Tate James Wilkey

Tate James Wilkey

Born December 22, 2017 at 6:45 pm

6 lbs 3 oz - - - 19 1/2 in

This is really long and I don't expect anyone to read it all -this is more for me to remember everything that happened! :)

My due date was supposed to be right around January 10th but Tate needed to join our family three weeks early so he joined us for Christmas in 2017! We sure love our Tate. 

Talk of having Tate early started when I was exactly 36 weeks along. The night before I started itching really bad all over my body but mostly on my outer thighs and upper arms. I didn't think too much of it until the next morning when I woke up and found tons of bruises all over my outer thighs! I saw the bruises and had no idea how they got there unless it was from me scratching my thighs really hard. It was so strange and not only was I itchy and bruised but I felt awful. I didn't sleep good the night before, had a loss of appetite, and was nauseous. I knew that I needed to call my OB and get an appointment to come in that day to see what was going on. I was able to go in that same morning and I was really nervous because my body just felt so off and I was worried about our sweet baby. I called Jon and told him what was going on, dropped Hudson off at a friends and then headed to the doctors. 

I was so emotional at this appointment because I was so tired and I felt so cruddy! It was embarrassing how quickly I was in tears and the Doctor really could not get out of the room fast enough - not my favorite doctor of the bunch! But anyways when the doctor was there she told me I needed to get some blood work done to check on my liver and I knew (thanks to google) that this was to check and see if I had cholestasis. She prescribed me some medicine to help with the itching too all assuming that I would be diagnosed with this cholestasis. She also checked me for the first time and I was 70% effaced and dilated to a 2. Anyways I got some blood work done right there in the office and then the next morning I had to go to the hospital to get more done.

Here's some info about cholestasis if you're wondering what it is....

americanpregnancy.org - Some women experience a very severe itching in late pregnancy. The most common cause of this is cholestasis, a common liver disease that only happens in pregnancy. Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) is a condition in which the normal flow of bile is affected by the increased amounts of pregnancy hormones....Cholestasis may increase the risks for fetal distress, preterm birth, or stillbirth. A developing baby relies on the mother’s liver to remove bile acids from the blood; therefore, the elevated levels of maternal bile cause stress on the baby’s liver. Women with cholestasis should be monitored closely and serious consideration should be given to inducing labor once the baby’s lungs have reached maturity.

So anyways... Thursday morning I went and got that blood work done at the hospital and just waited to hear back. Early that afternoon a nurse from my OB's office called and told me that my liver enzymes were high and that I needed to go to the hospital again that day to get a non stress test done to check on the baby. I also scheduled another appointment with my OB for Friday to go over the hospital lab results and to talk about what will happen next. Again this was all assuming that I had cholestasis. (The lab work from the hospital would tell us for sure if I had it - it checked my bile salt levels.)

Later Thursday night we went to the hospital and got the NST done and everything looked and sounded great. Our baby was healthy and moving a lot! It was great to be reassured by that test that our little guy was doing good. When we were at the hospital getting that done we asked the nurse lots of questions about cholestasis and she was very helpful and was able to calm my nerves for the most part. Although she did tell us that I would most likely be induced the following Wednesday and that surprised and stressed me out! Even when we were walking out she said ok we will probably see you next week! Needless to say Jon and I left the hospital that night thinking for sure we would be back that next Wednesday having a baby! I was dealing with so many of the symptoms of cholestasis I thought that I had it for sure - what else could it have been?! 

On Friday Jon and I met with another OB at my doctors office and that was pretty much the worst appointment. My bile salt levels came back perfect - they were a 3! To be diagnosed with cholestasis it has to be 10 or higher. So the OB said I did not have cholestasis and he had no idea what was going on with me so he had me set up an appointment with a specialist at a maternal fetal medicine office. That appointment was set up for the following Monday. I felt so dumb and crazy leaving that appointment on Friday - was everything I was feeling just in my head? I still felt that I had cholestasis. Don't get me wrong, I was grateful because I didn't want to have our baby so early and I didn't want the health of our little guy to be at risk but I knew something was wrong. So we waited until Monday to hopefully get more answers. Jon and I were so worried that we would go to the specialist and they wouldn't be able to tell us anything either so we almost didn't even go on Monday! 

We met with the specialist on Monday. This appointment took forever!! I think we were there for almost 3 hours. We got an ultrasound done to check on baby and to see if they could find out what was going on. Again everything looked great with our little guy. After the ultrasound the specialist came in and talked with us. I told her everything that has been going on and she simply told us that I had cholestasis!!!! She just said that if I were to get the labs drawn again she was positive that my bile salt levels would be higher. She recommended that I be induced sometime between 37 and 38 weeks and that I get non stress tests done every 48 hours. She didn't order more lab work because she didn't think it would change anything. So she just sent all of the information to my OB's office and then we got another NST test done while we were there. 

Jon and I talked things through and decided that I should be induced on the next Wednesday or Thursday putting me at 38 weeks. That way we could still spend time with family over the holidays and baby boy could grow and stay in my belly longer.

On Tuesday I called my doctors office and set up another appointment to get a NST done and also an appointment to meet with an OB - that was set up for Thursday. 

Those days in between NST tests were the longest! I had to count fetal movements every hour and if anything felt wrong or off I needed to go to the hospital. It was so stressful and I still felt so yucky, I was barely getting any sleep at night, and I was super itchy especially at night. Not fun. 

