Micah's Blog

Love Letters

2010-04-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

I know almost all of my letters. Here are my five favorites:

A Monumental Day

2010-02-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

Guess who woke up this morning with a dry diaper? Ahem, me.

AND, guess who peed in the potty this morning? Well, yes, also me.

And because this is a photo blog, here is what a boy of such accomplishment looks like today.

Born to Be a Trucker

2010-02-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

I found my calling.

I always thought I loved trucks but now I'm sure of it.

I'm a Big Brother

2010-02-03T17:28:00.000-08:00

For those who didn't hear, on May 20th I officially became a big brother! My little sister's name is Moriah and she makes lots of funny noises and faces. So far all she does is sleep and eat and poop a lot. And cry. But I still think she's pretty cool. Sometimes when she's upset I kiss her head or rock her chair to try to

make her happier. She makes me seem very old.

New Year's Eve Party!

2010-02-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

I'm teaching Ethan a thing or two about being a person.

Sick Day

2009-12-19T11:39:00.000-08:00

I went to the doctor this morning for being sick. I've never done that before. I went once when I got a bug bite on my foot and it swelled up really big. And I went once when I cut my forehead open on a rock and needed to get it glued back together. But this morning I went because I was having a hard time breathing when I woke up. Wheeze, wheeze, wheeze. That's what it was like. So we went in and the nebulized me and gave me some nasty medicine. I don't think I like nasty medicine or being nebulized. And anyway, it doesn't really seem like either one helped very much. We'll see how I feel when I wake up from my nap today. Here are some pictures of me at the doctor's office:

The Airport

2009-12-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago Mom and Dad and I went to the airport to watch the airplanes. I love airplanes. You can watch them taxi, and land, and take off. Sweet.

I Beat Up the Coffee Table With My Face

2009-12-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

I've Reached the Ripe Old Age of 18 Months

2009-11-30T06:59:00.000-08:00

My newest video is up. I worked for six long months to get enough footage for this baby. I hope you like it!

Okay, youtube won't let me include the audio. Phooey. If you'd like to see this video with sound (which is definitely the recommended viewing method), just type the following into your browser:

http://tschachingdesign.com/baby/micah1.5year.wmv

I Turned One Year Old (almost six months ago)!

2009-11-14T21:23:00.000-08:00

Next week I'll be 18 months old. A year and a half . . . can you believe it? Well, Mom was a little negligent and forgot to put together my 6-12 month video before, so here it is now. It should be followed up fairly soon by one featuring more recent photos and footage of me. Enjoy!

It's been forever, huh?

2009-10-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

I guess it's been a while since I updated this blog, huh? I've been busy. Anyway, here's a picture of me that's a little more current than the previous ones.

Ha ha ha. Just kidding. For real, though, here are a few relatively recent pictures. I am currently what Mom calls a walking, talking snot machine. I drool and snot a lot because I'm getting more teeth (I've got six whole ones and I'm working on a few more). I'm an excellent walker and I climb pretty well too. And I probably know about 25 words, although I'm not entirely clear on what some of them mean.

Anyway, I'm having a blast. Life is good when you're a little over 17 months old. Thanks for liking me enough to read this!

I LOVE being outside. I run out the door every chance I get. When Grandma and Grandpa Tschamler were here in September we hiked to this little lake and had a picnic.

We went backpacking with Auntle Sach and Dad caught a newt for me to poke.

I guess I'm what Uncle Christer calls "rough and tumble." Mostly I just like to play.

I like camping.

Sara is still one of my four favorite aunts, even after all this time.

When we go sailing Daddy takes me right up onto the bow of the boat!

I just noticed that Mom accidently left the grapes from the grocery store on the bed.

Then I ate some. I really like grapes.

A few weeks ago I climbed my first two Adirondack High Peaks, Cascade and Porter Mountains. Mom and Dad said it kicked their butts, but I didn't really think it was that hard.

Of course if you're going to hike a lot you need to replenish your fluids. I'm excellent at dring from a Camelbak.

Mom and I have a lot of fun together. We're friends.

This year we went to Giants training camp in Albany and saw the big boys up close.

When I feel cranky a lot of times wrestling on the bed will help. Here we are after a good match.

And it looks like I claimed the victory in this one. Mom's down.

Visitors!

2009-04-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Aunt Sara and (now) Uncle Zach, better known as Uncle PullMyFinger, got married in the end of February. We had a ton of people visiting, and we had loads of fun. I haven't put any wedding pictures up yet, but here are some pictures from the preparation time.

