0 to 2 in 287 Days...and Living to Blog About It!!!

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and many blessings in 2012!

Gigi~ 18 Months

Gigi  18 Months Old

Dear Gwyneth,

Where to start, where to start?  You turned 18 months old on August 3.  You are such a happy little girl!  You have the best expressions and love to use imaginary play already.  It is so cute when you pick up the cell phone and say "alo" and start jibber jabbering:)  Another side of your personality that has just started to emerge is the tantrum throwing one.  Quite honestly...it is just a little bit funny.  I really need to get it on video.  You are such a cautious fit thrower.  You literally sit on your bottom and lean back slowly (to make sure everybody sees you) and then right before you get to the floor you lightly lean your head back and start screaming hysterically.  If we aren't paying attention, usually you will just set up and move on, LOL!

*  You are wearing mostly 12-18 month clothes.  You weighed in at 21 pounds 11 ounces and measured 31 inches long.  I believe the doctor said you are around 25% for height and  just shy of the 10th percentile of weight. 

*  You took your first very wobbly steps on May 24th just shy of your 16 month birthday.  You were unbelievably proud of yourself and now you are practically running!

*  At one year old you had no teeth!  Your first tooth came in on April 11th.  This was one week after your 14 month birthday.  Between 14 and 18 months you acquired 5 new teeth.  This is just crazy!  You handled it beautifully and seemed to really enjoy having a few teeth to help you along with the eating process. 

*  Your hair has gone from being a little wavy to curly.  I.love.it.  We can totally judge the humidity outside by how much curl you have when you wake up in the morning.  Everywhere we go, people comment on your beautiful curls.  Who knows if they will stick!  Curls or not, you are one beautiful girl though inside and out.  That is for sure!

*  You are a fabulous little eater.  I have no idea how you are barely on the weight growth charts.  Yogurt, cheese, and bananas are by far still your favorite.  However, you have a new found love for apples with your big girl teeth.  You also love to eat whatever we are eating and certainly prefer to feed yourself.  This is a messy but good thing!

*  I know that I said that you were saying mama on your 12 month update.  However, what I thought was mama went away.  You just stopped saying it.  Then, right around 18 months you started really saying it again.  Instead of just jabbering it, you now say it with purpose when you need me.  I love this!  Hearing you say mama is just music to my ears.  You are a little lady of few true words but you have lots of signs and sounds that those that are around you often understand well.  For the most part you say mama, dada, hello, cheese, and yay. 

*  You love to blow kisses and especially love to give kisses.  You make the kissing sound until mommy and daddy take a moment to kiss you.  You love to give really slobbery good kisses.

*  You also love to feed mommy and daddy.  Especially goldfish that you have already softened up in your mouth.

*  You loved summer and loved every moment of playing outside with your brother.  The only thing you didn't like about summer was when your brother would spray you with the hose or if somebody splashed you at the pool.  You were only a big fan of water when it was on your terms.

Gwyneth, thank you for the joy and smiles you bring to our little family on a daily basis.  You are such a blessing!

Love you bunches!

Mom and Dad

Gavin 2 Years Old!!!

Look who just turned two!!!

April 22, 2011

Dear Gavin,

Since you are all about any kind of ball, (basketballs, footballs, golf balls, baseballs, and etc.) we decided to have your second birthday be a ball themed party!  You use the same word to identify all of these various kinds of balls and it is "ball-ball."  So, so cute.  For your party we had a playdate party on your actual birthday and then had a smaller party with a few close friends and family on Saturday. 

*  Your stats at 2 are as follows:) weight 37.8 height 36 inches!

*  We are fairly certain you are working on your two year molars.  However, it will remain a mystery until you go to the dentist for the first time because we just can't get a good enough look in there.

*  Your new favorite thing to eat is frozen yogurt tubes.  You think they are ice cream.  We are a huge fan because they are all organic and relatively low in sugar.  On the not so healthy side, you are totally addicted to suckers.  Whenever we go to the grocery store, you always ask for one.  If you are a good boy, then mommy will usually cave in and give you one.  Other than that, you are a pretty good eater.  Although, I am convinced that if you could, you would live off of applesauce, yogurt, chicken nuggets, bread and butter, and string cheese.  These are totally your staples.

