Today Robinson had his NICU follow up which checks his development and how well he is doing on his milestones. For preemies, they need to make sure that they do not need physical, speech or occupational therapy if they get behind on milestones. Obviously, you want to catch it quickly so that you can correct any issues. They have Robinson go to USA for the appointments every 4 months to re-evaluate.
Today was a little more intense than the last session. He had to sit across a table from a doctor and they brought out various toys and watched what he did with them and looked for certain things. He had to be able to pick up 2 block with his hand and then a third and put them down together; get the blocks out of cup and underneath a shelf; grab a rope; shake a bell; stack the blocks; pull pins from holes; point to items in a book; turn in different directions to sound; point out Mommy and Daddy; feed himself cheerios; crawl; stand; cruise; laugh, and talk.
Robinson did fantastic! They said he is completely caught up to his actual age (12 months) for all of his major milestones and is even ahead of the game of some gross and cognitive skills. She was really impressed that Robinson gives "kisses" when asked- open mouth, right on the lips! haha She said he was amazing and that you would never know he was a preemie. She actually thought she had read his chart wrong and couldn't believe that he was a 26 weeker.
They were also really impressed with his size. Robinson weighed 21.9 pounds today!! Seriously! I couldn't believe it...I think she was off on the height and head circumference b/c Robinson wouldn't hold still and according to the nurse's measurements his head and length would've shrunk from his 9 month apppointment! haha....she wasn't too thrilled with me when I just point blankly said "well, that can't be right, I know he hasn't shrunk". hehe....I measured his head and length when we got home and I think his head is around 46 cm and length is about 29 inches- but I'll be happy when we go to the pediatrician in a couple of weeks and get a confirmation on those. I remember their numbers were off when we went at 4 months, so I always trust my pedi's office more so than others.
Lastly, we had to go through his history over the past year and they seemed pleasantly surprised that Robinson has not had a hospital visit, antibiotics, any illness- not even a trip to the doctor that wasn't a check up! It was a very good visit and very good day...I will continue to pray that our little man gets stronger and healthier every day.
We love you Robinson!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Birthday Boy!
I can not believe that Robinson turned 1 year old today! This year has flown by and I can't believe how far we've come- We are so proud of our little guy. I just wanted to share some pictures from his party we had this weekend. We were originally going to throw this big shin dig and invite everyone we knew! haha But we finally came to our senses and realized it would be a little overwhelming for the little man, so we just had family over for cake and ice cream on Saturday. We had a wonderful time and it was perfect for his 1st birthday.
Family Picture
I loved his outfit I found him
The Cake
The Smash Cake
He was NOT a fan of cake- Robinson does not like sweet stuff, he'd much rather have his veggies...Rian said he gets that from me!
Family Picture
With his Poppa Jim
In his new Batman PJ's
After the party, my parents babysat and Rian and I went to a friend's wedding Mobile- it was so nice to have a night out with friends- but we were home by 9:30 pm because I missed the little guy!
In his new Batman PJ'sAfter the party, my parents babysat and Rian and I went to a friend's wedding Mobile- it was so nice to have a night out with friends- but we were home by 9:30 pm because I missed the little guy!Wednesday, July 8, 2009
4th of July
I am so sorry for the long delay in blog posts. We have just been so busy around here with my Dad's birthday, Father's Day, the 4th and drum roll please, preparing for Robinson 1st birthday!! I can NOT believe that this time next week our little man will be one year old. Where has the time gone?
Like I said, though, we have been really busy getting out of the house, visiting with family, etc. and having a grand time this summer. Robinson is *this* close to walking, I can just feel it. He's also trying so hard to talk these days and belly laughing a lot more. He's learned to 'wrestle' with you on the floor and has the best time laughing rolling around with you. This is a fun age for laughter!
Eating is getting better. He's back to loving his bottle (so I think the teething is what was bothering him before). He's taking about 24-28 ounces per day and he's getting better with the table food. He'll feed himself with puffs and cheerios and pieces of chicken. He likes cheese, blueberries, peaches, apples (soaked to make them softer), bananas, any kind of bread, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and he's getting better at pasta. The only hiccup is that it takes him FOREVER to chew some of this stuff, so he still doesn't eat enough of table food to constitute a full meal and giving up the puree, just yet. I think within the next few weeks, though, we'll make great improvements. Robinson has shown time and time again that he does things on his own time.
We have yet to find a sippy cup that he just loves. He'll drink out of them, but not more than ounce or so...he gets bored with them. I have to admit that's it's frustrating as a mom too. They either are so slow flow that it takes too much work to get any out or they just come pouring out and he chokes....I mean, isn't there a medium flow or faster flow sippy cup??! If you have any suggestions, let me know. We've tried 4 different kinds as of right now...I've heard good things about the Nuby ones, but I don't know if Robinson will like them since they are a straw....he has one that is a straw and he refuses to even try to drink out of that one. It's all trial and error...we'll see! :)
Here are some pictures from the 4th- I was so busy chasing Robinson and visiting, that I didn't take many pictures. I promise to do better as his birthday party!!
You know I always have to get a close up of our handsome boy...
