FAQ

Or, possibly just some asked questions:

Q:  Where did you get the name Dean?  (OR, why didn't you use another M name?)
A:  Dean Mark was the name we had chosen if Mia had been a boy.  And if Micah had been a boy.  So, it's been around for awhile.  The middle name is obvious.  Dean came from a good friend of the family that passed away a few years ago.  You see, Mark's grandfathers both passed away when he was quite young and he doesn't remember them.  Dean was the guy that filled in those roles.  He was the guy that was with Mark when he shot his first deer.  He was the one that liked to tease and have fun with him.  He was a fantastically wonderful man.  We miss him.

Q:  How is it having a boy?
A:  It's great.  We feel more than blessed.  So far, other than the obvious fast diaper changes, it hasn't been too different.  Dean is quite the flexible, happy baby, but I think that's more to do with his third child status than being a boy.

Q:  How is Austin?  What are you doing there?
A:  Austin is wonderful.  We are so thankful God has brought us here.  We are working on God's team to bring God's name to Austin.  Starting in our neighborhoods first.  We are trying to meet all our neighbors and form  relationships as well as enjoy our missional community.  A missional community is a group of people intentionally living life together in order to know Jesus and make him known.  It's loving each other as Jesus would have us so that others will see His love.  We feel blessed to be partnered with God in this.

Q:  What does M(4) + D equal?
A:  I pray that it equals a family seeking to make God's name great.  I pray it equals love, obedience, service, and determination.

+D

August 1st started out in a rush.  I woke up early and quickly realized something felt really weird.  In my groggy state, I stumbled to the kitchen, made coffee and started a roast in the crockpot before I realized what was different:

I was having contractions.  Coming 5 minutes apart. 

They weren't very strong.  They didn't last very long.  But because I wanted a vbac, I knew my doctor wanted me at the hospital when my contractions reached 5 minutes apart.  So, I timed.  And they remained.  I took a shower.  And they remained.  I called the doctor and he said to come in.  And they remained.  I called our sweet friend, Hope.  And they remained.

We headed to the hospital and... well, they spaced out.  About 15 minutes apart.  We checked in to the hospital anyway since they were expecting us and for the next few hours they remained at 15 minutes apart. 

Wherein I cried and asked to be sent home, since I was barrelling toward another c-section.

My sweet sister and niece were almost to our house anyway, so they decided to come for a visit.  So they played with and watched the girls while I tried to rest and nap -- all the while contracting every 15 minutes.  We played.  We ate.  We laughed.  We went to Amy's Ice Cream.  And watched Food Network.  It was a fantastic time with some of my favorite people.  It would have been even better if those annoying contractions wouldn't have kept coming, especially since they kept getting stronger. 

We went to bed much too late, but we didn't want to leave the fun.  Mark joked that my water would break around midnight.  I told him he was mean and fell asleep.

Until 11:50pm. When I leapt from the bed as fast as a 9-months pregnant lady can leap. 

My water broke. 

Mark is some kind of prophet. 

Doctors were called.  Sisters were informed.  And the road to the hospital was driven again.  Where this time I would check in to stay and finally meet my little man.

I met the absolute best labor and delivery nurse in the entire world.  And saw the on-call doctor again (my doc had the night off).  They were both very encouraging when it came to the vbac.  And the natural birth I hoped to have.  They let me roam the halls and walk and move around as much as possible.  They completely made the experience.  After praying for months for a great L&D nurse, it was amazing to see God's answered prayers. 

The labor experience was tough.  But God is good.  Mark was amazing.  We prayed together and he read scripture over me.  He encouraged me and didn't let me quit even when things got hard.  It was such a sweet time of proclaiming that I needed God to get through the pain.  And I needed Mark, my God-given husband, to support, protect, and love me.  For such an independent and self-sufficient person like me, it was humbling and a huge learning experience.  I wouldn't trade it.

My mom came in around 9.5 centimeters.  She jumped right in and helped me through the last bit.  She was amazing.  And then it was time...

The doctors and nurses let me take control.  It was the coolest experience to feel my son being born.  And then he was there.  And he was healthy.  And he was ours. And my first words were "Thank you, Jesus."

Dean Mark born 8/2/11 at 6:26am.  He was 7lbs 9oz and 21inches.

He got to hang out on my chest for almost an hour. It was easily one of the best experiences of my life.

