Micah is 3 months old!

My, where is the time going? I cannot express the joy we experience on a daily basis thanks to our new addition. He is growing and changing so much and each day we fall more and more in love with him. How is that possible?





Size: Micah is 14 lbs. and 12 oz. as of today and in the 74th percentile for weight. HE wears 3-6 month clothes and a size 2 diaper.

Eating: Micah nurses 6 times a day.

Sleeping: Micah has started sleeping through the night. I usually put him down around 8:30 or 9 and he'll sleep until between 6-7AM. He usually stirs around 3AM and we have to go in and give him his paci, but he usually goes right back to sleep. He is napping 3-4 times a day for about 1-2 hours each. He LOVES to be swaddled, but is getting too big for it. After our trip this week I'll start training him to sleep without his swaddle, which will be like sleep training all over again.

Milestones: Sleeping through the night has been HUGE! I cannot tell you how great it is to sleep again. We moved Micah from his cradle into his crib in his own room a few weeks ago. We have a digital baby monitor so I can see and hear Micah in his nursery and that allows me to sleep in peace as well. I miss having him in his little cradle, but he is a growing boy! He laughs now too, which is hilarious and just lights up our day. We love trying to get him to laugh at us. He is an incredibly happy baby boy.

Micah is getting better at tummy time. He still hates it, but he is getting stronger. He head isn't shaping quite like it should so we are seeing a cranial specialist in 2 weeks to see what can be done to get it shaping like it should. He loves to sleep on his right side so (thanks to the monitors) we can see when he is lying on that side and can turn his head. I try to keep him off of his head during the day with lots of tummy time. Hopefully it will shape up soon, if not he may require wearing a helmet. Not excited about that idea, but we'll do whatever we need to do for him.

Micah is a lot like his daddy. He will sit and play by himself all day! He doesn't need to be entertained but LOVES people and loves to interact. He is incredibly laid back and calm. It blows my mind! I am so thankful.

We love spending time with our baby boy. He loves to smile and laugh. He is a pretty easy baby and only cries when he is hungry or tired. He is a GREAT sleeper, which makes my life so easy. All of that will change once we transition to no swaddle blanket though. He loves books and enjoys swinging in his swing and going on walks with mommy and daddy. He loves when I sing songs to him and make him do little hand motions. It always makes him smile. I am loving being a mommy and watching my precious boy grow and change. He is learning and taking in all the sights around him.

A Faith Worth Sharing

I just finished a great read that Roy recommended. "A Faith Worth Sharing" by Jack Miller has brought so much encouragement to my heart and I was blown away immensely by his stories of boldness and faithfulness as he spent his life sharing the Gospel with anyone and everyone. Oh to have that hope and love Christ so much that there is no stone left unturned, no heart left untouched.





The ways God chose to use Jack are incredible! I often ponder what keeps me from such faith and belief that God can use me in incredible ways as well. There is a significant amount of doubt bottled up within me that keeps me from being fully committed to Christ and His ways. As I read these stories I even found myself believing that God could use Jack but I'm not as outgoing as he was or brave, so why would He use someone so weak like me? I could make excuses until I am blue in the faith, but truth be told, I don't believe Christ can or will use me. I am plagued with doubt.

The truth of the matter is, there is nothing too difficult for our Creator. I even think of the people He chose to use... uneducated fisherman, timid Timothy, stuttering Moses. He uses the most unlikely people to do the unthinkable.

Please join me in praying for boldness and for a love of the Gospel that makes me long to share this truth with anyone and everyone.

I highly recommend this book. It is a quick read, but it will encourage your socks off and hopefully lead you to move out and possess a faith worth sharing.

Newborn Pictures

Here are a few pictures from the newborn session we had when Micah was 8 days old. We even got a few with my niece Addy. Enjoy!

Smoothie Queen

I have been quite the smoothie chef lately and wanted to share my concoctions with you. I usually make Roy and me a smoothie every day that practically has a days worth of fruits and vegetables. I made this recipe up myself so maybe I should copyright it. Haha :)


2 cups frozen fruit ( I use peaches, berries, melon, pineapple)

1/2 cup yogurt ( I use Activia Plain because it has the least amount of sugar)

2 cups of spinach ( I also sometimes chop up some cucumber or celery)

1/2 cup of orange juice (apple juice works great as well!)

