Hud & Law's Life

Four and a half....

2012-02-16T09:34:00.004-06:00

Monday, Hudson officially turned four and a half. Normally I wouldn't have thought much about this, however his class at school is really big into birthdays and since he has an August birthday and the kids won't be in school we got to celebrate his half birthday! Hudson got to choose his "theme" and surprisingly enough chose football and Dallas Cowboys. This was actually a hit with both the boys and girls in the class. We had football plates and napkins and cupcakes with Dallas Cowboy helmets on them. All the little girls kept telling me how they were going to put them on their barbie dolls! Very Funny! They also sang an original rendition of Happy Birthday and then Hudson got to pick a present from the teacher's gift box. He chose a cars puzzle without hesitation. It was very sweet and very fun and everyone made Hudson feel super important!

So in honor of his half birthday, I thought I would do a Hudson update. Here are some random facts about Hudson at four and a half!

*You are tall, crazy tall for a four year old...where does this come from?

*You are a skinny Minnie...where does this come from?

*You currently wear six slim jeans and probably a size 5 or boys small shirt and a size 10.5 or 11 shoe.

*You are weighing in at 47lbs and it must all be in your big toe! Not sure how tall, but you almost come up to my chest.

*You are ridiculously smart, almost to the point of being quirky.

*You are really good at all your letters, letter sounds, numbers, telling time and basic math.

*You still LOVE video games, however we don't seem to play them as often. Your favorites now are Mario Kart and Mario Brothers.

*Your teachers tell me one of your favorite things at school is a kit that you build and make marbles go through tunnels.

*You are getting so much better at coloring and within the last month or so have started actually coloring the item or character on the page rather than just scribbling on the whole page...you still are not an artsy guy though.

* You love to play outside and ride your scooter or bike. You also enjoy playing with your BFF Caden, but lately however, this seems to lead to lots of fist fights and arguments...that's what we get with two strong willed boys!

*You LOVE my cell phone and love to get on you tube and look up cheats for the video games. This may have to end however because lately I've been getting text messages from AT&T saying that I am exceeding my data plan. I'm sure the next phone bill will be a doosy.

*You love Lawson and are always so willing to play with him and are almost always very kind to him unless you are just having a bad day.

As for your health...You are wearing your glasses like you have had them all your life. We actually just had to get the prescription for them changed as your vision seems to have changed this year. We just recently went back to patching, much to the dismay of everyone, but Daddy and I are determined to make this work for you. We also do atropine drops in your good eye several days a week. Your opthamologist says your vision stands the chance of improving up till around age 9, so we aren't giving up! We hope you don't either even though I know you don't fully understand what's going on. Also, no changes in the retina, which is great.

As for your Asthma and eczema...well....we are working on that. You have a new holistic doctor that swears he can cure you of all this. I'm a skeptic, but willing to try. Your eczema is not better, but your asthma, when you have the attacks seem less severe. Let's hope this works! Other than that you are normal crazy wild boy!!!!

Brothers...

2012-02-09T08:09:00.002-06:00

Brothers = Best Friends Forever

Family Pictures....

2012-02-09T08:00:00.002-06:00

So Jody won a silent auction item for a free sitting fee and portrait. We finally had it taken and really the family picture did not disappoint. (I was a little upset the photographer didn't get any usable pics of Hudson.) I was super proud of the kids, they behaved really well!

School Christmas Party...

2012-01-26T10:39:00.011-06:00

Hudson had his annual Christmas party at school and little brother Lawson decided that he very much needed to be a part of it. Lawson helped himself to a seat at the table and even polished off the snack. He did refrain from playing games and left that up to the big kids. Lawson has kind of become the class mascot in way. He runs in the room everyday, talks in jibber jabber to the big kids and tries to do what they do. Thank goodness he is heading to school next year. This kid is READY!

Christmas 2011...

2012-01-26T10:39:00.008-06:00

Two months later I am finally trying to get around to blogging about Christmas...maybe it's just taken me that long to get over! We had an awesome Christmas and it was a whirlwind! My parents came into town on Friday and Jody, Dad, Hudson and I went to a Dallas Star's Game that night. None of us had ever seen ice hockey and we were all pleasantly surprised and had a fun time. Hudson was a little unsure about all the noise and I think he kind of had a hard time following the puck. For sure would love to go back, maybe without kids? On Saturday, the four of us headed to watch the Dallas Cowboys play. Grammy and Lawson stayed home for a little relaxation. It was a very fun time even though the Cowboys lost. We got to head on the field before the game and watch the players warm up, enjoy the game in Rush's totally decked out suite and then go back on the field at the end of the game to play some ball. Hudson wore his Cowboys helmet the ENTIRE time we were there, talk about some sweaty head. Of course the next day was Christmas and Santa did not disappoint! I have almost no pictures of Christmas morning and what I do have is all blurry because Hudson did not slow down. I did want to make note the adorable pajamas the kids had on. Originally they were both dressed like elves, but Lawson spilled milk on his and changed to Santa pajamas...kind of appropriate though in the end. So kiddos when you read this when you are grown, yes momma made you wear crazy stuff like that because it made her laugh! I have to get my payback while I still can!

Hudson and Grandad on the field....
Dad explaining the game to Hudson

Dad and Hud

Cutest player I've ever seen!

Family picture minus Lawson...maybe next year.

All our blurry crazy Christmas pictures.

2011-12-30T14:17:00.002-06:00

We spent the weekend before Christmas in Goliad at Jody's sister and brother in law's home having the Pollard Christmas. We took the bus down there and stayed at Goliad State Park, which is always really nice. The boys were kind of under the weather and Hudson started having one of his infamous "asthma" attacks, which put a little bit of a damper on the weekend. All in all I think everyone had a great time. The boys got some wonderful gifts and everyone was so generous. A big thank you to my sis in law for hosting everyone. I know it's a lot of work, but it seems so easy for us to be the ones to have to travel.

Just because....

2011-12-21T17:54:00.005-06:00

I thank God everyday for my blessings. I am one lucky momma to have two hilarious, generous and loving little boys. They become funnier and funnier everyday and I am so glad I get to see them grow! Hudson your smile and crazy sense of humor is going to get you out of many sticky situations in your life...it already has. My little Lawson, that dimple and your "cheese face"...oh my goodness, the little ladies better watch out for you!

Christmas Cards 2011...

2011-12-20T08:18:00.002-06:00

I was not quite on the ball the year concerning our Christmas cards. We had a family picture taken in November and it took forever to get the pictures back from it, so it took forever to finally get cards ordered. In true Leanna fashion, my address book hadn't been updated in almost five years and not many of the addresses of our friends and family were the same so that had to be taken care of and updated. Then of course, as it happens every year, we didn't order enough cards, so multiple orders had to be made and because of this, I took the opportunity to design many different cards....six in fact. The following are just an example of two. I still have yet to receive the last of my orders...fingers crossed today or tomorrow, so people may be receiving cards after Christmas! I will try to post pictures of my other cards when I get them...

Picture with Santa...

2011-12-12T14:53:00.004-06:00

2011

Last years picture...same Santa....

Jody and I took the boys several weeks ago to visit with Santa at Bass Pro Shop. Hands down he is the best Santa and its free! Plus everything is so organized there, they have fun crafts and games for the kids to play before they even see Santa so you don't realize you are waiting half an hour. Anyways, I was a little concerned about Lawson and Santa. Hudson always very excited to see Santa....anywhere we go that has a Santa we always have to go say hi. Needless to say, I didn't have anything to worry about. Both kids did great! And in true Hudson style, he asked for all the "very expensive" toys that they were demonstrating and of course selling at Bass Pro Shop. I have to give them props for their great use of product placement!

An Earthquake....really.

2011-11-06T07:33:00.002-06:00

I felt my first earthquake last night at about 10:50pm. I was dead asleep when I think I must have heard the doors in the house shaking or slamming and that woke me up and the bed was swaying back and forth. I jumped up and ran into Jody in the hallway. He seemed pretty freaked too. Scared the hell out of me and it took me almost another hour or so to calm down and go back to sleep. I do not want to ever experience that again!

It made the news this morning, so here is an article from the Huffington Post....

SPARKS, Okla. — Oklahomans more accustomed to tornadoes than earthquakes suffered through a weekend of temblors that cracked buildings, buckled a highway and rattled nerves. One quake late Saturday was the state's strongest ever and jolted a college football stadium 50 miles away and was followed early Sunday by a jarring aftershock.
There were no reports in the hours after the quakes of any severe injuries or severe damage.
"That shook up the place, had a lot of people nervous," Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon said of the late Saturday quake, the strongest of a series of quakes. "Yeah, it was pretty strong."
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake Saturday night was centered near Sparks, 44 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, and could be felt throughout the state and in Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, northern Texas and some parts of Illinois and Wisconsin, said geophysicist Jessica Turner at the U.S. Geological Survey. A magnitude 4.7 quake early Saturday was felt from Texas to Missouri.
Turner told The Associated Press that the subsequent magnitude 4.0 quake that struck at 3:39 a.m. Sunday was an aftershock centered some 36 miles east of Oklahoma City in the same region. Like Saturday night's quake, she said it was another shallow quake occurring about 3 miles underground, but experts had no immediate explanation for the spurt in seismic activity.
Following the quakes or numerous small aftershocks, several homeowners and businesses reported cracked walls, fallen knickknacks and other minor damage. At Shawnee, the fire department said one spire on the administration building at St. Gregory University had been damaged and another one was leaning, according to KWTV in Oklahoma City.
An emergency manager in Lincoln County near the epicenter said U.S. 62, a two-lane highway that meanders through rolling landscape between Oklahoma City and the Arkansas state line, crumbled in places when the stronger quake struck Saturday night. Other reports Sunday were sketchy and mentioned cracks in some buildings and a chimney toppled.
"Earthquake damage in Oklahoma. That's an anomaly right there," Todd McKinsey of Moore told The Oklahoman newspaper after the magnitude 5.6 temblor centered 50 miles away left him with cracked drywall.
Oklahoma typically has about 50 earthquakes a year, and 57 tornadoes, but a swarm of quakes east of Oklahoma City contributed to a sharp increase in the number of temblors. Researchers said 1,047 quakes occurred last year, prompting them to install seismographs in the area. A cause of the uptick wasn't known.

Saturday night's earthquake jolted Oklahoma State University's stadium shortly after the No. 3 Cowboys defeated No. 17 Kansas State. The crowd of 58,895 was still leaving when it hit, and players were in the locker rooms beneath the stands at Boone Pickens Stadium.
The temblor seemed to last the better part of a minute, rippling upward to the stadium press box.
"Everybody was looking around and no one had any idea," Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden said. "We thought the people above us were doing something. I've never felt one, so that was a first."
The magnitude 4.7 earthquake that struck the area early Saturday was the first to rattle the area, but emergency officials said no injuries were reported at area hospitals.
"Nothing is destroyed or anything like that," Prague City Police Department dispatcher Claudie Morton told the Tulsa World after the Saturday morning quakes.
A few hours before dawn Sunday, the latest quake set nerves on edge anew.
At the Prague Community Hospital in the region, registered nurse Jessie Plumb said no injured people had come into the emergency room by Sunday morning. But she said she and other hospital staffers felt the 4.0 magnitude quake before dawn while on the second floor of the building.
"It kind of gave a little bit of a shake, a little bit of rock `n roll," she told The Associated Press by phone. "I would say it was 20 or 25 seconds." She said she was anxious because of the number of quakes concentrated in her region in so short a span.
Saturday's late-night quake was slightly less in intensity than a temblor that rattled the East Coast on Aug. 23. That 5.8 magnitude earthquake was centered in Virginia and was felt from Georgia to Canada. No major damage was reported, although cracks appeared in the Washington Monument, the National Cathedral suffered costly damage to sculpted stonework, and a number of federal buildings were evacuated.
Turner said the Saturday night quake was Oklahoma's strongest on record.
USGS records show that a 5.5 magnitude earthquake struck El Reno, just west of Oklahoma City, in 1952 and, before Oklahoma became a state in 1907, a quake of similar magnitude 5.5 struck in northeastern Indian Territory in 1882.
She said quakes did start occurring in the region in February 2010 and added the latest activity appears to be part of that trend. She also said the magnitude 4.7 quake early Saturday appeared to be a prelude to Saturday night's more potent quake and Sunday's was an aftershock. "If these are going to continue to happen, we can't predict," she told AP.
Oklahoma Geological Survey researcher Austin Holland told Oklahoma City television station KOTV that the earthquake and aftershocks occurred on a known fault line.
Residents in Prague and Sparks felt an intense shaking, but for those farther away the quake was more of a dull rumble, he said.
"It shakes much more rapidly when you're closer to it," he said. "Because it's a large earthquake, it's going to rumble for a while."
Morton said the office was flooded with calls, but no one reported any severe injuries or damage. She said residents told her that picture frames and mirrors fell from walls and broke, drawers worked loose from dressers and objects tumbled out of cabinets.
"Oh, man. I've never felt anything like that in my life," Morton told the Tulsa newspaper. "It was the scariest thing. I had a police officer just come in and sit down and all the sudden the walls started shaking and the windows were rattling. It felt like the roof was going to come off the police department."

