Hudson enjoys his first taste of turkey

What a guy. I've been trying the standard repertoire of introductory foods...rice cereal, stage one orange and yellow veggies, you name it. But he had absolutely no interest. He wouldn't open his mouth, and when I tried to squish a bit through those stubbornly pursed lips, Hudson would give me a look that would make you think he was being force fed onions and lemon rinds.
Two weeks ago, I made a small crack in his diet code...soup! The kid slurped down pumpkin stew (heavily seasoned with ginger, go figure), chili, and broccoli cheddar (um, I know...he's not really supposed to be eating dairy- but it's probably fake cheese product anyway.) I felt a small victory had been made, but I was hoping to create an easy going (read NON PICKY) eater. So, I continued experimenting.
Thanksgiving was the perfect opportunity. Tons of different dishes, most of which I didn't have to lift a finger to create. I loaded the plate with a teaspoon of anything that looked mushy enough, nut free, and or something I might finish off if he rejected. My plate looked like an artist's palette- colorful dobs of this and that of varying texture.
The outcome: mashed potatoes, YES; corn casserole, YES; sweet potato casserole, YES; cranberry sauce, YES; parkerhouse rolls, YES (who doesn't like a roll made mostly of butter??!); and...turkey, YES!!!!! I've created an eating machine! Now he's happily gobbling up pretty much anything I cut into small enough pieces. He's still not crazy about baby food, but if I slip it in after the first course, I can get a few bites in before he realizes he's been duped.
Go me!
Also of note, at 7 (almost 8) months, he's doing the backward crawl, transferring objects quite dextrously, and successfully grabbing chunks of food from the table and shoving them clumsily into his mouth. He also tried to pull himself to stand yesterday on Owen's bedrail. Unfortunately, it ended with him toppling over like a tower of blocks that Caroline has discovered....
T-I-M-B-E-R!!!!

The first month flies by...and I've forgotten everything!

I can hardly believe my little Hudson is more than a month old! I must say that when there are two others in the house, I get less time to relish in the moment...less time to write down the memories in his baby book...and less time to just sit and stare. I broke out the baby pictures of Owen and Caroline at this age and have decided he looks more like Caroline than Owen.

As of 7 weeks, Hudson's eyes are now a deep blue...he has very blond eyelashes and the peach fuzz on the top of his head is also blond. However, the "friars" cut around the back of his head is darker. He's wanting to stand up all the time and he's doing a much better job of holding his head steady. The poor guy still sleeps most of the day...and I'm thankful to report that he's sleeping much better at night. I've started the "Babywise" method this week, so when he wakes up at night crying (he wakes once after the last feeding at 10ish) we change him, swaddle him, bounce him, and put him back down without a "top off" as my husband calls it. So far, so good!

His 1 month check up was last week- Hudson weighed in at 10.4 lbs and I think 22.5 inches...I do remember the Pediatrician saying he was in the 75% for height and weight- woo hoo!

Other notes from the last two weeks:

• Caroline found my mascara and decorated herself and poor sweet Hudson. Thankfully, it was the "conditioner side" which is clear/whitish and she didn't actually put any near his or her eyes.
• I only got peed on 3 times in the last two weeks.
• Hudson still isn't too keen on baths, but he does okay in the shower
• He's grown out of "newborn" size clothes
• I think he has long arms
• He really enjoys checking out the ceiling fans
• He's recently noticed the windows, art on the walls, etc and gazes at them wide eyed.
• He's cooing more and more- soo sweet!

Week 4 and still sleep deprived

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all! I had a fabulous day, PR cleaned the house from top to bottom (well, he made a HUGE dent in the craziness that is our house, anyway.) I am very impressed. The little stuff that OCD people worry about like dusting the blinds and the baseboards and cleaning the clutter from the laundry room still needs to be done, but the counters are all clean and visible, the floors are lint free, and toys and children's accessories are put away. Ahhhhh. My second best gift was from Hudson- he smiled at me first thing this morning! It was so very sweet.

Week 4 events:

• Hudson's bruise on his eye clears (I was a bit worried it was a birthmark and we were going to have to nickname him "bruiser")
• Putting him down for naps is going much better, he's starting to settle himself to sleep
• His skin is still peeling on his scalp, ankles, and face
• Hudson bats at the little dangly toys on his play mat- what a genius!!
• Caroline drops Hudson off the couch while trying to pick him up- eeek. I seriously need to get a leash for the girl, how does she get downstairs so fast???!
• He's still trying to jam his entire fist in his mouth to soothe himself...poor kid. When will he find his thumb??!!
• He's finally surpassed his birthweight of 8 10.25- he's 9.6 lbs. I'm just waiting for him to hit 13lbs, that seemed to be the magical number for Caroline & Owen to sleep through the night.

