Another Milestone

Spencer rolled from his stomach to his back for the first time today. He was having a bit of a rough day today. I put him and Xander on the floor for tummy time and he was MAD. So mad that he turned himself over. I kept putting him back on his belly and he kept pushing himself back over. "See what a little anger will help you do?" I said to him. He's my little mighty might, that Spencer.

Aunt G makes Spence laugh

Xander now has a Boppy Tummy Play pillow, which was recommended on the Torticollis Kids website. I wish I had gotten this sooner. He's had a lot of trouble learning to lift his head while on his stomach. I put him on the pillow for the first time and he just took off. It is just the right height to support him and he loves playing with (and teething on) the attached toys.

Xander's Tummy Time

Xander and cousin M 

Zany Xander

 

Silly Spencer

 

Growing Every Day

For the past couple weeks Spencer has been working on sitting up while supported by his arms in front of him. Today he was sitting on the floor with very little help from me. I placed two balls in front of him to help motivate him to sit up. To my surprise he reached for them! Spencer has also been standing up, supporting all of his weight on his legs, if I hold his hands and help him up. He smiles and loves it! He gets so upset when I put him back down.

Alex has been working on holding his own bottle. I have to help him get it to the correct angle to bring it into his mouth, and he drops it frequently, but he's getting pretty good at it. When I'm feeding him solids he's started grabbing my hand or the spoon and pulling it toward his mouth if I hesitate in front of his face. I don't think he's going to have any trouble learning to feed himself.

Here's a cute pic of the boys in their Christmas Eve pajamas. Spencer is on the left and Alex is on the right.

My Little Lion, Alex, in a 6-9 month outfit already! 

9 Months Old

Alex and Spencer had their 9 month visit to the pediatrician last Friday. Alex weighs 15 lbs. 2.5 oz. and Spencer is 11 lbs. 8 oz. Alex is on the growth chart for his actual, not his adjusted, age. This is big news, as it means he is catching up. Spencer saw the ENT last Wednesday and he does not have a paralyzed vocal chord. The doctor did, however, see some redness in Spencer's trachea near his esophagus, which he believed to be caused by reflux. Apparently reflux is a very common cause of hoarseness such as Spencer has. Prevacid was prescribed and Spencer will be seen again in about six weeks. I am very hopeful that the medication will help with Spencer's weight gain as well as his voice. He should be able to eat more and spit up less. Today he finished a 6.5 oz. bottle, which is an accomplishment for him. I think we're going to see him getting a lot chubbier in the next several weeks.

Alex began making the "b" sound and blowing raspberries last week. He is so talkative and happy. Spencer is beginning to sit up while propped with his arms in front of him. It's hard work for him and he gets tired quickly. It's funny to see such a little baby sitting up, but that's my Spencer: small and mighty. I continue to bask in the gloriousness of the miracles God has given me.

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2006. That's what I told Alex and Spencer this morning. Yesterday they turned nine months old. It's hard to believe they are 3/4 of the way to being a year old. They should only be 5 1/2 months old right now. They're doing incredibly well. Alex is up to 14 lbs. 14 oz. He recently started babbling. When I put him on the changing table to take care of him he looks up at me, smiles, and opens our conversation with an "ah-goo" or "du-du-du-du-du." Spencer now weighs 11 lbs. 4 oz. Last week he suddenly started eating better and spitting up less. I expect we're going to see some fast growth from him now.

I have many blog entries that I've written down and just haven't gotten around to posting. When the boys do something new or reach a milestone I make notes or write anecdotes. Someday I'll find the time to add them to this space. For now I'll just say that I continue to be blessed every day by my two miracle boys. Here are some pictures from the holidays. All the best to our loved ones in 2006. I know it's going to be a great year for Alex, Spencer, and me.