More Summer Updates: Father's Day

Yes, I know Father's Day was in June and it is now September :-) Never too late to catch up!

We spent a very relaxing Father's Day as a family. As busy as we kept this summer I do remember slowing it down this day to just enjoy each other.

We started the morning off with gifts for Bill and of all things a ww weigh in! Once we knew we were down some pounds we then met up with Dad, Cheryl, and Max for Brunch at one of our favorite diners.

Back home for nap time followed by a late afternoon trip to Catch Air so Spencer and Daddy could play :-)

Water Table:The ONLY Way to Play Outside

This summer in GA it was H-O-T hot, hot, hot! Too bad all Spencer wanted to do was play outside :-) We did venture to parks in the early mornings and pools to stay cool but when Spencer just needed to get out at home, we used the back yard as our own little water oasis :-)

Thank goodness for Spencer's water table that Nana and Papa got for him for his 1st Birthday. We keep in in our basement so we can pull it out on moments notice and it came in handy MANY times this summer.

Making a Splash at Swim Atlanta

Before summer got off to a start I signed Spencer up for four swim lessons at a local swim center. Nothing too serious here; we are talking very basic skills like blowing bubbles, kicking feet, moving arms and floating on our backs. Some more advanced skills were going under water and jumping from the side of the pool. I have to admit we lucked out in terms of getting bang for our buck because the class consisted of us and our friends Krissy and Nicholas! And the instructor of course! We got a lot of individualized attention and even though I know we were not there to learn how to swim I felt the class really helped Spencer have "fun" in the water this summer and I can honestly say he does not mind going under the water, getting splashed with water and has no fear of jumping in. Success in my eyes :-)

Third Time is a Charm-Yet Another Attempt at Blogging

Okay, so I had good intentions of continuing to blog back in May but it just didn’t seem to happen. Ugh so frustrating! I could kick myself for not keeping up because we really did have an amazing summer filled with so many memories. Third times a charm right? So, here’s to making an effort to documenting some of the fun we had this summer and keeping it strong into the fall J

Locks of Love

We have keep very busy the past few months and have reached many milestones but one of our most exciting ventures was Spencer's 1st haircut! May 4th, just one day after turning 14 months old we took the plunge and cut those baby locks we loved so much.

Spencer has thin hair but a lot of it! I really did not think he was quite ready for a haircut until people started saying things about how long it was. So, I took the recommendation of a good friend and went to a kids salon right here in Alpharetta! Ms. Rosa did a fabulous job and it was not until we actually were at the the salon getting it cut, that I realized just how much he really did need a good trim.

I swear we went in with our baby boy and left with our toddler. What a difference the cut made and believe it or not, I did NOT cry :-) Spencer was a trooper through it all and I must say we are now fans of Ms. Rosa and will visit her many times in the next few years :-)

Just Feel Like Blogging- My Nearly Three Month Hiatus

Hi Everyone! I am back from my almost three month long hiatus and could not be more happy to start blogging again. There are many reasons I stopped blogging but with that said, I am so happy to be back :-) Hope your ready to follow us again.

Happy 1st Birthday Sweet Spencer

"Covered in cake and icing, Your smile stretched ear to ear. A single candle celebrates, The joy of your first year.

We sing Happy Birthday, You play midst wrap and bows. We marvel at how you touched our lives, Just one year ago.

I remember the first time I held you, Kissed your head, whispered your name. You've changed our lives forever, Our hearts will never be the same.

As a child you'll love this day, For all the sweets and presents too. As parents we'll love your day, For the gift we got was you.

Each year we'll add another candle, So proud to see you grow. But always with the memory, Of your first day long ago."

-Terry Harrison

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There is something really surreal about writing this post. Let's be honest, it's not like I did not know this day was coming. And, if you are here reading you have probably read every other "monthly" post update on Spencer. His growths stats, his new tricks, his favorite toys or songs. But today is different and I almost don't have the words to express how I am feeling (which is rare if you know me). It hit me the other night as I was preparing for Spencer's 1st birthday party and the thought has clouded my head since. It has really been a year! No denying it now! This is no ordinary party/day. My baby boy is 1 year old today!

