Road Trip!

Greetings once again folks!
Well, it has been awhile since my last post and life has been life pretty much. To get you up to date, we flew to Florida for a little vacation to see my in-laws the first part of December. We had a nice trip and Robbie did very well on the plane. Grandpa and Grammie enjoyed Robbie while we where there visiting and we even celebrated his 1st birthday (even though it is not until the 29th of December). While there was no cake involved, we all had a great time. Robbie and I had a good time just playing around the house, enjoying the beautiful weather that we experienced while in the Sunshine state. We had several pictures taken while down there and will be posted in the near future on this site. Cindy and I had a date night while on vacation. We went on a boat tour of some Christmas lights around one of the area lake's and while it might have been a bit chilly for the locals (temps in the low 60's), it was a pleasant time with lots of fun (since we were the young ones on this cruise). Also, we took Robbie to see some good friends of Cindy that live in the Orlando area and at first, I think he was a bit overwhelmed with all the kids. This family has 9 children that range in age from 16 to 4 years old ( If my memory serves me correctly). After a bit, he got a bit comfortable with them and enjoyed the rest of his time there.
So with Christmas season upon us, it will make life a bit more interesting as we will be celebrating Robbie's first Christmas and birthday!
It is interesting to see what all has transpired in the last year and looking forward to the upcoming year!
As always, I will do my best to keep the stories coming on a regular basis and updated pictures of the family.
So until next time, have a great day, stay warm (if you are in the north) and make sure you have lots of hot coco nearby!
Here are some pictures of Robbie with Grandpa and Grammie while we were in Florida.

Happy Thankgiving!!!!

Well, we have just finished celebrating Robbie's first Thanksgiving and it was exciting!
We went over to my mom's house yesterday and had a nice time. We had all the trimmings and Robbie had a feast too! Cindy had placed some turkey, corn, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and a roll on his tray to eat. He did a good job on the various items and ate a good portion as well. Needless to say,his tummy matched mine! LOL
After getting home, we had set up his high chair for him to have some pumpkin pie and whipped cream! Boy did he dig into that! There will be pictures in the future on how things turned out, but he looked very messy and happy! *grin* After cleaning him up, Cindy and I got him up on his feet and practiced his walking. After about 3 or 4 trips between us (we usually sit about 2 or 3 feet apart), I was holding him by his waist and let go. Well, after a few moments, ROBBIE WALKED UNASSISTED to his mom! We were thankful to be able to see him take his first steps together. There were about 2 or 3 steps taken the very first time and we both clapped our hands to let him know how excited we were for him. We both gave him big hugs and congratulated him on this accomplishment. Of course now we will need to be careful and watch him more intently when he is down stairs. Also, this past week, Robbie got his 5th tooth! It is on the upper right hand side of his mouth and is breaking through nicely. Later next week, Robbie will be turning 11 months old and I can't believe how fast time has flown since we brought him home this past January. In a few weeks, we will head to Florida for a visit and Robbie will fly for the first time! We are looking forward to this trip and a good time as well.

That is about all the news at this point. We will have some more pictures to show from Thanksgiving once they are developed. Until then, here are some others for your viewing pleasure!
See ya!

Ohio State-Michigan week

Welcome once again folks!
For those of us that live in Ohio and Michigan, it is the week of THE BIG GAME! Once again, Ohio State will battle Michigan in Ann Arbor for the conference title, with the winner heading to the Rose Bowl! It has been awhile since Ohio State has been to Pasadena, 1997 to be precise. That was the year Ohio State beat Arizona State 20-17.
So with Ohio State sitting at #7 in the BCS polls and an extremely slight chance to play in the National Championship in New Orleans, we are confident that Coach Tressel will have the boys ready to play and then wait to see how the rest of this crazy college football season will unfold. We shall wait patiently as well to see where our beloved Buckeyes will play this bowl season.
On the home front, Robbie caught croup a few weeks ago and he did not like it very much (neither did mom and dad). The medicine that we had to give him 2 times a day was steroids. While I am not sure if it is the muscle enhancer, like those in pro sports, he did not want any part of it! But we were able to get him to take it and he is over it! Robbie continues to develop and is very close to walking! Cindy and I try to practice with him each evening to walk and he is getting pretty close. He can scoot pretty well on the floor by crawling or holding onto furniture and walking with assistance. Who knows, maybe he will take him first steps while in Florida! Wouldn't that be great to walk by himself while visiting grandpa and grammie! We shall see!
Well campers,time to head out!
Enjoy the new picture of Robbie!

10 months and counting!

Greetings once again folks!
Well, there have been a few things happening at the Tremblay household. About a week ago, Robbie came down with croup and it was not fun. We are not sure where he got it at since he went to the neighborhood library for reading day (where stories are read to children of different age groups) and of course at church on Sunday. But nonetheless, we were awaken by him coughing like a seal bark (not a pretty sound) on early Wednesday morning. Cindy took him in to the doctor's office and they told her that Robbie did have croup and gave him a prescription for steroids. Well, needless to say, he is back to normal self. We are getting ourselves geared up for his first trip to Florida to see grandpa and grammie! It should be lots of fun and a well deserved rest for us. Also, Robbie is doing a very good job of standing on his own (with some assistance of furniture sometimes)! He enjoys moving around the living room while holding onto the furniture for some balance. He has tried to get pass the road block that we have set up for him to contain him in the living room. Cindy has rearranged some items to make it tougher for him to wander into the kitchen and dining room. While he has not attempted to go up the stairs yet, we do have a fence up just to be safe! :D
Well, we will have some new photos in the coming week or so of Robbie and he looks very cute!
Until next time, have a great day!

A Glipse of Heaven

Greetings folks!
If you remember the comment I made in regards to the scene that Cindy had beautifully described at Robbie's finalization this past Monday morning, well here is her version that is so eloquently written.

The finalization ceremony for Robbie’s adoption was a neat experience for us. To set the scene for you, it was a smallish courtroom ---- enough space for the judge’s bench, a few jury chairs, the prosecution & defense tables and two rows of spectator seating. The room was probably no larger than our living room. Frank, Robbie and I were seated with our lawyer at one of the litigant tables facing the judge’s bench. We had about fifteen or so spectators from church and work and of course, Frank’s mom.

The bailiff said “ All Rise” in an official sounding tone and we all stood at our seats --- including Robbie. The judge came in wearing his official robes and looking very impressive. Judge Puffenberger sat down above all of us at his bench and brought the proceedings to order. After he completed the pomp & circumstance befitting his position, he said that since it was an adoption proceeding in closed court, he wasn’t going to stand on ceremony --- so he picked up the case file and stepped down from his special seat to come sit across from Frank and me at the litigant table. He played with Robbie for a couple minutes – trying to elicit a smile.

The judge then began to explain the procedure of the adoption and the paperwork that we would receive regarding Robbie’s new birth record and social security card. He said that the new birth record would reflect that Robbie is our son and would look no different from the birth certificate of a natural born child. It would appear that I was the one who went through labor & delivery at St. Luke’s Hospital instead of Robbie’s birth mom. Frank would be listed as the father. Nowhere on the birth certificate would there be any mention of adoption. It wouldn’t have an asterisk like Barry Bond’s baseball indicating that it wasn’t a “real birth certificate”. Robbie would be shown as our son in all ways on all his official paperwork.

