10-11 weeks

I realize that I haven't posted many pictures of Gavin lately. To be honest, I haven't taken many pictures but my mom is making up for it. Here are some of the shots taken over the last 2 weeks courtesy of my mom:

She sent me the picture below while I was in Denver and it just melted my heart.

Gavin is now enjoying playing with his Einstein cubes. He can't grab them on his own yet but when properly placed, he can hold them and sometimes tries to eat them. :)

This is Gavin getting mad at his grandma for taking too many pictures so close to dinner time. You can see he is over it.

"Are you done yet?"

It's interesting for me to look at these pictures because I think he looks more like a baby in them than he does in real life. He doesn't feel like a newborn to me anymore. When I look at him, I forget that he is still little.

So what's new w/Gavin?

He has started doing spit bubbles. I immediately wipe his mouth. I do appreciate what he is trying to do and I enjoy watching him do them because he gets a kick out of it, but I think they look gross. He has also started making this "R" sound when he is really excited and talking. It's hard to describe but it sounds like he is trying to roll his R's like Spanish people do. My mom says his first word will be "arroz" (rice). He smiles tons and every so often has a short bout of laughter. Last week my mom said he made her cry because he was laughing so hard. He also likes the TV. Nick and I avoid having the TV on when he is in the living room because we want to get in the habit of having the TV off when we're playing w/him. However, Gavin is really entertained by it. We think it's the change in colors and the fast movements. My mom had told us that he has flipped over a couple of times. Nick had the pleasure of witnessing this yesterday. Gavin flipped over from his belly to his back. I have yet to see it in full motion. I did watch him flipping himself halfway to watch TV! He was on his tummy and using his head as momentum turned himself to his side to get a better look at the TV. The funny thing was that we'd put him back on his tummy and he would keep turning towards the TV. I'm hoping my mom or Nick can videotape him flipping over sometime so that I can see it. Gavin has not attempted to flip over from his back to his belly.
I'm not sure if he is looking to imitate some things but anytime we stick our tongue out or make "turkey" noises with our tongues, Gavin stares and acts as if he is thinking about how he can do it. He has stuck his tongue out during these interactions, I just can't say for sure that it was meant as imitation. I still enjoy the look on his face. It's cool to see the "thinking" face. A few weeks ago, he discovered his hands. Now he sticks them in his mouth. Either last week or the week before, I took one of his hands and made him grab his other hand with it and the look on his face was priceless. His eyes were in awe of what he had just witnessed "there are TWO of them!."

On the feeding front...

We're still trying to figure out the best formula combination for him. Right now we are feeding him exclusively a lactose-free, added rice starch, sensitive, ready-to-feed formula. It seems to be working OK but I have a feeling that it can be better. We've started adding the probiotic but it's too early to tell what effect, if any, it's having. He is sleeping slightly longer during the night. This week he slept for 3 hours at a time for the most part but we still have spells of discomfort 1-1.5 hours after feeding. Nick put together a pillow-blanket combination on Gavin's pack n play to elevate him during the night (don't worry, it's tied down well so Gavin is not able to pull it and accidentally pull it over his head). The ped doc had recommended to elevate one side of his crib during the night so this is our version of that. It seems to be working pretty good- for about 3/4 of the night. The nights are still a challenge for Nick and I. It's a hit or miss. There are some nights when the reflux and gas pain is worse and it takes a bigger toll on us. This week we had a couple of rough nights but then yesterday and today were much more tolerable. I'm reading a lot of parent forums for moms who have babies with acid reflux and I'm following every tip possible. Nick and I are still very optimistic about being good parents when Gavin is older but taking care of him now (during the nights) breaks us down sometimes. He is a happy baby during the day so I know that once we find a "perfect" routine Gavin will be the happiest baby on the block. As my dad said this past weekend, we have to be thankful that he is overall as healthy as he is- some parents have to deal with much worse than reflux. And I am grateful for that.