Easter Photo Shoot

We took the kids out to get some pictures of them in their Easter outfits. We weren't really sure how it was going to work out with 2 kids! It's always fun trying to get them both at their happiest times at the same time... Rachel played it up, of course and Gavin just kind of sat there like he usually does. I did have to feed him in the middle of the shoot, but it worked out pretty well, I think!

Meeting Family

Here are a bunch of pictures of family meeting Gavin!

Aunt Kim

Uncle Brent

Uncle Brent and Cousin Blake

Blake and Mimi

Alli loves giving Gavin kisses and patting his head!

Taking a nap with Great-Grandpa DeLaughter

Two cute little girls!

Kim was at a party at Blake's pre-school, so we watched Alli and took a walk down to the river

Uncle Rod and Grandpa Nieter came down to visit for a long weekend.  I thought I had pictures of each of them with Gavin, but I can't find them-oops!  (If anyone has any- I'd love to have them!)

 I did find pictures of Grandpa with this baby

Grandpa, Dad, Uncle Rod and Dustin went to visit the Star one afternoon.

Gavin's Dedication

I love the way that Parkway does Child dedications!  They call each family up to the stage and give a charge to both the family as well as the church family to help raise the children up to be godly people.  Pastor John then holds each child, dedicates them in the name of the Father, and gives them a kiss on the head.  He is such a sweet and caring pastor!  

So glad that both sets of grandparents were there for Gavin's dedication!

   

10 Years

I can't believe that Dustin and I have been together for 10 years- a third of my life!

It all began the first day back at school for the Spring semester. We had a pizza party to welcome everyone back for the semester for band, and everyone was catching up from all that had happened over Christmas break. There were these two new guys who had transfered to Liberty and didn't have anyone to catch up with. So I introduced myself and we all hung out for the night. Dustin and I figured out that our dorms were pretty close to each other, so I made sure that we walked back together. It was dark and I didn't want to go back by myself... not too many people were back on campus. I told him he could stop at his dorm since mine was just a little further, but he, being the gentleman that he is, told me he'd walk me all the way! I'm pretty sure I never walked back alone after that night (except maybe the times we were pushing curfew and had to park in some far off place in "the pit"). Over the next few weeks we went to movies, basketball games, church, and dinner in groups together. Then around Valentine's Day, Dustin's prayer group was going to do some sort of thing and they said that everyone had to bring a date. So he asked me to go and I said sure. Whatever it was, that was being planned ended up being cancelled, but I'm sure we went out anyway.

The weekend before spring break, Dustin went home for the weekend and I'm pretty sure I walked around like a lost puppy, even though we weren't actually dating yet. I waited by my computer, watching my IM screen for him to come back, but he didn't get on that night. But the next day, when I saw him, the hug that he gave me was just a little different- not the side-hug, hey buddy hug that just friends get.

The band always went on a recruiting tour over Spring break, so we were the last ones to leave campus. The night before we left, the two of us and the other new guy from that semester went to a movie (Jarrod told us later that he felt like such a third wheel- we still weren't officially together yet though). Then I was talking to my friend Libby and she was sure that we were dating, but I assured her that we were just friends and did a lot of stuff together, that was all. Well, we happened to sit by each other on the bus heading off. One of the days we spent 11 hours on the bus traveling to Miami and we talked the whole way. I think at one point we were the only ones awake. It was so nice to be able to do that. So we ended up holding hands on the bus, but I didn't want to start dating then and have it be considered "bus love."

So we got back and continued our non-dating, but dating relationship. We had our first kiss in the pit parking lot, which was so exciting . Finally we made a date to have "the talk" at a local park. And shocker, it rained that day! So we sat in the car and decided that yes, we were a couple- and we did absolutely nothing different, we just finally had the title.

He came home with me for Easter that year and we went to the beach for the afternoon. It was there that he told me that he loved me for the first time. Unfortunately, I told him that I wasn't ready to say it back yet. So he didn't tell me again until we left for Summer break, when I finally told him, too. That summer was pretty tough, but I realized over those few months that I found the man I was going to marry. We dated for another year and a half before we got engaged and another 15 months before we got married. (But those are stories for another time)

Since then, we've grown so close and made so many great memories. I can't wait for all that's to come in the next decades.

I love you, Dustin!

Shower for Gavin

I am so blessed to have such a thoughtful sister-in-law!  Kim wanted to give Gavin a shower, so she threw one for us after he was born.  We all went to Olive Garden for dinner and had a wonderful time of fellowship over dinner, cupcakes, and gifts.  Of course Gavin decides to have his fussy time right around dinner, but luckily there were so many moms and grandmas there I was actually able to eat and open gifts without worry!  

Kim made wonderful cupcakes for dessert!

 Nana's cross-stitch that she made for Gavin with his birthdate, weight, etc. on it!

 Me, Kim, Nana, Gavin and Mom

Me, Nana, Gavin and Mom

So glad for everyone that was able to come... oops, I don't have any pictures of them!

Gavin's check up

Gavin had his one month check-up today, a little late, but oh well! He did great! He weights 9 lbs, 5 oz- 31%, He's 22 in- 49%, and his head is 15 1/4cm- 51%. He only had to get one shot and only cried for a minute. He's such a trooper!

It was so nice to not have the doctor try and talk me into waking my child up to eat every 3 hours at night like he did with Rachel! Gavin has been sleeping one 5-6 hour stretch for the last two nights- I'll take it.

