Ronald Winston and Samuel Franklin Lawler

2012-01-06T15:44:00.003-07:00

2011-10-17T12:03:00.005-07:00

Well, Ronnie is 4!! We had a great time at his party. We closed the street and had an enormous jumpy castle (batman, of course). It was a lot of fun. Batman was there (Ronnie) and Batman on the cake.

All is great with our big boys. Ronnie's 4 year MD visit found him just five pounds heavier than his little brother. Oy! Ronnie loves to read on his own, build quite elaborate block and train sets as well as drawing and painting. He's really thriving in school and we're going to apply for full-day Kindergarten next year.

Sam is doing wonderful as well. He's got a "big boy" bed now- a toddler bed. He loves to take naps, except for when he doesn't want to take one! He loves to keep up with Ronnie and is so upset that he doesn't get to stay at school. I'm going to look into the Parents Day Out program that Ronnie loved at his age to see if he can go once a week.

My mom's visit was great! We saw Thomas at the Railroad Museum, went to the Dinosaur Museum, Ikea, and just hung around the park. Ronnie and Sam really miss having her here. She'll be out for Christmas!!!

I love this picture of Ronnie on his new bike. Unfortunately, that's the only time he's been on it!

The rest of the photos really speak for themselves. We are all happy, healthy and looking forward to the holidays! Love you all!

2011-08-19T13:11:00.003-07:00

Ronnie is enjoying his second day of preschool, Sam is napping and I actually have some time to myself. Working out a bit, showering, enjoying an iced coffee....this is the good life!

Update on the Boys:
Sam... He's amazing! He is so smart and funny and creative. He keeps up with his big brother in everything: speech, physical activity and play. He knows all of the names of the Thomas trains, he can say, "1-2-3" if you ask him to count and he loves to sit and read books. Sometimes the boys will be playing and it will get quiet. I'll go in to check and they are both on the floor reading books. It's magical.

Ronnie: He can read, I would guess, about 20 words. We're reading Charley and the Chocolate factory for the 4th time and he loves it. At school yesterday, his first day, he told Teacher Rachel that he prefers his name spelled, "R-O-N-N-I-E" instead of Ronald, which is how they put everything. She was impressed! He's excited to learn Spanish and English in school and likes his new classmates. He is so into Thomas the Train and superheros. Rob got him this Captain America outfit and he wants to wear it morning, noon and night.

They are the sweetest boys! They play with each other really well. When asked what his favorite part of the day is, Sam usually says, "Ron-Ron". It's finally getting easier!!!

2011-08-11T13:12:00.002-07:00

2011-07-23T10:10:00.005-07:00

Alright, I don't want to hear it! I know I haven't posted in forever... better late than never, I guess.

The boys are getting so big and playing together all the time. Trains, mostly, but they do love a good trip to a farm, digging in the garden and playing in water.

Yesterday, Ronnie said, "Come upstairs and play, Sam! Mamma, you stay downstairs." Gladly! That was refreshing.

Sam is such a character. He is talking up a storm and putting more than two words together. Everyday, though, he says his favorite part is "Ron-Ron". They really are good friends. SIGH!

We are having a hot summer, but staying cool at the zoo, in the mountains and just hanging out eating popsicles.

2011-03-21T13:57:00.002-07:00

Well, it's getting hard again to post anything! Sorry for the delay. We have been busy...

Ronnie is all about pretend, roll-playing games right now. After we read any book we have to act it out. So, be careful what books you read! I was playing caveman for two weeks and now we're on to pirates!

It is really nice that he and Sam are playing together now. Ronnie and Sam will play chase and can rough-house without Sam getting too hurt!

They are both getting so big, though. Sam is talking up a storm: out, down, apple, banana, owl, cracker, cheese, time out, up, mama, papa, Elmo, night-night, bye-bye, hi... I can't think of anything else. It's super cute

Ronnie is starting to read a bit. He can recognize words on the street and can pick out words from books, which is so amazing. Rob's still working with him every day with writing and he can write 1-10 without following any lines.

2011-02-03T12:58:00.003-07:00

What a crazy week for weather! We went to the zoo last week for 5 hours and then we didn't leave the house for 2 days because it was too cold! But, the big new is: Sam's Walking!!! He's so cute. It really is kind of a crab walk sideways but he toddles around like a champ. Ronnie's looking forward to playing chase soon.

Here's the monkey at the zoo that comes right up to the glass to see the boys. It's so cute!

Sam is almost as tall as Ronnie! They are playing so well together lately.

New things Ronnie is doing: Reading! He loves to read his books and he can recognize a lot of words from flashcards. Rob also does a lot of "tracing" with him from preschool books. He can follow lines with his pencil and actually write letters! It's pretty awesome.

New things Sam is doing: walking, bringing books to us so we can read them to him, which we are so happy about. He says "Mama, Banana, Duck, Cat, That" and lots of other words to associate things but they aren't really words. It's very cute! He calls me and Rob both Mama- his word for parent, i guess.

All is well here. Staying busy at the shop, going to museums, eating good food: the usual! oxoxoxo

2011-01-14T09:26:00.002-07:00

Sam loves to jump and play on Ronnie's bed. Ronnie was pretending to have a "pecan shop". He's been kind of obsessed about nuts lately! :)

2011-01-06T12:58:00.002-07:00

Sam's birthday party was so much fun! He had carrot cake and a few of Ronnie's little friends came over to play. Ronnie and the others see him more as a playmate rather than a baby, which is a lot of fun. Sam likes that too!

He got a lot of cool presents and loved the baloons and extra singing.

Sam had his 1 year checkup at the doctor and he weight 26 pounds! That's 6 pounds heavier than Ronnie was at one. He's in the 73rd percentile for height, weight and intelligence!

His new thing is climbing into his little chair and playing with his farm animals. He also loves to play with trains when Ronnie is playing. He hasn't taken any steps on his own yet, but I think he's close.

He's signing some (light, milk) and we're still teaching him other words. Sam eats like a champ, which is no surprise. He really does prefer if a food is properly seasoned- no bland baby purees for this baby- excuse me...toddler!

Happy Birthday, Sam!!!

2011-01-01T13:20:00.003-07:00

New Year's Day...this is why we wouldn't go out the night before: 8am banging and carrying on!

Happy Birthday to our little Sam!!! We love you!

2010-12-27T10:33:00.003-07:00

I know, I know! It's been forever that i've posted anything, but it's the holidays and the shop has been very busy. We had our best day ever two days before Christmas! So, that was great. Plus, we nabbed a lot of corporate gifts this year, which ended up being more difficult than it should have been. BUT!!! The kids are great!

It finally snowed the other day! It took me about 20 minutes to get both kids into their snow suits and then it turned into a muddy mess because there wasn't much snow. But, Ronnie was so excited to be out in snow, after all the reading of winter books about stuff he was finally excited to play in. Sam really didn't care too much.
We've had great weather, though. We've been hitting all the neighborhood parks, the zoo and going on walks.

Thanksgiving was great! The Lawlers were here- Jasmine, Mom and Dad. Ronnie had so much fun. We went to our friend's restaurant, Duo, and had a private celebration with them and other friends. It was cool.

I just love this picture. It looks like Sam just punched Ronnie in the arm and is so proud of himself. But, Ronnie is just not a fan of pictures these days. They do love taking baths together, though. Sam pretty much loves to do anything his big brother is doing.

Christmas cookies with Mama and Papa was fun for Ronnie. We usually treasure the two hours of naptime that Sam gets and do something special with Ronnie.

Ronnie loves to play the "guitar". His favorite band right now is the Beastie Boys and his favorite song is "Fight for your Right to Party!" I change some of the words, but it's pretty hilarious to hear him sing it.

This Christmas was great. We really missed having family here, but it was the first year we haven't had anyone here in about 8 years, so it was kind of nice in a way too! Ronnie asked Santa for a Mastadon/Wooly Mammoth. I know, we have one cool kid! There was a big dinosaur find here in Colorado and there's a lot of new mastadon/mammoth bones that they're showing at the Nature and Science museum. So, he's into it.

Sam got some crazy car toy from Nana and Papi as well as some cool tools, cars and blocks. They made out, but it wasn't too out of control, which is good. Now we're planning Sam's birthday....the big O.N.E.

I'll try and get more pics posted...xoxoox

2010-11-01T08:31:00.004-07:00

Halloween was so much fun this year! Ronnie really enjoyed everything. He got to eat 4 pieces of chocolate candy and enjoyed every second of it! He was eating the chocolate as he was ringing the next doorbell, which was pretty funny.

Here's our little lobster. We decided to cook him up when we got home, but he wouldn't fit in the pot!!

Ronnie went trick-or-treating early then he got to stay up late handing out candy to all of the goblins who came calling. He really enjoyed handing out the candy and seeing all of the costumes.

Plus, he had to stay up late to run out all of the sugar in his system! It was pretty hilarious how he absolutely crashed at 8:15!

I think this was the best Halloween ever!

2010-10-28T12:05:00.001-07:00

Today at Ronnie's school! Ronnie's pirate outfit really consists of a head scarf! This is his little school class.

2010-10-18T12:35:00.010-07:00

After many visits to the zoo, this is the first time Ronnie has let me take his picture in front of this sculpture! He's been a bit afraid of it, i imagine.
Ronnie's imagination is so great these days. He'll sit and talk with his animals and play for hours. It's fun to listen to and be a part of. He just fed his monkey some "yummy yogurt milk" from his breast as I was feeding Sam!

We went to Potager's annual farm picnic at Red Wagon Farm and it was so much fun! I think the best part was watching the kids play in the "maze" and drive the tractor. It was the highlight of Ronnie's week.

Ronnie is going to be a pirate for Halloween and Sam will be a lobster...pictures to be continued.

This is the definition of "smothered and covered"!

Rob and his great jelly adventure. Is that a bottle of opened wine next to him?!

Sam is starting to cruise around the house a bit. He loves walking around with his car and along the train table and couch. It's great. Now, if we can only keep Ronnie from crushing him, we'll be alright!

Parmigiano rind is the best teether ever!

2010-10-01T09:46:00.006-07:00

Look who's THREE!!!

2010-09-23T20:53:00.007-07:00

Ronnie is three years old!!! We couldn't be more proud. He's diaper free (even at night), he's such a great communicator (but still has the occational freak-out), he loves his little brother (mostly) and he is just the sweetest most darling little boy ever! Happy Birthday, Ronnie!!!

2010-09-23T20:37:00.004-07:00

Sam is just a big as the big kids, it seems. Ronnie adores Della!

So, i've gotta do these photos in two postings! Sorry it's been awhile, but whoa! It's tiring having two kids, especially one who has 4 (FOUR) teeth now! We're all getting over a bit of a cold as well.

We had such a nice visit with Kim. Ignore the crying Ronnie in this picture- it was the end of the hike and he was really tired. Most of the hike he was happy and running and very excited about being there.

2010-08-23T19:36:00.006-07:00

Whoa! We have had a crazy amount of family visiting in the last few months! I'm posting like three blog posts into one, so excuse me!

