The Academy Begins..

Yesterday was Toms first day of the academy. He looked so handsome in his dress blues!! The entire day consisted of an overload of information and paperwork. He was so mentally exhausted last night. Today started PT. They run it for an hour and a half in the morning. Luckily, Tom is in the best shape of his life right now, thanks to the marathon training!

He reports at 6:45 am and leaves at 4:20. He cant have his phone with him and I'm going through withdrawls not talking to him all day! Some days he will work other times. For instance, this Friday, he will be in the jail from 2-11:30 pm. He was surprised to find he gets holidays off..Labor Day, Columbus Day(day after the marathon, so this is great!), Veterans Day(Trevors 1st birthday!) and Thanksgiving. His last day is December 17th, so he will likely be working on Christmas, New Years and every holiday for the next tenish years! Eek!


I mentioned we needed to buy a lot for the academy. A lot is an understatement! When he went 2 weeks ago, they gave him a list of items that needed to be purchased. Every single items had to be brand new, with a receipt to prove it. Tom spent over $900 at the Police Gear store..uniforms, shoes, belt, flashlight, etc. We bought over $100 worth of school supplies from Office Depot, mainly 3 ring binders and tab separators. New gym shoes, a pocket dictionary, specific socks and undershirts, a garment bag, lint roller, the list went on and on.Every item was VERY specific, ie: ball point pens, crew cut T's, white gym shoes. We ran around to about ten stores acquiring all of the items and charging away. Were not sure what they will reimburse us for..hopefully a good portion. I think the total came out to more than $1300! Plus, he will need to buy a gun/bullets/case soon.

Apparently the second half of the day is classroom. I believe he will have some homework and reading some nights. Its all preparing me to life as a kinda-sorta single Mama. I also thought ahead and realized that when we do our FET, it will be on a Friday. Tom wont even be in the same room as I become "pregnant" with his baby. Weird to think..
We will adjust to the life change. Its going to make our life better and that's all that matters.

I almost forgot! I saw this super cute line out at Gymboree a few months ago. I didn't buy any because 1) I don't pay full price there and 2) I didn't want to jump the gun. As soon as Tom had the job, I went online with my 30% off coupon, happily saw the items were already 20% off and ordered away. Here are a few shirts I got for baby T's fall wardrobe. :)

Any other police officer wives out there? How DO you do it?

Changing Seasons

I never really elaborated about our new residence. While looking at rentals, we came across a neighborhood and fell in love. We had been on the grounds before, but, only to the bar. We ended up liking a townhouse, submitting an application, and then being told it was already rented. Luckily, a condo was newly for rent and we had our paperwork handed in hours after seeing it! Its 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and on the first floor. That was essential for us to let the dogs out. The closets are massive and everything was freshly painted and cleaned. It took weeks, but we are finally settled in.

Its not our dream home, but it’s a perfect rental for our current family. The lease is up July 31, 2011 and we hope to move straight into a purchased home! We often sing Carrie Underwoods song, Temporary Home while cooking or cleaning. Its another stop on the way to where were goinnnnnnnng!

Not only is the condo nice, the complex has a lot to offer! There are 4 pools, a convenience store, a bar/lounge, volleyball courts, paddle boats, lakes for fishing, a ski hill, etc. We just found out that we get to ski for free as residents! Not only is it free, but the lift and rental are included! I have only been skiing once, but we will absolutely take advantage of it this winter. They even gave Trevor his own resident ID.

The entire subdivision is covered in trees and I cant wait for the leaves to change! We also have a lake behind us and I bet it'll look gorgeous when the snow is falling. We had a busy, fun, fast-paced summer and I'm ready for the season to change.

Speaking of the season change, I have a list a mile long of events to pencil in on the calendar. September will consist of a wedding, Florida, Toms boys weekend, and the ALZ walk. October is crazy, as usual. We have tons of birthdays, the pumpkin farm, the Chicago Marathon, apple picking, Six Flags, a haunted house, a much more. Halloween falls on a Sunday this year which is great! I'm sure there will be fun activities Fri, Sat and Sun! I ordered Trevor's costume this week. it’s the cutest one Ive ever seen, and itll be kept a secret until late October. ;0)

November is Trevor's birthday month and the potential month of our FET. If my body every cooperates, that is. We plan to go away for our LAST weekend as a normal family in the beginning of December. I cant believe we wont be able to spend every Fri evening-Sunday together. it’s a small price to pay, but it will take some time to adjust.

