Mr. Almost 5 Months

Oh Austin. I could take pictures of you all day long. What a joy you are! You are the most involved baby...meaning you are ALWAYS needing to know whats going on, and you need to see. You are perfectly happy just watching your surroundings...you actually prefer to be around your monkey brother...and see what he is up to. The more he monkeys around, the happier you are. 

You move, move, move. We can't put you down anywhere thats not baby proofed anymore. Everything goes in the mouth these days...especially someones hand. We can't be too far from Ms. Sophie, because you need her in your mouth at all times. 

You have really discovered how to reach for and grab whatever you want. You will be busy for long periods of time just touching things and talking to them.

You laugh and smile at anyone. But your eyes usually remain on me when I am not holding you...you just smile and watch me. I love you little A!

Happy Birthday Kaleb!

Today we headed over to Felton to visit the Roaring Camp train with the Elliott family:) It is Kalebs 3rd birthday, and this is what he wanted to do...and of course Gavin was SUPER excited to go!

Anyone who really knows Gavin, knows that he has sensitive ears...and if something makes a loud noise, he will plug his ears. Well, the train was loud, and he plugged his ears the ENTIRE ride! Hahaha it was pretty funny. He was in heaven, with his ears plugged! 

The redwood forest is so pretty and peaceful, and it was such a beautiful day. Baby A and C were angels, and they both fell asleep on the train ride...after soaking in all the stuff to see:)

Happy Birthday Kaleb, thanks for the awesome day!!!

Sweet Summertime

While cutting up a big watermelon at Ma's house, we asked Gavin what we should do with the juice that was pooling in the melon...he had a great idea, a straw! This kid is so smart:)

Silly Boys

This afternoon we had a "silly boys" photo shoot. Gavin's BFF Kaleb gave Austin this adorable superman outfit, and we thought we needed some pics of him in it before he outgrows it. He is just about done with 6mo clothes already! 

Gavin was being his usual self...loving all over his brother and giving him LOTS of hugs and kisses:) Melts my heart!

New favorite place

Today was his second visit to Dr. Rabitz for his routine cleaning. First of all, we got there early so that he could "play" in the waiting room. His favorite part! After they called us back, he followed the dental assistant and he showed her how he brushes his teeth. Little show off. He was grinning ear to ear the entire time. Then she helped him in the seat and cleaned his teeth. Then he picked out his vitamin flavor and toothbrush. Then Dr. Rabitz came to see him. He did his exam and Gav was good as gold. He did everything he was told, and smiled from all the compliments:) Dr. Rabitz told him he was BY FAR the best 2yr old patient he has ever had....and easiest! Then Gav got to pick out a toy, and put his "no cavity" paper in the giant tooth. Last but not least was a picture of his smile for the wall of no cavities:) Thank GOD I never have to come here! I would NEVER get to do the no cavity stuff:( 

Dr. Rabitz says he looks great, he does a great job of brushing his teeth. Back in 6 months....even though Gav wishes it was sooner!

Cousin Night

Tonight we had the Tam's over for a summer BBQ:) Derek made fish tacos and beef tacos, and they were so yummy. The boys of course had a blast together....Nathan and Gavin disappear to play, and the babies loved to suck on each others hands....and faces:) It was pretty cute to see them grab each other and "play." After dinner we all took a walk over to Hacienda, and the boys both rode their balance bikes...Nathan has a "big" balance bike, and of course Gavin wanted to try...and he LOVED it. It has real wheels, so it goes faster...and Gavin wanted to "maybe borrow it for a while?" Hahaha, GREAT just what we need, Gavin riding faster than he already does! I can barely keep up with him as it is. We told the boys that next time Nathan could spend the night and they were both sooooo excited about that!!!

Thanks for coming guys:)

Emma's Birthday Party

This morning we went to Gavin's friend Emma's third birthday party! Emma is my friend Nicole's daughter and they live in Milpitas. (I work with Nicole at LPCH) Emma had a bounce house at the party, and Gavin was SUPER excited about this...he LOVES to jump. 

