Hudson & Athan's Adventures

Blocks of Remembrance...2011

2011-11-22T20:59:00.001-08:00

A quick recap of a BIG year.

For the second year now we had a family New Year's party with our crew of four where we played lots of games and let the boys eat all the snacks/goodies they wanted for one night. Before they boys went to bed for the night, we sat down together and wrote the things we were most thankful for on their wooden blocks. These blocks have taken on the role of more than just an item of play for Huson and Athan. They serve as a visual reminder of what great things our God has done for us.

So here they are...our blocks of 2011

1. Our house sold, easily. We knew it was not a great time to put a house on the market. Ours sold quickly and without much trouble. This was a huge confirmation for us that our step of faith in packing up and moving to Dallas was the right move.

2. In fact, the house sold so quickly that we weren't ready to move yet. So we got to spend a few weeks living with a dear family, the Herrmanns. It was a huge blessing, a time of refreshment and a lot of fun. They are a sweet family, who inspired us with many creative ideas of how to live for Christ as a family. The boys LOVED being there, having lots of playmates, a multitude of fun toys, and a backyard that was like an amusement park!

3. It took 12 months, but baby A finally slept through the night! Woohoo! To his credit we didn't push him to give up our nighttime assistance until we had settled after a long time of transition and moving. Please don't think less of me, but I found I enjoyed him much more after getting a full night's sleep. :) In celebrating his first birthday, we also were able to look back and thank God for Athan's good health.

4. The boys had a great summer in Texas! We made our move to Fort Worth at the end of May, and the boys didn't even seem phased by this major change. Sweet Hudson really expressed excitement about the new adventure and living in an apartment. He especially LOVED the pool. What a huge blessing during the hottest summer known to man! We also made some great friends, the Atkins family. We had many fun play dates with Katy, Addy and Owen at the park, Chikfila, and the pool, of course.

5. It was a daunting task to select a place to live in this huge area while living out of state, and yet we found a great apartment. It's a good location, feels safe, and we've made friends with some neighbors. And, of course, the pool was fabulous!

6. This spring Jay spent hours on job boards, looking on church's websites, and making contacts with people in this area searching for the right job to have while in school. We're so thankful that through all that the Lord led us to Mckinney Church in Fort Worth, TX. Among many other things, we love their ministry focus, diversity and heart for outreach. Jay also bonded quickly with the adult team that he is part of.

7. Mckinney ELC-- I also spent a great deal of time contemplating what type of job I would have and where the boys would attend childcare. I was reluctant to also work at the church and wasn't sure an opening would even be available. When I went to meet the director, she just happened to ask where I would be working. I replied that I was beginning the search. She told me they had openings, and there we go! It's a perfect fit for our family and a fabulous program. They are super supportive and understanding of teachers as moms first. And, Athan, especially has loved his class and teachers.

8. Hudson has made many friends this year. He will express some reluctancy to attend preschool/church, but once he's there he seems to have such a great time. He made some good little buddies in Stillwater before we moved, and has now connected with some little guys here in Fort Worth, too. It's so much fun to see those first friendships. He has also especially loved his cousins and started really playing with them all on his own- for hours at a time!

9. And throughout the year, over and over, God has shown His abundant provision. He has met our needs in many ways. People have shared with us and given so generously to help in the move and time of part time work and full time school. We are humbled through the gifts of others and amazed at the way our Father meets our needs.

Thankful,
The Felkers in 2012

Happy Birthday, Hudson!

2011-10-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Hudson's birthday in Fort Worth style this year with a cowboy themed party. It was fun picking out decor and, thanks to Susu, stylin' some great cowboy clothes. Unfortunately though, for the second year in a row, Hudson was sick on his birthday. We couldn't have friends over, but family did brave the stomach bug and come on anyway (maybe not a good decision as they ALL caught it!). I'm so thankful they would as it made for a sweet time of celebrating. Hudson wasn't up to eating much and we waiting on cake until the next day, but he was excited about his party. Birthday hi-lights were waking up to the cowboy decoration and toys, a morning park trip with Susu, and dinner and presents with the Oklahoma crew. On Saturday Hudson got to ride his new bike and take our guests out to the Stockyards. It really was perfect. Well, except for all the sickness that passed around. :) We are so thankful for our family who would come make Hudson's birthday special- thank you Susu, Pa & Gigi, Aunt Kandace & Jackson!

As we celebrate H turning 4, it's fun to think back on how he has grown in a year.

In the ways that Hudson spends his free time, I've seen a big chance from simply toys to imaginative play. He loves to play pretend and is often coming up with something to act out. It often involves his long time favorite things- work trucks, cars, or animals, but now he wants to act them out. He usually wants someone to take a role with him, but he is okay at times to act out the dialogue on his own. He continues to ask tons of questions, though usually just resorting to the "why" when he is really tired (it took me awhile to figure that out). Other Hudson favorites this year were all kinds of sports- football, soccer, hockey & baseball, Curious George books & TV, Go Diego Go, puzzles (usually before bed), cars & trucks, animal figures, books, playing at the park, and riding his tricycle. He also has a strange desire to squeeze his brother's feet. We haven't quite figured that one out yet. :)

He is more independent. He is opinionated about his clothes. In the winter he was in love with his footed PJs and really all through the year he has wanted his Miss State football jersey and Lighting McQueen light up shoes. Not anything wrong with either of those things, just not my first choice for some outings! He looks older- taller & thinner. I don't really see chubby cheeks anymore. Oh, and he sings! This has been a complete change this year. He loves to sing and even dance. He used to tell me not to sing. Hudson is friendly & silly, eager to please others. We love him so and are thankful for his sweet, teachable spirit.

The Word Lists

2011-09-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

Athan has entered the talking season of life- I just LOVE this phase! Many word lists will follow.

Here is what Athan has been saying of late...

1. Dada- first official word

2. Jet- we hear them often living near an air force base; he even pretends to fly a plane with his hand and makes a motor sound

3. Uh oh- simply precious!

And then I have to include Athan's rain dance. We were all so excited about the rain, especially A. He hardly seemed to notice he was getting soaked. We were glad to have Mary V and Stephen over to enjoy the rain with us.

Sum-Sum-Summertime!

2011-08-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

Move in weeked at our apartment...love you Thompsons!
Check out that new tooth!!!
Loved our visit from these Cside Alum
Loving us some popsicles
Learning more about God
Playing at Papa & Susu's house
Playing trash man

With the start of our new school year approaching, I thought it was time to reflect on our wonderful summer together.

Athan finally got teeth- lots of them. He grew sillier, more determined, bold & dangerous. On the silly side, he found such delight in sticking his hands in my mouth & laughing as I rocked him before bed. He start to sleep like a champ! He babbled all the time, and he could carry on conversations without words. At church, he has done fabulous in the nursery. He started reaching over the door for his classroom after his week long stay during VBS. I'm not sure I've ever seen a child do that. He is ready to go, and, of course, when we come, he is excited to see us. He fell in love with his belly button and walks around all the time with his hand up his shirt. Oh, and did I mention that his climbs all over everything?!?

Hudson couldn't be more outgoing. The move has not slowed him down. He talks to strangers as though they are his best friends. Sometimes it makes my heart hurt when I feel like people don't reciprocate his enthusiasm in a conversation, but it doesn't seem to bother him. He loves to play pretend. He plays fireman, zoo keeper, grocery store, and librarian. He offers such sweet prayers and has started asking amazing questions about God. One night lying in bed, he admitted he was afraid to go to Heaven because he feared he might fall out of the clouds. Other great lines Hudson has said: when looking at the weather doppler hearing about a hurricane, he said, "is the storm in a fight with the sun?" I told him that God loves us no matter what and he wants us to love others the same way. His reponse- "wow that's a lot of loving!"

We have been so thankful for our swimming pool in this extreme heat. We have enjoyed many trips to the pool, playing with our new friends Addie & Owen, exploring the stockyards, and many visitors coming to see us. We're thankful for all who've made the treck this way. We enjoyed trips back to Oklahoma, one to Mississippi and an extra special one to Sea World.

Thankful for summer 2011!

Oh, and Jay finished 2 more Greek classes. 1 to go!

Turtle Party

2011-07-11T20:33:00.001-07:00

We celebrated our June baby with an outdoor turtle themed party! We had a wonderful time celebrating Athan's first birthday with all of his cousins and a few other special guests. Thank you all for helping us to celebrate baby A!

The turtle theme was based around Athan's swim suit!

Cousin Ally loves to help

Scarfing down the birthday cake...moments before he choked on it and spit it back out

Love that my dad would get in the pool with Athan even though he was fully dressed

Beautiful big brother

Our adorable Athan

It's Been a Year

2011-07-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, sweet baby Athan! What an incredible year it has been!

Like every other before, this month was special for several reasons. The most obvious is that this boy is on the move. While not quite running, Athan can get around on his own very well. He still toddles in this adorable way and does crawl if needed. He doesn't sit for long, but if you can catch him while he is still, he will play a few games with you. We like to play "thank you," where we hand objects back and forth. Sometimes it really does sound like he is trying to say "thank you" as he hands me the object.

His looks have changed along with the season. As you might expect, my olive skin tone little boy is super tan now we're spending time at the pool. I am jealous of that skin! His hair is adorably fluffy and blonder (wasn't expecting that one). His hair seriously does stick up on top, and there's really no taming it. We're still waiting for those first teeth to arrive, but I'm sure it will be soon.

The lack of teeth hasn't slowed Athan down at all when it comes to eating table food. He loves anything you'll give him. He loves food so much that he normally cries when the meal is over, and we take him out of the high chair. He drinks well from a cup, which is good for keeping him hydrated because we are sweating all the time down here! His naps are very predictable, usually at 10 and 2. Many of his naps are right at 45 minutes, but he will nap longer some days. He sleeps from about 7 to 7, waking up just enough in the night to cry and send Hudson running to our room (poor Hudson!) and also eating a little at 6.

As I reflect on our first year getting to know our little Athan, I first think about his smile- how his face lights up when he sees us. He enjoys watching people, but definitely prefers Mom and Dad. He is a sweet little cuddler, he loves to be rocked as we read stories before bed or when he first wakes up from a nap. Even when he is playing, he will often trot over to me and just fall in my arms for a hug. Love that! He adores Hudson and wants to do whatever Hudson does. As most 1 year olds are, he is fearless and tenacious, willing try something over and over until he gets what he wants.

Finally, I feel like I have to write about his sleep. That huge issue that consumed my thoughts in my first months with baby A. If only I would have just listened to the advice of my mom..."try not to worry about it so much. Won't he just sleep when he needs it?" My good intentions went a little too far as I attempted to help Athan sleep better for the sake of our entire family. What I realize now is that Athan is just not a great sleeper. I know we made mistakes in the process of sleep training, but I believe some of that is just him and that really is okay. I do believe we gave him the gift of falling to sleep with ease. That was my biggest concern with him as a young infant. He had so much trouble falling asleep when he was tired. A few tools (dark room, paci, miracle blanket, and a predictable routine) seemed to help him make great strides in this. The gift he gave me was learning patience as I worked with him, and even more, absolutely precious moments of rocking him to sleep in my arms that I will always treasure. The year goes fast, and I am so grateful for those times.

Contagious Laughter

2011-06-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Our kiddos are just so resilient. We worried about how they would transition to a new place, and they are just doing fabulous. Clearly, you can tell from this, they are enjoying one another and having all their toys back again (after being in storage for a month).

On Sunday morning, Hudson asked if his friends would be at the nursery. I told him they were back in Stillwater, and he would meet new friends here. He was just fine with that and after the service was running around the foyer at church just like normal. It's such a blessing and a testimony to all the prayers we have received.

All We've Ever Known

2011-05-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

in the moving truck

When Jay and I married in 2003, our plan was to live in Stillwater just long enough for Jay to finish his last year of school. 10 months really was all.

Plans changed...for the better. After Jay graduated from college, a temporary job opened up at our church where he could fill a need. His desire was to serve in ministry, so he took it. That was over wonderful six years ago. We knew a time would come when we would move to Dallas. That was the plan all along. I just had no idea we would get to stay so long and that I would fall so in love with this place.

We love Stillwater. It's all we've ever known together. And even though the size and feel of the town is so much different than what I knew growing up, I have grown so accustomed to this place and can't imagine anywhere else feeling like home. Of course, it's not the town itself that I have loved. It's those who live here and how our family has changed while we've lived here.

Countryside. We can't say enough how grateful we are to our Father in Heaven for the privilege of serving this body of believers through discipling and loving the youth. We have loved our students and have also been graciously loved by their families. The support and encouragement of the entire church has blessed us in many ways. This is a special place with genuine people who strongly desire to know the Word.

