Mid-Winter Fun

We are about half way through the winter, and I think everyone is getting a little cabin fever. This last week was VERY cold, the coldest days of the winter so far, but it warmed up nicely for the weekend. It was a nice change.

Hudson had his 4 month check up on Monday, and shots :( , but did well. He is a healthy 15 lbs, 10 oz and 25 1/2" tall. He has over doubled his birth size. The doctor was very pleased with his growth and development, and so are we. He is so fun, and such a good baby. He sleeps through the night now, for about 10-12 hours at a time, and that is awesome!! We are so lucky to have such a healthy, happy baby. Not to mention how absolutely adorable he is! ;) I think the picture above is hilarious, his face is so funny. He is full of expressions, all of them so fun and cute, there are just too many pictures to take and share.

So, on Saturday, I was in the kitchen doing stuff, and I heard Hudson start to fuss a bit. So I went into the living room to get him and he wasn't on the floor where I had left him. I looked at Austyn in the chair and was about to ask where the heck Hudson was, and saw this perfect moment. Austyn has picked him up and put him in the chair with him to watch some you tube videos. It was so cute. Hudson is always amazed with Austyn and loves to watch him all the time. If Austyn is in the room, Hudson stares and stares at him, distracting him from anything else he is doing. I love it.


Since the weather was so nice this weekend, we decided to get out of the house for a bit, and enjoy it. We figured it was even warm enough to take Hudson out to see the sights of winter. It was his first winter outing, other than the occassional trip from the house to the car for trips to the store and such. I am not sure how he felt about it, he just looked around. I think we had him bundled up pretty good, so I don't think he was cold. He didn't like the wind in his face though. He just hung out with daddy, watching Austyn sled down the hill at the park next to our house.

His little face is so cute, all chubby and packed into his snowsuit.

When we got home, Austyn and I decided that we hadn't had enough of the outdoors yet. We wanted to soak up all the "warm" weather we could while it was here. Besides, it was perfect snow for making a snowman. So, that's what we did. We didn't have carrots and coal for the "normal" snowman making, so we used pine cones and branches. And we decided instead of a hat, we would give him hair with the bare branches left over from his arms. After the picture taking of our wonderful snowman, Austyn decided to take him out. So, he was soon just a smashed up pile of snow and pine needles.

After the snowman, we decided we wanted to make the biggest snowball we could. So, here it is. That thing was so big, and heavy, it got to the point of being impossible to push anymore. This picture is of Austyn trying to give it one last push, to add as much to it as he could. After we got to that point, he told me that I should go in the house with Hudson, and send Andrew out to help him finish our massive snowball. Since Andrew's muscles are bigger. :) It was a lot of fun, and turned out to be quite impressive in my opinion. That is a huge snowball!!

All in all, it was a nice weekend, with lots of family fun. We enjoyed our time outside, but I think its safe to say we are all ready for winter to be over and springtime to get here. We can't wait to be able to spend more time outdoors, without the cold, wet and bundling involved in it now. Not much longer, hopefully. :)

Hello 2011

Well, 2010 has come and passed, and it was a very good year for us. New baby and a new house, we couldn't ask for more or be more grateful. We are so lucky to have such good things happening in our lives, and all of the great people that are a part of it as well, it really is a wonderful and fulfilling feeling. I am excited to see what the new year brings! :)

I didn't remember to have my camera out on NYE, which was a bummer. Although, Austyn was at a friend's house, and Hudson is too young to care, and wasn't even awake, I still wish I would have documented it with a nice little picture. Andrew and I stayed home with Hudson, and I made a few little snack trays for us to enjoy. The last of the holiday junk foods, then on to healthier eating for all of us.




This picture of Hudson was taken on New Year's Day. He is in his new snowsuit he got from his Aunt Richelle for Christmas. He already outgrew the other one from Uncle Chad and Aunt Libby. He is growing so fast. He is 3 months old exactly in this picture. His first picture, and first outing of the new year. We were on our way to Dewey and Susan's for New Year's Day lunch, which was a delightful assortment of chinese. Yummy!! I couldn't resist the picture, he is so darn cute in his reindeer suit. :)


The picture below is Hudson, in his baby's first Christmas outfit, on Grandma Hoxie's lap. He was having a great time, getting so much attention from everyone. He is such a smiley and happy baby, and I think this picture captures that perfectly.

Christmas for us was busy, eventful and fun. We did Christmas with Dewey and Susan on Thursday. We had dinner and exchanged gifts with everyone and just had a nice, low key evening. Very relaxing, just the way I like things.

