Micah @ 4 Years

Stats

30 lbs, 8 oz (10%)

39.25" (30%)

Oh, my sweet bug. I can't believe he's FOUR! That boy is something else. He is just the happiest, craziest little thing I've ever known. He has the biggest bubble of any of my kids but hugs are his way to avoid things. He absolutely loves his siblings. His smiles so big and so bright, but he refuses to even look at a camera 99% of the time. He is my biggest unprompted helper. He is a giant goofball. He is stubborn as all get out.

And, I'm not going to lie, his birth was somewhat traumatic for me. Not in a full PTSD way but the thought of having another baby freaked me out for well over a year. (When I found out I was pregnant with Esther I made sure my new OB knew how quickly Micah came and emphasized the fact that I would prefer a doctor to be in attendance this time around.)

I love him so much.

The two biggest things about Micah have always been: he's so tiny & his crazy bleeding disorder. Well, his blood will always be a thing...but, he's not quite so tiny anymore. I'd say he's graduated from "tiny" to just "small". About a month ago I realized that he was wearing the hand-me-downs from when Isaiah was 4! Micah's still quite a bit lighter than Isaiah was, but he's now within an inch of Isaiah's height at the same age.

When I started jotting down notes for this update I wrote a whole paragraph about how Micah's barely even been bruising lately. Naturally, we've had an increase in bleeding issues since then. It seems like he just needs to brush his nose against something and it's going to start bleeding. The best one was when we were on a walk and Micah just got upset and it started. He wiped out at the pool last weekend and I really expected him to be black and blue the next day. (Thank goodness that didn't happen.) Instead, his nose started bleeding. Twice while we were there. Which reminds me, I need more Kleenex in my purse.....

 

Sometimes this bleeding disorder can be tough. There are things he wants to do that just make me cringe inside. Like cutting out his Pinewood Derby car. Or playing bumper cars (at Chuck E Cheese, so nothing totally insane). While I know that his levels on a bad day are a lot better than others on a good day, I have a hard time not being nervous about things. Whacking his head at the community center or falling off the playground sends me in to a mental debate about whether or not I need to call the clinic and get their opinion on if he needs to come in. He has had marks on his back from a bad fall for months now. I just don't know what to do about it. And while this condition usually becomes milder as an individual grows up, the ways he has to hurt himself get more dramatic (teenage boys!). Anyway, I try not to spend all my time freaking out, but we've had a few big spills lately.

On a vaguely related note, I recently read a book where one of the characters (a little girl) ended up being diagnosed with von Willebrand's. It was a little bit of a flashback, those parents waiting to hear back from the doctor about blood test results, praying it wasn't cancer (because this stuff mimics leukemia). Even though they are fictional, it made me feel somewhat better over my freak out when I got that letter from the hematology/oncology department. Good times.

Micah still absolutely loves going to school. There are days he looks absolutely exhausted and still insists on going. I can tell he's getting more in to the learning side instead of just going there to see other kids and do the noisy/movement stuff. And he suddenly seems to know almost all his letters and can count to 20 minus a 14 or 16. He's getting better at writing his name and can more or less spell it (he tends to forget the 'i'). And apparently he spent most of one day doing puzzles with one of the teachers.

Esther is still absolutely in love with Micah about 95% of the time. She's getting better about demanding what she wants (instead of letting the boys steamroll her) so there have been some fights between those two. But he's still the one she gives most of her kisses to. Isaiah is her protector, but Micah is her buddy.

After all Micah went through last year, I haven't been pushing things on him too much. Unfortunately (for him) that's about to change. I know he can keep his diaper dry all night, he's just not a bit interested in going to the bathroom first thing in the morning. He also still sneaks in to my bed at some point every night. We've had a big lead up to "when you're four, you're going to start sleeping in your bed all night". (He's even said "when I'm 4, I get to sleep in my big bed all night".) I'm hoping he will just...stay there now that he knows he is supposed to. More likely is me having to chase him back in his bed. Once we have that down, we will be doing away with diapers at night (because I'm not giving him the opportunity to wet MY bed if I can help it!)

