Silly Boy

Well, it was a little sad this evening watching the Olympic games come to a close...we have really enjoyed watching and cheering on team USA. Brad and I were talking about the next time the winter Olympic's are on Maddox will be 6 (in school) and Paxton will be 4.....oh my goodness...this "fact" made me a little teary eyed....I don't even want to start thinking about our little man in school!!!

We had a great weekend...relatively uneventful, but full of fun as a family of 3. Here are a couple highlights from today that I wanted to document for our own memories:
This morning when we went to pick Maddox up from the nursery at church, I asked one of the workers if how he did. The man I was speaking too started laughing and said "I guess he has watched you put make-up on before, because we were doing a project with cotton balls and glue, and he smeared the cotton balls all over his cheeks like he was putting on make-up." Hahha...oh silly boy...and for the record, this is GiGi's doing because she lets him sit in her lap and play when she puts on her make up (sure, he usually ends up using one of her make-up brushes as a gun....but Brad was not too excited to find out this fun fact). Oh silly Maddox! We have also decided we need to make sure and ask his teachers at church what they discussed that day, so we can figure out what Maddox is trying to tell us. When we asked Maddox what he learned today he said "Shhhh....Jesus go night night.....CRASH.....BOOM" hahhah.....I tried to fill in the blanks and perhaps they discussed when Jesus rose from the grave....hmmm...I really just don't know...but Maddox sure did enjoy it!!

This evening, when I was getting Maddox ready for his bath, he was running around in his diaper for a little while. He looked down, saw his bare belly and said "Hi Paxton! Whatcha doin" hahah...he thought baby brother was in HIS belly!! Too cute!!

On a not so exciting note, I have had some pretty good contractions this weekend (bummer) and I have had to take a lot of my medicine; thus making me feel wired and jittery! I am praying things start to relax here pretty quickly....this medince is about to drive me crazy and my heart just worries for sweet baby Paxton! I know the Lord is in control....everything with the baby is fine and healthy and the medicine does what it is supposed to....keep this little man safe and growing for as long as possible!!

Random

Last week my mom celebrated her birthday, unfortunately Maddox was still so ill with RSV that we were not able to attend the big birthday celebration; therefore, Maddox and I brought her breakfast the morning of her birthday and wished her a happy day!! I tried to get a video of Maddox telling her "Happy Birthday" but I did not have much luck...here is the best I got mom...sorry! hahah!!

Happy Birthday GiGi

Also, last week Maddox and I were blessed with a great visit from my great friend Sarah. She came down and stayed with us Saturday evening and we were super sad to see her leave Sunday (our hubbies were out of town hunting, so we had some good girl chats and she helped me take care of the Madd-man). I love when Sarah comes to visit, but it sure does make me miss her even more when she leaves! Love ya sweet Sarah!! (Maddox still asks where you are and reminds me that Dusty was out of town with Daddy...he makes sure I am aware of this on a daily basis..hahah)

And finally, last night we had the opportunity to eat dinner with our good friends Jason, Tara and their little boy Spencer. Maddox and Spencer have become great friends and they often ask about each other throughout the week. It is so much fun to watch the two of them interact, mimic and laugh with each other. They are two silly boys and I am so happy they are friends (Tara and I have been friends since the 8th grade and it is still hard for me to believe OUR kids are now hanging out...boy how things have changed since the 8th grade..hhahah) I am also excited because Jason and Tara are expecting their 2nd little one at the end of July...so our little ones can hang out as well.

Here are the best two pictures I could get of the boys...hahha...I have no idea what face Maddox is making, but it sure does make me laugh!!

 

And finally, in baby Paxton news, we are now 29 along and we are both getting bigger and bigger by the day!! Paxton's brain can now control his breathing and body temperature. He can also cough, and his sucking abilities have been perfected. Paxton's skin is looking less wrinkled as he continues to pack on the pounds; thus, he's starting to look more like a Pampers model and less like a Depends model. He's now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat he'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for adults!). And speaking of energy, the little Energizer Bunny is on fire these days nights....I definetly feel my share of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when I'm lying down. This week Paxton is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop.

As far as the pregnancy is concerned, everything seems to be going okay. We had an appointment on Monday and the heart beat sounded strong and my body seems to be accomodating this little guy pretty well. I am still having contractions from time to time and having to increase the amount of medicine I take to cease the very frustrating contractions...I am very thankful the medicine does its job and is helping my body house Paxton until he is full term (I am getting very tired of having to dang the meds though....they make my heart race and my body gets super jittery...but once again, I will do whatever it takes to make a good "home" for this little guy). We are getting more and more excited to meet this little man and to watch our family transition from 3 to 4.

