Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

Snow arrived in Dallas yesterday and Kaelyn got to see snow for the very first time! We heard it snowed on Christmas eve, but we were in East Texas and missed it. Robbie made it home in time to help capture the moment (and avoid the traffic on the bad roads). We bundled her all up and went outside for some playtime.

Visit to Santa...AGAIN

Here's a little insight into my craziness...I was not at all pleased with Kaelyn's first visit to Santa and the picture that was taken. I spent several sleepless nights concocting a plan to visit a "better-looking" Santa. I'm a little obsessive with my scrapbooking and wanted Kaelyn's first visit to be so special, so we decided to put Kaelyn into her dress again and take her for another picture at Northpark Center on Sunday after church. I checked into the times and found out we could pick up a ticket for our turn in line beginning at 10 a.m. We arrived at 10:45 a.m. and got our ticket with family in tow. We were #139 and were told that we wouldn't be seen until after 4 p.m. that afternoon. Five hours is a bit too long to hang out at the mall for any daddy and baby (plus we were hosting our small group Christmas party later in the evening and needed to get home), so we decided we'd try again Monday. Robbie picked up a ticket at 9 a.m. on Monday morning and we were #104. Santa's helper told us that we could come back anytime after 2:30 (but before 7 p.m.) and hand in our ticket and they'd place us in line with no more than a 15-20 minute wait (Genius plan!). We arrived around 6 p.m. and didn't have to wait at all. The picture turned out much better and now I'm a happy Mommy! Robbie, you are the best for putting up with me!

Mysterious Package from Santa

Yesterday, Kaelyn received a mysterious package from Santa in the mail straight from Candy Cane Lane in the North Pole. Santa wrote her a sweet letter along with her Christmas package with a "First Christmas" ornament inside. Here is what the letter said:

Dear Kaelyn,

You have been such a sweet little girl and have given your

mom and dad so much joy. Since you have been so good this

year, I wanted to give you an early Christmas present. This is

your first ornament from me, so ask mom and dad to place it

somewhere on your tree.

Just remember as you wait for Christmas Day;

that the reason for the season is Jesus's birthday!

Love, Santa

We love you Santa!

ICE, ICE, and Baby...(How the Grinch Stole an Entire Saturday Evening)

Last weekend the Hudson family drove out to the Gaylord Texan to see ICE!, an ice sculpture exhibit featuring Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The plan was to see the exhibit at 5 p.m. and then go eat dinner together. I thought we would be home by 8 p.m. When we got there, we were told it was sold out until 9:30 p.m., and it was running about an hour behind. We didn't get home until almost 1 a.m.! Kaelyn was such a trooper! It was amazing that she didn't get fussy considering her circumstances--she went 4 hours without realizing she hadn't eaten, 7 hours without sleeping (unless you want to count the 10 minute nap while waiting in line), went way too long without a diaper change, and endured 9 degree temperatures for about half an hour. Let's just say that it wasn't our best day as parents. But, we got pictures!

Our little family snuggled in our huge parkas!

"Mom, I'm really over this Grinch thing. Can I please just sleep?"

"I trust you Mom, even though we look like a Sumo Wrestler."

The whole gang

The Grinch and the feast at Who-Ville

Who-Ville Ring Around the Rosy

The Grinch and the famous Ice Slide (which was a total blast)

Remembering the Reason for the Season, the birth of Christ

Roly Poly

Tonight as I was fixing dinner, I put Kaelyn on her playmat. I looked over to check on her and saw that she was on her stomach. I got confused because I was pretty sure that I put her on her back so she could play with the octopus (one of her best friends). I thought I was losing my mind, so I flipped her over and went back to cooking. Next thing I knew, she was on her tummy again reaching for her mirror and bugs. I couldn't believe I had missed her rolling over for the first time. I called Robbie instantly and told him all about it. Since he was on his way home, we decided to keep her off her back and try it again together. When he got home, we pulled out the video camera and this is what happened.

Thanksgiving, Santa and Canton

The Hudson family traveled to Longview for Thanksgiving and spent 4 days visiting family and friends. It was so nice to be there for a lengthy period of time to ensure quality time spent with everyone! Robbie and I enjoyed relaxing and spending some time with each other as well. We watched the Aggies hold their own against Texas (only to lose in the end) and watched Alabama beat Auburn. The food was wonderful and we enjoyed our trip so much!

