A temporary update...

Sorry for the long absence in posts, but with the end of the semester coupled with the holidays, I have simply been unable to update the blog. However, I have several nice images and/or video clips from this current trip home and hopefully early in January I will be able to upload some fun items. But first, we shall ring in the new year. To everyone we will be unable to spend New Year's Eve with, we wish you the happiest of New Year's!!!

Stay tuned for more on the Gavin Adventures!

Noviembre de Gavin

Gavin and the Christmas Lights...a quick clip

Stats and Images

Latest stats from official weigh-in for upcoming bout:

height: 31 inches (dead on 50th percentile arc...has grown 2 inches in 2 months)

weight: 23 lbs 4 oz. (30-35th percentile...no longer on 50th percentile arc, but doctor said it was expected given his disposition for being a busy-body)

head size: 80th percentile...lots of brains, lots of brains.

Below are some recent shots, including a few from Joe's visit as well as Gavin opening a package containing gifts (toys and clothes) from the Kruzan family and a package containing Christmas decorations made by MawMaw & Kyra.

And I believe we'll be seeing several of you in a few weeks, so you better bring your walking shoes as this one is always on the move.

A Gavoween Spectacular

Making us some Halloween

Viruses & a Camo-Busch Box

Once again we find ourselves battling something viral. It isn't the flu (swine or otherwise), but it runs in fever spells, sinus congestion, and hacking cough. Unfortunately for Nicole, all Gavin has wanted to do while fighting off this latest viral visitor is to be held by her. But this morning he was a bit more playful, so maybe he's turned the corner. The great thing about this kind of being sick, their isn't really anything the doctors can do—he just has to weather the storm.

Beyond fighting off viruses, not much is new around here. At this point it appears that Gavin is going to be a doctor for Halloween (not the cool academic type but the medical type, the kind that wears powder-blue scrubs and makes significantly more money). Granted, we may stumble onto another costume and change our minds, but I think the doctor thing works for him. I will be sure to post pictures and/or video after Halloween.

If nothing else, this year we should see a drastic increase in the number of trick-or-treaters we receive. In years past we been rolling in the 0-5 range of visitors, but with the number of kids in our neighborhood we may get over that number before the 31^st even gets here.

Anyways, hope you enjoy the pictures!

Gavin Snippets

Wow, I didn't quite realize how long it has been since my last post. Time has just been flying by and before you know it one week turns into two. Nonetheless, the wait may be worth it as I present to you Fireman Gavin and other snippets.

Beyond these clips, there isn't much new here, which is also why the delay in posts. He is getting better at walking, and progressively getting better at getting into things. But these small incremental changes are hard to notice on a day-to-day basis. However, spread them out over a week, or two, or seven and he is quite drastically different. For example, a few weeks ago he was still predominantly a sippy-cup drinker, now he can almost handle a regular cup on his own. And he's got drinking out of a water bottle nearly down pat—you just have to be cautious with how full the bottle is as that is directly related to how soaked his shirt (and/or the floor) will get.

Outside of Gavin related issues, the weather here has finally started to turn. We had a couple of comfortably "cool" days the other week and that was really fantastic. Of course, today we're back up to 90 degrees (and with the recent rain the humidity is sickening), but cooler days lie ahead. Plus, 90 here now feels like 80 everywhere else we've been—it's funny what 3 to 4 weeks of 103-106 degree days will do to your internal thermometer.

I will conclude without promises of more frequent entries; I will simply end with: as things happen so too shall the blog posts.

Hope you enjoy the clips and hope you enjoy your weekends!

A Brief Digital Photo Album

Restless crowds and whatnot

Video of "new" sounds is forthcoming -- the problem is actually capturing these things on video. As per usual, the Star doesn't always want to perform when the camera is on. As such, this post will be text-only as we are in the video-production stages (like all good productions, these things take time).

I apologize, only marginally, for the delay in posting, as in the few free hours a day that I have my choices include, among many other things, whether I write a blog post or spend time with Gavin, and he (nearly) always wins out. I've been trying to get Nikki to add posts--shorter, more frequent posts during the week--but she is still on the fence on this one. She's a bit hesitant for some reason, but I'll continue to encourage this option.

