When Gavin was about 7 months old, one of his teachers said that you could have an entire conversation with just his facial expressions. He has started using more words, but the facial expressions have just expanded. Yesterday at the park one of the parents remarked that you could really understand what Gavin was "saying" . . . ironically, his actual vocabulary is limited to about 15 words, but that parent was absolutely right. He is expressive, communicative, and very entertaining.
Check him out:
And he has developed about as many nicknames as he has expressions. Here are a few:
Baby G n/k/a Little G
Gav
G
Little Man
Little Man Mustache
Gav-man (best sung like you would Batman)
The Gavinator
Squishy
Snuggles
Steamroller
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Gavin's First Birthday Paint Party
There are two competing theories about a first birthday party. One theory: don't do it. The guest of honor at best won't remember it and at worst will be totally unimpressed that there are too many other people in his house during what should be nap time. The opposite theory: do it and do it big. The expressed guest of honor may not remember it, but two older, formerly sleep-deprived, unmentioned honorees are in desperate need of a celebration after a year that has totally rocked their world. Despite my inherited tendency to overdue holidays and celebrations, I think we split the middle quite nicely this time.
Although Gavin will not actually remember the celebration, we all enjoyed it (including the 1 year-old-honoree), and we have these great pictures as reminiscences for when he is older.
Although Gavin will not actually remember the celebration, we all enjoyed it (including the 1 year-old-honoree), and we have these great pictures as reminiscences for when he is older.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Happy Birthday!
One year ago today, almost at this minute, Daniel and I held Gavin for the first time. As all parents know, at that exact moment Daniel and I both learned what true, unconditional love really is, and it instantly made us want to be better people and made us love each other even more.
The past year has gone by quickly, too quickly. We are constantly trying to get ahead of time. I want more time. I want more time in the morning after Gavin gets up, rubs the sleep from his eyes, cuddles in for a few minutes, and then slowly starts to actually wake up at first with a few grunts, then kisses for both mom and dad, a few crawls over both of us, and then the final take off where he shimmies off the bed and does not stop moving and exploring again until bedtime. I want more time with him at daycare where he walks me around the room, proud of the new toys he has discovered and the new skills he has mastered (like climbing up onto the toy shelves), gives his little friends kisses, and initiates games of chase and take-and-give or tug-o-war. I want more time with him after work when I pick him up from school, get surprised face as he sees me walk into his class (this never gets old), runs (or something like it) over to me for a quick hug and kiss and then another tour around the room. I want more time with him and Daniel at home in the evening listening to more laughs. And, as tough as it is to admit now that Gavin isn't waking up every hour, I want more time with him at night, cuddling in the dark, just the two us, snuggled up and exhausted.
Not so surprisingly if you've known me long enough, however, I simply cannot wait for whatever is next and I find myself having to remember that what is next will come all too quickly. Indeed, just seventeen more of these ridiculously speedy periods and Gavin is off to college. How wonderful it is to be his mom and get to intimately watch him grow up. I'm not sure that I'll ever be as good of a teacher as I think this miracle deserves, but I am thankful, so very, very thankful that he is our son.
I've loved you since before you were born, Baby G. And each day you make me fall more in love with you, with your dad, and with life. Thank you for bringing the purest, most magical joy to our lives. Happy Birthday!
The past year has gone by quickly, too quickly. We are constantly trying to get ahead of time. I want more time. I want more time in the morning after Gavin gets up, rubs the sleep from his eyes, cuddles in for a few minutes, and then slowly starts to actually wake up at first with a few grunts, then kisses for both mom and dad, a few crawls over both of us, and then the final take off where he shimmies off the bed and does not stop moving and exploring again until bedtime. I want more time with him at daycare where he walks me around the room, proud of the new toys he has discovered and the new skills he has mastered (like climbing up onto the toy shelves), gives his little friends kisses, and initiates games of chase and take-and-give or tug-o-war. I want more time with him after work when I pick him up from school, get surprised face as he sees me walk into his class (this never gets old), runs (or something like it) over to me for a quick hug and kiss and then another tour around the room. I want more time with him and Daniel at home in the evening listening to more laughs. And, as tough as it is to admit now that Gavin isn't waking up every hour, I want more time with him at night, cuddling in the dark, just the two us, snuggled up and exhausted.
