All about Michael

Here is Mike being "fatherly" with Taylor (Just kidding about the "fatherly," he is a great dad!). Yes, she is holding her butt and that is what they are talking about because she hurt it. And the monkey in the background looks like she is getting ready to tackle someone.

Okay so my post today is going to be all about my husband for 3 reasons. 1) I never really post anything about the wonderful man I married, 2) His birthday is coming up and I don't know what to get him (looking for suggestions based on what I tell you about him), and 3) I found a blog of someone who lost her husband way to early. We did have a scare a little over a year ago, but it didn't impact me as much as it did him. I wasn't the one going to be left behind to pick up the pieces, he would have been.

Okay, so I'll tell you the story of Mike and I. It's not the story I wish it was, but we all go in directions we would rather have back to do over. Mike and I met in March of 2003. We worked together. I had met his dad before him because he was my boss and apparently Mike had gone on military leave. After breaking his ankle pretty bad, he was discharged from the Marines and returned to work. In the meantime, I had been hired there and knew nothing of this "Michael" character except that he was super nice and helpful, according to the 40 something's women I worked with. I met him the day he came back to work and he worked along side of me. He was nice, had absolutely gorgeous eyes and was nicely built. He was very attractive. How come nobody had mentioned that part to me? Well, we started hanging out, mostly going to bars after work and stuff and then one day, we went to the movies just him and I. It was kinda weird, but I thought I was hot stuff cuz he chose to go to the movies with me not the other girls we worked with. In hindsight, he was really shy and he and I talked all the time because we worked side by side. It had nothing to do with me, it had to do with him not wanting to venture out of his comfort zone and anybody who knows me knows I am in no way shy.

March through June flew by and then July was here. Apparently, some time during that month we made a baby because toward the middle of August I started feeling really sick and thought I had the flu. I was talking to a friend of mine about my symptoms and she said, "you're pregnant, I knew it!" "Take a test, come over, I'll go get the test," all of this was said frantically and running together. It was 11:30 p.m. and I didn't feel good so I declined and told her I would take one tomorrow and let her know. I did and the second I peed on that stick it said I was pregnant, so naturally I thought it must have been wrong because nothing changes that quickly and Mike and I are still newly in this relationship thing. So I took 2 more, all pregnant. I had to tell Mike, my parents (who were going to kill me) and other people I didn't really want to tell. I told Mike first. He was scared and clueless and I would have loved to been able to hear what was going on in his head. Then I told my mom and asked her to tell my father because I was certain he really would kill me. My mom wasn't happy and she was definitely disappointed, but she tried to hide it well. I avoided my dad for days. If I knew he'd be home, I found somewhere else to be and if he wasn't, I went home then to shower and sleep. I don't know if I have been that afraid of him ever before in my life. I ran into him at my cousins house and he came outside. He hugged me and said I won't kill you if you promise me one thing, you won't marry him because you are pregnant. If you love him, marry him, if you don't, don't.

The time of pregnancy was long, much like this post, and we had our good and bad times. I changed my number in an effort for him to leave me alone. Girls, the hormones were going wild and people were telling him she wasn't his. And, he was believing them, what was I to do? Well, obviously we ended up getting back together because we are married today. Things came and went, we had a beautiful baby girl, we were engaged and in love. We got married April 2, 2005, Taylor was 11 1/2 months old. It was great, went by way too fast for all the planning we had done, but that's how it is.

In August of 2005, we bought a house and in November, he did the unthinkable. I kicked him out, I let him come back home and surprise, I'm pregnant with number two. We found out the day he came home. Welcome home? We went on to fix our relationship, I got into that horrible accident and now life is back to "normal" without being able to do too much because of my "piece of crap" knee, as it has come to be known as. We have had ups, downs, and in betweens, but I probably couldn't be any happier with anyone else right now. I love spending time as a family and as a couple. I hope we have many years together ahead of us. That is the story of Michael and myself in a very small nutshell.

Okay, now, my husband is into working out, the Cleveland Browns, Cavs, and Indians and he loves to watch Ohio State football. I have gotten him Cavs tickets two years that we have been together and his father got him tickets the year I was pregnant with Taylor so I think Cavs tickets would be predictable. I don't want to get him Browns tickets because then I'd have to go and not only am I not into NFL football, it's cold and I don't want to go and freeze to watch something that I didn't want to watch in the first place. Good luck getting Indians tickets and his b-day isn't until November anyways. I would love to get OSU - Michigan tickets, but they play in Michigan so more expenses and tickets start at $250. We are not made of money. We do not have that laying around to just get them. He wants a bowflex, but no for two reasons: 1) money and 2) we have nowhere to put it.

So, my question to you, What to get Mike for his birthday? Any suggestions would help a lot, so let me have it. Thanks!