Sometimes

Sometimes there are little boy footprints on my freshly mopped and still a little damp floor.

Sometimes there are so many hot wheel cars on the ground that you can no longer see the rug.

Sometimes my son makes me laugh so hard I cry

Sometimes my son tests my patience so much I feel like crying.

Sometimes I wonder how on earth our son can be so smart (then I take a look at his daddy and am reminded that he inherited that mechanical mind and brilliance from him)

Sometimes I find dry cereal smooched on the carpet and little hand prints all over the refrigerator

Sometimes I am asked for more hugs in a single day than I ever thought possible.....I would not change that for a second!

Sometimes I am given an amazing "back rub" by a toy car

Sometimes I look back over the last two years and cannot remember our lives without the Madd-man and wonder what on earth we ever did past 8pm

Sometimes I am certain I do not deserve the love I receive from my two boys

All the time I am certain this is the best life for me

"WEE" Wish You a Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Kalivoda family!!! We hope you all had a blessed day with family and friends and spent time celebrating the birth of our Lord! Our Christmas celebration began Christmas Eve as a family of 3. Santa was aware of Maddox's napping schedule and he visited our house first and had his gifts all ready for him when he woke up from his nap!!! We played for a while with the new toys and books, then ate our Christmas dinner at home, followed by yummy cupcakes and singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. I loved the time we had together, the 3 of us, and the memories and traditions we are attempting to create!

Christmas day we loaded up and spent the day at my mom and Paul's with my Granny (who is out of the hospital by the way and gradually doing better everyday) brother, sis-in-law, Mollie and sister Carol. We had a great time and enjoyed the time with family! Jason, Kameron and Carol built a ginger bread house and let Maddox "help" Maddox loved it and enjoyed sneaking the candy in his mouth before anyone could stop him...he is a fast one I tell ya!!

Maddox and Uncle J and the finished product!

Saturday Brad had to go to work, so Maddox and I spent the day at the house and I was able to put away all of our Christmas decor...it was a sad day, but I must admit, I enjoy having our living room back to "normal"

Sunday we woke up and headed to my dad's house to spend the morning and celebrate our Savior's birth with he and Kelly. We had a nice time and enjoyed more time with family. Sunday evening we headed back to my mom's house because my Aunt Kay and Uncle Jeff from Denton were in town along with my Aunt Karla, Uncle Gary, cousin LaDonna and her boyfriend Robert! It was great to see all of them because we used to spend every Christmas with my mom's family, all our aunts, uncles and cousins when we were little...as we have all grown up and started families of our own it is so much harder for everyone to get together especially around the holidays!

Wow...I am pretty exhausted just after typing all that we did this Christmas season, but we sure had a great time and we look forward to new memories next year, celebrating as a family of 4

"Wee" hope you had a great Christmas as well!!

A little of This, A little of That

I will worn you from the beginning, this post will be a bit random with a little of this, a little of that! Well this has been a pretty eventful week which is pretty obvious through my lack of blogging. Maddox is doing much better from his ear infection and seems to be his normal sweet spirited self these days; although, he was not at all interested in eating today which is VERY unusual for him and he had one super nasty diaper late this evening, so I will be keeping an eye on him to make sure everything is alright. I think he is working on another 2yr molar which would make me not very hungry either.

The most eventful part of this week has been that our sweet Granny has been sick and in the hospital battling chest pains again. They did an angiogram yesterday to take a look at her heart and get a better picture of what is going on....they can see no major blockage this time (she has had several bypass surgeries in the past and currently has a pacemaker) while this is good news, it seems after the angiogram she kept getting sick and throwing up which we all assumed was due to the anesthesia at first but it just did not seem to let up any; therefore, they took a sample to the lab and it shows signs of blood so her GI Dr. is now involved and will do a scope tomorrow to see where she is bleeding. Please keep her in your prayers...bless her sweet little heart she wants to be home for Christmas so badly and we are just praying she can feel back to her normal feisty self really soon.