It was a very fun party, and I got to see some co-workers (Hilary, Nicole and Laura) and we all got to catch up...it was so nice! It made the thought of going back to work in 2 weeks a little better;) 

I got some cute pics of the "3West babies" all together in the bounce house...these "babies" were all born within months or each other THREE YEARS AGO! I am still in shock that it has been three years! It feels like just yesterday we were taking pregnant belly pics of us while at work...and now they are so big! 

Gavin and Madeleine hung out together quite a bit...and they were pretty cute in the bounce house...and at one point the mommies all got in too (The dad's had been in for a while!) It was actually pretty fun to jump. 

I guess we know what will be at Gavin's third birthday party;)

And he MOVES!

Thats right! Baby A started off under his play mat on the cushion...and after I finished the dishes, I came in to find him pretty far from where he started! Across the room! I was so surprised that he moved so fast! This boy ROLLS everywhere! He can get out of his carseat if not strapped in, and can even roll off the changing pad. He is seriously super strong....amazes me all the time. 

Austin 4mo Check-Up

Today baby A had his 4mo check up. We fist went over to Ma's house to drop off G. He got to spend the day there, and he could not get there fast enough!

I was able to take Austin to the doctor alone, and that was so nice. It was a very simple and quick visit. No issues, and he is happy and healthy. Dr. C told me how "absolutely beautiful and perfect" he is....that I already know;)

Here are the stats:
Weight-15lbs 10oz (50th percentile)
Height-26 inches (75th percentile)
Head Circ-42cm (52nd percentile)

Lastly he got his 2 shots. DTap and Prevnar. YUCK! These two are yucky ones! Poor guy screamed so loud, and continued all the way home. After a dose of tylenol he was asleep and stayed that way for 5 hours. Only in my arms. He would scream every time I laid him flat, so I just let him sleep on my chest. Its not often that he can do this, so why not? We spent all afternoon in bed:) I even got to read a book....something I have not done in a VERY long time!

He does all that he should for this age, and more. When the appointment was over, as I was leaving the office I was counting my blessings. We were in and out and he is perfect. I know its not always this easy, and I am very thankful for his health. Something we can't take for granted.

When he woke up from his 5hr nap he cried some more, every time he would move his legs...and then he spit up a HUGE amount and went back to sleep. Those shots sure do a number on him!

sorry for the nasty spit up pic, but it was massive! Poor guy:(

Movies!

Father's Day 2012

Today was a great day. We spend the morning relaxing and napping (Gavin decided to take his nap at 10am:) and then we went to Ma and Papa's house for an afternoon of swimming and more relaxing. We had a great BBQ dinner and of course Derek's favorite....ice cream cake. I think Gavin liked it the most. He even licked his plate. 

Another fun thing that happened today....baby Austin had rice cereal for the first time! We thought since he loves to put everything in his mouth, he might like some food! He was pretty excited to chew on the spoon...and did not really care that there was stuff on it! He had a few bites and seemed to like it. Of course I did not get pictures of it because I was too busy spooning the food in with one hand, and taking his fingers out of his mouth with the other. This boy LOVES to eat everything!

Best Daddy

I am really not sure what I did to deserve such a wonderful husband AND father to our children. Derek is a dream come true, and I count my lucky stars each and every day.

1. He puts me and the boys FIRST among everything. WE are his life, and he shows it. He spends 100% of his free time with us. He leaves for work waving to Gavin, and comes home smiling when he see's Gavin. He then drops everything and takes over Dad duty. He never spends his time with the boys doing anything else but being with them...and I love this. IF he wants to do something that does not involve the boys, he does it during nap time or once they go to bed. He is always there for me and them.

2. He teaches them to help. Derek and Gavin do everything together. Yard work. Fixing things around the house. Grocery shopping. Cooking. Cleaning things. Everything they do together. He has taught Gavin "how" to do so many things, and now Gavin LOVES to help all the time.

3. He teaches them patience. Something I do not have much of. Derek teaches Gavin how to be nice and patient, and how to be polite. Please and Thank you goes a long way in this house, and Gavin has learned this from Daddy.

