4 months

 Measurements: Hudson weighed in this morning at 14 lbs 15 oz putting him in the 40th percentile.  He was in the 60th percentile at 2 months but he is still growing well and gaining appropriately.  He measured 25.5" long today which is the 65th percentile, just about the same last 2 months ago.  He is quickly outgrowing all 3 month clothes and even his 3-6 month sleepers!  He wears mostly 3-6 month onesies and 6 month sleepers.  He has also outgrown a few of his cloth diaper covers already!  Thankfully we have plenty of the next size up which should fit him until he is potty trained.

Eats: I am thankful everyday that I produce enough milk to meet Hudson's needs.  He nurses 3-4 times a day if I'm at work and takes 2 bottles.  If I'm home, I solely nurse him (I have to pump enough at work, I try to avoid it at home!).  We had to switch his bottles from Avent to Dr Browns (which also happens to be our pediatricians name oddly enough!) because Hudson would get really uncomfortable after taking a bottle- arch his back, cry, and spit up a ton.  Since starting on the Dr Browns this week, he has been a happy little camper with a bottle.  He generally will eat about 6 oz at at time in a bottle.  I am really in no rush to start him on any kind of solids, we are going to try to hold out until 6 months and then start him on oat cereal (an alternative to rice cereal recommended by our pediatrician).

Sleeps: Can I just skip this category this month?  Ugh.  Well, let me start on a positive note.  Hudson is in a really good nap routine thanks to our awesome babysitter Maggie.  He generally takes a 30 minute nap in the morning, a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, and then sometimes another evening nap.  I'm thankful for this predictable schedule!  Hudson was a champion sleeper at night until shortly after he turned 3 months.  And then several things happened.  I do believe he had a growth spurt and was hungry in the night, thus waking up.  Also, he learned to roll from him back to his tummy.  So, we stopped swaddling him for obvious reasons and he had trouble learning to sleep without the swaddle.  Also, he started rolling over in his sleep and getting frustrated that he was on his belly (although he loves tummy time during the day).  So, we went from him sleeping 9 hour stretches to waking up every 2-3 hours again.  The easiest way for me to calm him down is just to feed him, so that's what I have been doing.  My pediatrician assured me there is NOTHING wrong with this (despite people's constant advice to let him cry it out).  However, if I ever want to sleep a whole night through, I probably need to start letting him cry a little bit (or a lot) longer and he will learn to self-soothe.  It's probably going to take me wearing ear plugs and Chris being the one to go in during the night for this to happen.  So, we'll see.  I'll keep you posted next month...

Milestones: Hudson is now rolling both ways- tummy to back and back to tummy.  He rolled tummy to back for the first time on July 27th.  Now you can't keep him on his back, he just wants to be on his belly!  He is also getting a lot more interactive- he loves to laugh!  Hudson experienced his first softball tournament.  The first Saturday in August we spent the entire day, 8am-10:30pm, at the ball first.  Hudson was a trooper!  He did take a few naps in the stroller and actually enjoyed just being outside all day!

Likes: Little man still loves to be held as much as ever but he also enjoys playing on his tummy during tummy time (which is anytime you put him down because he just rolls over).   Hudson also loves his thumb!  He has found it and has officially become a thumb sucker!  Hopefully this won't be too hard to break...

Dislikes:   Sadly Hudson has started not enjoying the stroller quite as much.  The past 3 times I have tried to take him out running he has fussed and I end up carrying him while pushing the stroller.  But, soon he will be big enough to be taken out of the carseat and sit in the actual stroller part so hopefully he will like that a bit better!  But, other than that, Hudson is a pretty happy baby!  There isn't much that he doesn't enjoy!

I love this sweet, happy boy and can't wait to see what the next month will bring!

Family pictures

As a gift to my parents for Mother's/Father's Day I asked Lindsey to take some pictures while my family was visiting in early July.  She did an amazing job, there are so many good ones!  These are special pictures because it's not all that often we are all together.  I especially love the ones of my parents with their grandchildren- they brought tears to my eyes the first time I saw them!  Here are a few of my favorite gems (ok, so maybe this is nearly all of them!):

3 months

 Measurements: Since we didn't have a doctor's appointment this month, I don't have any exact measurements.  And since we don't own a scale, I can only guesstimate.  But, I would say Hudson is between 13-14 lbs, probably closer to 14.  He is really getting chunky!  I have no idea how long he is but he is outgrowing his 3 month sleepers because of his length so I'm guessing he is longer than the 23 inches he was at 2 months.  He is mostly in 3-6 month clothing but has a few 6 month sleepers that he can wear comfortably.  He has outgrown the smallest of his cloth diapers and is now on the "medium" setting for his charlie bananas (this means nothing to you if you don't use these diapers but it will be helpful for me to look back on with baby #2). 

Eats: Our sweet chunky boy still clearly loves his milk.  He is eating either 5 or 6 times a day depending on what time the feedings occur.  We aren't on a rigid schedule. Instead we try to feed him every 3 hours but if he is hungry before that, or can go a little longer then we feed him when he is ready.  And we never wake him up to feed him.  I am still nursing as much as I can but since I have gone back to work, he gets quite a few pumped bottles throughout the day too. 

