Robinson Family of Five

Miles 3 Months

2011-10-11T15:18:00.000-05:00

Growing up so fast...I just remembered I forgot to post a 3 month pic on Sept. 27th. We spent a few nights at the beach and Miles was such a good baby! Just still really dislikes the car seat, so it makes getting around town and on the interstate for any period of time tough! But he'll eventually outgrow this. His newest thing is sucking his thumb, cooing, laughing and smiling at anyone who smiles at him! He is such a HAPPY baby! His whole face lights up when you talk to him.

His brothers have grown very attached and love on him all the time. I sing "You are my sunshine" (both parts) to him just about everyday, and Nolan now sings it to him all the time! It's the sweetest thing ever! Miles still is not rolling over. That could be my fault b/c he has been on his belly since he was 7 weeks old to sleep, and has lots of tummy time. Trying to lay him on his back more now. We go for his 4 month check up in a few weeks so I'll post his stats.

Nolan's 1st Soccer Game

2011-09-21T21:05:00.001-05:00

And so it begins...life with 3 boys and all the sports they're going to play. Nolan had his very 1st soccer game tonight and it was great! The kids played so well, or a lot better than I was envisioning, scoring goals, and running their best. They were super cute! Eric was asked to coach his team, so it was great seeing them both on the field. I was so excited for Nolan :) The biggest challenge was chasing after William every 5 seconds. Whew! That child is someday going to be a track star or top in his cross country team. He loves to run, and run away! I wore Miles in the baby Bjorn carrier to have my hands free, but if he wasn't running, he was wanting Eric to hold him. So games will be every Monday and Wednesday night for a few weeks. Busy, busy!!

My Favorite Bible Verses

2011-09-12T22:03:00.004-05:00

2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity,

but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

Philippians 4:13

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Isaiah 40:31

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Habakkuk 3:19

The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

Romans 12:9

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

James 1:2-4

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Ephesians 3:17b-19

May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is

so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or

understand it. And, so at last you will be filled up with God Himself.

Psalms 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalms 37:4

Take delight in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 19:14

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Proverbs 3:6

In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Miles 2 months

2011-09-06T14:45:00.000-05:00

So our little man is growing fast! He weighed 11 pounds 10 ounces (50th %) at his 2 month check up and measured 23 inches (75th %). He is full of smiles at this age and has such a loving personality. Loves his mama most :) Seriously...he wants mama all the time, so I literally wear him in the baby bjorn carrier a lot of the time. It's the only way we go any place or I get dinner cooked! Even wore him while I tried on like 10 pairs of jeans last week (no joke!!). He is still nursing well, about every 3 hours during the day and waking around 2am and 5:30am for feedings. I can live with that...anything is better than 3 hrs. around the clock! I probably hold him more than I should...just cause I'm enjoying my last baby moments.

Life with 3 boys...never a dull moment, but mommy and daddy love you boys more than you'll ever know :)

Nolan & William's Whale of a Party!

2011-07-31T21:41:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Nolan & William's birthday together this year and had a Whale of a Party in the backyard. With all of their close friends, they splashed and played in the dual lane blow-up slip-n-slide and had a blast. Here's a few pics from the party:

The whale cake

The kid's cupcakes with baby whales on them

The party favors

1 month old

2011-07-28T11:13:00.001-05:00

The last 4 weeks have flown by, but our little pumpkin just turned a month old yesterday! I can't even begin to count the number of hours of sleep lost...but it's SO WORTH IT!!! The boys just LOVE their little brother and I just ADORE our snuggle time :) Miles is such a good baby....just kind of gets his days/nights mixed up a little! He's super laid back and his big brothers are always so loud around him, and he just watches...never cries! Eric and I are truly blessed!

Welcome Miles Henry!!

2011-07-04T12:54:00.000-05:00

On June 27th we welcomed the final addition to our family, Miles Henry. He weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. He has dark brown hair and brown eyes and the sweetest little face :) I had a great labor and delivery and we are all home doing great and adjusting to our family of five! All of our family goes home today and Eric goes back to work tomorrow, so I'll be in full swing this week trying to figure out a schedule pleasing to all 3 of my boys :) I feel so blessed and Eric and I are so happy with our 3 precious boys. It's going to be a long journey ahead...that's for sure!!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T20:30:00.000-05:00

The boys have had so much fun the past few days with several Easter Egg Hunts that we had to remind them yesterday that it's not about eggs, or the easter bunny, but about celebrating our Risen Lord and all that He does for us. All the extra stuff associated with this day is fun, but don't let it distract your attention off Jesus :)

At Nolan's school Easter Egg Hunt

Lynn Meadows Egg Hunt with Daddy

Taking a break eating a cookie :)

Getting into the candy

Eggs!! That seems to be William's favorite word of the week!

Looking to see how many eggs they got!

Nolan found the "Golden Egg" at his friend Crosby's Easter party

The Parker's Easter party

Church of the King Egg Hunt

Nolan and Campbell

Easter Morning

William was excited about his Mickey Mouse coloring book

Paint!!! Nolan's favorite :)

Yellow Belt

2011-04-14T20:33:00.000-05:00

So proud of Nolan! After his first 3 weeks of Taekwondo, he had his belt testing last Saturday and was promoted to a Yellow Belt. His little awards ceremony and presentation of the new belt was tonight. Nolan's Pa-Paw was there since Eric is out of town for a conference. He was so upset he missed it. These pics are for you babe! Love and miss you! We know you'll be at the next one :)

26 weeks

2011-04-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

So this pregnancy is flying by! By far the quickest yet, probably because I have my hands full with my preschooler and toddler....who are 2 very busy boys!! They are getting very excited about the arrival of their baby brother this summer and I'm trying to remain CALM. I still can't wrap my head around the idea of having 3 boys 4 and under. I'm daily praying for the Lord to prepare me for this upcoming year, which I already know will be pretty challenging :) I think July and August will be pretty demanding with the boys being home from school and having a newborn, but hey..."I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!" I may be a little exhausted and a little spread thin, but I will start to figure out as I go...with the Lord leading my steps everyday.

The nursery is pretty much going to stay the same. I'm going to swap out a few photos, but all the furniture and bedding will remain. We recently reorganized Nolan's room so that he and William can share that bedroom. I still need some wall art, but here's a pic of what it looks like now:

Now, we just need to transition William from the crib...which I know without a doubt he's not ready for! We may try this weekend to convert his crib to the toddler bed and see how it goes. Eric thinks he's ready. I'm curious to see how it goes!

GCCA Mardi Gras Ball

2011-03-10T10:42:00.001-06:00

Best ball we've been to so far on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We had a great time checking out all the carnival costumes and watching the presentation of the court in their elaborate outfits. Eric and I love to dance, and the band at the ball was so good!!! Forgot I was pregnant there for a while until my feet started hurting....joy's of pregnancy, of course! Anyhow, I was glad we went and look forward to going again next year :)

The King and Queen

The Court

Always getting a smooch from my sweet hubby :)

Meal Planning Monday!

2011-02-14T10:39:00.000-06:00

So, we've really fallen off our healthy eating kick! Back to business now! I hate when I allow myself too much starch or sugar. I'm at the half-way mark in my 3rd pregnancy and I'm not about to gain any extra weight caused from poor eating habits or a dessert everyday. It all adds up on the scale and causes me to panic! I've already slowed down on my running, so I've got to take control of my eating to make up for the fewer calories I'm burning through exercise.

This is what I have meal planned for the upcoming week so far:

Dinner:
Monday: Shrimp Cakes with Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Tuesday: Flank Steak with Roasted Butternut Squash Cubes and side salad
Wednesday: Taco Salads
Thursday: Meatballs with Crunchy Sweet Potato Chips
Friday: Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Squash, Zucchini, and Carrots
Saturday: Salmon Patties with Deviled Eggs and Steamed Asparagus
Sunday: Crock-pot Chili (I add 1 small roughly chopped onion, red pepper, and orange pepper and use 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 small can tomato sauce, and 3/4 cup water. I also use lean ground turkey, 1 can rinsed kidney beans, and add extra salt, pepper, and chili powder).

Breakfast:
Egg Muffins with Bacon, Onion, Diced cherry tomatoes, and shredded sharp cheddar
Banana Muffins
Coconut Pancakes
Omelets with left-over meats

Lunch:
Tuna Stuffed Avocados
Chicken Salad
Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Egg Salad
Ginger Shrimp Salad and Sweet Potato Hash

Snacks:
Nuts (organic unsalted)
Fruit with slice of cheese
Almond butter with half banana

Get Inspired!

What's on your face?

2011-02-12T13:51:00.004-06:00

My whole life I've been blessed with great skin, never have really had a bad experience with breakouts. I can only remember having a bad reaction to some products used in my first facial that were too strong for my skin. Other than that, I've never really invested a lot of time or money into facial cleansers, moisturizers or make-up. I've splurged time to time on a few things I really like, but skincare has never been on the top of my list...until now!

Recently I've experienced horrible breakouts for the first time in my life due to pregnancy hormones. I've also experienced increased oiliness throughout my t-zone and very dry cheeks. Right before my birthday a few weeks ago, I threw my hands up in aggravation and decided I needed some new facial cleansing products and make-up. After a little bit of research, I quickly found that the brand Philosophy had received amazing reviews on all of their products. One trip to Ulta and 3 weeks later, my skin looks clear and smooth. Here's what I purchased:

A one-step facial cleanser that melts away the make-up from my face. This product is great for my combination skin and I use it every night.

I have never used an exfoliating wash that did not dry out my skin. This one, however, is gentle enough to use everyday, and has cleaned out all of my pores. Love this stuff!

This is my favorite moisturizer ever!! It's light weight, non-greasy and oil-free, deeply hydrating, and makes my face feel so smooth. I love how my face feels after applying. I use this twice daily.

This on the spot sulfur treatment targets my blemishes and helps to quickly clear my skin and prevent future breakouts.

Don't really need to spend too much attention on the eye area yet, but at 31 I've noticed a few fine lines. This is perfect and fights against the 7 signs of aging.

After cleansing my face in the morning, and applying my mineral foundation, I dab this stuff on my cheekbones for a soft dewy look. I apply a tiny amount with my fingertip and it drys fast leaving a sheer glow without the sparkles!

I've used Lorac blush for a really long time, but since my cheeks have been so dry, a friend recommended using a cream blush. Never crossed my mind to purchase. This Convertible Color blush by Stila adds a natural sheer tint that is non-greasy and can be used on my lips as well. I purchased this in Camellia and I've been very happy.

I purchased this mascara a few months ago after a close friend said she found the perfect mascera. Mac Haute & Naughty Lash has this dual-wiper system that refines the lashes for a clean defined look, while the other loads the lashes for greater impact...great for night.

Wanted to share a few of my favorites! Hope you enjoyed! I know this stuff is working because a woman from my bible study said I looked 21, not 31. Now my secret is out :)

18 months

2011-02-07T12:40:00.001-06:00

I feel like I haven't blogged about William in a while. Not only is he 18 months old, but we're starting to break him of his "boppy" (paci) this week. He is so smart and so sweet, it's really hard disciplining or taking things away from him. I think like anything else, he'll quickly get over his love affair of the "boppy" and we can all move forward! I just purchased him a matching twin bed and mattress to Nolan's for when they start sharing a room here shortly. I can't imagine taking him out of the crib in the next few months, so if he's not ready by the time baby #3 arrives, I'm going to borrow a crib from a friend! I'm definitely not going to rush/push it because he is so scheduled and such a great sleeper. I have always been able to just lay him down, and he falls asleep without crying. Such an easy baby. I really don't want to mess up a good thing, especially since William is so active and busy all the time, I could totally see him getting out of the bed consistently. Same reason I'm hesitant to convert the crib to a toddler bed. He will get out in a heartbeat...without a doubt!

