HUGE Catch Up Post

Wow! It's been exactly two months since I've updated. Needless to say, we've been quite busy. I'm going to update in seperate little sections and in normal blog format.. sort of. While the whole entry will be one post, I'm going to update from the most recent to where I left off. In other words, if you want chronological order, read from the bottom up. Read as much or little as you want. Happy catching up!!!

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Done!

You are now basically up-to-date. I don't believe I left off anything of importance out of this crazy long entry. As you can see, we're all doing ok. Radiation is rough, but it's tolerable. Luke is doing well.. just busy with work and family as usual. Micah is busy growing and learning new things all the time. He is trying to walk a bit, but I still think we're a few weeks away.

With the new year, we're trying to be healthier both physcially and spiritually. We're putting emphasis on exercising, eating better and spending quality time with God. So far we're doing well!

I'll keep this blog updated like I was doing before my 2 month hiatus because doing all of this at once was enough to make me want to go to bed. So that's exactly what I'm going to do!

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Last One!

This past week Micah has discovered the back glass door. He loves to stand there (yep, stand!) and hit it, lick it, talk to his reflection, etc. I snapped these pictures just yesterday morning.











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Ooooohh.. Magazines!

Learning what's it like to be a parent.


Me getting a glipse of life with a son


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Gator Bowl time!!

On NYE we picked up T&T at the airport about 5:30 and headed to Jacksonville. We got there right at 11:15 and stayed up to bring in the New Year together.

Tony playing with Micah just before midnight


Tammi's turn


Ready for the game at Christina's house the next morning


We had an awesome time at the game!









We WON!!!!


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The day after

Brothers-in-law Kyle & Luke had bonding time at the gym and playing football - Ohio State vs. Nebraska, of course.


Christina and I relaxed the best we could with 3 energetic kiddos around. At one point, Micah crawled into (under? in?) his exersaucer and was just having a blast.


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Santa Came!

A small glipse of Christmas Day in pics -




















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Sugar Cookies and Christmas Eve presents

I couldn't travel this year for Christmas due to my radiation schedule, so my parents, Kimberly & Christina and her family came to us. We had a great time!

On Christmas Eve when Christina and her family arrived, we decorated cookies.

Eve


Jolee


Micah


That evening my mom gave all the kids and Dad one gift to open upstairs. They all came down wearing matching pjs.

The cousins


The best pic we could get of all 5


We each opened one present before heading to bed. The best gift was Luke's -


Gator Bowl tickets to watch Nebraska vs. Clemson!! Christina, who lives in Jacksonville, saw a commercial for a special for 4 tickets, 4 hotdogs, 4 drinks, a parking pass, 1 free program and tailgating for $200!! It worked out that Tammi and Tony could fly down and join us, so I surprised Luke for Christmas!! It worked out nicely, too, that we would have free lodging at my sister's house while they would all be in DC and that one of Christina's friends could watch Micah during the game! What a great plan!! We couldn't wait 'til New Year's Day!

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Me on the News!

We went to TN to visit my parents and my home congregation on 12/20-21. We had a really nice, quick trip. I found out the afternoon that we arrived, that the first place winner of the Men's Division from the Buddy's BBQ race for cancer (see post below) saw my story on the news and had tracked my parents down just that week. He wanted to present me with his first place trophy!! Wow! Was I ever humbled! He was going to surprise me at church the next morning and present it to me after the service, but at the last minute, he was called to work. I chatted with him on Saturday and me, Luke and my dad ended up meeting him Saturday night to meet him and pick up the trophy.

The next morning after church services, one of the Deacons, the man married to the woman who coordinates the Buddy's team for our congregation, presented me with a signed team picture and the trophy in front of the congregation.

In another twist, the news was back! They captured part of this story and wanted to interview me. Here is a link to the news story - http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=72360&catid=2 - check it out.

And of course, two pictures of Micah from the weekend.




Kimberly came back with us on Sunday since she was on break from school and kept Micah that week while I was in radiation. We had a great time hanging out with her, and she was a huge help with Micah, too!


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Meeting Donna, Henry and Rhys

I met Donna on a ttc/pregnancy/parenting message board I'm a member of. She lives near Raleigh now but grew up here in Gastonia. She comes and visits often, but we've never been able to meet up. She has two sons, Henry who is 2 and Rhys who is just a few months younger than Micah. We had a blast with them at Steak 'n Shake and can't wait to spend more time with our new friends.

All of us


All 3 boys


Just the babies


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Just some cute pics

Micah still adores bath time and LOVES his Baby Einstein book Water, Water Everywhere. He'll 'read' it for hours if we let him and always cries when we take it away.






Micah and Daddy have lots of fun together, especially when Daddy throws him in the air and spins him.







One of Micah's other new discoveries is the stairs. The other day, he went up 6 stairs before he lost his balance. Being the smart parents we are, we made sure Luke was behind him to play catch. I need to get video of this soon, but for now these will have to do.







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Micah meets Santa

At a friend's bday party on 12/6, Micah got to meet Santa! He did really well. He was really into studying him and figuring it all out. I was so proud that he wasn't afraid and didn't cry.





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Christmas pics with Micah

I was going to post a lot of pics but decided against it, again, considering the length this update will likely be. Micah was getting sick with what turned out to be an ear infection, so it was harder than usual to get a good pic.

Here are two outtakes (from the over 100 pics I took.




And the one we used.


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Radiation Begins

Tuesday 12/2 I began my radiation treatments. I'll have a total of 35 (today I've only got 4 more to go). I'll go to the cancer center here which is at the hospital, only about 8 minutes away. The treatments will be daily at 10:10 am. Ladies from church will alternate keeping Micah and on that day, there was already a schedule made out through the 19th.

