Genius Gabriel

I've often talked about Gabriel being so smart. We are told by his teachers at preschool that he is so smart a lot. Every day that Gabriel goes to school we get a little note that is specific to what he did that day, and today this is what we got:

"I am convinced that Gabe is a baby-genius! He was playing with different shapes and sizes of blocks and figured out (on his own) that 3 little blue blocks (diamond shaped) can be put together to match the same size and shape of the big octogon! It's super impressive for his age". :)

Can I just say that I was not surprised to get a note like this...but I was so proud. To me, Gabriel is so special, from his intellect, to his kindness, to our mother and son bond, to the way he treats other people. I don't want him to grow up. I want him to be my baby forever. At the same time, I am so excited to see who this child will grow into. I have a suspicion that he is going to continue to be a bigger, more amazing version of what he is now.

Oh and today, he told David, "Mama is the best person in the world". How can your heart not melt over and over for him? I get teary eye'd just thinking about it.

Gabriel 18 Months

(after getting baby powder all over his face)

Gabriel is 18 months, soon to be 19 months. He is growing up so fast. There is definitely days where I can see the difference from one day to the next. He is still my little angel, with little devil horns sometimes. He has the best temperament and personality. I am in love with him more and more everyday. Gabriel is still super smart and advanced for his age. His pediatrician is always amazed at his little self.

Most recently, our lives changed drastically with Gabriel. Now that i'm in graduate school we had to find child care for him. He's at a really great day school that follows the Reggio Emilia school of thought, founded by Loris Malaguzzi. There isn't very many private institutions that follow the Reggio approach here in the U.S., so I just consider us really lucky to have one in Richmond! I cannot begin to explain how much I love this educational approach (so just follow the above link if you want to learn more), particularly because I was already raising Gabriel in the same manner as the Reggio approach. Thus, I feel like his day school is his home away from home and it makes me feel so much more better about his transition. He has transitioned very well. The first couple of weeks were hard for us. Gabriel would whine or cry(for a minute or less) every time we dropped him off and it just broke my heart to pieces. He was always happy and fine once we left though, and that always reassured me. We did a few surprise drop by's on different days where we could observe him and he couldn't see us, and that's how we knew that he was happy there (aside from the reports from the teachers). Now, in his fourth week, he can't wait to get there in the mornings. The closer we get to school, the more excited he becomes and he excitedly repeats "School's Cool" in his super happy voice. I love it. His teachers, Erica and Dana have grown to love him so fast. They rave about how smart he is to us and everyone else. Erica calls him her sweetie pie. In fact, I always have a whole bunch of the other teachers talk to me about Gabriel. They have so many positive and sweet things to say about him. He seems to be the big man on campus, everyone knows his name and his special character. I love that he is in a very loving and caring environment. We get a daily report of everything he learned, experienced, and did while there. Even though I am not physically there with him like I used to, I feel just as connected to him, because of how great his teachers are about involving me in his development. Everything is so far so good with Gabriel (and us) transitioning into child care.

Alright, so now more about what Gabriel is like these days...Gabriel is really obsessed with Thomas the Train. If he ever watches t.v., he is only concerned with watching Thomas the Train. My sister bought him one of the basic train sets a couple of months ago, and he was been obsessed with all things Thomas ever since. He even hears the trains by our house and says train, and loves to see them going on the tracks. It get's him so excited. He loves all of his cars and trucks and scoots them around the house all the time. He is a total boy. Likes to climb on everything and jump down and create chaos. He loves to crumble his food and it creates a nice little mess for us on our wood floors. He is really active. He is also really into lining things up, usually in size order. He will take all of his books and lay them flat on our floors and create this long line of books, from smallest to biggest, when he runs out of room he just redirects the line in other directions or creates multiple lines of books. It's fascinating to observe. I'll have to post one of the videos. You can literally see his brain ticking, because he is thinking so hard about making his line of stuff work. At school, the teachers tell us almost every day how he lines up all of the toy cars there after his morning snack. He lines them up in size order too and he concentrates on his task for really long periods of time. They are always amazed at his approach to things. They keep saying, "he just thinks different, his brain works a different way". I think it's so interesting that they also notice. Another cute story was something that happened this week, Erica was telling me that he would carry around this baby all day long. He held it close to him and would take it everywhere he was playing (he also slept with it during nap) and at the end of the day he would find books to read to the baby. They took pictures of him just going about his day with his baby. How cute, huh?

