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

Seven Months

Seven Months Old~ November 22, 2009!!!

Dear Gavin,

You turned seven months old this month and celebrated Thanksgiving!  What an awesome month!!!  We traveled home to celebrate Thanksgiving with mommy's family.  Everybody enjoyed having such a happy baby around for the holiday.  You were a real trooper:)  A three hour car ride down, lots of time with family, and then staying in a hotel.  You like adventure and are quite the little traveler.

*  Your sleeping habits are still wonderful but you have started waking up to see daddy off for work.  This means a little less sleep at night but a bit longer naps during the day.  I think you hear daddy moving around and getting ready for work and just can't imagine not saying good morning.

*  You still have two teeth and are working really, really hard on getting some more in.  I feel like you drool ALL THE TIME!  I am just sure that more teeth will come in soon.

*  You are crawling around like crazy.  You can get anywhere you want to be rather quickly.  We actually bought a new entertainment console to contain all of the video equipment because you were so intrigued.  This console is lower to the ground and has doors on it.  So nice!  We are working on getting the family room completely baby proof. 

*  You are now eating three meals a day and take four bottles.  You are taking about 24-26 ounces of formula a day.  You will eat anything but certainly have your favorite things.  You love sweet potatoes and winter squash.  You like all kinds of fruit but are still not bonkers about anything with bananas in it. 

*  You have already discovered the stairs and are trying to pull yourself up them.  TOO SOON!

*  This month you really started "playing" with your friends.  You aren't quite sure how to interact with others in playgroup.  However, you crawl over and try to interact.  So cute!

*  You are mesmerized by older kids.  If we are eating at a restaurant, you look around until you see a big kid to check out and will watch their every move.

*  You can easily move between a crawling position and sitting position.  You are almost always sitting up waiting for me to pick you up out of bed.

*  You love bath time.  You splash, splash, and splash some more.  Sometimes it looks like I just got out of the bathtub. 

*  One of your favorite stories is Time for Bed.  I have it memorized and you already know what is going to happen next. 

*  I can always get you to laugh by playing the "get ya" game.  

*  You enjoy cruising in your stroller.  We walk a couple of mornings a week with a friend at the mall.  You seem to really enjoy it.

*  We are all so excited for Christmas.  I think it is going to be a great year.  You will be eight months old and a ton of fun!

We love you bunches little buddy!

Mom and Dad

Six Months

Six Months Old~ October 22, 2009!!!

Well, I am trying desperately to get caught up on blogging.  Stay tuned over the next few days for the following posts.  Six months, Pumpkin Patch, Halloween, and Florida!!!  We have been busy and blogging has taken a back burner.

It is becoming more and more challenging to take a picture of Gavin with the signs.   He really just wants to tear them up.  I am thinking I need to become more tech savvy and overwrite the photo with what month it is, LOL!  

Dear Gavin,

We honestly didn't think that being a mommy and daddy to you could get any better but every day you continue to surprise us!  Your little personality is truly the BEST!!!  You are so much fun to be around.  We want to hold onto the end of every single day because you make our lives so much fuller.  I always try to remind myself to really be in the moment because time is flying way, way too fast.

*  At your six month appointment you weighed 23 pounds and 4 ounces and were 29 and 3/4 inches long.  Off the charts!

*  You are sleeping about 12 hours a night and enjoy a morning and afternoon nap of about an hour to an hour and a half.

*  You have two teeth and are working really, really hard on getting some more in.

*  You started rocking back and forth on October 21st.  You can get anywhere you want to go by rolling or doing your pseudo army crawl.

*  You are now eating cereal in the morning and at night.  You have tried all kinds of yummy food.  Mommy is trying to make most of your food and you have been a good sport and seem to like most of it.  You also still take about 32 ounces of formula a day.

*  You make the cutest clicking sound when playing with daddy.  You love mimicking daddy too!  You definitely have picked up on his mannerisms.

*  I am already needing to place some things on higher shelves because you are really starting to explore the world around you.

*  Your favorite book is your Boom Pa Pa book from Kindermusik.  You will listen to it over and over again! 

*  Your favorite toy is probably the Leap Frog exploration table we bought for your six month birthday.

*  When you go to sleep at night, you need a burp cloth to hold in your hand.  You always cover your eyes with it before going to sleep.  We had to lower your bed already because you are pulling yourself up.

*  You are doing a great job at sitting up on your own!  You really have to use those tummy muscles but they are getting stronger.

*  Mommy can almost always bring a smile to your face by singing your "Gavin Boy" song.

We love you bunches little buddy!

Mom and Dad

Gavin's Six Month Video

I am still working on the best way to share a video via Typepad.  So, I will post two different ways to view it in this post.  Let me know what is the easiest to view for future reference.  This is a little video I made of Gavin's first six months.  I had a great time piecing it together and hope you all love it!

