The Kalivoda Crew

Just a few Pictures

2012-01-26T21:36:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to post a few pictures to document our growing little family!

Here is a picture Brad took this evening to document our growing little bundle at 14 weeks!

Here are my other 3 bundles of Joy. Seriously, I am beyond blessed!!! Such goof balls!

One more sweet picture of the silly boys. Oh Paxton, your smile cracks me up!!

14 Weeks

2012-01-25T21:30:00.000-06:00

14 weeks pregnant with Baby Voda #3

How Far Along: 14 weeks

Size of baby: almost 3 1/2 inches long and weighs about 1 ounce

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 0

Maternity Clothes: yes, they are much more comfy! I have one pair of maternity jeans that actually fit and I LOVE them.

Gender: We aren't sure yet. At the ultrasound today, they could not say for sure either way but they said they would lean more towards a GIRL!!!

Name: will decide when we know the gender

Movement: YES!! Such a beautiful feeling

Sleep: I have horrible insomnia. I just lay in bed for hours at night unable to fall asleep. yuck.

What I miss: Nothing really...sleep I guess

Cravings: nothing lately

Symptoms: bleeding and cramping.

Best Moment this week: Seeing this little miracle at our ultrasound today and hearing that everything looks great!! I also LOVE feeling this tiny babe flutter in my tummy.

We had an ultrasound today to monitor my bleeding and cramping. Everything looks perfect. The baby is right on track and is moving and developing beautifully. They still cannot determine why I continue to bleed, but everything is looking so good that they are not too concerned about it. They were unable to locate any blood clots or anything that could cause any possible problems.

I was anxious to see if they could determine the gender of our blessed babe; however, they could not give us a definitive answer. The nice lady preforming the sonogram did say if she had to guess she would lean more towards a baby GIRL. Oh sweet music to my ears. We are blessed either way and this baby is already loved; however, the thought of having a daughter makes me excited.

You would think with this being our 3rd pregnancy that the miracle of watching a baby develop in my tummy could possibly loose it's awe factor. That is definitely NOT the case. I am in constant awe at the fact that this tiny, 3 1/2 inch growing babe has ALL of it's fully functioning body parts. A fluttering, fully pumping heart. Kidneys that function. A brain that is developed enough to allow the baby to make various facial expressions. The ability to drink amniotic fluid and pee said fluid out. The ability to suck it's thumb. This miracle of life growing within me already brings me such joy!!

Brothers

2012-01-23T23:04:00.000-06:00

These two precious boys are starting to form a very special bond. While Maddox can be less than thrilled at his baby brother's constant shadow, he is turning into an amazing BIG brother. He can make Paxton laugh the most and Paxton is starting to mimic everything Maddox does. (This is extremely helpful with Paxton's speech therapy. Tonight Madd was able to get Paxton to say "night night").

Sweet brothers playing together

Sure, there are plenty of moments throughout the day where I have to remind the boys to play nicely, to please stop arguing and to find a way to get along with one another; however, when they do play nicely, it is such sweet music to my ears and my heart swells with joy as I watch them interact together. I continue to pray they grow to be the best of friends and share a bond that is unbreakable!

Maddox "reading" to Paxton. So sweet

Today

2012-01-22T18:56:00.000-06:00

Today I pulled down the tub of clothes containing Maddox's old size 2T shirts, pants, shorts and swimming trunks.
Today, while hanging up said clothes for our (currently) youngest boy, I was reminded of so many memories of the Madd-man wearing each piece of clothing.
Today I am excited for all the memories we will make watching Paxton in the same clothes as his big brother.
Today I am reminded of just how BIG Maddox was as a baby. (Those size 2T clothes fit Maddox rather snuggly when he was 12 months old. Paxton is 21 months old and most of the clothes still swallow him whole).
Today I am even more curious and anxious to find out if baby #3 is another boy who will follow in his brothers footsteps and wear the same clothes (and if the babe is a boy, what on earth will he look and act like...the 2 boys we have are SO polar opposite).
Today, while cruising around Target, I got super excited at the thought of adding super cute, frilly, pink, baby girl clothes to the mix of our laundry extravaganza. I do believe a little pink would spice up things some. :)
Today Paxton has talked more and more and it is music to my ears.
Today I moved a lot of clothes from Paxton's closet to the boys soon to be shared closet in Maddox's room
Today I am even more excited at the thought of adding another sweet bundle of joy to our family
Today I am also a little overwhelmed at the thought of adding another sweet bundle of joy to our family
Today I have felt our littlest, growing babe move and kick and swim around in my belly. What a beautiful feeling. Oh how blessed.
Today the boys have played really well together
Today I am reminded at how extremely blessed we are!!!

Paxton's Speech

2012-01-14T21:33:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to give an update on sweet little Paxton. Paxton has started his speech therapy (we have now seen the therapist 3 times) and is making great progress. This past week he has taken off with his vocal abilities and he is making more and more noises everyday. The main goal for him at this point is to get his little mouth moving. We have fun tongue tricks and random noises that we try to get him to make throughout the day to simply get his tongue used to moving and making noises. He is much better at mimicking Maddox than he is anyone else and luckily Maddox NEVER stops talking, so we are able to use him a lot to help Paxton (Maddox loves it).
The other evening while I was getting Paxton ready for bed I was trying to get him to repeat words after me (he NEVER repeats anything I say to him), he repeated several words and it almost blew me away. I was so proud of him!
He now can say:
dog
cat
monkey
ribbit
juice
ice
milk
momma
daddy
maddox "bubba"
paci

I would like to mention that these words that he is "saying" are not all that clear to anyone else, but I know his new language and it is just such a huge step that he is attempting to say anything at all and we are so very proud of him!!!

Also this week Paxton has been SO much happier and content. He has played well, laughed and adapted well to his surroundings. My Aunt Kay and cousin Konni were in town this weekend and normally it takes Mr. P several hours to warm up to someone (if he ever warms up); however, he was never freaked out and enjoyed the company!! YIPPEEE!!!

I realize all of these new changes this week many not be permanent and we more than likely have a lot of work ahead of us, but I am so thankful for the progress with our sweet little boy!! Great job Paxton!!

Surprise

2012-01-11T20:25:00.000-06:00

Surprise! We are pleased to announce that the Kalivoda family will be growing from 4 to 5! Little baby Voda is due July 25, 2012. We are super excited and anxious to watch our little family grow some more.
Maddox is SO excited that we are having another baby and is certain that we are having a baby girl and he really wants a sister (which I think is simply adorable). Paxton is unaware of the fact that his little world is going to change in the near future, but I am sure he too will be a great big brother

Interestingly, Maddox and Paxton are 27 months apart in age. Paxton and this baby will also be 27 months apart. Crazy!

So far this pregnancy has been a little intense. I am currently 12 weeks and this first trimester has made me feel icky icky. I have been super nauseous most of the day, everyday. (Although, thankfully, I have recently started feeling better more frequently). We have had a few scares with random bleeding and cramping, but each ultrasound looks great and the baby is developing right on track. They just can't seem to locate where I am bleeding from and the current consensus is that I might just bleed throughout the pregnancy. EEK. It's just so unnerving because I am not sure when to be concerned and when to just chalk it up to another strange pregnancy.
We have an ultrasound the last week in January to simply make sure everything is looking okay and see if they can locate the source of the bleeding.

While adding a new baby to the family seems a little overwhelming at times, I am already falling in love with this little being growing inside of me. We are beyond blessed and we are praying for guidance as we prepare our boys for a new little one!!

Pregnancy Stats with Baby Voda #3

How far along? 12 weeks

Size of baby: 1.75-2.4 inches

Total Weight Gain/Loss: -1 lb

Maternity Clothes: No, not yet, but soon I am sure

Gender: We have no idea (Maddox is certain its a girl)

Name: We will name it when we know the gender (I already have names picked out, its simply convincing Brad)

Movement: still too soon

Sleep: Pretty restless at night. I always have insomnia with my pregnancies

What I miss: Not feeling sick to my stomach

Cravings: Oranges

Symptoms: Bleeding, cramping, light contractions

Best moment this week: Seeing our little miracle on an ultrasound

Our littlest one is the size of a large lime and weighs about 8 grams!

Our oldest holding our youngest

Happy 4th Birthday Maddox

2012-01-10T18:13:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe you are already 4 years old and it is even harder for me to believe that our lives, at one point, did not have you in it! At 4 years old you are turning into such a kind, compassionate, energetic, curious little boy. You NEVER stop asking complex questions and you love to learn new things.
Anyone who is around you for very long knows you are completely fixated on Batman right now and you LOVE all things Batman. Grandma and Grandpa Voda along with the rest of the Kalivoda family did a fantastic job of creating a Batman Christmas for you and I swear you now have every kid friendly batman toy that exists!!! You are in heaven and play more with these new batman toys than you even have with any of your other toys! In fact, you often ask that we address you as "Batman" rather than "Maddox" and you jump off the fireplace in your attempt to save the world!!! It is so much fun to watch your little imagination take over as you play and play! (While you LOVE all things Batman right now, you are NOT a fan of any cartoon show with Batman in it. It freaks you out a little and I am a little glad that it does because that means you are staying little for a while longer!!)
You continue to push every boundary and question any rule that is placed in your way. You are NOT a fan of playing by yourself and you would much rather have an adult play with you ALL the time. However, you are gradually getting where you will go play by yourself or with Paxton for longer periods of time. Our current "battle" with you is getting you to not talk when other people are talking. You are such a social little guy and you love to have someone to talk to; however, we are teaching you that it is okay to not talk from time to time. (Oh how sad with the day be when we are begging you to talk to us and fill us in on what is going on in your little head).
You are such a joy and a fun loving kid. You are a great big brother and not necessarily because you care all that much about your baby brother, but you are responsible, we can trust you to do or NOT do certain things. You certainly are the oldest child and you make my job as a mom of two little boys easier because you can help me out so much and we are rarely afraid that you are getting into something that you shouldn't be. You truly love your family and you would do anything to help one of us out (although there are plenty of times when you get super annoyed at Paxton, but you are learning how to play with him better and better everyday).
Oh Maddox, my life is so much more complete with you in it. I love you more everyday and I am so thankful for you and all that you bring to our family. I am so excited to see the little boy you are going to turn into. I know for a fact you are going to change the world someday and I can't wait to be a part of that!! Keep asking questions little man and change the world!!

Maddox and Aunt Kim with his super awesome Batman cake that Grandma Voda made for him!

My little batmen!!

Maddox and his best Batman Face!!

Another picture of that awesome cake. Thanks again Grandma Voda for working so hard on such a great cake for Maddox

We have decided to ask a group of questions to the boys every year on their birthday. It will be so much fun to look back over the years and see how their answers change!!

