Me and Santa

Yesterday I met Santa Claus. I must admit I was a little nervous. I mean Mom makes this guy out to be a big deal so I wanted to make a good impression! But when it came time for the big moment I admit I was a little bewildered by the whole thing. Sure he was super nice but the guy is a bit intimidating sitting there in his big chair and fancy suit!

I guess Mom was a bit disappointed with the picture. She actually wanted me to cry for once if you can believe that. Something about it being ironic considering my shirt said “Bah Humbug”. Whatever Mom.

All I want for Christmas...

Is lots and lots of toys! Cuz guess what? I already got my two front teeth!!

Happy Birthday bro’!

Dear Spencer,

Mom says today is your 2nd birthday. She told me all about when you were born and what you were like. I like to look at pictures of you and sometimes I even talk to them like you can hear me. Maybe you can. It makes me a little sad that I will never get to play with you and you’re not here to show me the ropes. I don’t know where heaven is but I hope it’s nice and I hope they made you a cake like we did here.

We love you!

Turkey Day!

Yesterday was my very first Thanksgiving. It was alright but I wasn’t so into it cuz I’ve got a yucky cold. Gramma thought this giant turkey leg would cheer me up but really it just kind of grossed me out. I mean come on, it’s food! I don’t put food in my mouth!! Just everything else... I had way more fun climbing around under the table than sitting at the table.

my big day in a white dress

I went to church for the first time this past weekend. What a to-do! People came from all over...my Gramma and Grampa from Minnesota, my Great-Grandparents from Washington, and even my Uncle Scott and Aunt Angie from north Phoenix. I got all dressed up in a white dress -- er, I mean gown -- with a silly hat and got to go up in front of all these people and hang out with the pastor. He poured some water on my head which I didn’t like too much but all in all it was kind of neat. The best part was the choir and all the singing! Now that’s my kind of fun! Mom says it was such a fuss because it was my Baptism. With all that attention I think we should get Baptized every weekend!

Cock-a-doodle-BOO!

That’s right, for my first Halloween I was not your traditional pea in a pod or monkey or even one of the dozens of poor little pumpkins being pushed up and down our street in strollers all night. I was a rooster. On my own maybe a bit strange, yes. But next to my friend Addison who was dressed as a chick, pretty stinkin’ cute. Though I didn’t quite mind the dressing up I’m still not sure I understand the purpose. I mean all we did was sit in the driveway and hand out candy for a little bit. Hardly an occasion for dressing up in my opinion. But those other kids seemed to be going nuts for whatever it was Mom was putting in their bags. Maybe when I’m big enough to have my own bag it’ll be that exciting to me too.

Bye-bye gummy smile...

Hellooooo teeny little razor sharp pearly whites! That’s right, I have teeth! As in not one but TWO TEETH!! Boy was that hard work. These suckers had me in a mood for days. They finally came in about 2 weeks ago (one 5 days after the other) but I’ve been keeping them under wraps. I mean I worked so hard to get them I didn’t want to open my mouth and have them fall out or something! But finally I decided I’d let mom get just one picture to show them off. Pretty nice aren’t they?

In other news, I went today for my 6-month doctor visit. I weigh 19lbs 6oz and am 28 inches long. My head is so big it’s not even on the charts which is probably why my oh-so-cute pumpkin hat wouldn’t fit this morning. I also got my first shot. It wasn’t nearly as bad as Mom said it would be but I cried just a little bit to make sure she knew it wasn’t something I wanted to experience on a regular basis.

Yuck

You know how they say all good things must come to an end? Well they do. Apparently as of today. For 5 1/2 months Mom and I have had a perfectly good arrangement. I get hungry, she feeds me the wonderful sugary LIQUIDY goodness that is breast milk. Today I get hungry, she feeds me, then straps me into my high chair. “Oh goody” I think, “time to play with my blocks or crunch on some ice!” (These are the things that normally happen in the high chair.) But nooooooo! Next thing I know she’s pushing a spoon full of some green mush at me and as I open my mouth in shock she shoves it in. Avacodo she calls it. More like gloppy gook I say. I don’t know, it didn’t taste like much but boy did it feel funny in my mouth. I didn’t like the way it felt going down my throat at all. It kind of made me gag but of course I kept going back for more thinking it would somehow get better. I believe Dad said it was the funniest thing he’s seen in the last 6 months. We’ll see about that.

Pumpkins ‘n palm trees

Last weekend we went to the Schnepf Farms Pumpkin and Chili party. I must say it was a beautiful day and even though the sun was shining, I wasn’t dripping with sweat within 30 seconds! Now that I think about it I don’t think I dripped one drop the whole day. Amazing. I don’t know what it is with grown-ups and pumpkins though. The pumpkin patch was littered with parents propping kids up against dirty smelly pumpkins. Of course Mom was all over that.

