and then there were four...

Happy 1st Birthday Cake, Hudson!...(just a few days late)

2010-03-08T13:42:00.002-06:00

A very sweet friend reminded me the other day that my blog was a little behind and my sweet Hudson didn't have a birthday post, so to remedy that, here goes.

The sad day finally came and went. Hudson had his 1st birthday! We had a great party with family and a few friends (in our newly decorated kitchen, thanks to the Meredith's!) and Hudson had a great cake. He put on quite the show. I wish, yet again, I'd had a video camera to capture the entire moment. He was a mess. He was skeptical at first, but then quickly embraced his new favorite food, face first. He's his daddy's boy, what can I say? :)

It's been a great year. We can't imagine or remember what life is like without him. He's such a sweet little man! We're continually reminded of God's goodness every time we look into the faces of our sweet boys.

Hudson's great "cheese" with Papa...just before the cake.

Hudson face first devouring his "smash" cake. Priceless.

The Boys with Gigi, my hysterical and fun-loving grandmother

The Birthday Hat Tradition.

First Present of the Year

2009-12-25T01:08:00.000-06:00

Here is our jammies we opened on Christmas Eve...I think it may be a foretaste of what lies ahead for the rest of Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-16T23:27:00.000-06:00

Here are our boys, upholding Momma's tradition of taking Christmas pics in front of the tree at church. Thank you boys for finally taking a picture to be "blogworthy". I love you!

ten

2009-12-09T23:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Ten Months, Hudson! Wow, you are getting busier by the day. You are crawling everywhere, but especially straight to Ginger's food bowls. You are loving the Christmas tree, although you haven't managed to pull it over on yourself, yet. We are getting excited about your first Christmas and hope that you are too! :) I really can't believe where the time has gone. Happy 10 months, Hudson. We LOVE you!!!

2009-10-22T15:26:00.000-05:00

Hello from the Pumpkin Patch!

The Life of a 3-year-old

2009-10-13T15:17:00.001-05:00

I'm a cowboy! Hayden found this hat that he'd been given to play dressup and he loved it! He was so excited that he wore it to a high school football game with Josh. I think that all we're missing are the boots.

eight.

2009-10-09T01:05:00.000-05:00

To Infinity and Beyond!

Wow, eight months have passed since Hudson came into our lives. Some days it seems like yesterday (I can still remember starving to death during labor and salivating over the fact that McDonald's was just outside my hospital window) and other days it seems like a long eight months! I'm still not sure if its rougher to go from 1 to 2 kids, or the transition from 2 to 3 (not that I know personally). I do know that God is gracious and we have some amazing boys! Every day that I think that Hudson can't get into more trouble, he does. See, my frame of reference was Hayden, the non-mobile baby. Hayden never crawled. He learned to "scoot" at 11 months while at the beach. He finally walked at 16 months. We could leave him wherever and could come back in 20 minutes and find him in the same spot. Hudson is a different story...he's everywhere! He smiles the biggest when he is about to crawl off the edge of the bed. I've made several sprints across the room to save him in the nick of time. Shewww! I get tired thinking of all of the trouble he finds...and what's to come. Oh, I love that little rotten thing so much! He's my Prince Charming.

Hayden is particularly hilarious these days. He has a new obsession -- Toy Story. It all started with undies & who was on them, then we searched high and low to rent the silly movie, and now we are head over heels in love with Toy Story. We even went to see it in 3D last week. It was great. Now, we are living for June 18th, 2010 & Toy Story 3's arrival. He quotes lines from that movie all of the time. We have Buzz & Woody dolls (for lack of a manlier term) that go everywhere with us. It is a nice break from the Cars obsession. The fall weather is finally arriving and we have spent many days with friends at the park. We don't necessarily have to "know" someone there for him to have a "friend" to play with. Today, I'm pretty sure the Hispanic boy he befriended didn't know much English nor what to think of this crazy new best friend who had found him on the playground. If only Hudson were a little older, my playmate dilemma would be solved...I think!

Happy 8 months, Hudson! Hayden, thanks for making Mommy & Daddy laugh every day. You boys bring us such great joy & entertainment! We love you so much!

Seven.