We love all the visitors, though, don't get me wrong. We need all the diversions we can get to keep us on our toes.

So...news...Sam has his first tooth, which is on the top right. Now, in the last few days, it seems like the left one is coming in too. I always thought the bottom teeth came in first. Maybe he's just breaking all the rules on purpose!

The Lux clan was in for a nice week's stay. Sonny was competing in the Scottish Highland Games here so everyone decided to come and support him. It was so much fun having everyone here. Sonny, Cousins Carrie and Emily and their husbands and Carrie's son Hunter. Hunter was two in June, so he's a bit younger than Ronnie but they got along alright- when they weren't fighting over their Thomas trains!

Here's Sam in the middle of a two-year-old sandwich!

Sam is on the move!!! He's officially crawling. It's army style, but he's really fast and, of course, loves to go for all the power cords, tall tables with lamps and all of the other dangerous furniture. Hmmm....

Here's Rob making sausage with Sam on his back! He and Janet, our shop manager, bought a whole pig and butchered it themselves. We spent last weekend at here house making sausage- 35#! It's delicious!

Brothers: the best of friends and the worst of enemies!

Here's Ronnie with his new train table. He had to be nice to Sam for three whole days to get it. Here is a pic of his Lego Thomas trains, but we have more of the Brio Thomas sets. He's diving head first into Thomas the Tank Engine.

We're having a good time with everything, though. The shop is very busy, Ronnie starts a new preschool program after Labor Day and Rob's sister is coming for a visit next week. Hopefully i can post more pics inbetween then sometime!

2010-07-16T13:39:00.006-07:00

grandma's here!!!!! as you can see, we're having a lot of fun- usually the mess you make is directly related to the amount of fun you're having.

can't type now- squirmy baby on lap! xoxo

2010-06-21T13:53:00.005-07:00

Here's Sam with his first bites of food: Rice Cereal. He's since eaten avocado and today some banana. He loves to eat! He's definately enjoying food quite a bit. We can't wait to start getting food from the garden for him. Ronnie keeps eating the peas, so that's out, but maybe some other greens soon.

Ronnie officially doesn't wear a diaper anymore during the day. He's great about peeing outside (of course) as well as in the potty. And, for the last week or so, his poop has made it in the potty every day. We're so proud! It also helps that he's always naked in the house, so that's lots of fun.

2010-06-10T19:39:00.002-07:00

Sam thinks Ronnie is the best thing since breastmilk! They're taking baths together now and I think we're going to give Sam his first bite of food this weekend...wish us luck!

Ronnie has been pooping and peeing in the potty, which is great.

Recent conversation:

Ronnie: Mama, what do you wear at the acquarium?

Me: Just what we have on now. We don't have to change clothes.

Ronnie: Can we go naked?

2010-06-01T08:25:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was our annual Memorial Day Farm Trip with Truffle Cheese Shop. It was Sam's second time at this farm and Ronnie's 4th or something, so Ronnie was really more comfortable around the animals. He collected some eggs, hugged an alpaca and wanted to take a baby goat home! It was great. Beautiful day to spend with friends and customers of the shop.

Sam is getting HUGE!!! I forgot to post his stats last time he went to the doctor: 17lbs and 26" long! So, that was 3 weeks ago, i anticipate (and my wrists tell me) that he's closer to 19 pounds now! Oy Me!

Here's Ronnie with his fat lip from falling off the chair. He was pretty banged up, but in good spirits still.

We 've been outside a lot more enjoying the weather in the sandbox, at the park, the zoo and what not. I can't wait for Sam to be able to sit up a bit on his own. He still hasn't rolled over on his own- i think he's too chubby!

Ronnie has been peeing and pooping in the potty pretty regularly lately. Here he is modeling his Sesame Street underwear. He needs a haircut badly but won't let us use the clippers on him yet. I'll say, "Ronnie, can i cut your hair today?" and he says, "No, Mama. I already brushed my hair today."

More pics to come...Ronnie isn't taking any naps lately and Sam is still on his 30minute nap routine, so it's hard to get anything done around here without turning on the TV. Oh...at least it's semi-educational.

2010-05-16T19:39:00.003-07:00

Della and the Prior family was here for Mother's Day brunch so i caught some pics of the elusive cutie! She is such a sweetie- sleeping and eating like a champ. Ronnie was so in love with her, too! Much more affectionate with her than with Sam.

We had so much fun when Nana and Papi were here for the weekend. Ronnie and Sam got to have a pizza party when Rob and I went out for dinner. Then we actually worked together at the cheese shop, which was such a treat.

Ronnie loved Papi's i-pad and could actually manipulate the screen to do what he wanted. It was pretty cool to watch. Sam enjoyed seeing Nana again and getting all the cuddles.

All else is well. Ronnie took a huge digger today in the living room and got a fat lip! I will post the pics next posting...it's not pretty! He was bleeding from his mouth, chin and nose. I was worried he had knocked his teeth out, but they're alright. He ate crusty pizza tonight for dinner, so that's how I know he's ok!

Sam has been sleeping great. He's adopted Ronnie's schedule, so he goes to sleep at 7:30/8pm and then is up once to eat during the night and then again at 8am or so he wakes. It's pretty awesome! It's also nice to have the mornings alone with Ronnie to eat breakfast and play a bit.

Here he is being a robot! He came up with this one all on his own.

Funny things Ronnie has said lately:

Me: How old are you, Ronnie?

Ronnie: I'm two.

Me: You're two and a half.

RWL: No, mama. I'm not a half. I'm not broken!

2010-04-26T13:13:00.002-07:00

Hopefully i'll have some time here to actually write something about the kids! Sam's appointment with the urologist went great- he does not need surgery, at least right now. So that's wonderful.

Ronnie has been so cute lately. He's more likely to be singing random songs, he's trying to learn knock-knock jokes because we read a book about them at the library. He's also really good at his letters and numbers. He can recognize all the letters in the alphabet and really likes to "write" his name, only he says, "R-O-N-I-E".

The weather has gotten so nice, so we're outside in the garden and sandbox quite a bit. It's nice for Sam to get his vitamin D!

Sam is changing a lot too... he's just started squealing and talking very loudly. It's really funny. He'll also laugh and smile at Ronnie when he's doing silly things. Last night he started sleeping in his crib in his room, instead of ours in the bassinett. That was a big deal for me more than him, i think. But, it's better and safer for him now that he's so big!

His 4 month appointment is next Tuesday, so i'll post more stats then.

xoxo Nana and Papi will be out next week too! Yeah!!!

2010-04-24T20:05:00.002-07:00

Spring is here and our front garden looks so great. We've got tulips, violets, iris and lots of other flowering things i can't remember the names of. It's beautiful.

Sam is getting so big and squirmy! He especially likes to kick in the bathtub.

Here he is in his super cool shirt that Marika got for Ronnie. Sam is a pretty good sport about the hand-me-downs...right now, at least.

He fell asleep in his bouncy seat- it was pretty funny.

Look who has blue eyes!!!

Getting sooo big!

2010-04-12T08:57:00.004-07:00

Sam is getting so big and chubby and a lot more fun. He has been sleeping really well- 6-8 hour stretches. He's drooling a bit- Rob thinks he's teething, but i'm hoping we can wait another month for that.

We went to Spring Too Farm yesterday where we'll be taking The Truffle Cheese Shop's annual farm trip. Ronnie LOVED it!

He got to "drive" the lawn mower and pet some goats, alpacas and chickens. He eve picked an egg from a nest.

Then we got home and he did some weeding in his garden.

Just got these CUTE pics of the brothers. Sam seems so huge on Ronnie's lap!

Lately, Ronnie has been "cooking" when he plays. He says, "First i'll put in some cream, then some chocolate, garlic, olive oil..." It's very cute. We're loving the weather- Ronnie can play outside on his own in the sandbox. Sam doesn't really love being outside that much- it's bright and windy, so we keep him covered up most of the time. I think when he can sit up a bit he'll like being on a blanket outside.

Well, Sam's taking his 3rd major poop of the day while he's on my lap right now!!! Gotta go before we have a blow-out! By the way, in the last post, it is Sam on top and Ronnie on the bottom picture! Can you believe the similarity?!

2010-04-04T14:58:00.003-07:00

One of these pictures is Sam and one is Ronnie...can YOU tell the difference?!

Sorry it's taken me a bit to post more pics, but i don't know what's been going on! The Lawlers were here and that was GREAT! We went to the zoo, we played, Ronnie got to take a bath with his cousin Jasmine every night, which he loved. It was a blast. We wish they could have stayed longer.

Uncle Pat came over a few weeks ago and put up some shelves in our living room on either side of the fireplace and Ronnie really loved helping.

Sam really liked having his Grandma and Grandpa here because there were more arms to hold him!

Our happy little man is doing great. I'm not sure if everyone knows, but Sam has the same kidney issue that Ronnie had when he was born. It's a bummer... we had to get a renal scan done last week and it looked good to us- his kidneys were working close to 50/50, which is the goal. But, we still have to visit with the urologist.

Another amazing event: Sam has been sleeping 8 hours a night for the past week!!! Yeah!!! It sure does feel good to sleep 7 hour stretches. He goes to bed at 9pm and we go at 10 or so, but waking up at 5:30 is certainly easier than 3 times a night. Pray for another week of this, but i'm sure as he's growing, so will his schedule change.

Rob and Ronnie are outside getting the garden ready for another great year of Colorado vegetables. I had better go help. Love to all...

It's a Miracle!

2010-03-19T08:07:00.002-07:00

Sam slept 7 hours last night! It's so great. I remember from Ronnie, the doctor said 50% of kids sleep through the night this young. Yeah!

Here's a great picture of Jenny and Bruce's new little angel. Jenny said she's doing well- sleeping and nursing like a champ. Jenny is in such great spirits, too. She doesn't seem to be nearly as overwhelmed as i was, which is so great.

In other news, i'm back to work a few days a week. Rob really is great at taking care of the boys and Ronnie loves all the extra Papa time. Sam is getting so big still.

Grandma and Grandpa Lawler are coming this weekend with Cousin Jasmine, so we're very excited. They get here on Sunday and are staying about a week.

More pics after they come... K

2 Month Stats

2010-03-11T09:39:00.002-07:00

Hello all. Sam is officially HUGE! He's 14.5 pounds (95th percentile) and 2 feet long (75th percentile). The doctor said he still has a bit of a cough but otherwise he's perfectly healthy.

In more news, our friend Jenny had her baby on March 3rd - A healthy girl named Della Tobin Prior. I have been getting on them to send a picture, but none yet. Jenny is feeling great, though, and they're having a great time with their little girls.

Ronnie is hilarious lately. Here's some things he has been saying:

Ronnie: "Mama, I'm waking up Sam."

Me: "You better not, little boy"

Ronnie: "I already did!"

I really like this one:

Ronnie: "Papa, this dinner is pretty good. What's in it?"

Rob: "Pasta with garlic, mushrooms, chives and bacon."

