A Baby No More

Well, my baby is moving more and more into little boyhood. This week, we have accomplished a feat that I wasn't sure would ever happen. I have completely weaned Micah off of Mommy's milk!! When I began nursing, I didn't think I would make it through the first week, let alone 17 1/2 months. Breastfeeding was very difficult at first, but a wonderful bonding experience. I was the only one who could fulfill that need, and I loved that! And boy did he ever love it too, once he finally got the hang of it. It had even gotten to the point of him asking for "mil, mil" and climbing into my lap and getting into position, which was so funny! But as he has gotten more and more active, he just didn't have the time to lay down and be still long enough to enjoy Mommy's sweet nectar. So bye-bye Mommy's milk! Weaning was alot easier than I thought it would be. He has only asked for it a couple of times in the last few days, but a quick suggestion of milk in a cup and he is satisfied. Now at least he can run around while drinking his "mil." My baby is a baby no more.

Favorite Summer Moments

Sorry it has been sooooooooo loooooooong since I last blogged anything. Micah is so busy these days, and so it is hard to find time to do anything. By the time he is in bed, I'm ready to collapse on the couch and just chill. But to get back in the swing of things, here are some of our favorite summer moments. By the way, Micah is now 17 months, has 7 teeth, walking, running, climbing and turning into a little boy. Our baby is gone, but we are so loving our amazing little boy!!

Can you see it?

Micah now has 2 teeth. His second tooth finally cut through this week. Isn't he just too cute!!!

Thanksgiving to Christmas

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog entry. Little boy has decided he is a night owl like his mommy and daddy which doesn't leave me much quiet time to blog. So this blog will be a catch-up of the last month.

For Thanksgiving we went to Tennessee to see my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. Mom and Dad went with us, and we had a great time. The car ride was quite long, and in total we were in the car for 4 days since we took 2 days up and 2 days back to keep Micah from being in the car for 12 straight hours. I think he did wonderfully considering being strapped in a carseat for 6 plus hours. It was so great to see my family, and for them to get to know Micah. The food was

great, and it was so nice to be with my family at Thanksgiving since we usually spend Thanksgiving with Wesley's family.

The first week of December began our busy Christmas season. The first weekend we were in the Middleburg Christmas parade with our youth group. It was a very cold night, and we had to bundle up.

The next weekend we had our youth Christmas scavenger hunt and Christmas party. This year I planned the night. The kids had a lot of fun, but it was at times very chaotic and stressful. I think I may retire from planning youth events. LOL! That week we also had family pictures taken and visited Santa with my nephews. Micah was not too keen on Santa.

The third weekend we took Micah to Disney for the first time for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas party. This is a tradition that Wes and I started last year. It is a night time event at the Magic Kingdom with special shows, fireworks, and parade. They serve free hot chocolate and cookies throughout the park and even make it snow on Main Street. We had so much fun last year that we convinced my parents to go with us this year to take Micah for the first time. Micah was wide-eyed (except when he was sleeping) just taking every thing in. The parade was so great and very special for this 1st time mommy as I watched my little boy experience the Magic for the first time. Wes and I love Disney, and we plan to take Micah many times in the future. I know he won't remember this trip, but I always will.

And finally it was Christmas. I have been waiting all year for this. Christmas is our favorite time of year and we couldn't wait to share it with Micah. We tried to celebrate 12 Days of Christmas, but with our busy schedules we just couldn't make it happen. Maybe next year. We celebrated Christmas Eve with Wesley's family, but opened one present with Micah before going so that he could open his very first present with just us. We just wanted to make every moment special for him. Christmas Eve was nice and calm with Wesley's family. Micah's favorite thing was the bows, which surprised me because he loves paper so much. Then Christmas morning we had our own time together, and then went over to my brother's for Christmas with my family and my 2 cute nephews. Their house was covered with toys and wrapping paper from the boys opening all their presents. Micah just sat back very calmly and quietly looking at all of Hovey and Hayden's mess. Although we encouraged our families not to get Micah too many things, he still walked away with quite a few new toys and clothes. We have had a lot of fun over the last 2 days checking out all the new toys. Christmas is so much fun with a little one to share it with.

As far as Micah goes these days, he is crawling all over the place, exploring every where he can get to, and pulling up on anything that will be still. He is loving his mobility, and has even gotten Hayden into the act now. They keep me very busy during the week, but it is so much fun to watch them explore.

It has been an exciting month. We hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas , and a Happy New Year!

Micah Crawled!!!

Halloween Fun

We had a lot of fun this past week preparing for and enjoying Micah's first Halloween. We started the week by carving our first pumpkin. It turned out pretty cute, and even Micah got his hands in the mess. However, we learned that pumpkins rot quickly, so next year we will use an artificial pumpkin instead.

Earlier in the month, I found the cutest costume for Micah, but I couldn't justify the cost. But this week, I went back to the store and found it on sale for $5. Score!!! So Micah was a cute little giraffe for Halloween. In our opinion, the cutest boy in the world!

We went over to Charlie and Laurie's to go Trick or Treating with Hovey and Hayden. They were both Gator football players. Hovey was Tebow, and Hayden was a linebacker. They were both so cute. Micah was quite tired and eventually fell asleep in the stroller, but not until he had claimed his first piece of candy. As we were walking down the street, Micah was holding on to his bucket, and then all of a sudden he dropped it. When we stopped to investigate, I found a Reese's cup in his tight little fist. He held onto that candy for the rest of that night, even when he fell asleep.

A Busy October

It's been a busy month, and I'm gonna do my best to get you caught up with us. The first weekend of October was my Dad's birthday (Oct. 3). Happy Birthday, Dad!

We met up with Dad, Mom, and Hovey in St. Augustine for a movie and dinner. We went to see Toy Story 1 & 2 in 3D. I hadn't watched those movies in so long, and I didn't even remember some of it. Of course, going to a movie with a baby and a 3 year old is always interesting. We did our best to keep Micah quiet and happy, and we took lots of trips to the bathroom and went on a few walks to keep Hovey quiet during a 3 hour movie marathon.

The following week, I kept Hovey along with both babies while he stayed away from the swine flu at his school. We painted, walked down to the park, and played Halloween dress up. Hovey is going to be a gator football man (Tebow) this year, but he wanted to dress up the babies. That was fun, and Micah and Hayden cooperated pretty well with us.

Our next big event was Marine Corps Bootcamp graduation for Thomas (one of our former youth) in Parris Island, SC. Over the last couple of years, we have gotten really close to Thomas, and so we wanted to be there for his graduation. This was the longest trip we had taken with Micah so far, and he did great. He slept all the way to Beaufort (3 hours). That night he stayed up a little later since he had such a great nap, and he rolled and rolled and rolled in our great big king size bed. He loved it!

The next day we headed to Parris Island. Being there was really neat for me since my dad had been stationed there while he was in the Marines School of Field Music. I had never been there, but remember dad always talking about being there every time we passed the exit on I95.

When the Marine Corps band started playing during the ceremony, I felt such pride, and tried to imagine my dad out there. Dad, I wish you could have been there; I know you would have enjoyed it very much.

The ceremony was really neat for a non-military person. We were so proud of Thomas, and scanned his platoon very carefully to find his face. Fortunately, he was the only Philipino face in his platoon. Afterward, we caught up with him for some pictures and some lunch. Congratulations, Thomas! We knew you could do it!

Finally, a picture for Aunt Traci, Aunt La and Uncle Charlie.

We put his jersey on the other night during the Gator game. But just to let you know, this little boy is a future Liberty grad! Go LU!

