heart BEEP and advice

So today I made my first trip to the ob without my hubby but Micah was happy to fill in for him...and I think the nurses enjoyed his humor better than Mick's. So I don't think it is the only one Mick missed but the second child syndrome definitely makes things a little more lax. Thank you, Jesus that I am not as anxious about every little thing with this one. I mean I probably would be if I didn't have to keep chasing the bird everywhere. I thought Micah would enjoy hearing the heartbeat and he usually loves my dr office. But turns out he loves it in 30 minute increments. It only took us an hour too long! Seriously he did real well, and sat in my lap while Dr. S tried to find the heart beep (Micah's terminology) It took her a while and Micah decided that the static was frightening so I am laying there holding him...bad idea and getting anxious. She finally found what she said was the heartbeat but I didn't really hear anything. It could have been the crying drowning it out. Such a sweet moment:) So while I could start getting anxious I'll just trust the Dr. and hope in Jesus that everything is A Ok. While Micah disliked the whole "heartbeep" situation he loved telling everyone about it at lunch and talking to me about it. Too funny!

The other thing is I figure I want some feedback because we can't make up our minds. We had planned to take Micah to Walt Disney World over spring break because we have a free place to stay there and we haven't had a family vacation together and because this would be our one trip with Micah before a new baby. But as the time draws nearer we are wondering if it is worth it. We know that he wont actually remember the trip (I actually remember parts of my first trip when I was 4 but only because I was traumatized by the huge Goofy character). We know that we haven't ever traveled that far with him and we know we will be spending some cash. We also know our sleep patterns will all pay with a change in venue. It could be alot of fun and nice to get away but we aren't sure. So, my question is do you think its worth it? I'll take any opinion but especially those who've been with children. I can't really remember it that well because it has been since high school that I visited the kingdom. No promises that you will affect our decision but just soliciting advice:) Thanks!

The Second Child

Today Micah and I had a good morning...fortunately the Nana hangover went away after some tylenol and a good nights rest. We headed out to work and then eat a little lunch and then we FINALLY went to see my friend Alison's not so new little boy. We have had the fever and pinkeye for so long that we wanted to be good and germfree before we subjected Douglass Charles to us. We of course took her CFA, which as an afterthought realized that only I would want Chick-fil-A after working there. But it was so nice to hang out with them and DC's older sister Charlotte. Micah and Charlotte haven't been able to hang out since Charlotte has gotten the walking thing down pat and they really enjoyed each other. Charlotte is such a girl, giggling and laughing at everything Micah did. We hope this subsides for her sake, but she's pretty much been doing that since birth. She just finds him so humorous...and for a Harper that is all the encouragement they need. Unfortunately the second child syndrome was in full force as I realized I didn't even take the poor handsome babies picture! So awful a friend am I. I would feel bad...except there aren't any pictures on Alison's blog either:) So next time they'll all be of Douglass Charles! What was surprisingly refreshing was that Micah was SO gentle with Douglass Charles and really careful around him. What a relief! I am so afraid for our new little one and the bean isn't out of the belly yet. Micah already kicks and hits it now. Micah also loved Charlotte's dolls and wanted to feed them because Ms. Alison was feeding the other baby. Too sweet, I know Mick will say otherwise. We miss our time with Alison since two babies keeps her pretty busy...aka exhausted. So thanks for letting us intrude and catch up!

Prom Night '09

Trying to get a kiss goodbye from the bird. I just got my hair done too! Yeah!
The family prom picture.

The close up

The happy couple...

notice the baby bump and the beaded boy...he thought he could go too!

