Miles-Tones

A Year in Pictures

2011-12-04T20:17:00.001-08:00

From tummy to toddling: the last 12 months

(don't mind the man on the left of the picture:) This is a split-photo from my cousin's wedding)

Well, it's official. Our little girl is growing up. Goodbye little baby who is content to be in mom's arms and cuddle like crazy. Goodbye little RagedyAnn who hates to use her legs. HELLO little girl who is pulling herself up (as of yesterday), who stands at her little piano toy for super long amounts of time, who is wanting off any lap in order to practice walking, who army-crawls across any room, and who .... are you ready... was SITTING UP in bed when Daddy went to get her up this morning (only the second time we've seen her sit up on her own from being on her back/belly).

She was slow to warm up to the idea of using many muscles, but now she's making up for lost time!

Ramona, we LOVE watching you grow up!

Too Far Away!

2011-03-14T07:05:00.001-07:00

While I was in the shower this morning, Miles was in and out of the bathroom and his bedroom as usual. When I got out of the shower, I could not find my glasses. Uh oh. I couldn't remember if I had pushed them back far enough on the bathroom counter that Miles cannot reach them. I called for Miles and asked him if he knew where my glasses were. He said "Too far away". I asked where he had put them, and as we proceeded to search every room together, he just kept saying, "Too far away!". Finally, I asked him to point to where the glasses were. Unfortunately he walked over to the laundry shoot and pointed inside. He said, "Too far away. Can't reach". I ran downstairs to check the laundry shoot door. Sure enough.

Fun Times

2011-02-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday:
Miles finally dared to romp around in the snow (as opposed to just sitting in it:))

Today:
We've discovered that Ramona likes to sing! Here she got a little shy once I took out the camera, but usually she starts signing when we start, and stops singing when we stop. I'm biased, but I think her voice is just beautiful. Maybe she'll follow in her Auntie Laura's footsteps:)

Miles is getting excited that his little sister is interacting more and more. He's noticed that she'll hold on to things now, and here he is trying to get her to play with a specific toy. He's so patient with her!

Picture Perfect

2010-12-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I found the time tonight to be able to post some pics! They take us from the day before Ramona was born until yesterday.

Lovin' the leaves...

She didn't cry at all, so they sucked a bunch of fluid out of her lungs...but she still just didn't want to cry. Seriously, not one peep, for the first few hours!

Getting ready to leave the hospital.

I wanted to document my tummy size the day we left the hospital;0

What a fun surprise to come home to!

Miles was coloring with scented markers...and ended up with a mustache of proof that he had smelled each one:)

When we first got this new baby for Miles, he named it "Baby New". Now that Ramona is home, his baby is now "Baby Mona". I promise he's usually more creative:)

She's quite a momma's girl. At this point as a newborn, Miles was already showing signs of needing "down time" w/o being held, and also was happy in almost anyone's arms. Ramona, on the other hand, hates down time, and is already partial to who is holding her.

This cute little face brings me SO much joy!!!

Ramona Street and Miles' Way

2010-11-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

Many have asked how we came up with the name Ramona Jean. Well, Ramona is actually named after a street:) When Matt and I were seniors in college, we lived in houses that were about a mile or two away from each other (Giddings and Fuller, for those of you who know GR). Between the two houses, a route which we traversed quite often (!), we crossed a street called "Ramona Street". We loved the name so much then, and said that if we ever had a baby girl that we'd name her Ramona! Our love for the name never left, and we are blessed to now have the opportunity to use the name:) The middle name Jean comes from our two moms, who both share the middle name Jean. Matts mom got her middle name from her Mom, whose middle name is Jean; my mom's middle name is derived from her own Mom's name, Jeanette... so both Great Grandmas are tied into the name Jean as well.

For those of you who have spent time with 2 yr. olds, you probably already figured out the other half of the title:) Starting before Ramona was born, Miles has been sharing his strong opinion of how we can do things better...aka "Miles' way". Usually this just means Miles doing things himself. On the days that I have my normal amount of patience present, it is kind of endearing, and simply a reminder of how much he really is growing up and desiring independence. He is such a big boy! And such a great big brother to Ramona. Here is a video that Matt caught where Miles pulled up a chair and decided to hold Ramonas hand...ignore the brief shot of me (it was the morning after we got home from the hospital and I was trying to figure out how to set up the breast pump:))...If you are wondering why Miles is making weird noises, it is him copying Ramonas hiccups.

Miles has a lot of energy stored from all of the new excitement, and from not having gone outside for a while. We've come up with a lot of creative ways to keep him entertained and keeping busy. Here is a fun video of a game that Matt and Miles like to play...

I'll do another post with some more recent pictures...

Ramona Jean Cooke

2010-11-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like we may have to change the name of the blog! Ramona Jean Cooke was born on Friday, November 12 at 12:43 PM. She was 8 lbs 5 oz and about 20 inches long. Megan, who was planning to have a C-section on Monday, woke up to labor on Friday morning (around 3 AM) and less than 10 hours later we had a new baby girl. Megan had a vaginal birth after C-section (VBAC), which is a little more complicated, but overall the whole labor process went very well.

Here are a few photos of little Ramona with her family!

Welcome to the world, Ramona Jean!

Miles meets Ramona (or his personal nickname for her, Mona) for the first time. He's very interested in her eyes.

Happy mom and new baby!

Big brother Miles and little sister Ramona try sharing already. Hopefully a sign of things to come.

Thanks to everyone for their prayers throughout the pregnancy. We thank God for his care and protection throughout this process.

Impromptu Photo Shoot - 38.5 weeks

2010-11-10T18:58:00.001-08:00

So my friend Emily wanted a "straight on" belly shot before this baby came out; after capturing the shot, Matt started getting down with his creative self, and kept taking pictures. Lucky for you, this means a few last belly pics. Pretty sure the next pics will be of the baby, not of the belly:)

As shiny as a bald man's head:)

Here's that straight on one, Em.

Here's where you can see that the individual stretch marks have turned into one big patch. Kind of annoying, kind of gorgeous.

And here's the back-to-back to compare the two pregnancies (both about 38.5 weeks). Ummm, have I really had the same hairstyle for over two years? :)

Miles' Big Boy Room

2010-11-10T05:03:00.001-08:00

Without further ado...here are the pictures of Miles' new big boy room. The pictures are taken around the room in sequence, in a counter-clockwise fashion:)

Got the decal from etsy.com, an online store with all things home-made!

Yes, those hooks are dog's behinds. They were at IKEA, and too cute (I think that's the word I'm looking for) to pass up.

Notice the empty shelves. Don't forget that Miles likes to romp around at night instead of go to sleep, so we took everything fun out of there!

Yeah, Miles won't be able to tell time with that clock for at least another six or seven years:)

Now, as for baby news, we had a pretty exciting day yesterday, but at no cause of our own:) I was in for a non-stress-test yesterday, and the lady who was on the other side of the curtain from me (with the same exact due date as us!) needed to have an emergency induction because of sky-rocketing blood pressure. It was so entertaining to overhear the whole ordeal. She was so happy/confused/excited/nervous (first baby)/and even expressed frustration at the fact that she had not yet showered that day:) She had to get wheel-chaired right over to labor and delivery, and needed to make phone calls on the way so that her husband and family would be able to come. Phew! And to think, now they have a new baby:)

As for our baby, he/she is just chillin'. Nothing much has changed since last week, so apparently this baby is content to stay inside as long as possible. The countdown? AT MOST, we'll be at the hospital having a baby in 5 days! Woot!

Thanks for checking in. I'll try to post pictures of the nursery soon. Oh, and you'll probably want to see pictures of the new baby, too:)

A+

2010-11-03T17:52:00.001-07:00

Not sure if you could pick up on it in those Halloween pictures, but I have experienced some quick water-weightgain over the last week or so (mostly ankles and face). So much so that they were a little concerned, and did some bloodwork on Monday to check into possible causes. But, everything looks a-ok! We also had our ultrasound yesterday, and the baby looks, in doc's words, "BEAUTIFUL!". We have kept the gestational diabetes in check so well that the baby's growth rate has slowed down considerably. As opposed to being "off the charts" a month ago, baby is now around the 75th percentile! This translates to and "estimated" 7 lbs 9 oz.

As for progress, I am a little over 3cm dilated. For those of you who understand the lingo and/or are interested in such things: baby is positioned at -1 (a measure of how far down the baby has dropped/engaged); I am also continuing to thin and soften, but not shorten that much; at the last 20 minute NST, we recorded 5 strong contractions.

As ironic humor would have it, I am quite convinced that all of this work will be done "in vain", as the c-section date is only a week and a half away! I mean, things could progress a lot more quickly at any time before then, but it would be so "me" to produce a scenario where I do a lot more work than I have to... and end up needing to release the reins to God's/nature's/others' (baby's) plans:) I am still thankful (although sometimes simultaneously perturbed) that this baby has been able to experience all this preparation for his or her nearing transition to the outer world. I'm also hoping that all of these contractions and other progressions are preparing and releasing some good hormones for mommy...does anyone know much about this possibility?

So...what to do for a week and a half? I did a little bit of Christmas shopping today since I probably won't have the time/energy/focus to do so later. There are some projects that I'd like to finish before baby (crafts, etc., and grading papers). I am also supposed to take it easy still, and keep my feet up, in order to reduce the swelling. They said to reduce my sodium, but I don't really like salty food that much so I won't have to work that hard. What will be hard is that I should really only do one "big" thing a day (errand, see a friend, go for a walk). I literally gained about 8 lbs in water weight in one week (at least it better have been water weight! I hadn't been gaining at all for almost 12 weeks before that-due to strict diabetes monitoring! I guess I did have a few Halloween candies, though:))

In closing, if you're wondering what the "A+" title of today's post means, it is what the doctor wrote at the top of our baby's records at our appointment yesterday:) Praise God!

