Imagination to spare

Today we went to the aquarium in Long Beach, California. Gavin loved it. The scuba divers were by far the highlight for him. And I thought they might be since one of his favorite bath toys is a diver. He was a little unsure of them at first.

The first (and one of the largest) tanks had three divers in it. The diver - shown in the picture - was motioning kids to come up to the window and give him a high five. As you can see Gavin was a little hesitate. Yet he was thrilled every time we came across another tank with a diver in it. We had to go back to several tanks because they had divers. I think he enjoyed the fish too (especially the sharks).

So it really shouldn't have surprised me that he shared about his experience at the aquarium with our friends kids tonight. He told them all about the divers. The real surprise was that he convinced other kids to "play diver." Which first means you have to put gear on and get into a tank. Then it entails going up and down and pretending to do things like clean tanks, fix things, and feed fish. He also spent a lot of time waving "through the glass." He was so convincing as a diver he had several other kids want to pretend to be divers too.

I love his big imagination. I'm so grateful that we live in a place that has so much for children to do and experience. I especially enjoy seeing those experiences show up later in his play.

Coming up next!

Gavin loves to put on a show. It must be the mix of my genes and the fact he was the only grandchild on both sides of our family until his brother was born.

Shows started when he would seek out a "stage" area. This could be anything from a fireplace hearth to a well positioned rug or his Opa and Oma's coffee table. They initially were non sensical. Just random words dramatically spoken with hand gestures. Before he could even really talk.

Today his show became interactive. He had Opa, Uncle Paul and I stand up, jiggle our feet, jump and spin really fast. Then we were allowed to be seated.

He incorporates a lot of what he has seen in cartoons or movies. Or new songs. They are like streams of consciousness. We love to witness them. It really is a treat for anyone who has had the pleasure of attending one. Our friends who have older kids love to see Gavin take the position of putting on a show. Their faces light up with anticipation. Because honestly you don't know where the show will take you but you do know you'll enjoy every moment of the performance.

He is risen! The tomb is empty.

We recently attended the viewing and funeral of my grandfather. At first I wasn't going to expose my children to this thing "death." I was worried about how they would behave and also how Gavin would handle it. Yet we read the children's bible and it plainly says Jesus died on a cross for our sins.

Ultimately my mom persuaded me that I should bring them because our family liked seeing them and it would give people something to be happy about. We talked to Gavin a lot about what would happen before each day's events. It wasn't easy but I'm glad we did include our children.

At first I didn't know how to talk to him about death. I did an internet search and read a few opinions. (Don't say it was sickness or they may get worried when they or you get sick. Don't say death is sleeping, or they may become fearful of sleeping. Best to talk about the body wearing out and compare it to an old shoe wearing out.)

Well as a preschooler Gavin grows out of shoes before they wear out, so I went with a broken toy in my explanation. The first conversation about my grandpa's passing happened when I was crying two days after my grandpa died. Gavin asked why I was sad. We had a brief explanation of death and that great-grandpa had died. He seemed to "get it."

Before the viewing, I told him that his great-grandpa was now at peace but we were going to see his body. So glad I used those words. He repeated that phrase to anyone who was crying after they walked up to the open casket. "he's at peace."

Now it's been about a week since the funeral, and it is Easter. Again we are talking about a man dying only this time on a cross, but this story is different. Jesus rose again on the third day. Gavin seems to be getting the message of the cross because he asked my husband, Karl, if great-grandpa was going to rise from the dead. Which made me think Christ's resurrection truly was miraculous! To love someone and lose them to death's final grip only to find their tomb empty and hear the good news that He is risen!

Like a little duck . .

We've enjoyed swim "lessons" at the Rose Bowl, and here's a few pictures to prove it:

Tummy time in the water!

This child loves to splash! Do you see how wet his face is?



Ready. Set. Go!

Jumping in from the side of the pool.

Swimming with dad.

What fun!

