BabIES Kunes

Crisp and Cold Sunday Morning

2012-02-12T13:31:00.001-08:00

Brrrr! It snowed last night, and it was COLD this morning. Nobody minded posing for a picture in the snowy yard, though. Robert had already been up and out playing in it at 7:30 in the morning! He had been praying it would snow all winter so far, and finally, what a blessing for him...my little Oconomowoc-born snow lover!
Click on the picture to see it in full--not sure why it cuts Robert off in the post.

Lillian has a special announcement!

2012-02-11T06:19:00.001-08:00

Christmas Morning

2012-01-01T06:01:00.001-08:00

Presents? Oh yeah, we had presents! Family? Yep, MaBop and PaBop came for a visit! Food? You betcha! The best parishioners in the whole world filled our house with everything from a beef tenderloin dinner down to all the sweets you can dream up! We had all of it and even some not so fun stuff, too. We had throwing up on Christmas Eve (Robert caught his first stomach bug EVER--Lillian about 36 hours later). Was it a good Christmas, though? It was. We are slowly getting used to Rob's Christmas work schedule. It was so nice to have my parents here to help me on Christmas Eve while Rob worked. And nobody really minded taking a break on Christmas morning for Rob to go to work for a bit. In fact, Robert and Lillian could have been quite happy with about 1/4 of all the presents they got! It got to the point where we were begging Robert to open more to just get done with it, and he was refusing and just over it! Overall, Robert still wasn't all that into Christmas traditions this year. He just acted sort of overwhelmed by it all. And Lillian didn't have a clue. So while we definitely plan on making some changes for next year, like paring down, focusing more on Jesus' birth and less on secular traditions, following advent and preparing gradually for Christmas rather than all at once and way too early, etc., we had a wonderful Christmas!

Visit with Santa

2011-12-19T06:19:00.001-08:00

Boy did we have fun visiting with Santa at the Jordan's last night! Robert was so excited anticipating the party where it was said that Santa just might show up. He was such a good boy all day long! He thought about what he would say to Santa and had it all planned out. And when Santa walked in the room, he was paralyzed in mid-cookie eating. He finished his green cookie as fast as I have ever seen him eat. He even wiped his hands and mouth when I whispered that he wouldn't want to mess up Santa's outfit. He sat right on the floor at his feet, and when Molly read Twas the Night Before Christmas, Robert couldn't keep his eyes off of Santa. He was looking him up and down with a cute grin on his face. He was completely enamored! When it was time for the children to take turns sitting on Santa's lap, Robert was first in line! He climbed right up there, and the whole room was quiet. Santa asked him to tell everyone his name. He said, "My middle name is Mitchell Kunes, the fird. And...my....last name is Robert." Then he said loud and clear that he wanted that "marble fing" for Daddy and a talking Spiderman. And then he shut down. He couldn't remember anything else he planned to say. He was completely overwhelmed. He hopped down, and he promptly lost interest in Santa and began to inhale the big candy cane Santa gave him. I could kick myself that I left the camera in the diaper bag that got swept upstairs with the coats upon our arrival. We got a few not so great pictures. Better than nothing, I guess. Lillian did not want anything to do with Santa. Every time I asked her if she wanted to sit on Santa's lap or go near him, she said loud and clear, "Nooo!" Rob finally took her up to him and she was stiff and kept whimpering, "no". She sure didn't have any problems with the big ole candy cane, though. What a fun night! Many thanks to the Jordan's and to Santa for taking time out of his busy schedule to visit with us last night.

Lillian Lately

2011-12-17T12:44:00.001-08:00

She's cute, too! She's fearless and funny and full of life!!! And no, I didn't tell her to kiss that little elf thing in that picture...I busted her up there kissing him all by herself. And yes, I was grossed out that she put the net in her mouth. Really grossed out!!!!

Robert Lately

2011-12-17T07:09:00.001-08:00

Had to share these pictures that our friend Raj took at the church Christmas pageant and a birthday party at My Gym. Isn't he just precious? I could squeeze that cutie all day and it wouldn't be enough. What a blessing beyond all measure are my children!

Tis the Season

2011-12-16T13:30:00.001-08:00

What we've been doing lately:
Caroling with church
Baking cookies and treats
Learning about Jesus' birth
Talking about Santa and his reindeer a little...but not that interested, yet.
Kinda ignoring the elves on the shelf...much to the disappointment of Aunt Julie who sent the movie and an elf book to perk their interest (I think it's just a lot of tradition to take in all at once--information overload)
Making paper ornaments and Christmas crafts
Wearing Christmas pjs
Listening to Christmas songs--each one is Robert's favorite, he tells me (and I totally get it--they are all my favorites, too)
Decorating the whole house with lots of colored lights and Christmas stuff
Being a sheep in the church Christmas pageant (even though he wanted to be a tiger...or a horse, "cause they had horses back then, Mom!")
Riding around looking at Christmas lights
Eating too much candy and treats!
Overall just havin' a great time preparing for Christmas!

Halloween Rewind

2011-11-26T18:25:00.001-08:00

So I just got a new ipad, thanks to an early Christmas present from my wonderful mother and father-in-law. Goodbye slow computer, hello fast and convenient new addiction! With the help of the Blogger app, I can now write blog posts and upload pics in no time flat! I know I'm backtracking a bit, but I had been meaning to do a Halloween post. Aunt Julie sent the cutest costumes to Robert and Lillian. Lillian looked adorable as a little lamb and adored showing off when we went to hand out pretzels at a local nursing home. Robert just couldn't decide what he wanted to be. The cowboy costume was precious and even had spurs, but Spiderman won when it came to Halloween night. He still likes to play Cowboy dress up around the house--and Spiderman, for that matter!

Playin in the Rain

2011-11-24T17:12:00.001-08:00

Rainy day blues not so blue when ya got rain boots, spidey jammies, and an umbrella. Let it rain!!!

A Busy Morning

2011-10-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

First Day of School!

2011-09-14T10:14:00.000-07:00

Robert's angel just had to be in the picture. No matter how many I took at different angles, this streak of light would not leave!

He picked out his outfit. He wanted green so his teacher would know it was his favorite color!

Daddy came downstairs from an early morning meeting to come in with Robert on his first day of school!

Well, I made it through the first day of school! He is attending Children's House of Galilee (a Montessori school at our church). I wasn't at all worried about Robert. Of course, he had no problems at all. It was just hard on Mom to let him go. I did well, thanks to lots of moms and kids around to keep me from losing it. I didn't want to embarrass myself! Rob also scheduled a prayer appointment for me directly after dropping him off--and that really helped a lot. Lillian and I then went for a quick handbell practice, a nice walk, a smoothie, and a walk at the oceanfront. Keeping busy really helped me make it to 11 for early pickup. Usually school will be from 8:45 to 12:15, Tues.-Fri. (we're opting to take Mon. off so we can all be together on Daddy's day off) but for the first few days, the newbies only go til 11.

Robert seemed to have fun. Here are a few things he said about his first day:

"My favorite thing at school today was the puzzles. What was your favorite, Mom?"

"All the kids were naughty." "They kept taking down stuff they weren't allowed to touch. Grownup toys."

"They didn't say welcome to me. Oh wait, they did welcome me."

"The lights went out." "Miss Jackie made them go out." "To remind the kids to keep it quiet." "I reminded my own self to keep quiet."

That's all I could get out of him so far. I'm sure more will come in time. He drew a green picture today and his teacher noticed he was left-handed. Just like Unka Davey!

Here's to a great school year for my Big Boy Robert. May God bless Him, teach Him, and shine His light through him each and every day!

Slow Down!

2011-09-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

Slow down, life. Speed up, computer. That pretty much sums up why I haven't posted in 4 months. My poor, ailing computer can't keep up with the speed of two growing children and a busy life. I finally hijacked Rob's computer over this past weekend so that I can attempt to update the blog. There's so much to say and only so much time to type. So here it goes...

We traveled a lot this summer. As it turns out, despite our rigid routine at home, our family travels quite well! We spent almost two weeks visiting family and friends in Charleston. We came back for only a few weeks before leaving again for Family Ministry Camp at St. Christopher on Seabrook Island, SC. We came home from that trip, celebrated Robert's birthday, then left again for a two week trip to Atlanta to visit family. And finally, we ended the summer with a nice visit from Nona and Pops and a 1st birthday celebration for Lillian. The children proved to be great on long car rides, airplane rides, and in hotel rooms! We were all pleasantly surprised and can't wait to travel more with them!

Robert seems to be changing almost daily. He enjoyed a dinosaur themed beach birthday bash with all of his friends. Age 3 is proving to be much more challenging than 2 as far as boundary testing. He's spending lots of time on the naughty mat, which he hates. He's quite full of it lately. He told me the other day that if I put him on the naughty mat he would pee on it. And sure enough, he did just that. He pulled his pants off and peed right on it! And he got just what I promised he would if he did it: a spanking. We save spanking for very rare occasions, and boy was he surprised when he got one! Despite some healthy boundary testing, he's really still a sweet boy who is full of questions and gaining quite a big vocabulary. Just the other day he asked me if when we died and went to Heaven would we see the dinosaurs there since they are all "estinked" now. That was a hard one that Daddy later told me he was relieved I took care of myself and didn't send his way. They didn't cover that in seminary. I told him that God didn't really say in the Bible so we would just have to ask God when we got to Heaven. He's really into dinosaurs, robots, and Spiderman. He tries new words all the time. He told me yesterday that he "prefers" his big blanket. Obviously, he is ready for school. He's starting a Montessori program at our church on Wednesday. I know he'll love it!

Lillian is a wild little girl. She's been walking since she was about 10 1/2 months old. She is power walking, now, but she hasn't quite figured out how to run. She will climb on anything with no fear and especially loves the rare treat of climbing stairs when she is around some. We don't have any at our house. She is finally communicating with sign language and trying to say all kinds of words, though only I can tell what she's trying to say. She signs eat, milk, more, and dog. You know, the important ones. She also makes a woof woof sound when she sees the dogs. She loves her baby dolls and can hug, rock, and pat them. She enjoys taking them on stroller rides around the house. She's still a bit more challenging than Robert was, especially during the day as she wants to be held a lot and throws tantrums when her needs are not met. She screams, throws herself down, and has even banged her head on the floor on purpose. She's a much better sleeper than Robert was, though. She loves to go "nie nie," and even eagerly repeats it when you say it to her. She goes down after a quick nursing and sleeps at least 12 uninterrupted hours per night. She takes an afternoon nap of about 1 to 2 hours. That's pretty amazing in our household where Robert still doesn't sleep great. She is still a big girl. She weighed 25 1/2 at her 1 year old appointment. I was actually relieved that she didn't triple her birth weight as many babies do. That would have put her over 30 pounds. She's heavy enough as it is! She's a sweet thing, though, and gives lots of cuddles and hugs to anyone who is near her and willing. She'll walk right up to a stranger, and if he opens his arms, she'll go right into them for a hug and a kiss. Sweet, but kinda scary. Gotta watch her closely at the park!

There is so much more to say. I will hopefully get my hands on Rob's computer more often. It's even harder to play catch up after 4 months than it is to do a quick post each week!

Check out the FOUR new picture albums I put up over there to the left under Picture Albums. Plus, I added two new videos as well! Enjoy!

Our Newest Little Christian!

2011-05-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

"Lillian Grace, you are sealed by the Holy Spirit in Baptism and marked as Christ's own Forever." Hearing those words at any baptism brings tears of joy to my eyes every time. Praise God that another person receives the Holy Spirit and will be brought up to love and serve the Lord! But hearing them spoken by Rob's best friend and Lillian's Godfather, Fr. Dagnall Free, was so unbelievably special! I know that he and his wife Sallie will join us in praying for and raising Lillian to follow Jesus all the days of her life. They are special friends given to us by God, and they have walked with us already through so much! Lillian's baptism was truly a joyous occasion. All of her grandparents and her Uncle David were there to witness her spiritual birth. And perhaps most special of all, her Daddy got to baptize her! She was so happy during the service. She just beamed when I walked her up the aisle to introduce her to the congregation as the newly baptized! What an amazing day for the Kunes family! Praise God!

Lillian with Fr. Dagnall and Sallie Free, her godparents

I hope and pray that she will always be this proud of her Christian identity and that each day she will grow closer to Jesus!

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

2011-04-28T04:19:00.001-07:00

Well, I've been really good about uploading pictures to the blog, as you can see in the newest album over there to the left under "Picture Albums." But I haven't taken time to write any updates, and there are a few.

