Christmas!!!

The holidays are here!!! Brad and I enjoyed our first holiday season with our little man. We tried to enjoy lots of fun Portland holiday activities. We started the season with a progressive dinner with five other neighborhood households. After putting all of the kids down at the designated babysitter house, we wandered from house to house for each new course. What a great way to spend time with good friends! Brad and I were in charge of dessert and I had a great time baking!

The holiday season continued with a trip to Chicago to celebrate an early Christmas with Becky, Hoop, Bob, Marta and Cristina. Spencer had his first taste of wrapping paper and presents (and I am pretty sure he liked the paper the best!). Spencer also had a great time playing with his cousin Cristina. Cristina tried, unsuccessfully, to teach him to walk! ;) She also taught him how to tear into his Christmas presents!

We headed to Boise for the actual Christmas holiday and Spencer had a great time with his cousins Jack and Holden! Grandma Roxanne watched Spencer for a day while Brad and I enjoyed skiing with our great friends Shane, Tanya, Brad and Sarah - it felt like the good old days!! So nice to see everyone... Spencer was a sport as we dragged him around the country for his first holiday. I have always felt that the holiday time of year was magical, and think it is even more magical to see through your young child's eyes...

Thanksgiving!

Wow - so much to give thanks for this year. Brad and I are such happy new parents and are excited for all of the adventures and challenges to come! We spent a wonderful and quiet Thanksgiving with Mom and Lobert...great food, great wine...doesn't get much better! Spencer joined us at the Thanksgiving table and had his first taste of all the goodies....

Love this picture of Spencer on his first swing...

More firsts - first Halloween!

Ok - so this was SO much more fun for Brad and I than Spencer. But, he puts up with it! It didn't help that I bought the costume three weeks early and it was already a little tight by the time he wore it for Halloween... ;) We went trick-or-treating with two other friends from the neighborhood - Willa (aka Yoda) and Joel the little ghost. I think everyone was tired by the end of the night....

First Pumpkin Patch!

What a wonderful way to spend a beautiful fall day in Portland - going to the pumpkin patch! We even found an area filled with pumpkins that were just Spencer's size...too fun. He was having so much fun looking at the pumpkins that all of our pictures are of him looking down. Oh well, he was having a great time!!

News that I forgot to write last time - I have started a new job! I am working for Nike (which many people don't know is headquartered in Portland) and so far it has been great. I am in a finance role on a part-time basis which is just perfect. I am currently working 3 days a week and am home and playing with my little man by 4:00 each day. I also have two full days with him which we have filled with music classes, coffee with friends and lots of playing...

Time Flies...

Wow - I haven't written since September 23rd! My how time flies...is anyone still reading this blog? ;) Thing have been great in Portland, OR. We finished up the summer with lots of fun hikes and weekend trips to the coast. We spent a lovely time with Stacy, Jake, Tristan and Grace on Cannon Beach in early October and were back again for a fun yurting weekend with the family a few weekends later. (Who knew "yurting" was a verb??). I have attached some fun pictures from each weekend. Spencer has been to the coast many times, but was able to introduce it to his cousin Holden for his first time!

Hike on Mt. St. Helens

Last weekend, we loaded up Spencer and went for a hike on Mt. St. Helens. It was so beautiful! It was a cloudy day, so we never actually saw the mountain...but we still had a great time! As you can tell it was a pretty chilly day - kind of a glimpse of Fall. Makes me think of the leaves changing, pumpkins and yummy soups...

New "firsts"

Spencer has three teeth now! His top right tooth popped through while we were in Boise last week. He is such a great little "teether"... we have never seen any symptoms of teething at all! I think having a sweet, easy baby like this is God's way of tricking you into having a second one! ;)

Spencer is sitting up like a champ..but refuses to roll! I am guessing it is the 22 pounds that are making it difficult! It is nice that they call it "healthy" at this age. He does sit up and wants to put everything in his mouth. I have to be careful what I put within his reach! He likes to shake his head "no"...we like to think he is dancing. He also likes the noise it makes when he opens and closes his lips...likes it even more when someone imitates him. We could play this game for hours!

