Hudson Nolan Coleman: The First Year

Similar to what I have done for E in the past, I have stuck to my guns and completed a memory book that captures Hudson's first year. While E's memory books have made great Christmas gifts, H's memory book comes in just in time for a solid Easter gift for grandparents.

Click here to view this photo book larger

If your interested in making a memory book of any kind, I highly recommend Shutterfly - their application is very easy to use, and I have had great experience with their customer service.

24 pounds of TROUBLE!

If there was ever a boy who was put on this earth to keep me on my toes, I am pretty sure its my baby boy!

We are in that stage of discovery and independence, and while this is a great from a one year old's perspective, its wearing on my last nerve as a mother!

 It seems every time I turn around he is into something... I think he believes he was put on this planet to identify the baby loop holes in our house - and trust me, there are many of them!

I guess the biggest challenge for me is believing that he can and will get into something each and every time I am not all up in his grill. His older brother was not that kind of a kid, and still isn't. E's level of mischief is actually pretty pathetic as it isn't worth charting on the holy graph of mischief. However, I can see that H is making up for that.

I try not to compare my boys... because while they are brothers, they are very different personalities and as such require different parenting techniques. But I can't help it! For E, raising your voice just an octave or two got his attention and deterred him from any further destruction, but for H, raising your voice three octaves (or down right screaming your head off) doesn't do anything but encourage him to continue his actions. Once he has it locked in his mind that he wants to do something, I have yet to discover a technique that will change his mind.

This week, H discovered that he's tall enough to pull the door handle open that leads to the basement stairs. When E was in this stage, we kept the door to the basement shut and that was the end of it. We actually only installed one baby gate in the whole house at the top of the second floor stairs for E. But now with H, its a different story. He insists on opening the basement door and I can't trust that he won't instinctively go head first down the stairs, so we took new measures to ensure that doesn't happen - a second gate. 

He's not pleased about it, but at least I can safely contain him to the first floor and do so with peace of mind. Of course... restricting him only triggers the 'what kind of trouble can I cause under her nose' button, and it turns into issues like these... 

But such is life... with a busy boy!

He's not all trouble all the time, every now and again, we are pretty pleased with his actions... like last weekend, before the baptism, he decided to take his first unassisted steps... in the presence of Grandma & Grandpa B too!



We love him to pieces... we just hope, like all parents of a busy boy, that its JUST A PHASE!

 

Dramatic First Haircut!

My baby boy just sheded another layer of his baby days as we took him to get his very first haircut. If it were up to PC this haircut would have happened around the eight month mark, but in my books, it could not occur until after his first birthday.

Why?

Well, no concrete reason of course, but from my standpoint babies don't need haircuts, little boys do... and before turning one I still considered my boy a baby!

H did celebrate his first birthday back in December, but we just got around to scheduling the haircut (with our neighbour across the street) last week!

Prior to the haircut, H had some pretty cute little wings growing .... he was all business in the front, party in the back, but post hair cut he is looking a little more business all around.  I swear with every haircut that E gets, he ages just a little, and the same can be said for sweet baby boy now.  He's a little more of a boy and a less of a baby with this first milestone now under his belt.

The hair cut itself was high drama - you would think we were branding a suspecting cow! One look at the hairdresser - who we know quite well - and H was full of hysterics! He definitely felt the need to audition for the part of 'very upset baby' for the duration of the haircut, but in the end he was all smiles and happy to have a new 'do!

Of course, being the good Mother I am... I snapped a few photos as the drama unfolded. You can see for yourself just how good of a little actor we have on our hands!

 The 'BEFORE'

And let's begin... 

Tricked you... piece of cake!

 

A letter to Hudson: Happy First Birthday Sweet Boy!

 Today, my sweet boy, you are one.

A year ago today, we were up bright and early heading to the hospital for an induction, only to have to wait 12 hours (in addition to the previous 11 days) for your arrival.  But... you were well worth the wait. You actually surprised us by making us think your birthday was going to be the 17th of December, but then deciding in a flash that you were making the 16th!

And here we are a year later... I could not imagine my life without you. And I could not imagine our family without you in it. You were the missing piece of the puzzle, and now we are complete, because of you!

I am still amazed at how we function as a family of four. You are such a good little boy, a happy baby, and a boy that knows what you want! At 21 lbs, you wake up with a smile every morning, and you go to bed at night just the same.  You sleep like a rock, and you have given Mommy an easy go during her time off with you (some might say too easy)!


You and your brother have a budding friendship. He entertains you to no end, and he is teaching you many things. He has been so generous in sharing his things with you, and you've done the same in return, but I have a feeling as you both grow older your generous ways may tighten up just a little!

