Hobby Lobby

Hudson and I wanted to get out of the house yesterday so we went to Hobby Lobby. I think this is probably my favorite store in Topeka! I just love it! I could go nuts in there if I had money to spend. It was SO big. I didn't realize how big the store really was from the outside. I was in heaven with all the home decor stuff and holiday decorations. I wanted to stay there forever and look around. But Hudson started getting tired so I pulled myself away! I must say though, I really think Boise needs one of these!!

Carving Pumpkins

Before we carved pumpkins, Hudson and Jordan were playing with each other. It really consisted of Jordan banging on Hudson's back. It was pretty funny. I think its interesting how babies have no sense of personal space! They just get up in everyone's face...so funny!

We carved pumpkins with our friends, Adam and Tiffany. I couldn't believe that Tiffany had actually never carved a pumpkin before! I was shocked...I thought everyone had. It was cool to watch her do it for the first time though. She was like an old pro! My Grandma gave us a Jack-O'-Lantern in a Box kit that had some really cool ideas for carving pumpkins. We used the Ghost one and Adam and Tiff did a Goblin.

We had a lot of fun digging in and getting all the gunk out! I was going to let Hudson play in it but he was zonked out! Oh well, maybe next year when he won't try and put it all in his mouth!

The pumpkins turned out really good though. Mike always does an impressive job carving ours! Tiff did a great job with theirs too!

Entertaining myself...

Hudson was playing so contently with his bowl of toys and Mike couldn't help but get a few pictures of it! Its so nice that Hudson will entertain himself for a bit with toys. It makes it easy to run into the other room really quick and get something done, or just be able to do something I feel like doing next to him. He is getting so good at rolling over both ways and can work himself out of some pretty interesting positions! Its so fun to watch him figure it out! He is starting to get more and more mobile. I can't believe that he could be crawling in the next few months. So crazy how fast he has grown up already!

More Trunk or Treat

I got some pictures from my friend that she took of the sweet little babies at the Trunk or Treat. I think they turned out so cute. There were a ton of babies born in our ward, I think 13 to be exact over the last year or so. She wanted to take a picture of them all so she got as many as she could together in their costumes.

Then afterwards, Hudson and her little guy kept holding hands and playing with each other so she snapped a few more! I think they are so cute together! Babies are so funny, they can't seem to keep their hands off each other! Always grabbing, pulling, pushing, you name it!

Spoiled!

Hudson and I were elated when we got the mail today to find another fun package!! Yay! His Grandma L (my mom) sent us a care package! She sent Hudson 3 very cute jammies (they are going to be SO warm for the winter!) and sent Mike and I some Idaho Spuds...hmmm, maybe its a hint to remember Idaho! Hehe We were so excited to get these and can't wait to try the jammies on Hudson. He was taking a nap or else I would have pictures of him modeling the new pjs. She also sent me a really good article on homemade baby food that was in the newspaper. And some scrapbooking pages that we have been working on together. I was excited to get it all! Mail is so fun when its not just credit card offers!! We just wanted to say thanks so much for sending us all of that fun stuff! Now Hudson will be warm at night, and I have a little scrapbooking project...can't beat that!! Thanks so much! We really appreciate it!

Speaking of jammies, we took a picture of me and Hudson last night in his "new" jammies...some we bought for him before he was born that he just barely wore for the first time last night and it looks like he about outgrew them already! He is like a little weed!

Mr. Penguin

Hudson was a penguin for our Halloween activity last night. He was SO cute! I had my doubts about the costume but he didn't mind keeping the hood on all night and he was adorable! He had a blast watching everyone at the activity and his dad took him around for a little Trunk-or-Treat, where he got his parents a whole bag full of candy!

And at the end of the night, he was pretty much exhausted! He fell asleep, actually passed out is the better terminology, in Mike's arms before we even left. Poor little guy was just exhausted from all that treat getting!

Just sacked out!

Looks like he is holding on for dear life here!

Everytime I get the mail....

(Unless you know Blue's Clues, that title probably doesn't make sense to you but oh well!) We got a care package yesterday from my Dad and Judy for Halloween! Hudson and I were so excited to see all the goodies inside! We were spoiled with some of our favorite treats and some fun little Halloween toys.