2 tbsp of flax seed (TONS of health benefits from adding this and it has no flavor)



It is delicious!! This recipe makes enough for Roy and I to split.

Also, I have discovered a recipe for a yummy treat that I am just loving!

Banana Nutella Smoothie

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup of yogurt or milk

2 tbsp Nutella

Ice

Blend it all together and it is a yummy, tasty dessert! Believe me, you WANT to try this!

Micah is 2 months old!

Time is just flying by and we are loving every moment with our sweet baby boy!




Stats: Micah is 12 lbs. 10 oz. (65th percentile) and 24 inches long (92nd percentile).

Eating: Micah nurses 7-8 times a day and is eating about every 3 hours. He'll go longer stretches at night.

Sleeping: Micah wakes to eat only once during the night usually. He is up around 3 AM. We're hoping he'll drop this last feeding this month and begin sleeping through the night. Sleep Training has really paid off! We chose to let him "cry it out" and teach him to fall asleep on his own (it broke my heart to hear him cry!) but it has paid off. He'll go down for a nap without a peep usually and if he does cry, it isn't for very long. He loves to be swaddled and he always naps in the cradle in our bedroom. We haven't transitioned to his crib yet.

Milestones: Micah has started sleeping in longer stretches this month and slept one night for 6 1/2 hours. I was so thankful! He usually sleeps about 5 hours during the night before he wants to eat again. He also smiles which is the greatest! It melts our hearts. He is such a cheerful little boy, rarely fussy and we are grateful. He has a happy, laid back demeanor. We have started doing tummy time but he usually just lies on the floor and sucks him thumb, which usually puts him to sleep. He is in no hurry to roll over :)

Micah loves when I sing to him and read books. He loves to lie on his back with his little play gym and try to grab at the toys. He has started to really kick his feet which is too cute! We love to take him on walks. I am so thankful I get to stay at home with him and I actually watch another baby 3 weeks older than Micah 5 days a week. The Lord has been so good to us to provide this opportunity to I can be home!

Road Trip

We took Micah on his first road trip last week to Port St. Joe to meet Great-Granny and then off to Livingston, AL to meet more family members and friends. Micah traveled awfully well, only crying when he was hungry. That made the trip bearable for sure! We made a pit-stop on our way to AL in PSJ to spend a night with Papa and Lela and meet Great-Granny. Granny has 4 grandchildren and now has 4 great grandchildren.

The next day we traveled to Alabama, stopping in Troy to visit friends and talk a stroll around the campus. It is incredible how much has changed since we graduated 4 years ago.

In Livingston Micah was able to meet lots of family members and friends.He had a great time and was pretty much held the entire time. I had done some sleep training with him the week before to get him used to falling asleep on his own, well, that all went out the window last week :) He loved being passed around and loved on.

On the way back we stopped in Defuniak Springs, FL to meet Papa, Lela, Aunt Bonnie, Addy,Great-Grandmother, and Mac to celebrate Roy's 27th birthday. We have the best family and we are so blessed!

It was a great trip! We miss being close to family but are thankful Micah was able to get some time with them all.

Micah is 1 month old!

There are days where I think," A month, already?" and others where I am thinking, "that's all?!" Life has been filled with a whirlwind of emotions and I am so incredibly thankful for the past month. It has been filled with an abundance of joy and lots of sleepy nights/days. We have been blessed with a wonderful family who has offered all the support possible to help us during this transition. We couldn't have done it without them!

We have settled in as a family and it has been wonderful. I finally feel like we have established a great schedule with Micah and he is such a content little fella! As of yesterday at his doctor appointment, he is 10 lbs. and 22.5 inches long. He is growing, growing! His jaundice is finally something the doctor said "we can close the book on." I am so thankful to have jaundice as a thing of the past. He is nursing like a champ, which is such a blessing because he had a rough start. We've only been nursing the past 2 weeks and before that I was pumping and bottle feeding. He will take the bottle cold or warm, which is awesome when he is starving and screaming and there is no time to warm it up. He loves his paci and his hands, whichever is available for him.