Over the last year you have taught me so many things about myself. I can hardly believe that last year at this time I was terrified to be left alone with you and your big brother, but now, I absolutely adore the time we have together, just us.  I can't wait for you to grow... and for you and your brother to do boys things together, and for our family to experience all things Canadian.

I rocked you before bed last night and I was clinging to you as I feel your baby days are quickly fading. You are becoming more independent each day, not yet walking, but eager and persistent at trying to pull yourself up on every piece of unstable furniture we own.  You have the army crawl down to a science, and are always running time trials to see how quickly you can disappear on us when we turn our back for a second. 

Your favorite things to do right now are roll a ball and chase it, play with the dirty broom, or crawl around with a hockey stick in tow! You also love to play peek-a-boo and watch your big brother bust a move.

You are babbling up a storm... and while we can't quite make out the words you are saying just yet (beyond Ma-Ma and Da-Da), you definitely have a persistence about you, ensuring we understand you.  Your pointer finger is always in action whether it be at your brother, a specific food you want, a cup, a light fixture or a car on the road. You love to point and you make sure we get the point before you put that finger down!

You are a good eater, and are quickly discovering that finger foods are the way to go. You no longer like to be served your meal, but rather love the self-serve option. You still like to let us know your finished eating by dramatically throwing your food on the floor and giggling yourself into hysterics when we tell you not to do that.

And that laugh... it is the highlight of my days! You got that gene from your Daddy, but you are sure making it your own. You love to giggle and your laugh is infectious to those around you.  When you get going, you get an extra twinkle in your eye which surely means you are destine for mischief but that's okay (for now) as we know you are discovering the world and learning about life.

I am so thankful for the special year we have spent together.  You have made me realize that being a mother is a big deal, and it is a gift to have not only one but two special boys in my life.  I love you to pieces little man, and I want you to know that no matter what, Daddy and I will always be here for you - to love you, guide you, protect you, and support you in everything you do.

You are our special little boy Hudson, and on your first birthday you are loved more than any words could express.  I wish for you a year of health and happiness in all the new adventures your second year will bring.

I love you today and always.

Mom
xoxo

2011: A visit with Santa (@ Carlingwood Mall)!

It wouldn't officially be Christmas in our household without a little trip to see the big guy in the red suit.

You may recall that our attempt to see Santa Claus last year with E was unsuccessful in snapping the traditional Santa & Me photo, but E does love all things Ho-Ho, and this year his excitement should be bottled up and stored for when he is 14.

H on the other hand has never officially met Mr. Red Suit, and at first he seemed okay with it, but when it came time to hand him over, he had a little freak out. I really wasn't expecting it because E at that age was so content and unaware of strangers, but H is a different baby, and frankly and he and Santa did not hit it off. The best part of the entire scene may have been when E tried to reassure H by saying 'its okay Huddy Buddy', when really E was questioning the whole thing too!

A week or so ago I asked for some advice on Twitter about who had the best mall Santa, and I got several opinions. In the end, we opted to go with Mr. Claus at Carlingwood Mall. I like the photo option with this mall Santa, as it was $10 and they gave you a DVD on the spot of all the photos they snapped during your interaction with Santa.  Santa himself at Carlingwood was also a selling feature.  He was very welcoming and took the time to get to know the boys without rushing them into the photo op. In addition, both boys got a little stuffed toy to take away (not CANDY)!

Overall, the fact that E did not want to do the Usain Bolt 100M dash outta there was a success in itself, and while H was a bit upset about his first encounter, it definitely could have been worse!  E did get to tell Santa that 'I'mah been a good boy' and 'I want a FIRETRUCK'.  I think Santa got it loud and clear by the end... firetruck - Emery - check!

Here are a few photos from the days events! Thank you Carlingwood Santa and your photo elves! We'll be back next year!

As a side... not sure if you saw the article in the Globe and Mail recently about taking your kids to get 'the photo' with Santa, but its worth a quick read if your looking for a chuckle! My colleague, Emilie, is in the cover photo with her son and daughter. Classic photo! If you have time be sure to browse through the photo album that goes with the story.

10 Months: Picking Up Cheerios

My baby boy is now 10 months old.

The more I am enjoying my time at home with him, the more I am realizing the reality of returning to work in two short months. I often hear myself telling others, if you want a year of your life to fly by, have a baby! Its sounds a little absurd, but its so true - at least for me! The time is flying by... but let's not dwell on it (right now)!