In case you're wondering, I still like to open my eyes as wide as possible.

And eat.

I love reading books, especially on the cozy lap of a grandma.

Or a great-grandma.

The Denver Zoo

2009-04-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

OK, go back with me to January. Yes, I'm talking three months ago. Still in Colorado celebrating Zach and Sara's wedding that hadn't yet taken place as well as second First Christmas. Well, on that same trip I went to my very first zoo. I LOVE animals of all kinds -- no joke. I go nuts. So as you might guess, it was a pretty sweet trip. I won't bore you with photos of the animals, because you've all seen those before. Instead, the following photos will feature yours truly. Enjoy!

It was pretty cold, so we had to bundle. I was wearing a NY Giants suit in Broncos country. Hee hee. I dare someone to beat up a baby. I'm untouchable.

I'm sporting my brand new hat from Aunt Becky. It's not brand new anymore. I wear it every day of my life. No joke.

Aunt Sara and I were bundled from head to toe!

Chris is one of my favorites, but you'll never hear me say it. My lips are sealed.

Also, while we were in Denver we went with about 900 family members to The Old Spaghetti Factory. I met so many people that day I probably couldn't recite half the names for you. But we're all related, so I'm bound to get a refresher sooner or later.

Here are the four representatives from the newest generation. Cody is the newest, by just a little, I'm the second newest, Eva is the second oldest, and Jonah is the king.

It also happened to be Daddy's 28th birthday, so the resident balloon-man made him a sweet crown. Check it out.

Colorado Lovin'

2009-03-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

When we were in Colorado in January, the day after my second first Christmas, Aunt Sara and Uncle Zach had a sailing party. I slept through almost the whole thing, but I woke up enough to get my mug in a few frames:
Aunt Becky is a very good cuddler.
I know how to smile just like the big kids.
Those Duryea girls are so nice!
My great aunt Cathy...what a goofball.
Aunt Valeen makes me smile.

Announcement

2009-03-20T04:23:00.000-07:00

Ahem.
Excuse me.
May I have your attention please?
Something monumental has happened.

I HAVE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR THE PAST FOUR NIGHTS IN A ROW.

Sweet.

Also, I'm 5/6ths today. For those of you who are not inclined to do the math (I've been helping Dad with his differential equations work in the evenings), that's 10 months. Yahoo!

I'm sorry I haven't posted pictures lately. Mom has been typing pretty much every second that I'm awake (or asleep, actually) these days, so I haven't had much of a chance.

She says maybe this weekend. Maybe even today.

Happy Friday!

2009-03-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

In January Mom and Dad and I flew to Colorado to have a party for Zach and Sara. While we were there, we had ANOTHER Christmas! Here are a few choice photos from "Christmas" day:

I taught Uncle Christer how to do my trademark face.
Grandma Tschamler made me a suit to wear in an upcoming wedding, featuring a real live necktie!
Aunt Becky bought me this sweet reversible down vest. I'm reading all the accompanying literature.
Uncle Zach was there too!
Grandma and Grandpa gave me a beach ball that has a fish INSIDE OF IT!
Uncle Christer and I had our own photo shoot.
Dad is still my favorite pillow, even after all these months.

Kelly and Me

2009-02-06T08:54:00.001-08:00

In the very beginning of January one of Mommy's friends Kelly came back from London to visit! I hadn't met her since I've been out of the belly, so that was a treat. I'm so multi-cultural because I have a friend in another country. Although she is American. She doesn't even have an accent. Nevermind. But she's still cool.

Malachi and Me

2009-02-06T08:30:00.000-08:00

I have a friend at Bible study named Malachi. He's a few months younger than me, but he got teeth before I did. He came over on New Year's Eve.

Iris and Me

2009-02-06T08:18:00.000-08:00

Daddy's old friend Ian and became a daddy two months after Daddy did. Woah. His baby's name is Iris, and she came up from Washington D.C. to visit at Christmas time. I like her.

Little Drummer Boy

2008-12-31T06:26:00.000-08:00

Uncle Josh showed me how to play his drums. He's a real drummer, so it's the real thing. Not bad, for my first try!

That was inspiring...I have big dreams. But for now, I'll keep practicing on something a little more my size.

Christmas!

2008-12-31T04:57:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Christmas here in New York with Daddy's family. It was so much fun! Uncle Adam and Aunt Meghan came up from North Carolina, and Mom and Dad and I all went and stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's house (just across town) for three days. It felt like a real vacation! Here are just a few choice shots:

Aunt Sara

2008-12-31T04:49:00.000-08:00

I love my Aunt Sara. She lives with us right now! But only for another month. Then she's moving out and getting married to Zach. Then he'll officially be Uncle Zach. That will be fun. I hope you all can come celebrate with us!

