HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADDEN

Madden, you are the sweetest blessing we never knew we wanted :)  Can't believe our baby is 2!   This takes me back to the memory of the day you were born when you made your dramatic entrance into this world with the chord wrapped around your neck.  You wanted to keep us on our toes from the moment you entered this world...actually from long before you entered this world when you put mommy on bedrest :)
You are an energetic, silly, kind hearted little boy.  You may be a bit naughty and quite a handful at times (but what 2 year old isn't) but you make mommy forget all those things when you open your arms widely and lean in for a hug and give me a sweet little kiss.   You know just the right time to plant them on me Madden.  Your favorite people to give hugs and kisses to are your brothers and your dog, Roxy.   Oh poor Roxy, you love her so much, maybe a little too much at times.  You love to lay on her and play with her and good ol' Roxy just lays there and takes it.
You have amazed us with how much you keep up with Talan and Deegan, you may be a bit slow with your talking but physically, wow, you are ahead of the pack and we are amazed by what you can do!
You know how to be gentle with Baker and you call him "baby" and give him sweet kisses on his head throughout the day.
You love to have books read to you and you think almost every animal says moo.  You are obsessed with shoes, whether they are yours our anyone else's that walks through the door.  You want their shoes off of their feet and onto yours and you will walk around in them so proudly.
We all appreciate how you never let us forget to pray. When we sit down to eat you always say "pray" and reach your arms out to hold our hands. Then after we are done you clap and say cheerfully "I pray".
I think my favorite thing about you is how excited you get to see people, of course I especially love it when that person is me and you run yelling "maammaa" with your arms wide open and a big smile on your face.   I also love how animated you are.  You have so many adorable facial expressions, most often wide eyed with your eye brows raised and mouth like a little "O" shape.  So cute.   You often say you are "happy" too, love it.   You also LOVE to dance, any time any music at all comes on you are shaking your groove thing....adorable :)
Another favorite thing I have about you Madden is how if I am having a bad day and might shed a tear you will come over without me saying anything and give me a kiss.  Just makes me feel so much better.   It is very evident that you have a giant heart and that is something I treasure about you.
I sometimes worry that I don't give you enough of our own special one on one time.  Life here (like many houses) can get a little crazy and I don't want you to ever feel like you aren't getting enough attention or time.  You have twins for brothers and a special needs brother so I hope we don't ever let anything overshadow you and how special you are.
Our lives would not be complete without our 4th sweet boy and we cherish and love you with all our hearts, you will always be our baby.

His famous "oh wow" face

Had to throw one in of Baker having a great time celebrating with Madden

NEW STUDIO

So excited to be announcing my PT Studio - Designed To Be Fit Personal Training Studio.   My awesome hubby has put in such hard work and I am so excited that I can now start working with people in it.  Check out my blog for it at:  http://www.designedtobefit.blogspot.com/ and contact me if you would like an appointment :)

STONEYRIDE

Yesterday was such a beautiful day so I packed up the boys and we went and picked up Jeromy from work so he could come with us to Stoneyridge.  We love that place, it is always so much fun to take the boys there and it was a great day to be there!
Here are some fun pictures from our time there:

This was so cute, Baker would take the food out of Daddy's hand and he would open his hand up and drop them in the shoot

Talan is helping Madden do it too

Baker is showing us how the sheep are eating

On our way to the pumpkin patch

Madden found a good one

HERE WE GO

Oh boy, here we go, Madden is getting out of his crib and now there is no keeping him in.  Quite awhile ago he did it a few times and I thought "oh no, not already" but he just stopped and now it all started again yesterday and there is no stopping him so no nap today and let me tell you, that is a HUGE disappointment - momma needs you to take a nap Madden - you are  handful and your nap is a wonderful sanity break for me.   I trid for an hour to keep putting him in his crib but he just crawled right back out, that little stinker.  Then I tried about an hour later, same thing.   So nap nap today, of course sooner or later when it is bedtime tonight he will get too tired to fight it but I already miss the times when we could just lay you down Madden and you would go to sleep.   I know this is something every mom goes through but it is always a bummer.   Looks like it will be time to convert his crib to a toddler bed soon but I remember that is no fun either b/c then there is really no keeping them in.   Oh well, it is all a part of growing up.
By the way Baker had a fun Birthday yesterday and here are a few pictures of our celebration.

time for a few presents

he was in awe of his cupcake tower...or actually the car and candles on top of the cupcakes

nothing like cake between your fingers - no tastes for him though, he didn't bring his hand up to his mouth at all

the best part of the cake - the car on top :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAKER!



Here is sweet little tiny you in the hospital...look you don't even fill out your diaper

Here is that special moment I will never forget!

Serious sweetness

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR SWEET ANGEL BAKER!! Your brothers were so excited to be able to wish you a Happy Birthday today and at 6:45am you were up and we were all in your bedroom singing to you on your bed :)  Can’t believe you are 3 years old. I remember the moment you were born like it was yesterday. I was very nervous b/c you were coming 5 weeks early and I just wanted everything to be ok. The moment you were born Dr. Tu handed you to me and I said “hi Baker” and your big blue eyes looked deeply into mine, that was it… I was madly in love!


You have proven to be the toughest, sweetest little man we know. Your courage and strength continue to amaze us! I do not think there is a person in this world who could meet you and not fall in love with you….look out ladies :) You make my heart melt every day and I could not imagine our family without you.