Gabriel also loves blocks and legos. He loves building the legos up. He also loves the outdoors. When we take him outside he likes to get into mischief and wander around in our neighborhood and get into other people's driveways. All of the neighbors know and love him so they don't mind that he wanders into their driveways to find rocks. Rocks are another fascination of his. There was a time where rocks were his security objects. He would refuse to get into the car unless he was holding one of his rocks. He would hold the rock during the entire car drive and as soon as we had to get out, he would just let go of the rock and leave it in his car seat. So we have quite the collection of rocks in our car! Another cute thing he does is sing. He sings the ABC's (in his own way of course) and it's really neat to hear him go through the different letters. At night we usually hear him sing and talk himself to bed. He is generally a really content child. He is still very kind to us and others. He says I love you mama (sounds like "I Ove u Mama") and it just melts my heart. I love hearing him talk and love looking into his eyes. He has such a special sparkle in his eyes. I see so much life in those big brown eyes. We are loving being his parents. Below are some pictures of what he has been up to:




So happy and proud of his lego tower!


Love my handsome and preppy son.


after his first haircut

At National Night Out with his neighbor buddy


The day his love for Thomas the Train began. At Barnes & Noble.


He LOVES all kinds of slides

Gabriel and his Aunt Josselyn

Words/Phrases that Gabriel Said by 18 months:
car
truck
train
bus
who's that
what's that
where's mama/dada
there's mama/dada
i love you mama/dada
ok
oh oh
oh boy
fishy
butterfly
fly
airplane
cracker
no
more
slide
sky
boat
horsey
goat
cow
sheep
elephant
one, two, three
school's cool
ball ball
good night
good bye
beans
hi, hello, hey, bye
it's stuck, i dont know
all gone, all done

A Testament of Gabriel

Our poor Gabriel just got over being terribly sick. Like I have mentioned before, Gabriel has been all sorts of sick this past year. He's had all kinds of colds, viruses, the Swine flu, ear infections, and strep throat in the last year. Being sick always interferes with his sleep and play. Despite the fact that it wipes him out, he tries his hardest to be happy and also puts a smile on our faces.

Last week he was the sickest we had ever seen him (besides the swine flu maybe). He developed a fever Saturday the 10th, and by Sunday we could tell it was super high. When we took his temperature it was 104.3 f. He only wanted to be held. So I held him all day Sunday. The high fever was his only symptom. We assumed it was a fever virus. But he was so lethargic, sad, and was burning up, so we decided to take him to an after hours emergency pediatric practice. We were shocked to find out that he had a really bad double ear infection. The doctor also decided to do a strep test, just to make sure he did not have strep (apparently it's been going around). To our double surprise, he also had strep throat. Poor Gabriel never seems to catch a break in the sick department. We were so shocked at how sick he really was. We felt so bad. They forced all sorts of stuff down his throat that Sunday evening. It traumatized him of all nurses and doctors, and medications (which he normally loves to take, he thinks it's a treat). Of course, forcing medicines didn't work, and he threw all of it up a few minutes later. Consequently, they also had to vaccinate him with a strong antibiotic. Luckily he was not allergic to the medication. Despite all the medications he continued with a super high fever Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday. His fever was 105 f. We were so scared! I would just hold him all day long. The antibiotic that we had to give him made him really nautious and his stomach would hurt. Tylenol and Motrin would not drop his fever by much. After three days with fevers of up to 105, his fever disappeared. He continued to be extremely lethargic until Saturday the 17th. So my entire week consisted of holding him all day long, which I enjoyed. I just cuddled and loved on him as much as I could. My heart just broke to see him so sad; he would whimper and whine through out the day, and all I could do was just snuggle him.

The reason I'm sharing this story is to document how amazing Gabriel really is. On Monday, while his fever was 105 f. he suddenly jumped out of my arms, with a smile from ear to ear, and decided he wanted to be his happy self. He wanted to push away how sick he really felt. He cheered himself up and us also. He ran around, laughed at nothing, cheesed at David and I. He just wanted to show us that he was still happy and ok. We actually really needed that, because we were so worried! While he was playing around, I decided to snap some pictures of him. He played with me and the camera. He would take his golf clubs and point them at the camera, playfully. I felt like I was literally documenting a testament to his character. I am so grateful for the wonderful disposition that Gabriel always has, even when he is so dang sick. He's got such a funny, happy, kind, strong-willed character. Nothing in life is ever going to stop this child.

