. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Allen & Co. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Our Christmas Eve Miracle

2011-12-24T17:43:00.184-05:00

When Garrett was moved from the peds unit back to the PICU, we really resigned ourselves to the fact that Garrett would be in the hospital until next Tuesday or Wednesday. We had even made plans to

postpone all of our Christmas celebrations until he came home. Yesterday Garrett was moved back into the peds unit once again. The only thing he still had to do, before going home, was improve his feedings so they could take the NG (feeding) tube out. Right now he has 15 minutes to drink as much of 80 mL as he can. Whatever is left, we feed him through his NG tube. Since no one in the speech department will be here to do another feeding study until next Tuesday, we were right on thinking Garrett would be here until then. But, as they were transferring Garrett, his old and new doctors approached Jared with another option. They asked if we would be interested in having Garrett go home with the NG tube still in place. To do this, we

both would have to learn how to insert it, listen to make sure it was in place before each feeding, and everything else that goes with taking care of an NG tube. Then came the kicker, if we did this Garrett could go home on Christmas Eve (today)- that's all we needed to hear to be completely on board. We made arrangements for Tori and Prince and then Jared and I both stayed with Garrett last night.

I have to admit, I was really worried about how well our NG tube training would go. But it ended up being much easier than either one of us was anticipating. We both inserted his NG tube on the first try and got the placement perfect. It was a lot more ambiguous listening to make sure it was in the right place. We have to push a little bit of air through his NG tube and then listen with a stethoscope to make sure we can hear the air in his stomach. Luckily, our nurse last night was awesome and helped us know exactly what we were listening for. It's still a little hard, but getting easier with each feeding!

Our little guy is so happy and handsome- even with an NG tube in!!!

Looking forward to doing this at home!

We sure accumulated a bunch of stuff in Garrett's room over the past 24 days!

We need to pull out Garrett's mobile when we get home, he loved this one!

Having Garrett sedated for almost 2 weeks, I remember looking at him and wondering if he was still there. It has been so wonderful to know that he is definitely here - and he is happy and getting more interactive every day!!!

Getting dressed to go home!

All ready to finally go home!!!

I think Garrett knew he was home! (Lovin' that smile!!!)

Today was a whirlwind of wrapping up everything at the hospital- but it was so worth it when we were able to walk out those doors with our Garrett with us!!! After being in the hospital for 24 days, our baby boy is finally home- and just in time for his first Christmas!!!

The Amazing Uncle Derek

2011-12-22T18:56:00.073-05:00

Today we sadly had to say goodbye to Uncle Derek. His original plan was to come out and help us for a week. But as things progressed and Garrett wasn't getting better, Derek changed his plans so he could be here for an additional week and a half. We seriously owe him for the rest of our lives - I don't know how we could have made it through the past two and a half weeks without him!!! He has been so amazing with Tori - I have a feeling that these two are going to always have a really special relationship!

Not only did Derek take care of all the normal day-to-day things so Jared and I could be at the hospital with Garrett, but he also started Tori on potty training! He even got her to go pee and poop on the potty for the first time - amazing!!! All of the nurses said he definitely gets the "Best Uncle Ever" award!

Uncle Derek, or "Dersh," as Tori calls him, spent lots of time helping Tori improve her dance repertoire! The first addition was spinning!

Yep, Tori has a sweet spin move now!!!

And then they worked on the splits!

Thanks to Uncle Dersh- we now have a fabulous dancer on our hands!!!

I love hearing Tori's laugh when she is playing with Derek...

she absolutely adores him!!!

Thank you a million times over Derek - you were one of our miracles!!!

Another 1 (or 2, or 3, or 4) Bite(s) the Dust

2011-12-22T16:11:00.011-05:00

Garrett's PICU doctor, Dr. Raj has not been messing around. Today Garrett had his PICC line taken out, finished his sedation medications, finished his last course of antibiotics, and came of oxygen all together! So far he is doing great!!! I love that even though we are back in the PICU, they are still doing everything they can to get Garrett well and ready to go home- no wasting time around here!!!
We really only have one more thing for him to tackle before going home - making sure he is eating well!!!

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

2011-12-20T20:18:00.053-05:00

The past few days Garrett has been doing so well! He has been eating great from a bottle, they have been cutting back on all his medications, and his breathing treatments and CPT (percussions) have been getting more and more spread out! Today was the day to try and finally get him off the oxygen. The first try was this morning at about 8:00. Garrett's oxygen levels dropped enough that the RT wasn't comfortable leaving him off and so she turned it back on to a teeny tiny whiff. The next try was around noon. He did great for about an hour and then all of the sudden his SATs really started to drop and he just couldn't keep his oxygen levels up anymore. So, Garrett was very quickly moved back into the PICU.
I know the peds nurses are good, but our PICU nurses are awesome. They got things under control so quickly. Garrett is now back on vapo therm - he just needs a little more help breathing than normal oxygen. When we got back to the PICU, Garrett was so cold. The nurses got him all bundled up and warm in no time. His nurse Karen said that was his body's way of clamping down. Since he was in pretty bad shape they put the feeding tube back in - they want to give him a break and let him recover before he has to work to eat again. So, no more bottle feedings for a bit. I must admit this move was so very disappointing since on Sunday they were thinking we might be going home tonight. But at least we know that Garrett is getting the care he needs and that eventually he will get over this and be able to come home! His RT said to keep the big picture in mind - that Garrett has taken two steps forward and only one back.

Right as all of this was going on we were told that Santa had come to visit with the kids and have pictures taken with them. Since Garrett was in isolation, and we were going to be moving soon, we couldn't see how a picture was even possible. But our nurse suggested we take the picture as we were changing rooms - it worked out perfectly. Here is Santa outside Garrett's room waiting to meet him!

And here is Garrett's first picture with Santa!!!

Our little guy all snug as a bug in a rug back in the PICU!

We're a Movin'

2011-12-18T15:15:00.047-05:00

Today we got some news we have been waiting for since we got here - Garrett was moving from the PICU to the regular Pediatric unit! This was literally half way to the door home for us. Garrett started out in the PICU in room 13 and is now in the Peds unit in room 6. While we have loved, and will seriously miss, the care that Garrett has received from our amazing PICU nurses and doctors, we are really excited about this move. This is one of Garrett's major steps to get back home with us!!!

This is Garrett's new room- Peds #6!

Garrett was able to finally wear clothes again today - he looks so handsome in his Christmas pjs!!!

And we are on the move!

Garrett's last few moments in his really big hospital bed!

And here he is in his new (and much smaller) bed- he looks so great!!!

Garrett has a few more things he needs to conquer before we can head home. First, he needs to get off of oxygen and be okay breathing on his own. Second, he needs to finish his final course of antibiotics. Third, he has to get off of his last two sedation medications. Forth, we need to get his PICC line out. And fifth, he needs to improve on his feedings. His new doctor on the Peds unit said that if all keeps going well, we could be home as early as Tuesday - here's hoping!

Finally- A Good Saturday!

2011-12-17T18:16:00.057-05:00

Considering how our last two Saturdays have gone, we were a little worried about what today would bring. But today turned out to be just awesome! For starters, Garrett was finally able to start oral feeding again! It has been over two weeks since he was able to eat by himself. Since it had been so long, we were prepped that he might not do so hot- he may have to literally relearn how to suck. But our little guy did fabulous right from the start!!!
This afternoon, Derek and Tori were able to go the Indianapolis zoo! I'm so glad that Derek was able to get out of our house for a bit. He has been such a trooper, just staying at our house everyday so Tori doesn't have to leave her own environment. They had a fabulous time and apparently Tori has our zoo memorized. Derek said that before they would get to the next area, Tori would start talking about what was coming up. Sadly, I forgot to take a picture at the zoo when I went to pick them up :(
After the zoo came my favorite part of the day- Derek and Tori were able to come up to the hospital to visit Garrett! When we got to the hospital, I told Tori we were going to see Garrett and she said, "baby brother" for the very first time! We have been asked several times if Tori has missed Garrett, and up until today she really hasn't shown that she has. But when she said that, I knew she had missed him and she knows he is part of our family now!
While Garrett and Uncle Derek's first meeting wasn't in the circumstances we would have liked, it was very sweet nonetheless!

As a side note- Tori loved Uncle Derek's "pretty dress!"
Tori had a great time eating her lunch...

and dancing around in Garrett's room!

I absolutely loved that she kept asking me to pick her up so she could see her "baby brother!"

I am so glad it worked out that Uncle Derek got to feed Garrett a bottle! (Jared hasn't even had that chance yet!)

Hurrah for a wonderful Saturday full of sweet and tender moments!!!

Just in Case

2011-12-16T23:15:00.003-05:00

Just in case you want to follow our every move and see tons of really cute pictures, I have finally finished a bunch of blogs from November. Just scroll down past all the hospital stuff for more of our adventures!!! Of note- Garrett's baby blessing, Thanksgiving, and our visit from Jared's family- lots of great stuff!!!

Nicknames

2011-12-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

When Tori was born she started getting nicknames right off the bat. Most of them were acquired on her first visit to Texas. Notable entries were Torsinator, Tori Bear, Miss, Mae, etc. So when Garrett was born we were just waiting for his collection to come along. I think my first favorite was when Aunt Meesha called him Mr. Tiny-Pants! And then we had G Man and Little Man from Daddy. And now that Garrett has been in the hospital for so long, he has quite a list of nicknames from the nurses and RTs! Here are his nicknames thus far - Mr. Garrett (so official), Babes, Booger, Bubs, Bubbers, and Bubby. I love that these ladies love our boy too - they are seriously amazing and take awesome care of our family!!!

No more aching arms!

2011-12-16T11:30:00.033-05:00

Ever since Garrett was intubated we have not been able to hold him. I have to admit that my arms have been aching to hold our baby boy for the past 12 days. For the past day or two his labs have been looking pretty good, and this morning they looked great! It was finally time for him to be extubated!

Here is Garrett's last photo with his breathing tube!

Brandi and Lori getting all ready for the big event!

And it's out - hurrah!!!

Here is our cute boy on vapo therm (basically oxygen that is heated and moisturized)!

Ahhhh, feels so good to have that out!

I love that the nurses use all of his stuffed animals to prop him up!

Our little burrito baby!!!

Today was such a fantastic day! I am so happy to report that we can hold Garrett again- no more aching arms here!!!

Trimming the Tree

2011-12-11T20:56:00.080-05:00

We had planned on decorating our Christmas tree on December 1st - and then Garrett was admitted into the hospital that same evening. Needless to say, the tree had to wait. At first we were going to wait until Garrett was home to do any of our Christmas stuff. It really didn't feel like Christmas at all without him here. However, the longer he has been in the hospital, the more we have realized that at least for Tori's sake we still need to go ahead and do our Christmas things!

So tonight Jared and I were both at home with Tori, Derek, and Prince. We all put on our Christmas jammies and we trimmed our beautiful Christmas tree!

