Big One, Big Fun!

We celebrated Gavin's first birthday party on April 24, 2010. The forcastors called for some bad storms, but through God's good grace, they held out:) We had family and close friends join us. We served portillo's beef sandwiches and hotdogs and a bunch of homemade sides...yum! The cake was decorated like the invites with cute bugs, and was by far the best cake I have ever eaten!! Gavin must have thought so too, because he tore that bad boy up! It was awesome. I don't think there was any part of that cake left intact at the end of it. The kids played at the centers mommy created and had the choice to make a rock bug, a bug box and find hidden bugs in the grass with the bug tongs supplied, and create a mud cup.
Our little guy is getting so big these days. He has a good five to seven teeth....I can't get in there much to feel around without him screaming or biting down, so I'm more than happy with guessing! Not only does he eat all sorts of table foods, but he does a great job of using a fork and a spoon! He mimics a lot of what big brother does. He carries on little mumbles of conversations with us, understands no and will even shake his head yes when asked if he wants something. He knows where his belly, eyes, teeth and ears are located, and can say/repeat about 20 words currently.
Easton is the big boy around the house, but doesn't always like to be. It is hard, because sometimes I wonder if we are expecting too much of him. He is looking forward to mommy being off of school, and all of the fun things we talk about doing this summer. He is becoming an adventurist! He took to the powerwheels jeep like nothing, zooming in between mommy and daddy's car without so much as a flinch. Can't say we are not flinching!
Baby #3 is growing nicely! We just last week had our 5 month ultra sound, and from what we saw, everything with the heart looks good! It is a beautiful baby and it's profile looks so much like Gavin's ultrasound profile! Wonder if they will resemble each other?? Only time will tell!!

Happy First Birthday Gavin!

After about 8 hours of actual labor, and one false trip to the hospital the previous day, Gavin Michael Toso was born at 12:35 a.m. 6 lbs. 9 oz. and 21.5 inches long.

On Friday, April 16th we hung out a bit with Grandma and Grandpa in the hospital. Once they left, daddy and I hung out and talked about what you would look like, how Easton would be when he saw you and at what time we thought you'd come. I can remember around 7:30 or so, the doctor came in and broke my water. Things progressed pretty fast from there. At around 11:30 the nurses began to set up for the doctor, and I couldn't control the excitement I felt. It was overwhelming. I could read it on daddy's face too! You were our first baby to be delivered this way! The doctor came in at 12:00 and by 12:35 you were out and in my arms! The feeling that I had from the delivery, the accomplishment that was made, and not only the fact that you were here, brought tears. I whispered in your ear, "Even though your entrance into this world might not have been as exciting and emergency like as your brothers, your birth was special for it's own reasons". (little did I know what your body had in store for us!)
The next morning, daddy came back with flowers and a scared big brother. Easton didn't know what to expect. I remember him peaking from behind the curtain and running back to the door. It took a little coaxing, but he finally came in. We could tell he was in awe of this little thing. He looked at your toes, your hands and touched your cheek like daddy does to his boys, and smiled up at me. He was proud and accepted God's gift. Then he asked where his present was.

Our doctors told us you had a murmur, but not to worry, because a lot of babies are born with one. We will never believe that statement again:)
Happy birthday little bug! I can't wait for you to show us all that you can be!

Part 2 of 3!

I started today, one year ago, waking with a little bit of sadness. Labor hadn't progressed and my contractions weren't getting closer. It didn't look like you were ready. The nurses throughout the night would come in and tell me what a wonderful strong person I was for attempting this VBAC with you and to not give up. Some even woke me to talk with me about my VBAC decision and how excited they were to be apart of it.....felt a little like a celebrity....(tired and wishing for some rest:)) Sometime in the early morning, our doctor came in and said, "Well kid, nothings happening. What are we gonna do about this?" He had been pushing c-section the whole pregnancy. I told him that we were going to go home and wait this out. He wasn't to happy, and told me I was stubborn like my mother(he was the doctor who delivered me). We were signed out shortly thereafter, and I said I would not be returning until it was absolutely necessary. I was starving!! I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast the previous day, and for me, that's a big deal. I called grandma and grandpa and had them bring Easton to meet daddy and I at Crispy Waffle, where I think I ate enough for 4 grown men! My contractions continued, but a good five to 10 min apart. After getting home, they slowing gained intensity. I remember thinking, "Wow. These aren't like the ones I had yesterday". Daddy was washing the car and Easton and mommy were playing with the neighbor girls and their mommy. It was a beautiful day. Around 1:00, (and after I ate a good lunch!) I told daddy I could NOT go any longer. We got some things together and left Easton with the neighbors. I was finally experiencing real labor pains, and regretted saying, "bring it on" the previous day. I didn't want what was brought! The nurses at the hospital got a kick out of me returning and remembered me as the speed walker. They said they could tell I was more in labor today than yesterday. By 3:00 we were progressing and things were looking hopeful! (to be continued)

How I've Changed!

Remembering the Past Year

Daddy text me this afternoon and asked if I remembered where I was at that particular time one year ago today. I had to laugh, because there is no way of forgetting those memories. I started the day today with a picture with my best friend Bridget. I remember telling her that something felt different today and I thought I was going to go into labor. I was so excited and spent the day at school with a big smile on my face! At my 1:00 doctors appointment, the doctor said that I was having contractions and that I needed to head to the hospital soon, because they were pretty close together. I didn't feel much, and I thought these contractions were a piece of cake! I came home and gave daddy the news, and he was stunned and a silly smile came across his face. He was just as excited to meet his boy as mommy. At the hospital I was hooked up to machines and monitored. Unfortunately, the contractions slowed and my labor stopped progressing. I walked the halls all night trying to get them back, but you weren't ready. Thursday morning I asked to go home. I was starving! Grandma and Grandpa brought Easton to meet daddy and I at Crispy Waffle where I think I ate enough for four grown men! .....to be continued:)

Our Little Helper

11 for Gav and 3.5 for Mommy!

It is almost impossible for us to believe that Gavin will be turning one next month! It seems that with each child you add, the rate of time doubles! I can’t say we haven’t enjoyed this past year, and can’t wait for next month when we can relive it.
Gavin is just at the point where we can say he is officially walking! He is choosing more and more to walk instead of crawl and can stand from a crawling or sitting position without holding onto anything. He is SO proud of himself and starts clapping as he is walking, congratulating himself early. It is fun getting Easton involved in the process. At times, he feels a little put off at his brother’s milestones, but we try to recognize this and find something he does well, and applaud it. Gavin’s talking is turning into continual jibber jabber, and one of our favorite things to do is to see how long we can carry on a conversation with him. He is most talkative during meals….as is mommy and Easton, because even though they don’t look like her, both her boys enjoy food and eating constantly just like her (not so good for our budget). Gavin is doing a great job using his hands to feed himself, and prefers it to the mashed, spoon fed option. He is also drinking from a Sippy cup. Just like Easton at this age, Gav is in love with his dada, and bounces and grunts when daddy pulls into the drive. He says, “hi dada” .
Easton is our little charmer. I say this often, but his genuine personality is something we are so proud to have in our child. He constantly tells us he loves us, that I am beautiful (except if I have my hair in a bun. He then says that I look kinda bad), daddy makes the most awesome pizzas and asks how our day is. He is a please and thank you man, and cleans up his area after dinner, making sure to scrape his plate in the garbage before putting it into the sink. He learned this all by watching, because it is honestly not something we taught him (although I don’t mind and do take the credit when we are complimented). As of right now, Easton is into dramatic play and make believe, and loves for his mommy to be the princess in distress. He continues to be a great big brother, and helper. He has mastered holding down his own wiener when he pees (yippee!!)! As odd as it sounds, he has been potty trained for a year, but that thing had a mind of its own, and could not be controlled whenever he peed. He has finally mastered the hose and no longer needs mom or dad
We are excited to say that our family is growing! We are due with baby #3 this September! We always say that when we look at our dinner table, it always seems as though it’s not as full as we would like it to be Wonder when…or if that feeling will change!

