6 Months and Counting

We have been blessed with Micah's presence for 6 months now. Time sure does fly with little ones! He has changed so much and can do so much more these days. It is amazing to look back at photos of his first 3 months and see how much Micah has grown. He's still long and lean but definitely much plumper than he used to be. 

Micah is starting to exert his own will which has been a bit scary at times--I fear his protest screams just might blow my ear drums some day!-- but overall he continues to be a very happy and social little boy. He is a champion eater and sleeper, loves to be with people, and continues to be very active. Micah's favorite activity, as far as I can tell, is jumping in the doorway bouncer. He smiles and squeels with delight.  He also loves to be outdoors, even in the cold weather. Micah doesn't get too excited about tummy time so I don't expect him to be an early crawler...and honestly, that's okay with me. I want to savor all the time I have left in knowing he will be right where I left him!  Below are some of my favorite shots of him from the past 2 months. More photos are uploaded on Picasa at: http://picasaweb.google.com/timothygates

out for a stroll along the canal

yummy

Micah's friend "Gymbo"

C is for cookie

Micah loved looking at the lights with Poppy

First feeding

happy boy

Micah fortunately thought Liam's head pats were funny

Lookin' Fine in 2009

The new year often brings hope of some change in our lives, whether it be circumstances, commitments, or changes in habits. I have never had weight loss in mind until this year. It has been hard to accept that the baby weight is not coming off on its own. I never realized how good I had it not having to exercise to stay the same size. Well, I have now joined the majority of the human race who needs to dedicate him/herself to staying fit. Sigh. I don't know if Tim gained sympathy weight or if it's just all the extra time he has spent sitting in a chair editing, but either way he has also seen new numbers on the scale...

Soooo we decided to make a change and we are really excited about it! I know this enthusiasm may dwindle over the next month but I think the accountability to each other is certainly going to help us stick with our goals. Plus, we are making exercise fun with the Wii Fit! So far, I would say the ski slalom, hula hooping, and strength training exercises are our favorites. I love that it tracks your weight, BMI, and amount of exercise. Of course, we need to do more than just the wii to see a big change but it is certainly a great start while we are stuck indoors for winter. And the perk is we're having fun quality time together in the process!

Ho Ho Ho!

Let me start by saying that my New Year's resolution is going to be to post more to this blog...

It is hard to believe that Micah will be 5 months old on Christmas eve. It occurred to me that Christmas eve is the day Tim proposed to me 4 years ago and now it also marks another month in Micah's life...I find this to be very touching. Micah has reached a very fun age. The smiles, coos, and babbling are endless and fill our hearts with joy. We are looking forward to being with family this Christmas but also to being home, just the three of us, for a few days to rest. Here are some more recent photos of the little guy.

Florida Sun

I decided I should post something on here since Tim went to all the trouble to put it together...It's hard to believe Micah is already 3 months old! So much has changed. We enjoy his contagious smiles and coos and love to watch him pump his legs and arms with excitement. We recently visited my grandparents in Melbourne Beach, Florida. Micah did great with his first flight; it really was a piece of cake. What a relief! Tim worked for the DewTour in Orlando for most of the week while Micah and I chilled by the pool and took walks to the pier. It was very relaxing, At the end of the week, I went up to Orlando and was able to watch the skateboard finals with Tim. I felt a little out of my element in that crowd of fans but it was a lot of fun nonetheless.

Micah's Birthday

A recap of Micah Riley Gates' birthday

Gates Fam Photo Gallery now up

Click on the image below to visit our photo gallery on Picasa. Photos will be added periodically to this gallery.

and the winner is...

Micah Riley Gates!

Born Thursday, Jul 24 at 10:47pm. Weighing in at 7lbs 12oz with a sturdy height of 21". He's very healthy and he's absolutely marvelous!

For mom it was quite a long haul. 27+ hours from the first consistent contractions. It was slow and steady the whole way, and after 2 1/2 hours of pushing and negative zero energy left, the doctors made the decision to do a c-section. Not the script we would have wrote, but we are rejoicing in the ending! Mom is tickled pink with the little guy.

Now it's time for much needed rest. More to come in the forthcoming days.

~ the Gates family