Happy Fall Y'all

Yeaaaa!!! It's fall! This is my favorite time of year, except for Christmas. When we lived in Virginia, I fell in love with fall. I never experienced fall as a kid, being a Florida girl, so every year at this time I put up as many fall decorations in my house as I can and cherish the memories of green leaves turning to beautiful reds, yellows and oranges. One fall thing we can experience is going to the pumpkin patch (although the pumpkin patch is on the side of one of our busiest roads with no beautiful fall trees in the background). So today we went as a family to pick out our first pumpkin. I have never carved a pumpkin before so this year we decided to start the tradition, so stay tuned for pics of our first jack 0'lantern. You can see our pumpkin sitting next to our other sweet little pumpkin. Micah wasn't so sure what to think about all of it, but in the end he even gave our pumpkin a nice big kiss.

To celebrate the beginning of fall, Micah painted a picture of a fall tree with a little help from me.

I love doing art projects with the boys, and this was his first of many to come. He didn't seem to mind his hand being dipped into the paint at all.

In other Micah news, he is beginning to pull up now onto his knees. He even made it onto all fours the other day. It won't be long until he is crawling all over the place.

Food, Teeth, and Deeper Still

Since I last blogged, Micah turned 6 months old. At his 6 month check-up, he weighed 17 lbs and was 27 inches. He is getting so big. He is eating well these days. He loves his baby food, especially fruit. Applesauce of any kind seems to be his favorite. He is even beginning to like green beans and peas. We started giving him a sippie cup, but he mainly just chews on it like everything else these days. He is teething, and we can't wait for those little teeth to pop through.

Last weekend, I took Micah to his first women's conference. We went with Mom and several thousand other women. The conference featured Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shirer, the 3 top women's speakers. It was incredible. Travis Cottrell lead the worship, and as always it was wonderful. It is so awesome to be in a worship service like that. I felt like I had had a spiritual workout after the first few songs. I loved it! The theme of the conference was Deeper Still, and I walked away knowing that I need to be continually going deeper in my relationship with God.

Check out the pics of our last few weeks. I take so many pictures of Micah that he has started smiling as soon as I point the camera at him. He is so cute! The other cute boy is my nephew Hayden. The Creeches are so lucky to have such cute boys!!!

A Few More Firsts

This week Micah started sitting by himself. It has been amazing to watch him develop this skill. He started just sitting between our legs or sitting up on our laps. He has been sitting up in the high chair quite well, but still wasn't able to balance himself enough to sit up on the floor by himself, until this week. I kept telling Wes that he was close to being able to do it, but he didn't believe me. So Wednesday, I was sitting on the floor in the youth room with Micah and Sasha, one of our youth. I wanted to show Sasha how close he was to doing it by himself, and then he sat there all by himself. I couldn't get Wesley's attention fast enough for him to see it, so he missed it. We have been practicing everyday, and everyday his balance gets better and better.

Another first, Micah drank out of a cup for the first time. Of course it was sweet tea, he is a southern boy after all. I have been giving him a few drinks of sweet tea with a straw. But last night he grabbed for my glass, so I let him have it. It was so cute, and he didn't want to let go.

Other Micah updates: He is a growing boy, around 16 lbs and 26 inches. He is outgrowing his carseat and is ready for the next size clothes, at least in his pajamas. He seems to get longer everyday and his feet are growing so much that the footed pajamas squish his toes. He has also learned to roll from his tummy back to his back, which helps him during the night to sleep more comfortably, resulting in sleeping through the night (Yea!!!!!!). I also think I may see some teeth down in his gums, so that toothless grin may not last much longer. He will be 6 months this Friday. Where has the time gone? He is such a wonderful boy. He is playful and fun, loves his Mommy and Daddy, and is so cute (everyone thinks so). We love our little boy, and thank God everyday for our very special gift. We love being Micah's parents!