First (two) Steps!!!!

Gavin took his first two steps unassisted today in front of mommy, daddy, Easton and Grandpa!!!! Way to go Gavin!! Not surprised too much, as he is the strongest most determined baby I have ever seen (not to put you aside eman, you have qualities that make you just as amazing). I can't wait to see how he starts taking off from here:)

Gavin turns 9 months!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked at our blog and saw that the last time I posted was in early November! There is so much going on, that it seems that I will never have time to get to these little things that someday are going to mean so much to me. It makes me glad I have boys:) If I had girls, I could guarantee they would scrutinize how often mommy wrote on each one. SO much has been going on with our little guys, who are not so little anymore. At Gavin's 9 month check up, he weighed 18 lbs, and is 85 % for height, and 50% for his head and weight. The doctor told us he already has an advanced vocabulary, but then turned and looked at the chatterbox in the corner, and said he could see why:) Gavin has 9 or 10 words he can say( obviously not perfectly, but understandable). Brabra(brother), mama, dada, nana(banana), tht(light), eta(easton), ma (more), baba, di (diaper). He is all over the place, and has got to start walking any day now...we are excitedly awaiting that. We think it will be the cutest thing to see him chasing after his brother. Gavin is an awesome baby. We have been blessed, because just like Easton, he is a calm and even mannered baby. He plays well on his own and with Easton, although he loves to shake the bologna out of train tables, firehouses, whatever those hands can touch! Gavin loves to smile, be lovied, and has a very jealous side. He does not like it when mommy holds Easton, or when Grammy holds Gavin's cousin Lilliana. Gavin is working at eating some table foods and with the four or so teeth he has, he is doing well! Easton is amazing in his own way as well. He has the kindest heart I have ever seen in a child. Sometimes to nice, but what can you do. He is quite the big brother, and has taken on a whole new role of big helper around our house. We are very proud of him. We recently took Easton to view preschools for the fall. It blows my mind that we are there already. He will have a hard time going. He already tells me he doesn't want to leave me. He is very needy and emotional about things, but it is what makes him Easton. It will be a difficult transition for all of us, but it will also be something I will smile about in 5 years when I think about it.

Back to Work and Reality

Wow, I had it good being off! Cleaning and cooking and time with my kids were manageable, and I even found time in my day for some mommy time. Now, if I stay up till 10:00 or 11:00, my chores are done and I can get some me time around then. Me time consists of me, my pillow and my mattress all wrapped up into one cozy ball!
In general, thing have been crazy around our house, but we couldn’t love it more. The swine flu made its way through the family, luckily missing Gavin. He was put on the medication along with the rest of us so he wouldn’t be vulnerable.
Easton has adjusted much better to mommy being at work this time around. He does have his moments, but they are nothing compared to last year! Easton is very passionate, genuine and needy all at the same time. He wants to be home and he wants to be around his family. He likes to be held and cuddled (although he gets hot quickly and cuddling doesn’t last long) and kept close. He is a homebody, but so are Shawn and I. He loves to talk, and can fill up a 45 minute car ride with no problem! He just wants to know everything! He is a great big brother and very protective of Gavin. I can't set him on the floor or give him a bath without Easton making sure I'm watching or supporting him enough. Easton allows Gavin to climb on him and grab at his hair and face without too much of a problem or fuss. He says he is ready for another brother, and doesn't want any girls.
Gavin is doing really well to. He doesn’t even know I’m gone! I enjoy coming home though, because as soon as he hears my voice, he squeals and smiles and plants big wet kisses on my cheeks. Although he is now 7 months, at his 6 month appointment he weighed in at 16 lbs. 7 oz. and is 23 in. long. He is hard to recognize anymore. He has the army crawl mastered and can get around the house pretty quickly that way. He gets up on all fours and will take a crawl or two forward, but then realize the army crawl gets him to his destination much faster. Unbelievably, he is also crawling to things and at times pulls himself up to a kneeling or standing position. It makes us smile to walk into his room when he wakes and find him hanging onto the crib bars smiling! So far, the words include: ah dada(hi dada), mummmmm(mom), ato(Easton), and baba. ...and this just in! He is now crawling up the stairs! He made it up two steps before he lost it:) Time to break out the gates!

