Updates: A Christmas Series

Just in time for Christmas, Robin has started to pull himself up AND crawl. All of the sudden he is so much more independent. We're not exactly baby-proofed in my parents' house, so we have to keep a closer eye on him :)

Over the next few days, we'll post videos and pictures from the week of Christmas so you can see the antics of our growing boy.




P.S. In other news, this past month Steve has started a new job and we we have found a cute little house to rent with a backyard big enough for a large garden. We felt like we'd be rushing into things if we tried to buy a house/property right now, so we will be contented testing out some of our ideas in the garden. Stay tuned for more updates!

Robin's Halloween Baptism

Ah, I must apologize again for being MIA around here. There is really no excuse other than the lack of routine we've had for the past several months. We are settling in here in Kentucky, closer to some of our loved ones and further from others. Robin is doing very well. He is an expert sitter and roller now, and is starting to show signs that he will crawl soon. He smiles and laughs and plays and makes everyone he sees smile too :)

Last weekend Robin was baptized at the Church that Steve and I were married. All of his grandparents and his three great-grandmothers were here to celebrate with us. And it was halloween to boot, so Robin wore 2 special outfits that day (and a Green Bay Packers jersey in between:). It was a fun and very special weekend.








Hope you had a happy halloween!

Yum!

Robin has been experimenting with solid foods lately and is starting to get the hang of eating from a spoon and drinking from a cup.



Today we are leaving for a 2+ week trip that will take us from Covington, KY to visit relatives in Kokomo, IN, then on to the northeast - hitting Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine on the way out - then Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey on the way back. Check back here for pictures and updates along the way!

Love, Anna, Steve and Robin

Morning fun with Papa

Happy 5 Months Robin

Robin is 5 months old today. He shows us his excitement by squealing all day long :)

Beating the Heat

Robin has been staying cool by getting wet. Mostly in his little inflatable tubbie, but we also took a dip in Lake Mendota. He wasn't too sure about the waves and the cool water. I bet he'll like the beach in Siesta Key, FL much better. And there won't be any goose poop in the sand either :)

Giggle Monster

Robin is so much fun these days. He laughs when we tickle him, when we make silly faces or noises, when we play peek-a-boo, and sometimes when I take his shirt off (although I think that it tickles him around his armpits and neck :)

For your viewing pleasure today, here's a video of his first mega-giggle fest that took place right around his 3-month birthday:

Making up for lost time

Well, as you can probably tell from the lack of posting around these parts, life has been busy lately. Thankfully, the primary cause of the busyness - thesis writing - is now over (at least until next week when I defend and my committee gives me revisions to make - but that shouldn't be too much work).

You might say that it is unfortunate that I am finishing my PhD in the first 6 months of my child's life - that my energy would be zapped and I wouldn't have enough time with him. I had thought so at first. Instead, I found that coming home to Robin after an intense day of writing was such a welcome respite. I could be totally engrossed in his world for a few precious hours - clearing my brain of the day's thoughts and worries. I found that when I came home he was as excited to see me as I him - and that a baby's joy is beyond compare. I found that the though I only spent a few hours with him in the morning and evening that those were good quality hours. I think that having this big project to focus on made me appreciate Robin even more - and Robin was my motivation to get it finished. I also know that if Steve and I had had to make it through the past couple of months on our own, it would have been a lot harder. We had the great fortune of having our parents take turns staying with us and watching Robin during the day (not to mention, cooking cleaning and doing lots of laundry!) I am incredibly grateful for their time and love.

So, today I am starting to make up for lost time on this blog. Over the next few days I'll try to catch you up on what we've been doing other than thesis writing.

Love,
Anna

3 Months!

Happy 3-month birthday Robin Everett! Well, actually it was yesterday - but our internet was mysteriously disconnected at home and they are having major issues getting it back online. But that's beside the point. Our little man is already 1/4 of his way to a year. Wow! He is so much fun these days - very talkative and active. He will try to sit up if you hold his hands - Grandpa Bruce calls these 'baby pull-ups'.

Robin has been spending lots of time with his grandparents lately so Mama can get work done on her thesis. It's been nice for everyone I think. And to that end, I now have an official date for my defense - August 17th. So send some good writing vibes my way these next couple months! The end is near :)

So excited

Robin had a fantastic weekend at Nana & Grandpa's house. He met lots of family and friends, listened to the bird chirping outside and inside, and was treated to some very entertaining puppeting by Auntie Jess :)

2 months and counting

Robin turned 2 months last Friday. Has it gone by as fast for you as it has for us? We visited the Dr. on Monday and I'm pleased to report that the boy is growing and developing very well. Dr. Bull commented on his strength - a quality we noticed even as a newborn when he would hold his head away from your chest. He is constantly moving his limbs when he's awake, quite the strong and active little boy.

Robin weighed 11 lbs 13 oz and measured 23 in long - both smack on the 50th percentile - way to grow my son! Here are some pictures taken over the past couple of weeks :)

You asked for it. . .

So I'll oblige with our newest video of the little man playing with his activity gym.



P.S. He has now managed to pull down on the rings to get the music to play :)

Happy Baby

I hope you won't mind another video post :) Robin is just growing and changing so fast that I have to capture it and share it with you. The little boy has been smiling and *laughing* at us lately. Ah, what a sight - it melts my heart!