Questions asked to Maddox at the age of 4:

What is your favorite color? Blue and Black
What is your favorite toy? Batman, my Bat-cave with a toy batman
What is your favorite fruit? A lot of different fruits
What is your favorite TV show? Bernsten bears
What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Peanut butter sandwich
What is your favorite outfit? My batman costume
What is your favorite game? Hide n Seek
What is your favorite snack? Fruit Snacks
What is your favorite animal? Giraffe
What is your favorite song? All of the songs we sing at school. But, I do NOT like the "Whole World" song.
What is your favorite book? "The Shaggy Little Pony"
Who is your best friend? Spencer at school
What is your favorite cereal? I don't know. I like all the cereals
What is your favorite thing to do outside? Help Daddy
What is your favorite thing to drink? Water and Orange juice
What is your favorite Holiday? Christmas
What do you like to take to bed at night? Raffie
What is your favorite breakfast food? Pancakes
What would you like for your birthday dinner? A Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
What do you want to be when you grow up? Batman

Polar Express

2011-12-24T12:34:00.000-06:00

All Aboard!! Last weekend we had the privilege of going on the Polar Express. My mom does a great job at planning this adventure for us and creating amazing memories for the kiddos. (Thanks again mom for planning ahead, getting the tickets and making sure we all had a wonderful time on the Polar Express).

This year, we did not take Paxton with us. He is absolutely terrified of Santa (when he sees him he screams, starts shaking and will not stop crying....it is so sad) and Paxton is very anti-social and is not a fan of strangers; thus, a 2 hour train ride with strangers, elves and Santa would be absolutely miserable for the little man. I am hoping next year he won't be so scared and we can enjoy the train ride with him as well!!

While Paxton did not accompany us on the Polar Express, I did dress him in his Santa Pajamas and he went to Rosas's with us before the train ride, then he and Brad had a good evening just the two of them!!!

My sweet boys. Oh so cute in their precious Christmas Jammies!!

Sweet hugs!!

Before the train ride, me, Brad, Maddox, Paxton, my mom, Kameron, Mollie, and Momma Shelly (Kameron's mom) met at Rosa's for dinner together!

Waiting to get on the train. Can you tell he was excited?

Meeting the conductor!!

Finally on the train!!! Yippee

Me and my oldest little guy!!! Gosh I love this kid!

Sweet memories

Checking everything out!

MOM!!! We get to have HOT CHOCOLATE!!!!

What a sweet bond these two have!

Yummy sugar cookies!

Maddox and the Elf.

Getting a nice chat with Santa. Maddox asked for "all kinds of Batman stuff"

Yummmy. Just a little cool whip mustache from his yummy hot chocolate

The sweet Elf Buttercup dancing with the Madd-man

I do believe these two had a wonderful time together on the Polar Express!!!

The Christmas Hat

2011-12-17T13:40:00.000-06:00

Oh Christmas ~~Tree~~ Hat, Oh Christmas ~~Tree~~ Hat

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas Season is watching my boys and dressing them in their Christmas Jammies with the precious Santa Hat!!

It has been fun for me this year to look at the boys over the years and see how they have grown!!

Maddox's First Christmas

Paxton's First Christmas

Maddox's Second Christmas

Paxton's Second Christmas (this Year)

Maddox's Third Christmas

Maddox This Christmas!!!

And finally, both boys together this year!!! Such Cheeseballs!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2011-12-08T09:23:00.000-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! We were blessed with a beautiful snow-fall and the boys were mesmerized at its beauty and excited to play in it. Although, I was the mean mommy that did not allow the kids to play outside (it was bitter cold and Maddox recently had pneumonia), but we spent a lot of the day looking out the window watching the beautiful snow fall. It was days like those that I realize yet again, how blessed I am to get to stay at home with the boys. We were able to enjoy the snow, without getting out in it!!

The boys love our Christmas tree and look at the ornaments daily. Paxton is just as excited to see the tree every morning. It's almost as though he forgets about it when he goes to bed or leaves the room, then when he walks back in the room he shows the same amount of excitement as he did when he first saw the tree.

This is the first year we have had outdoor Christmas lights, and I LOVE it!! Thanks again Bradley. These lights are just beautiful!!

See the pure excitement in his face.

I love this time of year. I love it even more now that I have children. I had a conversation with Maddox the other day trying to explain to him that Santa will be visiting us several times over the Christmas Holiday. Santa will come to our house, PopPop and Nanny's house, GiGi and Papa's house and then he will wait and come again when Grandma and Grandpa come to town. (You see, Grandpa Voda sent an email to Santa about a very special Batman toy that Maddox asked for and I didn't want him to get confused if Santa didn't bring it the first time....he might wait and bring it when Grandma and Grandpa are in town, we will just have to wait and see). Maddox seemed very excited that Santa would visit him so many times. He went on to tell me, "Momma, when Santa comes to visit us, the Elf's will be left at the North Pole, but it's okay, they won't be alone. Jesus will be with them!!" Oh goodness. This child has the sweetest heart and doesn't want anyone to be left alone. I am so thankful he is grasping the concept that Jesus is always with us!!!

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-05T22:04:00.000-06:00

I just don't think a Christmas tree could look any better! So in love with these two boys!

Decorations

2011-12-01T13:24:00.000-06:00

Well, our house is all decorated for the Christmas season! The stockings are hung by the chimney with care! The Christmas trees give such a beautiful glow in the evening time. Maddox LOVED helping decorate this year and Paxton gets excited every time he sees the Christmas tree! I believe this season is going to be such a joy in our lives as we watch the wonder and excitement through our children's eyes. Maddox seems to have a concept of the true meaning of Christmas and he continues to ask if we will get to see Jesus with our eyes on Christmas as we celebrate His birthday. Such a sweet question if you ask me!

I got a small tree for Maddox to put in his room this year and he begged me to wait to decorate it until Aunt Kim was at the house. Luckily Aunt Kim is the greatest and she excitedly helped the Madd-man decorate his beloved Christmas tree! Thanks Aunt Kim for loving these boys so much, they certainly adore you!!

One Year Ago

2011-11-18T11:39:00.000-06:00

One year ago my sweet little boys looked like this:

Paxton was six months old and Maddox was closely approaching the age of 3. So young and little!

And now, here they are one year later!!!

Paxton is 18 months old and into everything and Maddox is closely approaching his 4th birthday!

It is amazing what all changes in a single year!

Quick Healing

2011-11-17T21:27:00.000-06:00

Man, it has been one interesting week and at the end we are able to reflect and see how extremely blessed we are.
Last Friday evening my wonderful, amazing, loving, super talented, fun, spirited Husband was gently riding his dirt bike (in the back yard....seriously, not going fast, not showing off for anyone..there wasn't even anyone outside with him) and he had an accident, hit a tree and broke his left wrist. Oh poor guy. He was such a trooper and thought it really wasn't broken because he could move it (although it was very swollen and very painful to move around). He desperately did not want to admit that his wrist was broken; however, after a lot of convincing (okay, more like nagging) from his beautiful wife, he went for an X-ray (two days later) and discovered that yes it was in fact broken and possibly needed surgery. Thankfully, after seeing the orthopedic surgeon it was determined that it was a good, clean break and all he would need is a nice, lovely, red cast; although, it might not stay a red cast for long. He is getting a new cast tomorrow because the swelling has gone down. Maddox has requested that daddy gets a blue cast because "blue is my favorite color of course"! We are so blessed that we are only dealing with a broken arm!
This Wednesday I took Maddox to the doctor because he had a nasty, persistent cough (usually only in the late evening or early morning) and while it was not frequent nor seemed to bother him at all, it sounded horrible and was not getting any better. The doctor checked his ears and his left one was already getting red and on its way to another ear infection, but the sounds in his lungs were the most alarming to the doctor. The doctor sent us for a chest x-ray and to my surprise, Maddox has pnemonia. Luckily we caught it pretty early and we were able to go home without any breathing treatments. Maddox is on a strong antibiotic and we will see the doctor again on Monday to see how he is doing. The crazy part is, is that he seems completely fine. He says he feels great and wonders what all the fuss is about. Oh so thankful. Such a serious diagnosis and yet, he is feeling fantastic.
Paxton is doing so well. He is starting to say a few more words on occasion and he has been in a much better mood the last few weeks. He plays hard all day long and is much more content throughout the day. He is eating very well and meal times are becoming less stressful everyday. We have a speech therapist coming to the house the week after Thanksgiving to assess Paxton and give us some guidance on how to help him.
The two boys together are learning that they have a permeant play buddy. While at times they argue over toys and get frustrated with each other, there are more times throughout the day when you can find them kindly playing together (well, that is until someone takes a toy away from the other one). They can make each other laugh the deepest, hardest belly laugh and they feed silliness off of each other. I have a feeling our world is about to get a little crazy with a preschooler and a toddler boy chasing each other around and simply being silly together. I am so thankful that the boys are getting closer and interacting more and more on a daily basis!
Our lives have been a little crazy lately, but we are so blessed and so thankful for our health and quick healings!

Sweet Conversation with Maddox

2011-11-14T20:49:00.000-06:00

Today we were at Hobby Lobby admiring all the Christmas decor and picking out a small Christmas tree for Maddox to have in his room. We were oohing and awwing over all the pretty lights and glittery decor and I was quizzing Maddox on why we really celebrate Christmas. We were discussing how Jesus came as a baby and he saved us from when we make wrong choices. We also talked about Santa and how fun it is to get new presents at Christmas.
We talked about making cookies on Christmas Eve so we could sing Jesus "Happy Birthday" and maybe even leave a few out for Santa when he comes that night also (can you tell that it is a little difficult to teach the true meaning of Christmas AND Santa, but it is oh so fun at this age with Maddox).
Maddox went on to ask "When we celebrate Jesus' Birthday, will HE come to our house?"
I tried to explain that Jesus is always with us because he lives in our hearts. He is always at our house.
Maddox continued with "Well, I wish that Jesus would get out of my heart so I could give Him a hug. Right now when I want to hug Jesus, I just have to hug myself!!"

Oh sweet Maddox, your spunky and loving spirit gives me joy on a daily basis!!
Love you little man!!!

Bruce Wayne

2011-11-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

How would Bruce Wayne (at the age of 3) eat his dinner? Well, I suppose it might look a little something like this:

To the Bat-cave!!

2011-10-30T22:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween from the Caped Crusaders starring Batman and his crime-fighting partner Robin. The superheroes have pitted their wits many times against arch villains such as the Joker, the Penguin and Catwoman, but they have always kept cool heads, high spirits and their own brand of witticism about them, despite facing great danger on countless occasions!!

"To the bat-cave, Robin! We haven't a moment to loose"

Sometimes...

2011-10-23T19:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a SuperHero!!

Always Learning

2011-10-21T12:48:00.000-05:00

I have mentioned in previous posts that Maddox is loving preschool this year. He is making a lot of friends and is learning so much (although he will tell you he "never learns anything at school. They just don't want me to learn there....hahha, I guess they are doing a great job making learning just feel like fun). Well, this evening while we were eating dinner, Maddox just busts out counting to ten in Spanish. Now, he has counted to 3 in Spanish for a while now, but he just continued on to 10. Then, after dinner, he was running around like a crazy person just playing away and he said "Let the children come to me....Momma, that's what Jesus tells us to do" (That was the bible verse they studied last week). And to top of the wonderful evening, while he was taking a bath he busted out singing "Jack and Jill went up a Hill."

