Sibling Rivalry

Yesterday, I got a little taste of what it would be like to have two children. I was in the bedroom getting dressed, while Micah and Snickers (our dog) were in the living room playing. I do not get very far in the process when I hear, "mama, mama." I stroll in there to see what his problem might be. Snickers has the toy that Micah was playing with and Micah is pretty ticked off about it. I take the toy away from Snickers and give it back to Micah. As I am walking back toward the bedroom, I see Micah taking the toy and waving it in Snicker's face. To make matters even more interesting, Micah has a little smirky grin on his face. I could not help but smile. So, I make my way back to the bedroom and just a few seconds later hear, "mama, mama." Snickers has taken the toy back away from Micah, but who can blame her...he was waving it in her face! I put the toy away, give Micah something else to play with and proceed back to the bedroom for the third time.

18 Months!

I took Micah to the doctor today for his 18 month check-up. It was not a very pleasant experience at all. Micah's doctor that has treated him since he was born, is taking some time off with her soon to be newborn baby. Micah had to see someone different and that really messed him up. I have never seen him so hysterical! I think I will dread taking him to the doctor now.

The doctor confirmed that he believes Micah has Asthma. He gave us a breathing machine to try for a while. Hopefully this will do the trick and control his night time coughing, congestion and wheezing. His coughing has been better over the last several days, so maybe he has just a mild case of Asthma.

He is now 26 lbs, 33 inches and his head is measuring at 53 cm. His head is still above the 98 percentile, but he has to have room for all those brains!

Micah's First Visit to the E.R.

Today started out as a normal nice, relaxing Saturday, but ended up quite different. Micah has had a reoccuring cough for over 2 months. We have been on two different rounds of antibiotics, but nothing has helped. Today it was particularly bad. I tried to lay him down for a nap two different times, but each time he coughed so bad that he could not go to sleep. This was after taking prescription strength cough medicine. Micah has wheezed a little in the mornings over the last two months, but today it seemed as if his wheezing was a lot worse and it would not go away. It would just happen to be over the weekend when a new symptom develops. I called the doctor on call at his clinic. She said that wheezing is considered an emergency and that he needed to go to the E.R. I knew what that meant...the rest of our Saturday would be spent at the hospital and we would leave there a little more poor than when we arrived. We try to avoid the emergency room at all cost, but Charlie put his foot down and said that we did not have a choice.

Micah hated being there! He has seen his fair share of doctors over the last year and a half. He did not want them to listen to him breathe or take his oxygen levels. His oxygen level was a little low and the E.R. doctor did confirm that he was wheezing, so he ordered a breathing treatment for Micah. This was the only part of the whole ordeal that Micah liked. He had a smile on his face the whole time the medicine was blowing into his face. He looked really funny! Then came the X-Ray. Charlie took him to have this done. I waited out in the hallway and heard him screaming bloody murder. I don't think I have ever heard him so upset. What made matters worse is that he was tired from not having gotten a nap all day. Micah is a toddler that requires much sleep. They had to have two guys to hold Micah down for his X-Ray and he even has a bruise on his arm now from being held down with so much force. Poor little guy.

The X-Ray came back normal and the breathing treament brought up his oxygen levels, so we were ready to go home. They sent us home with an inhaler for times when Micah starts wheezing again.

To make the night even more interesting...We get home from the hospital and take Micah out of the car, I give him night night hugs and kisses and realize that he feels warm. I check his temperature and sure enough, he has a fever of 100.6. What is the deal with that? His temperature was normal when they checked us into the E.R. I don't know what the fever is about, but with the help of a little Tylenol, Micah is now down for the night...at least we hope!

Alll Better

I took Micah to his cardiologist Tuesday, for his 18 month follow-up. This was to check the statis of a mild formation of one of his valves that was found when he was a newborn. The condition in itself was not a huge need for concern, but he had to have an antibiotic whenever he cut his mouth. This was to keep infection from setting up in his heart and was the most worrisome thing about the entire situation. He was always falling. Last week, he was trying to climb onto the piano bench and fell down and busted his lip. He was already on an antibiotic for a sinus infection, so that sufficed for the cut in his mouth as well. Well, his appointment went great and just has his doctor supected, Micah outgrew the minor defects. That is another answer to prayer and one more specialist that we can mark off the list! He was discharged from her care and no longer has a heart "bo bo."

Our First Day of Preschool!

Since December of 2005. I have been curriculum director at a Mother's Morning Out at a church in the area. It is two half-days a week and perfect for Micah and I to do together. Over the last several months, we have been making the changes necessary to take the big step to becoming a preschool. I have worked like crazy this summer to get everything in place for the start of our new preschool program. It is still just two half days a week, but is a more structured program. At this point, I don't think I would want to work anymore.

Yesterday that day finally arrived! Micah and I got up and out of the house earlier then normal to get stuff going and in place for the day. He looked cute in his new preschool t-shirt. The day went better then can be expected for a first day with forty something children. The best news of the day is when Micah's teacher told me that he has matured a lot over the summer and was one of the best toddlers in the class.

Sporting in his preschool shirt.  

Getting Ready for School! 

Micah at school.  

Recent Micah 411

Wednesday I took Micah to see the Opthamologist. His Neurosurgeon referred him to check for cranial pressure behind the eyes. His pediatrician referred him as well for a potential blocked tear duct. The appointment was probably one of the quickest ones we have ever had! Their were probably 10 other children in that waiting room right around the age of Micah. One by one, the doctor would call the children back. They would be back there for about 3 minutes and then come out screaming with watery eyes. They were all getting their eyes dilated. We were about the 5th one back there and the same thing happened to Micah as did all the other children. He got his eyes dilated and was sent back to the waiting room to wait for 25 minutes. This doctor did not waste around. I think he receives the award for seeing the most patients in the shortest amount of time. It was about 25 minutes to the second when he called us back their for the 2nd time. This time Micah screamed when he saw the doctor. He completed Micah's eye exam and then gave me the results. He said that Micah's vision was fine and that their was no signs of pressure behind his eyes from fluid. We have once and for all ruled out the possibility that Micah might have Hydrocephalus! He did say that Micah had a blocked tear duct. The only way to fix this is through a simple surgical procedure. There risks for the procedure is very low and the success rate is high, but decreases as Micah ages. I'm not sure why this is, but I'll take the doctor's word for it.

Atlanta Zoo

This summer, as a part of my intern position at the church we have been taking the children some where every Tuesday. We call this One Way Club. We start with the club part, which includes songs, puppet shows and a story, all which focus around a Fruit of the Spirit. After the lesson, we take the children on a trip. Last Tuesday was the "big" trip of the summer. We made the drive through the crazy city of Atlanta and went to the Zoo. Micah has gone along with us on every trip, but this one was probably his favorite. It was extremely hot, but he was a trooper. He enjoyed watching all the different kinds of animals. To him they were all the same...."doooogs" That is his favorite word now and he uses it to describe anything with four extremities. Over the weekend, he pointed at Charlie and said "doooog." You never know what will come out of the mouth of a toddler! See pictures below.

This is my last week as intern at my church. I have lots of work to do to wrap things up for the summer. I have really enjoyed the position. It has been the perfect job for our situation. Maybe they will ask me to do it again next summer.

"Doooog" 

Micah's first reaction to the goats 

"Doooog"  

Mommy and Baby Roo! 

Micah - Dance Machine!

Dancemaster!