Waiting Game

2010-10-30T19:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! We are at 37 weeks already! I am beyond thankful that we have made it to this point. When people ask how I'm doing, there are many different directions I can take when answering this question; however, the fact that we've made it this far, and the newfound ability to stop worrying about pre-term birth, mean that things are overall going extremely well.

Other common questions:

Am I still contracting? Yes. Quite a bit actually:) There are times that I cannot sleep through the contractions, but I'm not usually up for more than an hour. We'll see again on Monday if anything is continuing to progress.

Are we still planning on c-section? We've signed papers to officially "sign up" for trying a VBAC delivery pending two things: if Tuesday's ultrasound shows a reasonably sized baby, and if labor begins before Nov. 15. If we get to the 15th, we will have a c-section at 3:30pm.

How's Miles doing? A little better now that I can get around more again. He's still in a minor funk, but it's hard to interpret why. Can he sense something is going on? Is he too homebound lately? Is he getting his 2-year molars? Are we reading too much into it?:) Days are overall better, though, if he and I can get outside the house for a while.

Are you still trying to "lay low" so as to reduce the contractions? Now that we are at 37 weeks, I feel less need to do so. At one of our doc appts. this week, we were told that "the rules have changed" now that we've gotten this far. Up until now, their instructions were to monitor the timing and frequency of the contractions (more than 6 an hour? drink water, take bath, walk around, time again. take pill [or for the last week, call in] if I still have more than 6 the next hour). Although this led to an unscheduled doc appt. this week, we found that not a whole lot had changed (except the baby dropped a ton!). The new rule is that I don't have to clock the timing or frequency of the contractions, but only need to pay attention to the strength of the contractions. Our midwife stated that unless I have questions or concerns, there is no need to call in unless, "I can't carry a conversation or cook a meal or take a nap" during a contraction. (so I'm pretty much at the same place as any "normal pregnancy" right now) I'm glad to have these clear-cut instructions, and am relieved to no longer have to pay so much attention to the contractions. I've added many things back into my days, and actually left the house to be social this weekend! We had game night last night with the other Resident Directors at Calvin, this morning the women from our church CareGroup went out for breakfast, and tonight we went trick-or-treating around the Calvin Apartments with Miles dressed up as a scarecrow. I may have added too much at once (duh, Megan! ease back in...), as I currently have some pretty swollen ankles and a sore back, but it was SO NICE to feel some normalcy back in life again.

I'm still considered a "high risk" pregnancy, and still have to have non-stress-tests downtown twice a week, but won't have more than 4 of these left! The countdown is on!

Before I post a few pictures from tonight's adventures, I just want to sincerely reiterate how thankful Matt and I have been for all of the support, prayers, questions, and love that you have all surrounded us with. We are blessed by your community, and praise God for the gift.

Drum roll, please. Here are the cute pics:

Like my new haircut? Dad buzzed me!

"Mommy, can I have just one more sucker please?"

twins :}

Miles = a very serious scarecrow. Mommy = pumpkin tummy. Daddy = man in windstorm:)

Happy Reformation Day!

36 week update

2010-10-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Miles and I went to the doctor today. It looks like I have not dilated anymore, but that I am thinning and softening. Doc says that things are progressing, and that she's convinced this baby will come before the mandatory c-section date (determined by gestational diabetes; Nov. 15th). I am currently contracting about every 10 minutes, and have been for a couple hours, but this will likely slow down again and start up again a few times throughout the night.

The big question now is, "When do I know to go to the hospital?". I'm going to trust my instincts, and hope that I'll "just know". Having not gone into labor with Miles, these contractions are all I know so far, but I know that things will take a turn (more painful, contractions getting relentlessly closer and closer) enough that I trust I'll be able to tell that "this is it" as opposed to what I've been experiencing.

I remember saying that I missed being able to experience contractions and labor during Miles' delivery (c-section because he was breech), so I'm actually enjoying this excitement quite a bit. At least now that we're 36 weeks...

Still taking it easy, since the more time for baby to cook the better. Just a lot less worry.

And yes, I did start packing a hospital bag:)

36 weeks!!!!

2010-10-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

I had to go out to a garage sale and buy a few "huge" maternity shirts, just so that they would reach around my belly. Here's one of my muumuus:)

36 weeks!

'K, that's kind of a cheesy smile! Lovin' on the baby bump...

We've made it! Today is officially 36 weeks! This means that I go off of the medication that is stopping the contractions, and we see what happens:)

Maybe I should pack a hospital bag...

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, and we will see if a week's worth of cramps and contractions have caused me to dilate anymore or not. Check back and I'll let you know what we find out!

Hoping for a good night's rest

2010-10-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

The good news is that today's non-stress-test documented a "very happy baby" according to the nurse! The baby's heart rate goes up and down appropriately, which is a sign that the baby's getting enough oxygen and is not "lethargic". We hope for continued good news every Tuesday and Friday!

As for the contractions: last night, I was up until 6:30am with bad cramping and leg/back pain. I am super curious to see at my Monday appt. whether these are causing further dilation or not.

Sunday is 36 weeks, and we thank you for all of your prayers that have gotten us to where we are. We continue to pray for a healthy respiratory system, and stellar sucking reflexes for Baby Cooke before he/she plans the big entrance into the world.

In about a week and a half we'll get another ultrasound, in order to estimate baby's size/weight, which will determine when this baby will be born. Baby's in charge...guess we better get used to it:)

I have officially passed off my workload with the Title II Grant, which has been nice because I could no longer visit the office anyway, plus putting the mental and emotional energy towards work was raising my gestational diabetes numbers and increasing contractions. I am very grateful to those in the Calvin College Ed. Dept. who are filling in and helping serve the wonderful teachers involved with the grant.

And lastly, Mr. Miles. Miles seems to be in a bit of a funk right now, and who knows if it's because he can "sense" that something is going on, or if it's just part of the ups and downs in the life of a two year old. We introduced a baby doll into the family today, and we are treating it as if it were a real baby: only Mom and Dad can walk around with the baby, we use gentle hands, keep hands away from the baby doll's face, and Miles needs to sit on the couch before holding the baby doll in the cradle of his arm, etc. It's adorable to watch! Tomorrow we hope to introduce the "diaper change routine", asking Miles to get all of the supplies needed for baby doll's diapering needs. We even let the baby doll hang out in Baby Cooke's swing, with the lights and music going and all. Miles kept asking if the baby doll was going "na-night" in the swing:) We've also been reading a book about being a big brother, and lately Miles talks a lot about babies, being gentle, being nice, being a big brother, and how there's "only one Miles" (part of the book). Precious!

Thanks for checking in, and much love to you all! God is good, all the time.

2 cm

2010-10-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well it turns out that I'm 2 cm dilated. This is not a huge concern, but it shows that the contractions are actually doing something. The doctor suggested taking it even MORE easy, so my mom was able to come up yesterday and stayed today, so that I can pretty much just sit all day. I think it made a big difference, because I did not wake up with contractions or cramps at all last night, so doing nothing seems to have paid off:)

They still plan to take me off of the meds at 36 weeks, which will be this Sunday. Doc is convinced that this will lead to early labor because of the contractions AND the dilation combined...but...our friend who had almost the exact same situation was also taken off of meds at 36 weeks, while already dilated 2 cm, and still had the baby 10 days late!!! So, you never know.

We're also still tracking the size of the baby, since this is a concern with gestational diabetes. We will get another update on size with our next ultrasound the first week of November. Non-stress tests have been perfect lately, so the baby is not stressed:)

Thanks again for checking in and continuing prayers. Much love!

Ode to my husband

2010-10-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have the best husband. Out of his love and concern for both me and our coming baby, he has been making me breakfast every morning, cleaning the kitchen every night, changing Miles' diapers and clothes whenever he's available, taking Miles on walks so that Miles can burn some energy, putting the laundry in the washer and dryer, bringing me water and other needs, and reminding me that I'm not being lazy but that I'm working hard at giving all my energy to keeping our baby safe. All of this on top of a busy month of discipline cases, the four or five committees that he's on voluntarily, and his full time job. THANK YOU Matt! I love you. Through the hard times and challenges, our love only deepens and strengthens. You are a constant in my life that exemplifies Christ's tangible and unconditional love.

Friends and family, please pray for Matt - that he does not burn himself out, or lose all steam before the baby is born. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Fractions of Contractions?

2010-10-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

First, some acrobatic cuddles from Miles:

Today has been a good day. Contractions are staying about 20 minutes apart, and I have not been having the "bad" ones today (ones that feel like bad cramps, and go up my back and down my legs). It seems that taking it easy really is making a difference, which is great!

There is someone in the Education Department who had done my exact job a few years ago, and is thankfully willing to take over a lot of the work for the next few weeks as we wrap up the grant. Plus, the Prelude course that Matt and I are teaching together ends this week, so things really are winding down.

We were blessed to have some of our R.A.s come clean our house on Friday afternoon, which has made me so much happier and more peaceful:) Clean toilets, scrubbed stove/oven/kitchen, and vaccuumed floors are one of the best gifts I've ever received:) On top of that, we're also very thankful for our friend Mary who is watching Miles for our Friday appointments, Krissy who is watching Miles for our Tuesday appointments, and Becki and Krissy who will clean for us whenever they are over. We're going to continue to eat Calvin's dining hall food as long as the doctor lets me go to the dining hall (Miles and I sit right down, and Matt makes about 6 trips to get all of our food/drinks/silverware, etc.). Thank you also, to others of you who have offered to clean or come over with food or company. We will keep you updated with any additional needs.

