Spencer: Six Months

 

Be still my heart as you grow and change every day.  You honestly melt my heart every morning when I pick you up in your crib and I can't help by kiss you ten extra times before I lay you down at night!  You are the sweetest baby.

This was a busy and big month.  Mama had her first weekend away with her high school girlfriends and Daddy took care of both you and Colin.  He did great and so did you!  You are sleeping really well.  You practically make a 12 hour stretch at night and for that we are very thankful!  Your napping is a work in progress-- we'd like to make some me forward progress please!  

Jaxon and Rose also started watching you during the day as Mama goes to work for a few hours each day.  You light up when you hear their voices in the morning come in thru the back hallway and you just laugh and laugh at their funny antics- dancing in the kitchen, jumping like frogs, and singing funny songs.  You love them and it is an understatement to say that they adore you!  

You are eating more and more solids- apples, pears, bananas, avocado, butternut squash, sweet potato, and rice cereal.  You're also drinking formula and love it.  And it shows!  You were just shy of 20 lbs at your 6 month appointment.  Big boy!  

You roll everywhere.  I've started calling it crowlling-- crawl/rolling.  You maneuver your way around.  And you're so close to sitting up on your own.  I can't leave you quite yet as you are a little tippy but I think a few more weeks and you'll have mastered sitting on your own.  

Colin still can't get enough of you.  He wants to run in your room in the morning and loves hugging you over and over again when he gets home from school.  He wants you to sit by him when he eats dinner and LOVES taking baths together at night.  I LOVE see the brotherly bond you two are forming.  Colin will watch out for you I'm sure as you grown up.  He's always very concerned when you are upset.  

The summer is flying by and there are so many things we can't wait to see you do but I'm okay if you want to stay little for a while longer.  I love you to the moon and back and even more than that littlest one.

XOXO Mama

Second Child

It's true-- I fell short of posting, blogging, and "documenting" Spencer just as most parents do with their second child.  I've tried my best-- believe me we are at no shortage of pictures of Spencer but the blogging and even photobooking is less than what it was for Colin.  I'm sorry Spence!  We love you all the same!  But here are some updated pictures for you to enjoy... I'll have Spencer's 6 month (yes I said SIX month) blog post soon, and then I'll share Spencer's 6 month pictures when I get those back from Brett of course!  Can't wait!

More to come...

Spencer: Five Months

This month has come with lots of firsts!  First time rolling over!  Yay!  We weren't sure if you'd ever do it but you did!  First time getting sick (boo.).  Your brother kindly shared his virus with you and you got your first fever and a rash that covers your whole rolly, polly body.  First time drinking formula.  You aren't crazy about it but I'm almost done nursing you so you better get used to it (wink!).  First time eating solids.  You tried avocado on your five month birthday and you liked it!  We gave you solid pieces and you gummed them, never spitting them out.  First time in the johny jump up.  You liked it.  Colin wasn't so sure he liked sharing it with you. 

You continue to be the HAPPIEST baby ever!  You love to laugh, smile, coo, talk, and interact with everyone.  You light up when we talk to you and you like when I sing songs to you-- Spencer, Spencer I've been thinking.  What a lovely boy you are.  You're my best friend.  You're my buddy.  And I love you very much.-- this song either lights you up or helps you calm down.

You are sleeping okay.  Some nights we don't hear a peep out of you and other nights you are up every half hour until you have your second bottle.  Through the middle of the night you have always been a good sleeper.  It's just that initial going down for bedtime that you struggle with sometimes.  Your naps are something we are working on.  You like to wake up after 45 minutes and I'm trying to lengthen your naps to be 1-2 hours.  It's been a process.

You are much better in your car seat.  You don't cry as much at all.  You tend to fall asleep easier there now than you did before.  And you like being able to see Colin when he is in the car too.

Speaking of Colin, you two are forming a very special little bond and I love seeing it.  Colin likes to dance with you when music is playing and he really likes to snuggle close to you after bathtime when you two "read" books in daddy and mama's bed.  It melts my heart every time.

I can't believe you are already 5 months.  Slow down and stay little.

XOXO Mama

Spencer: Four Months

How is it possible that I fall more in love with you each day.  I look at your sweet face when you go to bed and honestly can't wait to hold you again in the morning.  I never thought my love would grow so deep as it has for you.  

At four months old, you are the happiest, sweetest baby.  You simply love to interact, smile, and talk with everyone.  You are certainly a mama's boy right now.  As long as you can see me everything is okay but you'd much prefer if I was holding you.  You LOVE watching your brother play with his toys, dance, or you like when he reads his books to you.  And you like when daddy throws you in the air and kisses your neck.  You laugh really loud.  You've also found your little voice and can make some very high pitch squeals.  Yikes!  But you are not fond of riding in the car.  In fact it is the worst part of the day.  You basically cry the whole time.  We think it is because you can't see anyone while facing backwards.  As soon as we open the car door and you can see us again, you are fine.  Don't worry little buddy, we didn't leave you back there all by yourself.

You are growing so much.  You're over 17 lbs.  We call you chunky monkey and brick house.  Soon enough you'll surpass Colin.  He is only 7.5 lbs heavier than you right now.  Obviously you're a champ at eating!