Heading to the farm...

2011-11-05T20:26:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago mom flew and and then drove back to Plainview with the boys and I for a mini trip to the farm. It was a great visit and I think both boys had a great time. Hopefully we can go back sooner than later and not wait so long between visits...

The boys playing on the piano before bedtime...this was a favorite activity for both guys.

Hudson was my date to a Plainview Bulldogs game...he LOVED it!

Lawson on his first tractor ride with Grandad...he LOVED it!

The boys helping to strip cotton...

Grammy with her big baby!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-05T15:26:00.004-05:00

Whew Halloween is finally over and I am still exhausted just thinking about it. I LOVE Halloween and if you ever saw the inside of my house during the month of October you would know it! We had our second annual neighborhood party and it was in front of our house this year, which puts a little added pressure on us that nobody hurts themselves or anything on our property and nobody goes into my house!!! That was my #1 rule of the evening. These are all the pictures I got...pretty pitiful. I'm hoping I can steal a few from my wonderful neighbors that took tons of photos! Hudson had a BLAST and was looking forward to trick or treating for weeks! He was pretty awesome at it too. He managed to get a few second helpings from several houses without being noticed...I don't know how in a bright green Luigi costume. Lawson was a trooper and only wanted two lollipops to be happy the entire night. Poor guy bit it in the middle of the street and got "street" burn on his nose...didn't stop my little guy though. He kept right on chasing the big kids. He even got to try out a bounce house for the first time. Jury is still out on whether he liked it or not... Jody and I also dressed up, Jody as Mario and myself as Princess Peach...not my finest moment. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of me, too bad. Needless to say, we had a fun time and I can't wait for next year when Lawson is a little bigger and can really trick or treat!

Lawson's first haircut...

2011-10-17T12:42:00.009-05:00

Lawson recently got his very first haircut. He did really well and he looks like such a little boy. I have to admit I teared up just a little. Such a sweet little guy and so handsome!

Caden's 3rd Birthday...

2011-10-17T12:32:00.005-05:00

Hudson's BFF and our neighbor Caden celebrated his 3rd birthday at the Dallas Zoo. His momma is a WONDERFUL party planner and doesn't leave one detail out. Hudson had a BLAST!!! He and I rode a camel and saw lots of fun stuff, not to mention riding the carousel 3 times in a row!
One picture of Lawson...he is SO cute!

First Aggie Game of 2011...

2011-10-17T12:28:00.003-05:00

So these are all the pictures I have of the first Aggie Game of the season, which we lost :(. Jody bought a pretty cool new RV, so road trips to College Station are way easier with two small boys. Unfortunately on this particular trip, the first cold front of the season blew in causing massive wildfires around Texas which helped to trigger Hudson's asthma. He and I spent the better part of the afternoon trying to find medical help only to return to the "bus" and rest it out till we could head home the next day.

First Day of school 2011...

2011-09-30T07:39:00.006-05:00

Ok. Time to rewind. I've been bad about blogging, but in my own defense it's been CRAZY around our house. There hasn't been a minute to think much less sit down and write on the blog. So maybe now I will take the time to update....

First Day of School 2011

4 Year old class...

Hudson is once again back at Chapel Hill Children's School and I am pleased to say that all is going well. I was a little concerned because this year instead of seperating the kids by birthday, all the four year olds are grouped together. I really think this has been a good thing for Hudson. He is really showing a lot more maturtity and truly seems to enjoy school. I hope this continues for the next 18 years!

One year stats...

2011-09-12T11:07:00.003-05:00

I took Lawson this morning for his 12month check-up. He behaved so well!! The doctor said he probably was going to be big/tall when he grew up, but said he has short feet??? Go figure, he wears a 5 and a half wide right now, that's bigger than what Hudson wore. So at 12 Months or 1 year...

Height-31 inches or 87th percentile
Weight-28lbs or 100th percentile....he actually lost almost a pound
head-75th percentile

As compared to Hudson...26lbs, 32 inches, and head was in the 95th percentile....
Lawson is definitely shorter and more compact than his brother was!

What a difference a year makes...

2011-09-01T12:01:00.010-05:00

Happy First Birthday Lawson...

2011-09-01T08:39:00.009-05:00

We celebrated Lawson's first birthday on Sunday with a few close neighbors and friends. The theme this year was rubber ducks, which are one of Lawson's favorite things! We rented a water slide for the older kids and adults, had sandwiches a candy bar and awesome huge cupcakes! I think Lawson enjoyed his party, I know several adults that did too. Lawson got lots of great presents. Lots of books, a new music set, a tool bench, a new push car, (he LOVES this) and lots of other fun toys.

Monster Jam Birthday Party...

2011-08-25T09:01:00.011-05:00

We had Hudson's 4th birthday party at the Little Gym in Southlake the actual day of his birthday. The party turned out way better than anticipated and everyone, including the birthday boy had a great time!

Happy 4th Birthday Hudson!

2011-08-14T18:06:00.004-05:00

My first baby is four years old! I cannot believe it! When he was first born, four seemed so far away and so old and now that's where we are. So here is what Hudson is like at four years old.
He is soooo soooo smart and a fast learner. He can pick up on games and memorize books like nothing I have ever seen. I feel like a lot of the time I don't challenge him enough. Speaking of games, he is the wii champion. He LOVES the wii and especially MarioKart and he is crazy good. Funny story, we took him into Game Stop at the mall the other day to look for a new game for his birthday. He was telling us all about the different games, (he watches you-tube and watches online tutorials) and a young college age girl that was working there overheard him and said to us "how cool" Hudson was because he was such a young "gamer" and she hoped that when she had a kid that her kid would be as cool as Hudson...didn't quite know what to say. He is a pretty cool kid though! He talks and talks and talks now and sometimes a lot of it still doesn't make much sense. I figure it's just his little brain moving way faster than he can spit out words. Hudson is still a charmer and still thinks he can charm his way out of most situations by giving hugs and kisses or polite words. He calls Jody, "Jody" instead of dad and calls me momma or mom or princess if he is in trouble and calls Lawson "scooter". He LOVES Lawson and there never was a better big brother than Hudson. He shares his prized possessions with Lawson if Lawson is upset and he looks out for Lawson and tries to keep him out of trouble...and the toilet. He does have his share of frustrations with Lawson every now and then and has had some trouble this past year adjusting to not being the only child anymore and here lately, wanting to be a baby again. Hudson is totally potty trained and has been for a whole year now, minus pull-ups at nighttime and nap time...I think we will be in these for awhile. Hudson likes his nighttime cup of milk before bed. He can pretty much take care of all his bathroom responsibilities and dress himself. I have to say, I can always tell when Hudson has gone poopy because he always, every single day, comes out with his shorts on backwards and no underwear. I think it's his new signature trademark! I am lucky that he really doesn't care what I dress him in and only today did he tell me he didn't like the dressy shoes I bought him for back to school. He is hilarious and has started telling "stories" such a monsters being in his room at night. You can tell that he isn't being serious, but he really wants you to believe him. Hudson is still sensitive and truly just wants to make everyone happy. He goes out of his way to always include everyone no matter what the circumstances. I love this trait about him and hope he never loses it. We still have many days filled with whining and and begging and it seems, a sense of entitlement, but I will chalk that up to being the first born.
So at four years old, Hudson weighs around 43lbs and is about 42inches tall. He wears a size 5 shirt and 4 slim jeans or 5t shorts...must have adjustable waist for this skinny minnie. He wears a size 10 shoe.

Hudson,
Happy Birthday baby boy. In many ways, you are so grown up now but yet you are still so small. You challenge me everyday in being your mom and just when I think I have you figured out you throw me a curve ball. I am proud of the little boy you are becoming and I pray I continue to lead you to make the right choices. I hope you have a fantastic year at school and that things get a little easier for you. I love you more than words!
Momma

11 Months...

2011-08-03T12:35:00.003-05:00

My baby is 11 months old! This year has flown by. I am neck deep in planning two birthday parties for my two best boys. Can't believe Hudson will be 4 and Lawson will be 1 in a few short weeks.
Not many changes at 11 months...
Lawson weighs in at a healthy 28lbs.
He wears a size 5 diaper and 18-24month shirt and shorts...some 2T hand-me-downs.
He is in the process of cutting another bottom tooth with a grand total of 7.
Lawson is taking multiple steps to get across the room. Usually about 6 steps then falls down.
Still sleeping through the night from about 8:30-7:15, with two naps a day mid-morning and late afternoon.
He loves books, balls and matchbox cars...such a boy!
He has learned how to high-five and give kisses, (my favorite!!)
He has learned how to get his way, CRY and SCREAM and momma will let you have it...not good!
He tries this on Hudson and it doesn't work...hmm.
Lawson is still truly one of the most happy go lucky babies I have ever been around. He is so beautiful with hazel eyes and sandy brown hair that is closely treading on mullet status. He is such a ray of sunshine and just smiles at everyone he sees.
Hopefully I can post pictures before he turns a year old!

10 Months...

2011-07-06T13:06:00.006-05:00

Lawson turned 10 months old during our trip and I swear he is the easiest baby in the world! At ten months he now officially has 6 teeth. He cut four new teeth on the top all at one time...crazy! He really really wants to walk, and can when he has his little "old man" walker with him. He even will let go of things and just stand there for a minute or two then fall down. Not much other news, hopefully I can do a better post at 11 months!

Birthdays and the Beach...

2011-07-06T10:38:00.014-05:00

We headed down to south Texas this past weekend to celebrate Jody's grandmother's 90th birthday and also have a little family time at the beach. Hudson was beyond excited about getting to fly on the airplane and go to the beach!!! We stayed at Port Royal in Port Aransas and it was a perfect setting for our family. Hopefully we can make this into an annual trip!

Hudson posing on the plane...
Daddy holding Lawson, he was sooo excited and wound up during all the legs of the flight...

Taking a little cat nap in the car before the big party starts...

Lawson found his new favorite person, Weston.

Hudson was the evenings entertainment...

Walker became the babysitter...
He did good!

The boys horsing around the next morning..

View from our condo...

Mac, Lawson, Jody and Weston hanging out at the pool...

Hanging out on the boardwalk...

Fun times at the beach!

How cute is Lawson???

and Hudson???

One tired boy!

Lawson on the plane home, he did sooo good.

Father's Day 2011

2011-06-27T21:01:00.000-05:00

New Pictures...

2011-06-27T20:45:00.002-05:00

We took the boys to have new pictures made recently, they turned out pretty cute!

New Wagon Wheels...

2011-06-27T11:51:00.003-05:00

We finally broke down and bought the kids a wagon. I don't know why it has taken us four years to own one. I can't believe we didn't purchase one sooner, I love the wagon. Not only can it haul both kids, it can also haul toys and other things around. Lawson has really enjoyed getting to ride in it and look around rather than just sitting in his stroller.

A post for Hudson...

2011-06-06T16:17:00.013-05:00

I haven't written a post just on Hudson in forever, and he is growing and changing so much now. He is so much more mature, it's amazing how we can now reason wih him when he tries to have a fit about something and he can verbalize why he is acting a certain way. He is ridiculously smart and hilarious!!! He is still nuts about monster trucks and he freakishly has all the names and the driver's names memorized of over 80 monster trucks. We posted a you tube video of him saying them all several months ago and we were missing some at the time and have also added quite a few, so we need to redo it. He discovered you tube on our i-phones and somehow learned to look up wii game secrets that he applies to his wii games. He now tells us how to play the games, he is crazy good at the wii!!! Hudson is trying to learn how to read and probably already could if I knew the proper way to teach him. He can memorize books and spells out words of signs when we are driving around. His little brain goes 100mph all the time!!! I know I have to keep him stimulated or he gets really bored. So this summer his schedule is jammed packed with 7 weeks of summer school, swim lessons and gymnastics. We are already planning the big 4th birthday party...monster trucks of course! We recently had his vision checked at the Retina Foundation and it came back very disappointing, so we are supposed to keep on patching his eye as much as we can. This is really tough for all of us, especially Hudson. Can't imagine what that must be like for him. He has taught me so much about making the best of a bad situation and how resilient kids can be. Another older child made a comment about how his eyes looked one day in passing around Hudson. They meant no harm with what they said, and Hudson totally didn't know what they were talking about, but it stuck with me and hit me pretty hard that this is what he will be dealing with all his life.
Anyways, on a lighter note, Hudson is such a joy. He has his moments, but for the most part he is all hugs and kisses. He is still my little skinny Minnie that only eats cranberries and salad and cheerios in bed at night. Wish I could diet like that! Every once in awhile he will surprise me and ask for pizza.

I love you Hudson to the moon and back and all the stars in the sky and the sun!!!

Hanging out with his best buddy "from the hood"...

Acting goofy before bed...

Swimming at a friend's birthday party...

Class picture from this year...can't say I am sad school is over for now...

At gymnastics recital..

One of the few pics of him wearing the patch...

Begging for this car for his birthday...

Doing what he does best..playing the wii...

Being silly! Showing his muscles

9 months old...

2011-06-06T16:00:00.003-05:00

These posts are getting harder and harder to do! At nine months Lawson is fully crawling on all fours and cruising around the furniture. He is also getting brave and letting go and standing for a split second before he falls. My guess is that he will be walking by 11 months! He is (hopefully, maybe) about to cut a top tooth, which would bring us to a grand total of three teeth. Hudson had almost six by this time! The temper tantrums are starting and if you take something away from him he will start crying and lay face down on the floor...fun. His sleeping is awesome! Lawson usually goes to bed around 8 pm and gets up around 7 am, some days later. He generally takes a long nap (2-3 hours) in the morning and another nap (around 1 hour) in the afternoon. He isn't much of a cuddler and would rather just be put in his crib with his two blankies...one to lay on and one to suck on! He still LOVES to eat and along with his baby food, I am trying to introduce "real" food. He isn't picky and about the only thing he makes faces at is yogurt, but he still eats it. Lawson adores his big brother and wants to be everywhere Hudson is and for the most part, Hudson is fantastic with him and only tries to love on him too much. We went this month for a check-up and everything looked fantastic. Lawson weighed 24lbs 10oz...he actually lost 3oz, (probably from being so mobile!) That puts him in the 95th percentile. He is in the 75th percentile for height, can't remember exactly how tall. That's about all that's new for now. Lawson gets to take his first trip to the beach at the end of the month so that should be interesting!

8 months...

2011-05-02T08:36:00.003-05:00

How can eight months already be here. I am getting worse and worse about doing monthly updates! So at eight months here is what Lawson is up to.
*EARS...we are having major ear problems. All I can understand from the ENT that we were unbelievably lucky to get an appointment with is that he 1.) has a major ear wax problem...which we knew and 2.) has a problem sloughing off dead skin cells out of his ears like a normal person. This leads to the skin and wax hardening to form a "cement" type stuff that clogs his ears up...fun!
*Eating, this boy loves to eat! His big thing now is trying to steal food off of other people's plates. He is obsessed with food. Right now he probably drinks on average about 28oz of formula a day and the rest is jar or table food. He can drink from a sippy cup with or without a straw.
*Sleep, we had some problems during the early onset of the ear issues, which is the ONLY reason I even thought he might feel bad. Generally Lawson goes to be around 7:30 and wakes up around 6:30.
*Lawson is still army crawling, but has figured out how to pull up and just this morning taught himself how to climb the stairs...I wasn't ready for that just yet! Poor kid has bruises all over from pulling up and falling. He will pull up on anything!
*He has also figured out he has an opinion on things. Lawson, Hudson and I took a trip to the dollar store one long, boring day and of course Hudson went into shopping mode and starting filling the cart with junk. Usually I can leave it in there for a few minutes and take it out without it being noticed. Hudson had found a green plastic ball and bat set that he "had" to have and threw it in the cart. One minute later it was forgotten by Hudson, but Lawson laid eyes on it and fell in love. I let him hold it and chew on it and finally it was time to leave so I took it from him to put it away and the screaming and waterworks started. My mellow, easy going kid just threw his first fit. I gave him the bat back and he was all smiles. So we went to check out and I had to give the checker the bat/ball and of course the screaming started again. Then smiles when he got it back. Needless to say, everyone in the neighborhood knows not to mess with the green bat!
*Clothing, clothing, clothing...this is suddenly becoming somewhat of an issue. Lawson can wear shorts that Hudson wore early last summer. There are 36months between the two of them and my eight month old is wearing at least 18month shorts, shirts and pajamas. We went through a whole season of hand-me-downs in less than a month. I guess Hudson will be wearing Lawson's hand-me-downs before I know it.
*Pointing. It is so cute to watch him point at things. He only points with his right hand and it's usually at other babies or babyfood jars.
*Lawson is also working hard on waving. He usually just sticks his arm in the air but recently he has been working on opening and closing his hand.

I Don't Like Peas!!!

2011-04-26T15:24:00.001-05:00

Bath Time Fun...

2011-04-26T15:21:00.003-05:00

We started bathing the boys together because it is sooo much easier to do one bathtime than two. As you can see in the pictures, the boys have a blast and Lawson adores his big brother!!!

Easter 2011

2011-04-26T08:22:00.005-05:00

We had a fantastic Easter!! So much fun with family, good friends and little boys! Nana came to visit and was a huge help with the boys while we held our first garage sale in this neighborhood which was a huge success. Then on Sunday, we went to our church services and Hudson chose to go to "big church" and sat throught the entire service! Lawson of course went to nursery, where he has everyone wrapped around his little finger! They actually thank me for sending him to nursery, and always tell me how happy he is there. After church we came home and rested a bit then got ready for our second annual neighborhood Easter Party. Our sweet neighbors were nice enough to open their home up to everyone since the weather looked a little questionable. The kids got to hunt Easter eggs and then played and played and played. It was a wonderful day and both kids were in bed asleep by 8pm!!!

My Funny Bunnies!!

After several attempts at a family picture this is the best we got...oh well!

He Can Crawl....

2011-04-26T08:13:00.004-05:00

Look out world, Lawson is on the move. He has been on the move for some time now, I just haven't updated my blog in awhile! He started army crawling around mid-March when he was six months old, about a month earlier than Hudson did. I love when they get mobile because you can finally see what they want to get their hands on...good and bad I guess. I have learned that Lawson loves his brothers toys, the remote control for the tv and shoes...hmmm.

7 Months!

2011-04-01T07:28:00.004-05:00

So six months just flew by and seven months is almost half way over (a little late in writing this post) Lawson is just growing up so fast I feel like I am missing him being an infant. He seems to have gone from newborn to almost toddler, (heaven knows he is as big as a toddler!!) Some highlights at seven months include crawling!!!! More on that later. Blowing raspberries, which entails sticking his tongue out and blowing. Eating more solid foods now, some favorites are cheetos naturals, (I know, not the healthiest choice, but no different than the Gerber kind) Baby Mumums and pretty much any kind of cracker...especially graham crackers. Poor kid just has to make due with whats in the house. He eats roughly 4-5 jars of baby food a day and drinks on average 28 ounces of formula a day (I think!) When he eats his crunchies or puffs, or pretty much anything he has to pick up on his own, he growls at it...too funny!! He weighs in at a healthy 23lbs which is around the 100 percentile and is 28inches long, around 85th percentile. He is the most loving, cuddly little baby!! All are neighbors fight over the chance to get to hold him when we play outside in the evening. Lawson has also learned how to click his tongue. This is hilarious and he is sooo proud of himself for finally learning how to do this. He has also finally started riding in the big boy carseat turned backwards and can also sit up in the shopping cart when we go to the store, which he loves to do!

The Kitchen Sink...

2011-03-30T21:02:00.003-05:00

This is the only picture I took the entire week we were in Plainview...It's pretty priceless though! Who doesn't remember seeing a picture of themselves taking a bath in the kitchen sink. Pretty stinking cute if I do say so!

Sick and Tired of Being Sick...

2011-03-25T21:02:00.004-05:00

Everyone warned me that once I had two kids I would live at the pediatrician's office. I thought we were in the clear, Lawson seemed relatively healthy minus the sniffles and a cough or two and Hudson, well he is my sickly child...(asthma, eczema, seasonal allergies, peanut allergy, eye problems, glasses, patch for the eye, tubes in his ears...you name it, we've seen that specialist). However, starting February 2nd everything has gone down hill fast. Both of my kids have been sick almost every week since then. We started with Hudson having the flu...or at least we (the pediatrician) thought without doing the test. So I had to hunt down liquid tamiflu that doesn't seem to exist this time of year. Several days later Lawson comes down with his first ear infection, so we treat that. A couple of days later Hudson seems better but has loads of green snot..sorry if tmi...took him in to the clinic, (during the ice storm) double ear infection and sinus infection. Treat that with antibiotics. Throw in an extremely sick Momma and Daddy during all this as well. About a week goes by and Lawson seems well enough and Hudson has a runny nose, but no big deal. Then the virus from H*LL hits our house. Hudson runs fever for five days straight...I'm talking like 102 degrees for five days with Tylenol and Motrin. His fever finally breaks and he seems much better. Two days go by and Lawson gets sick, same type of thing. High fever, irritable, horrible cough...just all around pitiful! I take Lawson to the children's emergency clinic on a Saturday and all they tell me is it's a virus and to be on the watch for him to get worse....great. Bless his little heart, we had planned his baptism the very next day (Sunday) and we both had family in town for it. We went ahead with it and he was such a trooper through the whole thing. The next day I took both boys into the pediatrician's office again. This time Hudson has an ear infection...treat with more antibiotics and Lawson has the flu...confirmed with a test. So once again, since there is no more liquid tamiflu to be found, we had to actually have the pharmacy compound the pills into a liquid for us...that wasn't cheap! So we go on for a few days and Lawson is sooo pitiful!! The flu in an infant has to be the worst thing ever! He is slowly getting better, Hudson seems a lot better, still a runny nose. At this point we are already in Spring Break week. Our original plan was to leave on Monday of Spring Break and head to my parent's home in Plainview and see all our great grands. We didn't leave until Thursday just so I could make sure Lawson was on the mend. ( His cough was terrible and I was worried about him getting pneumonia) plus in the meantime, we had to go back to the pediatrician because he was developing secondary infection symptoms...so more antibiotics for Lawson. So we drove into Plainview and spent a couple of uneventful days there, then on Saturday afternoon, Hudson started getting a fever again. We were up with him most of the night Saturday and Sunday morning he wasn't any better so we loaded up and went to the emergency room in Lubbock. Guess what, another virus. The doctor assured me that it wasn't the same one! In the meantime of course, I am crazy sick with a horrible sore throat and cough and my mom and dad also get sick. So here we are now, over a month and half since the first initial illness struck and I pulled both kids off the antibiotics, (Hudson was making himself throw up every time he took it and Lawson freaks when he sees a syringe). I figured it has taken a toll on their little bodies and enough is enough. Hudson has lost probably almost five pounds that he didn't need to lose and he is crazy skinny now. Both kids have a dry cough and runny noses and at this point I'm thinking it's just allergies...I sure hope so, I know I've probably single handed paid my pediatrician's mortgage payment this past month though! Funny thing is we have another appointment next week to go back for Lawson's sixth month well baby exam that keeps getting postponed because he hasn't been a "well baby" yet!