Dear Spencer,

For the 9 long months that I carried you I would wonder what you were going to look like. What color eyes or hair you might have? I wondered how I would feel when I finally got to meet you. Would I be a good mother? Would I know just what to do? Then, 1 year ago today my life changed forever. Every answer I ever wanted was here in you. The minute I saw you Spencer there were no more questions, no more doubts, just pure love and joy. That love has guided me through this past year and every milestone that you have reached.

At 1 year you are full of life and thriving. You have a amazing personality that is shining through and are "all boy". You are crawling and cruising at lightning speed and at times it makes it hard to keep up with you. You love to climb, making stairs and park playgrounds your favorite places to hang out. You have transitioned to whole milk and sippy cups and now only have 3 sippy cups of milk a day. You are a super good eater and have 3 solid meals a day and snacks in between and I don't think you have met a food you don't like :-) Your sounds and noise "vocabulary" is growing each day and I can't wait to make sense of those great stories you tell us in your "words". You love music and even in the worst of tantrums it can bring a smile to your face. The past month has brought many changes and it is amazing how I see you "growing" each day.

Happy 1st Birthday Spencer Joshua you have blessed my world from the minute I knew we had created you. You are my sunshine that brings me joy each day. You mean the world to me and my heart grows bigger every day you are in our lives. This past year has undoubtedly been the most exciting and rewarding of my life and I have you to thank for it. May your every wish come true this year and all the years to come.

Love, Mommy

What an amazing year it has been filled with a new adventure everyday. I never thought I would be as emotional as I am right now as I think back on all the wonderful moments we had with our little man in just one year. Imagine how I will feel when he turns 10?!?!

We celebrated Spencer's Birthday with family and friends last Saturday and had a "whale of a time!" Stayed tuned for party pics :-)

Happy Valentine's Day

What a perfect day!

This year we decided to have a very low key Valentine's Day and to be honest, I could not have asked for a better day.

I was up bright and early this morning for PT for my back but quickly came home so I could spend a few minutes with Bill before he had to leave for work. Then, I got to enjoy my Littlest Valentine on his very first Valentine's Day!

It was a beautiful day here so I knew I wanted to be outside as much as possible but first, most importantly, we had to go card shopping for Daddy ;-) Then, we met up with our friends Kelly and Carter for lunch and a playdate a Webb Bridge Park. The boys enjoyed crawling around in the grass and dirt and Kelly and I realized that we need to get in shape fast to keep up with these fast movers! They are quick and dirt; well we better just get use to it because they had sand, bark, and dirt all over them! OH BOYS!

After the boys were all tuckered out Kelly and I took a walk around the park while the boys napped in their strollers.

Spencie and I headed home after our walk and while he finished his nap, I made one of my favorite recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks-Hungry Girl. Taco Turkey Meatloaf! It's so yummy and very good for you too! In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I shaped the loaf into a heart ( Thanks Kelly!)

Bill got home from work right as dinner was ready and greeted me with beautiful roses and calla lilies. Spencer got up from his nap and we were all able to enjoy dinner together. We ended the night playing with our favorite little Valentine!

It was a perfect day!

11 Months Already!

Oh My Goodness! My baby turned 11 months old last week! Is that really possible? I cannot believe it. Last year this time I will nesting like crazy, on modified best rest and home from work and getting bigger by the minute. This year, I am living my dream of staying home and taking care of my precious baby boy.

This month has been my favorite so far but I must say I am starting to get a bit sad that my baby boy is almost 1 year old! I have very mixed emotions about the next few weeks. On one hand, I am so excited to watch Spencer grow into "toddlerhood" but part of me wants to keep him my baby forever.




It's been such a busy month filled with exciting changes.



Whats Spencer doing this month?



Crawling forward at lighting speed



Pulling up on anything and everything-my new nickname is jungle-gym mommy



Walks while holding our hands or pushing his dino-walker



Self feeding (with his hands of course) for every meal



Loves his sippy cup with water...we are still working on milk



Eating almost everything in site-I am waiting for the picky eating stage to begin



Crib has been moved to the lowest level and rail guards have put on because we have evidence of teeth marks on the crib!



