, and has been speaking their names ever since…”Tobey..Lila…Bella…Tobeylila…Bellatobey”.  She is really starting to “play” with others and it’s so fun to watch.

-We dedicated Ellianah and Charlotte on Sunday, July 10^th at Redlands Packinghouse Church, with Pastor Ed Rea.

-Charlotte Grace (Charlie) is now 7 weeks, and growing like a weed!  She has been lifting her head to look around ever since she was born (no, seriously…at the hospital), and she just started making little noises and smiling.  I've caught her sleeping on her side twice now, and am thinking she'll be hurrying to crawl and walk to keep up with her busy sister!

-Ellianah Rose (Ellie) is 19 months, and also growing like a weed-both physically and mentally.  She is gaining new skills daily, if not hourly, and I find myself making mental notes just to keep Jon updated of the events and achievements of each day!

-Jon started his 4^th year of a 5-year Ortho Residency program.  He is praying about what God wants him to pursue as far as specialties go, and will be making that decision in the next couple of months.  If he pursues a fellowship…his Medical journey will involve 2 more years of residency and 1 year of a fellowship…and THEN he’ll be done…and then Christ will return. J  We joke, but have you SEEN what’s happening in the world lately?  Jon is also graciously working a side job as a physician, and mowing the lawn during any remaining free time...I know, I feel like a slave driver.

-This pic is of Jon being a goofball with his "loops" on, which are ridiculously expensive Surgery glasses that the Ortho dept. at Arrowhead Medical graciously picks up the tab for...thank you Arrowhead!
-I am still adjusting to having 2 under 2, but loving every almost every minute! We’ve had our challenges, but I am amazed that 7 weeks have already flown by.  I was just looking at Charlotte (Charlie) last night and noticed that she is no longer a newborn, and is looking more infant/babyish.  She’s growing up so fast.  I can’t believe how much faster the 2^nd time around seems.  I am amazed at how God has answered my heart’s desire to be at home with my girls, and by how much my hubby is sacrificing to make that dream a reality.  I am humbled by my mother and by all moms who have been through this before.  What an eye opening experience my journey as a mom has been.  I cannot believe the grace, patience, love and efficiency that my mom demonstrated each day as she raised us.  Being a parent is an amazing job, an unending task, a precious gift!  I am so humbled and grateful to be the mommy of Ellie Rose and Charlie Grace.

-School starts back up in another month, and I can already feel my spirit getting the routine butterflies as if I were starting another year.  About this time I would have started school supply shopping and lesson prepping.  But this year-I will not be doing those things-not for 5^th graders anyway.  I will instead be buying letter magnets, and large crayons, while planning toddler activities and play-dates.  AND I CAN’T WAIT!


-Until next time, and it will be MUCH sooner, I promise!
       XOXO, The Allens'