The Family Robbins

Another hot, dry summer in San Antonio

2011-06-24T18:17:00.003-05:00

Nothing says summer like kids running through the sprinkler, but in San Antonio the drought restrictions have put an end to that. Other than the lack of rain, things are going strong with the kids. They are growing like weeds and we keep moving up clothes sizes. Boone is asserting his dominance and is already pulling Emery's hair while she tries to mother him. Emery loves her little brother and wants to play with him like one of her dolls. At first he did not like this a bit, but increasingly he digs it.

At almost 4 months old, Boone is already rolling over and sitting in his bumpy chair. He spends a lot of time sucking his hands, pulling off his socks and conversing with us. He's become a good eater and is moving up to 6 mth (3-6) clothes.

Emery is busy being 2. Sometimes that involves begging to read books, other times she's hopping like a bunny and of course we have our meltdowns. Currently she LOVES the movie "Tangled." She is into everything but we've been pleasantly surprised by what a good girl she is. She is still petite, weighing in at 23 lbs. Never much of a talker, this month we've seen her become more verbal. It's a relief to understand what she wants and so much fun to watch her personality develop.

I've really enjoyed my time at home with the kids, not that I have a lot of spare time for reflection. We've decided I will stay at home for the foreseeable future. I'm sure it will feel a little strange when everyone goes back to school. For almost 2 years at daycare Emery has been sick and had "the green snot." Since being home she's been super healthy. I will NOT miss the green snot come August.

We're currently on The Robbins' Family Vacation in the camper. We visited with family in Bristol, TN, and are headed to FL for some fun in the sun. I've updated our photo album and will continue to do so this week (thanks to my new phone app).
See our family pics!

One month later

2011-04-19T12:46:00.004-05:00

It's been a busy month. Boone Patrick finally arrived on March 14th and it couldn't have gone smoother. Mom and baby were healthy and happy. John's sister Christina was able to visit just days later. It was spring break so John's parents were able to spend lots of time with us helping transition. Emery loved all the attention and I liked all the extra hands! A few days later my parents were able to come and spend a week in Texas. My dad worked on a "Honey do" list and my mom changed lots of diapers and drank a huge amount of imaginary tea made by Emery. It has been wonderful to have so much family time.

The visitors have slowed down and we are all adjusting to the changes in our daily routine. I'm trying to keep Emery busy and occasionally leave the house. Our garden is growing, even if the nutgrass threatens to overtake it. We are out in the yard more than I've ever been. There is nothing like a toddler to make you realize how dangerous your plants are! Yikes, I've got a lot of work to do out there. Emery has fallen in love with Sesame Street and Elmo which is a blessing. Something to slow her down for a short time is nice. I've updated pictures for March and April. A big thanks to my sister-in-law Christina, she sorted a tremendous amount of pictures for me.

Goodbye mullet

2011-02-05T11:31:00.004-06:00

We're five weeks away from the baby's due date and only about halfway down the to-do list. San Antonio received a small amount of snow yesterday leading to an unexpected long weekend. We've thawed out now and it was time to cross "Emery's first haircut" off the list. Previously Emery's hairstyle was definitely a party in the back and a mess in the front, but now it's just a bob. At the beginning she acted like we were torturing her but once I broke out a bottle she settled down and spent the rest of the time pouting. Emery has recovered with the help of a balloon and is now ready for Superbowl. Pictures of the "Monster storm" and Emery's haircut can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/clrobbins/Feb2011#

Back in the swing of things

2011-01-02T08:06:00.010-06:00

I thought I might squeeze in one more post on the blog before my Christmas Break from school is officially over. We really did have an amazing vacation at home. John was able to take almost a full week off from work. We may not have gone anywhere "special" but lots of friends came to San Antonio and we were able to catch up. Emery and James Martin (Robert and Amita's son) rang in the New Year sharing toys and drinking bottles of milk. Emery adores James and pays special attention to him at daycare, hope she can extend that to her new brother.