I cannot believe Christmas Eve is tomorrow....I am so excited to spend time with my family and create memories for a lifetime. Maddox is very interested in baby Jesus and it just melts my heart. The other day at Target he saw all the Christmas trees and lights up and got very excited and said "CHRISTMAS" in his sweet excited voice, I said "yes, isn't it very pretty" and he looked up at me with those serious brown eyes of his and sweetly said "baby Jesus" Oh, I almost burst into tears standing right there in the isle.....my job as a mom was complete in that moment! I am so proud of this little man and continue to be in awe that our Savior came to earth as a precious little baby and I am sure he made Mary and Joseph laugh on a daily basis, just as our little boy does!!

Maddox with Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus...or as we like to call them Kameron, Jason and Mollie

Sweet pic of Maddox and his Tickle Me Elmo that Grandma and Papa Voda gave him.

Oh how serious

Instincts

Well here is a little background information about this past week. I would love to have nice, fun, uplifting things to say about our dear son; unfortunately, Maddox has been outstandingly fussy, and I simply assumed the terrible twos just came up from the ground and slapped us right in the face. He would not listen, had a hard time minding and time out and other consequences have taken up the majority of our time. Yesterday evening I had a breakdown and just started crying...I thought, how on earth am I going to manage this little boy who is testing all of my patience and draining every ounce of energy from me and add another baby to the mix. I know Maddox is strong willed but this is like nothing we have experienced yet. Well, last night, he was up a few times; therefore, I had some time to think and I finally decided to take him to the doctor to just make sure there was not anything medically causing him to act so fussy and disobedient (there were no other clues that he was not feeling well). I am glad I trusted my instincts and took him to the doctor today because he does in fact have an ear infection in his left little ear. I am praying the antibiotics will kick in soon and we will have our listening, obedient, hilarious and strong willed big boy back in no time!!

All Aboard

All aboard!! My mom blessed Maddox and I with the fabulous adventure to the North Pole via the Polar Express. He enjoyed seeing and riding the train, he loved when the crew danced in the aisle, he gobbled up the sugar cookie and sipped on the hot coco with GiGi, he enjoyed picking Santa up from the North Pole and seeing all the Christmas lights....however, his favorite part was the tiny bell Santa gave to him....that stole the show for him as he played and played with that gold shiny bell. In the Polar Express Movie, after giving the little boy a bell, Santa says "This bell is a wonderful symbol of the spirit of Christmas - as am I. Just remember, the true spirit of Christmas lies in your heart" Oh how we long to have fun Christmas traditions and memories with Maddox while most importantly teaching Maddox about the true SPIRIT of Christmas....the tiny baby Jesus!! hank you so much Mom for taking Maddox and I to the North Pole...I hope we can do this as a tradition and I know it is a memory I will cherish for a lifetime!!

GiGi and Maddox getting ready to leave for the North Pole

Momma and Maddox

"The North Pole is that way"

Gazing out the window

"Can Santa make the molars stop hurting me"

Enjoying a cooking with Raffie

Yummy Hot Coco with GiGi

Maddox and Santa and the little gold bell

Playing with the beloved bell

"Gigi, this bell is so much fun"

Jingle Bells Jingle Bells, Jingle All the way!!

Little baby Voda

Do you hear  feel what I feel??? Little baby Voda is kicking, stretching and swimming away in its nice, cozy home my belly and I have to admit it is such a sweet surreal feeling especially the second time around because I am a litttle more aware of the difference in baby movement and weird tummy movements! I am trying to cherish every squirm, kick, punch, and roll  as much as possible because I am well aware that this is probably the last time I will have a little one growing in my belly! The guest room nursery is mostly cleaned out and ready to have a coat or two of paint on the walls (anxiously awaiting to know which colors I will be using) decorations hung, and a beautiful crib and bedding to make this room perfect for the little one that is wiggiling inside me!! Thank you Jesus for this precious gift!

