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.