Bath Time Fun

Growing, Playing...and Drooling

I'm due for a REAL update...so here you go! These past weeks have been so much fun. I see more and more personality building in Gavin as he grows. And he seems to be taking in the world at an even more rapid pace now. He loves playing with toys, particularly if they are the right size to jam into his mouth and chew, hence the title of this post...drooling! It's like the faucet has been turned on over the past month, and I don't think it's getting turned off any time soon. His first tooth may not be far off. But then again, I've read that babies can drool, drool, drool for several months before cutting a tooth. I suppose we'll see soon. I'm okay with waiting on teeth for now!

So, Gavin's favorite things right now? Laying on the floor playing with toys and rolling to his side -- he's getting closer and closer to rolling from his back to belly. Not sure what he'll do once he gets onto his belly -- he's still not fond of tummy time. I think he really enjoys the freedom of playing on his back right now. He's also beginning to enjoy his bebePOD more now too. It's one of those funny looking seats that helps little ones sit upright. And he's still enjoying time in his play gym.

Gavin had his 4 month well-child appointment last week Friday. He is now 12 pounds 3 ounces and 24.5 inches long. Statistically, he is still in the tenth percentile for weight and 50th for length. So, he's tracking right along where he should be! Round two of vaccines went okay -- more crying than the first time. But he settled down with some post-shot lunch. We thought he might sleep the day away like he did with his first vaccines, but he really was just more of himself this time. Didn't seem to phase him as much. Developmentally, he's again meeting all of the expected milestones. I like these appointments; it's reassurance that we don't stink as parents. That our child is progressing like he should. Can't wait to go back for Gavin's 6 month appointment! It will be here before we know it!

Well, here are some pictures that pretty much sum up what I've typed. Enjoy!

bebePOD fun...such a determined face!

Almost rolling over. That darn shoulder gets in the way!

Chewing, sucking and drooling

We took a trip up to Traverse City for work. Brad and Gavin spent a couple of days hanging out while I worked. We, of course, hauled lots of baby gear up with us...but not all of it. So, Gavin didn't have all of his usual options for sitting. So, Brad let him experience the jogging stroller without the infant carrier, just to have a place to sit in the hotel. I think he liked it!
Relaxing on the shores of Grand Traverse Bay.


Our little Bulldog! (note the mass quantity of drool around his neck)
In fairness, he also has a GVSU onesie. We'll see which one gets more drool.

Happy Father's Day!

Like father, like son. Enjoy your new Oakley's Dad!

Anniversaries

Yesterday, June 17, marked the one year anniversary of our knowing we were growing from a family of two to three. It was one year ago that I felt feelings of excitement, fear, anxiety, like the world spinning in slow motion, as I stared at the pregnancy test with TWO lines! What a day!

And today marks Brad and my 10 year "anniversary" -- we've not been married 10 years, but we've been together for a decade now! In September, we'll celebrate five years of marriage, but I still think it's special to celebrate this anniversary as well. I still remember our first date -- Olive Garden and mini golf. I believe I kicked his butt in mini golf, in fact. Just the beginning of many competitions between us -- Trivial Pursuit (which Brad always wins), Scrabble (which I always win), and more recently Wii sports (I still have him beat in Wii bowling, but he's got me in Mario Cart, baseball, golf, and the list goes on).

Here's a picture that shows perfectly where we were one year ago...and our little one today. What a difference a year makes!

Shake, Rattle and Roll...

...well, not quite the "roll" yet -- soon, but not yet. Definitely shake and rattle, though. How fun to see our "little squirt" having fun!

 

A Tribute to Dad

Yes, I know Father's Day is a couple of weeks away...but this weekend marks the start of a beautiful thing. For those of our blog followers who aren't aware, Brad and I have made a very important decision for our family. It is a decision that took much prayer and thought and something we've talked about and debated since long before we even were pregnant with Gavin. We, along with God's guidance, have decided that Brad will dedicate the coming years to our family as a full time stay at home dad. Most certainly, THE most important, fulfilling job in the whole entire world.

While we are saddened that he will be leaving his students and "family" at Holy Trinity, we feel we are blessed and fortunate to be able to make this decision. Particularly in an economy where jobs are not a guarantee nor are they plentiful. I can't count how many times the reaction to our decision has been "you're giving up a job in this economy?". But many more times than we've heard comments like that, we've heard encouraging words...stories of other stay at home parents who shared how rewarding it was for them and their children to have such an opportunity.

It's somewhat of a leap of faith that everything will turn out the way we, and ultimately God, intend for it. We'll make sacrifices, like many families with only one working parent make, but I'm confident that every sacrifice will be repaid ten-fold. This is truly the best investment we've ever made!

