18 Months Old!

(Taken from family blog)

As of two days ago Huddy D is a year and a half old and can officially join nursery! He's been going for about a month now though. In our old ward he kind of snuck in there during sacrament meeting one Sunday when he was roaming the halls and we couldn't get him to sit still in the chapel. He discovered all the toys and that was that. There was no hard transition. In fact it was hard to get him out. Class was starting and the nursery teachers and other kids had entered the room when Hudson was still in there then one of the teachers told Danny to just leave him because he was doing fine. My primary class was right next door to the nursery so I kept checking in on him and it was such a bittersweet sight. He was so good and looked so grownup in there that it made my mommy heart proud of him but yet also sad that I need to admit he is a toddler and not a baby. He has gone in every week since and not once have they had to grab either Danny or I for him because he's just such a chill kid. He was a chill baby and others are still using that word to describe him today. Even when other kids were crying in there for their parents he wasn't even phased by it and just does his own thing. I love this boy. We just moved into our new place this weekend and yesterday would have been his official first day in the new ward but the poor boy is sick. Again.

Sick. Fever. Chills. Teething. Double Ear Infection. Lots and Lots of Tears.

Hudson doesn't have the best immune system. The poor boy is always sick. In fact the first time in his life where he went a full month not being sick didn't happen until he was fifteen months old. It also makes sense why he wasn't the best sleeper. Danny and I aren't too impressed with his pediatrician and we feel like it's time we try to find Hudson a new one. Especially since we just moved and it might be nice to find someone local here in Provo. He has not been feeling well at all. We know he's teething and currently is working on five teeth with four of them being his molars but we also had a sinking feeling that maybe his pain was even beyond these reasons. We took him into the ER today because his fever spiked to 102.7 and it turns out that little Hudson has a double ear infection. The frustrating part though is that he had seen his pediatrician this same morning for his 18 month well check and it wasn't caught even though his ears had been checked. He was supposed to get some shots today but we're going to delay them because of how miserable Hudson is currently feeling. Hopefully with his newly prescribed antibiotics we'll see some relief. Danny and I are now in disbelief and wonder if this isn't the first time he's had an ear infection. We think it's definitely possible that he's experienced this before and we feel bad for him that it's never been caught after all the times he's been taken in to see his pediatrician. I'm thinking it might be more beneficial to take him to the ER instead of the office from here on out because the same thing has happened when he had RSV and Bronciolitis. He had seen his doctor that same morning but didn't get any diagnosis or treatment until after seeing the on call doctor at the ER. Anyway I'm just ranting on and on at this point when I should be talking more about Hudson right now. Moving on.

Hudson has discovered how to run and it's pretty cute. It's like he does high knees as he runs and Danny and I think it's the best thing to watch. He's an adventurous boy who loves to climb on everything, and I mean everything. We think he will be the first kid in our little family to find himself in the ER because of an injury. He tumbles and falls a lot and usually will try the same thing that just made him fall after he gets in a quick snuggle. He keeps us on our toes and can't be left alone. For the most part though he actually hates to be alone. He HAS to be wherever I am. He loves to play with Addie and Georgia but will always find his way back to me to make sure I'm not doing anything fun without him. He also is the sweetest boy when Danny comes home. He makes sure to let Danny know that he's excited to see him back from work.

He still LOVES books and will sit on anyone's lap who will read him a book. 

At 18 months Hudson loves:

Books
Water

Dogs

Bubbles

Being Outside

 Baths/Showers

Helping mommy unload the dishes
To hold a toy in each hand at ALL times

Favorite Shows:

Room On The Broom

Nursery Rhymes
Little Baby Bum

Favorite Songs:

Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree

Row Row Row Your Boat
You Are My Sunshine

Favorite Books:

How Does A Dinosaur Say Good Night

How Does A Dinosaur Say I Love You

Where's Baby's Belly Button

Favorite Foods:

All Fruits and Veggies
Tacos
Spaghetti

Pizza

Tomatoes

Cheese

Bananas

Goldfish Crackers

Broccoli
Apple Sauce
Oatmeal

Dislikes:

Being brought inside from outside

Being told he can't climb on something
When Mom can't hold him because she's busy

Hudson is up to 48 words right now. At 15 months he knew 21 so he's picked up on quite a bit in the last three months.

