So this is Christmas...

It is Christmas Eve so I thought I would drop you all a line. I don't quite know how I feel. (Disclaimer: People under 18 should not read the next part) I am excited because I get to be Santa for the first time! (Hopefully everyone already is a part of that big secret. If not, you're over 18 and you are way too sheltered and gullable.) The Robison clan has a tradition of having a banana, an apple, and an orange in the stocking. They are in there to remind us to be thankful for everything we have. I almost blew this by forgetting to go to the store. Luckily my sister in law was nice enough to pick up the fruit for me.

The flip side of this excitement is the fact that all the Christmas festivities remind me of the excitement of last Christmas as Kathy and I planned this one. The anticipation of buying gifts for our son, the scheduling of whose family we see when, and thinking of gift ideas--not just for Micah but for a new mother and father. All of these things are gone along with the person I loved Christmas shopping for the most.

I would spend months looking for the perfect gift for Kathy. Every year Kathy would tell me not to spend more then $50 on her, but by then I was well over that and still looking for more. Last year was the first time Kathy ever surprised me with a Christmas present. I had been hinting at wanting a electric toothbrush. When I opened my stocking I found my usual two pack of toothbrushes (manual not electric) so I figured either she really could not catch a hint or she thought electric toothbrushes were just lazy. As we exchanged gifts I got pretty much what I thought (I only gave her a few ideas so I was sure to get them) but then there was another package. I knew it was something special because Kathy got out the camera. It was my electric toothbrush. Kathy was beaming! She had planned out the whole charade. I do miss that smile. I even miss the angry and pouty faces too.

I don't plan on leaving you on such a cheer-sucking, happy-draining thought so I am adding a bunch of pictures as a Christmas present to Micah's loyal following. I hope you enjoy.

The wrapping is better then the present inside.

I love ChristmasA pair of teeth in exchange for a pair of pantsI am a very busy boy Dinner with the Whitley Clan Uncle's favorite feet I'm seeing stars
Teamwork
I really love Christmas
My Christmas outfit Duckies everywhereMicah just cracks himself up

Finally I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. Even though I feel my life is pretty unfair right now, I am still Joyful knowing that God loved me enough to send His son to live a hard human life and eventually die for my sins. How can I not be thankful? May you remember that toys break, clothes fade, money gets spent, but love never fails. Give love!!!

Funniest thing ever!!!

You all have to go to Mark and Janet's blog. I laughed so hard. If you don't know how to get to it there is a link on my blog. If this don't make you at least smile, there is no hope for you and you are dead inside. Make sure you turn the volume down at work or invite your boss in to watch it with you. Enjoy

Long Week

Hey folks. I know some of you are shocked to see a post this soon after the last one. Don't get used to it.
It has been a high and low week here at the Robison house. Micah has started this no leg forward wiggling movement thing ( I would call it crawling but it doesn't look like crawling to me). Also his first tooth popped out. That little bugger is sharp! His snot fountain has eased up and he seems to be sleeping better. So all is good on the Micah front. He is fat and happy.
Yesterday was Kathy's 27th birthday. I took the day off of work. I was afraid I would cause to many 9 and 10 year old students to cry. That night some family and friends gather and we brought out "the box". "The box" is a 1 foot by 1 1/2 foot by 2 foot wooden box that I keep important memories of Kathy. It has old report cards, wedding pictures, and jewelry. It also contains all the sappy notes and cards I have given Kathy through the years. I am a hopeless romantic with extra time and creativity. Some of my friends got a real kick out of those. I am afraid that a few of my friends may get in trouble for not doing the same for their wives. (Sorry Tim and Andrew)
It has been almost 7 1/2 months since Kathy passed away. She would have liked the birthday party we had for her. Although a few of the pictures I passed around would have gotten me in trouble. (Kathy went through a big glasses phase, I mean almost her whole face was cover by glasses)
I am going to leave you know with this. Look at the person you love and remember why yo love them. I am going to go a step further and have you tell them why. It is always good to hear why someone loves you. I love you all because you take the time to listen to my life. Love, Laugh, Learn, Live

Halloween Special

I promised a Halloween special. I never said it would come out on Halloween.

