Oh the 3s

Life lately with a 3 year old and nearly one year old has proven to be very noisy and full of life (and whining)  these days. I'll be honest, there have been a lot of days lately when I am completely ready to throw in the towel, call it quits, find a job outside of the home or simply pack my bags and run far far away (I kid, I kid).
Maddox is smack dab in the full of emotions, very opinionated, irrational and demanding, terrible 3s. He can be the sweetest most compassionate little boy one minute, running up to me giving me hugs and kisses and telling me "I love you to the moon and back"....then in a blink of an eye, his attitude and temperament can change and he transform into a ball of irrational emotions with the desire to flop his feet around and throw a whiney fit. It wears on my patience and my nerves so quickly. I love this little boy so much, but I tell you what, the good Lord blessed us with a super smart, boundary tester, strong willed, demanding and challenging little boy. I am reminded on a daily basis, that this little guy can and will some day conquer his entire world...whatever his world may be.  It is my job, my duty, as his mother to stay one step ahead of him and guide him to become the man that the Lord created him to be. The man that will challenge everything that is put in front of him to make sure it is accurate....to decipher how it works, and to test it in order to make sure it works properly.  The man that will never be content in any situation because he is eagerly awaiting what is next and trying to prepare for his next adventure.  The man that will bring light and energy to every room he enters and leave a lasting impression as he leaves.

I am constantly praying for guidance, more patience, and the ability to guide him without squishing that spirit of his.  I will be honest, I have been horrible at remaining patient and staying calm with this little ball of energy. I pray I can transform my usual habits and my instinct to loose my temper and find a way to guide this little boy with love, discipline and understanding.

Just a few Pictures

Maddox playing with Play dough. This kid LOVES play dough and will play it for hours

My little part Irish boys sporting their awesome St. Patrick's Day shirts that Grandma Voda got for them. They were precious

aww, would have been a perfect picture if Mr. Paxton wasn't so bored with the photo shoot and could keep his pretty blue eyes open. Oh well, I still think its a cute picture

Mr. P playing on Maddox's work bench. Paxton LOVES this bench and makes a break for Maddox's room any time he sees the door open.

My little stinker

Currently my favorite picture

Oh this picture cracks me up!! First of all, Brandon does NOT like to hold babies, I think they kind of freak him out with all their unpredictable movements and loud noises, so this picture is priceless. Oh silly Paxton, soon enough you will learn how much trouble fun you can have with Uncle B.

Keeping Up

Maddox has discovered a new love in his little life. This boy LOVES to ride his bike and he is getting really good at it. When he first started riding, we had to constantly remind him to pay attention to riding and not looking down at the wheels....he was trying to figure out how his bike worked and now, if you ask him he can tell you EVERYTHING about how the wheels move, what the chain does...I am telling you, this kid is SO smart and always wants to know how things work!  Well, now that he knows how everything works, he likes to go, go, go...and he goes fast, fast, fast!

Pure determination in those big brown eyes of his

Aww, there is the smile we know and love!

Now, while it is fun to watch Maddox discover his bike and his ability to ride it with pride, poor little Paxton is trying to hard to KEEP UP with his big brother and it has become quite the challenge for little P. Pax is  getting more and more mobile, but he is at the stage in development where he desires more than his body is able to let him. We are busting out some new toys for the little guy in hopes that he will also enjoy being outside without getting so frustrated!!

Here he is riding sitting on his ride on toy...he is still pretty wobbly on it and a little afraid of the noises it makes, but he liked sitting on it for a little while. I am sure when he figures out how to scoot on it, he will like it a lot more!

Aww, teething on the pack-n-play while big brother rode his bike

Now, here is the best $20 investment we have spent on this little man. A Walker!! He LOVES this thing and his new found freedom and ability to KEEP UP with his brother! He already knows how to get where he is wanting to go, and he too goes fast, fast, fast!! 

Now, if only we could find a new toy for me that would help me KEEP UP with these two active boys!!!