Sleeps:  Hudson continues to be an excellent sleeper.  Thanks to Maggie, we are on a pretty good nap routine now.  He takes 3 naps a day- a morning, early afternoon, and early evening nap.  When he is at Maggie's house he will sleep for 2 hours at a time.  However, at home, he rarely sleeps longer than an hour.  But, he sleeps really well at night so I'm not too worried.   We have been trying to put Hudson to bed a little earlier- between 8:30 and 9pm.  But, sometimes his feeding schedule is not conducive to that so he ends up going to bed around 10pm.  He sleeps until anywhere between 6:30-7:30.  He rarely wakes up in the middle of the night and even if he does, I can usually just put the pacifier back in his mouth and he falls right back to sleep.  I am SO thankful for this little guy. He's going to spoil us and our next child will be a horrible sleeper I'm sure :)

Milestones:  Hudson rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time on June 20th!  I wasn't expecting it at all but thankfully was quick enough getting my phone out that I was able to tape it.  I would put the video on this blog but have no clue how to do that (I may be the least technology savvy person around).  He has rolled a handful of times since then, but he's really not that interested since he still enjoys tummy time.  I don't think it will be long before he is rolling from his back to his tummy now.  Because of his strong neck control, we have been sitting him in the Bumbo some and he seems to enjoy that, he must feel like a very big boy :)  Hudson is also laughing which is the sweetest sound I have ever heard.  He loves to be tickled and will laugh hysterically.  I'm sure I make a complete fool of myself trying to get him to laugh but it's so worth it.  He is also trying to "talk".  He makes an adorable "owl" sound when he gets excited.  There's nothing better than baby noises :)

Likes:  Hudson still likes to be held as much as ever.  Chris says I have him spoiled, he isn't the most independent baby and doesn't enjoy being put down for long.  He also loves bath time but no so much getting out of the bath.  He gives the biggest smiles when I prop him up on my lap and just "talk" to him or sing to him.  At least someone in my house likes the sound of my voice ;)  Hudson has a new fascination with the television.  If it is on he cranes his neck to try to look at it, much to his mama's dismay.  I am not a fan of children watching much television and try hard to keep it off most of the time.  But, Chris and I do watch it in the evenings and Hudson is captivated by it, I guess he likes the colors and movement.  We have also found that Hudson loves to be outside.  Sometimes if he's fussy, I'll just go and sit with him on the back deck and he usually calms right down.  I guess he comes by that naturally from his mommy and daddy!

Dislikes:  Little man still doesn't like his swing.  The mobile above it will distract him for a few minutes but then the crying starts.  Like I said before, he doesn't like to be put down for extended periods of time unless you are right there with him.  But, other than that, he's a pretty laid back baby.

I love this sweet boy more and more everyday.  I am really enjoying watching him grow and learn new things.  It thrills me that he is now responding to us with a smile or a laugh.  I can't wait to see what this next month brings!

To Daddy from Hudson

"Hudson" sent this card to Chris for Father's Day (funny how it was postmarked from Boston).  At first glance when Chris opened it, we both thought that my dad (I mean Hudson) had it specially made with Hudson's picture!  However, at second glance, we realized this baby is actually a bit chubbier and surprisingly has more hair than Hudson.  But, I don't think there could have been a more perfect card for Chris' first Father's Day!

2 months

 Measurements: Hudson sure is a growing boy!  Chris and I don't own a scale so we had no idea how much Hudson would weigh at his 2 month visit but our guess was somewhere between 12-13 lbs.  We were right!  Hudson weighed in at 12 lbs 14 oz putting him in the 60th percentile.  When he was born, he was a peanut in the 25th percentile and he was in the 43rd percentile at one month. So, he's definitely a good eater!  He measured 23 inches long today (he's grown 2 inches!) putting him in the 68th percentile, up from 25th percentile last month!  His head circumference was 15.5", the 55th percentile.  The doctor said he was just "perfect", nice and proportional.  He is wearing mostly 0-3 month clothes but can fit in some 3-6 month stuff mostly because the cloth diapers add some extra fluff to his butt :)

Eats:  Obviously Hudson likes to eat!  He is exclusively breast fed although we are doing at least one pumped bottle a day now, usually at bed time.  He is no longer a sleepy newborn and gets easily distracted while nursing- he wants to look all around, kick his feet, pull momma's hair, etc.  When he is bottle fed he will eat between 6-7 ounces of pumped breastmilk.  He is eating 6 times a day and we are on a pretty good routine now as to the times that he eats.

Sleeps: I count my blessings everyday for my good sleeper!  We are in a nap routine during the day, although I try not to be too rigid about it as I don't want to plan our life around it.  If we have somewhere to go, we just go and I hope he sleeps in the car or stroller.  So far, it hasn't seemed to affect him...he isn't terribly cranky if he misses a nap.  But, as of now, he is napping in his crib 3 times a day if we are home, usually mid morning, early afternoon, and then early evening.  I try to feed him, keep him awake for about an hour, and then put him in his crib when he shows signs of sleepiness.  He hasn't had any trouble putting himself to sleep...we haven't had to let him "cry it out" because he rarely fusses much when we put him down (have I mentioned how thankful I am!).  He is going down for the night around 10pm and usually sleeps until about 5am.  At that point, I go in and rock him a little and he falls back asleep until sometime between 6-7.  