Six Months!

2011-03-01T07:30:00.007-06:00

My sweet baby boy, you are six months old now! Wow! Half a year old. In six more months in the heat of summer we will be celebrating your first birthday. You are the sweetest baby in the world. You are inquisitive and curious about everything around you. You study people before you warm up to them, possibly a trait you got from me. You ADORE your big brother and I think he ADORES you!!! Please remember that in twenty years when you are at each others throats!!! You are my little cuddlebug and no matter how tired I am at the end of the day, seeing you smile always melts me. So at six months here are some things you are up to. Poor, poor Lawson, you have a really bad mommy. You are on no kind of schedule whatsoever! We go 100mph on the days Hudson has school and you just take your naps in the car seat. This has been ok till the past couple of weeks when you are dead dog tired at six in the evening and wanting to go to bed in your bed. This sounds ok and all but going to bed early generally means you get up in the night sometime. I don't think you are hungry, you just are looking for some company. You seem super excited to see me and we rock a little till your sweet head gets heavy and you lay it on my shoulder, then you go back in your crib with no protest till at least 6:30 (on a good) morning! Speaking of food, you still L.O.V.E to eat. Your formula intake has decreased but we have started you on two "meals" a day. Up till now your pediatrician wanted you on fruit and cereal only, but the past few days we have ventured into some new veggies and fruit/cereal combinations. So far you like everything. Green beans however weren't that big of a hit last night. You usually sit in your highchair with both hands on the tray with your mouth wide open till you are satisfied, then you might start playing with your toys. You just got diagnosed with your second ear infection in less than a month. I personally think it was the same one just drug out. You hate the medicine and make it as difficult as possible for me to give it to you. Even we you are sick, you still are a happy guy! You also cut your first tooth!!! Your bottom front left tooth. It is taking forever for it to come in and maybe by month seven it will be all the way in. You are wearing 12-18 month onesies and rompers and still size 4 diapers. You have already gone through your brothers hand me downs from when he was your size. You are running a good three pounds heavier than what he was at your age. You are also a lot thicker and taller than he was. We are debating now switching you to Hudson's old convertible car seat. I threw my back out something horrible trying to lift you in the car seat into the car, so pretty much anywhere we go now I put the infant carrier in first, then load you in. Not fun! Hudson likes to try to help get you buckled in though, such a great big brother. You are working hard on crawling and can crawl backwards and get up on all fours and rock back and forth...obviously you are ready to start chasing after Hudson.

The Patch....

2011-03-01T07:22:00.004-06:00

Dum Da Dum Dum. There should always be some ominous music when we mention the patch. It is the very bain of our daily existence now and has taken me a week to even mention on this blog. Last week Hudson and I journeyed out in the rain for our scheduled appointment with Dr. Beauchamp. I didn't know what to expect, I thought things were going well with the eye due to the fact Hudson wears his glasses all the time. Apparently not. The right eye is still turning in, even with the glasses so now on to the patch. Two hours a day, seven days a week. Thank God for Jody, because I don't know how I could hold him down and patch the eye at the same time. He hates it, who can blame him, but each day seems to get easier and Hudson is so proud of himself after we take it off. Hopefully this will work? If not maybe on to eye drops and patch but probably more than likely surgery....hard not to feel guilty about this one.

Monster Jam!

2011-02-27T17:46:00.004-06:00

Jody and Hudson had a "big boys" night out on Saturday to Monster Jam at Cowboy Stadium. We have been talking this up for weeks!! The day finally gets here and we had lots of errands to run all morning that ran into the afternoon which meant no nap for Hudson...I was worried he might melt down, but Jody said he did fantastic. He sat in his chair almost the entire time and watched the "show". Even Jody said that he had a great time. I think both boys are looking forward to next years Monster Jam and they may be making more "big boy" night out plans for the immediate future.

Happy Valentines Day 2011...

2011-02-15T14:19:00.005-06:00

Valentines Day was pretty low key around our house. Hudson did celebrate at his school with party at the end of the day. It was actually pretty fun and the kids didn't meltdown like at the Christmas Party. I had thrown my back out pretty bad the weekend before, so I hobbled in with Lawson in his big boy stroller. I think Lawson had a pretty fun time too and he even managed to win over a "big girl". She wanted to send a picture of herself home with Lawson. Uh oh, already a lady killer! We came home and had dinner and cupcakes and the boys got their little gifts from Jody and I. A new monster jam video game and monster jam truck for Hudson and a little toy train for Lawson, the one he supposedly was eyeing at church nursery.

Soccer!!!

2011-02-15T14:16:00.009-06:00

Lawson hanging out watching big brother play....

What to say about soccer....hmmm. Not much. I guess Hudson likes it. He doesn't talk much about it and I would like to say that he is the star athlete, but he isn't. He mostly runs around chasing the other kids and not the ball. Jody swears he could be a long distance runner...he seems to never get tired. It is fun and all (most) of the kids seem to enjoy it. Definitely a good way to introduce team sports! One thing is for sure, I have the cutest kid on the field!!

Mr. Photogenic....

2011-02-15T14:16:00.005-06:00

We finally took Lawson to get professional pictures made. He was a pro and didn't disappoint!

Hudson is three and a half!!!

2011-02-15T13:53:00.002-06:00

My sweet wild and crazy Hudson you are now three and half. Half way to being four, which is almost grown in my book. You are something else. I never imagined myself with a child half as charismatic, witty and clever as you are. You are the most stubborn, hard headed little boy one minute, (you get that from daddy!) and then the most loving, adoring and caring little man the next. Three has been a tough age for everyone in this household. Lots of growing, learning, changing and lots of new challenges this year! Every day is a new learning experience for you, me and daddy! I thank God everyday that he chose me to be your mommy and I wouldn't trade any part of it for the world! You are a fantastic older brother and you are constantly considerate of your brother and friends! Happy half birthday sweet boy!!

So here's what's going on at three and a half!
*You L.O.V.E. monster trucks and monster jam and daddy is taking you at the end of this month to see your first monster jam.
*You started playing soccer this month and seem to really enjoy it!
*You are pretty much potty trained, just pull-ups at night and nap time...
*You are a pro at the Wii video game and love to show this skill off for other people
*Your sleeping habits at night are terrible!! You either wander around and end up in bed with daddy, or you cry out until someone comes and gets in bed with you...
*You love taking baths with Lawson and sometimes help daddy bathe him.
*You are are horrible eater! You love salad and pretty much hate any kind of meat!
*You have started picking up on conversations that daddy and I have and have repeated things back to us that we didn't think you heard. pretty amusing.
*You have a fantastic imagination and have started weaving some pretty elaborate stories.
*You are currently weighing in at around 40lbs and are 43inches tall. Still tall and thin!!
*You wear 5T shirts and 4 boys slim jeans and you probably wear a size 10 shoe!
*You love to help mommy and really want to please me!

5 Months...

2011-02-03T11:24:00.002-06:00

Once again another month has just flown by and Lawson you are now 5 months old! You are still the BEST baby in the world and you have really made me open my eyes to having more babies...I just wish they would all be like you. You are a master at rolling both ways now and every night you sleep on your tummy tucked up in the right hand corner of your crib. Your sleeping has become a little erratic this month, but for the most part you are still a really good sleeper. You also insist on going to bed by 8PM or else you getting really fussy, which is really unusual for you. You still adore your big brother and look for him every time you hear his voice. You are also very attached to me and cry when people unexpectedly take you away from me. You are still wearing size 3 diapers because daddy bought like a 1000 size 3 diapers from Costco but you really need to be in a size 4! You are comfortably wearing 12-18 month onesies and 9 month pants!!! You are still eating cereal and fruit and LOVE it and hopefully next month we can change it up a little and you can try other things. As far as we know at last weigh in you weighed 21lbs! MY BIG BOY! I love you Lawson!

Hudson got glasses!!!

2011-01-17T11:02:00.002-06:00

Hudson got his first pair of glasses last week! We knew sooner or later he would have to get them, but I didn't think for the reason that we did. Turns out that among Hudson's other eye issues, he has a lazy eye and we are starting with glasses to try to correct it. Jody and I can already tell a difference and Hudson seems very diligent in wearing them most of the time. Friday was his first day to wear them at school and of course he lost them on the playground. So mommy and one of his teachers spent almost 30 minutes combing the entire playground looking. I was near tears when I finally found them! Hudson also was in tears thinking he has lost them and he knew he would be in trouble!

4 months...

2010-12-31T15:35:00.003-06:00

I know I say it every month, but I can't believe you are already four months. Time is just flying by. I think it must be because you are such a good baby! I know with Hudson every day seemed to drag by. He was a difficult baby and I just prayed to make it to the four month mark with him! You are so easy. Everything about you is easy! You have the most precious disposition and I hope that never changes! So here are some milestones at four months!

*You can roll really well from back to tummy

*You can really lift your head and shoulders off the floor now

*You LOVE momma and look for me when I leave the room

*You adore Hudson and love it when he pays any attention to you!

*You LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to eat, that includes formula, food and your hands!

*You always have your hands in your mouth.

*We started you on veggies early this month and you LOVED them, but the pediatrician told us to stop that and put you on cereal and fruit...you LOVE that too!!

*You sleep ALL NIGHT LONG almost every night on your tummy!!! THANK YOU!!!

*You love the bouncer and I must say I feel guilty for putting you in there a lot so I can get things done.

*You are so good at going with the flow and being drug around. We have no routine, and this is ok with you...so sorry second child!!

*You wear nine month pants and twelve month onesies...and we are close to size four diapers.

*You had your second set of shots this month and weighed in at a healthy 18lb 13oz in the 99th%

*You are 26inches long in the 75th%

Christmas 2010...

2010-12-31T14:58:00.009-06:00

I can't believe we survived Christmas 2010!!! I love Christmas and everything about it, but boy has it been a long month! We started the month off with our Christmas party at school. These are the only two pictures I got considering the party was at the very end of the day and there were 12 very tired three year olds needing to go home and take a nap!

Hudson has discovered this year a new "fondness" for Charlie Brown and Snoopy. This is another post all in itself! The Gaylord Texan in Grapevine featured Charlie Brown in it's ICE display this year, so we decided to check it out. Lawson had to come with, so he and I hung out around the Gaylord while Jody and Hudson went inside. The crowd was ridiculous being that it was the 23rd of December but all in all Hudson did very well! Maybe next year we will go a little earlier in the season!

Just a funny note about this picture, Hudson memorized this "letter" while watching Charlie Brown and much to my amusement based his own letter to Santa off of this...

On Christmas Eve, after having a fun lunch downtown at the Stockyards, Hudson and I baked cookies for Santa....

A very excited Hudson and a very tired Mommy!

We tried to attend Christmas Eve services with my mom and dad, we even fought the crowds and made it inside the building, but the kids were just done for the day and we ended up leaving before the service was over.

All tucked in dreaming of Santa...

Looks like Santa came!

Hudson got his train set!

and a baseball uniform...

and a football uniform???

Finally getting to open those presents under the tree!!

Showing Grammy and Grandad his new Wii games...

Trying out that uniform again..

Grammy telling Santa Lawson goodbye...

We had a wonderful Holiday season and are truly blessed! We got to see most of our family members and even got the chance to meet some new people (My brother's girlfriend!) Hudson is already talking about next Christmas and what Santa is going to bring him...this may be a long year!

Christmas in Goliad...

2010-12-27T15:24:00.004-06:00

We celebrated Christmas with the Pollard side of the family the weekend before Christmas in Goliad and we had a fantastic time. We took the "bus" down there and stayed at the State Park. Hudson and Lawson got soooo many neat toys, we will be playing with them for months and months to come! Hudson even got to go on his "first" hunting trip!

Picture with Santa...

