Monday In The Park!

Even though we spend lots of time in our backyard, it's always fun to get to go to a park. Unfortunately, the boys don't usually get that treat during the week because Mommy needs 4 hands to make it happen and she only seems to have 2. So, with Grandma and Grandpa here, we took full advantage of those extra hands and we all headed to the park today! Spencer giggled and smiled as Grandma pushed him on the swing.

He relaxed with Grandpa in the cool grass while it tickled his toes!















Brian had been playing in the sand and Spencer was curious as to what that was all about. He reached over and touched the sand and was not impressed! From the look on his face you would have thought he had just grabbed a handful of yuck!

Guess Who's Here!!!!

Spencer woke up to a wonderful surprise. Grandma and Grandpa arrived from South Dakota last night so they were here when he got up this morning! For some fun this afternoon, we decided to go to the zoo. We had to dodge a few rain drops but that didn't dampen the great time we all had! We saw elephants, rhino's and hippo's but then decided we should head for some shelter. While inside, the boys found some fun toys to play with!







The rain pasted quickly so we went out to look at some more animals. Before going home, Mommy and Daddy lived up to their promise of letting the boys go for a ride on the carousal. The ride was made even better as soon as the boys found out they got to go with Grandma and Grandpa!












Spencer told Grandpa he wanted to ride the Dolphin - and he did a fine job keeping it under control.

















Shortly after the ride ended, the sky's opened up and the rain came pouring down! Fortunately, we were still under the shelter of the carousal so we stayed nice and dry. Spencer and Grandma danced to the music and watched Brian go for one final ride while we waited out the rain. The rain ended just as Brian's ride did making it the perfect ending to a very fun day at the zoo!

Spencer's First Dip!

We have been waiting for a nice warm summer day so that Spencer could take his first dip in Grandma and Grandpa's pool and today was the day! Mommy had some things she needed to do at home so Daddy, Brian and Spencer headed off and promised to come home with lots of stories and pictures! When Spencer got into the water, he was slightly hesitant at first. He didn't appear to be scared but he doesn't seem completely sold on the whole swimming idea yet.

After spending some time in the water, he was ready to sit on the pool deck and watch his brother paddle around.

He wanted to bring a souvenir home to show Mommy but unfortunately, by the time he got home it was all gone.

Bedtime Snack

Spencer had a full day today! First he got to play with his cousin Haley for a little while this morning. Then, he and Brian enjoyed lunch and some stimulating conversation with Mommy and our very good friends Diane, Chris and Doris! After some additional play time back at home, he was anxious to have a bedtime bottle snack so that he could call it a night!

WAKE UP!

Spencer woke up from todays afternoon nap before his big brother did. He passed the time by playing with Mommy and enjoy a snack. But, as soon as he heard Brian wake up, he couldn't get to his brothers room fast enough!

Spencer has a turtle night light in his own room, but isn't everything more fascinating when it belongs to someone else?

Sometimes Spencer even gets to hang out with his big brother IN his crib! Does it get any better than that?????

Wendesday Evening with Spencer

After going on a long stroller ride tonight, Spencer finished off his evening with some inside playtime. He started by taking out the blocks. He especially enjoys having Mommy or Daddy stack up a pile of blocks so that he can knock them over with his hands or in tonight's case - with a karate kick!

He went over to see what toys his brother was playing with and since he was close enough to do it, he also decided to pull Brian's hair. Unfortunately, Mommy stepped in and strongly suggested that he stop with the hair pulling and move onto something else.

Throughout the evening, Spencer's hand was not far from his mouth. He isn't drooling too much but given the amount of time that his hand is in his mouth, he must be working on getting another tooth.

Teletubbies!!!!!!!

Brian is going through a stage where he loves watching the Teletubbies. Since he is able to voice his preference as to what programs he wants to watch, at this point, Spencer doesn't have much say in the matter. Fortunately, Spencer is a go with the flow kind of kid and as you can see - he appears to enjoy watching the Teletubbies too!

The Balding Kitty

Spencer has a death grip that he uses very frequently. Brian and Mommy have both experiences his grip when he has latched onto their hair and Daddy has come close to loosing some arm hair on more than one occasion. As you can see by the look on Jem's face in this picture, she isn't immune from Spencer's gripper hands either!

