Adventures of Gavin and Logan

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T10:53:00.002-06:00

We hope everyone had a very Happy Easter! The boys had a fantastic time hunting for their Easter baskets and eggs. G was so excited to get the trumpet that he has been wanting, and L was so happy to get all of the candies!

Here's a short video of the boys hunting for some eggs in the back yard. If you'd like to see more, I've posted several more videos on their website.

Skiing!

2011-02-09T21:30:00.004-07:00

I know it has been a while since my last blog entry, but here's a little video of G skiing! B began teaching him to ski this Winter, and G is doing GREAT! Lucky for me, Grandma came to visit, so I was able to go skiing with the two of them and get a little video of them in action!

Riding a Trike along the Greenbelt

2010-06-14T16:40:00.002-06:00

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went for a walk along the greenbelt yesterday. Gavin decided he wanted to ride his trike, so here's a video of him doing so.

2010-04-11T21:21:00.002-06:00

Logan took a bath in the big boy bath tub for the first time today! Not only did he get to take a bath in the big boy tub, but he got to take it with Gavin! Of course, Gavin thought this was SO fun to be able to take a bath with his little brother. In typical big brother style, he even managed to pour a cup full of water on Logan's head and make him cry. Poor Logan...he puts up with so much! Here's a video of them in the bath (I still don't know why it appears as a black box, but if you click the play button, the video should load)

Logan has been developing like crazy lately! He is rolling from his back to his belly all the time...too bad his favorite time to do this is in the middle of the night. He likes to roll over, which wouldn't normally be a problem, but then he gets stuck against his crib and cries for help so either Brandon or I have to go into his room and flip him back over. This still wouldn't be too problematic except for the fact that he does this about what seems like 80 bajillion times a night. It also looks like we may have a crawler sooner than I expected. He scootched himself on his belly last night for the first time in an effort to reach a toy I had placed in front of him. I guess my little guy is growing up. He'll be walking around before I even know it!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-05T16:20:00.004-06:00

Playing the Piano

2010-03-31T23:05:00.002-06:00

Shake It Up

2010-03-31T23:00:00.003-06:00

Chatting with Aunt Tina

2010-03-31T22:55:00.002-06:00

Don't Like Owls!

2010-03-24T23:12:00.002-06:00

We saw an owl being bullied by a bunch of crows in the neighborhood today. Of course, that's all that Gavin can talk about now. Here's a video of him telling us that he doesn't like the owls. He tells us that they're too scary! That seems to be his go-to answer for why he doesn't like anything. I'm not sure if things are really scary to him or if he doesn't have a large enough vocabulary to express why he doesn't like things. Logan was getting upset that I had turned my attention away from him while shooting this video, so you may not be able to hear Gavin over Logan's shouts for attention. Logan is FINALLY starting to demand some attention...I'm glad that he's learning to speak up for himself, but it sure is a lot tougher (and noisier) to divide my attention between two boys who want it! Sorry about how dark the video is...I swear I had the lights turned up!

Sitting up!

2010-03-24T23:07:00.002-06:00

Logan is starting to sit for longer periods of time. I was able to leave him sitting with his toys while I went to get the video camera, and he was still sitting up when I got back! (Gavin was with Brandon so I didn't have to worry about him knocking Logan down!) He's growing up too quickly!

Don't Take a Picture of Logan

2010-03-18T20:43:00.004-06:00

Here's a little video of Logan sitting up. Watch the end...you'll see how it's your classic home movie. I'm not sure why it looks like a black box, but if you click the play button, a video should load.

Jingle Bells in March

2010-03-18T19:59:00.005-06:00

Gavin really loves Logan, and Logan adores Gavin! Whenever Logan sees Gavin, his face lights up and he gets the biggest smile on his face. It's such a wonderful thing to see. Being the ham that Gavin is, he loves it too! Here's a video of Gavin making Logan laugh. I'm not sure why it looks like a black box, but if you click the play button, a video should load.

2010-02-02T19:47:00.002-07:00

2010-02-02T19:36:00.002-07:00

Growing Up So Quickly

2010-02-01T22:56:00.003-07:00

Ok. So I'm a slacker and I haven't posted a picture a day. So much for resolutions :) I'm still not going to post any new pics today, but I wanted to post a couple of updates on Logan before I forgot.

He is FINALLY rolling over! He has been rolling over consistently since 1/25, and now he won't stay on his tummy...not even for a second! As soon as you place him on his tummy, he is rolling over!

He is also growing some teeth! Brandon discovered his bottom tooth poking through earlier today. This explains his fussiness the past couple of days, and hopefully it's also the reason behind his early rising. We gave him some teething tablets, along with some Infant's Tylenol. I hope this relieves some of the discomfort enough to let him (and me) sleep a little more soundly tonight.

I promise I will post some new pics and videos really soon!

Ginger

2010-01-11T22:40:00.004-07:00

I tried using Ginger as a subject to practice my photography today. Unfortunately, she's not as good a model as Molly was. Poor, neglected Ginger was SO excited that I was even looking at her that she had a REALLY hard time sitting still enough for me to take her picture. I felt like I was trying to take Gavin's picture! These are a bit underexposed, but I'm just too lazy to go back and fix them in Photoshop tonight. Maybe I'll fix them tomorrow :) The first one is my favorite. What do you think...leave a comment and let me know!

Molly!!

2010-01-10T21:32:00.003-07:00

Ever since Gavin's birth, poor Molly has been pushed to the side. She's taken it in stride, though, and she'll take whatever attention she can get whenever she can get it! That makes for the PERFECT photography practice subject if the kiddos have already gone to bed :) Molly was more than willing to pose for my camera since that meant that I was actually paying attention to her. I know...that's really sad that we've let it get this far. Poor Molly...and Ginger too! Maybe I'll use Ginger as my practice subject tomorrow. Hmmm....I wonder if that crazy dog would actually stay still long enough to have her picture taken. She's a bit spastic, kind of like Gavin :)

Anyway, here's my favorite shot of Molly that I took today. I think I got the focus right, but I still managed to crop one of her limbs. I guess that'll be the next thing I work on!

No Nap

2010-01-09T15:33:00.005-07:00

We tried napping Logan in his crib today, and we ended up with a mini photoshoot instead of a nap. Rather than napping his usual 2-3 hours that he does in his swing, he napped for about 45 minutes in his crib. As a result, I was able to practice my photography in natural light, and as an added bonus, I learned NOT to try to get him to nap in his crib. If he's napping fine in his swing, I guess I'll continue to let him do that. I'll figure out what I'm going to do with him when he finally outgrows the swing, but I won't worry about that until then.

Here's one of the pics that I got today. I think I got the focus correct. Now I need to work on not cutting off parts of his body!

And just for fun...here's a pic of just how chunky our little monkey is.

Loves his Ramen!