Hudson loves the spider! It has one of those pull strings that makes it vibrate and move around. Of course, he was more interested in chewing on its legs but he still couldn't put it down! Mike dug into the Swedish Fish right when he got home...go figure! We wanted to say thanks so much and we really loved it! Thanks for thinking of us!!

Halloween Treats

Tonight we are having our ward Trunk or Treat/Auction and Bake Sale. I guess they do this every year to raise money for the YM and YW for camps. I made some goodies to take to donate, unfortunately, they did not turn out as planned. I was going to do a bundt cake that looks like worms crawling out of the dirt but bundt pans were pricey. So instead I decided to just do cupcakes and cookies. The cupcakes were going to be mummies but then I couldn't find the bubble gum tape at the store to make their mummification!

(This is not the actual picture because mine was with bubblegum tape and m&m's for eyes but at least you get the idea!) So I decided to just do the "brain" cupcakes with the frosting...

Then got bummed yet again because my frosting tip was too skinny! They looked more like hostess cakes than brains so.....this is what I got instead! Random ghosts, scarecrows and Fall designs!

These are my ghost cookies! These are like the only thing that turned out like I had planned...oh well! At least I got it all done early and Hudson slept really good for me so I could get it done without his "help"!

Biter Biscuits

So per our Dr, we started giving Hudson biter biscuits so he can learn to feed himself. He is not really into these as of yet! Its the first thing that I have seen him not put directly into his mouth. I bit off the other end of it hoping to show him what to do with it...and I must say, they are not the best tasting things. I kind of don't blame him for not liking it! I think these pictures say it all!

Hmm, what is this thing?

I guess I can try it in my mouth.

Yucky! I don't like it!

I don't want to have anything to do with that thing over there!

Bowl Time!

Hudson just loves to play with a bowl with toys in it! (Thanks again to my PAT lady for giving me this idea!) I figured I hadn't posted a video for awhile so I got him checking out the toys in the bowl! He seems very inquisitive during this video!

Shots

I took Hudson to get his shots yesterday. He did such a good job. He did cry but he was a tough little guy. I felt so bad for him! Jordan and Tiff went with me for moral support and Jordan cried along with Hudson! I think he must have felt bad for him too! Sympathy pains!

Today Hudson seems to be really sore though. He has a temperature again and is a little cranky! I hate shots! I don't think the other ones affected him as bad as these ones have. I hope they stop hurting him soon, I don't like to see him in pain.

6 month checkup

We went to Hudson's 6 month checkup yesterday. Our pediatrician just happens to be in our ward, which I was a little nervous about because if you don't like them as a Dr, then how do you kindly switch to a different one?! I was a little worried about what to do if I didn't like him, I even asked Mike what his thoughts were. I guess I was just preparing for the worse! But needless to say, that worrying was for nothing. I love him! He is a great Dr and got me all excited about Hudson crawling and teething...which he says will be any day now! Not just one but TWO teeth are making their way up! He also showed me a few ways to help Hudson figure out his legs a little better and Hudson was already starting to be in crawl mode on his own after me showing him a couple of times how to keep his legs up! I can't believe it...what a little genius! Of course I can say that because I am his mom! Anyway, I was surprised to learn that I needed to have him on 3 meals a day and one snack. So I need to get to the store and get some biter biscuits for him to gnaw on!

Hudson weighed 17 lbs 13 oz and is 26 1/2 inches long. His weight was in the 75th percentile, height 80th and his head was like 89th!! HAHA!! Poor little guy with a HUGE noggin! At least that means his brain is growing like crazy, which is a good thing! Hudson is doing great developmentally and with everything else. The Dr commented on Hudson's hysterical squealing during last week's sacrament meeting...what was so funny??!! I guess we will never know what goes through the mind of a 6 month old.

Needless to say, the worry about the Dr sitch is gone and its good to know that I am actually somewhat knowledgeable with Hudson. Its amazing how much of this stuff just comes naturally, you just figure it out!

On the agenda today, shots! Poor little guy. I feel bad for him but I guess its a must do. I have been reading a lot lately about the parents who use religious or philosophical reasons not to immunize their children. I am still researching about all this and am wondering if there really is a relation between the MMR shot and autism. Anyone have any thoughts??