His latest 27 words:

Wow
Why
Mine
Yeah
Weeeeee
More
Binky (BeeBee)
Where it go?
Amen
Roar!
I Don't Know
Bubbles
Choo Choo
Jill
Georgia
Stinky
Shoes
Socks
Come Back
Thank You
Garbage
Round And Round
Beep Beep Beep
Kitty
Meow
Bird
Got It

18 month old stats:

Weight - 23.7 lbs (43.38%)

Length - 33.5 in (84.81%)

Since he's been so sick this week the only recent pictures I have of him are sleeping pictures because if he was awake it meant he was crying. That's okay because sleeping pictures might be the best thing ever and I couldn't resist checking on this sweet little boy.

What he looked like awake this week. :(

First Haircut!

We finally did it. Hudson got his first haircut yesterday. It's bittersweet. It's something I knew was going to have to happen soon but now I miss his cute little curly shag. I might wait awhile before his hair gets cut again lol. I think the saddest part is that his hair no longer feels like soft baby hair. It's like the texture completely changed to toddler boy hair. Goodness he is still so cute though. Long hair or short hair that little cheeser is one of my favorites. :)

We actually tried two different times to get his hair cut. The first time was last week when we just walked in to Cookie Cutters because our previous experience in the past with Addie led us to believe that this would be the same thing where we could just be seen without scheduling an appointment. It turned out to be a super busy day and we soon realized that the hair stylists would not have time to cut his hair. His curls got to stay for another week. It secretly made me happy.

Attempt number two. This time we actually called ahead to make sure he'd get seen. He had been playing in the sun all morning so his hair was in need of some care after a hot sweaty day.

They asked if I wanted to keep a lock of his hair. I said no but that I would take a picture haha.

Poor baby boy was not a fan of his hair getting cut.

 Hudson was pretty cute today in his church clothes. I tried to get a cute picture of his hair but they mostly turned out blurry and he was so ready for his nap.

Fifteen Months

(Copied from family blog)

Huddy D is 15 months old! He now consistently sleeps through the night (hallelujah) and is always looking for adventure. If there is something he can climb and stand on then he'll go for it. It can get a little scary sometimes because he thinks he's such a big kid. I know all babies are different and we shouldn't compare them but there are some big differences between him and his sister. In fun ways though. Addie was a way better sleeper from birth, she is always healthy and at fifteen months she could say forty words. Hudson was not a great sleeper, is almost never healthy and can say twenty one words. The doctor was actually still impressed that he could say even ten words. Hudson is a lot more social than Addie was. She was always happy playing by herself but Hudson is always looking to make friends and include himself in other's activities. He wants to be in the middle of everything whereas Addie wanted to be far away from groups of people. The best difference with these two kids are the cuddles. Hudson can give the BEST cuddles! He's content being snuggled on your lap and will sit there for awhile. He's always giving hugs and I love it. He's a mama's boy. For a long time if Danny ever gave me a kiss then Hudson would hurry and give me one too. It was almost like he had to be the last one to give me loves. It's pretty cute. He gets jealous if I'm ever holding Addie on my lap or giving any one other than him some attention. He's a sweet but wild boy. He's fallen down the stairs more times than I'd like to admit because he's so determined to walk down them like an adult. Danny and I plan on taking him to a jump trampoline place because he would be in heaven climbing and jumping off things, it would also burn off some of his great energy. He's definitely more advanced physically than Addie was. She didn't start climbing ladders or going down slides by herself until she was closer to three years old whereas Hudson can already do all that. He's a little monkey and can pull himself up on to high furniture and he's so proud of himself for it.

