Ahhhh... the BEACH... Part 2!

Thursday was quite similar and relaxing. We had given up on bike rides given Gavin's response earlier in the week so we didn't bother trying that again. We opted for hanging out in the pool instead. Gavin loved splashing around both in his boat and while we were holding him. He also loved hanging out in the hot tub while the jets were on so he could chase around the "fountains" on the ledge.

Thursday night we headed to Mike and Terri's house for dinner and family pictures. It was fun to all be together to get some nice pictures of all the kids, all of us together and then individual family groups. I haven't seen any yet, but I am sure there are at least a couple that have us all smiling and looking at the camera. Hopefully we will get to see them soon and I will be sure to share them when we do.

Friday we decided to go to Panera to have lunch. It was really good and Gavin enjoyed having a new area to explore. It was a nice change of pace from the rest of the week. After lunch we went to Mike and Terri's to hang out and swim there. By the time we were suited up and ready to get in the pool the Ferguson's had arrived as well. The pool was even more fun because they had started a water fight. Gavin loved watching and helping me shoot everyone else.

That night we had to start getting things packed up because our week was almost over. Even though our house rental is from Saturday to Saturday, Mike and Terri's house is Sunday to Sunday, so we had been invited to stay the extra day with them so we could spend more time together. So, although we had to move out of our house, we only needed to get things packed up enough that we could get it all over to their house. So we ordered pizza for an easy dinner and clean up and we all worked on getting things together and ready to move out Saturday morning.

Saturday morning the Ferguson's left really early so it was just us finishing up with our packing and making sure we had everything. Then we went to drop off the keys and headed to Mike and Terri's house for the day. It was another beautiful day, so we were glad to have another day at the pool. We went out to grab lunch but other than that, we hung out around the pool. It was a lot of fun. Scott took some fun pictures of Gavin with his tool box, throwing the blocks and chasing after them. We felt bad, but he didn't seem to mind the concrete. Although he wasn't really crawling around on his knees, he was using his hands and feet mostly. It was cute.



Saturday night we picked up food so that we could pack things up and get to bed as early as possible. We were originally planning to do the trip back in two days. We were going to stop and spend Sunday night at Mike and Terri's house in Virgina because that was a little more than half way and a convenient stopping point. However, as we got to the end of the week, we decided we would rather try to make it back Sunday. We knew it would be hard, but we were hoping that the payoff of having Monday at home to relax together would be worth it. So we headed to bed as early as possible, after loading everything we didn't need and preparing everything we were using and would need in the morning so that we could head out early the next morning.

Sadly, our week at the beach was over. We have lots of great memories of our time there and are so glad we were able to be there. Now we have next years vacation to look forward to!

Longest Day Ever!

Ok, well, maybe not the longest day ever, but it was certainly a long day on the road coming back from Hilton Head! We started very early, I would say bright and early, but there was not bright. The sun wasn't up and wouldn't be up for a few hours yet. We got out of bed about 4:30 am to try to get on the road by 5 am. It took a bit longer to get the remaining things packed up while being quiet so we didn't wake anyone up, including Gavin. By 5:30 we were on the road home. Gavin even slept the first couple of hours. He was up around 7:15.

We were off to a good start. No traffic, Gavin slept and was in a good mood, we were hopeful to make it home before it was too late and we were enjoying our time together.

The morning went fairly well, we knew we would be eating mostly fast food because we didn't pack and cook for the drive back like we did for our drive down. We decided to look for something other than the typical fast food (burgers and fries) and settled on Subway. It isn't ideal, but it was a good alternative. Luckily we found one. There are not many right off the highway. Things were still looking good after lunch. We hadn't hit any traffic yet, Gavin was doing surprisingly well being cooped up in the family truckster and was even napping pretty well.

We were expecting our drive through South and North Carolina to be fairly smooth and were glad that they were. We were not sure what to expect when we got into Virginia, especially approaching the areas going around Washington DC. That is where we hit the worst (and only) traffic on our way down. We were hopeful that by leaving so early that we would manage to go through at a good time of day and not have to deal with any heavy traffic, but were trying to prepare ourselves with the likely reality that it didn't seem to matter what time of day or day of the week you went through, it was always bad!