Last night was prom for CHHS. I love going to prom and I think we probably only go because I want to. I know I get to get dressed up and make a date out of it so I figure why not? Plus you get to people watch some very interesting and diverse teenagers. I know Micah can't wait til we go with him:) Nana and Pops kept Micah and let him spend the night. He was really excited and even helped pack his own bag. He got his swimsuit and said he was going to ask, ask Nana to go swimming. I'll let you know how that turned out. So, we went to our Cheers, aka Longhorn's for dinner, and note to self if you want to get stared at in Dville wear your prom dress to eat there...people were not afraid to stare. I will explain I usually where my usual black dress, etc. but we found the dress I am wearing at Dillard's for 9 bucks so I had to wear it. I even altered it myself with safety pins...nice. It was a bit much but super comfortable and I had fun wearing a real prom dress again. Also, I wasn't the only girl at the prom sporting my baby bump. That was interesting. After we ate we went to the prom and people watched for a while, had some good free dessert, then headed home to relax without rocking anyone to bed. Ahhhh....so nice. I mean I wouldn't trade our life for the world but I do not mind a break from it every now and then.

such a funny bird

As I type I can hear Micah raising the roof in his bed. It is way past his usual naptime but these rainy days in Ga. have him sleeping til 10:00! I know, he is yet again living the life that I dream of...while Micah is getting more and more difficult or challenging he is also getting more downright funny. Here are some funny things that he has done that I can't remember if I posted about.

~ While walking through his mound of little people he always pays special respect to baby Jesus. He usually wont throw him like he does the pilot or kick him like he does the geeky school boy. The other day I heard him clear as day "Excuse me, Jesus" as he pushed him aside to get to Noah and his ark.

~ He is now speaking in sentences and if he is speaking with you he usually states your name in his sentence. My personal favorite is anytime Mick is doing something he says "Careful, Daddy" In the sweetest way. I think he also senses that Daddy is prone to not being so careful.

~ We are being invited to alot of birthday parties recently and Micah is super excited. Sometimes he wakes up in the morning begging for a party. When asked who he wants to invite he insists only his friend Jaxson and Jaxson's dog Mia.

~ Mickey Mouse Clubhouse has taken over his love for Elmo and Sesame Street. I am not particularly happy about this due to my bday party idea planning and I prefer to watch the Street. But one of the parts of MMCH is that Mickey calls "Oh toodles" and Micah has really taken hold to this. He often beckons me this way after naptime or screams it from the top of anything to get my attention. I am sure non Mouseketeers wonder why my son has a petname for his mother.

~ Mick has always been really good at remembering to bless the food. Micah is carrying on in his father's footsteps. While I am a little more eager to get to the food Micah always reaches out his hand and states blessing...

Ok, ok, enough already. Somebody remind me of these cute stories tonight at 8:00 when we have entered timeout for the third time in six minutes for stating no over and over and over again.

mr. clean, mr. clean

Yesterday Mick got to come home early since the rain shortens practice times. So I actually cooked dinner while he and Micah played. Micah is at a very clingy phase again so he wanted to be with me in the kitchen the whole time. Then I hear him moving chairs away from his little table then I hear him grunt and also move his little table all the while repeating rainman style "cleaning cleaning". He gets this from his Daddy. So Mick got out the vaccuum and directed Micah where to go. It was definitely way more work than if Mick had just taken the vacuum himself...but Micah loved it. And our floor is all the better for it. After the boys cleaned we ate dinner and Ashli stopped by to hang out for a little bit. We finally got a clear picture of the two of them. As a sidenote anytime you ask Micah what he wants for breakfast, lunch, dinner or to wear for that matter he immediately states pizza! The boy loves the stuff. So last night we had pasta. He liked that because it sounded a whole lot like pizza:)

Hip Hip Hooray ~ 12 Weeks Today!

So today marks 12 weeks for our little bean. A big milestone that we are so thankful to be at...not only because we have ended the first trimester but because I get to stop taking some medicines too! I have been taking prometrium for my progestrone levels and then I have been taking metformin because the doctor said I had to take it even after I got pregnant. The metformin makes me so sick anytime I eat or even look at a carb. So watch out bread this weekend because I am living it up!

