The Houston Family

A giveaway to die for!

2011-04-19T00:24:00.002-06:00

I know I know, I have yet to post about Zoe's birthday or her one year stats. I also am very well aware that I have still not changed my blog background from Valentines day..I know! Ok!! But i HAVE to share this giveaway, because if I do, then I could win...and I would DIE to win this! Andee from CRAVE Photography has such talent, and to get to spend two days with her learning, one on one, would be an unbelievable opportunity. Adding to the knowledge I have already obtained from my workshop with and other very talented woman, Kellie of Elements Photography, would definitely make me feel more confidant in my skills. Anyway check out the giveaway HERE then cross your fingers, pray for me, wish me luck...whatever your method is...

The last month of infancy...

2011-03-06T10:45:00.002-07:00

My baby girl has been 11 months for a week now and I feel the need to document what she's up to since this will be the last time she is an infant...sniffle sniffle...

After a rough start of months plagued with acid reflux and colic, Zoe has grown into the happiest baby I have ever seen. She almost NEVER cries. She screams a lot, just for fun, or if someone is eating and she is not, but she rarely cries.

She loves to eat and is good at feeding herself

She has 8 teeth

She has taken her first steps and is getting braver everyday with taking more

She is still a good sleeper, taking 2 naps and sleeping an average of 11 hours at night

She is a snuggler, something I hope she never grows out of

She loves playing under the kitchen table and pushing the chairs across the floor but gets very frustrated when she gets stuck and can't go anymore

She has recently discovered the fun of unrolling the toilet paper and playing in the toilet...GROSS

She picks her nose, her finger just fits in there so nicely!

Still loves her binky and bottle

She sings (do do, do do) and actually has a tune she sings...so cute

She dances anytime she hears music

She gives hugs

She gives high five

She waves

She blows kisses

She makes kissy sounds and says mmmmuah

She will "tickle" her own tummy if you say tickle tickle

She loves playing with Hudson, and follows him all over the house

She gets her feelings hurt easily, and has a big cute pouty lip she pulls out when she feels bad

She gets very excited when her daddy comes home

She hates being left alone in a room, or walked passed without being picked up

She is experiencing stranger danger and will cry if someone she doesn't know holds her, or even tries to hold her

Zoe is such a fun baby. I really love the age she is at right now and I'm sad that she is growing up so fast. She has added so much to our little family and I can honestly say she is the best surprise I have ever had!

Once again...

2011-02-22T10:26:00.004-07:00

Have I mentioned to you all how much I LOVE Evy's Tree? I have a couple of hoodies from them already and every time I wear one of them I get compliments. I am dying over their new spring line, and since my budget is tighter than Joan Rivers' face I'm not sure if I'll be able to purchase anything from it, so I'm hoping to win! Go check out the spring preview and giveaway on their blog here. It ends tomorrow morning, so hurry over!

More Evy's Tree cuteness

2011-02-02T14:45:00.002-07:00

The giveaways continue over at Evy's Tree. Check them out!

Spring Time Giveaway at Evy's Tree

2011-02-01T08:56:00.004-07:00

I was on a real kick a few months back. Entering every giveaway around...I realized it was consuming way too much of my time so I haven't been doing any lately...Until this one. It's from Evy's Tree and I just can't NOT enter this one! I have a couple of Evy's Tree hoodies and they are my FAVORITE and I get compliments on them every time I wear them. So if you want to see some serious springtime cuteness head over to this blog!

Zoe is 9 months (and 3 weeks...)

2011-01-17T15:02:00.002-07:00

I am a little late with this post..surprise, surprise...Better late than never I suppose.

Zoe turned 9 months on the 27th of December, and with every day we are learning and experiencing more of who she is. She is such a delightful baby. Things started out rough, and she was so colicky (sp??), but those days seem like a lifetime ago. Here are some thing I want to remember about her at this age:

She almost never cries..ever. Even when she is dead tired she stays pleasant. When it comes to food however she is DRAMA! The girl loves to eat, and she isn't interested in baby food whatsoever. She wants what we are eating, and if she doesn't get it she screams bloody murder... If only she had a few more teeth so I would feel a little less apprehensive about giving her "real" food.

She is crawling like a champ, pulling herself up, and walking along the furniture. She doesn't dare let go, or move from one piece of furniture to another yet, and is not interested in walking while we hold her hands, which makes me think it may be a while until she starts walking, and that is fine with me.

She is a snuggler, and I love it. She loves to be held and lay her head on my shoulder. She will stop in the middle of playing, crawl over to me, and want to cuddle for a few minutes then go back to playing. LOVE IT!!

She is babbling a lot. Mama, Dada, nana (which she generally says after being told no no), bah bah, bana (which I think means banana)

She is still a great sleeper. She naps for an hour in the morning, around 10. Then in the afternoon for at least 2 hours, around 2. She generally goes to bed at 8:30 or 9 and sleeps for 12-13 hours.

She growls. It's funny. Very funny.

Her favorite place to play is under the kitchen table.

She likes remotes, cell phones, and pulling the pots and lids out of the cupboard more than she likes playing with toys.

If I (or anyone else) am wearing jewelry, glasses, or a hat she wants them.

She still has very little hair.

She's tough. She has to be. Hudson is very rough with her. This picture is evidence of that. He pushed her down and her head smacked right on the corner of our tv stand. It instantly swelled and bruised, and she barely cried about it.

Here are here stats. She is 29" tall, which is the 83%, and she weighs 18 lbs 5 oz., which is the 34%. Her big growth spurt was between 3 and 6 months, it seems like she's leveling out a little, but not enough to fit into these pants...Hahaha I had to post these. She is clearly not pleased about the shortness of her pants! (sidenote: these are 6-9 months from Children's Place)

Giving her baby Belle kisses.

Happy 9 months Zoe! We love you tons and tons! Your happy smiles brightens the day. I love how you wake up so happy. I love that your whole body shows your excitement for life. You are a joy to be around, and I hope you will always be as happy as you are right now, and that your happiness will get you through whatever life throws your way. You are a special little girl!

New Family Photos...And a quick update

2010-11-30T22:46:00.004-07:00

I suck at blogging, it's true. I feel bad because I documented all of Hudson's milestones and poor miss Zoe has not been given the same blog time.

Let me see if I can update you on her a little.

She just turned 8 months old and I cannot believe how fast it has gone by.

She still just has 2 teeth on bottom, but the last week or so she has become a big time screamer while the top middle teeth try to make their way in.

She started crawling at 7 1/2 months, after weeks and weeks of scooting. She is already a pro, pulling herself up and taking tiny steps along the furniture.

She points at everything, especially the tv when there is a show on that she likes...Unfortunately for me that is Yo Gabba Gabba most of the time.

She claps when we say YAY!

She is a munch mouth, and ate so much on Thanksgiving she had a tummy ache the whole way home. She'll eat anything, but is picky about her formula. During the Similac recall we switched to Enfamil and she wouldn't drink it.

She absolutely loves her brother, and follows him everywhere. They love to crawl under the kitchen table and play.

She says baba, dada, papa, and mama. I swear I've heard her say hi, and bath also but I may be hearing things.

She's very much a girl in the sense that she loves attention and she will make sure she gets it!

We had family pictures taken the first part of November and I'm so happy with how they turned out. If I ever get the opportunity I plan on taking some workshops from Kellie, she is fabulous! I have posted all of them on my Facebook page, but I'll post a few of my favorites here as well.

Princess Couture Designs

2010-11-11T15:10:00.004-07:00

One of my very favorite places to get headbands for Zoe is Princess Couture Designs. She is talented, creative, and so fabulous to work with. There is a PCD giveaway on this website. Check it out. Warning: You may become addicted to her headbands..I am!

Finally the pictures!

2010-08-30T23:44:00.007-06:00

It's true what they say...third time's the charm. This was our third attempt at getting some pictures of Hudson. The kid is impossible to photograph due to his over abundance of energy. I owe all of the following amazing shots to my good friend Shellee of Photography by Shellee. She has been our "family" photographer since Nate and I were engaged and I love love love her work. She got some great shots of Zoe too. I'm a bit behind on her "milestone" series, she's 5 months old and these are the first shots of her since she was 9 days old. But enough with the intro...on to the good stuff!

Whoooo wants to win something cute??

2010-08-18T07:17:00.002-06:00

I know I've blogged of my obsession with giveaways, but I'm not sure if I've blogged about my newest obsession with owls...Maybe it is because of the one I can hear outside every morning while I'm up feeding Zoe, or maybe it is because of BWinks. Sugar Pop Ribbons has teamed up with BWinks for a giveaway. I'm really hoping to win one of these precious little owl friends, because I'm pretty sure each of my kids are getting one for Christmas one way or the other!!

2-year and 4-month stats

2010-08-14T00:27:00.002-06:00

I took Hudson AND Zoe in for their well child checks on Monday, and that is the LAST time I ever schedule them together unless I have some backup. It is hard enough to watch one kid get poked and prodded, let alone both of them. Add that to the sad news of Grandpa H.'s passing I received in the waiting area at the pediatrician's office it equaled a pretty crappy day.

Hudson's 2-year stats...

He is 33.45 inches tall and weighs 26.37 lbs. He is a little guy, and pretty soon his little sister is going to catch up! He is in the 26th percentile for height and 29th for weight.

Hudson is a talker! I am not kidding when I say he talks in his sleep. He just never stops. He tries to say everything he hears which is cute most of the time but it sure makes us have to watch what we say, and what is on tv when he is around.

He loves his sister and is always kissing some part of her...toes, fingers, head, cheek, belly...He has only had a couple of real "jealous" moments since we brought her home. For the most part he adores her. He calls her a dama keen (drama queen) when she cries, but he also tries to console her and tell her it will be ok. He is a very good big brother.

He is learning his ABCs, he gets to G then skips to W...The middle doesn't really matter does it?!?! He can also count to 8. He loves to sing "Rock-a-bye Baby" and "Twinkle, Twinkle." When we sing "Old Macdonald" the only animal he likes Macdonald to have is a dog. It's pretty funny.

Hudson makes friends easily and he is pretty laid back. The terrible twos have set in and he does have an opinion about a lot of things. He is starting to care about what clothes he wears, what books we read, what songs we sing, etc.

He is still a picky eater. He likes sweet stuff, fruit, pancakes or french toast with syrup, juice, chocolate milk, and of course all sorts of candy. He also likes black beans, which is random.

He loves to go for a ride in the car, so we do that almost everyday, even if it is just to get Mommy a Dr. Pepper.

He's active and if he is awake he is busy running and playing. I don't know where he gets his energy, but I wish I had half of what he's got.

He has become a GREAT sleeper (finally, it took long enough)!! He sleeps 10-12 hours at night then naps for 2-3 hours every afternoon.

He is learning to clean up so well. He is pretty good at organizing things. He likes to keep the doors shut, and if they are ajar he will close them tight.

Hudson is a joy to have around. As much as the twos are terrible, they are also terrific. He constantly tells us he loves us, and that alone makes all the naughty easier to put up with. I love my little man, and cannot believe he's 2!! I look forward to all of the learning and growing that is bound to take place in the next year. It will certainly be an adventure!

Zoe's 4-month stats...

She is 25.39 inches tall and weighs 13.23 lbs. Tall and skinny just like her daddy. She is in the 80th percentile for her height and the 30th percentile for her weight.

Zoe is such a fun baby. She is full of smiles, an once in a while we can work a giggle out of her. I love this age of so much discovery. She has found her hands, and toes. She has started to try to grab things with her hands and put them in her mouth. A couple of times she has succeeded with putting her binky in, or holding her bottle in place. It is so much fun to watch.

Some of her favorite things are watching the ceiling fans go around and around, laying under the tree and watching the leaves blow, shiny things like soda cans and cell phones, getting attention (of course, she's a girl!!), snuggling, and eating.

She still doesn't love car rides, but she has mellowed out in the car a lot. Unless she is hungry we don't hear much from her in the car.

Zoe doesn't give us much warning when she's getting upset. One minute she is all smiles, and with the blink of an eye she is in a full cry. Today I was making brownies, she was sitting in her Bumbo watching me, smiling and cooing so I grabbed my phone for a quick picture. I had no sooner taken the shot, sat down the phone and turned my back and she was in full hysterics. It is the craziest thing!

Zoe is a bit of a mama's girl, but she is happy with most anyone as long as they are holding her and talking to her. In moments of real distress though it's mommy she wants.

She is rolling from her back to her front, and she's ok on her tummy for a few minutes, but when she's done she hasn't figured out how to get back to her back and it makes her really mad. She scoots like crazy, she'll be facing one direction and in a minute or two she's scooted half way around and is facing the opposite direction.

She loves her rice cereal. I can't seem to feed her fast enough, I just get the spoon out of her mouth and she is crying for the next bite. Not a patient one, our miss Zoe!!

She has been, and continues to be a great night sleeper. There have only been a handful of nights that we have been up more than once or twice with her. She is now fully sleeping through the night, from 10-7, then she wakes up and eats and goes back to bed until about 10. Naps are a little more challenging. She fights her sleep at naptime and I think she must be like her mommy and like it really dark to sleep because she has a much harder time sleeping during the day. She used to love to be swaddled to sleep, but in the last 3 days has grown tired of swaddling, but she still loves to clutch her blankie.

What more can I say about my little girl. She is such a blessing to our home. She already has a sparkle about her. I love to see her personality emerging as she grows. The time is passing by so quickly, but I am loving each and every day I get to spend with her.

What do you do on the day you turn 2??

2010-08-10T01:49:00.007-06:00

Since we had a party for all of Hudson's little friends on Saturday we were a bit at a loss for what to do Sunday, his ACTUAL birthday. We decided we would just go with the flow, spend the day together, and let Hudson decide what activities we would do. We would give him two options at a time and he would pick one It was a lot of fun to see how easy it was for the simple things to bring him such happiness.

First he wanted to play with his balloons and watch Cars, of course. It was also very rainy and he was very interested in that, so he and the balloons went to check it out.

Birthday breakfast was Cinnamon Streussel muffins. He can't get enough. I gave him 2 and he devoured them and ate another one!!

Then it was time to burn off some of that energy by jumping on the bed (and trying to wake up daddy.) That was an exhausting activity, and he had to lay down and pretend to snore so he could rest! Funny boy!
Daddy finally woke up and took Hudson for a motorcycle ride around the block.

The rain finally stopped and the sun came out long enough for us to go to the splash pad. Hudson likes to go "To Infinity and Beyond" off the rocks. He prepped, "to infinimy" and then he jumped, "an menon."

The rain clouds came back so we left the splash pad and headed to Grami's. We decided to take the dogs for a walk. Of course Hudson had to hold Audrey's leash.

The day of celebrating ended with some birthday cake and Bee Movie.

It's hard to believe my little boy is 2. He is full of personality, attitude, and love.