Thursday finally came around. The NST test went well and baby again had a strong heartbeat and was doing good. We then met with the OB. He checked me and I was dilated to a 2.5 and effaced 80%. We talked about when I wanted to be induced and his thoughts on waiting until then. He seemed to think it was ok but he wanted me to get more labs drawn just to double check. He told us that if my liver enzyme levels or my bile salt levels were a lot higher that I would need to be induced that Saturday but if they weren't crazy high then we could wait until the next week like we had planned and would continue to do NST tests. Jon and I both felt good about that plan so I went to the hospital again to get blood work done. 

That night Jon and I were able to get a lot done for Christmas and everything. The next morning (Friday the 22nd) we had our own little family Christmas. Since we were going to be traveling up to Ogden and Logan for Christmas we didn't want to haul our gifts around. Hudson loved opening his gifts this year and is obsessed with a tricycle Santa brought him. :) As Jon was putting together one of Hud's toys I got a call from a nurse from my doctors office. She told me that my OB wanted me to be induced that day as soon as possible because my liver enzyme and bile salt levels both had gotten much much higher. 

(Liver enzyme levels have two numbers that are normally around 15-30 but my two numbers were 400 and 760. Bile salt levels are normally under 10 and remember mine was a 3 the last time they checked but this time it jumped to 178) 

After that phone call I waited for a call from the hospital, they were going to tell me when to come in. We were so surprised that I needed to go in that day and I was so stressed, worried and scared. I wasn't ready to give birth and our home wasn't ready to bring our little guy here. I wanted to clean and grocery shop and I still needed to pack my hospital bag! Jon and I were running around our home trying to get more done up until we went to the hospital. The hospital called soon after I got off the phone with the nurse. We were supposed to be there between 11 and 11:30 that morning to get started! (It was 9 when they called!) I called my mom right away and luckily she was able to come down to our place right then to watch Hudson. I am so grateful for her and all that she does. Jon called his mom too to let her know about what was going on, then Jon and I tried to get as ready as we could. 

I was sad that we didn't have any more time to spend with just Hudson while he was our only kiddo. I really had a hard time imagining having two kids! How would I love and take care of both of them?! 

Jon gave me a blessing before we left and then a few minutes later my mom showed up. We gave Hudson some loves and then headed to the hospital to have sweet baby Tate. 

We got to the hospital right at 11:30, checked in, and headed up stairs to Labor and Delivery. I had my IV in and the doctor broke my water all by 12:30! Everyone was anxious to get our little guy here safe and sound. They started me on pitocin right away and continued to up the amount they were giving me every 30 minutes until they reached the max. I knew I would get an epidural but I wanted to wait as long as I could before I did. I slowly started to dilate more and I was slowly starting to feel the contractions more and more. Around 5pm I was dilated to a 5 and I decided I wanted the epidural then. By 6pm I had the epidural and within the next half hour things progressed super fast and I was dilated to a 10. The nurses quickly called our doctor and he headed straight over to deliver our little guy. Tate joined us 15 minutes later and he was healthy and strong! I don't think the epidural fully kicked in this time around because I felt a lot and it was super painful and uncomfortable but that's ok, it was definitely all worth it in the end. We stayed in the hospital two nights and left for home on Christmas Eve.  

We are so grateful for modern medicine and everyone who has helped us out this past month. 

We love our little Tate so so much and couldn't imagine life without him. 

23 Weeks Along!

Today I am 23 weeks along + I keep telling myself that I need to get on here + document this pregnancy a little bit better! So here I am...hoping that Hudson will sleep a little bit longer so I can write this :)

How far along: 23 weeks!

How big is the baby: the size of a grapefruit...about 11.3 inches + 1.1 lbs (so says the app)

Total weight gain: last I checked I had gained about 16 pounds...but that was a few weeks ago so I am sure I am nearing the 20's if I haven't passed 20 already. When I was pregnant with Hudson I never really felt "fat" but this pregnancy I just feel like a huge whale.

Maternity clothes: I wear them all the time! Pants are becoming a must...it is joggers + maternity jeans on repeat over here.

Sleep: if Hudson will just learn to sleep in his toddler bed then I think I would be getting a lot more sleep. It has been a nightmare getting him to sleep at night + then he is up almost every 2 hours!!!!! Needless to say with that, work in the morning, + being pregnant....I am always tired!

Best moment this week: the other day I read some really positive quotes + uplifting mom stories + that has helped me stay positive + have more patience with our little guy Hudson.

Symptoms: TIRED + cramping

Food Cravings: Spicy foods + Milk - just like how it was when I was pregnant with Hud

Food Aversions: I still am not super crazy about eggs!

Gender: BOY!

Belly Button in or out: I was looking at my belly today + my belly button is definitely close to being a full fledge outie.

What I miss: lunch meat + sushi!

What I am looking forward to: My next appointment - I love hearing the baby's heartbeat.

Bump: I feel like I am sticking out a whole lot more than I was with Hudson but people still tell me that I am hardly showing hah. I don't know if I should be happy about that or not! I kind of want to look pregnant when I am pregnant....do you know what I mean?

Anyways we are so excited about this little boy + I can't wait to see Hudson with him.

Gender Reveal!

My sweet Mama and Sister in Law - Michelle, threw Jon and I a gender reveal party! Here is a video of the night that Michelle put together (she is so talented!).....

