The day I lost my marbles

Well friends, I thought yesterday was the day I was going to be forced into a psych evaluation. After 7 days of a sick toddler, 5 days without a husband and 4 days of pouring down rain, I went insane. I had not slept through the night in a week, was not getting breaks during the day because Hudson was too congested to sleep, I had not had a good meal or a shower that lasted more than 2 minutes. Not to mention a moment to myself. My house looks like Hurricane Katrina came through, my pantry is empty and the laundry is so high that I have no clue how to tackle it.

Thankfully, Jonathan realized that he needed to do something fast. He took a half day to come and sit with Hudson so I could get a break. This made me fall in love with him all over again. When he got home, I hopped into the shower, threw my hair up, put on an actual outfit and attempted to run out the door. There was a slight delay because Hudson ran to me crying and not wanting me to go. I finally got out. Let me just mention that it was POURING down rain and I do not do rain very well. I am the girl who cancels all plans when it rains because I hate, hate, hate to get wet.

So off I went. I had no idea where I was even going to go but I ended up at Borders. It was the only place that I could think would be quiet. I strolled the aisles reading the back of books for a long time. I finally picked out two for myself. A funny one- "Not ready for mom jeans" by Maureen Lipinski and a serious one "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave. I also grabbed a new Momagenda. Then I headed over to the children's section to grab Hudson a few books. He could look at books for hours.

I bought all our new books and walked over to their little coffee shop. I ordered a pumpkin spice latte and a snicker doodle cookie, who cares about calories at this point?!?! I grabbed a few magazines and settled into a big leather chair by the window. The rain was coming down and I slowly started to feel myself relax as I sat there in my own world. After a while a man sat next to me with his coffee and a magazine, I did not look at him until he said, "howdy mam." I looked up and almost wet myself. It was Ed Mitchell. The pit master of our favorite resteraunt, The Pit. He is so nice and I highly, highly recommend eating there.

(How adorable is he!!!!!!)

I was there for almost an hour before I called to check on the boys. When Jonathan answered, all I could hear was screaming and crying. Hudson had just coughed so hard that he threw up on Jonathan. So I put the magazines back and headed home.

It may make me sound like a bad mom for "abandoning" the boys for a while but I needed it. I came back renewed and not so stressed out. It is important to take time for yourself and I often forget to do it.


( I want to thank my dad/Lisa and sister in law for being so sweet and offering so many times to help this past week, I really appreciate it. It sure makes me miss living close to my mom and sister!)

Onto a Hudson update- day 7 of the sickies. He slept 7:30-4:30 last night which is the longest in a long time. He woke up coughing and threw up again. He is still very congested, has red eyes, a very runny nose and is still not eating. He has his moments where he is very playful and happy but then the coughs come and we fall apart again. He is still so precious, even when he is sick.



And he learned a new word this week... "Danger." When he goes near the oven, toilet or stairs, we always say, "No sir, danger!" So now when he goes near them, he looks at us and says, "Dangeeeeeeeeer, dangeeeeeeeeeeeer." It sounds like that Busta Ryhmes song from so long ago and makes us laugh everytime. My sweet, sweet boy!

Wordless Wednesday - new shoes

Cough, cough, sneeze

Hudson is still sick. He is still congested, has a runny nose, red eyes, coughing and sneezing. He only woke up twice last night and I hate to admit, but I love that he is allowing me to rock him back to sleep. I feel horrible that he is sick, he looks pitiful and has been very, very whinny. Jonathan is back home and we are so happy! Now if only I could figure out how he does not hear Hudson when he wakes up in the middle of the night......

Hudson update

Thank you so much to everyone who has called or sent messages to check on Hudson. I apologize if I have not picked up a lot of your phone calls. I turned our house phone off and have had my cell on silent. I never know when we are going to be napping lately.

Poor little guy got over the flu to welcome a cold into his life. He woke up hacking and with a runny nose this morning. I feel so bad for him because he looks exhausted but cannot sleep because he is so congested. He has had a few good moments today...


(talking on his cell phone)


He loves the trashcan :(

Who knew?

There are so many things about children that people never told me. Like kids can have a bad reaction to flu shots?!?! Well yes, I found that out yesterday when I realized Hudson was on fire (102.6 temp), vomited for almost 13 hours and was pooping through his diapers. Too much information for some of you but I had 4 hours of sleep and just do not care.

