The Allen Girls...

Trick or Treat!

2008-10-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Observe. Alyse and Alex's first trick-or-treating experience:

Muchos Videos!

2008-10-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple of recent videos featuring the girls.

First, Alex shows an early proclivity for jig dancing as we saw her very much enjoying the "stomp your feet" part of "If you're happy and you know it...."

Second is one of Allie's first experiences in the bouncer. I'm not sure she quite knows what to make of it.

Please to enjoy.

Two Videos

2008-09-23T05:31:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple I shot the other night. Alex was asleep during all this. I promise I wasn't ostracizing her.

An Emergency Room Scare

2008-09-18T22:18:00.001-07:00

If you're ever wondering what to do on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, may I suggest not spending it at your local Emergency Room? That's where Charlotte, Allie, Alyse, and I were holed up for the latter part of the day yesterday.

To explain:

Charlotte had a friend, who she works with at the Grace nursery, over to the house for the day. I had just gotten home from work and was on the computer when Charlotte came through the hall, frantically saying Alyse had eaten some of the friend's medication-two pills--out of her purse. When I asked what kind, all that was known at the time that one was a "heart" pill, the other a diabetes pill. Of course, I became overcome with fear, thinking only to Google the number for the Texas Poison Control Hotline and then grabbing my keys on the way out the door.

Looking back now, we were endlessly blessed to have Amy Roberts at our house at the time, as well as Marshall (our temporary border) to look after Alex and Allie. We really never gave it a second thought.

Unfortunately, the friend did not know the exact names of the medication she was taking, and Amy had to rush her to the friend's house to retrieve that information. The Poison Control Center said there was little the ER could do until they knew that exact prescription information. As I raced past slow-moving vehicles, I kept expecting to look in my rearview mirror and see Alyse wigging out or starting to slump over--any sign that something was biologically wrong inside her. Instead, I saw the same spirited and playful Alyse, talking to Charlotte and playing games.

Once we were in the hospital, the staff took her vitals and drew blood. The doctor confirmed that they would not be able to tell anything until the prescription information was made known. Shortly thereafter, Amy arrived at the hospital with the names of the medication and half of one of the pills that was thought to be entirely ingested. After the doctor took the pill and the medication names, we were left to stew over the frightening possibilities for about half an hour. He came back and told us one was a cholesterol pill and one was a blood sugar pill. Unfortunately, he told us, the half pill was the cholesterol pill which would have little impact on Alyse. The blood sugar pill, however, could have drastic effects on her blood sugar--affecting it for 24 hours with the possibility of Alyse slipping into a coma if she was asleep and her blood sugar dropped low enough.

We were floored.

The doctor told us there was no reason to try and contain Alyse in such a small space with nothing to do. The only thing to be done was to monitor her blood sugar again in a few hours and proceed from there. He let us leave the E.R. and told us to return at 8:30 PM.

Trying to keep our spirits up, we picked up something to eat and went home. I sat there watching Alyse watch "Little Einsteins." My heart plummeted at the thought of anything remotely serious happening to her. I was lost in sweet memories when...

Charlotte yelled from the other room. "I found the other pill!"

Alyse had not eaten it, but rather mistook the first one for candy, took a chomp and then spit it out. We decided to take her back to the ER at the scheduled time, just to make sure everything was fine. Aside from wasting another two hours of our night, everything was completely normal.

We chocked this one up to a life lesson to keep visitor's purses high and out of sight. But any major incident has been avoided....for now.

Allie is Two Months Old!

2008-09-06T17:39:00.001-07:00

...and growing like a very large weed. At her two month appointment, she was a whopping 15 pounds! Here are a few recent pictures:

Allie's Birth Announcement

2008-07-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

From the Good Shepherd "Great Expectations" website:

I'm not sure if I wrote it incorrectly, but Allie's birthday is June 23, 2008. Not June 24th. We originally forgot to turn in the consent to have this picture put on the website, and had Joanna pull some strings for us as she works in the Good Shepherd nursery. Thus, the lateness of its posting.

Allie's First Video

2008-07-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

***Even though I say she is 8 days old, she is really 9 days old in this video. Enjoy Alyse's running commentary.

Allie Laurel Allen

2008-06-26T10:53:00.001-07:00

This week has been understandably crazy! I feel much aggrieved I have not been able to post until now, and this will even be an abbreviated post.

I'm sure by now most of you have heard the immaculate news:

Allie Laurel Allen is here! She was born Monday, June 23, 2008 at 2:26 PM at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Texas. She weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was 19 1/2 inches in length!