2010-01-08T22:16:00.004-07:00

Anytime there's Ramen, you can be sure that Gavin will be there! These pictures were taken just after he finished his lunch of a babyfood container of green beans (yes, I still feed him baby food, but I don't worry about him not getting his veggies!), a container of yogurt, and half of a chicken breast. Brandon sat down at the table with a bowl of Ramen for lunch, and Gavin was not going to be left out! What can I say except THAT BOY CAN EAT!

**All of these pictures have NOT been edited. They are all straight out of the camera! I was working on focusing on the inner corner of his eye. Did I get it? What do you think???**

He continues to amaze us every day! We went to Chili's for dinner tonight, and when we were leaving, Gavin said something that sounded like chee-dee. Obviously, I didn't know what he said, so I asked him to repeat himself. He said the same thing again. Then I asked him to tell me what that was. So he answered, "Big pepper name chee-dee" He has always referred to Chili's as the Big Pepper because of the big pepper that hangs outside of the restaurant. A few weeks ago, we had told him that it was called Chili's, not Big Pepper. It just amazes Brandon and I how he's making all sorts of connections with things! I guess he's not such a baby anymore!

New Year's Resolution already broken!

2010-01-07T23:25:00.005-07:00

It has only been a week into 2010, and I've already broken my new year's resolution to take at least one picture every day so that I can improve my photography skills. In my defense, however, Brandon was out of town on business, and I was extremely busy yesterday (not that I'm making any excuses or anything!). So, I'm just going to pretend like yesterday never happened (play along with me, ok???)

I tried photographing Gavin again today, and it was a complete bust! He would NOT cooperate at all. I know I could always use the whole "I'll give you a piece of candy" bribe, but I just didn't feel like dealing with a kid on a sugar high right before nap time. After all, Brandon was still away on business, and I NEEDED Gavin to take a nap! I did manage to get 3 pictures taken, of which, 2 are complete trash, and the third one isn't even good! The first one was completely over-exposed, and entirely unfixable in Photoshop. The second one, was the only useable one, and even in that one, the focus isn't even on Gavin. The third one didn't even show any details of Gavin's face because all of the focus fell on the sofa that was behind him. Oh well :( Now you see why I made my resolution to try and improve! Ha! I'll be interested to see what my photos look like by the end of the year!

Two year-old's are hard to photograph!

2010-01-05T21:03:00.005-07:00

Gavin is CONSTANTLY on the go! He is just about impossible to get a picture of, especially when I'm trying to make sure the focus, exposure, etc. are correct. On top of that, I've got to keep one eye on Logan to be sure that Gavin's monkey-like self isn't about to fall on him or run over him! I find myself just haphazardly clicking away in hopes that I can get just one decent picture of him. Maybe I should just focus my photography improving efforts on Logan, at least the majority of them, anyway. He can't move, so it's almost like I've got him captive!

Here's one of the only pictures that I was able to get of Gavin. He's practicing his mad face in the mirror! Ha! The kid just loves looking at his own reflection!

Logan

2010-01-04T15:19:00.004-07:00

I realized that Logan will be four months old tomorrow, and I still hadn't taken his "3 month" pictures yet. So poor Logan had to be my subject today while I practiced my photography. By the end of this photo shoot, he was NOT a happy camper! It was definitely worth making him mad, though. I was able to get a few shots that I am really happy with. I don't know how good they are to the trained eye, but with my mommy goggles on, I absolutely love them! I promised pictures with kids in them, so here are some of Logan. (Gavin was taking a nap, so I didn't get any of him)

See how mad he was by the end of the photo shoot??? He was THAT red!

Newest listing in my Etsy shop!

2010-01-03T22:54:00.004-07:00

I was on a MAJOR organization kick today, so I didn't even remember to take any pictures until the boys had already gone to bed :( But to keep with my new year's resolution, I took some pictures of my newest listing for my Etsy shop. Since it was late, the lighting was AWFUL, but I did the best that I could. What do you think of these yummy looking felt heart frosted cookies?

I PROMISE, I'm going to take some pictures of the boys tomorrow! After all, they're my most favorite subjects to photograph! But just to satisfy your urge to see the boys, here's a pic of Gavin pretending to eat the cookies. (I took this one last week, so it doesn't count for my picture every day this year. Maybe my resolution should've been to just post a picture every day. That would probably have been a much easier one to keep! Ha!)

Happy Birthday, Abby!

2010-01-02T22:25:00.002-07:00

We celebrated Gavin's friend, Abby's birthday today. She turned 6 years old! Gavin had fun playing in Abby's toy house. He just loves those things! Once he was inside, all he wanted to do was dump all of her play pots and pans out on the floor! What a mess! He and Abby's brother Will were even able to play nicely together! That is, of course, after Gavin threw a play pot at Will's head! Oh, the joys of teaching a two year-old how to get along with everyone! I mean, why shouldn't we be able to throw pots at people who are bothering us?!?!?

As part of my picture a day for each day of 2010, I thought I'd post a picture of Abby instead of Gavin or Logan. I rarely get to photograph other children, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to do so today! Hopefully, as the year progresses, so will my photography skills!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T22:29:00.004-07:00

Happy New Year! It's been quite awhile since my last post, but that is about to change! One of my resolutions for 2010 is to improve on my photography. To do that, I need to practice, so I'll be trying to take at least one picture every day this year and post it here. By the end of the year, I'll be able to look back and see if I've gotten any better. To start it all off, here are some pictures that I took of Logan today.

Here's a picture of Gavin that I took while we were playing in the snow on New Year's Eve. We had so much fun tossing snow balls at each other! It was the first time that I've ever really played in the snow, and I am so glad that I got to do it with Gavin! We tried to build a snowman, but every time I tried to stack a snowball on top of the largest snowball, Gavin would knock it over and laugh hysterically!

We had a wonderful start to 2010! We had a relaxing morning at home and took Gavin to McDonald's for lunch (one of his favorite places!). He is an absolute monkey in the play place! He climbs up so quickly and then slides down the twisty slide without any fear! He even came down on his head one time, and he wasn't even scared! He had the biggest smile on his face, and all the while, I had my heart in my throat! After nap, we headed over to Damon and Melissa's for a delicious Peruvian dinner! We had LOTS of fun! What a great way to start the new year!

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope your 2010 is filled with nothing but love and happiness!

Ice Cream!

2009-11-27T23:55:00.002-07:00

Gavin enjoyed his ice cream tonight! He even had sprinkles and a cherry on top! Of course, his favorite part was the cherry, followed by the sprinkles, and lastly, the ice cream...just like his mom! After the ice cream had melted and was too soupy to spoon up, he lifted his bowl and drank it! Here's a video of him enjoying his ice cream. Be sure to watch for the part where he shows his true hammy self (just like his dad) and says, "cheese" when he notices the camera pointed at him.

It's Show Time!

