8 months through...2/3 of a year done - can it really be?!?

It's Mickey Time!!

"This guy again?"

"What do you want from me?"

Mickey went boom...

"Wait, what's out there?!"

"Daddy you're so funny"

"I love my Daddy!"

"Mickey, are you watching this?"

"Seriously momma, that daddy is one funny guy!"

What a great month it's been! And we end the month with the threat of the "Biggest storm of the century" as well as Christian LEAVING us for California today. I'm praying he makes it back safe and sound on Wednesday, but not counting on it (Wednesday that is, not the safe and sound, ha!). Back to Micah though - it's been a great month buddy. You've become ultra active and curious and are learning SOOO much! Welcome 8 months:)

Doctor Stats (from last week's visit): 19.4 pounds (48%) and 27.5 inches (50%)

Things to remember:

• how you started crawling this month...army crawling at the beginning of the month and last week that turned in to actual crawling
• how you had your first (and definitely not the last, I'm sure) occurrence with blood because of the instability that comes in learning to crawl
• how you have also started pulling yourself up, though it's not been too often...yet...
• how you had 2 teeth break through this month (which definitely wrecked havoc on your sleeping)
• how you have started to recognize "kitty" - you know just what we're talking about when we ask "where's kitty?"
• how you went to the nursery for the first time this month (which was much harder for mommy than for you!)
• how you started clapping this month, first with the music that you have and then with just about everything:)
• how you had your first real cold that took almost 2 weeks to kick
• how you have started banging your head in to just about everything when you get to a roadblock in your crawling...this one momma and daddy are not happy about!!...but we think it's just your desire to continue to move forward and your lack of understanding about being stopped
• how you have started eating (and loving) Puffs this month
• how you had your first hair cut - and could probably stand to have another soon
• how you have, for the most part, rid yourself of your 3rd nap and are slowly turning in to a more consistent day time napper

We love you Micah! We are so blessed to be your parents and look forward to next month's adventures.

Sunday, bloody Sunday (as sung by U2)

Micah and I were hanging out today while Christian went to run and we had a great time (noted by my previous post of pictures and videos). Right after Christian got home Micah was so excited and started crawling to him while he was in the kitchen. I'm not sure exactly what happened because I was busy making lunch for us, but all of a sudden I heard serious crying...so much so that he wasn't making sounds while crying because he was in so much pain and trying to catch his breath. When I got to him and picked him up, I thought that maybe he fell hard on his arm while crawling and that it was slightly numb. Christian comes around the corner and says, "he's bleeding" and I start looking at Micah's hand. Christian says it again, this time adding, "...from the mouth."

WHAT?!!? I take a look and see blood pouring out his mouth. Oh my. Christian ran to get a washrag for Micah to bite on while we tried to see where the blood was coming from (but were unsuccessful due to a very uncooperative little boy). I felt so sorry for my baby. He seemed to be okay, and I think his 2 bottom teeth that he has somehow rammed into his upper gum or tongue when he face planted while trying to crawl.

Well, we thought we had cleaned it all up and stopped the bleeding, only to find the picture below when I got him up from his nap.

Micah baby started bleeding again tonight while chewing on one of his toys...so I'm praying that we don't find the same thing on his sheets in the morning when he wakes up. Poor baby.

Still, he seems happy-go-lucky and we had a great day together as a family. We all got in the car and headed out to Road Runner Sports for me to get a new pair of running shoes. Yay! That Micah is one tough boy, I tell ya. What a sweetie:)

Pictures and Videos as Promised

Micah and kitty hanging out

Micah showing off his new clapping skills (a little hard to capture via pictures)

Micah going after Frodo, showing off his new crawling skills...

And Frodo realizing that basically nowhere is safe!

"What Momma? Can't I play with kitty?"

"Is this wood block off limits too?"

"Yay!!"

Micah crawling part I

Micah crawling part II

and Micah clapping to his favorite song

Clapping is so fun to do!

Micah received a musical toy for Christmas that I just got out last week, and he loves it! I almost returned it (because it was what we got him, ha!) but am so glad I didn't. Every time the songs come on, he stops what he's doing and gets in a sitting position and starts clapping his hands. It's so stinkin' cute! His favorite song starts out as "Get ready to clap, clap, clap. Get ready to snap, snap, snap..." and he seriously starts clapping when it begins.

Well today we went to visit my friend Katie, who just had her 3rd baby 2 weeks ago. Can't imagine having 3 kids running around - and I admire what she does as a mom. Sam is so cute and so TINY...can't believe Micah used to be (close to) that size! While we were there however, Micah turned that clapping for the music in to clapping for himself. A few times while there he would be in the middle of crawling, and then decide to go in to a sitting position and start clapping for himself. He's just so proud of what he's doing, and it's so fun to watch. I guess he's used to seeing us praise and clap for him, and he wanted to join in on the acknowledgement! It gives me just a glimpse of what goes on through that little brain of his and I can't wait to watch him continue to explore and take in the big world around him.