Every morning when I walk in your room to get you out of bed you greet me with the biggest smile and even if I have to wake you when you are sleeping to go to an appt. you give me the biggest smile. I don’t know many people that are happy to be woken up but you sure don’t seem to mind. I always have to giggle to myself when I walk in your room to get you out of bed and I see little pretzel man Baker b/c you are literally folded in half many times in bed, with your toes all the way over your head and your little smiling face peering through those legs. Our little gumby man.

Thank you for cuddling with me every day and giving me your cute little grunts, your infectious laugh and the brightest smile this world could ever see.

Thank you for lifting my spirits with your gentle soul when I am having a rough day. Thank you for showing me you love me even though you can’t say it or can’t kiss or hug me. I hear it through your giggle and see it through your cute expression when you tilt your head to the side and bring your wrists up towards your chin. Thank you for showing everyone around you that physical abilities do not determine who you are or the character you will become. I have faith you will defy all odds and we will get to celebrate many birthdays with you and you will continue to teach those around you the meaning of love and determination.

Thank you for being the boy you are, your Daddy and your brothers and I all love you so much and we wish you the best birthday ever!!


The boys were so excited to hold you on your Birthday!





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And here you are today, on your big day.   Don't mind that Talan looks scared, he just is silly about smiling for the camera

WOW

Let me preface this by saying I love my children so much but WOW, can some days be so overwhelming and difficult.   I admire the moms that have it all together and look like they can handle anything, never get stressed, upset or raise their voice to their children.   Are there really moms like that?  It seems like there are and I wish I could be one of them.   I know I am not the best mom out there but I try to do the best I possibly can.   I just really wish I didn't raise my voice!  I feel so bad for that!

Sometimes I wonder if I go through the whole day without saying a word if the kids would act differently b/c it seems as though the words I do say some how evaporate in the air before they make it to the ears of my children.   Can we say 'repetition'?  I feel like I repeat every single thing I say so many times before anyone listens.  I often wonder what I am doing wrong because what I am doing sure doesn't seem to be working.   That is why it is extra hard when my hubby gets home and I try to say something to him and he 'ignores' me or has 'selective hearing'....love you honey :)   b/c I think, ok I at least need an adult to listen to me.

Oh and meal time, holy cow.  Is it really that hard to just eat what is put in front of you and not say "I don't like that" before you even take a bite or to take 1 hour to eat your meal b/c you are fighting eating every step (or should I say bite) of the way.   Even better yet in Madden's case to ask for some food, have me give it to you and then you throw it across the room and say 'no' or shake your milk sippy so milk goes everywhere and repeat, repeat, repeat over and over again, almost every meal of every day.   I think that is why sometimes it gets so frustrating b/c it is the same struggle a number of times a day, and day after day.   I just feel like I am not getting through.  As I type right now Deegan has one of his favorite lunches in front of him and it has been there for 30 minutes and he is still not done and he likes the stuff, he just gets side tracked.   You might think, well why are you on the computer then, well this is for my sanity, I am venting :)   The house is in distress behind me right now.   Madden and Talan are wrestling over a sea of messy toys that we have already cleaned up a number of times, Deegans is still at the table and good ol' Baker is sitting in his chair right next to me being sweet of course.   I can ignore some naughtiness for a moment right, because we all know it will be there in another minute for me to deal with for the umteenth time, I am just breathing and venting.

Madden, you are such a cute little thing and you can be so sweet but my, oh my, you are such a handful and I am at a loss on how to handle you sometimes.   The screaming, and throwing toys, books, food (whatever you can get your hands on) seems to never end and my disciplining doesn't seem to make a difference.   Thank goodness for those hugs and kisses you will still give me throughout the day to help make up for some of it :)  I want you to turn out a nice young man and I am so afraid I am messing you up somehow.

Talan and Deegan, you go between physically and verbally fighting and loving on each other multiple times of day.  You can get so upset at each other and then the next moment be back to the best of friends but of course this relationship does cause me to break up multiple arguments every day.

I thank God for my job, it is my sanity break and I love it.  I just work very part time but what I do helps a lot.  I am teaching Power Pump tonight and I can't wait.  Guess what, I go and teach and I instruct the class to do something and they do it right away and I only say it once.   It is an amazing feeling :)  What a stress reliever to exercise and to have a "break" from the chaos of my every day home life.  I know some people feel differently about working moms and that is ok, you are entitled to your opinion and I really truly do admire the moms that can be home with the kids 100% of the time and never have a break, I can't do it and stay sane but I admire you for what you do.

Of course my kids are far from horrible children, don't get me wrong, I think it can just get a little crazy with 4 little ones in the house.  I probably sound like a horrible mom and I probably shouldn't even post this but I am wondering if I am alone in feeling this?  Do your kids listen to you?   Forgive me as a I vent.   I, without a shadow of a doubt love each of my children more then anything and although our house is a crazy, rambunctious house with rarely a dull moment I surely would not trade it for any other house.  God blessed us with 4 sweet boys and I will always be grateful for all of them!!

FIRST DAY OF PRESCHOOL

Talan and Deegan started Preschool this week.   They are going to Sonshine Preschool on Tue/Thur mornings at Word of Life Church.   There are 18 kids in their class and I was a bit worried b/c they both kept asking me if I was going to stay the whole time with them and both of them can be a bit hit and miss with leaving me and I was expecting some tears but so far so good  :)  They are doing great and when I picked them up on Thursday Talan said he wasn't ready to be done playing yet.  So that is  a good sign.   They are excited that their friend Trey Baar is in their class and they say they have made a couple other friends but they don't know their names yet :)   They are also very excited to be able to take backpacks to school on their show-and-tell days.