For the first time during this pregnancy I was able to get ready for the new baby. I'm 30 weeks along and feeling pretty good. We built a crib, made some cute crib sheets (western/cowboy if you're into themes), ordered a comfy rocking chair for late night feedings, and pulled out all the baby supplies from storage. It was A LOT of work cleaning out 2 closets, 1 room and garage trying to make room for another person in this house. In the middle of the process I looked around and felt like they could film an episode from "Hoarders!" Eventually everything found a home, even if that might be called Goodwill. Emery had a great time "helping" me. I would put things in a pile and then she would un-organize it for me with gusto and a big grin. Luckily the Spanish TV station still fascinates her and I was able to finish up. Once the chair arrives and I hang a few things I will post a few nursery pictures. Right now the room looks a little half baked.

Emery went for her 18 month check up and for once she is well. What a teeny, tiny little doll. Her weight is only 20 pounds and she is still in size 12m clothing. She is definitely at the bottom of the safe zone in the growth chart but all else appears well. She is practicing new words (yesterday was "owl") but after she has mastered a word it disappears from her vocabulary. Apparently there will be a vocabulary explosion in the next few months. I'm not too concerned since she is very good at communicating despite a lack of speech. I am increasingly taken by the hand and shown what she wants. Emery has a very sweet and loving disposition but is also assertive, fearless and a leader in her class. Pretty funny since she is sooooo small compared to her peers. Aunt Christina, Aunt Kim and Mee Mee will be happy to know she is already showing signs of Martha Stewart like organization skills. It makes Mommy smile!

I was most excited to get outside with Emery and play. I was terribly sick and tired the first half of my pregnancy. About the time I felt better the dreaded time change made it too dark to play after work. We finally made it outside and started cleaning the leaves out of beds. Emery got her own set of gardening tools and is borrowing Dad's gloves (you can see in the pictures below). We cleaned out the vegetable plot in preparation for the Spring. The baby will be born around planting time. I didn't think I would be in the mood for a lot of digging at that point, better to do it now. Emery comes from a long line of home gardeners and farmers, Spring will be her first season to appreciate how fun it is. I honestly can hardly wait. For now she was fascinated with crushing pyracantha berries, shoveling potting soil and watching the pillbugs crawl on her jeans.

For Christmas we got a new and improved camera. I also decided to start 2011 with a new online picture gallery through picasa. It was much easier for me to organize and post the pictures, and of course the picture quality is amazing compared to our old camera.

Check out our newly added pictures

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-25T17:40:00.006-06:00

The Robbins family spent 2010 happy, healthy and BUSY. Emery had ear tubes put in this September and it changed our lives in the most positive way. Just 3 more months until our family grows by one more. We're spending the end of 2010 preparing for the new little Robbins' man who is expected to join us March 13th. We haven't decided on a name just yet. I haven't been the best at keeping up our photo album, but I've finally had a little time off. Here are photos from the last few months: July-December 2010

Rollin' with Emery

2010-07-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

Back and forth.

YouTube Video

Emery Falls Asleep In The Truck

2010-06-27T21:48:00.001-05:00

One year older and much wiser...

2010-06-23T22:15:00.005-05:00

We celebrated Emery's first birthday at the end of May by getting out of town and hitting the beach (see the pics). She loved getting out of the house, pointing at birds, eating sand and hanging out with the family. It seems like Emery is always smiling but it takes something really special, like a dog, to bring out the laughter. She has 4 teeth and sleeps through the night. She took off walking on Father's Day like it was no big deal. I'm out of school for the summer now and love the leisurely pace of being at home. We'll get back on the road next week for a much needed trip to see my family in California.

Here are a few pictures from the last couple of months:
May 2010
June 2010

Emery's Bluebonnet Photo Shoot

2010-04-09T19:46:00.000-05:00

Spring has sprung, 10 months old

2010-04-04T09:03:00.005-05:00

It's been awhile since the last update but that hasn't stopped Emery from growing and changing. Her first tooth pushed through last week. She's crawling around the house and stairs, leaving us chasing behind her. Already she is standing on her own for stretches of time. She's a cute little squirt, weighing in around 17lbs. Just recently Emery got interested in real food and began eating with gusto. I just put up a few months worth of pictures, please check them out: January, February, March, April

Emery & Katie Hangout

2010-03-15T19:27:00.001-05:00

Emery is taking very well to dogs. Even when they are 4 times her size.