Tori had a ball, as did the rest of us!

Picking just the right spot is super important!

Tori had so much fun helping get the next ornament...

and then she would hand it off to one of us...

so we could put it on the tree - our tree is a bit pokey!!!

I don't know why but Tori was doing this most of the night (I am attributing it to her runny nose!)!

Even Prince got in on the Christmas tree decorating action!

Yeah for a fun partial-family photo!!!

Even though it would have been so much better if we all had been home together, it was still a wonderful night! It helped bring the Christmas spirit back into our home and our hearts!!! (Thanks for taking such awesome pictures Derek - they are so fun!!!)

Saturdays Don't Like Us

2011-12-10T23:56:00.049-05:00

Since Garrett has been in the hospital, Saturdays have not been our friend. Last Saturday Garrett was intubated and got his PICC line. It was one of the low points of us being here. But throughout the week he has been getting better little by little everyday. Then came a really rough night last night. They have been watching Garrett's hemoglobin levels and this morning they were really low. So the next course of action was for Garrett to get a blood transfusion. They also put Garrett on a paralytic which would knock him out completely so that the vent (breathing tube) could help him more and he wouldn't fight it so much. Because he is now basically paralyzed, they also had to put in a catheter. Once again it felt like our world was falling apart. But once again, as soon as he received his transfusion, he looked so much better. Definitely not what we were hoping for, but I think it is what his body needs at this time to help him get better! Garrett has an awesome vein on the side of his head - so that is where they added the IV for his transfusion.

Look at all this stuff on his bed. And if you squint just right you might see Garrett in the middle of it!

Garrett getting his transfusion.

I don't think our boy has room for anything else to be hooked to him!

I know it's a little thing, but I love it when he holds our fingers. He still is in there!

This evening Garrett got his first "bath" since he has been in the hospital. I am so glad that his nurse let us help out- it was the bright spot of our day!

Shortly after Garrett's bath, the doctor came in to let us know that they found a secondary infection and they are going to start antibiotics. He will be on Vancomycin for the next 10 to 14 days - again, not what we wanted. I think we are learning that with RSV it is all about baby steps - that little by little Garrett is going to get over this virus. Sometimes it is just hard waiting for those steps to come.

Much Needed Diversions

2011-12-09T22:00:00.055-05:00

Having Garrett in the hospital has been so draining - both emotionally and physically. While we wish we could spend every second with him, Jared and I know that Tori needs us just as much. So, after much reassurance from our awesome nurses and respiratory therapists, we decided to attend Jared's swim meet last night and our ward Christmas party tonight. We missed Garrett horribly, and called to check on him often, but I think it was really good for us to get out of the hospital for a bit! It was also really nice to reconnect with so many people from our Indiana family - we have been so surrounded by love and support!

After dinner tonight, Jared and Derek had a grand time playing with Tori and a few of her friends!

I feel like I have cried so much over the past week, it was really nice to have a fantastic reason to laugh and be happy!

Who do you think was the biggest kid out there!!!

One of my very most favorite things is our Tori's smile!!!

I love that the group of kids involved - both young and not-so-young kept growing and growing!!!

I am so glad that we have such amazing people watching over Garrett at the hospital, because we very much needed a few diversions!!!

Give Me a 2!!!

2011-12-09T11:11:00.019-05:00

Yep, our baby boy is already two months old!!! This past month he has started to smile and is even cooing and gooing! It is so fun seeing his little personality coming out more everyday. Garrett has also been making some very prestigious friends this month- he really likes to hang with awesome nurses, RTs, and doctors!!! Just because our little guy is in the hospital doesn't mean we had to forgo his two month photo shoot!

Garrett's special bear had to be a part of his big day as well!

They enjoyed a little tummy time together!

Happy 2 month birthday Garrett - we love you oh so very much!!!

Get Well Wishes

2011-12-08T17:28:00.003-05:00

Our family has received so many get well wishes for Garrett as we have been going through this rough patch. We have also felt buoyed up by all of the prayers in our behalf. While we are so grateful for all of the love and support, there have been some that have really surprised me and especially touched my heart! Last Saturday the Pike swim team had a swim meet that Jared couldn't attend since we were at the hospital. We found out after the fact that they swam for Garrett that day. Their amazing gesture brought tears to my eyes and definitely lifted us up! And, as a side note, both the boys and girls teams took 3rd place!We have also received several cards and a balloon from kids in Jared's classes at school. It has really touched me that they care so much about Garrett and have shown that so sweetly!

But the biggest thing has come from Jared's brother Derek. Derek got home from his mission to Canada last Friday (12/2). Saturday afternoon he called to let us know that he was coming from Texas and would be here Sunday evening to help take care of Tori for the next week! Jared and I shed many tears of relief and have been so touched by his sacrifice for us. It has lifted a huge burden to know that Tori can be in her own home and with her Uncle "Dersh," as she calls him. It has made this week so much better- especially for Tori! We will be forever in his debt!!!

Here is Tori meeting Uncle Derek for the first time!

They hit it right off - Tori was so excited to share her toys with him!

I really don't think I can adequately express how much all of the visits, dinners, wishes, cards, balloons, prayers, and fasting have helped us get through this past week. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts- we couldn't have made it without you!!!

As Our Baby Boy Sleeps

2011-12-08T16:39:00.002-05:00

Our little Garrett has been in the hospital for the past week with RSV. I have felt like each day has meshed with the next and all of the sudden it has been a week. While this has been the hardest thing I have ever been through, I have also felt extremely blessed and have seen the hand of the Lord in our lives each day! To make sure I don't forget, here is the tale of what we have been going through.Last Tuesday (11/29) we noticed that Garrett was coming down with a cough. It was just here and there and wasn't too bad, so we really didn't worry about it much. Wednesday evening we noticed a little bit of wheezing and knew he needed to get in to see the doctor the next day. Thursday morning (12/1) I called the doctor's office to set up an appointment. The earliest time available was that afternoon. I wasn't too worried- at that point Garrett didn't sound that bad. But as the day progressed, he just started sounding worse and worse. I wasn't too surprised when the doctor told us it was probably RSV. Tori had it as well, so I expected a few breathing treatments in the office and then to be sent home with a prescription to keep doing the treatments on our own. I was quite surprised when I was told that Garrett was being admitted into the hospital. For the next few hours we were just waiting at the doctor's office for a bed to open up in the pediatric unit. I think we did about 5 or 6 breathing treatments in that time. I was so grateful that Jared was able to join us so quickly. And I was even more grateful when Adam Vorderstrasse showed up to help Jared give Garrett a blessing. In the blessing, Garrett was told that he would be healthy and strong and that he still had many things left to do on this Earth. His blessing brought such peace and comfort- even though Garrett was so sick that he would get better and everything would be okay!
Garrett was finally admitted into the hospital Thursday evening around 6 pm. Tori wasn't allowed into the unit, so she and Jared went home while Garrett and I started our adventure.

Here is Garrett in his big hospital bed.

That first night was absolutely horrible! I basically felt like Garrett and I were left alone to fend for ourselves- I was not a fan of our nurses. After his chest x-ray, no one came in once we were back. So after waiting an hour I plugged his cords back in by myself. In the meantime I had fed him, which resulted in Garrett spitting up so much that milk came out his nose and covered both of us. I didn't even know where the nurse call button was so I took care of things as best I could. And that is really how the rest of the night felt- me taking care of things with only a little help from the nurses.

Garrett needed a little help breathing that first night.

And they put an IV in just in case they would need it later.

Friday morning, Garrett's doctor came to see him and shortly thereafter announced that he was going to be transferred to a different hospital with a pediatric ICU just in case he were to get worse.

Here is Garrett in his transfer isolet.

And here he arriving at the new hospital.

I was so discouraged, until we got to the new hospital. From the second we arrived I felt like we were surrounded by people who knew what they were doing! It seemed like everything that hadn't happened at the first hospital was addressed in the first few minutes! Garrett was put on a different kind of oxygen to help him breathe better and they started IV fluids- they didn't want him eating because of how hard he was working just to breathe.

Chilling in his new bed!

These are all of the great people that were ready and waiting for us when we arrived!

Feeling much better in our new home!

Looking back, the decision by our doctor to transfer Garrett was truly inspired. We ended up right where we needed to be!
Friday was full of breathing treatments and lots of trying to help Garrett relax and not work so hard to breathe.

Jared did a great job helping to calm him down when he was upset!

By Saturday, our little guy was struggling so hard- it seemed like he was using every muscle just to breathe. He just looked so sick.

From 2 to 6 pm our Garrett was intubated with a breathing tube (vent), had a feeding tube put in, and received a PICC line. This was definitely our low point- I have never been more scared or cried so much.

Here is Garrett right after he was intubated.

And with his PICC line.

But once all of that was done, Garrett looked so much better!

He could finally rest and seemed comfortable. While it was so hard to see him with so many wires and tubes hooked to him, I could see that once again our doctors had been inspired!
Since Saturday, our days and nights have been much the same. Garrett has been partially sedated so he doesn't fight the vent and also so he can let his body rest and fight the RSV. Slowly, but surely, his little body is getting better! The doctor hopes that he will be able to get the breathing tube out by Monday, if not before. We are hoping for before!!!

Here is our baby boy sleeping away.

I don't know how he gets tangled in his lines, he really isn't moving that much.

Looking back over the past week, I know that Heavenly Father has been very aware of our little family. We have been carried when things were too much for us to bear and have seen His tender mercies at every turn. So, as our baby boy is peacefully sleeping, we know that we are not the only ones watching over him!

A Nod to November

2011-11-30T12:08:00.061-05:00

This month has been so full of fun, it's amazing that it is already over! As always, we have lots of pictures that I wanted to share - hope you enjoy!We have been working on many projects this month - working on Christmas nativity costumes and Garrett's baby blessing blanket. I love that Tori is my little shadow and loves to help with everything...

even if it makes it a little harder when she gets a little too involved!!!

I think Tori is so cute in this picture- even though it is sad that we have done so many breathing treatments that Tori can really do it almost all by herself now! When we get done, she will turn off her nebulizer, pick it up, say, "heavy," and then hand it to me to put it away.

I love watching Garrett sleep- he has some great positions, like this one. His arms are going to be really strong!

Tori was a big helper again today- she must have thought Garrett's saline drops would be the perfect thing to help him sleep...apparently, she was right!!!

Yes indeed, life is sweet!!!

I love that Tori has finally discovered the art of dressing up!

Oh my goodness, we have some stinkin' cute kids!!!

Tori was loving her popcorn - I don't think her mouth will open any wider!

This picture is just priceless - we are so glad that Prince's brother Scrappy came with the rest of the Allen clan to visit for Thanksgiving!

It is swim season once again, which means we have been spending lots of time at the Pike pool. Our little monkey is getting more daring every meet...

and she is building lots of upper body strength!!!

