Lori and Her Boys

Big, Exciting News

2009-08-11T17:36:00.000-07:00

We have 2 very big and exciting topics to share with everyone!!

#1....... Micah is walking!

Yep, our little man is walking. I will have to try and get him on video soon. He is so cute, sticks that belly out, throws those arms off, and takes off. (I would have pictures but mom was a little impatient about this post since I haven't updated since July, I'm sorry!)

He did have a little accident this weekend when he was starting to let go. He was walking to the window, tripped and feel face first on the dog bone. There apparently was a sharp edge on the bone because our little guy has a little black eye. It has gone done a lot since this weekend but it is still noticeable.

#2...... that is just it, I am pregnant with #2!!!!! YAY

We are so exciting to be welcoming our 2nd child in March of 2010! I can't believe we will have 2 under 2, Micah will be close to 22 months when I have the 2nd child. I also can't believe we will be having another baby in the house! Excited beyond belief though.

My parents are also going to be the proud grandparents of 3 grandchildren by then! My brother & sis-in-law are due in October, I am too excited to be pregnant along with her and share this joy with both our families!

My little baby isn't going to be the baby for very much longer, can you believe it??

July 4th Weekend!

2009-07-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well this may just be a picture post more than a writing post. Micah and myself went down to my grandparents Friday to visit! My Aunt Cathy showed up on her lunch break so we got to spend time with both. Micah loves to go down there and open PawPaw's TV cabinet. He will pull all the tapes out and just look at him like, 'I did NONE of that!' We get a kick out of it and just let him continue, at least we are all smiling.

On Saturday, July 4th, Scott, Micah and myself heading to my Aunt and Uncle's to spend time with more family. The cousins were there, along with Abby (the dog), MawMaw, PawPaw, Cathy, Jimmy and the boys, but don't leave Emily out!

The kids got a kick out of the tire swing, while Micah 'walked' down the hill to get to Abby. Later on, after the great food, we played bubbles with Micah and as you can tell, he really enjoyed it!

Now, I couldn't leave Tyler out with this picture! I told you it was going to make the blog!

New Blog

2009-07-03T13:38:00.001-07:00

ok so I know I am in blog overload, but I don't like to mix everything together. I finally set up a blog for ONLY my photography. I am thankful that people have let me do shoots with them, so I wanted to post them in a seperate blog!

Check out the new photography blog at....

www.loricphotography.blogspot.com

Work, Tastefully Simple, Photographs......

2009-06-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

and more! I wouldn't give it up for anything. I love my job, I love selling Tastefully Simple and meeting new amazing woman, along with taking pictures for people and landscapes! Who wouldn't love all this? Onto my boys.....

Micah is starting to walk around things more and more. As long as he is holding onto something, he will walk. He will stand alone for a few seconds, then forget that he needs to pick his feet up to walk and the poor guy just falls face forward! No bruises as of yet, but I am sure they are coming along sooner than later.

Since Scott does the weightlifting in the evening, Micah and I have had some quality along time together. One evening, when it was beautiful outside, I decided to take Micah to Grandview Park alone! We had a great time on the swings and looking at the overlook. Micah loved it since there were dogs out..... he was giggling the whole time! How does that NOT bring a smile to your face?

I was blessed enough to be able to take pictures for a family a little of a week ago! I am going to set up a blog just for my photography so I don't get it all mixed in with this one. When I get it up and running I will post a link from here, so stay tuned! I will post a few from the evening that I hope they enjoyed. Next up is SaCelia's Senior Shot tomorrow! I'm so excited, if you couldn't tell.

Exciting Weekend!

2009-05-30T06:21:00.001-07:00

So this past weekend was an exciting weekend for the whole family. My parents joined us for Memorial Day Weekend.... or should I say Micah's Birthday Party Weekend? I know, I know, his birthday isn't until June 7th, but this was the best time to have his party! Saturday, first thing was first, our big boy needed a hair cut, BAD! Thankfully Kristy could work him on for us. He was such a good boy and stayed pretty still/calm for her.

The before and after pictures are posted above, she had to take a lot off, that really surprised me. As you can see he enjoyed looking at himself in all the mirrors she had around. Thankfully, she knew what she was doing because I had no clue what I wanted!

Sunday was the big day for our little guy. We had his party at Independence High School, which worked out great for everyone! We had hot dogs, chips, potato salad, fruit salad (which was amazing, Thanks Mom!) and of course CAKE!!!

As you see, Micah really enjoy the cake. He wasn't about to share it with anyone, good thing we bought a cookie cake, huh?

Luckily, he didn't get any in his hair. It mostly stayed in his mouth or around his legs. I wasn't prepared to get cake out of hair that day. All in all it was a great weekend, but how can it go bad when you have family and friends around you, right?

Too cute!

2009-05-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

Cathching Up.....

2009-05-16T17:38:00.001-07:00

Well it has been awhile so I thought I would catch everything, and everybody up!

Micah is loving daycare, we believe. Every morning Scott takes him and drops him off. As I am getting him dressed and his bag packed he starts to wave and say 'bye bye bye dadda dadda dadda'. It's like he knows that he is going to go byebye with Scott. Scott tells me that when he gets him out of his car seat, he is all smiles, talking and laughing, ready for the fun filled day ahead. He leans right into the ladies arms, whichever is first there to get him! This makes all of us feel so much better, knowing that he loves to go there.

(this picture is for you Mom)

Micah is pulling up and walking along the couch, well anything he can hold onto really. Hopefully it won't be too long and we will have a walker on our hands. Am I ready for that? I'm not so sure. He is already all over the floor chasing after Smokey & Bandit, I can't imagine when he starts to walk/run after them.

Baseball is still going strong. Indy made it to Regionals and plays Wyoming East on the 26th! It's been a long season but hopefully they can make it back to States!

I'm enjoying photography more and more! I was lucky enough to have a few friends let me take their Engagement Pictures at Little Beaver State Park! Also, her sister wanted me to take a few of her to put in her graduation announcements, I hope she liked them.