As his personality is growing we are learning Spencer is very shy in public but a show off at home


Loves to point, especially at things high such as balloons



Sometimes we get a wave HI or BYE but we are still perfecting this trick



Starting to climb stairs (we got up 2 the other day)



Bottles 4 times a day with formula only



Meals 3 times a day



Size 4 diapers


Approximately 21-22 lbs



12-18 month clothes



So the countdown begins......a few more weeks and we will celebrate Spencie's first birthday! I have always been told that it just keeps getting better and so far, I can definitely agree. What a ride!

Tunnels of Fun

We recently bought Spencer a collapsible tunnel to play with and crawl through but he did not take so well to it at first. We thought that with his new found love of crawling, it would be a hit but we were wrong and decided to put it away for awhile. Last night however, we pulled it out and would'nt ya know it, he loved it!

S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E 70's Style

Oh what a night! After months of planning and sneaking around I was able to pull off a 70's themed Surprise 40th birthday for Bill. Thanks to help from friends and family it went off without a hitch! And now, I need a vacation ;-) Or, maybe just a spa day!

The plan for the night was for Bill and I to go out to a birthday dinner with dear friends Katy and Trey. We even had our friend and babysitter come over to watch Spencer to make Bill think it was like any other evening.

I was for sure Bill was on to me as for the week leading up to our dinner plans he kept asking me about his "party". "Where's the party?" "Who's coming to the party?" "What time is the party?" each time he would ask me, I would cringe inside and simply answer with a straight face, "there is no party!" These little comments went on even up to the point we left the house to go to dinner so needless to say my nerves were shot even before we got to dinner.

While we were at dinner LB and Danny and Dad and Cheryl transformed our home into a 70's disco with the decorations I had been stockpiling and hiding for weeks. Before long, our guests started to arrive dressed in their 70's attire and boy did they all look amazing! Seymour the blackjack dealer also started to provide what turned into hours of entertainment. He was a hit!

We enjoyed a great dinner and stalled with an extra round of drinks which ended up making us 45 minutes late! Woops ;-) But as you can see by the pictures below, those 45 minutes made no difference and Bill was so surprised and the party was a blast! Thanks to all our friends who came out to celebrate with us! What a awesome night.

Happy 4oth Bill! I love you and hope you had as much fun that night as I had planning the party for you.

I cannot take credit for these collages. Thanks Kelly for these great pictures. Check FB for more great pics of the evening.

Videos: Way Past Due

Mom, these are for you! I have promised my mom for weeks now that I would post videos of Spencer learning to crawl and his bath time fun. These are a few weeks old and Spencer is crawling everywhere now and pulling up on anything in site so more videos to come :-) Sorry they are so late! Enjoy!

Please excuse the quality they were taken with my cell phone :-)

January- A Month in Review

Hope everyone has had a great start to 2011!

I had started many posts this month but never really got around to finishing them because we have been so BUSY! We have had a blast this month but are ready for some R&R....we brought in the new year in the mountains, headed to Disney for the half marathon, celebrated Spencer's 10 month birthday, survived another snow storm in GA and I cannot forget to mention the biggest celebration of the month Bill's 40th Surprise party!

Sorry for the long post but here is our month in review!

Happy 2011! :

We brought in 2011 in our usual fashion! A quick getaway to the North Georgia Mountains with dear friends and lots of R&R!

Although the winter weather in GA tried to put the brakes on our trip we got word at the last minute that the mountain roads had finally cleared from the snowfall that accumulated on Christmas almost one week earlier! The cabin rental company assured us that the roads were passable and with that news we packed up the car for our long weekend.

I cannot say enough what a fabulous time we had. We always do year after year, but I will admit, the dynamic of the trip was entirely different for us this year (as is every trip we take now with Spencer). There is just so much to pack and plan for that it is almost too overwhelming. The upside is, once all the planning and packing is done, there is not much left to do but ENJOY and that is just what we did.

