Mr. Micah

Dear Micah,

Today you turn two years old. You definitely are not a baby anymore! I think about the day you were born, and I smile when I remember how I was in denial about being in labor with you. Daddy told me we should bring your brother to grandpa and grandma's "just in case". It was a good thing he did, because it definitely was labor...and you made a quick entrance into the world. We were only at the hospital for and hour and fifteen minutes! You came so suddenly that we don't have any pictures of you immediately after you were born. The nurses were cleaning you up and your your dad had to quick grab the camera from my bag. You've been a joy since the minute you were born.



Over the last year you've gone from walking an unsteady toddler walk...to an outright run. Your dad and I laugh when we walk behind you because you're so cute. You are always on the move, and you can't get enough of the outdoors. It's been nice enough to play outside again lately, and you're busy the whole time we let you be outside. We have to stay close to you, though. You will happily run straight toward a huge puddle, and you aren't too thrilled with the fact that we don't let you run down the driveway (you know, because of the busy street).



One of the most difficult parts of this past year was when you had to go in for surgery. It was a simple, outpatient surgery, but I still had to hand my baby over to medical professionals and pray that God would bring you back out the same cheerful little boy. Your dad and I did not go into the operating room to hold you while they gave you the anesthesia...mainly because I wasn't going to let your dad go in without me, and we knew that I wouldn't leave the operating room without daddy pulling me out. Since we couldn't both go in, we sat with you in the waiting room until it was time for you to go back. They gave you some medicine that made you, how shall I say this, act like a drunk. You stared at your hands like they were the coolest things you ever saw. And then you were singing a little baby song. This all made me laugh, and that's how we let go of you.


We very rarely see you sleep. When we put you in bed at night, or even down for a nap, we kiss you, say "goodnight", cover you up, and close the door as we leave. We don't go in your room again until we know you are awake in the morning. Every once in a while, your dad or I will think that we can be sneaky and quiet. We'll crack the door open just a bit and take a peek at you. This is generally rewarded with you immediately popping your head up to see what's going on. You also do not want to go back to sleep, and you tend to sleep very badly for the rest of the night. Really, we aren't having any fun without you. We just want to see how cute you look when you sleep!



You're learning how to talk pretty well. You call your brother "E-T" and daddy and I are "mom" and "dad". I have to say I wish you hadn't skipped right over calling us mommy and daddy. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with hearing you say "mom" almost like a sigh. Like it's the best word you know. You've also mastered the word "mine" and "I'm first" and "no E-T". Sometimes you talk in your own little language. Your dad and I look at each other for translations, but only you know what you're saying.



You love to read books, sing, do puzzles, and play race cars. We can sit in the chair and you'll bring us one book after another and say "read book". As soon as that one is done, you march right over to the basket for another one. You have parts of your favorite books memorized, and especially like the one that ends with "hip, hip, hooray" (which you say emphatically every time). Your favorite song to sing with us is our "Bye-o-bye" song. It helps you settle down and fall asleep. If you're restless, your grandma can get you to fall asleep to that song by the third time through. You also love to sing "This Little Light of Mine". We ask you where your light is, and you hold your little finger up with glee.


You love your brother like crazy. We are always saying "monkey see, monkey do" because you copy everything he does. The two of you will hold hands while riding in your car seats, and even will reach out to each other on a walk. You get pretty frustrated when you can't keep up, or when Ethan really doesn't want company in his play, but most of the time you are more than content if you can have your line of race cars next to his.



Baby boy, my prayer is that you continue to look at the world with joy and wonder. That you always giggle and smile. I also pray that you continue to value your family members the way you do now. It is my hope that the simple two-word prayers that you have now, with your hands folded neatly in front of you, expand into a wonderful relationship with Christ.

Happy 2nd birthday, sweet baby.

Love, Mom