Monday, December 28, 2009

Discovery


This morning Gavin discovered he could reach for and grab his feet! I know it seems like such a little thing, but to me it is big! He has been using his hands more and more, and now finally he will reach out and touch my face...I hold him up close to me and talk to him and kiss him, and he reaches out to grab my face:) He then tries to eat it, like he does with everything.

Like I keep saying, each week, each day, Gavin changes so much! I am trying so hard to soak up these moments because they go so fast...and I want to remember them forever (Which is why I blog about everything:)

This past week was my first week back to work, and boy was it HARD! I am really glad that my job keeps me pretty busy, so that I do not have much time to dwell on the fact that I am not home with Gavin.

I am very lucky that I have some amazing and supportive co-workers at the hospital. Some of my friends on the unit have had babies within the last year as well, so we are all going through the same thing together...It is very nice to have the support and know that I am not alone. When we have some down time (Not often!) we will all talk about our babies. Actually, that's all we ever talk about anymore! Last year at this time we all talked about our pregnancy (All 7 of us) and now its all baby talk!

One HUGE change that I have noticed in myself since I have been back at work is my overflowing amount of compassion and pure sympathy. I know before I had a baby I was always very compassionate with the kids I took care of...but now its just different. When I first started nursing it took a long time to build up the emotional strength to do what I do. Even though I see very amazing things happen and sick children cured from disease, I also see the opposite. Although I try and try to remember the positive that I see and that we do, but it is hard to forget the sad things we see. Just when I thought that I was able to "leave the hospital at the door" when I would go home, I am back to square one. I know it may sound harsh, but you have to learn how to leave the emotional aspect of the job because it will eat you up if you bring it home all the time. There were always some bad days, when sometimes I could not help but bring the sadness home. Having a baby has put me right back at the beginning, where I hurt for these children and families SO much. I see these babies who are so sick and hurting, and I just want to take it all away. Then I imagine myself in their situation, and Gavin being sick, and I just loose it. I know, I sound so emotional right now, but it truly changes things when you have a baby yourself. I just find myself counting my blessings ALL the time, and praying for these families ALL the time.

I have also discovered my perspective about life in general has changed since I have been back at work. I think being off of work for 6.5 months made me loose my perspective about a lot of things. I have been so consumed with Gavin's sleep. Gavin's milk issue. Gavin's routine. Well, while all of these are still important to me, I need to remember that these are just small little issues. Very small. When I see what some are going through, I think I am crazy for worrying about these little things. I need to remember that I have a beautiful healthy baby, and for that I am forever thankful.

Another reason that I think I have been doing so well back at work is that I feel so comfortable leaving him at home with Derek and Dayle. (Actually I think this is a HUGE reason that I do OK at work!) He is in the best hands and has no issues at all. He takes his bottles and is generally a pretty good boy. If they were not taking care of him, I am pretty sure I would refuse to go back to work. (And then we would have to sell the house and move in to a trailer home! HA!)

So, for now, I am doing OK with being back at work. While it is very very VERY hard to leave Gavin, I feel like it is making me a better mommy somehow. I feel like I appreciate him and everything so much more. I feel like he may appreciate me more as well. As much as I would like to "stay at home" it is just not entirely possible for us. We own our home, and would like to raise Gavin and future children in this great neighborhood. We can't wait for him to be older and be able to run around our yard and maybe even help plant our gardens. He will be able to learn how to ride his bike on our street, and go trick or treating in our neighborhood. All the things we want for him he will have and be able to do. We also want to be able to travel with him. Not only travel to Ohio to see our family, but also travel to new places and see new things. We want him to appreciate the world around him. Derek and I do not spend money that we don't have, we save everywhere we can. We own our cars and do not have any credit card debt. I cut coupons (Not very good at this!) and buy everything on sale. We buy most of our clothes second hand, and most of the baby stuff second hand. We buy our produce from a local farm and grow a lot of things in our garden. I believe that maybe one day, I will be able to work part time, and we will do just fine. I admit, we still have and buy a lot of things that we don't necessarily need, but we will work on it. The last thing we want is for Gavin to grow up wanting "things." Now, I just need to get that part time job, and it would be a beautiful mix of everything!

I am glad G is spending some quality time alone with his Dad and Grandma...He will learn different things from them, and that will be great!

Saturday, December 26, 2009

{Gavin 19 Weeks}

I can't believe that Christmas is over all ready! Seems like it goes by so fast....

Christmas morning we went to church and Gavin loved it. He loves hearing all the pretty music, and I think he recognizes some of it because I sing it to him each night...Silent Night, Away in a Manger, and Hark the Harold Angels are a few that we sing. The mass was a beautiful one, and the message was even better. "There is room in my heart for others...for the sick, for the needy, for those who hurt..." This is the message that the priest was speaking of, and it was so meaningful, especially this time of year. It is not about the presents, or the lights, or the decorations...Christmas is about caring for others...something we are able to do because Jesus was born and died for us. I hope each year we are able to teach Gavin the true meaning of Christmas...

