Spencer and Zachary
- June 2009 (1)
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Most Recent
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Thu, Jun 18, 2009 12:44 PM
Hello all,
As you can imagine, it's been a busy few months. In addition to regular kid activities, we are moving next week. We are all very excited, as the new house is bigger, in a mature neighbourhood with lots of trees and a huge backyard that backs onto the woods.
Zach is now over 7 months and continues to be a terrific baby. Although not consistently, he can sit up and roll over, and is an expert marathon Jolly Jumper. He still LOVES to watch his older brother, and gets very excited whenever Spencer pays any attention to him. He enjoys his "solid" food, although it's strange that he prefers veggies to fruit ... we'll assume that won't last.
Spencer is having a good summer, with lots of attention from Grandma as Mom and Dad try to pack up the house. He still loves to play with his trains and is looking forward to have a whole dedicated playroom for them in the new house. He has become a fearless swimmer and likes to swim around by himself with arm floats, and sit underwater on the bottom of the pool then shoot up.
We had a nice visit from Memere and Pepere in May, and we look forward to visits from Grandpa and Steven's brother's family this summer. The next pictures we post will be from our new house!
Love to all with wishes for a great summer!
Jess, Steven, Spencer and ZachComments:Emily Chen: Wow what amazying web site for the kids! They are so cute, and must be very proud of their parents for all you've done for them :-) Congratulations!!Add a comment:
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Thu, Feb 12, 2009 12:14 PM
Zach is already 3 months old … as always, time has gone by too quickly. We are all well, and looking forward to a weekend trip to Timmins to visit Steven’s family.
Zach is growing right on schedule and is a terrific baby, letting Mom get lots of sleep, being very portable and giving big, sweet smiles to anyone who talks to him. His only challenge is napping during the day; but between Spencer’s noisiness and all the fun stuff going on, who could blame him? He smiles the widest when Spencer plays with him; and we’re lucky that Spencer is a terrific big brother. He brings Zach toys and blankets when he cries, likes to pat his stomach and give him kisses, and is very proud and protective when other kids want to see his baby brother.
Spencer is a normal ball of 2 year-old energy. He is still in school three days a week (and home with Mom and Zachary for the other two), and does gymnastics and swimming once a week (both of which he loves). He is almost speaking in full sentences and is picking up on our mannerisms and expressions, which make us laugh on a daily basis. He continues to be an expert at puzzles: he did a 24-piece puzzle right out of the box last week without any help, and can do bigger ones by himself after one or two coaching sessions. He is still Thomas-obsessed, and loves to read all the great books that Grandma brings over for him.
In between the weekend birthday parties, Dad has managed to squeeze in a few hockey games and some skiing, and Mom tries to see the other mommies and their little men regularly and catch a few daytime movies with Zach. We are looking forward to Spring!
Much love,
Jess and the boys
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Sat, Nov 8, 2008 1:32 PM
Hi Everyone!
We have just arrived home from the hospital with Spencer's baby brother, Zachary. Mom went into labour on Thursday afternoon at 4:30 and Zachary was born on Friday, November 7th at 6:41 am. So far he is a very good eater, sleeper and pooper. Maybe a moderate crier. And... that's pretty much it.
We've posted some new photos to the site, feel free to have a look!
Steven, Jess, Spencer and ZacharyComments:Ingrid: Congratulations on the safe arrival of Zachary!! Glad to hear that all is going well - all vital organs appear to be functioning "normally" based on Steven's update :) I'm sure that Spencer is quite taken and proud of his baby brother!!Shannon: Congratulations Jess, Steven and Spencer! Enjoy your new family. Hope to meet you soon Zachary.Kim: Welcome to the world, Zachary Lee! Spencer looks like he is going to be a wonderful big brother :)Add a comment:
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Tue, Oct 7, 2008 2:08 PM
Happy belated Birthday to our little Spenny! It's amazing that he's already two years old; time goes by so quickly. Spencer's friends came over for a party, and although he had a few "moments" of possessiveness because everyone was playing with his toys, we all had a good time. Spencer loved his "Thomas the Tank Engine" cake and balloons, and still likes us to sing "Happy Birthday" to him. Thank you everyone for coming to the party to help us celebrate and for the great presents!