2009-09-09T16:24:00.003-05:00

Happy Seven Months, Hudson! You're a mess...you can crawl, get into all kinds of trouble, and just the other day, you pulled up onto my plate (while I was sitting on the floor) and grabbed a whole handful of spaghetti. You still have that "Prince Charming" smile that melts Momma's heart. We love you so much!

And we can't wait to meet our new friend, Nate Colin Sisson! We're so excited that he's here, but sad we can't run over to see him at the hospital or any other time we want. But they'll be here soon! We can't wait to meet and hold you, Baby Nate! We love you so much already. And your 'rents & siblings too. :)

God Made Me

2009-09-09T15:59:00.002-05:00

Back in the Spring, Hayden sang in the kid's choir program. He stole the show...

Texting with a 3 year old

2009-08-24T15:07:00.004-05:00

I would have never dreamed that turning three a month ago would've been such a turning point in our lives. Hayden seems to have "caught on" to several things. Potty training has been going really well. We're almost there. PRAISE THE LORD! He can now sit and watch movies and his attention span is expanding to allow him to sit for more than five minutes. He has a really funny sense of humor and is starting to pick up on funny things in TV shows and then recreate them. (He loves to jump off things saying, "To infinity & beyond!", Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story.) His imagination has come out of nowhere. He's really funny to watch.

Today, he had a "conversation" on his play cellphone with three of our adult friends while he was waiting on me to make his lunch. He "talked" to Mrs. Misty, our old friend who just moved back to town; he was "texting" Mrs. Shirley (aka Auntie Bling) about talking to him on the 'puter (he has been "skyping" with his Kentucky grandparents, after we set up a "date" via texting), & then he talked to Mr. Mike (a friend's dad who we pray for every night). Mr. Mike said to come back and see him because he was asleep. (We went to visit him the other day at the hospital, but he was asleep. We promised him to go back another day. He has a mind like an elephant.) I think that he may have even been "texting" him back and forth. Wow, who would've thought that his 1st imaginations would be revolving around the cellphone.

I think that I'll enjoy this new phase of life. So sweet and innocent and yet seeing his little personality coming through.

The Inchworm

2009-08-11T22:37:00.004-05:00

Hudson has learned to push up and "inchworm" himself! He's a mess. He inches straight off the blanket and on to his eye's prize: Hayden's baseball glove, the remote, etc. I think we're really in for it! Hayden picked up his glove tonight with an "Oh, no!" as there was already drool on it. I assured him it would be fine, and know full well this is the first of MANY times I will have to apologize on his behalf. The world has just gotten a lot more complicated.

6.

2009-08-09T13:00:00.002-05:00

Wow...Hudson is 6 months old! We were talking about how quickly (yet how slowly) the past 6 months have gone. There has been a lot of adjustment to having 2 kids, lots of tears, lots of lost sleep. But its been some of the best 6 months of our lives. Some days it is really easy. Other days I feel like its our 1st week home from the hospital. We wouldn't have it any other way. We have no recollection of life before kids. Selective amnesia is such a blessing.

Hudson is becoming MOBILE! He finally allowed us to put him down on a blanket a few weeks ago and immediately loved pushing up & rolling around...and maneuvers his way off of where I put him. His goal is to immediately get off his blanket & onto his own agenda. Yesterday, he discovered Hayden's loud & obnoxious Lightning McQueen car & "shimmied" & rolled his way to get to it. I think that crawling is right around the corner. I really hope not. We're not child-proofed {again} yet! He has also started eating cereal & dried plums {aka prunes}. He LOVES eating and can't stand for us to eat a meal without him. He usually screams at me until I get him his next bite.

Happy 6 months, Hudson! We love you!

Ode to a 3 Year Old!

2009-07-26T18:24:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Hayden!!! It's hard to believe that 3 years ago today, I became a mommy! Wow...it's definitely been a wonderful 3 years, yet stressful at times learning to become a parent, and then learning how to be a parent to 2 children! Once a co-worker told me, "You're not really a parent until you have 2 kids." I was a little offended at first, but I'm sure what he meant was that you have to really juggle yourself and your time in order to get it all done. One is easy, two is tough, but once you get to three, you can handle anything. (Right, Kelley??)

