Sleep ... or lack there of

When I was pregnant I used to get really anxious about how I was going to operate on little to no sleep. See, for anyone who has never had a baby when/if you do beware that it is very common for people (both men and women) to make comments like “oh, get your sleep now.” “You’ll never sleep the same again.” While I knew in my head this was true … statements like this scared me. I just feared because I know how much I love AND NEED my sleep.

Well, I had the kids and for most of you that know … I didn’t sleep for about 3 ½ years (and the kids aren’t even 3 ½ yet). I was up some nights all night long sleeping an hour or less. Then with a child with a trache our sleepless night phase didn’t just go away. We were up suctioning many MANY nights operating on barely any rest. There were some days I’d call my mom and say “I’m not sure I should be behind the wheel.” But the thing is you just do it. You just learn how to operate and survive cause your babies need you. Then that all goes away, they sleep through the night. The Trache comes out. Life should be perfect, right?

WRONG!

Now my kids do great, don’t get me wrong! Except the occasional sleepless night where I end up on their floor, in their bed, holding them while we rock. While I don’t want to trade those moments where I can watch them sleep, rub their bellies or comfort them … I am usually a HURTING UNIT the next day. This is what happened to me last night. Birk either had a rough night or is coming down with something and I ended up in his twin bed with him. Birk is a normal 3 year old boy sleeper too, I must add. He rolls, turns, talks, kicks, punches, snuggles for about 99.9% of the night too. The last time I remember looking at my phone to check the time it was 4:32AM! 4:32AM, I get up at 6:30? I then laid there and in my head debated calling in, working from home …. I didn’t know what I was going to do. When I finally fell asleep … my alarm went off, I decided to get up and get the kids to daycare. I mean, Birk was fine at that point! (Little booger).

Please pray that he is not getting sick. Pray it was just a rough night for our little man. We are making our way to our first family ISU tailgate this weekend, then on to Okoboji for the annual Robertson weekend at Cutty’s. We need a healthy kid or last night isn’t going to be my only rough night!

On a brighter note…I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day weekend! Enjoy the time together!

* Breaking News *

I’m not good at being a single Mommy! This week Nick has been in California on a work trip and it is clear that I was designed to not be a single parent. I need a partner. It is not about the amount of work that I have to do. It is about a deflector from the chaos that 3 year olds being to our lives. For example; while preparing dinner it is SO NICE to have a husband who will run into the living room and dive onto the floor so that you children will scamper behind him and tackle him. Thus, leaving me finish making dinner in peace. Versus the scene that played out last night. While I was making the quesadilla’s (which I heard “I don’t like” about a thousand times … I am sorry Mom for saying that as a child, I get why that bothered you so much now) the children were playing tag/hide-n-seek/scream as loud as you can game. Their best hiding spot was in front of my legs or between my legs. As you can only imagine there was no way that was going to end well. I ended up dropping a plate of ride on the floor, only to have someone run through it and then hit the floor because the rice was “SO HOT!”

Good heavens!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m only on single mommy mode for 2 more days, 1 more night as Nick gets home late tomorrow. We are so lucky to have the husband/daddy that we do and I might need to remember to thank him more for ALL THAT HE DOES! It just goes to show you don’t know what you have, until it’s not there.

We know he is having a wonderful time in the great state of CA, but can’t wait for him to get back home!

Week(s) in photos

Here are some random pictures of what's been going on in our lives!!!

These are the Days of the Robertson lives

So I have fallen into my slacker mode and not been that great at updating the blog. I’m sorry. I will get better about this. I have actually had more people than I ever expected tell me they not only read our blog, but they are waiting for an update. So I guess I have more than just the 12 followers I once thought.

I want to start by saying THANK YOU to all of you that do read, follow, pray, think good thoughts for our family. Man, we have been so touched. It’s amazing to look back at where we’ve come from, what we’ve been through and say “I survived to tell about it.” After volleyball last week we were “fellowshipping” with a great friend who told us that his wife and he followed our blog religiously as I would send out updates on twins. How much they prayed for us and how worried they were for our family. I can’t honestly tell you just how much that made my heart feel happy. To know how many people out there care and have been a witness to the miracle the twins are. I thank God every day for the blessings we’ve been given, the obstacles we’ve over come and the miracles (in plenty) that I have been fortunate enough to witness/experience. God is good!