Spencer is slowly but surely turning into a little motormouth: he regularly strings together 3 words like "Daddy bought it" or "Mommy juice please" and although we can understand most of it, sometimes he throws a new word in that takes a few days for us to decipher. He's mostly obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine, but still enjoys The Wiggles and is going to see them live on October 25th! He still loves doing puzzles and can do 20+ peices by himself.
Four more weeks until his baby brother arrives; Spencer thinks we should name the baby "Winnie-Pooh" (we disagree). Jess is off work now, which is a good thing because there is lots to prepare, wash and organize. Naps are good, too.
We hope everyone is well! Much love,
Jess, Steven, Spencer and Baby Boy
PS - Sorry about the ads on the site. We got tired of paying for the website since it often doesn't perform well, so now we have ads but at least it's free.Comments:Add a comment:
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Thu, Jul 31, 2008 9:59 PM
August already?! We've been having a good summer, with great trips to Timmins and Centre Island and hanging out with friends and family.
There are lots of changes on the go with Spencer. He's about three weeks into potty training, and is doing very well although he dislikes interrupting playtime to "go". He's also moved into a "big boy" bed in a new room, which he's thrilled about but we suspect he'll want the crib back once it's occupied by a baby.
He's talking more now: only single words at a time but he gets his point across clearly. One of his favorite activities is doing puzzles, and he can do a 6-piece all by himself.
We hope you are all having a great summer too!Comments:Add a comment:
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Tue, May 20, 2008 9:53 PM
Hi All,
Just a quick note to say sorry we haven't added much lately. We have been having problems with a new computer and getting the videos uploaded, but we've gone ahead and added some of our favorites over the last few months.
Also, as many of you may know, Spencer has been keeping us busy with another hospital stay (this time locally at least, at Sick Kids) for a partial bowel obstruction. You'll see photos of this in the May Photos. He's all better now, and slowly regaining his weight.
Summer is almost here and it couldn't be any sooner.
Oh, and for those who don't know, Spencer is going to be a big brother. Sometime in the late fall, around Halloween. We are very excited/petrified.
Take care!
Steven, Jess, Spencer, and babyComments:Add a comment:
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Mon, Feb 25, 2008 9:28 PM
Dear family and friends,
First, let us assure you that Spencer is ok. We left for Mexico on the 12th, and had a fabulous first 5 days in the sun, sand and water with Grandma (Jess' mom), our friends Lisa and Kurt and their kids Vivienne and Michael. Although he never quite figured out not to stick sandy hands in his mouth, Spencer loved playing with his trucks, pail and shovel on the beach and swimming in the ocean and pools, especially with Vivienne and Micheal. The resort, on the Mayan Riviera, was beautiful and uncrowded and even had a long lazy river (Spencer loved it but got so lazy that he fell asleep twice). We had great weather and had just gotten into a groove on Day 5 of 7, when...
Spencer woke up very happy at the unreasonable hour of 6:45am the morning of Day 6. But within 15 minutes, he was squirming and crying in pain, trying to throw up and had a diaper full of blood. The resort doctor came quickly and sent us to the Playa del Carmen hospital via ambulance with a diagnosis of either dysentery (treatable with antibiotics) or something more serious that needed surgery. We never thought we'd be rooting for a dysentery diagnosis! After ultrasounds and x-rays, the doctor confirmed that it was something called intussusception and that Spencer would need surgery immediately. They got us into another ambulance to move to the bigger hospital in Cancun, where they had the facilities and staff to do the operation.
By 5:30pm that afternoon, Spencer was given anesthesia and headed into surgery. With reasonably fluent doctors, Jess' mom's translation help and discussion with nurses through our health insurance, we understood that the condition involves the intestine 'telescoping' into itself and requiring to be pulled back out. We knew there were a lot of possible complications, which made us even more scared than we already were. The only consolation was that this is relatively common in boys under 2 (4 in 1000 ... not bad lottery odds) and the pediatric surgeon had done the same procedure already that week.