Hayden is very full of life, and questions, and energy. Lots and lots of energy. We've had a ton of family in our home over the past couple of weeks and he's enjoyed playing with them. He has aquired the Meredith love for games. I hate playing games but Hayden instantly became a fan of playing "Go, Fish" this weekend with his 1st set of cards.

His speech has become so clear and he talks all of the time! He asks so many questions that I have to start giving him really big answers, just so he'll have to stop and think for a minute. The best question of the week was today, "Mom, why birthdays"? I responded with about a full minute's answer on they were a day when mommy's got very sentimental about their babies, and did all kinds of crazy things for their special day...needless to say, he didn't ask another question for a few minutes. Josh had a good laugh at my answer and tactic.

So, sweet Haydenman, we love you so much and love all of the excitement you bring to our home. We love that you are so full of life and energy. Thank you for loving your brother and welcoming him into our home with open arms (and lots of kisses) even though his crying (& screaming) may get to you. We love you so much and can't wait to see how God uses you and
continues to teach us about His love and grace.

Here are a few pics from the big day:

Licking a little icing from the Lightning McQueenn cake

Hayden & Daddy in the pool (looking a little Leo-ish, from Little Einstein's)

{When Hayden found out his birthday was coming, he asked for a birthday hat. Apparently, you can't have a birthday, without a hat. So, the hat made several appearances throughout the day.}

Momma & her sweet Birthday Boy

Mommas have to get excited over every gift...

Hudson got to try out the birthday hat

Even Ginger got to wear the famous birthday hat

Atlanta Getaway with Funny Stories...

2009-07-11T06:43:00.010-05:00

We took the boys to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. We were in need of a little time away and we had a great time. Hayden loved seeing all of the animals, especially all of the ones with tails (story to follow). He had a few huge gasps as we passed animals that he liked, but was especially excited to see "Nemo", the alligators, and the sharks in the underwater tunnel. {We were all in awe of the underwater tunnel.} It was a great time to go, since admission for Hayden is free for a few more weeks.

Funny Stories from our trip...

1. Randomly, Hayden asked me on Wednesday before we left: "Mom, you got a tail"? I was a little concerned where the question had come from, so after verifying, he assured me that is what he asked. I told him no, and that only animals had tails. He then asked, "Does Dad have tail"? I said no, Dad was a person, and therefore didn't have a tail. We continued to have a lengthy discussion about who were people and what were considered animals. There were a few exceptions (monkeys & apes, thanks to the Veggie Tales for pointing that out) but we hoped to avoid those. So, we were excited to see tails on the animals at the aquarium.

2. We put Hayden to bed the night before we went to the aquarium and alluded to the trip to Atlanta the next day, saying we were taking a "road trip". He woke Josh up the next morning at 4:00am asking if it was time to go yet. After riding in the car for a while and still not knowing where we were going, he asked, "Dad, we go to Africa today"? (He's been talking about Africa & looking at our pictures lately.) After we controlled our laughter, we said no. He retorted, "Maybe later"? Well, maybe someday....

The largest manta ray in the US

Beluga Whales

The Fish School as you enter the aquarium

Hudson enjoying the underwater tunnel

Happy 5 Month Birthday, Hudson!

2009-07-09T06:32:00.001-05:00

Wow...time is flying by! It's hard to believe another month has ticked off the clock. I can't believe that I've already been back to work for 2 months. Hudson is maturing, I can't quite say growing, because we're still quite the "small fry". He's truly earning his nickname, "Tiny". At his 4 month check up he weighed 12lbs, 15oz, in the 15th percentile for weight. I was quite shocked, since Hayden always exceeded his percentile charts. So, I was a little bummed when we were sent home to start adding a little rice cereal to his diet. He can stay as tiny as he wants! He's much easier to carry that way.

We love you Hudson! We are so thankful that God has blessed our lives with you. Thanks for being such a sweet guy. Did I mention how beautiful you are??? Oh, and your brother is in love with you too!

Sweet Pics of the Week

2009-07-03T12:56:00.000-05:00

Hudson was in an exceptionally good mood last night, so Josh and I took advantage. Isn't he beautiful?
Hayden was already asleep or he'd be in more pics as well. Maybe another day.