As we got closer, we noticed the traffic hadn't picked up yet, but it was clearly congested and often slow/stopped going south. We were trying not to be too happy, just in case we jinxed our good luck! We made sure to get on the HOV lane this time, just in case things got backed up, we were pretty sure the HOV lane would be safe.

When we finally made it past Washington DC, we couldn't believe that we had escaped without sitting in traffic. It had gotten a little heavier, but not much. We were excited and definitely glad we had left early!

After making it through Virginia, the rest of the drive seemed to fly by. Until we got to around Allentown, PA. We hit our yearly rain. It seems like every year we hit some major rain. That slowed us down a little bit, everyone always wants to slam on their brakes whenever they see a rain drop. Once we got through that we were on our way again. We didn't have any other traffic issues, Gavin was in a good mood still and had taken a couple of good naps and we were so close to home that we were sure we would make it there and it shouldn't even be too late.

We decided not to stop somewhere for dinner. We didn't want to spend that much time stopped when we would have only been an hour or two from home by then. We decided it would be better to make it home a little earlier, get Gavin in bed and then figure out what we wanted to do. So I made sure Gavin was fed, entertained and comfortable so he would hopefully fall asleep in the family truckster. Scott and I decided that after we got home and got the family truckster unloaded, we would order and he would run out and pick up dinner from the diner. A much better dinner option than fast food and totally worth waiting until we made it home to eat!

Then we got even luckier. Gavin passed out when we were only about an hour away from home! So we decided that we would just call and order when we were close and would stop to pick up dinner and then head home. Even better than having Scott have to run back out! Gavin slept through us stopping and being transferred to his crib when we got home.

We made it home in about 15 hours! We made excellent time between no traffic and minimal stops! We unloaded, ate dinner and even though I would normally start unpacking, we were too exhausted and went right to bed after. It was so nice to be home in our bed! Getting up at 4:30 and 15 hours on the road was all worth it! It was nice to wake up the next morning and not have to get up early (well, earlier than Gavin at least) and spend the whole day on the road. Instead we were able to relax, hang out together and I was more easily able to get unpacked and organized so that I could get laundry done and put away. I do not typically put that off, but it was even more important this time since I only had a few days before I would be working on packing things up again for Gavin and I to fly to Utah.

A great end to a wonderful vacation!

10 Months Old!

Gavin is now 10 months old. 10 months! That can't be right, can it? That means that in just 2 months I will have a toddler? What!? Sigh...

My attempt at a 10 month photo shoot was interesting. Gavin wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get a good picture. He was up, down, leaning over the side, then up and moving towards the other side. Seriously, he doesn't sit still. Ever. Unless he is strapped down!


Some outtakes...


Let's see what has changed in the last month!

Stats:

Weight - I am guessing closer to 25 pounds now, it is hard to get him to sit still on the scale long enough to get a good read!

Height - Who knows... he won't sit still long enough for me to try to take a guess.

Clothing Size - Nothing new here, thankfully his growth has slowed down enough that he hasn't grown out of anything in a while!

Milestones -

*Gavin is getting very close to walking. He is cruising around much more quickly and lets go and will stand independently for long stretches. He will even do that while playing with or examining a toy/object. He has taken a few steps in the last two weeks but no actual walking. I can't imagine it will be long before he more consistently takes a step or two and that then turns into walking himself around to get into even more trouble than he already manages to find!

*Gavin's stranger anxiety seems to have gotten much better. He did really well when we were in Hilton Head and hasn't had any issues while we have been out at stores. He has even gotten more vocal when we are out and about. He used to be fairly quiet, taking it all in and not saying much. Now he is constantly babbling and smiling for anyone that will pay attention to him. I hope that this lasts!

*Gavin has discovered lots of new noises and vowel sounds this month. He seriously doesn't stop "talking" almost the whole time he is awake! His new favorites are "dada", which he repeated nonstop the entire week we were at the beach, mimicking sounds we make (roars, screams, etc) and talking/yelling into empty containers.

