Grateful

I've been feeling very grateful for so many things in my life recently. I am blessed in so many ways it is unbelievable. Kyle and I were just talking about how lucky our lives have been.

I'm grateful for my life all and all the things that I have in it. I'm grateful that my husband has a good, reliable job (especially in this ecomony). I'm grateful that he chose a career path that is relaible and will always provide for us. I'm grateful that we've learned how to live within our means and never to ask for too much or anything we can't handle.

I'm grateful for the opportunity we have to look for a house and create a home for our new family. That is one of my dreams and I cannot believe that it will come true soon.

I'm so grateful for my family. Although they probably don't know it, they mean the world to me. I love my brothers. I'm especially grateful for those who have helped keep us all together through these rough times we've been having with our parents divorcing. I love my husband's family and the example they are to me.

I'm so grateful for people you can depend and count on. There is nothing like someone you can count on; who does what they say they'll do, who is on time. I'm grateful for people who don't assume or make fast judgments, especially about my religion. I appreciate people who aren't afraid to ask questions.

I'm grateful for my beliefs. I have a real testimony of my Savior. I know that he has gone through every emotional and physical trial I've gone through. That has been such a comfort to me at times. I'm grateful for the Gospel. I know it is true. There isn't one ounce of me that could ever deny it. How could you deny something that gives you so much hope and faith.

I'm grateful beyond belief for my husband. Things have changed so much since we've had the baby, but I know he loves me and will always love me. I'm grateful that he is a good daddy. I'm grateful that he is making so many of my dreams possible. I'm grateful that he has been so supportive and helpful lately.

Last but not least, I'm so grateful for the blessing that God has most recently given me: my little Leon. I love being his mommy. He is such a miracle. I love our afternoon naps. I love his serious faces. I love the way he streches out after he has been asleep. I love everything about him.

The House Hunt

So yeah, the house we went and looked at was really cool but it needed about $30,000 worth of renovations and tons and tons of time to do it all. Normally I would be up to renovating a house, but right now I think it is very unrealistic! It was fun to go look at it and think about all the things we could have done.

After thinking about it and talking to our realtor we decided that we want to buy a house that is move in ready and that only will need a little work. Right now, with the baby and Kyle studying and taking acturial exams it is just more pratical for us to do it this way. We are going to take our time to find the right one. I can't wait to move into a house but I'm willing to wait until we find the one that will work for us. This is what we (well I) want:

• 3 to 4 bedrooms
• 2 baths
• Preferably a house with a little bit of character
• a nice neighborhood, a mature neighborhood
• Harrison or McCutcheon school district
• a nice yard but one that doesn't need a ton of work to keep it up
• a garage for Kyle
• and most importantly: something that can be a HOME

I always have anxiety about house hunting. It is exciting but buying a house is such a huge deal. It is a lot of money to be spending. We want to do it wisely. I pray that we'll find something that we'll love.

I've already posted this photo but in black&white, but I also love it in color. It is one of my favorites.

Today was Leo's two week check up (but he is actually almost three weeks). When he was born, he weighed 7 lbs 9 oucnes. Today he weighed 9lbs 1.3 ounces! I can't believe he has gained almost two whole pounds! And I was worried that he wasn't getting enough to eat! The doc was really happy about how he is doing so I guess we have nothing to really worry about.

I love being a mom. It is so fun. However, I do wish that more sleep was apart of it. I'm really tired today. Leon didn't sleep very well which of course means the same for me. He likes to wake up everytime I put him in his cradle. Oh well, we'll work it out. Honestly, it doesn't bother me all that much right now. Sometimes it is hard but I didn't expect it to be easy.

Kyle and I are going to go look at a house tonight. We orginally weren't going to start looking until the end of March/beginnning of April, but this house is in floreclosure and may go off the market soon. Kyle really loves it. He has actually gone and walked around it. From the photos, I also think it looks really cool. However, I have my doubts. I've always wanted to buy a house and fix it up, but now with a little baby to take care of I wonder if I would have the time and energy to put into it. I am going to be open minded though because I really don't know what condition it is in. It is in a great location and in a great neighborhood where the houses are selling for a lot more. It is fun to dream about what all we could do but I'm also trying to be realistic about everything. But like I said, I'm going to stay open minded...I'm also house hungry, so that helps too.

How Things Are Going:

I can't tell you how many times I've tried to write this post in the last three days. It seems like everytime I have two free hands something has to come up and occupy them. Hopefully, they'll be free this time for just enough time.

