Three Tollers in Toledo!

Friday, May 25, 2012

REWIND: Big Brother

You know, in that last week before Adelyn was born, it started to hit me that those were the last days it would ever be just Robby.... my only child with all of the attention. I started to think if there was anything I should do with him one last time-- or for the first time-- that I would never be able to do with him again in the same way. I almost started to feel bad, like it was selfish of me to be bringing another child into the family instead of just giving him all of the attention his whole life.

I started to have those feelings that my parents had always told me about-- it was hard for me to imagine loving a new baby as much as I loved my little Robby. I liked what my dad said to me the week before Adelyn was born. "It's strange, that second one, 'cause the first one is so new and ovrwhelming. You wonder if you could ever love the second like the first, but.... You find it's almost like adding more makes your love for the whole family expand."

Here we are, the night before the induction. Trying to get a picture of me and the belly, but Robby didn't want to get out of the picture :) He wanted to be by me. He had become so clingy those last couple of weeks. Like some how a part of him knew how much things really were about to change.

And, change definitely came.

A whole 8 pounds and 6 ounces of change.

But, I still loved my Robby boy-- although it did take a couple of weeks to convince him of that.

He would insist that I didn't love him. "Daddy loves me. But you love baby Adelyn."

Seriously....

How sad is that?

Yes...I cried.

I was eventually able to convince him (with a little help from the LDS Children's song "We are a Happy Family"... you know... "I love mommy, she loves me. We love sister, yes sirree. She loves us and so you see, we are a happy family.") that it was possible for us to
all love each other.

I felt so bad that he had felt like I didn't love him. I mean, I really did have to devote a lot of my time to baby sister. Poor kid. But, even though for the first little while Robby apparently felt like he had been "replaced" by his little sister--
he still loved her from the very start.

It has been so fun to watch him interact with her.
To see how he loves her.

To watch how she has come to adore him.

When Adelyn was only about a week old, I caught this cute video. Robby was just up there carefully wedging his way between Adelyn and the back of the couch.

When Adelyn was just a couple of weeks old, she was laying on my bed while I was getting my clothes out of my closet. She started crying a little and I heard Robby walk in and say "I will give her a hug." A few seconds later I realized she wasn't crying anymore and I looked over and Robby had picked her up!

...And she was perfectly happy. Haha.

Gave me a little heart attack, but it was cute to see how he wanted to help her be happy. He does that a lot--try to cheer her up when she cries.

Another time, Adelyn was on the love sac chilling but eventually wasnt happy there anymore. Soon Robby was over there reading Five Little Monkeys to her

Obviously, she didn't quite calm down as readily this time. But, he still just kept on reading!

One morning, Robby was watching Veggie Tales. I set Adelyn down next to him and he reached over and put his arm around her and pulled her over close to him. :)

Adelyn's first time eating from a bottle.

Robby was so excited to be the one to feed her.

Robby is a great big brother.

And Adelyn adores him.

Mother's Day 2012

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Adelyn wasn't too excited to find out that Dad got accepted into Pathology residency in Texas. But, over the past two months she has warmed up to the idea and is now looking forward to moving to her new house on Peanut Drive.
Seriously. Peanut. Could there be a more fitting street name for Steve and Robby, the peanut lovers?

Friday, May 11, 2012

Life Changes

Adelyn Toller was born February 12, 2012. She weighed 8lbs 6oz.
We were excited to meet her and have enjoyed getting to know her over the past three months :) Robby is a great big brother and Adelyn adores him!

On March 16th we found out where Steve will be attending residency! We are moving to Temple, Texas at the beginning of June! Steve flew out during his spring break and found a house for us. We now own our first house ever and are excited to start life out there!

Well, that was a very brief explanation of our busy year thus far! Many life changes and more to come!

Friday, December 16, 2011

Merry Christmas
from our crazy family to you!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

From,
Steve, Jenni, Robby, and Uncle Bun (AKA Adam... Steve's brother that lives out here in Toledo)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Cycling

Well, one more interview offer today-- Albuquerque, New Mexico. Does anyone else find that word awkward to spell.....?.... Albuquerque......

Anyway, over the last week, Robby has been taking off on his tricycle! Before then, he mostly just enjoyed having me push him around on it-- which, with this awesome tricycle that Grandma and Grandpa Toller gave him for his birthday, was quite convenient! It has handles on the back for a parent to steer it if they want to. These are removable, but are very nice to have on while the little tyke is just learning!

Anyway, here he is, showing off his skills.

Waiting

Well, Steve has received some more interview offers:

Loma Linda University Program, Loma Linda, CA

and University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Program, Dallas, TX

(yes, that is TWO programs in Dallas on the list now..... twice the chance that we will end up close to you guys, Julie and Justin ;) ;) )

He has interviews scheduled from now until Christmas, pretty much. So, needless to say, he will be doing a lot of traveling. Right now, he is in Phoenix doing his rotation there all month and will interview while he is there.

Robby and I have survived a whole week without Daddy here. Robby has handled it very well! I have actually been surprised. Every day he usually just reminds me at least once that "Daddy flew on a airplane. He's in Arizona, Mommy." But, he has been happy and we have enjoyed our time together thus far.

We have tried to stay busy and do some fun things to keep us distracted. It helped a lot that the weather pretty much returned to SUMMER this week. We have been in the 80s which has been awesome!

Here are some highlights from the week:

Peanuts and Fries from Five Guys:

Mommy learning to crochet:

...and Robby wanting to try it out too!

I made this hat for "baby sister".....

...then Robby insisted I needed to make him a brown hat too!

Picking apples at Johnston's Fruit Farms:

Enjoying the fruits of his labor...

Perhaps we went overboard...

Fun times at the park:

We love our zoo!:

Fun with friends:

Baking with apples:

I have been making different apple recipes almost every day in attempts to use our apples. It has been a tasty week!

And of course Robby is a great "helper"...

So, one week down, three to go!

Hopefully Robby continues to be happy and do well. Even though he isn't acting out due to it, I do know he definitely notices Daddy is gone and misses him.

Robby put his tie on this bear last night, then brought him out back and said the bear was going to church. Then he left the bear on the steps and said "He is waiting for daddy"...