What can I say?

2009-06-25T14:05:00.001-05:00

This is Hayden in his swim gear that he accumulated at the pool. WOW. More rehearsal dinner quality stuff. Josh is determined to keep up with all of these and make it a night he will want to forget. :) Like father like son. I love my little gooftroop!

More of why I love my husband...(from VBS 2009)

2009-06-25T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hudson loves bathtime, I promise. :)

2009-06-25T13:21:00.000-05:00

Pic of the Week

2009-06-22T01:12:00.004-05:00

Kelley and I took our kiddos to the zoo this week and it was sooo hot! We planned on making a beeline for the water fountains for the kids to play asap, but ended up seeing most of the animals first. Here are three of the four darlins (not posing for the perfect picture, as usual)...and with Graham's mommy's permission, I post this. As Josh would say, "This is rehearsal dinner material". I love you, Graham!

A Very Big Day

2009-06-21T23:20:00.000-05:00

Here are my three sweet men on Father's Day...note Josh's PINK tie! Isn't it so handsome??? It was one of his Father's Day gifts. He finally gave in.

Today, June 21st, is our 6th wedding anniversary AND Father's Day! Josh has been spoiled today. We had a great date last night, thanks to sweet friends, and a good Sunday. Sundays are always so hard because of working the night before, but since I took off, it was a great day together. We went to see "Up". Hayden enjoyed it, but YES, there are scarry parts to an almost 3 year old...beware! Hayden enjoyed wearing his 3D glasses and brought a pair home as a souvenir. I really hated that we didn't get a picture of all of us wearing our specs. We were a sight to see...(black plastic frames).

It's hard to believe that Josh and I were married 6 years ago! My how the time flies! It seems like last week (definitely not yesterday) that we were at Samford, having dinner in the Caf, and now we are eating a fun-filled dinner full of questions with 2 munchkins! We have amazing boys!

Thank you, Josh, for being an amazing husband to me. Thank you for your patience when I seem to push all of your buttons, even when I am sleep deprived. Thank you for loving me in spite of my many flaws, especially for encouraging me when my clothes aren't fitting quite right or dinner didn't turn out quite as expected. Thank you for being my biggest fan, as I am definitely yours. Thank you for being a wonderful daddy to our sweet boys. They love you so much! We had a great time with you today. Happy Anniversary & Happy Father's Day!

I <3 Blogs

2009-06-15T14:48:00.006-05:00

I don't know why but I love blogs! I had some time on my hands at work this weekend (while watching babies sleep) and bounced from blog to blog. I don't know when else I would read so many articles on theology, motherhood, womanhood, blackberries, etc. I love being able to jump from theology to motherhood, finding new books and music that I want to try, troubleshoot my phone, and just follow my random thoughts. I love catching up on my friends lives (most of which have moved far, far away) through the posts and pictures on their blogs. {As if you didn't already know, I LOVE pictures! If I'm ever at your house, I seem to find every album and can look at them for HOURS!} Everyone should blog, I'm convinced. I'm trying to get Josh out of his box too. We'll see what happens...until then, post away sweet friends! I love your stories and pictures!

Happy 4 Months, Hudson!

2009-06-09T13:50:00.003-05:00

My sweet "Tiny" is 4 months old! I can't believe it! You are getting so big, finally conquering the "head control" battle, laughing out loud, and getting very interested in the world around you. Your sweet, bright smile makes my day! You love kisses, even the ones that tickle your face from your Daddy. Hayden is still loving being your big brother, wanting to hold when you're happy {he asks, "he's happy, mommy?"}. He has picked up on your nickname, "Tiny", and loves to refer to you as such, even if just to get a laugh out of us. You are such a joy in our lives. We love you! Happy 4 month birthday, Hudson!

Our New Obsession...