Finally around 4am, he curled up next to me in my bed and fell asleep. As soon as he did, I did too. But guess what happened next. This one-

got the sympathy vomits. She started throwing up and woke Hudson up. Like any good mother (ha) I took Hudson back to his room because who knew how long I was going to be up with a sick dog. Luckily, he fell right back to sleep. Bailey on the other hand kept me up until a little after 5. I usually do not handle dog throw up very well, but I had to suck it up since I was the only one here.

Hudson woke up at 7:30 with a lower fever, but still at 100.2. He is back to sleep and I am crossing my fingers that we all get some rest and he feels much better soon.

Remember this -

Well, it has been 4 days and I still have not found that time to rest.

Hope you have a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend!!!

Hudson at 15 months

Hudson turned 15 months old yesterday. Where has the time gone? He used to be my little baby and now he is my little wild man. We love watching him figure out new things and learn new things. He is very independent but there are also times where he clings to my legs.

We just got back from his 15 month checkup and he did great. Jonathan could not go with us, so I had to survive actually watching him get his shots. I am usually in the corner with my eyes closed, it pains me to see him so upset. But he did great. I snuggled him while the nurse was pricking him and at one point he actually tried to choke me. It was pretty comical. This is what he looks like right at this moment- the doctor really took it out of him



15 month stats

Height: 32 1/4 (82 percentile)

Weight: 26.8 pounds (77th%)

Shoe Size: 5

Clothes Size: Mostly 24 month, but some 18 month stuff still fits, thank goodness

Diaper Size: 5

Food: grilled cheese, peas, carrots, green beans, bananas, blueberries, chicken nuggets, fish, cheese, oranges, kiwi, pancakes, pasta, mashed potatoes, turkey, ham and bologna (I cannot watch him eat that). He does have a food allergy to strawberries and baked apples.

Words and Phrases: He is not much of a talker, he more of less squeals and sings but he does say, "Danks" (thank you), "Dat" which we think is dog, yep, no, mommy, daddy, Bay, sissy or "cha-cha" (Bailey), "mi" (milk), hey and bye.

I can ask him to bring me something such as his juice, ball or any toy and he will go get it for me. He can put all of his shapes in the shape sorter and he loves to stack blocks. He loves stickers, he can take them off the page and put them on paper by himself. He is still completely and madly in love with Bailey. He has become very attached to his blankies. He could look at books all day long. He loves the park and his friends and family. He has a fascination with the dishwasher, Bailey's food and dog bowls, remotes, the computer and cell phones. He will pitch a fit if the phone rings and I do not give it to him. He loves to talk to his 2 year old cousin, Caroline on the phone.

If you ask him for a kiss or a love, he will lay his head right on your lips or cheek (he must be a germaphobe like me and protect his lips). He loves to take his shorts and diaper off. He could play in the bath tub all day. When we tell him it is time to eat, he walks right to his highchair and lifts his arms for you to put him in. If you ask him "how funny is mommy?" he will stretch his arms out as far as he can. He makes a touchdown sign and sometimes howls when we say "Go Pack!" He loves to hold 1 finger up as if he is telling you that he is 1 year old. He can point out body parts, but he mainly does it with Bailey, that poor dog. Trains, trucks and cars are his favorite toys right now. He is a dancing machine and loves to "stir it up." He has started bobbing his head along to music in the car. He is quite the entertainer.

I know I say it all the time but we are so lucky to be him parents!!! What a precious child he is. Happy birthday, little guy.

Wordless Wednesday

I forgot to give you the Wordless Wednesday earlier... sorry


Hudson is so stubborn that he has to "drink" his applesauce out of the cup.

Sick notes

I have been feeling bad for almost 5 days now. If you know me well, you know that I am a bit of a hypochondriac. I almost always diagnose myself when I feel bad. If my head hurts, I am positive it is a brain tumor, if my throat hurts I think I have throat cancer... you get my drift. It drives my poor husband crazy. It all boils down to the fact that I hate going to the doctor. Really hate it.

But yesterday I convinced myself that I needed to go. Jonathan is going out of town for a few days and I cannot feel terrible while he is gone. Plus, I have Hudson to worry about, I would hate myself if I got him sick.

Sweet Jonathan came to work from home during Hudson's nap and I scooted to the doctor. And just like I thought, it was awful. I had to fill out so much paper work, wait 45 minutes to be called in and then I was poked and prodded for another 45 minutes. I realized that I would rather give birth everyday of the week than have a strep test. Nothing was too terribly wrong with me. Just swollen lymph nodes, fluid in my ears, a "dirty" throat and viral infection. The medicine I was prescribed..... rest and fluids. I even got a note....