Hurrah for another great month - I'm so glad for the fantastic memories we made!!!

Awesome Allen Visit

2011-11-27T15:52:00.032-05:00

This past week has been so fun having Jared's family here to visit! As usual, the time went by way too fast - I hate that part. But I am so glad that we were able to make so many fun memories while they were here!

Grandpa made sure he spoiled Tori and Garrett with fun new outfits and pajamas!

And of course, there was Grandpa's first time holding Garrett - I love this picture!!!

Tori wanted in on Grandpa holding time, too!!!

Garrett met a lot of new people this week. He hit it right off with Uncle Dillon!

And I love that he and Uncle Alec were both sporting argyle for church!!!

Tori had a great time making a fort with Uncle Dillon and Uncle Aaz!

And, of course, we had to tackle a project - we finally got our painting done downstairs! I am so glad we had such fabulous help, I don't know if we could have gotten it done without them!!!

Mom Allen is an expert painter!!!

I just love red walls!

Lest you think we worked the whole week, just know we also took lots of time to play and have fun! Tori had a ball with her uncles!!!

I think the Uncle Dillon and Uncle Aaz get Tori laughing harder than anyone else can!

Tori had so much fun singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider with Grandpa!!!

This week was so much fun - I just wish it could have lasted longer! We can't wait for the next visit!!!

Christmas in November

2011-11-26T22:00:00.070-05:00

This evening we had our Christmas celebration with Jared's family! Basically, they spoiled all of us!!! Grandma and Grandpa Allen gave Tori an awesome nativity set - I love that she can play with it!!!

Garrett is going to have so much fun with his new doggie!

He already loves his snail!!!

Here is Garrett with all of his presents - they are all so fun!!!

Uncle Dillon gave Tori characters from Toy Story! They had to be opened...

and played with right away!!!

Uncle Aaz's gift arrived a few days later, and was another big hit!

The princesses were also played with right away!!!

Tonight we decided to also open our new ornaments for each other! Mom and Dad Allen gave us an awesome family ornament - it has a car with a Christmas tree on top and then we can put a picture from our Christmas tree adventure in it!!!

I just love Garrett's 1st Christmas ornament!

Tori's ornament was perfect as well - a big sister holding her baby brother!

I love Jared's ornament - he got his fishing buddy this year!!!

On the years we have a baby, Jared always gets me two ornaments. Here is my baby's first Christmas ornament for Garrett that I get to keep forever!

The second ornament was our family represented by a bunch of monkeys. It sure feels like we live in a monkey house sometimes!!!

I just love Christmastime and I am so glad that we were able to celebrate a little bit with our family! It made it that much more special!!!

Our "Tree"-mendous Adventure

2011-11-26T15:50:00.079-05:00

This afternoon we started a really fun new Christmas tradition! We travelled out to a place called Evan's Whispering Pines where we were able to cut down our own Christmas tree. The whole experience was awesome - I'm so glad we decided to try it out! The first thing we did was take a hayride across the street to the tree farm.

Here we are waiting for the tractor to come pick us up!

Here is Uncle Alec, Grandpa Allen, and Garrett (in the car seat!) on our hayride!

And here is Grandma Allen, Uncle Dillon, Tori, and me!

And here is Uncle Dillon, Tori, me and Jared!

Next we rounded up a saw and tree cart and went in search of our perfect Christmas tree!

Uncle Aaz and Tori had a great time on our hunt!!!

It was a bit chilly, so Dillon decided to see if hiding in a tree would warm him up!

It took us a bit, but we finally found our tree! Tori had so much fun helping Jared cut it down!

The rest of us had fun watching Jared show off his expert sawing skills!

I'm so glad we got a video of the big moment - timber!!!

Then we loaded our tree onto our cart - Tori was a big helper!

It took everyone to get it back!!!

While Jared, Grandpa Allen, Garrett, and I were waiting for the tractor to take us back across the street with our tree, Uncle Dillon, Uncle Alec, and Grandma Allen took Tori to the small petting zoo-ish area. She had a great time meeting all the animals!!!

Here we are with our fabulous tree all ready for the ride home!

Once we got home, we were so excited that we got our tree in the tree stand right away so we could get the lights on. This is when we started to realize that we may have overlooked something with our tree. The front side was beautiful and full. the back side was pretty bare- making our tree more heavy on one side than the other. It ended up tipping over 3 times within the first hour or so at our house. At that point we were really frustrated. Then Grandma Allen came up with a fabulous solution- we tied weights onto a cord and used them to hold up our tree.

It looks a bit ghetto, but our tree hasn't fallen over since! Next year we are definitely going to get a better balanced tree! Even with our tree falling over repeatedly, it was such a great day and such a fun new tradition! I am so glad that we could share it with Grandma and Grandpa Allen, Uncle Alec, and Uncle Dillon!!!

Family Photos

2011-11-25T21:00:00.037-05:00

I love it when Mom Allen comes to visit for many reasons. But one of my most favorite is that she makes sure we get some family pictures taken! So, tonight was our Allen family photo shoot. Holy cow it is crazy trying to get Tori to cooperate. I was so happy that we actually ended up with some super cute shots!!!

Even though Tori still does not want to hold Garrett, she will at least give him kisses!

I absolutely love this one!

Can you detect a little bit of Tori's attitude?

There is nothing better than this grin!!!

I don't know how we ended up with such cute kids - they melt my heart!

Okay, this little guy has a grin to rival Tori's!!!

Hurrah for our cute family picture!!!

Thanks so much for taking such great pictures of us Mom!!!

Happy (1st) Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T21:50:00.051-05:00

Today was Garrett's first Thanksgiving and the first time that we have had Thanksgiving dinner at our house! Jared and I have been so excited to host our feast this year that we made sure to plan out every detail. Jared and Dillon were able to join in our Ward's annual Turkey bowl this morning. They had a great time playing football, and I was glad that no one got hurt!!! The rest of us stayed home to get the feast ready and to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade - Alec was especially excited about the parade! I think he enjoyed introducing the parade to Tori and Garrett!!!

We had so much help with preparing our meal. It was so fun that Tori wanted to help as well!!!

Alec did an awesome job making our table look festive!

Everything was so yummy- I was especially proud of how well the turkey turned out - brining is the only way to go!

This is how Garrett spent his first Thanksgiving dinner!

Garrett's super cute Thanksgiving outfit! (Technically it was Prince's and Scrappy's first Thanksgiving too- they loved getting in on all the action!)

And Garrett even gave a narration of his take on the day!!!

Check out Tori's awesome Thanksgiving picture from nursery!

Looking back over the past year, it is amazing how blessed we have been! Right now I feel the most thankful for our family. It has been such a joy welcoming Garrett into our family and watching Tori with her little brother! And I can't even express how much love and support we feel from both of our families all the time! We have been blessed so very much!!!

Blessing Day

2011-11-22T22:00:00.087-05:00

Tonight we were able to gather in our home for Garrett's baby blessing. We decided to bless him at home so our families that are far away could participate over Skype. Our set up was a little crazy, we had four different devices going and 13 people connected into our living room. We had Grandma Harrison, Aunt Anna, Grandpa Harrison, and Uncle Jer in Utah, Great Grandma and Grandpa Jones, Uncle Kurtis, and Aunt Meesha in Texas, Uncle Douglas, Aunt Nikki, and Linken in Arizona, and Uncle Willie and Aunt Krista in Georgia - it was awesome!!! This is how it looked:

And then we were so blessed to have some of Jared's family along with some of our dear friends with us in person. It was so nice to have so many people, that we love so much, be a part of Garrett's big day!!!

Garrett's blessing was wonderful! I love watching Jared use his priesthood to bless our family! It is one of the sweetest things as a mother to see him bless our children! Tonight was definitely one of those sweet experiences that I will remember forever!!!

Here is our sweet boy in his adorable blessing outfit!

I love this picture of Jared and Garrett - talk about melting my heart!!!

I so love this little boy!

Yeah for a Mommy and Garrett picture!

Here is our little family - I am so glad that we got a good picture tonight!!!

Here are all of the men that participated in Garrett's blessing: Sam Fenton, Grandpa Allen, Jared, Uncle Alec, Bishop Weiss, and Bryan Kunz.

We are so glad that Grandma and Grandpa Allen, Uncle Alec, and Uncle Dillon were able to be with us tonight!!!

Grandma Allen, Garrett, Jared, and Grandpa Allen!

The Allen Men!!!

My old roommate Amanda Cannon was able to join us tonight! (Can you tell that Tori was way over all the picture taking?)

Bryan Kunz was able to be with us too! (Molly and Brooklyn were with us in spirit!)

And we were so excited that Sam and Cheryl Fenton along with their adorable little Cora were able to join us, too!

Garrett and Cora - they are only a few weeks apart in age and we hope they will be great friends!

We were so pleased that Bishop Weiss and his lovely wife Tina were able to be here with us- we love them both so much!!!

1st Swim Meet

2011-11-15T22:13:00.000-05:00

Tonight we got to go to the first swim meet of the season. And it was even more special since it was Garrett's first swim meet ever! I really think that our kids have been adopted as the Pike swim team mascots- they are affectionately known as Little Coach Allen and Littler Coach Allen! Sadly, I forgot our camera, so we had to take pictures of our red and Pike apparel once we got home.

Tori looked adorable- thanks Grandma Allen!

Jared was a very proud daddy and loved showing off his little boy (he looked adorable as well thanks to Grandma!)!!

I have to admit that I loved showing off our cute boy as well!

Hurrah for another swim season- the girls got it off to a great start!!!

1 Month

2011-11-09T17:08:00.001-05:00

Garrett is already one month old - it is so crazy how fast it has flown by! For being around for such a short amount of time, he has made sure that his likes and dislikes are pretty apparent. Garrett likes being held, Tori - he (usually) quiets down when she is around, eating (he has gained almost 3 lbs in one month), being in the water during his baths, and taking naps with Daddy! He definitely dislikes having his diaper changed, being washed in the tub, being lotioned, and having his clothes taken on or off - basically having anything go over his head). Garrett had his one month doctor appointment today and he is now weighing in at 7 lbs 12 oz and is 20 inches long - he is growing like a weed!!!

Here he is - our big one month old boy!!!

Isn't he just so handsome?

Yep, he sure is!

Tori was a big helper during our photo shoot today :)

You can't really tell in the picture - but Garrett was actually playing with his bear, or at least grabbing onto him!

He has changed so much in the past month!

Garrett had his first shots at the doctor's office today - can you tell how he felt about it?

We have a very talented kid on our hands - he can even wave while he is sleeping!!!

Wheels on the Bus

2011-11-08T19:25:00.000-05:00

Tori loves singing time in nursery every Sunday and has started to request those songs when we are getting her dressed, washing her hair, or changing her diaper. Recently, one of the favorite requests has been 'The Wheels on the Bus.' Tori started out by asking us to sing about the typical things/people on the bus - for instance the Mommies, Daddies, babies, dogs, cats, driver, door, etc. But now that we have been singing it for a bit, she has come up with some fun new things that ride the bus at the Allen house! Here is a list of her new additions and the things we frantically had to come up with for them to say or do (some of them are pretty great!)!!

