summer, please slow down

July 24th.  When did that happen?  Didn't school JUST get out? 

Did we skip June this year? 

It has been far from a slow, snail-paced summer.  Our little family has been busy, busy, busy and we have less than two weeks to spend together :pass the Kleenex: before we have to head back to the "real world" of work and daycare. 

Since everybody swears to me that June DID exist, then we must've participated in it.  In my defense, school didn't even get OUT until June 4th.  That is so LATE!  I'm just sayin'. 

Back to June.  Oh yeah, that was the month where we....

*spent a wonderfully relaxing week at Mahoney State Park celebrating Micah's Papa's retirement from Union Pacific after 30 alot years

*traveled to Denver for Micah's Aunt Nicolle's wedding, where he got to dress up in his fancy-pants clothes with his daddy and help celebrate her new life together with his now Uncle Matt

*had a week home with Daddy so Mommy could finish up one of her last 2 graduate courses

*took Micah for his adenoid surgery in hopes of helping his little nose function better

*got to have LOTS of visitors at our house!  Grandma and "Poppy" came to visit from California for two weeks, Uncle Jon and cousin Joseph were here, along with Auntie Kat and Uncle Eric and cousins Gavin and Caleb, and even Auntie Kim and Uncle Aaron got to join us.  13 people in our 1500 square foot house.  There may not have been a lot of room, but there was a lot of laughter, love, and memories made. 

And, then July walked in the door and kicked June out on its tail.  What did we do then? 

We relaxed.......

Riiiiiiight.  Maybe you weren't listening closely when I explained what June was like.....July has been no better! 

Well, this month we have....

*spent the 4th of July weekend in Kansas City for a family reunion with the King side of the family (hence why all of the above-mentioned people were actually in town)

*had playdates with our good friends Megan and Carson, Crissy and Kylee, Missy and Logan, and Megan and Seamus at the movies, the splash station and gymnastics

*spent ANOTHER week with Daddy while Mommy took her very last class of her graduate program

*spent a weekend in Sioux City for a family reunion with the Allan side of the family

And here we find ourselves, heading into the last full week of summer.  Why?  Why does it have to go so fast?

i got nothin'

I don't have anything brilliant to share with you. 

My brainpower right now is reserved for the last 12 HOURS of my graduate program.  All circuits are firing and preparing to finish what has taken 6 years of my life. 

So I got nothin'. 

Except for some (what I would call) ADORABLE pictures of Micah.  Really they're just pictures of some of our fun summer adventures, but I just happen to think he's the cutest thing around.  (It's okay, if you're a friend of mine with a little one, you can totally disagree and I TOTALLY GET IT.)

Don't mind me while I drool over my firstborn....

Check out my jumping skills!  I know, I'm already fielding calls from the Olympic committee....I don't want anybody to see my face or the paparazzi will come in droves!

Who put this in my way?

You can run, but you can't hide!

And take THAT - it's a kiss.  Or a bite.  Or simply an easy way to pick up toddler germs.

Okay, I'm done now.  What do we do next?

Yep, I can finally do it all by myself!

See?  Yay me!

owie, mama

Before surgery

Playing in the playroom while I wait in my stylin' surgery jammies

After surgery.  They gave me medicine to make me sleep because I was pretty upset when I got back to mommy and daddy.  I was angry about the tube they put down my throat to help me breathe.....the IV they stuck in my hand.....and everything else they did to me. 

Using my crib at the hospital - Mommy and Daddy said might as well use it, we're paying for it!

Look what they did to my hand!  At least I got a bear for the other hand.

Hanging out waiting for recovery to be over so I can go home to my OWN bed!

what the docs say

Today was full of doctor visits.  Two follow-ups from last summer, one to figure out what's been wrong this weekend.  

Appointment #1, pediatrician.  Short version - what he has now/had this weekend is called herpangina, which is a form of hand, foot and mouth disease.  He has small blisters or open sores all over the back of his throat.  Hence, why he won't eat or drink ANYTHING.  It's viral.  Nothing we can do except treat his fever and offer him cold drinks.  Very contagious, very common in the summer.  It appears to be running rampant through daycare right now.  Good thing school's out for summer, or we'd be out of sick days! 

Appointment #2, ENT.  Micah had tubes put in last summer and has dealt with acid reflux since he was a baby, so this appointment was a 6 month re-check after our last visit in December to see how both the tubes and the reflux issue are doing.  It came at the right time, though, because he has been dealing with a chronic congestion problem.  His nose is so stuffed up that he cannot breathe through it when he's eating, he cannot breathe with a binky in, he snores at night and often wakes himself up, and NOTHING we have tried for the last 6-8 months has worked.  Saline drops, suction bulbs, decongestants, allergy medicines, they have all failed to give him any relief.  He has had 5 or 6 sinus infections already.  We just completed a 30-day run of Augmentin in hopes of clearing up any residual sinus infection he has, and that was also completely ineffective.  Nothing is working, so we are moving on to the next step.