It is fantastic to watch this little man learn and enjoy learning.

Here is a quick video of Maddox and his Madd-singing skills and Spanish counting. It also includes little Paxton making sure he is a part of the action!!

Enjoy

Paxton is 18 Months Old

2011-10-20T15:53:00.000-05:00

Oh Mr. Paxton, you are 18 months old today. How is it possible that you are half way to two years old?? You are a mess these days. What exactly are you up to?

-Weight: 23 pounds
-Wearing size 4 diapers
-wearing size 12-18 month clothes. You are needing more of the 18 month size for length, but it is pretty big around your belly. Very thankful for the adjustable waist band in your pants
-wearing size 5 shoe
-You take one nap a day between 1pm and 2pm for at least 2 hours
-You are a really good sleeper in the evenings. Put you to bed around 8pm and you sleep until 8am. (Except since the nasty dust storm on Monday your allergies have been acting up and you have a hard time breathing during the night. You have enjoyed the extra snuggle time with me, and I too have enjoyed holding you while you sleep)
-You are the most difficult eater and meal times with you are not fun at all. Please tell me this will eventually get better and it won't be a fight to get you to eat your entire life. (Soon enough I won't be able to keep enough food in the house for you two growing boys).
-You are still not talking very much, but you have made a lot of progress with trying to talk this month. You are making more and more sounds and attempting to say portions of some words.
-You can say:
   Momma
   Dadda
   Ball
   Hot
   Ice
   Gaga (for Gigi)
   baba (for paci...which you only get at nap-time and bedtime)
   mum (for more)
   ink (for drink or milk)
   bambam (for Batman...can you tell what toys big brother is into these days)
-You can sign:
   more
   please
   thank you
   drink
   sorry
   eat
   bath
   kiss

You have a very aggressive temperament, you know what you want when you want it and there is no other option...at least according to you. You have been throwing a lot of fits lately and have become very good "friends" with the time-out spot in our house. It is hilarious to watch you in timeout because you are so little and pretty darn cute sitting there; although, I hold all the cute comments to myself because I know this is a time where you need to learn a few lessons and learn the rules in our family (but you are just a doll sitting there in timeout. Sometimes I just want to go grab you up and love on you, but I know that will not help our current situation at all).

You are very frustrated with not being able to communicate and I am hoping your frustration will lead to more desire to learn and try to talk. I know you will start talking when you are good and ready, but could you do your momma a favor and get good and ready, like, NOW...please!!!

You have learned to run like a superhero with your arms stretched out behind your back like you are gliding through the air. Oh it makes me laugh every single time.

You give the best hugs and love to sit in someones lap, but only when it is your idea. You do not like to sit still for very long because there is just too much to explore.

You are not a fan of the church nursery; although last time they said you only started crying about 5 minutes before we came to pick you up. Progress.

You can point to your eyes, ears, mouth, nose, foot, hands, finger, head, belly and hair.

You would eat fruit snacks all day long if I would let you.

Soy milk is your new best friend.

Oh Mr. Paxton. You keep me on my toes. You are such a cute and sweet little boy (when you want to be) and you are also an ornery little mess most of the time. You are a perfect fit in our family and I wouldn't trade the most difficult days with you for anything on this planet; although, if you are reading this Mr. Paxton, I would be so very happy if we could have a few more easier days with you...your laugh is way cuter than your whine and your smile is much sweeter than watching you throw a fit. Thanks bud for listening, I know you can make smart choices :)

Seriously, Paxton, we love you more and more every day and you bring such joy to our family!!

Paxton at 18 months

Maddox at 18 months

Paxton's New Room

2011-10-18T19:05:00.001-05:00

Well, Paxton's room is almost finished. I still have a few things I would like to hang on the walls and I need to take the curtains down to iron them, but overall the room is complete. I must say, I am pleased as punch with the results!!!

What do YOU think?

Fight Raiders, Fight!

2011-10-16T14:58:00.000-05:00

Fight Raiders, Fight!

Fight for the School we love so dearly!

We'll hit' em high! Well hit 'em low!

We'll push that ball across the goal

Tech fight fight!

We'll praise your name!

Boost you to fame!

Fight for the scarlet and the black!

We will hit 'em. We will wreck 'em. Hit 'em! Wreck 'em Texas Tech!

And the victory bells will ring out!

(well, the victory bells did not ring out this week. Unfortunately Tech lost (again), but is sure is fun to share the Tech Spirit with our precious little boys!!)

Something to Talk About

2011-10-14T10:31:00.000-05:00

It is so much fun to watch Maddox's mind work. He is always thinking and asking questions about everything around him. Sometimes he asks and says some of the funniest things. I wanted to document some of these for our memories:

"Mommy, I know we use our eyes to see, but how come I can't see my eyes right now?"
"Daddy, I checked my calendar and it shows you don't have a meeting. So you can stay home and play with me!"
"Mommy, Jesus is in my tummy and HE is hungry for a happy meal" (well, okay, if Jesus wants it, who am I to deny Him a happy meal)
Brad and Maddox had a long conversation about how clouds "float" in the sky. Brad went on to describe the excited molecules and all the scientific reasons for how clouds float in the sky. Maddox continued to ask questions and asked, "well, then why are some of the clouds higher than the others" (Brad told him we would have to look it up....hahha....this kid never stops thinking).

I love being this little man's mommy, he is teaching me to stop and really question the things around me!

Paxton is fun to watch also. He certainly is a man of very few words, but he is gradually making more progress his expressive language, especially now that he is feeling a lot better.
He clearly says Momma, Dadda, Ball, Ba-ba (pacifier), ice, GaGa (for GiGi)
He signs: more, eat, drink, please, thank you, sorry
He can point to his eyes, hair, ears nose, mouth, belly, hair, hands and feet
Last night after we said his bedtime prayers he said "bam-bam" for "Amen"

Sometimes being a mom is just so hard, I'm not sure when he needs specialist intervention to help him catch up verbally, or when to step back and realize he will do all of this on his own time (especially now that we can get rid of the pacifier when he is not sleeping. This will help tremendously with his ability to communicate). I remember wondering if Maddox would catch on verbally because he too was a man of few words as a toddler and now the child NEVER stops talking. In fact, yesterday I listened to him on the baby monitor during nap time and that child never stopped singing/reading out loud/talking/role playing while he laid in his bed "resting."

Update

2011-10-11T22:23:00.000-05:00

Hello there. Sorry I have seemed to neglect this blog lately...seems like life has happened and I can't seem to keep up these days!
Here is a quick update on what has been going on in our world.
Maddox is LOVING Preschool. It has been so fun to listen to him talk about all the things he does during the day while at school and playing with his friends. His teacher says he listens really well, is eager to do everything, and is always very nice to all his friends. It is truly is a joy to watch him blossom this season at school.
Paxton is doing really well. It has been a very frustrating season in our lives while trying to figure out what all was going on in his little body; however, it seems things have started to balance out for the little man. I switched him from whole milk to soy milk and he is doing fantastic with the change. He is eating more and laughing/playing/talking more and more every day. The most recent stool sample shows NO fecal fat. Yippee. The immunolgy results came back normal and they will check him again in three months to make sure things are staying on track. My total non medically trained mind believes that his little body cannot digest the proteins in milk properly (he was on special formula as a baby that had some of the milk proteins already broken down to make it easier to digest). My theory is that he still cannot break down the milk proteins....but what do I know! All I do know is that he is doing much better and for that I am extremely thankful!!
Aunt Kim and Uncle Austin (Brad's sister and brother-in-law) moved to Lubbock and we are thrilled to have them living so close!!!
We have painted the upstairs office, Paxton's room and just finished painting Maddox's room this evening! We have been exhausted by the end of the day; however, I LOVE all of the rooms and it is starting to feel like we are living in OUR home!!

BOO

2011-09-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

I entered Maddox's room this morning to get him ready for his super fun field trip at school; however, when I bent down to kiss his little sleeping cheek, he was as hot as a fire cracker. BOO. I checked his temperature and it was about 103.2. BOO. When he woke up, he coughed a loud, deep in his chest, barking type cough and when he tried to talk his voice was very strained. BOO. We made the quick executive decision that there would be no school and no field trip for Maddox and a visit to his primary care doctor was in order. BOO. He sounded horrible, felt horrible and his breathing was very labored. BOO.
It ends up the little man has croup. BOO. We have prescription steroids which will help the inflammation in his throat/vocal cords. The good thing is, while he sounds horrible and is contagious, non of his difficulty breathing is settled in his lungs. Hopefully the steroids will help, unfortunately, if they do not and he begins to get worse with further difficulty breathing, a trip to the ER will be in order for strong breathing treatments and monitoring. (Obviously, we are eagerly praying that he gets better not worse).
Poor little Maddox. You can just tell he feels awful and he has said a few times that "I feel horrible momma, just plain horrible" Oh, buddy, I am so sorry you feel so yucky!!!

While I hate that Maddox is feeling so badly, he sure is sweet and cuddly right now and I am soaking up every minute of it!

Thankful

2011-09-28T21:14:00.000-05:00

Maddox woke up from nap today with a fever and a very horse voice. Poor buddy. I took him to the doctor (thanks so much MOM for watching Paxton so I could just take Maddox) and he has an ear infection and allergies. Whew, we all thought he had Strep and are so thankful that he does not. He has his first field trip tomorrow at school and I was going to be so bummed if he couldn't go!!! He has been so so sweet this evening and was in a super good mood!!

This evening was fantastic. The boys were in great moods and we all had fun playing down in the basement! Paxton is doing sooooooo good this week. He seems to be feeling well and is playing and laughing and enjoying being a little boy!!

Ahhh. I am so thankful for this evening with my boys!!

My Boys

2011-09-27T14:50:00.000-05:00

Paxton had his appointment with the immunologist today and although it was a little traumatic (maybe more so for Brad and I), I would say the appointment went well. The trauma occurred when they had to do the allergy skin scratching test on Mr. Paxton. He started crying when they were simply writing the letters and numbers on his arms...then it was the fun part...the skin scratching with the various allergens to see if he had a reaction. Luckily, this guy is not allergic to any of the things they tested him for. Yippee. More trauma occurred when he was taken down to the lab for his blood work. Eight vile of blood later, he was finished. EEK. I am so thankful Brad was able to go to this appointment with me, there is only so much holding a super strong little boy down and watching him cry that this momma can do on her own.

The immunologist is not concerned with a fear that Paxton could have an immune deficiency. He says he just isn't showing any clinical signs of it at all. The doctor was pleased that we were referred to see him because one of his antibody levels is pretty low and needs to be looked at. The blood tests will tell us a lot and then they will remedy what needs to be fixed.

All children go through phases where their antibody levels drop. This usually occurs around 7 or 8 months of life then they begin to rise back up to the normal rage. Because we do not have a baseline of what Paxton's antibody levels have been in the past, it is hard to determine if his levels are increasing or if they have decreased recently. They will keep an eye on them.