Kissing his cousin, Preston. He just adores him :)
Robinson and Preston
Robinson with his cousins, Peyton and Preston
Like I said, though, we have been really busy getting out of the house, visiting with family, etc. and having a grand time this summer. Robinson is *this* close to walking, I can just feel it. He's also trying so hard to talk these days and belly laughing a lot more. He's learned to 'wrestle' with you on the floor and has the best time laughing rolling around with you. This is a fun age for laughter!
Eating is getting better. He's back to loving his bottle (so I think the teething is what was bothering him before). He's taking about 24-28 ounces per day and he's getting better with the table food. He'll feed himself with puffs and cheerios and pieces of chicken. He likes cheese, blueberries, peaches, apples (soaked to make them softer), bananas, any kind of bread, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese and he's getting better at pasta. The only hiccup is that it takes him FOREVER to chew some of this stuff, so he still doesn't eat enough of table food to constitute a full meal and giving up the puree, just yet. I think within the next few weeks, though, we'll make great improvements. Robinson has shown time and time again that he does things on his own time.
We have yet to find a sippy cup that he just loves. He'll drink out of them, but not more than ounce or so...he gets bored with them. I have to admit that's it's frustrating as a mom too. They either are so slow flow that it takes too much work to get any out or they just come pouring out and he chokes....I mean, isn't there a medium flow or faster flow sippy cup??! If you have any suggestions, let me know. We've tried 4 different kinds as of right now...I've heard good things about the Nuby ones, but I don't know if Robinson will like them since they are a straw....he has one that is a straw and he refuses to even try to drink out of that one. It's all trial and error...we'll see! :)
Here are some pictures from the 4th- I was so busy chasing Robinson and visiting, that I didn't take many pictures. I promise to do better as his birthday party!!
Robinson with Uncle James - who by the way is no longer an intern. He passed his boards and is officially a Family Medicine Resident- wooooohoooo!
You know I always have to get a close up of our handsome boy...
Kissing his cousin, Preston. He just adores him :)
Robinson and Preston
Robinson with his cousins, Peyton and Preston
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
CRUISIN
I've been tired this week. Not really sure why. Robinson has been a restless sleeper lately...more teeth trying to come through and it's rough on the little guy. Which means that I am not sleeping well, but I should be used to no sleep by now, huh?! But the 800 pound gorilla that it's in he room is the memories from last year. This time last year is when I started to feel a little run down, not like myself. My blood pressure was still fine, at the time, so I wasn't too worried, but I just felt like something was off. My face, hands and feet has started swelling and I was feeling weird...
So unbelievable to think that was a year ago...an entire year has almost gone by since Robinson was born (you do realize that our little charmer is 11 months old, right?!) It seems like yesterday to me...the memories are still so vivid. I can still actually smell the hospital and NICU smells. I hear a beep on tv and my mind flashes back to the alarms in the NICU at Robinson's bedside. I guess I'm going to have a lot of these flashbacks within the next month. I think it's probably only natural. Just humor me as I type them out for you leading up to Robinson's big day....I think it helps the healing process of letting people in on what's going on in my thoughts. I know I have not been the best at "sharing my feelings" in my lifetime, but I think that's something that I need to change. I know keeping all of these memories and emotions bottled up can not be good for me...I've already noticed that the past few weeks. I'm a little more anxious; a little more worried about Robinson- over the silliest things...I'm blowing things way out of proportion. And I think it's because this time last year everything was perfect and then it all changed within a blink of an eye...I'm just scared of it happening again.
As far as Robinson is going, he's doing great. He's moving along with his milestones and surprising us every day. He is trying to start to wave, although, I don't think he really gets it yet. He's eating table food a lot better- even feeding puffs and cheerios to himself! He's not liking the baby food anymore, so we are at a crossroads. He's not interested in table food enough, yet, to eat a substantial amount (or it would take us an hour per meal) but he's not really into the baby food anymore either. Any suggestions?? I'm thinking 'it just takes time' is the key and patience is my new friend and enemy!
The title of this post is "Cruisin"...that's because our little man is cruisin all over this house! I really think he is very close to walking and he's pretty fast crawling/cruising. Rian and I are having fun (and getting exhausted) trying to keep up with him. I also wanted to use the title because I feel like we're just cruisin right along...11 months has gone by just like that...it feels way too fast. My 'baby' is starting to look and act like a little boy *sniff* *sniff*
Here are some pictures and videos for your enjoyment-
I've been giving Robinson the spoon at the end of the meal so that he can start to learn to feed himself...I have to hold myself back from wiping him down every second. I guess I need to get used to having a boy, huh?!
Can you believe how tall he is getting? He could barely look over this thing a month ago and now he's head and shoulders above it. OH, and you can see his teeth!
Here's the video of Robinson speed crawling
And here's the video of him cruising down the couch
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Randomness
I don't have a central theme for tonight's post. It's going to be a hodgepodge of pictures and random facts of what's going on in the Turner household...
--Robinson has 2 bottom teeth!! Of course, he has YET to let me get a picture of them- stinker, but I will, I promise. We also think that he has two or three top teeth trying to break through, so we shall see. All of this adds up to a very cranky baby boy the last couple of weeks. He's not really sleeping through the night and tossing and turning a lot. Poor baby, but at least we are just getting them all at once instead of going through this misery for months on end.