The first option is to click on the blue link below.  I do believe the sound will work on this one but will probably take just a bit to download.

Download Gavin Six Months- you tube

The second option is to visit our other family site.

Five Months Old

Five months old and such a good boy.  Every where we go people ask how old you are and are shocked when I reply five months.  Then you flash that big cheeked smile and turn on the charm.  You seem to be very comfortable with others and have such a fun little personality.

*  I am not sure how much you weigh because your six month appointment isn't until October 18th.  But, I got on the scale with you the other day and am guestimating you to be around 22 pounds.  You are wearing mostly 12 month clothes but not because of your weight...you are sooooo tall. 

*  You are STILL a great sleeper but your sleep habits have changed a bit.  You stay up until about 8:00 and sleep until 7:30 or 8:00.  You are all smiles when you wake up in the morning.  You had a few weeks where you were restless but it was only because of teething.

*  I saw your first tooth pop through on Friday, September 25th.  We were at Target and you were flashing your smile and all at once I saw it.  The lady standing next to us must have thought mommy was crazy.  I was giddy with excitement.  It changes the whole look of your little face.  Your bottom right tooth is already through and bottom left is on the verge of breaking through at any moment.  Like everything else in your little life, you handled getting your first tooth great.  Lots of drool but, really, that was about it.

*  You are now eating cereal in the morning and at night.  It truly depends on your mood as to how much you are able to eat.

*  Mommy and daddy are still trying to decide what to make you for Halloween.  Daddy thinks Charlie Brown would be really funny.  It would, but, I know I only have a few years to dress you in really cute outfits before you can tell me what crazy, scary thing you would like to be.  Stay tuned for a final decision.

*  We have been going to Kindermusik for a whole month.  You love the class and have all kinds of little friends that you seem to recognize each week.

*  You love to giggle at your doggies.  Oh, how you love them, and they really won't give you the time of day.  No worries little buddy, sooner or later, mommy and daddy will get you a puppy that can be all yours.  Josie and Kotie have been around a long time and look at themselves more as our children than dogs.  

*  Two funny things I have noticed this month.  Every once in a while you will mimic the dogs and pant like a puppy.  So cute!!!  And, I have been chewing a lot of gum lately to keep my tummy settled.  I have noticed you chomping your mouth like there is a big piece of gum in it.  You are always watching even at five months.  You are one smart cookie:)

I mentioned last month that we have a favorite book, I Wished for You, An Adoption Story.  I would like to share a little more from this book. 

"One day..." said Mama, brightening as she spoke, "One glorious, special, wonderful day, I found out my wish was coming true."

"What did you do?" asked Barley, smiling and sitting up.  He could tell a lucky part was coming in her story.

"I shouted for joy!" remembered Mama, laughing.  "And I cried happy tears.  I told all my friends...and they hugged me and cried, too."

Barley wondered why grown-ups cried about happy stuff.

"Everyone knew how much I had wished for you!"

"What did you do when you first held me?" asked Barley.  As hard as he tried to remember he just couldn't.  He was a pretty little Barley then.

"Oh, Barley," said Mama. "I fell deeply in love with you.  I looked into your sweet face, and right then, you became my wish come true."

Every single thing we do is better because of you.  We love you so much buddy and thank God for his many blessings every day.

Love, 

Mom and Dad

Four Months

Dear Gavin,

Four months old and literally changing every single day!  Parenthood is the best thing that ever happened to us and we are honored to be your mommy and daddy. 

~However motherhood comes to you, it's a miracle.
-Valerie Harper
Adoptive parent

You are a miracle in our life Gavin!  We are so grateful your adoption is final and certainly think this was the biggest news of the month.  Here are some other fun memories from the month.

*  At your four month appointment you weighed 19 pounds 4 ounces and measured 28 inches.  Wow, the doctor said you are off the charts in height and weight.

*  You are STILL a great sleeper.  You go to bed around 9:00 and wake up around 8:00.  Now, when you happen to wake up in the middle of the night needing me, I feel it is an even more special time.  I cherish those quiet moments with you.

*  You must be teething...lots of drool, everything goes into your mouth, runny nose.  You name it, I think it happened this month.  I can see a little white on your front gum.  I think we have a ways to go until it actually pops through but you are a little trooper and handle it all so well.

*  You had cereal for the first time this month.  You weren't sure what to think at first but in just a few short weeks seemed to really get the hang of it.  The cereal seems to really give you a a sudden burst of energy after you eat it!

*  You love your Jumperoo and really go to town when you are in it. 

*  You enjoy taking long walks with mommy and daddy.  The weather has been unusually cold, and this has been perfect for us to enjoy the final days of summer.

*  You pulled your dogs hair for the first time.  Josie hasn't learned to get up and move away from you yet.  And, you haven't learned how to let go of something once you have a good grip, LOL!

