Sleeping Arrangments

If Cavin continues to sleep like this....

...then we are going to need to buy a king size bed for him very soon at the rate he's growing! He's got some monkey arms!

Then there's our dogs, who sometimes like to sleep like this....

And, yes, that's even Jerry's crate...which is quite a bit smaller than Sandy's.

Happy Father's Day!

Daddy with his kids (minus Toby):

To mark Mike's first Father's Day celebration, we decided to physically torture ourselves by loading our 75th percentile in weight baby in the stroller, picking the steepest hill in the East Bay, and hiking up it during the hottest part of the day. Sounds fun right? This is what happens when a sleep deprived mom attempts to plan a family day out.

Truthfully, it was a nice day. We started off going to mass. Then we enjoyed a picnic in the park followed by a tortuous hike in Briones park. We did get some great shots once we got to the top...

Best Buds:

Happy Father's Day Honey! Toby, Sandy, Jerry, and Cavin are a lucky bunch.

Happy Two Month Birthday Cavin!

We celebrated Cavin's 2 month birthday this past Saturday. TWO MONTHS! What happens at his two month check-up? Shots. It is a darn good thing Mike decided to be there to support his son on the big shot day, because I needed it. There were three tough people in that room and I was NOT one of them. There was the mean nurse with the really long needle. There was Mike who had to hold Cavin down and talk him off the ledge. Then there was Cavin himself who screamed bloody murder after the first shot, to which the nurse replied "okay, this 2nd shot is going to sting him a little bit so he is going to cry even harder". Uhm, excuse me, that's impossible. Well, apparently it isn't. Cavin cried so hard he made no sound. Did you think there was such a thing? Me neither.

And where was I during all of this?? Standing a few steps back bawling my eyes out and cursing the mean nurse's name while wondering how Mike could be so calm about the situation.

Pretty much immediately after the shots were given, Mike picked Cavin up and the babe feel asleep on his dad's shoulder. That was a sweet moment.

Other than the shots incident, Cavin had a successful appointment!

Weight: 12 pounds, 7 ounces (75th percentile)

Height: 24.75 inches (97th percentile)

This past month we've seen some real progress with Little C. He gives us really big smiles, is doing a great job with his tummy time, slept through the night 3 more times, is graduating into size 2 diapers, found his big toe and grabbed it, LOVES his bouncy chair and consistently grabs Ms. Hippo to shake her, follows us with his eyes, and sleeps in his crib in his own room. His personality is really coming out and it couldn't be any sweeter.

And just like last month we had a good time getting the little one to balance on Elmo.

Which resulted in....

Happy Birthday Cavin!!!

Like....Totally!

Our friends, Matt and Amy, threw an 80s karaoke party a week or so ago and Mike, Cavin, and I got really into our costumes! I think it took longer for us to get ready than we were actually AT the party...

I would like to point out that even Cavin was dressed 80s style. Please note his double socks with the colors switched on the opposite foot. Also, his fluorescent green pants with his "Mommy Rules" onesie...this kid knows how to dress up for a theme party!

Probably the funniest part of the night happened prior to and on the way to the party. We realized half way there that we forgot to bring beer with us so we stopped at a Chevron. Since Mike was the one who wanted the beer "we" decided that he was the one to go inside the store to get it...dressed up like he was. Let me tell you, watching that man walk into the Chevron station looking the way he did and seeing the looks he was getting was the highlight of the year! I was laughing so hard I was crying!

Luckily, I was able to take some pictures...

Notice how his jacket almost glows!

Notice the lady in the background. She worked behind the counter and the looks she was giving Mike behind his back are what made tears stream down my face!

A good time was had by all! Well, until Madonna's "Holiday" starting playing and Cavin decided it was time to go home. Who doesn't love the 80s Madonna? Is this child mine??

If I can JUST figure out a way to clone myself

So the dreaded time of every new mother is here....the time to look for day care. I decided to start a little early because I felt as if it may take me a bit longer to find something suitable for my sweet angel. One, because everyone knows I hate making decisions and two, nothing is good enough for my child. Nothing except this great center called The Spruiell Household apparently.

I started my search on Monday with two day care centers. I left the first one in tears and I cried AT the second one. I feel the need to say that there really wasn't anything wrong with the two centers, the tears came from a place of 'Oh my God I have to leave my child soon. I wonder if my boss was serious about using Cavin on projects and billing him out at $50 an hour'. On Tuesday I visited an in-home day care and today I visited another day care center.

Every time I visit a place, I of course give Mike the detailed run-down. So far, I haven't found the place of my dreams. And like I said, there's really nothing wrong with each center, it's just that....well...feeling you get / don't get. That being said, here are some of the reasons (aka excuses for postponing the inevitable decision) I have either given Mike or told myself:

1) There was a tear in the changing table.
2) The front door was unlocked.
3) One of the kids was dirty and had really messy hair. To which Mike replied "honey, our son is going to get very dirty in his childhood". To which I replied "that's fine. it is our child. but there's something to be said about cleanliness." (By the way, I realize this makes NO sense at all to anyone else but me.)
4) The kids were sleeping on the floor! (later after consulting with my mom, I realized that this, in fact, is normal)
5) They quote their price in a weekly rate but want us to pay monthly. I don't want to do the math.
6) She kept calling him Kevin!
7) The lobby smelled like sauerkraut (even though the classrooms were immaculate).
8) We aren't Russian.
9) The lady spoke too loud.
10) They were too close to the freeway.
11) It was like a baby factory...cribs everywhere! I didn't walk in and see a beautiful nursery full of white furniture with block letters that spelled "Cavin" on the wall.
12) Our baby would by far be the cutest one there. That's a lot of pressure.

