The Little Thief

Two days ago we were heading out for a day of fun and swimming at Uncle Marcus'. Right before we left, Ryan was looking for his sunglasses. He looked in all of the usual spots and could not find them. So, I took my turn and I looked all over and I could not find them either. So we took off without them.

When we got home, we did a little more searching...but, no luck. All of the guys took a nap and I looked a little more...no sunglasses. Right before Ryan left for a youth night with our church, we did one more search. Still, no sunglasses.

We did all of the things people do when trying to find something they've lost. We retraced his steps from the last time we remembered him wearing them, we looked in all the obvious and not-so obvious spots (for the third time). Nothing.

The next morning we started getting ready to head out to do some shopping for Ryan's classroom. Jonas was playing in our room while Ryan was shaving and I was cleaning up in the boys' rooms. Micah was playing in the playroom. He was playing in the ball-pit tent....his favorite. Out he emerges...with....low and behold......yes, Ryan's sunglasses!! I don't know why I didn't think to look there. A few days ago, Jonas found some other miscellaneous items that Micah had carried in there.

This kid is such a hoot!!! I love his spunky personality! He is so much fun and everyday is a new adventure with him!!!

Caught red-handed

"Yes...I had them the whole time!!!"

Micah is 10 Months Old!

Our busy little Micah

Click here to see pics of Micah from the last month

Oh my, we are getting closer to the one year mark!! I cannot believe it has already been 10 months since our little Micah was born. We just went to one of his buddies first birthday and the reality started to set in that we are going to be celebrating Micah's first birthday very soon!

It's been a very busy month for Micah. He took his first of many trips to Schlitterbahn with Ryan's side of the family. He was not too wild about the water park...but, I'm willing to bet that is going to change soon. He did get to have some special one-on-one time with Ma-Ma while Ryan, Jonas and I went to the park.

A couple of weeks later, we took a family trip out to Monahans to visit my side of the family. It was the first time my grandparents got to meet Micah, so it was a very special trip for me. It was a great family reunion....read my previous blog to see all about it!!

Lately, Micah has been all over the place. He's pulling up on everything and trying to climb up on things...anything he can pull his little legs up on to. He has stood up on his own without holding on quite a few times...but, as soon as he takes a step he falls right back down. (That's ok with me....I'm not ready for him to walk, yet.) He is becoming more independent each day. He used to get sooooo upset when I would walk 3 feet away from him or out of his sight. The last few days he has been leaving my side!! Today he kept going into different rooms...without me!! Yea, Micah! I actually could not find him at one point.....yes, he's getting to be very adventurous!

He also has a growing appetite. If you ever get the chance to spend some time with us during a meal, it is quite the sight to behold to see him eat. He loves food!! He talks through his whole meal. Really, I think he is telling to me or Ryan to keep the food coming! It's amazing how much he eats and how he slowly puts on the weight....I so wish I had his metabolism!!

His little personality is really blossoming, too. He love, loves, loves his brother. Jonas can walk into the room and and Micah will get so excited! He goes right to him. I love to see how Jonas is with him, too. He's an amazingly sweet and kind big brother (who has his moments, too). Micah is talking a lot more, too. He "talks" to us all of the time. He uses basically one sign all of the time...and it's his own version of "more." He shakes his right hand up and down at us....he's so cute!

So, we have two months to go. I wonder what he'll accomplish in that time?!?!

Current Stats:
Weight--16lb. 1oz.
Length--28in.
Teeth--4
Nursings--2 (Morning and night now...that's awesome!)
Meals--3 per day
Snacks--3 per day
Morning nap--30-45 minutes (I guess he's working his way out of it)
Afternoon nap--1.5 hours
Favorite toys--The remote controls, cell phones, house phones, ABC magnets on the fridge (don't worry...the magnet is incased in the plastic), the Swiffer Sweeper, his little football...and of course...his paci's.
Favorite foods--blueberries, mashed potatoes, sweet peas, lasagna, Magic Pops rice cakes, all other types of rice cakes, goldfish, pears, bananas, lucky charms, pizza, and powdered sugar donuts! (Don't worry...we feed him a lot of healthy foods, too....that's why these are his favorites.)