Micah's first Halloween was pretty uneventful. We started out going to Pop's house. We stayed for about 15 minutes and then we headed to Great-granddaddy's house. There was a quick stop at Sonic for a route 44 peach tea and a order of tots. At great-granddaddy's Micah and Nathan showed off.

I forgot to let you know about costumes. Micah was a Jack o lantern and Nathan was a farmer. Back to the story.

Micah grabbed hold of Great granddadd's walker and started dancing (shaking his booty and moving his head) to country music. Kathy would be so proud.

After great granddaddy's we went to Mark's mom and dad (grandma and grandad Carlton). Micah did not make it, he was sound asleep when we got there. We left him in the car ( I was out there too). That was about it. Not really exciting.

Since then Micah has had a nose like Niagra Falls. I know some of you readers are snot sensitive so you may want to to skip the rest of this paragraph. Micah would wake up during the middle of the night in a pool of his own snot. I promise I did everything I could to avoid this. I would use the suction bulb every hour or so, which Micah hates. Those of you who wonder if Micah ever screams... try using the nose sucker. Last night Janet found the most amazing invention in Toys R Us. A nose vacuum!!! It sucks the snot out and stores it in this little cup. It is so gross. I love it. It really works good if I do it while Micah is drinking his bottle.

Ok enough snot talk. You other readers can come back now. P.S. Snot can be a hair gel in a pinch.

Other than that life is pretty routine. Micah is being dedicated at church on Sunday. (All are welcome to come. It will be at Harvest View Church (harvestviewchurch.org). I am doing it this Sunday because Next Wednesday is Kathy's 27th birthday. I alway pride myself on getting Kathy great (sometimes too expensive) gifts for her birthday. So I was thinking what could I do for her since she is already in paradise. The only thing I had to give that would make her happy is the last thing she gave me. So I am bringing Micah to church to dedicate him to God, that God's will for his Life be above all others. I don't know if you have ever been to a baby dedication but usually the congregation also dedicates to helping the child grow toward God. A lot of you already do this by praying for him and me. Thanks. I will try my best to raise Micah to be a strong Christian leader who fully relies on God.

Well, another long post. You would have thought I would have learned my lesson last time. I will try to improve. As always Love, Love, and if you still have extra time, love some more. There are people out there who don't get enough love as it is. Find them and love them too.

What's going on

I know, I know! If I am going to have a blog that people actually check, I need to update it more often. To those loyal Micah fans out there, I apologize. The only excuse I can give you is life keeps me busy. Between Micah, school, eating, and sleeping there is very little time left over. Usually the sleeping part gets the shaft. Since my last blog Micah has been growing bigger and I have been growing older. Micah is now 6 1/2 months old and 18.1 pounds. I am 30 years old and bigger than I should be. My doctor's exact words were "You don't have the hands of a big guy". I can't tell if that means I weigh to much or if I have girly hands. Either way not a flattering comment.
Micah is now sitting up by himself, eating vegetables, and almost crawling. Soon he will be driving and shaving. Hopefully not at the same time. He is doing good at Wee School, but I think it has something to do with the fact that he is the only boy in his class. All of you who have little girls I apologize in advance (especially parents of Ava, Ava, Maddy, Taylor, Anden, Kaelyn, Kinsleigh).
He is a born ladies' man. He even showed off for the NICU nurses the last time we visited them. (A little side note: those nurses are awesome! and the NICU doctors are too! I think they are the best nurses and doctors anywhere.)
I just realized...If I wrote more often then it would be shorter.
Now let me tell you about my wonderful friends and family. I am extremely blessed to be surrounded by people who not only take care of Micah but also take care of me. My life group at church is a huge support. I look forward to every Wednesday when I can see them. They allow me to grieve and they grieve with me. They also see through my "everything is alright" mask.
The rest of my church family is amazing too. There was a group of guys that cut my grass for me every week ( even when gas got really high). How awesome is that? My in-laws are a God send. With my father and mother living in another town and busy with work and school, my in-laws have been a huge, huge, huge help. (Another side note: I want to brag on my mom. She has recently started back to school to be a nurse. She may look young but I promise you she did not have me when she was 10. She is really doing good too, especially to be working full time and going to school full time.) But I digress (that is a fancy way of saying that I can't stay on topic to save my life). Back to my in-laws. My sister in law Janet has offered to do my laundry for me. Where was she the five years that Kathy and I had our dirty laundry war? And my mother in law keeps Micah during the day. She even comes to my house to get him at 6am so I can shower and get ready for school. No, you cannot have her. She is mine and I don't plan on sharing (except with Nathan Daniel).
This is probably long enough. If you did get all the way down to the bottom of this, congratulations, but you should probably get back to work. I am talking to my dad and Heather, because I know they read this at work. Shame, shame.
As always love, laugh, learn, Live.

