Let's Celebrate!

Even though birthdays have never been a big deal to me, it is a very different case when it comes to our family and with the kids. It doesn't take much though, a few decorations, a dinner out, some cake? A few gifts? And they couldn't be happier.

Louis and Leah wanted to make Gabriel's 1st birthday extra special. Louis asked for rainbow poms poms. We stuck with a rainbow theme for the day.

Grandma Ruth & Grandpa George joined us before we went out for Gabriel's birthday. Leah assisted him in opening his gifts...as Gabriel's method of stomping on everything wasn't nearly as effective.

Leah and Louis decorated Gabriel's birthday cake. 

We find we are limited on places we can go out to eat these days with the boys. They have a very short attention span and limited patience with sitting in one place for too long. We try to avoid situations where we are forcing them to be miserable so we headed out to Chuck E Cheese's.

Enjoying some pizza.

 Big sister shows some love.

 Louis playing a Spongebob game with Matt.

Gabriel enjoyed going up and down the slide in the tot playground.

Went for a drive with Chuck E. Cheese.

 He loves making phonecalls.

After Chuck E. Cheese's went back home for cake and more gifts!

Cake Time!

Gabriel's not waiting for his cake. 

 Yummy!

 Louis digging right into his piece.

 When Gabriel is done with something? You know.

Our happy, beautiful Gabriel. 

Photo Taken by Leah

Photo taken by Leah

I'd say this is a good sign of a good birthday. Out cold. 

Happy 1st Birthday!

Here we are, it has been one year since Gabriel joined our family and we went from just the 4 of us to the 5 of us!

Shortly after birth

There was no way of knowing how as a family we would adjust to growing our family by not one but two children in less than 2 years but I think looking back on the past year? We've handled the transition well, for the most part. 

Gabriel has been well loved by his big sister and big brother from day one. Gabriel certainly loves them. As Gabriel grows and becomes stronger I've noticed he is much more physical when playing with Leah and Louis. He loves to wrestle and be tickled. He likes to piles pillows on top of one another and jump on them. He'll climb up on anything within his reach and pull.

He's just a joy to have around. His personality is so very different from his older siblings and I've really enjoyed this past year, getting to know him. Sometimes it is bittersweet because I feel like he went from baby to tot overnight but we still have our cuddle sessions where I feel like he's still my baby. I'll be enjoying those for as long as I have them.

He loves to be worn. He'll go over to the closet, open it, take out a mei tai or ring sling and bring it over to me. He continues to nurse throughout the day but he has cut back on his nighttime feedings. I suspect he'll be sleeping through the night soon. He gestures and signs (we're learning sign language) more than he verbalizes but I've noticed more words as of late.

Gabriel LOVES water. There isn't anything that a bath doesn't fix in our house. If Gabriel is cranky or the boys are driving each other mad? Setting them up in the bath to play or putting out the water table are instant fixes.
 

Our birthday boy!

 

PHYSICAL AND MOTOR SKILLS
A 12-month-old child is expected to:

• Pull to stand
• Walk with help or alone
• Sit down without help
• Bang two blocks together
• Turn through the pages of a book by flipping many pages at a time
• Have a pincer grasp
• Sleep 8 - 10 hours a night and take one to two naps
• Crawls forward on belly by pulling with arms and pushing with legs
• Assumes hands-and-knees position
• Creeps on hands and knees supporting trunk on hands and knees
• Gets from sitting to crawling or prone (lying on stomach) position
• Walks holding on to furniture
• Stands momentarily without support
• May walk two or three steps without support
• Puts objects into container - Gabriel will entertain himself off and on throughout the day packing items up into lunch boxes or buckets, emptying them out and repacking them. Over and over again.
• Takes objects out of container
• Lets objects go voluntarily - While he does not like to have to let go of things he will do so if asked or on his own.
• Tries to imitate scribbling - One of Gabriel's favorite things to do is mimic his big brother. Louis will sit and color, while Gabriel sits next to him and attempts to scribble too. He also tried to draw with chalk outside on the sidewalk. 

SENSORY AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
The typical 12-month-old:

• Follows a fast moving object
• Can respond to sounds
• Responds to his or her name
• Understands several words
• Can say mamma, papa, and at least one or two other words - He says dada, hi, bye, cat, his own versions of Leah and Louis and he points to things and says "what's that" <--something he surely copies from Louis
• Understands simple commands
• Tries to imitate animal sounds - I haven't noticed too much of this.
• Tries to imitate words - He tries to repeat body part names and the names of animals.
• Connects names with objects - If I ask for the phone or the ball he goes over to them to give to me.
• Understands that objects continue to exist, even when they are not seen (object constancy)
• Points to objects with index finger - He loves to point at everything and have me name it.
• Waves bye
• May develop attachment to a toy or object - Just like Leah and Louis I haven't noticed a particular attachment to any object or toy.
• Experiences separation anxiety and may cling to parents - He tends to have moments of anxiety when first meeting someone or if he is tired or teething. Overall though he warms up pretty quickly.
• May make brief journeys away from parents to explore in familiar settings - Gabriel is fast and even though everyone always points out how 'attached' he is to me? He will quickly run off to check out where ever we are and usually he doesn't care to look back.
• Responds to “no”
• Uses simple gestures, such as shaking head for “no” - He shakes his head no and nods yes and sometimes says "uh uh" along with "no".
• Babbles with inflection - You can tell when he is excited or sad or mad when he is babbling away.
• Uses exclamations, such as “oh-oh!” -  He says "Uh uh" or "Oh!"
• Begins to use objects correctly (drinking from cup, brushing hair, dialing phone, listening to receiver) - like most children his age he LOVES to pretend to be on the phone.  He also drinks from a small cup regularly now throughout the day. 