We will go to the doctor next week to discuss a different game plan after receiving all the results from the tests ran today. We are eager for some answers, but we are super thankful because the past few days Paxton has seemed to feel MUCH better. We have even caught him smiling a few times!! YIPPEE

Now we are just working on the typical 17 month old behaviors and learning that no, we do not throw ourselves on the ground and throw a fit....no, it is not okay to hit your brother....and no, it is not okay to put everything you see on the ground in your mouth.

Maddox is doing great in preschool this year. He really likes his teacher. He does not care for music class because it "takes too long" and "they don't let me play the guitar" He listens well and his teacher says she never has any problems with Maddox. He just seems happy to be there and enjoys all the fun activities. His only complain is that they have not taught him how to write his letters yet...hahahh!! Soon enough little man, soon enough

He did come home and show me how to sign for "hello" and the color "red".

I love to watch him learn and hear about his day after school. Although, I usually hear more about his school day during random times. He does not like to answer a lot of questions right after school so I hear more and more throughout the week!!

Can you tell Maddox and Daddy got a new toy?? Yup, that would be a little-bitty dirt bike with training wheels on it!! Yup, that would be Brad's helmet that the little man is wearing (yes, it fits Maddox..hahah).

Maddox LOVES riding this dirt bike in the back yard and is getting really good at it. I love watching Brad run behind him and hearing Maddox giggle with glee as he rides and rides!! I am highly out numbered in my house of boys, but it sure is fun to watch these boys and their toys!!

Waving my White Baby Wipe

2011-09-23T21:23:00.000-05:00

This week has been exhausting. Paxton feels like poo. Paxton's poo still has blood in it. Paxton is excessively whiney. Paxton likes to hit. I miss Paxton's smile and his contagious laugh. I have lost my temper with Maddox more times than I like to admit. I am on edge, which makes all of my boys on edge. I feel as though any minute I am going to totally break down. I can't make Paxton feel any better. He throws fits ALL day long. Paxton has an appointment with a immunologist this next week to run more tests to see why his antibody levels are low and see if his immune system in functioning properly. They will also test to see if his body is leaking protein. He will have more blood drawn. We see his gastorinterologist the following week to discuss the blood tests that will be taken this next week. No one seems to know what is wrong with Paxton, my fear is that they will find something horribly wrong with him or they will find nothing at all and leave us clueless. I do not wish there to be any problems with Pax; however, this cannot be normal. They have to find us an answer. I am reaching my breaking point.

One of my very favorite songs by Tenth Avenue North says:
"But YOU say let it go. You say life is waiting for the one to lose control. You say you will be, everything I need. You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul. You say let it go."
So, here I am, waving my white baby wipe. I surrender. Take control.

My heart is Heavy

2011-09-21T13:49:00.000-05:00

It has been a tough morning here in the Kalivoda house. Sheesh Paxton is a mess these days and I am beginning to wear down. I have tried to be understanding of the simple fact that he probably is not feeling well; however, there is a fine line in sympathy and allowing our 17 month old to run the show. It just breaks my heart at how unhappy he is practically ALL day long. He wakes up in a grumpy mood and it goes down hill from there. I just do not know what to do any more. Here, as I type this, I have tears welling up in my eyes because my spirit is gradually breaking and I am just at a loss. I want answers for why his tummy hurts constantly. I want to know how I can ease him into various situations without him being so scared. I want to guide him properly into doing what we need him to do without whining or throwing a fit. I need him to start talking more (although, his signing has picked up tremendously).

From the second we found out we were pregnant with either of our boys we prayed that they would be "happy" and "healthy" and unfortunately it seems Paxton is neither of those at the moment (and has been this way for several months now). My spirit is down. My heart is heavy and I am longing for answers and guidance.

Sorry to simply ramble. I needed to get my thought/emotions out.

Paxton is 17 Months Old

2011-09-20T14:23:00.000-05:00

Paxton James, you are 17 months old today.

What are you up to these days?

Weight 24 pounds
Wearing size 12 or 18 month clothes
Size 4 diaper
You are getting faster and more efficient with your walking skills and you even walk with your hands down by your side more frequently (rather than up above your head).
You have a ton of teeth working their way in...almost have a mouth full of teeth
Obviously with all your stomach issues you are still not a big eater. Dinner time in the evenings is definitely the most stressful time of day for all of us.
Anything your big brother has, you want. Lots of arguing and battling over toys these days.
You currently prefer to whine rather than properly communicate. We are working on it, but for now the days can seem so LONG for you and for me. I know before long you will be talking non-stop, but right now the fit throwing is a constant battle.
You give the sweetest hugs.
Watching you and Maddox give hugs blesses my soul every night.
You love to be outside. You hate when we have to come inside.
You know what you want when you want it and not a second later
Although we haven't seen it very often lately, your smile lights up any room you enter and your laugh is still so contagious.
You are loved. You are precious. You are adored. You are a child of the Lord!!

Oh Paxton we love you so very much. I am so sorry this has been such a rough month for you and I promise I am doing everything with in my power to find some answers and to help you feel better quickly.

Paxton did Great

2011-09-16T11:39:00.000-05:00

Paxton had his colonoscopy and EGD this morning. Let me first say that Paxton is a champ. He was amazing yesterday while he could not have anything to eat and had a ton of laxatives. He enjoyed all the one on one time with momma. The only part that concerns me at this point is why Paxton was not aggravated at his lack of food intake. It really goes to show how much food bothers his tummy.

This you could tell he was irritated, tired and hungry, but he was amazing. The procedure went well. The doctor said everything looked good to his eye; however, he took several biopsy of his intestinal lining and will send them off to pathology. They also took more blood and pancreatic enzymes to send to a lab in California to see if we can get some answers. The doctor did mention that there was a small concern with one of Paxton's antibody levels, so he retested it and will let us know what is going on.

I am so thankful that Paxton did so well today and woke from anesthesia with little difficulty or freaking out from little P.

Thank you all for your prayers. Please continue to pray for answers on why little P does not feel well!!

Sweet little P playing outside last weekend as we celebrated PaPa's Birthday!!!

Silly boy....face covered in cake and giving us his "cheese" face!!!

Preparing Paxton

2011-09-15T12:13:00.000-05:00

Today is the BIG day...the day sweet Paxton cannot have anything to eat and has to have a lot of laxatives to prepare his system for the colonoscopy that will be preformed tomorrow. It is currently 12:08pm and so far Paxton has been a champ. The laxatives are in full effect and I need 3 diapers on him at a time to contain the mess, but other than that he has been so good this morning. I have to give a huge thank you to my mom for graciously volunteering to take Maddox for today and tomorrow so I could give Paxton my undivided attention (and Maddox could have some fun with gigi and papa). Thanks so much mom for taking such good care of Madd and helping me take care of Paxton!!!

I am not sure what this afternoon or evening will hold for us, but for now, I am enjoying this one on one time with my littlest man!!!

Maddox-isms

2011-09-15T10:09:00.000-05:00

Maddox has said some of the sweetest and funniest things this week. I wanted to document them so I would never forget his sweet spirit.

While driving home one evening we were admiring the beautiful sunset. Maddox said, "Oh mommy, it is beautiful. Just like YOU are beautiful. But, I just wish YOU had some purple on ya too. I like purple."

(oh just melt my heart)

While getting the carpets cleaned at the old house, we were sitting and reading books. Maddox leaned over and hugged me tight and said "Momma, you're my very best friend"

(Now, I don't strive to be Maddox's "Friend" I am first and formost his momma, his guider, his protector and the one to help him grow to be the MAN the Lord created him to be; however, hearing from his tiny voice that I was his very best friend made my heart fill up with joy.)

While playing in his room one day Maddox quickly informed me that he no longer likes super heros. He said "I don't like super-heros. Super heros use special powers. I like Batman. Batman uses TOOLS!"

While driving to let Maddox spend the night with Gigi and Papa for a few days (while we prep Paxton for his colonoscopy), Maddox carried on a sweet conversation with Paxton. He had a few little tears in his eyes and said "I wish my brother could stay the night with me. I will miss him" (Now, it didn't take long for Maddox to realize he would have ALL the attention with his grandparents, but it sure was a sweet moment for this momma).

The age of 3 has definitely had its challenges and battles of the wills, but I love these sweet sweet moments with my biggest little guy!!!

Please Pray for Paxton

2011-09-13T14:18:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in the previous post that Paxton is having some tummy issues. They took several vials of blood last week to test for various causes of his digestive issues and bloody stools; however, all the blood tests came back negative. While overall this is a good thing because it does not lead us towards Celiac Disease (gluten allergy), cystic fibrosis and pancreatic deficiencies. They are certain that he has a malabsorption issue where his body is not absorbing the nutrients in food properly (could explain his lack of desire to eat ANYTHING).
So, where do we go from here? Friday morning he is scheduled for a colonoscopy and an EGD (Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) is an examination of the lining of the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum). I am praying for answers and relief for Paxton. It has been such a hard few weeks. He is super fussy, irritable and we rarely see his sweet smile or hear his amazing laugh. I am praying for easy and quick solutions. I am also praying for peace, patience and guidance as we prepare a 16 month old for a colonoscopy. The prep for this test will be pretty tough on a little one. Nothing more than clear liquids all day Thursday accompanied with myralax should make for one grumpy little guy all day. Poor thing.
While I realize in the scheme of things, this test is nothing major and should be relatively easy, my heart is heavy and my anxiety levels are high. He will have general anesthesia (he will be completely asleep) and I was told I could hold him until he is asleep and I will be holding him when he wakes up. I am thankful for that. At least he won't know that I had to leave him for a little while.
Please pray for Paxton and the doctors. Please pray for guidance and easy solutions.

Paxton

2011-09-07T21:11:00.000-05:00

Please keep our littlest man, Paxton in your prayers, he has been SO fussy lately and is obviously not feeling up to par. He had some blood drawn today to see if they can figure out what is going on in his little tummy. I will post more news as we know more, but for now we wait on results and pray he can find relief.

Although I can tell he is not feeling great, he continues to keep us entertained with his silly silly faces, sweet hugs and constant movement!

Fun Evening with Daddy

2011-09-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

Just a fun evening with daddy! Tonight the boys played and played and played some more!

They wrestled

They fixed stuff

They flipped

They giggled

And wrestled some more!

Maddox Jumped over daddy

And they danced around the living room!

Brad scared the crud out of Maddox

And read sweet stories to Paxton

Aww just another day in the Kalivoda house!! Have I mentioned lately how much I love my amazing husband. It is evenings like these that remind me just how amazing my sweet husband is!!!

Maddox's First Day of Preschool

2011-09-06T14:22:00.000-05:00

Today, Maddox started his first day of 3 year old Preschool!! He did GREAT and seemed to have a good time. I can't get him to talk much about his day (crazy, since this kid normally talks non-stop...but he never really talks about what he does at "school"). Here are a few pictures we took of the big guy this morning!!!

Room to Roam

2011-09-05T10:03:00.000-05:00

I would say that the boys are settling in quiet nicely to our new house. They have plenty of room to run, play and make as much noise as little boys can make!!!!

Paxton is on the move

Run buddy run!!

He found a bird!

