Turning Pinterest into Action!

For those of you who have heard about it, started to dip your toe into the world of Pinterest, or have been spending way to much time on the site, I too have been pinning away for the last couple of months.  It's a wonderful escape into a pictorial fantasy of what you wish your world looked like.  I finally decided to make it more than an escape and turn it into the inspiration that I intended it to be! 

Here is the first try...

Below is the "Pin" that I put on my "Boys are Bored Indoors" board:

Here's our attempt at putting the inspiration into action!

 Ingredients, Tray to mix with, whole milk (any milk will do, but whole was reported to work better), a container to hold dish soap, food coloring, and a stick to mix with.

 Lactaid is unnecessary ;)

 Pour the whole milk into the tray.  Then place a couple of drops of the food coloring into the tray.

 Dip your stick or toothpick into the dish soap.  Then proceed to mix the milk paint with the stick.

 The food coloring will dart away from the stick, having a magical effect.

As I learned in our Building Blocks Cooperative Preschool though, sometimes they find something completely different exciting about the process.  Ethan's favorite part? Dropping the sticks in and fishing them out!

And making bubbles! 

 I have to keep reminding myself "Process over product, process over product." That's how my preschooler learns.  It's a little easier for this perfectionist when it's a product that will be dumped down the sink instead of hung on the wall, but still hard!

Two Months Large and in Charge

As I shared before, every month we're taking photos of Gavin on the 14th (the day he was born) with the same teddy bear on the same chair.  By using these constants, we can compare his growth and developments.  So here we are with month two! (Note, this was taken on February 14th, but I've been a bit busy to post them... he's even bigger now!)

Stats:

Weight: 11lbs 3 oz (gained 5lbs and 10 oz since birthweight of 5lbs 9oz)

YES! THAT MEANS HE DOUBLED HIS WEIGHT IN TWO MONTHS!!!

Height: 23.5 inches (grew 5 inches since birth!)

This month, Gavin's eyes have really popped open, spending at least a couple hours awake at a time, during the DAY!  He is starting to look more and more like a brunette version of his big brother.  His eyes are turning more blue and his arm and leg movements have become more smooth. He holds his head steady and sometimes pushes his whole chest off the floor with his arms. He developed a little herniated belly button, which you can see here.  It's a typical development for an early baby, not a concern, and it's already started to reverse on it's own so you'll see less in his March pictures.

Just chillin' with my bear.

Speaking of the bear, compare month one and two below... he used to be the size of the bear, if not smaller!

You ready to look as surprised as Gavin? At his two month old appointment, the doctor put him down on the table belly down.  Gavin kept his chest and head off the table and ... ROLLED OVER!   What?!  As the doctor said, "You're in trouble Mommy!"  I agree!

Gavin's First Words?

ALL day long Ethan hugs and kisses Gavin.  I'm not exaggerating.  If Gavin is in another room napping, Ethan gets upset and begs, "Wake Gavin!? I want to hug him! Pleeeeeeaaaaaaase!"  He literally kisses him at least 100 times a day. 

I asked him today, "What do you think Gavin's first words will be?" Without skipping a beat he replied,  "I love you Ethan!"

It might be, "Hey bro, give a guy some space" but I like his answer better.

"Gavin the Graduate"

Happy one month birthday to our youngest son, Gavin!  

A good friend, Marci, handmade Gavin the onsie he's wearing, which says, "Gavin the Graduate" with an inscription on his tushie, 12-21-11. 

That date marks the day he came home from the NICU, passing that first test life gave him and graduating to the next step of coming home.

Today he graduated again, from the third trimester! Born one month early, today he is the age he should have been to be... born!  Only now should he have started his life outside the womb.  

But he lives life on his own terms it appears and we've been blessed to hold him in our arms and love him on the outside instead.  Since coming home three weeks ago, he has grown a full inch and added TWO POUNDS to his 5lb 9oz birth weight!  

Each month I'm going to be taking a picture of him in this same chair with the same teddy bear.  The bear is about his size and the chair is way too big for him. Over time, we should be able to watch the differences month to month by comparing him to the two!

"Hugs Mommy!" 

(Okay, maybe it's "Enough of this photoshoot"! Or, just the startle reflex.  But I'll go with the hugs theory.)

Fantastic time with my fantastic family of four!

With Gavin being born early with a stay in the NICU, he and I have been secluding ourselves at home working hard to protect him from any outside germs or the elements.  Well he is three and a half weeks old, growing stronger every day (gained 1lb and 3/4ths an inch in the first two weeks home!!), and both of us (especially Gavin) have been suffering from cabin fever!  Today was a rare 60 degrees outside and we decided it was finally time to go for a family outing!  Admittedly, it was pretty conservative.  A walk to our Towncenter and a couple stops at small places without crowds where we could keep Gavin away from others.  But still, we got out together- and it was a blast!

 We assembled the stroller as a double for the first time and took a walk as a family of four.

 Our Towncenter has installed a full, real ice, ice skating rink.  

 Me and my boys.

 Gavin's first day out without it being a doctor's visit!

 We thought Ethan might be down for a professional haircut as he showed interest when Daddy got one with him earlier today.  That interest quickly waned and you'll find no more photos.  Our hands were busy wiping tears instead of clicking the camera.

 To forget about the haircut incident, we walked to our favorite pizza place. Both Gavin and Ethan are basically built from this pizza as I ate it throughout both pregnancies... a lot.  Gavin's first restaurant visit too! (At the most secluded table of course).

Ethan gobbled the pizza... and itched his neck the whole time.  

Fantastic time with my fantastic family of four!

When the clock strikes midnight...

A certain little night owl awakens!  He is the most alert all day (or night) after midnight!  It's almost creepy to see his large dark eyes WIDE open looking up at me in the dark when they are shut most of the day.

When the sun comes up in the morning, the yawns and shut eyes return.   This is about to be a little less cute once Daddy goes back to work and I have to be up with one son all night and up with the other son all day.  We're working on it, wish me luck...

And yes, this post is written at 1:45am, I'm now wide awake too.

Ethan's Daddycation

Chris is on leave from work after Gavin's birth and has been dedicating himself to being Super Dad, particularly to Ethan while I focus on Gavin's needs (I've cornered the market on Gavin's food supply).  Chris' patience and creativity have been remarkable and he's been maximizing every single day with his little redhead!

Today they took a trip into DC to play football by the monuments.

Here are some highlights of them playing on the Washington Mall and the Ellipse by the White House.

And yesterday he took him to his fourth GWU basketball game this season!  Think this picture will seal his admission into GW?

Best father (and husband). Ever.