Goodbye 2010

I can't believe that another year has passed by. 2010 has been very sweet to us. We had a very happy and healthy year...one that I will never forget. Here are just a few of the things I am thankful for:

-my supportive husband
-our adorable baby boy
-our and our families health
-our family both here in California and Ohio
-our wonderful friends
-the ability to travel back to Cincinnati almost every month in 2010
-family vacation
-the privilege of staying home with Gavin 90% of the time
-a great job, with very supportive co-workers

This list could go on and on, but since it is my birthday, I just feel like laying down and relaxing while the boys take their morning nap;)

Here is to a wonderful year! Happy New Year:)

Merry Christmas!

We woke up to a white Christmas here in Cincinnati:) Since we opened our presents yesterday, we decided to go to Krohn Conservatory today to check out the Nativity Scene and all the Christmas decorations. It was the BEST day in the world to go because there were hardly any people there!!! We got to see the real live Nativity scene and Gavin loved to talk to the animals. Then we headed inside to see the Christmas decorations, trains, trees, rain forest, tropical house, orchid house, floral garden, and desert garden. Gavin just walked around and pointed to all the pretty colors...he especially loved the model train...he thought it was pretty funny each time it would come out of the tunnel:) Derek, Dad, and I walked around with our cameras and snapped away. There are SO many pretty colors, and LOTS to photograph. It was a nice and relaxing Christmas day with the family:)

After G's LONG afternoon nap, we headed to Beth and Eric's house for the Gunderson Family Christmas! Gavin had a blast running around and playing with his cousins. He fit right in with the big boys, and was even tackling them!!! We had a nice dinner, and played the gift exchange game. We ended up getting a Skyline gift card, and I was SO excited about that!!! I know we don't have it here, but when we go to Cincinnati, we eat there about 3 times a week:)

Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve

Today we celebrated Christmas with the family and opened presents in the morning. Gavin and Griffin were in heaven! After a nice lunch, we rested/played/napped in the afternoon. Then we headed to the Donovan family Christmas for the evening. Gavin was a little overwhelmed with all the loud uncles, but he of course played with the other kids. We were there a few hours, and then headed home for an hour long bath before bed. Bath time is now Gavin's favorite activity, and he likes to stay in it for EVER! 

Going to bed tonight, I am really counting my blessings. My list could go on and on, but I want to thank Jesus for what he gave us, and his unconditional love for us. 

...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

-Ephesians 3:17-19

Merry Christmas Eve

Museum fun & Santa

Today we took all the kids to the Children's museum to play and see Santa. It was a very busy and fun day with three little ones under 3! Lets just say that it took me, Derek, Erica, and Grandma to handle them all! 

We were able to get them all sitting in a chair while Santa sat next to them. Santa was the sweetest Santa in the world...he could tell that they looked a little scared, and was so sweet to them. He told them a story, showed them his reindeer, and he sat on the floor for them. He was the true definition of Santa:) No one freaked out and cried, so I would say it was a HUGE success! They got suckers when they were done, so they were happy to do anything. 

After Santa, we headed to the Children's museum, where we joined one million other kids to play. All three had a great time running around and playing with all the neat stuff. Gavin's favorite was the play kitchen area. They had a wooden stove, frig, and microwave, and he acted like he knew how to use them all. He cooked a turkey in the microwave and an onion in the oven. Yep, he learns his skills from his momma! Griffins favorite area was the metro bus. He was the driver and took us to California. Maybe that's our hint that he does not want Gavin to play with his toys anymore;) Annabel had a blast where ever we took her and let her crawl around. She is pretty easy to please! Of course the boys had a very fun time together, and so did we. I say this all the time, but I have no idea how the Duggers have so many kids!

Fun with Grandpa

Tonight the boys had an absolute blast with Grandpa. They were running around the house after their bath, being chased by Grandpa. The game then turned into Grandpa picking them up by their legs, and going up and down. Don't worry, no babies were harmed in this game. They LOVED it so much and were squealing for him to do it again and again! They would both lay down right in front of him and put their legs up in the air and wait....over and over and OVER! They were upside down for a long time, and could have kept going and going. It is so cute how they have so much fun with Grandpa:)

Snow Day!

