Another late night update...

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We sure did. Saturday was one of the laziest days we have had in a long while! Ryan admitted to not even having gone outside even once. I call it a success!

One reason we laid low was because Ryan is pretty sore from the Martial Arts Instructors Course he is taking. It is a lot of physical work, if you could imagine. Each day of this past week, he was able to move less and less. But good thing he had the weekend to recover before the next, harder, week comes! Two more weeks left though and he will be a Martial Arts Instructor. Go Ryan!

Gavin is doing good! He is having some sleeping issues...again. Uffda. This boy! He is busy as ever and has been able to communicate more and more. It's fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpE3NCY6Hn8

I'm also doing well. I had my "final" dentist appointment last Thursday...or so I thought...I had one cavity to get filled and the final leg of my crown getting permanently cemented on. Well, they booked me for the wrong time frame but the dentist tried to make it work and then the crown they had made didn't fit...#@)(@#$%&()#@*$(#@*$)#*($*#@($*@#()&$%#@!!!!!!! ....that's about all I have to say about that. So I will be going back for appointment numero SIX in two weeks.

I had my first paid photo session this weekend! It was great! I am really loving this and am so glad I decided to pursue it!!

Photo from today

First corn on the cob at Chili's this evening! I think he was surprised I actually let him try it!

Spiderman Cowboy

Sometimes I just get so overwhelmed by how amazing our son is. I can just tear up looking at him and how much he has changed and how much he has changed our lives. He is just such a character!! I love everything about him, I love how he runs around the house with his little bounce. It is probably the cutest thing on this planet. His little toothy grin and how he gives me kisses with his mouth wide open.

He is going through a shoe obsession. He wants to bring us our shoes, put them on us and then he has these boots that Grandma Kathy gave him that he is in love with. For a while we were thinking his feet were to fat for them, but they actually do fit. He has another pair of real cowboy boots that Grandpa and Grandma Scrupps also gave him and I am so sad because I legitimately believe those were too small for his little fat cankles (when your ankle and calf are the same size and it goes straight down from the knee) from birth. But...I might try to stretch them out, or who knows maybe by the time the length of his foot fits, he'll have slimmed out in the cankle area. Long story short...here is a picture of him in his jammies and cowboy boots!

Kelsey L Scrupps Photography (UPDATE!)

I finally did it! I started by photography "business" page on facebook! We'll see how all this goes...

https://www.facebook.com/kelseyscruppsphotography

For now, I am just going to keep everything on facebook, it seems to be the trend rather than creating an entire separate webpage.

I've already had quite a bit of interest, and about seven or eight people I am waiting to book sessions with, so it is pretty exciting!!

Anyways, just wanted to share :)

UPDATE: Some photos!

I had an opportunity to be a second photographer for a small wedding in Oceanside. The couple who were married were a Marine couple. It was a beautiful wedding at a golf course near Camp Pendleton. Here are a few pictures I took and practiced editing...

Ok...so the couple who got married had a four month old baby, who was soo cute! Well, they safety pinned their wedding rings to his little vest because he was the ring bearer. How adorable is that!!!

 And of course we will end with our special little guy! Love him!

Gavin's Milestones...

I am waiting for a rather large file to download for my photo editing class, so I figured while I waited I would make a post of some of the new things Gavin is doing and learning.

We have finally turned the corner in his "talking!" Whenever I would say, "Gavin, say, ball..." he would look at me, watch my lips/mouth and then just stare at me. But now, I can see the wheels a turnin' in that little head of his. He tries to say certain sounds/words. He particularly likes the "B" words and really tries to say, ball, bear, baba (bottle - which yes, he is still on...). He recently starting saying "caw" for car, I think he will have some issues with his "r's" if he is anything like I was. He also says, "cawcaw" for birds. So cute. We have Kodey to thank for that one..haha! I've noticed he uses "mama" for a lot of different things but they all have a different tone, level or motion that goes with them to different from each other. For example...when he wants a bottle, he will say 'mama' while standing by the kitchen and his whole body will dip a little bit on the second 'ma'. I think he also uses 'mama' for 'want' when he wants something, it's a 'ma-ma'. I am just loving this age, all the learning and how quick his brain seems to grasp things!

He walks and is now pretty much running. He still falls and faceplants when he is super excited, which luckily we haven't had any accidents. I'll probably stop laughing when we have some blood drawn, but until then, I love his awkwardness. He loves to go up the stairs like a big boy. Which is holding our hands and literally taking each stair like we would, one leg, one stair. None of this one at a time double step thing. Luckily he realizes that he needs us in order to do this. Gavin is a mover. He is ALWAYS moving. He literally paces our house, walks back and forth from one end to the other. Carries toys back and forth. He is always on the go! He will only stop to dance. I'm not even kidding. HE LOVES TO DANCE! I'll try and upload some good videos to share one of these days. (my phone is charging otherwise I would do it tonight).

Today was a big day for Gavin. He was finally eating with a spoon on his own. Because we have carpet where our table is, I have been holding off on letting him just go for it because I don't want to be cleaning up a huge mess..awful I know, but hey, Jack, you pick your battles (as Si would say). He was so proud of himself, and it was so cute!

Well, I think that this download is almost done!! Hopefully I will be back soon to post pictures and videos!

Greetings from the Scrupps' Clinic

We have been suffering through colds for the past week or so! We're talking like, when I wake up coffee doesn't even sound good kind of sick...anyone who knows me knows that *this*is*sewious! (A little Wonder Pets! reference for those who have Nick Jr. on their TV.) Last Thursday I finally decided that Gavin was beyond home remedies and that we should take him to the doctor. The night before his fever was up to about 100-101 and though we were able to get it down, it kept creeping back up. The doctor informed us that he had a double ear infection and upper respiratory infection. We were given some ammoxocillon and ibproffen which has been working it's charm. It's now been a week and though the cold still lingers, it is MUCH better. Also, Gavin is sleeping more than 40 min in a row, so if that tells you anything! He actually has been sleeping so much better, we have even had a couple nights where he slept through the night. 