Another new milestone?!?

I swear, this boy is growing up so fast! This past week he has really taken to pulling himself up...on everything! Two days ago I was working on dinner in the kitchen, and when I went to find Micah, he had followed kitty over to the landing of our upstairs and was working on trying to climb up the landing to get to Frodo. Mind you, we do have a baby gate up (finally:)) on our downstairs, but I didn't think we needed one for going upstairs for a little while. I guess I was wrong! Micah was on the main level with his feet, but standing with hands on the landing...what?!?! Noelle also texted me while at work asking me when he started learning to stand, as he had pulled himself in to a standing position on their ottoman. And then last night in the bath (which is completely slippery, by the way!) Micah pulled himself up in the tub with his arm on the ledge of the tub.

I just can't believe how mobile and advanced this boy is getting and it's happening way too quickly. He's not even 8 months yet! (Although that is just around the corner...) Hopefully we will get some good pictures this weekend to document these new milestones.

Crawling is beginning!

The first official crawl was last Thursday, January 20th. It was so small I wasn't sure if I really saw it correctly, but Micah crawled again on Friday, Saturday and today. It's all just a little bit here and there, and he actually seems to be doing better on our wood floor than on the carpet, but crawling has begun.

Another first

(I am pointing to the name tag that says "Micah 5")

Tonight Micah went to the nursery at church for the first time. I had been dreading and consequently delaying this day, but Micah is really getting too big and squirmy to be in the service. That means that I usually end up taking him out half-way through and therefore miss the sermon myself. I knew this day needed to come and decided that I felt more comfortable (for some reason) doing it on a Saturday night service instead of a Sunday morning. And I really thought I would be okay, but as we dropped Micah off and turned around to head in to service, I felt this wave of emotion well up inside that I couldn't stop and tears started falling down my face. Incase you wonder, I made it through the service without getting the sweetie, but I was so happy to pick him up afterwards:)

Also, tonight, he is soundly sleeping in his crib that is ALL the way down:( Just one more sign of how grown up my baby boy is getting! But also an essential because of his beginning of pulling up on the crib. Oh, how I wish sometimes he could stay small forever.

What a morning...

I left the house today at 7:40am to run my long run of 17 miles indoors (BOO!) because of the ridiculous cold weather here in Chicago-land, to return over 4 1/2 hours later. Not because my run took me that long; my run was only about 2 1/2 hours of that time. The other 2 hours was because I was in a 3 car accident about 5 minutes from the house. Don't worry, I'm okay, and my car actually is minimally damaged and is also drivable (which is great considering that the other 2 cars involved were towed) but also quite frustrating because the accident wasn't my fault, yet here we are again waiting on insurance claims and collision centers to get my Pilot back. NO FUN! No fun at all. Thankfully I wasn't hurt and after talking with Christian he encouraged me to go ahead and run my miles because I was already dressed and ready to go. Now let me tell you my mindset was elsewhere, for sure, but I decided Christian was probably right and now that it's over, I'm glad I completed my run. The silver lining in that is that when I got to the gym, the Rafa Nadal vs. Bernard Tomic match started 30 seconds before I started running, so I was able to watch all of the match during my run, which certainly helped time pass!

Then I get home to nurse Micah and he (sorry guys) bites me!! I was afraid of the day that this might happen, and now that he has 2 little teeth in his mouth, those 2 little teeth can be quite deadly. So.....hopefully that is not something that continues again, but like I said, what a morning...

10 minutes in the life of Micah

Poor baby

Last night was the longest night I've had with Micah in quite a while. Poor baby is getting sick and his cold overtook his sleep. When I put him to bed he sounded congested and was breathing heavier, but he went to sleep rather quickly because he had been up for 5 hours straight! He's dropped the 3rd nap so when I try to give it to him because he doesn't take a good 2nd nap he really fights sleeping and today was one of those days.

Around 11:30pm he started coughing (a very deep, low cough that sounded painful) and then crying. I tried to let him settle on his own for a little bit, but realized he probably wasn't because he was sick. When I picked him up he settled, but every time I tried to put him back down he started screaming...so, with Christian gone and my bed wide open, I decided to bring him in there for a little while instead of plopping myself in the glider for the long night. I guess it helped me be more comfortable, but neither of us slept very well and poor baby is so congested and in pain when he coughs today. I've never heard his voice so low, and I'm praying he gets through this cold quickly. Stinkin' Illinois weather. (It was -5 this morning, by the way, and that's not even the real feel:( ).

This is how Micah slept last night - with a sleep sack over his pajamas. He was so tired and fussy when he went to bed that I couldn't possible change him into other pjs, so instead I just left the bottom undone. Maybe that's why it was a tough night :). He's also quite active right now, which is why his arms are only a blur. Noelle told me yesterday she thought he had a growth spurt (which, along with his teething, might explain the cranky child I had most of last week!) and it appears she might be correct.