*  We had a finalization celebration for you with lots and lots of people.  We collected presents for two local organizations and it was all a huge success!

*  Your hair is finally starting to grow.  Mommy and daddy have joked that if you don't have hair by Halloween, you might just have to be Charlie Brown.

I mentioned last month that we have a favorite book, I Wished for You, An Adoption Story.  I would like to share a little more from this book. 

"Mama", said Barley, his voice a whisper.  "Did you wish for me by name?"

He liked his his name, he thought to himself.  Mama tilted her head to show she was remembering.  "When I first wished my wish," said Mama to Barley, "I didn't know your name.  Or if you'd be a boy or girl.  But that didn't stop my wishing.  I asked God to look around and find the child who would be the perfect one for me." 

"Barley, " said Mama, her eyes spilling over with tears.  "Of all the children in the whole wide world, God picked you for me.  This made Barely feel really special.  There are lots of children in the world, he reminded himself.  And God picked him!

Barley got up and looked out the window that faced the big apple tree out back.  "Did you wish for me all day, Mama?"  Barley asked.  "Or only when the stars were out?"

"All the time," said mama, softly.  "I wished for you with my morning coffee and when I made my bed.  I couldn't get my wish for you out of my head."

That was a lot of wishing, thought Barley.  He thought of all the things he did a school like math and lunch reading.  He couldn't imagine wishing through all of them.

"Did you ever think," wondered Barley, "that your wish might not come true?"  "Oh yes..." said Mama, remembering how long the waiting seemed sometimes.

"I wished for you through many phone calls...and through mountains of paperwork.  I wished for you while I waited...and waited...and waited." 

"Sometimes, I didn't hear any news about you for weeks or months."  But I held onto my wish tightly- like the string on a balloon. 

"Did you imagine me to look exactly like I do?" asked Barley.

"You, Barley, are more beautiful that I EVER dreamed," said Mama.

Gavin, you are even more precious than we could ever have imagined.  We thank God for helping us find our way to you.

Love,

Mom and Dad

Three Months

Dear Gavin,

You are three months old already!  We are loving every single moment with you!!!  You are growing and changing every single day.  So what all happened in one short month...let's see.

*  You rolled over from your back to front for the first time.  Everybody tells me usually a baby rolls from front to back first.  After a few days you had mastered both.  Sometimes I put you in bed facing the top of the crib and will find you facing the opposite way at the bottom of the crib.

*  You are a great sleeper.  You go to bed around 9:30 and wake up around 8:00.  You are a great eater.  You are taking 4-6 ounces every three hours (except for at night).

*  You smile all the time and have even started to giggle, especially for daddy.

*  We went to a meeting at work the other day and you made sure to put your two cents in by chatting the entire time.

*  Mommy and daddy have decided mommy will stay home in the fall instead of going back to work.  I am grateful that I will be the first person to see your smiling face in the morning.

*  We enjoyed your first Fourth of July.  The fireworks didn't seem to bother you a bit.

*  We went to see Papa J at one of his shows for the first time. 

*  You went to your first family reunion.  What a good boy you were!!!  Lots and lots of people wanted to hold and love on you.  You just went with the flow. 

*  We sent out your birth announcements this month.  They say, "It was meant to be..."  We hope you always remember how God chose you to be a part of our family.  He could have picked anybody to be your mommy and daddy but luckily he chose us.  We will never take it for granted.  Both of us love you to the moon and back, little buddy. 

One of our favorite books is called, I Wished for You, an Adoption Story by Marianne Richmond.  I hope to share little tidbits from this charming book over the next few months.  It is a story about a little bear named Barley who loves to hear how he is his Mama's special wish come true.

"A long time ago," said Mama to Barley, "a wish started growing in my heart.  At first, it was a quiet wish that nobody knew.  Then it became and out-loud wish that grew and grew, and grew.  Until one day, my wish came true."

"Me!" said Barley.  "I was your wish come true!"  "Yes," said Mama.  You ARE my wish come true."

"Why did you wish for me, Mama?" asked Barley.  Barley wished for things like a new comic book or a pet lizard.  He had never wished for a somebody.

"Because," explained Mama, "I had an empty place in my heart that I wanted to fill with love for a special child like you.  Someone who would be my cuddly little one, and I would be his Mama."

"Oh," said Barley, feeling a little unsure.  He knew about how his Mama had adopted him from a far-away place. 

"What about the mama who grew me in her tummy?"  Didn't she wish for me, too?"

Mama squeezed Barley a little tighter.

"Sometimes, Barley," said Mama, "A mama will grow a baby in her belly, and for all kinds of reasons, she'll decide she cannot be the very best mama she wants to be.  The mama who grew you LOVED you enough to make a different wish- a wish for a family who would love her little one with a total and adoring love.  The kind of love I have for you." said Mama.

We are grateful for you Gavin.  Your birth mom is a brave young lady who gave us the biggest gift anybody can ever give!  She loves you so much and always will.  Your finalization hearing is on Thursday, July 30th.  This is a big day for our little family.  We can't wait to officially make you a part of our forever family.

Love,
Mom and Dad

Eleven Weeks

This is a picture of Gavin trying to hold his own bottle.  He is already showing an independent side!

Gavin went to his first Art Fair.  This is a picture of him all dressed up waiting to head out for the big day.

Here we are at the Art Fair.  Over 215 vendors.  Honestly, we may have actually seen a quarter of the art there but it was still a blast!

This is the beautiful smile I get to see every single morning!  I love being the first person he sees when he wakes up.  It is truly priceless:)

I just can't get enough!

Ten Weeks

Here are a few pictures from Gavin's tenth week of life.  It was a busy one.  Harper's first birthday, a trip to the beach, playgroup, and lots of other fun along the way.

This is a picture of Gavin all dressed up for his buddy, Harper's, first birthday party.

Gavin chilling with Tanya!

The birthday boy after he enjoyed his first birthday cake.  The shirt had to go:)  Isn't he too cute?

Gavin chilling at the beach with mommy.  We had a lovely lunch with Tanya and then had some fun in the sun.

Gavin looks so grown up to me in this picture.  I think it must be the shoes.  He now has a cute pair of tennis shoes and some brown sandals.  Such a little man!!!

Nine Weeks~ Determined to Catch Up!!!

Here are a few pictures from Gavin's ninth week of life, before we hit his tenth week, LOL!!!

Sorry, I promise I will be better.  I still need to put up pictures from Harper's first birthday bash and a recent trip to the beach.

This has to be one of my favorite pictures yet.  Granny Great sent this special Alabama outfit up for Gavin.  It will be his first of many, I am sure!  Roll Tide...Thanks Grandma:)

My friend Lynn's daughter, Emily, holding Gavin during one of his many catnaps.

It is just exhausting being little:)

Gavin says, "Relax and enjoy the beautiful summer days!"

Two Months, Where does the time go?

Dear Gavin,

It is hard to believe that you are two months old.  We feel like we have know you forever and that you have always been a part of our lives.  I was just sitting and thinking about the call we got from our agency on March 13th.  A birth mom had selected us and it was a boy due on April 13th.  That's all we knew.  However, the bond started immediately as we began talking to your birth mom and birth grandma on a regular basis.

(I would like to take a moment to pause this letter and thank those of you who continue to ask about Gavin's birth family and how they are doing.  They really are a very special part of our lives and it means a lot to know that as our friends and family pray for us that they are also praying for them.  Again, we never want to forget the sacrifice they made to help make us parents.)

Isn't it amazing how life can change for the betterin just a few short weeks...who am I kidding, it can change in just a few seconds?  Gavin, we cherish every moment with you.  It is hard to imagine life without you.  You are really growing and changing!  I honestly don't even know where to begin on writing my fun memories from this month there are just too many.  But, here are a few...

*  You really light up when daddy gets home from work.  He is truly the best at getting smiles from you.  You grin ear to ear for him.
*  You also love to have long "conversations" with both of us.  We will coo and you do your best to coo back.  Sometimes, for whatever reason, the noise doesn't want to come out and you get really frustrated.  Then, when the noise does manage to finally come out it startles you.
*  We did a lot this month but the most special event was probably Father's Day.  We went out for a yummy lunch and then took you for your first trip to the beach.  So fun!!!
*  We enjoyed three baby showers.  You are already the life of the party.  Always ready to flash that beautiful smile for all the ladies:)
*  You are eating 4 ounces approximately 8 times a day.
*  You weighed 14 pounds 11 ounces and were 25.5 inches long.  The doctor said you are a big boy but "perfectly proportional."
*  You had your first round of shots and handled them really well.  No fever or anything...yipppeeeeeee!
*  You look like such a big boy in your Baby Bjorn because you are forward facing now!!!
*  You sleep like a dream.  I can put you down for the final time and count on atleast 5 hours of sleep, if not 6 or 7.  You love, love, love your sleep sack.  Also, we finally were able to move the travel bed out of the crib, LOL!
*  I ordered 3 new pacifiers from a special website.  You finally have one of the three worked to your liking. 
*  Everywhere we go people comment on what a good baby you are.  Honestly, you are!!!  Mommy and daddy worry that when your brother or sister come along eventually, that we will be totally spoiled.

We love you baby boy and can't wait to write about your next month of life.  Every single day is full of surprises.  It is thrilling to watch you grow and change.  This is such an amazing season of life...I just want to soak up every single moment.  Thank you for just being you, Gavin.

We love you bunches!!!

Mom and Dad