Happy 4 Months Maddox!

Maddox has been doing great lately in the sleep department!! He has gone a week with sleeping through the night..... I think it is because he found his thumb!  It was crazy... one night he got up two-three times and the next night (and about a week after that) he just started sleeping through the night.  Thank you thumb!!;)  I know this will be a habit we will need to break in the future.... but sleep is so glorious right now!  We pray this sleeping pattern continues!;)  Maddox has rolled over a few times in this past month but doesn't prefer to do it often.  We set up his jumperoo today so he likes being able to bounce around now that he has good head control.  We have made it four weeks of me being back to work.  He drinks about 20-25 oz of milk while I am gone (and I pump about 15-20 oz during the day..... 5-10 oz before I head to work.... depending on Maddox's sleep patterns... and 10 oz at work... I get two 15 minute pump sessions a day while at work).  Fortunately, I learned from Zander to pump almost every day while I was on maternity leave so I would have some milk stored up for the days I am not able to pump enough milk for my little guy.  He continues to be so happy and content.  His breathing has started to get better as well and I don't notice as much pulling in his ribs or esophagus!  He goes back to the ENT in June for his next checkup since he is progressing so well!  Maddox takes two one-hour naps during the day while he is staying with Grammy.  He is in size 3-6 clothes (but I might be getting out the 6-9 month options soon!) and wears size 2 diapers during the day and size 3 diapers at night.  He is almost ready to use size 3 during the day too.  Here are some pictures of our little guy!

 To compare......he is growing so fast!

Sweet Smiles and Funny Faces

Our boys are just happy.... in general.  Of course, there are two year old meltdowns and infant cries but generally they are in a good mood.  I have tried to document some of our fun times we have had lately.... and you will see lots of smiles!  We tried to cheer our Panthers on for a super bowl win.... maybe next year?!  We had my grandparents come to visit us from Florida to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and my grandpa's 80th birthday.  I got to go out to dinner with my boys for a Valentine meal.  We had a little more snow.  We have tried to soak up as many cuddles as we can in between all the late evenings at work and busy weekends.  Today we went to a friend's 1st birthday party and will be going to grill out with some more friends tonight!  We are loving the (little) warmer temperatures and that it is staying lighter later.   Zander has started making a really funny face that had to be documented a few times below and Maddox has learned to stick out his tongue.  Enjoy!

To My Little Valentines

Zander and Maddox,

     You two boys are such special blessings from God.  It is incredible the love I have for both of you.  I spend all day, every day, thinking about you two and hoping that I am providing both of you with the love and care you deserve.  Sometimes I fall short on all the mommy duties and sometimes I think we have things figured out.... our mommy-son relationship that is!  I just don't think I can give you enough hugs and kisses!  I know that before too long it won't be "cool" to get a hug or a kiss from your mom so I am trying to soak up all the cuddles we can get now!  These past two weeks have been very busy since I started back to work after Maddox was born.  I question daily if I should stay at home with the two of you or continue working and attempt to balance work and home responsibilities.  I pray God gives me the strength each day to make you two a priority when there are so many distractions around us.... from work email to television shows.  

   Zander..... some of the things I love about you right now at the age of 2 are:  your "naked boy" impression where you will run up and down the hallway upstairs shouting "naked boy" as loud as you can, your kindness for your brother (any time he is crying you will try to rock him or tell me he needs milk or just walk over to where he is and say "hi"), your eagerness to help mommy clean up your toys at the end of the day, your enthusiasm to help sweep the floor with our Swiffer, your love for your dump truck (or pretty much anything that is a form of transportation), your ability to "read" words in the books we read together (you can tell me the title of most of our books and give the basic gist of a story we are reading because you are familiar with what it is about), your excitement when a school bus passes us on the way to school, your knowledge of numbers, letters, colors and shapes, your hands when they hold mine, your attempts to dress yourself or undress yourself, your cuddles on a Saturday morning when we have a little extra time to be lazy, your love for animals and all things Marvel comics (might have got this from your daddy!), and I love that you are my first born son... the boy who made me a mommy!

    Maddox..... some of the things I love about you right now at the age of 3 months are:  your smile (it is almost constant!), your laugh (it is already so contagious), your middle of the night cuddles (you can also start sleeping through the night any time now and we can exchange those cuddles for the morning or afternoon!), how you move your hand when I say "hi" as if you are trying to wave, your attempts to have a "conversation" with me (I feel certain you are saying a lot of great things based on the excitement you have in your voice), the way you look at your brother (you follow him with your eyes no matter where he is or what he is doing), the way you hold your brother's hand when we are sitting on the couch, your spiky hair (it is coming in a lot darker and faster than your brother's did), your attempts to stand up while I hold you (you are really strong), your attempts to roll over, the way you suck your thumb (it is like your favorite thing right now!), your laid back personality (I hope you are able to keep this.... you get it from your daddy!), your "chunky monkey" status (it is so great that you like to eat..... all 15.5 lbs of you!) and I love that you are my second son..... the boy who completed our family!  The Houstons did not feel whole until you arrived.

    Happy Valentine's Day to my two favorite sons!  You will always be my boys! 

    I love you! -Mommy

Back to Work

Well.... I went back to work on Monday.  I am so tired!! But more importantly, I miss these two cuties below so much!  It seems like I only see them for a few moments each day....just enough time to get a few snuggles in and make sure they are bathed and fed!  Looking forward to the weekend badly!!

I had to include a cute bath picture of Maddox below! He is almost too big for the baby bathtub!  We took him back to the ENT doctor on Tuesday and he weighs approximately 15 lbs 8 oz.  A huge praise report is that the ENT doctor says that Maddox seems to be doing well with his airway issue.  We are still monitoring it and will return in June for another checkup but maybe our little guy is starting to outgrow his floppy airway... keep praying! :)

 Just to compare... the picture right below is Zander at about the same age!

Back to Maddox.....

On Sunday, before I headed back to work, we fit it a little family time at a local park.  Temperatures were in the 60s and there was a light breeze that kept Maddox smiling and sometimes causing him to catch his breath!  These boys had so much fun outside.... makes me excited about warmer temperatures and the upcoming spring weather!

 Brothers in their dog pajamas!

All smiles after surviving the first day back to work!  Grammy took great care of Maddox and Grandpa dropped Zander off at daycare in the morning so I had a few extra minutes in the morning!

Wednesday night Kelly and I went to see Carrie Underwood in concert! We had a blast! We got to see the Swon Brothers and Easton Corbin as well!  Even though it was a late night (and made for an even more tired mommy), it was so great to hang out with a best friend and catch a concert like old times!