Christmas Time

As our family prepares to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, I am struggling to make sure my kiddos truly know the true meaning of Christmas. I love watching them get excited about their new presents and dressing them up in adorable Christmas clothes; however, how am I, as their mother, making an impact on how they view Christmas. Both boys know that we celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus' birthday. Maddox seems to understand that Jesus came to save us by dying on a cross and coming back. He knows we all make mistakes and we all need the Grace of Christ.
Grace, I suppose, is what I hope to teach my kiddos the most right now. Grace. True Grace. We are teaching that Santa comes to remind us about Jesus' birthday. He brings us presents so we can all celebrate together! We are also teaching that Santa shows us Grace because we cannot be "good" all the time, and yet he still brings us gifts just as Christ did for us. We do not deserve the presents and yet we receive them anyway. I want my kiddos to know that they are loved ALL the time and that Christ came to save them and shower them with gifts that we do not deserve!!!

I pray the Lord gives me the guidance and wisdom to teach our little trio the true meaning of Christmas and I hope I help create lasting super fun memories along the way!!!

Polar Express

We started off the month of December by going on the Polar Express. My mom has been so gracious and generous to provide all of us with such a fun tradition and the kiddos just love it! This was the first year Paxton has gone and he really enjoyed the train and was not too sure what to think about Santa or his elves; but we were all very pleased that he did not have a full meltdown with Jolly ol Man himself!!

Maddox of course just chatted it up with the man in red and his helpers and he loved it all! Both boys favorite parts were eating cookies, drinking hot chocolate and receiving a new silver bell to ring and place on the Christmas tree! Aunt Kim joined us this year and it was so much fun having her there with us! The boys (and I) absolutely adore her!!

Aunt Kim and Maddox enjoying some hot chocolate and whipped cream

Sweet Paxton in his train Pj's riding on the train!

Deep conversation with the Elf

Maddox and the conductor

Jolly ol St. Nick, Maddox, a cookie and a bell=one happy little boy

"Hi Santa, for Christmas  I would like Hulk hands and a Spider man Web Shooter"

Ringing a bell and snugglin with GiGi

Oh Paxton, you are perfecting that stink eye! Ha

Little Miss Harper Grace went to dinner with us before the train ride and then she and Daddy went on a date to Gander Mountain and Academy!!! She was all decked out in her Christmas get-up as well!!

5 Month Stats

This precious baby had her 5 month well check appointment on Wednesday. She is growing right on track and is meeting all her developmental milestones just as she should. She had all the nurses and the doctor wrapped around her tiny little finger as she smiled and "talked" to them. She seriously is the sweetest baby I know!

At 5 months old Harper weighs 14.5 pounds and is 24.8 inches long. She is in the 40th percentile for weight and the 60th percentile for height. (It is very different for us to have a baby that for now is longer than she is wide...ha...the boys were such chunky babies! Ha) I do not remember her head circumference measurement but I do know it was in the 70th percentile and they measured it twice to make sure they were correct. What can I say, our kiddos need a lot of head space for all those brains!!

They said we can most definitely start her on solids, but I just don't think I am ready for that. I believe we will wait until she is closer to 6 months old because both boys had such a hard time with their digestive system and Harper still struggles with painful gas and tummy aches. I just want to allow her tummy the opportunity to grow and finish developing, I keep reminding myself that her digestive system is a full month behind and it needs time to catch up; therefore, we are in no rush to start all the solids for now!!

Oh sweet Harper Grace, we are so blessed that you are so healthy and growing and developing exactly as you should! You are perfect to us and we love watching you grow. 

December?

Oh the weather outside is frightful  absolutely delightful!!! 

I cannot believe it is December and we were outside riding bikes in short sleeved shirts basking in the sun!

Harper enjoyed watching the boys play

EEEK! I could just eat her up with a spoon. Such a smiley little girl!

Harper Grace is 5 Months Old

Harper Grace, you are 5 months old (on the 29th). Oh my mercy, our lives are blessed every day with you as a part of it. You are such a sweet sweet baby and we are so thankful for these past 5 months with you!
What are you up to at 5 months old Miss Harper:
-Weighing around 14 pounds or so
-Wearing size 1 diapers (but we will move you up to size 2 next time we buy diapers)
-Wearing size 3 months clothes and some 3-6 months clothes
-You have rolled over from back to belly, but have not figured out how to roll from belly to back (this is so backwards...most babies roll from belly to back first!)
-You are still swaddled when you sleep
-You sleep in your crib at night but you nap in your swing
-You take about an hour nap in the morning, a 2 hour nap in the afternoon and a cat nap after 5 then you go to bed between 7 and 8pm and sleep until 7-8 in the morning (waking once to eat....we are having to let you cry a little at night because you think you need to eat every 3 hours at night...silly goose)
-You have the sweetest little laugh that is easily brought out when your big brothers do something silly
-You adore your brothers and your daddy (this is not an exaggeration. Your entire body lights up as you smile when your brothers or daddy talk to you...this is such a sweet thing to watch with you!)
-You are gradually getting used to your car seat. You still get pretty upset in the car, but it's not every time we are in the car, so that is nice!

