Wednesday, March 30, 2011

We have a walker...well, almost! ;)

Gavin has been getting more brave by the day with his walking. I told Chris two weekends ago that he was close to being a walker and I was right. Just in the last few days he has started walking back and forth between people and objects. He gets so excited to when he is walking; almost like he's proud of himself. We, as parents, couldn't be more proud of him. Of course, we know that life will never be the same around here once he's full on walking, but we are excited for the change.

He's also become quite the chatterbox! I know, I know you are all shocked by this....I mean where on earth could he possibly have gotten that from. Haha! Chris drops him off at daycare in the morning and they have "conversations" in the car on the way there. He talked all through dinner tonight.We weren't sure what he was saying, but he was very excited about it.

He is learning so much so fast. I just want to stop time and capture every little thing, but I know that isn't possible. All I can do is try and capture every moment I can on film and in pictures and cherish every little thing when it happens.

I will leave you all with a little video of his new skills.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Sleep...what is it??

I LOVE sleep. I LOVE sleeping in. Anything related to sleep is good in my book.

I used to know what sleep was. Well, I should say I used to know what sleeping IN was. That was before I had a baby, though. They tell you, "Sleep now because you won't ever sleep again." and what a true statement that is. Once you have a baby "sleep" really takes on a new meaning. It's no longer something you look forward to or enjoy....it's something done out of necessity to survive the following day. Sleeping in has gone from sleeping until 10am to hoping you get to sleep until 6am!I shouldn't complain, I know. Gavin sleeps all night and is usually in bed my 7pm and I am thankful for that. It's so nice to have that time to myself  or to spend with Chris.

It's just that when 445am rolls around and I hear Gavin's little sing song voice in the monitor; I really want to put my head under the pillow and act like I can't hear him. Even though, it's the cutest little sing song voice ever....I know it won't last. See, in about 20 minutes it will turn to a whine/cry because he's not really "ready" to get up yet. Well, this morning I wasn't going to give in. I wasn't going to go in and give him a book and turn on the light and hope that he is content for a little while longer. I went in the nursery, checked his diaper, laid him down, put his blanket on him , closed the door, and took a shower. (Chris was told NOT to go in and give him anything.) I got out of the shower and he was still making a few noises. Then about 10 minutes later; he was out! Success!!! I was so proud of myself. Then I realized that we had to get him up in about 15 minutes to leave for the day! UGH....it's the small victories, right?? :)

Someday, I will know what sleep/sleeping in feels like again. I don't know when, but I look forward to the day I can put my head under the pillow and not worry that I'm a bad mom for ignoring my son's 445am wake up call because he won't be there. Then, I'm sure I will wish that he was there giving me that early wake up call. Haha!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Support System

One thing Chris, Gavin, and I never have to worry about is support! We get a ton of it from family AND friends. We knew when we were trying to get pregnant with Gavin was that our family and friends would be there for us. Not just for the physical help, but emotionally as well. Having a baby changes your life and that first year is one big roller coaster ride. We wouldn't have survived without all our friends and family and for that I say, "Thank you". We love you!

I also want to thank another support system that I have relied on heavily that past year. That is my online January 2010 mommies! I was a newly pregnant lady and of course joined a ton of websites for free stuff and any advice I could find. LOL I stumbled onto the What to Expect When Expecting website and the January 2010 birth forum. I really just read others posts and didn't participate much. Then after Gavin was born I posted a few times; mostly out of frustration from Gavin's lack of napping! Then, the ladies left to start their own forum and I followed. I become much more active and have made some great connections and a couple of great friends. Thank you to all of you ladies who have listened to my incessant talk of my son! Haha, that what is so great about a board of mommies with children all your son's age...everyone does the same thing! I also would not have survived this year with out you ladies.

And that brings me to my reason for this blog post-SUPPORT! My hope is that all mommies (and daddies) get the great support that we have now and in the future. It really makes a huge difference. So, if you know someone that is having a baby (even if it's not their first) remember that even if they may seem to have it all together; they probably don't! Even an offer to bring dinner over or come sit with them during the day is a huge help and will be remembered forever!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Questioning your choices

So, we've all been there as parent's; questioning the choices you make everyday as a parent. Today, my questions were abundant! Here's the story.