Micah funnies and more

At night we let the girls have a turn with praying. For at least about a month now Micah's prayer has gone something like this:

"People eat people eat people eat. Red blue people eat people. Amens"

Which (I'm hoping) is loosely translated to:

Dearest Heavenly Father,

Please let all the people of the world, no matter their color or creed, have enough food to eat.

In Your Son's precious name, Amen.

Either that she's into cannibalism. Let's hope for the translation.

*********************************************

Lately, Mia has been making up her own praise songs. Which is possibly one of the cutest and sweetest things in the history of cute and sweet things. Here's her song from today:

"Lord, you are everything,
and you are so good,
and you are so healthy
that you can get us up
and bring us to Heaven.
Lord, you are so good."

Right after I wrote that down, this funny exchange happened:

Mia: Hey Micah! Did you know you can pray to God and ask him to come into your heart and wash away your sins?
Micah: YEAAAAH.
Mia: Would you like to do that now?
Micah: YEAAAAH!
Mia: Okay, let's pray.
**both girls fold their hands and close their eyes**
Mia: Okay, say what I say. Dear God, please come into my heart...
Micah: Dear God... a heart
Mia: And wash away my sins. Amen
Micah: AMENS! (Pats her tummy) God in my heart!
Mia: No silly! Your heart is here in your chest.
Micah: Yeah. That's my belly button!

(I'm thinking she didn't quite understand the gravity of the situation.)

Mia Funnies

So, a bit of a back story to this Mia Funny:

Back when Mia was potty training we started calling her underwear "Big Girls". For several reasons really: 1.) Neither of us liked the term "panties" and 2.) It made her even more excited about being a big girl (and, thus, play along with going in the potty).

Anyway, the term stuck.

SO! The other day, we are sitting around the table at breakfast and Mia is thinking really, really hard about something. Finally, she says...

"So, Mommy, if Micah and I are big girls.... [dramatic pause] Does that mean people WEAR US?!"

She immediately busts out laughing. She's a silly girl. I think we'll keep her.

Go West, Young Man

Closing day at the old house (I just realized Mia isn't too happy)

I think it all started about a year ago. There was this vague feeling of uncomfortableness. We couldn't quite place our finger on it, but both Mark and I couldn't get comfortable where we were. We talked so many nights until midnight or later trying to figure it out ourselves -- and praying over it -- but we would come away often more confused than we started. It was a general feeling of unease that followed us around and crept into our day to day lives. It was distracting. It was tiring. We thought at first it was related to our own crappy attitudes, but even after a concerted effort to change that... it remained.


Then God began slowly moving our friends away. One family at a time were called to other places to do other things. I felt called to leave the dance studio which was gut wrenching. We began to feel like an island. So in addition to this uneasy, uncomfortable, discontented feeling, we began to add the feeling of loneliness.

It was during this time that we also lost Pumpernickel.


There was really no doubt that God was calling us to grow closer to Him.

Sometime around summer of last year, we began to feel called somewhere else. Where that "else" was, we weren't quite sure. But we were certain it was something God wanted. We believed it was Pearland, TX -- a city about 30 minutes from where we lived and 30 minutes from where Mark worked in Houston. It made so much logical sense -- Mark's hour-long drive would be cut in half. There would be greater opportunities for me and the girls if we chose to dive into homeschooling (that's a whole other post!) and everything was just so close and convenient without moving too far from family. Brilliant! Sign us up! Let's sell this house!

But, no. It wasn't right. It felt awkward. Like we were trying to force ourselves into a round hole when we were clearly square pegs. We took a break from pursuing Pearland and began praying. And that's when a seed began being planted in my mind...


That seed grew sometime in the fall. We came to visit friends in Austin and take in a Longhorn football game (Hook Em!). And for the first time in a very long time I breathed a sigh. It felt comfortable. And right. But, made absolutely NO sense, whatsoever. The feeling continued to grow when we visited The Austin Stone to see a friend play in the worship band. Strangely... he wasn't playing that day. But at some point during the worship my heart did a flip-flop.

We were being called here. I was sure.

We began podcasting. And praying. And praying some more. Nothing made sense to be moving here. There weren't jobs in Mark's line of work. It was more expensive -- too expensive. Our family wasn't there. By this time I was also pregnant. But it remained a thought and desire in my mind and began to grow in Mark's as well.