--Speaking of sleeping. We've had some questions about how the CIO (cry it out) went. Well, to be honest, it lasted 5 minutes. We simply could not do it. It broke our hearts and Robinson was so upset that we just could not make him go through that. We aren't saying it is wrong or that we are judgemental of people who do it. If it works for you, then that's great. It's just not for us or for Robinson. We figured that he'll do it when he's ready. And guess what??? For the past month and half, he's been sleeping in his crib for all of his naps and from 7-11pm every night. No, it's still not ideal, but I think it's great progress and we are so proud of him. It also gives us a little free time at night to catch up on chores, etc. which is helpful
--Eating- eh, it's going. He's down to 3 8 ounce bottles a day. Some days he takes all of them without a problem...some days it's a struggle to get 18-20 ounces in him. We are working on the sippy cup. He'll drink out of it, but not for more than an ounce and then he gets bored with it and throws it on the ground. Not really sure how to remedy that one- again, we'll keep trying it and when he's ready, he'll drink. The table food is going okay...he has been gagging pretty badly, which is a cue that he's not fully ready. This week he seems to be doing much better. We've mastered puffs and cheerios and are working on pasta with meat sauce...chicken and other meats are still not his favorite and he spits them out, but we'll keep trying. Eventually it will click.
--As far as gross and fine motor skills- he's rockin! Our little man is pulling to stand, sitting up on his own, crawling at lightning speeds and.....CRUISING! YES! Robinson can walk the length of the loveseat and switch over to the ottoman if it's close by...I can't believe that he is *this* close to walking! He's also getting much better at the pincer grasp. He will pick up the puffs and Cheerios (the fingers are still a little curled, but he's great at trying)- he's still hesitant to feed himself, though. He picks them up, opens his mouth and then smiles and throws the cheerio on the floor- stinker :)
That is all for now...not too much going on the next couple of weeks. I can't believe that our little man will be 11 months old on the 13th! Time is going by way too quickly...
--Robinson has 2 bottom teeth!! Of course, he has YET to let me get a picture of them- stinker, but I will, I promise. We also think that he has two or three top teeth trying to break through, so we shall see. All of this adds up to a very cranky baby boy the last couple of weeks. He's not really sleeping through the night and tossing and turning a lot. Poor baby, but at least we are just getting them all at once instead of going through this misery for months on end.
--Speaking of sleeping. We've had some questions about how the CIO (cry it out) went. Well, to be honest, it lasted 5 minutes. We simply could not do it. It broke our hearts and Robinson was so upset that we just could not make him go through that. We aren't saying it is wrong or that we are judgemental of people who do it. If it works for you, then that's great. It's just not for us or for Robinson. We figured that he'll do it when he's ready. And guess what??? For the past month and half, he's been sleeping in his crib for all of his naps and from 7-11pm every night. No, it's still not ideal, but I think it's great progress and we are so proud of him. It also gives us a little free time at night to catch up on chores, etc. which is helpful
--Eating- eh, it's going. He's down to 3 8 ounce bottles a day. Some days he takes all of them without a problem...some days it's a struggle to get 18-20 ounces in him. We are working on the sippy cup. He'll drink out of it, but not for more than an ounce and then he gets bored with it and throws it on the ground. Not really sure how to remedy that one- again, we'll keep trying it and when he's ready, he'll drink. The table food is going okay...he has been gagging pretty badly, which is a cue that he's not fully ready. This week he seems to be doing much better. We've mastered puffs and cheerios and are working on pasta with meat sauce...chicken and other meats are still not his favorite and he spits them out, but we'll keep trying. Eventually it will click.
--As far as gross and fine motor skills- he's rockin! Our little man is pulling to stand, sitting up on his own, crawling at lightning speeds and.....CRUISING! YES! Robinson can walk the length of the loveseat and switch over to the ottoman if it's close by...I can't believe that he is *this* close to walking! He's also getting much better at the pincer grasp. He will pick up the puffs and Cheerios (the fingers are still a little curled, but he's great at trying)- he's still hesitant to feed himself, though. He picks them up, opens his mouth and then smiles and throws the cheerio on the floor- stinker :)
That is all for now...not too much going on the next couple of weeks. I can't believe that our little man will be 11 months old on the 13th! Time is going by way too quickly...
PICTURES
Bath Time
PJ's on, hair combed and ready for bed (I think he looks a lot like Rian here)
At the Pet Adoption Day...I wanted to see how he would react to animals...
Obviously, he WAS a big fan- I definitely see a dog in our future
Oh, we had some professional pictures done for Robinson's 9 month bday. Bridgett of Corner.stone in Mobile just shot these casual pics of us one Sunday afternoon..they were taken in April, so as you can see from the pics above, it's amazing how much he's changed in 2 months, but they were just too cute not to share!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
How I've Changed Since Becoming a Mother
I don't have any new pictures to share or amazing developmental stories of Robinson to relay, so I thought I would post about a topic that crosses my mind many times during the day...how I've changed since becoming a mother.
1. puke, poop, boogies, urine, etc. no longer gross me out
It's so funny how when you become a mother that in the span of 2o minutes your child can puke on you, get poop all over your hands while simultaneously peeing in your face as you're trying to pick that boogie off the edge of their nose and you somehow do not miss a beat. A year ago, I would've gone running to the shower. Now, I grab a baby wipe- wipe Robinson and myself down and consider it "good enough".