Lillian is on the go and has been for about 3 weeks now. She is a wild girl and gets into everything. She's already swallowed some packing tape, which she promptly threw up along with everything else in her stomach. Thank God for that safety feature of our bodies. We finally set up the pack and play to use as a play pen when we can't be in the room with her. This was a lot easier when we lived in a shoebox apartment with a crawling baby. Robert didn't get into much because it was so easy to watch him in such a small area. I think Lillian is a bit wilder than he was, though, so we've got our hands full with her!

You may have noticed that I mentioned packing tape. Yes, we are moving AGAIN! We cannot sell our house in Charleston at this time with this market, so we are renting it. Thus, we have to continue renting here in Virginia Beach. When we chose our current rental house, we were under a time crunch and didn't realize that the street that our backyard faces is very busy and LOUD. We can't even have a conversation in our backyard. The thought of staying here for a few more years was pretty dreadful, though we like the house itself. We decided to look for another rental, and thank God we found a good one in a very nice neighborhood. It should be much quieter! And our landlord agreed to build a fence for us! Rob and our contractor friend helped build it on Holy Saturday of all days. Yeah, that was the only day that would work for the landlord and his buddies, and we needed to get it in before we moved. It was a crazy day for Rob as he got up early to start working on the fence, quickly changed into clericals to rush to the Egg Hunt at church to give a quick homily, and rushed back to help finish the fence before the Vigil at 8. He had just enough time to grab a bite before he got back into his clericals and headed back to church for the two hour Easter Vigil. Bless his heart, it was a wild day, but they got the fence done!

Rob's first Holy Week as a priest was busy and exhausting for him, but I think Nashotah House did a great job preparing him for it. It was lots better for me and the children, though, because we had Rob's parents here for the week. Instead of struggling to take care of two children by myself all week, Rob's mom was here and we enjoyed all kinds of fun activities. And then his dad came up on Thurs., and we had a great weekend together.

Well, I think that pretty much covers it for now, and the children are starting to notice that I'm having some alone time here on the computer :) God Bless you all!

Crawling in a dress is not easy. Get this thing off of me!

Mmmmm....I love candy!

Our new rental house!

Feel Better Soon, Aunt Julie

2011-04-20T16:58:00.001-07:00

Dear Aunt Julie,

We made an album entitled "Spring 2011" just for you! It's over to the left under Picture Albums. Click on it and it will take you to lots of new pictures. We love you and hope that you get to feeling better very soon!

Love,

Robert and Lillian, Rob and Julie, and Nona

Lillian Seven Month Update

2011-03-25T05:21:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Lillian went for her checkup this week. It was supposed to be her 6 month checkup, but due to scheduling issues, it was a 7 month checkup. She topped the charts at 21 lbs. 9 oz. and 28 in. She's very healthy except for some minor allergy symptoms. She constantly rubs her eyes to the point of distraction and waking herself up, so the doc gave us some eye drops. They seem to help as she gives us more than two hour sleep stretches at night. Her record is about 5 hours, but she's inconsistent at this point. In other news, a cute little tooth finally popped through: the bottom middle one. She hasn't started crawling, yet, but she's still doing pushups and rolling around like crazy. She's also actually enjoying her food lately. It took a few days of trying, but she now gets excited to eat a bit in the morning and late afternoon. She's had brown rice, barley, and oatmeal as well as bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes. It's been fun getting back into puree making. I hope to get even more adventurous with her than with Robert, but we'll see what she likes. Robert didn't end up doing purees for very long as he was more interested in finger foods.

Anyway, enjoy these pics of her eating and wearing her new summer bonnet that Aunt Julie just sent. It's so cute and reminds me of the ones I wore when I was little.

Milestones

2011-03-15T06:44:00.001-07:00

It's a big week at the Kunes' House! Robert is starting to toilet train this week. I took a picture of him in his new boxers. We had a serious talk about the commitment to wear underwear and not diapers, to strive for dryness, and to take the final steps out of babyhood. He said he was up to the challenge....and then peed in his underwear about 10 minutes later. Nice. It's gonna be a long week. I'd appreciate your prayers.

In other less messy news, Lillian is our house superhero this week. She's been doing push ups and trying to crawl already! She'll be 7 months in 3 days. While I'm glad she's progressing, I'm not ready to chase a crawling baby, yet! She still hasn't gotten those teeth we thought were coming in a few months ago, but she's working on a bottom middle tooth. It's just about to pop through the gums, and she's not happy. That molar that's visible just under the gums never came in. So this could be a big month for her: crawling and teeth. Should be fun! Right?!

Look Who's Sitting Up Tall!

2011-02-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

Only two more days until my little girl turns 6 months old! I can't believe how fast time is flying. I know, all parents say that. But it seems to be going much faster with two children than it did with just Robert. While I'm glad that Lillian is getting older and much less "sensitive," I was thinking just last night that I no longer really have an infant. And for about one second, I was nostalgic and a bit sad. Then I looking at her happy, healthy, smiling face. This age suits Lillian much better than infancy! She is laughing and smiling (mostly at the Kunes boys) all the time. She just loves to watch her brother play. He is starting to love her more and more, too. He's always loved "his baby," but he's actually trying to play with her these days. He sits next to her on the floor and plays with her toys with her. He tickles her toes and fingers and is quite gentle with her (for a two year-old). She especially loves it when he puts his face right near hers and lets her grab his curls. One would think it would hurt (it does when she grabs my hair), but he loves it and laughs! So basically, at six months Lillian is happier than she's ever been, loving life, and loving her family. Happy six month birthday my sweet girl!

Lillian's Take on Life Lately

2011-02-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

So I bet you're wondering what we've been up to lately here at the Kunes household. Well, it's been exciting, as always! Just last night we had a fire truck at our house! Mommy and Daddy burnt our Super Bowl chicken wings on the grill and someone from the busy road behind our house called the Fire Dept. when they saw the smoke. Boy was Robert excited when he had his own personal tour around the fire truck! I was just excited about the pretty lights.

My brother got a new big boy bed! He's sleeping so well in it--no problems at all. You'll notice that the sheets are pink. They are Dora sheets and came with the bed that Mommy found for cheap on Craigslist. Robert loves Diego AND Dora, so he was thrilled with the sheets. I figure he'll give them to me when he decides it's not cool to sleep on pink sheets! I got his old crib. I don't like it at all. I still prefer the double bed I share with Mommy. But she's going to start making me sleep in my crib very soon. Boo!

My brother's been taking pictures. He got this close up of me. Pretty good, huh?!

Here we are on a lazy Saturday just playing. Robert likes to be in all pictures, so here he is in front of me.

Here I am playing with my toy that Mom figured out how to hook onto the swing. It's supposed to go on a stroller, but hey, this works!

Here is Robert building "tall towers." He builds them up and knocks them down while I watch. I can't wait until I'm big enough to knock them down!

I love this thing! If I'm not busy swinging myself in my swing, it's my favorite. Yep, you read correctly. I figured out how to move my body back and forth to swing myself in the swing. It's fun! We'll have to get a video of it...

Robert and I were sick for a very long week. We had cold symptoms, but he had a fever for 6 days straight! Boy are we glad that we're feeling better--FINALLY!

Here's my new exersaucer that Mom found on Craigslist for cheap! I love it!

Robert and Mommy have been making fruit smoothies for breakfast and popsicles with the leftovers. Can't wait til I can have some of these! Only a few more weeks before I can start trying solid foods!

My Daddy built this "train table" for Robert. They had fun building it together. Robert likes to play all kinds of things on it. My Daddy is so clever! Robert wants to be just like him when he grows up. He even told him that he's going to grow up to be a Daddy Priest, too. Boy does Robert melt Daddy's heart. Robert told me I could grow up to be a Mommy. That sounds good to me. I'm certainly a Mommy's girl!

This is Robert eating his black eyed peas, black beans, and collard greens on New Year's Day. We all ate them for good luck. Well, mine came in the form of Mommy milk, but it's still good luck!

Mommy couldn't resist this shot of my chunky thighs. This picture does not do them justice. I'm a big girl, but I'm nowhere near as big as my brother was at this age.

A baby in a sassy black frock? Not sure about this one....but I'm pretty cute in whatever I'm wearing!

My brother has been quite the artist lately. He finger paints in the nude...how very Jackson Polluck-esque!

Well, that's about it for us. We'll check back in with you after I turn 6 months, coming up very soon. Can you believe how fast I'm growing? We can't!

Guess What We Did Today!

2011-01-03T13:02:00.000-08:00

Those who really know me won't believe it's true. But IT IS! We got Robert's hair cut--a little. He was a complete angel. It didn't hurt that they had cool chairs to sit in, lollipops, and a train table to play on while you waited. He actually loved it. And I held it together as best I could. I purposefully wore mascara so that I wouldn't let myself cry. The sweet lady who cut it was so sensitive. She at least acted like she loved his curls as much as we do. She cut them ever so gently and sparingly! Some military family went before us and had their baby's four curls cut into what the mom called a "boy haircut." I was a bit worried the stylist would think I was there for the same. I wanted to tell her that if that was the "boy haircut" we'd opt for the "girl haircut." I didn't have to, though, because I think from the look of Robert's mophead she could tell I wasn't going to part with those curls very easily. She cut just enough to get it out of his eyes and get rid of the tangles. She was also careful to heed my warning about cutting the top too short and creating a mullet. She did a beautiful, uniform cut. He's just as cute as ever! Thank you Pigtails and Crewcuts! You helped us through a huge milestone, and Mommy did just fine. Now on to toilet training...

Christmas Highlights

2011-01-03T12:18:00.001-08:00

Haven't had a chance to really blog much about our Christmas holiday. Christmas Eve was kinda rocky. It was my first as a priest's wife. It was lonely out there in the congregation by myself with the children. We didn't make it past the Prelude, either, since both children started melting down. I took the children home and at least took their pictures since they were all dressed up. It was a sad evening. Rob did come home between the 5p.m. and the 9p.m. services to help me get them to bed. He came home again around 12:30 that night to find Lillian and me passed out in front of White Christmas. I think it's going to take a while to get used to Rob working on big family holidays. I tried to think about Mary and Joseph and the celebration of Jesus' birth, but I was still lonely.

It all picked up the next day when Rob's parents arrived and really helped the celebration get started. We had a great few days with them, and it turned out to be a family filled holiday after all.

Four Month Old Lillian

2010-12-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

Our sweet baby girl is already four months! She's smiling all the time and laughing now. She finally likes to play with toys without getting too overwhelmed, and she can roll over both ways. She loves to watch her brother and smile at him. I hope this means that they'll be good friends. She's still what I like to call a "sensitive" baby, which is really just a nice way to say she's pretty needy. She and I still sleep together, though I'm proud to report that she has been moved to her "own" room right next to her brother's room, which is a step in the right direction. We're no longer sequestered in the spare room on the other side of the house! She and I sleep in her new room on a double bed. She's taking more naps by herself in her cosleeper bed throughout the day, but winter colds and teething (she's getting her molars first!) have set us back from doing any major nighttime sleep training. The doctor says don't expect much until Spring. She's doing much better throughout the day, though, as far as sitting by herself, playing, and being generally happy when all of her immediate needs have been met. She's weighing in at 16 lbs. 9 oz., which is 3 lbs. below her brother when he was four months. But she's as healthy as can be! We love her bunches and bunches. Robert still calls her "my baby" and asks where she is if he hasn't seen her in a while. I've also caught him introducing her to other children at our MOMS Club playdates. "This is my baby sister, Lil-Yin." He's finally mastering the "l" sound and pronounces her name like the Southern Virginia matriarchs at church. It's precious. I need to get it on video. Speaking of video, I'm putting one up of Lil-Yin laughing, so be sure to check out the link over to the left under "Videos."

Love y'all!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

Here's our Christmas Picture from Rob's ordination. Isn't it funny how you'll forsake a good picture of you for the cutest one of your kids? Yeah, I lost in this one. But the kids and Rob look great, right?!

Don't miss the new album over there to the left under Picture Albums: Christmas 2010!

More updates later when I don't have guests and a wild two year old running around crazy.