That boy...I just don't get this part of him. He straight up will refuse to do "the next thing" developmentally speaking. Had no interest potty training. Later it was fits about pooping in the potty. Using utensils are still not high on our list of things to do. Staying in his bed. Keeping his diaper dry. All things I've known he could do, he just had no interest in. Laying down the law leads to melt downs. So I've learned to do this giant lead up to new things (maybe more than I need to). Ever since the "when these diapers are gone, you don't get any more" launch in to potty training, it seems to work. It's just so different from Isaiah who just decides he wants to do things and will do it.

Funny story, a month or so ago Esther was having a really rough time sleeping due to a cough. I made Micah go back to his bed because he was super squirmy and kept waking her up. At some point after going to his bed, he came back in to my room and slept at the foot of my bed. Like Ruff does! He's probably lucky I didn't shove him off the bed like I do to Ruff some nights.

Micah is just an amazing little guy. He can be such a big help to all of us. He still hates having his picture taken. But mostly, he just has this huge personality that makes up for how small he's been. People love to see him coming because he gets SO! EXCITED! when he gets somewhere he enjoys. He also managed to walk the entire time at our last zoo trip...and we went down to the bigger Africa section! Other than the ride back up on the tram (I don't even try that hill with the 3 of them!) he walked the entire time and didn't complain once!

So, more changes on the way for Mr. Bug. But he's rolled with them so far so we'll see how it goes.

Comparing....

Micah	Isaiah
30 lbs, 8 oz (10%)	37 lbs, 6 oz (65%)
39.25" (30%)	39 3/8" (40%)

Micah @ 3 Years

Stats

26 lb, 4 oz (5%)

35 1/4" (7%)

Good grief, I can't believe my bug is THREE!

And he's FINALLY growing. Since last fall he's gone up TWO sizes! I bet he's a lot closer to average than he's pretty much ever been since he was born. Doctor's appointment is in a few days so we'll see what they have to say.

Speaking of doctors...we are back to the hematology clinic this week as well. Micah was too small to test when they diagnosed him with vonWillebrand's. So now we've got a multiple-hour appointment where they will draw blood, give him the factor X (I can't remember it's name) through an IV, then draw his blood again. (Sounds like tons of fun with a super active 3 year old and a 4 month old, right?) The purpose of this torture is to make sure that this stuff will help him clot so if he should ever need surgery they can give it to him to prevent excessive blood loss.

He never did get one of his bottom middle teeth. Our first attempt at a dentist appointment didn't go so well, so they didn't even try for x-rays. He only got the top row of teeth cleaned despite watching his brother going first and the lady showing him everything. I'm glad they didn't push it, though. The tech didn't give in right away but she also didn't push him. Ironically if the actual dentist had done the cleaning Micah would have been fine. He likes old men.

Potty training is going really well. I always forget the hell that is the beginning of the process. But, starting it when Esther was only a few weeks old was probably a good idea (I didn't think so after about 2 days, but now I'm glad that I didn't give up). She pretty much slept for the hours I spent sitting in the bathroom, waiting for him to go. Anyway, he finally got it, had a small set back, and is doing awesome now. He only wears diapers at night, and even then he will stay dry most days. He doesn't even wear one at nap time anymore! He's not 100% yet, forgetting to tell me if he's really tired or involved in playing. And pooping. Oh goodness, pooping is hit-or-miss. He will only poop in the potty if I catch him and make him go sit. Then it's a fit, but he'll do it and then he's so excited. Every so often he will have a few days in a row where he will tell me he has to poop...but it never lasts long. Boys!

Also, I have no idea how to teach a boy to aim.

In the past couple of months I've made some real progress with Micah sleeping in his own bed. I don't regret co-sleeping but his father was never any help with making progress toward transitioning to his own bed. Once it was just me it really only took a few days, a few tears, and a little bit of transitioning. Since January Micah's gone from sleeping in my bed, with me in it (meaning I was in bed at 7:30 every night) to falling asleep in his bed. Naps are full time in his bed...or Isaiah's, depending on the day. He will still climb in with me sometime in the middle of the night, but does occasionally stay the whole night in his bed. It's a process, and I'm okay with how it's going so far.

Micah's birthday one of many firsts. Since his father and I are divorcing, we are now taking turns with birthdays. It's the first birthday that I don't get to celebrate the day-of. I get to see him in the morning and before bed, but Micah and Isaiah are spending the day with their dad.

