14 months - sand and statues

14 months - gavin and his faces :)

Blogging so far apart like this is so strange to me.  It feels like so much has happened and changed in the world of Gavin!  He is a runner now and can climb on anything in the house.  He loves to get into spaces he "should not" be in and also loves to be in water.  I cannot wait to get him an outdoor play pool this summer.  Also Gavin has popped four new teeth over the past month.  His two top canines and two top molars.  One day I just looked in his mouth and saw them there.  He now has 10 teeth and counting.  He is drinking primarily almond milk and only has one or two bottles a day.  We are working towards one and eventually none.  His vocabulary is expanding...he is referring to balls (ba), balloons (bobo), his dad (dada), me (mama), and his milk (baba).  In addition he has a variety of other sounds he like to make one of my favorites being "wow" and "ohhh".   Amongst all this change we are  starting our big move to our new place.  We will have so much room and outdoor space for us all to enjoy.  It is very exciting!  Let's hope this will be the last move for a while....all this packing is maddening.  We plan to be in and living by this weekend...wish us luck!

Gavin's attempt to climb in his walker!

Over the past couple weeks we have spent some gorgeous days enjoying the beautiful weather.  Gavin has had multiple opportunities to get in some long walks in the sunshine and fun times at the park.  He loves to swing and has recently become interested in climbing slides.

Gavin and Ridge after a long walk!

Alan and I had the opportunity to bring Gavin to the beach for the first time this season.  It was so interesting to watch him explore the sand and rocks.  He tried many attempts to eat the salty rocks though not the sand.  His dad did bury his feet in the warm sand which he seamed to enjoy.  We look forward to bringing him back to play in the water when it is warmer.  

This expression is priceless...love him!

On Sunday we went to Busia and Pop's for a BBQ.  Gavin enjoyed playing outside.  He made friends with Busia's statues and enjoyed playing with the wind chimes with Pop.  It was hard to get him back in the car to go home.  He could have enjoyed the sunshine all day!  So excited for the warm weather :)

In closing here are some of my favorites from the past couple weeks...

Gavin and his shades.

Fishing for Gavin.

Gavin and Eggplant Parm.

Best Buddies and Mickey :)

thirteen and a half months - old memories and new toys

Gavin discovers the refrigerator!

It seems like forever ago that I posted on the blog.  Time seems to be moving so fast I can't even keep up.  Gavin continues to grow and blossom.  He runs around the house climbing on furniture and at times jumping off.  He loves to climb!  I cannot wait to get him outside this summer on the playgrounds with his buddies.  These weeks he has also been teething like crazy with three new teeth coming through and one a big boy molar!  He has been sleeping through the night for weeks now, which is awesome, though those teeth sometimes interfere.  

In our last entry we shared our family trip to the aquarium but I forgot to include the most important photos of Gavin in the hotel pool.  He love love loved the pool.  Like a fish.  We need to start those swim classes again soon and I look forward to getting a pool in the yard :)

In addition to the pool, Gavin also enjoyed the touch tank at the aquarium.  Here is a cute one of him and his Auntie...also an attempt at a fun family photo :)

Gavin also had some fun playing with Ridge these past weeks.  Ridge has been playing with us three days a week which we love having him.  Gavin and Ridge have such a blast together.  They are also both learning the fine art of sharing...which is a difficult concept :)

We also managed to have some more play dates with Addy and Patrick.  It is so fun to watch all our kids grow up together.  It's amazing to think about them as they grow and change!  Here is a cute shot of Gavin and Addy! He is trying to share his new blue ball from Ms. Phoebe :)

The weather has been so nice around here that Alan and I had a chance to get the trailer on our bikes for Gavin.  We took him for a quick trip and he laughed and giggled the whole time.  We look forward to testing it out on the bike path real soon.  We even bought him a super cute bike helmet so he is all set!

Other highlights in our week include packing, packing, and more packing.  We are headed to a new home which is really exciting.  We will have a big yard and more bedrooms.  Though packing is not our favorite, we have done it many times, we look forward to the change and growth it will provide our family.  See you in two weeks :)

13 months - spring has sprung

Sporting a 24 month onesie!  Gavin chilling on the couch :)

So much happens when you haven't blogged in two weeks!  Gavin is becoming very efficient at climbing onto and into objects.  He loves to use his new chair to climb to his father and is often found sitting in totes or boxes around the house.  Gavin can open the front door and make a break for it so we have to keep our eyes peeled.  This child has no fear!

Over Easter weekend we had an opportunity to go on a few egg hunts and take photos with a very special bunny.  Gavin also spent some time basking in a tote of eggs which he thought was the best thing ever.  I will have to acquire a tote of eggs next year.  

His first egg of the season, though he almost got trampled by the crowd!

Gavin and Ridge exploring the eggs.

Gavin and Addy :)

On Easter Day we went to Busia and Pop's for a yummy meal.  Gavin got a very fancy Easter basket and a couple new balloons.  Balloons make him so happy!!

Gavin also spent many days enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having.  He loves swings and  could be found many days enjoying them.  Last weekend we headed to the aquarium with Auntie Elissa and Uncle Tim.  Some of Gavin's highlights were the hotel pool and spending the day at the park.  We also managed to take a trip to the zoo on our adventure.  It was a busy week!

Our weeks ended with a great trip to the local zoo with a bunch of friends!  Gavin had a blast wandering around and exploring the farm animals.  I think he would like a cow of his very own!

Gavin and his friends Ridge, Trevor, and Gunnar! 

twelve and a half months - my fingers touch color

So I've decided to post updates every two weeks but take only monthly photos of Gavin in his onesie.  This way I can share the photos more frequently since my iphoto is super stocked with some great ones.  I look forward to continuing Gavin Alan's journey after one! 

On March 26th Gavin went in for his yearly check-up.  I must say he mustered through the shots like a champ and showed off his skills to the staff.  He weighed 23 pounds 2.5 ounces and was 30 3/4 inches long.  My little baby is not so little anymore!

Gavin and Zoe are enjoying spending time together.  I managed to catch some fantastic shots of them together.  We also brought out the water table and they loved splashing and laughing at the noises and squirting water.

Gavin also enjoyed his first painting experience.  I got a great recipe for edible paints, though not once did he attempt to eat them.  We have his artwork adorning our refrigerator.  Check out my friend Rebecca's blog for the recipe http://rebeccalundin.com/2012/02/edible-finger-paint/

Below I'm going to include some candid shots I've taken of Gavin over the past couple weeks.  It amazes me how I can continue to fall in love with this little boy over and over again each day.  He is a blessing!

Playing at the doctors office.  Gavin loved this clear plastic yellow-tinted space.  

My little piggy :)

Gavin managed to take his father's coffee while we were grocery shopping.  Luckily it was empty!

I love this photo of Gavin eating a teething biscuit.  His eyes melt my heart.