Father Daddy

2010-12-16T13:32:00.001-08:00

Well, it's finally sinking in that my husband is a priest. I knew the day would come, but I guess now that it's here and gone, I can't believe how fast it happened! The ordination was a truly awesome (the true meaning of the word, Dr. Peay) experience. Rob is now fully prepared to do the work that God has called him to do. He's got so many ministry ideas; I can't wait to see what God will do through his work! I only hope and pray that God will equip me to support him and assist him in all of his endeavors. And I wonder what ministries God has prepared for me? I know my most important one is raising up Robert and Lillian to love and follow Jesus! But what else does he have in store for me...

Lillian is 3 Months Old!

2010-11-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Lillian Grace had her 3 month old checkup today and weighed in at 15 lbs. 25 1/2 inches. She grew 2 lbs. and about 1 1/2 inches in a month. Yay! I don't know how because it seems like she never eats! However, I think it's just that I don't notice her eating as much because when she needs to eat I just feed her and go about my business with the housework or Robert or whatever. I don't have a whole lot of time to think about it like I did with Robert. I hate those questions the nurse always asks when you first get to the doctor for a well baby checkup. "How often does the baby eat?" "How many minutes on each side?" "How many bowel movements and wet diapers a day?" "Can she put her hands together?" "Can she follow an object with her eyes?" "Can she hold up her head?" With Robert, I could answer each question honestly and accurately. I had actually counted his feedings and outputs, measured the time and tried all the baby calisthenics. With Lillian, bless her heart, I wanted to say to the nurse, "Listen lady, she's alive and growing. That's about all I vouch for at this point!" I didn't say that, though. I just made up some answers and said she could do all those things which I've never actually noticed her doing before but I'm sure she probably could do. I told myself that I'd check on them as soon as we got home. Yeah right. I got home, chatted with the friend who was watching Robert, helped him paint a picture, cooked lunch, ate lunch, cleaned up lunch, played with Robert, put him to bed, and I think fed Lillian, gave her some Tylenol (she got a shot), and changed her diaper. I haven't gotten around to checking whether or not she could follow an object 180 degrees, yet. She probably can. Maybe I'll go check...

Amoxicillin Allergy!

2010-11-17T10:57:00.000-08:00

So it turns out that Robert has an allergy to amoxicillin! He started breaking out in little red circles this past Sat. night. We didn't think too much of it and put him to bed. When he got up Sun. morning, he had lots more all over. I still took him to church for my friend, a pediatrician, to have a quick look. She took one look at them and said they were most likely from an allergy to amoxicillin, which Robert had been on for about 8 days of a 10 day cycle. She said it can happen that late in the cycle, and it can happen even though it didn't when he was on it for ear infections last year. She told me to call my pediatrician and to stop the meds. The pediatrician on call had me come in on Sun. so she could see the spots. She recommended that we stop the meds and just watch to see if they got worse. If they did, she said he would have to be on oral steroids or maybe even have to be admitted to Children's Hospital for fluid IVs and IV steroids! So we went home and kept an eye on him all day. He seemed fine and the spots even looked to be going away by late afternoon. However, almost instantly after dinner they began to reappear and even multiply. We didn't want to call just yet and deal with a possible trip to Children's that night, so we put him to bed and listened out for him. Sure enough, he was up a few times that night, and by morning, he was swollen all over, his eyes, his joints, everywhere! He looked almost disfigured to me. The pictures do not capture just how horrible he looked. I called the doctor and she basically said to begin heading to Children's Hospital. She was really worried over the phone. However, after calling the pediatrician on call at the Hospital, he reassured her that we should try oral steroids and benadryl first since it didn't seem to be in his mucus membranes yet (i.e. his mouth, lips, eyeballs). I had the car packed and we were ready to head in when she called. We were relieved and started him on the oral steroids as soon as she called them in. We also took him into the office for our regular pediatrician to look at him. Everyone said that as horrible as he looked, it was still "mild." After about two doses of the steroids, the swelling started to go down. By yesterday the spots started to fade, but you can still see some bruising around his eyes. It was horrible!!! I hope and pray that we'll never have to experience that again. He was miserable, too, because they got itchy and his joints were really sore. He's much better now, thank God! What a weekend! Oh, and we're still all fighting this nasty cold on top of all of that!

Kunes' Colds

2010-11-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

What do you do when you're sick and have already seen too much TV to last a lifetime? Make cookies with Mom! The oatmeal cookie recipe in this collection was yummy. Thanks Aunt Julie!

All cozy and warm and happy in the swing (and not in Mom's arms?)!

Mommy made Robert a sick bed on the couch. She learned from the best--her Mommy! The only thing missing is a cool sheet over the cushions.

The Kunes family is not off to a great start this November. We have all shared some form of a cold for the past two weeks now. We've all got runny AND stuffy noses, sore throats (Robert even had strep throat!), raspy voices, and gallons of gunk between the four of us. YUCK! Robert and Daddy are currently on antibiotics, and hopefully the girls can tough it out without needing meds.

At least it's happening now and not on our trip to Atlanta/Charleston over Thanksgiving!

Happy Halloween and other October Stuff

2010-11-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

Robert the train engineer! Thank you, Aunt Julie, for the costume. It is so cute!

Lillian the sleeping duck. Too cute, Aunt Julie!

We celebrated Mommy's birthday early when MaBop was visiting. She made us a yummy raspberry cake and Robert loved helping me blow out the candles.

Robert playing in the dirt in our side yard by our shed. MaBop dug up some dirt for him to play in, and he loved it! He especially loved the sink baths he got afterwards.

MaBop caught him laying down in the bushes. I love this picture because he just looks so sweet and innocent.

Lillian trying out the play "gym." She's still a little young for it and got quickly overwhelmed by all the toys and colors.

Lillian in the Bumbo seat. Again, she's still a little young and it was just too much exercise for her.

Lillian's silly smile.

Wow, October flew by fast! I can't believe Lillian is now 11 weeks old! She's not the gold medal grower that Robert was, but after all, she's a lady. She doesn't eat nearly as much as he did! She was 13 lbs. 4 oz. at her 2 month appointment, and Robert was already over 14 lbs. by then. She's a really challenging baby, but lately I've been looking back at posts about Robert around this age, and he wasn't all that easy either. The biggest challenge is that she has a hard time being by herself at all--sitting by herself, sleeping by herself, all of it. We're being really sensitive to her right now and meeting all of her needs, but we're going to have to start playing hard ball in a few weeks! I should say that I'm meeting all of her needs because right now she only has eyes for me. She is literally on me or right next to me about 22 hours a day. The other two hours are the few moments that she will sit by herself or either the times that I just have to let her cry for a few minutes to care for Robert's needs or my own. It's hard, but I know that time will pass. I've been trying to stay positive by focussing on all of the wonderful things about Lillian as she is right now: her smiles, her softness, her cuddliness, her sweet baby smell, her sweet cooing sounds, and her chubby legs. I'm trying not to rush her growing up or always to long for the future. After experiencing the scariness of her early sicknesses, I realize that we are never promised another day with our children, so we need to focus on the present and love them and enjoy them as they are right now.

Robert is as cute as ever right now. He's so verbal! He talks all the time and is even starting to make his toys, mostly his dinosaurs, talk when he plays with them. He's really into dinosaurs and trains and trucks--all boy. And God bless him, the boy could watch TV all day long if I would let him. I've never seen anyone enjoy TV like that kid! It's sad that I know this about him, but hey, with Lillian, a mom's got to do what a mom's got to do. And yes, I use the TV sometimes! He's not great at playing by himself, so that's another main reason why he ends up watching TV. I can't play with him as much as I would like. We have joined a MOMS Club play group, though, so hopefully we'll make lots of friends and be able to get out of the house more often.

Halloween was really fun for Robert, and he has asked if we could go again everyday since Halloween. He doesn't really care about the candy; he just likes going door to door to ring the bell and to look into other people's houses. He's his mother's child--nosey! He kept wanted to go into complete strangers' houses to look around or play with their toys that he could see from the door. Cute, cute, cute!

We're planning a trip to Atlanta and then to Charleston over Thanksgiving. Rob's being ordained a priest on Dec. 6 in Charleston, so we'll start in Atlanta for Thanksgiving with my family, and then go to Charleston for the ordination and to spend time with Rob's family. We're not looking forward to the driving, but we can't wait to introduce Lillian to everyone.

Hope to see many of you soon! And check out the new picture album link over to the left.

Lillian at almost Seven Weeks

2010-10-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

Mommy's "big boy" fireman helper. "Obert bacuum ike big boy?"

This is a big, obnoxious pacifier holder for the Soothie Pacifier that I couldn't resist. Maybe she'll grow into it?

Our wonderful midwives at Seven Cities Midwifery Care. I love you, ladies!

A smile for the camera! Of course, she's not wearing one of her many cute dresses, but you can't have it all, right?

Trying on a new hat from Jennifer. Love it! It's a size 6 months, but it'll fit perfectly sooner than later, I think!

Poor second-child Lillian. Robert had a dozen or so posts about him by this time, and Lillian's had only two, one announcing her birth and one describing the turmoil of it! Oh well, she's lucky to have an awesome big brother to grow up and play with, which Robert did not have and would have loved, I'm sure! So here's a little bit about our sweet baby girl Lillian at seven weeks old tomorrow:

First of all, she's a big baby. She was up to 12 lbs. at her last doctor's appointment, which was almost two weeks ago. She's doesn't seem to eat a ton, like Robert seemed to at her age, but she sure is growing. She's a snacker--only about 5 min. nursing on one side, and then after an hour and a half to two hours, maybe another 5 or so on the other side. I was so worried about it at first, thinking that she wasn't eating enough, but I was quickly reassured each time they weighed her in the hospital--she was gaining even while she was sick!

She's a needy little lady, too. She doesn't like to be put down, and she will almost never sleep laying by herself. This could be partly due to her traumatic beginning, but it could also just be her personality. OR, it could just be a stage that will change in time. Most likely it's just a stage because I remember Robert being this way at first, too. She's in the wrap as I type this, sound asleep. Robert spent a lot of time in the wrap, too!

She's just now starting to smile every now and again, but not a ton. Let's see...what else...her big brother mostly just startles her with his loud noises and "gentle" touching. She doesn't seem too impressed with him, yet, but I know she will be. It won't be long before he's her biggest entertainment! He sure loves her, though. He's overcome with love and interest in her about two or three times a day. It happened in the middle of church this past Sunday. He kept saying really loudly, "Mommy, look at her little earsies, Mommy." That's all of her he could see because she was in the wrap. And then he said extra loud (I was embarrassed but proud), "Mommy, I love her, Mommy!" And then he asked even louder, "Obert gonna see her drink Mommy milk?" Then I was really embarrassed and finally talked to him about using his "church whisper" voice. He also tries to rock her in her swing, which is nice but extremely dangerous because he thinks she likes to go "eal high." He tries to help her when she's crying by putting her pacifier back in her mouth, but he only makes her cry harder by shoving it into her mouth as hard and fast as he can.

That's about all I have time to write about, but hopefully there will be another post before she's six months old!

Wild Ride

2010-09-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Like I said, it's been a wild ride since Lillian's birth on Aug. 18. Here's the short version:
Lillian was born at home after what turned out to be a very short labor of only 6 hours! This was a planned homebirth as our goal was to achieve a gentle, unmedicated, natural birth in the comfort of our own home with as few medical procedures as possible. And by the grace of God, we did achieve that--at least for the actual birth. It was a truly beautiful birth until my placenta just refused to come out and my blood pressure dropped. The midwives made the wise decision to go ahead and transport to the hospital, which we did, and the problem was resolved quickly, though not painlessly, that's for sure!
Though Lillian's initial exams all showed she was perfectly healthy, we did choose to have her admitted to the hospital with me so that she could stay with me and we could have the help of the nurses during my short stay. Unfortunately, Lillian soon began to appear "dusky," which indicated respiratory problems. The doctors admitted her to the NICU and treated her with oxygen and antibiotics. She had to stay in the hospital for a whole week, but thank God they let me stay with her the whole time. It was so hard for us to see her like this:

But she got better quickly and we were able to take her home.

After a week of being at home, Lillian ran a high fever and we had to take her back to the hospital. She was treated with antivirals for an apparent virus and had to stay for a whole week again. Thank God I again got to stay with her!

Having a sick baby was so hard on our family, but by the grace of God (her middle name ended up being quite meaningful), we all made it through and are finally home and happy and healthy! We are forever grateful for our new friends at VA Beach General Hospital. They were amazing to us in every way. However, we hope to never stay longer than a quick visit there again!

We can't thank everyone enough who prayed for us during this ordeal, too!