The surgery was a success with no complications, but we braced ourselves for 5-14 days of recovery before we could go home. Poor Spencer had an IV feeding tube in the side of his neck, a tube going through his nose into his stomach to pull out his stomach acid, three sensors attached to his chest, a heart rate monitor strapped to his foot and a blood pressure cuff on his arm. He stayed hooked up like that in the ICU for 3 days, which was tough on everyone but especially him. He was clearly scared, confused and got hysterically upset any time the doctors or nurses came near, which was at least every hour to monitor his condition, change his bandages, give him a sponge bath, change his IV fluids, etc (all necessary and appreciated, but unfortunate!). Steven, Jess and Jess' mom took shifts with him while the others tried to get some rest. Luckily we were armed with a DVD player and lots of books to keep him calm otherwise.
After a few scares that he might need another surgery, the doctors let him come upstairs to the regular hospital room and stay with us on Thursday. At that point everything had been removed except the IV in his neck and on Friday Spencer finally got out of bed and for a walk around the floor in his stroller, trailing the IV tower. On Saturday he devoured his first food in almost a week (two little cups of jello, apple juice and water) and on Sunday the IV was removed from his neck. A few hours later, we were discharged and on our way home.
We got home late last night and today, Monday, we saw our family doctor for follow-up. He was very happy with the way the 4-inch incision is healing, took out the stitches and confirmed that our little Spenny should be as good as new in a week. He is clearly happy to be home (thrilled to see his teachers and friends at daycare during a very quick visit!) but is still very upset when his stomach or neck are touched, although he hasn't had any pain since he went into surgery. We're all glad to get more than 45 minutes of uninterrupted sleep.
Although it was a horrible week, the care we received in Mexico was superb. The facilities, the doctors, the nurses, even the resort and airline staff were terrific. The fact that we're home and that Spencer is healing well is proof.
Through this all, Spencer has amazed us. He managed a few smiles and giggles even when tethered 7 different ways in the ICU and remained so strong that it often took 4 of us to hold him down when necessary. For the most part, he respected our instructions to not pull at his tubes and wires and tried valiantly to sleep through the poking, prodding and incessant beeping. After not walking for a week, his legs were wobbly but he was taking steps by mid-morning today.
We'll post pictures of both the good and the bad parts of our vacation soon. Despite the ordeal, we're not turned off travel because of the wonderful care we received. Remember kids, always have travel medical insurance.
Our heartfelt thanks to all our family and friends who have helped us through this, especially Jess' mom and the medical staff in Cancun. We're mentally and physically exhausted, but happy as long as Spenny continues to get better.
Much love,
Jess, Steven and SpencerComments:Leah: I just noticed I'm a little late with my comments. :o)Leah: omg... thank God he's fine now. That must have been awful. Great to hear a happy ending! Get that beautiful boy back to 100%!Steph: So glad to get an update ... I was thinking of you guys! Well looks like Spencer continues to ensure that life stays interesting... I'm so glad he is well on the way to recovery...
Michelle: God bless little people, rip your heartstring from the first get go. So happy to hear / read the great news.
Take care and see you soon.
MMs. Jenn: hey guys,
it was great to see Spencer on Monday afternoon....so glad to hear and read about what a brave lil' guy you have....can't wait til he comes back to daycare to tell us his side of the story.
Ms. JennAdd a comment:
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Tue, Jan 1, 2008 8:55 PM
Happy New Year everyone! Spencer had a sleep-over at his friend and neighbour Martina's house last night (until about 2:30am, anyway) so that Mom and Dad could have some drinks with her parents then stumble 3 doors down. Then today we all went sledding around the pond (see pictures) to enjoy the snow. It's nice to have great neighbours who have a daughter just three weeks younger than Spencer!
Spencer had a great Christmas, and although he's still too young to really appreciate the event, he loves all his new toys and all the attention from family and friends. Lucky for us, he was quite wary of the Christmas tree and although he likes to point at the ornaments, lights and the angel, he refuses to go near it. We thought he'd be pulling it down for sure!
