Birthday weekend

 For Hudson's first birthday we had a jungle themed party out in the park across from our place. Lots of our friends and Hudson's friends, along with family came to celebrate! I worked for hours on his birthday cake...and you can tell from the pictures he liked it ok. :)

 Hudson got this really great shirt from his Great Auntie Susie and Uncle Rick for his birthday - and it fit perfect for his big day! We all missed you!

Hugs from Oma and Opa!

 The lion on top was made of fondant, and it took several hours to make. It definitely "made" the cake though!

 Because it was a hot summer day, we brought out a couple pools for the little tikes. They were a big hit! I think Hudson spent about an hour in the pool - and he played nice for a minute, then he wanted the pool all to himself so he'd start trying to push the other kids out (poor Quentin!). This kid LOVES his water!

 Chris and Casey Jr. came to help make cupcakes on Friday after Abbie arrived - they're 3 weeks apart and already good friends!

 We rented a house for the weekend near the capitol, and it's been great having everyone together, and having a second "home" to go to and hang out. It was a Victorian style house, built in 1900 - so lots of character!

 He wasn't sure what to do at first...

 But he figured it out.

 We couldn't get him to keep his safari hat and glasses on, but he sure was CUTE in them!

 Patty cake

Grandma Rosdil gave him one of Andy's old trucks from when he was a boy.

Overall there were about 25 guests (plus kids), and we had a great time! We're blessed to have met some great people here in Denver, and thankful many of them also have kids so Hudson is starting his second year of life with some great friends!

Andy's project

For the last year and a half Andy has been working on a project up at the CU Boulder campus - building a large lab. This week he took a picture from the top of the building, showing an amazing view of the campus and the Boulder foothills. The project is expected to be completed by February/March. It's amazing to see how it's developed from nothing - Great job Andy!!

sleepy time

Hudson has taken to sleeping in strange positions lately - and it's hilarious to walk in and see him zonked out! Sometimes his legs are through the bars, or he's curled up into the corner. But he typically ends up snuggling with something - his teddy bear from Great Grandma Fluckiger is the fave! I'm pretty sure he moves a lot in his sleep a lot!
This week they are starting to transition him to just one nap a day, and only sippy cups to drink out of (no bottle). So far he is doing well (yes, today is the first day, but that's what they said). He loves sippy cups already, so i didn't expect that to be hard - so long as he doesn't take a big drink then let it fall down his chin. :) I'm sure that's normal, but it's not very fun for me. He loves doing it. And I went to see him at 12:30, not realizing he would be getting ready for his FIRST nap of the day! He was a mess, as you would imagine. So, needless to say, i'm not as thrilled about this part of the transition. I like the two naps a day routine - and as of right now, he really needs that morning nap! So pushing him until lunch is a big stretch...and I think it may take some time for both of us to adjust. Yes, i realize that part of me just doesn't want him to grow up.

Headstands and more

Hudson has started doing headstands - and it's adorable! Typically the headstand is followed by him standing up, and taking a few steps! That's right! 11 1/2 months old and this boy has started WALKING! He has taken about 7-10 steps at once, but is a determined little guy, so we know it won't be long before he's running!

It's hard to believe he's going to be a year in a couple weeks! I can honestly say that time has gone by fast the last few months - almost too fast! With the school year right around the corner, things will start picking up at work again, and our summer days will begin to shorten. But I am SO thankful we will have beautiful warm weather to celebrate his birthday with family and friends!

play time

 Hudson has started testing the waters with the stairs - hasn't actually taken the leap and tried to go down...yet. But we don't ever leave him alone there...just in case! I know it's coming soon...

 This kid is a great little drummer already - aside from being 90% fish (yes, he loves the water that much), we see a future for him as a musician. And no, that does not mean we want him to get a real drum set...i've heard stories about those things. Cool for about 10 minutes, then they're just loud.

 We're nearing the end of the bottle...:( but not ready to say goodbye yet! In a couple weeks we'll start transitioning to only a couple bottles a day...then none at all. He does well with the sippy cup (when he's not throwing it on the floor), so we think he'll do fine with the transition. It's me I'm worried about - my little baby is growing up so fast!

Every summer there's a huge garage sale about 10 minutes from our house - and i mean it's huge, like 300 homes participate. And most of these homes have little kids living in them. Yes, this = jackpot for us! This year i was out of town when it happened, so Andy was on his own (with Hudson) as far as shopping for bargains. He came home with this great little "house", which Hudson loves, for only $2! He also got a McLaren stroller and a high chair! So once again, the Stapleton garage sale has served us well!

Girl time

This last weekend I was able to take a trip out to Los Angeles for the weekend without Hudson to spend some time with a few of my closest girlfriends. We had a great time!! It was hard to be away from Hudson for almost three days, but Andy did an amazing job with him, and we got to skype a couple times too! I had a wonderful time catching up with my friends, sleeping in (and staying up a lot later!), and just being together. It was awesome!!

