2 Years - 52 Weeks - 3 Years Old

Mama: "You're three years old!"

Hudson: "I'm not old - I'm three!"

***

My Sweet Hudson Bob, 

It is hard to believe that three years ago you made me a mama! Those three years have been the best years of my life, and I truly wish that time would slow down so that I could better absorb our moments together. I know that time is moving too fast, and I know that I can't keep you little forever: ( 

I read this poem recently...

...and I could only make it a few lines before I had tears streaming down my face. I've read it over and over now, and I cry every time. I try to keep it in mind when we're having a rough patch or when I think that I need to clean the kitchen/check Instagram/do one more load of laundry instead of taking time to do whatever it is you need or want me to do. I'll always have time to do all of those other things, but I have a feeling you'll be grown up before I know it!

Ever since Colby George was born, Daddy has been reading you your bedtime story and putting you to sleep. One night he was gone for work, and I got to have a turn! You wanted me to rock you, and you let me sing "Night Night, Baby" to you. I was crying by the end as I rocked your not-so-little body in the rocking chair and thought about how long it had been since we'd rocked together! When we moved it out of you room, it didn't occur to me that we wouldn't be spending as much time rocking together as we used to. I hope we still have a few more nights of rocking left; I'm not ready for the last time...I may never be.

Even though you're leaving some stages behind, you're also entering some new ones. You've recently been understanding so much more about feelings, and we've been talking a lot about how to treat other people. A few weeks ago, you were bossing me around the train tracks, and I told you that I needed a few minutes to take a break (because you were driving me CRAZY!!!). You started to cry, followed me into the kitchen, and said, "I want you to come back because you're my friend!" Heart melted <3 We discussed the right way to treat our friends, and I couldn't stop thinking about you calling me your friend! You're my friend, too, buddy: ) I hope we're friends forever!

I love you more than I could have ever imagined and more than I could ever put into words. Thank you for being you, sweet boy. I'm so proud of you!

Love, 
Mama

***

We had SO MUCH FUN celebrating your 3rd birthday! 

On Thursday night, we made blue cake pops with Cookie to take to your party! You loved adding the sprinkles: )

On Saturday, we went to Kansas City. We went to Fritz's Railroad Restaurant for breakfast. There were trains going around constantly on the tracks above our heads, and a train even delivered your engineer's hat right to our table! On the way out, you rode the train: ) 

Choo, choo!

After breakfast, we went to Union Station to see the Model Railroad Experience. 

YOU. WERE. IN. HEAVEN. 

You ran all around the room looking at the model trains, and Daddy and I kept tearing up because you were just SO SO SO happy! As you can see in the pictures, you were fascinated by the different setups! You loved the snow tunnel and the little railroad workers the most! Before moving on, you spent some time playing with the trains on the train tables.

Before we left for the day, we went out on the bridge that crosses over the train tracks. It was quite the experience! We saw 5-10 trains chugging down the tracks, and they were loud as they passed beneath us!

On Sunday - your actual birthday - we had your party at Pyramid Pizza with all of our Lawrence family! You made everyone wear "blue birthday hats" that you had requested. You were VERY excited about your presents - especially Butch the crane and Richard Scarry's Cars and Trucks and Things That Go! You loved when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to you - but you weren't too sure about the candles: )

January 18th was unseasonably warm this year, so we were even able to go to the park on your birthday! We played with your "buddies" (a.k.a. the other random kids at the park), drove your car down the slides, and played tag for the first time: )

I love you SO SO SO much, Hudson Bob! I'm so happy that we had so much fun celebrating your third birthday! I can't imagine what the last few years would've been like without you. I do know that they would not have been filled with nearly as much love and happiness. XOXO.