4. He teaches them how to have fun. While doing all those things mentioned above, he teaches Gavin how to have fun doing it. When Daddy says "lets fix...." something, Gavin JUMPS to go get whatever tools he needs. He also takes Gavin out all the time to play. Even if its at Home Depot, Gavin has the time of his life being with Daddy.

5. He shows them how to treat me, and teaches them the right way to act. He teaches them through example....the best way to learn.

6. He helps ME. He recognizes when I am tired and when I need a break. He will take over 100% of the duties and let me rest or sleep. I will be forever grateful to him for this. He gets up at midnight with the baby to give a bottle. He wakes up at 6am when Gavin wakes up. He runs on little sleep, and I don't know how he does it. Lucky, I sure am.

7. He makes us laugh! We love him so much and thank God every day for him and our family. Thank you babe for making us so very happy:)

Cousin Aidan in town!

Right when we got back from Ohio, cousin Aidan and Krista were here in town visiting from Arizona! We got to spend lots of time with them, and even got to go to dim sum for Aidan and Austin's first time:) Aidan and Gavin had a blast playing together for the past few days, and we hope they come again soon!

{Gavin 34 Months}

Dear Gavie,

Today you turn 34 months! Yes, you and your brother are growing up so so fast! I still can't get over how OLD you seem now. You are SUCH a little boy, and no longer a baby at all!

You are Mr. talkative. All the time. You talk to everyone and repeat everything we say. We really need to watch what we say around you.

You are the worlds best big brother. You are nothing but sweet to your brother. We thought we might deal with some jealousy stuff, but we have yet to! You help with baby, and you entertain him all day long. Thank you for always being so good to him, we are so lucky! You always need to help change diapers...you will remove the old diaper, and tell me if its poopy or not. Then you get the wipes and wipe his bottom. You also go get the "barf rag" when baby spits up. You also get his paci if he is fussing. You HATE to hear him fuss and cry, and you stop whatever you are doing to make him feel better. You will sing to him, dance for him, and give him toys. Like I said, you are the worlds best big brother.

You are still eating very well and sleeping very well. Go to bed at 8pm and get up at 6am. We can't remember the last time you woke up in the middle of the night. You nap from 1 to 3 every day. You are in size 3T clothes, and completely potty trained except for naps and bedtime. Like I said, you are such a big boy. You are Mr. Independent, and we are very lucky that we only have one baby in the house!

Your favorite activities include going to parks, playing in sand/water/mud/dirt/rocks, painting, coloring, stamps, cutting stuff with scissors, putting scotch tape all over things, stickers, mowing the lawn, washing the car, pressure washing things with daddy, edging, iPad games, balance bike riding, running, picnic lunches outside, swimming, going to Hacienda school to play every night, bike rides with daddy to go see the ducks, Curious George anything, reading 100 books a day, and so much more. You are the absolute busiest kid I know!

Gavin, thank you for being you. Thank you for taking such great care of your brother. Thank you for making us smile and laugh all day long. You are the light of our lives...we love you so so much.

Momma & Dadda

Donovan's Auto

After Park/lunch, we stopped by Donovan's to see Great Uncle Goober and Denny. They showed the boys all the cool car stuff, and Gavin and Griffin LOVED the air compressor of course. After naps we went to the Lyons for a BBQ and tried to get some pictures of all the kids with Ma and Papa....HAHA they were pretty funny!!!

French Park with Great Uncle Darryl

Today we went to French Park again to go play in the creek. The big kids LOVE the creek, and are so good at navigating it. Gavin and Griffin especially loved digging in the clay. Great Uncle Darryl met us there and it was nice to hang out with him. He got some really great pics of the kids too:) After the park, we went to Pleasant Ridge Chili for lunch. The kids ate SO much food....hungry after all that hard work! Thanks for the fun day Ma and Uncle Darryl:)

Girls night out!