Bottom line is this: I trust myself, my husband, the grandparents, and our friends to take care of Cavin; however, apparently I do NOT trust someone with a day care license, child care degree from an accredited university, and years and years of child care experience.

Makes complete sense to me.

One Inch

Wow. Last week was R-O-U-G-H. The 6 week growth spurt left my mother and I wondering if we had half a mind to function. Conveniently, Mike was out of town for a work trip at the time and missed all of the fun. I do; however, have 10 minutes of the 3 hours of screaming fits that Cavin threw one (out of 5) nights to use as punishment later on in his life. I figure if Cavin needs to be grounded, I will lock him in his room with this video playing over and over and over again. Pretty sure whatever he did will NEVER happen again. I'll be sure this tape is in working order during his teenage years.

The result of said growth spurt: 1 inch. In my mom and my unprofessional opinion - we stretched the babe out with a measuring tape - that is how much he grew in the short amount of time. The growing, coupled with some pretty bad reflux, explains the tears. When I say "tearS", I mean by Cavin and myself. Cavin was crying b/c he was being stretched like a rubber band and my crying was due to a severe lack of sleep, a cold w/ fever, and the feeling that I was losing my mind! My mother took it all in stride and I'm not quite sure what I would have done without her. She was actually laughing while Cavin was crying! Maybe she was losing her mind too.... Either way I've got it ALL on video. Paybacks are hell.

This week I feel like all Cavin has done is sleep. Clearly he is recovering from all the activity of last week! Here he and I are at this week's playgroup:

And that same night when Mike was in charge of watching Cavin while I made dinner...

Gotta love my boys!

Two big brothers and a big sister is born

Many have been asking how the furry creatures are handling the arrival of Cavin....it is, of course, Animal Planet. Well, surprisingly, we've had very few problems. Sandy was the most emotional but in a sweet way. She segregated herself into a dark room on the other side of the house for about 2 weeks when we first came home from the hospital. Not because she didn't like Cavin but because she didn't really know her place. And because she and I are best buds and I was completely consumed with the new baby, she really didn't know what to do with herself.

Now she is back to normal and has been known to stop a fussy baby by running up to him and licking him on his face. And a sibling bond is born....

We didn't see much change with Jerry until recently. Mike left for a 5 day trip to San Diego for work and when he came back, Jerry was glued to him every second of every minute of every day. He followed Mike from room to room but then would ignored him. Jerry was upset with Mike for leaving him alone with his sleep deprived mom and a crying baby but at the same time wanted to make sure the Mike had no plans to leave again in the near future.

Toby has pretty much remained the same. We were concerned with Toby from the get-go but have been pleasantly surprised with him. He joins Cavin and I in the baby room for our nightly feedings by lying on the floor next to the glider to keep us company. And when Cavin does his "tummy time", Toby lies a couple feet from the play mat, rolls onto his back, looks back at Cavin, and squirms around on his back just like Cavin does on his tummy. Very sweet!

Sandy was lying on the floor the other day and we decided to put Cavin down next to her and see / monitor what happened. Well, she gently placed her paw over Cavin and started licking him everywhere! He was just smiling and enjoying every bit of the attention.

And Jerry followed suit...

So I'd say we are off to a good start.

Quilt!

The Rosemont Quilt is here!

As mentioned before, my 8 closest friends from college and I refer to ourselves as the Rosemont girls...b/c that's the apartment complex we lived in when we were at school at Trinity University. It is just easy that way. Well, once we started having kids we have decided to make quilts for the Rosemont kids. Once someone announces their pregnancy, the girls start plotting and planning behind said Rosemont girl's back. They decide a theme, design, colors, and fabric for the quilt. Once the general color theme has been decided, each girl sends in 3-5 "fat quarters" to Jen, our resident quilt maker and previously mentioned fabulous fashion designer living in NYC who made Jerry's quilt and should have made Sandy's Halloween costume. Then Jen and her mom Sharon design and make the quilt. They have done some of the best quilt work I have seen yet. And Cavin's quilt is no exception!

We received the quilt in the mail the other day and it literally brought tears to my eyes! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!! It completely matches Cavin's room perfectly, I love the sports theme (of course), and the fabric choices are so cute and perfect (especially the Denver Broncos and Texas A&M fabrics). It truly made our day when it came in the mail. Mike was walking out the door and said "oh, you received a box from Jen" and I jumped over the couch screaming "QUILT!!!!" to get to the box which I ripped open as fast as I could....all this while holding Cavin. :) And what was inside truly surpassed anything I was expecting! Like I said, tears! And it holds a special place in my heart because it was made with "Rosemont love" from some of my best friends.

