The Big Slide

Hudson decided to try the big slide at the end of swim class today.
We hope you enjoy the (very short) video as much as we did.
disclaimer: no toddlers were injured in the making of this video

Dr. Hudson Akins

George is always the patient when Hudson plays doctor.
Poor George.

(we're really working on potty training, hence the wardrobe)

I have no idea what we're going to do when it's suddenly 110 degrees here, which could be any day now. Hudson does not, under any circumstances, want to be inside. You may have noticed that on the recent blog posts, we're outside most of the day. It's hard enough when you're 7 1/2 months pregnant and it's 85 degrees outside, what am I going to do when I'm 9 months pregnant and it's 110? I'm in trouble...

"Hoops"

This may be an inherited trait.
Our child loves (I mean LOVES) sports.
In particular..."hoops".
And, he doesn't want to play with ma-ma (whew!).
He says....

"hoops with da-da!!"
"hoops with da-da!!"
"hoops with da-da!!"

....over and over again.

And he's GOOD!
The proof is in the pictures.

"I drive, Ma-Ma!"

All that time at the dealership got us two things:
1. A new mini van
2. A 2 year old who thinks he can drive

The Zoo

This morning we decided to take advantage of our zoo membership and the beautiful weather, so we headed out in our brand new Honda Odyssey (we're really excited about it, can you tell?) and arrived at the zoo bright and early. Hudson has been such a trooper lately running all over town to different car dealerships, shopping for bunk beds, bedding, baby gear for Madeline, and the list goes on and on...we've been busy and there hasn't been a whole lot of time for just Hudson. So this morning we dedicated ourselves to doing something fun just for him. He had a lot of fun at the zoo and seems to enjoy it more and more as he gets older. This is such a fun age, if only we could figure out a way to get rid of those "terrible two" tantrums. We are not enjoying that element of this age at all, but realize that like every other stage we've been through, this too shall pass. We hope.

Saying hello to the parrots.
Hudson really liked them, especially the blue one and thought that he was quite amusing.

The Hud and me visiting the giraffes, zebras and ostriches.
(Hud also thought the ostriches were hilarious).

Da-da and Hudson watching the lions bask in the sun.
Hudson also got to see a cheetah up close and personal during the "predator encounter" show right after this photo was taken. It was really, really neat. I think Scott and I may have enjoyed it more than Hudson!

"Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssee!"

First time ever on a merry-go-round!
Ma-ma was especially excited that Hudson asked her to go on with him, she's usually last choice for anything, da-da is ALWAYS his preferred partner in crime, but not today! Hey, he DOES love me!!

He loved it!













I love seeing him this happy!
What a cute little boy we have if I do say so myself!

Hello, Odyssey!

It was time to make room for our growing family, so this morning we traded in the Prius for a brand new Honda Odyssey EXL. This vehicle was MADE for families and is going to make daily life a little bit easier, despite the fact that it's a minivan. I resisted this for a while, but I am happy to say that this morning I am embracing our roles as parents and I am excited about our new ride. Let the road trips begin!

so long, piano

When you live in a small house there just simply isn't room for a whole lot. Especially when the house is occupied by 2 adults, 1 toddler, 2 dogs, 1 cat and a baby- coming soon. We've been very busy anticipating baby Madeline's arrival, moving things around and trying to make room for everything in our seemingly shrinking house. So, sadly this morning we're saying goodbye to the piano we bought at an estate sale a few years ago and donating it to a local charity. We're hopeful that in the coming years there will be room for a piano in our house once again. Even the Hud is sad to see it go. So long, piano!

Returning to Camp

I am happy to report that our wonderfully resilient and all around amazing dogs went to Camp Bow Wow today for the first time since the incident in January, and they did awesome! This is such a huge relief to us as Camp Bow Wow is such an essential part of our lives when it comes to travel and major life events, like having babies. They rode with us to school this morning en route to Camp, here are some very mediocre pics from our drive.

