A year later our little guy really grew in so many ways. He began talking early, but didn't say much that anyone except Mommy could understand. He had the sweetest voice. I still love listening to old recordings or videos of him talking at this age. After his first birthday he learned all his colors, animal sounds, some letters (he could sing his ABCs), and started some counting. He was still crawling at his first birthday, but began to walk at about 16.5 months. He was ready to get out of his crib at about 18 months, so he started sleeping on a mattress on the floor at that point. He did very well and always stayed in his bed until Mommy came to get him in the morning. As you can see, he was the kind of little boy who could put a smile on anyone's face!
And on came the twos. This photo sums up his budding personality. He is a ham and gets all the lady's attention wherever he goes. His hair finally grew in REALLY thick and he has curls all over, but especially in the back. While there are moments in the twos that can be terrible, he was a pretty easy going guy. He did start the Jack-in-the-Box game at bedtime for quite a few months. This was hard because Mommy was pregnant with baby #2 during this time. He enjoyed getting up out of his bed, but outgrew that not too long after his little sister joined our family. He loved tractors, forklifts, trailers, and just about any other type of vehicle at this age.
And that explains this picture at his 3rd birthday. He had a tractor party at Kiddie Acres. As you can see he likes boots and tractors. :) This picture brings back so many memories and it reminds me of his sweet and gentle personality. When there is a lot of excitement around him he tends to be an introvert. While he joins the fun, he is very quite and very observant of what is going on around him. You usually cannot tell just how much fun he is having because he's so calm and serious. A week or so later he will jibber jabber your ear off telling you all about the fun things he did weeks ago. It makes me feel, or hope, he will have a good head on his shoulders. I think he will be very thoughtful in his decision making through his life, or so I hope that is the case, especially as he grows into a man. During his 3rd year he really began to love bikes, dressing up/role playing, and being outside. He especially enjoys "digging for dinosaur bones" and snail shells in the dirt pile in our backyard.
And that brings me to today. My little teeny baby is growing up so quickly. He says please, thank you, and he loves on his sister like she's the best thing since cowboy boots. He tells me he loves me, he hugs me and kisses me, and he wants me to hold him and read to him any time of day. He loves it when I lie with him in his bed and cuddle and he comes to my room when he has scary dreams. He is going through a character phase where he likes Toy Story, Cars, Diego, and Dora even though he hardly watches TV. He rarely to never asks to watch TV, but he is drawn to these characters. He still loves to dig. He's in the backyard right now digging in his new explorer vest with his explorer tools and Diego rescue pack. He's independent and I can rely on him for almost anything. He brushes his own teeth in the morning (when I ask), he gets himself dressed, he asks to make his own food, he'll get me a diaper, clean up his room, make his bed, wipe his face, scrape his plate clean and put it in the sink, and the list goes on. It is AMAZING how much things change during year 3. He is the BEST oldest sibling I could have ever asked for and more. He loves to read, loves to be read to, loves to practice "school", loves to teach his sister, he is a learner and an enthusiastic one at that. I learn from him every day and he makes me want to grow into a better mommy, a better me. I pray that I can live up to the person he sees me as in this moment. I hope that when he's older he'll look back and all of what he thinks of me will be as highly as I think of him. Happy 4th birthday, Gavin. I hope that we have many more years to grow and learn together in our family!