*Gavin shakes his head no if you shake your head or tell him no. He also does it if you try to tell him yes and try to get him to nod his head. It is really funny, especially when he gets overly enthusiastic and he has his whole body shaking from side to side and he is throwing his arms into the mix. We still need to get some video of it and I will have to upload it. I am sure it will quickly lose the cuteness factor as he gets older but for now, it makes us laugh every time (even when he is attempting to get into trouble).

*Gavin has six teeth (three on top and three on the bottom) with who knows how many more coming in. He clearly has at least one still coming in somewhere, but I had no idea where because he won't sit still or open his mouth long enough I can get a good look.

Yet another amazing month with an absolutely awesome and perfect little boy! I wouldn't trade one second of the time I get with him. I am truly the luckiest person in the world to be his mother and to be able to be home with him. We have so much fun every day! He is such a happy, sweet and fun little boy!

Ahhh... the BEACH!!!

The week we eagerly anticipate every year had arrived. A wonderful week at the beach! A beautiful beach, a magical place of sun, warmth, fun and family! There is so much we love about being at the beach that despite the long drive to get there, it is worth it (usually). We don't really do all that much while there except relax on the beach, swim in the ocean and pool, enjoy some great company and food and bike ride around the plantation.

Although we knew things would be different this year, we still hoped to enjoy most, if not all, of those things, even if it was for shorter periods of time. We were hoping that since Gavin loves the water, he would enjoy the ocean, beach and still love being in the pool. We were also hoping that he would enjoy being on the back of a bike.

Sunday morning, after a good nap, we got ready to head over and try out bikes to see if Gavin would like riding on the back of one with us. We got there and they still had a few with child seats on the back so we got some help to get the strap adjusted and get Gavin a helmet. Unfortunately, Gavin was not at all thrilled with being strapped in anything, especially given that we were also torturing him by strapping something on his head. We took a quick spin around the parking lot anyway but he still wasn't thrilled. We have to have the strangest kid in the world! The list of strange things just keeps growing! Oh well, we decided we would get bikes and just try again later to see if he would adjust to it and start to enjoy the ride.

We headed home and had some lunch so that we could finally get ready and head to the beach! Yet another thing Gavin hates... getting changed into a swim diaper, swimming suit and having sunblock put on. What a surprise! After he was sufficiently coated in sunblock (everyone thinks I am crazy for how thorough I am, but the last thing I want is for him to end up with sunburn because I missed a spot or was rushed to get him ready to go out), we packed up our beach bag with towels, snacks, water, toys and UPF pop up tent and took the short path to the beach.

It was so nice to finally be walking in the sand!!! We got his tent set up and a towel and toys put down and we were sweating. It was really hot (as usual and definitely a good thing for being at the beach) so we decided to get in the water to cool off. Gavin loved it! Wahoo! Not a total surprise given how much he likes water in general. He loved jumping into the waves and the water splashing up at him. We stood with him and also sat him down at the edge of the water washing up and he loved that too. He was laughing and squealing he loved it so much.

After we cooled off, we sat by Gavin's tent, under the umbrellas. Gavin quickly got to work investigating the sand. He liked it better than grass. He also didn't seem to mind the taste since he kept trying to eat more and was grabbing for anything that had sand on it to eat that, instead of the sand free toys. Yup, crazy kid!



We spent a while at the beach, but it was quickly passing the point when Gavin needed another nap, so we headed up to the pool to swim for a few minutes before I took Gavin in to nap.

After a long nap (being at the beach eating sand and swimming are hard work), Gavin played with Scott, Tyler and Jake so Lori and I could work on getting dinner made. It is amazing how fast a day at the beach goes but this year they went by even more quickly! Before we knew it, I was getting Gavin fed so he could get his bath and go to bed!

Monday morning we decided to go for a bike ride. We figured Gavin would warm up to it... we were wrong. Although we were able to get him situated much more quickly, he was not all that thrilled with the whole process. We were able to bike down to Mike and Terri's house but had to head home pretty quickly because Gavin was liking it less by the minute. Maybe next time!

