Good Morning, Gavin

Gavin's signature dimple.

Daddy Is On His Own

Tonight is the night. Kiersten gets her birthday present -- a night alone at a hotel and ten to twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep. This is one of those gifts where someone gets their wish while someone else "takes a hit for the team".

This is my night so far:

• 4:00 PM - Kiersten leaves for the hotel.
• 5:30 PM - Gavin wakes up for his sleepy-time routine (change diaper, change into PJ's, get fed, get rocked and sung to).
• 6:15 PM - Gavin goes to bed (or so I hope).
• 6:30 PM - The natives get restless. Try the swing, try passifier, try rocking, try more singing, replace the battery in the crib's baby-massage-thing.
• 7:00 PM - Emergency meeting with Me, Myself, and I concerning how Kiersten gets Gavin to sleep. Action Item for Me - feed Gavin a couple more ounces.
• 7:01 PM - Doh! Why didn't I check the diaper...
  
• 7:10 PM - Rewrap 'n burp 'n rock 'n put Gavin to bed.
• 8:15 PM - Oh yes, you guessed it -- restless natives again.
• 8:20 PM - Rewrap and transfer Gavin to swing. He goes out like a light instantly.
• 9:30 PM - Um, what is it with the restless natives tonight?
• 9:31 PM - Discover Gavin has lost his socks and is probably annoyed. There is no way I am picking him up to readjust. Tiny blanket, aka burp cloth, tossed over the feet instantly quiets his complaints.
• 10:00 PM - Do the daily bottle wash and make up the night's supply.

At this point, I think I am approaching the point of the normal schedule. If he makes it to 11 PM, that will not be too far off the mark. Call me crazy, but I think Gavin missed Mommy tonight. Daddy is OK in a pinch, but nobody beats Mommy! I can only wish he will pull one of his six hour sleeps, but since Gavin was on a weird schedule earlier tonight is probably NOT the night.

Good Morning, Gavin

More Gavin faces -- a complete set of happy faces since he is all smiles these days.

Good Morning, Gavin

That's my boy!

Good Morning, Gavin

Well hello there, little pilgrim!

Time to Face the Music

As a parent, you can try and keep your kid out of harm's way, but eventually you do have to stand back a watch while your baby is left to deal with an unpleasant situation. I am speaking, of course, of vaccination day. Gavin had his two month check-up and his first vaccinations. Fortunately, our doctor has mad-baby-vaccination skills and administered three shots before Gavin knew what hit him. That certainly did not stop the ensuing screams of displeasure, but I am sure things could have been worse.

His new stats: 12.9 lbs and 23 1/4 inches long.

Gavin is soundly sleeping now and hopefully will have forgotten all about today's ordeal by the time morning rolls around.

Good Morning, Gavin

It's a gorgeous day in the botanical gardens.

Good Morning, Gavin

Two months old! He is such a big boy now, he is moving out of the crib into a real bed.

Good Morning, Gavin

"Good Morning, Gavin" is a series of photos I have been emailing to family members. I decided that adding GMG to the blog was an easy win in the frequent updates column! The set will be added in the near future and can be found in this category.

We told Gavin that he weighs almost 12 lbs -- he seemed to be happy with the news.

Good Morning, Gavin

Here is our little sack o' potatoes.

Good Morning, Gavin

Gavin contemplates what it will be like when he turns 2 months old in a few days.

Good Morning, Gavin

Gavin accessorized his car seat with some fun, entertaining friends.

Good Morning, Gavin

Warning: Gavin was extra adorable during today's photo shoot.

Good Morning, Gavin

Gavin insisted on visiting the hospital where he was born this week. So Mom, got him a fancy new outfit and hit the Big Apple!

Sleep, We Don't Need No Stinkin' Sleep!

The first month was full of many new experiences and worries. Gavin kept us busy with many feedings and diaper changes. Thankfully, the rush of the first four weeks has settled down into somewhat of a routine. The downside is lack of bloggable material, except for pooping...and who really wants the low down on that? Besides, I want to leave some element of surprise for the first-timers.

The second month is when I started doubting whether I could really hack parenting a newborn or not. The lack of sleep from the first month caught up with us. To make things a bit more miserable, Gavin began getting more fussy especially at night after eating. The poor guy had acid reflux. Fortunately, we were able to nip that problem in the bud before it became a serious issue. The damage was already done for Kiersten and I, though, with the interrupted sleep continuing through the fifth week. I have always felt sleep is overrated and could take it or leave it. I can function on a few hours, but even I am beginning to cherish sleep when it comes in numbers greater than one can count in a foreign language. Kiersten, on the other hand, is another story...a dark and sad story when it comes to sleep deprivation. When I asked her what she would like for her birthday, she responded, "10 straight hours of sleep." No kidding...dead serious...I am giving her the night off at a hotel.

The sun does come up, the new day does dawn, and it is good. As we approached Gavin's due date, we had educated ourselves concerning various baby-calming techniques (a.k.a., Happiest Baby). I felt adequately prepared and armed with enough strategies and tactics to handle the most severe baby meltdown. But, as usual, there is always something new to learn. Enter stage right, the Miracle Blanket. Gavin has become too strong for the standard Karp swaddle and busts out of the tightest wraps like a mini Houdini -- he even has Criss Angel beat. The new method (demonstration) is akin to a baby straight jacket, locking his arms in place (P.C. for "pinning his arms in place"). Hey, it makes him happy -- he sleeps longer when he cannot get his hands out to fidget. The right tool for the job when you need it...that's what it's all about.

So about that new day dawning...Overnight, the new swaddle method helped Gavin sleep longer which also seemed to have the added benefit of improving his mood when feeding him. We still have to get up a couple times at night, but we feel more rested that we have in weeks. Gavin must have needed more sleep as well because today he pulled out a bunch of new tricks that have us ooing and ahhing. Kiersten is fairly sure he smiled at her purposefully, he began responding to tickles today, and he cooed at me for the first time. The extra interaction is a great reward for making it through the last couple weeks. I hope Gavin will be generous with his new found skills.