last days of summer...

 Fun with friends in Chicago - Hudson had a great time with his new friends Wiley and Michael!

 Such handsome!

 Our big girl loves sitting up! She spent some time exploring the grass - and of course had to try it!

 Look who's standing!

Chicago weekend

 This last weekend we headed out to the Chicago area for a couple fun occasions - Stella got baptized and one of Andy's great friends, Mike, got married!

 Stella's Godfather - Tim Muller and his wife were able to make the ceremony, and her Godmother, Sandra Qatami was there in spirit!!

 Val and Mike's wedding - I first met these folks when there were no kids…and now look at us! Six kiddos and one on the way! (not us, Mike and Val are expecting)

 Da boys

in the middle

I know i've heard this said, multiple times and in multiple ways: "life in the middle", meaning life in between, in transition, waiting, etc. And lately I've been feeling like we are 'in the middle' if you will - waiting, wondering, hoping for what's next. The thing about being in this place though, is that it's easy to forget where you are.  Andy and I have lived in Denver for 6 1/2 years together. In that time we've bought a house, gotten married, had two amazing kids, and now we're trying to sell our house, start looking at schools for Hudson, and are celebrating our five year anniversary this November. So a lot has happened. Yet we often find ourselves talking too much about what's next - where are we going? what are we going to do?

It's a hard place to be. We want to settle down, plant roots, invest. But at the same time we feel the pull to leave, be closer to family, be at a place that we can see ourselves in for life. So here we are, in between.

I don't know what will happen next. I don't know if we should keep trying. I don't know if we should just stop the conversation and focus on where we are today. With our kids. With good jobs. With good health, ability to travel (if we can afford it!). Some days i think I'm present, appreciating and investing in the now. Other days I have a longing to be somewhere else, and can almost visualize life five years from now - not in Denver.

So, I'll do what I know. Pray. Ask for Peace, Patience, and Faith. And I'll continue trying my best to trust God's plan for our lives, knowing He'll open doors when the timing is right. In the mean time, I will be thankful for what I have, where I'm at, and the many gifts and blessings I experience every day. Like today, when Hudson asked me to sit with him, rub his back, read him a book. BE with him. Tomorrow can take care of itself, right?

3 years!!

HOW ON EARTH Hudson is three years old, I have no idea. But we do have his stats, and can still safely say he will be TALL when he grows up! 

STATS: 

Height: 39 1/2 inches (90%)

Weight: 37 lbs (90%)

BMI: 75%

I also don't know how this kid is 90% for weight, other than the fact that he has to be all muscle. He never stops moving, and really is not a big eater. So that's a bit of a mystery, but at least he's healthy!

Hudson LOVES to talk, and be with people. He will talk to a wall if you let him (talks to his toys, etc all the time!), and always has a story. He's very expressive, very sensitive, and very perceptive. He picks things up very quickly, and we do believe he is quite smart! He still loves his trains and cars, and above all other toys will usually end up playing with those by the end of each day. His best friend, BEAR, is still by his side at all times, and we've grown accustomed to bringing Bear with us wherever we go (thanks again Gigi for that wonderful gift!). He has also become very caring and respectful, asking how my day was, if i enjoyed my dinner, etc. Don't get me wrong, he's still a three year old BOY, but he's a doll most of the time. 

We can't believe how amazing he is, and how much we love him. Hudson, you are and always will be my favorite guy. I love you!

7 months

 Our growing girl! Stella has had an eventful month, taking her first plane ride (which she was perfect!!), getting her first tooth, and continuing to master her sitting up! She's getting around a bit more now, though hasn't mastered crawling. She will scoot and roll all over the place! She loves standing, and has grown to love the bouncy seat almost as much as Hudson did! Jumping, standing and talking are some of her favorite things to do! For the most part she sleeps well through the night, though teething has interrupted some nights. This last month we also survived 5 days without daddy! Both kids were great, but by the end of the time I was ready for Andy to get back! 

 Stella is continuing to eat more, and loves her fruit! She wants to hold everything, and has become much more firm about when she does - or doesn't - want to eat! You never have to wonder what she wants at least. She's still very easy to smile, and loves watching brother more than anything. 

Family

First TOOTH!!!

Stella finally had a tooth break through!! She has not been sleeping as well through the night for the last week or so, partly because she's starting to sleep on her tummy and seems to get stuck and wake up, but we think part of it has been these teeth! So Saturday morning I was thrilled to find that little tooth poking through! Even though it was a rough weekend - Andy was out of town for a bachelor partry - it was a relief to have a tooth come through finally! A month and a half after Hudson got his first tooth, she's just telling us again that she is her own little person - and we wouldn't have it any other way.

She's also been getting a bit more interested in getting into the crawling position (sort of). She and Hudosn love to laugh together, and she's loving her FOODs more and more. Fruit is definitely favored over veggies, but she's having both and so far seems to dislike bananas and green beans more than anything. She'll eat a little of the green beans, but the face she makes when she tastes banana just plain is quite a sight. She's also figured out how to use a straw! I will upload the picture I took soon, but she is so adorable loving that water!!

time with Oma

We had a fun weekend/week with Oma this week! She came to help watch the kids while we worked, as daycare was closed this week! I'm sure she was exhausted at the end of the day, but we REALLY appreciated her help and company! Great way to celebrate his 3rd birthday!

 The best picture we could get of the three of them…and that was after about 10 minutes of trying to convince Hudson to come sit next to Oma for a picture. 

Summer days...

 Bath time upgrade! Stella loves to splash in her big girl bath!

Little miss smiles a lot…loves sitting out on the grass on these warm days!

Six Months

Stella is six months old!!
She had her check up yesterday. and I am thrilled to say that she gained 2.5 pounds the last two months! Here we have stats:

Six months;
Weight: 15 lbs (25%)
Height: 26.5 inches (75%)
Head:     (75%)

She is doing great!! She now has the green light to eat two meals a day in addition to her 28-36 ounces of milk a day. She is sleeping from about 8pm to 6am, then takes a morning and noontime nap for a few hours - so she has about 11-13 hours a day of sleep. She's developing beautifully, and though her laryngomalacia causes some challenges and she will still need to take her medication twice a day, we are SO happy with how she's doing!!

Passing on the legend

 Anyone who knows me knows I have been a Michael Jackson fan for a LONG time. My 18th birthday present from my parents was a drawing of Michael Jackson. Seriously. And I loved that thing. So it's only natural that my children will follow in my footsteps and love Michael Jackson as well. Maybe not to the degree that I do, but I'm proud to say that Hudson CAN identify a Michael Jackson song when he hears one, and that's pretty much good enough for me. 

Stella is now LOVING her sitting up time, and has mastered the skill! She also LOVES big brother, and the feeling is wonderfully mutual - except when Hudson gets a little too excited and one (or both) of them end up hurt. I think we can probably officially start calling Hudson a Sharknado. Not only does he love sharks (as seen in the picture), but he is most definitely like a tornado - bull in a china shop - taznmanian devil - etc. You get the point. And here he is crying at my side because he jumped off the chair and hit his head on the elliptical machine. He's fine. :)