*  As the weather is becoming nicer, mommy and daddy are realizing a fence might be needed in the backyard to contain you and your sister.  You love our swing set but for some reason the neighbors always seems to be more inviting.  Lucky for us, we have really awesome neighbors:) 

*  Speaking of the backyard, you love to water everything with the hose.  We still don't have any annuals planted but have lots of things sprouting up.  You are obcessed with the hose!

*  Your favorite thing in the whole world right now is to go for a ride in daddy's truck.  A lot of nights when daddy gets home from work, he will take you for a drive to look at various job sites that are close by.  You LOVE the big trucks and can say truck and dirt.

*  Your favorite books right now are Peak-a-Who and any book that has words and pictures.  You get very excited to point and share the various vocabulary words you know.  Your newest thing is to want to sit by yourself in the chair and have me sit on the ottoman and read to you.  I have to say I really miss you sitting on my lap but you give me lots of snuggles during the day...so I will let it slide.

*  You are starting to have a lot more words and are able to say a few sentences.  You say, My Gigi, yogurt, Daddy's truck, I want to ride, I get down, night night, I love you, puppy, dog-dog, golf, night-night (to everything you can think of to stall going up the stairs to bed), and many other cute things.

*  You have been especially snuggly lately.  I love this and soak up every single minute I can of it.

*  When we walk through the grocery store, you say hello to every single person you see and certainly expect a hello back.  If I am stopped and looking at something, you will continue to say hello until they finally cave in say hi.

*  You and Gigi love to play together.  It seems like sometimes you have your own little language together.  The two of you playing and laughing together is truly music to my ears.

*  You wear mostly 3t clothes.

*  You head to bed around 7:30 and sleep until about 7:30 or 8:00.  You almost always take just an afternoon nap.  It is usually from 1-3 or 1-4.

*  You are very excited about coloring and aren't trying to eat the crayons as much as you used to, LOL!  You are also beginning to show interest in playdough. 

*  You are so, so special to all of us.  We can't imagine life without you and can't wait to see what exciting new things you will learn about in the upcoming year!

 Love,

Mom and Dad

Absence makes the BLOG grow fonder...

Well, I have lots of excuses for not blogging regularly.

This is excuse #1.

This is excuse #2.

 

I won't bother writing the rest down because all that matters is that I am back now, right?!?!?  As I have mentioned before, writing is therapeutic for me...blogging is therapeutic for me.  So, I guess this either means that everything is perfect and I don't need therapy with two children that are 287 days apart OR it means that two children 287 days apart just keep me pretty busy!

No worries, I am smart enough to keep ongoing Word documents for each of the kids where I write down things I want to remember like their stats at doctor's appointments or, their first this or that, or cute little thoughts/stories about each of their little lives.  So, although the next few posts will be back logged...they are still accurate:)

The little hiatus I took has left me feeling rejuvenated and excited to get my friends and family updated somewhere other than Facebook.  I love Facebook bunches, however, it is tricky because ALTHOUGH I have lots of witty status updates and photo captions, *ha-ha.*..they do me no good for preserving my little ones lives.

So what do I have in store for you during the next couple of weeks.  Well, as far as I can tell from my poorly updated blog, I left off around Halloween when Gavin was getting ready to turn 18 months old.  I did update one other time when Gigi turned one but that doesn't count so much since I missed a whole lot in between. 

I will be adding the following posts...

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Gavin's second birthday, and lots of current stuff from the summer.

A few random notes/thoughts:

*  The above posts might not actually end up in that order and probably will not be my most stellar posts.  BUT, one day when the kids look back on this year of our life, they will be there.  BTW, I plan on taking all of my posts and making them into a book using Blurb.  Again, it is on the list, LOL.

*  I documented the first 12 months of both Gavin and Gigi's lives by month.  I chose to update this way because SO much changes from one month to the next in the first year.  I decided that after a year I will update every 6 months with an "official" what they weigh, what their milestones are, and the things I want to remember when they are 30.  I plan on blogging more than this but am hoping putting a little less pressure to come up with elaborate monthly posts will allow me to post more random little ones with fun pictures.

*  I have taken up the hobby of photography and plan on either dedicating a specific section of my blog to just photography or creating a whole new blog to show my growth and treasured pictures.  I have no ambition of becoming a professional.  I just want to capture beautiful moments of my two little ones and learn to look at the world around me through the lens of my camera. 

*  I desperately need to update my sidebar photos.  I honestly don't think there are any of the kids.  I uploaded all of them when I had tons of time before babies.  Now, not so much time.  One day it will happen...until then if you look over there all you will see is lots of probably pics of the two of us.  Still fun memories:)

I figure if you read this entire post that you deserve a few more recent pictures of Gavin and Gigi.  So here you go!  Stay tuned for more updates on our life at 0 to 2 in 287 Days and Living to Blog About It!

Gavin hanging out on the hammock we bought daddy for Father's Day!

Gavin and Gigi with mommy on vacation!

The girls!

Gigi enjoying the waterpark on vacation!

 

Gwyneth~ 12 Months

Gigi  One Year~ February 3, 2011

Dear Gwyneth,

It is just so hard to believe that your first birthday has come and gone already.  You are SUCH a precious, precious little girl.  You are personality plus and are so full of wonderful surprises.

*  You.are.a.peanut.  You still wear 9-12 month clothes.  You weighed in at 19 pounds 8 ounces and measures 28 inches long.  I believe the doctor said you are around 25% for weight and for height.

*  You are standing and can actually push the walkers around the room.  You would love to walk, make that run, but just aren't quite there yet.  I am sure it will happen in the next couple of months.  For your birthday, you received a baby stroller and you love pushing it around the room.

*  Still no teeth:)  Every single day I look and think surely there will be a tooth in that little smile.  However, it does not slow you down one bit.  You are doing a fabulous job with your eating and LOVE to eat all kinds of yummy foods.

*  I love how your hair has just a little bit of curl or wave to it right now.  We will have to see if this remains as you get bigger.  I have stick straight hair, so it would certainly be a pleasant surprise.

*  Your eyelashes are beautiful.  Seriously, they are long and full!  They make your dark brown eyes pop even more.  You are our little brown eyed girl!

*  You attempt to eat most things.  Pasta, any kind of fruit, and carrots are probably your favorites.

*  Your can say Mama, Dada, and Hi.  The word you say the most is Dada by far.  And, you LOVE to chat.  You talk, talk, talk and really want us to understand your baby chatter.

*  Your favorite thing to do with your brother is to play chase around the living room.  The sound of you two laughing together is music to my ears.

*  For your first birthday, we had a zebra themed party.  The colors were hot pink, black, and white.  For gifts, we asked that friends give donations to the hospital where you spent the first month of your little life.  An "alumni" mural will be created in your name.  This mural will provide hope for parents/families that are currently in the NICU.  They will be able to look at other babies who started life off a little early and are now happy and healthy.

Gwyneth, we hope you always know how grateful we are to be your mommy and daddy. 

Love you bunches!

Mom and Dad

Gwyneth~ 11 Months

Gigi Eleven Months~ January 11, 2011

Dear Gwyneth,

So, so close to a year.  As your mommy, I keep reliving all the times of thinking about how less than a year than ago you were still in my belly.  I cherished every moment of pregnancy with you and just can't describe what a beautiful gift you are to us!

*  Your big, big accomplishment this month was pulling yourself into a standing position on December 23rd.  You were so, so proud of yourself.  It is a ton of fun to watch you do this over and over again.  All at once, you seem so grown up!

*  Still no teeth:)  One month away from your first birthday and still not first tooth.  However, you seem to me like you are are getting closer every single day.

*  You finally have started napping really well.  Praise the Lord!  I am proud to say you have started to sleep atleast for an hour or two in the afternoon.