Don't forget to check out the new photo album and the new video over there to the left!!!

Welcome Baby Lillian

2010-09-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

Lillian Grace Kunes was born at home on August 18 at 9:45 a.m. weighing 10 lbs. 4 oz. It has been a wild ride since then, so look for a very long blog sometime soon!

Thank you for your prayers!

Robert on the divingboard

2010-07-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

Boxes, Boxes, and More Boxes....

2010-07-07T04:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we're here in Virginia! Actually, we've been here for a few weeks now and are finally getting somewhat settled after swimming through hundreds of boxes. They are mostly cleared out now, and we are slowly but surely finding a place for all of our "stuff." I don't think a house full of boxes annoyed Robert a bit. He especially loved the big wardrobe boxes once Nona showed him how to build a series of tunnels through the living room. How fun!

Rob has started his new job as Associate Rector of Galilee Church. The Rector, Father Andrew Buchanan, has been so kind and sensitive to allow him to ease into the position. He preaches his first Sunday sermon at Galilee this Sunday! The Galilee parish is wonderful. They have made us feel at home here and have showered us with gifts and food and helping hands galore! Now all I have to do is remember their hundreds of names! I'm horrible with names and having the hardest time with it. Call me if you have any suggestions. In the meantime, I will continue to rely heavily on the name tags they wear on Sundays!

I am starting to get uncomfortable (wait, did I say that last post, too?), but I'm hanging in there. I found a great midwife and am looking forward to a tour of DePaul Medical Center next week. I'm trying not to start a countdown quite yet, but boy am I ready!

We've been trying to get out to do some fun stuff when we have the energy, so we've been swimming in the Chesapeake Bay and various swimming pools of generous parishioners. Right now I prefer the pools to the beach because it's just too hard to lug all of our stuff onto the beach in the hot weather. Robert doesn't care where we swim; he just loves to swim. He's started wearing water "wings" and is doing great with them. He also loves to jump in. I know, I should have pictures, but I keep forgetting the camera!

Robert is talking more and more and really starting to get an imagination, too. Yesterday he showed me a little cut on his hand and said a dinosaur bit him. He's definitely using sentences now, except they have no articles. Like just now he said about his ball, "Kick it me, Momma." He's a curious little guy, but he really doesn't get into things or break things. He's pretty careful overall. In fact, we've had all of our breakable decorative items laid out on our dining room floor until we are ready to find places for them, and he hasn't broken any of them yet. Every now and then he'll carry one to me to show me, and I'll tell him to carefully put it back, and he does!

I could say lots more, but it's time for breakfast, and neither child is willing to wait!

Call or email if you would like our new contact info.

We love you!

Deacon Daddy

2010-06-12T05:47:00.001-07:00

Robert now has a new title for Daddy, "Deacon Daddy." He's a little parrot and will repeat anything you teach him to say if he's in the right mood, so someone taught him to say this just before the ordination, and sure enough, he repeats it often! Too cute!

The ordination was spirit-filled and amazing. It was a beautiful service complete with tons of friends and family to share the important event. The reception that St. Michael's gave us afterwards was awesome! It almost felt like our wedding day all over again!

We are proud and excited to officially announce Rob's calling to Galilee Epispopal Church in Virginia Beach, VA. Check out their website! It's a wonderful church, and we can't wait to join their parish family.

We are frantically packing up here in Wisconsin and heading to VA Wednesday morning. Thank God that we have packers and movers coming Monday and Tuesday and that we're not trying to do it all by ourselves. We are both exhausted from a crazy past few weeks of graduation, ordination, miles and miles of car travel, pregnancy, and an ever-active toddler.

Sorry for such a brief update. There are lots more pictures and cute stuff to say about Robert, but I just don't have time to write it all down! I do want to say thank you to all who attended our important events, served in any way, and prayed for us. We love you so much and have been blessed beyond measure by your love of us.

Hope to have lots of visits in VA Beach!

Rob's Ordination to the Deaconate

2010-05-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Well, it's only about one week until Rob graduates from seminary, and we are excited!!!! He's officially done with all of his schoolwork, finishing his final senior sermon just yesterday at Evening Prayer. Robert and I feel just as relieved as he does, I can assure you!
The only solid news of our future is that Rob will be ordained to the Deaconate on June 3 at St. Michael's in Charleston. Check out the invitation above. All are invited! For all of those non-Epsicopalian readers, this means that Rob will become a Transitional Deacon for 6 months and then will be ordained to the Priesthood. This is as far as we've gotten so far with future plans. God seems to be taking us one small step at a time, which is trying at times but is proving to be a blessing with each revelation He gives us along the way.
We'll keep you posted...

Happy Easter!

2010-04-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Family Photo outside Zion church on Easter morning. Even Baby Sister is making her presence known in the picture! (note that church hasn't even started and Robert already got something on his outfit:)

Just before church on Easter morning...could he be any cuter?

He had to have a little romp to try to get dirty before church!

Candy and junk food before breakfast...what a morning!

He was really surprised and excited about the Easter bunny visiting and leaving a basket. He opened all the eggs and ate most of it. It was mostly goldfish and fruit chews, but he did get pez candy! He loved it!

We went to an Easter egg hunt on Saturday. He loved picking up eggs and even waited until he was done to open them! He was mostly excited about all the people there. This child loves a crowd!

It's kind of sad that he's wearing pants, a coat, and a hood for an Easter egg hunt, huh? It was rainy and chilly. Welcome to Spring in Wisconsin!

Robert made this in his little YMCA class. I couldn't get him to actually wear it, but he did agree to hold it up for the camera.

We had a wonderful Easter. The weather on Easter day was actually mild and sunny, which means we didn't have to wear coats and hats to church! Robert had a fun morning opening his Easter basket and going to church. We then went home for naps. Then, my friend Laura from Zion church invited us to join her family for Easter supper at her house. It was so nice to be with a big family for Easter, and the food was SO good! Laura's son Jack is almost Robert's age, and they had a blast together. It was a truly blessed day.

It's Spring Break for us right now, the weather stinks, and we're stressing about the future. So while we are thankful for a wonderful Easter, we are praying for a big turnaround this week or at least a sunny, warmish day!

Robert and His Baby ...

2010-03-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

Drum roll please......

SISTER!!!!!!!

Baby K2's new name for now is Baby Sister. Unfortunately, Baby Sister didn't get the great money shots that Robert did in utero. However, she was a little clown, standing on her head and dancing all around during the shoot. We could literally see her walking her feet along the uterus-- up over her head even. I swear once it looked like she was sucking her big toe! Hopefully this means she's going to be a funny little thing with a great sense of humor. From what the technician could tell us, Baby Sister is healthy and happy. I'm feeling great and feeling her move more and more. I still don't feel that big, but I know that big belly will come soon enough.

Robert is doing well--much better now that we've had some sunshine and the snow has melted. We've been outside every chance we can get. Can you believe that I have NO outside pictures? If you know about wild toddlers outside, you will understand. I can't really carry around a camera and keep up with Robert, too. We'll have to get Daddy to help us with that next time he gets a chance. As you can see in these pics, Robert is having a great time in his little class at the YMCA. He loves crafts, especially glue and glitter, and was so proud to get this picture taken. He kept charging up to the camera saying "cheese" and grinning like crazy. Then he wanted to look at the "pic-ure" and take another one.

I'm sorry, but could he look any cuter?

Robert was really excited when Mommy got home from her movie date with herself and brought him and Daddy a refill of popcorn and a bag of cotton candy. He was most excited about the "dorn," but took a while to warm up to the "dandy." I think he thought we were eating colored cotton balls or something. He's not wearing pants in this picture because he was in between pants from playing in the mud and gunk outside. Gotta love a good thaw!

This was just a funny picture I took a while ago. Robert was playing by himself for a rare moment, and when I looked over he had unzipped his pjs, put on a winter hat, and gotten in his car. It was hilarious; this picture does the scene no justice.

Thank God these early mornings haven't happened in a while. On this particular morning, Robert got up around 5 a.m., wouldn't go back to sleep, and then when I finally conceded and got up with him, he promptly fell asleep on the couch. I, however, was wide awake and bored out of my mind. I was happy to at least catch this nice sleeping shot, which is priceless.

So besides playing outside and getting used to the idea of a Baby Sister, we are just hanging around up here at Nashotah waiting for God to let us know what's next. Graduation is May 20, and we still don't know where we'll be next year. It's stressful, but we know that we'll be okay. Thanks for all your prayers. Drop us a line next time you think of it. We'd love to hear from you!

18 Month Olds and Cabin Fever

2010-02-08T13:46:00.000-08:00

Hopefully you haven't given up on me and this blog. It's been a crazy few months. By "crazy," I don't mean filled with activity and fun. I mean filled with fatigue and queasiness, which is finally fading, thanks be to God! Baby K2 had finally made a home for him/herself, and my body finally accepts that. I still have some major food aversions and am really tired at night (probably normal for any mother of an 18 month-old), but other than that, I'm feeling much better. Baby K2 is healthy and happy as you can see from the small ultrasound picture by the above pregnancy ticker. I'm 13 weeks, and according to my pregnancy book, he/she is the size of a peach!

In other news, Robert is also doing quite well but bored out of his mind in all this cold and snowy weather cooped up in a small apartment. It turns out that he's not a "sit and play quietly" kind of toddler. He needs to run and play to have fun, wear himself out, and consequently sleep. So, each day is a challenge to see what I can concoct for us to do to wear Robert out so that he will nap. Seriously, thank you God for the YMCA. We've been swimming and playing there most days. Robert is signed up for a swim class and a gym class starting in two weeks. Despite his need for active play, Robert is still a sweet, cuddly boy who loves his thumb and blanket ("binkah") more than all of his toys put together. He's talking all the time and still signing every now and again (mostly just for "please" and "thank you"). He adores his Daddy more and more everyday. He mostly calls him "my Daddy" and talks about him and to him all day long. Everything in the house belongs to Daddy or Robert; nothing belongs to Mommy. It's weird to watch him identifying with Daddy and distancing from Mommy just like James Dobson spoke of in Bringing Up Boys. Okay, it's hard and sometimes makes me jealous, but it's what is supposed to happen, so it's good. I still relish our alone time before bed and our cuddles during the day.

Rob is busy finishing up his studies with 3 more classes. We still don't have any news about where we'll be next year, but we trust that God has a plan and will reveal it in His own perfect time. We ask you to pray that we will continue to have faith in God's plan and have PATIENCE! We also ask that you pray for us to make it through the rest of this winter with minimal cabin fever, or any other kinds of fever for that matter!

We love you!

Robert's Got a Message

2010-01-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

First Snow

2009-12-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

Tippin' back a nice sippy cup of hot chocolate (i.e. milk with a few teaspoons of Mom's hot chocolate) after a long play in the snow!

Robert and Hannah

Robert: This blasted hat is too big, mom!

Mom: Sorry son. It is hand-me-down winter gear. Who buys new when you're only here for a few more months?!

Robert's first attempt at a snow angel!

Robert and Hannah, and Duncan crawling around in the snow to amuse Robert. What a great kid!

Well, after about 30 minutes, I finally got Robert and myself all dressed in our winter gear and we headed outside to play in the 8+ inches (and still coming down) snow. He loved every minute of it, especially sledding. The temp. was about 30 degrees, so it was warm enough to stay out for a while. Tomorrow the high is only 9 degrees, so we had to get out today. I am pooped, but I wanted to post the pictures ASAP. I'm going to take a nap. I'll fill you in on the details later.

Classic Christmas Photo

2009-12-09T10:49:00.001-08:00

Who doesn't have a crying baby on Santa's lap picture? It's a rite of passage as far as I'm concerned. And, Robert has passed! He loved looking at Santa, he loved the balloon he got afterwards, but he did not love sitting with Santa. If you notice Santa's face, I don't think Santa loved it either! Hopefully Santa will extend grace to Robert when it's time to deliver presents. It's Christmas, after all!