Anyway, Micah is going to be a year old in a few weeks but we decided to do his party next weekend over Memorial Day weekend since it's a long weekend and my parents will be in town also! This should be a ton of fun! Pictures to come, you know it.

March for Babies!!!

2009-04-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

<----------------------

See over there?? I need some more sponsors for my March of Dimes, March for Babies walk on May 2nd. If you would like to be a sponsor, please let me know before Monday so I can get everything in. Btw, Thank You Ann for being my 1st sponsor :)

You can do it online, write me, text me, call me, email, however is easiest!!

Thank you guys so much, you know this is for a great cause :)

Crawling, Playing, Standing..... O My!!!

2009-04-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

So we have been a busy little family. Baseball is starting to pick up so Scott has been a busy guy with that. Games or practice every night of the week including Saturday so Micah and myself have been getting some great quality time together!

I am so happy spring has sprung, because I am in full picture taking mood! From Micah, to Scott, to Flower, Trees, and the animals, anything is a good photo opp, hehe. This past weekend it was beautiful so Micah, Bandit and I went to Joys for the day. We stayed outside the whole time and it was so nice! From grilling out, to the dogs fighting (long story) and watching Micah just look in awe over everything new he came into contract with, I was just so happy.

We took Emily and Micah for a wagon ride, which they both enjoyed (Micah more than Em). I also saw some tulips in Joy's neighbors yard, so I couldn't pass it up, I had to get some pictures, they were just beautiful. I also couldn't pass up taking some pictures of Joy's flowers.

Micah is crawling all over the place, he will go a few on all fours, but then he realizes he will go faster on his tummy, so he flops down and takes off again. He is pulling up on everything like crazy, he loves to get on his knees, and ever so often will get all the way up to his feet. I guess it won't be long and he will start to move those feet, huh? Oh please help me when he does!

Here is a picture of Micah favorite place in the house! Think he is going to take after his mom? Bless this child.

Sunday Outing....

2009-04-07T14:21:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was a beautiful Spring day. We decided to take Micah out and to Grandview Park. Well apparently everyone in the Beckley area decided to do the same exact thing with their children. When we arrived you could barely find a parking spot. We talked it over and decided not to stay there. As we talked we tried to think of places in WV that we had not photographed yet. Scott mentioned Bluestone Dam and Sandstone Falls, so we were off, towards Hinton.

Thankfully there really wasn't anyone at the Dam so I could get some really good pictures without having to fight around people. Also, the falls really weren't that crowded either, just another jewel stuck away in WV!

While walking at the Falls I came across this really neat tree.... people have engraved their names or initials all over it. Neat huh?

On our way home I decided I had better call my Aunt and cousin so we could stop by. She would have killed me if she knew I drive right past her house without stopping, hehe. Micah had a good time watching their dog, Abby, chase the ball.

I was also able to get a few good pictures of Joy's flowers that have sprouted up already! YAY for spring.

I'm horrible......

2009-03-27T04:20:00.000-07:00

such a bad blogger. A month? Really? Ok So I will post some pictures and update a little!!

Micah broke through his first two teeth. It seemed like it was 2 in 1 1/2 weeks. I have a feeling he is breaking another one through also. He waits 9 months and then BAM, he is going to do it all at once, poor guy. Also, he is crawling. Well, 'low crawlin' as we call it. He doesn't get up on all 4's but he can get anywhere he wants to on his belly! It's really cute but I'm sure his tummy hurts from it, mine would.

Micah is 9 months old. Can you believe it? I know I can't. In less than 3 months he is going to be a year old, and I'm just not ready for that. These past 9 months have just flown by. Someone stop it, please!

I started a new job over a month ago, and I love it. I stay busy 100% of the time, which is really nice. So far I have learned a lot but I have so much more to learn, I don't know how I'm going to ever learn it all!

ok, to fill you in on this picture. Day Care made this hat for St. Patty's day. We put it on Micah's head, and as you can see, it didn't even come close to fitting! haha

So I promise not to wait a month to update again. Hope everyone else is doing just as good as we are.

Our Old Man

2009-02-21T15:18:00.001-08:00

Picture says it all. This is Micah's new favorite thing to do!! Cute, huh?? I also couldn't help but add the handsome picture below! Enjoy

For you.... Dad!!!

2009-02-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

We got new carpet!! WOOT WOOT..... can you tell that I am just a little excited?? (thanks mom & dad) Anyway here are a few pictures, I hope you can tell the difference. It went from an ugly, worn down grey w/ barely any pad to a beautiful brown/red/tan carpet with an excellent pad that makes you feel like you are walking on air!

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

COLOR

Busy Busy Weekend

2009-02-02T17:22:00.001-08:00

We had a very busy weekend, starting Saturday morning. My parents came in from IL for Micah's Christening. Mom and I went out shopping while the guys stayed home. It was bonding time for Micah and 'Tim' aka his grandfather (my father). My dad does NOT want to be called 'grandpa, paw paw' or anything of that sort so we are just calling him 'Tim' for now. Until Micah makes his own name for him.

Micah was spitting up a lot again this past week and into the weekend. When mom and I got home I noticed he was spitting up more. I made a comment about it and dad said 'well he doesn't come with a dip stick, we don't know how full he is'. I thought I was about to die laughing on the floor. Thank goodness my child is not a car and doesn't come with a dipstick!

The craziness followed into Sunday morning. After we all got up, dressed and ready to go. We made our way to the church to meet up with the other family members. Feeling like the old days, when we would go the midnight Mass down in Gary with the whole family, we took up 2 rows in church!! Micah was great, only jabbering a few times. We decided to do the Christening after Mass so that Scott's family could attend.

Of course, Micah was great during the whole Christening, he didn't even cry when Deacon Don poured the water directly into his eye at first. Micah was probably thinking that he was getting a bath, little did he know.

After the Christening, we got our marriage blessed. The reason we had to get our marriage blessed is because we did not get married in the Catholic Church or married by a Priest, Deacon Don also put on this ceremony. The neat thing about this was we 'renewed' our vows 2 years after we got married! Deacon Don kept saying 'again' which was really cute.

