Gavin's First Baseball Game

This past Thursday Michael, Gavin and I went to see the Rays play the Tigers. It was Gavin's very first game and I think he had a good time!!

Gabe wore this same outfit to his first game only it was a NB not a 9 month!! Gavin never cried once during the whole game, which was super surprising maybe he will love baseball like his Daddy and brother.

We nearly got there in time to get Carlos Pena's autograph but not quite, Daddy was disappointed. Even though the Rays lost we had a nice time.

Gabe doesn't understand how to sit still when he's outside and it was way too crowded for him to go, maybe next time buddy.

Duck Lake

Last Wednesday before Gabe's surgery I took both my boys down to Duck Lake.

Gabe really likes going a lot and just being able to run around. He doesn't usually feed the ducks, he feeds himself. He likes for me to throw the bread and then he laughs when they all fight over it. I think that he himself probably ate about 3-4 pieces of bread while we were there.

We had one swan that followed us around more than half the time and would get within about a foot or less of me wanting more bread. Gabe liked it but it just made me nervous, I don't want to get bite by a crazy swan!! Gavin was not happy at first but then he calmed down and enjoyed the sunshine I think.

It is always nice to get out of the house, Gabe just about has to every couple days or he gets really cranky. I was always on the go with him when he was little and now he wants to be all the time. Gavin likes much more that I can tell to be home so he can be in his crib.

Boucey, bouncey

Ok so he's not doing a lot of bouncing yet but he is using his bouncey seat and he likes it.

Gabe really likes to play with him when he's in his seat. I started recording after Gavin had already been in the seat a while so he was getting tired but they are too cute.

So obviously Gabe really likes to spin Gavin around when he's in it, the problem is that he always spins him past whatever he starts playing with instead of showing Gavin what he's doing. We are working on it maybe he'll get it soon.

Gabe is really great with Gavin, every once in a while he is a little too ruff but he's getting better.

I just really can't wait until Gavin is a little older and sitting on the floor with Gabe and crawling after him that will be the best!!!

Common Ground Park

In Lakeland we have a new park next to the tennis courts on Edgewood and it is amazing.

We have taken Gabe before but it was super crowded so we decided we wanted to take him before his surgery since we won't be able to go for a few weeks after it. Since Michael is off on Monday we had a nice family day at the park.

Gabe really just loves being able to run free and burn some energy. He isn't scared of anything so you really have to keep your eye on him. He runs up and down that ramp probably 20 times at least while we are there.

He really loves the slides and I have been trying to find him one on Craigslist but not been successful yet. It really would be nice to get him a swing set for his birthday but we will have to see about that.

He doesn't go very fast down the slide because his shoes catch him but hi still thinks it is fun!!

He also likes climbing back up the slides and is very good at it. We are having to stop that since it isn't very nice to do in a crowded park.

He wanted to try the big boy swing this time and did ok on it. At first he just kept throwing himself back and laughing but then he stayed sitting up.

The second time he went back to it he reached for the chains remembering he had to hold on.

He prefers the little boy swing though. I think it's because he can go much higher, which is what he loves to do.

He likes that big swing some but he hates when the sun gets in his eyes laying on his back.

He really thought this cup thing was hilarious and wanted to spin round and round!!

There is also this huge hill that they can slide down, it is really neat. I thought he would be scared to do it but not at all, I think he wishes he could go a little faster. This time he even went through the tunnel underneath it and climbed up the rope latter to get to the top of the hill.


Gavin slept most of the time but I think he had a good time too!!!

He is very hot natured like Gabe always was so it was a nice day for him to be out since it was pretty overcast.

It is just a really nice place to go play and let the boys get outta the house. We always have a lot of fun!!

Gavin 2 months

HOLY COW, he is 2 months old!!! There has been so much going on in our family the time has just flown by. Gavin is growing so fast and doing new more interesting things everyday. He went to see Dr. Enlow yesterday for his check-up. I knew he was getting big but couldn't believe it when I saw 13 lbs. 5.5 ozs. on the scale, which is in the 95%!!! He is 23 ins. tall as well, which is the same as Gabe was at his 2 month visit. He had to get 3 shots and 1 oral one, he did well. He screamed, a scream I have never heard come out of him and then stopped as soon as I picked him up.

In the last couple weeks He has been spitting up 3-4 times after he ate, a lot of spit up. So I asked Dr. Enlow about it and she said to go ahead and start giving him rice cereal, that she thought that would help. She said then in a couple weeks we could start giving him fruits and veggies if he did well with the cereal. I was surprised to hear food already, its a month earlier then we started Gabe, but if she says it's ok then why not. So we gave him some last night and he spit up none last night and only once this morning.

I was really surprised at how well he ate the cereal, he just opened his mouth right up. Hopefully he will be a good eater like his brother is. By the way the blue onsie he has on is a Carter 9 month outfit!!! He loves to smile at you when you talk to him and will try and talk back. Also if I stick my tongue out at him he will stick his right back out at me.

I have gone to storage and gotten some of the toys and things that Gavin is ready to start trying. So far he has been on the fish mat and he likes that a lot and he has also sat in his Bumbo. I got the bouncy seat out as well and we will try that soon, he will just have to be propped a little with pillows at first, like Gabe was.

Sometimes he likes his swing and will take a 2-3 hour nap in it and sometimes he hates it and will scream till you take him out. He also likes laying in his bed watching his mobile and playing with his stuffed animals, when he does get a hold of them he will pull them on top of himself. He does like to stand up on his legs a lot too, which the doctor said is good since he is on the heavy side.