Here are some fun things about him:

He is still a sweet boy MOST of the time, constantly telling us "I love you, Mommy/Zoe/Daddy."

He is very independent and likes to do most things by himself, telling me "I do it, Mommy."

He likes to do up buckles, push buttons, and turn the lights on and off

He loves going to the movie theatre, just like Mommy and Daddy

He still does really good in the car, and tries to keep Zoe calm because she doesn't do so good in the car

He likes to help pick out his clothes

He talks and talks and talks, even in his sleep

These are just a few of his current behaviors, there are many more. This is such a fun and difficult time. It really is terrible and teriffic!

Terrible or Teriffic...Hudson is 2!!

2010-08-10T00:32:00.005-06:00

It is official...Hudson has reached the "terrible 2s!" How did that happen so fast?? I swear it was just weeks ago that I had him, but now he's a toddler.

We celebrated his birthday a day early on Saturday, the 7th at Dave and Judy's house so we could make good use of their nice backyard and pool. Cars was the theme of the day since Hudson has been OBSESSED with Lightening McQueen and the whole crew for about 6 months. The kids had a great time swimming around with each other while they waited for Nate to get the hot dogs and burgers cooked.

They also painted little wooden cars at "Ramone's House of Body Art," had a pinata, and played a "Tow Mater" towing game while they waited. I hope they enjoyed themselves. It's a little challenge to find activities to entertain a wide age range, as well as boys AND girls.

After lunch Hudson opened his gifts. He is a very lucky boy to have so many friends to give him so many fun gifts. He got a good mix of things, which he has loved playing with!

Then it was cake time! I had a heck of a time finding a Lightening McQueen cake that I loved but there was this really sweet lady at Baskin Robbins who helped me until I found one I was very happy with!! I'm pretty sure Hudson made much more of a mess with his cake this year than he did on his 1st birthday, but that's fine.

I think it was a pretty big success with the birthday boy, and I hope all of the other kids enjoyed themselves.

Here are a few pictures of the party:

Give oh give away...

2010-08-02T00:29:00.002-06:00

I know you are all aware that I love a good giveaway. Janice over at Mama's Fantabulous Giveaways has always got something fun to give away!! This time she has teamed up with some good friends of mine from Royal Spice. I actually have a few items from Royal Spice and I absolutely LOVE them. The shirts look great alone, or can be layered. And the bracelet I have is a very high quality accessory that Zoe will be able to wear for a long time because they were smart and made them adjustable!! Anyway check them out, enter the giveaway...The more followers Mama's gets, the more giveaways she can offer...Then it's a win win for us all!!

Addictions

2010-07-26T10:25:00.003-06:00

I have recently become addicted to finding unique hair accessories for Zoe. As darling as she is, she has to have a headband on in order to look like a girl since she's such a baldy. I am also addicted to giveaway blogs because that is a great way to find uniqueness!! So I want to tell you about Princess Couture Designs and The Bragging Mommy. They teamed up to do a giveaway. Check it out!

Another great giveaway!

2010-07-22T21:37:00.001-06:00

Check out another fun giveaway here

Waaaay cute stuff!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-07-10T13:00:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday...It was a big one, one that I have been dreading for 5 years. To add to the crappiness of the day, Nate had to work late so we wouldn't really be able to celebrate together. I would've liked to stay in bed all day and just let it go by, pretending it never happened. That could not and did not happen however.

The day started off like it always does, Zoe woke up to be fed at 7 then went right back to bed, so I did too. Hudson woke up at 10, so I went in to get him and he told me "poopy mommy." I asked him if he needed to poop, he said yes, and I asked him if he wanted to go in the toilet. Again, he said yes. He has tried before and just sits and plays for a few minutes then he's over the toilet thing. Today was different though!! He actually went in the toilet! Wahoo!! What a great way to start my day.

Then it was time for me to get ready for lunch with some of the girls, Kami (and Jax), Tawni (and Stella), Laura (who was baby free, lucky girl), and KayDee (and Jordan and Saidee). Of course I was late due to a blow out by Zoe, and a battle with Hudson to get dressed, and a couple of unforeseen events, but my wonderful friends waited patiently at Olive Garden for us to finally arrive. I always have a great time with these girls and their kids. I feel bad that we didn't take a single picture.

The original plan had been to go swimming after lunch, but the kids were kinda done after lunch so we skipped swimming. As I was driving home I decided home was the last place I wanted to be, it was a mess and I didn't want to deal with it so I took Hudson and Zoe to Despicable Me. It was really funny!!

Zoe slept through most of the movie, and was asleep when it ended. On the way home from the movie Hudson fell asleep so I was hoping for a little nap with the kids, but as soon as I got Zoe out of the car she woke up, but she was super happy and smiley so I was fine with it. I laid her on the bed and started playing with her and the best thing happended...She laughed! Her little giggle sealed the deal for me...It was officially my best birthday ever! It was a day of firsts for my kids and I couldn't have been happier.

Nate finally got home from work at a little after 7 and we met up with Dave and Judy for dinner at Samurai 21, which was delicious.

I was able to have a fun girl's day in Vegas with my mom on Wednesday. It was a little like the "good old days" with no husbands or kids requiring our attention. It was just she and I shopping until we could shop no longer! I had my make up done at the MAC store, we had dinner at Cheesecake Factory, and just really enjoyed talking with my mom.

It was a good birthday, despite the mental issue I am having with turning 30...I mean 29

Not always sunshine and butterflies...

2010-07-02T02:10:00.002-06:00

I quite blogging for a while...Obviously. I just sorta got tired of reading about everyone else's "perfect" lives, because I am a comparer, and I was constantly measuring my life against what I was reading about other people's lives. It was starting to get to me so I stopped blogging all together.

I am back now, and I am here to stay (I think, no promises) because this is the only way I journal. I have basically missed journaling almost an entire year of Hudson's life. And I missed the first 3 months of Zoe's, 3 months I can sorta recall, 11 months not so much.

This time it's gonna be different for me though. I will not hesitate to blog about the good and the bad, because what I'm looking for is honesty from other people who are experiencing the same things I am, and I don't think I'm the only one out there who is searching for that, so that is what I will strive to do. And, no my life is not always sunshine and butterflies, but sometimes it is. I may start another blog for my random rantings, and keep this one strictly for journaling about the bright shiney moments, I'll just have to see how it goes.

And perhaps this is all just the rambling of a sleep deprived insomniac.

Zoe Jai Houston

2010-06-30T21:02:00.000-06:00

I guess it is about time...Ok, ok, way passed time to blog about bringing my beautiful daughter into the world. She is 3 months old after all. It is amazing how much she has changed in just those 3 short months though!

Here is the story of her arrival.

At my 34 week appointment I was measuring small, at 32.5 inches. Dr. K wasn't too concerned but he said he'd like to keep a close watch on it because if I measured 3 inches too small we'd have to find out why. At 35 & 36 weeks I was measuring about 2.5 inches small so he ordered an ultrasound. It showed the amniotic fluid was a bit low, an 8 when it should be a 10. Still he wasn't too concerned he said it didn't get too dangerous for the baby until it reached 6. Then at 37 weeks I went in and was measuring 3.5 inches too small so he ordered another ultrasound. My fluid was now just barely 6, with a couple of pockets measuring even less than that, so Dr. K scheduled me for induction 2 days later, on Friday March 26.

The hospital called at 6 am and told me they were ready for us. After a quick stop at WalMart for some Zicam for Nate, who was coming down with something, we were off.

I was settled in my room and hooked up to monitors by 7, and by 8 they had started me on a VERY slow pitocin drip. I started feeling a few twinges, but nothing that was at all painful, and I could tell we were in for another long labor. I was at a 3 when I went in, and nearly 4 hours later I was almost at a 4. They called Dr. K to see when he would be there to check me and he said an hour (this was at about noon).

At a quarter to one the nurse (who was WAAAAY too chatting and quite annoying) came in to tell me the anesthesiologist was going into surgery and asked me if I wanted my epidural now or if I wanted to wait until he was out of surgery. Now, please and thank you!

I would've loved to have taken a nap after getting my epidural, but as I just mentioned my nurse was far too social to let that happen. I must've been her only patient, because I think she was in my room basically the entire day! Just blogging about this is getting me all frustrated again :) Ok, I may be over exaggerating things a bit. I did take a nap and when I woke up it was almost 3 and the Dr was just getting there.

He broke my water and told them to keep the pitocin at the same dosage for 2 more hours. I wasn't even to a 5 yet so I was a little disappointed that he didn't allow them to up it at all.

Nate and I watched a movie on the laptop, discussed what we were going to name this little bundle when she finally did arrive, had a few visitors, and suddenly it was shift change and Chatty Cathy was coming in to say goodbye. The nurse I got after her was FABULOUS! Penny was her name, and I could tell she was a take-charge kind of gal. She checked me shortly after she got there and I was still just a 5, she said she was going to call the Dr and see if we could up the drip. 45 minutes or so later she came back and sure enough he had given her the green light.

It was nearly 8 pm by then, 12 hours since being induced. My labor with Hudson was 12 hours and 42 minutes, and I was very disappointed that this was was clearly going to be much much longer than that. I had always heard it's faster with each kid. Not in my case I guess, but when have I ever been the "typical" type?

I tried sleeping a bit more, but I was anxious. My mom and Judy came to be with us around 9. Nate tried to keep me entertained, but I wasn't a great audience. I was ready to get this baby here and in my arms. Not to mention I had been too anxious to eat that morning so I was starting to get pretty hungry.

Once the contractions got going the baby's monitor kept slipping and they ended up putting one on her head so they could keep track of her heart rate, same thing happened with Hudson. It seemed like once that happened things started moving very quickly.

I was incredibly numb, more than I remember from before. I could feel nothing. Penny had been having me switch sides trying to get the baby to move down ever since she came on shift and I was of no use to help myself move.

At midnight she came in and checked me and said I was almost there and asked if I felt like I was ready to push. I seriously felt nothing at all. So she left and came back about 20 or 30 minutes later and said that we were about to have a baby. The other nurse ran to call Dr. K and luckily he lives about 7 minutes away from the hospital. While we were waiting for him Penny had me push once and made me stop. Baby was that close! FINALLY!!

Dr K walked in at 12:40 am, and I asked if we could shoot for this baby arriving at 12:42 am, same time as Hudson...Maybe a little weird, but I thought it would be kinda fun. So we had a count down going, as soon as 12:42 hit I gave 2 good pushes and she was here! She cried one tiny little cry, and of course I was crying too.

The first thing I noticed and commented on when I saw her was how small she was, then how she looked like Hudson. They laid her on my chest and Nate cut the cord, something he didn't get to do with Hudson. I held her for just a few minutes, long enough for Judy to snap some very pictures, then they took her so they could clean her up. My mom took that time to run to Denny's to get a sandwich for me.

She hardly cried at all when getting bathed, diapered, dressed, poked and prodded. A little fussing, but for the most part she just seemed to be taking in her new surroundings with a lot of curiosity.

Our little Zoe Jai was born Saturday, March 27th, 2010 at 12:42 am. She weighed 6 lbs. 12 oz., and was 21.5 inches long.

We stayed in the hospital until 3 pm on Sunday. We were a little nervous taking her home. Hudson had been diagnosed with RSV the previous Monday, but the pediatrician reassured me that he was no longer contagious and we would be safe taking her home to meet him. I was so happy to hear that, because I hadn't been away from him for more than 1 night, and I was sure missing my little monkey!

We arrived home and my fantastic mom, who had been staying at our house with Hudson, had decorated our garage with a cute banner and balloons. My grandma was also there waiting to meet Zoe.

All in all it was a pretty low-key delivery. I was nervous the days leading up to it because of the slight complication. Turns out I had nothing to be worried about. I am actually very thankful now that she came 2 1/2 weeks early. Much better than 10 days late...ahem..Hudson...

And without further ado...Some pictures of her first couple of days.

Just minutes old and already looks like she's up to something.

Proud papa

Ready to go home and meet her big brother

Zoe had Great Grandma Twitchell waiting at home to meet her.
Hudson's first time holding his baby sister.

3 Months Old

2010-06-30T06:23:00.002-06:00

My little drama queen is 3 months old now. I don't know where the time went.

Seems like just yesterday when I snuck a home pregnancy test out of the bathroom and into our bedroom at Dave and Judy's and waited for Nate to come to bed so I could share the news.

Neither one of us were prepared for another child, and it came as quite a surprise to both of us. But, the way I see it she was meant to be here. I was on the pill, and still nursing Hudson. Not to mention we were living with the in-laws which does not lend itself to much..ahem...baby making if you will. But yet on that fateful Monday, August 3rd, just 5 days before my baby's first birthday, there I was holding a little white stick with two pink lines...I couldn't have been more than 4 weeks pregnant as my due date was determined to be April 13.

Nothing has been the same since then. We were able to find a place of our own and moved in August 11. After 17 weeks of morning sickness, and many more weeks of crazy pregnant girl, we welcomed Zoe to our family 2 1/2 weeks early on March 27, 2010.

She is a beautiful girl. She looks so much like her brother, just more petite. She's tall and skinny, and doesn't have much hair. I'm grateful that she is staying small, almost like a newborn since Nate seems to think she is our last.

Here are some things I love about her...

She has slept through the night since she was 3 weeks old

She loves to cuddle

She loves to be swaddled and will sleep for hours as long as she doesn't kick out of that swaddle

She takes a binky, and it isn't the hospital one!!

She switches from the breast to the bottle and back again with no problem

She smiles a lot in the mornings and right after her naps

She smiles best for me and Hudson

She loves attention...Hey what girl doesn't!?

She loves to eat

She already enjoys being outside, and she especially likes when she can see the sun shine through the leaves on trees.

A few things that I've noticed are different between her and Hudson...

She does not love the car seat, or rides in the car. Hudson still falls asleep easily in the car

She is a much better sleeper at night, but Hudson took better naps, which I suppose makes sense

She loves a bath in her bath tub only, Hudson was content in the sink or tub, anywhere as long as it was water

She is taller than he was at her age, he was chunkier and a little stronger

A few things that I've noticed are similar in her and Hudson...

They both have a faint dimple in their right cheek

They love/loved Baby Einstein

They love being outside

They love each other

At Zoe's 2 month check up she weighed 11 lbs. 6 oz. and was 23.5 inches tall. She's doing great. I love her to death. She's a little high maintenance, and man can she scream when she is upset. But she's my angel girl and I am so glad she came to our family! Can't imagine it without her now!!

Zoe's Blessing Day

2010-06-30T06:03:00.003-06:00

After much scrambling around and a majorly last minute decision, Zoe was blessed on June 6, 2010 by her grandpa Dave Houston. He gave a beautiful blessing, one that I hope both she and I can live up to.

We are so blessed to have such a loving family who were there to support us. Nate's parents, and grandparents, and sister Ashlee were there. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and some cousins were there too. We also had a few wonderful friends there.