Gavin's first trip to Chesapeake

My mom's parents made a trip down to Chesapeake to visit for a few weeks. (More pictures of them later) Since Dustin is back at work and I'm still on maternity leave, mom came up here and picked me up to take me back to Chesapeake for the week. Dustin had something to do each night this week, so it was perfect timing. It was also only a four day work week for him, so he was able to come over late Thursday night (after another meeting) and spend the weekend, too!

Rachel LOVES dancing!

This poor dog puts up with so much!

It just so happened that Blake's birthday was the same week! So we went to Kim's parents house for his birthday party Friday night. It's always nice to get together with everyone!

My brother, Brent, used to run cross country in high school and I (almost always) loved watching him run. He now heads up the running club at his school and got 70+ middle schoolers to run the Shamrock 8K! So we loaded up the kids and watched him run while encouraging his kids- he's a pretty great guy!

Gavin was really excited the whole time!

My Favorite Little Boy

Gavin is growing more and more every day and I'm doing my best to take it all in...

~He now eats 4 ounces every 4 hours

~He is a messy eater... on second thought he may only eat 3 ounces!

~He is starting to coo more now, instead of just grunt and make snorting noises

~He sleeps very well at night, usually giving us at least one 5 to 5 1/2 hour stretch once and at least 4 to 4 1/2 hours right after that... I'll take it! Now if we can just figure out the best time to start that first stretch and how to time it out to start it the same time each night

~He is smiling now- not all the time, but it's definitely intentional!

~He doesn't need to be rocked to sleep, so I can just lay him down at night and he puts himself out... so nice! Of course when there's a lot going on (like Rachel playing in the same room) then he doesn't sleep quite as well

~He tracks us or toys

~Music really gets his attention and he turns to see where it is coming from

~He has a doctors appointment on Thursday, so I don't know exactly how much he weighs, but I know that he's growing well and getting bigger!

~He has a fussy time in the early evening- right around dinner- ugg- but other than that, he doesn't seem to have any tummy issues, thank goodness!

My Favorite Little Girl

Rachel is becoming such a little girl now and has so much personality!

I can't believe how much she's grown up!

~She talks non-stop in the car, and about everything. She tells us when there are trees, she counts the cars... "One, two, free, four... there's nother one, I see it... One, two..."

~She loves going through tunnels, otherwise known as overpasses...

~She waits to pass the "castle" when we drive pass downtown (the big catholic church that really does look like a castle)

~She tells Gavin "It's OK, Gavin, it's OK" getting louder each time when he cries

~She LOVES Zoe! She will give her hugs and kisses and they chase each other around the house. The poor dog even puts up with being fed tea from her play cups!

~She loves her some-stick, also known as chapstick, and has to put it on every night before bed

~She will let you know if she has a boo-boo and asks for a kiss to make it better

~She is also doing great with being potty trained! We were a little worried about her after Gavin was born, but she did not regress at all. She wears a pull-up during nap time and at night and if we take a long trip, but other than that it's big girl underwear all the way. She doesn't even need gummies as a reward anymore!

~She gives hugs and kisses and says that she loves us without us prompting her, and that makes my day!

~She says that things are "so cool" and "so cute"

~She loves having her hair in piggies... I'm going to miss doing her hair when I have to go back to work :(

~She says "Muskee" instead of excuse me, and "Ness" instead of Yes

~She is such a little Mommy- she changes diapers on her baby dolls and has to get a tissue to "wipe it" when her baby is "so stanky" (and yes, she says stAnky- don't know where she got that!)

~She is a GREAT big sister! Rachel loves her little brother and my heart melts every night when she gives him a kiss and says "I wuv you, Gabin" before she goes to bed. She hasn't asked us to take him back, and hasn't been too jealous

~She loves her daddy! She misses him so much when he's gone (see previous post about Daddy's Band) and she walks around with her phone and talks to him. And of course when they are together, she wrestles with him and yells from upstairs for him to carry her down the steps, and take her out to go swing, and simply has him wrapped around her little finger!

Watching Daddy's Band

Rachel loves watching Daddy's Band! Last weekend was concert festival. So Dustin took his top band to Lynchburg College to play, where they got judged and graded. For the second year in a row, the concert was streamed, so we were able to watch the concert from home! It's too hard to keep Rachel quiet during concerts, especially one where they would be graded! So we sat at the table and watched Daddy's band play and she was so excited to hear them. She loved listening to the dynamics and even clapped at the end of songs. Yes, she said "shh, quiet" in the middle of the video... not that I've ever had to tell her that in a concert before!

Of course it broke my heart when the band was done playing and I closed the computer and she cried (not just a little... she screamed) because she wanted her Daddy back. I have to be honest, I teared up too as she sat in my lap and cried for him.

We are so proud of him- they got the highest rating possible!

Snow Day!

This year was kind of a bum one for snow days, and by kind of, I mean we didn't get hardly any snow at all! The weather was just crazy enough a few weeks ago to cancel school for a day though. On Saturday it was about 60, then it started snowing on Sunday, we got about 5-6" that stuck- enough to cancel school on Monday, then it was all gone by Monday night. We were happy that school was cancelled though, because it was supposed to be Dustin's first day back! So happy to have the extra day with him.

Rachel and Daddy had a good time in the morning on Monday sledding down our little hill in the back yard while Gavin and I enjoyed the warm house! Oh, Zoe was enjoying herself too.