After Gavin's morning nap, we decided to run a quick errand to try to find Gavin a UPF hat. We had looked in the last few months and not found anything we really liked and since he refused to keep a hat on, we decided to just not get one. After one day on the beach and in the pool, we decided we needed to force a hat on him because it would be easier than having to constantly keep coating his head and hair in sunblock. We checked several stores close by and most did not have anything that would work and no one had anything that was UPF. We ended up settling on a hat that we really liked, even though it was not a UPF hat. Something is better than nothing. We knew he would protest it but we kept distracting him with other things to try to keep him from ripping it off his head. Surprisingly, it actually worked!




For a little while... but as usual, Gavin won and the hat lost...




Gavin loved having Tyler and Jake around! He loved all the attention they gave him all week. He would follow them around and they did a great job helping Scott and I with keeping Gavin out of trouble.

While I started dinner, Gavin hung out with Scott and Tyler. He was investigating their pool toys. He really liked the water "guns" that Tyler and Jake had. He thought it was funny when the water was coming out, but he also enjoyed chewing on them... just like everything else!


After spending most of the afternoon in the pool, another day was almost over and it was time for dinner, bath and bed. Sad... two days down already!

Tuesday Gavin and I got up to start the beef for the pulled beef we were having for dinner and to make the cole slaw. Then we hung out with Tyler and Jake waiting for Scott to make it out of bed. After Gavin's morning nap we decided to have lunch before deciding what to do next. We had some watermelon left over from Monday night and had some of that with lunch. Gavin has had watermelon, but wasn't a huge fan. He didn't reject it, but he also wasn't asking for more either. I handed him a smaller piece to see if he wanted it and he had a much better reaction to it this time. He demolished the piece I gave him and was even gnawing on the end before I could get it away from him and hang him a new piece. He went through three pieces all by himself. I was very impressed. He is clearly a watermelon fan now!



We decided to try another bike ride after lunch to see if we could convince him it really was a lot of fun. Despite the fact that he basically didn't fight us when we got him in and put his helmet on, we didn't make it very far before Gavin was done. I ended up turning around and heading back with him to just hang out in the pool while Scott took a ride over to the General Store.

We headed down to the beach for a little bit later in the afternoon when Matthew came back with the Fergusons from their visit. They were going down to the beach to ride in Paul's inflatable Kayak. Paul and Scott helped to get Matthew and Tyler out beyond the waves so they could ride and paddle around. They did a really good job and had a good time. Gavin and I hung out and jumped into the waves and sat so the waves could wash over us. It was a lot of fun!



Gavin was really excited when Tyler, Jake, Matthew and Erin came back and were in the pool too. They all played with Scott while I finished up the last few things for dinner. Mike took some great pictures and shared this one with us.


He was so happy and really loving the game that Scott and Tyler had created using the holes and the pressure from the water jets in the hot tub. Before we knew it, Tuesday was gone... where is the week going!

Wednesday, was much of the same. After Gavin's morning nap and a quick lunch, we got ready and headed down to the beach for a bit.


Gavin was thrilled to be down there again. He absolutely loved the ocean and the sand! We ended up back at the pool for a bit and then we had to take showers and Gavin had an early bath because we were heading to Fuddruckers for dinner. We look forward to having burgers there every year! It was just as good as ever and Gavin seemed to enjoy his grilled cheese.

After we picked up some cookies (they have really yummy cookies), we followed the Fergusons over to Harbor Town. We planned to walk around and check out the sites since I had never been there and it had been a long time since everyone else had been. Unfortunately, the parking situation was terrible. The parking lots that are close are small and had just filled up. They have added a trolly system that has lots of parking when you enter the plantation Harbor Town is in, but Scott and I decided we were done. Between Gavin having had enough of being in the car and was tired (quickly approaching bed time) and the prospect of a 3 mile trolly ride both ways, it just wasn't worth it given that it was likely we wouldn't be there long anyway. So we headed home.