The whole night was so great and we are just so grateful for all of our family that came over to support us! Baby boy #2 is already so loved! 

We were SO surprised to find out that we are expecting another BOY but we really couldn't be more excited. We can't wait for Hudson to have a little buddy and call me crazy but I think it will be so fun to be a boy mom! :)

16 Weeks Along

(July 24, 2017)

In a couple of days I will be 16 weeks along with our second sweet baby! Tomorrow we find out the gender + we couldn't be more excited! Both Jon + I think it will be a girl but I have no idea + would be so happy with either. This pregnancy has been really good. The first trimester was definitely harder this time around so that makes me think that it could be a girl or maybe it was just because I have been dealing with different things...like a toddler + an early morning job?! That could be it! Anyways I have been mad at myself lately because I haven't been very good at documenting this pregnancy so far...it's finally time to start something or else I will regret it!

How far along: about 16 weeks

How big is the peanut: the size of an avocado? My app says 4.61 inches + 3.5 ounces

Total weight gain/loss: definite gain...at my last appointment I was up about 7 lbs. so I'm probably at about 10 lbs. heavier now

Maternity clothes: I'm still wearing my pre-pregnancy clothes but my pants + skirts are getting unbearable + occasionally I will wear a maternity shirt!

Sleep: I keep finding myself sleeping on my back + it has kind of been freaking me out/making my back ache even worse! I told Jon last night that I think I will be breaking out the snoogle soon....all he said was "Thanks for the warning!" Haha!

Best moment this week: It hasn't happened yet, but tomorrow we get to see our sweet babe + find out the gender! My sweet sister in law, Michelle + my mama are throwing us a gender reveal party too tomorrow night. So I'm pretty sure all of tomorrow will be pretty great!

Symptoms: Tired all the time! I still feel a little nauseous every now + then too but I think I just need to start eating a little bit more each day.

Food cravings: Fruit, Otter Pops, Cheeto Puffs 

Food aversions: This whole pregnancy I have been against eggs - they make me want to gag!

Gender: We find out TOMORROW! YaY!

Labor signs: I have been cramping often but that's probably just gas haha! (TMI!)

Belly button in or out: Still in!

What I miss: Sushi + cold lunch meat.....my mouth is watering.....

What I'm looking forward to: TOMORROW!

Bump: I'm definitely starting to stick out....especially after every meal haha. No, but I do have more of a bump this time around than last. I will try to get a picture soon as evidence!

Baby #2

(May 24, 2017)

Yep, Jon + I are expecting again! Baby Wilkey #2 is in the oven + it has already been quite the adventure! :)

A few months ago Jon + I decided that we wanted to start trying to have a baby. Ideally we wanted to have our next kid in the fall but for some reason Wilkey's just love to be born in January! So our whole fall baby plan didn't work out...it never works out how you think it will!

Anyways after a few months we were able to get pregnant again! Earlier this month...I think it was May 4th to be exact...I was feeling a little moody + exhausted + I knew that my period could be coming any day but I kept getting this feeling like I should take a pregnancy test so I did + it was positive within seconds! CrAZy! Jon + I are so excited to be welcoming another kiddo into our family. I plugged in some information for a due date calculator online + it said January 10th but I have my first doctor's appointment on June 5th + hopefully they will confirm around when we should be expecting this next little babe!

I have already been feeling a lot of symptoms + it has already been way different from when I was expecting Hudson. It definitely makes me question if we are pregnant with a sweet little girl or not! Jon + I would seriously be so happy either way though. :)

Today I am about 6 weeks along.

Symptoms: nauseous on + off throughout the day, cramping like crazy, SO EXHAUSTED, can't sleep at night....

We are so excited to be having another kiddo!

14 Month Old Hudson Jon

Heart eyes for daysssssss 

Being a cute stinker at church

Love nutrigrain bars!

Puppy Hudson going face first into his breakfast

Things I want to remember about sweet little 14 month old Hudson:

- He loves to feed Jon + I food. Just recently he has been wanting to use a spoon all on his own to eat! He gets so messy but he loves it!

- He loves to give kisses! He will pucker up + even make a cute smooching sound! I must say they are the 2nd best kisses around (Jonny boy's are #1!)

- Still loves Zootopia + Hotel Transylvania. If I need to get some things done around the house, I just turn one of those movies on! I need to try different movies....any suggestions? 

- Whenever I feed him a snack, he will sit on my lap facing me + I just love it. It is the cutest.

- When he wakes up in the morning or after a nap he will carry around his soft blankets for awhile. He loves them!

- Has two cute little bottom teeth + one top tooth coming through!

- He loves to wear hats + you can tell that he thinks he is so cool whenever he has one on! Haha!

- His dance moves are the best! He just spins in circles + swings his arms back + forth until he gets too dizzy.

- If you ask him to show you his belly button he will lift up his shirt + touch his belly button + then he points at Jon + I wanting us to lift up our shirts so he can see our belly buttons too. It is pretty funny. He also knows where his nose is! (And recently we have caught him with his finger up his nose a couple times....he's gonna be a nose picker!)

- When Jon + I tell Hud to go get something or to go somewhere or to see one of us, it seems like Hudson knows what we are saying because he will listen + do as we say! Little smartie!