Beyond those issues, the latest developments with the Bean include his preference for walking on his own. He even pushes your hand away when you try to help him. Great! Right? The result of this new found independence is the perpetual state of heart attack this "freedom" induces in two parents who have to remain ever so close to prevent him from smashing his head in the ground as, despite his independence and desires to walk on his own, he is still a bit wobbly (a bit top heavy). And why is it that every time he falls he always goes head first? He is like the inversion of the cat--rather than landing on his feet every time, he always lands on one side or the other of his forehead. Luckily, like one of his parents, he is very hard-headed.

We have also started to see some improvements in his speaking abilities--developing new sounds and repeating particular utterances in relation to certain desires. And while these things are steps in the right direction, it still takes a fairly sophisticated parental-level of deciphering to make sense of what the 5 "ba" uses are and how in one setting they mean ball, another bus, another "Bah!", and so on. But this language acquisition, while frustrating at times, is very exciting stuff. For example, in the past two to three days, he has picked up "happy"--and while it isn't quite perfect yet, he is getting every so close to getting it out right.

And perhaps the most significant improvement lately has been in the sleeping area. We have had more good nights than bad nights lately. I would even go as far to say that on a couple of nights we were almost rested! This is huge as it has been at least 13 months since we found a few nights of consistent, good sleep. Hopefully, as he gets more settled into our new home here and more comfortable in his routine that things in this area will continue to improve.

30s and things

Now that both Nikki and I are 30 (many wonderful thanks go out to all of you for the birthday wishes and birthday cards and birthday gifts), I thought I should get back to posting, and so to reward those with great patience (as work is still getting in the way a bit of this blog thing), I offer you the following video. Please enjoy!

DMV, some steps, and some words

Just for the record, there is no good time to go to the DMV – at least not where we are at. We tried on Friday and both DMV locations had ~2 hour wait. So I decided I would try again this morning…run over the moment it opens, get in, out, and off to work. I arrived 15 minutes before they opened and couldn't find parking. It took me an hour and a half to even get a number, and then another 2 and a half to get service. Total time being helped (at counter behind mysterious divider wall in waiting room): 8 minutes. Needless to say, I hope that Nikki has much better luck when she tries the DMV.

Other than the DMV fun, we have continued to try to get settled in here – and, more importantly, to get Gavin settled in. He still isn't sleeping through the night. He tosses and turns all night, waking up quite often. This has been the biggest challenge lately, and it is taking its toll on all of us (well, not him, as he is his usual cheery self in the mornings). We have tried several methods and techniques to help him out, but non have quite taken hold yet. But we're hopeful, and so we keep trying.

He has started to walk a bit more. We're up to about 12 steps and a couple changes of direction. But he is still wobbly—at times he looks like he's about 5 beers along.

He's also started to pick up a few more words. When he really tries, he can say several things (or say close approximations to them). But he definitely understands far more than he is capable of vocalizing. Soon he will be talking our ears off.

Of course, one of the great frustrations is when he repeats something perfectly the first time and then doesn't even attempt to say it again, no matter how much we try. Like the other night, he was swinging at the park and he repeated, "Oh, yeah." For the life of me he wouldn't even try to say it after that. Not even the "Oh" part. He just went right on gibbering to himself . . . If nothing else, at least he was enjoying the conversation he was having.

Still settling in...

Sorry for the delay in posting, I've been in new faculty orientation all week and a bit too swamped to post. But hopefully things will get a bit better as we go forward, or I may have to get Nikki to start posting to make up for my shortcomings.

Things are still hot here. We are now in the second hottest year in the history of Central Texas. But that heat doesn't seem to phase Gavin. He perpetually wants to play outside, and it is all we can do to limit his outdoor time to mornings and evenings when its not as bad. Of course, the other night it was still 95 degrees at 10:30pm, but at least the sun wasn't out, which meant less chance of your face melting.

Shifting gears a bit, it was recently brought to my attention by one of Nikki's wonderful Aunts that I missed a golden opportunity to make a big hoopla over Nikki's most recent milestone birthday. For those who don't know, Nikki officially moved out of her 20s on August 15th. In a few weeks I will be joining her at this milestone, but until then I jokingly am married to a "cougar."

Beyond that, not much is new here. We recently had Gavin's 1st year photos taken (as you can tell from some of the images here). Thanks to both Aunt Sherry and Aunt Laura for their recommendations for using Portrait Innovations, those folks were fantastic and we got some really great shots. We will be sure to disperse the photos to as many people as we can the next time we see everyone. Until then, please enjoy these digital stand-ins.

