And Update and a Confession

First the update...

We just got home from a long weekend at the lake house and had so much fun, as always.  We tried out the new 3-person lawn swing (with canopy!), waterskied, played games, and grilled almost every meal.  I was especially happy with my little Robbie, as he used the time this weekend productively and sorted out his napping issues.

Get this:  Robbie now goes to bed around 8:30pm, wakes once at 5am-ish to eat, falls immediately back to sleep until 8am, then naps twice throughout the day!  Usually 2 hours in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.  I can't wait to get some things done around the house this week... 

A little surprising was his sudden preference over the last week towards his mom over anyone else.  Complete with screaming.  Lovely... poor dad, grandma, grandpa, auntie, and everyone else who loves Robbie and holds him on a daily/weekly basis could hardly get their hands on him this past week without him giving them the stink eye and shrieking.  It's particularly bad if he's over tired or hungry.  Add it to the list of things I didn't think we'd be dealing with so early!  (Do I need to read more books about raising kids?)

Now, the confession...

I am totally addicted to the show "Jon and Kate Plus Eight" on TLC.  I know that people either love this show or hate it (love to hate it, hate to love it, whatever...).  I used to be a closet fan.  I thought it was time to get it out in the open.  I LOVE Kate and Jon, and their 8 cute kids.  I can't get enough of them.  I might be watching it as I update the blog right now... ok, I am.  Alexis is my favorite kid.  My favorite episode is "Boy's Day Out", which was just on tonight.  Wait, no the Christmas episode is my favorite.  I'm watching it now, and it's precious!  Gosh I wish we were their neighbors.  But I do not wish to have 8 kids, let's be clear.

(Sorry not to have any new pictures this posting... I will make up for it this week!)

First stages of teething?? (...already?!)

I made an emergency stop at Babies R Us tonight and bought these on the way home from dinner with my family, after Robbie gnawed on my hand and cried for no reason the entire time... hopefully they will occupy his mouth so that my knuckles don't have to (it just didn't feel sanitary...).

Also picked up some of this...

 

Just when you feel like you have some semblance of a routine, something new crops up and throws it all off!  I know, I know... get used to it.  I'm not complaining - just completely surprised by how quickly everything starts to happen!  

Where did my baby go?? 

If anyone has recommendations about which teethers are best, please share - especially if it is not represented in the pictures above!

Happy Father's Day!

Wow, 2 posts in one day.  Somebody's baby must be sleeping!

This evening we celebrated Father's Day (early) over dinner at Maggiano's.  I am so thankful that Rob is my husband, and it was fun to celebrate what a great dad he is already.  I can't wait until Robbie can tell his dad how much he loves him by himself!  

Unfortunately for the Roberts, I took the opportunity to get a few family pictures, which meant decking the baby out in a cute outfit.  Oh, darn.

"Let's go celebrate my dad!"  ...one short car ride later, he was fast asleep.

After-dinner (and after-nap) family picture.  The baby is slow to wake up. :)

Mom, Dad, and Robbie - who now holds his breath and apparently closes his eyes when the wind blows in his face.  (no, he's not sleeping...)

Rob has worked so hard this spring/summer on our yard, so after dinner (and a quick trip to Tate's for ice cream) I made him pose by the flowers he planted in our front yard.  Aren't they pretty?!  And look at that thick green grass!  It's harder to get it/keep it that way than you might think.  He spent most of the day outside, and by this time his allergies were in full swing. 

Me and my little buddy!  We love you Rob.

A Walk Around Herrick Lake

It was a beautiful morning, so we decided to try taking Robbie for a walk around Herrick Lake in Wheaton in the Baby Bjorn.  He loved it... for the first 15 minutes or so.  Then he decided that he'd had enough, and made mom take him out of the Baby Bjorn and carry him all the way back to the car.  For now we'll stick to stroller walks!

Departing the parking lot - I just love how it looks like Robbie thinks he's helping us get somewhere!

