How can I post about Thanksgiving when...

I haven't posted about Halloween yet?!  We had a fantastic Halloween!  Reid was a darling monkey!  Michael and I took Reid trick-or-treating about 5:30pm and the neighbors were ready!  Then I fed Reid outside while we handed out candy to the adorable kiddos from the neighborhood.  Then Reid spit up all over me!  :)  This little angel monkey made what has been a ho-hum holiday in the past a truly adorable occasion...much like he does everyday.  I honestly don't remember what I did before he was here.  I assure you, it was much less important than what I do now! 

Pics from the night below!

Nighty-night!  Happy Halloween!

I'm 7 months!

I'm not sure if i'm happy or sad about being 7 months old at the time of these pictures!  But, I am a happy boy most of the time.  Truth be told, Mom and Dad didn't time these pics so well as I was in a good mood all day until they waited until after bath time and right before bed to take this adorable pictures of me!  I'm the light of the Robinson household and I can tell these two peeps that I live with adore me!  Duh, why wouldn't they!?

And that's a wrap!

I'm in trouble...

Wondering why I haven't been blogging?  Well here is why!  I have my hands full.  Here is what Mr. Reid has been up to.  Enjoy! 

He is all that I hoped for and more.

(Reid - 5.5 months)

He is the best.thing.ever.  If you haven't praised God today or felt worthy of presenting your petitions at His feet, please know from the face above He listens and answers prayers. 

Your prayers are worthy and your hope is in good hands. 

We thank you, Jesus from the bottom of our hearts.

This is what mornings look like...

at the Robinson household these days.  Simply beautiful.  I could add captions but I think with these adorable face(s), you can add your own!  :)

I love mornings these days (as long as they start after 6:30am!)!

Pumpkin Butt

Well, I couldn't have written it better myself, so I won't!  :)

We visited the pumpkin patch last week and this is the official report given by my sister-in-law, Anne, on her adorable blog:

Anne's blog

It's not surprising that Anne captured this occasion perfectly and blogged about it in a very timely fashion.  It's also not surprising that I have not! 

BUT, what is surprising and delicious is that I BAKED a gluten free pumpkin pie tonight!  I've never baked a pie before in my life!  Does it count as a pie if it is in an 8x8 square dish?  I don't own a pie baking, round, thingy.  It looks delicious!  It's cooling so we'll see.  Even more insane is that I had all the ingredients in the pantry!  I'm on a roll.  The occasion you, lone reader, ask?  Well there are two reasons.  Reid had pumpkin pie off his MeMe's plate yesterday and L-O-V-E-D it.  I mean he can't say MaMa yet (he can say DaDa and NaNa but that's another story) but he let out a big ole' Mmmmmm!!! after taking a bite!  I'm not going to give him much, but I want to display to Michael how cute he is eating pie!  The second pie cause is that we (Michael and I) are going on a mega diet on Monday.  I'm so tired of my pants not fitting.  I wore the tights that I wore ALL the time when I was pregnant today.  They were supposed to be burned not worn post-pregnancy!  I totally realize that things are different after having a baby...I just don't want to start from scratch with my wardrobe.  I also don't want to wear my fat pants, errr, tights all winter.  My calves will get cold.

Well I ruined an adorable post!  Please check out the link (Anne's blog) to see my cute kid and his handsome cousins and aunts!

**2 hr. addendum: YUCK! Organic, gluten free pie...not soooo good. I tried.**

Remember when I was a month old?

I was once a wee little thing.  Now I'm six months old and determined to be a big boy!  Here's a little reminder of me at one month old...wasn't I handsome even then?

Love,

Reid

This nap time speaks for itself...

We're on a sleep strike at the Robinson household.  Since around 12 weeks, we implemented the Polly Moore, 90 Minute Sleep Solution (thanks, JNN).  It has worked so well.  Reid takes a short nap every 90 minutes or 3 hours.  It sounds too simple, but trust me, it worked for us.  Until yesterday.  And today.  Reid now can sit up from a crawling position.  Soooo, he needs to do it all day!  In the crib.  On the floor.  On the roof.  Wait, not the roof.  But, everywhere else but the roof!  I put the kid down for a nap (he HAD been self soothing and falling asleep on his own), only to find him sitting up by himself playing with his two toys in his crib.  Notice on this video, there are NO toys since he was eating them!  Instead, he eats the Flip...but you have to watch to enjoy that grand finale!  Enjoy my BIG boy...where does time go??!!