We're Back

Well, Hello there! We are all doing well and are loving the warmer weather (when the wind isn't blowing 50 miles per hour...sheesh, that's just nasty). Since my last post, 3 out of the 4 of us encountered a nasty stomach bug that luckily only lasted 24 hours, but it sure hit us hard (luckily Maddox never caught it). We recouped from the nasty bug and the next week Maddox caught another awful upper respiratory infection that required 2-3 breathing treatments a day to keep the coughing under control. We celebrated Brad's 29th Birthday and we just returned from a nice trip to Oklahoma City to visit the Kalivoda family!

I have yet to post about Paxton's 11 month-day. I cannot believe that as of 3-20-11 our littlest man is 11 months old. Is it really possible that he will be a year old next month...sheesh, the little monkey is just growing up way to fast!

What are you up to these days Mr. Paxton?

Weight: 22 pounds
Wearing 12-18 month clothes
Size 4 diapers
Sleep: You usually take an hour nap in the morning around 10:30am and a 2 hour nap in the afternoon around 1pm. You are finally sleeping soundly through the night once again, now that you are feeling better.

You love to eat. We are trying to transition you from the bottle to a cup, but you are NOT a fan of a sippy cup. You are pretty lazy as far as wanting to hold a cup or bottle...you only want me to do it. HAHA!
You will eat mostly everything we feed you, and you prefer to eat anything off of our plate even though you only have 2 bottom teeth.

You are pulling up onto everything and love to climb on anything you can get your little body on, under or over. You are so proud of yourself when you are standing. I love that you are figuring out how to be more mobile because it certainly makes you happy, but I am in no hurry for you to be walking all over the place. You are going to keep me on my toes.

You LOVE LOVE LOVE your brother and you continue to think he is the funniest guy around. You love all of his toys and will play for hours in his room, perfectly content!

You are most certainly a momma's boy. I love it. You are so cuddily and love to be held by me. I am so thankful that the Lord listened to my little selfish prayers (we prayed most importantly that you'd be healthy, but I also prayed you would want to cuddle with me and have your daddy's blue eyes. Crazy how the Lord listens. I love that Maddox has my big brown eyes and Pax has blue eyes like Brad. I think it's so fun)

You have the sweetest giggle and smile that lights up an entire room. You are definitely not a people person though. It takes you a while to warm up to anyone new or someone you haven't seen for a few days. You act so bashful and duck your head down when someone talks to you. It's so funny.

You are the perfect fit to our family!!

(I promise my next post will have pictures, I just need to upload them)

Today

Today... we are all healthy!
Today.... Maddox got to go to school
Today.... he was very happy about that decision!
Today....I got to eat a yummy lunch with my super handsome husband (and our adorable youngest child)
Today....my house is getting deep cleaned and hopefully all the nasty winter germs will finally give us a break. (Seriously, since December we have encountered: Croup, 4 ear infections, 2 sinus infections, 1 case of RSV, 3 separate cases of the flu, and bilateral pink eye....sheesh)
Today...the sun is shining and the warmth feels wonderful
Today....I feel refreshed, renewed, and ready for whatever comes our way
Today....is the first day of March, only 20 more days until Spring
Today....little P was found standing in his crib after his morning nap
Today.....I am looking for wedding songs for my sister-in-laws wedding...yippee!!
Today.....I am starting the party planning for the youngest Voda's 1st birthday
Today...I enrolled our Big guy in Preschool
Today.....I am fighting back tears as I realize how quickly my boys are growing up on me
Everyday....I am thankful for my amazing husband and our 2 wonderful little boys and all the testosterone that has taken control of our house!!!

Today...I have discovered some pictures on my mom's computer that were just too cute not to post!!

My mom and Maddox baking

Maddox and Granny celebrating their January Birthdays

So precious blowing out the candles at the same time

Having fun, the tongue says it all

Wrestling with daddy

Paxton enjoying a snack...sweet boy!!

Sweet little Bear Cub

I hope you have a blessed day, Today!!!