After the meeting we had a luncheon at Nate's parents house. Originally I had planned on doing it at our little house, but because we have such awesome family and friends we decided at the last minute to move it because our house is too small to hold such a crowd!!

Better late than never, I just want to say thank you to everyone who came and made the day so special for our family. Thanks for being so loving and supportive, and helping us celebrate this beautiful new life!

She looked and acted like an angel all day...The drama queen disappeared for a few hours!

Grandma Twitchell loves the babies...Hudson is a little rough at times with Zoe, but he insists on kissing her on the lips, and if she's not facing him, he turns her head toward him.

Not the greatest shot, but is there ever a great shot with a toddler? I'm not sure

The next generation of best cousins. Zoe, Hudson (mine), Rylee (Cami's), Karter, and Bella (Brittany's).

Randomness

2010-06-30T05:46:00.005-06:00

I know that pictures are what everyone really wants to see. Here are a few random ones I thought I'd share.

4 generations on Mother's Day in Cannonville

Outside the St. James chapel after church on Mother's Day

First time in the pool this year. Look at that tan line!!

Cutest little naked butt around.

My wonderful photographer friend Shellee took Zoe's newborn pictures, but couldn't resist snapping a few candids of Hudson too. She does a great job!

Open House on Saturday March 20th

2010-03-17T09:54:00.002-06:00

Hey everybody! I am having an open house from 4-7 on Saturday march 20th for Simply Bella. Its an accessories company my friend Vanessa has started. She makes darling stuff. Check out her website at www.simply-bella.com then come on over Saturday for some great specials. Scarves will be be 50% off, headbands are buy 1 get the 2nd one half off, and she'll have jewelry sets for $5. If you want to come, message me for my address, and feel free to bring any friends along! See ya there!

Bad Blogger!

2010-02-10T17:43:00.004-07:00

I know I've been horrible at this blogging ever since we moved into our own place. One day we will have internet and reconnect with the world!!

Hudson turned 18-months old on Monday, and had his check-up on Tuesday. He is still a shorty, measuring in at 30 inches, which puts him in the 3.75 percentile. His doctor doesn't seem to be too concerned, he said some kids just hit their growth spurt later. I'm hoping he catches up soon!! He has almost hit the 25 lb mark, and is in the 36th percentile for his weight. Everything else looks good, and he is hitting all of his developmental milestones perfectly. He is saying lots of words now, and we've got to be careful what we say around him because he tries to repeat EVERYTHING!!

We are finally getting ready for our new addition, and she should be here in 7 weeks. This pregnancy has flown, and last week I laid awake worrying because we had absolutely not one thing for her, so I called my mom and she came down and we got started. We now have a crib, a few blankets and clothes; her bedding is ordered, and this weekend I will be getting her dresser which needs refinishing. We still haven't agreed on a name, and I am guessing that it will be just like with Hudson and we'll finally decide once we're in the hospital. Nate loves to put things off!! He should just give in now, because we all know he's going to in the end:)

Hudson and I have been anxiously waiting for the weather to warm up so we can spend more time outside. We both get a little restless on those cold rainy days when there's not much to do but stay indoors. There's not enough space in our little house for him to run and run and run like he loves to do!

Nate is still in school, taking Physiology this semester. It should be his last prerequisite for getting in to the Physical Therapy Assistant program! He's doing really well, I just keep wishing he could find a job in St. George that would free him up to take more classes each semester. At least he has a job and we're thankful for that for sure.

I am finishing up my beginning Medical Billing and Coding class tonight! It has taken me much longer than it should have, but I'm done and hope to find a job that will let me work from home. There are 2, more advanced classes I need to take, but the next one starts about a week before the baby is due so I'll have to wait until the next time it is offered. I'll look forward to the break from school, I'm too old to still be there!!

Those are the major things going on with us. Sorry it's not more exciting and that there are no pictures. Someday soon I'll remember to post some.

Polls are open! Cast your vote

2009-11-14T12:38:00.002-07:00

Amy suggested I take votes on names for our baby girl, so I've added a poll at the top of the page. Vote for your favorite name! As you can see, her middle name has already been decided, it will be Jai ("J" for our mom's Jean and Judy). As I previously mentioned, these are the names we've (sort of) agreed on so far, the list may change over the course of the next 5 months!

It's a GIRL!!!

2009-11-12T20:21:00.002-07:00

For those of you that don't already know...

Yesterday we finally were able to have a definitive ultrasound. We found out we are going to welcome a little girl to our family April 13th!! We are very excited. Everything looked perfect on the ultrasound which is really the best news.

In the quest for names we've narrowed it down to 3 options, which is a record for us considering that I was recieving my epidural before we agreed on Hudson. Of course in the next 5 months that list could get longer or shorter!!

I have yet to go shopping for our new addition, which is also a record. 2 full shopping days have passed and I have not bought one dress, bow, or shoe! I'm sure that won't last too long since it is much much easier to spend money on girls than it is on boys, and I've become pretty good at spending it on Hudson so I'm in real trouble.

With your votes you could be looking at the next Gap Baby!!

2009-10-29T20:38:00.003-06:00

I recently entered Hudson in the Gap Casting Call. They are looking for the next 4 faces of BabyGap and GapKids. Friends and family can vote once a day until November 17th for their favorite, and since I know Hudson has a special spot in all of our hearts I'm hoping we can enlist your votes. You do have to register with your email address to vote and it is a little work the first time, but after that it is pretty simple, especially if you save the page to your favorites.

If you want to participate:

Go to gap.com/castingcall
Scroll to the bottom of the page where it says Search Entries
Put in Hudson's ID number 45999236 or cherhouston (all one word, no spaces), hit search
Vote for our boy!

Hudson and a few others...

2009-10-11T17:02:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures from some of our recent outings... Getting wood "over home" aka Cannonville area

Hudson stealing a drink from Grandpa Stew's GIANT soda jug

Waiting for Daddy, Cody, and Grandpa to finish loading the wood

A few weeks ago my parents were sealed in the St. George Temple. These are a few pictures from that day.

Hudson loves his little cousin Rylee.

Upside down sunglasses boy

Grandma and Hudson love spending time together

Roses taste yummmmmmmy

It's Been a LOOOOOONG Time

2009-10-06T19:51:00.002-06:00

Since we moved out on our own, we have not had the internet so blogging has become a thing of my past. I thought I would do a quick update.

We have settled into our new place, got rid of a bunch of stuff at a yard sale, and enjoyed the last camping trip of the year.

Nate is busy with school, taking anatomy and looking at cadavers. He's been giving plasma which gives him about 4 hours every week to study. He's also been skating and scoping out a new place to build dirt jumps for his bike.

Hudson has been crazy...Loving the Jungle Book and marching to the elephant song from the movie. He's learned lots of new stuff. He is just my crazy little man. He loves being outside and escapes out the door every time it is open. He keeps me busy!

I am now 15 1/2 weeks pregnant. We are looking forward to finding out if we're having a boy or girl. I've still been extremely sick, but my doctor finally gave me some medicine which has helped a ton. This has definitely been a different experience than my pregnancy with Hudson. I'm also still going to school when I can.

That's our life right now in a nutshell...Wish I had some pictures to post. Maybe eventually we'll hook up the internet at our house and I'll be back in the blogging world!

BIG BIG News!

2009-08-10T20:03:00.003-06:00

After invading Dave and Judy for the last 10 months we are finally moving into our own place!! It is so exciting. Hudson is going to be in his own room for the first time in his whole life. We have started moving a little bit of stuff over, and we are hoping by the weekend we will be totally settled in our new place.

Oh yeah, and Hudson got this new T-shirt for his birthday... That's right! He's gonna be a big brother in March. This news came as quite a shock to us, but we are so excited! We found out last Monday and it was a killer to keep it a secret from our families for the week, but we managed and surprised everyone before Hudson's party.

Hudson is ONE!!!!!

2009-08-09T10:11:00.005-06:00

Yesterday our little monkey turned one. It's hard to believe that he isn't a baby anymore, he's a toddler now. Time flies!! He is one lucky/spoiled/loved little boy. We had a great day celebrating with family and friends... He loved the Happy Birthday song, and enjoyed hearing it about 7 times throughout the day!

It all started out with a yummy pancake breakfast prepared by Daddy.

After a short nap Hudson was ready to make his grand entrance in the wagon he got from Grandpa and Grandma Ivie. Hudson LOVES balloons so he got lots of balloons to start the festivites. Tawni made him a darling party hat, and he actually kept in on for a few pictures before tearing it off.

Nate barbecued hamburgers, bratwursts, and hotdogs, and we had some delicious salads and side dishes for lunch which I totally missed taking pictures of. The weather was perfect for barbecuing and eating outside.

After lunch we decided to let Hudson get busy with his gifts since he had so many to open! Like I said lucky/loved/spoiled!!

After playing a little with his new toys which included a lawn mower, lots of books, a ride-on car, 2 shape sorters, a few trucks and balls, some clothes, and a dvd player for the car it was CAKE TIME!!!

Auntie Brittany made this ridiculously darling monkey cake for Hudson. I ALMOST hated to watch him destroy it because of all of her hard work making it so cute.

At first he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do with it so he was slowly picking at the frosting. Finally he dug in though and had a great time eating lots of sugar which made him thirsty so he stole a few sips of water from my mom.

After cake for Hudson and cupcakes for all of the guests it was time to swim. Hudson made a big escape when Nate was changing him into his swim diaper and board shorts and I couldn't resist the naked bum picture because of his cute tan lines!

Finally most everyone left and Hudson had fun showing off his new toys for his Mommy, Daddy, and grandparents. Grammy Houston decided he needed a snack so she put him in his high chair for some strawberries and blueberries. I guess all of the excitement of the day (combined with only taking a 1/2 hour nap all day) finally kicked in because within minutes he was zonked out!

Some of the things that make it fun to be one:

Walking and sometimes running

Lots of babbling that often sounds like Chinese

Saying a few words; bird, ball, balloon, thank you, dad, mom, and baby

Giving "loves" to everyone, especially Sadie

Making silly faces

Watching Baby Einstein while swinging

Escaping during diaper changes

Lots and lots of playing

Getting into things he shouldn't

Drumming on metal bowls with wooden spoons or wire whisks

Eating anything and everything...dirt, bugs, dog food....

Dancing

Laughing

Getting chased

Imitating the sounds of cars, snakes, and monkeys

Going crazy by shaking his head back and forth really fast

Flirting with girls of all ages

Happy happy birthday Hudson! We love you so so much. You are a great little boy. You bring so much happiness to your family! This first year with you has been quite and adventure as I'm sure the years to come will be. We are so lucky to be your parents. Everyday is a learning experience for you and it is amazing to watch you figure things out and gain your independence. Even though I always say you're growing up too fast it has been fun to see you go from a little infant into the silly toddler you are now, and I'm sure as you continue growing the fun will continue too!!

It's Official!!

2009-07-13T21:41:00.002-06:00

Hudson is walking!! He's been taking a few steps here and there since last Tuesday, and tonight he actually took off. I have very mixed emotions about this latest development. Excited that now I won't have to carry him everywhere and he is gaining his independance. Not excited that now he can get away and into things so much faster....

He is also talking. His favorite things to say are "Uh oh" and "bird" My little boy is growing up so fast! I can't stand it.

The last post of it's kind....sorta

2009-07-09T00:05:00.004-06:00

Hudson is 11 months old...He is all but walking, in fact on July 7th, one day before hitting his 11 month mark he took 5 steps on his own. He's still not too sure of himself and finds it easier just to crawl where he needs to go, but he really goes when someone has a hold of his hands. I give it a couple more weeks before we've got a full-on toddler on our hands! He is such a friendly baby. He loves new people and the attention he gets from anybody is a welcomed distraction for him. His lack of shyness toward strangers does worry me a little, but he never lets me get too far out of his sight.

We are so lucky to have such a happy and content little guy. We drag him all over the place, and he spends lots of time in the car. My mom calls him a gypsy baby because he's always on the go. In spite of all of the traveling he never gets too cranky and is just always happy to get out and stretch and stretch.

Some fun litte facts...

He can tell you "what the monkey says"

He can tell you "how the car goes"

(he sometimes gets these two mixed up)

He can stand on his own as long as he wants, and can even drink a bottle or sippy while standing

He is extremely ticklish all of the sudden. He giggles the whole time he's getting his diaper changed because apparently his inner-thigh is a major tickle spot!

He loves fireworks

He loves lots of fruits; apples, peaches, apricots, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, and grapes--Just like his daddy

He loves treats; ice cream, popsicles, animal crackers, cookies, cupcakes, and chocolate-- Just like his mommy

He still loves Baby Einstein videos and his swing

He loves brushing his teeth

He's very independent. He likes to feed himself, and if someone else gets food into his mouth he will spit it out and put it back in himself

He has recently developed a fear of the vacuum when it is running, but he's fascinated by it when it's off

He's still a mama's boy most of the time

He loves playing with other kids, but gets a little aggressive with grabbing sometimes

He is full of mischief

He is fearless

He still doesn't sleep through the night (ok, not a fun fact, but I'll be overjoyed the day I post that he is consistantly sleeping at night)

Our lives have changed drastically from a year ago. I don't remember what I did with my time before Hudson came along, yet it seems like just yesterday that I was anxiously waiting for him to arrive. There is nothing more precious to me than to hold him when he's sleeping, or to hear him laugh when I chase him. On the flip side of that, nothing breaks my heart more than to hear him cry when he is hurt (which is quite often these days) or sick. My days are better because of him. As I put him to bed tonight I realized there is nothing I would rather be doing on the eve of my 29th birthday than being Hudson's mommy. Love you little monkey

Good Little Sharer

2009-06-27T10:55:00.003-06:00

Somewhere, somehow Hudson has taught himself to share. It's so cute. He always wants to share; his bottle, his toys, his food. He mostly shares with Sadie, but this morning he wanted to share his banana with this daddy. It was one of those rare moments where I had the camera out and ready and I was able to get some cute pictures.

He loves his bananas!!

So nice to share with Daddy!!

Hugs and kisses for being a good baby...

One big bite for a little mouth!

Father's Day Weekend

2009-06-26T12:19:00.003-06:00

We were lucky enough to get to celebrate Father's Day with my family AND Nate's family this year.

On Saturday we drove to Cannonville for a cookout with my Grandparents, Uncle Doug, Aunt Tammy, Brittany, Chad, and Brock. My parents were spending the day with Stew's family so we only got to hang out with them for a little bit.

We stayed overnight there and went to church, then headed to Zion to meet up with Dave, Judy, and Ashlee for a fun day of hiking.

My grandpa, me, and a sleepy little Hudson

Uncle Doug, Aunt Tammy, Brittany (and the twins in her cute little pregnant belly), and Stew

Stew showing Hudson how to drive the Rhino before we left on Sunday

Hudson and Sadie taking in the gorgeous views.