A Few Recent Pictures

2010-01-18T14:37:00.001-06:00

Here's some stuff from the last month or so.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T08:50:00.006-06:00

7 great months of Emery have come and gone. She's getting opinionated about her toys, spending a lot of time babbling and smiling constantly. She does a pretty good job of scooting backwards, but hasn't figured out the forward motion yet. This is very frustrating since she is moving away from her toys and not toward them! This week she's begun getting on all fours and rocking. Even in her sleep she is practicing this "skill." Guess it's time to start buying those gates for the stairs and seriously childproofing the house. She's been busy this week playing with all her new toys, her favorite time is still bath time. So much splashing and squealing! We're looking forward to what lies ahead in the New Year!

We have a backlog of pictures that I am posting from October, November & December.

Her Weight is in the Hair

2009-10-04T10:04:00.005-05:00

We had another routine Doctor's visit. Emery is on her 3rd cold in about 6 weeks which appears normal. She weighed in at 13lbs 5 oz and she is 25 inches long. Apparently that is a skinny baby, but since she's sleeping through the night she must have a full tummy. We had the unenjoyable task of 5 more immunizations but she took it like a champ.

Turns out Emery likes to eat! Wonder who she got that from? She's finally enjoying tummy-time and is beginning to scoot a little. I wouldn't call it crawling, but it is the beginning of mobility. She just finished up her 4 month growth spurt and is back to sleeping through the night. She still sleeps swaddled up, but I think it's time to let that go (for safety reasons). Her clothes are getting a little tight so I'm scouting around for 6 month long sleeve clothes. This is when I'm glad I have a little girl because the clothes are so cute! Here is the new October photo album.

A Few Recent Pics

2009-09-25T15:57:00.001-05:00

She's Got Grandaddy's Hair

2009-09-20T17:43:00.000-05:00

Puppy Love

2009-09-13T11:34:00.006-05:00

It's been a busy September already. Our friends Jimmie and Cara tied the knot so we packed up Emery and spent our labor day weekend in Dallas. We carpooled with Ace and Brenda and had a great ride. My mother bought these seat-strap-cover-thingies that have puppies on them. Em spent the ride alternating between petting and chewing her puppies. It kept Brenda and I entertained during the long ride.

John was able to attend the Hall of Fame induction for David Robinson this week. He flew back just in time to catch his Dad's surprise 60th birthday party last night. Family and friends came from all over to eat BBQ and celebrate.

I've put up more September Emery pictures.

Back to School

2009-09-02T14:05:00.005-05:00

Even though the heat is blazing here in Texas the summer break is over. Emery is off to day care. The first two weeks have been eventful. She hit a growth spurt the first week of school (long nights), the air conditioner had to be replaced and this week she got her first cold.

Today Emery is 15 weeks old and I think it’s the best age! She usually sleeps through the night and is generous with her smiles. She loves to sit in her little chair and stand up (with assistance). She isn’t too interested in crawling or rolling over, but she does pinwheel around if left on the floor or in her bed. Em is beginning to really get into her toys and the little blankies that we received as gifts. I have to remember to cherish this time when just being held makes her happy.

John has been posting the pictures in the Kodak gallery in the past. I finally decided to figure it out. I have put up pictures from August and added to the existing June and July pictures. Coming soon, I'll figure out how to put up all those videos I've been taking! For now check out the pics:

Getting Bigger Every Day

2009-08-04T16:15:00.003-05:00

Had a visit with the Pediatrician. Emery is weighing in at 12lb 6oz and has grown to 24 inches! She had 5 vaccines and took it like a champ. I should mention that John held her down while I watched from the corner cringing. It would have been easier to take the vaccines myself. Despite the Tylenol, Emery is starting to fuss and I can tell she's uncomfortable. A little pain now is a lot better than diphtheria later.