On Friday, we went to my dad's house, and unfortunately, I wasn't feeling good. I didn't have my camera, and really was in no shape to be out and about or visiting with anyone. When I got home, I was bummed to still be sick, because my family was here to visit for the holidays as well, and I just went straight to bed. Austyn and Andrew were not too far behind, with both of them coming down with the flu late that night. I was feeling a little better Christmas morning, as was Austyn, but unfortunately, Andrew was not, and was laid up in bed until Sunday morning. :( Not many pictures were taken, again, because I was not feeling well and was pretty busy. So, it was not the greatest Christmas, but we were thankful to have family there to help, and that Hudson did not get it!!

The picture below was one I got of all the family that was here to visit, (besides Nick and Chicory), gathered around my table playing some cranium. I didn't play, I kept Hudson occupied and visited with Nick and Chicory, but they all had fun, and it was nice to have everyone here and having a good time. I wish we could do these things more often. We got a nice little surprise, 2 actually... My Aunt Tina and Uncle Jeff came up for the holiday, and we got to skype with my brother Chad on Christmas morning. So, despite the flu, I think everyone had a great time.



Ahhh, and lastly, Austyn, with his pride and joy Christmas gift. Aunt Richelle really nailed it this year, and I think his face gives it away. He loves his nerf gun, and is now planning on starting an entire arsenol. So, that should be fun! haha. My mom and sister also made us handmade stocking, and mittens. They are AWESOME!! Oh, I got a really cool apron too. They made really nice handmade gifts that I absolutely love. So crafty. I wish I had those skills.

All in all, I think everyone was happy and had a great time and wonderful holiday season. 2010 ended well for us, and 2011 started out just as good as 2010 ended. We are eager to see what the rest of the year brings for us and to start working towards our personal family goals for the new year. Happy New Year everyone!!!

It's been almost 2 months already!!

First I want to start off with a little "update" on Austyn. The picture above is of his flag football game. That's him catching a scoring pass! This is the second year he has played flag football and he seems to really like it and does very well. This year the weather was really nice for it too, not too hot, not too cold, just perfect. Maybe next year he will be playing tackle, but flag is good for now, makes me less nervous! :)
He has adjusted well to the new school and made lots of friends. He is quite the popular guy these days, always on the go. It's been pretty much non stop with birthday parties and sleep overs, busy, busy, busy. It's ok though, we are glad he is so well liked and seems to easily make friends. He is doing very well in school, as usual. All in all, I am very proud of him and feel very lucky to have such a well behaved, smart kid. Guess I'm doing something right. ;)


Hudson is almost 2 months old now, it seems to have went by fast. He is getting bigger by the day, and of course, cuter! He is such a good baby, again, I feel very lucky. above picture is daddy and Hudson playing "baby in space". Andrew likes to hold him up and "fly" him around while singing his own little song about him being in space. It's very cute, and funny. I think Andrew enjoys it more than Hudson at this point, but I am sure in the future it will be a favorite for both of them. It's so fun to see them playing together.

He is quite the smiley guy these days too. He has started smiling when you talk to him, instead of just the random smiles in his sleep or from gas. It's soooo cute. He is trying to "talk" too. He recently starting making cooing sounds trying to be part of the conversation, I just love it. He has also rolled over twice already!! He like to move around and kick his legs, he is a busy body already. We finally got him sleeping in his crib instead of the basket, which is nice. He doesn't quite sleep through the night yet, but only gets up once usually, which isn't so bad. I am pretty excited for him to sleep all the way through the night though.
He really loves his bath time, which is nice. I would hate to have to struggle to get him clean. His likes to eat too!! At his 1 month check up he was up to 9 lbs 8 oz, quite a leap from his birth weight, over 2 lbs! He's a very healthy, growing boy!

A rare occurance, a picture of mom and baby! Usually I am the one with the camera snapping all the pictures. I wish he would have been smiling, but he is still cute as ever!

All in all, both of my boys are healthy, happy kids, and we couldn't be happier about that. Hudson has been a very good baby, and an absolute joy. We are so happy about our growing family, and are enjoying every minute of it!

Hudson Tyler Jones, born October 1, 2010

Well, it's been a while since our last posting...and for Hudson Tyler Jones, it's been a lifetime, literally. We were blessed to have our little boy born on October 1, 2010 at 7:58 a.m. Sabrina had a heck of a time going through labor, as Hudson gave her her money's worth for about 16 hours. He weighed, as you can kind of see below, 7 pounds 2 ounces. and was 20 inches long.




This picture above is one of our favorites and was taken about a half hour after he was born.

Here he is taking a little power nap. He still sleeps a lot, but is staying awake more and more and getting a little more personality to him. His three main moods seem to be crabby, serious, and curious.


This is his *robe*. So far he loves taking baths, and looks very relaxed in the tub.

He definitely has a serious side to him, or at least some serious faces. It always makes us laugh.

