Fritzemeier Family Blog

Summer 2008

2008-07-30T06:12:00.001-04:00

Grandma & Grandpa F. took us to the Grand Rapids Children's Museum. As usual, Micah enjoys the chance to "drive"! We thought the mirror tunnel was neat too!

Visiting Aunt Jean in Indiana on Memorial Day

Dean & Karen went by themselves to a Cub's game. We took the train in from Michigan City, IN. They had a 1948 retro day, so the ball players were dressed from that year. We especially enjoyed seeing Zambrano pitch and watching them beat the Braves that day! Micah stayed with Grandma V.

Micah was pretty shy of the water at the beginning of the summer, but now he is really starting to enjoy it!

Playing with Daddy and wearing hats is one of Micah's FAVORITE things to do!

Micah was up one morning at 5am, and thought it would be a great idea to wear Dad's hat and also put his spoon in it. Mom was SUPER groggy, but managed to take a picture.

These were taken the 4th of July at our friend's house. We are definitely going to keep our eyes out for one of these cars at a garage sale, as Micah absolutely loved it!!!

We spend at least 2-3 evening a week enjoying the parks in Kent County.

Learning to eat with a spoon is SUPER messy, but great fun!

Grandpa & Grandma F. have a great park that we can walk to near their house. These were taken on a Sunday afternoon. We enjoy seeing cousin Noah!

It's fun to visit the farm and ride the Gator with Grandma V.!

Sometime in the next few weeks, we expect that Micah will be meeting his new brother or sister. Stay tuned....

2008-06-28T07:01:00.001-04:00

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

13 months old

2008-05-22T15:58:00.002-04:00

Micah man at 13 months old - our busy boy!

This is Micah on Mother's Day. We surprised Grandma V. and went to her church in Kalamazoo. After dinner Micah was dressed in a "vintage outfit" (seen on the left) which was once worn by his Uncle Fred. On the right, Micah hangs out with Uncle Fred.

One day we went to the beautiful Frederic Meijer Gardens with some friends, and Micah played in the sandbox and (to mom's dismay) he thought it would be fun to eat some DIRT!

We also went to the Tulip Time parade in Holland.

Micah has discovered a love for climbing up steps. This is me looking up at him from below on the steps at our apartment. Pretty much every time we come home from somewhere, he insists on climbing the steps. Sometimes he goes up all three flights, just for fun!
Micah enjoys visiting with Grandpa F. on one of his many trips down from Muskegon to show us houses.

Playing in the tunnel at the park.

Driving mom's car....VERY FUN!

Micah loves driving Grandpa V's truck too (Grandma V. is the one who started him with his love of driving.)

Checking out some equipment at the Case dealer (we rode along with Grandma V. one day to pick up parts for Grandpa). Yep, more driving!

Micah's 1st Birthday!

2008-04-12T21:45:00.001-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR MICAH MAN!

We had a great day celebrating Micah's birthday in Kalamazoo. All of his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousin were there, plus great-grandma V. and great-Aunt Esther. Micah loved the balloons, eating his first cake, opening presents, and playing with cousin Noah. Aunt Kathy also gave Micah his first hair trim (don't worry, we left all the curls in back!). It was a wonderful day of celebrating with family!

Grandma V. made me a delicious cake

I had my own mini-cake and dove in right away.

Want some?

I shared my cake with great Aunt-Esther! She got a little messy too! :)

Daddy helped me open presents!
It's fun to play with new toys

This is right after Aunt Kathy trimmed my hair. I was getting a little tired.

Later in the afternoon, cousin Noah helped me drink milk!

1st peak at the newest Fritzemeier!

2008-03-19T08:54:00.000-04:00

We had the ultrasound last night. It ended up being quite late, because they had an emergency just before ours was scheduled. We had some really good views of the baby's face, and the baby was crossing their legs and putting their hand up by their face. We also saw the heart beating. The tech wasn't allowed to give me information, but I can get the report from the doctor's office at the end of the week. She was allowed to tell us that there was just one baby. :) Micah was a big hit with the staff people. Dean told me that a cleaning lady even held him while they were waiting (they just had Dean and Micah come in at the end and showed all of us the pics at the same time). The tech was able to get Micah to say "baby" which came out more like "ba-ba".

Getting ready to walk! 11 months old

2008-03-18T17:35:00.000-04:00

2008-02-24T21:09:00.002-05:00

I love bath time!!!