I think today I say my first glimpse of a little baby fit. I gave him a new sippy cup and he was so excited about it that he did not want me to take it away. When I did, he let me know that he was very upset. Yikes - this may be a small glipse of the future!

Here is a fun picture from one of our play groups...

Visit to Indy!

Spencer, Mom and Dad made the annual trip to Indy for the Brickyard race (I have momentarily forgotten if it is the Brickyard 400 or 500...hmmm...don't tell my husband!). We had a wonderful time with friends and family. Spencer was an absolute champ...even through getting stuck on the tarmac for three hours on the way to Indy and an hour and a half on the way back! Little man handles time zone differences better than I do and was on a normal nap schedule within the first few days.

We had tons of fun boating (look at the tiny life jacket), going to the zoo and just hanging out with family. It was wonderful to see Spencer and Cristina "playing". Too cute!!

New video - shark attack...

Hmmm...do you think he is teething?? ;) Spencer likes to "attack" his toys, his bottle, his parents, etc. He does it so much that our neighbor Sara coined it "Shark Attack". Take a look!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2uBwj1drKY

Teething

Yahoo - Spencer's first two teeth have broken through. The good news is that there was no fussing at all...they just popped through one day without us even noticing. The bad news is that I am his favorite teething toy (as you can see from the picture). Ouch!! They are sharp little teeth!! ;) Oh well, if it keeps him happy...

First swimming...

Brad and Spencer had their first swimming "lessons" on Saturday morning. Spencer had a great time and I enjoyed watching Brad do the "hokey-pokey" with the rest of the parents and babies (I should have taken a video of that ;) We are excited to get Spencer comfortable in the water and look forward to more swimming classes this month!

Graduation!

Spencer and I have been attending a Mom's group on friday afternoons. This has been a wonderful place to meet with other Mom's, ask questions, discuss issues, etc... You can only attend the group up until your child is six months old...meaning Spencer had his first of many "graduations"! ;)

More fun six month pictures...

I look a lot more excited about the ocean than Spencer does!



Daddy and Spencer on a hike..

It was so warm in Boise that Spencer spent lots of time in a diaper and sunhat!

Magical times...

Months five and six have been absolutely magical. Spencer has such huge smiles whenever he sees his Mom, his Dad, the dog, a stranger, his toes...etc., etc.... We feel much more confidant in our abilities to read his moods, meaning we can take him on all kinds of adventures.

Our most recent adventure was a trip to Boise over the week of 4th of July. Spencer got to see family including his newest cousin Jack. We were in Boise as a stopover on our way to Stanley for Drea and Justin's wonderful mountain wedding. Spencer was such a trouper as we lugged him all over the state! As Brad and I were both in the wedding, Grandma Roxanne and Lobert were a HUGE help - watching Spencer as Brad and I went from activity to activity.

Our trip to Stanley also included Spencer's first hike in the backpack (as opposed to the front carrier). I think the backpack is a much more comfortable way to go - oh wait, that is probably because Brad carried him! ;) I guess it was more comfortable for me! Stanley is an area that Brad and I did lots of hiking in pre-Spencer and pre-Portland - it was so wonderful to get back!

Other tricks this month include sitting up on his own and trying lots of new foods. So far, his favorites have been sweet potatoes and bananas. Mostly, he just likes making a mess. I am not sure how much actually gets in his little belly. We are off for his six month doctor appointment today - wish us luck with the shots!

Rolled over!

Yahoo! Spencer rolled over for the first time today! It was from his stomach to his back and it took a lot of coaxing from me. He looked quite surprised after he did it...too funny! He only did it once, so it may have been a fluke.

We are going to try again tonight so that Daddy can see!

Toes and sleeping through the night...good stuff!