Deacon Don, Scott, Micah and myself after everything was over!

My whole family made the trip over to my Aunt Joys house to eat, play Wii, sing Karaoke and play some card games! We had a great time but it was just great to spend time with my family. My parents had to leave today to get back to IL. Every time they come in, I miss them even more. I understand why they are out there, but I pray they will come home soon.

(Thanks mom and dad for everything you do for us!!)

Teething Fun

2009-01-24T18:55:00.000-08:00

Our little man has been trying his best to cut his first tooth. Still, nothing, not even a little peak at one yet. He seems to be miserable at times, I just wish I could take the pain away from him. He is still sleeping through the night, like a champ, but during the day he won't get the normal amount of nap time I think he needs. He will have 20-30 minute cat naps here and there. He will wake up VERY cranky, which is not Mr. Micah, at all. He is chewing on everything he can get his little fingers around, including Bandit's tail. (yes mom I caught him before he actually chomped down on it!) This simple fact was the reason I decided to get some teething biscuits. He is chewing his food great, so I figured he could handle one! Well check out the after math of his first one, EVER!

This first picture is his very first bite:

The aftermath, thank goodness it was bath time. As you can see he got it everything, including up his nose! HA

A cute picture just to throw in here:

Too cute!

2009-01-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

This picture was just too cute, I couldn't pass it up! Bandit loves to play with Micah on the floor now I have to keep my eye on both of them. Smokey jumped down the stairs and Bandit decided to 'hide' behind Micah, cute huh?

Righty or Lefty?

2009-01-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

We have all wondered if Micah was going to right handed or left handed. Scott is a lefty and I am a righty, so it could go either way! A couple of Scott's relatives are also left handed. Everyday Micah will change hands, so I am not sure at all which way he will go. Never know, maybe he will be a switcher.

We are almost crawling! YAY but boo.... we would really like to get our new carpet in before he starts to go 100%. I will be working on it this week :) I have tried and tried to get a picture of him up on all 4's but he won't let me. The picture below is the closest one I could snap. He will watch Bandit and Smokey play then get up on all 4, then rock back and forth, trying his hardest but falling shortly after. I give him about 3 weeks and he will crawling after the animals.... eeeek!

VOTE VOTE VOTE

2009-01-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

ok I need everyone to vote for my photo in the Capital One Photo Contest. Just go to the link below everyday, 5 times a day until February 6th! Thanks so much.

VOTE HERE

Thanks Kelly! Hopefully this will work.

I have a new blog....

2009-01-09T08:39:00.000-08:00

'Lori's 101 Things to do in 1001 Days'

check it out, to see what I am talking about!

www.loris101things.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday

2009-01-07T16:49:00.000-08:00

to my wonderful, amazing and adoring husband! Another year has passed, can you believe it? This time last year, we were expecting, and weren't sure yet of what we were having. A year later Micah is here and is the light of our lives. This time last year we were just getting used to our new house, now it feels like home. Thank you for everything you do for me & Micah. We don't know what we would do without you. I love you and can't wait to see where life is going to take us.

Can you believe it? Micah is 7 months old today. It seems like yesterday that we found out I was pregnant and in the hospital delivering him. He is now rolling over, up on his knees trying to rock back and forth. I give him a week or so and he will be crawling? Really? Scary.... I know.

Micah, thank you for being the light that has shown me so much about who I am. I live every day for you, to make sure you are ok and happy. I hope I can continue to be the best mommy I can be! I love you, too.

ABC's, Describing Me

2009-01-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

So I saw this on the Beckley Mommies blog, that Lesley did. I thought it looked really fun, but man, it was really hard. I had to get Scott to help me on a few of them. If you do this in your blog, please leave a comment back to me so I can see what everyone else came up with! Have fun.

American
Blogger
Catholic
Daughter
Energetic
Friendly
Gassy (thanks Scott)
Honest
Imaginary
Joyful
Kidder
Loyal
Mother
Niece
Original
Practical
Quirky
Redialer
Southern
Talker
Understanding
Voluntary
Witty
X-treme (ok come on, you come up with an X word and please let me know)
Yearnful
Ziggy

Why is it...

2008-12-31T11:36:00.000-08:00

when men get sick, it is the end of the world to them? I have to say that Scott is pretty healthy, he only gets the occasional cold every now and then but when he does, you better watch out. He doesn't move or eat ANYTHING. Poor guy has been laying on the couch all day, if he eats anything it just seems to come right back up.

On top of Scott being sick, Micah isn't feeling well either. He must be trying his best to cut that tooth. Everything that comes into reach (including Bandit) he tries to put into his mouth. He is fussy again today but not as bad as the other day. I'm hoping to get one to eat something and the other to keep what he does down! Wish me luck.

Apparently, Micah knows what the camera is. Every time I get it out he smiles and laughs now. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing..... we will find out huh?

Mr. Cranky Pants

2008-12-28T19:41:00.000-08:00

has arrived at our house the past two days. From the moment Micah wakes to the moment he finally falls asleep at night, he has been Mr. Cranky Pants. He is either really started to cut a tooth or he is fighting the final leg of his cold. Either way, he hasn't been the normal Micah many people know.

It doesn't matter what we do all he wants to do is fuss or scream his poor little head off. I think I have walked 10 miles just inside my house today. (Which isn't a bad thing for me, hehe) The poor guy never really got a good nap in either, he would either wake in pain or Bandit would wake him (bad dog). Hopefully he will get a goods night sleep tonight, he finally went down around 10, which is VERY late for him, as most of you know he is usually down by 8pm.

Here's to tomorrow and hoping for a much better day!

Oh yeah, How about them 'Eers?!?

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! The past few days have been very busy. My parents came in from IL and we have been running around ever since. Our first stop was to my grandparents house, about an hour away. We ALWAYS do Christmas Eve with them and my dad's whole family. With my dad being the oldest of 9 children, there being 11 grandchildren and Micah being the only great-grandchild, you can only imagine how crowded and wild my grandparents house must be.