We spent Christmas Day at Derek's cousin Zana's house in Dublin. We had a great time seeing the Moore family and introducing Gavin! As usual, EVERYONE could not believe how cute he was and kept telling us so. I know I am biased, but I really do think he is a pretty cute baby;)

Anyways, we had a very delicious dinner and Gavin was so good the entire time. He had a hard time Christmas night(could not fall asleep and stay asleep) and we know it was because he was just overtired and overwhelmed with all the excitement of Christmas...lots of new people:)

Today, Gavin is 19 weeks old, and I was very lucky to get the day off work! I have been soaking up every free minute with my boys:)

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you have a great day!


Sunday, December 20, 2009

4 and 5

I did not write yesterday because I was upset that night 4 was not very good...G was up 3 different times and cried on and off almost all night. No fun. At all. I almost gave in and went to get him, but I didn't. Oh this sleep training is so hard!

Last night was a lot better. It seems like he has one good night, then one bad. Not sure why! Maybe he is just making sure we know who rules this house;) Yesterday he took a really good late afternoon nap (2pm-440pm) and he did this the other day as well...Maybe he sleeps better at night when he takes a really good later afternoon nap?

Last night Gavin went to sleep at 8pm (This is a little late for him, but he was not cranky at all!) He woke up at 8:15pm and cried for 10 minutes. Then he slept until 330am and he cried for 10 minutes. He went back to sleep until 5am:) Derek and I thought this was pretty good for him! So we shall see what he does tonight! We are celebrating Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's house today, so I hope he can still take a long nap over there...it seems like this nap is crucial to his night sleep!

So excited to dress him up in his Christmas outfit:)

"Love makes you smile when you're tired"
-Unknown

Saturday, December 19, 2009

{Gavin 18 Weeks}

We have been so busy this past week with family, so this post will be pretty quick!

Gavin got to meet his Aunt Marisa this week, she came in town from Florida:) Gavin is a little shy at first, as usual, but he warms up pretty fast! We were happy we were able to go out to dinner with Aunt Marisa and spend some time together.

We are all looking forward to Christmas this week:) It is my favorite time of year, and even though I am sad we will not see my side of the family, I am excited that it is Gavin's first Christmas!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Sweet December Day

It is nice and sunny on this December day. Gavin loves to be outside and look around. I am in heaven taking a million pictures of this sweet little baby.



Night 3=Good Night!

Last night was a pretty good night...actually it was a great night! Here is what G man did:

6:30pm-Asleep
8:30pm-Cried/Fussed for 30min
4:15am-Awake, not fussing, just talking and eating his hands!

That's right, Gav slept almost the entire night!!!

I kept waking up and listening to see if he was crying...and nope! He woke up a very happy boy:)

I knew he had it in him. Fingers crossed for another good night:)

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Home for Christmas

Oh, I knew I was going to get a little sad when Christmas time was near. This will be the first Christmas I will spend without my family...First Christmas I will not be at "home" (My Cincinnati home that is:) I am so happy we were lucky enough to be there over Thanksgiving...but it is still not the same. Then I get thinking about how much fun we had with the kids together. My sister is my best friend and I always looked forward to the day that our children would grow up together...I think my heart breaks a little each time I think about the relationship that Gavin does not get to have with his cousin (Soon to be 2 cousins:) by us living across the country. I grew up pretty close to all my cousins (lots of them) and always thought my children would have the same. Now that we have kids (almost the same ages) it makes me yearn to be back home now more than ever. *sigh* Maybe one day.

I think the lack of sleep is finally catching up to me. I just miss my family, friends, familiar faces, and small town feeling of Cincinnati. I better go curl up on the couch with my hubby. He always makes me feel better:) Oh and so do the 20 Oreo's that I am about to eat! (Dairy free of course!)

Night 2

OK, I knew that a good night on the first night HAD to mean a bad night the second. Just knew it! Poor G...

6:15pm-Bedtime
7:15-Woke up, fussed, back asleep after 10 min
1:30am-Woke up and CRIED on and off until 5AM!!!

We never went in, thought he would just cry and go back to sleep. I feel HORRIBLE, like I am a VERY BAD MOTHER for letting him cry so much. The point of this is to teach him to fall asleep on his own, without us, because he has been waking up 10 times a night and can't get back to sleep. So, we are doing this for him. And US...Because it is no fun with NO ONE having any sleep. But, I still feel just horrible. Depressed that my baby is having to cry. So why not just get up and go to him a million times a night??? Oh yeah, I have to go back to work next week and work really really really long days. Ugh, what to do.