I put him down for his nap a 1/2 hour early thinking he would make up the sleep, only for him to wake up a 1/2 hour later. That means he was up from his 1st nap at the time he normally goes down for his 1st nap! Needless to say, I was thinking we would be in for a long day. But, when I brought out a new toy, he seemed to be quite content listening to the music and playing with the buttons and lights.

Showing off the new haircut that we have quickly become accustomed to.

Happy, happy boy for the minimal sleep he's going on. If you look very closely, you might be able to see his 2 teeth (that's right - 2 have come in!!) in the bottom of his mouth.

"Oh, pretty colors and lights!"

Here he's doing his best great-grandpa impression (via Uncle Jeff).

Happy Birthday Christian!

I wish I had pictures to post or an unbelievable birthday story to write about, but alas, I do not as Christian had to travel to New York on his birthday and left about 11 in the morning. We did, however, do some birthday celebrating on Monday instead, as well as over the weekend. We are fortunate to have Grandma and Grandpa Lauffer live close by, so they were able to come and spend time with Micah while Christian and I went out on a date to his favorite Italian restaurant in the area, La Sorella di Francesca. We enjoyed some wonderful risotto (or "pretentious rice" in the words of one of our friends, ha!) and had great conversation.

I just have to say I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man! I am grateful that his parents raised him so well and displayed examples of what it means to honor and respect one another. They also instilled in him the Christian values that he has today, of which I am also grateful for and I am honored to be his wife. He is someone who loves the Lord deeply and creates such a loving environment in our home. He is a kind and compassionate man who cares deeply for others and has such an honest and sincere disposition. He is also a very giving man - and I am always in awe of his desire to support others who are in need. I have always known that Christian is an amazing son, son-in-law, and husband, but this year I was able to see him develop in another area, and that is the title of Father...Dad...Daddy. What a blessing it has been for us to be parents to our little boy, and what a blessing it has been for me to see Christian embrace this new role 110%. It's no secret that I desired to have children before Christian, and then all we went through to actually get the little boy we have now was quite the journey. Seeing Christian as Micah's daddy though is something that truly touches my heart and provides just one more reason why I am so in love with the man I am married to.

Happy 33rd birthday honey! Thank you for being the husband that you are to me, and the daddy that you are to Micah. We love you more than we know to express. Thank you for loving us right back!

Micah is Mobile:)

Last week I knew it would be soon, but yesterday was the first day when Micah officially got himself back to sitting from a crawling position. After working on it this morning, I knew I had to capture this next developmental accomplishment at 7 1/2 months on video.

Since these videos, which were taken a mere 4 hours ago, Micah has been more mobile than ever. He got up from his LONG nap (yay!) rested and ready to move. He's been all over our main level crawling, rolling, scooting...you name it, he's doing it. Baby-proofing really needs to happen now:)

Friday Fun

Today was a great day with Micah - probably the best I've had all week. He's been quite fussy the last few days (I think in dealing with the teeth coming in...but isn't everything always blamed on teething, so I hear?!? :)) and today was his best day by far! Christian was traveling back from Minnesota and while waiting for Daddy to come home, we enjoyed some wonderful Momma and Micah time. My favorite memory of the day is when we were playing downstairs in the basement and Micah kept crawling for the lights on all the electronics under the entertainment center. Every time he started to get too close I would pull him back and start tickling him and he would start laughing hysterically. It was so cute and got to the point where I would just make a noise and not even tickle him yet, and he would lose it to laughter merely at the anticipation of my tickling:) Love, love, love this boy!!

Micah's First Haircut

Today was a big day...one that was slightly traumatic for mom...but also one that needed to be done. Micah got his first haircut, and my friend Kate was kind enough to do it! She did a great job and Christian and I are so pleased with the cut; I'm just hoping I learned enough so that I can do it in the future so we can avoid paying for Micah's haircuts:) I was trying to watch and learn, but Micah was quite the little mover (which is an understatement...haha) and I had to focus on holding him as still as possible so that Kate could actually cut his hair. He definitely did not like the experience, but when it was all said and done was a happy little camper. Thanks again Kate for taking on such a squirmy little boy!

Kate chopping Micah's hair, haha. I think she took about 1 1/2-2 inches off the top of his head!!

This was when Micah was actually calm...that didn't last long:) Doesn't he look like such a little boy in that chair and cape?!?!

The front has been cut, but you can tell the sides are still left to do.

Hard at work - it was like he was at a professional salon!

End product...pacifier and all.

Thanks Kate for doing such a great job:)

Much happier boy - hair freshly cut, dressed and feeling his tooth coming in (which is causing him to be quite the fussy boy right now too!)

First bath post hair cut - mohawk city.