Labor technically lasted only about 5 1/2 hours and Charlotte was incredible! I don't have much time to post many pictures, but I will give you this beautiful one and the link to her birthday photoset on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewesque/sets/72157605814668384/

Alyse Gets Her Game On!

2008-06-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

You know your little girl is grown up when she can adeptly play a computer game by herself.

D'oh!

My, How You've Grown

2008-06-03T09:58:00.000-07:00

Well, our little Alex Bear turned one year old yesterday! It's hardly believable when your firstborn turns one, but almost impossible to believe when your secondborn does, I'm not sure why. Also I--Drew--started my new job yesterday, so it was a bit of an odd day all around.

Although Alex's party is not until this weekend, we tried to commemorate her special day with a few low-key celebratory measures:

Here Alex chows down on some special birthday pizza.

Here she has her first experience with soda - Spritey! (As Alyse calls it.)

Then, of course, being presented with the birthday cupcake...

Then, of course, cramming her mouth full of cupcake (...and subsequently leading a sugar-rush rampage throughout the house...)

Opening her present from Mommy, Daddy, & Alyse.

And finally, senselessly destroying any remnant of wrapping paper.

Zooropa (Better by Design)

2008-05-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

To help make this Memorial Day weekend--well--memorable, we took the girls to the Caldwell Zoo. We took Alyse back in September but, as her knowledge base of the animalia kingdom has erstwhile exploded, this trip was much more fun to watch her run around and taunt the various animals by name.

Alyse watches a penguin.

Though Alex is a great deal younger than Alyse was on her first zoo safari, she--Alex--very much enjoyed herself, pointing and yipping at various animals that attracted her fancy as small children are wont to do.

Alex watches a Longhorn graze.

Despite the humid, ninety-five degree weather, an enjoyable time was had by all. Fortunately, we happened to be down by the elephant walk just as they were starting the elephant demonstration. Here is a picture of what the elephant was doing and subsequently the girls' reaction:

Elephant catching treats.

Alex, Alyse watching the elephants.

Now, as official Caldwell ZooMembers, we are entitled to discounted tickets for friends and family. So if you come to visit, we'll go see some animals together!

For more zoo pictures, please visit Alex's First Zoo Visit set on Flickr (click the link).

Carseat Graduations

2008-05-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago the girls both graduated into carseats more befitting of their every-maturing physical stature. In fact, I'm still a little perplexed how we were managing to still carry Alexa around in the infant carrier--talk about a bicep workout! So Alex made the jump to a larger, more comfortable seat, and also now faces forward for the first time:

We purchased this car booster seat for Alyse which does away with the independent harness and uses the car's own seatbelt system for safety restraint. This, obviously, has presented its own set of challenges (e.g., keeping the shoulder strap across her), but has made her car-riding experience much more enjoyable and has bolstered her confidence, as it has been dubbed the "big girl seat."

I've also included this video as Alyse expresses her feelings about the seat. It sounds like I'm prodding her to give a positive endorsement, but I was merely coaxing her to repeat what she had already said (except for the "sweet" part--that, we'd never heard before):

Stuff and Such...

2008-05-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Just a brief video of Alex walking around. I realized haven't posted much, if at all, documenting her new skill:

Typical Alyse.

2008-04-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

As Alyse has demonstrated the ability to sometimes stay out of trouble when left to her own devices, she has been given much more freedom to gallivant about the house without her parents' overt supervision. This has lead to many unexpected discoveries, from the very cute (i.e., finding her elephant in her mini-pack 'n' play with a washcloth for a cover and a sock for a nightcap) to the very bizarre (i.e., a can of corn in the toilet).

This past weekend, Alyse went to church with Grammy and Sonny so Charlotte and I could accomplish several daunting tasks on our to-do list. As we waved good-bye from the window, we returned to the kitchen to put Alex in her chair and have breakfast. As though Alyse intentionally ensured we would not forget her, we saw this in her seat at the table:

Stepping Up.

2008-04-13T10:09:00.000-07:00

The past month has been quite the time of achievement for little Alex Bear. In addition to taking sporadic steps here and there, she has also shown her aptitude for mimicking sounds and gestures.

Please to observe:

Alex, in a rare display of public exhibition, shows how she can step independently. Aggrievedly, we thought she had quit trying after this little camera-video was shot, then as everyone had turned away Alex took about 7-9 steps from Charlotte to Stuart.

This video, I feel, is fairly self-explanatory.

New Allie Pictures!

2008-04-11T05:17:00.000-07:00

My procrastination in posting these is unforgivable. Please forgive me. These are not new to those who regularly frequent our Flickr photo page but, this being our baby blog and all, I thought I should post them all the same.