The horsies on the bus say neigh, neigh, neigh.
Rapunzel on the bus says I have a dream (I know she sounds much like Martin Luther King, Jr., but it was all I could think of at the time)
The Prince on the bus says bow down now (if we think she is referring to her princesses) or ruff, ruff, ruff (if we think she is talking about our puppy)!
The Nino (Prince's raccoon toy) on the bus says squeak, squeak, squeak!
The Grandma on the bus says I love you!!!
The Nemo on the bus says Where's my dad?
The Dori on the bus says I speak whale!
The Rella (Cinderella) on the bus says Where's my shoe?

I am sure that Tori will continue to keep us on our toes by coming up with new requests - it sure makes it more entertaining to sing this song with her. I just wish I could be in nursery when she asks for the Nino on the bus!!!

It's Always Fun When Grandma Comes

2011-11-07T17:06:00.000-05:00

Sadly, Grandma Allen had to go home to Texas this morning. We have all had so much fun over the past two weeks - it definitely flew by far too fast!!! This visit was so great - especially for Tori! Although, Garrett got lots of fun Grandma time as well! In case you were wondering what a visit from Grandma entails, we have photo documentation to fill you in!!!

Of course there is lots of fun hairdos...

That look absolutely adorable!!!

I was amazed that she actually left these in!

Grandma let Tori wear her headband- she loved checking it out in the mirror!!!

Coloring princess pictures was a must!

Reading lots of books was also on the docket!

Tons of playtime was a given!!!

Tori especially loved playing with her doll house!

Grandma made sure that everyone in our family was represented - this is Mommy and Tori!

Daddy (and everyone else for that matter) loves to go in the door!

Occasionally, Tori got all played-out!

She had a great time lining her princesses up on Grandma's computer!

But the very best part of Grandma's visit- the cuddling!!!

Thanks so much for an awesome visit Grandma - we are so glad you get to come back in a few weeks for Thanksgiving!!!

Photo Shoots

2011-11-05T17:07:00.000-04:00

One of my most favorite things about Grandma Allen visiting is that she takes tons of really cute pictures of our kids! I love that she sets things up for a photo shoot and then captures so many fun smiles and poses!!! The only down side is trying to pick the pictures I want to post - we have so many great ones :)

The matching Halloween outfit photo shoot!

Tori and Garrett looked absolutely adorable together!

Our little man!

Aw, I love it when Tori gives Garrett kisses!!!

The Halloween pajama photo shoot!

I love the look on Garrett's face in this picture - so like a little brother that is heckling his big sister!!!

They were both looking at the camera!

This is such a great picture of Garrett!!!

After a while he started to get a little concerned - I love the furrowed brow!

The Big Sister/Little Brother photo shoot!

We started out a little rough- Tori did not want to sit up!

And then when she did finally sit up, she kept doing crazy things with her fingers!

Once she put her crown on, she was a happy camper!!!

The Disney-themed photo shoot!

Garrett was a stud and represented Cars!

And of course Tori was our princess poster child!

I love that she crosses her ankles!!!

The unthemed photo shoot!

Check out how strong Garrett is getting- way to go on holding your head up!!!

I think this is Jared's favorite Garrett outfit right now!

Tori is getting better everyday at letting Garrett get close to her!

Here is our cute boy - I love this picture of him!!!

Thanks for all of the amazing pictures Grandma- they are priceless!!!

Wee Slides

2011-11-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

For the last several months, Tori has been in love with slides! Whenever we pass a playground, or a slide, she will say, "wee slide" for as long as it is visible. Tori has been in heaven for the past week and a half - with Grandma here she has been able to try out many wee slides!

Our first slide visit with Grandma was at Burger King. The steps were a little too far apart (tall wise) for Tori to get up them by herself. Grandma was awesome and provided an extra step in the middle!

Tori had so much fun going down the slide!

And it was an added bonus that she got to eat a few bites of her lunch in between her wee slide runs!!!

Yeah for the wee slide at Burger King - we are big fans!!!

We are so lucky to have a playground in our neighborhood that is within walking distance. Tori and Grandma have been able to go on several peanut butter and jam sandwich picnics to the park. And of course there are some wee slides!!!

Tori can now get to any of the slides all by herself!

She discovered how to get up this with Grandma's help!!!

Occasionally, she would take a break to try out something else - like the sheep toy...

or the wheel!

But then she was right back to the slides! Again...

and again....

and again...

and again!!!

Thanks Grandma for taking Tori to play on the slides so much - she loved every moment!!!

Our Outstanding October

2011-10-31T19:37:00.002-04:00

Wow - October came and went before we even realized what month it was! It's a good thing we have so many pictures to help us remember our fun little moments!!!If you are ever looking for a great place to take it easy you should try a stair. Tori would highly recommend it - and I am glad that she usually goes for the very bottom step!

Lovin' the crazy end-of-the-day hair!!!

Tori had a fabulous time exploring our hospital room!

Talk about the perfect snack setup - juice, fruit snacks, gold fish, and a movie!!!

Daddy and Garrett taking a much needed nap! (Does this position seem familiar to anyone else?)

Oh, it could be that we have several pictures of Daddy and Tori just like it!!! I love that Tori and Garrett both love taking naps with their Daddy!

This picture cracks me up - I think they were both posing!

Our three kiddos :)

One day I checked on Tori during her nap and found that she had fallen asleep on her floor with Puppy, Baby, her blankie, her new teddy bear, and her night light!

I love it when Tori tries to share her toys with Garrett!!!

Here is our big girl- I love this picture of her (even though she looks way too grown up)!!!

Nice job getting everyone in the house Daddy! Can you tell they both love it when he gets home?

Life can be pretty rough for one so little!!!

These are the kind of moments that make my heart happy!

Here is Garrett trying out his crib for the first time - we love argyle and that Garrett is happy on his tummy!!!

Our handsome dude in his first church outfit!

I think our next dog should be bigger- then Tori could ride him around!!!

I love that she is starting to do this without being asked!

October has been pretty fantastic - we hope it has been to you as well!!!

Happy (1st) Halloween

2011-10-31T19:37:00.001-04:00

Our Halloween festivities started last Friday night with our Ward's Trunk-or-Treat activity. Since we were getting the kids all dressed up, we decided to get a few pictures before we left. I am so glad we did- they turned out great!

Here is Garrett in his very first Halloween costume - he was an apple!

Or more specifically, he was a poisoned apple...since Tori was Snow White - thanks so much for the awesome idea (and beanie) Grandma Allen!!!

I love this picture of our Snow White and her poisoned apple - it couldn't be any cuter!!!

And this one is just adorable!!!

If you were wondering how we got these awesome pictures - smarties work wonders!

Even Prince got all dressed up for Halloween this year!!! (It is his first Halloween too!)

It's always so much fun with Daddy around to provide swinging entertainment!

Princesses must always stick together!

Tori wasn't quite sure what to think of trunk-or-treating. But it didn't take long for her to realize she was getting candy out of the deal!

Grandma had a great time holding our little apple! Don't they look so cute together?

Today we made Halloween cookies with Grandma! Tori had so much fun putting (a little bit) of frosting on her cookie!

She really loved putting sprinkles on everything!!!

Of course, Tori had to sample some of her handiwork!

Tonight, Tori got to go trick-or-treating for the very first time! And to make it even more special, she got to go with Grandma!!!

She was so brave and would go up to the non-scary-looking doors all by herself and then say "tweet tweet!"

Tori got quite a haul! (Grandma reported that lots of people would say she was the cutest kid they had seen yet and then give her a whole handful of candy)

This is my favorite picture from Tori's trick-or-treating adventure - our little girl is growing up!!!

Happy Halloween everyone - we hope your day was as fun as ours!!!

More Packages...

2011-10-27T21:30:00.000-04:00

We have been so spoiled in the gift department for our Garrett! Aunt Michelle surprised us with these adorable outfits! The picture may not have captured it, but Garrett is super-excited to be able to wear both of them!!! (And the train outfit is my new favorite!)

Uncle Jer and Aunt Kim sent a gift card for the Children's Place. I can't wait to go shopping and get him something adorable - that store is so fun!
We have received two packages from Grandma Harrison and Aunt Anna! Tori wasted no time digging right in!

And she kept right on digging....

until she found some pink!!!

Tori was very excited about her new toy as well!!!

Tori made a new discovery this evening - the joy of bubble wrap!!!

Thanks so much to everyone - Garrett is going to be the best dressed boy on the block!!! And thanks for all the fun gifts for Tori- she is in heaven!!!

Garrett's 1st Visitor

2011-10-25T21:00:00.000-04:00

This afternoon we were so excited to welcome Grandma Allen from Texas! She is officially Garrett's first family visitor! Tori was overjoyed to have her here, too!!! Tori was elated when Grandma pulled out the gift Uncle Alec made her - a book full of the princesses! Thanks so much Alec- she absolutely loves it!!!

Tori didn't wait very long before requesting that Grandma join in on one of her new favorite games - running around the couch!

After running for a bit, Grandma finally got to have some cuddle time with Garrett!!! (This picture makes my heart melt- it is so sweet!)

Tori was such a big helper with introducing Grandma and Garrett - too cute!

Grandma gets to be with us for the next two weeks and we are so grateful!!! Stay tuned for more pictures of all our grand adventures from her visit!

Zoo Boo

2011-10-22T17:27:00.001-04:00

This afternoon Jared took Tori on a Daddy-Daughter date to Zoo Boo at the Indianapolis Zoo. It is a really neat event where all of the kids can come dressed up in their Halloween costumes, do a little trick-or-treating, participate in some fun activities, and (of course) see all the animals! (Pay no attention to the random girl in the picture. Jared asked her to move and she didn't listen)

Here is Tori getting ready to leave for Zoo Boo! I am so glad that we got a picture with her bow on - it only lasted for about a minute :(

Tori loves watching the sharks!

They aren't kidding about getting really close to the tigers!!!

Yeah for the brown bear! This is the first time Tori has seen him since he has always been MIA on our other visits.

While this may not be the best picture ever, it shows how creative Jared is! I can't imagine holding a very active Tori and taking a picture of both of us at the same time - way to go Daddy!!!

Tori made a new friend!

The biggest hit of all the animals, for this trip to the zoo, was the monkeys. Tori asked for them all the way in and was super excited once they made it to their cage!

She even tried to climb in with them!!!

Once again the overall biggest hit was the playground. She loves her "wee-slides!!!"

Hurrah for our little lady!

Jared and Tori had a great time together on their Daddy-Daughter date (and Garrett and I had a great time sleeping while they were gone)!!! Zoo Boo looks like so much fun- I can't wait until next year when we can all go together!

