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.