Like in years past, each couple plans and cooks a meal for one night of the trip starting with appetizers all the way to dessert! The ongoing joke is how the pressure builds each year for the perfect meal! I can honestly say, I have never been disappointed :-)

This year Bill and I planned a sushi themed meal. We had served sushi our very first cabin trip years ago but we brought it back due to popular demand. Our menu consisted of edamamme, pot stickers, sushi by Bill, seaweed salad, and for dessert, we served chocolate, caramel, peanut butter fondue! YUMMY! I may be biased but I think it was a hit :-)

We spent the days relaxing by the fire, playing outside with the kids, playing games, and watching football of course. And, once the kiddos were asleep we dinned on fabulous food and drinks and enjoyed catching up with one another. That's the great part about this trip...throughout the year, life gets busy and it's sometimes hard to just stop and "catch up."

I, like many others, try do a lot of reflection as one year is coming to an end and an new year begins. What a FABULOUS year we have had! 2010 brought us our precious little boy and we have not looked back since. We have celebrated many "firsts" with Spencer, enjoyed visits with family, and made amazing new friends just to name a few. Unfortunately, we also have faced our fair share of challenges that I cannot wait to leave behind as we enter into 2011. I am hopeful for so many things. Most importantly I wish for health and happiness for all our friends and family.

Happy 10 Months Spencer:

Double digits! What? Two more months and Spencer is 1 year old! No way. This month has brought so many changes and it just keeps getting better. Some of the most significant changes are that Spencer is crawling backwards, and pulling up on his own. We know it wont be long before you are on the move!

Spencer is one tough cookie. He has survived his second ear infection and another round of bronchiolitis. Through it all he is the happiest and most even tempered baby. I just wish he could be healthy 100% of the time. Despite some winter illnesses, we still kept busy with playgroups 2-3 times a week and have now started music class and love it!

Spencer is really thriving and we could not be any happier. Each day is a new adventure and we are loving every minute of it.

Disney Half Marathon 2011:

I cannot believe how fast a year flew by. We just got back from our annual Disney trip but I feel as if I was just writing about last years trip. Crazy!

Last year I was unable to run the Disney Half Marathon because I was 7 months pregnant but with high hopes I had signed up for this years race but had to face a big let down. I herniated a disc in my back over the summer and between that injury and my gall bladder surgery there was little time to train. So a spectator it was. Bummer. BUT, we still had a great trip and I would not miss seeing this crew for anything.

This year, Rich, Bill, and Corey all ran while Jill, Dave and I sat out and were official photographers and cheerleaders. Hopefully one of these years we will ALL run at the same time. We love this tradition and we will go back as many times as we have to to make that happen :

We were also lucky enough to see family on our trip to Disney. Grandpa and Grandma Gordon met us in Orlando and spent some much needed time with Spencer. Spencer also got to meet Cousin Marissa for the very first time.

As short as we were on time, we even managed to spend half the day at Universal on Saturday allowing us to use our vouchers we received from last years trip. After having our traditional lunch at Margaritaville, we headed straight to Harry Potter World! VERY crowded but VERY cool. We covered a lot of ground in 4 hours but after being up since 4am we all called it night and had our last dinner together at Hard Rock.

The next morning we were up bright and early packing the car to beat the snow that was meeting us in GA. Another great year in Disney. It really never gets old :-)

SNOWCATION 2011:

We packed up and left Disney super early on Sunday morning to try and beat the snow that was headed to GA. We made the decision to stop in Macon, GA for groceries after seeing all of our friends post comments on FB about how the grocery stores were out of everything. So, we filled up a cooler with ice and loaded all of our groceries in it and drove the rest of the way home. Good thing we left early and got groceries because by Monday morning, we had almost 5 1/2 inches on the ground and that begin SNOWCATION 2011.

At first it was beautiful seeing all the snow but once the ice came it all became less of a joy and more of a pain. We were stuck in the house until Thursday! The city was literally shut down. Doctors offices, malls, fast food chains, mail service, you name it, it was CLOSED.