- He loves going places. Whenever we leave our home I ask Hud if he is ready to go + he bolts to the front door + starts saying "go, go go." He has especially loved going to the park when we had warmer weather. :)

There is so much more I could say about Hudson. He surprises me everyday with everything that he does. I have so much love for my sweet boy.  

Lately

- Right now we are transitioning Hudson off of breastmilk. When he turned one I was still feeding him about 6 times a day. He loves breastfeeding! But I always said I would stop when my kids started pulling up my shirt or when they started to pull my shirt down - haha I think we have hit that point. Hudson is a smart little guy. So a week ago I started weaning him off. I didn't really want to just go cold turkey + stop all together (for his sake + mine!) so I just started by taking one feeding out at a time in three day increments. We are down to three feedings now + we might stay like this for another week or two - at this point I am just focusing on Hudson + am trying to think about what would be best for him as I stop feeding him. I think the last three feedings will definitely be the hardest! Wish us luck!

- Jon + I are trying so hard to be healthier + to work out more. The food part is always so hard for me. Especially as a stay at home mom - I am constantly wanting to snack on something! I need some ideas of snack foods that will fill me up + are healthy! I will have an apple with peanut butter just about every day + that seems to fill me up for a little while. I also really like this smoothie that my sister in law told me about - it is super simple + tasty! It's 1-2 cups almond milk, 1 frozen banana, + 1-2 TB PB fit powder. It's way good + sometimes I will add in a little bit of Jon's Chocolate Whey Protein powder when I'm craving chocolate. But really those two things are all I've got right now....help this snack queen out! What do you eat for snacks?
As for working out...I used to run a lot + loved that + I still do run a mile or so whenever I go to the gym but I don't really love it like I used to. Right now I am starting over the Kayla Itsines BBG workouts + they are kicking my butt - I am only on week 2 but geesh I am shaking by the time I am done with each workout! It's nice because it only takes about 30 minutes to complete the workout + it's set up as a three times a week routine with your own cardio on the other days. I really love working out + the way it makes me feel afterwards. I always feel so much happier when I'm healthy.

- Jon + I went on a date the other night + it was so nice to get away just the two of us for a little bit. We definitely need to do that more often! But we went out to dinner + then went to the movies + saw Lion. Oh my goodness was that movie good! We would both recommend seeing it for sure + if you do go, bring some tissues! I cried at least 5 different times throughout the movie + all the way home in the car!

- We are really hoping that it will start feeling more like Spring over here soon! I want to get out of the house with Hudson + take him to the park! I have also been thinking a lot about signing him up for swim lessons sometime soon because he loves the water so much! Any thoughts from mama's out there? Have any of your littles taken swim lessons?

Hope you're having a good start to your March!

February + 13 Month Old Hud

February was a great month! We celebrated Hudson + Jon's birthdays + the superbowl, Jon's cute sister came home from her mission so we spent some time up in Logan for her homecoming + we enjoyed some time together just the three of us!

We decided that we would just have cake + celebrate Hud's birthday on the Sunday after his real birthday, which was also the superbowl. It worked out great! I made this yummy banana bundt cake for everyone + a chocolate peanut butter cake for Hudson. I think Hudson liked squeezing the cake + frosting in his hands more than he liked eating it - but that's ok! He sill made quite the mess!

Jon's birthday was on the 3rd of February! I love the days each year that are dedicated to just celebrating him. He deserves to be celebrated every single day. I sure love him + am so incredibly thankful for all that he does for our little family. Anyways...on his birthday we went to Toucanos for dinner + spent the rest of the night regretting how much food we ate! It was a fun night!

Rachel came home from her mission a few weeks ago + it has been so nice to have her back! She is always so happy + kind - she has always been such a great example to me. It was so fun to be with Jon's family for a couple of days for her homecoming + it is always so nice to go back to Logan every now + then. We sure miss that place!

Jon planned Valentine's Day this year + it was really laid back - which was so nice! We ordered a pizza, got dessert from Kneaders, + we watched a movie! It was perfect. Jon also surprised me with some beautiful red roses + chocolate covered cinnamon bears - YUM!

Hudson is now 13 months old. Seriously where does the time go?! I am still in denial that my little baby is now a toddler! Hudson:
- Loves to clap his hands
- When you ask him where his nose is he will touch his nose or our noses
- He loves yogurt, fruit, bread, string cheese, nutri grain bars, juice, asparagus, pizza
- Pretty much sleeps through the night
- Still loves bath time....especially when bubbles are added!
- Loves walking around with no clothes on
- Has an obsession with hats + cleaning supplies (particularly brooms!)
- Will blow kisses + wave
- Loves freedom + hates when he can't walk around when we go somewhere
- Still has his cute birthmark by his eye
- He knows when he isn't supposed to have something + he will grab whatever it is + runaway
- Loves unrolling the toilet paper
- Has become very ticklish
- Cuddles with us more + more
- Has two bottom teeth
- Loves carrying around his soft blankets + has become pretty possessive of them

Life is good. :)

O N E

Happy 1st Birthday my sweet Hudson!

I can't believe that a year has gone by already! Time slow down!
We have loved this past year with Hud the Stud so so much. He has blessed our lives with so much happiness and love. I can't imagine a world without our happy little guy!