In other news, Ryan was awarded with NCO (non commissioned officer) of the Quarter for 9th Communications Battalion. I am so proud! Basically it says that his higher ups notice and appreciate his hard work as an NCO. This award will go up and he will compete for a more broad spectrum, and I will keep you posted on how that goes! Ryan is going to have a very busy couple months, he is going to requalify at the rifle range which is a few weeks and then he is going to be taking a MCMAP instructors course, which is the Marine Corps Martial Arts (Program?) I am not sure what the P stands for...Once he passes that he will be a Martial Arts Instructor, up to a certain level (Green Belt I believe). Then he will be off to something called the Corporals Course which teaches Marines how to be good NCOs. The course covers A LOT.

(This photo will be hanging on the wall in the Company and Battalion offices)

 

I've been keeping pretty busy, with sick, staying up at night with Gavin and then also watching our little friend 'P' twice a week. That has been going great. Gavin has already made leaps and bounds of improvement in playing with others. He no longer chucks toys at 'P' well, not as often anyways. I was talking to my friend Sara and telling her that I was thinking about getting a little more serious about photography, I've been having a lot of fun with our new camera. She found a Digital Photography Certification Program where once completed you get a certification as a Professional Digital Photographer. The program offers both in and online classes, and it was being offered for a STEAL. I mean, we are talking I saved over $1300.00 on this! So I am registered for a Digital Photography Class as well as Adobe Photoshop for photo editing. I am SO excited! I have already finished one course (of many) and have learned quite a bit about my camera, and digital cameras in general. I am hoping that a. I can just use our camera to it's fullest potential and take great pictures of Gavin and b. *eventually* get good enough at it to maybe start my own photography business. We shall see!!

Daylight Savings Shmaylight Schavings

Well, here I am at "midnight" because my schedule is all thrown off with the spring forward! Oh well...I realize after re-reading my last post I am in a much better state of mind! Gavin has *finally* been sleeping better! PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Gavin has been growing like a weed. He is pretty much running. Everywhere. He is such a busy guy. I knew it was coming, and I wish I could go back in time, reserve a bunch of energy from the times when he wasn't so mobile and use it to keep up with him now. Whew! He is the dancing king too. He absolutely loves music and loves dancing. He can't help but to do a little jig whenever he hears music, regardless of what his is doing, or what his mood is. I am pretty sure he would dance in his sleep. We went to a new church this morning and the beginning they had a live Christian band and Gavin was grooving and clapping and had his hands in the air. It was precious! Speaking of the church, it was Calvary Chapel in Oceanside, and we, or at least I, am not sure about it, but we might have finally found one worth going back to. Finally. The only thing that gets me is it has the mega church feel, they were selling stuff outside in the parking lot which reminds me of Jesus throwing over the tables...but it wasn't in the church itself. And the other thing is they do not allow children in the main sanctuary. They have children's church, or if you prefer, rooms where you can go and watch the service on a screen with your child. So.....we'll see.

I am going to start watching another little boy a couple days a week starting next week. I decided to do it so that Gavin could have some socialization...and I think he needs it. This boys mom came over and we were chatting and seeing how the two boys got along (the other boy is two and a half) and Gavin was just throwing toys at him and trying to "share" by beating him over the head with a drum stick...it was ugly. Needless to say, we need to work on our motor skills on passing and sharing in a more friendly way.

Well, I think that is about all I have to update for now! I'll post some of the pictures I have been editing this week!

Whine, Whine, Whine, I need some Wine.

Well....we are back to square one. In fact, we are even back farther than that! Gavin is no longer sleeping through the night and I am about to lose my f******* mind. Not to be dramatic or anything. Seriously though, Gavin hasn't slept more than two hours in a row for nearly a week.

Between Gavin not sleeping, he also scratched my eye the other day causing ridiculous pain and eye watering all day. It didn't help that I had to drive to San Diego and back!!! I have also been having some dental issues and I have to get a root canal tomorrow, and then a crown after that! UGH, poor me....hahaha, just kidding...but seriously.  I broke my back molar in the beginning of February and our dentist is so busy it has taken this long to go from the initial exam, scheduled crown, getting in to do the crown and him realizing I need a root canal, scheduling that with a specialist....so tomorrow is my "lucky" day.

It's been a few weeks since my last post and I have lots more than "whining" to update! Two weeks ago, Ryan and I went to Las Vegas! We needed a weekend getaway, and we were so blessed that Grandma Kathy was able to fly down to watch Gavin for us!!!!! We left on a Friday and came back on Sunday. It was a quick trip, but we had lots of fun! We walked the strip, had a few drinks, gambled and saw a Cirque De Sole (spelling?) show, which was the highlight for sure!! Ryan even won about $150 on the slots! Gavin had an awesome weekend with Grandma :)

So happy to see Grandma!!

So cute in glasses!

He loves putting shoes and socks on. He is always trying to put our shoes on!

Ryan and I in Vegas.

This past weekend, our friend Kodey came to visit. We took a little day trip down to visit the USS Midway and Coronado Island/Beach. The Midway was really cool, I didn't realize how big those ships were (and that is apparently a small one compared to what they have now).

Ryan, Kodey and part of Gavin and their nerdy audio tour head phones!

Our little family pic on top of the USS Midway.

February has flown by so fast we are all wondering where it went! Ryan and I are looking forward to a nice quiet weekend, and I am just looking forward to more than three hours of sleep at a time!