Stats & Interview

On Wednesday, Pax went to Dr. D to for his 3 year check up. He had to get one little vaccination. When the nurse left to get it prepared I explained that he was getting one shot and it would just feel like a little pinch. He didn't seem to interested in what I was saying, but Holden was very interested. He was asking me if Pax was going to cry and all sorts of other questions. Pax piped up and said he wasn't going to cry and he was going to be very brave. And that he was! He made a little wince when the needle went in. I knew it was uncomfortable to him. But not a single tear. And I made such a big hoopla about the fact that he didn't cry that he was smiling and cheering for himself right after the needle was removed. Don't all kids cry with shots!? Maybe not. But I was so so so so proud of Pax and how he handled that moment of pain. At 3 years, he weighed in at 34lbs (74%) and 38.5inches (76%).
On Wednesday after Pax's nap, Holden was still sleeping. So I took a moment to have a littel one-on-one interview with him. He's never in a very serious mode at times like these when I want him to be. But here is what we came up with.

M: What is your name?
P: Pax

M: How old are you?
P: Three

M: What is your favorite toy?
P:  Lightening McQueen and ToMater

M: Who is your best friend?
P: Rex the Dinosaur (Toy Story, people. And this was his little silly side coming out.)

M: Who do you like to sleep with?
P: E. Eat (not sure if I've mentioned this E. Eat character. But it's a Cabbage Patch Doll that I had as a little girl. My mom gave him to Pax at one point and he completely attached himself to that doll. And Pax named him E. Eat. This all happened well over a year ago.)

M: What is your favorite book?
P: Toy Story

M: What is your favorite cartoon to watch on TV?
P: Tom and Jerry

M: What is your favorite food?
P: waffle

M: What is your favorite color?
P: green

M: What is your favorite thing to do with daddy?
P: spin around

M: What is your favorite thing to do with mommy?
P: ride in the car

M: What is your favorite thing to do with Holden?
P: play Hungry Hungry Hippos (the game he received from us for his birthday. The boys LOVE it!)

M: What is your favorite song?
P: Jesus Loves Me

M: What is your favorite animal?
P: giraffe

M: Do you like school?
P: yes

M: What is your favorite thing to do at school?
P: play with the tractor

M: What is mommy's job?
P:  you stay with us

M: What is daddy's job?
P: works on a big bridge (Funny because it's not true.)

And because of Sunday's incident, we made up for those wasted hours today. Jeremy was off from work so we had a great family day. I live for family days! We took the boys bowling this morning. We gave Pax several options and without hesitation, that is what he wanted to do. He loved every minute of it!

Pax's birthday

Pax's actual birthday was on Sunday. It was a little more eventful than I had anticipated. We had a typical morning of a quick breakfast and then a little rush to get us all out the door at 9am for church. We did spare a few minutes to sing happy birthday to Pax around the breakfast table.  The original plan was to go home for lunch and eat whatever was in the fridge. ;) Then we'd put the boys down for naps. After naps, we would let Pax choose an activity, such as putt-putt, skating or bowling. So we would go do his chosen activity after their naps and then take him somewhere special for dinner.  In the car Jeremy threw out the option to take him to Texas Roadhouse for lunch, then do naps then do the activity and dinner at home. Sounded fine to me. Later I regretted that change of plans. Which sounds ridiculous because I'm sure what happened was inevitable, if I really believe God's soveriegn control over all things.
So we took him to Texas Roadhouse for lunch. Specifically because Jeremy thought it would be fun for him to ride the saddle. I thought he might cry or be shy when they placed him on the saddle and did their little Texas Roadhouse birthday chant. (Which Jeremy still knows word for word after 10 years of being gone from the place.) But instead he loved it. Pax waved his napkin above his head and was quite the champ for it.

 Enjoying the famous rolls!

 Mommy and the birthday boy!

 I love this picture of these 2! I'm seriously surrounded by handome boys in my house. Those blue-green eyes make my heart go pitter patter. Ha.

 Look at this cowboy! He was so into it! Jeremy videoed the song.

On our drive home we were involved in a hit and run accident. Jeremy followed the guy while I was on the phone with 911. Obviously it wasn't a big deal, in that no none was hurt. When we were getting close to our neighborhood the guy I was talking to at the police department told me we needed to quit following him and pull over somewhere for a police report. We had the tag number and even though I didn't want Jeremy to stop the chase, we did. And then we sat for 2 hours! Waiting on our beloved police department! We were 2 minutes from our house and it was driving me crazy that we couldn't leave. So Sunday, his special day, was a little bit ruined by my standards. But Pax was completely unbothered by how the day went. Of course, he is only 3! But I love that about this kid. He goes with the flow. And if he's with his family, he's just pretty happy about whatever life throws.
Once we got home, we let Pax open his gifts from us.

 

 

Then the boys rode their bikes (with Jeremy and I on foot) to the new frozen yogurt place right outside our neighborhood. In all the craziness, we completely skipped dinner that night and had fro-yo instead. We ended the night with Pax working on his golf swing. He absolutely loves this game. I think Jeremy will have a little golfing side kick in a few short years.

 

The entire day did not go as originally planned. But we were able to celebrate 3 years of this special, little boy. And that is more than enough to be thankful for.

He likes golf.

By the 3rd party, little boys and girls usually have some sort of opinion about what kind of party they want. Pax chose GOLF! He loves golf. I think that I've mentioned it here before, but he has been known to putt his blueberries across the table with his fork. He's clever and knows how to make a mundane breakfast extra fun. ;) So we discussed all other interests and possibilities, which really consisted of Super Man and baseball. And at one point he was pushing for Super Man/Golf, but I was mean and made him choose between the two. The golf themed party was fun and I was happy for his choice. I figured that with his August birthday it would probably be too hot to do much outside. I was wrong. It wasn't too hot, but it was rainy and wet.  So we ate some golf-like snacks, played pin the golf ball in the hole and then Pax opened his presents and we ended by celebrating with cupcakes. I think he loved every moment of his party. And it was fun to watch him take it all in. A few pictures from our fun.