End of an Era

Okay, so let me be honest here...I have not been great at updating our blog mainly for silly reasons....I read a lot of fun blogs and it seems these people I read about always have such creative and articulate ways of updating the day to day things in their lives; however, I have found myself in a slump, I do not feel creative and I don't want to bore those of you who actually read this thing, but if I am being honest with myself, I have to remember this blog is for our family, to keep up with the day to day sometimes not so exciting stuff, and I want to do better at documenting what WE are up to and by WE. I mostly mean Maddox and little baby Voda (aka the DEUCE).

So, let me start with what we did this past week.....hmmmm.....Maddox hit another major milestone in his 23 months of life....he is now sleeping in his big boy bed and is doing marvelously! One evening this week Brad asked him if he wanted to go to bed in his big boy bed and Maddox responded with a simple "OK" so after trying to briefly prepare him that he would not be in his crib and he could not get out of bed until morning, Maddox went to sleep in his bed!! The first night he wanted one of us to lay with him for a little bit and I did for a few minutes, but I did not want him to get used to that so I had to walk out of there and he cried for maybe 30 seconds and we did not hear another sound out of him the rest of the night...until 9am the next morning!!! YIPPPEE!!! We are so so so proud of him....he has been sleeping in the big bed ever since and there is no turning back..in fact, I took the sheet off his crib, washed it and put it away. The crib remains in his room until we can move it into the nursery which is still serving its purpose as a guest room for a little while longer! I have not been a huge crier with major milestones such as crawling, walking, first words, etc.; however, when we moved the rocker out of his room into the nursery and now that he is no longer in his crib I did shed a few tears. I learned to cherish the nights up rocking Maddox as he buried his head into my chest and actually cuddled with me, and I remember all those long nights when Maddox could not sleep in his crib because his poor tummy hurt him so badly. I remember wondering if he would EVER sleep in his crib, then he turned into a fantastic sleeper who loved his crib, he never tried to climb out, and never seemed to be uncomfortable in there. I loved peaking in on him, seeing his little bottom up in the air as he slept soundly in the beautiful crib that I seriously thought would never get any use! Now, when I peak in on him, his little bottom is up in the air, he is turned sideways in his big boy bed and he looks so big and grown up. That was the last of the "baby" he is now my almost 2 year old, running circles around his momma, toddler who is full of energy, spunk, attitude and all things "big boy" While I am sad to see this era end, I am so proud of him and so thankful for such an easy transition from crib to bed!

2 months old, laughing in his crib, but NOT sleeping in his crib yet!!

6 months old, playing in crib

7 months old, sleeping in crib!!

9 months old, standing in crib to greet me after his nap!!

In baby Voda (the DEUCE) news, we had a doctor's appointment on Thursday and we heard the little heart beat for the first time...oh what a precious moment that always is! Everything sounded great, beating at about 140-150 (which is what Maddox's was) and I am measuring around 18 weeks gestation. Our next appointment is January 7th and we will have the big ultrasound where we can hopefully see the sex of this little one! I was a little sad that we have to wait so long, but at least I will be far enough along that there should not be any doubts as to if baby Voda is a boy or a girl....and I am excited that we will have this exciting appointment the day before our first born turns 2!! While we watch an era come to a close in Maddox's world, we are so thankful to have another little one to soon fill this crib and our hearts with joy!!

23 Months Old

Happy 23 months Mr. Maddox!! I cannot believe you will be 2 years old next month, it just blows my mind every time I think about how fast this year has flown by.

23 things you are doing at 23 months:

-Speaking much more clearly (to your mommy at least....a lot of people still need me as your interpreter until they are around you a little longer to decipher what you are saying) and you are beginning to say complete sentences at times

-You can tell me what you want/need very easily

-You can count to 10 on a regular basis (although, we are still trying to find out where the number 4 has gone, you skip that number every single time!! hahah)

-You know many of your letters and point them out on anything you see

-You still love your sweet "Raffie" (your lovie) and you want to teach him to do all the things you can do...eat, take a bath, go "night night", read a book, give kisses....it is precious!