While I am super excited about that something with my sister always comes up at times like these...I think it is just God's way of keeping me in check. Nothing real new on the front of my sister but hopefully we are going to be able to move in a direction of getting her help soon. That's about all I'll say. Just wanted you to know those prayers you prayed on Monday were used for God's purpose in my life on Tuesday. I am soooo grateful for those of you who are investing in this situation.

Short visit, Short fuse

This is the ill face Micah sported mosted of the day. I can't type what it looks like he's thinking.
Hugs for Nana! Shortly thereafter they bonked noggins!

Jumping!

Falling....Charlee Ray is like Wilson from Home Improvement...you can not get a picture of this girl.

Micah and I had a great time going to work yesterday. He really talked to everybody at the chicken house and they loved it. It could have had to do with the fact that I finally gave in and let Ms. Connie give Micah an ice cream cone. He will love her for life. Again the things I do to get work done. After work we came home to eat lunch and play outside. Nana had Charlee so we invited them over to play before nap time. Well when I told Micah his blessed Bay wasn't coming he flipped out! I mean the biggest fit I have ever seen. He finally got it together when Nana got here but lost it again when he realized Charlee and Bay weren't a package deal. Nana convinced him to play nice and he and Charlee Ray had fun jumping on the trampoline. He still wasn't in the best mood. After his nap we went to pick up Hayden and take him to the ball field with us. The boys had a great time and it's actually easier to take Hayden and Micah to a game than to just take Micah. Then we went and mooched off my parents for dinner. Yummy!

I used to think that people that talked about their child being in the "terrible twos" were just using code words for "we can't discipline our child" but oh do I get to eat my words again! Micah I believe has entered this state advanced as usual:)

Last thing, the head bonkin' is back in full force. This is how many times Micah either fell or ran into someone else and hit his head:

~at home on the trampoline with Charlee-small cry

~ran into Hayden full force and busted lips~huge cry

~fell in the bathtub and hit side of head~ small cry again

I mean really...I don't know what to do but to put a helmet on my kid...and with all the stuff about head injuries I am starting to get really nervous!

almost 6 months...

since I have seen my sister. Most of you know a little bit about her story. But basically my sister has been addicted to drugs, especially meth, for a long time. In Sept./Oct. of last year things transpired that finally let us help her. Unfortunately that was shortlived and she checked out of a rehab 2 weeks after arriving and hasn't gone anywhere productive since (that I know of). The last time I saw her I was crying and so proud that she had made such a big step. Yesterday I cried in church because there is nothing else I can do to help her except pray. I say all this because I would ask you to pray as well. It was also a moving moment for me because I keep saying I have given this situation over to the Lord then I find a little piece of my heart that is holding on and doing it on my own. At church God reminded me that even this situation is going to work for my good and I just can't wait to see how...it will be huge! My sister cut off communication shortly after checking out of rehab so I can only tell you what I know from heresay. There are other things that have happened along the way but there isn't really a need to put all that out there. I just never thought I would go this long without speaking to my sister. It makes me so sad and hurt if I let myself think about it. At one point, she read my blog, so I thought I might write her a letter here just in case. I also thought it would be good therapy and if anyone you know is struggling with addiction feel free to delete the name and send it to your loved one:)

Dear Heather,

I miss my sister. I love you and I really want what is best for you. I am sorry if I hurt you in trying to get you help. I truly only want you to get well so that you can be apart of our family again. Please take care of yourself and choose to get help. I will do anything to help that happen. Jesus loves you more than I do and He is there when you feel like I am not. I am here whenever you need me and I love you! I am praying for you and nothing you could do would make me love you any less.

delightfully difficult

Micah's new do with his aviator's...Taron and I got the boys matching ones...they will hate us for things like this later.
My attempt at the mohawk....it wasn't near as good as my hair stylists. Micah got his haircut this week bc Mick threatened to shave it.