Not so surprisingly if you've known me long enough, however, I simply cannot wait for whatever is next and I find myself having to remember that what is next will come all too quickly. Indeed, just seventeen more of these ridiculously speedy periods and Gavin is off to college. How wonderful it is to be his mom and get to intimately watch him grow up. I'm not sure that I'll ever be as good of a teacher as I think this miracle deserves, but I am thankful, so very, very thankful that he is our son.
I've loved you since before you were born, Baby G. And each day you make me fall more in love with you, with your dad, and with life. Thank you for bringing the purest, most magical joy to our lives. Happy Birthday!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Then and Now (Part 4) - Social Butterfly
Then: 6 months - We called his first day of school a success, but reading between the lines you could probably tell we were still a bit nervous about the whole affair and whether Gavin would thrive there.
Now: 11 months - Gavin blows kisses to the teachers, pushes out of my arms to go play with his friends the second we walk through the door (although he still whimpers when I finally leave . . . for a whopping 15 seconds), and has indeed thrived. He is getting ready to graduate from the Butterfly Room to the Monkey Room (1 year to 18 month olds), which means one nap a day on a big boy mat rather than a crib, constant outside playground time, and eating at the table in a proper chair. It is bittersweet. I've watched other infants from Gavin's class make the transition, and they instantly turn into big kids. Definitely more sweet than bitter though because each and every phase of this wonderful person's life has been better than the previous one.
Sampling of Daily Notes from the past 6 months:
"Gavin had a great day today! He enjoyed going outside on the buggy and watching the butterflies fly around the flowers. He also really liked playing with the blocks and trying to give Bailey kisses."
"Gavin was the Butterfly dentist today. He would crawl to Bailey or Gretchen and gently put his finger into their mouth. He also liked going on the playground and going down the slide."
"SUPER HAPPY BOY! Loved going out on the buggy and climbing in and out, in and out, in and out of the donut. He also must have had one crazy weekend, because he talked nonstop. Also played chase with Daisy and Lula around the chair."
"Gavin had a great day! He liked being king of the room. He made sure to pull ALL of the toys off the shelves and made a nice big mess. =) He liked getting to play with Kai (new Butterfly). Kai would chase Gavin all around the room and Gavin loved it."
"Gavin had a wonderful day. He liked watching the rain from the open window and the birds that kept landing on the porch - very interesting! He liked crawling up onto the big singing block and made his surprised face each time it would start to sing. :0 He also found the LOUDEST toys to play with while Henry and Bailey were sleeping."
In case you need a visual on the referenced surprised face that occurs each time Gavin here's a noise (music, dog bark, chickens next door, loud truck, lawn mower, car alarm, etc.) or sees any animal (dog, cat, bird, fish tank) or someone that he wants to meet (kids at the grocery store, mailman, random stranger walking on the sidewalk while we are stopped at a red light) or on command/response to your surprised face:
Now: 11 months - Gavin blows kisses to the teachers, pushes out of my arms to go play with his friends the second we walk through the door (although he still whimpers when I finally leave . . . for a whopping 15 seconds), and has indeed thrived. He is getting ready to graduate from the Butterfly Room to the Monkey Room (1 year to 18 month olds), which means one nap a day on a big boy mat rather than a crib, constant outside playground time, and eating at the table in a proper chair. It is bittersweet. I've watched other infants from Gavin's class make the transition, and they instantly turn into big kids. Definitely more sweet than bitter though because each and every phase of this wonderful person's life has been better than the previous one.
Sampling of Daily Notes from the past 6 months:
"Gavin had a great day today! He enjoyed going outside on the buggy and watching the butterflies fly around the flowers. He also really liked playing with the blocks and trying to give Bailey kisses."
