A baby...
A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.
Hudson's first Christmas was a blast! But probably more for Adam and I than him as he really had no clue what was going on. Rest assured though, Santa did stop by and delivered lots of toys that he is now playing with all the time! After a morning of opening up Santa's gifts, we headed to my mom and Pat's in Kingsland, GA for what else? More presents! Needless to say, Hudson became extremely overstimulated and did not sleep at all so he turned into a bit of a cranky pants but was fine by the time dinner came around. :) I tried to add pictures from every part of the holiday...
Our first visit to church as a family. Hudson did great and I think he liked the music.
We let him open up a present on Christmas Eve. It was a book written by Grover from Sesame Street!
Mama got a tad excited and woke the whole family up before 7am!
As you can see, he's still not really awake and more focused on his "old" activity table than the squishy bear next to him.
"Dada, I want to talk to Nana and Papa Lane!"
He got over it and decided this box of wrapping paper was more fun.
Riding his new car around from the Hettlers!
He was soooo excited about all of his new toys!
All the gifts from Santa!
Hugs and kisses from Grammy and his Auntie PPH!
It's been so long since I've updated the blog...about 3 months actually! 3 months in baby time though, is a long time because so much has happened:
Hudson celebrated his first Halloween and we dressed him up as a "Bengal" tiger.
He spent the entire month of October and half of November popping out teeth left and right! Hudson currently has all 4 teeth on the bottom and all 4 teeth on the top. He is quite the trooper though and never really complained much. But now he can bite with the best of them! I currently have teeth marks and bruises on both of my arms from him taking a bite so I think he might be getting another one in but I'm afraid to check for fear he might bite my finger off!
He came down with his very first illness in November, the dreaded stomach virus. He was so considerate though as he decided to share with with both Adam and I. Adam caught it first and I thought I was in the clear but it finally caught up to me 2 days before Thanksgiving. I felt so bad for the poor little guy, but again, he was quite the trooper. It never effected the way he slept at night, just his appetite and behavior during the day.
Hudson took his first airplane trip on Thanksgiving Day! We flew up to Cincinatti to stay with Adam's parents for the weekend. He did so good on the plane. We gave him a bottle on the way up and on the way down and he took naps during take off both going there and coming home so I'm sure that was a relief to those sitting around us. We had a great time and Hudson got to meet all of his great-grandparents, great-aunts and uncles and second cousins.
He's been on the move and talking a lot more too! December has been quite the developmental month so far. He's started saying "mama" and "dada" and what we think is "nana" for his British nanny, Lydia, along with "gaga". He's also been making a "C" or a "K" sound too but I'm really not sure what he's trying to say there. He's been making his way around the floor since the end of October/beginning of November and he's really mastered the army crawl (moves on his stomach and uses his arms) but just recently he's started to figure out that by getting up on his hands and knees, he can get places faster! He has also learned how to pull himself up and he really would prefer to stand rather than sit.
We paid a visit to Santa Claus a few weeks ago and as soon as Hudson got on his lap, he just looked up at Santa as if to say: Who are you and why are you holding me?
Lydia also took some great pictures of Hudson to get him in the Christmas spirit a few weeks ago so I thought I would share one:
These past 3 months have really flown by and I'm so exciting for Christmas morning this year in the Lane house! Adam and I actually get to act like kids again with Santa Claus. One of my New Year's resolutions is to remind myself to keep the blog updated more because I've been told by more than 1 person that they actually do read it so I will promise to do just that! Stay tuned for pictures of Hudson on Christmas morning...
We tried sweet peas on Monday! I bought organic frozen peas from Publix and pureed them in the blender. Although it looks as if he was crying from eating the peas, he was really crying right before I fed him. He actually LOVED the peas and I had to give him seconds! I mixed them with his rice cereal and he cannot get enough. He ate so much of them last night that he barely had room for his bottle.
Hudson's first FSU game!
Touchdown!! He really was laughing a second before this, I swear!
Happy lil Nole baby!
Hudson had his first taste of "real food" on Friday. My mom, sister and I paid a visit to a local farmers market and bought some green beans. We took them home, washed them up and pureed away! Needless to say, Hudson was not the biggest fan. He didn't despise them, but he certainly didn't love them either. We are going on day 4 and he will eat them, but I'm sure he'd much rather eat something else! I can't decide what I want to try next. Maybe bananas? Or sweet potatoes? I have yellow squash but I'm saving that for a few more weeks.
