our kotze life

cuddle bug...

2012-02-15T13:18:00.000-06:00

there is just nothing quite like cuddling your first baby while your second baby kicks inside you.

I feel infinitely blessed.

random pictures

2012-02-14T14:40:00.000-06:00

i was going through pictures from my camera and found these pictures that i love so much. i had to share.

mr. blue eyes at his 2nd birthday party.

md and gray while trying to fly kites with mamo and pa.

i don't know why he's crying and, apparently, neither does gray.

see?

gray, md and ellie and a jack-o-lantern from halloween 2011.

md, pa and gray reading at christmas 2011.

md's favorite things...

2012-02-14T10:13:00.001-06:00

his pa.

any iphone he can get his hands on.

to have them at the same time? his dream come true.

baby update

2012-02-11T14:30:00.000-06:00

i don't know why blogging seems to be so much trouble sometimes. but, here i am to try...again. :)

i am 24 weeks pregnant now. wow. time seems to be going too fast! at about 17 weeks i started to feel those little butterfly kicks. at 19 weeks, we found out we are having a girl! we've even chosen a name, which is a little unusual for michael and i. :)

camilla joy.

camilla joy jules kotze. millie, to her very excited aunts. :) she moves all over and it seems too soon! it's crazy. i can see it and feel it. michael can see it and feel it. it's the most wonderful feeling in the world.

she already has a stash of little girl things. some very cute hand-me-downs from friend, mya ramirez. several dresses and outfits, some shoes and nestles (so her hair smells heavenly sweet all the time). :)

michael david is very excited about the prospect of a new baby sister in the house. it might just be a tiny bit confusing since he already refers to ellie as "sissy".

so, things are going well for us here. we're just takin it day by day and trying to enjoy every moment.

bucket heads

2012-02-06T13:32:00.000-06:00

being silly with my boy. it just about beats out everything else. :)

Low score!

2011-11-26T08:30:00.000-06:00

one of our favorite family traditions is playing cards when we're all together. we play game after game after game of rummy. last night was the best game ever. we laughed a lot and gave each other a lot of dirty looks. most importantly, my lowest score EVER!!

see?? :)

the best thing since sliced bread...

2011-11-18T16:18:00.000-06:00

cold pickle juice.

yes, I realize drinking pickle juice straight from the jar is something usually reserved for childhood. or pregnancy.

guess I'm still covered. :)

a big change

2011-11-17T14:44:00.001-06:00

excuse my absence but you know when you get to that point of needing to post a million things that it gets overwhelming...yeah, i'm there. so, i'm just gonna jump in in the middle.

one day, my tiny baby looked like this...

then, he came home from a haircut with his daddy.

and, now, looks like this...

i cried (with real tears) four times in the first thirty minutes he was home.

now he's such a big boy!

(and, this happened about two weeks ago...)

birthday party hole-in-one!

2011-09-22T20:40:00.064-05:00

(cheesy title? i think so. and, for that i apologize.)

this...

is what my son looked like on his last night of being 1 year old. he looks super long in his crib. and super happy. :)

the next day, he was awakened ever-so-sweetly, by a beautiful rendition of happy birthday by his two very loving parents. evidence (please ignore the bad singing):

then, pancakes and lots of playing before a 2 year old haircut!

that evening: party time! a golf party with one of his best buds, and cousin, grayson. they both had a blast and both of our families felt blown away by our friends and family that came to share the occasion. there are about a million pictures that follow, including the awesome golf course my husband created in our back yard. it seemed to be a hit! almost as much of a hit as sarah's delicious, chocolate cupcakes. the girl came bake a sweet, let me tell you. oh, and the pics, it seems there cannot be a single picture taken of the birthday boys together that isn't blurry. stinkers!

watchin' "tangeled" together...

2011-09-19T16:19:00.002-05:00

while eating fruit snacks.
i love this child so much.

donuts in the morning...

2011-09-19T10:04:00.001-05:00

school spirit!

2011-09-15T08:54:00.001-05:00

md's school shirt goes down to his knees!

but that doesn't make it any less cute!!

the non-napping two year old...

2011-09-12T17:10:00.002-05:00

for the past four to five months. I have not been able to make my child nap. he used to go to sleep so easily. now, if he does sleep, it's for an hour after about 1.5-2 hr sing/play/cry session and possibly a spanking.

it's frustrating. I have no idea why he won't sleep.

today, I looked and saw this happening.

I think I've figured it out. he can't sleep because he's in there secretly choreographing a dance routine.

ah ha, it all makes sense now.

today,

2011-09-11T20:31:00.001-05:00

and everyday, I will never forget.

thank you to all the service men and women who lives their lives protecting mine.

we will never forget.

pictures are worth a thousand words...

2011-09-08T14:15:00.002-05:00

michael learned to take pictures on my phone.

i think he could have a career in photography. loads of vision, this guy.

generational gap...

2011-09-07T15:14:00.001-05:00

brought together by technology.

my pawpaw (79) and my son (2).

checking in...

2011-09-06T21:33:00.001-05:00

my friend, ashley, picked her son up from school at noon. she swung by and looked in on michael.
being the thoughtful friend that she is, she took this picture and sent it to me.
thanks, ash.

kid's day out=mother's day crying

2011-09-06T10:25:00.002-05:00

ok, not really. kind of. but, really.

i woke Michael up this morning by singing the song my mom always woke us with. it's really exciting and it goes like this:

good morning, good morning, good morning,
it's time to rise and shine.
good morning, good morning, good morning,
ihope you're feeling fine!
wake up, wake up you sleepy head.
wake up, wake up get outta bed.
good morning, good morning, good morning,
it's time to rise and shine.

except, unlike my very morning person mother, i whispered my song until michael smiled, opened his eyes and slid his feet to the floor from his big boy bed.

i excitedly said, "today is your first day of school!"
"i want it!"
"you want what, baby?"
"my birsday party!"
"no, baby, it's not your birthday! it's your first day of school!"

we both laughed. i guess the only other time i've woken him with such excitement was on his bday. that's not sad, because it is a steady rule in my house to not wake a sleeping baby. or a sleeping two year old. anyway...

he went potty and then brushed his teeth while i combed his hair. i dressed him in the clothes i laid out for him last night and carried him to the kitchen and ate breakfast.

we loaded in the car and headed to school. I prayed over him on the way there. speaking good things and peace over his life today.

when we got out of the car, i put his "satchel" (he's been watching a lot of "tangled") on his back and handed him his lunch box. then we held hands and i tried not to cry as he chattered easily on the walk inside.

we made our way to his class where mrs. luann hung his backpack and i showed him where i wrote my name to be the one picking him up. then, i showed him where his backpack was and where the potty was. i handed him to mrs. luann for a picture. i showed him the picture and then got a hug and kiss.

mrs. luann, still holding my baby boy, moved away to look at the toy trucks. he never looked back. i made my way to the door and walked away smiling.

i'm sure i will not stop thinking about him all day. i hope he has an amazing time and is happy to see me when i pick him up at 1:30.

busy bee.