2. I go out of the house without makeup and my hair fixed- simply if it's just to get out of the house.
So, I'll readily admit that I used to be vain enough to not walk out of the house without at least mascara, lip gloss and my hair brushed in a nice sleek ponytail for fear that I would run into someone. Now, I happily throw on my pink Boston bball hat, some yoga pants, a tshirt with not so much as a lip gloss to run to Starbucks, fast food, heck even the gas station or Walgreens for something we need. I find myself saying under my breath "I have an infant; I no longer care what people think of me and I'm now a mother so people no longer care to look at me"
3. I recycle and generally care about the environment
Now I would like to point out that it's not that I thought this was a futile effort before Robinson, but hey, I had more important things on my mind...like where we were going out to eat Friday night and if they had a good wine selection (I was a young girly 20 something- don't judge me). However, this is now the place that my child, my grandchildren, and so forth will have to live and breathe the air. So, we stack up the newspapers and magazines, wash out the plastic, etc. and haul it all over to the recycling drop off since they don't do a neighborhood pick up here- yep, we actually make an effort..
4. Movies, music, quotes that I used to find hilarious, I now find offensive and put "earmuffs" on Robinson even though he has no idea what's going on
I'm just like every other young adult. I've seen every Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller crass perverted movie and have listened to my fair share of rap/hip hop music....but now I find myself going "gasp" and "ooooh" and "I can't believe they just said that" "that is repulsive"...I tell Rian all of the time what we will and will not allow Robinson to see and listen to and how I want to shield him from certain pop culture. Rian rolls his eyes at me and says "he's a guy; he's going to hear it anyway"....well, not from or around his mother he won't
5. I would rather go shopping for Robinson than myself
I honestly used to laugh when I heard mothers say this...I thought to myself that it was a nice thought, but that I'm still going to want to look put together when I have a child. HA, please refer to #2! I would rather buy a cute outfit or toy for Robinson than spend the money on some trendy outfit that, let's face it, will no longer be cool in 6 months because stores no longer have the ability to stock up on classic pieces and everything seems to be trendy lately. And we can state the obvious...I'm too old to look cute and feel ridiculous in some of these clothes...which brings me to:
6. I have that "MOM" feeling of uncoolness
I no longer think that holding a beer bottle or can out in public (or even in my house) for that matter looks okay for me; I no longer think that having more than a couple of drinks is fun- I carefully remind myself how crappy I'll feel the next day and let's face it, hangovers take DAYS to get over after you hit 30! As far as clothes- seriously those short, spaghetti strapped empire waist DRESSES, I'm using as long shirts over jeans right now. Seriously, if I ever have a daughter, you'll be darn sure she's not walking out of my house with something that barely covers her bum (and yes, I call it a bum now). If society wants to discuss why our children are growing up so fast, they might want to take a look at the Juniors section of their local Dillards or aka future hookers/strippers of America line. I seriously can not believe some of the items I see young girls (and women my age trying to be 21) wear- someone should tell them that not showing every ounce of skin can be just as beautiful and sexy...geez, do I sound like a mom or what?!
7. I worry about everything
I've always been a Type A worrier- I'll freely admit that. But now that I'm a mother, I take it to ridiculous extremes. If Robinson doesn't have a good day of eating, I immediately think he won't gain weight and become sickly...if I see a bump on his head- my first thought is tumor- seriously. I check to make sure he's breathing at least 5 times a night. I worry about school shootings and my little man isn't even in preschool. I check the sex offender registry and freak out when I see how close some of them live in reference to my home. I worry about war, violence, the economy from a completely different perspective now. I realize some of these things are UTTERLY ridiculous, but he's my whole world and I just want to protect him and keep him safe even though I know he'll eventually have to stand on his own and I won't be able to hold his hand.
8. I know what it is like to put someone else's needs before mine
The perfect example is my career. Before baby I loved work and loved thinking about my career path. I didn't care if my meeting ran until 8:30pm and I had to be back at 7am the next morning. I thrived under that kind of stress. After baby- I kept thinking of all of the time I was missing with him and that, being a preemie, he needed me. So I gave it all up- just like that. The second example is my physical appearance. You all know that I had my vanity. I worked out, got my highlights, my manicure...I'll admit that I was probably a little high maintenance and thought maybe a little too much about the way I looked and would blow off other things to get that workout in, etc. Now...the little man comes first. If he's fussy and cries when I try to work out- guess what goes? I spread my hair appointments out further because 1. it's expensive (do they use real gold for my golden highlights) and 2. Robinson usually freaks out on Rian every time I go and I feel guilty for leaving them. I still have 25 pounds of baby weight and don't look a thing like old self, but that one little crooked grin makes me really not care and just want some cuddle time with my little man.
