Here's Gaven...and Tyler!

Minnesota Trip June 2011

2011-09-02T09:41:00.001-07:00

We went back to MN for some lake time before I went back to work. We all had fun swimming, fishing and hanging with the family. Tyler got to meet Aunt Sue and cousins Charlie and Sam for the first time.

Spring Fair

2011-05-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

We went to a kid's fair this weekend with the boys. Gaven enjoyed the train, petting zoo, and reptile guy. He was a bit nervous once daddy put the snake around his neck. He also wanted nothing to do with the balloon clown or bouncy castle. Tyler napped the whole time. I'm sure he'll get more out of it next year.

Tyler's First Month

2011-05-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Tyler is now 6 weeks old! Outside of still being slightly yellow (delayed clearance of his bilirubin but nothing concerning), he's doing wonderfully. He seems to be a big eater - already eating twice as much as Gaven did at this stage. He's a pretty chill baby, only fussing when hungry or during diapers changes and baths. Since he loves to eat, I'm not getting a ton of sleep but we are managing to catch some naps during the weekdays. We were lucky to have grandparents here for a total of two weeks. It was so nice to have help with dinner, holding the baby and entertaining Gaven. Grandpa John even changed his first poopy diaper - Gaven broke him in!

Gaven is such an amazing big brother. He's always asking to touch and hold baby Tyler and is extremely gentle with him. He continues to amaze us with his growing vocabulary and expanding imagination. He now "reads" us books that he's essentially memorized. He graduates to the preschool room at school at the end of this month. He's a sweet, energetic and loveable boy. As his teachers also say, he's extremely proud of pooping in the potty (he's a proud member of the underwear club for the last 5 months).

Gaven and Tyler first meet (video)

2011-04-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Gaven met "baby Tyler" for the first time at the hospital. He did so well holding him. He was extremely gentle and loving.

Welcome Tyler John

2011-04-16T09:49:00.001-07:00

Tyler John joined us 3 weeks ahead of schedule. Despite being early, he weighed a healthy 7 lbs 12 oz and was 20 inches long. Since he was one day before 37 weeks, he is considered premature and therefore we had few extra precautions in the hospital. He also had to be under phototherapy for one night. Big brother Gaven has done extremely well with Tyler. He's very interested in helping care for him and is always holding his hand. I'm sure the two of them will be fast buds once Tyler is able to participate more.

Quick recap

2011-04-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, hard to believe I haven't posted since Gaven's birthday. A quick update since then; Gaven is now a member of the "underwear club", his vocab keeps expanding and he'll be starting preschool after Easter. He's growing up so fast. His main obsession continues to be all kinds of trucks and the people who drive them. I find myself pointing out garbage trucks, fire trucks, etc. in the car alone sometimes. We are very lucky to have such a sweet, happy little guy.

We traveled to Palm Springs to visit my parents for our last trip before the baby. Gaven loved the plane ride and had his own seat for the first time. Cousin Lori also came to visit. The two of us, 34 and 32 weeks pregnant, took Rob out for a wild and crazy birthday.

Gaven Turns Two

2010-10-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

Gaven had three birthday parties this year. He especially liked singing Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles (video). He also enjoyed his birthday dinner which included macaroni cupcakes (the kid would eat macaroni every day if given the choice). For his 2 year check up, he was in the 83% for height and >90% for weight and head circumfrence. We have also been very impressed with the explosion of his vocabulary. He now uses 3-5 word sentences. A recent favorite: "Gaven farted from the mouth" when describing a burp. He keeps us laughing.

Lake time

2010-10-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

We spent time in the midwest visiting family over Labor Day. Gaven enjoyed playing with his big cousins Eliza, Aiden, Elle and Tal. He also loved driving "grandpa" Tom's boat. All men with grey hair and glasses qualify as grandpa for Gaven:) He also met great grandma Jean for the first time.

The summer

2010-10-27T18:41:00.001-07:00

We had a busy summer and were able to spend time with family. Gaven loved hanging out with his cousins Charlie and Sam. He also enjoyed hiking in his backpack. With 30 lbs of love on his back, Rob got a good workout.