Head West Young Men (and Lady)

The boys at my grandparents' house in Monahans, TX

Click here to see the rest of the pics

Well, I think it's sad to say that since Ryan and I have been married, we have only trekked out to my original home town only 3 times! We went once without any kids (right before our first anniversary), again when Jonas was about 6 months and we just made it back there for the third time. We had such a great time...I'm hoping we can get back there at least once a year...if not twice.

It's a fairly easy drive....although, throw two little ones into the mix and you never know what can happen. Our drive from FW to Monahans was as smooth as can be...we stopped once for lunch and diaper changes and one more time to fill up the car. The trip home was a whole other story.....I won't get too specific...but, let's just say that a certain little baby put everything into his mouth the whole vacation so, his tummy had had more than it could handle.

It was so nice to see all of my grandparents, my aunt and uncle, my cousins and their families, and even my parents, my sister and her husband. We were all present!!! Great family reunion. It was so good for my grandparents to see our boys (and finally meet Micah) and even better for my boys to see their Great-Grandparents! I am so thankful for all of my family and want my children to know, understand, and value how much family truly means to your life!!!

Summer Fun

Click here to see all our Summer Fun!!

We're having a great time this summer! It's been amazing to have Ryan home and to be able to go and do things without worrying about taking time off!! In the last few months we've been able to see ALL of our family....that's awesome!!

Since Memorial Day, we've been to Houston twice, my parents came up here for a visit, we went to San Marcos, to Schlitterbahn, and we just got back from Monahans (pics and blog to follow after this one). Something else that we have enjoyed doing is driving to nearby towns to spend the afternoon in the town square...something Ryan came up with and we've had so much fun on our little day trips!

We've had an amazing time this summer. It's beginning to come to a close. Ryan will go back to work in two weeks! Wow! I've applied for several jobs with our school district and some surrounding districts...but, no news yet. I'm beginning to wonder....what do you want me to do, God?!

We still have a little bit more time to enjoy our days together...so be on the lookout....we might have more Summer Fun to share with you!!

Micah is 9 months old!!

What a cutie!!! I love this picture! Micah is getting bigger and bigger each day...I cannot believe that in just a few months we will be celebrating his first birthday. I was just talking to Ryan a day or two ago about this time last year. I was getting anxious about this guy's arrival....and now look how fast the time has flown!

Here is a link for the past month's pictures. Micah is 9 months!

Our little guy is allllllll over the place. He is much more adventurous than big brother....maybe, because he has Jonas to show him all the tricks of the trade. As soon as Micah figured out crawling, there was no stopping him. It's incredible how fast he can find and get into "trouble." Trouble Spot #1 is Turner's food bowl and water. Trouble Spot #2 is the bathtub. He moves around so much I can barely grab him to get him washed. Trouble Spot #3 is the living room. We have put up as many barricades as we can to prevent him from escaping around the side of our fireplace ( bc I kept freaking out every time he went near it) just so that he could make a bee-line back to Trouble Spot #1.

He is having the time of his life. In the evenings, we play chase with Jonas. Recently, Micah has figured out the game and has joined in on the fun. He will come after me and "chase" me and Jonas and then when we turn around and it's my turn to chase the boys...he'll turn and around and crawl away as fast as he can....laughing all the way!! He is such a happy boy....well, except for when he's tired, hungry or mad because I give him to someone else to hold (yes, momma's boy!).

He is pulling up on everything and chewing on it during the process. He'll let go of things as if he is just going to take off walking...I'm afraid he's going to do it sooner than I'd like. (He's such a little guy and I don't want him to get hurt.) He loves to dance, too. When any music comes on, he starts to move and groove!

Like I said, he's chewing on everything. If he can put it into his hand...or...if he can just get his face up to it...it's a chewing toy. It's so funny because Jonas hardly ever chewed on anything. *Read below to learn about some of Micah's favorite teething toys.

Two weeks ago, he got Roseola. He woke up one morning with a fever and it would come and go all day for about 4 days. Finally, the fever broke and then came the little rash. It would not have been so bad if were not for the fact that he was one very unhappy camper. It took him a little over a week to get back to normal. One thing about Micah, if he does not like something...he'll let you know...loudly. He'll also make the entire neighborhood or restaurant know, too.

