Christmas!!!!

This year was Robert's first Christmas! It was such an eventful week. We spent Christmas Eve with the Essner's, Christmas Day I worked (well someone has to take care of the sick babies), and the day after Christmas was spent with the May's. Our first gift was given to Robert and I by Kevin at the beginning of the week. It was bikes for the whole family (well those of us who can ride them)! Robert was given a trailer to ride behind who ever is pulling him. It is great! The first day we rode on the back roads to the Mexican food restaurant that we like for lunch. It made me not feel so bad about lunch when I rode a bike to and from the restaurant pulling a 24lb baby and trailer. We love our gifts!

Robert liked his first Christmas, everyone was very generous. Thank you everyone! He liked tearing at the paper, but was distracted when others started to open their gifts. It was cute to watch. I think his favorite toy is the music table that Kevin and I gave him. He loves to stand at it and flip the things open and closed.

That being said it leads me to the other events that happened that week. Robert finally started to really crawl! At the beginning it was so cute to watch him take a few steps, he sits back up to look where he is and how far he has gone, only to find out that it is only inches from where he started. He has gotten faster day by day. He really tries to get to Bitsy!My little explorer is seeing parts of the house that he has never seen, especially from that level. ! Good thing Kevin has already baby proofed the house. The only part that he has not come to yet is the stairs. I am sure that will be any day now. I am putting baby gate on the list now.

So not only is he crawling places now. He loves to stand and pull up on things. My little boy is growing up! He walked from one couch to the other (the couches are facing each other) holding mine and Kevin's hands. We handed off in the middle. It was a little to easy for a baby that is just learning how to crawl:( It was the first time that I was not excited when he has done something new.

He didn't do a whole lot for 3 months and now is making milestone after milestone all in one week!

That is all for now, thank you again to everyone for the wonderful gifts! It was a great first Christmas!

Definitely a Boy

Robert and I went outside to play. I used to be able to sit him on a blanket and put toys in front of him and he would just play. Now he is mobile so I just leave the blanket inside. Now I then have a dilema, put him in the grass and maybe he will not eat the grass, or just put him on the concrete and he will scratch up his knees. Well, I pick concrete. So being the little explorer that he is he wanted to see what was in the flower pot. I just let him check it out. How else will he learn? He played in that dirt like a little boy would. He didn't try to put as much in his mouth as I thought he would. I think we will have a very dirty little boy in the future!

Beware the video is pretty long. I just love watching him!

New Bath Toy

I don't know why but Kevin and I love taking video of Robert in the tub. He is so funny. Grandma had bought him a few new bath toys. Thank you Grandma! Kevin decided to try them out. Robert liked them okay, nut loved when Kevin squirted the purple whale at him. If you watch Robert likes the way the water squirts feel on his tummy.

Grilling

Kevin was starting to make our dinner and wanted Robert to see what Daddy likes to do.

Make Fire!!

Bath time fun!

Kevin and I opened our Christmas gift early. We decided to buy a little video camera that I can take around everywhere to be able to capture the little moments that are so big in Robert's life.

I was giving Robert a bath in our tub. (Yes, we have started to bathe him in there because he is starting to look outside the blue tub for entertainment.) Kevin was in the kitchen when he heard Robert laughing up a storm. So being the smart Daddy that he is; he grabbed the camera and started to film all the fun.

I started to splash in the water in front of Robert and he thought that was so funny so of course I continued to play. In the video you can't see what I am doing because Kevin is trying to keep in G rated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3wJFYZn7ZI

Thanksgiving 2010

Oklahoma Trip

Well, we braved the drive to Oklahoma. We decided to head north on a Friday afternoon at Robert's naptime and drove to Dallas. Robert did very well and slept most of the way. We stayed the night at Brian's bachelor pad. The next day we left Dallas around Robert's morning nap time. That morning trip did not go as well as the day before. Robert cried the last 2hours in the car. Well, I guess he did fall asleep as we were pulling into Tulsa. We had a great visit with the ORIGINAL Robert Florian Essner.