His pediatrician is the one who laid out this "bedtime plan" with us, and it is all under her advice, but I STILL FEEL HORRIBLE!

I really wish I did not have to go back to work. Really really really wish...but I do. *sigh

Its a very good thing Gavin does not really remember the crying, because he woke up from his nap with a HUGE grin and happy happy mood. Such a sweet thing:)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

First Night

Last night was the first night that GAVIN SLEPT THE ENTIRE NIGHT WITHOUT EATING OR BEING HELD/ROCKED/OR PICKED UP!

We made the decision yesterday to put him to bed when he normally goes down (between 6-7pm) and then he was going to stay there until 5am! I know it sounds really harsh, but it needed to be done. We were both exhausted and have been for 4 months. So, even though it was very hard (one of the hardest things...but I am learning there a lot of these) we did it!

Here is what he did:

Asleep (Not swaddled) at 6:30pm
Woke up, cried for 45 min at 7:20pm
Fussed for 30min at 10pm
Fussed for 20min at 12am
Fussed for 30min at 4am
Woke up at 5am and I breastfed him!

*The fussing was NOT CRYING! He was just moaning, groaning, talking, sucking his hands, and complaining. Again, NOT CRYING:)

He woke up very well rested and very happy...so did we! (sort of, I was still up most of the night listening to him fuss and waiting for him to fall back asleep...and then I would very quietly check on him to make sure he was OK once he fell asleep:)

We are going to stick to this routine, and hope it can work! I know there are still going to be many hard and sleepless nights ahead, but if it can work, we will do it!

Totally off subject, Derek just came in the office while I was writing this:
Me:(typing this post and I hear someone {Derek} breathing down my shoulder) Ahem, what are you doing babe?
Derek:Umm, I am reading your blog baby!
Me:What, you NEVER read my blog! You have like no idea whats in here...
Derek:I know I don't read your blog, that's because I AM LIVING IT! Hehe


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

4 Month Check-Up

We just got home from Gavin's 4 month well visit, and everything went pretty well! We were able to talk with Dr. Copeland about a LOT of different things, so I feel better about some things now.
Gavin is taking a *nap* right now, so I will try to make this quick! *Gavin's naps can last 5 minutes or 2 hours...just depends!

Here are his numbers:
Weight:14lbs 14oz - 50th percentile
Height:25 1/2in - 75th percentile
Head Circ:41cm - 25th percentile

Gavin's Milestones:
-Rolls over, turns head all directions, stands with arms held, sits with arms held.
-Holds toys, brings them to his mouth, pulls at clothes, hair, skin(ouch!), plays with hands ALL THE TIME.
-Babbles, coo's, laughs, squeals, groans.
-Follows objects and faces.
-Prefers 100% of your attention, cry's when you walk away, laughs and squeals for attention.
-Does not cry very much, unless there is a reason...bored, wet, hungry, or tired. Very easy to tell which one.
-Drools ALL THE TIME. I can't see teeth yet, but he gums on everything.
-Getting more and more distracted with noise/talking while nursing/taking bottle from Dad and Grandma. Needs quiet place to eat.
-Gets Breast milk almost all the time (99%), sometimes adding an ounce of formula at night to see if he will sleep longer...Does not work!
-He loves when we read, talk, sing, coo, make funny noises, and listen to music.
-He loves going for walks, looking at mirror, and playing with teething toys.
-He loves to eat ANYTHING you give him...burp rags, blankets, toys, sheets, ANYTHING:)
(yes, I sometimes give him the sheet from our bed while he is laying there so I am able to go to the bathroom! I also give him a little hand towel while I shower because he loves to suck on them...whatever it takes to make the lil man happy!)

We talked about Gavin's possible milk protein sensitivity, and how I am going to continue to avoid ALL dairy at this point. Dr. Copeland does not think I need to avoid all other possible allergens (wheat, nuts, soy, corn) at this point because we all feel that the sensitivity is a LOT better without the dairy. So we will give it more time and see.

Gavin has always had pretty sensitive skin, and sometimes has little breakouts on his body/face...We are not sure what triggers it, but it is some kind of contact dermatitis. The other night his legs broke out in what looked like hives, and we think it may be due to animal's...We were at Derek's parents right before it happened, and Derek had been playing with the dogs, then gave G a bath...(It is just a possibility at this point...it was the only explanation as everything else we did was the same as usual). So, Dr. Copeland just said he probably has a sensitivity/allergy to pets, and this makes sense because I do too! (Just contact, not respiratory) (He must be used to Arnie...as am I) I think this just means we have to make sure we wash hands really well, and hopefully it will not happen again.

