2 Years - Week 30 - Vehicles

This little boy LOVES trains, cars, trucks, and any other kind of vehicle! He spends a good portion of every day playing trains or driving vehicles around on his car mats! He even takes his travel trains and train tracks to Nick's kickball games: )

I found these brand new vehicle jammies at Goodwill, and he LOVES them - especially while reading The Little Dump Truck (video here!!) one of his favorite books at 2.5!

2 Years - Week 29 - Big Brother Practice

Hudson has really been practicing to be a big brother!

For example, he's been:

Perfecting his peek-a-boo skills...

Climbing dirt piles while expressing his love for reading...

Pushing "Wittle Dwight" all the way to the park...

Washing dishes...

Giving "T" (aka E.T.) baths--and even wrapping him in a towel...

Playing nice with Arlo...

Climbing trees...

These are all--obviously--very important skills to have as a big brother. 

He's going to be GREAT! 

I can't wait: )

***

He has also had lots to say about the baby!

For weeks we talked about how Lisa was growing Baby Eagle, and we started to talk about Mama growing a baby, too. He thinks he's growing a baby (which he's going to name "Lolo," duh!") and even asked Claire if she was growing a baby! - "Claire grow baby, too?" Since finding out the baby is a boy, we've been talking about the baby and explaining things a little bit more.

Some recent snippets:


Me: Is your belly full from dinner?
H: No, Mama. Baby in my belly!


Me: Do you think the baby is a boy or a girl baby?
H: Girl!
Me: What do you think we should name her?
H: Cookie!!!


H: Play trains, Mama!
Me: I can't right now. I'm washing the dishes. 
H: Oh.
Me: Did you know that your little brother will probably play trains with you?
H: Little brother play cars, too?
Me: I bet!!!


{Hudson is very afraid of the street and cars lately: ( He was especially scared when pushing "Wittle Dwight" across the street in his stroller. He even cried and wouldn't fnish crossing when we saw a car...over 200 yards away. I told him that he'd be such a good big brother and that I knew he'd teach his little brother to be safe, too. A few days later...}
Me: You're going to be such a good big brother! I bet you'll teach your little brother so many things!
H: I teach little brother about the road. Cars coming, no cross!
Me: You're going to teach your little brother about how to cross the street?
H: No cars coming, go!


He likes to scare us every night when he wears his monster robe. He recently started trying to scare the baby, too! Ha!


Every night we have a "group hug" before bed. He now wants to have a group hug with Mama, Daddy, and baby: )

2 Years - Week 28 - Baby A #2

We are SO excited to announce that Baby A #2 appears to be a happy, healthy little...

BOY!

Even though he looks a little unsure...

I know that Hudson is going to be the BEST big bro <3 <3 <3

2 Years - Week 27 - Birthdays!

What an exiting week this was! We celebrated Cookie's birthday...and Baby Eagle's actual day of birth!

***

In the morning on Sunday, August 20, Mom passed along that Lisa was in labor!!! Mom, Claire, and I checked our phones ALL DAY while we worked at 3120 and hoped that all was going well with Baby Eagle's arrival! In the evening, we received the news that we'd been waiting for!!!

Introducing Indigo "Indie" Eagle

(middle name TBD)...

She's SO cute, and we're LOVING all of her Instagram pictures! This one is my favorite so far...

Lisa was an absolue ROCK STAR, and I can't wait to read all of Indie's birth story on Lisa's blog! Way to go, Sister! SO SO SO proud of you <3 <3 <3

Hudson is SO excited to have another cousin! He made this sweet video as soon as he heard the news...

Welcome, Indie! We love you SO SO SO much already and can't wait to meet you in December!!!

***

A few days later, we celebrated Cookie's birthday! We brought food to Brandon Woods so that Grandpa could join us, and we had fun watching Hudson and Arlo run and run and run around the room! The next time that I told Hudson we were going to visit Grandpa, he said, "For Cookie's birthday party!?!" He had a blast: )

2 Years - Week 26 - 2.5

Sweet Hudson,

Wowzer! How in the word are you 2.5 already?

I love playing trains with you, going to the park with you, and watching you ride your "wittle" bike! I am amazed at how many words you know, at the long sentences you put together, and at the thoughts you share with me. I love knowing what is going on in your little noggin' - and that we can communicate better: )

Your energy is boundless, and your laughter is contagious! You could play trains for hours, and you would run, run, run ALL THE TIME if you could! 

One thing I love about you is that you always want me to be happy! If I tell you I'm sad, you say, "Mama, be happy!" and pat my chest (the sign for "happy"). You get so serious, and you get a little shake in your voice like you're going to cry: ( It usually makes me want to cry (because you're so cute!), but it instantly makes me happy: ) 

You're getting to be such a big boy, and Daddy and I are SO proud of you! You make me happier than anything else in the world, and I can't imagine my life without you in it! Every day I wonder how in the world it is possible to love you so much, and then every day I love you even more! Thank you, thank you, thank you for being you!

