Ugly Sweater Delight!

We attended the Riggs' annual Ugly Sweater Party again this year. Thanks to my good friend Joni I have pictures to show you. Gavin had so much fun flirting with the ladies. I think he has a thing for blondes. It was fun to have some drinks with my work buddies. Between the jello shots, tequila shots, and keg stands there were lots of funny moments to remember. Erin and Ashley sure know how to throw a great party. Thanks for inviting us, we always have such a great time, maybe too much. I think my husband is under the impression that staying the night at their house is part of the tradition, but it is fun picking him up and recapping all the fun from the night before.
Thanks again for having us, you guys are the best!

Merry Christmas

ADORABLE!!!

Playing Catch Up...

As many of you may know our computer took a turn for the worst several months ago. As a result I have not been able to keep you all up to date with our busy lives. The last we spoke Gavin had just turned 7 months old. A lot has changed since September.

OCTOBER

October brought Gavin's 8 month birthday. Gavin had some pretty big milestones this month, with the addition of his first two teeth, one right after the other along the bottom. It's amazing how sharp those little suckers are. To our delight he also started crawling. It was more of an army crawl but a crawl none the less. Now he is on the move and I'm going to have to keep a closer eye on this little guy.

Grandma and Grandpa Johnson came to visit us for Halloween. We celebrated Halloween by throwing our 3rd annual Halloween Bash. We had our biggest turn out to date. It was so much fun as you can see by the photos. Ian built an amazing electric chair that was a hit with the ladies due to it's ingenious construction, a wheel of death drinking game that featured 13 glass skulls of mystery liquor, and the stripper pole was again a hit for the third year running. We had some great costumes from Mr. & Mrs. Incredible to Mr. & Mrs. Claus. We had superheroes, pirates, bar maids, farmers, biblical characters, and leather & whips. There was quite a bit of T&P (tits and penis) at this years party too. The music blared into the early morning hours, until the cops arrived and attempted to shut us down. It was a fun night, with the only drama being that of 14 year old (don't worry their parents were there). Lol! It was so much fun we want to thank everyone for coming. We hope to see everyone again next year!

Gavin got all dressed up for his first Halloween.

He was so adorable as a dragon.

He was such a good sport getting all dressed up just to let us parade him through the mall and collect candy he couldn't even eat. I love this little dragon!

NOVEMBER


Vacation time! This month was met with Gavin's 9 month birthday. We celebrated by taking a family vacation to Maui with our besties the Riggs family. I can't begin to tell you how much fun we had. I stressed about packing and flying with Gavin but to my surprise the flight was pretty darn good, even the other passengers were saying how good he did on the 5 hour flight. What a relief. As for the packing, well I definitely over packed for Gavin but I guess better to over than under pack. We shared a condo with the Riggs family in Kaanapali, Maui. It had two pools, hot tubs, and a beautiful view of the ocean from our lanai.

It will probably sound hard to believe but it was a nice, relaxing vacation. You would think eleven days would be too long but we found ways to keep ourselves entertained. We visited babies beach which was great for the kids and snorkeling. It is a very shallow beach with little to no waves. Erin and I did some snorkeling (just remember when snorkeling do not put face back in water after urinating). Gavin and Ian made a cool sand castle, and turned Gavin into a sand mermaid.

We also made a longer trek to McKenna beach. What a beautiful beach. The waves were definitely much larger (trust me I was tossed twice) and a bit intimidating to the kiddies. Gavin especially didn't care for the ocean. He is more of a pool baby. However, he was content playing in and eating the sand. I learned pretty quick not to try and control the sandy mess or amount of sand he was consuming. At Mckenna the snorkeling is supposed to be amazing, with tons of turtles. Unfortunately, Erin and I chickened out and decided to just hang out near the beach. But, while Erin, Caitlyn and I floated on our hot pink rafts we decided to see if the turtles would come to us by singing "turtle, turtle" and to our astonishment a turtle swam right underneath us. WOW! This was for sure a highlight. We made a final beach trip to black rock were we snorkeled with turtles and played in the waves. The guys even climbed and jumped off the rock.