I know the moment I write this I'll probably be jinxed but here I go anyway. Last night was great. Leon is finally getting adjusted to what is night and what is day. He woke up only twice to eat and he actually fell back asleep pretty quickly after eating. Usually he is wide awake after eating and it takes another hour just to get him to sleep again. The night before he woke up at 1:30am to eat and didn't fall back to sleep until about 6:00am.

Leo is such a little sweetie. He is a very good baby. I mean, he has his moments of course but I'm not going to complain. He is already growing so much. I'm interested to see how much weight he's gained at his Doctor's appointment on Thrusday. He starting to use his body alot more. He likes to stretch out and move his arms around when ever we lie him down. It is so cute. I also love his sweet eyes. I could stare into them all day. He likes to stare contently into mine when he is in a good mood. He has all sorts of facial expressions. My favorite are when he is looking around with such curiosity, when he has his serious face, and when he raises his eyebrows. They all make me smile.

I'm doing good. I just took the tape off my incesion last night...that really sucked. Everything is healing up really well, though. Dr. Madura did a great job fixing me all up. I'm feeling pretty good. I've been able to get by just by taking a couple of doses of ibprofen a day. It is hard to take it easy though. I've been trying really hard. I want to get my house back to how it normally is. I want to get on the floor and play with Leon. I really would love to get out of the house and go shopping or something, but I know I shouldn't because of my recovery and because it is cold and flu season. I don't want my little guy getting sick this early.

well, i'd write more, but i'm now typing with only one hand. the little guy just woke up

Two Weeks!

My Valentine's Day

I must say I didn't think that this Valentine's Day would be all that special. We have a new little baby and are trying to save up for a house, so therefore we can't do the traditional valentine's day routine of going out to a nice dinner or something like that. And I must say, having Kyle gone most of the morning and afternoon helping my aunt and cousin move totally stunk. However, this valentine's day has been special in it's own way. This morning, before Kyle left, he gave me a small box of chocolates and a card. This is what he wrote in the card:

"Kelly, I love you so much! I can't believe I've got you for all eternity. Leon and I are so lucky. Love, Kyle."

When Kyle got home this afternoon, he took Leon from me so I could get dressed, do my hair, put on some makeup, and feel like myself again. I was soooo looking forward to that after spending two weeks in my pj's and comfy clothes. He took Leon and I out to Pot Belly's. It was so nice to go there because for the majority of the time we were the only ones in the restuarant. While we were eating, Kyle just stopped and said (something along these lines):

"You look really good, Kelly. You look like the old Kelly. I've missed that Kelly. You look beautiful."

That was by far the best thing he could have said or done for me today. I needed to hear that soooo bad, especially after the day that I had. I'm so grateful for my husband. He is the love of my life. I'm the lucky one.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have time to post some more photos of our little munchkin. I took some really cute ones of him sleeping. I'm hoping to write more about him and his sweet personality.

Sweet Little Leon

To see more from Leo's first 9 days here

on this earth then click here.

Movie Review: Henry Poole is Here

Kyle and I watched this movie over the weekend. I had heard about it and knew that it had gotten amazing reviews but I didn't know what it was about. It was soooo good. Even Kyle thought is was really good. It was really pretty touching. It is also a very clean movie with only a PG rating. I love movies like this that are thought provoking but are still very clean and tasteful. The film is shot beautifully. You really should watch this movie. You'll love it.

Someone else's great summary of the film:

HENRY POOLE is HERE is a comedic drama about a disillusioned man who goes hiding in placid suburbia only to discover he cannot escape the forces of hope. Returning to the middleclass neighborhood where he grew up, Henry chooses to live in indulgent isolation. Real life, however, refuses to cooperate with his plans. Nosy neighbors interrupt him with curious visits and prying questions. Then the situation escalates as a stain on Henry's stucco wall is seen to have miraculous powers. His last-ditch hideout becomes a shrine; his backyard turns into an arena for passionate debate about faith and destiny. Seeking anonymous oblivion, cynical Henry Poole instead finds himself right at the center of the human comedy. A modern-day fable, director Mark Pellington's new film investigates the unexpected wonders of the everyday. A faithless man finds hope. A hopeless man finds love. Whether backyard miracles are real or triggered by hope and belief, their personal effects are permanent.

