So so big!!

I havent posted in a while because we have been feverishly working on our kitchen. We are doing all new appliances, adding a penninsula with barstools, marble tiling the countertop, new sink & faucet, paint on the walls and everything!!! and...we are doing it all ourselves to save money. Cheerleading has started and its taking up a lot of my time but we are determined to keep plugging away. The best thing about it....i will finally have a dishwasher! I have been waiting for what feels like forever. Doing dishes is the thing i hate the most out of house work and im hoping it makes it easier.

Now...Brody has shocked me lately in how fast he is growing and doing things. He crawls all over and pulls himself up to everything! Just about a week ago he began to let go and stand there for a few seconds. Since he was about 6 mos old he has been clapping his hands and he has since learned to "praise Jesus!" (what most people would call "sooooo big") :0) He can say ball(bah) and bye bye(bah bah) and dada and uh oh(uhhhhhhh)! He still only has two teeth on the bottom which is way behind Hudson. Once Hudson got his first they just kept coming. Brody has found the stairs now too but he still cant quite crawl up them which is wonderful! (and literally just as i typed that hudson says "mommy brody is crawling up the stairs!!!" and Yes...my baby was up the first step ready to go up another! ahhhhhh!) So anyways Brody is getting bigger and I really love it :0)

Hudson is growing more imaginative everyday and has been working on writing his name for a while. He can write every letter now, I just have to remind him of the order. He is a boy that is soooooooo into sports--any kind of sport. Right now he is running around in his sponge bob pjs with his jordan sneakers on, a hawaiian bucket hat, baseball glove and batting gloves. lol You get the picture...its super cute. He constantly says he wants to be on tv and of course at this age you cant tell but its a great dream :0)

We are taking Hudson to the toby mac concert at the hammerstein ballroom in NYC a week from tomorrow and I am soooo excited. It will be nice to walk around the city for the day and to watch hudsons reaction as he sees the concert in person (he constantly watches the concert dvd, sings the songs in his microphone, puts on a toby mac hat and dances) Im sooo excited!!!! Brody will be staying the night with my mom which will be a first and I really pray that it goes well. He is not the best sleeper in the night, especially if the breast is not there. lol. And...not to mention the pumping issue!!! How does one pump in the middle of times square??? lol. I guess I will figure it out!

Well I have to go paint a cabinet...cant sit for too long :0)

My Little Boy is Growing Up...

I was away in Lansing with my cheerleaders on Thursday and when I got home I heard the cutest story ever told...

We have a little table and two chairs set up in our kitchen for Hudson. Andy told me that him and Hudson ate dinner at that table that night and when they were done, Brody was getting fussy and wanted Andy to rock him. So before cleaning up, Andy sat in the living room and rocked Brody to sleep. As he was rocking he heard Hudson tinkering around in the kitchen and when he looked to see what he was doing, this is what he saw: Hudson was actually cleaning up the little table. He took the paper plates and put them in the garbage, put the bowls and cups in the sink and then he got the dish cloth and wiped the table down, not before removing the placemat and cleaning that as well. That had to be the sweetest little scene to watch and I missed it :0(

After he was done he said, "Daddy, I cleaned up the table without anyone asking me!" lol. Im just amazed at how much they soak in just by watching our actions. Its also a reminder that we need to watch our own actions and make sure they are Godly at all times. Hard to do...but its a great goal!

Brody is getting closer and closer to crawling the real way even though the way he crawls now is probably just as fast. lol. He learned how to clap his hands yesterday!!! He copies Hudson when we sing, "clap clap clap your hands, clap your hands together..." He also gave my mom a wide open mouthed kiss 3 times lastnight! He is totally the child who will do what he wants when he wants on his own terms, not yours. I have tried all morning to get a kiss and he turns his cheek. ugh...lol. Must be Dama is THAT special! :0)

Hope everyone has a great saturday and yes, Im going to fix my header, just have to do it on the other computer and I havent wanted to. lol.

frustrated...

ugh...i know...I need to fix my header. :0(

A Trip to the Dentist

I had a cleaning scheduled today and since our dental insurance wont pick up Hudson until he is 4 yrs old, our dentist office assured me that it is fine to wait until then but that I should bring him along and let him get used to the situation. Today was the day and Hudson was really excited that he was going to have this special time with mommy and that we were leaving Brody at Damas house. lol. He has always been a little chatterbox but boy was he full of it the whole ride there! He sat right next to me while I got my teeth cleaned by Jessica, our favorite hygienist! She explained everything that she was doing to him and he just talked her ear off! He told her that he eats good meals and that he brushes his teeth well all by himself top and bottom and tongue, he said. lol. Then he told her all about his favorite football team, the NY Giants and about how Jay Feeley from the Ny Jets gave him a football. Of course she thought he was adorable and I was just laying there, mouth wide open and cant really say much at all. lol.