I brought Gavin in last week Monday for some skin issues. He had a few awful patches on the insides of his elbow that cracked open. The doctor saw them and said, "Eczema!". I knew that was what he was going to say, but I wanted to confirm that is what it was. So, off I went to Walgreen's to get hydro-cortizone cream and some Aveeno body wash and lotion (fragrance free, of course!). Then, Wednesday or Thursday, Gavin gets these yucky bumps all over the back of his arms, legs, and butt. Then this weekend, they spread to his back, tummy, and face. I decide to call the doctor today and try and get in to see him. Key work in that last sentence is TRY. Ugh, of course they want to try and diagnose him over the phone. So, I describe in detail (to the best of my  non medical ability) what they look like. The doctor says it sounds like a skin condition and that he doesn't need to be seen. It should go away on its own and if it's not cleared up on it's own by Monday to call back. Ok, that sounds reasonable and off to daycare we go. ( I stayed home in the morning because I figured it would be easier to get in to the doctor if I was free all day.) I get to daycare and the sitter thinks it's chicken pox! WHAT?!?!  I don't think it is; it doesn't even look like chicken pox. She keeps him and I go to work. After being at work for three hours my sitter calls and thinks he has measles. WHAT!??!? So, I call the doctor back and they can squeeze me in right now. I rush to the sitter's and then rush to the doctor's for them to tell me it is a rash related to a virus (he was sick a week or two ago with a cold); they think! I am told to make an appointment with a dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis.

I questioned every decision I made today. Should I have taken him to the doctor earlier? Should I have insisted they see us this morning?  Should I insist they see him right away at the dermatologist? Should I try and figure out a way to stay home with him, so I'm with him day to day and know for sure what is going on with him all day? And the list continues and continues. Most days, I am pretty good at not freaking out and keeping a fairly level head. I know that I can be a little bit "first time" mommy psycho, but he IS my first. As a parent you always want to make the right decision regarding your children and you constantly question your choices. I do know that at the end of the day, Gavin is happy and healthy and Chris and I are responsible for that. That makes me feel better and I have to hold onto that.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Nights with G-Baby

So, I work full time and I miss Gavin like crazy when I'm working. I try and make the most of our time when I pick him up from daycare. Although, some days he makes it SO hard to do that. On a "bad" day, I struggle with those few precious hours we have before bedtime. "Gavin, don't touch the TV box, Gavin don't climb the stairs, Gavin don't throw your food on the kitchen floor, etc." Every little thing is a battle. I swear, someone should have told me that terrible twos start in their first year!

BUT, then there are nights like tonight. He's smiles, laughs, giggles, eats well, and in general is in a happy go lucky mood. He gives hugs and kisses. He "runs" from me when I chase him. He greets Daddy at the door with big smiles! All around it is pretty darn awesome. I love these nights. I cherish every little thing about them.

Here are a few highlights from tonight. :)



Thursday, March 17, 2011

Happy St. Patty's Day!


Gavin hopes everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day!

Time goes by so fast



Time has flown by! Gavin's first year has come and gone. I honestly don't know where that year went. Some days I feel like we just brought him home! Other days, I feel like I've been a mom forever!! :)

He's mastered cralwing and stair climbing and has moved on to standing and walking. We are quite to the walking part yet, but I don't think we are far away from it. Here he is showing off his master standing skills while playing with his blocks. He's a multi-tasker.

He's also chatting up a storm, though I am sure anyone that knows me is not surprised by this. His favorite words right now are "shoe" and "sock". I'm not sure how come he loves them so much, but not only does he say them very well; he also trys to put on his shoes and socks. (And don't worry...he also trys to take them off all the time!) Gavin even helps us undress him. He will gladly pull off his shirt if you help him get his arms out!

We can't wait for the warmer weather because Gavin loves to be outside. What can I say, he's definetly a Herek! Grandma Julie bought him an awesome ride on bike for Christmas and if this nice weather holds through the weekend; we'll be trying it out on Saturday or Sunday. If we do, pictures will follow.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

A brand new day, a brand new blog

I have attempted this once and am going to attempt it again. I would like to have some record of our days with Gavin, or G-Baby. Gavin was born on January 29, 2010 at 3:07pm; weighing in at a whopping 9lbs 3 oz and measuring a whopping 22 1/2 inches long! Everyone was there to celebrate his coming into this world: Grandma and Grandpa Chacon, Mema and Pepa, Josh and Lindsay, Zach, and of course, Auntie Jen. Nana was sick and couldn't make it and Auntie Meghan and Brent were out of town and couldn't me here, but they were all was anxious to meet him too. After spending 5 days in the hospital, we headed home to start our crazy journey of parenthood. It has had it's ups and downs, but it has been so worth it. We are very lucky to have Gavin and could not have asked for a greater gift than him. I am going to try very hard to update this as often as I can. Gavin is doing so many wonderful things and I want to share it with all our friends and family that don't get to see it every day.