Our Weekend

I know that I said on Saturday that I would post soon about hanging out with my friends.  I guess I took lazy to the extreme.  I really don't have an excuse, though I haven't been feeling my best, and Micah has been cranky with teething.  Anyway here I am, finally, several days later with a post.  I'm finally ready to post about Honda's Battle of the Bands.  Of course, I was so focused on the bands that I managed to not take pictures of the people that I was with, except Micah, of course.  Micah had a blast.  We all did.  Micah was clapping, dancing, and singing.  My best friend said she thinks he's going to be a drum major.  He really has decided that he likes music lately.  Here are the pictures in a slideshow, because there are absolutely too many to post one at a time.

It's in reverse order for some odd reason, and I'm too lazy to figure out why or how to fix it.  At the end of the whole thing, all of the bands played on the field together.

Sorry for the shaky camera.  It's heavy, and Micah was going back and forth between Mikey and I.

Sunday, we went to church, and then spent the rest of the day at home.  My best friend came over and we sat around talking for a few hours.  Yesterday was spent with a cranky little boy.  Today was even worse.  It's almost 7:30pm, and he's in the bed.  Hopefully for the rest of the night.  Hopefully, he gets over whatever is going on with him, and tomorrow is a better day for both of us.  I don't really know what's wrong.  He's crying for no reason. I feel like I'm back in the newborn stage where I was figuring out what his cries meant.  I've tried feeding him, changing his diaper, putting him down for a nap, singing to him, and playing with him.  He's not happy with anything.  I don't know if it's the teething, if he's getting sick, or if he's just sick of being around me all day, everyday.  He wasn't even happy with Mikey tonight.  This mommy is in need of a break.  But I love him to pieces.

And because I don't want to end this blog post whining about my cranky toddler, here's another video for you.  It features Micah eating applesauce.  Nowadays when he's eating applesauce, he'll spoon it into his mouth for the first few bites, then he picks up the bowl and drinks it down.  Enjoy.  Micah sure did.

Moving Around Furniture

You know those people who get bored and redecorate.  You're walking through your house, and something catches your eye. Or something annoys you, and you know there must be a way to organize it differently to be more efficient.  Or maybe you just want to try something new, just to see if it will work.  I think I may be one of those people.  Case in point, earlier this week, Micah's room went from this...

... to this...

Basically, I moved the crib to where the shelf had been.  The shelf went to where the dresser had been.  The dresser to the crib's spot.  His chair moved downstairs.  It may make it's way back into his room eventually, but I'm not sure.  Nothing on the wall changed, but I want to change the walls up too, and add some things in the blank spaces over the dresser and shelf.  I just don't know what to add yet.  Pinterest, however, is helping me make the decision.  Of course, I'll let you know when it changes.  Oh, and we managed to make progress on the closet.  It's still not what I envision it to be, but I'm working on a non-existent budget.  Here it is.

I finally organized the clothes that Micah has outgrown.  I want to get matching containers and separate the different sizes into their own containers.  I also have to find containers to hold the soft items on the shelf, like his homemade boppy and the bumper.  We're not even going to talk about the stuff on the floor.  I don't have anywhere else to store it.  We're keeping any- and everything that can be used for Baby Giles #2.

I really think it's an illness.  You know, moving furniture out of boredom.  I'm working on it.  Micah had no problem at all with the changes.  It's been a few days since we've made the changes to his room, and I think we're going to keep the room like this for a while.   Or at least until another round of boredom causes more rearranging to happen.

Today, we're hanging out with a couple of my best friends.  Look for that post soon.  Probably tomorrow, if I'm not too lazy.

More Micah's Randoms

Here you go for your viewing pleasure.  This first video is Micah's response to any question that you ask him currently.  No matter what you ask him, this is his answer.  It's really funny, because if I tell him something, he's okay with it.  If I rephrase and ask the same thing as a question, this is his response.  He seems to understand voice inflection well enough to know when I'm asking a question.  Either that or I'm one of those mothers who thinks that they're kid is a genius when they anything but...  That could be the case.  Micah does seem pretty smart to me.  Case in point: Micah is saying thank you.  Whenever I give him something {usually food} he clearly says thank you {sounds like tet too} before he takes it.  I tell you my kid is a genius, and a well-mannered one at that.   

This second video is Micah's reaction to being asked to walk on the grass.  Micah loves the outdoors.  He always has.  What he doesn't like is touching the grass or sand.  It's so weird.  I think it's a sign of his genius. 

