Merry Christmas!

Well the anticipation, the driving, and the cooking are over and another Christmas has passed. While this is Leah's second Christmas, it's her first where she could actually DO something. She had a ton of fun opening presents (with the help of Mom and Dad) and got to see all her cousins, aunts, uncles, and other relatives. Unfortunately, Great Grandpa Robran was in the hospital to get a pace-maker put in so Leah couldn't see him over Christmas...but she got a lethal dose of Great Grandma Robran on Sunday the 23rd. We enjoyed seeing the entire family together but did not enjoy the 2 hour ride home due to the 'White Christmas'.

Christmas Eve was spent at Tom and Vicki's where the traditional Christmas Eve pizza was served. As expected, Leah got spoiled by her grandparents and uncles and aunt. You guys are way too generous! Of course, 90% of the toys she received make some form of obnoxious noise or another, so daddy will be confiscating batteries!

After a (cue sarcastic tone) pleasant night's sleep, we went to Grandpa Kent and Grandma Julie's for Christmas breakfast. Once again, spoiled by all. She had a great time playing with her cousin Allie, and was very intrigued by the size of cousin Jacob! Cousin Cale is still just a peanut, but we remember Leah being the same way one year ago (Cale and Leah are 1 year and 1 day apart). My what a difference one year will make! Enjoy the baby stage while it lasts!

Between Christmas's, Jarrod visited Great-Grandpa Robran in the hospital on Christmas day and he looked pretty good for a guy who just got a mechanical device planted in his chest. Although tired, he wasn't too tired to complain about the Vikings.

Christmas afternoon was spent at the Peterson's, and Leah received her long-awaited toy box from Great Grandpa Gaylord! It's a beautiful knotty pine piece of woodwork that took many hours and ounces of blood - but well worth it for his favorite great-granddaughter. By this time, Leah was pretty worn out, so we headed home into yet again, another Christmas snow storm. Yeah. But we all made it home and survived another Christmas with the in-laws and out-laws.

By the way - don't forget to go 'elf yourself' (see link below)

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1633611825

5 Days Until Christmas!

To get everyone in the Christmas spirit, click the link below to watch the Robran family dance to "Jingle Bells". Trust me, it's worth the click.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1633611825
And...
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1634265894

Happy Birthday to...ME!

Yet another milestone - The Big One, 365 days, 1/100th of a century, divisor of all numbers, El Numero Uno. However you call it, Leah Gwen is 1 Year Old!



Leah's birthday party was planned for Saturday, 12/1, at the Country Inn Suites in Mankato. However, due to Minnesota baring it's cold, wintry soul, we had to reschedule to Friday, 11/30, at Grandpa and Grandma Robran's house. Thanks to everyone that changed their plans at the last minute to attend and Grandma and Grandpa Robran for hosting!



Leah spent the evening getting reacquainted with her relatives. Those in attendance were Grandma and Grandpa Robran (hosts), Great-Grandma Robran, Great-Grandma Sanderson, Great-Grandma and Grandpa Peterson, and Great-Grandma Loverink (the first time Leah has been in one room with all of her Great-Grandmas...and we never got a picture!!!), Grandma and Grandpa Loverink, Grandma and Grandpa Thoms, Uncle Derek and Aunt Jenna (mere hours before going into labor), Uncle Josh, Uncle Joe, Aunt Amber, and cousins Timmy, Allie, and Jacob (he's almost as big as Leah!), and Godparents Jesse and Jenny along with their little one, Zach.


After a scrumptious dinner, Leah had a blast opening all of her gifts. Being the girly girl she is, she LOVES getting new clothes. She's been busy all week playing with her new toys, from her Go Diego Go Airplane (perhaps the noisiest toy on earth) to the baby doll from Jesse and Jenny (she likes to rock the baby and pat its back). Thanks to everyone for all the gifts!

After opening presents, Leah still had enough ambition to tear into a cake. Yes, like every parent has done for the past century, we let Leah dig in hands first into her cake. She was a bit skeptical at first, but once that sweet, sweet butter cream hit those lips, any restraint she had went out the window. See the slideshow at the right to see the play-by-play.