Then the judge read the declaration of adoption and read Robbie’s new name. He sounded so happy. There was applause!! Judge Puffenberger gave Robbie his very own gavel after telling us that all children adopted within Lucas County for the past forty years had received a gavel of their very own. Then we were invited to gather our friends and family up on the judge’s bench for pictures. While we were up around the bench, Frank’s boss prayed over us and especially over Robbie. The entire event was special, but the prayer just topped everything off so well.

After the cake and celebration, I got to thinking about adoption. Frank and I have been studying Ephesians in our Sunday morning Community at church. In this book, Paul tells us we are adopted into God’s family and now I have a fresh picture of what that looks like. God came down from his high place to meet with us face to face. He did not loose his Godliness when he did this, but he interacted with us with love and kindness. Judge Puffenberger did not remove his robe when he came down to us at the table either. But he did interact with us in a personal way --- just like God does today. When we are adopted into God’s family, Revelation says that we will receive a new name written in God’s book of life--- I can just imagine the joy and pride in God’s voice as he speaks our new name as his children. And then, once we are adopted, we are God’s children forever --- no asterisk, no hesitation --- we get a new birth certificate. No longer are we children of wrath… now we are children of God. Finally, when it is the proper time, we will be invited to join God in his heavenly places for a celebration befitting the children of a king.

As you can see, God does work in wonderful ways to show us how much he loves and cares for everyone of us.
Until next time, have a great day!

IT IS FINISHED!!!!!!!

Howdy once again everyone!
Well, after many months of waiting, hours of prayer, and some challenging times, Robbie is now officially Robert Jayson Tremblay!
I want to thank all of you who have been praying for Robbie, Cindy and myself during these past months. We want to thank our Heavenly Dad--God the Father, for making this day possible. Cindy made a very awesome comment in regards to the finalization hearing yesterday. When we were in the courtroom, as Judge Puffenberger entered, we stood in honor and respect of his position. He took his seat on the bench to start the finalization hearing for us. After this, he came down to the table where Cindy, Robbie and myself were sitting. After chatting with us and playing with Robbie a little bit, he began to go over the various documents that we would need to keep and their meaning in regards to Robbie's adoption. After all this was completed, he made Robbie's name his legal name for ever and ever! Then we gathered around Judge Puffenberger's chair to have pictures taken, and to celebrate the completion of Robbie's adoption. Then Judge Puffenberger gave Robbie a gavel to keep as a remembrance of this special day. Needless to say, Robbie likes it! *grin* Now for the comment. Just like Judge Puffenberger, dressed in his robe and the position he holds, with all the respect and honor, is like God. As God the Father, He comes to us with all his power, majesty,honor and wants to come where we are to have a relationship with each of us. He comes to our level to talk, play and have fellowship with us. One day, we will go to heaven where we will get a new name and live forever with him. Just like Robbie getting his new name, as children of God, we too will have a new name!
Afterwards, Cindy, Robbie, myself, my mom, along with some of the staff from YES-FM (one of my jobs), our lawyer Phil, Christa (our facilitator), Jamey (my boss at WLMB) and one of our friends from church (as well as her 3 children) went into another room to have cake! It was a good time and shortly after, Judge Puffenberger joined us in the celebration. Afterwards, a number of us went to an area Mexican restaurant to have lunch. Later that evening at WLMB's telethon fundraiser, there was a small segment about Robbie's finalization, which included pictures taken in the courtroom. The point that Jamey brought out about it is just like Cindy and me adopting Robbie, God longs to adopt all of us into his family. We were able to videotape the finalization and I will attempt to piece that with the television segment as well into one video. Hope it works out!
Once again, I want to thank everyone of you who had a part of this awesome day, weather you were here in person, in spirit, or in prayer, on behalf of the Tremblay family, I want to thank you for all your support!
And each time Robbie plays with his gavel, we will remember this special day!
Until next time, God bless all who read this blog site about a little boy named Robert Jayson Tremblay!
PS~ There will be pictures from this event posted when we get them developed.

The Day draws near

Greetings again folks!
Well we are getting closer to the date of Robbie's finalization (only 4 days away!). I have to admit that I am getting excited and a little nervous for this special event! Excited in the sense that Robbie will be our son (although I have known he was already) and we will have all the stuff that we would have received had we gone to the hospital and given birth (okay, Cindy would have given birth). It seems like so long ago that we were hoping for a little one to bless our home and begin the process of being known as mom & dad. While the past 9 months have seemingly flown by and Robbie is growing, developing and becoming a big Ohio State fan, it still amazes me to think he will be our son for life! While I know that I will never be a perfect parent, I will strive to be the best dad for him and teach him everything that I have learned in my life. While Cindy has been with him at home since his arrival, she has done a fantastic job in interacting with him through playing, singing and even feedings to help him develop. He has captured our hearts with his little hands, smiles, laughs, and even his antics. Just the other day, we were in the living room relaxing some and he was on the floor playing with one of his toys. Well, he started crawling after Chloe and wanting to play with her. Needless to say, Chloe did not want to play since she was wanting to relax a bit herself. So she out ran him and was able to get to her "sanctuary" which is in the corner of the room where Robbie is not permitted to go. To help out a little dog, the "Big Dog" grabbed Robbie and proceeded to give him the business. For some reason, Robbie wanted to go back to his toys *giggles*. A little bit later, Robbie was able to go ride his horse (yup it is a big one too!). He enjoyed the ride while mommy made sure he stayed on his horse. It was very cute and fun too! I am looking forward to many more horse rides for this little guy (and any others that may come our way) in the future.
Well, that is about it for now. Thanks once again for reading the stories about Robbie, a little boy who had blessed our lives!

Robbie's big day!

Howdy once again folks!
Well, some of you have heard the big news about the date we will head to court to finalize Robbie's adoption! On Monday, October 22, 2007 at 10:30am ET, Cindy, Robbie and myself will head to the Lucas County courthouse to complete this adoption. While it has been hard at times for various reasons, Cindy and I would do it all over again! God has had his hand in this from the moment that a friend at church told Cindy about Robbie's birth mother (even though he was not born yet) up thru the meetings we had with her, our lawyer, home study assessor, and everyone that has had a hand in this blessed event for all of us (yes that also includes Chloe). While there have been hard times with some aspects of it, God has remained faithful. So when you read these post about this little boy, whom God has placed in our lives, that Robbie is an answer to prayer! We are all looking forward to this special day!
Now onto some more Robbie news!
This past weekend was a fun one for Robbie & I. Cindy went to a retreat for the choir members for the day on Saturday, which meant BOYS DAY! Well, after we got home, it was time for a nap. Thankfully he did go to sleep on the way home from church where I had tech practice and slept for almost 3 hours. During this time, I turned on some college football and fell asleep as well. After our naps, we ate, played, watched some football (fell asleep for short periods of time) and did some things around the house. That was pretty much our day as we were able to just relax and enjoy each others company. Towards evening (and very close to bed time) I gave Robbie his bath (which are a hoot at times!) and was just getting him out of the tub when Cindy got home. She gave him his good night kiss and it was off to dreamland! It amazes us how much he has learned and is doing these days. Something new seems to happen on a daily basis and it is a joy to see this little boy just grow up.
Well, that is all the news for now. There will be a few pictures with this post, including the cow lick picture!
Until next time!

