everyday Paxton

Like his mama, Paxton has a strong love for the outdoors. As a little girl, I was always outside with my four brothers; playing ball, tumbling in the grass, blowing bubbles, swimming, and running around. It's the sweetest thing to see Pax enjoy those same things I did as a child, but I want his adventures to be bigger. As a parent, you want the best for your child. Not only do I want the best but I want the most in anything we do. Our time together is precious so I want our adventures to be full of fun and laughter.

Last week we spent our day with Brittany and her son Khaliel. Khaliel just turned two in February so him and p are only a year apart. We had a crafter-noon and made Easter art work then explored with our boys outside. Brittany's neighbors own a landscape property so their entire backyard is an oasis of rocky paths, tall trees, a pond, and lots of nature to see. Our little boys had a fun time throwing rocks and walking around. Paxton does what I call "point & ask" -- when he points his little finger at something and says "yeaaaahh" and I tell him what it is. His vocabulary is improving because he likes to mock and repeat everything I say.

Here are more photos of our days since the weather has felt more like spring around here, rather than snow and low temps

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He went up to the tunnels with me at Burger King and wasn't afraid at all.

Short video of p going down the slide by himself for the first time

We went to Walker Park yesterday and had a pizza picnic. He played on the swings and the slide and walked around in the grass. He ate pizza and buffalo wings, played with his toys on the quilts then napped with me for a few minutes.

It was a perfect day.

These are some photos that I found on my phone that I wanted to include in tonight's post.

The first photo {top right} was taken when my grandma {p's GG} was admitted to Elkhart General Hospital. She had a terrible fall at our local Goodwill store and had to stay there for a few days. I remember her being very tired because of all the medication she was taking. Her old doctor from Texas prescribed her a blood thinner and she's anemic so they took her off of that.
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my dearest son,
after GG had two strokes just a few months apart from each other, as a family {us and all of GG's kids // your great tia & tios} decided that it was best for her to move back to Indiana. She came home for uncle Rocko's funeral and we practically forced her to stay home. Grandma Deanna was unemployed and took the role of being GG's caretaker. Good things fall apart so that better things can come together. She retired from Notre Dame and wanted to live on the land in Texas that her and gpa owned, but you two wouldn't have built the awesome bond you have if she didn't come back home. God forbid anything ever happens to her, I am so happy that you snuggled with her, loved her and became close to her.
sincerely, mom.

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Like I mentioned earlier; this was around the time pax & GG really started to bond. Just recently she moved out of our house and back to South Bend because the renovations {to make her home handicap accessible} are finished. Paxton adores her and I know he misses her. They were on the same sleep and meal schedule. He loved playing with her cane and he always put a smile on her face. I will always remember the way he looked at her while she did her physical therapy exercises. He knew how much strength she had and it made him happy to see her getting better :)

The second photo {fro pho} is extremely hilarious to me. This was before his birthday. I want to say in December some time and his hair was so wild. I didn't want to cut it before he turned one. This was just one of those lazy days when I didn't feel like taming his hair. I probably didn't brush my teeth yet and was still wearing my pjs that day, too. Let's be real.

The first photo in the 2nd column was Paxton's very first train ride to Chicago! We left from South Bend airport and went to Chi a day early {before our flight} to spend time with my cuz Marielle. This was the first time she met p in person! Her apartment was so warm and inviting. She let us sleep in her bed with her and didn't mind us waking up super early for our flight. We had yummy deep dish pizza and wings. It rained like crazy the whole time we were in town but I was so grateful that she let us stay with her for free and we got to catch up with each other!

Second photo {in the 2nd col.} was taken in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pax was at the perfect height to see out of AJ's window. We went there to visit my boyfriend and p's god mom who have only lived there for 5-6 months . . . we travelled there in December and stayed until Christmas Eve..

the weather didn't feel like winter {obviously you can tell bcos p is half naked} it felt so peaceful and serene to be surrounded my mountains and people who love us. it was a really great trip.

3rd col. 1st photo was taken in the pediatrician's room at Family Medicine Center. Paxton had a redness in his ears and his throat so they prescribed Amoxicillin. the medicine he's holding is over the counter stuff I was giving him for his cough/throat . . . he wasn't eating like usual bcos his throat was sore. He also lost a lot of weight. He got over it. Then he got his 1 year shots, and then he caught the RSV virus. So far it's been a crappy winter between the bipolar weather & p getting sick . . .

Last photo the only reason I snapped this photo of him was bcos A.) he had his new hello hi apparel onesie on B.) he looked very handsome, and C. ) this was right before I realized he was soon going to be a toddler

He wasn't standing on his own yet or walking along furniture. He was climbing the staircase and pulling himself up along the couch or coffee table. I'm still shocked with how quick one year went by!

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Now that p is over the RSV virus and his birthday party that I planned two months in advance is done and over with; my daily schedule is back on track. We've had more breaks during the weekdays to go out to eat, go to the library, or to the park. On weekends that I'm not working at the restaurant we go on short out-of-town visits/play dates. We recently went to Michigan City to Bella Boo's with Tiffany and her two boys, Brylee and Jordyn!

This place was better than Chuck E Cheese's . . . it was our first time there and we definitely will be going back. We cooked together, played with water, wooden blocks, trains, fake food, and painted his first painting

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P's also been eating like normal again. He's so long and lean due to the fact that he probably has high metabolism like me and he doesn't want to eat if he's sick or teething. Now that he's 1 yo., whole milk and PediaSure have been added to his diet. I have to give him like 6 nibbler trays a day because he's a very picky eater.

He always acts nervous when I feed him; even stuff he's had before.

Right now he's going through a temper tantrum/moody/hitting phase. I hope it's a phase. When he is crawling towards something & he's not suppose to be near it, or he picks up a coin and tries to eat it, or I pick him up to get his attention, or I change his diaper, or get him dressed; he throws a huge fit. Sometimes he'll fling his hand at my face. I really don't like it but I know part of it is he can't really communicate with me and it frustrates him.

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These two photos were on my phone; from Meijer.

He loves to visit the fish &; this was his first pony ride.