Get to know Gavin

Gavin is now 6 weeks old and maybe its really too early to tell, but I think we're starting to see his personality shining through! He is making new noises, noticing more things in his world, having more time where he can entertain himself, and is sleeping in his crib!

Since he is turning into more than a baby blob, I thought this blog would be a goood time to talk about Gavin's current likes and dislikes.

Likes

• Mobiles: Gavin loves the mobiles in his pack n play, crib and on his swing. We're not sure if he thinks the animals on the mobiles are his friends, or if he thinks they are going to attack him, but either way, he is very entertained!
• Ceiling fans: Gavin is mesmerized by the ceiling fan in our family room, and just recently discovered the one in our bedroom. He cries if we take him out of the viewing area of the fan if he is not yet done marveling at its wonder.
• Mirrors: Gavin thinks that super cute baby he sees in the mirror is awesome. We've tried reaching out and touching the baby in the mirror, and that freaks Gavin out a bit!
• Things that can be grabbed/pulled while I'm holding him: Favorites in this category include my hair, my necklace, and his latest discovery: the drawstrings on my hooded sweatshirts.
• Sitting like a "big boy": Gavin likes to be held so that he uses one of our arms to sit on with his feet dangling and him facing out so he can view as much of the world as possible. However, this position doesn't last too long when your son weighs 13 pounds and still tries to flop all over the place!

Dislikes

• 
  Wiping the milk off his face: and chin, and double chin, and behind his ears....this kid gets milk everywhere! He is definitely a boy and wants to stay dirty!
• Getting out of the bath: Gavin loves splashing around in his bath, but like his Mommy he hates getting out of the nice warm water. There is not a hooded towel warm enough to convince Gavin that the world is not ending when he gets out of the water!
• Mommy taking a shower: No matter what kind of deep sleep Gavin might appear to be in, he is instantly awake and PO-ed the minute I step out of the shower. He is kind enough to let me get clean but will not tolerate any extra time for frivolities like getting dressed or brushing out the wet rats nest that is my hair.
• Red lights and freight trains: I mean really, most adults dislike these as well, so I can't blame Gavin for hating these two events that interrupt his car naps.
• Mommy or Daddy sitting while holding him: If you are privileged enough for Gavin to allow you to hold him, you will be standing, swaying and bouncing him at all times, thank you very much. Thank goodness for the Baby Bjorn.
• Iowa onesies: Last week Illinois had a bye week so Ryan "gave me permission" to put Gavin in the one Iowa onesie we have for him. But apparently Gavin bleeds blue and orange because he howled like I have never heard before when I tried to put his Iowa outfit on. Sigh...at least my football team is ranked :)
  

Below are a few new pics, including Gavin and I watching college football (we're friendly rivals), Gavin's first cold weather outfit and Gavin and Daddy hanging out.

A future linebacker?

Mommy and Daddy might be spending a lot of their time at football games in the future. Gavin had his 1 month old appt on Monday, and he is measuring off the charts for both height and weight! Gavin is now 23 inches long and 12 lbs 8 oz!

Gavin has has a very busy week! On Wednesday he went to the Farmer's Market in Grayslake with Mommy and her friend Kristin and her daughter Olivia (Gavin's future girlfriend if he plays his cards right!). We got some delicious corn on the cob and ice cream before Gavin decided he had enough of all that fresh air.

Yesterday Gavin had quite the fussy day, but we still decided to go visit Annie and Tom and their new baby Jack. Jack and Gavin had the same due date, but Jack decided to show up in a more timely manner, so Jack is 2 weeks older than Gavin. Gavin was not too excited to be out and about yesterday, and didn't want to follow Jack's good example, but like always, he knocked out as soon as we were moving in the car on the way home.

Today, Gavin and Mommy got up very early to go meet Mommy's teacher friends for breakfast before school! It was good practice for Mommy...now she knows just how many things can go wrong when you're trying to get two people ready in the morning! But once we got to the restaurant 20 minutes late, Gavin calmed down and let Mommy enjoy her bacon and eggs :) And Gavin got to meet another of his baby friends, Caleb, who is also only 2 weeks older than Gavin.

Gavin is also taking some big steps towards (hopefully!) being a better sleeper! Gavin currently is convinced that Mommy and Daddy are doing super exciting things when he sleeps, so he fights off sleep as much as he can. He only sleeps in his bouncer that Mommy and Daddy have nicknamed "Froggy" because it has a frog hanging from the top that plays music. But last night, Gavin slept for over 2 hours straight in his pack and play, and another 2 hours straight in his crib! Too bad one of those stints was from 6-8...Mommy can't pull off napping at that time of day!

We don't have many pics to post for this week, just Mommy with Gavin, Gavin and Daddy napping, and my first attempt at a video posting! (Gavin enjoying the mobile in his crib).

But we have something better instead! When Gavin was about 2 weeks old, our friend Kim took professional pictures of him, and she is just about done publishing them to her website. The link is below to check out some super cute pics of Gavin...and there are more to come, so check the website again in a few days to see all the pics! The link is: http://www.khchicagophotographer.com/gavin/Welcome.html

A day late but...