We had Sadie with us and since you aren't supposed to have dogs on the trails in the park we "snuck" her in by storing her in the stroller!

Family pic!

Hudson and me at the beginning of the Narrows

Hudson walking in the river, it was freezing cold, but he didn't seem to mind at all!

Cute little nature boy!

All of the events of the weekend pooped him out. This is how I found him when I went to bed, little stinkbug pose. Notice his onesie is undone? Yeah, it was buttoned when he went to sleep, not sure how that happened!!

Happy 10 Months!!

2009-06-08T09:48:00.003-06:00

Hudson is 10 months old today. This last month has flown and he has learned so much! I love watching him grow and develop his little cute personality. He has some "tricks" that mostly only I have seen, when I try to get him to perform for other people he just freezes!

Here are some fun, and not so fun things he's up to these days...

Waving
Pointing
Thinking he is a puppy (eating dog food, playing with dog toys...)
Standing without holding on to anything (20 seconds is the longest so far)
Being extremely strong-willed (stubborn)
Drinking through a straw...in fact he hates sippy cups, but loves straws
Playing the piano, and he doesn't just pound on one set of keys, he moves up and down the keyboard, maybe we've got a little musician in the making
Opening cupboards and being frusterated that we've locked some so he can't get into them
Sings "She Loves You," by the Beatles...Ok I sing the "she loves you" part but he follows up with the "yeah, yeah, yeah" part
Loving everyone, not just mommy anymore
Helping Grammy water the flowers and playing with the garden hose.
Tormenting Sadie and Audry
Watching NickJr. cartoons like Dora and Diego, and Wonder Pets
Climbing stairs
Working on his first words...I'm pretty sure we've heard some form of "Sadie" "hot" and "light"
Being tough and fearless and crazy, just like daddy
Not sleeping through the night
Working on new teeth

Here are some pictures from the last couple of weeks.

His first bath in the big bathtub, at first he hated it, but by the end he didn't want to get out!

Getting ready for his big performance... What a poser!

Look at the concentration

Happy little family on our 2nd wedding anniversary

Here we are at the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.

Hanging out with Great Grandma T. telling some sort of story to her I'm sure!

Happy 10 month birthday little man. I can't believe in just 60 days we'll be celebrating your first birthday. You are such a joy to have around. There is no way the last 10 months could've been any better. Watching you grow and learn is so much fun. I love hanging out with you everyday, and even the few hours I leave you to go to school I miss you like crazy! You are such a funny boy, you really love attention from everyone and pull the silliest faces when you get it. I never knew being a mom would be so much fun, but with a little monkey like you it's a blast!

First Haircut!!

2009-06-03T21:52:00.002-06:00

I went to see Amy today to get my eyebrows waxed and let her see her "boyfriend", Hudson. While we were there she convinced me that if I let her cut Hudson's hair it would look much thicker when it grows out, since he doesn't have much hair anyway I figured what the heck!! Of course I didn't have my camera with me for the momentus occassion so we took these with Amy's Blackberry.

Here's the before picture. You can sorta see the few long hairs he had that I tried forming into a faux-hawk. He was loving the cape and wouldn't hold his hands still long enough for a picture.

Hudson with his "hairstylist", Amy

The first few cuts didn't upset him, he just wasn't quite sure what to think...

...but then he got real pissed. I think it was more the sound of the clippers than the way it felt.

After the torture. I guess he thinks he looks ok by the half smile!

I can't believe how fast my boy is growing! Haircuts seem like such a big boy thing, not something my little baby should be doing yet. In just 5 short days he'll be 10 months old, and I will say it again, where does the time go?!?!?

2 Years

2009-06-02T16:16:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe that 2 years ago today Nate and I were married. Sometimes it seems like much longer than that and other times it seems like it was just yesterday. It's amazing how much our lives have changed since this day!

I loved my cake so I had to include a picture of it!!

Happy anniversary babe. I love you for being the hard-working person you've become and for still being that kid you will always be. You're a wonderful father, thanks for always being willing to change poopy diapers and take Hudson when I need a little break.

Update

2009-05-19T10:40:00.003-06:00

Hudson had his 9 month check-up today, and he is still just a tiny little guy. Not sure where he came from!! He weighs 18 lbs and 12 oz (16th percentile) and he's 27 1/2" (19th percentile). The doctor says he's looking good though. I am so proud of him. He was happy and smiley the whole time the doctor was looking at his throat, ears, eyes and nose; then when the nurse gave him his shot he didn't cry at all. He was so busy trying to free his hands from mine so that he could get a toy in his mouth that I don't think he even realized he got a shot. He's fearless and tough just like his daddy!!

Swimming, Zion, and a Goose Egg

2009-05-11T12:04:00.004-06:00

This weekend was busy and filled with lots of fun.

Saturday morning I was busy getting Mother's Day gifts ready, so Nate and Hudson got to have Father-Son time. Brittany and Chad came down in the early afternoon and after a delightful lunch at Cafe Rio we all went back to our place to enjoy the sun and pool. The water was a little cold and took some getting used to. I was worried about getting the baby in the cool water, but he had a great time kicking and splashing in his little boat.

After they left we hurried to get cleaned up to meet Grandpa and Grandma Houston for an early Mother's Day celebration dinner at Texas Roadhouse, which was unbelieveably busy at 4:30 in the afternoon so Nate, Hudson, Ashlee and I ended up at a different table than Grandpa, Grandma, Dave and Judy, but it was still delish!

My original plan for Saturday was to spend the entire day getting ready for What Women Want (coming up this weekend, the 15th and 16th), Lisa and I have a booth there this year. I will be selling my watches, and she will be selling her super cute, anti-cheesy baby stuff. We will also be selling the Houston Family cookbook. With all of the fun we were having I didn't get to my watches until about 6 pm. Nate was awesome and kept the baby busy, and fed, and when it was bathtime and bedtime he took care of that too. I was able to get lots done without chasing Hudson all over the house.

Sunday morning Nate surprised Judy and I with breakfast in bed. I should've taken a picture of it, because he did a great job. He made macadamia nut pancakes, and garnished the plates with grapes and a chocolate dipped strawberry. It was so sweet of him!!

It's so great to be back in Utah, and close to our families. We were able to celebrate Mother's Day with both of our moms. We went to church with Judy at 9. I'm so glad we did. It was a great meeting! Then we stopped at the house for just a minute then we were off to another Sacrament Meeting. Cami and Shelby blessed Rylee yesterday and it was so fun to be able to share their special day with them. Of course my mom and Grandma were in town for the blessing also, along with most of our extended family. After the blessing we all met at the Bloomington Hills park for a yummy lunch. We had lots of fun visiting with each other. I for some reason forgot my camera, so I'm sad that I don't have any pictures.

After lunch Nate asked me what I wanted to do the rest of the day and I decided we should head to Zion. I hadn't been hiking there since we moved to California, Hudson had only been there once when he was like 3 weeks old and we just drove through, and it has kind of always been a special place for Nate and I, that's where we used to go all the time while we were dating, and it's where he proposed. Basically it's my favorite place ever! Dave and Judy came with us and we had a great time. We did the Emerald Pools hike, which nearly kicked my butt. I need to get in shape! But it was gorgeous. I love going there in the late afternoon. The sun is just right to make shadows in the perfect places to make it seem like the giant cliffs are framed perfectly for picture taking!Hudson seemed to really enjoy looking at all the new sights. He just took it all in.

We found this really cool way old tree with a big hole in the trunk, it looked like it could be an owl perch or something. Perfect place to put a baby and take a picture right??

After our hike we went to the Pizza & Noodle Company in Springdale for dinner. We sat out on the porch and watched as the sun dropped lower and lower, which did amazing things to the colors in the cliffs, Judy and I both said we could just stay there forever!

On our way home Hudson zonked out in the car, which I knew spelled out a long night for us. As soon as we got home around 9:30 he was up being crazy. One of his favorite things to do is to stand up at the coffee table and just hit it with his hands. Well, he took both hands off at the same time, lost his balance and cracked his head on the corner of the table. It was so sad. He cried and cried, and almost immediately got a big goose egg and bruise. I tried taking a picture this morning, this is the best I could get. I'm thinking that he bruises easily, which he gets from me. Add that to the fact that he's his father's child and not afraid of anything, and it makes me a little concerned people will start to think we're abusive! Nope, not abusive, he's just ALL BOY!

Happy 9 Months Hudson!!

2009-05-08T11:19:00.003-06:00

One more month has come and gone and I am still not understanding where the time goes. I swear I just had this little boy and now he is feeding himself, helping with the dishes, and trying to MacGuyver his way out of a baby gate. We don't go for his check up until next Thursday so I will be doing my regular birthday updating then, but for today I wanted to share a few pictures of our last day as an 8 month old.

First we woke up and had some breakfast... I made him some scrambled eggs to see what he would do, and he wasn't real sure about them so Grammy (Judy) decided to give him some Maple Brown Sugar oatmeal, but he wouldn't let her feed it to him so she let him feed himself. This took about 45 minutes to clean up, and his hands still smell like Maple Brown Sugar even after a bath and a full day of playing. I don't think he'll be getting oatmeal again anytime soon!!

This kid can crawl! I put him down in the family room and ran to go potty, 30 or so seconds later I come out to find him 6 steps up the stairs, so I immediately put up the baby gate and watched as he tried to figure out how he could get around it...I LOVE this picture, he looks like a little prisoner who doesn't know why he's locked up!

Can I go over it??? Nope it's too tall. DANG!

What's this bar thing? I know this is the key to my freedom!! If I could only figure out the puzzle...

Maybe if I sit down I can go under it or around it. Somebody PLEASE let me out!

That's it I'm done.

I can only hope that as he gets bigger he wants to be as much of a helper! I was putting some dishes in the dishwasher and he crawled over to help me out.

Happy birthday buddy!!

What the Houston's have been up to in the last month!

2009-05-03T10:46:00.004-06:00

I've been a pretty bad blogger lately so I thought I would give you a quick run-down of what we'be been up to.Celebrating Easter with my family in St. George on Saturday, FREEZING to death!Spending Easter with Nate's family on Sunday in Beaver Dam, I got a little sunburned.Learning how to brush his 4 teethFiguring out that if he stands up in his crib to cry he gets more response from Daddy Being preciousGoing to the Jazz game with my parents, and Ross. (Nate calls this his "bulldog" face. When he does this he breathes in and out of his nose really fast.)Enjoying Korver's athleticism... Ok that is probably just what I've been up to!More fun at the Jazz game. Check out the earplugs... Loving swim days at Stella's grandma's house, but not loving the grass at all

And finally celebrating Grandma Ivie's birthday with cupcakes from 25 Main!

4 Teeth

2009-04-20T13:47:00.002-06:00

Here is the first picture of Hudson's teeth. We were hanging out with my friend Michaela yesterday and she took this with her phone. You can't see the 4th tooth, since it's just a tiny little one, it just broke through Saturday. Notice the giant gap between his 2 front teeth? Yeah, no idea where that comes from, Nate and I both had crowded teeth. We have been pretty busy lately. Hudson and I spent 3 days at my mom's while I did a watch party hosted by Janice. It was my first one, and I felt like it was a good success. Not too many people were able to make it, but we are planning on another one sometime in May.

This past weekend Nate, Hudson and I went to Salt Lake to visit with Sean and Michaela. They were our friends in Oceanside, and they just moved to Utah. Nate and Sean spent the entire weekend on their skateboards, while Michaela and I dragged Hudson to lots of stores, and made flower hair clips.

We all went to Park City on Friday, the boys went to a couple of skateparks but dropped Michaela, Hudson, and I off at the outlets. I love all the fun stores they have and I was so excited to do some non-st. george shopping. We had been there for about an hour when the power went out. Every store shut down and we weren't able to keep shopping. It was a total disappointment since we hadn't even made it to half of the stores we wanted to. It was almost another hour before Sean and Nate came to pick us up, and still the power was out. Guess I'll just have to go up again!

I feel like I have lived the last 2 weeks on the road, and again this week I'm heading up to my mom's to deliver some watches. Then she and I are planning a girl's day to Vegas on Saturday. Poor Hudson is probably sick to death of his car seat and sleeping in his pack-n-play. He's such a good baby though. He never gets really upset about all the traveling. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things will stay that way!!

8 Months Old

2009-04-10T01:41:00.003-06:00

I know I sound like a broken record but I can't believe how fast Hudson is growing up! He is 8 months old, and almost not a baby anymore. He has reached some big milestones in the last month, and while I am so incredibly proud of him, it also makes me a little sad to know that those baby days are almost gone.

For starters, he took his precious time getting teeth. All of the babies that we know who are his age had teeth weeks, and some even months before him. The first one came in on March 25th and once that one came in it was a teething frenzy. He got the second one on the 30th, his third one came in April 3rd and I wouldn't be surprised to see his 4th tooth pop through in the next day or two. Just as I was afraid of, the teeth have made nursing a little bit of a scary undertaking.

Also this month he has learned to feed himself...Ok he's just feeding himself puffs but still it was pretty amazing to watch the learning process in action. His good buddy Jax shared puffs with him one day at the park, and he like them so much we went and stocked up. The first time he tried to feed himself he would grab a whole handful and get one in his mouth for about every 25 he dropped. It only took him about a day and a half to actually get the hang of it, picking them up with just his thumb and index finger, and I would say he only drops 2-3 for every 1 he gets in now!

Hudson is also quite a talker. He jabbers pretty much non-stop now. HAHAHAHA is his very favorite expression, with babababa, yayayaya, and dadada, and gagagaga adding to the converstation.

Finally the biggest milestone, and the hardest for me by far is he has become mobile. He started crawling on April 2nd, and at first he didn't get far so it wasn't a big deal. In just a week's time, however, he has become very good his new-found freedom and is all over the place and into everything, which has earned him the nickname Hurricane Hudson. His favorite path of destruction is the DVD storage. All of the videos are stored in the entertainment center under the TV, the perfect height for a little crawler! So he crawls over, and methodically pulls the DVDs onto the floor. Once he is satisfied with the size of the mess he has made he crawls on. I can't stop him though because I can see how much joy he gets out of his new game, and I know these are the times I will miss when I send him off to his first day of Kindergarten. So I let him go do his thing, and just try to have it cleaned up before his daddy comes home, because we all know what sort of anxiety a giant mess causes for someone with a severe case of OCD!!

I was talking to Tawni the other day and we were saying how bad it would/will suck if Blogger just one day disappears. This is the only "journaling" I do so I know a lot of the stuff I write gets repetitive, but I hope it is here for us, especially Hudson, to look back on and know how we feel.

Happy Birthday, baby boy!! Your mommy and daddy love you so much, and I hope you will always know that without a shadow of a doubt. You are a wonderful blessing and a gift; I hope and pray everyday that we can be the parents you deserve, because you deserve the best. You are growing up so fast, and even though I miss the little tiny baby, I am having more fun with you than I ever would've imagined. I'm so thankful that I have been lucky enough to stay home with you and watch you explore, learn, and gain your independence! You keep me very busy, but I love (almost) every minute!!