Ronnie: "Is that it? What else is in it?"

Rob: "Salt, pepper and butter."

Ronnie: "Oh, it's good Papa. Thank you."

What a Week!

2010-03-02T15:13:00.005-07:00

So, we had such a great time with Nana Lux. Baby Sam is such a cuddler- that's all he and Nana did.

Ronnie really enjoyed hanging out and playing too! Rob and I got to do a lot of stuff that we couldn't have done unless she was here.
The only bad thing was when we went to the Children's Museum last Wednesday. Friday night all of us were vomiting and soooo sick! Rob changed Ronnie's bed about 5 times and I couldn't get out of bed. It was a nightmare. Kathy was home in Texas doing the same thing...ugh! But, we're pretty much better now. It really was just a 24 hour stomach bug. Ronnie still has a bit of an upset tummy, but he's drinking lots of fluids and we're trying to get him to eat.

Before that, though, Sam had his 2 month check up and we ended up in the ER! The doctor was concerned about his rapid breath, which we really never noticed. She diagnosed him with RSV and Bronchiolitis, which we think is just a fancy baby term for bronchitis. We spent about 5 hours being monitored by the docs and they sent us home. His oxygen levels were fine, his breathing is fine when he sleeps and eats and he's thriving. He weighed in at 14 pounds!!! So, we're sucking out his nose about 5 times a day and tracking his breathing. He seems to be better now, but we'll see on Friday. Everybody keep praying we don't end up in the ER again.

It was snowy last week and we finally got Ronnie out to play in the snow.

We miss you, Nana!

xoxo Karin

2010-02-15T10:45:00.004-07:00

This is Ronnie "breastfeeding" his monkey! Rob and I are sure to take as many embarrasing pictures of him as possible!

Here we are reading books in bed in the morning, one of our favorite ways to start the day!

This is Ronnie this morning with his two favorite things: Monkey and Orange Horse. We don't really give names to anything around here- is that wrong?! His teddy bears are "brown bear" and "white bear", but these are his favorites- he sleeps with them and loves them dearly.

We went to the junior orchestra last week and Ronnie LOVED it! Here is is playing the stand up bass. It was about 300 kids in the middle of a circle of an orchestra. He was overwhelmed and in awe! He watches an Elmo Peter and the Wolf that has the Boston Pops Orchestra and he loves all the instruments.

More pics of our little Sam! Little??? He's wearing 3-6 month clothes now! He's our little turkey.

1 Month Down, Sam!

2010-02-05T09:49:00.005-07:00

We're doing pretty good here in Lawler land. I've got Ronnie parked in front of Sesame Street, which i've decided there's nothing wrong with! ;)

Sam is sleeping, as usual, but i need to wake him up so he'll sleep during Ronnie's nap time, which is when I need to nap. What a hectic life, right?!

Sam is doing great, though, and getting so big. He's starting to hurt my arms when i'm nursing him, which means i'll have to start using a proper chair instead of proping him on my lap, probably.

He's getting so strong and starting to like tummy time much better. This pic you can kinda see his reddish hair!

I think this pic of Ronnie and Sam is so cute! Ronnie has been the best big brother so far! He is gentle and helps get diapers for me when i'm changing and helps with Sam's bath every night.

Here's our schedule: Ronnie wakes up around 7:30/8:00 and we eat breakfast together while Sam is nursing. Then we play legos and toys, maybe a walk to the park if the weather is nice. Lunch is 11:30 or so and nap shortly follows until around 3:30 (4 if we're lucky!) I like to take a nap then as well or else i'm NO GOOD later. After nap we're playing and eating again. Maybe a trip to the library if i'm feeling adventurous. Thursdays is still Music Together, which Ronnie loves.

Dinner is 5:30/6:00, Sam gets his bath at 6:30 and Ronnie goes up for his bath at 7:00 after we pick up his toys. Bedtime is 8:00. Rob, Sam and I go to bed around 9:30. Sam wakes up for snacks at 12:30/1:00, 3:30/4:00 and again at 7:00/8:00. Whew!!! I can't wait until these first 3 months are past- they're hard on the constitution!

We're anxiously awaiting Nana's visit on the 20th of this month. In other news...Ronnie has big boy underwear!!! He's only worn them a few times, which is my fault, actually. I think i need another set of hands to potty train and take care of a 1 month old. So, we'll act more on Rob's days off and when Nana is here. But, Ronnie is excited to wear them and has been telling us when he needs his diaper changed, which is a great sign that he's ready.

I'll try and post more pics again soon....xoxo Karin

2010-01-21T13:15:00.003-07:00

What a week! Ronnie has had a cold, which means he's miserable, and Sam is feeding every 2 to 3 hours, which means we are TIRED!

But, Ronnie's beginning to feel better, we think. He is, however, starting to regress a bit. He's using a bit of baby talk to get what he wants, and saying "Mama, mama" all the time. The doctor let us know that that can happen for the first few months. Ugh!

Here we are doing tummy time. Sam hasn't quite gotten the hang of it yet, but Ronnie is teaching him.

All is well, though. We're sad because Grandma Lux is leaving tomorrow and we're on our own until Nana gets here on February 20th. Wish us luck! You may not see many blog updates until then.... xoxo

Sam's Getting Big

2010-01-11T20:54:00.003-07:00

It seems like months that he's been here, but little Sam is just celebrating his nearly 2 week birthday! We're tired...

Sam had his first doctor's appointment today and he's huge! He's already weighing in at 9 lb and he's grown 2 inches since birth. WOW... that's good because newborn clothes are so big on babies. Maybe that's why they grow so fast so they can fit in their clothes.

Ronnie had his first fondue the other night and he loved it! He even got to dunk his own bread.

My mom has come to the rescue earlier than planned, which has been a lifesaver. She is so good with Ronnie and Sam. Ronnie loves how silly she is and Sam loves all the cuddles and talking she does with him. I love that i can take a nap in the afternoon and Rob loves that he can actually sit down once in awhile.

Ronnie sure does love his little brother, though. All he wants to do is give hugs and kisses. It's the first thing he wants to do in the morning and the last thing he does before bed- kiss his brother!

It is nice having Ronnie in "school" twice a week- Monday and Wednesday- so we can have a little break. Ronnie loves it too, i think. He loves all the kids there and the activities they do like art and circle time and music. Plus, he's still going to his music together class on Thursday, which he adores.

I've been feeling good but a bit stretched. A little bit of the "baby blues" only because there's so much to do and see and love that I want to do it all! But, sadly, I can't and I know i need to nap every day and really take care of myself. Getting lots of hugs from Rob and Ronnie really helps!

I'll post more later.... time for bed! Gosh, it's nearly 9pm! :)

Welcome Samuel Franklin Lawler

2010-01-04T10:08:00.006-07:00

We couldn't be more happy to announce the arrival of our little Samuel! He is so amazing and beautiful and healthy, hungry and everything you could hope in a new human being!

Here's the story:
All day i was having contractions here and there, but that was kind of a normal event as i had been having contractions and sensations for a few weeks. But, at around 3pm i took a shower and it felt so good- i knew that he was closer. I let Rob know he should pack the bag and call our friend Kirsten who was going to watch Ronnie. She got here around 4:20 or so and we left at 4:30pm for the hospital. Fortunately it's not far, but I did tell Rob to hurry it up at one point.

We got to the area where they check you in and the nurse said i was dialated 8cm, my water broke and the wheeled me up in the bed. I started pushing in the elevator! They were yelling at me not to, but i pretty much told them i didn't have a choice here- Sam was coming! I got to the first delivery room they had off the elevator and the doctors and nurses were scrambling around. I pushed another 4 times, maybe, and 11minutes from when i arrived in the room he was born! He weighed 8pounds, 11oz and was 19in long. I didn't have any tearing or hemmoraging like last time, which was great and amazing. The birth was full of pressure, but very little actual "pain". The hypnobirthing really works!!!

So, Ronnie is doing great with all the changes. I realize that i haven't posted any christmas photos, so i'll do so now. Ronnie is at his school, so it's just Sam and I in the house- Rob went to the shop and is doing errands like getting diapers!

Nana and Papi came for Christmas and it was so much fun! They mostly hung out with Ronnie while Rob and I got some much needed work done at the shop- we had the busiest month ever in December! Yeah!!

Santa brought Ronnie his orange garbage truck that he asked for, along with lots of legos to go with it. Papi and Nana got him a broom and dustpan, a recycle truck and lots of cool toys. He had a good time.

This is his new funny face he likes to make for pictures!

Claire, Lucas and Ronnie were together for christmas dinner, which brought 11 of us plus 3 two year olds at one table! Rob made a crown roast of Lamb, which was delicious. The kids really had fun playing together.

Here's Ronnie coming down the stairs on Christmas morning! And playing with his legos first thing. Of course Rob loved setting up all the toys and putting together all the legos for him.

Santa's little helper!

Well, we hope you are all enjoying the new year as much as we are! Sam is starting to stir, so i had better go. If he's awake, he's hungry!!! Lord help me! xoxoxoxoox Thank you for all the love, well wishes and prayers! We love you... Karin, Rob, Ronnie and Sam.

Thanksgiving was GREAT!

2009-12-04T13:34:00.007-07:00

We had such a blast in Florida. Ronnie and I flew to Ft. Myers on our own and he did great on the plane. We read books and played with new toys. If any of you are flying and need a little help, I just discovered that you can ask for a "gate pass" for whomever is dropping you off. So, Rob got one and was able to walk us to the gate and spend a bit more time with us getting settled and getting Ronnie used to the idea of getting on a plane. It was really helpful.

I'll start by telling you what Ronnie did today, though. He pulled up his stool to the kitchen sink and started washing dishes! He loves it! Now if i'm in the kitchen he runs in saying "Ronnie do dishes!"

Rob flew out and arrived on Boca for Thanksgiving with his family and boy was Ronnie sure happy to see him! There was a lot of Philpotts there and then the Lawlers arrived for dinner with another 13, so there were about 60 of us for dinner! It was surprisingly great- food, seating and space and, of course, great company.

We had my Uncle Terry baptize Ronnie while we were there. I wasn't really interested in having that done, but Terry married us and is kind of our religious figure in the family, so it just seemed right. He got some holy water from a local church he goes to on the island and we did it before dinner. He liked it until we had to tip him over the sink!

He really loved riding in the golf cart and playing with his cousins. Plus all the extra ice cream, cookies and chips that were lying around... he was spoiled!

Here I am "beached" playing with Ronnie. We only got a few good beach days because it was a bit windy and cool. But, the pool was nice and I still came home with a tan!

Little Miss Claire had her 2 year birthday party at the beginning of the month and it was so much fun! She's so smart and funny and cute. Ronnie and she had such fun pushing her toys around and chasing each other.

Here's their civilized "kids table" for dinner. This little group lasted all of 5 minutes, maybe!