He Hung the Moon

Maddox loves his daddy and that is evident to anyone who is around the two of them. As soon as Brad walks in the door most evenings, Maddox starts squealing and running saying "Get You" (wanting daddy to chase him). Maddox mimics Brad's every move, holds tools like Brad does, mimics his tone is certain words, will repeat EVERYTHING Brad says and admires his sweet daddy. Tonight, Maddox proved that he thinks his daddy hung the moon, well the sun at least.......Maddox and I were sitting by the front door waiting on Brad to arrive home from work. We could see the sun setting behind the house across the street. When Maddox noticed the sunshine he said "Oh sunshine. Way up high. Thank you daddy." Hahhaha...Maddox was thanking Brad for the beautiful sunshine...I mean, Brad does everything, is the hardest worker, loves his family, can fix anything you put in front of him, plays chase and cars the very best, why couldn't he be the one to make the sunshine!! I agree little man, I think your daddy hung the moon as well!!!

He's Back

We are back. Back in the land of the healthy, easy breathing, running, eating, laughing, squealing, car playing, minding, obeying, listening. The land of sanity, consistent rules, fun, mess making, snack eating, candy wanting, no medicine taking!!! Maddox is doing 100 percent better; therefore, momma is doing 1000 percent better! I am very thankful to no longer need the meds or the breathing treatments and I now have my spirited, strong willed, fun loving little boy back. Thank you Jesus for tough and tiring weeks to remind me how blessed we are and how kind, obedient, and fun our healthy 2 year old is!!! He's back and I'm so excited!

The Lord is Changing my Life

The strong willed child...yes, that sums up our little boy Maddox in every sense of the phrase. He has been strong willed since birth....not a cuddlier, never one to want to sit in a lap. Always on the go, he knows what he wants, when he wants it even if he cannot articulate WHAT exactly he is wanting or how he is wanting to get it. He does not forget anything, he cannot be distracted if his mind is made up on something. He tests the boundaries (and mommy's patience) You cannot "make" him do anything he does not want to do (I say "make" him because it certainly will not be willingly...there is a fight, a battle, a long conversation and usually a form of disciple needed in order to get the result requested) My job is a full of being consistent, not giving in to anything whether it is big or small....he cannot "win" a battle because it creates more issues in the long run. My job is exhausting and frustrating at times (and I am well aware of the fact that I am 12 short weeks away from guiding another little boy into manhood, while keeping up with the never ending job ahead of me)
This week has been discouraging and trying. My patience has been tested on all areas. My body has been put to the limits. My heart at times has felt fragile as I attempt to fight the good fight and do what is right for Maddox. There were several days this week where I desperately longed for anything different....any type of change...discouraged and wondering if I am doing any of this right.
The Lord is always faithful and yet again has opened my eyes to HIS will and HIS plan in our lives! The Lord gave me this child for a purpose. He wants me to mold and shape this youngster and prepare him for a life of service to Him. And I'm up to the task. I'm going to make it with the Lord's help. This is my goal....my attitude in the face of a very discouraging, frustrating and exhausting week. The Lord blessed us with Maddox, and while his strong will definitely keeps my on my toes....that same strong will, will eventually make him a tremendous man who can fight off peer pressure, be an amazing leader, never sit still and let someone do something for him, fight for what is right, find a cure for cancer, change the world forever. This strong will, will allow him to be the man the LORD created him to be!
From this day forward this is my prayer as a mother as I embrace the journey of raising a strong willed child who is passionate, fun loving, energetic and non conforming :
"Lord, You know my inadequacies. You know my weaknesses, not only in parenting, but in every area of my life. I'm doing the best I can to raise Maddox (and Paxton) properly, but it may not be good enough. As You provided the fish and the loaves to feed the five thousand hungry people, now take my meager effort and use it to bless my family. Make up for the things I do wrong. Satisfy the needs that I have not met. Compensate for my blunders and mistakes. Wrap Your great arms around Maddox and Paxton, and draw them close to You. And be there when they stand at the great crossroads between right and wrong. All I can give them is my best, and I will continue to do that. I submit them to You now and rededicate myself to the task You have placed before me. The outcome rests securely in Your hands."

Thank you Jesus for guiding me, opening my eyes to Your will and transforming my heart on a daily basis!