Daddy starts the academy tomorrow morning. It has been a hectic 10 days getting everything he needed together. More on that tomorrow!

9 Month Checkup

We took Trevor to his 9 month doctor visit yesterday. He was quite the entertainer. We had to wait about 20 minutes for the doctor to come in and Trevor enjoyed ripping apart the paper on the table. He was weighed and measured by the nurse. He only gained 1.5 lbs since May and now weighs 20 lb. 10.5 oz. He grew 1.5 inches and now measures 28.5 inches! He is just above the 50th percentile for both. His body has really evened out since he started crawling, which I fully expected. The doctor came in and Trevor was flirting the entire time we were talking. He kept making funny faces and trying to get her attention. She was happy with every milestone, impressed with his mood while cutting 4 teeth, and said he is perfectly healthy! Music to Mamas ears! She said we can start introducing cows milk around 10 months and gradually transition to it 100% by one year. Trevor had his last Hep. B shot and only cried for a minute. He is such a trooper.

I still cant fathom that we will be traveling down to Florida in less than 2 weeks! Ive been boo-hooing about going without Tom, but I know how happy the rest of my family is that were going. Plus, there is a special rendezvous planned..details on that later.

If anyone has tips for traveling alone with an infant, please let me know! I laugh when I picture myself strolling through the airport with his massive stroller, luggage, carry-ons, car seat, and a 20 lb maniac! Once we arrive, Ill have all the help I want. But, flying to and from will be another story! I did order a new sling today and I'm hoping to keep him in that so I have my hands free. I realize people do this every day..its just new to me!

Girls Weekend

Its about time I get around to reflecting on my girls trip. It was really great and the perfect amount of time away! We talked about making it an annual thing..I'm not sure where Ill be in August of 2011, but we can hope it'll work out. :)

Thursday evening, Tom drove me and Jamie to the airport. I was super crabby/sad leaving my men behind, but got a giant beer at the airport to calm my nerves. We got on our first plane and were delayed a bit waiting for extra baggage. We knew we only had a 25 minute layover before our next flight so we were anxious to see if we would make it. Toward the end, it was the roughest flight Id ever been on. I was so glad Trevor was not with me, I would have been freaking out! Denver is apparently a tricky airport to land in. We arrived late, but they held the plane for us since it was the last one of the night. We ran across the huge airport and enjoyed having a row to ourselves. We landed at about 1am Chicago time and I was sure we would go to bed right away. That was NOT what happened! We arrived at Heathers apartment and hung on her patio until 4am, reminiscing about our nearly 10 yr. long friendship. It was a perfect way to start the trip!

Friday, we woke up late and ran to get breakfast. Then, we hung by the pool while Heather ran to pick up Jill from the airport. It was about 110 degrees for our entire trip. The heat was hard to get used to. If you were not by/in water every minute, you were dripping in sweat and taking deep breaths. We went shopping for a bit and then enjoyed manicure/pedicures. The day flew by and it was back to the apartment to get ready to go out!! Heathers bday was the Sunday before, so we had some celebrating to do!

We went to Oregano's for dinner, then barhopped. Heathers girlfriend Chantelle came along and was tons of fun. It was a long night..

Saturday we woke up early and drove 45 minutes to Salt River. There, you pay to rent a tube and get a bus ride to the river. We tied our tubes together with the cooler in the middle and floated for almost 4 hours! It was fun, but could have been a little shorter. They said it was moving a bit slow, except for 4 or 5 spots. In one of the rapids, I was facing backward and we quickly were heading for dead trees/branches on the side. I wrapped my arms around my head to protect it and the branches intertwined in my pony tail! I was pulled off my tube and completely under water. Thankfully, I was able to get free quickly and swim over the the group. It was really scary..and it would have been terrible if more had happened. There were no checkpoints or lifeguards..it was float at your own risk. And that we did! We stopped at In n Out Burger on the way home, yum! You cant be on the west coast and not enjoy one!

