summer birthdays

 You can now ask Hudson to smile…and this is what you get, sometimes. 

 Golf lessons!

 This was pretty much how Hudson spent his birthday…not too happy with the fever, but happy enough to have his choo choos. 

 Water and Quentin - two of Hudson's favorite things! Above picture is our weekend in San Diego for Hudson's birthday, and below is pool time with his best bud, Quentin. 

2 years old

This last Friday, our little baby turned TWO years old. Instead of having a party on his actual birthday, we booked a trip out to San Diego to visit family. Oma, Opa, Auntie Abbie, Uncle Jonathan, and Uncle Josh and Aunt Jen were all there. We arrived Friday morning, and soon realized Hudson had a fever...of 102. His mood quickly worsened with his fever, despite seeing his Auntie and Uncle. So we most of the day on a bed in a small hotel room, resting. Not exactly the birthday we pictured for our little guy, but by Sunday he was coming around, and would let his Oma and Aunties hold him more.

On Sunday, we were driving around for something (can't remember exactly what) and we passed a breakfast place called BUNZ. Andy and I both read it out loud, laughing, and Hudson quickly echoed - saying BUNZ as clear as day. I'm sure you had to be there to appreciate it, but it was hysterical. So of course we repeated the name several times just to hear him say it again. Even writing this, want to hear him say it again - it was so funny.

All in all, it wasn't the birthday I imagined he would have, but because he was with some of his favorite people, I don't think he would rather have done anything else - even with a fever. Being sick didn't stop him from saying OMA, OPA, Auntie Abbie, etc. 50 times a day, at least.

Hudson's faves

A few of his favorite things...

• playing under the covers on our bed
• being a human fountain anytime he can get water in his mouth
• taking my hand and running back and forth from the living room to the kitchen, while making a "motor" sound
• Singing - him singing, me singing, both are equally as entertaining (typically it's the same song repeated 10-15 times)
• Ringing the doorbell
• hitting, then following up with a "soft touch" once he gets a look or reprimand from mom or dad
• his friends at school - Luke, London, Elias, Mela, Lena, Pinky, Andrew, Ben
• Thomas and Friends - he can literally name every single one of them
• rain - he loves when it rains, and says "raining" the cutest way possible
• TALKING - he is always talking! Putting more sentences together, saying new words all the time, and words we don't know how he learned as well! He picks things up so quickly now, and can hear words once or twice and repeat them back with excellent pronuciation.

Amazing, I tell you. This little terrible two year old is amazing.

Ding dong

HUDSON

At almost 2 years old, Hudson has started speaking about himself by name. Not sure when he first said his name, but he now uses it to describe different activities he does. He'll identify himself in the mirror, let us know where "Hudson's shoes" are, and has also told us when "Hudson happy." Today he used the word 'go' in a sentence, and is using more connecting words every day. It's so awesome to have more conversation with him! Our little boy is growing up! When we see friends or family, the following days are full of repeated names  - OMA, OMA, OPA, OPA, QUENTIN, QUENTIN. We have ourselves a social butterfly!

A few more from our trip

 Hudson had his first taste of ribs, and he liked them a lot!

 The hose was the highlight of the trip - that and the fountain, the beach, the dogs, the family...

 We took a trip to the nursery with Opa - lots of flowers to grab and pull on...

It took Hudson about an hour to start saying BRULEE and Shammy, and Bru was most certainly a highlight for him. Not sure why he's pointing and laughing at her, but the next shots i took were of him laying on her (see previous post). So it's safe to say he had nothing but love for Bru. 

Family summer

Grandma time!

 The weekend before the 4th of July, we got a visit from Grandma Rosdil! Andy was out of town in Vegas with his friends, so grandma, mom and Hudson got some good quality time together! That week before her arrival, Lego was hit by a car out in front of our house. Miraculously she survived with no broken bones! She was pretty banged up, and spent the night in the hospital (you don't want to know how much that cost), but she recovered over the next week or so and is pretty much back to herself. Her demeanor is different when we take her out front now, but i'm sure she'll soon forget and be back to her spunky, zooming self. The accident gave us quite the scare though!! Hudson started saying Lego a LOT after that happened - so we are glad she is still with us!

 Hudson still LOVES his choo choos, and his tracks do not discriminate when it comes to cars and trucks going for a ride as well. Sometimes when he's really into his tracks, he'll lay down like you see in this picture, to just relax and enjoy. I think this is probably the only time he is still like this, other than when he's sleeping. 

words words words

Hudson's vocabulary has been exploding lately. It seems like he's saying a new word every day! "watch - more fishies please - birdies - purple cars - big belle blue - clean-up - yea - pool - zoo - hotdog - Mater - rocks - bugs - bees - socks - choo choo shirt - turtle - bear lie down - doggie poopoo" are just a few of the words we are hearing. He's still putting more words together as well - three and sometimes four words! If you say a word, he will try to repeat it - so fun!