At the 10 month mark, H is an eating machine... baby foods are almost non-existent. He's onto full blown table food, and is loving the finger foods.  We are having a small issue with cheerios lately. Well... its my issue more than his, but for every 50 cheerios I put on his tray, I am picking up 48 off the floor. Its the age of discovery, where he is entertained by dropping one (or many) items on the floor, over and and over and over again. Meal time gets old fast with this Mommy, but he is LOVING his food. He practically needs a bath after every meal... as he likes to dive into everything he's offered.

H is a whopping twenty pounds... and he's like dead weight if you have to carry him around on your hip for too long. Talk about a forearm workout (problem is my left arm is ripped, my right arm ... flab)! He's solid, but he's so happy and becoming more vocal about everything.  He has the Ma's and Da's down pat... and can associate one with the other. He also likes to talk your ear off ... no matter what the subject, he can definitely share his opinion!

He's on the move too... crawling forward in the army stealth mode and starting to help himself to whatever he's sees at his level. His big brother has been a huge help in making sure he doesn't get into anything that he shouldn't be!

If he's on his game... he can wave hello and goodbye on command! Very cute, and very fun to see him react to something you ask him to do! This boy also has a daily case of the giggles... its one of the best part of the days listening to him focus in one thing and whether its the word 'poop' or his brother running circles around him, his laughter is infectious and can cure any bad mood!

The 10 month photo shoot was lots of fun... we had to wait for the rain to clear up but it was worth the wait.

Hudson, at 10 months, you are such a fun little boy... eager for independence, but satisfied with the life that surrounds you! I love you to pieces my little pumpkin! Happy 10 months!

It's was a Wiggley good time!

Tuesday night was a big night for us... or I should say... for E, as we've had tickets to The Wiggles for months now, and he's been counting down the sleeps until he got to go to the show.  E was super excited to go to 'Ot-ta-wa' to see the famous Wiggle quartet... and they did not disappoint. For a $15 ticket... I'd say we got our monies worth and then some! E LOVED the music, the crowd, and all of the dancing along to his favourite Wiggley tunes! H enjoyed the show too (when he wasn't snoozing), and I think in a year or so - he'll be a big Wiggles fan too!

The only downfall for PC and I is that since Tuesday night we've been singing 'Hot potato hot potato'... and 'Choo-Choo Chugga-Chugga big red car... we travel near and we travel far'!!  Oh well... it was definitely worth it to see the look on E's face when the show began and with the introduction of each Wiggle and WIggley friend! 

Of course, we couldn't escape Scotiabank Place without some Wiggles souvenirs... well, we could if it was just PC taking E, as he was not into the 'pay through the nose' pricing, but E set his eyes on a 'Wags the Dog' hat ... and while we tried to sway him into something a bit cheaper, his heart was set on it. And, I have to say, he truly hearts it (and he should for twenty bucks)!  I also picked up a Wiggles book too... for another twenty bucks, as that's putting money into educational value, but that's a whole other blog!

All in all, if you have an opportunity to take your young kids to see The Wiggles, I highly recommend it! The show was an hour and a half... it started right on time, and was just long enough that kids weren't overtired or bored. We chose seats in the front row of the middle bowl at Scotiabank as I was afraid E might be a little overwhelmed if we were too close, but  any seat in the house would have been great! E loved the show and if your kids like The Wiggles, they will not be disappointed.

Overall.. two thumbs up for The Wiggles!

Old MacDonald had a farm... (an Experimental one)!

This past weekend we took advantage of an overcast and potentially rainy Saturday and decided to visit the Experimental Farm in Ottawa. It turned out to be the best day.

I knew E would love it before we entered the parking lot... but I didn't imagine he would talk about it for days on end afterwards! I think because the weather was so iffy lots of people decided to stay indoors which made the farm a dead zone.  There were maybe 20 people there in total... so we had a great time roaming our way through all the barns and stables at our own pace... and E really got a chance to explore the agriculture world.

The cows 'mooed', the horses 'neighed', the pigs 'oinked' and the sheep 'baa'd'! It was a live version of Old MacDonald and then some! The tractor exhibit was also a pretty exciting highlight of the day... E got to try out all types of different tractors, his favourite being the biggest one - similar to one he got to ride in at Farmer Logan's last summer!

H was a cool customer as well, didn't sleep the entire time we were there... and just loved watching his big bro describe all of the animals to him - and getting up close and personal with a few barn friends of his own!

All in all it was a great family day! If you are in need of something fun and cheap to do with your kids in the Ottawa area, I would highly suggest the Experimental Farm/Agriculture Museum - you will not be disappointed!