But, our little boy is very silly. He likes to wear shirts and underwear on his head and go around the house making funny faces. His vocabulary has exploded since we were in Florida with all the "big kids". He's speaking pretty much full sentences now. Also, he was standing to go pee pee in the potty at Florida, but hasn't done it now we're home. We'll see. He's still not interested in poo poo in the potty, but the doctor said he's advanced for his age as it is (did you expect anything less?!)

I'm feeling good, but each day is different. Some days i can't form full sentences and others i can barely get up off the couch. Today i feel good. I think this baby is coming before January 11th, but we'll see!

Baby boy #2 sure is lucky, though. He has such a great family he's coming into. We can't wait to meet him!

xoxo Karin

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T10:16:00.004-07:00

While we're still not completely getting the whole concept of Halloween, he can say trick or treat and Happy Halloween, which is fun! He was a fireman this year, but reluctantly. Ronnie's best friend Lucas was a sushi roll, which was just perfect!

Janet at the shop let me borrow her sweatshirt she made when she was pregnant last and it was super cute!

Ronnie's friend Masie had a Halloween birthday party, so at least I got one picture of Ronnie in his fireman getup!

All is well here- fall came and went and now the 10-12 inches of snow we got last week is melting in this 60 degree weather! I love Colorado! We just got some new trucks from our neighbor and Rob and Ronnie went to the hardware store to give them a tune-up. Ronnie's glad he can finally get outside and play in the snow without getting frost bite.

The pumpkin patch this year was kind of a blow out because of all the frost we've had, but Ronnie showed off his CU pride and braved the mushy pumpkins- the super sweet pumpkin bread didn't hurt.

He's been into talking to the baby and putting stickers on the baby lately. He teaches the baby his ABC's and numbers and all the animals. I'm feeling pretty good- getting anxious for our flight to Florida for Thanksgiving! My due date is January 11th, which really is only 9 weeks away. Oh my! With Ronnie I was prepping the nursery and getting everything put together. This baby will be sleeping on the floor, i think! We have the basics: food, shelter, clothing....what else does a baby need? I've forgotten already!

Guess who's TWO!!!

2009-09-28T08:07:00.003-07:00

Ronnie had his second birthday on the 24th! I was waiting to post because we had a birthday party for him yesterday, Sunday, and I wanted to post the pics. He is such a big boy now. I dropped him off at "school" just now, which is a 9-12 daycare program at a local church. He loves it!

He listens to the teacher and they have organized play schedules, snack time and storytime. I asked him this morning what he will be learning and he said, "numbers".

He got so many great things for his birthday: a super cool guitar, a fire truck and and apple picker truck that he wanted to sleep with last night, an enormous fish tent that takes up the whole living room, a train and a lot of great books. When Nana and Papi were here they got him that golf set, which was a big hit at the party and he's wearing some of his new clothes. I thought the western shirt fit him well knowing that Grandma Lux sent him a cowboy guitar!

All of his little friends were there. We called it a brunch party, but it started at 9am and went to about 12:30 or so. It was perfect timing- the kids were in a great mood and got along well. Let's see, there was Claire, Luke, Grace, Georgia, Maisie, Parker, Ruby and Isaac, so with Ronnie, there were NINE kids running around playing! We were sorry that Lucas wasn't there, but he got a bit of a cold and couldn't come. Thank GOD it was a nice day outside.

I made him his elmo cake, which was a big hit. I used life savers for the eyes and found a design that worked for the size cake I made, so it was pretty easy.

All the kids liked helping to open the presents. OMG! Look at my big baby belly!!!!!!

Rob took Ronnie to our friend's alpaca farm the other day. www.springtoofarm.com He had a great time looking at the animals- they have goats, alpacas and chickens. Michael makes the most amazing goat cheese that we sell at the shop and they've become great purveyors of eggs and cheese for us.

Ronnie is beocming more and more silly. He put this orange in his mouth and thought it was the funniest thing ever!

I'm feeling pretty good. Mondays are nice because i have this extra three hours for myself. I think i'll go to a local pool today and try and get in some exercise. I gotta get in bikini shape for Boca this year! Just kidding...i'll be wearing a full body parka on the beach!

I hope you're all well. xoxoxoKarin

2009-09-13T09:06:00.007-07:00

September has been a very busy month already! Tomorrow's Rob's birthday- September 14th. He's now an old man! (35 like me!) Last night we baked a cake and blew out the candles so Ronnie would know what to expect when he has his birthday this month.

We also went to Ronnie's best friend Lucas' Mommy and Daddy's wedding. It was a beautiful Colorado wedding near the mountains and lake with teepees for Ronnie to play in. He was looking for the Indians!

It seems like he is speaking more and more lately. He repeats everything we say, which is so cool! Today he's at his second day at "school", which is really just a day care from 9-12 at a local church. He likes it once he's there, but talking him into it was a bit tough this morning.

We went to a local farm for Potager's annual farm picnic and he was glued to this tractor! He's very much into tractors and dirt and all that boy stuff! See that truck in his hand? Well, he sleeps with it! Thank God it doesn't make the tractor sounds anymore (there's too much dirt and sand in the button and it broke!) The picnic was beautiful and the food was amazing, as usual! Ronnie got to pick tomatoes and see the chickens and pigs. Next year maybe he'll want to pick up the chickens like the other boys, but this year he stuck pretty clost to mama.

Ronnie had a little playdate with Miss. Claire the other day. Don't they look so civilized?! Like they were just discussing the weather or something. Little Claire is doing great! I'll just post the news here, since Jenny's blog is not working right now... Jenny's pregnant!!!!! She's due in the beginning of March and we couldn't be more excited to share another pregnancy together. Claire is just so sweet. She starts gymnastics classes this week, i think!

We had an amazing weekend with Nana and Papi (Ronnie calls my dad Papi- sounds like Pappy). They came for a visit to get out of that Texas heat! Ronnie got his first set of golf clubs from Papi and a few lessons, of course! Otherwise, we just watched him play in the sandbox, went to park to play and did a few rounds of golf in the backyard. You know, the usual!

By the way......we're having another boy! This photo is a bit blurred, but you can see the little man's little member! We have another ultrasound the beginning of October to make sure everything is developing alright, but as of now, the doctors are saying all is well ont he baby front! We're so excited to have a brother for Ronnie. He comes into bed with us every morning now and gives the baby kisses and raspberries. He likes to run his truck across my belly and "play" with the baby. One time the baby kicked pretty hard when i was holding Ronnie and we both jumped. He giggled and laughed and said, "baby!" I think we're going to have a lot of fun having two.

2009-08-21T13:35:00.003-07:00

We've been having a very nice summer. The weather here is cooling off just a bit and it makes me very nervous! Ronnie and I have no winter clothes!!

Last time i was pregnant, I delivered in September, but now i'm due in January! UGH. So, we'll have to go shopping soon- double UGH.

Everything is going great here. We've been enjoying our summer by playing outside, going to Lucas' house, hittin' the train museum, the zoo, Rob went to the art museum the other day, we're at the library at least once a week. It's a busy life! Ronnie's nap schedule recently changed. Now he's going down to sleep from 2-4, which gives us much more time to do things during the day. He's still going to bed at 8pm, which is great.

His verbal skills are really progressing. Of course, all the girls he knows are aready on their second language and doing long division, but Ronnie is just starting to say, "one, two" instead of just "two" for all the numbers. He's also started babbling a bit more, which leads us to believe he'll be doing something spectacular with sentances soon. He's copying us more with what we say, which is good and bad. He put on my sunglasses today and said, "Cool" while raising his index fingers, which he thinks are his thumbs! It was super cute.

He loves to brush his teeth, which is great. He's sitting on the potty and tells us when he has already gone poop or pee, so we're hoping to get started on serious potty training after his birthday.

First Peach of the Season

2009-07-30T20:09:00.019-07:00

This is such a great video i got tonight at snacktime. This was after his very short nap, but he's still pretty pleasant. We are going to Music Together again for their summer session and Ronnie had a blast today. Then he makes me do all the songs and hand movements again at dinner. I bribe him to drink his milk by doing more songs!

Have i told you we switched to a "big boy bed"? Well, technically it's a toddler bed, but Ronnie loves it! It actually allows us to sleep in a bit longer because in the morning he can get out of bed and get a book to read or a toy to play with. He loves it. I think he especially likes the freedom of getting in and out whenever he pleases.

2009-07-26T11:32:00.013-07:00

Our visit with Grandma Lux was so great! Does anyone else want to come out here for 3 weeks? Unless you're a parent, you don't get the room with the air conditioning, though. Ronnie had such a great time with her. They walked to the park, Grandma got him an early birthday present... a bike! He loves it! He feels like such a big boy on it, you can see it in his face.

She also got him some coooool tennis shoes, which he wears every day now- no sandals! Rob has been refinishing the deck so the kids can go out there with bare feet and not get splinters- always a nice feature in an outdoor play area!

The 4th of July was so fun. The neighborhood association had it's second annual parade and we decorated Ronnie's wagon. The park was filled with kids. Of course my mom got us matching shirts!

Really, Rob and I were so grateful to have more time with each other! We worked together at the shop a lot more, went to the store together, went out to dinner and lunch a few times. It was great. We went to the Natural History Museum, the Zoo (twice!) but mostly just went to the park and sat on the front porch, which Ronnie loves just as much.

Ronnie has been doing so many new things. He's copying what we say more and more. He says some stuff backwards, though, which is so cute (until the doctor tells me it isn't, of course!) For instance, he says "Pa-Pee" for Pizza. Pizza is fast becoming his favorite food! (For all of those who don't have it, get the cookbook The Silver Spoon and the pizza dough recipe is great! It takes a bit more kneading than they recommend, but it turns out so yummy!) But, his thing for about a week was wearing socks on his hands for "Mim-Mitts", which is mittens, of course. He didn't care is the socks were clean or dirty! It was pretty cute.

Alright...more pictures. We had lunch with Miss Claire the other day and she's so darn cute I can't stand it! She's getting so big. She just sits there and eats and looks over and says, "Hi, Ronnie" clear as day! Ronnie can't say his name clearly yet, it's more "Na-nee" but we're practicing!

xoxoKarin

2009-06-25T11:54:00.006-07:00

Hello all! I thought i'd put on some cute new pics of our growing little boy. Oh, my! He seems so big lately! Maybe because i feel so tired.

I have been feeling pretty good. The first 8 weeks were nausea central! But, now i know that everything hinges on how much i eat and drink. When i eat all the time- constantly- i feel great! When i don't, i feel nausea and grumpiness. So, i have to be careful.

We are so excited to see Grandma Lux next week Wednesday. She'll be here the whole month. She thinks she'll be just sitting around and becoming a burden...HA! She's going to be super nanny the entire time, walking to the park with the wagon, being the human jungle gym to Ronnie! There is no rest for the Grandma! I hope she knows what she's getting into! Rob and I have already planned several dinners and events for ourselves...watch out, Grandma! You're on your own! Hee Hee Hee...

