Gingerbread Houses!

Last night the Spoon family participated in a gingerbread house design get together. We went to cousin Cheryl's house and had a great time. There were a total of five gingerbread houses, but Mommy Spoon's gingerbread house was the only one that featured us, your adorable Spoon family! Mommy Spoon worked hard on her house, and it looks fantastic. :D

We are excited to have a gingerbread house to decorate our home for the holidays. It's one more wonderful thing that helps add to the holiday spirit! -Daddy Spoon.

(P.S. -Don't worry, no redheads were harmed in the making of the gingerbread houses)

Double the Excitement

The Spoon family could hardly contain themselves tonight! Our plans for the evening were to go see the Christmas lights at a nearby park -tonight was the one night the public can walk through the park, every other night the park is a drive-through experience only.

The fun increased this afternoon when snow began to fall. So after bundling up for our excursion, we made it to the park and had a load of fun. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves! -Daddy Spoon

Look at how excited Baby Spoon is because of the snow!

After a few attempts at removing her mittens, we improvised with a clever way to keep our Baby Spoon's hands warm.

A lot of the lights were very lovely. We had a great time! Plus we'll you spare the fussy details about a tired Babykins towards the end of our trip. :D

I heard this year Santa is trying a few new catchphrases. Like, "Arrrrr!"

Starting with the Basics

Today I pulled out an old film camera for Baby Spoon to play with while packing for my trip to New Jersey. We're getting her started on the basics! Doesn't she look cute, waiting to get that perfect shot? It's almost like she's in the press pit, waiting to catch that Pulitzer winning photo. A Daddy Spoon can only dream, right? :D

A Killer Adventure

Well, it's been almost two months that the Spoon family has had time to post a blog entry on our fun microcosm of the world. Not that we haven't had anything to write about -we've been so busy and had so much fun these past few weeks- but it's almost impossible to write about all of the adventures we have.

Today, Punkins and I had a Killer adventure. Baby Spoon has watched the girl across the street take Killer on a walk so many times that she now wants to be a big girl and do it herself. Today was the second time we went on a "Killer Adventure" and I made sure that Miss O was dressed for the occasion.

The first time that she took Killer for a walk, she wouldn't let him do his business. She stayed within inches of him, following Killer every time he tried to sneak away to do his thing. Lol, poor guy! So today you can see the look on his face, "Do I have to go for a walk with her again?" Happily, this time Bunkins did a wonderful job of taking Killer for a walk! He had all the space that he needed for his business and she was full of giggles watching him trot down the road next to her. Take a look yourself! -Daddy Spoon.

A Big Step Up

Here's a fun little photo to show off Babykin's new talent: Walking! She's so adorable. Each step she takes is an amazing thing to watch. It's indescribable. Seeing Baby Spoon reach this new achievement is just beyond my ability for words. Totally cool and so much fun. Another world has opened up for her. And for us. Definitely one of those things that make us glad to be parents. - Mommy and Daddy Spoon.

Quite the Handful

Baby Spoon's cousin came over this morning for some play time while Mommy and Auntie J went out to work. I had my hands full taking care of two babies, but things weren't too difficult. It was so comical to see Babykins want to eat her cousin's breakfast and him eat her snacks. They each wanted to do exactly what the other was already doing. That included nap time. They both started to get sleepy at the same time! It was tricky, but I was able to get them both to fall asleep for a nap (thanks to some last-minute assistance from Grandma). Don't you think they look cute side by side? What a morning! -Daddy Spoon.

Two New Teeth

Baby Spoon has been a bit fussy about eating the past few days. This morning while tickling Punkins, I discovered the reason why -she's cut two more teeth! Her precious little smile revealed a new tooth on each side of her two front teeth. Man, you'd think for every time this happens we'd learn and remember that if she isn't eating it's because she's cutting teeth. Hopefully we'll remember the next time around and save some of the mealtime drama. Let's hear it for the Baby Spoon! Becoming a big girl more and more each day! Our little sweetheart won't be a Baby Spoon for much longer, but we're enjoying the moments that we have with her all the same. -Daddy Spoon.