Tonight Mom, Erica and I (and babies) went to Montgomery Inn for dinner and drinks! (One of my all time favorites) We all three REALLY needed a night out, without the rest of the crew. Scott, Dad, and Pat all watched the big kids, and we got to enjoy our night. The babies actually slept for a majority of the night too. We sat out on the patio that overlooked the river and city....it was so nice. Thank you Mom and Erica for the nice evening....I miss you guys so much!

When we got home, the kids were still alive. Gav and Noah were actually in the bath already! Pat and Papa took great care of them. Thanks Dad and Pat!

Creeking with the Gunderson's

Tonight we went to Beth and Eric's house to have dinner and go to French Park to go creeking. Gavin had a BLAST and was in heaven playing with the older boys! Gavin showed off his creek skills (Thanks Mountain School!) and even caught a crawdad in his shoes. After the park, we had a nice BBQ:) Thanks Gunderson's!

{Austin 4 Months}

Dear Baby A,

Today you turn four months old...and boy has time been passing fast. On one hand I feel like you were born yesterday, and another I feel like you have been around forever!

You are the worlds sweetest baby. You are so happy just watching everyone around you, especially your brother. You rarely complain, only if you are tired or hungry. When someone comes up to meet you, you just smile and smile and smile at them...no matter what!

EVERYONE comments on the hair. I mean everyone. It must make you stand out a LOT because strangers all over the place will feel the need to come up and tell me how cute you are with your "full head of dark hair" Of course I know this already! Of course you just smile and squeal and coo at them...making them see how cute you really are.

You have been nursing very well these days. Every three hours. Sometimes more and sometimes less. Some nights are good, and you will sleep soundly waking up every three hours to eat....other nights are not so good. You will wake every hour and want to be held...and fall right back to sleep. Your momma and daddy are pretty tired...and we are fearing you have developed a serious case of "not being able to fall asleep on your own..." just like you brother did. Totally my fault....I hate to hear you cry, and I won't let you! We take it day by day, and hope for sleep in the future!

Your daddy is still giving you a bottle every night around 11 or 12, and you sometimes take 4 ounces, and sometimes only one. Just depends on your mood I guess. You MUCH prefer fresh breast milk over the frozen/thawed stuff. Very picky eater! I go back to work in a month, so you will have to get used to the frozen/thawed stuff whether you like it or not;)

You are a very healthy little guy. No issues at all, and as long as I steer clear of dairy, you are perfectly happy. You have had one very tiny cold, and it did not bother you much besides the stuffy nose. We hope you have your brothers strong immunity too.

You move, move, move. Roll over ANYtime you are placed on your back. You need to be strapped in ANYthing we have (stroller, carseat, bouncy seat) because you will arch your back to try to roll out of it! We put you to bed at the bottom of the bed and you wake up at the top...once you are on your belly you will kick your legs so hard that you move forward. I have a feeling you will catch up to your brother in no time!

About two weeks ago (3mo 2wks) you started to grab for objects/toys and bring them to your mouth. You will concentrate very hard, drool all over, and suck on whatever you get. Including fingers, oh you love to suck on hands and fingers! Of course I really don't like this unless its MY own hands that are JUST washed...of course! Your favorite toy? Its Sophie the giraffe AND your Whoozit ball. We don't leave home without these two things! Oh, and I forgot about your blankie. I got you your very own AllyZabba blanket and "blankie" that match. The small one is super soft, and you love to cover your face with it and of course suck on it! It stays in your bed, and you know when you get in bed you get to rub your face in it:)

Explosive poops. Need I say more? Oh MAN they are explosive! Right out the sides, front or back of the diaper. Larger diapers? Does not matter. You are so squirmy that the poop goes everywhere no matter what. Our washer and dryer is never off!

You are in size 6 mo clothes, size 2 diapers, and I think about 15 pounds. Very solid boy!

Baby A you bring us so much joy, and we are beyond blessed to have you in our lives. We thank God each and every day that we wake up to your smiling face...so thankful to have you. Can you please stop growing up so fast though? I wish time could slow a little...

We love you SO much baby Austin!