At the end of 2010 a friend of ours posted a list of questions to consider as the new year was starting. Questions about being obedient. About who we were earnestly praying to accept the Gospel message. About truly being stretched and grown. And about praying for God to do something "impossible."

We started praying through these. And decided to take a praying trip to Austin to see where God was directing us.

The rest, as they say, is history. While we were in Austin, Matt Carter, the main preacher at The Stone, was talking about Heaven and Hell. He mentioned that we have a choice to make -- are we going to live full-out for Christ, being radically obedient... or feel content to sit around and play church. Truly, we have no idea how many more days we have left on this earth... why not make in impression for the Gospel today?


It hit us. Realistically, if we live to be 70, we have 40ish years left. As fast as these 30 have gone... I imagine the next 40 will be just as fast. Or faster. What were we doing wasting our time when we knew what God wanted?


So. That was the where. But the how? That was the problem.


But Mark's amazing company said he could work from home in Austin. And continue in the same job. With the same amount of money... including just enough of a bump that made living in Austin possible. God paved the way.


And so we got our house ready to sell. And did it ever sell. Now, we lived in a market that was slow. 6-12 months was about average for a house to be on the market. We put ours up on Monday, February 21. We had our first showing Wednesday, February 23. An offer on Thursday, February 24. And all negotiations were done on Monday, February 28.

You read that right. Our house sold in a week. Our God is the God of impossible.


God was gracious and gave us a long period before out closing date (especially because sweet Micah was having surgery to have her tonsils removed!). And so, April 16th was our moving date. We were headed west.


We had a pretty specific list of things we needed in a house here in Austin and a smaller budget for their very busy rental market. And God provided it amazingly. The house we ended up renting was one that had been on our list from the beginning, but included absolutely no pictures. Until the day we were on our way to find a house. And it was exactly what we needed. And even includes several things we wanted. God is good.


So we're here. We love our house. We're getting plugged in with old friends and meeting new ones. We're starting to see where God is leading us in the mission of reaching Austin -- one of the most unreached cities in America. And it's exciting. Scary, yes. Daunting at times. But that uneasy feeling that had plagued us...

Has been replaced by a peace. We can't wait to see what He'll do next.

News... well, sort of

So, so much has happened since I last wrote. Ridiculous amounts... but I guess that's pretty much what happens when it's been, oh, almost 6 months? Yeah. Sorry about that.

First, foremost, and most excitedly -- We are adding a third child to the family. Yes, most people who would even read this blog would already know this. And I'm insanely late in reporting this news as he is already 3/4 of the way cooked. We're due in early August and are thrilled and so are the girls. Poor third child. I'm sorry, baby.

Oh, you caught that? Yes, HE. We decided to find out this time and the girl we were both totally expecting to have turned out to be a boy. A boy! We are calling him Manna right now, to continue our theme of bread names in utero. He has a name. It shall be revealed at birth.

(I'm actually still in a wee bit of denial that it is actually a boy. I saw the ultrasound, but am afraid it was wrong! Hopefully not, as there is a lot of blue around here right now...)

So far, little man has been very healthy. And head-down. Praying this stays the same.

Mia totally called it from the moment we found out we were pregnant -- she knew the baby was her brother. She did the same with Micah. It's a wee bit freaky, actually. Micah is thoroughly freaked out by the baby moving in my tummy, but likes the idea of the baby.

Secondly, we moved. Across the state. To Austin. There is a long story surrounding this that will be typed out momentarily and hopefully published tomorrow. I want to make sure I get it right. But let's just say that God has been totally rocking our world and blessing us in ways we couldn't have imagined. And stretching us in ways we couldn't have imagined. And... well, just basically calling us to be radically obedient. Good stuff. Good stuff all around.

Thirdly, I still haven't thought of a better blog name. I'm awful guys. I threw a bunch around with Mark and got nuthin'. Please help. I like to think I'm creative, but honestly... I'm just not.

Creativity Escapes Me

I need help, people. Much help...

We are wanting to change the name of our blog. We want to take our last name out of the title.

One problem, though:

I have no creativity left. None.

Do you have any suggestions? Help?

Bueller?

A Holy Day

So a couple weeks ago, I had one of those days that just make you want to go back to bed and start over.

I was running late to meet a friend. Then I forgot some items that I needed to return, and since we live so far from the store, and I happened to be going to said town... I really needed to turn around. I got pulled over (got a warning, whew). Drinks were spilled. Snacks forgotten. Fits thrown (by the children and me). And then I got caught by the longest, slowest train ever. No seriously, I timed it -- nearly 10 minutes of waiting. My phone started working funny. My kids threw fits in the store. And the Lowes lady was rude to me. And we were late for naptime.

All this by 2pm.

I was starting to wonder if there was a hidden camera somewhere.

But then, from the backseat my sweet Mia started singing a song she made up: "Holy, holy, holy is this day! Holy, holy, holy is this day!"

At first, I have to admit I was terribly annoyed by the incessant repeating of this phrase. Until it started to sink into my consciousness. Yes... this day is holy. This day was made and set apart by God. He planned everything that happened. He knew the drinks that were going to spill and the rude ladies before the day even started.

And you know... really, in the end, all these issues were there to teach me one thing:

No matter what happens: "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Rejoice over spilled drinks and lateness? Yep. Rejoice over stops from a police officer and long trains? Of course! Rejoice over fits and rudeness? You got it.

Why? Well, for one... Because I am fortunate enough to have a drink. And a friend to meet. And police officers that protect me (sometimes from myself. And trains moving means someone has a job. And fits means I've been blessed with incredible children with amazing willpower. And rudeness means that I was blessed enough to shop at the store in the first place.

But most of all, because God was right there with me through it all. A heartbeat and breath away. And He loves me enough to let me stumble around for awhile so I will realize He's right there.

Merry Christmas!

Praying your Christmas is filled with God's love and peace.

Thankful

A quick poll to see what makes the members of our household thankful.

Micah:
* time-out (uh, what?)
* Drink
* Chair
* Teacher
* Curious George

Mia:
* Jesus
* God
* my dogs (we don't have dogs... I'm confused)
* That Jack feels better up in Heaven (Jack is their Granddad's dog that recently died)

Melissa:
* Naptime
* Having a God that loves us enough to leave his Heavenly home to save us from ourselves
* Adequate food, warm house, clean(ish) water, and the freedom to believe what I choose

Mark:
* Everyone being healthy after months of sickness

Streamlining

The last year or so my goal in life has been streamlining.

I looked up one day and realized I was stressed, unhappy, and didn't look forward to the next day. I knew something had to change. I had to make my life less hectic. I had to stop the constant busyness and the pressure to do everything. Start spending less time on things that don't matter, that have no lasting significance. I didn't want my children to look back and not remember me playing with them. Or that I was stressed because the house was messy. I wanted to show my girls how to have balance... except that I didn't know how.

Thus, I had to go bare-bones. First was to get things decluttered and organized so I didn't spend my time merely stepping over piles or moving junk from room to room. I had to figure out what was really important, and what I was only hanging on to. Then I created some systems to make my life easier. The most helpful was a cleaning checklist. I am someone who likes to mark things off as I complete them and I also tend to be easily overwhelmed when I can't remember what needs to be done. The cleaning checklist saved my life. I feel accomplished having marked off the task, and I can easily see what needs to be a priority.

It's been an interesting process and I'm still working on it. But I now find myself with time. I never had any time before. I have worked on projects I've put off. I've had time to iron. I've had time to sit and play with my kids for hours. It's been amazing. Streamlining my life has lowered my stress levels significantly and has made our house (I think) a cleaner, happier, more peaceful place.

And now... I see I'm finding time to blog again. I am very happy about this! I just hope there are a few people who still read. ;)

So, hopefully you'll see me around more. And I'll probably be streamlining the posts as well: one or two quality pictures versus a ton. Some more writing about what we're doing, which is what I like best. More of our thoughts and passions. I hope it's something everyone enjoys. :)

Pumpernickel

Lately it hasn't been the lack of time that has kept me from this blog (though, that has certainly been an issue). It's just that I couldn't find the words to write. What do you say when you just can't seem to write about the biggest thing in your life?

It all started June 4th. I had an inkling. Things didn't seem... right. And either I was going crazy or a certain something was... late. A test was taken and, though I expected otherwise...

Two pink lines. I was pregnant.

Quick calculations put the baby due in early February and we scanned the internet for bread names (as is the tradition). And we had baby #3. Pumpernickel.

After the initial shock, we were quite excited. We dreamed about tell the girls. Mia had been asking about babies and requested a baby brother to be born soon. I couldn't wait to feel the baby kicking, talk (fight) about names, and pick out the baby's verse and special song.

And then we went to the doctor. During the ultrasound the baby showed to be measuring a week behind. No worries! said my doc. Based on your chart this is highly likely. We'll scan you again in a week.

But something didn't feel right. I tried to be positive but something kept nagging at me. Something was wrong.

And something was... we lost Pumpernickel just 3 days later.

It doesn't matter that he or she was the size of an apple seed; it was our baby. I loved that baby with everything I had. I dreamt about him or her. I could literally feel the baby in my arms.

And then it was gone.

Even now, more than a month later, I struggle to put into words how I feel. The best way I can describe it is just that feeling of something missing. My arms feel empty. My heart is missing a little piece. Every time Mia asks when we are going to have a baby, my soul aches just a little bit more.

There hasn't been a time when my faith has been tested so greatly. Have I been angry? Sure, at times. Who wouldn't be? I had already dealt with infertility... why this? Why now? Have I been depressed? Yep. Denial. Frustration. Devastation. But one thing has remained -- hope.

Right after the miscarriage started, I was sitting outside talking with God. And I asked Him -- "Okay, what's up? Why me? Why now? Can you give me just one answer?" And He clearly replied, like a breeze over my soul:

"Because I am the same today that I was yesterday."

And it's true. He was there the day before when I was thanking Him for this precious gift. And He was still there even when it was taken away.

My heart learned something new that day -- how to choose to praise. Is it truly praise if we only do it when things are going great? going OUR way? Or does it become more real when we lift our hands and voices when there's pain? There were times when I'd grit my teeth and stomp my feet. I didn't want to praise Him. But I had to. Because He is the same.

I pray that God uses this hurt. I pray that Pumpernickel's short little life isn't in vain. And you know... that's all in my deciding. I can choose to be bitter and angry, but what good does that do? Yes, I still grieve. There are still tears and my heart feels a bit empty. But I choose to say -- "Lord, Blessed Be Your Name."

"Then maidens will dance and be glad, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow." Jeremiah 31:13

*Crickets, crickets*

Hello readers!

Um... hello? Hellllooooo!


Oh, right. Yeah. If I was reading a blog that hadn't been updated since NOVEMBER I don't think I'd be checking in often either.

Sorry about that.


What's going on, you say?


Well... Not a lot. Mia turned 3. Micah turned 1. I realized that as much as I'd like, I am unable to slow life down. Time seems to be speeding up and these precious girls we have been blessed with are growing up at lightening speed. It's totally unfair.


And so, in that spirit, I have been trying to really look at what is most important for each day and only work on that, so as to spend more time with my girls. Laundry, dishes, and paying bills still seem to be here, as is my need to talk with others (aka, Facebook) blogging seems to have fallen way down on the list. I mean, who wouldn't want to spend time with these characters?

Oh the love.

Not sure why exactly she was using stickers at Micah's chair... I'm sure she was up to something.

Micah is, as usual, intense. Her love is intense. Her rage is intense. Her joy is intense.

So, as you can see, we've been busy. I hope to blog more. Make more time between everything else. I do love looking back at our older posts. Seeing the things that they've done. I don't want to lose that... so, here ya go. Posting. :)

Micah the Maniac

Micah's personality has come out in the last couple months... like a hurricane she blew past the baby and is now constantly into everything and looking to discover what else can can crawl into/under/through and get stuck.

Her most favorite pasttime? Finding things on the floor to eat. Even if you've just swept, she'll find something. Her finger dexterity is pretty stinkin' amazing, I do have to say that, but I fish something out of her mouth no less than 20 times a day. No exaggeration.

She started crawling at 6.5 months. She's now, at 9 months, walking and pushing things around the house. She likes to try to throw herself off your lap or out of your arms. She still loves being upside-down. She'd rather feed herself than be fed and loves to eat real people food. She only has 2 teeth completely in (with another that just broke through yesterday) but she manages to eat pretty much whatever she wants.*

Here's a vides that shows her in all craziness. Enjoy!





* Including half a newt. That was fun to pull out of her mouth. Blech.

Stuff to say

So it seems that I often have these musings, realizations, and thoughts throughout the day, with no real outlet to get them out. My 2-year-old and 8-month-old aren't too interested in Mommy's random thoughts as much as when I'm going to give them their respected beverages. Mark often says that I don't get enough of my quota of words out during the day and he's assaulted with the leftovers in the few precious hours we have together at night.