Because the doctor said, "You are a mom, I know you do not take time for yourself to rest. Maybe if I write this down, you will listen."

Hmmmmm. If only I could have brought the doctor home to explain that to Hudson. At least he volunterred to help me dust today.

Celebrity Friends Wish List

I get really caught up in TV and tabloids. I get attached to people who are on and often wish they were my real friends. Here is my top 5 celebrity friends wish list.

1. Jeff Lewis from Flipping Out
I have a mild obsession with him. He says what he thinks, he is not scared to hurt someones feelings and he is hilarious. He often says things that make other people uncomfortable but it makes me laugh. I totally understand his sense of humor. I would want his sidekick Jenni to tag along too.


2. Bethenny Frankel
Like Jeff, she does not put up with bull and calls it like she sees it. She is witty, sassy and charming all in one. I love famous people who live their lives like an open book and are not scared to show their real lives.


3. Tori Spelling
Her show "Tori and Dean" is one of my favorites of all time. She is so honest, so open about her struggles with her husband, raising her children and having a career. She is so relatable. I love her 3 books and how she is not afraid to open up about her life. Plus, hello, she was Donna Martin!


4. Charles Barkley
I just think he is funny. I could listen to him read the phonebook. He is my favorite NBA player of all time and I love to watch him give interviews. Talk about someone with no shame. And if he was my friend, I am positive that it would make my husband happy too.


5. Carrie Underwood
She seems so shy and like a girl who likes to get the job done and then go home and hangout with her husband. Hanging out with my husband is also my favorite thing to do. I would just like to be her for one day. To have the ability to sell out concerts is my ultimate dream. I sound like a dog being run over when i sing but I love to do it. Not to mention I am pretty sure that she is one of the most beautiful women in the world and I would kill to have her closet.

Monday brain dump

This is how Hudson and I started out the morning.... coffee and half the paper for me. Milk and the other half of the paper for him.




~ I am still exhausted. I woke up this morning and my entire body hurt. I hope I am not coming down with something.

~ I plan on spending Hudson's morning nap catching up on DVR. Ours currently says it is 93% full. I am not doing any housework, chores or running errands today. I want to spend the day with just my favorite little guy. I have not had him to myself in over a week. I may even stay in my pajamas all day.

~ Modern Family starts this week and Jonathan is almost running an hourly countdown for it. It is our favorite show ever.

~ I am having a cooking funk. Nothing sounds good to me except the idea of eating out. Any and all recipe suggestions are welcome.

~ My baby turns 15 months old this week. There are so many times that I ache for him to be a little baby again and to be able to hold and snuggle him all day. I cannot believe what a big boy he is becoming and what a personality he has developed.

Have a great Monday! I am off to curl up on the sofa with another cup of coffee and catch up on my shows from last week.

Sunday Sweetness

This past week has been so much fun. I had so much help but I realized that having company is exhausting. Hudson is constantly busy because he is a toddler, but when you bring a grandparent in for a week, it is a different kind of busy. Mom had a list of fun things she wanted to do with Hudson and our days were literally mapped out.

It was so much fun and Hudson had the time of his life. He also has almost an entire new wardrobe and way too many toys. But I am so beyond tired. Even though she was here, I still did not get too much of a break because she wanted us to do things together. I also was up past my bedtime for the Thursday football game and had the pleasure of sleeping 4 hours before I heard "MAMA."

I took a 2 hour nap today. I never, ever nap unless I am sick. I also think Hudson is still exhausted. He took 2 fantastic naps and went to bed early. Tomorrow should be interesting since it will be the 1st day in a week that we are on our own again. I am sure I will be missing my help.

We tried to have an easy weekend and spent most of it at the park. I love this picture. How can you not love this face?

Friday Confession

I am going to tell you something I did not think I would say..... I LOVED tailgating and going to the game last night! Jonathan and I had so much fun seeing our friends and enjoyed having time together. We even squeezed in a little late lunch date before we headed out there. I am not feeling so hot today but it was so worth it. Hudson had a blast with my mom, but I was so excited to see his face this morning. And how about that Wolfpack!!!!

Randoms

I will not be blogging this week because it is going to be so hectic. So here are my random thoughts for the week...