Honesty of a Child

I have pimples on my chin like a teenage girl (got to love the wonderful pregnancy hormones combined with a little added stress) and my sweet sweet son makes sure to point them out to me. He grabs my face points at said blemishes and says "oh no, ouch....I kiss it" You have to love the honesty of a child.

Obviously my pregnant body has changed a lot over the past few months. My belly is growing rapidly, thus changing the shape of my belly button...awesome! hahah! Maddox noticed my once "inny" has changed to a beautiful "outy" and he said "eww nasty...clean it up" He then proceeded to get a towel to wipe off my belly button. Hhahah....oh thank you little man. You have to love the honesty of a child.

This evening, during Maddox's breathing treatment, he looked up at me with those huge, very expressive brown eyes and whispered "oh mommy, I love you". Oh my goodness...my heart is now mush and my spirit is completely rejuvenated. You have to love the honesty of a child.

Embrace the Fun

I will be honest, this has been one of the toughest weeks I have experienced as a mom. Watching and listening to Maddox hack and at times struggle to catch his breath is so heartbreaking (fortunately he seems to be doing better and I am not nearly as concerned about him during the middle of the night). Unfortunately, the medicine that he started taking in his breathing treatments made him absolutely CRAZY. His little body was shaking a little, his heart was racing, he was super super cranky and very feisty (throwing things, yelling, screaming...just a crazy person) I called the pediatrician to see if there was anything I could do and they gave us different meds for him....ahhh...thankfully he seems to be doing MUCH better on the new meds!!!
Ah, you put the stress of a CRAZY 2 year old on top of my tired, huge pregnant body and it has been an exhausting week. I am so thankful for my sweet husband who has been so patient with ME and my sweet mother who has been so kind bringing us dinner and a treat during the day. I honestly do not know what I would do without such a supportive husband and mom!! Thank you guys so much!!
Today I am embracing the cabin fever fun, trying to find new games or dances for Maddox and I and simply making the best of the day....after all, this is the day the Lord has made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it (even during temper tantrums, cranky fits and the crazy "logic" of a very opinionated 2 year old hahah....we are so blessed and I have to remember that during this time when he does not feel well, he is also wanting a ton of hugs, kisses and cuddle time...what more could a momma need!!!) Thank you Jesus for a healthy family and your gentle reminders to be thankful in all circumstances!

Here is the crazy boy sporting Mr Potato Head's glasses, Dinosaur PJ's and one Elmo slipper!

Feeling the Love

I certainly felt loved and cared for this Valentine's Day. Normally, Brad and I do not make a "big deal" about the heart filled, red and pink colored, rose giving, card sending, affection showing holiday. We simply feel we should be showing each other how much we care about one another on a regular basis. However, my mom offered to watch Maddox for us on Friday evening so Brad and I could have a night on the town. We certainly took her up on this offer (we realize our nights out are going to be few and far between in the near near future). Brad and I planned to go to dinner to our favorite place, Texas Roadhouse...and I figured that would be about it and I was perfectly fine with that...I was simply looking forward to a dinner where I was able to eat my food and carry on a conversation with Brad that was not constantly interrupted with gentle reminders to a certain 2 year old to use his manners.

Well, when Brad got home from work on Friday evening, he came inside, changed his clothes, then proceeded out the door to "pick me up" for our date. He had me answer the door and there he was, standing with beautiful bouquet of beautiful flowers. I was very surprised and felt very loved. He then surprised me with movie tickets to see "Valentines Day" He had known I was interested in seeing this movie and I was very excited! We went to the movie then to dinner at Texas Roadhouse. It was a great evening...filled with laughter and the joy of being together.

Sunday, on the official Valentine's Day, we took the Madd-man to breakfast and enjoyed the day as a family. I certainly love my boys and I am getting more and more excited about adding another little man to the mix!!

Maddox Update:

Maddox is doing very well with his breathing treatments and is showing us how big he really is. I am so proud of him as he sits as patiently as he can for 15 minutes with a mask on his face (those of you who know Maddox, you know how much he hates to have anything touching his face and he hates to the feeling that he is tied down at all). His cough still sounds horrible and he sometimes has a hard time catching his breath, but we are praying he feels better soon!

Paxton Update:

Paxton seems to be doing really well. Thursday we will be 28 weeks prego; thus entering the third and final trimester. I cannot believe we have roughly 12 weeks before we get to meet this little one! I do not have gestational diabetes and I am not anemic (I was with Maddox) and I have not had any more contractions since last week (this has been the longest I have gone without them...yippee) Paxton been super active lately and at times I can feel his feet in my ribs and his arms punching my bladder at the same time!! I do believe he is a little confused about day time and night time because he sleeps most of the day and loves to party in the evening (he is probably just fighting for his "alone" time with me in the evening...hahah....sibling rivalry in utero...hahah). I am eager to get the nursery finished and patiently await the arrival of our little man!