And now he's after the bird

My attempt at getting the 3 boys...sheesh, what silly, wiggly the two little ones make!!

You spin me 'round

Pretty sure this was the last time I could swing Maddox around. He's getting too tall!!!

Sweet boys enjoying a swing on the back porch!

Moving Along

2011-09-02T15:35:00.000-05:00

Well hello there! We are still alive and well and MOVING right along. Literally. We recently bought a new home (new to us at least) and officially moved in on Tuesday. We LOVE our new place and the boys seem to be settling in quiet nicely, we do have a few random emotional break downs from Maddox over the most random things, so I am assuming he is having a little difficulty with the change, but over all we all seem to be making ourselves right at home in our new home!! Our new house sits further outside of town with plenty of room for the boys to run and play and make as much noise as they want to (without driving this momma crazy). We are so thankful for this new journey in our lives and look forward to all the memories we will make along the way.

Maddox had a meet the teacher tea-party at his pre-school this week and I think it went pretty well. He liked the toys but was not a fan that I had to leave the room for a parent orientation. He had a mini melt down when I came to get him because he wanted another cookie to take home (a little girl in the class did not eat hers, so she got to take hers home and Maddox could not figure out why he couldn't have another one to take with him). I have a feeling Tuesday could be an interesting day for Mr. Maddox with all the changes going on in his little world, but I am sure with time he will adjust and love pre-school. (I am almost certain his biggest difficulty will be talking too much...hahah...such a social little guy).

Paxton is doing well. He's been SUPER fussy lately (although the more adjusted he gets to the new house the calmer he has been). And we've had some issues with his belly. We've had to take a few stool samples to hi gastro s doctor and we are waiting on more results from a second set of tests they ran after finding blood in his stools. I am not very patient and I am eager to know what in the world is bothering my little guy's belly so badly. I will update as soon as I find out what is going on.

Well the story of our lives right now is unpacking boxes and putting everything in it's proper place, and with all of that I have misplaced my camera charger and can't seem to get any of the pictures uploaded.
I will post some pictures of the new house and the sweet boys soon.

Paxton is 16 Months Old

2011-08-20T20:37:00.000-05:00

Paxton turned 16 months old today! He is a busy busy boy these days and seriously does not stop moving from the minute he wakes up until he finally goes to sleep! He tries so hard to keep up with Maddox and follows his big brother around all day long.

A little about Paxton at 16 months old:

Weighs around 23 pounds
Wearing size 12 month clothes (moving up to 18 month shirts)
Size 4 diapers
Sleeps great at night. Loves his lovey "Ribbit" (a frog that looks like Maddox's Raffie)
Takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon
busy busy busy boy. He is perfecting his walking skills and is gradually learning to walk with his hands down by his side rather than up in the air most of the time.
He still does not talk very much but he can say: Momma, Dadda, some form of babble for "Maddox", ball, gog (dog), cracker, caca (car), uck (truck), bath, ink (drink).
He is starting to sign more frequently. He can sign: more, eat, please, thank you, drink

Now, the key thing here is Paxton CAN say these words and he CAN sign these words, but he does not do it on a regular basis, causing frequent frustration for all of us, but his is making progress and that is what we are looking for.

He is finally eating a little bit better (sometimes). We have regressed to a lot of pureed foods and small things he can eat in a hurry. The pediatrician said she does not care at this point what he is eating as long as he is eating something. He eats a lot better if he can grab a bite when he is on the move and not strapped in a high chair; however, I also don't want to create horrible eating habbits for him. At this point, bad eating habits are better than him not eating anything at all, so for now, we will eat on the move and get him used to eating and then we will tackle the table manners later. (It's hard to teach proper table manners to a child who never eats...what is there to teach at that point!?!). EEEK. Sometimes, being a mother is such hard work, never knowing what is best for each child at any given time!!

Paxton James, happy 16 months! We are so blessed to have you in our lives and we love you more and more every day.

He's Back

2011-08-07T15:22:00.000-05:00

He's Back!!! Yippee! Maddox has returned home from two weeks in Oklahoma City with Grandma and Grandpa Voda!!! Oh my goodness, he had a wonderful time and loved ALL the attention he received from grandma and grandpa and Aunt Kim and Uncle Austin, but I sure am glad to have my ball of energy back. The house if filled with noise, questions, messes, laughter and joy once again. Paxton missed his big brother, and I think Maddox even missed Paxton (at least a little bit). It felt good in my soul to miss this little man, but I sure am glad to have him back home!!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for keeping Maddox and showing him a wonderful time. He loved every second with all of you!!!

My dear friend Jessica took some amazing pictures of Maddox a few months ago...gosh that girl does an amazing job!!

Little Stinkers

2011-07-29T21:21:00.000-05:00

This little stinker had 4 teeth break through TODAY. Sheesh, poor little man, that mouth full of soon to be teeth can't feel good (and believe you me, he has made that known to anyone near him). Thankful that he is feeling a little relief for now. Can you see that he is getting ready to cut about 8 more!!!

Oh and by the way, this is the face he makes if you ask him to smile!! Hahah....love it!

This little stinker has spent the past week in Oklahoma City with his grandma, grandpa and sweet aunts and uncles. He is having a blast, but this house sure is quiet (well, not TOO quiet with Paxton's teething adventure) and we miss that spunky spirit of his!!

Oh and by the way, this is Maddox pretending to be Captain America!! Loving his vivid imagination these days!!!

And THIS little stinker (ME) is currently working on a long post of our trip to Oklahoma City to visit Brad's family and our family reunion in Tulsa!!

Paxton Update

2011-07-14T22:43:00.001-05:00

I took Paxton for his first assessment with the speech therapist yesterday. Everything went really well. They watched him play for a little while and tried to interact with him, but he really wanted nothing to do with them and clung to my leg for most of the visit. It was good that he acted like he normally does, so they could get an accurate read on him. They believe his receptive language (his ability to comprehend what is being spoken to him) is right on track if not ahead of where he should be. His expressive language on the other hand is pretty delayed. He should be babbling a lot more than he is and should be using different consonant sounds and imitating speech more frequently than he is. This came as no surprise to either of us. We have watched Paxton and just feel he should be talking or at least attempting to talk more than he has been. They feel it will not take much therapy to bridge the gap from where he is now to where he should be. It is tough because he is a boy (usually talk later than girls), he is the second born (who can't get a word in edgewise) and he was preterm. Poor kid has a lot of obstacles against him as far as language is concerned.

As far as eating goes. Oh my goodness, Paxton has just taken off and is doing fantastic with eating. I have discovered that he will NOT eat a single bite of food if I try to spoon feed it to him; however, if I let him hold the spoon (with some help of course) then he will eat and eat and eat. We haven't had any issues this week getting him to eat! Whew, what a relief.

The speech therapist suggested that at our next visit they will let him see an occupational therapist as well. She wants to make sure he does not have a sensory disorder which would contribute to his increasing fear of strangers, small places, dark places, loud noises or anything out of the ordinary. I am thankful that someone will asses him for this because his fears are become more frequently and increasing in his fright to certain things. He could just be fearful and a cautious little one; however, I just don't want to over look something that will cause more issues for him in the future. He is at such an easy age to help with any small problem and I pray I can learn and gain all the tools I need to help my boys as much as I can (without being an overbearing and worry-wort of a mom....there is a fine line people...a fine line).

Since his appointment yesterday, Paxton has said "Pup" for puppy. "CaCa" for Car, "Ink" for drink and attempted to babble more than usual. Ha. This kid. He does everything on HIS OWN TIMING and reminds us of that on a daily basis.

Wanted to share this cute picture of how curly Paxton's hair is after a bath. Oh so precious

Despite the aggressive look on Maddox's face, the boys were really have a "moment" here in this picture. They have started hugging and it is the cutest thing I have witnessed as a mom to two boys! They have been so sweet to each other this week. (We have also eliminated Paxton's paci during the day. I know it was such a comfort for him, but there is no way we will make progress with his speech with that silly paci in his mouth so much...he has done so well without it)

Need a good Laugh?

2011-07-12T21:08:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, Maddox has Strep Throat. Not fun. The antibiotic he was put on, along with a little boy who clearly did not feel well (running a fever that reached up to 105) really messed with his personality and made him super aggressive and down right mean. It has been a very difficult two weeks with Mr. Maddox and I am praying things are finally starting to level out a little bit. Paxton has cut 3 teeth in two weeks and is currently working on all of his molars. Yuck. This week, I have had Strep Throat (Thank you Maddox for being so kind and generous with sharing those germs with me..hahha) and I have felt the worst I have ever felt. My body just hurts along with a high fever and the obvious sore throat. I am beyond thankful for my mom and sister-in-law for all their help with the boys. I seriously could not have made it through these last two days without their amazing help.

Tonight, our air condition went out. Did I mention it was another triple digit hot summer day?? Fantastic. My amazing husband believes he has located the problem; however, all the stores that carry the part we need are of course closed for the evening. The positive part is we have all the doors open and we can smell a faint scent of rain that is supposedly heading our way. Oh and did I mention that last week our washing machine broke and my amazing husband, along with all his amazing fix-it abilities, discovered the problem, had to weld a few things, make-shift a couple things and everything works as good as new!!! Sheesh. It seems like there have been several things thrown our way that make it very hard to smile or rejoice. However, once again our sweet boys have reminded us that there is always something to laugh about, even if it a simple evening with a bunch of pillows. Sometimes, you just need a good laugh!!

This is the day the Lord has made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it!

M-A-D-D-O-X

2011-06-26T22:10:00.000-05:00

Its been a while since I have posted simply about Maddox so I figured now would be a great time to brag on my eldest little one.
Maddox is 41 months old (almost 3.5). He is getting taller and leaner, loosing the baby fat and looking like a little boy. He is wearing size 3T for most clothes. Still taking an afternoon nap from about 1-3pm. He doesn't always sleep, but he has to stay on his bed quietly for two hours. He still does not like milk or cheese. Favorite food is a peanut butter sandwich. Loves his Raffie.
Maddox is turning into the sweetest, compassionate, spunkiest little man. He is really starting to blossom and is rapidly turning into a big boy right before our eyes. He has been taking swimming lessons at a local gymnastics facility where he spends the morning swimming and the rest of the day playing in the gym. HE LOVES IT. I laugh every time I drop him off because he walks into the gym and immediately starts running. RUNNING. RUNNING. His teachers laugh because they say he runs all day long (I believe it, he is starving and exhausted when I pick him up). They all seems to really like him there and comment on how polite, smart and funny he is. He definitely is a ball of energy! He has learned so much while at swimming and his fear of the water going over his head is officially a thing of the past. He will jump in the water and go completely under and he loves it. I am so happy that he has overcome his fear and now enjoys swimming like a big boy!!
As always, he is continually surprising us with how smart he is and how observant he is of his surroundings. He has a much better sense of direction than I do and he can tell you how to get home from anywhere in Lubbock (Seriously).
He loves to play and has recently started playing in his room by himself for small periods of time. This is a huge accomplishment. He is such a people person and rarely enjoys being by himself (which can make for very long days for this momma), but now he asks to go play in his room for a little while. It is so much fun watching his imagination at work!
He loves books. He loves to "read" them and loves to be read to. He can quote almost all the books in his room, and he has a lot of books. I think there will be several nights in our future where I have to go in his room and make him turn off his lamp and go to bed. He already sits up with a flashlight and a book before he goes to bed.
He is not shy. Madd will talk to anyone. He is a go getter and dives in head first at everything he does.