I love how laid back he is. I think he has his father's demeanor, which I have prayed for :) He is rarely fussy and has started sleeping well. During the night he is consistently ready to eat every 3-3.5 hours.I am looking forward to longer stretches of sleeping for sure. We love reading books to him and sharing Bible stories with him. We are praying the Lord is already changing his heart and molding him into a man of God. I pray for him daily, that God will drawn Micah to himself, allow him to love the things of God and that he'd be obedient to God and to us as he grows. I long for Micah to be a leader, someone who loves people and whose hearts breaks for the Lost. I know the Lord hears my persistent prayers!

I am getting the hang of this new role of being a mommy. It has been a joy to spend my days with him. Singing songs to him, reading, playing, talking. He is a delight. It has been a big transition and I still stay in workout clothes most of the day :) I have been sleep deprived but Roy has been incredibly helpful in taking feeding and watching Micah so I can get out of the house to run errands or squeeze in a much needed nap. I am a better mommy and wife when I have some sleep under my belt :) I am facing the new challenges of "mommyhood" head on and am taking them all in stride, doing the best I can. I am learning as I go. One thing I know, I love Micah dearly and trust in the Lord's guidance and wisdom as we have been entrusted with him for whatever sweet time the Lord blesses us with.

Sweet Micah, we love you dearly and are anxious to see the man you become!

Introducing... Micah Leonard McDaniel

Micah Leonard McDaniel

December 12, 2011

12:00PM

8 lbs. 1 oz.

21 1/2 inches long


(Micah's Birth Story)

He is finally here! Our sweet baby boy arrived on Monday, December 12th at 12:00pm. Labor pains began the Friday at work. They weren't incredibly painful, but I could tell my body was acting different than normal. On Saturday the pains progressed into contractions but they weren't very close together. They were occurring every hour or so.Roy and I walked about 5 miles on Saturday because I had a feeling I was in labor. By Saturday night I was having more painful contractions and they were closer apart. I didn't sleep that night and was writing down my contractions to keep track of how close they were.

On Sunday, I was in labor for sure! The contractions were painful, but still not close enough to go to the hospital. We told our families were pretty sure I was in labor and by Sunday night they arrived in Orlando. Sunday afternoon my contractions subsided and were almost non-existent. I was worried I wasn't in labor after all and that our family had come all this way and it might be a few more days until Micah arrive.

Boy was I wrong! Sunday night was awful. My contractions were strong and about 9-10 minutes apart for several hours. I would just lie in bed, waiting for them to get closer. Around 4AM my contractions were finally every 5-7 minutes and Roy and I were getting ready to head to Winnie Palmer Hospital. As I was breathing through a contraction my water broke and the contractions started getting VERY strong and painful and were only 2-3 minutes apart. We arrived at the hospital around 5:30AM and I labored in triage for a few hours until they could get me a room. The entire time my mind was focusing on the epidural I was going to receive once I got a room. I was 2 cm at this time and 100% effaced.

By the time I got a room I was already 7cm, around 8:00AM. I received my epidural and was waiting for it to kick it, but it never did :( I guess I am one of those rare cases where the epidural didn't take. Roy and my sister were incredible as I labored and assured me I could do this. I was praying and trusting God to give me the supernatural strength I needed and He was indeed faithful. By 10:45AM I was already 10 cm and it was time to push. They don't call it labor for nothing! At 12:00PM on the dot on 12/12/11 my sweet baby boy entered the world. Oh the joy that filled my heart! He had a rough start as the cord was wrapped pretty tightly around his neck. The doctor and nurses had to stimulate him quite a bit and it seemed like an eternity before I heard him cry.



Little did I know my epidural wouldn't work and I would be having a natural child birth.




After a few minutes I finally got to hold Micah in my arms. He was so content and has his eyes wide open. He was just lying there looking at his mommy. It was a sweet, precious moment for sure!

Micah had to spend a few hours in the transition nursery since he got a rough start, but was thankfully healthy and ready to meet his grandparents and niece shortly after.