Despite having to battle a cold over her birthday weekend, she had a great time. Thanks to everyone for making her birthday so special.

Leah was pretty close to sharing her birthday with her new cousin, Cale Kiefer. We didn't get many details, but apparently Jenna and Cale are both healthy and doing fine.

Congratulations Jenna and Derek!

Click here to view Cale Dean Kiefer's pics.

Thanksgiving Is AWESOME!

Leah just completed another milestone - her first Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving day we went to Grandpa and Grandma Robran's for dinner, where we had all the classics; turkey, squash, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and blueberry cheesecake. Everything was CRAZY DELICIOUS! Leah got to see her cousin Jacob, aunt Amber, uncle Joe, great-uncle Kent, great-grandma Dorothy, and grandpa Kent and grandma Julie. She has finally warmed up to grandpa Kent, so let's hope this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship!


After a nap that never happened, we went to the Loverink Thanksgiving hosted by the one and only Grandpa Tom Loverink. Leah enjoyed hanging out with uncle Brandon, aunt Chelsea, uncle Josh, great-grandpa Gaylord, great-grandma Darlene, and, last but not least, grandma Vicki. Leah got to open her first birthday present (from Brandon and Chelsea), which was a TON of new clothes. She had a blast pulling everything out of the bag and wearing her new hat. Thanks much Brandon and Chelsea!


Leah also witnessed a long Thanksgiving tradition: discussing politics with Gaylord (that bleeding heart liberal!). In the spirit of the occassion, she was sportin' her new shirt that says "I Only Cry When Democrats Hold Me". Fun was had by all and no tears or blood was shed.


We hope everyone had a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving - God Bless!

The Robran household has been abuzz with activity in preparation for the upcoming holidays, including Leah's First Birthday! Kim has kept busy planning the birthday party, coordinating the Robran Thanksgiving and Christmas schedules, and some Christmas shopping on the side. Dad enjoys watching the chaos ensue.

Leah has begun imitation Mom and Dad a lot more as she approaches the one year mark. For example, if Kim puts lotion on her hands, Leah will rub her hands together like she's doing the same. She does a lot of little things like that. She is also beginning to stand up more often. It won't be long until she's running around the house getting into trouble like only a Robran-Loverink mix can.

Leah is also eating more whole foods and is being weaned off of breastmilk. She has taken to whole milk like a champ; soon breast feeding will be nothing but a distant memory. Some of her favorite foods are grilled cheese sandwiches, mac n' cheese, mashed potatoes, bananas, and pears. With 12 teeth to chew with, she's also able to eat some meats, but doesn't like green beans just yet (one of mommy's favorite vegetables). One of these days she'll turn around.

Leah looks forward to seeing her aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, and friends on Thanksgiving and her birthday. The whole Robran family sends everyone their love and best wishes this holiday season, and reminds the rest of the Robran family (and some of the Loverinks) to not drink and drive!

I'm a SURVIVOR!!!

Leah spent the weekend at Grandpa and Grandma Loverink's while Mom was away basking on the sandy, white beaches of Pensacola Beach, Florida, and Dad worked. The report from Grandpa and Grandma was that everything went absolutely wonderful. Or so the report went. But she came back in one piece, and we thank God for that. Thanks for the help Tom and Vicki! After Dad picked her up, we visited with Grandpa and Grandma Thoms, Great-Grandma Ardus, and Aunt Jenny. After soaking up the love and playing with Great-Grandma's bears, it was off to Grandpa and Grandma Robran's for a pre-bedtime cocktail. We enjoyed the smells of the Robran household as it prepared for the church soup and pie bizarre, and we saw Grandpa Kent come in from his element, farming. Apparently a dirty Grandpa Kent is more appealing than a clean one, because Leah seemed to take to Grandpa a little more kindly this time than in the past. We'll keep working on it Grandpa.
Although we made it back from Freeborn county alive, Leah ended up with a case of pink eye, and on top of it all, an ear infection. Grandparents must be a sickly bunch. So mom got to stay home an extra day, and her adopted Great-Grandma Mickey (our neighbor) will watch her tomorrow. But we'll make it through because we're Robrans, and gosh darn-it, we're survivors!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Saturday, October 13th- We went to the Fish Tail Grill in New Prague along with Jesse, Jenny, and baby Zachary to celebrate Jarrod's "27th" birthday. Leah was fascinated with baby Zachary. She loved to watch what he was doing and was trying to figure out what this thing was. She was in a good mood the majority of time- eating her food, playing with toys, and watching everybody. However she had enough of being in her seat towards the end of supper. Unlike her second cousin who was in slumber, with his tummy full. I guess that's the stubborn Robran in her!

