Photos - birthday and goofing around

Before the cake

A big taste

He didn't really care for the cake, but he LOVED playing with it!

Two-fisted

Score: Matthew 1, Cake 0

Mark and his cousin, Mike

Mike's daughter, Kaitlyn, and Mike's wife, Susan

(On a super-fun, separate note, pray for Kaitlyn and her pom squad as they're leaving tomorrow for Nationals in Orlando... they won one event last year and placed second in the other... here's praying for a sweep this year!  Go EP!)

Oma and Micah

Goofy Nathan

Fun with a hat

The view

Here's the view from our back porch.  Aren't the trees pretty?

And stay tuned... tomorrow is Matthew's birthday (we already have pictures of his first cake, but I'll post them tomorrow).

Micah pulled Matthew down!

The rules-follower in me says that I should be appalled at Micah's abuse of his brother.

Allow me to describe the scene as there are no photos. Micah and Matthew were sitting and playing in the playroom. Matthew takes a toy from Micah, puts it on the train table, and stands up to play with it. Micah grabs Matthew's shirt, pulls him down, and grunts/growls at him. After I said a half-hearted "No, Micah," I turned around, smiled, and shared Micah's assertiveness with Mark.

Way to go, Micah. Um, don't pull your brother's shirt.

Wordless Wednesday - First Haircut

Haiti relief

My friend, Amy, at A Scrapbook of Sorts, has challenged her readers to blog about their efforts toward Haiti relief. She's giving $1 to Compassion for everyone who blogs about it and adds their name to her Mister Linky.

We have chosen to send money to Bethany Christian Services. They run two orphanages in Haiti. All of the children and staff are safe. But I'm certain they will have many more children to add to their homes soon. The director of one of those orphanages did an interview on the Today Show on Wednesday.

James 1:27 tells us, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Please do what you can.

(As a side note to my readers who don't have the best impression of evangelical Christians, please know that most of us disagree with Pat Robertson's assessment of Haiti's situation.)

Video - Matthew walking

(to my email subscribers, you'll have to link through to the blog to see it)

A funny story about Matthew... Mark took the boys in for their flu booster shots in December. Micah cried (briefly, as always). Mark joked with the nurse that Matthew is so fat, he probably won't even feel it. Seriously... the child didn't even flinch!

Micah is 2 years old today!

Love this kid!!! Time flies... It's hard to believe it's been two years, but given the fact that we've had another baby since then who will be one in a month, I certainly hope it's been two years! :-)

My blog posts around the time of Micah's birth were random at best, or I would link to a specific post. But I should probably write Micah's birth story one of these days. Suffice it to say, January 5th 2008 did not go as planned. Micah was born early (34 1/2 weeks), following a long spell of pre-term labor due to his duodenal atresia (the first part of his small intestine was not connected to the second part, thus causing an overabundance of amniotic fluid). I was huge, even after my perinatologist had done two amnio reductions (draining a total of 2.5 liters of fluid out of the amniotic sac... I'll spare you the gory details).

I was about to get sent by ambulance to Milwaukee for the delivery, but my labor progressed too quickly. And it's a good thing I wasn't moved (I wrote about that a bit before). Micah was born via emergency c-section at 2:32pm. He was beautiful! I saw him briefly before he was taken to the NICU. The next time I saw him was about 3 hours later. He was "packed for transport" for his trip to Milwaukee, so I still couldn't hold him. It was then that I saw his left hand. It was really hard... learning about that, having only a couple of minutes with him, and then not seeing him for almost 3 whole days.

Enough about that. You'd rather hear about his life NOW, right? Micah has the most charming and engaging smile. His laugh is hysterical... sort of hoarse, maybe due to his tonsils being large? He snuggles right into your shoulder, almost like he melted into you. He gives kisses (by clicking his tongue rather than pursing his lips, but it's still sweet). He is very much a mama's boy, which is both honoring and overwhelming at the same time.

Micah has orthotics to give some support to his ankles now, and that necessitated a new shoe purchase. With his orthotics on, he needs a size 4 extra wide, which is Matthew's shoe size! See pic below for the shoes. They're really cute, like baby Doc Martens (think leather monkey boot, if you're familiar with Docs). They go a bit above his ankles.

Micah still receives about 90% of his nutrition through his feeding tube. He's taking small quantities of pureed baby food (stage 2 mostly) on a baby spoon. But he won't let any other item close to his mouth, including finger food or a cup. Even if he was taking in a huge volume of food orally, he couldn't go without the feeding tube because he will not allow fluids to pass his lips. We've been on the feeding tube journey for almost 2 years now. It stinks.

Micah is pulling to stand. He recently started moving his feet a bit more. I'm hoping to see him cruise the furniture more soon. He also recently started taking a few steps forward while holding (tightly) onto someone's hands. And just today, as he was standing holding onto my hand, he briefly and willingly let go. He was only able to stay standing for about 2 seconds before sitting down, but it's huge that he felt comfortable enough to let go (without me prying his fingers off my hand).