Summer Fun

2010-07-11T19:47:00.000-07:00

We're having a wonderful summer so far. Gaven loves everything about summer - swimming, playing outside and of course, popsicles! His vocabulary is expanding all of the time. He is starting to put 2-3 words together and repeats everthing we say. Got to be careful.

He's currently fascinated with diggers, trucks and all other modes of transportation. I never thought I'd be learning about the differences between skid steers and forklifts!

Spring 2010

2010-07-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Our little doctor in training.

Gaven enjoyed celebrating Easter with his grandparents. I'm not sure who looked better in the ears, grandpa or Gaven!

New words

2010-03-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

Gaven is saying new words every day. His current favorties are snow, bubbles, belly button, hat, and clock.

Kitchen Helper

2010-03-28T19:11:00.000-07:00

Gaven's favorite new activity is to stand at the sink on his step stool and play with the water. He's also fascinated with anything in the oven. I'm looking forward to the day when he can start cooking!

We've had several spring snow storms and Gaven is thrilled. He loves snow. In fact, it's one of his favorite words. He brings his boots to us at every opportunity to try to get us to go outside.

First post of 2010...

2010-03-23T20:31:00.000-07:00

Our first 2010 update and more to come! Gaven likes to watch us cook in his high chair: colander, spatula, and frequent use of the word "hot".

I'd feel sorry for Vern, but it is crazy how much Gaven likes to play with (aka torment) our pets. His attempt to sleep on the cat did not work out so well...

Grandma Havens came to town and we had great fun playing all day while I was sick and couldn't go to daycare! Mom and Dad were so thankful for all the assistance!! Check us out bouncing on the ball in the basement, good times!

Check out the sweet batman bathrobe that Grandma Reinke made for me!! Dad keeps telling me to listen to Yoda for my Jedi training and to use the force... whatever... it's fun and he always changes my diapers after I get rid of the force.

Christmas

2010-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas at home. Gaven enjoyed opening his gifts - thank you all!

Ball - My favorite word!

2010-01-01T15:41:00.000-08:00

Gaven has about 5 words (dadda, Liza, ball, oh-oh, all done) and right now ball is his favorite. Anything round (or not so round) qualifies.

First Steps

2009-12-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

Gaven took his first steps on Dec 11th - just shy of 14 months! This video is a 2 days later and he's already crossing the room. It's amazing how quickly he has progressed in such a short time. He'll be running by Christmas!

Busy boy

2009-12-11T06:58:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving with our friends Julie and David. Gaven was very good with baby Ella. He had an allergic reaction - presumably to Amoxacillin. He got a lot of stares with his rash! He loves the new tree - too bad mommy put the otnaments so high!

Halloween

2009-11-07T15:14:00.001-08:00

Gaven was a pumpkin for Halloween and we were able to reuse our Marilyn and Elvis costumes from a Vegas wedding we had attended. Gaven wasn't sure what to think of daddy's wig. We were all able to enjoy a party at our friend's house.

First Snow

2009-11-07T15:06:00.001-08:00

We recently had an October snow storm with almost 20 inches in 2 days. Gaven was so interested in watching daddy shovel and begging to go outside. Once he was suited up and in the yard, he was less enthusiastic about the white stuff.

My First Wheels

2009-11-07T14:54:00.000-08:00

As a typical one-year old, Gaven is into everything. He loves to get into our cabinets and the dishwasher is his favorite. He's also a big "helper" to daddy with projects.

Grandma Judy and Papa John sent us this cool "vintage" car for Gaven. Apparently, mommy had a similar one when she was little. He loves to be pushed around in his new ride.

My Birthday!

2009-10-18T19:16:00.001-07:00

We had a small birthday party with Gaven and a few of his friends. He really liked the frosting but didn't eat much of his cake.

Corn cob

2009-10-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

Gaven's cousin Sam told us that we should name our baby "corn cob" when he was still in utero. Needless to say, the nickname stuck. Gaven got a very cool vibrating corn cob teether from his cousins Sam and Charlie for his birthday and he loves it!

Our little sweetie

2009-10-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

Gaven is such a sweet boy. He loves to give Liza hugs. He is now crawling up and down the stairs. The cut above his eyebrow was due to a small tumble down the stairs when he tried to stand up.