So, to help with both these issues, I'm thinking of writing here every once in awhile. Anyone opposed to that? Leave a comment with your thoughts...

So here's the first installment in Melissa's Musings.

Today I was working out with Jillian (i.e. I was doing the 30 Day Shred) and during one of the exercises she makes a comment (that goes something like this, because I can't remember exactly):

"When it starts getting uncomfortable, that's when it matters most."

And I started to think about true that is. Not just in exercising but for life in general. I think back to all the times where I was just plain uncomfortable and it seems that's where the most good came out of my life. Where I grew the most and became closer to God.

Moving away to a college where I only knew one person was uncomfortable. But without moving to UT and joining Phi Lamb I wouldn't have the relationship with God that I have today (or possibly any relationship with God).

Our first year of marriage was uncomfortable. Quite uncomfortable. But the foundation of fighting through the rough periods brought us to a place where we know each other deeply. We realized what it really means that love is a choice. We learned how to interact, communicate, and how to fight. We learned how to love the other person in the way they needed to be loved.

Colic was uncomfortable. There are no words. But, in some weird way, I think it made me a better parent. It gave me patience (that I greatly need right now as I still find myself running out). It gave me a frame of reference to what bad days really are (at least she isn't screaming at us all the time). And I really understood unconditional love... because I loved this kid, no matter how many hours the screaming went on.

Obstructive sleep apnea + a newborn was uncomfortable. But God, did I learn about myself. I learned to let people help me. I learned that I am not superwoman. I learned that sleep really is kinda important (imagine that!) . I learned that I don't have to go it alone. That God is there for me but so are so many other people. And to just get over myself, already. And also that I hallucinate when severely sleep deprived.

So... are you in a position that feels uncomfortable? Hang in there. It will be one of those times that matters the most. Look for the blessings and the lessons. Cling to God's promises, because even if it doesn't feel like it at the time, He's there. Looking back at all these uncomfortable times in my life, I can see God in every one of them. Whether He was just holding my hand and getting me through or pushing me past the point I thought I could endure.

You gotta be uncomfortable sometimes to see real results.

Miss Sassypants

So lately Mia has become quite the sassy girl. I'm not sure who she thinks her mama is, but it's not going over well. Though... I have to admit some of the things she comes up with are quite funny. Here's some of the latest. And yes, these are all real quotes.

Mia: NO! YOU are the kid and I am the adult! You sit in the car seat and I'll drive and then we will NOT leave the zoo.
***

Mia: Mommy! The sun is up! It's time to wake up!
Me: Mia, the rule is you stay in your room until your clock says 7.
Mia: Well, it's 7 somewhere.
***

Mia: Mommy! It's time to wake up! The sun is up. (sense a theme?)
Me: Mia, honey, it's completely dark in your room.
Mia: (goes and opens her closet door) Well, it's light now.
***

Me: So, Mia, what was your favorite part of dance class?
Mia: Um, Mommy? I'm on the phone here.
Me: Mia, that wasn't polite (blah blah blah)... and how was I supposed to know you were on the phone? You aren't holding a phone.
Mia: I'm on the bluetooth. So Granddad about those ducks...
***

At the zoo a helicopter flies overhead...
Random zoo guy: Hey kids! Did you see that airplane! Pretty cool, huh?!
Mia: (walking off, thankfully) *sigh* That wasn't an airplane, that was a helicopter.

Cute Mia

Crazy Mia... A ball for a hat! Craziness!

Sassy Mia mid-eyeroll

Sea Center

So we had to check out the Sea Center in Lake Jackson. We've heard a ton about it and since Mia has pretty much been in love with fish for forever, it seemed like a good choice. If you haven't gone, I highly recommend it! It's free and it's so calming to sit and watch the fish swim around.

Mia can't stop smiling watching the fish swim around.

Looks like we have another fish-lover!

Dory and Nemo/Marlin!

(You have no idea how long it too me to get this picture...)

Mia talking to the turtles.

At the Sea Center, octopus seems the obvious choice of snack.

Mia and Mommy working on the fish rubbings.

The obligatory family picture... with both girls crying. It was lunchtime and naptime.

Picnic in the park

Or just in our backyard.

These are from back in May... I'm trying to catch up obviously. But they were too good to pass up! Enjoy!