2009-05-30T04:48:00.007-05:00

Guitar! (no, not really, it's a mandolin!) Josh brought home his mandolin yesterday that had been at the church for as long as I can remember. Hayden had never seen it before. He got excited about it long before Josh could make it through the door with it. He "helped" Josh carry it into the living room and open the case, immediately shouting, " 'tar!!". {translation = guitar} Then, it turned into, "Dad, I play 'Ben's 'tar'!". {Ben is one of our youth who plays in the band at church. Every time he sees Ben or a guitar, they are associated together. Hence, "Ben's guitar".} We've tried several times to explain that it's Daddy's mandolin and not a guitar, nor is it Ben's, but he is still walking around begging for "Ben's guitar". The first image was priceless...Hayden sitting in a diaper (our AC was out) only playing his "guitar", which thankfully, is a lot more his size than a regular guitar. Then today, as he was "playing", he said, "Mommy, notes." {He needs his "notes" (sheet music) to play...he's found a piece of music in Josh's case to practice with. :) } Of course I had to oblige.

This is only an example of our obsession with all musical instruments. He knows most instruments, including the oboe, trumpet, drums {of course!, specifically bass drums}, cello, & upright bass. He amazes us with the amount of imagination that he uses when demonstrating his playing of these instruments. I'm impressed he knows how to play them, let alone their names. Josh is so proud that he is following in his footsteps...and I am too!

I tried to get him to "play" for Hudson today, but to no avail. Maybe another day.

Mother's Day Photo Shoot

2009-05-20T22:59:00.003-05:00

For Mother's Day, my sweet boys (including Josh) obliged me with a photo shoot at Tannehill State Park. Any time we go anywhere to take pictures, I always take hundreds, literally. That day they were so patient with me, even though it was quite miserable outside. Hayden was having a blast discovering the park and his t-ball was a great distractor. We had never been there before, but I'm pretty sure we will go back again soon! It was so hot & muggy that afternoon, we were all soaked in sweat, as you can see on the boys' faces. {Welcome to summer in Alabama!} So, here are just a few pics from our afternoon. Enjoy! Thanks, boys, for being so sweet to Mommy and taking such sweet pictures for me! It was a wonderful gift. I love you!

Happy 3 Months, Hudson!

2009-05-09T03:44:00.000-05:00

Hudson, you are getting so big! You're sleeping through the night in your room! {Mommy and Daddy are so excited about this milestone.} You snuggle up with your lovey and fall asleep so quickly & soundly. You smile at everyone who stops to talk to you, with your two huge dimples. You can melt Mommy's heart with your sweet dimples! Your full head of hair is beginning to fall out, much to Mommy's disappointment. {I miss that full head of hair that strangers would stop to comment about.} You are feeling so much better and are a little more content to sit in your swing while we eat dinner or while Mommy does a load of laundry. The constant screaming in the car has dwindled as well! We are so thankful that God has blessed you with good health. You haven't even had a sniffle!

Hayden is in love with you and wants Mommy to come to your aid the first moment you cry. He also wants Mommy to hold you instead of Daddy so he can have Daddy's undivided attention. We are trying to teach him to share, especially his Daddy with you! Hayden loves to come and lay his head on your chest to "hug" you or give your paci back when you cry and say, "It's ok, Buddy!". I hope that this affection that he has for you continues as you both grow up. I hope that you are each other's best friend!

We love you so much and can't imagine our family without you! Happy 3 month birthday, Hudson!

Ice Cream Money

2009-05-01T16:55:00.000-05:00

Josh took Hayden to the park today while I stayed home with a napping Hudson. Ever so often, the sneaky Ice Cream Man will bring his truck through the park and entice all of the children with his goods. We try to keep cash on us for these such instances. However, today Josh was out of "money". Hayden heard the Ice Cream Man and came running to Josh to let him know the Ice Cream Man had arrived. Josh said, "Sorry, Buddy, I don't have any money today. Maybe another day." This wasn't good enough for Hayden. He continues to reach into Josh's pocket for his wallet. Josh shows him that there is no cash. Hayden pulls Josh's debit card from its slot and says, "Here you go, Dad, here's your money. See?!" Somehow, Josh had to explain that the Ice Cream Man didn't like a debit card, unlike everywhere else that we shop. I guess that we'll have to be more prepared.

He Is Risen!

2009-04-15T12:14:00.000-05:00

My Sweet Meredith Men!!!

