Dear Spencer... You are 3!

 Oh, Mr. Spence...

Kid, you are truly a crack up. You are our feisty child - filled with fire and love and sweetness. Knowing you is loving you and you are the greatest little caboose to our family.

Your brothers and sissy adore you and you are definitely the boss of the family. You are smart as a whip, a tiny bit manipulative, and you know how to work us all. But you are also insanely sweet, loving, cuddly, and you care deeply about all of us. Watching you grow up day by day has been fun for all of us.

You are absolutely obsessed with Lightening McQueen and the movie Cars. It's been going on for several months and it is adorable. You refuse to wear any shirt with out the Cars on it, Gramz has made sure you have a full wardrobe of Cars clothing and pajamas. For your Birthday, almost every gift you received was Cars related, and you were thrilled.

We've done a bit of traveling this last year - to Hawaii with friends, and to San Diego and Legoland with family. Our trip to Hawaii with friends was so much fun for you because you were spoiled with attention from all of the kiddos. You were the baby of the group and everyone wanted to play with you, hold you, and spend time with you. You were a fan of the waterslide, the pool, playing in the sand, and playing with all of the kids on the grass area. We watched lots of sunsets, ate all of our dinners together, and explored Kaanapali together. 

Legoland was a blast and you loved being with Gramz & Pops and all your cousins. Of course, you were attached to your Pops and wanted to spend special time with him while you were there, too. You rode several rides at Legoland and seemed to enjoy all of them. We also went to the beach and swam in the pools at the resort we stayed at. You had a blast. 

You started preschool this August and you absolutely love it! There were no tears and you couldn't wait to go. You are thriving at your school, making friends, learning, and you love getting to see Miss Kim and Miss Stephanie. I can't believe it's already your turn. We are so proud of you and how well you've been adapting. You've been going to the gym with mom for several months and even though it was a struggle to leave you at first, you've been doing much better and you've made lots of friends with the ladies in the childcare area. 

You still aren't potty trained, but we will start working on that soon. You just had your 3 year well check and you are definitely growing. You are only in the 25th percentile for height, but you are a stalky boy - in the 85th percentile for weight. You weigh 35 pounds and give my arms a work out.

You eat very well and can sometimes eat more than all of your siblings combined. You love fruit, Mac and cheese, sandwiches, chicken, and of course anything sweet. You wear size 3T in everything. 

You have a huge sense of humor. We all laugh at everything you do and say daily. You can be demanding when you want something and you have 5 people willing to help you, so you usually get what you need. You love to play with your siblings. You love all your die cast cars, garbage trucks, and tractors.

It's so hard to sit down and explain all the adorable little things you do on a daily basis, but I hope they live in my memory forever. You make us laugh, you are smart, you are sweet. I love getting to watch you grow and change, I love getting to rock you to sleep every night, I love getting to be the one you reach for. 

You are a bit of a mama's boy and I don't take it for granted. You give such big hugs and good kisses. You bring us all love and joy. We love you to the moon and back - forever - Spencie. Mr. Spence. Spence. Spencie-bear. 

Love,

Mama

Dear Cody... You are 4!

 Cody Bear...

I can't believe you're 4 - and now you're almost 5. You are an absolute joy. You are one of the happiest little boys I have ever seen, and the world notices. 

In the last year, you wrapped up preschool and graduated with all your buddies. You were adored by your teachers. They tell us that at school you are an independent worker but always love to play with others. You aren't one to follow a crowd, but you're always excited to share. 

You have a contagious laugh. It's more of a giggle, and when you're laughing really hard... it is absolutely contagious to everyone around you. 

You learned how to swim much stronger this summer (2022) and since you figured it out, you have been a fish. You love to be outside, play with your siblings - you call Spencer "Fencer" and the name has stuck, and you love Sonic The Headhodge and Spiderman. 

You started TK with Mrs. Peterson in August and you have been thriving. It is so much fun to see all you're learning, but mostly I love seeing the joy and excitement you have for going to school and being at school. When daddy and I go to your pick up and drop off, other parent's talk about how their kid's talk about you. You are friends with everyone and you truly bring joy to any room. 

You are playing soccer again this year for the second year with the Super Shooters. You aren't super into it, and you tell us your favorite part is the snacks. It's pretty funny to watch you run around. You seem to have an interest in T Ball and golf, so we will be signing you up for those in the coming months. 

You haven't had an official doctor's appointment in years because of Covid, but you are going to be going soon for your 5 year well check. You wear size 4 and 5T in almost everything. You are a pretty good eater and you ask for an apple everyday for your snack at school. 

We have done lots of traveling over the last year and a half. We took a huge trip to Hawaii with lots of friends and you had a blast. All of the kids were older than you and it was so much fun to watch you interact with them. You loved swimming in the pools, going down the slides, playing in the sand at the beach, and running around on the grass with all of the kids. You were in your element. 