Oh, and to top it off, he's studying to be a photographer.  He's working from a self taught angle.  Just look at the composition in these shots.  He's a natural.

These photos speak to me. I'm going to bed now.  You may or may not be able to tell that I'm sleepy.

Throwback Friday

Micah's Randoms

Beware, this post is full of randomness.  If that doesn't frighten you away, carry on.

*****

I may have a Linus on my hands.  Micah was caught dragging his blanket around behind him last night.

*****

He's such a clown.  Yesterday afternoon, he was walking around with a clipboard and a pen.  He would bang the pen against the clipboard, and he had a lot to say.  If he was the boss, I would be afraid someone was getting fired.  I only regret that I did not have a camera in my hand to videotape this.  There's really never a dull moment in the Giles household.

*****

Micah also has this habit of stretching out.  He will see something that he wants to investigate more closely, and lay down on his belly in front of it to play with the item.  We have been told by his eye doctor that he will be near sighted.  I hope this is more of his way of investigating and not a sign that his eyes need to be corrected already.  I can't imagine trying to keep glasses on his face.  He's playing with a spoon in these pictures.

*****

Finally, I'm including a picture of his new {to him} shoes.  {Just for you Mimi.}  I finally got to check out Kid 2 Kid.  They had some nice things.  Of course, the selection for girls is better, but I was able to find a few things for Micah, these shoes included.  He actually likes having them on, and will sometimes go get them so that I can put them on for him.

*****

Also, I could have totally written this blog post.  Minus the exercise, because let's be realistic, exercising is really not in me.  I went to bed at around 11:40pm last night.  That is really a huge thing for me, since it's nothing for me to go to bed at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning or later.  Small steps.

Wordless Wednesday {Naptime Over}

Earlier today I was so discombobulated about that dream that I completely forgot about Wednesday being wordless.  Here's an almost Wordless Wednesday.

Another Round Of Dreams

Last night, when I went to bed, I knew exactly what I was going to blog about today.  I was going to post about how Micah and I are in the midst of a January blah mood.  The weather just does not allow for much fun outside the house.  Instead, this post is about something else.  Mikey's not the only one dreaming.  I had my own dream.  I think it was more of a nightmare.  You see, I dreamed about a snake chasing me.

Let me start with a little information about myself and dreaming.  I hardly ever have dreams or rather, I hardly ever remember that I dream.  On rare occasions, I will wake up and feel an extreme emotion {i.e. anger, sadness, giddiness, etc.}.  I assume that I had a dream, and remember the emotion that I felt, but not the visuals of the dream.  Even more rare, will I wake up and remember a scene or two from a dream.  Still more rarely, I wake up and recall an entire dream.  Well, this morning I remembered all the details.

The dream starts with me looking at several young teenagers, roughly 12 to 13 years old, being driven away in a police car.  Then the scene switches.  I am now walking down an urban street with my dad.  He is carrying a pizza, and we're talking.  Finally, we get to his place.  My mom is sitting in my dad's truck.  He says," She must like me.  She brought my truck."  Then we all are standing around talking.  Suddenly, one of the boys from the police car, yells down from a window to my dad, "Dad, I'm going out with my friends tonight.  Remember I told you we were going bowling."  My dad crosses the street to go talk to the boy.  This leaves my mom and I standing talking.  Then my mom and I realize that there is a snake attempting to leave a storefront that we are standing in front of.  It is pushing against one of the push/pull glass doors that are in stores.  The snake finally pushes out of the store, and heads toward my mom and I.  We do what I assume most people would do, and split into different directions.  The snake turns, and heads directly toward me.  Then I wake up.  The dream was so vivid, and real.  I woke up with a prayer on my lips.

First, my five year old brother, Nicky, should be the only boy calling our father dad.  The boy didn't look anything like Nicky, or what I imagine Nicky will look at that age.  Second, my dad does not live in an urban area, and I can't imagine that changing.  Third, I doubt my mom would be driving my dad's truck while my dad walks.  I also don't see my dad allowing his son to tell him where he's going to be, especially if he had been arrested or brought home by the police.  There are just too many weird things going on in this dream. 

So what does this dream mean?  I have no idea, but I hope it's not a warning of bad things to come.  Of course, I went to Mr. Google.  This website had information about what a snake chasing you means.  Apparently, I am either (1) caught up in a situation that I am trying to avoid, or (2) running away from an unsettling situation or part of my personality.  There's more information about dreaming about snakes in different situations here.  So what do you think my dream means?  Have you ever dreamed about snakes?

Micah's Got Words

I am sure you want to know what's wrong with me.  Why would I post two blog posts, back to back, with no pictures.  I'm sorry.  I didn't intend for it to work out that way, but I got a little lazy.  So here you go for your viewing pleasure, pictures and a video.  Nothing spectacular.

First, Micah has at least one new tooth, a molar.  I'm a little afraid to stick my fingers in his mouth to find out exactly what's going on.   He's been drooling all over the place, and his fingers are almost always in his mouth.  I hope the teething is over soon.

Next, here is Micah saying his version of the word "up."  He says "bup," but it's so cute.

Last, pictures.  I am not looking forward to the age when he decides he doesn't want me to take his picture anymore.

I told you it was nothing spectacular. 

What To Do?

I have been debating with myself lately.  I am questioning if I should tell more people about my blog.  When I started this blog, I did it for me.  It started as a way to keep track of my pregnancy.  No one knew about the blog, not even Mikey.  Then, as I became more comfortable blogging, I started sharing.  Of course, Mikey was the first to know about Growing Up Giles.  It is about his family too, after all.  Then I shared with my sister, who had been deployed to Afghanistan.  She was homesick and not happy to be so far away.  The blog became my way of helping her feel connected with our family here in the states.  Then I told my mother and Uncle Monkey.  Eventually, I've included more and more people in the circle who know about this blog, a few friends and other family members.  These are people who know us.  They see us and/or talk to us often.  They understand that this is just a small, but honest, part of who we are.

The debate now is do I want to share with more people? Do I want to share with people who may not know us as well, or not at all?  I am not ashamed of my blog or what it depicts of our family.  This blog is not a way to promote an agenda or boast.  It's not about mommy wars, or anything like that.  It is my scrapbook of my family's growing years.  Eventually, it may cease to be the way I keep memories.  Maybe someday, my family will decide that they no longer want to be featured for the world wide web to see.  But for right now, this is it.  I am happy with this hobby of mine.  My concern is that by inviting others into our world via this blog, an invitation to criticize and belittle may inadvertently be given as well.  I don't like to invite negativity.

I'm considering a FaceBook page for Growing Up Giles.  What other ways would you suggest sharing Growing Up Giles?  What do you think?  Should we go public?  Leave a comment with your opinion.

Dream A Little Dream

I hardly ever do posts specifically about Mikey.  Let's just face the fact that Micah is the star of this blog.  Of course, you get the occasional post about myself or something that I'm interested in, but we know that's because I write the blog.  That means I get to feature myself on occasion.  Mikey, however, works while Micah and I are at home.  He also just isn't as entertaining as Micah, so he doesn't show up as much on the blog.  It's funny because we wouldn't be growing up as Giles' without him. 

Anyway, on to the point of this blog post.  Mikey has been having dreams of lately.  He's been dreaming of his mother for the last couple of weeks.  She died two years ago today after a long battle with cancer.  I'm convinced that he's dreaming about her because it is around the time of the anniversary of her death.  Mikey is not convinced.  That could probably be because of his last dream.

In that dream, Mikey is standing, and his mom walks up to him and hands him something.  He has no idea what the something is.  His mom walks away.  He yells out after her, "What is this?"  She glances back and laughs, but continues to walk away.  Mikey is left standing there holding the item.  Then he wakes up.  We don't know what she gave him, but we're hoping for a financial windfall.

Mikey and his mom were very close.  They were two peas in a pod.  She was such a strong influence on his life.  I realize that she shaped the man that he is today.  She helped to build the wonderful man that I get to share this life with.  She was a wonderful woman, and we miss her everyday. 

Have you ever dreamed about someone who is deceased?  What do you think Mikey's dream means?

This post is written with Mikey's permission.  I asked his permission because it's a very personal subject for him.

Throwback Friday

Shower Scene

The scene opens on Micah beating a toy against the glass shower door. 

Mommy: Micah! No! No! No!
Daddy: Micah?
Micah: Huh?
Daddy: Are you being bad?
Micah: Huh? {Micah laughs}

End scene.

Wordless Wednesday {Undressing}

Well, Hello There

Today we welcome Angelo D’Andre to the world.  Today my sister gave birth to the one who makes her Mommy.

Angelo D'Andre

January 17, 2011

5:32 AM {MST}

six pounds, 13.4 ounces

19 3/4 inches

It seems so surreal that my sister, who is eight years younger than I am, is a mother now.  Gone are the days of watching a certain purple dinosaur all day because she was obsessed with him.  Gone are the days of her answering only to Abby because she decided that was going to be her name.  Gone are the days of her streaking through the house because she forgot something very important that she needed to tell our dad.  She usually remembered while taking her bath.  That little fireball grew into a beautiful young woman, who is just as opinionated.  She has made some tough decisions in her life, like joining the military, but we are so proud of the woman that she’s become.