Spencer has discovered his toes! He thinks they are a new toy and spends lots of time holding them and attempting (unsuccessfully) to put them in his mouth. I think he gets his lack of flexibility from his Daddy. ;)

We took a picnic to the rose garden and had a wonderful time. The weather was beautiful and the roses were stunning.

Spencer has finally been sleeping though the night - yahooooo! That means wonderful sleep for his parents as well...finally!

The shirt says it all! ;)

4 month appointment

Spencer is 20 weeks old and today we had his 4-month Dr. appointment. Unfortunately for him, this meant more shots...booo! Spencer took them like a champ and only cried for a little while. He is our brave little boy! Spencer is doing great as far as weight and height - he is 17lbs 10 oz which puts him around 95%. Our little man likes to eat! Spencer is very happy and healthy!

Speaking of eating, we are going to start him on real food soon...can you believe it? That seems like such a big boy thing for him to be doing already. I was hoping for one more month without rice cereal ground into the carpet (and my hair, my clothes, his ears, etc...) ;)

Spencer and I are done with our infant massage class...Dad and Spencer are looking forward to starting "swimming" in July! ;)

Spencer has hit the big time!

A camera crew came to our infant massage class...take a look for some cute shots of Spencer! He is the one staring at the teacher with his hands in his mouth...too cute! There is also a great shot of his face at the end of the video. I am generally hidden behind the teacher, but there is one shot with our name tag so you will know it is him! Also, watch for the white towel that he is laying on. (Here is an additional hint - he is on at 38 seconds, 1.23, 1.43 and 1.46)

You can also see Sara, my neighbor across the street, and her daughter Willa. Sara and I are having lots of fun with out little ones! ;)

What To Expect Series: Infant Massage

(Oops - looks like they took the video offline...trust me, it was cute! ;) I am trying to get a copy and will post it if I can)

Bachelor party weekend!

Our wonderful friends Drea and Justin were here for the weekend for Justin's bachelor party! Spencer got to participate (kind of) in a day of wine tasting. His first trip to the wineries - we are so proud! ;) tee-hee

I would say Justin looks pretty comfortable holding little Spencer! It was a fantastic visits with our soon-to-be wed friends! ;)

16 Weeks - the fun has begun! ;)

16 weeks has passed so quickly - where does the time go! You would think it would go slowly as so much less time is spent sleeping ;) We are sneaking up on four months and having an absolute blast with little Spencer. He is such a smiley, happy baby and his parents are easily entertained. We spend hours each day just watching him and being amazed at how much he is learning! He has found his hands and they are a source of constant amazement to him. He will just stare at them for minutes at a time. With his hands, he has found his mouth...meaning that anything he manages to grab will soon be covered in baby drool. My hands, his toys, Dad's shoulder, etc....

Spencer is slowly grouping his sleeping periods into longer and longer chunks of the day. Brad and I never knew how sacred sleep is...but now do everything we can to protect it! Spencer gets up once at night for a feeding (around 3:00 am) has a couple two hour naps during the day and plenty of short cat-naps in between. At 7:00, he goes down for bed without any fussing...we feel so lucky! Of course, this is how a perfect day looks...every once in a while he does something different, - just to keep us on our toes and to remind us who the boss really is!

The newest accomplishment is a half roll. No rolling over yet, but he does like to move to his side to look at toys that are just out of reach. We think the full roll will be from his back to his stomach soon. Still hates tummy time, but not enough to roll over onto his back!

First thing in the morning is the best time for little Spencer - he is a morning guy like his Mama! ;) He smiles, coos and talks to himself until Brad and I get him out of bed. We usually lay him in bed with us at that point and he smiles and talks some more! Very sweet...

Visit from Grandpa Bob and Grandma Sandi!

March brought a wonderful visit from Grandpa Bob and Grandma Sandi! Spencer was a trouper as we toured around the city and beyond. Some firsts for the weekend included his first trip to the zoo and his first visits to the waterfalls near our house. We had such a great visit!