William weighed in at 26 pounds at his 18 month check-up and was 33 inches long. He finally made it to the 60th percentile :) He's ahead on a lot of milestones, but still has trouble feeding himself with a fork/spoon. He makes a terrible mess in the high chair, so I often just let him feed himself with his hands. For now he's still my baby and I'm so lucky to be his mommy :)

Flag Football

2011-01-20T09:05:00.001-06:00

So we decided to sign Nolan up for 3 year old flag football with the Ocean Springs YMCA. He's definitely still a little young for this....but it's fun for the kids to run around chasing each other for their flags. Nolan did great his first game until he had the ball and his flags were pulled. He was done after that! Last game they got new flags and Nolan smashed his finger in the clip right before the game started, and cried on the sideline saying he wanted to go home :( Tonight we have practice and we really hope he just has fun and enjoys the time with his friends. Expectations are pretty low considering he's only 3, but at least this can prepare him for future team sports.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-17T16:02:00.001-06:00

What a procrastinator I've been! It's mid-January and I'm just updating my blog with Christmas pictures! We hardly took any pictures this year and Eric video taped the whole thing Christmas morning...which we later watched and realized the whole thing was in night vision! Oh, well! the kids had a blast...especially in their new truck!

The kids loved their soccer goal from Nonna & Pa-Paw

Nolan loved his guitar from Nommie & PapPa Mike

Our pretty tree Christmas morn

All about Thomas again this year

A Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T15:55:00.001-06:00

What a blessed year we have had with our two precious sons! They are such a light to our lives and make everyday better with their sweet smiles, laughter, and playfulness :) We are also blown away by the unexpected news that we would soon welcome another child into this world! God is so good...even when we least expect it he pours out His blessings on those that fully trust Him with their lives.

We have had so much fun this season blessing others with what God has blessed us with. I feel like we have given more now than we ever have, and in return, I feel "wowed" by how good giving really feels. I am really looking forward to staying home this weekend with my family and starting our own Christmas traditions. I'm looking forward to our candlelight service at church tomorrow night, reading the Christmas story to the boys, and baking a cake for Jesus :) I'm going to be cooking our first real Christmas day dinner for family...so I pray the 5lb beef tenderloin is amazing! More than anything, I'm just so thankful for my husband and to share this special time of year with him. I just love him immensely, and I'm really looking forward to sitting back with him and enjoying our boys faces Christmas morning.

And the results say:

2010-12-15T07:37:00.000-06:00

So, I bought the test yesterday because it has been right for a few of my friends. I think it's only 80% accurate, but I thought it would be fun to do until we go in for our next scheduled ultrasound.

And the results said:

I'm definitely not going to get my hopes up in case we find out it's a boy (which I will certainly be happy to have). It's nice to think I could really have a girl this time around :)

10 weeks

2010-12-14T07:35:00.000-06:00

Baby #3 is on the way and moving all around in my belly! We had our 10 week ultrasound yesterday and the baby was literally dancing all around :) The heartbeat was 175 and I'm measuring right on time for a due date of July 9th. We are finally used to the idea that we are REALLY having another baby...the shock has finally subsided! This pregnancy has been very different from my other 2, but the sickness has let up and I'm starting to feel a lot more like myself. I will try really hard to be a better blogger now!!

Now that's a deal!

2010-11-16T07:58:00.001-06:00

If you're a stay at home mom, you're probably looking to save money on a regular basis...especially this time of year when it seems like all we do is spend, spend, spend! Anyhow, I was in the process of picking out our Christmas cards on Shutterfly, and I came across a blog entry from a close friend about free Christmas cards for bloggers!

So excited to learn about this and even more thrilled I'm going to save some money on our cards. They have some amazing card designs this year and I'm having a hard time picking a favorite. There are just so many possibilities! I have had a Shutterfly account for many years and have always been pleased with their wall calendars, photo books, and Valentine cards.

So the deal is, they are giving 50 Christmas cards away to bloggers. Yippee!
Check it out!

Pumpkin Cookies

2010-10-27T12:50:00.001-05:00

I made some delicious treats for Nolan's class yesterday for a little Happy Halloween gift. I used the same recipe on sugar cookies I made last year for Valentine's Day, and they were such a hit, it will be my forever go to recipe for fool-proof cutout cookies!

The recipe:

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 c sugar (Recommend using sugar that vanilla beans have been stored in)

2 sticks butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

For the icing, I used a tub of Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Buttercream frosting and added 4 drops of red and 6 drops of yellow food coloring (you may have to play with it a bit to get the exact orange you want).

I used green gum drops cut in half for the stems.

The finished product:

Happy Halloween!

Be a Blessing to Someone Else

2010-10-25T12:29:00.002-05:00

Our family has decided to "Adopt-A-Box" this Thanksgiving season to provide for another family other than our own. We wanted to bless a family that could not afford to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal on their own. For only $40 we purchased the items below to box up and bring to our church next weekend. They will distribute the goods from there. I really encourage you to do the same through your church or for a family you know.

With the items in the pic above, they will be able to make sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, peas & corn, cornbread muffins, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, pumpkin pie, sweet tea, and a $20 gift card to pick out their turkey from Walmart.

All boxed up!

"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink"...whatever you did for the least of my people, you did for me."

Matthew 25:35,40

My 1st Field Trip!

2010-10-22T13:57:00.001-05:00

Nolan went with his pre-k class to a small Pumpkin Patch right off the beach at Church of the Redeemer this morning. He has been looking forward to this day all week and asks me everyday if it's time yet! Once we arrived, the kids were able to pick out any pumpkin they wanted, listen to a short story, and have a snack. The whole thing lasted about an hour and Nolan was pretty whiny the whole time :( I'm not sure why he was ready to leave just 10 mins after we arrived, but as soon as his friend Chase arrived...we were good as new!

Sophie, Nolan, and Davis ready to leave school!

Nolan and Sophie checking out the pumpkins

Nolan wanted a picture with me instead of his friends....being a little clingy at first!

Where's Nolan's baby pumpkin?

He finally found the "perfect" one!!

Chase finally arrived!! Yay!

The class picture

And that wraps up his first field trip :)

Love this man :)

2010-10-17T17:05:00.000-05:00

So lucky to have such a handsome and fun hubby to do life with.

It's nice to occasionally get dressed up and enjoy some dancing every now and then. I feel so blessed :) Had a blast at JA Charity Ball last night babe!

Grow Garden Grow!!!

2010-10-13T14:09:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago, Eric devoted an entire afternoon to fall planting in our vegetable garden. Now after weeks of watering...we're really starting to see it flourish! We currently have basil, sweet red peppers and banana peppers and are anxiously awaiting the full growth of our creole tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and romaine lettuce. It won't be long!! We love our garden :)

Nolan loves to water the garden

My afternoon ritual unless Eric waters in the early morning!

Peppers are almost ready

This lettuce is going to save us lots of $$

Can't wait for the broccoli and cauliflower to sprout!!

Picking basil for homemade pesto tonight :)

Creole tomatoes and basil has doubled in size!

Back view of the garden

Southern Miss Homecoming

2010-10-10T19:57:00.001-05:00

We had a blast this past weekend at Southern Miss Homecoming! I dropped the kids off with my parents on Friday and was able to enjoy a fun weekend with Eric and some close friends. The weather was way too hot...but hey...we are in Southern Mississippi, so what can I say!

Eagle Run 5k the morning of Homecoming. Eric beat me but....

I placed 3rd (my first running medal ever) in the women's 30-39 divison!

Me & Nicole

Nicole, me, and Taylor at our tailgating tent on Loyalty Field

Me & Nicole with Alicia & her baby girl May

Me, Joanna and Carrie

Go Eagles!!!

2010-09-13T16:00:00.001-05:00

There's just something about football season and dressing the boys up in their jersey's that makes me so happy! Watching them play football with their daddy in the front yard was even better :) We've also got new Saint's and LSU attire for them to wear for all the upcoming games because I think it's so stinking cute. Eric and I also enjoyed spending the whole day together on Saturday and went to the Southern Miss home game while my parents watched the boys. We enjoyed our tailgate group...but man was it hot!! Really excited about some cooler weather soon!

William starts MMO

2010-09-13T15:39:00.002-05:00

William's first day of Mother's Morning Out at Trinity was last Wednesday. I think it's going to definitely take some getting used to!! William still takes a morning nap so going without it is going to take some adjusting :) I ended up picking him up early after my bible study at 10:30 (an hour earlier than scheduled). I hope this week will go better for him and hopefully he won't walk around with the blankie so much!

First Day of Pre-K 3

2010-09-07T09:51:00.001-05:00

Today was Nolan's first day of Pre-K 3 at St. Mark's. He has been looking forward to this day for weeks and was so excited to get dressed and wear his backpack again! I was super excited as we pulled up and saw all the parents taking in all the excited children. As a friend snapped the last picture of me & Nolan before I left...Nolan kinda got a little nervous, but said, "I'll miss you." Then with a quick kiss he was off to play. For a brief moment a tear and a smile came all at once. I was both happy & sad. Happy he's starting a new chapter of his life, sad because my baby is growing up. Oh, how I love my sweet Nolan :)

Driveway fun

2010-08-30T20:22:00.001-05:00

Our driveway now is a lot longer than the kids are used to. This means we have lots more room for sidewalk chalk, riding bikes, car races, or playing soccer in the front yard, digging in the dirt...whatever, Nolan and William are having a blast exploring the extra space. We have had DAYS of rain, so our backyard is still soaking wet. Here's a few snapshots of my love bugs :)

Splish n Splash!!!

2010-08-26T13:43:00.002-05:00

We are finally moved into our new home...5 houses down from our old one in Bayou View! Whoo hoo!! The kids love it as much as Eric and I do and it fits our family perfectly!! What a blessing :) Nolan & William's favorite part about the new home is the backyard. Eric set up the slip n slide the first night we got them back from my in-laws (who graciously watched them for a few days) and they had a blast. Daddy had just as much fun too :)

Fried Eggs Over Green Chili Burgers

2010-08-10T14:00:00.000-05:00

For the past month I have incorporated Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Cookbook into our lives and we are loving some of the recipes. I made his chili burgers on Sunday night and they were a huge hit! I wanted to share the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 small can diced green chiles

1 pound organic ground meat or bison

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

4 fried eggs

Garnish: Avocado slices

Instructions:

In a bowl mix the diced chiles with meat, cilantro, onion, spices and salt. Form into burgers and grill (I used our George Foreman grill). While the burgers are grilling, fry the eggs. Serve the fried eggs on top of the burgers and garnish with sliced avocado. Bon Appetit!

3 years Old!!

