More Picture From Christmas

Hi! Just thought I'd share some more pictures from Christmas. Enjoy!

Here I am with a favorite gift from my Great Aunt Julie: both the cute outfit and the monkey. She spoils me rotten!

Here I am in my new rocking chair from Great Aunt Julie. Did I mention how much she spoils me?

The Grand Finale! Here I am with Santa Claus! He came to the beach just to see me!

Merry Christmas From the Sunny South!

Christmas wore me out!

3 generations of Robert M. Kunes

I love my Nona's and Pop's house at Folly Beach!

Hi everyone!
We are still in Charleston and loving the warm weather. Enjoy these pictures of our trip. We miss all of you back at Nashotah and hope that you are having as blessed a Christmas as we are. We love y'all!

Even More Pictures!

Seriously Mommy, this is the ugliest coat you've ever put on me!

I can take a bottle, I just choose not to most of the time!

I can nap in my bed, I just choose to nap on Mommy most of the time!

Hey what's up! I'm just chillin' in my recliner.

More 4 months Pictures

Daddy was taking care of me on this night. He made himself a fancy dinner while I slept. Why can't it be that easy for Mommy?

Here I am skyping (webcam) with someone. I can't remember who because everyone in my family has a webcam. They love being able to watch me grow while I'm so far away.

We've been having lots of fun lately getting ready for our big trip South. We were going to drive with Robert and the dogs, but we've chickened out. Now, Rob will drive with the dogs, and Robert and I will fly. Rob just wanted to hurry up and get there, which would have been impossible with Robert. So, Robert and I have been busy Christmas shopping online, which has been awesome! When the presents come in, we just wrap them up and we're done. Robert has enjoyed watching me wrap the presents. He seems enthralled by the bright colors and ribbon. We've been attending Christmas parties. St. Nick came to Nashotah House and brought all the children presents. Robert got a cool V-tech car that lights up and sings. I had an Advent party for the Women of Nashotah House, which was fun because we did a gift exchange and a cookie exchange. We had Lessons and Carols and a nice reception this past Thursday. Robert pooped in church so loud that everyone on our side heard. Of course, I forgot the diaper bag, and we had to borrow a diaper. What a fiasco!

Anyway, thought you might enjoy these pics!

4 Months Old

Robert is cuter than ever these days. I know the pictures don't seem to show it, but he is a happy, smiley baby most of the time. For some reason, though, the smiles turn off when the camera turns on.

He had his four month-old checkup yesterday, and praise God, the boy's healthy and growing! He's now more than doubled his birth weight, weighing in at 19 lbs. 1 ounce. The doctor had to school me on how to keep Robert warm this winter: layers, layers, layers. This is all fine and well until it's time to change him. Hey, at least I'll have something to do since it's too snowy to go anywhere: laundry!

Robert has now rolled over both ways. He doesn't do it all the time, though, only on special occasions and never when he's expected to perform for someone. He's certainly developing his own personality, and showing off for others or the camera is not his thing.

He is playing with toys, mostly putting them in his mouth, but he seems to enjoy it. He is still a thumb-sucker and loves to hold something soft while sucking his thumb. It's pretty much the cutest thing he does! He seems to love bath time and has recently found his feet, but only in the bath. He's found his upper vocal range lately and makes this high pitch squeal just for the fun of it. It was cute for a while, but after his shots the other day he added it to his mad crying and it was horrendous! I thought they were going to kick us out of the doctor's office!

Anyway, thought you might enjoy a little update.

Nashotah Babies!

Aidan, Robert, Adeline, Emmaline, Margaret

Well, here they are...all 5 of our July '08 babies! We are all enjoying watching our little blessings grow up together. They are all already developing their own personalities at 4 months old! All of the moms enjoyed catching up at the Thanksgiving dinner. We all can't believe how fast they're growing. It's so fun to have babies so many babies so close in age all in one community!

Visit to Atlanta

Robert and his cousin, 3 1/2 year-old Ty, being couch potatoes in front of the TV. They were watching Kung Fu Panda, and Robert was really into it!

Robert and his cousin, 1 1/2 year-old Jordan, on a pony at the Fall Festival. Jordan tried her hardest to hold him on, but he's almost as heavy as she is!