2009-11-27T23:40:00.003-07:00

It's show time! Gavin loves all of his toys that sing and move along with the music. He especially loves setting them all off at the same time. He calls it, "show time." Here are a couple videos of him bouncing along during "show time."

Getting Ready for a Bath

2009-11-25T21:59:00.004-07:00

Logan absolutely LOVES being clean! He just lights up whenever it's time to take a bath...or get his diaper changed! We jokingly call his changing area his happy place because he smiles whenever he's there, and if he's fussy, he usually settles down if we put him there. Here's a video of him getting ready for his bath.

On his Playmat

2009-11-25T21:50:00.003-07:00

Logan is growing up so quickly! He really enjoys lying on his playmat and kicking his feet. He even "talks" to the toys that are dangling from above.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T21:04:00.002-07:00

Happy Halloween! I think that this year has been by favorite Halloween so far! We took Gavin trick-or-treating to several houses and he had a great time, although you probably couldn't tell if you were the one answering the door. He was so shy that he refused to say anything to anyone who answered the door. Yet once they closed the door and it was just the four of us, he would quickly say, "More house" because he wanted to go trick-or-treating at more houses! He couldn't resist digging through his bag while we were between houses either. He knew that he was getting candy and asked if he could eat some. Of course we let him eat some. (YES! I know we're supposed to go home and check it first, but in my defense, I checked the pack of Skittles under the front porch lights at a house that we were trick-or-treating at!) After we went to several houses, we finished off the evening at "Uncle" Brad and "Aunt" Lorrie's house. Gavin had a great time there playing with everyone. I think his favorite part of the entire evening, though, was handing out candy to the trick-or-treaters who came to the door. He would say, "bye bye" to each of the kids as they left. He even said, "Bye boy. I love you!" as one boy walked down the driveway. So cute!

Here's a picture of Gavin and Logan in their Halloween costumes.

The Next Picasso?

2009-10-27T21:15:00.008-06:00

Gavin is a budding artist. He wanted to stay in my room while I fed Logan in the family room. This has never been a problem in the past. About 10 minutes after I had left my room, Gavin came out and called my name while lifting up his shirt. As soon as I saw the pen in his hand and the scribble all over his belly, I felt my heart skip a beat! All I could think was...please don't let him have drawn all over my furniture! I immediately went into my room, while still feeding Logan no less, and took a deep breath. I didn't see any drawing on the bed. So far so good! I took another deep breath and walked around the bed to see if he had drawn on our brand new glider and ottoman...and he had! I don't even know where he found the pen. As far as I knew, we didn't even have a pen in our room! I guess that's a lesson to me to never leave a curious toddler unattended, especially when they're being REALLY quiet!

If anyone knows how to get ink out of fabric, please let me know!

Here are some pictures of his artwork.

Bad Day

2009-10-26T22:28:00.004-06:00

Gavin has a new favorite song! If you ask Gavin what it is, he'll tell you "Bad Day", which everyone else knows as "You Had a Bad Day" by Daniel Powter. His favorite part of the song is the chorus. Once it comes on, he pretends to play the piano.

We discovered that he loved this song today. I was tired of listening to kid music, so I tried playing a few different songs from my playlist on my computer. We found that he liked "When You Say Nothing At All" by Allison Kraus, but after hearing it once, he wanted to hear something different. He also liked "House on Pooh Corner" by Kenny Loggins, but we already knew that. When I first played "You Had A Bad Day", Gavin told me that he didn't like it, but since I like it, I asked him to listen to it for just another minute. As soon as the chorus came on, he looked at me and smiled. Ever since then, he was hooked!

Little Logan

2009-10-25T16:57:00.002-06:00

There are times when Logan loves being held. He'll cry and fuss until someone holds him. But then there are times when he just wants to lay down and kick his feet. He absolutely loves looking at all of the toys on his playmat. The only problem is that Gavin wants to lay with him too, so I have to be sure to keep an extra watchful eye on Logan when Gavin is around. I guess I really shouldn't complain, though. It's only because Gavin is really starting to love his little brother. He just wants to be near him...it's so cute!

Here's a video of Logan kicking around.

Fall Fun

2009-10-25T15:56:00.007-06:00

Gavin and Brandon had a great time playing in the leaves this weekend. Gavin had so much fun that Brandon bought him his own little rake. The look on his face when Brandon gave him his rake was priceless! He wanted to go outside right away, but it was WAY too cold! He ended up pretending to rake leaves all around the house until it was warm enough to go outside.

Here are a few pictures of him playing in the leaves.

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-24T23:15:00.023-06:00

Gavin helped us carve our pumpkin this year. He was really interested in what was inside the pumpkin and scooping all of the pumpkin guts out. When he thought his hands were too icky from the guts, he just wiped them off...on his shirt, of course! Afterwards, we cleaned some of the seeds off and Gavin helped me cook them. He helped me spray a bit of oil on the seeds and then he sprinkled them with salt. He even put the tray in the oven to roast the seeds. When they were done, we ate them for snack.

Here are some pictures and a video of our pumpkin carving experience...

Here's what he thought of the seeds...

Boo at the Zoo

2009-10-24T23:00:00.006-06:00

We brought Gavin to Boo at the Zoo today, and we had a great time! He was so excited when we told him we were going to the zoo. I thought that he would want to spend most of his time looking at the monkeys like he usually does, but he was way more interested in seeing all of the kids in their costumes. He also liked looking at the characters dressed in costume. Of course, he wanted to look at them from a distance. He wasn't very interested in trick or treating, but he was excited to hold his bag. He didn't even want to let go of it to get in the car. Once we got in the car, he dumped all of the contents of his bag on his lap. Luckily, I was able to collect all of his treats and give him a few M&M's instead. He seemed pretty happy with that :)

Here are a few of the pics that we took today.

Happy Birthday Gavin!

2009-10-17T19:14:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Gavin! Gavin had a wonderful time at his 2nd birthday party today! His friends Damon, William, Brennan, Will, Abby, and Ben all came to celebrate at his Elmo party. They colored pictures of Elmo, played Pin the Nose on Elmo, and tossed some balls around the house. Afterwards, we ate some pizza and cake. Gavin didn't want to open his presents, though. I hope his friends weren't too disappointed. When it was time for his friends to go home, Gavin was so sad that he started to cry. Luckily, Aunt Lorrie and Uncle Brad were here to play some basketball with him to cheer him up!

After his friends went home, Gavin took a nap. When he woke from his nap, Gavin opened up his presents. He loved them all! Thank you to all of his friends that came to celebrate his big day with him!

Happy Birthday Ginger!

2009-09-12T09:22:00.005-06:00

Happy Birthday Ginger! She turned 6 years old yesterday (who better to have a 9/11 birthday than Ginger?!?!?!), so we celebrated her birthday with some cupcakes.