2010-08-02T09:14:00.001-05:00

Nolan turned 3 years old today. It has been a busy year, full of tons of firsts, but his biggest growth year physically and developmentally. Nolan is definitely Type I personality...always socializing, having fun, and playing with others. He gets sad if we go to the park or splash pad and no kids are there :) He is still my snuggle bug, always wants to love on you, hug, and sit next to me in the morning while he drinks his milk. Nolan is very chatty at this age and has lots of questions...all the time! He loves his trains and trucks and watching Rory the racing car, Mickey Mouse, and anything Thomas! Nolan loves the pool, and is so excited about riding his new bike. He's a good big brother to William and has a very close relationship with his daddy. He's so special and we are blessed by his sweet ways everyday. He loves his grandparents so much and we are thankful to live so close now.

Nolan celebrated his birthday yesterday at the Kangarooz bounce house with 11 of his closest friends. He had a blast!!!

One Year Old!!

2010-07-23T20:43:00.000-05:00

Sweet William turned 1 year's old today. He's such an amazing little guy and I can't believe how quickly his first year has come and gone. Tomorrow we will celebrate his birthday with family and friends and most of them will get to see him walk for the first time. He's such a blessing to our lives.

Lord, I pray you continue to watch over William as his days increase and I pray you bless him and guide him wherever he may be. Strengthen him when he stands, comfort him when he gets discouraged, and raise him up if he falls. I pray that in these times we live in you watch over him with favor as he begins another year. May he grow in wisdom and stature, and trust in you all the days of his life. I ask this Father in your most precious name. Amen.

William is 11 months old!

2010-06-25T20:25:00.003-05:00

William is changing so much at this age, and I think he's really starting to look like a toddler now. I'm sad my baby is growing up so fast, but looking forward to the upcoming year. This is a really hard age for me because William is a constant busy body getting into everything imaginable within reach. If it's not within reach, he's going to find a way to climb up to it somehow...even if it requires using his bumbo seat for a stool. He's taken a few steps, but still needs to hold on for extra support. He's not walking yet! It's kind of a relief, but I know it's just a matter of time before he's skipped over walking to running.

So what's new now? He's clapping, pointing to what he wants, shaking his head "no, no" when I tell him "no", climbing up the indoor slide, getting into the toilet, flushing the toilet, getting into the trash can, climbing in the dishwasher, emptying out any cabinet he can get into, dancing more when he hears songs on the tv he likes, and raising both his arms to praise Jesus! This little boy never keeps still or in the same room....ever!

On another note, William recently developed a case of separation anxiety and we're having a difficult time with him at church on Sunday because he cries for me so much in the nursery :( Overall, William is on a whole other level than Nolan ever was at this age. I'm lucky to still get snuggle time when I give him his bottle or rock him to sleep. He's still very much a mama's boy...but he's starting to want Eric more now. It's so sweet how he lights up when he sees Eric for the first time in the morning or when he comes home from work.
In just a few weeks, our little monkey will be turning one!

Cabo!!!

2010-06-09T14:27:00.002-05:00

Eric and I just returned from our amazing vaca in Cabo!! It was our first visit and we stayed at Zoetry Casa Del Mar where we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary and caught up on some much needed alone time and r&r!! We were wowed from the moment we stepped foot onto this 5-star beautiful hacienda-style beachfront boutique hotel! The lush gardens, amazing views, beautiful pools and ocean-view scenery of white sand and turquoise water truly made this all-inclusive paradise!

We were upgraded upon arrival to a Master Suite...which was to die for! There were fresh flowers all over the room, a bottle of champagne already chilled, and a hot bubble bath filled the large Jacuzzi tub, just waiting for us as we opened the door. The view from our room was spectacular and we often enjoyed room service on our balcony taking in the view. The staff was so accommodating and helpful beyond any service at any hotel we've ever stayed in. We felt pampered and like royalty the whole time we were there :)

The food at this resort was so fresh, healthy and organic that we didn't worry about counting calories this trip! The food and presentation was so delicious you would never think it was an all-inclusive resort. The drinks were excellent and so was the Argentina red wine we had for dinner. The head chef went above and beyond and specially prepared the tuna we caught on our deep sea fishing excursion one day, and some amazing cerviche for an appetizer. Talk about superb service!

Eric and I also enjoyed walking the beach...especially sunset time! We met one other couple from LA that we shared a boat with for our deep-sea fishing trip who actually got engaged while we were there. We also loved sailing through the Sea of Cortez during sunset and our meal afterwards at Baja Cantina at the most stricking marina in downtown Cabo I have ever seen!!

The most work we did the whole time was kayak 3 miles from Santa Maria Bay to Chileno Bay one afternoon. It was the hardest paddling we've ever done with the wind, waves and tough current. The elements were very rough, but we made it and enjoyed seeing the sea lions and sea turtles swimming beside us, and some beautiful tropical fish when we went snorkeling right after.

Overall, this resort is tranquility defined. It is small, sophisticated, and has an old world charm you can’t help but fall in love with. We were so pleased with our overall experience and highly recommend staying if you are looking for a little bit of heaven in paradise! It’s the most romantic place we've ever stayed!!!

You can view our photo album from the link below:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jennyc.robinson/Cabo?authkey=Gv1sRgCL26s-2Vmc2xZQ#

10 Months Old

2010-05-24T20:35:00.001-05:00

Sweet William is growing up so fast! I cannot believe my baby is 10 months old already! He has been such a good baby, very scheduled, loving, and such a mama's boy...which I just adore! His newest thing is to wave "hi" and "bye-bye" and is trying to "whoof" like the neighbors dog, or anytime he sees a dog!! He's also started the copying cough or will try to clear his throat if you do...very funny! William is also a speed crawler, and has just recently started pushing the car/walker thing around...so walking is not far out! He's also gotten really good at patty cake, loves the ABC song or any music he can bounce/dance to, and is such a water baby!! The biggest new thing is that he is fully weaned from nursing now (as of yesterday). He still is one step behind big brother and such a happy baby :)

Summertime!

2010-05-23T21:03:00.003-05:00

We loaded up the boys and took them to Sandestin for a few days while Eric and I attended a wedding. My wonderful in-laws came with us and the boys had a blast with them while they helped babysit. William loved the sand, the waves, the pool...you name it...he loved it! Nolan once again did not enjoy the beach. He played in the sand a little, but hated the ocean. He enjoyed the pool at the Grand Sandestin the best and the treehouse he played in with his Papa. It was a nice little break and the kids really enjoyed it.

First beach photo of the summer

We got a happy moment for Nolan on camera!!

Sweet brothers playing in the sand

William & Mama

Nolan and Papa in the treehouse

Nommie and the boys

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:40:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite songs right now by Matt Maher is "Hold us Together". As I'm out running sometimes and the song pops up on my playlist...I think of my boys when I hear this verse and I'm over-flowing with joy for the relationship I know they will grow to have for each other:

"And love will hold us together

Make us a shelter to weather the storm

And I'll be my brother's keeper

So the whole world will know that we're not alone."

Raising up boys in the way of the Lord and providing them with unconditional love like our Father has for us, is the most rewarding job a mother can ever have. I feel so blessed and honored everyday to be their mom and to provide the tools they need everyday to be strong men of God. I thank God everyday for giving them to Eric and I and for the journey we travel together everyday. I want Nolan and William to always be the best of friends and to grow up together in this world knowing how much they are loved and how wide and how deep the love of Christ is for them in this crazy world we live in. This Mother's Day to me is a celebration of the love I have for my family and my 2 precious sons.

"May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God." Ephesians 3:17-19

9 months old

2010-04-29T10:56:00.001-05:00

William turned 9 months old last Friday...and we had to make a trip to the doctor for a high fever. Turns out he caught the fever virus and then broke out into a rash for a few days. I was finally able to snap a few shots of him yesterday for a 9 month photo :) His stats: little man was 27.5 inches long (25th) and 21 pounds (50th). Our little man is very "busy" ALL of the time! He rarely sits still and wants to do EVERYTHING big brother is doing! He's close to walking and will take a few steps from the couch to the table reaching between the two and has gotten fast cruising around furniture! He won't be crawling too much longer. I just started to wean him of his late afternoon and bedtime feedings. He LOVES the bottle! Crazy, but makes my job so much easier. We're going to the beach in 2 weeks so I'm trying to have him completely weaned by then! Other news: he can finally say "Mama"!!! Yay! It was "Ma" for a while there but now he sings my name from his crib! Other new words - that, eat, yeah (for yes...says it over and over again!) We also moved him up to his big boy carseat which he is loving! He laughs everytime I peek my head up in the rear view mirror. He thinks I'm playing peek-a-boo! I also think he's about tired of baby food. He giggles with excitement and claps his feet together when I let him taste my food...and he's been feeding himself already for a while, so I think it's time!

Busy Boys!

2010-04-14T22:37:00.001-05:00

The past week or so, William has really become mobile...fast! He's been crawling all over the place, pulling up on everything, and trying to walk. He's already started pushing the convertible car riding toy around the playroom and wants to do everything Nolan is doing. This child is VERY BUSY all the time! The boys are really starting to play together more and I always hear Nolan saying, "No, baby". Nolan tries to keep him straight and lets him know when he can or can't play with certain toys :) He still calls William baby which we think is funny. He also thanks God for "baby" every night before he goes to sleep...along with a long list of our family! Nolan is absolutely precious when he prays! Here's a few recent pics:

Matching fish pajamas that Nolan and cousin Zach wore last summer!

A little backyard fun. Nolan wanted to pull "baby" in his beach wagon around the pool. Closely watched, of course!

Bathtime!

Playing in daddy's suitcase while Eric was packing for D.C. trip

William LOVES PUFFS!!! If he even sees the can he starts babbling for them and kicking his feet!

He is Risen: Happy Easter!!

2010-04-04T19:09:00.005-05:00

We had a very busy Easter weekend with my family in Hammond. Eric and I ran in the Crescent City Classic 10k in Nola on Saturday and it was so crazy and crowded! We also cooked out with my family on Saturday and enjoyed my dad's new Green Egg grill. Yum! It was fun watching the kids dig into their Easter baskets...but most of all we were just thankful. The lyrics to the live version of one of my favorite songs by Kristian Stanfill sums it up:

I hear the Savior say, "Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all."

Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots And melt the heart of stone.

And when before the throne I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save" my lips shall still repeat

"O Praise the one who paid my debt,
And raised this life up from the dead!!" (x6)

8 months old

2010-03-25T13:51:00.001-05:00

William is growing up so much faster than I ever remember Nolan...probably because we're so much busier with 2 little boys! William is our busy body. From scooting to crawling, pulling himself up and holding onto furniture...he's all over the place! He's always trying to wiggle out of your arms to move around, will hardly keep still to change his diaper, and loves to babble! His bright eyes are always keeping a close watch on where I am and he's always one step behind his brother. Nolan and William have just really started to play together and I love it! William would much rather play with Nolan's trains and cars than his baby toys. It's pretty funny!

William is still not the best eater, but he loves Baby Mum-Mum's, fruit puffs, and bananas. I keep offering him the sippy cup in hopes he will keep still long enough to drink from it. He's a great nurser and is still waking at least once during the night to nurse. Hopefully this will be the magical month when he starts sleeping through. I'm really looking forward to that day!

He can say ma, da-dee, bye-bye, and knows the sign for milk.

10 Random Things

2010-03-16T16:42:00.000-05:00

My blogging friend Lezlie tagged me in a little game of

10 Random things about yourself.

So here goes:

1. I love to cook. If only I had more free time in the day...my husband would come home to a healthy gourmet meal every night! Not kidding! I'm always trying new recipes & enjoy watching the food network. I probably buy way to may cookbooks!!