1 month

Robin Everett turned 1 month old yesterday. I am amazed at how much he has changed already. He is getting heavier every day and has grown out of all his newborn clothes. He is starting to make happy sounds and has little conversations with us. And he loves to exercise his arms and legs as you will see in this video :)



By the way, April 14th, 2010 was a busy day. A baby was born, a baby turned 1 year old, 2 babies turned 1 month and Steve and Anna celebrated their 3rd wedding anniversary! Whew!

Easy to Follow Instructions

Making Weight

We found out at Robin's 2 week well child check that he has gained a pound over his birth weight - coming in at 7lbs 15oz. Nice work my son! I suppose the nearly non-stop nursing the past few days has accomplished something :) We joke that Robin is trying to make fightin' weight, so I thought you might enjoy this little video clip of him wearing his mittens a.k.a. boxing gloves.

2 weeks old

Robin is 2 weeks old today. The time has passed both slowly and much too fast. We are starting to settle into a bit of a routine around here - although I think I might be crazy thinking that I'll get any work on my thesis done in the next few weeks. Robin is a cuddly baby and doesn't like to nap unless someone is holding him. We'll indulge him for awhile :)







His 2 week check up is this coming Wednesday. We're hoping he will weigh in well over 7lbs since he was back at birth weight last Tuesday. We'll keep you updated!

Welcome to the World

Robin Everett Raines
Born Sunday March 14 at 7:17pm
Weight: 6 lbs 15 oz
Length: 19.5 in





Mom, Dad and baby are doing well. More updates and pictures to come!

9 months in pictures

Take it easy

Well, the past couple weeks have been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. My blood pressure is still high and creeping up. The doc is having me do twice weekly non-stress tests and once weekly ultrasounds to make sure that baby is happy and still growing well (high BP can compromise blood flow to the placenta). To our relief, little Chickie is doing really well. I feel so happy each time we get good results from these tests. Other than the high BP I haven't presented with any symptoms of preeclampsia, but they are keeping a very close eye on me since it can show up really fast. I started working half days last week to get more rest and I think I'll be working from home from now until the baby arrives to keep myself as healthy as possible.

Chickie is getting nice and cozy in my belly and I hope I can continue to be a good home until it's ready to come out and play :)

Smilin'

We are officially 4 weeks away from d-date today! Time is flying. Things have been going well, we are feeling like we've pretty much got everything set for the arrival of this munchkin. We talked over our birth plan with our doctor at the last visit and it is so great to know that all of us are on the same page. Barring any serious medical issues, we want to do this thing as naturally as possible. Because we are seeing family practice doctors instead of an OB, I feel like we are getting an experience closer to a midwife. We're alternating between 2 doctors, with a 95% chance of having one or the other at delivery and they are both totally on board with the way we want this birth to go. Yay!

A minor blip in this otherwise healthy pregnancy is that my blood pressure has been a bit elevated when I see the doc. It's been high-ish since early in pregnancy and I suspect has more to do with being at the doctor's office than anything malicious. But, because high blood pressure can be associated with some really dangerous conditions for mom and baby, the docs are having me do a few extra tests to make sure that our babe is growing and responding well. I had an ultrasound done yesterday to estimate baby's weight and how much amniotic fluid it's floating around in. We haven't received the final report, but baby was measuring 36 weeks + 2 or 3 days, so if anything it's a little ahead on the growth curve - yay! And as a bonus, we got another sneak peek of our little chickie with a smile on its face :)



I'll keep you updated on any more developments in the BP department, but at this point it looks like everything is a-ok.

Baby knits

I do apologize for being MIA this month. My energies for the past few weeks have been focused on preparing my exit seminar - a department wide talk that graduate students give toward the end of their degree - which was this past Thursday. I'm happy to report that seminar went well and gave me confidence that I will be able to graduate this spring :)

So for your viewing pleasure today, I thought I might share some of the knitted bits that I've been working on the past few weeks. I found that I can get quite a bit of knitting done on bus rides to and from campus. And of course, baby knits are the best because they are finished so quickly ;)

Tiny slippers to match the mittens at the top (or as Steve calls them - baby hand bags).



And a spring green leaf hat with stripy pants knit in a yarn called 'Apple Orchard' - how great is that! I thought this onesie looked too cute so I had to make an outfit of it.



If you are interested, the patterns I used are mostly found for FREE on a great knit & crochet site called Ravelry. I'm contemplating what project to start next, diaper cover or tiny sweater? Ah, this is too much fun!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Friends and Family! We have been having a peaceful, relaxing holiday. Christmas was spent in Florida with Anna's family, soaking in the sun and enjoying being outside without a coat and gloves (well at least for the northerners - Jess has been in Florida for too long and gets cold in 60 degree temps :)



It was nice to see so many colors in December when we're used to seeing only white and gray.



The sunset of the Solstice was blocked by clouds, but we were treated with a gorgeous sunset the following night on Casey Key.



Jessica decorated my belly with henna - including symbols for fertility and unity of mind, body and spirit.



A little ficus tree served as our Christmas tree and Steve and I received a special little ornament from my parents.





It's going to be a wonderful year!