The golf like snacks - irons and woods (the pretzle rods), the greens (green fruit), birdies (the Target brand of goldfish, called chicakdess) and hole in one (donut holes). I was half embarrassed by the time I was done with this part. Pax had no clue of the significance of those fun snacks. So who did I really do that for? :)

 The birthday boy showing us that he's finally 3!!

 And one picture of all of us.

Watching him grow.  Pax as a newborn and 1 year.

Pax at age (almost) 2 and (almost) 3

 A few of his friends enjoying their snacks.

 Pax playing the game.

 Camryn actually pinning in right on the hole!

And Max being silly. :)

 He loved opening presents. What kid doesn't!

I loved watching his sweet smile as we sang to him. Man, I love that little boy!

 

The chaos in the kitchen and a handful of some of the special friends that helped celebrate our boy.

Happy birthday buddy! I hope your day felt as special to you as you are to us!

3 years ago today...

We were just minding our own business when a little blessing was born into this world.

And now that little blessing has grown into this handsome dude...

What would life be like for us without this blessing? My heart can not even go there. All I know is that he is our forever son. So attached in the most healthy of ways that sometimes I can't physically get him off of me. :) I tell him daily how happy I am to be his mommy. And often times, he replies with "Thank you". Such a polite one!  As most of you know, we didn't take Pax home until he was about 2 and a half weeks old. It was hard to not have him immediately, but it's just the way it worked out. And I took that time to relish in Holden's last days as an only child.  I've been looking through some old pictures tonight.  Some that M sent me almost 3 years ago. And some from his foster mom, where he stayed until he made it home to us. It's hard for me to fathom that he had other "mommies" and caretakers before we came along. But it's just the way adoption works sometimes. And I love that my precious boy was able to touch some hearts before making his way into our family. I love the significance of this next picture.  M physically relinquishing him into my arms for the first time. This was the first moment we met little Pax. M and I are now wonderful friends and we love her dearly. We feel fortunate to see her and her family on a regular basis.

And just like that we were a family of 4.

I've said if before, but I love what God has done. I'm so greatful for his surprises. I'm thankful He released my hand of control in the area of building my family. Because today I got to snuggle on the couch with a full lap while reading story books. And each day my heart overflows because I get to be mommy to these boys.

Pax at age 3. He's sweet. Super sweet. Affectionate. Such a little lover. Sensitive. Good at sharing. Oftentimes a people pleaser. A good little brother. Sometimes quiet and sometimes the loudest in this house. A comedian. A good and healthy eater. Laid back.

This year Pax had some major accomplishments. He gave up his paci at 2 years and 2 months, just like Holden. He made it a piece of cake! One morning in early April, he decided he wanted to start going potty. After many accidents, he finally got it down and just like that we were diaper free. Pax was potty trained! This summer we moved him out of his crib by changing it into a toddler bed. I regretted it for a while because he became a busy little bee during sleep times. But he's doing much better with it now. There was just an awful adjustment period for all of us.

Pax is our sporty boy. He loves to play golf, baseball and with any kind of ball. One of his favorite activities is riding his bike outside. He also loves to play with trains and motorcycles. And currently he is crazy for anything super hero.

His mannerisms and conversations make me laugh each day. I laugh at him and tell him he's funny. Then Holden repeats whaever Pax said/did that made me laugh. Maybe someone's a little jealous of that attention. :) Pax definitely does much entertaining in this house. Outside of our home he can be very shy, but sometimes he surprises me and lets his little personality shine for all to see.

Pax is my little buddy. A little bit (or a lot if you're asking Jeremy) of a momma's boy, which I will not complain about. I sometimes catch myself carrying him on my hip as if he's still a baby. He will definitely allow it and sometimes I just soak it up. It really is impossible to tell you who he is through writing. But I'm grateful to know him better than anyone on earth. It's just one of the many perks of being this sweet boy's mommy and spending my days with him.

So today Pax turned 3!  If he were any part baby yesterday, the big 3 wipes that out. I can't believe he's suddenly so big. But I'm not one to wish for the past. I'm looking forward to a wonderful year ahead with my sweet 3 year old!

So far this summer...

We've celebrated the 4th of July with friends and fireworks.

We've had a visit with old friends.

We've fallen in love with a new friend. Sweet, baby Cruz.

Holden compeleted swim lessons. He can now swim "long" distances by himself. Face in the water, legs kicking, arms scooping and coming up regularly for breaths. This lady amazed me! And Pax will definitely be taking from her next year. Video of Holden swimming should be coming soon.



Pax transitioned from tricycle to big boy bike (with training wheels)! Thanks Aunt Amy for the hand-me-down bike. What a nice surprise!

We've eaten more watermelon than I ever knew possible. I love this stuff!

We've been dedicated to watching the Olympics. And it's even spurred on a bit of healthy competetion.

Don't be deceived by the picture. I am NOT touching that wall. And you should know that I won that little competition. :)

We made a trip to the Sea Life Aquarium with my sisters and all 7 of the little cousins.

We've made countless trips to the water park and there are many more to come. We are rarely outside these days unless we are in the water. I'm a little tired of the heat and humidity that is our Texas summer.  But it's been such an enjoyable summer for our family. I hope yours has been a fun one!

brothers.

These boys are a gift to one another and they just don't know it yet. Believe me, there are plenty of less than kind moments between them. But when the sweet moments happen, the bad ones can easily get overshadowed. I'm so thankful they have one another!