2. I rarely finish a book I start. I have every intention of reading cover-to-cover when I purchase it, but my free time is so slim these days that I end up putting it aside. It's this never-ending cycle!

3. Coffee - are you kidding? Make it a lowfat skinny Latte or add some vanilla caramel creamer and I'm all about it. Have to have it first thing in the morning.

4. Afternoon tea and quiet time. Love to get into the word, pray, or talk with God over a hot cup of tea while the boys are napping in the afternoon. It's my mid-day check-point. Really try to do this most days of the week.

5. Love to shop for deals! Funny, I rarely ever bought anything on sale before I got married, but Eric has taught me all about spending wisely and saving for the future. Now I hardly ever pay full price for anything, bargin shop, and clip coupons. I love Marshalls. Always find amazing deals on designer clothes and I love it!!! Makes me smile :)

6. Like to try new things. You name it...I'll try it. Really enjoy doing things out of the ordinary and cannot wait to really travel the world some day.

7. Cannot stand ants and mosquitoes. Hate them...they annoy the mess out of me, especially when I find them anywhere in the house. Drives me crazy!

8. Really love to run and I need to join a gym where I can take group classes for yoga and pilates. Again, my free time is so limited and the gym I joined has no childcare or group classes...but it's got plenty of treadmills!!! Needless to say...I hardly ever go.

9. I'm at my lowest weight since my Junior year of college. I think having 2 boys will do that to you naturally!!

10. I love being a stay at home mom and spending quality time with my boys each day. I wouldn't trade this time for anything or any other job. I feel so blessed to play such an important role in their lives.

Now I'm supposed to tag 10 friends who might play...here are a few who haven't gone yet.

1. The Jonas Family

2. The Fuller Family

3. The Huffstetler Family

4. The Mills Family

5. The Nix Family

Audubon Zoo

2010-03-06T19:30:00.002-06:00

We took advantage of the beautiful weather today and loaded the boys up for a zoo day! We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! Nolan was slow to warm-up to some of the bigger animals when we first arrived, but once we let him play and run around in the petting zoo, he was a different child!We took so many pictures of all the animals, but here are a few snapshots of the family.

Climbing in the petting zoo

William and me

William loved the sheep :)

Riding the train was Nolan's favorite!

Daddy with his boys

If they only knew how good they have it!!

Yes...Nolan trying to give the dinosaur his sippy cup!

We think Nolan has overcome his fear of sand! Yes, that's him playing in the sand digging for fossils! We were so excited!!

7 months Old

2010-02-25T10:29:00.004-06:00

William turned 7 months old on Tuesday! He said his first words, "Bye-Bye" the day after we were home from the hospital...too funny! He's been saying "ma" here in there when he's ready for me to get him out of his crib. He is probably never going to crawl. Instead, this little guy has mastered rolling over and turning in circles to reach everything he wants. He's so fast and will be across the room in a hurry if you're not paying attention. William is still not great at sitting up by himself unattended, and throws himself back, only to cry when he bumps his head. Boo :( His legs are very strong and he can stand alone holding onto our coffee table or the train table...with mommy close by to catch when he plops down! William is not the best eater, but loves to nurse. He's on #2 foods but rarely finishes a jar. He still wakes during the night at least once and is the most playful thing in his crib! He's my roly poly, silly willy...always smiling baby! He has the biggest smile ever :) William also just started going through separation anxiety when I leave the room and it's really bad. He just started this when we came home from the hospital. Bless his sweet little heart!

Carnival Time!

2010-02-21T20:56:00.003-06:00

I must say Eric and I had kinda forgotten about Mardi Gras being removed from it for so long. We both had not even been to a parade since college. We are not big fans of the event, but we thought it would be nice to take the boys to a family friendly parade in Pass Christian this year to let Nolan catch some beads and see all the floats. He really wasn't too impressed and was coming down with the flu...which we found out he had the very next day (last weekend). Eric and I also went to our first Mardi Gras ball together last Friday with some friends in Biloxi and danced for hours! We had a blast and it was fun to get all dressed up and enjoy and evening out without the kids!

With our friends Sam & Sarah

Aside from our fun festivities lately, both boys came down with the flu and we spent a lot of restless nights this past week taking care of them. William had to be hospitalized on Thursday vomitting, running 105.2 fever and was dehydrated. He also had some other infection going on besides the flu that they could never find. Anyhow, they released him last night and we had our best night's sleep in 7 days. William is fever free and feeling back to his normal self. Thank God! There is nothing worse than having sick babies!!

Potty trained!!

2010-02-11T14:08:00.000-06:00

My little man potty trained in under a week! We started on Monday morning and I put Nolan on his potty chair every 20 mins. He would sit until he went. Afterwards, I rewarded him with M&M's and lots of praise. Then on Tuesday he did #2 in the potty and daddy brought him home 2 big trucks to let him know how proud we were of him. The last 2 days he has woken up dry each morning and had no accidents at home or at school yesterday and just had one this afternoon on his way to the potty. He got so upset he didn't make it in time...but I assured him it was an accident and next time would be different.

I am beyond proud of Nolan. He is our emotional, dramatic, and loud child...so I was holding back potty training him now, but he proved me wrong. He has been such a big boy about the whole thing and Eric and I are still in a little shock it's gone so well. I'm just so happy for him!!!

6 months Old

2010-01-27T10:35:00.006-06:00

William had his 6 month check-up today and weighed in at exactly 20 pounds (75th) and 27.5 inches long (75th). He is such a little wiggle worm these days rolling all over the floor and has just started trying to scoot forward. He will get on all fours and just rock back and forth! He also loves to jump...all the time!! I've been working with him to sit by himself for longer than a few mins. before rolling to his side so he can fully sit up without by supervision. He has very good hand/eye coordination and I just started teaching him the sign for "more" during his feedings and "milk". Those were 2 of Nolan's favorites! William has also started making his m sounds and is trying to say either mama or milk. Nolan began with his d sounds and said dada when he was 7.5 mths old. He didn't really say mama until he was a year old. William is going to be very outgoing like his brother because he's such a social baby always giggling, cooing, smiling and reaching for objects. As soon as William starts crawling...I'm really going to have my hands full ;)

Tonight we're starting baby boot camp. William is still waking 1 to 2 times during the night to nurse out of habit. It's a horrible cycle...one that leaves me exhausted most mornings and never fully rested. I have to start by trimming those feedings during the night by 2 mins a night until he gets no milk and just the paci and lovie. Pray it goes well....I'm so ready for him to sleep through the night again!!

Celebrating my 30th

2010-01-25T13:54:00.008-06:00

Eric and I started the day off right with running in the Ocean Springs 10k Winter Classic. The weather was sunshiny and warm and we ran our best and stayed with each other till the finish line coming in at 1:04. We had a great run and then came back to Gulfport to pick up the boys and my parents to enjoy a yummy Greek lunch (my fav)and a slice of chocolate Doberge cake (my annual tradition)! It was a nice treat :)

That night Eric and I enjoyed a really nice dinner with some of our closet friends we've made since living down here. We had much fun and enjoyed a live band and piano bar before calling it a night. It was a great birthday!!

After the race quick pic :)

Dinner at The Chimneys

Claire, me, Alison & Sarah

Dancing take one...

and dancing take two!

Turning Thirty

2010-01-20T13:21:00.003-06:00

Like most moms my age, most of my days are filled with to-do lists and this ongoing cycle of getting things done from the time we wake up till the time we go to bed. I give and give of myself to my kids, my husband and our home,...rarely carving out enough time for me most days. It happens. My family comes before me and I would never have it any other way, but there are things I often cross off as not important because it's for me. Too often my focus is shifted on everyone else, making sure the kids are taken care of, my husband is happy, dinner is on the table and the house is clean....or at least somewhat picked up!!

In my quiet time alone with God (mostly in the afternoon when the boys are napping) I can sit back, enjoy a cup of hot tea, and focus on where I am. My check point. My mid-day how are you doing chat with God. My hand-it-over refreshment time to nourish my daily walk. Lately, I don't know if it's because I'm turning thirty and about to start the next decade of my life...but my wheels are turning. God has me focused on goal setting. I'm not a dreamer or a visionary. I often set small goals, never anything long-term. There's always a sparked interest, but rarely a full follow-through. My time is often divided, cut short, or interrupted...the joys of having 2 small boys!

However, as my 30th birthday draws near this Saturday...I'm realizing there's a few things I'd really like to do in these next few years. They are just "things" but worth a shot of experiencing or accomplishing. So here goes:

1. To just sit down and make a baby book for each child. I've procrastinated way too long!
2. Run a half-marathon.
3. Pick 1 community organization and volunteer at least twice per month.
4. Adopt a dog for our family (preferably a Beagle) :)
5. Take adult cooking classes with Eric.
6. Go on at least 1 mission trip.
7. Teach Nolan at least 2 bible verses and a prayer he can recite by the time he's 3 years old.
8. Adventure vacation with Eric and no kids!!
9. Disney World with the boys in 2011
10. Napa with friends.
11. Learn how to snow ski.
12. Spa trip with the girls :)
13. Establish a regular date night with Eric at least twice per month
14. Go camping with the boys
15. Try for one more baby (possibly that girl to complete our family)...you reading hon!!!
16. Take boys to their first "real" baseball game.
17. Bring William to the beach for the first time
18. Stay settled in a home for a least 5 years
19. Go to a few concerts with Eric
20. Take Nolan on his first train ride

It's my turn!

2010-01-19T12:55:00.009-06:00

The weather has finally started to get warmer and the sunshine has returned...so have our afternoons at the park! Yesterday we headed over to our neighborhood park so Nolan could ride his scooter and I figured it would be a good time to put William in the swing for the first time. He loved it and his first push was from his brother :) Nolan was so excited that "brodher" was big enough now to get in the swing too. William has such a sweet spirit and just made the sweetest cooing sounds while he enjoyed his time swinging! I love my boys so much and just an hour at the park sometimes makes their world seem so big!

First time to swing!

Did this little man have fun or what!!

Five...

2010-01-14T14:55:00.001-06:00

And so the New Year has started off full swing for us! Eric and I started our 21 days of prayer & fasting on January 10th and always look forward to this spiritual time of renewal in our lives. This year I have chosen to consume no more than 15grams of sugar per day and no Facebook. I have the biggest sweet tooth (always have) so ridding my body of all the extra sugar is really hard at first, but I already feel so great a few days into it! I also really enjoy keeping in touch with everyone on FB, so fasting that cuts off my communication with others and causes me to focus more on my communication with my main Man!

On another note, I just joined a gym yesterday and have committed myself to exercising there when it's too cold or rainy to take the boys with me on my runs. No more weather excuses for exercising! I'm running in another 10k next Saturday and if all goes well and I feel great...I'm going to continue my training to run in the Seaside half-marathon on March 7th. I'm already up to 6 miles so how much harder could another 6 be?? I've been having a little trouble with my right hip for the last month, so I'm going to see how next Saturday's race goes before I follow through and sign-up.

This year we are focused on finding our Five...which basically means we are focusing on 5 things on our daily agenda and doing them everyday. We are committed to finding time each day to do these 5 things and have fun doing them.

