30 Days of Blogging- Day 18

Today is about my favorite place to eat. I have several places I like, but different things at each one.
I LOVE Olive Garden for the breadsticks. Chili's has an AWESOME dessert (Molten Lava Cake) and Texas Roadhouse has some great steak.
However, we like to go to The Cracker Barrel the most. We love the country store part and they have some great food. Mike is a HUGE fan of the homemade Macaroni and Cheese. I love that I can fill up on a kids meal.

But really, we eat at home mostly. Eating out is expensive and we have only done it a hand full of times since Grayson was born.

10 Months!!!!

Where has the time gone? My baby boy is 10 months old! Not only that, he is WALKING!

This is him today, walking out to the car with Mike. It was really cute because he would keep stopping to look at everything around him.

So here are some 10 month stats:

Weight: Actually, not sure on this one. He has not been weighed for a while. We packed up our baby scale. I will do the weigh myself holding him and without him tomorrow and come and update this. UPDATE: He is just under 17 pounds

Diapers: Size 3

Clothing: Finally has outgrown his last item of 0-3 month clothing. He can still wear some Carters 3 month (different than 0-3) because they are much longer. He is mostly in 3-6, although a few things he is wearing 6-9 months (mostly Gerber onesies) and some brands that have 100% cotton shirts, after I wash them he can wear and they are 12 months. They look a little big- but not too bad. I still mostly dress him in 3-6 though.

Shoe Size: 2, except a weird brand I found that he needs size 3 because they run REALLY small.

Other items of business:

He climbs like crazy, walks- although he is just starting this so he will often drop down into a crawl half way to his destination, dances, bounces, rolls balls, just started clapping, can push most of his toys- including the lights and sounds table, shakes his head no, feeds himself finger foods really well, drinks from both a sippy and regular cup, knows how to open the wipes container, and can take off his shoes.

He says Banana, and just today started saying Mama to me. He loves to sing and scream

He LOVES finger foods. He also had Spaghetti for the first time this last week.

His other favorite foods are bananas (of course), toast, plain yogurt, applesauce, and unfortunately puffs and yogurt melts and the things I call baby cheetos- they are made by Gerber and I can't remember what they are really called. He loves the sweet potato, spinach, tomato basil, and blueberry flavors of those things. He also likes to eat ANYTHING we are eating...be it chicken, potatos, pasta, or anything else. We can not eat in front of him without giving him some of OUR food....even if he has his own food. He knows if it is different.

While at Grandma and Grandpa's today, he discovered the piano and gave us his first recital

Blogger's video upload is not working right now, so I will add the video later.

2 more months and my lil man will be a year old. I can't believe how quickly time has flown by.

30 Days of Blogging- Day 17

Here are some things that I am looking forward to right now-

The SUN!!! Both when we go to California next week and when it decides to hang around Boise more. I am so ready for warm weather, trips to the park, walks outside, and days at the zoo....In Caliornia I am excited for the beach, spending time with friends, and more.

Of course- there is something else I am looking forward to....2 months from today....

Grayson's first birthday! I can't believe he is almost a year old. I will do a separate post for his 10 month stats today.

I am also looking forward to a few small trips this summer, Disneyland in October, the Bolanders moving much closer, and more.

30 Days of Blogging- Day 16

My Dream House- Well, I mostly want a house that is big enough for my family and our needs. Nothing super fancy. I have a few things I would like to have- double ovens, lots of counter space (my parents home had tons and it was so nice), a BIG laundry room (also my parents house has a HUGE one and it is wonderful), and nice big rooms for family to gather in during holidays (another great thing my parents home has). The one thing I really want though is a nice big yard for my kids (Grayson & Mike...oh and any future babes) to play outside in. Yep- my parents house had that too. Unlike my parents home though- I would like a bigger master bedroom then they have- with it's own bathroom attached to it. I would like to have a room to have as an office/craft room, and maybe also double as a guest room.
However- I know with our current situation- Mike still in school, finances, etc...purchasing a home is quite a ways away. So now, we make due with what we have....even though our home is quite cramped...it still has the most important aspects of my dream home- FAMILY, LOVE, THE GOSPEL.

30 Days of Blogging- Day 15

I have made it halfway without  missing a single day! HOORAY! That is really good for me.
Today I am supposed to share a bible verse. To be honest, I would have rather it said scripture.... While I LOVE the Bible and have a few versus in there that I really love, the scriptures that have stood out to me the most in different times in my life have been in the Book of Mormon. However- there is one scripture that I love from the Bible since I was a teenager.
In John Chapter 14 Christ speaks a lot about comfort. This is a wonderful chapter.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you:

Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.

Let not your heart be troubled,

Neither let it be afraid.

Walking and Crashing

I guess I spoke too soon. Grayson decided he would venture on his own today as soon as I finished my last post. I was trying to just let him walk and get a video of it- but he would get to interested in the camera and you could see his little thought process "Forget this, I can get there faster by crawling." So, Mike helped me control the enviorment a little more. However, Grayson gets so excited when he gets close to his destination that he tries running and falls.

