Oh, Spencie-bear....
Oh, boy. The last 3 months since you turned one have gone by in the blink of an eye. It's been a bit of a challenging year with everything going on with Covid-19, but our little family has made the most of it. We have all spent so much time together and it is really fun to see you interacting with your siblings so much. You are so loved and adored.
You are a huge eater. You love pretty much everything we feed you. You like waffles, pancakes, all fruit, pb&j, Mac and cheese, chicken, and any snack foods we give you. You take a bottle about 4 times a day, and we are still mixing in a little bit of formula because you prefer it over straight milk. You are wearing 18 month sized clothes (I think you have had a pretty big growth spurt) and even some sized 2T clothes. You are still in size 4 diapers, although, I have a feeling you will be in size 5 soon.
You are loving the freedom of running around. You don't walk much... you run, and you are very fast! You got used to being out and about in your sneakers that both brothers wore as their first shoes and you couldn't care less where we are. You are a free spirit and you will go anywhere you want to go, whether we are going in that direction or not. You are into every drawer and cabinet. With your brother and sister home distance learning because of the pandemic, we have had to put up a gate on your bedroom door to keep you locked in. Prior to the gate - if I stepped away for a second, you would have the kitchen drawers unloaded. You also learned by about 14 months how to open all of the doors. You can push and pull them. You are quite determined to get where you want to go!
You are a decent napper and we do our best to keep you on schedule of going down at noon. Sleeping at night has gotten better since turning one, but you still have nights where you are up wanting to snuggle or scream at us. You are VERY vocal and loud. We always know when you want something. You are also a 'hitter' and you smack us and your siblings. I think you are still trying to figure out the best ways to communicate. You make great eye contact when I talk to you and you are really snuggly. You love to be held and we still wear you a lot when we are out and about.
We haven't been anywhere in the last few months because a lot of things around us have been closed. Just recently, restaurants have been opening up for indoor dining, but almost everything has been outdoor only for several months. We have taken you into the grocery store, target, Costco, and any other 'essential' errands we need to run. You do pretty well on the go and you haven't minded the car for the last several months.
You love bath time and being in the water. You love to splash, even when we tell you no. You are learning what 'no' means and I am pretty sure you enjoy looking at us when you do things you are not supposed to do. You especially love to throw your food in your highchair and you will look right at your daddy and smile when you do it. You are also not a fan of having your diaper changed. You will scream and wiggle your way around and you are very strong. It is a challenged getting you dressed after bath time!
You are getting more vocal and your favorite word is "dada". You have also said "Andie" and occasionally say "mama". You love to scream and yell at us and I am pretty sure you think we understand when you are yelling baby talk at us. You are very good at nodding your head to tell us yes and no. When we ask if you are done eating, you will nod to tell us. You figured that out a month ago and it's really cute! In fact, when I ask you if you are cute, you nod your head yes!
You are really snuggly and I love holding and cuddling with you. Last night, you were up for a couple of hours (I think you're getting teeth) so I held you for as long as I could. You definitely feel comforted when you are close to the people you love and recognize. Your siblings and you are growing a stronger bond and I am so excited to see that flourish in the coming years. You still don't have a ton of teeth, only 6 (4 on top), but I think more are coming in shortly! You love to wave and blow kisses... and it is adorable when you do. You look so cute when you walk and run around - you have a little waddle that is slowly going away.
You are such a sweet little boy. You have several nicknames: "Spencie" is your most common, Spencer-Bear, baby, and Spence are also some of the names you respond to. You definitely know your name and know how to get our attention when you want it.
You are the sweetest little chubby baby. You have beautiful blue eyes and the sweetest little scrunch nose smile. I melt when I look at you, Spence. You are so special to all of us... even though we only met you 15 months ago, it feels like you have always been a part of our family. You make our family all complete, and we love watching you grow. You are a special kid and I hope you know how much I love and adore you. I love being your mommy and I will always be here for you, no matter what. You are loved for being you!
I am holding on tight to all of these baby moments and embracing you every chance I get. You are so special to me.
Love you forever and ever, Spencie!
Mama