My daily Five:
1. Prayer/Bible reading
2. Quality time with Eric each night
3. Exercise/eating more Organic and low sugar
4. One educational thing with the boys each day
5. Spending wisely

Eric's Five:
1. Prayer/Bible reading
2. Telling me something special each day
3. Playing with boys
4. Exercise (he's slacked on this very badly so far)
5. Do 1 chore a day around house

To learn more about what we're doing go to : www.churchofthehighlands.com/21daysofprayer/

This week Nolan got his first black eye from running into a church pew at MMO. The swelling is gone, but the eye still looks pretty bad. William also just finished all of his vegetables (no allergies) and we started on apples yesterday...which he smiled after tasting! He's also been sitting up by himself for about 3-5mins here and there. His hair has been growing out crazy so I had to trim myself around the edges a little. It looks SO MUCH better!! Here's a few recent pics:

William 5 1/2 months

Nolan not getting his way!

William sitting up alone for a few mins to play

Early Saturday morning with Daddy

Nolan painting with his friend Parker who came to visit us after New Year's

Carrots and Two Teeth!

2010-01-03T19:08:00.006-06:00

Today was William's first time to start solid food. We've tried rice cereal and with 2 different brands he's broken out in a bad rash all over his tummy. So, I thought we'd start the New Year off by trying some real food! I fed him carrots first and he loved it!! He actually ate the whole jar and cried when it was all gone. Speaking of firsts, he also cut two bottom teeth today! Big boy!!

William's first bite of carrots :)

Daddy's turn to feed too!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-30T21:58:00.011-06:00

This was such a special Christmas for us. Our first one as a family of four :) We have felt God's hand on on lives so closely this past month and He has truly blessed us. Eric and I were so excited to be so close to our family for the holidays and just soaked up some family time! This has also been the ideal month for Eric and I to go on a couple of dates (which are far and few to come by these days!!) due to Christmas parties and 1 dinner alone :) We're also looking forward to ringing in the New Year tomorrow with some close friends and enjoying a yummy Italian dinner while my parents babysit. Then next week MMO starts back and our normal routine will be underway. January is my motivator month! Love it!!!

Nolan's new hair-cut

2009-12-10T21:38:00.005-06:00

Nolan got a big boy hair-cut today. I snapped this pic of him this afternoon on the playground before he got knocked down by a fast flying soccer ball! I sware...Nolan has more accidents at the park than anyone I know. The shirt he wore today ironically says it all, "Little Tough Guy"...and that he is indeed!

I call William my "sweet precious" because of his sweet spirit, but I also call him "bright eyes" because he's always got his eyebrows lifted and eyes wide-open taking it all in...like in this pic all snuggled in his stroller at the park.

December begins...

2009-12-08T18:53:00.010-06:00

It's the holiday season and one of my favorite times of the year. It's been pretty chilly here in Gulfport and I actually got to wear my coat for the first time last week! Wow, huh! We are all enjoying the change in weather and warm fires in our cozy living room. The stockings are up, the tree is decorated, and the Christmas shopping is just about complete. We are most importantly reflecting on our blessings from above and celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Bright eyes!

William wants so badly to sit-up...he's not as laid back as Nolan was at this age.

Always together :)

1st pic in front of our tree

Not too sure about Santa

Crosby's 2nd birthday (and yes Nolan is sitting in his chair!!!)

My dear friend Lauren (we were pregnant at the same time and had our babies a week apart in July. This is also Crosby's mom...Nolan's best friend). This pic was taken at their annual Christmas party.

Saved the best for last...my sweet husband, I love you babe!

4 months old

2009-12-06T14:44:00.002-06:00

I've been such a bad blogger and even skipped posting William's 4 month pics & stats! He was 4 months old on November 23rd and at his routine visit last week, he weighed in at 16 pounds, 14 ounces (75th percentile) and was 25 inches long (50th percentile). He is changing so much everyday! He is teething all the time, loves playing in his exersaucer and jump & go and still really enjoys tummy time. He can roll over from stomach to back and from his back to stomach now. He has this squeaky singing voice sometimes when he's playing or interacting...it's hilarious! William loves watching big brother Nolan all the time and smiles every time he hears his voice. Lately he's been enjoying watching Nolan play with his trains and just loves looking at the Christmas tree. I've been dressing him in all of Nolan's hand-me-downs (some of which Nolan never wore b/c he grew so fast) and he's wearing 6 month old clothes now. I think by January he will be completely out of size 3-6 month clothes.

We have also moved into our rental house. It's great and we have so much more space! I'm most excited and most thankful to God for blessing us with this home before Christmas so we wouldn't have to be in that apartment any longer. It was difficult moving with 2 little ones, but so worth it!

Feeling better

2009-11-10T12:31:00.010-06:00

We all felt more than stir crazy yesterday being stuck inside for all the bad weather. I had 2 cranky boys that eventually settled down for a brief moment in the afternoon so I could snap a few pics. William's fever finally broke early this morning and we were able to make Bear Cub Club at the discovery center for playtime. They're both down for their afternoon naps at the same time today (Praise God) because I'm feeling pretty run down again. Having all 3 of my boys sick at the same time has been a challenge I don't ever want to experience again.

William has such good head control now...may start rice cereal soon

Full body shot...he's growing so fast!!

Always has a hold of my hand or finger. This one is for sure a mama's boy :)

Nolan always trying to share his juice!

Always loving on his brother :) Hope he always will.

Lazy Morning & Bumbo

2009-11-09T07:23:00.006-06:00

Looks like it's going to be a lazy day as we hang out through this Tropical Storm Ida watching the weather. It's been a very early morning for us. William woke up with a fever and runny nose, and Nolan is still uncomfortable with his ear infection refusing to take his antibiotic (doesn't like how they flavored it). So looks like we're going to unfortunately spend the day inside, unless we make a trip back to the doctor's office!

William sitting in Bumbo seat at 3.5 months

Hanging out in our pj's watching Mickey Mouse

Where did October go?

2009-11-02T20:04:00.015-06:00

For REAL...we have not stopped. Seems like each week has been busier than the last and we have been on the road every weekend! Whew! So glad it's November, the cooler weather is here and the holidays are just around the corner. Our biggest news....drum roll please!!!!....we are moving out of this apartment and into a 2600 sq. ft. rental home. Praise God!! It's going to seem like a mansion compared to this 1400 sq. ft. apt we've somehow managed to live in the last 8 months with our growing family. We are so ready to settle into a home and have chosen to rent instead of buying because we still have not sold our home in Birmingham. It will be 1 year this December that it's been on the market and no decent offers. I think people looking to buy a home right now really think you will practically give your home to them. We are already going to lose a significant amount of money on the house, but are really ready to move forward and let it be a blessing to another family.

The boys are great. Nolan has become a little chatter box, really starting to talk in better sentences and communicating a lot better. He still gets pretty whiny (I think it's a terrible two's thing) and we are really having to crack down on the discipline and time-outs. It works! William is 3 months and is already teething! Nolan didn't start this till 5 months, so we're a little surprised. He recently found his giggle (Nolan made him giggle so hard the other day for the 1st time) and coos all the time! He makes the sweetest sounds ever and makes me smile with so much joy everyday!

To catch you up on the last few weeks, here's a few photos:

Boo at the Zoo in Birmingham on Halloween

My sweet little Penguin!

Trick-or-Treating at the Zoo

Southern Miss Homecoming game

The girls of our tailgate group

Pumpkin Patch in Biloxi

Nolan searching for the perfect pumpkin

Cutest little pumpkin in the patch :)

William and Mommy wishing Nolan would sit down for a pic too!

Nolan with Nommie at Playhouse Disney LIVE!

Nolan loved this Handy Manny light-up spinning toy Nommie got him at the show

The shirt says it all!!

11 weeks

2009-10-07T11:33:00.007-05:00

William will be 11 weeks old tomorrow and we visited the doctor today for his check-up and shots. He was 24 inches long, 12 pounds, 14 ounces and measured in the 75th percentile for weight and height. Nolan was 23 ½ inches long and weighed 12.12 at his 8 week check-up!!

William has been sleeping through the night for about 2 weeks now doing an 8-8.5 hour stretch. Nolan did not sleep through the night like that until he was 8 months old! It's so nice to wake up in the morning and actually feel rested and not need a nap. William is such a happy baby and is always smiling or focusing closely on something. He has a strong upper body and loves tummy time mainly b/c he sleeps on his tummy (the only thing that works with his reflux). He has the sweetest spirit and loves when we sing to him. He's so precious and Nolan has really grown attached to him more and more every week. They're going to be such great buds ;)

Fun at Nonna and Pa-Paw's house

2009-09-26T08:05:00.005-05:00

Now that we live so close to Hammond, the boys get to see their grandparents all the time! While Eric was out of town the last 2 days, we came for a visit and they are being loved on so much!

William is 9 weeks old with Nonna in this pic

Just a laughing away!!!

Nolan on his choo-choo blow up bed excited William is laying next to him!

2 months Old

2009-09-23T22:41:00.006-05:00

William is 2 months old today. I can't believe it's already been a month since I last updated our blog. I used to have so much more free time to journal and upload pics, but the days seems to quickly get away being busy with two kiddos! Life as we know it these days is non-stop from the early morning hours till the last time I nurse William at 10pm. As challenging as it may be...it's SO WONDERFUL having 2 children and we feel blessed everyday :)

William will be 9 weeks old tomorrow and has changed so much over the last 4 weeks. His hair is starting to turn more of a reddish blond color, his eyes are slowly turning green around his pupil, he's outgrown all of his newborn clothes, and is sleeping through the night a few days a week. He is cooing and smiling and loves playing on his baby Einstein mat...making all kinds of noises and light giggles! He also loves to watch Nolan and often smiles when he hears his voice. William has such a sweet spirit and I love watching his face light up :) Nolan loves him so much and has really started getting attached to him now. He's always looking out for him, checking on him, running to his side when he's crying, and always by my side helping out. The family of four can be tiring...but it's all worth it at the end of the day.

1 month old

2009-08-23T15:46:00.000-05:00

William turned 1 month old today! Can't believe how quickly the last few weeks have flown by. We are very blessed with such a good baby :) William is on a 3- 3.5 hour schedule during the day and usually goes down at 9:30pm and will sleep till 2:30 or 4am. He's still not very consistent with his nights and sometimes he does great...other times he's up and hungry! The last few days he has really starting smiling a lot and making sweet sounds. I often get told by people everywhere I go that he looks like me. What do you think?

My Brother

2009-08-12T13:40:00.006-05:00

Nolan has really started to adjust having a baby brother around all the time! At first I think Nolan wasn't sure what was going on and didn't like the attention being shifted, but over the past 3 weeks, he has really wanted to be where the baby is and has started interacting with him a lot more. It is so sweet to watch how Nolan has gone from only child to sweet Big Brother. Here's a few pics we've snapped of the two of them:

Nolan's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-08-12T11:19:00.014-05:00

We celebrated Nolan's birthday a week later with his friends b/c we were not sure when baby William was going to arrive! We had a fish theme party at the Ocean Springs Spray Park and celebrated Nolan's 2nd birthday with close family and friends. Nolan had a blast running back and forth from the water to the playground and barely sat still to eat cake and open presents. We had to keep chasing after him! Nolan really enjoyed the afternoon playing with his friends and it was nice for Eric and I to get out and socialize, even though William was just 2 weeks old!

Nolan's birthday invitation

Cake and tropical fish cookie favors

Singing Happy Birthday!

Attempting to blow out the candles :)

Nolan, William, and Sam

Nolan and Max

Happy 2nd Birthday Nolan!