A week from tomorrow I will be taken off of the meds and we will see what happens. For some reason my gut tells me that I'll continue contractions but that the baby will hang out until the scheduled c-section (Nov. 15). We'll see........:)

2010-10-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

"Am I just further along than we've thought all pregnancy long?" This is the question that I will start our next doc appt. with. I mean, a baby that's too big (from the diabetes), a fully engaged head, and contractions? It makes you wonder...

In all seriousness though, things are going well, and we're still continuing to plan on things going as "planned".

I still get contractions with most action that I take, but we've been encouraged by many that this is not necessarily a major concern unless/until major dilation is occurring. I now wait until the contractions are between 5 and 10 minutes apart, and then take a pill. Once the pill kicks in, they are about 20 minutes apart. The doctor will be checking for dilation changes at each appointment.

We've also heard many encouraging words about how positive the outcomes would probably be if the baby were in fact born at 34 weeks or a little thereafter. We of course hope the baby gets to cook as long as possible, but this is still good to hear.

Thank you again for all of your prayers. God has continually reminded us of his love for our family, his desire for good things for us and for this baby, and his plans that are already in place for this new life. We are waiting with our hearts and lives wide open in anticipation for whatever happens, knowing that God will provide all that we need and more.

We will post any changes here on our blog. And we'll be sure to call/email once the baby is born:)

On a different note, it has been three years since we experienced our ectopic pregnancy. What we think was a baby girl was not able to survive since she was growing inside my fallopian tube. We went to the "collective" grave site tonight with Miles, and told him about his sister, and the miracle of her being in heaven and his being here with us. Here are some pictures from the night:

We hope to be able to visit regularly as a family. It is wonderful and happy to celebrate Marah's birthday into heaven, and to talk about the day that we will get to meet her!

Baby Update

2010-10-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we went in for our Non-stress-test and ultrasound yesterday. Looks like the baby has no stress right now, which is great. We did, however, find out that despite the fact that diet and exercise are keeping my blood levels low enough, the gestational diabetes is still affecting the baby's growth rate. The baby is currently over 6.5 pounds (about 90th percentile, with an abdomen in the 99th percentile, another effect of gestational diabetes). The doctor was concerned and therefore I had to start regulating my insulin this morning.

If the baby grew at a "normal" rate for the next 6 weeks, it would be close to 10 lbs. when born. Because of gest. diabetes, however, it is likely that the baby would grow at an even more accelerated pace. I am bummed that I have to be on the medication, but I am glad that we found this out now, and I am glad that there is a way to regulate the baby's insulin and growth rate.

This new finding made the decision that we will for sure have to have a scheduled c-section in the 39th week (I've been waffling lately), but if I go into labor before then I hope to have a VBAC delivery.

Here are a few photos from the ultrasound:

Sideways shot of face: mouth is to the left, eyes are to the right.

Fingers of the right hand reaching around it's belly. We also got to see the baby hold it's hands together:)

Another side face shot, same direction. Here you can see how chubby baby's cheeks are!

Thank you for your love and care for our family. We appreciate your prayers for a healthy last few weeks and delivery, and we can't wait to meet our little chubby bunny.

2010-10-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

Let's start with a photo shoot from about 2 months ago:)

32 week belly pictures:

I think I'm making sure that my pregnancy underwear isn't showing:)

(FLASHBACK: We think this is about 32 weeks last time around. In comparison, I think I was more side-to-side last time (and Miles was up into my ribs a lot more) and this time I'm more straight out front, but my belly is measuring the exact same! I feel that my belly is so much bigger this time, but it must just be that I'm carrying way out front?!?)

Today we went to Robinette's Apple Orchard (about a five year tradition!). We arrived a little before it opened, so we spent some time playing on their wagon slide before going on the hay ride.

Sometimes Miles doesn't go down the slide:)

Running around after all the "big kids"

Then we loaded up on the hay-ride. Miles was very quiet and very inquisitive for the ride.

(ANOTHER FLASHBACK: On the hayride 2 years ago. I think Matt looks so young!)

When it got windy, Miles wanted Mommy to keep him warm and cover his ears.

My two handsomes:)

Traditional picture by the "big apple".

"This was one of the best days ever!"

Belly pictures

2010-09-18T18:25:00.000-07:00

Before jumping right into the belly pictures, I just want to reflect on the funny...but awesome...weather that we've been experiencing here in Michigan:

One night: outside, enjoying ice cream:

Dad, you're so funny!

Next night: building a fire to keep warm and cozy

Personally, I am LOVING the cooler weather, and soaking in the beginnings of my favorite season! Mmmm, Fall.

Now for the belly pics:

24 weeks

28 weeks. (I'm now 30 weeks, so I'll take another pic in 2 weeks...)

So yeah, things have been going well around here. I've been in a major nesting mode and have been rearranging every room in the house, baking things for people whenever possible, and enjoying having people over to our house for meals whenever possible. Matt has survived the busiest 4 weeks of his job, and after healing from a torn muscle in his back (due to jumping in the mudpit at a student event), is settling into what feels more like "normal life".

This baby continues to be active. Very active. So different from Miles. Sometimes it is obvious that all 4 limbs are flailing, and for extended periods of time. It's fun that we can now see movement from the outside, so Matt can watch the activity.

We have a busy few weeks yet before we can focus solely on the baby's arrival. Matt and I are teaching a 6-week class together here at Calvin, I have some events to wrap up with my current position in the Education Department at Calvin, we will host some out of town guests, and continue to stay connected in all of our wonderful communities (care group, moms group, RA/RD staffs, etc.).

So many good things. One word to sum up our feelings lately? GRATITUDE.

Now for a few random fun pictures:

Family outing to a neighborhood fair. Miles loved the "dog show" part the best, where dogs had to jump through hoops, run over bridges, and balance on skinny walkways. Apparently the swings weren't as fun.

This one's for Mom ("Grandma") Cooke. This is an outfit that Matt wore when he was a young lad. Miles is pointing out the bunny on the shirt.

Another outfit that used to be Daddy's.

This one was just too cute not to post:)

Doc would like to do another ultrasound in the next couple of weeks, so I'll be sure to post any good pictures that we get from that appointment.

Ok. That's all for now. Hope you are all doing well. Love from the Cookes!

New Baby!

2010-07-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

How great are these pics?!? It was so fun to go to the doctor this week and see our new family member. Turns out that baby is right on target for the same due date, and is measuring at the 42nd %ile.

We are not yet working on the baby's room, but we are working on transitioning Miles into all his big-boy furniture (that way he won't have too many transitions at once when baby arrives!). We bought a new twin bed/box spring, and found a bedframe and dresser on craig's list. I think I might go with some bedding from IKEA and some chalkboard wall decals in order to turn the "baby's room" into a "boy's room". We'll move all of the baby furniture into the room right next to ours.

We're also off to our sister, Laura's, wedding this weekend. I'll be standing up in the wedding, and Matt will be both usher and M.C. Matt is pretty excited about a game that he came up with, but I won't explain it here so that it's a surprise for those at the wedding:)

Welp, off to make dinner. Chicken something...

Early 4th of July Celebration

2010-06-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

We were able to celebrate 4th of July with our friends, the Kraays, this weekend. Miles and Henry, both almost 2, are starting to interact more which is a lot of fun to watch.

Awww:) So cute.
Did you notice the mosquito bite that Miles got in the middle of his forehead?

Last weekend we went to Leslie Tassel Park near Cascade. There is a fun fountain where kids can run through and splash around, which Miles loved once he warmed up to the idea (he got more daring when he saw some older kids go in first).

...Uh oh, Blogger isn't letting me post more pictures, but I'll try again later.

Next weekend we are off to Starved Rock Park in IL, where we get to go camping with my (Megan's) family. Nate and Char are flying out from Alaska! We can't wait to all be together again!

Hope you all have a great holiday weekend!

"Where's your pants?"

2010-06-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

So, Matt and Miles got me a FLIP video recorder for Mother's Day! I know, I was shocked too. This video is a little old now (from mid-May), but I finally have time to post it. It starts a little slow, and we talk a little quiet, but it gets better as you go. Enjoy! I'll post more later...

Big Boy Haircut!

2010-02-08T17:38:00.000-08:00

Such a big boy!

2010-01-17T15:33:00.000-08:00

I thought that maybe we should start out with a photo-shoot:

:)

Matt and I are very much enjoying Miles' current stage. All stages have their joys (and hardships), and we tend to say "this is the best stage" as each new stage arrives. But something is different right now...we can just tell that over all of the stages that our children go through, this one will be one of the top few.

Miles has quite a few words that he uses now. Some he uses only if we use them first, some he uses only if the object is right in front of him, and some depending on need. Here's a non-exhaustive list:
ball (baaah)
car (caaah)
light (dight)
milk (gilk)
book (gook)
all done (all dah)
bye-bye
hi (hhhhhi)
up (bup)
down (duh)
baby
uh-oh (uh....(long pause)....oh)
tickle, tickle, tickle (tikuh, tikuh, tikuh, while moving fingers in the air. so cute!)
tweet-tweet (tee, tee, tee, tee, tee)
roof-roof (this has been his staple for a long time. now he bobs his head when he barks. ??)
cocoa (all dogs are called cocoa :))
banana (nah)
truck (tuck)
kick (kick-kick-kick)

And the best part is all of the words that he recognizes receptively. There are many things that we ask him to get/do, or we tell him what we're going to do (bath, na-night, go outside, play basketball, etc., etc.), and he understands. This is so fun. We love to tell him to go give something to Daddy/Mommy because he gets so excited and gives a hug along with his delivery.

