Zach*Connor*Gavin

(I think this was written sometime between April-June 2013)

I love my three boys! I love seeing each one of their personalities and how they are alike and how they are completely different. It is so fun to watch them grow and change and I am constantly observing their little personalities! For my own journaling purposes I have been meaning to write down all the little things about them so I would never forget! So here goes!

Zach-He has always be on his on agenda, on his own time, and a fighter. Ever since he was inside of me and tried to come 2 months early (and won). In the womb Zach was crazy. He kicked, punched, and rolled all day and all night. He was fierce, he knew how to move and that didn't end once he was born! As a baby, he was whiny, cried alot, would not fall asleep on his own, super cuddly,  and would sleep in our bed any chance he could get. He had major tummy problems. He was lactose intolerant so besides constant diareah he also had acid reflux and projectile spit up. Of course being a preemie he was much harder, but being my first I didn't know any better, so it was perfect. He was quick to smile and laugh. He was a daredevil and soon and he could move around and he too this day was the worlds fastest crawler, he could book it like no other. He was an ok eater, and always loved his milk (or love to nurse, rather). He loved his car seat as a baby. Often times when I could not get a break, couldn't get him happy or couldn't get him to sleep I would resort to car drives where I knew he would fall into a sweet slumber of sleep. I would drive until he fell asleep, park and either take a nap with him or read a book. Oh the joys of just one kid!

He has always had a heart the size of Texas. He got his feelings hurt easily but was easy to cheer up. He has always been independent. He always played with toys by himself for hours with an imagination that is out of this world. He was always pretty sweet to other kids and never had jealousy issues. When he was tired, you better just forget it, because nothing would work, but he fought sleep like no other. He always had a wild side, and zero fear of anything in the world! He hated to be dirty (yes, that was my doing) and constantly asked me to clean him. To this day he does not like to be dirty!

As he began to talk and understand more, he began to fight more. He learned the art of manipulation way to early it was frightening. He could reason with adults way to early it caught them off gaurd. He starting speaking pretty early on, and once he started he never stopped. He loves to talk, and talk, and talk! He loves/loved to tell stories true or made up. He has a huge passion for learning and picks up things pretty quick. One of his last words was probably sorry, he is super hard headed and stubborn. Saying sorry almost kills him everytime.

He has never been a good rule follower (aside from teachers or basically in other adult) as for his parents, not so much. He was always a huge tantrum thrower. He always knew how to get his way. He always had "great ideas" that were always different than ours. He has never been able to just say "ok" or yes or no. There has been and still always a "why" or an "or how about his" or "well what if we just do this".

He was always been pretty opinionated and very strong willed. Very sweet to others, caring, loving and passes out hugs and kisses all day. He never wanted to hold hands when crossing a street or in public (because then HE wasn't in control) and he always ALWAYS hated getting dressed, although it happened everyday, it was still always a fight.

He is still very oppinated, very sweet, a huge imagination, loves to learn, loves to argue, and more than anything in the world he loves to cuddle and be with his family. He never wants anyones feelings to be hurt and tells me he talks to kids at school that no one talks to. His teachers says he is great at following directions. He never has been a great listner and def. has some of his dads A.D.D in him. Him and tyler can't sit still for a minute, it is the hardest task in the world to get either of them to sit and eat.

He is by far the most amazing big brother. He loves his little brothers so much. He loves babies and has ever since he was just 2 years old. He was not at all jealous about Connor and loved him with all his heart. He didn't act any different when Connor came and has a great helper. He of course has been even a bigger helper since Gavin has come. He loves him so much and holds him and takes care of him as best as he can. He knows how to step it up when I need him too. He has taken care of me when I have been too sick to take care of them. He is a super sweet boy packed with a lot of punch. He is my little helper and my littler fighter at the same time. We love our little Zach so much, he is his father in almost everyway, that being said they tend to butt heads, but their love is so sweet.

Connor

Oh Connor. Connor was very mild in the womb. He didn't move much and when he did it was gentle. Even up until the last day in my belly I hardly felt him (except for him being jabbed up in my ribs), which was actually why they took him. Connor as a baby was the definition of perfection. He pretty much never even cried the first 6 months of his life. It was hard to know when he was sick or how sick he truely was because he was just always so good, so mellow, so happy. He slept so good and NEVER fought sleep unlike his brother. He never was a huge cuddlier, and actually preferred his bed over cuddling. He loved to be swaddled and when right to sleep as soon as he was. He had no acid reflex, he never spit up. He had/has an iron stomach. He was the worlds best nurser and sleeper. He was such a sweet, sweet baby. If he missed a nap or had to wait an extra hour or two to be fed he was totally ok with that. He didn't ever get cranky. He, like Zach, was super easy to get to smile or laugh. He was always a fabulous eater and would eat pretty much whatever was given to him. Tyler and I were always very suspicous of what may come, because we didn't understand his perfection.