This week, the poor thing has been battling yet another cold. She's a tough girl though and doesn't fuss too much. She's had a busy week at daycare- went 4 days plus a Halloween Party. She and another little girl won the costume contest in their bug costumes. Leah was nice enough to share her candy with dad and mom! Mmmm!

Little Miss Attitude

What can I say, I guess at one time or another we all get a little snippy and diva-like. This weekend was no exception for Leah. We went to the baptism of Jesse and Jenny's little boy, Zachary. During the church service Kim had to take her to the family room because she just wouldn't be quiet! I guess she wanted to sing along or something. Once the service was over, Grandpa Robran wanted to hold her (among others) and she wanted nothing to do with him. Scream, holler, scratch, crawl...anything to get back to Mommy. People were trying to hold her and interact with Leah the entire afternoon at Jesse's, and she finally warmed up to Great Aunt Becky and Cousin Aaron, but still, no Grandpa. However, she was also acting the same way towards her own father, going to him only as a last resort. We'll have to continue to expose her to pictures of Grandpa Robran throughout the week, and maybe, just maybe, he'll be surprised next weekend when she finally warms up to him!

As far as milestones go, she is increasing her speed while crawling, and she now has a total of 10 teeth, which includes 2 molars. She still has a fearlessness of heights, attempting to crawl off the edge of a bed or couch without a second thought. She feeds herself fairly well now, eating Gerber Puffs, pancakes, noodles, and even some ground beef with her fingers. She's on a steady course toward being weened off of Mommy, and the target is only morning and nightly feedings by the end of the month. Her love of books continues, and she has gotten to the point where she will turn the page during the story. When holding a book on her own, she seems to always hold the book right-side up.

The Great Pumpkin

Today Leah went to the pumpkin patch in Belle Plaine to pick out her pumpkins to carve for Halloween. She had SOOO much fun! Riding around in the wagon was the highlight of the day. Leah was all smiles and giggles rollin' in the little red wagon. You can check out her trip to the orchard in the video section.

Other notable mentions, Leah has become more coordinated with her motor skills; she can put a ball in a round hole with accuracy (see video in video section). She also just got her ninth tooth - a molar!! Next weekend Leah will be off to Lakeville to see her second cousin Zach get baptized.

Ups and Downs...

This week has been filled with some ups and downs for Leah. On a positive note, she had lunch with her uncle Brandon and aunt Chelsea, and then got to hang out with Grandpa and Grandma Loverink. She had a ton of fun reading books with them. Her interest in books increases more and more every day. She's getting to the point where she can turn the pages, most times a little prematurely.
On the downside, she's battling a little case of the diarrhea and diaper rash. Daycare has been rough in the mornings, she hates being alone and really doesn't feel like taking a morning nap. Hopefully it's all a phase, I guess we'll see!

So big!

This week Leah began gesturing "So Big". Here is a video of her doing her new trick.

Growing Fast!

Leah will be turning 9 months old tomorrow. She is growing so amazingly fast...she already has 8 teeth, crawls, and loves playing with Kacie the Lab. Leah is definitely a handful now that she can crawl, and it is a constant battle to keep her from putting objects in her mouth and from crawling off over the edge of the bed. Luckily, she plays so hard during the day, she sleeps soundly throughout the night.
Some difficulties are leaving her to play by herself. She doesn't want to be away from Mommy or Daddy very long (or at all), and becomes a very disgruntled little girl! Mom and Dad can't wait to see what milestone she'll hit next!