The Slumber Dilemma...

Thanks to everyone who was hoping for a long night of uninterrupted sleep for us last night!  Robbie managed to sleep until 5am without stirring!  Then after a quick feed, we slept a little more from 5:30am-8:30am.  I feel like a new person!!!! (Which of course calls for LOTS of exclamation points, much to my husband's dismay.)

Now if I could just solve the nap mystery.  Although Robbie gets tired of me in the evenings (see previous post for more details), he sure thinks I'm a riot during the day.  This kid will NOT lay down for a nap before 2pm!  I don't get it. He's textbook exhausted by 10/10:30am - fussy, rubbing his eyes, heavy lids, snuggling into my shoulder... From that point until about 1pm I spend the day attempting to lull him to sleep for a nap, using every method known to man.  

We rock... we eat numerous bottles... we burp... we sing and hum... we read books... we bounce until our knees threaten to pop out of place...  we change every diaper as soon as there is a drop of moisture in it...  

And after a few hours of being completely non-productive in every sense of the word (he hasn't slept AND I haven't gotten anything else done) I usually resign to watching the food network with him on my lap while I eat a snack to make myself feel better.  

And then it happens.  He falls asleep ON MY LAP.  Today it happened while I was nursing him - that fuzzy Boppy Pillow apparently made for a nice little mattress and off to la-la land he went.  I was literally making a mental grocery store list in my head for the trip we would take after he was done eating, and was getting very excited for the homemade italian dinner I would make with my purchase.

Not going to happen.  He fell asleep somewhere around 1:45pm, and as I type this, he is still sleeping.  After 3 hours of just sitting on the couch, holding my sleeping baby (and watching Paula Deen try to kill us all slowly with her tasty recipes that call for at least 2 sticks of butter and a deep-fryer), I decided I had to get up and do something - anything.  So I carefully lifted the Boppy away from me with him still on it, and tucked him in on the couch.  He didn't even flinch.  

So Robbie continues to sleep, and I continue to not make dinner for my poor husband who will be home any minute, famished from the long work day.   Because I need groceries.  I have learned not to wake a sleeping baby - at least MY sleeping baby.  He looks all innocent while he sleeps, but he's got enough of his mom in him to make him a bear when he wakes up. 

At least he took a nap today!  If anyone has any tips on how to split up the 4+ hour afternoon nap into, say, a 2 hour morning nap and a 2 hour afternoon nap, please let me know!

Visiting Auntie Cheryl

Robbie and I have a new favorite activity - it's called going for long walks around the neighborhood to soothe the fussy baby. :)  We often find ourselves on Auntie Cheryl's doorstep, begging for her to let us in and hold Robbie.  It seems that he tires of his mother in the afternoons/evenings - especially if we haven't had any visitors that day - and he needs a fresh face and fresh arms.

Here are some pictures from our time on Auntie Cheryl's couch today... it was hot and humid, which is why Robbie appears sans-pants.

Hmm, what's going on?  I'm fairly entertained by you two and that flashy-thingy.

Ok, booooooring. I can barely keep my eyes open.

That's more like it!  Play with me.  

I sense a baby photo shoot happening.  How did I not see that coming?  The pillows propping me up and everything... you're not getting away with these for much longer, mommy.

You know I've had a 'moment' when my pacifier appears.  This is just after I yelled at mom (not cried, YELLED) and beat the pillow with my strong fist.  I might be small but I have a feisty side!

Naturally, that concludes today's session of baby pictures.  

I will say though, Robbie went to bed at 8pm tonight - and although he woke himself up twice and needed me to pat him back to sleep, it seems like he's down for the night!  Earliest bedtime ever.  I wonder how late he'll let me sleep tomorrow morning? (Please hope with  me that somehow it will be later than 5:30am!)

Oh and before I forget - congratulations Steve and Kim (and Noah and Tait) on the birth of their new little boy, Levi!  We can't wait to meet him.