We were pretty amazed with this similarity in one of Alyse's sonogram photos.

I'm not sure what to make of early ultrasound pictures, but Charlotte and I were agreed that she seems to favor Alexa a lot from this round of pictures.

This picture of her little legs, I feel is pretty sharp.

28 Weeks with Allie

2008-03-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

Charlotte realized she is almost three-quarters through this pregnancy and we don't have many "pregnant with Allie" pictures. We try hard not to show favoritism, so here are a couple of Charlotte at about 28 weeks:

Also, those kind of you to harass us about posting videos, you finally get your way. I have plenty of video of the girls, it's just my computer is getting on in years and doesn't do such a swell job of editing, or even processing high quality digital video anymore. Sad, really. These are videos taken from our regular digital photo camera, hence the exceptionally poor quality audio/video.

Alyse rarely does anything when the camera's lens is trained on her, so her contributions to this performance of "Old McDonald" is more than I could have expected:

Also, nothing really happens in this video. I just think it's freakin' cute when Alyse says "Alex Bear." Also, Alex is in it, so that's a plus.

Alexa's Last Stand

2008-03-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

And by "last" stand I, of course, mean "first" stand.

This post coming about three weeks late, I can only apologize and post these pictures of Alex as she has randomly started standing by herself:

Sonogram Pictures!

2008-02-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

Here are a few select pictures from our recent sonogram:

Definitely a girl. Like her sisters before her, she's not modest about it, either.

A sweet close-up of her precious little face in color.

Another clear face shot. This one is my favorite.

A regular sonogram picture of her little foot.

A great 3D shot of her little legs!

Alyse's Birthday Present

2008-02-07T07:56:00.000-08:00

The news is officially in.

Super Tuesday for us this year was much more about finding out that we will be having our third girl, than it was finding out who becomes the clear front runner in the Democrat and Republican parties. As the news (about our baby, not the primaries) came sandwiched between Alyse's birthday party and her actual birthday (today - Thursday, February 7, 2008), we're counting it as one of her presents.

Picking out a name has come with much more difficulty this time around than with Alex. Charlotte and I wanted to stick with the A.L.A. initial scheme, but had not intended for the first *two* letters of the first name to be the same, nor the fact that the first and middle names have the exact same number of letters. Ergo, we have resolved to stick with it and do the same for our third daughter.

Naturally, we have disagreed on each other's picks and a peaceful negotiation doesn't appear to be coming anytime soon.

With it, the gender news also brings with it some tacitly implied news: the Allens will have at least four children.

But it will probably be more.

Meanwhile, here are some pictures from Alyse's grand old birthday shebang.

(To see more of Alyse's birthday pictures, please visit her birthday picture set on Flickr!)

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-12-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Haven't posted in a while... just wanted to news about the newest member of the Allen family to sink in!

Recently, Alex celebrated her first Thanksgiving and Alyse, her second. Though Alyse's sampling of all the Thanksgiving menu items was a slight more appetizing than Alex's bottle of Enfamil formula, it was a festive occasion to remember just the same.(I'll spare you the seventh-grade essay-esque drollery of the foods Alyse "seemed to enjoy" and "the things she did," etc.)

Photos for your enjoyment:

Alyse understands the concept of posing. Alex does not.

A king's ransom of Thanksgiving food!

Waiting for the turkey-flavored formula bottle.

Number Three is on the Way!

2007-10-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning (i.e., Tuesday, October 23, 2007), Charlotte and I were shocked to find we are pregnant with our third child! This pregnancy, by far, caught us the most off guard, as Alex is only 4 months old.

The past year has been a really remarkable time for our family as we've moved into a much bigger house and Charlotte is able to stay home with Alyse & Alex now, which is more of a blessing than we ever dared dream.

Just to ward off any future questions, yes we are hoping for a boy this time around, but obviously will not in any way be disappointed if we are blessed with another little girl.

I'll keep you updated here.

Pregnant with baby number three.

Pregnant with Alexa.

Pregnant with Alyse.

2007-10-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

This past week was cause for much celebration as the Butlers (i.e., Jeremy, Amy, Jack, & Evie) were down visiting from Wyoming. The primary significance was it was the first time any of the Allens (i.e., Drew, Charlotte, Alyse, & Alex) had got to see little Evelyn (a.k.a. "Evie"), and the first time any of the Butlers (i.e., see parenthetical notation above) got to see Alexa (a.k.a. "Alex").

Of course, Alex and Evie together ranked top in the cuteness department. Below are some pictures of this happy reunion (initial union is some cases).