2009-06-15T11:16:00.003-07:00

Well, i had better spread the news here, too....Rob and I are expecting our second baby! Yeah! We are so excited. Those of you who have seen me lately have been like, "is she pregnant 'cause she's fat!" Yes!!! I"m preggers, and i've already broken out the maternity pants!

I"m 10 weeks along, but feel like i'm 6 months along! I look even bigger than that, actually. But, it's a good thing Rob is so amazing and kind and caring. Our due date is January 11th...another Capricorn!

Speaking of exciting, Ronnie is PUMPED that he has a sandbox now! He's in there every second of the day that he's not eating or sleeping. Here's another photo of him at the nature/science museum with his buddy Lucas. Hope all is well. I'll keep you posted of the pregnancy and all the fun stuff that entails!

2009-06-06T11:50:00.008-07:00

Hi there. Today has been so much fun already that i have to post new pics of our little Ronnie. He's been more adventurous lately- going down the slides by himself on his butt and on his belly. It's super cute and he's so proud of himself! You can see it in the grin on his face- he loves it!

Rob and I can't get over how much fun he is! The boys usually go to the zoo on Tuesday or Wednesday and then I take him to music class on Thursdays. We've been hanging out with his new best buddy, Lucas, a lot too! Ronnie calls him "Juu Juu", which is so cute. They play ball and like to chase each other.

Today was the first day of our neighborhood farmer's market, so we walked down there and had a good time. They had a jumping castle, which Lucas and Ronnie's other friend Parker went on right away to jump, but Ronnie, being the cautious boy he is, was just fine to watch and eat crackers and raisins!

2009-05-26T08:56:00.005-07:00

May was a good month! Ronnie is starting to talk so much more and really play by himself pretending with his toys, which is so fun to watch. He has been a bit Mommy crazy the last few days, though, so Rob took him to the zoo this morning to give me some quite time. What a great Papa!

We've had some visitors from Germany visit for a few nights, Rainer and Uta Voigt. They were great to have. Ronnie loved them! Their daughter stayed with Rob's family when Rob was in High School, so they've known each other for a long time. We went on a hike to Red Rocks, which Ronnie LOVED! We bought a backpack for him and now he says, "hike" whenever he sees it. We also went to the zoo and toured around Denver with them. It was fun!

Also, on Memorial Day, The Truffle Cheese Shop took 50 customers to a local farm, Windsor Dairy, for a tour and lunch as well as cheese tasting. It was so much fun. Ronnie loved seeing the cows and goats but was a little freaked by all the chickens running around- there were hundreds! It was a beautiful day. Ronnie even skipped his nap and he didn't have any meltdowns! What a good boy.

Speaking of good kids, that Claire is amazing! We went to her house to play and she is so much fun! First of all, she has an amazing vocabulary. She says, "thank you" very clearly and politely. She can pretty much speak in full sentences to get what she wants. Ronnie is just starting to play with his friends! So whatever Claire was doing he wanted to do- the same with his friend Parker down the street. They start copying each other and really paying attention to what the other is doing. It's great to watch.

OK...All else is good. Rob and I are working hard at the shop. We got to go out on a date last week for our 7 year Anniversary- we stayed out until 12:30! Boy were we tired!!!!

Worms...worms...worms!!!!

2009-05-01T11:53:00.009-07:00

Ronnie loves worms! Mostly, he loves for me to dig for them and then he takes them for a walk or finds another hole to put them in. We've broken him of the habit of giving worms kisses, thankfully! But, he's so in love with them that he can't help himself sometimes!

We're doing good here. Besides some car issues in the past month, all is well. The shop is keeping busy- thank God! We just had our second cheese class: The Cheeses of France; it went awesome. 6 people, which i preferred over the 9 people we had last time. This was easier to get around and discuss and really talk about the cheese. People really loved it, too. Now we're working on our farm trip to a local dairy who makes cheese. Rob rented one of those huge charter buses! It's over memorial day weekend (Monday) if anyone's interested!

Let's see...Ronnie has been talking much more and stringing words together. At the zoo with Papa, he said, "Cracker, Goose, No." Rob think's that's his first sentence, but i'm holding out for "I love my mama!" We'll see...

He's saying: help, up, down, read, book, please, eat, cat, dog...we have an ABC book that he can say most of the words under the flaps. Apple is sometimes "apple" or "a", which is cute.

Still no potty training, but he does sit on the potty when we do and he makes his elmo doll go potty. When he goes pee he says, "Pee pee", which we praise, of course. He's not into messes, in fact, he says, "mess" whenever there's any kind of spill or anthing- dirt, food, water. We're not sure why, but we are always saying messes happen and that's ok.

We're still going to music class every week and Ronnie loves it. We sing and dance and play instruments. The weather has been nice, mostly, so we're able to play outside and walk to the park. Ronnie walked to the park all by himself yesterday- i picked him up to cross streets, but otherwise he walked the whole way!

I think that's all the news. I talked about potty, worms, talking, walking... all the necessary subjects! Hope all of you are well. I'll try and update more often, but Ronnie isn't really into having his picture taken anymore. He says, "all done" when i get the camera out. Oh well... xoxoKarin

2009-04-09T11:25:00.002-07:00

18 Month Stats:

Height: 2'9.5" that's the 80th percentile

Weight: 24lb that's the 25th percentile

Head Cercumference: 18.74" that's the 43 percentile

She said his verbal skills are very advanced for a boy his age. I made sure to have her tell him, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed." She said that's the first thing she learned in her pediatric residency!

He got his HiB vaccination and now he's all set until Measles, Mumps and Rhubella, which we'll probably wait until he start preschool.

Today is the first day of our new music class- we can't wait. Now if he'd only go take his nap we'd be in good shape!

2009-04-03T21:41:00.001-07:00

I just put this on our desktop and thought i'd share it with you all. No, that's not chocolate...it's dirt! We've been digging for worms a lot lately! xoxo

2009-04-02T13:25:00.008-07:00

Ronnie has been taking MEGA long naps lately! He's already been asleep over 2 1/2 hours! That's the norm lately, but today he might go down for 3! What's up with that?! I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong, but it's just kinda weird. Whenever he changes i get nervous. I don't know why, but i guess it's that he's changing our routine too!

Here's a cute video i took of him eating a pear. He ate the whole thing! Lately his vocabulary is getting really good. He can articulate the word "mouse" and can repeat pretty much any word we ask him to.

We're having a good time lately. Work is staying busy at the shop, which we're amazed and grateful for! Ronnie has his 18 month appointment next week so i'll post the stats then.

Well, he's up finally! Love...

2009-03-27T07:08:00.008-07:00

Spring is here and there's about 2 feet of snow in the backyard! Yeah!!! Ronnie does like to go outside still, but he much prefers playing in the dirt looking for worms- "oyms" as he calls it.

Rob's folks just left and we had such a great time. Rob and I stayed overnight at a B&B here in town, thanks to Dad and Kathy from Christmas! It was great walking to restaurants and sleeping in. We also used a babysitter and went to dinner at Fruition- DELICIOUS!!

I'm going to be brief, just in case Ronnie wakes up- he's decided to be a sleepy teenager today! :)

Ronnie had his first ice cream cone at the place down the street! He loved it and ate the whole thing- cone and all! He's really a good eater- Rob gave him Kim Chee (sp?) and he loved it. Pretty much whatever Rob eats he'll eat!

Can you notice there's a spoon in his left hand in all of the photos?! Well, it's his "wooby" as we like to call it. He's got it all the time- even while he's sleeping. Occationally he'll drop it to play with blocks or to play with a stick. He likes to bury it in the sand sometimes and then gets upset when he can't find it. It's hilarious! At least it's useful!

We found a wagon in the alley! The backyard neighbors were getting rid of it and we snatched it up. At first Ronnie wasn't into it, but then he warmed up and now he likes it alot! He kicks his feet and just wants to be towed. Super cute.

Here's some pics of Claire too- She's soooo cute!

2009-03-05T11:42:00.006-07:00

WOW!! Did you know i've made 80 posts to this blog!? I think i've filled out 2 pages of his baby book! I guess this is the future of baby books! We just got back from the park and playing outside. It's been in the 70's all week- sorry Ohio and Wisconsin people!!!! Rob took Ronnie to the zoo on Tuesday and Wednesday they played outside all day. Today and tomorrow are "mommy days" where I have him all day and Rob is at the shop.

Our schedules have been working out well.

Ronnie is getting really close to putting words together in sentences. He can say "please" after most demands, but usually only after a prompt on how to ask nicely. He LOVES hot dogs!! He can eat a whole one in one sitting! DANGER!!!

One thing he's doing now that we do NOT like is eating rocks and dirt! Any suggestions? He will eat it when he's got a full tummy of food, he'll eat it when he's hungry, he'll look at it and say, "No No" and then put it in his mouth! Help!!!!!

Ok...here's more pics. We love our new camera.

xoxo Karin

We're Back!

2009-02-26T11:46:00.004-07:00

Hi all! Well, we're back on the blogger! We bought a new camera and have been taking lots of pictures to make up for lost time. Ronnie is getting soooo big!

We can go to the park now and he will run around and climb up on the equipment and slide down the slide all by himself!

He is walking and running and climbng so well. We just take him out of his car seat and set him on the sidewalk and he climbs up the steps and goes in the house! It's great. Mostly, also, because he's heavy to carry around all the time.

He's able to communicate what he wants all the time, too. If he's hungry or his teeth hurt or when he's sleepy for his nap- it's great!

2009-02-06T08:31:00.005-07:00

Sorry, guys! I know i used to be a bit more frequent of a blogger, but Ronnie is just bigger now and we're doing more. He's still asleep this morning...it's 8"30! He was up a bit last night crying and he always sleeps in late when he does that. I think he's finally breaking through all those teeth!

Ronnie got a clean bill of health from his urologist!!!! His kidney is draining normally and he doesn't anticipate any further tests, besides the occational ultrasound, which isn't a big deal!!!

His words: Mama, Papa, PuPu=Music, Andy, Nana, Elmo, Cheese, Olive, All Done, Cracker, Pasta, Bread, Butter, Book, Night Night, Nap, and i'm sure a few more. He's

OH>>>he's awake!! Here's some pics:

2009-01-17T13:30:00.003-07:00

Ok... if you're a family member reading this, you might want to stop unless you want to feel even older! I'm 35!!! It kind of just snuck up on me today. It feels like a milestone, but i don't know what to do about it. There's so much change going on right now that maybe it's good i'm turning a "big" number.

Ronnie is still sleeping. Rob cut his hair last night in the tub!!! He got a bit of a snip when Grandpa and Nana Lux were here, but this was a big chop! All his side curls are gone..little fella. He looks like a little man now! That's the last time i let Rob give him a bath by himself!

Hope you are all well...

Big News...

2009-01-12T13:01:00.008-07:00

No, i'm not pregnant... I am leaving Potager Restaurant after working there as wine buyer/bar manager for 5 years. I'll be working at The Truffle Cheese Shop full time! We are so excited, especially Ronnie, since his mama will be able to put him to bed most nights. Rob and I will have more time together and he won't have 100% of the "burden" of running the business. He sees it as fun, but it's still work!