(NOTE: The images included here are some of the proofs we didn't choose to turn into pictures . . . there were just too many good ones.)

The latests...

Still hot. Record 35 days straight of 100+ temps. Already third hottest year in the history of this area.

Still have things in boxes. But we are making a pretty good dent in the remaining things. With a little luck, we could at least have all the boxes unpacked by Monday.

Beyond that, we celebrated Gavin's first birthday a couple days ago. Thanks to everyone who called or sent emails or ecards and to everyone who sent birthday cards and birthday gifts. Gavin really enjoyed opening his presents. And it turns out, it was the packaging peanuts in Uncle Travis and Aunt Sherry's gifts that made the biggest splash (see video below).

Gavin's Aunt Laura comes in late today, so I'm sure we may stumble into some adventures here over the weekend...hopefully we can go see the famous bats take flight at the bridge on Guadalupe St. in Austin. Supposedly, millions upon millions of bats take up residence under the bridge for half the year and at night they all fly out to hunt (bats fly out for 45-60 minutes). So that should be fun. But checking that out may depend on the weather. The other night it was still 95 degrees at 10:30pm.

Oh well, I hope you enjoy the pictures and video.

Hot in Austin!!!

Sorry for the absence in posting, I simply have been too busy unpacking and whatnot to get to the computer. Plus, we're not quite up and running in terms of the internet service yet…there is apparently quite a wait to have these things set up (one industry, I guess, that is clearly still doing well during these tough economic times).

I will get some photos up soon, once we get the internet, but for now a text-only blogpost from my phone will have to suffice.

Just wanted to say that we are all here and things are as we expected for this time of year…EXTREMELY HOT! The 7-day forecast has the coolest day at 101. Dry heat or not, that's hot. But we are managing. The house is still full of boxes and items needing to be put away, but we are making progress. Gavin's Grandpa Joe has been here all week helping out (both with Gavin and the unpacking), which has been a huge help, and Grandma Nancy arrived today so we should be able to make some serious damage this weekend…especially since it is too freakin' hot to go anywhere that isn't air conditioned. Luckily, all the major shopping areas (and there are a ton of them) are air conditioned…so we can go get lost in IKEA for hours.

I will work on getting photos up when I can. We should have internet service after the 12th, so I will post some of Gavin's 1st Birthday pics then (if I don't get a chance to do so before).

Stay cool, literally.

a goodbye of sorts...

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to tonight's broadcast, which is a bit of a special one. It will be the final episode we air from here in our South Carolina Studio, as our next broadcast will come from our new studio in Austin, TX (well, Round Rock, technically, but close enough).

Tonight's show includes movers, raccoons, and some final words. And so, without further ado...


~Episode 1~

The movers came today. Things started out a bit rocky; they were about an hour and a half later than expected, which didn't bode well for that 6 to 10 hour load-time estimate I was given over the phone. The reason for their delay: they had to stop to get a "shuttle" (a.k.a. a 24 ft. moving truck) to load our stuff onto before taking it to the Semi and moving our stuff from the shuttle to the Semi. The reason for the shuttle: as you may know, we live in a tree house, and the Semi would bottom-out trying to get up the drive. Surprisingly, the "shuttle" did not bottom-out, but it was very close.

The highlight of the movers' arrival was listening to the four of them discuss where to put the "shuttle" and how to get it there. I offered to back it up for them, but they declined (I hadn't been approved to drive when they rented the vehicle).

After a few attempts to get in line, they began backing up the drive. The wheels starting spinning (thanks to a wonderful night of thunderous rain, leaving everything excessively wet) and the "shuttle" nearly spun off the far side of the drive (down the bank and toward the creek). It was much closer than any of us would have like (especially the big guy in charge, who looked like he was about to pass out from the nerves our driveway caused). Needless to say, after that incident, where the "shuttle" sat is where they parked (about halfway up the driveway, nearly at its steepest point).

Despite their less-than-professional start, they really were quite fantastic. They tagged, wrapped, and loaded with a quick and steady pace (three guys loading, one guy handling paperwork). That 6 hour estimate was a bit overshot; everything was loaded in just under 2.5 half hours. Granted it helped that I had everything (I mean everything) boxed, sorted, and stacked in the living room so all they had to do was tag, pad, and move, but still, they made seriously short work of our stuff. One guy (the skinniest among them) even carried our recliner out on his own, with it hoisted up above his head (braced on his shoulders and head) ... down the multitude of steps, down the drive, and into the (now elevated) back of the truck.

