First Foods

I'm not the person that gives my babies table food or cereal at 3 weeks old to help them "sleep through the night."  I actually want to smack people in the face that do that.  I am pretty by the book when it comes to feeding, and I do nothing but breast milk for the first 6 months and then slowly start introducing solids.  Actually with Sage, they said 4 months then, but with Jaggar and Costner, I did the current 6 months of milk only.  That, in itself, is a full time job.  I'm not the person that can't part ways with breast feeding and wants to do it forever.  On the contrary, I pretty much force myself.  Yes, it's sweet, but it's also a huge sacrifice and commitment.  I had more freedom in almost everything, even wardrobe, when I was pregnant.  Not to mention, Costner refused a bottle until um..last week.  BUT the health benefits and the huge amount of money saved is my motivator.  Not to mention, Costner could have a breakdown if I stopped. The emotional comfort to him is sweet, but after 1/2 a year of no sleep....sigh, ask me when that's a memory.  I'm sure I'll remember it fondly.  ANYWAY, even though he's 6 months today (next post!), I started his introduction to solids a few days ago.  He's been smacking his lips as he has watched us eat.  He even tries to grab what we have.  So, I've been reading that the traditional baby food of rice cereal and bland foods aren't necessary.  It just needs to be pureed.  So, I decided to go with an avocado as his first taste of the good stuff.  Unconventional, I know, but they're already mushy, and they're really good for you.  I read it was a great starter food for babies.  I also got one of those mesh teethers that you can put food into so that the baby can get the juice out of something that would normally need to wait until they were older. SO, we were all excited to see Bleu's reactions.

FIRST, I put some ice in the teether.  I know, not food, but it was definitely something he'd never had.  Reaction?  He loved it.  And it buys me some time if he's not in the mood to sit but I need him to.

 Next step?  The avocado.  I ground it up and mixed it with breast milk to make it soupy since he's never had any kind of solid.  He was ready.

And...it went really well.  He opened his mouth for the spoon and never pushed it back out.  I was pleased.  Was he "Mmmm"-ing and flapping his arms, excited for more?  No...but he seemed to like it.

 It was difficult to take pics and video and feed all at the same time, so I asked for help from Sage.

 Here's the video of his first meal.

I would like to say that since then, we've tried (insert whatever food or foods you want) and how much he loves it...but that would be a lie.  Costner has since decided that he wants nothing to do with food, and I'm not sure why.  A few days later, I tried oatmeal (for babies, of course)...and I got this reaction.

Notice how he shuts his eyes and turns his head lol.  He HATED it.  Now?  That's been his reaction to EVERYTHING...well, oatmeal, the avocado and the sweet potatoes that I tried out of desperation to find something he liked.  I don't know where I went wrong exactly.  I've never seen how a child that's never had anything to eat can think food is awful.  My other kids loved food.  They loved squash, which is what I started them on.  Costner?  Hated it.  Here's our try (2nd  one at that) with sweet potatoes this morning.

He's not turning his head for lack of control.  He's turning his head away.  And don't you love that look when I put the food in his mouth of "DEAR GOD?!  What is that?!" If you put a spoon towards his mouth now (it could have ice cream on it), he closes his eyes and turns his head away.  lol.  SO, we started solids and now...we attempt them because as of today, if that's all we're offering, he'll just stick with liquid.  lol

Roly Poly

Well, while the kids and Travis were camping, Costner and I had the place to ourselves.  He didn't seem to mind a bit.  At first, I didn't know what to do with myself, and the night wasn't my favorite because it was so quiet.  But the next day?  It was quite nice.  I watched whatever I wanted and cleaned up the house, but more importantly, I laid Bleu Jack on his stomach to see what he could do.  For the record, I NEVER do "tummy time" with him.  We are generally in the den where it's just hardwood, and I couldn't lay him down there.  And he hated it, so I just didn't.  So, when I laid him on his stomach on Memorial Day, and he rolled over onto his stomach within about 10 seconds, I ALMOST couldn't believe it.  Then again, he is pretty advanced.  :)  So, developmentally he is right where he should be without ANY practice.  And just like Jaggar, he did the harder one (tummy to back) first.  And just a few days later, he was rolling both ways.  And completely over like back to stomach and to back again across the room.  He'll be mobile before we know it, and then the REAL fun begins.

I just love this picture.  This was the first day he rolled from his stomach to his back, and it was almost like he didn't know what happened.

 And for your viewing pleasure.  This was the day he did it.  It obviously wasn't the first time because I didn't know he'd do it when I laid him down that morning, and this time took him much longer than the first time he did it.  He has also found his voice, if you can't tell by the squeals in the beginning.

The day before Memorial Day when Travis and the kids had just left.

Camping

Since school let out and really since the last time Travis took Sage camping, she is always asking when they could go again.  They had plans to go one weekend towards the beginning of spring, and the weather plunged to the 30s and 40s at night.  Then Travis would have to work.  It was literally not meant to be, but FINALLY this past weekend on Sunday afternoon, Travis decided to go for it and take both kids camping on Cheaha since it was Memorial Day the next day.  They couldn't have been any more excited.  As I stayed here with Costner, part of me longingly reminisced about when they went last year and I got to sleep until 9:30 in the morning in the first few stages of my pregnancy.  I'm pretty sure that Costner woke up earlier than they did on the mountain this year.  Am I longing to be pregnant now?  NO.  Am I extremely sleep deprived?  Y-E-S.  Costner has yet to sleep through the night and wakes up MULTIPLE times in the night...bu that's another story.  Anyway, here are MANY pictures of their camping trip.  They had a blast, and I love to hear about it from them.  These are memories they will carry with them forever.  I did laugh when Jaggar said, "Do Mommies camp?"  And I said, 'Um, not this one."  Sorry, baby or not, it's never going to happen unless it's at the Hilton.

Here they are in the tent.

Look how big he's getting.

The junk food that comes along with camping

Peeking from the tent

Jaggar told me that the camera took a picture of them by itself.  :)

His favorite line "I got a rock." from Charlie Brown "It's the Great Pumpkin."

Catching tadpoles int the creek

See? 

So sweet

Rock steps

Hiking the trails

Sage looking at Jaggar through the view finder. 

Breath taking, isn't it?

My favorite, but most terrifying pictures, to see.

What a good Daddy this one is.

They had so much fun!