Dancing to the Groove

Mommy Spoon and I spent part of the afternoon playing "big steps" with Baby Spoon. We've been encouraging her to walk more often. She's getting really good at it! Take a look for yourself! -Daddy Spoon.

It's Only a Phase

The past few mornings, Baby Spoon has started to do something new. Whereas we usually spend 30 mins reading books together after she has woken up, Punkins has a new thing that she does instead. What we've been doing now is read books for about 10 mins and then I spend close to 20 minutes helping her to try on all of her shoes. Over her pajamas. It's so silly, but then again I am Papa to a darling little girl.

So it's official. Baby Spoon has begun her obsession with shoes. I would hope this to be a temporary phase -I'd rather she read books over anything else- but I know it will only get worse when she becomes older. -Daddy Spoon.

Another Day at the Office

Baby Spoon joined Momma on the couch today to hunt through the internet for the best baby outfits and accessories. Looking cute is a full-time job for Babykins, and she makes it look oh so easy! -Daddy Spoon

"But Mom, how am I supposed to log into my blog? I don't know the password."

The Sweetest Thing

Over the past few weeks, Baby Spoon's vocabulary has really grown. It's amazing because there are a lot of words and phrases that she uses which constantly surprise us when we listen to her excited baby babbling. And she is definitely a talker! Everyone knows who "Mrs. O" is when we go out and about. She's a little chatterbox.

Part of the fun of it all is hearing things like, "I ate like a big girl!" or "I did it!" and of course there's my personal favorite, "I love you!" My heart melts a little each time she tells me that when I have to leave for work. Honest. It's the sweetest thing I can hear on my way out the door.

Along with her growing English vocabulary, Punkins is learning Portuguese also. I can't wait for her to bring home report cards from kindergarten with notes from her teachers complaining that they can't understand everything she says. Mommy Spoon and I want to see her continue to develop these skills and talents because it's so exciting to watch it happen!

Leave it to my Babykins to be such a little sweetheart. We're happy to be her parents and enjoy all of the joy she brings to our lives. We happily reciprocate by returning that love & joy to her. Our Baby Spoon makes being a Mommy & Daddy the best job ever. :D - Daddy Spoon.

Feel that Groove?

So Baby Spoon has finally felt that ol' skool groove. She just took a few steps on her own while playing with Mommy Spoon. I was in the other room working (and missed all the action & fun) but I'm excited all the same!
And yes, a month from now I'll be blogging about how I'm tired of running after her everywhere. I know, I know..
I'm still going to enjoy my moment for what it is. :D -Daddy Spoon.

Thirteen

Today is Baby Spoon's big thirteen month day! Wow, the time just keeps flying by. Not to mention that I've been told repeatedly that tomorrow I'll wake up and Punkins will be starting high school. Or things like that. I hope that isn't the case because I'm having too much fun being a Daddy Spoon right now! Here's a few pictures of us two playing soccer after watching the World Cup today. Enjoy! - Daddy Spoon

Strong Kung Fu

Here is the video I promised of Baby Spoon using her strong kung fu to feed herself breakfast. Enjoy! - Daddy Spoon.

Amazing Motor Skills

So one of the great things about Punkins is that she now can use a spoon to feed herself. Our Baby Spoon can use a baby spoon! It's so amazing to both Mommy Spoon and myself. We are beyond impressed and pleased that Babykins has developed her motor skills so well. It's definitely something amazing and we look forward to encouraging more wonderful developments with her in the weeks to come. I'll be posting video of her amazing feat soon, but for now Bunkins is sending her love. Au revoir! -Daddy Spoon.

Breakfast is soooo Good!

This is a video that I shot the other day of Babykins enjoying the last of her breakfast. The best part about the morning meal was that Punkins insisted on helping to feed herself. So I gave her a spoon of her own and she used it to eat. She did very well too! She understood the basics of putting the spoon into her bowl and using it to get some cereal/oatmeal, and then knew to eat what she had grabbed. She's a bit messy at it, but you can watch this video and see how happy she was with herself! Enjoy! -Daddy Spoon.

Sick little Punkins

Our poor Baby Spoon was sick last night. Mommy and I were woken up in the middle of the night by our Punkin's cries and found her miserable from a high temperature caused by who knows what. After Mommy comforted her with a bottle, I held Babykins in my lap until she started to fall back asleep.. only to toss her cookies all over me and the floor. Not the best way to solve things, but I'll chalk it up something a good father endures to take care of his precious little princess. When she was done, Bunkins and I hopped into the bathtub for a lukewarm bath/shower. Happily, that made her feel better. So today she and Mommy are staying home. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers, we all appreciate it of course! -Daddy Spoon

Tiny Kisses

Today was a busy day. I left early for a wedding shoot only to return in time to help Bunkins get ready for bed. We played with some new books I bought for her the other night, only to discover something that melted my heart each time she would do it. Each book teaches colors, numbers or animals, complete with photos to match. So what was it that melted my heart? Our Baby Spoon knows to give tiny kisses to some of the photos that she likes best! It's adorable. I feel like the most fortunate Daddy Spoon ever. :D

A Successful Birthday!

Yesterday was a wonderful time for the Spoon family. We had Punkins 1st birthday party, and it was a smashing success. Mommy Spoon planned out a fantastic day for our precious Tiny Wonder. There was cake, friends, games, presents and lots and lots of fun. I'm so glad that we were able to celebrate in such a grand fashion. I have loads of photos, so I'll be posting a few by tomorrow. Thanks everyone who came by! You helped make our party the best possible!

Baby Steps

Now, I don't want the title of this update to mislead you...

We have been spending a lot of time this week getting things ready for Babykin's first birthday party. While spending some time in the back yard after getting a few finishing touches together for the garden party themed fiesta, Baby Spoon stood on her own without any help. It was great!

We were walking together in the middle of the back yard, her hands clasping my fingers. I slowly pulled my own hands away and was greeted with a cute tiny Bunkins wobbling on her own two legs! And she did it twice!!

Next thing you know, she'll be walking. Perhaps even as early as her party tomorrow. Who knows? We shall see... -Daddy Spoon

Oh, My Daughter

So Baby Spoon has recently begun to share something in common with Mommy Spoon -they both love sourdough bread. While our Mamacita is able to contain herself around sourdough bread, Babykins can't get enough of it! She loves that stuff. It's like turning on a vacuum in her stomach and watching the bread in front of her disappear. It's too funny.

Anyways, this morning I gave Punkins some pieces of sourdough bread along with her breakfast cereal. I had torn a large slice of sourdough in half, leaving a quarter piece on the table next to us while I spoon fed cereal to our Tiny Wonder, and as she fed herself the tiny torn pieces of the sourdough.

During the course of the meal, I noticed that Babykins was both thirsty and in need of some fluids to help flush down the runny nose she's picked up from cutting two new teeth. So I left her with a tray full of bread and Cheerios and jumped over to the kitchen to fix up a sippy cup with juice. As I was prepping her juice, I heard a tiny and exuberant "I did it!" from the living room.

When I came back to the living room with Bunkin's juice I discovered something that made me chuckle. Our Tiny Wonder had managed to extend her arm far enough to reach the quarter piece of the bread that I had left -at a distance which I had thought out of reach- on the table. She was busy nomming away at the delicious prize she successfully pilfered while I was away. Baby Spoon couldn't have been happier and it was visible all over her bread-crumb-covered face.

Moral of the story? Never underestimate the ingenuity of a child, especially when it comes to tasty food! Mine never ceases to amaze me, that's for sure! -Daddy Spoon.

Ivory Nubs

So Punkins has been extremely cranky the past few days. This morning she even woke up with a runny nose. And believe you me, it was impossible to get her to eat breakfast this morning.

But guess what Momma Spoon and I discovered tonight? Babykins has two ivory nubs poking through the top of her mouth! Two! As in more than one!

Two teeth! At the same time! I'm more excited than the guy in that dumb Staples commercial. I'm more excited than Bunkins, that's for sure. She isn't enjoying the teething process, but I'm sure she'll love getting to eat new things once they come through.

