White Deer Rodeo

This weekend is time once again for the time honored tradition of small town shenanigans - the White Deer Rodeo. Usually, Jody and I would have been there not only both nights, but for the parade and Kick Back day as well. Basically enough to O.D. on small town life for a year and be ready to return to civilization as quickly as possible Sunday morning. Unfortunately though, this year we decided to sit out the majority of the festivities. Jody is working all weekend, and lets face it, after almost a year sitting on the bench, my liver just isn't up to snuff to hang at the dance.

But, traditions being as they are, I just couldn't stay away entirely. Plus I wanted Taylor to get to participate in the awesomeness that is running out in the middle of the street to pick up candy at the parade. So, the three of us loaded up this morning (That in itself was an endeavor. Once again, my hats off to single moms who do this crap solo all the time. I think I would just have to sell one of my children to the circus if I were the only grown up in our house.) and headed out to the "big city." Unfortunately in our haste I managed to forget my camera. But as history has proven time and again, even if I had remembered it odds are that I would have forgotten to actually get it out and take pictures anyway.

The parade was about a 6 on a 1-10 scale of awesomeness, now I'm grading on the high end only because the parade is so tragically crappy thats what makes it awesome. It didn't quite live up to last year only because last year there was a "float" with someone's winnebago-sized pig being toted through town. You can't make this kind of stuff up folks. Either way, we still got to do a complete inventory of every emergency vehicle and classic car in Carson County. Plus the 15 minute-ish entirety of the parade was perfect for Taylor's limited attention span.

After the parade we milled around the park for Kick Back Day. For those of you who have never attended this particular festivity, I'll give you a rundown. Basically its a small fair type event in the park, only the park is relocated to the surface of the sun for the day. Without fail, Kick Back Day is the hottest, non-windy or even breezy, most miserable day of the year in White Deer. And yet, we all go, sweat ourselves some respectable pit-stains, and bitch incessantly about how hot it is out there. You'd think we'd learn by now, right? Anyhoo, this year's weather did not disappoint, and by the time we left an hour and a half later both girls and me were all odorific and slimy with sweat (And pissy to boot. The girls, namely Taylor, have their mama's tendency to get extremely irritated when they get too hot). I've never been so glad to crawl into my van and crank up the A/C.

Nonetheless, even though our time in WD was short lived and it was hotter than the pits of hell, I'm glad we got to go. I am a little regretful that I didn't get to visit with a whole lot of people (Chasing after a two year old while pushing a double stroller tends to make your maneuvering capabilities quite limited.), but maybe next year we'll get to go for the entire hoo-rah.

Taylor in the bounce house.

She and Kadey had a blast together. A HUGE thank you again to Anna Lisa and Jered for managing Taylor most of the morning. I would have thrown in the towel much sooner if not for y'all.

Crash! She didn't even make it to Panhandle before conking out. Unfortunately she was wide awake after we got home :-/

Reflux Round Two

After all the hell we went through surviving the first few weeks of Taylor's reflux, one of my greatest hopes for Ava was that we would circumvent that condition altogether. But, just like that gut feeling I had the minute I knew I was pregnant that it would be another girl, I also knew deep down that we would be repeating the same dance steps with reflux that we did with Taylor.

I'm telling you, I could start my own psychic hotline with skills like this. We have once again started on the slow escalator to hell, it began last week with some night crying triggered by stomach pain (once you've seen a baby with a tummy ache, its pretty easy to spot) followed in the coming days by increasing amounts of barf. And now, here we are at the crossroads once again. Poor Ava is feeding well, only to barf it all back up and be pissed off and hungry again. Despite my best efforts, I'm about an inch away from throwing in the towel again with nursing and getting the poor kid on the magic formula that saved our lives last time. It sucks because I really didn't want to have to buy the crap this go-round, plus nursing hasn't been that god-awful this time either. And in reality, deep down I know this is probably our last baby and its harder to let go of the little things than it was the first time.

Anyhoo, I'll keep everyone posted on how this all comes out. Most likely I'll be reaching for the bottle (For Ava, not me. Ok for those of you that know me well, that wasn't that unlikely of an assumption and I'll forgive you this time.) in the next few days and call it done.

