More Pics....

Looking at Wahooz

Playing Wac-A-Mole

I don't Know

I don't know again

Wac-A-Mole

Bath Time...

I LOVE BATH TIME

Michael's First Birthday Pics and Video

Michael All Tuckered Out After His Party

Michael's Personal Cake

Everyone else's cake

Birthday Boy

Balloon Fun

Michael and Mommy

Gimme Five

Cake... Yum...

PlayPlace Fun (But ONLY If Mom Is There)

Life is Amazing....

Well a year has come and gone and it's been so busy in our lives. Michael celebrated his first birthday on June 6 at Wahooz. He was adorable! We chose that place so that the little one could play in their big play place, but Michael was too scared to go through alone, so he just walked around and talked to everyone and flirted with another mom. When it came time for cake, he had no idea what to do so he just fussed a bit and eventually put some frosting in my face. Lol. He is now walking all over, he has started mimicking everyone (he clacks his toungue, he can twist his toungue from side to side, he wa-wa's like an indian, and he puts both hands up like he's saying "I don't know" or out in front of him with his palms up to say "All gone"). He truly is such a blessing and an amazing little guy. He is learning so much and truly coming into his own funny little personality. It's scary how fast this year has gone and I can only imagine how much faster the rest of the years will go. I wish I could hit the slow button on life to enjoy each stage a little more. I could never have imagined feeling more love than anyone could describe or the joy that moves me to tears when he goes to kiss me and hug me. No one can prepare you for the tremendous amount of work that comes with being a parent, and no one can prepare you for the amount of love and joy that will fill your life from that moment forward.

A poem I found that fits so well....

My Son Grows Up

author: unknown

Life is fleeting, years rush past...

and little boys grow up so fast!

Let me take time out to be

thankful mine is still here with me.

And though I'm busy through the day,

let me take time out to play...

Let me take time out to smile,

to sit with him for just a while...

Let me take time out for walks,

for swings and sports and quiet talks,

for sharing giggles, tickles, and hugs,

for patching knees and catching bugs...

for running races, climbing trees,

for helping with his A - B - C's...

For hatching plots and planning schemes,

for listening to his thoughts and dreams.

Let me tuck him in at night,

hear his prayers, turn off the light.

And when my busy day is done,

let me thank God I have a son.

Michael's First Birthday!

Wow, one whole year gone just like that. Our beautiful baby boy is one today, 20.4lbs, and 30inches long (he had his one year well baby check up this morning so we know for sure, lol). He doesn't weigh much (he's only in the 20%), but he's VERY active and he's in the 75% margin in height. He's amazing! He's so happy and sweet and he's completely loveable and irrisistable! He isn't completely walking yet, but when he does, he is so proud of himself that he claps and giggles and it just melts your heart. To celebrate his first year, we went to the zoo today with Grandma Citton and had a fun filled, spoiled kind of day. He was so excited about the animals. His favorites were the Meerkats, where they were all lounging and playing and one was interacting with Michael right up by the glass. He also got SUPER excited about the serval who was pacing back and forth right up at the front of his exhibit, so excited that he was trying to pull himself out of the stroller. He got to get up close to the lions who were lounging in the shade right by the glass, and he was spoiled by Grandma in the gift shop. He had a very busy day today, but a lot of fun. It's so hard to believe that one year has come and gone so quickly. It's almost scary how fast it has gone and I feel like I haven't had enough time to enjoy each moment, but I am also loving the moment we are in and excited for all that is to come. He was also spoiled by Uncle Daniel, Aunt Heather, and cousin Karmen yesterday. Daniel can't be at his party on Saturday so they gave Michael his gifts yesterday and he was given a neat numbers book, an adorable crab swim robe and swim trunks, some sweet baseball shoes and adidas socks, his first baseball bat, a couple of adorable shirts, and an amazing castle jumper that inflates and creates a safe and soft play area and jumper. He hasn't even had his party and he's already being spoiled. :) What a lucky little man he is. We are sad to see one year gone, but we look forward to each moment we will get to experience with Michael in each year to come and we know that life is precious and to enjoy each day as it comes and not take anything for granted.