It's nice for once...

to just be simple.  These photos are from early August when we went to Rockport with Christy and Cordel.  Michael took them and I just love them.  And I love being a mom.  It seems like most of my life I've ran around in circles trying to be the perfect student, career woman, wife, daughter, friend and usually overcommited mess.  The utter simplicity of my daily challenges, now, are wonderful.  It's like I've pushed pause and am truly enjoying this time staying home with Reid.  Every day is an exhausting blessing. I love playing with Reid all day but I'll admit I'm ready for Reid to go to sleep by 7:30pm so I can get some things done around the house and have dinner.  But honestly, I miss him by 9pm!  He looks so sweet sleeping that I just want to snuggle with him.  I don't, however, like to snuggle at 4am like this morning like we did this morning (Reid had the hiccups for an entire hour)!  :) 

I never understood why we had to wait so long to have a baby.  I used to ask "why" in every prayer.  But Michael and I waited in hope.  I know now without a doubt why...and our hope turned into a blessing named Reid. 

Time for bed for me.  I never know when my blessing might wake up from those pesky teeth that won't show their face!

Move it!

People.  I am home with Reid everyday.  I mean we go places but I am now a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom which is jaw dropping in itself...anyhoo)...so I expect to see EVERY cool thing my son does first!  Yet, yesterday I leave for two measly hours to go to acupuncture and my little stinker does the following and his Daddy got it on video!  I can't be too mad because of the adorable child in the video and the encouraging father makes me melt.  Just so you know, I will be child proofing my adult, been married for 8 years, home in the very near future.  Like later tonight. 

Watch out.  He's on the move!

Rollin' in my Jeep!

We brought down Reid's Jeep that we received as a shower gift!  I didn't realize that we'd use it this early but our little guy never runs out of energy so this week we're pulling out all the stops, lol.  I just had to post how cute he looks wheelin' around in his Jeep Jeep!  Go, Reid, Go!

Month by Month!

My baby turned 5 months on September 5th!  He has grown!

Reid is a world traveler...or a Texas/Oklahoma traveler at least!  He does a great job when we've gone on visits to his grandparents homes and most recently to Lake Livingston with great friends (post to come).  In his 5th month unfortunately, Reid has an ear infection caused by acid reflux that we just can't seem to kick.  We're on our second round of antibiotics (fingers crossed).  This week at the doctor's Reid weighed 19 lbs. 14 oz....my little sack of potatoes.  :)  In other Reid news:
*He continues to love anything toot noises!  A sure laugh.
*Reid reached for up his dad the other day.  Precious.
*We eat rice cereal ever night.  So far mixed with prunes and sweet potatoes.  Reid also likes table crackers...although I'm probably a bad mom for letting him lick the salt.  Then I decided we're not introducing gluten this early due to his Daddy-O's Celiac Disease.  So I got some rice puffs for him to try. Adorable, I tell ya.
*Reid is in size 3 diapers.
*Reid wears 6 to 12 month clothes.
*The boy loves the water and loves boat rides.  Even covered in SPF, long sleeved shirt, life-jacket and death grip by his momma, the boy napped all around the lake.
*Reid's PT for torticollis has reached a plateau.  We're trying different stretches and strengthening exercises to work towards improvements.
*The champ continues to roll and spend lots of time on his tummy.  He kicked the swaddle to the curb last month (much to the comfort of my mom who could barely look at the swaddle because of her claustrophobia!).
*Reid loves his binkie!
*Reid's favorite toy is Scout the dog.
*Mommy and Daddy love, love, love this kid.  I mean like I just adore him. 
*One thing I could do without is Reid's new bird, crazed animal noise.  It's a little loud and intense.  :)
*Reid's separation anxiety, while flattering, leaves it hard to get anything done.  Oh well!
*He is still a spit up machine, but I dare say it has gotten a little better.
*The child has the most beautiful blue eyes you've ever seen.
*He already has a best friend named Dax who lives near Houston. 
*Every sentence in our house ends in -ers.  I call Reid, Reiders...which I think is catching on because I hear others calling him by this nickname too! 