With POPOP before the Circus

I don't think he was to amused with the nose

nice hat Madd!!

HAHAH.

CHEEEESSSEEEE

Madd helping me blow out the candles on my bday cake

Maddox and Aunt Kim!! He loveess his aunt kim!!!

Oh sweet Maddox, you are such a fun little boy. You keep us laughing and you are always questioning everything around you. I hope these qualities never change. I hope you continue to appropriately challenge your boundaries. I hope you question everything and never sway on what you know is right. I hope you keep you sweet spirit and your gentle heart along with your spunky and determined personality. I pray I guide you and teach you in a way that helps you learn without changing your spirit. I pray you know how much you are loved and cherished!!! We love you Maddox Bradley!!

Look Who's Walking

2011-06-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

Look Who's Walking Now

Just some fun from Mr. Maddox

Awesome Pictures

2011-06-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

I received the disc in the mail with all of the pictures my sweet friend Jessica took of Mr. Paxton to document him at one year old. I posted a few that she had sent me while I was waiting for the disc, and oh my goodness, I LOVE THEM ALL!!! Thanks again Jessica for these amazing pictures of our little man!

Paxton 14 Months

2011-06-21T22:06:00.000-05:00

Monday, Paxton turned 14 months old....seriously!?!
This past month has probably been one of the more difficult months for me as a mommy and knowing what to do for Mr. Pax.
Paxton can be the most laid back little guy, but he is also very stubborn, or at least I think he is stubborn...I am having a very difficult time figuring out if he is in fact stubborn or if he is struggling in certain areas.
Paxton James does not eat very much. He will drink about 14 ounces of whole milk in an entire day, and if we are lucky he will eat a few bites of food. He has never been a huge eater, but lately I am having more and more difficulty getting him to eat anything at all. Here is where I am having a hard time deciphering wether he is being stubborn and is a picky eater or if he has some bigger issues going on. I took him to the doctor a few weeks ago and they drew some blood to make sure there wasn't anything going on there and all of that came back looking great. However, he has started dropping on his growth chart (which sometimes happen at this age because he is just so active) but the doctor and I both agree that its best to simply make sure we try everything in order to prevent life long issues with food, growth and development.
So, Paxton will be attending eating therapy with a speech pathologist. A therapist will asses him while he is eating and help me figure out the best ways to feed him and help him to develop good eating skills and figure out what exactly is causing him to have so much difficulty eating.
Well, to add to the mix, at his well check appointment today, I talked to the doctor about my concern with his lack of motivation to talk AT ALL. She informed me that hearing, speech and eating are all related and while he is going to eating therapy we will also work on his speech a little and simply make sure he is developing properly. I am always so concerned with his development, especially with him being born a month early and all the difficulties we had during my pregnancy with him.
SO, to wrap every thing up, Paxton will have a hearing test next week to make sure everything looks good there (they always do this first before starting any speech therapy...a lot of times the lack of desire to talk is because they cannot hear properly) then we will start eating therapy combined with speech therapy.

Here are Paxton's Stats from Paxton's Well Check Appointment at 14 Months:
Weight: 22 Pounds, 40th Percentile
Height 30 inches, 40th Percentile
Head Circumference 19in, 90th Percentile

Oh the silly faces of Paxton James

What to do?

2011-06-20T20:58:00.000-05:00

What do you do when the temperature reads 110 degrees outside?? Well, you eat watermelon and play in the swimming pool, of course!!

"A brother shares childhood memories and grown--up dreams"

Such a sweet smile

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-18T16:21:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe we are celebrating Bradley and his 4th Fathers Day this weekend. I know I say this all the time, but the day we found out we were expecting our first little boy still seems so near and fresh...surely we are not half way through the year and getting closer to celebrating our eldest's 4th birthday!!

I think one of the best parts about becoming a mom, is the ability to watch my husband transform into a Dad. One of my favorite times of day is right when Brad gets home from work and he leaves "work Brad" at the door and walks through the front door as "Daddy". Oh my, the boys get so excited when he gets home, they both start talking (well, Paxton just kind of squeals and grunts) about a mile a minute and the noise and excitement level in our home goes through the roof.

I love how Brad has the amazing ability to always see the big picture in life and the future for our boys. I will never forget the day we found out our first little one was going to be a boy. Of course Brad was super excited, but then he got really quiet and began acting nervous-like. He began to tell me, with tears in his eyes, that he now has the job of teaching a little one how to become a man! Now, I am sure there were visions in his mind of playing sports, racing cars and all the craziness that comes with raising boys, but I love that his first reaction was not what he was going to play with our child, but how he was going to RAISE our child.

Brad brings so much fun and entertainment to our young boys, but he also brings firm discipline a heart for the Lord and the desire to teach the boys to become strong, smart, level headed, determined, respectful, hard working, and energetic MEN!

Brad, you are such an amazing dad and I fall in love with you more everyday as I watch you with the boys. I am proud of the man and the dad that you are becoming and I am constantly learning from you. Thank you for all your work and dedication to our family. We are so blessed.

These boys sure do love their DAD

Just for giggles, here is a picture from Father's Day last year. Wow what a difference a year makes!

Growing Like a Weed

2011-06-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

These two boys are growing faster than the weeds in our backyard...I mean seriously...look at Maddox, he is getting huge, so grown up and such an amazing little man with the spunkiest personality......AND, where on earth did my little baby go? Wasn't it just yesterday we were bringing Paxton home from the hospital only weighing 6 pounds...and now he is almost walking, trying to talk and into everything!

Hello, My Name is Paxton

2011-06-14T22:18:00.001-05:00

Hello. My names is Paxton

I am 13 months old. I have 4 teeth, working on 3 more and weigh around 22 pounds.

I have the most contagious laugh, eyes that can pierce your soul and a sense of humor that will set you free.

I am full of character and charm and I make it very difficult for my mommy to discipline me. When I get in trouble, I giggle first (then I see the look in my mommy's eyes and I realize that maybe it isn't always funny....okay, well really it is ALWAYS funny, but I have to learn when it is inappropriate to laugh)

I am curious and cautious and I prefer to be right in the middle of everything. I will crawl and climb my way through anything to get where I want to go. I am strong willed and very determined and please do not try to interfere with MY plan.

I get the most frustrated when I can't keep up with my big brother; however, I have no real desire to walk independently (although I did take two unassisted steps yesterday).

Hello. My name is Paxton and I am just as cute as can be.

Time is Flying By

2011-06-13T21:58:00.001-05:00

Time is flying by. The boys are getting so big so quickly and changing so rapidly.

Time is flying by. Maddox is 3 going on 30 and never stops learning, questioning and observing the world around him. Paxton is 13 months, almost walking and rapidly changing from an infant to a speedy toddler.

Time is flying. Maddox now knows how to spell his entire name, he knows my phone number, our address and thousands of other random facts that he discovers on a daily basis. He can carry on a conversation like a grown adult and isn't afraid of anyone. Paxton is gradually getting more verbal, can point to his ears, eyes, and mouth. He does not enjoy talking, looking or meeting strangers. He is cautious but has an amazing sense of humor when he is comfortable enough to show it!

Time is flying and I am constantly reminded to slow down and cherish the chaos, the never ending noise, the drool, the not stop questions, the endless hugs and the thousands of I love you's throughout the day. Time is flying, but Maddox informed me today that he "never wants to get married when he is old like daddy because he never wants to leave me"

Oh sweet little boy of mine, that is fine with me. You can stay and be my little boy forever because time is already flying by too quickly!!

Summer Time

2011-06-07T21:53:00.000-05:00

Well, Summer is in full SWING and we are having a blast. Summer time in our house means lots of sunscreen, spending most of the day outside, swimming at GiGi's house in the inflatable pool, frozen treats, chips by the pool, and simply playing our little hearts out!

Just some pictures from the start of our summer

Maddox really enjoys pushing Paxton....hmmm, is this a sign of whats to come?? At least Paxton likes this kind of pushing from his big brother!

love those brown eyes and how much fun Madd has on his bike :)

getting ready to slide...hahha..we have since purchased a bigger inflatable pool....he looks HUGE here ;)

SPLASH

Sweet brothers....is it just me or does Maddox look about 8 in this picture

sharing some ice with GiGi

Just chillin in the pool

aww sweet memories!!!

All the Hats

2011-06-05T22:14:00.000-05:00

At any given moment I am required to be a

Multitasking role model, teacher, coach, chef, friend, boss, playmate, driver and disciplinarian. Day dreamer. Shoe seeker. Christ teacher. Tear wiper. Boo-boo kisser. Hand holder. Engineer. Philosopher. Make believer. Truth teller. Guidance counselor.

As a mommy, I am required to wear many different hats and change with the given situations!! Sometimes this is harder than others when raising two spunky boys, but there is absolutely no greater joy than spending my days with these two precious little boys, and watching all the HATS they get to wear!

9 Months Later

2011-06-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe last week was Maddox's last day of "school" wow, time just flew by. We had a rough start to the whole school experience with Maddox clinging to me and crying as it was time to walk away on the first day, we even had to send a picture of Brad and I with him to school so he could look at it if he got too sad during the day. And we eneded the experience with Maddox barely even noticing I was leaving and me begging him to give me a hug before I left for the day!
Maddox made a best friend at school this year named Owen and I continue to hear stories about the two of them playing. Over all, Maddox loved his teachers the most. He continues to ask about Mrs. Andrea and wants to know if she is doing okay. All of the teachers LOVED Maddox and commented on a daily basis that he was super sweet, always did what was told, never argued, always shared his toys and was very non confrontational. Now, I know for all of you who actually KNOW Maddox some of these qualities come as a huge shock because on a daily basis at home we have a constant battle to share and remember to use a nice tone when we are talking or do not get our way. Now, don't get me wrong, Maddox is a super sweet kid and is a ton of fun, but he is very head strong and knows what he wants and how he wants to get it. I love that the traits we work so hard to develop in him shine brightly when he is at school!! Way to go little Man!! I am so proud of you and I am so thankful that you had a great time at your first "school" experience!

Hard to believe this was my little man just 9 short months ago, in August, on his first day of school

And my big boy now, on his last day of school

Sweet boy, on the first day. That back pack was as big as he was

On the last day. He sure did grow taller!

Me and the little man in August

Us in May

Aww. Maddox and Mrs. Andrea (she cried after taking this picture...she really had a heart for my boy. Such a sweet sweet lady)

Four to One

2011-05-31T20:38:00.000-05:00

Hi there...sheesh, once again I find myself behind on this blog and not doing a very good job at updating, which makes me sad because I love to look back at older posts and reminisce about all the fun, challenging and simple day to day things in our lives. Speaking of looking back, Brad had my blog printed out into a hard back book form and I cannot wait to get it in the mail...what a wonderful gift for our family to keep forever!

