Introducing Hudson Jacob

It's been a whirlwind of events, but I'm happy to announce our little man made is grand entrance into the world Wednesday, December 18 at 10:03am. He weighed 7lbs 7oz and was 20in long.

His birth went really well and I'll do a post on that soon. A few hours after he was born they did a standard blood sugar testing on him and he was extremely low. After several attempts and failures to get his sugars up, he was sent to the NICU. He stayed there until he went home 4 days later.

God truly had His arms around our sweet boy and he received excellent care while in the hospital. His blood sugars got under control and he was protected and healed from infection so he got to go home on Saturday. I went home on Friday. We are so thankful that we made it home before Christmas and everything turned out the way it did. I'm truly grateful to have my little boy here and I'm just soaking him up everyday.

He's such a sweet baby and we are so in love with him. My recovery is going really well and I'm feeling better and stronger everyday. It's been so much better than it was with Hannah. I am getting some sleep which helps. Hudson sleeps a lot during the day and I've gotten some naps in between feedings.

So far life with two kids is pure bliss and Hannah really loves her new baby brother. I will post again soon, but for now I will leave you with a few pics from the last week. Enjoy!

39 Weeks, Last Bump Post

Well tomorrow is the big day. We are about as ready as we can be, but I'm still very anxious and scared about the delivery. I'm just trusting in the Lord to see us through tomorrow and hopeful for the best possible outcome, which is healthy baby and healthy mommy. The last 9 months have been challenging, but overall I feel like this pregnancy was a lot better than when I was pregnant with Hannah.

Speaking of Hannah, she's sick today. This only adds to my anxiety. We are taking her to the doctor this morning. Hopefully she will be better tomorrow. Please pray that she will be. The plan is to drop her off at day care in the morning and then head to the hospital. This might be a problem if she's still running fever.

We also got disappointing news at the doctor's office yesterday about the anesthesiologist. The two people my doctor recommended will not be working tomorrow. It's very disappointing since this is the thing that went so wrong with Hannah's delivery and the thing I'm most scared about. I really don't know who will be doing it at this point so I'm feeling very nervous about the whole thing. I really want to be awake for the delivery and experience his birth since I was put under for Hannah's. I'm really trusting God is in control of this and will provide the perfect person to administer the spinal.

(I have no bump photo edited. I took one but couldn't upload it. I'll come back and do it later). 

Here’s what’s happening in Week 39:

Weight Loss/Gain? Over 32lbs total. I'm okay with it.

Cravings: Christmas cookies and hot chocolate.

Miss Anything? Nope. Just ready to be on the road to recovery and back to my old self. 
 
Gender: BOY!!! Hudson Jacob Hughes

Favorite Moment this Week: Getting everything ready for little boy's arrival.
 
Sleeping: Not so good. I'm sure I won't sleep much tonight either.
 
Stretch Marks? Yes. Boo :( 
 
Labor Signs? He dropped significantly in the last week and his head is really low. I'm 3cm dilated and ready to go.

Maternity Clothes: Yes. Can't wait to wear regular jeans and pants again. It's the simple things in life like buttons and zippers that you take for granted when your not pregnant. Ha!

Baby Movement: He moves a lot especially at night. He always has hiccups and I usually feel lots of body parts sticking out all over the place. 

Most looking forward to: Meeting this sweet boy tomorrow!!! I'm trying to stay positive, but can't wait til this surgery is all over and I have him in my arms. 

Next time I post we will be the proud parents of two beautiful children. I'll post pictures soon :)

37 Weeks

Well I completely missed my 36 week post. Time is really getting away from me. With Thanksgiving behind us, we are in full baby mode. I'm trying to prepare myself mentally for his arrival, but lately I've just been so overwhelmed. We did finish the nursery this weekend, I washed his baby clothes, I packed his bag, bought some new pajamas for me to take to the hospital. I do need a few more items, but overall I'm technically ready to go.

I'm feeling a flood of emotions right now. On the one hand, I'm so done being pregnant. My body just hurts all over and I'm just so tired. But I'm feeling very anxious about the c-section, bringing a new baby home, taking care of a newborn again in general, balancing my time between two kids who need me in different ways. I'm worried about Hannah and how she will act towards her little brother. There are just a lot of unknowns right now. I think the first few months we are just going to be in survival mode. We'll get through it. I pray that he's an easy baby :)

Here’s what’s happening in Week 37:

Weight Loss/Gain? Over 30, ugh!