P.S. I came up with an interesting phrase the other day and I thought you all might like it. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I wasn't the idiot I used to be. Think about that and I will talk to you again in a month or two, just kidding. I am already planning a Halloween special. :)

P.S.S Check out Mark and Janet's blog for some cute pics of Micah and Nathan

Green Beans. . .

Micah is now a big boy and can eat baby food. He started on green beans, but he isn't a big fan.

Rolly Poly Micah

Hey everyone. I hope that the last post didn't scary to many of you off. I want to apologize to you who wee expecting a happy picture of Micah and got blasted with that. I will try next time to warn you guys a day or two ahead of time.

Now for the Micah update. My child is model in a rolly poly kind of way. He has mastered the back to stomach roll and his stomach to back roll, though awkward and funny, is effective. To roll from his stomach to his back he has to get his butt as high as he can. Then he lets the momentum of it falling to one side pull the rest of his body over.

I have had to install the crib bumpers to keep him from wedging his arms and legs between the crib bars and the wall. He definitely rolls around in the bed like his mother did. It is almost like "Where's Waldo" looking in the baby monitor at night. I think he know where the blind spots are in the camera because he goes straight for them.

He also has a Bumbo now. For those of you not in the know, a Bumbo is a baby seat that helps them sit up. The only problems Micah has with his Bumbo is that his thunder thighs barely fit in the seat and that he thinks if he leans far enough over he can get out.

I am attaching a picture of him in his Bumbo watching my dog Barrett. There is just something between a boy and his dog. Luckily in this case it is the back door. I expect Micah to be riding Barrett in the next few years. Or Barrett dragging Micah around the yard. I will let you know which comes first.

I hope this installment of As Micah's World Turns has been a much more enjoyable experience for you all. And as always, I leave you with this. If you really lived everyday like it was your last, then when it was your last you would have really lived. Love , Laugh, Learn, Live

Beware: Another serious blog

Be warned this blog can be very emotional and may cause tears!

This blog spawns from a song I heard on the radio. Usually if a song start talking about passing away or leaving or anything along those lines I change it quick. But Wednesday night was different. Mercy Me's Homesick came on and I made myself listen to it. By the end of the song tears were streaming down my face and my chest physically hurt. If you get a chance to listen to it do so but not in a moving car.
For the past month or so work has enabled me to put the sad thoughts in the back of my mind. The only problem with this is that they reappear as dreams. There have been very few nights that I did not dream that Kathy was still around and awoke to the shocking discovery that I was wrong. Waking up once or twice a night to that horrific realization can really mess with your head.
Anyway back to the song. There is a part that kind of asks when does the singer get the chance to go to heaven too. I want to start off by letting you all know that I have no plans, or have I ever had plans of ending my own life. This is more of a "Hey God you can take me know, I ready and willing" kind of thing. Every once in a while I will lie in bed and almost wish that the next breathe was my last and the next thing I saw was God with Kathy by his side. But then I am reminded that I have a son who I love that needs me here. The shattered piece of my heart move in two direction.
For those of you who don't know my brother just got married to a great girl. I think she is a great fit for the family. But that did not make the wedding any less painful. I did alright for most of it. The only time I almost lost it is during the wedding there was a slide show of baby pictures and one of my sister in laws pictures reminded me of one of Kathy's. This coupled with the fact that Kathy was not there for this hit me hard.
My heart has become a little cold at times. When I am around couples, I find myself wondering which one of them has to pick up the pieces of their life when the other one dies. (I did warn you this was a tough blog, it is even tougher to write then it is to read.) I try not to see people that way, but my rose colored glasses got stepped on and all I have for the moment is the dark welding goggles.
I am write you all this, not so you will sorry for me, not so you have a reason to pity me, but because most of you reading this know and love me and Micah. So when you ask me how I am doing and I tell you "I'm doing well" know that I have to say that just to take the next breathe. I know that Micah needs me, and that God has a plan for both of us, but it sure would be nice not to hurt for a little while.
If you get nothing out of this but this then that is fine. Your prayers get me out of bed in the morning, get me in the shower, drive me to work, give me the power to teach the wonderful 19 students I havein my class, get me home, and give me the strength to love Micah enough for two parents. Please do not stop! I am not alright. I am standing only by Gods power. I love you all and promise the next post will be the regular warm and fuzzy with happy pictures of my beautiful son.
As always tell people you love them, never assume that they really know how much.

