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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!

Six months old... So fast with the second!

I can hardly believe that my second baby is half a year old! Trevor hit his six month milestone on Good Friday. He had a perfect check-up. Measuring in at 27.5 inches (87%) and 19 lbs. 12.5 oz. (84%). He's a big boy!

And he'll keep it up too, because he loves solid food. We started solids earlier with Trevor than we did with Gavin. Mainly because Trevor had his neck on a swivel with every bite I took. His interest level in what I am eating is high. So at 4 and 1/2 months we feed him some puréed pears. And we were off... Avocados, green peas, apples, apricots, sweet potatoes, squash - just to name a few of the firsts foods.

He also loves to smile. As a super happy baby who lights up when you engage him, let's just say, he's a charmer. I love it.

Gavin is one sure way to make his brother smile. It is so much fun to watch them interact. Trevor beams at his big brother. And watches his every move. Truly one of his favorite people. We can't wait to watch their relationship develop.

I'm trying to be aware of not creating sibling rivalry. We don't want to pit them as competitors against each other. But as encouragers to each other. For instance, if we want Gavin to try a new food, we cheer him on without making a comparison to his brother. We don't say, "Trevor ate all of his peas, won't you take a bite too?"

Ok well I'm off to fill Easter baskets for TWO adorable boys!

Trevor ... Our new baby

In October 2011 Trevor joined our family. We are loving being a "party of 4!" and seriously can't imagine life without him. Which is weird because before he got here I was having a hard time imaging life with more kids than just Gavin. I'm so thankful that I knew we would have "more than one." Because honestly Gavin was getting easier and I half considered being done. But that wasn't our path and we are thrilled... All of us. Gavin has adjusted better than I could have imagined. He's a terrific big brother.

So I'm going to try blogging more often... It seems like life has sped up now that we have two kids. I don't want to look back and not remember the little bright spots that make my life magical. I love being a mom and I want/need to have an outlet to commemorate the really great things that just happen everyday so when a "bad" day hits (and they do) I can look back at all the good ones.

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!

Best of Friends

I'm truly lucky in life to have friends like Melissa. Check out her newest blog entry. Thanks Melissa for brightening my life. Your friendship has meant so much to me.