Kaelyn getting sweet kisses from KK! Nap time with Mimi! Trying to figure out how to get Minnie Mouse's nose in my mouth with PawPaw! Relaxing with GiGi at the Killian Thanksgiving! Snuggling with Nana! Spending time with Aunt Lisette. Great-Aunt Kim is hilarious! Watching the Aggies play football with Brice!

Over the break, Robbie and I took Kaelyn for her first picture with Santa Clause. Poor Kaelyn got dressed up twice for the picture. We first took her to the Frisco mall and got in line. Robbie suddenly realized that Santa was not dressed in his suit, but rather in a night-gown looking shirt and what he called "lifesaver knee socks" (our friends call him Business Casual Santa). This was unacceptable to Robbie, so we pulled her out of line. Before the next trip, I spent some time investigating other mall Santas (since the real Santa is preparing for his big day in the North Pole), and we found Santa in a suit at the WillowBend mall in Plano. We knew it was going to be a 50-50% chance of getting Kaelyn to smile; however, we didn't realize it would be an issue getting Santa to smile! Come on Santa; get in the Christmas spirit! Aren't you supposed to be jolly? No wonder the kids are sometimes afraid of you!

Kaelyn and Santa

Last weekend, Robbie went to the SEC Championship game in Atlanta, GA to watch Alabama defeat #1 ranked Florida, so Kaelyn and I ventured to Canton for the trades days with some girl friends. It was a little chilly that day, so I made sure to bundle Kaelyn up for the trip. I have to say we are the luckiest parents in the world because Kaelyn shopped like a champ and wasn't fussy at all. She slept in her stroller and kicked and laughed when she was awake in the baby bjorn. We found some great stuff and enjoyed our girl time.

Happy 1st Trip to Canton! Many more to come!

Laughing Out Loud

Robbie, Kaelyn and I have spent some great family time together these past few weekends. We've been teaching Kaelyn all kinds of new tricks, but the one we didn't teach her is the cutest...how to laugh out loud. She thinks her daddy is the funniest guy around and Mom can be pretty funny too. She is the light of our life and we love how she smiles with her whole body.

4 Months Old

Kaelyn turned 4 months old on Friday, November 6th! It is so hard to believe how quickly she is growing. It's like we blinked and all of a sudden she was no longer a newborn. I laughed this morning as she became our little show-off for the doctor when she checked all of Kaelyn's developmental progress. We are happy to announce she is right on track with her "Ages and Stages" chart. Here's our new stats:

Weight: 15 lbs. 5 oz.

Height: 2 ft. (24 inches)
Head: 16 3/4 in.

She is in the 85th percentile for her head and weight and the 50th percentile for her length. Unfortunately, we also got a few shots today (including the Swine Flu for Mom and Dad, yuck!). The nurse was so sweet and gave Kaelyn shiny silver bandaids which suits her so well. She loves her bling! Robbie and I cannot imagine what our world would be like without Kaelyn, nor what our life was like before she arrived. She is such a blessing to us and we thank God each day for her!

She really needed her nite-nite after such a traumatic experience! Check out her bling bandaids!

Aggie Football...Whoop!

On Saturday, Kaelyn experienced her first Aggie football game in College Station. Thank goodness the Aggies beat Iowa State (I think she is good luck for the Aggies)! Robbie, Kaelyn and I met up with Mom and Kylen to travel to the game and then met Keeton at Wings 'n' More for some pickle chips (and wings of course) before kickoff. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time.

"I'm ready to watch football, Dad!" Hanging out with KK on the Alumni side of Kyle Field

Quality Time

Robbie and I have enjoyed some great family time lately with Kaelyn. We had a busy October and are looking forward to a relaxing November! We are excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and getting to see all the family. Here are a few photos that I adore and wanted to share.

Kaelyn and her nite-nite friend (we don't leave home without it)
Rocking the snake-skin pants (Mom is always dressing me up in something wild)
Play date with Julianna Truden (isn't it cute how they held hands?)

"Daddy is hilarious!"

"I found myself in the mirror and kind of like to stare at my cute reflection."

The sweetest times (can she even breathe?)

Our Little Pumpkin

On Sunday night, we attended a Halloween party with our small group friends and kids. Kaelyn made her debut as a large-stuffed Pumpkin (however, Dad thought it would be funny to tell everyone she was dressed as a gourd). We thought she looked super cute, but she strongly disagreed.

"Seriously, Mom and Dad???"