Even as he grew older, and it was time to go into nursery, unlike usually and being super excited, I was a little sad, because he wasn't a bother, he was just so easy, and so darn sweet. Little did we know what was about to come! I think one day around 22 months he woke up and decided to take a little more charge. He probably got walked over a little to many times. He began hurting others and pretty bad. At first just the normal someone takes his toys he hits or throws something at them. Then it just progressively got worse.

He still was a very sweet boy, still never fought, or argued. He spoke quick just like Zach, only he sounded like a robot (and still does). His first words unlike Zach were please, thank you and sorry. He was always very very polite. He never had much emotion, never was as cuddly as Zach, never as huggy or kissy as Zach, but always very sweet. He never ever threw tantrums and to this day has maybe thrown a total of 3 mild tantrums.

He wasn't ever a big toy player. He loves to be in the kitchen cooking, that is where he spent most of his little life with his Popeye watching him cook. He would much rather follow me around and help with whatever I am doing than play with toys. Zach couldn't wait for him to be big enough to play with. As soon as Connor could sit on his own Zach made every effort to make sure Connor was "playing with him. He always wanted Connor to be in his quiet time with him and they would play together. It was cute.

Connor's hurting others problem began to get worse and worse. He understood what he was doing and why it was wrong-but he really decided it was worth the consequenses. He always said sorry, he always served his time in time out. At times he would even put him self in time out when I hadn't even known he did something wrong. I tried and still am trying all different forms of punishment. He is much better than what he was, but still if he feels he was wronged he will take care of it, knowing their are consequences coming. Probably for a good 6 months I didn't hang out with anyone or go out anywhere because it was to hard with Connor because it was gaurantee he would injur someone. Everytime I think he was better, he would get worse again.

Connor has never been stubborn. He is a great rule follower. He has always spoken good and clearly, and his awesome eating habits became not so good come 2 1/2-3. He has finally found interest in TV. He needs to be told what to do. He doesn't seem to have much of an imagination, but we can never figure out what is going on in his little mind. He has random spurts of energy which he usually applies in a negative way, like pushing someone over real quick. He is pretty funny but in a completely different way than Zach. He often seems like he is from a different planet.

He is observant, and hard to read. I don't know if he likes to learn, I haven't ever really tried to teach him anything more than the basics. Sometimes we worry about our sweet Connor. At times we feel like he isn't progressing, and at times it even seems like he is degressing. It is hard to figure him out, because it is hard not to compare him to Zach who is completely different. He was very smart at a very young age, and things he used to know or do, he can't do or remember. Sometimes I don't know if it is just a cry for attention though.

Zach still cries more than him. He takes punishment very well, maybe to well. He is tough, but has learned from Zach to cry to get sympathy. He has much more fear than Zach and always has. He hasn't ever been a daredevil and is pretty mild. He is aware of the dangers around him. He has many axieties and fears. He is scared easily and it is so sad. For instances he is terrified of car washes, I think he thinks he is going to drown to death. Poor guy.

He always smiles. No matter how mad you want to be at Connor, you just can't. Something about him makes you just want to hug him. He is so easy to forgive, even though I don't know if he knows how to feel remorse or bad for the wrong things he does. He has a great charisma about him. We love our Connor so so much.

Connor and Zach have next to nothing in common.

Gavin is a sweet little baby, but has some issues. He throws-up all the time and we can't figure out why. We have had many test done but haven't gotten an answer. He wakes up many nights vomiting in his crib. It's very tiring for both of us. Some weeks he throws up 7+ times and some weeks 2 times, and if we are really realllly lucky occasionally, once in every blue moon, he will go a whole week with out vomiting! We love those weeks. He still doesn't have very many teeth and has a hard time eating most foods, he chokes and then vomits most the time. His staples right now are oatmeal and milk-he has only thrown up oatmeal a few times. He does love noodles but that is a gaurantee of throw up, so we have to limit that. He is very athletic for a baby and loves, loves to play or be outside. If he is sad, just take him outside and that usually solves the problem-or vomiting helps sometimes too : )! Zach was just like him, I remember spending many hours outside with Zach to keep him happy. Zach and Gavin would have no problem living outside. We are starting to see Gavin's personality come through a little bit. He is a much slower talker than both Zach and Connor. He only says a few words and I'm probably the only one that can understand them. He still seems like a baby to us (hence I keep calling him baby). He has beautiful soft short blonde hair and blue eyes. His personality definately favors Zach's more than Connor. He is slightly stubborn, not as much as Zach, doesn't have much fear, and knows what he wants and what he likes. He is particular and his feelings are easily hurt. Sometimes he will cry at the drop of a pen. He is still tough when he has to be when his brothers are a little to rough for him. Zach and Gavin are best buddies, Zach takes care of him all the time for me and protects him. Connor loves him so much, but he doesn't know when too much is too much. His kisses and hugs and loves are a little too hard sometimes. Gavin is right between Zach and Connor when they were his age I would say, not as stubborn as Zach but not as mild as Connor. We love him so much and love watching him grow and see his own little personality shine through!