- My mama is coming to help us out this week. We have a really busy week so I am so excited to have extra hands. We have not seen her since the end of July so it will be nice to see her play with Hudson and see how busy he is now. She has not even seen him walk yet!

- We are getting flu shots tomorrow. Big chance I may be the biggest whiner out of the family.

- Thursday Jonathan and I are going to the NC State football game. It will be my 1st game in over 2 years. Sporting my hot, fat, post baby body was not on my to-do list last year. I am excited to spend time with Jonathan and our friends but there is something about tailgating that freaks me out. Cooking out, eating on the back of our truck that is parked in a dirt parking lot and using plastic utensils is weird. I very well may be the weirdo who takes a salad and bottled water.

- I realized today that giving Hudson his favorite truck to play with at nap time was not a good idea. He wanted to bang it against the wall until he fell asleep.

- I already miss summer pool hours. Opening at 4 does not work for me.

- Hudson's Halloween costume came last week and I almost peed my pants. He is going to be a giraffe and I could keep him in that outfit everyday, he looked so cute. He on the other hand HATES it. He hates anything that has to go on his head and this definitely has a head piece. Jonathan and I spent almost 3 months debating what he was going to be. I am praying that this is not the last year that I can dress him up all cute and cuddly. I dread him asking to be Spider Man and Batman.


- All of "my shows" start this week and next week. I cannot wait. I just have no idea how I am supposed to find time to watch them.

- Yesterday we took our furbaby and real baby to the dog park to play. Hudson was laughing, trying to throw Bailey her ball and running around with us. Jonathan and I were laughing and saying how we think the age that Hudson is now is his most fun age. He is really interactive. I also think this is his most challenging age. He is very busy and trying to figure things out.... how to take picture frames off the bookshelf, how to get into the china cabinet, how to unhook the lamps. He keeps me on my toes, fo sho!

- Hudson decided last night that he did not want to sleep in his pajama pants. He played so quietly until he fell asleep and when I went in to check on him before I went to bed, he had taken off his pants and socks and thrown them on the floor. He also had covered himself in his "cannot sleep without" bird blanket and white blanket from his Aunt Woob. What a character.

- I read 2 books this past weekend. "Love the One You're With" and "Heart of the Matter" both by Emily Giffin. I have never read 2 books in one weekend in my life. I felt so sick and spent every moment that I could in bed while Hudson napped.

That actually may be all my thoughts. Have a great week and do not forget to look at the cute dog collars in the post below!

XOXO

Trendy Puppy

Finding a cute dog collar has always been a pain for me. Bailey is a big girl and needs a collar that is pretty wide. About a year ago I found the website Trendypuppy.com I love it! They have adorable collars that are cute, affordable and hold up wonderfully. Bailey is now on her 3rd collar from there. Here are some of my favorite choices.




(Bailey's current "necklace" as we call it)

Fire "Tut"

Yesterday Hudson and I went to the grocery store. I have had strep throat and wanted to get in and out as fast as we could. As we walked outside Hudson caught sight of what had parked beside us.


(Not the actual one we saw)

He looked at me as if he had just found gold. He loves any kind of emergency vehicle and makes the siren sound when he sees them. Sure enough as he sat so proud in the cart and we walked to the car all I could hear was "weeeeeo weeeeeeeeeo." I was laughing but in my head I was thinking, "Dear God, please let someone be in this truck so he can sit in it."

Sure enough we pulled up right to our car and a fireman yelled out the window, "Hey little man." That was enough to get Hudson to almost jump out of the cart. The nice, nice, nice fireman got out and gave Hudson a high five. We talked for a minute about how old he is, he had an 18 month old little boy and we compared notes. After watching Hudson lunge several times for the firetruck he asked if it would be ok for him to sit in it. "Sure!" I said. So he lunged again for the fireman while I fished around for my camera, only to realize it was at home, thank gosh for phones. (All this time my groceries- milk, icecream, yogurt, etc are all sitting in the cart in the sun.)

Hudson sat in the drivers seat and was hesitant for a minute. But after a while, he was so proud. He reached for all the buttons, steered the wheel and played with the new sticker fireman badge the nice fireman gave him.
The big belly hanging out and half a croc on his foot is how he rolls now!


After a minute or so, I reached up to get him and he literally slapped my hand away and said, "NO, NO!" The fireman said it was fine and he sat with him while I finally loaded the car. At this point another few moments had gone by and I reached for Hudson again.... "NO, NO MAMA." I was getting a little embarrassed. Clearly Hudson runs the show. Finally 2 other firemen started to walk towards us with a cart full of groceries. They all talked to Hudson and I realized that now it really was time to go. I tried to explain to him that the firemen had to go to work. I am sure he had no idea what I was really saying, he is 15 months old. But I feel like if we try and explain things to him, it will help in the long run. He started crying as I climbed in and picked him up (those trucks are tall). They let him beep the horn to which he let out a big giggle. But as soon as I said, "Say bye and thank you." He lost it again. We waved to the men, I thanked them a million times, one of them found a fire safety book and more stickers and gave it to Hudson but even that did not help the tears. We got buckled into his car seat to go home and he was still crying. He kept saying "tut, tut" which I assume is "truck".I realized that it was way past his lunch time so I stopped at the Village Deli to get him a grilled cheese. He was still whinny. But the tears soon ended after he ate. Obviously my boy has a thing for fire tuts!

Looks like we will be baking some goodies to take up to the fire station by our house in hopes of Hudson sitting in a truck again soon. This time with his daddy who handles meltdowns better than I do.

Sick as a dog

You will not be hearing from me the next few days because this is all I will be doing....



And wouldn't you know that Jon is out of town until Sunday. Thank goodness for gorgeous weather so Hudson can run around outside while I sit and blow my nose.

Have a great weekend.

Library card

You get 2 blogs from me today!! Woot, woot!

1. The Boberry biscuit was amazing. Hudson and I each ate one. He paired his with peaches and I sucked down a sweet tea.

2. Hudson is an offical library card carrier! After months or going to the library, I signed him up for his own card now. I guess that means when I forget to return them by the due date, we take the money out of his piggy bank to teach him responsibility.... I kid, I kid. He was so excited when the librarian handed him his bright yellow card. He also got a treat bag for signing up..... a new board book, stickers, pictures to color and a pencil. He loves books.






3. When we got home from the library and Bojangles, we took Bailey to the dog park. It is such a beautiful day!. Hudson laughed hysterically at Bailey chasing her tennis ball and barking for me to throw it again. He sat in the grass and discovered leaves, sticks and dirt. He also walked around some but kept falling because he was laughing so hard.

yummmmm

I am patiently awaiting Hudson waking up from his nap because this is calling my name


Bojangles Bo Berry Biscuit with a gigantic sweet tea with a lemon.

I have behaved so well this week with food and I feel the need to reward myself.
I am also beyond excited that I put on a pair of jeans that I have been dying to fit in for 2 years and they fit perfectly. Exercise is clearly overrated. Just get a toddler who does not sit still and only wants to eat what is on your plate. I cannot tell you when the last time was that I was able to even eat half the food on my plate.

Enjoy your Thursday! (Best night of TV by the way.... Big Brother, Project Runway , The Real Housewives of DC- who are really boring and Jersey Shore)

Wordless Wednesday

Red Keds

There is something about a little boy in red Keds that makes me want to squeal with excitement. Especially on this little nugget.

Slow-cooker lasagna

I know that for a holiday most people grill out, but we were a little lazy today. So instead I am in the process of slow cooker lasagna. The picture did not turn out as well as I had hoped but it sure smells yummy...





What you need:

1 lb. ground beef (I used turkey)

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 cup water

1 container Ricotta cheese

1 pkg. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

1 egg

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

6 lasagna noodles, uncooked


Brown meat in large skillet; drain.

Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.

Mix ricotta, 1.5 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, egg and parsley in separate bowl.

Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into slow cooker; top with layers of noodles spit in half. Cover with some cheese mixture. Cover with 2 cups of the remaining meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles, broken to fit, cheese mixture and meat sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 4 - 6 hours.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses.

Let stand, covered for 10 minutes or until melted.


Served with a salad and french bread, it is sure to be a hit with my boys!

Are you ready for some football?

This weekend marks the start of my life as a football widow. (Cue the violins) Not only is my sweet, precious husband who I adore completely infatuated with the sport but now so is this guy.


Taking a knee on the play


HIKE



TOUCHDOWN BAZEMORE!


His sweet grandmother brought him this mini football this week and I found that we have played with it non stop. And while the sport is still not growing on me, it is helping that my little man loves it so much.

I will be sitting out the game tomorrow (it is going to be 80 and sunny.... hello pool) but Hudson and I will be cheering for the Wolfpack in spirit. Let's just hope my husband makes it home in one piece. I have a feeling the next few months may drag by...............