Our family. We've lived in a dumpy townhouse as newlyweds, a much better duplex when we got a little more, and then we bought our own home. We entered the real world work force here. We got our dog. We've had our baby boys here. This place is full of wonderful memories starting from the years we were dating until now when we are nearly to our 30s with our own children.

God's hand has been evident in our lives. He provided for us in ways we weren't expecting, including our move. Our house sold quickly (yea!), but that meant we needed a place to live for a few weeks. And just as it has happened over and over again, our need was met through the body of Christ. The wonderful Herrmann family opened up their home and offered for us to stay with them. I could not have imagined a better living situation or feeling more comfortable staying somewhere. We are humbled and blessed.

Now that we are settling in to Ft. Worth, I can say that I am excited to see what God will do in our lives while we are here. We trust that we will be blessed by those we met here, and our prayer is that we will be used to minister to others as well. It won't be Stillwater, but we look forward to making new memories as a family.

Athan's Eleventh Month

2011-05-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Could it be that this month had the biggest changes for our baby A?

He started the month crawling, moved to pulling up and cruising, taking steps, and is now on the move with a combination of walking and speed crawling wherever he needs to go. Watching him learn to walk has just been incredible. I love seeing his determination and feeling of pride as he lets go of whatever he is holding on to, checks his balance, and bravely steps out on his own. What a great example of perseverance and tenacity! He almost always ends up falling eventually, but that doesn't stop him from trying.

Cognitively, he has also made new developments. He enjoys driving cars and trucks, a shared passion with big brother. He babbles "ma, ma," "da, da," among some other sounds, and I really think he might know to call me "ma, ma." It's not all the time, but when he wants my attention.

His look is a little different as well. For the first time his hair has started to curl in the back- a shared trait for Lanes!

With only one month left in this first year of Athan's life, I am feeling grateful for him and looking forward to many more years to watch him grow.

Athan's 10th Month

2011-04-21T13:27:00.001-07:00

Double digits are here, and, oh boy! we've had some changes this month.

Athan's on the move! After we decided he just might skip this stage altogether, Athan surprised us by crawling after a lamp cord on April 10. I saw him take his first successful lunge on a Sunday afternoon right as I heard Jay pull up in the driveway. I sprinted outside to tell him to hurry in, and then we all got to witness this exciting milestone together. Athan has been struggling to figure this out for over a month, so the entire Felker family was delighted to see him put it all together. Walking won't be far behind because he's pulling up well and loves to walk. He often only crawls to get to something to help him walk.

His fine motor coordination is increasing, too. That has made meal time more enjoyable for everyone. He can pick up food from his high chair and feed himself. I love the finger food stage! It took some time, but he has also starting drinking from a cup. For the longest time he seriously only thought it was for banging on the highchair!

All this, of course, means more sleep disturbances. He now knows how strong and capable of movement he is, so it's hard to settle down in his crib. We did lower the bed today as he started standing up in there. His naps are still a little shorter, but I'm hopeful that he'll get back to napping longer again. He's always happier when he does.

Hudson just may be his biggest fan. Although it's a challenge for Hudson to share all the time, he really does enjoy picking out one of his toy that Athan could play with. He's quick to comfort Athan if he cries when I leave the room. He'll say to Athan, "it's okay. I'm here with you. Mommy will be right back." Seriously melts my heart! He also loves to tell people all about Athan's accomplishments. They occasionally bathe together now. Athan doesn't enjoy it quite as much since he normally bathes laying down, but Hudson is all about that. Sometimes he strips his close and jumps in before I can stop him.

We have laughed at how we're seeing Athan's emotions and will being expressed. We said early on that he seemed a bit loud and maybe even dramatic. These seems true this month. When we take something from him or do something he doesn't like (come inside, change his diaper), he protests by screaming loudly and arching his back. I can help but think, seriously kid?? On the other hand, he is expressive in good ways. His laugh is contagious at our house, and I love all the fun noises he makes.

Pictures will come soon, but with a move coming next week, I thought I better post while I can!

Athan's Ninth Month

2011-03-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

Three quarters of the way through the first year. Where has the time gone?

As we coach Athan on crawling and walking, I keep thinking to myself maybe I would rather not teach him these milestones just yet. I know he is not content to sit in one spot anymore, but he will really be discontent once he gets that taste of freedom. He has continued to get stronger and stronger, closer to both types of mobility, but still not yet moving on his own. He does roll around more and can scoot on his bottom.

Sweet Athan really is engaging to people and draws so much attention with his beautiful smile. It's fun to hear people comment on how happy and beautiful he is, instead of just his size. Yes, I know I am carrying around a heavy baby- you don't have to point that out to me! We enjoy his babbles and delightful kicks and bounces when he is happy. I think he holds the record for longest time happy in the bouncy seat at the church nursery. When he is really excited, he will tighten up his entire body and grit his gums together. Love it! He babbles "ma, ma," which I love even if he may not know exactly what he is saying. One day Hudson asked, "is he saying mama?!" He also says "ha, ha, ha" when he is happy.

He keeps eating more and more foods. We've added lunch and started progressing to chunkier foods. I use baby food only about half of the time now. It's fun to get to serve him something similar to what we are eating.

Night sleep is making a general positive progression, even though he STILL doesn't sleep through the night. This month, many of his afternoon naps weren't longer than 45 minutes, which has confused us, but he is old enough now just to get through the rest of the day okay even if he's nap wasn't long. So thankful for that! He also has really improved on drifting off to sleep while drowsy.

Athan's interests are not so much in baby toys anymore. Rattles may be fun for younger babes, but Athan is moving on up! He prefers to play with anything that belongs to Hudson (big brother is handling this pretty well) or is something he's not supposed to play with. He is often lunging after cords or strings of all kinds.

Love our little A!

Letters, We Get Letters!

2011-03-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

What fun we have been having with letters at our house! A few months ago we taught Hudson how to recognize and then write the letter h- "one line up & one little hill" for the small one, and "two lines up with a bridge across" did the trick. Hudson's interest in letters has developed on its own. I have always heard and believed that reading comes naturally for a child given the right environment, and it's fun to see that take place now.

He can now recognize all the letters in his name, and write most of them. He loves to write on the marker boards at the youth house. Another fun development is seeing him take interest in silly word play. He enjoys changing words around and coming up with his own take on words. He is so talkative and loves to engage in conversation with adults. We have now started to work on polite interruptions and turn taking in conversation. Jay's parents were here recently, and said that Jay was just as talkative as a young child, so that must be where he gets it! :)

Here is a video of him "reading" Panda Bear, Panda Bear by Eric Carle.

What a Man...

2011-03-11T12:48:00.001-08:00

Undoubtably, I don't mention my fabulous husband enough on my blog as I ramble on and on about our wonderful children, so this blog is just about him!

Now that we are in the process of selling our home, it's fun to look back at all the changes that we have made. Thanks to Jay's hard work, skill, and ocassional recruitment of cheap labor (you know who you are!), he has updated this house and transformed it into the perfect home for our family. We will certainly miss living in this special place.

Thank you, Jay, for all you do to take care of our family!

Athan's Eighth Month

2011-02-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

We've now had the wonderful privledge of knowing our little Athan for 8 full months. Here's are our thoughts for this month...

We'll start with the fun we've been having. Athan loves games of repeating funny noises and faces. Echoing a loud inhale noise after Athan always makes him smile, sticking tongues out is another favorite. I love to hear him babble (mostly "wah-wah"). With his legs growing stronger, he likes to jump while being held up. Crawling may be on the horizon, but we still have some work to do. Athan will often lunge forward to reach objects he desires, but still destains being on his tummy. We're trying hard to convince him that good things come from spending time on his belly. On the other hand, I'm in no hurry for him to get mobile. I'm just as content as he is to be stationary.

Big sleep news: Athan is now sharing a room with Hudson and finally moved out of Mom and Dad's room! What a huge answer to prayer. We were so anxious about Athan waking Hudson up and vice versa. This has hardly been the case. They have been great roommates. Hudson is incredibly selfless and complies so well with being quiet for Athan when he goes to bed after Athan is already asleep. Also, after months of confined arms, Athan has finally experiences arm freedom! We stopped swaddling his arms and started using a sleep sack instead. We're still not completely done with the Miracle Blanket though as we do swaddle his body (we're creatures of habit and terrified of sleep regression!). A funny thing about the arms- probably because he had his arms held down for so long, he really does not know what to do with them now when he's tired. He is a painful face grabber, so we still end up holding his arms down on his side. We're still waiting for that magical morning when we realize that Athan has slept through the night. In the mean time, I don't mind those cuddly middle of the night feedings too much, as long as he goes back to sleep right away.

We've also started eating breakfast now. Cereal and a fruit/vegetable twice a day is something Athan looks forward too. He is so aware of food and wants it whenever we are eating. I don't think the little guy could open his mouth any wider as he waits for his bites.

He continues to be passionate about his pacifier (a shared trait for both our boys). Athan has had a strange journey with his pacifier, being almost ambivalent about it as a newborn. Since traveling at Christmas though, he really wants it often now. I try to limit his use of it, but do appreciate how it calms him whenever he gets upset or agitated. Now that he stays awake longer he does seem to need it a little more often. I'm okay with that. Even though he has grown so much, he still is, after all, our little baby!

Our Days...and a little Hudson love

2011-01-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

Sleepy Hudson watching George...notice his Maroon jersey

Rocking my big little bundle, Athan, to sleep

Hudson in his other uniform, his favorite footie PJs, playing with Tow Mater

I enjoy tracking what our days look like, so here's what a typical day looks like for us right now. Now that Athan can stay awake longer (2.5, then 3, then 3.5 hours), we have much more freedom and activity.

Athan's usually awake first, then Hudson, and it's between 7 and 8. We all eat breakfast together (some days Jay is home and reads a daily Psalm to us), and then get the boys dressed. To start the day, I encourage Hudson to play alone in his room, while I keep Athan with me and do my "jobs" around the house. Athan naps something like 9:30-10:30. That is a special time for me and Hudson. He even knows it as "Mommy/Hudson special time." We usually sit at the table and do some activity- cutting, drawing, games (or just play whatever he wants) and have a snack. I love that time. After Athan wakes up and eats, we try to head out. We take a walk, go to the park, or venture to the library.

Then it's lunch time. Jay tries to come home two days a week, and our friend Sarah comes over on Wednesdays. After lunch, it's puzzles, books, and bed for Hudson, then eat and bed for Athan. Hudson usually wakes first, and we cuddle up on the couch while watching Curious George (gotta love that little monkey!). Then Athan wakes up as well around 4:00. By this point in the day, I feel like we're in the home stretch!

Jay is usually home around 5:30, and he plays with the boys while I make dinner. It's been dinner at 6:30 for years now. I actually feel guilty if I get dinner on the table at 6:33 (my own pressure, not my wonderful husband's!). Jay cleans the dishes, and by this time Athan starts to feel fussy. I bathe him, feed him, and then Jay puts him to bed. One ritual we enjoy now is gathering together before Athan goes to sleep. We all sit near the rocking chair next to his crib and discuss our "favorite part of the day," and Jay prays for the boys. Hudson gets a little longer to play before bath, a puzzle, books, and bed.

While Athan's changes are much more apparent, Hudson continues to grow and learn new things as well. His literacy skills are multiplying rapidly. He can recognize h's ("one line up, and one little hill") and has memorized several books (In the Snow, Firehouse, and parts of Curious George.) He enjoys "reading" them to us. He has parts to most of his books memorized and will correct you if they are misread. On the other hand, there are still 2 words that he just cannot say, and I love that. He says "firnana" for banana, and "firdult" for adult. He's also much more independent in dressing himself, which means asking for his football jersey and Lighting McQueen light-up shoes daily. He faithfully takes his plate to the kitchen sink, puts his shoes and jacket away when coming inside, and puts his toys away when changing activities. He does actually hear me! Currently, Hudson's favorite play activities are firemen (trucks or actual dress up), still loving the CARS guys, trains, football, soccer, drums, and this animal candyland-type game my mom got him.

I mentioned walks above. A big change in our family is that Hudson is now an actual walker. Ever since we got our dog Bailey, Jay and I looked forward to our daily walk after work. When Hudson was born, he just got added to that. Now the walks have changed, and poor Bailey and even Jay are often not included. When it's just me and the boys, it's so nice for Hudson to walk next to me, and we play lots of looking/nature games.

My blessings are so apparent to me right now. I love this precious time with my boys, and am grateful for the priviledge of caring for them myself.