Since his daycare is closing (next week is the last week), he has been in the 2-3 year old room due to so many kids leaving before the last day. It's been the best experience for him! He LOVES being with the big kids, in the bigger room, and with all the new activities. We think this is part of the reason his vocabulary is growing so quickly as well. He is soaking up all his time with these kids, and we will be sad when he goes to his new daycare as the oldest one. :( But we are thankful he will be in a home day care where we trust the teachers!!

what we do

 Since we live across from a park, and we have no yard, we spend a good amount of time across the street. It's not uncommon to be there once or twice a week, sometimes more. Park time can include playing with trucks (sometimes other people's trucks, such as this picture), taking a "break" on the bench - with bear of course, and we can't forget the leisurely walk back to the house when it's time to go home. Yes, he took the truck home. I think it was abandoned. We were the only ones at the park, and after much one-sided conversation with Hudson about not taking other people's toys, he carried it all the way home. Don't worry, we took it back. 

 Inside the house play time doesn't change much, despite the lack for room. Bear is still present, energy is up, and the house becomes a disaster quicker than i thought humanly possible. This kid is definitely a toddler.

 Speaking of toddlerhood, we have started the implementation of "time out." The picture below is a reenactment of the time out we had just today. I put Hudson on the chair (without bear), and walked away to let him sit in his time out. When i walked back in from the kitchen, maybe 20 seconds later, he had wrapped himself up in the blanket and sat there with a big smile on his face. Yea, time out is working real well so far. Sometimes it works more than others, and there are a handful of times he will stop crying, screaming, kicking or throwing if we threaten a time out, so i think that's saying something. Oh the joys of a two year old boy. Yes, i know it's only the beginning. Many laughs, joys, and grey hairs to come, right? 

summer time fun

 95 degrees on this warm Father's day, so we're celebrating with some pool time! 

Hudson has taken to running around the courtyard to burn off steam. This kid has a lot of steam, so it's actually nice to let him do this…and it's entertaining as well. 

Trip to the Zoo

This last weekend we went to the zoo with our friends the Jones', and Hudson had a great time with his friend Quentin. We asked them to hold hands and stay close, and they did exactly that! Some of the time one was pulling the other around, but it was still pretty stinkin cute. Hudson has become such a big boy - he is listening better when we ask him to do something, he's very helpful with small chores around the house, and his vocabulary is growing immensely! Last night he asked for a "chip" - which was a new word for us! Day care told me this week that he said "not tired" before nap, which i have never heard him say before either. He's putting three words together pretty regularly now - "bear all done" for example - so fun!

kauai 2012

Hudson was with his best friend the ENTIRE trip - soon after we arrived he began showing bear the sights! If we saw turtles, he would pick the bear up to look at them too. If we got a hug from Hudson, we got a hug from bear too. Bear has truly become part of the family - and he's been needing more baths as well. :)

Our son is a true water child - we would wake up saying "Wayer" (water), and typically we'd be at the beach by 8:30am every day. If we were at the beach, he would be IN the water the entire time. Literally. It was SO awesome to see him enjoy the water - he didn't mind the salt water at all!

By the second or third day we were there Hudson had learned how to use his new "floatie", and he was well on his way to becoming a swimmer (or so he thought). He was smiling ear to ear from the second we arrived to the moment he screamed bloody murder because we had to go.

Uncle Rick and Andy went golfing one day, and brought home a huge toad for Hudson. He wasn't quite sure what to do with it, but was fascinated nonetheless!

Cheek alert!

Hudson didn't miss a chance to look at the water!

Piano lessons with Auntie Susie!

friends and birthdays

Last weekend I got to spend some time with my beautiful friend Chair for her birthday! I love her and am so thankful for her friendship!

 I also got to see Melissa and Sandra, two more of my beautiful close friends.

Easter at church service outside - Hudson had a ball, but i don't think Andy got to hear much of the message since he was chasing Hudson all over the whole time!

Outside time

Outside time!

half way between one and a half and two

It's crazy how much Hudson is growing and changing these days. His play time has changed, he's talking more, showing more independence, and acting more like a BOY every day. He used to be very attached to me whenever we were together (even more after the hospital), but the last week or so he has been playing more independently - even in the other room! His love for choo choo's has remained since he was introduced to Thomas the train in the hosptial, and he'll now sit in the living room with his little track and choo choos, playing happily - sometimes singing - for a good 20-30 mintues sometimes. His vocabulary seems to be growing by the day sometimes, and he's grouping more words together all the time. He often takes your hand to lead you where he wants you to be, and will tell you to sit down or lay down to read a book or play choo choo with him. He also loves ICE, and if he bumps himself on anything, even a tiny bit, he comes in asking for "Ice." His favorites are the fish and star shaped ice cubes I bought him.
He loves his books as well, and his favorite right now is one that I bought him before he was born - it talks about how unique and special his is, and that the moon and wind are so enthralled with him that they whisper his name. When i read it to him I imitate the sound of the wind, and he quickly latched on to that sound - repeating it at the most random, fun times.
Jumping, throwing a ball, going down the slide by himself, tractors, cars, and SHOES are just a few of the things we talk a lot about or do on a regular basis. He's gotten much better at running too, and will run in laps around the house for a LONG time - hence his naps have gotten longer, which we are fine with!