Hopefully it’s not another three months before I can get to this again!

Final Countdown

Sadly, I believe I only have twenty more days with the boys. I return to work on Monday, September 28th, and am really not looking forward to it. Gavin turned five months this past Friday, and we still sit back and laugh at how the time flew within a blink. I've been trying to do as little of that as possible! That will put Gavin close to 6 months by the time I return to work. I feel so lucky to have had all that time with him and Easton.
Gavin is doing a great job of sitting on his own and will do so for longer periods before falling over like a tree that has been cut by a lumber jack! He can't be left alone for too long, as he has found how to scoot himself around or roll continuously until he gets either what he wants or where he wants to go! He is pushing and crouching into the crawling position and just might be doing so in the near future! He is also grabbing and big and small objects and bringing them to his face for a taste! All little toys are gone! Gavin is very active and outspoken, and enjoys letting out shrill squeals! I am so afraid of what mischief he and big brother are going to get into when they are older.
We can now say that Easton is FULLY potty trained!!! He goes all day and night without diapers. He is definitly fitting the big brother shoes now. He is very sweet with Gav, and will sit and talk or play with him, which is nice when mom needs to do a quick clean up. We can see that Gavin thinks a lot of his big brother, because he stares and smiles at him whenever he is near him. I forgot to mention in the last post a couple things Easton has been up to! Easton has been able to spell his name for a good two months now! He will get o confused with u, but it's close enough for us! He can name and point to about 9 different states. He also can tell you most of his address, but gets confused at the end. It's 21239, and he will say, 21239 10, 11. or 21234,5,6,7,8...! We are having a lot of fun this summer and mommy is doing her best to get the boys out and about before she heads back! We will be heading the Children's Museum in Chicago, and touch a truck this coming week, so I will post some pictures of that!

Summer Catch Up!

I thought the days flew when we had only Easton! Add another kid to the mix and the whole week is gone before we know it.
And where to start. My mind is so full of everything, I only hope that it returns to it's normal state. Although what is normal anymore?? Easton, surely isn't:) The child is an energy ball, and mommy is having quite the time keeping up. He no longer naps, and is still going at 7:30 at night. He is hard to keep still and focused, so I have all but given up for the time with the teacher antics and trying to educate him myself. I am thankful for his ability to retain information that comes out of my mouth while he is running around at 90mph and throwing whatever he grabbed off the couch at the cat. My anxiety rises when I think that I have another that will be joining him shortly. He definitely is a comedian and loves coming up with interesting things to say to make us laugh. He enjoyed his most recent outing, "A Day with Thomas the Train", in Union, Illinois. I was surprised at his interest in the old trains, and he loved the little attractions the had for kids.
Gavin is doing great and is truly a big boy. He weighs 13lbs 9oz as of his last appointment and the doctor gave us the go ahead to start rice cereal. We had our first go of it yesterday, and just like Easton, he was one messy boy. He wasn't to sure of what he thought about it at first, but once he got the hang of it we could tell he liked it just fine...any child of mine will eat whatever:) Mommy and the boys took a trip to Oakbrook to buy some food cubes. I am going to try making Gavin's baby food from scratch and see how that goes. Hopefully with work, it won't be too crazy. Aside from that milestone, Gavin continues to be a very calm and happy baby. He rarely cries, and we can most often get a smile or chuckle out of him. He, when positioned right is sitting for a good five seconds and is scooting and pulling himself around the floor...and under our bed(thought he'd be ok while I put away a few shirts)!
Now that Gavin is more into playing with toys and talking,the bond between he and Easton seems to be even stronger. To see the way Gavin stares and his brother is something to smile about. He already looks up to him. It is going to break my heart when they start fighting and name calling and that admiration fades. Enjoy the pics!