Mother's Day

For some reason Mother's Day made me feel very emotional this year. I guess having a baby of your own and realizing you're a "mom" now may make one who is prone to being emotional, a little emotional on the said event of celebrating motherhood.

But it was a good day, all in all. And I'm delighted to be a mom to little Gavin.

Who is . . .

happy.
biting.
pulling up to standing.
still not crawling.
getting his 7th tooth.
bellying laughing.
ticklish.
taking swim lessons.
almost 9 months old.

I can hardly believe it's gone so fast! What a ride, what a great, great ride!

elf in training . . .

We had a wonderful first Christmas with Gavin. Here are some of my favorite shots from the day. . .

Gavin, look what Santa left us under the tree. Is that for me?

opening gifts with daddy . . .

Grandpa Dial, what did you get from Santa?

Gavin's own big boy chair - thanks Grandma Dial!

we enjoyed a yummy prime rib dinner.

Great Grandparents - so sweet

nothing better than snuggling with a sleeping baby Gavin. This is what bliss looks like . . .

But next year I've decided that we're not leaving our house . . . you'll have to come to us on Christmas day. :-)

Yesterday morning started off okay . . . up at 5:45am feed Gavin and get him dressed. It was downhill after that . . . While waiting for Karl to finish getting himself ready I was playing with Gavin and his adorable new snow boots. I stood him up and saw it - a little dark spot creeping out of the back of his pants and up his back. Now we are seriously moments away from putting him in his car seat.

"Karl he's pooped his pants and it's leaking up his back - I'm going to change his diaper and outfit.," I shouted out. This should have been a fairly quick exercise, but once I opened him up it wasn't just leaking up the back. It was down the leg and on the socks. Up the back all the way to his shoulders. Gavin just smiling through it all. Karl peeps his head in to see what's taking so long at this point. He surveys the scene and says he can get into work late, because he knows I'm thinking, "This kid needs a bath."

So I strip him down and give him a quick bath - no shampooing the hair, just soap him up and hose him down.

Back on the changing tabble just as I'm pulling out the new diaper . . . he turns into a fountain. Peeing eveywhere! I gasp - which sends Karl running to the room. He helps me clean it up and I finish putting on the new diaper.

I get the new pants on and ask Karl to put the jacket on while I search for the baby comb (it's never where I left it). We're so close to getting them out the door and then just as Karl goes to put Gavin's second arm in . . . he spits up on Karl. Karl who is fully dressed and read to walk out the door now has baby spit-up running down his arm and pooling in the elbow of his dress shirt. I help mop it up but Karl decides that spit-up is not the odor he wants to share with his co-workers and needs to now change his shirt.

So finally with both boys in their second outfits of the day and it's not even 7:00am - I send them out the door (SIGH). Being a mom is harder some days than others. :-)

busy bees

Since it has been a little while since my last posting (yes we are still surviving) thought I'd update what's been happening since I returned to work:

Gavin was dedicated on November 23 at Covina First Baptist Church. He did perfectly as he made the congregation laugh by making noise which the pastor took as an Amen! and he spit-up both while on stage. :-) Lots of support and love from friends and family. Also we were blessed by our good friends James and Kim who dedicated their daughter, Sophia, that same morning. These two kids will have the joy of growing up together and this was a perfect pairing for us. We just love them!

Also we had Thanksgiving, lots of yummy food, but I stepped away from the table to nurse Gavin mid-dinner and by the time I got back the table had been cleared. So here's my bone to pick with my family . . . we spend weeks and days preparing for holiday dinners, hours cooking and selecting the right dishes, so why can't we stop for a few minutes and enjoy the meal?!? Just because you have finished your turkey do we really have to start the dishes before it is even settled in your stomach? I want to stay at the table and enjoy the company of family. Have a conversation about what's been going on in our lives, the world, etc. For the life of me I wonder if this is just my family or does this happen in other houses too? So at my house, my tradition will be that dishes stay on the table long past the meal being over and we've enjoyed and relished in the holiday. Now I'm wishing I was having Christmas at my house. Next year for sure! :-)

Other than that we've been busy with work, taking care of household chores (which is much harder now that I'm not at home during the day and we want to spend time playing with Gavin on the weekends), partying with the normal holiday festivities (5 parties in one weekend - sigh!) and watching Gavin grow and chance before our eyes. He has recently found his feet - I love it when he grabs his toes!

