Bye-Bye Teddy (sniff, sniff)

Today is a sad, sad day in the Maynard house. Today as we drove home I had the boys' windows down and as we approached Americus, Teddy was dropped out the window. After many times of telling them not to put anything out the window, my eyes were not very quick today and I missed that Teddy had been thrown out the window. Drew told me shortly after it happened, but I have no idea where Teddy was exactly thrown out. I have to admit, I think I am much more upset about this than I thought I would ever be. I think for me it is a realization that my baby is not a baby anymore. Sniff...sniff.


(Tyler holding Teddy at Christmas 2008)

I remember when I first laid eyes on Teddy, August 10, 2007. Aunt Tami and Uncle Adam had him attached to a couple of balloons for Tyler the day he was born. Teddy wasn't an attachment for Tyler at first, but shortly after Tyler lost his pacifier in the Wal-Mart parking lot, I guess he started to cling to him. He brought Teddy everywhere and when he was missing before bed or naptime, it was known, he wouldn't go to sleep without him. Teddy sort of became a part of the family.

When he goes to bed every night Teddy would be tucked in under his blankets and Tyler would pat the top of his head as he slowly drifted to sleep. First thing when he would wake up, he had Teddy in his hands to greet me in the morning. Even though Teddy stunk (didn't matter how many times I washed that bear, he still stunk), he was Tyler's best friend.

Bill even tried to drive real slow along 25 on the way home to see if he could find Teddy, but he did not find him. Tyler won't even talk about it he is so upset. It might be a long night. Poor little guy! Teddy, we love you and you will be greatly missed!

Diaper Free, Could It Be?!!!

After a few months of debating whether or not to start potty-training, I just tried it a few weeks ago. I was at the point where I was done changing diapers! I thought to myself, he is almost three and he has no interest in it. It really is hard to not take it personally as the mother. I thought I was doing something wrong. Is he going to be in diapers forever? The weekend came and gone with no success. I wanted to totally give up. Tyler completely showed no interest. I was in total frustration! During my utter despair, Bill encouraged me to continue. Thanks babe! I don't give you enough credit, but you do deserve it this time. By the next week, I was on vacation, so I tried it again the last two days. To my surprise he peed twice on the potty!! I was in debate over to keep him in a diaper or just put him in underwear. I decided to just dump the diapers and put him in underwear. He had no accidents the first day back to daycare. By the second day he was telling Stacie when he had to go potty! Now we are completely diaper free, except for pooping. I try to have a pull-up on me when I know he might have to go poop. I learned this from being at the Frozen Custard for lunch with my dad and Kathy and he pooped and I had nothing on me!! Napkins just make it worse!! The joys of parenting right there!! I am very excited that my little boy is almost potty-trained. Such a relief! I must say, it is easier once they are actually ready!

In just typing this this morning we had our first pooping on the potty experience!! Yay Tyler! I am so excited to be diaper free! Of course, the savings in diapers will probably go to our food budget to feed these growing boys! HA!

Mommy........

That is the word I have heard a lot lately. Taking care of two sick boys is not what I would say as fun, but to hear the words "Mommy, hold me.", is something I realize I take for granted. I have to admit sometimes I get frustrated and just want to get away from it all. Coming up on mother's day this weekend, I have realized how blessed I really am. Of course, at 1am when I was cleaning up a trail of throw-up all the way to the bathroom, I was not thinking this way. Thanks mom for holding my hair back when I was throwing up and taking care of me when I was sick! Being a mom is definitely not a glamorous job and we get overlooked a lot for all that we do, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! It is the best to be able to raise Drew and Tyler. They always have something cute to say that keeps a smile on my face! I love it!! Drew said to me last night when he was in bed with me. "Mommy my belly hurts." I said, "You probably have gas pains, just let it out." He said, "But mommy, I'm not supposed to fart in front of girls." It was so sweet how serious he was. :) I love him!! :)

Being a mother is such a blessing and for some it doesn't come as easily. I know that my sister, Tami, will be celebrating her first Mother's day this weekend and I could not be happier for her! All that she has been through, what a day to celebrate the three little miracles and one awesome mom that endured almost seven months on bed-rest. What a sacrifice to make! Love you Tami!

Happy Mother's Day!!

Finally a New Blog!

I can't believe it has been 3 months since I have last blogged. Here I am blogging at 7pm, the boys need a bath, laundry needs folded and the kitchen cleaned...who says I have to have a perfect house right?!! On top of that Bill is gone this week. Let's just say I am in survival mode already and it is day two of Bill being gone. Peeling Tyler off the cement porch this morning to get him into daycare was not the best part of my day! It never fails though, when I come and pick them up, Tyler is the first to run to me and scream "MOMMEEEEEE!!" I love it!

