Preston - Eight

Eight is Great!!!

Dear Preston,

Happy 8th birthday to you, my big boy!  You will always be our first baby boy... our Bubba and Bubby... no matter how big you get.  But today, I can't fight the fact that you, while still a little boy, have suddenly landed into a bigger boy category.  It is so fun to watch you grow, yet so hard to come to terms with how fast it happens.

You are full of energy, smart, compassionate, stubborn, kind hearted, joyful, athletic, quick witted (and a little... sometimes a lot... quick tempered!).  You are a loyal friend... sometimes to a fault.  You stand up for others, even when it means getting yourself into trouble.  You never miss an opportunity to make others laugh... that's been true since before you could speak!  You find such joy in that.  Again, though, you'll do it even at the cost of getting yourself into a bit of trouble if the timing isn't quite right!  And, while you're a goofball to the core, you most definitely have a serious side.  You love reading and escaping into a good book... so much so that sometimes you come out of your room and can't believe how much time has passed. You are inquisitive, love learning new things, and, at the same time, you are a perfectionist and hate making mistakes (ugh... we really are working hard on this and have been for years).  There is never a dull moment with you around! 

You love your family and make it known all the time.  Your heart is so big, so kind and so generous. You are such a good brother to Gracie and Gavin... and even though he drives you nuts sometimes, you love Gavin to pieces.   You wished for him forever and you love that he looks up to you and wants to do everything you do. You guys fight (like you're supposed to), but are truly pals and, considering the age difference, really play well together. Your soul is intricately tied to Gracie, though, as it was just the two of you for such a long time.  She is extra special to you and you feel a deep loyalty toward her and the need to protect her.  You guys still have the same unspoken communication that leaves me breathless... you love looking into her eyes...  and you will giggle at each other without ever having signed a word - - the same as you did as a baby.

You are obsessed with baseball... both playing and watching.  I love sharing our passion for the San Francisco Giants.  But your love of sports doesn't stop with baseball.  You love it all and would spend all day outside playing anything - - as long as you are playing.  You love going to the ranch with Daddy and pretty much ask to go there every weekend, which Daddy loves, too, and I think the fact that you share that with him makes both of you love it there even more.  Every day I am thankful for the little park across the street from our house... it gives you a social life right outside our door - - a place where you can ride your bike, scooter, skateboard, roller blade, play all kinds of ball with whomever is out there to play.  (Ok... and sometimes I can't stand that you can see kids there when I can't take you out!  Thankfully, you are getting old enough that sometimes I will let you play out there as long as I can see you from the front door!)  You are also already girl crazy... in a really sweet way, but I am SO NOT ready for you to care about girls.  Let's hope there is another "girls are gross" stage in the near future!

Daddy and I are beyond blessed to be your parents... it is a great gift (albeit sometimes challenging!!) to be your parents.   It's hard to believe that so much spitfire, smarts and goofiness can be rolled into one little good-hearted boy we are lucky enough to call our son!  We love you so much, Bubba, and can't wait to watch you grow and change (but not too fast!) over this next year. 

"You know what, Bubba?"
"You love me."
"I DO love you.  You know what else?
"I'm special."
"You ARE special.  You know what else, Bubba?"
"I'm important."
"Yes, you are so important to me."

I hope you always carry that knowledge with you wherever you go.
All my heart,

Mommy

Gavin - Three

As per our tradition, here you are on your birthday, sitting in the Adirondack chair with a bouquet of balloons!
Happy "3" Gavin!!!

Dear Sweet BooDee, Gav-man, Gav-O... Gavin ~

You are three. I am not sure where the time has gone... I say that with every birthday and every milestone for each of you. But, since you are the baby, it makes it all the more impactful. Daddy and I look at you and just can't believe that three years have passed since you joined our family, making it complete and balancing it perfectly - - in ways we didn't even realize were needing balance and completion.