Long time, No Blog

As I sit here on my floor, manually swinging Micah to sleep because the batteries are dead and I am to lazy to change them now, I finally force myself to make time to blog. Sure there are dirty bottle to wash, dirt clothes to to put in the washing machine, toys all over the house and school stuff I could be working on, but Micah's fans deserve better. He is currently dictating what I should put in the blog. I think there were a few jokes he wanted to add but I can't tell if they are appropriate or not so they will have to wait til later.

It has been a tough few weeks. Work is actually going really well. I have 19 students and they all seem to want to be at school. At school I stay pretty focused on my students and their needs. Every once in a while someone asks how I am doing and it take a lot not to really tell them. But anyway, I do have it pretty good. My wonderful mother-in-law comes at 6 in the morning to take care of Micah while I get ready for school. On Monday, Wednesday, Friday she takes him to her house and watches him. On Tuesday, Thursday she takes him to Wee School were he gets spilled by the great staff there. After I get done with school I go pick Micah up at his Grandmas and Grandpas or they bring him to my house. This partially depends on if my father-in-law has seen him that day or not. I think he has become a little addicted to his grandson.

Micah and I have the evenings together. This usually includes story time and feeding (and recently watching the Olympics). For someone with probably the two most un-atheletic parents, he sure is fascinated with sports. He can watch more of a baseball game than I can.

He has started eating cereal (rice and formula mush). It does not go as quickly as a bottle and there is a whole lot more clean-up. I have a few pictures of him in the high chair that I will put at the end. That way you have to read all of this stuff first before you get to the good part.

His sleeping through the night thing is a fond memory. He wakes up a few time between 2:30am and 5:30. The plan was that my mother-in-law would get here at 6am and would feed him when he woke up but for the last week or so, she walks in and I am finishing up the feeding.

I think that catches you upon everything except for cousin Nathan but you can check the Carlton site. Here is the part you have been waiting for the pics. And as always show your loved ones why you call them your loved ones.

Back to the salt mines

I always envisioned heading out the door to go to work and my son looking at me longingly, wanting nothing more then me to skip work and spend the day with him. So much for that vision. As I leave for work I turn around to see my son smiling back at me, almost mocking me. Like he is making fun of me for having to go to work. I think he really knows what is going on, he knows that daddy going to work means being spoiled at grandma's and grandpa's house. I do miss him during the day but when the students come in I go into teacher mode and focus on them. I really does help me get through the day.
No pictures today just a little entry about my day. See you later, same bat time, same bat channel. And as always love the one your with.

Food all over

Micah went to his 4 month visit and hhe weighs 15lbs 15 ozs and is 26 inches long. I missed it because I was at school but he came and visited ( with grandma's help) when he was finished. He has started eating rice cereal. This feeding by spoon is just way to slow for him. Here are some pictures and a video of his 3rd experience eating off a spoon. Enjoy.

Eat Duck and like it and My first computer

Tomorrow I go back to work. I am kind of looking forward to being back, but I am going to miss spending the day with my boy. To help some of you get through this week which is going to be a long one, I though I would add a few new things to the blog.

