Spring Break 2014

When our boys are school age, we may travel during Spring Break, but for now I enjoy making the most of the week around town and doing something exciting every day. This year I challenged myself to not spend more than $50 on kids activities for the week and I'm happy to say it was a success! Here's what we did:

Monday - Klyde Warren Park with Shelly and Hutcheson
Parking, $3
Ice Cream, $7
Total Spent: $10
I packed our lunches and this day could have been free if I had parked at Sean's office building instead of a meter and if the fun parent didn't surprise us with a visit and trip to the ice cream truck. Turned out even better this way though and we were so happy that Sean could join us for a bit! The weather was perfect and we had a blast. It was a great way to start off our week!

I remembered to bring a change of clothes for Mason, but forgot to bring something for him to play in the water in so he ran around in his undies! Harrison hung out in the Bjorn for a while before catching a snooze in the stroller.

He loved climbing on this! In the bottom left picture he had spotted a trolley driving by.

Surprise visit from Daddy means shirtless ice cream! 

Tuesday - Dallas Arboretum with BeBe and Madison
Parking, Entry, and Children's Garden Access: FREE with my mom's membership

I packed our lunches again today and met up with my mom and niece, Madison, for the annual Dallas Blooms festival at the arboretum. This is the most stunning collection of flowers and apparently we weren't the only ones who wanted to see it. The place was PACKED! We got there right around opening and it was already busy, but  by the time we left the overflow parking was full and the line to get in wrapped around the entrance. We still had a blast taking in all the beauty and playing in the new Rory Meyers Children's Adventure Garden. That place is awesome and filled with fun, educational galleries for the children. We can't wait to go back and explore more - there was no way we could have seen it all in once visit!

My boys love their cousin Madison!

Wednesday - Perot Museum of Nature & Science with BeBe and Madison, and lunch at El Fenix with Papa
Parking: $3
Entry: Free with our membership
Lunch: Free for me - thanks, Dad, for joining us for lunch and picking up the tab!

We knew the weather was going to turn colder and windy this day, so we picked an indoor option. Again, I wasn't the only fool with this idea. The place was so crowded that it was hardly any fun. Throw that in with several tantrums from Mason and I was just a tad bit stressed. What really annoys me is that we're members and can go at anytime, so why I chose to go during the cold day on Spring Break maddens me! Madison had never been though so at least she got to experience it for the first time. Sean works close to there and popped in while we were playing in the children's area. I love how he  meets up with us when he can - he did this during Spring Break last year as well and I know it means a lot to Mason (and me!). After the museum Sean headed back to work and the rest of us walked across the street to El Fenix for some welcomed Mexican food and a mid-day margarita!

Mason went home with my mom that afternoon to spend the night with my parents. This gave me a break, and allowed for some quality time with Harrison. Our night and Thursday morning were such a breeze that Sean and I laughed at the fact that we ever thought having just one child was challenging!

Thursday - Day at home for Harrison and day at BeBe & Papa's for Mason
Cost: FREE!

It was so nice to have a slow morning around the house. We gave Harrison his first try at peas in the morning and snapped some pictures that are super similar to Mason's first food experience (see below). Then, while Harrison napped, I was able to sip coffee, watch TV, catch up on the computer, shower, and clean the house! Again, how did I ever think life with one child was hard? :) I ran some errands with Harrison after his nap and was able to knock out 5 spots in 45 minutes. Then Sean met us for lunch before I headed to my parents house to pick up Mason. I timed my arrival with Mason's nap, so I could hang out for a bit with my mom. My sister ended up coming over and my dad came home early from work and I enjoyed sitting on the patio with them while both boys napped. I decided to give myself a little Spring Break, too, and indulged in some cake and wine with my mom while we chatted outside. When the boys woke, Mason made cookies with my mom and then my dad took us out to dinner at the yummy Fish Shack in East Plano. Sean used this opportunity to work a little later than usual and then surprised us with a day off on Friday! We all went to bed happy that night.

Ice cream, jake activity book, cookie making, smiles, and nap at BeBe & Papa's!