Today, at three, you are 40" tall (SO tall!) and weigh just over 32 pounds. You know your full name, can spell "Gavin" and are learning to write it - - you do a great job tracing the letters and are starting to slowly make some on your own. You've known your birthdate for several months now and were willing to tell most anyone you know that "my birthday is coming up on February 16th." Of course, your pronunciation is not entirely clear, but, wow, do you have amazing language skills. You speak in very full, detailed sentences and shock us all the time with the things that you say. Here are some notables as of late:

- For at least six months, you've been saying this and is funny to me every single time. "Oh! You startled me!"
- In December, you handed a tape measure to Preston and said, "Measure out Uncle Bob for me, Preston." You like comparing various things to how big Uncle Bob is. So funny!
- In January, I asked you if you wanted to play a game and you said, "I would rather build legos." "Rather"... really?!
- The next day, you correctly used "manhandle" in a sentence. At dinner one night, Daddy was trying to clean you up and you looked right at him and said, "Don't manhandle me, daddy."
- About a week later, we were in the garage and I asked you if you needed help getting your rain boots on over your jammies (to help get Gracie out to the bus) and you said, "No thank you, mama. I can easily do that."
- Earlier this month, you said, "It is quite big for me." Daddy and I were so surprised and not even sure we heard you correctly. Then, on the 12th, you said it again while playing independently on my bed while I was getting ready. Your vocabulary just slays me.

Your manners, just like your brother's, are fantastic (most of the time!). You are quick to apologize and are usually a very good listener. You are, of course, three now, so you have started having occasional moments of "threenager" behavior, but it is fleeting and remarkably correctable. Most of the drama with you happens when you and Preston play together. You two start out playing great together (especially considering a near five-year age difference), but then, suddenly, the world caves in and you drive him nuts, he drives you nuts and I am refereeing. Then, when you realize I am going to separate you if you can't get along without whining and yelling at each other, you tell me, "Mama, I am ok. Preston is not bugging me." Or, "Mama, I am not hurt too bad. We can keep playing." You are too smart for your own good!

You worship your brother. You want to be big just like him. (And, sometimes, you will use words you shouldn't and call him names you shouldn't just because you've heard him say it. He shouldn't either. But my point is, you are exposed to far more than he was at three, so when you bust out, "Leave me alone, you big dummyhead," it shocks me. I am still trying to cope with the fact that this is normal stuff between brothers... not that I condone it, but that you aren't the first little brother to bust out words like this when you're irritated!) On many school days, you are when we are going to get your "best big brother" from school. You visibly deflate when I tell you that we have a couple more hours until he is out. You miss him so much when he is not home... sometimes so much that you'll ask to go sit on his bed and play. But even though you adore him and want to be big just like him, you do not seem to want to be just like him. Your interests, at this point, are quite different than his (even at the same age). Although you like to play with balls... you will kick a ball around for a few minutes, bounce a basketball a bit, maybe hit a baseball or two off the tee... but then you go back to climbing, riding your strider bike or the big-boy bike, riding the scooter, or playing in the yard with all your garden toys. You have a wonderful, endless imagination and can play independently for extremely long periods of time. You like to create, build, tear down, and your toys have the best conversations when you talk for them. You can sit for a straight hour and read book after book with me. We always read at bedtime, but you often want to read in the morning and again in the afternoon. It is hard to list current favorites because there are so many you love. "Little Fox Goes to the End of the World," all of the "Marley" books, all of the "Otis" books and, of course, "I Love You All Ways" from Papa, are some that stick out. But, truly, you just LOVE to get wrapped up in books. In fact, although you enjoy watching some shows and movies (you've already been to the movies several times now!), you will get up, find the remote and turn the TV off to go play or ask to read. If Preston isn't home, you are rarely interested in having it on unless you are tired.

As for books, your sister is the same way... she will look at books for hours at a time. And you know that about her and bring her piles of them to choose from. It is so sweet. You also will bring her toys, tell her, "Here, Sissy, you can play with this. I think you will like it because it is purple." You often justify your selection... even though she can't hear you and you. Taking care of Gracie is definitely one way that you are very much like your brother... you are always looking out for your big sister and, even though you're not as close to her as Preston is (remember, Preston and Gracie only had each other for a long time before you were born!), you love her deeply and never go to bed without signing "Good night, Gracie. I love you," and giving her a kiss. And, you try not to be offended if she turns away to avoid your kiss. She loves you, too, and laughs at things you do a lot... even when you don't realize it. She counts on you being there to help get her out the door and on the bus on school mornings. She always smiles at you and expects to see you waving as her bus drives off our street. She loves our routine as much as you do. Daddy and I are so proud of the way that you like to help with things Gracie needs and that you pitch in even when you aren't asked. You grab pull-ups, wipes, supplies, you help make her formula (and count all 18 scoops all by yourself), you like to help do her bolus feedings and run and drop everything in the sink after. You are such a good brother to Gracie.