-You love to wrestle with daddy when he gets home

-You are very very strong and can pick up things we never imagined you would be able to carry

-You are so smart and figure things out so quickly (I know I am going to be asking you how to fix things in the very near future...you are very mechanically minded just like your daddy)

-You love Elmo and can point him out in random movies (the other night we were watch "Elf" and they had an Elmo doll in the toy store and you saw it and got very excited)

-You follow directions very well (when YOU want to) You will put your shoes up and your dirty clothes in the hamper in your room...you also get a diaper for me and put your wipes back in the drawer when I am throwing away your diaper

-You LOVE music...any music, you can drum to the beat and will change immediately when the music changes...you have very good rhythm

-You have mastered the "stink eye" or the "what are you wanting me to do look" and you do this every chance you can (as seen in the beginning of the Letter Video posted a few weeks ago)

-You love to play with footballs, bouncy balls, squishy balls, anything that remotely looks like a ball...you love to throw it, kick it and chase after it. You are getting a pretty good arm on ya!!

-You like to help mommy do anything...cook, clean, laundry (sometimes you are more helpful unfolding the laundry than folding it, but I know it is the thought that counts:) )

-You are developing a very sensitive heart and you can easily get your feelings hurt when you get in trouble or you cannot have what you are wanting (I know you got this one from your mommy)

-You know your colors and point them out in your cereal, on a sign, in the car...anywhere!! You know that the red light means "stop" and the green light means "go"

-You are still a very good eater, although you are getting a little more picky and you are doing very well at feeding yourself. You hate to have food on your hands and say "Yucky" when your hands are dirty

-You love to imitate daddy....the other day you went and got your toy laptop and put it up on the table, climbed in the chair where daddy usually sits and "worked" on your laptop, just like daddy!!.....you looked so grown up!

-You enjoy making us smile and you are very good at making us laugh

-You still love Nemo and any fish for that matter

-You are working very hard on your 2 year molars and boy those chompers are huge back there

-You have turned into a very good sleeper.....last night you went to bed at 8pm and woke up this morning at 10am....it was amazing! (I hope I did not jinx myself just now)

-You love to read story after story and we will sometimes find you in your room sitting on your bed reading to Raffie....you are such a big boy!!


We are so proud of you Mr. Maddox!

Here is proof of the "stink eye"from the little stinker himself!

Through the Eyes of the Curious

All is quiet in the Kalivoda house. Brad is putting Maddox to bed, the Christmas tree is glowing in the corner, the warmth of the heater is blowing and the feel of the Christmas Season is upon us. I love this time of year, the colder weather, the beautiful Christmas lights, the smell of Cinnamon, the red and green decorations.....however, this Christmas Season I am already learning a lot about seeing the season through the eyes of the curious...the eyes of our sweet Maddox. When he sees a Christmas tree, anywhere, he points it out and stares for a minute and says "BIG" (even if it is a small tree). While driving around he loudly and so excitedly points out every house, building or tree that has Christmas lights beautifully glowing ....constantly asking for "one more". I love to watch him get excited about the "frilly" parts of the Christmas Season...and I am even more excited to watch him get excited about the TRUE parts of Christmas....the tiny baby lying in a manger who came to live a life to die for us and rescue his children!! He is constantly asking us to read him his "Jesus Book" and sits so quietly and amazed as we read him story after story about our Lord and Savior!! It truly is the most amazing thing I have every experienced to watch through the eyes of our child, see what he sees and how exciting Christmas truly is! It is absolutely impossible to not get in the spirit of things while having a little one point out how beautiful this time of year is.

Thank you my sweet sweet boy for being so honest, genuine, curious, observant and excited to see all the beautiful things around you...and thank you for constantly sharing those new discoveries with me. You are constantly teaching me, your mommy, new things and for that I am forever thankful....you continue to provide more and more happiness to our lives everyday!!!