And in no way do I intend for our decision to reflect poorly on the decision that many families make to have both parents work full time. Everyone must make the decision that is right for their family and we are blessed to be in a position to make the choice that we have. With my return to work full time nearly three weeks ago and Brad finishing the school year, I have incredible respect for families that do it everyday.

We ask that you pray for us as we embark on this "leap of faith".

And to my husband -- thank you for being such a wonderful, loving dad. I am so incredibly blessed to have you...and Gavin is even more blessed. I have every confidence that the care you will provide for our little guy will be the best he could receive anywhere. How reassuring for me to go to work knowing that he is in the hands of the person who loves him most. Priceless!

 

Beach, Baby and Birthday

Today is my birthday...and I think it's the best birthday I've had so far. Turning another year older is never easy, but it's amazing how wonderful it can be when you have your family to celebrate with. We spent the evening in Grand Haven, Gavin's first trip to our favorite beach (well, second favorite next to Siesta Key). We enjoyed dinner at Kirby and an evening stroll down the boardwalk to the pier. What a beautiful night it was...full sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, and a nice mild temperature.

I think there will be many memories to come at our (second) favorite beach!

Cheers to my first birthday as a mom. I've got the best birthday presents in the whole world, every day -- my two favorite guys!

 

 

 

Cousin Love...

Another wedding this weekend! Congrats to cousins Jeni and Rob! Here's a pic of Gavin with his second cousin Sam. Sam is 9 months old and so loveable to babies. Here's a big kiss for Gavin! Too cute!

 

Just Hanging Out...

.


.

Congratulations Kajja and Josh!

Gavin's first wedding...and his first trip to Wisconsin. He was an angel for the six and half hour car ride, both on Friday and back today. No traffic either way--yay! It was a great time and so wonderful for Gavin to meet all the Schillings.

Congrats to the bride and groom! We're so happy for you both!


Gavin in his car seat for the long car ride



Entertainment for the long car ride...Gavin loves his spider bug and bumble bee



Family photo opp

Back to Work

Yesterday marked my first day back at work, after 3 months off. Everyone always told me how quickly my maternity leave would go...but I didn't realize how quick it REALLY would be. It seems like just yesterday I was waking Brad up to tell him my water had broken. Yesterday was incredibly difficult. I was teary eyed all weekend and earlier this week in anticipation of my return. And then of course the tears continued yesterday, along with anxiety about leaving Gavin. Would he eat okay when I was gone? Would he nap sufficiently? Would he get enough play time? Would he get too much play time? Would he be rocked the same way I rock him? Would he smile while I was gone? Would he even know I was gone? Would he miss me?

Today was a bit better. I, at least, didn't feel so out of sorts at work. Yesterday, I just didn't know where to start when I got there. I felt overwhelmed, out of the loop, worried about Gavin, a little nervous about pumping at work (it's just not the same). Today, I was able to get back into the groove, actually getting excited again about the projects I had left behind. I think that's the best way to handle this transition to "working mom" -- I need to totally throw myself into my work while I'm there to keep my mind busy.

We're very fortunate to have loving childcare for Gavin for these next two weeks, prior to Brad being done with the school year. Cousin Hillary is doing a great job with our little guy. In fact, he's had three days in a row now with adequate naps. That eases my mind considerably. I must say, though, we are looking forward to having Brad home with Gavin. It will be so reassuring to me knowing that Gavin is in loving hands while I'm at work.

The most difficult thing for me is that I only get to spend a few hours with Gavin in the evenings now, before he goes to bed. I miss seeing him during the day. Thank goodness for weekends!

All in all, my transition back to work has gone really as I expected. It seems to get a little less sad (still sad, though) every day. I am looking forward to a long weekend. We'll be traveling to Wisconsin for a wedding--pray for us that we have safe travels.

Then and Now...

Yesterday, Gavin turned 3 months old! He’s so quickly exiting the newborn stage and entering the more independent (though still very dependent) infant stage. I thought it would be nice to highlight how our little guy has grown, both physically and developmentally. Gavin has nearly doubled his birth weight over the past 3 months, weighing in right around 11 pounds now. While he was gaining about two pounds per month, I’ve noticed a slight decrease recently. From what I’ve read, this is completely normal. As babies age, their rate of weight gain decreases, particularly breastfed babies. The last time he was measured, he was 24 inches long (20 inches at birth). He is still a long and lean little guy, but has certainly filled out over the months, especially his face and thighs. His 0-3 month clothes fit him quite well (some are almost getting too small) and he now fits into some of his 3-6 month sizes as well. He’s gone from eating 9-10 times per day to 7 times per day (some days only 6). And he’s down from nine to 10 dirty diapers per day to just two to three per day…how exciting, huh? Gavin is getting very good at supporting his head, both when he is carried and when on his tummy. In fact, I think he’s actually beginning to like tummy time a bit now.