And He's Off!!

2009-04-03T22:52:00.002-06:00

Hudson is officially mobile. He has figured out the crawling gig and will not stay in one spot. It is the funniest thing to watch because he doesn't crawl like most babies. He kinda gets up on one toe and pushes up and forward then brings the other leg up to meet. I have video, but Hudson and I are at my mom's right now and her computer is about as slow as they come and it was taking toooooo long to upload it. Check back for the hilarity!

Two Front Teeth

2009-03-26T17:42:00.002-06:00

Hudson finally has a tooth!! Apparently our boy is different than most... He has his to left top center tooth, and his right one is going to be breaking through any day now. We are going to have our own little Bugs Bunny for Easter! The process hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be, but I am missing the nights when he slept from 9:45 to 7:00 without interruption!! I wanted to post a picture of his teeth, but he wouldn't let me even take one.

Warning: Hudson Overdose Possible

2009-03-24T10:08:00.007-06:00

I have been the worst blogger lately!! I don't know what my deal is, I guess I didn't think I had been taking many pictures, but I really had about a billion to sort through since my last good post. So here goes a super long, picture filled post.

Hudson loves spending time with his grandmas. For some reason I don't have pictures of him with his Grammy (Judy), probably because we live here. But, we do have lots of him hanging out with Grandma Ivie.

Parade of HomesWhat ever is on TV is obviously very riveting!Hanging out at Cami's baby showerUsually the Grandma is holding the sleeping baby, not the baby holding the sleeping Grandma!

Hudson also loves getting together with our extended family. We had a great time at Cami's baby shower.He got to hang out with all of his "Aunties" (since I don't have sisters I've made my best cousins his honorary Aunties!)We hardly ever get to see Auntie Tani, but Hudson always remembers her and LOVES her. I think her big earrings and long hair are his favorites.Ross is so cute with kids!Uncle Krazy got him to FINALLY give in and go to sleep

My baby boy is growing up so so fast. He has graduated from his Bumbo to his high chair. This was the first day in it. He thinks he is so big, trying to feed himself!!

Tawni, Kami, and I have decided to meet every Friday for a playdate at the park. The weather has been so amazing, we just can't pass it up. We missed Kami and Jax, who were in Vegas celebrating Adam's birthday.Ready to rock!Amazed by somethingJust chillin' on the playground.Hudson is pulling Stella's hair, apparently he is into her!The kids loved the swings!

It was a day of FIRSTS...Stella's first time on the slide. She LOVED it, look at that darling smile!

Hudson's first time in a swing, he LOVED it, but he's WAAAAY too cool to smile right now!

There is just something about a sleeping baby that I find irresistible. I love the random ways Hudson falls alseep. I swear his neck must hurt after falling asleep like this for a couple of hours!Car rides always seem to do the trick

Lately he has started hiding his eyes when he sleeps, I think it is the cutest thing ever! He also rolls over to sleep on his tummy, which is weird because he hates his tummy time when he's playing.

Back when I started this blog I devoted lots of posts to Sadie, now I never blog about her unless I'm mad about her barking and waking up the baby. But this was just too funny not to share. She loves to dig and bury herself in the warm clothes when they get out of the dryer. One day she was digging like she always does, and I didn't pay much attention, but when I looked at her a few minutes later after she had jumped out of the pile of clothes this is what I found...

Somehow she had managed to get into the waist and one leg of some of my unmentionables. I laughed until my abs hurt!

7 Months!!

2009-03-10T16:58:00.004-06:00

Hudson turned 7 months old on Sunday. I can't believe he's now closer to being a year old than he is to being a newborn. Every stage that comes I say, "This is my favorite age so far." It is just so fun to watch him explore, learn, and grow. We love you so much Little Man! You're the best boy, and an absolute joy to have in our home!

Some of Hudson's favorite things are...

Bathtime...He has loved bathtime ever since his umbilical cord fell off.

Pear Juice in a bottle, he does NOT love his sippy cup

Playing with the spoon after he's done eating

Sadie

Rolling... He doesn't crawl, but he will roll from one side of the room to the other

Sitting in his swing watching Baby Einstein

Wrappers

His mommy, he likes other people, but his mommy is his favorite

Car rides

Shopping

Being talked to

Hudson wanted to play with Sadie he rolled underneath the coffee table and hung out for a while!

Great Diaper Deal...

2009-03-05T18:25:00.002-07:00

Read on for info from our cousin Lauren on how to save a bunch on diapers! Thanks Lauren for letting us in on this great deal!!

i found this really great deal on someone's blog and thought i'd share for all you mothers! i got 228 pampers diapers and 160 wipes for $26.40! Heres how, diapers.com is offering free shipping on orders of $49 or more. Then you put in this code, AFF10 that gives you $10 dollars off, then go to this website www.diapers.com/helpcenter/parenting.htm and print off the page, fill it out and send it in with your receipt to get a $14.97 rebate. I just bought one box of diapers and two 80 count huggies wipes to put me up to the $49 mark. They have tons of brands of diapers ie huggies, pampers, luvs, swimmers. They also have many other baby items . check it out!

Big Trouble

2009-03-04T18:20:00.002-07:00

I realized today that Nate and I are in big trouble. Hudson has started grabbing and pinching people. He mostly likes faces, but he'll pinch any skin he can get his little chubby fingers on. So today as I was rocking him before his nap he was grabbing and pinching my lips, each time he would start to pinch I would take his hand off of my face and say "No." Everytime I said no he would just get this huge smile on his face and start laughing. I think he thinks no is a joke, and that is NOT good news for us since he is not even 7 months old yet!!

Sick Again

2009-03-03T12:29:00.002-07:00

Hudson is now battling his second ear infection in less than 2 months. He has lost 8 oz. since his six month check up and is such a sad sad little boy. All he wants is to sleep and to have his mommy hold him when he is awake. I just feel so bad for the little guy. On top of the ear infection he's also got a nasty cough and cold. He's just not the happy boy we are all used to. If I could take his sickness away, and be sick for him I would. It just breaks our hearts to hear his weak little cries!

Tag..sorta

2009-02-19T13:16:00.002-07:00

So Brandi tagged me the other day, but I had already done that tag so I found this one to switch it up a little...

FirstsShare

1. Who was your FIRST prom date? Shilo Richards
2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love? I talked to him on MySpace about a year ago.
3. What was your FIRST time you drove like? It wasn't bad, of course it was in Cannonville, not the scariest place to drive!
4. What was your FIRST job? Maid at Bryce Pioneer Village
5. What was your FIRST car? '89 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme International
6. Who was the FIRST person to text you today? Michaela
7. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning? Hudson, because he was crying
8. Who was your FIRST grade teacher? Mrs. Buckingham
9. Where did you go on your FIRST ride on an airplane? Mexico
10. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk? Tanya Munford and Holly Rich, yes we do still talk
11. Where was your FIRST sleep over? Tanya's
12. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today? Hudson
13. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time? I was a server in a bunch of weddings, but as a bridesmaid in Triessa Ramsay's
14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning? Fed Hudson
15. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to? Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton when I was 4
16. FIRST tattoo? Never
17. FIRST piercing? My ears, I was 6 months old
18. FIRST foreign country you've been to? Mexico
19. FIRST movie you remember seeing? Pinochio
20. When was your FIRST detention? Never
21. What was the FIRST state you lived in? Utah
22. Who was your FIRST roommate? Amy Aland, Amber Stubbs, Amy Harris, Sara Slater, and Julie Stuart
23. FIRST funeral you attended? Mary Rich
24. Who was your FIRST kiss with? Josh Kincaid in 6th grade
25. What's the FIRST thing you do when getting on the computer? Check my blog and the blogs of my friends of course!

I tag anyone who wants to take a trip down memory lane and share

Best News!!

2009-02-17T10:09:00.002-07:00

All of the crying has finally paid off. Hudson slept for 9 hours straight last night. I put him in bed at 9:45 and he woke up this morning at 7. I hope there are lots and lots more nights like this to come!

We have had a busy few days. Thursday we went to Cedar City to meet up with my mom and watch the girl's basketball team from my old high school play in the region playoffs. Then we went and stayed at my mom's that night. Then back to Cedar City for more basketball on Friday. Nate came and met us to take us home Friday night and of course we got into a blizzard on the way home. I'm not so sure I'm sold on the whole concept of global warming, snow in St. George doesn't seem like too much warming to me! Saturday we just hung out most of the day, then Nate took me to dinner at Texas Roadhouse for Valentine's. It was AMAZINGLY delicious. He gave me Sex and the City, so we came home and watched it after dinner. Well, until Hudson started puking his brains out. He was so sick all night, poor baby! Sunday we just rested from our long night. Monday my mom, grandma, and aunt Lori came down. My mom and I went to some of the Parade of Homes while my grandma, aunt Lori, and Cami watched Hudson. He was a naughty mama's boy and cried a lot of the time they had him. Sorry guys!!! But we were able to go to lunch together at Cafe Rio, and he slept the entire time so we got to enjoy talking about lots of things, but mostly the up-coming arrival of Cami's little girl! We can't wait to meet Rylee and dress her up in the millions of cute clothes her mom has for her!!!

Sorry, no pictures to post. I have been seriously slacking on the picture taking aspect of my life.

Sleep Update

2009-02-13T23:40:00.002-07:00

Hudson was only awake for 1 hour last night. I'm hoping I can proudly report a full night's sleep tomorrow!!

Valentines Day Tag

2009-02-13T23:25:00.002-07:00

25 Things – Couple EditionThis is kind of like the 25 things - except there are pre-decided questions and it's about you and your significant other, not just you. Then tag whoever you want to do this! Come on, play along - inquiring minds want to know! ;-)

♥ What are your middle names? I don't have one, Nate's is Clark
♥ How long have you been together? 4 years
♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? A few months
♥ Who asked who out? We never really had a "first date" we just kept hanging out more and more
♥ How old are each of you? He's 26, I'm 28
♥ Whose siblings do/ did you see the most? His, cuz I don't have any
♥ Do you have any children together? 1 AMAZING little boy
♥ What about pets? Our first baby, Sadie
♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? Him playing when I want to spend time together
♥ Did you go to the same school? Not even close
♥ Are you from the same home town? Hardly!!
♥ Who is the smartest? We are pretty evenly matched in the brains department, we're just smart in different areas
♥ Who is the most sensitive? Me for sure
♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? Cafe Rio probably
♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple? Maui for our Honeymoon
♥ Who has the craziest exes? Him for sure
♥ Who has the worst temper? I get mad faster, but he gets angrier if pushed
♥ Who does the cooking? Me mostly, he'll do breakfast on Sunday though.
♥ Who is more social? Probably him, at least he makes friends easier than I do.
♥ Who is the neat-freak? Definitely him. He has OCD that is worsening every day!
♥ Who is the more stubborn? We are both incredibly stubborn, but I can admit it, he can't
♥ Who hogs the bed? He does, we need a king!
♥ Who wakes up earlier? Technically me, cuz I get up with Hudson at 2 am, and 5 am, but he gets up and stays up earlier
♥ Where was your first date? I guess Mesquite, at least that was where we went the night of our first kiss...
♥ Who has the bigger family? He does
♥ Do you get flowers often? Twice, in 4 years. Pathetic right??
♥ How do you spend the holidays? We alternate
♥ Who is more jealous? Me, I think its a girl thing
♥ How long did it take to get serious? 2 years...I didn't think he would ever decide to settle down then BOOM out of the clear blue he started talking about marriage
♥ Who eats more? He does, but it LOOKS like I do
♥ Who does/ did the laundry? Usually me, He's great to help out though.
♥ Who’s better with the computer? I have more practice
♥ Who drives when you are together? Him, because I HATE how he backseat drives!!

I tag all of you lovely lovebirds!! Happy Valentines Day

SK8R Baby

2009-02-12T22:24:00.003-07:00

Hudson went to Kiddie Kandids today for his 6 month pictures. He did so much better this time than he did at his newborn photoshoot. His Auntie Ashlee found this little skateboard for him at Target, and of course Nate had to try it out before Hudson got to play with it!!

Where did all of that fat come from???

Sleeping Update: The first night of crying it out Hudson cried for close to 6 hours, the second night he only cried for about 3. Let's hope tonight we cut it in half again!!

How Many Sleepless Nights Will There Be???

2009-02-11T18:54:00.003-07:00

When I took Hudson to the doctor on Monday, Dr. Hubbard asked how Hudson was sleeping at night. I said, "He's not, he's up every 3 hours to eat." So the doctor advised me that it was time to teach Hudson to self-soothe, and to let him cry it out to learn to sleep through the night. Last night was our first attempt at this endeavor, and he cried for probably 5 or 6 hours. I am asking for any advice on how to get through period. Do I give him his binky when it falls out? Do I stand there and touch him until he falls back to sleep? Keep in mind Hudson's crib is in our room.

Hudson is 6 Months Old!!!

2009-02-09T15:44:00.008-07:00

He was so into Baby Einstein he wouldn't even look at me!

Yesterday was Hudson's 6-month birthday, and we went to his well-baby check today and he is doing great! He now weighs 17 lbs. 12 oz. and is 26 inches tall. He had a major growth spurt since his 4 month check-up going from the 37% to the 55% in weight, and from the 20% to the 34% in height. Nate couldn't go to the appointment with us, so my mom came down to be moral support (I think more for me than for Hudson).

Some of his favorite things are:

giving kisses, mostly to Mommy, but he will occassionally give them to others

sitting up to play with is toys

puppies, Sadie is his very favorite of course but he likes other small puppies too

pulling hair

Baby Einstein videos, especially the Numbers Nursery and On the Go videos

sitting up in his bathtub and making HUGE splashes with his hands

playing with the Tylenol and Mylicon bottles

jumping

hanging upside down

being thrown up in the air

watching Sadie and Daddy playing

grabbing anything and everything he can get his chubby little fingers around and putting

whatever it is straight into his mouth

when he wants Mommy's attention he says "mamamamamama" in this little whiney voice

His favorite types of baby food are bananas, pears, butternut squash, prunes, and peaches.

His not so favorite baby foods are sweet potatoes, chicken, turkey, green beans, and carrots.

In his short little life Hudson has already become a movie buff. Here are the movies he's been to so far.

Hudson you are such a good baby. It is so exciting to watch you grow and learn new things everyday. You are the light of our lives. You have taught Mommy all about unconditional love, selflessness, and sacrifice. If you weren't so cute you wouldn't get away with keeping us up all night. My heart melts everytime you look at me with those big, beautiful, blue eyes, and everytime you give me that sweet smile I know what joy is. I treasure every minute we are together, and I look forward to each new day to see what you will come up with! You are funny, sweet, and good-natured. You are very strong-willed and brave. I can already see that you have inherited your Daddy's thrill-seeking spirit, it doesn't seem like you are scared of anything, which terrifies Mommy! We love you Little Man!