YW

Last night, we had a fun activity. They had BBQ stuff left over from the dance on Saturday so we had dinner stuff for the YM/YW. It was pretty laid back which was really nice and the kids really seemed to enjoy it. They played games and just talked. Some of them carved pumpkins and they had a donut eating contest off of strings. It was quite the scene to watch! I took a few pictures but cropped the kids out for my blog just in case they don't want to be showcased! The girls did a great job with the pumpkins! I was surprised how smelly the pumpkins were! They must have stunk up the whole half of the church because everyone kept commenting on it!!

PAT Visit

We had our 3rd visit from our PAT lady. It was great. She talked to me a lot about language development and we just played with Hudson. She had brought some great little things to try out. I appreciate the fresh, new ideas she brings me! I really enjoy the literature she leaves with me too. It is very informative and helps me be more knowledgeable about feeding, sleeping, hearing, language, etc. Its great!

Even though Hudson must have been feeling a little sick, he still seemed to have fun and loved the stuff she brought. He loved playing with some balls in a bowl. I have since brought out my own bowl and couldn't believe what a hit it was with him! He also loved the other stuff she brought, the red, crinkly sounding toy, green and yellow TP rolls to pound together, the "rattle" with fun stuff in it, and the pat mat that we filled with water and he can use to swoosh around all that fun stuff inside.

Yucky Temps!

Hudson gave me a scare yesterday! He has never had a temp before but he was acting a little cranky. When I picked him up from his nap, he was on FIRE! I checked his temp and it was 103.1. I about freaked! So I called Mike who happened to be studying at our friends in their basement so he was able to come home and help me out! We gave him a cool bath which Hudson hated, gave him some tylenol, called the dr just to be sure, and waited it out. It kept fluctuating up and down throughout most of the night. We put him to bed and poor little dude had a hard time trying to get to sleep! Our friends brought us a blizzard treat to help "cool" us off! It was so sweet of them!

I woke up in the night to check on him a few times and one time, he was even hotter than he had been earlier so we checked his temp and it was 103.6 and I was like ok, round two in the bath and cold cloths on his head. That must have helped him out because he seemed to be able to get to sleep ok after that and this morning the temp was back down in the 99.5 range. Temperatures are scary because you really can't do a whole lot to help and they are just miserable. I am so glad he is doing better today!

This is Hudson just "chilling" with his dad. We were trying to cool him off and that is why he is sporting just a diaper and of course, his dad's hat!

6 months old!

The fact that Hudson is 6 months old as of yesterday just floors me! It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that he was born and Mike and I were trying to figure out exactly how those car seat buckles worked! I remember thinking these things could really be more user friendly and now we just pop him in so fast! I guess you can say that we are more experienced parents now...not that we know everything! I just feel like the day to day stuff is starting to come more naturally and I think we feel more at ease now.

Hudson is such a joy to have around. He loves to laugh and squeal, which he did plenty of on Sunday during sacrament meeting! He couldn't stop laughing and squealing rather loudly at this new missionary a few rows behind us. He loves all the foods we have given him so far! He loves to play peek a boo and to be included in things. He loves to be around people. He likes books but still seems interested in chewing on them most of the time rather than reading them! His hair is starting to grow in more and more and its so cute! We just love how much he changes but can't believe it happens so quickly!

I think he is a BSU Broncos fan! He LOVES this football. We may have a football player on our hands!!

Harry Potter 7

I absolutely LOVED this book! I will not give any details away just in case any of you haven't read it yet and plan to. But I loved how JK Rowling tied everything together. At one point during the book, I wasn't sure who was a bad guy and who was a good guy, seemed like your feelings toward people kept changing. I just love that she can keep you interested throughout over 750 pages! I think it takes a really good author to do that. I didn't want to put the book down at all yesterday! I love how it ended and I am thankful that things turned out the way they did. I am a little sad to be finished with the series though because it was such a good adventure and I will miss having the story go on!

Keeping Busy

I have been a little out of the loop this week because I have been working on a music project. Organizing music in Itunes which is taking longer than I expected. I am not even finished yet but can't stand to look at the screen for hours and hours straight. Lets just say I have about 20 straight days of music on there...hmmm, not that I would ever listen to music for that long of a time but I am still deleting and organizing trying to widdle it down.

