Easter 2009

Easter 2009 was extra-special this year - it was Gavin's 1 month birthday! We had a weekend full of celebration. We spent time with family and enjoyed the great spring weather that has finally arrived. Here's a photo of little Gavin as he turned one month old:
We spent the few days prior to Easter with Grandma and Grandpa Reder. They were very sweet to come in and lend us a hand as we continue to adjust to 2 under 2! They sent Erik and I out to dinner on Friday night (our first dinner out together since Gavin arrived!) and they made a wonderful breakfast for us on Saturday morning. Cassidy had the time of her life, as always! Grandma and Grandpa brought some fun Easter treats that kept her very busy. A highlight for her was the container of bubbles - we went outside and blew bubbles and she was in constant giggles as she tried to chase them down on a very windy day. That night, we got out the bubble bath for the first time - what a hit! She was in tears when bathtime had to end. She spent at least 5 minutes whimpering "night-night bubbles..." Gavin spent most of his time eating and sleeping (his usual routine these days), but he had some great awake time with Grandma and Grandpa that included some first real smiles!

On Easter Sunday, the kids got dressed in their Easter outfits and we drove to Clarendon Hills to visit with Grammy and Grandpa Brown, Aunt Mel, Uncle Aaron and our dog-cousin Cooper. We spent some time visiting with friends at church, then enjoyed a wonderful brunch and dinner prepared by Grammy and Grandpa Brown. They even made our dinner milk-free so Cassie could take part - so thoughtful! Cassidy played with Cooper (they're such pals!), had a blast in the patio swing, chased squirrels, and went for an Easter egg hunt. She didn't really get the idea of hunting for eggs, but it was fun to find the treats inside. Gavin slept peacefully in everyone's arms and got funny comments on his preppy Easter clothes. We had a relaxed afternoon - we watched the Master's golf tournament and enjoyed the beautiful weather outside.

A couple videos to share...

Now that Gavin is a full month old, we had fun looking back at the pictures and videos from when he was born. It's hard to believe how quickly babies grow and change! Here is a video of Gavin when he was only a couple days old...


And this is one of our favorite recent videos of Cassidy, being her silly self. Enjoy!

Our new life as a family of four!

Wow, the past 4 weeks have gone by so quickly! I can't believe Gavin is growing so fast - he weighs just over 10 lbs. and he's moved out of his teeny newborn diapers! I already feel like he looks so much bigger than he did in his hospital pictures. He still has his little tuft of light blonde hair and he is showing signs of little dimples on his cheeks! We're working on getting him to sleep longer stretches at night, and a few days ago he did a wonderful 6-hour stretch. Hooray! He is becoming more aware of his surroundings now - he'll stare intently at us as we hold him, give us a smile every now and then, and bat his hands at the toys that hang from his jungle mat. He especially likes to look at his reflection in the little hanging mirror. It's so fun to see him make these great strides literally from one day to the next.

Cassidy is adjusting well to her new role as big sister. She knows Gavin is here to stay and she is starting to have little interactions with him throughout her day. This morning, she knelt down by his bouncy chair (that he was peacefully sleeping in) and said, "Open eyes! Wake up!" She also likes to fix his pacifier when it falls out and she will rock him in his rocking chair for a second or two if she happens to be walking by. She also continues to try and poke at his eyes and tickle his little toes! She laughs when he makes little cooing noises and always lets us know if she hears him crying (Gabin ky-ing!!!).

Since I spend a good chunk of time each day nursing Gavin, Cassidy and Daddy have gotten to spend a lot of quality time together - especially during our first week home from the hospital when Erik had the whole week off from work! They spent a lot of time outside. Favorite activities included swinging on her new bucket tree swing (thanks Grammy and Grandpa Brown!), picking up rocks and sticks in the yard, drawing with sidewalk chalk and going for a bike ride at the lakeshore. Cassie just loves to play outside, no matter the weather. Thankfully it sounds like warmer spring weather is around the corner - we're craving anything over 50 degrees!

We're so grateful for the outpouring of love and support we're received from family and friends over the past 4 weeks! Everyone has been so thoughtful - we've enjoyed all the visitors and the kind thoughts that have arrived in the mail. Thanks to everyone for your well wishes. We are loving our new life as a family of four!