*  You ar doing a great job with your eating and like to eat peaches and mac and cheese the most.  You just started being able to eat level 3 foods really well.

*  Your latest word, is "Hi!".

*  You love, love, love playing with your brother.  You especially love going into the Toy Story tent and playing with all the stuffed animals in there.

*  Your first Christmas was amazing! You loved opening presents and especially enjoyed playing with your princess ride along toy.

I can hardly believe you are going to be one.  We have quite the first birthday bash planned and can't wait to share pics from the big party.

Love you bunches!

Mom and Dad

Gwyneth~ Ten Months Old

Gigi Ten Months~ December 3, 2010

Dear Gwyneth,

Well, our sweet little sister lu...you have had a VERY big month.  To be honest, you have been on your time prior to the beginning of month 10.  From month 9 to 10, you went from not sitting at all to army crawling.  Unbelievable!!! 

*  November 12th you mastered sitting independently literally over night.  This was a big accomplishment but believe it or not you had more to amaze us with.  One day shy of your 10 month birthday, you pushed yourself up into sitting position.

*  You decided to help mommy out and began holding your bottle on your own on November 14th.  Now, you are pretty happy to just give yourself a bottle.  I have to admit I am a bit sad because giving you a bottle still made you seem little.  I have to face it...you are growing up.

*  Then, on November 18th, you got up on all fours and rocked back and forth for the first time.  Yoy did your first army crawling on November 27th. 

*  Still no teeth:)  I tell daddy that  your first tooth is going to come in at any moment.  Maybe, just maybe you will have a tooth by your first birthday.

*  Sleeping through the night is going ok.  We had to lower your crib because you love to pull up and peek around.  Usually when I go in to get you out of bed, you are sitting up and looking around with a big smile on your face.

*  Your eating hasn't changed much in the last month.  You are still exploring solids and getting better at gumming your food every single day.

*  You say dada and mama and know what both words mean.  Music to our ears!

*  When Gavin takes a toy from you, you get VERY upset. 

*  Your favorite thing to do is to sneak Gavin's sippy cup and help yourself.

*  You loved sweet potatoes at your first Thanksgiving and had a ton of fun being the center of attention.  We had lots of family over for a wonderful day!

We are SO excited for Christmas and to see what exciting things your 11th month of life holds!!!

Love you bunches!

Mom and Dad

Merry Christmas to All...

And to all a good night!

The last few days have been filled with much joy and fun memories being made.  So, with little time to post, I wanted to atleast post our family Christmas card for 2010.

Our two gifts from above remind us every single day of God's amazing love for us!!!

Much love to all of you and may 2011 bring you many blessings!

 

Gwyneth Nine Months Old~ November 3, 2010

Nine Months Old~ November 3, 2010!!!

Dear Gwyneth,

This was a really big month for you!  All kinds of new things  happened and we couldn't be any more proud of each of your accomplishments!  In one short week you learned how to do three exciting new things...read below for details. 

*  You had been working on sitting on your own since September 23rd and finally a few days past your nine month birthday, November 12th, you mastered sitting indpendently literally over night.  You are SO proud of yourself and love looking at life from a new vantage point.  You haven't figured out how to push yourself up into a seated position but you can sit forever on your own and have even learned how to "fall" gracefully to get down to the ground.  This is huge because in the begining you would get tired and just rear back.  Not so much fun for you or mommy!

*  You decided to help mommy out and began holding your bottle on your own on November 14th.  However, you are quite the snuggler and will only do this when it is completely necessary, LOL!

*  Then, on November 18th, you got up on all fours and rocked back and forth for the first time.  You act like you want to crawl but get frustrated that all the rocking doesn't get you anywhere...then you tuck and roll to whatever it is you want.  So, that means at about 9.5 months you were rocking solidly!  I think we are very close to the infamous army crawl, just in time for Christmas probably.  How exciting!!!

*  You still are the toothless wonder.  No, this isn't a typo.  I didn't accidentally leave it in from month 8.  You still do not have any teeth.  Honestly, you chew on everything and I just can't imagine it will take much longer.  However, I feel like I have been saying that for months now.  Your teething toy, a giraffe named Sophie, sure does get a workout every single day.

