Life keeps going

Well, we've had a busy few weeks as always. I'm still going to school, will graduate with honors on June 10! YEAH!!! It seems very far away right now. We had fun celebrating Grandma's wedding to Gavin's new Grandpa Jon. Gavin had fun playing in the grass in the easter basket that I forced him to sit in. He has rolled over about half a dozen times, from his stomach to his back, but seems to not remember that he did it the next time he's stuck on his stomach. He's making lots more fun noises now too. The weather has been so nice we have spent several afternoons outside. He's not much a fan of being on the actual grass but loves the fresh air from a blanket.

Happy Easter

Oh my, more than a month has flown by!

Hello! I have been meaning to get more pictures up here for awhile now. It's been busy. I started my last quarter at CWU as planned a couple weeks ago. Gavin likes to sit on my lap as I type on the computer. My computer chair is one of those round exercise balls so we bounce up and down as I study and work on the computer. It's fun. He's making lots of fun sounds now. I'll have to figure out if I can attach a video clip. I have lost my camera cord so when I find it I will attach an Easter picture. He's getting so big! Gavin rolled over for the first time last Friday. It was an exciting moment! He's only done it twice since then. We continue to have fun together. We love you!

We are having a good week!

We are having a good week. Gavin is enjoying play time and is able to grab toys. The one in this picture he actually has learned to grab and lift up and down until it plays music and makes noises. He amazes me. We have lots of fun. I love it when he smiles at me. It's great. We send our love to everyone!

Two months old!

Gavin turned 2 months old Monday! He has grown so much, over 11 pounds now. He does smile back to people. Some of my girlfriends here are quite enchanted with his big smile. Gavin learned another trick last weekend. He can mimic someone sticking out their tongue. It's the funniest thing ever. I stick my tongue out and he sticks his out back. He likes to laugh at me while I laugh at him. It's great fun.

Back Home

We were with Grandma and Uncles for awhile before we came come to Ellensburg. It is always nice to visit. Gavin has been developing rapidly-it's amazing what happens when all his energy isn't going to only breathing and eating! As of this morning Gavin is 10 pounds, 13 ounces and 22 and 1/4 inches long. His little diapers are too small-we had to go up to the next size! He has new tricks too. He can smile and giggle back at mom. We are loving our new home and our new neighborhood. School took a back burner this quarter so I am now getting ready for a busy next quarter in order to still graduate in June. As we are now mostly settled again here in Ellensburg, with internet and phone connections I look forward to being able to keep in touch with people better and keep up with this blog! Take Care!

Yup, surgery

Well, Gavin did have surgery. It was a minor procedure (though surgery is still surgery) where they went down his throat and lasered off the parts of tissue that were collapsing when he would breath. He did really well; there were no complications.

Is it really half-way through February?

I am having a hard time believing it's Valentine's Day already! So much has happened. Thursday, the 2nd of February found Gavin admitted to Children's Hospital in Seattle with labored breathing/respiratory distress. He was diagnosed with laryngomalacia. We were there a few days and then were with my mom in Snohomish until yesterday for Gavin's various doctor visits etc. We came back to Ellensburg yesterday and we are moving today into our own apartment. (We had been sharing a house.) We'll be heading back to Children's on Friday to have Gavin's stomach/intenstine's ultrasounded and likely schedule surgery for his throat to help him breath. My camera is packed somewhere so I have no pictures to load, but check back in a few days. It's been a busy few weeks! It was fun to be around the family and see a lot of people we hadn't for awhile. Gavin has lots of new buddies! We will both be relieved to be settled in our own place and have Gavin healthier. He did weigh in at 8 pounds, 13 ounces Monday the 13th, so the little man is growing!

And he grows...

Well, today Gavin was weighed at 7 pounds, 8 and 1/2 ounces. The boy knows how to eat! So that's what we do all day. Eat, burp, clean up vomit and spit, and then eat some more, vomit more, then finally settle in to sleep. Gavin was diagnosed with GER-Gastro-esophageal-reflux. Basically his sphincter doesn't keep the food in. I get to give him medicine daily; hopefully he will get better soon. His projectile vomit has gone as far as 2 feet. That's a long way for this little guy! We continue to learn and have fun. My incision has finally sealed completely so I can do more without getting tired. What a blessing! Aunt Becca in Utah sent him some toys and a mobile that he loves to stare at. It's fun to watch him just wide-eyed, taking in the world.

