The Klapmusts: March 2012

Cherry Blossoms Picnic!

Last week, on Mary's birthday we packed up the boys and had a picnic on the tidal basin by the cherry blossoms. There was a near meltdown in the car by both boys while we tried to find parking (Robert started it and then got poor Cole going with some empathetic cries). But once we got out and walking in the fresh air, they were happy campers!

We enjoyed our picnic, complete with yummy snacks and some sweet treats for Mary's bday. Even Cole ate some of his food while we were there :)

Robert's first trip into the big city was a success! We got a few pics before heading home, including many shots of the cousins together :)

Embarking on a new journey...

For those of you who haven't heard yet, we are moving to Roanoke!

WHOA! I know, it's some big news...so let me back up and start at the beginning.....

A couple of weeks ago, Jim found out about an opportunity that may be opening up at work - in Roanoke. Some circumstances on a project his company has down there changed and they were looking for a new Project Manager. Without knowing the specifics we briefly discussed it and decided that if all the stars aligned (and our needs could be met), that we could do it and that it could be a good opportunity not only for Jim, but for our whole family. But I sort of dismissed it, thinking that I'd believe it once it actually happened. Fast forward a couple days (yep, that's it!) and Jim got the promotion he'd been seeking and the added bonus that I get to stay home with our sweet baby!

This all happened pretty quickly and Jim started his first week in Roanoke last Tuesday. He'll be working during the week down there and spending weekends in Arlington until we get our house here ready for renting and find housing in Roanoke - all currently in the works, but likely to take a few more weeks at the very least.

Needless to say, this quick timeline of changes means that this is all still sinking in. We are sad to be leaving the fantastic support network of wonderful friends and family we have in Arlington, but know that this will be a good decision for our little family in the long run. Plus this project is only scheduled to take 2 more years, so we plan on returning to Arlington after that.

It will be a new experience for us all (particularly me, who has never moved anywhere new, besides college!) We are hoping to take advantage of what the area has to offer with frequent hiking and outdoor adventures. I also see many visits to Charlottesville in our future, including football and basketball games (so please let us know if and when you visit there!). Lastly, we'll have a guest room for sure and will welcome any visitors who want to make the trek down!

Please wish us luck as we embark on this new journey....

Everyday life

We stay pretty busy and try to get out at least once everyday - we have a few weekly events (baby & me yoga, breastfeeding support group) and then between errands or walks around the block, we keep active, which is good for Robert! He certainly likes the stimulation of seeing new things. Here's a few random peeks into our everyday life :)

Robert still doesn't love getting into the carseat and most of our car trips involve some crying :( But this new toy we got in a nice basket from Jim's work (thanks BBC!) has been a great distraction by keeping Robert somewhat occupied and has minimized the crying on some occasions.

A couple cute pics with mom and dad, all dressed up for church!

One day after putting Robert on the playmat and then sitting on the couch, I looked up to see this! He had shifted on to his side and was staring at me - too cute. This is the first time I've ever seen him move on his own, so I think rolling over will still take awhile to learn, but this is certainly a first step!

This week we started trying out the Bumbo chair. Robert's balance is still a bit wobbly, so we're still just starting this in small doses. But he did great and seemed to like it (even if he was staring at the television for half the time!)

Last, but not least, I wanted to give Chip some loving since he's still very much a part of our everyday life too :) This is mostly what he does all day, sprinkled in with a few crazy instances of darting through the house each day. He lives the good life...

Meeting and Greeting

Last weekend, in addition to our Charlottesville adventure, Robert also got to meet lots of family friends for the first time at an open house in his honor! He enjoys interacting with people so he had a great time and held up well with all the activity. Here are a few pics we captured...

Meeting Mrs. H!

Trying out his new rocking horse handmade by the Horsfalls

Meeting baby Griffin for the first time, he's two days younger than Robert

Fast friends :)

Baby swap!

Hanging with both Grandpas!

Showing off his smile for the crowd

Proud grandparents!

Robert also got to meet his great-grandpa for the first time this week! They were both entertained by each other :) And it was great to have them meet. Seeing them together reminded me of how funny I always thought my Papa was when I was a little kid and I hope Robert gets the same experience :) We are still waiting for his great-grandma to get better before their introduction happens!

Five Years and Three Months

Saturday, March 17 was a very special day for our family. Jim and I celebrated five years of marriage and we also celebrated Robert's three month birthday! We marked the occasion by visiting Charlottesville on what turned out to be a beautiful day, probably about 50 degrees warmer than our wedding day!

Then.....................................................................and Now!

And here are some other candid shots from our day. Robert seemed to enjoy his first visit (of many) to the beautiful UVA grounds :)

Robert scoping out his first girl while we all laughed at him :)

Stats: The little guy weighed in last week at 13 pounds and 1 ounce! Also my measurements have him at about 26 inches. Notable differences from the previous monthly pictures include: sitting up and holding his head up a lot better than before (he will still lean to one side until he falls, but can sit propped up for a much longer time), also, his face, legs and arms are continuing to fill out and chunk up!

Months 1&2 on the left and Month 3 on the right

A BIG Week!

It's amazing how much can happen in one week! We had a busy one, here are the highlights:

Visits...from Uncle Dan and both sets of grandparents!
Cindy's 31st birthday. Celebrations included lunch out with Mary, my first outing without Robert to the Caps game, and some delicious funfetti cake :)
Robert's first little giggles! We noticed over the past week that he was working on trying to laugh when he got really excited. On Wednesday, I got him to laugh by making lots of funny faces and noises. It was adorable! Despite my best efforts, I've only gotten him to replicate it once since then, but we're still excited at this milestone and can't wait for more!
Growing boy. Robert now puts weight on his legs when you stand him up. He also (seemingly overnight) prefers to be sitting upright and doesn't love hanging out in the Boppy on the couch anymore. He wants to know whats going on in his surroundings. He's getting really good with his neck control and is probably only a few weeks from being able to hold it up without any floppiness. He's also getting better at grabbing his toys.
Still working on it..... The bottles are still hit or miss. He's proven to us that he can drink from a bottle, but still fights it 9 times out of 10, which shows me that either he's a stubborn boy or prefers his mama (or maybe both). We're also slowly getting him used to the crib through several naps a week or just hanging out in it when he's in a good mood. So far it's been a success (fingers crossed!)
Sleeping better! Robert is usually only waking up twice per night now. It means he's up a little earlier, but he's been doing great lately. He had his first 8 hour stretch the night before my birthday, woo! And his daytime naps have been good, they are short, but consistent!