Week 3: Ready for sleep!

Big events during the third week:

• Hudson looks at me and smiles (or is it gas?)
• TWO nights of sleeping 5 hours (HORRAY!!!)
• I take all three children grocery shopping- and don't run out of the store screaming!
• Caroline enters the room holding Hudson by the HEAD (EEEEEEK) (I'm still recovering from this incident, however Hudson slept through the whole thing.)
• I survive three full days and nights while PR is on travel.
• Hudson bathes with the kids, wailing the entire time
• I discover Hudson prefers sleeping on his tummy- ug!
• Hudson discovers the mystical ceiling fan and is completely enamored
• Hudson and I dance to Nora Jones while the kids play with playdough (I think he remembers the music from when we played it in the hospital)
• Hudson has still not gained his birth weight, though it seems as if he's nursing 18 hours a day (okay, I'm exaggerating...I don't feed him more often than every 2 1/2 hours...but I still feel like he's permanently attached to me!)
• I still have 8 pounds to go but would really rather sleep than exercise
• I cleaned the floors AND did 6 loads of laundry- woo hoo!!!
• I lust for a magical fairy or elf to clean my bathrooms every week.
• Hudson made some sort of cute cooing sound today (different from his sighs and grunts) that made it all worth it.

Hudson's first 2 weeks

Oh, I had forgotten how tiny and cuddly and adorable this newborn stage is! Hudson nuzzles in my chest (and on PR's) just as Owen and Caroline did...and sleeps SOOOO soundly this way. And just as before, when I wake him and pick him up he arches his back and sticks out his rear and raises his eyebrows (well, if he had visible eyebrows) and wrinkles his forehead as if he's thinking of something...it's just so sweet. I think it's hilarious when he's ready to nurse and he pokes his head and nose like a little bird, searching for the milk source. And his little mouth looks just like a little guppie, ready to drink. When he's done nursing, he smacks his lips loudly as if he's a horse.

I've been busy practicing my swaddling, oh what a miraculous trick! The burrito wrap instantly calms him, and how frickin' cute to babies look when just their little head is poking out of the blanket??! Hudson's still at that newbie stage when the poor guy can't stay awake long enough to get in a full feeding, so we're using our old tactics of wet wipes, undressing, and tickling to rouse him out of his "milk coma" and get a few more gulps in before he conks out again. The nights haven't been too bad, once or twice he's given us 6 straight hours...but for the most part he wakes or I awake and try and keep the 3 hour feeding cycle. (Some say you must ALWAYS feed a newborn every three hours, some say NEVER wake a sleeping baby. I say don't say "always" and "never!!" Plus, this guy's almost 9 pounds, so I'm not too worried he's a failure to thrive kid.)

I do have to say he has his fussy times....the "witching hour" visits us a few times a day. This could be due to the fact that Hudson's 2 year old sister is precocious and outspoken and his 4 year old brother is bossy and getting into that "rowdy boy" stage. How about a little peace and quiet already???!! The only remedy is me walking and bouncing him...and on occasion the binkie. (My first two never really took to a binkie...I wasn't hot on them because I saw how demanding and picky my 3 and 4 year old nieces were about the color and condition of their binkies...I was also worried about "nipple confusion" with my first two, so they never really got a chance to get hooked.) I could tell with Hudson that he's got a mouth fixation thing, so we waited 10 days or so and then we broke out a binkie (after a nonstop crying concert from 2-5 am.) He instantly knew to draw his hand in over his mouth to keep it from falling- what a smarty pants! Owen really needed a serious bounce to settle down...I remember breaking a sweat at night while I cranked out the mini squats to calm him. Which I can't really complain about, I'm sure they helped me shed those baby pounds!

I have to say, I'll be happy once we get him into more of a routine and he starts to distinguish his days and nights...that's my challenge for next week.

Other observations
...his eyes are already turning from grey to bluish.
He still pees on us almost every time we change him, even after we try the wipee trick.
Today for the first time he had a little spit up when we burped him...oh I hope he doesn't have reflux!
He gave himself a black eye on day two...the bruise on his cheek bone is fading but the bruise on his eye lid is still there...maybe it's a birthmark?
His hair is definitely white/blond underneath...will his hair fall out? Will he get the "old man" hairstyle that Owen had, bald on the top with a ring of hair around the sides?
He seems to have long toes to me...let's hope he inherits PR's height and not mine!
Whenever we lay him on the Boppy, swaddled, he does a full inspection of the room (even if we thought he was headed for dreamland.)
He cries a lot like Owen did, where his voice will crack and get horse and shrill like a bird. It sounds so pathetic you've got to love it!
We broke out Owen and Caroline's baby books and he looks just like Caroline did at this age, with a bit more hair.
He finally fits into the newborn diapers without us having to fold them over- woo hoo!
He somehow manages to pee up the back of every outfit. We've tried Huggies and Pampers and he can conquer them both!
His skin is starting to peel a bit in the folds of his fingers, ankles, and toes.
His little circumcision has healed and PR can finally change his diaper without cringing.
He just keeps getting cuter and cuter every day!