Good vibrations

At 5 months old, these are a few of my favorite things (in no particular order):

1. This thing that Mom gives me to put in my mouth (see picture) that vibrates when I bite it! I like to see how long I can chomp down on it before my face goes numb.

2. Skin. It feels really neat to dig my fingernails in and hold on as tight as I can. I particularly like necks, cheeks, mom’s you-know-whats, and my tummy.

2a. Faces. Aside from the fact that they’re covered with skin (see #2 above), they have all sorts of cool crevices for me to stick my fingers in! I’m fascinated by nostrils, mouths (more specifically the inside of the lower lip), and eyes.

3. U2. I have my very own cd. I like to chill in the rocker with mom, listen to it, and stare at the polka dots on my wall when I’m having a particularly stressful day. Very soothing.

Things I am not particularly fond of:

1. Having my nails clipped. Mom seems to torture me with this practically every day lately. I think it might have something to do with 2 and 2a above but I’m not completely sure. She thinks she’s so smart by letting me watch TV while she does it but really that was my intention all along.

2. Naps. What a waste of time. But Mom insists on them so I’ve negotiated 2 naps a day not to exceed 45 minutes each. Nothing more. No exceptions.

Just call me a frequent flier

Back from another trip to Minnesota and this time Daddy even got to come! What a difference a couple of weeks makes. Last time I was there the sun was shining and we spent lots of time outside and on the water. This time not so much. One morning it was only 38 degrees when we got up! We still had a good time though. Daddy showed me how he and Gracey (Gramma and Grampa’s dog) like to fish off the dock. He even caught a couple of bass that were almost as big as me! Gracey showed me how to watch the bobber so next time maybe I can be in charge of my own pole. Mom and Gramma spent a lot of time trying to get us guys to play card games and work on puzzles but we know better. Blocks, water bottles, and games of copycat are way more fun!

Fun at the doctor’s office

Went to the doctor yesterday for my 4 month well check. As you probably guessed, all is indeed well. I now weigh 18 pounds and am 27 inches long! I didn’t gain as much weight this month as I have in the past months but Mom was actually pretty happy about that. Apparently having to buy bigger clothes every other month was getting to be a bit much. The greatest thing about Dr. Martin’s office? The crinkly paper they put on the exam table! That stuff is fantastic!! I move, it crinkles. I kick, it crinkles. I grab, it crinkles. I drool on it and then squirm around a bit, it tears. 4 for 5 isn’t bad. I wish Mom would put some of that stuff in my crib!

Aside from that my two favorite things these days are my tongue and my toes (I guess that makes it 11 favorite things, not 2 huh?). I love to stick my tongue out all the time. Mom calls me her little lizard. And I can almost get my toes in my mouth. Won’t that be fun?!

Life is good

I suppose I should start off by apologizing for slacking on the blog updates. I just can’t get it through to Mom that I can’t do everything myself! In her defense we have been pretty busy and then were out of town for 10 days.

Last month Mom and I both kicked up our workout regimen. Mom, “Aunt” Nancy, Addison and I have started going to the gym most mornings. While the moms do whatever it is they do Addison and I kick it at Kids Club. We’re pretty much the cutest ones there and the nice ladies sure do miss us when we’re not. They make a huge fuss whenever we’ve missed a day or more. It’s really paid off too because I have gotten so strong! I can hold myself up like a big boy and Dad doesn’t call me “bobble head” nearly as much. It’s opened up a whole new realm of entertainment for me too. Not only can I sit in my Bumbo seat, I can play in my Exersaucer too!

While Dad was busy working Mom and I took a trip up to Minnesota to stay with my Gramma and Grampa up there. We got to celebrate Gramma’s birthday AND my cousin Macord’s. Party city! We spent some time at the lake house and I got to go on my first boat rides. The boat is pretty fun but I really like it the most when Grampa goes fast. Granted I can’t stay awake for long once he drops the hammer but what’s not to love about a nice nap out in the fresh air?

Oh, and last but not least, I’ve finally figured out this laughing thing! Let me tell you, I’ve never gotten so much attention! All I have to do is start giggling like a mad man and the people flock. Like I said, life is good.

Busted!

Meet my friend Addison. This is her slapping me silly after seeing that post about Macy and me.



Psych! Funny though huh?

I think purple might be my color!

No you’re not seeing things...I’m a bit purple in the face. Over the weekend I developed a cold, an ear infection, and a case of thrush. They tell me thrush is a yeast infection in my mouth. Translation: itchy tongue. Boy does it feel good to rub my tongue on the roof of my mouth and between my gums. I’ve even figured out how to make some neat new sounds in the process!! What does this have to do with the purple mouth you ask? Well Mom has opted to use some granola naturo-treatment called Gentian Violet to get rid of the yeast. She gags me with a Qtip doused in the stuff every morning and boy is it messy! We’ve turned 2 bibs, some burp clothes, a blanket, Mom’s pj’s all purple. Oh, and Mom’s um...well you can imagine. The good news is after only 2 days I’m cured!! The bad news is I still have to sport the purple face and stain everything it touches for another week just to make sure it doesn’t come back.