Up and Running!

2009-01-27T04:16:00.002-07:00

I am trying my hand at being creative, and entreprenurial. I have started beading interchangeable watchbands and binky chains. I have been working on the new blog all day, and it is finally complete enough to share.

http://glimmershine.blogspot.com/

Visit, enjoy, tell all of your friends!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-01-19T21:16:00.007-07:00

The last week and a half have been very busy for Hudson, and the rest of the Houston family...

Hudson's cousins from New Mexico visiting, and waiting for their baby brother to be born. He loved having them around. They are active little boys and kept him very entertained.

Baby Cameron was born and came home on the 10th. Hudson and I were both sick and had to keep our distance. We did take some baby cousin pictures the night before Cameron had to go back to New Mexico. Hudson was fascinated with Cameron, and so concerned when he cried.

Once the Jones' went home Hudson found some time to chillax with his daddy

This passed Saturday Nate, Hudson and I went to Zion with the Randolph-Sengs. It was a beautiful day when we were in Springdale, but when we got into Zion it was FREEZING!!! There was snow on the entire hike we went on.

Chad, Steph, Baby Owen, Nate, and Hudson enjoying the Temple of Sinagwa in Zion.

Hudson and I on the hike

Hudson and I went to lunch with Kami and Jax, and they introduced Hudson to Bananas. He is in love and makes a beautiful little mess while eating them. They end up in his hair, his eyebrows and eyelashes, and all over his clothes.

Today my Mom and Grandma came down for a quick visit. We went to lunch at Olive Garden. When we got there Hudson was asleep...

...but he woke up while we were eating, so I asked the waiter to bring him some celery, which he loves!

Announcing Cameron William Jones

2009-01-11T14:28:00.006-07:00

After 3 long weeks of anxiously waiting, Tami and Jason (Nate's sister and her husband for those of you who don't know) finally welcomed the latest addition to their family on Friday, January 8th at 9:49 pm. Cameron is a beautiful baby boy, weighing in at 8 lbs 1 oz and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. He has a headful of jet black hair, and I think he looks just like his big brother, Kyle.

Happy 5 Months Hudson!!!

2009-01-09T19:49:00.002-07:00

Yesterday my baby turned 5 months old. His Great Grandma Twitchell and Grandma Ivie came to St. George to celebrate with us. He of course was oblivious to the reason for their visit, but he is always happy to see them. We spent the day making invitations for Cami's baby shower and shopping. We also went to Cafe Rio for Hudson's birthday lunch... He slept through the whole thing.

His birthday night wasn't as much fun. He started getting really fussy and didn't sleep for more than 10 or 15 minutes all night and was running a fever. I took him to the doctor this morning and he has a really bad ear infection. So we got him on some antibiotics. His fever is still pretty high, but he's sleeping better thanks to the Tylenol... I feel so bad for him. He give us these sad little smiles that break my heart.

No pictures to post this time, but looking back at old pictures made me realize how much Hudson has changed. He was born with really dark hair, it is almost blonde now. His eyes were very dark blue, almost black at birth, now they are bright blue with little flecks of green. He has always looked just like Nate, but recently on rare occassions I've seen little glimpses of me. He is still the same sweet baby he's always been, that hasn't changed a bit. Happy 5 Months, baby boy, WE LOVE YOU!!

Still trying to figure it out...

2009-01-04T00:35:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I just posted all of these pictures trying to cover the last 2 months. I tried to get them all in chronological order, and I obviously didn't do a good job. But I suppose all of my fellow bloggers are smart enough to kinda figure things out. Just looking at these older pictures makes me realize how fast Hudson is growing up and changing. Friday he will be 5 months old. WOW! Anyway, enjoy the pictures.

Lots and lots to go over!

2009-01-03T23:59:00.000-07:00

Trying cereal, not loving cereal...
New Year's Eve at Rusty's Steakhouse

Hudson with Auntie Lori

In my family we always got a small gift from "Mr. New Year" when we woke up New Year's Day, so I'm attempting to continue the tradition, but Nate's not really buying into it. I tend to do whatever I want though so Hudson got a Gloworm from Mr. New Year. He loves it. It's face lights up and it sings 5 or 6 lullabies.

Last night Chad and Brittany came down to go to the temple. After they were done we went to Olive Garden for dinner, then to Costco and the mall to do some shopping and returning. It was good to see them and spend some time with them.

2009-01-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my Aunt Lori invited us to her house for dinner and games. Ross made some delicious fajitas, Cami made a yummy chocolate cake, and we played a fun game called "Smart Ass." As you can see here the boys are glued to the TV... UFC fight night.

Hudson got to spend 2 weeks at his Grandma Twitchell/Grandma Ivie's house. They love having him around.

2009-01-03T23:38:00.000-07:00

The day after Christmas we went to Cedar City to see Marley and Me. Right before the movie started Nate was holding Hudson. Nate said, "He just sharted, I'm going to go change his diaper before the movie starts." 10 or 15 minutes went by and they hadn't come back so I texted Nate to make sure everything was ok. Just then they came back in and Hudson was naked except for this beanie, socks, and a diaper. Apparently there was a massive explosion... So when we got home I had to take some pictures of him in the beanie.

Hudson has discovered faces. He loves to pull on hair, ears, lips, noses, and glasses. He also loves the way Sadie feels, he is constantly reaching for her, trying to pull her hair, and just get her attention so she'll lick his fingers.

2009-01-03T23:30:00.001-07:00

I spent most of Christmas Day taking pictures of EVERYTHING with my new camera. Somehow most of those pictures were of Hudson though.

Obviously he played too hard!! I found him sound asleep in his "car" Christmas Night.

2009-01-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hudson with his new pediatrician, Dr. Hubbard.
Sitting on Santa's lap at the Cannonville Ward's annual Primary Christmas Eve programChristmas morningDreaming of a white Christmas wasn't necessary this year!Cody and Nate playing Guitar Hero Christmas morning. Hudson was totally enthralled.

New Camera = Lots of Pictures

2009-01-03T22:11:00.000-07:00

This year for Christmas my parents gave Nate and I a new camera. It is a really nice one and we are so excited! I am finally able to pull pictures from the last 3 months off of the memory card and share a few. There are 405 to choose from, I'll do my best to make it short. Hudson's blessing day November 9th, 2008. Swimming with Grammy and Mommy in Palm Springs in Mid-November.First Christmas Tree Hunting trip. Thank you Shelby for the giant monster pose!! Playing "couch commando" with the remote in his Bumbo

His Grammy (Judy) gave him this monkey and he really loves it. I love how he is holding it here.

Hudson's Checkup

2008-12-16T09:32:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this in my last post. We also took Hudson to the doctor yesterday morning for his 4 month check-up.

I really love our new pediatrician, Dr. Hubbard. He has the cutest office. I think Nate was convinced when we walked into the exam room and they had turned skateboards into shelves!!

Anyway, Hudson is growing and doing perfectly. He is now 24.25" tall and weighs 14 lbs. 9 oz. He's in the 30th percentile for both. He had 2 shots yesterday and I thought he would be really cranky all day, but he wasn't. He handled them like a rock star!

The doctor told us we can start feeding him rice cereal if we want, so I hope to be posting some messy cereal face pictures soon!!

Holiday fun and fabulous news!

2008-12-16T01:07:00.000-07:00

Despite the worst weather I can remember, today has been one of the greatest days we have had in a long time. Nate was offered a job in Mesquite today, and he starts tomorrow! He isn't super excited about driving to Mesquite everyday to work, but we are both so happy that our days of having no money are going to be ending!

Also, tonight we had the annual Twitchell Family Christmas Party at my Aunt Lori's and Uncle Karl's house in Hatch. About 20 of us braved the blizzard conditions, and snow-packed roads to make the trip. We had a wonderful time! We ate yummy food (I made my first turkey and it was pretty good I think), laughed and told old stories, and then had a white elephant gift exchange. It was a pretty mellow one this year, not enough stealing went on in my opinion!

I never did post a "Thankful for" post at Thanksgiving so I just wanted to mention a few things now.

I am so thankful for Nate, for sacrificing the California life so that we could be here in Utah close to our families, and for being such a wonderful father. It is going to take some getting used to with him going to work again. For the last month and a half I've grown to depend on him for lots of little things that I'm positive are going to overwhelm me when I have to do them all by myself!

I am thankful beyond words for Hudson. He is the biggest joy of my life. I love that he has so much to learn, and though it terrifies me, it also excites me that Nate and I are the ones who have been entrusted with his life.

I am thankful for wonderful parents, mine and Nate's. Without them we would be living on the streets, cold and hungry. They have been so supportive, literally, since we moved and I don't know how we'll ever be able to repay them for all they've done for us.

I am thankful for my crazy, though dysfunctional at times, wonderful family. For 3 cousins who are like sisters to me. For the kindest aunt who always out does herself to make sure everyone is taken care of. For 2 uncles who have always been there with "fatherly" advice. For my Grandparents who are so much a part of my life. It is hard to see them get old, and to know that their time here is getting shorter. I'm so glad they were here to meet Hudson. I wasn't sure if I would have kids in time for that to happen. They love him so much.

And last, but most importantly I am thankful for Christ. Christmas is my very favorite season. I love the lights, the music, the shopping, and the pretty wrapping paper. But I love it for another reason. I love that for an entire month we celebrate our Savior's humble birth, and that for that month I, along with hundreds of thousands of others, really try to grasp what the birth of one tiny little baby meant for the world. Imagine being the earthly parents of the Great Redeemer...

Here are some pictures I stole from Ross's myspace page of the family party... Hudson of course was the center of attention in his little reindeer outfit. Hudson and Uncle "Krazy" Kids love him for some reason

The reindeer outfit got a little too hot so he was a naked boy.

Hudson and Grandma. How rude of her to laugh at his sad face... But it's just so CUTE!

Hudson and Ross. Ross LOVES kids. He's gonna be a great daddy someday, but for now uncle will have to do!

Auntie Tani and Hudson. She made him the beanie on her flight from Denver to Vegas!

Cousins who were able to make it

Best Freaking Cousins (and Steve and Max)

Discovery

2008-12-13T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hudson has now discovered that Sadie is a wonderful form of entertainment. He used to watch her with interest but that is about it. On Thursday Nate was holding Hudson and playing with Sadie on the floor and Hudson started laughing hysterically at her. I ran upstairs to get the video camera, but of course the battery was dead and a golden opportunity was missed, lesson learned!! I now have the battery fully charged and the camera ready to roll. We have tried to reenact the moment, it hasn't worked yet, but I'm ready when it does!!

Tonight I was watching old home videos to find the discs that still have room on them. I found some old footage of Sadie when she was just a few months old. She was so adorable and the light of our lives. Since Hudson joined the family Sadie has taken a back back seat. She gets left at home when she used to go everywhere with us; she gets pushed down away from the baby all the time when she used to be right next to us, center of the family; she gets yelled at and scolded for barking when we used to just tell her no in a much kinder way. Watching the old film reminded me of just how much I love her, and made me realize I need to make more of an effort to give her love everyday.

Another thing I realized as I watched Sadie as a puppy is that quickly my other baby is growing, and someday, though it is hard to imagine now, he is going to be naughty and do things to make us mad, or sad, or disappointed. I hope that I will remember to look back of the footage we've taken of him in his perfect innocence to remind myself in those times of the way I feel underneath the negative feelings I may be feeling at the time. I'm having a hard time getting these words to flow the way that I feel them, but I hope you get the idea!

Happy 4-month Birthday to Hudson!!

2008-12-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Hudson's 4 month birthday. Hudson and I celebrated by going to Vegas with my mom and Grandma for a little "girls-only plus Hudson" shopping day. He is such a good little shopper, he flirted with all the saleswomen, slept off and on, and played with his toys the rest of the time. He also got to sit on Santa's lap and have his picture taken. (Of course just like everything else our scanner is in storage so I won't be able to share the adorable photo) We haven't gone to his 4-month check-up yet so I don't have current measurements so I'll have to post those later, but I do want to share some little tidbits about our little prince.

He loves...
...Bathtime
...The toys on his bouncy chair
...Eating his hands, his toys, his toes
...Attention from anyone, but especially his mommy
...His turtle mobile above his crib
...Being thrown up in the air
...Watching TV
...Anything that lights up
...His stuffed monkey

We love you so much Hudson. You are the most wonderful little person. Everything is so much better now that you are here. Everyone you meet can already see your sweet spirit, and you bring so much love to all those lives you touch. Even though it makes me sad how quickly you are growing, I can't wait for each new day to start so that I can watch you as you discover new things. I love you more and more with every passing moment. You are the best gift ever!

Where do the baby days go?

2008-12-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like having a child to make you realize that everyday is a gift that should be treasured. Today Hudson rolled over for the first time and it reiterated to me how fast time flies. I still think of his as this little, helpless newborn, but with each passing day he is gaining his independence; learning, growing, and developing into this wonderful little boy! Oh, yeah, he also graduated from his bassinet to his crib this week!!

Baby Tag

2008-12-04T10:57:00.000-07:00

1.Where were you when you first found out that you were pregnant? At work

2.Who was with you? All of my coworkers

3.How did you find out that you were pregnant? Home pregnancy test

4.What was your first reaction to finding out you were pregnant? Shocked at first, then just unbelieveably happy

5.Who was the first person you told? My boss Karen, weird I know, but somehow she already knew

6.Did you plan to get pregnant? Not exactly planning on it, but we weren't trying not to either.

7.Did you tell everyone else right away? I called Nate immediately, then my mom.

8.Was everybody happy for you? Of course, my mom had been waiting for YEARS for a grandchild!

9.Did you go out and celebrate? We went out to dinner on the weekend.

10.Did you want to find out the sex? Are you kidding!! I peek at my Christmas presents, like I could wait 9 months to find out if I was having a boy or girl!!

11.What was the sex? A boy!!

12.Did anyone throw you a baby shower? My coworkers threw one for me in California, then the "Aunties" threw me a family one in Utah

13.Did you get any outfits at the baby shower that you just knew that you wouldnt put on your baby? Yeah from one of my bank clients, this really gay looking overall set with teddy bears all over it. I just returned it and got something I liked.

14.How much weight did you gain? 40bs.

15.Did you lose all of the weight that you gained? Not yet, but I'm working on it.

16.Did you get any stretch marks? None!!

17.What did you crave the most? Oreos and Ice cream

18.Did you crave anything crazy? Grilled Hot Dogs... Which is crazy for me because I HATE HATE HATE hot dogs.

19.Who or what got on your nerves? Near the end when I was still working people would come in EVERYDAY and say "You still haven't had that baby??"

20.Did you have any complications during your pregnancy? None at all, not even morning sickness.