Easter has come and gone and I'm still thinking about the pictures that I didn't get of my family, my perfect family portrait (because we all looked so perfect...). Ha! We all matched, somewhat, and I was going to capture my family at the precise moment when we were all looking at the camera and smiling. No, I wasn't expecting Hudson to completely cooperate, but I would've settled for him to not be screaming. Instead, Hayden was running from the camera, stopping for a split second to say, "cheese", with his face all scrunched up. You can make him sit down, but you really can't make him smile appropriately. I guess its a good thing that he hasn't learned to "fake it" like we as adults can do. I'm sure that there are several lessons that I can learn from this day.

1. Easter is not about pictures or outfits. I stress every year about what we will wear but in the end, the outfit has chocolate on it by lunch time. So much for pictures after lunch. Hudson was swimming in his outift because I wanted to make sure that he would wear it for more than just a day. I had some last minute sewing to do to make it wearable. But who cares besides me?

2. I let little things frustrate me that I shouldn't. I'm an adult and a mother. I teach Hayden to not get irritated or throw a fit, and yet I'm still irritated by the pictures that I didn't get. It's humbling to see how quickly sin can creep into the little things and become big issues in our lives.

3. Christ is risen. That should be at the forefront of my mind. Always. Everyday. Not just once a year when the season comes around when everyone starts looking for new outfits. I guess you can learn a lot from your children and how you do (or don't) interact with them and the things that you learn about your own sinful heart.

Here are a few pictures that I did get. You can see what I mean. I guess in God's sovereignty I didn't get anything to "boast about" or post for that matter, so I could learn a hard lesson for myself. Sanctification is a lifelong process.

My Sweet Hudson!

Our failed attempts of a family pic...Hudson was screaming.

Note Hayden in mid-"cheese", not a smile

A somewhat good pic with Mimi

We always have pics taken on the front row at church...it's tradition.

Hmmm...this was a lot deeper than I intended it to be when I started out to just post some Easter pics.

Cute...

2009-04-11T18:31:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago some friends sent us a picture of their daughter, Sophie. We had joked with Sophie's parents since before she was born that we had already arranged their marriage, since we wouldn't mind them to be Hayden's inlaws. :) Hayden hasn't seen Sophie since Thanksgiving. I put her picture on our "Fridge of Fame" and after his nap, he immediately found it. He asked, "Mommy, who's that?" I said, "It's our friend, Sophie". He replied, "Mom, cute!" "Excuse me?", I replied. He slowly and clearly stated, "Cute", for me to plainly hear again. I rolled my eyes and made him go tell his dad what he thought of his friend Sophie. Wow...I thought that two was a little early to notice a cute girl, but I guess its not.

Hot, Hot, ______

2009-04-05T14:35:00.000-05:00

Hayden has a Kindermusik CD that he loves to listen to in the car. Today, he was riding in the car with Josh, but didn't have his CD. That didn't matter...he was going to sing anyway. One of his favorite songs to sing is "Hot, Hot, ____" to the tune of "Hot Cross Buns". He likes to add his own items in there, such as pizza, chicken, fries, etc. Well, today, as he got to the place to insert his item, he stopped (since he was singing on his own without music), said "Let me think", with a finger on his chin in a thinking "pose", and proudly sang, "Hot, Hot Mama. Hot, Hot Mama. One a penny, Two a penny, Hot, Hot Mama". I must say I was a little proud when I heard his new song too. Thanks for making Mommy's day!

Botanical Gardens

2009-03-30T14:54:00.000-05:00

I've been on quest to take the "perfect" picture for Hudson's birth announcement. This was our 2nd trip to the Botanical Gardens to obtain it. We took several pictures, however, I'm still on my quest. Here are a few pictures from our day.

Playhouse Disney

2009-03-28T14:53:00.001-05:00

We took Hayden to see the Playhouse Disney show on Saturday. All of his favorite cartoon characters were on stage at one time. He loved it. He sat very still during the performance taking it all in. Afterwards, that's all he could talk about. His vocabulary expanded from only saying "Pat Pat" to refer to the Little Einsteins now to calling them "Einsteins", and is constantly flying his rocket through the "air". It was tons of fun, even if he and Josh left covered in red snow cone.