You've been doing so well with sleeping.  You go to bed between 7:30-8:30pm.  You wake up around 2-3am, take a bottle and then go back down until 6-7am.  It's wonderful!  I'm so proud of you and thankful that you are a good sleeper!  Napping is hit or miss.  You tend to take a shorter morning nap and then an afternoon nap with a little cat nap after dinner.  I prefer a good nighttime sleeper over a naptime sleeper.  So keep it up buddy!

You still haven't rolled over but if the wind blew, you'd go over.  You teater-totter on your side quite often but just haven't made the move to your tummy on your own.  You love sitting in the highchair while Mama works in the kitchen.  You like to see what's going on and watch everything.  We talk and sing and you smile and laugh.  It's the best.

Now that the weather is warm, we can play outside and take more walks.  I'm sure you'll love the outdoors-- your brother sure does!  You like to watch him at the park or playing in Grandpa and Grandma's yard.  You are very curious little man!  And I LOVE it!

XOXO Mama

Spencer: Three Months

Sweet, happy Spencer,

This month you have become the most interactive baby.  You LOVE talking, cooing, and LAUGHING.  Your laugh is the best.  You snort when you laugh.  You are tickelish under your chin, on your collarbone, and under your armpits.  You laugh in anticipation of being tickled.  

Every morning when I come get you out of your crib you are smiling.  You smile so big!  It melts my heart and every morning I am reminded that I am the luckiest mom in the world.  You were a HUGE surprise in my life and I honestly wasn't sure if I could love another baby as much as I loved Colin but God showed me that love does not divide, it only multiplies.  And you my son, have stolen my heart.

This month you have made a big change to sleeping exclusively in your crib.  And you are doing great!  You sleep a good 6-7 hour stretch, eat around 3am and then make another 4 hour stretch before getting up for the day.  You are much happier with an early bedtime of 8pm and you sleep really well too.  We are happy and know we are lucky that you are a good nighttime sleeper.  Naps on the other hand-- are short and not too often.  You cat nap a few times during the day.  A morning nap, an afternoon nap, and a post dinner nap are about all you need.  Each lasting for about 45 minutes.  Otherwise you are awake and happy as can be.

You are incredibly interactive though- you want to be talking to someone all the time.  You are not too happy about being left on the floor to play by yourself or left in your swing alone for too long if you can't see someone.  I don't blame you however it makes this "working from home" gig a bit tougher.  

You have no desire to roll over at all right now.  We keep coaching you and trying to help you but you are very uninterested.  I know you'll do it when you want to.  You like tummy time still but you usually look like you'll fall asleep if I leave you on your tummy long enough.  Again, no desire to roll over.  And your brother still ADORES you and you smile and laugh at him a ton.  I think your favorite time of day is when Colin gets home from school.  

I can't believe you are three months old already.  You have been such a blessing and pure JOY!  Don't grow up too fast my littelest!  XOXO Love, Mama

I Didn't Fall Off the Face of the Earth...

... I've just chosen to enjoy motherhood instead of blog.  And when I'm not being mom, I'm being a wife.  So life has been crazy busy.  And I love it.  But honestly I qthink about and miss this blog so much.  I'm hoping as Spencer gets older, I can find a little more time to stop by here more often.  Sure I'll still do his monthly updates and big events but the daily, or should I say weekly posts will be less frequent.  So as a reward for someone stopping by to say hi... here is picture overload (mostly pictures I haven't put on my instagram or facebook accounts)!
Both boys are 2.5 months in these pictures...

 Brothers

 Colin LOVES his red Chuck Taylor shoes!

 Obsessed!

 Colin's favorite teacher, Ms. Jen left his school.  This was one of her last days there and Colin was climbing all over her.  He just loves her!

 Learning to share is hard but Colin figured it out!

 Hi love bug!

 My littlest monkey!

 St. Patrick's Day

 First tub bath

 A little tummy time

 Loved his Valentine's gift from Ga-Ga!

 Valentine's Day donut from Mama!

 Dinner time!

 What else would you do with daddy's slippers?

Spencer: Two Months

 

Squeaks!

How did two months go by since you joined our family?  The days are going so quickly and each day I honestly fall more in love with you.  I love that you still smell like a newborn.  I love that you are beginning to be more interactive.  This month you began smiling and I melt each time you do.  And you started cooing.  You are pretty responsive when I coo at you.  You crack a big smile and then you say "goo" back.  It is the best!

We call you squeaks because that's what you do a lot!  You squeak!  A large part of this is due to your eating which is much, much improved.  I figured out a better way to feed you and needless to say it has been most helpful.  You are much more settled after eating and much more content.  An added bonus is your tummy is no longer bloated however you do have a herniated bellybutton.  

Sleeping is continuing to get better.  You've even had a near 7 hour stretch at night.  Thank you.  You are pretty consistent about a 4-5 hour stretch at night for which I can't complain.

You are so close to holding your head up and you love to stand.  You really like looking at the lights under the activity gym.  And you LOVE when Colin talks to you, rocks you, or touches you.  You two are interacting more.  He loves when you smile at him.  We are trying to keep you safe as Colin doesn't always know how strong his touch can be and he will lean on you or squeeze your hand harder than you might like.  We'll protect you little buddy!

With one month left of maternity leave I am cherishing each day with you.  I'm thankful you are actually coming to work with me when I go back.  But the long days of a quiet house, just you and me will soon be over.  If I could freeze time I would.  I know you will grow up way too quickly.  I've seen your brother become a toddler over night!  Stay little Spencer!  

I love you to the moon and back XOXO Mama