Tonight I just sold the boys' baby bedding to a lady at work. A part of me is sad, but another part is excited to start a new chapter in life! We are thinking we are done at two, but who knows we go back and forth all the time!! LOL! After seeing little Chase it almost makes me want to have a third, but then I wake up to reality when my 2 1/2 year old isn't even showing signs of wanting to be potty trained! I thought Drew was strong willed, but now I know what a strong willed child is after having Tyler. I really need to buy that book "Raising a Strong Willed Child" by Dobson. Anyone have any words of wisdom on raising boys...my ears are open!!

Ending on a great note,I have a brand new nephew, Chase Robert Axline! He is sooo adorable! Congratulations Carrie and Sam! Can't wait to see him again!

Don't forget to wear green tomorrow! Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

I Pledge Allegiance...

Last week driving the boys into daycare Drew surprised me one morning. He saw an American Flag on top of one of the building's downtown and said, "Mommy look it's Amewica!!" He was so excited and I said, "Yes that is the American Flag. Drew do you know the Pledge of Allegiance?" And to my great surprise he said, "Yes, mommy." I then asked him to say it. He then starts out, "I pwedge awegiance to the fwag of the United States of Amewica." He says the entire thing as I am crying! I was shocked to find out he knew that. It is amazing how much he is learning in preschool, just two days a week and even his first semester! Time sure is flying raising him. Yesterday it seems I was holding him in my arms. Sniff...sniff...

I just had to share that my almost 4 year old knows the Pledge of Allegiance!!! The next great President...the possibilities are endless!!

He Is Jealous For Me!

I am so excited for Thanksgiving this year! We have a lot to be thankful for this year. It seems this year has really been a character building and defining year for me and for Bill and for our marriage. When Bill lost his job I thought, "God what did we do wrong, or why are you punishing us?" But it wasn't that at all. In the 7 months Bill was laid off, it was like the Lord was stripping us of all our trust in man and showing us that He is the one to trust in. Trust in man can only take us so far, it is Faith and Trust in the Lord that makes us strong. The Lord took care of us the 7 months Bill was laid off! We didn't have health insurance and our boys were not sick once in 7 months that he was laid off. For two kids, that is a complete miracle! The Lord provided a roof over our head and food for us to eat! I am so thankful for Richard and Patsy for opening their home to us for 5 months. The Lord even opened the door for my old job back! Even though, I would rather stay home, I am so thankful that He has provided this job for me! I am thankful Bill has found a job with American Family Insurance! We thought the door was shut on this job and the Lord opened it back up again for him. I am rejoicing this year that I have learned more and more about the Lord's love and faithfulness and I am so "THANKFUL" for His many blessings upon our life!

I love this song from the "David Crowder Band"


He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

I'm Surviving!

It is day 4 and I am still alive! The week Bill leaves for training Tyler, of course, gets sick with a fever on Monday. I used all my sick time on Monday, and I had my wonderful mom and mom-n-law watch Tyler for me on Tuesday. When I took him to the Dr. on Monday, they had to swab him to check for strep. That was horrible trying to hold him down while he was saying "No, mommy, I'm scared!" It broke my heart to hear him say that. I didn't even think he knew that word yet. Luckily it is just a viral cold and he doesn't have strep or H1N1! YAY!

On a brighter note, we now have awesome water pressure! This lady that lives down the street had someone put a new gauge on the water tank. I guess they barely had any water pressure and with a quick fix like that, we should have done this years ago!! It is great to be able to fill up a bathtub in less than 5 minutes now!

Last week we took Tyler to Riley Hospital to get an x-ray on his hip and we are so excited that the Dr. said he is completely fine! PTL! That was a huge sigh of relief. We should of had the x-ray done at the beginning of this year, but then Bill got laid off and without insurance we decided to wait. I realized how blessed we are to have two healthy boys. It was so hard sitting in the waiting room and seeing all of these little children in wheelchairs. What some of these parents go through day after day after day for their children just breaks my heart. Oh, and what really made me upset for these families, you have to pay to park!!! I could not believe that at a children's hospital we had to pay to park. Realizing that some of these parents have to go there multiple times a month, it just stunned me! I thought Riley Hospital was to be one of the greatest hospitals and to ask the patients to pay to park is just horrible I think.

To end on a good note, I got my drapery rod that I ordered from Target this week! I can now hang up my drapes in the living room! YAY!! This is something I will not attempt on my own, I will wait for Bill. I am not Mrs. Fixit that's for sure!