9. I don't spend near as much alone time with my husband
This one, I'm not so proud of to be honest with you. Everyone always told Rian and I that the first year of marriage is the hardest. I completely disagree. Our first year of marriage was a blast. We went on trips, went out to great places to eat, hung out with friends, catched the latest movie, etc. We were hardly ever home because we were always on the go. Now, with me not working, we are on a tight budget. Getting take out from Ruby Tuesdays or Moe's is considered going out to eat. Renting a movie that came out a year ago and sits on our coffee table until we find a night that we aren't too exhausted to stay up and watch it is our entertainment. What time we have for conversations almost always revolves around Robinson- how much did he eat today? Did he poop? Did he strain or spit up? Do you think he's teething? blah blah blah I mean, yeah, we'll try to get in a real conversation every now and then, but then someone cries and it's back to business. The first year of having a baby is hard- you have to work at having "us" time and let me tell you, it doesn't come easy or often. I would love to have a real date with my husband, but I would also miss and wonder if my little guy is okay while we were gone. I'm sure that will get better with time, but I do miss my husband. He's a funny, intelligent guy. I know he has more things to talk about rather than our son's poop for the day.
10. Being a mother is the greatest feeling in the world and I wouldn't change a thing.
Of all of the things that I've listed in this post of how I've changed, I will say this- I've changed for the better. Nothing can make you so in love, so selfless and so protective than having a child. Your whole world turns upside down and is shaken. You sometimes lose yourself, lose your 'us', may even lose your body or lose the fun....but that one hug, or gummy smile or if you're lucky enough that little body scooting over to you in the middle of the night so that he can be right next to you, makes your heart melt and keeps your feet steady.
I'm now a mother. I worry, I fret, I over analyze.
I love unconditionally. I protect. I comfort. I keep him safe.
I'm Robinson's mommy.
1. puke, poop, boogies, urine, etc. no longer gross me out
It's so funny how when you become a mother that in the span of 2o minutes your child can puke on you, get poop all over your hands while simultaneously peeing in your face as you're trying to pick that boogie off the edge of their nose and you somehow do not miss a beat. A year ago, I would've gone running to the shower. Now, I grab a baby wipe- wipe Robinson and myself down and consider it "good enough".
2. I go out of the house without makeup and my hair fixed- simply if it's just to get out of the house.
So, I'll readily admit that I used to be vain enough to not walk out of the house without at least mascara, lip gloss and my hair brushed in a nice sleek ponytail for fear that I would run into someone. Now, I happily throw on my pink Boston bball hat, some yoga pants, a tshirt with not so much as a lip gloss to run to Starbucks, fast food, heck even the gas station or Walgreens for something we need. I find myself saying under my breath "I have an infant; I no longer care what people think of me and I'm now a mother so people no longer care to look at me"
3. I recycle and generally care about the environment
Now I would like to point out that it's not that I thought this was a futile effort before Robinson, but hey, I had more important things on my mind...like where we were going out to eat Friday night and if they had a good wine selection (I was a young girly 20 something- don't judge me). However, this is now the place that my child, my grandchildren, and so forth will have to live and breathe the air. So, we stack up the newspapers and magazines, wash out the plastic, etc. and haul it all over to the recycling drop off since they don't do a neighborhood pick up here- yep, we actually make an effort..
4. Movies, music, quotes that I used to find hilarious, I now find offensive and put "earmuffs" on Robinson even though he has no idea what's going on
I'm just like every other young adult. I've seen every Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller crass perverted movie and have listened to my fair share of rap/hip hop music....but now I find myself going "gasp" and "ooooh" and "I can't believe they just said that" "that is repulsive"...I tell Rian all of the time what we will and will not allow Robinson to see and listen to and how I want to shield him from certain pop culture. Rian rolls his eyes at me and says "he's a guy; he's going to hear it anyway"....well, not from or around his mother he won't
5. I would rather go shopping for Robinson than myself
I honestly used to laugh when I heard mothers say this...I thought to myself that it was a nice thought, but that I'm still going to want to look put together when I have a child. HA, please refer to #2! I would rather buy a cute outfit or toy for Robinson than spend the money on some trendy outfit that, let's face it, will no longer be cool in 6 months because stores no longer have the ability to stock up on classic pieces and everything seems to be trendy lately. And we can state the obvious...I'm too old to look cute and feel ridiculous in some of these clothes...which brings me to:
6. I have that "MOM" feeling of uncoolness
I no longer think that holding a beer bottle or can out in public (or even in my house) for that matter looks okay for me; I no longer think that having more than a couple of drinks is fun- I carefully remind myself how crappy I'll feel the next day and let's face it, hangovers take DAYS to get over after you hit 30! As far as clothes- seriously those short, spaghetti strapped empire waist DRESSES, I'm using as long shirts over jeans right now. Seriously, if I ever have a daughter, you'll be darn sure she's not walking out of my house with something that barely covers her bum (and yes, I call it a bum now). If society wants to discuss why our children are growing up so fast, they might want to take a look at the Juniors section of their local Dillards or aka future hookers/strippers of America line. I seriously can not believe some of the items I see young girls (and women my age trying to be 21) wear- someone should tell them that not showing every ounce of skin can be just as beautiful and sexy...geez, do I sound like a mom or what?!
7. I worry about everything
I've always been a Type A worrier- I'll freely admit that. But now that I'm a mother, I take it to ridiculous extremes. If Robinson doesn't have a good day of eating, I immediately think he won't gain weight and become sickly...if I see a bump on his head- my first thought is tumor- seriously. I check to make sure he's breathing at least 5 times a night. I worry about school shootings and my little man isn't even in preschool. I check the sex offender registry and freak out when I see how close some of them live in reference to my home. I worry about war, violence, the economy from a completely different perspective now. I realize some of these things are UTTERLY ridiculous, but he's my whole world and I just want to protect him and keep him safe even though I know he'll eventually have to stand on his own and I won't be able to hold his hand.