Um, recap of weeks 30-39

I've been completely neglecting any posts the last- woa- month (or two.) My last few weeks pregnant were busy busy busy- from a health fair at church (staying up until 2 or 3 am for two weeks straight) to Caroline's 2 year old "ladybug" birthday party. The staying up late thing brought on a horrible cold- probably the WORST I've ever had. I lost my voice, I couldn't breathe through my nose, and I coughed incessantly. In fact, I'm convinced my fanatic coughing brought on my contractions.

My last two deliveries were withing two days of my due date (kudos to my docs), but this one was a whole week early. I know you're not supposed to compare children or pregnancies, every one is different. But my first two pregnancies and deliveries were pretty much exactly the same. (My two children are worlds apart, but isn't that just always the way??!!) Unlike the first two times around, when my contractions started strong and 2 minutes or so apart, these were not nearly as painful and random...10 minutes, then 6, then 4 then 8...I was sure I must be having Braxton Hicks (which I had never had before, so don't call me an expert or anything.) However, PR and my mom were worried that I was going to deliver and make a mess all over the house because my first two labors were so quick that they insisted I go into the hospital.

When we arrived at 3:30am, I was astounded when the nurse told me I was 4cm dilated, I thought she'd be sending me home. So I walked the halls and waited...and waited. I was dilating, but slowly. The plus side was that the contractions really didn't hurt, but my dang cough from my cold was wearing me out and I was completely exhausted. I took two soaks in the whirlpool tub in my hospital room (very cool, I highly recommend this during labor, BTW)...but I stayed at 9cm for 3 1/2 hours. It was noon the next day, and I was STILL waiting.

All I could think of was, "what's the deal?!? I had delivered my first two in less than three hours of arriving at the hospital, and here it was NINE hours later and still no kid. Ug!@ Finally my midwife suggested Pitocin. (Okay, so she had mentioned it a few hours earlier but I really didn't want any drugs since my other two were so speedy and seemed to come out when they were good and ready. I think I'm just of the mind that you don't want any little babies coming out before they're "done." You know what I mean?)

So we went with the Pitocin, which kicked up the contractions a bit but I STILL wasn't feeling any urge to push. So now I was tired, cranky (why wouldn't this kid come out already??!), and now feeling a bit of pain. (A bit of pain compared to when I was in labor with Caroline and distinctly remember repeating, "I think I'm going to die!!" with each contraction. THAT was not fun.) Apparently this little guy had his hand on his head and was pushing away from his exit door every time I was having a contraction...so my midwife performed some magic (and broke my bag of waters, which she couldn't find before) and - voila! Out came baby.

And of course, just like every new mom, I was somehow completely rejuvenated with energy and euphoria when I saw him (I say "him" because we still hadn't decided on a name.) Almost as big as my first (Owen was 8lb 11 oz), he weighed in at 8 10 and 1/4 (whatever that means...is that 1/4 such a big deal) and 20 1/2 inches. I couldn't believe how long his fingernails were...and his eyes were wide open...his hands were pretty open (my first two had permafists for the first few weeks), and he was already doing that fighter's punch thing with his arms that my first two started probably around 3 weeks.

Baby check. Name....uh.....

PR finally forced us to decide on a name when the woman with the birth certificate paperwork announced she'd be collecting the papers the next morning. We had tried to agree on a family name, but I just wasn't crazy about any of them. One was actually pretty cute, but the spelling would have added hours and hours of correcting people and getting teased. It's already tricky enough to pronounce and spell (and fit onto one line) our last name...so I just couldn't give the kid a double whammy. (How would you pronounce H-u-y-c-k??? It looked like the pronunciation of someone coughing something up, not the sweet Hyke or Hike that we were going for....) So, about a week before he was born, I thought of Hudson...since we were living in the Hudson Valley...and it was a strong name but also a little less common and not too long and easily pronounced. PR liked it, and then I had second thoughts....but our hospital room overlooked the Hudson River, so we really couldn't choose anything else-it was perfect!

Baby, check. Name, check. Juggling three kids......uh......EEK!