2011-09-05T12:07:00.001-05:00

we've been a busy little family lately. we've been out of town and hosting in-towners and hanging with friends and family the past couple of weeks. i haven't had time to post anything but i have several things with which i need to do exactly that:

md's 2 year letter
md and gray's 2 & 3 golf bday party
the visit to mattie and mushy's house
house pictures, before and after
md starting school (it starts tomorrow!)
and??? some more stuff i can't think of right now :)

maybe i'll have some time in the next week to get caught up on posting and continue on!

md and mushy

2011-08-24T19:05:00.001-05:00

we're in the metroplex seeing our favorite people: mattie and mush!!!

it doesn't take long for michael to make mush his most cherished person ever. md loves these people...almost as much as i do.

my kid is addicted to the iPad.

2011-08-16T13:51:00.001-05:00

pictures NOT taken with my iphone...

2011-08-08T15:54:00.000-05:00

my friend, jenny, is an amazing photographer! go to her sprinkle of grace blog to see the pics she took of md last week!

friend, you are a wonder among wonders! thank you so much for these special pictures of my baby boy!

at least he has good manners

2011-08-08T15:24:00.000-05:00

today, after lunch, MD and i drove nanny, mamo and tia toni around to look at a few houses. he was getting tired and was whining quite a bit. i got on to him once but after a little while, he started back up. i stopped the car, turned to face him with my "mom stare down" and said, "that's enough. do you understand me?" when a whine escaped him once more i asked threateningly, "do you want a spanking?"

my almost-two-year-old son looked me square in the eye and said, "yes, please."

as you can imagine, all four adults turned quickly away from the view of this ridiculous child as our hands flew up to disguise our shaking, silent laughter.

i decided, right then, to cut my losses. i took my foot off the break and continued down the road towards home.

fun friday night!

2011-08-06T15:55:00.002-05:00

sarah came over last night with supper, and the three of the biggest loves of my life.

then, lylah slept while ellie, gray and md enjoyed swimming and popsicles!

and banging heads on chairs while rush tackling cousins. ouch!

and watching tv together, in the dark, after bath-time.

i love me some sweet family love.

short stacks and bacon

2011-08-06T10:41:00.001-05:00

at md's request: pancakes. yumm!

3 step program for a moment of silence...

2011-08-05T11:35:00.001-05:00

step one: laundry basket

step two: ipad

step 3: child finds ipad, works ipad to turn on ice age 2: the meltdown, crawls into basket, sits quietly.

mommy is happy! :)

one more for the books...

2011-08-04T23:07:00.000-05:00

how could i resist this video when he's singing with his daddy so sweetly?!

rising star

2011-08-03T22:52:00.000-05:00

md loves the zac brown band. he sings along to many different songs, including "chicken fried", but above all else, his favorite is "free". it's my favorite too. how could it not be?!

first solo run

2011-08-01T13:47:00.000-05:00

jenny and I won't be making our morning runs together anymore. her husband has to go to work at the crack of dawn. or before. not sure which, but it's pretty stinkin early either way.

today was my first run without her and I was determined to run at least as far as I've been able to run with her.

ran 2 miles. took a short breather for .25 of a mile and ran the rest of the way in. decent pace for myself too, as my first two miles were about 9:35 pace! i'll be running straight a full 5k before i know it!

to kylah: you CAN do what you set your mind to do. nice work!

md and mama

2011-07-31T18:13:00.002-05:00

a promise

2011-07-31T15:44:00.002-05:00

hide-n-seek

2011-07-31T10:29:00.002-05:00

just isn't fair when you're playing against a very-close-to-being-two year old.

peace and quiet...

2011-07-30T16:01:00.002-05:00

and all i wanna do is continue watching him sleep.

i love fruit!

2011-07-30T15:55:00.002-05:00

especially the kind that's gummy and sugary and isn't really fruit at all!

"catch fishy"...a favorite for md.

2011-07-28T22:46:00.004-05:00

my boys and i took a little fishing trip the other day. michael and i tied with two fish each. md was too distracted throwing rocks to catch anything.

we took a picnic of cheetos and cokes.

it was an evening of fun for our family of three!

(and, as is par for the course, there were plenty of pictures taken, not one of which had my smiling face...or the back of my head...or my foot...or a tiny strand of my hair.)

50+ miles!!!!

2011-07-28T22:14:00.002-05:00

we were dedicated.

we were consistent.

we pushed ourselves.

we worked hard.

we didn't just run the 50 miles, we ROCKED the 50 miles!

dyslexia dash 5k...

2011-07-28T16:06:00.002-05:00

welp, we did it!

jenny and i ran in my very first 5k.

it was hard. it was fun. it was incredibly motivating and i felt like a super hero when i finished.

no, i didn't finish in 16:10 (which some very fast man did) but I felt good about my 32:37. that's me, 4th column, 3/4s of the way down.

i had a blast! thanks, jenny, for everything (and thanks to my sweet boys for jumping on the golf cart and cheering me on throughout the course and at the finish line!)!!

i have one problem with this pile of dirt...

2011-07-26T16:51:00.001-05:00

(shown on 16x16 tile!)

i swept and mopped this floor saturday.

that was 3 days ago, people. THREE!!

we did have guests this weekend but still, that's just too much mess for me!

day's end...

2011-07-22T23:14:00.000-05:00

was no better than the middle.

we finished off the accident sequence with peeing in his high chair during dinner and, later, poop on the bathroom floor.

delightful day, if i do say so myself.

irony ...