(You can see more pictures from the Butler's Visit on Flickr!)

Evelyn Jane Butler & Alexa Lylith Allen

Unky Jeremy & Alex Bear

Aunt Charlotte & Evie

Aunt Amy & Alex Bear

Evie & Alex Close Up!

Jack Greets His Newest Cousin

Aunt Amy & Alyse

Alyse & Jack

Worn Out from all the Attention

First Laughs!

2007-08-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when I got home from work, I was holding Alex while Charlotte was on mom's computer, somehow patient enough to commence internet operations on a dial-up connection.

Alex had just woken up about fifteen minutes prior and was all smiles. Charlotte began intermittently thrusting her face back and forth toward Alex while speaking baby-gibberish and a half-garbled voice...

Alex's noise started out as a sort of high pitch grunt that translated into something of an affirmation of her amusement, but as the intensity of Charlotte's bizarre activity increased, the grunt evolved into a laugh, though awkward at first because of its virginity. Although a new vocal ability was being exercised, it quickly matured to resemble a much wiser laugh, possibly one of the sweetest sounds acknowledged by the human ear.

As my video camera is on lend and our camera is dead, this moment escaped digital immortalization. But the memory of it is will remain sharper than almost any other in my lifetime...

My Girls...

2007-08-14T13:20:00.000-07:00

Much apologies as to the recent absences of posts, what with moving and all...

Here are a couple of cute pictures, though:

Alex

Alyse

Funny Girls...

2007-07-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

One never knows what to expect when Alyse & Aubrey get together except, of course, for hilarity. Two videos for you to observe this claim:

Our Little Cutie

2007-07-26T10:37:00.001-07:00

Pleasant Look
Originally uploaded by drewesque

As is the case with most babies, capturing Alexa's smile in a picture is particularly difficult, but she will throw looks at me like this all day long.

It's Been a Little While...

2007-07-24T08:09:00.001-07:00

July 11, 2006

July 21, 2007

Funniest Picture Ever.

2007-07-16T10:01:00.001-07:00

Funniest Picture Ever.
Originally uploaded by drewesque

This picture kills my head. Alyse & Aubrey were doing a performance, using the fireplace hearth as a mini-stage. I don't remember just now if there was music or if we were prodding them on, but hilarity ensued.

Don't It Make You Smile...

2007-07-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

Alex has started smiling a bit, though mostly whilst dozing off. Here is the closest photographic evidence I have to support this claim:

Noticeable Similarities.

2007-06-25T09:29:00.001-07:00

This seemed inevitable. I guess that's why I'm doing it.

SONOGRAM
Alyse

Alex

WAITING ROOM
Alyse

Alex

READY TO DELIVER
Alyse

Alex

DELIVERANCE
Alyse

Alex

THE WEIGH-IN
Alyse

Alex

MOMMY & DAUGHTER
Alyse

Alex

DADDY & DAUGHTER
Alyse

Alex

CLOSE-UP!
Alyse

Alex

UNKIE B-MONKEY
Alyse

Alex

ANDY & HER COUSIN
Alyse

Alex

HOMECOMING
Alyse

Alex

Father's Day

2007-06-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day this year, we spent a quiet day just spending quality time as a family. We went to eat in the afternoon and, despite the excruciating humidity, made a stop over at the park for a while.

With the attractive playground equipment, Alyse experienced a bit of sensory overload which manifested itself in a sort of adamant protest when we decided to leave.

Arguably, Alex's time was better spent napping:

Alexa has matured to a stage, however, where she is actually awake more often than she is asleep! Fortunately, for the most part, she is still a very content infant. She cries when she is hungry, and cries if she wakes up and no one is holding her.

All in all, the girls are absolutely loving their mom being home with them all day (even though Alex can't appreciate that concept like Alyse can!).

Alex's First Video!

2007-06-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

After being peppered by several requests to show Alexa in video form, especially after a particularly nasty one that took on the form of a veiled threat, I decided to lazily compile this montage of Alex at 4 days old.

At the first, I tell Alexa that she is so pretty; immediately the clip cuts and Alyse may be heard mumbling in the background to which I reply, "Not you, Alyse." Just for clarification's sake, this was not a response to the "so pretty comment," but rather something entirely different.

Alex on the Good Shepherd Website

2007-06-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Check out Alexa's newborn nursery picture on the :

Good Shepherd Medical Center website

Alexa Lylith Allen

2007-06-04T12:37:00.001-07:00

Alexa Lylith Allen was born at 3:03 pm at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, TX on Saturday, June 2, 2007. As the "pushing" phase only lasted about 10 minutes, Charlotte and I were dually surprised when Alex registered a whopping 9 lbs. 8 oz. on the scale! (She was 20 inches long.)