We started the day around 1pm with our big lunch, then went straight into unwrapping presents (which Micah LOVED). After presents, on to Mass for a few of us (where my cute little cousin played one of the 3 kids in the Children's Mass, can I just say, toooooo cute) and the rest of the family stayed with my grandfather at the house. After Mass, we headed over to my aunts to drag out the night. The Wii ended up being the most popular thing there that night, among kids AND mostly among the adults.

We were all pretty beat last night, but we knew we had more to come. This morning started bright and early when my brother and sis-in-law came over so we could have breakfast and exchange gifts. I miss them and wish we could see them more often. They are only 2 hours away but it just seems like more when we are both working. :(

Mom and I didn't slow down after this. We continued to make lunch/dinner for Scott's side of the family. We had a ham, turkey, green beans, stuffing and even some sweet potato's! Can I just say, YUM. My mother is the biggest help in the world. I don't think I could have pulled that off without her being here! (Thank you mom, love you) After lunch we also exchanged gifts! Let's just say, I racked up in kitchen accessories, you can never go wrong with kitchen stuff for me. I also got a few things for my camera, can't wait to use them!

I've put a few pictures in from the past few days, I hope everyone enjoys. Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Christmas but also remembered the reason for the season!

Sorry Rich.....

2008-12-20T18:07:00.001-08:00

this picture says it all. This is for all of you WVU fans out there!

Let's Go...........

Mountaineers!

Micah....

2008-12-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

was one of the Top 50 Boys names in 2008. #41 to be exact. This floored Scott & I considering it was no where near the Top 50 last year. Comes to show how one year can make a major difference in just baby names.

For all of you that don't know, according to Parents.com:

Origin: Hebrew

Meaning: Humble

Variation of Michael. Numerous namesakes found in the Bible. The most notable is a minor prophet who predicted the fall of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah. A book in the Old Testament bears his name. Late-comer to the charts in 1959, but becoming a prevalent name because of its strong Hebrew connection.

Many reasons helped us pick his name but I loved the fact that it is in the Bible!

Looks like Micah is battling his first cold. He is very congested but the doctor said that his lungs are clear! (Thank Goodness) It seems to be breaking up, but the poor little guy just sounds so horrible right now. Thankfully, he is still in good spirits; talking up a storm, playing in his jumperoo and loving the floor.

As you can tell, I am playing with my new lens and loving every minute of it!

Remembering...

2008-12-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

While I was cleaning out my picture folders at work, I stumbled across some old pictures. How time flies after 3 years of being together. We met in the beginning of December 2005. A year later we were married down in Pigeon Forge, TN with our family around us.

A couple of months later, we decided to add to the family. We brought home Bandit, our black pug. This picture is just too cute, I couldn't pass it up. Bandit was only a few months old and it was his first Halloween. Mr. Bumblebee!

Then, what did you know? I was pregnant. Just 1 1/2 years after meeting and 1/2 year after our wedding, we were expecting! I grew and grew until I could grow no more. This is the last picture of me taken, standing up. I don't think I could have gotten any bigger. I must admit, I did great through my pregnancy. Not gaining too much weight (until the swelling started at the end). I loved being pregnant and showing my belly. The only thing that I didn't like about my pregnancy were the zits. I had horrible acne problems during pregnancy, but I'm not complaining!

We just celebrated our 2 year anniversary on December 9 and now look at our happy family. I couldn't ask for anything more. They are my world and I am so happy to go wake up to both of them in the morning. Micah has changed me for the better, yet he has no clue.

New Toy!

2008-12-15T17:03:00.000-08:00

While we were in Charleston, finishing up our Christmas shopping, Scott decided to let me go ahead and get my present.... a new Zoom IS Lens for my SLR Camera! YAY I can't wait to be able to use it more often.

Here are a few pictures showing the difference between my old, standard lens and my new, zoom lens. All these pictures are taken at the same place. I am focusing on our tree topper!

#1 Old Lens, Beginning.

#2 Old Lens, End.

#3 NEW Lens, Beginning.

#4 NEW Lens, End.

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

2008-12-15T12:34:00.001-08:00

I am doing the March of Dimes... March for Babies walk on May 2nd, 2009 with the BeckleyMommies. I would love to raise $100 for babies and for the March of Dimes. Please help me raise my goal! If you can give 1 cent, $1, $5, or howevery much you would like you know it will go to a good cause!

Thank you in advance for all of your help.

No Words.... Enjoy

2008-12-08T00:30:00.001-08:00

Food and Fun

2008-12-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

Very eventful week, to say the least. Micah is beginning to teeth really bad. He started over the weekend getting really fussy and not sleeping very long. Teething tablets were mine and Micah's best friend for a few days. For some reason, they would calm him down enough to sleep every now and then. The strangest thing was when he would wake it would be bloody 'hell'. He would wake from a dead sleep and scream so loud. I felt horrible that I couldn't make him feel any better.

Due to all of this screaming he is now hoarse. Very odd, but he didn't scream that much. He isn't a crier anyway so I guess his little voice box couldn't handle very much.

In the evenings we are trying to get Micah to eat a little cereal with a spoon. Now remember, he is doing great with his veggies and fruits during the day. He LOVES sweet potato's, green beans, peas and banana's (so far) and HATES carrots. The picture below is what he thought of cereal with banana's! HA He figured he would just feed it to himself. Nice right?

So I have read in a few books that he is almost ready to begin the sippy cup. (begin? yeah right, this may take awhile) I decided one evening to give one to him to see what he would do. He actually did pretty well. He can hold onto the handle and bring it up to his mouth. Of course, the only thing he wants to do with it is chew on it but at least he knows where it goes. Or is that just because EVERYTHING is going into his mouth??

He got a little tired and decided to give it a break. He was pretty aggravated with it since nothing was coming out. With time I'm sure he will do fine.

On a trip to Wal-mart I came across Christmas hats! I couldn't pass them up, especially when they had a size to fit the little man. This is going to be so great for our pictures Debra is going to come take on Sunday for us. (I want a family picture and I just can't do it myself with no tri-pod) I will post some of her pictures next week, hopefully.