2011-07-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

md has been potty training/trained for about a month now.

i finally posted about it 3 hours ago.

between that time and now, md has peed in his underwear, pooped in his backup underwear and peed in the backup pair of shorts without underwear.

are you kidding me?! 3 accidents in 3 hours since posting about how well it's gone?!?!

just my kind of luck.
(i'm just gonna blame this on you pearl wisdom!! :))

the potty training experience

2011-07-22T10:54:00.001-05:00

as requested, the potty training post:

around 22 months of age, md became really interested in the potty. when anyone he was around would go potty, he would want to go. he'd always want to sit on the potty, although nothing ever happened while he sat there. i started to really feel the pull towards potty training.

i spent about a week doing online research on different training techniques and picked one i thought would work well for md and i. then, we made a trip to the store. i bought about 20 pair of underwear. he picked out some of them. i showed him the choices for potties and he chose this one:

we made our way to the groceries where we got plenty of kid-friendly full fiber foods and lots of yummy juices, water and milk. we got food that would make him thirsty. the more thirsty...the more he drinks...the more he has to go potty!! then, the most important part of the process: CANDY!! md chose jelly beans.

we got home on thursday evening and he helped me pour his jelly beans into a lidded jar. i did not give him a jelly bean then but told him he could finally have one when he tee-teed in the potty. then we washed all the underwear and put the potty out in the living room. i know it sounds like a weird place, but i thought we needed a central location we could reach in a hurry.

after all of that, i helped md take off his diaper and i set him on that potty. he sat there for a while, watched a little tv and then got up and started playing. i stayed on the floor right by the potty and it wasn't long before i heard a stream hitting the floor! "ah! you're peeing on the floor!!" my exclamation stunned him and in the brief second the stream paused, i was able to pick up the little white bucket and hold it to where his tee tee would fall straight in. as soon as he was done, i jumped up and down and screamed over and over, "YOU DID IT!!! YOU DID IT!!! YOU TEE-TEED IN THE POTTY!!! HURRAY!!!! AHHH!!! YOU DID IT!!! YOU TEE-TEED IN THE POTTY!!!!" with excitement dancing in his eyes, i led him to get his first two jelly beans (also a great time for teaching colors)! then we dumped the tee-tee into the big potty and i let him flush it. we washed hands and kept the excitement going for quite some time. :)

i put him in a diaper for bed and we started again the next morning. for about the first 3 days, we didn't go anywhere and md was naked from the waist down. i gave him plenty to eat and drink and every 20 mins or so, i'd ask him if he needed to go potty and i'd sit him down. i'd let him watch tv or read a book, anything to keep him sitting long enough to actually pee. then, every single time he did it, i freaked out with excitement and followed it up with candy! it took him only about 3 times before he started going to the potty all by himself. it was easy because he was naked and since he didn't first know to communicate that he needed to potty so i could pull his pants down, he could just walk over, sit down and go all on his own.

the third day, he started waking up from naps and night time with a dry diaper. a day later, he started taking naps in his underwear. i've been putting him in diapers at night until we depleted the diaper stash we already had on hand. nighttime diapers end tonight!

he had a few accidents but i make sure to carry with me a change of underwear, shorts and a ziplock baggie. that way i have something to put the wet stuff in. i've thrown away a pair or two of underwear too. :) there's a reason i didn't cloth diaper, people. i made sure anytime we were out and about to pay close attention for the signs, like grabbing. and i asked and took him to the potty often, even if he didn't end up going. i was willing to go back and forth a lot to prevent an accident.

he's been doing amazing and now tells me when he needs to potty or poo poo. he's even, in the last week, started standing on a stool and using the big potty for all potty needs. it rocks! there isn't any cleaning the little potty at all.

i've been so proud of him and am glad that we started potty training when the time felt right for both of us. i know he'll probably still have the occasional accident, but i think that just comes with the territory of having a less than 2 year old who is potty trained!

way to go, md!!

growing up with catcher...

2011-07-21T21:24:00.001-05:00

many friends i know who own ipads, have named them. named them like they have named their own children.

when I got mine last september for my bday, I could do no different.

md is just beginning to fully enjoy the benefits of having "catcher" in our lives.

ready...set....go!

2011-07-21T14:48:00.001-05:00

i'm proud to say that jenny and i have been doing really well at running. well, i guess it's no surprise that jenny is. hello...she's a runner. but i've been doing really well too!

last week i finally ran a mile straight without stopping. that was a big goal for me. it was hard but it felt so good and i was so proud of myself. we did the mile straight, plus more walking and more running for a few days.

over the weekend, i got it in my head that i wanted to try TWO miles straight. when jenny and i were texting our running plan for monday, i informed her of my goal and asked if i was being totally stupid? to go from running one mile to two miles in just a few days. i'd die. i just knew i would. i'd be a tenth into the second mile and just fall over dead. jenny would continue running, not even realizing i was dead on the ground until she reached my house. it would be humiliating for my husband and son. "wife died on the ground by running barely over 1 mile." ugh.

anyway, jenny assured me that i would not die on the ground as my visions proclaimed, but instead would run my 2 miles and succeed! she was proud of me for even coming up with this goal on my own (probably because the 6 mile runner that she is was going crazy running intervals for 3 miles, poor thing).

monday morning, 6:30am, i walk out my front door to the very sleepy face of my friend. we start walking down my street and start our nike gps apps at the very same instant. practice has perfected the art of exactness. :) we briskly walked for .75 of a mile. then...jenny looked at me with eyebrows raised..."ready?!" and i was. we started running and just like i thought, the first mile was hard. then, 1 thousand years later, the first mile was over. and before i knew it, so was the second! i was elated! i did it! i ran two miles straight! we walked a bit, then we ran a bit, walked a bit and ran the rest of the way home. our total run equaled 4.16 miles.

tuesday...not so easy. i almost didn't make it through mile two but jenny coached me through it. then she told me why it was so hard. we'd run a lot faster than we had the day before! hurray!

on wednesday, day 3, we walked half a mile, ran two, walked half a mile, ran one, then walked the other tenth mile home. we ran a total of 3 miles total with only a short break in between miles 2 and 3. we also decided that we would for sure run in a 5k this weekend.

WHAT?!?!

yup. i can hardly run and i'm running in a 5k this weekend. i don't expect to finish anywhere near first, but i do expect to finish. i'm nervous and excited and so happy to be doing something for myself and my health. it feels good and i actually like it. go figure. :)

much thanks to jenny and many props to myself (if i may say so)! i'm pumped!

road trip participants: part three

2011-07-13T10:31:00.001-05:00

the nagrivator.

(i'm really not that bad. i prefer sleeping to nagging.)

road trip participants: part two

2011-07-13T10:30:00.001-05:00

the rider.