Ronnie is doing great. He's still taking his nap- going on 2 hours! So, i'll post some pics. I got him a pair of baby chopsticks and he loves them. Everything tastes better on a chopstick! Also, he's really been into raspberries. Maybe Claire told him how great they are- she loooves them.

I looked in his mouth the other day and he's getting ALL his teeth! I kid you not. Every tooth, except for the back molars that come in later! He's been surprisingly happy and still sleeping through the night.

But, he wants a cracker pretty much every second of the day. I think they feel good on his gums. So, we've been very creative with the cracker supply! We have: toast, graham crackers, fancy crackers from the shop, japanese bean crackers and he's just been turned onto Vietnamese rice crackers with shrimp! I wasn't sure if it's ok to give him shellfish yet, but he seems to be ok! Any thoughts?

All else is well. Rob has been working a ton while i'm finishing up at the restaurant. My last day there is on the 21st of January. Wish us luck!!!

Christmas Fun!

2008-12-30T12:13:00.007-07:00

This Christmas was so much fun! Ronnie was very into saying, "Santa" about anything red and white or anything at ALL Christmas related: the tree, the stockings, the cards. My mom got us a Christmas door mat that has Santa on it and he runs to the door saying, "Santa!!!". It's adorable. I think we'll leave it down there all year.

Nana and Grandpa Lux came for Christmas this year and it was so much fun. It was too short a trip, but maybe next time they'll stay longer. I got to work at The Truffle Cheese Shop (i'm bound by contract to call it by its full name now!) and we still got to go out for a date at Sushi Sasa...yummy!

We put all the presents out under the tree on Christmas Eve and Ronnie came down to see all of his new toys and a mountain of wrapped gifts! I mean a MOUNTAIN!! He got a couple new trucks, cars, dinosaurs, blocks, books and a lot of much needed clothes! Thank you everyone!!!!

Bruce, Jenny and Claire came over for dinner and they had fun playing with all of Ronnie's new toys. She's such a little daredevil! She likes to climb on Ronnie's highchair and then she went for a ride in Ronnie's wagon. The faster the better. She was holding on for dear life, but when it started to slow down she would pump her body to make it go faster. It was so cute!

Other fun things Ronnie is into now:

Butter. He says, "Cracker Bubba" then licks the butter off the cracker and asks for more.

He's still loving bathtime. Here's a good one of Claire and him taking a bath. She had an "accident", but I think she did it on purpose to see Ronnie naked! Sorry, Bruce.

Here's more cute pics... hope everyone had a great holiday. See you in 2009!!!!! xoxoxo

First Snow

2008-12-12T08:21:00.004-07:00

Here's some pics... Sorry, I don't have time right now to tell you how wonderful he is... You'll just have to imagine for yourself!!!

Happy Holidays...

2008-12-01T13:19:00.009-07:00

Well, December 1st officially starts the holiday season and we're more excited than ever. Thanksgiving was so much fun. Rob's folks and Jasmine came for a visit. Ronnie loves big kids! He was exhausted at the end of each day from chasing Jasmine around the house. He especially liked bathtime with Jasmine.

Dinner was delicious, of course! Rob rolled the turky breast in a veal stuffing, I made the yeast rolls and Mom made the pies. It was delicious!! Ronnie, unfortunately, is getting three new teeth all at once, so he was a bit crabby during dinner. He's feeling much better now, but it was tough there for awhile!

Ronnie had the best time with Grandma and Grandpa. They're fun to crawl all over and Grandma is a good reader.

Now we're gearing up for Christmas. Grandpa and Nana Lux are coming out to visit and we can't wait. We'll get our tree soon, which i'm kind of nervous about with Ronnie. I think this year i'll just tie ribbons on the branches and put on lights because he's kinda into EVERYTHING! He's been biting and throwing things and hitting... it's exhausting. Dr. Sears (i'm following The Baby Book) says to just keep repeating "no hitting", "no biting", "be gentle" and it seems to work. I think he's just at that age where he's learning how to use his body. We're also teaching him table manners, but that's like teaching a dog to knit! He'll get there...

Fun things he's doing right now:

Walking! He's walking everywhere now. His steps are smaller so he can walk faster and seems more stable on his feet.

Copying us... he's so funny! He says "AChoo" everytime anyone sneezes or coughs. It's quite cute. I made a "yuck" noise the other day and he copied me exactly- that was scarry. I thought, "what else am i doing that i don't want him to do!" Just another reason to become a better person, i guess!
Trying to talk... when we were eating last night he copied my mouth when I said Olive. He's getting close to talking. He's still using his sign language for most things he wants, which is great. He says: bubble and ball and then makes the moo noise for milk. We were practicing cracker last night, too. He loves looking at the pictures of family on the wall. He's really close to saying "Grandma" and he actually said "Nana" today! He articulates his mouth and watches our lips when we talk. It's pretty cool.

Rob's folks brought us Rob's old blocks from when he was little and I think Rob likes them more than Ronnie right now! Rob loves to build little towers for Ronnie to knock down... it's fun for the whole family!

For those of you keeping up, it was Claire's birthday last month! She's such a great girl! She's talking (saying "baby" clear as day) and i wouldn't be surprised if she was walking now.

Too Cool...

2008-11-13T14:19:00.006-07:00

Here's Ronnie with his cool shades on and his harmonica. He's Ray Charles!! He can't get a note out of that thing, but he loves to slobber all over it!

Ronnie's walking! He'll walk a few steps and then crawl and then get up and walk again. Now i know why they call his age "toddler"... that's how he walks! It's very cute but i can't seem to get him happily walking on video, only grumpy walking. We'll work on that.

He's getting so much smarter! He's signing all the time, but also grunting and pointing, which works too. We're still loving the weather, although tomorrow it's supposed to be coooold. Here's Ronnie playing in the sand at the park.

We've been taking him out to eat more, which is good but a bit stressful. He has begun to learn that dropping food and other things on the floor is a lot of fun, at least for him! Any tips on teaching a one year old table manners please... speak up!

Here's a few of his favorites right now:

Books... any and all. They are the first thing he wants to see in the morning and when there's books around toys, he'll always pick the book.

Meat... deeelishious! He loves lamb and beef the most, but he'll also eat chicken bits. He says, "bock bock" when he eats chicken!

Bathtime... super fun time to splash and play with his ducks (which don't say quack quack, they say "duck duck"). When he's finished with bathtime he throws all his toys out and then pulls the drain plug and throws that out too!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T10:32:00.007-07:00

Halloween is super fun this year. While Ronnie isn't quite sure what's going on, he's loving looking like a frog and seeing other kids and adults dress up and looking silly. He especially loves pumpkins. He loves to eat them and he loves seeing them around. He thinks they're balls! So, he's saying, "ball, ball" all the time.

The pumpkin patch was so much fun! Last year is was muddy and cold and Ronnie was crying and uncomfortable. This year he was standing and playing with the pumpkins and loved being in the field.

We've gone on two "trick or treat street" walks. No candy this year, but next year is another story! It's fun seeing all the kids dress up. The most creative costume we saw so far was a chicken with its head cut off! The kid was a bloody chicken and his dad was a butcher with a rubber cleaver! What's better is that his bucket for candy was a KFC bucket! Too much!

All else is well. Ronnie's ultrasound of his kidney still showed fluid but the doctor/surgeon didn't seem to be concerned. He said it can take up to a year for the fluid to drain normally. So, we'll just keep getting ultrasounds and see what happens.
We're gearing up for a busy holiday season at The Truffle. Some of the Christmas goodies are already arriving. Yeah!!! Business is good and we're so grateful and fortunate. Believe me... we don't take one person who steps into the shop for granted!

The weather here has been great! It's an Indian Summer!!!! So, we've been going to the park still and having nice long walks.

Ronnie has a new friend!! Lucas is Kirsten and Don's little boy. We meet at story time at the library so far, but i think we'll be good friends! Kirsten is actually an old friend of Cheri and Jenny's from college.

OK.. hopefully this video will load too! xoxoxo

2008-10-20T11:20:00.007-07:00

Ronnie is having a great time in the water these days. I think the trick to this video thing is keeping it short and sweet. This one is particularly sweet!

HUGE Developments!!!

2008-10-16T11:26:00.005-07:00

OK... Ronnie took three steps while we were in Phoenix last weekend!!! Now, the backstory:

Rob, Ronnie and I went to Phoenix (Scottsdale, to be exact) for Uncle Fred's wedding. We stayed at this amazing house with Aunt Barbara and Uncle Bruce, Aunt Shelly and Uncle Rick, Uncle George and Aunt Mary, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Anne, Great Grandma Bittner and Grandma and Grandpa Lawler and Cousin Jasmine. Plus, Cousins Leah, Rich, and their little girl Scarlet and Cousin Zoe were there too. Whew!!! It was so much fun!

Aunt Barbara is a pediatrician and had so many tips and great advice. The best, though, was to give Ronnie something to hold onto with both hands- like his sippy cup. So, he was standing and holding onto his cup and Rob and I scooted away from him and off he went! He took a few more steps this morning, but nothing too intentional or far. Soon enough!! Yeah, Ronnie!

Another major development: signing! He's been sighing up a storm! Water, eating, dirty, airplane and Daddy are the main ones. Now Mom and Dad have to work on learning more to teach him!! He's like a little sponge. We never realized how much we sigh until Ronnie starts to copy us. Usually it's in the car- he'll start sighing over and over again. It's super cute.

Today is Ronnie's ultrasound to check the fluid level on his kidney. So, we'll see... I'll keep everyone posted.

It was a relaxing trip, though. He did great on the airplane. No more nursing! I'm feeling great about it- back to my old self. I think it's probably easier to get him off the boob now rather than when he's 2 years old or something, when he can talk. Now I just say, "All gone. No more" and he's on to something else.

We just got back from storytime at the library. It's this cooky older guy who plays the banjo and sings songs and reads 2 books for the kids. Ronnie's not so sure he likes it yet, but he's warming up.

I love the picture of Jasmine in the hot tub. She loves the water! OK.. more pics, less talking!! xoxo

Sooo Big!

2008-09-28T14:14:00.006-07:00

Well, being 1 is so much fun. Ronnie's doctor appointment for his 1 year check-up went well. He's average for his height and head size, but he was a bit under weight at 20#. She said that is common for breastfed babies, so we've got some work to do!

First, I'm weaning him off breast milk. It's hard to do- it's such great snuggly time for him and me and I know it's really good for him. So, what we're doing is making sure he gets 8 oz of milk first, then he gets the boob. So far it's working well. I think he'll want to wean soon, but Rob says he'll breastfeed until he's 10 if i let him!! Hmmm....NO!

Lately he's been putting the sling we carry him around in over his head and around his body. It's so cute! He's also "cruising" a lot- walking while holding on to things. He can also get off the bed and the sofa by himself without landing on his head! Rob taught him how to go down backwards.