2010-12-05T21:49:00.002-06:00

We took the boys to Bass Pro Shops over the weekend to meet Santa and it did not disappoint! I was sooo proud of Hudson. This is like the first time in three years he hasn't cried when he met Santa. He even told Santa he wanted a train set. Little brother took it all in stride as usual!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-05T21:16:00.005-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Plainview this year with my family. I figured it was probably the first Thanksgiving I have been home in about 14 years! (Given all the Aggie games and years we lived too far away...) It was very special to get to go this year because it was Lawson's first Thanksgiving and I wanted my elderly grandparents to have the chance to meet him. Their health is declining and it was important to me that we all see them just in case I don't get back up that way until after Christmas. Also my dad was on the tail end of cotton harvest and I wanted Hudson to be able to go in the field and see all the equipment.
The boys and I flew out by ourselves on Thursday the week before Thanksgiving and they did fantastic on the plane. I would be lying if I wasn't a little nervous taking two little ones on a plane by myself. Southwest airlines is AWESOME and gave Jody a pass to help us through security and wait with us at the gate. The flight is only a little over an hour and Hudson was SOOO excited about flying. I loaded a new video game on his iXL and the poor kid didn't even know we had taken off and flown the whole way there until we landed. He was so disappointed thinking he had missed the whole flight because he played his game the whole time. He did get to meet the pilot and shake his hand. That seemed to make it better. It wouldn't be a trip to Lubbock without baggage issues and sure enough, someone took off with one of my bags. It was by accident of course and I had their bag, (we both had small red bags). Southwest was able to call them and within an hour my bag was returned and I now have a $100 travel voucher, yea Southwest! Jody then drove up on Wednesday before Thanksgiving with the travel trailer which he and my brother stayed in the whole time. It was an exhausting but fun trip!

Trying to get a picture of the boys together Thanksgiving morning.

Lawson not too sure what Hudson is up to...

Excited that Hudson is paying attention to him...

Hey wait a minute, where are you going?

Grandad and Hudson posing next to the modules.
Hudson called the cotton, (white flowers)

Playing in the "snow"

My cousin Baylor was a good sport and let Hudson ride along with him in the tractor while he went to pick up cotton from the cotton stripper...

I think this was the highlight of his three years on Earth!

Baylor even let him drive...

Spray painting modules with Grandad...

Self Portrait?

My 90 year old Grandad meeting his fifth great-grandchild!

3 months...

2010-12-01T11:45:00.003-06:00

Lawson just recently turned three months old. It feels as though he has been with us forever! Looking at him he looks much older than his three months! I hope I don't jinx myself by putting this in writing, but he is the BEST baby. He never cries, unless he is hungry or ready to pass out... that's it! Lawson has slept through the night a couple of times, (9pm-6am) but he usually he gets up for one "dream" feeding around 3 or 4 am. He officially rolled from back to front on Friday and that includes moving all over his crib. I had a really cushy padded little foam incline for him to sleep on in his crib, (which I think kept him pretty warm and toasty at night which helped him sleep longer) and since he can wiggle all over his crib everything is gone but one small blanket and his sleep sack. I am trying to work out the kinks in this because the last few night he has woken more than once and he feels pretty cool to the touch so I think he is getting cold...We are still working on getting the formula just right. I am really trying to push 6oz every three hours, but Lawson is a snacker. He eats a little, sleeps a little, eats a little more, sleeps a little and on and on. He seems to really have gotten a lot bigger this month and I was worried that it was because I was pretty much primarily just giving him Enfamil AR which is the formula mixed with rice to thicken it. He tolerates it the best of everything we have tried and he very rarely spits up after he drinks it. He looks normal though and I feel that his height and weight are probably very proportionate. Speaking of weight, we weighed him over Thanksgiving and he weighed in at 16lbs. It's hard not to compare him to Hudson being as they are close (birthday wise) and I can go back and look at old photos of Hudson taken around the same time wearing the same clothes. Lawson is a lot more compact than Hudson. He has shorter legs, but a long torso and a smaller head. He is wearing 6-9 month onesies and sleepers and size three diapers, (he literally was in twos for a week...I still have one package unopened!) He is a serious cuddle bug and a little doll. He will sit in mine or Jody's lap and just stare at us and study our faces and expressions and try to copy them. Lawson also found his voice this past week. It is amazing! He went from quiet little guy to talking and babbling all the time. It's hilarious!!! He thinks he is actually carrying on conversations with us. He is such a little joy and I am crazy about this little guy!

Samantha...

2010-11-09T20:00:00.004-06:00

I felt like I had to document this, being that Samantha was my "second" furry child. Sadly she had to be put to sleep on Friday. We got her in a pet store in El Paso. She was way too cute to pass up and cost a fortune. She was kind of a "shy" dog but always super sweet. I know she was getting old and this was the best decision for her. Samantha and our other dog Libby have been living on the farm with my parents since we moved into our new house and they both loved it there so that is where she is buried now. We will miss her, but at least she is in a better place now...

Happy Halloween 2010...

2010-11-07T15:12:00.005-06:00

It seems as Hudson gets older, Halloween becomes much more of a production around our house. I swear we celebrated and planned weeks on end before the big day. This year our neighborhood decided to start the first annual Halloween festival. There are only around 20 or so houses and most have young children so we thought this would be a lot of fun for everyone before they went out trick-or-treating. We planned food, games, prizes...all sorts of things! Needless to say, our crew was pretty wiped out after being at the Aggie game all weekend and driving back in on Sunday morning. Once again, Hudson wasn't feeling his Halloween costume and Jody had to do some coaxing to get him to wear it. Hudson had multiple choices to choose from, the cutest in our opinion being a doctor. My mom had bought Hudson some scrubs to wear when Lawson was born, (unfortunately that didn't happen, cute idea though!) Hudson liked the costume and at one point told us he wanted to be a baby doctor for Halloween..(I guess that's what I get for taking him to all my ob appointments!) So Hudson got all dressed up, (not too willingly I might add as a doctor) and Lawson was the most adorable pirate you have ever seen, (Hudson's first Halloween costume three years ago) and we headed to our neighborhood party. We probably weren't there thirty minutes and Hudson had managed to get soaking wet in some sprinklers that were going off, (pretty convenient) Before I know it, he is in his boxer shorts and a t-shirt having the time of his life with the neighbor kids. It finally got dark and the kids started heading house to house to trick-or-treat. Jody and I were beat and debated even taking Hudson out, (he didn't know the either way). We finally agreed to take him trick-or-treating in the neighborhood so he had to have another costume change. This time he dressed up as a pilot astronaut. Lucky for us those were his pj's so he was able to head right into bed after he got home. Poor little brother got drug along too and he fussed most of the time...past his bedtime! Can't wait for next year!

Gymnastics Halloween Party...

2010-11-07T15:00:00.003-06:00

Hudson had a Halloween party at his gymnastic academy. It was on a Friday evening and Hudson woke up from his nap in a terrible mood. Needless to say, he wasn't going to wear any sort of a costume. It took him awhile to warm up once we got there and in typical Hudson fashion, he didn't want to leave...He had a great time with lots of other kiddos around!

Lawson didn't give me any grief about dressing up unlike his big brother...

The Pumpkin Patch...

2010-11-03T12:12:00.009-05:00

Several weeks ago, Hudson and I headed to a local pumpkin patch. There were hay rides, train rides, bounce houses and of course lots and lots of pumpkins. Hud had a great time and was exhausted when it came time to leave. Here are some pictures from our fun day!

I had to pry him off of the bounce house to go home, or we would have been there all day long...

He discovered Charlie Brown, however he kept calling him Caillou (his favorite cartoon character!)

While we were gone, dad and Lawson hung out...

Aggie Game

2010-11-02T18:46:00.004-05:00

We took our first family of four trip to College Station this past week to see the Aggies play Texas Tech. It had been a pretty long week with Hudson being sick and me on the verge of catching it and also throwing my back out again. We loaded up the RV on Friday and hit the road. The kids were awesome the whole trip and only got restless when we stopped on the outskirts of College Station. Hudson was in HEAVEN getting to sleep on the "bus". We had a few hiccups the first night being there, (running out of water and the CO2 alarm issue) but those were easily remedied. Jody slept with Hudson and Lawson and I slept in the big bed together. Both boys were just fantastic!! After tailgating a little Sat morning, Jody and Hudson and Ramon went to the game. Hudson made it to half time and starting telling Jody he was ready to go. Of course by the time they walked back to the RV he wanted to go back into the game! He stayed put with Lawson and I and Jody went back to watch the end of the game. Hudson fell asleep around four and slept till almost seven o'clock the next morning. We got up early Sunday morning and headed home. Both kids did good on the way back too. Looks like this may be the first of many trips to College Station for all of us.

2 months...

2010-11-01T12:02:00.003-05:00

I took Lawson to his two month Dr. appointment yesterday. Baby boy has put on some pounds in the last six weeks!!! Here are his stats:

Weight: 13lbs 10oz (90th %)
Height: 24in (90th %)
Head: 40cm (50 %)

In comparison, Hudson at this point weighed in at 14lbs 9oz...(yes, at two months) and his height was also 24in. So it looks like Lawson may catch up to his big brother.

In the past month, Lawson has become so alert! He focuses intently on faces and loves to be talked to. He is perfecting his smile and is going to be a heart breaker with that dimple! He can be pulled from a laying down position up to a stand and loves to bounce on his legs. He is pretty mellow and laid back and seems to only get upset when he is hungry or can't see what's going on. His sleep seems to also be getting better. We still have some bad nights, but for the most part, he goes down in his crib around 9pm and then will take a bottle around 2:30. After this it gets tricky he might only sleep till around 4:30 (after I just got him back to bed at 3:30) then eat every two hours after or he may surprise me and sleep till almost six. He still eats 4oz every two hours. We have tried 6oz every three, but he just won't go for that.

Now the real work begins...

2010-10-08T19:55:00.004-05:00

So now I am officially on my own, (at least during the day and in the wee hours of the morning) with two kids. My mom flew back home this after what was to be a two week stay turned into a two month stay...seriously. I think she knows after three years of me having a child that it's never just for a week. She has been such a help and it is such a blessing that she is able to stay for that long. She has taken the majority of the night feedings for me, (I have a hard time with the 3 and 4 o'clock feedings), kept my house in running order, my laundry and dishes constantly caught up, helped us turn the corner with Hudson and his potty training, let me pretty much come and go with and without children as I pleased and never once complained even though I know she had to be dog tired...I know I was and I didn't do half of what she did. Thank you so much mom for all your love, support and help and thanks dad too for letting us borrow her from you!!! Can't wait to see you soon.

1 month...

2010-09-29T11:15:00.004-05:00

We have made it one month....seems like it has flown by! Maybe it's my lack of sleep that's making me delirious. So here is an update on Lawson and big brother Hudson.

Lawson
~He is eating around 4oz every two hours, except for a couple of feedings at night where he might go three hours.
~He is trying to roll over and has managed it a couple of times, but I think it was a fluke.
~He is really discovering and recognizing faces
~He is starting to try to smile
~Lawson is starting to get the sweet little baby fat rolls on his arms and legs and has officially moved up to size 1 diapers and 0-3 clothes.
~He is starting to coo and make noises at the people around him and his toys.
~He LOVES the outdoors and will instantly calm down if I take him outside
~Lawson does this funny little maneuver where if he is up on your shoulder will turn and hurl his body into the cradle position in your arms. I think he knows this is how he gets fed.
~On that note, has earned the nickname "Piggy" mostly because he eats so often and usually has a little stuffy nose and sounds like a little pig snorting. (I know he will appreciate that when he gets older!)
~looking more and more like Hudson everyday!

