We can see the universe at two separate age categories. Firstly we can see the extinction of the fireball of hot hydrogen, as recombination occurred, 380,000 years ago. This is but a snapshot, a picture at a specific time. Then there was a 700 million year time period within which the stars and galaxies formed. During this time, the EM waves being given off were in the range of a few millimeter going shorter and shorter until they reached 50 microns at which point our far infrared cameras can begin picking them up, During this "dark age" is when galaxies originated. We can't see it happening, must wait for better instruments. We know what they looked like at 700 million years after the BB, but we don't know how they got there.