The Fill's

Thanksgiving Fun!

2011-11-30T11:37:00.001-06:00

I am SO behind!! So I am going to make this a good one!

We had a wonderful time celebrating Hudson's first Thanksgiving! We loaded up and headed to my hometown and spent the holiday eating and eating! J fried the turkey, I made the sweet potato casserole and dressing, and we had about 50 other sides to go along! Hudson LOVED his first Thanksgiving meal! His Gigi's vegetables taste A LOT better than Mommy's! (Gigi seasons her veges with bacon!...that's the secret ingredient that makes them delicious!) Hudson had a great time riding on all of Poppy's toys! He loved helping drive the tractor, mule, and 4wheeler! Hudson really enjoys seeing the cows and riding around...and his Poppy certainly loves taking him around! Here are some pics!

Dada frying the turkey! It was delish!

Great Aunt Lisa!

Gigi Sugar :)

Hudson's Feast:)

Sweet Babies rocking together

Me and the cousins

Sweet boy!

My Sis and Lan

Lan touching Hud's nose;)

Come on lets go!!!

Hudson "reading" while getting his nasty diaper changed ;)

Sweet girl

Hanging out with Poppy!

Drinking Mommy's water...

She had to have some too...what one gets, the other has to have it too ;)

No love :(

This boy is all boy! Loves anything that has wheels and keeps him on the go!

Sweet Poppy!


Hud and his Great Pawpaw! Hud is his "spokesmodel"

Playing with his Great Granddaddy

Looking at the barge go by at Ezell's

Looking at the Swamp Monkey!

Here is a cute video of Hudson talking on the phone:

Across the street from Gigi and Poppy's is a beautiful old, historic church. We decided to take our Christmas pictures there and they turned out pretty good. I need to learn how to EDIT though. Here are just a few of the 500 I took. Thanks to my special assistants for all of your help...we appreciate you Gigi and Poppy!

Thank you Gigi and Poppy for having us! We love you guys! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving too!

Love,

J, E, and H

H: 10 mo, 1 w

10 Months Old!

2011-11-16T09:46:00.001-06:00

Wow. Wow. Wow. We almost have a 1 year old! Truly unbelievable!

Weight: 20 lbs, 4oz

(his weight last week at the Dr.)

Length: Almost 30"

Bottle:5oz at bedtime

Sippy Cup: 5 oz at breakfast & at lunch; 4-5 oz around 3 for a snack

Solids: No baby food whatsoever! He loves pretty much everything! He has a huge appetite, which this Mommy loves! Nothing better than seeing my precious boy eat! Carrots are his favorite vege, he loves all fruit, is obsessed with raisins, and even loves the kids meal at Chipotle (cheese quesadilla, rice, and black beans)...you name it, he eats it!

Sleeping: He has gotten so much better...probably because we no longer go in his room at night when he wakes up. Lesson learned, I know:)

Bedtime: 7-7:30

Naps: He still takes an early morning nap around 9 for about an hour and a 1/2 & one in the afternoon for about an hour or so around 1-1:30.

Diaper Size: 3

Teeth Count:6! Two on the bottom, 4 across the front on top :) No new ones, YET!

-Hudson still loves music and now dances! He loves to sway back and forth or kinda rock/bounce up and down. The cutest thing ever! He starts dancing immediately when he hears music. He loves to stare at the blue box on the music channel when it's on:)

-He knows what the remote does. When he gets it, he presses buttons, points it to the tv, and watches the tv to see if it is going to do something:)
-Favorite toys: his MI football (thanks Grandma!), he was pushing around his table toys so LanLan passed her walker down to him and he loves it!! He gets super frustrated when he gets in a spot where he can't go, since he has not figured out how to turn it around. He also loves his Number book. He lets me count the objects, say the number, and then he flaps his arms and pats the book, smiles, and claps.
-He is now having tantrums, which I find funny;) This started just before we got the walker toy and worsened with the walker. The tantrums first were him throwing his head and body back...he figured out that it was painful on the floor so he is now throwing himself forward. He goes forward, head down, palms on floor, and screams...NO tears;) He looks up and around for a reaction and when he does not get a response, back down he goes.
-Gives the BEST kisses when you ask for one
-Lays his head down on your chest when you ask him for love:)
-He has a new expression/smile: he squints his eyes, scrunches his nose, and gives you the biggest cheesiest smile ever:)
-Claps when you say "Yay!"
-Still jabbering like crazy
-Still loves being on the go and school
-Biggest flirt ever! Smiles and charms everyone he sees!

