We have just hit Level 5

Level 5 includes removing anything and everything from kitchen counters now that his fingers can reach the top. This also includes the stove and dinner table.

Child Proofing - In Levels of Unreachablility

Level 1: As soon as the child can move themselves from point A to Point B and so forth. - Anything and everything under furniture that can be reached, EVEN by an adult should be tucked far far FAR away.

Level 2: As soon as the child can crawl - Lock up any cabinet/table door or drawer with locks, there are no tiny little items to be pickedup and digested, outlet covers, anything hanging from any where should be removed, gates go up, doors to rooms close

Level 3: Half walking - Coverup volume controls on electronics, hide remotes, lock up kitchen cabinets and shelves

Level 4: Walking/Running - Be prepared to remove furniture such as shelves, chairs because they eventualy climb onto and stand on rocking chairs. Leave nothing else out even if you think they can't reach those items, becuase they will find a way.

To Be Continued as the child gets older.

Chair Climb

Back down is usually more graceful.

Robert's got a secret to share...

Now that the holidays are over we thought

we'd do a recap of the festivities!

Christmas gifts for Robert ~ $75,

Gas traveling to relatives ~ $90,
Knowing that there are really 4 people in this picture ~ PRICELESS

We are happy to announce that Robert is going to be a big brother! I am 12 weeks pregnant today and just got back from the doctor's office where we heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. This one wouldn't hold still very long for the doctor but we definitely heard and were relieved to know everything was going well. We found out the day after Thanksgiving and were surpisingly able to keep it a secret from our family until Christmas. To tell them we had Robert wear the above hat to announce it to our immediate family members. Since then we've told some others and my team was told on the way to Costa Rica. Luckily it wasn't from me getting sick on the airplane!

The baby is due on August 2nd and of course I didn't learn my lesson from Robert and am hoping to go towards the end of July instead. Either way I'll have a lot more time off this time around before my swim season starts up again which I'm sure Eric will appreciate! We will again be finding out the gender but that will have to wait until the middle of March when we get an ultrasound done. As of now everything is measuring on schedule and no signs of problems. I'm hoping that as I finish up the 1st trimester the morning sickness symptoms will disappear...which by the way were completely different than with Robert so possibly a girl this time around?

I'm Back!

I hope that Eric has kept all of our followers entertained with his posts for the last few weeks. I am finally feeling better and am back in the country to update our blog. As you can see from the picture above Robert had a really hard time getting going in the morning while I was gone. This is also more proof that he is my child and mornings aren't always the best for us!

View of Costa Rica from the airplane

My team trip to Costa Rica was AMAZING! In the 9 trips I've gone on with my team and while in college this was by far my favorite. The company I went through took care of arranging every little detail for us and so all I had to do was coach. All meals were catered by the hotel and transportation was fully covered, which was good because I never would have found the pools if I was driving. On top of all of the training the group was able to divide into two groups to go white water rafting or on a canopy tour through the rain forest (basically ziplining through the rain forest for about 1 1/2 hours). Both groups had amazing trips even if both endured a little rain. The canopy group also got to see a coffee plantation and stop and a souvenir shop and go on a tour of the wood factory attached to it to see them make a lot of the souvenirs by hand.

Team picture outside of our bus with our driver and Juan our translator who knew very little English but we loved them both!

After our meet the Costa Rica team asked myself and the head coach from the other American team there to stay and do a coaching clinic. The picture above is of the group that attended the clinic. Everyone in Costa Rica was so friendly and both this team and the team we met at our evening practices were amazing. They felt very honored to be swimming with Americans and we too were greatful to meet so many new people and will hopefully be able to stay in contact with them.


Today my mom was up and the four of us enjoyed watching the Vikings win their game against the Cowboys. Robert wasn't too sure of the game but had fun getting lots of attention from Grandma.

Eric and Robert enjoying the snacks for the game!

Thank you Favre for a great game...please give us 2 more!!

3rd Quarter was a little slow so Eric and Robert entertained my mom and I with some floor sliding. Robert could have kept doing this all night long!

Robert the Thinker

This week Robert has a few things I'll be taking him to. Today was story time at the Library. I really had no idea what to expect. I just figured they read a story to the audience and that was about it. They would read a book then do a song and repeated that two more times. When they did the songs Robert just sat still wondering what was going on. I tried to get him to do some of the actions, but he didn't have any interest. After the stories and songs they handed out maracas to all the kids and Robert just looked at it, "what is this and what am I suppose to do?" Every other child shook theirs right away, but not Robert, he just looked it. "What is this red object with some kind of stick on the end? It doesn't light up, there are no buttons to push."

I would defiantly have to say Robert observes things completely different compared to the majority. laughs at everything and I also noticed he was the bulkiest of the group for his age.

Crazy Pills

The boy isn't giving me much to work with

Nicole's been wanting to see some photos or videos while she's away, but I have nothing. No cooperation at all. This child, that's suppose to be funny, curious and noisy has given me nothing to work with.

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At one time I considered doing a Stay at Home Dad blog. There's a reason I never got it going. Kids are not that interesting all the time. They don't do that much from one day to the next or even each week. And if you are going to do a Stay at Home Parent Blog it better be pretty funny. Who would want to read..."today son woke up at 7am, he played with some toys, took at nap at 10am, up for lunch about noon, played with toys again, nap at 2 or 3, supper at 5, bed at 8." Who wants to read that!

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Instead notes should be taken when something interesting does happen. Then when the child has grown up and moved out you can start organizing the notes and put something together, but by then you're probably not interested in working on it any more. So instead we bring up these embarrassing stories when their significant other is around. Everyone laughs, HA.HA.HA. and then we do the same thing again at the next get together.

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So, as much as I would like to put something entertaining up...I just don't have anything at this time.

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Sorry.

Discourse among the ranks

The Young General

It doesn't appear to be going very well.

Looks like he left the Country.

9 Days of Only Robert and Myself

Day 1: Monday

Nicole left for her training trip, San Jose, Costa Rica, where she trains her swimmers for a week. Shortly after Nicole left Robert set up his base of operations to take over the house. My surveillance photos picked up these images.

Base of Operations and Guards

Closeup - That little dog is the one to worry about.

Troops

Central Computer

Secret Hideout/Passageway from his Crib

Posts will be made as events unfold.