2009-09-12T08:50:00.002-06:00

Logan is a week old today, and he's doing really well. He had his first check-up at the doctor's office yesterday, and he is gaining weight! Logan came home from the hospital weighing 6 pounds 8 ounces, and he weighed in at 6 pounds 10 ounces at his appointment. I'm excited that nursing seems to be working for us because pumping for an extended period of time just wasn't an option for us. He also measured 19.5 inches long, so I guess the measurement they took at the hospital was a bit off. He's in the 20th percentile for weight and the 40th percentile for height. His head circumference puts him in the 50th percentile. I guess he's got a big head :)

Gavin is a wonderful big brother! He really likes holding Logan and pointing out his eyes, nose, and mouth! We just have to be sure he doesn't poke poor Logan's eyes out :) He loves to help us get different things around the house...as long as he's in the mood. (Gotta love an almost 2 year old!)

Here's a video of Gavin giving Logan his first bath at the hospital.

Playing with Damon

2009-08-07T15:02:00.003-06:00

Gavin had his friend Damon over to play today, and the two boys had so much fun together. They colored, built towers out of mega blocks, played with the trains, and read books together. They even gave each other hugs, but of course, I didn't have my camera handy during these sweet moments (I'm sure Brandon and Damon's dad appreciate not having pictures of their boys hugging each other!) During lunch, Gavin started pretending to sneeze and Damon just thought it was the funniest thing! The two boys were cracking themselves and each other up! Here's a video of their silliness during lunch!

A Chicken Sandwich!!!

2009-08-05T14:30:00.003-06:00

Gavin was asking for some bread on the way home from the Discovery Center today, so I decided to try and make him a sandwich. To my surprise, he ate it! He ate almost the entire thing too! I was so happy since he has been a VERY difficult eater the past week or so. He also ate a container of baby food green beans (yes, he still eats baby food! it's the only way I can get him to eat vegetables other than cucumbers, and as long as he's willing to eat it, I'm willing to buy it and feed it to him!), and TWO go-gurts (we're out of his regular yogurts, but it was a good thing since he thought it was something new and different). After that, he ate a small slice of watermelon and then asked to get down from his booster seat. About 5 minutes later, he came out of the pantry asking for some goldfish crackers. I guess his appetite is back (and I am definitely NOT complaining!)

I think I've figured out what was causing his eating problems this past week, though. His top right two year old molar is coming in. He was poking around in his mouth while I was reading him his stories before nap, so I stuck my finger in his mouth to see what he was poking at and I felt a sharp little point coming out. Hopefully, the rest of his two year old molars won't give him as much trouble as this one has. Maybe that's why he has been SO cranky the past week???? (I can only hope it was because if his behavior this past week is the beginning of the terrible twos, then I am in for some HARD times!!!!)

Here's a video of Gavin enjoying his first chicken sandwich!

The Discovery Center

2009-08-05T14:15:00.008-06:00

It is way too hot to play outside, so I brought Gavin to the Discovery Center today. He had so much fun exploring and playing with all of the different exhibits. On the way there, he kept reminding me that we needed olives. I asked him if he wanted to go to the store to buy more olives or if he wanted to play, and of course, he immediately said, "bay" (Gavinese for play). It's the first time he has said the word "play." It amazes me how quickly his vocabulary is increasing each day!

Lucky for us, the Discovery Center was pretty empty when we got there so Gavin was able to run around pretty freely. His favorite exhibits were the ones that involved balls...of course! Here are a few videos that I took of him today. (I know, I know! I'm a video crazed mom these past couple of days!)

Growing up!

2009-08-04T23:19:00.002-06:00

I can hardly believe how quickly Gavin is growing up. It seems like just yesterday that we brought him home from the hospital, and now he's running around swinging golf clubs and telling me, "No Mommy! No! No! No!" When I ask him, "Where did my baby go?", he runs over and lifts my shirt so that he can pat my stomach. I don't think he understands that there is a baby growing inside me, though. I think he believes that my stomach is called a baby, so he pats my belly when I ask him where my baby has gone as if he's reminding me of where my stomach is.

He's now 34 1/2 inches long and 23 pounds 9 ozs (and that's wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and socks!). Now that he's on some sort of eating strike, I have to wonder if he'll EVER gain any weight?!?!? As long as he's healthy, though, I have to try not to stress too much about how much he's eating...try being the operative word!

Dancing Like Michael Jackson

2009-08-03T20:51:00.011-06:00

Brandon was watching America's Best Dance Crew: Top 10 Performances, and Gavin wanted to dance along. When they got to a group dancing to Michael Jackson, Gavin decided he needed to get up off the couch and show us his moves. The more he watched it, the more adventurous he got with his dance moves. The second video I took of him was when he decided to move his legs up and down. How funny is that? Is it wrong of me to say that he's absolutely the cutest thing in the world?!?!?!?!

Watch Out, Tiger Woods!

2009-08-02T22:41:00.005-06:00

Watch out Tiger Woods, here comes Gavin! Brandon showed Gavin how to hit balls with his golf club today, and Gavin took to it like a fish takes to water! He loves hitting the balls with his club. Of course, he loves anything that Daddy does! Here are a few videos of him hitting the balls in the yard. My favorite is the first video where he nearly hits the ball over the fence!

Eating Edamame

2009-08-02T22:17:00.001-06:00

The terrible twos are here, and they are here with a vengeance! Gavin has been refusing to eat much the past 4 or 5 days, so I've been trying to make his favorites in hopes that he'll eat something. At lunch today, he decided that edamame was all that he wanted to eat, but after eating only a few of them, he wanted to throw them so that Molly could eat too. Finally, he decided that it would be ok to eat them if he ate like a dog too. Here's a video of Gavin eating his edamame like a dog! Remind me...how long do the terrible twos last????

A Relaxing Day on the Lake

2009-07-26T16:49:00.007-06:00

What a great day for relaxing on the lake with our neighbors! That's exactly what we did today, and Gavin loved every second of it! He was a little more hesitant about getting in the water this time, but he eventually warmed up to the idea and would sit and kick his feet. He did, however, want everyone else to go swimming though! He also loved splashing the noodle in the water after "Aunt" Lorrie showed him how to, but I think the highlight of his day on the boat was the mini M&M's that he got to eat!

I didn't get the chance to take too many videos since the battery on our camera died, but here is one of the videos that I did manage to get today. In this video, you can see what a ham Gavin is becoming. He even pauses to say, "cheese" when he sees that the camera is pointed at him.

Here's a new video of Gavin driving the boat with "Uncle" Brad. He LOVES getting to drive!

Baby #2's Ultrasound Pictures

2009-07-17T14:24:00.012-06:00

Here are some of the pictures that we got from our ultrasound today. It's amazing how much detail they can get from a 3D/4D ultrasound.

Now all we need is a name. Any suggestions?????