At his 9 month check up the doctor said he was looking good...even for a little guy like him. The only thing that came back a little upsetting was that his iron levels were low. I'm guessing since he's only breastfed and because he moved on from baby food so quickly (which is when we added the cereal for his iron), he just did not have enough iron in his blood. So, he is now taking an iron supplement each day and they will recheck his levels at 12 months. Please be praying for him. There is research about children with low iron and it can effect their cognitive development as they get older....but, we are praying and believing that he will be just fine...so, please agree with us.

Looking forward the what the next month will bring....until then....

Current Stats:

Weight--15lb. 13 oz. in the 3rd percentile. Yes!! There are children smaller than him!
Length--28 in. 60th percentile
Feedings--3 a day
Meals--3 big ones
Snacks--2 big ones and maybe another small one :)
Teeth--3, two on bottom and 1 on top...but, 3 more are trying to come in on top. Crazy!
Favorite foods--Blueberries, yogurt, toast and jelly, mashed potatoes, steamed sweet potatoes, applesauce, sweet peas, tortillas, mac and cheese with broccoli, cheese and crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and of course.....the sweets...ice cream, cake and just recently... powdered sugar donuts.
Words--momma, dadda, lalalalalala....he says them, but does not understand them
Signs--more, eat, dog, and bird
Favorite "chew" toys--my shoulder, his spoons, books, all toys, the remote controls, the baby gate, the chair, his crib railing, our shoes (yes...he's something!), frisbees...again, just about anything you could think of.
Favorite things to do for fun--Chase mommy, daddy, and Jonas, try to hunt down Simba, watching Turner outside, destroy Jonas train tracks, pull all the clean close out of the laundry basket (because mom will let it sit in the hallway for days), and EXPLORE!

Micah is 8 Months Old!!

First swim

Playtime with Jonas

Happy boy

Wow!!! Our little baby is becoming a big baby!! He is beginning to move all over the place, without even really crawling. He has crawled a few "steps" but, not actually crawling, yet. He was 8 months old on the 5th, and today is the 9th. When Ryan gets home this afternoon from a summer training, we will be lowering this guy's bed. When he woke up from his nap this morning, I went in to find him sitting up, hands on the rail, on his knees....trying to figure out the next step to getting out of bed. A little frightening, but also exciting to see him taking the next steps towards growing up and becoming more independent.

During the past month we've covered a lot of ground. Ryan went home to celebrate his mom's graduation from college (with honors), but the boys and I had to stay behind. It was the first time I stayed home alone with both boys. It was a little challenging at times (especially at dinner and bath time), but we made it! We busied ourselves with so many fun things that the time went by so quickly. A couple of weeks later, we all traveled home to see our cousin, Cullen, graduate from high school. We are so excited that we are adding another Aggie to the family...Whoop!! It was a busy weekend. We even got to go meet our newest niece, Marlena.

Check out out pictures of our time home and our summer fun. It's Summer Time

When we got home, Ryan only had 2.5 days of school left, until summer. He received news that week that he would also be moving up and teaching 7th grade English/Language Arts. He's very excited about moving grades and to start the new school year in the fall. It was tough coming in during the middle of the year and establishing himself with his students and his peers...but, he did it!! We are so proud of him!!!

Micah is now bathing in the big tub. He has so much fun playing with all of the toys and splashing around. He's still not a huge fan of the water running into his eyes, but he gets better with it each day. He sometimes gets a treat and gets to take a bath with big brother, if we can catch him fast enough and coherce him into the tub.

Micah is on the verge of many things. He is very close to crawling. He successfully navigates the room by either barrel rolling around or by a combination of getting into crawling position, turning, sitting up and scooting. It's fun to watch. He is almost done with baby food. He prefers everything we are eating. We'll probably finish up a few things that we have, save a few more for travel needs, but after that...it's all table foods for him! He's also getting to where he does not need to nurse as much anymore. Last night, Ryan blessed me by watching the boys so that I could go have dinner and coffee with some friends from church. I was worried that Micah would have a difficult time (because he is very much a Momma's Boy). Ryan fed, bathed, and put him to sleep. He slept all night long until 7:30 this morning. He did not need me to nurse him before he went to sleep....kinda sad, but also good. He's growing up and out of things.