If you are a fellow blog reader...

...you will appreciate this blog.  The author, Angie, is an amazing wife and mother.  Their family has been through some very difficult circumstances, and yet they continue to trust and put their faith in God.  I check her blog often and every time I read her words, I am challenged and inspired to live more wholeheartedly for Jesus Christ.  I just wanted to pass the link on to you all!  I do not know them personally, by the way.  I just stumbled upon her blog and now check it often.

Ashley's New Job

As of June 4th my job status changed to "Stay-At-Home-Mom"!  

While I am sad to be leaving my boss and coworkers at the Society of Actuaries, I am of course thrilled and very thankful that I can be at home with Robbie all day every day.  It's a blessing that we do not take for granted.  So far it has been amazing, and we have done so many fun things together (see entries below if you haven't already!).

What I love most about being a stay at home mom is that I get to be the primary witness to Robbie's life.  I get to kiss him every minute if I want to (which I do, poor kid).  I get to pray for him as I pick him up out of his crib in the morning, and do the same as I put him to sleep at night.  For some reason I can't pinpoint with words, I find it very important to seal his days with prayer and commit him to Jesus.  I am very aware that although he is our son, he is not 'ours' - he's only been placed in our care for an unknown amount of time.  

He belongs to our great God, and he is on loan to Rob and I here on earth for a while.  I am thankful (but often overwhelmed) that my calling is to raise him in the knowledge of God and what Jesus Christ has done for us - and to model Christ-likeness to him as I grow in my own faith.  I wrote this same thought tonight in the journal I keep for him, but he is our little miracle in so many ways - one of which being that he pushes me more towards Christ in a way that nothing and no one else has.  My job is a serious one and I don't take it lightly.  I can't do it well without walking closely with God.  

So it's a big job - I'm humbled and honored to be Robbie's mom.  

As I continue to learn what it all means and how to go about it, please pray for me.  

And feel free to throw suggestions, ideas, etc. my way!

Love to you all, 

Robbie's Mom

"Hello, little one!"

(getting to know each other just hours after Robbie's birth - one of my favorite pictures)

Robbie hearts Charlotte

Robbie turned 12 weeks on Saturday!  He is fully in 3 month size clothes now, and has quite an appetite.   He is not getting the hang of morning or afternoon naps.  Here are some pictures of our little buddy.

This weekend Robbie met Charlotte Larson for the first time!  We all drove to Rockford (a 1/2 way meeting point) and introduced the babies to each other.  We had dinner at a bad italian restaurant - I blame only myself - and Robbie melted down twice for no apparent reason.  Everything else was lovely!   

The babes in their matching car seats. Charlotte has convinced Robbie to get a big bird to go on his car seat like the one she has.  His zebra is pretty boring.

Robbie and Charlotte checking each other out.  Charlotte is having a blast! My son still has some perking up to do after his nap in the car.

Me and Becky with the babies

Jeff and Rob with the babies

Hanging out on Sunday  morning at home.  I have given up going to church until either Robbie's behavior (or moods) are more predictable, or until I am brave enough to put him in the nursery.  I feel like that may not happen for a while - good friends put their son in the nursery and he came down with hand, foot and mouth disease!  Yuck.  I think I'm turning into a germ-a-phobe.

Feet discovery!

2 nights ago, Robbie grabbed his foot while I was trying to put him to sleep in his crib!  I was 'shushing' him and trying to calm him, and was watching his feet as he kicked his legs in the air (he had a lot of energy and was trying to get me to play), and when he grabbed his toes and hung on, I yelled "BUDDY!  You found your foot! Oh my goodness!"  After that, I decided it would just be cruel to make him lay in his crib, since I had added to his energy level with my excitement.  So downstairs we went for about an hour. 

Do you think he'll catch on, and always do new things in his crib at night just to stay up later?!

A few new pictures...