Also, yesterday he climbed ALL the stairs up to the top to his room. Oh NO! So, now we've really got to keep an eye on him while he's playing in his play area. He loves to play, though. He'll sit for a long time just looking at his books and rolling his ball and playing with his "mega block" legos. It's amazing to watch and listen to him chatter to himself. I love it.

Health wise, he's great. He's just got a little band-aid on his back and about a two inch scar/cut below his right bottom ribs. We're able to give him proper baths now too, which is good because he's so active and our floors are so dirty!

Well, I hope all who read this are well. I'd love to get some "followers"- i know there are a lot of readers out there. Do not fear the Internet!!! Sign on now!!! xxooxoxoxo

Happy Birthday, Ronnie!!!

2008-09-23T19:28:00.019-07:00

(I posted this the night before. Ronnie's birthday is September 24!!)

Ronnie is 1 year old tomorrow!! We can't believe how quickly the year has gone. He's so amazing and smart and big and active and healthy... we're so proud of him.

We had a small birthday party for him on Monday with some of his little friends and neighbors. We wanted to keep it small in case he wasn't feeling well. He did great. He ate his birthday cake (even though he doesn't like it... I promise next year he'll get the chocolate frosting kind, but still homemade!) and opened presents and played with his friends. He wasn't into the birthday hat so much, but that's okay. He loved the balloons!

He got the coolest books, toys and outfits from Grandma's, Grandpa's and Nana's. He loved them! Aunt Jenny and Uncle Bruce got him a cool bike! It doesn't have pedals so he can use it in the house! He hasn't quite figured it out yet, but we know he'll love it. He's a very lucky boy to have such a great family.

He's sleeping through the night again, which is great. He's getting a molar!!! I can't believe I didn't start the blog with that news! Yep.. during one of his crying moments I spied a little "crown" coming in. They're supposed to be really painful to cut, so we're glad he's been taking tylenol and motrin anyways. Good lord, child! What's next?!

I think he's nearly 100% feeling better since the surgery. He is a bit sore still, but he's down to once or twice a day doses of tylenol/motrin. He's able to lay on his back instead of his side. He needs a bath! We've only been able to sponge bathe him, which means sitting in an inch or so of water in the tub. His hair is crazy curly and just greasy! Little stinker!!

He has his 1 year doctor's visit tomorrow so we'll give more stats then. Here's more pics. xoxoxoxo

Out of the hospital and well...

2008-09-17T07:07:00.002-07:00

Ronnie's surgery went well. For those of you who didn't know, Ronnie has/had hydronephrosis.

His doctor did a pyloplasty surgery which was a success. I suppose it was a success- we'll know how his kidney looks after about 5 weeks or so when he'll get an ultrasound.

He was such a trooper, though. Of course he was flirting with all the nurses and doctors. Last night i stayed with him at the hospital and he slept pretty well considering the strange bed and all the noises.

He's taking motrin and tylenol for pain, but he doesn't seem to be too achy. He's eating well and taking plenty of fluids.

We were a wreck yesterday, though!!! That was the hardest thing we have ever done!!! We're soooo glad it's over and he's back to his old self.

Well, i just wanted to update everyone. Thank you so much for all the prayers and good thoughts- I know that's what steadied the doctor's hands!!! xoxoxooxox

Our Little Boy

2008-09-09T08:10:00.009-07:00

Things our little boy loves:

*Trucks. There's construction across the street and he loves standing on the sofa watching the trucks fill up with dirt and then drive off. He's also a big fan of buses and points to them when we're at the park.

*Balls. He's just discovered balls, not his own, as most of you remember the "ball grabbing incident". Now he's into putting the ball in his wagon and taking it out again. He has a football and a baseball and loves to roll them all over the house and chase after them. See video below.

Ronnie also loves to point out all the airplanes. He hears one and then points up. It's pretty amazing how quick he's learning. I know it's just how it's done, but I'm still completely dumbfounded! We walked to Ronnie's friend Maisie's house the other day and just hung out in the grass. She was laughing and giggling and crawling all over her mommy. I noticed that her mommy, Stephanie, had the same look about her as I do with Ronnie. That complete amazement for how special they are and how much they are changing so quickly.

Other things that Grandma taught Ronnie when she was here: "Pee Yew"! Now when you say that he puts one finger to his nose. It's pretty cute.

He loves to give kisses! This is pretty much what a Ronnie kiss looks like! Get ready girls... he's all tongue! You have to remind him, "only kisses, Ronnie... no biting!" He likes to bite!

Last night was the first time he ate food from our plates! We had a beef roast braised in red wine and vegetables, potatoes and some sauteed zucchini with mint and he ate everything! It felt really good giving him that food. He's also started some wheat germ and had his first bite of pork! Mmmm.. pork...

Sleeping has gotten better. He goes down for his first nap at 9am and his second around 1pm. He's up at 6:30am every day still and down for bed at 8pm. It's a pretty good schedule, we think.

Finally a Video!!!

2008-09-05T10:12:00.003-07:00

I'm not sure what i was doing wrong, but here's a clip of Ronnie using his "walking wagon". We were watching the DNC- no, we usually don't have the TV on when he's downstairs!!! What kind of mom do you think i am?! :)

Grandma's Visit

2008-08-31T08:59:00.006-07:00

We miss her already! Grandma was here for a week during the DNC so Rob and I could work more. The DNC was really cool having it here in Denver, but we weren't more busy at the restaurant. The Truffle was a bit more busy than usual, but not super crazy. We had fun with Grandma, though! We mostly hung out and played around the house, but we did make a trip to the zoo that was so much fun. We took our good friend Stella- she's almost 4!!

News:

Ronnie just got his 8th tooth.

He's loving the new "walking wagon" that Grandma got him for his birthday. He just figured out what it does! He walked from the front room to the kitchen.

He loves to eat mashed potatoes, beets and is just loving all the fresh Colorado fruit right now!

He's discovered the stairs! He can make it to the first step and then doesn't know what to do. So, we'll have to keep our eyes on that one...

I love this new pouty face he makes. It usually comes out when he's tired, but sometimes it also comes when he doesn't get what he wants. It's pretty cute.

We've been hanging out with his little friends lately! Claire is back from Canada, which is so great. She's like a different girl! She's so much taller and is so smart! She shakes her head no so hard and fast. She's Ronnie's girlfriend!

Well, little man is waking from his nap... i'm off!!

xoxo

Quicky

2008-08-12T08:42:00.002-07:00

Well, i'm on my way to work but wanted to post a bit. Ronnie is so super cute! Now he wants to feed himself all the time. He takes his spoon and scoops up food, imaginary or not, and put it in his mouth. This one pic is after he finished most of the bowl with some help.

This one is of him looking at Rob. He sure does love his Papa! Have a great day everybody!

xoxo

A Week of Firsts...

2008-08-02T13:09:00.006-07:00

Well, just to keep you scanners from reading ahead, Ronnie is not walking yet! He has had an exciting week, though. Here's the run-down:

First Cold. I'm not blaming anyone, but Rob had the cold first, then Ronnie and then me. Last Saturday we woke up at 3:30 with a baby who had a 101 degree fever and that was not fun. We popped in some baby tylenol, gave him a cool washcloth and he was out again. So much for cutting back on the nursing! I knew that would help him get better quicker so i've been nursing him more. Today he's still got a snotty nose, but we're giving some euculyptus rubs and he's feeling much better. There were just a few days where he needed to be held all the time. He must have been achey or something.

First Roll Off The Bed. Yep! I closed my eyes for a split second and he rolled right off. Fortunately it was just to his belly. It scared him, but no major injuries.

First Taste of Cat Food. Yeaah. Well, at least we don't use the cheapest brand on the market! I was guessing that he's telling us he wants a bit more crunch in his food. So, I've started him on rice cakes and rice crispy cereal- the hippy kind of course! I wish i could post this video... he knows he's not supposed to touch the kibble, but he just can't help himself! He'll sit in front of Meatball's water and food bowls and shake his head no and wave his finger no and then he dives right in! He just can't help himself.

We went to the pool today with Ronnie's friend Parker and his parents. It was a blast! Sadly, i didn't bring the camera. I will say, though, it's much harder getting Ronnie to sit still for photos anymore. Rob got this good one, though, of the two boys at play in the kitchen. Ronnie definately has more hair than any of his little friends. Maisie has a lot of hair, but it's not so curley.

I can't believe it's already August! Grandma Lux comes at the end of the month and we can't wait!!

2008-07-24T10:05:00.005-07:00

I came across this picture of me and I think it looks just like Ronnie... even down to the curls over the ears!

He is getting more and more fun every day! He can chase the cat all over the house now, he can "cruise" up and down the sofa pretty quickly and he's down to nursing only twice a day (morning and night) with bottles supplemented during the day.

He's still loving everything we've given him to eat.

He's still been sleeping fairly well. Last night he was up at 4:30 with poopie of all things! Then, when he got up again at 8 am, another poopie!!! He truly is all boy!

I think we'll go to the zoo today, but it's supposed to be in the high 90's again. Yesterday it rained a bit, but it would be nice to get more.

I don't know what it is with Rob and making silly hats for he and Ronnie, but it's funny! Ronnie seems to like it too! Here's Rob with his latest creation.

Not much else is going on here. We're all healthy and happy. We hope you are too!

Texas Sized Fun

2008-07-12T07:46:00.005-07:00

San Antonio with Grandpa and Nana was so much fun! We did a lot of sight seeing- we went to The Alamo- Ronnie was sleeping :(, the River walk and even went to see the DaVinci exhibit at a local museum. Rob and I got to see a movie and had a date night at the river walk.

We were gone for 5 hours- the longest ever away from our little man. When we got back, Ronnie was sleeping in Grandpa's arms. He was eating lots of food and did so well on our many outings.

Nana and Betsy had got him a load of new toys, but all he was interested in was that purple spatula and Grandpa's bracelet. Typical!
We flew back on Thursday morning and Ronnie was a wreck! I think he slept for 30 minutes total that day! But, yesterday and today he's back on a good schedule.

Fun things Ronnie is doing: he says "dog". Every morning when he woke up at Nana and Grandpa's house that was the first thing he said! It's not a clear pronunciation, but it's definitely dog.

Now that we're home, he's calling the cat "dog" and I think he thinks all animals are dogs! He's still saying "mama" and "papa" all the time, which is so cute. I went downstairs to get the laundry and he was in the kitchen saying "mama, mama, mama". Heart melting!!

I go back to work on Monday after being off for a little over two weeks. It was so nice spending so much time with Ronnie. I could get used to that!! But, it's also nice to be able to leave the house and have some time to myself. God bless all you stay-at-home moms!!!

Yankee Doodle, Ronnie!

2008-07-05T09:10:00.003-07:00

The 4th of July was a blast- pun intended. Although, we really didn't see too many fireworks this year because of an 8pm bedtime! We did hear plenty of them, along with gunshots and fire trucks in our neighborhood!!

The Highlands neighborhood where we live had their very first 4th of July parade and festivities in the park down the street. It was great seeing all the decorated bikes and kids running around with ice cream all over their faces.