Everything is going well in our world...obviously keeping busy and trying to keep up with a 3 year old who's imagination is on fire these days.....in fact yesterday I went to Mars, rode on a pirate ship and played on the beach all before noon. And Paxton is keeping me on my toes with his lightening speed crawling skills and his new found ability to climb up and over everything.
Maddox has been super sweet lately, giving the best hugs and asking anyone around if they are going to "miss him". He loves super heros, Batman in particular and flies like Superman throughout the house. I am quickly learning that if I ask Maddox to do something and he is less than thrilled to do it, I can ask "Batman" to help me and he comes running!!
Oh Paxton, he is a stinker. Getting SUPER fast crawling and standing independently for longer stretches of time; however, he still throws himself forward to "walk" thus face planting A LOT! He plays really well and loves to play by himself. He can entertain himself pretty easily with a simple straw or anything long and skinny! He loves to put smaller objects in bigger ones, and makes the funniest crying sound when he gets frustrated. He is learning to sign for "more", "finished", "please" and "Thank you".
He can verbally say "Momma", "Dadda", "bubba" (for Maddox) and makes a funny sound that sounds like "momma" when he wants more of something.
There are plenty of days when I feel super out numbered, almost as though there are 4 of them and only one of me, but I get more hugs and kisses and lovin on in a single day than I ever imagined possible. My heart (and my arms) are FULL, and I love it all!!!

Just in case I need a reminder that it really is not 4 to 1 on most days,

here is what it would look like if it were

(Maddox age 3, Cameron age 2, Crew age 1, Paxton 13months)

Sweet Conversation

2011-05-18T20:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I had the sweetest conversation with Maddox.
Here's how it went:

Maddox: "Oh Momma, I'm gonna be late for my gate"
Me: "You're gonna be late for what?"
Maddox "My gate"
Me: "I'm not sure what you are talking about sweetie....do you mean you'll be late for a date?"
Maddox: "Yes momma. You've made me late for my date!!"
Me: "Oh, so sorry.....ummmm...who are you going on a date with Hun?"
Maddox: "With Aunt Sarah....we will go eat dinner then come back. Don't worry mommy, I will come tell you good night when I get home."
Me: "Oh my....well, where are you going to take Aunt Sarah for dinner?"
Maddox: "To that burrito place....that's her favorite place."
(he was referring to Chipotle...which is Sarah's favorite place to eat when she is in town)

After that sweet conversation, we called Aunt Sarah and began to plan their date. I tell ya what....Maddox is going to be quiet the catch someday. He certainly knows how to sweet talk some one...he has the sweetest heart (when he's not being ornery) and he is clearly observant to what others like; however, I'm not sure his date would be able to get a word in edgewise with his non stop, once sided conversation tactics. It sure is a good thing we have about 20 years to work on that!!! You sure are cute little man, but don't you go growing up on me too quickly!

Kim and Austin's Wedding

2011-05-17T10:59:00.000-05:00

We had the amazing opportunity to celebrate Aunt Kim and Uncle Austin's wedding! We were so blessed to be a part of their big day and witness true love and a new life starting together! Brad was a groomsman, Maddox was a Junior Groomsman and I was a Bridesmaid! (Sweet Paxton enjoyed the wedding with Brad's cousins, who took amazing care of him that day, and kept him entertained sitting quietly in the chapel during the wedding). I have to brag on my boys a little here....they did AMAZING. The wedding started at 7:30pm and Maddox acted like it was no big deal at all to walk down the isle and stand with the big boys. He stood quietly (I know...a shocker right...I am serious, this kid NEVER stops talking..hahha) and stole the show with his swag as he strutted his stuff down the isle to James Browns' "I Feel Good". The wedding was beautiful and the reception was a blast. The DJ did a fantastic job and Maddox Loved dancing the night away and sweet little Paxton enjoyed the night in my arms!!!

Congratulations Kim and Austin. Thank you for including us on your special day and we are so excited for your lives together!!!

Have you ever seen a prettier bride?? And look at that handsome little man!! Can you see the red lipstick on his little cheek!!

Our little family all dressed up!!!

It's Party Time

2011-05-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

You have to fight....for your right....to PARRRRRRTTTTTTYYYY!!!!

My sweet sweet friend Sarah took amazing pictures of Paxton's first birthday!!!

Are YOU ready to Monkey around with us??

We had a sock monkey theme for our sweet P's birthday (he learned to sleep by himself by snuggling a sock monkey so I felt it was a great theme for our little ones bday).

The food table

WOW...look at those balloons

Is this ALL for me?

The sweets!

My mom made these awesome banana shaped cookies...YUMMY

The amazing big brother!!

Sweet hugs with Aunt Kim

The loot

Now it is time to open Presents

Oh WOW

Can I eat this?

OOHHHH

Big Brother Maddox certainly loved helping/opening the presents

Ohhhhhhhh...(this toy had balls with it...he loves it)

Team work

Going for their first wagon ride together in the new wagon from Papa and Gigi

Who wants some cookies?

He wasn't too sure what to think about that candle

Amazed

First Bite

YUMMY

Paxton is happiest when playing with a ball

sweet grin

My Best friend! Thank you sweet Sarah for taking these amazing pictures and for coming to Lubbock for Paxton's birthday!!! So blessed to have you as my friend!! Love you sweet sweet girl!

Cherish the Gibberish

2011-05-13T22:16:00.001-05:00

Oh Sweet Maddox, this kid talks NON STOP from the minute he wakes up in the morning until he falls asleep (well...he talks in his sleep, so I guess in all honesty he NEVER stops talking). He has such an inquisitive mind and you can tell that his little mind never stops either...he wants to know how something works, why it works and how he could do it differently! He can have the sweetest spirit about him (when he wants to) and will tell you "I love you" all throughout the day...such a sweet little man! He can also point out his strong opinion very quickly and makes sure you are well aware if his desires are not the same as yours....which can make for a very long day at times; however, I came to the realization today that while some days are long and exhausting with all the non stop gibberish, I am already far too close to this stage in his life coming to a close. All to soon I will awake with the realization that my super talkative Maddox will no longer have the need or desire to talk with me all day long! That thought brings tears to my eyes and places a hole in my heart.

I will embrase the questions and cherish the gibberish!!

Oklahoma Fun

2011-05-12T12:20:00.000-05:00

We had a wonderful time in Oklahoma for Aunt Kim and Uncle Austin's wedding. The wedding was beautiful and our boys did fantastic.

While we were away, made leaps and bounds as far as walking goes....he is getting much closer to actual walking and is so proud of himself when he holds on to someone and takes a few steps! (He is SUPER fast crawling and when he stands he tends to throw himself at you rather than moving his legs...its funny to watch, but scary when he speedily crawls to some steps then throws himself down the steps before anyone has time to catch him....poor baby had a scabbed nose and red/bruised forehead for the beautiful wedding pictures!!! OOPS)

Holding hands with Daddy and Grandpa

Maddox playing with some toys at the farm

Pax enjoying some water from Grandma's cup (LOVES drinking from someones cup)

Grandpa and Maddox playing on the swing set...so much fun

Brothers having fun

Don't Worry, Be Happy

2011-05-11T21:44:00.000-05:00

I have a ton to post about soon...I am just waiting on pictures from Paxton's first birthday, Easter weekend, and Aunt Kim's Wedding.....But for now......

Don't Worry...

Be Happy!!!!

Just another Day

2011-05-02T21:35:00.000-05:00

Today I awoke to tend to the needs of a very uncomfortable and irritable little Paxton as he is recovering from Strep Throat....poor poor baby.

I had to pick up some dry cleaning from the cleaners, only to find out they accidentally gave one of Brad's pants to someone else, and they are having a very hard time getting that particular man to bring the pants back...bummer.

I went to pick up a prescription for Maddox for an antibiotic to take with us out of town this coming week, just in case he starts showing signs of having strep throat. Well, the pharmacy had no prescription for him and the doctors office was already closed....bummer.

When we got home, the boys were playing and I stepped into the kitchen to refill Paxton's sippy cup, I found him in the bathroom playing in Maddox's little potty....yes, Maddox had just finished going TeeTee in the potty.....nasty (thankful it was only TeeTee). (YES, we immediately took a bath!!!! YUCK)

Today is one of those days that I am just glad to have behind us and oh, how thankful I am to have the ability to laugh at the end of a not so perfect day.

Happy First Birthday P

2011-04-20T20:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday P, P-Nut, PaxMax, P-Diddy, HotRod, Little P, Paxton James Kalivoda! How is it possible that a year has already come and gone with you as a part of our family?! I cannot imagine our lives without you in it, and we are beyond blessed to have the honor of being your parents. You are the sweetest little guy with a BIG personality that we are gradually getting to see more and more of as you get older and more "communicative"
What are you up to these days Mr. Paxton?
Weight: 23 pounds
Size 4 diapers
Size 12-18 month clothes
Crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything.
You will walk while holding onto a piece of furniture, but I do not see you taking any unassisted steps anytime soon (I am in no rush for you to be fully mobile and running circles around me)
You still only have 2 bottom teeth and are working on ALL the rest of them. Your poor mouth is constantly swollen and a puddle of drool accompanies you at all times. I may have felt the top two teeth poking through today, but I'm not positive.
You are finally taking a little of your milk from a sippy cup...hopefully we can get rid of the bottle very soon.
We were able to say so long to your liquid gold formula and you have taken to whole milk like a champ. It has not bothered your tummy at all!! Yippee
You love to throw things and you have a pretty good arm on ya.
Your favorite toys are any toys that are in your brothers room; although his work bench and a bolt are by far your favorite things to play with.
You are such a sweet little guy when you want to be, and you are not a fan of strangers or loud noises

Paxton James. Our lives have been forever changed because of your amazing presence in our family. We love you more and more everyday. This first year has been amazing and we are so blessed to have you as our youngest little Voda!! I am so excited to watch your relationship with your brother grow stronger as you guys learn to play together. I pray you and Maddox have an unbreakable friendship that grows throughout the years. I pray you come to know the Lord, Jesus as your Lord and Savior at a very early age and surrender your life to loving and serving Him. I pray you show compassion and respect to everyone you encounter. I pray you grow strong, smart and healthy. I pray you change the world. Oh sweet Paxton, I pray you become the man the Lord created you to be.
We love you little man!! Happy first Birthday!!!

Picture Perfect

2011-04-17T21:39:00.000-05:00

When I found out we were pregnant with our first little boy over 3 years ago, as soon as the little "boy parts" were pointed out on the black and white screen during our 18 week sonogram, a simple yet very vivid image immediately filled my mind. I saw a small, blond haired preschool aged boy sitting at our dinner table, wearing a super hero cape and simply enjoying being a BOY.
This evening, that once day dream vision became a reality as I sat at the dinner table enjoying a family meal with my 3 boys, laughing at our eldest, blonde haired preschool aged little boy eating his meal while wearing his RED Super Man Cape!! I had not invisioned that daydream since that day more than 3 years ago, but as I sat there listening to Maddox talk and talk and talk, the exact image came flooding back..it was perfect. This life perfect. While some days are more than challenging, this is exactly what the Lord had planned for me and HE reassured me that HE is in control by allowing a simple daydream to be preformed picture perfectly right in front of my eyes!