At the zoo with Grandma Yallaly

2009-07-16T14:08:00.010-06:00

Gavin loves going to the zoo, so we decided to go there during Grandma Yallaly's visit. We had a great day! Gavin played on the giant giraffe slide, climbed on the gorilla and the lion, and ran through the prairie dog tunnel. We were even lucky enough to see the lions laying right up against the glass. His favorite exhibit is the monkeys, though. If it were up to Gavin, we'd stare at the monkeys all day long! Here are some pictures of Gavin and Grandma Yallaly at the zoo.

A Visit from Hannah

2009-07-12T17:35:00.006-06:00

Gavin was lucky enough to have his big cousin Hannah visit. He had a TON of fun playing with her, and I just know he'll be so sad when she has to leave tomorrow. He especially loved playing ball with her. When he woke up this morning, he refused to play football with anyone except Hannah. Here are some pictures of them playing at the park on Friday afternoon.

Fourth of July

2009-07-05T23:34:00.005-06:00

Happy Fourth of July! We had a little barbecue at home with Dan, Corrie, and their baby, Ben. Gavin was very sweet to Ben. He shared all of his toys and even crawled around all over the floor with Ben.

Here's a video of Gavin and Ben dancing to Gavin's favorite cd.

And a couple pictures of Gavin trying to "feed" Ben.

Sandy Point at Lucky Peak

2009-07-05T23:25:00.003-06:00

We brought Gavin to Sandy Point Beach at Lucky Peak on our anniversary. Gavin had so much fun at the "bea" He loved digging in the sand! It was an impromptu trip, so we didn't have the forethought to pack beach toys for Gavin to play with. We only brought him a shovel and a rake. The poor kid stared longingly at the other children's beach toys. He was happy after lunch, though, when he got to use his yogurt container and his veggie container to build sandcastles. Brandon even taught him how to build them and then smash them! Gavin thought that was lots of fun. He wanted to smash everyone's castles! Uh-oh! I guess we'll have to keep our eyes on him whenever we go to the beach to make sure he doesn't smash another child's hard work! :)

Here's a video of Gavin and Brandon playing in the water. I love the giggles!

Disneyland!

2009-06-09T21:40:00.007-06:00

Gavin loved watching all of the dancers and listening to the music at the Celebrate Your Life parade at Disneyland. Here's a video of Gavin watching the parade.

The Playhouse Disney Live show was great! Gavin had a wonderful time watching the show and dancing along to the music. Here's a video of him watching this show.

We had a great time on all of the rides. Here's a video of Gavin on the Ladybug ride at California Adventure (It spins around like the Teacups). I know I'm getting old when this ride makes me a little queasy :)

Show Week!

2009-06-02T14:30:00.004-06:00

It was Show Week at The Little Gym. This is where the kiddos get to show-off what they have learned throughout the session and then receive a medal for all of their accomplishments. Here's a video of Gavin receiving his medal.

Splashing at the Park

2009-06-02T14:04:00.004-06:00

We went to Settler's Park with some of Gavin's friends the other day. He absolutely LOVES splashing in the water and swinging on the swings. Here are some pictures of him at the park.

Here's a video of Gavin playing with Abby. In case you can't tell, he's trying to tickle and hug her.

Gavin's First Boat Outing

2009-05-25T16:26:00.004-06:00

Gavin went on his first boat outing today. We went to Lucky Peak with "Uncle" Brad and "Aunt" Lorrie. He had such a great time, and boy oh boy is he a dare devil! We heard the biggest giggles and got the biggest smiles when we were going full speed. He even got to "drive" the boat. Here's a video of Gavin driving.

The water was pretty chilly (and when I say chilly, I mean that it was cold enough that it would numb your feet), but that didn't stop Gavin! He wanted to jump right in! Here are a couple of videos of Gavin splashing in the water.

It's a good thing Gavin was wearing his life jacket! Who knew he would be brave enough to try and jump right in?!?!?

A Visit to the Dentist!

2009-03-17T20:53:00.004-06:00

I know it has been a while since I last posted, but c'mon...give the pregnant lady a break, would ya? Yes, that's right, I'm pregnant! Gavin will be a big brother in September! We are very excited, and we will keep you posted as to whether it's a boy or girl, just as soon as we find out.

Gavin went to the dentist for the very first time today. He did really well until it came time for the dentist to look inside his mouth! (Does that count as him doing well at the dentist?!?!?) It's a good thing Brandon was with us because it took both of us to hold him still while the dentist looked inside his mouth. His teeth and mouth look healthy, but we're going to have to give his paci the ol' heave ho pretty soon. We knew the time was coming...I was just dragging out the inevitable to protect the sleep that I get at night!

I will post pictures of Gavin at the dentist just as soon as I find the camera! Yes, I actually took pictures of Gavin at the dentist, and yes, we cannot find the camera right now. Relax, it's not the big one and it wasn't me who misplaced it!!!

Among other firsts, Gavin went sledding for the first time on our ski trip to McCall. He absolutely LOVED it! Before the sled even stopped, he was signing for more...SO CUTE!!! For all of you Gavin picture lovers, here's a pic of him sledding at Brundage Mountain. FYI...we were not supposed to sled here, but it was a Monday afternoon and we were the ONLY people in this area :)

From Christmas Til Now

2009-02-11T21:27:00.011-07:00

Ok. Ok. Ok. I know I'm a complete slacker when it comes to updating this blog, but the good news is that we're back home and everyone's feeling better! I know it has been a while (a little over 2 months) since my last post, so this one will be a bit long.

I guess I'll start with Christmas. This Christmas was VERY different from last year! After breakfast, we brought Gavin into the living room to check out what Santa had brought him. Of course, the only thing he wanted to look at was the fantastic train table that his Grandma and Grandpa Yallaly bought for him. We had set it up where the coffee table normally is, and all he wanted to do was play with his trains! The look on his face while he played was that of pure joy! After quite some time (and lots of coaxing), we finally got him to look at some of his other gifts. He loved everything! He went from present to present and played with everything! It was so cute!

The next night, Gavin got a huge boo-boo on his face. He was running with his bubble blower (I know, I know. What kind of parents would let their kid run around with a bubble blower?!??!? Now we've learned our lesson!), when he tripped and fell on it. It worked just like a cookie cutter in his face and cut a perfect circle and a semi-circle underneath. My poor baby was dripping blood everywhere. Luckily it didn't need stitches, but it did take a while to heal and he still has scars on his face! Hopefully the scars will disappear by the time he's 5! So we had to bring Gavin on the plane to Florida with a huge band-aid on his face. What we didn't know was that he's allergic to something on the band-aid, so the poor kid had even more red marks on his face from the band-aid!

We had a great time in Florida! We were able to spend lots of time with grandparents, and we even got to see some friends! We were able to meet Brett and Monica's daughter, who happens to be one of the most adorable little girls on the planet. We had dinner with them, and Gavin just LOVED playing with her!