Bath time is a riot now. He has figured out how to pour water over his head, and does this over and over, sometimes throwing the water over his shoulder and missing his body completely. He screams, laughs, and splashes every time because he's so excited.

He also loves to play "soccer" by walking with the ball in front of his feet, which inadvertently kicks the ball forward each time. He says, "kick-kick-kick-kick" the whole time.

Reading books is a lot of fun with him now, too, because he knows what's coming in a book. For example, there is a page in the book "Knuffle Bunny" where the baby cries, and right before we turn to that page, Miles starts crying. Or in a book where a bear goes, "Boom, boom, boom", Miles says, "bah, bah, bah" right before we turn to that page. He also has definite opinions about which books he would like to read. If he's bored with one, he closes it, pushes it away, and hands you another one. If it's a book he likes, he'll turn back to the front after we have read the whole thing. Multiple times. Over and over throughout the day, he'll go get a book, come to you holding the book up, and say "gook". Once you take it, he says "gup?" (to be up on your lap). He could easily sit on our lap and look at books for hours at a time.

Oh, for those of you who haven't seen him for a while, he's walking all over the place. Once he started there was no going back. One of his favorite games right now is putting the bottom of a piece of tupperware over his mouth and walking around talking loudly...we call this the tupperware monster. We run away and he chases us.

He's also been showing a bit of a naughty side. He was in nursery this past Wednesday while I was in our church Mom's group. They said that he was stealing everyone's toys and doing things he knew he wasn't supposed to while smiling at them. He also seems to have a little bit of a short fuse. If something doesn't go his way, he'll get really frustrated and throw it or just lay down on his back and whine. This is whether we're in the room with him or not. I think he's also getting his two year molars in because he keeps sticking things way back in his mouth, and drooling a TON.

We haven't taken him outside a ton this winter, because, let's face it, it takes forever to dress/undress the kid, and he doesn't even seem to enjoy it one lick. Once we find a good deal on some boots we'll try again.

At Miles' last doctor's appointment, he was in the 70th percentile for height, and the 20th for weight. He's thinning out and getting his daddy's build.

Well, that's it for now. I'm sure there's a ton more I could say, but I wanted to be sure to post something for all of Miles' fans out there (this one is especially dedicated to "Uncle" Chris, "Aunt" Emily, and Great-Grandpa Jack). Thanks to everyone for the love and care that you have for Miles, whether near or far.

Here are a few more pics:

Helping Mom with some baking

Pouty Mc-Poutster :(

Playing peek-a-boo with Uncle Nathan

Such a big boy!

I finally caved in!

2009-11-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Friends,
I finally had to cave in. I have a facebook account. I will be updating more regularly on facebook than here on blogger. If there are huge updates, I will post them here, but for photos check my facebook account.

As for updates on the boy:

*Miles has like 12 teeth all of a sudden! Ouch!
*Miles has been taking up to 10 steps on his own, but then gets nervous and sits down.
*I've been putting in some hours in the Ed. Department at Calvin, and Miles has been going to a babysitter for a few hours. He's all of a sudden a little more "clingy" and "needy" when I'm around (people tell me that the minute I leave he's fine). So far, Matt and I feel this is a healthy thing, but we will continue to monitor:)
*Miles has some regular words: "dight" for light (while pointing to any lamp-on or off-, any light, sunrise, sunset...) "gook" for book, "gewk" for milk, "dada" for Matt, "dada" for Megan unless he's crying in which case he carries the vowels out and says "maaaaamaaaaa".
*Miles can point to his nose when asked, gives noises for the animals on his audio puzzle (not by name, but by mimic), claps "normally" now, and initiates waving bye-bye once someone picks up keys or puts their coat on
*Miles is all of a sudden going through a shy stage, as he rests his head on my shoulder when a new person says hi to him.
*I cut the back of Miles' hair last night--no more mullet!--he looks even more grown up!
*Check out my facebook account for a few fall photos of Mr. Miles.

Happy November!
Megan

The Wonder Year

2009-09-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

(T-shirt says: MY 1st BIRTHDAY)

Believe it or not, Miles has been alive for a whole year! Well, a year plus a week or two at this point. Apparently I had a moment where I thought I was super-woman, because I planned Miles' birthday party for just 2 weeks after moving into our new home--2 weeks that Matt would not be around for, because of RD and RA training. It all went off without a hitch, though, and it has actually been really great to have the house all unpacked so quickly, because we just get to enjoy it now. Thank you to all of the family and friends who came to celebrate the party with us, especially the distance-travelers. Here are a few photos, mostly documenting the cake-eating, of course. I created a longer slideshow on snapfish, so if you want to see more, just let me know and I can send it to you.

Had to go with a doggy cake, since he barks whenever we say doggy, or he sees/hears one. We debated what noise to teach him (all these big parenting questions!), but he ended up deciding all on his own. He's landed on something that sounds like "Arf, Arf".

This is about as much as he dug into that cake ?!?

Excuse me, guests, while I go get clean...

And then here's the last year in pictures. We took a monthly "chair" -or couch- picture to watch his changing and growing. For some reason his 11-month picture is missing (on a different file or something). I just can't believe how much he's been changing right in front of us, but day to day you hardly notice a difference! It's only a year, people! Crazy. And we only have 17 more of these left with him. Well, in the same house I guess. Still, let's not think about that! Tears.

1 month old

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

12 months!!! So handsome.

Mr. Persistent

2009-07-26T12:22:00.000-07:00

First, let me apologize for not having updated the blog in a looooong time. I did not do anything "extra" with my time while working with the Entrada Program at Calvin. Working full-time, and being "mom" and "wife" and "me" took up all of my time for that month! So worth it though. I love the Entrada program, and loved working with such a great gang for such a great purpose. I thank God for the great opportunity, and the timing of his blessings.

Just to warn you, Miles has grown quite a bit this past month. Don't be shocked. Most notable is his new-found mobility. He has created his own unique method of the army crawl. He also walks (cruises) along furniture. His biggest feat however, which he's been working on for a long time, is finding the strength and persistence to pull himself up. Dad was lucky enough to be home when Miles figured this out for the first time, and was quick enough to grab the camera! Although the last video is a long one, it's definitely amusing. The most hilarious part is when he tries to pull himself up backwards!

We got to go to the Kraay's house for the 4th of July, and we enjoyed a boat ride on the beautiful Thornapple River.

We also went to their house for Henry's 1st Birthday celebration. Here's what the boys did a lot: Henry crawling all over Miles:)

Matt discovered Miles sleeping with his butt way up in the air (even more than you can tell in the picture!)

Is it bad that I think one of his cutest faces is when he's crying?

This is Miles' classic pose these days, except usually he adds his elbow to his knee. Whenever he's army crawling somewhere and needs to assess his direction or speed, he rolls onto his side and strikes this pose.

We spent a weekend with Matt's family "Up North" (Suttons Bay). Miles enjoyed his two furry friends, Cocoa and Chongo. We all relaxed with our books of choice, and some combination of the options to sunbathe, go canoeing, eat yummy snacks, play Boche Ball, watch T.V., and go for walks.

Miles listens intently to Great-Grandpa's musings.

Miles also experienced his first camping trip. We went to Covert Park, a cute private spot along Lake Michigan (near VanBuren State Park).

All in all, it's been a wonderful few weeks. Miles continues to be a great source of joy in our lives, and we love watching him "grow into his own". We find great purpose in raising him, and take seriously the responsibility to raise him in a way that honors and glorifies God. I'm thankful that this blog helps me to take time out of the busyness to savor the moments and memories.

Miles' Mischievous Morning

2009-06-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Miles was in quite the mischievous mood this morning. He's been enjoying a mid-morning snack of cheerios-- on the floor-- for weeks now (I know that highchair makes more sense, but I love sitting on the floor with him and sharing a snack together). Well today he discovered that he can tip the bowl over and make a mess... and then roll onto his tummy and eat them off of the floor! Looks like we're back to the highchair:)

After that mess was cleaned up, Miles discovered our curtains. He likes to roll all around the floor, and this time he rolled himself between the curtain and sliding door. He had fun, but he sure did pull hard on the curtain a few times. I'll have to check the weight that the curtain rod can hold. Stinker!

Roseola!

2009-05-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

So this is a picture of how our life has been for the past week: Miles not feeling well, and me feeling bad for him (but I do looooooove the cuddles and couch-naps). Miles came down with a fever while we were at our friends Colin and Sarah's house on Monday night. We left early, and good thing we did! His fever lasted a few days, and today he broke out in a minor rash... Doc says it's Roseola, a common illness with babies and young kids. Luckily the rash is not itchy or even irritating. He's still not himself, though. A little uncomfortable it seems, but still a little extra-cuddly.

It was hilarious to see him on Tylenol. About a 1/2 hour after taking it, his head would start to swirl and bob, and he acted a little drunk before finally falling asleep. So cute (once I was done being concerned)!

I'm glad for his sake and mine that we're on the tail end of this. I'm so ready to experience life outside of this apartment! My girlfriends and I are all going to get our hair cut/done tomorrow morning at the Aveda salon downtown (it's a beauty school, so it's nice and cheap to have students work on your hair...under the supervision of their directors of course:)). I think I'll go back to having bangs again...

Beach Bums

2009-04-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

So how about the new look of MilesTones? Matt did a great job (I think:)) upgrading the blog! He even took the picture on the top of the page!

So we're back from Florida... we've actually been back for almost a week. It's been busy getting back into the swing of things, especially with all of the academia we involve ourselves in! Matt had his last session for his Spring grad. class on Monday (woot!) and I completed the MTTC endorsement test in Learning Disabilities this morning! Took two and a half hours to take, but I feel pretty good about it. Hopefully it won't take too long to get the results back.

