My 1st Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Spencer and his big brother Brian! Daddy took this picture right before we headed out on our adventure today. Unfortunately, the ride in the van was a little too relaxing for Spencer - he fell asleep before we had even arrived at our first destination! By the time we got to Grandma and Grandpa's house though, he was wide awake and ready to have some chocolate! Sorry Spencer, no chocolate yet........maybe next year!

These Boots Were Made For Walkin'!

No, Spencer isn't dressed up as a cowboy for Halloween, he was just looking especially cute this morning! Mommy slipped the boots on for the picture, but since it was nap time, Spencer wasn't in much of a mood for doing a lot of smiling.

Got Milk?

Is that a cute little milk cow or could it be young Spencer Paul sitting in that Bumbo chair? Tonight was the first night Spencer enjoyed some Bumbo time, but since he does such a great job supporting his head he will get to spend much more time in his chair! Since babies spend so much of their life up to this point laying flat on their backs, it must be a pleasant change to get to sit in an upright position!

Mommy and the two boys went on an adventure to our pediatricians office today so the doctor could listen to the rattle in Spencer's chest. Even when you are sure you child just has a cold, it doesn't make it any less scary listening to your baby make awful noises when he's just trying to breath! The doctor told us that Spencer does have a nasty cold, but thankfully, nothing worse. His lungs are clear and he doesn't have any signs of an ear infection - all good news! Every time we go to the office, the nurse records their current weight. When Spencer was weighed at his appt one week ago, he weighed 12lbs 15 ozs. At today's visit he weighed 13 lbs 11 ozs! He gained almost an entire pound in seven days!

***Safety Disclaimer: Some of you may be wondering why we are using a product that has been recalled due to children being hurt while using it. The recall is only so that the manufacture can put a safety warning on the box to tell people not to leave their child unattended while using it and not to use the chair on an elevated surface, like a table top. Our Bumbo boy is seated safely on the floor and he is being supervised by adults (that is if you consider his parents to be adults!)

See You Soon!

Grandma and Grandpa had to head back to South Dakota today so Spencer (and his big brother Brian) had to say goodbye for now. Both boys really enjoyed playing with them this weekend and they are looking forward to seeing them again in a few weeks! Since we don't live very close to each other, we feel very fortunate that we have been able to see them as frequently as we have!

The Great Pumpkin.....AKA: Spencer!

For those of you who have been following Spencer's brothers blog, you may recall that his parents took Brian's picture in a pumpkin last year. Spencer has suffered the same fate this year.

Hopefully when he gets a little older he won't hold it against them too much. In the mean time, Grandma was more than happy to rescue young Spencer and keep him safe and sound for the rest of the night.

Who's Nap Is It?

Grandma and Grandpa are in town for the weekend! This means that two little boys we know will get undivided attention, as many books read to them as they want and if they play their cards right, probably even ice cream for breakfast! Of course, all this playing and fun stuff can really take it out of a guy......and apparently, out of his Grandpa too!

Tummy Time!

"Make sure your baby gets some tummy time each day".......words that no doubt strike fear into the heart of every baby when the doctor gives these instructions to the Mommy and Daddy! I think that babies know that tummy time helps to build big strong neck muscles. And I think that babies also know that big strong neck muscles mean that they will then be able to hold their heads upright and steady. But, Spencer will be the first one to tell you that no matter how cute the mat is that your parents put you on while you are forced into tummy time, simply put, it's just NO fun whatsoever!

Bathtime!

Now that he is free of his umbilical cord stump, Spencer had his first REAL bath tonight! He appeared to enjoy it quite a bit - but then, maybe you already know that by the look on his face!

A vist with Great Grandma

Great Grandma and Aunt Judy are in town for a short visit while on their way to Tucson Arizona.

Spencer suggested that Great Grandma should give him his bottle since she was available.


As you can see Great Grandma was happy to oblige!

I'm Two Months Old - (Yesterday That Is)

Yesterday Spencer officially turned 2 months old! The way this little guy is growing, we won't be referring to him as Brian's "little" brother for long! Spencer took his Mommy and Brian along today for his 2 month well being doctors appointment. Here are the results from todays appointment. Since his 1 month appt, his head circumference has grown from 37 to 38-1/2 which is still in the 25th percentile rate. He has grown 1 inch in the past month going from 21-1/4 inch's to 22-1/4 inch's. This is also in the 25th percentile rate. His weight is where the biggest change happened. Can you believe that this boy gained 4 pounds in the past month alone? He went from 8 lbs 15 oz to his current weight of 12 lbs 15 oz! This shot him into the 90th percentile rate for weight! After looking him over, the doctor said that he looks terrific so our next scheduled appt will be his 4-month well being checkup in December. He does still need to get his immunization shots, but that will be a blog entry for another day!