Below are the pictures I took while he was burning up in a fever. I think they are my favorite of any pictures I have ever taken of him, because they mean so much.

In an attempt to cool him, we kept him in a diaper most of the time.

The final picture below says so much. After all the playing and cheesing, he finally had a thought to himself, "Mom, why the heck are you taking pictures of me?? Don't you know I'm soo sick!" Haha. This is a true Gabriel expression, which is so hard to capture on camera.
I'm so glad I did. After this picture he played for a little longer and then went back onto my arms and I loved on him all over again for the next few days.

Aside from getting all the colds etc., that many little kids his age get, Gabriel is a super healthy, resilient, happy boy. Every experience brings forth new treasured memories. I am so grateful for the joy he brings into my life. We are so lucky.

Gabriel is ONE!

Our little baby is a year old now. Time has flown by way too fast and at the same time I feel like I have known Gabriel my entire life. I love this child so much, he is such a special kid. He melts my heart every single day and my life would be so boring without him.

To celebrate Gabriel I thought I would share some things about him. Gabriel is so perfect in my eyes. He has a warm, and tender personality. He constantly wants to make others laugh and smile. He has this super cheesy smile and I have a feeling he got it from imitating me. He makes me smile so much and so I think he just started copying my smile back and has now just generalized it to the whole public. Initially he only made that cheesy smile back at me, and only when I was around. He wouldn't cheese around his dad if I wasn't around. But now, he just cheeses at everyone, and everyone cheese's right back. His friendliness is contagious. He talks away and it's hilarious. Most of the time, we have no idea what he is saying, but we still acknowledge whatever he says and talk right back to him. He loves those conversations. He also has a go-getter personality. He has been really early on all of his motor and cognitive development, and I think it's because he just wants to hurry and be this big kid already! He just wants to get things done and impress everyone. He is a major show off and knows that our world's revolve around him. Whenever we have visitors in our home, he does anything to show off, he will do tricks and then clap for himself and he will walk away and turn around really fast to make sure your eyes are still on him. If you have looked away he will shout and clap so that you look right back at him. It is the cutest thing in this world.

I get scared sometimes because I don't want him to get used to being the center of attention, because really, that is not what life is about. But at the same time, he is a baby, and it's up to us as parents to parent him and help him realize how big this world is and that he needs to care for all of those around him. Which, I know he will, he really cares about people and that they are happy, I can already see that. At the same time, he knows what he wants and he will in no way be distracted from his object of affection. This is why I think he is the perfect child, because he is tender, loving, interested in making others happy, but at the same time, he is not a push over, he will tell you know what he wants, and will fight for it. He is very strong willed. He's got some spice to him! It makes it hard on us sometimes, because he will figure out lots of different ways to get his way. Sometimes David and I are in awe at how smart and manipulative he can be, at such a young age, and it just makes us laugh. However, David is better at laying down the law, i'm a lot more easy going with Gabriel. But don't be fooled, I'm getting better at laying down the law.

Gabriel loves to explore everything. He tries to figure out how things work. He is generally patient, but if he has a hard time trying to figure something out, he will throw a pity party fit and throw himself on the floor and get angry for a second, and then he goes right back to figuring it out. It's funny. He has perseverance. He is also getting pretty tough when he hurts himself. Most of the time, he doesn't cry when he falls face first or bangs his head. Of course, if he is sick or tired, he is very symptomatic. He has been sick a lot this first year of life, which means we have all been sick a lot. He is getting better at handling being sick better, which is so nice for us. It really feels like we get sick every two or three weeks, it knocks all of us down! But at least he is building his immune system. The doctor told me it's better he get sicks a lot now because it will make his transition into Elementary school easier. Most of the reason he get's sick so often is because I have been a stay at home mom with him. So he is not exposed to germs like kids in daycare are. One thing is for sure, I can't wait til teething and getting sick a lot is over! He has gone in and out of being a good sleeper and it all depends on whether he is teething or sick. Poor kid, it breaks my heart and sleep, haha!