Sleeping on the Job

2009-07-31T13:18:00.008-05:00

Emery is over 9 weeks old now and getting to be a lot of fun. I took her outside to water the yard. She started off really excited. This was the first time she was facing forward in her carrier (Usually she stares at my neck. Now she's strong enough to face forward). She quickly fell asleep on the job and we went inside for a quality nap...which is why I am able to make this post.

Everyone asks, "Is she sleeping through the night?" The answer is, "Sort of." We think she is because she goes to bed around 10-11 pm and wakes up around 4-5 am. It could be a lot worse.

She's a talkative girl, full of smiles, squeals, whines and gurgles. She doesn't spend a lot of time crying unless she's strapped in the car. She likes bath time but hates "tummy time." This tummy time poses a problem since she can't build strong arms without a little practice being on her stomach. I avoid pushing the issue because it puts her in such a bad mood. Chances are she'll have a flat head and won't win the competitive crawling event at the next baby Olympics. oh well, I've failed as a mother. On the other hand she could get a gold metal in standing and a bronze for sitting. I've heard you can skip crawling and go straight to walking. If she could do this I would feel a lot less guilty.

We have plans to put Emery in a small daycare up the road (So close I could roll the stroller there...but I won't. Who has time for that?). If you don't have kids you might not realize that evenings are not a child's finest time. There is a lot of whining and fussing that ensue. They're so sleepy, but they seem to fight the remedy for their misery. It seems unfair to me that working parents miss all the happy morning smiles and return home to get the worst of their child. You're so excited to be home with your kid that you forget they'll be in a bad mood. It's like seeing someone without their dentures on, it's a shock every time. Needless to say, I'm not very excited to start the school year. I'll just have to enjoy the next couple of weeks...this picture is Emery staring up at the trees, oblivious to the mosquitoes attacking her and the threat of the next door neighbor's dog breaking through the fence threatening to snatching her away. Oh, to be so young.

Emery Plays (The First of Many)

2009-07-07T15:58:00.002-05:00

She seems to be enjoying the attention, but I'm pretty sure this is what waterboarding is like.

The Many Faces Of Emery

2009-06-28T13:04:00.003-05:00

These are usually followed by a dirty diaper, but it's worth it.

4 Weeks Old Already!

2009-06-24T11:35:00.007-05:00

It's hard to believe that the time has flown by so fast. We've had a ton of visitors and Emery is changing so much! A few things about Emery at 4 weeks...

The top half of her hair is falling out, giving her the look of a distinguished older gentleman. Overall she is a good little girl. If she's crying it usually has a very definite purpose "Change me," "Feed me," and "I'm so tired it hurts," are her favorite cries. She sleeps great during the night, however her "night" is around 1:30am-10am. I take care of the normal feedings, but John steps in when she just wants to sit up and be fussy for 2 hours at a time. She loves the sound of water. Good thing, it allows me to take a shower on a regular basis-something I enjoy. In the afternoon she gets fussy and tired. When all else fails I can put her in the BabyBjorn carrier and go outside. That, plus a pacifier, will settle her down and sometimes put her to sleep. Keep in mind that it is about 100 degrees outside but she is SO happy and sweaty. I spend this time putzing around the yard and hand watering. San Antonio is in a severe drought and we can barely water our lawn. They will however allow us to hand water as much as we want.

In a few days we will be leaving for a 2 week trip in the Robbins' camper. As of now we are scheduled to head straight to Tennessee to see Randy's family, then to Atlanta to see Susan's family and John's sister Christina. While there John & Christina will run in the famous Peachtree Road Race. The rest of us will wait somewhere near the finish line with the half a million other people supporting their friends. The race is a crazy event, not your normal race. It is guaranteed to be a sweaty Hotlanta good time. Hopefully we'll get some good pictures. After the race we will spend a few days in Savannah looking at old houses, spending time on the beach and hopefully hitting up Paula Deen's Restaurant "The Lady and Sons." I know John is looking forward to spending time with Emery and I'm excited to get out of the house. I'm sure we'll make plenty of updates along the way.