Robert loved snuggling with his Mabop!

Robert and I just got back from 10 days in Atlanta. We had a wonderful time hanging out with Aunt Lisa, Uncle Lee, Cousins Ty and Jordan, and Mabop and Pabop. Yes, those are the names that firstborn grandchild, Ty, gave my parents, and they have stuck. He was really into the Doodle Bops at the time!

Robert was so easy on the airplane, both ways. He nursed a little and slept on the way there, and he slept the whole way home. Perfect! He had a little trouble sleeping while there and reverted back to getting up during the night. It was pretty easy, though, since I was alone in the bed. I would just go get him and nurse him in bed with me, and he'd sleep with me for the rest of the night. Not too bad.

He really loved watching his cousins play, and they loved him. 1 1/2 year old Jordan was a little jealous because she is no longer the baby in the family. She had to do everything Robert did, like swing in the baby swing, sit in the baby carseat, hold Robert's bunny and silkie, and get rocked and burped like Robert. Ty loved his "baby brover, Wobert." He couldn't quite get the relationship straight, but he knew that he loved him, whoever he was. He actually tried to make me a trade. He said something like, "Youcan (he runs those words together) take Sisters (that's what he calls Jordan) to you house, and wecan have Wobert wif us." As much as I love "Sisters," I had to turn down the offer. He may have changed his mind later, though, because during one of his overtired meltdown episodes, he said that Wobert bit him. He was dead serious and ran crying to his room. I can only imagine how viciously Wobert must have attacked him with his gummy jaws! Very scary.

The only downside to our trip to Atlanta was the cold/ear infection that set in when we got home. Who knows how he got it (Lisa's kids weren't sick), but he did. We came back Sunday, and by Monday he had a fever of 103.8. Thank God (seriously, thank you God) for our neighbor, an ER doctor/deacon, soon to be priest, who came over Monday evening to check him out. Sure enough, it was an ear infection. We started him on antibiotics, and he ran a fever (kept down with Motrin) until Thursday. I think he's finally feeling a little better, though congested from the cold. I must say that this week has honestly been the worst week of my life, so far. It is pure Hell watching your baby suffer from sickness, first of all. And second of all, it's horrible to be stuck in the house for a whole week! Yesterday I couldn't take it anymore, so Rob came home from school to watch him for a few hours while I got out. I felt much better after that. Robert seems much better today, though he's still not eating much. Please pray for his continued healing.

Robert's Friend Margaret

Robert enjoyed two days of hanging out with his friend Margaret, the daughter of fellow seminarians here at Nashotah House. Margaret was born just a few days before Robert and only a few weeks before moving to Nashotah House! He's so glad she's here and can't wait to grow up with her in the next year and a half.

Robert and I are heading to Atlanta to visit with my family for 10 days. We won't be blogging for a while but will update when we return. Please pray for our safe travel and Robert's first airplane trip!

Visit From Nona

We all enjoyed a visit from Nona last week, especially Robert! He's really happy in this picture, you just can't tell by his face.

Check out more pictures from the visit by clicking on "Nona's Visit at 3 Months Old" to the left under Picture Albums.

We love you, Nona!

Fall Festival 2008

Robert enjoyed his first Nashotah House Fall Festival this past Saturday. Thanks to his Great Aunt Julie, he had a cute costume to wear! He enjoyed looking at all the kids who came by trick-or-treating. He went trick-or-treating, too, but he passed on the candies. Mom and Dad had plenty to eat of their own and didn't want more around the house! After trick-or-treating we went to the gym for games and more sweets. He had a ball just looking around at all the big kids having fun. He had so much fun that he passed out on Daddy's shoulder! What a fun night! Check out more pictures of the Fall Festival under Picture Albums to the left. Enjoy!

Last Warm Day

We had our last warm day about two weeks ago, I think. Robert got to wear this adorable "tractor and corn" smocked bubble (bad picture, cute outfit). It was a perfect representation of his birthplace, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, which is all cornfields and lakes. The little chunky monkey couldn't have been cuter that day! You'll see in the other picture that he enjoyed the afternoon sitting in his diaper watching football with Daddy, a rare occurence these busy days. Yep, he's a big baby! Just thought I'd share...