Playtime in the bathtub

Micah has just recently found out that the bathtub isn't just for getting clean.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good"

I realize more and more how blessed I am. God has given me the desires of my heart (a wonderful husband and a sweet baby) and blessings beyond measure. This week I was reading in Jesus the One and Only by Beth Moore about Mary in the stable after Jesus was born and I was also thinking of a verse Wes used on Wednesday night. "Taste and see that the Lord is good." Wesley talked about how taste is a personal thing, and it hit me that we have a very personal God. He knows me. He loves me. He has a plan and a purpose for me. So often I guess I just think God has a generic purpose and plan that somehow we all fit into, but thinking about Mary and how God intervened in her life. He sent an angel to speak personally to her and tell her not to be afraid. He gave her Joseph who decided to care for her instead of dishonor her. He gave her an older wiser cousin in a similar situation to share this scary and wonderful time with. He sent the shepherds to celebrate with her. He met everyone of Mary's needs. He saw her heart, her fears, her concerns, and He met her every need. God does the same with me. He doesn't just send down blanket blessings for everyone to share. He hears our prayers. He knows our thoughts, fears, and desires. And He works in ways in my life that speak directly to me and in ways that apply to where I am. He knows me, and knows exactly what I need. He loves me in ways that no one else ever could because He knows me completely. What an awesome thing to know that I have a God who sees me right where I am and can always meet my every need, who can give me peace like no other, and can bless my life beyond measure just simply because He loves me and wants me to have a real relationship with Him. To Him, I give all glory and praise and all that I have just so that I may bless Him in return, although my offering seems so miniscule in comparison to all that He has given me.

Back to "Work"

Sorry it has been a few weeks since I have blogged. Life just got busy! Two weekends ago we went on our back to school retreat at Epworth by the Sea in St. Simons Island, GA. It was Micah's first youth trip. We had a great weekend with the youth, but keeping Micah from being a distraction during sessions and trying to keep him from waking the girls up at night was a real challenge. Our youth are alot of fun and surprise me at how much they really do listen. I am so proud of all of them, and we are looking forward to another great year. While we were there, we went to Summer Waves, and Micah got to splash around in the baby pool. He is able to do more and more these days, and it is so much fun!

This past week, I went back to "work". I am now keeping Hayden, my youngest nephew. My other nephew Hovey started preschool this week. I really miss having him with me everyday, but he was so excited about starting school. Laurie had to practically beg him to kiss her goodbye on his first day because he was too busy playing. I know he will do great at school, but I'm really going to miss my boy!

Having Micah and Hayden has given me a window into what it would be like to have twins because they are only 2 months apart. So far it hasn't been too difficult. The only challenge has been juggling their schedules so that they do not need to eat at the same time. I am looking forward to watching them grow up together. I am sure they will be the best of friends. The first day I had both of them, I put both of them in the crib while I cleaned up. Hayden was pitching a fit and crying, and Micah just looked at him like "what's wrong with you?" It was so funny. Yesterday, they started talking to each other. They were cooing and smiling at each other and responding to each other like they were having a conversation. It was so cute! Laurie and I think they will probably have their own secret language.

Beach Vacation '09

We have just spent the last week at the beach with Wesley's family. We had a great time. It was Micah's first vacation, and packing was a new adventure. I think I packed the whole house into our trunk. You don't realize how much stuff one little boy needs until you try to pack it. We had a great week. We took Micah down to the beach and put his feet in the water and sand, and we splashed around in the pool. It was really fun to watch Micah take everything in. He is a very observant little boy and enjoys checking out his surroundings. Being outside our norm is always tricky, and our schedule went out the door, which means sleeping through the night was no more. But Micah got caught up during the day down on the beach. He seemed to take his best naps while listening to the waves crash.

Since we were sharing a condo with Wesley's family, Micah got to spend alot of time entertaining them. Micah loves Hunter, and Hunter is so good with him. Micah also loves his Aunt Traci, and just laughs at her all the time. Micah also spent a lot of time loving on Nana and watching Papa. I think our little boy really enjoyed himself this week. Mommy on the other hand is very tired, and needs a vacation from vacation.

If you want to see more pictures from our vaction and the last month, check out flipflopmommie.com.

Micah's first photo shoot

Last week we took Micah to have some pictures taken. His best smiles were off camera, but we still got some cute shots. Enjoy!