Happy One Year Birthday Gabriel!!!

I felt like I was dreaming as I just wrote that title, it is so hard to believe it is time for a first birthday party! I remember so well this time one year ago... the night before I was induced... We had Outback carryout with mimi and papa and Aunt Liza came to pick up Jayce for an extended sleepover. We all took one last family shot of just us 3 and tried to get in bed early... only for me to toss and turn and wonder just how much our lives were about to change... Well, I had another sleepless night last night, just thinking about how much this year has flown by and how much more wonderful Gabe has made our lives, even when I thought it could not get any better! I know I am so sentimental, but birthdays to me are a time to reflect on all the blessings the previous year has brought...Words cannot express how much sweeter life has been with Gabe being added to our family... My favorite thing in the world to do is watch my boys love each other, it just does not get better than that! This year has been the best (I won't say easiest) year of my life when I look back on it... After having Jayce, and seeing how quickly time goes by with little ones, I made myself a promise to enjoy every single moment, or at least try to even with the hard ones, because they ALL go by so quickly and even in the hard times I think to myself "this too shall pass." I cry at every birthday because I just love them being little and I think to myself, this is another step towards them being big... I know I will love that too once we get there but I will certainly always cherish these times...Gabe's 1st year could not have been better and I am so thankful to be his mommy!
OK< enough sappy stuff...

Here is what Gabe is doing at one:
the cutest, funniest "crawl" (if it could be called such), no longer commando, almost a sitting crawl... I will post the video clip on here...

no more bottles! Still loves smoothies and applesauce, brocoli, sweet potatoes, bananas (any fruit for that matter), nutrigrain blueberry eggos (new addition), and not so much the black beans anymore or any other veggie than brocoli and sweet potatoes... I'm sure we'll be able to add cake to the list after tomorrow!

LOVES to say bye bye, says hey, still mama, dadda, daddy, bubba, bubby (depending on his mood)

Loves to push the walker car, and play with his activity table (both big brother's old toys)

Favorite activity: pulling out the tupperware from the kitchen cabinets and making a big mess on the floor while mommy cooks (it entertains him for hours)

Loves baths still, but we're having a hard time with him wanting to stand up and look over the edge now... Jayce didn't try this trick... gotta watch him!

Still loves to wind his arms like he's driving a harley when he gets excited...

Still does the sit n spin... where he sits on his bottom and moves his legs all the way around in a circle, looks like a helicopter...hard to explain....but I'll remember what it means when I look back and that's really why I do this anyhow!

SLEEPS GREAT: 7pm to about 8 am, and will fall back to sleep if big bro does not interrupt until 9ish... somedays we do 2 1 1/2-2 hour naps and some days just one long 3-3 1/2 hour nap... Gabe is very flexible when it comes to his naps... Often he will fall asleep on the way home from the gym or church and once we carry him in and put him in his crib, he'll just go right back and continue with his nap... it's really nice!

The boy is just plain easy... sure he has his moments, but generally he's one laid back cat (as Jay would say)!


Gabe, one day when you can read this I want you to know that we love you so much and are so proud of all you have done in your first year! You are truly a joy and we are so thankful to our Heavenly Father for allowing us the honor of raising you! He KNEW we needed a little Gabe, even when we didn't know we did... thank goodness He is always in control and His way is always best!

We love you sweet boy!

Big Boy Car Seat

Yes, you are seeing this correctly. Gabe has finally moved out of the infant carrier... poor thing was practically hanging out of it... BUT, boy was I sad to see it go... it marks the end of that baby baby stage to me... yes, I know he is nearly one... but still, he still looks younger than that to me... maybe not size wise... but hair wise... maybe it is all wishful thinking... I love babies! Anyhow, we did turn him around a week earlier than we are supposed to but the boy is probably bigger than most one year olds anyhow... It is hard to say if he likes his new ride or not because big brother has not been back there to accompany him and I don't know if he's been whiny because of that or his new seat... we shall see...

Jayce's mini vacation

So Jayce has been away from home since Monday night and just returned this afternoon... He spent the night Monday night with his Aunt Laurie (who all the children call Aunt Liza), and Clint (Bonk Bonk... we are all about some nick names in the family) and Ellie (Ellie Bean that is)... Early Tuesday morning they headed to Lynchburg, Virginia to visit his Aunt Ash and Uncle Storm, Caroline, Tucker and Charlie Mac in the home of Liberty University... They had a blast! Laurie called last week to ask if she could take him on that road trip and all I could think was, we have a tough time making it to Columbia without him getting the wiggles! But hey, she said he did great on the ride, I am thinking the other children probably helped alot with that! They got to go to a huge zoo where they road through in a wagon and got to pet and feed the animals! He saw zebras and giraffes and brought home a souveneir (sp) that brought back childhood memories... a Davy Crocket hat! Laurie said this and a bag of animals were what he picked out with his money from nanny in the souveneir shop.. My younger brother David was infatuated with Davey Crocket and ran around in one of those hats all the time so I guess I have taken a liking to it much more than I would probably normally! He's pretty darn cute in it actually!

