Spring Break

Why does spring break have to end?!?! I'm passionate about teaching, and I love my 19 school kiddos, but I also love being home with Hudson way more! We had such a fun week hanging out together. Friday, I was a little weepy. I realized it was my last day of spring break with my favorite little person. I'll be a mess tomorrow night, and I know I'll have to drag myself to work on Monday. I so treasure the days I get to spend with my Hudson.

We kicked off the start of spring break with a trip to the lake. Big Al had some landscaping he needed help with, and we all know that's not Shug's strong suit. Big Al, Andy, and Tucker worked on the landscaping project while everyone else played with Hudson and Prudence. Those two are already the best of friends. It's so sweet to watch them play and communicate with one another. Those two will keep us on our toes this summer for sure! We decided to stay the weekend to just get away and relax. It was a much needed little getaway.

I really wanted to do something fun over the break, so I planned a trip to the Birmingham Zoo. Shug, Mymama, Hudson and I met Andy, Emily, and Prudence for lunch in Birmingham. Then us girls plus Hudson (Uncle Andy had to go back to work. Bummer.) headed to the zoo. The weather was perfect for strolling around and checking out the many animals. Hudson's favorites were the monkeys and the Lorakeets.

The rest of the week was spent sleeping late (My child sleeps till 8; don't kill me!), running errands, and meeting our favorite UPS man for lunch. It was the best week! I've already started my days till summer countdown. I can't wait to spend this and every summer with my best boy!

Amanda

9 Months

The past 10 months have been the most joyous of my life. I say 10 months, because as of today, I'm officially one month and one day behind. I commend those moms that are able to keep their blogs updated. Unfortunately, I just don't have much free time anymore, but that's alright by me. Being a mom to my sweet boy is the best way to spend my time!

A good friend of mine just recently had baby number two, and it has reminded me about how truly special this time is. I was holding that sweet, precious newborn in my arms remembering that my angel boy was once that tiny. Seriously, where does the time go? I already find myself regretting not savoring every single moment of that precious time. Time I will never get back. Now, more than ever, I'm reminded to slow down and just be. Just be with Hudson. Enjoying his giggles and coos. His whines and cries. His smiles and silly faces. I just want to memorize him and his every move. I want to tuck these sweet memories away, so that one day, when he's too big for kisses and snuggles, I can pull them out and remember when he was my baby.

Nine months was a huge month for my H man. He is now a baby on the move! He started with what I call a military crawl. He was basically using his arms to drag himself from place to place. After about two weeks of that, he started crawling on his hands and knees. There's no stopping him now! He is getting faster and harder to keep up with, and of course, he's into everything!

Hudson has also reached another HUGE milestone. No bottle! We switched him to the the sippy cup, and there was no turning back. He took to it without any problems! I was excited, but sad at the same time. Every milestone he reaches is another reminder that he is growing up.

Hudson can now applaud for himself. He learned to clap this month! It's so much fun to watch him get excited and clap for himself. He also tried many new foods this month. He no longer eats "baby food". He mostly eats right from the table. This month he tried mac n cheese, watermelon, and cheese. So far it seems he's not going to be a picky eater. And if you've seen him lately, you can tell he doesn't miss a meal!

 This boy loves being outside!

 This is the only still shot we were able to get!

 On the move already! I love his silly faces!

This boy has stolen my heart!

Amanda

Twenty-nine

I can't believe I'm 29! I remember thinking when I was 18 how "old" 29 sounded. Now that I'm here, it doesn't quite seem so old! Ha! When I was 18 I had several goals that I wanted to achieve by the time I was 30. I was going to get married, get a good job, and have two children. And of course, live happily ever after. After a few bumps in the road, I have achieved most of my teenage dreams. 

My life is so full! Full of joy and happiness!  I wake up every morning thanking God for my many blessings. Two of those blessings are Tucker and Hudson. I love those boys to the moon and back! So on my birthday, I played hooky from school and spent the day with my two favorite people. 

My birthday included a fancy brunch at the Waffle House, nine holes of golf with my main squeeze, and a night out with my girlfriends. The next day, I was treated to a day of pampering at the spa. I can't think of any other way I'd rather celebrate! 

This was the best birthday ever, because it was my first birthday with this little dude! 

I can't wait to see what's in store for me this year. It's hard to imagine that it could get any better than this. Here's to the last year of my twenties!

Amanda

8 Months

Hudson turned 8 months on January 16th. He's a little less than a week away from being 9 months old. As desperately as I try to stay on top of this blog, I seem to always fall behind. Do I get credit for at least trying???

Hudson had a big month! At 8 months old, he helped his cousin Prudence celebrate her first birthday party. Prudence's grandmother, Amanda, gave Hudson his first taste of cake and ice cream. He loved it! Along with cake and ice cream, he also tried peas, mashed potatoes, applesauce, and fed himself puffs! Peas were not his immediate favorite, but he will now tolerate them, meaning he doesn't gag and spit them back out. Applesauce is by far his favorite. He would be happy eating sweet potatoes and applesauce everyday!

Prudence giving Hudson some love!

Hudson reached another milestone this month, one that made this mama very weepy. He moved out of the infant room into the next baby room at day care. New teachers, new room, anxiety ridden mama. Hudson transitioned just fine, I on the other hand, did not. I'm a creature of habit and don't care much for change and while his new teacher is sweet, she is very young. I hesitate to even say anything about age, because I was once a fresh faced, bright eyed, 22 year old first year teacher. (I know. Hard to believe.) I know there were probably many a parent unsure about entrusting their child to me. I try to keep that in mind everyday. It's getting a little bit better...

Hudson was also able to help his great Grandpa celebrate his 80th birthday! Not many kiddos can brag that their great grandfather can still do cannonballs off of the diving board, but Hudson can! He also got to meet lots of cousins, aunts, and uncles. He sure is a lucky little boy to be loved by so many!

Hudson with his great-grandfather, Bob.

It's hard to believe Hudson will be 9 months in a few days. This first year is flying by us quickly. I'm already beginning to plan his first birthday day party. It's almost more than I can handle, so therefore, I'm soaking up every minute of this snow day with my little guy!

Best 8 months of my life!

Amanda

Snow Day 2014

Whoa! Many places were not prepared for the snow. We are so fortunate to live in an area that did prepare for snowy and icy conditions. Opelika and Auburn city schools cancelled school yesterday and today. I, the skeptic, doubted we would see anything. And I'm not a fan of make up days. If it had been up to me, we would have been at school. Good thing I'm not in charge of things! Ha!

Hudson and I spent yesterday snuggling. In fact, we didn't even get out of our pajamas. A rare treat for us. We also worried greatly for Tucker. He was out delivering in Russell County, and the roads were quickly icing over. Thank goodness, our favorite Daddy made it home safe and sound. As I'm blogging this morning, I'm watching both of my favorite boys nap. I'm so thankful Tucker doesn't have to get out in this mess today.

This morning we all bundled up and headed out for a total of 3 minutes playing in the snow. Hudson didn't know what to think about all of that white stuff. I picked some up and let him touch it. He wasn't much of a fan! Ha!

 The sun trying to make an appearance. 

Beautiful!

 Hudson's first snow day!

So fun!

I am so thankful for days like today. I have my boys right where I want them. Safe, snuggled, and at home with me. My heart goes out all of those who were stranded last night, especially the teachers and students who had to spend the night at their schools. Teaching is truly a special calling. I know those teachers didn't even bat an eye at having to stay at school with their kiddos. Just think of the special night they shared with their students. They will remember last night for the rest of their lives. 

I am thankful to our superintendent, Mark Neighbors. He made the right call, and in doing so, kept employees and students safe. And it gave me two extra snugly days with my Hudson :) Bundle up, friends!

Amanda

Happy Birthday, Prudence!

Prudence turned one on January 10th! It's hard to believe she is one year old. It seems like just yesterday Emily and Andy were bringing her home from the hospital. I remember how tiny she looked in her car seat. It's amazing the transformation that has taken place in such a short amount of time.

This little girl has kept us all on our toes. She has only one speed, and it's fast. She was walking and eating table food well before she was one. She's been beating up on Hudson since the day he was born. Ha! (Watch out, P! Hudson is catching up!) She is just precious! I am blessed to be her aunt Manda!

 So excited to be 1!!!

 "I'm not wearing this thing for long, so you better get your picture!"

 Sweet P is 1!!!

Love these three!

We have so many things to be thankful for this year, and Prudence is one of them! She is a sweet gift from God, and we love her so. I can't wait for all of the shopping trips, mani's and pedi's, and of course, girl drama!

Happy Birthday, Prudence Rae!

 Aunt Manda and Uncle Tuck love you to pieces.

Present

I don't do New Year's resolutions. I don't like setting myself up for failure. However, I have been inspired by a sweet friend of mine. Each year she picks one word to focus on for the year. Not only am I stealing her idea, I'm also stealing one of her words, present.

I have said it over and over, I know, but my baby really is growing up so fast. I don't want to miss anything. Not. one.single. thing. My biggest problem is that I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of this life. I tend to let stress and worry consume me. I worry about things I cannot control, and I struggle daily with giving those worries to God. I find myself unable to relax, my mind churning. Because of this, I feel like I'm missing precious moments with my husband and my child. I don't want Hudson to remember me like this.

Another issue, is the phone. It's not just an accessory, it is my priority. Sometimes I find myself checking it several times in a five minute span. Ridiculous. This relationship with my phone is causing my husband and child to suffer. Many times at dinner, I'm checking Facebook instead of having an actual conversation with my husband. I'm so plugged into my phone, that I'm missing that personal connection with my husband. Other times, I find myself feeding Hudson, and guess what? I'm checking Facebook or Instagram. It breaks my heart knowing I have missed even one minute staring into those big brown eyes of my sweet boy, because I had to update my Facbeook status.

Therefore, my goal this year is to live in the moment. Be present.

I'm giving myself 15 minutes a day to catch up on social media. I have taken the Facebook app off of my phone. Okay, I didn't actually do it; Tucker did. He's braver than I am. He's also in favor of not having to share his wife with a phone.

To deal with the everyday stress of life, I'm going to continue to pray. I'm also going to learn how to say "No." My time with my family is precious. I don't have time, nor do I want to hang out with people I don't necessarily like. So, I'm going to be more choosy. Life isn't about how many friends you have, but rather the quality of friends you have. My best friends I can count on one hand, and I'm fine with that.

Finally, I want to spend as much time as I can with my family. Hudson and Tucker are the very best parts of my day, everyday. Thank goodness for my sweet husband. He is the ying to my yang. Cheesy, I know, but he really does balance out all of this crazy. Hudson gave a purpose to my life I didn't even know existed. My passion for being his mama is overwhelming. I thank the Lord everyday that he got his daddy's laid back attitude.

2013 was a wonderful year for us. I can only imagine what 2014 has in store for us, but we're ready!