8. I know what it is like to put someone else's needs before mine
The perfect example is my career. Before baby I loved work and loved thinking about my career path. I didn't care if my meeting ran until 8:30pm and I had to be back at 7am the next morning. I thrived under that kind of stress. After baby- I kept thinking of all of the time I was missing with him and that, being a preemie, he needed me. So I gave it all up- just like that. The second example is my physical appearance. You all know that I had my vanity. I worked out, got my highlights, my manicure...I'll admit that I was probably a little high maintenance and thought maybe a little too much about the way I looked and would blow off other things to get that workout in, etc. Now...the little man comes first. If he's fussy and cries when I try to work out- guess what goes? I spread my hair appointments out further because 1. it's expensive (do they use real gold for my golden highlights) and 2. Robinson usually freaks out on Rian every time I go and I feel guilty for leaving them. I still have 25 pounds of baby weight and don't look a thing like old self, but that one little crooked grin makes me really not care and just want some cuddle time with my little man.
9. I don't spend near as much alone time with my husband
This one, I'm not so proud of to be honest with you. Everyone always told Rian and I that the first year of marriage is the hardest. I completely disagree. Our first year of marriage was a blast. We went on trips, went out to great places to eat, hung out with friends, catched the latest movie, etc. We were hardly ever home because we were always on the go. Now, with me not working, we are on a tight budget. Getting take out from Ruby Tuesdays or Moe's is considered going out to eat. Renting a movie that came out a year ago and sits on our coffee table until we find a night that we aren't too exhausted to stay up and watch it is our entertainment. What time we have for conversations almost always revolves around Robinson- how much did he eat today? Did he poop? Did he strain or spit up? Do you think he's teething? blah blah blah I mean, yeah, we'll try to get in a real conversation every now and then, but then someone cries and it's back to business. The first year of having a baby is hard- you have to work at having "us" time and let me tell you, it doesn't come easy or often. I would love to have a real date with my husband, but I would also miss and wonder if my little guy is okay while we were gone. I'm sure that will get better with time, but I do miss my husband. He's a funny, intelligent guy. I know he has more things to talk about rather than our son's poop for the day.
10. Being a mother is the greatest feeling in the world and I wouldn't change a thing.
Of all of the things that I've listed in this post of how I've changed, I will say this- I've changed for the better. Nothing can make you so in love, so selfless and so protective than having a child. Your whole world turns upside down and is shaken. You sometimes lose yourself, lose your 'us', may even lose your body or lose the fun....but that one hug, or gummy smile or if you're lucky enough that little body scooting over to you in the middle of the night so that he can be right next to you, makes your heart melt and keeps your feet steady.
I'm now a mother. I worry, I fret, I over analyze.
I love unconditionally. I protect. I comfort. I keep him safe.
I'm Robinson's mommy.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Happy Memorial Day
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day and a good start to the summer season!
We had a busy week here. Rian was out of town for work, so my mom (aka NANA) came over to help me out with the little guy...he was good, but he knows when Rian is away and he doesn't sleep really well. I was very exhausted by the end of the week, but we were both so happy to have Rian home.
On the Robinson front, we officially have our first tooth! And I think there are more trying to/close to breaking through which is fine by me. I'd rather have a bunch of them come in at once so that the little guy doesn't have to deal with so much discomfort spread out for months. And the big news of the week is that Robinson can pull himself to stand! woot woot....
Here is a video of the said standing...the 'first' time was Wednesday May 20th, but this video is from yesterday (you know it takes me a few days before he lets me record him) :)
We had a busy week here. Rian was out of town for work, so my mom (aka NANA) came over to help me out with the little guy...he was good, but he knows when Rian is away and he doesn't sleep really well. I was very exhausted by the end of the week, but we were both so happy to have Rian home.
On the Robinson front, we officially have our first tooth! And I think there are more trying to/close to breaking through which is fine by me. I'd rather have a bunch of them come in at once so that the little guy doesn't have to deal with so much discomfort spread out for months. And the big news of the week is that Robinson can pull himself to stand! woot woot....
Here is a video of the said standing...the 'first' time was Wednesday May 20th, but this video is from yesterday (you know it takes me a few days before he lets me record him) :)
Some pictures from today, Memorial Day. We went over to my grandmother's house and met my parents and Aunt Linda and Uncle John. Of course we all ate way too much, but we worked it off by playing with Robinson, right?! ;-)
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The BOB and The Zoo
I have a wonderful family and fabulous friends.
I've always known that, but this week, they once again went above and beyond. It has been a hard month, because Robinson is transitioning food/meals; he's teething; we're trying to transition to the crib; and his bowels are not the most regular because of all of these factors (yes, I'm one of those mom's that talks about my kid's poop...).