We enjoy our time with Gabriel every day. I am such a proud parent. I love talking about him, and sharing this part of my life with friends and family. I am so lucky to have such a unique, healthy, and happy child, and to also have David be his father. He is such a good father to Gabriel. Gabriel adores his dad. He is generally a momma's boy. He is always sweet to both of us, but he has what we call "mom" and "dad" days, where he will be especially sweet to one of us. It makes our day when he treats one of us in a special way. And he's pretty fair about it too! How can we not be in love with such an awesome child? He truly has been heaven sent. He loves us with such a pureness and we love him right back. Happy birthday sweet Gabriel!!

This is on the actual day of his birthday. Since we are not fans of giving Gabriel sweets, I made him a corn muffin with icing on top. He loved it so much!! I gave him the rest of the muffins I made without icing. He loved this special birthday treat.






Opening the card and present from his Grandparents Durrant.


We also threw him a little party with our closest friends and those that have especially been there for us this year. It was great to be surrounded by such good friends that love Gabriel. Since Gabriel is half white and half Salvadorean. We decided to make the food appropriate of his cultural background. So we did hot dogs and potato chips to represent his white culture, haha, and we did a couple different kinds of pupusas and meat pies called "pastelitos" with a few sides to represent his latin Salvadorean heritage. It all turned out great. We had the whitest food around and the most Salvadorean food around.


Yes, we did have a pinata to reinforce his latin roots!!!




This is our homemade birthday cake! With the help of my sister, david and my cousin, we put this great duck cake together! We decided to do a duck cake because Gabriel LOVES Ducks, and that was his first word! You can also see the little football cake on the side, which David made solely for Gabriel.


It was cute. He ate all of it except the fondant!




His birthday was a blast!

Gabriel's First Words (Before his 1st birthday):
Duck
Cracker
Dog
Horsey
Hi
Bye
Ok
All Done
What's That
a few more I cant remember right now

Invincible

My little angel is walking. For the longest time I kept wondering how I would feel when he started walking. I definitely thought I would break into tears when Gabriel took his first steps. Instead, I was completely elated and excited for him. Every time I thought about him walking, I kept looking at it like it was a sign of him getting older, and more independent. Which is an exciting thought. At the same time, it's a reality check. Gabriel is getting older. In fact, he will be a year old in a month or so. I have adored seeing my little baby grow up. I have also cherished every single second with him as my little baby. I have made the best of late night feedings or cuddling because I realize that when he is older, and no longer a baby, he will not need night time feedings or cuddling. I have preferred to rock him or cuddle him to sleep rather than just placing him in the crib to cry, because a good friend told me once, he will only be a baby for so long. Cuddling, and rocking him are sweet expressions of love, and let him know that I will take care of him, good care of him. I'm just lucky that he is a cuddler too.

Back on the subject of Gabriel walking. Well, it's such a symbolic thing. Little by little, Gabriel has learned how to walk. It started with rolling himself over, then by sitting up, then by crawling, then standing, then taking a couple wobbly steps, then taking a few more steps, and then fully walking. For him, it was a 10 month journey to get there. Babies are so persistent, aren't they? I'm just so amazed at how it all works. How someone so small can go around our house walking everywhere. We take care of our babies, and so they are dependent on us, but in reality, we are raising them to be independent from us. It all goes hand in hand. I love how it works. I think that's the reason i'm not as nostalgic as I thought I was going to be, about him walking. Instead, I feel so proud of him. Proud that he is becoming his own little person; walking around, babbling about who knows what, pointing to things, smiling, laughing, walking over to me to hold him and then walking away from me to explore this or that. It's amazing. There is so much that is going on in his little world and he is taking it all in. That's why he walks all over the same places, he really is just taking it all in. He is absolutely loving this new walking phase. He wanders around our house so focused sometimes, as if he does not realize that he is walking because he is so enthralled at something, and other times, he looks at me with a smile from ear to ear. He smiles from ear to ear because he is just so proud of himself for all the cool stuff he does, and he wants me to know it, and acknowledge it. I have fun acknowledging how amazing of a baby he is. How great these last 11 months with him have been!

This is a video of Gabriel taking his first steps. We were lucky to have our camera around to capture this moment. He was 10 months old here.



And this video was shot TODAY, at 11 months now. He feels so invincible.