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!

7 Months

Hudson is growing by what seems like miles each day! Some mornings when I wake him up, I swear he grew some overnight. His rapid growth is bittersweet. I enjoy watching my baby grow, figure things out, and experience life, but it also makes me weepy, because time is so fleeting.

Unfortunately, Hudson has spent most of this month sick. Early in the month, he had a horrible stomach virus. Poor baby, it caused him to have the most awful diaper rash. He would scream every time he went to the bathroom, and it just broke my heart each time I had to change him. Then, the night before Christmas Eve, Hudson came down with the flu, even after having his flu shot. Thank goodness he had the flu shot, though. He ended up having a very mild case of it. Sadly, we did have to miss Christmas with our family and his friend, Cale's, first birthday party. Bummer. I hate when my baby is sick, but I have to admit, I do enjoy the extra snuggle time at home with him. 

At our last doctor's visit (last week), Hudson weighed 19 lbs. and 2 oz. He has also moved up to a size 4 diaper. If he keeps up this rate of growth, I'm afraid he will be wearing "Depends" soon. Ha! Hudson also tried avocado and pears for the first time this month. He liked them both, but sweet potatoes and bananas are still his favorite. We also found out that Hudson had been hiding some of his tricks from us. I went to pick him up from daycare early one day to find that he could hold the bottle all by himself. That little stinker had been holding out on us!

 

If you couldn't tell, I love this boy to the moon and back!

Amanda

Tis the Season

So I have come to the conclusion that Christmas is so much better when you have children! Being seven months old, Hudson didn't really know what Christmas was all about. He was more interested in the wrapping paper and the bows than he was about the gifts themselves. And because Hudson came down with the flu on the 23rd, we were able to experience his first Christmas all by ourselves.

We had plans to travel to the lake and spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day there with family. We didn't want to expose Mymama or little Prudence to the flu, so we stayed quarantined at home instead. At first, Tucker and I were bummed. We were really looking forward to spending time with our family over the holidays, especially Tucker. Tucker has been working long hours since Thanksgiving, and he was really looking forward to a little down time.

Being Santa's little helper was rough on Daddy this year. Most nights he didn't even get to see Hudson, due to him already being asleep when he got home. One night, he didn't get home til 10! Looking on the bright side of things, we realized how special it was that we would get to spend this very first Christmas with Hudson alone. We cherished every moment and started, what we hope to be, many new Christmas traditions.

 Merry Christmas from the Boswell's!

 Our little Christmas Eve dinner. 

Thanks to Shug and Big Al for bringing us groceries. This Mama didn't plan on her boy being sick! Lesson learned...we will now be prepared for anything and everything! I'm learning the hard way, friends!

 Hudson getting ready to open his first Christmas present from Santa!

 He was so excited about his Christmas jammies and book "The Auburn Night Before Christmas".

 Getting ready to crawl! 

My heart is full!

He was so into his book. I loved every minute of this! We will do this every year!

 Hudson checking out his loot from Santa!

Love his sweet expressions!

What a sweet and special Christmas, friends! And as always, we remember the true reason for the season, Jesus' birth. Not only do we thank him for giving his life selfishly for ours, but we also thank him for our most precious gift, Hudson. He has filled our hearts with joy and our home with laughter. We couldn't have asked for a better gift this holiday season.

Merry Christmas,

Amanda

A New Tradition

This year we started something new, and I hope it becomes our new family tradition! We went to Lanett, Alabama to Gilbert's Tree Farm to get our Christmas Tree. Growing up, we always had a real tree. When I got old enough to decorate my own home on Christmas, I always went with a fake tree. In my opinion they are so much easier, especially if you have one that is pre-lit, and they aren't near as messy. My obsessive tendencies makes having a real tree an anxiety ridden experience. However, this year Gilbert himself helped us get a Leland Cyprus, and the best part is, it doesn't shed! It's the perfect compromise. Tucker gets a real tree, and I don't have to spend time stressing about the tree shedding it's needles on the floor.

We took Hudson with us, and he and I picked out the best tree in the field. When we had picked the perfect tree for us, we informed the guys at the tree farm, and they went over and cut it down for us. Our tree is gorgeous, but it is slightly too big. It didn't look near as big in the field as it does now in our living room. We even had to trim the top just a little bit. Going to the Christmas Tree farm to pick out our tree will be a tradition that we will look forward to year after year.

Merry Christmas!