Happy FIRST Birthday, Gavin!

On August 29, 2006, at 7:47 pm Clint and I were able to experience the true miracle of life when our first baby boy was born. He was named Gavin Vance Grothaus. He weighed 9 lbs. 8.5 oz and was a lengthy 22 1/2 inches. Due to his head being lodged in the birth canal for a while, he had a very pronounced cone head which was easily camouflaged by a knit cap. He was the most beautiful baby we had ever seen. Unfortunately, due to complications with his breathing he was wisked away to the nursery and eventually on to the neonatal intensive care unit. We spent an exhausting 12 some odd hours worrying and praying for our son, not knowing what was wrong with him. Luckily, we would soon find out that he had pneumonia, a defective heart valve, and a heart murmer, all of which could be cured. Gavin spent the following week hooked up to monitors and IV's to help him get back to good health. We were so very happy to hold him that seventh day without any cords or tubes to get in the way. The rest of the days have been a whirlwind of emotions as we have watched our little baby grow into a toddler. He is such a lively little boy with SO MUCH energy and curiosity! He continues to improve his balance and coordination as he practices his walking skills. He had first big spill last week and scraped up his nose, lip, and elbow. It was very traumatic for mommy and daddy, but we have braced ourselves for many more accidents to come. Gavin increases his auditory vocabulary daily, with his favorite words being shoes, ball, more, music, and book. He has about two more weeks of being the king of the roost and then little Gunner will come along. I think he is going to have a rough time sharing mommy and daddy, but I have faith that he will grow into a loving and helpful big brother. That is just his nature. I will try my best to keep our blog updated in the weeks to come, but we have many preparations to finish before Gunner arrives. So, bare with me and continue to check us out even if we have to take a two or three week hiatus. Please keep us in your prayers for a safe delivery and healthy baby boy.

My New 'Do!

Happy Birthday, Papa!

33 Weeks

Here I am in my 33rd week of pregnancy. As of Monday, I started my 34th week. Poor Gunner! I'm not sure where he's going to fit these last several weeks???

Blonde Beauties

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Gavin got to spend some time with his cousin Jack during the annual Neally reunion. Jack Jack is about 4 months older than Gavin. They were a lot of fun to watch! I'm sure they are going to have lots of fun playing together at Christmas. It's too bad we don't live closer so they could spend more time together.

What has Gavin been up to?

With temperatures soaring past 100 degrees, Gavin has had to stay indoors most of the week. We have been trying to make the most of it by finding new things to play with. Even so, I think we both have a small case of cabin fever. Quincy needs an indoor play place other than Bonkers!

Happy 11-Month Birthday, Gavin!

Our "Baby Gavin" turned eleven months on July 29th. We are excitedly awaiting his one year birthday later on this month. You will notice the same "blah" brown chair poses as it was hard to capture him running around on this day. I kept getting his backside because he was always running away from me trying to get into something new. He is a pretty steady walker now but still has trips and falls. He loves to throw things and run after them. He enjoys dancing or clicking his tongue to anything that plays music. He also loves the refrigerator, toilet, lazy susan and any cabinet or drawer that is NOT designated as his. We are slowly weaning him from his bottles and formula and are introducing more and more table food. This has become quite a battle as his tastes change from one minute to the next. He still has 8 teeth and continues to have adorable blonde hair that grows like weeds!

The St. Louis Zoo

Gabe's Summer Visit and The St. Louis Zoo Part 2