Drum ROLL Please...

Can you believe it?! Robert has rolled over for the first time! Check it out at "Baby Robert Rolling Over" under Our Videos to the left.

Robert in the Leaves

Check out the pictures in "Robert in the Leaves" under Our Picture Albums to the left. We've had a fun day!

New Video

Check out the new "Baby Robert Sleeping" video under Our Videos to the left. Enjoy!

"New" Winter Gear

Robert and I went to the University Lake Barn Sale (huge rummage sale put on by a local private school) this past Friday, and he got some "new" winter gear. We gave Daddy a fashion show when we got home. I can't believe winter is looming ahead in the near future. It's going to be a real challenge to keep a little baby warm all winter long. I think these new hats will do the trick, though. Don't you?

FYI

I put up another album entitled "Two Months," so click on RMK III Picture Albums to the left and check it out.

Thumb Thumb Thumb Thumb!

Sweet relief, he's finally getting better at finding that thumb! No more pacifier pop out game. However, he has stopped taking the pacifier altogether (Thanks anyway, Nona, for all the pacifiers you just bought him.), and now when he's fussy, he'll only settle for the thumb. He can't always get his thumb right away, though, and he WON'T let you help him either. The only thing that works is to try to get him into an optimal thumb-getting position and pray. We just don't understand how this boy got so stubborn. Hmmm....

Photo Diary

Robert: Do I really have to wear a hat? I look like such a dork!
Mommy: Yes Robert, it's in the 50s today with no sun. You better get used to it. You've got a long winter ahead of you!

Robert: Hey, trying on a hat isn't so bad. It's a good thing I don't have to wear them all the time, though.

Mommy: Ha Ha Ha!

Thank you Great Grandma Rosemary! I love my new outfit! See my little paws!

Can you believe I'm in a size 6 mos. already?

This is a picture of a baby who slept through the night for the first time: 10:30-6:30. He's done at least 7 hours a night for the past 3 nights in a row! Yeah, we're not getting used to it, but we're certainly thankful!

Free Advertising For Moby Wrap

You know how you feel when you really love a certain product? You want to tell everyone about it! Well, I absolutely love the Moby Wrap. I've talked it up as much as possible at Nashotah House. And, everywhere I go around town people stop and ask me about it. Women say, "Wow, they didn't have that when I was bringing up my kids!" The truth is, though, mainstream American women didn't have it, perhaps, but the rest of the world has been "wearing" babies for ages and ages! I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but American women have finally gotten a clue, and now there are tons of wraps on the market. It's overwhelming how many there are from which to choose! While I obviously haven't tried them all, I highly recommend the one I have tried--the Moby Wrap. It's a huge piece of cotton material, and thank God that it comes with great instructions of how to tie it in all of the many possible ways. If I can do it, anyone can do it! Robert really loves being in the wrap. I've even found that when I carry him in the wrap rather than leave him in his busy chair throughout the day, he is calmer and sleeps better at night. It allows me to give him the physical contact he needs at this age while also getting stuff done around the house. It's a whole lot better than sitting around rocking him all day long, which gets really old when you live in a small apartment with no cable! The only thing I've found that I'm really scared to do when he's in the wrap is use the oven. It just puts him way closer than he should be to a hot oven, and when I wrap him with his feet out, it's really out of the question to lean over a hot oven.

Okay, so if you're interested, here's the official Moby Wrap website: http://www.mobywrap.com/

But here's where I got mine (It's a great company, and I was buying diapers from here anyway):

http://www.cottonbabies.com/index.php?cPath=35

Enjoy!

New "Good Boy" Toy

Robert's appointment went well yesterday. He was such a good boy at the doctor's that Mommy bought him a new toy. As you can see, he was thrilled by it! So far, he's only fallen asleep on it, but he's got some time to grow into it. It's a little busy for him at this point.

Drum roll please....Robert weighed in at a wopping 14 lbs. 6 oz. and 24 in. yesterday. We're so proud of his accomplishment! Needless to say, he's a healthy boy.

