Another hot, dry summer in San Antonio

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

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

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

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!

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

Back and forth.

Emery Falls Asleep In The Truck

One year older and much wiser...

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

Spring has sprung, 10 months old

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