We enjoyed our family time in the house but are so glad to be out and about and back on our normal routine.

We closed out January 2011 with a BANG! We celebrated Bill's 40th Birthday a week early with a Surprise Party that I had been planning for months! It was a blast! More to come from that awesome night.

Winter Storm 2011

As if one snow in Atlanta this season was not enough we are going on THREE! I love you snow, but seriously, I must get out of this house!

Winter Storm 2011 was indeed the "big one" and it hit late Sunday evening and we have been stuck in the house ever since!

More pics to come of our winter wonderland but for your comic relief.....

A White Christmas in GA

It really did happen! We had a white Christmas in GA this year! That's right folks, it snowed on Christmas for the first time in GA in almost 130 years!

Even though we don't celebrate Christmas and Santa does not come to our house, I have no problem admitting that I LOVE the sites and sounds of Christmas! And, it's probably no surprise to many of you reading that I secretly want a Christmas tree of my own to decorate :-) No joke, I love Christmas time!

I know there is much more meaning to the story of Christmas and that the commercialization is probably what I am drawn to most but to having a white Christmas was just as fun for us as it was anyone else.

I love the snow and growing up in MD we saw PLENTY. So, whenever it snows here I get so excited and I think I was most excited this year for Spencer to experience it.

To be honest, I don't think he really new what to make of it and by the time he had his snow gear on, he could barely move. I think he was more happy to come back in to the warm house and play. Who can blame him, right? Maybe next year he will enjoy it more :-)

Bill, Spencer and I spent most of the day inside the warm house. It was just what we needed. A day to relax and spend time as a family. Christmas evening we braved the roads and went to the Summerfield's for our annual Chinese food dinner. In years past, we have always gone out to eat but now with 3 kids to consider between our two families, take out/delivery was a better choice!

Hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful snow as much as we did! A winter wonderland indeed!

Bye, Bye Gall Bladder

Surprise, I had surgery! Random right? Well it did happen.



On December 13th I had surgery to have my gallbladder removed. In an effort to make 2011 a year of good health I vowed to get all the "issues" I had resolved. One of which was my gallbladder. I knew for a while that I might eventually have to have this surgery and after some final testing it was determined that my gallbladder was just not functioning anymore. Why this happens? Doctors can't tell but it is normally advised to remove it once this is determined. So, rather then dealing with an emergency situation at some random time, I decided to take preventative measures and have the surgery to have my gall bladder removed.





The recovery was slated for 5-10 days. Not too shabby except the recovery included no lifting over 10 pounds. Yes, that meant I could not lift Spencie for almost two weeks. As impossible as this seemed, I knew this surgery was long overdue and I could not put if off any longer.



I am happy to say I am now on day 12 and finally feeling pretty normal again. I still have some discomfort but I am back to lifting my little man and feeling my energy come back more each day.



I could not have gone through this surgery without all the help from my friends and family. You all know who you are. You all took such good care of me and not to mention Bill and Spencer with your delicious meals and babysitting and my get well gifts were so special and really put a smile on my face. We cannot thank you enough for helping us through these two weeks.



I have my follow up visit with the doctor on the 28th so here's to hoping I am fully recovered and to a Healthy and Happy 2011!

Santa Baby 2010

I am afraid to say it but yes, the Baby Brigade found another way to celebrate the holiday season! I must admit, this could have been the cutest way yet. The babies all did a secret santa gift exchange and Kelly and Carter hosted a beautiful afternoon of holiday fun so we could all enjoy.

The party was just a few days after my surgery but thanks to all the help from the girls, Spencer and I were able to hang out for a few hours and join in the fun.

Spencer was the Secret Santa Baby for Isabella and Macey was Spencer's Secret Santa Baby. Spencer got a super fun v-tech helicopter and his very own fisher price camera. He has not stopped playing with either since the day of the party. Thanks Laurie and Macey we love our new toys! And thanks Kelly and Carter for another great celebration.