Here is one of baby and mommy shortly after they were "reunited" after the surgery. Sabrina is breastfeeding him so far, and he took right to it. Even though he is so little and cute, he can definitely get some serious gas...loud gas.

Austyn came up to the hospital to visit the day he was born. He has been a very good big brother, and as far as we can tell, he loves the new guy.

And here is proud daddy, taking a nap with his son. We like to play together, but most of the time when I hold him, he seems to avoid eye contact with me, and focuses his eyes on some inanimate object to my right or left (like a lamp or curtain). It kind of ticks me off, but I don't think that's his intent. Haha.

So, we have certainly had our hands full for the last month. It's been such a great time having him around, after all those months of anticipation. We feel very fortunate to have had such a healthy, cute little guy, and are looking forward to helping him grow and develop. We appreciate all the support and help we have received from our family and friends; it has made the experience so much easier.

Quick little update...

Alot has been happening this summer, and I haven't had a chance to update our blog. So, here is a quick overview...

Andrew and I moved into our new house in mid July. We LOVE it!! It's so nice and quaint, and we love living in town. It is very convenient living in town. We are both only a few blocks from our jobs, a few yards from the park, and 2 blocks from Austyn's school. Not to mention, closer to the hospital, for our upcoming visit there! :) We have managed to get all settled in for the most part, and are getting used to being in town and having much more needed space.

My baby shower was at the end of July, and it turned out fantastic. Beth, Angela and Susan did an excellent job, and I was very pleased with how well it went. Connie made the cutest cake ever also, and I just absolutely loved everything. We received a lot of nice gifts for our little man on the way, and we couldn't be more grateful. After that was all over, I was finally able to get the last few things for the nursery and get it all set up. (That wait was KILLING me!!) Of course, pregnancy brain has gotten the best of me this whole summer, and I forgot to bring my camera, so I have no pictures of the shower. I will work on that.

We have been able to spend lots of time at the beach, especially being closer, which has been nice with how hot of a summer this has been. Of course, the summer that I am pregnant, it's unbearably hot!! I think this may be the first time in my life that I am looking forward to the end of summer. I have enjoyed the sunshine and heat (well, for the most part :) ) but not the sweating, swelling, shortness of breath and exhaustion that the combination of summer heat and pregnancy bring. I have to say, I don't like to complain, but this summer and pregnancy has been pretty hard on me and I am ready for it to be done. We have 7 more weeks to go, and I am seriously counting down the days. We cannot wait to meet our little man. He is growing right along and is already a very active little guy. He likes it when Andrew sings to my belly. Austyn finds it comical, but I think it's sweet, and really cool. He usually moves right up under where Andrew's lips are pressed against my belly, and when he stops singing, the baby starts kicking. :)

So, for the pictures in this blog, (that I did manage to remember my camera for)....

First up, the "belly" picture this time is a shadow picture. haha. I didn't have a recent belly shot, but I did have this one I took of my own shadow, so that is gonna have to do for now. Besides, I am not that fond of pictures of myself, especially at this size. ;)

This is our kitchen in the new house. Which is also my favorite room in the house. This picture doesn't even really show how awesome it really is.

And this is our living room. I love the fireplace, although we aren't sure we will even be using it. At least not this year. We need to have it swept out and make sure its safe for use first, but it looks nice for now.

So, there are a few pictures, of the new home. Austyn finally came home from his dad's after 6 LONG weeks, and loved exploring his new house, and loved his new room, which is in the basement. I think it gives him a sense of independence and maturity that he likes, being down there by himself, almost like his own little apartment. He has already made friends with the neighbor kids across the street and has adjusted to the move well. I am sure he will adjust just as smoothly at his new school. He is a very likeable kid, and gets along well with other kids. We are just glad to have him home for the last little bit of the summer, I really miss him while he is gone. And worry!!

Well, so much for short. Sorry I didn't have more pictures. Maybe next time. At this rate, the next time I post, it will be about the birth of our newest family member!! We will keep you all posted.

We have officially entered MONTH 6!!

Well, school is out for the year, much to Austyn's excitement, and he is heading into 4th grade next year! Wow, time flies, I can still remember his first day of school, and how excited he was to be going on the bus. :) Now, he's already asking when the last day of school is, on the first day! haha. Didn't take him long to decide he didn't like it. Hate to tell ya son, you have a long way to go before it's all over. Despite his lack of excitement for school, he does very well. He got all A's, or the 3rd grade version of them on his report card. He was top of his class, and excelled in all subjects. We are so proud of our smart little guy, and can only hope he continues to grow and excel the way he did this year. He is quite the talented artist as well, I will have to scan some of his drawings to upload to here, so everyone can see how awesome he is at it. I am glad he found something that he is not only good at, but LOVES to do, and hopefully he continues on with his drawing, he really is great at it.
In addition to the last day of school, his end of the year pack meeting was this past week. I guess we are wrapping everything up all at once. :) Which is good, since he is leaving on Monday to go to his dad's for summer visitation, so I am glad he was able to be here for this. I wasn't feeling well that day, so I didn't get to make it, but thankfully, Andrew remembered to bring the camera, take pictures AND video's, so I didn't completely miss out. All the boys in his pack received their bear badges, for finishing the bear program. I am so proud of him, and glad he decided to join such a great organization for young boys. He really likes it and I think he learns alot from it.

