Lots of Firsts!!!

This week was a busy week of firsts in the Allen household!!

First, Thursday night, Malachi tried his "first" serving of cereal and apple butter - YUMMY!!! As you can see, he ATE IT UP!!

Then, Friday night, Daddy was SOOO excited! It was Malachi's first football game!! Yea Eagles! Not only was daddy excited about the football game because, duh, it's a football game, but he was also excited about showing off his precious little Tight End (his son that is...haha!!) I must admit, I was pretty excited about it too! This was really the first time we've gotten him out where we would see a LOT of people we knew in high school etc., to show everyone the cutest little boy ever born. Okay, I know, I'm partial, but it's okay to say that your own kid is the cutest ever born, as long as you know everyone else will say that about their's too!! So, we took him in in his little "SHHHH...I'm watching the game with dad" onesie, his football pacifier clip, his football socks and his new Canyon Eagles blanket. I'm telling you, he was "footballed" out!! Here's a few pictures of our evening out!!

We LOVE our Canyon Eagle Football Games!!!

My Two Handsome Men!!

And then, it was over!!

A Quick Kudos to my sweet cousin, Hannah, and a congratulations for joining Marching Band!! Here a some pictures of her and the Canyon High Soaring Pride Band!!

She's the one right under the snare drum, smiling at me!!

Playing her clarinet!!

We are so proud of you!

Then, Saturday, Lolli, Pops, Mommy, Daddy and Mali all took off and went to Babies R Us and Target for some shopping. While at Babies R Us, of course, Mommy had to go look at shoes for Malachi. Pops, however, found ultimate success. He got Malachi his first NIKEs!!! They are SOOOO cute! Pops was very proud of his find and his little buddy had his new shoes on before we even left the store!! Then, we headed into Target and Malachi got to put sunglasses on for the first time!! They cousin Karter's old sunglasses from when he was Malachi's age, so they're extra special! Take a look at the hippest 3 1/2 month old around!!

Well, Lolli and Pops and Uncle Logie might be coming over this morning for breakfast burritos, and Malachi just dropped a bomb on daddy. But, no surprise, it's 7:30 in the morning, and that's our schedule!! (Okay, that might have been more info than you wanted to know, but to new parents, it's big news that your kid poops on a schedule!!!)

Sorry - Been a Little Busy!!

WOW! Life at the Allen house has been a little busy lately! This'll probably be a long post, since I have a LOT to update about!!

Last weekend, we said goodbye to Grandma Elliott and I must admit that it was probably one of the most beautiful funeral services I have ever had the privilege of attending! There were so many kind words said about her and they really did a beautiful job planning the service! The flowers were beautiful and overall it was just AWESOME. (If you can say that about a funeral) Jennie and I even split the "Great Grandmother" ribbon for our kiddos! She got the "Great" and we got the "Grandmother"

Saturday, however, we got the babies together for the first time and I got to meet sweet Elliot! She is adorable and we had so much fun!





Malachi is just HUGE compared to Elliot - But, I guess that's how he's destined to be - Considering how big his daddy is!! She has such ADORABLE hair and I'm sure it's going to be curly like her momma's!! Jennie looks great and we really had a great time with Minnow, Aunt Bubzees and Aunt Jennie. (I guess we'll have to come up with fun names for me and Jennie later!!) We missed Uncle Jordan, but we'll all get together soon enough, I guess!!


After our whirlwind day trip to Haskell, we were EXHAUSTED when we got home Sunday night! And, of course, Malachi decided to have a difficult night Sunday night, so we didn't really get to rest very much! So, Monday was pretty rough! All week long, we went to work, came home, died, got up the next morning and did it all over again! Then, Friday night, we went to Feldman's Diner for my b-day dinner!





Saturday, we went to a couple of garage sales, I got a new purse, a new wallet and a brag book, FINALLY, so I can carry pictures around of my sweet family!! (Wow, that feels weird, I have a FAMILY now!!) Saturday night, we stayed home and chilled, just the 3 of us! It was great! Sunday, we got up, went to church, came home and then went to Lolli and Pops' house for lunch! THEN...Are you ready for this?...Lolli and Pops watched Malachi so mommy and daddy could go home and.......

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CLEAN!!! YEA FOR US! We scrubbed baseboards, scrubbed bathtubs, dusted, rearranged, cleaned out! It was SO therapeutic! And, now we have a clean house to go to!

Okay, I just thought this was cute!!