Below is a little stroll down memory lane birth and month by month (including some 5 month outtakes performed by my little ham!).

Love you little, Reiders!

Writer's Block...

I have writer's block.  Unless it is 1:30am.  I have frequent night awakenings...sometimes it is Reid, Michael snoring, Zoey snoring, planes flying overhead or just about anything else that wouldn't wake anyone else but me, the lightest sleeper in the world.  So many times when I'm trying to go back to sleep I think, "oh, I need to blog about this" or have a random deep thought worthy of some self expression.  But, I can never remember what I was going to write about the next morning!  I just need to start documenting the adventures of Reid and mommy (and daddy when he's not traveling for work).  I have just been enjoying Reid.  I never thought at 31 that my current goal would just be hanging out...but that is exactly what I love doing.  I know I will eventually go back to work...but that just seems so much less important right now.  I'm not a great life multi-tasker.  I either work really hard, love really hard to stress really hard.  I prefer to love on my family right now (thanks MRob for working so hard so that I have this option).

So this week we have spent time with Nana and Pops, enjoyed a visit from MiMi and Papa C, went swimming at the Smiths, loved a visit from Anne and Graham, had dinner with Kristen and Parker, took Reid to his first Kindermusik class, went to physical therapy and ran lots of errands.  Oh, we also left Reid with a sitter for the first time at Kristen and Benton's house for adults night out.  We wound up staying the night so that we didn't have to wake Reid up when we got home.  Too bad he woke up to party at 4am...  This week Reid also ate his rice cereal and prunes.  We're sticking with prunes for a while if you know what I mean!  Michael put together Reid's bouncer/play station and he loves it (see below pic and drool stream!).  Reid slept on his belly for the first time and has kicked the swaddle to the curb (I thought that was going to be awful but it hasn't).  I'm joining a MOPS group at a local church.  I'm ready to make more friends and join a play group.  Hopefully MOPS will help with that. 

Anyhoo, I'm blissfully ordinary right now with writer's block and loving it!

Rolling over (and over, and over)

Reid rolled over from back to tummy for the first time August 14th!  Michael and I were at my Papa's house in Ardmore and both got to see it (we didn't get the "official" first on video).  This video is about 2 minutes later on his second roll over and we were both just as excited as the first time!  Please ignore the super annoying Oklahoma twang voiceovers by me...what can I say?  My son makes me squeal with pride!  :)

I'm posting this August 21st and now Reid is rolling all over the place with no hesitation.  He's got skillz!

Lord of the Dance...

I'm not doing a very good documenting the hilarious things that Reid does.  This video is from July 22nd..enjoy and make sure to watch 'til the end when Reid strikes his finale pose.  What a goof!

Test

I Can't vs. (the sound) B-ahh

Today two different themes have ruled my day.  The first is the thought that has plagued my mind: I can't.  I can't get Reid to nap well today.  Or go to sleep tonight for that matter.  I can't put on a pair of clothes without getting spit up on.  Reid has covered himself in spit up today as well (tried out level 2 nipples...epic fail).  I can't finish my workout video.  I worked out for the first time in over a year today...no I'm not kidding.  I ordered Tracy Anderson videos and started with the Post-Pregnancy workout today and could barely do any of it!  I realized how far I have to go to get back into shape and it is just going to be hard.  I can't get the kitchen cleaned or the paper work done.  I can't get our laundry caught up.  I can't find the time to pack for Rockport.  There.  I can't.

I can, however, make the sound B-ahh.  And so can Reid.  I've probably mentioned that when Reid learns a new trick (finds his hands or feet or tongue) that he stays up all day and night doing it.  So today he learned how to make a B sound.  So we conversed all day.  Every time I tried to put him down he screamed like it was the end of the world so instead of being worried about separation anxiety at 4 months, I just decided to chalk this day up to chit-chatting with Reid.  As challenging as the most mundane task was today, I laughed most of the day (except during the workout video and that just pissed me off).  Every time I would pick Reid up he would want me to pull him to a standing position.  He would then lift one leg like he was ice skating and then just smile from ear to ear.  Then he'd say B-ahhhhh and laugh!  Several times he had a very serious discussion with me where he would carry on for about 20 seconds with inflection and facial expressions.  It was just the most interesting story he was telling!  Of course he would end every story with B-ahhh and blow spit bubbles.  I wonder what tomorrow will hold?  :)

On a totally different note, why don't any of us just keep regular old journals like the good old days?  I love having a blog but since I've become a mom, I'm just not sure that my entries make much sense.  But I don't want to keep both as I can barely find time to write on here...I guess it is good to show off Reid pics.

