Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A Week Of Many Firsts




We discovered a super fun family activity this past weekend. Matt and I own several djembes, from very small in size to quite large. The three of us had a blast sitting in the living room together, banging our drums along to the beat of Pandora radio. Sage is super good! He has great rhythm. I envision us doing this same thing when Sage is a toddler. He's gonna think he has the coolest parents!


Sage loves making music in lots of different ways, including banging pots and pans together. Or in this case, metallic measuring cups. If you demonstrate how to bang the two pieces together, he will immediately take the cups out of your hands and do the same.




Measuring cups are also good for chewing on. The handle is coated in some kind of plastic/rubber. Probably feels good on those gums.





When you are 7 or 8 months old, anything can be considered a toy! I dug through my kitchen cabinets in an effort to find some new and exciting toys for Sage. He seems to be enjoying them!






Our baby tub has two sides. One is designed for smaller infants. It has a sloped back for the child to lounge in. We could potentially be ready to graduate to the other side!
This is a picture of Sage sitting on the older infant side The water is deeper and requires him to sit up on his own. However, it was kind of chaotic using this side of the tub. Sage was all over the place. At one point, he got on his knees and tried to crawl out!


Feeding himself like a big boy! This invention is fun! It's a mesh feeder that I fill with whatever soft baby-appropriate foods I fancy. The food squeezes out of the mesh into his mouth. So far I have only tried fresh banana. It gives Sage a chance to self-feed and to try chewing food that hasn't been pre-mushed. He loves it. And it's a great way to buy myself 10 minutes of time in the kitchen.










Sage's food palette is expanding! And look how beautiful. So many colors. From top to bottom is pictured: apple-pear puree, sweet potato puree, pea puree, and acorn squash puree. Not pictured here is avocado, banana, oatmeal, and multigrain cereal.
I make all his baby food in my mini food processor, then freeze individual portions in ice cube trays. It's so easy! And it brings me so much joy. I enjoy cooking for him. We don't add any sugar, salt, or butter. Just plain old fruits and veggies.


Another milestone! Sage's first tooth brushing adventure! We have now established a new routine. I brush his two little teeth, and his gums, each night before bed. He is so darn ticklish. He giggles every time. I was expecting quite a fight from Sage before embarking on this journey. But it was so easy. He is very accommodating. I think trying to brush my cat's teeth has traumatized me!




Another new development in Sage's world. We have started using a playpen to corral this kid! Sage is not quite crawling yet, but boy can he get around! He rolls and he army crawls to get to his desired destination. And he will touch anything you don't want him to. He just KNOWS! Electrical cords, computers, remote controls, cats, etc.



We got hit with a big snowstorm Friday and Saturday of this past weekend. Sage enjoyed watching the snow fall from the comfort of his family room.












I try to envision what this kid will be like as a toddler. I get excited thinking about a 2-year old Sage running around the house. He is going to be SO fun! And then I get even more excited when I realize I might be pregnant at that time. I can't wait to give Sage a little baby brother or sister. But I need to have some patience. Kids are expensive. And I would like a 2 year gap minimum!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Music-Lover In The Making







Hanging out Friday afternoon. Listening to music. Just being silly.


Here is how I found my two boys on Saturday morning.
Like father, like son.
These two crack me up!



Great shot of Sage's two front teeth.




On Friday, we hit 74 degrees! (It was so warm that Sage and I had a picnic outside at lunchtime on the daycare playground.) So Friday at bedtime, Sage didn't have to sleep in long pants. Total freedom!! Here he is Saturday morning, rolling around in his underwear. I love showing off his chunky legs, which is one of many reasons that summer needs to get here!










Sage and I get silly all the time. We kiss, we nibble, we rub noses, we blow raspberries, and whatever else might elapse during an episode of roughhousing.






Sage loves music! We mainly listen to the Raffi station on Pandora. Sage really enjoys dancing. I spin him around, bounce him, rock him, and toss him into the air. I am completely out of breath after a couple songs. Great workout for my arms. He is all smiles the whole time. I want to take him to a family-friendly outdoor bluegrass concert this summer. I think he would really enjoy it.








After doing our taxes on Saturday morning, we were anxious to get out of the house for some fresh air. Unfortunately, the 74 degree temps we had the day before were nowhere to be found. It was closer to 50 degrees. Pretty darn cold. But we still enjoyed the walk around the neighborhood.


Sage received a present from his Great Aunt Sue and Uncle Phil! On Saturday afternoon, we were surprised to stumble across the large package sitting on the front porch. Sage loves the bead maze!




On Sunday afternoon, Sage had a playdate with his buddy Channing. Sage is now getting to the age where he is aware that another child is in the room. Channing is full-out crawling and Sage looked at him and seemed to think, "Good idea! I'm gonna work on that!" Channing really impressed me, crawling at high speeds all over the place. He didn't care what was in his way! Seeing this little guy in action made me realize, I need some baby gates!!!


A rare look at Sage in daycare. I don't usually take my phone in with me. But on this particular day I had it available to snap a couple shots.


Sage...the beach bum!


At daycare, each classroom has a themed bulletin board where they display the baby's photos.  I thought they did an exceptionally good board this time. I just had to share! Sage is 1 of 5 kids in his class. He used to be the youngest and now...gulp.....he is one of the oldest!!!! His room is so quiet and peaceful and he gets lots of individualized attention. All the babies in his room are immobile. (At 9 months of age he will be transitioned to the mobile baby room where all the crawlers and walkers are.)  I've really gotten to know his teachers and classmates so well. Nursing Sage for an hour each day has allowed me to know all of them on a personal level and to see how the teachers interact with the babies. They are so good at what they do! I feel so welcomed there and I know that Sage is treated very very well. And the teachers do not hesitate to tell me how much they enjoy working with my son. The stories they share make me laugh and make me proud.


New dinosaur PJ's!


One last piano solo before bed.

Sage's Stats:
7.5 months old. 21 pounds. 9 and 12 month clothing. Size 3 diaper. Ready for size 4. 2 teeth. 2 solid meals a day. 1 blowout a day. 2 baths a week. Probably needs more! 3 hour stretches of sleep. 10 fingers. 10 toes. And 2 parents who are completely and utterly in love with him.