Fall Festival 2009--Belated Review

2009-12-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

I am such a slacker! I never posted anything about the Fall Festival this year! Robert had so much fun; I can't believe I never wrote about it. Aunt Julie got him another dog costume this year, though it was a totally different breed this time! He loves dogs just as much as she does, so it was the perfect costume for him. However, when we tried to put it on him a few weeks before the big day, he was not having it. He was content to drag it around like a stuffed dog, but he was not wearing it. Well, something happened between then and the big day, and when it was time, he was all for it! He loved trick-or-treating around campus. I only had to show him how to do it once before he was walking up to the doors and sticking out his pumpkin bucket for a treat. He loved carrying them in his bucket more than he cared about what kind of a treat they were. I was glad because I was not looking forward to prying the candy bars out of his hands! He liked the festival in the gym mainly because he got to walk around showing off his dog costume. He never once asked to take it off, and it was warm in the gym! We ended the night with a hay ride, which was cold but seemed enjoyable to him all the same. He conked out that night very easily! Thank you Aunt Julie for the cuter than ever costume, and thank you Nashotah community for putting on such a fun event!

I put a link to all of the Fall Festival pictures under Picture Albums over to the left.

Thanksgiving Then and Now

2009-12-03T18:28:00.000-08:00

This was Thanksgiving last year.

Aidan, Robert, Adeline, Emmaline, and Margaret (Nashotah babies all born in July 08)

This was Thanksgiving this year.

Adeline, Robert, Emmaline, Aidan, and Margaret

Robert is sitting with Duncan while they played Guitar Band in the refectory basement after supper. When he wasn't with Duncan, he was dancing, playing with his buddies, and getting into trouble. Thanks to Hannah, Rob and I got to relax a bit. Rob joined in with Guitar Band (he sang Pinball Wizard!) and I checked out the black Friday ads with the ladies. It was such a fun day!
Robert and Aidan playing for a few minutes in the Pack and Play. Chanan was so smart to bring it because it allowed the toddlers (and their parents) a few minutes of down time off and on. I didn't get a picture, but sometimes they would stand up and dance a little to the Guitar Band music. It was too cute--like they were the band groupies!

Home Again

2009-11-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

Robert and I just got back from a fun-filled trip to Atlanta to visit my family. Though we are nursing colds upon our return, we managed to have a healthy, happy two-week visit in the sunny South. We spent many warm afternoons at the park with cousins Ty and Jordan, played with MaBop's and PaBop's growing toy collection, and I worked on my bread baking skills under the experienced tutelage of my mother. We took tons of pictures of Robert, not enough of Robert and his cousins, and none of my bread endeavors! Oh well. I guess cute Robert will have to suffice. Here are a few, and don't forget to check the recent picture album over to the left.

Enjoying a little shopping with the girls.
Never too old for a sink bath, though maybe getting too big?
Taking the wagon for a walk.
New best friends, MaBop and Robert!
Great Grammy Rosemary came to visit for a few days!

Fall in Wisconsin

2009-10-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I've just realized how long it's been between posts--almost a whole month! Believe it or not, life is not much different than it was a few months ago. Robert is doing great. Separation anxiety has run its course, and he's now much more independent.
Last weekend we went to the Elegant Farmer (http://www.elegantfarmer.com/) to pick a pumpkin. It was a crisp, cold morning. We took a hay ride up to the "pumpkin patch." I put that in quotations because after we got up there and saw them hauling pumpkins off a truck and dispersing them throughout a field, we realized that it was more like pumpkin "seeking" rather than "picking." We laughed, both realizing how muddy a real pumpkin patch would be, and promptly headed straight for the pumpkin truck to make sure we didn't have to "seek" too hard in the cold! Robert had a ball. He loved walking through the field getting all dirty and didn't seem too cold at all. He also loved the hay ride. He laid down in the hay on his belly and pretended to swim in it. That was funny!

Enjoy the pictures!

14 Months

2009-09-30T12:06:00.001-07:00

It's getting chilly, the leaves are beginning to change, and it's unmistakably Fall in Wisconsin. I'm in heaven. Fall is my favorite season, especially when it IS a season, complete with cool weather and orangish red leaves. Robert and I have been playing a lot these days. He's already got a great imagination. We built a "cave" fort out of couch pillows and a blanket. Then we played Noah's Ark with his new (barn sale for $1) Little People set. He knows how to make the animals walk along and even feeds them from the little food barrels that came with the Ark. He repeats everything I do, so I pretty much act out a scene, making the animals talk and eat, and then he does it. It's so fun! Sometimes he pretends to eat out of the food barrels, too, and sometimes he pretends to eat the animals. Hmmm....I haven't found out how to work that into the story of Noah's Ark. Everyone keeps asking me if Robert is talking, yet. He's trying words all the time, but nothing really consistent besides Dada. He's got that down and uses the sign, too. He loves his Dada! He's also tried bubble, PaBop, dog, shoes, water, milk, Elmo, and unfortunately poop (he gets that from us telling the dogs to hurry up and "poop" when we take them out :). I'm sure he's tried other words, too, but these are the ones that come to mind. He's still signing, and we will continue to add more signs to try to help him communicate. He makes an annoying grunt and points when he wants to say something for which he doesn't have a word or a sign. It's awful, especially during dinner!

He's getting clingy lately, a bit like seperation anxiety, and has even been getting up again at night. He cries when Daddy leaves and when I drop him off at Kids Corner when I work out at the Y. He gets over it pretty quickly, but it's really sad. I've read about it, and though he's a little old for seperation anxiety, it really seems like that's what it is. I've just been trying to nurse him whenever he ask for it and to give him lots of extra cuddles and attention to reassure him of my love and support. And of course, prayer. We'd certainly appreciate your prayers, too!

Apple Picking

2009-09-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Today we went apple picking at the Nashotah House "orchard." It's really just seven trees, but they produce yummy apples for us each year. We really went to take pictures of Robert as I've not taken him to get professional pictures in a while, and we thought this might work. It did. Here's one, and don't miss the link to the left called "Apple Picking Robert". They are great!

Nashotah Five Reunites

2009-09-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

After a long summer apart, the Nashotah Five (all born in July '08) reunite. They can be found toddling around together during various times of the day depending on sleep schedules. Margaret's legs are longer than all of the babies' legs put together, and I think her walking record hit over a mile the other day when she went toddling across campus with her push chair. Adeline is bound for the stage as I've now seen her perform some complicated dance moves by herself in the center of a crowd of people, loving every minute of it. Aidan is our resident adrenaline junkie and has recently shown Robert how to crawl under a car AND how to stand up on the tricycle seat. Emmaline is a sweet and cuddly mommy's girl, but I'm proud to say that she'll come to me with a big smile every time! And Robert, well, he's a bruiser and if left alone would somehow injure (by accident, of course) most of the above mentioned babies with any of the various playground toys strewn around the circle. Though we only get to speak a few sentences together at one time because we're always chasing babies, we moms are good friends and love to share parenting ideas and trade stories.

I am so blessed to live like this!

Notes about Baby Robert

2009-09-05T11:47:00.001-07:00

He started Toddler Gym, a class for 1-2 year olds that introduces them to following directions, playing games, and group play. Yes, he's way too young for it and cannot grasp any of the activities. He had about a thousand meltdowns throughout the 30 min. class. I'm going to try it once more and let him just play with the gym toys (balls, hoops, bowling game, etc.) and watch the other kids without trying to get him to do each activity.

He's started holding his hands up and looking around when you ask him any questions, as if to say "I don't know!" It's super cute.

He dances to any unknown sound that could be construed as music. I busted him grooving to that annoying beep sound that comes on TV when the station is doing a test.

He blows bubbles in the tub, though somtimes sucks in when he means to blow out and almost chokes to death on water.

He can climb the stairs with super hero speed.

He hits and bites. Well, he does, and I thought I'd just be honest about it. We're working on it but would appreciate your prayers. It's probably just a phase. Right?

Oh yeah, and while I'm at it, he throws tantrums and screams until he's blue in the lips. Prayers please.

His only experience of "juice" is V8, and he likes it!

He's still obsessed with sports balls.

He actually asked for a specific food (crackers) yesterday using sign language.

Just today he learned from Aidan how to safely get down off the curb by sitting down first.

He hugs us around the neck and shows his love by resting his head on our shoulders and sucking his thumb. And as a special bonus for me, he reaches his hand up and plays with my hair.

He got a new high chair with a bigger tray in an attempt to allow him to move his food around without having to throw it over the side onto the floor. I'd say it's about a 20% success rate so far.

Oh, I could go on and on, but I won't.

Love to all!

Lazy Days of Summer

2009-08-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

And we said at one point early in our marriage, "let's not have one of those living rooms filled with kids toys." Hahahahaha!

Daddy and Robert doing some vacuuming together.

Robert was entertaining himself while I was cooking and when I looked over to check on him he was emptying my water bottle all over the floor. Nice.

It's the last week before classes, and the past few weeks have been, well, lazy and boring. That's a good thing!
We've enjoyed having Rob around to play and help with household chores.
We've been welcoming new families.

We've been playing outside a lot! Robert still LOVES all kinds of balls and is getting really good at throwing. He also loves playing with the young boys in the community, and boy do they love him. Everytime we see them it's, "Oh, it's Robert, hi Robert!" And the teenage girls also flock to him, but all they want to do is kiss and cuddle, and he's just not as into that as they would like!

Robert's been to the doctor. He's in the 100th% for height! Oh, and he weighs 27 lbs. (only 95th%).

I can't really think of anything else to write about. Life is good....

Birthday Finale!

2009-08-03T11:53:00.001-07:00

Robert's BIG birthday party was this past Saturday. He celebrated with two of the four other one year-olds here at Nashotah House. Though the weather changed the outdoor picnic to a gym party, it was a wonderful celebration. And most importantly, Robert tasted his first cake! Thanks to my very talented friend Melissa, Robert has his own "smash cake" as well as a really awesome soccer ball cake to share with everyone. Not only did the cakes look amazing, they tasted like heaven! So the parties are over, and we are settling in to the fact that our baby Robert is now a toddler. He's walking all over the place--even more than crawling now. Soon he'll be talking, and before we know it, he'll be off to school. I don't even want to think about that!

Thank you all for your birthday greetings, cards, presents, emails, and phone calls. Thank you all especially for your prayers this past year. We love you!

P.S. I'm putting up more pictures under the First Birthday link to the left. I'm also putting up some cake eating videos.

Robert's Birthday Week

2009-07-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Robert's reaction when I wheeled out his Cozy Coup filled with presents!

Our little one year-old Baby Robert has had quite a week so far. He had a "presents" birthday party on Tues., and he's having his "cake" birthday party on Sat. He's been quite spoiled with lots of presents, including a huge balloon bouquet sent by Aunt Julie and a Cozy Coup Car from MaBop and PaBop. It's been such a fun week so far. Oh, and he's such a walker, now. I finally got it on video (with Rob's help), so check it out under Our Videos to the left. All he wants to do now is to go outside and walk up and down the sidewalk. He looks like a little Frankenstein! I know that's probably mean to say, but it's true. He puts his arms either out in front or out to the side for balance and takes big steps. It's so cute! Enjoy the video!

Less Than 24 Hours!

2009-07-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

Mommy and I had fun at Nashotah Lake this weekend. I ate rocks.

I crawled straight into the chilly water all by myself and kept crawling until I didn't reach anymore and Mommy pulled me up because she didn't want me to drown! I wasn't the least big scared--I did it again and again!

Mommy finally made me get out and get bundled up because I was shivering and my lips were blue. Man, these Wisconsin lakes are chilly!

I can't believe I'll have a one year-old in less than 24 hours! Not a minute goes by today that I don't think about what I was doing this time last year. I hope I never forget that glorious moment when I held Robert for the first time. I was just telling a friend that I can still see that little infant in Robert's toddler face and that even when he's a teenager I hope I'll still be able to see it. The Lord surely gives us more that we could ask or imagine! I am infinitely blessed!

Let the Countdown Begin!

2009-07-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

I crawled up here by myself (and then I fell).

I snuck out onto the back porch.

I went berry picking!

My first pizza! Mommy made Grandpa Tom's crust and put lots of yummy veggies and Italian sausage on it. YUMMMMMY!

I'll wear the hat how I want, thank you very much!

Cousin Ty and Baby Wobert

I love balls!

Climb in, climb out, climb in, climb out...

Gotta have on a "do-rag" if you're gonna ride a "hog"!

4 generations!

Happy 4th of July! Great parade!

Cousin Jordan and Baby Wobit (an even shorter version of Wobert)

Wow! What a summer we're having. Sorry for not posting for such a long time. Robert and I had a great two week visit in Atlanta. Now we're back at Nashotah counting down for the big day--July 28--when Robert turns 1! We're having a party on Aug. 1 with 2 of the 4 other Nashotah babies all turning one (2 are gone for the summer). It's gonna be a blast!