We had our first non checkup trip to the pediatrician last week because Robinson just seemed to be breathing fast and his reflux seemed to have gotten worse. Verdict = little man was just constipated, which was causing pressure on everything. He's always had issues in this department, even in the NICU, so it wasn't really surprising. We now have to give him a little juice/water/Miralax cocktail twice a day until he becomes more 'regular'. Just in the past day, I can tell that he feels so much better and he's eating better (crossing fingers) so hopefully this will help him in some areas. The good news is that he grew a 1/2 inch in 2 weeks- he's now 28 inches long and almost 19 pounds!
I've been very stressed this week, thinking it was something more serious....So, it's been a rough week... Rian was gone to Biloxi to go see Glenn Campbell in concert with his mother yesterday. My parents came over to see Robinson and just sit with me. UPS arrived with a huge box around 6pm. I honestly thought Rian had bought some stupid hunting accessory and didn't pay that much attention. When I went out to get the take out we'd ordered for dinner, I finally looked at the box and noticed it was The BOB Stroller!! If any of you have seen "Little Miss Sunshine", I seriously could have had a similar reaction to when the little girl found out she was in the pageant- aka- screaming at the top of my lungs! haha This is the CADILLAC of all strollers and I've had my eye on it for some time. It's a jogging stroller, technically, but you can easily use it for every day because it's so versatile and it's a GREAT ride for babies. It has shock absorption and multi position/reclining seat, plus the front wheel can swivel or lock, so it's great for walking and jogging. It is an amazing gift and I have to say a very special thank you to:
Madison, Melissa, Coretta, my parents and Rian for getting together behind my back and buying me this unbelievable gift- just because. It was so thoughtful and I could not believe their generosity. I love you all!
Our 1st adventure with The BOB was to the Gulf Shores Zoo. My Dad had bought my mom a 'tiger encounter' for Mother's Day. You basically get to play with the baby tiger cubs at the zoo for X amount of time. We headed down there this afternoon and had a great time. The stroller was wonderful- completely shaded Robinson and he had fun looking at all of the animals. He even fell asleep in it towards the end- so it must have been comfortable. He did cry once when the larger goat came up to him at the fence and started "talking" to him. It scared him a little and, I'll be honest, made us giggle a lot! They have numerous goats, deer, etc, but they do have their share of exotic animals with a surprising amount of lions and tigers and bears- oh my! ;-P
Here are some pictures from the day...enjoy!
Robinson with Poppa Jim
Don't you just love that face?!?
With Daddy ...
and Mommy
Nana with the Tiger Cubs
The Bear Exhibit
So tired...
I've always known that, but this week, they once again went above and beyond. It has been a hard month, because Robinson is transitioning food/meals; he's teething; we're trying to transition to the crib; and his bowels are not the most regular because of all of these factors (yes, I'm one of those mom's that talks about my kid's poop...).
We had our first non checkup trip to the pediatrician last week because Robinson just seemed to be breathing fast and his reflux seemed to have gotten worse. Verdict = little man was just constipated, which was causing pressure on everything. He's always had issues in this department, even in the NICU, so it wasn't really surprising. We now have to give him a little juice/water/Miralax cocktail twice a day until he becomes more 'regular'. Just in the past day, I can tell that he feels so much better and he's eating better (crossing fingers) so hopefully this will help him in some areas. The good news is that he grew a 1/2 inch in 2 weeks- he's now 28 inches long and almost 19 pounds!
I've been very stressed this week, thinking it was something more serious....So, it's been a rough week... Rian was gone to Biloxi to go see Glenn Campbell in concert with his mother yesterday. My parents came over to see Robinson and just sit with me. UPS arrived with a huge box around 6pm. I honestly thought Rian had bought some stupid hunting accessory and didn't pay that much attention. When I went out to get the take out we'd ordered for dinner, I finally looked at the box and noticed it was The BOB Stroller!! If any of you have seen "Little Miss Sunshine", I seriously could have had a similar reaction to when the little girl found out she was in the pageant- aka- screaming at the top of my lungs! haha This is the CADILLAC of all strollers and I've had my eye on it for some time. It's a jogging stroller, technically, but you can easily use it for every day because it's so versatile and it's a GREAT ride for babies. It has shock absorption and multi position/reclining seat, plus the front wheel can swivel or lock, so it's great for walking and jogging. It is an amazing gift and I have to say a very special thank you to:
Madison, Melissa, Coretta, my parents and Rian for getting together behind my back and buying me this unbelievable gift- just because. It was so thoughtful and I could not believe their generosity. I love you all!
Our 1st adventure with The BOB was to the Gulf Shores Zoo. My Dad had bought my mom a 'tiger encounter' for Mother's Day. You basically get to play with the baby tiger cubs at the zoo for X amount of time. We headed down there this afternoon and had a great time. The stroller was wonderful- completely shaded Robinson and he had fun looking at all of the animals. He even fell asleep in it towards the end- so it must have been comfortable. He did cry once when the larger goat came up to him at the fence and started "talking" to him. It scared him a little and, I'll be honest, made us giggle a lot! They have numerous goats, deer, etc, but they do have their share of exotic animals with a surprising amount of lions and tigers and bears- oh my! ;-P
Here are some pictures from the day...enjoy!
Me and Robinson in The BOB
He was very excited when we started walking outside
Robinson with Poppa Jim
Don't you just love that face?!?
