We're Back

Well hello all!! We are back on dry land and attempting to get our "land-legs" under us!!! We had a wonderful cruise and enjoyed the great time with our friends and each other!!! Our favorite part was not HAVING to do anything! We went scuba diving in Grand-Cayman, swam with dolphins in Cozumel and enjoyed many fancy dinners with more forks than we knew what to do with. Thank you hurricane Faye for not heading our way while we were cruising on the open ocean....the water was great and we had a very relaxing time!!!
Thank you Brad, Sarah, Dusty, Shae and Andrea for a trip I will never forget!!
Thank you Mom, Jason, Carol, Granny and Paul for taking such great care of Maddox for us while we were away basking in the sun. We were definitely able to sit back and relax knowing that our little man was in wonderful hands!!! (We missed him more than we knew was physically possible, but we were never once worried about him....Thank you guys for your kindness and your love you have for the Mad-man)

This week has been good....just adjusting back to the "real-world" and getting our routine figured out once again. Maddox has not been a huge fan of napping or sleeping at night...but I simply chalk it up to the fact that he missed me so much and he just wants to see me more..hehee!!! We have officially named this week, the week we get Maddox to sleep through the night...no more night-time feedings (this technically should have been done months ago) We are having to do the cry-it-out method and let him discover a way to self-soothe himself back to sleep. Goodness, it is so hard for me to hear him cry like that...he gets so worked up and I desperately want to give into him; however, I know in the long run it will definitely be worth it (we will ALL sleep better once he sleeps through the night)

Well, there is the quick update for ya...Brad's parents are in town this weekend!! We are super excited to spend time with them!! I will post pictures later!!!

Safe and Sound

Dear Maddox,

Can’t believe you’re here now, tiny dream come true! The answer to a prayer now, I'm so in love with you. Couldn't wait to meet you, hope you like your name. I get the funny feeling life will never be the same. Safe and sound, you're here with me now...like I hoped you'd be. Safe and sound, you're here with me now...and that's all I'll ever need.
The world's a scary place here, but Maddox, it's alright. I'll make sure the coast is clear, so you can just sleep tight. But if you're afraid of monsters (like everybody is) I'll be right beside you, closer than a kiss. Safe and sound, I'm here with you now. And you'll always be safe and sound. I'm here with you now and that's all you'll ever need.
Someday I'm gonna teach you, the reason why we pray. So that heaven's love may reach you every single day. So, Maddox close your eyes now and say a prayer with me. Lord, I lay me down to sleep now.
But I know I will be safe and sound. YOU'RE here with us now, and we will always be safe and sound. You're here with us now and that's all we'll ever, all we'll ever need. YOU'RE all we'll ever need!!!
(a song by Matthew West)





That is my hearts desire to create a place for Maddox to live that he knows he is always safe, loved and prayed for. I pray for the day when Maddox knows our God as his Lord and Savior.






Maddox watching the pretty rain storm!!

"Hey mom!!!"

Grammy reading to Maddox

Auntie Sarah loving on Maddox and reading him his bedtime story!!! (thank you Sarah for loving Maddox as if he were your own. You are such a blessing to the Kalivoda's)

Maddox playing in his bed like a big boy

Wow...we have a 7 month old!! I cannot believe he is already so big....I just want to freeze time and remember every ounce of life right now. It is amazing to watch Maddox grow and discover this strange world around him.....my squirmy, vocal, into everything little man!!!
Some statistics on our little (big) man
Weight: 22 pounds 15 ounces (97th percentile)
Height: 28 inches (90th percentile)
Head Circumference: 19 inches (off the chart...for all those brains)
We have a BIG boy in the house....which cracks us up everyday because for those of you who know Brad and I you know we are not "big" people...we are short and petite... Oh the arm muscles I am getting!!!

Today was a monumental day....Maddox said "DADA" for the first time...AND Brad was home for lunch when it happened!!! Maddox is so funny when he starts babbling because he squints his little eyes and gets the funniest facial expressions!!! Brad and I were laughing so hard we both had tears in our eyes!!!

Here is the video:

more to come

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Oh how blessed we are! I am in awe everyday that the Lord would bless us with such an amazing child. His smile brightens my day and lifts my spirits each and every time! His sweet giggle melts my heart and I constantly try anything and attempt even the most goofiest of faces to make the little-man laugh!

Just a little update on the Madd-man, he is teething like crazy, but we are still toothless and have very swollen gums!! He is trying harder and harder everyday to learn to crawl, he is getting so close (I am scared that Brad and I will be on our cruise when our little one learns to "cruse" I so don't want to miss that milestone in his life....) I love to watch the determination in his eyes, he tries and tries and tries again to reach for things and wiggle his way to whatever he thinks he needs at the moment. I do wish that I had half of the determination he has, and I pray I can find a way to encourage that determination with everything he attempts in life!

My favorite time of day is still the 5am feeding...(as crazy as that sounds because a full nights sleep sounds heavenly) but at 5am he eats and cuddles with me!!! I just love to watch him finish that bottle and then bury his head on my chest. Melts my heart.

These next two weeks are going to be a bit crazy in the 'Voda house. Next Monday Maddox has a doctors appointment accompanied by more shots, so that should make that week very "fun" for all of us...poor baby. While that is going on I will be packing for Brad and I to go on our cruise and packing for the Madd-man to stay with family for 9 days (OH MY GOSH, I cannot believe I am leaving him for that long....I am very excited to have a "grown-up" trip, but we are sure going to miss those chubby cheeks)

So, last night, during our usually night time routine, I was reading Maddox a book "On the Night You Were Born" and the first page has the Bible verse "For you are fearfully and wonderfully made..." I have heard this Bible verse thousands of times, but last night it really got me thinking about how perfectly planned God had Maddox. Maddox was fearfully, delicately, perfectly and wonderfully made by our GOD!!! There was no accident, it didn't just "happen" God planned out every tiny detail of our sweet baby boy and he gently and perfectly created him in HIS image to grow to Love and serve the Lord with all of his heart and soul. I am just so thankful that God took so much time in creating our little boy.