Doctor's Visit for Big G

Gavin had his four month visit this week.  Four months already! It goes by so fast.  I am still getting used to calling him Gavin.  Every time I type his name or sign it I add a G at the end.  Super embarrassing.  Last weekend we headed to LG to see my folks. It was my Dad's, sister's and Grandma's birthday all last week.  My grandmother is out in Los Angeles for the winter but I was fortunate enough to swing out that way on a business trip a couple of weeks ago so we got to blow out some candles together.  Still frisky, that grandmother of mine.  Both she and my grandfather looked great.  I hope I live that long and if I do I'm that spry.  Anyway I was signing cards for the birthday recipients and putting my words of wisdom in there and then I signed for the family.  I put a G on the end of Gavin singing Gaving. So then I took a shot at turning it into Lucky, which of course and predictably made things much, much worse.  Then I had to write a whole another paragraph explaining how my kid still has that new kid shine on him and I'm not used to his new name. Around these parts he's quietly referred to as junior number two, the other one, the new kid, the baby, that one and the sleeper.  I'm just starting to call him Gavin so I am still practicing signing his name.  Please forgive me sweet little sleeper.  I'm taking one for the team.  Now, I've admitted it for the world to see.  It's official. It's like a giant weight being lifted from my shoulders.  This confession thing totally works.

He went to the doctor and the last couple of nights preceding that, much to our horror, he suddenly stopped sleeping.  It turns out he's got an ear infection.  Now, I don't want to root for an ear infection but it means after some meds he should go back to sleeping well and that's something I'm willing to bake a cake for.  I'm getting too old to go another 2 years of getting 3 hours of sleep a night.  Gavin weighed in at 17 pounds and 6 ounces.  He was measured at 25 3/4 inches.  At the same time Quinny was a little lighter at 16 pounds 13 ounces but much taller at 27 1/4 inches.  Hmm, not sure if Gavin can be an NFL lineman at this stage.  I supposed it may be too early to tell.  With USC continually handing out scholarships to 8th graders we want to make sure we get on their radar soon.  He didn't get his shots because of his illness so he'll be heading back in the coming weeks to get his immunizations.

Quinny continues to make progress on his potty training.  He gets a candy heart or M&M for successfully going potty.  He gets a pretty good kick out of it and comes home after school to let us know how many times he went at school.  "Daddy, daddy I flushed it!"  He has graduated from not only doing some number ones but also knocking out a couple of number twos.  It's a work in progress, but we feel like we are making progress.  Of course we have nothing to base this on but we're proud of our eldest.  Is it possible that he could graduate out of diapers in the next couple of months?

Building a snowman on G'ma's deck

Quinny continues to grow up in other ways as well.  He has a pretty good command of his vocabulary and is very expressive.  You know what he's thinking and although it's sometimes difficult to understand him there is little he can't comprehend or say.  The other morning after waking up he shut his bedroom door and was whispering to Carrie.  Carrie asked why he was whispering and he replied, "Shhhh, mom, I'm hiding from Stinky (Lucky)."  Too cute and I don't know where that came from but we got a big kick out of it.  It's hilarious to hear him yell Stinky. In his outside voice Quinny will scream, "Staaaaaanky SIT DOWN!"  Hilarious!  The dog is always trying to strike an extra treat from him by following him around while he's eating so Quinny and Lucky are always in competition for whatever food Quinny is munching on.

We hit 60 degrees yesterday.  And I give a huge shout to the weather gods.  Needed that.  I don't know how people do it.  Cooped up forever in this state.  I would never make it in prison.  We have plenty of space in our Iowa house but there isn't enough to do.  How many days in a row can you really go ice fishing?  I mean that rhetorically as there isn't any water in this state.  Ha! There are only so many activities you can do inside.  I need to pick up farming.  So yesterday we hung on the porch and grilled a meat feast as an homage to Iowans.  We had brats, burgers, chickens, beans and a couple of brewskies to salute our good sun fortune.  Woke up to the 20s this morning. Ahh, that's another thing I am having difficulty with.  The weather gods jerk you around.  60 today, 20 tomorrow.  Sheesh.  You have to have some tough skin around here. 

Here are a few pics from last weekend in Wisco, home of the Super Bowl Champion Packers and a whole lot of snow.

Potty Training Part II

A true fan from birth

Woke up this morning to that sweet alarm of Quinny screaming, "DAD! DADDY!"  I was out cold and sound asleep so it took me a while to figure out what that noise was.  Oh, right my kids.  I have kids.  I walk into his room totally in a daze wondering what the matter is and I find my son buck neked holding his diaper.  Um, what's going on here?  Is there a chick hiding in the closet I need to be concerned with? Apparently, with all this potty training going on, which is going exceptionally well, he has learned to get down and dirty quite quickly including losing his diaper. 

A little mac here, a little mac there, Doh'!

Either the potty training or the nervousness surrounding the big game created a total nudie party in Quinny's crib.  I don't judge, I just report.  I don't want to brag about the genius priorities of my children but while he's doing his naked dance there was a constant "Go PACK Go" chant.  And, obviously you can't aruge with America's team.  No, you aren't hearing me.  You can't argue with America's team.  We won the Super Bowl and Lombardi's trophy is coming home.  That's 4 Super Bowls (I, II, XXXVI, XLV) and 9 NFL Championships bringing Title Town's total to (love that use of alliteration) 13.  Seriously, we're good and have been for a long time.  You wish don't you?  Well, that's a shame.  All you need to do to enjoy the festivities is don your favorite cheese (on your head) and stuff a barturst in your face while holding a minimum of a tall boy of local brew.  Those aren't just for bowling dontchayaknow.