Spencer found his voice this weekend and entertained us all with his lengthy conversations. Grandma Sandi thinks he is going to be quite the talker! Just like his Mom! ;)

Finally - HIKING!! ;)

Yahoo - this weekend, Brad and I took Spencer on his first hike. One of the things we love about Portland is the close proximity to so many great wilderness areas. Two hours will take you to the beautiful Oregon Coast, 40 minutes and you're in the Gorge hiking through waterfalls and in 50 minutes you can be hiking in the shadow of Mount Hood. Brad and I love to hike and are so excited to get back into it...and, to introduce it to our son!

Our hiking companions for this adventure were Reggie and Candice and their little ones Colton (3) and Landon (10 months). Landon and Colton are experienced hikers - the year Colton was born, he did more hiking than Brad and I! And, Landon went on his first camping trip at 10 weeks...WOW! Anyhow, Reggie picked the hike - a beautiful trail along the Salmon River (obviously not the same as the Idaho Salmon river).

Spencer's first hike went very well - we bundled him up and put him in the front carrier where he proceeded to sleep for the first half of the hike. For lunch, we stopped at a great spot along the river where Spencer had some lunch and an outdoor diaper change! Jackson is thrilled that Spencer can now go hiking as this means more hiking and swimming for him. Boy, did we have a tired dog after this trip!! ;)

Visit from Uncle Josh

Uncle Josh was sweet and shared part of his spring break with us! It was so great to see him for a quick Portland visit. We took advantage of a nice day and had a picnic on the waterfront. Spencer had his first alfresco diaper change (the first of many)

As you can see, Josh donned full body armour while holding Spencer. I can understand as Spencer is quite the spitter. I use to protect myself as well, but have given up and simply resort to changing my shirt around three times per day ;)

Spencer Video!

Spencer's debut on YouTube! This is a video we took this morning of Spencer's morning stretching routine...too funny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gXAkLGzZug

Week Seven

Sleep..sleep...sleep! I never knew that I could be so obsessed with sleep! It seems like such a normal behavior..you yawn, you feel sleepy and then you fall asleep. Not for Spencer! For some reason, feeling sleepy makes him want to scream. Poor little man! ;) This week we are really trying to focus on getting him the sleep he needs. Unfortunately, the easiest place to put him to sleep is on my, or Brad's, chest. As Spencer needs about 16 - 18 hours of sleep per day, this is not exactly practical! So, we have been attempting to get him to sleep in his crib (what an idea). Basically, this entails rocking him until he falls asleep, gently placing him in his crib and then holding our breath for the next ten minutes hoping that he doesn't wake up. When he does wake up, we start the process all over again...

Not much else to report this week - he has already changed so much. He is still quite the eater and we are excited to see how much he weighs at his two month appointment in two weeks. He is smiling more and more and has started grabbing for toys if we put them in front of him. We try to do lots of "tummy time", however he is not a big fan ;) He is so much fun and Brad and I are having a blast with him!

Week Six

Week six brought Brad's first business trip...luckily, we also had a visit from Aunt Carolyn. Jackson enjoyed it as she took him for a run every morning - more exercise than he has had in a while. She also took Spencer on lots of walks throughout the neighborhood. Thank-you to Aunt Carolyn for a wonderful visit! Aunt Carolyn was able to get lots of quality Spencer time - she even babysat while I went to get my first haircut since Spencer was born. I even had time to get a latte afterwards...heaven! Thank-you again for an amazing visit!


Brad's birthday was Friday and to celebrate we went to Cannon Beach for the weekend. Spencer's first overnight trip! Our room had a fire-place and floor to ceiling windows across one wall. We had a wonderful time watching the storms roll in over the ocean all weekend. This picture was taken from our balcony. Spencer slept a ton and Brad managed to beat me at Monopoly...wild weekend! ;)