I know you've been itchin' to see pictures of Florida. Here is Miles, soaking up as much Florida as he could. We had a couple of oober windy days that left us gravitating to indoor entertainment, but besides that we had good weather, and mastered the art of relaxation.

Matt's Mom had this handy cabana at the condo. Worked great for blocking sun and wind!

Hangin' out on Momma's tummy

Not enjoying the waves.

So these definitely aren't in chronilogical order, but here are the boys in Alabama on the way back home. I was walking out of Pizza Hut, and there were the two boys, hangin' out. It just made me laugh inside, feeling overwhelming joy from seeing my family in one of those "emotional snapshots" that stick with you in your mind your whole life.

Miles' second time ever in a pool. His first time was the day before, splashing around with Uncle Mark and Dad (I didn't have my camera for that impromptu dive).

Looking out to the left from Matt's family's condo's porch

Looking straight-out from the same porch

Miles grew up so much over the week in Florida! One example is that he learned how to feed himself rice puffs. Here is the first time it worked (he used the mashed prunes all over his hands to get the puffs to stick). The next day he started pinching/grabbing them. It's fun to watch him grab puffs inside of his palm, make a fist, and spend minutes trying to figure out why the puffs don't get into his mouth when he brings the closed fist up to his mouth in all different positions:)

So happy!

Miles with Matt's Dad

Remember how the pictures aren't in order? Here is the living room in the midst of packing the day before we left. Yeah, not so organized. It all got there and back though!

We thank God for safety on the road trip there and back. We are thankful for the privilege of taking a vacation, and having such an amazing destination at our dispense. Hope you are all well, and thanks again for checking in.

Oh, and one last thing...Miles got his first tooth! Yeah!

Happy Spring...

2009-03-28T14:55:00.000-07:00

Here in West Michigan, slowly the weather is feeling more like Spring. It hasn't been particularly warm, but the sun has been shining and it is a reminder that warmer temperatures are on the way.

As a family, we are trying to make use of the nicer weather, and we are feeling how nice it is to be back outside. The thing we are most looking forward to are walks which we hope to incorporate into our weekly schedule.

Here are few picks of your favorite Miles from the last week:

I believe we mentioned this before, but Miles has really gotten good at reaching out and touching a target. Here is a picture of Miles touching Mama's face while eating and reaching out to touch the mirror on his play mat.

These picture are from a bathtime. Miles continues to enjoy the bath. The first pic is an action shot (note the kicking foot) as Mama goes in to wash the little hair Miles has. The second is Miles' concerned look... he has been working on it.

This will probably be our last post for a couple of weeks. We are traveling to Florida next week in what will be Miles' first road trip. Say goodbye Miles...

Good Day

2009-03-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Today has been a REALLY good day. I have been waiting for a day like this, and here it is. What makes it so good? Not the weather, not what I did or didn't do, not because of any external factors. The Holy Spirit prompted my heart this morning with a hopeful and peace-giving word. Although not a new thought, it is revolutionary every time I re-learn it.

God is the only water that I thirst for.

There is so much more I could say about that, but the words just don't seem to give justice to the complex thoughts that dash across and through my consciousness. Have you ever dwelt on a confusing physics problem, sitting to think about it for a long time, and experienced a milli-second glimpse of it all making sense...only to have it slip away into confusion again? I can feel this slipping already, as I slip back into my week of routines. I treasure a day like today, however, where it all seems to make sense. I thank God for the reminder, and for being an always-available well-spring.

I pray that Miles will someday hear and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. It is an honor to take care of this gift that God has given us...

Here's his hard-to-catch-on-video laugh:

And here he is eating carrots...finally a food that he loves!

Thanks for letting me ramble a bit. And thanks for checking in on our little family.

It's March!?!

2009-03-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well, the streak had to come to an end. Like Megan mentioned in the last post, the month of February is a busy one and I am glad we are on the other end. Before I get to our Miles update, some updates on our life.

At the beginning of this week, I along with a few of my colleagues traveled out to Seattle for a Student Affairs conference. The conference was great and I felt that I learned a lot. It also wasn't too bad spending a few days in Seattle. This was my first time there and I really enjoyed it. We spent time with good friends, enjoyed some good food, and got to check out some neat sites like the Pike Market and the Seattle Library, both very cool destinations. Thanks to Joe and Rachel who played the role of innkeepers. You guys are awesome! All in all a very good trip.

The Pike Place Market in Downtown Seattle

Megan and Miles during my time away traveled to another great city, Tinley Park Illinois, and visited with the fam. Seemed like this was a nice get-away for those two as well. I think for all three of us, however, it is nice to be home all together!

Where is Tinley Park you ask?

So, since I have 6 weeks or so to cover, I really have my choice of "Miles-Tones". Needless to say, this was a very busy and exciting time here in our little apartment. In no particular order:

Miles Speaks:
It's true. Now, he has no idea what he is saying, but Miles has gotten a lot more "chatty" over the last month or so. He always has made various noises, but they seemed like either a) mistake noises or b) screeches. Now his noises are more deliberate and under control. Even his cries seem more calculated. Common Noises: Bah Bah, Dah Dah, Mah Mah, Bwah, Ike, pbth, owewa, etc... Words we thought he came close to saying: window, thank you, itchy, yeah, no, mama and dada, neuroplacisity (well, maybe not that last one).

Miles Eats:
Well, this title is also a little misleading... it should read "Miles eats solids" or even better "We put food in Miles' mouth and some of it he swallows". I am joking actually, Miles, while messy, actually is a pretty decent eater these past few days. He has his favorites - sweet potatoes, prune juice and oatmeal - but he is pretty open to anything. It is very fun to feed him and he gets a kick out of "sitting" with us at the dinner table.

Below is a video that shows both of these talents. This is a few weeks old (2/28), but shows him enjoying food (somewhat) and saying "Bah Bah Bah". Note: this is a longer video. If you want to skip to him talking, it is later in the video

Miles Eating and Talking from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Miles Sits:
This is still a work in progress, but Miles has been working really hard on sitting upright. Usually you have to distract him while he is sitting or he will get bored and will fall over. Below is a picture displaying this very challenging skill.

Miles has also started doing other things: rolling over front to back almost automatically (he still hasn't quiiiiitttteeee figured out back to front but he is close), reaching out for faces, toys, and other things I am sure I am missing.

Here is Miles hanging out with dad as they check on their fantasy basketball team

Miles chilling on a bench on a day out with mom.

Miles and mom from that same day. Like above, Miles is dressed like a bear. Scary.

Well, that is all for now. Enjoy this very cute picture as Miles wishes you a happy St. Patrick's Day (remember, he is 1/8th Irish).

Flashback

2009-02-20T12:58:00.001-08:00

So Matt is really busy with work right now. Residence Life is in the midst of interviewing candidates for next year's Resident Assistant positions. Therefore, he has not been able to take his turn to post recently. He still reserves his right to be the next to update everyone on Miles, but I thought I'd throw in a treat for archive's sake.

We didn't start our blog until the night before Miles was born, so I never did post my pregnancy pictures. Well, you are in luck, because here they are! The first one starts at 3 months, and each picture has about four weeks between them...

It was getting very difficult to hide this (I needed maternity pants by 2 months)!

I was desperate to finally announce it to my teaching staff.
I brought these cookies on Valentine's Day.

This was just 5 days before Miles was born!

I loved being pregnant. I love Miles even more! I look forward to (after waiting a while) doing it all over again God willing!

Updates and Pics

2009-01-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Hey folks! Here are some fact-updates on Miles (for those of you who like to know the details), and then some good pics from the last week or so...

At this week's pediatrician's appointment, we found out that Miles is in the 97th percentile for height! We knew he was looking long! He's also just under 18 pounds already. New things he's doing lately? He will grab things placed close to his hands and bring them to his mouth, he'll spend long amounts of time entertaining himself in his new jumperoo, he tried rice cereal, and he's had a good week of naps (we just put him down, walk out, and he falls asleep--we went back to swaddling him for his naps, though, because it's the difference between a 30 min. or a 2 hr. nap!). Oh yeah, he finally re-rolled over:) He did on his 1-month birthday, but that was just a fluke because he didn't do it again until last week! It's a lot of fun to see Miles' personality develop more, too. He's seeming to be quite contemplative and content. Matt predicts he'll be the kid who is a little quieter, but busy with whatever things are right around him.

Here are some recent pics we like:

We hung out with our friends Colin and Sarah and their son Henry on Friday night.

It was such an amazing and momentous event watching the inauguration of our first African American President! Miles and I watched it together (we don't usually face him towards the TV, so he was enthralled with the bright lights and sounds!). It was so cute, and I thought that Miles might want to see/remember that he experienced the event, so I took some pictures...

And then there's Miles' first taste of cereal:) We haven't added cereal to his regular schedule yet, but we bought some on sale in preparation, and just had to see him try it!

Please no more, Mom!

Needless to say that it is going to take him some getting used to:)

My Mom and Dad drove up for the day last Sunday to celebrate my birthday. I just really liked this photo that Matt snapped.

And here's Miles loving his new jumperoo. He jumps really high, and usually with just his left foot:) He was especially enthralled with the blue frog on this day...

Alright friends. That's all for now. Blessings!

Happy 2009

2009-01-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

Wow, wanted to get a blog post in before January was all gone. A lot has happened since our last post and so here is a brief overview...

-We traveled to Detroit for New Years. We had a great time visiting with family, especially seeing Auntie Liz an Uncle Jay who are currently living in Mexico. It was great spending time with them, along with my parents and Laura. We had a great time.

-We had a few days back in GR before everything got started again. Megan is now back at school one day a week and I started grad school classes after taking a semester off. Also, interim is a very crazy time at work for me.