Hudson
~Is taking more of an interest in Lawson
~Will help me get things for the baby if I ask for them, the bottle, a paci, the carseat...
~Seems to be doing better in school, no bad reports lately. (I think the teachers are kind of full of it though!)
~Is really into telling me stories now, some are true and some are not...I usually have to check the facts before I believe anything anymore.
~Finally have potty training almost down...still wear pull-ups to sleep though.
~Has really gotten into reading books by himself at night to whomever is putting him to bed. This is amazing to me, he has many books memorized word for word and will go page by page and read each book. If you didn't know any better you would think he could read.
~Started saying his prayers by himself at night, (this is the sweetest thing I have ever seen)

Me/Mommy/Momma
~Finally feeling almost back to normal, have had some setbacks from the c-section, but all in all way better delivery than with Hudson.
~Dropped almost 37lbs of baby weight and still have some more to go!
~Still trying to get the hang of a newborn in the house. I wasn't very good at that stage with Hudson and same seems true with Lawson.
~Still working on bonding with the "new person" in our family. We were in such a routine for the last three years and I was so busy with Hudson this entire pregnancy (which flew by) that I never thought about what it would be like when Lawson got here. He still seems like a little stranger sometimes though I am totally in love and adore the little guy!!!

0...

2010-09-12T18:52:00.003-05:00

I am going to try to be diligent about taking monthly pictures and posting them. I found these really cute stickers that you stick on a onesie or t-shirt to commemorate the baby's "monthly" birthday. So here is our first one, unfortunately we are almost a week and a half late on this one, but better late than never.

Brothers...

2010-09-10T20:34:00.002-05:00

Lawson's Birthday...

2010-09-07T10:13:00.004-05:00

This post is mostly for me so I can remember all the events of Lawson's arrival.

We went in to my doctor on Monday afternoon to do a cervical check and see how I was progressing on my own. The plan was that if I had made some progress on my own from Thursday to Monday then I would go into the hospital early Tuesday to start the induction. If I hadn't made progress, then he would admit me Monday, start some medication and then the rest of the induction Tuesday. Nothing had changed at the office visit so he told me to head up to labor and delivery at 9pm Monday night to get things moving along. We were so excited and anxious to have a baby! Well the hospital calls around 5pm to tell me that they are full and that there are no beds available and hopefully something will open up around midnight...ugh! After some persistence and calling several times, a bed finally opened up at 12:30am and Jody and I headed to the hospital around 1am. They checked me in, started and IV and then started the medication. First dose was tolerable, second dose really started contractions, manageable contractions. Before we knew it, it was around 8am and my doctor came in to break my water. I was dilated to a two at this time. He told me I was all cleared for an epidural at any time, but if I could wait till my contractions were intense enough that I couldn't breathe through them. He had no more walked out of my room when the first wave of the "intense contractions" hit. Holy Cow!!! I don't remember contractions like that with Hudson. They were literally back to back with no break. I went through three of them and starting telling Jody to find my nurse. About that time she walked in and asked if I wanted my epidural. She said she could see how intense they were getting on the monitor. My doctor had seriously just broken my bag of water five minutes earlier!! She went ahead and paged anesthesiology and told me I had to have two bags of fluids before they could administer the epidural. She had some sort of contraption that would push fluid fast. It took, by my count at least 15 minutes a bag. I was begging by the second bag to go ahead and get everything ready and set up so I could get it immediately after the second bag of fluid finished. Sure enough about that time the Anesthesiologist came in and got me all hooked up. It took her giving me a little more medicine to totally numb the contractions, so that took a little more time. In the end, I was totally numb and couldn't feel a thing...yea! I was able to sleep a little which was great. Sometime after the epidural was administered, my nurse checked me and I was at a six. Thirty minutes later I was a nine and she told me if I felt any pressure to call her. I guess it wasn't ten minutes later I started to feel contractions again and called her and I was already at a ten. So to sum it up, bag of water broken at 8am, dilated to a nine by 10am and 10cm by 10:15. The nurse then set me up to push. We pushed for about two rounds and I started telling her I couldn't breathe. For some reason, (I think the baby's feet were pushing my lungs) every time I had a contraction and tried to push, all I could feel was this intense pain in my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack. The nurse was a little surprised and she paged my doctor. He came in and I tried pushing for him, I was still having the pain and also the baby's heart rate would drop tremendously during every contraction. He had me do one more round of pushes and still the same thing. He said the baby was too high up to get out with forceps, so he ordered an emergency c-section. That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. It was super organized chaos. Everyone seemed to know what their job was and what needed to be done and within ten minutes I was in the OR, prepped and being cut into. I was totally out of it or I might have been freaking out a little. I think Jody did good, I barely remember him being in the room. I think it's hysterical how they tell you all this stuff they are doing to you and what is going and all the medications they are giving you and expect you to remember and comprehend it all. Anyways, Lawson made his big debut at 11:12am. All I really remember is his screaming it seemed to go on and on. I guess he got checked out by the nursery staff and given the all clear. He weighed in at 8lbs 7oz and 20 1/4 inches long. Just a peanut compared to Hudson. Jody held him by my head while they finished closing me up and then held him by me in recovery for another hour. After that Lawson went to the nursery and got his first bath and they moved me to a room. The rest of the day is a blur, but my mom brought Hudson up to see Lawson later that evening and the visit didn't go so well. Hudson didn't really care about seeing this baby and was more concerned that his momma couldn't get out of bed and was hooked up to different machines. Mom said he was hysterical all the way back home and on into the next few days constantly asking for me. She said he told her that he had a hurt toe and that he needed to go to the hospital and that he had a boo boo on his leg and needed to see my doctor. My stay in the hospital was pretty uneventful. I either had Jody or my mom with me most of the time except for the last night I was there when Hudson started getting sick and having asthma attacks. That turned out to be a good thing for me as I was able to send Lawson to the nursery and get a couple of consecutive hours of much needed sleep. I am still having some bladder problems as a result of having Hudson and now Lawson and I just pray that they go away on their own and not have to result in treatment later on. I also am having severe swelling from the c-section. By severe I mean that my legs look like I have elephantitis, totally deformed. Even my maternity clothes won't fit. This is slowly going down, but has totally freaked me out. Other than that we are thankful for a beautiful healthy boy. He is so sweet and seems to be very good natured. The only time he gets really upset is if he is hungry and we are trying to work out the kinks in that situation and figure out how much exactly he needs to eat. Hudson is slowly acknowledging him, which is fine. Every once and while Hudson will run by Lawson and say "cute baby" or "baby hungry" but other than that he usually ignores him...oh well!

Introducing...

2010-09-03T23:43:00.002-05:00

Our newest blessing...

Lawson Reid Pollard

born August 31, 2010 at 11:12am,

weight: 8lbs 7oz and 20 and 1/4 inches long....

He is perfect and I am in love with this new little guy!

will post more later about his arrival

3 yrs...

2010-08-23T18:39:00.002-05:00

I have been meaning to do a post to document Hudson as he enters his third year of life, but just haven't been too motivated here lately, so this may be a continuous work in progress...First off, we went to the pediatrician today for his check-up. Hudson was sooo excited thinking he was going to my doctors office. He was a little upset when we pulled in the parking lot and told me to get back on the street! He quickly pulled out the charm card with the nurse and doctor though. He does this when he wants something to be over quickly. Hudson will usually tell them "thank you" over and over again thinking that will make them happy and they will leave him alone. He did so good getting his weight, height and over all exam done and thankfully NO SHOTS till his 4 year check-up! He weighed in at 37lbs which was 90th percentile and was 39.5 inches tall which was also 90th percentile!!! Still a tall and thin boy!

Now on to some other random three year old facts:

*He knows all his letters and numbers
*He LOVES most sports, mostly golf, football and baseball...he isn't too coordinated yet to play!
*He is a lefty...this is challenging for momma trying to help him write and eat with silver wear.
*His favorite phrase at this moment is, "I NOT!!"..."I not go outside, I not eat dinner, I not go to bed"....you get the picture.
*Hudson is wearing a size 4T top and 3T bottoms now with size 9 shoes!
*He is mostly potty trained during the day, but for sure not at night!
*He loves Caillou, Max and Ruby and Thomas the Train...
*He will carry on lengthy imaginary phone conversations with Louise from Max and Ruby...
*He is discovering video games, especially the ones on mamma's phone.
*He taught himself how to ride a two wheeler with training wheels...
*Hudson LOVES to do yard work with Jody, and will repeatedly ask over and over if it is time to mow the yard...
*He is a terrible eater!!! His main dietary staple is milk, french fries, apples and pears and chicken.
*Hudson wakes me up most mornings, (here lately) telling me, "Happy Birthday, or Merry Christmas Momma!)
*He also will stop what he is doing and look at me and say, "guess what? It's Christmas or your birthday!"...everyday is a celebration around here.
*He still loves music and some current favs are, "Zac Brown/toes in the water, Tootsie Roll and John Deere Green"

to be continued...

The Party....

2010-08-14T19:36:00.005-05:00

Yesterday evening we held Hudson's third birthday party at the house. I had been planning this for awhile and I truly don't know what I was thinking having it at our home. I knew I would be big pregnant but I just guess I figured it wouldn't be much of a problem since it would primarily be the neighbors and their kids. I just didn't realize that I would be so swollen and miserable and after 14 straight days of 100+ heat and having a child who was going stir crazy wasn't feeling much like hosting a party. Thankfully my awesome husband came to the rescue and pretty much took over yesterday running errands, cleaning house and taking care of any major or miner detail that I had planned. In the end it was all totally worth it and I think Hudson had a fantastic time. Three is a really great age where Hudson is finally "getting" the meaning behind things and it was neat to see him have his own "special" day that was just about him. I will have to remember that in the future when I think how easy it would be to just throw two parties together for the two kiddos.

The Morning After...

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!!

2010-08-13T08:04:00.002-05:00

Today is Hudson's 3rd birthday and yes it did fall on Friday the 13th this year! I just can't believe my little baby is already three! This birthday seems so special due to the irony that we are literally days away from welcoming baby L into the family. My sweet neighborhood girlfriends threw me a baby shower/ dinner last night and I couldn't help but look at my watch every so often and remember what was going on exactly three years ago at that time. Also somewhat ironic that I have been having contractions off and on already this morning. However, I had a long talk with baby L and explained that today is Hudson's day and please let us make it through the birthday party tonight in the 105 degree Fort Worth heat without being born!!! Anytime after midnight is fair game...but preferably after Monday when Grammy gets here! I will post more later about the party and an update on life with a now three year old!

Almost Wordless Wednesday...

2010-08-11T20:22:00.002-05:00

Swollen is an understatement...

What we are up to these days...

2010-08-02T16:35:00.003-05:00

Whew it's hot outside!! I thought we might make it through the summer on the relatively mild side but it doesn't look that way. ALL the temps this week and the next seven days are above 102 degrees. I think today so far it is 104. Too hot for this big pregnant woman. Poor Hudson, he really got the short end of the stick this summer. He hasn't had the opportunity to do much around town so we have had to come up with our own entertainment around the house. Everyday pretty much involves being naked in the backyard, thankfully our neighbors don't seem to mind...

35 weeks and counting...

2010-07-29T10:55:00.003-05:00

We have finally made it to 35 weeks...now onto the homestretch!! We had our appointment yesterday with the doctor and he took some preliminary measurements of baby L's head, belly and femur bone. The doctor actually went back and measured twice to make sure he was measuring right, so it seems that the belly and femur bone are right on target for a 35 week baby...the head, (that was part of our problem last time with Hudson) seems to be measuring around 38 weeks and baby is weighing in around 6 lbs. which from what the doc said is a little on the chubby side for this age. Wow!! Looks like we will be having another big boy sooner than later! Of course my doctor is going on vacation in the next few weeks so he scheduled us to meet with a colleague at our next visit in two weeks then every week after that. He said if I do not go into labor on my own by 39 weeks he will for sure induce me. I have to say I am freaking a little thinking I may go into labor early this time. I went into labor at almost 41 weeks on my own with Hudson without ever being dilated or having any contractions. I don't know about the dilated part yet, but I have been having some pretty major braxton hicks contractions here lately! I feel pretty lucky to have a doctor that is willing to be more proactive and really pays attention to how this baby is growing!!

I usually don't post belly pictures and in fact I have only taken two this entire pregnancy with baby L. (I don't need to be reminded how large and miserable I am at this point!) These pictures are kind of unique though in the fact that they were taken on the same day, three years apart. How's that for timing! Granted I was about three or four weeks ahead with Hudson...it is true, you do get bigger the second time around! For the most part though I am carrying them just the same. Baby L is just in a goofy position so he sits a lot lower in my belly than Hudson did.

