4 months

Dear Spencer,

   Last week you turned 4 months old! We had quite the celebration, and not in the way that I would have loved to. My ideas to celebrate were quite fun: photo shoot, putting your handprints into some clay, and playing together all day. While we didn't quite manage those activities we did have an adventurous day that we made fun together.
   We started out the day with your planned doctor's appointment. You even surprised us all by gaining just enough weight to keep the doctor happy! You see, a couple weeks prior I had brought you in for your eczema [your ears were cracking and bleeding] and we ended up talking more about your weight since you had only gained 9 oz in 5 weeks which is way too little for your age. You ended up falling off all the growth curves completely. I was ordered to take away your binky and try to get you to eat instead.. I did my best but you got tired of not having your binky all of the time. So we can continue to just breastfeed you for now, no formula, and can start solids sometime before you turn 6 months. We will take you back for another weigh in next month though, just to be sure that you're still gaining weight well.
   After your appointment we stopped at WalMart and the plan was to next go home. Well, just before getting onto the freeway the car wouldn't go and I couldn't get it to start back up either. The engine light was on! We ended up having firefighters show up to direct traffic and let us cool back down in their truck. It was just a pickup truck but we were so much happier in that ac. You had so much fun talking to the firefighters and smiling at them! Spencer, you even made me forget how sad I had been when we were stuck in the hot, not working car. Later that day we visited the mechanic, spent some time at Grandma's, got dropped off at home, you finally got some Tylenol for your shots, napped, and had a pizza dinner.

You were NOT done when I took this back 5 minutes later

   Spencer, these last four months have been amazing. Well, technically the past year has been. You are becoming more of a social baby and still love your music. When we go to church, you get so excited to see everyone that you wiggle around, babble, and smile at anyone who'll look your way. You are even starting to play with your cousin, Annette, more. Your strength exceeds hers since you will yank toys out of her hands or force her to share them with you, but you both still get along well. I swear that you are happiest when we go to play with other people, especially when someone will play with you. You even get upset when it's just the two of us at home and I do not give you my undivided attention. Let me tell you, toys are no replacement for people in your mind which can be a good thing. You do love your toys when I play with them with you though.

You and Annette

   You are quite the smart little boy. You can now roll over both ways, but seem to have no interest in doing so lately. You'd much rather just hang out on your back since you know rolling over means you'll be on your tummy [tummy time results in instant screaming even though you know how to rescue yourself now...]. Daddy and I are having to be much more careful with you reaching for our things. Anytime I have a drink or food, you reach out and I can just imagine you saying, "Mine? Mommy, please? Please, mommy? Share? Oh...." During dinner we'll put you in your bumbo and give you your own spoon and cup. I know that soon we'll have to start putting some rice cereal or bananas onto that spoon for you.

You stole shared my water cup at Panda during our vacation

You also know how to steal Daddy's glasses from his face and to grab my hair even when I put it up in a ponytail. This week you even refused to nurse at bedtime a couple nights in a row because you enjoyed "feeding yourself" with a bottle. These last couple weeks you have even started patting near your diaper when you need to be changed which is something that I initiated. You are going through more diapers now... But you get upset when we don't notice fast enough so I figure that we might as well keep that communication going. You even decided that it'd be a great way to stall bedtime. There were two nights that you would pee a little bit, ask for a diaper change, we'd change you, you'd start falling asleep a bit, pee a little more, and so on. Daddy and I finally made you just suck it up and sleep in a barely wet diaper because bedtime is bedtime. You haven't tried it since. There was one night that you were so upset and Daddy was trying to calm you down but you just got more upset. I finally went to try to help and as soon as I was holding you instead of Daddy you calmed down and laughed while looking at Daddy. So much for being Daddy's boy!

    You are so much fun! Daddy claims that you are quite the character and he means it in the good way. I am so excited to have you in the family and love you very much.

Lots of love, hugs, and kisses,
   Mommy