Hudson Andrew

Sweet Hudson is here!

Such a sweet, sweet joy it was to finally hear his little cry, well actually his BIG cry, after months of anticipation.  He arrived, he was weighed, and he came in at a whopping 8.14 pounds.   Believe me I felt every ounce of that baby in the end...he is a gorgeous baby with a bit of dark hair on his little head. Which by the way is a lovely head, courtesy of a c-section delivery; he has long fingers, long toes and we are totally in love with him.

But let me share some photo's of him...

Just moments after birth....

Showing us his vocal skills!

And it's true...weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs., 14 oz!!

First moment together.  I pretty much cried the whole time...

Those are some long feet!  

We were so thrilled to have this sweet boy join our now family of three (well actually four) boys!  

Heidi

And here we go...

With less than 24 hours to go I have been contemplating the joys, the trials and the puffiness of pregnancy.  We are quite sure (?) that this will be our final pregnancy.  That any other child joining our family will either need to be brought to us by a stork or happily donated.  Our conversations about this topic usually land between, just tie those puppies up to what if in say two years we want another?  To no way will I ever, ever want to have another c-section again (which I do recall saying after number 2) to I could totally see myself having four boys.  Because let's be honest here...

So in my final few hours of feeling this sweet boy moving and kicking on the inside, which is my favorite part of being pregnant, I have put together a few memories of the past 10 months.  Because I know all clear memories will be voided out in the next few days.

1) Compression Stockings: I will be having a burn my compression stockings ceremony (invitations to follow).  They are the one thing that I must wear during pregnancy or else my feet, ankles and legs start to take an unnatural form.  Especially during those hot Arizona summer months.  Which seems a bit cruel since when I wear them I also wear long pants to hide them.  I should rename them my humble stockings.  It is hard to think of yourself looking amazing when you are wearing them.  And kudos to my sweet husband.  Because every night, in my compression stocking glory, I make the poor man take them off.  That's right they are tight and awful and ugly and he never once makes any comment about their ugliness.  I am thinking that marriage vows should start to include, I, enter name, will be gracious and kind each night as I peel those ugly, compression stockings off of your swollen pregnant legs because you can no longer reach them yourself.  So I am assuming we will both be glad to see them go....

2) OB appointments: who doesn't feel like their OB is their best friend by the end of your pregnancy?  They know your name, have heard your most intimate details, and are probably just as excited as you to meet this baby (though possibly for different reasons).

3) Maternity wear:  Ah the stretchy pant.  Good thing you will still be my close companion for a few more weeks, ahem months.

4) Ultrasounds: A small insight into who your child is.  Do they like to hold their hands over their face?  Do they suck their thumb?  Are they so busy the tech has a hard time?  Do they have big hands?  All of these are a yes when it came to watching baby Hudson.  He was busy, he rarely showed us his face, and one time the whole screen was just a hand!  Looking forward to finally meeting him.

5) Tests, labs, blood drawn, diabetes check, needles, more blood drawn, heck why not one more blood drawn just for fun? and peeing in a cup....all things you never miss but are extremely thankful for in the midst of your pregnancy.

6) Craving and Aversions:  so what did I hate and love with this pregnancy?  Oregano's.  Yuck.  So sad, but it always seems to happen, the one place I go to in the early months of pregnancy I have to avoid for about a year or so after.  Seems that also the movie, Winnie the Pooh, conjures up nauseousness?  Possibly because that was THE movie my kids loved in my first trimester. (other's were coffee and diet coke...poor me caffeine free:0) And what did I love?  Sadly enough, it was mostly everything else.  Though I will say that I could eat blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, peaches as fast as Kelly brought them home.  Sweets were definitely my top pick.  That and a glass of wine.  Which I never had but sure craved....

So soon we are off (actually we are already back but I wanted to finish this post) and I will no longer be pregnant but will have the joy of meeting sweet Hudson.

