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.

Gavin (Month 19)

At 19 months:

-        You come up behind me and give sweet hugs then go about your playing

-        You love playing “baybane” (airplane), hide and seek, zombie (it is hilarious to watch you stick out your tongue and arms and make a silly groan), you love chasing birds and calling out to them, you continue to LOVE books and being outside (because there is so much to see!).

-        You (unfortunately) started hitting, especially when tired or frustrated.  You quickly bury your head into whomever was your target, hug up and attempt to sign sorry and give kisses.  I hope we get past this soon… it’s hard to teach you not to hit when you are so darn cute and remorseful after.

 

-    You are an amazing independent player.  You can busy yourself for a remarkable amount of time and, yet, also play so well with others.

 

 

My little (but oh-so-cute) trouble maker!
You climb EVERYTHING!!!

Our schedule is crazy with school, sports and therapies - - that coupled with your strong will and not wanting to miss out on anything, you refuse naps and often crash in your high chair during dinner.
 I am "Ninja Mama" (according to Daddy), as I can clean you up, change your diaper, get you into jammies and into your crib without waking you up!

Watching you and your big brother together melts.my.heart.
(Except when you're driving each other nuts!)

 

Hanging in Sissy's room reading while she and Preston were at school.  You read a lot.



"Hey, there!"

A selfie to test out my new phone.



You kiss everyone’s boo-boos… even your own.
You also proved this month that even boys need to kiss a few frogs before they find their princess!

You were so funny messing with me - - you kept hiding under the hat when I tried to take your picture!



You are obsessed with picking up trash at the park and throwing it away.



Silly, silly boy!

This was on a Friday afternoon... all of you, Toby included, were so tired!
If I thought you all would sleep and not get into mischief, I might have laid down and taken a snooze, too!