Take Me To Your Leader!

We mentioned yesterday that he is not a fan of wearing hats - but once Spencer saw his brother wearing this cereal box around on his head.......he was much more interested in trying it on too!

Hat's Off (Now Please!!!)

Spencer is not a big fan of wearing hats (especially when he thinks they make him look silly!) This one has an elastic strap under his chin to help keep it in place but Spencer can still peel it off his head within moments!

Poster Baby

Gerber already has their baby, but if Del Monte baby food ever needs a spokes-baby.......Spencer is available!

She's Home!!!!!!!

Spencer was very excited when he found out that Great Grandma Dorothy just got into town! She is on her way home to Iowa after spending the winter in Arizona so she can't stay long, but any time we get to spend with her is time well spent!

Since they don't all live in the same state, we weren't able to get all 17 of Great Grandma's great grand kids together today. But, the 5 who live in Illinois were all able to be here today and as you can see, they were more than happy to gather around Great Grandma and mug for the camera!

The Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Fun Run!

As we mentioned a few days ago, today was the Fun Run at Spencer's cousin's school. Mommy and the boys went ready to participate but opted against it at the last minute. The morning temperature here was a little too cold for a certain two little boys to be in for the time it would have taken Mommy to push them through the course. Instead, we found a spot that was somewhat out of the wind where we cheered on the runners.

One of the runners who crossed the finish line was racer #205....otherwise known as Spencer's cousin Erika! Congratulations on running a great race young lady!

Feed That Bird Boy!

Spencer loves his solid food! He's usually very patient in waiting for the spoon to make it from the jar and back into his mouth. By the time you get that spoon reloaded though, this is the face that awaits you!

Workin' Boy!

You probably heard on the news, but today was "Take Your Son or Daughter to Work Day"! Spencer opted against spending ALL day with Daddy and instead waited until he got home so that they could do some work out in the yard.

With Daddy's helpful guidance as well as the aid of this handy dandy tool, Spencer is now a very experienced weed plucker!

In Training!

Spencer's cousin Krista will be participating in her schools "Fun Run" this weekend. Since it's open to anyone, Mommy and the boys plan to walk in it too! That being said, the three of us are in training! Yesterday we made use of our wagon for a nice long stroll......

....and today, we used the stroller. We are looking forward to taking a nice (weather permitting) walk Saturday morning so keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't rain!

Oop-See-Daisy!

Spencer is so close to crawling........and he doesn't even know it! When he's sitting, he gets up onto his knees, looks at the spot he wants to get to, and that's where the plan falls apart. He hasn't learned how to launch himself forward yet so instead, he just topples over and rolls his way to where he wants to go! Soon though......very very soon!

I'm 8 Months Old!

It's hard to believe that this little guy has been a part of our lives for eight months already! I'm sure all parents say things like this.....but Spencer is a true joy to be around. He is such a happy boy! Even though he often has a stern look on his face, as soon as you look at him and smile, he gives you a big smile right back! His belly laughs, giggles and squeals are not only fun to listen to, they are contagious too!

Family Outing Day!

Spencer and his family enjoyed a beautiful Sunday afternoon by taking a trip to the Brookfield Zoo. You may be saying...."Didn't you guys just go there a couple weeks ago?" The answer would be, yes we did! If you have never been to the Brookfield Zoo - you should pay them a visit! And if you have, then you know that it's huge and filled with all kinds of wonderful things to see, far more than anyone could expect to take in on one visit! Wanting to be well rested for the outing, after finishing his lunch Spencer immediately dozed off for a quick power nap!

The nap paid off and he had a great time strolling through the zoo! The two humps in the background of this picture belong to one of the camels we saw today. As you can see, Spencer is very trendy. He decided to wear his safari hat with the rim in front rolled up today. Effective in keeping the sun off your head while still allowing you to be completely adorable!

Dog Wrangler

Having numerous options available to him, Spencer hasn't pinpointed what line of work he would like to get into yet. If he decides that he would like a career in rodeo as a calf roper though, he could get lots of practice time in with Walter!

All Shook Up!

We had some excitment in the state of Illinois this morning.......an earthquake! It happened in the southern part of the state but it was felt in Chicago as well as several surrounding states! Since it happened around 4:30'is in the morning, in our household the pets slept through it, Mommy and Daddy slept through it, big brother Brian slept through it.........




and as you can see, so did young Spencer! Some of the pictures on the wall of Daddy's office needed to be straightened, but other than that had we not heard the story on the news we wouldn't have known it happened!

Bumper Boy!

When Mommy went into Spencers room after he woke up from his morning nap, this is what she found!

Given the big ol' smile on his face, apparently he was having a great time working both sides of the bumper pad in his crib!

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'!

Spencer may not be walking yet, but he has figured out his own way of getting from point A to point B! If you are in the same room as him, be careful because once he's on the floor, he might knock you over as he rolls his way across the room!

What A Face!!!!!