Anyhow,

We missed Jayce so much and ESPECIALLY Gabe... he just was not himself those few days... he was so sad and whiny everytime we got in the car because he didn't have anyone to stare at in the back seat! Seeing them reunite had to have been one of the sweetest times I've ever witnessed... I only wish I had my video camera at the time... After Jayce woke up from his 3 hour nap on the couch and Gabe from his... they immediately leaned in towards each other and hugged and kissed and smiled and stared without even saying a word... those boys really do have a special bond! Gabe was glad to have the entertainment back around here... BOY was it quiet!

I'm attaching a picture of Jayce on our way out... he had dressed himself obviously and was ready to go to Virginia!

play date and July 4th

So, I've been horrible with updating lately, no excuse other than the usual, just busy... and couldn't even tell you what weve been doing... but something 24/7! anyhow...

The first picture is from a play date Jayce had with his friend Mary Miles... Jayce loves Mary Miles and was so happy to have her over! I told her mom who is my good friend that within 5 minutes the difference in boys and girls became quite apparent to me! As soon as they walked out on the deck, Jayce runs out barefooted without a peep... Mary Miles stops mid step to cry for her shoes because it is "too hot and hurting her feet!" Then, I sat them down for a snack on the table on our back deck and Jayce sat down not saying a word about the heat factor...he's way too into the food! Mary Miles instantly asks for a towel because it is just too hot again! The last funny story was when she ran inside to tell me that Jayce would not quit picking her flowers and Jayce is following behind saying, I got her flowers mom!!!, but she said, yes, but they all have weeds on them! (What a girl statement!) Jayce and Mary Miles did not seem to care about all the differences and were asking if they could have a sleepover by the end of the play date... I hope they will always be good buds, I'm not ready for that whole "she's weird because she's a girl" thing to happen yet! I enjoyed having another girl around!

The other pictures are from the 4th, we celebrated at the McLaughlin cabin and I tried to get a few shots of Gabe's curls, which are starting to pop out more and more in the back!

high tech

So I've gone high tech now and have finally figured out how to download a video on this thing! The video is not the most exciting in the world, as Gabe of course quit what he was doing when he saw the camera.. but I'm just so excited to actually get it on here! I've taken a million of these and never been able to get my computer to open them, I've finally downloaded what I needed for it, so you'll get to see many more of the boys in action!

BUT, should it take 23 minutes to download the thing? Any comments or suggestions from you professionals????

Beach Trip

We had a great time with our great friends Jay, Tara and Wallace once again at their beach place last week! Jayce did great going up and down the ladder and going under water and trying to float! Wallace was TIRED by the end of the week! Check him out!

POTTY TRAINED!!!

Hooray! Jayce is potty trained! We have worn big boy undies through a week at the beach, to the gym, to school and out for a day of shopping and gone without accidents! Jayce got to go to Target to pick out new undies and a treat and picked boxers "like daddy's" and a new collection of bugs... which he wanted to be sure I got in this picture! He still needs lots of reminders and we will have accidents from time to time, but for the most part we are there! This is HUGE!!!!

Gabe is 11 months

Well, this is as close to on time as I'm going to get with the monthly update... only a day late! How about that!

Well, Gabe seems to be making all kinds of strides within the past few weeks... First of all, I THINK we are pretty much weaned now... I say think... because every time I think we are down to no feedings... mother nature takes it's course and either my body or Gabe do not agree... BUT, I think that now we are all on the same page and going to go ahead and be done with it... I had originally planned to go the whole year, but for several reasons I decided we might finish sooner... mainly, he has 4 teeth and likes to bite EVERYTHING! Also, I am a medicine/vitamin addict, and I have been trying to cope without my normal doses for the past 2 years, and am ready to get back to my sleeping pills, pain pills, and vitamins to attempt to rebuild my immune system... which has been in pretty bad shape for the past year!

I decided that I was going to be sad about it ending no matter when it was, and that while Gabe seemed to be taking to the change alright, I might as well go on and do it... AND, he is eating SO WELL, so many healthy finger foods now, which makes me feel better about it... I always thought it was so weird for moms to say stuff like this about breastfeeding before I had my two, but it really is a sweet time and I have loved being able to nurse him this long... I am sad to see it go, as it is one more step towards his independence and NOT being a baby... if only they could stay little forever!

Anyhow... a picture of Gabe at 11 months...

loves to eat: black beans, green peas and corn (as of tonight), sweet potato fries, bananas, broccoli, applesauce, strawberries, honeydew melon, watermelon, yo baby yogurt, cheese

loves to gulp - strawberry smoothies made with his milk or watered down applesauce in a nuby cup, or milk in a bottle ( he gets one at night for the comfort factor still)

still does great handling a sippy cup but does not much care for plain milk or water any longer... so I have to be clever and mix it

favorite trick: waving bye bye

sitting up in crib

loves to practice walking and stand at his activity table and dance to the music

commando crawling like crazy and is very good at the downward dog position for those of you yoga people!

loves his jumperoo borrowed from buddy Wallace!

loves to swing, take baths, take walks, hang out with daddy, and as always, watch big brother!

One thing that has been great about me no longer nursing Gabe is that his daddy requests to take him to bed each night and this is a special time for them that they used to not be able to have... Jay loves to give him his bottle and rock him before bed!

There is nothing to not love about sweet Gabriel, we are so blessed!