I love you, sweet Bubba.

Mama

***

***
About Hudson: Some of Mama's Memories of You at 2.5

• When we walk to the park, you look for your "buddies." Your definition of "buddies" is "anyone who happens to be at the park." When it is time to leave, you say, "Goodbye my new friends!" to anyone else at the park. 
• Your last night with your paci was the July 18, your half birthday. You had only been using it while sleeping at home - you gave it up at daycare in early March - but you are still struggling a little bit at naptime and bedtime. You picked out a new train - a caboose that plays the Thomas theme song - and we've been spending a lot of time talking about you being a big boy!
• At the end of every bath, you say, "Want to wear monster robe! Want to scare Mama and Daddy!" As soon as you have your robe on, you run around letting out your big "ROAR": )
• You don't like when we say "bless you" after you sneeze. YOU want to say it!
• Daddy told us that blue eyes are very sensitive to sunlight. Because of this, you tell us that the "sun is hurting your blue eyes" when the sun is in your eyes.

***
Questions and Answers*
(*Answers by Mama!)

What are your favorite activities / sports?

playing trains, riding the "wittle" bike

What are your favorite TV shows / movies?

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Chuggington

If you could go on an airplane anywhere, where would you go?

North Carolina

What is your favorite color?

blue

When you grow up, what are you going to be?

train engineer, fireman

What is your favorite song?

Happy Birthday

What is your favorite book?

Grumpy Goat by Brett Helquist; The LIttle Dump Truck by Margery Cuyler

What three words describe you?

funny, happy, smart

What is your favorite snack?

cheese crackers

What is food do you think is the yuckiest? 

veggies!

Where do you like to go? 

Lolo's, downtown, to the market to buy muffins 

What are your favorite foods?

breakfast bars, muffins, bagel pizza (cheese), spaghetti and meatballs

Who do you miss? 

Papi, Grandmom

Who is your teacher?

Marilyn 

Who is your best friend at school?

Lolo

Who are your other friends at school?

Ada, Benjamin, Emma, Vivian, Karston, Zeekie

What is your favorite thing at school?

Lolo!

2 Years - Week 25 - NC Part 2

Saturday

This was another busy day! 

We were SO SO SO lucky to be less than an hour away from Stephanie and Chad's wedding, and I was SO happy to be able to join them at the sunrise ceremony! It may have been the most beautiful place I've ever been, and it was definitely the most intimate wedding I've ever attended. I loved EVERY second of it and am SO SO SO happy for these two! (I can't wait to see the professional pictures!!!)

Since the ceremony was so early, I was back at the lodge before 9am! We hit the road for Asheville and went to the Western North Carolina Nature Center! Hudson LOVED navigating with the map and was particularly excited about the farm animals and bears: ) I loved the otters and watching them swim under water!

We had Mexican food for lunch and then hit the hotel for an attempt at a nap. 

In the evening we went to a minor league baseball game - the Asheville Tourists vs. the Lexington Legends, a Royals team! Hudson did GREAT! He sat on my lap most of the time, and he accompanied me for food and drinks. He even ate his first ballpark hot dog: ) He loved all of the games in between innings - especially one where kids rode on top of bouncy rubber horses: ) The Royals team lost, but that was okay because evening ended with FIREWORKS! I'm not sure Hudson will ever stop talking about them!

Sunday

Sunday morning we went back to Tryon to visit with Dad and Grandmom, and we had a short visit with Claire and Arlo via Skype. We ate at Mr. Juan's - another Mexican restaurant! - for lunch and took pictures with Morris before saying goodbye to Dad and heading back to Asheville.

Hudson fell asleep in the car and actually stayed asleep, so I went to the mall while Nick did some homework. When I came back, the boys waved to me from the balcony!

We had dinner at Asheville Brewing, and the pizza was SO SO SO good! I would love to go back and try some more: ) When we got back to the hotel, we went for a very cold swim! Hudson LOVED swimming, as usual! Hotel swimming is so nice because we were able to just walk right back inside, take baths/showers, and head to bed. We didn't have to lug several bags, deal with wet clothes/towels, etc. SO FUN!

Monday

Monday was our last day: (

As we packed up our hotel room, Hudson put on his swim diaper and asked to go swimming again! He was cracking me up: )

On our way to the airport, we stopped by Grandmom's for one last visit.

It was so so so good to see her and to see her new place! While I was sad not to visit Sly Fox Lane, I was VERY happy to see Grandmom happy and at home in her new apartment. It sounds like there are many good people/friends nearby, and she is in a beautiful home and town! I'm SO thankful to be able to make this trip and am looking forward to our next visit: )

We made it home without any glitches - and sweet Hudson Bob even took a nap on the airplane <3