Dr. Copeland said G should not be needing any feedings throughout the night anymore, and he should be able to go all night. HA! I have been feeding him at least 2 times so that he would fall back asleep. Hmm. We shall see what happens if we don't feed him and *GASP* let him cry. I am not sure I have it in me to do this, but we will see. Derek may need to chain me to the bed to keep me from getting him when he crys!

Last but not least, Gavin got his shot (Pentacel) and DID NOT CRY AT ALL! I stuck the paci in his mouth right after and he took it like a champ!




Saturday, December 12, 2009

Lazy Saturday

Oh how I love the weekends! Derek is home and it is so nice to just be lazy when it is so cold and rainy outside. It has been so nice to be able to catch up on things while Derek and Gavin play...Gavin and daddy do so well together...I am so in love with them both:)

Gavin and Sophie

Since Gavin has started eating EVERYTHING, I decided to get him Sophie the Giraffe. It is made of natural rubber and the paint on it is food paint, making it very safe to teeth on. (Most teething toys have yucky chemicals and plastics)

It has been a HUGE success as G LOVES to pick it up and put it in his mouth! Just the last few days he has started to grab for something and then put it in his mouth:) Sophie also makes a squeak noise that he likes to hear. Her feet are his favorite part:)


{Gavin 17 Weeks)

Gavin is now over 4 months old:) He is officially 17 weeks this week. Gavin is changing so much each day, and he seems like he is getting "older" so fast!

This week he has started to really fuss when you put him down or leave the room. He lets you know that he does not want to be alone, and fusses until you pick him up. At first I thought it was so cute how he did this...but its not so cute when I am trying to get things done;) I usually just strap him in the carrier and wear him around...he loves to do dishes, vacuum, and make the bed with me!

He is also always sucking on something...his hands, Sophie the giraffe, his sleeve, my shoulder, or any toy you give him.

He smiles ALL the time now, and all it takes is a grin from up and he starts to flap his arms, kick his legs, and grins ear to ear. It is so cute, I cannot stop kissing his chubby cheeks when he does this:)

Another new thing he does is squeal really loud when we are changing him or giving him a bath. He just gets so excited and can't control his little body:)

Bath time is still his favorite part of the day...but now about half of the bath water ends up on the counter top...its like he it trying to swim:)

Since I have given up diary in my diet, he has been a very good eater. He breastfeeds every three hours and really enjoys it now. No more kicking and pulling away, no more crying when he is trying to eat. I can tell he really feels more comfortable now, and he eats so well. I guess this is what it is supposed to be like, I never knew! Now every time he eats it is very enjoyable for both him and me. I am cherishing this time we have together, now its one of my favorite times of the day:) There has not been anymore blood in his poop, which is really good, and makes me feel so much better. I am still trying to figure out what I can eat to make sure I get enough calories...I am trying very hard to eat and eat and eat...without dairy, most of the stuff I eat is very healthy (good I know, but hard to eat a lot of calories when you are eating fruit all day!) So I have found some snack food that I can eat as well as all the healthy stuff. (Oreo's, pop-tarts, and wheat thins to name a few). Oh, and Smart Balance butter spread is DAIRY FREE~! Toast has become a new favorite breakfast food! (Fun...I know:)

I start work TOMORROW, and have really been trying hard not to think about it. I am not sure if that will make it harder or not for me tomorrow...but I just don't want to think about it! Every once in a while I prepare myself that I WILL be leaving him for 14 HOURS...still sounds/feels hard. Ughh...I hope and pray that I don't have a nervous breakdown. I know this is all my issue...Gavin will be more than fine, he will be great. Derek is actually off work the next 2 weeks, so he will be the SAD (Stay at home Dad:) Gavin loves spending time with his Dad, so he will be fine...then after Dad goes back to work, Grandma will be coming over to spend the days with Gavin...and they have a great time too...It is just ME who has a hard time!

AND the best news...last night Gavin only woke up ONE time and only cried for a FEW minutes! Such a good boy:)


Beautiful Baby

"Does your mother realize

The stork delivered quite a prize

The day he left you on the family tree?

Does your dad appreciate

That you're merely supergreat

The miracle of any century?

If they don't just send them both to me."

-Bing Crosby "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby"

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Gavin's first girlfriend

On Thursday my friend from work, Nicole, came over with her daughter Emma. They are about 2 months apart so it was fun to see them interact with one another:) They had such a fun time just staring at each other...then they figured out that they could touch each other, so it was pretty cute! They were even holding hands:)


A little change...

Today we finally figured out that our suspicions about Gavin's dairy issue were true.