The burrito bambino contemplating life. The glow worm is a necessary crib item according to Taylor, whenever Ava cries, Taylor insists on turning it on and chunking it back in the crib. Not sure if she's trying to soothe her with the music or just knock her unconscious.

Scrub a Dub Dub

Well after 2 1/2 weeks Ava was finally introduced to the Robinson right of passage that is the "baby shower." When Taylor was a baby my friend Deawn recommended that we stick her in the shower with one of us to bathe her, as it is much easier and they don't get cold like they do in a tub. Until she got too squirmy, that was exactly how we did it too. So, needless to say, once we got a green light from our pediatrician to give Ava a real bath we decided to go the shower route once again. Seriously, to all my friends with tiny babies - try this. As an added bonus, if your bambino decides to poop during the washtime (as ours always did/do), you don't have to drain any water or start over!

Seriously, I'm beginning to feel a strong sense of deja vu with a lot of our pictures of Ava. I guess I'm not creative enough to do new and exciting things with my second kid.

Don't worry, just like Taylor did, Ava took to the showering thing much better than trying to do a "tub" bath in the sink. This kid just has a major aversion to being naked (not a bad quality for a girl....), probably because she doesn't like being cold.

Now, it puts the lotion on its skin....... This is usually where she starts getting pissed off. Again, I think its the whole, "I'm naked and cold" thing.

That's right, my hair is awesome! Blue steel baby!

Not to be left out, Taylor began begging for a piggyback ride the minute poor Jody handed Ava off.

See? This is just one of the five million reasons I couldn't have picked a better baby-daddy. After a ten hour, kick your ass workday Jody still happily carts his giant daughter around even though he'd rather be conked out in bed.

So last night after everyone was fed and successfully bathed, the next step was bedtime. I had to laugh to myself because I was the only Robinson in the house that was awake past 7:45 last night. Gah, we are getting old!

And this next pic has nothing to do whatsoever with the topic at hand, it was just a cute snap I managed to get on the way to daycare today.

Cutest kid EVER.

Two Weeks

Yesterday we had Ava's two-week checkup. I was a little nervous, when we took her in the previous week she was down 6 oz from her birth weight, and she hasn't really picked up the pace much on her eating (The lactation Nazi at the hospital was very concerned because she only nurses for five minutes on each side. She seemed to think my kid was going to starve at that rate.), plus to boot she's been spitting up a lot more lately. Holy cow, was I wrong. Ava's already chunked up to a respectable 9 lbs 6 oz! Either she's an "efficient nurser" or I'm producing milk that's just barely lighter than heavy cream. Considering my diet (Those of you that have been to dinner at our place know how I love my whole fat dairy products, especially butter.), I'm guessing its the latter. Hmmm, maybe that's why I'm not shedding this weight as quickly as I'd like......

I'm nothing if not well fed...........

Also, the doctor was rather impressed with her development thus far. She is freakishly strong like Taylor was, and is already trying to lift her head up on her own.

RAAAAAAAWR!

As far as Taylor goes, she's starting to adjust, and I think she's figured out that Ava's not just here on a visit. We have had a few setbacks, including major meltdowns, that seem to be the result of jealousy, and maybe even a little insecurity. Taylor wanted to sleep in our bed for a couple of nights, but wanted us to lay down and sleep with her until she fell asleep.

Yeah, like there's going to be any sleeping with these two in the same room.

After she was soundly asleep (or so we thought), I tried to sneak her back into her bed which only resulted in her waking up and being uber-pissed at me for even daring to attempt such a dastardly deed.

So, we've been trying to give Taylor a little extra attention, as well as making her days as fun as possible.

Sidewalk chalk is always a winner.

Taylor vs. Ava

Probably the most common question I get asked now that Ava has officially joined our family is whether or not Taylor had that much hair as a baby. Second after that is whether or not Taylor looked like Ava when she was brand new. My answer is both, yes and no. I have a feeling the girls will definitely have a strong resemblance to each other in time, but whereas Taylor is really fair, Ava's going to be dark like her Daddy. Anyhoo, here's a few pics to compare for those of you who don't remember just how little Taylor used to be!