Props to Sharon and Jen for yet another job well done!

You will be happy to know that he crisened the quilt just after taking these photos...aka he peed all over his Trinity onesie and onto Mully's (aka Amy's) square. Cavin is known for being able to pee around his diaper and has peed on all of us...so think of this as a compliment Mully!

Meet my friends! (written by Cavin)

Hey y'all! This is my first blog post. I understand my mommy has been keeping y'all up to date on all of my whereabouts. It is kinda embarrassing to know that pictures and stories of me are online; however, I know it is all in good fun! That being said, I'm still upset with her for exposing my private parts to prove my masculinity (and believe me, I've made her pay for it) but that's another story for another day.

Today I wanted to introduce you to my new friends! They are so nice to of waited patiently for me to arrive as they are a bit older than myself. They've been teaching me lots and lots about how to deal with mommy and all her girl-y friends. You see, mommy has found a group of friends who happen to be on maternity leave at the same time she is. So we have been pretty social in meeting up with them for various lunches, happy hours, and new parent groups. Mommy keeps saying things like "I NEED a drink" and "this feeding thing means I can order a hamburger right?"...I'm not sure what this means but she sure seems to be needing the relaxation...I hope that has nothing to do with little 'ole me??! Oh well, I think she deserves it. She is up with me around the clock with yummy food, hugs, kisses, and to talk me through my crying spells. It is pretty darn scary waking up in this new world sometimes and she is always there for me. Sometimes she sings me songs - I kinda think she is making up words so I laugh at her - while we sit in the glider. And other times I let her watch Matt Lauer (whoever that is) in the morning between my hiccups sessions. We have pretty busy days but they are tons of fun! And honestly I love my car seat so I nap a lot when we are out of the house.

The good news is that my mommy's friends all have baby boys! Well, there is this one girl, Maddy, that hangs around sometimes and although she seems cool, Drew has warned me about the "koodies" we can get from her. That being said, there are enough boys to chill with so there is less of a chance that I'll get the "koodies" (or so Drew has told me - he's so smart!). We are like our own little gang!

Last week we went to the Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Mommy and her girlfriends seemed very intrigued by many of the exhibits. Whatever! I got to take pictures next to the penguins and fishies!!

I am just a little jealous that Drew and his mommy got kissed by a penguin. Oh well, that's what I get for sleeping!

Then we went to lunch a few blocks away. Here are some pictures of some of the mommies and my friends. Not pictured are Shannon, my friend Benjamin, Meg, and and my friend Greyson.

I also saw my very first firetruck!!! That was extremely exciting and mommy told me ALL about my Uncle Tod and how he's a big time firefighter in Seattle. I cannot WAIT to meet him! I want to hear all of his stories b/c now I want to be a firefighter when I grow up. That and a major league baseball player. She said that he gave us a tour of the fire station when I was in mommy's tummy but I don't remember that. I'm really hoping I get a tour from Cool Uncle Tod one day. I keep waiting for mommy to tell me that I have an Uncle on the Houston Astros but I'm thinking that is just a dream.

Today mommy, grandma, and I headed to PF Changs to have lunch with the mommies and my friends. I was a really bad mood all during lunch because I wasn't sitting next to Drew or Logan. They are closest to my age and understand me a little more. That being said, I did get to sit next to Dane...he's REALLY old at 10 months and had SO many stories to tell me. He's really cool. I hope to be like him or Benjamin when I get older....they are so smart and can eat with their hands!

After lunch, mommy let me hang out with some of my friends. Here are the three of us: Logan (3.5 months old), myself (1.5 months old), and Andrew (2.5 months old). It was SO much fun!

This is Logan. His mommy is Lindsy and they live in the South Bay so we don't get to see them as much. Logan said that his mommy said they were going to try to meet up with us a little more. I hope that is the case! Logan is a wiggle worm like myself and really like to kick his legs just like me! He kept looking at his mommy and I really wanted him to look at me so I kept tapping his shoulder to get his attention. What was up with him looking at his mommy so much??? Hello, she's a girl and it is boy time!

This is Drew, short for Andrew. He and I hang out all the time. His mommy is Alison. She and mommy hang out a lot and go to quite a few new parent groups together, as well as, the lunches with the other mommies. Drew was obsessed with sucking on his fist the whole time we were playing. I felt bad for him so I kept trying to offer him my fist as well. At one point he did accept it and started to suck on mine as well. I think that made him feel better. Clearly from our outfit choices, we both like fishies. However, we did NOT plan that. Only girls coordinate their outfits. Talk to Maddy about that...she knows. But be careful because she will give you koodies.

Mommy's good friend, Lesley, is having a baby boy too! I am SO excited to meet him. Mommy says I cannot meet him for another 10 weeks though. I'm kinda bummed about that and don't completely understand why they don't hang out with us now but mommy told me to be patient... Drew, Logan, and I cannot wait to get Baby Schooler in on our plan to conquer the world!

So those are my friends and what I've been up to...other than sleeping and eating of course. I promise to update y'all in a little bit. It is time to bug mommy for some food!

Love, Little C