We quickly realized how much work it was to pack up the kids and all our gear just to go to the beach. Thank goodness we had pools, hot tubs, and new friends from Canada to hang out with.
Even though we were on a family vacation, Ian and I did sneak away for a date night at Dukes. What good food. After the kiddies went down to bed Erin and Ashley taught us how to play canasta. I would just like to say we were kicking their ass until the last night. But it is true, they ended up being the Canasta King & Queen of Maui. Dang it!

We had a great friends, great food, and great beaches. All the components of a great vacation.

Back in Seattle we were greeted by snow covered streets. I was probably the only one excited to be coming home to snow, even if only a little. Now it was time to return to work and our everyday lives.

The weekend following Thanksgiving we went to cut down our Christmas tree which is our annual tradition. It was made even more special this year by the addition of Gavin.

From tree trimming to hair cutting.
The before and after pictures are amazing. I cant believe how much older he looks with his hair cut. We wish we had done it sooner. I was just worried it would look like he had no hair.

He looks so adorable now!


I feel like there is so much more to tell, but I think this covers the highlights of the last few months.

7 Months & Counting...

I don't know if you have noticed but this little boy is damn cute!

Just look at that face. I was hoping as he got older he would start to resemble me at least a little bit. I mean I did carry him around for nine months and one day, not to mention the whole labor thing with the lemon and the watermelon. I think you get the point. Yet, everyday I hear how much he looks like his daddy. Good thing his daddy is so cute, at least I think so:)

Gavin... Gavin... Gavin...

What can I tell you, he is still growing like crazy.

We have successfully transitioned to solids and most of the time he likes the food. He definitely makes it known when we give him something he doesn't like, which is usually some sort of vegetable. So far there isn't a fruit he's met he didn't like.

I've learned there really is no need to buy your little ones toys... they don't play with them. But give them a spatula or remote control and they are entertained for hours. Gavin's favorite household items are cell phones and remote controls. However, he has made a new friend who we have affectionately named Mr. Cow. Go figure it would be a random stuffed animal at the supermarket. Mr. Cow, as you can see, makes him happy.

Gavin still hasn't warmed up to tummy time. As a result he still isn't rolling over. We are convinced he has figured out that rolling only leads to tummy time which only leads to tears. He gets himself up on his side really good but then aborts mission:( He hasn't started crawling yet either. I can see he want to though, he just hasn't put it all together yet. He has also tried to pull himself up a few times. I'm betting by this time next month he will have things figured out and be on the move. I don't know if I'm excited or terrified by this revelation.

Stay tuned for the new adventures of baby Gavin!

Naked Baby Time

The cure for this little boys grumpiness is simple... naked baby time!

Works everytime:)

Splish Splashin Water Baby

Look at my handsome boys playing in the hot tub!

We bought Gavin his first lifejacket.

Ian decided to try Gavin out in the water to see how he liked it before going swimming in a pool with other people. Look how happy and comfortable he looks!

He is our little water baby.

The Riggs family invited us to go swimming with them at their aunt Cindy's house, which was so much fun. Gavin had such a great time splashing and floating around.

He loved it when Ian or I would go under the water then pop up out of the water.

He laughed and splashed everytime.

I love this little man! I can't wait to start him in swim lessons.

Thank you to all of our wonderful friends for having us over to swim and play.
We had so much fun!

6 Months & Counting...

Like always, I'm shocked another month has gone by and so quickly.

Gavin seems to get bigger and bigger before my very eyes.

At his six month check up Gavin wieghted in at 9 lbs 10 oz. and is 26in.

Crazy right!

Gavin's likes include... going to work with daddy, bath time, and being NAKED!!! Eating solids has been a slow process but Gavin definitely like carrots. However, those carrots turned his little bum bright red and blistery. Poor little guy:(

Gavin's dislikes right now include... tummy time (shocker), getting dressed, laying in the grass, and when toys are taken away from him. It's really cute as soon as I start playing with one of his toys he suddenly has to play with it. Super cute!

I feel like he has learned a lot over the last month. He is sitting up on his own and playing with his toys. Although, he seems to be more interested in anything other than his toys. He loves the remote... go figure! He loves to drink from a cup. He cant hold a cup by himself yet or use a sippy cup, but if we help him hold the cup he drinks pretty well.