He had his two month immunization shots, which was no fun for either of us. He screamed bloody murder when the nurse gave him the shots, but he quickly quieted down because as soon as she handed him back to me, I let him nurse. I highly recommend this method because he was immediately quiet and fell into a deep sleep. He slept all the way home, including during a quick trip into the grocery store. He slept and nursed off and on for a few hours, and then the screaming started again. Apparently I should have given him the Tylenol as soon as we left the doctor's, but I thought he was fine since he was asleep. Why drug a seemingly content baby? Well, I now know that pain prevention is the reason. His three shot areas on his legs became really painful after a few hours, and then he had to wait for the Tylenol to kick in. He literally screamed at the top of his lungs for about twenty minutes straight. He wouldn't even nurse. It was so sad to watch. Once he finally calmed down a little, I let him nurse off and on for the rest of the evening while I snuggled him close on my lap. Poor little pumpkin!

He's feeling much better this morning. However, he's ready for me to get off the computer!

What a Smart Boy!

LOOK AT THE NEW VIDEO UNDER "OUR VIDEOS" TO THE LEFT!!!

Okay, so Mommy isn't going to win any videography contests, but hey, at least she tries!

Robert is so fun these days. As you can see in the video, he's finally able to play a little bit and interact. He smiles all the time and laughs (so far only for Nona). He still tries for that thumb, but even if he gets it, he can only keep it in his mouth for a few seconds before it hops out again. He constantly moves his arms and legs. His neck is getting stronger each day, and he can hold his head up, but only for a certain amount of time before it flops back down.

He's getting bigger and bigger each day, too. He was 13 lbs. 11 oz. last Thurs. He goes to the doctor today for his 2 month checkup, so we'll see how much he's grown. He still eats every two or three hours, so no wonder he's getting so big! He is a little gassy and juicy (lots of spitting up) and sometimes downright uncomfortable after feedings, especially in the evenings, so if you think of it, pray for him in this area. Can you imagine feeling like that after every meal?

He's pretty agreeable during the day as long as he doesn't have to sit by himself for too long. He's more than willing to ride in the wrap, which does allow me to get some things done around the house. He especially likes vacuuming with me--it puts him into an immediate snooze! He doesn't mind running errands as long as it doesn't cut into feeding time and he can ride in the wrap once we get to where we're going.

He's still pretty unpredictable at night. Last night he slept from 10:30-4:30, but the night before he was up every three hours. I'm not in a hurry for him to grow up, but if I'm honest, I can't wait until he's able to sleep for a long stretch consistently! Just thought I'd give everyone an update.

We love y'all!

Smiley

Daddy is so cute! Yeah, Robert's smile is cute, too.

Thank You!

Thank you for all of your prayers! I had the D&C yestday, and the doctor did find a bit of leftover placenta and successfully removed it. I was a little tired yesterday, but I'm all better today. Robert was in good hands with his "Nona." We're so blessed to have her here to help!

My Favorite Things

I usually love to ride in my stroller, but sometimes I get lonely and cry. Then Mommy gets to carry me AND push the stroller, which is better exercise for her anyway. I also love my "soothie"' pacifier. I have a hard time keeping it in my mouth, so Mommy and I usually end up playing a fun game of "drop and stick": soothie drops out of my mouth, I cry, and Mommy sticks it back in my mouth. I guess Mommy doesn't like this game because she's really encouraging me to find my thumb!


This is my fun chair. I didn't used to like it that much, but now that I am more alert, I like to sit in it and look at the cool toys. I even try to bat at them, but these silly arms have a mind of their own!



Victory at last! I got my thumb in my mouth all by myself here! It was not easy, either. My arm was swinging around in front of my mouth, and it just so happened that my thumb was not tucked into my fist, for once. I mananged to get my fist in my mouth, grab hold of my thumb and suck, and pull out the other fingers without letting go of my thumb. You have no idea how hard that is when you don't really control your own limbs!

These are a few of my favorite things!

Aunt Mary Poppins

My sister Lisa came for a visit to meet Baby Robert for the first time, and boy did she help out! She makes mothering look like a breeze, and she sure mothered us while she was here. She cleaned our house, did our laundry, fed the baby during the night, baked apple crisp from apples that she picked from our campus apple trees, and generally loved on us the whole time she was here. We were so sad to see her leave, but she had to get back to her little ones (Ty 3, Jordan 1). Now you see why we have named her Aunt Mary Poppins!