Bad Boy Jackie

Jack has stooped to new lows in order to communicate his dissatisfaction at his place in the new pecking order. Today he unpacked the box of Gavin's formula and tried to open it with his teeth! Luckily, Jesse nearly burned the chicken on the bbq and caught the dog's nefarious deed before he got too far. Here is the evidence:

Hello Deutschland

This week we've had a wonderful visit with Beth, my roommate from Bread Loaf. Last year at this time, she came to visit and we went to Disneyland, traipsing all over town. This year, we've introduced her to the wonders of the dining room and the joys of the nursery - both excellent places to pace and bounce the boy when he's fussy. I'm afraid that all house guests are now quickly co-opted into babysitters, but let's hope that's why they've come: to get a few moments with this beautiful boy. And while Beth's visit has been wonderful, we both send a hearty "hello, and we love you!" to our roommate Nadja, who lives so far away. She promises to become rich and successful soon so as to bankroll frequent visits to Germany. Don't let us down, Noodle!

Little Couch Potato

This kid has an overabundance of personality, don't you think? We bought him a "Bumbo" seat and were immediately entertained by how grown up he looked, hanging out in his little seat. Of course, he immediately wanted control of the remote.

Twelve Pounder

Just a little update: We took Gavin for his 8 week appointment at the pediatrician (you know, the one where he gets his first shots!). This little tubby weighed in at twelve pounds, so we know he's thriving on his new, hypoallergenic formula. Although he's still only sleeping for forty minutes at a time even at night, we're getting a lot more smiles. Here's one snapped by Jesse's grandfather last week.

A Few Memories from this Week

This last week we (and I mean all four of us) crowded into the Saturn with all of Gavin's necessities - you know, a swing, a pack'n'play, a stroller, a suitcase, a bathtub! - and travelled down to San Diego. Andrea was a glorious hostess and let us take over her gorgeous beach bungalo. Poor Kobe Cat was sequestered to the back bedroom as my giant yellow dog prowled about, looking for a chance to make a new friend. Jesse enjoyed a wonderful pastor's conference and I had the chance to see some good friends.

Well, they're not really friends - they're more like family. Andrea is truly the closest thing I have to a sister. Someone who's put up with me since my pre-puberty days. Someone who knows that I don't mean it when I show up on her doorstep with a howling baby, a wild dog, a tired husband, and I have to shout, "I hate my life!" :) She knows that what I really mean is, "Help, take my unruly companions, feed me, and send me to take a bath!" Family.

We also had a chance to spend time with the "Pags" - Don and Pam Paganini, who have been my "other parents" since I was in the fourth grade. We commiserated on how hard it is to be away from family when a new baby enters the picture - with my parents up near Seattle and Aaron and his family out East near Washington D.C. Luckily, the internet brings us closer, and we were all able to hop online and chat with my parents that evening. Spending time at Don and Pam's is the closest I know to coming home.

Finally, here's a quick video of Gavin as we coach from him a smile or two. Enjoy.

Four Generations

Here's a little montage of video that I took when Gavin, Dustin, and I headed out to Moreno Valley to introduce my son to his great-grandparents. Although my Grandma and Grandpa have nine great-grandchildren already, each one is special and cherished. It was so wonderful to see Gavin in the arms of two people who have meant so much to me. I truly feel blessed to have such generous, loving, and encouraging people in my life - grandparents who have set the bar pretty high! Luckily Gavin's grandparents (all four of them) are on their way to achieving equal greatness. Here are a few photos to prove my point:

Little Clone?

From the moment that Jesse's parents came into the Labor-Delivery room, they exclaimed, "Jesse! He looks just like you!"

At that time, I'd only briefly glanced at Gavin as he entered the world, and only then because my OB had ordered in her gentle, no-nonsense voice, "Marilee, look up and see your son." He looked something like a grey-alien from the X-files to me, plus all I really wanted at that moment was for her to finish extracting that little alien so I could stop pushing my insides out. He didn't look like Jesse to me, at least not in that pain-infused moment, but then he didn't really look human either, so who could say?

The large NICU staff must have finally heard my voiceless plea because they whisked Gavin away to his little receiving table and did whatever it is they do to make sure that he was well and safe. I sort of hazily waved Jesse towards the kid and submitted myself to be kneaded and stitched, sending up a groggy prayer of thanks that God had stood by us, feeling at that moment that I could not have made it even one contraction more.

Eventually, Gavin came back and bonded with me "skin to skin," and I was pleased to see that five pulls with the vacuum had not made his head terribly cone-shaped, and they'd successfully rubbed him into a nice pink color. I was a bit amazed that any child of mine could be born with so much hair (I had bows taped to my head until I was two), and so when our family came in to meet the new Malott who'd taken his sweet time to arrive, I had to agree that Gavin looks a lot like Jesse. Good thing I think Jesse's so handsome!

Still, there are moments when I look at him and see echoes of my Nunn and Hulse bloodlines, particularly in his long fingers and toes and his little lips. I was amazed, though, when Amy brought pictures of Jesse as a newborn - if I didn't know better, I would truly swear that the pictures were of Gavin. I can't wait to see how he'll grow and change over the years!!

See for yourself: