Born to be WIIIIILLLLDDDD at 10 Months!



What an adventure to say the least.  I thought this song was appropriate for our child.  He is really coming into his own little spirit and boy is it fun! 

I bet you are wondering what in the world is all over his mouth.  Well it is one of his favorite foods...they are called "green smoothies."  They can be multiple colors, depending on what kind of fruit is used.  The ingredients range from yogurt, frozen fruit, banana, wheat germ, and last but not least SPINACH!  Yep, that's right!  And he LOVES them!  They give him lots of good protein, fiber, and fruits!  This particular one happens to be a blueberry "green" smoothie.  Don't knock them until you try them...they are great!

Here are Gavin's latest feats, favorites, and fits (yes already throwing tantrums).

Gavin can...

    Crawl-really really fast
    Cruise around everywhere
    Climb over, under, and inside just about anything
    Talk-in his own language-I am "me-me"; Adam is "da-da"
    Drinking-out of a straw and sippy cup
    Clap-when we praise him for doing something good

Some of his favorites include...
    Table Food-Cheese and Bread mostly.  I give him just about everything we eat now, but he is getting really good at fishing the stuff he doesn't like out of his mouth and replacing it with cheese or bread.
    Walks/Runs-we now have lots of hills to run up and down here.  He loves it when Adam is pushing him because he goes really fast down the hills.  Gavin just laughs and talks all the way down.
     Wrestling-he loves to climb on anyone that will let him.  When he gets really worked up, he has a tendency to bite (or nibble) you to get you stirred up too.  He plays pretty rough already...so I'm really in trouble when he gets bigger.
     Kissing Tobiah-yes I said KISSING" Tobiah with his mouth wide open while Tobiah licks his tongue!  Gavin will find Tobiah laying down, poke him, and then open his mouth as wide as it can go and Tobiah obliges!  It is a constant battle between the boys and me.
   ...and last but certainly not least DANCING-ANYTIME/ANYWHERE/ TO ANY KIND OF MUSIC

Strong-willed Child...
   is a book that I recommend to any parent that has been blessed with one of these.  It says in the book that 70% of parents of strong-willed children know by the time he/she is one whether or not the child fits this category.  Well what does it say that we ALREADY know.  With all of his new found skills, comes a more determined independent spirit.  Which we absolutely love...IF we are successful at directing that spirit in the way it should go.  Lately, he tends to throw tantrums when you take something away that he really really wants...aka car keys or cell phone.  He is learning, as are we, how to handle his temper.  When he has a "happy heart" (phrase stolen from a good friend), we really try and give him lots of praise.  It blesses my heart to see Gavin light up when we clap for him because he has done something good.  He just smiles and claps for himself.  It is truly one of the most rewarding things.  He IS teachable at this age and we see proof of it everyday!  Thank you Lord for his teachable spirit!

On a slightly more serious note...a small story if I may. Gavin and I were sitting at the kitchen table enjoying lunch when a knock at the door.  Tobiah did "his thing" and forcefully barked at the man standing outside our door.  Upon opening the door, I was greeted by a nice police officer asking me to evacuate my family from our home.  He said some suspicious wire was found in the ground across the street in the woods.  He said that EOD (the Explosive Ordinance Disposal) team was on their way.  As I stood there listening to him, it wasn't sinking in that he was talking about a possible BOMB across the street.  Needless to say, it turned out to be just loose wires someone (probably kids) covered up with a rock in the dirt. 

Before having Gavin, I may not have thought twice about this or even left my house but the stakes are much much higher now.  The life of my child and dog were at risk.  Wow!  The responsibility that God entrust in parents to keep his children safe and sound is astounding.  I was reminded once again of the kind of world we live in today.  As I sit here and think about my child growing up in it, I can only pray that God give Adam and I the strength and courage to teach him right from wrong in every situation.  That Gavin finds Jesus at an early age and follows His direction through this crazy world!