We knew Maddux was going to be a cutie even before she was born. It’s amazing how much technology has changed, and with it, the ultrasound has come a long way from where it originally started. The 3D/4D ultrasounds are incredible. You can see nearly every feature of your child before they are born. And when they enter the world, sure enough they look just like they did in the ultrasound.

It’s taken me a while to post these, but here is a video and pictures of a 3D/4D ultrasound taken of Maddux on March 29, 2011 when she was seven months in the womb. Even two months before she was born, Maddux looks perfect.

Everything is going well with the newborn in the family. It’s been six years since we’ve had one living under our roof, and it’s made me realize how enjoyable and special these moments are with the child. Even her frequent crying to quench a never-ending hunger doesn’t seem to bother anybody. If anything, the crying is almost relaxing. Unfortunately, I know this time will soon pass, but for now, we are enjoying every minute of it.

Maddux K Elnora Kolditz was born on May 24, 2011 at about 3:15 p.m. at the Germantown Methodist Hospital in Germantown, Tenn. She weighed in at 7 pounds 4 oz and was 19 inches long.

Tamara and I woke up early that morning to head to the hospital. She was being induced a week early. Since both of our other two children had been induced, the doctor had no problem in scheduling it for Maddux. Shelby and Noah spent the night at a friend’s house, while Tamara and I checked into the hospital at about 6 a.m.

It took a little while for everything to get going, and she had her water broken at about 8 a.m. My father happened to be passing through on his way to Atlanta and was able to spend a couple hours with us in the hospital. We were hoping the labor would go rather quickly, but Tamara wasn’t dilated at all when we went into the hospital, so we were starting from scratch. However, my dad and I were able to have lunch at one of my favorite restaurants nearby while we were waiting.

Shortly after 2, I dropped my father off and headed back to the hospital thinking it would be at least another hour before anything happened. When I had left, Tamara was dilated to a 6. As soon as I arrived, Tamara was complaining about feeling a lot of pressure and called the nurse. The nurse came in and checked her and said she was feeling that way because she was ready to have a baby. The called the doctor in, and it took about three contractions to deliver Maddux.

After watching our last two kids delivered and cutting the cord, I was good to sit this one out and stand by Tammy’s side. My first glimpse of Maddux was seeing her arm stretching out as if to grab the doctor. For me, that is when the reality of having a third child really hit and the emotions of seeing the miracle happening before my eyes were realized.

Both mother and child did great with no complications. Maddux was born with a lot of dark, redish-brown hair similar to Shelby. Shelby’s hair was a little darker and Noah was born with no hair. I can see the resemblance of both of them in her. She’s got the cutest chubby cheeks and the face of a China doll. We are all in love with her and were happy to bring her and Tamara home the next day.

2011 should be an exciting year for us as we plan on welcoming our third child into our family in May. On Tuesday, January 4, we had the chance to find out the sex, and we were delighted to learn the baby would be another girl.

Here are a couple of the pictures taken from the ultrasound. Of course, when you start looking at the picture of the foot you naturally start counting toes. And I counted six. Tamara, keeps telling me that the baby probably moved when they took the picture and the blurriness creates an illusion of an extra toe. She doesn’t remember seeing six toes when we were looking at the monitor, and the nurse never mentioned anything about six toes.

Tamara took over the naming rights on our first two children, although I did save Shelby from being named Shane. But other than that, she has pretty much made the first two choices. So now I finally get the chance to name a child, and the name I have picked is one that I’ve had in mind since high school, which is Maddux.

Growing up, I loved the Atlanta Braves and idolized Greg Maddux. I always respected his demeanor on and off the field. He was professional, and he was really good. He didn’t throw the hardest, and never overpowered anybody, but he was a very smart pitcher and could control the strike zone better than anybody.

We are still trying to figure out a middle name, but I am starting to grow fond of Kay, which would then represent strikeouts. It would be cool if we got it spelled with a backwards K, but I don’t know how to do that on the keyboard.

Six-toed, Maddux Kay Kolditz is scheduled to arrive on May 31, 2011.

Weather forecasters had been predicting a big snow storm to come through Memphis for the past week, and this time they were right. Snow started falling on Sunday evening and through the night, and by the morning there was about four inches on the ground in Southaven, Miss. It was the first snowfall on the ground this winter.

Naturally, the DeSoto County School District canceled school as soon as the snow started falling on Sunday. But in the end, every school was out, including the University of Memphis. The only one who didn’t have a snow day was Tamara who had to go in to work. However, she did get to leave work an hour earlier than normal.

All morning Shelby and Noah were itching to go play in the snow. We don’t really have any winter gear, so I knew it wouldn’t last for long. I was able to get them to hold off until after lunch. We then went out and built a huge snowman on our front lawn. Although, it looks pretty hairy with all the grass stuck to it. The kids and I then built a snow fort that lasted about 30 minutes before Shelby and some friends eventually bust it. The snowman also eventually fell by the end of the day as a result of melting and all the weight put on it.

We get to do it all again on Tuesday since Shelby and Noah’s school district cancelled for the next day by 5 p.m. on Monday. By the end of the day the roads were clear, but people in the South get nervous about the melting snow turning to ice in the night.

I saw Noah coming out of the bathroom with his hair combed on a Sunday night at around 9 p.m. So I asked him what he’s doing. He said he was combing his hair like Superman. He and Tammy had been watching Superman II, so he wanted to dress the part. I let him borrow my glasses to give him the Clark Kent effect. Then he started running around the house saying “I am Super Kid!”

My favorite part of the videos is the one where Shelby meets Noah for the first time. She had just turned four when he was born, and her interaction with him is really cute.

It’s funny how you remember a lot of the difficult times, but forget how adorable kids are at the different stages until you look back on it. I wish it was easy to remember that during the moment. Even now, I look at the kids as being a pain in the butt a lot of the time, but I’ll look back on this moment and long to be there again. Time is always moving way too fast and it’s easy to focus on the next moment in life rather than slowing down to enjoy what you have in the present.

Santa gave Shelby the Epic Mickey game for the Wii and Sonic Colors game for her DSI. Noah got his own DSI so he doesn’t have to keep taking Shelby’s. Both of them also received a couple DSI games from mom and dad. They were both excited for their Pillow Pets, which I had never even heard about, but are pretty big this year.

After opening the presents, we all played games on the Wii and before we knew it, it was 11 o’clock and way past bed time.

I apologize for my singing, which almost drowns everybody out. Watch Shelby singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing. She doesn’t know the words, so she oooohs nearly the entire song. Pretty funny.

One of the summer activities we enjoy to do is attending Memphis Redbirds games, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. We went with a couple of friends to a game on July 3, 2010, and ran into a bunch of other families from our ward in the game.

Even though our tickets are behind home plate, we still always go and sit on the Bluff. I can watch baseball, and Shelby and Noah can run around like mad men. The kids like to get cardboard and slide down the hill on the back of the Bluff.

After the game, we watched the fireworks, a prelude to the fourth of July. They were shot right over top of us, so we all had to shield our faces from falling ash and debris.