The first month has been a steep learning curve but pretty wonderful (that Mommy amnesia is starting to kick in). Emery is healthy and happy and we're enamored with her. It seems like we can talk of nothing but Emery and that's just fine with us. John is amazing with her, above and beyond what I every imagined. It is a joy to take this family adventure with him. I never thought we would laugh so much over a dirty diaper or worry over ridiculous small things like hangnails. Part of me can't wait until there are no more night feedings but then she won't be a baby anymore! How can I look forward to that? Rhonda always says there is nothing like your first child and how they change your life. I think we're starting to understand what she means.

Here's another picture. This is John feeding Emery her first bottle.

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-24T11:05:00.004-05:00

John and Emery spent their first Father's Day together with a little quality napping. Meanwhile April was in town so I escaped from the house for a few hours.

Milk Drunk

2009-06-10T09:27:00.004-05:00

Just a little thrashing around as Emery tries fruitlessly to assume the controls.

Friday Night Hiccups

2009-06-06T09:55:00.003-05:00

Emery had a lot of hiccups in the womb so it's no surprise that she has them a lot as a baby. Here's a short video of nothing but her having hiccups.

One Week Down

2009-06-02T13:27:00.003-05:00

Everything has been going pretty smooth so far and we are very thankful for that. We made it home on Friday around noon and have just been enjoying everything since. There has been an obvious lack of sleep, but beyond that Emery has just been a great kid. She has yet to break anything, so I guess that means she is taking after her mom so far.

It's a big help to have both sets of parents on hand to spell us when needed. It has allowed us to be as hands on as possible and really dive into the work of being parents ourselves. The first few days were hectic with so many people wanting to meet Emery and check in on us and we are looking forward to things settling into a routine this summer. As always the camera is getting a full workout with the latest batch of pictures going up today at http://www.kodakgallery.com/robbins/main/emery_s_first_week_at_home.

Tired But Happy

2009-05-27T12:32:00.003-05:00

Everything is going very, very smoothly. There are a few more pictures up at http://www.kodakgallery.com/robbins/main/arrival_of_the_baby_robbins.

Thank you so much to everyone that has sent messages of encouragement and celebration. The outpouring has been just overwhelming and it's comforting to know that Emery comes into the world so incredibly loved!

Emery Rose Robbins

2009-05-27T04:44:00.004-05:00

It took until Wednesday, but our daughter is now out of the womb and loving it. Here is some video from just after she was born. Great pipes. Her weight was 7lb 13oz and the other vitals I'll have to get later. More pics etc to come after we get some sleep. Mother and baby are doing well! Christine handled it all like a boss!

More in-depth stuff and a few pics at www.twitter.com/familyrobbins.

It's The Final Countdown

2009-05-25T21:10:00.004-05:00

We should have a daughter some time on Tuesday! The doctor moved up the induction by one day and we are set to report for birthing at 6:30am on Tuesday (5/26) morning. We'll be updating throughout the day and the best way to get the real time feed probably will be at http://twitter.com/familyrobbins.

Not Quite Yet Go Time

2009-05-20T22:48:00.013-05:00

o⋅ver⋅due [oh-ver-doo, -dyoo]

–adjective
1. past due, as a delayed train or a bill not paid by the assigned date; late: two overdue library books.

2. too long awaited; needed or expected for some time: Improvements in our highway system are long overdue.

3. more than sufficiently advanced, mature, or ready: That country is overdue for industrial development.

Yes, that about covers it...

We'll be inducing on Wednesday, May 27th at 7:00am if nothing happens before then. We have two more doc appointments on Friday and Tuesday so things might change, but for now we're planning on a 5/27 unveiling of the latest Robbins.

How to celebrate a due date in the meantime? Hit the brewhouse and sew of course!

Late For The Show

2009-05-16T16:04:00.005-05:00

May 19 is almost here...but the baby is not. There has been little progression in the pregnancy the past couple of weeks and the doctor has begun preliminary steps to prepare Christine to be induced. If it comes to that we'll be looking at sometime around May 26 or 27. Hopefully the wheels get turning before that, but if not it's nice to have an end date set.