Robbie & the animals

Salutations everyone!
Well, Robbie just turned 9 months old this past Saturday and it is amazing how he has grown and developed in this short period of time. He is becoming all boy! So this past Sunday, some friends from church invited us to come out to their place to hang out and go to an area farm that had pumpkins, gourds, farm animals and other things. We had also brought Chloe along as well for this family event. It was a beautiful day and it was good to get outside with the cold weather drawing near each day. The farm had chickens, rabbits, sheep, pigs, cows and we had introduced each type of animal to him (along with what noise they make). After walking around for a bit, our friend knew the one of the owners of the farm and asked if the kids could give one of the cows some corn (still on the cob). He broke a cob into 3 parts, with one of them going to Robbie. Well, needless to say, he did not try to eat it as he usually tries to do with most things that are placed in his hands. Instead, Cindy was holding him, with him holding the corn cob and facing outward towards the cow. Well, once the cow was able to smell the corn, she began to work her tongue to get the cob. Needless to say, Robbie was licked a few times by the cow and she did get the cob of corn! The funny thing is that he did not fuss or cry, but had a very funny look on his face as if to say "what just happened to me?" "What in the world did this animal do to me"? I was able to get a picture of the cow licking Robbie and as soon as we get it developed, it will show up on this site. But it was funny! We got some other pictures from our visit to the farm and they will make it here to the site in the future.
In other Robbie news, he is getting closer to cutting another tooth on the top. He is about 2 or 3 days away from getting it and he is being a good sport about it as well. Also, Cindy has been experimenting with different foods for him in the past week or so and we have found out that like most other kids, he likes peanut butter & jelly! We gave him some last night (Monday) and he was a mess! A cute mess, but what do you expect from a 9 month old that is trying to feed himself (and doing okay too).
Well, that is about it for the time being. I hope all is going well with everyone that reads this blog and we will post again in the near future!

Rocking Robbie

Greetings again everyone!
Well it has been a little while since I last posted. Lots of things have happened around the Tremblay household. First off, Robbie's third tooth came in around 11:30pm in Mount Vernon, Ohio. We went to Mt. Vernon to cover Sonfest Music festival at my Alta mater, Mount Vernon Nazarene University (which was a college when I was attending). Needless to say, we did not get much sleep that night as we tried to comfort him (although Cindy did most of the work). The festival had some beautiful weather and I was scheduled to work the 2nd half of the day (since there was another co-worker from the radio station who also made the trip to Mt Vernon. There was a good turn out and some very good bands as well. The lead singer for Jars of Clay, Dan Haseltine, wrote a children's book and was signing copies of his new book. Well, we got there toward the end of the signing and was able to get Robbie the book and get it autographed too. It is a pretty nice book too. I am sure we will be reading it to him for at least a few years to come. I was able to show Robbie off to some of the folks that I either lived with (Hi Dave!) or some of the staff members that I am good friends with in Financial Aid. We then headed back to Toledo on Sunday and breathed a little before heading back out to catch the "In This Moment" tour. It featured Bethany Dillion (from Bellfountaine, Ohio), Sanctus Real (from Toledo!) and Steven Curtis Chapman. It was a different experience for me since I am usually working concerts for the radio station and too busy to just kick back and enjoy the show. If you get the chance to see this tour, I would recommend it. It was the first time I have seen Bethany Dillion, and she did a good job during her set. Sanctus Real....they did not disappoint me at all! I have seen 3 (of 5 band members)of these young men from their high school days (another sign of aging) and it is awesome to see how God is using them on the national stage. They are a very humble bunch of guys that have not allowed the "big time" go to their heads. They played a few new songs from their new album that is due out in February of 2008. Should be a good one! Finally, Steven Curtis came out with his band that included his 2 sons! (Yes,he has been in music for awhile) One played the drums (and did an awesome job too!) and his other son played the electric guitar. He did a number of new songs from his new release that is due out in late October of this year and some classics from years past. One of the new songs spoke about seeing life "in the moment". Steven shared a story about a night when he was giving his girls a bath (they have adopted 3 little girls from China) and wanting to hurry up so he could get back to work. Well, most of us know how little people are towards bed time. They want to play and do whatever it takes to stay awake. Well after giving them their bath, God seem to tell Steven that he should enjoy the moment, because it will not last forever. Something that we all can learn from this story, which includes me. Afterwards, we were able to meet Mr. Chapman. He held Robbie for a few minutes and signed a book that he & his wife wrote a few years ago for children. It was a good weekend! Some of the other things that Robbie is doing includes being able to get up to his knees and somewhat support himself until gravity calls him back (usually with a small thud) to the ground. His crawling is getting better and it is getting more dangerous for Chloe as well since he can move a bit faster! But she can still get away and hide if needed. This will be interesting for her as he continues to develop and might start walking in the next few months. Also, we will be heading to Florida in early December to see grandpa and grammie (are you folks ready!). We will be flying and it will take about 2 1/2 hours from Detroit to Orlando. I will be planning to bring my swimsuit since it is usually in the upper 70's to low 80's. That will be nice!
That about ends things for this post. The Buckeyes and Clemson Tigers are undefeated in football, the Detroit Tigers season will most likely be over by this weekend and the Lions will attempt to win against Chicago after their loss to Philly (or should I say big time thrashing).
See ya later and we are currently working on a new role of film to get some new pics for you to check out!

Change in seasons

Greetings again folks!
Well, we all survived YES Fest this past Saturday. In case you are unaware of what Yes Fest is, it is a fund raiser for the radio station that brings together local and national bands to perform in a festival-type setting. This year, we had 3 national bands play, a couple of Toledo local bands and one from the Cincinnati area. All the acts did a great job and we had a great day as well weather-wise. There had been a threat of rain in the forecast during the day. However, God made sure it rained overnight before the event and a slight drizzle after everything was torn down for a little bit. God is good!
Cindy and Robbie were in the green room being great hosts for the event. Robbie did had a good time and was able to stay on schedule for the most part during his time in the room. He stayed until about 4:30pm (since we had been there since 9:30am to get things set up) when he went to spend some time with Grandma and we picked him up after everything was taken care of at the site.
Well, this past weekend was a good weekend once again in the sports realm. Ohio State beat Akron, Oregon beat UM, Clemson beat Louisiana Monroe and in pro sports, the Packers beat Philly and the Lions beat Oakland! We will see how everyone does this weekend. It should be interesting.
As for Robbie. Well, he continues to get bigger and more mobile! Cindy called me to tell me that he is getting big enough to reach some things on the chest that sits next to the couch. Need to move things to a higher level now! Nothing is safe! LOL He is also getting pretty good at crawling and both Cindy & I are thinking he will be walking within the next month or so. Once that happens, then Chloe will not be safe at all! She can get away from him if he begins to bother her. But there has been some very cute moments between the both of them. Robbie is getting better with petting her very gently. However, the other day, Robbie was on the floor with me when Chloe came up to us to get petted. Well, Robbie got a little too close to her and head butted her! Chloe didn't know what to do! She moved away from him and kind of had that stunned look. I had to remind Robbie that he had to be gentle on the puppy and not headbutt her. We will see.
That is about it for the time being. I will attempt to update at least once a week.
See ya then!

8 months and counting....