The first is a picture of Micah's new toy. It is a baby laptop. As soon as the laptop was in his lap he started pushing buttons and moving the mouse (which actually looks like a cheese nibbling, squeaking, scurrying mouse).

The video was taken last night when my dad was playing with Micah. The quacking noises are my dad ( Micah is gifted but not that gifted) and Micah was loving it.) Enjoy and have a great week.

P.S. Humans thrive on positive physical contact. Go out and give people hugs. See if you can hug 10 different people before the next posting. Think of it as a contest and let me know when you get your ten.

Peekaboo

More fun times with Micah. His legs and feet are more flexible than his arms, so he enjoys games with his feet. In these videos Micah and his dad are playing peekaboo and tickle-monster with Micah's feet. He sure is a lot of fun! Enjoy the videos. Also, make sure you notice the last of the video. He was totally absorbed in his daddy until he saw the camera--then he was totally absorbed in the camera (which is when we cut off the tape).

Micah's cousin Nathan Daniel may be coming home very soon! Stay up to date with his homecoming on our blog. (Link to the left)

Aunt Janet

Splish Splash

This is just a quick note to let everyone know that Micah and I are doing fine. Micah swam ( I use this word very loosely) for the first time yesterday. We went to my dad's house to see him for a little while and while we were there we played in the pool. Micah really likes the water and as long as he wasn't leaning back he was fine. A few times he tipped his mouth in the water and came up coughing ( I just lost father of the year from some of you I know) but he was fine and just smiled and spat bubbles out. My plan is to get him comfortable in the water. His mommy never did like the water and the only times she had her head underwater I got in trouble when she surfaced.
In other news Micah's cousin Nathan is getting ready to come home. If everything works out he will be here next week. If some paperwork doesn't make it in time it will be another 2 weeks. Either way we are all getting really excited to have him home. For further info on the Nathan story please refer to Mark and Janet's blog. And leave them an encouraging reply. It is tough enough having your child in another country add to that the continued delays and you get two unhappy parents. As always tell someone how much they mean to you and then prove it.

This one not about Micah

For you Micah fans this entry is not about him. Today is Kathy and my 5th wedding anniversary and I am going to take up a little of Micah's blog to talk about Kathy.
I first met Kathy the second semester of her senior year in high school. I was almost a senior in college so there was a bit of an age gap. She joined the college group I was part of. Really she joined the group her sister was part of. We became friends as she graduated high school and started college. We later both chose to go on a mission trip to Zambia, Africa. Since the group we were going with was in Nashville we had to go there once a week to prepare. Those of you who know me well know that a trip to Nashville by myself usually leads in me being lost and late. So Kathy and I rode together. She drove because she knew better then to let me. This gave us a lot of time to talk. During the mission trip we talked more especially on the plane ride back. We started talking about the kind of people we should date. She was interested in one of my friends and I was up in the air about dating at that time.
Later on I had to move back home to Tullahoma to do my student teaching for my education degree. During this time Kathy and I became IM buddies. We would IM back and forth almost every night while I was gone. When I returned to the 'boro we kept our friendship going until one night I was asking her who I should date. I finally asked if it should be her. She just smiled. It took me a few more days to ask her out. To a lot of people objects (mainly Mark and Janet) we started dating. We dated for 11 months before I asked her to marry me. I asked over a pan of my homemade lasagna (which must be pretty good because she said yes).
We got married on July 19th 2003 and it has been a great marriage the whole time.
I miss her a lot. When we married the pastor said that we would become one, I believe we did and now I am missing my other half. If you are blessed enough to still have your other half beside you don't take it for granted. Spend every day making that person fall more in love with you then he or she already is and treat them like the king or queen they really are. I know many of you miss Kathy too but I know she is happy and is proud of her son and the man he will become. God bless all of you with a chance to make someone else feel special.