Here's a picture of Gavin and Allison. Isn't she adorable?!?!?

We also got to meet Brady, Kelly and Matt's little boy! Gavin loved playing with him too! Here's a picture of Gavin and Brady.

Gavin had tons of fun playing at his Grandma and Grandpa Yallaly's. Brian and Katie were nice enough to come down so that we could spend some time with them and Reagan. It was so nice watching Gavin and Reagan play together. Gavin even got jealous when Brandon picked Reagan up to hug her good-bye. Boy oh boy did the tears come down! We also brought Gavin to Downtown Disney. He rode a merry-go-round and a train for the first time, but I think his favorite part of the day was just getting to walk around and looking at all of the people!

At his Goong-Goong and Po Po's house, Gavin was able to go to the beach. This kid LOVES playing in the sand, and he isn't afraid of the ocean anymore! He kept trying to run into the ocean. Poor Emmy was soaked from having to run in after him!

When we got back from Florida, I had all intentions of updating this blog, as well as his website, but it just wasn't in the cards. After recovering from an ear infection that he got while in Florida, Gavin came down with the stomach flu! Yup, my poor baby was throwing up everywhere. He couldn't keep anything down. To make matters worse, the only thing he likes to drink is water but I could only give him Pedialyte. Eventually he drank it, but only after a lot of protesting. I ended up getting the stomach flu too, which is AWFUL to have when your husband has to go out-of-town on business! Gavin was absolutely WONDERFUL, though, and played by himself while I rested on the couch!

Brandon felt it was time for Gavin to loose his trailer park mullet that was growing on the back of his head. I thought they were cute little baby curls, but Brandon obviously felt differently. So, I brought Gavin for his very first hair cut yesterday, and he was a REALLY good boy! The only time he gave the hair dresser a bit of a hard time was when she was trying to cut the hair by his ears. He would try and push her hands away. I gave him a fruit snack to hold, and that problem was quickly solved! Other than that, he did GREAT! He got a balloon afterwards, so he was in HEAVEN! Now he looks like such a big boy.

Hey Santa!

2008-12-06T17:02:00.006-07:00

Gavin does NOT like Santa! We've tried bringing him to see Santa three different times, and each time we go, he CRIES! A local toy store had Santa there for photos today, so we brought Gavin to try once more. Here's what he thought of Santa.

After seeing Santa, Gavin got a much deserved break. He got to play on their train table. He LOVES it. Here are a couple of pics of him playing at the train table.

Chuck E. Cheese

2008-11-21T21:33:00.010-07:00

We brought Gavin and I to Chuck E. Cheese's for dinner tonight. He absolutely LOVED the show and all of the children, as well as the balloons that were up for the birthday parties. He ate his dinner so quickly that I think we just might need a stage show of animated characters in our own home! (If you'd like to see a video of him eating his dinner, please visit his website) He was absolutely mesmerized by the show. Every time one of the characters would move, he would quickly point to them. After dinner, we let him go on some of the rides and play a few games. I'll let you watch the videos to see if he enjoyed the rides or not.

First Boo-Boo

2008-11-21T20:59:00.004-07:00

Gavin has his first boo boo, at least the first one to leave a mark. I just hope it doesn't scar :) He was walking in our room the other day when he tripped and fell. He hit the edge of the bed frame and cut the outer corner of his right eye. My poor baby cried and cried. Hopefully, it will heal really soon. Here are some pictures of his boo boo.

Photography Assignment

2008-11-09T21:43:00.003-07:00

Since Gavin has been born, I've really gotten interested in photography. Brandon has gotten me an SLR, and I've been trying to learn as much as I can about shooting in manual. I've taken a photography class, and I've been lucky enough to find someone who is willing to mentor me. (Wende Trew...her work is beautiful) She gave me an assignment to do to try and expand my comfort zone. We were to take a picture of a subject using window light. So I used Gavin as my subject, of course, and here's what I came up with. I'm not usually a fan of black and white images, but I really like the way this one came out. He's so serious in it! It's getting more and more difficult for me to get Gavin to stay still long enough for me to take a photo, let alone get him to look at me! I guess I just need to keep practicing!

2008-11-08T22:08:00.003-07:00

Gavin has started walking! He took his first steps on October 23rd, but hadn't really done more than take a couple steps here and there since then. Last night, he decided that he was going to walk. He took about 10 steps while Brandon was at work, and then when Brandon got home, Gavin was walking all over his playroom! Here's a video of him walking across his playroom.

Gavin's First Birthday Party

2008-11-08T21:20:00.006-07:00

Gavin had his first birthday party on Saturday, October 18th. It was lots of fun. He had his Grandma and Grandpa Yallaly come celebrate with him, as well as lots of friends. I made him a monkey smash cake, and again, like a gentleman, he didn't really get into his cake until we gave him a fork to eat with. Go figure! Gavin had so many presents to open that he couldn't even open them all at his party. He is such a lucky little boy to be loved and spoiled by so many people. Here are some pictures of his party.

Happy Birthday to Gavin!

2008-11-08T21:09:00.004-07:00

Gavin celebrated his first birthday on Wednesday, October 15, 2008! His Grandma Yallaly was here to celebrate with us. "Uncle" Brad and "Aunt" Lorrie came over to celebrate too. We had cake and opened a couple of presents. Gavin was such a little gentleman while eating his cake. He didn't really dig into his cake like I expected him to. It wasn't even until we gave him a fork that he even started eating his cake. What can I say...he's got table manners!!!

Lollipop lollip oh lolli-lollipop

2008-09-27T22:15:00.003-06:00

Gavin enjoyed his first lollipop the other day. I wanted to take some pictures for his first birthday invitation, so I thought it would be cute if we got some with his lollipop too. Needless to say, he LOVED it! He didn't quite know what to make of it when we first gave it to him, but after Brandon gave him a taste he was hooked! He sat in one place so that I could take pictures until my heart was content! He even shared his lollipop with Molly...she was loving that!

Playing with "Aunt" Lorrie

2008-09-19T23:55:00.003-06:00

We are so lucky to have such great neighbors! Gavin just loves them! Whenever we go outside, he always looks towards their house and waves...even if there isn't anyone standing outside. It's so sweet! I guess if someone always had a big smile for me and lots of fun stuff to play with, I would probably like that person a whole lot too :) "Aunt" Lorrie always has great toys for Gavin to play with, and she lets him do stuff that I'm too overprotective or germaphobic (I know that's not spelled right) to let him do at home. It's good for me too since it helps me to let go of some of my craziness about germs. Ahh...one day...I just MIGHT be a normal, non-germaphobe. Maybe...just maybe! Here's a video of Gavin playing with his "Aunt" Lorrie. (In case you're wondering, yes, they are playing in rocks, and no, I did not die of a heart attack!)

