Just like his Momma

So as it turns out, Gavin is me. Well, me as a child. He is exactly the way I was, in every single way. It's scary how much he takes after me.

Most of all though, it is a blessing. I know how to go into situations, because he is going to react the same way I did. It is really amazing. He doesn't like new things, not even if it is better. Things need to stay the same. I needed things to stay the same.

He doesn't like going to sleep alone. I was probably 11 before I quit asking my parents to lay in bed with me, and it was a few years after that when I slept with the closet light off.
He is terribly shy. He won't talk to new people and doesn't like playing when a lot of children are around. He is loyal to the ones he loves. Gavin has a 3 yr old neighbor boy who he can see from a bedroom window. He checks to see if "D" is playing outside and insists "D" will be his only friend....other than his cousin Madi, of course, who is the best kid God ever created in his opinion.

He also likes to bug his sister. I bugged my sister to death! Just one time I said the phrase, "Nanananana" and now he says when he gets the last one of something, gets something first.... well for EVERYTHING! (and of course Carrigan has picked it up too...yesh)

A benefit to this is that I can hopefully prepare him for school. I had such a hard time with making friends, but luckily I had several kids from my church in my grade. I have been encouraging him to play with other children and talk more!

And one more thing... it bugs me to no end that people (well people who know Levi better and some strangers) say he looks just like him. I tell you, if that boy had dark hair and eyes, no one would say that! He (rather unfortunately) has my profile... eyes and cheeks. I want to hug people when they say he looks like me. :)

Daddy/Daughter Date

She is a really big fan of her Daddy. Can you tell?? :)

I think they also look alike. I don't know why people never say it! They have the same face shape and eye shape... and she did get those long eye lashes from him. I wish I could take credit for them!! The bottom half of her face belongs to her Aunt Alicia though!

She uses faces with him that she never uses with me.... and they usually get Daddy to do whatever she wants! When they have special days out, she talks about it when we pass the places they went. She loves to play "baby" with him. She used to run and get her paci (an old one of Gavin's we recently found -- or a single lego she'd stick in her mouth) and lay in his lap without talking, then crawl when she'd need to go get something.

They have special watermelon breaks together. This doesn't sound like much, but they share a LOVE for watermelon!

We definitely have the Daddy/Daughter -Mommy/Son relationship in our house. We both love each child so so so very much, but the bond is special. I couldn't be happier that we have one of each.

Friendship

I have to say, there are days when I wonder how on earth a mother of an only child survives. So many moments of our day are spent with Gavin & Carrigan alone in their own world.... usually on their cars going to Taco Bell, Chinese, and Chick-fil-A. :)

One of my favorite things in this world is listening to their conversations from the other room. It tickles me how Carrigan's answer to the question "Why?" is always "Because I don't want to" and how frustrated it makes Gavin. I love the way Gavin bends down so far to put his face right in Carrigan's to make eye contact when he really wants her attention, even though he is only an inch taller. :)

Carrigan is terribly imaginative for her age. This makes her the perfect playmate for a 3 yr old boy! They will play Buzz & Jessie for days. (from Toy Story) As I am writing this, they are in the Vamoosh with the cat and being told I am too big to fit. (a vammosh is a flying vessel from the British cartoon, Pocoyo)

Each of them has inherited 2 of my very useless talents. Gavin can imitate Carrigan perfectly. She has quite a few phrases that she says the same way every time. Gavin loves to repeat her phrases when he is in the same situations.
Carrigans useless talent she got from her Mommy is learning a song after only hearing it a time or two. She completely amazes us when she burts out in a song she only heard once a few days before and gets almost all the words right. We are serenaded at almost every meal and car ride . :)

They do get into arguments. Gavin is the hitter. Carrigan r-a-r-e-l-y hits. For how emotional she can be, she doesn't have much of a temper.... which is a good thing because the girl is STRONG.

I very much hope they stay this way for years and years to come. I dread the day they "hate" each other!

Potty Trained!

For about a year, Carrigan has been using the potty. The only catch is she has to be naked on the bottom half. Two weeks ago, we went to the zoo and she told me she had to peepee and went in the potty. She did again when she stopped to eat on the way home. She kept doing this in public so I bought her some pull ups. They never worked with Gavin. It was just like a diaper. Carrigan calls them her Dora panties and she has only gone in them once and it was overnight.

The past 2 weeks she has stayed dry! Her only hold up is being afraid of some public bathrooms. Even in the ones she isn't afraid of, she doesn't want you to flush it. I have to wait until she is by the sink before flushing. She says they are too loud. :)

It is so strange to have half a box of diapers and all the pulls ups in the house that I might just have to throw away. I can't believe I won't be buying diapers anymore. My babies are so big!!

A much needed visit to the park

You just don't understand

Me: You two be nice to each other.

Gavin: "I want to be mad at Carrigan and Carrigan wants to be mad at me. You just don't understand, Mommy."

When you are teenagers and fighting like cats and dogs, I just want you to remember that you had this all figured out when you were 3.

Oh Carrigan....

I found Carrigan sitting on the kitchen counter tonight. As I walked toward her she started saying,

"What's wrong, Mommy? What's wrong, Mommy? I not what wrong. Not worry. It's okay, Mommy. Not cry, Mommy. Not cry."

I don't know if she was using strategy, felt my pain, or just plain doesn't get why I get upset at the things she does.

..............................................

3:30 a.m. this morning I wake up to a loud cry,

"I can't do it! I can't do it! HELP! I can't do it!!!!"

She had an almost full gallon of milk in one hand and her sippy cup in the other. She was in the hallway and couldn't make it the rest of the way to my room.

How I can possibly forget to lock the fridge is beyond me.

..............................................

In a public restroom,

"Bubba went poopoo! Bubba did! Bubba did go poopoo! I LOOOVE POOPOO!!"

E.m.b.a.r.r.a.s.s.i.n.g

............................................

"BUBBA, WHY YOU MAKE ME MAD AT YOU???"

She is such a girl..... such.a.girl