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

Emery & Katie Hangout

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

A Few Recent Pictures

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

Happy New Year!

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

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

She's Got Grandaddy's Hair

Puppy Love

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

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:

• New August Pictures
  
• More July Pictures
• More June Pictures
  

Getting Bigger Every Day

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

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.