What have I left out? Just that this little boy brings a ton of joy to our lives. I will not say it's been an easy two years. And I'm still not in the camp of those who are actually glad that their child has Down syndrome (who knows... maybe I would be without all the medical junk... but maybe not then either... would I take away that extra chromosome if I could? Probably. Am I the only mom of a kid with designer genes who would? I'm pretty sure that I'm not, though expressing these feelings might get me blacklisted! Truthfully, though, I would really miss the amazing friends I've made in real life as well as in the blogosphere who share in our journey, and I'd miss out on some amazing life lessons that God has taught me and continues to teach me through Micah). I love this boy. And I wouldn't trade him, so don't ask. :-)

Happy birthday, my darling boy.

Additional Christmas photos

For my Facebook friends, you saw these same photos yesterday. But for everyone else, here are some additional photos from Christmas morning.

Before he broke into the stash Micah just loves getting Nathan hugs
Sweet boy

The tradition is to put baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning.

Nathan with his favorite gift (a Leapster). Thanks, Granddad!

Fascinated by the ribbons

All three in a photo together! And all three got the biggest kick out of the busy ball popper.

Me and my boy!

Matthew simply was not going to be contained

But Nathan did everything he could to remove him from the temptations

Daddy and his baby

Size 2T jersey for our almost-11-month-old (thanks, Uncle Bill and Beth)

2009 Family Christmas Photo

This is as good as you get with three small boys. At least Nathan has a fun smile...

We are working on editing our Christmas letter in order to post it (tomorrow?). But, it's new year's eve and I'm having a bit of champagne. It's been a while since I haven't been pregnant on new year's eve!

Happy New Year, everyone! May your year be filled with fun and laughter. May you grow in wisdom. And may you know the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Pics of Matthew

I love this t-shirt!

This is what happens when you have a toddler who doesn't like to put away his crayons:

Another food coma:

Pics of Nathan

This was the leaf pile in front of Mark's parents' house when we were back in WI meeting the movers. All you have to do is get your leaves to your curb and the city comes by and sucks them up (think very large vacuum cleaner). Mark's parents live in the woods and they have a crazy amount of leaves to deal with.
This was Nathan's preschool Christmas program. He was actually doing what he was supposed to do in this one. After this song was over, Nathan proceded to announce, "My tummy is VERY hungry."
This was taken as they were leaving the stage, right after he remarked, "I'm glad it's snack time now." We do feed the child. I promise.
I had to include this photo. He's wearing Mark's glasses from high school. Scary!

Matthew's first steps

Sorry... no video. But Matthew did take his first unassisted steps yesterday. I figured I should blog about it because I have no idea where to find his baby book. Ha! As if I'd remember to write it in there anyway. And as long as I'm writing about a milestone, I should probably document that he has six teeth (3 on top, 3 on bottom), with two more about to pop through.

About the walking thing... honestly, I'm amazed that he's able to get all 24 pounds of himself moving in an intentional direction. His nickname of Brutus will definitely stick. Not only is he pulling Micah down (is it so wrong that I just want Micah to turn around and give him a firm push?), he's also picking on Nathan. He was pulling on Nathan's sweatshirt while Nathan was trying to watch a movie tonight. Nathan was awfully patient with him. He's such a great big brother.

Here are some other photos just for fun. Check out Micah's bottom teeth. He's been smiling with an underbite lately... so cute!

2009 Christmas letter

I bet the title caught your attention. You were wondering, "How does she have time to write the Christmas letter when she hasn't updated the blog for almost a month?" The answer: I don't.

The title of this post should have been, "Do YOU have time to write my 2009 Christmas letter for me?" And if you did have time, what would you write? I'd pay you for your time.

But I did order the cards. They're addressed. Also enclosed are Matthew's birth announcements (yes, he was born in February) and our change-of-address cards. I need to print return address labels and they'll hit the mail (along with extremely tardy thank-you notes). Here's a preview:

All joking aside, I'll work on the letter and will post it as a link in the top right (above the 2008 Christmas letter, which, by the way, is a great summary of 2008 for those of you who don't know us that well).

We're attempting to get settled in our house here in MN. The search for Christmas CD's has not been successful, though Mark has worked diligently through piles of boxes in the basement. The important things are done, though. A gate has been installed at the base of the steps as Matthew thinks stairs are a pretty fun adventure. Speaking of whom, he's cruising the furniture and will most likely be walking before his first birthday. (hey, look, I'm writing good text for the Christmas letter just by doing a blog posting).

Micah has had a lot of doctor's appointments since we've been here (nothing for an illness, thankfully, just getting to know his new specialists). We've decided to take him to private speech/feeding therapy and we're thrilled with his new SLP (Speech and Language Pathologist). Please pray that the appeal with our insurance company will be successful or this will be quite an expensive month.

Nathan has had some issues with behavior since we moved here, but he seems to be doing better. He informed me a week or so ago that he doesn't like his new school and he wants to go back to Wisconsin to school. I think that was his way of saying that he misses his friends and Grammie and Pop.

We're planning to head back to Wisconsin for Christmas (and the Packer game on 12/27). Please pray that Mark's parents will feel better by then so they can handle our crazy crew. Otherwise, we might have to bring spaceheaters and air mattresses and set up camp at our former house (that has not sold and has been winterized).

Back online

We've moved into our new house and I finally have internet access (six days later... you'd think I might have actually withered away by now). We still don't have a working stove, but as of yesterday we have a gas line in the kitchen so that we can now connect the stove. However, that involves finding someone to help Mark LIFT the stove over the island because the kitchen is rather small and with the refrigerator in place, we can't simply move the stove through to its intended location. But the grill and microwave works, so we're not tied to take-out (though having a Buca di Beppo a mere five minutes from our house could be dangerous... one order almost took us over our monthly dining out budget!).

I'll try to post more soon, but I'm swimming in boxes. My dad arrives tomorrow. He leaves on Tuesday and Mark's parents come that day for Thanksgiving weekend. We're looking forward to seeing everyone, but I hope their expectations are low!

Thankful A to Z: F=Friends

F is a tough one. I first thought "Family." But also in the running was "Food." I figure food is a given. And family will hit some other posts.

Possibly coincidentally, there are a couple of friends with whom I have lost touch since getting Micah's diagnosis two years ago. But maybe it's not a coincidence. Maybe they don't know what to say. After a few months of reaching out to them, I gave up. If I think about it too much, I get sad.

But those friends aside... I have felt a crazy amount of love expressed by our friends near and far. Thick and thin... faithful friends. I'm not the easiest person to love. But there are some dear women in my life who have been there to listen, on the phone or in person. They've given advice, or simply been silent. They've cried with me. Laughed with me. Prayed with me (some at 5:30 on Monday mornings!). And never did they try to make me feel guilty for what I feel.

So, thank you, sweet friends, for your faithful support of me and our family during this journey we're on. I love you!

Thankful A to Z: E=Emily Perl Kingsley

It seems appropriate on Sesame Street's 40th birthday to mention Emily Perl Kingsley. She wrote the story: Welcome to Holland. It was one of the first things sent to me after we received Micah's diagnosis. Link here for the text. This story made me feel like I wasn't alone. And through it I realized that the sooner I accepted that Italy wasn't going to be our destination, the more I would enjoy Holland.

Ms. Kingsley has a son with Down syndrome and she is a writer for Sesame Street. I'm fairly certain that she has had a major impact on the show having actors with disabilities.

I've actually heard of people not letting their children watch Sesame Street because it doesn't portray an accurate view of society (too "politically correct"). But I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, one of Micah's future classmates will accept him as he is because she learned on Sesame Street that kids who are "different" aren't really that different after all.

Thankful A to Z: D=Digital photography

I cannot imagine having to keep track of prints and negatives during this crazy busy season of life. Digital photography rules! I can look back on my laptop to find photos of previous moves, such as when Mark found a job in Orlando and "followed" me there in 2001.

And I can also find out by looking on my laptop that I took no photos of our move from Orlando to Nashville in 2002 when we returned from our honeymoon, two weeks before Mark started grad school.

I can find a photo of Jody following the asked-far-too-late question, "Hey, did you already shake this can of primer?" while she was helping us move into our house in Atlanta in 2004.

Then there's the big rig in front of our Atlanta home in early 2007 to move us up to Wisconsin.

And the photo taken from the front porch this morning... an empty truck before the loading began this afternoon.

For those of you counting... since Mark and I started dating, we've moved from Nashville to Orlando to Nashville to Atlanta to Wisconsin to Minnesota. Yes, that's five moves since we started dating in 2001. Serenity now!

Thankful A to Z: C=Children's Hospital

Micah was supposed to have been born at Froedtert Hospital (the birthing center is attached to Children's Hospital in Milwaukee). We didn't make it there for the delivery. But so much of Micah's first year was spent at that hospital under wonderful care that I couldn't let this month go by without expressing how thankful I am that this hospital, and hospitals like it, exist.

I can't imagine going through all of Micah's "stuff" without knowing he was in the capable hands of doctors and nurses who specialize in caring for children. We didn't *always* have the best experience while he was inpatient (October 2008 sticks out in my mind). But the vast majority of our time there was excellent.

In fact, Micah had his last visit at the Feeding Clinic five weeks ago before we moved. I confess... I cried most of the way home. I have made that drive with Micah countless times. There are so many people there who KNOW him and all of his stuff. I will miss that feeling of security going there. I know Micah will have great doctors here in MN. But they aren't all with the same hospital group. And they haven't been with him since day one.

Thankful A to Z: B=Brothers

We have so much for which to be thankful. I love love love that our boys have multiple brothers that will be their lifelong friends.

(Thanks for the great photos, Heidi)