Reflections...

There is nothing I love more than being a mom... the only thing I wish I could change or do differently is to find the "pause" button once in a while. I can't believe how fast this year has gone! My little boy will be 1 tomorrow!! As I sit here thinking about all the preparations that still need to be made for his party tomorrow, my mind is wandering back to this time last year.... Aaron and I were at Evanston hospital, and baby "Boo" (since we didn't know if Micah was a Micah or a little girl) was officially on the way! The induction started at about 8 pm, and we waited. We tried to get some sleep, but anyone who has ever been in a hospital knows that that is NOT the best place to get a good night's sleep! :) Between doctors and nurses coming in to check vitals and all of the various monitors I was hooked up to, I think we got about 2 hours of decent sleep... maybe. The next day, we did more waiting. I did actually get a little bit of sleep, in between checks from the doctors, but once I got the epidural and things really started happening, any chance of resting was over. I found myself laughing to myself every time a nurse would come in and ask me to change positions... I wanted to ask them if they'd ever had an epidural before and wanted to try rolling over with what felt like tree trunks attached to the lower half of my body! :) I was asked to roll to my right side, then to my left side, then back onto my back, and then only slightly to the right or left... but I was compliant... willing to do whatever I had to do to make sure "Boo" was ok. I think I also wanted to ask if they wanted me to stand on my head at one point, but I managed to restrain myself. :) Wouldn't THAT have been a sight?!? :)

Finally, at about 6:00 pm, the doctor came in and explained why I had been flipped like a pancake for the past several hours... the baby's heart rate was dropping with every contraction, and they were trying to see if changing positions alleviated that. At this point, I was not quite to the pushing stage of labor, and the doctor said the baby was showing signs of distress. It was starting to take longer for his heart rate to go back up after each contraction, and they were keeping a close eye on that. But, he gave me the option of waiting another hour to see if labor progressed to where I could start pushing, or going ahead with a c-section right then and getting the baby out. While I would have preferred not to have had a c-section, the most important thing to me at the moment was making sure my baby was ok, so I said, "let's do this", and things REALLY started moving! I was wheeled into the operating room and prepped, while Aaron put on his scrubs and called the family to let them know what was going on. And at 6:41 pm, Micah Robert entered the world and changed our lives forever!

What a blessing he is! There just aren't words to express how amazing this first year of parenting has been! There are so many firsts... his first smile, the first time he rolled over, his first words, ("mama", which melts my heart every time I hear it!) learning to crawl, and now walk, among so many others. It has been amazing to see him develop his own personality and observe what a riot he can be at times! I love when he gets this sly grin on his face like, watch out world! :) And when he puts his head down and kicks his crawling into high gear... hilarious!

No book I could have ever read could have prepared me for how much I would love this baby who, at first, really couldn't express love back to me. It brings tears to my eyes as I think that this is how God loves each and every one of us... so unconditionally and without asking anything in return. What a tremendous gift! I've heard lots of people say that you don't really know how much you can love someone until you're holding your own child, and I've always believed them, but experiencing it myself takes that to a whole new level. One I can't ever hope to explain or describe... I only hope that if your desire is to have children one day that God blesses you with them and the privilege of experiencing love like this. And I pray that even if kids aren't your desire or God's plan for you, that you will experience His love in a deep and profound way, and that will fill you completely, as only He can.

This has been an incredible year! Micah is an incredible gift from an amazing God, and not a day goes by that Aaron and I don't praise the Lord for blessing our lives with him! Every day is an adventure with Micah, and I love that I get to be on this adventure with him.

Happy birthday, my sweet Micah! Your daddy and I love you more than you will ever know!

Winter fun ~

I love winter time. No, I don't love the freezing cold temperatures, or the biting wind that we get living in the outskirts of the "windy city", but the snow is beautiful, and I just love this time of year! One of our family traditions is going to cut down our Christmas tree. I grew up with a fake tree, but Aaron, being the Yooper that he is, won't stand for a fake tree. So, for the past 3 years we've gone and cut down a tree to decorate for the Christmas season. In 2008, the first year Aaron and I were married, we were in the U.P. before Christmas, and I got to do the honors of cutting down the tree! I felt like my Yooper status was more solidified after that experience! :)



Last year, 2009, I was as big as a house... about to give birth to Micah... so my cutting down our tree really wasn't an option. We went to Richardson's and Aaron did the honors. I don't have any pictures of the tree being cut down, but I do have one of our little family in front of the tree (about a minute before all the decorations were taken down and put away... by my wonderful husband and brother and his girlfriend, Julie... while I put our newborn baby to bed)


And this year, on a beautiful snowy Sunday, we went to a place in Burlington, WI to get our tree. I felt a little bit like Chevy Chase in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as it took us quite a while to get to this place, and I was starting to wonder where Tracy and Eric were taking us! :) We got there eventually, and had a lot of fun picking out our Christmas tree with Micah riding on his new sled from Uncle Eric and Aunt Tracy.

Micah and Emma in the snow ~

The lens must have gotten a little wet for this picture... but that blur is Aaron, showing Micah how to cut down a Christmas tree

Playing with Uncle Eric in the snow

I love the looks on Micah's face in these next few pictures!

Our family with our Christmas tree ~

And the finished, decorated product... we decided to put it up on our coffee table in an effort to keep Micah from getting to it. So far, that has proved unsuccessful as he is one determined little guy! Thankfully, he hasn't pulled it over on himself, or managed to pull anything off... but the Christmas season isn't over yet! We've only had 3 ornaments broken so far... and I blame Aaron and me for those casualties, since we gave Micah the ornaments to play with, thinking they were "safe" and wouldn't break easily. Ha! Never underestimate "hurricane Micah"! :)


But aside from working overtime trying to keep Micah away from the tree, I think our house looks pretty festive. We won't be home on Christmas this year, as it's our year to be with Aaron's family in the U.P., so we kept it pretty simple. We thought about not even getting a tree, but because it's Micah first Christmas, we decided the tree was a must! And what a fun family tradition to include our son in!

It's going to be a busy spring! :)

Well, I didn't accomplish my goal of having our blog updated on California within our first week of being home, but it IS updated, and that's good enough for me. :) Now I can move on to other news... which you might have already figured out, either by being super observant, or through the grapevine. Here's one last shot to get it on your own... it's kind of hard to see since the shirts are a little big, and if anyone knows a better way to get kids under the age of about 14 to sit up straight for a picture, I'm all ears!


...and here's a better picture of the tee shirt that made our announcement for us: (it was easier to just take a picture of the shirt rather than try to get Micah to sit still and up long enough to get a good shot) :)


Micah is going to be a big brother! #2 is on the way! Our "official" due date is June 6, but baby #2 will most likely be here before the end of May. Because I'm diabetic, the doctors most likely won't let me go past 39 weeks. Micah was born 11 days before his due date, so we'll see when #2 decides to arrive! The other exciting part of this announcement is that my sister, Lisa, is also expecting #2! Her "official" due date is May 12, but there's not a lot to be said for that date, since her "official" due date for Luke was April 3 and he didn't make his appearance until April 12. :) But due dates aside, we're VERY excited to be parents again, and the fact that my sister is also pregnant makes it that much more fun! The only ones who might not be enjoying that fact are my parents as they're on the search for that black hole that will get them from California to Illinois in 5 seconds flat since Lisa's and my due dates are so close! :) No... they are beyond thrilled and can't wait to have their brood of grandchildren doubled! Needless to say, it's going to be a busy spring!

Lisa and me with our baby bumps ~

And for your reading enjoyment, I found this on a friend's blog and found myself laughing out loud as I read it. You'll have to tell me what your thoughts are on this

"Hilarious Letter About Pregnancy"

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women, as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, 'surely she doesn't mean me,' - then you should probably read this twice.

1.) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is, "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an idiot!!

2.) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father - not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby".

3.) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it.

4.) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix, or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5.) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight - ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about to pop, must be having twins, looks swollen, or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invites her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "you look fabulous!"

6.) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer even when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes.

7.) There is a reason that tickets to Labor and Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, mother-in-law, or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals.Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents.

8.) Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital, and the parents' home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If you assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9.) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluids from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10.) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth, or ask you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

California... part 6 ~ the final days

We had an absolutely wonderful time in California with the DeBoers! The tail end of our vacation was even more laid back and relaxing than the first few days were... if that's even possible... in that we didn't really go anywhere or do anything outside of the house. We decided to stay close to home and let the boys get some good naps, rather than continue running ourselves ragged chasing all over southern California. :) But we found plenty to do at home to keep everyone happy. Since it was a little chilly outside (and the adults didn't really want to sit outside and watch the boys play) we got creative and brought outside in!

Setting up the slide in the kitchen ~

Luke at the top ~

Here comes Micah ~

What a face!

As Great Grandma Phillips would say, "Whee!"

Trying a different approach to the top ~

We did get some time outside, once the sun came out and it warmed up a little bit...

All those toys lying around and Micah finds a bowl to play with

And we made one last trip to Frugos for some frozen yogurt and a few pictures of the boys... more on their shirts later :)



At the end of yet another fun-filled day, it was bath time! And what's more fun than bath time with a buddy? :) I think I was almost as wet as the boys were by the time we were done, but everyone had fun and there were no serious spills in the tub... meaning, no bumped heads or anything like that. There were plenty of spills with the water going everywhere, but what do you expect from a 19 month old and an 11 month old? :)

Luke helping Micah get that oh-so-hard-to-reach spot ~

Bubble boys ~

The next morning, we got a few more pictures taken before heading to the airport.

Grannie Jannie had sent Thanksgiving bibs for the boys, so naturally we had to get a picture of them in the bibs! :)

Matt on a gopher hunt ~

It was hard to say goodbye, but we couldn't have asked for a better vacation spent in better company! So thanks, DeBoers, for opening your home to us for the week and for making our vacation so memorable! We love you guys and miss you tons!!

Playing at the airport ~

Zonked out after a wonderful vacation ~

California... part 5 ~ Thanksgiving

We are truly blessed! There is always so much to be thankful for, but I just love this time of year when the focus is mostly on being thankful. This year, I am thankful for my sister and her family, and for the amazing opportunity to spend Thanksgiving with them... among many other things! Not only was this a Thanksgiving full of blessings and things to be thankful for, it was also a Thanksgiving of a lot of firsts. It was Micah's first Thanksgiving, it was our first time celebrating Thanksgiving in California, I'm not sure about this one, but it might have been Matt's first time carving a turkey by himself, (there was some online research being done on how to do this) and it was my first time preparing an entire Thanksgiving meal with no help or guidance from mom or dad! Granted, I didn't do it on my own... I did have help from a seasoned Thanksgiving meal preparer, my sister... so maybe this "first" doesn't really count, but we had a blast working together to get everything ready, and the end result was delicious!

Warming up those stomachs for our feast later on

Luke helping me make cheesecake... yum!

Is it done yet??

Lisa and Matt with the bird ~

Our buffet line

The chefs with our labor of love ~

Dig in! I love how Lisa and Matt are the only ones who could pull themselves out of their plates to smile for the camera! :)

Even Micah was a huge fan of the meal! I have NEVER seen this kid eat so much! And usually, whenever I give him meat of any kind, he puts it in his mouth and promptly spits it right back out again. Not this time! Our turkey was delicious!! :)

"Get your own, Luke!" ;)

Luke had just woken up from his nap as the food was being put out, so he wasn't too interested in eating right away. Eventually he did sit with Lisa and eat a bit, but before too long had to get up again and play with Micah.

Mmmmmm

After dinner playtime. No tryptophan sleepies for these guys!

The boys were gracious enough to clean up the dishes afterwards... check Lisa's blog for pictures of Luke and Micah "helping" too :)

Relaxing after a job well done

Later that night, some friends of Lisa and Matt's stopped by with an apple pie for dessert. Add that to the peppermint chocolate chip cheesecake Luke helped me make, and we were in sugar heaven! :)

Micah sitting with Suzanne... Matt, Mike and Mike's son, Carter are at the table in back.

Luke and Carter playing

I think this Thanksgiving gets the prize, in my book, for my favorite Thanksgiving to date. It was so much fun making up a menu, preparing everything, and doing it all with my sister! We missed the rest of our families back home, of course, but had a wonderful time just the same. Let's do this again next year! ;)