Speaking of good … BIRK HAD AN AMAZING VISIT TO CINCINNATI! He did great, and he looked great! We don’t have to go back for a full year. At that time they will take look at his scar (and work to decrease the puffy-ness). They will also begin talking to us about his voice. We don’t have any concerns, just have questions around the volume he has and how raspy his voice is. Truth is that may never get better. But there are some treatments that he might be able to do in order to strengthen the voice. So this is TBD.



The kids have also gone back to their previous daycare. We did not have the most pleasurable experience when we made the move to an Ankeny provider and we made the decision to hold off on preschool it seemed only natural to go back to where we were beyond happy. The kids started today and I have to say, I haven’t had that great of a drop off since we made the switch. Being a daycare provider has got to be one of the most challenging jobs out there and let me tell you, if you find someone to love your kids like you do, treat them good while making sure they are following rules, working on potty training and having fun …. KEEP THEM THERE. It’s worth any amount of drive!!



I still love my new job. I’ve been more engaged in projects lately and starting to really get to know the team and understand the process. It was a tough move as I was so familiar with what I did before. I knew my job, I knew the team I knew it all. Here I’m just the newbie. I think this was the perfect move for me. I did make the decision so start selling Norwex products. I have to be honest; I’m not going to the best sales lady as I don’t have the time or energy to do that. However, I love the products; I love the vision of the company so it was perfect for me. So…if anyone is looking to book a party, or buy some stuff or just learn more … let me know! (Promise: that was my only sales plug).



Lastly, I have been looking through some old pictures/messages that I had saved here at work and I came across this letter that I had saved. For anyone who followed our baby homepages blog after the twins were born you may have read this letter. You see, Nick and I would take turns posting things about the babies, or our feelings. This was the first post that Nick posted and just really summed up how we were (both) feeling at about one week into being new time parents. I thought I would end today’s post with this special note. Hope everyone has a great week …



READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!



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A couple words from Daddy….

What an absolutely amazing/crazy week! There’s a pretty good chance that I went through almost every emotion that the human body is capable of feeling since last Tuesday morning. And I don’t see that stopping anytime soon… But I wanted to take a couple of minutes to share some things that have been on my heart since then.



To Mommy: You need to know just how much I am overwhelmed by your strength and courage to get through everything since we went in to the hospital on Tuesday for those “routine” tests, or so we thought. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that God hand-picked you just for me, because there’s no way I could have gotten through any of this without you. It has been such a ride, and the roller coaster is just getting stated, but I know you’ll continue to be there holding my hand. And you can count on me for the same. One of my life’s greatest joys has been watching you become a mother. You love those two SO MUCH! And just like me, I know you leave a big piece of your heart in that NICU room every time we have to go home. Birk and Addy are so blessed to be able to call you Mom, and to have you to eventually come home to. Just like our nurse yesterday said, this will be the hardest time we will go through as parents. I know if we can make it through this, we’ll make it through anything! Thank you for being my rock, I promise to do my best to be yours. I LOVE YOU!!!


To my tiny miracles Birk and Addy: I’m struggling to find the words that describe the amazing feelings that I am experiencing as a new Daddy. You have introduced me to a deeper love than I have ever known before. The life I had before you two came into this world already seems like a distant memory. I can’t imagine what it would be like without you, and you’re not even a week old yet! This past week has been filled with “firsts”. What some parents get to do in the first 10 minutes with their newborns, it has taken us almost a week to do! While that has certainly been tough to get through, it has been somewhat of a blessing in disguise for me. I have been able to cherish and fully remember each and every first I have experienced with you. Every day I can’t wait to get to your room just to see what we might be able to do next. You are constantly teaching me new lessons in patience and understanding. And the strength and fight that I see in both of you goes far beyond my comprehension. God was there in the beginning, and He is there now. Because of that, I know that your tiny little bodies will soon be big and strong and full of life. You both mean the world to me and with all my heart I love you!



