Learning to Sit

Last week, I decided to work with Costner on sitting.  Turns out, he really didn't need the work and practice as much as the opportunity because he sat up like he'd been doing it for...4 months.  He looked so cute and so big sitting alone, and he preferred it.  Because when I laid him down, he cried.

So sweet

I also realized I've got another busy boy on my hands because when he spotted the pile of neatly folded clothes beside him, he dove for them. 

Happy and Sad

Sometimes we turn on a dime here.

Cousins

On Easter weekend, Travis' sister was in town with her 4 kids.  Sarah and Sage have always played really well together, and in some ways, I think they favor.  I wish they lived closer so that they could see each other more, but we enjoy the time that they do spend together.

Grabber

Costner is getting closer and closer to grabbing things in front of him.  A few days ago, I held his "My First Rudolph" rattle in front of him, and he was mesmerized. 

 I think I have just a LITTLE bit more time for things to be safe...but not much.  :)  Sweet Bleu Jack.

A Year

I took these pictures on the exact one year date (April 11th) that I found out that I was pregnant with this sweet baby.  Thanks to this blog, I was able to go back and relive the day here.  It was neat to go back and see the excitement because I do remember it vividly, and neater yet to see that promise as I looked down at the 4 month old I held in these pictures.  I am so thankful for Costner.  We all needed him in our lives.  His name means "loved by all," and if you met him, you'd know it's true.  And he loves everyone, too.  He gives that grin to anyone who will speak to him, and he brightens everyone's day.  I can look at him and know that there are other promises in my life that may not be here today, but I still believe they're on the way.

Pouch O' Baby

Last Friday evening, we took the kids for a walk.  It was cold, and Costner was not in the mood for a stroller ride, so I tried out the ole sling.  Remember how Jaggar lived in this?  I've not tried it as much with Costner because he does really well in his stroller/carseat, but he seemed to like it on that night.  I fell under the weather myself shortly after Jaggar's strep diagnosis with fever and sore throat, but it turned into more of a nasty cold.  Sooo, not that it matters or that I do much more than this anyways, but I feel like I look sick in these pictures.  And I just want to say it's because I was.

4 Month Checkup

So Costner Bleu's 4 month checkup came and did not pass without event.  Mister weighed 15 lbs even, as I said, which was in the 50th percentile.  Dr D held him for a second while I took Jaggar to the bathroom, and she said in just those few minutes that her shoulder hurt.  Ha!  Don't I know it?!  He was 26 inches long, which puts him in the 80th percentile.  Tall and skinny.  Then he had to get the dreaded shots.  So sad because he smiled at the nurse in that sweet way that he does right until she did it.  My poor baby.  But Dr D said he was just perfect.  And I needed to hear that.  Ever since we went there not expecting a thing in the world to be wrong with Sage and then being sent to the ER...I have moments of absolute panic even on my brightest days.  I hate it.  It is evil.  It will cause me to start sweating and doubting...and it is literal, tangible fear.  And it's also false.  Because what a perfect boy he is.

 Then we had this one.  He had an ear infection just a week and a half before (he demanded the shot, remember?), so she just was going to glance in and make sure they were clear.  In the car, he said his throat was scratchy.  I figured it was because we had 2 inches of pollen everywhere.  But I asked her to look.  His ear was great.  His throat...not so much. She asked if she could do a strep test, and it was positive.  I couldn't believe it.  And she was just going to write an Rx for medicine so I wouldn't have to pay a co-pay.  That bubble gum medicine that we all used to LOVE as kids.  He starts screaming, "NOOOO!  I don't want medicine!  Give me a shot!  I want a SHOT!!!"  Never in my life...So she was like, "Oh my goodness...well, I didn't want you to have to pay a copay, but I can't just give out shots."  I can't have a cheap child.  SO, off we went to pay ANOTHER copay as he's continuing to scream that he wants a shot.  I was still trying to talk him out of it, "Jaggar, you can get medicine that tastes GOOD.  And NO shot!"  Then he said, "I choose NOTHING!"  lol.  He's awesome, isn't he?  So we paid.  They weighed him.  And I freaked again.  Because it was a pound less than a week before.  And I thought, "He just had an antibiotic.  Why does he have more infection?"  I wanted to see the doctor again.  Because the nurse said, "Well maybe he hasn't been eating because he's not been feeling well."  NO.  Not true. He seemed fine.  Dr D came in.  And I just unloaded on her.  She said, "What was he wearing?"  And he was wearing jeans and a jacket.  This week, he was obviously dressed lighter...but ...I just had so much fear for him.  After some talking, she offered to test him...but I said, "Do you think he's okay?"  And she said, "I really do."  I don't know why I did that.  Because he too, is fine.  And Sage will be too.  I talked with Sage tonight and asked her if she prayed on her own and heard God.  She said yes.  I said, "Do you ask God about having diabetes?"  She said yes.  I said, "And what does He say?"  She said, "He said that if I stick with him that He'll lead me on the path to not having diabetes."  She didn't even pause wen she said any of that.  I've just gotta learn to encourage myself or I'm not going to make it.

 This precious angel started a fever in the night from those shots and kept it the entire next day.  He had knots in his legs, and he cried and ran a fever the entire next day, but even so...he smiled.