So remember how Micah's new word to say was difficult. Well, that he has been lately. We finally got him well and then I got the dreaded pinkeye, again! I guess I will just live in my glasses this month. I am one of those people who sanitizes everything so I was really frustrated when I woke up with crusty eye again. Anyways, that is better and we are going to lots of baseball games and hanging out outside where the weather is getting warmer. Micah and I have lots of fun together, BUT, he is becoming very difficult and it disturbs me. He is so passionate about everything...this is how I put it when I taught school and had a boy like him in my class. But his passion is really getting to me. He strongly protests any direction...he lives to defy the word no, and has learned to say "sorry" before he's even finished wacking me in the face. Not to mention when he is around other people, even people he loves, he wont hesitate to give them a big "No!" in the meanest voice possible just because they walked into his personal space. I know he is a toddler and maybe some will say it is a phase (I pray it is)...but it is really not fun to deal with in grace and love and discipline without screaming my head off or hitting back. Any ideas, advice, spells?

Thank you, Jesus!

Aim, Me and the boys!
The boys looking at pics of themselves on the rich people camera.

So funny! Micah kept saying Paxton's hair - up!

Back to back...

Sweet face with a sweet mohawk.

Yesterday was a really good day! Mick actually took the day off from school so that he and I could hang out. Rita kept Micah and Mick and I spent the day together mainly just eating and talking. The season has been pretty hectic and being pregnant makes me even more prone to my breakdowns so I think Mick was trying to head it off at the pass. It was definitely much needed. Although it was really hard to think of something to do that we didn't want to take Micah to do. So we talked life then came home so Mick could get to practice, he didn't completely loose his mind, right? Then Amy and Paxton stopped by to jump on the trampoline. It was so pretty outside so it was a great afternoon. The new baby in my belly should be thankful for Paxton because he is already teaching Micah to share. Paxton is training Micah for a younger sibling and Micah is doing surprisingly well. He even shared his precious bat with Pax. We wont go into the indepth private lesson Mick gave Micah on hitting after he got home...our poor poor bird...such pressure. After playing we headed to gymnastics where Micah was not thrilled to be under more "direction". We wanted to go eat at Gumbeaux's with Jaxson and his family so the men got a free pass from the bars at gym to go to the real bar to put our name in. It turned into a pretty long night but the boys were good and we enjoyed being with friends and of course good food! Speaking of food I can't seem to eat enough and I already have a bump...I don't remember that happening so early with Micah! Yikes!

Fun Rainy Day

This is the only picture I got of Micah and Ashli before the batteries died. It was just sooo cute, because Ashli got him to hold up his hands like he was on a rollercoaster! (stinkin' blurry camera)
Sweet face...

when I told him it was time to go Micah went and sat on this bench and waited for me to put on his shoes.

With all the stress we've had with sickness, work and baseball Micah and I haven't been able to do much just hanging out..we did more watching Mickey Mouse than hanging out. So while we did work a good bit today we also had some fun. We went to Monkey Joe's with our friend Ashli, she is a softball girl who is now in college and now our friend instead of a student. She was so good to climb up the slide with Micah so that I didn't have to. Thanks so much, Ash! We had lunch with her then ran errands. Tonight we had a fun family dinner and just really enjoyed being together. Always a good thing. Being pregnant with the second child you have the ability to realize that what you have will never be the same. With the first child you say it but then you think that you'll have some semblance of what you had before...now I know that not to be true. I wouldn't trade it but what we had before is nothing like what we have with our sweet Micah boy around. So I sat there as the three of us ate our ice creams and realized that I better enjoy it, soon enough they'll be someone new added to that mix. Which is exciting but also a definite challenge since I am barely just getting this one kiddo thing down.

My Public Service Announcement

WARNING: This post is personal and a bit disturbing so if your curiousity doesn't win out and you aren't interested in some serious gyno issues then don't read it.

ALSO, I am writing this post because I want some good to come our of our trial. This isn't just a fun way to post our thought to be dirty laundry.

AND, this post probably wont go in the blog scrapbook for sure.