2009-08-02T22:14:00.006-05:00

We celebrated Nolan's 2nd Birthday today with our family and are looking forward to his birthday party with friends this Saturday. Eric and I bought Nolan his first Thomas the Train set which was a big hit! Nolan just loves trains so we thought this would make the perfect gift, and we were right! We enjoyed lunch at The Dock (Nolan's favorite restaurant here b/c he can run around and play and go look at the boats) and we got him a big chocolate chip cookie cake that he actually got to blow out the candles on this year! We had a great time visiting with family and can't believe how much our little boy has grown-up. He's still as sweet as can be and full of all that toddler energy!

William Cole Robinson

2009-07-28T14:37:00.005-05:00

Eric and I are so blessed to announce the birth of our second son, William Cole, born on July 23, 2009 at 8:46pm. He was 19.5 inches long and weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces. It was a very quick delivery! I woke up Thursday morning with terrible back pain and knew something was different. I called my doctor and they told me to come in that morning at 10am for a check...which we found out I had dilated to 3cm since he last saw me on Monday at 2cm. They told me to go home and time my back labor and to come back at 2:00pm. When I arrived, I had already dilated to 4cm so my doctor sent us straight to the hospital. I was definitely in labor!

As soon as I got checked into our room, they started a poticin drip to help speed up my contractions. After receiving my epidural, my water was broken by 6:00pm. By 8:00pm that night, I had dilated to 6cm and then at 8:46pm, William was born!! It all happened so fast and in just a few pushes...our second son was born.

We are so thankful to God for watching over us and making this a quick labor and delivery. William is such a gift and is such a beautiful baby. We thank God for giving him to us and are so happy to be a family of four :)

Frozen Fruit

2009-07-15T11:13:00.003-05:00

Our family loves to snack on fruit and I've recently been buying all of our fruit at Sam's because we go through it so quickly. Anyhow, now that I stock up on larger portions of fruit each week at the store, I've been keeping half in the refrigerator and freezing the other half in small Ziploc bags. My favorites are frozen green grapes (slice the large ones in half), red raspberries (very crunchy!), and sliced banana pieces (Nolan calls banana pop-pop b/c he thinks it's a popsicle!). It's a great snack in the summer and something our family really enjoys.

A prayer while we're waiting...

2009-07-11T12:58:00.004-05:00

Child within me, the Lord has created you. He has formed your body, and you are his. When you pass through the waters He will be with you and you will not be harmed. He is the Lord, thy God, thy Saviour. You are precious in His sight. He loves you. Let us not fear, for our Redeemer is with us. He will bring you forth safely. He will protect us from harm if we take upon us His name, for he created us to glorify Him.

We will be blessed with health, strength, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. With his gentle, loving hands he will deliver you without interference from anyone. I will not be afraid of your birth, for I know that the Lord created me to be a mother. My body knows what to do to assist the Lord as He delivers you out of my womb. Together we will work to bring you into this world without pain. The water that now protects you will carry you out and I will open myself up to you. The feelings of love, joy, and peace will escort you on your journey. When you are ready to join us in the world, we will welcome you.

Your father and I have been honored with stewardship over you. He has placed you in our care that we may love you and teach you His word. Your father is eager to hold you in his arms. I am eager to kiss you and nurse you for the first time. We look forward to your arrival, yet we will not grow impatient while we're waiting for your birth-day. We do not want you to be born before you are fully ready.

Your father and I will not be fearful. God has promised us that if we do not fear and are obedient to His commands, He will pour His spirit upon you and His blessings. Our family will praise and honor Him for the blessing of your birth, and the miracle of your life, giving thanks with song.

Adapted from Isaiah 43&44
Written by: Susana Fierro-Baig

Nolan is almost 2!

2009-07-02T12:06:00.002-05:00

I can't believe Nolan is 23 months old today! Wow! Our baby is such a little man now, getting more and more independent everyday. The biggest change we've noticed in him lately is how impatient be can be. When he's ready to leave somewhere, it's right that second or all out fuss! I'm constantly redirecting and trying to explain the meaning of wait. He also is very attentive to detail. He knows what things belong to each family member (including our parents!) and if he sees something similar somewhere else, he's very quick to say ma-ma's for example. Nolan also loves playing with his matchbox cars and lining them up like a train. Although he can be very messy...he knows how to clean-up and put toys back, throw things away, put dishes in the sink, and take off his shoes when we come inside. Now if I could only keep him out of the pantry and frig. He constantly goes and helps himself to a "snack" or "juice box" whenever he wants. That gets old fast especially when it's not time to eat.

Nolan has also really mastered walking downstairs and barely holds your hand unless the steps are really big. He's also a really good climber, jumper, and dancer!! He loves music! He's not singing the words to a song yet, but I can't wait!

The most shocking thing he does at this age is putting himself to bed at night (says night-night to us and walks to him room, closes the door, and lays down!). We never saw that coming! He does this for his naps during the day too as soon as he's finished eating lunch. Amazing, huh!

Overall, Nolan is still the sweetest, most loving child who is still such a social butterfly and quick to give you a hug and kiss. I can't wait to see him interact with William :) He's going to be the best big brother!

Almost time!

2009-06-30T10:52:00.002-05:00

It seems like these past few months have flown by and now here we are, just 3 weeks away from by due date with William! Wow! I have been nesting up a storm trying to get things ready for the baby and then the contractions started. I had very mild Braxton Hicks with Nolan...but nothing like the ones I've been experiencing lately. Between all the running around, heat, and lifting a very heavy toddler...my body is trying to tell me to slow down (as did my doctor yesterday). I thought for sure I'd be dilating at my check-up yesterday from all the contractions...but little man is not ready just yet. I know he will be born on the perfect day in God's perfect time so I'm relaxing now! Feet propped up, drinking lots of water, and minimum lifting of Nolan!

I will do my best to keep you all updated as things progress. Please keep us in your prayers for a perfect labor & delivery. We can't wait to meet our little blessing!!

Nolan loves Eric's yard hat & running around in just a diaper before bath time!

Sweet boys all snuggled up :)

Preview of what's to come...Nolan thinks that Julie's activity gym is his new toy! He's been very excited about all of the baby items/toys we pulled out of our storage unit last week and points to everything and says "baby"!

A Father's Prayer: by Charley Gunter

2009-06-19T07:48:00.003-05:00

Heavenly Father, thank You for my children's salvation. Thank You for choosing them to be children of mine and Yours. Thank You that You have lavished Your riches and Your inheritance on them, although they could do nothing to earn it or deserve it.

I pray for my children's legs to walk always with You, not racing ahead, not lagging behind, not wandering off, but day-by-day walking with Jesus, so that He is their constant companion. God, take them where You want them to go and keep them from the places they shouldn't go. Give them strength to continue when they feel weak. Give them courage to keep on walking with You, even when the road ahead looks uncertain and dim. Give them grace to bridge gaps, to leap walls, to span the separations between people and groups.

I pray for my children's feet, that You would place them where You want them to stand. Plant their feet on the immovable rock of Jesus. Talk to them when storms come or the world's attractions try to lure them down its path. Whisper in their ears and to their spirits, "Stand firm."

Through my children's arms, always do Your work. Strengthen them, hold them up, and direct them to do whatever You want them to do. Make their time valuable for eternity, not just the quick flash that is the span of their days on earth.

I pray for my children's hands that they will often fold them in prayer. Make them mighty in prayer. Teach them to pray after Your own heart. Enable them to live their lives so that everyone will see Your signature, "This one is the Lord's."

Give my children the patience to wait on You, Lord, so that You may renew their spirits and they may soar as on eagle's wings.

By Your enabling power, make my children's will as strong as iron for clinging to what is good and resisting evil. Cause them to be unyielding in following righteousness and rejecting anything not pure, holy, and completely from You. Make their wills toward You as pliable as spun silk when You convict them of sin or following their own ways. Give them tender hearts and teachable spirits for You, God.

I pray for my children's character, that You will make it strong and godly. Use godly men and women to mold, shape, and weave their character, beliefs, and views of You as You want to make them.

Enable by Your grace that their conscience will be clear. I pray they will keep a short list of accounts with You and quickly acknowledge sin to You and confess their wrongs. Give them the humility to seek forgiveness from the ones they offend. Enlarge their hearts to grant forgiveness freely, even before it is asked, when they are wronged.

I pray for my children's heart, that You would guard it. Keep them protected, covered, shielded, and sheltered from all harm that seeks to touch them. Make their hearts soft when they should show compassion, firm when "tough love" is required, and always holy.

By Your power, protect their bodies. Keep them well and safe, and heal them when they are sick or injured. Hold them and comfort them when they are afraid, lonely, sad, or discouraged. Give them the strength and the courage to keep on keepin' on when they feel they cannot any longer.

I pray for my children's minds, that regarding the things of Christ they will be full of knowledge and wisdom, and regarding the things of sin they will be ignorant. Give them Your wisdom and discernment to evaluate what they see.

Light my children's eyes with the light of Christ shining within them. Filter what they will see through holy filters. Protect them and keep them, for the devil masquerades as an angel of light. Give them holy understanding to see past the surface, to see the world from Your perspective, and to respond as You would.

Father, put Your Word in my children's ears and in their hearts frequently. I pray that they will not listen to unwise counsel or foolish talk and will seek Your wisdom and Your ways all their days.

I pray for my children's mouths, that words of praise and prayer will be on their lips always. Curb them from speaking rashly or without thought, so that they will bring honor and glory to You. I pray for my children's countenances, that they will reflect Your glory and the radiance of the hope that is alive within them.

Sanctify their pocketbooks, and teach them to be good stewards of what You give them. Teach them the principles of Your economy, the way to manage and use the things that You loan them. Beyond finances and possessions, make them good stewards of their talents, time, and opportunities You send. Help them to acknowledge that everything is Yours, and because of that, they need not worry or fear loss.

I pray that they will abide in righteousness and live worthy of the One who purchased their lives from destruction and eternal death. Show them that life is in Christ alone, that there is no other source of life, joy, light, peace, comfort, love, or truth that can endure forever, and no other is pure or holy but You.

Father-God, I place all these things in Your hands in the name of the One who is able to do all things, beyond anything we ask or imagine, to whom is all glory, honor, and praise, Amen.

Summer Vacation to Seacrest Beach

2009-06-16T17:25:00.012-05:00

We took our annual beach trip with my parents this year since we haven't been on a family vacation with them since Disney World in 2003. After we booked our trip, we found out a few weeks before we left that Eric had to go to Pennsylvania for work the same week. We were so sad, but Eric decided he would come for the weekend, take me out to Cafe 30A for our 5 year Anniversary dinner, and make the most out of just 2days there. After Eric left, my family was so helpful with Nolan since I'm really pregnant (34 weeks). We had a great time, enjoyed 7 days of beautiful sunshine weather and I really got to relax. Nolan however, still hates the sand, but loves the pool. So most of our time was spent at the pool with only going to the beach 4x's while we were there. Overall, it was a great trip and it was so nice to spend quality time with my family.

Nolan and I dressed for dinner

Attempted a family pic...not so successful!

Eric and Nolan in the pool

Nolan was one thirsty boy the whole trip since it was so hot!

On our way to the beach hoping Nolan will like it!

Nonna loves dressing her grandsons in matching pj's!

Nolan with Uncle Bryan at the beach

Nolan with his Pa-Paw having fun in his boat

Jeff, Nolan, Allison & Zach

Zach & Nolan played so much together

Me & Allison

Lovin' on Pa-Paw

Nolan's yummy chocolate covered pretzel stick that he ate like corn!