Play Ball!

Today the 3rd of a 6 game baseball series (happening over 2 weekends) is being played in Chicago. It's called the Crosstown Classic - which is when the Chicago Cubs play the Chicago White Sox. Spencer watched the Cubs win the first two games but had to go to bed before he saw the outcome of the 3rd game tonight. So far, he is still undecided as to which team he will select as HIS team to cheer for, but there are several people in his life who will be having lengthy conversations with him to make sure that he selects the correct team!



Spencer also sends Happy Birthday greetings out to his Grandma today! Mommy said that when you get here next weekend, we get to have birthday cake with you! I'm also looking foward to showing you my tooth and how well I can crawl and stand up! We can't wait to see you Grandma and Grandpa!

I'm 10 Months Old!

Spencer woke up looking quite mature today which could only mean one thing, he is officially 10 months old today! While Daddy was feeding Spencer his breakfast this morning (some very yummy Blueberry Buckle), the spoon slipped and he ended up looking like this. Most guys who wear a "soul patch" grow theirs with facial hair but Spencer decided to try the look out with food first - and we think he can really carry the look off!

Danger Boy II

Apparently young Spencer has been spending too much time watching (and learning) some of his big brothers dangerous habits! Here's an example. A few months ago, Daddy created a barrier that goes in front of the television/VCR in order to stop a certain little boy from pushing all the buttons. Although it has worked very well in foiling Brian's button pushing mindset, Spencer now looks at it as his own personal climbing wall! To make matters worse, he is getting overly confident lately and only hanging on with one hand! This kid needs to walk soon - for his own safety!

Have You Seen My Phone Book?

What is it about our kids and their fascination with telephones?!?! Spencer has just as much fun pushing the phone's buttons as his brother does. He also seems to know that there is a huge difference between the REAL thing and any of those silly little TOY phones!

ALSO....Happy Anniversary to Grandma and Grandpa today! We are doing the count down to your upcoming visit in - 10 more days!

Watch & Learn!

This gumball machine toy has been in the closet for a few months but it made a surprise re-appearance this week and suddenly feels like a brand new toy again! Big brother Brian walked Spencer through the motions of how to operate it............

....but Spencer was more interested in just playing in this empty diaper box!

A New Boo-Boo

As Spencer continues to work on learning to take his first baby steps, he has definitely had his share of bumps and bruises! Some of his bigger tumbles will result in a few tears and some cries but as soon as he is scooped up and given a few kisses and squeezes, he bounces right back!

This is MUCH better!

Spencer and Brian had quite a few of their toys stored in a big mesh basket in the living room. The only problem with this set up was that Spencer (and Brian to for that matter) can see all the toys, but they had a hard time reaching far enough into the basket to get much out. We corrected that problem today! The boys toys are now stored in this little three drawer cabinet. Spencer approves of the change!

I Love My Daddy!

Spencer participated in his first Fathers Day today! To make the most of it, he snuggled up with Daddy for a little quality time nap after church.

We went to Grandma and Grandpa's house a little later. One of these days it will be warm enough for Spencer to take his first dip in the pool, but until then, he had an enjoyable afternoon just playing in the back yard. Like most kids, he likes touching and feeling new textures - like grass. He would pull a few strands so that he could feel it in his hands. Unlike most kids though, Spencer is happy to just feel things, rarely does he attempt to immediately shove them into his mouth! He's quite the kid! Happy Fathers Day Daddy - I love you very much!

My First "Fest"

Spencer went to his first summer festival today which was held in downtown Elmhurst and called coincidentally, Elmfest. It was a little warm but there were lots of interesting booths to look at as well as a carnival where he could imagine one day being big enough to go on rides. He was very excited to get a "Junior Fire Fighter" sticker which he proudly wore all day - including when he fell asleep!

What's Cooking?

Like his big brother, Spencer has a lot of fun playing with the toy kitchen. He isn't quite tall enough to reach the microwave on the top, but until then - he is just as happy to play with the stove top or the oven. Opening the door and pulling things out so that he can put them back inside is the best!

Feeling Boxed In?