Oh Harper Grace, you are so loved and cherished. We love you sweet baby girl!

Paxton

Our sweet, stubborn, strong willed, spirited, spunky, hilarious, youngest boy, Paxton James is truly growing up right before our eyes. He is talking up a storm and has quite the personality. Sure, sharing is not his strong suit and he is easily annoyed when others are in his space or move his beloved toys, but he is growing  into a smart, fun loving little boy. He can now count to twenty, knows most of his shapes and colors and can easily repeat anything he hears. He knows all the letters in his name; however, when asked how to spell his name he says "p-x-a-x-t-x-o-x-n-x" Ha. Guess he really likes that 'x'.
 He can carry on a conversation, but we often have to remind him to simply use his words rather than get so frustrated. He is a blast to watch play. He is so creative and can build some pretty amazing structures with his blocks. He still loves cars and trains. He loves his big blue blanket, ribbit and his paci. He has now started saying "hi" to everyone he sees and although he is a stubborn two year old, he is very polite with his please and thank yous. He has recently started begging for things when he is told no. He will say "pleeeeeeaaaaaaasssseeee" Ugg, drives me bonkers, but at least he is polite about it. Ha.
Paxton loves his big brother. He has recently started climbing the ladder to get on Maddox's bed to snuggle.....while this is cute, it is dangerous, thus the ladder has been removed from the bunk beds once Maddox is in his bed. He also loves his little sister. He likes to see her smile and always tries to give her a pacifier. He adores his daddy. Paxton loves playing wrestle and "flying" with daddy. He is pretty smitten with me as well. He gives amazing hugs and randomly says "I miss you mommy" if he has been in the other room playing for a bit.
Oh Paxton James, you are so much fun and so challenging all at the same time. I am so proud of how far you have come this year and I love to watch you break out of your shell more and more everyday. Love you sweet boy.

Grow Up Day

Maddox is absolutely loving school. He is learning a number and a letter every week. He knows how to write the numbers 0-6 and letters A-G. This week was 'G' week and Friday was GrowUp Day at school. When I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up he responded "I want to be a car painter like Uncle Austin". SO cute! Uncle Austin gave him a painters mask and a small paint gun to take with him to school and we made him a T-Shirt that has Uncle Austin's body shop logo on it!

LOVE LOVE LOVE that Maddox looks up to his uncles so much!!!

Thanks Uncle Austin for being such an awesome influence on our little man!!

Snoozin

This precious, beautiful baby girl slept in her bed all night last night. Not a single tear was shed over the transition from swing to crib (she is snoozin away in her crib again this evening...fingers crossed for another great evening). Way to go sweet sweet girl!

Lullaby

I am sitting in Harper's room as we attempt to get her to sleep in her crib. I am rocking in the recliner...the same recliner that I spent many hours rocking both Maddox and Paxton. I am listening to a baby lullaby CD....the same CD that Maddox slept with for nearly 18 months and the same CD that Paxton refused to listen to. It is so funny how each child brings something so unique and so special to our family.
Maddox, with his never ending questions and his ability to carry on conversations like a grown up. He is so inquisitive, smart, creative and  imaginative. He is extremely social and always prefers to play with someone...anyone, rather than being alone. Everything is black and white. Rules must be followed. People are either mean or nice and there is a hard time distinguishing when someone is playing or joking.
Paxton is full of life, prefers to play alone and mimics almost everything his big brother does. He is a jokester, he has a temper, he has the best laugh and marches to the beat of his own drum. He likes things a certain way and gets very upset if they are moved around. He likes structure but enjoys rocking the boat as well.
Harper is joyful, snuggly, smily, beautiful and has every single one of us wrapped around her tiny little finger. I love the fact that as our family has grown, our love for each of them grows as well. I have learned to love the parts about them that make them individuals and different from each other; however, I am thankful that there are portions of their lives that I can share the same memories with each of them.
I will always remember listening to this lullaby CD with Maddox as we rocked and rocked and rocked during the night when he absolutely would not sleep. I will always remember that he would not sleep without this music playing. I will always remember the fact that Paxton did not like listening to the music at bedtime, he preferred the quiet and just wanted to be held closely. And now, for the first time, I am gaining a memory with Harper as she peacefully sleeps in her bed for the first time with me rocking in the recline listening to the lullaby CD and thanking Jesus for our wonderful wonderful blessings.

Halloween 2012

Once again Grandma Voda went above and beyond to make the most adorable Halloween costumes for the boys and Harper! Maddox decided he wanted to be a sherif this year and of course Paxton wanted to be just like his big brother! These two sherif boys were adorable and they LOVE playing in their costumes. 