(first long drive in big boy underwear. no accidents!)

road trip participants: part one

2011-07-13T10:28:00.001-05:00

the driver.

girls with goals...

2011-07-05T15:21:00.003-05:00

lofty goals!
jenny and i have been running. our goal for july is 50 miles!!!
monday, my screen said 21 miles. goal accomplished at 71 miles.
i'm pumped!

freedom day.

2011-07-05T15:11:00.001-05:00

we started the early morning with the two of us reading the Word of God and praying. it was the first step in a long journey ahead of us.

after some time of unhappiness and one issue after the next, we finally decided the problem was...us. in a long discussion the other night, we were brutally honest with each other, about ourselves. we didn't say anything about each other. we didn't need to. we had enough to say of ourselves without having to have any one else's add-ins. we've felt like we're sinking. one thing after the next bogging us down. weighing on us. messing with our lives. i didn't even realize until 2 weeks ago that michael wasn't the only one feeling this way in our family. so was i. we've been negative, depressed, unmotivated, messy, disorganized, rude, fake. we've been fixing up the outside of our house, while the inside remains messy. our actual house...a representation of our lives. we know that our joy has been stolen from us. or that we've given it away. we haven't been searching wholeheartedly, as we should. we've been preoccupied and misguided. we've lost our focus and lost the love of Jesus in our hearts.

we decided that our first step would be prayer and a commitment to make Jesus the Lord of our lives. to truly live for Him and seek Him in all that we do. we decided we'd wake up early, sacrifice my beloved sleep, for the sake of the One who died for me. we would also verbally apologize to some friends about our negative attitudes and trying personalities. and try hard, from now on, to keep our focus straight ahead.

monday morning, sitting with the sunshine streaming into our back patio, my husband opened his Bible and read aloud a very applicable scripture. isaiah 54. he then held my hand and led us in the most beautiful and simple prayer where we confessed our sins and asked Jesus to once again be Lord. my love, leading me straight to THE love. it humbled me. it filled me with joy. it gave me incredible insight into what our future holds. i am honored to call him my husband.

we know that this doesn't wipe out any bad situation in our lives. we know there will be more to come in the future. but we also know that where our hearts are, there our treasure may be also. we are looking forward to a committed life of following Jesus and having His love in our hearts. we are looking forward to our son being witness to these things in us.

Crusin' in the golf cart...

2011-07-04T12:28:00.000-05:00

after a 4th of july golf cart parade and swimming at the pool with friends, the ramirezes and the honeas!

a budding artist

2011-06-30T12:26:00.000-05:00

you are witness to brilliance here. md's first circle.

(he keeps saying, "it's here." we're still working on the answers to "w" questions. :) )

lovin' lylah...

2011-06-26T17:10:00.000-05:00

michael already dearly loves his baby cousin.

he wants to hold her (which he is so gentle to do with help),

and he wants to kiss her.

and so do i.

i love the difference in michael's very blond hair and lylah's very dark hair. such a beautiful mix in one family!

miss lylah ruth henry

2011-06-24T22:05:00.002-05:00

8 lbs 14 oz
21 inches long
june 24, 2011
8:21pm

counting doesn't have to start with 1...

2011-06-24T09:11:00.001-05:00

i know. i was a teacher.

but i'm pretty sure it doesn't usually skip from 6 to 9.

the view from here

2011-06-24T09:06:00.002-05:00

apparently, white man can't dance...

2011-06-23T12:01:00.000-05:00

from a very early age.

finger painting...

2011-06-21T12:45:00.002-05:00

except instead of paint he uses yogurt. instead of paper, his face.

important things.

2011-06-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

mom, sarah and i had a garage sale last weekend. it was a great sale but we had so much stuff that we're gonna do it again this weekend. because of that garage sale, i was finally forced to clean out my garage and bring in the rest of the stuff that was supposed to remain in the house.

um...not cool.

you know me. i don't do disorganized. i don't do messy (for very long). i.don't.do.disorganized.

my house is...disorganized. in every room, except md's, chaos reigns.

i'm miserable.

today, i decided to do something about it. so...

i did this:

with him:

my smiley, naked, potty-training, cutest-hiney-ever baby boy.

i feel better already.

a father's day chore

2011-06-19T21:21:00.000-05:00

but not really a chore when you have this kind of help!

father's day dessert

2011-06-19T20:25:00.002-05:00

courtesy of sarah henry. yummy.

md and mama

2011-06-17T21:12:00.007-05:00

mommy's chair

2011-06-17T14:43:00.000-05:00

michael loves to crawl up in "mommy's chair" with his comfy "nigh-nigh" to watch a little tv in the mornings. these days, he just does it butt naked.

we're potty training here, people!

you've got a friend in me!

2011-06-16T13:48:00.000-05:00

appropriate for father's day, i think. my son and his daddy, being friends. sigh...

peepee big boy

2011-06-15T16:37:00.001-05:00

we started something new today...

"bightear booie (buzz lightyear booty)" didn't last long.

but we have had three successful rounds of going in the actual potty!!

a come back...and i'm not talkin' bout the mavs

2011-06-15T15:47:00.001-05:00

in doing some on-blog research, i realized that i have things written here that i do not remember until i reread the words i've written.

i've taken a long absence from blogging because it seemed to have gotten too pressurized for me. i felt like everything i wrote had to be spiritual, emotional, or super funny. unfortunately, i'm just not always that interesting and it made blogging a drudgery.

there are things worth remembering and worth sharing with our family that lives across the world. md has aunts and uncles who have no idea what he looks like. i'm gonna do my best to help change that.

starting now.

nike plus gets the check!

2010-09-27T15:12:00.003-05:00

mom and i have been walking this summer but today was my first walk with the nike+ i got for my birthday. i've synced my first workout and i'm feeling good.

on nike+ there is a page where you can set your own goals. it opens to say i will run __ km in the next __ weeks. the second blank has a number 4 as an example. i decided i didn't want to wait that long to accomplish a goal and changed it to 1 week. 10 km in the next week. i'm determined to do it! it'll be great to sign off my first goal!

i realize that's not much for some people, but it will be great for me and my consistency.

hurray for motivation!

a ball of a birthday party!

2010-09-20T11:34:00.003-05:00

august eighteenth, two thousand ten
md turns one.

everyone had a "ball" at his birthday party!
thanks to everyone who helped make his day special!

one year.

