Hudson- 18 months

Note: For all of our blog followers- this may not be the most exciting post for you. This one is more of a baby book type entry so I don't forget what Hudson was like at this age.

Little Hudson has quite a few favorite things right now. Most of all, he loves to be outside and to listen to anything with a good noise...trucks, lawn mowers, buses. His favorite words to say are imitations of sounds, animal or transportation. He enjoys looking for these things when we're outside or reading books about them inside. He also really enjoys playing ball of any kind.

He's got a great sleep routine! He takes one good 2 hour nap after lunch and then usually sleeps from 9 at night to 7 or 8 in the morning. He falls asleep on his own very easily, well with the help of a pacifier. We read him a few books and then lay him in his bed. Mom takes care of the daytime naps, and Dad puts Hudson to sleep at night.

As for eating, Hudson doesn't do so great. He is such a picky eater, but we get by with bread, fruit, and well...vitamins. He has 10 teeth now. Although we're still behind most kiddos our age, we catching up!

Hudson does not have too many fears. He seems to be a pretty brave, adventurous kid. Although it may take him a little time to warm up to new people, he usually is ready to play in just a few minutes. He has done very well in our church nursery, which is great since we're there so much. Loud noises excite him rather than scare him. When Jay mows the lawn, Hudson goes straight up to the moving lawn mower to check it out. He loves to climb and stand on furniture (we're working on that one!). His one great fear so far has been a pool of water. He did not like that one bit when we were at our hotel on the ski trip. Maybe he'll change his mind this summer.

We love this little guy! He continues to bring such joy into our life, and we are thankful for him now more than ever. Children are such a sweet, sweet gift from the Lord.

Our Baby Eliot

In January we found out that we were expecting another baby and quickly became excited about the thought of a little sibling for Hudson and another baby for us to love. This little one was due in September, just days before Hudson's second birthday. I spent so much time thinking about how I could get Hudson ready for this new sibling.

For reasons we will probably never know, our second little baby boy did not make it. I was in my fifth month of pregnancy when we discovered that his heart had stopped beating. Although we never met this baby while he was still living, we were able to hold him, name him, and pray over him before saying goodbye and giving him back to the Lord. We named him Eliot.

Usually, this is a place where I get to record Hudson's achievements and exciting adventures. Today I'm recording one of our greatest heartaches, but I think Eliot's name deserves mentioning on Hudson's blog. One day we will tell Hudson of his little brother and share his sweet footprints with him.

Eliot's Footprints

Happy Easter

Easter Egg Hunt and Celebration at Countryside

Hudson had a blast during our Easter photo shoot

Celebrating our Risen Savior!