And, lastly, We are into the 6th month of this pregnancy. A few more weeks to enter the 3rd, and FINAL, trimester!!! YAY! Week 24 actually crept up on me a bit, and it was weird the excitement I had when I realized how far along I am. Surprisingly, it has been going pretty fast for me, unlike my first one, but I am still getting antsy and anxious. I can't wait to meet our little man!! Oh, ya, IT'S A BOY!!, for anyone who didn't already know. Our ultrasound went great, it took 2 hours!!, but everything looks good. We have a healthy, fast growing little boy that everyone is excited to meet. Andrew has been VERY helpful, and that has been really nice. I am still feeling really good, except on those really hot days. I feel the baby moving alot now, he is quite busy, and Andrew is finally able to feel and see him moving around too. It's really cool. I hope the remainder of this pregnancy goes as quickly as the first part has, I can hardly wait to meet our new little addition. Below I posted a new pregnant belly picture. I think Austyn's expression is hilarious, and shows his excitement for his little brother to be quite well. Or maybe it's just his awe of the size of me, haha. Either way, it's cute.

We also celebrated Father's Day this weekend. With no pictures, sorry, can't remember much these days! haha. We went to Dewey and Susan's on Saturday for dinner and family time with the dad's and dad's to be. It was a very nice and relaxing dinner with delicious food. I gave Andrew his card and gift from me, Austyn and Hudson this morning, which was a football. The dog had chewed up his other one, and I thought it was a nice gift for the soon-to-be daddy of a little boy. Hopefully he can hang onto it long enough to play catch with Hudson before the dog gets ahold of this one too. This afternoon we will be going to my dad's house for dinner and family time, and that should be nice too. I just like to eat, so all these "special occasions" are awesome! :)
So, there is our update for the month. We will try to get better about posting more frequently. Hope all the dad's out there have a wonderful Father's Day! Take care everyone.

A beautiful weekend in May...

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL! Finally!!! Some nice weather. We have all been waiting for it, and it couldn't have come for a better weekend.

First of all, this weekend, Saturday, was mine and Andrew's 1 year anniversary. We took a trip to Escanaba, enjoyed a scenic drive, and some nice alone time. We went to dinner at a local cafe, then stopped at a roadside park with some "falls", although they weren't much of falls, more like rapids. It was pretty though. We weren't much into pictures though, so, I have nothing to post of that little trip. I also don't have any pictures of our wedding on this computer, so I can't post some then and now pictures like I had originally planned. I would like to say though, this past year has been the best of my life. Andrew is the love of my life, and I look forward to many more wonderful years with him. He is a wonderful husband and stepfather, and I am positive will be a great father, and will have the chance to prove it soon! :) Love, love, love our life!!!



Sunday was even nicer, weather wise, so we decided to continue our outdoors adventures, and make it a family day at the beach. The first one of the season. Austyn wore jeans, as I thought it might be chilly by the lake, like it usually is, but it wasn't. It was pleasantly warm, and he was a little disappointed he didn't wear shorts. He didn't let it stop him from wading in the water and attempting to bury himself in the sand. He and Andrew took turns throwing sticks for the dog, (who is finally getting into the water), and then skipped stones together.


Little Presque Isle is one of my favorite places near my house, it is just soooo beautiful. I think these pictures capture it well.



All in all, it was a wonderful weekend, we could not have asked for more beautiful weather, and I am getting very excited for summer time and spending more time at the beach and having picnics, bbq's and lots of family time.




Lastly, tomorrow, (the 17th) is Austyn's 10th birthday! I am glad the weather is going to be nice, its so up in the air this time of year. He is growing so fast, I can't believe how time flies!!! His party will be next weekend, which he is extremely excited for, of course. I am so proud of what a smart, polite and handsome young man he is becoming! Before I know it, we will be doing a blog about his first formal dance, and high school graduation! :)




Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this update, and the pictures. For those of you who don't get to live in as beautiful place as we do, sorry, and try not to get too jealous! hahaha. If it wasn't for our 7 or 8 months of cold, wind, rain and snow,
we could pretty much say we lived in paradise. :)