My goodness we love this precious boy so much! We are so thankful for his health, his oh so vibrant personality (even the tantrums!), and that precious sweet smile. We love our wild man and are having so much fun watching him grow and change each day!

Have a great day!
Love,
J, E, & H

H: 10 mo

Hudson's Halloween Adventures!

2011-11-05T14:39:00.002-05:00

Boo at the Zoo!


Ready to go!


Aunt Amy and LanLan

Cutest Monkey EVER!

Mrs. Beth & sweet buddy Dax!

WAR EAGLE!

Halloween Eve - Hudson and the Candy ;)

Going to check out the candy!

In his own world, LOVING it! I think he sucked on every piece just hoping to get a taste!

Time to clean up...he was MAD. Pitched a fit! Kicked his feet, waved his hands, & screamed bloody murder!

Oh but please!

Hard, hard life!

Halloween 2011

Precious little Pumpkin with his first pumpkin!

Our Pumpkins :)

Candy Time!

Halloween 2011 - Trick or Treating

Mrs. Reagan and John Ashton!

About half way around the neighborhood, this little cow was over it!

Sweet neighbors!

Aunt Amy, Uncle Scoot, & LanLan

Sweet Buddies:)

Aunt PB!

Playing so sweet with his friends!

We had a great time with our friends and fam with our little cow! We are getting ready for the big AL-LSU game today, even though we are AU fans...should be a good one! Have a great weekend!

Love,
J, E, & H

Fun Happenings

2011-10-29T10:48:00.000-05:00

We have had a fun few days, even though little man is teething something terrible. :( We had sweet Landry over one night, so her Mommy and Daddy could go on a date. Those two babies are not cousins...they act like brother and sister. They seriously interact like siblings and fight like siblings too. Hudson loves to grab Landry and she does NOT care for him to bother her, AT ALL. He will sneak in a hair pull here and there and she goes for the pinching and/or biting. I am sure it will grow into a true love/hate relationship bc they are 2 very independent and strong-willed kiddos. Here are some pics of the two little ones.

We were suppose to go to Boo at the Zoo last night, but the weather did not work in our favor...so we hung out at the Casa de Fill and had TOO MUCH FUN! Landry was with us again last night and we had several friends over with their kiddos...chaos but so fun! We have the best neighbors that have become our best friends and we just lobe them and their little ones SO much! Here are some pics:)


Kiddos minus 2:)

I love these two more than I could ever explain:)

Amidst all of the crazy chaos, little man stood up all by himself TWICE! NO assistance, no table, no nothing! AND I actually got a picture of the first time on camera while taking pictures of the kids playing and the second time! Here's the second time :)

ECSTATIC I have this pic!!!

Have a great weekend!
Love,
J, E, & H

H: 9.5 mo
L: 17 mo

First Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-28T09:21:00.002-05:00

We 3 headed out to the Old Baker Farm last weekend with Amy, Scooter, and little girl (Landry) and had the BEST time! We got to see several different farm animals, went on a hayride to the pumpkin patch and picked some pumpkins, saw a Civil War reenactment (was super loud...cannons, guns, etc - Hudson was NOT a fan, was afraid he left with a pumpkin AND some sort of nervous disorder from all of the insanely loud booms!), and ate Fried Snickers & Oreos and delicious Cajun Boiled Peanuts! I could seriously spend every weekend there! This is definitely going to be a tradition for us every October! Here are some pictures from our trip!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

Sweet nurse, Katherine, that took care of Hudson and I when he was born :) More than love her!

Had to keep this one a leash ;) Like mother, like daughter;)

Checking out the ducks!

Mommy Amy reliving her experience of being bitten by a duck as a child..LanLan was protecting her ;)

LOVED the animals!

So sweet!

Impossible photo op! ;)

"Should we smile at least one time for them Lanlan?" Landry" "Nah."

Civil war reenactment...we were simply waiting in line for the hayride to the pumpkin patch and feeling like extras in the movie Sweet Home Alabama...

HATED, with good reason, the cannons and guns!

"Why I ought a..."

The loves of my life

They were thrilled that I had my camera...

Our sweet pumpkin!

Ohhh Daddy Scoot! ;)

Sweetest girl ever:)

THE END :)

We are off to Bat at the Zoo tonight with little man and several friends with their little ones! Hope the weather holds out! Have a great weekend!

Love,

J, E, & H

H: 9mo 1.5w

9 Months!

2011-10-19T11:15:00.000-05:00

Weight: 19 lbs, 8oz

Length: 29"

Bottle: 5 oz in the am & at lunch; 6 oz around 3 and then again at bedtime

Solids: HDF is eating a mix of baby foods (stage 2 & 3), as well as table food too - which he loves! He has had grits, mashed potatoes, blueberry bagels, biscuits, noodles, macaroni and cheese, chicken, eggs, bacon, carrots, peas, blueberries, and his first "real meal" with Mommy and Daddy was Chicken Pot Pie Muffins! He loved it! He is still doing great picking up food and just the other day, I put a spoon of grits in front of him and he picked it up and put it in his mouth!

Sleeping: Over the past 5 days or so - Hudson has finally been able to keep himself asleep when he wakes up and has not been sitting up, then standing! Which is AWESOME! Let's pray it stays that way and we can finally get back to normal (after 2 months of this)!!

Bedtime: 6:45-7

Naps: He is napping pretty well if he is not bothered too much with his teeth. He still takes an early morning nap around 9 for about an hour and a 1/2 & one in the afternoon for about an hour or so around 1:30.

Diaper Size: 3

Teeth Count:6! Two on the bottom, 4 across the front on top :)

-Little man is crawling and crawling FAST! He gets really excited when the laundry room door is open and he darts for it! He is moving around the house by walking, using any object he can to hold onto. He LOVES the end table at our couch bc he loves to try and pull the lamp off of it. He has kind of become a little demolition man around here!

-Still loves his teachers and school! He is still doing so great and just loves his friends and interacting with them. His teacher said that he gets super excited when playing with his friends that he starts wanting to pull on the other children, so they have to move him away and give him a toy;)
-LOVES his footballs! Current favorite toys for sure! Besides cords of course!
-Loves riding in his wagon around the neighborhood
-Claps when you say "Yay!"
-Gives you a kiss you when you ask for one
-His signature sound is "Hmm Hmmm, Hmm, Hmmm" over and over and OVER!! when he wants something or wants your attention
-His newest syllable is "ma" (yay!!), along with : deh, di, and da. Oh and Hmmm of course!
-Still loves music
-Loves being on the go, loves people, and new places
-Loves being outside and loves the grass!

Here are a few pictures from this morning that I took before we left for school!

Sweet Curls!

Can anyone tell me where my baby boy went?

We officially NO LONGER have a baby :-/ He is growing up so fast, but it gets more and more fun each day!

Have a great week all!
Love,
J, E, & H

We Love Playdates!

2011-10-06T10:46:00.003-05:00

Hudson and Mary Ross :)

Wild Things!

Ready to Go!

Sweetest Boys ever!

Hudson LOVES playing with his friends! We are really lucky to have so many little friends for Hudson to play with:)

It's almost Friday!!

Love, J, E, & H

H: 8.5m

A Good Down Home Time!

2011-10-03T21:07:00.002-05:00

Hudson and I took a little trip to Butler (actually Mt. Sterling) & Sweet Water to visit with Gigi and Poppy while Daddy stayed back and had a "workathon". Hudson had so much fun getting plenty of attention and getting to be somewhere besides his house! We went and visited with PawPaw, rode around on the mule, met the cows (which he loved until they mooed - pics below!), ate grits for the first time (PawPaw's - who makes the best grits ever), and just played and played! It was so nice being back home and we loved getting to spend so much time with everyone!

Driving the mule!

Such a big boy!

Captivated by the cows!

Mommy and Baby!

3 Generations

Playing with Poppy!

Eating in Mommy's old highchair!

Off we go!

Byebye!

Sweet:)

Checking out the cows!

The result of the cow Mooing too loudly ;)

Learning to share...well sort of! Landry has taught Hudson how to take toys away and here he is implementing this new skill and poor Kaci could not figure out why he was taking things away...too cute!

Thanks for the great trip! We had so much fun and are ready to come back!
Love,
J, E, & H

Hudson: 7 mo 4w (during trip)

First Trip North!

2011-09-27T09:21:00.000-05:00

Back in August (another late post!), Hudson took his first plane ride north to visit with Grandpa & Grandma and many other friends and family. Many had not met him yet, so it was so fun for us to show off our handsome, precious boy! ;) Here are some pictures from our trip...I'll let the pictures tell the story!

First Plane Ride
He did so great! Going and coming! We thankfully had great "seatmates" that did not mind us having a little tagging along...whew! No blowouts, no smelly fluids or releases of any kind! Could not have been a better experience!

We started the trip with a "Sip and See" for everyone to meet Hudson. We had a great time and Hudson LOVED all of the attention! He's a charmer!

Hudson and his Great Aunts
(Carrie and Fran)

Fun Times with Grandma!
These two had a ball with each other! Hudson loved playing with Grandma on the beach with his sand toys, "driving" the seadoo, and he loved the little red wagon - especially when Grandma pulled him in it. He loved for Grandma to push him in the stroller too!

Fun Times with Grandpa!
Hudson had so much fun with his Grandpa too! Hudson loved having a buddy to watch Mickey Mouse with and to play with his toys with! He loved walking on the beach with his Grandpa and getting in Lake MI with him! These two spent lots of quality time together and had many great "talks" ;)

Other Fun Pictures from the trip!

We had a wonderful time in MI and we thank Grandpa and Grandma for the wonderful week and time we had!

Hudson: 7 months (during trip)

Love,
J, E, & H

8 Months Old!

2011-09-27T07:33:00.002-05:00

Our Precious Baby Boy!
He is now about 8.5 months old...I am just WAY late on this post!!

Little monkey! Always climbing and pulling himself up on everything!

He wants everything he sees! (the camera)

Weight: 18-19

Length: 29"

Bottle: 5 oz in the am & at lunch; 6 oz around 3 and then again at bedtime

Solids: He loves solids! His favorite is apples! We have recently introduced him to grits and he LOVES them! We've also given him the baby yogurt and his favorite is apple cinnamon. He love all of the baby snacks: puffs, yogurt melts, & the wholegrain corn puff things (cheese flavor).

Awake: We are steadily trying to resolve the waking up screaming bloody murder thing...slowly but surely we will end it! This is not your average cry, I want my paci whine...it is all out "Mommy I am dying" , so loud screams...uncontrollable crying . Hopefully we will get past it soon.

Bedtime: 6:45-7

Naps: Takes an early morning nap around 9 for about an hour and a 1/2 & one in the afternoon for about an hour or so around 1:30.

Diaper Size: 3

-Has 3 teeth! The first one came in on the TOP RIGHT, very weird! And then the bottom, middle two came in simultaneously
-Crawling! Scooting! Anything to get to where he wants to be!
-He is now 110% able to sit up and then stand up in his crib....and scream bc he wants out.
-Pulls up on couch, coffee table, ME
-Loves his teachers at MDO! Doing so great at "school". His teachers always tell me how smart he is and oh so active :)
-Loves riding in his wagon around the neighborhood
-Really is fond of animals or is at least very intrigued...dogs and cows so far
-Tracks everything...people, cars, etc
-Loves to eat ice
-Waves byebye!
-Still LOVES music
-Loves Peek A Boo
-Loves for us to laugh with him
-Loves pots and pans
-Patting things
-Clapping (his left hand is balled up into a fist and the other is open)
-Loves chewing on everything
-Loves to have anything you have and playing with things he is not suppose to
-Knows the difference between his toy computer and Mommy's real one
-Jumping in the jumperoo
-Pulls his puzzle playmat apart

This past month has been a huge month for Hudson. SO many changes, SO fast! Teeth (3), crawling, waving, pulling up, etc...it's all happening way too fast!

