One Year Photo Shoot

For Gavin's one-year photo shoot, we paid a visit to my very talented sister-in-law (and professional photographer), Kristin. She did a quick little photo shoot for us at a park near her house. (Check out her website by clicking here.) Here are just a few of my faves:

One Year Old

My sweet Gav,

You are now a year old! I still can't believe that my baby is no longer considered a "baby," but is now entering the "toddler" phase (although you are not quite "toddling" around on your own yet). You seemed to have grown up overnight. You have become such a fun little guy with tons of personality (and a bit of a stubborn streak).

Here are some new things about you this month:

• You learned how to wave. You haven't quite mastered the timing yet, as you often wave to Daddy after he has already left or when he's been home for half and hour, but hey, at least you're waving.
• Your now have a full head of hair and it looks crazy in the morning when you first wake up!

• You have learned to clap your hands and use this new skill every time you feel you are deserving of an applause (which is frequently).
• Several times a day, you shake your head "no." Hmmm... it couldn't possibly be because you see Mommy and Daddy do it all the time, right?

• You have gone from just being merely interested in what we are eating to wanting to share everything on our plates. You have decided that baby food is for babies and you want nothing to do with it.
• You are very mobile and although you are not walking on your own yet, you hold onto anything and everything to walk your way around the house.

• You have figured out how to feed yourself finger foods and enjoy your newfound independence.
• I have weaned you from nursing and you have switched over to whole milk. The transition was a bit of a struggle at first, but actually went easier than I had thought.
• You continue to make the cutest faces and crack us up with your silliness.

• You are enjoying spending time with Daddy during the day now since he is working nights, and the two of you are developing a very special bond.

• You finally got your first tooth! It is your upper left tooth and you are very good about letting Mommy or Daddy gently brush it with the finger brush.
• You love the throwing your toys across the tile floor and hearing the sound they make. No one else seems to enjoy the sound as much as you do.
• You have figured out how to use your Jeep walker and will move all over the tile floor in it. You love the fact that it has a steering wheel because you like to turn it quickly with your eyes tightly shut. (I hope you don't drive like that when you're older!)

• You enjoy pulling out the pots and pans and sliding them across the tile floor as well.
• You still love bath time, but aren't as fond of the actual washing part. You prefer the playing part more than anything.

• You have transitioned into the big-boy car seat and enjoy your new view in the car.

• Finally, you have developed a little ornery streak and have begun throwing temper tantrums where you will kick your legs, arch your back and bang your head into the nearest thing. This sometimes means you will bang your little head into the window, TV, chair, floor, or even me or Daddy!

But even with your ornery side, you are still an incredible joy and you just absolutely melt my heart. You are the sweetest, happiest, most loving little guy and your Daddy and I love you to pieces! So thank you, Gav, for making our first year as parents truly wonderful. Being your Mommy is the best job in the world!

Love His Baby Blues

I absolutely love my baby's beautiful blue eyes!

11 Months Old

My sweet Gav,

You are now 11 months old. I can believe how fast the time has gone. You will soon be a "toddler" and no longer a "baby." You are the sweetest and happiest baby. People often comment on how happy you are. It is an absolute joy to be your mommy. You always make me laugh and I treasure our time together. Here are some new things about you this month:

• You have learned how to hit your little baseball with your bat (well, sort of... you swing the bat wildly toward the ball with your eyes closed until it makes contact)


• You love to touch everything you are not supposed to and climb on things that you shouldn't
• You have learned how to give "knuckles" (something Daddy taught you) and will offer your little knuckles to anyone and anything (including the grumpy woman behind us in line at Wal-Mart and your Joe Montana picture in your bedroom)

• In addition to "da da da da" and "ma ma ma ma," you have started saying "ya ya ya ya" quite often
• You have begun putting your play phone and the house phone up to your ear, but become bored when you don't hear anything


• You crawl exceptionally fast and will disappear in the blink of an eye
• You are still not a big fan of baby food, but are showing more of an interest in what Daddy and I are eating
• You have become a big fan of Gerber Puffs and will eat several in a sitting
• You still have no teeth and we are wondering if your teeth will make their debut before your first birthday
• You still love bath time and cuddling with mommy in your towel when it's done


• You have recently decided that you no longer want your diaper changed and will often fuss and kick your legs while it's being done
• You will still go out of your way to knock over any block towers because you do not approve of blocks being stacked on top of each other


• You have discovered a love of the guitar thanks to Grandpa S who lets you play when you are visiting


• You still love to dance and shake your booty at every chance you get


• In a week's time, you went from me nursing you and singing you to sleep to going to sleep entirely on your own (I am such a proud mommy!)

Gavin, you make my job as a mommy wonderful and special! I love you so very much!

First Trip to the Zoo

On Valentine's Day, we decided to take Gavin to the zoo for the first time. Unfortunately, it seemed as though most of southern California had the same idea. It was extremely crowded and of course had it's share of rude people. (Okay, I will admit that I did accidentally-on-purpose bump one such rude person with the stroller while Gavin wasn't in it. But she had it coming. Really.) We did get to see some interesting animals, but the weather was so warm that many of the animals were in hiding.

Gavin seemed to enjoy himself, though, and that is what was most important.

He liked the meerkats...

the gorillas...

the giraffes...

and the zebra...ummm.....

Hmmm... that's what we thought, too, Gav.

Rash Woes

With sickness behind us, we thought we could breathe easy. However, we had begun to notice a slight red skin rash on the back of Gavin's thighs and upper back. We decided to take him to the doctor and figure out just what the heck it was. When I told my sister that we were taking him to the doctor for it, she said, "Oh good, because it looks like emphysema." :o) Hmmm.... as far as I know, Gavin isn't a smoker, and neither are Matt or I, so chances of that are slim.

It was, however, eczema. We were told not to put soap in Gavin's baths for awhile and to rub cortisone cream on the affected areas for a few days until it went away. Since then, I have been trying to keep Gavin's skin extra-moisturized and cream-covered and it seems to be helping.

Poor Gav, if it's not one thing, it's another.

First Sickness

I am once again terribly behind on my blogging, so I have to do a little catching up. I was hoping that my little man would avoid sickness forever until he was at least able to talk and let me know what was bothering him. But, our luck ran out when my sweet boy turned 10 months old. He got his very first cold, courtesy of his parents. We were both hoping he wouldn't get it, but since we had been passing it back and forth like a hot potato, I guess his chances weren't great.

I learned that it is completely awful to have a sick baby because you feel helpless. I just wanted to take his discomfort away. His poor little nose was running like a faucet and he absolutely hated having it wiped. He would scream so loud that I'm sure every time we wiped his nose, the neighbors were ready to call Child Protective Services. By the time he started feeling better, he was traumatized by tissues.

Overall, he was did surprisingly well when he was sick and managed to stay in good spirits most of the time (except when his nose was being wiped, of course). He just seemed a bit more sleepy than usual...