It Finally Happened!!!!!

"Look at my tummy and what do you see? You see my belly button with NO umbilical cord stump attached to it anymore!!! That's right, it FINALLY came off last night!"

Spencer has his 2 month well being doctors appt tomorrow. At his last appt, the doctor told us that if the stump hadn't come off on it's own by our next appt, he would remove it in the office. He said that although it is somewhat unusual for a cord stump to stay on for so long, since it was not infected there was no problem with giving it some more time to see if it would come off on its own......which it eventually did! Mommy and Daddy (and hopefully Spencer) are looking forward to being able to give him "real" baths now! Until the cord came completely off, he has had to have sponge baths on the counter top. Spencer is about to find out how much fun it can be to splash in the sink!

The Toothless Grin!

Spencer is a very alert little boy. Now that he is awake more and more, he is very observant and interested in everything he sees around him. Once you start talking to him, he starts smiling and will talk (coo) back at you which is absolutely adorable!

Road Trip

Spencer and Mommy started their journey back to Illinois yesterday. Even though Spencer loves his big brother, he really enjoyed having his alone time with Grandma and Grandpa! He enjoyed it so much so that when I told him we had to go home, he was visibly upset! But, as soon as he found out that Grandma and Grandpa will be coming to visit him at his house next week, he was all smiles again!

Spencer is a wonderful little traveler and even offered to pitch in and help with the driving! However, when Mommy asked if he was ready to take the wheel, he realized that he had forgotten to bring his drivers license. So for this trip anyway, Mommy had to do all the driving. This is a sample of some of the autumn scenery that we drove through today!

Recap

Spencer has been with us a short 59 days so far. Kinda soon for a recap but the truth is I don't have a new picture to use.

Enjoy!

Our Big Adventure

From yesterdays post, you have probably figured out that Mommy and Spencer are in South Dakota. It's always alot of fun to go back home and see family and friends but this trip wasn't for as pleasant of a reason. We came to say goodbye to Mommy's uncle Lefty, which was very sad. However, all the memories we have of him will always make us smile and the stories that Spencer and his brother will hear will make them wish they could have known him too. This picture is of Grandma and her two sisters......Great Aunts Corrine and Bev.

This was Spencer's very first trip to South Dakota and he loved getting to meet everyone! He especially enjoyed getting some one on one time with Great Aunt Bev.

SD in SD !

Here we have Master Spencer Paul visiting Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Seth in the great state of South Dakota! Correct me if I'm wrong but do I detect a little bit of a smile on his face?

A Punkin in the Pumpkin Patch!

Spencer joined the whole clan at the local pumpkin patch on Sunday. The only down side was that is he was asleep when we left home....asleep when we were there.....and asleep when we left. As far as Spencer is concerned he wanted proof he was there. So below is the evidence!

Brother Bonding!

Spencer and his older brother Brian went over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a visit yesterday! When they got home, Mommy caught this moment between the boys. It looks like they are bound to be life long buddies!

Where's The Fire?

Last night was the perfect night to be at a football game, or in our families case.......to go to a big bonfire! The town we live in puts together a big bonfire each year which takes place very close to our house! It's also very close to where cousins Erika and Krista live, so Spencer got to see his first big fire with them! Truth be told though, I'm not sure how much of the fire he actually saw. That's the downside to his seating assignment in the double stroller. Big brother Brian sits up front facing forward which means that little brother Spencer (until he outgrows his car seat that snaps into the stroller) has to sit in the back - facing back words.

The "Eyes" Have It!

Yes folks, Spencer does actually have eyes.....and they are beautiful! He has been asleep in so many of the pictures that have been posted here that we thought we may need to remind people that he is equally handsome when they are open! Last night while he was wide awake in the bouncy chair, I grabbed the camera to snap a few pictures! His eyes are blue but that could still change in the next few months. When he is awake, his arms and legs are constantly in motion - very similar to what Mommy remembers before he was born! He watches his hands as they move in front of his face, coos and makes all kinds of other interesting little sounds and noises too.

Go Bears!