One year old Hud:
- Wears 6 - 12 month old clothes + size 3 diapers
- Loves his soft blankets + will hold onto them everywhere he goes
- Has been eating nonstop the past couple weeks. His favorites are pizza, mandarin oranges, bananas, scrambled eggs, yogurt, water, + any desserts + of course breast milk
- Has started to run around a little bit...his legs get going so fast when he is being chased or when he sees something he wants!
- Screams so incredibly loud - as in high pitched, cringe every time it happens loud
- When he doesn't get his way he has started to scream + throw little fits!! Like the other day he found our broom + started carrying it around + when I took it from him he had a little meltdown! Heaven help me!
- Loves loves loves bath time + walking around in his birthday suit
- Says mama, dada, kitty, bath, ball, car
- Loves to dance - it's the cutest thing ever!! His feet get moving pretty fast + he'll start shaking his head back + forth
- Loves watching Hotel Transylvania
- Smacks his lips when he wants to eat
- Points at the things he wants + won't stop until he gets them
- Has been walking up to me + grabs onto my legs (melts my heart!!)
- Loves his book, "Your baby's first word will be Dada" by Jimmy Fallon
- Loves watching other kids
- Has one tooth
- Thinks it's funny to show us the food in his mouth
- Still wakes up a few times each night but is learning to just fall back asleep on his own. (I always thought I would just have to sleep train my kiddos once + then they'd be perfect sleepers but it has been an on going thing over here...but it's getting better + maybe that's another story in itself!)
- Smiles all the time!


Hud is just the happiest (for the most part), sweetest, + cutest little one year old. I don't know how we got so lucky to have him in our lives but like I've said before...I will be forever grateful to have him.

His new favorite spot! Haha - I found him here a few times today!

He stood there like this for about 15 minutes just watching Hotel Transylvania

Birthday present!

Already a pro! 

The day after his birthday he had his 12 month check up. He was loving the little kid chairs!

Thank you Hud for making me a Mama one year ago! I love you to the moon + back!


Also, if you read the last post you know that we had to go to Primary Children's to get a CT Scan done on Hudson's head. It was a really scary experience but we had so much support and love and everything went so smoothly! The results came back earlier this week and Hud is normal and healthy so that is such a big blessing! Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.

2017!

So it has been quite the eventful year already!

- Right at the beginning of the year Jon's dad got admitted to the hospital and he has been there ever since. It has been kind of a crazy few weeks for Jon's family. I don't know if I should really go into details on here but I'll just end by saying that he is improving every day but he still has a long road ahead of him!

- At Hudson's 9 month appointment our Pediatrician told us that he wanted to have us come in again in a month to check up on Hud's weight gain and to see if his head had gotten any bigger. So we came in again in November and nothing had changed so he wanted to see us again in December! So we went in again and he gained a pound but his head was still the same!!!! So again we had to come in a month later to get him checked. We went in last week and his head and weight were the same!

Since his head is not growing as it should be, our Pediatrician told us his concern of Hudson having craniosynostosis which basically means that the bones in your skull fused together too early not leaving enough room for the brain to grow. Scary right?! Because Hudson is pretty advanced developmentally our doctor isn't super concerned right now but he wants to stay on top of it and if there is a problem he wants to know about it before anything could happen - which I am thankful for.

But anyways...Hud is getting a CT scan on Friday at Primary Children's to see what is going on with his little skull. And I may or may not be freaking out a little bit. Okay....I am freaking out a lot bit and I can't help but worry. I just can't imagine anything being wrong with my little baby - he's just so perfect and innocent. Please keep him in your prayers.

- I also celebrated my 26th birthday this month. It was really a great day. I love when your birthday falls on a Saturday. The day was filled with family, food, relaxing, more food, and ice....lots of ice. We went to the Ice Castles up in Midway and it was so magical and cold!
I am excited to see what this year brings, it's already proving to be very eventful!  

- I decided to give up social media for at least a month. I always go through these phases when I say that I want to give it up but I never go through with it because I love going on to see what my friends and family are up to. But now I really am going to give it up for a little while. I struggle a lot with comparing myself to others and it really does no good to my already low self esteem. This next month I am going to focus on building myself up, finding happiness with who I am, and just being present all the time with my family and friends.
Since I won't be on Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat I am going to try and get on here a little bit more to document what we are up to.

Hats, Oranges + Playing with Dad

Hudson has been growing and changing so much this month and I want to remember every little thing!

- He has this obsession with hats and can play with them for the longest time! He's a little crazy but he will get a hat and then put it on his face so it's covering his whole face so he can't see then he will walk around - that little dare devil! He has the biggest grin on his face the whole time too.

- He LOVES mandarin oranges, pizza, yogurt, yogurt melts, cheerios, cookies....he has just been eating like crazy the past few weeks.

- Whenever I am in the kitchen or getting some things done around the house he will come up to me and grab my legs....it melts my heart every time!

- He finally has one tooth! It has taken almost a month for the little bugger to come out! Teething has been quite the adventure.

- Hudson has been really talkative lately and has been making all sorts of new sounds. It sounds like he says "car" over and over again. He says "Mama" a lot more too! He also tries hard to say kitty, bath, and ball.

- He loves any kind of attention that he can get! When we go out to the store or out to eat he will stare at strangers until they look at him then he will hurry and look away with a big grin on his face and then he'll do it all over again. He has the cutest little personality - he is so fun!

- He loves playing peek-a-boo and just recently started playing by putting his own hands up over his eyes.

- He has become more and more of a Mama's boy....he LOVES nursing (I don't know how he'll do when we start to ween him off here in a couple of weeks! Eek!)