Anyhoo...here's to a CAN DO attitude tomorrow!  (Can you imagine how sore I'm going to be???!!!)

You've come a long way, baby!

Check out my little guy 1 year ago...

And 8 months ago (24 weeks gestation)

And now!  My, my how he has grown.

On July 25th, 2010, Reid was a wee 5 day old embryo.  He and his sibling were implanted back in my uterus and the prayers continued just as they had all through our infertility and IVF journey.  We certainly prayed that both embryos would survive and that we would be blessed with twins.  I found out very early that I was indeed pregnant and my HCG levels (pregnancy hormone) were very high which indicated twins...but after the initial screening the levels didn't double like they should have.  After my first ultrasound we figured out that I was pregnant with twins but one did not make it very long and while one baby's levels were rising, the other was fading...thus the conflicting HCG levels.  I grieved for the little one that we would never know and swung from the rafters about the one we would.  I didn't have long to grieve because I had to take care and celebrate my pregnancy and have been caught up in the joy that is Reid ever since.  However, today I am a little sad not knowing which of the two embryos above is Reid.  I guess it is just knowing what that little embryo can become...

On the lighter note that I intended to write about...Reid will be 16 weeks tomorrow!  He is the most adorable and smiley little thing.  My favorite word to describe him is delightful.  He truly is.  We went to the pediatric GI doctor today to discuss his acid reflux.  Result: He has acid reflux, yep we knew that.  :)  We are going to up his dosage of Prevacid and see how he does.  We really liked his doctor and now have established the relationship to monitor his acid reflux and the crazy noises that come out of babies that have reflux.  The other cool thing is that we got his stats!

Reid is:

*16 lbs. 10oz.

*26.5 inches long.

Additionally, he is:

*loving to sit up!  Reid goes from a laying down position, grabs our hands and pulls up to a stand.  He loves it!

*sleeping through the night most nights. (Lord, please don't take this away now that I wrote it...please.)

*napping every 90 minutes during the day.  He just dropped his evening nap and goes to bed at 9pm.

*napping for 45 minutes most naps and usually one 1.5 hour nap during the day.

*looking red headed one minute and blonde the next!

*wearing mainly 6 month clothing.  In Janie and Jack he wears 3-6 but not for long!

*wearing size 2 diapers but not for much longer.

*doing well with physical therapy and still goes 2x per week for his torticollis.

*drinking 7.5 oz. of formula 5 times per day.

*dancing like Lord of the Dance several times per day (video to come)!

*kicking so hard in the crib that I had to put his bumper back in so he would quit injuring his foot by banging it against the hard surface.

*loving his cousins both older and younger.

*super interested in faces.  Since I'm home with him (and Mike too when he is not traveling), he gets tons of face time.  He even gets super ticked when you are not right in his face visiting about all the world has to offer.

*talking up a storm.

*giggling several times a day.

*crying less.

*ready to start eating some "real food"!  Rice cereal soon!

*not ready to sleep without a swaddle.  His arms just bonk him all night without it.  Who am I kidding?  The kid can't sleep without it yet.

*must have his pacifier to relax...favorite is the "binkie".

*maybe just a little spoiled!!!

Happy 1 year anniversary,* kiddo.  I plan for us to be attached at the hip for many, many years to come!  :)

*I just had a good giggle about the title of what type of anniversary we are celebrating here!  Happy 1 year, taken from my body, birds and the bees in a petri-dish, grown for 5 days, and returned to your home for the next 9 months anniversary!  Hey, the journey makes him even more delightful and miraculous!  :)

I'm older than 31...