"And starting as quarterback for your 2028 Chicago Bears.....Spencer Paul!" We hope that he will get a good nights sleep before game day so he doesn't have to grab a quick nap on the sidelines like this! Spencer has been practicing with his big brothers football, but given that he is so comfortable with it, clearly he will be a natural!

The Great Pumpkin!

Modeling the latest in cute seasonal head wear we have young Spencer Paul! He had just polished off a bottle when I took this picture - which caused him to fall asleep instantly - but he is very cute none the less!

Snug As A Bug.....

Make that three bugs....but not in a rug, more like on a fold out Big Bird Bed! Spencer and his cousins Krista and Erika enjoyed some time together tonight which is always a lot of fun! Although, I have to admit, Spencer didn't appear to be real excited about how he was asked to pose for this picture!

I'm A Growing Boy!

Little Spencer continues to grow like a weed - so much so that we won't be able to refer to him as "little" much longer! We have been enjoying our unseasonable October weather by wearing all our summer clothes while we still can and before the boys outgrow theirs. Several outfits, like the one he is wearing in this picture, were too big for his brother to wear, but they fit Spencer perfectly!

If You Are Going To Cabela's.......

....you better pack a lunch! A new Cabela's store opened this weekend in the nearby suburb of Hoffman Estates. Neither Mommy or Daddy hunt or fish, but this chain of stores has lots of other things to look at too! Just a few of the things that we saw were the walk through aquarium and a huge display of various animals.......

like this moose! Pretty amazing huh?

Wash & Rinse Please!

*****This photo has been rated "G" for all audiences.*****

Spencer has some sort of special attachment to his umbilical cord stump - and we do mean "attachment" literally! The little remnant of cord left on his belly button should fall off on it's own a couple weeks after birth. However, no matter how much rubbing alcohol Mommy and Daddy use to help dry it up, this little sucker is determined to stay on! Until it does come off, Spencer is forced to have counter top sponge baths - which he is not a big fan of. He does however enjoy the final rinse cycle, as shown here! If it hasn't come off by his next doctors appt, they will remove it for him.

Sleeping Beauty

Mommy and Daddy have been looking for another Night Glow Pooh doll since before Spencer was born. His big brother has one and it is just the neatest thing! When you squeeze his tummy, his face lights up for a few seconds and then fades while it plays some lullabies - a very nice feature if your little person needs a bit of extra help falling asleep! It was Aunt June to the rescue when she spotting one today! As you can tell from this picture......it works REALLY well in helping Spencer get his much needed rest!

A Shopping Cart Built For Two!

Mommy and "the boys" try to go on some sort of an outing nearly every day. Sometimes its in the double stroller and sometimes, its in a shopping cart. As you can see from this picture, if we are going to the store, we can't have a very long shopping list since our cart space is quite limited! No matter where we go, our adventures out are generally a lot of fun!

Grandma!!!!!!!!

Grandma comes over once a week to process Daddy's office paper work. Normally, big brother Brian works along side her learning the accounting ropes. Today however, Brian played with Grandpa while Spencer had his first lesson from Grandma! I'd like to be able to say that he got an "A", but since he fell asleep very early into the lesson, I think he only earned a "C" - for "Cuteness"!

Late Night Snack!

Before bedtime (for everyone), Spencer and Daddy settle in for one more bottle. Spencer is a very vocal little eater. If you didn't know any better, you would think that he was preparing to have his last meal! The sounds of his gulps and slurps are followed by the sighs of complete contentment!

Mmmmmmmm....

The patient look prior to getting his bottle.......

......and the look of total contentment once he has finished it!

Once Spencer came home from the hospital, it took him a few days to get his days and nights figured out. Once he had that under control though, his eating habits have been very consistent. He is staying awake for longer periods of time during the day now but he still likes to enjoy a nice meal about every 2 to 3 hours. Since Mommy expresses his meals - she, Daddy (or anyone else for that matter) feeds him with a bottle. The volume he eats, give or take an ounce here or there, has been averaging 5 ounces at a sitting. Since he wakes up during his last evening diaper change for the day (which comes around 10pm), he has a last bottle for the day at that time too. With clean drawers and a full tummy, he falls right back to sleep and he doesn't usually wake up to request another bottle until between 3-4 am! Once he has polished that off - and assuming that Mommy or Daddy have properly burped him, he drifts right back to sleep and is out like a light until his tummy wakes him up around 7am. I know what you are thinking; "Spencer's parents don't deserve having TWO fabulous night sleeping babies in a row!" And, even though you are probably right, they certainly are thankful that they have them!