8/52

The image I selected this week for the 52 Project post was taken by my lovely sister Ariel Axsom. We decided to make an impromptu trip to Orlando to visit Tia and Tio Axsom. I'd been wanting to make the trip ever since Micah was born, but at first it proved rather difficult to get away with a little newborn. Then once Micah hit two months, he bizarrely began HATING the car. And when I say hating I mean he would wail and work himself up into such a state that he'd be drenched in sweat from head to toe. Nothing would pacify him. Micah is an abnormally good baby, always cheerful and contented, so when this wave of hating the car began it was a very strange and alarming thing. As most first mothers know, people love to offer advice and informal diagnoses and remedies for these type of situations, but nothing worked. I had his ears checked, and tried all sorts of distractions, music, and much more to try to soothe him in the car, all to no avail. I began praying that it was a phase that would pass as quickly as it sprung upon us. He had loved the car for the first two months of his life... Thankfully, on Wednesday of last week, a glimmer of hope appeared as he didn't cry as we drove to volunteer at our church's youth service that night. As odd as it may sound, there hasn't been one car-ride that he was not completely dissatisfied in, in the last month. So even though it was just a short 15 minute drive in each direction, it was amazing that he seemed to enjoy or at least not be bothered in the car. The next day I decided to test it a bit more and make an hour drive down to visit some family in Wakulla county, and again he did not cry the whole way there or back. After these two consecutive days of him being content in the car, I decided it was now the time to test our fate on the road and attempt Micah's first road trip. Chris, my husband, was out of town so it was just Micah and I and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to up and go. I shared my idea with my mother, and we decided to make the impromptu road trip together with her and my dad! It was rad. Micah was amazing and enjoyable the whole trip there and back. It was a sweet reunion with Auntie Ariel and Uncle Andrew! The adventure was very needed act of spontaneity in my life. I'm on who appreciates doing things unplanned on a whim. It's refreshing. Exciting. Needed. 

So all that to say that these pictures below are a few of the wonderful moments captured from our short "weekend" in Orlando. It was such a wonderful time with my dear sister who I miss very much, and I'm so glad she got some baby snuggles in with my little man.

"A portrait of my son, once a week, every week, in 2014."

This last picture was taken after convincing my dad to pull over the car along I-75 to let my mom and I (with little M) run and take a picture by some wild orange trees that remain in an abandoned, overgrown orange tree orchard. They were beautiful, and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to take a picture with Baby Micah, my wild sweet Florida orange! And I also have to mention how much I love my mom who has always taught me to be an adventurer, and has instilled in me a great appreciation for the beauty in the world around me! She always taught us to stop and soak in and appreciate the beauty of creation and helped develop in me an awe for our awesome Creator. I am so thankful for this sweet, spontaneous, and beautiful weekend.