It's our 5-year Wedding Anniversary!!

2009-06-05T07:37:00.000-05:00

"And they lived happily ever after..."

(I hand painted this plate for Eric and gave it to him the night of our rehearsal dinner)

I must say, 5 years ago today I woke up with butterflies in my stomach. I was so excited to say "I do" to the most incredible man I knew. I was ready to become one and ready to start our lives together as man and wife.

I still feel as if I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I couldn't have asked God for a better spouse than the one He's given me. Eric is an amazing husband who is so committed to me and the family we have started. He is a true man of his word and has always made me feel safe & secure no matter what challenges the day may bring. He is my best friend and together we make the perfect team! I always tell him how thankful I am that we work together on everything...and that's a huge part of what makes us centered and happy in our marriage through Christ.

Though today my husband and I are celebrating 5 wonderful married years together, we are looking forward to growing very old together and enjoying each new exciting year.

I’m still madly in love with Eric, and realize often how much I’m truly Blessed. I absolutely adore you babe and I am so grateful to be your wife and the mother of your children :)

June 5, 2004

May Days

2009-05-20T21:13:00.005-05:00

It seems like the past few weeks have flown by. Eric and I have been on the go non-stop for 4 weeks straight...out of town every weekend. Needless to say, we are worn out! We've been spending lots of time with family and friends and have been house hunting during the week. We're still praying for a buyer for our house in B'ham before we buy another home here. We met with our mortgage guy today and I think it seems like too big of a risk to take on 2 mortgages. So, we're going to continue to live in our apartment in Gulfport until August and then possibly rent a home if our house still has not sold by then.

Aside from getting our living arrangements in order...we went to the doctor last week and found out my due date was moved up to July 22nd. So we literally have just a few weeks before baby William is here! Please keep us in your prayers for a continued great pregnancy and perfect delivery.

My sister Allison and I with our 2 boys at Landon's 2nd Birthday party

Nolan drying off after playing on the waterslide at the birthday party

Nonna and Zach

The huge waterslide was a little big for Nolan :)

Eric teaching Nolan how to play putt-putt for the first time

Yes...that's my son with the bucket over his head at Bear Club at the Lyn Meadows Discovery Center.

Nolan's friend William from MMO decided to push him around in the kiddy wheelchair at Lyn Meadows in the small basketball area they had set up. This pic was taken right before he slammed into the gate!

Nommie and Pap-Paw's house

2009-05-10T22:26:00.008-05:00

I had a great Mother's Day weekend with my boys and visiting with Eric's family in Laurel. Nolan was spoiled rotten with lots of love and attention from Nommie and Pap-Paw! Eric and I enjoyed some alone time riding around in his mom's convertible and had a lot of fun playing outside with Nolan. I must say the heat is very trying at times when you're pretty pregnant, but I was able to catch up on some extra sleep and propped my feet up a good bit!

Nolan loves driving Pap-Paw's fishing boat in the garage

Nolan loves his new pool & water slide Nommie bought for him to play with in the hot weather

His swim trunks are almost like pants they're so long!!

Daddy decided to jump in the kiddy pool and cool off with Nolan. Priceless!

Pap-Paw bought Nolan's first play fishing pole and practices with him how to reel in a fish

Nolan got lots of new things this weekend...including a 4 wheeler that we couldn't keep him off!

Trying to help Nommie water the plants. He waters his feet instead and then tries to wipe up the water. I have to explain it's okay to spill water outside ;)

Nolan is so quick to jump in my car seat and pretend he's driving

Before we went to Nommie's house on Friday, Nolan fell asleep in his high chair while he was eating lunch. I thought it was so funny! He was worn out from playing with Mommy at the pool that morning :)

The Hill at Florence Gardens

2009-05-10T22:09:00.002-05:00

This past Thursday my friend Allison and I took the kids to play at "The Hill" at Florence Gardens (a newer neighborhood where Eric and I may build a home) and they had so much fun chasing each other and running up and down the hill! Even though it was like 90 degrees outside and super humid...the kids still enjoyed their playtime there and later at the playground until Allison and I were too hot to stand the heat any longer!

Run Nolan!! Sam and Avery are almost to the hill when he realizes they took off without him!

Finally, they all make it to the top!

Short rest break. Looking for bugs.

Back in Birmingham!

2009-05-10T21:45:00.006-05:00

Eric and I had a fun weekend in Birmingham the first of May visiting with all our friends and old neighbors. It was exciting to be back and really felt like we were coming home after being gone for a few weeks. We stayed with our dear friends Krystie, Stirling, and their precious baby girl, Julie. Our home still has not sold, but we are firmly believing and trusting in the Lord that His timing is always perfect in everything...no matter how long it seems to us sometimes. Eric and I are very faithful that the Lord is going to bless our neighbors with a great family to move into our home, and provide us the opportunity to buy a home here in Gulfport, and settle down for a few years. In the meantime, we still miss everyone and our amazing church. It was so nice to be back at 8am service that Sunday and felt so great to see everyone :)

Christine, Jill, me, Krystie & the kids (my sweet neighbors). We all walked down to a local restaurant in Chelsea when Eric and I got in Friday night.

My sweet girlfriends that I miss so much joined us with their husbands and kids for a yummy dinner at Cocina Superior

Nolan playing the kiddy piano in the toy store

This is the dress I bought for Julie at Janie and Jack to wear to a wedding at the Botanical Gardens one night we were there

Nolan had so much fun at Caroline's Birthday party at SoHo Sweets! A 2-year old in a candy store, hyped up from cake and ice cream is another story!!

It was hard to keep Nolan out of the candy jars!

Nolan loved when Julie woke up every morning. He was so sweet to her and gave her lots of kisses!

Katie's engagement party

2009-04-19T16:04:00.003-05:00

Eric and I had a great time with friends while my parents came over to babysit Nolan for the weekend. We enjoyed a yummy Italian meal with our new friends Lauren & Crosby and Allison & Brandon at Salute Friday night, and headed down to Panama City on Saturday for an engagement party. It was nice to have 2 date nights in a row (a rare occurrence these days) and Eric and I really spent some great quality time with each other. Love you so much hon!

Chris & Katie at their engagement party

After the party, one more quick shot before the night was over

Happy Easter!

2009-04-15T13:54:00.018-05:00

We had a really nice Easter weekend with family. Eric's mom came up on Friday and Saturday to visit and we went to my house for a few days after. Nolan however, has been sick since Friday with another double ear infection. He also had a reaction to the medicine they gave him and has had trouble keeping anything down since Saturday night. We went to the doctor this morning and Nolan received a shot and they scheduled him to see an ENT tomorrow to discuss getting tubes in his ears. We're so ready for our little man to be well and feel better!

Nolan was excited about the Easter bunny bringing him lots of goodies on Sunday morning, but especially liked spending time with his grandparents who he loves so much and asks for all the time now :)

Nonna & Pa-Paw on Easter Sunday

Nolan's Easter baskets (Eric's is in the center)!

Nolan trying to open his Dora the Explorer DVD

Nolan and Nommie at the Easter Egg hunt at Trinity

Family pic with our little bambino (25 weeks)

Hunting for Easter eggs

Thanks Nommie for my basket! Can't wait to use my swim diapers when I'm feeling better :)

Nolan loves Spring!

2009-04-10T12:46:00.013-05:00

Eric took Nolan t the Southern Miss scrimmage game in Ocean Springs this past week. It was Nolan's 1st football game with daddy. he had fun cheering and playing with his friend Sam in the bleachers!

Nolan worked on a few Easter projects at our play group on Tuesday. He had fun playing with play dough and eating sugar cookies (of course)! We also had an Easter Egg hunt for the kids in the backyard, but Nolan was more interested in playing with the outside toys than searching for eggs.

We spent last weekend in Hammond with my family and Nolan liked riding in Zach's wagon with Jayden while the parents enjoyed eating crawfish!

My sister's dog Doodle was tricked into taking Nolan for wagon rides up and down the driveway. That was hilarious to watch!

Nolan was a little too big for this riding toy and soon after I snapped this photo, he fell backwards and hit his head on the concrete. Scared us all...but he was okay. Nolan is a tough kid!

Surprise Mommy! I helped myself to the whole box of goldfish while you were cooking dinner. You didn't even notice the mess I was making until it was too late!

Goldfish in one hand, sippy cup in the other. Hat & sunglasses in place while I'm watching Elmo's World in the car. This is the good life!

We took Nolan to the Strawberry Festival and it was his first time to ride rides. He LOVED it!!! Daddy however, is a little too big for the teacups!

63 words

2009-04-03T11:17:00.002-05:00

Last night Eric and I were discussing how much Nolan's vocab has increased lately and we decided to sit down an make a list of all the words he knows how to say. I'm sure there are more, but here's 63 we knew of:

1. Momma
2. Dada
3. Nonna
4. Pa-Paw
5. Pap-Paw
6. dog
7. cat
8. duck
9. bath
10. hat
11. water
12. juice
13. roll
14. on
15. down
16. hot
17. teeth
18. ball
19. bat
20. Oh no!
21. tee-tee
22. George
23. Elmo
24. that
25. hi
26. hey
27. bye-bye
28. shoe
29. sock
30. boat
31. car
32. truck
33. bike
34. stop
35. book
36. hello
37. Dora
38. baby
39. blue
40. milk
41. no, no
42. stuck
43. bird
44. wet
45. dirty
46. stinky
47. door
48. plane
49. wow
50. Whit
51. moon
52. Zach
53. why
54. yay
55. please
56. more
57. Amen
58. I know
59. All done
60. All gone
61. thank you
62. night, night
63. choo-choo

Nolan at 20 months

2009-04-02T11:10:00.013-05:00

Nolan turned 20 months old today. He's 33 1/2 inches long and weighs 33.5 pounds. Eric and I have noticed how chatty he has gotten and how quickly he is learning new words and increasing comprehension skills. He loves to mock anything you do or say in the same tone (ex. Oh no! Thank you, Stop, stop!) ...immediately afterwards, and has really gotten to be a pro at bringing you whatever you ask him to (ex. Nolan bring me your guitar, go give this plate to daddy, throw this away). He has recently started to identify the letter N and O (practicing in alphabet books and pointing to the N and O on the Sony TV!).

Last night he was jumping on the sofa and I started singing the "No More Monkey's" song and he ran to his room and brought back his book on 5 little monkey's jumping on the bed! Eric and I were so proud that he associated the two and knew exactly what book that song was in. Nolan has also started playing better on his own in his room. I can often find him flipping through his books babbling, racing his cars and trucks across the floor, and pretending to eat the plastic fruit in his kitchen set saying "um mm good"!

He has also increased his love for Elmo & Curious George. He wants me to play the Elmo DVD every time we get into the car and will point and say Elmo until I press play. He also watches Sesame Street everyday at 4pm and gets so excited when Elmo's World comes on at 4:30pm. In the morning, he is glued to the TV for Curious George as he slowly drinks his milk & eats breakfast. He also has replaced his lovie with Elmo and wants to snuggle with him before going to sleep.

Overall, Nolan has gotten more active everyday and really enjoys being outside...especially at the park where he can climb, climb, climb!! This morning I had to fuss at him for standing on the kitchen table holding our crystal vase saying, "Oh, no" as he's about t drop it! I must say Nolan has really broken us in for baby brother on the way. Our next step is putting Nolan in his toddler bed and starting the basics of potty training.

