Christmas Cards!

Hey Bloggers! Shutterfly is giving away 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers! Just follow this link to sign up for the promotion!

I looked through this year's Christmas Card collection and picked out three of my favorites...

But I am not even close to being ready to order them! We're taking the kids to get their pictures taken this week, and we're getting ready to go on vacay, so I might hold off until then to order them. I think I'll make my final decision once I find the pictures I want to use of the kids and plug them into each different design!

I LOVE Shutterfly. If you haven't used them before, I think they're great! I used them for a photo book for Brian (a really great book of pictures of Noelle), Reese's birthday party invitations, Christmas cards, and a calender that I gave my parents and brothers and sisters for Christmas last year (their are a TON of us and it make it easy to remember birthdays and anniversaries). Everything we've gotten has been great quality and I'm hoping to make a photo book for each kid for each year of their lives - but that seems like a big task, so who knows!

Thanksgiving 2010

We had a great Thanksgiving. Hudson was able to meet all 3 of his great grandmothers, and they were all excited to see him. Here he is meeting Gigi (he's named after her husband).

Wyatt and Reese were able to spend some "down time" playing out in the leaves. They had a great time throwing them at one another, making "leaf angels," and just running around.
Then we decided to take a few family pictures under the tree. Without any pictures of the whole family.

My favorite!

This was before Reese thought that throwing leaves at the baby might be a good idea. Then Wyatt held his arms out and said "I'm done holding Hudson now."

But of course Reese wanted a turn.

Hudson and Daddy! I think this was the only time Brian got to hold him all day!

Me and my little guy!

He wasn't a big fan of laying on the leaves, but it was too cute not to try!

Reese was very disturbed that Hudson was laying down crying,

So she tried to pick him up! This is why parents are never far away from these three!

After eating at Brian's parents we went to my parents house for dessert and the Cowboys-Saints game. We all had a pretty relaxed Thanksgiving, especially my Dad and Hudson. My Dad laid down on the couch with Hudson for about three hours while he watched the game, which in my opinion, is a pretty sweet deal. The kids started asking the next day if it was time to leave for Disney World now that Thanksgiving is over, and I told them they had to wait a week. So then they started asking about Christmas! I think it's going to be a long month!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wyatt's school work. Love the different colored fingers. He was so proud the day he made it that he went through his folder 5 times looking for it.

All Aboard the Choo Choo Train!

Brian and I made room in our Christmas budget for decorations. And then the boys took over the money for decor. With a train.

I got the email for the GeoTrax train about 2 months ago and forwarded to Brian. He didn't seem too excited about it until they saw it in a store one day. At that point he bought it. Wyatt was with him when he bought and he's been asking about it for ages, but they finally set it up on Friday morning.

Wyatt is basically in love with this train. He keeps insisting that he's going to ask Santa Claus for another train for Christmas (which I am trying to divert him from).

At first he was very interested in the particulars of the train. He made sure that everything was where it was supposed to be, wanted to make sure that Santa never fell out while going uphill, etc. Now the train basically goes wherever Wyatt goes throughout the house.

Reese likes the train, but she's not really that into it. The funniest thing she's done is start trying to use the controller while Wyatt was holding the train in his hands. He was sitting on the couch and it started moving and he shouted "Reesie!" And there she stood with the controller and the funniest smile on her face like she knew exactly what she was doing!

This picture basically says it all. That's her angry, "I'm about to hit you face," and he's wincing because he knows what's coming. We did figure out today why her time outs aren't working. She's not really that affected by them. But if we tell her that if she gets off the naughty step that we're going to take away a pair of shoes, she sits there like and angel. Doesn't she just look precious here?

Two Weeks Old!

Hudson is now two whole weeks old! Brian and I were just saying last night that we can't believe that we've only known him for two weeks. It's gone by so fast - some days I literally forget that I'm not pregnant anymore! It's pretty easy to forget - because all Hudson usually wants to do is sleep!

He spent a little time last night hanging out with his big brother.

And here he is this morning at 10:17 when he turned 2 weeks old!
He took a nice peaceful nap - and then woke up to a blow out! I will say that this little boy never has a urine only diaper. He poops about a bajillion times a day! He also is just about over with his first "illness," he's had blocked tear ducts in BOTH of his eyes over the last 5 days, which does not make for a happy baby when he first wakes up. His eyes were literally glued shut by green gunk. I know, I know, I'm really making life with a baby sound super glamorous (it's not)! Sorry - these are silly little things that I will want to remember one day!

But having this little guy is worth every diaper change and every night time feeding in the world!

General Updates...

I've been missing, but it's not because the kids are keeping me crazy busy (although they are). Brian was in Orlando from Monday morning until last night and he took my computer with him. But Hudson has kind of taken center stage on the blog lately, and it occurred to me that I've left out a few things about the other two...

THIS GUY

is a super star. We had our parent teacher conference at his school two days before Hudson was born, and we are so pleased with his progress! He's doing very well in academically, but he is also doing a great job socially (which was my main area of concern since he's never been out of the home before). His teacher actually said that he is one of her leaders in the classroom, which probably made me the happiest. You can call him QB if you want.
His last soccer game was the night that Hudson was born. I'm not sure that he'll be able to make it through the winter without some sort of sports activity, so we're thinking about signing him up for basketball.

THIS GUY

Turned a week old last Friday. Here us a picture of him at 10:17 when he turned a week old. He is doing an amazing job breast feeding, an even better job sleeping, and he's had great head control since the day he was born. Hudson is just such a blessing, and we all love him to pieces!