-Here at Calvin, the new field house opened up the first day of class. It is a beautiful facility, great new arena, and this fantastic climbing wall. I had an opportunity the next week to climb on this wall, and I really had a blast. I think I really could get into this hobby, though I also became very aware that I have very little...well... strength. It was exhausting.

-Also, winter is hitting us here in the heartland really good. Being the weather geek that I am, I know that we have already surpassed the yearly snow average. It also has been uncomfortably cold over the last few days, with lows as low as the single digits.

Here are some pictures, y'all.

This is a picture from our trip to Detroit, actually taken by Jay.
Let's go back in time for a second, to November, to Miles' baptism. Here are a few pictures taken by Laura...
Here is Miles rocking out an outfit from Aunt Allison...

Here is Miles' favorite thing to do...

... and his new favorite toy...

... and a few of our favorite pictures...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2008-12-30T10:28:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family! We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! We were able to see and celebrate with my (Megan's) side of the family already, and are off in about 10 minutes to see Matt's family and continue the festivities. Having a baby really reminds me of how helplessly Jesus entered our world. The King of King and Lord of Lords...completely dependent! The story really takes on a new meaning in light of our new experiences these past few months.

Some new things from the past week or so: Miles is batting at toys, smiling even more than before, putting himself to sleep for most naps (I still let him fall asleep for the night during his last feeding), and possibly teething (it seems early, I know, so we'll see). He is now over 17 lbs, and just turned 4 months old on the 28th.

Before we leave in a minute here, I wanted to post some pictures from the Christmas celebrations we had with my family (notice the difference in picture quality--we got a Nikon D50 for Christmas from my parents. Thanks guys! These are just the first of many memories we will capture with such a thoughtful gift!):

Enjoying Grandma's tickle games

Men's edition of the grab-bag game at the big Visser Christmas party (we rent my childhood school's gym, play volleyball/basketball/etc., eat a potluck dinner, visit with a ton of family that we wish we could see more often, and open presents).

Great Grandma Stob is happy to see Miles!

And play dress-up with Miles using her scarf:)

"What just happened to me?"

The next day we had the Stob-side Christmas party at my parent's house. Aunt Charity tried to soak up as much Miles as she could before going back to Alaska!

My brother Nate couldn't get off of work for long enough to make it out for Christmas, so my mom found a dessert recipe for "Orange Alaska", which we ate "in memory" of him. It consists of an orange sherbet/yogurt/juice mixture on the bottom of a frozen organge-half, topped with meringue, and broiled to a brown which makes it look like mountain-tops. We guessed that is where it got the "Alaska" part of its name.

Matt and my Dad went out for a morning of experimenting with cameras while all of the ladies got together for coffee at my Grandma's house. Here is one of our favorite pics that Matt took.

Blessings to all of you in this New Year! We pray especially for those who have spent days or nights alone during this season, and for those who have lost loved ones around this sentimental time of year. We thank God especially right now for the years we were able to spend with our sister-in-Christ Shari, who went to her heavenly home just a few days ago to celebrate Christmas with Christ himself.

Thank you for the important role that each of you play in our lives! Thank you for all of the great times we will have been able to spend with many of you over the holiday season! Oh, and many of you are reporting that you can't post comments on our blog. We'll try to check into that once things slow down again. Thanks for checking faithfully, and let us know if you are trying to post and can't.

Miles Got ran Over by a Reindeer

2008-12-23T19:27:00.001-08:00

I was thinking what gift I could get you and I think I have just the thing... a new post!

This week has slowed down quite a bit from the busyness of the last few weeks. All of the students (for the most part) have gone home, and Megan is on break. That doesn't mean there is nothing to do, with Christmas just around the corner we are just wrapping up our Christmas shopping, but all in all it has been a good week. We also have gotten a few feet of snow over the last week (literally) making travel a little dicey at times, but we have been safe so far and we hope that our travels to Chicago and Detroit over the next week are also safe (The Vibe seems to do well in the snow!)

Here are a few Miles pictures from our family to yours:

Miles really likes our bed. If I need to pick up in our bedroom, I can just sit him up in our bed and he is content for 10-15 minutes. Here is Miles listening to some of his favorite Christmas music while keeping his legs warm under the blankets...

Megan and I get very excited about little things that Miles does, in case you haven't figured that out yet. Though we are usually excited and encouraging about Miles' development, during our not-so-proud moments we actually mock, mimic or just plain make fun of the poor kid. One of our favorite things to make fun of is his obsession with holding his hands close to his mouth. This is probably something all babies do, but we find it funny/ridicules. This video is an example of what I am talking about...

Miles' New Trick from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Finally, here is a video we posted last time, but for some reason is inaccessible.... enjoy!

Miles' Fake Laugh from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

All right, that is all for now. From the Cooke's we wish all of our blog readers a Merry Christmas and a very happy holiday season.

2008-12-16T19:05:00.000-08:00

All right, a few quick notes and then a couple of quick videos... well, maybe not quick, but cute:

We are doing well. I feel that we have gotten into a good rhythm with our life with Miles. Like it usually is in December, life is very busy, but things are slowing down and soon we will be enjoying Christmas break!

The last week and a half has brought along a few changes in Miles, which we have caught on film.

The first video is not of something new, but it is funny. While talking Miles lets out a little toot. It is pretty hilarious.

Miles talks ... and farts... from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Video #2 is a good example of Miles holding his head up, not a new trick, but one that he is continuing to master. The problem is that he doesn't quite know how to use his arm yet to push himself up, so he overcomes that by using his legs as counter balance to his head going up (you can sometimes make out his legs in the background). He is making this whole situation very difficult, hence the grunts and so forth. However there is a trademark Miles smirk towards the end of the video as he catches sight of the camera.

Miles on his Belly from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Finally, Video #3 shows some great giggles and laughs from Mr. Miles. The beginning laughs almost sound like sympathy laughs, but he begins to really get into it towards the end.

Untitled from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

So there you have it. Hope all of our faithful readers are well and we will post again soon.

A rich life!

2008-12-06T19:33:00.000-08:00

Well, this has been a really busy week or two for us! We are excited to be home again and to find a slow weekend evening to" just hang out"...and blog again:)

We were able to go to Matt's parents' house for the Thanksgiving weekend. Miles enjoyed hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa Cooke, Aunt Laura and her boyfriend Stephen, and little Cocoa. He had a bit of a rough time sleeping, but overall handled the trip well. We took out a lot of the Christmas decorations throughout the weekend, including the Christmas tree(s). Here's Miles hanging his own ornament (the whole family has the same ornament with their name on it!).

After being home for just a little while, Miles and I headed off to Chicago to visit my parents. First road trip as just the two of us! We had a wolf run in front of our car on the way there, which was a little scary. The wolf was beautiful, though!

We stayed by my parents Tuesday through Thursday. It was a great trip; I think Miles was a little more used to being away from home. We stayed pretty busy, and Miles rolled with the punches better than expected. We visited a lot of people, had some people come visit us, went and got his 3 month pictures taken at a studio (a four and a half hour event including a mini-nap for Miles in the middle:-}), and did a few photo shoots of our own (my dad takes great pictures!). Here is Miles visiting his Great Grandparents:

Great Grandma and Grandpa Visser (my Dad's 'rents)

Great Grandma Stob (Mom's Mom)

So Miles has been itchin' to sit up on his own, which he cannot do yet. This seat was a present from the VanderLaans, and it is perfect! Miles sits right up in it, and the seat can go anywhere! We pulled this out after getting home from Chicago, and he's been enjoying it ever since!

On a different note, Matt and I got a babysitter last night and went to the Rosie Thomas concert. It was great! It was downtown at the Ladies Literary Club, which is a gorgeous venue. The music was great, the company was great, and the night away was SO great (it was a surprise from Matt)! Rosie's singing voice is so rich...and so different from her speaking voice (for those of you who also went to the concert:))

We look forward to a week that is as low-key and boring as possible. Matt is finishing up evaluations with his RA staff, and I am beginning to study for my LD endorsement test, but besides that we hope to chill quite a bit.

Thanks for checking in on our lives! We hope you are all doing well, and are enjoying the Holiday season. We thank God for his grace and love, for his son, and for his forgiveness.

The last three weeks

2008-11-25T19:21:00.001-08:00

Hey blog fans! Milestones is back and full of new adventures and observations about our new life with Miles. So let's get started!

New Observations:

Keep Your Head Up! - As many of you know, Miles is gifted. I say this with a wink, but one way that Miles does seem to be quite strong in is his... well... his strength. For instance, when he was having tests in his first couple of weeks, the doctor would struggle to hold on to a foot to draw blood, or when early on we would put him on his belly he would lift his head up. Over the last few weeks we have gotten to the point where he doesn't need any support to hold his head up. Now, I don't know how unusual this is for a 10-12 week old, but it sure has been fun for us.

Miles holding his head up... from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Miles Smiles! - This also has been a Miles specialty. He has great smiles and is becoming more and more generous with them.

Curious Miles! - Miles has also been a lot more curious recently. Perhaps it is because he can see better now or that his neck is stronger, but I like to think that he is becoming more aware of his surroundings. He has been known to watch Megan or I as we work across the room or follow us as we walk past him.

Social Butterfly! - We have had a number of big events over the last few weeks - the annual Beaverdam auction, many KE events and RA meetings, and his baptism. Over this time we have noted how well he does with new people. In fact, he seems to enjoy other people very much. During our time at the auction, for instance, he was handed off to another teacher early on and neither Megan or I held him again for another 2 and a half hours. The whole time he was calm being handed from parent to teacher to students.