His ENT and pediatrician both feel that he would benefit from having his adenoids taken out.  He is scheduled to have an adenoidectomy on Tuesday, June 22nd.  The ENT also plans to do an ear exam while he is under anesthesia.  One of his tubes has already come out and the other is on its way.  If there is any fluid in his ears the day of surgery, she will put another set of tubes in after his adenoids are out.  Hopefully this will be the solution because he sounds miserable, and we are at a loss as to what to do for him.  His ENT is very optimistic that this will really help, so we are "looking forward" to surgery day and some relief for Micah!

Appointment #3, urologist.  When I was pregnant with Micah, he had a small amount of fluid in his kidneys that we were told would "resolve itself" by birth.  It didn't, so he sees a urologist just to monitor him once a year or so.  It has never been a cause of significant concern, just something we keep an eye on.  He has had several ultrasounds of his kidneys and bladder since birth to monitor the fluid level, done at 6 months, a year, and now 21 months.  Last Friday's 21 month ultrasound, we were hoping, might be his last.  Today's visit with the doctor revealed that there is still a small amount of fluid in each kidney.  It doesn't affect him on a day to day basis, but because it is considered an "abnormal" ultrasound result, his urologist will repeat the ultrasound next June.  Clean bill of health other than that!

Let's.....go......ROYALS!!!

This weekend, we took a trip to Kansas City to see the Royals Game at Kauffman Stadium.  It was a short trip - we left yesterday around noon and got home today around noon.  Before the game last night, we discovered Zona Rosa - an outdoor mall that looks waaaay more fun as a date night than a daytime trip with a toddler.

It was 94 degrees yesterday.

Game time was 7:05.....or so we thought.  We arrived at the stadium, parked 829 miles away, and hiked in.  It was STILL 94 degrees.  Micah got a certificate for it being his first Royals game, and we saved it for the scrapbook I may eventually get to.  I know, I'm a bad mom.

Did I mention it was still 94 degrees?

Oh yeah, and it was the fourth inning when we arrived.  The 7:05 start was actually a 6:05 start.

Still 94 degrees.  Might have gone down to 93 but don't quote me on that.

Micah was sick.  We didn't know it.  Just thought he was overheated.  We let him walk around in a diaper and sandals.  It was a bold fashion statement, I thought.  Maybe he'll be a trendsetter.  He sure did attract all the drunk 20 somethings who made comments like, "Why can't I walk around like that?"  Uh, because there are laws against things like that.  He's 20 months old.  You're 25.  'Nuff said.

Temps still in the 90's.  (The air temps, not Micah's temps.  No, his were much higher, we later discovered.)  We gave up and left at the bottom of the 8th inning.  Back at the hotel, Micah screamed and shivered all the way through his bath - maybe that should've been a clue that something was wrong, but this "seasoned" mom didn't pack a thermometer.

Today, he woke up with a fever.  Packed up and drove home.  102 degrees by lunch.  103 degrees tonight.  Ate almost nothing all weekend.  Off to the doctor in the morning. 

More news later.

we're already there

Dear sweet Micah,

For one and a half years, we have known TRUE joy.  

For 18 months, you have loved US unconditionally. 

For 78 weeks, we have looked into your deep brown eyes.

For 546 days, we have held you like nothing else mattered.  

For 13,104 hours, you have been the center of our family.

For 786, 240 minutes, we have seen the face of God. 

Today is your 18 month birthday and it both PAINS and PLEASES us to think about where the time has gone.

PAINS us because we cannot believe how incredibly fast it went. 

It seems like it was just yesterday that we held you in our arms for the very first time, our hearts so full of a bundle of emotions that we just about burst.  I remember looking down at you, amazed at how handsome you were (and still are) and humbled by the idea that God had hand-picked us to be your parents.  You looked like a tiny, little old man!  We marveled at how "perfect" you were and we looked forward to many days, months, and years of memories and times together.

There are moments I miss...such as when I could hold you in my arms without you trying to crawl out...or when you fit in your infant seat...or feedings that didn't involve food in your hair...or bathtime that didn't include flooding my house...or not having to install baby gates because you just weren't mobile yet.....or when you fit in your infant seat...or those tiny little clothes that inexplicably used to fit you....or when you sat/laid quietly in church....or when I could make dinner without stepping on you.....or when you used to fit in your infant seat. 

PLEASES me because of the millions of memories you and Daddy and I have been blessed to have together.   

And here we are, already looking back.  Looking back over the past 18 months of your life and remembering all the things you've done and accomplished.  With pride.  With joy.  Still humbled.  Yet, so much more in love with you than we were even 18 months ago - if that is even possible.

There are moments I smile back on....such as the first day you crawled, back in March of 2009.....or watching your excitement anytime you heard people clapping because you were just SO CONVINCED they were clapping for you....or when you started sleeping longer and longer at night...or participating in Swim Baby classes with you and seeing the pure joy you felt at being in the water.....or the day you started walking on October 24, 2009 and everything within reach became YOURS, or so you thought.....or when you discovered all my "mommy products" in the bathroom and made a chain of them all around the house....or when we discovered how much you loved pizza....or watching you play chase with Daddy.....or taking notice of how much of a ham you are and how you have NO social anxiety.....or most recently, watching you fold your hands one day at church when we prayed together?  That moment was one of the proudest of my young mommy life - it brought tears to my eyes. 

Celebrating this milestone with you, small as it might be to others, means that we have been blessed to have you as part of our family for 18 entire months.  Not everybody can say that, so we feel like some of the richest people in the world.

There isn't a brag book in the world big enough to share all your accomplishments, but here are a few of the things you are up to these days....

*eating with a fork in your right hand and using your left hand to pick up the food - or vice versa (sometimes we think it's just a prop, though)

*you love to push the button on the garage wall to close the door and you jump up and down and squeal with excitement when it starts moving

*you love to use brooms, swiffers, and rakes on the carpet....the deck....the garage floor....it's one of your favorite things to do

*now that it's warmer outside, you love to play outside so much that when it's time to go in, tantrums and meltdowns happen

*your favorite foods are pizza, chicken nuggets, peaches, strawberry applesauce, and macaroni and cheese

*you hate to eat beef, pineapple, fishsticks, and anything you can't examine thoroughly before eating

*you love, love, love......did I mention LOVE?......to reach back and play with mommy's hair

*you seem to understand the words "bath", "fold your hands", "kiss", and "say bye-bye"

*your special time with Daddy includes playing chase around the couch, but you usually stop running as soon as he gets close to you and just watch him

*peek-a-boo is one of your favorite games

*you have an unnatural addiction to Daddy's PS3 controller

*words you can say include "mama, dada, kitty, hiya, uh-oh, uckies, goggie, no, yeah, huh-huh-huh (hot), top (stop), ow"

*playing with anything that has buttons - remotes, cameras, car keys, the dishwasher, the water dispenser on the fridge (you'll never do THAT again! well, actually you probably will....)

*there is nothing you enjoy more than reading books with us - over and over and over again - never more than a few pages at a time

*bathtime is a blast in your world, and you've learned how to dump cupfuls of water over the edge of the tub - you've also learned to "fall" in and out of the tub

*you help us flush your "uckies" down the toilet when we change your diaper

*you can sing "E-I-E-I-" but not "O"

*you are getting good at brushing your teeth

*you love anything Elmo

*you're sleeping 11-12 hours at night, and you're happiest with a pillow in your bed and your teddy nearby

*you are trying to switch from 2 naps a day to 1

*if you had your way, diapers would be optional (good thing you're not in charge yet!)

*you "help" with laundry by pulling it out of the basket after it's been folded

*you like to help Daddy unload the dishwasher together

*you like to put groceries away, but you think EVERYTHING goes in the meat drawer in the fridge

*you remind us to pray before dinner by folding your hands and looking expectantly at us - but then you fold them after EVERY SINGLE BITE (yes, Daddy and Jesus and I are very proud)

*you are absolutely terrified of dogs - but when you see one walking by on our street, you run down the driveway after it, calling "goggie NO" and shaking your finger at it

*you tend to run faster than your little feet can go - but hopefully never faster than your little angels can fly

And why do we love you so much and so deeply?  Simply because you are Micah David.  There is nobody on earth that has been created to be like you.  You have your own little personality, your own little quirks that make you who you are.  Because you have brought us so much indescribable joy that at times, it feels like there's nothing in this world that could make us happier than to have you in our lives forever.

You have grown up from a tiny baby to a toddler, and you have changed in so many ways.  I don't wish for the times we've already shared to come back, because those times were special in that season of your life.  These times that we have together now, that is what Daddy and I cherish.  We love watching you learn.  Watching you play.  Watching you change.

Our family is more complete because of you.  Our days are full of joy because of you.  We are better parents because of you.  Because of you, we know now what it truly means to love deeply and unconditionally, speak kindly, and show mercy.  

Thank you, baby boy.

All our love,
Mommy and Daddy

we call him micah(langelo)

This is a picture of our brand new sectional, that cost us a pretty penny. 

This is a cushion of our brand-new sectional, after Micah found a pen laying around. 

Any questions?