Everyday is a new adventure thats for sure. He still isn't sleeping completely through the night...Ughh! We are dealing though. He has been teething since 4 months and yup he still has no tooth, he drools constantly, and we thank god often for infant tylenol.

It is so much fun watching him grow and learn.

Stay tuned for more adventures and stories.
Love you Gavin!!!

Happy Anniversary

Two years ago today my Lovebug and I tied the knot.

We have been together for nine years now.

Nine years flies by when your having as much fun as we are.

Over the years we have grown stronger as a couple and made additions to our family with the birth of our first son, Gavin.

Lovebug, I love you today, tomorrow, and always!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Parcel

Congratulations Chad & Kimmerlee Parcel!

What a perfect day for a wedding!

The sun was shining as was the bride, who looked radiant in her wedding gown.

The wedding reception was very appropriately held at the families mini golf course, with gorgeous landscaping, white tables linens and shimmering centerpieces. The whole event was breathtaking.

After a wonderful spread of food and heart warming speeches the bride and groom took to the dance floor, bringing tears to the eyes of guests. What a perfect blend of two families. With Margarita's flowing guests hit the dance floor and partied well into the night.

As you can see even this little guy couldn't resist a good party.
Gavin, with a little help from his uncle Sean, caught the garter belt.
There was no sleep for this tough guy, he wasn't about to miss out on the fun.

The wedding was beautiful!
Many congratulations to the bride and groom!
We wish them a lifetime of happiness and love!

5 months old and counting...

Gavin is still growing like a weed.

We don't have any official measurements but on our home scale he weights about 17lbs now. Still cute as a button with his butterfly eyelashes, and his big brown eyes.

He looks just like his daddy.
He even seems to have the same temperament as his daddy, needing to be constantly on the move and kept busy. He loves going to work with his daddy several times a week. He has constant stimulation and is always on the move which he loves. Trying to keep him entertained when he is at home with me has definitely been a challenge because nothing keeps him entertained for longer then 5-10 minutes. So we run errands or have play dates with his good friends Caitlyn and Ashton. Gavin loves to play with and watch other kids. He especially loves Caitlyn. Every time he sees her he lights up. It is so cute!

We tried to introduce solids over this last month but Gavin hasn't really warmed up to the idea yet. For the most part he is still a boob man:) So far we have found he does not like rice cereal but will eat oatmeal. He really hasn't eatin much of any one thing, but we keep trying.

One of Gavin's favorite activities is bath time. He could spend all night in there if I let him. He has learned to splash around in his bath. He literally splashes all the water out of his bath. I have learned to lay out a lot of towels.

Not much else has changed this month.
He still hates belly time and still doesn't roll over. He will get up onto his side then roll back. It's like he knows he will end up on his belly. We really try to keep him off his back though as much as possibly so there hasn't been a lot of practice for rolling over. Most often we have him sitting up because we are still waiting for his head to round out. I' actually starting to get pretty worried. Keep your fingers crossed.

Thanks for reading!
Stay tuned for more adventures with Gavin as he grows and learns.

Baby Grub

Gavin and I got together with Erin, Cody and their kids for a day of play and making yummy baby food. It is sooo much easier than I thought it would be. I'm surprised more people don't make there own. We made butternut squash, acorn squash and sweet potatoes. I cant wait for our garden to grow so I can use the veggies for baby food. What a money saver!

So far Gavin has tried the butternut squash and he seems to like it. Hopefully this trend continues. Thank you to my friends for the fun day of baby food 101.

Congrats Grad!!!

Congratulations to my niece Courtney Elizabeth Neal on graduating from Gig Harbor High School!

Doesn't she look beautiful in her cap and gown, so grown up and mature.

We are all so proud of her. She has been attending TCC for the past two years for running start, and working on her prerequisites for the nursing program.

The ceremony was better than I expected.

The speeches were actually pretty entertaining. It wasn't the typical boring, snooze fest graduations usually are. And if you were wondering, yes that is a gigantic blown up penis surfing the crowd. Teachers were not happy. I wasn't able to get a picture of the beach ball and rubber chicken that also made an appearance.

After the ceremony family and friends went out to celebrate at the Olive Garden. I finally got to meet her boyfriend. Get this, his name is Ian Johnson. And whats freakier is his brothers name is Seth. How crazy is that!