In other Robert news, he's started to take a few steps here and there. I've tried to get it on video, but no such luck, yet. I'll post it when I can get him to cooperate.

Lately I've been working frantically to finish a photo book of Robert's first year on Shutterfly.com. I'll post a link to it when it's finished. It's turning out great, and I can't wait to show it off!

Hope everyone is well. We send our love!

Summer Fun

2009-06-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Robert and his buddy Aidan enjoying the dogs, who are glad to be behind glass.

Robert posing for the camera on his "corn popper" car.

Robert in his rummage sale, fixed up by Daddy swing. He loves it!

Robert eating his favorite food: pasta and sauce (and whatever else I snuck onto the tray)

We've been having a great summer so far. It's finally gotten warm, well actually downright hot, here. We've been playing with friends, swimming, and just hanging out. Robert is getting more and more fun by the minute. He's cruising around like a pro. He especially loves his car and chasing the dogs. They hate it. Well, every now and again Hazel will feel like playing, but most of the time Robert gets a bark or a snarl warning to leave them alone. No, it doesn't scare him. He thinks it's all part of the game!
He's definitely communicating these days. He tries all the signs that I introduce to him: eat, all done, dog, bird, ball, water. He doesn't have the coordination to get them all right, but he clearly tries them most of the time. He's really good at bird and does it whenever he even hears a bird outside. He also does eat really well. He tries to talk all the time, but all that ever comes out is variations of "uh duh." Sometimes it's loud, sometimes soft, sometimes separated by a long pause, like "uh...........(then really loudly) DUH!!!!" It's really funny, and Rob and I can't help but laugh, which of course makes him do it even more.
We are heading to Atlanta to visit with my family in a few days.

Lots of love to all!

First Pool Party

2009-06-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

Robert had his first pool party the other day. I posted a video, so check it out over to the left under Our Videos. In the video he's showing off for his friend Adeline. She's laughing her head off so much that she's falling over. It really is the laughing because she's got lots of control normally and can even walk already! It was absolutely hilarious, and Robert knew it, too. What a ham!!!

10 Months Already?!

2009-06-09T09:27:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my tiny (okay, he was never tiny) baby is 10 months old! He is changing so fast these days. It seems like every day he can do something new. Here are a few things that come to mind:
*He crawls very fast now, mostly using one foot and one knee.
*He pushes himself up to his feet but doesn't stand up, yet (makes kind of like a bridge).
*We figured out the other day that he can climb stairs (he was up four stairs when we realized where he was and what he was doing---we accidentally left the gate open).
*He can pull himself up to anything.
*He can now sign "eat" and "milk," though I think he thinks the sign for "milk" means "mommy"--great. It's interesting how he just all of a sudden started this, which is exactly what they said would happen.
*He eats by himself and WILL NOT take ANYTHING from a spoon (okay, so we haven't tried ice cream, yet).
*He can drink out of his sippy cup by himself.
*He can say "da" which means either "dog" or "daddy". You have to figure it out.
* He LOVES dogs and notices them everywhere.
I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff, but I had to get all of this down before I forgot it.
We just got back from a trip to Charleston, so check out the new video under our albums to the left.

Nine Month Stats

2009-05-04T14:21:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Robert's nine month checkup. As we already suspected, Robert is thriving! He's 24 lbs. (23 lb. 15 1/2 oz. to be exact)! He's 30 in. tall.

He's able to do so much these days, and keeping me as busy as ever! He can crawl faster every day. I am finding that I can't leave him for very long by himself because he will soon be into something that he shouldn't be. We are slowly baby proofing the house as he shows us what needs to be removed--like the books on the bottom shelf, the portable heater (thank God we don't really need it these days), the magazine basket, the coffee table books (and soon the wooden trunk that we use as the coffee table), etc.

He's eating finger foods, now, and he delights in throwing them from his chair and then leaning over to see where they land. I'm still having fun making his foods and dreaming up ways to get him to eat them. I was proud of myself the other day because when he wouldn't let me feed him his nice squash and veggie puree, I put an egg yolk in it, microwaved it, and made him a little souffle! I cut it up and he ate it himself. I thought it was pretty creative of me!

He's certainly keeping me both physically and mentally busy each day. I find myself completely wiped out after a day of chasing him around and trying to anticipate accidents, making his food and trying to get him to eat more of it than he throws, keeping him clean, and generally loving him and making his days fun and exciting. It's all more than worth it at the end of the day when I nurse him to sleep and look at that little snoring angel in my arms. What a gift!

Baby Momma

2009-04-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

I have no idea where I got those "granny nylons," but it looks like I was having a wild child day playing outside. I was probably 2 1/2 or 3 in this picture. I couldn't resist sharing...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T05:56:00.000-07:00

Alleluia! Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Cousins

2009-04-11T08:56:00.001-07:00

This is Jordan, the cutest and messiest two-year old I know. Here she has a cotton candy beard. Strangers kept stopping to comment on how cute and sticky she was! Mmmm cotton candy, a girl after my own heart!

Here they're having a romp in Ty's big boy bed. Note shirtless Jordan off to the side. She's not missing any of the fun!

Just the boys...Ty is so loving and patient with Robert. Well, except when he's "talking" too loud during one of Ty's movies. He'll learn...

We have been so blessed this year to get to spend so much time with my niece and nephew, Jordan and Ty, in Atlanta. My sister Lisa and I have tons of cousins, but we didn't get to see them much growing up, so we have no real connection to them now. Honestly, if we even saw some of them walking down the street, I bet we wouldn't even recognize them! I'm glad that Robert and his cousins will be much closer than we were with ours. They already love each other so much! Jordan says all the time, "I wuv baby Wobert." And when Robert gets fussy, Ty always comes up to him and whispers, "It's okay baby Robert, I'm here." How cute is that?!

Southern Tour--Atlanta

2009-03-31T07:20:00.000-07:00

The zoo is so much fun!!!

I love barley teething biscuits!

Ma-Bop holding me at the Easter egg hunt at church!

My first visit to Chuck E. Cheese!

Robert and I are having a ball in Atlanta! We especially enjoyed our visit to the zoo yesterday with cousins and Aunt Lisa. Robert is growing up so fast these days, even since we've been vacationing. He has started to clap. He's got three teeth! He is eating teething biscuits. He can make Indian noises with is hand and mouth. He can "walk" when you hold his hands. Nope, he's still not crawling. But as you can see, he's busy growing in other ways. We've had a great Southern Tour, but we miss Daddy and our Nashotah family and are ready to head back up and wait anxiously for Spring.

Southern Tour--Charleston

2009-03-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

First meeting with Mr. Belser, daddy's and mommy's favorite priest EVER!!!

All ready for church on Sunday, complete with knee socks and saddle shoes!

Swimming in the hot tub with Nona. Ahhh, a perfect 99 degrees!

Our beautiful view at the Edge of America!

Enjoying the view...

Robert and I had so much fun in Charleston! Thanks Nona and Pops for making it such a wonderful visit for us!!!

7 Months

2009-03-09T08:40:00.001-07:00

I can't believe we're already well into Robert's seventh month. He's become a real "ham" as you can see in the pictures. He loves to pose for the camera, and we love taking his picture!

He's weighing in at a whopping 22 lbs. 12 oz. these days (as of last Thurs.). He's eating lots--green beans are the newest addition, and he loves them.

The most recent news is that he's got a little tooth "bump" on the top! There are no signs of anything on the bottom, yet. He's not big on letting me look in his mouth, so it's hard to tell. He doesn't seem to be too uncomfortable, but this may explain why he gets up so often at night. Let's hope so--at least then I know there's an end in sight! Come on toofers!

I can't really think of anything else that is new with him. He's still more interested in sitting up and playing with toys than laying on his stomach and/or crawling--no signs of that, yet. He's still a very laid back, happy boy. We love him more than we ever thought possible!!!!

Swimmer Extraordinaire!

2009-02-26T09:33:00.000-08:00

Robert had his first swim class at the YMCA today. He's in the "shrimp" class. He absolutely LOVED it! The only part he didn't like was when they had to get out of the pool onto the side. They were learning to crawl out and jump in (with moms holding them of course). I guess he thought it was time to get out each time and got a little unhappy. But overall he loved the class. The teacher had us singing songs like "Hokey Pokey" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" while doing movements with the babies. Then they worked on learning how to pull themselves up and out of the pool (obviously something they can't do yet by themselves, but it's never to early to introduce the idea). They worked on holding onto the edge of the pool and moving along the side. They also worked on 1, 2, 3 jump into the pool, the idea being that they wait to jump until it's time. They swam laps, on their fronts and backs. They played with balls. Robert splashed and kicked and laughed. He and his friend, Emma, smiled and laughed at each other. The class is a half hour, and the babies were completely tired out by the end. Emma fell asleep before we even got back to our cars, and Robert conked out in the car on the way home and is still asleep in his crib! I can't tell you what a joy the class was--for both of us! Hopefully we can get someone to take some pics of us in the pool next time.

Food is NOW good!

2009-02-22T16:54:00.000-08:00

We've had a breakthrough. Robert is finally interested in solid food! He's eating like a pig, too! He's enjoys LOTS of sweet potatoes--as much as I'll give him. For dinner tonight he had two cubes of sweet potatoes (I make it and freeze it in ice cube trays), and a cube of apricots mixed with two tablespoons of oatmeal. He's not big on eating any other time of day than early evening. He sure does love it, though! I'll have to put up a video soon.

Food, Food, What's it Good For? Absolutely Nothin'!

2009-02-17T06:57:00.001-08:00

Yeah, can you believe it? Tubby's (I swear I'm going to stop calling him that!) just not interested. He's now tried avacados, baby oatmeal cereal, apples, homeade barley porridge, and sweet potatoes. None of it really excites him. So far, barley porridge and sweet potatoes are okay. He'll open his mouth an average of 4 times per meal to eat I'd say about 1/2 tsp. of actual food. Mostly he just keeps his lips shut tight and pretends that I don't exist. He looks around and tries to play with the chair strap. He's just not interested. I know, that's normal. He's probably not ready, yet. But I am! He's getting up at all hours of the night, and while I know they say that a full belly is not necessarily a sleepy belly, it's worth a try! I'm tired! As you can see from the top pictures, Robert does not seem to be wasting away due to lack of solid food, and he's not even that tired due to frequent nightime partying.

He's a happy little six month old. He loves his Daddy and has taken to screaming in a very high and happy pitch when Daddy gets home. You can only imagine the smile that comes to Rob's face when he sees that. Wow! Robert also loves his dogs more and more. He makes a specific sound when he's trying to get their attention. Hazel loves it. She's learning to watch him carefully when she's near him because she now knows that when he gets a grip of her, he doesn't let go. She is so sweet and never growls or snarls at him. Sallie, on the other hand, has been beaten on many occasions now for growling at Robert. I don't think she would ever hurt him, but I try to keep him away from her anyway.

Robert is sitting up quite well these days. He falls over on purpose to get toys that he's dropped to the side. He'll then stay on his stomach for a while to play, but eventually whines to get me to set him upright. He's not making any signs of crawling. I think he may be one of those babies who just gets up from sitting and walks. Who knows!

We're all finally getting well from our colds. Robert's current nonsleeping habits made healing take a bit longer, I think. But we're over the hump. We'd love prayers for sleeping through the night and patience through tired days.

Beautiful Writing

2009-02-16T06:13:00.001-08:00

Have you ever read a book so beautifully written that you felt the need to copy down and even memorize certain parts of it? That hasn't happened to me in a long time...until now. Recently a person I really respect asked me what I've been reading. I was ashamed to say that I've been reading only childcare manuals and bad novels (not really bad, just the kind easily digested by a sleep-deprived brain). That encouraged me to get to the library and find something thought-provoking and good. It was high time I get back on the literary horse, so to speak. So I picked up a novel that I've always wanted to get to, Anita Diamant's The Red Tent (Picador USA 1997).

The writing is absolutely poetic! It's the kind that forces you to move slowly, reading and re-reading sections that bring tears to your eyes. Here are a few quotations that I am compelled to copy because of how much they struck me at this time in my life as a new mother. Enjoy!

Dinah, the narrator, recalls being in the midst of childbirth:

"Why had no one told me that my body would become a battlefield, a sacrifice, a test? Why did I not know that birth is the pinnacle where women discover the courage to become mothers? But of course, there is no way to tell this or to hear it" (224).