Harper went along with the cowboy theme as a sweet little lamb. 

Thank you SO much Murlon for making these adorable costumes for the kiddos. They were so stinking cute and it is so special to have hand made costumes that were made with love for our kiddos.

We took the kids to my Granny's retirement home to go trick or treating. It was so special to see Granny and her friends and the boys were certainly a show stopper. Maddox has such a sweet sweet spirit. After he got his candy, he picked his biggest sucker and brought it to Granny and asked her if she wanted it. Melt my soul. 

Harper is 4 months old

Our sweet Harper Grace is 4 months old. I was having a conversation with a dear friend of mine today and we both giggled that I can now say "When Harper was little" (well, littler at least...to me she is still so small).
What are you up to at 4 months old Miss Harper:
-size 1 diaper
-size 3 month clothes
-eating 5oz every 3 hours during the day and going much longer at night. We had a full week of you sleeping 12 hour stretches at night with only needing your paci a couple times; however, this past week you have needed to eat at least once in the middle of the night and you've been so restless at night. Possible growth spurt?
-smiling, smiling, smiling. You have the most contagious grin and you are not shy or selfish with these gummy grins. You love when people talk to you and you coo and smile the biggest smile.
-you still absolutely HATE riding in the car. My mercy you scream like someone is hurting you while we are in the car. You are fine in your car seat up until I start moving. Ugg sweet girl, I hope you out grow this phase really soon. Mommy's nerves are shot. :)
-you rarely cry unless we are in the car or I wait too long to feed you. You wake up grunting and moaning a little bit, but not really crying.
-you only want your pacifier if you are having a hard time sleeping, other than that you refuse to take it.
-you adore your big brothers and smile at them frequently
-you startle easily with sudden loud noises. Your "scared" cry is the saddest thing I have ever heard. Breaks my heart little one.
-You are getting stronger and stronger everyday. You can lift your head really well while doing tummy time and if you are on your side you try so hard to roll over.

Oh sweet baby girl. I cannot believe four months have passed since you entered this world and blessed our family. We love you so much and cannot wait to watch more of your sweet little personality come to surface!! You are certainly loved little one! We cherish and adore you!

Love how sweetly she is looking at grandpa voda

Eeek. Ruffles!

Precious baby snuggles with grandma

Lovin' from Great Grandma Joe

Silly smiles while helping her brothers decorate cupcakes

This picture just makes me laugh. The boys were decorating cupcakes and it looks like she eagerly wants one herself!

Sweet Cheeks

I love to look back at pictures and compare similarities with all three kiddos. While Miss Harper actually looks a lot like I did as a baby, she definitely shows some similarities with her big brothers. She has the same baby blue eyes and light hair color as Paxton, but her cheeks are starting to look more and more like Maddox. 

What do you think? Do you see any similarities in these sweet chubby cheek little babes??

Harper Grace 3 months old

Maddox at 2 months old

Fall

I love fall. I love the cooler weather. I love to watch the trees change colors. 

I love that fall means football season. I love the chilly evenings. I love seeing all the pumpkin decorations. I love dressing my kiddos in fall color clothes. 

Siblings

Sweet Siblings Smiling Sweetly

Harper Grace at 3 months old

Paxton James at 3 months old

Maddox Bradley at 2 months old (It is still so shocking to look back at pictures of MADD....my mercy he was a massive baby!!! Love it!)

My 3 Blessings

There are times when being a mother of 3 is completely overwhelming. Today, I am overwhelmed with love.

Paxton is doing so good at school. He is thriving. He is playing and learning and coming out of his shell! I am so thankful for his loving teacher and the extra time and energy she puts into helping him adjust to his new surroundings! He is talking more and more each day and he has started walking into class like such a big boy and doesn't even hesitate. I am so proud of the progress he is making each week. Way to go little guy!! And by the way, when did he turn into such a big kid...this picture makes him look SO grown up.

Maddox LOVES school. He is learning SO much and it is the joy of my day to hear him tell me all that he learned that day. He recently started a Science class and he is definitely his daddy's son because he loves that class so much! I adore all of his teachers and the passion they have for my big guy! His afternoon teacher stopped me today and told me that he is so respectful and kind, such wonderful qualities he is demonstrating. Such a JOY.

Harper Grace is growing like a weed and is such a joy (unless we are in the car. whew, she does not like the car and screams the entire ride. not fun pretty girl....not fun) She gives the best smiles, the sweetest coos and just lights up our entire family.

Love these kids with all my soul

Little Red Raiders

Texas Tech is near and dear to our hearts. I have mentioned before that going to Tech is where I met Bradley, we fell in love, got engaged (just outside the football stadium where we first met) and started our lives together. It has been an absolute blast raising our little red raiders and sharing our school pride with our kiddos. And they look adorable doing it!

Ha. She was not too sure about standing up.  Silly girl making silly faces

Sweet sweet boys. gosh I love those grins!