Over a month ago I gave up dairy in my diet as an attempt to see if it helped Gavin's irritability issue. I gave it up, completely. We also started him on Zantac to see if it was possibly acid reflux. Within a week I noticed that the blood in his poop was gone (Yes, there was a little blood in his poop almost daily....that's why we suspected a milk protein allergy/intolerance in the first place). So, we continued with him on zantac just to make sure, and there is no harm in the stuff!

Fast forward to now. About a week ago I s l o w l y started to eat a little diary here and there. Like a little of sprinkle of cheese every other day, that's it. And BOOM, the blood was back, but a very small amount. So then we decided to try some Similac formula (Cow milk based) because I was not making enough milk for the little pig this afternoon. He chowed the bottle down and about an hour later when I went to get him up from his nap, there were hives all around his mouth where the milk had dribbled down. Hmm, there we go, he had a reaction to the COW MILK!

So, with this new information (which I suspected all along) I am now COMPLETELY off of ANY AND ALL dairy, and so is Gavin. Hopefully this is something he will outgrow as he gets older and it should not be a big deal. I have talked to a lot of medical professionals about this issue (Our pedi, an allergist, and 2 NP's I work with) and I have now done a lot of research on this subject (I am a nurse, this stuff is what I do). As long as we keep dairy out of our lives for a little while (Probably until he is at LEAST one, if not older) then he should outgrow it.

While it has been hard stay away from dairy, I have no problem doing it. It is really not that big of a deal to me, and I feel like it is probably even better for me. I have lost all the pregnancy weight and then some, and have to work pretty hard to eat enough to support the breastfeeding. I eat ALL day long. I have also been taking a calcium supplement so that I do not become deficient in Calcium or Vitamin D. Since I have not had any diary, I have not had ANY stomach issues. I usually have an upset stomach from time to time and always just said I had "irritable bowel" and that was the reason my stomach hurt...now I realize that I may just be a little sensitive to dairy! I would give up absolutely anything to make my little man feel better, anything. I think the hardest part of this is actually having to explain to people that I am not eating dairy and they do not agree, or try to tell me that a "little" will not hurt:) Like I said, I have no problem with this new diet, and I just need a little support! Derek is finally on board, and very good about not rubbing it in my face (Cookies and pizza are some of my favorite foods!).

I am actually pretty happy that we made it this far with the breastfeeding. Before I had Gavin I always said "Oh, yes I will breastfeed, and I will do it for at LEAST a year, no problem." HA! HA! HA! Little did I know how incredibly challenging it would be! For some it comes very easy, but not for us! I have dealt with one issue after another (Mastitis 2 times, clogged ducts, and overproduction to name a few) Then it was a HUGE challenge for him to eat when he started to have the diary issue...eating was a battle and he was very irritable while doing so. Now, it is SO much better. He eats without a fuss and is very satisfied afterwards. Just when we have it down, I have to go back to work and I am pretty sure it will change things. I will pump while at work, so he still has only breast milk, but I have a feeling he will learn to like the bottle a lot more than me! (Once most babies are introduced to the bottle for such long periods, they no longer want to breastfeed.) Since I will be away from him for 14 hours at a time, he may just get a little used to the bottle, and that's FINE! I am starting to come to terms with the fact that I may not be able to breast feed him as long as I originally planned, but at least he can still get my breast milk. Things could be a lot worse, I know. I am going to continue to be happy that we made it this far, as 4 months was my goal at the beginning when it was so hard.

In other news, Gavin has been doing just great during the days with his naps. He wakes up, plays/eats/plays and then like clockwork, 2 hours later he is ready for a nap. He is pretty easy to get down for a nap, we just swaddle him up, stick the pacified in his mouth, and his eyes just shut:) It is so sweet. There is nothing like a happy peaceful baby sleeping:) Most of his naps are only about 30-40 minutes, but about once a day there will be a 2 hour one in there! This is a HUGE improvement from a few weeks ago when he would ONLY nap in someones arms or the car/stroller. Now he is liking his bed more and more. The nighttime is still a pretty big issue for us. He is still waking up every couple hours and wanting to be either rocked back to sleep or nurse...and he also has started getting up for the day at 3 or 4...I am talking wide awake, smiling, and cooing...what in the world do I do then! He is so darn cute that I just have to smile back. We are working on this night issue, and we have decided that sometime within the next few days we will attempt real "sleep training." (I HATE those words, sounds like training a dog!) Please keep your fingers crossed for us...It may make for some pretty long nights!



Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Hanging around the house

Its getting pretty cold here. Temps have been in the 30's, and that's cold!!! (We even had to cover our outdoor plants last night due to the freeze!) We have been doing a lot of just hanging around the house...and Gavin has been getting used to his new napping routine...well, sort of...he kinda calls the shots around here, but how can we not let him-- look at this cute face!