Micah's had more change than any of us over the past year. He's dealt with the move, new baby, and daddy moving out but he's also done the potty training and sleeping changes. He's definitely having some attitude lately and I'm not sure if it's from all of that or just from being 3. Micah and Isaiah are both on a waiting list for play therapy so I hope that helps him deal with all the changes. More are definitely coming in the future!!

Comparing...

Micah	Isaiah
26 lb, 4 oz (5%)	35 lbs (75%)
35 1/4" (7%)	37 1/8" (50%)

Micah @ 2 Years

Stats

22 lbs, 4 oz (6%)

33" (20%)

Comparing...

Micah	Isaiah
22 lbs, 4 oz (6%)	31 lbs, 2 oz (82%)
33" (20%)	35" (69%)

Micah @ 15 Months

Stats

20 lbs, 6 oz (5%)

29 1/2" (10%)

Comparing...

Micah                        Isaiah

20 lbs, 6 oz (5%)     26 lbs, 8 oz (93%)

29 1/2" (10%)                31" (41%)

Micah @ 1 Year!

Stats

20 lbs, 4 oz (15%)

27 3/4" (3%)

Can you believe it? My little bug is ONE! A year ago today my little boy came flying out without bothering to wait for the doctor. Apparently, once we told him it was time to come out whether he liked it or not, he thought that was a mighty fine idea!

He is such an adorable little guy! Completely Mommy-centered these days. Any time I leave a room it's the end of the world...even if Daddy or Isaiah are still in there with him! 

Micah is still a great eater! He definitely eats better than Isaiah does NOW. He still nurses, but it's cut way back lately. Really just before bed and at naptime. He's been using me as a pacifier at night lately. We need to work on that!

He isn't QUITE walking unassisted, but he's gotten cruising down lately. He can get all over downstairs going from one piece of furniture to the next. Isaiah also has started helping Micah walk around...so you know the little one's balance is getting better!

Talking...I'm not sure about. He says several things that sound CLOSE to what he's looking at. I just don't know if it's INTENTIONAL or not yet.  He's said things that sound similar to "kitty" "dog" and of course there's the "mama" and "dada" which is used without any sort of discretion. 

He's also become a pretty silly little mimic...copying sounds AND actions. The other night he did exactly what Jeremy did when he yawned and stretched. And he KNEW he was being silly too!

And Oh My Gosh those boys LOVE each other. Isaiah is SO ready for his little brother to be able to play with him! They "wrestle" with some serious help from me. They have also played swords a couple times...Micah's good at waving stuff around and Isaiah has the coordination to hit Micah's sword so it works well.

No more teeth to speak of and Micah's still a little guy. His checkup isn't for another 2 weeks so we will see how big he actually is. He HAS chunked up lately so maybe he's getting ready for a growth spurt. Who knows. But we sure are excited for what comes next!

Comparing...

Micah                                         Isaiah

20 lbs, 4 oz (15%)                    25 lbs, 5 oz (95%)

27 3/4" (3%)                              31 1/2" (95%)

Micah @ 9 Months

Stats

18 lbs, 6 oz (20%)

27" (15%)

Micah is nine months old today! The past month has really flown by so it kind of took me by surprise when I realized it this morning. This means we didn't get his picture taken, and will have to do it at the end of the day.

Incidentally, it has also been a month since Ruff was run over. I was watching him doze on the couch this morning, snuggled with a couple of Isaiah's stuffed animals, and realized all the money stress we're under may have come from him getting out the door that morning but if it wasn't that something else was bound to happen. I hope we can learn & move forward from this...I have Dave Ramsey's book on hold at the library and will go get it tonight or tomorrow.

On to Micah's update!

Little bug has had a cold for what seems like forever. First winter, daycare, etc, etc. I think he's getting another tooth, too...he keeps licking at his gums but I couldn't see/feel anything yesterday. Anyway, that also might have something to do with the congestion. It would be his fifth tooth (and more than Isaiah had at the same age).