On Wednesday afternoon we were ready to go home. Micah's jaundice levels were a little high, so he has been connected to a special light since Thursday to help bring down the Bilirubin levels. He gets another blood test tomorrow so hopefully the levels will have come down. He is eating and sleeping like a champ. He has brought so much joy to our hearts. I cannot even begin to describe it! I am so thankful to the Lord for this precious blessing that we longed for. He is here and we are again reminded of God's incredible faithfulness in all things.

We ask for your prayers during this time of transition. We pray for wisdom and strength and can already see the Lord working in our hearts as we begin this new blessed season of life.

May God bless you all during this Christmas season! Merry Christmas!

The Final Countdown

Has it really been a month and a half since my last post? Please forgive me. I think once the reality of welcoming a baby boy finally began to sunk in, I began to panic and rightly so. We are about to have a major addition to the McDaniel Family and we are beyond thrilled.

Roy and I are both filled with so many wonderful emotions at this point. We are exactly two weeks away from Micah's due date. What incredible joy fills our hearts. After a month of being showered with gifts, making final arrangements, packing our hospital bags, two hospital visits (all is well thankfully!), etc. we are finally ready to get this show on the road.

I am not making any progress yet in terms of labor, but have started walking each night to try and get this party started. I am ready to hold our little bundle of joy! Thank you, precious Lord, for this incredible gift that our hearts have been longing for. We are beyond blessed. Please join us in praying for a safe delivery, a healthy baby boy, and a smooth transition to a family of three. Praise be to God for his grace and mercy in all things! Micah will be here before we know it.





Pictured at 36 weeks and 5 days. I am 38 weeks today!

31 weeks!

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 31 weeks 4 days

Size of baby: Probably around 16 inches and 3.25 lbs.

Gender: It's a boy! Micah Leonard McDaniel

Movement: Micah is incredibly active. I can feel very strong movements and wish I knew what I was feeling. He is usually most active at night. Even though this can make falling asleep difficult most nights, it never gets old to feel my baby boy moving around in my tummy.

Sleep: Sleeping these days is pretty much hit or miss. Acid re-flux making an unwanted appearance each night and I am usually incredibly queasy right before bed. I feel huge and rolling over is a chore. It takes me three movements just to roll over! I could sleep for hours and hours once I finally get comfortable, which I wish could happen :) I still get up a few times a night to go to the bathroom, which I guess is preparing me for late night feedings.

What miss: I miss lots of things. I miss not feeling huge! I miss feeling well. I am tired of headaches, queasiness, back aches, heartburn, sleepiness, sore feet, etc. It is always something. I really miss being active! I am already ready to train for another half-marathon :) I miss having the energy to be the Becky that I used to be. I just want to curl up on the couch and rest every little chance I get.

Cravings: I really haven't had any unusual cravings throughout this pregnancy.

Symptoms: I am tired. My feet and back hurt like you wouldn't believe. No matter what I eat I get acid re-flux and feel queasy afterwards. I am getting incredibly anxious about labor and becoming a mom. It is a constant wave of emotions and I cry at the drop of a hat... especially all of these mushy commercials on TV. If I see a baby or a family together I start weeping! Geez, come on people!

Best moment this week: Roy and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary this week. Some sweet friends of ours let us use their hotel points to spend the weekend in Jacksonville where we ate out, went to the movies, and enjoyed time together. It was a special treat and our last little getaway before we welcome our sweet baby boy!

The Swamp!

Some friends of ours treated us to tickets to the Florida/Bama game yesterday. Sadly, we have a house divided, but what a wonderful treat for us to be able to attend one of the biggest games of the season. I had never been to a Florida game at night and it has been 4 years since I was at the Swamp. We spent the afternoon tailgating and walking around campus (reminder: I am 7 months prego!) and my feet are paying for it today. Thankfully, the weather was PERFECT and even a little chilly by the 8:00PM kickoff. Florida didn't do as well as I had hoped, but I just love my Gators and the Swamp! I had a great time... and of course, Roy did too.

I didn't like when people would give Roy a hard time :) He might have poor taste in football teams, but I still love him! He was the best dressed Bama fan at the game by far!

It was great to get to catch up with our friend David from Troy. Yet another classy FL fan!

Greg and Roy tailgating

My sweet friend Christie!