Sunday, December 6, 2009

Moore Family Tradition

Today we went out to get Gavin's first Christmas tree! It seems to be one of our family traditions now...and Gavin loved it:) We headed up the Santa Cruz mountains to Four Winds Christmas tree farm, where we cut down our own tree! Last year we walked around for a LONG time looking, but this year was a little chilly, so we did not look long! (Yes, it was chilly...we even *gasp* saw some SNOWFLAKES!) We came upon the perfect tree and our "Santa's little helper" let us know he liked it by talking as soon as we found it.


Saturday, December 5, 2009

{Gavin 16 Weeks}

At the end of this week, Gavin will be 4 MONTHS OLD!!! Every week I always say that the time flies...and I still can't believe that he is 4 months old!

Gavin has been sleeping a LOT better since we have been back home (He was waking up every 2 hours while in Ohio...) We tried to let him cry for a few nights when he woke up, but he proved to be a very stubborn little man...crying for hours and hours...so we decided that we will just do what works for us, and still feed him in the middle of the night. He usually sleeps from 6p until 12 0r 1 (and eats) and then goes back down for 3 or 4 more hours. On a good night he will do these 3 or 4 hours without waking up...on a bad night he will wake every hour! We tried to skip the middle of the night feeding, and it worked one night, but that's it. So for now, this is what we will do...and hope and pray that he learns how to sleep better!

During the day we have also started a new schedule. We have been reading a lot from the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Weissbluth. He is a sleep expert in children, and has some pretty helpful information, and it is ALL research based. He takes a while to get to the point, but here is what we have taken from the book:

-Healthy sleep during the day=Healthy sleep at night
-Naps are crucial to a good night sleep
-Babies usually show signs of being tired about 2 hours after they last woke up
-During the time that they show these signs, we are to soothe Gavin and lay him down awake, but drowsy
-An earlier bedtime is sometimes better, allowing more time during the day for naps
-Naps during motion (cars, strollers) are NOT real naps, and disrupt night sleep

So, we have been following his advice, and poof! Gavin has been a pretty HAPPY CHILD! The past 3 days there has been very minimal fussing and lots of naps. Most of his naps only last 30-40 minutes, but its better than nothing! It is all making sense now...and could explain his previously fussy times in the past...he was just tired(And needed a real nap in his BED!)

So far, so good. I think one of the big reasons that I am pretty serious about this schedule/sleep issue is because I go back to work in 2 weeks and need to get some sleep in order to do my job! I will have children's lives in my hands, and I need to be focused to take good care of them. I want to be able to have a somewhat clear mind so that I can focus 100% of myself to these sick kids...I know it will be pretty hard, but I can do it. The hardest part will be leaving G for such long periods...:(

BUT he will be in the best of hands...His Grandma Dayle's and his Daddy's:) Grandma already takes SUCH great and amazing care of him, and would do anything for him. This is the biggest reason that I am able to go back to work. We are so thankful for her, and Gavin is a pretty lucky boy!

This weekend we plan to go get our Christmas tree, and decorate the house! I am so excited for Gavin's first Christmas, and can't wait to celebrate it as a family:)




Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Silent Night

Silent Night is one of my favorite Christmas Songs...and it is also what I want for Christmas:) Here is G in his "All mommy wants for Christmas is a SILENT NIGHT" shirt:)

(Last night was anything but silent...Gavin is learning some new sleeping habits...hopefully soon!)




Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Crying is hard, sleeplessness is harder

Here it goes. Gavin is not the best sleeper (OK, he does not sleep well at all...during the day OR night)

So today we started a new "Sleep Training" routine. We shall see if this works. I am so tired, and so is he.


{Gavin 15 Weeks}

gavin is 15 weeks old?!?!? Wow, that sounds like a long time! We are back in Cali now and trying to get back on some sort of schedule...I go back to work in 3 weeks and am really dreading it! We hope that Gavin will start sleeping a little more at night so that I am able to get some sleep!

Gavin is now reaching for things with both hands and bringing them to his mouth. He loves to suck on ANYTHING, including his hands. He has so many toys, but his favorite toy is the octopus that Grandma Gunderson gave him. It has a lot of little feet that he grabs to put in his mouth:)

Gavin is still on Zantac for acid reflux, and we think it is working. He is eating a little better now and not so agitated while nursing. Although he is still not sleeping well, we are just glad that he is a little more calm while eating! One thing at a time!



