Mr. Memory

I've heard people say that kids remember everything.  They aren't joking.  Brennan's memory impresses us daily!  A few recent examples:

~While putting puzzles together, he can place pieces in the correct spot even without the adjacent pieces in place.  His biggest puzzle is 48 pieces, which he can assemble within a few minutes.
~He's a whiz at a 28 picture memory game on our tablet.
~Since the weather is warming up, we're visiting our local parks again.  On our first trip of the season, we told Brennan we were going to the park.  He questioned if we were going to the park with the "blue steps and the red slide" or the park with the "brown steps and the tunnel slide" 
~While on a walk around the neighborhood, he was identifying numbers on mailboxes.  He read one of the addresses "6063", reading from bottom to top.  We continued walking and explained that you read the numbers from top to bottom.  Without seeing the numbers, he replied "3606!"
~While on another walk, he pointed to a house that previously had a "skeleton on the front door"...as a Halloween decoration.

Although, this is also the child that when asked what he did at the babysitter's house, he consistently replies, "I don't know!"

9 Month Appointment

Gavin had his 9 month well baby appointment today.  Current stats:

19lbs 1/2 oz
29"
44 cm head circ

He's happy and healthy!  The doctor was pleased with his milestones.

Just in time for his appointment, Gavin's rash around his face broke out again.  It looked wonderful just a few days earlier!  We reviewed our current and previous treatments.  She recommended applying the Desonide steroid treatment again for 5-7 days.  We haven't been using the cream since weaning him off after the dermatologist suspected that his skin became "addicted" to it.  She also prescribed an antibiotic cream, also to be used for 7 days, in case it was becoming infected.  We're also continuing with frequent Vaseline applications to serve as a barrier against wetness from teething.  If this regimen doesn't work, we'll go back to the dermatologist.   His little thumbs are also becoming red from chewing on them while teething, so we're also applying Vaseline to them while he sleeps.  Adam and I are beginning to suspect that his skin may be more chapped than an eczema rash, or maybe a combination.

9 Months Old!

Our sweet Gavin is 9 months old!

~Gavin is officially mobile!  Once he realized the perks of mobility, he took off.  He transitioned from sitting to his belly more gracefully and intentionally.  Then, he learned to move from his belly to sitting. Within a few days, he was crawling!  Just a handful of days later, he was able to crawl further distances and with more fluidity.  He's most interested in going after things he shouldn't have, including Brennan's small toys and electrical cords.  He's very proud of himself!
~He's showing interest in pulling himself up on objects, especially Mommy and Daddy.
~He loves to eat!  He eats a combination of store bought and homemade purred food.  We've introduced Cheerios a few times, but he doesn't completely mash them before attempting to swallow.  We'll try again soon! 
~Gavin has 5 teeth--3 lower and 2 upper.  Based on gnawing and drool, another isn't far behind.
~He enjoys babbling.  Some new sounds including ga and ma!
~Gavin loves to bounce!  He bounces in your arms, on the floor, on his bed, etc.  He also enjoys sitting on the mini-trampoline and bouncing!
~He enjoys giving wet, open mouth kisses...and we love getting them!
~Gavin is quite an easy going young man!  He typically goes with the flow with wherever we are and whatever we're doing!
~He's inconsistent about sleeping through the night, sometimes getting up once.  The easiest way to get him back to sleep is a diaper change and nursing.  We suspect teeth and itchy skin are the culprits.  He also has difficulty going from belly to back, leaving him "stuck" if he doesn't want to sleep on his stomach.
~Gavin's skin quickly fluctuates from broken out to clear.  We haven't been able to pinpoint why, but hope we can find the answer and solution soon.

He Crawls!!

Gavin is officially mobile!  Daddy captured this video of Gavin's first crawling attempt!  Mommy was very grateful to have it on film, especially because she was on her way home from work when it happened.