Also, Mike is so nervous about him falling that he doesn't like to let him go.

I sound like a nagging wife in the beginning and a hyena at the end...but this isn't about me. It is about those adorable first steps.

(Also, ignore the pile of clothes on the couch that are waiting to be folded.)

I am sure once he gets into a more open area he will just take off.

BaNaNa

That is OFFICIALLY Grayson's first word. Yep- that is right- Banana! Not Mama, or Dada- BANANA!
He can say the entire word! He still says nana half the time, or he will say bana-na (a pause before the last syllable) but both yesterday and today while I was holding a banana for us to share for breakfast he said it perfectly clear- BANANA

Also- he is so close to being a full walker- but with how slowly he has gone through the walking phases (we are at 3 months of couch walking) I don't want to get to excited yet. He will walk holding on  to just one of our fingers, and he takes several steps on his own several times a day to take shortcuts from one part of the couch to the other.

He is growing up so fast!

30 Days of Blogging- Day 14

A picture of me last year. Well, last year I was pregnant, and this is the only picture I have that actually shows my face and my belly. Mike snapped it while I was at the park, actually showing someone else how I wanted them to stand for a maternity shot, and trying to not laugh. But it was still nice to have one.

How has my life changed since then:

Well, I now have a wonderful, gorgeous, energetic little boy in my life! I have the hardest but best job in the world now. I get to spend my day playing with toys and listening to kids music. Although, there are days that I crave adult activities, I am mostly loving being a stay-at-home-mom. I am grateful for a husband who works really hard in order to allow me to stay home. I am thankful that I have been able to coupon and more in order to help cut our bills down to lower the stress of me being home.

Most of all, I am thankful that Heavenly Father knew when was the right time to send this special spirit to us. Grayson is such a blessing in our lives and I can't imagine life any other way!

30 Days of Blogging- Day 13

Goals. I must admit, I am not a huge goal person. However, I think they are important. If you don't have goals that you are striving for, then really, you don't progress much. Since we are here to learn and progress, it is important that we have some kind of goals, even if not the standard "do this by such and such a date" type goal.
Here are some goals I have been working on:

• Organizing my home. I had a great routine down pat after 8 1/2 years of marriage....and then I became a mom and that routine, well, it went out the window. Crazy how someone can find themselves home all day and not be able to do any housework. But, I am getting better. Problem for me now is I got so far behind it is overwhelming to try and catch up. But I am doing it...slowly but surely. Plus, the living area of our home is much more cramped then pre-baby and we are still trying to find a way to make it work for us.
• Lose weight/Become healthier. Really, I could care less about the number on the scale. I think they are mis-leading. So much goes into it. However, it does help me to stay motivated to see that number going down. I don't have a set "weight" I want to be at. I just know I need to lose at least X amount to be in a range where I am not judged at first glance by doctors, and then after that, I just care about being at a size I am comfortable with and feel good at.
• Find a balance of activities that keep both Grayson and I happy. This one is ever changing of course. One day Grayson loves a toy, the next he is bored with it. Yet, I have been doing good recently. We are both much happier.
• Give up soda. This one is hard for me. I don't drink TONS of soda, but I drink maybe 1 a day. I have given it up in the past, but for some reason, this time it is much, much harder.
• Learn to cook more variety of meals. We eat about the same 10 meals in our home. I want to add some other things so that Grayson learns to love all different foods.

I am sure there are many more, but that is more than enough to bore all of you. I am almost half way through this challenge and have not missed a day yet! WOOHOO!

30 Days of Blogging- Day 12

Something I never leave the house without-

Well, there are several- my phone, a set of diapers and wipes, mostly though, I don't leave the house without Grayson....98% of the time. I think I maybe leave the house a few times a month with out him (of course Mike is home with him at this time).

Nothing exciting about this post!

30 Days of Blogging- Day 11

Favorite TV Shows! Mike is a big TV watcher, I used to fight it and tell him he had to find other times to watch TV, however, he now watches so many shows that he can't even get them all in every week. He has gotten me in to more TV then I would like to admit. Here are the Robins Family Favorites