Then we drove up to Nederland, Colorado, which is just outside Boulder, to see our friend Pat. What an amazing house! There was a beautiful view of the mountains and the resevoir. I don't think i've ever eaten so many hot dogs in one day!

Hope you all had a great 4th. Tomorrow we're flying to San Antonio to see Grandpa and Nana Lux! Can't wait!!!!

Crawling like a Champ

2008-07-01T18:53:00.004-07:00

Ronnie is so on the move! He's officially all over the place- we put him down and he's off. He loves to chase Meatball and play in her water bowl.

Our new thing is, "not for you, Ronnie" and he's a pretty good listener, only after he touches whatever it is a few times! He likes to stand up, too!

He can pull himself up to standing on everything: our legs, the sofa, chairs and even the door. I think he'll be walking soon- his legs are so strong.

We're having a ball! We go on walks and he likes to chill while he chews on a carrot. We walked to see Auntie Ionah the other day before she left for Alaska (lucky!).

Video... maybe?!

2008-06-19T11:37:00.007-07:00

So, let's see if this video thing is fixed! Have you all been looking at Cousin Carrie's blog?! Well, Mr. Hunter Thomas is here and so amazingly cute! He looks just like his Daddy, I think.

Speaking of Daddys, Rob's first Father's Day was so much fun. He had to work at the shop, but then we went to City Park for a concert in the park! Bruce, Jenny and Claire were there too! She and Ronnie love to not play with each other and not look at each other! But, one day they'll notice that they both exist.

A lot of you have been wondering how Ronnie's little kidney is doing. Well, he's fine. We're meeting with a pediatric urologist in a couple weeks to discuss the next course of action. The Kaiser urologist said he has a 50/50 chance of needing surgery. I wanted to tell him that he had a 50/50 chance of me kneeing him in the groin too! So, we'll see what the next doc has to say. What i'm truly hoping and praying for is him to tell us that Ronnie will grow out of this and will need only ultrasounds for the next couple years.

All is great here. The weather has been really warm so we've been going on our walks early in the morning. Ronnie is still sleeping through the night, but now his nap schedule is all over the place. Hmmm... he's really keeping us on our toes!

He's crawling all over the house now!! It's so much fun to see his little face peep around the corner if we're in the other room. He can stay on the kitchen floor and play while we're cooking.

He's eating so much new stuff and it's great that the farmer's market is going in full swing. He loves asparagus, green beans, peas, avocado (still!), beef, chicken and now he's on to lamb. We aren't surprised he loves to eat so much! The garden in the back yard is doing well. We've already had lots of salads with the lettuce and radish. The kale is coming in nicely as well as the tomatoes, squash and so much more. Also, the strawberries have been amazing! We had a salad with almonds, strawberries and French goat cheese. Mmmm...

Rob let me sleep in a few days ago and when he went in to get Ronnie, he said "Mama". Rob said, "No, Mama's sleeping." Isn't that cool?! Now if he'd only say it when i'm there!

Getting BIG!!

2008-06-11T10:39:00.007-07:00

Ronnie is so amazing... how many blogs have i started with that sentence?! He's become so big and so much more everything lately: independent, taller, a better eater, a crawler, feeding himself more things, talking more and even standing up while holding on to things.

He's eating like a champ! We even gave him his first cheese: Cornilly, a French goat's milk cheese. He LOVES it! I do believe, though, that he'll put anything in his mouth that we give to him.

Did you read correctly?! Ronnie's crawling?!

Well, yes! He's not fast, or even efficient in his crawling, but he gets what he wants where it is. He's also really good at finding bits of dirt and other things on the floor.

He giggles all the time, he love to play with Daddy and he's just so active. He's down to one and a half naps a day- not later than 3pm seems to help him sleep through the night.

Did I mention talking?! Well, weeks ago, Rob insists Ronnie said "Papa", but i'm suspicious (as any "Mama" would be). However, I have heard him say "Dada" when Rob walks in the room. So, it's official... Ronnie's first word was Dada! And, when i gave him his bath last night he was holding his rubber ducky and after i said "Duck" he goes, "Du". Does that make him a genius? I don't know, but i think he's going to start writing poetry soon. Perhaps those college applications i sent away for will come in handy sooner than we thought!

I'm not sure what's going on with the video application on Google, but i can't seem to upload any right now. I promise i'll keep trying. Until then, enjoy some stills. We went to the Prior's the other night for dinner. That Claire... she's amazing too!!

Future Chef

2008-06-05T15:25:00.006-07:00

While he's wearing his zookeeper uniform, I know, Ronnie has discovered a new toy... the whisk! He loves it. I just had to put on this new video of him waving. He waves to everything now: me, Papa, toys, Meatball and especially himself in the mirror. However, when someone walks by the house or we're at The Truffle, he gets shy. He will wave to Janet, though, because that's his favorite part about Saturday at the cheese shop!

We heard back from his urologist. It was better than we had imagined. His left kidney is working perfectly at 56% but his right one is at 44%. He said that means his ureter is obstructed most likely. So, he said he's going to take a look at the live video of the test and then get back to us with more info. That's a relief to us! To know his kidney is working that well is good.

We just finished with a snack. Ronnie is getting really good at feeding himself. We tried it with some sticky rice last week and now he can pick up bits of tofu and actually put them in his mouth! I'll post the video.

We had lots of rain here yesterday and all day today so we didn't get our usual walks in.

We Love Ronnie

2008-06-02T12:47:00.005-07:00

Ronnie is such a good boy! Today he had a very hard test- a renal scan. We had to go to Children's Hospital to have it done. We'll get the results from his urologist in a few days, but it looks like his right kidney isn't functioning as well as it should. I'll update everyone as we know more. He didn't like this test! They had to restrain him so he wouldn't wiggle during the test- 40 minutes long! He cried most of the time, but we brought books and his favorite toys and that helped a bit. Pray we don't have to do that one again!!

The weather here has been beautiful! Ronnie and I go to the park almost every day. Saturday we watched a little league baseball game down the street and sat in the park. He's been teething, but sleeping through the night. We've decided that he's not to get a nap after 3pm and that seems to be helping with his sleep. Although, last night he woke up at 3 am and he was on his belly! He was crying, "Mom! I'm on my belly and I don't know how to turn back over!! Help!!" Then, at 7 am when he woke again, he was on his belly and completely turned around.

All else is well. Rob and I are exhausted! It's so much to think and worry about. But, this is the way Ronnie is built. Sitting in the hospital today put it into perspective: Ronnie is a healthy baby with a (possibly) bum kidney. Things could be worse! Hopefully he'll grow out of this, but if this is the most serious health issue he has in his long life, then that's something we can deal with. Even if there is something more serious, we can deal. He's so amazing and resilient and happy.

Notice in the picture of him in the pool he's got his hand on his weenie! That's his new favorite toy!! He's all boy!!!

xoxo

Summer Fun

2008-05-28T08:55:00.010-07:00

What could be better than your first bite of watermelon and your first visit to a goat farm?! Ronnie is one lucky fella. He has had a rough go of things the last few days- two more teeth on the top are coming in. We're afraid he's getting spoiled by sleeping with us for the past few nights, but it's really all we can come up with! Short of us getting up with him every hour on the hour, which is not fun and leaves all of us sleepy, it seems like him coming to our bed is logical. I can feed him and snuggle and still get some sleep. I'm sure he'll be back to the "sleeping through the night in his own bed" kid we all know and love soon.

Jenny's mom, "Grandma Gannon" was over with Bruce, Jenny and Claire for dinner the other night. That Claire is a hoot! I hope you're all visiting her blog for new pics. I'll put some here just to tempt you! Ronnie really loves Claire and we're so excited for them to grow up together. Claire is super smart, so we know they're going to be two really tricky teenagers!

On Memorial Day we took some of The Truffle staff and customers to Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy for a tour of their cheesemaking facility and to see all their new baby goats. HOW CUTE!!! They like to suck on your fingers and nibble and scream and jump all around. Then there's the mommy goats who are so mellow, the male goats who totally look like the studs they are and the regular "milkers" who just eat all day. It's really a great place to visit.

More Teeth!

2008-05-18T10:38:00.007-07:00

Happy Anniversary to Rob and Me!! Six years... it seeems like just yesterday! We were married at LoneHawk Farm in Longmont on May, 18, 2002 and it was such a beautiful wedding. He's an amazing father, husband and friend- I am so lucky!

Ronnie is doing great. He's got FOUR TEETH now!!! Two on the bottom and two on the top! He's got such a toothy grin and he's crinkling his nose when he's feeling happy. I can't get over how much fun he is!! We went to the park yesterday and took a nice long walk. The weather here is getting so beautiful- all the lilacs are in bloom and the trees are full of leaves.

In case you're wondering, Ronnie isn't taking as long of naps lately so I haven't been blogging as much. Although, he's doing pretty good today and yesterday. I think his teething cramps his style a bit. He's still sleeping through the night- 12 hour stretches with a few "dream feedings". During the day, he takes a nice nap about 2 hours after he wakes and then another around 3 and if we're lucky, he'll sneak in a cat nap around 5.

We had a great Mother's day! Ronnie and I cuddled and took a nap together, then we played and took a few walks. Then when Rob got home from work we had a nice family dinner together. Then on Monday we went to Claire's house! She's getting so big! They aren't quite playing together yet, but Ronnie did get to second base! (Bruce broke it up, though!)

Ronnie is eating so much food now! Peas, carrots, chicken, squash, bananas, pear, sweet potato and avocado. We give him banana in one of those mesh bag things that my mom got him and he loves it! He can eat half a banana in one of those things! We just keep reloading it!!

He's also starting to get on his belly from a sitting position. Meatball is good motivation to crawl, as she stays out of arm's reach most of the time. She's a good kitty, though and lets him grab her sometimes.

The garden is planted! Tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, carrot, beets, parsnip, radish, onion, garlic and tons of herbs. I think we're going to get a great crop of sour cherries this year too! Rob loves making pies- he'll eat a whole pie by himself over the course of a few days!

Well, I have to get to other things around the house today! I'll post more pics soon. Love to you all...

Back from Grandma's

2008-05-08T07:32:00.006-07:00

We're back and we had so much fun in Florida at Grandma's house. Grandma is so much fun! We had a pool party, swung on the front porch swing and everywhere we went we met so many nice people! We also got to meet Cousins Lisa, Bill and Griffin. When Ronnie grows up he wants to be just like Griffin! But, the most fun of all... Grandma's house has ceiling fans!

Ronnie did so well on the airplanes, too. He was a bit fussy at times, but mostly because I think he was bored! He really is nosey, so he enjoys looking at and meeting new people.

New things he's doing: getting some front teeth, sleeping really well, eating chicken- pureed of course, getting on his knees more when he's on his belly, becoming a real giggle-puss, "talking" all the time and getting so much cuter!! Enough gabbing, though, here's some of the hundreds of photos I took in Florida, plus the cutest video ever! (If i can get it loaded.. our computer is acting weird!)