We're infinitely blessed to have had another incident free delivery, not to mention a second perfectly healthy and beautiful baby girl!

Many more pictures to follow, but be sure to visit the Flickr! photoset from her birth.

Down to the Wire

2007-05-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. The newest addition to the Allen family will be making her appearance no later than this Saturday, June 2, in the year of our Lord, 2007.

Charlotte went to Dr. Mauldin yesterday, and he was more than impressed with Alexa's preparedness to depart the womb. In fact, after observing Alex's nearness to the exit, he casually mentioned there was no real reason to wait past this weekend to coax her out. He made the post-thought that he was already on-call this Saturday, so it was just as good a time as any.

Shannon, a co-worker in my office pointed out that Charlotte will deliver before Saturday, as Friday is scheduled to be a full moon.

So maybe today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe Friday. But definitely by Saturday I will snuggle my second daughter in my arms for the first time.

It's Potty Time.

2007-05-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

Charlotte and I recently agreed it may be time to introduce Alyse to the world of pottying. I thought it maybe a good time for her to get familiar with the concept, but Charlotte seems convinced she can have Alyse completely trained on it by the time summer is out.

I, of course, rebuffed this ridiculous claim, citing that it may seem easy right now but with a new baby in tow, it could prove more challenging than previously thought. Being the strong, independent, and stubborn woman she is, Charlotte told me I was selling her short. I'll leave the story there, as the text is merely a subpar excuse to post these cute pictures of Alyse on her potty seat.

Charlotte is now 36 weeks pregnant with Alex and is sure to pop within the next few weeks. Get prepared to be lambasted with blog pictures very soon.

Alyse at Jasien & Bekah's Wedding

2007-04-14T13:18:00.001-07:00

Alyse at Jasien & Bekah's Wedding
Originally uploaded by drewesque.

Bekah and Jasien sent me this picture this morning, they just having gotten their wedding photos. I know it's technically theirs to upload, but I got really anxious! Jasien spent some time color-correcting it and touching it up

[Click to open the photo page.]

The Allen Girls

2007-04-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

My heart swells with pride that, of the four or five words Alyse says meaningfully, baby is one of them. She'll pull Charlotte's shirt up, point to her belly, and ask, "Baby?"

I've long been a believer that little babies and toddlers have eerie powers, especially where non-verbal communication is concerned, and Alex's movement in correlation to Alyse's proximity to Charlotte's pregnant tummy seems to support these implications. To me, anyway.

I also know that having two girls, back-to-back, is some sort of divine conspiracy to transform me into a sensitive, patient, emotional lug of a push-over, because I'm already like putty in Alyse's hands. I start to tear up at commercials that show little girls and their daddies, where once I would turn away in disgust.

Among Charlotte, Alyse, & Alexa, we are growing a mighty Allen family gynocracy. Even if we have two, three, even six more girls, I would love every second of it.

And remember, the evil bunny is watching you.

D'oh!

2007-04-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

This clip doesn't really need any set-up:

Swiper, No Swiping!

2007-03-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday night, we were able to pick up the newest addition to our family, Swiper the dog, a full-blood Doberman Pinscher puppy. I've agitated Charlotte to no end to let us have a Doberman, as my brother, sisters, and I had one named Babe, who we all recollect to be the best family pet in the history of man and petkind. Some people have a negative reaction to Dobermans, but I've long been convinced this is due to either lack of exposure or misplaced trust in media stereotyping of the breed.

Watching Alyse and Swiper play together is about the darn cutest thing I've ever seen, especially since they are both younglings in their own rite.

With Swiper having been recently separated from his family for the first time, his transition into the household has been a tiny bit challenging. He'll whimper when one of us walks out of the room, and occasionally at night both Alyse and he will vie for our attention.

And, of course, the biggest challenge I faced with Swiper coming in was convincing Charlotte to let him be an all-house dog. What I mean by this, is that he have no restrictions where he can go in the house. For those who don't know, Zoe was a kitchen dog and was not allowed on the carpet (I still have a strange feeling this help contribute to her neurotic behavior). Also for those who don't know, Charlotte has a god-like obsession with cleanliness and believes that, even if properly groomed and maintained, dogs have invisible dirt that gets on the carpet. Swiper, seen above, senses that he will have to win over Charlotte's heart to earn this privilege.

You Grow Wild in My Heart

2007-03-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

My flower child, you grow wild in my heart...

Baby Like Beckham

2007-02-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

Generally, I try to contain my gushing about Alyse, but we may have uncovered her talent a little early in life. Every time I watch this video I am more and more astonished...