Heidi

Noah's 4th Birthday!

This was the year that Noah was excited about celebrating his birthday.  He has never quite gotten into the spirit of things like he did this year.  We talked about his blue cake, and his shark shorts, and him swimming with his friends for weeks prior (my fault for bringing it up:0).  But it was so fun.  Fun to plan together and have him telling everyone from his Grandma to some random person at the grocery store about his blue cake...

Here are some pictures of the day.

I really didn't take many!  Thankfully other's did...

Each year our number one pick for Noah's birthday is at Grandpa's and Grandma's house.  It might just be what we do each year seeing that he is born in the middle of May!  We had our usual swim party, friends and families over to swim and cake!  Happy fourth Birthday!

Other celebrations:

Preschool: Noah is known for his love of chocolate pudding.  So while trying to think of a good snack for him to share with his preschool friends the subject of chocolate pudding came up.  Perfect!!  I sent him with chocolate pudding, worms and crushed cookies.  He came home with a chocolate mouth, a happy smile and a birthday hat!  Lucky boy.

May 18th:  Birthday's around here start with a favorite breakfast.  For Noah that is whipped cream!  And a blueberry pancake.  We also hosted play group this day; what a fun way to spend our day.  We had so much fun having friends over, playing outside and eating popsicles.  Thank you friends for sharing this day with us!  As for the remainder of the day we had a few presents after his favorite dinner, hamburgers, and early to bed.

And for Dad and Mom?  Amazing to think we now are parent's to a four year old boy.

He sure has grown lately, he looks so tall and big boy to me these days.  He is hovering around the 90 percentile for both height and weight.  His check up went well this year, minus the four shots at the end (so cruel), but he did great with them.  Me?  I cried while watching.   We still have many reasons to continue speech, OT, and possibly PT with him.  He is taking a while to catch up developmentally. I have struggled watching him falter, Noah has not struggled at all, he is happy, content and adaptive.  I have much to learn from our sweet Noah!

Happy Birthday buddy!

Mom

 

Less than two weeks....

You know things are getting serious when your OB says to you; only one more visit....oh yikes.  That is right, we have less than two weeks until c-section date.  Two weeks for me to gear myself up for surgery, meeting Hudson, and entering again into newborn hood.  I am excited, and nervous, and so looking forward to being on the other side of surgery.  Have I mentioned it freaks me out?

Today I got to spill my fears to my OB.  I wish I had some form of restraint in this area, but she did ask, and so I told her.  First I asked her what type of drug I should be asking for that will make me not freak out and yell at the nurse.  Seriously I yelled at the nurse last time.  I also told her how much I disliked the nurse because while I was yelling that I COULD NOT BREATHE, she calmly told me, actually you can breathe it just doesn't feel like you can.  Point taken, and then things got fuzzy (enter drug induced stage by said nurse I yelled at).  So I said to my OB why not put me in that drug induced stage like right now? I am sure by that time in my dramatic retelling of my c-section that she was ready to give me something...even if it was a tic tac masked as a calming drug.  She, thankfully refraining from rolling her eyes, proceeded to tell me that most drugs that are for anxiety like that are not good for your baby.  That they can give me something after baby is born but seriously I am way past sanity by that point, there would be no use giving me anything.  So basically she says, you can look at the monitor and watch your oxygen level so you know you are fine...and quite honestly it's going to happen whether you want it to or not.   Great.

So two weeks left.  Two weeks to gain some sort of sanity.

On the flip side, only two weeks until we meet our sweet little one.  Remind me of that when I am recounting my crazy fears.  Because it is all worth the craziness to meet our sweet boy....

Heidi

Lukey

Lukey.  

He is over two now.  Makes him seem so big when I say that.  I just finished his first year photo album; I had such a great time reminiscing over those precious 12 months...time sure went quickly.  