Howdy once again campers! (Yea, I know that summer is pretty much over, but it is fun to write and say)
Last Wednesday, Robbie turned 8 months old! It is hard to believe this little boy is growing up and learning something every day. His crawling abilities are getting better and now we have to block off various rooms to make sure he does not hurt himself. Also, Cindy and I celebrated 6 years of marriage this past Saturday. One of my co-workers at YES FM watched Robbie while we went out on a date. The weather was beautiful and very comfortable! We went to Pacific Blue Grill at Levis Commons (which is a outdoor shopping mall) for lunch, walked over to the movie theater to see Bourne Ultimatum (very good action too!) and finished everything up with a trip to Molly Moo's Ice cream. Cindy receive some flowers that looked very nice and a card letting her know how special she is. It is the simple things like this that make me go "WOW"! The fact that God has brought all of this together for each one of us and it seems like a long time that we have been together. We are blessed!
In case I did not mention in any previous posts, Robbie had his 2nd tooth come in over a week ago. Cindy was at home sleeping (since it was early morning) and heard Robbie crying. Well usually, he has gotten himself into a particular position that simply requires a pacifier being placed into his mouth and then he goes back to sleep (especially if it is before 8am). Well, Cindy followed our normal procedure and after a little bit of time, he began to cry again. Upon looking in on him, she had discovered that another tooth was coming in on the bottom! Well, he is getting used to the new tooth and I am sure now, we will check him out a little bit better to see if he has a new tooth coming in or not before attempting to comfort Robbie.
This past weekend, we also went over to my grandma's house since it has been awhile since she has seen Robbie. He showed her is crawling skills and gave her some very nice smiles too!
Finally, for some reason or another, Robbie has an infatuation with shoe strings. We had him on the living room floor to allow him some crawling practice and he promptly crawled over to me and began untying my shoes. Of course his thinking may be that since it is on the floor, it is a toy of his. But he is a joy and since the NFL begin this week, there will be lots of time watching football and sleeping on the sofa!
That is about it for this post. The Buckeyes are 1-0 with their win over Youngstown State (where Jim Tressel coached before coming to Ohio State), the UM boys lost to Appalachian State (gotta love that!) and Tommy beat dad again as Clemson beat Florida State!
See ya!

Just like Dad....

Howdy once again campers!
Well as some of you may have heard, about 2 weeks ago, Robbie came down with the flu. With that came the lost of his hunger. While he would still eat, it was not the amount he would normally eat. This past weekend, his hunger returned! And since he likes to "make up" for the food he missed out on, he has picked it up some. He has been eating a full number 2 size jar for lunch and drinking about 6 ounces of formula in one sitting. While he did not lose much weight while he was sick (maybe 1 1/2 pounds), he sure has made it up these past few days! Cindy had called me to say (altogether now) "your son" ate a full jar of food and drank a 4 ounce bottle and then made a second 4 ounce bottle, of which he drank 2 ounces. And since his belly was full, he promptly burped in satisfaction and fell asleep! Yup! That is my boy alright! I can see when he gets older (like maybe 10 or so), we will be watching a sporting event and have a burping contest to see who can burp the longest or loudest between us. I am practicing now! *grin*
Well, with football season right around the corner, I can see lots of papa & Robbie watching the Buckeyes take on their opponents and cheering " GO BUCKS!" That will be a sight to see!
Until later!

A new trick

Howdy folks!
Well, I am a youthful looking 42 since I have celebrated my birthday yesterday. It began with Robbie, Cindy and Chloe coming to me yesterday morning. I had taken the day off from both jobs to enjoy my special day. I had received numerous new shirts and a few pairs of pants to update my wardrobe. Well, needless to say, it was a good birthday (even if the Tigers got whupped on by Tampa Bay).
I will now digress to earlier in the week.
While Robbie has at times gotten up on all fours to "crawl", he pretty much has needed mom or dad to help him move. Well, earlier this week, Robbie was "revving up" his engines to move on his own. As Cindy and I watched, he slowly began crawling! Granted, he was moving backwards, but he was moving! He crawled right in between the couch and the swivel chair and peeked out from behind the them, like he was saying "can you see me??". He did look very cute and did giggle some when Cindy or myself would raise the question, "Where is Robbie?" So now we throw up the gates and keep an active eye out for the little guy. At least Chloe can still out run him at this point. Should be interesting in a little while! And while he did not make it to Comerica Park to see his first Tigers game, we will try at another time to take him to a game...maybe a Mud Hen's game.
That is about it for the time being. With the way things are going, it might be an update in the near future.

....And then there was one!

Greetings again folks!
Well, one of the big events for parents and child has happened! Last Friday, Cindy was massaging Robbie's gums due to him being somewhat fussy. Well, while doing this, Robbie chomped down on Cindy's finger and felt some pain when he did this. Now normally, there is a bit of pain due to the pressure of his mouth coming down. But there was something different...there was a TOOTH! Yup, one is finally breaking through on his lower mouth and is coming in just fine. We now know that it will be a matter of time before the other ones will follow and he will be a happy camper.
In other news. We had our 2nd post home placement interview with Mrs. Adele Kozar for our adoption of Robbie. She was very pleased to see his progress and how much he has grown since her last visit, which was about 3 months ago. Now we just simply wait until after October 17th for finalization and he will be ours!
That is about it for the time being. We are thankful for God's mercy, grace and wisdom while we raise Robbie (and any others He gives us) to be a mature, God pleasing young man.
We will chat with ya later! The picture with this post has Robbie doing one of his favorite things (kind of like his dad)...EATING!

7 Months and counting!

Howdy everyone!
As we enter into another month, Robbie is getting older as the days get deeper into summer. Right now he is battling a slight cold. He has a slight temperature (100)and has been fussy. Cindy and I are thinking his teeth are about ready to pop forth and this is causing some of the discomfort. This past weekend, we went to the mall to just get some exercise in and stay cool at the same time. Well, we were walking by the Discovery store and they were having a sale. We went in and Cindy saw a toy that would allow Robbie to learn more about himself, his family and surroundings. Needless to say, I received a phone call from Cindy telling me that he can recognize mommy and daddy very well! There are pictures that represent each family member (mom, dad, aunts, uncles, grandpa, grandma, siblings) and as it went through each member, Robbie would let out a happy noise. Well, when it came to the daddy picture, he let out "daddy"! Needless to say, it would have been great to have been there to hear him say that. I mean, he has been saying "Dada" for a little while and that is precious to hear on occasion, but to hear "daddy", that is icing on the cake! I am sure there will be other times.
Also, Cindy has introduced MEAT for his diet! Granted it is pureed, but it is meat! He has been doing well with the different flavors of food and so far, everything is his favorite! (Yea I know, this means trouble later in life for me as this little boy continues to grow)
Also, since we are in the month of August, it means another birthday for yours truly. I will turn 42 (hope I can keep up with Robbie when he is older!) on the 9th and to celebrate this grand day, we will be heading to Detroit to go see my beloved Tigers take on Tampa Bay. If everything holds in their rotation, we will be seeing Jeremy Bonderman pitching against the Devil Rays. We will also take Robbie with us for his first game ever! I know he will not remember it very well, but maybe one day he will read these posts and be able to see his life story develop before his eyes. We will be sitting behind home plate in the upper level. Of course, there really is no bad seat at Comerica Park either to see a game. Hopefully, they will win and it will be a fun day for everyone!
Finally, in about a month, Cindy and I will be celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary! The phrase "time flies when you are having fun" is very true! It has been a great 7 years (since we met) and she is a blessing to have as my wife and best friend. I am glad that I waited for her. She is amazing.
Well, I will quit the mushy stuff for now (there might be more later on!). Until next time, have a great day and we will keep you informed of the events in Robbie's life.

Making progress!

