Pictures of Daddy in the Desert

Brett FINALLY sent pictures from the desert! I'm not posting all of them but here are a few for you all to enjoy ...

Here's Daddy taking off for war! Go get 'em!

Daddy with his jet. Yes, he shaved his head - it's hot in the desert!

Brett's roommate in their trailer. Brett's bed is on the left. I'm not sure why they have bunkbeds, but they room two per trailer. They have a tv, fridge, a dvd player, AC, and an air freshner.

Three months until Daddy comes home! We can't wait!!!!!!!!

FIRST STEP!!!

Gavin just took his first step a couple of minutes ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He's not walking yet but I just witnessed him taking two full steps.

He's been 'shuffling' lately, like an old man, but had yet to have picked up his feet. Well, today he was standing in the middle of my bedroom, took one step, stopped for a couple of seconds, and took another before falling.

He has exactly ONE week before his 9 month birthday ... Let's see if he's walking by then!

Making Room to Clean!

I needed to vacuum Gavin's room today but everytime I put him in his crib, he cried so I decided to put him in a clothes basket filled with his toys! It looks a bit cramped but he loved it. How stinking cute is our son?!






Gavin loves this ball I bought from Linen & Things.


This is Gavin laughing in the basket. He's such a happy baby!


He LOVES banging things together. He smiles and laughs everytime he does it!


He dropped one of the balls and is reaching for it.




He escapes from the basket and is coming for me!

Just for Halmuni - Gav eating bananas

My mom keeps requesting video of Gavin eating. The entire video below is of Gavin eating a banana so be warned ... it's pretty boring. Well, unless you are a grandmother who wants me to put the phone in his bedroom just so she can hear him breath. Yes, that would be my mother!



Gavin LOVES bananas. We were at a playgroup last week and one of the mom's took out a banana for her son to eat. Gavin saw that thing and beelined straight for her. He even crawled on her to try and reach the banana. Luckily she had an extra one for him so he could leave her son in peace!

How Gavin Shops with Mommy

Gavin loves to sit in the basket of shopping carts. Sometimes it gets a little full and this is what we have to do to make room ....

What a good sport to make room for Mommy's purchases!


He might be smooshed but at least he's still smiling!

After a full day of shopping, we stopped at the Repucci's house for dinner.

Tiffanie doesn't have kids, but since Gavin and I come over so often, she purchased this high chair just for him! Gavin says, "Thanks Tiffanie and Mr. LARS!'


Gavin couldn't get enough of the Buddah at Tiffanie's house.

You all might have noticed an addition to Gavin's wardrobe ... his first pair of REAL shoes! I decided it was time to purchase his first pairs of Stride Rites, a size 4W (the W stands for wide!). I got him the classic leather sandals seen in the above and below pictures as well as a cute pair of blue and tan tennis shoes. It's funny to see him wearing real shoes, but it's soooooo cute!


So cute and classic!

Gavin eating cantaloupe

Gavin loves cantaloupe. Not as much as bananas, but it's definitely a close second.



And just because it's so cute, here's a picture I took of Gavin sleeping last night. What an angel!

How cute are his boxer-briefs? I saw them at Babies R Us and had to buy them.

Summer Days by the Pool

This past week, Gavin and I have been hanging out at various friend's pools. As soon as the weather cooled a bit, everyone is outside again! It's still in the upper 80's/low 90's but that definitely beats the 100+ degree weather we've had for the past couple of weeks!

The following pictures are from the Atkinson's house. Dana bought a little pool for the boys to lounge around in. Ryan is wearing a headband because he recently had tubes put in his ear canals and can't have water get in them ...







Squadron friends, the Knights, had a pool party at their home and Gavin and I were sure to attend. Here are pictures of Gavin floating around in his floaty (thanks Ryan Atkinson for letting us borrow your pool toy!)






Yes, that is my child floating alone in the pool. Don't worry, I was keeping an eye on him as I took this picture!


On Friday we took a trip to Columbia and went to our friend, Tiffany's house. Her subdivision has a neighborhood pool so we took advantage of another "not too hot" day and went swimming again. This time, I took Gavin out of his floaty and he tried doing the doggie paddle! It was so cute. Of course, I never let go of him, but he sure thought he was swimming. Check out the adorable pictures!!!


Although it may not look like it, Gavin's still "swimming in the following pictures, hence, the splashing water. Look at how happy he is!




We sure miss Daddy, but we're definitely keeping ourselves occupied! Horray for great friends, wonderful weather, and swimming pools!

Gavin Update!

Here are a few things Gavin has been doing lately:

1) Standing unassisted

2) Bending over and picking up items and standing back up again, unassisted

3) Fake coughing - you get a glimpse of it in the earlier posted video. He mainly does it for attention because usually I'll say "Oh my goodness!" after he coughs once, then he'll look at me, smile, and continue.

4) Growling

5) Beginning to understand "No" - I think

6) Walking with his baby walker

7) Follows me around the house

8) Climbs stairs

9) Loves laying on Moose's bed, to my horror

10) Get's in to Daddy's sock and underwear drawer and loves to throw them around the bedroom

11) Will crawl to you if you clap and hold your hands out while calling his name

12) Slobers all over the place since he's teething but he is getting both of his bottom teeth in!

13) He's now eating 'real' solids and LOVES cut up bananas. I've also fed him avacado, peas, cantaloupe, and potatoes - but bananas are his, hands down, favorite.

14) STILL sucking his thumb. ARGH!

Gavin's New Toy!

Gavin has been using boxes, shopping bags, anything he could get his hands on that glides, for walkers lately so I decided it was about time to purchase him one. He took to it like a pro and loves to sit on it as well as push it from behind!


Gavin is proud of his new car!


So happy :)



Using the walker.


Going crazy over the buttons!


Walking across the room!

More Pictures!

First off, the Rurka's would like to send out a HUGE congrats to our dear friends, Derrick (Tank) & Julia Frank who will be welcoming a baby boy this October! We were stationed at Osan together and couldn't be more excited for them. I guess the old belief of "Fighter pilots rarely have boys" is now squashed!


Gavin and Bethany Diller playing at Jen Petykowski (Mulder)'s babyshower


Jen gave Gavin her shower balloons. He LOVED them!


Gavin and Bethany again. She's only ten days older than Gavin!


Moose isn't the biggest fan of Gavin but Gav loves him!


Moose isn't happy to pose with a toy dog.


Can you tell that Moose is depressed that Daddy is gone?


Gavin crawled under a chair and got stuck in the corner. He couldn't figure how to get out. This is him pleading with me to help him! Nobody puts Gavin in the corner!


Gavin patiently waiting for breakfast.

A group of friends and I went to Columbia today and ate lunch at a restaurant called Miyo's. The following pictures are p-r-e-c-i-o-u-s shots I took of Gavin while we were eating.









Surprisingly, we have kept ourselves pretty busy since Brett's been gone. We have great friends and have been getting together for lunches, dinners, shopping excursions, pool parties ... We are blessed to have so many friends out here who are willing to take in me and Gavin!

Happy First Father's Day Daddy!

Even though Brett's far, far away, Gavin wanted to take this picture to thank Daddy for being the best daddy ever and giving him his strikingly good looks!



How lucky am I to have these two in my life? I love my sweet little family!

More Picture Cuteness!

Watching it rain at the Repucci's house


Gavin and Mr. LARS (Gabe) playing on the floor.



I started feeding Gavin REAL food (ie - not mushed)! So far, I've given him peas, potatoes, bananas, and avacados. He loves all of them!



Gavin loves Ryan. Look at his dimple!


I left the room and came back to the boys watching it rain. Look at Gav on his tippy toes :).


Ryan is too cute.



Good Morning Gavin! This is how Gavin greets me EVERY MORNING. With the brightest smile and a laugh. My Angel!