Aunt Rita, Aunt Jan and Uncle Lyle came to see Robert for the first time.

That Saturday afternoon we made the last leg of the trip for the day to Pryor to see Great Grandma. Robert LOVED her dog Molly. He thought she was the funniest thing ever. He laughed so much at her. It was really cute!

Sunday morning we went to church with Great Grandma then headed back to Texas. We drove all the way back to Houston that day, with a little stop in Tulsa to see Jacob and his new fiance. Robert did ok for that part.

All in all he did very well for being a 7 month old baby in a car seat for most of a weekend. At least he got to meet Daddy's Grandma and Grandpa.

It was a good trip for all of us.

First Tailgate

The Aggies played OU in early November and Uncle Brian had a big tailgate party. I had to work, so Kevin took Robert for his first tailgate. They had a lot of fun! Robert was wearing his Oklahoma State gear, but Uncle Brian decided that Robert needed to fully support the Aggies.

Our Little Stinker!

It is the start of the holiday season! Robert had his first Halloween. He was a skunk. Kevin wanted him to be a skunk because when we were picking out costumes we saw the skunk and liked it immediately. Kevin really liked it because we had just switched to formula and his poop was really starting to stink and there was A LOT. So Kevin said that Robert should be a skunk because he stinks! We went to neighbors that we know and showed him off. He probably could have done with out it but Mom and Dad had a good time! He was the cutest skunk I have ever seen!

6 mo check up

Robert had his 6 month check up in October. He was in great health. He weighed 22lbs and 27 inches long. Dr said he is doing great and looks like we are raising a linebacker or a steer wrestler. I not sure which one I would rather him be. Can I say a job that he enjoys but has no danger? Either way I am sure that he will be great.

We also went to the Dewberry Farm on a playdate. It is a pumpkin patch with all sorts of things to have fun on. Unfortunately Robert can not appericiate all of it, but he still had fun watching all of his friends enjoying it!

Emily is ONE of his girlfriends. She is giving him more pumpkins. I think it is a symbol of her heart!

Loving the Fall!

The past two weeks the weather in Houston has been GREAT!!! So we have been outside a lot. One of the days Kevin took off of work early and played a twilight round of golf. Robert and I joined him for a couple of rounds and rode on the golf cart. Robert loved it!

Robert is keeping score.

One day during the week my friend Jill came over to meet Robert and have lunch. It was such a beautiful day outside that we had a picnic. Addison is about 9 months old. She even looks a bit smaller than him! They played very well together. He touched her head and tried to put it in his mouth and she tried to put her finger in his mouth. OF course he welcomed that! yummy fingers

Busy times!

My best friend Heather got married to a wonderful man named Brett who Kevin and I really like and wish them the best. That being said, we have had some busy days here lately. I had my first weekend without Robert when I went to party for Heather's last horah as a single lady. I had a hard time leaving him with my in laws on that Friday afternoon. It was so hard just to leave. Luckily they had some really cute pictures of Robert printed out and were nice enough to let me have the cutest one. I put it on my dash and stared at it the whole way to New Braunfels. Cops say cell phones are bad, pictures of cute little babies are way worse. I had fun at the bachelorette party but missed my family deeply. I have a great husband that kept sending me pictures every chance he had. These are just a few.

I want to put everything in my mouth.

It must have been a yummy dinner!

Bath time is always great. Oh yea he has found his toes. Sorry for the x-rated picture but what can I say he IS a boy!

Then the next weekend was opening weekend of dove season. Kevin, Robert and I went to Woodsboro for the weekend. Kevin hunted with my Dad and Robert and I stayed with my Mom. It was much needed. Meemaw took care of Robert while I slept for most of the day on Saturday. Robert did very well with all the traveling.

Finally the last weekend was Heather's wedding. I was a bridesmaid so I was very busy with that. Meemaw and Pawpaw watched Robert and then brought him to the weeding. It was great. My friends from college finally got to see my chunky monkey in person. After all the pictures I showed at the bachelorette party they were very excited to meet him. Robert had his first wedding and everyone know that with the first wedding means there was the first grand march. Kevin took him on the boys side. He looked like he was having fun watching all the people.

