A New Motyka Addition

Madelyn Paige Motyka has finally graced us with her presence!

Madelyn was born on December 31, 2008 at 2:59 AM. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 0 ozs. and is 18.5 inches long. Baby Maddie and mom are both doing well despite mom enduring an epidural-free labor! Baby Maddie just wanted to come see us far too quickly. We are so excited to have this new addition to our family after the holidays! Alex is a great big brother and has already fallen in love with his baby sister.

Lots of new pictures will be posted soon. Keep checking back!

Merry Christmas from the Motyka family!

The night before Christmas in our house...Alex & Mommy made pumpkin pie and cookies for Santa. We watched The Polar Express while having cookies and hot chocolate. Then, we read "The Night Before Christmas" for our bedtime storytime. A wonderful night before Christmas.


Christmas morning was full of presents, family, and lots of fun! As you can see, we (mostly Alex & even Maddie) were blessed with lots of gifts under the tree this year. Shawn's gift wouldn't fit under the tree this year...a 50" flat screen plasma t.v. How did he ever talk Alicia into this we'll never know. (Future note: don't let Shawn make a huge purchase while Alicia is 9 months pregnant). Alex loved opening all his gifts and kept saying, "Can I open another one? This one has my name on it...A-L-E-X." He had so many that it took us over 2 hours to open all the gifts from family, friends, and of course, Santa. The stockings still haven't been touched. That will be another project for after Christmas dinner. As you can see, Alex was so excited to get ALOT more Cars toys for Christmas among many other toys! He even got a Cars' sleeping bag, pillows, and many Cars' MegaBlocks to build a whole Cars' city. Our house has been taken over by Alex's obsession: Cars!
We hope this post finds everyone enjoying the holiday season and enjoying time with family and friends. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Our Surprise with Santa

Much to our surprise this year, Alex actually sat on Santa's lap and talked to him at length about EVERYTHING he wants for Christmas. For the past 2 years, we've had nothing but huge tears and a screaming kid. He even told us this morning that he wanted to see Santa, but from afar. We went to Shawn's work for Breakfast with Santa which is much cheaper & faster than going to the mall for a visit with Santa. Breakfast was okay. Crafts were brought home to do during our long 2-week vacation. Balloon animals were a hit, especially since Alex wanted a shark hat & ran around chasing his friend, Trinity with it. Of course, all Shawn & I could think about it was "fins to the left, fins to the right." Thank you Jimmy Buffett. And last of all, Santa & Mrs. Claus were a huge hit & exciting time for us as parents. We are so proud of his change in behavior and how much he is becoming a "big boy" every day.

Waiting for Our Angel Update

This week has been rough for Alicia. On Tuesday night, she experienced many symptoms of early labor and thought for sure that they would be headed to the hospital by Wednesday morning. She was so worried about things not being done at the house that she finally got out of bed and began to clean and organize parts of the house. Knowing that guests would be coming to the house to take care of Alex, she wanted to make sure that things were cleaned up and put away. So after an hour or so, she finally tried to go back to bed. Our little angel had other plans for her though since Alicia spent another hour awake with contractions, back aches, and many other uncomfortable symptoms. Finally, sleep found her around 4am (thank goodness) and before she knew it, it was 7am and time to start the day. She finally told Shawn what he had missed out on all night long. Why have another individual not get any sleep all night? On top of all the nesting she did throughout the night, she also had many worries: would they be ready for this little angel tonight/the next day (Shawn still hadn't packed his bag or any snacks for the hospital)? How would they get the van from the Honda dealership before coming home from the hospital (BTW the infant car seat was already in the van but it wasn't at home)? The van is equipped with many computerized wonders, including a Tire Pressure Monitoring System which lets you know when the tire pressure is low. Great invention until it continues to stay on when it's not supposed to. So the Honda dealership had ordered a new part & was going to install it on Wednesday. What a pain! Of course, it wasn't even ready or guaranteed to be fixed until after 5pm on Wednesday. Didn't Alicia have enough to worry about for the day?