I felt bad standing there watching them do all the work, but I also reveled in the fact that for the first time in my life I didn't have to load or unload all our possessions for a move. After 5 moves in the past 7/8 years, this really is a glorious feeling. All in all, it was a pretty good day. The movers loaded and left. I finished cleaning and gathered my things, and now I'm just waiting for tomorrow's departure (planning on stopping by Travis & Sherry's house on the way to Austin to see them and my Godson/nephew, Reid).


~Episode 2~

I don't think a life in South Carolina is complete until you've had to call Animal Control to help you handle a sick raccoon. The base of the storyline isn't all that exciting, but things down here just seem to unfold differently. First off, apparently Animal Control doesn't answer the phone on Sundays. So, if ill-looking/ill-acting wildlife wander into your yard, hope it isn't a Sunday.

After trying Animal Control, Nikki phoned the police. Oh, that's right, because we live an inch outside the city limits, the Seneca police department can't help us; we need the county police. Once again, the joys of being close but not close enough.

Somewhere between being transferred to the county and to yet a third-party I'm not sure of, Nikki said something to the following:

N: Yes, hi, we have a raccoon in our yard and he acts really sick. We tried animal control but ... uh, no, no, we just wanted to make sure it doesn't hurt anyone or ... uh huh ... we don't own a gun ... no, we don't know anyone who owns one either ... ... ... okay, thanks.

When did the acceptable response from dispatch or some other form of municipal authority become, "Well, can't you just shoot it?" Followed by, "Do you know anyone who does own a gun?"

I'm not sure what kind of training is involved there or what procedural manual details this course of action/direction, but it was an interesting sequence of questions and events. Animal control did get a hold of us (after dispatch left them a message, I guess) and they came by and picked up the critter. He was, in fact, dying (as indicated by his inability to stay in trees [falling to the ground] and by his willingness to be in broad daylight, barely moving, crying out, and breathing very rapidly :: Suspected cause of behavior/death symptoms: distemper.

The Animal Control lady really was fantastic: knowledgeable, friendly, apologetic, chatty, and surprisingly very normal. For some reason I was expecting an older man, with two teeth, a worn flannel t-shirt, 5 gallon bucket, bib-overalls, and a homemade cattle prod. Needless to say, following this incident, we have now officially completed our "must experience" list for living in South Carolina ... "Contact animal control for a dying raccoon. Check."


~Episode 3~

And now I close our time in (and our blog posts from) South Carolina with this last photo of Nikki, Gavin, and I standing on our back patio (She and I posing; Gavin staring off toward his future -- actually, a car had just past and he loves watching them zip by).

Despite its quirks (or perhaps because of them), this place (and this particular home) will always have a place in my heart. I only hope that Texas is both more and less eventful (in the good ways).

So it is with both joy and sorrow that I say goodbye to this studio/home which was the birthplace of this blog (and its star, Gavin).

Until my next post - the first Texas post - I wish all you Bean-followers a happy week!

(Oh, and hope you like the spaghetti photo. Yes, it is a bit cliche, but it is fun nonetheless).

one last SC visit...

Whenever my grandparents come to see me,
I dance and sing and play.
We go for walks
And have long talks
And just while away the day.

It's the most fun a grandson could have,
to laugh, give hugs, and dream.
Right from the start
I knew in my heart
They were the grandparents for me.

a brief video or two

a rare occurrence

The other day I was able to capture a remarkable shot with our camera. Much like seeing Haley's Comet, the opportunity to glimpse such a wondrous thing was just more than I could pass up, so I did my best to preserve the moment. It was a low-light shot, so the image came out a bit grainy, but I think you can make it out alright.

The tale is as follows:

It had been a fairly routine morning. Nikki was at work and I was at home, fighting for my life...

Once the mother was out of the house, things took a turn. The calm and docile beast quickly became irritable and unpleasant. It had previously shown signs of fatigue (rubbing the eyes, droopy head), but I knew those signs could just as easily have been a ploy -- thus, I approach with caution. When I went in the first time, I met a stiff right arm and screams of displeasure. It recognized the signs of the pending nap, and quickly began its revolt. But I stayed with it, knowing the beast needed a nap (for the benefit and safety of us all). 