The Monday after Robert turned 5 months was the first day that sat up by himself. What a big boy!! Now he can sit and play by himself! He works on his fine motor skills of his hands. Everything must go in his mouth. If he can't bring the object to his mouth he will go to the object. Sometimes that object is Mommy and Daddy's face. So sweet yet so gross. MMMMM baby slobber!

Go Pokes!!

The first college game day and Robert is dressed in his game day attire! Robert and Daddy in retina burning orange, Go Pokes!!!

whoo hoo starting to eat food!!

After Robert's 4 month check up the Dr. gave us the go ahead to start Robert on cereal and then to move on to veggies, ect. Kevin and I were so excited a new adventure in raising Robert! He did well; of coarse most of the cereal came right back out but he started to get the hang of it. We have since moved on to green beans, peas and are going to try zucchini next!! I have made the baby food so far, it is alot easier than I thought. Finally I can use the food processer that we were given for our wedding, if only we could us the waffle maker more! He is starting to become a little more independent, he is trying to hold his bottles and is holding his knees for Mommy when I change his diaper. I am starting to feel like he is growing up so fast. All of it is exciting and Kevin and I can't wait to see more development but we are starting to see what everyone talks about. I really started to feel sad when I was shopping for bigger clothes for the chunky monkey and reallized that the pajamas for 12 mo babies are not one piece footies :( Of all the things to trigger my mommy sadness I know that it's weird that the pj's did it. I still can't bring myself to buy the two piece pj's.

Nice and clean, ready to start the big boy food! ooops Mom forgot the Bib.

This was the bib before we started eating. Isn't it cute with the little Dino.

Now we're talkin'. This is good stuff.

Now it looks as though it is snowing on the dino and Robert has a beard!

4 months!!!

Today was Robert's 4 month birthday! He had his check up where he was weighed, measured, and shot up:( He had a pretty big day. He rolled over from tummy to back Both directions and Mommy actually got it on tape. Unfortunately it is very shaky. He was given the OK to start on solids. The Dr. said he liked Robert because he is big and healthy! Robert is 18lbs and 11oz ( 95 percentile) 251/4 inches long (75 percentile). WOW what a growing boy!! You can really see that when you look at his turkey legs.

Katie's birthday

July 31 we celebrated Katie's 5th birthday with the family. It was Robert's first party and outing to the pool. He had a lot of fun! He likes his cousin Katie almost as much as she loves him. She makes him laugh. He is still getting used to her and her love! He was so cute in his little bathing suit!

Raising Robert

So I wanted to start a blog, mainly because my wonderful sister-in-law does it. It is a great way to keep people in touch with our family with out the time involved. I have quickly realized how much time I DON'T have.

The first three months of Robert's life was rough on Mommy and Daddy to say the least; but have since gotten much better. Three months was the turning point like everyone said!

Robert is now 3 and half months old!! Kevin and I weighed him on our scale and the chunkster is 19 lbs. WOW!! Boy has he grown. We were looking back at the pictures of when we brought him home and that first week. He was so small:( I know that we will have the rest of our lives of looking back and saying that same phrase and the very popular "he is growing so fast". I am enjoying it. He is sitting in his Bumbo chair. That is a chair that holds him up as long as he can support his own head. Which surprisingly is a task when you have to concentrate on doing that and trying to think about your hands and trying to get then to do what you want. He also has rolled from belly to back a handful of times. He does it more for Daddy than for Mommy. I better get used to that. Robert is already starting to try to stick things in his mouth. When he can get it TO his mouth! He likes playing on his play mat and sitting in Mommy's lab and talking to me!! That is great! It is like he trying to tell me things. He really goes to town talking on his changing table. This is when he is finding his voice, he lets out the cutest yells.

As far as this blog goes, I will try my best to keep it up to date. My husband seems to think that it will be like other things and will go to the wayside when I get to busy. Hopefully I will not let that ring true. So I hope that all my family and friends enjoy reading about Kevin and I "Raising Robert".