Speaking of helping, you are quite the little worker-bee. You love to help around the house - - laundry, dusting, vaccuming (you follow with your shopping cart and pretend to vacuum!). You also LOVE helping in the kitchen. "Mama, I will go get my stool," and you run to your bathroom to get it while yelling down the hall, "Please wait for me!" Or, if it is a big job, you ask, "Please go get my big stool in your room." (And, just so we are perfectly clear, I will reiterate... this is how you speak... not the pronunciation, but you do speak in these kinds of complete sentences. I don't know many kids your age who do!) Sometimes, when you are wanting to help, I have to take a deep breath and remind myself that you'll only be this little once and that even though it slows me down a bit, letting you help is far more important than time. Just like your siblings, you are so good for teaching me to slow down, take things in around me and enjoy the process, not just the results.

You love going to Tumble Time and preschool.  Sometimes you say you don't want to go, but once you are there, you have such a good time!  You come out of school and after either hugging or high-fiving Ms. Shanon, you run down her driveway and say, "Hi Mama!  I had a great day!"  So cute!  You chat all the way home about what you did at school.

Gavin, you are a beautiful mix of absolute sweetness and spitfire boy. You are cuddly, loving, compassionate, you tell us all constantly how much you love us and that we are the best mommy, daddy, brother, sister, dog in the world... ever. You never miss a beat around here... you know who is happy, who is sad, who needs an extra hug and you readily give it. And in the next minute you are sneaking around with stealth moves trying to "blast" Preston with your Buzz Light Year dart gun or Preston's nerf gun. You play a mean game of hide 'n seek and make amazing explosion sounds. You are funny... really, super funny... a genuine goofball like daddy and Preston, but also with a more serious side. While you are social, you size up every situation before you join in and start playing - - even at the park. It is fascinating to watch. But when you are in your element and comfortable, you are most definitely the funniest little guy around... cracking everyone up with your fun, silly personality. We are so thankful for you, our littlest Swann... the TieBreaker that completes our family.

Happy 3rd birthday, BooDee.
I love you the whole world!
You are my "TunTine."

With my whole heart,

Mommy

Preston did the honors and took this photo!  He did such a great job!

LOVE this with Nana and Papa! 
(And Gracie photo bombing in the back trying to snag Gav's new watering can!)

My boys!
 

You had so much fun at your "party" on the 15th!



See how much you've grown?!

Gracie - Eleven

I quickly took this today as I dropped you off for school.  I love the light captured in your left eye...  so pretty.
Kaitlyn and Kristi had your crown waiting for you. 
I fully expect your iPad to come home stocked with pictures of your celebration!

Dear Gracie Girl ~

Here we are... you're eleven.  You are, without question, becoming quite the "tween."  You have attitude for days (that's not new, though... thank goodness... because it serves you well!), you are smart (though we can never predict how and when you'll choose to show us!), you are sweet as can be (there are hugs and snuggles for days with you... and I will always make time!), you have a really great sense of humor (you love good slapstick and you're brothers provide that regularly!)... the list is long and beautiful.  Today we celebrate all that makes you the wonderful you that you are!

So back to the attitude, Miss.  You save a good portion of it for me, but you're not too goody-goody to give your school team a regular peek or two!  I love it... hearing the stories about what you dish out (or try to) makes me laugh.  Granted, I don't laugh in the middle of the night when you are torturing me with tiny pinches, pulling on my eyelashes and my hair, or just trying to lay on top of me.  You don't do any of that with daddy... why not?!  But I love the fact that this is your version of giving your mama the tween trauma... all that mother-daughter drama that starts at this age... I get a specialized "Gracie" version and I cherish it.

As for school... you love it - - you love your teacher, Kristi (must be something there with the name?!), you love your amazing, one-on-one aide, Kaitlyn, but, sadly, you have no permanent nurse.  That continues to be a challenge since we've moved here.  Thankfully, they have offered to help you and provided a county office of education nurse to step in until we can find another home nurse.  I think you need a permanent school-employed nurse... that person would surely be more reliable and accountable.  Anyway, my point is, you missed a chunk of school this year due to nursing and we finally have you back in.  It's never simple, sweet girl. Ever.  Thankfully, you are so resilient and somehow, though I don't know how or why, you manage to trust again and move forward.  Good for you... I could use a lesson in that.

My hope in this coming year is that you continue to be as healthy as possible, that you are happy as possible and that you have as much fun as we can squeeze in.  Granted, I only have control over some of that, but I will do my very best.  I also hope that some of that sassy attitude gets directed at daddy... just a little... so he can see you for the big girl you really are!  Yes, you hung the moon... just ask him!  But you are also growing and changing from a very little girl into a little lady... it's hard to imagine... yet so wonderful and exciting.  We never know what you have up your sleeve (when you actually keep your clothes on... thankfully you're still only nakey at home!), when you'll show us the most amazing things you can do or that you know, but we are always waiting and ready whenever you are. 