(Mom might get in trouble for this picture some day!!!! )

Be My Valentine

2008-02-19T03:40:00.000-05:00

A little note from mom here. You have NO idea how difficult it was to get these pics! Every time I tried to hand him the heart to hold, he would crumple it up and throw it on the floor. So I tried having him pose next to a teddy bear who held the heart. Before I could snap the picture, he would push the teddy bear on it's face along with the sign. I tried putting him in his little red wagon, but he would dive out of it before I could get the picture. I ended up taping the heart to the sheet and whistled to hold his attention and had to work fast. So much for our photo shoot!!! After that, we both took a nice long nap. Ahhhhh..... Still, they turned out pretty cute, eh? LOL

10 months old

2008-02-10T15:04:00.000-05:00

Visiting with great-great Aunt Bertha!

I love to play with my little red wagon.

I have so much fun playing with my toys!

Grandma comes to visit!

I also like to climb into the shower stall whenever I see the opportunity!

Time to get organized!

2008-02-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

http://hoguechronicle.com/organize-unclutter-2008/

Micah's big news

2008-01-22T02:32:00.000-05:00

Coming in September...(Lord willing)!

Our Busy Boy! 9 months old

2008-01-11T09:15:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve, 2007. Playing in front of the big mirror and visiting with Nathan.

Micah LOVES bath time!

Look Mom! I figured out how to unroll the toilet paper!

Talking to Grandpa F. and playing with my new boat

I can stand up on my own AND I figured out how to turn on the television!

Playing with Aunt Laura

Sometimes I need a little break, so I'll sit on dad or mom's lap and read books!

Christmas Pictures

2008-01-04T14:12:00.000-05:00

Micah at Frederic Meijer Gardens. Mom and Micah went to FMG for the first time a few weeks ago with some friends who gave us a free pass. It was a beautiful place!

Micah slept really good afterwards!

Aunt Kathy gave Micah his own stick pony to ride for Christmas!

Micah and cousin Noah trying out their new toy from Grandma F.

Micah and Grandma F. on Christmas day.

2007-12-31T23:46:00.000-05:00

THREE YEARS AGO

This picture was taken of Karen on New Years Eve, 2004. I was divorced, going to college, struggling to make ends meet, and I was continuing a lifelong pattern of eating all sorts of sugar and junk food to try to make myself feel better. God provided me a way out when I started Food Addicts 5 days later. It is good for me to remember where I was and why I go to the lengths to stay in my program and keep healthy. I did not know by giving up the food and surrendering my addiction to God that He would bring so much good into my life. I am so grateful!

Here is a fun fact: At my lowest weight, I lost a total of 181 pounds. (I'm still slowly losing post-pregnancy). If you add up Dean and Micah's weight today, it is exactly 181 pounds! How cool is that! I lost 181 pounds, but gained two amazing and incredible people in my life...not to mention all the friends I've met along the way! GOD IS GOOD!

2007-12-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from the month of November.

We went the the park with Aunt Colleen & cousin Noah

This wasn't on purpose, but Micah and Daddy happened to be dressed alike one day!

Micah visits with Aunt Laura on Thanksgiving Day.

2007-11-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

Micah has been making lots of sounds. A couple of weeks ago he was making happy "scream" noises, which were very high pitch, over and over. Then a week after that, he discovered that he could make deep low sounds. We caught a little bit of it on video as he was practicing his sounds. Maybe he will have a deep low voice like his dad some day!

2007-10-17T13:52:00.000-04:00

Micah is 6 months old!

This week at his 6 month check-up he weighed 15 lbs and 13 oz., and was 28 1/2 inches long.

He loves splashing in the bathtub.

Trying new foods is always fun!

He is scooting backwards on the floor. In this picture he originally started out on the blanket by the three small bowls, and managed to scoot himself in a half circle around the living room!

He loves playing with Daddy

And once in awhile, he'll even still snuggle with Mama.

2007-10-03T23:06:00.000-04:00

Look who we found in the pumpkin patch!

All pictures were taken at Creekside Farms in Caledonia, Michigan.

2007-10-03T22:12:00.000-04:00

He's getting closer to sitting up!

Dean & Karen at Nate & Casey's wedding. Grandma V. was babysitting Micah!

Green Beans & Carrots

YUM?

2007-09-06T14:59:00.000-04:00

Micah's First Road Trip

Labor Day weekend, 2007

Destination: Garner, Iowa

Our rental car, a Chevy HHR was fun to drive!

Micah slept in his car seat on Friday morning until we crossed the Mississippi River. We stopped and ate our lunch at a beautiful park near the River. The weather was perfect and we had the whole place to ourselves!

