It's a

BOY!!!
David Jeremiah Allen born at 7:15am; 8lbs, 3oz and 21 inches long. I don't know how to post pics from the iPad so I'll have to wait until we get  home but I don't think he looks like any of the other Allen babies yet :)  I'll post his birth story too - I did it with out drugs!!!! I've always thought about it but never done it but this time I did it - thanks to God!! Craziness!
Be back soon!

Baby Boys 1st birthday!

I seriously can not believe its been a year since we welcomed our precious Benjamin in to our family! I remember feeling like he would never get here (much like I feel now with baby #5) and now he's been here a whole year! Saturday we had a simple little birthday celebration with family. He wasn't too sure what to think about everyone  wanting pictures with him and singing to him but he sure was happy about getting to chow down on a cupcake! It seems like now that he is officially one he really thinks he is a big boy- last night we were eating dinner and  he was in his high chair with a bottle which is our usual routine but he was over the bottle and wanted to eat everything we were eating - we usually feed him after his bottle but it was like, nope, not anymore, I'm joining the big kids 100%! So maybe he'll be done with the bottle before his brother or sister comes after all :)
Here are a few pics from his special day.

 Most of the day he had this serious face on - I don't think he knew what to think being the center of attention - usually he has to share with 3 other little hams but this day was all about him!

 Best attempt at a family shot

 I wish John-Mark and was smiling - James and Ben are too cute!

 Digging right in to the cupcake!

 Getting down to business!

 Total cupcake dominance! He's an Allen for sure :)

 Checking out his new ball pit - he LOVED it! The boys had one when they were little and would play in it for hours - hoping Ben and his little brother and sister will have as much fun in this one - if I can keep the big kids out of it!

 Love his cutie-pa-tootie birthday outfit - I sewed the shorts and my sweet friend Nikki monogrammed his shirt.

 Going for a little stroll outside - the kids LOVE to push him around in the car and will actually fight over who gets to push him next which is awesome for this preggo mamma!

The kids with my mom and Papa Steve - I always forget to pics of everyone at the party but Papa and Nonni, Chrissy, Bissy and Mike, and my Dad (aka Papa Duck) also came to celebrate with us.


Yesterday, Monday, the 24th was his actual birthday so of course we did our little family tradition of singing to him in his crib and then letting him open his presents from mommy and daddy. I think the big kids were more excited than he was and were trying to "help" him open his gifts and then "show" him how to play with them :) we finally had to order them to step away from the toys so Benjamin could even get a look at his gifts. I've never seen a 5, 4, and 3 year old so excited over a baby drum and baby baseball and bat! Both toys that they have larger versions of but they wanted to send the day playing with Ben's!


Dear precious Benjamin -

What a lucky, special little boy you are! You are so loved by your mommy, daddy and your brothers and sister. I feel pretty certain you will never have a dull moment in your sweet life! Before you were born I couldn't imagine how it would be to have 4 little ones but now of course I can't remember what we did with out you. You have always been such a happy laid back baby but lately you have become quite the little adventurer and explorer and keep us all on our toes. You are SOO much like your older brother John-Mark not only in your looks but also in your temperament and overall attitude. I wonder how much of that will change as you get older. Your little life does seem to have flown by so fast this past year and I wish I could stop time and just enjoy my sweet little wobbly walking boy but I know before I know it you will be outside climbing the rock wall with your brothers and sister and asking me 1000 questions just like they do :)
Your daddy and I truly thank God for your amazing life and are so thankful that we get to be a part of it. Our prayer is that you will always know how much you are loved not only by us but by your Heavenly Father and that as you grow you will have a passion and desire to know and serve Him all the days of your life. We pray that your gifts and talents will be revealed at a young age and that we will be able to help you use those to glorify God in all you do. We pray that we will be living examples of what a passionate relationship with Jesus looks like and even though we will mess up plenty as we raise you that we will always be able to point to God and know that by His grace and mercy in all of our lives we are able to do His will.
We love you soooo much baby boy and look forward to all God has in store for you!! You are a blessing to us all!

Random Pics

I just can't seem to find time sit down and blog about all the funny or crazy things the kids are doing these days so my blog has been so shy lately :) Still don't have time to write a ton but I thought I'd post a few pics from what we've been up to lately.
Football season is finally upon us! Yea! Makes those long Saturday's when Jeremy has to work all day a little easier to bare when we can spend the day cheering on the Tide (or Florida if J is around:)

Alabama's first game this year was against Michigan and our friends have some Michigan ties so little Ally had on her Michigan cheerleader outfit - how cute are these two!?!  Ally looked so cute  I don't think she even cared that Bama stomped her team :)

A few weeks ago when I couldn't sleep I got up about 2 am and John-Mark about scared me to death! He had a bad dream and was just sitting in a chair in our kitchen/office area, in the dark! I think that would have scared me more than staying in my bed. I asked him if he wanted to go get in bed with James and he said no, he wanted to stay there. Eventually he fell fast asleep in the chair. Sweet Boy :)

This boy is a MESS and keeping me on my toes. He is a climbing monkey! He used to LOVE to see the bathroom door open so he could speed in to play in the toilet - his new favorite thing is to make a b-line for the bunk bed ladder. He will practically run by the open bathroom door to get to the ladder. I usually move the ladder every morning so he can't climb up it but sometimes I forget. Yesterday he was ALL THE WAY in James' bed!!  Good grief. You can also often find him standing on the kitchen table, coffee table, or any toy that he can climb - you name it. 

