Saturday, September 11, 2010

Gavin (15 months) and Devin (3 years 11 months)

Grandma Marcella really wanted some pictures of her grandkids so we went to Picture People to see if we could get a few good shots of the boys. They did pretty well overall and the pics are very cute. Here’s a link to the photos if you want to check out the full library. http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?myphotos?a=765401&b=170000

Gavin is so incredibly cute right now. He has very light brown hair with lots of curls. And he has the sweetest smile and tilts his head to the side when looking at you. His personality is really coming through. And he isn’t talking yet, but loves to point and grunt. He also gets his point across by going to his high chair and patting his seat when he is ready to eat. And he will pat the fridge door and then point to his milk when he wants some. Hopefully he’ll start getting some words out soon. He’s overdue to a degree, but he is also getting more Spanish that Devin did. Something tells me he’ll just start talking one day.

Gavin is a big time climber. I have to keep a close eye on him as he is fearless. He will climb on anything and stand up and look at me like “Look Mom…no hands!” He will climb and stand on chairs, stroller toilets, ledges, you name it. He also has the strongest fingertips ever. He can grasp something with the smallest tip of his finger and you really have to pry it off to get something from him. Maybe he will be a rock climber some day. He certainly has strength, balance, and no fear working for him.

Gavin got his two top molars recently. One came the first weekend in August and the other came the middle of September. He really takes the whole teething thing like a champ. I think he has a high threshold for pain.

In terms of eating, Gavin can really put the food away. He certainly eats more than Devin these days. I’m sure that will all change in the future, but for now he is the first to start eating and the last to finish most often. The one thing he does that is beyond annoying is that he throws his food, fork, or whatever he has his hands on when he is done. So much for using the “all done” sign. He clearly gets his point across when he throws his food clear across the dining room. That little stinker!

Gavin is wearing 2T shirts and 18 month - 24 month pants. I’d put him in 2T shorts, but the pants are going to be a bit long. He’s also up to size 5 diapers. I haven’t weighed him recently, but I expect that he is very close to 30 pounds. One thing that is true is that Gavin is not my little baby anymore. He’s clearly moving into being an independent toddler.

When it comes to sleeping, Gavin is beyond amazing. He goes to bed around 7:30 and will sleep until 6:30 or 7 the next day. He doesn’t want to be cuddled, rocked, or anything. Just pop him in his crib, turn on his music, say good night and walk out. Yep…that easy! I am one lucky parent. Now if only Devin was that easy!

Speaking of Devin, he is VERY excited for his 4th birthday in a few weeks. He has matured so much lately, and also tests us at the same time. He often has so much energy he just doesn’t know what to do with it. Around dinner time, Rich and I at least once say, “Don’t you want to go outside and play?” I just keep reminding Rich that he gave his parents a run for their money when he was a kid so he shouldn’t be too surprised about Devin.

Legos have officially become a new interest for Devin. He built his very own vehicle using the lego pieces last week. I was very impressed at how he put it all together on his own. I'll try to post a picture soon (on the other computer).

Devin is close to 50 pounds and wearing a size 4 pant and size 5 shirt, although he is about to move up to a size 5 pant. Devin has a pretty good size waist and butt so I have to be sure and get pants with elastic waistbands. Any other straight pant cut is too tight on him. I can get him a bigger size in shorts, but now that we are headed into cooler weather, he’ll need pants that aren’t too long.

Devin still is not a big fan of cheese. And he is starting to get opinionated about his food. I wouldn’t call him picky, but he doesn’t always seem hungry so he has “opinions” about what he wants to eat and not eat.

Preschool has been going very well for Devin. He really enjoys his time there, even though I usually get an “I don’t want to go to school” at least once in the car on the way there. But he has also told me that he loves school too. His morning routine goes best when he has time to watch one video (Dora, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, or Handy Manny) in the morning. That is his gradual wakeup time. Then he puts on his clothes and off to school we go. Having a routine makes the morning go like clockwork. We have about a 25 minute drive to his school and if there is a lot of traffic, he gets car sick (he is clearly my child on that one). So I don’t overload him with food before getting in the car and I also take a different route to avoid the downtown traffic. That has really helped. They offer food all morning during his class so I know he gets to eat when he feels like it.

One thing I LOVE about Devin is how he has the biggest bladder of any kid. He is so good about not wetting his pants. We can be in the car and he’ll have to go but be able to wait a good 20 minutes. And he rarely, if ever, wets his bed at night. I say my thanks every day for the fact he potty trained so well.

I have been traveling for work a fair amount, so Rich seeks out help from his parents quite a bit when I am gone. Thank you to all our family for how much they help us day in and day out. We know how very lucky we are to have them nearby.