Athan's Seventh Month

2011-01-27T12:02:00.000-08:00

Maybe I should have been more creative in coming up with titles for Athan's monthly development. But this far into his first year I'm not changing it...

Here are the Athan changes and firsts this past month:

Athan combined the art of strength and balance enough to become an official "sitter" this month. We still keep an extra pillow behind him when we walk away, or Hudson often volunteers to be Athan's pillow when he is sitting on his own. He enjoys the view and activities this new position brings.

He also started real solid foods: peas, sweet potatoes, pears, prunes, and squash have been his first tastes. And, no, I'm not a super mom like both of my sisters who make it themselves. I opt for jarred food instead.

A first I wish he didn't achieve recently was his first real sickness. RSV and an ear infection slowed us down for awhile. We thanked God that neither were very severe. Breathing treatments and lots of medicine helped him to recover.

In the way of our daily routine, we moved to just 2 naps a day. I expected this to come much later, as it did for Hudson, but Athan seemed ready to make the change as he can stay awake longer now. He would have difficulty falling asleep for his third nap, awake alert in the middle of the night, and many days that late nap was coming at an awkward time (5:30ish). This has moved his bed time up earlier on some days. Most of the time it's somewhere between 7:30 and 8:00.

I must say I wasn't too sad about reaching the half year milestone, but now that he's on the other side of it, I'm not liking this as much. I don't want this stage to be over so soon! He is such a sweet, happy baby and loves to smile at people. He is my little cuddler. I never would have thought that we would still swaddle him! When he gets tired, he just wants to nuzzle in close and keeps turning his head until you get him situated just right. He loves his big brother and strains his head to watch what Hudson (or Bailey) does. We adore our baby A!

Preschool Wise

2011-01-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

I recently read Ezzo and Bucknam's On Becoming Preschool Wise, and here's my take on the book.

What I liked about it:

* The respect for and understanding of children. Ezzo and Bucknam recommend teaching your children the why of expected behavior. They state, "positive development takes place when parents build into their child's conscience the reason why 'right is right' and 'wrong is wrong.' " I've always been a fan of that way of thinking.

* The emphasis on positive discipline and language. The author's place a great emphasis on training and expectations, not just correction.

* The recognition of child development and cognition, which lead to reasonable expectations. The authors explain that around 3 years of age "your child's intellect is sufficiently developed to the extent that he is ready to receive the why of moral training." Before that parents should understand that their job is really about guiding outward behavior only.

Not so crazy about these things:

* The book felt a bit gimicky- they referenced the others book in their series way too much. At one point I just laughed out loud as Ezzo and Bucknam listed about 10 adjectives describing children whose parents follow the "wise" series. Not only does this sound boastful, it sets people like me up for high expectations of their children and eventual frustration when your children aren't perfect.

* Schedules and routines as described in the book are good things to think about, but too structured for me. Although I love structure and schedules, I don't need more pressure put on us. Much of our day is already set with sleeping and eating times, but I like to let the rest of our play time just loosely happen. (That said, I was challenged to try to teach Hudson how to play with his toys for a longer amount of time in order to get him to a more creative, productive type of play. I agree not all play has the same benefits- random, chaotic play is not as valuable as working with one toy for a longer period of time.)

* Many of the examples were vague or even irrelevant (a story about a 6 and 8 year old- what was that about?). In the second appendix I did find an answer to this that satisfied me. The authors described (through a really strange fairy tale story) the way that parents should approach disciplining their children. They state,

"take whatever you believe about life and turn these values into goals. Let the goals determine your training priorities, and use methods that facilitate your goals while meeting your child's needs." I probably should have read that part first because I appreciated how they said it was really up to each family to decide what was most important to them in guiding their children.

Overall, I did find it to be a valuable read and a useful tool in considering how I parent my preschooler. I rolled my eyes a few times, but was glad I persevered in reading it. We've already implemented their ideas about children's interruptions and, as I said, helping Hudson have more productive, creative play by suggesting he start the day with time in his room alone with his toys.

Thus far, my favorite parenting books have been The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg and Making the Terrible Twos Terrific by John Rosemond, but this one is probably second tier. There are not nearly as many books available for preschoolers as there are for babies, so I was thankful for it for that reason at least.

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Preschool-Wise-Preschoolers-ebook/dp/B003WUYRDG/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Thoughts on 2010

2010-12-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

Our Blocks of Remembrance

Twenty ten just sounds like a monumental year. And for our family it was.

We'll start with the biggest milestone- baby A. The year started with feelings of both excitement and anxiety as I was in the second trimester of my pregnancy. We were thankful for another pregnancy, yet honestly, fearful. Many hours were spent in doctors offices, receiving extra care and monitoring, and many prayers were offered on this sweet baby's behalf. We were again blessed by our family and church family around us with prayers, excitement, and help caring for Hudson during all these appointments. Halfway through the year...a long name discussion took place a few days before a very quick labor for Mom, all with the result of a precious Athan Lane coming into our lives. I felt like Hannah when she said about Samuel, for this child I prayed and the Lord has heard my prayers.

Activities and travel were present as usual. Some hi-lights were: Nashville Hall of Fame induction for Rockey (as usual, Hudson was a champ on that trip!), skiing in Crested Butte with our favorite kids (Jay taught Hudson while Mom and baby in belly were sidelined), a mission trip for Jay days before Athan was born, a hectic but wonderful trip to Colorado to welcome Lauren as Uncle David's bride (we made it!), an Orange Birthday party for H, the annual Pumpkin Party with Pa/Gigi/and crew (wonderful chaos, we call it), Thanksgiving hosted by the Thompsons, and a special Christmas visit to Starkville in December.

As we consider how our prayers were answered this year, Athan's health and development have to top that list. Close behind is how well Hudson has adjusted to the arrival of his baby brother. Aside from a few requests for Athan to be held by Dad in the early days, Hudson has shown nothing but love, excitement, and pride for his brother. He has such a loving heart. He continued to show us how he loves life and having fun. Like most little boys, his play can sometimes get too aggressive, but it is always in the spirit of fun. Some new fears and a sensitive side led to a few rough months being dropped off in the nursery and at preschool, but we ended the year feeling like we overcame most of those issues. Hudson's developmental accomplishments of the year were moving to a toddler bed and then a twin bed, joining playgroups and then starting preschool, and learning to use the potty.

In ministry this was a milestone year as well. We saw a class of seniors graduate that were so special to us. Many of them we knew as middle schoolers, and they have grown to be a part of our family in the past five years. Hudson considers most of them his own friends. It was a bittersweet time as we reflected on the years we have spent together, instructing them in God's word and walking with them through their teen years. Jay and I thanked God for the opportunity to know them. They were a faithful group who we have missed. In this second half of the year, we have enjoyed seeing how the dynamics of our ministry has changed and how younger students have grown.

Personally, my year was marked by prayer and growing in my knowledge of who God is. I thank God for a friend named Mary Herrmann who led me and a few other preschool moms in a prayer group this spring. On the other hand, I also found myself recognizing my fallen, selfish nature many times this year. I was so thankful for Athan's life, yet I struggled with patience when months passed, and we didn't have a good sleep routine with him. I found myself feeling angry about that, and taking it out on others in the family. It was a humbling experience. I've been thankful for the forgiveness I find in Christ and grateful that I get to start every morning with new mercies from God.

A meaningful verse to me this year was from the book of Colossians, when Paul states about God, "for He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." What encouragement I found in remembering my redemption, even when I fall short as a mother. I do belong to the kingdom of His beloved Son and can find victory in that. With that hope in mind, I look forward to 2011...

Athan's Sixth Month

2010-12-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

Halfway through the first year. So much to celebrate!

There were not too many changes this month in the ways of scheduling. Athan's sleep routine just continues to get easier, so much so that I actually look forward to those quiet moments with him. I NEVER could have imagined that a few months ago.

Athan did start cereal on Thanksgiving day, and we continued that once a day. To celebrate his half birthday, I offered a small taste of cookie icing right after his first taste of sweet peas. I thought it was a good pairing! (Note: before you judge, this is the only sweet I intend to offer him until his actual birthday)

We enjoyed the many celebrations that come from this time of year. Athan adapted well to all the activity. A great blessing was a new car seat from Pa and Gigi as his infant car seat was just getting a bit snug. That, combined with hanging towels on the car windows, made for much better car trips.

A favorite game we played with rolling the ball with Hudson on the ground. We call the game, "push it back to Huddie."

Happy 1/2 Birthday, A!

Why 3 is My Favorite

2010-12-08T07:48:00.001-08:00

I was warned about " the 3's." Many mothers told me that you only thought 2 was tough. Just wait until they turn 3. Sure enough, days before his third birthday, Hudson decided to try running away from us in public places. I was shocked. Where did this come from? And then there was the night he told me he wanted another Mommy. Yup, he said that! I was crushed. Remembering what those other mothers had said, I just chalked it up to a difficult year ahead.

What I think some of those mothers forgot to mention was how much good comes from a three year old. Sure, they ask even more questions now, and you spend way more time in a bathroom than you ever would have wanted. But there are so many things that I love about Hudson being three. Here are a few...

1) His sweet, sweet nature. Hudson has always complied when I asked for kisses, but now he really kisses me back. He'll also look me straight in the eyes and tell me he loves me. The best is when he does it without my saying so first.

2) His desire to please. He really does want to make us happy, and it's hard work for a little guy. There are so many temptations out there to do wrong (couldn't we all agree with that?!), and their self control is still developing. So I appreciate it when I see him struggle to choose good. Great example last night at dinner. He took his first bite of tomato soup out of obligation- he's always disliked soup. But then we convinced him that it really tasted good. He tried so hard to be excited about the next few bites Jay shoved in his mouth, but the sour face he made as it went down told us he really, really did not like it. It was priceless. We had to bite our tongues not to laugh.

3) How he wants to help. He is so proud of Athan Lane Felker and wants to be the best big brother possible. I love it! His job is to run and get the burp cloth whenever Athan spits up (that's a busy job!). He also insists on turning out the lights and getting Bailey a treat whenever we leave. It really is helpful.

4) It's even more fun. Christmas has been so special this year watching Hudson take it all in. He LOVES all the lights and is so excited by it. He gets things. We go to football games, and he can understand some of what's going on. He is creative and enjoys things he did not before. Example: pictures of dressing up like a train conductor and painting like "Sue Burm" (an elephant who paints on Curious George).

So, for today, here's to the Terrific Three's!!!

Athan's Fifth Month, seriously???

2010-11-12T18:41:00.000-08:00

Wow, to think that we're talking about Athan's fifth month already is hard to believe. On the other hand, I do feel as though this month we really got to know little Athan so much better and enjoyed him. It's an incredible experience how you are handed this little stranger one day who you love instantly, and then you spend the next few years actually getting to know that baby.

One major reason joy marked this month is because we got to experience his sweet chuckles for the first time. He's always been a loud baby and squeal before now, but this month we heard definite laughs. Love it! Love tickling him, making funny faces, and saying goofy things to get him to laugh. And, of course, Hudson joins in the fun as well.

Athan's vocal cords have developed in other ways as well. He seemed to be so much louder this month, both in expressing happiness and frustration. Early in the month I noticed he seemed to have an insatiable desire to chew that would just make him crazy. That's when the mad sounds would come. He also had a week long spell of crying when we started to put him to sleep. It seemed to come out of nowhere and then slowly faded away after about a week. It's not just his voice that's growing stronger. His legs are much sturdier, and he loves to put weight on them. He spends much of his day standing in our arms.

We feel like we understand Athan more and more when it comes to what helps him to settle down for sleep. Our keys have been: dark darkness, swaddling (thank you Laura for letting us use your miracle blanket!!), sitting, and the paci after all that is done. When doing this, he is usually settled in to sleep within minutes. He still wakes up twice at night (once to say hi, please hold me and give me my paci; once to eat). It's manageable, and we're content with the progress he's making. His night is getting longer, often from 8 to 8, and he has cut back to 3 naps most days. It's funny how happy I am that he is taking 1 less nap a day.

A fun quirky thing this month- we've discovered Athan's favorite song, at least for now. Great is Thy Faithfulness settles him down like nothing else, especially when he is fussing in the car and out of my reach. A few lines of that great hymn, and his little soul is settled. It is precious. Once again, Hudson has tuned in to this and loves it. He has learned the words to the chorus, which just makes my heart so happy. Great is Thy faithfulness, O Father above, in giving us such wonderful boys!

Oh, October!

2010-11-01T13:30:00.001-07:00

Hudson's favorite game at Countryside's party- the Goliath slingshot

The boys had a great time...A stayed up past bedtime like a true party champ!