I'm so pleased with my baby girl. :D -Daddy Spoon.

Kitty Meows Beware!

This is only a quick little post for today, but I noticed that Punkins is beginning to raise her bottom into the air while she's crawling across the floor. That's a promising sign. She's pushing herself off the floor which means that she'll be walking soon! The only thing that I wonder is if we'll be ready for that...

I know the kitty meows won't be ready, that's for sure! But then, some exercise can do those felines some good... lol. -Daddy Spoon.

Earning my Grass and Dirt Stains

Today was a very, very fun day! I did all kinds of fun things. This morning I got to go play with our neighbors across the street while Mommy and Daddy were at work. I had too much fun! I crawled everywhere and saw everything! Daddy Spoon picked me up in time for my nap. I had a nice nap.

After that, I got to play outside with Daddy! Hee hee hee, it was the best! I crawled all over the yard and earned a lot of grass stains. I even found pine cones! And dandelions! Daddy says I'm good at pulling the heads off the dandelions. I just wish he wouldn't take them away from me because I keep trying to eat them. They look tasty!

It was windy today too. A blustery day and the sun was out. Daddy took some pictures with his phone of us playing. See how much fun we had? I love playing. Especially when I can play with Mommy or Daddy Spoon. They make it so much fun! Yay!
After play time, I took a bath because I made a mess outside and inside during dinner. Daddy Spoon put me on the trainer potty while he filled the tub with water so I made potty while I waited. I'm such a big girl! Daddy and Mommy are always happy when I do big girl things like that. Hee hee hee, I do too!

And so the best part about bath time was when Mommy Spoon came home at the right moment to see me splash around in the tub! It was fun. Mommy makes sure bath time is the best time. I like it when Mommy helps me play in the tub. I love bath time. I had a fun day full of grass stains and big girl moments. Yay! I'm going to sleep well tonight, that's for sure!

Mommy Spoon's Fun Birthday!

Today was Mommy Spoon's birthday! We went out to a Japanese steakhouse with Grandma. It was a lot of fun. I ate rice and peas (more, please!) and lima beans. The chef set fire to the food. It was cooooool! And I made a lot of new friends. We all had a good time, hee hee hee! I love my Mommy Spoon. When we arrived back home, Daddy and I gave Mommy a signed birthday card. I wrote, "I love you Mommy!" inside a drawing of my hand. Daddy helped me a little bit. Then Mommy and I played. I have so much fun playing with Mommy! It's the best. Mommy is the best, too. Hee hee hee!

Runaway Baby

Something fun and new that Baby Spoon has been up to lately is playing a fun game with Mommy called, "Runaway Baby." It usually happens whenever Mommy is drawing water for Babykin's bath time. It doesn't matter if she's clothed or not, our Tiny Wonder will take off like a rocket down the hallway with Mommy chasing after her. Tiny giggles bounce off the walls and echoes down the hall as Mommy calls out "Runaway Baby, Runaway Baby!" Our silly little Bunkins loves this game. As do we. As do we. :D -Daddy Spoon.

Bumps on the Horizon

Someone cute is really fussy this morning. Mommy Spoon had a difficult time giving our Tiny Wonder her breakfast this morning. So Mommy took a look and discovered some bumps on the top row of Babykin's gums. Bumps! That means teeth! It seems that the cutest smile in the world is about to get even cuter. :D -Daddy Spoon.

Slow Recovery

The Spoon family was attacked over the weekend by a nasty 48-hour flu bug. Babykins picked it up from one of the other kids at the day care center and passed it onto Mommy Spoon, then to Grandma. This Daddy Spoon has had one busy week taking care of everyone here at home. But everyone is passing through quite well, and I'm glad that things are getting better even if the recovery process is a slow one. I can't wait to have a fully healthy Spoon family again. It will be great to play and have fun with everyone once they are better! -Daddy Spoon.

Smiles on our Faces

The other day we brought Punkins to the pediatrician because we thought that she had an ear infection. Happily, after the doctor told us that she was fine. And that puts a smile on our faces.

