Here is Taite — 13 days old. Our friend Margot Hartford (another Canuck) who is a photographer in San Francisco came on January 23rd to do Taite’s first photo shoot. It was a really special shower gift! Thank you Margot.

Taite is a really good baby. She is over the jaundice and at last doctors visit had her weight back up to 6 pounds, almost her full birth weight. I think because she had to start on formula, she is now fluent in both bottle and breast-feeding. This is nice at 3 a.m. (for mommy) when Mark can roll out of bed and helped with the feeding. Currently it is every three hours or so, no alarms needed , and no room monitor needed — Taite lets us know when she’s hungry. The wrinkles in her hands and feet are starting to fill out, and her little cheeks are becoming puffy like a chipmunk. She really is cute. Yes, we are biased.

To our friends and family,
OK, I heard it a million times, ‘Oh, having a baby is going to change your life forever’. Now I’m beginning to understand what all the experienced parents meant. Looking into the face of baby Taite, there is incredible joy – can’t explain it entirely…..
I have wanted to enjoy fatherhood for a long time, I am thankful that this has finally been realized. I am also very thankful for a wife who has carried this child for 36 weeks, carefully watched her diet and many supplements – missed a few nice bottles of wine, and demonstrated incredible stamina during the 37 hours that were spent in the last stage of delivering this beautiful little girl into the world (she IS the world’s cutest baby….but then I’m not biased). Great job, honey/Jules.
I am also thankful for friends and family who have allowed me to play and act silly with their kids. I now have this opportunity 24/7 with one of my own, with of course all the paternal responsibility a father could ask for (‘That’s a pretty picture you’ve drawn, Taite thank you’, ‘Taite, let me put some ointment on your skinned knee so we can make it feel better’, ‘Uhm, Taite I know that I said that word but please don’t repeat that in front of your mother’, ‘No, Taite no make up until you are 16 and please go change your outfit’, ‘Taite, I’m proud of you and your accomplishments at graduation – great job’.
I can’t wait to introduce Taite to you. I know that she’ll put a smile on your face, but not quite as big as the smile on my face. Thanks for your love and support, Mark
Take a peek: http://picasaweb.google.com/julesrobbins/TaiteOliviaRobbins

Our “Baby Wow” surprised us by her arrival almost one month early, at 3.15pm on January 10th. She clocked in at 19″ long, weighing 6.1 lbs — a healthy size considering she’s only 36weeks and 2 days.

The whole labor was 37 hours long before her cute little face popped into our world and our hearts for the first time. But it wasn’t so bad, the pushing was only 45 minutes, making it all seem relatively easy. Mark’s mom Roberta was able to join us in the room for the delivery of her first grandchild. My mom waited anxiously from her home in Mexico, she was planning to be here but not so early.

Our apologies for being slow to post this and to send photos. We were expected to go home today, but I’m writing this from the hospital, where Taite and I will remain at least one more night. There have been some unexpected trials with weight loss. She started out at 6.1lbs and as of last night was 5.10 lbs, almost at the maximum allowable loss for the first week. She also has some jaundice and needs to be kept in the incubator to recoup. At least she is in the room with me in her little sunbed, though it’s painfully hard to see her isolated in there away from our chests.

The name “Taite” was a latecomer in the name considerations, so was not in the poll. We came upon it last week, just in time, it seems. It is of English origins, and simply means “cheerful”. Olivia was our favorite name from the time we were six weeks along in the pregnancy, and as much as we love the name, due to its current popularity on the charts, we opted for Taite as something more unique.

We are simply thrilled and have never been more excited, nervous, anxious, proud and joyful.
Here is her first web album .

Thanks for sharing our joy. We can’t wait for you to meet her in person.

Love, Jules and Mark

Baby Robbins isn’t here yet but she’s already being spoiled with gifts. Some of the highlights: the annual evening of singing carols at the Brothers with all the little ones; putting up our first Christmas tree in our house (last year we were in Toronto); spending Christmas day afternoon around the tree at Robbins Sr, having Scott and Sarah in town to join, and Heidi and Steven; “cheesesticks” by Heidi; the usual decadent Christmas meal, and my dad’s arrival on Boxing day.