2010-09-15T22:15:00.003-05:00

on august 18th, my baby boy turned one year old. one.entire.year.old. i can't believe it! this has, by far, been the best year of my life.

md, you have changed the game. my life has been made so incredible because of you. you are amazing. in each and every way and i've never had more fun. ever.

your ONE YEAR stats:

weight: 19 lbs - 5-10%
height: 29 3/4 inches - 50%
head: 18.5 - 50%

you aren't a big guy, but you sure are a cute one. you take after both daddy and i. we were small babies too.

we've been living with mamo and pa for a few months because we've moved back to san angelo and are still trying to sell our house in san antonio. you love them! they love you too! it's fun to see you getting so close to some of your family.

you stopped nursing completely about 3 weeks before your birthday. it was wonderful and sad all at the same time. you're such a big boy though. you sleep through the night. your bedtime isn't as exact as it used to be, but you still sleep from about 8:30-8am. the bad side of that is that you've started fighting your second nap. you aren't that big, little boy. :)

you crawl everywhere, stand, pull up on things and have started taking steps. you will really only walk to mamo or me though. we don't mind. :)

you've also started randomly throwing up. :/ we don't like it, but you don't seem to be too bothered by it. it usually comes after some coughing. you just have a sensitive gag reflex, the doctor says. it's gobs of fun. not. what is fun, though, is that one time, you threw up on daddy and he was frozen still. you actually made him throw up a little bit too. made mommy laugh!! oh, i'll probably tell that story your whole life long.

you say words: mama, dada, mamo, jules, dog, laney, hi!, bye-bye, i love you, boo (tthhhh), diaper (die-do) and tickle (ducka, ducka, ducka, ducka).

you make the cutest scrunched up-sniffy nose face ever. you do it any time someone does it to you, someone laughs with a nose-sniffy sound, or you want attention. it's the cutest thing ever.

you patty-cake.

you eat everything you see, but you have a special place in your heart for bread. like whoa.

you give the dogs their treats.

you carry your diapers to the trash.

you still love bathtime and love to drink milk from bottles.

you, absolutely, love ellie and grayson.

you wave bye-bye and blow kisses.

you steal my heart every second of every day. i am so very proud that you are my son. i love you like crazy, md.

a visit with mattie and mush.

2010-06-14T11:09:00.003-05:00

in may, we took a weekend trip to plano to see mattie and mush for mush's bday. we had such a great time visiting with them and hanging out. they each took off early on friday afternoon so we were able to spend even more time together. md loves his mattie and mush so much. they are great!

there were some pictures with md and mattie, but they're on my phone and i don't have the cord to transfer them over. sorry mattie, i'll get 'em!

md was all smiles, even at the hotel with mama and daddy.

sittin' pretty

2010-06-14T10:56:00.003-05:00

md started crawling on his nine month bday. that was just a few days before we headed to plano for a weekend with mattie and mush.

i got out of the shower one morning to find that md had joined me in the bathroom.

he was so proud of his hiding spot.

slip 'n slide fun!!

2010-06-14T08:36:00.005-05:00

last week, md and i hung out with ellie while her parents were at district council. on tuesday, jenny invited us over for slip 'n slide fun and watermelon!

everyone had a blast!

with apologies to my future daughter-in-law

2010-06-07T22:34:00.003-05:00

my son seems to be taking after his father...

back in time

2010-06-07T22:25:00.004-05:00

this is what life looked like for md for a while. long before he could move forwards, he moved backwards. mom, nanny and i were shopping one day. i sat michael down to check out. next thing i knew, he was halfway across the store.

forgive me for the sideways view. this video was taken with my phone.

am i still alive?

2010-06-07T17:28:00.005-05:00

i'm attempting to post to find out if i am, in fact, still present on this earth...

i just got home from a trip in which i took my 9 month old (possibly teething son who just rode in the car for 3 hours last night) for a 4.5 hour round trip from san angelo to cisco. we went to retrieve ellie from her sue sue. i'll be watching her this week while her parents are at district council.

as soon as i loaded the kids in the car and made the many adjustments to get us home without stopping, michael started whining. ellie could momentarilly appease him with her many songs and sweet "baby michael voice". between "twinkle twinkle's", "by-oh baby's" and "shiny little pony's", her sweet voice would say, "okay, baby michael, i'm gonna sing you just one more song. okay? just one more song. now, no more fussing."

his longest stint of silence was during ellie's rendition of "part of that world" from the little mermaid. i must admit, my eyes didn't touch much of the road for those few minutes. i couldn't take my eyes off that little blond headed girl in my rearview mirror singing sweetly to my crying baby boy. she actually did really well on that song, i think maybe thanks to her babysitter this past year...??

after that, it was all screams and talking, talking and screams. i sped the rest of the way home. didn't even slow down when i hit town. slowing down at that point seemed like torture.

so, if this post actually makes it to the internet, then i survived. i really am sitting in this chair playing "now you give me a present!" with ellie while screamy-mcscreamerton sleeps in the other room.

moment of truth....dun. dun. dun.

backyard bliss

2010-06-04T12:28:00.004-05:00

since moving into our home 2 years ago, we've dreamed of having a beautiful outdoor patio for entertaining friends and relaxing ourselves. we finally started the plans for it just before we decided to move. now that it's finished, we sit out there each night we can and think about how much the next family will enjoy it. we love it and vow to do this for ourselves as soon as we get a new house.

stuck on you. or, just...stuck

2010-06-04T11:51:00.004-05:00

before michael figured out how to move forward, he got stuck a lot. i mean, a lot. i happened to catch some of them on camera. one pic i didn't get that i really wish i would've was the time he was almost completely under the ottoman. the only thing sticking out was his head. now, how on earth did he do that?

here he is...the stuck master.

i realize he doesn't look stuck here, but when you don't know how to move forward and you've pinned yourself against a wall...you're stuck.

in this situation, he kept looking back at the bed like,

"what are you doing?! let me go!"

my first chucks...by md kotze

2010-06-01T22:55:00.010-05:00

today my mama took me to babies r us. she wanted me to get a new stroller but i couldn't find one with everything i wanted. i found these awesome things instead. my first pair of chucks. i have a feeling my uncle lando will think they're totally rad.

whatcha' think?

md picked these out today at babies r us. i mean, how could i not oblige him?! it's his first independent choice on what he'd like to wear! :) seriously, how cute are they?!?!?!