Love, Love, Love

This won't come as any surprise to anyone, but I am just so smitten by my son! We had more time together than usual last week with Hudson out of school for Spring Break, and the week just flew by. Aside from the occasional throw-your-body-on-the-ground-and-protest-tantrum, he really is just such a joy to be around.

He's sweet, he's funny and he's growing up TOO FAST! Lately he's talking so much, in big, long sentences about everything. He talks all the time, unless we're in a big group and then he's really, really reserved and very shy. We tell Hudson we love him all the time, but recently he started saying it back, "I wove you, tooooo, ma-ma" ... "I wove you, tooooo, da-da". It's the sweetest thing EVER. Sometimes he'll just come up to you out of the blue and say, "I wove you, too"...even if you haven't said, "I love you" first. He's also very affectionate with big hugs and big kisses throughout the day.

He hears everything and repeats everything you say. The fact that he walks around our house calling out "babe!" is a fine example of this, as Scott and I often call each other "babe" and he's learned that he can too. As a result Hudson was running around the park the other day calling me "babe!". I got some interesting looks as a result of this, but I couldn't help but laugh.

check out this stance

Sunday afternoon with Da-Da

Big boy bed

Well, the bunk beds arrived, we finally found the semi-perfect set, and although they won't actually be bunk beds for a while (age 6 according to all recommendations), they work very well as two separate beds. This morning the HUD got a whole new bedroom and is currently taking his very first nap in his brand new big boy bed! Can you tell he's excited about it?

Disclaimer: there is a very ugly safety rail on the bed which is not pictured here because, well, it's ugly. But, safety first...so don't worry, the safety rail is installed and the HUD is safe and sound in his new bed!

28 weeks

This morning Scott tried getting a picture of Hudson and me, and believe it or not this was the best one. I'm officially in the home stretch, aka the third trimester. Part of me really wants to skip the third trimester while another part of me doesn't quite feel ready for little Madeline's arrival. So I guess it's for the best that there are still 76 days (of sleep) to go until the Akins family becomes a party of four!

One day last week Scott met us at the park after work. I told Hudson he was coming to meet us there and he insisted on sitting on the bench to wait for him. So we did. When dada arrived Hudson ran to greet him with open arms (melt my heart!). Now, however, he thinks every time we go to the park, dada is coming, too. So he returns to the bench, sits down and says, "where dada is?" It's heartbreaking! Here he is this morning uttering those very words.

And these are the words being said in these photos-
"I did it! I blew the bubbles, mama!"

"Mama, I play soccer!"

"weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

And the infamous "bumblebee".

Diagnosis

Well, we figured out one (I repeat, one) of Hudson's medical mysteries this morning. We saw a pediatric opthamologist who determined that the red bump under his eye is what's called a chalazion. A chalazion is a small bump in the eyelid caused by a blockage of a tiny oil gland. Symptoms include eyelid tenderness; increased tearing; painful swelling on the eyelid; sensitivity to light. Poor Hud. It's really just been one thing after another for him, and despite all of this, he is a trooper (see photo above for proof, this was at the doctor's office this morning, another self portrait). He really is such a good kid and friends, doctors and strangers remind me of this daily.

Unfortunately, the chalazion will not go away on it's own and could get worse if we do nothing. The doctor recommended surgery, so Hudson will be having surgery on April 3rd. It's an outpatient thing, but it is done in the hospital and it does require anesthesia- an awake, alert 2 year old with sharp objects near his eye is not a good thing, but I'm not crazy about the idea of anesthesia either. Recovery is fairly easy, he'll go home the same day with a patch on his eye. He may have a bruise for several weeks, but then he'll be good as new.

One problem down, a few more to go...and one very large deductible already met for the year 2012.

Spring Break

It's spring break which means
Hudson is out of school for a whole week.
I'm going to have to get creative to keep him busy and entertained.
Here's how we kicked off the day....

Hoops.
Of course.

Bubbles.
Always a hit!

Checking on our plants from yesterday.

Looking good so far!

And, more bubbles!
Bubbles are messy, hence the wardrobe changes.
Now it's nap time (for both of us).
It's gorgeous outside today,
so the park is on the agenda for this afternoon.

Spring Flowers