Micah says 'I want You!'

Fun-filled weekend! I have another Tastefully Simple party on Saturday, Debra is coming to take our pictures on Sunday, Scott and I are going out for our anniversary (can you believe it's been 2 years?) then on Monday Micah gets his 6 month pictures taken in Summersville at Images by Romano! yay

I've been tagged....

2008-11-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

to tell 6 random things about myself! Here is goes:

1. Our cat, Smokey, was Scott's before we even meet! He is now 'my' cat though, he sleeps on my side of the bed and comes to me whenever he needs something. He only goes to Scott when he wants to attack something, like Scott's forearm!

2. I didn't have a cavity until I was getting ready to go to college!

3. If I get on full-time with the school board as a secretary, there is no use for me to go back to school to finish my degree. (only ups my pay by like $2.00 a day) At least I see no need in it.

4. I am the second oldest of the grandchildren from my dad's side (there are 11) and the youngest from my mother's side (there are 4 of us)

5. Even before I got to the hospital to have Micah, I always had a thought in the back of my head that I would end up having a c-section! My thought ended up being right.

6. I am horribly afraid of getting into a serious car accident. I am always watching out for other drivers.

Carrots & Gaming!

2008-11-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

Micah is starting to eat foods! YAY So far he has had Sweet Potatoes (he LOVES) Carrots (not so much) and bananas. Well you can guess if he loves bananas or not ;) Kathy, our great babysitter has been helping out and feeding Micah once a day. I didn't believe her when she said he would open wide for food. Until I was feeding him this week. We were on Carrots and he opened wide but then spit it right back out. He did this the whole time. Needless to say he made a mess, as you can see in the picture below!

Micah enjoy sitting on your lap while watching TV or Bandit run around the room. One evening after his bath he was sitting on his daddies lap while Scott played a football game. This is what I walked into a few minutes later. Scott giving Micah lessons on how to tackle and pump fake! We believe the reason Micah really liked the controller is because of the little light that is right at the top! Whatever pleases the little man is fine by me, as long as it doesn't cause any harm.

Micah in the middle of a 'pump fake'

Nana and Paw paw Myers are coming in for Thanksgiving so I am sure we will have more pictures to show you after this week! Hope everyone has a fun & safe holiday!

Bad Blogger

2008-11-11T05:29:00.001-08:00

Yes yes I know, I am such a bad blogger. To make it up to you, I have new Micah pictures! Along with a few others.

Halloween was a great experience with Micah, he loved his little outfit (pictures to come, I'm sorry) Everyone just ooohed and aaahed over him.

Micah is starting to reach for things. We have also noticed that he loves to follow objects, mostly Bandit, around. He also loves his little jumper. He will sit in that thing, jump up and down and play with the toys for close to an hour now. He will get so tickled with himself that he has to catch his breath, it's so cute.

Here is a cute picture, he is getting scared easier these days:

A few weekends ago, Scott & I went to Babcock State Park. It was a beautiful early fall day and I got some great pictures. Old Old Crist Mill is just a great place to take pictures and a great West Virginia landmark! The sun was alittle in the way but I made it work. Also, I wish we would have gone just a week early, the fall leaves would have been in full bloom and not on the ground.

Note: So I am back to work at Interior Concepts, but I am also still a sub-secretary with the schools. Hopefully it won't take too long to get on full-time! We can only pray.

Almost Heaven.....

2008-10-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

West Virginia!

Scott and I have been going around our beautiful state and taking some great pictures at the parks. While I was pregnant we went to Grandview National Park and Little Beaver State Park on a chilly day to take some pictures. (The same day my cousin had her baby Lucas)

Grandview Park - Main Overlook, The New River

4/6/2008

Little Beaver State Park

4/6/2008

Little Beaver Damn

4/6/2008

Since it is staying pretty here in October we decided to go to the New River Bridge and take some pictures. Before this bridge was built it took 40 minutes to an hour to drive down the gorge and back up, now that time has been cut to 40 seconds. The bridge is the highest vehicular bridge in the Americas, and second-highest in the world. It's beautiful during any time of the year. I can't wait to go back and take more pictures while the leaves are changing.

New River Gorge Bridge

10/5/08

New River Gorge Bridge

10/5/08

4 Months? Seriously?

2008-10-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Micah is already 4 months old and we can't believe it. 1.) I can't believe it was over 4 months ago that I was in the hospital and he didn't want to enter this world. 2.) I can't believe it has been over 4 months since the last day I was working full-time. 3.) I can't believe it was over 1 year ago when I found out I was pregnant with him. How time flies!

He growing like a little bean sprout.... already 16 lbs and 25 inches long. (Yes, 16 lbs.... I know he is a big boy, everyone that sees him tells me! ha) 4 Months old and is wearing 6-9 month clothing. Great huh?

One of his favorite places is on the floor with his tunnel. Not only Micah but Bandit also loves the tunnel. I have to keep my eye on Bandit now.... I couldn't help but take this picture before I got Bandit out of the tunnel. Every now and then Micah will decide to try and roll from his back to his stomach but it seems he scares himself and doesn't go all the way. I am waiting for the day when he finally makes his move and flips right over.

Job Update: Since I passed all the tests to become a sub-secretary with the school board I have been called out 1 time. Hopefully it will pick up so I can get my seniority and get a full-time job soon!

Holy Cow!

2008-09-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

WOW, it has almost been a month since I last posted, I'm sorry. I have been busy with Micah and taking tests at the board office.

So Micah is 3 months old. Can you believe it? I know I can't. My mother and father came to visit a few weekends ago. Nana stayed a whole week with us and we know she enjoyed it just as much as we did.

Micah is loving to sit up like a big boy. He doesn't want to be held like a baby anymore, he wants to see the world around him. His new favorite spot is either in his high chair or on the mat in the floor, looking up at his 'buddies'.

A few weeks ago Micah was having trouble keeping his formula down. We had to take him to the doctor where they suggested we start to give him cereal. His doctor wanted me to start to feed him with a spoon, so he can get used to it. Well as you can see, he really wasn't sure what to do with it, except spit it back out! He is getting better at it, but I can tell it will take time!

He is beginning to 'talk' to us and smile all day long. He loves to giggle and laugh with his daddy. I can be in the kitchen cooking and I hear them both laughing, it's so sweet! Below is a very cute picture of his beautiful smile, enjoy.

Update: So I have found a job! I passed all the tests to become a sub-secretary with the Raleigh Co. Schools. I can be called out pretty much any day. So who knows when I will work but I am hoping to get a full-time job by the next school year. Also, I am the newest Tastefully Simple Consultant. I have fallen in love with their products and this is the perfect opp. for me to start selling!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-08-20T06:48:00.000-07:00

We have been super busy this past week or so. I had the first part of the secretaries test for the school board and Micah went to the babysitters for the first time. He seems to really enjoy it there. She also has two little boys so it works out great.

I ended up passing the first part of the test (typing 50 wpm, easy) and I took the second part yesterday. This may be where it bits me in the arce. I'm horrible at grammar and there were a few grammar questions, figures. Anyway, I hope to find out today if I passed it or not. Wouldn't it be great to have the same schedule as Scott and Micah when he grows up?

Our little man is growing more and more everyday. He is around 14 lbs now and full of life. Scott & I have noticed that he is more alert throughout the day. Which is great because he is sleeping about 9 hours through the night now! Woot!

As you can see in the picture he loves night time. We give him his bath and wrap him up in a blanket, usually covering his head. Scott decided that just his head needed covered the other night and look at poor Micah.

We had some visitors this past week. From grandma & grandpa C watching him for a few hours, great maw-maw and Aunt Nancy coming over for a visit and John, Joy & Emily stopping by we were busy. Joy has to come over to get her 'Micah fix' at least once a week, which is fine by me because she absolutely loves him. Emily just wants to hold him and kiss on him, as you see in the picture below. Emily is 6 years old and my 2 month old son seems to be catching her in the weight and height category. LOL

Of course, Bandit couldn't be left out. He loves when John, Joy & Emily come over because he doesn't have to be thrown outside. They also have a dog and are very comfortable playing with him. Joy decided to get him hyper and play around. Bandit has a mind of his own and showed Joy who was boss, biting her butt! HA They ran and ran around the house until Bandit laid down and gave up! Thanks Joy, for wearing my dog out.

NOTE: On the job search. I had an interview this past Thursday but haven't heard anything back, so I take that it means I didn't get the job. Hopefully the school system will work out and I can get a job there or maybe sub for awhile!

My Little Papoose

2008-08-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Well since it's been awhile, I have a lot of catching up to do. This past week was full of relaxation. Micah and I chilled at home most of the week just playing and having fun. He is smiling more and more everyday. Something Scott & I notice is he will giggle in his sleep. He must be dreaming about something but it is a full out all giggle, very cute.

His old swing that Aunt Joy got for us (thanks Aunt Joy) decided to break. It had a mind of it's own. It would swing when it wanted to and then the mobile and light stopped also. When that happened Micah became an old grouchy man and would scream bloody murder at it. So we packed our things and headed to Wal-Mart to buy a new swing. Micah seems to enjoy this one also, only time will tell!

While I was at Sam's buying meat for the next few weeks, I came across the cutest little outfits. I just had to buy one for Micah, do you like it?

Micah has a new nickname, thanks to a few neighbors; Papoose. I took Bandit outside to play with a few of his buddies and decided to take Micah along in his sling. Everyone said he looked like a little papoose in there, so now that is his nickname. He really enjoys the sling, it helps him see the world around him. When he gets really fussy, we put him in and I walk around, calms him right down. I can't believe he is already 2 months old and facing forward, wanting to look around all the time.

Side Note: The job search is still on going. I have sent my resume in a few different places and haven't even had a phone call back from any of them. I'm hoping within the next 5 months I will have a job. Keep me in your thoughts.

Enjoyable Weekend

2008-08-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

Our 'little old man' is beginning to play with daddy, he started to notice movement much more. The big swing my aunt got for us broke, the mobile/light show up top stopped working and Micah becomes a grouch when the toys don't go anywhere. Looks like it's going to be a trip to Wal-mart for a new swing!

This weekend Grandma and Grandpa C came over to watch Micah for a while so Scott & I could have a 'date night'. We went to watch The Mummy at the theater. It was a pretty good movie, a lot of funny parts. It was nice to get out, just the two of us. Ended up that it takes two people to babysit for us. One for Micah and one for Bandit! They said they enjoyed it though.

I finally got a picture of Micah smiling. It's not the greatest but you can see it now! Nana M was too excited to finally get pictures of him. He wants to play more often and smile up a storm, we just love it.

Well, the fun beginnings! Football practice started today for the area high school teams. This means less time with daddy until about December. Hopefully the team will do well this year and make it to playoffs! Go Patriots.

My job search is still going on. I haven't heard anything from anyone, but hopefully someone will contact me soon. I feel like I'm not getting my message out there clear enough. This is so tough when you have to actually look for a job.

Eyeballs

2008-07-30T06:30:00.000-07:00

Lately Scott & I have been wondering if Micah's eyes are going to change. They are bright blue and he has coal black hair. Scott has dark eyes and my eyes are very dark also. As of right now we aren't seeing any dark spots in Micah's eyes so that makes me think they aren't going to change.

Micah does have a good chance he will keep his pretty blue eyes, both my brother and Scotts brother have light eyes. I am going to make a poll and post it to the left of this post. Please feel free to vote and tell me if you think his eyes will change or stay the same.

On a side note, our little constipated baby is no longer having troubles. YAY, that means he isn't fussy anymore and we are all doing much better. He is back to taking the regular amount of formula instead of 2 oz every 2 hours. Hopefully this keeps up and he doesn't get backed up again.