*  You are sleeping well through the night.  You still go to bed around 7 or 8 and wake up around 6 or 7.  You seem to average 11 hours of sleep a night.  I was reading in a baby book the other day and it said, "Some baby's don't require a significant amount of sleep.  They might only sleep 11 hours at night and an hour during the day."  I laughed out loud because this is totally you.  I would love for you to nap like your brother, but it just isn't happening.

*  You eat level two baby food three times a day.  You like fruit with cereal or yogurt for breakfast, a veggie and fruit for lunch, and a dinner jar and fruit jar at dinner.  You usually take a bottle in the morning, another one at 10:00, another at 1:00, another at 4:00, and another at bedtime.  You are really just a snacker.  You still take anywhere from 4-6 ounces at a time which means you get about 25 ounces a day.  You tried eating small chunks of banana, cheese, and some cottage cheese this month.  Let's just say that solid foods are not quite your friend yet.  You'll get there though.

*  At your nine month appointment you had only gained a little from your cardiologist appointment.  You were 17 pounds 1 ounce and 27 and 3/4 inches.  I guess you will probably grow out of your infant carrier in height before inches.  We have a 30/30 carseat, so you are well on your way.

*  You seem to know who dada is and enjoy yelling his name.  Sometimes it sounds like you say mama when you are crying and want some love.  However, I think we would have to call your first word dada. 

*  You are becoming much more assertive with your brother.  Now, when he takes a toy of yours, you sometimes do a high pitch scream and begin to cry.  I am sure this will be a familiar sound for many years to come.

*  You love your brothers "paci" bear named Woof Woof.  So, we are thinking Santa might need to bring you a similar one for Christmas.  Gavin really doesn't like having to share Woof Woof.

*  You are really ticklish under your right arm and in the crease of your neck.  We get big belly laughs whenever we tickle you there. 

*  You love watching your brothers every move.  I think you are taking mental notes and, as soon as you are mobile, you will be attempting all of his little tricks.

*  For Halloween, you were the most beautiful little Tinker Bell and Gavin was Captain Hook.  You were quite the pair.  I would love to say I got a really cute picture of the two of you together...but I didn't.  All three times you were both dressed up, you wanted nothing to do with one another.  So, I just took really cute pictures of you individually.

*  I ordered new stocking for all of us with our names on them for Christmas.  I just can't wait to see how much fun you have with wrapping paper and boxes.  I know that was Gavin's favorite part last year.

You are so much fun baby girl.  We love watching you grow and love seeing you figure out the world around you.  We can't wait to see what exciting things you will learn to do in your tenth month of life.

Love you bunches!

Mom and Dad

She can make anything look cute...

I have to say that Gigi can even make a hospital gown look cute!  However, I hope to never have to see my baby girl in a hospital gown again.  In her short little life, she has already spent too much time at the hospital.  Thank goodness today's procedure wasn't a big deal.

She had to have a swallow screen, and this is fairly common for preemies and/or babies that spent a lot of time being fed through a feeding tube or gavage.  The worst part of it was having to wake her up at 4:30 and feed her a bottle and breakfast so she could make it until after her procedure to eat again.  The poor thing was starving by the time she was done and could have a bottle at 9:30.  And, because nothing can ever go as planned, when they were doing the procedure, the machine malfunctioned and we had to move her to an entirely different room.  She held it together pretty well until we went into the second room.  At that point she was not only hungry but tired also. However, we finished and all is good. 

Then, for the fun part of our morning, we went back to the NICU to see some of our favorite nurses and doctors. 

It does my heart so much good to go visit the people that became part of our family during Gigi's stay in the NICU.  I am always surprised how much they remember about our little family.  Although it was nine months ago, it feels like a lifetime.  However, it is part of Gigi's story.  I would have rather brought her home right away, but it doesn't matter when she got to come home...just that she did.  Forever grateful for my two beautiful, healthy babies!