Baby Gavin is HERE!

Dear Readers, please "hear" my words with a deep Oprah sort of voice.  It's the voice I use when I am MOST EXCITED!  And why am I excited?  BABY GAVIN IS HERE!  He's out of my mommy's tummy!  He's all cooked!

Gavin Michael was born on May 18th at 3:16 pm.  He was 7 pounds, 6 ounces, and 21 inches long.

For anyone who cares to remember little old me, I was 7 pounds, 12 ounces, and 20 1/4 inches long.  We are comparable sized babies, but for some reason, I went immediately to size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes.  Mommy and Grammy had to buy newborn size diapers and outfits for Gavin!

Gavin's arrival was really quite convenient for me.  Thursday night, Mommy and Daddy hopped in the van and headed to the hopstable.  Grandma was already here to watch me, and it was my bedtime anyway!  Mommy read me some bedtime stories on the porch for a while first, which was really nice.  The next day, I got to play with Grandma and Grandpa.  We went to the Inner Harbor, and I got to ride in a DRAGON BOAT!  I named him Pete.  After we finished our ride in Pete, we went to the hopstable and I got to meet BABY GAVIN!

My reactions to Gavin are as follows:

He's so tiny!  He needs to grow.

I'm still little.  I grow big and big!  I am a big girl.  I'm still little.  (I might be confused).

Gavin doesn't talk!

I need lots of hugs.

Gavin needs to take turns with me so we can both share Mommy, Daddy and Grammy.

I like helping to buckle Gavin into his bassinet/swing/carseat/anything with buckles.

I think his tub should always have water in it, and that my dolls should take precedence for baths, and that I should fit in it too (I don't).

All in all, Gavin is so cute.  I'm very sweet and good with him, and have only had a few extra tears and tantrums.  I'm a big sister!

Busy Bees Bring May Flowers!

Where to begin with this past week?  Chronologically, I suppose!  We were very, very busy bees this week!  Daddy was all over the place early in the week, driving to NYC and Delaware for meetings.  His work ethic pays off, so it's worth a few bedtimes with just Mommy.  Daddy and I went to the park to make up for lost time, and had a lot of fun.  But I had an epic fall on the way home, as a result of Riesling trying to chase a bunny!  Ask to see my battlescar - I'm proud to show it off!  Grandma and I played all day on Thursday, and then Grandma and Mommy went to Babies R Us to pick up a few more things for Baby Gavin (who should be getting here very soon) and some play dresses for me. 

Friday was when the real action got going.  We started early, with a trip to the allergist to see why my nose is always so runny.  The doctor checked Baa's ears first, then mine.  Then a really nice nurse wrote tickly letters all up my arm!  I liked the ABC's on there, but was not a fan of the scratches that followed.  In good news (sorta), I'm not allergic to anything!  I just have a really, really runny nose. 

Friday afternoon, I hung out with Grandma.  Daddy went to work and Mommy went to her 37 week check-up.  THEN Mommy met Daddy at the car dealership to buy me a new car!!  Mom's Honda Civic has been wonderful for the past seven years, but just wasn't big enough for me, Riesling AND baby Gavin.  So they upgraded to a 2010 Honda Odyssey.  I really like it!  I thought they bought the car for me, and was pretty upset when Dad said it was Mommy's car.  Mommy offered to share it, and Daddy promised I can have it when I turn 16!  I can't even count that high yet (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-7)!  After car shopping, we drove up to Hunt Valley to have dinner with Grandma, Pop-pop, Andy and Maria.  I was exceptionally well behaved.  Daddy ordered the 54-piece "love boat" sushi platter, which was really pretty to look at.  I even ate some of the sushi rice!

My Mom's new van

Daddy had to work part of Saturday, so Mom and I drove the new van to pick up my friend Jackson and his parents to go to Derby Day at Pimlico.  There was live music, and food, and horses, and a HUGE field for me and Jackson to run around in.  Obviously, I kicked off my shoes as soon as I could.

Dancing

Daddy met us all there after work, and we had a great time.  I bet on Union Rags, and was disappointed.  But Mommy bet on Bodimeister to show, and won a few dollars!  After we watched the Kentucky Derby (and admired many hats), we skipped back to the van to head home:

Skipping

I was pretty exhausted, so I went to bed as soon as we got home.  I had yet another big day on the horizon and needed my beauty sleep!  Mom woke me up very early on Sunday so I could drive into Baltimore for a morning with Thomas the Tank Engine!!

My BFF Audrey's mom arranged it all, and we went just with our dads.  We had lots of fun, and here are some pictures!

Thomas!

With my BFF

Huggies!

On one of the stationary trains at the B&O Museum
(Daddy says I enjoyed those ones more than the moving Thomas one)

What a busy, but fun weekend!  We are all exhausted, but are back at work and school today.  Looking forward to more adventures this month!

Ice Cream!

I got my very own ice cream cone!  It was delicious, but I mostly liked eating the sprinkles. 

Daddy helped me to finish that HUGE cone of ice cream!  I didn't mind if he took bites, as long as he didn't get any of my SPRINKLES!

April Recap

Laura is as cute as ever.  I hope my recap posts don't get too overshadowed by the arrival of Laura's baby brother in the next few weeks!  Here are a few anecdotes I noted from the month of April:

My waffle wooks wike a boat!  Sure enough, Laura had bitten her waffle into a shape like a sailboat

Potato - play doh

We have been introducing some classical music with iPad apps.  So far, Laura really likes Verdi, but is not a fan of Tchaikovsky!

Laura got to meet her "Uncle Ruscle"

Laura loves playing with her cousin "Jamesman"

My fwends (any child she's playing with whose name she can't remember)

Sings twinkle, rockabye baby, wheels on bus, no more monkeys, Alice the camel

Recites humpty dumpty

Uses "Actually" and "probably" in correct context

Aw! He's so tiny! Laura says this to her dolls (all named Gavin) as she tucks them in and feeds them.  I take this as a great sign for Gavin's impending arrival!

Knows triangle, square, heart and star

Laura scolded me for saying "mm hmm" in answer to her, but has been using both "mm hmm" (affirmative) and mm mm" (negative) ever since.  That is a habit we need to break - I can't tell what she wants half the time!

Maleficent is tired. Needs a nap.  Maleficent (the evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty) probably does need a nap.  She is really cranky!