Baby Milestones

This was a big week for Mr. Hudson and for Mama. I was getting him ready for bed and decided to dress him in one of our favorite newborn sleepers that we fondly refer to as "Little Dragon". (See pictures of this one in the previous post.) I snapped him up and he immediately began to cry a strange cry. You mothers will know what I mean when I say that it's one of those crys that actually has you guessing what your baby is trying to communicate to you; not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'd say I've gotten pretty close to mastering the art of recognizing which cry means what from Hudson. So anyway, he starts crying in an unfamiliar way and I am puzzled. It took me a few minutes to come to the sad realization... he had finally outgrown "Little Dragon". I'll be honest- I shed a tear right there on the changing table when it dawned on me that this was the case. It's fine. Sweet moment. :) Ben and I both loved this sleeper so much on him, we agreed that it is a keeper and will be saved special for our next bundle of joy- boy or girl! Poor baby girl. She'll make it work. Another small milestone: we had to move the sleeper pads out wider (the ones that velcro to the sleeping pad so that he stays laying on his back at night) because he suddenly seemed a bit too snug in there! My baby is GROWING and I am somehow surprised each time I discover the proof. Will I ever be prepared for my baby growing up?? 

That being said, please notice the ADORABLE monkey sleeper Gigi, my mom, got for him! How precious does he look in his new big boy 3-6 mo. PJs?! Our new fav for sure. And to explain the sweet sun hat pictures, Ben and I planted a vegetable garden in our backyard this week and Hudson was our little helper. I predicted we'd set him in the shade and he'd go right to sleep in his favorite bouncy seat (aka: our        L I F E S A V E R!), but he actually stayed alert and vocal the entire planting experience! We learned some great information that day: Hudson loves being outside. He was kicking and movin' and cooing the whole time, and I couldn't resist taking these pictures. And clearly, Margy couldn't resist being a part of the photo shoot. Typical. Speaking of Margy, check out what her little after dinner treat was this week! Don't go calling SPCA yet- Ben and I had just finished the carton and gave it to the girls to polish off. Nothing goes to waste in our house! 

Still Cute...

Our little Easter Bunny :)

Happy Easter! He is Risen! Spring is in the air and I am reminded of new beginnings everywhere I look- though I don't need to look far because Hudson is changing more and more each day! This week has not been the easiest, but it certainly has been exciting watching him explore how to coordinate his body limbs. (Pretty much he just flails them around aimlessly, but it's stinkin' cute!) He's cooing like crazy and his smiles are becoming evermore frequent- a huge treat for Mama and Daddy. Although, I do feel like we have to really "earn" his smiles these days, and I'll try anything to make it happen. It's like a circus of entertainment from Mama and Daddy sometimes- any adult would find it quite entertaining to watch us as well! 

A few picture explanations: First of all, Hudson's Easter attire is a BOYS infant gown. Not to be confused with a DRESS.... which is what is father called it all day today. Anytime Hudson cried, you'd hear Ben follow with a comment of "I'd be crying too if I had to wear a dress." But seriously Moms- help me out here- we all know there is a clear difference in infant gowns and little girl dresses. Enough said on that subject. Secondly, we couldn't resist documenting when Lily (named after Easter Lily's, by the way... she turned three years old this Easter!) decided to sneak into Hudson's Easter basket and delicately pull out the one item that caught her eye- the fuzzy dog with bunny ears on top- and proceed to tip toe into the room we were sitting and lay it in our laps. As if to say, "hey guys, I like this toy- you think you could hook me up with one of these?" It was adorable. She has a habit of sneaking into the nursery and presenting us with other "gifts" from Hudson's toy basket. That all being said, we had a wonderful first Easter, and it was enjoyed in great company of The Ratliffs, the Whites, and the McCanes. I have a strange feeling that holiday gatherings are going to get more and more noisy as the years  go by...

My baby boy is 1 MONTH old today!

Honey Bee Baby Doll Apple of my Eye

I can't believe Hudson is almost a month old... three weeks and two days to be exact. (I could give you the number of hours if you'd like.) He is growing like a weed, and I can only hope that my arm muscles are toning up as fast as he is piling on the pounds for the amount of time I hold him these days! Now that his belly button and "other areas" are healed up, we were finally able to give him his first real bath. I must confess- I did not expect this to go over well with Hudson. I figured he has been such an angelic baby thus far, he is surely going to hate being stripped down and splashed with luke warm water. Surely he will cry. I imagined the whole event being something similar to when I gave Margy or Lily their first baths... complete disasters! But let me tell you friends, we truly do have a keeper on our hands because he actually LIKED his bath! I will post you the pictures to prove it! And he smelled soooo sweet afterwards, I just wanted to cuddle with him in his little bunny rabbit hoody towel forever. What a great kid- or rather- what a blessing. I took my first walk with just Hudson and I this week during my favorite time of day, and it was pure heaven. It feels good to get outdoors and breath the fresh air sometimes; Hudson had been a bit fussy that day, but as soon as we got movin' and shakin' outside, he was good to go. With his hearty appetite and looooong sleepy naps, there's not much to complain about here at the Ratliff residence! Life is sweet.