I tried to do a mini-photo session with Micah the other night but as you can tell it didn't go too well. I need a black sheet to get the photos I want. Hopefully sometime this week I can run out to get one. Bandit also decided he wanted his picture taken and kept getting on the sheet with Micah. Very smart, knows where to get the attention. Cousin/Aunt Kerri is willing to make our announcements for us but I need to get a better picture for her, and soon!

Fun Firsts!

2008-07-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend was full of a lot of first for Micah. Friday night was his first full night in his crib and he seemed to really enjoying it, sleeping 8 hours for us. I woke up around 1 am freaking out and had to go into his room to make sure he was still breathing. (My Aunt Joy said I would do this but I never believed her, she was right)

Another first is he is beginning to smile for us. Big happy smiles and we love it. They are still hard to get with a picture but I will keep trying. He loves to follow light and smile at them. Another thing he loves to smile at is his daddy. Scott will make faces and sounds then Micah will just smile and coo. There is nothing better in the world than to watch them play.

We had many visitors this weekend. My Aunt, Uncle and their two kids came in from TN on their way to the beach. They also brought my grandparents up to see Micah. It's great that family can come in and see how big he has gotten. Scott's family brought us dinner tonight (Chinese, yum yum) and spent some time. Grandpa C always says "I will see Micah when he is 5 years old and ready for t-ball" (sure) I just had to get a picture of Micah looking up at him thinking "I'm not 5 yet, what happened?" It must be a male thing because he started to grin and coo at Scott's dad also.

Bandit could not be forgotten so Mark took good care of him. Mark has yet to hold Micah but he does come over and give Bandit all the attention he deserves. What a good brother-in-law, always there when our dog needs something! When Mark is over, you can forget about Bandit wanting anything to do with you, they are best buddies.

This week is going to be filled with job hunting. I'm off tomorrow to turn my resume into another place. I'm hoping someone will call me soon, I'm getting very anxious. Keep me in your thoughts as I continue to look for another job.

Micah's Birth Story

2008-07-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

I know the ladies on BOTB would like to have my birth story handy so I am copying and pasting it from my old blog.

Well, I believe it's about time I post Micah's birth story, right?

On June 5th I went in for a follow up appointment to check my blood pressure and to get the results from the tests they ran that day. Come to find out I was slightly pre-eclamptic and they thought the best thing for the baby & I was to go over to the hospital and be induced that day. We ran over to the hospital at 2:30 pm and didn't even get up to L&D until close to 3:30. The nurse gets me all hooked up and tells me they have 2 options. (1. they can put a cervadil in to help my cervices thin out so they could break my water or 2. go ahead and break my water if I am dilated and effaced enough.) At 5 pm the Midwife came in, checked me and said that they were going to do the cervadil. (now with this, it has to stay in for 12 hrs and you can't eat or drink anything that isn't clear liquids) She was ready to put it in at 5pm and I had to stop her b/c I hadn't eaten dinner and wanted to. Thankfully they let me and she came back at 7pm to put it in.

So from 7pm to 7am on June 6th I just watched TV and laid in bed waiting for this thing to work it's magic. 7am the next morning the MW came back and said that I was far enough along they could break my water. She suggested I get up, shower and eat a good breakfast since this would be the last time I would be able to do any of that until after I gave birth.

10:07am on June 6th the doctor comes in to breaks my water. It was like the freaking ocean opened up and let out. This is the point they considered me in 'labor'. They also started my Petocin at this time to help the contractions and labor quicken up. Nothing really happened until 12:30 when I actually started to feel strong contractions.

4:30pm the contractions got painful enough that I wanted the epi. I call the nurse and she calls the anesthesiologist to tell him I would like one! Not 15 mins later he was in my room ready for me. For the ladies that believe this would hurt, it doesn't AT ALL. It was actually heaven sent from a good looking guy in blue scrubs along with a Tar Heels doctors cap on! ha This eased the pain enough for me to take a few naps off and on throughout the day. Every few hours the epi would ware off enough (not all the way) that he would have to come back to give me a shot to kick it back into gear and he would also up the dose that was dripping into my IV.

All day and throughout the night the nurses would have me roll from one side, back to the other then onto my back to try and help me dilate more. It would take me rolling on one side for 30 mins, then back to the other for another 30 mins and onto my back for the last 30 mins to dialate 1 cm. Around 11pm (13 hrs later) I was only dilated to 6 cm and 70% effaced.

Around 1 am on June 7th my mom comes in to tell me her, dad and 2 of my aunts were going back to our house to try and get some sleep. She also informed me that the nurse told her even when I do dilate and thin out enough to push I would probably be pushing for 2-3 hours. (Thanks for telling me this mom)

2:30am I look at DH bawling my eyes out and tell him that I can't do it anymore. Even if I do dilate enough to push I wouldn't be able to b/c I was just too tired. He tries his best to reassure me that everything will be ok, but it's hard to do when you have been rolling side to side for the past 17 hrs. The nurse continues to check me throughout the night I never dilate a big enough amount to call the Dr in.

10:00am on June 7th the MW comes in, checks me and tells me I only dilated to 8cm and was 80% effaced. After 24 hrs of 'laboring' I didn't make enough progress to push. She talks with the Dr. and they determine that it's best we have a c-section.

We all get prepped and ready for the c-section. They take me into the room first, get me all hooked up and pumped full of more meds to numb me even more. After the anesthesiologist gets me numbed enough the doctors come in & bring Scott in also. They start, Scott looks at me and asks if I am ok. I tell him yes, that all I feel is alittle pressure which they said I would. It didn't hurt, just a little tugging. Then BAM, all of a sudden I feel the worse pain in the world. It literally felt like they were pulling my insides out. I honestly think Micah was in the birth canal because the pain was that low. I didn't just feel this pain one time, I kept feeling it over and over. Every time I felt it I would squeeze Scott's hand, then I couldn't take it anymore and I screamed out. The anesthesiologist came over to me and started to pump more meds into me (not sure at this time what it was) and leaned over me to tell me he was going to make it all better. (Scott said whatever he was pumping into me he must have ran out of or it wasn't strong enough b/c he had someone leave to get more of it)

The only things I remember after that is Micah crying for the first time, they hand him off to the nurse, she cleans him and asks Scott if he would like to cut the cord. He said no b/c I was reaching for him again due to the pain I was in. After this, I was out and don't remember anything. Scott took a picture of Micah and I but I don't remember it. Moments you imagine for 9 months (such as seeing your baby for the first time and feeding him for the first time) were taken away from me b/c of all that pain. (I truly believe this pain was just a hot spot. It may have happened b/c I had the epi for so long or it may have happened b/c my body didn't want to take it in that one spot)

Micah was born at 10:31am on June 7th, 2008. He weighed 8 lb .6 oz and was 20 3/4 inches long.