At the Hospital/The Story

So here are a few more photos from the big day. I've also included the "story" of the day and events leading up to it, if you have the patience to read it.


I hated that IV!


This is when things started to get scary.

Leon!

Daddy and baby Leo

Our first family photo. I'll cherish it forever!

Dr. Madura...she is awesome.

How it all started: It all started last April when we began talking seriously about the thought of having a baby. We always knew we wanted kids, we just didn’t know quite when. Cory and Christina, my brother and sister-in-law, just had their little baby girl and I think that is when it dawned on us that we were ready. We did some praying about it to just confirm our feelings about the decision. Let me tell you, it didn’t take long. We soon knew it was the right thing for us to do. I went off birth control the last week of April and then BAM! I tested positive for pregnancy in mid May.

The Pregnancy: Three words: PIECE. OF. CAKE. That is right. Well, that is until the end. I wasn’t sick once. I was tired and unmotivated but the rest was so easy. I actually was like “If this is how I do pregnancy then I wouldn’t mind so much if we have 5 or 6 kids”. However, I’m not so sure about that thought anymore. The last month of the pregnancy, I was just so ready. Impatience overwhelmed every part of me. It didn’t help that the doctor kept saying “Anytime now” or “You’re definitely ready”. I dealt with it through scrapbooking, walking the mall, cleaning, and doing other crafty things.

Welcoming the Little Guy: Because I was a week over my due date, my doctor and I made the decision for me to be induced. I wasn’t too thrilled with the idea. I really wanted him to come on his own. I had prayed all the week before that he would, but I guess the little guy just liked my uterus way too much. So on Sunday I went into the hospital, the doctor broke my water, and then those oh so painful contractions started.

I was surprisingly very calm during the labor. I was patient. I was pleasant. At least, in my opinion, I was. Even when things got scary, I was very calm. I was scared, but I knew I was in good hands. Everyone at the hospital was amazing. It was about 11:30/12:00 when Leon’s heart rate dropped with every contraction. They turned me every which way and gave me oxygen to try to help. They even prepped me just in case I did have to go in for surgery. At about 1:00/1:15, Dr. Madura decided it was time to get him out because things just were getting worse.

I was scared, but I tried to keep it silent. I didn’t want to show it because I knew that if I showed it then I would freak out. I said a quick prayer as they were rolling me into the operating room and was sure that everything would be fine. About 15/20 minutes into things, Kyle and I heard a cry. IT WAS OUR BABY. I can’t describe the feeling I felt when I heard that cry: relief, joy, grateful, overwhelmed with love. He is the most beautiful thing ever and he is mine. I couldn’t believe it. It was so surreal.

Leon: He is so sweet. I love him so much. I can’t even begin to tell you. I always knew mothers loved their kids, but I really had no idea until 5 days ago. He’s incredible. I think he is a good mix of us both, but maybe has a few more features that take after Kyle. He is a really good eater and was from the start. He is only 5 days old and he has already gained a whole pound! He loves to just stare at you. He has his days and nights mixed up but we are working on it.

Kyle: I just have to say that I love my husband. He is taking really good care of me and the baby. I always knew he would be a good daddy and he is. He has been very selfless and patient. He handled everything during the labor very well. He usually gets a little faint at the sight of blood and needles but I think he was too excited to even let it get to him. He’s amazing.

Leon Joseph Allen Is Here!

Leon Joseph Allen was born Febuary 1st, 2009 at 1:29 pm
weighing in at 7lbs 9 oz and measuring 20 inches long.

Quick and to the point (because I just got home from the hospital and am exhausted): I went in on Sunday to be induced. Everything was going really well until my contractions started getting pretty strong. As they monitored my contractions and Leon's heart rate, they found that his heart rate was going very low after every contraction. After about an hour of this, it just got worse so the doctor decided to do an emergency c-section. It was a good thing she did too because it turned out that his ambilical cord was wrapped around his little neck. We're all doing very well now. I'm healing up pretty well, although I'm very sore and tired. Kyle is being so so helpful and is an amazing father. I always knew he would be.

Leo is melting our hearts every second that he is here. He is so sweet. He is also a very good (and impressive, according to the lacation nurse) eater. We can't get enough of him.

I'll be posting more photos and hopefully the whole story tomorrow. I just wanted to give you guys a little something while you waited.

I wish there were words to describe how much I am love this little guy. I never could have imagined. I'm ABOLUTELY in love with him.