It's a Girl!

2007-02-16T15:08:00.000-08:00

We were so thrilled to find out we are having another little baby girl, and Alyse will have a little sister! Here are a few of the sonogram photos:

Little foot.

Again, definitely a girl.

You could almost swear she's posing for the camera.

Another nice capture of the face with her hand above her right eye.

We do have a name picked out, but you'll have to ask to find out what it is.

I know a girl, a girl called Party.

2007-02-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

Here are a few select pictures from Alyse's big first birthday jamboree on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2007. If you'd like to see all pictures from this event, kindly follow this link to Alyse's Birthday set on Flickr!

Alyse sporting her cool Dora birthday hat.

Alyse & Aubrey are genuine party animals!

The Birthday Girl, mommy, & daddy.

Alyse had quite a time with her birthday cupcake.

Alyse opening a Dora DVD from her aunt Joanna.

Alyse shows how much she loves uncle Marshall's present--a portable play tent with connecting escape tunnel!

Alyse Turns 1!

2007-02-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

Alyse & Andy enjoy some pre-ceremony rough-housing.

Alyse is the only one not interested in the time-honored tradition of blowing out the birthday candle.

The unforgettable fire.

Alyse chows down on some birthday cake!

Alyse shows off her sporty new Dora sun shade.

Stroller!

2007-02-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

Out of Control

2007-01-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

At a couple of weeks before her first birthday, Alyse has mastered walking; indeed, it is a rarer occasion these days to see her crawl. In the video you will observe this, and also my inability to summon her. (In the third shot we closed the door!)

Advanced Walking 101

2007-01-08T12:45:00.000-08:00

Alyse demonstrates some higher level motor skills by walking to a ball and bending down to pick it up without sitting down. Also, her walking is becoming more fluid and less awkward.

Alyse's First Christmas

2006-12-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

A few photos from Alyse's first Christmas:

Christmas at Papa & Grandma's house.

Uncle Charles shows Alyse the toy he and Aunt Rachel got for her.

Opening presents Christmas Eve morning at our house.

Helping Daddy unwrap one of his stocking presents from mommy.

Sacked out Christmas Eve night before our trip to Tyler.

Opening presents Christmas morning at Grammy's house.

Alyse & Aubrey flash their cool Dora chairs.

Opening her present from Aunt Amy, Unky Jeremy, and Jack!

Two Videos...

2006-12-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

After Alyse took her first steps independently on December 13, a few days after her 10-month birthday, we've scarcely had the opportunity to catch her in the act, so fascinated is she with the video camera. Here she is on Christmas Eve eve showing off just a little bit

Alyse plays with a learning toy given to her by her Uncle Charles and Aunt Rachel the night before. At 10 1/2 months old, she displays the depth of her operational cognitive abilities.

¡Alyse Navidad!

2006-12-22T10:23:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Allen family!

You Gotta Stand Up

2006-11-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

Dancing Queen!

2006-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Alyse throws down some jive moves to the mono-melodic strains of "Old MacDonald" emitting from her bouncer.

You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life
See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen

Nanny Heather!

2006-11-09T15:48:00.000-08:00

We are so fortunate to have a live-in nanny for Alyse now and got her out of the evil daycare! Heather is wonderful with Alyse and they get along beautifully.

Now we just have to be careful, lest Alyse's first word is "Nanny...."

It's Official...Moreso...

2006-10-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

I suppose every pregnancy seems a little unreal until you get to see that first sonogram, which we did on Wednesday. Shortly before the scheduled sonogram, we had to make an unscheduled appointment with Alyse's pediatrician because Alyse has been very sick for several days (later revealed to be an ear infection). Her emergency appointment (3rd floor of the Diagnostic Clinic) was scheduled for 2:00, and the sonogram (1st floor of the Diagnostic Clinic) was scheduled for 2:30. Needless to say, at 2:29 we were still waiting to see Dr. Hudson. Kindly, his nurses had us go to the sonogram and fit us back in after we were finished. Alyse, being the thoughtful child she is, waited until after we were out of the ultrasound room before vomiting in my jacket.

...

2006-10-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Early Morning Alyse

2006-10-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

All Bundled Up!

2006-10-13T05:53:00.000-07:00

As the weather has turned colder, we've had to go shopping for more fashionable winter clothes. Observe:

That Makes Four!

2006-10-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

Alyse is holding the positive pregnancy test if you can't tell.

Random Video Clip

2006-10-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure, but I think she was trying to pump water...

A Few Pictures...