Christmas Greetings Baby Style

2008-12-20T10:15:00.000-08:00

Here's just a short little something from the vault:

Hope your Christmas is awesome!

Pictures!

2008-12-11T16:58:00.000-08:00

Thumbs up, right guys? Did I get some good pictures?

Cutting a Christmas Tree

2008-12-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we went to Bob's with Grandma and Grandpa Clevenstine and Uncle Josh and Judy and chopped down a Christmas tree. There wasn't snow, but it was about as cold as hooey out there. Fortunately, I was all bundled up an a snowsuit and smooshed against Dad's chest. Being a baby is awesome. And so is cutting a Christmas tree.

My First Thanksgiving

2008-12-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

We went to Buffalo on Thanksgiving, just like Mom has done for the past eight years (all except for last year, because she had an ultrasound of yours truly scheduled for the day before). It was really a lot of fun to meet that part of the family. It was especially cool to meet my first Great-Grandfather and his wife, Great-Hazel. Below is a mini-montage of my Thanksgiving weekend. In real life it was a lot more fun than these pictures might indicate.

My Six-Month Birthday Is Today!

2008-11-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

The Littlest Player in the NFL

2008-11-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is are a few photos of my Halloween costume.

Micah "Big Eyes" Clevenstine, QB, Womb State University.
Ready to throw the game-winning touchdown pass.
What's a good NFL player without a celebration after scoring?

Reading

2008-11-12T11:30:00.000-08:00

I'm learning how to look at books. Great Uncle Doug and Great Aunt Jan sent me this AWESOME book called "Gallop." The pictures move. So far I touch the pages and put the corners in my mouth, but I'll learn how to read one of these day. Plus, sitting on Dad's lap rules.

Halloween

2008-11-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

I just experienced my first Halloween ever. I was a NY Giants football player. Unfortunately, the pictures of my costume are on Grandma Clevenstine's computer. I'll try to get ahold of them for you. But carving pumpkins was cool. Actually, to be honest, I slept through all the festivities (except the Wii party). Mom's pumpkin is the little one on the left, and Dad's is the big one third from the left. Aunt Sara's is the smiley one in the front left and (almost) Uncle Zach's is on the very right. Pretty good artwork, huh?

Does This Hat Make My Head Look Small?

2008-11-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

The Face

2008-11-12T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm teaching Mom how to make my signature face. She's having a hard time getting the mouth right, but her eye-popping skills are progressing nicely.

I Almost Forgot...

2008-11-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

Grandma made me this sweet chair cover that I can take to restaurants or other people's houses or even use at home. I wasn't quite old enough back when she was here, but I'm growing into it quite well! Cool, huh?

A Few More Great Grandma Pictures

2008-11-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Great Grandpa made this cradle, so Great Grandma was really happy to see how much I like it.Great Grandma bought me a fish for the aquarium. It's a yellow tang. Mom and Dad let me name it, so it's name is "Waauugghhhh!" but they call him Guy Smiley, because it's easier for them to say and he looks like a smiley little guy.

A Few Portraits

2008-11-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa Tschamler

2008-11-12T11:06:00.001-08:00

We did do some other stuff while Grandma and Grandpa were visiting. I wore the awesome sweater that Grandma Tschamler made me. We played pinochle, which was fun for a few minutes.
Then it got boring.

Daddy and Me

2008-11-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

Daddy can make me smile no matter what. I get REALLY excited and kick and squeal whenever and see him. And I watch his every move. Everything he does is AWESOME.

Camping With Grandma and Grandpa Tschamler

2008-11-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

At about the same time Becky and Chris were out here, Grandma and Grandpa Tschamler AND Great Grandma Page all came out to see me! It was awesome to have so many people to play with! One fun thing that we did is camping at Lewey Lake. We went with BOTH sets of grandparents AND Great Grandma AND Aunt Sara and (almost) Uncle Zach. It was SO fun! I've put up a lot of pictures with Grandma and Grandpa Tschamler because I don't get to see them very much. Here...check it out.

How do you like this shot of me and Great Grandma? Pretty cute, eh? And then below we have a sweet little family photo.And here it is...the four-generation portrait. See if you can put us in order of age. It's harder than it seems, right?

Hiking Rules!