34+ weeks with baby L...

37+ weeks with Hudson...

Lawson in 4-D....

2010-07-06T12:17:00.004-05:00

We had the chance on Saturday to get a 4-D ultrasound done of Lawson. It is just amazing getting to see his beautiful little face. Hudson was so good the entire time and just sat mesmerized by the pictures on the screen. Can't wait to meet our little man in little more than 6 or so weeks. I am so ready!!! I am at the point in this pregnancy where I am just tired, swollen and have a serious lack of patience. (That could be from the potty training and continually cleaning up messes!!!)

Hudson claimed this picture as his and wouldn't let it go...so sweet!

Sleepy baby...

I LOVE this one. The ultrasound tech caught him smiling!

Almost Wordless Wednesday...

2010-06-30T16:33:00.002-05:00

Look where Baby turned up today...can you guess what we are doing around our house now?

Make room for baby...

2010-06-21T13:41:00.005-05:00

Recently Hudson has found a Cabbage Patch Kid that we named "Baby". Baby was bought when I was pregnant with Hudson to help acclimate the dogs to having a baby around the house. Obviously that didn't work too well. Needless to say, Baby got packed away with all the little baby toys and just recently resurfaced as we have been pulling things out for baby L. The funny thing is Hudson knows that Baby is only a doll, but he puts it in scenarios that would involve a baby such as sleeping in the crib or bassinet or going for walks in the stroller. Today I finally set up the swing and of course Baby had to make an appearance to "try" it out.

Before I know it, Hudson had moved on outside and is "teaching" Baby how to swim. I knew the swimming lessons would come in handy!

Hudson then decided that Baby needed to try out the swing set and slide...

I think this boy is ready for a playmate!!!

Happy Daddy's Day!!

2010-06-20T08:52:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to wish a Happy Father's Day to one of the best dads ever...

29 weeks and there is a light at the end of the tunnel...

2010-06-17T17:50:00.004-05:00

Jody and I went today for baby L's 29 week check-up. This was our last "monthly" appointment. From here on out it's every two weeks then every week till delivery. I had to do my glucose test and baby L got a good once over, anatomy wise. He looks fantastic and at this point is only measuring a day ahead of his due date. He is head down, "sunny side up", which explains the unbelievable amount of painful kicks I have been receiving lately. He seems really long to me because I can feel little hick-ups or (pick-ups as Hudson calls them) way down low and kicks way up high. Poor little guys still gets all wound-up when Hudson starts yelling or screaming! Thank goodness Jody goes with me to these appointments because he always remembers to ask questions. I am always just relieved to have gotten my weigh in over with and want to get the heck out of there. Jody asked the doctor about doing a C-section this time around and even though it's a little early to tell, I think due to the circumstances around Hudson's delivery the doctor is actually leaning that way. He really wants to be careful not to have another large baby so I don't have any long term problems later on. He said he will do measurements via the ultrasound at around 35 weeks and then figure that the baby will put on another half a pound to a pound a week till delivery. This will help us make the decision whether or not to induce early or do a C-section. Either way, it can't be as bad as Hudson's delivery!

More Hudsonisms....

2010-05-28T09:33:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Hudson went with us to my doctor appointment. He was really well behaved and talked to the doctor. We told Hudson to tell the doctor if he was having a brother or a sister. Hudson promptly said he was having a sister. The doctor was really polite and said that he didn't think so but he would double check. Sure enough, the baby is still a boy. When he put the doppler on the heart to hear the heartbeat, Hudson yells out, "it's a dog!" I guess Hudson is going to really be disappointed when he doesn't get a sister or a dog!

At night Jody usually puts Hudson to bed and they play games or sing songs before Hudson gets really sleepy. The other night I was in there and sitting at the foot of the bed. Jody asked Hudson to tell him what a dog says, a duck says...he then asked Hudson, what does Mama say? Hudson immediately replied, "MOOO". Just what a pregnant woman wants to hear! Jody then asked him, what does baby Lawson say? Hudson replied, "It's hot in here!!" Probably true! Such a funny kid.

Way Behind...

2010-05-24T16:21:00.006-05:00

I've gotten way behind on my blogging lately! We've been busy with end of "school" and family trips and such, plus I just haven't been too motivated to sit down and write it all down which is the whole purpose behind blogging. Also, I have had the blog down for awhile due to some unfortunate spam issues that keep occurring. Hopefully they won't happen again, or I will have to just figure out how to go private. Sooo here goes:

End of "school" or Mother's Day Out was last Thursday the 20th. It was kind of bittersweet for me. Hudson has done SOOOO well this year and has matured so much that I would like to think that a portion of that is because he had the structure of school. He and I both LOVED his teachers and I am terribly sad that he won't have them again next year. I warned them that they will be seeing me again in a few years with baby L, so they had better still be around! In the days leading up to the last day of school, we celebrated the teachers birthdays and the summer "babies" birthdays. Hudson was presented a crown at chapel and proudly wore it all day long. Then the next day at school was "splash day" a whole day playing outside in sprinklers and kiddie pools...Hudson was in heaven, he thought this was all for him and his birthday...luckily for him his birthday isn't until August so we still have some more celebrating to do...

That weekend after school let out, we took our first road trip with our new travel trailer, or "bus" as Hudson likes to call it. Jody and I had been talking about getting one for several years now and me being the snobby, non-outdoorsy person that I am always said no way!!! Jody however, took Hudson and I to an RV showroom one day, Hudson was in heaven and I was converted. They are sooo much nicer than you would expect. Probably way nicer than a lot of hotel/motel rooms we have stayed in at some point. We left on Friday and drove to Goliad State Park to "camp out" and to help celebrate Jody's sister Karie's graduation with her master's degree with honors! (yea Karie, we are so proud of you!!) We had a great time, minus a rough start due to bad weather. Hudson was so good the entire weekend and barely whined or fussed at us. Our next trip is planned for this weekend to Cedar Creek Lake where our boat is parked at a neighbors lake house. Should be a fun weekend now that we have worked out most of the kinks in the process!

Hudson and Daddy having breakfast on the "bus"

So now we are just gearing up for summer and hopefully baby in late August. Hudson is starting swim lessons in June and then has day camp at the church where his MDO is held. So that takes care of June, however we still have July and August to come up with fun things to do to keep busy. I'm thinking we will be working on potty training. (Any tips would be greatly appreciated!!!) We bought our first outdoor water toy of the year yesterday and so far it seems to be a hit. Unfortunately the water from the hose is just a tad on the cold side! Especially when one certain little boy prefers to be naked while in the backyard!

So far baby L is doing great! I am around 26 weeks and really feeling "big" pregnant. I look just like I did with Hudson, plus the 15 extra pounds that I still hadn't lost after being pregnant the first time. Oh well, too late now! This baby seems a lot quieter than Hudson ever was. I have to drink or eat something to get him moving. Here lately, he seems to get startled when Hudson starts yelling or screaming around the house. Poor kid, he better get used to it now because it's not going to get better! We have his crib and nursery furniture ready to be put together, however we just aren't motivated to do it. Funny how with the first baby the room is done by like the fifth month but the second it's like, oh well...it will get done eventually! I'm getting anxious to see what he looks like and what his mannerisms will be. Hopefully he will be an easy baby! (I can dream, right?) When we talk about the baby to Hudson, he corrects us and tells us he is having a sister. Poor kid is going to be sorely disappointed when we bring his brother home!!!

I think that almost catches me up for now. Jody did get a fancy new job title the other day...Interim President of the Home Owner's Association of our neighborhood consisting of around 27 houses. It's his first leap into politics so we will see how it goes!

Hudson supposedly taking a nap with all his "friends"

Class Picture

2010-04-24T13:00:00.000-05:00

Family Pictures...

2010-04-10T12:09:00.004-05:00

We went this morning and had pictures taken of Hudson and of the three and a half of us. It had been forever since we had any pictures taken professionally and I was starting to feel like a slacker parent...Here some of them are!

Conversations with a two year old...

2010-04-06T07:14:00.002-05:00

Around 6:30 this morning....little footsteps running through the house...

Hudson (whispering)...Daddy, Momma, I'm B...A...C...K ( In a sing song voice).

Later on in the morning as Jody is leaving for work.

Jody...Bye Hudson, I love you.

Hudson...Bye Dad, Have a good day at school...

We love to Party....

2010-04-02T15:15:00.007-05:00

Hudson participated in his first Easter party and Easter egg hunt at school this week. We had been talking it up and it did not disappoint. He had a ton of fun hunting eggs and then enjoyed a pizza party with his classmates. It wasn't until much later in the day he realized that the eggs had candy in them which was an added perk!

Are these not the most beautiful kids you have ever seen?

They look like they all belong in an add for Pottery Barn Kids...

One Happy Kid!!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2010-04-02T15:09:00.003-05:00

Jody turned 33 last Saturday, the 27Th. Nana, (Jody's mom) flew in and we all had lots of fun enjoying her wonderful cooking and a yummy birthday cake! Hudson LOVES birthdays and especially getting to sing Happy Birthday to any and everyone! I have the cutest video of him singing, but apparently blogger won't let me post it, (maybe too big???) If anyone knows anyway around this let me know! For his birthday, Jody wanted to spruce up our yard and with the help of two "friends" he transformed our yard. I still don't know how they got it all done in one day, but it looks fantastic!

Hudson showing off the new stone, mulch and flowers...

No Fear!

2010-03-29T12:45:00.002-05:00

Hudson had gymnastics this morning and once again he proved to be fearless on the uneven bars. I was a little nervous about this stunt, however Hudson was a champ! He was the only kiddo in class that did it without crying! Go Hudson!

It's a......

2010-03-25T12:28:00.005-05:00

Went for our 17 week appointment today and it looks like we are having a............................

BOY!

Probably no big surprises there. Everything looked fantastic and baby is measuring exactly to the day where he needs to be. We got to see his beautiful little profile, but of all the pictures the doctor could of sent us home with, we just got one of this....

The picture is pretty self explanatory....

As far as a name goes, Jody and I have had a really difficult time thinking of a boy name this time around. We finally agreed on one and it will probably stick. So we are proud to introduce Lawson Reid Pollard, estimated due date still Sept. 4th, but probably late August if he is half the hos his brother was!

2010-03-23T09:21:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to give an FYI..I think I am going to take this blog down for awhile due to the fact that I keep having really weird random comments left on some of my posts. Hopefully that will resolve the issue and I can put it back up later.

Conversations with a two year old...

2010-03-11T18:02:00.002-06:00

Hudson and I had a funny conversation this afternoon....it went something like this...

Hudson: Momma lets go outside, Momma lets play, Momma lets watch a movie, Momma, Momma, Momma.....repeat, repeat, repeat.

Me: Not right now Hudson, Momma is kind of pooped.

Hudson: You got poops in your pants?

My Little Gymnast...

2010-03-08T12:02:00.002-06:00

Hudson started a gymnastics class today at Little Gym in our area. Don't know if I foresee any gymnastic Olympic events in his future, but I think he did a pretty great job to just walk into class in the middle of the semester. He listened very well to the instructor and was always quick to volunteer to try something new out. Today they worked on two different types of somersaults, hanging on the uneven bars and even their golf swing. Hudson's face was bright red by the time class was over, I am banking on a long, peaceful nap this afternoon!