We are taking a trip to Hilton Head next weekend to visit Grandma and Grandpa Lane! They haven't seen Hudson is person since Mother's Day weekend. While we keep them up to date with videos, pictures and emails, it just isn't the same as seeing him in person. He can almost sit up by himself, he rolls all over the place, he says: ga ga and ooh's and aah's and laughs like he is always seeing the funniest thing in the world! All you have to do is smile at him and he smiles right back. (Unless he's really, really tired.)
He's already drivin the ladies around!
Hudson and Savannah playing in the garden!
So studious in his glasses!
Our little baby has sprouted 2 teeth over the last week and I think there is another one coming in. His bottom left one popped up on July 29th. I would have never known that he was teething but something told me to check his mouth out because I hadn't done it in a while and sure enough, there was a tooth! So of course he started getting fussy right at that moment. But as it turns out, tooth #2 was trying to come through! By last Saturday he had both his bottom teeth. He turns 5 months old next Thursday and people say he is young for teeth but I just say he's advanced.
He has been sleeping in his big boy crib in his big boy room for the past 2 weeks and he has adjusted quite nicely. I wanted to keep him in our room a little longer but he started rolling over in his sleep and his pack-n-play was just getting too small for him. The first few nights in his crib were worrisome for me because I was terrified of the crib bumpers because he likes to wedge his face into the upper left corner of the crib. A friend of ours told me about "Breathable Bumpers" for the crib and I've slept great knowing he will be okay! He rolls over on to his tummy every night now and he is used to it.
Lydia sent me a few pictures yesterday of Hudson playing in her house. He really is growing up so fast!
July has been quite a month! Hudson has had several "firsts" including rolling over, which I finally witnessed this past weekend. He holds his head up so well and has started making the "ba" sound. Every night we put in a Baby Einstein DVD and put him in his Jumperoo and he just jumps to his hearts content and thoroughly pays attention to the T.V. Lydia just raves about what a happy little boy he is so that makes us feel good! Hudson is almost always smiling and it's pretty easy to make him laugh. We got a chance to visit Great-Grandma Rose this weekend in Palm Beach. This was the first time she has seen him and my aunt and uncle also drove down from Ohio so the entire family spent time with Hudson. It was his first road trip too and he did really well! Hudson really loves my sister too. It was pretty neat to see him just gaze at her every time she talked. He must really recognize her and her voice. He grabs on to toys now and puts just about everything to his mouth! He also sits up fairly well with help. I am just amazed at how he progresses every day. Work is still going well but I really wish I worked part time so I could get the best of both worlds!
Hudson celebrated his first 4th of July
He went in the pool for the first time and actually didn't mind it!
He ate rice cereal with a spoon for the first time like a big boy!
Hudson met Great-Grandma Rose for the first time!
We took Hudson to the Jacksonville zoo for the first time this past weekend with our friends Kristy and Kyle and their 2 year old daughter, Kyndal. I'm not sure if Hudson really knew what he was looking at but he seemed to be having a good time! He stayed in his stroller for most of it but every time I looked at him, he seemed entertained!
Adam got to test out his new camera on the animals too.
Today is Adam's first Father's Day! Yesterday Hudson and I treated him to a day of golf and the beach with his guys and he had a great time and came home sunburned! I also took a few pictures of Hudson in some Jaguars gear to put in a frame for Adam to take to his office. I wanted to put Hudson in Bengals gear but I didn't think that would look right in Adam's Jaguar office! We went for a walk on the beach this morning before it got too hot (although it was still 85 degrees at 8:30 am) and now we are just waiting for Grandma Leslie and Pat to head this way so we can go to lunch! I am so lucky to have such a beautiful son and a wonderful husband who actually enjoys being a dad and helping out around the house. God's presence is strong today as we celebrate this amazing Father's Day!
We took some family photos earlier this week. If you want to view the pictures and order any, just go to:
http://www.naturallyphotography.com/ and go into the site. Once you are in the site, click on "Clients" and the password is "hudson". The photographer is Gary, who also took our amazing wedding photos! He will photoshop all the spit up out of the pictures of course. :) Hudson took some great shots and once Gary gets me an electronic version of the pictures, I'm submitting a photo or two to baby contests! I'm a little biased but I don't care!
.jpg)
.jpg)
It has been an interesting week in our house! Last weekend was Hudson's first overnight trip with Grandma Balme. Adam and I spent the night in Hilton Head and grandma was more than happy to watch him for the night and he was a perfect angel.
Monday Adam left for the week to head down to Orlando for work and my mom came to stay with me to help me out. Instead of taking him to Lydia's, my mom watched him at the house. She had a great time but needless to say, the poor guy was off his routine and just at a loss! He woke up several times each night and he has not done that in weeks and weeks. I also think he missed Adam. Babies are very perceptive! So I was very, very tired by the time Adam came home yesterday.
Each night when Hudson would wake up either hungry or fussy, I would lay awake after he fell back asleep and try to figure out what God's purpose was for challenging me like this while Adam was away. I came to realize how much I truly depend on Adam and how much he actually does to help out around the house. Our household is not complete without Adam there. So I made him promise not to leave during the week again any time soon!! And wouldn't you know, Hudson slept "like a baby" last night. All was right for Hudson again and I finally felt at ease.
Hudson is growing so quickly. He smiles all the time, he laughs (although I have YET to hear it!) and he has started grabbing and playing with some toys. I have a toy strapped across the arms of his car seat and yesterday on our way home, he reached out and started playing with the froggy. He had this look on his face like: What is this thing and how can I use it to my advantage? It was too cute and I was so proud of him! He has almost rolled over a few times but not quite yet. He is holding up his head very well too. We go to the doctor next Thursday so I'm taking bets on how much he will weigh! I think in the 16 pound range. He was 12 lbs 8.5 ounces last month.
Being a mother is a very rewarding and scary experience all at once and I fall more and more in love with my little man every day.
My mom took these on her camera and they are all on Facebook but for those that don't have Facebook, I couldn't resist sharing. He is a comedian in the making!
It doesn't seem like we have had many sunny days lately in Florida but the few opportunities we have had, we have taken Hudson outside! Memorial Day weekend was spent by Ashley and Jason's pool. I desperately wanted to take Hudson for his first swim but the water was too cold due to all the rain we have had. Last weekend, The Beach family came down from Long Island for a visit and they brought their 7 month old daughter Ann Marie. As you can see by the picture, she clearly outweighs him but he is definitely close to her in length! Unfortunately, we didn't get Hudson in the pool that day either but someday soon! He has some cute little board shorts with surf boards all over them.
I've been back to work now for 3 weeks and it hasn't gotten much easier to leave him every day. He just gets cuter by the day and I want to be around to see every smile and hear every laugh. His nanny is great about giving me updates so I just live vicariously through her!
He has been doing great at night too. We are pretty sure he had a growth spurt last week because he was eating like crazy during the day and sleeping around 10 hours each night. We tried dropping the late night feeding but after about 4 days, he had enough of that and wanted more to eat so we are back to the 10 pm feedings. We figure, if he is hungry, he will tell us!
Adam and I are spending our first night away from Hudson this Saturday. Friends of his from Indiana will be in Hilton Head so we are going to meet them for the night. Hudson is staying with Grandma Balme. I am definitely going to miss him but sometimes, mama's and daddy's need a break. I'm sure I'll call my mom a million times and beg Adam to leave early on Sunday to drive back. I've already made a list of things to pack and it's amazing what one teeny, tiny baby needs for one night! And I'm sure I'll forget something too!
We are taking family photos next Thursday. The photographer that shot our wedding is taking them and I'm so excited. Hudson will be 3 months old next Saturday and it will also be our 1 year wedding anniversary. It is amazing what has happened in the last year. So many things and they have all been amazing. It doesn't get much better in my opinion.
Hudson and Adam got to spend some time together over the weekend so I just wanted to share the pictures. Every year, the beaches have a festival called "Dancin in the Streets" with outdoor music and lots of street vendors. I spent the day with my mom and my sister so Adam ventured out for the first time on his own with Hudson. I met up with them later and I could tell Adam was so proud to show him off to all of his friends! Hudson fell sound asleep for a little while in the Baby Bjorn but once he woke up and ate, he was ready to go home! They had a great day though! This weekend, we are hoping to make it to a friends pool. The baby bathing suit and sun hat have been ordered and the tent has been purchased! I just hope this weather holds up!
.jpg)
.jpg)