"Just as there is no warning for childbirth, there is no preparation for the sight of a first child. I studied his face, fingers, the folds in his boneless little legs, the whorls of his ears, the tiny nipples on his chest. I held my breath as he signed, laughed when he yawned, wondered at his grasp on my thumb. I could not get my fill of looking. There should be a song for women to sing at this moment, or a prayer to recite. But perhaps there is none because there are no words strong enough to name that moment. Like every mother since the first mother, I was overcome and bereft, exalted and ravaged" (226).

I could not have described my experience of childbirth as clearly as these passages. Diamant gives voice to the feelings I had just after giving birth. There is nothing else to say; she has said it all.

Marked as Christ's Own

2009-02-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

Robert was baptized at Kanuga Lake, NC this past Sunday (Feb. 1, 2009). It was an awesome weekend surrounded by our church family, St. Michael's (Charleston, SC). It was St. Michael's Parish Weekend at Kanuga Camp and Conference Center, which is near Asheville. It's a beautiful, peaceful place. All of our friends spoiled us rotten with lots of attention and love the whole weekend. They even surprised us with a huge picture frame for everyone to sign to commemorate Robert's baptism. Robert was never put down all weekend long. He was so happy and smiley, loving all of the attention. Needless to say, he was overtired all weekend, but he was a trooper!

The bad news is that we got home and we all came down with a cold. On top of that, Robert had a high fever due to immunization shots that he had to get Monday. He had to go back to the doctor for a urine test (via a catheter!!!), which was awful! Thank God that it was negative for a urinary tract infection, which confirmed that the fever was from the shots, and it went away the next day. So, it's been a yucky few days after a truly glorious weekend. Thank you to all who worked to make it so fabulous for us! And the biggest thanks to God for our wonderful church family!

Check out all of the baptism pictures under Picture Albums to the left.

Just About 6 Months

2009-01-26T18:16:00.000-08:00

Man that snow is bright!

Look at me showing off for Daddy! Bottles are beginning to be fun for Robert, though definitely only a toy and not a real tool for serious eating.

Sitting up proud!

Can he get that whole rattle in his mouth all at once?

Robert is just about 6 months old. He's getting so strong! He can sit up on his own, though I like to keep a pillow behind him for backward spills, which still happen often. He falls forward, too, but he usually catches himself and just lands on his tummy. Today he landed on Sallie, who was a bit too close to him. Thankfully I noticed just when he was about to pull a handful of Sallie's tail! She was not amused and was trying to hold back a growl that she really wanted to let loose. While Hazel welcomes Robert's attention, Sallie seems afraid and annoyed by him.

We're heading to Kanuga in a few days, and Robert will be baptized! Keep us in your prayers.

Christmas in Atlanta

2009-01-16T07:26:00.000-08:00

Look at me in a big boy high chair!

Why did everyone get me so many presents? I'm just as happy with the ones that came attached to my body!

I loved sitting in the midst of my wild family while we all opened our Christmas presents. I just talked and talked and squealed my little heart out! I fit right in with my crazy cousins!

We stopped in Columbia on the way to Atlanta to visit our friends. This guy here has got lots to teach me in the years to come! I'm gonna grow to love him as much as my Mommy and Daddy and Nona and Pops do!

I love books! I just eat them right up!

Robert is now an experienced traveler. We are finally back from our month long adventure South. Robert is slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things here in the Great White Midwest. It's currently 13 below zero right now (9:30 a.m.), but we are snuggly warm in our little apartment. We're going to get all bundled up for a Picnic in the Gym later. Hey, we've got to get out sometime!

Robert got weighed yesterday at our breastfeeding group. He's up to 20 lbs. 12 oz.! He's starting slowing down, believe it or not. I'm okay with that, though I'm so proud that he's a big ole healthy boy!

Enjoy these pictures from Atlanta!

More Picture From Christmas

2008-12-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

Hi! Just thought I'd share some more pictures from Christmas. Enjoy!

Here I am with a favorite gift from my Great Aunt Julie: both the cute outfit and the monkey. She spoils me rotten!

Here I am in my new rocking chair from Great Aunt Julie. Did I mention how much she spoils me?

The Grand Finale! Here I am with Santa Claus! He came to the beach just to see me!

Merry Christmas From the Sunny South!

2008-12-28T07:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas wore me out!

3 generations of Robert M. Kunes

I love my Nona's and Pop's house at Folly Beach!

Hi everyone!
We are still in Charleston and loving the warm weather. Enjoy these pictures of our trip. We miss all of you back at Nashotah and hope that you are having as blessed a Christmas as we are. We love y'all!

Even More Pictures!

2008-12-13T07:52:00.000-08:00

Seriously Mommy, this is the ugliest coat you've ever put on me!

I can take a bottle, I just choose not to most of the time!

I can nap in my bed, I just choose to nap on Mommy most of the time!

Hey what's up! I'm just chillin' in my recliner.

More 4 months Pictures

2008-12-13T07:38:00.000-08:00

Daddy was taking care of me on this night. He made himself a fancy dinner while I slept. Why can't it be that easy for Mommy?

Here I am skyping (webcam) with someone. I can't remember who because everyone in my family has a webcam. They love being able to watch me grow while I'm so far away.

We've been having lots of fun lately getting ready for our big trip South. We were going to drive with Robert and the dogs, but we've chickened out. Now, Rob will drive with the dogs, and Robert and I will fly. Rob just wanted to hurry up and get there, which would have been impossible with Robert. So, Robert and I have been busy Christmas shopping online, which has been awesome! When the presents come in, we just wrap them up and we're done. Robert has enjoyed watching me wrap the presents. He seems enthralled by the bright colors and ribbon. We've been attending Christmas parties. St. Nick came to Nashotah House and brought all the children presents. Robert got a cool V-tech car that lights up and sings. I had an Advent party for the Women of Nashotah House, which was fun because we did a gift exchange and a cookie exchange. We had Lessons and Carols and a nice reception this past Thursday. Robert pooped in church so loud that everyone on our side heard. Of course, I forgot the diaper bag, and we had to borrow a diaper. What a fiasco!

Anyway, thought you might enjoy these pics!

4 Months Old

2008-12-03T08:52:00.001-08:00

Robert is cuter than ever these days. I know the pictures don't seem to show it, but he is a happy, smiley baby most of the time. For some reason, though, the smiles turn off when the camera turns on.

He had his four month-old checkup yesterday, and praise God, the boy's healthy and growing! He's now more than doubled his birth weight, weighing in at 19 lbs. 1 ounce. The doctor had to school me on how to keep Robert warm this winter: layers, layers, layers. This is all fine and well until it's time to change him. Hey, at least I'll have something to do since it's too snowy to go anywhere: laundry!

Robert has now rolled over both ways. He doesn't do it all the time, though, only on special occasions and never when he's expected to perform for someone. He's certainly developing his own personality, and showing off for others or the camera is not his thing.

He is playing with toys, mostly putting them in his mouth, but he seems to enjoy it. He is still a thumb-sucker and loves to hold something soft while sucking his thumb. It's pretty much the cutest thing he does! He seems to love bath time and has recently found his feet, but only in the bath. He's found his upper vocal range lately and makes this high pitch squeal just for the fun of it. It was cute for a while, but after his shots the other day he added it to his mad crying and it was horrendous! I thought they were going to kick us out of the doctor's office!

Anyway, thought you might enjoy a little update.

Nashotah Babies!

2008-11-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

Aidan, Robert, Adeline, Emmaline, Margaret

Well, here they are...all 5 of our July '08 babies! We are all enjoying watching our little blessings grow up together. They are all already developing their own personalities at 4 months old! All of the moms enjoyed catching up at the Thanksgiving dinner. We all can't believe how fast they're growing. It's so fun to have babies so many babies so close in age all in one community!

Visit to Atlanta

2008-11-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

Robert and his cousin, 3 1/2 year-old Ty, being couch potatoes in front of the TV. They were watching Kung Fu Panda, and Robert was really into it!

Robert and his cousin, 1 1/2 year-old Jordan, on a pony at the Fall Festival. Jordan tried her hardest to hold him on, but he's almost as heavy as she is!

Robert loved snuggling with his Mabop!

Robert and I just got back from 10 days in Atlanta. We had a wonderful time hanging out with Aunt Lisa, Uncle Lee, Cousins Ty and Jordan, and Mabop and Pabop. Yes, those are the names that firstborn grandchild, Ty, gave my parents, and they have stuck. He was really into the Doodle Bops at the time!

Robert was so easy on the airplane, both ways. He nursed a little and slept on the way there, and he slept the whole way home. Perfect! He had a little trouble sleeping while there and reverted back to getting up during the night. It was pretty easy, though, since I was alone in the bed. I would just go get him and nurse him in bed with me, and he'd sleep with me for the rest of the night. Not too bad.

He really loved watching his cousins play, and they loved him. 1 1/2 year old Jordan was a little jealous because she is no longer the baby in the family. She had to do everything Robert did, like swing in the baby swing, sit in the baby carseat, hold Robert's bunny and silkie, and get rocked and burped like Robert. Ty loved his "baby brover, Wobert." He couldn't quite get the relationship straight, but he knew that he loved him, whoever he was. He actually tried to make me a trade. He said something like, "Youcan (he runs those words together) take Sisters (that's what he calls Jordan) to you house, and wecan have Wobert wif us." As much as I love "Sisters," I had to turn down the offer. He may have changed his mind later, though, because during one of his overtired meltdown episodes, he said that Wobert bit him. He was dead serious and ran crying to his room. I can only imagine how viciously Wobert must have attacked him with his gummy jaws! Very scary.

The only downside to our trip to Atlanta was the cold/ear infection that set in when we got home. Who knows how he got it (Lisa's kids weren't sick), but he did. We came back Sunday, and by Monday he had a fever of 103.8. Thank God (seriously, thank you God) for our neighbor, an ER doctor/deacon, soon to be priest, who came over Monday evening to check him out. Sure enough, it was an ear infection. We started him on antibiotics, and he ran a fever (kept down with Motrin) until Thursday. I think he's finally feeling a little better, though congested from the cold. I must say that this week has honestly been the worst week of my life, so far. It is pure Hell watching your baby suffer from sickness, first of all. And second of all, it's horrible to be stuck in the house for a whole week! Yesterday I couldn't take it anymore, so Rob came home from school to watch him for a few hours while I got out. I felt much better after that. Robert seems much better today, though he's still not eating much. Please pray for his continued healing.

Robert's Friend Margaret

2008-11-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Robert enjoyed two days of hanging out with his friend Margaret, the daughter of fellow seminarians here at Nashotah House. Margaret was born just a few days before Robert and only a few weeks before moving to Nashotah House! He's so glad she's here and can't wait to grow up with her in the next year and a half.

Robert and I are heading to Atlanta to visit with my family for 10 days. We won't be blogging for a while but will update when we return. Please pray for our safe travel and Robert's first airplane trip!

Visit From Nona

2008-11-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

We all enjoyed a visit from Nona last week, especially Robert! He's really happy in this picture, you just can't tell by his face.

Check out more pictures from the visit by clicking on "Nona's Visit at 3 Months Old" to the left under Picture Albums.

We love you, Nona!

Fall Festival 2008

2008-10-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Robert enjoyed his first Nashotah House Fall Festival this past Saturday. Thanks to his Great Aunt Julie, he had a cute costume to wear! He enjoyed looking at all the kids who came by trick-or-treating. He went trick-or-treating, too, but he passed on the candies. Mom and Dad had plenty to eat of their own and didn't want more around the house! After trick-or-treating we went to the gym for games and more sweets. He had a ball just looking around at all the big kids having fun. He had so much fun that he passed out on Daddy's shoulder! What a fun night! Check out more pictures of the Fall Festival under Picture Albums to the left. Enjoy!

Last Warm Day

2008-10-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

We had our last warm day about two weeks ago, I think. Robert got to wear this adorable "tractor and corn" smocked bubble (bad picture, cute outfit). It was a perfect representation of his birthplace, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, which is all cornfields and lakes. The little chunky monkey couldn't have been cuter that day! You'll see in the other picture that he enjoyed the afternoon sitting in his diaper watching football with Daddy, a rare occurence these busy days. Yep, he's a big baby! Just thought I'd share...

Drum ROLL Please...

2008-10-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it?! Robert has rolled over for the first time! Check it out at "Baby Robert Rolling Over" under Our Videos to the left.

Robert in the Leaves

2008-10-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Check out the pictures in "Robert in the Leaves" under Our Picture Albums to the left. We've had a fun day!