I also finished Harry Potter 6 which is awesome. Definitely did not see some of that coming! I am excited to get started on the final book.

Hudson is feeling better and I am so glad we have made it through his first sickness! He has been waking up at 6am though which is really a bummer for me! I prefer the 8am wakings but I would even handle getting up at 7! We will see if we can't steer him that direction again.

Colds

Hudson has his first cold. He has a running nose and a cute little cough that sounds fake! I think he started getting it around the end of last week. Yesterday he would hardly let me put him down! Poor little guy. Its sad to see him not feeling well and not really be able to do anything to help him. He has now decided he no longer likes the nose sucker to be used on him which is a bummer because he used to just lay there and let you unplug his nose! He was coughing on and off last night and I kept waking up to make sure he was ok. It scares me to hear him cough a lot! Hopefully he will get better soon! Mike has been sick too which really is bad timing since he is busy with midterms and a TON of projects. I think he is trying not to stress and feeling crummy never helps!

We had Hudson weighed last Thursday and he was 17 lbs 9 oz and 26 inches long. I think he is the perfect size. I am glad he isn't any heavier...its hard enough lugging him around now! He loves his veggies! All of them, he loves carrots, squash, green beans, sweet potatoes and all the fruit too: prunes, peaches, pears, applesauce, bananas! He has loved everything we have given him, rice and oatmeal cereal. We even started introducing him to a cup and he has had a little water and really likes that too. He is in heaven when we feed him! He is such a good little eater and man am I thankful for that!

Carrots

I noticed we had a bunch of carrots so I decided to try making homemade baby food. I cooked the carrots in the microwave and then pureed them with water in the blender. It was super easy! Then I froze them in ice cube trays. When they were completely frozen, I took them out and put them in a Ziploc bag. Hudson loves them and they look just like the store bought kind. I don't know if I will keep making homemade stuff or not but I like knowing exactly what is in his food. And it was easy and a good way to use carrots we may not have eaten anyway! Go thrifty me!!

100

In honor of my 100th post, here are 100 things about me....