So I mentioned previously about some test results not being good and making me stressed. Thereafter I didn't blog for a week because I was so embarrassed by what had transspired. I got the call Friday before last about all my initial ob bloodwork, everything looked great except for one small problem, the nurses words not mine. She stated I had chlamydia and that she would call in an antibiotic. I sat on the phone in shock trying to figure out what in the heck she was talking about finally I manage to ramble on about being a virgin when I got married and that we had been married 5 years...could I get this from the toilet seat? She continually stated it was a "sexually transmitted disease" I finally said, so what you're saying is my husband is cheating on me, to which she responded with her favorite line "it's a sexually transmitted disease". I called Mick hysterical and so confused he ended up coming home from work to try to talk to the nurse and ask her the questions that I had methodically written down from my internet pi skills. He did assure me that he had indeed NOT cheated on me and I really didn't need to ask...but it was nice to be reassured. The nurse finally says I can be retested. The thing is I didn't want to be retested...weird, huh? I didn't want to go through all the embarrassment of seeing people and there was that fear of what if this just jumped up there at the doctor's office or something? But my dear friend April (the only one I was brave enough to confide in and close enough not to judge me) basically said, you have to go, you'll regret it if you don't. I did go, and I would have regretted it had I not. I did sob through the whole thing while pitying nurses looked on thinking I was foolish not to know that my husband was running around on me. My Dr. on the other hand was positive it was a mistake and did some extra tests to be sure. She seemed to be the only one that believed me. Then the waiting began. Mick had to make the walk of shame as well to his doctor since his faithful wife tested positive he had to be checked too...and since I didn't get all the test results for a full WEEK later we didn't know it was all in vain. My doctor finally called saying she was sorry for the stress and that I did not have the dreaded std. I did ask her to talk to the nurses about a little sensitivity in someone's worst nightmare of a moment.

All this to say, if you ever question any test at the doctor's office, go get retested. They still aren't sure where the mix up was with mine. There could possibly someone out there with an std that doesn't know it. I was worried about the whole retesting thing but either way I am glad we have an answer. And our marriage has withstood a very trying test.

LAST THING, if you have an std this post isn't really about the std itself or to judge you. This whole situation brought up alot of issues that I don't think appropriate to blog about but virtually "having" an std for a day made me very sympathetic to the way you must feel. So please don't take this post the wrong way, it is only to say that mistakes are made more often that we know I think.

Haydee and Mic-nah

Here they are splashing like madmen.

Closing their eyes runs in the family.
Micah would only look at those dadgum letters Hayden is clapping...uggh!

Hayden and my dad came over to play and eat dinner with Micah and I since Mick had to work and Mom had Book Club. My dad actually watched both boys for 27 minutes while I went to work and got dinner. Definitely fun for Budda! Hayden later told mom that Dad went to work with me and that indeed, HE, Hayden watched Micah. Yeah right! We'd be better off putting Micah in charge. The boy does love some Haydee no matter what Hayden chooses to do to him. There favorite thing is to get a bath together and it is quite the rucous with those two...they feed off each other something fierce and I can only imagine if this next baby is a boy they could be a force to be reckoned with! Please Lord, no...I mean whatever is your will. So the boys both need haircuts bad so we attempted to mohawk their luscious locks and the pictures show what we got. The floor in the bathroom had more water than in the tub.

On another note, Micah has been feeling so good since his sickness. I mean he just loves life apparently sitting comatose with a fever for four days will do that for you. So he has been alot of fun. Even though I haven't been up to par I have so enjoyed being around him. *Don't get me wrong he still gets 2-3 spankin's a day and timeout a few more* BUT when he isn't kicking or hitting or screaming no, things are really fun. Just wanted to keep things realistic. So anyways, he is starting to talk in sentences which is really fun. He will put two words together pretty quickly and can say some pretty large words. My favorite right now are difficult (didicult) and disgusting (didusty). Both such boy words, right? So anyways, since he began talking he is changing so fast so I thought I should record how he's doing verbally. I know we are all shocked since those he came from don't talk at all:)

black cloud...watch out for the pity party

These two are just for Mick...look fast before Mick makes me delete them!
These are his supertight jammies by the way, and he put the shoes on and walked in them all by himself...too funny!