Mamma & Dadda

The Land

Today we went to the Land for a VERY fun filled day! The last time Gavin was here he was so sick....with pneumonia, so it was no fun at all. Today? He had the time of his life. He got to mow and pick up grass with Papa, ride the 4wheeler with Ma, pick blackberries, swim in the pond, and explore the camper. The big kids even took a 3.5 hour nap together in the camper! They were SO tired!!! Thank you Ma and Papa for the great day...we wish we could do it more often.

Cincinnati Zoo

Today we got to go to the Cincinnati Zoo with Pat and Noah! Pat was off work, and it was a perfect day to head to the zoo. All three boys were very good, and had a lot of fun seeing all the animals. Gavin's favorite part was the insect house. He LOVED to watch the ants! We were in the insect house for a LONG time! Of course Noah's favorite part was the misting/cooling fan that sprays water on you as you walk by to cool you off. We spent a lot of time there too;) Oh, and of course we could not forget to ride the train! The boys all loved it, including baby A. He was super calm and relaxed the whole ride:)

Hahana Beach

Tonight we went to Hahana Beach for dinner. This is a favorite for the kids because they can play in the sand while we eat dinner. It is the PERFECT place for toddlers! Uncle Pat ran around in the sand with the kids too...and they had a lot of fun. It is perfect for us too because we can sit and eat/drink in somewhat peace. A very fun night with the whole family. 

Lunken Park

Today we headed to Lunken Airport park to play and have a picnic lunch. Great Grandma and Grandpa Gunderson met us there too! The kids all had fun, and Austin got to meet his Great Grandparents for the first time. Of course the boys loved Great Grandpa pushing them on the swings.

Summertime BBQ

After a fun day at the nature center, we were able to go over to Erica and Scotts for dinner. We barely saw the "big kids" (Gav, Griff, and A-Bell) as they all played in the yard. Baby A got to nap on the swing, and the best part was bath, snack and cartoon together! Gavin does not get snack and cartoon before bed at home, so this was a special treat. He is still talking about it today. 

Cincinnati Nature Center

Today we all piled in two cars, and took all six kids to the Cincinnati Nature Center. It was a ton of fun, and we had to drag the kids out of the creek. After we played in the creek, we had a picnic lunch in an old log cabin, and then "built" our own log cabin. It was a ton of work with all these kids, but so much fun:) Its a good thing that Gav and Griff are experts at "creeking" or else we could not have done it! Highlight: Noah splashing in the water....he was SO excited, and so happy...this was Noah's heaven. 

First Day in Cincy

Today was a somewhat low key first day...well as low key as it can get with 6 kids under 4 years old! Everyone came over to Ma and Papa's house and we all played outside...The kids rode bikes down the driveway, washed the toys, washed Uncle Pat's car, had a picnic lunch, and eventually all took a nap at some point;) Baby Austin and Adelyn were pretty cute together too...just sat there and tried to eat each others hands and feet...and at one point Austin rolled over on top of Addie and she cried:( Pretty cute!

Griffin 4yr, Gavin 2yr 10mo, Annabel 2yr 3mo, Noah 1yr 3mo, Austin 4mo, Addie 3mo. Phew!

Headed to Cincinnati!

Today Gavin, Austin and I took a direct flight to Cincinnati! I think I had more anxiety about flying with the kids solo than I did about going through childbirth without pain medication! When all is said and done I guess natural childbirth is a lot harder;) The boys were very good throughout the whole travel. They both even took a 2 hr nap at the same time. I probably had a dozen people come up to me to tell me How good the boys were and How cute baby Austin is:) while they were very well behaved it was still exhausting! Being stuffed in such a small space with 2 little ones is hard work...but we did it! A big thank you to Ma for taking us to the airport and hanging out with us while we waited for the plane...and also a big thank you to Aunt Erica, Cincinnati Ma, and Griffin for being at the airport to greet us...definitely a huge help to have help getting on and off the plane! As always I will take a little blogging break while we are here. Lots and lots of pictures to come in a few weeks!