30 Weeks, 10 to go!

I had a little excitement this week...Tuesday my belly felt like all the muscles and ligaments on the left side were being pulled like taffy, and the pain was so intense I couldn't walk. As I sat laying on the couch, thinking of all that needed to be done that day, I decided to call the dr's office and see if there were any positions or ideas to alleviate the pain. It was suggested I come in- even though I was absolutely SURE these were not contractions. So I reluctantly called PR, who was on his way home for lunch, and we drove into the office...just minutes before the lunch hour. Or so I thought. I was told to come back in an hour or go to the hospital. Gee, thanks!

Though I was feeling much better, PR convinced me to get checked out...so we waited at the McDonald's playland (with no protest from the children, as you can imagine) until 1pm. When I was called into the exam room, I was hooked up to the baby monitor and heart rate monitor. For some odd reason, I was having contractions. Tons. Like 2 in less than 5 minutes. Me, miss experienced pregnant lady. And I had no idea! I guess it's a good thing when you can't feel contractions, as usually they are uncomfortable at best and excruciating without some sort of pain meds.

Did this kid not get the memo? Ten more weeks, buster! Inside, I was panicking...no bag packed, no room ready, no clothes washed/folded/organized, no birth plan...and most importantly, this baby is just not quite done yet- sure, the odds say he could survive at this point. But how lame to spend his first two months in the hospital with his mommy juggling two at home and somehow coming in as often as possible so he doesn't mistake some nurse for his mommy? I would have some sort of breakdown, for sure.

Luckily, there were no other signs of labor and the ultrasound looked good, so after 6 hours hooked up to the monitors, I was sent home with no restrictions. Weird, huh? The doctor said sometimes in third and fourth pregnancies (etc) the uterus is more sensitive and can have contractions earlier. Okay, buddy. Whatever you say. But I think I might just keep it on the lowdown that I'm headed across country to California next month.

On the upside, I did get a tour of the L&D...

Weeks 26 and 27 in Hawaii

We just returned home from a fabulous escape to Hawaii. PR thought it would be fun to check the weather in New York every day...only to discover the temperature was about 60 degrees colder in NY than Hawaii. Fun to know when you're enjoying the sand and sun, but not so comforting the day before returning to a predicted ice storm! I am thankful we landed on the runway and not in the Hudson- what a fantastic miraculous story!

It was fun to break out my "summer" maternity clothes for the trip (not the bathing suit, though...my belly was already sticking out of the bottom and I'm barely 6 months along!) We mostly relaxed at the pool or enjoyed the beach, and I reviled in every second of that wonderful weather and beautiful scenery. I honestly could not comprehend 82 degree weather that was not too hot or humid in mid January! It was lovely. My least favorite moments were when two women told me I looked 8 months pregnant. Yes, I agree, my belly is bigger this time around. My sister in law also thought I looked huge. Does this mean my abs will never remember their pre pregnancy position? I am a bit fearful.

I think the baby liked the trip, too : ) He didn't, however, enjoy the nine and 1/2 hour flight from Hawaii. Our flight out was near empty, so we had two rows between the four of us and we all managed to get a good nap in- sprawled out across three seats. I couldn't sleep a wink on the packed flight home (and it was a red eye, so it was just horrible.)

Though I didn't get to drink my fav, a Pina Colada, I did have about 3 Pina Colada flavored shaved ice. I think we will have to make this an annual trip- at least until we can permanently escape the frigid winters.

Weeks 24 and 25- Can we say belly?!!

My stomach is huge. I had forgotten how the skin on your stomach gets kinda reddish and pinkish and all funny colored as you can start to see the blood vessels just below the skin. Ick! At least it's reminded me of the daily overdose of lotion/ Bag Balm on my torso for trying to sneak past stretch marks a third time. I don't care how many studies say you can't prevent them, I swear by my remedy! I have completely pale (we're talking nonfat milk bluish white) skin and I'm tiny...which doesn't go so well with carrying big babies (8 pounds 11 oz is big in my book, anyway.) I think my sister in law introduced me to the wonders of Bag Balm. Don't ask what it's actually for, or you'll never want to use it. But it comes in a green tin, is sticky and takes forever to absorb. BUT- I think there's something to it, so I'm keeping with my tradition.

The baby is moving quite a bit, kicking a lot at night. Owen likes to put his little hand on my belly and try to feel the movement...then he talks to the little guy about how he's the big brother and one day he can sleep in his bunk bed with him. It's so sweet!

Sleeping for me is another issue. If it weren't for my body pillow, I'd be doomed. I've already started tossing and turning at night, waking up in discomfort or needing to run to the potty. I know, I know, it's nature's way of prepping you for the lack of sleep you'll be getting those first few weeks after the baby arrives, but c'mon...I need to stock up on my beauty sleep!

Other than that, I really can't complain. I've got to wear those horrible compression stockings, but I feel pretty good and energetic.

Now, if we could just decide on a name...