Now I know my ABCs

ABC shapes, at least. Here Micah masters his ABC wooden puzzle (with a little help replete with appropriate sounds of encouragement and parental awe and wonder). You'll just have to believe us when we say he filled in the puzzle up to this point pretty much on his own ("L" was a little tricky and B, well B was a little *itch but Micah showed her who was the "B" for Boss) since YouTube is being annoying and wouldn't let us upload that 3 minute video of edge-of-your-seat puzzle completion action, you'll just have to settle for these letter gems in this shorter edition:

potty progress

We aren't actively trying to potty train Micah yet, but occasionally he surprises us. This morning he peed in his potty. First he said "pee" and went off over to the potty. We acted quickly, taking off his diaper and sitting him down. He seemed a bit distracted by this, but with some encouragement he let go. He seemed to like the clapping and cheering afterward.

happy (gumby) baby

Mountain high

Micah went with his dada up to Pantoll to cheer on the (crazy) ultra-runners runnings the quadruple Dipsea this weekend--the fringe extra-extra long version of the famous Dipsea trail run. The important fact here is that meant I slept in until almost 11am! Pure luxury. Granted I was sick and deserved it, but I'll take a sleep in with a hacking caugh over no sleep in at all. Zack would have you believe the important detail is that Micah is showing an early interest in trail running (but we know what is really the highlight of the day). Here is Micah doing some hill repeats under his daddy's coaching and watchful eye:

one-two

buckle my shoe!

Micah put his first two words together yesterday and he may end up being a mathematician like his father yet. Micah pronounced "One! two!" while I was putting his socks on. I actually took it for granted for a while because of course two follows one, just never out of our little bean's mouth before!

Here's Micah helping his dada assemble his early Christmakkah gift from his great Grandmother Gwen (G cubed):

"Micah's mom"

I walked passed our little 2-year old neighbor, Ben, today and he said, "It's Micah's mom."

Wow. I am Micah's mom, not Amy, but "Micah's mom"; a mom. I'm certain Ben doesn't even know my name. It's a funny thing that--and amazing as well. And I'm not just a mom of a baby, but of a growing little boy. Powerful stuff. Perhaps it is weaning (Finally! some of you may be saying!), perhaps it realizing that with this whole job market thing and the impending move we have to consider things like school districts, childcare changes and the like. I am really feeling like a parent these days. I'm not in this novel role of a new mom with a baby, but rather a parent with a little boy, who is increasingly needing not just the basics of life:to be kept merely alive and well, but rather help nurturing his personality, his learning and DISCIPLINE. But enough of my mundane maternal musings. Bring us the boy!

This video was actually taken a while back, but you may have noticed we've been a bit 'er lax in the blogging of late. Better late than never!



And like father like son:
Clearly I did not demonstrate to Micah that he could wedge his rocking horse up against the dresser to better climb up it. No, he figured that one out all on his own...

T-day 2007

Seems we didn't take a single photo to mark the occasion (because that's right, we don't take photos of our child anymore). I guess the glamour of the first year had worn off, eh! Thankfully Bop Bop (or is it Pa Pa or Pop Pop--still not certain) aka Mr. Hawkins was on hand with his camera.

Until the '07 photos are available, a trip down memory lane to Micah's first Thanksgiving:

Micah demands his drugs

Micah (caught so fetchingly in the light here) demands his next dose of Tylenol to ward of the pain of some major teething action.


Not the cutest expression, but cute belly though! The poor boy was drooling like a Great Pyrenees for days...

Following the leader

Micah at 7 am and a (rare) chipper Amy in the morning (clearly post caffeinated tea):

Almost a year and half

So the OCD in me is severely disheartened to know that I got to nearly a year and half honoring Micah's month birthday on the day or within a day and my string of careful observance ended this month. Six days late is pretty pathetic by my neurotic standards, but hey, it means he is that much closer to "almost a year and a half" which is what I would have referred to November 9th as anyway (The books call it 17th months).

"Why, pray tell?" am I only now getting around to this you may ask (actually you're NOT asking, because people just don't really care about these sort of things like I do, but indulge me). Well over 70 job applications out the door and counting is why. Zack has been pulling some serious all nighters and this Job Market thing is in effect, man. It has been pure survival mode around here, which on a positive note means I've actually had to cook less as my frugal husband has opted to have us order in under the pressure. But "waaaa! waaaaa!" you're (definitely) saying, "show us the kid!"

Look at those blond locks:

Topless dining:
We had a pretty major first last weekend:

Yep, he is looking at what you think he is....

"C'mon one time for the ladies say 'Poop there it is!' Now all the fellas say 'Poop there it is!' ..."(to be sung to the rhythm of "Hoop there it is!") I'd like to say it was completely self-initiated and wasn't a matter of my noticing Micah getting quiet, squatting behind the chair and going red-faced, and instead whipping him up in my arms, having him drop trow and thrusting him upon his potty, but well...baby steps. Let's also say I haven't thrown out any of the diapers and purchased any superman tighty whities quite yet. It has yet to be repeated. But in the positive direction Micah is more than happy to share with you, "Poop!" after he has, well, pooped, in his diaper.

Oh, and in case you really wanted to know (which you must because you're still reading) no, that wasn't all of it. The moment we got his diaper back on Micah completed his duty in the comfort of his own pants. Awwwww...

Any thing else I can share?

Micah frollicks at 6:30am

See how many Micah vocabulary words you can catch in this video.
Also please disregard:
1) me at 6:30 in the morning
2) the mess
3) the hand reaching for the cat food--I swear we stopped him.

Feliz dia de los muertos!

(So we missed Halloween!)

The devil wears Gap

not Prada.

But mommy does (at least eye glasses):

Nuestro diabolito was the proverbial devil and spent most of the evening sans horns. Here he is being tortured appropriately:
But here is at least one semi-decent shot of the full garb. Unfortunately he was more interested in the toy lawn mower as a prop, than his plush pitch fork.

There was some stiff competition in the cutest costume category this year. While last year's chili pepper was a sure winner (in my totally unbiased opinion) there were some pretty darn cute kids dressed up this year. Here are some gems from the neighborhood:

Cockadoodle Ben:
Puppies and skeletons, oh my!


Poultry (Tony) and Fish (Calynn) were also on the menu: