Stress Relieved...

The tour is finally over and I feel so relieved! Everything went really well...my mother-in-law was here to help me out and manage all of the treats we set out for everyone. Everyone really liked our house and decorating styles but they really couldn't get over the view we have of the creek and the geese and everything. I came to the conclusion that I don't appreciate that enough! :0) Now I have a spotless house moving into the holiday season and I couldn't be happier. The tour forced me to totally get ready for the baby as well! All of the clothes are hung up and put away in the dresser and also sorted by size in bins! I am glad I got that done with twelve weeks to spare because once you get to the end...you don't feel like doing ANYTHING! :0)

I will be 28 weeks tomorrow and I can't believe I am already beginning my 3rd trimester. I have an appointment on the 26th and soon after that I will be seen every two weeks! It went by so fast and I am thrilled. Luckily I have cheerleading to keep me occupied until the baby comes. We are supposed to go to another competition on March 1st in Utica...Hmm...wonder how I will feel then!? lol. I told Michelle that I am going no matter what! :0)

Yesterday I took Hudson to my work to visit and then we went and got some gifts for daddy for Christmas. Andy got out of work early because he was called in at 2:30 a.m. so we went and picked him up at 2pm and went to the mall to finish up our Christmas shopping. I am totally done! Hudson kept seeing things that he wanted and everytime he would look up at the ceiling of the store and say "I want that ______, Santa!" It was so cute. So of course, we visited Santa at the mall again and Hudson had to tell him about his new discoveries.

Christmas should be really fun this year with a 2 year old...I really want to cherish this time with him because it will be his last Christmas alone! I am praying that the snow stays away on Christmas Eve so that we can have our daddy with us! That's the only sad thing about Andy's job...SNOW REMOVAL! :0( Let's hope! Tonight Andy and Hudson are going to make sugar cookies while I am at practice so that should be interesting...no more clean kitchen!!! :0) Oh well...what's more imporant?

Number One Fan

I can't believe that I have only 95 days left in my pregnancy...it seems like it has gone by so fast but at the same time, not quite fast enough! I can't wait to get this baby boy in my arms. I miss it so much! Hudson is just getting too big...he carries on real conversations and follows directions and always understands what I'm eplaining to him and replies with confirming statements like..."Oh...so we don't get hurt?" or something like that. Just so cute...I really do enjoy this age but I am ready for a baby who needs me and relies on me for everything.

We went to the mall last week before our dr. appts. and we happened to see Santa without a line of children waiting for him so we just stopped in and talked to him. Santa asked Hudson what he wanted for Christmas to which he responded..."An Eli jersey" Santa looked puzzled, so I said, "He wants and Eli Manning Football Jersey" and Santa said "Ohhhh I'm a fan too! What number is on Eli's jersey? Is it nine??" Hudson said.."NOOO it's not nine....it's TEN!" And right he is! Eli's number is ten and boy does he know it! He is probably the biggest Eli Manning fan you would ever meet for a two year old. It really is unbelievable. He has a poster in his room that he "pounds" every night. Footballs that he runs around and puts his fingers on the laces and throws while saying "I'm throwing like Eli!" Everything is Eli Eli Eli....I can get him to eat almost anything if I just say that it will make him grow big like Eli! lol. One night he had a nightmare about a mouse and Andy brought him in our room and said "Oh, you're just afraid of a little mouse?!" and Hudson replied (half asleep) "No he's not little....he's big like Eli!" lol. After some searching on Ebay...I was able to find a Jersey, size 4 so he can grow into it, for Santa. Boy is Santa lucky! :0) Now I'm on the search for a youth helmet. How cute is that?!

Anyways...the tour is this weekend and I am all set except for last minute cleaning and picking up after Hudson. I think we're going to go out shopping tonight for some groceries and stuff so that should be fun. I have been cooped up in this house for wayyyyyyyyyy too long and I just can't stand it anymore. :0)

The Doctor is IN...

On Thursday Hudson and mommy went shopping to finish up some Christmas gifts and go to a few Doctor appointments. Hudson had a follow-up visit for his ear tubes and I had an OB appointment. Here are the reports:

Hudson's tubes looked great. He never had any drainage or fevers at all which was so nice. The doctor (and most importantly Hudson) let me look into his ears to see what they looked like also. When our nurse brought us to the room she asked Hudson if he knew what was in mommy's belly and he said "my baby brother" to which she responded..."well I'm not sure how they get any cuter than you! That would be pretty hard!" I have to admit...I have wondered what this baby will look like and act like. All I can picture is Hudson right now, of course, and it's so strange to try to picture a little boy who looks like him but not totally like him. It's amazing...I really can't wait to just hold a baby again. Three more months will go by fast! :0) (I hope)

