Gavinisms

Gavin is changing so fast. It is so cliched but I really cannot get over how fast they grow up. It seems like just yesterday he was my little helpless baby and today he is climbing the barstools to eat my People magazine and forcing his little sister to put her whole fist in her mouth. Gavin has been extremely high needs since birth. Actually, since he was in utero. He was so active in the womb and always rolling, pushing and jabbing and doing what appeared to be looking for an escape hatch just under my right rib. Granted, I was an ignorant first time mom but even I knew newborns weren't supposed to be so very active... so very alert... so very loud.... so very everything. In fact, I describe the Gavinator as my "very child". Take any adjetive you want and put "very" in front of it and you have Gavin. When he's hapy, he's very happy. When he's sad, he's very sad. When he is excited, he's very excited. Let's face it, he's not just cute, he's very cute! The Goose has the cute part down but the differences between the two are marked. I know it isn't good mothering etiquette to compare your children but they are as different as night and day. I'm so glad I had Gavin first because I would have been in for a world of hurt if Gavin sprung had on me when my frame of reference for infant behavior was the Goose.

About 5 months ago at my niece's birthday party at Build A Bear, Gavin's high neediness came to a head. I won't get into the specifics but after a three hour tantrum ensued upon merely entering the mall that resulted in Gavin throwing himself into a wall, I had my suspicions that there was something more to his behavior than "high needs". He has since been diagnosed with sensory integration disorder and is receiving therapy twice a week. I have to admit that while I looked forward to Gavin receiving treatment for something that obviously pains him in high sensory situations, I didn't want therapy to take away what made Gavin Gavin. He always leaves an impression- good or bad- wherever we are because of all of his "very" qualities. The depth to which he feels emotion can be tiresome when negative but makes my soul sing when positive. Lloyd and I coined the the behaviors that make Gavin who he is "Gavinisms". He just has such a way about him that I know are influenced by how deeply he feels and his need for sensory stimulation.

The way he hears music, for example, and methodically rocks to the beat of music or the thumping of the clothes dryer. He has been doing this since 8 or 9 months old and it can't be just any rhythm. There are certain songs that put him in almost a trance like dancing state. He feels it from the speakers to his sneakers. The way he likes the light on his face and he'll sqint his eyes and turn his head ever so slowly while keeping his eyes focused on the same spot and smiles while he enjoys his personal light show. The way he lies on the floor and rolls his cars, trucks and trains right in front of his eyes and nose for minutes at a time while staying perfectly still and breathing so slowly. The way he notices the minute details of even the most minute details.

His most recent Gavinism have been more toddlerish than Gavinish. His vocabulary is growing and his newest word is "help" which he pronounces "helf" and says all drawn out and pathetic like "heeeeeeeelffffff". He also insists on making us kiss his boos boos. Even the slight and self-inflicted boos boos made soley for the purpose of getting a kiss result in Oscar-worthy "oooohhhhhhhhhhhh"'s and boo boo rubbing until he receives a kiss. Madonna's song "Hung Up" and James Blunt's "Beautiful" still reign supreme but recently he has begun moving his arms up and down along with his ritualistic swaying to the beats. My dancing boy. He looks like Atari's Donkey Kong.



Gavinator
Mommyhood