winds of change

2010-06-01T21:19:00.005-05:00

for the past few months, the winds of change have been blowing through the kotze home.

michael was offered a new position with a company in san angelo. he accepted.

we're moving home. or are we moving from home? maybe it's both.

san angelo, to me, is home. it's where i met and married the love of my life. it's mama's cooking, daddy's preaching, niece's giggles and nephew's cuddles. it's best friends and their husbands and children. it's target with my sister and rosa's once a week. it's mexican food to die for and antique shopping downtown. it's slow driving and empty roadways by 10pm. it's comfortable. it's knowing. it's home.

san antonio, to me, is home. it's my husband. it's my baby boy. it's independence and growing and loving. it's really becoming a woman all my own, being an amazing wife, a fantastic mother and learning as i go. it's sitting in rockers on the front porch and waving at neighbors as they pass. working hard to make everything about our house...our home. it's taking pride in the work my husband puts in on the yard, to make it the best in the neighborhood. it's my first mommy group and my friend rosemary who was the best teaching partner a girl could ever ask for. it's my home where family and friends love to come and stay. it's hostessing like my mama taught me to and helping those in need. it's cmc church, with a great pastor and awesome worship. it's good food, good shopping and good friends.

i'm happy to be going home and sad to be leaving home. michael hugs me and tells me we'll make a home there we love just as much, if not more. and i believe him. i know we will. it's not a town or a house that makes us...it's just us. our love and family and being each other's top priority is us.

i'm happy for the opportunity and for change. plus-we're about to have more babysitters than we know what to do with! :)

so san angelo, get ready...the kotze's are coming home!

9 months

2010-05-18T09:51:00.001-05:00

your ninth month of life has been fun. i think each new month is my favorite.

you chose today, your bday to start crawling forward!!! you've been going backwards and sideways for a long time. today you just took off like you've been doing it for ages. so cute! you've also been pulling up on everything like crazy. ottomans, tables, mama's legs...whatever! daddy and i are both so proud of you. i'm sure our life is only getting more crazy from here.

you talk a lot. you laugh a lot. you point and smile and giggle. your daddy is quickly becoming your most favorite person. if he puts you down and walks away, you cry and cry. i'll take this chance to remind you that boys are supposed to be "mama's boys". i do and will continue to fully expect you to conform to that stereotype. i'll also teach you this very important saying, "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." keep that in mind, my love.

you still give super sweet kisses. sometimes you even give them without being asked for one. cutie! you love to kiss my nose. which, you know is a nose, btw. when asked, "where is mama's nose?" you point to it with your little finger. smart guy!

your nine month stats:
weight: 18.6 lbs - 50%
height: 28 3/4 inches - 50%
head circumference: 18 1/4 inches -75%

totally in awe of your daddy. you watch him wherever he goes.

gettin' ready to move forward!

following in the footsteps of your cousin, gray, you love playing with spoons and tupperware.

you're starting early in your love for electronics. if my computer is open, you're going for it.

we've spent some good time at mamo's and you are completely in love with her.

bathtime is still fun. especially now that you get to sit up all by yourself. such a big boy!

we love you and are looking forward to a lifetime more of this!

making the dirty clean

2010-05-06T15:48:00.005-05:00

it's often the cleaning you don't automatically notice that makes me feel better. things like taking everything off my kitchen counters, cleaning and polishing the granite. really cleaning the backsplash. sweeping the baseboards. dusting the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. putting outgrown baby clothes into categorized bins. dusting the blinds and cleaning the windows.

those are just a few of the things i've been doing today.

however, my couch still looks like it did yesterday:

why is the putting away of clean, folded clothes always the hardest part?!

plus...

2010-05-03T16:46:00.000-05:00

solitaire on my computer is quite obviously rigged and i HATE IT!

ugh.

2010-05-03T15:29:00.004-05:00

today has just been one of those days.

ugh.

i was mad when md woke up at 8am, his usual time. i sucked it up and we had a great morning except for his crankiness and my less-than-abundant amount of patience. he seemed tired all morning until i finally laid him down at his regular nap time. then he cried and cried and whined and whined until i went in to spank (ha. yeah right) him, rewrap him and give him his sassi. michael followed me in and rocked him to sleep. he slept only a little more than an hour.

all through his lunch, he gagged on green bean casserole and swatted at the spoon. he ate some chicken from my ravioli but refused to ever swallow it. i was severely annoyed.

at nap time no. 2, he cried and cried and cried again until his daddy went in and again got him to sleep (he's just waking again, btw, 43 mins later...).

i'm on edge and i don't necessarily think it's from him. it's just one of those days i guess. i feel like venting to you, oh blog of mine, and i can't even vent properly. i can't...i don't even have the clear thoughts spoken to type here with my hands and in my mind...see?!

ugh.

"to do"...done.

2010-04-20T17:10:00.003-05:00

the first thing on my very long "to do" list is this:

mail presents to bevan & claire and frank & danielle

i can proudly say that it's done. the embarrassing part is that the presents i mailed are christmas presents.

yes, i am aware that christmas is in december and that it is now almost may.

whatever.

bucket o' fun

2010-04-20T17:03:00.003-05:00

sometimes the toy box is just way more fun than the toys.

so fun, in fact, that when michael does finally decide to reach for a toy (a plastic egg his aunt mush put in his easter basket) he keeps a hold of the bucket with his leg.

"try and take it. see what happens."

8 months old

2010-04-18T13:30:00.008-05:00

well, today you are 8, EIGHT!, months old. i can't believe it. i think each new month with you is my favorite.

right now you are so super duper fun! you laugh a lot. you smile all the time. you sit so well and are in the beginning stages of crawling. if you see a toy you want, or your mama, you lean over and reach as far as you can without falling over. sometimes, you go all the way to your belly and finally kick your legs out behind you. ah! so sweet. sometimes i sit you in a certain spot only to return and find you a foot or two away. hmmm...wonder how you do that you little scooter you.

although you've loved it for some time, you've finally figured out what your jumparoo is for. well, almost. you're not full out jumping yet, but you finally have some leg bounce and sway going.

you got a new highchair from our friends, mike and angela, just a couple of weeks ago. you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner there. you're most favorite thing to do in that chair though, is throw things to the floor and then look for them. fruit and oatmeal for breakfast, a fruit/veggie mix for lunch, and a meat/veggie dinner with a veggie side for dinner. you can eat. plus-you love to sample what we're eating or eat your puffs all by yourself. when you're hungry and whiny you say, "mama...mama...."

