Easter Photo Shoot

It's so true what they say about the second child....there are never as many pictures as there are of the first.  Believe me, I know this as I was the third child and I think there are about 2 pictures of me as a baby.  So I am determined to keep up with each of my kids photo shoots, memorable moments and blogs.  It's difficult sometimes, but so worth it.  And I don't want Gavin and possibly a third child (girl anyone?) to bug me about it like I do so relentlessly with my mom.  So last month we took Gavin's 6 month pictures.  Jack is 2 years 8 months here.  We just wanted some simple shots so we went to Kiddie Kandids at Baby's R Us.  I have to admit, it wasn't my favorite experience, but the photos are cute.  You definitely get what you pay for.  But they did manage to capture a few good ones....
Jack is such a stud!  When we first got there he wanted no part in taking pictures, but as soon as we got him up there, he totally turned it on.  He's definitely my son in that department!

Such a little poser...and so handsome...

I LOVE this picture.  We didn't even tell Jack to do it.  Gavin was getting fussy so Jack leaned over and kissed him and it calmed Gavin right down.  So sweet...

Happy Guys...

I honestly thought my joyful little boy would just ham it up but he didn't enjoy the experience at all.  This shy grin was all we could get out of him.  Poor buddy just doesn't like new people and new environments...

Here's the one smile we got the entire session.  He's so adorable....

Close up in black & white...

I love this sweet little face.  He just looks so deep in thought.  Wonder what he was thinking about...maybe get me the heck out of here guys??

Ok, this is actually Jack at his 7 month photo shoot.  I wanted to put Gavin in the same sweater just to see if they would look alike in the pictures.  As soon as I saw the one of Gavin above I remembered that Jack had taken almost the same exact photo...same expression, same eyes, same little turned-down lips....even the way their fat little hands are touching.  The resemblance is crazy to me...

 

Here are both boys again.  I wanted to take a photo of each of them at 6 months because I have a picture of their daddy around the same age.  But I can't for the life of me find that picture.  I'll try to add it another time.  They definitely look like brothers....Jack was just a little chubbier and Gavin's ears stick out a little more....poor guy has mommy's ears...but they are both precious to me...

Gavin James in 7 Months Old!

Gavin at 7 months!  We couldn't get the kid to smile that day at all!

Gavster turned 7 months on Saturday!  Right after his six month birthday he had a huge growth spurt and now the little chubster weighs about 20-21 lbs....right on par with his big bro Jack at that age.  I swear he grew out of all his clothes overnight.  Thankfully I still have a ton of cute duds from Jack so I can keep up with the demand for bigger clothing at a moments notice. He's already starting to wear 12 month stuff!   The kid eats a ton and is getting very good at feeding himself....yogurt melts and puffs are his current food of choice.  So we've officially retired the swing for feedings and he's now sitting like a big boy in a high chair.

Gavin can sit up for about 30-40 seconds at a time now, which he loves to do because it gives him a new perspective on toys. So he's discovered that his older brother has a room full of fun things to play with.  It's amazing how he knows what toys belong to Jack because that is all he wants to hold. If I give him his own, he drops them and grabs Jack's...mostly his little action figures and cars. He really just loves anything having to do with Jack.  He absolutely adores his big bro. The way that he looks at him with such pure joy is too sweet.

And he's also starting to show signs of getting up on all fours so I see crawling in our very near future as well - time to baby proof the house!  Lord help me when I have two mobile, very active boys!  Gavin is all boy, just like Jack.  He laughs at silly things and has even started laughing at farts.  He loves to watch Jack and Daddy wrestle and always wants to get in on the action.  He'll kick and flail his arms until they rough it up with him too.  Pre-bath wrestling is a very lively time in our house.  We all get on the bed and jump around.  Hey, if you can't beat em, join em!

Unfortunately, he still has a bad case of stranger danger and doesn't do too well in unfamiliar situations, unless I am holding him.  He's such a perfect baby at home but if he's near someone new or in a strange place he just cries.  We got called out of church the other day to go get him. Poor little guy is just shy I guess.  I think I might need to get him a little more socialized with other babies so I'm looking into a play group or Gymboree.  I really don't think he's ready for school like Jack was at that age. So for now he's staying put with mama....and I'm definitely ok with that!  Here are a few fun pics of my precious little man...

As you can see, taking the monthly picture is getting a little more challenging.  My model just wants to play with the props...

Is there something on my face?!  Gav's first time in a high chair!  He looked so small and uncomfortable.  And he was obviously still getting the hang of feeding himself...

And just two weeks later, post-growth spurt.  He loves eating in his high chair and he fits a lot better too...

Happy baby boy after a jar of organic apples and blueberries...

I can feed myself, thank you very much...

The boys!  You can see they definitely look like brothers but they each have their own look.  Jack is a hybrid of Chris and me, where Gav is all Christian.  He's even getting tons if curly blond hair like his daddy too...(the matching under armor outfits are courtesy of their Aunt Melanie!)...

Getting ready to crawl!  Look out mom and dad...

Two more teeth!!  They are adorable but he grinds them with the bottom two and it's like nails on a chalk board...

Mama's sweet angel baby boy!  I just can't get enough of this face.  I must kiss him a hundred times a day...

The Happiest Place on Earth!

Growing up in Southern California, Disneyland was as much a part of our childhood as was going to the beach.  The feeling of driving along the 57 freeway and seeing the white-capped mountain of the Materrhorn ride was just too much excitement for a kid to take.  Back then we didn't have a lot of money so we couldn't go very often. But it made our trips there that much sweeter!  I remember feeling so special on Disneyland Days!

Even as a teen and an adult I never stopped loving Disneyland.  We used to go all the time.  And I remember always thinking how awesome it would be to take my own kids one day. Well, my friends, that day finally came last month.  Even though my family bugged me almost weekly to take him from the minute we moved back, he just wasn't ready last year.  But we now felt this was a good time and that he could appreciate the experience.  So we gathered the entire David, Varela and Martinez clans and headed to the happiest place on earth.

I will admit that going with 4 kids under the age of 3 was no easy task.  But with the help of Mimi and Papa, we did pretty good. Gavin was a dream baby that day and all the other kiddos were so well behaved so it was a really nice day...perfect weather, decent lines and just a lot of family fun to be had! 

I honestly think I had more fun than Jack did.  Just the feeling of walking through the gates and stepping onto Main Street with him, was very emotional for me.  It was like a full-circle moment that I had been waiting for for a long time.  Jack was a little overwhelmed at first but soon he was just having a blast....dancing, singing and enjoying the rides with his cousins.  I can't tell you how cool it was to see him so happy at the place that brought me so much joy as a kid.  I'd have to say his favorites were Toontown, the Carousal, the Cars, Small World and of course Dumbo...one of my all-time faves at Disney.  Going on that ride with him was simply awesome. 

Jack is already asking to go again.  But we don't want to take him too often because I want him to feel like I did when I was a kid - that going to Disneyland is a really special experience.  The CARS Land is opening at California Adventure this summer so we're planning a little stay-cation in September.  I am pretty sure he will freak out when he can walk through Radiator Springs and see Lightening McQueen and Mater.  For now, here are A LOT of pictures from our Disney Day...

Easter Fun!