Now he is over two.  And independent.  Except for when he get's an owie.  Then he reverts back to needing a lot of hugs, kisses (usually on the spot that hurts), and just a lot of loving.  No complaints here!!

He is our chatterbox.  He loves to talk.  And says yes with the cutest little lisp at the end.  He also says no, a lot, but it's still cute as well because he doesn't say just a no, he says nope.  Do you want some yogurt Luke?  Nope.  Do you want some cheese?  Nope.  This can go on for a long, long time, I should just start with cookies.  He also loves to talk about trains, cars, fire trucks (any red vehicle he sees is a fire truck), and sometimes he will just talk on and on about who knows what because we don't understand a word of it.  He also has started to sing.  That is something so sweet to listen to.  Our current overplayed CD is one from Sovereign Grace, "God loves a generous heart, a generous heart, for it's a heart like His own heart, a heart like (and this is where Luke sings loudly) His Own!  

Luke adores babies.  I am so excited for Luke to meet our new baby boy, Micah, Hudson, Daniel?...poor guy we have still not chosen his name.  Anyhoo Luke does like babies.  He, I must admit, is a bit on the rougher side of loving, come's maybe from being over 30 pounds and having an older brother?, but he is a lover.  He will ask first, Hug?, then absolutely lay himself over the carseat, with baby in it, to give them a hug.  He also retrieves toys and paci's and shoves them in the baby's face or hand.  As I write this I am seeing some work needs to be done on what gentle is.  But I love that he does have that interest and care for little one's.  

Luke is our child that love's to play off by himself.  He get's a short break when Noah is at preschool three times a week and that is when I see him relax and just play.  Usually he is on the defense making sure no toys are taken from him.  But with Noah gone he will line up his trains and play (I think I am always a bit shocked by this since our Noah is the polar opposite when it comes to playing).  

At the same time it is also nice for him to have Noah to play with.  I mean there are those moments where I can hear myself saying, please, please, please just play together without snatching, wrestling and biting!!  Biting has become their weapon of choice these days. The worst was when I took Luke's diaper off (potty training is beginning) and saw on his sweet little behind a nice set of teeth marks.  Ouch.  But on the other hand there are moments of sweet playtime together.  Or moments where they think one another is the funniest thing ever!  I am grateful for more of these moments...

So that is our Lukey in a little nutshell.  

More to come....

Baby 3...

31 weeks along!!

I am looking forward to meeting our sweet baby boy.  This pregnancy has been full of many wonderful moments...minus my feet swelling and heart burn, I have truly enjoyed this pregnancy.  And knowing that baby's are a lot easier to care for inside than out!  But that being said I also look forward to finally holding this one AND being on the other side of a c-section...

So c-sections.  I have been having numerous dreams about c-sections.  Hey I have been having crazy dreams all along...this is the pregnancy for dreaming I guess.  Last two pregnancies I don't remember one dream I had?  This time I have had surgeries everywhere (and I don't exaggerate; I am not sure if having a baby at Starbucks would be considered a sterile environment but then again I could always order a frappucino afterwards, very convenient!!)  I have even had a surgery where half way through I decided I didn't like the hospital so we packed up and headed to a different one!  That was a super elaborate dream that I woke up from thinking...oh my.  I am for sure asking for calming drugs beforehand!  As for my other dreams...well I did get a coffee date with Matt Damon.  Which was quite a nice break from my crazy c-section dreams.  Kelly asked me why he wasn't invited.  Sorry but it's Matt Damon.  And quite honestly I can't remember much from that dream except a lot of people came up to ask for autographs.  Which became very annoying since it was MY coffee date dream.

But our delivery date is officially set for this baby.  If all goes according to plan we will be having another sweet boy on June 18th, a Monday morning, at 7am!  My doctor was thrilled, she likes getting Monday morning slots, and said, hey by noon you can even have some lunch!  I should have mentioned the Starbucks dream, maybe that could include a fru fru coffee drink as well!!

Heidi



 

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