Cravings: Not too much. Feeling stuffed without eating anything.

Miss Anything? Sleep. I have major insomnia issues.
 
Gender: BOY!!! Hudson Jacob Hughes

Favorite Moment this Week: Thanksgiving, putting up Christmas decor and finishing Hudson's room.
 
Sleeping: Not good.
 
Stretch Marks? They finally came out. I have a few unsightly marks. Boo :(

Labor Signs? A few contractions here and there. Some pressure, but he's still really high so I'm pretty sure he's staying put for now.

Clothes: Duh.

Baby Movement: He's a mover still. He's constantly on my left side.

Most looking forward to: Meeting this sweet boy soon. We are scheduled for Dec 18th. So in 16 days or less he will be here. Eeek!!!

Life is Precious

Wednesday was one of the scariest days of my life. It seems so surreal that we went through what we did, but I'm so glad we made it through and everything is fine now.

It started like any other day. I got up, got dress, got Hannah dress, went to work, Brandon dropped HK off at school, he went to work, and that was that. Little did we know what was about transpire in just a few short hours.

I was leaving the office to go pick Hannah up a little after 5 when I got a call from Brandon telling me to meet him at the daycare. I asked what was wrong. He said don't panic, but the daycare had just called him and said that Hannah had had a seizure and to get there as quickly as possible. I hung up the phone and began to panic. I rushed as fast as I could to the daycare. I could not get there fast enough. It was probably the longest 10 min drive of my life. All I could do was pray that she was okay.
 
When I pulled in the parking lot I saw a fire truck and an ambulance and immediately knew they were for my baby girl. It was 5 o'clock and everyone was picking up their kids so I couldn't find a parking spot. I ended up just parking in a non spot and raced to the front door. When I reached the door I saw Brandon and the EMTs coming out with my sweet baby on a stretcher. She was sitting upright shaking but awake. They had her stripped down to just her diaper and her orange bow. I started to freak out, but Brandon said for me to calm down that she was alright but they were just going to go ahead and take her to the ER.

I road a long with her in the ambulance to the hospital. On the way there I kept trying to get her to focus on me, but she was pretty out of it. She wasn't herself at all. Not talking not really reacting the way she normally would. I was really scared. On the way to the hospital she threw up a lot. More than she has ever thrown up in her life. I felt helpless.

We made to the hospital and the one of EMS guys carried her in to the ER for me. We got into a room and immediately the doctor and his team of nurses were there to take a look. I work for UMC and I love it, but I don't love when I or someone I know is a patient. However, I was so impressed by our UMC Emergency Center staff and Dr. Haley. If you have to go to the ER for your kid, do yourself a favor and take them to UMC. Dr. Haley is the best around.

Anyway, after a quick examination and vital check, Dr. Haley told us the seizure was a Febrile Seizure caused by the quick spike of fever. He said it's pretty common for kids that young to have them and it didn't mean she would have another one or have any damage from the seizure itself. He said she was also pretty sick with a virus most likely croup which causes high fevers. We didn't have to do blood work or x-rays because he was pretty sure that's what it was. After a little waiting and a steroid shot to open her airway, we were on our way home. She was really tired and pitiful looking but overall doing so much better.

We were so relieved she was okay. It's the scariest thing I've been through as a mom. I'm so thankful she alright and I feel really blessed that we walked away from this unharmed. My sweet girl is so precious to our family and I can't imagine my life without her. I thank God for her every day, but I hugged her extra tight that night. I'm very glad our daycare responded so quickly and called 911. I'm glad for a fast response by EMS. I'm so glad Dr. Haley was there to take care of her. I'm so thankful for my family and that I didn't have to go through this alone. Mostly I praise God for healing her quickly and getting us through all of this. Life is truly precious.

34 Weeks

Today I'm 34 Weeks and 5 days pregnant. Moving right along and feeling bigger but good. We had another really good doctor's appointment on Monday. Everything looks good. Heartbeat was in the 140s. He's measuring right on track. We also tentatively scheduled a csection date for Dec 18th. So in 5 weeks from today or less our little boy will be here!!!

I'm getting more ready to meet him everyday, but still have a lot to do before he arrives. This weekend my wonderful husband will be putting Hudson's dresser together so I can start organizing his clothes and finishing his room. I haven't touched it or barely gone in it in the last month so it's time to get it done.

This past weekend was pretty busy. Brandon has his last pedi cab game day and Hannah and I went to a first  birthday party for my boss's little boy. It was a Mickey Mouse theme and really cute. Then on Sunday, we went over to my brother's inlaw's for Mr. Harlan's 2nd birthday party. It was a really nice and sweet party for my adorable nephew. He's so cute and he and Hannah played really well together. Unfortunately the twins were asleep the whole time we were there so I never saw them. I went over there on Friday though and got to spend some quality time with them. Poor babies had a rough time this Lubbock trip and are battling ear infections. No fun. The next time I'll see them they won't be the littlest cousins anymore :)

Here’s what’s happening in Week 34:

Weight Loss/Gain? 27-28lbs total. Doing pretty good. I think I'm really running out of room for food. I feel so full by the end of the day.

Cravings: Not too much. I have enjoyed ice cream lately. I also really been craving Peppermint Mocha's from Starbucks. I've only indulged once though.

Aversions: None. But I'm more picky about what I eat lately.

Miss Anything? Not too much.
 
Gender: BOY!!! Hudson Jacob Hughes

Favorite Moment this Week: Hanging out with family and a good doctor's appointment.
 
Sleeping: Sleep is so so. Some nights I sleep really well, but most nights my sleep is interrupted by my snoring husband and dog. So I end up sleeping on the couch.

Stretch Marks? None :)

Labor Signs? Less contractions this week. Feeling good, just some pressure. Things are about to get real.

Clothes: Mostly all maternity now. Some dresses fit still as well as some tops. Pants are all maternity.

Baby Movement: He moves around a lot. Some days he kicks so hard it hurts. Other days I don't notice it as much.

Most looking forward to: Visiting with my Nana. Working on the nursery some more. 

32 Weeks

So I'm 32 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I'm feeling very pregnant now. It's harder to do everything and I know it's only going to get harder. I am for sure going to be very over this pregnancy thing come Thanksgiving. 

Me and the Girlies

This past weekend mom and I traveled to Fort Worth to see my brother and his family. Loved spending time with them. The twins are getting so big and are very mobile now. They are just so cute. Harlan is such a good big brother, but he's almost two and a lot of work. I don't know how my sister-in-law does it everyday. My brother took us to see his office in downtown Fort Worth. It was really impressive. I'm very proud of him and all he's accomplished. Sometimes it's so weird to think of how grown up we both are. I really admire and respect the man, father and businessman he's become. 

The little night owl Henley Nell

My brother with his chicken and skeleton babies

Hollis Mae the Chicken

Here’s what’s happening in Week 32:

Weight Loss/Gain? 27lbs total. I gained 3 more pounds in two weeks eeek! I think I might have gone overboard with the desserts I've been craving lately. It's hard eating healthy all the time. My goal was to gain only 30lbs this pregnancy, but I don't think that's going to happen. Baby only weighs about 3 3/4 lbs right now so I have at least 3-4 more pounds of baby to gain before this whole thing is over.

Cravings: Sweets, peppers, pickles, and sour stuff. I feel like I'm such a cliche pregnant lady.

Aversions: None. But there are certain foods that sound better than others.

Miss Anything? Not being able to get around as well.
 
Gender: BOY!!! Hudson Jacob Hughes

Favorite Moment this Week: Going to Fort Worth and hanging with the Holmes babies.
 
Sleeping: Sleep is good. I'm very tired and have been sleeping til my alarm goes off most nights.

Stretch Marks? None :)

Labor Signs? Lots of Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm not planning on going into labor on my own, but I wouldn't be surprised if I do. I feel like this baby is going to run out of room.

Clothes: Mostly all maternity now. Some dresses fit still as well as some tops. Pants are all maternity.

Baby Movement: He moves around like crazy. Weird alien movements across my belly and big kicks to the ribs. 

Most looking forward to: Halloween is Thursday. Can't wait to dress HK up as Minnie Mouse. Here's a sneak peak.

30 Weeks

Today I'm 30 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I'm feeling really great overall. I think being the second one you don't have as much time to think about being pregnant, because you're keeping up with a toddler, so it just goes by faster. I think in about a month I will really be done being pregnant though. I have a lot still to do before this baby arrives and I'm trying to keep it all in perspective. We're getting closer, but we're not there yet.