Spencer has a smile that goes on for miles and an adorable little belly laugh! Here is another of his official "6 month" pictures that we had taken last month. Could he be any cuter???????

Super Hero Monday!

Look.....up in the sky.......it's a bird, it's a plane........

........it's Super Boy! Sometimes after Spencer has been eating, his bib will disappear and be magically replaced with his super hero cape - it's absolutely amazing!

I Think I Can See Wisconsin From Here!

Daddy rearranged a few things in the living room yesterday and Spencer was very excited with the results. Daddy put the smaller pack-n-play away and Spencer graduated to the bigger one! With the bassinet in, he has a great view when he is sitting up! He is just starting to figure out that if he holds onto the edges, he can pull himself up to his knees. Once he completely learns that lesson - the bassinet will get removed so that he can't topple out!

Go Car Go!

Spencer's cousin's Krista and Erika were racing their pinewood derby cars at their school today so we went to cheer them on! Spencer decided to catch a quick power nap on the way over (as well as for the first few minutes that we were there!)

Once he woke up, Uncle Guy (aka: Uncle Kevin) gave him a boost so that he had a great view for all the racing action! Krista and Erika may not have won their races, but they had very cool looking cars and more importantly - a lot of fun too!

Gag-Order!

Spencer is a very independant little guy who doesn't need a comfort item yet. He has never had any interest in a pacifyer. He has not designated a specific toy as being the special one. He does nibble on a thumb or finger or fist from time to time but none of them with enough consistancy to say "he does that all the time". He does however enjoy sucking on fabric! He will have part of his bib in his mouth before you can even get it attached behind his neck and if you lay a blanket on him, he will have a corner of it nice and soggy within minutes! When he doesn't have something handy to suck on though, Spencer remains a very content boy!

Break Out the Birthday Cake!

Happy Birthday to you......

Happy Birthday to you.....

Happy Birthday Uncle Colin.....

Happy Birthday to you!

In honor of Uncle Colin's birthday today, Spencer got his hands on a birthday cupcake - that is until his older brother saw it and snatched it from him! Don't worry Spencer, there are all sorts of yummy things that await you (as soon as you get some teeth!)

Two Tickets Please!

When Mommy and the boys decided to go for a wagon ride this afternoon, Walter asked if he could stroll along with us. Spencer loves going on these rides but he especially got a kick out of watching Walter trot along beside us. By the time we got back home, a certain two little boys were ready to go inside and take their afternoon naps and as you can see from this picture, so was Walter!

The United Front!

It is so much fun watching these two boys interact with each other! You can see how much Spencer wants to be able to do everything that his big brother does and being able to walk is right at the top of his list! Mommy and Daddy are anxious for Spencer to reach his goal but at the same time, as soon as both of them are up and moving at the same time.........we are definitely going to have our hands full!

Another First!

Mommy took the boys on an exciting trip to Sam's Club today. Shopping at a warehouse has some big advantages, one being - the shopping carts have room for 2 riders, not just one like most shopping carts have. We used the opportunity for Spencer have his first ride up front. He sat next to his brother just like a big boy.........

and from the looks of things, he LOVED it!

Put Me In The Zoo!

Spencer suggested that we take advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend by going to the Brookfield Zoo today! We spend most of the afternoon there and had a wonderful time. Spencer's highlight was going for his first ride on the Carousel! This is normally where we would insert a very cute picture of Spencer smiling and giggling as he went round and round on the ride. Unfortunately, Mommy forgot to bring the camera along today so.......sorry! Instead, we hope you will settle for a picture of the very satisfied young man which we took when we got home.

Head's Up!

Spencer is no stranger to rolling around on the floor, but up to this point he has been very content to just lay on his back (or sometimes his side) when he's in his crib. When Mommy and Daddy peeked in on him this morning however, this is what they found!

Mega Boy!

Spencer wants to do everything that his big brother does.....including playing with the toys he sees Brian play with. He has played with a few of these Mega Blocks before, but today he got ahold of the wagon they are stored in! He had a great time pulling the wagon towards him and then......tipping it over!

Circle The Wagons!

The look on Spencer's face pretty much explains how he feels about going for rides in his new wagon! Since he was born towards the end of last summer, most of the opportunities that he has had to be outside have required him to be buried under a pile of blankets. Watching him be able to take in all of the new outdoor sights has been a lot of fun!

Going Solo!

Spencer is doing very well at his sitting up without any assistance!

We were keeping him surrounded by pillows so that he would have a padded area to tip over onto. Over the past few days, he has been sitting up all by himself - without any backup! He is growing up so quickly! Before we know it, he will be running laps!

A Huge Day!

Get out the record books......Spencer the 7 month old took his first step today! Apparently, he has decided to skip the whole crawling stage and get right to the foot work!

April Fools everyone! Spencer would like nothing more than to be able to walk so that he could get down and run around with his brother. But, for the moment he is still limited to rolling around on the floor in order to get from point A to point B. Mommy and Daddy have assured him that he will get his wish soon and be on his feet before he knows it!