Another thing to be happy about is that Babykins is over 22 lbs. She's definitely getting some weight back after going through a liquid-only diet the other week during her chest cold. That makes us happy too! -Daddy Spoon.

Getting the Potty Started

So I learned about a big surprise that happened while Mommy Spoon, Babykins and Grandma were down at the coast over the weekend. Baby Spoon made potty! She seemed to be considering making a bank deposit during her bath-time but Mommy was too clever for a certain Tiny Wonder and plunked her onto the toilet instead. Even though Bunkins didn't know what she had done, she was happy about it and clapped her hands with pride. Our little 9 month-old has some serious ambition, doesn't she?

Sweet Dreams

So today I reset the height for Babykins crib. We've been wanting to drop the mattress a bit because Baby Spoon has grown so much lately. Now there's more room for her to play in her crib and also in her room. After dropping the mattress, I put the crib up against the other wall. And wow, did it open up a lot more space for our Punkins to be able to play in her room. There's still a few things Mommy Spoon and I would like to do to free up more space, but that will be a continuing work in progress. For now, we're happy to know that our Baby Spoon is sleeping peacefully in her revamped room! -Daddy Spoon

Sharing, Oh My!

So our precious little Babykins has learned a new thing to do. After her meals, when we give her crackers to eat, she has begun to share her crackers with us. It's so cute! She picks up a piece of the cracker and passes it to our mouth in the same manner that we do with her. My oh my, it's wonderful to see her observe and learn these things well enough to repeat them to us without any prompting. What a darling little girl! -Daddy Spoon.

Punkins and smiles

Well, today is a big day! Our precious lil punkins is 9 months old. Momma Spoon and I are happy to see her progress in all of the tiny wonderful ways that she's done in the past few weeks. From learning to clap her hands to crawling her first few paces, Babykins is truly a tiny little wonder. And we love that about her. -Daddy Spoon.

Aeons ago

Wow, it's been ages since I've been able to post something about our family. I've been so caught up in the fun of it all that I've forgotten to share it with our wonderful friends and fans. There is a lot of great news to share, and once I can get our photo library in order I will post some cute and funny photos of our precious gem to share with everyone. Until then! -Daddy Spoon.

Morning Surprise

♬ I looked into Baby's mouth and what did I see?

A toothy grin smiling back at me! ♩

♫ This morning's brought such a nice surprise,

Toothy smiles right before my eyes! ♪

Baby Spoon has cut a tooth! I'm so happy I can't describe it. Our Tiny Wonder is more and more wonderful each day! Oh, how we love her. Each milestone that she reaches is a joy for us to observe and be a part of. What a lovely morning surprise. -Daddy Spoon.

Two-thirds full

Our Baby Spoon is eight months old today! I'm so blessed to be her father, and Mama Spoon feels the same about being a mother. Our Babykins definitely brings a lot of joy to our lives. Here are some photos of the great and fun things that she does. Moments we are more than happy to share with her. What a wonderful little girl. :D -Daddy Spoon.

A Dubious Milestone

Well, it finally happened. This morning I was playing on the floor with our adorable Baby Spoon and realized that I needed to add some more logs to the fireplace. In the span of five minutes while I stoked the fire, Babykins managed to roll herself away from the books we had been playing with and over to one of the cat's food bowls. When I looked back, I found her on her tummy with both hands in the bowl and stuffing her face with dry cat food.

As amusing as the sight was, my worst nightmares have finally come true. I've always been uneasy about Miss O finding her way to the cat's things and today was the day she just had to go and do it. Not too thrilled about that. I had to fish out three pieces of kibble from her mouth. She wasn't too thrilled about that either. Her protests rang loud and clear. I hope Baby Spoon doesn't expect the cat and dog food bowls to be an all-you-can-eat buffet. She's going to be disappointed if she does! I just hope for now we can keep Babykins away from the food she isn't supposed to eat. She's much cuter when her face is covered in baby food. Much, much cuter! -Daddy Spoon