Hudson's big boy room

We started Hudson's new room about a month ago. I really wanted this to be a special room that he would love since he is, after all, getting evicted from his nursery. We had a hard time agreeing on a theme (just like we did with the nursery) so we decided we would just find some bedding we liked and go with it. I actually had a really hard time finding bedding that wasn't super "busy"...I just wanted something simple. I also realized just how expensive bedding is. I was able to find something pretty affordable at Target and thankfully had gift cards so I didn't end up paying a penny (did I mention we were on a major budget for this room?). So, our color scheme became navy and red...and, because of a few things I already had laying around that seemed to match the colors, our theme quickly turned "nautical". So, I decided to run with it. My friend Laura makes awesome pallet art and I commissioned her to make something special for Hudson's room. I am in love with how it turned out. I wanted some red shelves for the walls but wasn't able to find anything affordable or that I really liked so I decided to make them myself. I bought two unfinished shelves and some red paint at Michaels and, for less than $20, I had just what I wanted. I also bought an unfinished stool (Hudson can't actually reach the bed yet without a stool!) for $8 and painted it with the same red paint and some navy blue paint I already had on hand. I'm happy with how the room turned out!  Hudson already loves playing in there and often wants to lay on the bed and read books.  I don't think he's quite ready to sleep in there...we will wait a while for that. But, at least, when he is ready, his room will be waiting!

Thanks Laura!

This lamp has been sitting in a closet since I bought it about 10 years ago...finally glad to put it to good use!

Eventually I'll add some pictures to the frame and books to the bookshelf

This definitely is not perfect but I hd fun making it!

25 weeks

Well, only 15 or so more weeks before we become a family of 4! As excited as I am to meet baby boy, I'm not rushing it by any means. I am trying to cherish every second with Hudson knowing he won't be my baby for much longer! I am so incredibly thankful that I get to be a stay at home mom to him for the time being. We have so many precious moments together that I wouldn't trade for any salary.

I feel pretty good at this point other than some hip/pelvis discomfort. I had this with Hudson too but I don't think it started this early. I feel much bigger at this point too than I felt with Hudson but in comparing pictures, I'm not sure there's much difference. Thankfully I have gotten into a good exercise routine. On warm-ish days I will still do some running (or slow jogging!) although it's getting more difficult due to the hip pain. We "splurged" and bought a (used) elliptical a few weeks ago and it's been nice to be able to exercise during Hudson's nap time. I definitely miss challenging, exhausting workouts (I was doing Insanity until I got pregnant) but I'm thankful I feel well enough and have plenty of energy for my 45 minutes a day on the elliptical. I haven't had many food cravings although there are definitely things that taste really good to me right now. I have been eating yogurt and granola for lunch pretty much everyday and it's funny how much I look forward to it all morning!

We finally picked out a double stroller that we like although it's not a jogging stroller. We just couldn't stomach the price of the jogger that we wanted and decided it wasn't a good use of our money right now. So, we are going to go with a sit and stand stroller that will be very practical for things like the zoo and maybe down the road we will invest in the jogger. People keep asking what we need for baby #2 and honestly the answer is nothing!  There are certainly things that I wouldn't mind having but I'm pretty confident we could have a baby with what we have and be good to go!

We have another ultrasound in a few weeks as I had what they thought was a small tear in my placenta at 19 weeks. So, we look forward to another glimpse of you soon, baby boy!

19 weeks vs 25 weeks

24 weeks with Hudson vs 25 weeks with baby boy #2

One and three-quarters

How is it that in just 3 short months, my baby will turn 2?? I feel like he was just born yesterday and now he's 21 months old with a baby brother on the way. Life has way of sneaking up on us, doesn't it? Well, here's a little about my little man right now.

Measurements: We had to take Hudson to the doctor right before Christmas because of another wheezing episode and he weighed 24 lbs and was 31 inches tall. But, that has been a few weeks so I'm not sure now! He is still wearing mostly 18 month pants but fits into some 2T shirts!

Eats: Oh my goodness, my boy must be going through a growth spurt.  I think he eats more than I do!  And, he's not picky at all so I'm so thankful. He loves eggs, oatmeal, Cheerios, ALL fruit, most vegetables, all types of crackers...and MEAT. This kid LOVES meat. He can't get enough of it!  He is finally completely weaned...yes, I nursed my son until he was 20 months old. I got a lot of strange reactions but it worked for us and it was part of our bedtime routine. But, when we went to my parents house for Christmas he got totally off routine and never really asked for it. When we got home, there were a few nights he still wanted to be nursed but really just gave it up on his own.

Sleeps: Something strange happened to Hudson a few months ago...he started waking up in the middle of the night and needing Mommy to put him back to sleep.  We thought it was teething so for weeks we would be up at least once a night with him. But, I slowly begin to realize that it had just become a habit for him to wake up and we had to re-sleep train him. It only took one night of crying it out for him to go back to sleeping well thankfully! Now, he is in bed between 7 and 7:30 and usually sleeps 12 hours. He naps around noon and will sleep anywhere from 1-2 hrs.