To our AMAZING family and friends: Our core support system stems directly from all of you! The outpouring of support and love this past week completely blows me away. For the record, I don’t recommend the path we’ve been on to discover just how much you are loved…if you can help it. But when the time came for us, I was overwhelmed and continue to be every single day. This website has been such a blessing to us. Jenny has done an amazing job with the continuous updates, and I know that will continue as many of you have told us that you come here to follow along with the twins’ progress. We have heard from so many people this past week. We have received comments and love from close family and friends, and then friends that we haven’t talked to in some time, and even friends from past parts of our lives! I’m sorry it took something like this for us to reconnect but again, so good to hear from so many! It’s been such a whirlwind, starting with last Tuesday. Family immediately cancelled things and rearranged their lives to be here. Friends brought things to the hospital for us. Many sent flowers. Others moved vehicles left in the Principal parking ramp. One even cancelled a trip just in case we needed anything! So many came by to visit and see both us and the babies. We got so many call, emails, comments, text messages, voicemails, etc. We ended up on prayer chains all across Iowan, and out of state in Omaha among others! So many of you have remembered us in your thoughts and in your prayers. You all need to know how much of an inspiration you’ve been to us, and the amount of gratitude that is in our hearts for all that you have done. We love you all!!



Finally, to God: Though it is sometimes tough to remember, I know in my heart of hearts that the whole time this past week you were saying, “Go ahead and fall, I will catch you.” I know that the only way to find the light at the end of the tunnel is through You. And that my hand will be held all the way through what has been the most trying event in my life. I will never forget that You are the miracle behind us having our babies, in so many ways. We have heard things this past week like “just in the nick of time” and “how lucky we are that we went in when we did.” While I think the luck of the Irish was on our side on March 17th, I know that because of Your plan, we have two beautiful children doing as well as we could hope for right now. You have heard us, and have heard all others who have lifted us up to You. Thank you SO MUCH! Because of You, I know that the lives that Birk and Addy have here will be a long one. We will ALWAYS love you, so much!



Hopefully you read this at your own risk. I forgot to put any sort of disclaimer at the top! J But I needed to share what has been on my heart. Please keep following along.

Birk and Addy feel your support, and God hears all prayers.



Nick (Daddy)

Cin-ci-Addy

A.k.a....  Cincinnati.

We are back in our old stomping grounds, staying at the Haniford Inn and Suites waiting for Birk Man's scope in the morning.  In a strange way this place feels like home, yet we feel so far away from home.  What I dread about this place is that we've had our fair share of disappointments coming.  Returning home with no changes, or returning home to only wait longer.  So terribly tough.  What I do love is the memories that we had here after our first couple visits.  The things we say (Birk's first MLB game and being on the jumbo tron at the game).  Even though they were terribly challenging at times, I do love each day we spent in the hospital after his surgery.  His recovery and healing had been nothing short of a miracle and for that I give all the glory to God.

So, I sit here tonight not knowing what to expect tomorrow.  From everything we've seen Birk is/has done great!  We see no signs that there is anything wrong.  However, we also know that once they get in there and really "look" at his airway that could be a different story.  We are praying for a great 6 month report tomorrow.  We hope you will join us in that prayer!  We hope to see some of our friends (Dr.'s, nurses) that took such wonderful care of our most special little boy.  We also hope that the lovely 9 hour drive we will make tomorrow will be stress free.  Today's proved to have its moments, but we are grateful that it was only a few times where we thought we'd go bonkers.  We are blessed to have 2 three year olds that do fairly well trapped in a van for 9 straight hours 2 days in a row.  :-(  Thank goodness for DVD players!

I will update the blog once I have a report tomorrow.  To anyone reading, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  If you've followed our journey ...  your support is so felt!

God Bless You!

August 10th … who would have thought!!!

Love this weather…. It’s 78, cool, breezy and slightly overcast! I love the feeling of being able to wear a sweatshirt and flip flops, I love the smell of cooler brisk air, I love days of making chili and watching football all day, and I love that the Holiday season is literally right around the corner. I know I’ve said this before, but living in Iowa is amazing. We get the fortunate opportunity to be able to enjoy all season (extreme seasons they may be), but can look forward and rejoice in the new season to come. It’s days like this that I just sit here and my heart is happy. The weekend is upon me, the weather is wonderful, I get a fun weekend with my husband, kids, friends … and also it’s the State Fair (and let’s be honest …. Who doesn’t love the state fair).



Happy Friday to everyone!