Addie at 15 months finally reached 20 lbs at 20.24 lbs and stood at 31 inches long. Hudson weighed 22.5 lbs and measured 33 inches long. He's in the 43rd percentile for weight and 95th percentile for length. It's amazing how tall he is since his parents aren't. He got three vaccinations in his legs today and took it like a champ. Actually there was some crying involved but he was immediately better once I picked him up and comforted him. We then went to UVU and let him run around the grounds before taking him home for a nap. 

Hudson buddy I sure do love you. You've been the perfect son for our little family.

Current Words:

Mama

Dada

Baba

Yay

Stop

Uh Oh

Love You

Night Night

Bye

Hi

All Done

Go

No

Addie

Ball

Want Out

Book

Doggy

Bite

Help

Eye

The cutest thing lately is he can point out his head, eyes, nose, teeth and belly button.

400 Days Old!!

Taking Steps

I don't have a video of Hudson taking his first steps. I'm not even sure the exact day that I would consider his first official walking day. He started standing on his own without holding onto anything to pull himself up on his birthday but he was taking a few steps away from furniture about a week before that. Sometime between 12 and 13 months he was full on walking. It's pretty cute because he's so proud of himself. I really wish that I had actual videos of those first few moments but I don't. Instead I have this video of him saying cheese while wearing a headband haha. Sorry buddy but you spend all day with your sister and I so it was bound to happen. :)

Surgery Update

(Copied from family blog)

Two months ago Hudson saw an eye specialist for his tear ducts and we were given two options.

1) Wait until he turned one to put him under for surgery on both eyes.

2) Hold him down in the office and have doctor do the procedure with him awake.

We waited. Today I took him in for his followup where we would schedule his surgery and it turns out that waiting was the best decision because his issues are all gone! I'm so happy on this day with this sweetest little man!

Now I'm hoping that the same thing happens for his umbilical hernia. Hopefully time is what he'll need for that to fix itself. His doctor says that we'll need to get that checked when he turns two and if he still has it we'll look into getting a procedure done for that. :( Fingers crossed that another miracle will happen but until then I'm going to be thankful for the miracle we've already been given today.

All About Hudson!

Here's just some highlights and facts about our Huddy Buddy!

0 to 1 Month - Rolled over from belly to back on New Year's Eve. Starting to coo and loves to be held. Newborn clothes are snug, he wears 0-3 month clothing and size 1 diapers.
1 to 2 Months - Started smiling a lot more. Slept through the night for the first time. Was sick for most of the month.
     Stats: 12.92 lbs (73%) 23.5 in (79%)
2 to 3 Months - Discovered his hands and loves to eat them whenever he can. He's a thumb sucker. Spent a night in the hospital with RSV/Bronciolitis. Has slept through the night a few more times. Size two diapers.
3 to 4 Months - Found his voice and loves to use it by doing happy squeals just like Addie used to. Tries to roll over but gets stuck on his side. Reaches for his dangling toys. He LOVES to cover his face with blankets, towels, clothes, anything near him. Hasn't slept through the night this month. Sick again.
     Stats: 16.09 lbs (65%) 25.7 in (76%)
4 to 5 Months - Can roll over with ease now. Prefers to sleep on stomach or side. Still likes his thumb. Tries so hard to crawl. Loves standing up and playing in his jumper. He's a super smiley and chill kid. Usually soaking wet from drooling so much. Is eating baby food and loves all of it. Sick again.
5 to 6 Months - Has moved into Addie's room. Discovered he loves to soothe himself to sleep. Says MAMA!! :) Size three diapers.
     Stats: 18.41 lbs (68%) 27 in (66%)
6 to 7 Months - Started doing the walrus crawl! Has finally stopped spitting up after every meal and doesn't drool as much. Loves Addie and is always trying to play with whatever she's playing.
7 to 8 Months - Figured out how to crawl the correct way. Says Dada. One tooth. Pulls himself up to standing position. Walks along furniture. Stole a taco off Daddy's plate. Sick again.
8 to 9 Months - Claps, gives kisses, waves and now has stranger danger. Has sympathy towards those who are crying. He's working on his second tooth. Got a big boy car seat and is sick again.
     Stats: 19.73 lbs (52%) 29 in (78%)
9 to 10 Months - Can stand unassisted for a few seconds at a time. Won't take a step though. Walks with his little push toy. Has two teeth. Went on first family vacation to Southern California. Saw an eye specialist and will possibly have surgery on both eyes. Loves all table food. Still doesn't sleep through the night.
10 to 11 Months - Working on two more teeth. Had a Staph Infection. Points at what he wants. Slept though the night four nights in a row and then stopped with that.
11 to 12 Months - Does not sleep through the night. Took two steps. Loves the slide. Says baba and LOVE YOU. Now sleeps with a pillow. Hates formula and has accepted whole milk. Stopped nursing the week he turned one. Loves dogs. Best eater. Met Grandma and Grandpa Rueckert. Has four teeth. Still in size 3 diapers but will be in size 4 when this pack runs out.
     Stats: 21.52 lbs (53%) 30.5 in (76%)