 Sandra, Melissa and I went to one of the only remaining wineries in Los Angeles! We took the tour and learned some interesting things about the history of the City of Angeles!

Beach time with Chiraphone - one of our favorite things to do together!

Riding in the back of Sandra's car on a beautiful summer day - definitely a weekend I will remember!

more 11 month pictures...

eating by himself

Hudson has started using the spoon! he doesn't get much food onto the spoon before he gets it into his mouth....but he's on his way!

11 months!

It's hard to believe we're planning Hudson's FIRST BIRTHDAY. He is still growing by the second it seems, and acting more like a little boy every day! 

A few highlights:

1. We have started the transition to more milk (formula) in the sippy cup and less in the bottle. This has been hard for me surprisingly...thinking he will be too old for a bottle soon doesn't seem possible. But he loves that sippy cup, so he is doing really well! He only has milk with breakfast and snack in the cup, otherwise he's still loving his water and bottles. He eats three meals a day with a snack, and is growing more interested in what we eat all the time!

2. We are SO close to Hudson taking his first steps. He is standing on his own, reaching across to things  that require him to move one foot to get there, and is just cruising on everything. I think it could be any day...

3. We have words! Hudson is saying more intentional words (or sounds), and it's awesome! He will say MOO when he sees a cow, stop (sounds like DOP) after we tell Lego to stop licking him :), he is saying mama and dada, and a few other things like that. Still not sure how intentional they all are, but he is definitely learning his animal sounds! 

4. Our boy is in a cuddle stage! He gives hugs and kisses, and now favors his stuffed animals over his other toys. He will talk to them, hug them, and carry them around - and it's adorable. He recently received a large stuffed tiger from a woman at daycare, and that is by far the best snuggle buddy.  He's also taken to being on the couch! He will jump, roll, walk, lay down, and just sit and relax for a long time! He LOVES being up there!

5. THis boy is a water baby through and through! He cannot get enough of it! He loves his splash time at school, kiddy pool at home, and the big public pool - he will stay in the water until he's exhausted, then he will sit in the shade with his bottle or snack and just watch everyone else in the water - happy as can be. 

6. We have graduated to our 12-18 size clothes, still wear size 3 diapers, have about 28-30 oz formula a day plus meals, and still takes two naps a day. Day care will be transitioning him to one nap a day and no bottles soon, so he can move up to the 1-2 year class room after his birthday. Crazy!

Overall Hudson's personality is shining more each week. He loves being around people, being outside, and especially the water. He is so much fun to be around, though we've had to start working harder to keep him out of things he shouldn't be getting into (like Lego's food). This weekend I plan to leave him for a couple days with Dad to have some girl time with friends...so we'll see how that goes! Andy does a great job taking care of him, and aside from the house looking like a disaster when i get back, i'm sure they'll have lots of fun boy time!

a night with friends...and kids!

Over four years ago we started hanging out with this group of people. It started out as eight adults, having dinner out and getting to know each other. Last night we had them all over to our house for dinner. Only this time, there were FIVE kids there with us! Between the four couples, we now have five children. Needless to say, dinner is now very different than it used to be! There's a 3 year old (Malaya) and her little sister Cadence (4 months), Cannon who's now 1 1/2, Casey Jr who's just three weeks younger than Hudson, and of course the social butterfly who couldn't have been more thrilled to have his buddies over, Hudson. He was LOVING it. And we had a great time with the friends (and their kids) we've gotten to know here in Denver. Fun times!! 

 Paul and Malaya...Malaya wasn't too big on smiling for the camera...

 Cannon is a hugger....hugs all around!

 All the kids loved this chair (Malaya brought it) - and you can see that Hudson made himself right at home when it was his turn. Such a ham!

 Lindsay, Chris and Lina - three lovely ladies!

Chad with Cadence - she looks JUST like him. 

party face

 Normally Hudson doesn't like things on his face or head...but these sunglasses are clearly the exception. He is SO cute with these on!

Hudsons new favorite thing to do is hang out on the couch. He will work and work until he can get himself up there (usually with my help), then he will roll, jump, flop, and as you can see, relax. The couch is definitely the newest cool thing he's discovered. 

tasting flowers

Standing on his own!

Hudson has recently started getting a bit more daring with his balance - he has stood by himself for about 5-10 seconds! He's still pretty nervous, but today he did a great job! I didn't catch the moment on film, but a few seconds after!
You can tell by these photos that we were talking about the flowers...and how they aren't food.

The things this 10 month old loves to do...

 Three things Hudson loves right now: the stairs, the elliptical machine, and the shoe shelf. 