Sick

Maddox is coughing. Dry cough? Wet cough? You pick. Sounds like a 70 year old man who has smoked his entire life. Eyes look sad, sick and helpless. Voice is raspy as it cuts in and out. He will not eat. He went to the doctor...determined it was RSV. I keep him away from kids almost all the time. He still managed to catch the nasty virus. He now has to do breathing treatments. He did not like them at all. He fought through it. He is a good boy. He now asks to do it just "one more time" (oh buddy, we will...every 4 hours for a few weeks). Mommy is sad. Wish I could make it better..

Hi Grandma Voda

Hope you are having a great weekend!!
Here is a video for grandma and papa voda!!

Yesterday

Do you ever have one of those mornings when the day gets started and you just KNOW it is going to be "one of those days" Well, that would describe the day we had YESTERDAY. Maddox woke up in a pretty testy mood and threw and full blown fit over his breakfast choices and continued to whine, cry, yell, anything until this momma felt like she was going to loose her ever loving mind. In the midst of the fit throwing, I decided it would be better for the BOTH of us if we got out of the house for a little while and went to P-L-A-Y (you don't think I actually ever say that word out loud do you?? Do you know how excited he gets over the idea of going to a playground?? That word is always spelled until we are in the parking lot, unloading and heading inside...there is no turning back if he knows we were even considering going to P-L-A-Y somewhere) so in the midst of the fit throwing, I got myself ready, managed to calm him down enough to get him dressed and loaded in the car. Ahh, it was a success....he loved the mall playground as usual, it was a great diversion from whatever was going on in his little body that morning, and it allowed me the time, to watch my sweet 2 year old play and regain my affirmation for the little man (I kid, I kid, I always LOVE my child, there are just times when I do not LOVE his attitude or the temper tantrums) Brad called while we were playing and he was working close to the mall that day; therefore, we loaded up and brought Daddy some lunch! Maddox did great at the office, ate his lunch like a big boy and used his manners!! Now it was off for a much needed nap (for ME of course..well, I suppose, HE enjoyed his nap as well). He woke up from nap in a good mood, we played, we colored, we called daddy on the phone....then the flood gates opened and all the evening quickly progressed to a CRAZY fit throwing, whining, upset mess! I do not know what triggered the meltdown, but it was a good one! I suppose the little man was hungry because while dinner was cooking and I was changing out a load of laundry, I heard Maddox in the kitchen getting a spoon and a bowl out of the drawer....he brought it to me and I knew he was ready to eat. I put his dinner in the bowl he brought me and he eagerly ate his dinner (as long as I never left his sight) and all was well especially when daddy got home. Ahhh...I love when Daddy gets home...my best friend is here, I have someone to laugh with, and there is a distraction for Maddox!! We even loaded up for an ice cream run for momma and everything was great. We put Maddox in the bath, he was playing very well, I went to get his towel, I heard him grunting, I ran back to the bathroom, I asked if he was pooping, he responded "YES", but I was too late, he pooped in the bathtub. Ahh, perfect. So Brad got him out and dried off, I fished for poop out of the tub, bleached the tub and all the toys. Ahh, now it is time for bed. Jammies on, Raffie in hand, Jesus Book ready to read....Maddox tells me goodnight and he and Brad read and get ready for bed while I go do the dinner dishes. I walk in the kitchen, trip over the dogs water bowl (a green plastic bowl identical to the ones Maddox eats out of) and look for the dogs food bowl...the purple bowl, identical to the ones Maddox eats out of....and then it hits me. Maddox brought me a purple bowl and a spoon when he was ready for dinner...it was NOT a bowl out of the drawer, it was our dog's food bowl. Really...are you serious...how could I have been so clueless as to what bowl he brought me....I mean, there had been temper tantrums galore and I was about to loose my mind, but seriously...I KNOW that our dog eats out of a purple bowl and we only have ONE purple bowl...but I did not think anything about it and I let my child eat his dinner out of his beloved puppy's food dish (teach me to let our dog eat out of one of Maddox's food dishes)
Ahhh....YESTERDAY makes me very thankful for TODAY!!!