Plans

4 Months

Costner turned 4 months old this month on the 5th, of course.  He is really coming to life.  Laughs are DEFINITELY on purpose now.  Sage can just walk up to him, and he will laugh 90% of the time.  He is very ticklish, and he will laugh every time I change his clothes because he's so sensitive to touch.  I had to laugh looking back at Jaggar's 4 month stats.  Look at that here.  What I laughed at was that Jaggar was already rolling over at that point.  Ha...um Costner isn't even close to that.  Because to roll over, you have to lay down.  He is actually laying in the floor beside me as I type this, but that is an extreme rarity.  Jaggar just looks like a bigger boy to me in these.  Not bigger, as in fatter, but bigger as in older.  Costner weighed 15lbs even at his checkup and was 26 inches long.  He got his immunizations and ran a fever and cried the entire next day.  I'm close to splitting these up because he's not had fun days following both rounds of immunizations.  I also noticed in those pics of Jaggar that he was holding toys.  I can see Costner's mind working to make that happen.  I see him stare at something and put his hand toward it, willing it to open and grab it so it can go in his mouth, but he's not there yet.  He did it to Lori's necklace on Sunday, and I thought...oh, time is almost up for the jewelry I never wear these days.  I honestly couldn't tell you how he sleeps at night because it's such a blur.  I know he's not sleeping completely through it, but I don't know how many times he wakes up because I'm not fully awake when he does.

One thing does remain consistent, and that is that he is extremely happy.  These are on his 4 month birthday.

 This is what he does when you lay him in the boppy.  He can pull himself up pretty well and hold himself up really well with support.

Sleepy Boys

This one still falls asleep to the hair dryer...

 And this one...though he's pretty much given up afternoon naps (BOOOO), still sleeps with his eyes open if he's asleep in the car.

Sage's 5th Year Dance Pics

Sage's dance pictures are back, and as usual, they are great.  This is her 5th year of dance at Sheila Lindley's, and we're finally starting to see all of that money we've poured into her.  Sage is really a good dancer.  If you don't believe me, I've got some video from parent week this week.  

This was the first year that she was able to take jazz.  (You're actually supposed to be 9, but because she's taken for so long, she and 3 girls her age are in a class with 4th graders.)  Jazz is her favorite, too.  It's pretty fast with a lot going on, and I think that's why she likes it so much.  She does well.

 Her ballet, which is probably my favorite costume.  It has the perfect tutu, which a lot of moms that have girls Sage's age demanded to have this year...but Sage has always had a tutu, I think.

 Her tap, and her original pose, if you'll remember.  Super cute.

I went to the jazz class for parent week, but I didn't record.  I got sick on the next night with cold/fever like issues, so Travis went on Thursday when she has 2 classes and recorded.  Here is tap, and here is ballet.  A lot of girls were out this day because the state of Alabama pretty much shut down with the threat of storms.  What I like about this though is that it's easy to see Sage.  Jessica, her teacher, partnered with her, because obviously Sage's partner was absent, and Sage held her own with her, didn't she? I'm really thankful for this staff at this studio and what they've poured into my girl for many years now.

Easter Laughs

This happened Easter evening.  This boy is ticklish, and his laugh is awesome.  

Easter Fun

Finally some Easter pics.  Easter is weird for me because I normally have to be at church so early that I don't even enjoy the parts that I normally would with my kids.  We are rushed, and by the time church is over, I'm exhausted.  SO, as always, we do the fun kid parts on Saturday, but I'm pretty sure those pictures are on Travis' camera.  I hate myself for not videoing Jaggar when he saw his basket.  No child ever loved toys like he did, and he literally jumped up and down screaming when he saw Buzz Light Year.  It was SO funny.  And he thought that was such a great deal that he was all ready for the bunny to come BACK on Sunday.  He left his basket out again.  Of course he did.

We dyed some eggs on Saturday, which they loved...I did not.  I don't like stains, but I loved it when I was a kid, so I let them love it too.  Sometimes, I just have to walk away.

 I didn't take many pictures because I was trying to keep from wearing that dye.

 Someone else didn't enjoy it either.  Notice his egg.

 Always the creative one.  He left this outside, it rained, and every bit of it came out.  So maybe I don't have to be so paranoid about the dye.

 Easter morning, my handsome boy

 And my pretty girl

 I bought their outfits all separately, and I wish I'd known the boys would have coordinated, and I would've looked for a yellow dress for Sage.  Oh, well, we were just glad to be dressed and out the door on time.

 Me and Steve's Easter outfits.  This was another bummer.  Families all look so nice, and it's jeans and Thrive t-shirt for us.  Call me petty...but I would have liked to have worn a pretty dress.

 So I just took pictures of my pretty family minus me.  I thought about going upstairs and putting a dress on just for a picture, but...I was too tired to care.

 Oh, Jaggar

 Bleu

 The boys

 :)

 I love this picture so much of Costner Bleu Jack.  Look at those legs!!  He is the most delicious boy ever made.

 I think Jaggar could be a model...I mean, seriously.

 Such pretty kids

 The weather turned out to be a nice day.  We had a nice lunch at Fuji and hunted eggs after naps.  I'll "try" to get the pics off of Travis' camera.