At my OB Appointment everything went well except...I have Pubic Separation Symphasis which is something that some women get during pregnancy. I had it with Hudson but it is significantly worse this time. The tendons that connect your pelvis loosen up when you are pregnant to allow the baby to come out. For some women, it can create a lot of pain, popping, and discomfort down there. I sleep with pillows between my legs which doesn't really help but when I roll over from one side to the other the pain is excrutiating! Then...in the morning when I get up to walk to the bathroom, I can barely move without pain. It pretty much feels like someone is taking your pelvis and ripping it apart. I spoke with my Dr. about it just to make sure it was normal for it to get increasingly worse with every pregnancy and he responded, "Yes...in fact, I have had a few recent patients who have had to use crutches on their first pregnancy, a walker for the next, and a wheelchair for the third pregnancy." Andy and I haven't really decided if we want to have more children yet but I just felt like that was a big let down. The pain does not affect the baby whatsoever and it goes away immediately after giving birth but I'm not sure if I can go through a pregnancy where I may need crutches or any kind of assistance. Can you imagine? Anyways...we have always talked about adopting so we may do that which seems like a perfect option if only it wasn't so expensive. I know the Lord will take care of that though. :0) I just have to concentrate on getting through the next three months...that will need some prayer too!

Lastnight Andy took Hudson to the Lights on the River while I was at a Basketball game. They had a lot of fun together and Hudson can't stop talking about the fireworks and the ladder truck! :0) So cute...I have some pictures they took that I will post later!

Today we have a Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for Cheerleading at the school so I will be back and forth all day....so fun! (?) My tour is next week! AHHHH!!! It's going to be crunch time! :0) Why did I sign up for this? Who knows?!?!

Busy Bee...

Cheerleading has now taken over my life...but that's okay :0) Just explains why I haven't blogged in a while. Hudson has been really attached to daddy lately, it's so cute. I wonder if it's a phase that boys go through? When I have practice at night it gives Andy and Hudson bonding time and I think that's really great for both of them. Especially since we have a new baby coming who will demand a lot of my attention.

Thanksgiving was wonderful...we had dinner at Andy's parents and dessert at my grandma's! On Black Friday Jillian Amber and I left my house at 4:30a.m. to go to Khol's and we did get our sales!! It was so much fun especially because I love to shop! :0)

Tomorrow Hudson and I have Dr.'s appointments so we are going to finish up some Christmas shopping and just go out together...My favorite :0)

Sorry there's not much to write about...maybe later :0)

ByeBye Ear Infections!

On Wednesday Hudson had to have tubes put in his ears because of the amount of ear infections he has had since he was seven months old. He has already had two since fall and we had been seeing an Ear Nose and Throat Doctor for about a year and we finally decided that it was time. Of course as the day approached I was never so nervous and anxious about anything. I felt so bad for Hudson because he had no idea what was going on and I tried to explain it as best as I could.

That morning we scooped him up at 5:45am and he stayed awake the whole way to the hospital (of course!) lol. When we got there they put him in a small room at ambulatory surgery and gave him a special little outfit to wear. Here he is watching the tv they had in the room...Arthur was on! :0)

I got him that mickey mouse as a surprise and it ended up being a great idea bc he took him everywhere! I figured that in order to get him into the operating room without being sedated (bc it lasts 2 hrs and the surgery is only 15-20mins and we would just have to wait around for him to wake up) I would need to tell him something convincing! lol. We told him that the nurse was going to take him to a special room that only Hudson could see. Not mommy or daddy or grandma, just Hudson because he was special. Then the nurse told him she had a balloon inthere to blow up etc. So we really played it up.



Here he is getting ready to be wheeled into the operating room! (Mickey by his side) He never cried....he was such a big boy getting wheeled down the hall but as he was being wheeled away, I was balling my eyes out. That really is the worst feeling in the world. Having your baby wheeled away and you have no control.
One thing I learned throughout all of this is that we cannot take the littlest things for granted...here I was worrying about a short surgery that has little to recover from when there are parents out there who spend their days in and out of the hospital because their children are very sick. My heart aches to think about that. What God reminded me throughout this is to thank him for what we do have...a healthy child who can walk and talk and sing and laugh and play. Thank him for the little things.
Hudson has been doing very well, no side effects of the surgery whatsoever. He started getting a runny nose the day before which has now turned into an annoying cough but nothing to do with his ears. And now I have the peace of knowing that it wont turn into an ear infection! :0)
My birthday is tomorrow and we are going out tonight with a bunch of friends for dinner to celebrate! Then tomorrow mom is planning dinner and cake with family...actually I requested apple pies! lol. I'm sure we can still stick candles in an apple pie! :0) I am on a mission to plug away at my decorating...

Birthday Present for Me!

My birthday is coming up on the 22nd of November and I knew exactly what I wanted but I wanted to do some research first and look into consumer reviews since I had some time. Well...I just made the purchase and I couldn't be more excited! I breastfed Hudson but I never knew about the perfect tool until I met Jillian! :0) (Thanks!) I found the perfect nursing cover for me at the Juss Tin Case website, check it out! It should link to the print that I purchased but feel free to look at the gallery if you are in search of one. This one seems to have the most coverage (larger) than the rest and it folds up into a little case for easy diaper bag storage. It has pockets in it to keep the pacie or burp cloth or nursing pads in and it just seemed right for me. I can't wait to get it and actually use it! I can't believe I only have four months left and my little boy will be here...I am getting extremely excited! :0) He is moving around a lot now and its to the point where it shakes my whole stomach and you can watch it...such a miracle. Still unnamed...ugh. lol. Well I guess that's all for now. Today is the first day of hunting season so Andy is out and about in the rain and I am here relaxing, but feeling a little cooped up...oh well! :0)

Getting the Christmas "Itch"

This year I am involved in the chamber of commerce "tour of home" which will take place on December 14th. People pretty much buy tickets to go around and look at specific houses decorated for Christmas inside and out. My mom did it last year and it was a lot of work but very fun, especially if you enjoy entertaining. In thinking that this is only four weeks away, I decided to put up my Christmas tree yesterday! I absolutely love having my tree up but it literally took me all day. I had Hudson help as much as possible which took even longer but I didn't mind. So in the picture above it wasn't totally finished but you get the idea...I haven't taken a finished product picture yet.

So anyways...that was what I did yesterday during the day. In the evening Andy and I went with family and friends who work at LaTourelle Catering to dinner at the John Thomas Steakhouse. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was elegant. It was really nice to go out together. Hudson stayed with my mom and baked pies. This has become their new tradition. She went out and got him an apron that daddy doesn't like very much...lol. But it really is too cute for words! Here he is rolling out the dough! lol...so cute!

He always makes a prize for daddy with the leftover dough. Lastnight he got dough baked with cinnamon sugar on it! Mommy didn't get anything...but I'm okay with that! :0) He has times where he is very attached to daddy and I think it's really nice.

Today I am going to get some laundry done and hopefully some more decorating...when delving into that project I realized it will take longer than I thought! I better get to work! :0)

Cheerleading starts...

Well, my life just all of the sudden got so busy! Cheerleading started for Basketball season and we practice every night from 7-9pm. I am so thankful that I get to spend my days Wed, Thurs, and Friday with Hudson to have quality time together. Today we plan to go get groceries and run a few errands together, just the two of us.

Hudson is standing by me and keeps saying "I wanna push the 'H' mommy!" So here it goes:

HHHHH

For at least a couple of months now he has known how to spell his name. He says "H-U-D-S-O-N" It's so cute. The only letter he actually recognizes is an "H" and he just loves to find all of the H's in this world. Whenever he sees one, he says "That's my name!!!" all excited. So cute. I think we better start working on some other letters because it seems like at this age they are like sponges! Well I better get going shopping and I will write more later...

I AM BACK FOR GOOD!!

We have the internet FINALLY!! :0) I have been waiting forever and now I am so excited to share what has been going on in my life lately...

To start off, Hudson is now 26 months old and I am convinced this is the best age ever! I am realizing more and more that I am molding such a wonderful little boy. That doesn't mean he is a perfect angel by any means. It simply means that he understands the ways of life that I have taught him. His newest thing: He knows that he isn't supposed to say certain words that he has picked up from everywhere like "stupid" "crap" "dumb" etc. So whenever he says anything like that I say to him "Hudson, Jesus doesn't like that word" and he will say "Sorry Jesus for saying stupid." and follow with "Thank you." Well we now have the language police on our hands! Anytime Andy (or I, but usually Andy lol) slips and says "stupid", Hudson will say "Daddy we don't say stupid! Say sorry to Jesus!" and Andy will say "Sorry Jesus" then Hudson says very sternly, "Thank you!" lol. It is too funny! The best part is...HE GETS IT! He is understanding the idea that forgiveness is that simple. Of course it gets to be much deeper when you're older but for a two year old...that's not too bad! I love teaching him and seeing the world through his eyes, it's simply amazing.

The Lord has given us a gift as well...another baby BOY to be born in mid-March and I couldn't be more excited! I think that two boys will be so wonderful. We had the sonogram done a month ago today and I was 18 weeks along and he was sucking his thumb! It was the cutest thing I had ever seen! I bet I will have a thumb-sucker on my hands! :0) I'm not sure if that's good or bad. The name issue is driving me absolutely nuts!!! I am really desperate for help at this point. I am coming to the conclusion that I am just really picky but I knew with Hudson that was his name and I never doubted it once I heard it and I haven't heard my baby's name yet, I am convinced. I have put a baby name generator on my blog so that all of you may participate as you wish! If there is a name you like, comment and let me know! I need all the help I can get!