Congratulations Courtney!!!

Messy! Messy! Messy!

Now that Gavin is 4 months old we were given the green light by our pediatrician to start solids if we felt he was ready. He has been watching us eat and sometimes even leans forward, so we took those as signs he was ready if not at least curious.

As you can see from his bib most if not all of his food ended up down the front of him.

In fact, I think he was more interested in putting the bib in his mouth, not the food.

We started Gavin with the rice cereal but as soon as he got it in his mouth he made his YUCK face and out came the rice cereal. So, instead we tried the oatmeal which he seems to like better. Next we added in some peas which he also seems to like. However, he still has the reflex to push things out with his tongue, as you can see from the pictures.

Even though he is a messy eater, he sure is cute doing it!

Time to Spare

Wednesday nights are now resevered for bowling.

Ian joined a bowling league with Ashley, Scarlet, and Ksavara. Apparently there is another player named Phil but I'm starting to think he is a figment of their imagination because I have yet to meet him. When Ashley asked him to join Ian jumped right into character. He got himself a fancy ball, bad ass bowling bag and slick new shoes. It's hard to see in the picture but to improve his game Ian started wearing his hair in a mulhawk in an effort to make him more "aerodynamic" (his words not mine). He is even working the leg swoop when he bowls.

They are better than I think they even realized.

So keep your fingers crossed that they come home with the prize.

4 Months Old and Counting...

Our little guy isn't so little anymore.

At his four month check up he weighed in at 16lbs 7oz and is now 25in long.

I know I say it every month but he is growing so fast. I just had to buy him all new clothes because he has already grown out of all his 3-6 month clothes. I had to buy him 6 month clothes, all he has is shorts outfits and it is still a little chilly out. Not that I am complaining, he is fun to shop for. Baby clothes are so much cheaper, I actually feel as though I am getting my moneys worth when I shop for him. However, with how fast he is growing if his clothes were not inexpensive I would probably have a naked baby 90% of the time.

Gavin is getting stronger and more balanced every day.

He loves to stand up. He will cry and pout if he is layed down. He will stand for at least ten minutes at a time before needing a rest.

I have been trying to work on sitting up with him, because if he isn't standing then he wants to be propped up in a sitting position so he look around and take in his surroundings.

I've found the mosre we practice the better he gets. He can stay upright for a few seconds before tipping over. He tends to fall forward, but I have noticed he is learning to push himself up with his hands. He just isn't very good at it yet.

Don't let my previous post of tummy time fool you.

As you can see tummy time is still not his favorite part of the day.

The back of his head is still pretty flat. I'm sure he thinks I am a horrible mommy, especially when I let him cry and then take his picture:)

Drooling is his new favorite activity.

He is constantly putting things in his mouth. His fist, my fist, toys, or his favorite Gavin binky tend to find their way into his mouth.
It's actually pretty cute. Except when we play flying baby and I have him up in the air above my head and out of no where I get a glob of drool in the face. Awesome, right!

He is such a happy, healthy little boy. He rarely cries, but when he does he is easily settled down by taking a walk outside. He's like his daddy he loves to be outside and busy is best.

Keep reading to find out what he will do next!

Secrets to Motherhood

So, slowly but surely I am learning those little things that make motherhood manageable.

Lesson #1 Long Hair

A lot of mothers seem to cut their hair short in an effort to keep it away from the tight little grips of their children. However, as I have learned having short hair means having to do your hair every day. On those days when your hair is a huge grease ball and you haven't been able to shower in three days your going to be glad you have long enough hair to rock the ponytail look. Or if worst... your hair is not only greasy but caked in what you can only guess is spit up, dried buggers, or drool you can fashion yourself a neat little bun.

Lesson #2 Layering

On those mornings when you are trying to keep your self together and look as though you attempted to look polished it is inevitable that you will end up with either spit up, food, a colorful beverage of some sort, urine, or worst... poop down the front of you. I have recently learned the trick is layering. With layering, when you spill your coffee down the front of you while balancing a baby and pushing a shopping cart having an extra layer to work with makes life seem a little easier. You can either remove the layer or add to hide whatever mess is making you feel like a habitual disaster. There is always the option of keeping extra clothes handy but who wants to carry around one more thing.