The Little Gym

2008-09-19T21:57:00.009-06:00

Gavin absolutely LOVES going to The Little Gym. He really likes playing on the equipment, playing with the balls, and popping the bubbles. He doesn't really like the opening circle activities that the teacher would like him to do. I sure hope this isn't a sign of what's to come when he's in school!

\

Happy Belated Birthday, Ginger!

2008-09-19T21:17:00.003-06:00

I am such a forgetful mom! I completely forgot that it was Ginger's birthday until about 8:00 that night. We celebrated her birthday the following day with a chicken sandwich from McDonald's. She and Molly LOVED it! What a Happy Birthday for Ginger! We can hardly believe that she's already five years old...she still acts like such a puppy!

Riding a Trike!

2008-09-19T20:50:00.003-06:00

Gavin is growing up so quickly! He is cruising along on just about anything. His push toy still moves a bit too fast for him, so I gave him his tricycle to "ride". He sits on it and walks up and down our driveway. He loves being outside and watching everything that goes on. He especially loves looking at all of the plants and going to our next door neighbors house. He always tries to ride his trike over there. What a friendly, little boy!

Happy Birthday Jeff!

2008-08-25T11:19:00.007-06:00

We brought Gavin to Lucky Peak yesterday to celebrate Jeff's 23rd birthday. Happy Birthday Jeff! Gavin had a SUPER time playing with everyone. His "Aunt" Lorrie helped him dip his feet in the icy cold water, and she even taught Gavin how to feed the dogs watermelon. Thanks Lorrie!!! I hope Jeff had as good a time celebrating his birthday as Gavin did.

The Fair

2008-08-23T15:08:00.005-06:00

We brought Gavin to the fair today, and we thought for sure his head would explode with excitement! He was sitting up straight and tall in his stroller so as not to miss a single thing! He enjoyed seeing all of the different animals in the petting zoo, but he REALLY seemed to enjoy watching all of the big kids ride the roller coasters. Here's a video of him watching the big kids on a roller coaster.

Brandon gave Gavin his very first taste of shaved ice. I'll let you watch the video and judge for yourself whether Gavin liked it or not.

St. Louis

2008-08-23T14:53:00.005-06:00

We were in St. Louis last week for Brandon's Grandma Niehaus' funeral. It was very sad, but we're glad that she's in heaven with Grandpa Niehaus now. Gavin was wonderful on the trip. He was smiley and happy for everyone, even without his normal naps and routines. He was able to meet all of his cousins and second cousins on Brandon's side of the family. Here's a picture of Gavin with everyone.

We also had the chance to visit the St. Louis zoo. Gavin really enjoyed seeing all of the animals in their habitats. We couldn't tell if Gavin had more fun or if his Grandma Yallaly did! Here's a picture of Gavin with his Grandma and Grandpa Yallaly at the zoo.

Gavin also got to meet Brandon's long-time friend Louie and his family. Louie's son, Charlie is only one month and 5 days younger than Gavin. He also has two year-old twin girls that Gavin LOVED watching play. Gavin had a really great time visiting with Uncle Louie and his family. Here's a picture of Gavin, Brandon, Uncle Louie, and Charlie by the barn that Brandon and Louie played in when they were little boys.

Swimming at the Pool

2008-08-03T16:05:00.003-06:00

We brought Gavin to the YMCA today so that he could swim, and he had a BLAST! Here's a video of him "swimming" with B. Check out how he actually moves his arms, as if he is REALLY swimming. I think I'll be signing Gavin up for swim lessons this Winter!!!

Here's another video of him playing in the pool with Brandon. He is such a dare devil. I don't know what it would take to scare him!

At the Park

2008-08-03T15:21:00.003-06:00

Brandon and I brought Gavin to play at the park the other day. He had a really good time watching all of the kids playing. He wanted to crawl all over the place! The park had a water feature, and Gavin really seemed to enjoy playing with the water. Here's a video of Gavin playing with one of the water features.

2008-07-22T17:00:00.002-06:00

Gavin was able to spend this past week with his Auntie T. He had such a blast! He really laughs hard whenever she's around. Perhaps it's the crazy faces and noises that she makes at him. She brought her web cam with her, so Gavin's Goong Goong,Po Po, and Auntie Em were able to see him too. Since they watched him for what seemed like hours, I guess this means I'll be getting a web cam sometime in the near future. I really am glad that Gavin is lucky enough to be able to see his family even though they live far away. It's great that technology allows far away family to see him grow up.

Here's a picture of Gavin with his Auntie T reading to him. He's really loving it!!!

2008-07-14T09:57:00.003-06:00

Gavin took his very first "steps" on his hands and knees last night. He's such a big boy now! I was eating some dehydrated apples, which he LOVES, so of course, he comes crawling towards me with his mouth wide open for some. Instead of putting it down low, I held the apples up a little higher so that he would have to look up. Lo and behold, we now have the beginnings of a hands and knees crawler! I think Brandon and I are about to be in some SERIOUS trouble soon :)

Happy Birthday, Katie!

2008-07-09T23:27:00.001-06:00

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Try JibJab Sendables!

Gavin's Friend

2008-07-09T20:20:00.003-06:00

I am so excited that Gavin has made his very first friend. Gavin has had several play dates with his friend Damon. Damon just turned 1 in June, and if you consider Damon pushing Gavin over to steal his toy as playing really well, then they are the BEST players there are ;) It's really nice to know that Gavin has such an easy-going personality. As long as he's got a toy to play with, he doesn't mind sharing at all! I just hope he stays that way! Here's a picture of Damon for those of you who don't live near enough to meet him in person. (Brandon is VERY envious of Damon's full head of hair!!!)

Having Some Fun

2008-07-09T13:55:00.004-06:00

Gavin and I were just having some fun today. I discovered that he likes it when I make a growling noise and then toss his toy at him. He's such a boy!!!

He is growing up so fast! And boy oh boy has his personality developed. He's SO dramatic about things. We went grocery shopping today and he wanted a bag of candy that I had. I didn't want him to chew on it, so instead of screaming for it, he started throwing his head backwards and moaning. When I didn't respond, he started putting his hands on his head while he threw it backwards too! What a little drama king! I am NOT looking forward to his terrible twos!!!

2008-07-02T23:11:00.002-06:00

I've read that it's good for a baby's butt to get some naked time. I don't know if it's true or not, but Gavin LOVES his naked time, so that makes it good enough for me. We spent this evening outside while Brandon worked on his latest project. Gavin LOVED LOVED LOVED being outside, especially when he was completely naked. He kept crawling to the edge of the blanket so that he could play with the grass. When he realized that the blades of grass were sticking up right near his mouth, he must've thought that he needed to taste some. So he opened his mouth and tried to let a couple of blades in his mouth. Thankfully, I caught him before he sucked on some. You know me...I'm a germ FREAK and the very idea of him sucking on grass that was most likely pooped on by one of the girls gave me the heeby jeebies! I know his grass eating is inevitable, but I just hope that he does it without me seeing or knowing!

