Picture Update (April & May)

With a newborn and busy toddler,
time for blogging (among many other things) is limited. 

Still, I need to capture these two as they grow up so unbelievably fast! 

 Little Big Boss

Ryan at 2 mos.

(More leaning than sitting, but still adorable.)

 Classic Justin. 

This boy needs to accessorize with each activity.

Needless to say, we don't travel lightly.

Our darling boy at 3 mos. 

I'm loving this kid's social smile! (This is just a small smirk.)

Ryan enjoys his stroller rides and outdoor time.

Thank goodness, too! Outdoor time is a must for big bro.

And speaking of ...

Justin's version of playing in the sandbox.

Baseball fanatic? Yep.

One of Justin's first intros to playdough. Here is the "before" picture. 

And yes, I had to roll each color into a ball for him.

The "after" picture involved a purplish-brown, crazy mess and Justin in tears 

because the dough no longer resembled baseballs. *eye roll*

 (As an aside, am I the only OCD mom out there??

I completely cringed as he mixed and mushed all of the colors together!  

Worse than nails on a chalkboard for me. Ha!)

Can you guess where this happy boy is off to? 

To enjoy a family picnic at the park, of course. ;)

I count my lucky stars every day that Ryan sleeps well in his car seat.

Notice our burp cloth turned bib? 

A much needed accessory for this babe.

Birthday Boy: Ode to a 24 Month Old

Two years old already?

How fast the time goes by! 

Our tiny babe no longer,

You're quite the little guy. 

So many ways we love you, 

So many things you do,

bring smiles, sighs and laughter,

and drive us crazy too!

You're Daddy's faithful sidekick, 

with a bat and ball in hand.

The park's your favorite place on earth --

you go each chance you can.

Running, jumping, climbing,

kicking, swinging, more.

Each day's an adventure, 

new things to explore.

Church can be a challenge

as meetings can seem long.

Mom and Dad just hope you'll sit 

through the opening song. 

Tracing hands and "coloring,"

eating mac and cheese,

Dimpled-right-cheek-charmer,

with a sweet face saying "pees."

Mommy's busy boy, 

your favorite word is "no."

Except when in the swing or car,

then you want to "GO!"

Cuddles and short stories, 

Singing ABC's,

Old McDonald had a farm, 

Head, shoulders, knees ...

 

Toys out on the floor, 

Jelly on the walls, 

toilet paper all about,

and mystery phone calls.

Winnie the Pooh and Caillou,

toy cars in kitchen bins,

Our house bares all the signs

that a two-year old is in.

Life has been quite different, 

from the way it was before.

Two years ago our lives were blessed, 

on April twenty-fourth.  

So, here's our loving tribute, 

from Mom and Dad to say,

We love you so much, Justin.

Happy 2nd Birthday!!

 

Ryan Scott Robertson

He's here! Our newest addition made his debut on Saturday, March 16th after only 5 1/2 hours of labor. Since big brother Justin was such a solid kiddo at birth (9 lbs 5 oz), we decided to "invite" Ryan a few days earlier in hopes of an easier delivery. And easier it was! Ryan weighed in at 7 lbs 14 oz. and was 20" long. Calm and content, this sweet baby won us over at "hello." Ryan Scott was named for his paternal uncle. Scott is eleven years Mike's senior and has been an exemplary older brother throughout his life. It's our hope that Ryan will enjoy a close relationship with his siblings as well.  For now, Justin and Ryan seem to get along nicely. :)  Justin likes to give his brother kisses -- mostly on the tummy and head -- and has received lots of attention from daddy and his two grandmas. We find it remarkable how similar the brothers look as babies! What do you think?  Is there a family resemblance?

Holidays 2012

 Family Christmas Picture 2012

 Disneyland fun.

  Enjoying a white Christmas in Utah!

 Justin's first snow day.

 Go Daddy, go!

ACCEPTED!!

This month's cardinal red blog isn't just fitting for the Christmas season, it's in celebration of a  tremendous gift and achievement. Tuesday afternoon, while presenting at an IEP meeting, I received several phone calls and text messages from Mike. My first reaction was alarm. "What's wrong?" I wondered. I knew that Justin was with our trusted sitter and Mike was on the road, traveling to a meeting. I prayed that all was well as I dismissed myself and dialed Mike's number. At hearing his voice I rushed to ask, "Are you okay??" Yes, indeed. Mike was far better than just "okay." He had just received a phone call from the director of admissions at Stanford University.  Mike had been accepted to Stanford's MBA program!!

For several years now, Mike has balanced demanding responsibilities on all fronts. Long work hours, business deals, church callings, community volunteer, GMAT study, essay prep... all the while never wavering as a loving husband and daddy.  How I love this man!! Thanks to all who have offered words of encouragement and prayers on our family's behalf during this long process. We couldn't be more elated with our 2012 Christmas gift!

Class of 2015

Stroller for Two?