When I woke up I was in the recovery room shaking from the Anestassia and Scott was there! He told me what happened and then kept asking the doctor and nurse if I was going to be ok. They reassured him that the shaking was due to the meds but of course it worried me and him at the same time. After I calmed down a bit he decided it was best to go see our families and Micah in the nursery. He came back with plenty of pictures to show me!

The pain from the c-section was horrible at the beginning but it's much better now. The first night in the hospital was the worse. It was so hard to get out of bed to use the bathroom. It took a few weeks to fully recover to where I could do everything on my own.

My recovery went very well. My mom stayed for 3 weeks at the beginning and was a VERY big help. From doing laundry, cleaning and cooking dinner it wouldn't have been done if she wasn't here. It still hits me hard every now and then that Micah is finally here. Even when I was pregnant I could never imagine him being here, changing his diapers, feeding him or just loving him. It's all a reality now.Even though I had to go through so much to have Micah here, I wouldn't trade it for the world. I believe Micah has already brought Scott & I closer together, I loved Scott so much before and didn't think I could love him anymore, I was wrong. Seeing him as a father made my love grow for him beyond imagination. Micah was love at first sight and I never imagined I could love someone like I spill my love into him.

Lazy Day

2008-07-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

Pancakes anyone? We had a yummy spread of pancakes for lunch.... at 2:30! Micah decided he didn't want us to eat them hot and woke up for more food right when I was almost done. 30 minutes later we were able to enjoy our 'lunch'. They actually look pretty good, right?

Micah is staying awake more. It seems he isn't getting enough food through the day and wants to wake up about every 2 hours during the day. This is really fine by me as long as he sleeps longer at night. (which he is doing, knock on wood)

This next picture is when I said 'daddy is going to change your diaper'. The look of death on his face.

We also had some last minute visitors today, Aunt Joy and Cousin Emily. They haven't seen Micah in a couples weeks and commented on how big he has gotten. Oh yes, we know, he is our little chunk monkey!

The last big excitement of the day came when Bandit decided to get spazy on us. He go a hold of one of Micah's bibs and burp clothes. Since he thought this was cool, I placed a bib on him to see how he liked it. His reaction actually surprised me, it really didn't bother him that much. He even set down for a picture with it on! Ready for dinner.

Appointments, Appointments

2008-07-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

Micah's second Drs. appointment was today. This was just a 'well babies' visit so nothing traumatic had to happen to our little man. He is getting big on us.... 12 lbs and 23 inches long. This is above his age but the Dr. said he was in the good percentile and it would probably all even out. His weight is good for his length so we are thankful for that.

After his appointment he didn't seem to want to sleep. He would eat then fall asleep for about an hour and want more food. This went all for about 5 hours and needless to say, he was pooped. I finally just swaddled him in the blanket and laid him on the bed with me. In the picture below you can see what happened.

Bandit seems to be doing better. We believe the meds the vet gave him for his peeing and pooping attempts may have relaxed him a little too much. He has been a lot better the past few days. No more peeing in the kitchen, YAY! He is still very jealous and it seems to be worse since we got home from IL. I just have to start loving on him at night when Micah is asleep.

Smokey, well Smokey is who he is. He is a loner cat and has always been that way. He comes downstairs to lay in the sun every morning but after that he is done for the day. The only time we see him is at night or when he is out of food. Very easy going cat that doesn't need a lot of attention.

Enjoy the pictures because I don't know when I will get a chance to catch this again.

Welcome

2008-07-20T09:14:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my new blog! I decided to switch sites since I really couldn't get the other one the way I liked it and it was VERY aggravating. Hope you enjoy this one better.

Micah is already 6 weeks old. He is growing so fast and I wish I could just keep him this size forever. He loves to look at lights and watch the mobiles go round and around. If the noise stops on his swing he goes nuts and wants it back on until he falls into a deep sleep, very cute.

We did a bit a traveling in the past few weeks. July 4th weekend we went to Columbus to visit Grandma C's family for the weekend. This was Micah's first long adventure in a car and he did great on the way up and on the way back.

This past weekend we went on a very long voyage, we decided to visit my parents in Illinois. It usually takes my parents 8 hours to get there from WV and on the way there it took us 9 hours, we only stopped twice to eat and feed Micah so we made great time. On the way back, well it took us close to 12 hours because we took our time and stopped more often. All in all they were not bad trips.

While in IL my parents decided to take us to St. Louis to do some site seeing. Our first stop was at the Anheuser-Bush Brewery. When we got there the next available tour was an hour and 40 mins away so we decided to wait and see when Micah was going to wake up to eat his next meal. He had perfect timing, he got done 10 minutes before our tour started, awesome baby! We got to see some of the Clydesdale's and the first barn where they housed them at. Beautiful horses and a beautiful barn in the middle of St. Louis, would have never guessed.

At the end of the tour they take you to a hospitality room where you get 2 free beers (or alcoholic beverages) of your choice, along with pretzels. Well as you can see from the picture below, we had fun!

Our next stop on the St. Louis tour was the Gateway Arch. This structure is just amazing when you get to see it in person. I never realized just how HUGE is until I was under it taking pictures. We even got mom in the tram that takes you to the top where you can take pictures and look over Illinois and Missouri. This was a great photo opp (I would have taken a family photo but Micah just looked so peaceful sleeping in his carrier)

I promise to update this blog more since I understand it better!