He's trying hard to talk and comes pretty close to "more", "ball" and "duck", has graduated from the multi-purpose "buh" to "buh-duh", and knows that cats say "eeee", cows say "oooo" and dogs say "wuh". He still loves anything with wheels, especially schoolbuses.
Although he still falls down when he's too eager to get somewhere and the snowpants are bulky, he's walking and running well. He loves going up and down the stairs; down is either backwards or bumping down each step on his bum.
We send our love to everyone and hope that you had a Merry Christmas!Comments:Adelma: I enjoy this web site so much. I feel I get to know Spencer and his parents very well. I don't know who's writing everything in the journal and words accompanying pictures... you're doing a great job!!It is done with a grest sense of humour and sooooo interesting!!!Add a comment:
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Sun, Oct 7, 2007 9:41 PM
Ok, so it's a month late, but Happy Birthday to our little man! Spencer had a terrific birthday and a lot of fun at his party. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great but we packed everyone inside. The experts helped Spencer open all his presents, consisting mostly of trucks and truck-related items - which is absolutely perfect since he's fascinated by anything with wheels. Thank you everyone for your birthday wishes and gifts!
Spencer has settled in nicely to daycare and Dad can barely hold onto him when they get in the door in the morning: he wants to get down immediately and play with his friends. Mom has also settled in nicely to work and feels like she never left and that the last year never happened ... except that there is a strange little man living in her house now.
Spencer is enjoying his weekly swimming lessons. It didn't take him long to become completely fearless: he'll launch himself into the water from a seated position at the edge of the pool and doesn't mind when we put him underwater.
Not much to report on his development. Although he's managed to stand by himself for 10 seconds or so (he was fascinated by a dumptruck outside and didn't realize he was doing it) he's usually in too much of a hurry to get somewhere to take the time to stand still. He'll walk to the park with his walker (stopping often to eat dirt, rocks and garbage), but no solo steps yet. Finally, he's matched his "dadadadada" with a "mamamamama" but still uses the multi-purpose "buh!" to tell us he wants something. He gets into everything, and one of his favorite tricks is turning up the volume knob on the stereo when it's off, so that when we turn it on the roof almost blows off the house.
Steven's dad is visiting this week, and is a great silly playmate for Spencer.
We hope everyone is well and enjoying the Fall ... or extended Summer if you're in Toronto!
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Wed, Aug 8, 2007 4:24 PM
We just returned from a great trip to Timmins! Spencer loved playing with Kiya and Jada, who indulge him constantly by making towers for him to knock over and being great playmates. We spent a night at the cottage, where Spencer got to swim in the lake and watch lots of dogs and kids run around. He even went four-wheeling with Dad! Another day, we went on a tractor ride where we saw moose, bison and deer up-close. Thanks to the whole Timmins family for always making us feel welcome and right at home!
We also had a great trip to NB in early July to see the Godins. Spencer got to swim in the ocean (briefly, it was cold!), go to Pepere and Grand Pepere's camps, eat fresh blueberry pudding and salmon, and have McDonald's for the first time! There were lots of kids for Spencer to play with in NB, too: his cousins Larissa and Amanda, Ryan and Denise's daughter Brooke, and Dave and Eleanor's daughter Amber. Thanks to the Bathurst Godin's for all the fun!
Spencer is walking now, but only while leaning on stuff. He likes to push walkers or chairs around, and is an expert at walking around furniture. He is trying to talk, but he usually only gets "da-da-da-da-da" or "Buh!" out.
He's eating "table food" now (just like his Dad, he loves ketchup!) ... and Grandma says that he's even getting pudgy!
He has been in daycare for a few weeks, and although he usually has seperation anxiety when he's dropped off, he's always happy when we go to pick him up. Jess goes back to work in 2 weeks.
We are looking forward to this weekend, since Jess' Dad comes to visit from North Carolina!
We hope everyone is well and having a good summer!
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