On Friday we stopped at a McDonald's to feed & change Micah. Karen challenged Dean to the ultimate challenge: Climb to the top of the bubble in the McDonald's playplace. After Karen promised him $1.00 if he climbed to the top for a picture, Dean decided he was up for the adventure. (Thankfully there were no other patrons there at the time.) Not only did Dean make it to the top bubble, but he finished with a surprise trip down the blue slide to the finish. Micah found this quite fascinating!

On Saturday Micah & Karen were able to meet several relatives who came for lunch. There was a delicious meal, and visiting in the afternoon. Pictured here are Dean's maternal aunts (L to R): Esther, Lucille & Margery

Micah visits with Dean's cousins, Duane & Leland (sons of Lucille)

On Sunday we visited Dean's cousin Duane and Linda on their farm.

Karen had a ride on Annie the horse! That was fun!

Micah & Dean look at the horses

Micah with his great-Aunt Lucille

A view of the town of Garner, Iowa

2007-09-05T10:47:00.000-04:00

AUNTS ARE AWESOME!

Last week Micah was able to visit with both Aunt Jean and Aunt Laura.

2007-08-20T16:40:00.000-04:00

FEET ARE NEAT!

Micah discovered today that he has toes and that he can reach them. It is the first time we've noticed him doing this. And he has been playing with his feet ALL day (when he isn't napping)! It must be pretty cool to figure out that you have feet! :)

2007-08-15T16:41:00.000-04:00

Four month check-up

Micah is now 14 lbs. 5oz. and 26.5 inches

Micah's weight is right in the middle, and he is in the 95th percentile for height! The doctor said he is "tall and thin" Afterwards we stopped and bought more produce at a farm market right near our place. I stop there twice a week. Must be all the vegetables I'm eating! :)

Micah was very fussy all day yesterday and showed all the classic signs of teething. I was at wit's end and called Dean at work to tell him I would need a break. All my normal tricks and distractions weren't working. Dean (bless his heart!) took him for a walk for an hour, so I attended one of my FAA phone meetings and took a bubble bath. After that I went to sit outside on the patio. I had just settled in and was enjoying the peace, and then I heard the familiar sounds of a screaming baby. Dean came into view, pushing the stroller. He was plodding along, head down, Micah screaming to the hilt. I could hear him all the way across the lawn and the carpart from our 2nd floor apartment.

I am so glad Dean gave me that break. It helped me cope with the rest of the night. Amazingly, Micah went to bed and slept all night. It was like someone hit the reset button. Today he has been much better and he was awesome for our trip to the doctor. Yesterday he wouldn't nap very long, but today he has had a couple of nice long naps. Ahhhh the peace! :)

2007-08-14T16:43:00.000-04:00

Summer Fun

We went swimming in the apartment at our pool. The water was a bit too chilly for Micah, but he liked being there.

Micah, 4 months old, trying his new (to us) exersaucer. He likes it!

2007-08-06T05:02:00.000-04:00

Visiting Grandma & Grandpa V.

Posing with Grandpa & Grandma just before they left for Grandma's 40th high school reunion!

What happens at Grandmas, stays at Grandmas!

Micah visits with Aunt Sassy

Micah with his Grandpa & Mom

2007-08-06T04:52:00.000-04:00

Dean and his Mini-Me

2007-08-05T12:35:00.000-04:00

Micah goes for his first swim!

We sure had a heat wave this past week. My cousin Brenda invited us down to Plainwell to swim in her pool, and that sounded like a great idea! There aren't any pictures of Micah in the pool, but he went in, and didn't cry. We were probably in the water for about a half hour. He seemed to find it quite interesting and he kicked his legs a little bit. He also took a nice nap in his stroller afterwards and I was able to enjoy the water too. It sure was fun to see all the cousins!

Aunt Esther & Brenda

Playing in the pool

Julie & Micah

Grayson

Aunt Esther, Hannah, Eli & Micah

2007-07-31T10:32:00.000-04:00

Cousins!

Micah (age 3 1/2 months) and Noah (age 22 months)

2007-07-31T10:16:00.000-04:00

At the park

Of course, we had an appropriate bib for the occasion!

L to R: Karen & Micah, Wendy, Shiffra, Christy & Laurel

On Saturday Micah hung out with "the girls" at a nearby park. Our friend Laurel was in town from Alabama, so we met up for lunch. We had such a nice visit! The best part (for me!) was that Micah was very well behaved! (Wendy can attest that he can be very difficult in social situations.) He even took a nap in the stroller! It was nice and comfortable in the shade of the big trees at the park. That was a refreshing visit for me.