Let me preface by saying Reid is doing some super cute things...he is a true joy and delight every day.  He has a cheeky grin that will melt any heart and complete strangers even marvel at him.  There is just something sweet and good that he exudes.  I have pictures and video that I need to upload - he is so darn cute.  Instead of the post I'm about to write, I should be documenting all the cool stuff he is doing.  But he deserves more time than what what I have to write right now...

OK, then there is his momma.  The lady that went to bed with wet hair on Monday night to wake up Tuesday "clean" so there was no need for another shower yesterday during the day...nor was there time.  Thus, I walked around the house all day with crinkle-wet-hair-then-bed hair and of course no make-up.  Throw in a little drool and spit up on my shoulder and there you have me.  OH!  Wait, I totally forgot that I pulled my bob hair back in a ponytail by afternoon so it looked like a rat tail.  I can't stand small ponytails.  Like when you go to the gym and someone has hair too short to be pulled back so they have to keep messing with it and it looks awful?  That was me.  Anyhoo, Reid was out of formula so I had to run out to Wal-Mart yesterday evening.  I caught a glimpse of myself as I was getting out of my car and literally thought, "what the hell happened to me?".  I need something.  Maybe to go back on Retin-A for these crow's feet.  I don't know but I sure looked older than 31.  And I know I felt older.  I used to think I never felt a day over 25 no matter how much older I get.  Until yesterday.

Then when I got home from Wal-Mart, Reid spit up an entire meal on a freshly showered and shaved Mike.  I don't have to write down how the rest of the evening went from there...but it didn't help an already haggard woman!

I'm determined to get ready today and present myself in a half-way respectable way.  I think I'll swing Reid by the hospital and show him off to my former co-workers.

Speaking of people who look older than they are, I heard the new Britney Spears song, "I Wanna Go" in its entirety yesterday.  It's Bravo's summer theme song so I had heard the chorus. (So it's probably not new by the time I heard it...)  She sounds like a chipmunk!  It's just weird.  But catchy, so I sang it all day yesterday in a chipmunk voice to Reid.  He liked it!  :)

I was thinking about how this blog used to be all about important things like struggling with infertility, marriage, Reid updates, etc.  Let this post just slide under the radar.  I ordered some new workout CDs, am making a hair appointment and have a dermatologist appointment on the 25th (I'm getting Botox and lip injections...just kidding...my super glamorous 6 month skin cancer check).  But I am going to get some damned Retin-A for this saggy face!  I wonder if she can zap my undereye circles.

Carry on.  If you actually read this, I apologize...

Hi, I'm Reid and I'm 12 weeks old today!

Our little guy is 12 weeks old today.  I can hardly believe it!  Here's what he's been up to:
*Reid is drinking about 35 ounces of food a day.
* Reid is sleeping through the night for the last few nights...usually to bed by 10pm, pacifier cry at 4 or 5 am and back to sleep until about 8am (please keep this up!).
*Mommy estimates his weight around 15 lbs and over 25 inches.
*Big boy is in 6 month clothes.
*Reid loves his new play mat!
*Reid is grabbing for everything...hair, noses, blankets, toys, dogs.
*Reid's physical therapy is going well at 2x per week.
*Reid's neck strength is a little behind but he's super strong everywhere else...it won't be long until his neck catches up.
*We found out that Reid loves music.  A friend of ours let us borrow a lullaby CD and we play it before each nap and bedtime.  He sleeps better now!
*Reid hates tummy time!
*Reid loves talking and can carry on an ohhhh and aaagggooooo conversations.
*Car rides are sometimes welcomed, sometimes not.  It has to be well timed!
*The last month has shown us just how bad his acid reflux was...he is now such a happy baby!
*Reid's parents and family are absolutely in love with him!

Happy 12 week birthday Mommy's little man!  I just adore you!

Here are some pics from the last few weeks!

Kisses from my fox!

Kisses back at ya!

Does this even need a caption??  How adorable is this grin?!

Reid already has a girlfriend.  Her name is Ella Courter and she's an older woman...by 1 day.  He dressed up for her visit as you can tell!

Papa Fred, Olivia and Reid

Father's Day 2011 - Mike's first Father's Day!

Cousins!

First time in the bumbo!

Mom's current favorite outfit!

12 weeks today!