Gavin (Month 11)

The Gav-man on a mission
You are certainly a determined little guy!  I repeatedly moved you away from the muddy planter that you wanted to explore and you'd make a bee-line for it over and over.

Seriously... you couldn't have posed more perfectly!

This is the best "monthly green chair" picture I could do.
I love your happiness... it is so very contagious!
You've grown so much in 11 months.
(If we say, "WooHoo," you throw your arms up like this!)

Dear Boo-Dee,
I can't believe that you're 11 months. And, I know I say this every month, but this month hit me hard. The truth is, I got all teary a few times today thinking about the fact that you're almost a year. You're our baby and I know you are our last, so it's very bittersweet. I am afraid that I need to get over all of this, though, or I am going to over-smother you and make you into too much of a mama's boy!

Your sweet personality just continues to blossom. You are such a love - - leaning in for kisses, smacking kisses freely at the entire family and almost every time I tell you, "I love you."
You have added a sign approximation for "bath" (and say "bah-bah"). You regularly make the request for one when you are done with dinner.  It's so cute.
You go over to the sliding glass door and bang on it when Toby's outside and then frantically sign "dog" over and over when he greets you on the other side of the glass.

This was taken by Preston as you crawled toward him with me right behind ready to grab your legs if necessary!
You loved your first time crawling through a tunnel at the park (or swimming through your drool!)

You continue to enjoy being outside and get so excited when it's time to pick Preston up from school. When I tell you we are picking up "Bubba" and going to the park, you come unglued with excitement because you know you get to swing when we get to the park. Our routine is pretty set... park for about 50 minutes, then we pick up Gracie. Considering we have to make multiple trips back and forth in the morning and often in the afternoon, you are fairly patient with it all.

You've got an amazing repertoire for sound effects!  Pirates (you grunt), cars (another grunt with a "v" sound at the beginning - - like "vroom" - - it's hilarious!), yells, squeaks and squeals galore.  You are certainly not a passive little man and know how to make yourself heard!  Your newest thing is to scrunch up your entire face and sniff really hard.  You know it makes me laugh and when I start, you crack up, too. 
You love, "This Little Piggy," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and music of any kind.  In fact, (even though you're not supposed to) you open the cabinet and switch the receiver to net radio or regular radio if nothing is on and sit back and bounce to the music! 

You are adorable when Daddy gets home - - your face lights up and you say "Dah Dah." His face lights up just as much as yours when you do this. Tonight, just before bed, you sat in the playroom with Daddy and played with toys. He called me in to see you in action. "Gavin, where is the picture of the dog?" You handed him our picture card of Sophie. "Gavin, where is Cookie Monster?" You looked around and picked up the stuffed Cookie Monster. "Gavin, where is the dog puzzle piece?" You looked around and out of the five pieces, picked up the dog and then threw it. "Gavin, where is the baby?" You reached over and grabbed the baby doll's head and put your mouth to it, and said, "Bah Bay." Daddy deemed you a genius! :-)  You LOVE books and have a good sign approximation for "book."

You're so cute during our bedtime routine.  After you kiss everyone goodnight, we walk down the hall to your room and you turn off the hall light.  Then, we read a book (you are still completely obsessed with books! YAY!) and you turn the pages.  When we're done, we get up and turn on your music toys and you turn off the light switch and lay your head on my shoulder.  So sweet.  Now... if only nap time went so brilliantly!  Just like your brother did at your age, you seem to think that naps are overrated.  I am lucky if I get one, solid 90 minute nap out of you in a day.  Please, Gavin, try to understand that your naps are just as important for me as they are for you!

So many expressions...

... so much trouble!
As you get into your "monkey-trouble," you remind me more and more of another little Swann boy!

Happy boy at the park with Gracie and Preston

Meal time is so much fun!
You love beans, peas, fruit, Tilapia, chicken, avocado, bread, cheese, ham... pretty much anything that we make for ourselves, you like.  Even the really seasoned stuff!  And you eat a lot. For instance, at lunch, a slice of grain bread (you have a sign approximation for "bread"), two slices of deli meat, a slice of Havarti cheese and a cup of fruit (all small bites, of course!).  You'll even go after my yogurt following all of that! 
 

"Whatchya doin' guys?"
While Preston played on my phone (with his begged-for faux hawk and nasty looking eye from New Year's Eve!) and Gracie looked on patiently waiting her turn, you crawled over not wanting to be left out.

I had so much fun taking pictures of you today and, as a result, I had a hard time narrowing down which pictures to include... not to mention the fact that I am trying, unsuccessfully, to freeze time!  You were hamming it up and, since the big kids were at school, we had ample time to play together.

LOVE this... cutest little squatting tushie ever! (Okay, tied with Preston and Gracie - - even though she's never squatted!)

The birds flying over the houses had you captivated.

What is that...?  A mirror for me to play on?!

You had so much fun playing in the mirror from this vantage point.

"Hey... I know him!"

Love this!
I love them all!  You had such a fun time playing in the mirror and I had so much fun taking your picture.

You and your silly, stuck-out tongue!

You were downright hilarious playing with your drool on the mirror!
(Thanks, T, for the mirror idea... so much fun!)

You go through about four or five bibs a day due to the endless pool of drool pouring from your mouth. You've now decided that spitting it out is a good idea. I hope this passes quickly! You have six teeth and the seventh and eighth will definitely be cut before your birthday.  (In fact, I originally wrote that you had seven teeth because there is one I could see, but when I finally got a good feel in there, I realized it hadn't yet broken through your gums!) In the last week, you started standing up without holding anything for little stretches. The longest so far is about 30 seconds. One night you attempted a step between the couch and daddy and fell (happily) into his arms - - I got it on video on the iPad by sheer luck! It will be interesting to see if you are walking on your birthday. I am in no rush and am, quite honestly, glad you slowed down on this front! Time stops a bit when you don't rush from milestone to milestone!

I will leave my sappy, endless,love-you-the-whole-world closing for next month when you (despite my efforts to freeze time), turn one.

I love you, Boo-Dee.
Mommy