I passed by Joakim Noah (all of 6'11) while heading to another tailgating spot. I had to get a picture for Baby Micah's baby book :)

The sun was setting at The Swamp. It was beautiful at night!

Our seats in the south end zone. Thankfully we were at the very top so I could lean my poor back up against the wall.

The American Holocaust

My sister shared this documentary with me and I want to pass it on. The American Holocaust is taking place as millions of precious babies are being killed in the womb by abortion. With my sweet baby boy my in tummy at 29 weeks, this really hits home. Please watch this documentary! I pray we would value every life and deem it as precious. The Lord is the Giver of Life and each life is indeed a blessing.

* Be advised there is very graphic content at some points within the documentary (footage from the Holocaust*

Preparing... I Guess

About two weeks ago it hit me like a ton of bricks: I am going to be a mom! A wave of emotions flooded through me and I realized that time was winding down. In a rage of panic, I began looking for books about newborns and how to best prepare myself (if that is even possible) for what to expect. I took some suggestions from friends and here is what I have been reading so far. Please feel free to comment if you have any other good reads to add!

I found this at Goodwill for .99 cents. It has been pretty good so far... a little "earthy" if you will. The author is trying to teach parents to learn to distinguish their baby's different cries since crying is their means of communication. Seems a bit impossible to me! :)

This book has come highly recommended, even though we probably won't reference the book for a few years. I have been reading it to become familiar with it and will definitely pick it up again in the future. It is a guide to biblical parenting and discipline.

I will share that chapter 3 of the book talks about the heart and how the heart shapes behavior, even in children. I believe that God's word is true through and through and that even in the womb children are sinful. We pray everyday for Micah's heart to become warm towards God as soon as possible. The book talks about how the heart either worships God or idols. There is no middle ground! This is true of people but children also. What could Micah's idols possibly even be right now? We are praying for Micah to worship God even now!

I have yet to begin reading this one. I found it at our favorite used bookstore for $2.00 after a friend suggested I give it a whirl.

** If any of you veteran parents can think of more books about Biblical parenting, even with newborns, please pass them on **

Wish List!

I usually don't "want" things too often, but lately I have really been wanting a Vera Bradley duffel bag. I guess I am thinking about packing for the hospital and thought it would come in handy. I am looking for a used one so if you are trying to get rid of a large Vera Bradley duffel let me know and I will gladly make an offer and take it off your hands! ( I am not picky about the pattern!)

Welcome to the Third Trimester!

I cannot believe the third trimester is here! I can remember being 10 weeks pregnant, sicker than ever and wondering if I'd ever make it through this pregnancy. Thankfully, I am feeling much better, with the exception of a few bad days of sickness here and there. We are on the home stretch and I think the reality of being a mom and welcoming a precious baby boy to our family has hit! I am overcome with more emotions these days than I can process.

I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday where I took the glucose test for gestational diabetes. The lady who drew my blood said I was the first person who didn't complain about how bad the drink (which has 50g of sugar, mind you) tasted. It just tasted like flat Sunkist to me. I also had a sonogram. At my previous appointment my doctor told me I was measuring big so he wanted to see how the baby was growing. Everything looked good! Baby Micah (yes, we have a name! I will explain the meaning later) is measuring in the 54th percentile so he is growing right on schedule. He does have a big head though :\ That will make for an interesting labor :) I will have another sonogram at 36 weeks just to check on the growth again.

So far everything is looking great. I am so thankful to the Lord for this precious gift and that Micah has been so very healthy thus far!

SO.... we have a name! We've had a name for a LONG time :) I picked out the name Micah even before we were married 3 years ago. It has just been one of the few boys' names that has stuck out and I love that it means "Who is like the Lord?" I have always wanted to raise boys (and hopefully a girl or two in the mix as well). I just see a world lacking in true, Godly leaders and pray that the Lord will give us the wisdom to disciple, love, and teach Micah to become a man who is after the heart of God, who loves his Word, who seeks his will, and who desires to be a leader. Micah's middle name will be "Leonard" which is so incredibly special to both Roy and myself because both of our paternal grandfathers were named Leonard. My Papa passed away this past March and I weep when I think of welcoming another precious Leonard into the world this very same year.