14 Weeks...

2010-03-07T22:12:00.002-06:00

I haven't posted much about this pregnancy, (after being reminded several times by Jody.) I am so busy keeping up with Hudson on a daily basis that I sometimes even forget that I am pregnant, then I look down and see my expanding waist. I am terrible at keeping baby books or journals so I am going to try and document more here. So here goes:
Let me just start by saying it's hard not to compare pregnancies. That being said, everything about this one is different than it was with Hudson. I've gotten bigger faster, a lot faster with this pregnancy. I am embarrassed at times when people ask me how far along I am. Also I had morning sickness/nausea this time, which thankfully ended around 11 weeks. I have the utmost sympathy to those poor women who endure that the entire pregnancy. I have started to kind of feel the baby move, which seems crazy to me considering that I really didn't feel Hudson till almost 17 weeks. With Hudson I was crazy hungry all the time and could eat anything in sight but this time even though I get hungry nothing sounds good and my poor family hasn't had a decent meal in weeks. I have however had a sweet tooth and probably a very unhealthy obsession with jelly beans. I still am tired a lot, which I'm not sure is due to being pregnant or just not getting any sleep due to a two year old with sleep issues.
When people ask me what I think I am having I still have to say boy, in fact when I talk about the baby I always call it a he or him. Jody thinks it may be a girl, and in fact told me that "when you were pregnant with Hudson you just stuck out in the front, this time you are just big all over...maybe that means its a girl." I guess we will find out in about two weeks!! Can't wait for this little one to finally have an identity. If/when I get brave enough, I will try to post a couple of belly shots...not sure I am up to it yet...

Big Boy Bed....

2010-03-07T16:50:00.003-06:00

We finally made the leap and turned Hudson's crib/toddler bed into a full bed... He is very proud of his "new" room, however I just wish he would sleep a little better now! These are some pictures of the almost finished room. Just a few more touches and I think it will be all finished.

**Let me just say that the safety rails that are on either side of the bed were hands down, the hardest things to put together. Thankfully Hudson was playing with daddy or he would have learned a few new words...

More Hudsonisms....

2010-03-03T16:58:00.008-06:00

**Recently updated...

As Hudson grows up, his vocabulary is expanding at leaps and bounds and he comes up with the funniest little sayings...sometimes I wonder where they come from.

*"I Quit!!!" Thankfully we haven't heard this in about a week or so, but it was a regular staple during any argument or tantrum. Funny thing is, he would get really discouraged/angry and say "I QUIT!" and storm off, so he really actually used the phrase in the proper context.

*"It's so cute" or "That's so cute"....For example, "daddy that hat is so cute!" This one probably came from me, definitely not a favorite of Jody's.

*"Oh my GOODNESS!!!"...This is my favorite! It is hilarious hearing him say this!!! He says it all the time when he gets excited.

*"It's so beautiful!!"...He started saying things are "beautiful" this past week and it is so cute hearing this. We bought the neighbor kiddo some balloons week because he was under the weather and as we walked through the store to go pay for them, Hudson looked up at the bunch and said "Momma, it's so beautiful"...very sweet!

*"Of course Momma!"...This one came about several nights ago when Jody was out of town and I was on my own for bed time. Hudson had done really well most of the day and listened and done almost everything I had asked of him. As he was laying in his bed I was telling him what a good boy he had been and how handsome and smart he was, his reply..."Of course Momma" ....does that sound a little like another man that lives in this house with me or what?

As for some other updates:

We are working right now on our listening skills. A lot Hudson's tantrums stem from him just not listening to what we are trying to tell him, so I have been trying to figure out a way to help a two and a half year old get the point. So I created the sticker chart. So far it's been ok. Hudson was really excited to get "special" stickers to put on the chart in his room and it was working really well for awhile until he would get in trouble or sent to time out and I would then see him ripping the chart off the wall, I guess he knew he was being naughty!

Hudson is also about to get a new "big boy" full size bed. Mommy couldn't decide how she wanted to decorate his room, so daddy took the initiative and decided for her, yea for daddy. Hopefully we can get it done sooner than later, although I am in no hurry....however it may help the next situation I am about to discuss....

SLEEPING or our lack of SLEEPING around here...I DO NOT know what is up with this kid! Hudson has never been the best sleeper, but after around his first birthday we finally got in the groove and got him to where we could just pretty much sit him in his bed, give him a toy or book and turn out the lights with his music on....no problems....Fast Forward to almost three weeks ago now and all that has changed! If we were to just leave him in the room at bedtime like we have always done in the past, we would have a two hour screaming standoff at the door to his bedroom,(he knows not to leave his room). Seriously it was taking us over two hours from bath time to quiet sleep at night. Some nights it would be 10:30 and he would still be screaming. We started leaving the door open to his room and the bathroom, leaving the light on in the bathroom just in case he was scared of the dark...still no clue where this is coming from. So now what happens is someone has to stay with him until he falls asleep, then it only takes an hour from bath to bed. Also a fun new side event has happened. He wakes up multiple times in the night screaming. It is a lot worse if he has a big screaming fit before bed....I kind of think this might be night terrors. His teachers told me that another kiddo in his class is going through something similar, but having bad dreams about monkeys....(can't say that I blame him!) Anyway, hopefully this will pass before baby dos arrives or else I will be up with baby and Jody will be on Hudson duty...NOT FUN! I did order a book that several parenting websites recommended, so maybe I can get some ideas from that....Hopefully!

Happy Half Birthday!

2010-02-14T21:59:00.002-06:00

Hudson turned two and a half on Saturday. I can't believe he is already so grown up!!! It's been awhile since I did a list of all the things he is up to now, so I thought I would put one together to remember this fun time.

~Hudson is around 37 inches tall, still measuring close to the 85-90% range.
~He probably weighs around 34lbs but wont get on the scales, (I don't blame him!)
~Finding jeans/pants that fit is becoming a problem, hard to find them long and with an adjustable waist...just too skinny.
~Favorite food is french fries and salad...weird,I know.
~Hudson hates,hates,hates, the snow...we now know this officially after 14 inches of snowfall this past week.
~He LOVES school and asks to go every morning when he wakes up.
~Hudson has the BEST manners and gets TONS of compliments on all his pleases and thank yous.
~He is crazy about Popsicles and drives us crazy begging for them all day long...
~He now has his first "crush", Ms. S. the music teacher from his school, he talks about her all the time and he only gets to spend about 20 minutes a week with her...
~Hudson totally knows his ABC's, all his numbers and can pretty much count to 20 with no problem!
~He favors his left hand, and his Sunday school teacher even pointed it out to us today that he predominately uses that hand...
~He L.O.V.E.S to be naked! I can't emphasise this enough, if left alone, he will take his clothes off! Thankfully he only does this at home!
~Hudson is my little charmer, and will crawl in my lap and call me "sweet momma" and then usually ask for something, (a Popsicle).
~He still loves to sing and his two favorites are "Twinkle, Twinkle" and "Baa Baa Black Sheep" as well as some Lady Antebellum.
~He is a Max and Ruby nut, but we are trying to limit this...Max is turning into a bad influence...hence the being naked.

That's about all I can think of for now, I may have to add more later.

I love you little man, happy half Birthday!!!

You be the judge...

2010-02-09T10:53:00.003-06:00

So for the past few days, I have been hearing about this over-the-counter gender predictor test that you can take to find out the gender of your baby. You have to be anywhere between 10 and 34 weeks pregnant with a few other stipulations, it claims to be 90% correct. I told Jody about it last night, so we made a quick run to the drug store to pick it up. You have to do the test first thing in the morning, so first thing this morning we tried it out, blue for a boy, yellow/orange for a girl....You be the judge...

You can see the color of the liquid at the very bottom of the bottle...looks a little dark to me. I guess we will find out in six or more weeks....

Save the Date...

2010-01-31T18:26:00.006-06:00

Hudson is going to be a BIG BROTHER!!!

Estimated Due Date ~ September 4, 2010
(Because I grow big babies, more like the end of August)

Jody and I are so excited to finally get to share this news

and can't wait to meet our newest addition!!!

Long Distance Calls...

2010-01-08T15:58:00.003-06:00

Had a funny thing happen this morning that I knew I needed to write down before I forgot it. This is truly a "first" for Hudson...So this morning my home phone rings and I am in the laundry room changing out the laundry, I was kind of busy so I ignored the phone. Right before I went into the laundry room I checked on Hudson in the playroom and he was watching Max and Ruby, playing with his trucks, happy. Let me backtrack a little by saying that I am notoriously bad for leaving cordless phones all over the house. Obviously I must have left one in the playroom or down low in the kitchen where Hudson could reach it. I am assuming that when the phone rang, he must have found the phone and taken an interest in it. So from my perspective, I left the laundry room went and sat on the couch to fold some laundry. I hear Hudson in the playroom talking, but I figure he is babbling about the cartoon or his trucks. About five minutes later, or almost seven and a half minutes to be exact, Hudson brings the phone to me and says, "it's for you Mama". I grab the phone, it's all lit up, and turned on. I say "hello, hello" and nobody answers, so I figure maybe he just turned the phone on and didn't turn it off. I sit and think about it for a second and look to see who the last call that I missed was from. Turns out it was my mom, so I call her and ask if Hudson answered the phone when she called. She said no, but that he called her right back. She said that she and my dad had been switching off having conversations with Hudson. She said they talked about Max and Ruby, Thomas the Train, movies, school...all sorts of things a two year old is interested in. Mom said that she thought that I was right there with him while he was talking, she said he kept telling her "bye, bye", so she would tell him to give the phone to Mommy. Mom also said that she was starting to get worried something was wrong with me and I guess she thought Hudson was having a "lassie" moment, trying to call someone for help! She said she kept asking him if he was "OK" and he would tell her "OK" right back, then she said she would ask him if I was "OK" and she said he would start yelling "Mama, Mama"...which I didn't hear! Needless to say, she and my dad were pretty excited about their first call from their Grandson this morning and that everything was fine at our house. I guess this teaches me a lesson though, that obviously Hudson knows how to use the phone and I had better put the phones back in their proper places after I use them. I can forsee in the future many more calls to his grandparents telling on his mommy and daddy!!!

Christmas Part 2...

2010-01-06T15:41:00.004-06:00

We had our final Christmas celebration with the Pollard Family this past weekend. Everyone traveled to our house and I think a fun time was had by all. The kids got lots of great gifts! Here are some pictures from the past weekend....

Opening gifts...Hudson got lots of great new toys!

Here I am doing what I do best...putting everything together...

Trying to get a group picture of all the cousins...

Hudson doesn't seem to want to participate...

OK, finally got one!

Santa, Snow and Family...

2009-12-29T17:34:00.006-06:00

This Christmas is kind of ongoing with our first annual neighborhood Christmas party hosted at our house, Santa coming on Christmas morning, (my family was supposed to come in on Christmas Eve, but got snowed in. They finally came in late Christmas Day.) Christmas with my family on the 26th and the Pollard family Christmas this weekend...Hudson is finally getting the hang of opening presents, so he should do great this weekend. He has woken up the past few days and run to the tree to see if there are any more presents for him...He seemed to like everything Santa brought, but got kind of overwhelmed with all the other presents we opened with my family. So much to look at and play with!! We did have a fun Christmas Eve getting to enjoy the beautiful snow. Hudson and I baked cookies for Santa and played around the house all day. He wasn't too keen on giving up his cookies to Santa, (he still isn't a big fan!). Here are a few pictures from the past few days, I just didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked.

Santa came early...

2009-12-20T09:46:00.005-06:00

Santa had to make an early stop at our house this year to deliver a new swing set for Hudson. Everyone knows that a swingset can't fit in Santa's sleigh! Hudson was beyond excited and now all we hear is "go outside" over and over again. This should provide hours of entertainment!

Earning his keep...

2009-12-19T22:12:00.004-06:00

North Pole Express...

2009-12-19T21:55:00.006-06:00

Last night we took Hudson for a ride on the North Pole Express. It's an antique train that is in Grapevine. They decorate it with Christmas lights and have a Santa on board. We had been talking this up for over a week now so Hudson was pretty excited about it. It was pretty funny though, we went to put Hudson in his pajamas and his started having the biggest crying fit thinking he was going to bed early. We had to reassure him over and over again that he was going on the train. It I guess it is kind of weird to wear your pajamas out in public!!! Another funny thing was while we were on the train and Santa came into our car, Hudson immediately spotted him and yelled out "Oh NO!!" Obviously not a fan of Santa just yet...

Christmas Party...

2009-12-19T21:47:00.004-06:00

Hudson had his class Christmas party last Thursday at school. It was pretty much just mass chaos, but I think the kids enjoyed having their parents come for breakfast. His teachers were really sweet and gave the kids each their own stocking with treats. I know his teachers are ready for a much needed vacation!