Happy 11th birthday, Gracie Girl!
With all my love and my whole heart,

Mommy

Gavin (Month 23)

You love your strider bike that you got for Christmas!
You look SO BIG here!

Dear BooDee,

Sigh... you are almost two.  I am trying not to think about it, but you make it really hard when you act "almost two."  And, by that, I mean all the adorable stuff you do... like be a total ham, crack your toddler jokes (they crack you up, too), talk up a storm (this is so much fun.  you are now making little sentences.  "Morning, Bubba." "Help me, Mama."), you dole out hugs and kisses by the dozens, you are so.very.sweet. 

You are ALSO an almost two year-old stinker... hitting, kicking during diaper changes, spitting, climbing EVERYTHING.  We are using a timeout chair.  You loathe it.  But when your time is up, you sign "sorry" and say "dorry" and then give me all kinds of love.  We discuss the issue and when I say, "Are you going to be good?" You say, "Ya. Ok, Mama."
Your personality is too much and I love you so much I could burst.  I cannot believe that next month you will be two.

Snuggling with your Bubba.
Be still my heart.



A little Christmas break lunch treat at the park.
(Yes... we let you eat that garbage every once in a while.
You probably will be digesting it until you're five. Ugh.)

You were in absolute awe of the amount of presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

Your first ride on your Strider bike from Nana and Papa.

Our first ride on the new Plasma cars.
Preston was already cruising around on the other one!



Christmas night... you were so exhausted!
It's hard to believe how tiny you once looked in this crib. Sigh.

Sound asleep... with a fever... and round one of two very ugly illnesses that rocked our entire family.
We all rang in 2014 with the nastiest, longest lasting stomach flu I can ever remember.

Poor sweet baby.  Kept falling asleep everywhere.
We were all so sick.  I would literally crawl to you and Gracie and attempt to make you drink from your sippy cup between naps.  It was awful.



Feeling much better and hanging at the park.



This was so funny!  I took several pictures of you fascinated with your shadow!
You kept making scary monster hands and sounds.

I love you, Smooch!

Silly boys... snagged my phone for a selfie!

Gavin (Month 22)

LOVE this little face!

My little Gav-man,

You continue to explode in your communication.  AND you continue to edge toward two... with a more shrill "no" when you are trying to get your way, a masterful "fake cry" when you are trying to get your way with Preston and you think Daddy or I will step in and defend you (we are onto you... you are smart... but so are we!) and versions of "no" such as "don't like" and "uh-unh."  At the same time, you are as sweet as can be - - so loving, so helpful and eager to please. 

You say, "ohhhh kay" when I remind you not to say "no" (or not to scream "no") and "ear you go" (here you go) when you hand us something.

You are great about making sure everyone picks up after themselves... especially Brooke, Gracie's nurse.  You constantly are picking up things that she sets down and handing them to her, "ear you go."  So funny and so cute.   At the same time, you will dump every bin in the playroom in a flash in order to line up the bins and pretend they are a balance beam.  Or you'll stack them and use them as a step stool. 

I love watching you play (which you do so well) - - sitting back and watching you problem solve and play is one of my favorite things to do.  I will say, "You're busy working hard, aren't you, Boo?" and you'll nod and say, excitedly, "Ya!"

Even Batman needs a nap! 
This is pretty much becoming the only way we can get you to nap during the day... by going for a drive!

You LOVE your sissy and smooch her all the time.

Getting SO big!!!

Cracking yourself... and me... up!

I love these moments I get with you when your brother and sister are at school and Daddy is at work.



The "bin balance beam."

Silly boy!



You LOVE when Bubba blows bubble gum bubbles. 
Sorry, BooDee, it will be a while before you can have gum!

Your first Starbucks hot chocolate.
The first of many, I am sure!

Shopping is hard, hard work. 
(Actually, as per usual, you crashed in the car and daddy had to do this to grab a few things.)

Gavin (Month 21)

You were so cute at the park when you insisted on wearing Gracie's sunglasses!

At 21 months:

- Your language continues to explode... both verbal and sign.  I love that I can sign something to you and you'll say the word. 