Like I said above, Miles had his baptism last weekend. This was a joyful time of celebration of the work that God is doing and will continue to do in his life. Not only was the service great (Madison does a really nice job with this), but the symbol of what the day means is the most moving. And if that isn't good enough, Megan and some of her friends made a great dessert spread that we all were able to enjoy afterward.

On to the pictures and videos...

Miles Survives the Fire Drill from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

A video of Miles in the bath (don't worry, it is rated "G"). He has always enjoyed the bath event, but this is a fun video of him discovering that he can kick.

Miles Kicking in the Bath from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Miles and Megan playing with a new toy... mirrors!
We call these pictures the "couch shoot"
Back in the bath...
Miles showing his Calvin pride!
Miles loves his family...

Happy Voting!

2008-11-04T17:19:00.001-08:00

Well, we wanted to introduce Miles to the voting process as soon as possible. Today he walked with us to the Woodlawn Ministry building, waited in line, rolled up to the booth (in his stroller), and even got an "I Voted" sticker.

Here he is in great anticipation of leaving to go vote.

Matching stickers

Happy to realize how easy it is!

We also wanted to post a few pictures of our little pumpkin. Calvin's optional junior-senior housing (where we now live) hosts something called "Light in the Night" every year on Oct. 31st. The public is invited to bring canned goods as an entrance fee, and then trick-or-treat around the apartment buildings in a fun and safe environment. Each apartment has a different theme, and decorates/dresses up according to that theme. Miles visited each of the buildings (8), and got a lot of attention in his pumpkin outfit. Matt dressed as a punk rocker (other guesses were Billy Idol, a rock-star, or Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day). It was fun to see all of the kids (and their parents) in some very creative costumes!

Miles with his friend Eli Wise

Family pic

Where's Miles?

Awwwww!

Waking up after a little snooze.

Lastly, here is a video that we recorded while waiting to hear the results of the Presidential Election. Miles loves hanging out on Dad's lap. Fun always abounds...

Miles' Dance from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Happy Miles-o-ween!

2008-10-29T18:29:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Our little guy just celebrated his 2 month birthday yesterday and he continues to change at a rapid speed. He has gotten very comfortable smiling now (especially on the changing table... seriously, he loves to have his diapers changed) and in his baby-bathtub. He also has started to laugh along with those smiles. Over the last few weeks he has begun to get out a little bit more including trips to a few restaurants, a short hike, and a couple of Calvin events (pumpkin carving in KE and the dedication service for the new dorm on campus).

Another big change this week was Megan's first trip back to work. Megan has gone down to one day a week at her school, which still gives her plenty of quality mom-time with Miles. However, starting this week, every Monday will consist of Megan going out to Hudsonville, and me "staying home" with the young guy. This works well because I work where we live (literally my office is right next to our apartment) and I can put the video-baby-monitor on my desk so I can work when he is sleeping, and easily do other odd jobs in the apartment when he is awake.

Anyway, this week was our first attempt at what is going to become a typical Monday. Things went very well, Megan had a good day, and Miles and dad had some good hang-out time.

I will conclude this post with shameless pictures of our cute little guy, with helpful captions. Enjoy.

His shirt says it all.

There is that award winning smile!

Miles isn't typically so worried when wearing his sweet sweat-suit. He probably thinks the camera-person is eying his bouncy seat.

Miles before one of his favorite activities... bath-time!

Yeah, he is pretty cute! (hanging out in his ring-sling from our friend Jodi)

To Schedule or Not To Schedule

2008-10-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

So, in case anyone is wondering...parenting is not easy! :) Getting pregnant demanded our trust in God; a safe, full-term pregnancy demanded our trust in God; now raising our child(ren) will demand our trust in God. God is the reason that all of our petty parenting foibles are ok...Miles has a perfect Father who will never make mistakes or let him down. Now, God is not deciding whether to use cloth diapers or when to introduce solids. There are lots of decisions that parents make in the hopes that they are serving their children well.

One of the first questions we get from other parents, and one of the first huge parenting-style decisions Matt and I have had to make, is whether or not we are going to put Miles on a schedule. There are many books supporting scheduling, and many books supporting demand-parenting (watching and responding to your baby's cues). So far this has been an easy decision for us because we are not very scheduled people. It would stress me out to watch the clock all day. We love being able to leave the apartment to run errands, go out with friends, or enjoy the Fall weather without needing to worry about how these things fit into Miles' schedule. What we have started to do, however, is get Miles into a bit of a routine. We didn't discover this routine (I forget which book(s) it is from--thank you Sarah for the suggestion!) until a few weeks ago, and until then we were always guessing at what Miles needed when he started to cry. The routine has helped us to really get to know Miles' cues, and we rarely have to question his needs anymore. (Part of the "ease" is due to the fact that he is getting more expressive as he gets older, and the fact that Miles seems to be a pretty easy-going baby.)

The routine is this: eat, play, sleep, repeat. If we stick to this, we know that when Miles wakes up he will be hungry. We also get to enjoy Miles being happy while awake, since he'll have just eaten. When he starts getting fussy again, it's a pretty good bet that he's tired. This is no science; we have a lot to learn yet, and his cues seem to change as he grows, but we wanted to share some of his cues with you:

(Two disclaimers: First of all, don't watch video three if you don't like watching babies cry:) Second of all, we apologize for the quality of the videos. We are currently using our point and shoot camera to catch these short clips, and they usually end up really dark.)

At this point, we rock Miles to sleep for a few minutes and then put him down in his swing for his naps. He usually starts getting tired about 1.5 - 2 hours after waking up last. Often he'll start yawning, and his eyes will look somewhat red. He also seems really confused, and goes in between happy and sad a few times. After a few yawns, I went to get the camera, and caught the confusion:

Miles getting tired from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Sometimes, if I am holding Miles over my shoulder, he gets so comfortable that he just starts falling asleep before I notice any cues. I read in another book (I get them all confused, because Miles and I go to Schuler's Book Store and read excerpts from all of them. I stopped doing this though, because reading so many opinions makes me lose my trust in my gut) that babies start resisting the urge to sleep about the same time that they start smiling, because they are becoming more socially aware.
Fighting the urge from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.
When his cry doesn't really stop, but gets quieter/louder/quieter/louder, he is usually uncomfortable in some sort of way. Here he is hating his car seat as we stop for gas on the way back from Chicago:

Just plain uncomfortable from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

For almost every need, there are early signs, middle signs, and late signs to let us know. When Miles is hungry, he starts with sticking his tongue out over and over, as you'll see here. If I don't see this, or if I don't get around to feeding him right away, it turns into rooting. He starts trying to eat whatever is in front of his face (blanket, his hand, my arm...). Missing these signs ends in the late signs: crying with high-pitched screams peppered throughout!

Hungry from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Well, those are the cues that I've caught on video so far. As for all of those decisions we need to make...next is deciding when to let Miles cry himself to sleep instead of being rocked to sleep.

A picture extravaganza!

2008-10-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

So, another big weekend for the Cooke Family. Miles is becoming quite the world traveler... or at least a Midwest traveler. After an eventful trip to Chicago two weeks ago for a baby shower, there was another (and final) baby shower for young Miles. This trip brought together some great moments with folks who are near and dear to Megan and I, and hopefully to Miles.

Miles with Uncle Chris. While Chris isn't my brother, he is like one to me, and he has earned the title of Uncle.
Miles was also able to meet two more of his Great Grandparents (He already met Great Grandma Stob and Great Grandma & Grandpa Visser when we were in Chi-town), and we got a couple of "four generation" pictures. The first one is with Great Grandma Cooke, and the second is with Great Grandpa Jack.
Speaking of Grandparents, Grandma Cooke got a lot of Miles time. Here is a shot from their photo shoot together.
So, that was a few photos from this weekend. Miles is beginning to smile more and more. He also has shown signs of wanting to suck his thumb, is even more alert each day, and continues to grow big and tall. He will be seven weeks old on Thursday, and we are shocked at how fast it has flown by. Miles is also surprised at how fast it has flown by...

A day in the life of...

2008-10-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

The following pictures take you through Miles' day yesterday. It was quite a busy day for the little guy:)

First, since Miles' jaundice is still lingering, we place him in the sun (through the window) in nothing but a diaper for 10 minutes twice a day. Usually he sits in his bouncy chair and lounges as if sunbathing at some expensive resort. Yesterday the sun was more sparse though, and the only patch of light was right next to the door. The poor guy had to lay right next to the glass (brrr), but loved it and stayed content the whole time!

After a nap and a meal, it was playtime once again (what a life). One of our new favorite toys is this playmat. Miles loves looking all around him at the colorful walls and hanging toys, as well as listening to the nature sounds option. The flower in the corner there is a mirror....he laid here and stared at himself for the longest time! I think he just wanted to make sure he looked good for all those baby girls on our family outing...

...to Robinettes, a local apple orchard. This was our first destination outing (besides to a store or a friend's house). We went on a hay ride (Miles slept the whole time), shopped in the cutesy store (Miles continued to sleep), and ate doughnuts with hot apple cider (surprise, surprise, Miles slept through that too). He got lots of oos and ahs, and lots of people wanted to get a close look at "such a small baby". His biggest fan was a little girl, about four years old. Her big brown eyes studied him so intently. Very cute!

You just can't go to Robinettes without taking a picture by the huge apple. Apparently Miles had heard about the famous landmark, and woke up for the excitement.

After another nap and satisfying meal, Miles got to talk with his Uncle Nate on "skype". Using this format, we can talk to and see each other at the same time-- all on the computer. We took the opportunity to take a picture of the two of them together. Miles was more excited about this than he is showing in this picture:) He was just sad to have to say goodbye:(

Well, that's one day in the life of Miles Matthew Cooke (we left out all of the poopy diaper parts). Matt and I cannot reiterate enough how much joy he brings us, and how blessed we are to share his days with him!