Using its pacifier, I lured it into the back bedroom. I figured if I could trick the beast into laying down, it would drift off to sleep and the battle would be over relatively unencumbered. I was wrong. The beast immediately realized what was going on and again protested. The minor protests turned into major protests. Tears flowed, snot ran, whails of unhappiness and frustration filled the room, and a pacifier flew here and there (and that was just the first few minutes). For nearly forty minutes I battled the beast -- it too tired to do anything but be miserable (even too tired to sleep), me determined to help it achieve the blissful state of napping (for the well-being of all involved).

It was an epic battle of wills. The beast kept looking for its mother to come through the door and rescue it, save it from Dad, the Nap-Bringer, but much to its dismay, she was at work and the beast would have to fight this battle on his own. 

The war waged on. The beast would give up ground only to come back twice as strong; I occasionally felt victory slipping away from me as well and I would renew my commitment and double my efforts. I will spare you of the gory details, the heartbreaking looks, the snot-roll move it used to destroy my shirt (or at least to make sure I would have to change), but in the end, the beast caved and fell into a deep slumber.  I lay exhausted, nearly decimated, but victorious. 

Then, nearly 50 minutes after moving the beast back into its natural habitat, I crept back into its layer and took this shot. It is so rare that the beast sleeps, and even rarer for it to sleep this soundly (I feel the battle had something to do with the depth of his slumber), and so I wanted to capture this rare moment and share it with the world, letting everyone know that on that day, that morning, I battled the beast and won.

All jokes aside, things are moving along nicely. Gavin now has two bottom teeth and two+ coming in on the top. He's even getting to where he likes to bite the spoon and not let go, so that has added a new wrinkle to the feeding game. He still isn't sleeping all night--waking up every few hours, which is odd even if when he does put himself back to sleep. He just doesn't seem to like to rest for more than 2 to 3 hours (my guess is that he is afraid he'll miss something . . . and I have no idea where he would have developed such behavior!).

On our end of things, Nikki and I have begun (and/or continue) to pack for Austin, TX. We are now only about 20 days away from our relocation and we still have a lot to do, but we should be okay. I am quickly realizing just how much stuff we have and how much stuff we need to get rid of. Several of our things won't be making the move with us. Some of it has found homes elsewhere, some has a date with the Goodwill, and some has a destiny with the trash dump, but such is the (re)cycle of life, I guess.

a few photos

Some photos of bath-time fun yesterday.

and we now return you to the show...

Sorry for the extended absence. I have been gallivanting around the country and just haven't had time to squeeze in a post. Plus, other than a new tooth coming in, not much has changed with Gavin. Of course, I say "not much" but that is because I see him daily, but to others he may have changed tremendously. I will try to get some new photos up this week . . . finally managed to empty the memory card on the camera and so now have space for 1300 new photos. Yippee!

So, sorry to disappoint, but there are no images of Gavin in this post. But July will be different!

This post is geared towards Gavin's future home in Austin--well, at least the place we are going to rent. I have included a few photos for your viewing pleasure. We are pretty excited about the move and about landing this place. It was quite a drawn out process as there were lease applications and background checks and references and so on. A little more "business" than we are used to coming from our renting experiences in Jacksonville and then Highland and then down here. But everything checked out well and we have been approved as renters. Now we just have to sign the lease and we at least have a residence for a year.

The house is about 15 miles North of campus, up near Dell's headquarters (yes, recently learned that Michael Dell, founder of Dell, is a UT graduate), and it is located to a much larger array of options than we are used to . . . including a variety of shopping, a short jaunt to a Tanger Outlet Mall, and pretty much every dinner option you can imagine (especially when considering that downtown Austin restaurant options are only a 25 minute drive). Plus, it is conveniently near several major routes around the area, so we should have no trouble accessing the plethora of options to explore in and around Austin.

Beyond that, all is well here in the land of Gavin. He is still quite a bit wobbly in his attempts at walking, but soon he will take off on his own and we will have to cover everything with Nerf. He also still refuses to crawl, but can "scootch" with the best of them.

In terms of Nikki and myself, we are slowly beginning our packing adventures -- primarily still in that collecting boxes stage, but we do have quite a mounting collection. And in just under a month from now we will be nearing the end of our long drive down to our new residence and begin the process of getting settled there. But I will do my best to stay more up-to-date with the posts . . . hopefully no more two-week lags.