"Gavin was the Butterfly dentist today. He would crawl to Bailey or Gretchen and gently put his finger into their mouth. He also liked going on the playground and going down the slide."
"SUPER HAPPY BOY! Loved going out on the buggy and climbing in and out, in and out, in and out of the donut. He also must have had one crazy weekend, because he talked nonstop. Also played chase with Daisy and Lula around the chair."
"Gavin had a great day! He liked being king of the room. He made sure to pull ALL of the toys off the shelves and made a nice big mess. =) He liked getting to play with Kai (new Butterfly). Kai would chase Gavin all around the room and Gavin loved it."
"Gavin had a wonderful day. He liked watching the rain from the open window and the birds that kept landing on the porch - very interesting! He liked crawling up onto the big singing block and made his surprised face each time it would start to sing. :0 He also found the LOUDEST toys to play with while Henry and Bailey were sleeping."
In case you need a visual on the referenced surprised face that occurs each time Gavin here's a noise (music, dog bark, chickens next door, loud truck, lawn mower, car alarm, etc.) or sees any animal (dog, cat, bird, fish tank) or someone that he wants to meet (kids at the grocery store, mailman, random stranger walking on the sidewalk while we are stopped at a red light) or on command/response to your surprised face:
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Then and Now (Part 3) - Walking on Sunshine
Then: 1.5 months - Remember the July 2009 "Kickin' Coaster" post? (You can catch it here if you need a refresher: ) We described Gavin as "our little mountain climber" and a mover and shaker.
Now: 6 months - Gavin started pulling himself up to a standing position and trying to climb furniture. He refuses to sit and instead belly scoots to you (imagine something ala Stripes with Bill Murray yelling, "Never leave a man behind!"), climbs up onto your lap, turns around, and grabs your fingers like they are his personal reins as he yells "giddyup!" (or, at least, pulls on your fingers, rocks back and forth, and grunts). Being the novice parents that we are, Daniel and I accommodate, no encourage, this "walking."
7 months - Still refuses to sit. Legs. Must. Be. Moving. Mom and Dad are thoroughbreds. (Plus, let's admit it, we're not particularly tall so we don't have to bend down that far to walk holding onto Gavin's hands.) We're surviving and we're still so proud.
8 months - Still moving. Still refuses to sit. Must. Kick. Ball. For hours. NO, seriously, hours. I feel guilty that Gavin is at daycare during the day where his teachers obviously cannot give him the individual attention that he needs (read, demands) and probably cannot spend all day walking him around the room playing soccer with whatever toy crosses his path. So, at night, we walk. And walk. And walk. And walk. And kick. And kick. And kick.
9 months - Alright kid, let's get a move on. You may have started this, but Mom and Dad are going to finish it. We're practicing because Mom and Dad are about to be taken out to pasture. We're cutting the reins, or at least we're trying. Unfortunately, it works like a kill switch. Gavin is walking us around the room, I mean Speedy Gonzalez style walking around the room, holding onto both hands. You quickly slip one hand away and FREEZE. Midstep. Followed by a full blown toddler style temper tantrum where he throws his head back and arches his entire body backwards (which is precarious considering you're holding onto only one of his hands) until you again give him both of your hands. And the switch is instantly flipped back. No more tantrum. No more crying. Just walking.
Thankfully, we've discovered that he loves to push his cart across the room, which means no more humpback-of-notre-dame-style walking for Mom and Dad. He walks from one end of the room, bang, hits the wall on the other side. Mom, turns the cart around. He walks to the other side of the room, bang, hits the opposite wall. Dad, turns the cart around. You get the picture.