2006-09-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

Alyse continues to astound us with her advanced maturation. Video soon to follow, but her new favorite activity is walking the length of a long object that she can hold herself up on (e.g., a coffee table, sofa, etc.).

Anyway, here are a few pictures:

Standin' Tall!

2006-08-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

Alyse pulls herself up with only the assistance of a stationary laundry basket.

BABY TEETH!

2006-08-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

We were finally able to get a good clean shot of Alyse's teeth! The two little chompers played a pretty minor role as she went to town on her first ever "baby biscuit."

Recent Photos of Interest

2006-08-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

Alyse sees Jasien for the first time; wacky shenanigans ensue.

Alyse's bathtub seems to be shrinking...

Alyse's love for semi-solid foods remains constant...

An advanced crawling technique, Alyse has been seen to go into this manner of stance, otherwise dubbed the tent position...

Light Switch!

2006-07-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

She does this every night.

Keep On Crawlin' In the Free World...

2006-07-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

It was on this day—Tuesday, July 25, 2006—Alyse decided to slip the surly bonds of immobility and crawl. Though an otherwise floundering and awkward thing, her first crawl was a truly beautiful moment.

In other Alyse-related news, two little teeth have surfaced on her bottom gum.

Alyse & Mr. Chicken

2006-07-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a brief clip of what was a much longer episode involving many more barnyard animal noises. The chicken was, by far, her favorite. I don't know where the "Dallas" theme song came from--oh well.

Whoa...

2006-07-16T14:23:00.000-07:00

That's what I said after taking this picture, and what I still say every time I look at it. I'm not sure where Alyse inherited her photogenes from—possibly Charlotte—but she has a knack for taking the most powerfully cute pictures available.

Alyse's First Swim!

2006-07-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from Alyse's first experience in the swimming pool:

She Loves to Smile

2006-07-07T02:34:00.000-07:00

Long have I bided my time since Charlotte has erstwhile been Alyse's main source of, well, everything. But finally I have something I can hold over her head because—and I don't mean be a loudmouth braggart (well, I meant to offend a little...)—no one can make Alyse smile like daddy can.

Alyse in Hysterics!

2006-06-30T05:16:00.000-07:00

June 29, 2006.

We caught Alyse in a particularly merry way last night. The result is as follows:

New Alyse Photos!

2006-06-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

Come and check out some highlight photos from the past couple of months at Alyse's Homepage.

See a few pictures from Alyse's first big trip to Houston to bid farewell to Jeremy, Amy, and Jack; also, check out photos from the Gunters' visit!

Alyse's First Real Meal

2006-06-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here is Alyse's very first introduction to "real" food (a bit of rice cereal mixed in with breast milk), but her first time to consume food in a non-sucking type manner--well, with eating untensils, anyway.

The occasion was to celebrate Father's Day and Amy's birthday. (Shot June 18, 2006)

Alyse Yacking It Up!

2006-06-18T08:32:00.000-07:00

Here Alyse begins a strange new way of talking we had not previously observed. Hard to explain, really.
Shot June 3, 2006—four days shy of her four-month birthday.

Alyse Gets Her Roll On!

2006-06-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Here is Alyse performing her newly achieved milestone for the third or fourth time, June 6, 2006--one day shy of her 4-month birthday.

I don't know if most parents get to see their child's very first roll-over, but we didn't. I was at work when Charlotte called and she left Alyse on her back when she, Charlotte, had to go switch laundry. When Charlotte came back, Alyse was on her tummy!

HMMM?

2006-06-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

This look is Alyse's only means of conveying her feelings about Jeremy, Amy, and Jack moving to Colorado.

Photo courtesy of the Butlers.

Baby Skills

2006-05-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Alyse is starting to hold her own bottle. These pictures were taken during a ten-minute marathon of said activity.

You don't believe me?

Just ask Stan Grossman. He'll tell you the same thing.

What is this, Chicago?

2006-05-22T19:51:00.000-07:00

The other night we were doing laundry, when Charlotte—for some reason—was compelled to toss a couple of pairs of socks onto Alyse. Alyse got a pretty big kick out of it so we started piling them on.

Bottom line: more socks = more fun!

SITH BABY!

2006-05-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Darth Alyse

Alyse & Friends!

2006-05-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

New pictures are available for your viewing pleasure at:

http://homepage.mac.com/drewallen/Alyse/PhotoAlbum40.html

Photos like this:

Go!

!

2006-04-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Having a bad day? Just remember Alyse's expression in this picture and everything won't seem so bad.

Alyse Laughs!

2006-04-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

This is a video we shot shortly after we had heard Alyse laugh for the very first time. These aren't as discernible as the first laughs, but they're cute none the less.