Milestones:  Hudson is smiling!  This is one of the sweetest sights I have ever seen.  I can already tell he loves his daddy and gives him lots and lots of grins.  He also loves when I sing to him and usually gives me a big smile.  He is also becoming more and more independent.  He loves playing on his playmat and also enjoys tummy time (when he's in the right mood).  

Likes:  Being held!  He loves snuggling close and being rocked.  When he's really tired he loves to fall asleep on Daddy's chest.  Hudson also really enjoys bath time, especially his hair being washed.  He continues to love riding in the car and the stroller which is good because Chris recently took up running. So sometimes Hudson gets to go for a run twice a day!

Dislikes:  His swing...he will tolerate it for about 5 minutes but that's enough for him!  He also does not like to be still (which is why I cant figure out his dislike for the swing)!  He wants you to be moving when you hold him, unless he's super sleepy and you are his daddy :)

Have I mentioned lately how much I love this sweet boy?!  Sometimes I think my heart might burst!

Our growing boy!

Not loving the photo shoot

Anniversary trip (Hudson first vacation!)

Last week, June 6th, Chris and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary.  We always try to get-away for a few days for our anniversary and we didn't want this year to be any different.  So, we packed up (which takes a little more effort with a 7 week old) and headed to Todd, NC for a few days.  Todd is a little (I mean tiny) town right outside Boone.  To be honest, I got a little nervous driving there because we were literally in the middle of nowhere. I think I asked Chris more than once, "where in the world are we??" But, it turned out to be an adorable cabin and it was actually really nice to be away from all technology (no television, internet, or cell phone service!) and just spend time together. 

We got to the cabin on Tuesday and realized that we at least needed to find a grocery store and gas station so we decided to go into Boone (about 25 minutes away) for the evening.  While we were there we visited the Mast General Store and ate dinner at Macados. 

On Wednesday we went to Elk Knob State Park and Hudson went on his first hike!  I wore him in the Baby Bjorn and we hiked the 4 mile trail.  He slept pretty much the entire time.  I was a little nervous about having a 7 week old at such high altitude but the lady in the park office assured me that it was fine.  It was so nice to get back into hiking and we can't wait to do some more!

On Thursday we just relaxed around the cabin in the morning and headed back to Clemmons by the afternoon.

Overall, it was a great trip and I think Hudson really enjoyed his first vacation!

Lessons learned

The past 8 weeks since Hudson has been born have flown by.  In those weeks I have learned some valuable lessons about mommy-hood.

1. The joy of being a mother is indescribable.  I fall more and more in love with this little boy every day.  I knew I would love being a mommy but now I know what people mean when they say it's a love you have never felt before.

2. Leaving Hudson, even for a few minutes, is harder than I ever thought it would be.  I used to say that I wasn't going to be a super over-protective mother but I take it all back.  Last weekend was the first time that I had ever been away for Hudson for more than 15 minutes and I found myself fighting the urge to text Chris for an update every few minutes.  I know time away from him is healthy and having an occasional date night with my husband will be very good for our marriage but it's going to take some getting used to, especially when I go back to work in 2 weeks.  I think that I prayed for so long for God to bless us with a child that now that he's finally here, I don't want to miss a minute!

3. When I was pregnant someone told me that the best advice they could give me was to not listen to anyone's advice.  I know completely know what they mean.  Everyone has their own ideas of what to do with babies- especially when it comes to sleep training.  When I was pregnant I read everything I could on parenting and while there certainly was some good insights in those books, what I have found is that you really just have to kind of wing-it.  When Hudson was first born I was so stressed about getting him on some sort of schedule (Babywise says to start at one week right??) but it didn't work.  I quickly learned to just relax and enjoy him.  And now, at 8 weeks, he has put himself into a pretty predictable routine and as long as he's happy and rested, that's all I'm worried about now. 

4. It's important to continue with your life!  I am now a mother but I am still a wife, daughter, sister, and friend.  Those things are still as important as they always have been.  And, it's easier to incorporate a baby into your life than to plan your life around the baby.  Chris and I made sure to start this early...we took Hudson to church just 6 days after he was born.  Now that Hudson is getting into a regular nap routine, I'm trying to still stay flexible...if one of his naps is in the stroller or car seat than that's ok with me. 

5.  I have a whole new appreciation for my body.  No, my tummy will probably never be as flat as it was before he was born but that really doesn't matter anymore.  It is simply amazing to me that God is allowing me to provide Hudson will all the nutrition he needs, straight from my own body.  Breastfeeding sometimes feels like a full time job but I wouldn't have it any other way.  It is honestly one of the most rewarding and amazing experiences I believe you can have as a mother. 

And finally, no blog post would be complete without a few pictures of little man!