Ready or Not Here I Come...

Here is a video of Gavin crawling.. fast!  This was taken today.  He sure is grabbing everything.  Cody better just watch out.  Gavin sure is facinated with him. 

This weekend we got to visit Grandpa Rauch, Great Grandma Rauch, Nan and Pap, and Mimi.  He got to wear his camos since he was going down to the country.  Gavin was a good boy on his trip and showed off his new crawling skills for everyone to see.  He even got lots of kisses!

Four Generations of Rauch's.....

Here is a picture of Gavin sitting in his Daddy's old little rocking chair....

 Here Bud wanted to feed Gavin... He did a very good job (Gavin can be a little demanding sometimes!)

hmmm... which toy shall I play with?

Gavin has been full of action lately!  He is really starting to be his own person.  Now that he is mobile enough to go where he wants and pick what he wants to play with it is facinating to me to watch him learn, play, and enjoy life.  (ahh the simple life.. watching lights and listening to songs) I know I wrote about what he likes to play with last blog, but I have been trying to capture him really moving around the room to play with toys.  This was the best video of his action that I could get.  Now mind you he had already been playing and talking for 20ish minutes before I shot this.. so what you are going to see is him about to be over doing it by hisself.

A normal playtime consists of Gavin playing on the floor and me placing some toys (usually we keep them on a rotation)  in front of him. He is either on his belly or these days he likes to sit up to play with his race cars, his tool box, and his singing machine.  I will then usually be on the floor very close to him.. to catch him when he falls backward, give him more toys when he is bored and to keep cody away from him (so he won't get bit) 
Gavin has grown very attached to me as of late.  I can't say that I don't love it... I can just envison where this is going to head in a month or so (only wanting mommy).  Whenever I am in a room with him and someone else has him.. he holds out his arms to me and whines.  If josh is changing his diaper and I walk in the room he will instantly start crying.  (wonderful!)  But I do love my little man. 

The last 16 days (including weekends) Gavin has only gone to daycare 3 days.  A wonderful thing for Gavin and mommy!  This week he had to go to the doc because we knew that he had an ear infection.  Well it turned out to be 2 ear infections!  Yikes.  He was a sick little boy who was still smiling and laughing.  He never tugged at his ears or had  a high fever..   I am thinking that everytime he is teething he is going to get an ear infection.  Time will tell!  At the doc he was weighed in at 20 pounds! Big thick boy! 

Yesterday Feb. 12th -- Gavins 8th month birthday he actually crawled his first two "steps" for mommy and daddy!  I give him about a week before he is off and running.  He is getting very frustrated wanting to go somewhere but not really moving.  Both hands are now going forward but he still has to get those knees to go with him. !!! 

Today Josh and I got to have a date !!! We went to our very first movie since Gavin was born... We had a wonderful Valentines celebration.  I do love my three Valentines- Josh Gavin and Cody!  Here are some pictures from today.  (I am trying to make sure to get pictures of Gavin with us.. as we usually only get pics of him!)

Snowed In with Mommy (actually iced in)

What a wonderful week it has been!  It started out as me taking Monday off to spend time with Gavin while our babysitter was sick.  It looked like I was going to be staying home on Monday and Tuesday.. but then we got this massive ice/snow storm!!!  Never in my 7 years of teaching have I had more than one day off in a row.  The past two/three years I have not even had a single snow day... well this week I had FOUR snow days!  What a wonderful little break I got to spend with Gavin! Here are some of the things we did:

*Stayed in PJs all day long (for four days in a row)
*Gavin started waving (well it is really like a knee slap) but we will surely take it... he even waved to some kids that were on TV (NO MOM.. we were not watching tv... we were in our pooh car going around in circles and he happened to look up and wave...)
* played with every toy we have at least three times a day
* slept in
*Took wonderful naps
*got REALLY attached to mommy... good luck babysitter!
*had lots of laughs and giggles
* Started riding around in our pooh car around the house (there is a handle to push like a stroller) instead of sledding outside we went riding inside!

Lots of fun we had..... and no I do not need to go back to work.. I could stay home everyday if I could!!!   However Friday was the first day that we got to get out... Gavin and I went to Kohls and daddy had our stroller so we tried for the first time ever the store stroller.. well this sorta worked... for the first 15 minutes.. then we passed the toy aisle and Gavin decided that he wanted to play with them. (holding out two arms and grunting...) So naturally I let him hold one.. (rookie mom mistake) and then he wouldn't let it go.  So I had to get him out of the stroller (since he isn't big enough to hold a box by himself) sit him on the handles hold on to him and the box while trying to push him around the store.  Not sure I will do that one again! So yes, I bought that toy and one other for Valentines day.. he won't remember anyway that he already played with it.

Here is a video Josh and I took of him on our snow day... it you notice Gavin has a "tie" on his shirt that says 7 months on it.  I bought these around christmas time and there is one for every month.  The idea is that you take it on their monthly birthday and then you will always know how old they were.. well as long as i even remember to get him to get a picture with him in it.. I figure I am doing good!   This video also shows Gavin eating his toes, we were trying to get him to wave and talk.. but he seems to shy up whenever we try to have someone listen to him.

Here are some pictures of his snazzy outfit!   Its just so hard to get him to smile... Just kidding! Happy Baby!

 Huhh?? You want me to do what? 

 Okay... I'll smile for you!

We love our baby boy.  He is just toooo sweet.  Love you sweet pea!