Christmas

It all started on the 18th with my big family Christmas.  There were about 30 people at my parents' house.  We only buy presents for the kids and I had made a list on Target.com to help people with ideas on what to get for Hudson.  I realized there were only two things on his list that weren't online only when he got three of each of those two things.  Ooops!  Oh well, we had lots of fun and it was great to see Hudson more into it this year, even though he still didn't fully understand what was going on.

Christmas Eve we went up to Shawn's parents' house.  They bought him a few Thomas the Train toys and on top of that they had gotten some new toys to keep at their house for when he comes over.  He also got to see both of his Great-Grandmas from that side which was really special.  He had such a great time and when we left he was definitely over stimulated, but happy nonetheless.  When we got home he got to open his Christmas Eve present from Shawn and I which was a new pair of converse to match his cute Christmas outfit for the next day.

Christmas day started out with just the three of us exchanging gifts.  Hudson got an overflowing stocking, crayons and coloring books, lots of regular books, a couple of Elmo movies, a Puma outfit, and a Thomas the Train book that has buttons and songs on it.  From there we went to Vacaville to see my mom's cousins.  We have a themed gift exchange every year.  We've been doing this as long as I can remember.  The theme this year was green (environmentally friendly) items.  Right up my alley!!  Shawn wound up with a bunch of CFL light bulbs and I got a reusable water bottle.  From there we drove to Folsom to my parents' house where we did our small family Christmas with just my parents, brothers, and sister-in-law.  Hudson got ultra super spoiled and wound up with another overflowing stocking, a tiny recliner, and a fun contraption that has a slide, just to name a few.  He was only seven months old last Christmas so this one was so much more fun!  He loved ripping off the wrapping paper and pulling the tissue paper out of the bags.  He seriously has more stuff now than we all know what to do with and it's still just all over the house because the task of finding places for it all overwhelms me.  I could have a lot worse problems though. He is a very fortunate little boy!

Just Had To Share

So yesterday I was putting Hudson in his car seat and I always kiss him and say "I love you" as I do that.  This time, as I was getting out of the back seat, I head a smacking noise.  I looked at him and he was blowing me kisses!  It was the sweetest thing.  Of course I totally gushed over it and he continued to blow me kisses the entire way to the store.  I know I talk a lot of crap about all the tantrums and trials, but the sweetness and love this little boy brings to my life far outweighs all of that!!!  I mean how could you not love this face?!

Seriously?!

Several things lately have made me say "Seriously?!", often times out loud.  I thought I would share a few.

• I ALWAYS get a squeaky shopping cart when I go somewhere.  It doesn't matter where I am; I'm the one with the noisy cart walking down the aisles.  Then people look at me like I'm the one making it be so loud.  This is not my choice, people!
• Speaking of shopping, the other day Hudson and I were at Target and I was buying a toy for a family member that's about his age.  He was playing with it in the (noisy) cart and when it came time to pay for it I asked if I could have it.  He handed it to me nicely and then proceeded to flip out.  And I mean flip out.  He started screaming at the top of his lungs and thrashing around in the cart.  Of course it was crowded because it's Target in December and all these people turn to look.  Then the woman in front of me in line turns around and says "Oh good.  A child is screaming and it's not mine".  Yeah, super great, lady.  To make matters worse, I had grabbed an item that didn't have a tag on it so the cashier was trying to figure out how much it was.  It was taking a while so she suspends my transaction and starts helping the people behind me.  So now I'm just standing by a crowded register with my psychotic child and waiting.  And waiting.  Luckily, Hudson did calm down and started being really cute and saying "bye bye" to everyone that was behind us in line as they left.  Bi-freaking-polar.
• Speaking of Hudson, I put him in time out the other day because he violently shook the gate that blocks off the kitchen and it came off.  He's usually pretty good about time out and I can just tell him to go sit and he knows where to go and he sits.  He did it this time only as soon as I turned my back to fix the gate, he got right back up.  Lord help us, it has occurred to him that he can get up from time out.  I knew this day was coming, but I was not prepared for it.  I haven't gotten any further in my parenting book, but I have watched Supernanny a few times so I used her strategy.  I looked him in the eyes and told him he needed to stay in time out and I brought him back to the spot.  As soon as I turned around he got up again.  Let me inform you that each time he got up he ran right to me and was laughing hysterically.  Like, seriously hysterically.  And right in my face.  Each time after the initial put-back, I'll call it, I didn't say anything to him or look at him, I just put him back in time out.  I did this probably 8-10 times (all the while he's still laughing his head off) before I just got too frustrated so I put him in his crib, took everything out of it, and walked out of his room.  Oh, how quickly can laugher turn to tears.  I haven't had to put him in time out since then so I'm not sure if this is the new way time out is going to go.  But I do know I better crack open that parenting book.  Seriously.

Lately

When I first started this blog, for some reason I though I would have a lot to talk about.  This has proven to be untrue.  My daily life is pretty routine and scheduled because that is how Hudson likes it.  Nothing out of the ordinary or exciting really ever happens.  Therefore, the rest of the blog is likely to be pretty boring.  Full disclosure.

• Actually, something rather exciting did happen yesterday.  My brother and sister-in-law found out that they are having a boy!  I'm very excited about having another baby in the family.  The due date is, strangely, the same due date as Hudson's was which is April 28.  I see many joint birthday parties in the future.
• Hudson went up a diaper size.  This always makes me unnaturally sad for usually an entire day.  It means he is growing up and getting bigger.  I don't necessarily want this to happen.  I mean look at the changes in him in just the last 6 months.  It's all happening too fast!

• Speaking of Hudson growing up, he is finally starting to enjoy storytime at the library.  It has never really captured his interest before, but yesterday he was totally into it.  In addition to reading a couple of books, they sing some songs and he loved them!  Every time a song was finished he would say "Gain!  Gain!", which translates into "Again! Again!".  Not letting this knowledge go to waste, I now burst into song whenever he is about to throw a fit and it's worked pretty well so far!
• I bought a parenting book a week or two ago.  I bought it because I'm a parent.  But being a parent so often means I don't have time to read it.  What a cruel cycle.  When Hudson is acting out or throwing a tantrum I think "I wonder what my parenting book would say to do in this situation.  I should really try to read it".  I am about half way through it now but to get there it has required me to stay up way later than I want to.  Just something I have to get used to I guess.

See, nothing too exciting (except for the first one).  But, thus is my life.  I expect most of my blogs will contain similar useless information to your life.  I'm warning you now.