First Real Bath

2011-10-20T19:55:00.000-04:00

Tonight we had a very momentous occasion at our house - Garrett's first bath since we have been home from the hospital!!!

Even though Garrett looked a little uncomfortable, we think he is a fan of the water!!!

Tori was a big helper, as usual!

This is one of my favorite parts- cuddling after the bath!

As a fun side note, we used the same towel for Garrett that we used for Tori's first bath!

It was fun to stroll down memory lane a bit and see how tiny Tori was for her first bath (and to realize how much our towel has faded over the past two years!) Yeah for fun new firsts for our Garrett, they are just starting!!!

The Great Pumpkin

2011-10-15T17:13:00.000-04:00

Once again, Grandma Allen was teaching a scrapbook class and needed some festive pumpkin-carving photos to put on her page. I, for one, am really glad she does this- it gets us on the ball! And of course, we had to have our two kiddos in their matching Halloween outfits for the grand event (thanks Grandma and Grandpa Allen!!!) After we shared our pictures with Grandma Allen and then went on to tell her what happened, she told us the two didn't really match up. So, I have decided to fill in the behind-the-scenes information so we can remember what really happened down the road! So, here lies the tale of our pumpkin-carving experience this year!

Tori had a great time helping Daddy get started on our pumpkin - and she really liked that our bowl could be a hat as well!

Once the top was off, we tried to get Tori to help scoop out some of the goop - she only stuck the spoon in one time (glad we caught it)!

Instead of helping, she was a great big sister and made sure Garrett had his binkie whenever he started to cry...

And she ran around the kitchen with her stroller for a bit - way more fun than scooping out a pumpkin!

Tori was super-excited to draw a face on our pumpkin - I think this was her favorite part!

She loved it so much, that she kept coloring on everything else (the newspaper and our kitchen floor) while Daddy carved our pumpkin.

Here is our little dude supervising the operation!!!

Garrett with his very first pumpkin!

We're not sure why, but Tori wanted absolutely nothing to do with the pumpkin. She called it a ball at one point, which might explain why she kept trying to kick it!

But we wanted some happy Tori pictures for Grandma, so we started to get creative! Tori loves it when Daddy swings her around (hence the huge smile)!

And then we had Daddy put her down next to the pumpkin, while I tried to capture that smile before she realized where she was! A little crazy - but we got some really cute pictures :)

Happy pumpkin-carving to everyone -we can't wait to see how next year goes!!!

Packages

2011-10-14T17:13:00.000-04:00

Since the arrival of our little guy, we have been very spoiled by family and friends with much needed boy paraphernalia. Living away from all of our family means that we have been receiving many packages - much to Tori's delight! And Garrett is such a great brother to let her open all of them!!! She was really excited about this one from Aunt Terrah and Uncle Jake...

What, oh what, could it be?

An absolutely adorable blanket that Terrah made Garrett!

Thanks so much Aunt Terrah and Uncle Jake- Garrett loves it already!!!

This afternoon a very big package arrived from Grandma and Grandpa Allen!

Tori loved pulling out all of Garrett's cute new outfits!

Yep, we are going to have the best-dressed boy on the block!

As we were going along, all of the sudden Tori yelled out "pink," got a huge grin on her face, and practically dove into the box. When she came back out, she had her adorable new skeleton pj's in hand! It cracked us up that she definitely knows which things are for her!!!

Yeah, we are going to have so much fun making Halloween cookies!!!

Tori's absolute favorite thing in the box - the movie Tangled! Or as she calls it "Rapunzel..."

And here she is enjoying her new movie - she didn't move from that spot for the longest time!!!

Thanks so much Grandma and Grandpa - you spoiled us once again!!!

Big Sister

2011-10-13T16:09:00.000-04:00

Even though Tori still doesn't like the idea of holding Garrett, she is starting to get the hang of being a big sister. One of my favorites, so far, happened this morning when Tori first came into our room. She ran over to the pack n' play (which is where Garrett sleeps), got up on her tiptoes, peeked in, and said "baby!"

Jared went to get her a stool so she could see him better. It is so fun watching Tori get excited about Garrett being in our home and in our family!!!

Another big sister moment happened this afternoon when Tori gave Garrett his binky! I was so proud of her and how soft she was with him!!!

I can tell that Tori is going to be a great big sister! We are really enjoying watching her transition into her new role and I am sure there will be many more cute moments along the way!!!

A Few Thoughts

2011-10-13T16:06:00.000-04:00

Jared has been doing such a fantastic job keeping our blog up to date since Garrett joined our family! But, I wanted to add a few of my thoughts before I can't remember them. The first thing I would like to note is that I think Heavenly Father has a great sense of humor. For quite some time now, Jared and I have joked around about Garrett being born early (really on the 9th- since that is when Tori came in her pregnancy). But since this pregnancy was going so much smoother, we really thought we would at least make it to 37 or 38 weeks before he joined us. So when I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to my water breaking, my first thought was 'you've got to be kidding!' But sure enough, my water was broken and we were on our way to the hospital.
I think the thing that worried me the most through my entire pregnancy was what we were going to do with Tori if Garrett came before Grandma Allen was here to help us. Saturday evening a dear friend through me a baby shower and while there another friend made sure that I knew Tori was welcome at their house any time and made it a point that she could come over while I was in labor. I really don't think she expected a call at 5:30 the very next morning! But, after we had dropped Tori off, I felt so much peace knowing she was with people who loved her and that she would be just fine. Talk about lifting a huge burden off my shoulders!
I have had a few people ask me this time around why we were still going to deliver at Clarian West (officially now IU Health West Hospital - but that just doesn't have the same ring as Clarian West!). There is a great hospital that is much closer to our house and would be tons more convenient. After all that happened with Tori, we really didn't want to start over with new doctors. And once we checked in, I remembered another reason why we love this hospital so much - the absolutely fabulous nurses!!! My nurse Jenn was so attentive and made my labor experience such a positive one! This is the sign that greeted us when we got into my room:

Through the course of our stay, we had several of our Special Care Nurses that came down to say hi and see how Tori was doing. These ladies amaze me! It has been two years since we were there and they recognized our names and remembered so much about Tori. We even had a few comment on how much Garrett looked like Tori- they are awesome!!!
This time around, my labor seemed to progress very smoothly. With Tori I had to have tons of pitocin to get my contractions going - not fun might I add. This time my contractions started on their own and progressed on their own - so much better! My epidural went well- yeah, I am not one of those all natural girls. But right before Garrett was born, I started to panic a little. Things seemed so different from Tori's and it scared me. As it turned out, Jared and I had a few minutes alone as our nurse was rounding up my doctor and getting the last minute things ready before Garrett was born. I told Jared I was scared and he started to get a little teary-eyed. I asked him what he was thinking about and he said that this moment felt like when we were being married in the temple. Then that same peace and comfort seemed to wrap around me like a blanket- heaven felt very near! My fear vanished and I knew that Heavenly Father was very aware of us and that everything would be just fine! It was such a sweet moment - one I am sure we will never forget!!!
Jared has been so wonderful over the past few days - okay, really over the past 8 months! He has been so patient with me and my crazy pregnant self. And now that Garrett is here, he helps out with everything! I am so blessed to have him as my husband and know our kids have the best Daddy ever! Thank you from the bottom of my heart Jared - I love you so very much!!!

These are the beautiful, boy inspired, flowers that Jared brought me. Aren't they perfect?

I must admit that I am a little overwhelmed at the thought of having two little people that depend on us. But, I am also really excited for this new chapter in our family and the many adventures that await us!

The numerous sleeping positions of the G-Man

2011-10-13T11:16:00.002-04:00

Just in the first few days of our son being home, he has taken after his sister and has discovered some fun, but cute sleeping positions. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!!!

The I'm so cuddly position!!!

The praying position!!

The superman position!!!

The I'm not letting this binky ever fall out position!!

The mommy wants me to wake up but I am refusing to position!!

Stay tuned for more of our sons fantastic sleeping positions!!!

Chicken Legs

2011-10-13T11:16:00.001-04:00

Our wonderful son has the most adorable chicken legs. Here he is on his changing table right before a diaper change. As you can see his legs are so cute, and his socks do not fit him quite yet!!!

Also as a side note, today I went out and bought a new changing pad cover and a new boppy cover so that my son will not be fed nor changed on something pink or flowery!!

I'm Going Home

2011-10-13T11:04:00.002-04:00

Finally, the day has arrived that Garrett will come home with us!! Both Rachel and I are excited and ready to bring him home. On this glorious day we decided to take our first family photo. We attempted it three times and our first attempt ended up being the best.

Before we could leave Garrett had to have two more firsts.

The first one was that he had to receive his newborn screening test. The nurse wrapped his little foot in two warming pads and then wrapped a warm diaper around that to encourage blood flow to his foot to draw blood.

The last item of business was that Garrett had to pass a car seat test. We brought the car seat Tori came home in for this occasion. However, Garrett failed his car seat test. The nurses informed us that the regulations have recently changed and that they were no longer allowed to wrap towels around a smaller infant to secure them in a car seat. Rachel informed me of this as I was leaving our house to go to the hospital. I then asked for help amongst our friends in the Ward and our friends so graciously donated their beautiful car seat to allow us to pass the car seat test.

Here is our little man in his car seat after arriving home.

(Thanks so much to the Kenney Family and Melton Family for making this possible!!!)

Here is our beautiful baby boy soundly asleep in his bassinet at home!!!

Garrett's Firsts (Part II)

2011-10-13T10:36:00.002-04:00

On day two of our son's life a few very important firsts occurred. Probably the most important one of this day would have to be his first time meeting his older sister Tori!!

Here is a video of the first reaction. Granted it is not the reaction we hoped for but it's a start!!

However, once we turned on The Little Mermaid she was in heaven!!

Here is Tori opening her gift from her new baby brother!!

By the looks of it, we think it was a great hit!!!!

I guess all the big news tuckered out our little girl. Here she is zonked out at the hospital.

Here is Garrett's first time sucking his pacifier.

I thought it would be a fun comparison to show you Tori's first picture of her sucking a pacifier...

See any resemblance?

Alas, our first attempt at a sibling shot....maybe we will get a better one next time!!

Here is our strapping young man passing his hearing test with flying colors... making his mother quite happy!!!

Here is the first time of many..we are sure.. that he will pull his beanie over his eyes!!!

Garrett has had a very busy day today and we are proud to have him join our little family. We are looking forward to going home tomorrow and cannot wait to show our cute little boy off to the world!!

Garrett's First (Part I)

2011-10-13T09:52:00.001-04:00

Today, on his first day on this earth, we were able to view and be a part of some of Garrett's firsts that we were not able to be a part of with Tori.

Probably the most important first that Rachel cherished the most was to hold her son right after giving birth.

Here she is in her first with her son.

Here is our son lounging under the warmer "in our room" (another first) and without any medical equipment attached (another first).