When I was finished, then it was Hudsons turn to take a ride in the chair. I had gelled his hair into a mohawk so when she told him to lay his head back he responded, "I cant, I have gel in my hair!" We laughed and I explained to him that it would be ok. She counted his teeth with this tool that looked like a hook. Before she put that thing in his mouth he said, "Dont use that end!" (the end with the point) lol. So then he got to pick out his Cars toothbrush and a toy and he was sooo excited. The entire way home he kept saying "Mommy, are my teeth shiny????" lol. Of course I said YESSSS VERY! Its really the little things that we can do for our children...I just had to blog about my wonderful morning with my big boy. Here is a pic of the big boy:


Tonight...date night with daddy! This really is the first time going out alone since Brody was born so I am very excited! Hope everyone enjoys their Friday night!

Fall Has Arrived...

Yep...I am posting on my netbook and I really do love it!
I woke up this morning to a 61 degree house and I really cannot believe it. It actually is depressing. We have a EdenPURE space heater that we have been using to take the chill off downstairs but this morning the furnace had to be turned on as well and it was pretty sad. Andy was texting me and telling me not to do it but there is no way Im going to make my babies freeze!!

Brody is getting around everywhere and pretty fast I might add for not crawling the real way yet. He is so close but just not quite there yet. To be honest, Im not ready for him to crawl. My house is NOT baby proofed. Hudson is really helping me out in that sense because he is always watching out for Brody and what he had and what he is putting in his mouth. The other day brody had a small motorcycle helmet in his head and Hudson told Andy right away! That could have been bad!

I am really struggling with the fact that I dont feel like i can let Brody cry it out. His cry is sooo loud that Im sure Hudson would wake up. Not to mention the fact that we have hardwood floors and everything echos! Brody is at the point where he needs to cry it out. Maybe it will take Hudson waking up for a few nights just until Brody learns. Ugh...I keep putting it off but I do want good sleepers.

Cheerleading is keeping me busy so I rarely have a moment to post but hopefully now that I have this handy little thing, you will see me posting more often. :0)

3 year/6 month STATS

Wow, I planned my kids and you can tell! They are almost exactly 2 1/2 years apart short of 5 days. So...I was able to schedule Hudson's 3 year appointment and Brody's 6 month appointment together and kill two birds with one stone. Here is the full report:

Hudson went first and was so glad that he didn't have to have any shots(I was a bit relieved myself). He stepped up on the scale and still weighs 39 lbs. He has been there for a while. He is also 39", so you can say he is "square" right about now! He is 90th percentile for height/weight but the doctor is very happy with how healthy he is! I knew this was his first "big boy" check-up because he had to strip down to his undies and put a gown on :0) Sooooo cute I must say! We have a very healthy three year old whose vocabulary shocks me everyday! The other day he said to me..."we have to ask our father first....yeah, because that's appropriate!" lol. He's just too cute. And...if you look at the link to our youtube videos you can see that he knows the ENTIRE Lord's prayer! PRECIOUS! Now THAT will make Jesus smile :0) (that's what I tell him)

Then Brody was next...he has one tooth which popped through on August 29th and the other one is on its way! He weighed 18 lbs 8 oz and was 29" long! He is 70th percentile for weight and 75th for height. Brody checked out just fine also and the shots followed the exam :0(. Pitiful...and to make it worse, he fell asleep on me while we were waiting for them to come back with them (because it was 10am morning nap time) so they decided to do a sneak attack. Poor baby! I hate shots.

Well everything is going pretty well with us and I am exited to say that the next time I post....it will be from my new Dell Netbook! So excited! :0)

Time Flies...

We've been on vacation and back and had a wonderful time! Where else can you go on vacation and worship the Lord with thousands of people? Kingdom Bound! At times you can just imagine what it will feel like when we are in heaven and everyone is singing and lifting their hands to the Lord...it's amazing.

Hudson is not my baby anymore...probably in just the last month or so he has transformed into a boy! I look at him, and I can imagine what he will be like at 5, 6, 7 years old and it is so weird! He will be three on the 31st and I just can't believe it. We are going to have a rip roarin' football party and he is very excited!

Brody is growing more and more each day! He is not a fan of vegetables at all but LOVES his fruits. He will be six months old in just 4 days and I really do LOVE this age! It's the best ever! He is still nursing like a champ and this time I plan to go the full year. The only hard thing about doing that is that I have no motivation to lose weight when I'm breastfeeding. I just feel like my body still isn't altogether mine. But that's selfish I guess...nourishing my baby must be more important! We have Hudson's 3 yr appt and Brody's 6 month appointment schedule for 9/9/09 at 9:30 a.m. Weird right?

Andy is at the college and loving his job! He mows all of the sports fields (special with the lines in them and everything) and he gets a lot of compliments on how straight the lines are and how great the fields look. I'm very proud of him and so fortunate and thankful he has a great job. In today's economy...that's everything.

Cheerleading has started and my schedule is about to get VERY busy. However, I'm the type of person who thrives on having stuff to do, but cheerleading is non-stop until february. By February, I need a break! Wow...Brody will be one in February. Unbelievable! Anyone who knows how to stop time, let me know!

Brody's 4 1/2 Month Stats...

At 4 1/2 months old Brody is 16lbs 5 oz and 26" tall! He is heavier and shorter than Hudson was at his age! My little chunky boy is the most precious thing and most of the time I feel like I could just inhale him! I really love this age and I am trying to take it all in and enjoy it because although I always toy back and forth about having more...this just might be my last baby. Who knows?

He has begun putting himself to sleep for naps which is WONDERFUL! I hope this sticks! Right now was are remodeling our upstairs bathroom (which is right next to Brody's room) and he managed to fall asleep with all of the banging going on in there! I'm shocked! Hudson wouldn't be able to so I put him on the couch and he is out like a light also! So nice...

Well I guess all is well here...maybe I will post some pics of our bathroom. Now that the demolition has begun I probably should have taken some before and afters! Ugh! Oh well!

4TH OF JULY PICS

ZEB & HUDSON IN THE POOL

HANDSOME BOY :0)

Success...I tried the apple flavored cereal and he LOVES it! I know you're not really supposed to start with that but OH WELL! It worked! He has been on cereal once a day for about a week now and he always looks forward to it! Just this morning he was in his walker and I was facing him eating a bowl of cereal and he was getting all excited and everytime I took a bite he was soo mad! Poor thing...I was teasing him. I am seeing him show an interest into food now. He must have realized there is something more than just the breast :0) My only problem is...I don't remember what comes next! How could I forget in just 2 1/2 short years? Amazing. Brody's 4 1/2 month visit is Wednesday and I'm curious to see what his stats are! He's a chunky boy and I love it!

Last week we went to NYC for a visit and I decided to leave Hudson with daddy because I couldn't imagine pushing a stroller around the city but of course...Brody must go wherever I go. I really debated if it would be worth it or not but decided to just give it a whirl. I had planned on carrying him in the baby bjorn but that thing is not at all comfortable for a whole day of sight seeing. I researched some carriers and ultimately decided (the night before we left) to make my own Moby Baby Wrap! I bought 6 yards of stretchy jersey knit material and added my own decorative panel and learned how to wrap it on the internet. That thing was sooooooooooo comfortable and Brody loved it! I also felt like he was all tucked in away from the NYC germs! I was beyond pleased with it and I highly recommend it! They sell for about $60 but I made mine for just $27 and it would have been cheaper if I had brought my coupon!

That's all for now! :0)

Cereal...FAILED!

Yep...it's true! I tried rice cereal with Brody twice and both times...he HATED it! He closes his mouth tight so that I can't put the spoon in and when I finally sneak some in there, he GAGS! That boy is so different from Hudson it just amazes me! Lately, an attitude like no other has been leeking out of him! If he gets frustrated about something or if he needs something you definitely know it! But then when he's happy...he's sooo happy! So strange how different your kids can be.

Right now he is asleep in his crib in his own room for the first time. We have been doing naps in there all week which has seemed to work out better because big brother cannot wake him up as easy. My house is all hardwood so you can still here a lot...but it really helped. We took down the co-sleeper tonight and I have to say it was a bittersweet moment. I will finally get to crawl out of my bed like a normal person but...my baby wont be right next to me and it's going to feel sooo weird. I'm not expecting it to last long at all because he is so used to me being right there. But I thought we would start getting into the habit of nursing in his room and putting him down there. It's a big step...but I'm ready (I think).

I guess that's all to report for now. Open to suggestions on the cereal thing. I will keep trying it and maybe will mix some baby applesauce with it and break a rule or two :0) Who knows!

Love the Sunshine!

I just had a free second to write a little post...which doesn't happen often! Everything is going great as a mom of two and I think that I am finally starting to get the hang of it :0)

Brody will be four months old on Friday and I really cannot believe how FAST that time went! He truly is such a good natured baby and I count my blessings! I started Hudson on cereal when he turned four months old and I plan on doing the same with Brody. Hudson was totally ready and LOVED cereal...I'm sure Brody will be the same way. I guess we will see! :0) I will post some pictures! We don't have his 4 month appointment until July 8th because our doctor is out on vacation but that's okay...I'm not looking forward to the shots anyway :0( I would be willing to bet he is about 15 lbs already! I LOVE CHUNKY BABIES!

A cute Hudson story: (sorry if you already read it on facebook) Last week Hudson and I were baking a "cookie pizza" together and when it was all finished I cut him his slice and handed it to him and he responded with the cutest thing EVER! He said "You're the best mom I never saw!" lol. My heart was TOTALLY melted...so now its a saying in our house. "you're the best boy i never saw" or "you're the best daddy i never saw" lol. LOVE IT! Hudson got some water in his ear in the tub which agitated an ear infection that was brewing so we went to the doctors this morning to take care of that. He never ran a fever or anything and he is not very irritable at all so that's good.

Well...Brody is waking up so off to the pool we go! :0) YAY! I LOVE THE SUNSHINE!

Guaranteed. Period.

Both boys are asleep upstairs...I love that feeling! It means that I can have some much needed "me" time! I first just have to brag a bit about LandsEnd and how phenominal I think that company is! Two years ago I spent well over $100 on a bathing suit and I think that's the best $100 I have ever spent! I loved the bathing suit but when I put it on this year (another baby later) the halter strap is stretched and doesn't support the ladies very well :0) I got online to see if I can return it because their policy is "Guaranteed. Period." I explained to the online chat customer service rep (another plus) the issue and she not only told me to return it...she also sent me a pre paid postage thing to mail it for free! Anyways....long story short I exchanged it for a new suit and it will be arriving tomorrow!!! I am Soooo excited! I pretty much hate bathingsuits and when you just had a baby and are breastfeeding the LAST thing you want to do is jump into a bathing suit! I hope this suit will get me over my phobia! lol. Click for a picture!
Anyway...we went to Stewart Park today and met some friends for a picnic. Hudson loved it, especially when they finally turned on the sprinklers! Brody just watched his crazy brother running around getting all cold and wet! Hudson hasn't been too impressed with the last few playgrounds that we have been at...afraid of heights or something which is pretty frustrating as a mom but I guess you also have to see it from their point of view! So he was content to climb up and down the ladder and run around and watch the kids from afar but as soon as he spotted some boys with a football and kickball he said "mommy can I go get those balls?" The boy would be happy with just a ball even when there is a huge playground in front of him! He is going to be an athlete, and I'm fine with that! :0) After all..."ball" was his first real word!
In a few weeks I'm going to start Brody on cereal and I can't wait for that! I love watching him experience new things...especially with food! It amazes me how much they experience in just one short year.
Well...I'm going to relax in bed with my new Parents Magazine! Ahhh...love bed time!

It's a Brand New Day! :0)

Finally made the time to re-vamp my blog and I am quite proud of how it turned out! Just to update...
Hudson is doing much better at sleeping in his bed, which means going to bed alone and he is totally potty trained! He has been in underware for about a month now 24-7. Quite an accomplishment! He loves his brother to death and my heart just melts everytime they interact. He just got a hair cut for the summer that made him look soooo much older! :0( Where did my baby go? I have to say that I do love this age, though. I love the estute conversations we have about EVERYTHING under the sun! One cute story...Andy took him to the doctors yesterday because he has had this cough and runny nose that just wont go away, turned out to be a sinus infection. But anyways...the doctor said to Hudson, "I'm just going to listen to your heart now! Did you know that your heart is right here?" and he replied "Yeah! JESUS LIVES IN THERE!!" lol. Is that cute or what? We have a little witness on our hands! Too funny!
Brody is doing WONDERFUL! He breastfeeds like a champ, sleeps like a champ, and smiles constantly! We call him "smiley guy"...I just cant get enough of that gummy smile! He really is such a good baby and I thank the Lord everyday that he is healthy and growing. There truly is nothing better than that!
Being a mom of two I have really learned not to stress over the little things, especially when it comes to having a neat and tidy house. I guess the Lord is really teaching me to live in the moment and not to stress if my house isn't 100% all the time...which I still do but I'm working on it. My grandma told me the other day that making sure that I have quality time with my children is much more important than dishes...they will wait for me. I am trying to remember that! I had another person tell me to enjoy the messy house days because when they get older, the problems just get bigger! So true!
Well...I'm going to start dinner! Mom and Ash are joining us! Yay! :0)

Photoshoot!

Not a lot of time to post but I wanted to put the pictures up from our Sears photoshoot! Brody has his two month appointment this afternoon and I am super excited to see how much he has grown! I will post the stats later! :0) At about seven weeks he rolled over from his belly to his back (Hudson did exactly the same at that time). Everything is really panning out now as far as managing two kids goes. We are getting into the swing of things and it really is feeling much more normal but it has taken this long adjusting. Hudson is acting 95% better :0) than before and he is really really growing up. He sings contantly...sometimes he will bust out with a song that we heard on the radio but his favorite song to sing lately is "I Love You, Lord". It's just too precious because my dad sang that to him a lot when he was a baby. Well...here are the pictures!!

Oh Happy Day!

Well...I don't really have anything new to report! We are still plugging along with breastfeeding and it is getting easier. Hudson is still having issues sleeping but the tantrums are getting much better. Brody is growing so fast and I'm absolutely trying to enjoy him as much as possible! I think he has colic though...which frustrates me because I can't "fix" it. From 9-11 every night he is so fussy and inconsolable but I hear they grow out of it by the time they are three months. My six week appointment is tomorrow and I can't believe how fast the time flew! I will be returning to work on monday...still just mondays and tuesdays which is nice but I still don't want to leave my babies! Anyways here are some pics I took with my phone...have a happy day!



CAUGHT HIM SMILING!! (haha...a funny angle but oh well)

That precious face gets me every time!

Picture Perfect

Just a quick post to put up a recent picture of Brody since they tend to change soo much so fast!! He is one month old now and he is just so precious. He is a really good baby who likes to eat all the time! He is smiling and cooing already and I just cant wait for all of those first milestones to unravel.

Here he is with my sister Ashley

Hudson is doing much better with everything. We still have to discipline often but the fit throwing is less and less. I have started taking things away from him for the day if he doesn't listen and that has seemed to work well. With him its gum and fruit snacks! lol. Oh well...whatever works I guess! Here is a picture of my very handsome 2 1/2 year old boy...

Dressed up for church!

Well that's it...going to clean clean clean during nap time! Does the cleaning EVER end?????

An Update...

Well...our new family of four is doing quite well these days! I have struggled with a cracked nipple from breastfeeding the was being very stubborn in healing but it is slowly and finally improving. It was pretty deep and extremely painful...for a while i was convinced that i hated breastfeeding! I think we are over that hump for now...

Brody is doing very well! He is growing day by day and filling out just the way I like my babies :0) He will be one month old on Thursday and I truly can't believe it's been that long. He has begun to smile although I am reluctant to say this officially because he is only 3 wks old but seriously...he smiles at me, andy and my sister! It's the most precious thing ever. I need to put some new pictures on my computer from my camera but just haven't yet. Here is one of Brody a couple weeks ago:

Hudson has always been a good boy, granted he has had his times...but generally speaking he is pretty good. Lately, I don't know whose child I have here? Definitely not the one i created! lol. He has not been listening to Andy or I at all...I tell him to do something and it's like talking to a brick wall! He will do it on his own time...UGH! And this new temper tantrum thing has come along...throwing himself down on the floor and screaming like a girl. Um...yeah...not fun! Andy and I always make time for Hudson alone so he is not deprived of attention or affection at all. The other night I took him to the play at the school, just him and I and we had such a good time. He sat on my lap the whole time and I cuddled him and it was sooo nice. It just seems that even though I do things like that, he forgets for the split second that he throws a tantrum. I know it will get better and I do feel for him because his life was just flipped upside down.

On a better note, he is maturing a lot. He says the most adult phrases that just crack me up! The other day he spilt taco cheese on my parent's kitchen floor and as he was running to get the broom he says to my dad "It's okay...it was my fault!" lol. We also went to visit my work and he said to a lady at my work..."Hey...can I talk to you?" We just laughed. My sister is going to be an Elementary Teacher and is currently getting her masters degree. She works with Hudson a lot on letters and sounds of letters and writing, etc. Of course I let her go at it! Since he was very little, maybe 1 1/2 he has recognized the letter "H", of course as being the first letter in his name. Just two weeks ago he learned how to write an "H" and he is very proud! Here is the first "H" Hudson drew:

One last funny story:

The other day Hudson, my mom, Brody, and I all went for a walk in town. We went down where there were some bull dozers and rock piles, etc. to show Hudson. As we were approaching Hudson says with excitement, "OHHH! There's an American Idol Backhoe!!" At first I really didn't get it but Husdon is OBSESSED with American Idol so as I stood there trying to figure it out, i see a rusty old "FORD" emblem on the front! Ford sponsors american idol!!! Isn't that too funny and you never realize how much your babies are sucking in when watching TV...kind of scary! I will leave you with a picture of Hudson with the "American Idol Backhoe" :0)

Brody Jaxon Has Arrived!

It all started Tuesday, Feburary 24, 2009. I went to the basketball game and when I got home I was having some contractions that were 5 minutes apart but not painful at all. I figured I would go to bed and if it was real it would wake me up! Knowing I had an appointment scheduled for Wednesday at 10am, I wasn't too concerned. Wednesday morning came and the contractions were still pretty much the same. The doctor came in and said "So...do you think you're in labor?" My response: "I never want to be the one to cry wolf...but I have been having contractions 5 mins apart." From the moment the nurse left the room until the doctor came in, I had 4 contractions! She checked me and I was 2-3 cm dilated and she decided to put me on the non-stress machine to monitor the contractions. Once she realized my contractions were real and coming regularly, she admitted me upstairs to labor and delivery and I was sooo not prepared! Three weeks early...I never had that "nesting" phase, my bag was partially packed, my house wasn't absolutely perfect like I pictured it to be.

Anyways...the baby will come when it wants to! I labored by myself all day wednesday and wednesday night because they would not do anything to "induce" me (i.e. break my water) until I got to a certain stage in my labor because I was three weeks early. Thursday morning my Doctor came in around 7:45 am to check me and see the progress. My water had started to leak slowly in the middle of the night so he had decided that since I was 4-5cm dilated and leaking that he would break my water. He also decided to put me on pitocin which is NASTY stuff! Honestly, I know from experience that if my water is broken, I WILL have a baby soon! Pitocin was not necessary but I didn't care at that point of course. Anyways...my Doctor said he would be back in 5-6 hours and he left. I had one contraction on the bed that pretty much threw me through the ROOF! I was crying for pain med, epidural, anything lol.

The nurses decided to move me to the rocking chair (bad idea). I had about four contractions (that by the way were the MOST PAINFUL contractions ever) and by the fourth, I said to the nurse "I feel pressure!" She said "That's just the baby's head descending hunny." The NEXT contraction I lifted myself out of the chair (because I felt like I was sitting on his head) and screamed "I'M PUSHING!" The nurse says..."No, no you can't push until you're ten centimeters...just breathe! Next contraction get up on the bed and I will check you!" Well to say the least I FLEW to the bed! The nurses hand never left me (TMI sorry) She was yelling for nurses and my doctor and everyone rushed in all at once! I had to breathe through three contractions without pushing until the doctor arrived. (awful!) Then...one push, head was out, second push, rest of baby! Brody was born at 8:25am just about 45 minutes after my water was broken. Now why couldn't they have done that wednesday??? lol.

Well...that's my labor story :0) Since then we have dealt with jaundice issues and we are getting over the breastfeeding hump of sensitive, sore nipples but we are plugging along and I know that it will seem like we will be in a routine in no time.

Hudson is absolutely loving Brody. Sometimes a little too roughly but I just love it. To see their bond is amazing and I have never been so happy to have two boys. I really love it...

Enough writing...here are some pics!

Hudson being very curious about his brother!



Holding hands :0)

Best Buds!

Precious boy...

Eyes Open!

Pregnancy Update...(maybe TMI?)

A lot has happened lately and I just haven't had a second to write it all out!

I will start with last Saturday night, a week ago today. I felt pain and cramping in my lower abdomen and a dull lower backache all night. Between that and my sciatica it was very hard to sleep. When I got up and started moving around and drinking lots of water...it began to feel better so I decided to wait it out before jumping to conclusions and calling my doctor. I never want to be the boy who cried wolf if you know what I mean! So anyways...Sunday night came and the same thing happened all night long. Monday morning I called my doctor's office thinking maybe I just have a bladder infection or something so they said they wanted to see me at 3p.m. I went in at three, gave a urine sample which did find some leukotrimines (sp) and blood in my urine which could be a sign of infection. My doctor came in and said no sign of infection but he decided to do an exam. While examining me he says "Oh...yup there's the head, it's right down there and you're about 1 cm dilated!" That's what was causing my pain...just the position of the baby I guess which is such a blessing! They cultured my urine anyways and called to say it was positive for Group B Strep which I also had during my pregnancy with Hudson. So I am on antibiotic now.

I thought it was over...Tuesday morning I woke up with blood in my urine which I have had before. It all started when I was pregnant with Hudson and I haven't been able to get away from the urologist since then! Anyways...I notified my OB and the urologist just to make a note in the chart. It actually goes away in a few hours and only has happened maybe three times total. I have had a kidney stone shattered and a cyst on my kidney that they are monitoring so this isn't anything new. The urologist called on Thursday (while i was at work) to report that they would like to do a cystoscopy 4 weeks after the baby is born. A cystoscopy is where they insert a camera up your urethra to look into you bladder. It's mainly used to rule out bladder cancer. I actually flipped out emotionally at work and had to leave early. As if I don't have enough to worry about, now I have calloused doctors calling me when I still have a month of pregnancy left telling me they would like to rule out bladder cancer. I mean....COME ON! So to say the least I had a really bad day that day and I was emotionally distraught. My mom brought her friends over and they all prayed over me and that just reminded me that my strength is in the Lord and no matter what happens He is in control! I remind myself that everyday as I wait to get this test done...it's scary but I am NOT alone. I never have to go through anything alone because I walk with Jesus and that is sooo comforting to me.

So...that has been my week. I am praying for a better week this week and I am just not worrying about anything! I laid it ALL in God's hands and that's all I can do. I guess we are all bound to have a bad week every now and then. Life is not perfect...and neither are we.