2007-07-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

Dean runs the Byron Center 5k

Dean did fantastic, especially considering that he had a major head cold. He was able to beat his time from the Reeds Lake Run last month, finishing in 25 min and 19 seconds. Terri DeBoer, WOOD-TV channel 8's meteorologist was the emcee for the event. I couldn't resist taking a picture of her. :) It was a beautiful day for a race, and the weather was perfect.

Left to right: Dean & Micah before the race, Terri DeBoer after the runners started, Dean after the race

2007-07-30T09:39:00.000-04:00

Nap Time

This is how we place him in his crib

This is where we find him when he is waking up

Yep, Micah sleeps on his tummy. He would never sleep for any length of time on his back. One day my mom came over when he was a newborn. I was desperate for some sleep. She put him on his stomach in his basinette and kept him right by her and watched him. Of course, he was just fine, and he slept so well. So did I! After that, I started letting him sleep on his stomach for his naps, and it worked so much better. I agonized about this quite a bit, but then I realized Dean, myself and all of our siblings all survived quite nicely on our stomachs. I even talked to his doctor about it and he stated that because Micah was healthy, breastfeeding, sleeping in our room (at the time), no extra stuff in the basinette, and I was not on any medications, etc. that he would probably be just fine. After that I let the guilt go and we've all slept better. We received a nice side positioner at a baby shower, but by the time I tried it, he didn't want anything to do with that ("just put me on my tummy, thank you!). I think if we have other children I will try having them on their back again, and if it doesn't work, use the side positioner early on so they get accustomed to it.

Just before Micah turned 3 months old we started using his crib, and it went so well, he has never been in the basinette since then! Micah, in general, is not an "easy baby". But on the flip side, he is a very good sleeper! He takes a couple of good naps every day, and during most nights he sleeps 7-8 hours, sometimes even longer! The problem is, mama still wakes up in the middle of the night and feels the need to check on him. :)

2007-07-30T09:28:00.000-04:00

Micah and his Grandpas

2007-07-23T15:18:00.000-04:00

Outside with Micah

We've been trying out a few local parks and trails lately. Micah is really starting to enjoy the outdoors. We take him outside almost every night for a walk. When he starts to get bored (aka "fussy"), Dean entertains him with his own special version of Who Let the Dogs Out! WOOF WOOF! Or we start making our own variations on the book Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do youuuuuuu seeeeee? Ah, but it is nice to be outdoors anyhow!

2007-07-11T12:14:00.000-04:00

Mr. Cute!

2007-07-10T09:34:00.000-04:00

Diane & Nathan's Wedding 7/7/07

Diane & Nathan

On Saturday we went to see "Aunt Diane" get married. Diane and Dean worked at Sam's Club together and have been friends for several years. Dean was an usher at the wedding. Micah wasn't very happy for most of the day, but he cheered up in the evening after taking a long nap in his stroller.

Left to right: Micah and the clown, Diane dancing with her father, Micah visiting with matron-of-honor, Nicky

On Friday afternoon Grandma V. came to babysit Micah while Dean & Karen went to Craig's Cruisers with the bridal party. We had a blast. Dean beat Karen on the go-carts, but Karen beat Dean at laser tag. It was so fun to get away for a couple of hours!

The bride and groom at Craig's Cruisers

The many moods of Micah

2007-07-04T12:26:00.000-04:00

happy & contented

upset

Sleeping

serious

worried

chillin'

silly

Dean's 5k Run

2007-07-04T11:57:00.000-04:00

On Sat. June 30, Dean ran the LaSalle Bank Reeds Lake 5k Run along with 1,408 other participants. He finished in 26 min. and 16 sec. GO DEAN GO!

Micah & Karen went to the race so they could cheer for daddy! Dean might also participate in the Byron Center Run late in July and attempt to beat his time.

Like Father, Like Son

2007-06-22T16:39:00.000-04:00

This is Dean as a baby..................................and this is Micah, 10 wks. old

Maybe we should have named him Dean Junior!

Introduction to our new home-on-the-web

2007-06-22T14:59:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our new home-on-the-web! Here is where you can see the latest pictures of Micah and watch him grow. This first picture was taken on Sunday, June 17. Micah wasn't too happy at that moment! It was a special day for several reasons: First of all, it was our FIRST wedding anniversary! Second, it was Dean's first Father's Day. Third, Dean's family came to visit us and we went to a park for a picnic.