Thank You

We want to say a little thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Gunderson, for the wonderful stay we had in Ohio. It was so much for to see everyone and just hang out...I sure miss being able to do that! Thank you for the wonderful stay, great Thanksgiving, and beautiful baptism:) We love you!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

God Bless Gavin

Today was Gavin's Baptism at Nativity. He was SUCH a great baby and did not fuss the entire time. He even fell asleep in his Dad's arms during mass. It was a very beautiful ceremony and we could feel Grandma's guidance over us. She was there with us.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
-Psalm 139:13-14

Gavin is very lucky to have 2 amazing Godparents. Scott and Erica will always take such good care of him:)



Thursday, November 26, 2009

So much to be thankful for

We has such a wonderful Thanksgiving in Cincinnati. We are so thankful for everything we have and all the amazing people in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for God, my husband, my son, my family, my friends, my job, our home, our health, our guardian angels, and this list could go on and on.

We celebrated Christmas on Thanksgiving because we will not be in town this year. It was so fun to watch Griffin and Gavin open their gifts...and it was so cute because they both had their sweater vests on:) I am pretty sure that Erica and I will dress them in similar cute outfits until they stop letting us:)


Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Hanging out at the house and GREAT NEWS!

Here are some pics of us just hanging out...and the GREAT news is that DADDY got here today!!!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

G meets his Great Grandparent's!

Today we took Gavin over to meet his Great Grandparents (they have been in Florida and just got home) Gavin got to play the piano with Great-Grandma, and he loved it:)


Monday, November 23, 2009

First Laugh

I am hoping to get a video soon...Today Gavin laughed for the first time while playing peek-a-boo with uncle Scott. It was so cute! We tried to get a video, but the sound would not work:( I will do my best to get one as soon as he does it again!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Gavin meets Santa!

This afternoon we took the boys to the Children's Museum to see the train exibit. Griffin LOVES trains and had a lot of fun looking at the HUGE model train set. We were so excited to see Santa when we got there, and could not resist having the boys sit with him. Gavin had no problem and just looked around. Griffin was a little unsure of Santa's beard, so santa sat on the ground to make Griffin feel better. So sweet of santa:)




{Gavin 14 Weeks}

Mr. Gavin is now 14 weeks old! We are having such a great time here in Cincinnati...We have been very busy with lots of shopping, hanging out at Grandma's, going out to eat, and lots of other things. Gavin LOVES to watch his cousin Griffin and Griffin has a sweet little obsession with Gavin. It is so cute. Griffin just loves to give Gavin kisses and hugs and says "baby" every time he see's Gavin. They are so cute together...I really wish we were not so far from them...

Gavin adjusted to Ohio time pretty quickly when we got here, but he has not been sleeping very well. At ALL! He is up most of the night wanting to be held...and he has started a new little routine of sleeping/napping ONLY while in someones arms or the car/stroller. Hmm. This is really going to be hard to break!

Gavin has been on Zantac now for over a week for acid reflux. We thought this may be causing his irritability and not a milk allergy. I gave up ALL dairy for 2 weeks and he still has his days of being pretty upset. So, we went with zantac...so far so good. He has only had 2 really crabby days, and I am pretty sure it is because he refused to nap. So we shall see. Overall, he really has been a very good baby...just wish he would learn how to sleep a little better!

I hope to post some pictures soon!

Friday, November 20, 2009

13 Week pics

Throughout the week we have done a lot of hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Here is Gavin and family:)




Tuesday, November 17, 2009

{Gavin 13 Weeks}

you love to be held*your hands are always in your mouth*the mohawk is the first thing people notice when they see you*your mom's favorite time of day is in the early morning when you cuddle with her*mr. poopy pants is one of your many nicknames*going for walks is one of your favorite things to do*your chubby cheeks have a little acne as a result of the million kisses you get each day*your cousin griffin is your best friend*you give smiles to everyone in the morning*you talk to anyone who wants to listen*you have a fussy time each day around 5 and it quickly goes away with a warm bath*your dad loves to get you dressed and you just talk to him the entire time*chunky monkey or chunk-a-monk is one of your many nicknames*you love to cuddle your face against your blankets*sometimes your mom takes you for car rides so you can fall asleep*you took a trip to ohio on your thirteenth week, and were an angel in the plane*you have so many people who love you*everyone always says "he's so cute...and BIG!"*your cheeks are irresistible*your smile is irresistible*you concentrate very hard when you play with your toys*everyone says you are so smart*you are a very good eater, and don't miss many meals*you have 4 grandparents who would do anything in the world for you*you have 2 parents who want to give you the world*you know you are cute*you love to watch your cousin griffin*when griffin gives you kisses you try to kiss him back*sweet pea is one of your many nicknames*this list could go on and on...happy 13 weeks little man, I love you.

Monday, November 16, 2009

First Day in Cincy

Here is Gavin and his cousin Griffin...in matching outfits:) Gavin has been SO busy here just watching Griffin run around. Griffin LOVES to play with Gavin and give him hugs and kisses. Its so cute!