Howdy once again campers!
I received a phone call from Cindy telling me that Robbie made a pretty nice attempt to crawl! While he has not figured out the mechanics of crawling, it goes to prove that he is getting closer to becoming a bit more mobile. And with all the energy that he has, he might be the second coming of the Energizer Bunny!
Speaking of being the bunny, the last few nights,Robbie has decided to wake up at 2am to play, chat or just not sleep during a time when he should be. Needless to say, it is wearing on Cindy & myself. He goes to bed around 9:30pm to wake up around (usually) 8am. But since he is awake at O dark thirty, it has pushed him off his schedule. Hopefully, he will return to sleeping a normal night without much trouble.
In other news, this past weekend was a fun one! The radio station will be moving into a new space later this year that will be a bit smaller than where we are at now. It will be the first time in the history of YES-FM to stand alone without sharing space with another organization (and have people think we are tied into that organization). Not that we mind sharing, but it will allow the station to minister to the northwest and west central Ohio, as well as parts of southeastern Michigan. We are looking to move sometime around October into our new facility and be there for many years to come!
Kind along the same path, WLMB has begun building its new ministry center that will connect to the building that I am currently working in. It is suppose to be mostly completed by the end of this year (2007)and will allow the entire ministry to be under one roof. If you want to see the progress of the construction, you can go to www.wlmb.com and click on the ministry center logo in the upper right hand corner to check it out.
That is about it for now! Maybe in my next post, I will be able to share that Robbie is crawling on a normal basis and causing chaos!

Another time, another place

Greetings once again campers!
Since my last blog, a number of things have happen in the Tremblay household. On the 12th of this month, Cindy celebrated her 35th birthday in fine fashion. Robbie was able (with some assistance) to get his mommy a very beautiful card to let her know that he loves her. We went out for dinner to celebrate and had a nice time as well. A few days later, Robbie was able to go from his back to his belly for the first time. Which means it will be a matter of time before he will be more mobile to get himself into some kind of mischief (but how could this cute little guy cause any kind of trouble????).
Just yesterday, Robbie received his very first haircut! Cindy had gone to her normal hairstylist to get her hair trimmed (which is very cute!) and had asked her stylist if she would trim Robbie's hair so he would not look like Don King (yea, it was beginning to look like his hair). Needless to say, with Robbie sitting on his papa's lap, he did very well sitting still while Cathy (the hairstylist) trimmed some off his top and a little off the back. We kept some of his hair to give to those that might be interested in placing it in a baby book (or something like a memento). Later yesterday evening, Cindy was playing with him and he started saying "Dada"! Cindy came out into the backyard and told me he was repeating Dada in the living room. Once he came outside, he quickly clammed up. Go figure. But to his defense, he (at this time) does not perform for crowds. Maybe some other time....
Well the pictures that are with this post are pretty awesome. One is of Cindy a few days after she was born with her mom in the hospital and of course, Cindy with Robbie. It makes you do a double take when looking at the mom's in each picture.
Until next time!

Robbie Meets Grandparents

Greetings once again everyone!
Lots has happened since the last post. So hopefully I will be able to remember it and give ya some new pictures to look at as well. So, without further ado, onward & upward!

Well, Robbie finally met Grandpa and Grammie from Florida. It was very cool to see my in-laws reaction and how well they bonded with him (and Robbie with them). They took lots of pictures and video footage during their visit (somewhere around 1000 pictures from Cindy's guess) and everything turned out wonderfully. We took a trip to the Toledo Zoo to check out the new polar bear cubs, among the other animals in the zoo. We spent most of the time inside since it was a rather warm day and we did not want to expose Robbie too much in the sun. Later, we all went out for lunch and after eating most of my lunch, I gave Robbie a lemon to see how he would like it. Well, needless to say, he got a sour look on his face and then was grabbing for it like he wanted to try it again. Well, I gave him the slice and everytime he turned it to find a "sweet" spot, he would discover that it was still sour. But he looked cute doing it!
The big day for all of us was on Father's day. It was on this special day that we dedicated Robbie to God. Grandpa was able to get video of the whole time (the dedication of all the children during the 2nd service) so we will hold on to it so we can show him when he gets older. He behaved really well during the whole time on the platform and with the pastor. In all, there were 3 boys & 3 girls dedicated during this service.
The next day, we went to my in-laws hotel to go for a swim since it was warm. Well, Robbie did really well in the big tub, as I call it. Cindy, Grammie and I took turns playing with Robbie in the pool and having fun too. By the end of the day, he was pretty much wiped out from all the excitement and slept well.
Overall, I think things went really well with this new adventure in Robbie's young life. It appeared he bonded with Grandpa and Grammie very well and we are looking forward to being able to head south around his birthday (which is in December) to visit them.
In other news, Robbie went to the doctor for his 6 month checkup. He is doing very well and his doctor is pleased with his progress. He is now up to 17 pounds & 5 ounces and is over 27 inches in length.
Here are a few pictures of Robbie with Grandpa & Grammie during their visit last month. Until next time!

Things to watch out for

Another week has begun and once again, life in the Tremblay household is getting to be more interesting! As I had mentioned in a previous post, I will be heading out to see the dentist to have some oral surgery done on me. While it seems like a very painful procedure, I am looking forward to it taking place (yea I know, I am a little weird). We had a brief scare the other night. Robbie was crying and Cindy went in to comfort him. Well, she noticed that he was breathing funny. So she brought him into our room for us to check him out. After a few minutes, we realized that his nose was stuffed up! So Cindy used the nose ball to clean out both nasal passages and he was back to his normal self. Things that we take for granted for ourselves that don't seem to be too much of an issue,can be a bit scary for a little one.
Last night, I was on the floor playing with Robbie. Well, since I know that if I give him a belly blast (think of a zerbert), he will laugh. Well after a few minutes of curling him to give him the belly blast, I had the "bright idea" of holding him up and giving him one. Needless to say, the joke was on me! Literally! One should be careful when giving a child under the age of 2 a belly blast. Because when I did, he promptly spit up on me. Of course he felt better, but now I was needing to wipe off the spitup and change clothes. But hey! It makes your skin baby soft! Just kidding.
Recently we began turning off his little light in his room to help him know the difference between day and night. I am thinking it will help him down the road when he gets a bit older to sleep in the dark and that he will know that mom & dad are not far away if something troubles him. So we shall see how that goes!
Well, that is about it for now. I am sure there will be other funny stories to tell as the days, weeks, months and years pass by.
Peace out!

Greetings again!

Don't have a heart attack. I know it has been a few days since my last post, but I am trying to stay on top of things with Robbie and the boy is giving me some good news to pass along to everyone. So here we go again!
As most parents find out sooner or later, teething can be a bear at times! It seems a child does not want to sleep, eat or a host of other things. Well, Thursday morning (that starts at 12:01am), Robbie did not want to sleep. From 4:10am until 7:10am (or so) Robbie wanted to play! While Cindy and I rotated to tell this young man it was sleepy time and not play time, he was being a stubborn little guy (I keep reminding him that mom & dad have more experience than him, and we are more stubborn than him) and wanted to keep playing. If you remember my post from the other day in which I had mentioned that he received some gifts from Uncle Scott & Aunt Dawn during his first trip to Pennsylvania. Well, he had received a stuff Tigger that is pretty close to his height. Well, Cindy went in around 6:50am or so and he had Tigger by his tail, tossing it to & fro! I wish we had the camera for that one! He is getting strength in his hands,arms and legs to be getting pretty close to being mobile. The next thing I will be writing about will be the fact he has flipped from his back to his belly. He is getting the general idea on how to position his body to be able to roll over and with some practice, I am sure he will be flipping back & forth here in a few weeks (maybe while Grandpa & Grandma are here!).
Speaking of pictures. We recently filled up another camera worth of shots and will be taking them to get developed so everyone can see updated pictures of ouir little guy.
Well, time to head out and get some other things taken care of around here.
Have a great weekend!