Here is my beautiful wife getting ready to feed Garrett for the first time.

(Tori's first feeding was through bottles)

Here is Garrett's first manly cry...if a cry can be manly...hahaha

Garrett's first picture with his bear. This will be the the bear that will show his growth every month!!

Here is a video and pictures of Garrett's first bath!!

Here is our beautiful baby boy all clean and dressed with his eyes open!!

Here he is wearing his first outfit... a little too big but he will get there!!!

Lastly, and probably my favorite.... Daddy's first time holding his first son!!! (I'm not biased at all)

With our daughter all of these firsts did occur. However, they either occurred up stairs in the special care nursery or a few days after her birth. We thought it would be fun to document these firsts for our son since not only did they occur in our delivery room, but they also occurred on the first day of his life!!

We love our little G-man and cannot wait to tell you about his first time meeting his older sister!!

Stay Tuned!!!!

Garrett Jones Allen

2011-10-10T08:56:00.002-04:00

We would like to formally introduce you to the newest member of the Allen Clan.

Garrett Jones Allen

Weight: 4 lbs 15.4 oz

Length: 18.4 inches

Appendages: 10 fingers; 10 toes

Our beautiful baby boy decided to follow his older sister's footsteps with exactness. Tori was born at 36 weeks and 6 days and so was Garrett. Tori's birthday is 8/10/09 and Garrett's is 10/9/11. We find these two similarities quite intriguing.

However, he also is quite competitive. He just had to one-up his older sister in a few places. Unlike his older sister he was able to stay in the room with his parents and also he came out 8 hours quicker than his sister as well. We are so ecstatic to have him join our little family and cannot wait to see how this competitive nature progresses as our two children grow up together!!!

My Big Helper

2011-10-05T21:17:00.000-04:00

Over the past few months, Tori has turned into a great helper! I love that when I open the dishwasher, she says "dishes" and comes over to help. Her favorite part is either loading or putting away the silverware.

She has a great time "putting away" the spoons!

As previously posted, Tori loves to pull all of her clothes out and spread them out on the floor. After her rearrangement of her wardrobe this afternoon, she really wanted to read some stories. I told her she needed to put away all of her clothes and then we could. I didn't realize that I needed to specify that the clothes needed to be in the drawers and came back to find this:

It cracks me up that Tori loves to help wind up the cord on the vacuum - especially since she is still afraid of the vacuum. But, I have to admit that she does a great job getting it all on there!!!

I have to admit that it (most of the time) takes me longer to get things done with my big helper in tow - but I will never turn down her help! It's great having a side-kick!!!

Conference Weekend

2011-10-02T21:17:00.000-04:00

This weekend we had the awesome opportunity to watch General Conference! I love being able to hear messages from all of our church leaders - they are so in tune and so many of their messages spoke right to my heart! Since Tori is getting a little older, we decided to try adding in some fun things to help her be more involved this time!

For starters, we pulled out our hide-a-bed to make it a special thing for the weekend!

It was so comfy that we had to try really hard to stay awake at times!

We also had a few picnics in the living room and had popcorn as a fun treat! I think that we will do these for future conferences as well- we all enjoyed them!!!

Tori's new favorite toys- her seahorse and whale, joined us for the Sunday afternoon session!

Who knew that bath toys could be so fun!!!

We don't know how much Tori got out of conference, but I am so glad that we were able to participate as a family! I love that we could have the words of our prophet and leaders in our home all weekend long - it was wonderful!!!

Summing Up September

2011-09-30T11:44:00.000-04:00

September has come and gone so quickly - but was still a fantastic month! Here are some of our fun pictures to sum things up!!!Check out how long Tori's hair is getting! It is making it much easier for Daddy to come up with great tub hair styles!!!

Aunt Anna picked out some super cute pj's for Tori - we love the tutus!!!

And the blue version is just as cute!

I am in love with Tori's new dress from Grandma and Grandpa Allen! A lady at church said she looked like a walking scrapbook page :)

Tori has no fear when it comes to jumping into Daddy's arms!!!

Jared and I realized that we were major slackers since Tori is over 2 and we just gave her her first bubble bath. She wasn't too sure about the bubbles at first - she kept trying to get them off of her feet. But it didn't take her long to embrace the fun of bubbles in the bath!

Tori likes to get nice and cozy while watching her movies!

Here is a picture of me at 34 weeks - our little guy will be here before we know it!!!

Prince loves being in Tori's room - especially under her bed! I love this picture - I think Tori really likes having Prince in her room too!!!

Our ferocious coon hound!

Tori has learned the joy of swinging on things - and the treadmill is the perfect setup!

I have no idea how she got herself stuck in her stroller. And Tori was really upset that she couldn't get herself out!

Happy September - you have been a good one!!!

Our Boy's First Package

2011-09-29T21:14:00.000-04:00

Today our Baby Boy received his very first package in the mail! He is such a laid back kid, that he even let Tori open it for him!!!

She liked pulling out his blue items...

But really liked discovering her purple shirt!!!

Yeah for boy things - now we have some blue to put on our little guy!!!

Tori looks adorable in her outfit!

Thanks so much for spoiling our kids Grandpa and Nana- it was a very fun surprise!!!

Pike Homecoming 2011

2011-09-23T22:00:00.000-04:00

When I was in high school, homecoming week was always so much fun - all of the dressing up, fun assemblies, the football game (that we usually lost), and, of course, the dance. I have to say, that it is just as fun watching Jared be an active participant in all of the Pike events. This year he went above and beyond on dressing up for the theme days!

Monday- Mix-n-match Day. Jared's students said he didn't really get this one right since he matched too much. The funny thing is, most of his students didn't dress up at all!

Tuesday- Old School Day. I personally loved this one- it brought back images of Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future. I especially loved that Jared pegged his pants. Comments from the students - that he mixed up the days and this was his nerd outfit. Oh, they just needed to wait for the next day!

Wednesday - Nerd Day. Now this is a nerd outfit! Some of the administrators were a little concerned that Jared still owned pants that were that short on him. When he explained that we had actually hemmed his pants up to complete his look he was told that he was cute! He really knocked this one out of the park!!!

Thursday - Twin Day. This year Jared's twin was the other Project Lead the Way teacher. I think you can probably guess who was the most excited to dress up!!!

Friday - Pike Spirit Day. I think this was my favorite day of the week - mostly because Tori and I were able to be a part of this one! We all dressed up in our red and Pike gear and were able to join Jared for the last bit of Pike's carnival. We had some yummy hot dogs, chips, and drinks - thanks to the fabulous PTA parents. Then we got to stay for the Homecoming Game - sadly, Pike ended up losing the game - but it was still fun!!!

Yeah for Homecoming week- we can't wait for you to come around again next year!!!

Our Budding Artist

2011-09-11T18:00:00.000-04:00

Today Tori brought home her 2nd official drawing from nursery. She is getting to be quite the little artist! It was especially apparent how much her skills have grown when I pulled out her very first drawing (sadly, I didn't write down the actual date - but it was completed roughly 6 months ago). If you look really hard you can see a few added colors to the page!

And then we have her masterpiece from today - yep we have a Picasso on our hands! (It cracks me up that they are the same picture, too!)

We can't wait to see what artistic talent continues to develop down the road!!!

Labor Day Festivities

2011-09-05T20:00:00.000-04:00

Labor Day has always seemed like a pretty random holiday to me. But, if it means that Jared gets a day off of work to spend with us, then I am all for it! We started out our morning at our ward's annual Labor Day breakfast at Franklin Park. It has been so blisteringly hot around here, that waking up to a chilly morning kind of threw us off. We all wore jackets, along with shorts, thinking it would warm up in no time. Lucky for us we had our jackets and a blanket in our car- because it did not warm up. After our yummy pancake breakfast, Tori was off to discover the playground! She loves slides - anytime we drive past one she says "wee-slide, wee-slide, wee-slide" for as long as she can see one. So, she was in heaven trying out all of the fun slides!

And her hair loved the slides as well!!!

Then she found the horsies, or "neighs" as she usually calls them. We loved that she pet her horse first...

and then climbed on for a ride!!!

And of course we had to take some time on the swings!

Jared was also able to join in the annual football game. It cracks me up to watch the men and boys from our ward play this game every year - I think they have about 15 plus people on each team. It seems a bit chaotic to me, but it is a highlight every year! So sad that I didn't get any pictures of Jared in action.

After our ward activity, we headed home to thaw out a bit and spend some time with Prince. We all enjoyed being able to chill for the rest of the day (I so love this picture of these 3 chillin')!!!

As a side note, recently Tori has started to change her babies' diapers. She usually makes a sound that I really have no idea how to type - something along the lines of "ick" but with a very German sounding 'g' thrown in there some where. Anyways, then she will run out of the room to go get a diaper (or in this case 2 diapers)...

and proceed to change their diapers! (So glad I finally got some good pictures of this process, I love it!!!)

I love watching her figure things like this out! It really is amazing how much she is learning and growing everyday!!!

Self Discipline

2011-09-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

I think I have posted previously about how much Tori likes to help get Prince his food- and then proceed to dump it all over the floor. While this act is mildly annoying, it really doesn't hurt anything and Prince seems to enjoy going on scavenger hunts to find all of his food! Well, the thrill must have worn off, because Tori has upped the anti. Now she has decided to start dumping his water bowl all over the floor- super duper annoying. Not only does is make a big mess (we usually end up with a ton of water under the fridge), but then Prince and Tori are right there trying to help "clean" it up afterwards. This afternoon Tori dumped his water out right after I had filled it up. I'm not sure exactly what I said to her - something along the lines of "no Tori" or "stop" or "don't dump the water" - and most likely in a rather harsh tone. Then I frantically went to work trying to clean up the water mess while also attempting to keep Prince out of it. In the middle of clean up, I heard a chair being pushed across the floor and turned around to see what Tori was up to now.

And this is what I saw - Tori had put herself in time out!

She even looked sad and remorseful- which made me wonder how harsh my tone really had been.

But then her little smile came back and I knew we were okay - I did give her a big hug as well!

August Adieu

2011-08-31T21:30:00.000-04:00

August has been a really great month! But, like so many others, it seemed to fly by and was over before we even knew it. Here are a few of our fun pictures for you to enjoy as we say adieu to August!!!

Earlier this month, the Young Women in our ward had an activity where we learned Polynesian dancing. Nia did a fabulous job teaching us and even had a lava lava there for Tori!!!

Just by looking at this picture - whose idea do you think it was to go outside and play in the rain?

I don't know what was going on - but Tori seemed very concerned about it!!!

On this occasion, we played with colored bubbles and then had Oreos for our Family Home Evening activity and treat.

Tori loved every part of our evening!!!

It totally cracks me up that Tori will move everything off of her bed- all of her blankets and stuffed animals- move them into a corner in her room, and then fall asleep on the floor. Surely her bed has to be more comfortable!

I think Daddy was reminded that playing with Tori can sure tucker you out!