2008-11-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

Something very exciting happened a little over a month ago. Company! Aunt Becky (who you've met in previous posts) and Chris came out to NYC for a wedding, but they made a little jaunt up here to visit as well...what an honor! One of the things we did was hike up Hadley Mountain. It's steep and it kicked Mom's booty, but good thing Becky was here because she carried me almost the whole way up and all the way down without even getting out of breath. Sweet. It was pretty cold. My arms and legs were REALLY cold when we got down, but I didn't even complain. I just looked around. It's what I do.

My Friend

2008-11-12T10:33:00.003-08:00

We went over to my friend Asher's house for dinner. He's exactly one week younger than me...and a whole lot smaller. Also, I got to stand on Dad. AWESOME!

A New Thing

2008-11-12T10:33:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture of me with a carrot in my mouth. Right now you may be asking yourself, Isn't it a little bit early in life to start in with the full-sized carrots? Don't worry, though. It was only a chew toy. And I didn't like it anyway. And I don't have any teeth.

Hello Again

2008-11-12T10:29:00.001-08:00

I'm back, after a few months away, with about a googillion photos. Get ready. A lot has happened since I've been with you last.

My Progress

2008-09-29T06:36:00.000-07:00

I'm getting to be a big boy. I went to the doctor for my four-month checkup, and here are my stats:

I'm currently 26" long (that's tall to you, Bubs, because I do like to stand up as much as possible) -- 90th percentile!

I'm 16 pounds and 8 ounces. Yowzaz...Mom's arms are getting strong. That's the 75th percentile.

And my head, much to Uncle Josh's dismay, is not 100th percentile, but only 75th.

Here are some photos, just to catch you up a little bit:

Nothin' like a Boppy pillow after a hard day of work.
I got a doorway jumper. I'm not exactly heavy enough or able enough to hold myself upright, but as you can see, Mom packs me in tight and off I go!
Often I chill on my elbows. Until I get mad that I'm on my elbows. Then I grunt and pant and cry until someone comes to my rescue.
Here's one of my favorite pasttimes (aside from opening my eyes as wide as possible at all times), and one of my best skills.
And here I am rollin' with my homies (Mom and Aunt Sara).

I'm a Backwoods Boy

2008-09-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

We went on a great adventure a few weeks ago! I've been waiting to tell you about it until I got the pictures all set.

Grandma and Grandpa Clevenstine and I all went on our first backpacking trip ever. Mom and Dad came too, as our seasoned veterans; they've gone with Grandma and Grandpa Tschamler and by themselves and with other people too.

We hiked for 2.5 miles into the woods and ended up at this awesome little pond way back there. We didn't see anybody except us the whole time.

Maybe that's because everyone else got the memo that it was going to downpour and our lean-to was going to leak. Don't worry, though, we still had fun. Dad and I were the only ones that stayed dry that night. But still everyone had a blast.

Here a few choice photos:
We're a backpackin' family. Note my sweet ride.
Don't worry. My awesome giraffe went too.
Here's the lean-to. Rustic. And leaky.
Dad and I chilled in the back of the digs for a while. QT with the D is always one of my favorite pasttimes.
Feelin' tough in our skull caps.
Hangin' out with the GPCs (grandparents Clevenstine). All three of us decided we LOVE backpacking.
Packin' out.
As you can see, I didn't want to leave.
All-in-all, despite the rain, a very good trip.
Signing off.

More Vacation Photos!

2008-09-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the North Carolina pictures from Grandma and Grandpa Clevenstine's camera. Life is really fun so far!Mom and I hanging out on the beach. Man, that was some intense sun. I had to bundle up.Playing with Uncle Josh right before I filled my pants. Let's just say he squeezed the poo right out of me!Hanging out in my sweet little beach shelter.Ummmmm...I think I'm the cutest thing you've ever seen.I had a great time with Uncle Adam and Aunt Meghan. I wish they lived closer to me.I spent some time playing the Settlers of Catan card game with Grandpa. We dominated.I have this toy that's a giraffe with a blanket for a body. And it also looks like a dragon. Weird, I know. But AWESOME.It's kind of weird for me to even post these, because they were taken a month ago, and I've pudged out quite a bit. I'm looking pretty trim here.Beach life is good.

Martha's Blanket

2008-09-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite people, Martha Fisher (I haven't met her yet, but Mom and Dad danced at her wedding not long before I was born), made me this blanket. I LOVE it, so I thought I'd share it with you. These pictures are actually several months old. Perhaps one day soon I'll get to meet the lady.

She's A Beauty!