Friday, November 13, 2009

Getting Big:)

Here is the big boy after his bath last night...He looks HUGE! He also LOVES to watch TV on the computer with Daddy:)


Tuesday, November 10, 2009

{Gavin 12 Weeks}

Baby Gavin 12 weeks old! It sounds SO much longer to say 3 months...I still can't believe that 3 entire months have gone by...Time passes so fast.

Gavin is just getting bigger and bigger every day. He seems kinda heavy now...and sometimes I find that my back already hurts! Ha! He will only get bigger! G "talks" to us all the time and loves to play with all his toys. We recently brought out the exersaucer and put him in it...and he LOVES it! He just stares and talks to the purple monkey...and he has started to "grab" objects when he is playing. I am not sure he really knows he is doing it, but its cute!

We recently noticed that Gavin has been having some tummy issues. He is sometimes in pain and agitated when he eats and after he eats...and all the signs and symptoms have led us to think he might have a milk protein intolerance. This means that he may be having a hard time digesting the milk/dairy that I eat. Dr. Copeland told us to do a trial of NO DAIRY in my diet for a week...to see if the issue resolves. So, yesterday was day number one. I still think that there is dairy in my system because he does not feel that well yet. We will see. I will do whatever he needs...I just hope if we take dairy out, he feels better:) I have never really restricted anything from my diet(besides some things while pregnant) so this will be an adjustment! I went to the grocery yesterday and was reading labels. It makes the trip about 3 times as long, and EVERYTHING has some form of dairy in it! I was shocked to find out that most of what I eat has some form of milk, casein, whey, or soybean oil in it! I had no idea, but they are all out now! I think the biggest struggle will be finding enough to eat to maintain my calories for breastfeeding. I snack ALL day and eat some pretty big meals (All include dairy) so this will be a challenge...but not a big deal. So here we go!

We are SO SO SO excited to leave for Ohio on Saturday. We get to spend 2 weeks with my family, and I have been looking forward to this since the day they all left in September. I also get to see my friends, which is always to nice. I sure do miss everyone!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Uh Oh

Look who loves our bed. Yep, Gavin just loves to take naps here...most days he naps in his crib (where he should!) but other days I am just tired and give in. Then I have to lay down and cuddle with him because he is so darn cute:)

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

So Juicy

Juicy. A very good word to describe Gavin's cheeks.

I put him in his new "Juicy Couture" outfit. Yep, that's right. G has a Juicy outfit...I know, I know, who knew they made Juicy clothes for babies, but seriously--SO cute! I kept telling him he looked so "juicy." This was the look I got the entire time. A little concerned. A little unsure. Maybe this look is because it was a little chilly outside...or because his mom likes to dress him up and take pictures--ALL the time. Ahem, He is a baby and I will do this for as long as I can!

And last but not least...Gavin decided that today is the day he would ROLL OVER for the first time. I was just sitting there taking pictures and all of the sudden he just threw his legs up and over! He got a little stuck at the end...I think his juicy cheek was in the way;)






Saturday, October 31, 2009

{Gavin 11 Weeks}

Our baby is 11 weeks! Can't believe that he is almost 3 months old!

Like I say every week...time flies. Really fast. Too fast.

Gavin has definitely found his little voice this week...and talks all the time. When he is not eating his hands, he is talking.

Another new thing he has discovered is the TV! Yes, the TV. He loves it. I used to watch a lot of TV pre-Gavin...now I only watch a few things. The other day when I was trying to watch Grey's Anatomy, I realized that Gavin was watching it too! Ha! He was so happy! I quickly distracted him because he is too young to watch TV...Right?!?

Here he is in the Bumbo Seat. It says not to use until he is 4 months. Yeah Right. Gavin sits up in it just fine at almost 3 months. And of course, he is looking straight at the TV. It's Saturday and football is on...(And yes, he is in his jammies at 3pm on a Saturday. That's why I LOVE the weekends)


Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Very Exciting News!

No, I am not pregnant!

I am going to be an aunt to a NIECE in March!!! Erica and Scott just found out that they are having a girl!!! We are SO happy and very excited for them! Little Griffin is going to be such a great big brother:) Finally a girl...little girl stuff is just so cute!

The more important news was that little girl Lyons is absolutely perfect and growing the way she should! This is WAY more exciting to me, because health is all we can really ask for:) After the scare that we had at our 20 week ultrasound, I am always scared when someone says that they are having the "Anatomy Ultrasound." I know, I can't always assume that something will be wrong, it just brings back memories. I knew deep down that she would be perfect, because Erica and I have an amazing guardian angel up in heaven. Grandma is up there looking out for us and our babies...and I am sure Grandma is picking out a LOT of little girl things that we need to shop for:)




Monday, October 26, 2009

10 week Photo Shoot @ the Park

#1 Favorite of the 1 MILLION pictures we took!