The young man who started it all hit another big milestone this week–he turned three-years-old! Birthdays are always a good opportunity for reflection, and looking back at where life has taken us since Micah’s birth—from medicine to mommying, from Illinois to North Carolina, from one to two kids—I can only thank God for it all. It’s amazing how much can happen in just three years! Micah has been one of our greatest blessings, and it has truly been a pleasure to go through all these changes alongside him.
We wanted to make his birthday extra special, despite not being able to leave the house. Between the pandemic and having a 7-month-old at home, leaving the house was pretty much a no-go, so we had to get really creative. We needed an idea that would allow us to create a fun atmosphere, would be something out of the norm for him, and would allow us to keep an eye on Ella the entire time. Our solution? Camping in the backyard!
We started the day with Micah’s favorite breakfast—Fried dumplings and ackee, a traditional dish from Jamaica, which is the country our family is from. This kid is a true lover of all food, but especially Jamaican food. And of course, in true Micah style, the meal was ended with a cup of peppermint tea 😂.
After breakfast, Micah helped me make his birthday cake. It was a great opportunity to involve him in the kitchen, and it gave him something to look forward to—eating it, that is. Did I mention this kid loves food? 😂
Then, it was off to swimming lessons with dad, and a special lunch date for pizza afterward. I try to make sure most of his meals are whole foods and plant-based, so this was a special treat, and doing so with dad made it extra special!
After a nap and some playtime, it was time for dinner. When we finished, we sang “Happy Birthday,” and cut Micah’s cake that he worked so hard to make. Then we shared the news of what we would be up to for the night. He was so excited, he could barely contain himself. He kept repeating the same thing, over and over again. “We’re going outside in the tent, we’re going outside in the tent!” It was totally adorable and hilarious all in one. 😂
While I put Ella to bed, Micah and DJ got our campsite ready. Since it was supposed to rain that night, we decided to set things up inside our screened in porch, just in case the rain made it difficult for Micah to sleep. As it turned out, that made no difference anyway. This kiddo was so excited that even after putting him to bed around 11 PM (we stayed up for a movie), he was still awake! He pretty much kept waking up off and on until around 6 AM, when we finally brought him inside to his own bed.
Needless to say, we were total zombies the next day, but Micah had an absolute blast, and hasn’t stopped talking about his birthday since. So, all-in-all, his pandemic/having a baby sister-style birthday was a success! And speaking of which, Ella did awesome as well. She slept like a dream (too bad we can’t say the same 😂), and we were able to keep an eye on her the entire time, using the monitor in the tent 😀.