Time is flying by!!!!

Howdy once again Campers!
Well,yesterday (May 29th) Robbie turned 5 months old! Kind of hard to imagine that he has been our little pride and joy for this long. It seems each day something new comes along that he is able to do. In my last post, he had flipped over for the first time. Now, he is eating like a "big boy". Cindy has been feeding him solids for the past few weeks about once a day and then feeding him an 8 ounce bottle the rest of the time. While it may not be official, I would say he weighs about 17 lbs and about 29 inches long. Plus his cute curls! Well he is quite the handsome, young man!
This past weekend we traveled to Pennsylvania to visit some "family" members and give them a chance to meet Robbie. Needless to say, he was quite popular! Aunt Dawn & Uncle Scott had a fun time with him as he "told" them his life story (and no repeats either!). He recieved some really cool stuff from Aunt Dawn & Uncle Scott as well (thanks folks!). We had a nice time seeing everyone once again with our little boy coming along for the first of many trips in his life. While we are working on the traveling aspect of his young life, it will be interesting how he handles trips in the future (maybe a flight?).
Cindy has been doing a magnificent job with Robbie since he has become part of our lives. Needless to say, he has made an impact in all our lives (yes even Chloe). In the coming weeks, he will get the chance to meet Grandpa & Grandma from Florida (are you ready for him folks!?). We will be dedicating him on June 17th (yup! Father's day!) and we will have a good time with all the family coming in to see this great event.
But before that occurs, there is one non-Robbie event that will take place. Due to the chance of losing my lower jaw bone, I will be heading to the dentist to have all my lower teeth removed and fitted with a full lower plate. While it will take some time to heal, hopefully I will be able to return to my regular eating habits within a few weeks after and be healthier for it.
That is about it for the time being. Hope you had a good Memorial Day and we will chat with ya soon!

Acrobatic Robbie!!!!

Howdy folks!
Well, there is some big news in the Tremblay household. This past Monday, Cindy was playing with Robbie on the floor and "working him out". Well, she had placed him on his belly for him to grab stuff and "eat" it (yea,he gets that from his daddy!). Well, he attempted to flip himself over to his back, which he has tried numerous times. Well, just like the little Engine could, he flipped onto his back with no assistance! He kind of looked around and giggled. Unfortuately, I was not able to witness this big event due to work (what a bummer!). But he slowly getting to the point where he will become mobile! (yea, kind of scary). Also, we believe that he might begin teething pretty soon. He has been tugging at his ears and somewhat fussy as well during the day. So who knows! We will see!
The picture that is with this post is from our Spring Telethon for YES-FM. We met our goal the Monday after it had ended and there were a few times that Robbie wanted to say "hello" to his Uncle Joe & Aunt Debbie who live in Taiwan. Not that Robbie knows where it is in the world, but he just wanted to send his personal greetings. And yes, he is a chatter box like his daddy too (Are you seeing a trait here??)
Well, time to head out and enjoy the beautiful weather.
Until next time!

Mother's day

Howdy again campers!
Well today is the 3rd of May. Mother's Day is little over a week away and this will be the first one for Cindy as a mother to our pride and joy! She has been a real trooper in staying home to raise Robbie. Not a day goes by that she is blessed by what Robbie has learned. He continues to grow at a good rate and becoming a real character as well. Recently, I began teaching him to growl! It was something that I thought he would be able to do to compliment the other noises (or chatter) that he does. Needless to say, we have growling practice nightly and he is getting pretty good for his age. We recently went to the doctor's office for Robbie's 4 month check up. He is now up to 15 pounds and 5 ounces and is 26 1/2 inches long! Those measurements place him in the 90% in weight and 75% in length. He also has began eating some cereal with formula for one meal a day. Yesterday, he attended his first Sharathon for YES-FM. He did really well as a number of folks played with him, read to him and chatted with him. Hopefully today will be the same. Cindy was taking him over to one of the local YMCA for a program called "Shots for Tots". It is a free (which is always a good thing)program for families (compared to prices of $100 to $200) for the various shots a child under age 2 receives at various times. We are thankful for this program!
Well that is about it for now. I am glad that my Lions did decent in this past weekend's draft. Now to see how well they do this coming season! I have a little hope.

Fun in the Sun!

Welcome to another post!
Well, we are less than one week away from Robbie turning 4 months old! It is hard to believe that he will be that old! Cindy and I have enjoyed having this Godsend in our home and he has made life very interesting and fun! Yesterday, it was a beautiful day and since winter has left Northwest Ohio for another year (hopefully), we made tracks to one of the metroparks in the area. There was lots of folks out enjoying the beautiful weather by riding their bikes, rollerblading and running. We brought Chloe as well since she was in the house all of saturday while we headed south to Columbus for a shopping trip. We met one of my co-workers at YES-FM who was out with one of his friend to get some running in. Jay (YES-FM) had his dog with him to get some exercise and we volunteered Chloe for his friend to run with her. They asked if she would be able to do 3 miles, and I said she might be up to the challenge. Well, needless to say, she did last 4 miles. They ended up running 4 miles instead and she was ready to go another mile or so! In the meantime, some good friends of mine is allowing us to use their video camera to get some shots of Robbie. Cindy found a swing for infants there at the park and we placed him in it. He did very good swinging in it. I was able to get some good shots at this location before we decided to begin walking around the park. We took a short stroll around some of the covered areas to keep Robbie from getting too much sun. Cindy did apply sunscreen on him before we left the house to make sure he would not get burned. After our park exercise, we headed over to ColdStone Ice Cream! If you have not had ice cream from this place, you have got to give it a try! It is very goood!
We then headed back home and got some more video footage of Robbie getting a bath and bed as well. Hopefully the audio will come through so that those that will see it (yes Grandpa & Grandma it is for you!) will be able to hear this little bundle of joy chatter about all the fun things he likes to do. One of them is his tiger growl! Robbie and I began this earlier in the day. I was holding him and he had made what sounded like a little growl. Well, needless to say, I wanted to affirm him that it was okay to growl. For the next few minutes, we would go back and forth with our growl noises. So now if we ever get to a Clemson football(or Detroit Tiger's) game,he can growl like a Tiger! It is very cute!
Well, we hope to have the video done in a timely manner so we can get it out. We will have another doctor's visit later this week to see how this handsome yound man is doing. Until next time!

Things that make you go...hmmmmm

As I watched the reports of the mass killings at Virginia Tech, it is hard to figure out why someone would want to bring harm to others. We can ask why God allowed this to happen, what else could have been done to prevent this horrible incident from taking place and may other questions that have swirled in our heads these last few days. While it will be many years before Robbie will hit a college campus, it makes me wonder what kind of world he will live in later on in his life. We look back at other violent events that have taken place in our country on school campuses, like Columbine and Virginia Tech, there is something that we can take away from these events. What if someone would have befriended those kids at these 2 schools? Would they have committed these acts of violence? Maybe. Maybe not.
As Christians, we are commanded to love one another. Love is a verb (which is an action word) and if we share the love of God to everyone, no matter what their skin color is, ethnic background, education, social status or whatever else you may use to label a person or group of people, the chances of events like Virginia Tech, September 11th, or others may decrease.
Some may say it is too simple. That is true. But as we watch news events from all over the world, there are a few lessons we need to put into practice. Love one another and share the hope we have in Christ (if you are someone who has given Jesus Christ complete control of your life as your Savior).
I believe that if we can do these things each day, it will make an impact on the lives you come in contact with in whatever circumstance.
Finally, I would encourage you to pray for the families that lost loved ones, the student body of Virginia Tech, professors, staff, administration and the community of Blacksburg. This is a tragic event, but God has promised in His Word that He will use it for good. Also, we might consider to pray for the area churches around Blacksburg as they have an awesome opportunity to share with this community the healing power of Christ!