A rare shot of Ava with her eyes open.

And who is this little Yoda? That's right, for those of you who didn't know us back then, Taylor was definitely a baldy.

Ava snoozing...........

Taylor snoozing. No really, this is Taylor. We didn't just shave Ava's head and take another picture.

Taylor's Second Birthday Party

Last Saturday was supposed to be Taylor's second birthday party. However, seeing as how I went into labor Friday morning, we kinda scratched that idea altogether. Again it crossed my mind to just cancel the whole thing (at this age she really won't know whether or not we had a shindig), but once again, guilt won out and I decided to have a small do-over yesterday.

Let me just say this for the record - throwing a party in 100 degree weather one week after giving birth, not my brightest idea. Don't get me wrong, the kids all had a blast, and it was worth it in the end, but if I had it to do again I'm not so sure we wouldn't just go to Chuckie's and call it a day. In keeping true to form I sucked at remembering to take pictures, so there's not a big selection here. But trust me, Taylor loved hamming it up and being the center of attention. And if nothing else she got to be the center of the universe again for a few hours and that in itself is priceless.

Taylor and her cousins before the water extravaganza.

Kadey and Cambree having fun in the mighty pool.

Grandpa's girl. Poor Joe was soaked by the time she got done playing outside.

Not so sure about the sprinkler.......

Everyone likes to ride the bus, even if the bus is only a foot long.

Giving everyone a round of applause after we sang "Happy Birthday" to her.

Finding Our Groove

Ho-ly Hell. All I have to say is that one child is enough to wear you out, but two kids is absolutely exhausting. I realize its only our first week, but sheesh! We are all having a time trying to find our rhythm nowadays. I was very lucky to have my mom and stepdad come up and help out this week. Without their help, getting kids to/from school or accomplishing anything even remotely productive would have been impossible.

As far as the girls go, they are both doing great. Ava is starting to be more alert and awake than she was in the beginning, and from what I can see now it appears that she is going to be our serious child. She is always watching everything and has such a serious look about her whereas Taylor was the entertainer from day one. Taylor is still having a hard time with the whole "Big Sister" thing, and we still have a few meltdowns every day stemming from Ava's presence. I have faith she will eventually come around, however if anyone has any suggestions for speeding that process along PLEASE let us know.

And how are Jody and I? Well, between tantrums, poopy diapers (both large and small....), late night feedings, and trying to plan a do-over birthday party for Taylor, we are utterly exhausted. So if you hear of a couple of rogue zombies roaming the streets of Amarillo in the next few weeks, fear not. It's probably just us trying to find the coffee pot.


Checking out the floor gym. Not so sure about that yellow guy........


Lovie and Poppy brought all kinds of awesome birthday presents, including this tent.


Aunt Karen and Uncle Brian also sent some goodies, Taylor wasn't so sure about the wings though. I'm thinking her bug phobia might be playing a small part here.


Hitting McDonalds for a Happy Meal (complete with caffeinated Diet Coke that may as well have been labeled "Toddler Crack") before going to Jump N Jive.


Taylor had a blast playing with Daddy and Poppy. Daddy and Poppy had a blast jumping and climbing around like two overgrown kids.


Ava was checking out her big sister the whole time.


Our little daredevil zipping down the slide all by herself.


Ava taking her first nap in her crib! I have to say I'm stoked to have her in her own room, I think we're all going to sleep much better not having to listen to each other sleep.

Sisters

As predicted, Taylor has had a bit of difficulty adjusting to her new role as a sister, and not an only child. After a LOT of tears, meltdowns, and repeated screams of "NO!" she is finally getting used to the idea of Ava being a permanent fixture in our household. It's thankfully only taken about 24 hours, and now she will at least acknowledge Ava and interact with her somewhat. She is still a little jealous when someone is holding Ava, but at the same time, she gets mad at us if we make her cry. She tattled on me to Jody earlier because Ava got a little pissed at me while I was getting ready to feed her. But in time I'm sure everything will be ok, we're just all trying to get into some semblance of a routine.

I pity the fool!

Taylor finally gets close enough to scope out the enemy.

