Bye Bye Baby Hair

This is Micah's new look. He looks like a big boy now. I held off on his first hair cut as long as I could, but today I put my emotions aside and got his baby hair chopped. I did save some of it. I even have part of the hair that was dyed red at his birthday party.

What a stud! Don't get a big head da da...I'm the stud in training.

A sucker in one hand and a cookie in the other...I'm ready!

"What is going on here?"

His first "big boy" hair cut was a happy/sad moment for me. I wish that I could just freeze him right here. He is so much fun! I don't want him to get too big and not need his "ma ma" anymore.

First Steps!

Here I come!

Step by Step

Well, I don't know whether to cry or jump for joy right now. Micah's therapist came today to do a fine motor evaluation. When she was done with the evaluation, she started working with him on walking. This week, we have been practicing walking while holding one hand. He can walk well with one hand, but as soon as we let go he falls to his bottom. Well, today the therapist stood him up, held the seat of his pants and let go of him. He realized that he was standing on his own and he tried to reach out for her. She stepped back, so that he could not use her to balance. I was sitting on the floor a few feet in front of him. I called for him to come to me and he took me by surprise when he took a few steps on his own. I could not believe what I was seeing. My baby was taking his first steps!!! He fell before he got to me, but he tried again, made it and fell into my lap. He was so proud of himself! It was an emotional moment for both of us. I am sure the therapist felt proud to see us experience that moment for the first time. Therapy has been so good for him! I am not sure how much longer it will be before he takes off on his own and starts walking, but taking steps is a huge accomplishment! He had tubes put in on Wednesday, so this is evidence that his ear infections were causing some balance problems. Ear infections don't explain everything, but we may see a huge turn around in Micah now. What a blessing! We have to make many sacrifices for me to stay home with Micah, but it is days like today when I realize those sacrifices are worth it! I would not have wanted to miss Micah's first steps.

What a Trooper!

Well, Micah had tubes put in and adenoids taken out yesterday. He was a real trooper. He did so well through the whole ordeal. We had to be there at 6:45, they took us straight back to the room where we sat for close to two hours. He had been up since 6:00 and was not able to eat or drink anything. I thought that this would be a big deal for him, but he didn't seem to care. We sat on the bed and played for quite a while. About 15 minutes before the procedure, the nurse came in and gave Micah some "happy juice." After about 5 minutes he was real happy! He was totally drunk! It was so funny watching him. He could not sit up, so he layed there and laughed at everything. He also talked really loud. I wish I would have had my camera. When the nurse came to take him from me, he went right to her and I watched her take him down the hall as he looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. What a sweetheart!

He was a little fussy when they brought him back to me, because he woke up and did not know where he was. Once he was in my arms, he slept for the rest of the time we were there. He slept most of the afternoon after we got home. When he woke up, he acted as if nothing ever happened. This was a pretty easy experience for Micah. He has been through much worse. I am very glad that it is over and hopefully we will see a difference in him real soon.

Big Day Ahead!

Yesterday, Micah's ENT called and said that he could fit him in for surgery this Wednesday. I was very excited! That is two weeks earlier then it would have been. We went for Pre-op today. He did a great job and was very happy while we were there. We have to be there at 6:45 in the morning and he can't have anything to eat or drink, so I'm not so sure if he will be as happy tomorrow. It will all be worth it when it is over and he is feeling better!

Slumber Party!!!

Our friends David and Joanna came for the weekend. They have two children, Elijah who is 16 months and Libby who it 3 months. Micah enjoyed playing with his buddy Elijah. They enjoyed playing at the park and relaxing in the hot tub. See pictures below.

Fun at the Park!

Male Bonding Time

Micah and Elijah

New Milestone!

In therapy, we have been working with Micah to try and get him to get into sitting on his own. Well, this week Micah finally conquered it! He is able to get into sitting and now pull up in his crib. When I go in there to get him in the morning, I am greeted by a smiling toddler that jumps up and down in delight. He thinks he is big stuff. The only problem is, he has not conquered getting out of sitting. When I lay him down in his crib to go to sleep, he pulls himself up, so I go in there a few minutes later to find that he has fallen asleep in the sitting up position. So needless to say that is the skill we are working on now, as well as walking with one hand.

Monday's Appointment

It is Wednesday and I am now just getting a chance to post about our visit with the neurologist on Monday. We have had a very busy last couple of days. Thanks for all who have been praying.

There are some great things that came out of the appointment and there are some things that are still uncertain and a bit discouraging for me. First of all, the neurologist said that it is not Muscular Dystrophy. That is a wonderful blessing! There is not to much that could have been worse then that, so although we feel that there is something going on with Micah, it is minor compared to Muscular Dystrophy. Thank you Lord for answering our prayers! Another great thing that came out of the appointment is that the neurologist praised our pediatrician for doing such a wonderful job in getting the proper care for Micah up to this point. That makes me feel more at ease in the situation to know that Micah is in good hands and that she has been and is taking all the steps necessary to get him the best care.