We did get him out in the snow for a bit yesterday. I got pictures, but they are on my camera which is at home. We bundled him up in 2 sets of footie pajamas, his jacket, a hat, and those tiny newborn "gloves" that are supposed to keep them from scratching their faces. Too small for his hands, but I'm sure it helped keep them warm. Of course, he didn't know what to make of the snow and the couple minutes he was sitting in it he was more interested in trying to grab the stem of a stupid spiky ball than messing with the actual snow. The pictures are still cute!

Micah is sitting well enough that I don't have to stay right next to him anymore. I think the new daycare helped with that. The last place he was usually being held (he was the youngest!) or I saw him on his belly a few times. NEVER sitting on his own. (How he would learn like that is beyond me!) Micah sits at the new place and Jeremy is finally starting to play with him while he's sitting up. He's also started "walking" as in putting one foot in front of the other on his own, instead of me twisting his body to make his feet move. He gets around pretty well in his walker these days...he's actually going forward! The other day he got around Isaiah, turned the table corner, and got over to the Christmas tree! No telling if that was his destination or not, but I'm still impressed.

Most of his diet is still breastmilk. Sometimes I wonder if that's okay (as in, should be be eating more solids) but mostly I'm fine with it...I don't want to rush anything! Every time we eat a meal he sits in his chair and has something, even if it's just a cracker and some shredded cheese. The rest of the time he's hungry he gets milk. He's gotten into the oh-my-gosh-biting-ouch stage. I actually had to pump & bottle feed him all last weekend because Friday he was biting so hard & often that I had cuts on my nipples. He was getting frustrated too because I'd break his latch every time he did it. It was better for both of us to take a break. And it's not like the milk was any less fresh...I'd pump, put it in a bottle, and feed him. He still bites sometimes and I take him off, but we are doing SO much better.

I think Micah is getting close to talking. He jabbers a lot (especially when he's eating) and a lot of his sounds are really close to things we say. I hear a lot of "Dada" and Jeremy said it sounded like he said "Hi Ruff" when the dog walked up to him yesterday. I wish I had heard it...so cute! I wonder if he will be an early talker/late walker like Isaiah was.

Micah is still SOOOOO blond and his hair is so fine! In some of the pictures I take he still looks bald due to lighting! Poor little guy. His hair is getting pretty long, though...you just have to look for it.

I guess that's the big stuff. Checkup is next week so we will see how big he's getting!

Micah @ 6 Months

Stats

17 lbs, 3 oz (50%)

25 1/2" (25%)

Other than the milk fiasco, Micah is doing great at daycare. Apparently he snuggles everyone and often tries to nurse from them (hehehe). Ohmygosh he gets SO excited when I come to get him. I think the women there even like to see it. He's all flailing arms and shrieking.

Micah loves to roll all around. Both at home and at daycare he like to roll up under things...especially the swing at home so he can kick at it. He still hasn't had those teeth break through. I think they are moving again, or has a cold. He's been super stuffy. He actually woke up around 4 this morning because he was so congested that he couldn't breathe and nurse/suck on his plug. So we were up for a while while I fought him trying to suck out the boogies. He hates that freaking thing.

We've laid off the baby food for a bit. He seems to sometimes get an upset stomach after he gets some. I wonder if we need to backtrack and try cereal.

We moved the crib into our bedroom. I feel like its time to start working on some sleep time in it. I want to get where he sleeps in it for a while, then I bring him in bed with us when he gets hungry. Last night didn't go any better than trying to put him in bed in the boys' bedroom, but we will keep trying. I was hoping being in our room with the smells, darkness, and our fan would be an easy fix. Not so much, I guess. Oh well.

Micah started adding in more sounds when he jabbers. I've heard "bababa" "dadadadada" (which Jeremy loved) and "mamama" today! I know he doesn't understand yet, but its nice to hear it.

He is such a cute little bug!

Comparing...

Micah                                 Isaiah

17 lbs, 3 oz (50%)             20 lbs, 10 oz (90%)

25 1/2" (25%)                          28" (95%)

Micah @ 4 Months

Stats

14 lbs, 15 oz (25%)

23 3/4" (10%)

So what's new at 4 months? He's still quite the talker, but he's gotten louder. There's jabbering, and sometimes he starts shouting. One day he yelled so loud you could just tell it startled him! He's also become incredibly grabby...anything he can get his hands on! He grabs my hair, curtains, the pets' hair (and has pulled some out!)...pretty much everything. He really seems to enjoy his interlocking rings, but could care less about the teething ones. I think his first tooth will poke through soon! At least, I hope so. He's been miserable the past couple days.