"I just want everyone to know that I am not happy as a large Pumpkin!"

Kaelyn's two best friends, Lydia Robinson and Harper Hughes

All the kids from small group (it wasn't easy trying to get them all to stay in one place)


Our little drama queen liked the Halloween outfit and cute bow much better than the costume!

We had a great time with all of our friends and loved seeing all the kids in costume. We are already thinking about Kaelyn's costume for next year!

Perfect Pitch...Or Maybe Not

Tonight as I watched television, Robbie was entertaining Kaelyn and had her smiling and laughing out loud...then he started singing.

Chatterbox Kaelyn

As new parents, Robbie and I are realizing how Kaelyn changes daily and we have been keeping the camera and camcorder close by to catch those moments. Today during the Alabama vs. Arkansas game, Kaelyn became a chatterbox. We aren't exactly sure what she was trying to tell us, but it was precious nonetheless.

Look At Me Go

Kaelyn is staying awake much more now and just recently discovered her mobile in her crib. She loves to kick and smile at it while it sings to her.

Tummy Time

Kaelyn is 10 weeks old now and is so much fun! She has learned how to stick out her tongue and smiles more. We just went to the doctor for our 2 month check-up and Kaelyn received 4 shots which is a lot for a baby. We survived though (I should say I survived; she was a champ). The doctor went through the normal checklist to find out her eating and sleeping patterns, her weight (12 lbs. 5 oz.), and how strong she was getting in her upper body. This is where it went wrong; I got scolded a little by the pediatrician for not giving her enough tummy time. I explained to her that Kaelyn loves to nap on her tummy (another No-No even though that is how babies of the 80's and 90's slept through the night) and that she loves to rest on her side. Unfortunately, awake tummy time isn't as pleasant and Kaelyn isn't a big fan yet.

Apparently, a 2 month old should be able to push up on their arms and move their head from side to side. Robbie and I hadn't seen Kaelyn try this trick yet. Since then, we've put her on her tummy a lot more and she is finally moving her head side to side like she's supposed to (shame on us for not allowing her to accomplish this milestone sooner).

I did it Mom and Dad!

On another note, Sunday night was a sad day for us in the Hudson household because we moved Kaelyn out of our bed and into her bassinet for the first time. We tried putting her in her bassinet from the time when we brought her home, but we loved having her close to us (or rather in the middle of us) which is where she has been for entirety of her little life. We've been ready to try it, but we kept saying just one more night because she is such a great cuddler. Her daddy loves to have her sleep in the crook of his arm, and she loves it too because she would sleep for the longest stretch of the night there. Since she is becoming more aware and more mobile, we decided Sunday was it and knew we were in for a long night of restlessness. I swaddled her (which we didn't think she would like since she hasn't been swaddled in a long time) and laid her down with our new sound machine that hums peaceful rain sounds. She went right to sleep and slept until 5:30 a.m. It was so great and we were thankful that it was a smoother transition than what we anticipated. We plan on moving her to her nursery upstairs between 4-6 months and that will be another sad day. We are just taking everything one day at a time and enjoying each stage for the time being!

College Football Confusion

Between Roll Tide Roll and Gig Em' Aggies, Kaelyn is experiencing college loyalty confusion. Thank goodness Alabama and Texas A&M aren't in the same football conference or we'd be at odds all the time! We dressed Kaelyn in her Aggie dress and her Alabama dress to kick off the football season this past weekend. Mimi and Pawpaw were in, and Kaelyn finally got to meet her uncle (he's actually her second cousin, but more like an uncle) Jordan from Houston. Aunt Lisette and Uncle Bentley were also in attendance for the big event. We celebrated the Labor day holiday with shopping with Mimi and Lisette during the day on Saturday and the Bama game that evening with all the guys. Kaelyn got lots of new clothes for the fall since she is quickly outgrowing her small wardrobe. She is already a great shopping partner! The weekend was lots of fun, but Kaelyn was worn out from it all and slept for 7 hours on Sunday night! Yeah for Mom!

Kaelyn's First Photo Shoot

We took Kaelyn to have her first set of professional pictures made and received the pictures last night! She was 5 weeks old when they were taken! She was such an angel while the photographer put her in many different poses. I can't believe she slept through most of it. We are going to have to keep the boys away for sure! I've posted a few of my favorites!
I love my pink hat!

I Love Mommy!

Such a Daddy's Girl!