We meet with the doc again on Tuesday 5/19. Until then enjoy this arm shot we got last Friday!

Just 10 Days Away

2009-05-09T22:35:00.005-05:00

May 19 is rapidly approaching and as of now everything is running smooth and on schedule. The last two visits to the doctor showed some progression into the final stages of pregnancy and hopefully, for Christine's sake, our daughter decides to make her debut sooner rather than later.

In the meantime we're enjoying fighting off an early summer as best we can...with ice cream.

Ultrasound Pic

2009-05-03T22:17:00.002-05:00

Just barley two weeks to go! She's almost here and thankfully everything is going pretty smooth. Here is a scan pic we got after Christine's latest doc appointment on Friday. There's a face and hand in there somewhere. She must be waving for the camera.

Almost Ready

2009-04-29T21:20:00.004-05:00

Here are some updated pictures of the nursery. We're in awe of how generous everyone has been to fill the closet and drawers. All we need is baby.

Is this what they call Nesting?

2009-04-29T06:31:00.005-05:00

While John's been covering the brief Spurs playoff run, I've been busy. I finished the babies room and got a little bored. I'm not sure if you would call it "nesting" or just obsessive. I started out wanting to make a few burp cloths for friends, it turned into a monster. I think I made 27 burp cloths (+10 for friends), 4 bibs, and 14 wash cloths. There is more fabric arriving today. It became necessary to make lots of burp cloths because I couldn't decide on which fabric/style would be best. I went all over the web stealing great ideas until I stumbled on a pattern for bibs (you can see where this is going). Then I thought about these velour/chenille wash cloths that Rhonda swears by. She received them as a gift for her first child 10 years ago and still uses them. Naturally I went there. Anyway, here's proof of my obsession.

OMG! She's Huge!

2009-04-26T20:56:00.015-05:00

Every pregnant lady loves to hear how big they are...right? Ok, maybe not so much, but it's what happens and we're (Christine) doing an awesome job of trying to embrace that as we enter the home stretch. We should have a wonderful little daughter with us in less than a month!

Ready For Kickoff

2009-03-28T16:03:00.002-05:00

Big thanks to Ian and Matt for sending us this. Our daughter should just be able to fit into it come football season and lord knows the Ags will need all the support they can get at that point.

Graduation Complete

2009-03-23T20:29:00.001-05:00

Childbirth will be a piece of cake now. Guaranteed.

Baby Shower Photos

2009-03-22T14:31:00.008-05:00

Here are some pictures from our first ever baby shower! We got a ton of great stuff and can't be thankful enough for everyone that gifted us!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/robbins/main/baby_shower

Crib Assembly

2009-03-14T14:17:00.003-05:00

I feel that all the John fans have been neglected. Thought we needed some pictures of John proving his manhood while assembling the crib. Those instructions are cryptic but he got the job done. All we need now is a mattress and sheets.

Update: Here's Some Video

2009-03-13T19:10:00.003-05:00

From last Tuesday's appointment, I present some heartbeats.

30 Week Checkup

2009-03-10T12:32:00.001-05:00

Here's the doc listening to the baby's heartbeat. It was strong and around 130 beats per minute. Everything was ok and she goes back in two weeks. Ultrasound/sonogram will be coming in five weeks when she is at 35 weeks.

On Location Etc.

2009-03-10T01:12:00.003-05:00

For quick-hitter updates that happen check us out on Twitter at http://twitter.com/familyrobbins. It's one or two sentences about what's going on right in the moment. You can also find the feed right here on this site at the top of the right column.

Three Months To Go

2009-02-26T20:56:00.012-06:00

So the first six months have gone fairly smooth and we are now entering the home stretch. The baby's room is coming along nicely thanks to some much needed help from Christine's co-workers Chanda and Mary and we are looking forward to soon seeing all of John's awesome sports memorabilia that got moved out pop back up in a highly visible location elsewhere in the house. Here are the first of many, many pictures to come...