Today she begins a new journey in life, that of motherhood.  I hope she finds as much joy in Angelo as Micah has given me.  

Hedo!

Mr. Micah is learning through observation.  Here he is talking on the phone his monitor.  And he knows to say hello, though it sounds like hedo when he says it.

Something new everyday.

Micah @ 14 Months

 Micah is fourteen months old.  He is such a clown.  At fourteen months old, Micah..

... weighs 23.2 pounds, according to our home scale.

... wears 18 month clothes.  He has a few 12 month outfits that he still can fit, and 24 month tops fit him a little big.

... is a walker!!!  He has finally realized that walking is easier on his knees.  Where he used to walk a few steps, then drop to his knees and crawl away, he now walks most of the way, and crawls very rarely.

... says the words mama, dada, and up {sounds like bup}.  I've also heard him say hello {sounds like hedo}.  He has also started being a lot more verbal.  He likes to make random sounds while he's playing also.  He can be quite loud at times.

... has eight teeth, but must be getting more soon, if all the drooling and chewing on his fingers is any indication.

...sleeps through the night.  Praise the sweet, baby Jesus!  This has been happening since Christmas.  He had a few days of nonstop excitement where he missed his nap, but slept through the night.  Apparently sleeping through the night those few nights has carried over.  He has had one bad night since then when he woke up during the night.  {Lord, please help me not to have jinxed myself by typing this out.}

... fake laughs.  Sometimes, he'll look at me, and do this little fake laugh.  Heh heh.  Then he waits for me to join in.  So I will do the same fake laugh.  That leads to many more fake laughs that vary from heh heh to a long drawn out ha, to tee tees {these sound like a snake hissing but beginning with the t- sound}.

...  has new favorite foods.  He is in love with mandarin oranges and cheese now.  He still likes Cheerios and pasta though. He's added Kix to his list of cereals.   He generally likes most fruit (peaches, pineapple, oranges), and veggies (loves corn, will eat peas, green beans, beans).  He can clean a chicken or rib bone like an adult.  The only thing that I've found that he will not eat is Cheez-Its.

... has been eating so much of lately.  Sometimes he will take my hand and lead me to his highchair, or just go stand in front of his highchair.  I know then that he is ready to eat. Usually he eats reasonable portions, but sometimes, he eats and eats and eats.  I can't imagine where all that food is going. 

... still drinks from a sippy cup.  My brother {Uncle Monkey} and I have debated his use of the type of soft spout sippy cup that Micah uses.  I agree with all his points, but that is the only type of sippy that Micah will take.  He hasn't learned how to drink from a straw yet, so I can't use a sippy with a straw.  I've decided that I'll worry about switching his sippy cup to a hard spout or a straw later {maybe this spring/summer}. 

... has fallen in love with his trucks and trains.  He loves pushing them around and pushing the buttons to make the sounds that they make.  He even imitates the sounds on a couple of them.  There's nothing like hearing your baby make the sound that a car makes when it revs the engine and takes off from the starting line!  He still loves his books, but thinks that his blocks are chew toys. Of course he still loves his drums, and plays the cymbals too.  I'll have to get a video of him walking around banging his cymbals together.

...  is still working on his body parts.  I should probably put more effort into naming his other body parts for him. 

... loves the ABC's!  Who knew the alphabet song could be a lullaby?  For Micah, it is.  Whenever he's crying whether it's because he's upset about something, he's not feeling well, he wants something he can't have, or anything in general, he stops crying as soon as I start singing the ABC's song.  He's also figured out that his activity table sings the ABC's.  It's so cute to look over in the corner, and see him bopping to the alphabet song. 

...  goes by the nicknames Gus-Gus, Micah Maine, Scoot, and Sugar Bear.

Throwback Friday

Look At What I Did

Check out what I did over on Talking In Color.

Filling Daddy's Shoes

Micah has always been fascinated by shoes.  A while ago, he started trying to put on his own shoes.  Recently, he realized that he can put his feet in mommy and daddy's shoes.  That finding, plus the fact that he can hold his balance now, led to these photos.  The weather on Monday was awesome.  They were calling for rain, but the sun was shining that morning and early in the afternoon, plus it was in the mid-60's. 

He shut the door in my face right after I snapped this one.

He's got a bit to grow before he's filling his daddy's shoes.