Sunrise

One advantage of an infant's feeding schedule is you are guaranteed to be up for the sunrise. We captured these pictures right in front of our hotel.

Gaven is starting to become very adept at tummy time and standing up. He'll be walking in no time!

Beach Day

We all enjoyed some sunshine and time on the beach. Rob, Charlie and Sam built a sand castle while Papa John and Craig surf fished. Papa John is showing Sam a ghost shrimp (used for bait) that he caught with the tube Sam is holding. Next year I suspect Gaven will be down digging in the sand as well. He was content to hang out with mom at the pool.

Grandma Judy and Papa John

Gaven enjoyed lots of quality time with his grandparents. Grandma Judy kindly offered to baby sit. Gaven, the spark plug, kept her on her toes as he really hates to sleep at times. He's just doesn't want to miss out on the action.

Cousins Charlie and Sam

Charlie (5 next month) and Sam (just turned 3) were very excited to meet baby Gaven. Although Sam really wanted us to name him 'corncob' (at least that is what he kept telling us on the phone before his birth), he seemed to adjust to our name choice just fine. Both boys were very gentle with Gaven and happy to give him kisses. When asked what he was going to teach baby Gaven someday, Charlie said "how to be good". Charlie is definitely into following the rules (and telling everyone else about them - put your seat belt on everybody!). I suspect Sam will teach him how to be fearless - he's quite the brave and adventurous little boy.

Meeting my Family

This was the first time Gaven met Uncle Craig, Aunt Sue, Cousin Charlie and Cousin Sam. We all celebrated Sam's third birthday together. Sam is very fancinated with policemen and wore his "uniform" almost the entire trip. Charlie is currently a big batman fan.

Texas Trip

We traveled to southern Texas to visit Grandma Judy and Papa John who have become "winter Texans". Craig, Sue, Charlie and Sam met us there. It was so nice to spend some time on the beach and get all the boys together. Rob and Charlie are hanging out at happy hour - free drinks and nachos every night by the pool! We also traveled across the border to Mexico and spent some quality time relaxing by the pool.

Bath Time (video)

After a rocky start as a newborn, Gaven has now started to really enjoy his evening baths. He was crying this night right up until we put him in the tub and then he was instantly calm. It's so fun to watch him kick and splash. We'll have to transition him out of the sink soon as he's getting so tall!

Gaven cooing (video)

Gaven seems to be making new sounds all the time. I think he's going to be quite the talker someday!

Gaven smiling (video)

Gaven is the happiest first thing in the morning. He smiles and coos as he hangs out in bed with mom and dad. It's become one of our favorite parts of each day.

The Whoozit

Aunt Kate recommended this toy, the Whoozit, as it's one of cousin Tal's favorites. Gaven loves it as well. He'll sit in his high chair and pull on the arms. It's the first thing he's figured out how to hold and bring to his mouth. Outside of his hands, it's his favorite toy!

First Christmas

We had a quiet Christmas Eve at home with just the three of us. We visited friends on Christmas day for lunch and dinner. Vern knocked over the tree two days before Christmas (he'd been steeling ornaments for weeks - it was just a matter of time) so our tree was left with lights only for the big day. This may be our last year with a real tree - I never thought I'd say that but with a baby and mischievous cat, an artificial one is appealing.

Holiday Parties

We had many parties to attend this year and drug Gaven along to them all. He is very social and seems to enjoy crowds. We are trying to enjoy this time when he is not independently mobile and willing to sleep 'anywhere'. I'm sure next year will be a whole different story with a toddler in tow.

Who does he look like?

Gaven definitely has the round face from mom's side and dad's eyes. We think he's a pretty good blend of us both. He does seem to be on the same growth curve as his cousin's Charlie and Sam. He's already almost 14 pounds and quite tall.

Comrade Gaven

We love this hat that was passed down from cousin's Charlie and Sam. One of Gaven's favorite things are baths. He's starting to splash and kick as soon as he hits the water.

First Thanksgiving

Gaven enjoyed his first Thanksgiving at home with Rob, Stacie and Grandma Marjorie. We have many things to be thankful for this year; first and foremost our healthy baby boy. Thank goodness we took these pictures early as the outfit was soiled with a 'blowout' within the hour!