Harrison at lunch with Daddy, laughing with Aunt Jen-Jen, hanging with Papa, and a special treat for BeBe & Mommy!

Mason on top, Harrison on bottom. Definitely brothers!

Friday - Caruth Park with the Hunters, and Chicken Scratch with the Huffstutters
Lunch: Free with Chick-Fil-A coupon
Dinner: I'm not counting this as a Spring Break expense, as we typically go out for a family dinner every Friday anyway!

Sean loves seeing Mason play with his friends and was excited to be able to join us at the park with Amanda and her daughters Kennedy and Chloe. While Harrison napped in the morning, Sean and Mason took Hazel for a walk and I packed lunches for Sean and me. We picked up CFA for Kennedy and Mason and then headed to the park. Sean entertained the big kids at the park while Amanda and I were able to chat and watch the babies. Then we headed home for naps all around, before heading out to Chicken Scratch for dinner with the Huffstutters. It's an awesome, outdoor restaurant with fried chicken, picnic tables, play areas for the kids, and The Foundry next door with yummy drinks. We didn't stay late enough for the live music but they have bands every Friday and Saturday night. Mason started and ended the week with one of his best buds, Hutcheson, and we all had a great time on a beautiful Friday night.

Climbing at Caruth Park

Fun at the park. I love the prom pose from Mason & Kennedy on the top!

Hanging around at Chicken Scratch

I adore this picture of Sean and Harrison on the left. On the right everyone is enjoying the homemade lime and papaya popsicles.

Well, that's our Spring Break in a nutshell! Not only did I come in under budget, but I only spent $13 on activities for the kids - 1/4 of the budget I had set for myself! We had a busy, but fun, week and I'm looking forward to more fun outdoor activities now that we're about to enter Texas' good weather season.

Fall & Winter Update

Well, hello there! I guess you could say I took a little maternity leave from the blog. We've had a busy and exciting four months around here so let's just get right to it!

Harrison's Newborn Photo Shoot
Here are some of my favorites - he was just one week old!

Harrison's Sip N See
My mom and sister threw a beautiful Sip N See for Harrison at our home. He charmed all the women as he was passed around from one admirer to the next.

Halloween
Mason asked to be an astronaut this year and we made Harrison his little rocket ship. We attended two fun neighborhood parties, a party at the Y, a class party, and of course Halloween night.

Class Party

Halloween night and Y event. Sean carved the cool rocket ship pumpkin and multi-tasked while handing out candy and wearing Harrison!

Soccer
Mason guest played for the soccer team that a lot of his friends are on. How cute is he in that little uniform?  You could barely see his knees!

OSU 
My parents took Mason to an OSU football game in October. My brother is the marching band director there and hooked them up with a suite and access to all the band events. When OSU reached the Cotton Bowl, Doug was able to get his hands on some extra tickets and Sean and Mason were able to go, along with my parents, grandma, Brian and Matthew.

Mason had a blast this weekend with my parents and brother at an OSU homegame while Sean and I enjoyed time alone with our two week old.

Top picture is Brian, Doug and Sean at the Cotton Bowl. Bottom pictures are from the October game and the Cotton Bowl. Mason took identical pictures with these twirlers!

Harrison's Check-Ups 

Harrison is now 4 1/2 months. He's still a tiny guy, but is charting perfectly from his size at birth. We haven't seen any blisters on his hands or feet in several months now, so we're hoping that was just a weird newborn thing that is gone forever! He's such a happy little fella and has the cutest chuckle. He finds Mason more entertaining than any toy and Mason has a blast trying to get a laugh out of him. He rolls from front to back and almost can make it from the back to front, but a darn arm keeps getting in the way. He chats all day long to whoever will listen! He can sleep an 8 hour stretch (last night we got 11!), but isn't consistent about it. We're definitely missing our sleep, but he's otherwise a great baby so we can't complain too much. I've got a pretty good schedule down with him during the day which helps everyone in the house know what to expect next. Thankfully Sean is home most nights in time for bath which is so helpful. He takes over Harrison's bath while I bathe Mason, then we switch and I nurse Harrison while he reads books to Mason. Here's a sampling of Harrison's schedule on a perfect day (which rarely happens!):

7:00/7:30 - wake up and nurse

7:30-8:45 - play (bouncy seat during breakfast and then playmat with Mason and Mommy)

8:45 - nap

10:15 - wake and eat

11-1:30 - venture out and about with Mason and me. He takes a nap in his carseat most days during this time

1:30 - wake and eat

2:00-3:00 - play with Mommy while Mason naps

3:00 - nap

4:30 - wake and eat

5:00-6:45 - play around the house with Mason and me (sometimes he catches a 15 minute snooze in his swing while I prepare Mason's dinner)

6:45 - bath

7:00 - nurse and bed

we quit doing the 10:00pm dream feed and noticed that he wakes less when we let him wake on his own (as opposed to waking him for that feed). He wakes once in the middle of the night to eat, and anywhere from zero to three more times and will cry for a bit before going back to sleep.

His stats at his 2 and 4 month check-ups:

2 months

Weight: 9 lbs., 5.2 oz. (10%)

Length: 22 1/2" (25%)

4 months

Weight: 11 lbs., 11 oz. (5%)

Length: 25"(50%)

He's healthy, happy, and makes us feel complete. We love you so much, sweet Harrison!

Family Pictures

We had a little photo session back in November to capture our family of four for our Christmas cards. It was a 20 minute mini-session with my friend Ashli at Artsy Magnet. We're very pleased with how they turned out!

Thanksgiving

My parents hosted Thanksgiving at their house, and once again, impressed with a fabulous spread. We had a wonderful time being with family during a year that we are oh so thankful for. We were busy enjoying each other and didn't snap many pics of the whole day but managed to get a couple at the end.

Mason Turns Three

My next post will be dedicated to Mason's third birthday, so I won't go into a whole lot of detail here. I can't believe the boy that made me a momma is already three! He has filled our lives with so much love and excitement and continues to make us laugh every day. We had family over to celebrate the weekend before his birthday, and lucked out with some beautiful weather before our ice storm for a weekday construction party with his friends at the park. Happy third (plus two months) birthday, Mason!

Ranch Weekend

Caroline and Mark hosted us for another awesome weekend at their ranch in South Texas. There were four families there with their kiddos and we all had a blast. The kids got along great and the adults enjoyed relaxing by the campfire, indulging in good food and drinks, exploring the property, and watching the kids play.

Christmas 2013
Oh boy was the Christmas season fun this year. We were as busy as ever celebrating and it was twice as nice with two sweet boys to share memories with. Mom & Dad R came in town from Seattle the week of Christmas and it was so nice having them here, as always. We hosted our annual Christmas Eve dinner and spent Christmas morning at home opening gifts from Santa before getting together with everyone at my parents house for more gifts and Christmas dinner. I have way too many pictures of all the things we did this season so I tried to narrow it down to just some of my favorites (somehow I didn't get any from the celebration at my parents house but there are plenty more!). I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Visiting Santa! Mason walked up to Santa, shook his hand, and told him he had heard him ringing the doorbell earlier that week to tell Mommy he was watching. Santa confirmed that yes, it was him (and not the UPS man). Then Mason told him he wanted a trolley, which Santa had a very hard time finding!

Christmas Eve at our house

Santa came! He brought Mason an easel and the much anticipated Trolley. Not pictured: Harrison's musical globe from Santa.

I adore the picture on the left of Harrison and Dad R. Mason is trying out his new doctor kit on Mom R, who is a nurse, and Harrison is cooing and flirting with my grandma on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning in front of the tree! Harrison got a tiny trolley too, as you can see in the top R pic.

My cuties being cute in their Christmas morning stripes. The serious top L pic cracks me up.

More Christmas Day

OK that just about brings us up to speed! Like I mentioned, I'm going to put a post together all about Mason being three. I also have a ton of pictures from my phone that I want to put on here from the past four months. Whew!