- Every single day you learn something new.  I am amazed at the things you pick up without me even trying to teach you.  You hand me a ball for instance, then another and say, "two."  Blows me away.  You name items and tell me their color... and if you are incorrect, I can sign the color and you'll correct yourself.  Each morning when we walk into Gracie's classroom, you see something new or different and talk all about it.  You are chatty and such a sponge.  We talk all day long - - I always have been a narrator of your world, so you, in turn, narrate to me now.  (I was amazed at your brother during this stage of development, too, and though you two are very different in so many ways, so many things you do now trigger so many memories of him.)

- You LOVED Halloween and all the "pooky" decorations everywhere.  It is quite possible that our family will never say "spooky" again... your version of the word is so much cuter!

- You are TOUGH.  You have had some pretty good face-to-tile and knee-to-asphalt run-ins and recover way quicker than I do!  It is amazing to me how you get over it and don't dwell on the owies (other than to kiss them yourself and request kisses from me... but you are a hug and kiss kind of guy regardless of your owies!).

- I adore that you are so in tune with your sister.  You know her mood just by the sounds from her trach - - reminds me so much of Preston at this age.  You will say, "Dee Dee... ahh-pee" when you can tell she is laughing (without even seeing her face).  It warms my heart to no end... and makes me shudder at the fact that there have been adults in her life who couldn't ever tell by her sounds.  Love you... good, sweet brother... taught by a good, sweet brother.

- You started saying, "I don't know," and shrugging your shoulders.  Funniest and cutest thing. Ever.

So much fun with Gracie and Preston

Be still my heart... what a face!

Gavin the Pirate

Checking out all the Halloween decorations, though you weren't 100% sure of the scarier ones...

Like the "pooky" ones on the porch!

You LOVED all the animals at the pumpkin patch!
You plopped yourself down and clapped for the chickens!

"You want me to stick my hand in there and do what?"

Such a love... even to the cute statues in the neighbors' yard!



I miss this view of you!  I don't get to hold you until you're asleep very often anymore.

Silly, silly boy with a box of raisins in your mouth and vacuum accessories in each hand.
(Not to mention the ensemble of diaper and socks!)

"No... 8:30 won't work, it's past my bedtime.
Have your people call my people and we'll work something out."

 

Gavin (Month 20)

Today you are 20 months

You had a language explosion this month - - your twentieth!
 
- "Happy" (Ahhpee) You said this to me after I was telling you how happy your hugs and kisses make me.  After the first time, I immediately captured this adorable, heart-overflowing cuteness on video.

- "I love you" (AhLuhlyou)  You'd been signing (attempting... the coordination of this takes a while to develop) this for a few months, but now you say it while approximating the sign.  This one was also captured on video the same day you started saying it.  It is seriously adorable and you now will look across the room, make eye contact, stick up your sign approximation and say it totally unprompted.  It is THE BEST and will never stop making me so "ahhpee."

- Your obsession with picking up trash at the park continues... and now you ask, "Blue?" to find out whether it is trash or should go in the blue recycling can.  Adorable, but gross that you pick every single thing up off the ground!

- "Don't" and "No" These are said clearly and, though developmentally wonderful, drive me nuts!  You sternly say no to anything that is not agreeable to you.  Anything and everything.  Let the countdown to "two" begin!  Ha!

- So many more phrases and words... you put many two and three word combinations together now... for instance, "ovaltine (o-doe-deen) milk please," "daddy work," "Bubba, Deedee school" and on and on.

- You are such a good helper!  You love being involved in any chore that is happening.  Feeding the dog, making coffee, laundry, cleaning up, unloading the dishwasher.  If there is a part you can do, I try to let you be involved, even when it is faster and easier to just do it myself!  ;)

On the merry-go-round at Pier 39 with Daddy



You rode in Gracie's car seat for the first time... and LOVED being forward. 
You did NOT, however, enjoy my singing!  Most people don't, Gavin, but you could have gone easy on mama!

You cracked up at me when I pretend pouted and cried when you didn't approve of my singing - - I couldn't resist taking this shot through the headrest gap.

Fun with your big sister and brother.  You adore both of them!

After a haircut... it was so strange to not see a bunch of hair peeking out from under that hat!

"I can help, Mama."

"What... you looking for me?"



There were a million things on my to-do list this particular morning, but playing with you was way more fun!



"Here I am!!!"



Like mommy, like Gav-man

Silly boy... always messing around at soccer.  You will take off running when I say I am going to chase you.
Then, you dive into the grass and wait for me to "attack" you with kisses and tickles.

Just hanging out

You will often stop and "smile" this cheese-filled grin when you know I am taking pictures.