Today was a great first day in Cincy. We started out day with G sleeping until 7am (yes, this is late for him!) and had a fun morning with Grandma. Then G took a long nap while we got to spend time with Griffin. He came over for the day while Erica worked. Griffin did not remember Derek at all, but he still became his best friend in about 2 minutes. That's what an I-Pad with toddler games will do!!! 

As soon as Gavie (As Griffin calls him) woke up, we ate lunch and headed outside to the snow. Gavin was in love. He was stomping on it, hitting it, throwing it, and talking to the snow. He just sat and played with it in his hands for 20 minutes. He was in complete awe of it, and was discovering what it felt like. He even got a taste of it, and of course kept eating and eating it:) Griffin and Gavin played out in the snow for a few hours....they both helped shovel snow too!

After snow time, we headed in for naps. Well, Griffin napped and Gavin had other plans. We played with all Grandma's toys, and G helped make dinner with Grandma. We called it cooking with Grandma. He helped make the pudding dessert, and he was a MESS~! He ate about half of it, and we ended up loosing the milk cap somewhere, but he sure had fun. We had a delicious dinner with the whole family, and then Gavin and Annabel took a bath together. 

We had a really fun day, and Gavin was playing until he crashed at 8:30pm. He sure is gonna have a fun week with his family:)

Dinner @ Kaylin's

Tonight we went over to Danny and Angie's for dinner. We were also joined by John and Stacy (Who is pregnant!!!), other neighbors who live close by. It is so nice to live by such wonderful people:)

The dinner was delicious, and the babies had so much fun playing. G & K sure do interact now. They hand each other different toys, chase each other around, and even did lots of hugging. I think the kissing and hugging was the cutest part. I love how they look like the same age, and Gavin is 5 months older:) 

O Christmas Tree

We have had our tree and house decorated for a few weeks now, but I finally got around to getting a few pics of G and the tree this morning. It is so crazy to look back at how small he was last year when he was sitting in front of the tree (small minus the very chubby cheeks and rolls all over!)...he could not even sit up yet, and had to be in the bumbo seat. This year HE pushed the chair over to the tree, HE climbed up on it, and HE smiled without me trying to make him:) 

We decorated the tree and house as if we were going to be here on Christmas. Pretty minimal, but that's the way I decorate. Even if we are not here, I want him to be able to experience all of this each and every year. As it looks, we will probably be doing the every other year thing in Ohio, as I have to work every other Christmas too.

The tree has all the decorations on the top half, and the bottom half is a bunch of soft ornaments that Grandma Dayle brought over. Gavin takes them off and puts them back on each and every day. The poor tree has seen better days, when someone was not pulling its branches all day long!

Please excuse Gavin's full mouth. The apple he was eating is much more important than any old photo shoot!

Gavin & Santa 2010

Today I took Gavin to the mall to meet Santa and have his picture taken. I thought Gavin was going to freak out....and boy was I wrong! Although Gavin usually loves strangers, he likes them on HIS terms...meaning if he walks up to them, then its OK. So I put Gavin down a few feet away from Santa, and he RAN to him and put his arms up! SOOOO cute!!! Santa picked him up right away, and Gavin just stared at his beard, touched his face, and started talking to him! It was like he knew who Santa was, and was telling him what he wanted! I was about to die, it was so adorable. Of course, Gavin had a crowd. We were the only ones in line, and there was no one around. After Gavin spent 10 minutes on Santa's lap, there was a giant crowd watching! When it was time to get off, Gavin refused! He held on to Santa's arm and told me "no!" This was the first time EVER he has told me no! So, he eventually got off his lap, and inhaled the candy cane Santa gave him. No idea how, as he only has 8 front teeth, but it was gone in seconds. He then ran back to Santa and asked for "Maa" (More). Santa loved him and gave him another. Again, Gavin had the crowd laughing about that one. 