Milestones: Hudson talks NON-STOP. I love his little chatter. He has started playing very creatively...his favorite thing is "going to the grocery store" and "making dinner". He can sing a ton of songs including his ABCs (although he always misses at least a few). He can count to 10 but usually skips "2" and "7" is for some reason always "11". We are working on colors and they are hit or miss...he generally recognizes blue, pink, and purple but the rest get jumbled. I feel like he is learning new things everyday and it's so fun to watch!

Likes: Hudson's new favorite toys are anything he can pull out of my kitchen cabinets. Like I said, he loves to "cook" so he will gather his ingredients and "make me dinner"....it's almost always some kind of "soup" ;)  He loves our dog and the feeling is mutual. She sleeps right outside his door at night and is very protective. Hudson loves animals of all kinds and gets so excited anytime we drive by somewhere with horses. And, like all little boys, he loves tractors!

Dislikes: I am thankful that Hudson has a very happy disposition!  He is generally in a good mood. But, if he sees something he wants (usually food) and is told NO, he can have a major meltdown tantrum. I'm learning to ignore the tantrums and Hudson usually gets over it pretty quickly.  

We love our sweet boy SO SO much!  I am so thankful to be his Mommy.  It's hard to believe that the next time I post, he will be TWO!

Changes

There have been a lot of changes around our household recently but maybe the biggest change came last Monday.  We officially became a family of three again(at least for 4 more months!). The two girls that we had been fostering for the past 6 months went back to biological family. I had a lot of mixed emotions about this. On the one hand, we know that's always the goal with foster care...to reunite children with bio families. So, in that sense, I was happy for the girls. But, another part of me will always worry about them. I am thankful that we had an opportunity to introduce them to Jesus. I was always encouraged at night when they said their prayers. One of the last nights they were here the older girl thanked Jesus for dying on the cross for her. I honestly don't think we will have any further contact with the girls but I pray that God places people in their paths who will continue to point them to Jesus. It was a tough six months for a lot of reasons but I do pray that both girls learned lessons they can carry with them for the rest of their lives!

Thanks for a great year 2014!

2014 was one of my favorite years ever. Being able to stay home with my sweet boy was such a dream come true and probably would be the overall highlight of the whole year. But, here's a few more highlights from each month!

January

Chris turned 31 in January! We had lots of quality time as a family as it was Chris' "slower" time of year. Hudson was a very active 9 month old that kept us on our toes!

February

We had a Valentine's snowstorm which everyone in NC was thrilled about except me. Hudson and I had plane tickets to visit my parents for a long weekend and the weather threatened to spoil it. But, somehow we managed to still get to the airport and had a great trip. It was Hudson's second time flying and was he was an angel baby.

March

March was a big month! Hudson started walking right around the time he turned 11 months and also got his first haircut!  Looking back, he needed one way before this but I couldn't bring myself to cut off that precious hair.

April

Hudson turned ONE! The day was so bittersweet. I love seeing my firstborn grow up but it goes way too fast! We took a trip to the Greensboro Science Center on his birthday and the zoo a few days later. We celebrated a few weeks after his birthday, on the 27th, with our friends and family. It was definitely a month I will not forget anytime soon! Oh, and I officially became a minivan mom in April!

May

I turned 30 in May! This wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be but told Chris I didn't want to make a big deal of it either! We had a nice dinner as a family but left it at that. We also celebrated Mother's Day, my second one being a mom!

June

Hudson had his first job as ringbearer in my sister-in-law's wedding on June 1st. Never have I seen such a cute ringbearer either ;) Chris and I celebrated 5 years of marriage with a trip to Roanoke, VA. We took Hudson with us and had a great time as a family doing some hiking and visiting a couple of different zoos.  At the end of the month Hudson and I took another trip to Boston for my cousin's wedding. While we were there, he had his first beach experience!

July

July was a big month as we took in two foster children. It was definitely a big life change for us and, 6 months in, continues to be a challenge. But, we are thankful we can give them a place to call home temporarily. We also turned half our garage into a playroom (two additional kids means a LOT more stuff!).

August

Chris and I took Hudson on his first ever beach vacation!  It was such a perfect getaway and it was fun to see Hudson experience new things. He wasn't a huge fan of the sand but did love the pool and the aquarium!

September

We started the month with a visit from my parents, which was great as always. Oh and...I FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT!

October
Hudson and I flew to Boston again so I could help my best friend Emily shop for wedding dresses. I was also able to tell my family the news about baby #2 while we were there! Much later in the month we announced to the "world" that Hudson would be a big brother!  Also, Hudson was the cutest dinosaur I have ever seen for Halloween.

November

November was my last official month of work which was definitely bittersweet. I loved my 8+ years at WFU but looked forward to being a stay at home mom for however long it lasted. We had a great Thanksgiving with family and started our family tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree!

December
On the 17th, we found out we were having another sweet baby boy! We had a wonderful Christmas day, the first time we have stayed home for the majority of the day. It was kind of magical to experience Christmas with Hudson, now that he sort of understands what's going on. On the 26th we packed up the car and headed to Boston. Hudson was a trooper and literally did not have a meltdown in our total of 28 hours of driving! We took Hudson to the New England Aquarium which he loved! We had an awesome trip and, as always, it was so sad to leave! Hudson has such a special bond with my parents and I'm thankful for the quality time he is able to spend with them, even if it isn't quite as often as I would like.

 

I think 2014 will be hard to top, but 2015 just might do it!