Summer fun.

We snapped these pics a couple weekends ago at K's parents' house and thought we'd share. Hoping to spend more time out there this summer once baby R is here and we're not working for the Bullseye.

Two kids.

Peggy girl.

Keepin the 'belly' in 'belly flop'.

Raaaaargh.

T Robs.

Crafts and more.

I've been meaning to post these crafty items for a few months now, but thought I'd share some fun things I've been working on with my sewing machine.

I've created a "Messy Mat" that can be used indoors and outdoors. It's made out of oil cloth and it's can be used under the highchair for those messy snacks or could be used outdoors out on the lawn. I've made a few as gifts, but only remembered to take a shot of ours. Ooops! Next I have an idea to make a single diaper pouch/billfold type thing for emergencies with two pockets - one pocket for a diaper and the other for a plastic garbage bag and wipes. Again, thinking of making it out of oil cloth. It will probably take me about 3 months to actually get to a fabric store, find oil cloth I like, design/make up a pattern and actually make it. Some day my friends, some day. -K

Here are the finished drapes for Baby R's room. They turned out really beautiful. I've also added a few pics to showcase where we're at with the room too. We're nearly finished, just waiting for some final decisions on art work. We'll probably make the final decision either just before or after the baby is born. I'm sure he won't mind not having artwork on the wall!

Fruit-o-Meter #24.

Well, the baby is taking up a lot of space in Mama Bird's belly, in this our 37th week. Katie has been getting increasingly uncomfortable, especially with the hot/humid MN summer. Katie, put those feet up! Here's what our latest email from Baby Center has to say: "Congratulations! Your baby is full-term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away. He weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long." Ahh, Swiss chard.

 

Really?

So most of you know, Travis has this funny love for squirrels. So, on Father's Day our Goddaughter Peggy gave Travis a stuffed squirrel toy for Father's Day. It was really sweet and we caught Trav in the action of loving Mr. S. Right now, the stuffed animal is awaiting for Baby R in his crib. P.S. we're probably done now with the Squirrel gadgetry, trinkets, and whoozits... really.

Soccer madness.

A few weeks ago we went to go watch Katie's nephew, Caden, play soccer. He's become quite the star and plays spectacularly both as goalie and field positions. So we learned a few things about parenting this night. 1) No matter what the rules say, keeping score is most important, 2) Parents on the sidelines are probably the reason a team receives warnings, and 3) Even if you have no idea about a sport, a Daddy can always be a coach.

Here's Caden dribbling towards the goal.

Here's Coach Mike (Katie's Bro) getting the troops ready for the next play.

Here's the friendly line-up at the end where you're supposed to hi-five the losers.

Tiny laundry.

We're getting closer to the 37 week mark and we've been doing quite a bit of preparation for Baby R. Last week we washed all of his laundry and both Trav and I kept laughing hysterically trying to fold those darn, cute and tiny socks. It was definitely one of those reality check moments that this kiddo is coming whether we're ready or not!

Fruit-o-Meter #23.

"Your baby is gaining about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of his downy hair that covered his body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Next week, your baby will be considered full-term. Most likely he's in a head-down position (note: our doctor confirmed yesterday that Baby R is indeed head down), but if he isn't, your doctor may try to turn your baby by manipulating him from the outside of your belly."

Up and down.

Hello all, it's been a rollercoaster of a week or so. There's way too much detail than we have room for here, but I thought I'd loop our blog followers in on what's been happening in RobertsonLand.
* K's aunt Joey passed away last week after a valiant fight with cancer at the age of 57. This hit home for us in so many ways: One) we're very close with uncle Kenny, Joey and their 2 boys. Two) Katie herself fought cancer about 12 years ago. Three) Joey and Kenny are two of our biggest role models for a long, happy marriage. {And coincidentally, on the same day as Joey's funeral (7/2), Katie turned 29.}
* T's Mom is in the hospital. She's scheduled to come up for a trip to see the baby in mid-Aug, but we're not so sure that's going to happen based on her current health. Fingers crossed, she'll be able to make the trip up.
* The baby is due in just 4 weeks.
Obviously with so much going on, it's such a mix of emotions right now. Just wanted to share where our hearts and heads are at right now b/c that's what this blog is all about.

Wolf wedding.

Our good friends Jess & Karl (Wolf) got married this weekend, and Mama Bird and I were there to cel-e-brate in style. The wedding was in Mendota Heights at this beautiful church overlooking the river. And the reception was near Hastings at a cool place called Pioneer Village. Basically, it's a small town within itself that is completely private and owned by this man who "collects" old local landmarks. There was an old gas station, schoolhouse, church and other historical buildings there. And a little thing we like to call "fun."

Looking out over the farm.

The Groom and the Goon.

The Bride and the Bird.

"Uh oh. Better have that ambulance ready."

Elvis is in the building. Karl slays the crowd with his rendition of "Suspicious Minds."

"Did that guy in the blue shirt just split his pants?"

Fruit-o-Meter #22.

We're rolling along, now in our 35th week. Katie is doing great but the baby is taking up more space than ever making Mama feel more uncomfortable than in past weeks. Here's the official word: "Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scale at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is complete--- he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight."

Happy Birthday, Katie!