THIS GIRL

Is literally developing a bigger, more exuberant personality every day. We know her well. And then she almost adds another layer to who she is. She is sweet, she is loving, she is also a bit of a leader, she is bossy, she is competitive and she is very particular. And with all of that complexity - we love her to bits! She is the best big and little sister ever!

For starters - this ensemble was put together by Daddy. The leggings are a little short, so they usually get paired with boots. But she was going outside to run, so we went with sneakers. This hands on the hips pose? All her lately. That's usually how she stands when she's bossing us around!

Big Baby!

Wyatt and Reese LOVE Toy Story 3, and when this "baby" arrived they immediately started calling it "Big Baby." As in, "Big Baby, we're ho-ome!" Or, "there's a Big Baby in the front yard!" You have to hear the way they say it, but it cracks me up!

So we got a stork with Wyatt, and then found these babies after Reese was born. I really like the teddy bear more than the stork package, so we got it again! We debated whether or not to do it because it costs money and I'm not working anymore, but seriously, there's already a growing list of things I'm going to have to explain to Hudson and Reese that we didn't do when they were babies that we did with Wyatt - how do I explain his big baby away?

Reese wasn't being super cooperative while Baba took the picture, but at least Wyatt wanted to hold his baby brother (with me) and smile!
Reese not looking at the camera!

At the old house with Reese's big baby!

...and Wyatt's stork!

Coming Home (Part Two)!

After we left the hospital we drove home and stopped at Walgreens to have my prescriptions filled. We got there 10 minutes before they closed and and they kindly filled them for me while Hudson and I waited in the car. Thank freakin' goodness. I would have died if I didn't have something to take at home that night (and that's probably actually the truth).

When we pulled up in the driveway these two little critters came running out of the house (the kids, not our dads).

We're home! (And I only look 5 months pregnant. Sweet.)
Daddy walked Hudson in the house for his first trip inside.

And then we handed him over to the wolves.

They are both actually really good and gentle with him (Wyatt more than Reese).

She just looks at him and says, "Look at Baby Hudson! He's so cute! And tiny! So tiny and cute!"

Wyatt is basically in love with his little brother. He loves to hold him, and washes his hands about 27 million times a day just in case he actually gets a shot to hold him. Holding Hudson is a new part of his before bed routine. He constantly says, "I love my little brother!"

Things are definitely taking on a sort of "normal" feeling now. Hudson has just been the most easy going little guy (and he sleeps a lot). Brian has been home all week, so that's made it pretty easy on my recovery. I am really starting to feel a lot better! The kids are completely interested in breast feeding, which is kind of weird, but at least they're asking good questions. Last night in the car Wyatt told me that Hudson drinks all the milk and then I just fill up with more like a cow. Sweet.

Coming Home (Part One)!

Hudson and I were both cleared to come home on Sunday evening. We actually probably could have left around 3, but that would have been in the middle of the Dolphins game :). Just kidding! It's a lot easier to be at the hospital during the day, but night time at the hospital is the pits. Between the uncomfortable chair Brian slept in and the fact that I was up all night worrying about where Hudson was (they take the babies for baths at 11 - and then let the moms "sleep" until the next feeding - which means we have to go get him when it's time) or that I wouldn't wake up to feed him. Plus the vitals, the need for painkillers, etc. my longest stretch of sleep was probably about 15 minutes the entire weekend! Needless to say we were exhausted and ready to get home to Wyatt and Reese!

We ended up leaving the hospital on like, the coldest day of the year so far! Fortunately Hudson was pretty well bundled, but bringing him home made my least favorite day of the year (setting clocks back - uck) my new favorite!

Here we are before we left
Hudson all dressed in his coming home outfit. He looks so tiny in the car seat!

The three of us - it's a little blurry because my nurse took it. I have to say that this was by far my best experience with the nurses at the hospital. The nurses I had this time seemed genuinely concerned about me and took great care of me, which hasn't always been the case. And I guess they want to make sure that the baby is safely strapped in he car seat before they let them leave the hospital? My main question is - what do the parents who decided to skip the infant seat do? Bring in the whole convertible car seat?

Daddy with Hudson all snug in the car!

Mommy and Hudson!

I might be biased - but he is stinking adorable!

I'll post about our homecoming later - otherwise this post would be of about 54 bajillion pictures!

Hospital Pictures

We were in the hospital from Friday to Sunday evening. Here's a collection of pictures that we took during Hudson's first 2 days!

Wyatt and Reese's "big sibling gifts" were these V Tech cameras. Wyatt LOVES to take pictures with it, and he actually got a few good ones. He had to take a picture of Colin and Hudson. And this one he actually stood more than a foot away to take (we have a lot of really up close and personal pictures of Hudson's little face).
Hudson and I have matching pajamas. Apparently the nurses were talking about them because the doctor came in and mentioned them! Forgive my super cool ice pack. I had no idea that the biggest pain I would experience post C section would be gas pains rising to my shoulders. Seriously. I was up moving around by Friday evening and was shuffling around, and my C section area felt fine. But my shoulders were killing me! My nurses gave me some sort of ginger ale/prune juice concoction and that really helped me burp it out (I had no idea how to make myself burp), but I was so miserable Saturday morning! Especially since they took Hudson to the nursery for like 2 hours!

Have you ever seen a face this sweet (or this much hair)? I think he looks a lot like his big brother here!

He is just such a sweet little guy

He wore this outfit for his hospital pictures

He is such a little cuddler! He would keep his little head on my shoulder forever if he could. Except, he definitely likes to eat so sometimes his head isn't on my shoulder. He is a pretty amazing little eater.

We were able to leave the hospital early Sunday evening, so I'll post more about that later. But I can say that we are just LOVING having him home with us!