So it was a lovely day in May; too lovely to stay inside. So we packed up some lunchables that I'd found as a steal at Kroger and headed outside!
(also -- I'm trying the captions above thepictures this time, as the spacing has been weird. Just a warning!)

Eating outside? With an oversized Strawberry Shortcake sticker? Awesome!

Micah almost foiled the plan of outside eating by taking a freakishly long nap. Never fear, just cart her outside in the carrier, swaddle and all!

Mia gives the picnic two thumps way up!

Micah awakes and stretches to find herself outside and a bit confused.

Dancing with a cookie? Oh yeah.

Happy girl

Oh grass! Where have you been all my life? I shall eat you now.

We are alive!

So yeah... the computer saga lives on... Hopefully we have something figured out that will work for us better.

Mia's surgery went well. It's amazing the difference in the child. Now that she's sleeping, it is like somebody switched her. She is (mostly) agreeable and helpful and only throws 5-6 fits a day, as opposed to an hour (well, she is still a 2-year-old. can't expect miracles, right?).

Mia did really well during the whole ordeal. she was very brave and didn't cry at all when they took her back (without us! ack!). She was very upset and out of it when she woke up which was so sad! She rebounded quickly, though and was even able to go home the same day, which they said doesn't always happen with kids her age. But within a week she was doing much better and at two weeks she was herself again. Well, herself several months ago at least.

We tried to take some pictures to make it fun and seem like an adventure. Enjoy!

On the way to the hospital very early in the morning... documented proof that she actually fell asleep in the car!

Micah joined in the car naptime, too.

Mia playing with all the new toys with Grampy. She did so good for not having eaten!

Micah wasn't quite sure what was going on, but she liked it.

Modeling her much-too-big PJs.

TRACTORS!

The aftermath...

This is after the morphine. Sleepy girl.

Car ride home... poor baby

Cute things

There are the times when your kids do such amazing things that you never want to forget them but they happen so fast you don't have a camera nearby. Here are some of those moments.

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Mia has learned "The Lord's Prayer". She loves saying it and I was even able to get it on video (grrr, stinkin' videos). This is how she starts out:

Our Father, You are in Heaven...
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Micah has learned to growl. She does it all the time, especially when eating her feet or trying to eat your face. We call her "The Micah Monster". It's a fitting name. She's also "Micah the Lion." Her love is ferocious.

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As much as you try not to compare them, it's impossible. Micah, at 4.5 months, give or take, is way, way more talkative than Mia ever was. Sometimes I'm already asking her to "Give mama a minute" or "You are hurting my ears!" She's intense with her love and joyfulness and wants to express it AS LOUDLY AS POSSIBLE!

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Now that Micah can roll over both ways, she wants to be on her tummy all the time. No matter that the day before she learned to roll over she hated her tummy, it was the worst place ever, the end. Now it's awesome and rolling over is the best thing ever. Little monkey!

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Mia still loves to repeat everything you say, except now she has an even better memory (oh dear!). The other day, I had finished my 30 Day Shred video (Level 2 baby!) and was telling Mark about it.

Me: This level has a lot more arm work. It has been well-established that I have zero upper-body strength. I think my arms are going to fall off.

Mia: Oh mommy! I hope your arms DON'T fall off!



and later...

Mia: Hey Mommy, when do you think your arms are going to fall off?



It probably doesn't help that my Uncle Ed only has one arm...

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Mia is convinced that I am on T.V. She has decided that not only am I Vanna White, but I'm also Jillian from the 30 Day Shred. Rock on!

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The other day we were going through the alphabet (in random order, cause Mia totally calls me on it) and quizzing Mia on letter sounds. It went something like this:

Us: Mia, what does "Mouse" start with. Mmmm-Mmmmm Mouse?
Mia: M!
Us: Yay! *and falling all over ourselves because of course she's the cutest thing to walk this planet*

So we got to R. She correctly identifies that rainbow starts with "r." Then she informs us:

"R means 'back-up'"

I was thoroughly confused until Mark pointed out that R is for 'Reverse'... as in the car. Duh! She got that one from Granddad.

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Micah is still not a big laugher. She laughs, oh she giggles. But she just doesn't think we're that funny. What does she laugh at? Being thrown up in the air! Being held upside-down. And, of course, being scared. As in, look away from her; then turn your head at her really fast and shout "BOO!" or pretend to sneeze. She's startled for a minute and then she laughs.