On the move (video)

2009-10-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Gaven is now crawling on all fours. He still uses his "side winder" crawl on occasion. He's cruising around all of the furniture but no independent steps yet. He loves to snuggle with his buddies Liza and Vern. Thankfully, they are very tolerant of him.

Feeding myself (video)

2009-08-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

Gaven tried to feed himself food out of the container with a spoon for the first time today. Very exciting! He can get about two spoonfuls in and then the rest ends up on the floor, in his hair, all over us, etc.

Hanging out

2009-08-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

Gaven is now regularly saying "hi" and "oh-oh". He'll even say oh-oh right before he drops something on the floor. What a stinker!

Gaven and Vern (video)

2009-08-22T15:48:00.000-07:00

Gaven loves the cat, Vern. They have similar interests - boxes, toys on sticks, balls, etc. He chases the cat all over the house. Vern is pretty tolerant but gives Gaven a gentle swat every now and then. As you can see, Gaven is now pulling himself up on everything and "walking" the furniture. Walking should be around the corner!

Oh Summer

2009-08-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

We have had a wonderful summer with Gaven. He loves the water - the dog bowl is his favorite. He takes a "swim" every chance he gets. His buddy, Brody, from down the street came over to swim in Gaven's backyard pool.

Crawling - well, sort of (video)

2009-06-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

Gaven has figured out how to get around with a modified crawl. He hates to be on his stomach and refuses to get up on his knees. So, he may just do this until he decides to walk.

Grandma visits

2009-06-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Grandma Marjorie came to visit. She got to witness Gaven's first independent motion. See the videos for an example of his crawl.

Gaven and the pets (video)

2009-06-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Gaven loves both Liza and Vern. He's now figured out how to scoot and follow them around. He's fascinated with the dog toys and water bowl.

Zerbert and Walking (videos)

2009-06-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

Gaven has figured out how to zerbert. Maybe he'll be a trumpet player like mom! He loves to walk around with assistance. He takes big marching steps.

A happy guy

2009-06-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

Gaven is now 8 1/2 months old. He is such a happy little man - we feel so lucky to have him in our lives.

Liza's new best friend (video)

2009-05-25T19:48:00.000-07:00

Liza has discovered the Gaven is a great source of treats. She sits under his high chair and waits for goodies (or sticky hands).

Family visits

2009-05-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

Gaven enjoyed seeing Grandma Judy and Papa John. He loved their kiss sandwich!

My Dudes

2009-05-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

Gaven is starting to look more like his daddy all the time - he's definitely got those baby blues!

Doing my chores

2009-04-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Gaven has been helping us around the house lately - entertaining us with smiles and laughs as we do laundry, cook, etc. He loves to join mom and dad in their "big bed" on mornings to practice rolling between us.

First time swimming (video)

2009-04-05T12:29:00.001-07:00

We took Gaven to a great public pool. Everyone raved about the water works and slide. Gaven was overwhelmed by the noise and sites at first (video 1). Within 20 minutes, he was happily kicking away (video 2). Maybe next time we'll take him down the slide (Rob tried it out to be sure it was safe:)!

First Hike

2009-04-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

We took Gaven for his first hike a few weeks ago. He was fancinated with his new view. After a quick lunch at the end of the trail, he slept the whole trip back (picture with Rob).

Uncle Craig stayed with us one night on his way through town. We look forward to seeing the rest of the family soon.

Laughing & new flavors!

2009-03-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

5 months old

2009-03-14T13:10:00.001-07:00

Gaven is now 5 months old. He is sitting up on his own, eating new solids (i.e. sweet potatoes) and riding in a stroller without the infant seat. He also reaches for anything we are eating, including pizza crusts. I think this kid really enjoys his food!

Gaven needs some cool shades like Riley's - she's such a movie star.

First cereal! (videos)

2009-03-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

Our doctor gave us the go ahead to start cereal at Gaven's four month visit. He seems to enjoy the novelty of eating from a spoon. We now understand why you need so many bibs!

Watch out Vern!

2009-03-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

Gaven is now very interested in the pets. He's reaching out to touch them all the time. He loves to take a handful of Vern's hair and pull. Fortunately, Vern is much more tolerant of the defurring than we expected. They are sure to be good buddies very soon.