2008-08-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a picture of the beautiful crib that Grandpa Clevenstine built for me. It really is a work of art.

My New Skills

2008-08-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

I got my own room! Actually, I've always had it, but I still slept in Mom and Dad's room because I woke up three or four times at night because I was so darn hungry. I guess my stomach's growing because now I only wake up once, and sometimes it's at like 5:00 in the morning so we just get up instead of eating and going back to sleep. So I finally get to sleep in the crib that Grandpa Clevenstine built for me! I'll put up a picture as soon as I get it (it's at Grandpa's house right now).

Also, I'm a rollin' man. From back to front . . . only to the right. I can't turn left.

However, Mom thinks I'm left-handed because usually when I grab my hands my left grabs my right, and I have kick-butt control of my left foot, but not so much my right. We'll see, Mom. We'll see.

As you can see, I take after my Uncle Christer.

I'm A Campin' Man

2008-08-19T15:06:00.000-07:00

I went camping last weekend for the first time in my life. It was awesome, and I'm really cute.

The Cradle

2008-08-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

My Great Grandpa Moore made a cradle. It has been passed down through the extended family and there is a list of "inhabitants" inscribed on the bottom. I, of course, am the most recent addition. He was a superb craftsman, as evidenced by the uniformity in shape and size of the balusters. I'm being serious.

On a less analytical note, I really dig that cradle. I have finally achieved a large enough wing-span to grab both sides at the same time. Score!

My First Vacation

2008-08-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

We spent a week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with Dad's side of the family. I plan to post more pictures soon, but here's a little teaser.

I love to take showers, and I especially love to schnuzzle in my big old towel afterwards.

And here are a few family portraits. My first time in the ocean! As you can see, opening my eyes as wide as I can is one of my favorite activities.

My Musical Mobile

2008-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Boppy Pillow

2008-07-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

Giants Rule, Everyone Else Drools

2008-07-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

We went to see the Superbowl Trophy (if you'll remember, the Giants won last year). Dad and Grandpa Clevenstine were interviewed on the news, and I got to hold the Superbowl ring! It's worth $35,000 . . . as you can tell, I'm very impressed.

Playing Is My Favorite

2008-07-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

I went to my second professional baseball game a week ago. We went with Dad's work (woohoo!) and it was really really REALLY hot and sunny, so I even got to wear Dad's hat.
Aunt Sara comes over and plays with me almost every day. She's neat.

Nap Time

2008-07-31T06:10:00.000-07:00

I love to take naps on the couch. I take after Daddy.

Tiny Rockstar

2008-07-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

Uncle Christer and Aunt Valeen sent me some presents. I'm modeling one of them here. Yes, I am a tiny rockstar.

Woah...another aunt...so many people to meet.

2008-07-31T06:07:00.000-07:00

Aunt Becky's visiting, which is pretty flippin' sweet, yo. She's fun. And she has a computer so I can add some more pictures for you!

Also On the Fourth of July...

2008-07-15T09:02:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah. I peed on Uncle Josh's Dallas Cowboys jersey. I wanted to make my loyalties (or non-loyalties) clear. Hey, I can't talk yet . . . what option did I have?

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

I recently experienced my first Fourth of July ever, and it...was...awesome! I slept through the fireworks, but the pictures look cool and I got to hang out in the park with some of my favorite people.

I Love Great Grandma!

2008-07-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

I've recently begun visiting Great Grandma Milly. She's always SO stinkin' excited to see me. It's really fun to hang out with her. Here we are . . . four generations strong!

A Quick Explanation

2008-07-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

Mom says I should probably tell you guys that the reason I haven't posted anything new in a while is that her computer is busted. But as soon as it comes back in a week, which is like a seventh of my lifetime, I'll have new goodies for you.

Check Out My Growth!

2008-07-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

Check it out. This is me at four days old (the shriveled up one sitting in front of the window because I was a little yellow boy), and then just a few days ago when I was six weeks old, sitting in the same chair and actually filling it up a little bit. Not bad, eh? Nice work, Mom.

I'm Six Weeks Old!

2008-07-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Do I look like I'm up to something? There really aren't that many things I can do yet, so you can probably figure it out.

A Real Update . . . Just Taken Yesterday

2008-06-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

What up, Homeskillet?

A Little Update (although I've changed a lot since these photos were taken)

2008-06-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Mom and I, just chillin'. It's how I roll.

2008-06-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

2008-06-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Kung-fu Micah.

2008-06-10T14:48:00.001-07:00

The first day of the rest of my life.

2008-06-10T14:40:00.000-07:00