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL MILESTONES

• Shy or anxious with strangers
• Cries when mother or father leaves
• Enjoys imitating people in play
• Shows specific preferences for certain people and toys
• Tests parental responses to his actions during feedings (What do you do when he refuses a food?)
• Tests parental responses to his behavior (What do you do if he cries after you leave the room?)
• May be fearful in some situations
• Prefers mother and/or regular caregiver over all others
• Repeats sounds or gestures for attention
• Finger-feeds himself
• Extends arm or leg to help when being dressed

Be Happy

Gabriel has these moments where he is just happy. Not a care in the world. Such a joy to be around.

Gabriel Gets Messy

We did a bit of body painting out on the driveway today. Details of the activity are over on Louis's blog with his take on the activity.

Gabriel tends to hang back and wait to see what his siblings are doing before jumping into an activity. It doesn't take long for him to make it his own.

He's made up his mind and is going in.

All in. The squeals of laughter coming from him were great.

He wasn't too sure if he liked or hated the paint. He kept standing up to get out then going back in for more.

When he was done with the foil pan of paint he grabbed a shovel for the paint and painted on the drop cloth for a bit then went back to his water table.

Happy 11 Months!

Here we are, one month away from Gabriel turning 1! Hard to believe some days that nearly a whole year has gone by since he joined us Earthside. I find that I try to hold onto every little bit of baby-ness that he has left. Since he started walking he's been more like a mini tot than baby but there are still plenty of moments throughout the day that remind me he is in fact still my baby.

At 11 months Gabriel is quite the active baby. He is constantly on the go. From the minute his big bro & big sis come down in the morning until they go to bed...he is on the go. He runs, walks, climbs everywhere. There is very little stopping him these days from doing and getting what he wants. He climbs everything he can get himself onto. Gates, beds, couches, attempts to climb slides. The second the gate comes off the stairs you'd better beware, Gabriel is likely right by you climbing his way up. He masters climbing down steps quickly as well. 

He isn't much of a talker, more of a screamer when he wants something. He says hi, bye, ball, gata. He calls Matt 'dada' and he has his own version of Leah. He understands plenty though. He can follow simple instructions, understands no and stop. When he does start to babble he will let you know if he's annoyed that you aren't talking back to him. He loves the back and forth conversations.

Gabriel is definitely coming into his own personality. Temper tantrums happen instantaneously when he's not getting what he wants but he is also easily appeased or distracted.

He loves peek-a-boo and playing hand games. Lately he has developed a bit of an obsession with balls. He loves to throw them and have them rolled or thrown back to him. He likes to empty boxes of items, corrals them in another area then proceeds to take each item one by one and puts them back in the box.

Gabriel has turned out to be a lover of food. It took some time for him to come around but he is open to new foods and textures. He enjoys his meals. He continues to nurse throughout the day and night. He isn't a big sleeper but when he does finally get down for a good nap, he sleeps for a long stretch.

11 Month Milestones

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Says "mama" or "dada" to the correct parent
Plays patty-cake and peek-a-boo
Stands alone for a couple of seconds
Cruises 

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Understands "no" and simple instructions
Puts objects into a container


Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Says one word besides "mama" or "dada"
Stoops from standing position

Happy 10 Months!

Hard to believe but this little guy right here is 10 months old today!

He continues to keep us on our feet. He is our most physically active baby. He is all over the place. Hardly ever sits still. From morning till night. He'll get down for a few naps but other than that? Nonstop. Fortunately he relishes in being worn so we still get our cuddles in and I'm able to get some things done while he hangs out in whatever carrier he's in. Take out the mei tai and he crawls over to it, Ergo? He gets all excited and happy. Louis fights him over who gets to ride on my back. I love it. The two of them are always so cute together. Leah continues to be a stellar big sister and Gabriel cannot get enough of her.

Gabriel loves to bang things together and make a lot of noise. Today he enjoyed banging some pots and pans. He claps his hands all day long and does so with the biggest smile & the best laugh. He loves to feed himself and is not a fan of how long it takes for someone else to get a spoon into his mouth after he's down swallowing. I've taken to letting him feed himself. Sure it's messier but like with Louis and Leah? Gabriel is happier doing it himself. He also has a few extra teeth to help him out. He now has his two top front teeth, with two more on top coming in, along with three bottom teeth. Teething has been wearing him out a bit.

One activity all the kids enjoy is being read to. Gabriel will even stop moving for about 10 minutes while myself or Leah reads a story to him and Louis. It's great to see him interested in stories and books, even at 10 months old.