Two great nights

For those of you who have kids, or take care of kids over night this will sound great; for those of you who have not had the pleasure of waking every few hours to change, feed, burp, and put back to sleep a child this next announcement will seem trivial. Micah has slept from 10pm to 6am for the last two nights. And I have slept from 10pm to 6pm too. Oh the possibilities! I might be able to function like a normal human during the day. I may even be able to go back to work and not sleep in front of the students. Those of you who are thinking I am going a little overboard in my happiness over a few nights of sleep need to find a friend that has a newborn and volunteer a night. Once again thank you for reading the rambles of a father who now gets a full nights sleep : )

Micah and the Tickle Monster

Micah has several tickle spots where he loves to be tickeled. And of course we're happy to help! When you hit a good tickle spot he grunts and tenses up until you stop, and then he smiles, squeals, and laughs. We didn't catch the best laughs on video, but this comes close. Enjoy!

Happy 4th

It seems a lot of people are celebrating Micah's 3rd month. I know he is really special but the firework displays are spoiling him a little to much guys. I mean really, how am I going to top that for his 1st birthday?

Actually Micah is completely oblivious to the war zone outside. It sounds like concussion grenades and automatic rifle fire right outside the door. My yellow lab, Barrett, on the other hand is not a happy camper. He is an outside dog but during the 4th wishes he was inside. He actually slept most of the day because people were shooting off fireworks until midnight last night.

Micah has had a pretty jam packed couple of days. Wednesday Micah and I went to lunch with an old friend (old for me not Micah) as she was on her way to pick up her husband from the airport. He seems to have charmed her just like everyone else he meets. Thursday my dad came for lunch. I left Micah with my dad to go pick up some Krystal's and when I got back my dad was on the floor with Micah over his head.

Late last night my brother Ethan came in and played with Micah this morning. Today Micah, Janet, Mark, and I went to Grandma Linda and Grandpa John's house. Micah's great grandpa and great grandma can over too. We had a fish fry. I ate way to much and that was before I had two helpings of dessert. I am hurting right now. Micah however had his normal bottle and fell asleep in the swing. I really do have a great little boy.

Before I close I want to thank anyone that has served in the military, any branch, any job. I also want to thank anyone who cares for someone that is serving. I love America, and I am soblessed to be raising my son in this country.

Happy 4th of July everyone

Just checking in

Just though I would check in with all you Micah fans out there. It has been pretty esily going. We are just hanging out and cleaning house (Micah isn't elping a whole lot with the clean). He is sleeping 4 - 6 hours at a time at night. He has also started sucking on his hands and trying to sit up. He is getting big fast. Maybe next time I will have something more exciting to say but for now a routine is good. Have a great 4th and stay safe.

Naked Guy Time

Got your attention?

Actually, it's naked time . . . and then guy time. Two separate events.

Micah is really loving bath time now. He gets a little suprised at first, but then starts to get comfortable and will splash and smile and have a good time.

Micah also likes to spend time with "the guys". (AKA daddy and uncle Mark). Especially watching Guitar Hero.

Growing up fast

Little Micah is growing up so fast. He changes every day. One of his favorite things to do is to study, smile, and laugh at the faces of the people he loves. Here are some pictures Nathan took today.

Just getting bigger

Micah and I have just been hanging out. He is sleeping about 5 to 6 hour during the night and it seems like he is trying to sit up on his own. Other then that we don't have a lot of news. I have been trying to keep myself busy and out of trouble. There have been a few projects around the house that I have finally gotten to. I know a pretty boring entry but I felt boring was better than nothing at all. I will try to get a few new pictures up soon. I know that is what you all really like anyway and I don't blame you, he is a cutie. Have a great day and God bless you all for all your prayers.

Great News

I just got the news. Micah does not, I repeat, does not have Elhers Danlos Syndrome Type 4. This means that he can do everything a little boy should be able to do, jumping, climbing, falling, wrestling, and playing rough. Praise God

New Pictures

The long awaited new pictures of Micah. He is smiling and playing all the time.

Just 2 months

It is hard to believe that my little man is already 2 months old. He has gotten to the point were he smiles and laughs as a reaction. He is still a pretty laid back boy. He has started sucking on his hands more and has a lot of arm and leg strength for a little fella. Not much is going on with us. We still wake up around 2 and 5. After 5 he is out of bed. Sometimes I can get him to sleep in my bed after 5 but most of the time he just talks, and laughs , and dances. He is eating 6 oz during the day feedings and 4 oz at night. We go to the doctor for shots next Wednesday so I will let you know how that turns out. Have a great day and thank you again for showing so much interest in my boy. I know he is loved.