Luckily, several of her friends make great pillows and nap buddies!!!

Tonight we went swimming with the youth in our ward. Tori was gearing up for it all day long by playing with her star floatie toy!!!

Yeah for our fun swimming activity - we all had a great time!

Farewell August - you were a grand month!!!

To Shoot or not to Shoot?

2011-08-27T18:51:00.000-04:00

This weekend the youth in our ward were able to participate in a campout/gun shooting activity in Terre Haute. Basically, the Scouts camped out last night and then the Young Women came up to join them this morning to take part in the shooting portion. Tori and I really weren't planning on attending since Jared was going to the whole activity. But a very last minute change came up and we were able to come up last night as well - although we got to "campout" in the house!!! Prince was also able to come with us and he loved being outside so much and having so much new attention!

Tori took a little extra time waking up this morning!

Jared got to be one of the station supervisor people. (Go Katie!!!)

Don't you think this is just an awesome picture? And check out all of that fabulous use of hearing protection! It made my little audiologist heart very happy!!!

Even I took a few shots - heck yes!!! Sadly, they didn't take a picture of me shooting the Desert Eagle 44 caliber (I think that is right)!

Tori had a great time being outside all day, and loved eating many things off of the ground- like her pretzels for example!

Marina was the only girl that even attempted to shoot this huge shotgun - way to go!

And while shooting it she brought down the entire line of targets - awesome!!!

After all of the youth were done, the grown-up-boys were able to have a crack at everything. And they had a great time! Jared was able to shoot every gun at least once - his favorite ended up being the 223 semi-automatic rifle! Here he is shooting the 9mm semi-automatic handgun (I am so glad he remembers all these numbers and names)!!!

By all accounts, this activity was a huge success! No one got hurt - except for a few bruises from kickbacks. The location and food were amazing!!! I am so glad that our family was able to participate!

I just have to say that I love the youth in our ward - they are absolutely fantastic! I am so glad that Jared and I get to serve them and feel of their strong testimonies at this time! You are all amazing examples to us!!!

Continued Celebrations

2011-08-25T10:52:00.000-04:00

Let's just face it, living away from family stinks - especially around birthdays and holidays. But, if there is one good thing about it, it may be that you get to extend those celebrations out while things arrive in the mail! Tori has been totally enjoying her extended birthday celebrations!!! Her first package arrived from Georgia - thanks so much Uncle Willie, Aunt Krista, Parker, Lincoln, and Henry!

Tori wasted no time getting into this one!

Yeah for a fun new towel and adorable card!

She loves this towel (although, she calls it her blanket!), and I think we have used it almost every night since it arrived!!!

Next came a package from Uncle Jer and Aunt Kim in Utah! Since Jared wasn't home yet, Tori had to anxiously await his arrival before she could open this one!

What could it be?

She loves her new dog Dug (sadly I missed catching her giving him a kiss with our camera)!

And of course, the Cinderella book was a huge hit!!! Thanks so much Uncle Jer and Aunt Kim!!!

Tori's next package was from Grandma Harrison and Aunt Anna in Utah! The packing stuff was definitely an added present - she had so much fun playing with it!!!

Tori's very own computer - time to start working on sending emails and her own blog!

And then she found the pajamas with tutus - she had to try them on right away!

Hurrah for a new dress - she is going to look adorable!!!

Yep, Tori loves her new computer- she even tried to take it to bed with her!!!

The last birthday package arrived from Grandma and Grandpa Allen, Uncle Alec, and Uncle Dillon in Texas! So many presents, where to start?

Luckily Uncle Alec was looking out for Tori and let us know the order!

Oh how fun - Tori loves her new doll (especially since she can dress her up and comb her hair)!!!

Yeah for another new dress - she will continue to be the belle of the ball (or at least our ward)!!!

Tori loves her new dollie - she has been playing with her all morning long (so cute)!!!

An enormous thank you to all of our family for making Tori's second birthday so memorable! It has been a blast watching her totally enjoy each new gift as it has arrived! Love you all!!!

Our Little Book Worm

2011-08-22T20:26:00.017-04:00

Tori has really loved books for the longest time! She loves it when we read books to her. She loves flipping through and looking at books by herself. You name it - if a book is involved she loves it! And now we have moved on to the next step, Tori is starting to read books along with us! Here she is reading Moo, Baa, La La La! (by Sandra Boynton - we love all of her books) along with Daddy!!!

New Family Pics!!!

2011-08-16T19:31:00.044-04:00

When we were visiting our families this June, we were able to get some new family and cousin pictures taken! I am so glad - our last real family photos were taken when Tori was about 5 months old and she is almost two. Without further ado - our pictures from Texas! Sadly, Tori wasn't in the most smiley mood - but the pictures still turned out great (thanks Rigo)!!!

Our big girl!

Tori and Linken!

I love this one of Tori and Jared!!!

Yeah for our cute family!!!

And a few more fun cousin shots!!!

Now, for our pictures from Utah (thanks for being our photographer Mom)! For this photo shoot we were able to find some awesome spots in Grandma Harrison's backyard. Tori was in a better mood for this one, but much more wiggly!

Hurrah for a family photo and a smile from Tori!!!

I love how this one turned out!

Another fun family shot!

And now for the cousin photo shoot - all I can say, we didn't pick a good time for this one at all. But it makes me laugh to look back at it now!!!

Two Peas in a Pod!!!

2011-08-14T20:30:00.052-04:00

Tori and Prince are just getting more and more cute around each other every day! Don't get me wrong- we still have our Prince biting and Tori kicking or hitting moments, but they are getting less common. Some of the latest developments: when Tori and I go downstairs in the mornings Tori greets Prince by putting her fingers down for him to lick them - so adorable!

She also loves to lay down on the ground and play with Prince!

And I love watching Prince be so playful back with her (without any nipping)!!!

Sometimes we think Tori thinks she is a puppy too - yummy water (bleh)!

Recently, Tori has become very helpful with Prince. Whenever we are going to be gone for a long time, we set up our bathroom downstairs as his playroom. Tori will move his bed and all of his toys into the room for him. Then when we get back she goes right to the door to help let him out and puts all of his things away!

Tori also loves helping us get Prince his food and says "good boy" to him all the time!

Sometimes she is a little too helpful with his food!

This is one of my favorites- when Tori gives Prince kisses!!! (And I love how patient he is with her!)

Tori is very good at keeping Prince nice and comfy - even if it means wrapping him up in her own blanket! And of course she makes sure he has Nino as well!!!

Yeah for our two peas in a pod - it is going to be so fun watching them grow up together!!!

Our Crappy Day

2011-08-12T22:51:00.045-04:00

Have you ever had a day where you just stood back and thought, "Wow, today has been a really crappy day?" Well, today was one of those days for us. The sad thing is, we started out pretty good. We had to get up early to take Prince in to the vet this morning. Things were running like clockwork- getting up, breakfast done, all set with stuff for Tori and Prince, out the door a little early, and to the vet with a few minutes to spare. Then our day fell apart. As we were leaving the vets office 20 minutes later, we soon discovered that the passenger side window on Jared's car had been shattered. Then other realizations started coming- his brand new laptop for work had been stolen along with his Ipad 2. Then it hit Jared that his keys and ID badge for work had been in the same bag. And paperwork for an eye exam was also in there - so the thieves had our address and all of Jared's information - phone number, social security number, birth date, etc. To top it all off they even took his lunch bag. Talk about feeling like a carpet had been pulled out from under us! The rest of our morning was then spent contacting the police and trying to get as much taken care of as we could. Jared was on the phone with our insurance and tons of people at his school trying to cover all his bases. I wish I could say that the officer that arrived was helpful - but he really wasn't. Don't get me wrong, he did his job. But at one point he even told Jared that this was not a top priority and made it seem like it was Jared's fault this had even happened since his things were not completely hidden out of sight. Talk about not making us feel hopeful!
So, even though there are many not so fun things that have come from this (we get to pay for the work laptop, we have to watch out for identity theft, etc.), there have been a few silver linings. We were able to get his window fixed this afternoon (too bad it was $350). We did find out that our insurance will reimburse us at least a little bit to help cover costs. None of us were hurt in the process. And Jared doesn't have to pay to replace his keys or ID badge at work.
Overall, I think the thing we feel we have lost the most is our security. Jared and I were both so jumpy this evening anytime we heard a car outside. I am hoping that this part of our ordeal passes quickly. So, there you have it- our crappy day. We just hope we don't have another one for a very long time!!!

Tori's 2nd Birthday Bash!!!

2011-08-10T21:50:00.135-04:00

We now have a two-year-old living in our house - Tori is getting so grown up!!! Since Tori was turning 2 this year, we decided to spread her birthday celebrations out over two days. We started out yesterday by taking her to the Indianapolis Zoo! Tori and I were able to visit the zoo earlier this spring with Grandma Allen, Uncle Alec, and Uncle Dillon, but Jared was working and couldn't come with us. So it was even more special that we were able to spend the day as a family seeing all of zoo together!

The last time we visited the zoo, Tori was not much of a fan of the Oceans area. This time it was her absolute favorite!!! We went there first, and again right before we left! She loved watching the sharks swim around!

I think the penguins were the number one favorite of this trip!!!

Jared and I decided that Tori's second favorite area was the playground! She had a blast running around and going down all of the slides all by herself!!!

Of course, it really helped Tori's confidence that the slides were just the right speed for her!!!

After playing on the playground, we headed over to the Plains area to find some more favorites! I think we were looking at the zebras at this point - this is my favorite picture from our day!!!

Yeah for rhinos!

The elephants were a definite huge hit! We even got to see the brand new baby elephant. Since there were so many people crowded around, we didn't even try to get a picture! But this other mommy and baby elephant didn't mind being in a picture at all!

Tori had a great time at the zoo - we are so glad we got to go as a family!!! Especially since the activities we had planned for today went well, but not exactly as planned. Things did get started on a positive note - Tori loves having waffles for breakfast!

Our next event was to make cupcakes together. Jared and I thought Tori would love helping mix everything together - she wasn't interested at all and may even be a little bit scared of the Kitchen Aid mixer. Luckily, she loved helping get out the cupcake liners!

We also thought she would like to help pour the cake batter into the liners - nope, not so much! So, while the cupcakes were baking, Jared got everything ready for the big surprise of the day - Tori's new Princess bed sheets and comforter!

While Tori's reaction was okay, it was not at all what we had anticipated! (We were thinking of her running into her room with squeals of delight.) At least we got a few smiles!

And after about 10 minutes we did hear her back in her room playing on her bed - for some reason it took her a bit to really get excited about the changes! Then we got these adorable pictures of her!!!

I love the look on Tori's face in this one - can we just say, she is up to something!

After lunch, we dove back into our cupcake project. Tori took about two swipes with the frosting and was done, but she absolutely loved putting on the sprinkles!!!

Yep - she really got into the sprinkle part, hurrah!!!