We were SO tired after the river, but there was no way we were sleeping the night away. We got ready and went to RA for dinner. Then, we went to Scottsdale and checked out a bunch of bars. We had fun dancing like old times. They had guys driving bike-taxis and we hopped one back to the car.

We slept like babies and I woke up ready to see MY BABIES! I packed up, and wished I could have fast forwarded the next hours and been in WI. Fortunately, the flight back was quick and easy and I couldn't have been happier to see Tom and Trevor. And to be back to 85 degree weather!

Trevor did amazing while I was gone. He stayed with a family friend Thursday and my sister Friday. Tom got off work early both days and loved the time alone with him. Trev took the bottle and actually seemed to enjoy it. He adapted to being woken up earlier, being with other family members, etc. I pumped 3x a day and missed him every second. To be honest, I thought I would be so consumed with missing Trevor that I wouldnt miss Tom as much. I was wrong, I couldnt believe how much I missed him! I am very thankful to be married to such an amazing man. I knew Trevor was in the best hands every minute I was gone. Tom is capable of doing every single thing I do, other than giving boobie ;). I know not all Dads are like that and I dont take it for granted! I came home and just felt..relief. Like everyone was exactly where they were supposed to be.

All in all, it was wonderful trip. That was missing two pieces.

Regulate Already

Dear Body-
Can you puh-lease start working the way I want you to, for ONCE in my life?! Cycle day 50?! And thats IF what we had last time was a period. Im not nursing too much, I should be getting my period. Remember that amazing feeling I felt back when I had one totally normal cycle? Like you were cooperating! Its GONE and I am frustrated. MAKE ME BLEED! So I can get pregnant again. And get one of these cute bellies again. I really really want it! :)

-Erin

August 2009

Irish Fest 2009/2010. Above=Tyler, Below=Trevor

Ill post about my trip tomorrow.

Goodbye Mama

Thanks for all of your congrats! This job is the best thing that has happened to us since Trevor!! Its better pay, amazing benefits, job security, a steady raise, and most importantly, Toms DREAM!

He has a few things to get done before he reports on the 30th. He has a list of items to buy, mainly uniforms, handcuffs, etc. He has to get a general physical and bring in a bunch of paperwork. He will have to buy a gun about halfway through this. Along with that, a childproof case!

I think were going to dinner with our friends on the 29th, to wish him the best. I imagine Ill throw him a real party when he graduates mid-December.

Moving on, I leave tonight. My flight is in 5 hours, actually. I cant believe how quickly this came up! I am feeling..excited, nervous, anxious..oy! There are notes everywhere, a bunch of bags packed and extra cuddles to be given. Trevor was kissing me like crazy this morning..I think he knows. :)

I'm glad the trip is short. I will have Thursday and Friday all day..and then catch my flight to Milwaukee Saturday at noon. We will spend Saturday night together at the cottage and have a nice family day at the Irish fest Sunday. Ill need it after not seeing my boys for a few days!!

Im off to read some books, soak in the sun, tube on Salt River, shop and drink wine. Ill be okay, right?!

Another Answered Prayer

Trevor is VERY excited..

..Daddy gets to start the academy..
..on August 30th!

Its 15 weeks..

and then he will officially..

be a Cook County Deputy Sheriff!

We are ecstatic here at the Robertson house! It hasnt sunk in for either of us yet. 22 months of testing and waiting, testing and waiting. Sounds kinda similar to getting pregnant for us, hmm!

Celebrations are in order! After Mama returns from AZ!

And THEN..

Ya know how I started weaning Trevor two weeks ago? Giving him 2 bottles/day and nursing him twice. Well, much to my surprise, it went great! He was taking the bottle well, my boobs adjusted in no time and all was well on the front. I intended on dropping the mid-day feeding this last week and seeing how I felt emotionally about dropping the morning feeding.

