Hudson Swager {3 Months}

I can't believe how fast 3 months has flown by! You are just the sweetest little guy and you are bringing so much joy into our life.

You are starting to smile and even giggle a little bit! It's precious of course. You love to lay, kick, squeal, talk and play after you eat.  It's so sweet how you talk to us! I think the acid reflux meds and formula have really started working this month.  You have become such a happy baby!

Mommy had to go back to work this month.  I hate leaving you, but you are in good hands while I'm gone.  PawPaw, Gigi and Miss Elaine do a great job loving on you while I'm working.  

Little guy you are doing great with bedtimes right now! For the past week or two you've been sleeping from your late night feeding - 11:30 or 12 all the way to 5 or 6 o'clock.  We so appreciate the 5 hour stretch! Please keep up the good work.  During the day you are taking about 5 ounces every three hours. You are spitting up like crazy but I don't think it's hurting you anymore.  You just spit up and smile at me!

You are really discovering lots of things this month.  You are loving your hands and I've caught you staring at them and of course - chewing on them. You watch the mobile on your swing, catch mommy and daddy's gaze and are turning your head when you hear our voices.  You are fascinated watching your brother.  One of his favorite things to do is to turn the music on and off on your bouncy seat.  He jumps up and down while he's doing this and you just stare at him. He also loves to put your paci in your mouth.  He always wants you to be in your seat next to him in the car.  He doesn't like it when you guys are separated.  Makes me so happy!!

Happy 3 Months sweet Hudson bear! Love you tons!!

Hudson Swager {Two Months}

2 months is here! I feel like it goes so much faster the second time around.  You are just the sweetest baby my Hudson bear.  Your sweet smiles this month have made my heart melt.  Grayson loves it when you smile too.  He shouts - "He's smelling!"

2 Month Check-Up

Weight: 11 lbs 4 oz {41st percentile}

Length: 21 3/4 in {11th percentile}

Head Circumference: 38 3/4 cm {24th percentile}

We've had lots of park trips, playdates and walks this month.  YOu also had your first trip to the gym nursery.  You slept right through it! We are so thankful that the weather is finally starting to get a bit nicer.  We've had such a rough winter with lots of snow so we are ready for sunshine.  You love to be close to mommy so I've been "wearing" you a lot.  I ordered a new carrier that should be here later this week and I can't wait to use it.

We had some very fun visitors this month! Miss Erin came all the way from New York City to come over and get some snuggles.  You slept so great in her arms! Miss Sarah came from Oklahoma City and Miss Alexis came from Norman.  They were all smitten by you of course!

We are still working on getting your little tummy settled. Things are going better, but I still think you are pretty uncomfortable.  At night sometimes you will give us one 4 hour stretch.  We love it when that happens! You are eating 4 oz every 3 hours except for that one stretch from 12-4 that you have given us a few times! 

The faces you make are pretty hilarious.  Sometimes you will be just cracking yourself up watching the ceiling fan go round and round.  Every now and then we can get a little smile by tickling your cheek or poking you with the paci. I can't wait for sweet giggles! 

We celebrated Uncle Adam's 28th birthday this month.  You had a blast! And Grayson made a big step this month by letting you snuggle with his Beloved Pablo.  You'll come to know and love Pablo someday I'm sure! We've also driven by and walked around in our new house so many times.  You love it! We are counting the days until it's ready for us to move into.

I love taking pictures of you.  I only got 10 weeks home with you and I'm savoring every single second.  We've had so many sweet snuggles, lots of tears, cups of coffee and bottles of formula.  When I have to go back to work in 10 days I'm going to be a mess! You are so sweet and cuddly.  Sometimes even though I know you would rather stay in your little bed, we have to get up and go and you have just been so go with the flow and sweet. We love you baby boy!

Hudson Swager {One Month}

We will see if I can keep up with monthly updates. G is at school and Hudson is actually sleeping beside me (a rarity... not that I mind the snuggles!!) so here goes!

My Hudson.  You came in like a whirlwind and have been keeping us on our toes! I love watching you grow sweet one. Here is a bit of what you've been up too.

2 week appointment:

Weight: 7 lbs. {10th Percentile}

Length: 19 1/2 in. {13th Percentile}

Head Circumference: 35.8 cm. {25th Percentile} 

This month...at 9 days old to be exact you gave us quite a scare with a little trip to the ER.  I went to pick you up from a nap, and you were struggling to breathe well because of lots of spit up and other yuckies.  Daddy took one look at you and said get in the car! We flew to the hospital, with your sweet brother saying, "Hudson will be okay...Hudson will be okay..." the whole way there.  And guess what...you were! Lots of tears from mommy, and great care from the sweet nurses.  A stay overnight, with a bad case of acid reflux, some medicine and 3 formulas later we are getting your baby tummy all settled.  And while our nights are quite the party, and you have some sad crying spells when you are really hurting we have had nothing that eventful since this.  Praise the Lord!

You are eating about every 3 hours.  You've gone 4-5 hours a couple times at night.  You are still pretty uncomfortable between feedings, but it's getting better and we are working on making you a happy boy! We've caught a few smiles while sleeping and tooting (you are a tooting machine!). Sometimes if we tickle your cheek or nose you will have a little smile too.

You have had lots of visitors.  We had some amazing friends bring us meals for almost this whole month.  We are so blessed!

You love to look out the window, at the lamps or lights and at the ceiling fan.  Every now and then you'll make some eye contact and hold a gaze for a few seconds. You are getting used to baths and pretty much slept right through your first snow.  You've been out for a couple doctors appointments, a trip to Target, out to eat for Gigi's birthday and we celebrated one month with a trip to the trampoline park and the mall.  You were so pumped! We also celebrated your first holiday... Valentines Day!  You don't quite have the love affair with the Wubbanub like Grayson did, but you do still love it every now and then. 

Speaking of...Your. Brother. Loves. You.  Sometimes he has a weird way of showing it, maybe patting a little too hard or launching a binky across the room at you - but he really is doing so great! If you are crying he immediately runs to check on you and demands that someone pick you up.  He will try and put the binky in your mouth, and loves to help burp you as well.  I'm sure he's going to give you some bumps and bruises along the way, but I'm praying for you all to be the best of friends. 

We love you lots little bear! Happy {ONE} month!

Hudson {Newborn} Session

When Hudson was 6 days old we met up with the amazing Lindsay McDaniel to do his newborn session.  She did an incredible job - tears in my eyes as I look at these pictures even for the millionth time.  Love these boys in my life!

Hudson Swager Gundy {Birth Story}

It's been almost 7 months since I've blogged.  But a new year a new start right? I can't think of a better way to start off 2014 than with the story of how Hudson Swager Gundy made his debut.

January 17th, 2014.  2 Weeks and 5 days before Hudson is supposed to come.  Sitting in the gym with my pre-k kiddos at about 2 pm.  My conversation with myself.

I think my water just broke.
Well that wasn't very dramatic, surely you just had a momentary lapse in blatter control (tmi- maybe but it's my story and if that's too much for ya then you might want to stop reading...)
Nope it's still happening so I'm pretty sure your water just broke.
Uhhhh it's 3 weeks early.  You were just at the doctor yesterday.
You should probably go to the hospital.
Well I don't want to be one of those girls that goes to the hospital and gets sent home...

After a reality check with the on call doctor.  5 pm.

My sweet Hudson Swager.  Man were you ready.  They moved me into labor and delivery around 7 pm.  My contractions weren't very strong yet, and I was still in shock from the fact that you were indeed coming whether we were ready or not. They wanted to give me meds to help you along but I just really didn't want anything that was going to help you along before I had the drugs that were going to help ME along! About an hour later I was asking for the epidural...still not quite far along enough.  9:30 pm - I looked at your daddy and said I AM DONE.  Surely it's time.  The nurse comes in and says YES! I'll call the anesthesiologist.

Praise the Lord of Heavenly Hosts! All is about to be right in the world. 

Until it's not.  Until your dramatic mama can't hold still for the glorious relief to begin.  Only for once in her life it's not her being dramatic.  She in fact cannot hold still because you are ready to party.  

Random nurse... "Um I think she is trying to push.  I think she might be ready. Lay her down so I can check her.  Uhhhh yeah she's ready. And there's his head!"

The next what I'm guessing is about 5-10 minutes is the biggest blur ever.  The epidural man leaving.  Me yelling NO!!! at him like a crazy person.  Looking at your daddy and saying "I. CAN. NOT. DO. THIS." And him saying - "Yes you can because you already are. PUSH." My eyes were closed so tight.  I opened them to the sweetest nurse in my face saying - "Push mama! His head is already out!" And it was.  And in one more push my worst nightmare became a dream come true at 10:13pm when they put you in my arms.  

Hudson Swager Gundy

6 pounds 1 oz.

19 inches long

January 17, 2014 10:13 pm 

That was really hard. I'd never heard those noises come out of my body before. I'm sure everyone in that hospital thought I was a NUT.  I wish I could say I was calm and had a doula and was ready for the natural side of things but I wasn't. Thank God for your rational, patient, sweet daddy. (Who - side note here - is STILL complaining that I squeezed his hand really hard and it hurt for days after.  So sorry honey. I was preoccupied.) 

Anyhow -  I think I blocked out the pain already. Because I'd do it again in a heartbeat.  I think that is the mercy and grace of our sweet Jesus.   We prayed for things to be quick.  We prayed for no forceps or interventions to be had.  We prayed for you to be perfect and healthy and you are.

You were ready for the Gundy Party of 4 to begin!

Grayson's World {Happy Happy 2}

I had great plans this year.  To host an adorable "Red, White and Two" themed party for my little guy.  But then... Elmo happened.  This kid LOVES Elmo.  And Abby.  And Cookie.  What's a mom to do? So I swallowed my party pride, reminded myself that it was not MY birthday and threw my sweet one the best Elmo bash I could come up with.

We were so blessed with lots of family and friends that came to celebrate Grayson's big day! A big thanks to Aunt Andrea and Paw Paw for making the birthday stats and Grayson's street signs!!! We had a bounce house, a new play house from MeMaw and PawPaw, a creepy adorable Elmo balloon to run around with, a few games and of course coloring because Elmo loves his goldfish...and crayons too!

I love you sweet boy - you have showed me what it means to love unconditionally, you make me laugh every day and I don't think there is a day that goes by that I don't praise God for you in my life! You make things crazy sometimes but that is all part of being a mommy and I wouldn't change a thing.  I'm sorry for crying so much these last couple weeks when we put you in your big boy bed, took away your binkys, and especially the night before your birthday when I sobbed through Jesus Loves Me and held you so tight you might have thought you were going to break. What can I say.  This baby boy has got his mama wrapped.  And I wouldn't have it any other way! Happy Happy 2 sweet baby!