Tractor Hay Ride with Gigi Thermal Windows party

OSU Homecoming Parade...go Pokes! Happy Birthday, Hudson! Mini golf pro

Oh, October! In our life October is a crazy, fun activity filled month. We started the month off with a surprise birthday party for Aunt Kandace. Then, Hudson's birthday followed right behind. We celebrated ourselves with a family day playing mini golf and then-- throwing up at Eskimo Joe's. Yup, that's what I said. Hudson made a quick recovery in time for his birthday party where we covered everything and everyone in orange to represent all the fun things that come with this time of year. We enjoyed OSU homecoming with the Pattersons, and this year even a few Thompsons came down for the festivities! Halloween was exciting for our fireman and dalmation. We had a weekend filled with parties. First, it was a trick or treat through Thermal Windows, then an incredible party at Pa and Gigi's house (only my parents would have a party like that for their 6 little grandchildren!), and finally the Hallelujah Party at Countryside.

When we weren't celebrating on the weekends, we enjoyed playing outside this month. Hudson and Jay have spent many hours outside playing football. Thanks to a great trick from Aunt K, he's actually learning to catch the ball. It's a great month for family fun!

Athan's Fourth Month

2010-11-01T13:12:00.001-07:00

Roll, Athan, roll! The biggest accomplishment our baby A achieved in his fourth month was rolling over. He wiggled from his belly to his back for the first time very early in his fourth month (September 21, I believe). I think he knew my eyes were in disbelief because he went on to do it two more times after that. Hudson was stoked to watch A roll over as well! It took a few more weeks before Jay got the privilege of seeing Athan's new moves in person. He went on to roll over a few more times in the month. It's all about getting that head up and looking another direction. His body just follows behind.

Another first for the month was staying in the nursery at church. I felt very blessed that the worker in our infant room during Sunday School (the best time for me to leave him) is a very experienced mother of 7. I leave him while I help Jay lead our junior high class, and Jill rocks him to sleep. I feel good about him getting his rest and enjoy the opportunity to do something different. He will still hang out with me for awhile the other times we're at church throughout the week, but it's been a good start.

We did make the move from his bassinet to his crib this month. It just happened a little differently than we had planned. After a trip to Starkville when he slept in a crib there, we decided it would be the best time to make the switch for Athan. We ended up moving it into our room. This was not my plan, nor is it the most aesthetic arrangement. I liked the way I had set up the room for the boys. BUT I think it's the wisest thing we've done since having two boys. I was so anxious about Hudson and Athan sharing a room and how I would handle night time or keep Hudson out of HIS room for most of the day while Athan napped. This has worked perfectly. Athan has also adjusted well and seems to sleep a little better in the crib. As I was rearranging things, I also hung up a very dark red blanket over the window next to the crib. That has been a big help as well. I've decided the look of the house is nothing compared to the happiness of those who live in it! Athan is still learning how to sleep through the night, and we're working to figure out the best way to get him to sleep, but we feel like we've made some major strides this month in this area.

He's also continued to grow and grow. The big little man weighed in at 17 lbs. at his four month check up. That's in the 90th percentile if you were wondering! He measured 25 inches, which was right in the middle. We're just glad he's growing, even if it means he grows out of his tiny baby clothes faster. Oh, and this may seem like a strange thing, but we have grown to love his sweet little smell. I've never known another baby to have their own scent, but A sure does. We've said if only we could bottle this up because like everything that happens in this first year, we know it won't last long...

A Two Year Recap

2010-09-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

We've hit a perfect trio at our house. First, my car hit 33, 333 miles. Then Athan turned 3 months, and now Hudson has celebrated his third birthday. What milestones! This calls for some time reflecting on Hudson's year as a two year old.

Hudson started out the year as a toddler and has changed into a preschooler. When I think back to Hudson as a young two year old, he still had those sweet baby curls. Those were gone quickly after his birthday. He started out sleeping in his crib, but then we changed that into a toddler bed after Christmas because he had started attempting to climb out. In the summer he made the big move into a twin size bed and has done so well.

His passions have been everything transportation. Digger trucks, trains, garbage trucks, fire trucks, freight trucks. He loves them all. We do try to limit our TV to about an hour a day, but Hudson would probably chose to watch more. He enjoys Thomas the train, Curious George, and Seasame Street. Thanks to a long car ride to Colorado, he also has become a huge fan of the Cars movie. He loves to swing and play outside or go to the park. We have enjoyed seeing him become more willing to try new feats at the playground.

Oh, the things he will say! The vocabulary of this little boy is just constantly growing. Now that he is three there's not much he doesn't say. He says such big boy things like "well, how about..." or "I have an idea!" He is famous around our house for saying "I want to talk to you" with his cars, "read the letters" when we're looking at a book, and "I love it!" He is very polite. We love hearing him say please, thank you, and most recently the way that he asks permission for most anything he does.

Some of our more recent changes are the start of preschool and a church program called Puggles. We started potty training in May, and now a few months later he seems to be getting it. We still use diapers overnight, but we do venture out in public without diapers. There has been much humor associated with potty training. One result is the fact that Hudson spent much of the summer at our house without wearing shorts. It was just easier that way, and he wanted it that way. It was funny to look back on pictures of him around the house and notice he was rarely wearing shorts.

He is a fabulous, loving big brother. He is very patient as we take care of Athan and give attention to him. I do lament that I don't get to hold Hudson in my arms much anymore. He used to want me to hold him all the time, but he seems to be used to the fact that Athan is held and he walks now. He loves to help with Athan and tries to play with him.

Our dear Hudson is still so silly and loves being around little people. He gets so excited and gives big hugs. He loves to play with Bailey and would roll around on the floor with her all the time if we would let him. He laughs often and is just a happy little guy. We are so thankful for our fun little red head!

Athan's Third Month

2010-09-24T11:11:00.001-07:00

3 months exactly- 13 weeks- with head held high

12 weeks...just had to capture that face!

11 weeks

Baby Athan has already reached his third month. It's hard to believe he's a quarter of a way through his first year.

This month was filled with new adventures and developments. My favorite development has to be the sounds that Athan will make. He enjoys mimicking our mouth when we make "motor" sounds with our lips. We do it, and then he follows. I was quite impressed with his intelligence the first time he did this. It's great to have that interaction with him. One physical change is the development of his belly. Athan's belly button officially became an "innie" after hanging out for 2 months. :)

Sleep is still a big topic of conversation around our house. After going so many weeks without consecutive hours of sleep, I have to say we've gotten to a new level of exhaustion. Hudson was sleeping through the night by two months, so this was territory I had not yet encountered. We're pressing on and thankful that he always does sleep eventually. He's kept up about the same schedule of 13-14 hours of sleep a day mostly in his own bed with 4 naps and the middle one being the longest. Most days the long nap, a.k.a. "mega nap," goes about 2 hours, but that's not always a guarantee. The other naps are usually around 45 minutes, sometimes a little less or more. Overall, he has made progress and often gets to sleep in what we find to be a reasonable amount of time- around 20 minutes. He winds down very quickly once he is swaddled and in the rocking chair with a pacifier. The work begins when we move him to his bed. Goal for next month: move to the crib in the room he will share with Hudson. Stories about that to follow, I'm sure!

What we have just come to adore about our sweet Athan is his delightful personality. He does not cry often and is just a fun little guy. Even though we have struggles with sleep, we do feel like we are in tune with him and usually know what he wants. We enjoy playing with him, exchanging smiles and sweet cooing sounds. It's a sweet process of getting to know your own little child. We're thankful that God has answered our prayers with Athan.

Hush, Little Baby

2010-08-27T19:49:00.001-07:00

In my few years of parenting, I have found nothing more challenging than putting a baby to sleep. I'm not sure what it is, but nothing intimidates me more than this daunting task. It's not just that I'm wishing I could get a fraction of the sleep that the little one is getting. It's also how important I know his sleep is, and how I know that habits, good and bad, are learned early. Before Athan was born, I did my research to make sure I felt prepared to get it right from the start this time. Hudson was a good sleeper, sleeping through the night by 8 weeks, but I remembered that putting him to sleep could be a challenge.

Well, at some point in those early weeks we must have made some mistakes this time, but it's hard to say when it was or what it was. All I can say is that by the end of his first month, I was already frustrated with trying to put Athan down for sleep. It could take up to an hour to get him to sleep. Obviously, that is frustrating for us (me- Jay does help, but it does work, too!). The new complication this time around is having Hudson. I feel so guilty when I'm working with Athan for an hour back in my room and practically banishing Hudson from the room. We got better at it with time, and I realized Hudson's noises were often not the cause of Athan's insomnia. It was just Athan. And to brag on Hudson for a bit- he has been terrific. He has not in the least started to resent his baby brother for taking up so much of Mommy and Daddy's time. He has also complied for the most part when we've asked him not to drum, hammer, or play the piano when Athan is sleeping.

So, back to that little one. We've tried MANY different approaches, often saying to ourselves, "this is it!" We've hovered over the bassinet holding his arms, tried more awake time & less awake time, given him the pacifier an insane amount of times, attempted a strict schedule, let him "work it out" (not cry it out), rocked him and rocked him, walked around, stood in dark closets, and the occasional last resort of just finally driving around the bock.

What have we learned from all of this? We know very little, but will survive. Two months have already passed, and he has actually slept. To my surprise, he does have a bit of a schedule that HE created. Short nap at 10, long nap at 1, medium nap at 4, short nap at 6:30, and bed at 9:30. The predictability does help me.

This week we're employing techniques from the Baby Whisperer, so far my favorite baby book. I spent a good deal of time researching additional information from forums devoted to answering baby whispering questions on Saturday. We came up with a very specific sleep routine. So far it really has gone well and given us more confidence. We're two days into it and not using that stupid pacifier anymore to sleep! :) (It just wasn't working for little A) As I read the posts, I feel like I received permission in a way not to make Athan fall asleep the "right way" every nap. The reality is we have two young children, and it's just not always possible. Our goal right now is to follow his sleep routine for 2 naps a day and at bedtime.

I wanted to record our thoughts right now so that we can see how this sleep journey goes. Since I'm publicly sharing that we're trying this new method I'll have a little more accountability to stick with it. And maybe if you think about it, you can pray for us to wisely teach Athan good sleep habits, but not at the expense of enjoying the journey!

P.S. Thank you, Aunt K, for answering all my sleep questions and reassuring me over and over again! :)

Here's a bit of what we're using. http://www.babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=26671.0

Athan's Second Month

2010-08-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

8 weeks old official picture

8 weeks- relaxing at the Youth Lake Party

6 weeks- lifting up his head

Three key words sum up Athan's second month in my mind: smiles, sleep, and sounds.

Smiles. This is one of the greatest milestones a baby achieves. Being the first real milestone in the first year, it's the first indication that things are going okay. For me, it also serves as the first glimpse into his little self and personality. I saw Athan's first responsive smile in his fourth week as I stroked his head. His little smile let me know that he liked that. We then saw what I consider his first social smile a few weeks later. Daddy got those first grins given in his direction during Athan's seventh week.

Sleep. Oh boy, this has been our issue! During baby's first weeks, eating seems to be the top priority. Nothing else is as important as making sure they are gaining weight and receiving adequate nourishment (which, by the way, is not a problem for this little guy!). Once that was established for us, we turned our attention to the issue of sleep. We've gone back and forth on different approaches and have just ended the month recognizing we're no more sure of how to put Athan to sleep than we were at the start of the month. Still, I can at least say he did sleep about 14 hours a day this month with a solid night of sleep and 4 naps a day. He has his nights well established and mostly wakes only to eat. It just takes a great deal of effort to get him there.

Sounds. The sweet, sweet coos have started. Although life is busy, I try to stop while Athan is happily awake and enjoy these conversations with him. His happiest times are after a good rest, early in the morning and usually after a long afternoon nap. One of his favorite places to be for a good time of talking is his changing pad. Funny, but Hudson also enjoyed that.

Other hi-lights include weekly visits from Gigi and an extended visit with Susu. Grandmothers have helped keep us going! I am so grateful for their help. We also started to get out a little more this month and attempted to make it to church for our regular services.

And, as I said, Athan has been growing like a champ! At his two month check up, he weighed 12 lbs., 10 oz. Way to go, little man.

Our Daily Routine

2010-08-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here is a little about a life in the day of the Felkers, family 0f 4. One of my favorite things to look back at in Hudson's baby book is the part where I described what our days were like. It's incredible how much change there is within the first year and how quickly you forgot those days. It can seem monotonous at the time (how many times am I going to put this baby to sleep??), but it does change almost without our realizing it.