Spring is finally here???

Greetings everyone!

Yes, I know it has been awhile since my last post to this blog. However, there is lots to tell. So without further babbling, here we go!

Well, Robbie is now 3 months old and getting big! Cindy has him a on a schedule that he likes (yes we can tell) and he seems less cranky at times. He also has picked up on a few things that dad likes! He is becoming an Ohio State fan! Booo Yaahh! He has a few outfits that are Ohio State and he looks very nice in them. He also watched a few of the men's basketball games with me during the tournament to cheer on the Buckeyes (too bad Ohio State lost to Florida again. But at least there is the chance next year to get back to the Final Four). Also, during one of the times Cindy was doing some errands around town, she was scanning the radio dial and came across a country station. After singing a few lines, Robbie began to cry loudly! Not at Cindy's singing, but at the song on the radio! You can tell he is following his daddy's steps.

He is getting big, it seems, each day. Cindy took him to the doctor's office to check on something and he is now up to 14 lbs. He is also getting longer (not sure how long officially) and getting more vocal. The other day, Cindy had him on one of his blankets on the floor and needed to get Chloe from outside. Well, he had positioned himself to be able to lift his head up off the floor and look around using his arms. He is getting closer to being mobile!

We had a nice visit with my Mimi this past Sunday (Mimi is french for grandma). She is 89 years old and lives by herself. We had stopped by since she has not seen Robbie in person yet. He behaved very well while we visited with her. She was able to hold him as well and he seem to enjoy his great grandma (he is the 12th great grandchild in the Tremblay side of things).

Last night, we were getting him ready for bed and playing with him. He was chatting like he wanted to tell us something. Then out of the blue, he began to giggle! He does have a very cute giggle too!

So with the warmer temperatures coming (someday soon!), we will be able to take some walks, do a few things outside and enjoy watching him grow into a handsome, young boy!

Have a Blessed Easter!

A New Season

Well, with the new time change, spring training taking place in Florida and Arizona, March Madness just about to kick off, comes a new season to enjoy! Spring is right around the corner and I feel that yesterday was a preview of what Cindy and I will be able to do with Robbie (and Chloe) as the temperatures begin to warm up. Yesterday, Cindy took Robbie and Chloe for a little stroll around the neighborhood. It was a pleasant day as the temperatures got into the mid-60's by early afternoon, thus making it rather easy for her to go for a little walk. Robbie continues to grow a little bit each day and becoming more of a rascal too (been awhile since that word has been used!). While there are times he can be stubborn (especially when it is time to go to bed at night) and fuss, he has been a joy to have as our son!

This past weekend, we attended a wedding of a co-worker of mine from the radio station. During the ceremony, Robbie was very good as the vows were exchanged, music played and the laughter that filled the chapel were the wedding was taking place. It was a very nice wedding with some pretty cool stuff, like a video of the couple telling the story of their meeting and their engagement. There were a few people that had not met Robbie yet and they had the opportunity to do so. As usual, he was quite the charmer with some of the people who had came to the wedding, without taking away the spotlight of the newlyweds.

Also, this past week, Robbie got a few cool items from his grandpa and grandma. He received a hawaiian shirt and matching shorts when he gets closer to his 1 year birthday and a very cute bib that has 2 dolphins on it. He has already began using his bib to catch all the drool that comes out of his mouth. And! He has begun moving himself around in his crib with his arms and hands. Which means that within the next few months, he will become mobile! Also, he has been able to sit up tall (with some assistance) on the couch. There will be photos of that coming in the near future. They are very cute!

Well, that is about it for this time. Hopefully I will keep on this a bit better so that you will stay informed about this cute little (but growing) boy.

Another Robbie report

Well, another week has passed and things are going fairly well. Robbie will be turning 2 months old on March 1st (since there is no 29th day in February this year). We had another baby shower this past weekend that was put on by some good friends. One of the gift he received was a very soft, fuzzy bunny. He has slept with it a few different times and actually has grabbed it to hold on to it. Pretty amazing! We has some other friends come up from southern Pennsylvania to see Robbie for the first time. We had a good time with them and have dubbed them as Robbie's adoptive aunt and uncle. Of course, he will most likely have many aunts and uncles (as well as any other children we add to our family) so he will not be able to get into too much trouble *grins*. He goes for another regular checkup later this week. I am sure he will get a good report since he is pretty healthy and gaining weight too. Although, Cindy felt his mouth and it seems there are some nubs about ready to break out. We shall see if this is true or not. He also is getting pretty chatty as well. Both Cindy and I have been "talking" with him and he is getting pretty animated with us when we talk. He seems like he wants to actually carry on a conversation with us, but he doesn't know the language of how to do it. But he is getting cuter each day. I was able to have some daddy time with him as well. Cindy was helping to host a children's conference this past friday evening and saturday morning at church. On Friday, he pretty much slept most of the time since he did not sleep for Cindy very long that day. He would take "cat naps" that would last anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes in length. Thus, Cindy could not take a nap either. But he was back at it on saturday doing the cat nap thing a few times for me. But he did sleep pretty well that night and sunday night as well. Can't figure this boy out at this point. But we are learning!

Hopefully, we will have some more pictures coming soon that will be posted on here. I hope you enjoy the nature scenes!

Until later!

It is beginning to feel like Spring!

Greetings once again folks. With baseball camps opening up in Florida and Arizona and March Madness getting ready to jump into action as college basketball teams around the country attempting to finish long & strong which may translate into a championship for their team (GO BUCKS!!), it is a sure sign that spring is right around the corner! And with the advent of spring, it means that we will be able to take walks in the park with Robbie! Of course I might be a bit premature in hoping that spring happens real soon! (Since I am sick of the snow already). But with the arrival of spring, things come to life! For Cindy and I, it will be the first of many springs with Robbie that we will be able to get him (and ourselves) out into the outdoors and allow him to discover a whole new world. So far he has discovered his fingers (and no, they do not taste like chicken), his nose, mouth and that Chloe really likes to give him kisses. And he will be an intelligent child too! Cindy and Robbie have began playing a game that is pretty cute. I will call it the Tongue game. It basically has Cindy poking her tongue out of her mouth and then telling Robbie it is his turn to poke his tongue out. For the most part, he follows through, which causes Cindy to laugh. It is repeated a number of times until either Robbie stops doing it, or something else happens. Earlier this morning (at around 4:45am) while feeding Robbie, he decided that he wanted to play...... He would flash his smile a few times and for the first time (at least with me) he giggled! It was a very cute giggle and I did commend him on what a fine giggle it was too. However, being the slave driver that I am when it comes to feeding time, I told him it was time to eat and not play. He responded with his smile, with a slight gleen in his eye. This boy knows how to work it. And he will not turn 2 months until this friday!