21.Where and when did you go into labor? At about noon in the hospital.

22.Did your water break? My doctor broke it.

23.Who drove you to the hospital? Nate

24.Who was in the room when you gave birth? Nate, the on call doctor, and 4 nurses. My mom and grandma were in the hospital, but things got a little tense and they left the room a couple of hours before he was born.

25.Did you go early or late? 10 days late...Longest 10 days of my life!

26.How long were in labor for? 12 hours and 40 minutes

27.Did you have any drugs for the pain? Epidural for me please!!! I felt 2 strong contractions and that was enough for me.

28.Did you go natural or have a C-section? Natural.

29.What was your first reaction after giving birth? I was in awe. And so immediately in love with this little person.

30.How big was the baby? 8 lbs. 4 oz. 19 1/2 inches

31.Did your husband cry? He got teary, but no tears fell.

32.What did you name the baby? Hudson Nathan Houston

33.Does her name have any significant meaning? Not really. Nathan after his dad of course. We hadn't agreed on a name, I had always loved Hudson, but Nate wasn't convinced. When the anesthesiologist came in to do the epidural he had a set of keys on his belt and on the top key it said Hudson, so that sealed the deal, Nate was finally convinced his name was supposed to be Hudson!

34.Did you have any visitors? Yes, my mom and Grandma, then my boss Karen and her husband Mike, and my coworkers Rebecca and Kori, and Kori's daughter Kloe.

35.Did the baby have any complications? After about 10 1/2 hours of labor his heartbeat slowed way down and the doctor started talking about an emergency c-section. But they turned off the pitocin and epidural drips and put a monitor on his head and his heart started beating normally again. It was only tense for a little bit.

36.How old is your baby today? 1 day shy of 17 weeks, 4 days shy of 4 months. Where does the time go??

37.When is the next one coming? Hudson's birthday is 08/08/08 so we are thinking 11/11/11 for the next one!!

38.If you could would you do it all over again? Without a doubt! Everytime I look at his perfect little face I forget about any pain and discomfort I felt.

39.Tag five: I tag whoever wants to do this who has had a baby.

Pictures from my phone

2008-12-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

Grandma couldn't stand for him to be cold so she bought him this little shearling jacket from OshKosh...Best place for boy stuff

Hudson and his monkey "Swingsley" he got from Grandma Houston

At the SUU game. Don't ya love the hat??

I was trying to get ready one morning and Hudson would cry everytime I left the room, so finally I just took him in the bathroom and put him in the sink so he could see me and I could still get ready.

Hello my fellow bloggers

2008-12-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

Alright, I am well aware that it has been over a month since my last post and I apologize. I just kept thinking I would go get my camera cable out of storage so I could post some the pictures I've been taking of our adventures now that we are back in Utah. I finally went the other day and the box it is in is so buried there is no getting it out. The good news is, my parents are giving us a new camera for Christmas so in 20 days I will be able to post pictures again.

Here's a quick rundown of the major events that have happened since my last post.

Halloween was fun. Hudson was the most adorable monkey I've ever seen. He and I got together with Tawni and Stella, and Kami and Jax for lunch at 25 Main, then went to the bank to show off the kids. Later that night Judy and Ashlee watched Hudson while Nate and I went with my parents, Cami and Shelby, and Lori and Karl to Olive Garden then to Thriller at Tuachan.

On November 2nd we went to Jax's baby blessing and luncheon after church. Jax was of course adorable in his little white outfit. Kami and her mom really did a great job on the luncheon, we had a good time visiting with friends and eating yummy soups!

Election Day we went to Cedar City to celebrate my Grandpa's 85th birthday at the Pizza Factory with Brittany and Chad, Doug and Tammy, Bryce, my parents, and of course Grandma and Grandpa. It was good to catch up with everyone. Afterwards Nate, Hudson, and I went to Chad and Brittany's for a delightful dinner. Brittany is quite the little homemaker. Her house is super cute, and her cooking is amazing! Then we sat at their house and chatted and watched the results from the elections come in.

Then it was Hudson's turn to be blessed, and I may ramble here a little! He looked like a beautiful little angel in his white tux. I was a little apprehensive that he would start screaming as soon as the blessing started, but he was perfect, he just stared at the lights and cooed. My Grandpa gave the blessing and he did a wonderful job. I know that Hudson will not remember the words, but I will, and I think the blessing was for me as much as it was Hudson. He blessed him to know his Savior and to always pray, and I realized at that moment that right now it is up to me to introduce him to the teachings of Christ. I just hope that I can stand up to the challenge. I haven't been much of a church goer in the last 10 years or so, but now I don't only have my own relationship with God to work on, I've got to help my boy too. It was a great day. After church we had a little luncheon at Dave and Judy's. I really appreciated all of my extended family for coming. It was great to have almost everyone together again, and for them to all meet Hudson, and the Houstons. Grandpa and Grandma Houston came, and of course she brought some delicious food. I don't think I've been anywhere that she is that there hasn't been an abundance of good food to eat!

Next we headed to Palm Springs for the Houston Family Reunion. I had never been to Palm Springs. It was gorgeous. It was November 16th and it was 90 degrees! We spent a lot of time in the pool, Hudson went swimming and loved it. Nate of course found a skate park that was "so sick" and ditched part of the reunion to skate.

Sadie stayed at my parents' house while we were in Palm Springs so we got to go to Cannonville when we dropped her off, and again when we picked her up. I love going there. Growing up I hated living there, but now I love to go back and visit.

On the 22nd we went to Cedar City again. This time it was for SUU Football. Chad plays defense for them and it was the last home game of the season so Brittany got us tickets and we went. We all had a good time. It was really really cold though. I told Nate he should go there for school, but I don't know if either of us could deal with that weather!!

For Thanksgiving we went to Beaver Dam, and it was a feast like I've never seen! We had to hold it at the church because there were so many people they wouldn't all fit in Grandma and Grandpa Houston's house. It really looked like a ward party, not a family get together. There were 45-50 people and so much food it wouldn't all fit on the plate. We of course gorged ourselves, and later that night Nate was stricken with the stomach flu. I don't know if he'll be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner again anytime soon.

Judy, my mom, and I braved the crowds Friday morning and went shopping. We all got some pretty great deals, and it was a fun time.

Hudson went to his first movies the week of Thanksgiving. First we went to "Four Christmases" and he sat and watched it and didn't make a sound. Later that week we went to "Twilight." He slept through most of that, but did wake up right in time for the big fight scene between Edward and James. He watched it and it was like he knew that it was intense, because his eyes kept getting HUGE, he would watch the screen for a minute then look at me with his big eyes. It was adorable.

On Saturday we went "Christmas Tree Hunting" with the Munfords, the Meinkeys, and my the Ivies. There was about 2 feet of snow and it was cooooold! Cami and Lori stayed in the car with Hudson and I and we stayed warm, but everyone else was basically frozen by the time they had cut down all of the trees. It was fun as always though, regardless of the cold.

And that brings us pretty much up to date. I promise to be a better blogger, even without pictures!

It's been a while!

2008-10-30T17:11:00.000-06:00

I don't know where the time goes. It has been nearly 3 weeks since my last post, and it seems just like yesterday!

We are back in Utah which I am thrilled about. We are staying with Dave and Judy until we can get jobs and a place of our own. I'm hoping we can be in our own home for the Christmas season so I can use all my holiday decorations! But, we are here for now and it is really great to have so much help with Hudson.

The move was interesting to say the least. My mom, Stew, Dave, Ashlee, and Kelsey all came down to help Nate since I wasn't able to do any lifting. It was so great to have so much help. On Saturday afternoon Nate and I took Hudson, my mom, and Stew to Sea World. It was a pretty fast outing, but we got to see the highlights and Hudson absolutely LOVED the Shamu Rocks show. I have pictures but of course my USB cable for my camera is packed away somewhere so I can't download them!

We have had a chance to see a few of our friends and family already. Brittany and Chad came down from Cedar and we went to dinner with them and Shelby and Cami. Afterwards we went to the Meinkey house so we could chat. At some point Cami and Brit disappeared and "SPOOKED" my car. It's a long-standing tradition with us, and this year they got pretty high-tech with the spooking. Once again, I have pics that I will have to post later.

Today we went to Kiddie Kandids and got some pictures of Hudson finally. They are pretty cute! He doesn't seem to like to have strangers take his pictures so it took us about 2 hours to get the few that we did. Here they are... ENJOY!

Happy Halloween!! Cutest little monkey I've ever seen....He is such a happy baby, but this is the only smiling picture we could get out of him!Silly baby
More silly baby, don't ya love this face??At this point he was bored with the photo shoot... I'm not sure why this one is so much smaller...

Trying to see the bright side

2008-10-11T14:07:00.000-06:00

Yep, those are mine. Hudson, Sadie, and I were going to go to Nate's softball game last night and as I was walking through the carport I slipped in some oil and fell down. My first concern was Hudson. I was carrying him in his carseat, and it slammed on the ground. Thankfully he was strapped in tight and other that a few tears from being startled by the jolt he is just fine.

My left leg was in a lot of pain, I tried to get up but couldn't ( I was sure I had broken something) so I yelled for help and within a few minutes we had a bunch of people surrounding us and calling 911. The ambulance and fire truck arrived almost immediately. I couldn't believe how fast they got there. I fumbled through my purse to find my phone to call Nate to tell him what happened, and he was home within 10 minutes.

So I took a nice little ambulance ride to the hospital while Nate loaded Hudson in the car and followed behind. Of course they offered me pain meds but when I told them I was breast feeding all I could have was extra strength Tylenol. 2 hours and about 10 or 12 x-rays of my leg, knee, ankle, and foot later they determined I had seriously sprained my knee and foot, but nothing was broken. They immobilized my knee with a brace, gave me crutches and sent me home.

Taking care of Hudson is going to be interesting while Nate is at work, I guess we'll just have to hang out in the living room on the couch. But what is going to be even more difficult is trying to move. That's right I said move. Nate put his 2 week notice in yesterday so we will be back in Utah the last week of October! I don't know how excited Nate is about it, but I'm so anxious to get back. I just hope I'm a fast healer and will be back on my 2 feet again soon!

2 Months Old ( plus a couple of days...)

2008-10-10T13:32:00.000-06:00

I know I've said this before, and I'll probably say it a million more times, but I cannot believe how fast time flies. Hudson is 2 months and 2 days old! He had his 2 month checkup today. He's growing like a little weed. He's gonna be tall and skinny just like his daddy. He is 23 1/4 inches tall and weighs 11 lbs 7 oz, which puts him in the 75% for his height and 50% for his weight.

After his appointment Nate went skateboarding then to work, so I went to lunch with a friend from work. As we were talking I was going on and on about Hudson and the surrealism of thinking that I am 100% responsible for this other human life (along with Nate of course). Then I said something that had never quite occured to me, or maybe it has and I just have never said it outloud. Being a mom is the best thing I have ever done, and I'm probably better at it than I am anything else that I've ever tried. Now, I don't mean that in a braggy sort of way I just mean this... I remember being terrified that I wouldn't have any idea what to do with this little person who was coming into our home. I had not even held many newborns let alone taken care of one. I had absolutely no training for this whatsoever, yet amazingly enough once he was handed to me it was like this is what I was born to do; instincts took over and somehow it just works. For people to say there is no God baffles me, because without a higher power how on earth would I have ever known what to do?

Alright enough of my rambling, here's the good stuff!

All strapped in and ready for the car ride to the doctor's office.
Hudson and Linda Sue. She wrapped him in a drape because he kept spitting up all over the place. He kinda looked like he was in a toga. Tis the season for costumes, right?
Hudson and Daddy... I love the eye contact they have in this picture. Nate is a wonderful dad. You can just tell that he really enjoys being a daddy.
I think we finally found something Hudson got from me... The Pouty Lip! This was before his shots, but I think he knew something bad was about to happen.
After the shots... I thought this time would be so much worse because he had 4 instead of just 1, but he didn't really cry any harder.
Battle wounds

All strapped in and ready to go home to get some Tylenol and TLC from Mommy.

And when we got home we discovered this. Can't tell what it is? It's a pacifier that has been chewed up by none other than our naughty little puppy. This is number 4. I have no idea where she got it from. I guess she sees Hudson "chewing" on them so she thinks she can too. The most infuriating thing about this is her bone was sitting no more than 3 feet away!

This is what happens when Daddy goes to work...

2008-10-06T18:27:00.000-06:00

After Hudson woke up from his afternoon nap he was a stinky boy so I proceeded to change his diaper like I have several times a day every day for the last 2 months. Except that this time was very different....

Yes, just as I had taken his diaper off he unleashed and chaos ensued. Not only did I have a baby covered in this yucky mess, I had a dog who wanted to help clean it up. Of course this couldn't happen when Nate was at home to help me keep Sadie busy while I cleaned up Hudson. I decided it would be easier if she just came in the bathroom that way I wouldn't be worried that she was "cleaning" for me. So I'm trying to keep her from jumping in the tub while I'm hosing Hudson off (thank heavens for removable showerheads!). Needless to say it was a process. Hudson was not too happy about the whole thing either. After he was done with his "shower" I still had a mess on the changing pad to clean so I diapered and swaddled him and stuck him in his bouncy chair where he screamed and cried the entire time. Poor baby boy!
After the crying stopped he still doesn't look very pleased does he??? Awww the joys of motherhood!

Broken Internet and Dead Batteries

2008-10-06T11:05:00.001-06:00

I am so glad to be back online! Our internet went down on Thursday so I called and they said we were having an outage in our area. Well by Friday afternoon it still wasn't fixed so I called back. Oh, there was no outage in our area, it was just MY internet connection so a technician had to come out and repair it.

On Saturday Nate's company had their "summer" employee party and I grabbed the camera to take pictures, turned it on and discovered the batteries were dead so I got no pictures of the party. Not my best weekend for updating my blog!

Here are some pictures from Friday. We went to the beach again and this time I remembered Lisa gave Hudson some flip flops so he got to wear those... adorable. While we were getting ready he was pulling some funny faces, he makes me laugh everyday with the faces he makes!I can't get enough of these sunglasses. Everytime he wears them I probably take 10 pictures.

Hudson and Daddy after breakfast this morning. Love them!

Life's a Beach

2008-10-01T15:43:00.001-06:00

Hudson and I went to the beach today to watch Nate surf, so naturally I had to get some pictures! This wasn't Hudson's first trip to the beach, but it was the first time he got in his board shorts and shades and laid out on the sand. It must've been a pretty rough day for him though because he fell asleep on the beach and is still sleeping in his car seat right now.

A Day Without Clothes

2008-10-01T01:29:00.000-06:00

What is with the weather these days? Yesterday it was rainy and cold, and today we were frying! We don't have air conditioning in our house so the only way to keep cool is with fans and by wearing a limited amount of clothing. So Hudson was a naked baby all day, but since he is the spit-up king I put this lion bib on him, how cute is that!?!?! I find him irresistible and I sit around all day taking random pictures.

