Gavin's 3rd Birthday

We celebrated Gavin's 3rd birthday twice this year. Since Uncles Derek & Les also have Sept birthdays, we had a family picnic while Cheryl and Les were visiting from PA over Labor Day weekend. We all met up at Champoeg Park and planned to eat dinner, have cake, and open presents. I had ordered an edible cake topper of the Backyardigans for Gavin's cake and was so excited for him to see it. He is obsessed with this show, let me tell you. But, when I went to get the cake from the car, the entire topping, as well as the frosting underneath, had slid off the cake. :( (It wasn't a hot day, so we thought it would be fine.) At least Gavin didn't mind, because he could still see one of the characters.

Giant cake fail

Still happy (notice he's holding Gramma's keys)

Even though there was the usual chaos with 4 kids under the age of 3, a cake mishap, and an annoying swarm of bees hovering around our food (one of which stung my mom on the tongue!), it was great to spend time with everyone. Gavin enjoyed getting all the attention and getting presents, but most of all, he enjoyed playing with Gramma's keys and sitting in her car for a 1/2 hour pushing all the buttons. Surprise! :)

Gramma got him a gas pump for his pink car (he is sticking Gramma's keys into a hole in the back)

A Star Wars land speeder from Aunt Krissy

Here he is walking with Olivia, telling her about Gramma's keys

Still clutching the keys

Grandpa with his great-grandkids (see the keys?)

The next week, we celebrated his birthday again with his playgroup friends at a local park. I made cupcakes for this one and they didn't melt!

Chocolate faces

Jack assisting Gavin in the candle-blowing

Smiles!

The end of summer...

Summer started very late this year and, sadly, it's already coming to an end. In August and early September, we tried to get out as much as we could and soak up the sun with lots of walks and trips to the park and zoo. Kinley has been such an easy baby to take on these outings since she loves to sleep in the car seat and my Ergo carrier. She's gaining weight (she was up to 9lbs, 6oz yesterday), and smiling and interacting a lot more now. I love that I can put her in her play chair and she can be entertained for 15 minutes while I fold laundry, fix lunch, change Gavin, or whatever. (All of which are very difficult to do one-handed.) We're starting to get her on a good schedule now, too, with naps and nighttime sleep...another result of her being a generally easy baby.

Anyway, here we are enjoying the end of summer...

At the zoo with Gina and her daughter Clara

Playing in the fountain with Olivia

Doing "yard work". He raked all of the leaves out of the bark dust and into the driveway. Very helpful. :)

Playing in Logan's fun backyard at playgroup.

The moms enjoying some shade

Kinley's first six weeks

Kinley's first weeks at home were very laid back and quiet for the most part. My mom took Gavin to her beach house for a few days after we got home so we could focus on doing the newborn thing again. When he came home, he was very good about being gentle with her, giving her lots of hugs and kisses, and saying how much he loved her. He keeps talking about all the stuff they'll get to do together once she's big enough. Like how she'll sit on his lap while he drives his pink car around the garage, and how he'll share all his matchbox cars with her. We'll see about that. :)

Here he is meeting Kinley in the hospital...

Dressed and ready to go home!

Cozy and comfy at home

Pretty much all she did for the first few weeks was sleep...

Around 5 weeks, she started to wake up more

Loving siblings...for now :)

Here are some bonus videos. The first is of Kinley before she was born. I was lying on the couch watching The Bachelorette (as you can hear in the background) and eating a bowl of ice cream, while she turned somersaults in my belly. :)

And this one is just plain adorable...