1. Psych- Seriously Shawn Spencer is the King of Pop Culture Trivia! This show is freaking hilarious! We love it!
2. Chuck- The show that makes fun of the Geek Squad- using the "Nerd Herd" and has CIA action and more is GREAT! We love it! OH- and let's not forget the amazing JEFFSTER!!!!!
3. Harry's Law- This is the new one we like. It is really good. Since Law & Order Criminal Intent is no more, SVU is no longer a favorite (I can't handle those types of stories anymore), we have found we really like this show.
4. The Biggest Loser- Yep, we got sucked in. We don't know if we will watch after this season because Jillian is leaving, and Bob has not had an "incident" since the season with Carla.... OH- and one other reality/game show- WIPEOUT!
5. The Middle & $#!@ My Dad Says- the first has Debra from everybody loves Raymond and Janitor from Scrubs...how can we not like it. The second- William Shatner....his sense of humor is AMAZING!
6. Yep, still more. This would have to be our families guilty pleasure- Disney/Nickolodeon Channel Tween shows: Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, iCarly, Suite Life on Deck, Good Luck Charlie, etc
7. Even though this probably could have gone in the previous one- it has its own awesomeness- Phineas And Ferb. I mean "CURSE YOU PERRY THE PLATYPUS"
8. Reruns of- Yes, Dear,   Scrubs,  Everybody Loves Raymond, King of Queens, According to Jim, etc
9. We are just now getting into The Office. We avoided it for quite some time but now we are being sucked in.....

That is about it. We used to watch things like Minute to Win it, etc but I put my foot down a few weeks ago that we were DVRing too much and I will only watch the shows after Grayson is in bed so we got rid of a few things.

In Other News-

Well, I feel I should blog about more than just the 30 day challenge. First, I would like to say that my heart goes out to those in Japan. For future reference, when I read this later in life, there was a huge earthquake (8.9) and tsunami in Japan on Thursday night. It was so strong that vibrations were measured in Boise! On top of the already devastating natural disaster, they are now experiencing fires, nuclear melt-downs (or close to it anyways) and more.
It is events like these that make me so grateful for my knowledge of the Gospel. Knowing Heavenly Father's plan for us is such a blessing during times like these.

Grayson is growing like a weed! Or at least his hair is. He has now had 5 haircuts! This last time, his haircut made him look so much older. He has also started being more adventurous in his climbing....YIKES! He still won't let go of the furniture to walk more than a few steps...and that is fine by me. He loves to sing, talk up a storm, and he thinks he is pretty funny. He is already throwing temper tantrums. He will throw himself on his stomach on the ground, arch his back up (which makes me laugh because he looks like a seal) and yell and scream. I am at a loss for how to handle this since he is only 9 1/2 months. I explain to him it is not appropriate...but I don't know if he really understands. I think his little friend we walk the mall with who is 21 months- and getting into the temper tantrum phase, is rubbing off on him.....

Speaking of walking the mall...that has been so wonderful for me. It helps me feel like I have something to do every day, we get out of the house, I get adult conversation, and Grayson gets to see new and different things, as well as another child.

Grayson while walking at the mall

The babies love us to get them to face each other if we stop in a store

Aren't they just so cute?

Mike has been busy working about 55-60 hours a week and going to school. Luckily the hours at work are slowing down a little bit. Plus he is taking a week off- well kind of off now that we are going to California for work- at the end of the month. He still has his special time with Grayson. He puts him to bed every night, helps with his baths, and plays with him when he gets off work early on the weekend.

That is about all that is going on here. We are enjoying the few nice days we get inbetween the cold, windy days. It is supposed to warm up pretty good this week, though it is going to rain quite a bit. But we need the rain. It will help make everything green!

30 Days of Blogging- Day 10

Something I am afraid of? That is a hard one. There is nothing that I am super afraid of in the sense of something like spiders, snakes, etc. I don't like spiders, snakes, and such- but I am not "afraid" of them. Honestly, I think my biggest fears are those of not being able to be a good mother and wife. I am afraid of things going wrong....I think that is my biggest fear. I suppose I suffer some anxiety. I always play out every possible scenario of what could go wrong and plan accordingly. Even before I had a child, I had a mini first aid kit in my purse complete with heartburn and pain medicine, neosporin, bandaids, and more. I plan MONTHS in advance as much as possible for trips.
This fear has kind of been brought to a head. It was decided just a few weeks ago that we are heading to California at the end of the month. Partially for Mike's work, and then Grayson and I are tagging along. Please keep in mind, I am already planning our trip to California in October...so planning this on such short notice is really hard on me.
So, yes, my fear is something going wrong and I am not prepared. I guess there could be worse fears.

30 Days of Blogging- Day 9

Today I am supposed to share a favorite picture of my best friend. I could be super cliche about how Mike is my best friend- because he is....but I am blessed to have 2 really good friends other than Mike.
Sarah- is one of those friends. We have known each other since high school and we still love to get together and travel together. She is someone I can have a good time with, who I can talk about the good ol' days of high school with.



Sarah in Nashville

My other really close friend is Terrie. Terrie is an amazing friend, mother, and example. She is one of the most Christ-like people I know. She has such a strong spirit and testimony. She is such a great example to me. OH- and she is tons of fun! The only problem is, I constantly have to worry about her kidnapping Grayson.....




Terrie and Grayson in November 2010

I feel so blessed to have such great friends. Even though both of them live out of town, I know they would do anything for me in a heartbeat. They both have unique qualities and personalities and I am blessed to have both of them in my life.