Luuuuke, I am a father.

Mama Bird and I got out last weekend to peep the Star Wars exhibit at the Science Museum. She liked the science part of it all. I liked the weird creatures. Good times. And great people watching.

Fruit-o-Meter #21.

We hope to get back on the daily bloggin' train soon, but until then here's some fruity goodness at this, our 34th week: "Your baby now weighs about 4-3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers-- which he'll need to regulate his body temp once he's born-- is filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well."

Fruit-o-Meter #20.

Hello good people, and our apologies for the lack of posts the past week. Busy, busy. The nursery is almost finished and baby classes are in full swing so we have some fun posts to come. But without further adieu, bring on the fruit! Here we are at 33 weeks:

"Your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft of a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal."

Fruit-o-Meter #19.

Mama Bird is now 32 weeks prego. Here's this week's update: "Your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz)." That last part made me laugh. Like the baby cares if he has "respectable peach fuzz." I'm picturing Baby R being heckled by all his other little baby friends.

Cleanin' up.

Ever since the founders of Method (two dudes, Eric Ryan & Adam Lowry) came to speak at Target, I've been a big fan of what their company does. So this past weekend we picked up a bunch of Method's new baby products and a book they wrote called squeaky green. I thought it would be an ode to their product line, but it's not. It's just packed full of smart, useful tidbits. Here are some thoughts I found interesting, and maybe you will too:

* A recent study found that 287 chemicals (including pesticides, garbage waste and flame retardants) were found in the bloodstream of newborn babies. Of those 287, 180 chemicals are known to cause cancer in people or animals.

* Since the 1950s when A/C was invented, most people don't regularly open windows and air out their houses. In other words, houses nowadays have become vacuum-sealed places for toxins from cleaners and other stuff. Asthma rates have soared since, now affecting more than 20 million people. Cancer too.

* Kids spend most of their time on the floor crawling and such. Grime and bacteria likes the floor too, so that's why it's smart to take off shoes (a MN habit anyway), ditch carpet for hardwood and use a HEPA vacuum.

* Almost all the cleaners we use in our bathrooms are marked hazardous/poison/flammable. Why is it not safe to dispose of our cleaning products, but it's safe enough to use on every single surface our skin touches?

These are just a few of the many interesting points. If you've been following the blog for a while you know that the Robertsons aren't about pimping other people's products or about soapboxing. Not our style. We say "to each, their own." And by the way, we're certainly not the most "eco" of all people we hang with. We're just trying to look out for ourselves (and baby) a couple decades before the government finally gets around to regulating this stuff. 

-T

Daddy's away.

So I've been in Santa Monica CA since Tue finishing up a few commercials for Target. It's always fun to ditch the suit-and-tie and cubicle and put on the flip flops. Yesterday I went running along the beach for a couple miles (no, that's not a typo) and the project is going well. But this trip has been different than most of my past trips out here b/c I miss being around Katie and the boy more than ever. I guess the fatherly connection is kicking into high gear (and our lil' guy's not even in the world yet). Looking forward to the next couple of months leading up to the birth. When I get back to Minne on Fri night, I'm guessing Katie will have the nursery completely pimped out. :)

Fruit-o-Meter #18

Here we are at 31 weeks: "Your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy."

Sleepy time.

The nursery is finally coming together! This weekend we finally got our crib from Baby Grand!! (It's only been at the store for two months waiting to be delivered, but that's a another blog entry...) I did learned something interesting about men this weekend. Especially when it comes to becoming a Daddy. I learned that building the crib is one of those "men" jobs where the woman of the household should let the man of the household prove their worth without participation. Now for those that know me well, this was a little challenging because I am usually assigned as the furniture-put-together person and claim to be pretty handy at building stuff. Although I have to admit, it was pretty cute to see Trav march into the Baby R's room and a few hours later watch him walk back out to show me the finished product - a sturdy crib ready for Baby R's sleepy slumber. The next nursery project is artwork and cleaning out the closet from the left over office stuff to make way for closet organization. Now that's what I call a Mommy of the house job!

The Squingee.

For my b-day recently I got one of the best gifts ever: a squirrel bungee! That's right, just screw on a couple corn cobs and watch my bushy-tailed friends climb aboard for the ride. Who needs TV when you can watch this out your window? Katie wasn't too thrilled w/ the idea of me feeding the critters, but she's now a big fan of the Squingee.  -T

Game Night Extravaganza!

Over Memorial Day Weekend, a group of friends (who weren't cabin-bound) came over to the house for a evening filled with debauchery. The nights festivities included B-I-N-G-O, fabulous prizes, great food, a little Wii and Wii Fit action, karaoke and some adult beverages. Thanks to all who came over! Here are some pics from the evening.

Baby's First Kegger.

This weekend was action-packed so we'll try and get caught up on posts as soon as we can. But here are some pics from our 2nd shower named "Baby's First Kegger". It was a really cool, relaxed vibe and we had a total blast! Just great friends, conversation, shenanigans, etc. Once again we were humbled by all the amazing and thoughtful gifts for Baby R. Thank you to everyone who braved the hail storm to be there, and a big smoocheroo to the hostess w/ the most-ess, Kristen (and Will too).