As the (Gavin) World Turns

This week in the "World of Gavin" finds us still faced with a refusal to crawl. He will "skootch" across the floor (and you'll know exactly what that is if you ever see it) but no crawling. Granted, it it's not like he isn't trying to be mobile, as he prefers to "walk," but his "walk" is a bit painful after awhile as one of us has to follow along behind him, holding his arms for balance and safety (as he can't do it on his own yet) and this particular activity requires a slight bending over at all times (5 minutes in and your lower back screams at you). Someday this will change, which will be both better and worse, but for now this is our situation: hunched over, escorting Gavin on his countless trips up and down the hallway.

Shifting topics a bit, we find ourselves in readying for a couple of visitors. Gavin's Aunt Laura and Grandpa Joe are coming down for a few days (each in turn) while I venture out to Davis, CA for a conference and then on to Austin to secure living accommodations. Not only are we thrilled that they are coming, but I am sure Gavin is happy too as he can already use a break from just hanging out with Nikki and I. After this visit, we will only have a handful of weeks remaining before we make the big move to Austin...and we'll see what kind of fun that journey brings our way.

On a somewhat unrelated note, due to an unexpected removal from the Clemson email system, my new (temporary) email address is hodgson.rcid@gmail.com. If you have tried to contact me in the past couple of weeks, I apologize for not responding as I have been locked out of my Clemson account and therefore unable to check my email.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the photos--they are both from our recent trip home: the first is Nikki and Gavin in the butterfly house at the St. Louis Zoo and the other is from the graduation party (taken by Peggy Stanley).

back home and settled...for a week or so

Things are getting a bit crazy around here these days. The trip home was nice, and it was really great to see everyone, but as a result I have been extra busy since our return. I have prep work for this fall at Austin--not to mention the time spent laying out a game plan for finding a suitable residence--and with some upcoming travel to California for a conference, followed by travel to Texas to locate a place to live when we move, followed by a trip to Memphis for my nephew's baptism, there just doesn't seem to be enough time to post. But I will work on these things and try to do better, especially now that he starting to pick up new skills almost daily.


I must begin this post (well, begin again) by saying thank you to everyone for their graduation well-wishes and congratulations and gifts and thoughts and prayers. And I would especially like to thank all those friends and family in the Liberty area (and Griggsville, and Jacksonville) who made it to the small graduation party at the Liberty Park--especially a big thanks to Aunt Terry and Jodie for catering the event and to Aunt Pam and the countless others, especially my mother and sister, for their work on putting together the party. I would also like to pay special tribute to Glen Levit Scotch as its consumption by my father and brother at the "after-party" provided hours of entertainment and several years worth of stories.

-----

Getting back to Gavin, the star of this show, he is getting closer to walking on his own. I believe he really intends on skipping over crawling as it just doesn't suit his style. But he is still, unmercifully so, in the "help me trek all-around the house" stage. As a result, both Nikki and I believe we are developing hunch-backs. But it is worth it as he is so very proud of himself when he travels all over the house, and he has even started to kick a Wiffle ball when he walks--maybe he will play a little soccer in the coming years, who knows?

Anyways, I have included an image above from our Zoo excursion and there is also a brief video/slide-show of some other images from our visit home. I don't have any photos from the trip up to Liberty, as so many others were taking photos that I figured I would just get them from them. As such, if you have photos from the party (or the next afternoon), please feel free to send them to me. My new email is hodgson.rcid@gmail.com.

This week...

This will be a short post as we're back in Illinois for a few days. We have quite a busy schedule, but we're looking forward to seeing as many of you as we can. Next week's post is sure to include images (if not video) from this week(end)'s extravaganza.

Hope you enjoy your weekend!

Our Second Vlog Remix

What a weekend...

Gavin told me this morning to tell all the mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers, "Happy (Belated) Mother's Day!!!"

What a weekend. Friday was graduation--a long, taxing, four-hour extravaganza on campus (which doesn't include the extra time for early arrival by candidates like me). Saturday we kind of played it low-key--though Gavin did receive a nice gift/package from his Aunt Laura, and so we were able to enjoy that fun (see brief video clip below). And on Sunday I took some nice photos of Gavin and Nikki, but beyond that he was a bit of bear as he had a runny nose and slight fever. We think these are the effects of cutting teeth as one or two are trying to break through in the front.

Aside from receiving a Mother's Day card from us, he and I also hung out together in the morning so Nikki could sleep in--her only Mother's Day wish. Granted, I'm not sure how much of a gift that was after his night of restlessness--his not feeling well and all--but every little bit helps.