Life Moves So Quickly!

What a year this has been. Michael turns one tomorrow and the changes he has gone through and the growth he has experienced, is absolutely amazing. He has gone from a tiny, helpless, quiet, 7lb baby boy to a walking, talking, playful, and sweet toddler. Life has begun moving so quicklyh, that I wish I had more time to enjoy the now moments before they move on. I feel like each month is only a second of time and it goes much too fast. Before being a mom, I felt like time moved too slow, but now I feel like I'm struggling to slow it down. Michael has become a truly amazing little man. His smile melts hearts, his kisses warm your soul, when he says your name it brings tears to your eyes, and his laugh brightens the world. He is the greatest gift we could have ever been given and he has brought so much more meaning to our lives. Being a mom has been amazing. It's so much harder than I ever thought, but it has taught me so much. I have learned selflessness, how to enjoy the small things, to appreciate the small wonders of this world, how to grow up and to be responsible, and what true love really is. My baby boy is just growing too fast.

Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing women out there! This is my first Mother's Day and it feels so special. Unlike a birthday or Christmas, this is a holiday dedicated to the hard work and self-sacrifice that all parents go through. I found this amazing poem that fits perfectly:

A Mother's Love

By Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's love is something that no on can explain,

It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain,

It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy it or take that love away . . .

It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,

And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking . . .

It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beautyof the rarest, brightest gems . . .

It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation . . .

A many splendoured miracle man cannot understand

And another wondrous evidence of God's tender guiding hand.

This poem is so true and I know every mom feels this way. You can't descibe how completely in love you fall in with your child. The love is so intense and overwhelming that you would do anything to make sure that your child is happy, healthy, and has all the support and love he could ever need or want. You set aside your own desires and needs to make sure that your child's needs are taken care of first. You lose sleep every night for the first year, you spend countless hours just holding and taking your child in. You cry inside when they cry outside and when they are in pain or not feeling well, you desperately wish you could take their place and take away their pain. And when your baby looks into your eyes and takes your finger in his tiny hand, your heart just melts and you are so overcome with love that your eyes begin to tear up. It is truly indescribable and truly amazing and I feel so blessed to be in this role as a mom and I have learned so much. My life is truly blessed just by having my little man in my life.

Happy Mother's Day! Relax, enjoy, and focus on you for one day out of the year, you deserve it!

A Snapshot of Life....

Life moves too quickly. Our little boy started walking today. He's not quite to the point where he walks everywhere, but he can get to and from whatever point he desires as long as he stays focused. He's so adorable! He even claps while he walks as if to say, "I'm doing such a good job, I'll cheer for me too!". Before we know it, he will be in preschool, kindergarten, junior high and high school. He is such an amazing little man. He brings a whole new light to our lives and a new meaning and purpose. We are no longer able to be self-centered and put our wants first. Now we WANT to provide for him first to ensure that he will have a great life full of happiness and closeness. We will always be here for our little man. Only one more month, and he will be one year old. We may not have all the bells and whistles and all the fancy things that life can provide, but we do have love and laughter. Wow, life just moves too fast. But we are loving every second of the ride!

Life is too short. One moment you are being told you have your whole life ahead of you and the next, it is quickly spinning on by. I feel this way about a lot of things, but mostly as a mother. In only one more month, my beautiful baby boy will be one year old. We have gone from quiet and helpless newborn to crawling to talking and much more. He is now on the brink of walking and he has such a fun little personality. He says "mama", "dada", "ba-ba", "nana", and "hi". His smile and giggles can light up an entire room and when he tugs at my pant leg saying "mama" only to hug and kiss me or cuddle me once I pick him up, truly means the world to me. Things seem to be moving so quickly. In just this last week, Michael took his first two unassisted steps, he said "mama" and "nana", he ate an entire grilled cheese sandwich in one sitting, and he just amazes me more and more every day. I have seen many people come and go in this life and that's just part of life. I know that each moment needs to be cherished because you never know when your last day will come. I just truly hope that I can leavce my mark on this world through what I pass on as a mother. Michael has become my life and I am so grateful for every moment I have with him. I am so excited for the future, but I just hope life slows down just a little so I can enjoy and savor the present.