I didn't dread radiation as much as chemo... that's for sure. About 3 weeks into my treatments, I started becoming very tired again. I'm so exhausted all the time. I could sleep for DAYS! I need at least 12 hours of sleep a day, but of course, I usually don't get it. Sometimes I work in a nap, and fortunately, I have an amazing husband who lets me sleep in on the weekends. In the last 2 weeks my skin has really seen the effects of the radiation. My skin is so red. Like lobster red. Under my left armpit is nearly black. I hurt and burn and itch so terribly. This past Tuesday, my radiation onc gave me a prescription for an antibiotic cream that also has a numbing agent in it. It certainly helps, but it doesn't completely take way the pain. It really is terrible. I can't wait for that to go away! Thankfully, I'll finish my treatments this coming Thursday, 1/22! Woooo Hooooo!!!

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On the road again.

How Micah spent several house of the trip home from Nebraska. This particular pic was taken in Illinois.


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Family Portraits, Husker's Game & Christmas

Our Thanksgiving weekends in Omaha are packed. Since we don't get together around Christmas, we celebrate Christmas the same weekend as Thanksgiving. The Huskers play Missouri every year the day after Thanksgiving, and it's a huge game and a tradition to watch. This year, us sisters-in-law decided that in case we didn't have enough to do, we'd work in family pictures also. We decided to dress is Husker's gear since we all love them and it was game day. We weren't the only ones in Portrait Innovations with that idea!

The Adams Family (from left to right - Jack, Paula, Dianna, Mark, Dale, Gpa, Tammi, Tony, me, Micah, Luke)


All the men (from left to right - Jack, Mark, Dale, Gpa, Tony, Luke & Micah)


The sisters-in-law (Tammi, Paula, me)


Our two favs of Jack & Micah




As previously mentioned, Christmas was celebrated later that afternoon. Here are just a few pics from that.

Grandpa Dale and Aunt Paula, Uncle Mark & Jack got him a great start on Veggie Tales DVDs


Checking out Uncle Mark's goatee


Luke excited about his Iron Man DVD


Me with my new Catch Phrase game


We had a wonderful trip to Nebraska and weren't quite ready to leave. Our time spent with the Adamses always seems to go by way too quickly.

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Thanksgiving Day, Jackson's Bday Party and Micah is 9 Months Old!

Micah's 9 month bday was on Thanksgiving. We would find out the following week at his well baby visit that he was 28 lbs and 30.5 inches. Still a giant! Here are some pics of our little (BIG) boy that morning in our hotel room







We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with the Adams family and some of Tammi's family from Lincoln as well. My wonderful Titans played on T'giving day and killed the Lions. I almost felt badly for them!

Micah met his Great-Grampa Adams for the first time.


Later that afternoon, we celebrated our nephew Jackson's 4th bday.



Thanksgiving Day was really wonderful, and as always we have so much to be thankful for! I had planned on writing a big post about how this Thanksgiving was so much different for me this year that any other, but I'll spare you that since I'm so behind. But I will say that after the year I had, I will forever be thankful that we were finally able to have our precious, wonderful, healthy son Micah. I'm thankful that Luke and I have jobs and a nice home. More than ever, I'm grateful for my health. I praise God that I'm alive and doing as well as I am. I'm thankful that I worship such a loving and merciful God. I'm thankful for Jesus who came to save us all. I feel so blessed and give God the glory for it all!!!


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Back in Omaha!

We made it to Omaha on Tuesday 11/25. After checking into our hotel, we went to see Tammi at her office, which was 2 blocks away. Micah had lots of fun meeting her co-workers and playing with her computer and paper.


The next day, we went to Tony & Tammi's house to drop some things off and Micah got a taste of Uncle Tony's Harley.


Later that evening, the three of us joined Mark, Paula and Jackson in the pool after the whole family went to eat at Valentino's - definitely one of the many places in Omaha I miss! When we got back to the room after swimming, Micah had a blast playing Peek-a-Boo with us for quite some time. It was the first time he'd done it on his own like that, and it was too cute!!


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On the way to Nebraska

When we left Gatlinbug on Monday 11/24, instead of heading home to NC, we headed to Nebraska! On the way, we stopped at my grandparents' house to visit and stay the night.

Fun with Nannie & Poppy


Micah playing with his new piano, a Christmas gift from Aunt Evon.


The next morning, we left Nannie & Poppy's house about 3:00 to finish the drive to Omaha. We stopped about an hour outside of St. Louis for us all to stretch and grab some breakfast. Micah and Daddy had lots of fun playing in the floor at Burger King.


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Thanksgiving in Gatlinburg

We arrived in Gatlinburg on Friday afternoon 11/21 and were so excited to see Micah after 10 days away from him! Of course when we got there, he'd just gone down for a nap and slept for 2 hours! It was torture waiting for him to wake! We had a wonderful weekend with my dad's side of the family.

Our Cabin


My Uncle David, Aunt Carol (Dad's brother & sister), cousins Dale & John Ed and myself during our scavenger hunt around Gatlinburg.


Micah playing pool for the first time.


Aunt Peggy, Granddaddy's sister, was able to fly in from San Diego for the weekend. Micah met her for the first time. Sadly, this was the only pic I got of the two of them. Micah is opening a Christmas present from Aunt Dana, Uncle David, Davis & Dale.


He got two awesome Christmas books that we've had lots of fun reading as well as a Titans football! Love the gifts!




All bundled up to go look at Christmas lights. Of course, he fell asleep and missed it all. Maybe next year.

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