He's also eating more table food. Here is his first taste of avocado.  He seemed to like it and ate it up but proceeded to throw it back up about 10 minutes later - ugh! So we haven't gone back to that yet. Lately he's started enjoying eggs but  most of what he eats is still baby food - just easier for me right now. I'm loving these squeeze bags of baby food that they can totally do themselves! Such a time saver for me :)

It's the Final Countdown!!!

So, here we are at a little shy of 37 weeks. My little baby ticker tells me I have 18 days to go! Probably more like 20 with my track record but who's counting!?!

I wanted to jot down a few thoughts about this pregnancy since short of a miracle this will be my last pregnancy :) 

Let's see - words I never, ever expected to come out of my mouth "I'm expecting my 5th child... in 5 years!" Not that I really had a number of children I was set on having but 5 was never on my radar. But I am sooo incredibly thankful for each of these children the Lord has blessed us with and I know He has His hand on our family and big plans for each one of them.  I was telling Jeremy a few days ago that I remember meeting this family years ago, before I was even married and hearing them tell how they had 5 kids in 10 years from the time she was 30 to 40 and being so encouraged. I knew I was going to be and "older" bride and I would probably not have kids until I was in my 30's so I was like, "ok, I'll still be able to have a couple of kids" - ha! Having no idea I would have 5 between the ages of 31 and 36! Funny how God sets me up like that sometimes :)

Anyhoo - thankfully,  pregnancy has been uneventful just like all the others (I am very blessed in this area!). I passed my glucose test the first time so I'm 5 for 5 - woohoo! I told my doctor that my body has a lot of practice with high amounts of sugar - ha! I have never had any braxton hicks contractions with any of my pregnancies and looks like that will be the case this time again -  I go full term and then once the first contraction starts we're in business - once again thankful! 

I'm terribly uncomfortable with my hugeness. Sleeping has gotten more and more difficult and trying to find a position that is comfortable seems to be elusive. Poor Jeremy has been pushed to the very edge of his side of the bed with me and my big belly and all my pillows I surround myself with in an attempt to get comfy. He rarely complains but if he does I always remind him that he's sleeping with two right now - and our queen bed really isn't quite big enough for the 3 of us to sleep comfortably - but baby seems to be comfy as can be so that's really all that matters right now. Starting around 32 weeks it seemed about every other night I was up atleast 2 hours in the middle of the night, wide awake, searching the web or watching the Weather Channel:) Then a few weeks ago I started taking a "nap" on the couch from about 8:30 to 10pm and then staying up until 1 am or so, then sleeping until 7 am. It seems to work and I get a longer stretch of uninterrupted sleep. The past few nights I've actually been exhausted and in bed by 10:30/11 and sleeping through the night. It seems with all my pregnancies at the very end I hit my sleeping stride and am able to sleep well and not even wake for a potty break every two hours. It's like the Lord is giving me a little break before the real work begins :) My hearburn has kicked up the past couple of months so I have to be careful not to eat anything too late in the night or I'll be up with that too.  I consider it "training" for the middle of the night feedings to come:)

Lately I've pretty much taken my last meal of the day be 4pm and that seems to help. Of course I wake up starving but at least I'm not waking up from heartburn :)

I haven't been able to exercise like I did with my last pregnancy and I can definitely tell a difference. I was still doing spin classes at 39 weeks and feeling good with Ben- walking up the drive way wears me out right now. I know I am going to have a long road after this baby is born but I'll get back to it!

Ok, Ok, enough of the complaining. Baby is doing great. My blood pressure has been great the entire time. LOTS of movement and hiccups. James has got to feel him or her move a lot and LOVES it. He and Gracie love to come and talk to my belly and "kiss" on the baby. They all still go back and forth between thinking its a boy or girl and what they want to name it. I can't wait to bring them up to the hospital and introduce them to their new brother or sister. (For the record I think this baby is a boy. No real scientific reason. My pregnancy with Gracie was the same as my boys so there is nothing to easily point to and know one way or the other. However, based on my track record I think boys are what we do - so another boy it is!)

Most days they will all tell me they want another brother - on occasion Gracie will say it's a sister but not often. I think she likes being the queen bee:) We're about 2 weeks away from Benjamin's first birthday so that is what I'm focused on right now. After that my thoughts will be all baby all the time I'm sure! So excited to get to finally meet this sweet little baby that will be the caboose to the Allen family!

37 weeks with my 11 1/2 month old :)