Life is so amazing as a mom. Tonight, I was nearly moved to tears, just by holding Michael. We got the "Ultimate Lullaby Collection" which is a collecion of 4 CD's (Classical Music, Traditional Lullabies, Mommy's Lullabies, and Daddy's Lullaby's) that has a lyric book and prayer cards for each song. I loaded the first CD onto our laptop and when it began playing, it had the little music screen that is like a light show where it just has lines and shapes that dance to the music. Well, we were cuddled up under a super soft blanket in our jammies and we watched the "show" as I sang along with the lullabies and the look on Michael's face was magic. He was in awe, relaxed, and happy. It was such an amazing thing to see how perfectly content he was in my arms as we just cuddled and sang. There were points where he would just look at me for a minute as if to say "I love you mom, and I love being here with you". It just melted my heart. In all actuality, I had a really hard day at work, I was rushed and stressed for time to get him and me out the door on time, and then I had a rough day at work because of some really rude patients and I wasn't feeling well. It took just those few moments to make my day perfect. It's those moments that make the stress, the crying, the runny noses and dirty diapers, the constant run around, and the stress and chaos of motherhood worth every second. It's so hard to describe the feeling to anyone who doesn't have children of their own, but the intensiy of how much you really just LOVE everything about your child is beyond description. It still amazes me how just a look can make my heart melt, how everytime I talk about him or when he pulls at my leg to be held just brings tears of happiness to my eyes, how I could hold him for hours and just watch him sleep, how all I dream about is his happiness and how all I want to do is to be the best mother I can and give him the best life possible. I want to be there for every one of his tears, giggles, hugs, smiles, and steps in life. I am truly his biggest fan and I hope that above all else that he will experience in this world, that he understands and KNOWS that the only person who can possibly love him more than me and his daddy do, that it's God. And like God, we will never stop loving him and never stop believing in him. He is our little angel. He is my world, my life, and my happiness.

This week has been a pretty average week. Nothing too exciting. Michael is growing so much everyday and it's truly amazingly. He's learned how to walk around by holding onto walls, the entertainment center, and even the walls. He's starting to get up on his back legs as he crawls so I think he's not far from the real thing. Look out world, here comes Michael. As I see him growing and constantly learning, I start to think about the things he will face and the things he will learn. As he grows, I hope that the few things he can carry with him closest are that he is loved and that our love for him will never change. We will love him no matter how many times we have to discipline him, no matter how many arguments we will have in our future, and no matter how much he hates us as a teenager. No matter what we go through, he is truly our priority, our life, our world and we love him more than we could EVER describe. I hope he knows that there are hard times in life, but that as long as he can let us help and be strong, with family and faith, he will get through anything and life will always get better. I hope he carries a strong faith and knows that God has a plan for him and that he can do great things with His help and love. My grandma used to always tell me that if you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. And I hope he believes this as much as I do. Finally, I hope he learns to ALWAYS believe and dream. He can be anything and do anything. He can truly reach the stars and travel the world. I hope he dreams and dreams big and that no one will ever take these dreams away. With the smallest idea and hope, he can create a magnificent legacy. There are so many people who are proof of this and I hope that he can truly see how the smallest things can become great and leave their mark on this world for an eternity. It's amazing how much you truly love and feel for your child. It's indescribable. I have learned and grown so much and I look forward to years and a lifetime of loving and teaching and experiencing life with our son. We have so many hopes and dreams that will now be filled as a family. We will create a lifetime of love, happiness, dreams, hope, faith, and fun. We may not ever be rich or famous or even do extraordinary things, but we can be the best parents we can be and provide a stimulating and nurturing environment and give the best we can to Michael. And may we all ALWAYS remember the mustard seed.

Mr. and Mrs. Geisel

Just married

So in love


Saying our vows

A fairytale wedding...