The people in my life

Working at a community college the last 4 1/2 years has been a very interesting, challenging, deepening experience for me. I have worked hard at times, not so hard at times, and spent countless hours listening and talking with students about life issues I sometimes can't believe they are experiencing. My days are filled with encounters that I find both fulfilling and exhausting. When I think my life is complicated or difficult, I can stop and think of any number of students I've known here and feel silly for complaining or not being thankful for the abundance of blessings in my life. These students have taught me so much, and I can only pray that my life and our time together has impacted them in some small way as well.

Lately though, it's been hard to hear some of the stories my students have gone through. I'm thankful for the counseling classes I've taken, and the skills I've developed as I walk through life with these people. They often  feel comfortable sharing their most difficult and personal life experiences with me, and I am so thankful they have. Yet there are days when the burden weighs very heavy on my heart, and I can't help but cry over their trials and tribulations. Abuse: sexual abuse, drug abuse, physcial abuse, mental and emotional abuse. Boyfriends abusing their kids, boyfriends beating them up, husbands making threats, witholding money, making their lives miserable. Cheating: cheating on husbands, cheating on boyfriends/girlfriends, divorce. Pregnancy: scares, miscarriages, stress over not having enough income, not having a father figure, not having insurance. Dealing with being gay, not sure if they should tell their family or friends. Fear of rejection. Lack of money, failing classes, alcoholism, parents and grandparents in the hospital. Death, suicide. Parents failing to be there for these students, when they need them most.

And I've only listed some of the topics that have come through my office this year...

How can I help them? What can I do? I do all I can to listen, support and love them. And almost always, that is just what they need. It breaks my heart more often than they know, and I should be praying for them every second I can. But I'm human, and i don't. Sometimes i'll just go home and cry. Or i'll hold it in until i watch a commercial with a mom hugging her son lovingly, and i'll just ball. Why do these horrible things have to happen? Where is God in all of it?

Lately I've talked to one of my students about the idea that "God never gives you more than you can handle." This woman has gone through more life trauma than a room full of 100 others will in their entire lives. Yet she comes in every day with a smile (almost every day anyway), she prays and thanks God for her life and her blessings, and she keeps moving forward. What more can we do?

I'm thankful for the opportunity i have had to be work in the field of Higher Education. It's so much more than anyone can understand without being in it themselves. It's hard. It's fun. It's sad. It's fulfilling. And because it's so many different things, depending on the day you ask me, I may love it or be ready to get out of it. But overall, i have loved the chance i've had to experience life with so many people.

10 months!

And we have ourselves a 10 month old! One who is doing all sorts of things - continuing to keep us on our toes more every day!

Hudson had a very exciting 9th month of life. :) He spend 9 days at the beach in Southern California, got 3 rounds of shots after 2 tries with antibiotics to get rid of a lingering ear infection, and got his 5th tooth! OK there's more too.

1. Hudson is eating LOTS of big boy food these days - finger foods with every meal, and more "people" food every week. Right now he's loving the melons and fresh fruits of the season, and loves drinking out of his sippy cup still. He still has about 27-30 ounces of formula a day, but also has three meals and a snack! There hasn't really been much he's said no to as far as food, but he clearly favors things he can put in his own mouth. And he's showing a lot more interest in what we put in our mouths!

2. He has been furniture walking for months now, but has added the walker and other moveable objects to the list. We're practicing our walking while holding mommy's hands, and he loves doing that as well. He has always been cautious - sits down slowly, doesn't go over the edge of the stairs, etc. so he is a little cautious as well about walking without that support of something keeping him upright. So we'll see how long it takes for him to just go for it!

3. Aside from the nasty cold he had in April, accompanied by a horrible, drawn out ear infection, Hudson has been doing well with his sleeping, etc. He sleeps about 10 1/2 −11 hours a night, and has two naps a day. Because he's moving so much now, he pretty much needs those naps to refuel!

4. Play time is pretty much all the time right now (other than sleep time). Hudson is so interested in everything going on around him, and tries to copy anything he can - or just stare at it. He loves meeting new people, Lego, being outside, reading (or ripping up) books, you name it, he loves it. He is a LOT of fun to be with, though it can be exhausting. He does so many grown up things now, with his expressions. He will copy your hiccup and cough, he plays with his hair, and if he sees you chewing he will chew as well (on nothing). He makes great noises, and is happy playing with others as well as by himself - though he's still a mama's boy all the way.

5. For his 9 month check up we found out he was 22.2 lbs - at this point I think he has to be 24 or more! He's getting SO heavy! And he's still wearing his 12-18 month clothes just fine. Yes, he's a big boy.

This weekend for his 10 month birthday he got a visit from Grandma Rosdil and Uncle Peter! We've had lots of fun hanging out, going for walks, and getting into the cupboards! Time for baby proofing those things!

Hudson you are truly an amazing little man, and we LOVE being with you, watching you grow, and sharing in all the love, smiles and happiness that fill your life every day.

splash time

Daycare has splash time now that it's getting warmer! Here's our 10 month old!