The box that the backyard slide came in has been out in the garage, patiently waiting for it's time to be played with. Today, it made it's appearance in the house but we aren't sure if Spencer is excited about this yet. Sure it's cool to have a new tunnel type thing that you can crawl around in but....he still seems unsure. He knows one thing though - he definitely does NOT enjoy being in the box when his brother pushed it over!

Side By Side!

This is a little spot in the living room that Brian likes to slide into so that he can reach and play with the phone. Today Spencer, who watches his brothers every move, followed right behind him! Eventually, Mommy will be challenged to keep track of these guys, but for the moment - wherever one is, the other is right behind him!

What's This?

Spencer started his afternoon nap a little before his brother, so he woke up first too. As soon as he heard Brian wake up, Spencer followed Mommy into his brothers room to help out. Brian is now only allowed his pacifier(s) when he is in bed. Spencer on the other hand, has never had any interest in them. Like any "toy" though, when he saw that his brother had a couple pacifiers, he wanted to take a closer look at it too so he reached in and grabbed one! He never put it in his mouth, he just looked it over and banged it against the slats of the crib.

The Toy Shelf

The boy's cousins Krista and Erika came over to play this evening and Spencer wasted no time showing them where he keeps some of the toys. We have gotten used to Spencer sporting at least one black and blue mark on him pretty much all the time now. Even though he is great at crawling he still wants to walk so, as soon as he pulls himself up to furniture he lets go. After he stands a few seconds, he looses his balance and topples over - or into something.

Poolside

Spencer and his brother spent the afternoon at Grandma and Grandpa's house while Mommy and Daddy were at a picnic. Even though Spencer was tempted to go for his first swim in his Grandparents pool today, he opted instead to stay poolside and just watch. Don't worry though - he will be back to take that inaugural dip very soon!

Where Do I Sign Up For Therapy?

Several weeks ago, Spencer and Mommy went to a big craft show that was happening in our neighborhood. As we were leaving, a clown made Spencer a very cool balloon animal - which he promptly shared with his brother as soon as we got home. By the next morning, the "animal" was no longer distinguishable, but it still made for a nice balloon hat!

Nap Time!

Spencer is an amazing sleeper! He takes two naps a day and after going to bed around 8:00ish, sleeps through the night until about 6:30 the next morning. He got into this position while taking his afternoon nap today - too cute!

Who knew there were so many uses for a bumper pad?

The Dynamic Duo!

Yesterday we touched on the fact that the boys still need to do some work on their sharing skills. Although that is true, they can (and most often do) play together very nicely. This evening Brian pulled out the Mega blocks. As soon as Spencer saw them, he wanted to be involved as well. As soon as Brian realized that there really were enough blocks for them both to play with them at the same time.......they had a lot of fun together!

See It.....Be It!

Spencer spotted the exact toy that he wanted to play with. Unfortunately, someone else happened to be playing with it.

Moments later, a certain big brother learned a valuable lesson which is......you snooze - you loose!

Actually, Brian moved onto a different toy. Had Spencer wanted a toy he was playing with there would have been a very loud discussion and more than likely, tears from either or both of them. Needless to say, sharing is still a term that both boys have a lot to learn about.

Oh No......I Have Hat Hair!

Spencer amazes us with his crawling! When you watch him move towards his target, he still seems cautious and somewhat hesitant of his ability to do it. We will see him sitting on the floor playing with a toy, perfectly content. So you can imagine our surprise when we look away for a minute or briefly leave the room and return to find him all the way across the room playing with something else! That was the case today. Spencer was playing with some magnet animals on the refrigerator. Mommy turned around to load a few things into the dishwasher and when she turned back around he was sitting by the back door playing with Daddy's bike helmet!

Who Wants to Play Hide & Seek?

Spencer is fascinated by just about everything that his big brother does. And, now that he has mastered the art of crawling, where ever Brian is......Spencer is not far behind! When Brian climbs onto the back of Spencer's high chair, Spencer just laughs and laughs. He may not know why, but since he hears his brother giggling, he joins in and laughs along with him!

American Gothic Spencer

While Spencer was out playing in the back yard yesterday, he took a moment to pose - American Gothic style!

Spencer loves being outside! It's a whole new world of fun stuff for him to touch and feel. Now that the weather has warmed up, we will be able to spend much more time in the great outdoors!