Anyway, I had a great weekend. Saw my family on Sunday. Love seeing my twin nieces and Harlan. My mom and I are going to Fort Worth to keep them for a night while my brother and sister in law attend a wedding in Dallas. Should be an adventure.

Yesterday I had my bi-weekly doc appt. Everything looks good. I'm measuring right on track. Hudson's heart beat was at 144bpm. My blood pressure was great, and all my lab work came back perfect. I go back in 2 weeks.

Here’s what’s happening in Week 30:

Weight Loss/Gain? 24lbs total. I only gained one pound since my last appt so that was good. I've been really trying to eat right so I don't gain as much as I did with Hannah. Baby weighing around 3lbs now.

Cravings: Sandwiches, soup, Mexican food, banana peppers, pickles (bread and butter pickles), and dark chocolate :) I also really was craving pumpkin spice things. I made about 3 dozen pumpkin spice muffins on Friday and have been enjoying those. I also treat myself to a pumpkin spice latte every couple of weeks. They're so yummy! I didn't drink much caffeine while pregnant with Hannah, but I find I really crave coffee in the morning with this baby. I try to drink it in small amounts though.

Aversions: None. But I did have some nausea last week though. I find if I over eat I feel sick.

Miss Anything? Not much.
 
Gender: BOY!!! Hudson Jacob Hughes

Favorite Moment this Week: Seeing family and working on the nursery. I love how it's all coming together. I will do a big reveal post at the end of November.
 
Sleeping: Sleep is better some nights more than others. Two Fridays ago I had a major case of insomnia and was up from 1:30am to 5:00am. No fun. I find it hard to sleep next to my snoring husband. Ha!

Stretch Marks? None :)

Workout: It's pretty much non existent at this point. The last time I walked I was in a lot of pain afterwards. It no longer makes me feel good.

Clothes: Mostly all maternity now. Some dresses fit still as well as some tops. Pants are all maternity. The belly band just doesn't cut it anymore.

Baby Movement: He's a mover. Love watching him from the outside. However, those big movements are getting more uncomfortable by the day.

Most looking forward to: Our trip to Fort Worth in two weeks and the fall weather. I'm also looking forward to dressing HK up as Mini Mouse for Halloween :) She's going to be so cute!!!
 

Hannah Kate At 2.5 Years Old

Hannah officially turned two and a half last month. This is a fun age, but it's also a really challenging age for us as parents. She really has become so independent in the last few months but with that comes disobedience and a strong will to do whatever she wants. I am loving all the new communication and being able to do more things with her. She has such a funny personality and says the cutest things all the time.

This is what you're up to at two and a half:

• Weight & Height? I'm not sure but I know you've grown taller in the last 2-3 months
• You have curly dark blonde hair and beautiful blue green eyes. You really need a hair cut!!!
• You wear 2T clothes mostly but can fit into 24 months and are wearing some 3T. 
•  You wear a size 4 diaper.
  
• Potty training is still a real challenge. We have yet to conquer it, but you talk about using the potty a lot. I had hoped you would be potty trained by now, but we are still working at it.
  
• You are shy with some people still but are getting more comfortable being around strangers.
  
• You wear a size 7 shoe. You have a very narrow and flat feet. This comes from my side of the family for sure.
• You go to bed around 8pm and sleep til about 6:30-7:30am. We moved you to a full size bed so we could start on Hudson's nursery. You love your bed, but getting you to sleep is a process. You would rather play than go to sleep.
  
  
• You have been eating better in the last few months. You are willing to try more foods. Some favorites include cantaloupe, beans, some pasta, steak fingers, fish, and sweet potato fries. Of course your favorite meal of the day is still breakfast.
  
• You still drink almond milk but not as much.
• You are very active and are always on the move.
  
  
• You still hate having your teeth brushed.
• You love to talk and are a chatter box. You speak in full sentences now. Something funny you've been doing lately is shaking hands with us saying "nice to meet you". We have no idea where you learned that, but it's so cute.
  
  
• You can count and know all your colors and can sing your ABC's, Twinkle, Twinkle, and Jesus Loves Me. Whether you do it for us when we ask you to is another story though.  You also just learned Row Row Row Your Boat.
• You keep us on our toes and are challenging at times and so sweet other times.
  
• You love to give your daddy kisses and hugs. He's your hero. 
• You are not so interested in talking about baby brother. I know once he's here that will change. But for now, you just say, "No Hudson, No Brother." I do see you being a big helper once he's here, but I'm sure you will be jealous of him too.
  