Pardon my use and bastardization of Entrance of the Gladiators.

Thank God for Camera Phones

2006-04-18T12:20:00.000-07:00

...or else I wouldn't have had the opportunity to capture this, my favorite picture of Alyse to date.

Aubrey & Alyse

2006-04-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

They don't make cousins cuter than these.

Yet More Pictures of Alyse!

2006-04-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

See more cute pictures like this at Alyse's Photo Album

Yawny (Live at the Acropolis)

2006-04-03T00:19:00.000-07:00

When You're Smilin'....

2006-03-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

...the whole world smiles with you.

A New Cousin!

2006-03-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

Here is Alyse with her newest cousin, Joshua Dale Drovdahl. Congratulations to Chris and Michelle on the birth of their baby boy. You can actually see his birth announcement on the Good Shepherd website.

Today We Mourn a Pacifier...

2006-03-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

That's right. Alyse's first beloved pacifier, seen left...

...has gone the way of the dogs. Literally. Sometime last night between 8:30 - 10:00 pm, the treasured pacifier was knocked onto the floor and picked up by the patrolling Zoe, seen here:

So let's all take time out of our busy schedule to have a personal moment of silence for the deceased pacifier.

New Pictures!!

2006-03-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

See more cute pictures like this at:

http://homepage.mac.com/drewallen/Alyse/PhotoAlbum38.html

Double Smile...Triple Smile... SMILE-TACULAR!

2006-03-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

For all of you who thought a Halo allusion could not be made in reference to an infant video, think again.

This is the first time Alyse really sported multiple smiles and luckily I got it on tape. Her other smile sessions have been too brief to film.

Pardon my excessive goofy baby talk.

She's Trying to Talk!

2006-03-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

New Pictures!

2006-03-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Alyse put in some quality infant time with her cousins, Jack Allen Butler and Aubrey Reneé Silverthorne. To see some pictures of that wild party, kindly direct your internet browser to:

http://homepage.mac.com/drewallen/Alyse/PhotoAlbum37.html

2006-03-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

New Pictures!

2006-02-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

There are some new pictures of Alyse up at her online photo album.

Tap Water—the Ultimate Pacifier!

2006-02-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

During the past couple of weeks we've discovered that certain sounds help soothe Alyse from a crying state. Most any noise will eventually calm her, so long as it is constant (i.e. vacuum cleaner, dryer, etc.).

The discovery I have made, however, is that nothing works as quickly and effectively as the sound of running tap water. As you will see here, its influence is immediate and total.

2006-02-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

2006-02-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Allen Girls...

Trick or Treat!

Muchos Videos!

Two Videos

An Emergency Room Scare

Allie is Two Months Old!

Allie's Birth Announcement

Allie's First Video

Allie Laurel Allen

Alyse Gets Her Game On!

My, How You've Grown

Zooropa (Better by Design)

Carseat Graduations

More Video!

Stuff and Such...

Typical Alyse.

Stepping Up.

New Allie Pictures!

28 Weeks with Allie

Alexa's Last Stand

Sonogram Pictures!

Alyse's Birthday Present

Thanksgiving 2007

Number Three is on the Way!

First Laughs!

My Girls...

Funny Girls...

Our Little Cutie

It's Been a Little While...

Funniest Picture Ever.

Don't It Make You Smile...

Noticeable Similarities.

Father's Day

Alex's First Video!

Alex on the Good Shepherd Website

Alexa Lylith Allen

Down to the Wire

It's Potty Time.

Alyse at Jasien & Bekah's Wedding

The Allen Girls

D'oh!

Swiper, No Swiping!

You Grow Wild in My Heart

Baby Like Beckham

It's a Girl!

I know a girl, a girl called Party.

Alyse Turns 1!

Stroller!

Out of Control

Advanced Walking 101

Alyse's First Christmas

Two Videos...

¡Alyse Navidad!

You Gotta Stand Up

Dancing Queen!

Nanny Heather!

It's Official...Moreso...

...

Early Morning Alyse

All Bundled Up!

That Makes Four!

Random Video Clip

A Few Pictures...

Standin' Tall!

BABY TEETH!

Recent Photos of Interest

Light Switch!

Keep On Crawlin' In the Free World...

Alyse & Mr. Chicken

Whoa...

Alyse's First Swim!

She Loves to Smile

Alyse in Hysterics!

New Alyse Photos!

Alyse's First Real Meal

Alyse Yacking It Up!

Alyse Gets Her Roll On!

HMMM?

Baby Skills

What is this, Chicago?