The discouraging part of the entire visit is that I don't feel like we have gotten anywhere else with the whole ordeal. The neurologist read the MRI that he had taken back in December and said that he did have enlarged ventricles. Basically that means that he has extra fluid inside the brain. That was a shock to us, because his neurosurgeon who has been monitoring him for that never mentioned it to us and feels strongly that fluid is not causing Micah's problems. The neurologist has placed him back in the hands of the neurosurgeon, because he gave a 50/50 chance that Hydrocephalus could be causing the problem. He also said that it could be CP, but he would let the therapist further diagnose that after she has worked with him for a longer period of time. He said that most of the time with mild CP you can't really diagnose or know the extent of it until the child is about 2 or 3. I still just wonder about the MRI. Did someone read it wrong or read the wrong one??? I wish I knew. We go back for a CT scan in June and then follow-up with his neurosurgeon, so we will know for sure then. The idea of two different opinions on that makes me uneasy, but for now I will focus more on turning that over to the Lord and enjoying my precious, lovable one-year-old.

What a Day!!!

Micah and I had a rather busy day yesterday. We got up and got going early, so that we could get groceries and run some other errands before his morning nap. We did all of that got home and Micah took his nap. I then spent much of my time on the phone with the doctor's office getting things squared away for Micah's appointment on Monday. After Micah got up, we ran some more errands and met Charlie for lunch. We then visited a friend for a little while and came home for Micah's afternoon nap. If you haven't already figured it out, this kid sleeps a lot!!! I was already to finish up the daily chores, when 2o mintues later he woke up crying. I went back there to find that he was burning up. I knew what was going on. The day before we had just finished up our 10 day dosage of antibiotics and his ears were flared up again. It was getting late. I knew that the doctor's office would be closing soon and I knew what the weekend would be like if we did not get another antibiotic. I called the nurse, who I had just gotten off the phone with 10 minutes before finishing up the details on Micah's Monday appointment. She chuckled when she realized what was going on, because she knew we were just at the ENT the day before. She put me on hold for a minute, came back to the phone and said that his doctor wanted to see him, but would not charge an office visit. That was a blessing, because Micah's unexpected medical expenses have put a huge kink in our budget! The doctor confirmed what I expected, both of his ears had flared up again and on top of that he has a bad bacterial infection on his bottom and legs. Poor Kid!!! At least the end it in site and after April 4th, my little boy should be feeling much better and Lord Willing, so will our pocketbook.

The End is in Sight!!!

As I wrote about in my previous post, I took Micah to see an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist today. That was one appointment that I was very excited about, because Micah has had the same double ear infections since December 19th. Micah was in such a great mood. He had everyone in the office staring at us as he cruised around the chairs laughing and yelling. He knew that he had everyone's attention, so this made him even more ambitious to vocalize.

He was very cheerful with the doctor and he did not seem like a sick kid, so they had to do a test to confirm that he really did have fluid in the middle ear. I did not have any doubt that it would come up positive for fluid. Bless his sweet little heart, he has been pretty pleasent through this entire ordeal. I, on the other hand, having the same problem, kept my mom up all night and gave her fits! The test showed that he had an excessive amount of fluid behind both ears. The doctor also said that he is experiencing some hearing loss right now. If his ear infections are taken care of soon that should not be a long term issue for him. It will just affect his verbal skills right now, so he will probably not be picking up new words any time soon. That is what I hate the most for him, because he is such a bright child. The doctor also said that he should have his adenoids out as well.

So, the date has been set...the end of weekly trips to the doctor's office is in sight! He goes for pre-op on the April 3rd and will have surgery for tubes and to remove his adenoids on the 4th. I am hopeful that this will help with a lot of the other things that Micah is presently struggling with.

BLONDE MOMENT!

Now, I know why I don't attempt to take Micah to his out-of-town doctor appointments alone. We had the appointment with the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist in Gainesville this morning. We were there for a while getting tests done, seeing the doctor and then scheduling surgery. I was handed all the papers for surgery as I was heading out the door. I had my purse and diaper bag on one shoulder, Micah on the other and now the surgery folder, plus my agenda book in my hand. I fumbled for my keys as we approached the van. I placed my date book and the ever so important folder on the top of the van, so that I could remove my keys from my rather small purse, unlock the door and place Micah and his bag in the car. As I was doing this, I thought to myself, "Now I am going to end up driving off with this on top of the car." But then I thought, "Nah, I'll remember to get them." I gave Micah his blankie and pacifier, strapped him in and got in the van. As I began to dial Charlie to tell him about the visit, I put the van in reverse and backed out of the space. Well, It did not take long, before I remembered what I had forgotten. I heard a thump and then saw folders and papers flying from my van. I went running as the March wind blew them further from my reach. By this time I was feeling like a complete idiot as everyone that drove by on the main highway observed my blonde mistake. That was not the end of it though. I got back in the car and drove off to realize that there were still some left on the van, so I did the same thing again and then again when I drove around the parking lot and saw others scattered about. So, I don't guess I will encourage Charlie to save up his sick days when he offers to take off work and go with me next time.