you've been waving bye-bye for a while now and it's just so stinkin' awesome! of course, you never do it when i'm trying to show you off. you pooter.

if you want someone special, you reach your little arms towards them as far as you can. melts my heart into a big ol' puddle, i'll tell you what.

your sleep schedule seems to change quite a bit and that drives me crazy. don't you know i thrive on schedules and consistency?! geez. for now, you have returned to napping twice a day. 10:30am and 2:30pm each for 1.5-2 hours. unless, of course, your dad is watching you. then you sleep for like...oh, i don't know...a year. seriously, if you're gonna nap for 3.5 hours for your second nap of the day, do it when i'm home and can nap with you. don't let daddy think i have the easiest day on the planet. i thought you were supposed to be on my side. anyway, you still have a bath before bed each night unless something totally messes with the schedule and you're up really late. i put you down at 8pm and you sleep until about 8am, still waking at 5am to eat. i think i could probably train you to cut out that feeding, but it's my favorite. you nurse longer than you do during the day and then you cuddle with me while i hold you in the rocking chair. gosh, i love you son.

you show excitement by clenching your fists, tightening your whole body and letting go with a ...war cry?...low, belly shriek?...grunt...i don't even know what to call it. it's great! you're great! :)

i almost forgot your kiss! for a couple of months now you kiss on request. aunt sarah compares it to a little birdie asking for food from it's mama. it's open mouth but oh so sweet. occasionally you'll kiss me without me asking for it. sigh...be still my heart.

happy 8 months baby, i love you!

proud of your new "elevated" position in the house.

and tonight, in honor of your 8 month bday, some birthday suit pics of your first independent sitting bath in the kitchen sink.

look at those arm muscles. seriously, what baby has muscles like that?!

the money shot.

8 months in your rocker. gettin' big!

you're so cute when you're excited!

mommy...the tower on which to crawl.

2010-04-14T17:06:00.006-05:00

michael is getting closer and closer to crawling. when put on all fours he does that cute little rocking thing. his little hiney is so sweet bouncing in the air. just in the past few days, though, if i'm sitting near him, he leans over to me, grabs my leg and starts crawling until he's nearly in my lap. it's exciting and scary both to know that he's so close to being mobile! yikes!

more exciting than scary for both of us, i think.

this little piggie went...

2010-04-14T16:47:00.005-05:00

straight into michael's mouth!

he eats his feet at every opportunity right now. so cute!

simmering on the stove...

2010-04-11T15:43:00.008-05:00

sauce.

our friends mike and angela (an italian girl from new york) are here for a visit. they're moving to san antonio soon and are staying with us while looking for a house. as "payment" for staying with us, angela is cooking for us.

in this pot? a bunch of sauce along with sausage and meatballs. i can't help but think of my littlest sister right now. she'd die for this stuff! i'm gonna freeze some for later, mandy. you should come for a visit!

joining our meal will be a delicious salad and homemade garlic bread. dinner cannot come soon enough. yumm...

play hard...crash hard

2010-04-10T10:26:00.006-05:00

michael and i had a good time at our play date yesterday. he played and talked and ate and laughed. he loves watching his friends. every time one of the other babies makes a noise, he turns quickly to check it out. well, as hard as he played yesterday, he crashed just as hard on the way home. poor guy!

workin' on holding his own bottle. he doesn't get a bottle very often so practice times are few and far between! good job, md!

oh! hey, mom! didn't realize you were here!

i love how he holds onto the side of his carseat. so tired his sassy was half out of his mouth, but you better believe he wasn't lettin' go of that ring!

easter cookies

2010-04-10T10:05:00.007-05:00

i made sugar cookies for my son, nieces and nephew (brothers, sisters, mom and dad) for easter. they were a big hit. of course, i arrive in san angelo for md's first easter and only then realize that i've forgotten my camera. at least i got some pictures of the cookies before i left. it was so fun to decorate them.

high hopes for my future

2010-04-08T16:20:00.003-05:00

with a positive attitude, i stand firm believing that some day, one day while i'm hopefully still in my twenties, i will make it through the entire day without baby spit up all over me.

one day....sigh...

goin' crazy, crazy, crazy...

2010-03-30T14:38:00.004-05:00

because all my son does is whine. whine. whine6............t(and type on my laptop). whine.

i don't know if he's teething or has a tummy ache or...what, but geez!!!

i can't do a single thing because he wants to be held (but still continues to whine). God forbid i try and walk into the kitchen or out of his sight for a split second.

to make matters worse, i am babysitting 3 month old kylah today. she's been able to stay asleep for the most part, but his whining has to be getting on her nerves too. cause let's face it, she needs to eat and have her diaper changed too.

and...spit up. spit up. spit. up. it's everywhere. and yesterday, lots of poop.

maybe it is a tummy ache...i've done everything i know to do so i guess it's just hang in there 'till this clears up and gives me back my sweet baby boy (who has somehow escaped his body and gone somewhere without me).

update: after easter weekend in san angelo and a nice fever while we were there, i took md to the doctor upon our return home. no ear infection. doesn't seem to be teething. dr. bacuta thinks it was a minor viral infection of some kind. he seems to be getting better each day. i guess all that baby orajel wasn't really needed after all. oh well!

south african pride

2010-03-28T14:51:00.005-05:00

michael got this awesome south africa onsie from aunt tammie and amy at our baby shower. he's finally wearing it. and wearing it well, i might add!

way to be proud of your heritage, buddy!

as i took picture after picture of michael, jules sat so pretty watching me. i finally aimed the camera at her and she looked right at me until the camera snapped. i think she wanted to be a part of south african pride day too!

good girl, julsie!

baby sittin' with a babysitter...