Miles does the diaper dance...

2008-09-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

First off, I want to apologize for our lack of posting over the last two weeks. Having a little baby has turned out to be a lot of fun, but also a lot of work and he keeps us pretty busy most days. A little "shout-out" to our brothers and sisters - Liz, Jay, Nathan, and Charity who don't get a chance to see their nephew in person... this blog is for you guys! Here is a cute picture of Miles to make amends. (He is starting to smile... and not the gas smiles of old, but actual "I'm feeling pretty good" smiles of happiness.)

So, you may be wondering what the title of this blog is all about. Well, Miles and I have a little tradition in the evenings when we are changing his diaper for the the final time. When he gets that new diaper on, he gets in the mood for dancing... so we do a little dance... probably more me dancing than him to be perfectly honest... and we call it "The Diaper Dance" or "The Naked Miles Dance". Typically this is done to a Jack Johnson song, but this video was from this last weekend when we were in Chicago for a baby shower. Momma and Poppa V don't have any Jack, but they do have some Janice Joplin. Miles still rocked out!

Matt and Miles dance to Janice Joplin from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Entering Week Three

2008-09-14T11:33:00.001-07:00

So what new things have we noticed about Miles over the last week?

-He is touching his own face and our faces a lot more with his hands
-His eyes are moving around a lot more than they used to
-He has lots of different facial expressions--most consisting of funny eyebrow movements
-We've been enjoying what seem to be smiles, even though we're pretty sure they are gas-related :)
-He is straightening out more--when he falls asleep, his legs are straight out instead of up in fetal position
-He likes his pacifier, and is quite partial to the ones that the hospital sent us home with
-He is making more noises--what seem to be vowel sounds when he's happy, and grunts when he's not happy
-He's gaining quite a bit of weight
-He likes to stare at our front closet door no matter what awkward neck position it takes to look at it
-His head-shape is starting to imitate his Dad's: oblong in the back--so cute!
-He looks super adorable in collared shirts!
-From comparing our baby pictures it seems that Miles looks like Mom in the nose and mouth, and Dad in the eyes and forehead

Thursday was the big 2.0 (weeks) for the big guy. My mom was in for a few days last week, and once again spoiled us! It was great to have her be able to drive me to a few doctors appointments, too, since I was advised not to drive for 2 weeks. We'll see how it goes this week, going to a few appointments just Miles and me!

We continue to enjoy the visits, meals, cards, gifts, and well-wishes, and cannot express enough how much these kind gestures mean to us! Thank you!

Thank you for your prayers, also. Specific requests are for my emotions (delayed baby blues?), Miles' and my health (he has a plugged eye duct, and I have had a systemic allergic reaction to the sterri strips over my incision), Matt asks for prayer surrounding his role as a supportive father and husband, and overall perseverance as we discover our new schedule and life.

Here are a few pics and a video:

Baby's first (sponge) bath. We've since discovered that Miles likes to bathe in his fun tub more than getting a sponge bath.

Miles and Megan After his first bath... from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.
Here's my attempt to calm him after that sponge bath:)

Miles receives his first piece of mail... from the Social Security Office!

You can see why we call his swaddling blanket "The Straight Jacket".

This is Miles attempting to kiss all of you (he doesn't yet move his lips when he gives kisses).

A couple of videos

2008-09-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of videos that Megan and I have taped over the last week.

This first one is from the hospital, where Megan and Miles were cuddling together. All of a sudden, Miles begins to try to suck on Megan's nose. Towards the end of the video, Miles passes a little gas- which both Mom and Dad find hilarious!

Miles bites off Megan's nose from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

The second view is a nice clip of Miles being awake, which is pretty rare. He is a little hungry, a little poopy, but pretty content. This clip is bit long (3 minutes) but very cute (in our opinion).

Miles being cute from Matt Cooke on Vimeo.

Miles continues to grow bigger, and we will continue to update with videos and pictures.

Day 6

2008-09-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

Wow! Miles is a whole week old already! Matt and I just can't get over the joy that he has brought us these past days. We would love to update you all on how things have been going for the three of us...

Sleeping
Our first night back (Sunday night) was rough. Miles was up six or seven times, trying out his ability to let us know his discontent. Matt and I looked at each other when the sun was coming up, and both of us said to each other, without words, that we really, really hoped this was not going to be a nightly routine. The last two nights, however, were just like in the hospital. Up for two feedings, and deep sleep in between. Talking with experienced parents, it seems that the first couple of weeks aren't necessarily indicative of a baby's sleeping patterns, but we'll take it while we can!

Likes/Dislikes
Miles likes his swing, loves to be swaddled, and calms right down with his "Mommy Bear" (a bear that plays heartbeat sounds, to remind him of being in the womb). He likes being held nice and close, and loves to stare at/into faces. We haven't noticed a lot of dislikes yet, except for the obvious dirty diaper or hungry tummy. Well, maybe being cold would be a dislike too. He likes layers!

Health
Miles continues to keep us on our toes. If it's not gestational diabetes and being breech, it's rising jaundice numbers and ultrasounds. We had to get an ultrasound because of a cute dimple above his butt. It is very deep, and caused some concern. Sometimes this is a sign of a lower spine, and there can also be the worry that it goes deep to the spine. We have been at the hospital for tests every day but one since bringing him home, but thankfully we are getting a lot of good news. The jaundice numbers finally went down today, so we don't have to get treatment, or go back for more heel pricks. The ultrasound came back with good results also: no spine issues!

Mom and Dad
Matt and I are doing well. Matt had his first day back to work today, and I had my first day alone with Miles. Everything went well, and getting into this routine will be enjoyable, but we were all happy to be reunited at the end of the day:)

We have taken some videos of Miles on our camera, and once we learn how to post them we will. Hopefully this will be soon. We received a lot of emails about the cute picture of Miles trying to suck my nose...we have a whole video of this interaction...just to build the anticipation:) Thanks for checking in for the update! Thank you for your love and care.

Miles Matthew Cooke

2008-08-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

So, the name of the blog has changed with the birth of Miles. We have to give credit to Nate, Megan's brother, for the name of the blog and we hope to capture a number of Milestones this years as we grow together as a small family.

If you are at this site, you already know the basics... Miles Matthew was born at 4:38 PM on Thursday, August 28 and was 7 pounds and 10 ounces and 18 and 1/2 inches long. So far he has proven to be a good sleeper, to have a good sense of humor, and his favorite thing to do is wave (he seems to have a slight twitch in both arms... no worries, it is a cute twitch) and stretch.

Here are a couple of pictures of Miles' first couple of days. Enjoy...

Baby Eve

2008-08-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, it is the eve of the birthday of our first child. Everyone I talk to keeps asking me, "How are you feeling?", and although this is such an appropriate question, I never know what to say. I'm feeling many things, and if you really want an honest answer, we'll be here for a while, and we'll both be drained by the end:) For those of you who know me well know that I'll be able to give a more concise answer in a few weeks. My friends call me a "post-processor", as my emotions and assessments tend to be more "clear" as reflections. What I can do for you right now, though, is reflect on the past few weeks. Although they have not been all "peaches and cream", it is important to embrace it all and look for the moments of blessing throughout.

First came the discovery that our baby decided to stay in the breech position. We are grateful that there are safe ways to deliver our stubborn baby :) but it took some effort to prepare for this type of birth. It has been difficult to process the emotions, as well as all of the opinions and stories offered by well-meaning sharers. It has also brought up reflections surrounding the difficult parallels to this past October. On the other hand, it has given me practice in allowing others to love on me, something I don't always experience comfortably. God knows what we need. God knows.

Matt and I then had a few days to let the news settle before he had to leave on a trip as part of training this year's Resident Assistants. My wonderful Mom came up from Chicago for a few days and helped get a lot of things ready. She painted the baby's room, painted the crib and changing table, helped clean, made meals to freeze, shopped for groceries and baby items, and kept me company while Matt was gone. It was wonderful! Thank you, Mom, for your steady love and support, as well as helping me get things done!

After she left, Matt came back, and life has been a bit of a blur since then. These have been the two busiest weeks of Matt's work-year, and this timing has been interesting. In all honesty, it has been really, really hard. We haven't seen much of each other. Matt is in meetings all day and all evening, and has to prepare for the next day late into the night. I've tried to stay on top of our ever-growing check-list to prepare for the baby, and have done what I can to make life easier for Matt. I haven't been able to prepare things at school because I have been directed to stay within 15-20 minutes of the hospital (this is because of the chance of a prolapsed cord due to the position of the baby, combined with regular contractions that I've been experiencing). Both of us miss being able to just "be" together, and the ability to experience these last couple of weeks as just the two of us. Normally, we might sit and talk about huge life events like this for hours. Both of us enjoy this and need this, and it is a way that we feel close. I guess you could say that we are both emotionally constipated right now, as we have not been able to do this for a while. We are thankful however for our jobs, and for all of the support we've been feeling from both of our understanding staffs. We also look forward to figuring out how we experience life as the THREE of us!

Please pray for Matt, that he is able to make ample brain-space to truly prepare in mind and spirit for this miracle (it's 10pm right now, and he's still not home). Please pray for safety for the baby and for me. Please pray for simplicity, joy, and balance. All of these requests stand, even if you read this after tomorrow's events.

We plan to have pictures posted very soon, so keep checking back! Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers. You each mean so much to us, and God touches our lives through you!

Pregan Megan!

A little humor in a busy time... exploding candle! (We also know who did this!! You know who you are!)

The soon-to-be-parents on a fancy date in downtown Chicago. (Brazilian Steakhouse .... very good!)