After a little while she decides to share her milk.

Jody and Ava sacked out. No one has fully recuperated from our sleepless hospital stay.

Introducing Ava Marie Robinson!

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans...... As I predicted, now that we were in striking distance of the scheduled induction date (And now that everyone had gotten time off coordinated just right, coupled with the fact that Jody and I were both in need of a shower that we were putting off until Friday morning.), I actually went into labor on my own. Friday night after spending an evening catching up with my friend Michelle, my water broke about 15 minutes after I laid down to go to sleep. So, Jody and I frantically scrambled to finish packing my bag (For the last 2 weeks or so its been partially packed, laziness and procrastination kept telling me I had until the 12th anyway.), find someone to keep Taylor, and get out the door and to the hospital.

We made it there all in one piece, and with minimal discomfort. As luck would have it, the contractions didn't start until we got to the hospital parking lot, but that first contraction also managed to squeeze out a nice big gush of fluid that had still been hanging around. So, guess who got to walk through the crowded ER with not only greasy hair, but wet jeans?

Once we got settled in and I got my epidural (I'm a big fat baby, and kudos to anyone that can withstand labor without pharmaceutical intervention.) it was just a waiting game. We arrived at the hospital around 1:30 a.m. and within the hour our entourage was also in the house. As a way to kill time, we started taking bets on the actual arrival time of Ava.

*My guess was 8:30, Dan had 9:00, and Mom agreed with my dad on 6:55. We just ran out of room to post them all.

After some mishaps with my blood pressure that may or may not have involved me barfing up my cherry popsicle, and a lot of ice chips, we were just in the waiting game. When my doctor came by to check me at 7:00, she was pretty confident that I could make my goal of an 8:30 delivery. Lo and behold when she came back an hour later to re-check, it was go time. You may remember that I managed to squeeze Taylor out in 30 minutes, and this time I outdid myself and managed to get Ava out in 15!

Ta-da! Here she is, 8 lbs. 12 1/2 oz.

Pay no attention to my orange mouth. I may or may not have been nomming on a popsicle right before we realized it was go time.

Jody finding out just how big Ava is.

All in all everything went great, and we were pleasantly surprised that she came a few days earlier than we'd planned. After many hours of being held hostage by the powers that be at the hospital, we were finally discharged Saturday afternoon and are trying to settle into a routine.

Mini-Jody. Note the arm fuzz and rolls. All she needs is a tattoo that says "MOM"

All three of us after a little bit of sleep and some soap and water.

Two Years Old!!!!!

Wow, another year has zipped by, and we have graduated from toddler to preschooler! A lot has happened in the last year, Taylor has moved into a big-girl bed, learned (and un-learned) how to use the potty, started talking a mile a minute (finally), and started back to "school" aka - daycare. I'm just thrilled to say that Taylor was able to keep her special day all to herself, I was worried about going into labor today just due to Murphy's Law. I think its important for the girls to each have their very own special day, and it would have kinda sucked for them to have the exact same birthday. So, I can now at least breathe a sigh of relief for that one.

As far as goals for the upcoming year? First off, potty training. Once everything settles down around here again, we really want to get Taylor re-interested in using the potty. Also, I really want to get her able to ride her tricycle all by herself. She is happy to sit and scoot with her feet on it, but I really want her to figure out the pedals. Other than that, I just pray we all survive the terrible twos heaped on top of a new baby and that we all come out relatively unscathed. Here's a little photo recap of our last year, enjoy!

Playing at the park for the first time last summer. She was so interested in the gravel she didn't even notice all the cool toys to climb and play on.

Wow, hard to believe how little she was just last year!

First set of pigtails, a little Bjork-esque, but she makes them look good.

Halloween! Taylor was introduced to candy, and the awesomeness of Star Wars.

We also said goodbye to our friend Alice :(

And Taylor learned that a bunk bed is way cooler than a crib, it can even double as a fort!

We learned (then quickly decided against) how to use the potty.

Taylor discovered her inner cowgirl....

....and that Daddy's tools can provide hours of entertainment.

Here's the little stinker in her first official picture as a two-year-old! I love you Pee-Wee!