What’s more exciting are the developmental changes. He smiles at everyone, recognizes familiar faces and voices, coos uncontrollably, squeals, waves his arms and legs in glee (still a bit uncoordinated), grabs toys, delights in bright colored objects, stares at pictures, and just loves to take in everything around him. He’s become a very efficient eater over the past weeks, but there are times now, when he just wants to have a conversation with me instead of eating. He is highly distractible, but in the cutest, most precious way. He wakes up happy as a lark (never really understood that metaphor) in the mornings and flashes huge smiles when he sees me in the morning. It melts my heart. This is truly what having kids is all about!

Other changes: sleep. Gavin is now consistently sleeping in 6-8 hour stretches at night, down from waking about every two and half to three hours as a newborn. He sleeps for about 11-12 hours at night and much less during the day than he did as a newborn. I do think it is a blessing that newborns sleep so much during the day – new mommies need their rest, too, during those first weeks. So, as I posted a couple weeks ago, we’re still struggling with day time sleep. I’ve been doing an incredible amount of reading on this and I’ve self-diagnosed him with “one sleep cycle disorder”. He will sleep for about 45 minutes in his crib, the length of one sleep cycle, and then he’s not able to put himself back to sleep. Somehow he’s able to do it at night, just not during the day. So, I’ve been working diligently to help him learn to put himself to sleep. This afternoon I had success, though it may be short lived. Gavin slept for nearly three hours...waking for short periods every 45 minutes. I think, though, that it is one thing I will not be able to consistently teach him prior to my return to work (which is tomorrow). It’s difficult for me to accept this, as I’ve always been one to finish what I start. I suppose it is something that Daddy will have to work on with him this summer!

All in all, we have an adorable, loveable, healthy little man…who is growing ever too quickly!

To wrap up the “Then and Now”, here are some comparisons of “Then” and “Now”...

Our family, "Then" and "Now"

Snuggling with Dad "Then" and "Now"

In the car seat "Then" and "Now"


In the Boppy "Then" and "Now"

Blowing Bubbles

Just too cute to not post it...

Baptism

Today, on Mother's Day, Gavin was welcomed into the church through baptism. It was a beautiful morning and the celebration was spectacular. Thank you to all of our family who were able to be part of this wonderful event. A special thanks to Aunt Jodi and Uncle Chris for accepting the responsibility of godparents for our little guy. You are a great example for him!

Here are some pictures of Gavin's big day...

All dressed up. Thanks Grandma Mary for making me such a handsome baptismal outfit!

Getting dunked in the holy water (Fr. Mark really likes to soak the little ones!)

With Mom and Dad. Nice suit Dad!

With Mom, Dad, Fr. Mark and godparents, Aunt Jodi and Uncle Chris

Happy Mother's Day!

Building Up Strength

Gavin is getting more and more coordinated and strong. Here he is building his muscles to lift himself...and it ended in him rolling over onto his back. The roll-over wasn't purposeful, but it still happened! You can see in his face that he's not too thrilled with his tummy time. Some day it will be fun. This picture also shows nicely the hair that is regrowing on the top of his head, after having fallen out a few weeks after birth. No more male pattern baldness!

Strike, Strike, Strike!

Gavin's new thing this past week is a strike on naps in his crib. We moved him from his bassinet in our bedroom to his "big boy" crib, in his room, last week Friday night. He did great with the transition. For me, it's a bit bittersweet. It's the "end" of the newborn phase and the beginning of more independence for our little guy. While I do feel it's very important for Brad and I to have our space from Gavin (and visa versa), particularly at night, it is sad to know he isn't sleeping right next to me. I must say, though, I think he is sleeping much more soundly now with more room. He was starting to get his hands caught between the rails of the bassinet and was just really squirming around a lot in there. Now, he seems to be more content at night.

I've also started trying to get him to nap more in his crib during the day, as opposed to napping in a sling, the swing, his car seat, or where ever else he drifts off to sleep. I've not been having great success with this new venture. I've tried swaddling, un-swadding, rocking, not rocking, music, no music...and the list goes on. And I can't find anything consistent that works. Just when I think I've figured him out, it changes the next day. If nothing else, Gavin is great at keeping me on my toes. I suppose I'm not the only new mom out there with this "problem". And I find that I obsess over his napping--if he doesn't sleep enough during the day, he gets overly tired and it's even harder to get him to sleep later. I suppose his napping schedule will develop with time -- whether I obsess or not. I almost feel, though, like I only have a few more weeks home with him to help him learn these important life lessons. And now I'm getting tears in my eyes thinking that our time together (all the time) is coming to an end.