- Whenever I feed him when we aren't at home, he gets so excited! He'll pull the nursing cover up over him and he'll make excited noises until I'm ready for him.

- Hud loves to walk and explore - he has become very independent besides when it comes time to eat or when he is tired.

- He loves being chased around by his Dad - he squeals and tries to run away every time!

- He hates getting his fingernails clipped....it is always quite the ordeal! I should try and do it when he is asleep but I am always afraid of waking him up.

- With teething, the holidays, and some family things that have come up he no longer sleeps through the night. He is back to waking up 1-3 times every night.



Only a couple more weeks until my baby is  O N E !!

And just like that my baby is 11 months old

11 month old Hudson Jon:

- Wearing size 3 diapers and clothes ranging anywhere from 6-18 months
- Eating anything we give him but his favorite thing these days are yogurt melts
- Does not like apple juice at all but LOVES drinking water
- Loves bath time!!! When we tell him it's time to take a bath he starts walking towards the bathroom and even says bath - it is the cutest!
- Loves being chased and played with
- Loves playing with his jazz ball and whenever he sees a basketball or a bigger ball he gets so excited, points at it, and sometimes it sounds like he even says ball
- Points at everything
- Gets into everything. I close all of our doors in our condo so when I'm home with him he only has access to our kitchen, living room, and the hallway - and that leaves him plenty of things to get into!
- He's starting to sleep through the night - sleep training is the pits! But it is nice to be getting more sleep for him and me both!
- He loves his sippy cup
- Still loves his soft blankets and binky
- He is super ticklish! His little giggles are the sweetest sound I have ever heard!
- His percentiles are still really low...his head his below 5%, height is at 15%, and weight is 18%. We are continuing to go see the doctor monthly to keep an eye on his growth.
- He loves watching Hotel Transylvania
- He hates it when he can't walk around when we go places - especially church! (That has become a major challenge for us)
- Hudson is so determined, once he sees something that he wants he doesn't forget about it and he does everything he can to get it.

I can't believe it has almost been a year already since Hudson joined Jon and I! It is definitely bitter sweet. But I just feel so blessed to have this amazingly sweet and happy little boy in my life. I can't believe that Heavenly Father has put his trust in me to raise him and be his mom - I will be forever grateful. I love Hudson so incredibly much!

Holidays with Hud the Stud!

The holidays were so great for our little family. Having Hudson there with us made Thanksgiving and Christmas so much more magical and special.

For Thanksgiving we went to Jon's parents house in Logan for a few days and then on our way home we stopped by my parents for a few hours and visited. Hudson loved playing with his cute cousin who was born only a few weeks after him. They always ended up in the same place and they especially loved pushing our cooler around the kitchen. We had such a good time with family. We ate lots of yummy food, played games, watched movies, had a pie contest, the boys played basketball, and we did a little bit of black Friday shopping. I made this yummy salted caramel apple pie....it was delicious!

On Christmas Eve we headed to Ogden to spend time with my family. My brother and his cute family came to town from Missouri for the holidays so it was so great to see them and just be together as a whole family. I love my family so much. My parents have always been so supportive, loving, and just all around awesome people. I lucked out with them that's for sure!

Hudson was a little night owl on Christmas Eve. He was up until about midnight just walking around and playing. Haha he is just the cutest and happiest little boy. But since he was up late on Christmas Eve, the next morning when we woke up to open presents, Hud was so sleepy and out of it. It was still so fun to experience it all with Hudson for the first time. We helped him open up his Christmas presents and then he just sat and played with the wrapping paper and a couple of his toys for a little while. The rest of the day was filled with family time, church, yummy yummy food, Christmas movies, and more yummy food!

After Christmas day we headed up to Logan to see Jon's family. It was so great because they planned to celebrate Christmas a couple days later so everyone could be together and it was so fun. We did a white elephant gift exchange, opened presents, had an appetizer contest (we made the winning appetizer....click here and here for the links), ate some more yummy food, played bean boozled, watched movies, and just enjoyed each others company.

This Christmas is definitely one for the books - it was wonderful!
Christmas just goes by way too fast!! We look forward to it and plan things for almost two months and then it just goes by in the blink of an eye!

Zzzzzzz

Sleep has become overrated in my life + that's ok...it's overrated but I definitely still love + crave a good nap or a good nights sleep! I remember in high school + even in college when I wasn't married I could sleep in until noon! Now sleep has become an inconsistent treat! 

When I was pregnant with little Hud, I had the hardest time with sleeping + it was rough! I felt like I couldn't get comfortable + when I did get comfortable I would have to get up to go to the bathroom so often during the night! But I was ok with it because I knew that being sleep deprived was so worth what was coming our way + I always told Jon that Heavenly Father was just prepping me for the nights ahead with Hudson.

Hudson has been a fairly good sleeper...although he still does not sleep through the night consistently. But you know that's alright. I love being with Hudson + I love seeing how happy he gets when he sees me! I have also come to terms with him waking up in the middle of the night because I know that he will eventually grow out of it + then I will wish that I could cuddle him in the middle of the night. 

I am definitely not perfect though - some nights I get frustrated + impatient - but I try to remind myself that Hudson is just a baby....a really cute baby :) 

Even when Hudson does sleep through the night, I find myself waking up + not being able to go back to sleep. It takes me probably 1-2 hours to go back to sleep. GAH! I've looked into different things that could help + here's a few that I have found helpful....

- Exercise - I am trying to be more consistent with this. I do know that I always sleep better at night when I do workout.

- Reading - but don't read on your phone or tablet. I feel like anytime I pick up my phone or look at a screen it just stimulates my eyes + brain...if that makes any sense at all?!

- Mind Mapping - click here for a helpful website to get you started! Most nights when I can't go back to sleep it's because I have all of these thoughts racing through my head so when I mind map it helps me take my thoughts + put them on paper + then I can rest easier!

- Hot Milk Drink (YuM!) (Here's the recipe) It's the Sleepy Time recipe! :)  

Hope you + me both have a good nights sleep tonight! 

October Love

This has been a really great month. It helps that I already love October so much! Cool weather, pumpkin everything, fall decorations, changing leaves, soup, + pulling out my sweaters + cute boots! How could anyone not love the fall?!

Anyways...I feel like we are finally finding our place here in Utah County. I am not going to lie...it was a hard adjustment for me! The first month was particularly hard because I didn't know anyone in the area, I wasn't familiar with what was around me + we were pretty much broke. But Jon + I have made some new friends + we have been able to get out + go places so now we know where things are + about how long it will take us to get there. We have two Target stores + Ikea that are all 15 minutes away....now that was easy to get adjusted to!

Ever since Hudson was born I have struggled with getting into a routine + actually doing things besides binge watching TV shows on Netflix. But this past month I have tried harder to plan things throughout the week + I made a little weekly cleaning schedule + since I've done that I have felt a lot happier + more productive. Another thing I added to my routine was exercise (I AM SO OUT OF SHAPE! Seriously though, I've been doing some push ups...on my knees...for the past few weeks + my arms still shake when I'm doing the last few hah!). But I have been trying to get a little bit of exercise in at least three times throughout the week. I am debating about getting a gym membership here too but if I do that we would probably sign up for daycare + I worry about little Hud getting sick. I might just be a paranoid mama!? What do you think? How do you feel about gym daycares? I think I might just be thinking about it too much.  

Hudson is such a fun little dude. I love being able to spend everyday with him + I love watching him pick up on new things. He has started waving at people + it is just the cutest thing. This month Hudson...

- Has been walking around as he holds onto our furniture
- Has been such a curious little guy who never stops moving!
- Eats lots + lots of food. He loves anything with sweet potatoes, pears, apples, pizza, mac n cheese, + of course anything that we are eating. He does not like oatmeal, rice cereal, baby food veggies, + he still won't drink through a bottle.
- Says "dada" ALL the time + we love it!
- Loves being in our kitchen + bathrooms (he loves flushing the toilet + unrolling the toilet paper!)
- Learned how to open cupboards + drawers
- Sleeps alright....we probably get 2 maybe 3 nights a week when he'll sleep through the night. Other nights he'll wake up about 2 times. When he does wake up he is super super grumpy + he Hates...yes hates with a capital H....when we change his diaper in the middle of the night. I feel bad for our poor neighbors down stairs....

I sure love our sweet Hudson. He has been such a good babe.

The Past 7 Months

I have been so horrible at getting on here since Hudson was born! That should give me more of a reason to hop on + document everything! Here is a recap of the past months since our little guy was born!

February 2016

Of course the major highlight of this month was the arrival of our cute little guy! I posted his birth story in the previous post if you haven't checked that out already. Hottie Jon also had a birthday this month - I feel like a bad wife because I slacked big time in celebrating his birthday. Hudson was born two days before his birthday + I was dealing with some major hormonal issues along with adjusting to life with a newborn babe. I know.....excuses excuses....I do plan to make it up to him though :)

My mom helped us out a ton the first couple of weeks + we so appreciate her for that. She even went out + got Jon a birthday cake + ice cream. She's one heck of a mama - love you!!

We really appreciate all of the help we received this first month that we had Hudson with us. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hi, who brought us meals + those who even just sent us texts or congrats through social media. Thank you!

Fun side story....my dad thought the beanies they put on the newborns at the hospital looked pretty girly so he went out + bought Hud some baby clothes + beanies that looked more manly. Haha - he's a great papa! 

Those newborn days go by so quickly....some days I wish I could rewind + hold this little 7 lb babe again.

March 2016 - One month old

I was just going to choose one picture for each month to put on here but it was too hard to choose just one! March was a good month - we got more into the swing of things with this little guy + we started to get more + more smiles + personality out of him. 

We went on weekly walks with my friend from school + her little girl. 

This cutie pie + his love for bath time! :)

Hudson's baby blessing was also this month. Jon did such a great job - he put so much thought into it + the spirit was so strong. I looked forward to the day Jon would bless our baby long before I was even pregnant. I am so grateful for all of the men in Hud's life + for the examples that they will set for him. 

April 2016 - Two months old

Jon accepted a job at Bingham High School as a school counselor this month! This month Hudson started sleeping longer stretches throughout the night + that helped him mama out so much!!! We also confirmed with the doctor this month that Hud had an umbilical hernia (a belly button that sticks out pretty far). His belly button was pretty scary looking + to be completely honest it was gross. You could press down on it + it would make these gurgling noises. But thankfully after a couple of months his belly button was back to normal! Jon was the baby whisperer this month - I feel like everytime he held Hudson, Hud fell asleep within seconds. I love watching Jon with our sweet little guy - he is such a good dad!