Memorial Day Pictures

To see pictures from our trip to Mississippi and Jackson, TN last weekend. . . go to Uncle Mark and Aunt Janet's blog at www.markjanetcarlton.blogspot.com. (Or see the link on the left side of this page)

Enjoy :)

A long time since my last post

It seems like forever since my last post. A lot has happened since then, I hope I can remember all that has gone on.
First Micah's Aunt was diagnosed with Ehler's Danlos Syndrome Type 4. Those of you just now jumping into Micah's story, my wife Kathy died during childbirth because of a thoracic aortic dissection because of a genetic disorder called Ehler's Danlos Syndrome Type 4 (EDS4). So last Tuesday Micah got tested. This involved getting blood. If any of you have never gotten the "joy" of having a baby give blood, don't look forward to it. Having to restrain your child while someone drains blood is a tear jerking, ear splitting, heart tearing experience.
We also took our first out of state trip. We visited some friends in Pratts, Mississippi over Memorial Day Weekend. On the way back up we stopped off at my best friend's place in Jackson, Tennessee. Micah is a good little traveler. He also made a little friend in Mississippi named Anden. She is about 20 months old and cute as a button.
I will blog more later have a great day and remember tell your loved ones how much they mean to you.

Weekend Pictures

Already a Big FanGrandma Linda on Mother's Day

Great-Granddaddy and Micah

The Three Johns

Uncle Mark and Micah hanging out

Going out

two questions and a laugh

Micah and I went to Tullahoma and back today. I discovered that Micah really doesn't like to listen to Brian's sermons on tape and that I can reach a pacifier almost anyplace in the car. During the few minutes of silence in the car ride I spent some time in prayer (I keep my eyes open for safety). Two questions were given to me.
The first question comes from something I have been thinking about for awhile. What would you fight for?
Most of us would fight for family, friends, and freedom. I know that I will do anything in my power to protect Micah. I don't think a momma bear would be more ferocious. Now put that in perspective of having a heavenly father that created everything. Don't you think he would fight and do anything for us? I know he is for me.
This leads me to the next question. What would it take for you to stop following God?
Kathy's death shattered me. A healthy, young woman with a newborn baby and a loving husband--suddenly removed from the family she created. The woman I love and had planned to spend the rest of my life with taken from me on a day we had looked forward to since we first discussed it. Would this be enough for me to turn from God? The same God who could cure any illness, heal any disease, even bring people back to life...but chose not to. I don't know what is going on in your life, but few of you reading this could have a better excuse to be mad at God than I do, but the crazy thing is I am not. If anything, I love God more. God did not take Kathy from me to punish me, or to be mean. God's master plan required her to leave at that time. I don't know why and I may never know, but I do know that God's plan is the best plan. If one person grows closer to God because of Kathy's death then I will continue to follow God. So I ask you again, What would it take for you to stop following God? It better be a good reason.
I don't want to leave you on such a serious note because I want you to return to this blog. So I will tell you something fun. Micah has started to laugh, but I use "laugh" loosely. He opens his mouth and inhales making a high pitched squeal. He kind of curls the edges of his mouth during this noise. He also has started a grunting noise that I interpret as him telling me off, probably because I don't feed him quickly enough.
I hope you found this blog worth the large amount of time it took to read. Remember to always tell the people you love how much you love them.
Nathan

One Month Old!!

Micah is one month old today!! So, of course, Uncle Mark & Aunt Janet took some pictures. :)

Micah loves his daddy. And Nathan loves his son.

At first we thought bath time was an unhappy time for Micah because he was hungry. But now we're pretty sure he just doesn't like the water/bath concept AT ALL. Period!

So far, so good. Micah still seems to be a very good-natured little boy (except during a bath or when he's hungry).

Is that the sound of a lion roaring? Or of a sleepy boy yawning? You decide.