I would say that this encounter with Santa was a very big success, and Gavin had a blast. If only I knew what he told Santa;)

{Gavin 16 Months}

Dear Gavin,

Today you turn 16 months old. I had to think twice about how many months you are now. Seems like 16 is so big. Each month seems to pass too quickly. I know that I have been very good about keeping up with this journal, and that is because I want to be able to remember each and every little thing you do. I know its crazy to want to write all of this down, but one day I will probably be too busy, and will wish I had done this! I love looking back to what you were doing last year at this time. It is so fun for your daddy and I to go back through pictures and posts to see how little you were. To see how much you did not sleep. To see what our worries were at the time. To see how much fun you were. To see what milestones you were reaching. To see when you smiled for the first time. All of it, I want to be able to go back and see. You are and will always be my baby:)

Today you are a very vibrant, energetic, loud, quick, happy, hungry, loving, sweet, and sometimes crazy toddler. I say crazy because you sometimes act a little nuts! You run everywhere, you talk and yell very loud, you put everything in your mouth, and you are very opinionated. You climb up on everything, and you jump out of peoples arms when you are held. Saying you are a hand full is an understatement. We cannot take our eyes off of you for one split second.

You are talking up a storm lately, and imitating sounds we make. This is so fun to see you develop a little language, even if we are the only ones who understand you. I learned from your cousin Griffin, that sometimes only your momma is the one who knows what you are talking about!

You are still a pretty good eater. Although you have started to become very impatient when you sit in your highchair. You only want to sit there for 3 to 5 minutes and then you want out. To compromise, we started playing Baby Einstein on the computer while we eat. Yep, TV while we eat. I admit it. Grandma Podie is gonna die when she reads this. But, I am happy to say that we broke this habit recently. Well sort of. We decided that we will sit down, eat together, and when you are done eating, we will turn on your video so we can eat in peace. Better, right? Whatever works!

A very VERY big change that has happened recently is your nursing routine. Up until a few days ago you had been nursing 4 times a day. First thing, before each nap, and bedtime. Well, you decided to drop your first nap nursing, and you go right to bed. This has been great, as you tell us when you are tired. You walk up to your crib, get your blanket and pacifier, and a nap you take! Just yesterday, you did not want to nurse before your second nap too. You were so tired, and so was I. We were out all day. We came home, I stuck you in your crib, and you were out. When you woke up you were too busy to nurse, so there we have it! We are going to give this a try! Down to 2 nursing sessions a day, morning and night. This transition has been so easy and so smooth. I am extremely happy and proud that I have nursed you for 16 months. I really wanted this for you, for your nutrition, and for the bonding it has created. I have to say that this has been one of the best experiences in the world. I know it is not over, but it may be soon, and I am totally OK with it. I want you to self wean, and that is exactly what you are doing. So simple, and so easy. Could not be more happy about this!

During the daytime, we still spend a lot of time outdoors. It is still not very cold, so we can still go to parks and go for walks. If we play in the yard, you want to play in the big dirt pile. If we play in the garage, you want to play with the bubbles. If we play at the park, you want to play in the sand or wood chips. You love to transport the dirt, sand, and wood chips all around. You are always a huge mess when you are done playing. We are back to 2 or sometimes 3 outfits a day when you play outside. Oh, and I forgot the puddles. If you see one a mile away, you are off running towards it. You will jump and splash in the puddle forever. Then when you are done and all wet, you will look at me and point to your pants as if you want them off! HA! This is what I used to do when I was little;)

We go to Ohio at the end of this week for Christmas, and we are all so excited. We got to spend the holiday with the Donovan's and Gunderson's and this will be you first Christmas in Cincinnati. We can't wait for you to experience some snow:)

Life with you has been all we have ever imagined and more. You make us so very happy, and we know we are blessed to have a happy and healthy you. Thank you for being exactly who you are. We love you Gavie!

Momma & Daddy

Gavin Language

To date here is what G is saying: 
-Dada
-Mamamama
-Hot
-Baa (Bath)
-Baa (Ball)
-Buu (Balloon)
-Uh-oh
-Juu (Juice)
-Wawa (Water)
-Haa (Hi)
-Ca (Cat)
-Da (Dog)
-EEEEE (Kitty)
-Moo (More) (1000 times a day)
-Nana (Banana)
-EeeeUuu (Pee-You!)
-Oowww (Eww as in yuck!)