P.S. We are heading back to Cincinnati on August 20th so watch for follow up's on Birk's progress.  We're hoping for all good news!!! 

My Favorites this summer

I know I've done blog posts like this in the past, but with nothing all that much to blog about I've thought I'd publish a few things that have really been some of my favorites this summer!  So without further ado ...

~~ My favorite 2012 Summer FAVORITES ~~

10. Fireworks.  There is something about fireworks that just spells summer.  It means hot summer nights, 4th of July (see another favorite) and BBQ's with families and friends.
9. 4th of July.  I love Independence day.  I love what it represents, I love having a day off, and I also LOVE the activities that happen on that day.  This year was especially fun as the kids love the fireworks, loved sparklers, and had a ton of fun.
8. BBQ's and beer.  How much fun it is to have a burger and a beer and sit in a lawn chair.  Not sure why it brings so much enjoyment to me, but it does.
7. Family that moves back to Iowa.  This brought the chance for me to have my nephews for the whole weekend and SPOIL them rotten!  It was awesome to reconnect with these boys who moved away in 2003.
6. Romantic Comedies! Let's be honest, I love them year round.  However summer always reminds me of fun summer high school & college crushes and how lucky I am to have married Nick.  Someone who will watch these Romantic comedies with me, make fun of me for loving them ... and who will remind me why I don't enjoy the typical type of romance these movies provide.
5. Cabins. Boats. Weekend at lake houses with great friends.  Need I say more?
4. Diet Mt. Dew and UV Cherry Vodka & Bud Light Lime a Rita's.  Again, need I say more.  Best summer drinks ... HANDS. DOWN.
3. Kids week at Grandma and Grandpa's.  While I missed them LIKE CRAZY.  This week we had brought a chance for Nick and I to be a couple again.  To do things we don't get to do.  And a chance to do nothing at times.  Great time spent.  However, we were so glad to see them when they got back home.
2. Swimming on a HOT summer day.  There really isn't anything much more refreshing them jumping in the water (or in our case sliding down our slide into the pool).
1. The Olympics.  I have to admit that I have always loved the Olympics, but this year for sure I was SO MUCH MORE INTO IT!!!!  I am so humbled by these athletes and their abilities.

So there you have it.  I sure hope your summer is going just as great as mine is.

Kolpin Cousin Weekend

We were fortunate enough to get to have the Kolpin boys for the weekend.  We haven't had the chance to get to spoil them since they lived in North Carolina.  Here are a few shots from our fun weekend ... so far.

At the Newton Speedway. 

Watching the warm ups

The girls at the race. 

The gang at the race. 

Happy birthday Barry! 

Our view from the campsite. 

The took a break from the race to play cars.  

Charlie Kolpin

Charlie and his friend Lexie. 

Waiting for the storm to pass so we can ride the rides at ADVENTURELAND! 

Bumper Cars! 

Kid's ferris wheel. 

The minute we left the park. 

All 4! 

Here are some of the same, but I got this editing software on my phone and messed with some of these.  They turned out pretty cute so I felt like I wanted to share.  

Hope you're weekend was as special as ours has been.  Best news yet, is it isn't over.  We are hitting a baseball game tomorrow afternoon.  Let the spoiling continue!!!  

SUMMER MEMORIES

Pinterest .. ing

I tackled a new Pinterest project this past weekend ... and managed to finish it and be super proud of my work.  Here is what I did with the kids' cribs (as we moved to big kid beds the day they came back from Delhi ~ 

This one is following the sanding, spray painting (by the way..that part sucked...my hand hurt so bad), and a few mistakes where I tried to stencil a few things only to replace it with chalk board paint at the top).  

Finished product in B's room.  

Beginning stages of Addy's bed.  I ended up just doing the chalkboard paint on hers to be similar. 

Birk is helping paint his "desk" portion.  We had so much fun doing this!!!

Addy is helping paint her bed!  She LOVED every second of this and asks me to paint almost every day. 

The blanket is just to cover up the fact that i haven't finished the covered baskets that I'm working on for under the desks. 

B's room! 

Addy's desk!  Same deal with the blanket. 

Addy's finished product. 

Addy's desk and big girl bed. 

Birks' finished product.

Cheers to being crafty!!!  :-)