These are just two of of the many lessons I am learning with motherhood. I feel as though I am starting to get the hang of this whole parenting with ease thing. But that is the misconception because as soon as you think you have found your bearings, something rocks your boat and you loose all faith your yourself. With each new experience I am going to have a new lesson to learn. All those individuals who say motherhood is an adventure weren't exaggerating.

Wish me luck!!!

Sounds of Laughter

Gavin giggled for the first time this morning.

It actually caught me of guard, taking me a minute to register that he was laughing.

It was the sweetest little laugh I have ever heard.

I am so overjoyed that I was home for one of his firsts.

When I went back to work I was so afraid I would miss a lot of his firsts.

I am grateful to have enjoyed this moment.

Belly Time

Gavin has had a breakthrough. He went from hating belly time to suddenly enjoying it... at least for a while anyways.

I had started making belly time more of a game for him that I like to call Rolly Polly Baby. I even sing a little song while we play. I would roll him onto his belly just for a minute then roll him again onto his back. It seemed to help because he wasn't crying or getting mad. Then all of the sudden he starting lifting his head up like he had been doing it all along, like it was easy as could be.

I don't know what changed but we're relieved. We worried about being scolded by the doctor at his four month check up. Now it looks as though there is hope his head will take a shape other than being flat.

This month is definitely full of changes. He is growing like a weed, is able to lift his head while on his belly, bear weight on his legs while standing, and can hold his head level with his shoulders when pulled into a sitting position.

Where does the time go. I can't wait to see what he will do next.

Sunday Morning Slumber

I love this picture of Gavin curled up in our bed as we slept in as a family.
I am at a loss for words all I can think to say is LOVE!!!

Showered with Love

We thought Gavin loved bath time but I think showers are going to be a new favorite. Ian was brave enough to take him into the shower with him. I'm scared to death I'll drop him, he's a slippery little sucker. When I took Gavin from the shower he just cried and cried. The next time we did bath time he just didn't have that same twinkle of delight in his eye that he usually does. Looks like Ian's going to have a shower buddy.

3 Months Old & Counting

I can't believe this adorable little man is already 3 months old.

So much has happened in just the last month I don't know where to start.

First, I wanted everyone to be able to see exactly how much he has grown in just three months.

Look how little and orange he is at a week old!
And now...

It amazes me how fast he grew.
He now weights 15 pounds. He is one solid little boy. He is eating around 4-6 ounces. Lately he has been drooling like crazy and has to have something in his mouth constantly. The doctor told us that at four months we could start him on food. Ian is so excited for him to try new things. He was saying the other day he cant wait for him to try cinnamon rolls. I had to remind him cinnamon rolls are still pretty far off. It's so cute though to see how excited he gets.

Gavin is getting so strong. He loves to be sitting up. He can't do it on his own yet but he sure loves to be propped up on the couch with us or in his little chair. He also loves trying to stand. He can bear weight on his legs for a couple of minutes while holding onto our fingers. He is getting stronger everyday. Getting him to do belly time has been a challenge. He either cries and turns beat red or lays there with his fist in his mouth. I tried explaining to him that just lying there defeats the purpose of belly time but for some odd reason he doesn't seem to understand:)

I think the best news I can share is that at exactly three months he started sleeping through the night... or at least what I consider sleeping through the night. He goes to sleep around eight or nine and doesn't usually wake up until six. On occasion he wakes up a little earlier but he usually eats and goes back to sleep. The sucky thing is once I'm up it's hard to go back to sleep. By the time I finally fall asleep he is back up and ready to start the day. This may not seem like sleeping through the night to most people but I take what little sleep I can get and consider it a blessing. I am still hoping he will learn what "sleeping in" means and love it as much as his father and I do.

Over all I would say we have one happy little guy. He isn't laughing yet but he can talk your ear off with his adorable baby babble, and he smiles at us all the time. Around others he tends to clam up and just stare as if taking it all in. I'm sure that social gene will kick in soon enough. We are eager to see what he will do next.

We love you Gavin & Happy 3 Month Birthday!!!

Z is for Zipper

Y is for Yawn

X is for X block

W is for Willow

V is for Violet

U is for Umbrella

T is for Toes