On our way home, we decided ice cream might be nice and looked for a Dairy Queen, Cold Stone or something like those. We looked up to see where there was one on the island. We were shocked that there are no Dairy Queens but there was a Cold Stone and we were going to be driving right past the plaza it was in. Too bad as we drove past, it has since been closed. Sad! We settled for stopping at the General Store and getting soft serve ice cream cones. They were a nice treat! After getting home, we got Gavin ready for bed, but he was clearly not really ready. He was absolutely wired! I have never seen him have so much energy, especially at that time of night! We let him run around to burn off the seemingly endless energy for a bit. We even took some video because he was being so silly! By the time he had burned off the energy, we were all exhausted and Scott and I went to bed a lot earlier that night as well!

To be continued...

Hilton Head Island Here We Come!

After all the cooking, baking, laundry, packing and preparations, we were finally ready to hit the road! We broke the 16.5 hour trip into two parts. We planned 11.5 hours Friday, which would get us to Fayetteville NC and the remaining 4.5-5 hours we would drive on Saturday.

Gavin did fairly well (considering he is not your "typical" kid that just passes out in the car). He played with toys, I read him books, we watched some Yo Gabba Gabba, stopped to eat, etc.



Checking out his new Lightening McQueen car (thanks Grandma - it was a huge hit)!


It all seemed to be working until we hit Virginia and were trying to pass around D.C. and ended up stuck in traffic. Ridiculous traffic. We lost 3 hours because of this traffic! 3 hours! It was absolute torture. Apparently, it doesn't matter what time of day you go through the area, you are going to be stuck in many hours of traffic. Last year, we sat in traffic at 1 in the morning in the same area. Scott and I are still baffled as to why people would put themselves through that level of torture every day!

Despite this, we did our best to not completely lose our minds and I did my best to keep Gavin as happy as possible. Thankfully, he did nap some (but not nearly enough) during the day and did eventually pass out at night and slept until we arrived at our hotel for the night.

Once we got check in and everything we needed in the room, Gavin was awake and wanted some play time before he would go back to sleep. He was very entertained by the wipes case from the diaper bag.


Our original plan was that we would be arriving at the hotel not too much after Gavin's normal bedtime so that we could all get a good nights rest and get back on the road in the morning to get on the island earlier and maybe even manage to do the grocery shopping that night. Unfortunately, we didn't end up getting to the hotel until 11pm! By the time we were in the room and Gavin was willing to settle down and go back to sleep, it was midnight. So much for a good nights sleep. At least we didn't need to rush out in the morning. We were able to hang out and let Gavin explore the room since he had another 4.5 hours of being confined to his car seat. He seemed to enjoy it. When we were packing up, Scott went and got ice to refill the coolers. Gavin sat down by the bags of ice and started picking them up and eating them. I was surprised his little hands weren't frozen!



We got checked out and packed up the family truckster again and set off for our final destination of Hilton Head Island around 11 am. Gavin protested being strapped down again, but handing him toys, snacks and playing Yo Gabba Gabba for him fixed that fairly quickly.


We were grateful that we didn't have any traffic issues until we hit the congestion getting onto the island, but there is no way around that on check in day unless you come in much later in the evening. We were also very grateful that the Fergusons were already there and our house was ready a bit early so they got the keys and then met us with our pass to get into the plantation. We got to the house around 3:30 pm, not too bad and significantly earlier than we previously had been able to get there. We unloaded the car, Gavin took a much needed nap and then Scott and Lori braved the grocery store! Although it wasn't ideal, it was certainly a good thing and a huge time saver that I had put together our meal plan and grocery list ahead of time so Lori and I had already made the adjustments we needed and we didn't need to spend time doing that before a trip to the store could be made. It would have been easier if I went, there was just no way we could strap Gavin back in the car for that and it was going to be much easier for me to feed Gavin dinner and get him bathed and in bed than for Scott to do it, so he volunteered to go! What a trooper!

Our night ended with enjoying some pizza and relaxing after two long days of traveling... we needed to rest so we could fully enjoy being at the beach for the week!

First Hair Cut!

On our long list of things to do/pack the week before we went on vacation was for Scott and Gavin to get their hair cut. Gavin's hair has been getting a bit long in the back, around his ears and really needed a trim to even it all out. Although I didn't love the idea that he had gotten to a point where his hair needed to be trimmed, I also knew it would look so much nicer after. So, we set off to see Josephine so she could cut Scott's hair and then tackle Gavin's.

