Lately...

These two are going to be best buddies.



(Hudson's hair really only fell out on the sides, which left him with a pretty sweet 'do!)

When I found out Hudson was going to be a boy, I'll admit I was just a little disappointed. Well, I should qualify that: Until that point, I had convinced myself that I was pregnant with another girl. I even had a dream in which I saw my new baby girl's face in the car seat that we already owned, and she was speaking in complete sentences; so I just knew that not only were we having another girl, but she was also going to be a genius! I was so sure that I had almost started buying some new baby girl clothes that I found too cute to pass up. So when the ultrasound made it clear to the nurse that I was, in fact, pregnant with a boy, I was shocked. I mean, of course when I saw that little baby moving around in the ultrasound, how could I be anything but thrilled and excited and so in love? I was so in love. But I gave myself a day to wrap my head around the idea of having a boy and completely shift gears. And I may have informed my husband that we would not be finished having kids until we gave Reese a sister...or until we got to 10 kids, whichever comes first. 

Hmm, I did not mean to get so far off on this tangent.  I just meant to say that I could not be happier to have this sweet little guy in our family and am thrilled at the bond forming between sister and brother.  First thing in the morning when I get Hudson out of his bed, he looks for Reese and smiles ear to ear and kicks his feet when he sees her.  And Reese insists on giving Hudson a kiss when he gets out of bed to greet him properly.  She takes a lot of pride in being Hudson's big sister and loves fulfilling that role.

We made our first visit to the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler.  My favorite part was the bird cage where you can pay $1 for a stick covered with bird feed to hold out to the birds.  Best money ever spent!

Hudson is learning new tricks every day.  He has mastered many yoga moves including down dog and plank.  He has a really strong core.

He also loves to get on all fours and rock back and forth.  He's hasn't quite figured out how to move either of his hands to achieve any forward motion, but I'm sure it's not too far off.

Reese went to a friend's superfun birthday party full of outdoor "messy" activities for the party-goers' enjoyment.  She may or may not have eaten more than her share of the doughnuts on the strings.

This is one of about three times that Hudson has fallen asleep on my chest.  It is Heaven!  (despite the backache that I inevitably have for the rest of the day from trying to bend over backwards--literally and figuratively--so that he can sleep comfortably)  Totally worth it!

We carved a pumpkin for Halloween.  At first Reese would have nothing to do with scooping out the seeds--"too messy!"  But once Michael made the opening on the top a little bigger, she got the hang of it.

Reese scooped a little to hard and flung a few pumpkin seeds on the floor--oops!

finished product--a witch on a broom, can you see it?

Hudson man wrapped in a towel that I made (believe it or not!) on top of a blanket that MommaCat made.  Love that kid.

motor boat

Hudson taught himself a new trick.  It cracks me up every time!  I love the face he makes when he does a motor boat.  So silly.  It's even funny when he does it while he is eating...especially when Dad is feeding him and responsible for cleaning up!

1st day of school

My little girl started her first day of preschool last week. To be honest, I'm not sure which one of us was more excited! First things first: we had to get the perfect backpack and lunch box and pick out the perfect first-day-of-school-outfit. Check, check and check.

this is her "super excited" face

How cute is this mouse backpack?  I wish it came in my size!

So far Reese loves going to school with her new friends and is getting the hang of following her teacher's directions.  I am loving the funny things that Reese says about her days at school and all the darling art projects she is bringing home.  This is going to be a great year!

road trip

After a super-fun summer in Montana, I loaded up my kids and started the drive to Texas.  My mom was kind enough to join us on our road trip (there is no way I would have been crazy enough to try it alone, and Michael was planning to meet us in Texas with the moving truck).  On Day 1 we planned to stop in Utah and a friend from Montana hitched a ride with us for that leg of the trip.  She became the official photographer of the trip and snapped tons of cute pictures of the little tykes in back (I admit, I may be biased).

Hudson gets the award for best traveler ever!  He was such a dream boat and barely made a peep for most of the trip!

Once we arrived in Utah, we had time for a quick wardrobe change for Reese and Hudson (they spent most of the drive in their jammies) and we were off to a little Diva get together at Heid's house.  It is always such a blast to get to see any of the David John Divas, but to have 5 in one place at one time was a real treat!  It is even more fun to see the second generation of Divas (and Dudes, I guess) interact.  I mean, just check out the looks being exchanged between Reese and Max.  Hilarious.

future roommates

monty 2011: part two

After an entire week of total family togetherness, the husbands and working sister had to head home. V. sad. But Lindsey and Olivia, Lauren and Blair and my two tykes and I got to stay for an extended visit. It was so much fun to have all the cousins together. Our days mostly revolved around each of their eating and napping schedules (someone was always asleep, it seemed), but we did attempt at least one outing every day. It was a little bit hectic to try to load everyone up, to say the least--and usually by the time we did, it was time for at least one of the babes to go back to sleep, but we managed to fit in some fun adventures.

Tessa should really get into wakeboard performing...like at Sea World. Look how graceful!

This little girl kills me. She has a smile that takes over her face, and when she's excited, she will really let you hear it!

One day on our way to the lake, we stopped at my parent's lot to pick some cherries. We didn't have all the right equipment (our ladder wasn't nearly tall enough), but we reached as many cherries as we could in the safest way possible. And they were delicious!!!

And, look, they match her cover up!

Reese got some playtime at the lake with her buddies Ava, Ella and Luke. Silly kids. Almost impossible to get them all looking at the camera at the same time!

Hudson guy was so easy going...just happy to be doing whatever it was we were doing. Such a sweetie.

The kids and I went with my parents to the 10th Anniversary of The Event at Rebecca Farm, the largest equestrian triathlon in the U.S. and a selection trial for the 2012 London Olympics. Many of the world's best horses and riders come to compete in dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. We watched the cross-country races and we had a blast!

How cute is this bathing suit?! It's Blair's. She and Reese traded suits for the afternoon.

MommaCat and Kim on the tube with Reese. I can't remember the last time I've seen my dad on a tube. But they sure look like they're having fun!

Hudson spent most of his time lounging under the umbrella on the dock. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon!

A friend from across the lake and I had a blast on the paddle boards! I thought for sure I was going to fall in the water, but despite a few wobbly moments, I managed to stay on my feet. I can't wait to do it again!

MommaCat and Reese on the paddle board...we told Reese to sit as still as a statue and she did! Neither of them fell in either. Impressive.

Dean is such a fun uncle. Reese wouldn't let him out of her sight!

And we can't forget about Connor--Dean's bff and Reese's first crush. These two have a special bond. ;)

I think this picture says it all. Fun, fun, fun until we dropped. (But still holding our sugar cookies gingerly, so as not to break it into bits.)