The BIG Name Announcement! :0)

Jillian...this is for you! :0) lol. We finally decided upon the name last week. I sat down with Andy and I said "look....our baby needs a name NOW!" We had been going back and forth between two names. One name Andy liked and the other name I liked! (Go figure) Finally I said "okay...if we go with my name, you can pick the middle name!" By this time he has had enough of my texting and attempting to convince that he gave in! :0) So...I chose the first name and Andy chose the middle name! Ready???? The name for our precious baby boy is....

Brody Jaxon

Andy chose Jaxon after my dad (whose name is Jack) so that was the perfect choice! I actually love the name and I am relieved that we actually decided. I wonder if it will take this long with the next one? or longer??? I am the type of person who has to have everything planned out and when I was struggling with a name, I know the Lord was trying to teach me something! And He sure did! In God's time only...not our own. I hope everyone likes the name but if not...TOO BAD! :0) lol j/k

You Can't Escape It...I tried!

Well I have heard of many stomach bugs going around lately and have taken all precautions to NOT get it especially since I can't imagine throwing up at eight months pregnant! Finally yesterday morning at 6:30a.m. Hudson woke up puking. I knew it was coming because he woke up in the night saying "my belly hurts..." So anyways...I took care of my sick baby all day yesterday pretty much foregoing my chance of staying away from it. I did what I could by just washing my hands and being extra careful but I wasn't about to not cuddle and love my sick boy...the sacrifices of being a mom! :0) The last time that he got sick was 1:30 yesterday afternoon so I'm pretty sure we are in the clear.



This morning I woke up and was excited that Andy and I actually made it through the night! I decided to disinfect the whole house with Lysol and open some windows...knock on wood we have been fine so far!! I am praying but like I said...you really can't escape it!



In just five short weeks I am going to have another little boy...I really can't believe it!! Today Hudson and I got out the baby car seat which I dare say looks like new still. I don't really know how I accomplished that but I can promise this time around it probably wont look that way! lol. I moved the straps down to fit a tiny little baby and put in the head support and we are now ready to take our precious boy home from the hospital. I got out the BundleMe and washed it and that is ready as well...here is a picture of Hudson ready for his brother to come!

lol...not sure what Hudson was doing. Anyway...it is just about time to set up the co-sleeper and put fresh sheets on the crib, stock up on baby wash and diapers, prepare the diaper bag (my new vera bradley one I got from my husband for Christmas!) and also prepare a hospital bag! :0) I am the type of person who always packs for a trip the last minute so part of me says it's still too early to do all of this stuff. But...I know I don't want to wait too long! He's coming!!!!!! YAY!!!

The TERRIBLE Two's...

Yeah...I have heard this phrase a million times and the moment Hudson turned two I thought to myself, "this isn't so bad." Well no one told me this phase could come at any random time in the entire second year!! WE HAVE BEEN HIT! lol.

I woke up this morning to a child who REFUSES to sit on the toilet...he wants to stand like daddy. Well I vowed to myself that I would have a whole lot less of a mess if he learned sitting down. Anyways that was just the beginning...he takes his pajamas and throws them down the laundry shoot which was exactly what I had planned to put back on him because he is wearing big boy underware and messes are just easier to deal with in pajamas that already need to be washed anyway. So...I get him dressed and the fit throwing starts (I swear he is worse than a girl!) "I DONT WANT THESE PANTS" "I DONT WANT TO WEAR THIS" I got him dressed, sat him down and said "mommy ALWAYS picks out your clothes and that's it...deal with it" So we head downstairs and I say "Hudson, what would you like for breakfast? Yogurt, cereal, waffels, eggs, etc." He said "MAC N' CHEESE!!" I say "No...that's for lunch silly!" To which he replies "POPSICLES!" and of course my response is "We can't have popsicles for breakfast!" And again...THE FIT STARTS!!! Right on the floor of the kitchen. By this time I have had enough so to the "naughty step" he goes and after refusing to sit there, a spanking and ugh...its just been an awful morning. Definitely not a good start to a day. So here i sit...ignoring him like a child and just typing away! He is yelling from the living room "MOMMY!!! I WANT TO WATCH A MOVIE!!!!!!!" from the top of his lungs. Since day one i have always had a pet peeve about kids saying "i want, i want, i want" so every time he says this I reply, "NO, we don't say I want...what do you say?" and he says "Can I...." Well I'm pretty sure that wont fly today! lol. Ugh...I just hope he gets it all out of his system before his brother comes. I can't handle it!

Any suggestions? :0)

HUDSON RIDES HIS BIKE!

Hudson has learned to ride his bike that he got for Christmas all by himself!!! I am so proud of him and you could really tell that he was proud of himself as well! I guess being cooped in for days wasn't really that bad after all! Hudson takled riding his bike and succeded! I guess it is a very big milestone for a boy to learn how to ride a bike. Although I don't really get it...I could tell by Andy's smile and excitement that this was something HUGE! So I had to put a video up to show everyone! I hope you enjoy it!