Right now (now being the key word) this is what we're doing:

Athan usually wakes up twice in the night, around 1 and 5, to eat. It has become like clockwork. His morning wake up time varies, depending on how long it took him to fall back asleep after the second feeding. He sleeps until around 7-9 in the morning. I try to get up before he does to start getting ready. On a good day, Hudson will sleep until 7:30 and get in bed with us if someone is still in bed. Jay gets Hudson ready for the day and feeds him breakfast if he can(thank goodness for flexible hours and a small town without a long commute!!). After Jay goes to work, it's playtime and naptime for the boys. It seems as though I spend a good portion of my day trying to get Athan to sleep. He naps about 4 times a day. We've attempted a 3 hours schedule of eat/wake/sleep, but we've really just made our own version. More on that later. He eats for a total of 7 times a day. That is fairly standard.

While I'm working with Athan, Hudson is great at entertaining himself. His imaginiative spirit has continued to grow as I've been forced to spend less time with him recently. I love overhearing him talk and describe his play. He has gotten interested in the Cars movie/story, so he enjoys acting those scenes out with his cars. It's wonderful. He does have some of the actual characters, but mostly he just plays pretend with regular matchbox cars. I love it and really would rather he do that than have the real ones. As good as he is at playing by himself, Hudson still gets bored and wants my attention. We've increased our TV watching for that reason. I normally try to keep that to 1 hour a day, but it's a little more right now. I'm okay with that. Hudson also loves to play outside, but he really wants someone else to play with him. Sometimes he'll just put himself in his swing and wait for me to come out there to push him. That always looks so pitiful when he's waiting on me.

Back to Athan. He can stay awake for about 1 hour happily, and then he's ready to start working toward a nap. During his awake time, we walk around, lay on a blanket, run errands, or go on a walk. When it's time for a nap, it can take up to 1 hour for him to get to sleep. Can you see why Hudson gets bored?? We're working on that and have seen some recent improvements with Athan. Jay comes home for lunch when he can to help me juggle that time period of fixing lunch/cleaning up/going down for a nap for Hudson. It always seems that Athan needs to get to sleep during that time as well, so an extra hand is much appreciated. It also still allows me to make that time with Hudson enjoyable. The afternoons are slower as Athan usually takes a longer nap at some point, and Hudson rests as well. I try to get some quality time with whoever wakes up first. They're both usually happy then. Jay comes home a little after 5, and we just trade off boys for the evening as we cook, eat dinner, clean-up, play, bathe and then put them to bed. Hudson goes to bed around 8:30 and take forever to fall asleep!! Another point we're working on. Athan usually falls asleep around 9-10. This, of course, looks different on nights when we're out of the house.

I've had a lot of strong feelings about trying to put Athan on a schedule/routine since he was born. I really felt that would be best for us now that we have two children, but as I have gotten in to the reality of bringing home a unique baby with his own temperament and preferences, I have found myself becoming more upset trying to put him on a schedule instead of just enjoying this sweet, fleeting time. I've taken what knowledge I can from other "experts" and tried to incorporate what works into our family. I want to enjoy my children, and this is working for us right now.

One thing I did take from a baby wise mom "professional"...a daily cleaning task. I have enjoyed putting myself on a schedule and accomplishing one tangible thing each day other than just laundry. Jay said to me recently that he doesn't know how I can keep the house so clean. I told him I think that's part of what keeps me sane. I know that my job is to care for our boys, and that is the most important thing I do each day. Still, I enjoy seeing some fruits of my labor and that often comes in looking at a clean house. Strange, isn't it?? :)

Athan's First Month

2010-07-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

My blogging void from the last month is directly related to today's topic...Athan's first month!

I decided to be realistic and let Jay handle all the posting of pictures and telling the story of Athan's birth and just focus and recovering and caring for our newborn. It was great to see how fast he did post pictures and stories about Athan. I loved seeing his excitement.

Now one full month has passed and so I want to record a few details here before they are erased from my mind. I think two things surprised us the most about Athan in the early weeks with him. (1) This baby can sleep! We were shocked at how much he slept and how he didn't really want to wake for feedings. We had to wake him to eat. I even set an alarm a few times at night because he wasn't old enough to go the 7 hours that he once went on his own without eating. Of course, we knew this was change as he grew older and reached more of his full term age (he was over 2.5 weeks early). (2) And, oh boy, is he loud!! These aren't so much cries that I'm talking about as just regular noises. He grunts in his sleep and makes all types of sounds. His digestive noises are even loud. Jay and I have gotten many laughs in the middle of the night just listening to him.

Our biggest event of the first month was a trip to Colorado for David and Lauren's wedding. He was just amazing on our trip. He slept so much of the time and adjusted so well. The only time he cried in public was at the end of the reception. He did have a few meltdowns in the hotel or car. The most memorable was our last night in the hotel as we were trying to get the boys to sleep. Jay was holding a screaming Athan, and I was consuling a hysterical Hudson after he ran into a dresser (he was in serious need of sleep). Another great moment was at a gas station near the Kansas border when he shot poop out all over me and the car (thanks for letting us borrow your car, Gigi!). I yelled at Jay to come help and before we could finish cleaning him up, he had peed all over me again. You have to laugh in these moments!

Hudson has done great. He has adjusted well to being a big brother and has the sweetest "little" voice when he talks to Athan. He loves to talk about how he is going to teach Athan about sounds and how to do all kinds of things. We've had to work on being gentle, not squeezing Athan when he gets the urge or trying to pick him up. Every once in awhile he does get tired of Athan being around or being in my arms and just asks for me to put him to bed or lay down on the couch. I'm really proud of him though.

We've had a good first month. We're grateful for all the help we've had from wonderful family and friends. Extra helping hands and a warm meal have meant so much to us. We're adjusting to our new sleep schedule and trying to be realistc about what we can expect from Athan. It's sometimes hard to remember how much work it takes to get a little one to sleep. We can remember Hudson doing well, but we may forget how much effort it took on our part and how he has to get a little older before he can do more on his own.

I'm thankful for this time and for Athan's great health. God has heard our prayers.

Potty Training, Fun?

2010-05-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

Knowing it could potentially be the great struggle of Hudson's third year of life, I have researched potty training almost since Hudson was born. From all of my reading and question asking I decided it would be best to present potty training when Hudson first showed interest and then wait for him to show signs of readiness. That sounds quite simple, but it's not so easy. How do you really know when your child's ready? He's been fascinated with the toilet since he was a year old.

We've had a few attempts at potty training before, but this month he really seemed ready. Still, it's felt that most of the month I've gone back and forth on thinking he was ready. Our first attempt ended after about 3 days. There were only 4 stickers on his paper (meaning times he actually used his potty), and about 20 accidents with dirty pants for me to clean. I couldn't do it anymore. I thought I would just give up for awhile, but he's stayed interested and wanted to use his potty at different times throughout the day. So, I reluctantly decided I better not be missing my opportunity and should go with it again. This week has gone so much better with much more success, meaning many more stickers and fewer accidents. We'll see.

My favorite part of all this has been listening to Hudson talk about the subject. When he feels the need to go, he'll say, "it's coming! it's coming" and then take off down the hall exclaiming, "it's like a race!" We've talked about how we're proud of him, and he can feel proud, too. That has turned into a very sweet returned compliment. If we tell him we're proud of him, he'll tell us that he is proud of us, too. Love it! Then there was also the time that he brought me the little bucket from his potty to show me he had gone on his own. I couldn't believe it...he just ran through the house with a bucket of pee and thankfully it didn't spill!!!

On another note, the pregnancy is going well. Baby brother is growing and growing, and I've got a nice round belly to prove it. Poor Hudson still insists on trying to find a spot on my lap to sit even though there's really not room. We're still working on a name, and Hudson has given good input. He's taken to a baby we borrowed from a friend and calls it baby brother. Sometimes he'll offer a snack to my belly for the baby. He seems to be excited about the baby, but we know it will be a challenge for him. We're praying for a smooth transition and much love to abound.

I wonder which will happen first...potty training complete or baby brother arriving??

Like Music to My Ears

2010-05-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hudson surprised me recently when he started singing this song on his own. I've been singing this to him at night before bed for awhile. I'm not sure how this became a bedtime lullaby, but he loves it. He always listens, and I guess was learning the words. I think this was the most beautiful rendition of Away in a Manger I have EVER heard!

Along the same lines, Hudson has recently started offering, or really insisiting, to pray before meals. This is the standard: "Father, thank you for this day, time to play outside. Thank you for Jesus. Amen." LOVE it!

LOVE this kid!

2010-05-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Mother's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to blog about Hudson a bit. What I love most about my blog is getting to talk about our family as much as I want without worrying if I ramble too much, or say too many times how much I adore them. Also, I am a sporadic blogger, leaving me with several little things about Hudson I've been intending to record for awhile.

So here it is...my Mother's Day blog with some of my favorite Hudson-isms since I last blogged just about him. I really do love this kid!

The addition of the word "actually" to his vocabulary- as in, "that's actually a wheeled excavator, not a track excavator."

Good morning kisses! Our little one is often an early riser (a negative by-product of moving to a toddler bed), so the routine is that he climbs in bed with us until we're ready to get up. He knows wake up time has finally arrived when we announce it's time for good morning kisses. He likes to say "good morning kiss" and then offer a sweet kiss to start the day.

How he talks about the new baby. Talk about funny conversation. On his own he told me we should name the baby "Jesus." When I told Hudson that there was only one Jesus, he offered that we could call the baby "little Jesus" (if only you could hear the way he emphasized "little"). He also talks about baby brother being in his belly. Put these two together and you get this from Hudson- little baby Jesus is kicking in his stomach. Oh my, not even sure how to address that one! More recently, he has started kissing baby brother through my round belly.

His creative imagination and inquisitive nature. He has gone through a phase of choosing a different name that he wants to be called. I love seeing his imagination blossom. Some of his favorite names have been Bertie (the bus on Thomas) and Herman (from a great song about a worm). As for inquisitive, his questions never stop. When we're in a store, he will often ask loudly "what's her name?" about someone near us. He's always wanting more information about people and things around him.

Hudson singing! He comes home from the church nursery full of new songs that he credits Ms. Mary for teaching him. Favorites are My God is So Big, Baa Baa Black Sheep, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, ABCs, and Jesus Loves the Little Children. He also has come to love me singing to him Away in a Manger at bedtime. And then, of course, learning Herman the Worm. Love, love, love hearing H sing this one with Daddy.

And, finally, a new accomplishment in the area of grammer. I've been proud to hear him begin to learn the proper use of pronouns, correctly substituting "you" for "me." For the longest time he'd ask me to hold him by saying "hold you, Mama." Now he's started to unravel the great mystery that is personal pronouns. Who needs potty training? To me, this is a great milestone, indeed!

Hudson Can Ski!!

2010-04-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

We were so proud of Hudson. He loved skiing, especially the conveyer lift and the helmet!

A Christmas Surprise

2010-04-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this one some time ago. This one is mostly for the Lane crew, but hopefully you other readers can find the humor in this. Christmas morning, my clever father had made a switch to one of Spencer's (my nephew) gifts. My sweet mom had thought Spencer would enjoy a "manly" doll to play with when he and Ally play dolls. He's two and has an older sister...playing dolls is just going to happen. So she picked out this prince doll. My dad thought it was way too girly (princes wear tights), so he wanted Spencer to have a GI Joe instead. Mom said no. Dad bought it anyway, changed the doll inside the prince box to GI Joe, and the rest you see here. The end of the story...Spencer picked the prince. Gigi knows her grandbabies.

Hosanna, Jesus is King!

2010-04-08T05:28:00.000-07:00

On Palm Sunday, Hudson came home with a craft from Sunday School telling me that they learned how the people lay down palm branches exclaiming, "Hosanna, Jesus is King!" Throughout the week and on Easter Sunday, we had great fun proclaiming this truth together. And I must admit, although I did briefly share the Easter story with Hudson, those are some big concepts for a little one. I've told the Easter story to children many times, but telling it to my own two year old this year was somewhat intimidating. So for now I just enjoyed hearing Hudson say, "Ho-hannah, Jesus is King!"

Our Easter celebration was wonderful. We started the week off with an Easter egg hunt during his play group on Wednesday. Friday night, Susu came to town. And on Saturday, we had an Easter party at church. Pa, Gigi, and the Thompsons came up for that as well. Hudson was as excited about hunting eggs as I would have expected. He got motivated to find some when Jay told him there was candy inside, but then lost interest after spotting the trucks in the sand box. He did not like the Easter bunny, but loved going on the inflatables with Aunt Kandace. Easter Sunday we worshipped at church. Hudson stayed with us through some of the songs and then went on to play with his friends in the nursery. Susu helped us make a festive lunch, we rested, and then he opened his Easter baskets in the afternoon. A great day for our little guy!