We also had our first cold. Both Gavin and I got sick, but we're starting to feel better. Yet I have to say I hate using the nasal aspirator. He just screams and cries after I do it. The first time I did it he cried so hard I ended up crying too! (They never tell you when you become a parent that it really does hurt you more than it hurts them. I thought my mom was lying when she told us that.)

I'll try to be better about finding time to blog more often. I miss it!

Monday Is Coming . . .

I've long dreaded this coming Monday, it's the day I'll return to work and leave my son for longer than I've ever been away. He'll be bottle fed for multiple feedings in a row and be comforted by another's loving arms. [Sigh] I write this through tears.

I'm not sure how I'll hold it together to make it through a day's work. Good thing my boss is understanding. I called my office today to check in and remind them that yes I really am coming back. I cried when I got off the phone. Not because I don't like working, actually I love working. And I'm good at what I do, but I am a better mom. Actually I enjoy being a mom way more than I thought I would. That may sound crazy to other moms, but I really thought the baby phase would be so boring and to be honest it is a little dull at times. Yet I love him so much. I know my baby so well. Will anyone else be able to calm him down like I can? Will they make him laugh like I can or tell when he needs a nap?

He's starting to try new things and he's just really discovered his hands. Staring at them constantly and grabbing things. Plus he wants to sit and roll over. I'll miss those milestones and I hate that.

It's killing me that I'll be away for so many hours during the week. I keep telling myself that I'm lucky though . . . he'll be with grandparents who love him. Adore him and will spoil him with love, attention and toys. I'm so grateful for our families and the support they provide. I don't know what we'd do without them.

So keep me in your thoughts and prayers this Monday. Lord knows I'll need them and probably a box of tissues next to my computer for every time a co-worker asks "How's the baby?"

PS On a lighter note . . . Here's the new 'do!

Change is in the air . . .

This weekend we were busy, very busy working on the house. My uncle Chuck helped Karl start tiling the kitchen backsplash. I hope it's finished before Christmas! Check out the progress so far.

This is how it looks after two days. Now there is just like a trillion custom cuts that have to happen and then maybe I'll get my stove back in its proper place.

To get any serious home improvement project started right you must include your infant child . . . so Karl dressed Gavin in work clothes, but all the lazy kid did really did was hangout with the ladies. That's okay because he's so cute!

My aunt Sandy (my mom's sister) and cousin Jaci came and played with Gavin, but the real baby lover was Gwen, Chuck's Mom. (Although she may not be directly related, she's like a Grandmother to me in many ways.) I think Gwen has her mother's touch, Gavin calmed right down just being in her arms!

New tile on the walls isn't the only new look around our house. I've followed in the foot steps of many moms before me and today I cut off my long hair after having a baby. I didn't think I'd do it, but there is a reason so many of us do. For me, I was just sick of the pony tail. Everyday, the same old look. Pulled back and boring! Now I just hope to find the extra time to actually do the new 'do. No pictures yet, but maybe tomorrow. Karl has to get home first and see what I've done to myself. Hope he likes it! :-)

Halloween Fun

Our little tiger! Roar!

Most of the day Gavin spent as a little tiger. I had a tail and a cat mask, so we made quite a pair.

Although he did have a costume change and with a swaddle blanket's help transformed into a FOOTBALL!

Of course to complete his football outfit he had a Dallas Cowboys onsie underneath. (Thanks to Misie who brought it all the way from Texas!)

Side Note: Karl is amazed that he has the ability to influence Gavin preferences. Karl's still grappling with whether or not he will let Gavin choose his own NFL team or be a Cowboys fan like his father. Based on the Cowboys performance this season I'm guessing Gavin may have his own team. Maybe next year with a new stadium Cowboys will be better and Gavin will be a fan. Here's hoping . . . at least for Karl!