With Daddy ...
and Mommy
Nana with the Tiger Cubs
The Bear Exhibit
So tired...Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother's Day and Robinson's Christening
My first Mother's Day was a huge success. Let me tell you, though, now that we can get out and about...I love it AND I hate it. haha- I never knew how much work and how exhausting outings with an infant can be for the parents! We did manage to get up and get ready this morning and make it to the church on time. Robinson looked absolutely adorable in his outfit and was so good during the service. I only had to walk out once with him and that was just because he was getting tired. He loved the music of course and also loved people watching. I have to admit that I got teary during his baptism- we haven't been able to go to church since he was born and seeing some of the same people that came to see us in the hospital just brought back so many memories and made me so grateful for where we all are today.
For my first Mother's Day present, Robinson got Mommy a mini chopper for the kitchen that I have had my eyes on and a Starbucks gift card! Even if we don't have anywhere to go, that has been mine and Robinson's adventure of choice in the early afternoon- just a little something to get out of the house.
Here are some pictures from church today. Obviously, I STILL don't look like myself, but I'm slowly coming back. But the little guy is just adorable! :) And I apologize, we didn't get any good family pictures. They were off balance or out of focus (the lighting in the church is different) so, sadly, we have no pictures of the 3 of us. Maybe somebody got some along the way...
I hope everyone had a beautiful Mother's Day!
He is just getting cuter every day!
For my first Mother's Day present, Robinson got Mommy a mini chopper for the kitchen that I have had my eyes on and a Starbucks gift card! Even if we don't have anywhere to go, that has been mine and Robinson's adventure of choice in the early afternoon- just a little something to get out of the house.
Here are some pictures from church today. Obviously, I STILL don't look like myself, but I'm slowly coming back. But the little guy is just adorable! :) And I apologize, we didn't get any good family pictures. They were off balance or out of focus (the lighting in the church is different) so, sadly, we have no pictures of the 3 of us. Maybe somebody got some along the way...
I hope everyone had a beautiful Mother's Day!
He is just getting cuter every day!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
C.R.A.W.L.I.N.G!
I finally got him on video! Now, I know it's not pretty and perfect, but the kid IS moving! He will just get better with practice and he loves that he can get to toys across the floor now. Robinson is really getting more mobile each day. He wanted to stand against the ottoman this morning and I let go of him and he starts trying to cruise down the side of it! He frequently tries to jump out of my arms when I'm holding him and he will NOT sit down and play. He is constantly moving and trying to stand, and therefore tumbling all over the place. He's already hit his head on the entertainment center because he was trying to roll away from me. He has NO fear, which, as a mother, terrifies me, but also make me smile at the same time. I guess I should get used to having a boy, huh?
In other news, we are trying to get out more. Robinson and I went to the Eastern Shore Center on Friday and walked around. He loved Barnes and Nobles and, of course, we had to buy him a new book while we were there. Everyone who saw him 'ooohed and awed' at how cute he is....and I tried to hold myself back from tackling people when they would reach to touch him. Seriously, it's like when total strangers want to rub your belly when you are pregnant. Why do people have NO boundaries when it comes to pregnancy or babies?? I even had his bright red stop sign on his stroller that says "Please Wash Your Hands Before You Touch Mine"...I did get a couple of mothers that commented on how cool the sign was and how they wished they had one for their children. At least some people respected his personal space! I will say, though, that the one cooky lady that did touch him, only touched his feet. I made sure that I needed to adjust his straps so that she couldn't get to his hands. I realize that I'm neurotic and you're more than welcome to laugh, but it seriously freaks me out that people I don't even know feel that it's okay to walk up to you in a store and touch/play with my baby....it equally freaked me out when people would rub my belly while I was pregnant. I must have a thing about personal space, huh?! ;-)
Anyway, I digress...
Today, Rian and I took Robinson to the outlet malls in Foley. My parents met us there because they wanted to walk around with him. He got to ride his first carousel and seemed to enjoy it immensely. No, I didn't have my camera on me- lesson learned. You never know when a first will happen! All in all, he does great on the outings- except for now eatings have become a real chore. He will eat any of the solid food you put in front of him, but bottles- ugh. It is a hassle to say the least. He's down to 3-4 bottles a day and I can honestly say we feel like it's a good day if he takes 1 or 2 of them without fussing. He will clamp his lips shut, turn his head and or just generally be interested in something else. I know he's getting older and doesn't like the bottle, but he doesn't seem interested in learning the sippy cup any faster and the formula is still where his nutrition is so it's non-negotiable. I tried to reason with him, but he just grunted and smacked me in the face! haha Oh well, only a couple of more months and maybe we'll get to switch to milk and be finished with the whole formula thing. I really think that he is just developing taste buds and anybody that has smelled formula knows that it can NOT possibly taste good...so my man just has a delicate palate.
On other food fronts, we tried meat this week and I quickly realized that this will be one baby food that I make for Robinson. It looks, smells and probably tastes like dog food. I know that it has to in order to be processed and stored in a jar, but seriously...Robinson gave me this look like 'what the he!! was that??' and promptly gagged. haha- so, it looks like Mommy is going to be baking some chicken and getting out the trusty food processor to help the little guy know what real meat tastes like!
We have Robinson's Christening in the morning which should be beautiful and we had some professional pictures done a couple of weeks ago that should be ready next week. So, you will be bombarded with pictures soon!
Happy Mother's Day!
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