To say the least, Wednesday was a very rough day for Alicia. Lack of sleep (only 3 hours), continued early labor symptoms (although fewer and less intense), and having to take Alex to and from preschool. Finally, Alex was picked up from preschool (one less worry if she went into labor while he was in school) and Alicia could relax more at home. Sleep finally found her during Alex's nap and finally some rest and relaxation had helped! Wednesday night found us finishing our Christmas letter/cards (one less thing for Alicia to worry about) and making sure Shawn had his bag packed. And of course, Alicia & Shawn thought going to the hospital during the night was a possibility. Fortunately, lots of sleep and less early labor symptoms found Alicia during the night and she finally FEELS more rested. Still exhausted and ready for this little one to join our family, but happy to have gotten some rest.

Now it's Thursday and it seems to be a normal day for Alex & Alicia at home and Shawn at work. Later, we'll join Shawn at BASF for a baby shower and then, some holiday shopping at the mall. (Maybe walking around will help this little one want to join us sooner.)

We'll keep you updated on any improvements! Until then, enjoy this holiday season and find the time to appreciate all the little blessings we have in our lives! Happy Holidays!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Thanksgiving Day...no family but the three of us. Nice & quiet except for our coughs and sniffling noses. Yes, Alex has graced us with his terrible cold this week and it has finally found Shawn & I. The poor kid can't stop coughing and sniffling. We're still trying to teach him how to cover his mouth when he coughs. It must have been a weak attempt since we ended up with the cold anyway.

Shawn made our wonderful Thanksgiving dinner (turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, broccoli, and biscuits). It was so delicious! One of my favorite meals all year, including Christmas dinner (which I better be able to enjoy this year & not be stuck in the hospital). And of course, Alex & I made a wonderful pumpkin pie last night! Can't wait to snack on all the delicious food again later! Here are a few pictures of us with Alex today. His last Thanksgiving by himself with only mommy and daddy.
(As you can see, my belly is about as big as the turkey we had today.)










Alex had a special Thanksgiving Feast at preschool on Monday. Alex was so surprised and excited to have his dad come to the Feast. It was so cute to hear the little ones say their "Johnny Appleseed Blessing" that we have been practicing every night for a week. And of course, it was adorable to see all of them eating their special Thanksgiving lunch (deli turkey, grapes, cheese cubes, apples, cookies, cornbread they made in their classroom, and juice). Just a little tidbit from the day: his Native American name was Brave Beaver. Here are a few pictures from his Thanksgiving Feast:We hope this message finds all of you enjoying a day of family and friends. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

November...A Busy Month

November has been a busy month for us so far. We went to the NC Zoo, visited with friends in Baltimore, cleaned and organized many parts of the house, and went to Alex's Thanksgiving Feast at school. To say the least, we've all been busy and lucky to be quite healthy this month. Of course, Alex now has a cold but will hopefully be getting over it soon.
Our trip to the NC Zoo was quite nice. The weather was great for the
day...in the low 60's and it was beginning to look like fall with the leaves changing colors. Alex loved the zoo since he REALLY loves animals! We saw alligators, snakes, seals, puffins, elephants, giraffes, and many more animals. And if you can't ride an animal for real, you might as well pretend that you can. Here's Alex on top of an elephant statue.

As for the rest of the trip, Alex spent his time with his friend, Trinity. Here are a few priceless pictures of the two having a great day together. Don't you wish we could be so carefree?
Our trip to Baltimore was alot of fun! We got to visit with friends that we haven't seen in a long time. Now you're probably thinking "why would they go so far away when Alicia was about 33 weeks pregnant?" Well, Johns Hopkins' Biochemistry department was having an 100 year celebration & Shawn's old boss had a lab reunion for all past graduate & post-graduate students. While Shawn attended some lectures & a fancy dinner in Baltimore, Alex & I got to spend the day with our friends Susan, Will, and their 2-year old, Christopher. The boys had alot of fun playing together and the moms had fun catching up. The next day was spent at the Baltimore Aquarium, another one of Alex's favorite places to visit. He would have stared at the fish all day if allowed. The last time we went to the Baltimore Aquarium was right before we moved to NC & Alex was only 9 months old. Take a look at the difference in Alex. He loved to look at the fish then, but can stay awake longer these days.Here's some quick pics at Shawn's old lab reunion:
Alex playing with Davis. Paul (Shawn's old boss), Shawn & Alex. Alex playing camera shy.

Well, that's about all I can post for now. Alex's Thanksgiving Feast at school & stories from our Thanksgiving are to come. Until then, we're sending all of you "Happy Thanksgiving" wishes. Have a great holiday and enjoy all of the blessings you have this Thanksgiving season!

Happy Halloween

The day started with Alex marching in his Halloween Parade at preschool. Then, his class sang Halloween songs in the gym. A pleasant surprise was Daddy coming to watch his parade. Alex was so excited that he was jumping around & running over to give Shawn hugs whenever he could. Since I was the Parent of the Month for Alex's class, I helped all morning in his classroom. We had crafts, a Halloween Party, and I got the chance to read some Halloween books to Alex's class again. I go in every other week to read to his class (at least until our little girl joins us).

As the day wore on, I was lucky Alex actually took a short nap so he would have plenty of energy for trick or treating. Alex was supposed to be a monkey for Halloween, but refused to wear the costume a week before Halloween. Luckily, I found this Lightning McQueen Pit Crew outfit at the Disney Store on clearance (only $10.54). Otherwise, Alex wouldn't have gone trick or treating this year. Good thing he loved the Lightning McQueen costume! He was so excited to dress up this year and go trick or treating. Very surprising when only a few days before he was screaming & crying over the neighbor's decorations which scared him every time he saw them. Thank goodness Halloween is over with!
Alex loved walking or should I say running from house to house to get CANDY. We don't usually give him much candy, but he's recently gotten used to having an occasional lollipop when he has to go with me to the doctor's office. What a lucky boy! Here's a picture with some of the kids on our street. Alex is sitting next to his friend, Logan. They are too cute! Every time they see each other, they say, "Hi, Alex. Hi, Logan. You're my buddy!" It just melts your heart how precious kids can be at this age. The other picture is of Alex & his friend, Mason. We're so lucky to live in such a kid friendly neighborhood!
Well, Halloween is now over with...decorations are down (thank goodness), candy is still being eaten (mostly by mom & dad), and his costume is hanging in the closet. Another Halloween passed by and we're still shocked at how grown up Alex gets each year! Until next year...

A Few Good Laughs

You never know what kids will say. Here are a few examples of the good laughs Shawn & I are enjoying these days courtesy of Alex:

Alex was watching some Sesame Street while I was taking a quick shower. He came in to tell me something was wrong with the tv. As soon as I got out and took a look at the tv, I noticed he had turned the channel. When I asked him why he turned the channel, he responded "I was checking my email." I was laughing so hard for so long that I finally had to call Shawn at work to share Alex's comment. Obviously, we use the laptop more than we ever knew.

Alex & Shawn went away with some neighbors to the mountains this past week for a boys' weekend. (Yes, it was a lovely break for me and gave me some great time with some girlfriends plus lots of opportunity to rest since I'm constantly exhausted these days.) Well, they returned and I'm hearing about the trip bit by bit, day by day. Last night, we were enjoying some family time together when Alex bursts out with "Bow-wow-chick-a-bow-wow". Yes, you are probably thinking of a porno soundtrack right now. Well, that's what my cute, innocent son was singing. It seems he only heard it once during the boys' weekend, but it definitely made a lasting impression. After Shawn & I tried to conceal our laughs, we got ourselves together to begin talking to Alex about how this "song/lyrics" was not appropriate to repeat. Of course, he thought it was hilarious and continued to walk around the house singing "Bow-wow-chick-a-bow-wow" even during his bouts of time out. I can only hope that he has completely forgotten this moment and won't break out in song during his Halloween Parade and Party at school tomorrow, especially since I'm volunteering in his classroom all day. How embarrassing that would be!

Our Budding Artist

Alex got this digital camera from his Grandma Gail last Christmas but wasn't ready to use it until recently. As you can see, he's trying to get all the latest angles and the best light! Plus, his latest hobby is coloring ALL the TIME. He is always saying, "I have to do my homework before...(he eats, takes a nap, goes to school)". I don't know where he would have gotten the word "homework from." (Just kidding.) Poor kid is stuck with a mom that will always be a teacher.

Well, Alex and I are spending the day being artists. I'm sure I will spend the day cleaning up while he is the artist. We had found a monkey mask in the $1 bin at Michaels to paint. But of course, I hate messes especially things like painting and playdough. I was a 1st and a 2nd grade teacher for a total of 5 years, so I rarely try these items with Alex unless we're outside. Well, I gave it a try this morning and here are the results.
Before
To say the least, I had gotten some Elmer's Paintastics paintbrushes which have the paint inside the brush. It seems more like a marker but has a paintbrush tip and makes painting much easier for little ones. Alex really seemed to enjoy them! And for myself, less mess to clean up...no paint cups spilling over, no paint dripping off the paintbrushes onto the floor or clothes, just wash your little one's hands and you're done! I know I'm beginning to sound like a commericial for these super paintbrushes, but remember I've been there and had to clean up some big messes as a teacher. Alex was having so much fun painting that after he finished his monkey mask he wanted to continue to paint. Some finger painting paper from Target (my favorite store, of course) and he made two more masterpieces. Won't daddy be so proud that we had this great painting adventure in the living room and there was no mess! (Just a tip: Don't try this at home without adult supervision or should I say "responsible" supervision.)
After

My Favorite Moments

Here are a few of my favorite moments with Alex.
He loves to sit and read books. Since he has so many memorized, he will not only correct you if you read a word wrong but he reads books to himself or his stuffed animals all the time. I love to watch him at this age!

Not Your Typical Stay-At-Home Mother

Most of you know that I don't cook. Shawn does that or we go out. I can handle the laundry, vaccuuming, cleaning the house (when needed), and taking care of Alex. But I am definitely not the typical stay-at-home mother. I enjoy my time with Alex but rarely feel the need to clean the house or vaccuum unless needed. Well, maybe today changed that.

Yes, our refrigerator & freezer decided to die on Thursday afternoon and by Friday, nothing was working. Of course, the person recommended to us couldn't come by Friday morning and we were leaving for the weekend. Luckily, we have wonderful neighbors who allowed us to store our food in their frig & freezer. You never realize how much you depend on such an appliance until you don't have it. Thank goodness we were away for the weekend, but last night & this morning was tough without our ice maker & cold water. I hate drinking room temperature water. It also kept me from having milk for Alex this morning and from having anything for Alex & myself for lunch, so Chick-Fil-A was our friend today. I know I'll be up for Mother of the Year...never! But at least this picture proves that I was quite busy cleaning out our frig/freezer this afternoon.It took about 2 hours to clean, crazy I know. But I also figured that it would be one of the few times I would cleaning out the frig/freezer this good in a long time. It's probably been 2 years since it's been really cleaned (like when we moved into our house), but you never see much of the mess because there's always food and beer in the frig. Of course, Shawn did his share of drying & putting shelves back and cleaning behind the frig for me. (It was so gross and I'm getting a little too round these days to fit behind it.) And at last, proof that the frig/freezer is spotless and that I can earn my keep around the house. Now I can say, "Shawn, do you like me staying at home now? Well, don't get too used it (the spotless cleaning that is)."

Finally 3 Years Old!

Alex finally turned 3 this weekend! Our baby is growing up so fast that we can't believe it. He enjoyed his 3rd birthday by having a great birthday party. All of his friends & their parents joined in the "Cars" party from making license plates and playing games with inflatable tires to eating lots of frosting off his cake and opening ALOT of presents.
As you can see, Alex got alot of "Cars" gifts. He really loved his new "Cars" bike, too. I never thought our little man would be riding a bike at such a young age. Oh my, how fast they grow up!