This last summer we took a trip with Gramz & Pops and family to Legoland and San Diego. You loved getting to spend so much time with your cousins. Legoland was fun with the water park and roller coasters... and we loved getting to explore the zoo! 

We have had made so many memories through the holidays over the last year. Anytime you are with family, you are content. You were so much fun on Christmas, so excited about Santa and Stinky & Sweetie. 

More than anything, Cody, you are just a very special boy. Your dad and I talk about you daily and what an amazing kid you are. You radiate happiness and bring so much joy to those in who get to spend time with you. You are a kind hearted, loving person and we are truly so proud to be your parents. We love you so much and our family would just not be our family with out you. 

I love getting to spend my days with you, Cody. I love getting to witness you grow and change. I love feeling your happiness, I love getting to snuggle you and kiss you goodnight every day. 

We love you to the moon and back forever and ever, Cody!

Love,

Mama

Dear Spencer... you're TWO!

 Spencie,

Wowza, we cannot believe our baby is 2. You have grown and changed so much over the last 3 months. You are talking more, singing, running everywhere, and you absolutely love the water. We celebrated your 2nd Birthday with some close family and a few friends - you swam in the pool and opened your presents. Pops decked out a brand new tractor just for you, equipped with added on headlights. Daddy and I found you some new trucks and a ride on garbage truck. 

You went to the doctor this week and she said you are growing and progressing perfectly. You aren't a huge kid, but you are right on track and healthy. You were in the 35% for height and the 25% for weight. You were not a fan of having to go to the doctor, but I was relieved to hear you looked great. 

You are a great eater still. You love all fruit, waffles, peanut butter and jelly, chicken, quesadillas, crackers, and pretty much anything we feed you. You eat well and love to throw everything on the floor when you're done. You especially love to make eye contact with daddy and throw it right in front of him! 

You are always running... you rarely walk, and you are very fast! When you see something you want, it's very hard to catch you. You are an expert climber and you can get pretty much anywhere you want to go. We have had to put a gate on your door to lock you in there if we have to take our eyes off of you because you will be in to any cabinet or drawer and clean it out if we have our eyes off of you. You also love to mess with everything in the kitchen, although you have started to mellow out quite a bit. 

You love the water and you are a fish. You know how to work the bath tub and you will go into the bathroom fully clothed, plug the drain, and start the bathwater. You also love to run and jump in the pool, you think you're a big kid and you dunk your face right in and swim all over the place. 

You are loud and you will let us all know what you want or need. Your siblings are at your service and you can get them to do pretty much anything you want. You have the cutest relationship with all of them, and it is neat to see how different it is with each one of them. You and Cody are playing more and more together, Nolan loves to play with you and take care of you, and Andie loves to play mama with you. She will carry you around, kiss you, and get you out of bed in the morning. They all fight over who gets to go get you when you're up from your nap. You're pretty popular around our house!

You are still napping daily from about 1:30 - 3:30 or 4. Those naps are starting to fade a bit, though, and sometimes you will skip them. Your bed time has also gotten a bit on the days you nap... you are definitely getting older. You sleep through the night pretty well most nights and I am grateful for that! You love to rock and have snuggle time before bed every night and lately you have been singing to me. You love Blippi and a few of the songs - one about tractors, another about garbage trucks, and of course one about excavators. You have the sweetest little voice and I love hearing you sing the songs. I finally got it on video the other night and I have watched it several times. 

You love to wave and say "bye". You can say about 40-50 words and you will put them together. Not everyone can understand you, but we are all getting better at knowing what you're trying to communicate to us with words. You also love to say "P-U" when you go poops and you will say "ewwww", which is so cute. You are wearing mostly 2T clothes, size 5 diapers, and size 7/8 shoes. You love to act like a dog and you will lick us to give us kisses. You are also quite the drooler and your shirts are usually always soaked! We plan to ditch the Paci here in the next few weeks and I know that will be a tough transition for you. 

The last few months have been really busy with all of your siblings home for summer. We went to Disneyland for the first time since the pandemic began in the middle of June and you had so much fun. You loved the rides, hanging out with your Pops (he took you back to the hotel for nap time), and running all over the place. It was fun to see the magic through your eyes. It was amazing to see you take it all in and chasing after you was very entertaining. 

The second year of your life was different than any other year of our lives because of the pandemic, but the best part of it was all of the time our family got to spend together in our home. We spent so much quality time with close family and friends. Your siblings got to watch you grow and change daily and we found so much joy in being together as a family. You are truly a special little boy, Spencer. I love watching you develop into the little toddler that you are. You are a love. 

Tonight as I held you before bed, I looked into your beautiful little round blue eyes and told you I loved you and snuggled your tiny little body tightly. I love holding you, Spencer. I hope you always know how deeply you are loved and adored. Happy TWO, baby boy. 