Baby Brigade Holiday Party

Yes, the Baby Brigade is at it again! We love to celebrate together and thanks to the Mullen Family we had our first annual BB Holiday/White Elephant Party. The babies all had a great time playing and the mommies and daddies all enjoyed a fun white elephant gift exchange. Bill and I came home with a key finder and snowman candle topper! Oh holiday fun, you never get boring :-) I say this every time I write about our baby brigade group but we are so glad to have these families in our lives and look forward to many more celebrations together.

9 Months Old! When did that Happen?

Spencer turned 9 months old on December 3rd. We were still in NY visiting family so it was an extra special celebration.


On Monday, once we were back from NY Spencer had his 9 month check up.

We had a great appointment and we still have a thriving baby boy. Spencer was 27 inches long, 20.1 lbs and his head circumference was 17 inches. He is in the 50th percentile for weight and 20th for height but still growing on his own curve so absolutely no worries in sight :-)

Spencer had a toe stick to check iron levels, and the rest of the Hep B vaccine. We also decided to get the flu shot after much debate. Spencer was a trooper and did great! As far as mommy and daddy, we can now say each well baby appointment gets easier and easier!

Our huge concern on this visit was that Spencie still was not crawling or rolling from his back to his stomach as many of his baby friends do. The doctor assured us that we have nothing to worry about and that he will do it when he is good and ready. As concerned as I still was and as hard is it is not to compare, I vowed that day not to worry about it anymore and to just enjoy my time with Spencer. As I write this post almost three weeks later, he is starting to go from sitting to belly when reaching for toys and pulling up more own his own. He WILL get there! I am confident!

Spencer is meeting many of his other milestones this month. He is:

-banging, waving, and throwing toys

-exploring food with his fingers

-Imitating playtime

- Standing holding onto furniture

-Moving one foot in front of the other while upright

-Imitating the rising and falling sounds of adult conversations

-Saying Da-da, Baba, Ma-ma

-Repeating sounds again and again

-Understanding the meaning of NO (although it makes him cry most times)

Because this post is super delayed I can already say what a fun month this has been ;-) (check back for my 10 month post) I cannot believe Spencer will be 1 year old in just a few short months! I love this age and watching Spencer's little personality shine through. He brings us so much laughter each day. We love you sweet boy!

Empire State of Mind

With Hanukkah in full swing, we packed our bags and headed to Long Island for Bill's (our) Cousin Heidi's wedding. As always, it was too quick of a trip but we got to celebrate with Heidi and Dan and spend Hanukkah with much of our NY family.

This was Spencer's second plane trip and with him being quite a bit older now, I was worried it would not go as smoothly as it did months earlier. He hates to sit for long periods of time and he is much more vocal these days. I was very surprised at how well the flight out went. After his bottle, he settled in for a nap and was out the rest of the flight. Thank Goodness!

We first flew to NJ because Bill had a business meeting there on Thursday. While Daddy went to work, Spencer and I settled into the hotel for the day. The next morning we were up bright and early and headed to NY. We spent most of Friday and Saturday afternoon visiting with family and before we knew it, it was time to get ready for the wedding. Bill's cousins Shana and Michael (cousins from Bills other side of the family) watched Spencer for the evening so we could go to the wedding.

After a night of celebration, drinks, and dancing, we were up early again for a visit to see Uncle Oscar and Aunt Jo and then to Brunch with the rest of the family at Aunt Michele and Uncle Eugene's. Like I said, lots of people to see :-)

We headed to the airport after brunch and settled in for what we thought would be another smooth flight. WRONG! Spencer had a horrible time with the flight home and screamed for most of it. Many of the passengers were so nice to us and even offered to hold him for us so we could relax for a bit (of course we did not take them up on that). The truth is, and I learned it on this flight, there is just nothing you can do in this situation. The more you stress over it, the worse it gets so, we just tried to comfort Spencer as much as we could and then once we landed we vowed not to fly again anytime soon :-) No, seriously, you never can tell. We will fly again but after a whirlwind weekend we were just exhausted.

Thanks again to all our NY family for a fantastic visit and all your help. We love you and miss you already!

Here are some pics from our trip. I will post some of the wedding as soon as I get them (we did not bring our camera).