12 days

Micah is 12 days old today. The days since his birth have been such a whirlwind of joy and snuggles, breastfeeding woes and sleep deprivation that I'm not yet able to write a coherent post. On Wednesday (his 8th day of life) we celebrated Micah's bris or Jewish circumcision ceremony. The following is the explanation we wrote and read about Micah Amir's name:

Micah Amir is named for his older brother Ezra Malik, born sleeping August 30, 2008, and his paternal grandfather Albert, who passed away June 28, 2009. Micah will grow up knowing of his mighty older brother who got away -- Ezra paved the way for Micah in our hearts and in his mama's womb. Micah will also learn of his grandfather, who, although he did not live to see Micah's birth, took such joy in knowing we had a Sunflower on the way.

Micah, in Hebrew, means 'who resembles G-d?' or 'resembling G-d'. We believe Micah chose this name for himself to remind us that although he may physically resemble his older brother, he reflects a power so much larger in the universe, the power of our love, the power which has guided us on our difficult journey as parents. Micah does not replace Ezra - he is his own special and unique self.

Amir, in Hebrew and Arabic, means 'prince'. We believe Micah chose this name for himself to reflect his dual ethnicities and the value his parents place on the influences of many cultures. We love that his middle name has the same meaning in two languages. Bridging two worlds, we expect our Micah Amir to be a leader, a prince.

Here are some additional photos of our little guy: