{Gavin 59 Months}

Dear Gavin,

In just one short month, you will turn five! I still can't believe my baby will be FIVE! You tell everyone you are "four and a half" and that half is very important. I keep explaining to you that you are actually almost five, but you like 4 and a half.

This summer has been a ton of fun and you are loving this warm pool weather. You are a complete fish, and you swim all by yourself now! No assistance from anything or anyone...just swim all over the place! We are so proud of you, and we are so happy we listened to you when you said you did not want to take swim lessons all those years...you just were not ready! Now that you feel comfortable, you took off! While in Ohio, you jumped off the diving board a million times and swam to the side, all by yourself! Even the high dive! What a BIG boy you are...we are just so proud!

You can also be found doing a lot of cooking this summer...both inside and outside. You LOVE to cook, anything and anywhere. Your cooking skills are definitely improving, and you are now into "plating" the food for us. NO idea where you learned this! Your creations are actually quite delicious, and most of the time edible. Sometimes we save them for Daddy to try;)

You are still napping on most afternoons, for at least an hour or two. You go to bed at 8 and get up at 6 on the dot. You are actually up before 6, but not allowed to come out of your room until then;)

You continue to be a great eater, and I think you are around 46 pounds. You don't look heavy in the least, but oh my goodness, impossible to pick up! Solid!

You are in 5T clothes and NO MORE DIAPER DURING NAP TIME! You totally outgrew needing it for naps! We didn't really ever push it at all, just thought you would use them until you didn't need them anymore. About 6 months ago you asked when you could not wear a "nap diaper" anymore. We told you when you had three dry naps, we would be done....and after our trip to Ohio, you seemed to be done! You are always dry after nap and you are so proud of yourself. We are too. One day you will outgrow your nighttime diaper too, but we may have a while for that, who knows. We are totally fine just letting you lead the way.

You have summer camp today, your first one ever, and I am so nervous! Never have I left you more than a few days, and this is every day for 4 hours! Yikes!! Thankfully its with one of your Mountain School teachers, so that makes me less nervous....but its on a farm with LOTS of animals...and you are so excited!!!

Love you more than you will ever know---to the moon and back!

Momma