Here's Micah writing checks on the island...you'll do whatever to occupy a sick bird.

When asked who he was writing too, he said Nana. Apparently he sees how underpaid she is as a Micahsitter.

This was my attempt at showing pinkeye...Micah felt it was too gross for pictures. ie. it's in the left eye.

Well for those that don't know...we've had a black cloud over our home for the last week and a half. Micah got sick starting weekend before last and we've been battling sickness ever since. On top of that I got some weird test results that I would rather not talk about right now...the baby is probably fine...but still waiting on things makes a huge heaviness over your shoulders. I also got whatever Micah had plus a little something extra. He ended up having pinkeye and after disinfecting and washing and cleaning and leaving town...I still got it. Who knew pinkeye was so painful and disgusting. I thought that I had gotten it before but I was sadly mistaken. A little itchy eyes got nothing on pinkeye. Sooo, I went to the doctor yesterday and being that I am pregnant we decided for me to stick it out, with the sinus headache, not the pinkeye. I was all gung ho for it at the doctor but last night when my head and my teeth felt like they were about to pop off I begged to differ. Things are looking a little better this morning so we shall see where that leads us. Just wanted all to know we were still alive. And of course we are never to sick for pictures!

rough night...rough day

This is a boring post about sick bird...you can probably look back to last year and read something identical so skip it if you don't want the medical info today. So last night Micah got real lethargic. Those that know him know that he is anything but...he freaked out when I went to work so Mick came up to the chicken house with him. He sat in his lap the whole time. I started to get real anxious. Then we went to Taco Tuesday and he got worse. By the time we got home he was pretty hot but Hayden came over and he perked up some. Then Hayden left and Micah's temp was 102...by 11 it still wouldn't go down and I started packing a hospital bag. Fortunately I have a more rational calm husband and he called to talk to the nurse. She said Micah would be fine to wait til the morning. So we slept on and off all night and Micah got up at about 6:30 then I was even scareder because he would just look at me with pitiful eyes and then pass out. His fever was then 103. So I meet the Dr at the office when they open and for the first time ever Micah actually has a fever when I take him to the dr. It was still 103. She looked at his ears and one was starting to get infected and the other was...but she could tell somehow that this had just started and thought that it was a byproduct of whatever viral madness he has. And apparently fever is nothing to worry about. I mean I know this technically but when your child turns into someone else you think the worst. I know it is just Micah's way of fighting infection but it sure would help if he beat the infection off in less than a week. So from now on I am going to try not to panic when this happens, yeah right. Oh and I know some of you thought that his ears were infected from swimming and I wondered too but the doc said that definitely wouldn't cause this type of infection. Just fyi, she said this was inner if it were water related it would've been outer. Whatever all that means... And now the fever is somewhat gone...for now...but there is some weird goop all in and over his eye! Sheesh does this ever end?

sick bird

So I don't know if eating snow and ice causes a fever but we have one. I mentioned earlier that Micah was grumpy yesterday I didn't know he had a reason to be at the time. But he woke up from his nap with a fever of 102 and then got better as the night went on. But then at 3 this morning back with the burning up and I am sorry but when Micah has a fever of 100 or more it feels like his little head is on fire. He finally went back to sleep at 6 and then woke up again at 7. I was getting flashbacks from infanthood and ear infections so I am wondering if they are the culprit. So anyways say a little prayer for our sick bird because he is just pitiful. I don't know what the deal is he really doesn't have any other outward symptoms. I wish I could just be trained at how to give a strep test and how to diagnose an ear infection. That alone could save us thousands in doctors visits. BUT I am holding out this time to try not to call the doctor to hear, go home and wait it out. So I will wait it out for a day maybe...that is as good as I get people.