I want to say that he's getting harder to entertain, but it's really that he finally needs to be entertained because he doesn't sit there quite so passively anymore. He really enjoys the outside, and sometimes to calm him down we really have to take him outside (and it's been brutally hot lately). Actually, the past couple days I've discovered that he enjoys looking out the windows just as much, so sometimes that saves us.

Micah has really gotten rolling on to his belly down now. We're in the "if you put me down I will promptly attempt to roll onto my belly" stage, which complicates diaper changes. It also means we need to be more careful about what we have on the floor around him, because he's going to try to get to it (and then stuff it in his mouth!)

He had his checkup the other day. 14 pounds 14 ounces (so close to 15! that surprised me) and 23 3/4 inches. So he grew almost 3 inches and added almost 3 pounds in 2 months! He is SO ROUND. I love it!

We moved furniture around last weekend (or maybe the one before) and now the boys are sharing a bedroom and we have a playroom! Micah still sleeps in bed with me at night, but once we added a small light to their room Isaiah's done better about sleeping in his bed. And the fact that Micah at least occasionally starts out the night in his crib really seems to make Isaiah believe they're sharing a room. We also put Ruff's bed in there a few days ago, so Jeremy and I don't have any extra furniture in our room anymore :D

Comparing...

Micah                                 Isaiah

14 lbs, 15 oz (25%)              18lbs, 3 oz (100%)

23 3/4" (10%)                       26 1/2" (88%)

Micah @ 1 Month

Stats

10 lbs, 4 oz (75%)

21 3/8" (50%)

Nursing is going so much better. My nipples are getting used to it again so it's not so painful. When my milk lets down it still hurts though! Not an ouch-I'm-full feeling either, but stinging! It's sucky but the little guy is obviously growing so I just deal with it. Hoping that will go away soon too. He's gotten better enough at latching that I don't even need to get out of bed at night anymore. When he starts squirming we roll over, he latches, we fall back asleep. I feel SO much more rested! This is why we cosleep :D. Last night we had some trouble latching, though and I almost actually got up to feed him but he eventually got going. I hope saying he's doing so well doesn't mean we're going to start having trouble with it....that's the way babies roll sometimes.

The little guy is definitely a-growing. We moved up to size 1 diapers (MUCH later than we really could have) and he's even started wearing some 3-6 month clothes. Yes, at ONE month. It's a length thing, when he tries to really stretch out you can tell his sleepers just aren't long enough. Other 1-3 month stuff is still too big on him, though. Ugh, baby clothes is just like that. Once it warms back up and he can wear summer clothes again it won't be such an issue. He's certainly starting to get the chunky breastfed baby thing going on, but he's still not too fat for the smaller clothes. His checkup is Tuesday so we will see how big he really is then.

Last weekend was Micah's baptism. Nothing really earth-shattering but it was nice. I love our priest, he lets all the kids in church come sit up front so they can really see what's going on. Isaiah was particularly happy about that because he wanted to stand up front with us anyway!

Speaking of Isaiah, he's still totally in love with his brother. Always asks to hold him and wants to give him kisses...even has said that we need (yes, NEED) to have another baby! Ack! No way! Especially because the love for his brother doesn't carry over to Jeremy and me. He's not happy that he's lost so much attention and has been acting up. I know it's normal and all so I'm not concerned, but I can't believe he says he wants us to have another when one has taken so much of our time from him!

And, the BEST thing for last...he's totally started smiling for us! I went to get him out of his crib the other day after he'd been put in there for a nap. When I leaned over and started talking he looked up and gave me a big ol' baby smile! It was great! You can't tell me that was gas :P! He did the same thing earlier today when I put him down to use the bathroom...when I went back in and said hi he gave me a smile. He also sometimes does it when I tickle his sides. I love it!

Comparing...

Micah                            Isaiah

10 lbs, 4 oz (75%)          11 lbs, 2 oz (76%)

21 3/8" (50%)                   22" (65%)

Micah @ 18 Months

Stats

21 lbs (3%)

30 3/4" (10%)