Hannah you are the light of our lives. You make every day interesting and fun. I love having you as a daughter. The next few months are going to be quite interesting for us. A lot is going to happen in the next few months, but I know we'll get through it. I love you sweet girl.

Hudson's Room Preview

I've kinda gone back and forth on what I wanted to do for this little boy's room. I had a hard time just starting the design. Finally after a lot of Google/blog searching I came up with my own design that I'm loving. I picked a beautiful shade of gray for his wall color called Cathedral Gray by Behr. I'm calling the design industrial and modern with a touch of history and lots of color. I'm loving it so far.

These are the fabric swatches for the bedding bumper and crib skirt. This fabric is from BabyBedding.com 

Here is the crib sheet, curtains and changing pad cover all from Land of Nod.

This is his everyday stroller blanket from Baby Gap. 

I love the orange accents and bought this pillow from Urban Outfitters and this lamp shade from Land of Nod.  I love them.

For an end table I wanted something under $100 and that was modern and chic. This little side table from Target was just what I was looking for.

I'm a little unorthodox when it comes to kids artwork. I'm drawn to really graphic and colorful things. I had this idea of putting a map of the London Underground above his crib. I found this 2x3 poster at Posters.com and can't wait to hang it. 

I also will be using this photo from our honeymoon trip to London.

I love travel and Brandon loves globes so I found this little globe by Urban Outfitters to put on shelf above the changing table. 

My beloved granddaddy, Big Ern, was a pilot during WWII. I thought it would be fun way to honor him by incorporating some vintage airplanes and some of his stuff into the room. I have this painting of the B-24 bomber plane he flew during the war. It use to hang in his Big Ern's office. I also have this framed certificate of honor he received from the Lieutenant General of the US Army for his bravery in combat air battles. So cool. 

There are a few more details that I will be incorporating into the room that I haven't mentioned. I hope to have it all complete by mid November. I will do a complete room tour then. But here is what I have done so far.

 Can't wait to see it all come together and enjoying it with my little guy. Stay tuned.

28 Weeks, Hello Third Trimester!!!

Well I let a few weeks go past without blogging. We've been super busy and to be honest, I haven't had time to do a bump photo til today. We had a couple of busy weekends with family and last weekend we painted Hudson's room and had the Diabetes Walk. I had a really great time a few weekends ago with my brother and his family as well as my Nana, Aunt Ruth, Cousin Holly, Aunt Gretta and Uncle Sam. Thanks to everyone who traveled here to see/meet our babies.

Turtle and Boo

Nana with Henley (left) Hollis (right)

Best attempt with all four of them with Nana

Grandpa and the girlies

Anyway, I'm 28 weeks and 4 days pregnant. Only 80 days til my due date. September flew bye so I'm hoping October will do the same. I'm not quite ready for this baby to be here, but by the end of November I'm sure I will be done being pregnant.  I did wake up Saturday and decided I was pregnant. The aches and pains of the third trimester have kicked in for sure ;). Yesterday I went to the doctor for a checkup. Baby's heart rate was at 145bpm. I also had to do the dreaded gestational diabetes test. I'm all good. They drew blood and gave me a shot because I'm RH Negative. Overall it was a good appointment. I go back every two weeks now til the end of November and then every week after that til the baby's born.

Here’s what’s happening in Week 28:

Weight Loss/Gain? I have gained more than I thought. 23lbs total. I guess my body just likes to gain weight in the second trimester. 

Cravings: Salads, sandwiches, Mexican food, fish, fruit, cheese, banana peppers, pickles, and chocolate :)

Aversions: None. Thank goodness that's over.

Miss Anything? Not much. Maybe sleep and red wine.
 
Gender: BOY!!! Hudson Jacob Hughes

Favorite Moment this Week: Getting Hudson's room started

Sleeping: Sleep is better some nights more than others.

Stretch Marks? None.

Workout: Have been walking only about 1 day a week. I walked the Diabetes Walk on Saturday and about died.

Clothes: Clothes don't fit the same. I'm finding it hard to fit into my pants anymore. Wish it would cool off so I can have some different options.

Baby Movement: He moves like crazy. Rolling and flipping. It's pretty cool.

Most looking forward to: Working on Hudson's room some more and cooler fall weather.