While I was too much in awe of what the Lord was showing me at dinner tonight, I did not take any pictures of him eating in his cape, but here are a few of the Super Hero playing a race car game with Daddy!!

Today

2011-04-16T20:44:00.001-05:00

Today I took Paxton to the doctor.
Today I found out Pax has bilateral ear infections and a sinus infection. Bummer.
Today Maddox was super grumpy. Bummer.
Today I am discouraged.
Today I am adapting, changing, and revamping my parenting style with Mr. Maddox.
Today I am tired.
Today I am thankful for bedtime.
Today I read "As a parent you are constantly faced with challenging situations. The very fact that you face challenging, even overwhelming situations is a testimony to this: For some reason, the Creator of the universe seems interested in your personal growth."
Today I live and breathe that very statement.
Today I am thankful that tomorrow is a new day.

I saw the Sign

2011-04-16T17:09:00.000-05:00

Paxton is finally picking up on sign language a little bit....he has learned to sign "more" (he usually just kind of claps, but he gets the point; however, he does not do this very often and usually just grunts and gets fussy...oh so frustrating for he and I) and he signs for "finished". Paxton has gotten really good at signing "finished". It is great that he is finally able to communicate with us, and we are able to provide what he is needing/wanting a lot easier this way. However, sometimes it doesn't always work to OUR advantage. I just walked into his room during nap time to tell him to lay down in his crib for nap time and he just looked up at me and signed "finished". Hahha...well, sorry little man, you haven't even taken a nap, you are most certainly not finished with your nap today!!!

Can any of you believe this little man is going to be a year old this week!?!? Crazy!

Oh Boy!

2011-04-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

oh sweet Maddox....you are definitely keeping me on my toes these last few weeks (well, in all honesty, when has Maddox NOT kept me on my toes??) You are a ball of never ending energy and you have the ability to talk non stop all day long. I am not exaggerating here, Mr. Maddox from the minute you wake in the morning to the minute you finally go to sleep you are talking ALL day long....sometimes it can be very exhausting! The new stage we are entering is the glorious stage of talking back and constant arguing! You have always known what you want and how you want it, now you are fully capable of verbally expressing those desires and often times it is NOT pretty. We have started taking toys away when you talk back or disrespectfully argue with Mommy or Daddy, and this seems to work a little bit better than time-outs for you.
Oh sweet boy, you can be the sweetest thing when YOU want to. You are constantly telling me that you love me and you can give some of the sweetest hugs. I love you to the moon and back and I always will, no matter what stage we are in; however, I will not be the least bit upset to see you leave this awesome stage behind us!!

Fun Outside

2011-04-12T21:02:00.000-05:00

Spring is upon us and we are thrilled...we are anxiously awaiting beautiful warm summer days!! With the warmer weather (unfortunately accompanied with a ton of wind) means that we play outside as much as possible!

Super-Maddox

My precious boys at a car show

Funny story, Maddox LOVED this Chick-fil-a cow; however, Paxton was NOT a fan, he cried so hard..poor guy

Let's make good use of this wind and fly a kite!!

Fun afternoon at the Park

"Old, Like Daddy"

2011-04-07T17:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I have mentioned previously about how trying the 3s are in our household. I read somewhere, that the 3s are so much harder because they are not only exhausting physically (with all the "busy" work that comes with taking care of a newborn) they are also exhausting emotionally and mentally. I agree with that statement completely; however, I am also learning that the 3s can be very entertaining as well. Watching Maddox take in the world around him with logic and more understanding is absolutely mind blowing and very fun to watch.
Currently, Maddox is desperately trying to grow up and become "old, like Daddy!!" (Maddox's words).
In fact, while driving home from school today, Maddox stated "Mom, I need you to pack my bag because I am going hunting tomorrow. It's okay Mommy, I always come back. Don't be sad."
Hahhahha....well, okay. I guess my 3 year old is going hunting. I asked him what he was going to hunt and he was not exactly sure, but he did inform me that when Paxton gets "his old", he could go hunting too. I was then informed that when Maddox is "old, like Daddy" then he will be able to go hunting, drive a race car and fly a helicopter.
Don't grow up too fast on me little man. Take your time, soon enough you will be "old, like Daddy" but for now lets just enjoy being 3 and viewing the world as an innocent 3 year old.

It is crazy to listen to a small, but very intelligent little boy dream about all the things he can do when he gets older. I love to watch him grow up, but I try so desperately to encourage him to stay little as long as he can.
I often wonder if this is how God feels about us sometimes. We are so eager to get to that next step in life, to get "old like Daddy" and experience new and different things...accomplish more and receive more privileges. I wonder if God says to us "Slow down my sweet child. You will get there soon enough. Take your time and enjoy what is in front of you....I will guide you, but be patient and enjoy the life I have laid out before you."

This evening, my goal is simple. I am going to enjoy the life in front of me. I am going to embrace the 3s and the challenges with a non verbal yet opinionated almost one year old and I will love the here and now without wishing away this very fulfilling life in front of me!

Swinging

2011-04-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

Oh sweet Brothers. Once again, I find it interesting to look back at pictures of Maddox and compare the boys looks and personalities!!!

(Maddox was almost 15 months old here and Paxton is 11 months)

Beautiful Day

2011-04-01T21:09:00.000-05:00

Today was a beautiful, sunny, warm and NOT wendy Spring day! We took advantage of the great weather and spent most of the day outside swinging and riding bikes in our back yard!! The boys had a great time, I myself enjoyed the Vitamin D and fresh air....AND they both took great naps this afternoon!! I would say, that a great day was had by all :)

Oh the 3s

2011-03-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

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

2011-03-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

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

2011-03-23T21:58:00.000-05:00

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

2011-03-22T22:53:00.000-05:00

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

2011-03-01T15:17:00.000-06:00

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!!!

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience....

2011-02-24T21:04:00.000-06:00

We have had a rough time staying healthy this winter. Starting back in the fall, we just seem to be sick more often than not, and are just ready for the warm, healing winds of spring to give us a break. Many others around us have experienced a similar or worse winter with illness. It seems like both boys have been sick or teething or under the weather almost all winter long and continue to share germs back and forth.
It is pretty easy to start feeling sorry for yourself when you are dealing with sick children. It wears on your patience and can really affect your attitude in negative ways. I am writing this as a reminder for myself, and I wondered if others might need the same encouragement.

I believe that God is in control of all things, good and evil. He is incapable of evil Himself, but even those evil, nasty things that happen in our lives are no surprise to Him. He is capable of stopping them all, but chooses to allow the trials in our lives. Romans 8 declares that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him. Christians can bank on that promise in everything that comes our way.

Since I have that hope and recognize that this is not just “bad luck”, I look at my often poor attitude during these times and need the reminder that the standards for my behavior towards my children and my husband do not change due to circumstances. I need to exhibit the fruits of the spirit ESPECIALLY during these times when my family needs me.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law… If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. – Gal. 5:22-25
I am going to strive today to remain joyful, patiently attending to the needs of my family while taking the opportunity of illness to pour out my love on them and encourage them. After all, while we were His enemies and giving him every reason to punish us, He chose instead to send His only son to suffer a horrible death on the cross. (Rom. 5:10) We know nothing of that kind of suffering, and should seek to live like Christ.

Not so Happy 10 Months, Little P

2011-02-21T21:48:00.000-06:00

Well Mr. Paxton decided to celebrate turning 10 months old by coming down with the Flu! Bummer! Someone needs to inform this little guy that special days are for celebrating, not getting sick (he celebrated Christmas by coming down with croup). Sadly, there is nothing they can do for the little man because he is too young for any of the medicine out there, so we will rotate between Tylenol and Motrin and keep him as hydrated as possible (luckily, he has not refused to eat too much, so this has helped). Please pray the rest of us don't come down with the nasty bug!

Paxton is growing and changing so quickly. What are You up to these days Mr. P

You weigh 22.8 pounds according to the scale at the doctor's office today fully clothed and with shoes on
You wear size 4 diapers
size 12 month clothes
size 3-3 1/2 shoe
Still on Similac Alimentum Formula (A.K.A. Liquid Gold)
Eating chunkier foods and using your jaw to chew/chomp your food...your favorite foods are sweet potato, home made apple sauce, and yogurt

You are my little climber. You want so desperately to walk right now, but you can't seem to figure out how to get up on your feet. You do more of a tall bear crawl and push yourself up on your hands and just look back at your feet..it's pretty funny to watch, but you get so frustrated that you cannot stand up right yet!

You love to crawl under things...chairs, tables, anything that has a large enough space for you to get your head through and you try desperately to get the rest of your body to follow. You are constantly getting stuck underneath something, but it does not stop you from exploring.

You are so content to play with a few toys by yourself. You like to know that people are around, but you don't demand that people play with you unless you are ready to be held, then someone better be ready to stop what they are doing and pick you up!!

You were sleeping so well through the night until last month when you caught RSV. We had just gotten you settled back into a night time routine this past week, and now you have the nasty flu bug so it looks like we will have to train you how to sleep through the night once again. It breaks my heart that you have been so sick this year, and yet it makes me so thankful that these are only minor illnesses...we are so blessed to have two perfectly healthy little boys!

You continue to laugh, smile and talk all the time. You are a fun loving baby and you LOVE your momma. I love that you snuggle so tightly on my chest when I hold you and it is hilarious how bashful you get around other people.

Paxton James, these past 10 months with you have flown by. We love you more and more every day and we are so thankful for you and your sweet spirit!!

Poor baby! You can tell by his eyes that he just doesn't feel good...still a cute little fella!

Attempting to learn to drink out of a big boy cup; however, the cup is used more as a teething toy more so than a drinking devise....all in due time I suppose!

A little Behind

2011-02-18T19:41:00.000-06:00

I am sorry we are a little behind on this post, butt we hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day and please know that we love you all!!

In fact, we love you to the MOON and back!!

6

2011-02-15T11:43:00.000-06:00

Can you guess why the number 6 plays an astonishingly significant role in our family at the moment.

Could it be because this particular number is both the month and day of my birthday? While this is certainly true, it is not astonishingly significant at this time.

Could it be the average length of time I have slept in the past several nights? Well, this is not entirely true either. In fact, if you divide the number 6 in half you have a more accurate account of the consecutive length of sleep I have obtained the last few evenings. Bummer.

Could it be significant because it is the size shoe I wear on my little feet who feel the need to be in flip-flops this week because we are going to have some 80 degree weather....almost a 100 degree increase in the past week. Crazy. But no, while astonishing, it is not significant today.

So, what is the significance of this particular peculiar number 6?
Well it would be the number of teeth that our youngest babe is working on receiving ALL at one time! I know this is astonishing and highly significant! Poor little guy. I guess 5 is too few and 7 is simply too many!!

Anyone for some popcorn??