10 months - "I may be walking in circles, but I got this Mom, leave me alone." Why did I ever want him to walk holding onto only one hand? Please, remind me. Because now, he still crawls (or cruises) over to you, sits in your lap, grabs both hands, stands up, and then throws one of your hands away to walk with just your other hand. The problem? His balance and coordination are still a little off and he ends up walking in a circle - to the right if it is your right hand, to the left if it is your left hand. This do-si-do is fun for the first 10 or 15 minutes, and then I get dizzy. I try to grab his other hand, but he pulls ninja tricks, hiding it or rolling it so that it is impossible to hold onto.
Having said all of this, watching the look on his face as he practices and then masters each new motor skill has been amazing. He is a determined little boy. I know exactly where he gets it. A few months before Gavin was born, Daniel kayaked 65 miles in a single day after having previously kayaked a total of three times for a total distance of, maybe, 5 miles. Daddy D and Little G power through it. And although it means a (nearly) one-year-old has got us by the reins, his determination is a wonderful quality.
11 months and 3 weeks - Watch out world, he walks.
Now: 6 months - Gavin started pulling himself up to a standing position and trying to climb furniture. He refuses to sit and instead belly scoots to you (imagine something ala Stripes with Bill Murray yelling, "Never leave a man behind!"), climbs up onto your lap, turns around, and grabs your fingers like they are his personal reins as he yells "giddyup!" (or, at least, pulls on your fingers, rocks back and forth, and grunts). Being the novice parents that we are, Daniel and I accommodate, no encourage, this "walking."
7 months - Still refuses to sit. Legs. Must. Be. Moving. Mom and Dad are thoroughbreds. (Plus, let's admit it, we're not particularly tall so we don't have to bend down that far to walk holding onto Gavin's hands.) We're surviving and we're still so proud.
8 months - Still moving. Still refuses to sit. Must. Kick. Ball. For hours. NO, seriously, hours. I feel guilty that Gavin is at daycare during the day where his teachers obviously cannot give him the individual attention that he needs (read, demands) and probably cannot spend all day walking him around the room playing soccer with whatever toy crosses his path. So, at night, we walk. And walk. And walk. And walk. And kick. And kick. And kick.
9 months - Alright kid, let's get a move on. You may have started this, but Mom and Dad are going to finish it. We're practicing because Mom and Dad are about to be taken out to pasture. We're cutting the reins, or at least we're trying. Unfortunately, it works like a kill switch. Gavin is walking us around the room, I mean Speedy Gonzalez style walking around the room, holding onto both hands. You quickly slip one hand away and FREEZE. Midstep. Followed by a full blown toddler style temper tantrum where he throws his head back and arches his entire body backwards (which is precarious considering you're holding onto only one of his hands) until you again give him both of your hands. And the switch is instantly flipped back. No more tantrum. No more crying. Just walking.
Thankfully, we've discovered that he loves to push his cart across the room, which means no more humpback-of-notre-dame-style walking for Mom and Dad. He walks from one end of the room, bang, hits the wall on the other side. Mom, turns the cart around. He walks to the other side of the room, bang, hits the opposite wall. Dad, turns the cart around. You get the picture.
10 months - "I may be walking in circles, but I got this Mom, leave me alone." Why did I ever want him to walk holding onto only one hand? Please, remind me. Because now, he still crawls (or cruises) over to you, sits in your lap, grabs both hands, stands up, and then throws one of your hands away to walk with just your other hand. The problem? His balance and coordination are still a little off and he ends up walking in a circle - to the right if it is your right hand, to the left if it is your left hand. This do-si-do is fun for the first 10 or 15 minutes, and then I get dizzy. I try to grab his other hand, but he pulls ninja tricks, hiding it or rolling it so that it is impossible to hold onto.
Having said all of this, watching the look on his face as he practices and then masters each new motor skill has been amazing. He is a determined little boy. I know exactly where he gets it. A few months before Gavin was born, Daniel kayaked 65 miles in a single day after having previously kayaked a total of three times for a total distance of, maybe, 5 miles. Daddy D and Little G power through it. And although it means a (nearly) one-year-old has got us by the reins, his determination is a wonderful quality.
11 months and 3 weeks - Watch out world, he walks.
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