So I was going through our wedding photos and they always make me so happy. We were married at the Bali Hai Golf Resort in Vegas because we wanted a "tropical" wedding that our families could be able to go to. So we chose Vegas where we enjoyed massive palm trees, white sand, 70 degree weather, and some of our closest family was able to attend. I walked down the aisle to "From This Moment" by Shania Twain, "Bridge of Dreams" played during our ceremony, and we kissed and ended the ceremony to Bryan Adams "Everything I Do, I Do It For You". It was truly amazing. We stayed in different hotel rooms the night before the wedding and we didn't see each other until I was walking down the aisle. It was breathtaking the moment I saw him standing at the alter waiting for me. The entire cermony was absolutely perfect. I still get butterflies thinking about it. From the dress to the dinner, it went perfect. And walking through the Vegas hotels and casinos in a wedding dress was a blast! I felt like a movie star. We were getting our pictures taken by random people and strangers were giving us hugs congratulating us. It was definitely MY perfect wedding. :) And as a result of our perfect wedding, we brought our beautiful baby boy into this world. Life is stressful, but it's great and it's wonderful.

Life is going great. Michael is sure starting to cruise. I can't turn my back for even a moment without him getting into something. He's adorable though. He loves to sit on the bottom of our entertainment tower and hit his stacking ring on the column. He also started playing peek-a-boo this week by putting his book above his head then putting in his lap real quick. He doesn't always hide his face, but it's absolutely adorable. He also starting dancing. We have a little ride-on car with three buttons that each play a different song. He crawled to it and kneeled beside and then pushed a button and started dancing. I have never seen him do that and my heart just melted! He's a ball of fun and a whole lot of personality. When he looks at me and smiles, there is just nothing better than that. When he giggles, I can't help but to laugh. When he cries, it tears apart my heart. And when he holds my neck as I'm holding him or he crawls to me to be held, I feel so much love for him that it's overwhelming in a wonderful way. He truly is our pride and joy and such a blessing to us. He's just amazing.

Last night, Mike's sister and her fiancee came into town so we have been hanging out with them. It's been a blast for them to see how big Michael is getting just in the short amount of time since they saw him last. We woke up, got ready, and went to the mall and breakfast with everyone then we went back to Mike's mom's house for some karaoke, Guitar Hero, and Scene It on the Xbox 360. Michael was having fun dancing along with all the music and playing with the whole family. We did wear him out a couple of times today though. Having a baby sure is a lot of work, but the magic of being a parent and watching your child give kisses and high fives or smile and giggle is a joy and love that is indescribable and so amazing. We had our first bad restaraunt experience today at breakfast. Michael was tired so he threw his puffs snacks all over the floor and he started getting fussy. But luckily between me, Mike, Ann, Stephanie, and Mike (Stephanie's fiancee), we were able to keep him occupied with some jam, spoons, and french toast. We have learned a valuable experience: no sit down restaraunts when your baby is tired. Lol. I know we have thousands of lessons to learn and parenting and I look forward to each challenge. I know that in working together, Mike and I will conquer each one. Well, we'd better get back to some Guitar Hero! I posted some of our pictures from today. The first photo is Michael taking a nap after a long day of fun and play, we have a picture of his adorable faux hawk that Aunt Stephanie gave him, and then finally is Michael after his morning bath in his ducky robe.

Our Sweet Little Boy

We were up early today and so we decided to make a trip to visit grandpa Mark at work this morning. Michael was such a flirt. This little boy is going to be trouble someday. He was showing off his high fives, his bright brown eyes, his two little front teeth, and his amazing little smile. He is such a doll and he is definitely the star of the show wherever we go. He truly is so beautiful inside and out and he teaches me so much every day. Sure, he test my patience some days, but he's such a great little guy and I just can't believe how lucky we are to have him. I look forward to many fun years with him and watching him grow. It's been an amazing road so far, and I know it will only get better.

Photos..

Daddy and Michael

Michael in his Halloween Costume (2008)
Michael first meets Santa (2008)