Anyway, we hung out last night, went to sleep, and now we're starting a whole new work week. On that front, we are going through a lot right now between our jobs. As you know, Thomas has his own business, and business has been, well, SLOW lately. I'm assuming it's because NOT MANY people can afford to get the "extra" landscaping done that they could last year with inflation. BUT...on the up side, he had a job interview last week with the City of Canyon to be the #2 man in the Parks department. So, he'll still get to work outside, but he'll have benefits, a steady work schedule and guaranteed income! I am also having a difficult time right now with my job. Yes, I got a promotion a week after I came back from maternity leave...Yes, I got a big raise with that promotion...Yes, I enjoy what I'm doing. What I don't enjoy is the stress I am under and how I feel AFTER work. The night meetings stink and that's time that I miss out from spending with my little boy and my husband. And, even when I'm at home, I'm still thinking about work, so what's the point of being at home? There are several options on the horizon that I don't want to get into right now, but just be praying (as we are...diligently) that God will give us the answer we need and are looking for!! I know He's in control, but sometimes it's so hard when you want an answer NOW!



Switching gears now...We got pictures made on July 12th (Malachi was 8 weeks old) Here are just a few of the AWESOME pictures we got. In a couple of weeks, he will be getting his 3 month pictures made, and I'll post those when we get them! Enjoy!!

These 3 are pictures that were made at the daycare! It was a beach scene!!

(I LOVE that tongue!!!)

These are the professional shots!

This is Thomas as a baby and Malachi right now!!

It's INCREDIBLE how much he and Malachi look alike!!!

And finally, here are my sweet Niece and Nephew, Kadi and Karter!

(Okay, no, Logan didn't have kids at 12, but these babies are my niece and nephew as far as I'm concerned!)

So, as you can see (read) we have been VERY busy lately! But, overall, life is still just great! Being a mom is more incredible than I thought it EVER would be! I'm happier than I've ever been!! Thank you God for blessing me SO much!!!

Fly to Jesus

This post is dedicated to a wonderful woman who went to be with Jesus last night. Grandma Elliott, we will all miss you.

I never heard you complain, I never saw you frown. Even in the end, you were at peace knowing that you were safe in your Creator's arms.

Taking Malachi to see you so many times is a memory I will never forget. He was always so calm in your arms. You just had that way with him. Even if he was a little fussy, we would get to your room and he would calm down immediately! We will tell him of his wonderful Great Grandmother and the love that you had for him. I am sorry that you never got to meet Elliot Grace. I know that you wanted so badly to see her, but I know that you are in Heaven watching over both she and Malachi right now. In fact, I know that Heaven rejoiced when you entered it's gates.

What a splendor you must be experiencing right now!! Go to your husband and spend eternity with him. I know you've been waiting a long time to see him again. Go to David and Moses and Noah and talk about all the wonderful works they performed in God's name. Go to Malachi's sweet twin whom we never got to meet and please let him know how much his parents love him even though they never got to meet him. Tell him that we will all be together again one glorious day. Most importantly of all, go to Jesus and thank Him for dying on the cross so that we might all see His glory one day. Thank Him for saving my soul and your own. We talked many times about our relationships with Christ and how important they are. Know that we will do everything we can to raise Malachi in a loving, Christian home so that he will one day come to know Christ himself.

Saying goodbye yesterday was hard, but knowing that I WILL see you again one day, and that you were ready to go made it so much easier to bear. I promise I will take care of Thomas and be the loving, supportive wife that I know you were and that I'm supposed to be. I promise to be the best mother I can be to Malachi like you were to your children. I promise that Malachi will know who his Grandma Elliott was and we will pray that one day he will marry a woman as virtuous as you were.

Go sing with the angels and praise God for eternity. Lay your crowns at God's feet. Walk on the streets of gold. Touch the gates made of pearl. Enjoy your mansion - I know it must be too beautiful for my finite mind to comprehend. God has made you new, as He promised He would.

We love you - We miss you - Thank you for blessing our lives!

Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.

Rockin' and Rollin'!

Malachi Rolled Over!!!

It was so exciting. Last night, we were at my parents' house and I was sitting in my dad's HUGE recliner (it's called "The Beast") and Malachi was laying on the footrest on his tummy!

Malachi normally HATES tummy time. He's getting REALLY good at holding his upper half up with his arms and looking around, but I think he gets frustrated after a little while. Anyway, my mom, my dad, Thomas, Kali and Chana (two college girls who work for my mom) were all playing Wii and laughing our butts off! All the sudden, Malachi arched his back and picked his right leg up. By this time I had yelled at everyone to look and after a few seconds IT HAPPENED! Okay, I know it's probably a fluke, but it was SOOO cool! For 12 weeks we've been watching and waiting for these milestones to start! He's started gurgling and talking (mostly just to me but sometimes to dad and Lolli) and he's smiling SOOO big! I know it could be another month before he does it again, but we got to put his little "Rolled Over" sticker on August the 5th on his baby calendar! We're SO proud!

On another front, we went to the Dr. on Monday to get the REST of his 2 month shots and got him weighed and measured again. He weighs - are you ready for this - 11lbs 12 oz!!! He has gained a pound and 5 oz in just 2 weeks! He also grew 1 1/2 inches!! The Dr. is So happy with his progress, as are we! The only thing is that we are killing ourselves carrying him around! haha I know we'll look back in a year and laugh at that statement, but it's so funny that in 2 1/2 months he has gone from 5 lbs 13 oz and 18 3/4 inches to 11 lbs 12 oz and 24 inches!! He's getting SO BIG!