A Babysitter!

2008-06-29T20:25:00.005-06:00

I've finally given in and left Gavin with a babysitter. Does it really count if I put him to sleep before the babysitter came? I guess I need to start somewhere, right? Brandon and I went out for our 5th anniversary so we had our next door neighbor come and stay with Gavin while he slept. We had a really nice time and a super yummy dinner too! Brandon got me the camera that I've been eyeballing, so here are some pics of Gavin and the dogs. There are so many features to this camera, that I've barely scratched the surface of learning how to use them. Hopefully, my pictures will only get better as I learn to use all of the features of my new camera. If you feel like it, leave a comment and let me know what you think, or if I can improve them in any way.

Crawling!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-26T16:15:00.002-06:00

It's official...Gavin has realized the power of crawling. He loves when I stack blocks into a tower across the room so that he can crawl to it and knock it over. Check it out...

Fingerpainting

2008-06-14T23:34:00.004-06:00

Gavin made a fingerpainting for Brandon as part of his first Father's Day gift. As you can see in the video, Gavin isn't quite sure what to make of the gooey stuff. He ended up having a great time, and his fingerpainting turned out beautifully!

2008-06-08T11:19:00.003-06:00

Gavin crawled forward for the first time on his own today! I'm really glad that Brandon was home to see it. He has worked so hard with Gavin on his crawling, and he misses out on so many "firsts" when he's at work.

Solid Foods

2008-06-04T23:25:00.001-06:00

Splashes

2008-06-04T22:57:00.000-06:00

Gavin loves to splash in the tub. After getting his dinner all over his face every night, we look forward to bath time to help wash all of the food off of Gavin's face, hands, and feet (yes, even his feet get full of food!) Gavin especially loves his baths because that's when he gets to splash around. He just loves flapping his hands up and down to splash the water. He'll even flap his hands when he's not in the water if you say "splashes".

Banging on Pots

2008-05-25T15:54:00.001-06:00

We let Gavin practice his musical skills today, and we may just have a musician on our hands! We showed him how to bang the wooden spoons on a pot just once, and he took to it instantly. Here's a video of our little drummer boy.

Sippy Cup!

2008-05-23T22:41:00.000-06:00

Gavin tried drinking from a sippy cup tonight. He couldn't get any of his milk out when the valve was in, so we took it out to let the milk flow easily. He tried really hard to drink like a big boy! He did manage to drink some of it, but a lot of it dribbled down his chin. Not too shabby for his first try at drinking like a big boy, though!

Yum Yum for Mum Mums

2008-05-23T16:07:00.000-06:00

Gavin had his first cookie today. I thought he would love them, but he wasn't too sure about them. Here's a video of him eating his first cookie. Sorry the video is sideways, I forgot I can't turn the video on my computer.

7 Months Old!

2008-05-15T16:55:00.000-06:00

I can hardly believe that Gavin is 7 months old today. People always told me that time would just FLY by and to cherish every moment that Gavin is a baby. I didn't believe them, especially during the first 3 months of Gavin's life and I was sleep deprived. I thought time seemed to DRAG! Now that I look back, I really do miss having such a teeny tiny baby (but I wouldn't trade him for anything in the entire world). He seems like such a big boy!

Here's a video of Gavin rolling around in his crib when he's supposed to be taking a nap. He didn't know I was in his room videoing his antics. I did get to see him play with his crib pad, so that is no longer in his crib. I had NO idea that he used it as a toy also!!! That boy DEFINITELY likes to play!

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-11T21:48:00.000-06:00

I had a wonderful first Mother's Day today! Brandon took care of Gavin so that I could sleep in, and boy oh boy did I take advantage of that! I slept until almost 11:00!!!!! I guess I was tired! After I woke up, Brandon made what was supposed to be my breakfast but it turned out to be more like brunch. After that, Gavin woke from his morning nap and gave me the best Mother's Day present of all...he said "Mama"! We heard him waking from his nap over the monitor. He was cooing to himself like he usually does. Then all of a sudden, we heard him distinctly say, "Mama". Brandon and I both looked at each other after hearing Gavin. It was such a great gift for me to hear him say that. After we fed him, we packed up Gavin and the dogs and headed to the park. It was a gorgeous day for a walk in the park. Gavin and the dogs really seemed to have a good time. Gavin went on the swings for the very first time. At first, he sat in the swing all chill seeming as if he could care less about the swing. Then Brandon and I pushed him in it so that he moved a bit faster and higher and then he seemed to enjoy it more. He would smile as he went higher. What a little dare devil! Here's a video of Gavin riding on the swings. Just so you know, it is NOT him that you hear giggling on the video. It's the kid next to Gavin that's giggling.

At the Zoo

2008-05-03T21:17:00.000-06:00

We went to the Miami Metro Zoo today, and it was so much fun! Gavin was a real trooper in the hot Florida heat. He really enjoyed looking at all of the animals, but he especially enjoyed playing in the kiddie water play area. We will definitely have to go back again when we visit Florida in December.

Balloons!

2008-05-02T22:31:00.000-06:00

Here's a video of Gavin playing with his first balloon. I think that Goong Goong enjoyed it as much as Gavin did :) I can DEFINITELY see a LOT more balloons in our future!!!

Swimming in the Pool

2008-04-14T16:46:00.000-06:00

We took Gavin swimming to see how he'd do in the pool. He wasn't crazy about it at first, but I think he started to like it after awhile. He reminded us of a sea otter that we saw at the Seattle Aquarium.

Fun in the Sun!

2008-04-14T16:30:00.000-06:00

We brought Gavin to the beach the other day. He wasn't too crazy about the surf, so I think we'll have to wait until he's a bit older before we take him back to the beach. I think the roar of the ocean might have bit a bit much for him. At least we got some cute pictures :)

Florida...Here I Come!

2008-04-14T16:21:00.001-06:00

I survived my first plane ride with an infant! Gavin was WONDERFUL! The take-offs and landings were a breeze! He was such a great kid the entire way...let's hope he keeps it up for the trip back to Idaho!

Working Hard!

2008-04-02T21:58:00.000-06:00

Gavin is always watching me work on the computer. After spitting up all over the touch pad, I decided he wasn't allowed to play with my laptop anymore. So we gave him his very own keyboard. Here's a video of him "working" while Brandon and I eat dinner.

Sitting Up!

2008-04-02T21:37:00.000-06:00

Gavin has started to sit up without support today. He's still really wobbly, but I guess he's got to start somewhere! Now if only I could keep him from falling over onto his face!

I Love My Toys!

2008-04-01T13:42:00.000-06:00

Gavin really loves playing with toys now! It's so fun watching him play!