Well, I'm going to stay positive. I wouldn't trade these past 10 weeks for anything in the world, obsessing and all. And my vow for these next three weeks is to stop obsessing and just enjoy every minute I have with our little miracle. So, no more worrying about "is he napping enough?" "is his poop the right color (yes, this is something I worry about as well--never thought I would)?", "is he developing like he should?" I'm going to focus on the great job that Brad and I have done as new parents, the wonderful smiles Gavin flashes (all the time now), the great cooing conversations we have while he's on the changing table, and all the other wonderful things Gavin has become to me. Besides, who could resist this face...

But, if anyone has suggestions for the whole "napping in the crib" thing, feel free to post a comment. I'm open to suggestions from all of you moms out there!

Happy Earth Day!

A Felon Among Us...

Got your attention?

So, a few weeks ago, Stuart committed his first felony against one of Gavin's "friends", a blue rubber ducky. See Exhibit 1 below.


He was sentenced to probation for his actions.

Then, today, I discovered his second victim, a turtle (named "Turt") from Gavin's Boppy play mat. See Exhibit 2 below. A clear violation of his probation.

So, I pulled together a jury of Stuart's peers (below), they heard his case, and found him guilty of murder.

Lesson learned for me--never trust the dog. He is always up to no good.

Gavin is very upset with the loss and just can't bring himself to comment. Well, it could be the vaccines he received today at his 2 month well child visit. He's been in a sleep coma all afternoon and evening.

PS--All else went well at his appointment. He's now 9 lbs 10 oz and 23 inches long, putting him in the 10th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for length. Developmentally, he's met all of his milestones--cooing, smiling, kicking, grasping, etc.

He Did It!

Just got the results...

2:58:43!

He met his goal of under 3 hours. Yay Brad (Dad)! We're waiting on a phone call to get his reaction to the day...more to come!

Go Dad Go!

B is for Boston

Go Brad Go!

This morning, Brad and his parents embarked on their journey to Boston for the Marathon on Monday. They're enjoying a couple of days of sight seeing prior to the big race. So, Gavin and I are on our own for the first time. It's very weird right now. I just put Gavin to bed -- I think he really missed that goodnight kiss from Dad.


If anyone is interested in tracking Brad during the race on Monday (starts at 10:00am), you can visit this site to sign up for email or text alerts at the 10K, half, 30K and finish. You'll need his bib number and DOB, 1668 and 1/15/1980 respectively. Also, the marathon will be broadcast on Versus (channel 55 on Comcast in the Grand Rapids area). We probably won't see Brad on TV, but I guess you never know. You will get to see the top runners...and possibly an American male will win the marathon. This would be the first time and American has won since GR native (and fellow West Catholic grad) Greg Meyer's win in 1983. Two of America's best male marathoners will be running this year -- olympians Ryan Hall and Brian Sell. How exciting!


So, say some prayers for Brad that he has a great, healthy, safe run on Monday and really enjoys soaking in all that the Boston Marathon has to offer.


We're proud of you! And we're with you in spirit!

Taxation without Representation

Happy Tax Day!

This onsie was the first piece of clothing Brad and I bought for, at the time, the twinkle in our eyes. We bought this years ago, knowing that some day we would have a little guy or gal to wear it. I thought it was quite appropriate for today. And it's ironic how we bought just the right size for Gavin! So, this post is dedicated to Grandpa Fred (for those of you who don't know, my dad works for the IRS).


And because Gavin is too little to participate in one of the many tea parties that have been organized for today, he and I had a tea party of our own this morning. He learned all about "taxation without representation" and responded by saying "ohhhh, ahhhh, haaaa, grunt" (translation: "no fair!").

Catching Up

It's been awhile since my last real post. Here's an update from the past couple of weeks. Gavin is growing, growing, growing. At the breastfeeding support group today, he weighed 9 lbs 2 oz. It think this puts him around the 10th percentile for weight...a little better than the previous 3rd percentile. But, I've vowed to not overly worry about comparing him with his peers. He is a healthy, thriving little guy. So much so that a couple of weeks ago, he officially outgrew all of his newborn size clothes. His legs and feet just popped right out...

Our trip to Florida was wonderful, given that it started with worries about Gavin's fever. He did fantastic with all of the travel. Here he is with his wings. The flight attendant also gave him a certificate documenting his first flight. He sure was the hit on the plane rides!

Here's just a random picture of him relaxing in Florida...deep in thought.

With Grandma Mary and Grandpa Fred...



And we had to get a few pics of him on the beach, even though he didn't spend much time outside. He was cautiously left inside during the sunny, hot days, only coming out in the mornings and evenings for walks.

We came back from Florida just in time for Easter. Here's Dad filling in for Gavin on the Easter egg hunt. Next year, Gavin will be able to run around and find his own eggs.

Here's Dad's findings...

Well, I'm off for now. While we have a little angel most of the time, he does have his moments. And he's having one right now. Time to fill that belly and get him to bed!