New Video

2008-10-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

Check out the new "Baby Robert Sleeping" video under Our Videos to the left. Enjoy!

"New" Winter Gear

2008-10-07T09:06:00.002-07:00

Robert and I went to the University Lake Barn Sale (huge rummage sale put on by a local private school) this past Friday, and he got some "new" winter gear. We gave Daddy a fashion show when we got home. I can't believe winter is looming ahead in the near future. It's going to be a real challenge to keep a little baby warm all winter long. I think these new hats will do the trick, though. Don't you?

FYI

2008-10-02T09:33:00.000-07:00

I put up another album entitled "Two Months," so click on RMK III Picture Albums to the left and check it out.

Thumb Thumb Thumb Thumb!

2008-10-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

Sweet relief, he's finally getting better at finding that thumb! No more pacifier pop out game. However, he has stopped taking the pacifier altogether (Thanks anyway, Nona, for all the pacifiers you just bought him.), and now when he's fussy, he'll only settle for the thumb. He can't always get his thumb right away, though, and he WON'T let you help him either. The only thing that works is to try to get him into an optimal thumb-getting position and pray. We just don't understand how this boy got so stubborn. Hmmm....

Photo Diary

2008-10-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

Robert: Do I really have to wear a hat? I look like such a dork!
Mommy: Yes Robert, it's in the 50s today with no sun. You better get used to it. You've got a long winter ahead of you!

Robert: Hey, trying on a hat isn't so bad. It's a good thing I don't have to wear them all the time, though.

Mommy: Ha Ha Ha!

Thank you Great Grandma Rosemary! I love my new outfit! See my little paws!

Can you believe I'm in a size 6 mos. already?

This is a picture of a baby who slept through the night for the first time: 10:30-6:30. He's done at least 7 hours a night for the past 3 nights in a row! Yeah, we're not getting used to it, but we're certainly thankful!

Free Advertising For Moby Wrap

2008-09-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

You know how you feel when you really love a certain product? You want to tell everyone about it! Well, I absolutely love the Moby Wrap. I've talked it up as much as possible at Nashotah House. And, everywhere I go around town people stop and ask me about it. Women say, "Wow, they didn't have that when I was bringing up my kids!" The truth is, though, mainstream American women didn't have it, perhaps, but the rest of the world has been "wearing" babies for ages and ages! I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but American women have finally gotten a clue, and now there are tons of wraps on the market. It's overwhelming how many there are from which to choose! While I obviously haven't tried them all, I highly recommend the one I have tried--the Moby Wrap. It's a huge piece of cotton material, and thank God that it comes with great instructions of how to tie it in all of the many possible ways. If I can do it, anyone can do it! Robert really loves being in the wrap. I've even found that when I carry him in the wrap rather than leave him in his busy chair throughout the day, he is calmer and sleeps better at night. It allows me to give him the physical contact he needs at this age while also getting stuff done around the house. It's a whole lot better than sitting around rocking him all day long, which gets really old when you live in a small apartment with no cable! The only thing I've found that I'm really scared to do when he's in the wrap is use the oven. It just puts him way closer than he should be to a hot oven, and when I wrap him with his feet out, it's really out of the question to lean over a hot oven.

Okay, so if you're interested, here's the official Moby Wrap website: http://www.mobywrap.com/

But here's where I got mine (It's a great company, and I was buying diapers from here anyway):

http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php?cPath=35

Enjoy!

New "Good Boy" Toy

2008-09-24T06:05:00.000-07:00

Robert's appointment went well yesterday. He was such a good boy at the doctor's that Mommy bought him a new toy. As you can see, he was thrilled by it! So far, he's only fallen asleep on it, but he's got some time to grow into it. It's a little busy for him at this point.

Drum roll please....Robert weighed in at a wopping 14 lbs. 6 oz. and 24 in. yesterday. We're so proud of his accomplishment! Needless to say, he's a healthy boy.

He had his two month immunization shots, which was no fun for either of us. He screamed bloody murder when the nurse gave him the shots, but he quickly quieted down because as soon as she handed him back to me, I let him nurse. I highly recommend this method because he was immediately quiet and fell into a deep sleep. He slept all the way home, including during a quick trip into the grocery store. He slept and nursed off and on for a few hours, and then the screaming started again. Apparently I should have given him the Tylenol as soon as we left the doctor's, but I thought he was fine since he was asleep. Why drug a seemingly content baby? Well, I now know that pain prevention is the reason. His three shot areas on his legs became really painful after a few hours, and then he had to wait for the Tylenol to kick in. He literally screamed at the top of his lungs for about twenty minutes straight. He wouldn't even nurse. It was so sad to watch. Once he finally calmed down a little, I let him nurse off and on for the rest of the evening while I snuggled him close on my lap. Poor little pumpkin!

He's feeling much better this morning. However, he's ready for me to get off the computer!

What a Smart Boy!

2008-09-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

LOOK AT THE NEW VIDEO UNDER "OUR VIDEOS" TO THE LEFT!!!

Okay, so Mommy isn't going to win any videography contests, but hey, at least she tries!

Robert is so fun these days. As you can see in the video, he's finally able to play a little bit and interact. He smiles all the time and laughs (so far only for Nona). He still tries for that thumb, but even if he gets it, he can only keep it in his mouth for a few seconds before it hops out again. He constantly moves his arms and legs. His neck is getting stronger each day, and he can hold his head up, but only for a certain amount of time before it flops back down.

He's getting bigger and bigger each day, too. He was 13 lbs. 11 oz. last Thurs. He goes to the doctor today for his 2 month checkup, so we'll see how much he's grown. He still eats every two or three hours, so no wonder he's getting so big! He is a little gassy and juicy (lots of spitting up) and sometimes downright uncomfortable after feedings, especially in the evenings, so if you think of it, pray for him in this area. Can you imagine feeling like that after every meal?

He's pretty agreeable during the day as long as he doesn't have to sit by himself for too long. He's more than willing to ride in the wrap, which does allow me to get some things done around the house. He especially likes vacuuming with me--it puts him into an immediate snooze! He doesn't mind running errands as long as it doesn't cut into feeding time and he can ride in the wrap once we get to where we're going.

He's still pretty unpredictable at night. Last night he slept from 10:30-4:30, but the night before he was up every three hours. I'm not in a hurry for him to grow up, but if I'm honest, I can't wait until he's able to sleep for a long stretch consistently! Just thought I'd give everyone an update.

We love y'all!

Smiley

2008-09-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Daddy is so cute! Yeah, Robert's smile is cute, too.

Thank You!

2008-09-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all of your prayers! I had the D&C yestday, and the doctor did find a bit of leftover placenta and successfully removed it. I was a little tired yesterday, but I'm all better today. Robert was in good hands with his "Nona." We're so blessed to have her here to help!

My Favorite Things

2008-09-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

I usually love to ride in my stroller, but sometimes I get lonely and cry. Then Mommy gets to carry me AND push the stroller, which is better exercise for her anyway. I also love my "soothie"' pacifier. I have a hard time keeping it in my mouth, so Mommy and I usually end up playing a fun game of "drop and stick": soothie drops out of my mouth, I cry, and Mommy sticks it back in my mouth. I guess Mommy doesn't like this game because she's really encouraging me to find my thumb!

This is my fun chair. I didn't used to like it that much, but now that I am more alert, I like to sit in it and look at the cool toys. I even try to bat at them, but these silly arms have a mind of their own!

Victory at last! I got my thumb in my mouth all by myself here! It was not easy, either. My arm was swinging around in front of my mouth, and it just so happened that my thumb was not tucked into my fist, for once. I mananged to get my fist in my mouth, grab hold of my thumb and suck, and pull out the other fingers without letting go of my thumb. You have no idea how hard that is when you don't really control your own limbs!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Aunt Mary Poppins

2008-09-11T05:14:00.001-07:00

My sister Lisa came for a visit to meet Baby Robert for the first time, and boy did she help out! She makes mothering look like a breeze, and she sure mothered us while she was here. She cleaned our house, did our laundry, fed the baby during the night, baked apple crisp from apples that she picked from our campus apple trees, and generally loved on us the whole time she was here. We were so sad to see her leave, but she had to get back to her little ones (Ty 3, Jordan 1). Now you see why we have named her Aunt Mary Poppins!

Believe Me, You Don't Want a Picture of This!

2008-09-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

So, today I had my 6 week checkup. I'm sorry to report that it DID NOT go okay :(
I'm still bleeding, so the doctor scheduled an ultrasound for tomorrow and thinks that part of the placenta is still hanging out in my uterus, which is not good. If so, I'll have to go in for a D&C. Thank God that my mother-in-law is coming next week in case I have to have the procedure. I'll need the extra help! As if that news wasn't bad enough, I had to have some scar tissue (yes, down in that area) frozen and pulled off! YES, IT HURT REALLY BADLY!

So needless to say, I could use your prayers. I'll keep you posted.

Oh, Robert's doing great!

Rub a Dub Dub My Bum's in a Tub!

2008-08-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

Poor little baby Robert has his first case of diaper rash, so last night he had a bum soak followed by an air dry session and finally some Triple Paste. I think he was surprised to be getting a bath in the living room in front of the TV. How decadent! The rash seemed better this morning, so we'll do a few more repeat sessions to see if it clears up. Hopefully he'll get over it and won't be one of those constant diaper rash babies. It looks so painful!

He's still growing, but he did slow down this week. He's up to 12 pounds 1 ounce, which is still pretty big for a one month old baby! He's sleeping well at night--at least 4 hours at a time. The other night he surprised me, though, by sleeping almost six hours straight! We haven't had a repeat of that unfortunately.

I'm figuring out this mother/housewife career and getting better at it each day. Robert is pretty content to be carried around in the wrap between feedings, which allows me to move around hands-free. So far I've been able to get one big task done each day, like vacuuming/dusting/doing dishes, laundry, announcements, thank you notes, etc. Today we're going to attempt a trip to the grocery store!

Robert is now informing me that it's time for a feeding, so gotta go.

Check the picture albums!

Olympic Gold Medalist

2008-08-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

If you only knew how long I've been trying to post! Basically, I have to make some serious choices when I finally get a moment to myself. Do I want to go to the bathroom? Eat? Take a shower? Brush my teeth? Get dressed? Post on the blog? Write a thank you note? Work on announcements? As you can see, some things obviously take precedence over others.

Needless to say, Robert is keeping me very busy. If growing was an Olympic sport, Robert would definitely win the gold! He weighed 10 lbs. 7 oz. last Thurs.! He gains more chunky rolls each day. As you can see in the picture above, though, feeding Robert is not always easy. He likes to sleep while eating, which, as we all know, is impossible, but he's still not convinced it can't be done. Basically, he tells me he's hungry by crying, and then when I start nursing, he conks out just like in the picture. Then, I spend the next hour trying to wake him up and keep him awake until he has a full feeding. I've tried everything--even a cold washcloth--and nothing seems to keep him awake. I deserve a lot of credit for his gold medal growing because without my persistence, the child would starve to death!

So basically we spend our days sitting together and eating, with few a breaks for his daddy to hold him, to get a diaper change or a bath, or to have a little walk in the stroller (if Mommy is lucky). He's more work than I ever imagined, but he's also more of a blessing and a miracle than I could have ever hoped. Rob and I can't believe he's ours and can't believe how much our love for him grows each and every day.

Keep checking the picture albums (link to left). Rob has been adding them as we take them, so enjoy!

Introducing Robert Mitchell Kunes, III

2008-08-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

He's finally here! Many of you have already heard the news, but here are the stats:

Born: July 28, 2008 @ 6:38 a.m.
Weight: 9 lbs. 5 oz.
Length: 22 in.

He's a big, healthy boy, and his mom is quickly recovering from a marathon 27 hour (drug free) labor/delivery.

Rob and I are working on a detailed labor/delivery story mainly for our own recollection, but for anyone who's interested, I'll post it here when it's done. The short version is that we used all of the skills we learned in our Bradley Method class to achieve a drug-free birth. Robert came out alert and healthy. The only setbacks were that I did have to have an episiotomy, and I also had trouble clotting after the delivery of the placenta and lost a significant amount of blood, which is making my recovery a little longer than I had anticipated. I'm having to deal with stitches and anemia, but I'm feeling better each day.

Check out the new picture album called RMK III Week One in the column to the left.

We can't thank you enough for your prayers. We are blessed beyond belief by our new precious baby boy!