Group hug as requested by Hudson Happy Easter, Susu !!

Some more of our favorite people... Hudson giving up on the Easter egg hunt

Reflections on 09

2010-01-07T05:02:00.000-08:00

Oh, sweet Hudson, how much fun we've had in 2009!

In our second full year with you, we experienced many joys and learned many new things. Between your first and second birthday it has been incredible to listen to your vocabulary develop. You accomplished great feats in the way of physical movement in your first year of life, but in this second year and beyond you are learning new words at such a fast rate. At the end of this year, we've noted how much more you are talking than even at your birthday in October. You can repeat almost anything, and you remember just about everything! Just yesterday I took you to a place we'd been to once before, and you asked for a balloon because you had been given one before months ago. How do you remember these things!

You are a sweet, happy little boy. You love life and get so excited at the opportunity to play with other little people your size. Outgoing, joyful, and sometimes silly are words I would use to describe you, little Hudson. You enjoy the nursery at church, as well as playing in the youth house and getting a chocolate in Daddy's op-ice. Daddy is your hero, and you are still Mommy's baby. Thomas the train, Pa's tractor trailers, and most any other types of truck have been your favorite playtime choices this year. When we leave the house, you can usually be spotted grasping some type of vehicle in your hands. You have continued to love books. I can clearly hear you saying, "Mama read." In your love of reading we've gotten to read more to you about your Heavenly Father. How could we ever say no when you ask us to read your bible to you? Haircuts have been a new experience for us this year. We've been thrilled to see that even after we cut your hair, those red locks keep coming back curly. Your hair attracts so much attention.

Some of our biggest struggles have been over food. You just don't love to eat, well, that is, you don't like to eat vegetables or dinner foods. Pea-boo-butter and bread is one of your favorite cuisines, as well as chicken nuggets (you are like your father). Fruit you will also eat well. Desserts, of course, are not in question. As in so many other ways of life, you've challenged us to be more healthy eaters as we know you are always watching and wanting what we have. Even though we conflict over this issue, you do want to please Momma and Daddy, and tell us you will obey. It is a very sweet sound.

A few travel hi-lights of the year include a second journey to the mountain of Colorado, a trip to the Florida beach, a mission trip to Galveston, and a visit to Nashville complete with a stay at Opryland. You are a well traveled little boy!

You are a precious gift, and we cherish each day with you. Even when you wake up early in the mornings, you bring a smile to our face and make us eager to start the day. Happy New Year, Hudson!

P.S. Hudson has now been sleeping in a toddler bed for a week. He has transitioned better than I even hoped. Way to go, Hudson!

Merry Christmas

2010-01-04T11:49:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas celebrations officially began the morning of Christmas Eve. This morning was designated as our family time. When Hudson woke up, we sat in the living room munching on breakfast goodies and reading Christmas books. Hudson was delighted to have that cuddle time with us and truly enjoyed hearing the Christmas story. He has learned the simplest elements of that great story. I'd have to say this was my favorite Christmas moment. Hudson is still so young that he didn't know presents were coming next and feel the need to hurry on. Instead, he just enjoyed reading with us. We then went on to exchange a few presents. He took his time playing with each gift before moving on to see what else he had gotten.

Then the weather changed...at first the sleet and snow seemed picture perfect with the fire keeping us warm in our home on Christmas Eve. Maybe it would have been perfect had we not had travel plans. Church was canceled for the evening, so we drove over to Tulsa after Hudson's nap. I'll just say I was praying before we made it to the highway in Stillwater. The normal 1.5 hour trip to Gigi and Pa's took 3 hours! We were just glad we made it when it was all over. Hudson wasn't a huge fan of this snow storm. The drifts were so high around the house that he couldn't walk in them, and he fell a time or two as well. When we got back to our house, we did convince him to give it another try, and he enjoyed it then.

As for family time, we had a great visit with the Lane side of the family on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. The cousins enjoyed their play time with one another. Hudson was not too interested in opening presents Christmas day as the train table for all the kids from Pa and Gigi that was left sitting out was far more interesting than any other gift he could open. Even though we couldn't make it out to church, we took time together to reflect on our reason for this celebration with a reading of the Christmas story and a nativity reenactment as well, all focused on the little ones, of course.

Rockey, Susan, and Stephen journeyed over from Mississippi the next day for another Christmas celebration with us. Hudson seemed to get the present opening this time and was delighted to see gifts fill up under our Christmas tree when they first arrived. His interested was further sparked when he realized many of his presents were from Thomas and other trains. Thanks for coming to see us!

We hope you and your family had a joyous Christmas celebration as well!

Getting the driveway cleared off!

December Fun

2009-12-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

A Christmas story...

So many Christmas decorations, so much to touch! Silly Mom thought decorating the Christmas tree would be such fun this year with Hudson. He would help me hang the ornaments and marvel at the lights. Not exactly how it went down. Hudson was fascinated alright, but his idea of fun was banging the Christmas ornaments together. We struggled as I decorated the house and then in the next few days as I reminded Hudson not to touch the new decor. However, one wonderfully bright spot was the moment I got out the nativity set. When we were first married, we picked out a beautiful plastic set knowing that we'd have little hands around one day. It's perfect for Hudson to play with. I've put it on the coffee table, and Hudson has had such fun moving the sheep around and exclaiming, "Sheep eat grass!" I've tried to encourage him to keep Baby Jesus in the manger and explain that He is special. It's provided me with several teachable moments and distracted Hudson from all the other things he can't touch. Oh, and I must share this...when I got the set out, Hudson was looking at the one goat. I told him it was different from the sheep because it had horns. He thought a moment and said, "beep, beep!" He was thinking about a horn on a car. Priceless.

A few other pieces of news...

One of Hudson's newest feats includes counting to 10. Never thought he could do that so early. It encourages me to continue to present new concepts to him and see what sticks. His love is still for Thomas the Train. He continues to sleep well with about the same routine he's had for the past year or more although I fear his nap is slowly shrinking. He's stayed in his crib for now. We plan to convert it to the toddler bed after all the Christmas gatherings. One thing we love to hear right now is Hudson talk as he falls to sleep. He will lay in his crib and chatter about the day, repeating new words that he enjoys saying. A recent favorite has been saying our "real names." I love hearing him say Jennifer Lynn, James Edward (not Edwin), or best of all James Hudson Felker. A new potty was Hudson's most exciting purchase of the week. We're still mostly just playing when we sit on it, but he is very interested in the idea. We'll just see what happens.

A Time for Thanks

2009-12-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

Helping Susu in the kitchen wearing his own turtle apron

Cheering on the Bulldogs wearing a real big boy jersey

Despite each getting a cold over Thanksgiving, we were grateful for a restful and refreshing visit with the Felkers in Starkville. We've decided that whenever possible we should make extended visits to Mississippi since it's such a long drive. Hudson does his very best in the car, but he is only two. It was so hard trying to explain to him why we couldn't let him sit in my lap while we were driving (and I must confess I did let him sit with me for a minute in the back seat which was a horrible idea...he then couldn't understand why he couldn't get out again). Jay had the opportunity to tour David's new stomping grounds in Jackson, Susu took us shopping in Tuscalosa, we ate and ate on Thanksgiving, and we cheered to the Bulldogs to victory at the Egg Bowl. As Hudson would say, go Papa's team! :) Hudson wasn't much of a Thanksgiving food eater. Not a surprise to those who know our picky toddler well, but I think he was thrilled with all the family around and new toys to play with. We are thankful for many blessings, including our wonderful family.

Spider Mania

2009-12-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

Whether we call it the Pumpkin Party or Fall Carnival (no one name has stuck just yet), Pa and Gigi's second annual gathering was incredible! I think some public festivals don't even have as many activities as this did. Tractor rides, fishing booth, bowling, and most every other type of carnival game you can think of were the kids' options. And, of course, there were plenty of yummy treats to be had. We didn't even get to the pumpkin carving, but they did paint pumpkins. Hudson loved the bowling and the tub of balls.

We spread out our celebrating throughout the week. We enjoyed Stillwater's Downtown Festival on Tuesday, did a little trick-or-treating and candy distributing on Thursday (yes, Stillwater moved the official celebration due to football games), and then finished up the week with the grand Pumpkin Party on Saturday. Hudson was the best looking spider I've ever known. His costume choice was his idea, so it made it even better.

(P.S. So I realize it is December as I'm posting this, but I felt it was necessary to chronicle our Halloween celebration. I tend to blog in clumps. I just can't help it!)

Hudson's Quotes

2009-11-03T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hudson is my little entertainer. I find myself laughing aloud with him all the time. As he learns more, he says such funny things. Often he doesn't get the sentence structure correct or the pronunciation, but we kinda like it that way.

Some of my favorite recent sayings:

"Go Team!" with a big fist pump whenever he sees a football game on TV. If he's got Papa on his mind, he'll say "go dawgs!"

Driving past a dog eating grass on the side of the road, he said, "dog, I eat it grass" to explain that the dog was eating grass.

He has very much enjoyed out visits to Keely and Kim's house to meet their babies and has remembered those clearly. Right after we came home from visiting Keely, he started to say, "no, I Kee-yee's house" over and over again. He'll just say it randomly while we're driving and repeat himself over and over. I think he's telling me he wants to go back to Keely's house.

He's also taken to self discipline. Often times when he has done something he's not supposed to, he'll choose to sit himself down right where he is. At first I thought he was mocking me or something along those lines. Then I realized from the pure look on his face that he had realized there was a consequence to his action. It didn't necessarily stop him from doing it, but he realized that!! A great ah-ha moment for Mom!

I'm also so delighted at the new concepts he's learning. He has continued to learn colors and shapes. My favorite to hear him say is triangle. I honestly didn't think he would be ready for shapes for awhile, but he's started to say them as we're playing with puzzles and shape sorters. He moves more quickly than I'm ready for sometimes.

Fall Means Football

2009-10-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

To his father's delight, Hudson has come to learn about many sports, including football. At the first Stillwater home game, Hudson started to say "football game." If you know Hudson, you know when he talks he often draws things out and kinda sings them. This phrase is the same way. Very funny.

We've been to several Stillwater Pioneer games to watch a few of our youth boys play. Hudson has enjoyed all the action and the lights. When we went to the Stillwater-Union game, we cheered for Stillwater, but I did try to teach him the Union fight song. :)

We also made a trip to Nashville to see Jay's side of the family and watch Mississippi State play football. As usual, Susu had a great outfit for Hudson to wear to the game. We got to stay at Opryland and enjoyed the visit with family. The Bulldogs won, making the trip even better. Way-to-go, Papa Rock!

This past weekend was OSU homecoming, so we participated in several of those fun events. The Pattersons came up and filled our house with activity for a night. Hudson was just so excited for them to be here! We went to Walk Around with all the crowds of people. Hudson and Spencer were not so sure about the event. My favorite q uotes from the night were: Spencer, "This is not fun!" and Hudson, "No! No! No!" as we walked away from one of the first house decs. They did warm up to the concept as the night went on. We also enjoyed the OSU parade. Hudson's favorit es were Pistol Pete, horses, and the fire trucks. He kept asking for "Mo Pete-Pete."

Hudson watching as Pistol Pete drove by!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

2009-10-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

October 7, 2009, Hudson turned two years old! We have so many great memories of Hudson in these two years, giving us many reasons to celebrate.
So...we celebrated over several days. The morning of Hudson's birthday we started by enjoying chocolate chips muffins complete with a number 2 candle. Hudson loved the "party song." He liked it so much so that he asked us to sing it to him several times that day. He opened a few presents from Mom and Dad. Then we spent the morning at the Tulsa Zoo. He loved the monkeys and the train! His memory is getting so much strong. We've only been to the zoo once before, but he knew where we were as soon as we crossed over the bridge. We then had lunch with Pa and Gigi afterwards. Hudson was delighted to see them. He got a cool fire truck and a great cookie, then a balloon from the hostess. That night we went to church, a fun place for Hudson. He got a few more yummy goodies from sweet friends and lots of birthday wishes.The celebration continued on Saturday with Hudson's birthday party. It was a special day because so many of our favorite people were there. Susu and Stephen drove all the way from Mississippi, and the cousins/my sisters came despite feeling a little sick (germ-x should have been given away in the favor bags!). Fire trucks were the theme, and they were everywhere! We even had 2 great fire truck birthday cakes. Hudson didn't like opening his presents much more than last year. He opened a present of matchbox cars from Uncle Stephen before the party started and really just wanted those. Hudson received some great gifts, even a new swing set. One of the highlights was seeing Hudson's face light up as we sang him Happy Birthday and brought him a cup cake. This year he blew out his candle on his own. He did try to touch it again though. Maybe we'll be better at that by next year. Somehow I don't think so!

We love you, Hudson!

Who Does He Look Like?

2009-09-03T12:51:00.001-07:00

Jay has always told me that Hudson has my face shape, particularly my chin. I think I believe him now after looking at this picture. I take it as such a compliment that my beautiful little boy might resemble me!

I Diddd It!!

2009-08-20T05:25:00.001-07:00

(No, I didn't misspell "did;" that's just the way Hudson says it!)

After accomplishing great feats such as putting a piece in a puzzle or some equally daunting task, Hudson loves to say with pride "I diddd it!"

There seems to be an internal clock within him telling him that it's time to make some changes now that he is almost two. I recently started a book about two year olds (Making the Terrible Twos Terrific...very good read, thanks Susan), and it seemed the next day Hudson was exhibiting some of those two year old behaviors. He would insist on independence one moment, and then frantically chase me down the hall wailing the next moment because I tried to walk out of his room. I wondered if maybe he read the book while I wasn't looking.

Part of me must be a little crazy because I have actually enjoyed hearing Hudson use the word "no." It has tickled me to hear him begin to exercise his opinion. He does not like putting his head in the water during a bath, so when we've asked him to do so recently, he shakes his head and makes a little noise for no. His "no's" are usually just a polite refusal. Of course, there are times when I have to go against his request of no, but he has handled that okay so far.

Growing up will bring some disappointments for us as parents as we have to let Hudson be more independent, like today when Hudson decided to read books to himself before nap instead of letting me read to him. But it's also so wonderful to watch him grow and develop. We've had so much fun these past 2 weeks letting him fill in the blanks to songs and books. We were shocked at what all he has memorized. It's amazing how much knowledge he has been storing in his little mind...and a warning for us as his parents to realize how much he is soaking up of what we say.

I love watching Hudson as he gains confidence in new tasks and will say triumphantly, "I did it!"...even if is just a puzzle piece.

Meet Baby Zachary

2009-08-20T05:14:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, August 4, Zachary Ryan was born. We were all quite surprised as Teresa had a c-section scheduled for two days later. Zachary still would have been about 2 weeks early then. He decided that wasn't soon enough, I suppose.

Hudson enjoyed meeting "Baby Zach." Uncle Seth gave him a toy to play with while Mommy held the new baby, so he wasn't not bothered at all. The cousins/big siblings all got to wear cool matching t-shirts thanks to Aunt Kandace.

Zachary will be a special baby to our family as he would have been such a close cousin to our Eliot. They would have been about 6 weeks apart.

My Favorite Friends...

2009-07-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

After Kelly's wedding last weekend, Hudson learned the names of some of my friends. Here is Hudson naming off the other girls of the Fab 5...love those girls and love this boy! :)

These are a few of his favorite things...

2009-07-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

Right now Hudson's most favorite book is one about trucks. It simply displays pictures of all types of trucks and lists their names. That's it. And yet he loves to read it over and over. Tractor is about the only type of truck name that he can say right now. For the others he points at the truck and says "ba," which we believe means "tell me the name of that one." He really doesn't even need us to name the trucks for him. We were shocked one day recently when we put his knowledge to the test. He was able to identify almost all of the trucks in the book...backhoe loader, track excavator, lifter, street sweeper, and on and on. He could even tell the difference between types of fire trucks. We grow tired of reading this book to him so much, but it's really amazing to see how much he has learned from this one book.

We've also seen his imagination flourish. He is beginning to play more independently as a result. He loves to take little cars or trains and just drive them all over. I have also found him taking objects and pretending they are something else. At the youth house, he loves to play with markers in the tray of a marker board. He lines them up and says "choo, choo" as he pushes them along. This has been an exciting milestone.

He still loves to watch videos of himself. I've been showing him little clips on the computer. We had so much fun this morning watching videos from his first year. My, has our little baby changed!

Beach Fun

2009-07-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last week we got 4 wonderful days at Sea Grove beach with Jay's family. The whole vacation took over a week as we took a few days to travel down to Florida, stopping in Mississippi to meet up with more Felkers.

This was Hudson's first trip to the beach (I don't think it counts that we went when I was pregnant). He enjoyed the sand, but not so much the ocean. I think the sound and movement of the ocean waves was overwhelming to him. It took us a few days to figure out to take him down to an inland part of the ocean. That was so much better. He even stepped in the water on his own. The next two days were much more fun even if our view wasn't quite as nice. Life is better when Hudson is happy. He enjoyed splashing in the water and looking for fish. We were thankful for time away with family to enjoy the beauty of the beach!

Here is the magical moment when Hudson on his own decided to brave his way into the water. A few moments after the video ends, he was down in the water splashing around. Such fun!

Itsy Bitsy Spider

2009-06-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

Hudson- 18 months

2009-05-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-09T13:10:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-04T11:49:00.000-07:00

Easter Egg Hunt and Celebration at Countryside

Hudson had a blast during our Easter photo shoot

Celebrating our Risen Savior!

More Words

2009-04-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Since my last post, Hudson has added a few more words...

Susu (doesn't have the "s" well, but we know what he's saying)
Pooh (as in Pooh Bear)
Ice
Bubbles

There were a few others I left off the list last time: teeth, ears, and eyes.

I'm sure there are a few others I forgot, but this is basically the list for now. His vocabulary is just growing everyday, so I'm sure I won't be able to keep up with a list for long. This is such an amazing time to get to spend with a toddler!

Hudson's Good Buddy

2009-04-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

After we got back from our youth ski trip, Hudson decided that he wanted to be with his daddy pretty much all the time. He even decided that Jay was a worthy comforter when he gets hurt, which has always been a Mom job.

Here's a picture of Hudson helping Jay mow the lawn. He wouldn't even let Dad be gone long enough to mow the lawn on his own.

Last night Jay was putting him to bed as usual. Hudson came to give me a kiss and then told me bye, bye. I needed to put some medicine on his arm, so I had to stay in there a little while longer. He seemed disturbed that I was still in there intruding on his time with his Daddy. He then told me bye bye over and over.

Jay has always been a really active parent, and Hudson has been close to him. It's great seeing the two of them bonding even more. Just so long as Hudson still loves his Mommy.

Hudson's Favorite Words

2009-03-26T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hudson is learning new words, or at least parts of words, all the time now. It's really fun to hear what he'll come up with next. We have a doctor's appointment this week since Hudson will be 18 months, so I've been trying to count how many words he can say since that's a question the pediatrician always asks. Here's what I came up with.

His early words were Bayee (Bailey), Dada, Moma, Bye Bye, Gigi, Ba (Pa), Baba (Papa), Ba (ball, bath, what a sheep says, really almost anything). Notice the "b" trend??

Then he added a few more: Bee (tree and shoe/feet?), Bee Bee (beep, beep), Ah Ah (arf, arf), Chee (cheese), and Haa (hot).

Last week he decided to really work on his vocabulary and added two new words. He said Moo (moon) and Ayee (Ally). We're working on Susu as well.

Despite the new words, hot is still his word of the moment. We'll hear him wake up and lay in his bed saying "haa, haa." I have no idea what makes him think of hot, but he loves to say it. In fact, I think he'll eat something just because it's hot.

We're amazed at watching our little man learn so much!

Crested Butte Ski Trip

2009-03-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last week was our youth ski trip, and Hudson made the journey again this year. How many 1 year olds have been on 2 ski trips? The kid is a trooper! Papa Rock and Susu joined us this year, which was a lot of help for me. The car ride was a little rough, but Hudson did as good as could be expected. He really enjoyed the time with all the kids. Giving high fives was the hi-light of group gatherings for Hudson. He enjoyed walking around the hotel and looking at the pool, but not actually getting in the pool. Our favorite activity was riding the bus to the base of the mountain. Once we got there Hudson enjoyed sledding, throwing snow balls, pretending to ride a snow mobile, "skiing" with Daddy, and sliding on the snow.

Jay took Hudson for a short ride on his skis
Hudson loved sliding down the snow on his bottom
Hudson was fascinated by a garbage truck
A quick family photo

Throwing snow balls with Sarah and Haley...such fun girls!

Jay's Ordination and More!

2009-02-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

Two weeks ago Jay was ordained at our church. The ceremony was so special, and the church leadership was so gracious to us. It was made even more dear to us as so much of our family was able to be here (even some of our Mississippi/Tennessee family).
That week Kandace and baby Jackson stayed in Tulsa, so we made several trips over there to visit. Here are all the cousins together! They didn't get to spend Christmas together as Jackson came a little later than we thought he would, but we still got together for a Christmas jammies picture!

Hudson's First Hair Cut

2009-02-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

January 31-
Here is Hudson before the hair cut...check out his little wings!
He did so great. I really think he didn't realize he could move under the cape.

This is Cindy finishing up the hair cut with Gigi stepping in to help.
Cindy did a great job and was able to clean up hi
I love that you can see Jay in the background on the phone.
I believe he was keeping Susu posted on the hair cut.

The Weather Outside is Frightful

2009-01-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

This week we had our first blast of winter weather this season, so we had to get outside and have some fun in the snow. Thanks to Papa Rock and Susu, we have a great sled to play in this snow and ice. We couldn't stay outside long, but it was a lot of fun.

Today Jay went back to work, so it was just Hudson and I stuck in the house. I decided we had to do somethings a little different so we made play dough this morning (thanks for the suggestion Gigi). Hudson loved it! We played for almost an hour, which is a long time for a little guy. He tried to keep it mostly in the bowl. He seems to like things in order.

Side Note: Several times recently we have started to get on to him for playing with Bailey's dog bowls or touching something breakable when we have realized that he's not actually "playing" with them. He has gone over to straighten it up because it wasn't in the right place. So funny! Who knows where he could have gotten that from?? :)

Our little genius!

2009-01-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

Hudson is learning to point to all his little body parts, and we think he's such a genius...or at least a good entertainer!

Reflections on 08

2009-01-09T13:11:00.000-08:00

This time of year gives us a great opportunity to reflect on what's important in life. We have so much to thank God for. Hudson has blessed us with so much good and taught us about ourselves and our relationship with God.

2008 was our first complete year with Hudson. During the year Hudson accomplished so much. In January we cheered him on as he learned to roll over, by March he was sitting up, in the summer he began to walk and crawl at the same time, and he was saying words by his birthday. Currently, his favorite words are Bailey, Dad, bye, and ba-ba (pacifier). One day he'll say Mom...one day! We enjoy our time together; talking walks, playing with Bailey, reading books, Bible story time, going to church, or visits with our extended family.

He is our sweet baby. We love seeing his personality and watching who God made him to be...some of it's Mom, some Dad, and some just Hudson. He enjoys helping out at home; throwing away trash, putting up his dishes, or getting out his shoes. He loves to be held, but not cuddled when he's trying to sleep. He pushes our legs when he wants to be held, especially in the kitchen. He is silly with a contagious laugh. He likes to dance and play chase. He loves to wave at people, even if they're not looking.

This year was very different from last year. We are home early every night, and we don't go out as much, but we wouldn't want our life to be any different now. Hudson is our special gift, a treasure entrusted to us by God. We hope to have more children like him, but know that if God only gives us one it will be enough.

Christmas Celebrations

2009-01-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

This year Hudson celebrated Christmas for the first time at the Felker's in Starkville. The bowl game was fun last year, but this was great. Hudson enjoyed lots of affection, learning new dance moves from Uncle David, chasing Shep the dog, and eating off of everyone's plate. Jay and I enjoyed the time away with his family and especially treasured Christmas Eve night with the TV off. As usual, we were spoiled with way too many gifts, but it was a lot of fun opening them. Hudson was not very interested in opening the packages, but was eager to play once all the unwrapping was over.

We had an extra bonus the following week. Since Kandace still hadn't delivered baby Jackon, Hudson and I stayed a few days in Starkville with Papa Rock and Susu, while Jay returned to Stillwater with his brothers. We even took an extra trip up to Brownsville.