Two Much Fun

Goodness...parenting a 2 year old certainly has its ups and downs, twists and turns and an ever growing dose of patience, but I have to admit, I LOVE this age. Sure, there are the crazy emotions, temper tantrums, testing every single boundary just to see if maybe, just maybe this time he can get away with something, the desire for independence accompanied by the inability to fully complete the desired task...thus leading to more crazy emotions and temper tantrums.....but this age is also filled with impressive imaginary play, lots of hugs, a huge desire to help, comic relief, laughs, giggles, and a lot of dancing, singing, running and playing. Maddox is learning so much everyday as he attempts to grasp this world and he never ceases to amaze us. Today, he showed me all the letters to his name and when asked what that spelled, he promptly and confidently responded "Maddox" He is venturing off by himself more and more often. It is hilarious to stand outside his door and observe him playing and creating new things with his toys. Here are a few pictures to show just how funny, helpful and active this little man is:

What cowboy doesn't wear his pajamas, two of Mommy's necklaces and need a pirate sword??

Well, Howdy!

Here Daddy, let me help you check the oil. Now thats thinking with your dipstick!!

I've got my goggles on, I'm ready to go cut some metal with daddy!!

This Week

(This week a year ago Maddox got his first haircut)

This week...It rained. It snowed. It was 59 degrees. Maddox decided eating dinner was over-rated. Paxton discovered my ribs. We spent another morning at labor and delivery for non-stop cramping and low back labor pain. Baby looks great. Maddox exhibited a nurturing spirit as he worried for his mommy at the doctor. Paxton prefers to sleep during the day and party all night long (did I mention he discovered my ribs). Maddox reminded me how fun it is to dance in the living room. This week I am reminded how blessed I am!

26 Weeks

So far so good. I have not had any incidences with Mr. Paxton in several days...no considerable contractions or anything. I am finally finished with the nasty antibiotic and I'm hoping that weird bacteria was the soul culprit of the weird-o contractions!! We go back to the doctor on Monday and I will have the glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes as well as anemia.
Here is what baby Voda is up to these days at nearly 26 weeks gestation:

The network of nerves in his ears are better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both mine and Brad's (and of course Maddox's) voices. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. By this week, his crown-to-rump length is approximately 9.2 inches. Remember, that is only from the top of his head to his bottom and does not include his leg measurements! He weighs almost 2 pounds and is beginning to put on weight. After a month of having his eyelids sealed shut, he is now beginning to open his eyes again this week. His eyes are almost completely developed. Finger and toe nails continue to grow. Blood vessels start to develop in the lungs to prepare him for life outside the uterus. Paxton's blood circulation is completely functional. The umbilical cord system continues to grow and thicken as blood travels with considerable force through the body to nurture the precious baby.

God is so good and it amazes me everyday to see how perfectly planned out everything is with a growing baby!!

He NEVER Forgets

It seems everyday I am amazed by something our little man does or says and I am reminded yet again how quickly this time of toddler-hood passes by. Maddox has an amazing memory, which blows Brad and I away on a daily basis (this is amazing, except you cannot EVER distract this kid from something because he NEVER forgets) Here are a few examples....several weeks ago we were driving with Daddy and we came close to the CVS pharmacy I use, from the backseat Maddox points to the store and says "Medicine in there....you get daddy's medicine in there" Brad and I just laughed out loud and congratulated our little one for being so observant.
About 2 weeks ago, I took my car to be washed and everyday since then Maddox will remind me that we got the car washed, where we got it washed, and that they gave us a rag to wipe off the car while we were there. About a week ago, my mom was watching Maddox for us and they took PaPa's boots to get fixed; however, when they arrived at the store, it had moved locations and they had to find the new store. Everyday, Maddox will tell us that the store moved and they need to go get PaPa's boots. Every time we pass by the mall, Maddox yells out "Play, Play" because he remembers the play area in the mall that we go to occasionally...and now he also yells out "books, books" because of the new Barnes and Noble located at the mall. The other day we took Maddox to see my Granny and he was walking in front of me. I told him to turn "left" and he turned left...I then told him to turn "right" and he turned right. My mom asked me how he knew that and I responded "because Brad showed him one time"
The examples could go on and on, we are constantly amazed at how well he remembers (and frustrated at times because we cannot sneak anything past him anymore..hahah) but today my heart was filled with complete joy as my 2 year old son said to me "Love Jesus...heart" (the Bible verse he was "taught" at church yesterday was "Love Jesus with all of your heart" and of course he remembered!! Oh how I pray we can guide him in the right direction and help him learn more and more about Jesus, to hide it his heart that he would NEVER forget!!!
This little one blows us away with how much he remembers, what he remembers