Love,

Mama

Dear Spence... You're 21 Months Old!

 Our sweet and spicy little Spencie...

You are keeping us on our tippy toes. You are quick, smart, and always on the move. You have a smile that makes me weak in the knees and you are lucky that you're so dang cute, because you are a little trouble maker. You are fast on your feet, running down the hallway to unravel another one of your curiosities. You love to be outside and if we have unlocked doors, you will go right out. You are also very snuggly and holding your tiny little body is one of my favorite parts of the day. I hold you for 15-20 minutes before bedtimes and nap and that time is so precious and special to me. Spencer, we are absolutely wild about you. You are truly the best little caboose to our family. We love you so much.

You are wearing all 2T and 24 month clothes now. You fit nicely into size 5 diapers and you wear a size 7 shoe. You eat a lot, sometimes more than all of your siblings combined. You love fruit... all fruit. Most meals we put a rainbow of fruit on your tray and you'll eat every bite (besides the occasional strawberry). You love chicken, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pancakes, Mac and cheese, quesadillas and burgers. We are trying to give you more variety of foods when we can, and you do pretty well trying new things. When you are done eating, we always know because you throw everything on the floor. You love to look at us and make eye contact while you do it, too. 

You love running around and kicking the ball, riding your toys around the house, taking apart your brother's legos, and you almost always have some small toy in your hands. Your favorites are tractors and fire engines and you love to tell us what they are "trac-tor" "fir-tuck". You also say "thank you" (in the cutest voice), "hi", "dada", "baba", "mama", "sissy", "car", and a few other words. You definitely have your own language and tell us sentences, but we can't always understand you. You are, however, pretty good at communicating with us and telling us what you need with your words and with pointing or showing us. Your favorite item is "Pengy" - your penguin, and we often can't find him because you will carry him around the house and leave him places. You love to go to sleep snuggling him and it is adorable. 

You have a very close relationship with your siblings. Tonight, as we were driving home from Gramz & Pop's house, I saw Andie taking bites out of little crackers and sharing with you (she knew you'd have trouble with how big they are). You stuck your cute little hand over to her and she'd put another one in your hand. You'd respond with a little "thank you". I never asked her to do that, she did it all on her own. She also loves to hold you and hug you and snuggle you. You get so much attention from her and your brothers. Nolan will go in your room and sit with you before bed some nights. He loves to play tractors with you and push you around in your cars outside. You and Cody love to cause trouble together and sometimes I will hear you from the other room screaming and laughing together. You love to hide in areas of the house and play together. Seeing you all together gives me a happiness and warmth I have never felt. You all mean so much to me.

You are such a trouble maker, but you are truly my sweet baby boy. You love to be held and I love how much you love us. You are also very crazy about your Pops and Gramz. You aren't a huge fan of going to anyone you're not super familiar with, you know who your people are... but you will wave and say "hi" to everyone. You are my little sidekick for school pick ups and drop offs. You go with the flow. You and I usually go to Target once a week together while your siblings are all in school and we cruise the aisles together and you talk to me about what you see. You are so cute and I really cannot get enough of you, Spence. I am so happy you are my baby. 

I don't know how my baby is getting so big, so fast. I can't believe you are 3 months away from being 2 years old. Ugh, it breaks my heart that time is going so quickly. You are so much fun to watch and experience and our whole family is so smitten over you. 

I hope you always know how much you are loved. You are such a sweet little boy and watching you grow is one of my life's biggest blessings. 

I love you forever, sweet Spence!

Love,

Mama

Sibling Bonds

{popsicles in January... why not?}

Yesterday, as I was cleaning up the garage, I saw Cody fell on his scooter in our side yard. I waited a second to react to see if he was really hurt, and he started to cry. As I was about to start walking over to him to make sure he was okay, Andie zoomed by me on her hoverboard in his direction. Nolan was coming from a different direction and both of them were asking "are you okay, Cody?". As Andie approached him, she bent down (still on her hoverboard) and said "where does it hurt, let me kiss it." Nolan told him "it's okay, buddy." 

I stood and watched them and felt so much joy. They fight, they bicker, they say mean things to each other... but they really love and care for each other. I want so badly to foster a loving friendship between these kids. They are very lucky to have one another. I am not sure how to help build a foundation of love between them, but whenever I see an opportunity to let them be there for each other, I follow through with it. 

I never went to check on Cody, I knew he was okay. The 3 of them started riding their scooters together. I called Andie and Nolan both out for what they did. I told them how proud I was of them for looking out for Cody and making sure he was okay. When I put them to bed last night, I told them again how great I thought it was that they did that for him. 

I know this seems so little and insignificant - their love is given so freely - but it meant something to me. It's important for me to recognize these moments and focus on them. They happen every day - but some stick out to me more than others. One of my biggest desires is that these guys grow up tied to each other. As their mama, I can't force it, but I can encourage it starting at their young ages.