Gavin did really well! It took both Scott and I to keep Gavin entertained so he would hold as still as possible for Josephine to work her magic. Gavin sat on my lap and ended up with Scott's truck keys, that was a huge hit. He was thrilled to have something "new" and exciting to chew on (gross, yes... oh well, germs happen)! Scott even managed to squeeze in a few pictures. Gavin looks great, however, most of them have one of us in a rather strange pose/facial expression or are otherwise unusable.

The few winners...






I think he approves of his new hair cut. He looks even more handsome now!

Time To Catch Up!

Now that we are home again (even though it is only for a week), I can try to catch up on the many, many things that I have to write about. We had an awesome week at the beach but I am glad to be home now!

Going back to before our trip to Hilton Head, the last week of July Gavin and I had a lot to do but we managed to have some fun too! Gavin is very good at pulling all his toys out, scattering them, taking them apart, etc, and then bolts for the electronics in the dining room that we have not yet gotten around to getting on shelves (there is still some decision making happening on whether the shelves that were there previously will go back up or if we will get something new). He is pretty clever and very fast.


He also flattens his play mat/gym at least once a day. I think I may have to actually pack that away one of these days. I keep putting it off because he does enjoy crawling around it still, but I also don't want him to destroy it because he stands at it and bangs it around and then rides it to the ground on a regular basis!

Gavin has also taken to lounging in his high chair when he eats.


He is so silly! At least he is comfortable while he eats. He loves food and often feeds himself (finally)!


While I clean up the huge mess he inevitably makes while eating, he plays and starts making other messes in the kitchen. He loves his Leap Frog animal magnet set but he loves getting into the bottom drawer where all the reusable containers are stored even more!


The drawers are pretty heavy and he opens any of them up so easily, it is really hard to believe how strong he is for such a little person.

Towards the end of the week, Gavin had to spend a little time in what I like to call baby jail so I could get a few things done for our trip. I bribed him with some Yo Gabba Gabba, so he only protested a little until he saw it start (yup - the bribing/negotiating has already begun)!



Thankfully most of what I needed to get done I was able to do during naps and at night so he spent minimal time confined. It was also a huge help when Grandma came by to entertain him for a few hours! We even found time to go to Cold Stone for ice cream (well Grandma and I had ice cream, Gavin just tried to get into things).

A very busy couple of days but we had a lot of fun getting ready for our trip!

Pool Party!

Gavin was invited to his very first birthday party and it was a pool party! We were excited when the invitation came in the mail for lots of reasons, there would be a pool, good friends, yummy food and cute kids for Gavin to play with (well, watch them play). These all are sure to add up to a good time!

The week before the party, Gavin and I set out to pick out a present for the birthday girl. We stopped at Toys R Us to browse and see if we could find something that would be fun and hopefully exciting. We picked up a couple of Mini Lalaloopsy doll sets, one with a bus and doll and another one that was a painter doll. They were really cute and reminded me of something I had as a little girl that I loved. We brought them home and that night I got it all "wrapped" up in the gift bag we picked out and ready to go to the party.

The morning of the party we packed up all Gavin's swimming stuff, diapers, toys for the ride, snacks, sippy cup and our gift and set off to our friends house. Gavin was very quite and not sure about being surrounded by a bunch of little girls. We got him in the pool since we thought that might help him warm up to the other kids. He enjoyed it for a few minutes but wasn't thrilled. Oh well, Gavin and I went inside while Scott stayed outside to chat with some people out there.

Gavin finally started to warm up and was all over the place and talking up a storm. He was a huge hit with the other moms there. He was certainly putting on a good show and smiling a lot for them, so it was fitting that they enjoyed his company.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the party. I blame Scott because he had the cameras, but I should have taken them out and carried them around if I wanted to have some pictures. I will just have to wait on getting some pictures from our friend because I know she took some great pictures!

It was a lot of fun and the gift we picked out was a big hit too! We look forward to more parties to attend in the future!

So Behind...

Wow, I am so behind! We have been so busy that when I would normally post at night, I have been running around the house cleaning, cooking and getting all the things done that I can't do during the day. It will probably take me days to manage to get everything up that I want to post about!