Update on the Boys

Gavin is now 3 1/2 months and ever the observer! He loves watching and following people. Gavin is so different from Easton. I could never get Easton to smile or talk to me as a baby, and Gavin is a big flirt with his big grin and endless chatter! Looks and a heart problem...how will I ever spank him:) He has gotten better rolling over from tummy to back and is doing so more frequently. He has almost mastered the back to tummy roll, so we are awaiting that. Within the past week we noticed him grabbing objects and pulling them towards him. The time is going by way to fast!
Gavin's last appointment with the cardiologist went well, and his heart is looking as good as could be expected from his complication. The doctors will monitor the scar tissue from the surgery to make sure it stretches as everything else grows. In the event it doesn't, the doctors will put a balloon in the artery to widen it. The only other note the doctor made was that Gavin's tricuspid valve has only two leaflets instead of the normal three. He said it's like and old ugly front door. Doesn't work great, but it does the job.
Easton is making up for the lack of talking and smiling he did as a kid! He continues to question everything, and his questions seem to get harder and harder to answer. I'm getting nervous as to when exactly he will become smarter than his mama!
If you haven't already, check out our video: http://animoto.com/play/uOShFrfGv4XIdc44O4wB3Q

Our Kiddieland Faces

Pictures From the Fourth and Kiddieland

A Lift...then a roll!!

We were so excited when on July 2nd, just before grandma and grandpa came to take us to Kiddie Land, Gavin lifted his head! This was not just any lift. Mommy had time to run into the kitchen, then out to her car, then upstairs to the computer room where she finally found the camera, and back downstairs for the shot. Then just today, the little guy rolled over! Yeah Gavers!
Easton is also doing well with potty training. He wears underwear all day now and even when we are on outings. He went to Kiddie Land in undies and came home that night in undies. They were a different pair, but only because when mommy was holding him above the toilet, he peeed everywhere except in the toilet. Even on mommy's pants. He had his first experience peeing in a urinal with daddy. He thought it was pretty cool to pee on the wall. Easton is doing really well pooping on the potty too. We are SO looking forward to only having one in diapers.
Easton was a stich at Kiddie Land. His favorite rides were the roller coaster and the log ride with the 40 ft 45 degree drop. He and daddy found much humor in mommy's screams.
Gavin's next appointment with the cardiologist will be July 16th. I will have a heart update then:)

Summer Happenings

Gavin was baptized yesterday, June 28, 2009. The date marked the two month anniversary of his open heart surgery. It was very special and emotional watching him, and thinking of all he has been through. We had lots of family and friends who joined us in welcoming Gavin to be apart of God's home. After the baptism, we headed to our home for food and fun. Gavin slept throught the whole party...in fact I had to wake him close to 5:00, because I wanted a good nights sleep! Speaking of sleep, my little bug usually sleeps a good 9 hours (8:30-5:20)before waking for his morning feeding. He eats well, and is growing just as good as Easton. Gavin trails big brother by a few ounces when comparing them at the same age. Gavin is very attentive, and watches everything around him. He literally will turn his head until it will go no further to follow a person he is interested in. He is so happy, and I love making him smile. He will coo occassionally, which is how his big brother was. I'm not going to worry about that at all, because I can't seem to find Easton's off button!
Easton is a talker, and has been going through the asking for explanations for things. The questions are really cute. He wants to know why things smell the way they do or how things got where they are and so on. Thankfully he is a sponge, because I can't seem to get him to sit and let me teach him things...He is all over the place! He continues to do well with potty training, and had a playdate without mommy, and wore big boy undies with no messes!! He even pooped at the friends house!! He continues to wear diapers during naps and bedtime. Easton continues to grow in his new role as big brother, and is resenting mom less and less. He is showing greater independence by trying to put on and take off shoes and clothes. The neighbors loved seeing him mow the grass naked(mom was changing a diaper!).