HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Hey Sage,

Happy (almost) first birthday!

I hope it's the best birthday you've ever had! Ha! (I think it's safe to say it will be.)

Enjoy your visit with Nana and Papa and I hope you like your present!

Love,

Auntie K

First Visit to Massachusetts

Sageness!

It was so great to see you in Massachusetts this week. Your first visit! You are pretty awesome. Toddling around already at not even 10 months, putting everything under the sun into your mouth, and wanting to eat all kinds of food even though it is so hard for you since you don't have any teeth yet!

We took you to the beach and you loved it. Look how gorgeous you are:



You smiled at me a lot, but wouldn't tolerate being held by anyone except Mommy, Daddy or Nana without howling. Oh well, I can be patient. You'll love me plenty soon enough.

You love to laugh and smile and play. You know a good number of signs and can ask for things that you want or need. You don't sleep so well, but that will come, too.

Thanks for coming to Massachusetts! I'll miss seeing you for your birthday, but am sending a great present, and I'm looking forward to seeing you again at Christmas!

Love you so much,

Auntie K

SWINGING!

Hey Sage,

This is the first time I've ever posted a video on your blog for you. Enjoy! You sure look cute in that swing!



Love,
Auntie K

More Monkey, More!

Hey Sage,

Your mommy called me today to tell me she is a monkey. Yup, a monkey. She says that she is at the beck and call of you and your sister. You say "Jump, monkey, jump." And she does whatever you tell her. Like a monkey who wants a treat.

This morning (or last night - who can remember these details), you were fussing in your crib. You were crying a lot, so Mom was rubbing your head and your tummy to calm you down. It worked. You stopped crying and relaxed. But then, your mom stopped and prepared to leave. You turned over, looked up at her, and made the sign for MORE. Mommy asked you verbally, "You want me to rub your head more?" And you, apparently not knowing the sign for YES at only 9 months old, just signed MORE again. So Mommy started rubbing your head again and your whole body relaxed again. And then you went to sleep.

And so. What is the lesson here for people reading this or for you if you someday decide to torture your own life by turning into a monkey for a kid of your own? Is teaching a tiny baby to sign a good thing or a bad one? To give them the ability to make specific demands so early? Perhaps a little of both, as mothers of babies who cannot ask for more head rubbing instead jump around like monkeys trying to figure out what is needed or wanted while your mother knew exactly what to do because you spent no time beating around the bush asking for it. Perhaps the lesson is to escape the room quicker before the baby can turn around and ask for more. Perhaps the lesson is that you are spectacularly smart. I'm not sure.

You are making developmental progress in leaps and bounds! And I get to see you in only two more weeks to see some of it in action.

Love you,

Auntie K

Crawling!

Hey Sageness,

It's me, your slacker Auntie K, who hasn't posted for you in a while. I started a new job four weeks ago, so I've been busy.

Anyway, you are crawling! All over the place. It's pretty great. I've not seen it yet, I've only heard about it, but I'm super pleased for you. Being able to move around is the best.

Happy 4th of July!

Love,

Auntie K

Sisters!

Hey Sage,

Sisters are the best. Check these two out!



Love,

Auntie K

You are Gorgeous

Hey Sage,

You are gorgeous. Look at yourself.



Love,

Auntie K

Your First Music Class

Hey Sage,

You went to your first music class.

And you LOVED it!

Love you!

Auntie K

Rice Cereal!

Hey Sage,

I had an awesome time visiting you in Houston this weekend. And now that your ceremony is done, you get to eat solid food! This is such good news for a hungry baby. I was there for your first meal, and you loved it. Some babies take forever to learn how to eat, but you were a pro almost right away. You knew to swallow and everything. Good job!

You are truly beautiful. Seriously, girl. Here's one shot I really like:



You are so curious. You love your sister. Whenever she's around, you watch her run and play and it's easy to tell that you can't wait to get going, playing with her. Soon, friend, soon.

Things we did during this visit:

- walked to the park and around the block while your sister was riding her bike.
- dangled our feet in the pool. Boy did you love that!
- danced and jiggled you on my lap and laughed at your hysterical face during that.
- laughed a lot. You are a big laugher.
- read some books.
- watched you sitting up all by yourself and loving it.

We'll see you again in August. Can't wait for you to visit Boston for the first time.

Love you,

Auntie K

Who do you look like?

Hey Sageness,

Who the heck do you look like? I have no idea. Maybe Papa/Stephen. :)



Not happy. :)



This was too hilarious not to post.



Love you,

Auntie K

One for the Books

Hey Sage,

I've been mulling over how to write up this post to you ever since your Mommy texted me last night. Here goes.

You and your family were driving from home in Houston to Dallas last night, about a four-hour ride. I got one report that you were screaming and your sister was watching Madeline on the car DVD player. Okay. Pretty normal. I was watching a show online that your mom had watched the night before, so we were texting back and forth about that. Then, all of a sudden, in the middle of the conversation, this text came through:

"Just nursed Sage while driving!"

I read this first line, and was horrified. How was it possible that your parents, two of the most safety conscious people I know, allowed you to be unbuckled during a car ride? No way! I thought.

Then I read the second line:

"Hung over her face in car seat!"

Oh my gosh! I felt better that you were safely still snug in your car seat, but now I'm picturing Mommy, unbuckled and in some insane position, making sure you didn't go hungry.

I think this is and will remain one of the greatest stories of your infant-hood. But, because of its delicate nature, I am going to ask your mommy first if I can put it on your blog. So right now, I'm saving this, and then I'm going to email it to her. Once she agrees, I'll put it up so forevermore, you know how much your mom loves you!

Love you,

Auntie K

Photo Shoot

Hey Sageness!

Mommy just sent me your first solo photo shoot pictures. At least, I think it was your first solo one. In any case, you are cute!

Here's one:



How cute are you? YAY! You are now 4 months and a little bit.

Love, Auntie K

Dateline January 27: Finding the Thumb

Hey Sage,

I've just been informed that January 27, 2011 was the day you found your thumb for good and can retrieve it at will whenever you want. Very good news.

You also have 4 different types of pacifiers and don't care which one you get, you'll suck away at any of them.

You also drink milk from a bottle like a champ.

This is very different than the wailing little girl of only 4 short weeks ago who refused anything but the side of her hand (because she couldn't find the aforementioned thumb) or a human nipple.

Nice job, chickie. We like you even better now than we already did.

Love,

Auntie K

First Impressions

Hey Sage,

I met you a couple weekends ago. It was really an honor. Thanks for letting me be your Auntie K.

You are tiny and sweet and cute as anything. You have a perfect little baby body. Skinny just like your sister (and your parents for that matter). You are happiest when you first wake up. Wide awake and smiling away - what a morning treat!

You sit so happy in your little bouncy seat looking around at the people going by. You sing! When mommy or Sonia sing to you, you sing along too. It's so cute it makes me just want to bite you. :) And you talk a lot, telling stories. Love that.

Your head control is crazy. You love to be carried around with your head on someone's shoulder, but you won't put it down - you keep it up and look all around. Relax! You're only 3 months old. Plenty of time to have to use that neck.

You don't startle easily. If there's a loud noise or whatever, you start, but then you look around, assess quickly that nothing is killing you, and carry on. No tears for no reason from you! Hardy you will be, maybe? We love hardy people in our family! (We love the shy ones too, but we tend to be more on the boisterous side, so good if you can keep up with that!)

I won't see you again until June, at which point you'll be 8 months old. That's a little crazy, to not see you all that time, but it'll be okay. We'll do okay with it.

I love you, little girl. Welcome to the family and to being a niece. Can't wait to get to know you even better!

Love,

Auntie K

GONNA MEET YOU!

Sageness!

I'm coming to meet you tomorrow. I CANNOT WAIT! Finally!

Love you!

Auntie K

BUMBO!

Hey Sage!

Here you are in your bumbo. You have amazing head control for a baby not quite 11 weeks old. Good job!



Love,

Auntie K