Other good news...the cold is just a cold and we are now on the mend of this virus for sure! I will write more later! I'm off to make dinner for friends! :0)

Through sickness and health...

These past couple days we have been so cooped up in the house!!! Hudson came down with a fever of about 104 degrees on Tuesday morning and has pretty much been down and out ever since! On Wednesday we took him to the doctors to make sure that the fever was not a result of an infection of some kind and were relieved to find out that it actually was just a virus. Relieved at first...then I realized that this was something that we had to endure. He acted okay today with maybe one or two bouts of fever but I think we are slowly on the mend.

There is also a stomach bug going around of which my in-laws and some cheerleaders have all been slammed with. Hopefully we steer clear of that one! I can't imagine being 7 1/2 months pregnant with that bug! So basically we have been hermits for the past few days aside from the one doctor visit. In a way...it has been really nice. I have been able to take naps everyday and go to bed as a family, early! Hopefully just getting ample sleep will help me ward off this virus!

My baby inside me, still unnamed for definite is VERY active! It is making me wonder if he will ever sleep once he gets outside the womb! Hudson was such a good sleeper and I have heard many times your second baby will be the opposite. Oh well...what can you do?! I am really getting anxious to meet him, I really can't wait! I just hope I can handle two! I am the type of person who puts a lot of pressure on myself to do everything right and handle everything myself just to prove I can. A bit of a perfectionist you might say...and that's not always a good thing.

Anyways...we are all in bed together and I am getting yelled at to turn off the laptop! lol. Hopefully this will be the last night of monitoring fevers. I don't think I can do it one more night! I wish everyone reading this nothing but HEALTH!!!

NEED for a change...

I finally gave my blog a much needed makeover, as you can see!

Today, I had an OBGYN appointment. Pretty routine at this point but as we near March my mind is racing with labor and delivery worries! Good news is that I explained to my new Dr. (long story) that my labor with Hudson was short and sweet and he agrees that the same scenario may play out again (I hope)! My Dr. broke my water with Hudson (no real pain before then) and I had Hudson five hours later and only pushed for 20 minutes! Basically for your second, the labor and pushing time can be cut in half! Now THAT is my prayer! :0) Anyways...besides that the baby is doing wonderfully and is now head down and I didn't gain any weight from my last appointment! (Yay!) I wasn't trying not to...just happened. I think bc my weight gain from the last appointment was basically the baby's main growth spurt. I will go back again on February 12th and then only have one month to go...I can't believe that it has gone by so fast this time!

We have started working on potty training with Hudson for the hopes of not having to buy diapers for two children! $$$$ He is doing well but it does take a lot of time and patience! When we are home he gets to wear his big boy underpants and then when we go out I do put a pull up on him just incase but I still take him to the bathroom often and try to keep it dry. It's difficult but I have made a vow not to turn back to diapers now! :0) And...I dont think Hudson would like that either now that he knows diapers are for "babies". Anything that's for babies is just not for him right now. He is at that stage where he wants to be older and independent. I really love watching him grow and watching his personality flourish. He has "adult" conversations all of the time and he definitely wants to do EVERYTHING that daddy does. So cute...at night they will both get their showers and use "big boy stuff" (Old Spice body wash) and they will both put on their matching navy blue robes over their jammies. I love my boys...

Anyways...it's late. I'm going to get a shower and off to bed! Goodnight world...

Goodbye 2008...Hello 2009!

Our Christmas went very well this year! Hudson really understood "Santa" and understood the fact that it was Jesus's Birthday and that's why we get presents! This year, Hudson's big present from Santa was his train table and let me tell you...that is a GREAT buy for 2 and 3 year olds! He also got his Eli Manning Jersey that he wanted so badly and practically lives in it. Here are some pictures of our Christmas morning...

It's always a little bit of a let down when Christmas is over because it is so highly anticipated. Especially when you can live it through a child's eyes! Usually Hudson get's sick whenever we have something going on...isn't that how it always works??! Well...this year he waited until New Years Eve to come down with a cough and cold. Wasn't that nice of him!? lol. So we are dealing with that now but I guess we can get through it. At least I can be reassured that it wont turn into another ear infection!

The best part about the holiday season is that Andy has two weeks off! It has been really nice to have him home although he is "on call" so he has had to go in to do snow removal for a bit but it hasn't been too bad. Today we are planning on getting some groceries and shopping at the mall.

I can't believe that I am now 30 weeks pregnant!!!! I could not wait for this day to come and it finally has! Now it is the countdown from 10 and I am so excited! My entire belly moves when he moves inside me and I can just tell he is getting bigger and healthier. He is still unnamed by the way...ugh...thats a stress of its own but I am so glad that I can have a healthy normal pregnancy because that can be a real struggle for many people. Thank you Jesus!

Well I guess I better get going now...Andy should be on his way home soon so we can go!