This past weekend was an adventure as well. I woke up sunday morning to a very chilly house and thought "Man it is cold in here!". Upon further investigation, I found that our furnace was not working properly. So after some looking around and testing out a few things, I end up calling our service people that we have a contract with to work on our furnace. Cindy and Robbie went to church without me as I awaited the service man to arrive. After some time, he showed up and promptly took apart the furnace. Turned out that one of the ports that lets the unit know there is a sufficent draft to get rid of the carbon monoxide, was clogged up due to moisture. That was a relief! Later that evening, we went out for dinner with 3 other families that used the same adoption faciliator that we did to get Robbie. She had placed about 7 kids between the 4 families. It was quite fun hearing the other stories from the families and how they were able to get their children. God sure has a very creative nature (and quite funny too!) on how things like this work out!

Well, time to go bask in the sun!

Yup! Winter is here!

Greetings everyone!

As some of you may have seen, we got hit pretty good with some snow recently. As the picture above shows, it can look pretty, but looks can be deceiving. It would be nice to have it in pictures, but not in real life. The official measurement of the white stuff was a bit over 9 inches. While we can not compare to the fine folks over in upstate New York and their 11 FEET of snow, it was a mess here. So for all you snow lovers, allow me to quote Bill Cosby...." I hope you are satisfied" (from the dentist skit on one of his cd's). I did get into work and had it pretty easy since most of NW Ohio was under a Level 3 emergency (which means only certain folks can hit the roads) and it was late in the morning, which gave the snowplows plenty of time to clear off the major roads. Of course there was some drifting as well that made travel interesting in some areas. Our backyard looked like a white desert with all the drifting (which makes for an adventure with our dog Chloe, who is a small dog-a beagle/dox mix).

Robbie is continuing to get bigger and sleep is getting a bit longer. Last night, I put him to bed around 10:30pm and after some fussing, he went to sleep. Well, he did not make a sound (at least crying wise) until this morning at 5:30am! So, he had a nice 7 hour sleep (which means mom and dad also enjoyed their sleep!) and he is slowly getting into a schedule that will make like a bit easier for him and us. Also, as far as I am aware of, he has begun to get a bit more "vocal". There were times last night he would seem to make comments and good facial expressions to match the comments. I can't understand how some people think we came from some cesspool and evolved into our current status. Some of them must not have had children.

This weekend, there is a group of folks from our church that is having a get together with the lady who helped us (and them) adopt infants. There are about 3 or 4 families (counting us) that were blessed to have Christa help us bring a little bundle of joy into our lives. We will be presenting her with something special over dinner here in the area to thank her for her ministry in bringing birthmothers and prospective couples together. I sure hope she is available when we have Robbie dedicated later this summer. It should be fun!

Well, I hope all going good in your neck of the woods, no matter if you have snow or not.

Until next time!

Heeerrrreeessss Robbie!

Well, as I have promised for the last few days, here is the picture that was taken of Robbie at 1 month old. As you can see, he has THE CUTIEST smile! This is the one Cindy had professionally taken about a week ago down in Levis Commons, which for you out of towners, is in Perrysburg. This coming week will be an interesting one. Our case worker will be coming to our home to do a follow up visit to see how things are going. I am not sure how many visits are required by the state for local adoptions. But I would figure there will be a few every so often to make sure the transition is going smoothly. We have a great case worker that was very good with the whole process of our adoption of Robbie.

We had fun last evening. Robbie was being ornery ( at least that is my story) most of the day with Cindy. He would be awake for an hour or so and then acted like he was getting tired and fall asleep. Well, about 20-25 minutes later, he would wake up. This went on most of the day and Cindy was not able to get a nap or any house work done because of him. But we have developed a way to keep him awake that might tire him out as well. We simply make him "run"! This involves either one of us laying him on his back and holding his feet while we make a running motion with them. Of course we have to have a song to go along with it too! We have found it calms him down if he is crying or about to begin to cry. And it is a great way to play with him as well!

Hopefully this will work long term with him and something that he will enjoy too!

A bit cold

Well it was a very nice weekend. Due to the Arctic blast we received over the weekend, we all stayed indoors to keep warm. I can honestly say it has been awhile since we had this cold of weather. We did have a good time just hanging out and playing with Robbie. He continues to grow and is quite healthy as well. He is also getting into a nice pattern of sleeping and eating. He is sleeping on the average of 5 hours during the night (which is very nice). Although he might be a tough customer when it comes time to put him into his crib, he usually calms down in a short time and falls asleep. It is amazing that this little guy is developing various traits (like stubbornness, orneriness (if that is a word) and others). This past week we received a great gift from some dear friends from Pennsylvania. They purchased a Ohio State mobile for his crib! It is great too! Plays the Ohio State theme song and has 5 Brutus Buckeyes that hang from it as well! You can say that dad likes it too! LOL Speaking about the Bucks. On Saturday, the Bucks were playing some basketball on TV and both of us watched the game. He did a pretty good job rooting for them (at least I believe he was) as they beat Michigan State to remain tied for the Big Ten lead with Wisconsin. I tried to tell him the various foul calls and all the other important things that make a good sports fan. I am sure he will do fine once he gets a bit older. He also did watch a little bit of the Super Bowl. I think he was cheering for the Bears. Most of the time when the Colts had a good play, he would cry some. Well he has some years to figure out who he might cheer for and make his choice of who will be his favorite teams. But I will make sure he is well informed! That is our weekend in a nutshell. The picture at the top is of Cindy and Robbie at the hospital in the nursery a few days after he was born. Don't they look adorable!

Until next time.

A light at the end of the tunnel

Well, last night was the first night that Robbie slept the whole night through! While 5 1/2 hours may not seem like much, for an infant, that is great! He is getting bigger each day it seems and just as adorable. Cindy took him to a local photography place and had about 100 pictures taken of him. Of those, we were able to select the picture we wanted to keep for our package. It is a nice shot of him laying on his side with the cutiest little smile he can muster at this point. At his last doctor's appointment, he had gained 2 more pounds (which now puts him over 10 pounds) and grew 2 more inches (which now makes him over 21 inches in length). While Cindy and I are still in the adjusting mode with this little guy, it is getting a bit easier for us. Cindy has been a great mom to him and is enjoying her new role. I too have been enjoying my time with him when I get home from work at night. We have had some nice "chats" while feeding him or just simply playing with him. Chloe (our adorable dog) is adjusting very nicely as well with Robbie. She will bring a toy to him for him to toss. While I have informed her that he is not old enough to play with her at this point, she tries to get him involved in playing with her. She has been a nice help for Cindy in keeping him awake during the day by either nosing his hand, licking him on his feet or on his hands. She is quite the character.

The picture at the top is one of me holding him for the first time. While it looks like we are nose to nose, we were just having a nice little chat.

In The Beginning

Greetings everyone!
Since we are in the technology era and everyone is online these days, I thought it would be easier to have folks come here to check out our family and all our updates. Hopefully, I will be able to keep you updated on a regular basis of our life and any pictures we may have to share with our newest addition to the Tremblay family. As some of you know, Cindy and I recently adopted a infant here in Toledo. His name (formal that is) is Robert Jayson Tremblay. His first name comes from my father in law's name, of which was very easy to do. We are using the nickname of Robbie and most likely will do so until....well until he tells us to stop or he hits his mid-30's (not that age would stop his mom and dad!).
I hope to have some pictures on this site as well for you all to see (and for those of you that have seen them, a reminder of how good our Lord is!). The picture seen here is of Cindy feeding Robbie for the first time in the hospital. Isn't this a precious site!
So, without futher ado, welcome to the Tremblay family blog!