Gaven and Riley

2009-03-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

Gaven and Riley spend their days together with our nanny Jane Howard. Riley is two months older than Gaven so she is teaching him new things all the time. Gaven is fascinated with Riley and spends his days watching her every move. It's really fun to see them together and great for Gaven to have a "pseudo-sibling".

Three Saylers!

2009-02-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

Gaven got to meet Grandpa Sayler and his wife Tammy for the first time. He was impressed with dog Zoe's squirrel! Three generations of Saylers are pictured in the last two photos.

Grandma Marjorie

2009-02-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

Gaven enjoyed seeing Grandma Marjorie again. She was impressed with how much he'd grown since November! We missed Great Grandma Jean this visit as she is spending some time in Florida for the winter.

Fun with my cousins (videos)

2009-02-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

Meeting Cousins Elle and Tal

2009-02-06T10:19:00.001-08:00

We visited Uncle Jim, Aunt Kate, Cousin Elle (2) and Cousin Tal (7 mo). Elle was enthralled with Gaven and kept giving him kisses. She wanted to hold and care for him like her baby dolls. Gaven and Tal are a little over 3 months apart. It was a lot of fun to see them together. The first picture is of Elle enjoying some tomato soup!

Sunrise

2009-01-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T15:36:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T15:06:00.001-08:00

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

2009-01-22T14:59:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-22T14:46:00.000-08:00

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)

2009-01-10T15:10:00.000-08:00

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)

2009-01-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

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

Gaven smiling (video)

2009-01-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-03T17:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-01-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

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!

Grandma singing to Gaven (video)

2009-01-02T18:38:00.000-08:00

Gaven enjoyed all of grandma's lullabys.

Grandma visits

2009-01-02T16:52:00.000-08:00

Grandma Marjorie was with us for Thanksgiving. We enjoyed her help around the house and Gaven loved her singing! Too bad mom and dad are both a bit tone deaf...good thing we have a fantastic music collection.

The pie baker

2009-01-02T16:46:00.000-08:00

Since Gaven's birth, Rob has been making apple pies almost weekly! I'm enjoying having a personal chef. Vern loves the bouncy seat almost as much as Gaven. We've stopped leaving it in the sunbeams so it's not so tempting.

Hiccups and ABCs (video)

2009-01-02T16:32:00.000-08:00

Gaven had a lot of hiccups in utero and continued to suffer from them in the first few weeks. Rob loves to sing "The ABC's" to Gaven and it always calms him - maybe he'll be a spelling bee champion some day?!

The pets

2009-01-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

Liza and Vern both did well with Gaven joining the family. Vern has discovered an affinity for rubber nipples (nuks, bottle nipples, whatever) and so we have to keep a close eye. Liza gets jealous at times but has done very well not licking him to death.

Grandpa and Grandma Visit

2009-01-02T16:09:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit and really enjoyed napping with Gaven:) We enjoyed the help around the house and getting a night out on our own for dinner. Gaven was starting to smile at this stage but usually only with gas or when he was falling asleep.

Week two

2009-01-02T16:00:00.000-08:00

We made a point of getting out of the house early. Fortunately, Gaven enjoyed getting out and slept just about anywhere. He loves being carried in his sling and always falls asleep (the picture with the pacifier).

At home

2009-01-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

Gaven's first days at home were pretty uneventful. He was a bit yellow and needed one day of supplemental bottles to get his system going. Dad was pretty excited to get a chance to feed Gaven. Danielle, JR and Nikolina were his first visitors. Gaven looked so small in his bassinet. He loved hanging out in bed with mom and dad.

Birthday

2009-01-02T15:21:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo!... the first post is up! In honor of us finally getting Gaven's pictures posted for the family to see, we're going to overload you right from the start. So heeeeeerrrrreee's Gaven...

We start off with Stacie the day before his birth (feeling huge). After a night of contractions, we were sent in to be evaluated. We were admitted for an induction due to concerns about Stacie's blood pressure. However, by the time we were upstairs labor had naturally started. After 10 hours of labor, our little man was born. The feather-weight weighed in for the match called life at 7 pounds, 7 ounces. The 3rd shot is Gaven catching some zzzz's (and hopefully Mom & Dad were too) during day B+1. And finally one of the favorite shots of Rob & Stacie of Gaven on day B+2.