The Sneaky Chef

2009-04-01T11:31:00.003-05:00

Another resource to getting your kids & family to get more healthy is The Sneaky Chef to the Rescue: More Simple Strategies for Getting Your Kids Eating Right. This book includes 101 recipes and sneaky tricks for creating healthy meals your family will love. Missy Chase Lapine, the author, has several other NY Times bestselling books on this topic and I'm looking forward to reading her latest book & getting inspired more! Her website www.thesneakychef.com.

Deceptively Delicious

2009-04-01T11:12:00.003-05:00

The last few months I've had a hard time feeding Nolan his veggies and he's gotten very quick to look at them and say "no" as he swings his head away. Now that he's doing really well feeding himself at mealtimes, he will eat everything except the vegetables on his plate. So, last year I saw Jessica Seinfield on the Today Show promoting her book Deceptively Delicious and thought at the time...I need to go buy that! Like most things I see and like, I forget about it until I see it again. Well, I came across her book the other day and snatched it off the shelf!! I couldn't wait to get home and start reading through the recipes and getting inspired to cook healthy for Nolan without him even knowing. Not only has this book taught me how to be sneaky with getting veggies in, but Eric and I are eating it too...not even tasting the difference! I really enjoy cooking and this book has gotten me so excited about our next mealtime and developing my own shortcuts/recipes along the way. It's funny now when we sit at the table as a family to eat and Eric asks, "so what's deceptive about this?" It just makes me smile as I know I'm feeding them with healthy ingredients and doing something really great for them in a small way :)

Hanging around this town

2009-03-15T19:46:00.007-05:00

Nolan loves his baby cousin Zachary
Nolan protects Zachary from falling off his chair
Eric & I at the Hard Rock after dinner at Ruth Chris
Our good friends Nicole and Jason joined us for dinner

Nolan hates the sand!
He wants to play at the beach, but hates how the sand feels on his feet

After our usual 4 mile walk on the beach sidewalk, I got Nolan to warm up to being on the beach. He was smiling this time! He actually walked back to the car through the sand this time with no shoes on. I was so proud!

Nolan at 19 months

2009-03-03T08:10:00.004-06:00

Nolan has been such a trooper these last few weeks and has really adapted well to change considering our hectic schedule with moving, packing, and staying with his Nommie for 5 days...the longest time we have ever left him. He is such a blessing to our lives and we are so thankful to God for entrusting us with him. We think Nolan is really going to enjoy living close to the beach and being a small car ride away from his grandparents. Now that we are settled, I'll start snapping new pics of our outings and activities.

IT'S A BOY!!!

2009-03-02T12:33:00.002-06:00

Before Eric and I left Birmingham on Friday to move to Gulfport, we had one last doctor's appointment with Dr. Duke for our anatomy scan. I think Eric and I were both shocked when she said, "It's a Boy!". My pregnancy this time around has been so different from my first that I truly thought it must be a girl. Anyhow, we are so excited to have another boy and can't wait for Nolan to have a playmate and best buddy for the rest of his life. I think it's such a blessing that we were able to conceive so quickly this time around and he is a perfect example of our strong faith and commitment to God's plan for our life, despite my small medical condition that may have caused fear to have more children. I think of this precious baby boy as "God's Will" and therefore Eric and I are going to name him William.

Our Farewell Party

2009-02-23T08:55:00.004-06:00

On Saturday night we gathered with our dear friends (The Borhorfoush's, Huffstetler's, Johnson's, Jonas', Tidwell's, McKenzie's, Green's, and Nix's) for a farewell send off party before we move to Gulfport this week. Leaving all of them is the absolute hardest thing we have ever had to do, but we know our friendships with them will last a lifetime. We have so many roots here and have called Birmingham home since 2002. Moving to Gulfport is a great career opportunity for Eric, and it will put us a lot closer to family...so for that we are very grateful. We are all called at one point in our life to leave our "comfort zone" in order to go where God is leading us. Eric and I are very obedient to God's plan for our life and have felt His hand over us throughout this whole process/new journey He is leading us to. We are going to miss this town so much, especially Church of the Highlands. As Eric and I walked out the main entrance of church yesterday morning with tears rolling down our faces...we knew and felt that God was taking us away for a reason and all we could do was thank him for what lies ahead.

Nolan & Whit

2009-02-15T19:14:00.003-06:00

My best friend Lizzy and I see each other pretty often during the week, so our kids have grown up playing together from day one. Nolan just loves Whit and always gets so excited everytime he sees him. 2 weeks ago we took the kids to the park and I snapped a few pics of Nolan trying to do everything Whit was doing. They kinda posed for a pic at the end.

The Monkey's Treehouse - Nashville

2009-02-15T18:51:00.006-06:00

Our last fun play day in Nashville was on Thursday so I decided to take Nolan to this huge indoor playground called The Monkey's Treehouse. This place was incredible...every child's dream... and I believe they should have one in every town across America! It was just that cool! The main feature in this giant playroom was a huge wooden treehouse that had 4 different rooms the kids could climb into, a wiggly bridge for the kids to cross at the top before going down 1 of 2 swirly slides, and a rope climbing wall coming down in the back. There was also a big sandbox, lots of tumbling and climbing squares that Nolan could crawl into, over, or on top of - a huge hit with him! There was also a small art center, a pretend grocery store and full kitchen area and a whole lot of other play stations that could keep any child busy for hours. Nolan had a blast the 2 hours we were there and came home to take a 4 hour nap!! Needless to say he played really hard and I was right behind him snapping lots of pictures while he explored!

Nolan at 18 months

2009-02-15T15:45:00.004-06:00

I've been such a bad blogger the last 2 months and just realized I forgot to post Nolan's 18 month pics on Feb. 2nd! Anyhow, he's a full blown toddler, getting into absolutely anything and everything...including climbing onto bigger pieces of furniture and quickly up stairs. He's extremely active so we have to keep a close eye on him at the park or anytime we're outside of the house. Nolan has also picked up an increased interest in cars and had to play in a sporty 2 seat convertible last night for 2 hours while Eric bought a new truck. He thought we were taking the sports car home and was very upset when it was time to leave! He also has a new love for Curious George and Elmo...saying their names frequently these days. Aside from his active side, he has also increased his vocab and tries to repeat most things we say when we ask "Nolan can you say....", and loves for you to point at pictures and have him repeat what they are in his books.

Julia Ann Shirah

2009-02-15T15:36:00.006-06:00

Our neighbors and dear friends the Shirah's welcomed their first born, Julia Ann "Julie", on February 6th. She is so precious and we couldn't wait to meet her! Nolan missed Mrs. Krystie so much that he had to climb in the bed with her to give her a hug & kiss! Here's a few pics from our hospital visit:

Exploring Nashville

2009-01-31T10:11:00.012-06:00

Nolan and I went up with Eric to Brentwood, TN on January 17th and just returned home on Thursday. We had so much fun while Eric was at work exploring the area and finding new things to do. our first stop was the Maryland Farms YMCA. We decided to join for a month to give us something to do indoors. This is by far the nicest gym I have ever been in and we're really enjoying being members.

I also have taken Nolan to the Nashville Public Library for toddler storytime in their beautiful Children's Theater.

Nolan also liked storytime at the Brentwood Public Library where he participated in a craft, storytime, singing songs, and making new friends.

While we were there, I also took Nolan to get his first hair-cut at Sweet & Sassy Children's Salon. He was a pretty good sport and only fussed when the hairdresser sprayed his hair wet and made him look down to trim the back. Overall, it was a pretty good experience and Nolan had a lot of fun playing around the salon!

Since there were lots of new restaurants in the area we had not been to before, we ate out often trying a few new places.We ate at the Aquarium Restaurant for my birthday. Nolan was amazed by all the hundreds of fish that surrounded us at our table. He loved it and the food was really good too! We also went shopping at the Mall at Green Hills and the Cool Springs Galleria where I was able to spend some birthday money buying a few things for myself!

Nolan also made a new friend (Dean) at a local park on the only day he could play outside. The warmest day we were there was 51 degrees! His mom Christy invited us over for playgroup the next day and Nolan loved playing on their keyboard!

Overall, we kept pretty busy despite the cold weather outside. We did experience a few snowy & icy days and I would laugh as we would walk outside to the car and Nolan would point and say "snow momma". He first thought it was rain and then quickly learned the difference!

21 days of prayer & fasting

2009-01-11T16:40:00.002-06:00

Today begins the start of 21 days of Prayer & Fasting with our church. I have decided to fast 2 things I really enjoy...the internet & dessert. Since I'm a blogger, I'll be checking back in 3 weeks with updates and pics from life in Nashville. In the meantime, keep Eric in your prayers as he starts his job training tomorrow for 60-90 days before we relocate to Gulfport, MS.

On a side note, Nolan has mastered how to climb out of his crib already at 17 months! Eric was able to lower the base one more notch, so hopefully that will help. If not, looks like I will be figuring out how to convert his crib to a toddler bed this week! Good times! The pregnancy is going great and I go for my 11 week check-up tomorrow. I'll post again in 21 days!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T18:48:00.007-06:00

We're finally home after being on the road for the past 11 days! We left our house on Christmas day and traveled to Laurel, Hattiesburg, Hammond, New Orleans (where Eric and I spent a few nights at the Loews Hotel), then we went to Gulfport to house hunt on 2 different days, and finally we made it back to Birmingham yesterday afternoon. We were on the road a lot, but had a wonderful time with family & friends. Now we're beginning the packing process of the house this week as Eric starts his new job in Nashville on Monday. Nolan and I will go up the following week and we will continue to come home on the weekends until our house sells. Needless to say...it's going to be a pretty busy new year for the Robinson's!!

We're Moving to Nashville!

2008-12-19T15:30:00.002-06:00

Eric has decided to accept a job offer from Select Medical Corporation (Long-term acute care hospital system) after much prayer and trusting in God's perfect timing. He will be training in Nashville for at least 3 months starting January 12th. Nolan and I will move with him and we will continue to travel back to Birmingham on the weekends until our house sells. Once his training is complete, he will be the new CEO of Select Specialty Hospital in Gulfport, MS. It's an amazing opportunity for Eric and we will only be 1 1/2 hours away from each of our families...which will be such a huge blessing with another baby on the way! So looks like we'll be season tickets holders this year for Southern Miss! We're really looking forward to being a lot closer to college friends and finding a great church to quickly become involved with because we're going to miss Highlands like crazy.. (I'm sure we'll be watching the podcast weekly!!).

Anyhow, we've got a lot going on in the meantime with Christmas, traveling, and packing! We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and will post pictures soon!

We're expecting again!!

2008-12-15T12:35:00.002-06:00

Looks like Nolan is going to be a big brother next summer!! We went to the doctor today for my 1st prenatal visit and I'm measuring 7 1/2 weeks with a due date of July 31st. The baby had a heartbeat of 156 (Nolan's was 132) and everything looked perfect :) This pregnancy has been very different from the last and I've been very nauseated mostly in the afternoon just about everyday. I was never sick a day with Nolan...so this is all new to me! Hopefully, it will all pass soon and I'll get back to feeling normal very soon :)

We also may be moving out of state for Eric's job sometime shortly after the New Year. We will keep you posted on our whereabouts and will email out our new info. Please keep us in your prayers as we are about to make some life-changing decisions.