Dad already starting some strength training! ;)

My little bear cub <3 td="">

May 2016 - Three months old

Jon + I graduated this month! Jon got his masters in Counseling + I got my bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. We also moved in with my parents for the summer at the end on this month. We sadly had to say goodbye to Cache Valley. Hopefully we will call the valley home again in the future!

This month Hudson started laughing a little bit here + there + more often then not he was smiling. Our little guy is already making an impact on this world - he makes everyone smile! In May he also became a little wiggly fella + he started to really like tummy time + would try so so hard to roll over!

We experienced the 4 month sleep regression right around this time + it was no joke!!!!! We could not get this kiddo to go to sleep + stay asleep for more than 15 minutes! He was struggling big time in learning how to go to sleep on his own. So we let the little guy cry it out. It was SO HARD for us. I never could have done it without Jon by my side. I thought that letting your little babies cry it out was awful + I really did not want to do it but we were at our wits end + seriously I would probably do it again with our next baby. The first night was awful - he cried for about 1 + 1/2 hours. We checked in on him every 10 minutes (without picking him up...just soothing him by putting our hand on his chest + talking to him for a minute or two). Eventually he fell asleep + he slept almost through the night, just waking up once! The second + third night he cried for about 20 minutes + then fell asleep on his own + then after that he became such a champ when it came to bedtime! YaY!

Jon's favorite picture of Hud <3 td="">

Goodbye retro yellow kitchen!

June 2016 - Four months old

Hudson got to start eating some baby food this month! This month he started putting everything he could get his hands on in his mouth! He was still smiling like crazy + loving bath time! This month he also started to roll from his back to his stomach - every time we set him down he would automatically roll over! We got pretty well adjusted to living with my mom + dad during this month. We sure do love them!  

This month Jon also got to go to Chicago with a couple of his brothers. He had a great time! He ate at some yummy restaurants + visited a lot of popular sights! Hudson + I sure missed him when he was away! 

We took a trip to Logan for my sister in law, Jenny's, graduation

Mornings out on my parents patio

4 month old pictures taken by my Mama - so cute!

First time in the little kiddy pool!

Jon at the Chicago skydeck!

Hud was all tuckered out from his first Lagoon trip!

Photo bomber!

July 2016 - Five months old

Hudson started making lots of cute noises + would babble quite a bit this month! It was so stinking cute! He also learned how to roll from his tummy to his back so he became a rolling machine! He loved eating pears, sweet potatoes, + prunes. He also loved to suck on watermelon, apples, + peaches! Whenever we went outside Hudson would go quiet in an instant + would look around at everything - this kiddo loves being outside!

This month we looked around at places to live in Utah County + we found a condo in Saratoga Springs + signed our contract in the middle of the month! We moved all of our stuff in near the end of the month but we didn't officially start living there until August! Geesh, it was a crazy summer + Hudson was such a champ with all of the changes!

Happy 4th of July!

Sitting up on his own for the first time!

Hud the water baby! My mom + I took him to the pool a couple of times over the summer + he LOVED it!!!
And this floatie was so much fun for him!

Hudson's first cabin trip + four wheeling ride

Hud + his cousin Graham....only 3 weeks apart!

August 2016 - Six months old

Hud the stud turned half a year old this month! It's so crazy how fast the time flies by with a little baby around! He makes our life so much sweeter. This month he started sitting up on his own + he started army crawling around like crazy - he became such a wiggly little fella over night! My days at home with him are anything but relaxing - haha - I am constantly chasing this kid around! :)

We officially moved to Saratoga Springs this month + have enjoyed our start here! Our condo is quite an upgrade from our little Cache Valley apartment!

At the end of this month we went up to Cache Valley again + went to Bear Lake with Jon's family. It was a fun little weekend away!!

Sitting up all on his own!

Visited Dad at his work! We had to see his office with his Lebron James poster up on his wall! 

We live on the third floor at our new place + Jon has been determined to not make more than one trip up those stairs with groceries....his hands are so full!!!!!!! I just try not to think about which bag has the eggs in it!

Time for a new TV stand!

Bear Lake! So pretty!

September 2016 - Seven months old

Hudson had been one crazy kiddo this month! He has been hating having his diaper changed. As soon as we put him on his changing pad he rolls right over + is up on his hands + knees! We have had to get creative in how to distract him! He graduated from army crawling this month + is now a crawling champ on his hands + knees. He pulls himself up on everything around the house + he is just barely starting to walk around the furniture slowly as he holds on to things. Hudson is such a smartie! He wakes up 1-2 times at night + is crazy grumpy until he gets food haha - I feel bad for our neighbors!

When he learned how to stand up in his crib on his own, Hudson would not go to sleep during naptime or at night! Oh my goodness! We had a three day stretch when we were up with him almost every hour throughout the night - it was ROUGH! But once he mastered this skill + realized that he could do it after he woke up he decided that he would sleep haha. Thank goodness! I did some research on why this happens + it's just something babies go through when they learn new skills! 

Hudson likes his exersaucer for other reasons than actually sitting + bouncing in it!

Most of my pictures these days are blurry - this kiddo is always on the move!

What nap time looks like more often than not!

Heart eyes for dayssssss! <3 td="">

Hud's first Bingham High Football game! Gotta support Dad's school!

If you made it this far - thanks for sticking it out + catching up on our life lately :) I sure do love my little family!