100. I don’t really like Topeka. It looks like they are stuck in the 70s or 80s, not really a good time period for architecture.
99. I have an extremely well organized check book. (Ask just about anyone who really knows me!)
98. I have a great credit score, guess being overly organized pays for something!
97. I LOVE chips and salsa, it’s a food group in our house.
96. I haven’t had my favorite salsa since we moved to Topeka.
95. I hate shopping at Walmart and yet I go there for some reason anyway.
94. I went to a district spelling bee when I was in like the 2nd grade. I missed the word pursue, never forgot how to spell that word.
93. Boise will always feel like home.
92. Surprisingly enough though, I really miss Cedar City.
91. I love big diamonds and big stones.
90. I think it makes me feel rich and fancy like back in the way olden days when they wore petticoats.
89. I am going to be an attorney’s wife.
88. But not for 3 more somewhat long years.
87. I didn’t want to be a stay at home mom when I was a kid.
86. Now, I couldn’t imagine being anything else.
85. I can still point out all 50 states’ locations and their capitols. I even know the state song. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas…
84. My favorite color is black.
83. I love the library.
82. I hate ironing because I can never get all the wrinkles out.
81. I’ve always wanted to be tan.
80. I have come to the realization now that I am going to always be a very pale white color, year-round.
79. When I was a kid, I started a lawyer mystery novel.
78. I always wanted to write a book.
77. Maybe I still will.
76. I hate green beans.
75. I don’t think I have ever actually been to a potato farm.
74. My clothes are hanging color coordinated in my closet.
73. I love it when Hudson screams like a girl at the top of his lungs.
72. I love to lounge around in my pajamas and I hate getting ready for the day.
71. I still have my baby blankie.
70. I am proud of that fact.
69. I love to try new recipes.
68. I still have nightmares.
67. I love France.
66. But my first impression of Paris was that it was very dirty.
65. Now it really does seem like the city of romance.
64. I worried about losing my identity when I got married.
63. Now I realize I am an even better version of the “me” I didn’t want to lose.
62. I have so many body sprays from Bath and Body and Victoria’s secret to last for years.
61. White walls seem drab to me that is the reason I love to paint.
60. My college roommates are the “bestest” friends I have ever had.
59. We used to be pretty crazy together…I miss those days!
58. I used to wish my name was Jessica.
57. I think instant messaging people is easier than using the phone.
56. I love New York City.
55. My favorite store is the Gap.
54. I love Rascal Flatts.
53. We drink so much Crystal Light Lemonade.
52. I don’t really like to fly, I just like getting to places quickly.
51. I have a goal to visit all 50 states.
50. I think I have only been to 15 of them so far…long ways to go.
49. Nothing beats a good fitting pair of jeans.
48. Except maybe comfy pants around the house.
47. I surf the internet way too much.
46. I can type over 150 strokes per minute with the 10-key.
45. I love watching sports more when I watch them with Mike.
44. I think Matthew McConaughey is hot and I love that he takes off his shirt in his movies.
43. Mike is fully aware of this.
42. I hate cooked fruit.
41. I worry about Mike constantly and whether or not he is healthy. Probably because I can hardly seem to get him to eat veggies!
40. I eat a Café Rio chicken salad every time I go to SLC just for the Tomatillo dressing.
39. Mike always gets stuck sharing it with me, which is amazing because he always wants the burrito and yet he still gets the salad with me.
38. I can’t go to bed with my makeup on. It just feels too dirty.
37. My favorite holiday is probably Christmas because I love the traditions we have.
36. Nothing beats the smell of a freshly bathed and lotioned baby.
35. I booked the temple for our wedding date without Mike knowing.
34. We always get a good laugh out of that one.
33. I once read the book Charly over the phone with a friend.
32. We both were crying at the end.
31. I would love to have a black Lexus or a black Escalade to drive.
30. Fake people are my pet peeve.
29. I am getting close to being back to my pre-Hudson weight.
28. I love to read but don’t do it often enough.
27. I love the feeling I have after I have worked out but really don’t like it while I am working out.
26. The little things in life are what impress me the most.
25. Caesar salad has got to be one of my favorite foods.
24. Every year I guess more teams correctly on the NCAA Basketball brackets than Mike.
23. I just choose them based on the sound of their name!
22. When I was little, my favorite baseball player was based on who I thought was cutest on their card. (He played for the KC Royals…and I saw him on TV during the All-star game this summer!)
21. I hate it when people are late and I hate to be late!
20. I have never ridden in a limo.
19. When I met Mike, I couldn’t pronounce his last name. Too many mc’s.
18. It is no surprise I am making this list, because I make a ton of lists every week. I think they drive Mike crazy!
17. I love singing to Hudson. Our favorite song is Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree!
16. Fondue is awesome.
15. My favorite flower is the Gerber Daisy.
14. Nothing can beat the taste of Diet Pepsi on ice through a straw.
13. I love to watch game shows on TV. No seriously, I am obsessed. Good thing I don’t have that channel here.
12. I wish spa pedicures and massages were a weekly indulgence of mine.
11. I have a toe ring on my left foot that I haven’t removed for years.
10. I would love to go on a shopping spree with guilt free money.
9. I don’t consider myself Democrat or Republican.
8. I can’t wait until Hudson starts playing sports.
7. Grey’s Anatomy is my favorite show on TV right now.
6. Mike has a great sense of humor.
5. I don’t laugh at his jokes as much as I should.
4. I feel guilty that I don’t write in my journal every week.
3. I used to trip over my own feet all the time, sometimes even when I was just standing!
2. I abbreviate words when I am talking.
1. I love Mike and Hudson so much.

Schaake's Pumpkin Patch

We went to Schaake's Pumpkin Patch when my mom and Ray were here. It was a lot of fun despite the fact that it was 93 degrees outside! Who knew it could be that hot in October!! We enjoyed going on the hay rack ride out to the patch. Hudson didn't really seem to notice what we were on but it was still fun!

I am actually not stressing over which pumpkin to get. The wind was blowing and my hair was getting all nasty and I was trying to keep it out of my face!! But it makes for a funny picture!


These are the pumpkins we ended up coming home with! I love the green one that sort of looks like brains! And or course the white one is cool too! The little one is Hudson's first pumpkin and then we got the perfectly shaped one to carve. I am sure there will be more pictures of them to come! We had a great time with family and were sad to see them leave! We even thought about hitching a ride to Boise but the timing wasn't so good so maybe next time!!