Now that baby #2 is on the way, we're in the market for a double stroller. As it turns out, the decision isn't as easy as I anticipated. Hours of researching the "perfect" stroller, and all it's gotten me is a headache.  How in the world do I choose?? Is a tandem better than a side-by-side? A jogger is nice for outdoors/recreation, but is it too bulky for around-town use? What about size of kiddos? Justin's a tall kid for his age. 

I may seem to be making this a bigger deal than it needs to be, but we all know that a stroller can be a pricey piece of baby equipment. I just want to be sure that the stroller we choose is worth the moo-lah.

Here are a few of the contenders:

 The Contours Optima

 Graco Quattro 

Phil & Teds (I'm not really sure about this one. 

It looks like one of the kids is practically on the ground. And what about storage space?)

BOB Revolution

Suggestions welcome! What's worked well for you or someone you know?

The Latest and Greatest

*SIGH* I’m in need of a strong pick-me-up after a post-election day slump. So, I decided it was time to update the blog. There’s nothing like looking at pictures of loved ones to turn a frown upside down. Here we go then. In order of happy Robertson family news events … 

Baby Robertson #2

Most importantly, all is well development-wise. (Whew!)  This time around we were eager to learn the baby’s gender. (We had hoped to be surprised with Justin, but it wasn’t meant to be.)  Although the 16-week ultrasound wasn’t decisive, there was no mistaking the findings at the 20-week. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have another BOY join our family!!  Our hope is that he and Justin will be the best of buddies.

Here is our little guy in all of his 2-D profile glory. 

(I love that he’s covering his face with his little hand.)

Halloween

Halloween Eve was spent with our good friends, the Tanners, who hosted a tasty, pre-Trick-or-treat dinner. Afterwards, we headed out with toddlers in tow for some light Trick-or-treating. First house on our stop: Willie Mays (Giants baseball great). I must admit, I wasn’t too sure that we would actually be able to locate the right house. Oh me of little faith. The Tanners had the inside scoop alright and, sure enough, Willie was more than open to Trick-or-treaters – passing out full-size candy bars and baseball cards. Justin was somewhat hesitant about his first encounter with a former Giants player. Mike, however, was completely in his element!  

Completely cliché, but we – of course – we went as Giants players/fans.
Go 2012 World Series Champs!!!

 Dads and kids.

First Day of Nursery!

As of last Sunday, we’ve crossed the threshold into nurseryhood.  Hooray! Leading up to the main event, we were somewhat unclear as to what Justin’s reaction to the nursery drop-off would be. Although cautious at first, all it took were some toys and a few minutes of play and Justin was soon oblivious to the whereabouts of mom or dad. In short, the kid handled it like a champ! Here’s hoping for a repeat this Sunday!   

Bursting with pride: our baby-no-longer. 
We completely adore this sweet boy! Who could resist that charming smile? 

Fall 2012

The summer has come and gone and taken with it my will to recap the last four months. Suffice it to say, we've been busy -- as have many of you.  Our summer was full of work, family vacations and exciting changes. Justin is now 17 months and quite an active toddler.  He enjoys playing ball, swinging, sliding and all things "Winnie the Pooh." We've also come to learn that Justin is also quite camera shy. Well, at least, he rather dislikes being told where to look, when to smile and asked to sit still for any sustained amount of time. (A toddler, for sure.) Justin's motor and vocabulary skills are ever increasing and we are counting down the days until he can join the nursery class during Sunday church meetings.  Mom and Dad have long since forgotten what it's like to sit through an entire meeting uninterrupted. 

Here's hoping we will soon get the chance to remember! ;) 

 Here we are in Half Moon Bay -- at our favorite pumpkin patch!

Justin's more than content to ride in the wagon.

 Daddy and Justin

 Farmers Mike and Justin (such a serious little driver!)

 Someone can't wait for that next bite of pumpkin spice frozen yogurt. Yum!

 At last. The long-awaited bite.

 Best buddies.

 The preggo pic, as requested. 17 weeks tomorrow!

 It's a big responsibility to watch over a Justin-size pumpkin.

 Caught in the act (of smiling).

Robertson Family Photo

I guess I kinda stuck in a big announcement back there. ;) For those who don't yet know, Baby Robertson #2 is due mid-March 2013. We plan to find out the gender on the 30th of this month, if not sooner. 

Stay tuned for the update ...

Father's Day/June 2012

What did Mike want for Father's Day this year?  

To go to a Giants game -- as a family. No arguments here! :) 

Note Justin's face in the next two pics. Classic. 

We're still trying to convince him to wear a hat when we're out and about.

  Giants vs. Rangers 

 Don't these two look adorable in their matching jerseys?!

Chicken cordon bleu for dinner. Mike's fave.

And later at the park ... 

Football hold.

 Tickles.

A game of chase. Justin sure loves his Daddy!

Our lil' ball player.
Mike couldn't be more proud. ;)