On top of Captain nudity, Quinny also restyled his lovely Clay Matthews locks with the help of a little Mac N' Cheese.  Oh, the power of cheese.  I can't tell if this kid has the talent of a model or that of an NFL player.  Should he kill people with bone crunching blows during Sunday afternoons or show your soft side with that Suave hair during the week?  Either way I see a lucrative hair career.  Who knew?

The sweet Mac gel hair

Junior is getting so grown up we bought him a stool so he can wash his hands easier.  Big mistake.  No, strike that, HUGE mistake.  This kid has this stool MacGuyver'ed to his belt.  Everywhere he goes he takes it. Due to the Valentine season there are a lot of Valentine hearts floating around so every time he successfully wazzers in the potty he gets a heart.  We, being solid parents of the 2011's, hid said hearts in the upper cabinets of our bathroom.  One would think a two year old could not venture into a second story parental bathroom.  That hunting adage of assuming making an a** out of U and me is coming true.  It's a safe place to stash your candy right?  No, Sherlock Quinny and Gavin Holmes were on the case. I jump in the shower and Carrie is in the kitchen.  In the four minutes flat it takes me to clean up he's chowed down the whole bag and in straight up sugar high heaven.  The whole bag. Oh, Sherlock is quite proud of himself too.  Look at me!?!  I wazzered one time, daddy took a shower and I ate the whole bag! I don't have to wazzer again for like a week daddy!  Yeah! Daddy you proud of Quinny? Actually, I am  but I won't admit that until you are old enough to read this.

Ah, kids, you just can't help yourself.  Actually, yes.  I can't admit it, especially in front of your mother, but shhhh yes that was awesome.  You're so awesome.  Now, get out of here before you get me in trouble too!

A couple of champs!

The Potty Training

Today I’m flying through three time zones, one “blizzard of the decade” and if all goes according to plan landing in sunny San Diego.   Making this snow storm the blizzard of the decade shouldn’t be too difficult considering this decade is a whopping 32 days young, but still it seems like a scary time to board an aircraft (without skis) and a good time to skip town at the same time.  To be fair to the wife we hired a snow plow for the week.   I know and it’s not even Valentine’s Day yet.

We are in full fledged potty training mode at the house with Quinny.  One would think this is a spectacular time to be a parent.  The thought of no more diapers, for one child anyway, is a dream among dreams.  Watching your son sit down on the can in his very own office for the first time, book in hand, enjoying the almost solitude and quiet of being on your very own throne is certainly a thrill – at least for this dad, but it’s extremely time consuming.  Who knew?  I can change a diaper in 45-60 seconds.  It’s like roping a calf.  You feel like someone’s timing you and you have a shot at winning that oversized belt buckle.  Taking this kid to the WC every five minutes, mostly because it’s so cool to pee in the big boy potty, even if it’s a little squirt or two and takes 9 minutes to get one little millimeter of pee out and then strap on a diaper anyway takes up a lot of your precious time.  I don’t have the paper.  He does. I’m told it gets better when your child starts going number two and ends by saying, “Daddy! Daddy! I’m done.  You can wipe me now!”  I’m sorry, what?  Suddenly all those checks to daycare are starting to make sense.  Right, we’re paying for your time and patience. 

Our son is officially using the potty daily and multiple times a day.  I’m not sure if we are cutting down on diapers or changing them less often but we are clearly working towards diaper freedom.  It’s almost an overwhelming thought to have.  Could we really have a child that doesn’t need to be changed? This is like finding out you are going to sleep past 4 am again.  You just don’t want to jinx it.  I don’t know what happened, who did it or why but let’s just keep on truckin' toward tinkle autonomy.

While Quinny is learning how to cope with a diaper free existence Gavin is yapping away.  He just coos and coos all day long.  He’s having his own little party.  We’ve filmed several sessions.  He can keep it up for a long time and it’s really relaxing to listen to.  It’s sort of like a body of water.  When you see an ocean or lake coming up on the horizon and can hear the gentle calming nature of the waves lapping at the shoreline it immediately relaxes you.  Gavin cooing takes all the stress out of your life and plants a smile on your face in its place.  It’s such a short phase, so we are tyring to capture the moments as often as we can so we have a record of it.

Gavin is also working on his tummy time.  The ladies at daycare say he’s not very good at it.  He doesn’t have a very long neck so it’s hard for him to pick his head up.  I wonder if this is a product of being breached.  It took Quentin almost a year to get rid of his clubbed foot that was folded up weird in the womb so hopefully in time he grows one.  Well, that or takes an interest in bodybuilding.   We caught him almost rolling over the other day.  He can get up on his side but can’t quite get over the hump.  I know Quentin was rolling over at a young age, but don’t’ remember exactly when.  Gavin continues to put on the weight and should have another doctor's visit soon.  They really do grow up so fast.

Time is really moving along.  We’ve been in Cedar Rapids almost 6 months now.  Strangely it’s still winter.  I know we are acclimating because the temperature was about 27 degrees this week and I was thinking I didn’t need to wear a coat.  That’s just scary.  Carrie and I are coming up on our fourth wedding anniversary already.  Four years, two kids.  I guess that means we have at least two more years before we are required to have a third.  No pics today - sorry!  I don't have access being on the road.