I just got off the phone with my mom and he's been REALLY fussy at daycare all morning, so I've got to call the Dr. and see what they say! But, I thought I'd let everyone know of the new developments!! I'll update soon!!

9 Weeks of Fun!!

Friday marked 9 whole weeks since the world was blessed with Malachi Allen and he's starting to be SO much fun! Thomas and I stayed home with him last Tuesday and we had a blast with him all day! He was talking and kicking and smiling! Parenthood was fun up until now, but now that he's starting to interact with us we are REALLY having a good time. He's not just smiling because of gas anymore, he's actually showing us that he's happy! He even rolled up into a little ball last night and giggled when Thomas was playing with him! It's SO special!

Saturday, we went for his 2 month checkup and it went GREAT! He weighs a whopping 10lbs 7 oz and is 22 1/2 inches long! He is in the 25th percentile for both height and weight and the Dr. is THRILLED!! We saw his growth chart, in comparison to the "average" growth chart on Saturday and it was really cool. The normal growth chart is a very nice "bell shape" and Malachi's line is going STRAIGHT UP!! YEA Malachi! He also got a shot and an oral vaccine and didn't even cry! He whimpered a little bit, but that was it!! He's such a big boy!

On a different note, we have a friend who has twin girls age 2 and a little boy who is just over a year old. One of his twins, Camryn, has just been diagnosed with leukemia and is receiving chemo as we speak. Please pray for the Smith family as they are going through a REALLY hard time right now. I can't imagine seeing your baby in pain and not being able to do anything to help him/her! Please pray for Marcus, Julie, Camryn, Olivia and Noah.

Our First Vacation

OUR FIRST FAMILY VACATION!!!

The Allen Family went on their first official vacation over the 4th of July holiday. We packed our bags (and about 3/4 of Malachi's room) and headed north to Colorado Springs, on Thursday afternoon around 3:00. What a shock it was to our system trying to pack for a newborn. You never know how many outfits you're going to need, you never know how many diapers you're going to need, you know he'll need long and short sleeved outfits, but how many blankets do you pack? So, in true form, we WAY overpacked. We were going to the mountains, after all, shouldn't we take long sleeved? But then, what if he gets hot? I guess we better take short sleeved to. But then, what happens if he spits up, or, closer to Malachi's heart, what if he has a "blow out?" And that's not even getting into packing all of his cute outfits, because, after all, he does have to be the cutest baby anybody's ever seen when you're showing him off. So, you pack your favorite outfits for him, after they're ironed and creased and he's gonna look SO adorable. Then, of course, there's the matching socks and shoes, and no outfit would be complete without the matching bib, burp cloth and blanket. I know, it totally sounds like I'm raising a sissy. But, I can't accessorize with panties and bows, so I've got to figure out some other way! Then, there's the stroller, his music maker so he can sleep well, and, of course, LOTS of pictures once you're there!

Here's Malachi sleeping away at the zoo!

I just thought this was cute!

But, after all is said and done, it was such a blast having our baby there with us!! He was, as you might expect, the talk of the town. haha We're not partial or anything.

Last but not least, here are a couple of videos of Malachi playing the other night! He's getting so big, we can't believe it!!!

Finally, Congratulations to Jennie and Jordan on the arrival of THEIR new bundle of joy, Elliot Grace! We can't wait to meet her! The Allens, Jacksons and all their extended family have been SO BLESSED this year! Thank you Lord for allowing these two precious angels into our lives!

How do I Love Thee?

This post is dedicated to my incredible husband. Yes, I've mentioned on and off throughout my blogs how great he is, but I've never taken the time to tell him how much I love and adore him.

Thomas, the last 10 years have been the happiest of my life. Who would've thought that 10 years ago this October, we would have been starting our life together? I never imagined that the cute boy I've had a crush on since 7th grade would one day be my husband and the father of our precious little boy. Everytime I look at Malachi, I see you. Not just in the specific features that you share, but in his eyes. This morning before I left the house, I told you that I am SO in love with him. And now it has hit me why. It's because I'm so in love with you and he IS you! It's so fun to watch you with him and it makes me love you both so much more everytime I see that. You are doing an incredible job! From getting him ready every morning to taking over for me sometimes at night, you take such good care of him. You're so gentle and loving with him that I know HE knows you're HIS daddy and NOTHING will ever change that! I so hate it that we didn't meet and fall in love when we were 5. I hate that we missed that time together! I knew when I met you what a special heart you had and over the years, you have proven that OVER AND OVER to me! Our life now revolves around a whole new little person and what an experience it has been so far! Through it, I think we've learned to love each other in a WHOLE NEW WAY!! I have a new respect for you as a man and I have a whole new love for you as a husband! You are an incredible husband, father, son, brother and uncle! How blessed this world is to have Thomas Allen in it!

I love you honey. Thank you for my son, thank you for my life!!