Sadie makes him smile
He's not sleeping here, just pulling a silly face
My blue-eyed boy
Look at those perfect lips!
I needed to clean the kitchen so I gave him a bath and put him in his swing, next thing I knew he was sleeping peacefully

Bouncing Baby Boy

2008-09-30T00:33:00.000-06:00

Here are my pictures for the day. Obviously Hudson spends lots of time in his bouncy chair. It really is probably the best purchase we've made. If it weren't for the bouncy chair I wouldn't be able to get anything done, because if I'm not holding him he's mad unless he's bouncing!

2 things Hudson loves most: Being swaddled and his bouncy chair. What is a mommy to do? I know it makes him look like he's in a straight jacket, he likes it that way!

I love the cute things he does with his hands while he's asleep, just another thing that is just like his dad!
I was always told we only get one great love in our lives... I'm lucky. I got three!

Gross!!! Help me please!

2008-09-30T00:09:00.000-06:00

We have discovered that our poor little Sadie has fleas, yes fleas. We took her to Petco to get groomed and she must've picked them up there because she is never around other dogs. It is basically the most disgusting thing I have ever had to deal with, only I don't know how to deal with it. I mean I know that I can go buy medicine for her, which I will be doing first thing in the morning, but I keep reading online that once they are in your house they are incredibly difficult to get rid of. I'm so worried that they are going to get on Hudson. Can they do that, go from dogs to humans? I seriously have no idea. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone who has had to deal with fleas before. I'm seriously so grossed out! I feel like there are bugs crawling all over my skin! YUCKYYYYY!!!

Because "Aunt" Brittany said so...

2008-09-26T22:30:00.000-06:00

Hudson had a photo shoot last night because Brittany said I don't post enough pictures of him, and she requested that I post new pictures everyday... That's a pretty big goal, but I'll try. I am obsessed with putting shoes on him! I guess my shoe obsession isn't limited to wedges and high heels like I once thought it was, I'm sure Nate is going to love that.

Bathtime Fun!

2008-09-25T14:49:00.000-06:00

Hudson's favorite time of day is bathtime, which makes it my favorite part of the day too because he is so happy and smiley in the tub. I took these pictures last night, and they were just too cute not to post!

TAGGED:

7 things I can do:

1. Bake
2. Go for walks on the beach daily
3. Type/text fast
4. Remember most of the words to a song after hearing it only a couple of times

5. Make myself cry--ok not cry but get teary-eyed
6. Spend money
7. A good, tight swaddle

7 things I cannot do:

1. Change a diaper without using at least 2 wipees

2. Live without my phone

3. Help but take tons of pictures of Hudson every day

4. Think about going back to work and putting Hudson in daycare

5. Wait to move to back Utah

6. Be creative and crafty

7. Stop eating ice cream

7 things that attracted me to Nate

1. His eyes

2. He makes me laugh

3. He's a GREAT kisser

4. He's hot

5. He's sexy

6. He is really mellow--which also makes me crazy sometimes

7. His hands

7 things i say most often

1. Sadie, don't lick the baby

2. Sadie, stop barking

3. NO Sadie

4. I love you

5. Hey, little man

6. I'm sleepy

7. When we move to Utah....

7 Celebrity admirations --except I only have 4

1. Dane Cook- he's funny and sexy

2. Ryan Gossling- Uh, the Notebook... Need I say more?

3. Jessica Alba- Have you seen her body 4 months after having her baby??

4. Matthew McConaughey- He's just hot

7 Favorite Foods

1. Pork Salad from Cafe Rio

2. Oreo Concrete from Neilsen's Frozen Custard

3. Chips & salsa

4. Reese's peanut butter cup shakes

5. Chicken Cordon Bleu

6. Cheeseburgers

7. Mexican food in general

7 People to tag

1. Brittany

2. Cami

3. Tawni

4. Emily

5. Lisa

6. Lisa

7. Lindsey

Baby-sized stuff is ALWAYS cutest!

2008-09-22T14:31:00.000-06:00

This weekend was Harbor Days in Oceanside. They have all of these great booths with things you can only find in a fair-type event. The theme of it is always something to do with pirates so I decided that Hudson should fit in. So he wore his skull shorts and we brought along his skull blanket, although it was so hot that I felt bad for even having him in a long sleeved shirt!

I did find one really cool thing at the fair, it's called a "Finders Key-purse" clever right? It is designed to keep women from losing their keys in the bottom of their purses, which is one of my BIGGEST issues. It's just a keychain with a little metal hook and a cute decoration and you hook it onto the edge of your purse, your keys dangle inside... Nate thinks I won't use it, but I think it just might work for me!

I bought him these sunglasses and even though they are WAAAAY too big I thought they looked absolutely adorable on him!Why are baby shoes so cute??? I mean these come in adult sizes too, but they are sooo much better in baby sizes!

Happy Boy

2008-09-13T10:34:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week I bought a bouncer for Hudson. He LOVES it, and while he was sitting in it this morning I was finally able to get some pictures of him smiling.

One-Month Check-up

2008-09-12T18:26:00.000-06:00

Today was Hudson's one-month well baby check-up, and the first time he has been to the doctor without BOTH of his parents. Nate has gone back to work so for about 9 hours a day Hudson and I get lots of one-on-one time, and today the beginning of that time was spent at the doctor. I'm not crazy about his pediatrician; I would love to find someone else, but I keep thinking we can wait it out until we get moved.

The good news is....

Hudson is in the 50th percentile for his age in both weight and height. He's weighing in at 10 lbs exactly, and is 21.5 inches tall now. He is a healthy, strong little man! He started smiling at us on Tuesday and I have attempted to get some pictures, but as I have already complained about, my camera is suuuuuper slow and I have yet to get a good smiling picture.

And the bad news...

Ok, so I know that these immunizations are probably much more traumatic for the mom than they are for the baby, but it seriously broke my heart when my innocent little boy made that horribly sad face and didn't take a breath for several seconds!

It's gonna be a long one!

2008-09-08T19:11:00.000-06:00

Where does the time go? Hudson is a month old today, which means Nate had to go back to work. It seemed like 4 weeks would be FOREVER when he decided to take that much time off, but I swear I blinked and it was over!

We got back from our Utah trip on Saturday. We had a great time visiting friends and family, and even though we were there for 2 weeks we didn't get to see everyone! I'm just hoping that some of the places where we applied start calling and we can get moved back soon.

Here are some of the pictures from our trip...

Hudson's first time in the pool with his daddy!

I'm tellin' ya, he's already a punk rock baby!

Hudson got to make lots and lots of new friends like Aaron and Alyssa...

and Stella and Jax... Ok this was definitely a play date for me! I have MISSED my girlfriends in Utah so of course we had to get together for lunch at Poncho and Lefty's... We were short one friend though, and we definitely missed Torie!

On Saturday August 30th we had a barbecue for Hudson at my mom's house. It was a lot of fun. The Munford's (minus Tanya) and the Meinkey's came over from Hatch, and Dave and Judy made the trip clear from St. George... Awww the power of a grandchild!

Hudson got to spend time with his Great Grandparents

Nate and I let Grandma Jean babysit while we took a short little hike to Mossy Cave. I am SOOO out of shape!

While we were in Utah Nate celebrated his 26th birthday. We went to Texas Roadhouse, our first time there and we will definitely go back. I promised him that I wouldn't tell the server that it was his birthday, but Dave, Judy, and Ashlee were with us. None of them made that promise so he got to ride the "birthday saddle." He was a good sport about it, but getting him to go OUT for dinner next year might take some serious bribing!

We attempted to get some family pictures at Kiddie Kandids, but everytime the camera was pointed at him Hudson started crying. I guess we'll try again in a few days!

On the way back to Cali we stopped in Vegas to introduce Hudson to more family. We got to see Aaron, Jodi and Zoe at the Browne's, then we stopped at Bob and Lisa's and got to see Josh, Lisa, and the girls. Grace kept kissing Hudson on the head, but because my camera is a dinosaur it was too slow and missed the kisses!

Road Trip!

2008-08-25T21:43:00.000-06:00

We left for our first road trip with the baby on Friday. We had planned on leaving the house at 9:30 or 10:00, we finally were all buckled in the car at 1:00. The trip to Vegas that normally takes us about 5 1/2 hours took much much longer. We pulled up to the Johnson's at about 8:15!! Needless to say traveling with a baby is a little more time intensive. Hudson has already met lots of his family, and we are hoping to get to introduce him to a few new friends in the next few days!

Pictures from Hudson's first week

2008-08-15T17:26:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe it has already been a week since we welcomed our little man and, even harder to believe how much he has grown already! We took him for his first checkup on Tuesday and he weighed an even 8 pounds, he had a little jaundice so we had another check up on Thursday and in those 2 days he had gained 8 oz... That's right a half a pound in 2 days! He has also grown an inch taller since he was born. He has been holding his head up on his own since he was about 10 hours old and he continues to get stronger and hold it up longer every day. Nate is a great daddy, he is so proud of his little clone. Sadie isn't quite sure what to think at this point. I think she is finally getting used to him being here and she's very curious about him.

Hudson has had a very full first week; spending time with his Grandma Arjean and Grandma Judy, Great-Grandma Twitchell, and Aunt Ashlee. He took his first trip to the beach, and to the outdoor mall in Carlsbad...slept through both excursions! He is a wonderful little spirit and has already brought so much joy into our home. I feel so blessed to be his mom!

The Jolie-Pitt Twins have got NOTHING on this guy!!

2008-08-10T19:41:00.000-06:00

Off to the hospital!

Made it halfway thru New Moon while I waited!

Hudson Nathan Houston!!

I never knew it would feel like this!!

I got a cheeseburger and fries after delivering my boy, best one I've ever had!

Best Moment of my Life!

Proud Daddy!

My mom's first grandbaby!

Going Home!!

I don't even know where to begin! I'm so excited to finally have him here. Words can't describe the awe and wonder I feel every time I look at my little boy.

Hudson Nathan Houston was born at 12:42 am on 08/08/08, which is basically the BEST birthday ever right?!?! He weighed in at a healthy 8 lbs. 4 oz. and is 19.5 inches tall.

Getting him here was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be, once we finally got started!! I was scheduled to be at the hospital to be induced at 6:30 am on Thursday the 7th, but had to call in at 5:30 to confirm. When I called they informed me that there were extremely busy and didn't have the room or the staff for me to come in at that time so I was to call back at 10:30. So I went back to bed a little disheartened but thankful to get some extra rest for the big day ahead.

When I called at 10:30 they told me they could start me at 11:30, so we quickly got ready and headed to the hospital. After sitting in the waiting area we finally got into our room just after 12 and I was on a pit drip by 12:30. Then the waiting began. The contractions came pretty soon, but they were just slightly uncomfortable, nothing at all, and they weren't really dialating me. At about 2:30 my doctor came in to check me and decided to break my water at that time to hopefully speed things along. She also told the nurse to increase the pit. Within a half hour or 45 minutes the contractions got increasingly worse, resembling the worst cramps I had ever had, and by 4:45 I was getting an epidural. I had enough pain to appreciate labor and REALLY appreciate the drugs!

From there things progressed slowly but surely until I felt the need to start pushing at midnight, and 42 minutes later I was holding my perfect little angel on my chest! There were a few tense moments when they started talking about a possible c-section because his heartbeat was irregular, then when they realized how big he was and thought his shoulders may not pass through without complications. But, all was well and we are so happy to have him here!

He's a great baby! He's mellow and happy. We are lucky to be his parents.

FINALLY!!! A light at the end of the tunnel

2008-08-05T18:40:00.001-06:00

I'm getting induced Thursday morning at 6:30! I feel so relieved! This pregnancy thing really ISN'T going to last forever like I was beginning to think it was going to. And of course, he could still decide to make his appearance before then on his own... But at least we now know he will be here no later than Thursday, August 7!! (I didn't even have to shed a tear...)

Happy Birthday Sadie!!

2008-08-05T08:15:00.000-06:00

Since we don't know exactly what day she was born we are celebrating her birthday today since she has been with us a year today. August 5, 2007 we added Sadie to our family. I can't believe how fast time flies. She's still a puppy to me, and I guess she always will be. She has become so protective of me in the last few weeks, she even growls at Nate when he comes in from work. I love that she is ALWAYS happy to see me. I could walk out the door, be gone from her sight for 5 minutes, and when I come back she acts like we have been apart forever and she is elated to have me back. And, I love how she turns Nate into a gooey baby-talker. Don't let him ever try to tell you any different, sometimes I think he loves this girl more than he does me! She really has made the last year so much fun and I can't wait to see how she is with the newest member of our little family.

5 Days Too Many

2008-08-04T14:30:00.000-06:00

So everyone keeps telling me to be patient, that when this baby finally is born I'll be wishing for the days when I was a giant whale! I really can't imagine that I will. He is just WAY too big to still be in my belly, and I don't know how he feels, but I'm completely uncomfortable! I'm concerned that the longer he stays the bigger he gets and I know he's probably already a small toddler!

Anyway, I'm doing my best to be patient. We did have a "false alarm" on Friday, went to the hospital, and then came home with no baby in the carseat. I know he's coming and probably by the end of the week he'll be here. I have another appointment tomorrow afternoon, and I'm really hoping she schedules me to be induced because if she doesn't I'm afraid that I might have a nervous breakdown! Are doctors sympathetic to pregnant women crying hysterically? I dunno, maybe they've seen it too many times for it to affect them!

Check back tomorrow afternoon for an update!

Definitely going passed my due date...

2008-07-28T19:37:00.000-06:00

...Yep, that's what I was told today at my appointment. I am ALMOST dialated to a 3 but only 65% efaced so it looks like Wednesday the 30th will come and go with no real event at the Houston house! I was a little disappointed after the appointment, but I'm trying to look at the bright side, I probably won't have to share my birthday month with my baby, he'll have his own birthday month in August... Keep your fingers crossed for me that he comes only a few days late!

Because Inquiring Minds Want To Know...

2008-07-23T21:52:00.000-06:00

I just want to kinda give a little update on the Houston baby situation... We have a problem... He's too comfortable, and doesn't seem to be in a great hurry to make his grand entrance. Last week at my appointment I had dialated to 1 1/2 and was 30% efaced and I was so sure he would be coming early... But today at my appointment I learned that I have only progressed to a 2 and 50%. Now, if you know me, and my lack of patience, this is NOT fast enough progress!! My doctor informed me today that if I do go passed my due date one week they will schedule to induce me either one or two days beyond that, which does mean the LATEST I could have him would be August 8th, and man does that seem like a loooooong ways away! If Kami, Lauren, and/or Jodee have their babies before me I might have a nervous breakdown!

As far as a name goes, we are still not 100% decided, but we are leaning toward Hudson Nate. That could all change tomorrow though!!