Anyways, not much new here. Just wanted to share some photos from the weekend...and, of course, the image above that I made. I would have posted it yesterday, but we were enjoying our day together and so I didn't have time to do any online work. Enjoy!

Gavin, Me, & a Musical Book

Thanks . . . and some musings

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone for your congratulations. Whether via the blog, email, phone, or even in person, it means a lot to me.

And now, I return you to the star of the show. . .

First, an image:


And then a brief (57sec) clip:

yesterday's news

the latest

shhh...Is he still sleeping?

Today's post will be fairly short as I am swamped with a pending deadline for my dissertation. Nonetheless, I wanted to share with everyone this photo (which I borrowed from Laura's Facebook photo collection of Gavin). Though I don't want to jinx it, I will say we have slept mostly through the night the past 3-4 nights. He has woken up in the middle of the night, but 3 of the 4 he has been able to fall back asleep on his own. (This, of course, translates into a much more refreshed Nicole.)

In fact, this morning when I got up he was still sleeping. He slept nearly 11 hours last night! Oh what gloriousness this is! I only hope he continues because this continuous sleep approach seems to be agreeing with him (and us). :)

As requested...

As implored by Gavin's Aunt Laura, I write to give the latest updates.

Last weekend Nicole had to go to Salt Lake City for a conference for work and so Gavin and I partied all weekend like it was 1999. Well, at least neither one of us really slept, so it felt like New Year's Eve 1999.

He started to get a bit congested on Saturday evening when Nikki left, and from Saturday to Sunday I saw every hour the clock offered...many of them I was lucky enough to see twice! Sunday night he slept, but only for an hour and a half, followed by a 2 hour 2-4am fussiness-party (not nearly as enjoyable as said New Year's Eve...though as frustrating as the hangover the next day), and then we had another 1.5 hour bout o'sleep (thankfully). His mother returned late Monday evening and saved us both.

Despite his not feeling well, Gavin handled Nikki's not being here like a champ. Well, I think he at least fared better than his mother.

Beyond that, life if fairly uneventful...well, at least no food poisoning this week. Thank goodness!

Though I should mention that we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of another of Gavin's cousins as Travis and Sherry are expecting any day now. So, aside from working frantically to finish my dissertation (and then defend it), we wait patiently for news of the new addition to our extended family.

Guests, Food Poisoning, and A Trip Out West: what a week

My extended absence from posting has been the combined result of a serious battle with food poisoning and a 4 day excursion to San Francisco...but we'll get to those things in due time.

On March 6th, Nancy and Joe came for their latest visit. Aside from just wanting to come down, they had specifically planned to be here and give Nikki a hand with Gavin while I was in San Francisco--which is something we really appreciated.

On March 7th, we all went out to lunch at Moe's in downtown Clemson. I was the only one who ordered the pork on my burrito...and lucky me, I ordered double meet! Four hours later, the initial grumblings began. An hour after that, severe stomach pain. After that, my body began to expel everything. At one point, I think I saw the rear tires off a Hotwheel's car I accidentally swallowed when I was 8 years old. I believe the saying is "turning oneself inside out." A few hours later, Nikki and I ended up at the emergency room: uncontrollable shakes, difficult breathing, numbness in limbs--all sure signs you should probably go to ER. Roughly about 5 am we made our way back home, with most of the symptoms under control. Luckily, because Nancy and Joe were here, Gavin didn't have to go to the hospital with us...no need exposing him to that kind of infestation. So, of all the times to get food poisoning, this was, I guess, "opportune."

Slept most of the day March 8. Liquids only--and limitedly so.

Began recovering well March 9. Crackers and a sandwich!!! Felt not so great that night.

March 10 went to work. Marginally better.

March 11 drove to Charlotte to fly to San Francisco. Right up until I boarded the plane, I debated cancelling the trip and returning home . But, upon landing in San Francisco, I started feeling noticeably better and got better each day during my stay out there--good thing I didn't have to do my presentation until Saturday.

Took the "red eye" home from SF on March 14/15. Got back in time to have breakfast with Nancy, Joe, Nikki, and Gavin before returning to Greenville airport with them so they could fly home.

It was, to say the least, quite a whirlwind past several days.

Aside from my dramatics, I think everyone else had a fairly enjoyable visit. Nancy and Joe even spent several days in a row as Gavin's daytime care provider. I'm not quite sure who had the most fun in that exchange...I think everyone learned some new tricks.