THEN, we planned another trip to Florida and it all went out the window! If you remember, my family was supposed to reschedule their cancelled trip from back in April. They did so and decided on September 8-15. I went back and forth for a week, deciding if we should join or not. On one hand, we were JUST here. It seems silly to spend the money again with Trevors birthday coming up and then theres the holidays..On the other hand, theres the sentimental aspect. Who knows if we will ever get a chance for the entire family to be at Disneyworld together. My parents wedding anniversary is the 11th, so it'd be nice for us all to celebrate. I finally decided to just book the flight. The fare went down and I didnt want to miss the deal. We booked our tickets from Thursday evening-Monday evening. I went back to nursing Trevor so I can do so in Florida. I cant lug 4 days worth of frozen milk and I dont want to switch him to 100% formula by then(or ever). So we were getting all geared up for another trip to see the Mouse.

THEN, County called. EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO JUMP UP AND DOWN AND HOLD BACK TEARS OF THE RELIEF I FEEL. They called Tom on Friday {the 13th!} and said his orientation is set for Tuesday at 7:30am. He will go to a meeting, find out what he needs to purchase for a uniform and be given a start date. At least, that's what we think!! Regardless, he will likely start before mid-September. The academy runs M-F and you can not miss any days. So, Toms out for Florida. Meaning Ill still go, but I'm anxious about flying alone with Trevor and all his luggage. ;)

Good things are happening..Theres just one thing that would be the cherry on top..

Country Thunder

Ahh, Country Thunder. Its like Christmas in July. A week we look forward to alllll years long, and ironically, book our tickets in December! I have been going to this festival my entire life. The grounds are a whopping 5 minute drive from our cottage. Walking take a bit longer, but Ive only done it while heavily intoxicated, so it never seemed too long. ;0)

There was drinking this year, but nothing like before. I had a little man to worry about and that is much more important!! Trevor and I drove up on the Thursday night to start our weekend. I don't like driving by myself, or at night, or on roads with no street lights, or while watching lightning in the sky for over an hour straight! Trevor slept like a rock the whole way up and got up when we arrived. My siblings were all at the concert, that was then cancelled due to the lightning. I put Trev in the house, unloaded the car and about 30 seconds after sitting down, the rain came. And boy, did it pour! I was happy to be nice and dry, while everyone at CT was drowning. Every year there is extreme weather..rain, storms, a tornado one year, etc. It was quite the way to kick off the weekend!

Friday, we woke up and all went on the boat. Tom was still at home working, poor guy. We soaked up the sun while we could, as more storms were headed our way.

Enjoying a snack with Maggie

Night one, I left Trevor behind and headed to the concert. We went to our campsite to drink before heading in. The mud was terrible and I was so thankful I had my boots. Otherwise, I would have been barefoot!

Tom drove up with my girlfriend, Meghan. They arrived between Jason Aldean and Sugarland. Both concerts were phenomenal. My parents arrived with Trevor, before Sugarland went on. Trevor was getting loved on and enjoying the music.

Take you for a ride on my BIG green tractor..

The next day, we went to breakfast with my parents. Our fave place, Cubby Hole, has the best biscuits and gravy around. We decided to give Trevor his first taste of pancakes. They were a hit.

Later, some of our friends that were really camping came by to take a dip in the lake.

We went back to the cottage, showered, and headed to the grounds late. We saw Miranda Lambert that night. I was glad we went because she puts on a fantastic show.

Sunday, we went on the boat all day. Trevor is loving the boat even more now that he can move around.

Tom, Trevor and I decided to go to the concert alone for a bit. We arrived in time to see Luke Bryan. Trev traveled in our Ergo and took a nice nap.

We took Trevor back, fed him dinner and got him ready for bed. Then, we returned to the concert to see Billy Currington and Kenny Chesney. Our camping friends staked out a spot in the front and sat there allll day. We were able to push through the crowd and join them. It was so close and such a great time!

Do I have something on my face?

The concert ended late and by the time we got home it was 1:30 am! It made for a long week..

It was another fun year and were already looking forward to CT '11. Unless I am super pregnant and am unable to go. Shucks, that would be too bad..NOT!