Speaking of growing out of things, his reflux is almost all gone. His doctor said around 9 months most babies don't have to deal with it anymore. Right now, he still takes his medicine each day, but at his 9 month check-up he may not have to take it anymore. It's been so awesome! I'm so happy for him. I can practically put him down on the floor and let him play after eating and not have to worry about him spitting up. Every-now-and-then he'll have a little come out or he'll just have an off day...but, otherwise he's doing great!!!

I know this next month will be huge for him. I remember this time with Jonas. I have no doubt that he'll be crawling all over the place and he's talking all of the time. I have a feeling some "momma's" and "dadda's" will be coming soon. But, the one word I'm so excited and looking forward to hearing him say is Jonas' name. I wonder all the time how he'll say it. Hmmmm?

Until next month.......

Current Stats:

Weight--15lb. 3.5 oz (slowly, but surely....we'll get there)

Length--26.5 in.

Meals/day--3

Snacks/day--4-5 (yes, this boy likes to eat...guess he's trying to catch up)

Teeth--2

Naps--2 (morning and afternoon)

Rise and Shine--around 7 am. For a while he was waking up at 6:30 and Ryan would take him in the bathroom with him while he was getting ready for work, but this week he's back to his normal 7 to 7: 30 am time.

Goodnight Moon--around 8pm

Feedings--4 times a day

Favorite toys--All things that are Jonas'. He loves his trains, his train tracks, his cars...he just loves his big brother. He also enjoys playing with his food and his spoon after dinner!

TV--Could care less. Jonas is much more entertaining...however, he will smile at the VeggieTales intro (he must know that it's a good show)

Favorite Foods--blueberries, rice cakes, toast with a little jelly, cottage cheese, yogurt, cantelope, macaroni and cheese with broccoli, cooked apples, and of course a little bit of ice cream!

Laughter--all the time...he loves to "chase" Jonas

Fake laughter--just discovered this last week (along with fake coughing and a little fake crying)

Micah is 7 Months Old!

My sweet, littlest Aggie

Well, my littlest one is now 7 months...as of last Monday. We are definitely getting into those fun times. He is beginning to see more and want to explore more. It is so much fun to watch him as he grows. I definitely think that baby number 2 has things a lot better. He has baby number 1 as his constant entertainment. (I'm thinking that when baby number 3 rolls around...not anytime soon...he/she will only need me to feed him/her and change diapers...everything else will taken care of by the big brothers...yeah, right!!!).

During the last month, many things have happened for Micah. He is, as you can see, sitting up now and playing. He is rocking back and forth to get into crawling position and when we put him on the floor he can (with some assistance) balance on all 4's and rock back and forth, too. He went to the doctor for his check up, and despite the fact that he has barely gained a whole pound in the past 3 months, the doctor says that he looks good. And, yes, he does. For those of you that cannot see him in person...take it from me...the boy has rolls all over his legs, dimples all over...and look at those cheeks! This is just the way his growth is, said our doctor.

Here some links to some pictures over the past month. Enjoy!! Little Aggies and Mayfest

That's a turtle?!

Brotherly love

Current stats:

Weight--14lb. 11 oz.

Length--26.5 in. (my measuring)

Feedings--5 (but in the last two days, he has dropped one...we'll see if that sticks)

Meals--3 big ones

Snacks--2-3 (he must have a high metabolism

Favorite sleeping position--on his left side

Naps--2....morning and afternoon

Bedtime--Still around 7:30

Morning time--Around 6:45-7:15 (thank you Mr. Sun)

Teeth--1 on the bottom, center-right...but, number 2 will probably break through any day now

Favorite foods--Any kind of puffs, smashed up banana, applesauces, chicken and sweet potatoes

Favorite thing to do--Babble while rubbing his fist over his mouth

Favorite toys--Train that spins little balls around, Winnie the Pooh spinner, anything that rattles or crinkles, plastic cups

Things he wants, but can't have--The remote controls, our phones, the mail, Jonas' hair

Recent adventures--Riding in the shopping cart, sitting in a high-chair at a restaurant, taking baths in the big bathtub with Jonas, going to Mayfest, and the zoo 3 times!

Favorite thing to laugh at and with---Jonas...of course!!