Now...I need to vent! lol. I'm sure many of you have been pregnant before and would agree with me. Somehow we need to send a message to the world that "if they dont have anything nice to say to a pregnant lady, dont say anything at all." Fair enough? Yeah, I would think so. I was in the post office the other day when the postmaster said to me, "Oh, you're not due till March? You're BIG!" My head's reply: SHUT UP!!! My heart's reply: "Yeah..." I have never been one to stand up for myself but I am beginning to think now is the time.

There's more...I was in a wedding this past weekend (hence the picture above) where a lady approached me in the bathroom just to say "They have your dates wrong!" I was like "What??? Actually, my dress exaggerates my belly a bit" and her reply is, "Noooo, I was never that big when I had my son!" and again speaking with my heart and not my head I just said, "Well, I had a sonogram..." and she just walked away. Of course that left me in hysterics for the rest of the night and pretty much today as well. In actuality the dress was maternity and it was empire waist and had pleats just under my breasts which did exaggerate my belly a bit, but still. My head wanted to scream at her: THANK YOU THAT MAKES ME FEEL WONDERFUL! SHUT YOUR MOUTH! Ugh...why? If anyone wants to comment on that feel free because I am beyond annoyed and upset about everything. I know that I actually have no control over what my belly does and this is my second baby! My uterus knows just how to stretch!

I had a OB appt. last week and all is well with the baby, my weight and everything so I guess I need to write those people off as ignorant and end it but I just had to vent first!! Ridiculous!!

On a positive note, Basketball cheerleading is starting tomorrow and I am super excited! I will be busy and might not blog as regularly as I should but I promise I will keep up with it! It's a good outlet...:0)

We've had a BUG...

The nasty stomach bug has decided to visit us...and I was oh so excited to see it! (sense the sarcasim) Ironically I was just saying to my friend that I hadn't vomited since I was like ten. On Friday night it bit Hudson and left him on Sunday and then on Monday night it bit me!! All day yesterday was miserable but I am thankful to say that we are all better now.

Hudson is into being outside which is very nice when Andy is home but not so nice when I am home all day with him. We have an episode every time it's time to come in and I'm not so sure how to avoid it. I think it's time to invest in an outdoor playground and a sand box...we needed it like...YESTERDAY! Hudson and I went directly across from the creek from our house to the playground and played in their sand box. I know...I have no clue what animals have peed or pooped in their!! haha! I guess we all have to live a little!

In one month we will be on our way to Florida...YAY!! We are going to Disney for a few days and then to the beach for the rest of the time. I am so excited to just get away and I know Hudson will love the beach...it's one HUGE sand box! :0) Well I better get going now...

Where have I been?

"New Post"...did I really just click that button??? Looks like it!

Well...I have been terribly distracted these past months away and I wonder why?!?! Maybe because I have a 19 month old busy busy little guy. I know, no excuse but hey...the important thing is I'm back for today!

Hudson is obviously a different kid from the last time I posted! He is soooo big and not very much a baby anymore at all. He also broke the communication barrier between us and we now carry on very long conversations. He is very verbal and I am loving it! Right now I'm at my mom's and he is eating a bowl of rice crispies in his high chair.

Hudson is very into babies lately and I have been getting the baby "itch" as well!! I always said I would try to get pregnant around June or July but now is sounding good. lol. I guess we will see what the Lord has planned...sometimes we think on similar levels and sometimes I am wayyy off! The thought of having to start all over is daunting to me but I know for sure I do not want to have just one child. I think I still have about 5 more in me! :0)

I have started trying to use a "time out" theory and it seems to be working very well. In our house I have created the "naughty step" (which I stole from an episode of SuperNanny...I love that show!) The other day he had to go on the naughty step three times (this was the first day I introduced it). At first he didn't really comprehend the fact that he had to sit there because he was being punished. The second time he kept getting up and I kept putting him back and explaining to him what he did wrong. By the third time he realized that the ultimate goal was for him to say "sorry" to mommy. So during the one minute he had to sit there he said "sorry" about 50 times...but he didn't get up! It broke my heart hearing him say sorry so many times but it was precious at the same time. I found that the naughty step has introduced the concept of being sorry for something that you did and sometimes he will say sorry and realize he did something wrong without the use of the step...so we will see how long that will last but I found that I really like that idea!

I guess I should get going and help my mom with Hudson...aren't grandmas wonderful!! :0)