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Beautiful Two-Year-Olds!!

On Mondays and Wednesdays, Micah and I participate in a Mother's Morning Out at a local church in the area. It has been great for him to get to be with other children his age for a few hours a week. I am a stay-at-home mom, but I love children and enjoy teaching, so this gives me an opportunity to put to use the gifts and talents that the Lord has blessed me with. I also enjoy having something to get me out of the house and it never hurts that it gives us a little extra money.

I teach the two-year-old class. I never realized how interesting two-year-olds can be. There is never a dull moment! The four hours that we have them, there is not a minute of down time. We are always running back and forth to the potty, cleaning up smashed playdough out of the carpet, watching to make sure that they don't eat the glue, and my favorite...dancing to The Wiggles!

As I observe all the different personalities in the room, I often wonder which one of the children Micah will be most like when he is two-years-old. I have my picks on that one!!!

Beautiful Saturday!

It was too beautiful to stay indoors today, so we decide to ride up to Tallulah Falls for a picnic and hiking. We all had a wonderful time...even our dog Snickers! See pictures below.

Micah and Mommy! 

Micah and Daddy!

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Snickers is ready to call it a day.

My Three Kids.

Crackers...my favorite!! 

Micah's New Favorite Thing

This is Micah's new favorite toy! Mimi and Pappy gave it to him for his birthday. Whenever he sees it he points and fusses until I take him to it. It is great for Micah to do this, but it wears his mama out! I have to walk around with him everywhere he goes. That is why Charlie attached the rope to it, so that we can guide him around. He has not learned how to get it out of a jam or turn it, so the rope makes it easier on our backs.

Giddy-up Doggie

This is Micah last week at his Mimi and Pappy's house. The dog riding the hippo is Kilee Toto, my dad's pride and joy. The dog sitting on the couch observing is our dog Snickers.

Appointment With Neurosurgeon

We had a rather long and busy day yesterday. I left the house at 7:20 to get to Mother's Morning Out. Charlie met us up there at 12:00, we went to Atlanta for Micah's appointment. We did not get to leave there until 4:00. We sat in rush hour on I85 for 1 hour. It took us an entire hour to go 5 miles! That is just crazy! I am so glad that we do not live in Atlanta. We went straight from there to church and finally got home at 8:30. On top of everything else, I had a headache for most of the day, so by the time I got home it felt like a migraine. I relaxed in the hot tub before calling it a day. I hope that his next appointment down there will be a little earlier in the day.

So here is the update from Micah's two month follow-up with his neurosurgeon. He measured Micah's head and checked other things that would indicate that the water around the brain was causing increased cranial pressure. Micah's head has grown some, but not to the extent that it is suspicious of Communicating Hydrocephalus. He does not show other signs of that at this point other then delayed development. He said that there was a huge list of things that could cause developmental delays that would not show up on an MRI. He listened to our concerns and said that he felt an appointment with a neurologist would be appropriate. His pediatrician has already scheduled that, so at this point we are on the right track. That appointment is on the 13th. He felt that the neurologist would do more testing. He has scheduled Micah for a CT scan and a follow-up in three months to make sure that the water around the brain is not increasing. At this point we will take it as good news that he does not have Hydrocephalus, but continue to pray about the unknown. The best news that we received yesterday was that the neurosurgeon said that he thought there was a 50+% chance that Micah may turn out to be a normal child. I know that that is about a half and half chance, but when you go for a while thinking that there is definitely something wrong with your child...that is encouraging news. So we are still waiting and praying, but we cling to the hope that God is in control and He has a very special plan for Micah.

The even better news of the day was received when we got home and listened to our messages. There was a message from Micah's pediatrician’s office, saying that they have gotten an earlier appointment for him to see the ENT for tubes. He is now going on March 9th instead of April 10th. He has had the same double ear infections since December 19th, so hearing that news makes me want to turn cartwheels!! I couldn't do that with a headache last night, so I might have to go do that right now. :)

Micah Pictorial

I will be posting pictures of my beautiful baby here from time to time. If you would like to see prior pictures, click on the "Micah Pictorial" link at the right.