Anyway we celebrated Halloween with James, Kim and Sophia . . . they understand why we get tired at 8:30. And the need to take pictures every 5 minutes. Plus their house has all the baby gear so we don't have to have to travel with so much stuff. Oh did I mention we think they're fabulous too! Even before we had the kiddies.

Sophia - one cute chick! Gavin - one cool little tiger!

Hope you had a great Halloween too!

More Apple Picking Pics

Thanks to James for sharing his pictures!

(Not that there was any doubt. He always does!)

This was one of my favorites.

Looks like it could be a magazine shot of friends

having fun with their babies.

But it's our real life! :-)

Can you believe we all - two infant car seats and four adults - fit in one car?

I'm still amazed!

Pumpkin Patch

The last several years we've vertured over to Cal Poly around this time of year for their pumpkins. Often we've joined our friends there, most often it is with James and Kim. Well this past summer we both had a visit from the stork . . . so Gavin and Sophia join in on the fun this year.

The crazy thing is Karl reminded me that last year we said that it is probably more fun to come with kids. No that's not why we had kids, but I do have to admit it was a tad more fun now that we had them along.

We had the kids in slings and carriers, but note to self the wagon will be a necessity for next year's trip. It carries the kids and the pumpkins.

A big thanks to Misie for coming along and carrying pumpkins! We loved having you with us! Next year we need Lucy and David. :-)

40 Years . . . Celebrated

Sunday night we celebrated 40 wonderful years of marriage for Karl's folks. Family and friends gathered at the Pomona Valley Mining Co. in honor of the occasion. I was worried about having a small baby for a nice dinner (OK so he's not so small since he's weighting in at 10 lbs. 12 oz.). But he slept through the whole thing so once again I continue to believe he's almost perfect. :-)

Actually we've been quite adventurous, he's also allowed us to dine at the Cheesecake Factory (slept through that as well), Chipotle (did wake for a feeding here), plus several church attendances followed by lunches with friends. He seems to be doing quite well letting us have somewhat of a "life-after-baby".

Now if we could just sleep through the night . . .

Sweet Success

Just a quick update . . . Sunday was a great day. Gavin quietly sat through church (sigh of relief), slept through a yummy Mexican lunch with friends, and allowed his parents a quick stop at Babies-R-Us.

Ok. . . so he did spit up on Karl at the end of lunch, but if that's the only thing, well then we can't complain!

Such a good baby! Here's a shot from today's tummy time. Enjoy!

Explosive Sunday Sermon

So this past Sunday we attempted to take Gavin to his first church service. It was going fine until towards the end of the message (which was going longer and longer) . . . he woke up and of course wanted to nurse. This was expected and we sat in the back to be as discrete as possible.

Which wasn't a problem . . . I've got a "hooter hider" (aka cover-up for nursing moms). Well it wasn't a problem until he started having multiple explosive poops. Again this shouldn't have been a problem, except I was wearing white pants and his diaper leaked after the third explosion - oh no! So I finish nursing him and hand him to Karl who doesn't want to hear any sound from Gavin during church. So at the first peep from our baby he heads out the door.

Oh man - so there I am . . . lap full of yellow baby poop, car seat, diaper bag, Bible, purse and only two hands. So I wait until the extremely long sermon is finally over and somehow manage to grab all of our belongings. As I move ever so gracefully (Ha! Ha!) to the door I whisper to our friend Christine, "Don't know if we'll be back."

Once outside I see the huge yellow spot right in my lap, like I did it to myself (thanks son!). So we quickly change Gavin out of his very full and leaky diaper and head for our car. Glad the message was directed to College students because I'm not sure I got the complete message this last weekend but then again God definitely has a sense of humor.

Maybe next week we'll make it to lunch with friends . . . unless Gavin has other plans for his parents.