After a long labor, baby Jackson Lane Thompson was born the evening of December 31. Hudson was very excited at the first meeting. All he kept saying was "baaa" and wanted to get ahold of Jackson. Congrats Thompsons! :)

Thanksgiving Togetherness

2009-01-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving at Kandace's house

We spent Thanksgiving in Memphis with my family. My sister's family, my parents, and our crew journeyed over there to celebrate the holiday with my very pregnant sister on bed rest. It was a different way to spend Thanksgiving, but a great example of how grateful we are for one another. We did all pass the stomach bug to one another, which originated from Hudson, so maybe next year we won't want to be that close together. :)
After we got home, Hudson had one of first temper tantrums...I thought it was a milestone

Halloween Fun

2008-11-18T12:18:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted our wonderful Halloween pictures yet, but that is not because we didn't have a great time. I'm assigning the blame to the sickness we've all had these past few weeks, which also translates to sleep deprivation. Jay got sick, then shared his germs with Hudson, who then passed them on to me. Ah, family! It's awful when a little one is sick. You want so badly to help them feel better, but there's not much you can do. Fortunately, my mom came up for awhile so I had help giving him extra TLC.

We're feeling (and sleeping) much better, but Hudson and I decided to stay home all morning, which is unusual for us. I think the phrase "stay at home" mom is quite contradictory because most moms with that title are always on the go. It's nice to have time to allow Hudson to play with his toys and for me to stop long enough with him to watch him accomplish small feats, such as today when he realized that his rubber blocks can be used for stacking. He usually waits until I have made a neatly patterned tower and then gleefully knocks them over. Today, however, he stacked several together with much concentration and a steady hand from Mom. It was a great moment!

We had a great Halloween weekend: visiting pregnant Aunt Kandace, trick-or-treating in Starkville, and watching the Bulldogs play. Although State didn't win, Hudson and I will remember that they did because when we left the game, they were ahead! Here a few pictures from our wonderful Tennessee/Mississippi trip. (Note: Aunt Kandace is intentionally left out of these pictures at her own request).

Halloween Party

2008-10-29T11:56:00.000-07:00

My mom will come up with any excuse to spend time with her grandchildren and celebrate special occassions, so this year she decided to have a Halloween party for her 3 grandchildren, even though the boys are just 1.

She got my dad in on the festivities, and he even agreed to drive his John Deer tractor for a hayride and dress up in overalls like a farmer. They made carnival games and had goodies for the kids. It was lots of fun.

We tease my mom for being so nutty about the grandkids, but I have to admit she makes life very special. I admire her creativity and love for family.

Pa, Gigi, and Hudson before a tractor ride
(unfortunately, I didn't get a good pic of Dad in his costume!)

Gigi helping Hudson fingerpaint...so fun...
well, until he realized it was sticky and wanted it off his hands

Aunt Teresa helping Hudson (puppy) and Ally (bee) go "fishing" for prizes
Yup, this is in my parent living room!

Bugs for Breakfast

2008-10-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

This morning Hudson and I were going about our normal morning routine. After breakfast and bath time, I get ready in the bathroom as Hudson comes in and out of the bathroom exploring the cabinets or playing with his toys. He usually stays really close to me so I feel okay with him moving about. This morning when he walked in from the hallway, he had an expression on his face that told me something was in his mouth. I've gotten good at squeezing his checks to push open his little mouth and retrieve whatever he has put in there. As I'm doing this I see somthing black in his mouth. Then I saw it....a bug!!!!! Ew, ew, ew! He had gone in the entry hallway and picked up a small black bug. I had seen it the night before but had no idea I should have picked it up so that Hudson did not eat it. I think the worst part was that after I got it out of his mouth, the bug crawled away. So gross!

Needless to say, I began to immediately clean out his mouth. I had told Jay last night that it was probably time to start brushing Hudson's teeth since our first tooth has finally come through. Now was the time! So, I scrubbed out his little mouth trying my best to clean it out. He actually enjoyed the mouth cleansing. I used this little finger brush thing, and he liked biting down on my finger.

Other than his new love for bugs, Hudson and I are doing great. He is amazing us with what he is learning. He loves making a "b" sound and telling everything bye-bye with a wave. He is crazy about books. He wants to throw them all down on the floor and search for his favorites. He doesn't like it when I put them on the shelf. He is more expressive about what he likes and doesn't like. I can see temper tanrums on the horizon, but for now I can make things better fairly quickly. All and all, life is good...even with the bugs, I suppose.

New Things for a New Year

2008-10-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

Hudson seems to be working on his vocabulary now that he's one. He enjoys saying "ba" (bye) more and more, louder and louder. We're more confidant that he really does know what he's saying when he says "Bayee" (Bailey). And tonight he said "Da-da" over and over when he was looking at a picture of himself and Jay. He can say "ma-ma," but he says it rather randomly so who knows about that. I think Jay was proud Hudson seemed to get Dad before Mom. He's so competitive!

His vocabulary comprehension is also becoming more apparent. He responds well to "sit down," which is important to us when he approaches the steps down to the laundry room. He loves to be in the kitchen and watch the pictures on the computer in the laundry room, but we make him sit down so he doesn't fall down the steps. He also runs to the back door when I ask him if he wants to go outside. I think Bailey taught him that trick. He responds in the same way when I ask him if he's ready to take a bath. It's been so neat to see what he can comprehend.

Oh, and we're so excited because we see his first tooth coming in. We're taking bets about when it will actually break through.

Happy Birthday Hudson!

2008-10-10T10:14:00.001-07:00

Hudson admiring the many pumpkins!
His first pony ride!
Having fun with Daddy
Enjoying his birthday BOX

Although we had Hudson's birthday party last Saturday, his actual birthday was not until this Tuesday. We decided we would spend the day together as a family to celebrate Hudson's birthday.

We drove over to Tulsa and took pictures together, which was less than pleasant. Poor Hudson was just scared of the photographer. I think I might have been too. They do such goofy things to make children smile. We ended up with a few good pictures. The positive side was that I did not have any difficulty selecting which pictures to buy. There were not too many good ones. :)

Pa and Gigi joined us for lunch at the mall. That was a lot of fun. Hudson even got to open a few more presents at lunch! Then we went to Pumpkin Town, which was the part I was most excited about. The weather was not good, but Hudson still had a great time. He rode his first pony and played with all the pumpkins. He loves picking up pumpkins and throwing them down. It was a short visit due to the weather, but we left just in time for Hudson to nap on the way home.

At home he got to enjoy a birthday cookie (thanks Gigi!) and open presents from Mom and Dad. He enjoyed the box we gave him more than the gift itself. Oh, to be one! It was a great day, and I can't believe we have a one year old!!

Hudson's Birthday Party

2008-10-05T21:09:00.001-07:00

Hudson getting excited about his presents!
We matched his cake to his invitation
This is when Hudson was enjoying his cake
Getting a mouthful!

Saturday was Hudson's first birthday party. I have spent much of my free time time over the last two months thinking through all the small details off how to make this day special, and it was all worth it. It wasn't the decorations or food that made the day special, but the time that we had to spend with family and close friends celebrating the life of our sweet Hudson. Almost all of our guests were from Tulsa and beyond (including Mississippi and Tennessee). What dedicated family!

Hudson loved the company. It was a beautiful fall day so we spent much of it outside. He just started "dancing" and enjoyed showing off his new moves to everyone. It's pretty much just a deep knee bend that he does to music, but we think it's fantastic entertainment.

Opening presents went about as well as I would have predicted. He enjoyed the tissue paper the most. He zeroed in on a few gifts and lost sight of all the other goodies he could enjoy. (Note: He has now had more time to discover all his gifts and is happy with all of them. Thanks guys!)

The cake was a different story. For starters, my wise and experienced sister suggested I put on a t-shirt before Hudson started in with his cake. Should have listened to her. I realized I didn't know what I was doing. While everyone was singing to Hudson, I put his cake in front on him with the lit candle. As I would have guessed, he went straight for the candle flame. I quickly blew that out. Then he went in to discover what this cake was about. He got caught up with the icing and didn't seem very sure about that sticky goo. Once he finally got into the cake he started to get excited. The problem came when he wanted to take a bite of the cake using only his mouth not his hands. We all laughed and got excited. Hudson cried. I think the excitement of the day and the cold he had this week caught up to him. This wasn't so great. So, he wanted me to pick him up and of course he was covered in icing. Grandma(s) came to the rescue quickly to clean him up.

The rest of the day went well. He enjoyed all those who stayed around to visit. I gave him some of his birthday cake on Sunday and let him get right to the good stuff, not just the icing. He enjoyed that much better.

Happy Birthday Hudson! We thank God for giving us such a special, joyful little red-headed boy. We have cherished this year and look forward to all the adventures that are ahead!

A Baby or a Big Boy

2008-09-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

When Hudson was four months old, we moved him from the bassinet in our room to the crib in his room. This was difficult as I felt this was some type of rite of passage symbolizing that from then on Hudson would never need me as much as he had when he was a newborn.

Moving him to his bed, of course, has turned out very well and allows all of us to sleep better. Since the move I've also realized that watching him grow and change is exciting, and he certainly still needs and wants us. With his first birthday approaching, I am seeing glimpses of Hudson becoming more of a "big boy" and less of a baby.

Hudson has become very brave and curious. Stairs, loud machines, and barking dogs don't frighten him. He loves them. He squeals in delight when Bailey is barking and running at him full speed. When I'm vacuuming, he often comes and stands right in front of the moving vacuum cleaner just to touch it. He loves nature. He is fascinated by leaves, dirt, and rocks. I was quite proud of myself for letting him pick up dirt yesterday when we were outside even thought he was wearing a creme outfit. He also loves being a "mighty man" and lifting large items (like his empty diaper boxes) and grunting.

On the other hand, I just treasure the moments when he is still my sweet little baby. He just started coming and sitting in my lap now when it's time to read. He stands in front of me and maneuvers his chubby legs backward until he falls in my lap. I love it when I can get him after a nap when he's still tired and he lets me rock him.

I am trying to remember just to treasure the moments, enjoy them, and realize he still has plenty of time before he really is a big boy. I think I can still call him my baby for a few more years before he tells me to stop. :)

This is a video of Hudson's pig impression...we love it!!!

Tahlequah and The Standing Teepee

2008-09-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Over the Labor Day weekend, Hudson and I joined Jay and our youth group on a retreat to float the river in Tahlequah. I have made this journey several times myself and enjoy it, even though I don't enjoy the shower shoes and dingy bunk bed mattresses. Now with Hudson I didn't really even have time to notice those other discomforts. Little Hudson did not sleep well in the cabin with all the distractions there, but was really such a trooper. He has been such a good sport about traveling and has gone to so many places that most babies never go. He started early with a Miss State football game at 6 weeks, then went on to a bowl game in Memphis, a ski trip to Colorado, a Mission Trip to Texas and numerous trips to Tulsa, Dallas, and Starkville, Hudson has become a proven road warrior.

Since we've been home, I've come to notice several of my new favorites things that Hudson has done. One of my favs is what I call the "standing teepee." When Hudson starts to stand, he uses his hands to help him up. Sometimes he'll keep his head down and just rest there for awhile, thus the "standing teepee." So funny. This a picture of him starting the move. I haven't been able to capture a good picture yet.

His sense of humor is really developing as well. He makes goofy noises or faces and then lets out a little chuckle when he gets a reaction from us. Another thing I just love is after a nap when we'll stand over the crib and he'll say "ba ba" as he drops his pacifier back in the crib for later. (For those of you keeping track, we do believe this counts as his first word).

Hudson's Best Buddies

2008-08-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hudson and Spencer playing ball...you can hear Spencer say "Hudson"

We went to visit our cousins and best buddies, Spencer (1) and Ally (3), several times this summer. While Jay was off for a week studying theology at Dallas Seminary, Hudson, Bailey, and I took a vacation to Pa and Gigi's house. This week was extra special because Spencer and Ally (and Teresa and Seth) were also staying there as their new house was not yet complete.

Hudson and Spencer played really well together for the first time during that week. Spencer learned to say Hudson's name...so precious...and would say it over and over again. He even started calling me Hudson for awhile before learning to say my name. I love hearing a baby learn to say new words.

We love playing with our cousins and are very eager for the arrival of baby boy Thompson in January. Yea for boys!

Nose Kisses

2008-08-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Snuggling Noses with Mom

A few weeks ago Hudson was in his high chair, and I leaned in close to his face to get a smile. All of the sudden he leaned his face in and rubbed his nose on mine. It was the sweetest moment...a nose kiss!

I realized after then that I should be doing a better job of recording these special moments with Hudson. His first birthday is coming quickly, and I am sad to admit that I can't remember some parts of his first months. I've kept up his baby book, but it's a simple format without room for anecdotes and such.

So, that's what led to the creation of our Hudson blog. Jay tried to get me to start a blog when Hudson was first born, but I was hesitant. Now I realize my wise husband was right.

I hope to keep regular updates of the happenings of baby Hudson in this blog. Maybe this will help me remember more of these sweet days with our baby.

Oh, and the nose kisses continue at almost every meal. There's not much better in life than that.