Our Next Adventure

Well our next adventure started on Tuesday. Gavin and I went to the doctor only to discover that we were not going home to finish laundry but to the hospital. He had lost weight and seemed dehydrated. We were admitted and I tried to be brave as Gavin was weighed again and stabbed with a needle to draw blood for tests and set an IV. I held his head and shoulders firm while poor Gavin wailed. Sad story. His arm was taped to a board and wrapped with gauze and red tape in an effort to keep him from pulling it out. I didn't get a picture of it because I was just too stressed, but you can see his little bandaid in the picture. He weighed 6 pounds and 9 ounces. His PKU test for Jaundice came back at 19. Fluids were pushed through the IV and nursing and bottle feeding. Wednesday the score was down to 14.5 and his weight was up over 7 pounds. The IV came out and we were staying until he was able to maintain the weight gain. The problem seems to be a combined feeding/jaundice issue. His jaundice made him more lethargic, sleepy, and not active in eating. Because he didn't eat enough, he got dehydrated which made him more lethargic and less interested in nursing. You get the picture. While I thought I was feeding him for hours, there was more chewing and gnawing than sucking and swallowing. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday feeling stressed, guilty, and tired. By Thursday we had our routine down and today, Saturday, we got to come home. Gavin gets nursing time and then bottle feedings to ensure he is eating the right volume. It's nice to be home again. We go back to the doctor Monday to make sure the weight is staying on. It was very scary and I felt like death. I looked like it too so I didn't put those pictures on! Gavin was as ready I was to go home-his foot demands FREEDOM! So, we are both doing well now. Mom learned a lot and enjoyed not doing all the laundry that Gavin created for 4 days. I am super grateful to the good nurses at the hospital and to Gavin's doctor and to all the support I received through this long week.

A Kicker

Today Gavin was awake and alert and happy to be sitting in his chair watching mom do homework on the computer. When I looked at him just now, he had managed to kick his left leg out of his pants. Notice the bare knee and foot. Maybe he'll be left-footed? It made me laugh and called for a study break to take a picture :)

The boy and his hands

If you asked me, I'd say he was discovering how much fun his hands can be....'no more pictures now mom' he says!

The Faces he Makes

The "I'm not sure I like what's going on here" Face

The Faces He Makes

Big Yawning Face

(I see this one a lot)

The Faces He Makes

Angry Face-the red is accurate

Faces he makes

Happy Grinning Face-yup, he's asleep

Two Week Birthday

Friday the 20th, Gavin is 2 weeks old. The past 2 weeks have gone super fast. We both seem to eat and sleep better. It seems like he dreams as he sleeps; he makes different faces and sounds. I wonder what in the world he has to dream about...then I remember that he has had many experiences and met many people in his whole 2 weeks of life in the big open world. We are both adjusting well.

Gavin being boss or directing a choir

As Gavin and I spend more days together he does more and more funny things. His long arms crack me up. This display is very atypical-he usually does not like to be naked or change clothes. What a funny little boy!

Visit from Grandpa Bill and Baba Maryanne

Grandpa Bill and Baba Maryanne (Russian for Grandma) came to visit on Wednesday and Thursday the 18th and 19th. It was so fun to have them visit. We spent lots of time looking and the little one, taking pictures, and talking. It was so nice. Gavin got to go to his first restaurant when my dad took us to Thai food. He slept the whole time-such a good baby. Wednesday night was the first night he slept through too. He slept from 10:30 pm to 7:00 am without waking to be fed. What a miracle! Gavin loves his grandparents; both Gavin and I feel lucky to have such good grandparents so close.

Visit from Grandma

We went back to the doctor on Thursday the 12th because I was afraid something was wrong with little Gavin because he kept spitting up SO much! He had gained back most of his weight and was then 6 lbs and 12 oz. Mom felt relieved. Friday the 13th Grandma came to visit. Boy was I happy to see her! Funny story....I had finished nursing Gavin and he had fallen asleep. Grandma came to change his diaper and get him dressed and asked if he had already been burped. I said, "No, I don't burp him because he doesn't really like that." Grandma gave me a funny look and said that we had to burp him. Funny thing, Gavin hardly ever spits up anymore...hmmmm... burping-a good idea!

My mom stayed for a few days and did everything for me and helped me and Gavin learn lots of stuff. Burping, putting on onesies even though he doesn't like things going over his head, putting him down to do things with two hands and such things were great lessons. Gavin also got introduced to a swing-he really likes it. On Saturday the 14th was Gavin's first trip to the store when he went with his mom and Grandma to Fred Meyer. It was a long trip and he slept almost the whole time. She set me up with meals-we had so much fun-it was really hard to see her go.