Let's just say our two-year-old photo shoot could have gone a little smoother - she wouldn't even hold her bear. So, we have the next best thing- a picture of Tori throwing her bear!!!

This evening we were finally able to sing to Tori and let her blow out her candles! (I think we need to practice for this part next year!)

And here she is - out birthday girl digging into her cupcake and ice cream!!!

We have heard that being two means much more independence and exploration- and I think we saw a bunch of that today! What a fun adventure we have before us!!! Happy Birthday, Tori! We love you so very much and can't imagine our family without you!!!

Jumping through July

2011-07-31T13:33:00.074-04:00

Another month has come and gone - crazy how fast they seem to fly by! Here are some of our more random moments (that really are the filling to it all) from July!

Tori got a new princess chair for the 4th of July - which she absolutely loves! We never figured that she would love the bag it came in just as much!!!

For some reason we find Tori asleep on her floor quite often. She looks so little curled up in the middle of her floor!

Finally, a belly shot of me at 25 weeks! I don't know why, but I always feel slightly awkward when we are taking these - where do you put your hands? :)

Fun hair for church - and Tori's very first ponytail!

She is looking more and more grown up everyday!

This video started out as Tori being really cute and playing with Prince - until she realized I had the camera. Then she ran over to see herself - it's so funny how quickly she picked that up! Oh, and she can now say her name (as you will hear several times) - so cute!!!

We love watching Tori play - all of her friends were having a party in the tent...

which then got moved to the roof!!!

Recently, Tori loves to pretend she is talking to Grandpa and Grandma on the phone. I have been trying to capture this for some time and these are the best I have so far...

And anything that looks like a phone will do as well!

The funny thing is, when we really call any of her Grandpas or Grandmas she just looks at the phone and smiles - but doesn't say a word!

In case you have a day where you can't find your hair brush, grab a bottle brush - it seems to work just great!!!

Happy July to all- we hope you've had a good one!!!

Big Girl Bed

2011-07-30T13:36:00.030-04:00

For Tori's second birthday (which is quickly approaching), Jared and I decided to get her a real big girl bed. Well, the bed arrived today and we realized that there really is no way to hide a bed. Jared was so excited to get it all set up and to see what Tori would think.

Well, it took her no time at all to test out the mattress!

And it didn't take her long to jump right on once the sheets were on!

Yep, she seems pretty excited about her new bed!!!

And here is the first nap - we have a winner!!!

It was so much fun watching Tori with her big girl bed, but boy does she look small in it! Oh, in case you were worried - we have saved some surprises for her actual birthday! It is going to be a great celebration!!!

The fine art of getting dressed!

2011-07-27T17:55:00.021-04:00

If you have seen past posts, you know that Tori loves her clothes, socks, and shoes - and has been trying to put them on herself for quite some time. But in the past couple of weeks she has all the sudden made great strides in the getting herself dressed department. It has been really fun watching her experiment along the way!

Overalls can be pretty tricky to get on...

It's just much easier to wear them like a necklace!

Shorts are much easier to get on if you put both legs in one hole and pull them up really high!!!

Daddy's shirt makes a great dress!

Tori loves to show off her new skills - and we love seeing what she comes up with next!!!

Happy 3 Years!!!

2011-07-25T13:35:00.015-04:00

Today Jared and I are celebrating our 3 year anniversary!!! It seems like the past 3 years have gone by in a flash - time really does fly when you are having fun with your best friend! And yet, I love that it feels like we have been together, and known each other, so much longer than that. Our love for each other has grown so much deeper over the past few years and I know it will continue to do so! Happy Anniversary Sweetheart - I love you for time and all eternity!!! (And thank you for the beautiful roses - I love them!)

Just One of the Girls

2011-07-16T11:24:00.041-04:00

The Young Women in our Stake had girls' camp this week. Tori and I were able to participate in a few things over the week. We started out by helping drive a few ladies up to camp Tuesday morning. We had so much fun chatting and enjoying the beautiful drive. Our only trouble came when we missed literally the very last turn. Luckily, we didn't get too lost and found camp a short while later! Last night, Tori and I were able to travel up to camp again to visit for a bit. We were able to be there for some fabulous skits and singing time, an amazing dinner, our Bishop's devotional and tasty treats, and, best of all, the testimony meeting!
I really think that Tori feels like she is one of the Young Women - here is our little camper shortly after we arrived!

She soon inherited a necklace for the evening - thanks for sharing Ashley!

Tori thought dinner was just as yummy as I did! (I think the girls got a kick out of seeing her with food all over!)

Hanging out with Laurie, Emily, and Natalie!

Tori loved playing with the Nichols' dog - who was a very good sport!

Chillin' with Taylor and Ashley!

Thanks ladies for making us feel so welcome and loved! Above all, thank you for sharing your sweet testimonies with us this evening- they are priceless!!!

Before & After

2011-07-14T17:23:00.019-04:00

Prince had his very first grooming this afternoon. So we decided to do some before and after shots to document this momentous occasion!

Here is our adorable Prince before the haircut!

And here is our now very grown up looking Prince after his first grooming!

I think he likes it- he seems to be showing it off a little!!!

Happy 4th!!!

2011-07-04T21:22:00.035-04:00

This year we enjoyed two 4th of July celebrations. Saturday evening we were able to attend a fabulous cookout with several families in our Ward. It was so nice being able to just relax and strengthen friendships - and the food was awesome too! Jared and Tori had a blast riding this little motorcycle - it only scared me a little bit when they went fast!!!

Tori is still not a fan of sparklers - maybe next year!

You may have noticed that Tori's shirt looks well loved. Basically, she had the time of her life playing in and on everything. I think she got a hold of someones water bottle and that is why she is all wet. Tori loved sitting on her new princess chair - it was the perfect seat for watching the fabulous firework display!!!

This evening we were able to have our family celebration! We started out by having a wonderful dinner with our next door neighbors - they really are the best!!! Then we had our very kid-friendly firework display and followed it up with our traditional popsicles!

In the past, Tori has not been a fan of anything cold. We were so excited that she devoured her popsicle!

Yep - I think she is now a fan!!!

Happy 4th of July! We are so grateful for this amazing country and all of the freedoms we enjoy!!!

Our Birthday Boy

2011-07-03T20:22:00.023-04:00

I don't know why this happens, but every year it seems like we are always crazy busy on Jared's birthday. Which then results in us spreading out his celebrations over several days. He says he doesn't mind at all - he gets to enjoy his birthday much longer this way! So we started out our celebrating on his actual birthday (the 30th) and then had our present opening time yesterday.

Today we culminated everything by having fun food and ending with cupcakes and ice cream!

Tori was a big helper with blowing out the candle - or she was just waiting to dig in to the cupcakes!!!

Happy Birthday Jared - we hope you had a great several days of celebrating!!! Love you tons and tons!!!

Fun In Utah

2011-06-28T11:23:00.070-04:00

As usual, we got home with a ton of fun pictures with our family! Here are some of our favorites- enjoy!!!

Tori loved wearing Lincoln's shoes - luckily, he was nice and let her borrow them often!

Parker loved getting Uncle Jared with his rocket - and he had a fan club cheering him on!!!

Thanks Grandma for giving Tori her first braid - so adorable!!!

Henry made sure to introduce himself to Uncle Jared - I had to capture this!!!

There were a ton of creative juices flowing!

Fun walks with Nana!

Tori took some time to smell the roses- and all of the other flowers available!!!

It really seems to me that some of the best moments are when everyone is just together and nothing more!!!

Daddy thought it would be fun to put Tori in here - Tori did not agree!

What a fun Daddy/Daughter moment - I love this picture!!!

I don't think Uncle Willie liked Henry's food- it's a good thing Henry did!

Everyone enjoying the pop fireworks (sorry I can't think of what they are really called)!

These kinds of moments just melt my heart!!!

The cousin shot - Parker, Henry, Tori, and Lincoln (oh, and Aunt Terrah's fun green ball)!!!

Tori and Uncle Jer are definitely pals!

Yeah, a fun picture of me and Tori - I love it!!!

Tori had a great slumber party with Uncle Jer and Aunt Kim!!!

We are so grateful that we were able to spend time with our family in Utah - it really was awesome! Can't wait till we can do it again!!!

Sidewalk Chalk Extravaganza!!!

2011-06-28T11:22:00.035-04:00

Whoever invented sidewalk chalk was a genius! It is amazing how much fun it can produce - and we are so glad that Aunt Krista thought of this great activity!!! All of us kids - both old and young - were entertained for hours!

Here are some of the masterpieces!

Parker, Lincoln, and Jared were hard at work... and Tori was dumping her water on all of it!

Somewhere along the way the artwork turned into making chalk outlines...

Tori seemed a little concerned with the whole process!

I love that Parker and Lincoln's arms don't exactly match up - which is a good sign considering the chalk outlines!!!

I think the boys had a great time making their daddy's outline - they did a great job!

Talk about making some awesome memories!!!

Dinosaur Park

2011-06-28T11:21:00.049-04:00

Grandpa and Nana Harrison treated us to a trip the the Dinosaur Park in Ogden one day. Even though the day was pretty warm, we still had a great time seeing all of the dinosaur exhibits. We especially enjoyed watching how excited Parker and Lincoln got as we discovered the dinosaurs they knew- which was a pretty impressive number!!!

Willie and Krista had the brilliant idea of taking a family photo by the entrance sign - and we totally copied them!

We arrived at the park right around lunch time, so we found a great picnic spot by this river. All of the kids loved watching the water - and I love that we got a great cousin shot!!!

I have no idea why we didn't take pictures of any of the real dinosaur exhibits - they were pretty awesome. But we did get a couple really fun pictures of Tori!

She made one great dinosaur cowgirl!!!

What do you think - could our little girl really be the "World's Most Dangerous Creature?"

Here is a picture of Tori's first real swinging all by herself - she loved it!!!

Thanks for the fun dinosaur adventure Grandpa and Nana - we had so much fun!!!

Swimming Fun

2011-06-28T11:20:00.022-04:00

While we were at Grandma Harrison's, Tori had a fabulous time swimming with her cousins Parker, Lincoln, and Henry. It really was a pretty sweet setup with two separate pools. Uncle Willie, Aunt Krista, and Daddy made it even better by adding in a bunch of hot water- the pool water ended up being the perfect temperature! These pools provided days of entertainment for all of the kids - and the adults too!!!

Here are Tori, Parker, and Lincoln in the big kid pool!

It took Tori a bit, but she finally did actually get into the water!

Aunt Anna joined in on the fun as well!

Tori also had a great time with Henry in the little kid pool - I think she liked that there wasn't as much splashing in this one!!!

I love this picture - Henry has the cutest smile, Anna is looking super-cool, and Tori looks adorable in her swimsuit and pigtails!!!

Hurrah for swimming in the backyard - not much else says "summer" quite the same way! Thanks Grandma Harrison for the fun memories!!!