Party time!

Can you even see Nemo and Dory on this HUGE cupcake cake?

I had my birthday party on January 25th and what a party it was! I loved my fish/tropical theme and my new Thomas ride on train! Let me tell ya, I was sooo exhausted by the time Mommy and Daddy brought me my smash cake. I was so blessed to have all my friends and family there supporting me though. Thank you to everyone who came! Is there really a baby more spoiled than me? My Mommy apologizes for the not-so-great pictures...

The kids helped me open presents...
My buddy Landon!

We are trying out the new train!




These are some of my "ladies"...

My aunt Tiff decorated the deck!

Everyone signed my fish so I know who came to my party!

My first haircut!

That's right! I got my first real big boy hair cut today. I didn't mind at all! The lady cutting my hair was very nice and pretty! She even let me play with a comb and squirt bottle. I sat on Daddy's lap and had no problem sitting still. I was in a great mood and such a good boy! Mommy and Daddy made sure they kept some of my curls...

The hairstylist and I after we were all done!

Here's a closer view of my new hair cut!

OMG! He is ONE!!!

We survived the first year! All of us: Mom, Dad and Gavin. It really FLEW by so fast! I can't believe that I gave birth on this day last year. Doesn't even seem that long ago yet his "newbornhood" is a total blur. Now the real question is: can we survive toddlerhood? I think we need to start babyproofing better!

Gavin is already starting to show his independence. He no longer likes to sit on our laps, won't let us rock him unless he is REALLY tired, holds his own bottle, drinks out of a sippy cup, feeds himself , throws mini tantrums and he really knows what he wants. He knows two words in sign language ("milk" and "more") and I just started teaching him around a week ago. Yesterday he stood on his own while clapping at the same time! He can also say "Uh oh," "duck," "quack, quack," "dada" and "book." Sometimes he says "mama," but I am not sure if he means it.

We went to the craft store today and he was so vocal and giggling up a storm. It was such a change from the quiet baby we are used to. He starting to become more and more like his Daddy! He got so much attention while we were there and the checkout lady at the register wanted me to leave him there! I thought maybe he was being too loud, but apparently not! He has the ladies wrapped around his finger already (including his Grandma and Mama).

His one year pictures will be posted soon...

I'm such a big boy!

Guess what I got to try today? My Mommy made me a chicken sandwich with mustard on whole wheat bread. I am getting so good at eating table food that I even took bites and ate it like a big boy! It was good, but I liked the meat better than the bread. I keep telling Mommy I am not a big fan of bread, but she keeps on giving it to me. Also, in a few more days I hear I am going to not get my bottle as much and I will start drinking whole milk and no formula. Not sure how I feel about that yet. I still shake with excitement when I hear the word "bottle."




I also walked around the house again, pushing my toy everywhere. It was very tiring! I am going to sleep really well tonight.

He stood, he stood!

Lend me your "hand" and I'll sing you a song...

Gavin has been standing holding on to stuff since about 8 months old, but today he stood all by himself for about 45 seconds. We were so proud of him! Maybe his friend Addison is rubbing off on him with all her walking! He also walked around the house pushing his walker toy today. That is a big accomplishment since he has shown no interest in walking until now. Go Gavin!

He also had a good time with his friend this week. They stayed out of trouble for the most part. Here are some pictures of the two of them playing and hanging out!

This was right before she kissed Gavin!

Hello Toddlerhood!

We can completely tell we almost have a toddler now. If you have ever been around or had a toddler then you know what I mean. Gavin has a mind of his own and he is one determined little boy. In the past week he has learned how to throw mini-tantrums when taken away from something and told "no." He throws himself backwards and kicks his tiny feet! Right now it is kind of funny because it is new and short-lived. However, I know as he gets bigger so will the tantrums. It is just a matter of time! I love his strong-willed personality though and I wonder where it comes from.
We are also working on teaching Gavin some sign language. Mostly because he grunts instead of saying words and he is good at waving and pointing so we figure that learning some sign language will help him communicate and reduce his frustration. We are starting out with simple words such as eat, milk and more. Yesterday while eating cheerios he actually signed the word "more" a couple of times. He has not done it since, but hey, it's a start!

Family trip

We went to Orlando for a few days and also went to Islands of Adventure. We stayed at the Celebration Hotel in the perfect little town owned by Disney called "Celebration." That town was soooo adorable and so perfect (insanely perfect) that it felt almost like we were on the set of a horror movie where something bad is about to happen in "perfectville." The hotel was beautiful and so cozy though! Gavin crawled all around the room back and forth squealing with excitement when we got there. He loved looking out the huge windows at the lake! We will definitely go back to that hotel. You can't beat the service and cleanliness!
We had a few minor set backs on our family trip at first such as poor service at a restaurant, terrible food, the usual traffic jams, and a sleepless night but all-in-all it was really fun and turned out to be a great trip in the end. Gavin even ate all table foods at restaurants the entire time. He is finally getting a hang of it and gagging less on "real food." We are so proud of our little boy!

Splash Park in Celebration

First Carousel ride!

Got your nose!!

Our little "Blooper" picture! Gavin wacked Mommy's face!