Harrison Scott Robison

This post is a little delayed, but as everyone knows, Harrison Scott Robison has arrived! He's been here for a little over six weeks now and I truly can't imagine life without him. We are so lucky to be his parents. I had no idea the heart was capable of growing this huge and feeling this fierce of a love, TWICE. We love our two boys so much it consumes me at times and is almost hard to handle. I get a dizzy, butterfly-in-the-stomach feeling several times throughout the day when I think of how blessed we are.

Mason has taken on his new role as big brother like a champ. When he came to meet Harrison in the hospital we made sure Harrison wasn't in the room when Mason walked in so that Mason didn't feel like he was walking into a new family. That step ended up not being necessary as the first thing out of his mouth was "where's baby Parrison?" After he opened his big brother gift full of things to occupy him in the hospital, we brought Harrison in and witnessed an immediate bond. Mason got this look of love in his eye that I've never seen from him before and he was constantly hugging and kissing Harrison. That love continues now, which is usually really sweet, except for when Harrison is sleeping and Mason wants to see his eyes open. We've had several talks about how Harrison needs his sleep and we need to be a little more considerate. :)

Harrison's delivery went off without a hitch and my recovery has gone really well. We got to the hospital at 2:00 and had a baby in our arms at 4:40! As much as I struggled with the idea of having a scheduled c-section, I am glad that everything went so well and everyone is healthy. I was up and walking on day two and reduced my pain meds then too because I don't respond well to those and kept getting sick. The second we took that IV out I started feeling better!

Ok, now for the good stuff! Our sweet Harrison was  born on Tuesday, September 17 at 4:40 pm weighing 6 lbs, 11 oz, and was 19" long. He is a bundle of dark-haired perfection and has the most captivating, soulful eyes. His disposition in the hospital (and still now), was very calm. He doesn't really cry unless it's for one of the obvious reasons. He loves to be cuddled and loves snoozing in people's arms. He's so opposite from Mason's red-headed hospital personality that I had to ask the nurses if it was ok for him to be so sleepy and quiet! They assured me that Harrison was fine and said it sounded like Mason was maybe the anomaly. :)

On day two of Harrison's life we noticed a pretty nasty blister on one of his feet. We figured it was from rubbing or sucking in the womb and didn't think much of it. Then the next day we noticed the blisters had spread pretty rapidly over both feet so we clued the nurse in. It puzzled the nurses, pediatrician, and neonatal doctor. A pediatric dermatologist was consulted and an educated guess was made that he has Epidermolysis Bullosa, a rare connective tissue disease causing blisters in the skin. Most people have a protein between their epidermis and dermis, but that protein is missing in people with EB, and there's nothing they can take to replace it. Just a slight rub of the skin will cause a blister and adults who have it describe it as feeling like a third degree burn. Obviously we were very nervous, confused, worried, and saddened by this news (if you google it you'll see why we were scared!). The next week we took him to actually visit the pediatric dermatologist and she downgraded his diagnosis to Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex, or EBS, because it appears to be localized to his hands and feet (thank goodness!). We came home with marching orders on how to treat him (a daily ritual he does NOT like at all), and are so thrilled to say that we have not seen any severe blisters in about three weeks now. What a relief. We learned that this is a genetic disorder and Sean's sister's two daughters also had it as babies (it occurs in 1 out of 30,000-50,000 births so this was no coincidence!). In both Anna and Ella's cases it went away by 10 weeks of age and they learned they had been misdiagnosed - turns out they have epidermal fragility, or fragile skin. Our fingers are crossed the same news will come for Harrison! We're hopeful that it will given how mild it's been the past few weeks.

Here are some pictures from our hospital stay. I'll update the blog about life since then but it would be too long of a post to include all that now! Just know that he's thriving and growing perfectly!

We love our little boy so much are are so happy to have him in this world with us.

Sweet little love

Last moments as a family of three!

He's here!

Meeting BeBe & Papa

Mason meeting his BFF

I loved all the quality alone time I got with him in the hospital

My friend Ashli showed up and snapped some pictures when Harrison was just 18 hours old.

Getting to know his family

We're home!

Taking in his new surroundings

Our family of four