It is hard to believe how quickly Gavin has grown from the sweetest little lump in my arms to a little toddler who prefers standing to sitting and climbing to being still. At around 6 months, he starting pulling himself up to a stand, sitting on his own, and climbing.
Since Faye was 18 months when we moved into this house, we never had to child proof it before. In fact, we have been catering more to her age these days with lots of tiny toy parts and beads and things. To be honest, we had all but forgotten how to child proof. Thankfully, Gavin has been giving us a “crash” course in making the house safe for a baby as he climbs and pulls his way up to new heights almost daily.
The first thing to go were the bar stools after I found him standing and rocking on a stool moments before letting go and falling head first on the hard kitchen tiles. Next was easy access to the garage door. Once Gavin found the shoes it became his mission in life to climb the shoe shelf and chew on our shoes. Most recently, and sadly, are the majority of Faye’s toys from her kitchen. Now that Gavin can reach the highest shelf, we have had to move most of her toys (like puzzles and legos) into her room. She can hardly eat at her “little” table without her brother trying to pull at her plate! Poor girl.
All complaining aside, I am thrilled (if not a bit scared) to watch my sweet Gavin climb to new heights, and develop such a sweet personality. He is very adventurous and determined. I put a big exersaucer in front of the entertainment center and yet today found he had wedged himself in there to push all of the buttons. But then he smiles at me and raises his brows as if to say “Look what I did, Mom!”
He has the sweetest smile and is happy to share it with anyone who will give him the time of day. Especially Faye. He LOVES Faye! She loves him too, as long as he isn’t screaming in the car or pulling at her food! Sometimes she loves on him too much and forgets that he is a little person and not her doll to pull around as she pleases. It is hard for her to understand why he doesn’t have to do exactly what she wants him to do I am sure that only gets better!
One of my favorite moments with the kiddos lately has been the shared bath. I put Gavin’s tub in the big tub and let Faye help bathe and play with him. It was fun for all and even a little less work for me!
Below is a video of Gavin climbing into his car seat after spending a day trying to get out of it. This was even more amazing at the time because he hadn’t been standing so much at this point. He seemed to learn to stand (holding on) pretty quickly. I am sure waking is just around the corner.
It is hard to believe, but Gavin is already 4 1/2 months old. He is rolling both ways, although mostly from his tummy to back in protest of tummy time He grabs for everything and chews on it, and is already a champ in his exersaucer. I am impressed with how much he can do as it seems like just yesterday he was only a litttle lump in my arms.
As I watch Gavin reach these milestones, I also think about my sweet Sonia. Four and a half months was the oldest she ever got, and these milestones that Gavin is reaching were just out of her reach before her final surgery. I can still remember the night I was sure she was going to roll over. I must have taken a dozen photos on my cell phone thinking it was just a moment away. As hard as it is to think about her absence, it is a joy to remember the time she was here. One of the many blessings of Gavin’s life for me has been a daily reminder of Sonia. Her 4 1/2 months felt so much longer, and yet in the year and a half since she passed away I have had trouble really remembering what it was like to be with her. Gavin’s first months have been a beautiful reminder of so many moments from holding her in my arms to bathing her in her little tub and her sweet smile when she heard my voice. Such beautiful memories.
In the year between her death and Gavin’s birth, I longed for the weight of a baby in my arms again. A part of me just wanted my Sonia back, but I think I also longed to hold a sweet baby again. Needless to say, I hold Gavin like crazy and have even taken to “wearing” him when I can. Although I get frustrated when he wont let me put him down, I try to remember the weeks and months when I was not able to pick up Sonia. And I try to take joy in Gavin’s babyhood. I am so proud of how quickly he has grown and the life he has in front of him, but it is a bit sad too to see him grow so fast.
I hope to post some pics of Gavin and Faye soon. With Jason working like crazy, the photographer duties have fallen on me.
We had Gavin’s bris this past Tuesday, and everything went great. We headed up to Shannon’s parents in Virginia Beach and had a small gathering at their house. Considering it was in the middle of a weekday, there was a nice showing of family and friends. The mohel did a great job too, not just in the cutting (the very, very important part), but he gave a meaningful and relevant dvar.
It was an exciting and a tad bit anxious day for Shannon and I, but everything really went perfect. It was a beautiful ceremony and Gavin continued to impress us. He did some crying (um, to be expected) but was not fussy at all afterward and has been happy as usual since. Everything is healing and Gavin is doing well. He just had a doctor visit and impressed the doctor with his progress. He has already gained a pound and is 100% healthy.
I put together a video of the event (thanks to Anthony for the camera work). No worries about graphic violence or nudity – just some nice images from the day with friends and family.
First off, there are a ton more photos in the gallery from Gavin’s birth and a whole new album of his adventures at home. I also thought I would take this time to explain a little of Gavin’s history, or at least that of his name. He was named for my father’s father, Gus (a “G” name). His middle name, Noach, continues with our trend of using our children’s Hebrew names as their middle name. Noach (the Hebrew version of Noah) comes from my mother’s mother’s name, Winifred. There is no Hebrew equivalent for “W”, so we decided to go with the meaning of the name. One of the many meanings of Winifred is peaceful, as is the name Noach. It just kind of worked out this way, but we feel that Gavin Noach Rubin is such a strong name and fitting for our son. Hopefully he will do his great grandparent namesakes well.
So far, Gavin continues to be a fantastic baby. I nearly retracted my earlier statement that he was well behaved after a very restless and cry-filled night, but that seems to have just been an adjustment period. He slept like a champ last night and is continuing to do so tonight as I write this (I’ve got first watch). He is feeding well, which was not the case early on with Faye, and he is very pleasant to be around when he is awake and alert.
His sister continues to impress me with her interest in and love for her brother. She has had some very sweet moments with Gavin and always wants to help out (until he really starts crying). She is doing remarkably well with the 50% drop in parental attention. As always, Faye continues to be a sweetheart. This pic says it all…
I am sure that only gets better!