Gavin is 1 month old!! Gavin has had an exciting few days since his last blog entry! We would have posted on his official 1 month"birthday" yesterday, but Gavin left a lovely present in his car seat for Mommy just before they were about to head out to run some errands. After a lot of soap, scented candles and open windows, the house and the car seat will likely recover!

Then today during tummy time with Mommy and Daddy, Gavin rolled over! It took him about 3 minutes to go from tummy to back, but for a 1 month old, that's a big deal! He hated every minute of it, but Gavin does his best work when he is frustrated and trying to prove what a big boy he is.

We're also posting below a letter to Gavin from Mommy and Daddy. Our friend Libby writes letters to her son every month, and we liked the idea so much, we stole it :) Each month we'll write Gavin another letter telling him how awesome he is! Here is Gavin's 1 month letter:

Dear Gavin,

Happy 1 month birthday! It’s hard to believe that just a month ago today, you finally decided to join us after skipping your due date and many other memorable dates in August. But you did decide to share your birthday with your “cousin” Elli! How sweet. You met her at Uncle Kyle and Aunt Allison’s wedding, and hopefully you two will be good friends!

In just a month, you’ve done so many new things! You’ve been to the pediatrician (more times than we might like, but you’re healthy as a horse now!), you’ve attended TWO weddings, you and Mommy have ventured out into the world alone – even if it was just to Target and Babies R Us! You’ve watched your first Bears, Cardinals, and Illini games and even though they all lost Daddy won’t consider you a total jinx just yet… just pick it up soon. =)

You’ve also changed so much. You gained about 2 ½ pounds, you grew 2 inches in length, you’re sleeping longer at night (thank you!), and you’re growing more and more interested in the world around you. You love Mommy and Daddy’s funny faces, and the bears mobile is your best friend.

It has definitely been an adjustment for Mommy and Daddy to have you in our lives Gavin, but we can’t imagine what our family would be like without you. We’re excited for all the milestones and challenges that lie ahead. Lets have a great second month baby boy!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

And here are some pictures of Gavin on his 1 month birthday with his stuffed bear!

Almost 1 month old!

This Thursday, Gavin will be 1 month old! He already looks so different from the little squirt that arrived in this world on August 17th. And he is getting bigger by the second! Mom and Dad we're wondering just how big he is now, since his 1 month old appointment isn't until next week. So using some not-so-scientific methods, our best guess is that Gavin is now 11 pounds and 22.5 inches long! No wonder Gavin likes to eat all day!

Gavin is starting to notice the world around him too. When Mommy and Daddy make funny faces for him, he smiles (and I think sometimes wonders who these weirdos are that feed and clothe him). And he LOVES the mobile on his pack n play. Its just three bears spinning around to a lullaby, but Gavin is entertained for 10 minutes or more (an eternity for our baby!) by his bears! Gavin also loves to go on walks and yell at the geese, so long as it doesn't interfere with mealtime :)

Below are some pics from the week, including Gavin's milk coma and us trying to capture the joy of Gavin watching his bears mobile!

Its been a busy week!

Well Gavin is now 3 weeks and 1 day old, and a lot has happened in the last week. Gavin and Mommy stayed home alone for the first time today. Its been a long day so far, as Gavin decided that he is too cool for naps. He was awake and not particularly pleased about it from 730am to 2pm when Mommy broke down and decided to take Gavin for a car ride. That did the trick :)

This weekend Gavin gave Grandma and Grandpa Mayner a hard time while Mommy and Daddy stood up in Kyle and Allison's wedding! After going through several outfits and even more bottles, Gavin made it to the wedding to take a few pics and do the electric slide. Then he spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa Gillespie so Mom and Dad could have a few hours of uninterrupted sleep!

This last week, Gavin also watched his first Bears game, and took his first real bath! He hated the first bath, but loved the second one. We'll see how bath #3 goes tonight!

2 weeks old already

Gavin turned 2 weeks old this Monday, and its been an eventful time for the Gillespie family. In the past 2 weeks Gavin has come home from the hospital, had some visits from grandparents, uncles and friends, and been to the doctor a few times as well. But after losing some weight and getting a yucky eye infection, Gavin has had a great few days! Gavin is now 8lbs 14oz, and 21.25 inches long.

This past weekend, Gavin went on his first long road trip. We went to Geneseo for the weekend to attend a friend's wedding and visit with family. Gavin enjoyed spending lots of time with his Uncle Kevin and Uncy Quigs, as well as Grandma and Grandpa and Great Grandma Pettit!

Gavin also attended his first wedding, and did such a good job. He charmed all the ladies and didn't make a peep during the toasts. It was good practice for this weekend, when Gavin will watch his Mom and Dad be a part of Kyle and Allison's wedding!

Below are some pictures of Gavin over the last 2 weeks, including his baby mullet, tummy time with Daddy, and his first Illini outfit (he may be an Illini fan, but he'll still be watching Iowa football games with Mommy!)