I’m recovering nicely from my cold and ear infection too. We didn’t even know there was anything wrong with my ear until we saw Dr. Martin on Monday. He said that was a good sign and I probably wouldn’t even need antibiotics. Now if I could just get mom to stop sticking things up my nose I’d be good. One of them sprays this salty water up there and makes me choke while the other sucks my brains out. It really irks me.

By the way, I now weigh 15lbs 14oz!

Young love

Last week we celebrated my first major holiday, the 4th of July! We went over to Mom & Dad’s friends Mike & Melissa’s house for a barbecue. They have a 6-month old daughter named Macy and I must say, she’s pretty cute. And forward! The girl just couldn’t keep her hands off me but hey, what can I say? I admit I do feel a bit guilty being that I sort of have a thing going with my friend Addison but dang, that older woman thing really has it’s appeal!

Rockin’ & Rollin’

Well not rockin’ so much...yet.

So Mom’s been whining lately that I don’t get the point of tummy time so well. It just so happens that I find being on my belly quite relaxing and prefer to just take the opportunity to lay my head down and rest. She insists I should be trying to hold it up and build my neck muscles but what she doesn’t realize is that my neck gets plenty a work-out just from looking over her shoulder and playing on her chest!

Anyway... Last night Mom put me down for some tummy time (who came up with that silly name anyway?) and I decided to prove to her how strong I really was so I picked my head up and looked her right in the face. She was so excited she just had to get the camera of course which I thought was a great opportunity for a practical joke. So when she wasn’t looking I flopped over on my back. Ha! She was so surprised she screeched and squealed just like I do! I sure got her good. She liked my joke so much I did it over and over. Dad liked it too. And they think I’m the one that’s easily amused...

It’s official

I’m a BIG boy! We went to Dr. Martin today for my 2 month well visit. I now weigh 15lbs 4oz and am 24.5 inches long. That means I’ve gained 5 pounds in 2 months. I guess that must be a lot because Mom appears to still be in shock.

In other news, I actually enjoyed bath time last night! The first couple of times I was not too pleased with the whole bathing experience. Then I began to find it somewhat tolerable but only for a short time. But boy oh boy what fun now! I really don’t know what my problem was before. I think maybe I’ll start spitting up more just to get a bath more often now. Maybe if I’m really sneaky I can hide some of it in the roles of my neck so I get good and stinky!

2 months already?!?

Can you believe it? I know I can't...and Mom is definitely in shock. She's feeling quite guilty that in 2 months this is only my second blog entry. Needless to say we just don't know where the time has gone! My 2-month doctor appointment isn't for 2 more days so I don't have any stats to share but I assure you I am a BIG BOY! At 4 weeks I was unofficially about 12lbs. Anyone care to wager what I'm at now? Being that the onesie I was wearing yesterday showed cleavage it was so short (I'm built like my mom...looooong torso, short little legs), we retired my 0-3 month clothes today. It's a shame because some of it sure was cute.

Last week I took my first plane ride to visit Gramma and Grampa in Minnesota. What a relaxing experience! I really don't know what Dad stresses about. People looked at us a little funny because apparently babies usually don't go first class but hey, Mom and Dad earned those miles just like the rest of 'em dang it! Dad was really proud of me for sleeping the whole flight both ways. Minnesota is a pretty good time. I got to ride a John Deer AND a Vespa! I also got to spend some time with my cousin Macord. I think he was a little jealous of my sweet bouncy chair Gramma bought.

Other than that things have been status quo. I get to hang out with Mom all day every day and we are having a great time. It helps that I'm really honing my communication skills. Every day I practice talking more and more and I've learned how to turn the volume up on this voice thing! I love to smile...it gets me lots of attention. Dad and I also play a fun game with our tongues. He sticks his out and then I stick mine out. It's pretty funny. Even though I haven't quite figured out how to laugh like the grown-ups, I can sure come close by breathing in and out real fast and squealing. Oh! And I finally figured out how to get my fist in my mouth!! Now I'm' working on both at the same time. Boy is that a tough one.

Introducing...myself!

As of today I am 1 month and 2 days old and I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. I was born on April 26th, arriving 10 days late just like my older brother. After waiting that long I was pretty excited to make my big entrance so I didn’t mess around. I woke mom up with a contraction at 6:00am and at 1:35pm I was here! Unlike with my big brother, mom didn’t even have to have surgery or drugs for me to be born. She was really happy about that. People sure do make a big deal about it though considering I was such a big boy.

So far I’m having a pretty good time. Mom takes great care of me and Dad is super fun! They seem to be pretty amused by me too because they are constantly taking pictures and video. Sometimes I wonder if that incessant flashing will ever stop! But for now I appease them and just smile as big as I can...well most of the time anyway.