2010-03-27T23:21:00.006-05:00

michael david stayed with a sitter for the first time tonight. whah!

brittanie was referred to us by our neighbors. she teaches their 2 year old daughter at daycare. brittanie is a sweet and outgoing girl who was more than comfortable hanging with md. must have been a pretty easy night, we left at 6:45 and his bedtime is 8pm. not too bad.

i remember the things i did when i was a sitter so it made me happy to come home to a clean house. dirty dishes were put in the dishwasher and dirty clothes were folded on the bathroom counter after bath time.

michael david did well and so did i, believe it or not. but don't worry, i did think about him just about the whole time i was out. it's nice to know that we can now occasionally go out and michael david can still be in bed on time.

i'm sure he had a nice time but missed me more than anything. he just loves me so, you know? he just really does...

mason and michael

2010-03-27T12:46:00.006-05:00

over spring break, jenny, her boys and her mom came to san antonio for visit. during the day, the did their thing and then we all got to hang out in the evenings.

it's been a while since i've been able to hang out with mason. every time i am over for a visit, he has his own buddies over for a visit. it was so fun to be with him again and see him with michael david. they loved each other so! mason is a phenomenal big brother to grant and seemed perfectly at ease playing with and helping to take care of michael.

michael watched every move mason took. he laughed and played and played and laughed. it was a fun bond to watch grow.

the most delicious salad

2010-03-27T12:23:00.005-05:00

marme came to see us a couple of weeks ago. while here, she stuck my her usual mantra of taking care of her family. she made us a delicious salad with pasta. the most delicious salad i've had possibly...ever, had all of my favorite eats. plus-a delicious drizzle of a garlic/crushed red pepper oil i made. yummy! pretty gorgeous too, wouldn't you say?!

month 7

2010-03-18T18:43:00.006-05:00

you, my darling child, are more than half a year old, now. whew. it's been a whirlwind. a beautiful, crazy, nonstop whirlwind.

at 7 months, you love baby mum mum's. they're a rice cracker that you love to feed yourself. i look at you in your chair eating your cracker and you smile the biggest smile. i think you are very proud of your independence. so cute! you eat everything else i offer you too. one of your other favs is sucking on a slice of apple, with supervision of course. you also drink water from mine or daddy's glass with excitement. i got you your first sippy cup the other day and you love it! you haven't mastered the art of holding it, tipping it and drinking from it all at the same time yet, but you'll get it.

you're great a sitting up and playing with your toys. you still have the occasional tip over but with great aim. your head usually lands perfectly on top of a hard and hurtful toy. :/

the best attempt you could give me at crawling...ha!

you've been taking one nap a day. ONE NAP A DAY! it's been a good 2.5-3.5 hour nap, but still...ONE NAP A DAY! nighttime is usually 8pm-8:30am with a wake-up-and-eat intermission at 5am. not so bad darling boy, not so bad.

as we've expanded your eating repertoire, you've started to get a tiny bit picky. well, honestly you still eat just about everything offered to you. you've just started to not love peas. you also hate chicken noddle and mac and cheese. i'm sure you'll like the adult version later, but the stuff out of that jar is just apparently gross! you love everything else though!

one thing i really love about you right now is how excited you get over the small things. for instance, if i'm holding you and walk up to the hutch above your dresser, you look at it with such excitement. you start kicking your legs, reaching out, grinning and breathing hard. it is so cute!

some adjectives i'd use to describe you right now: super-duper sweet, flirty, cute, mamattached, blond, tall, skinny, fun-loving, laid back, curious, and so many more.

going for a walk in the great outdoors.

and boy, do you love your mamo. i'm pretty sure she loves you too.

happy month 7, my baby. you make life worth living.

happy anniversary: year 3

2010-03-10T22:46:00.005-06:00

today michael and i celebrated our 3rd anniversary. 3 years seems like a long time until i compare it to how long michael and i have been married. it seems like he's always been a part of my life. i cannot, CANNOT, imagine my life without him.

he won me over easily, when we first met. he is so laid back and funny. i laugh so much with this man. isn't that what relationships are all about? having a little fun?

michael is the kind of man i always pictured i'd have in my life. he is Godly, caring, thoughtful, hardworking, motivated, funny, and laid back. he is an incredible provider for our family and the most amazing father to our baby boy. i know he loves us both so much. each day when he comes home from work, he doesn't even ask for down time, he comes right to us, gives us hello kisses and takes md for some hang out time. he is constant and committed. what a lucky girl i am.

tonight, michael surprised me by having our neighbors, jeremy and sarah, babysit for us. he brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that contained 3 red roses. "one for each year," he says. i got a gorgeous pandora charm for my bracelet and a card in which he ripped out what was printed in it and wrote his own thoughts. nothing could make me happier. we celebrated with dinner at the cypress grill in boerne. it was delicious and oh so wonderful to spend some quality time with my man.

baby,
you are my love, my life. my world is better because you are a part of it. thank you for loving me all those years ago. you are an amazing man and i couldn't ever wish for me. thank you for always taking care of me and our son. he loves you more than anything. i love to watch his face light up when he hears your voice or sees you after a long day of being without you. you make us both so happy and we are so blessed to have you. thank you for being the leader of our home. you are amazing. i love you more than you can ever imagine. what a wonderful 3 years it has been. i can't wait for the next 42 million. ;) happy anniversary!

adi+rosie+md=love

2010-03-08T16:23:00.004-06:00

michael's cousin adrian, and his wife rosie came to see us a few weeks ago. adi is from south africa but has been in new zealand for the past 15 years or so. that's where he met his gorgeous gal, rosie. they were on their way home from africa and decided to make it a round-the-world trip in which they could stop and see friends and family. we only got to see them for about a day and a half, but it feels like i've known them forever. i miss them terribly, already!

adi and rosie didn't meet md until the morning after their first night's stay. in one look, they were all in love with each other. it was so sweet to see them together. whenever md would go to one of them, they just seemed to all fall in together, loving, cuddling and giggling. it did my heart good to finally see md with some of our relatives from across the globe.

plus-while they were here, adi downloaded some old family pics to my computer. they are stunning and i hope to share some of them soon. rosie knew so much history on the family and i was happy to sit and listen to all the stories they had to share. sigh...what a wonderful visit. i can't wait to see them again!

here are some pics of the beautiful couple!

yogurt is a go for md

2010-03-08T16:20:00.002-06:00

md had yogurt for the first time today. he loved it so much it actually took him out of his bad mood and made him smile again. it's sweet, lite and cold and, obviously, much enjoyed by my baby boy.

what a good little eater he is!

family visit for the kotze's!

2010-02-21T21:55:00.003-06:00

michael's cousin adrian and his wife, who now live in new zealand, are coming here for a visit! they're just stopping through on their way home from africa. they were supposed to be here already but their plane has been delayed for the umpteenth time putting them here in a couple of hours instead. i can't wait. these will be our first south african relatives to meet michael's son.

our visit will be short but great, nonetheless. i'm ready to put another chain on the tree of michael's family that i get to know!