Baby Blessing and 4th of July

At 10 weeks old, our sweet Sarah Kate is such a charmer. She smiles easily, coos, and even laughs. She loves to kick her feet and watches them intently while she kicks. We're not sure if she realizes those moving things are attached to her! :)

Yesterday, Christopher wanted to help give her a bottle. I held Sarah Kate, and Christopher stood in front of me, holding the bottle in her mouth. Sarah Kate kept smiling and Christopher and laughed out loud--which made Christopher laugh, too--and she was laughing so much that you could tell they have the same laugh! Christopher was so excited and kept saying, "She laughed--for real!" We never did get her to eat while Christopher was helping because she just wouldn't stop grinning! Here is a video and some photos of Sarah Kate at 2 months old:







On June 30, the ladies from church had a Baby Blessing for Sarah Kate. It is basically a baby shower, along with a devotional and a time of prayer for the new baby. Sarah Kate's grandmothers and Aunt Laura were able to be there, which made it extra special. Becky opened up her home to us, and Lynette gave a terrific devotional. It was a wonderful evening! Thank you, ladies of TGC!








We had a fun, two-day celebration of the 4th of July this year. On Friday night, we went to Arvest Ballpark for an orchestra concert and fireworks. Thanks to Uncle Garland, we enjoyed the Johnson & Johnson suite with him, Aunt Laura and Caroline, as well as Nana, Granddad, Grandma, Grandpa and Nana and Granddad's friends. On Saturday, we went to the pool and then had a cookout with some friends.



Caroline with her flag:

Will loved wearing Caroline's hat:

Sarah Kate and Uncle Garland:

Best Buddies

Christopher and Will are definitely brothers--they can be the best of friends and sometimes the worst of enemies. It is so sweet to see them helping each other, to hear Christopher read to Will or explain something to him, or to see Will's eagerness to be just like his big brother. They love to act out fabulous superhero rescues, throw elaborate birthday parties for their stuffed animals, and put on orchestra concerts in the living room.

Last week, the boys were putting on an orchestra concert. Christopher had made sheet music and turned his chair into a music stand. They brought out all the instruments, and Will was supposed to be the musician. As I was working in the kitchen, I heard Christopher tell Will over and over again, "Will, you must look at the conductor at all times!" He repeated this at least a dozen times. He also instructed Will to look at his music. Finally, I heard Christopher say resignedly, "Will, maybe someday you will learn to look at the conductor at all times."



One special talent Will has is knowing just how to push Christopher's buttons. He knows exactly what to say and will say it with a completely straight face. He loves to inform Christopher that he will "never, never share __________" (fill in the blank with whatever toy Christopher desperately wants). Last week, the boys were playing in their room when I was summoned by Will's screaming. It turns out that Christopher had asked Will to praise God with him. Will replied, "We do not praise God!" So Christopher punched him in the back. Somehow, Christopher failed to see the irony in his behavior.

Thanks to our sweet girlfriends, Christopher and Will are well-prepared for having a sister. They are surprisingly knowledgeable about the world of princesses. On Sunday, I brought Sarah Kate out in a light blue dress for church. Christopher exclaimed, "She looks just like Cinderella!" Will joined in,"She looks just like Tinkerbell!" "No," Christopher corrected him, "Tinkerbell wears green. Cinderella wears blue. She looks like Cinderella."



And one more observation from Will, when Sarah Kate was crying in her crib: "Is our baby crying? She is kinda fuzzy." Don't you love hearing the things our kids think they hear us say? :)