He is sleeping well at night 6 hours at a time. I have also got him on Gabe's nap schedule and they both take a 2-3 hour nap at the same time. It is so nice because I came either sleep myself or just get a lot accomplished.

He is just such a sweet boy but is growing up way too fast, I am trying to catch every special thing he does!!

Surgery for my baby.

So Gabe went back to the urologist yesterday, I knew what I was going to hear but it still really stunk having to hear it out loud from the doctor. Dr. Reisman said that he will go in the side with the hernia and repair that, drain the fluid and put the mesh in. He said that half the time you get a hernia you will get it on the other side as well so he is also going to go in the other side and put mesh in to hopefully prevent that from happening. So he will end up with 2 small incisions, I would rather do both now then for him to have to have surgery again. The surgery will be done at All Children's hospital in St. Pete a week from today, March 19th. We won't know the exact time till the morning before, all we know is that it will be before lunch. He said the surgery will take about an hour and he will get to go home that day. For 2 days he can't get his incisions wet and then for 2 weeks he can't have any toys that he has to straddle to get in or ride on. As far as keeping him still to let him heal the doctor said, "You can't keep a good man down!" He said that holding him and having him kick, scream and pitch a fit is just as bad if not worse then him just running around playing.
It is hard to believe my little man is having surgery but I know he will come out of it better than when he went in. So far this has been a really tuff year for us and we are hoping that we can get past all this and things will turn around. Please continue to pray for Gabe and for strength for Michael and I. We love you all.

***Gabe's surgery will be at Tampa Bay Surgical Center instead of All Children.

Boys

Gavin looked really cute the other day so I wanted to take his picture, anytime I do that Gabe wants to get in on it.

The look on Gavin's face in this picture says it all. He is terrified!!!

Gabe loves to hold him but doesn't try very hard to hold him up.

The face is just priceless!!!

I love the other picture though, Gabe has the sweetest smile on his face.

I really hope that they grow up to be great friends!!

That is Breckin the little boy I keep, he was dying to join the group so I had to take a picture. Him and Gabe have the best time together and he loves talking to Gavin.

Yummy Chocolate

Sunday night our friends come over and we fix dinner. I was going to make some brownies and Gabe decided he wanted to help because he wanted some chocolate. The kid has never cared much about desserts at all till very recently and now he asks for "chocolate" or "candy" all the time!! The whole time I was mixing he was just asking for the chocolate so once I poured it in the pan we just let him have the bowl.

By the time he decided he was done he had it all over his hands, arms and face!! He still wasn't completely satisfied until he got to eat the brownies after they were done, I think he ate 3!!!

Splash, splash.

Yesterday when Gabe got up from nap he wanted to go outside once

we got out we realized it was really hot, so we decided to blow up

the new pool for the first time!!

The water was freezing but Gabe didn't mind one bit. At first he thought it was funny to just splash us but then he wanted me to get in with him, so I went and put my bathing suit on.

I can't tell you how many times he started running around and then fell and bumped his head. He didn't mind he would just get back up and do it again. This new pool is much bigger and much deeper, I honestly think if I fill it up I could teach Gabe to swim in it. I know I will be able to work on floating and kicking!!

After he said "cheese" and took the first picture with me he wanted to give kisses and hugs and Michael got it, I was really glad because it was really sweet!

We had a lot of fun in the pool and can't wait for it to get warm enough that Gavin can get in with us.

Undies!!

So on Friday Gabe and I went and bought him some big boy underwear, he wanted Cars and Diego. As soon as we got home he wanted them out of the wrapper!! I was feeding Gavin so I couldn't help him put them on so he settled with wearing them on his head. He ran all over the house like that and thought he was hilarious!!

After nap we put them on and he thought he was cool stuff, he still wanted a pair also on his head though. He did fine for a couple hours but then had an accident. He still isn't telling me when he has to go I just have to ask him over and over again. He will go to the bathroom when I ask him to and pretty much pees every time but doesn't say he has to go by himself.

Saturday morning he wore them for a couple hours and didn't have any accidents till we went outside. For now I will let him wear them when he wants but I really don't think he is quite ready, he has to learn to tell me when he feels the urge to go. We will continue to encourage and work with him, hopefully it will all click sooner then later!!

Yard Work

So this past Saturday we got up and were ready to work in the yard. The dogs love to dig in the dirt so we decided we would use the landscape timbers and mulch off a large area for all the kids stuff. So that when I take Gabe out to play he doesn't end up covered in dirt. Gabe loves being outside and now I don't mind taking him out to play. He was such a big helper, first filling in the dogs holes with dirt, then spreading the mulch and he even helped Daddy move all the toys off the deck.

He was pretty exhausted after all that work and had to sit down in his wagon to take a breather!!!

Gavin enjoyed being outside for a bit but then went in to take a nap when the mower and electric trimmers came out. It was a little loud for a baby to nap!!

Gabe has a sand and water table but I haven't ever put water in the one side once we got done I filled the water up and this is what Gabe chose to do in the water.

After he did that for a while he just wanted the hose to play in and he ended up pretty darn wet!!

Then Gigi found a worn in the dirt and brought him that to check out. It didn't turn out well for the worm!!

He had such a good time outside and I know will continue to all Spring and Summer. He doesn't have to be doing anything exciting (half the time he is just wondering around) but he just wants to be out there!! Before we went in he had to help Gigi water the tree, it was really cute.

Here are just some other great pictures of Gabe I had to include!! I just think my boy is too cute!