He has some personality. I noticed he is much more assertive about what he wants than the older kids were at his age. If you aren't doing what he wants he will climb onto you, pull you, smack you until you pay attention and do what he wants. I suspect we'll have to set some limits sooner rather than later for him.

It's been a joy to see his growing relationship with Matt. I would say there has been significant growth over the past month. Gabriel loves to walk over to him and climb all over him. They will play together and only Matt can elicit the most hilarious belly laughs from Gabriel.There is such an awesome bond between a father and his children.

A year will soon be upon us and our little baby will soon be into toddlerhood. I am trying to enjoy these last few months of babyhood with Gabriel as much as possible. 

10 Months Milestones 

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

Stand holding on to someone or something

Walk holding onto furniture

Pull up to standing position from sitting

Waves goodbye - Gabriel hasn't really waved goodbye much. He does do hi.
Picks things up with pincer grasp
Crawls well, with belly off the ground 

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

Says "mama" or "dada" to the correct parent - says dada but not to Matt yet but if I ask him where dada is he goes over to Matt and says dada. He does however say Lada to Leah. I noticed he also says "eh?" in the same tone we do around the house.
Indicates wants with gestures - I've noticed he has started to do this a little bit when he wants something but usually he just gets himself over to it rather than gesture for me to get it for him

Respond to own name- Gabriel definitely knows his name. He'll respond to it even if someone else references him in a conversation.  You can call him and he will usually come towards you when you do.

Stand alone momentarily

Understand the word no but doesn’t always obey it- if I say no (which I usually only reserve for things that may harm him) I can see that he responds by stopping and looking at me. He doesn't always follow my instructions.

  
Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)

Says one word besides "mama" or "dada" - other than Lada (Leah) and eh? I haven't noticed any specific words
Stoops from standing position - He does stoop but usually falls forward very shortly after his attempt

Drink from a cup independent - Gabriel likes to play with cups full of water but they isn't much drinking going on. I think it'll be a while before he gets this down.

Walk for a step or two

Put toys or object into a container - He loves to collect items together and put them in a box, then take them out again, put them back. Rinse and repeat

Play ball and patty cake - he enjoys rolling a ball back and forth and likes to try to play patty cake but he doesn't really grasp what is going on yet.

Stand alone together

Happy 9 Months!

Here we are at 9 months! Where has the time gone? It is hard to believe that in 3 months we will have a one year old...but let me not get ahead of myself. The thought of Gabriel being one? Not ready for that.

I've been trying to cherish every moment with him as a baby as much as possible but he sure isn't making it easy! Every day I see more signs of a soon to be toddler rather than baby.

His walking skills have really picked up. He will stand up and take a few steps, fall back down and then he's back up again. If he's cruising along furniture he lets go and independently gets his way across from one thing to another. He can climb up the stairs and pretty much anything else in his way. It is not unusual to see him using Louis as a step stool to get what he wants or what he shouldn't have. Baby proofing has never been something I've been over the top about but with a 9 month old attempting to walk? We've had to step it up. He has started to go feet first to climb off the couch.

He went from no teeth to now having two on the bottom, a few more forming and his first front tooth pushing its way through. His interest in food, especially finger foods, has grown over the past two weeks. He still nurses around the clock and this month presented us with the challenge of a growth spurt and teething...but we're getting through it.

Sleeping is...what it is.  Like his big brother and big sister at 9 months he wakes at midnight and 3 am to eat. Though I noticed he is starting to skip his 3 am wake up more often than not. He is usually up by 6:30 or so.  It works for us. I am typically up until midnight so the late night feedings aren't terrible. I know it won't be forever and with that I try to remember that I will actually miss out solo late night feedings. It goes by so quickly.

His personality is very different from Louis and Leah's at this age. Gabriel is much more serious. He is happy and will laugh and smile but his overall disposition is one of major contemplation. He lights up when his siblings make their way down in the morning and when Leah gets home from school. He follows Louis everywhere and wants to do whatever he is doing. Generally they play beautifully together...well as much as a toddler and infant can play nicely together.

Gabriel is not fond of anyone from his day to day life disappearing on him so he does not appreciate Louis's attempts at hide and seek. Had our second separation the other day while I attended a PTA meeting. It was only 2 hours but I think it went well for the most part.

His babbling has increased some and he appears to say Leah's name when he sees her. He waves hi/bye and has started to clap his hands.

I'm unsure of how much he weighs right now but he's been gaining 2lbs a month for the past few months and from how his clothing fits him I'm going to guess that he's around 22 lbs or so right now based on last month's weighing.


9 Month Milestones

Mastered Skills (most kids can do)
Stands while holding onto something
Jabbers or combines syllables
Understands object permanence

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)
Cruises while holding onto furniture
Drinks from a sippy cup - While Gabriel can drink from a sippy cup he prefers his milk 'straight from the tap' ;)
Eats with fingers
Bangs objects together 
 

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
Plays patty-cake and peek-a-boo - He likes to try to play patty-cake and does play peek-a-boo as long as you don't completely disappear.
Says "mama" or "dada" to the correct parent - While I've noticed some of the sounds and often times when we are around I don't think it is specific to a parent.