List of his current words:

Mama

Dada

Baba

Yay

Stop

Uh Oh

Love You

At his dr checkup he measured 30.5 inches

Favorite Foods- Bananas, mac and cheese, tacos and spaghetti.

Favorite Book- How Does A Dinosaur Say Good Night.

He Can - Clap his hands, blow and give kisses, wave, stand, give high fives, point, dance, squeal, and give hugs.

He Weighs - 21 lbs 

He Stands - 30.5 inches (updated from Dr visit). 

Teeth - 4 teeth, two on top and two on bottom.

Nicknames - Huddy, Huds, Bud, Huddy Buddy, Chunky Monkey
Loves - Dogs, Addie, MOMMY, showers, snuggling, books, toys in his mouth, eating and daddy.

Dislikes - When daddy is taking a shower and he can't get in. Not being part of story time.
Favorite Toys - Football, cars and his killer whale animal from Sea World.
Favorite Game - Chase.

Happy birthday Hudson Daniel! This kid has been through a lot in his first year. He was sick for most of the first seven months of his life. Starting it out with a knotted wrapped cord then dealt with jaundice, RSV, Bronchiolitis, every cold virus in his proximity, staph infection, chronic clogged tear ducts and yet he's still one of the most patient little babies I know. I also found out at his doctor's visit  today that he also has an umbilical hernia. :( Of course he's not showing any signs of discomfort because he's such a tough little boy. So grateful for him in our family.

Hudson is One!!

Happy birthday Huddy Buddy!! His birthday was yesterday and we celebrated with a lumberjack themed birthday party and had people from both sides of the family show up to support him. We had him open his birthday presents from our little family first thing in the morning and then had breakfast with him. He loves blueberries and got plenty of it.

All of his presents were put in this box. For all future birthdays I will make sure
he has birthday wrapping paper instead of Christmas paper.

He played with his toys until it was time for lunch time and we had some pizza delivered. He was so worn out that he actually fell asleep in the highchair while eating. That has never happened before with him. It hasn't even happened before with Addie so I was sure to get a video of it. Hudson is really easy to transfer when he's tired so I took him out of the highchair and placed him in his crib for a nap. The nap was needed since we scheduled to do family pictures the same day and I needed him to be his happy usual self.

We got the family ready after his nap and headed to the tree lot where we got some pictures taken by a good friend in our ward. I'm excited to see how those pictures turned out since both kids mostly just wanted to explore the lot instead of sitting still to smile at the camera. We got back in time to get ready for the birthday party which was a success. Oma Rueckert made Hudson a birthday cake that was decorated like a log. It turned out perfect for his lumberjack theme. Danny and I wore flannel and some guests showed up wearing flannel as well. My sister Pollyanna is super creative and she spent six hours free drawing his birthday board. I love how it turned out. She even added a little bear and a moose on it. I'm lucky to have such an artistic person in my family. Hudson was so spoiled by all his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Addie is also pretty happy for all of these new toys in the house and is teaching Hudson how to share. If only she learned this concept with her own toys. ;)

Brownies and ice cream were also served.

It was a great day and I probably sang Happy Birthday to Hudson a dozen times. I'm so thankful for his presence this past year. Happy Birthday son. We love you!