New words:
-No maa (No Mail)
-Oh NOOO!
-Go Ma (Go Mom?)

I am pretty sure Derek, Dayle and I are the only ones who understand him most of the time. He is constantly talking, and just recently he is really imitating sounds that we make.

Gavin in Action

Tonight we headed out for a walk before dinner. The weather has been so mild, and it has yet to get very cold. Actually, it has not been cold at all! Most days we do not need a jacket until night time...during the day it is pretty nice in the sun:)

We walked up to Hacienda School that is just a few blocks away. Gav loves to play on the big jungle gym, and of course ended up soaking wet from a big puddle! He cannot resist stomping in the water...Gavin is total boy!

Not made for walkin'!

Gavin got these cowboy boots awhile ago, and they finally fit him. He is not too sure about how they feel...he cried and sat down when he was walking in them, so I can assume they are not very comfortable! 

 

The Daily View

Gavin is and always has been such a mamma's boy. Lately it has intensified to a crazy degree. I am talking, CRAZY toddler! I cannot be out of his sight AT ALL. He needs to be near me, or see me, or hear me. Since he was sick last week, he spent every moment of every day in my arms, so now he is super attached. I cannot even shower without him having an absolute freak out. Here is the view I have of Gavin if I try to walk away from him...You should have heard the melt down he had the other morning when I left for work!!!

Then there are other times when he is perfectly fine playing on his own, with Daddy, or with Grandma. He has a blast when ever we are out at the mall, park, or friends house. He could care less about me, and does his own thing. As soon as we get home? IN my arms! So funny. One person who is "allowed" to replace me? Grandma Dayle. Gavin see's her walk up the front walk way and screams and runs to the door. He LOVES his Grandma, and she is the only one who he will be OK with if I am STILL in the room! Such a funny boy:)

Poor Boy!

Just when I thought G was getting better, he started to get really fussy and sick again! This time I knew something was not right, so we went to see Dr. C so she could check him out. Turns out I was right, he has a double ear infection! Poor boy:( We started him on antibiotics right away, and already we have seen improvement.

We don't have much going on here this weekend, as G man is not himself yet. One minute he feels better, the next he needs to be held non-stop. We had to cancel a few things, and so now we are just hanging around. We went over to see Meghan and Rusty today (Derek helped Rusty get a new saw and put it together) and Gavin got to play with Brody and Harley (The dogs:) They are always SOO excited to see Gavin, probably because he has food all over his face! Anyways, the dogs are so good with Gavin, its pretty cute to watch!

We are hoping G feels better quick! Oh, and gets some sleep too!

Gavin at Chuck E Cheese's

Today Karen and I took Gav to Chuck E Cheese's! It was a rainy cold day, so it was perfect for an indoor activity. G was feeling better, so we thought why not. We had a nice lunch of Chuck E Cheese's pizza, and G got to play with all the toddler games and rides. He loved it:) I have a feeling we will come here a LOT more this winter!

Sick little G

Poor G has been one sick little boy the past week. Last Wednesday he just was not acting like himself, and then on Thursday morning, he woke up with a yucky cough, runny nose, and just plain not feeling well. He has spent the next few days and nights in my arms, never getting much sleep, and a few fevers too. Really sick little one! Not sure what in the world it was, but it was no fun! Of course Derek and I came down with it a few days later, but not as bad as G. Poor boy. 

One of my best friends in the whole world, Karen, decided that she was going to come visit us too. We were really excited, but I was also really bummed because we were all so sick! She has been here since Sunday, and we are all finally feeling better! G still has a runny nose, but no more fevers. We have been trying to have as much fun as we can while being sick...shopping, parks, walks, and tomorrow Kar and I are headed to SF while Gma watches Gavin. Oh, poor Gma got sick too! We feel horrible that this happened! Hoping for better week from now on!!!

Snuggles with new BFF

Gavin has a new BFF Karen. It took him a few days to warm up to her, but now he is always checking to make sure she is around. He will go look for her, and then sit in her lap. He is such a little flirt! Here is Gavin teaching her how to use the IPad:)