Love,
J, E, & H

7 Months!

2011-09-07T19:56:00.006-05:00

The 17th was also Mommy's 25th Birthday :)

Weight: 16-17?

Length: around 28?

Bottle: 5-6 oz in the am & at lunch; 6 oz around 3 and then again at bedtime

Solids: He has liked pretty much everything we have offered him and has been doing SO much better eating. LOVES the Apple Strawberry Buddy Fruits!

Awake: He has started a horrid habit of starting to wake up several times a night screaming and then wanting to be wide awake at 5, but I do not let us start our day until 6-6:30 in hopes of breaking the habit.

Bedtime: 6:45-7

Naps: Getting better! Takes an early morning nap around 9 for about an hour and a 1/2 & one in the afternoon for about an hour or so around 1:30.

Diaper Size: 3

-Sitting up completely on his own and is not wobbly
-Waves byebye!
-Pulls up to stand in crib or by grabbing your hands/fingers
-Loves to dance to channel 816 (Today's Hits); really loves the song Party Rock Anthem
-Loves Peek A Boo
-Loves for us to laugh with him
-Loves pots and pans
-Patting things
-Clapping (his left hand is balled up into a fist and the other is open)
-Loves chewing on everything
-Loves to have anything you have and playing with things he is not suppose to
-Knows the difference between his toy computer and Mommy's real one
-Jumping in the jumperoo
-Pulls his puzzle playmat apart

He is growing TOO fast!!

Love,
J, E, & H

6 Months Old!

2011-07-22T15:19:00.007-05:00

Weight: 16.4 lbs

(his weight growth slowed a bit from the 4 mo checkup)

Length: 27.5 "

Bottle: 5-6 oz in the am & at lunch; 7-8 oz around 3 and then again at bedtime

Solids: He has liked pretty much everything we have offered him but peaches.

Awake: 6-6:30

Bedtime: 6:45-7

Naps: Goes down around 9am for usually 30m, but if I am lucky it could last an hour...but very rare; cat naps throughout the rest of the day and when we are in the car.
This child hates napping

Diaper Size: 3 - He's wearing the Cruiser's now!
No more baby swaddlers :(

-He still loves to smile and charm everyone around him
-He loves to laugh...especially when we make silly or highpitched sounds.
-He actually likes to be startled, because he always smiles and laughs at you.
-Still loves to stand
-Sleeping on his side...favors his right
-He started sitting up about 2 weeks ago and loves to sit up and play with his toys. He is still a little bit wobbley, but has it down pretty good!
-Loves to play with water bottles and chip bags.

-He figured out that he has a tongue and has started a new form of jabbering/talking by using his tongue to say BaBaBa DaDaDa. His face is PREICELESS when he does it! SO cute!

-He is loving his new big kid, light up toys, his Hungry Caterpillar rattle, and a multicolored ball
-He is always putting anything and everything in his mouth...no teeth yet,
-He LOVES the pool and bathtub
-Dancing with Mommy to Mommy's fun music :)
-He has started reaching and grabbing for things...he loves to get whatever you have.
-He like to play with water bottles and paper...anything that crinkles
-Having Mom and Dad in his view...at all times!
-He loves being out and about...he behaves much better out than he does at home

Dislikes:
-Eating...no, not completely. But feedings (solids and bottle) have become a battle :( He has learned to pintch his lips together and refuse to open his mouth!
-Us leaving him alone
-Still hates getting out of the tub
-Napping when he could be involved in everything going on

I'll post some Half Bday pics soon!
Love,
J, E, & H

Two Days of Playdates!

2011-07-07T15:45:00.007-05:00

Hudson had two very fun and active days last week! On Thursday, my sweet friend and neighbor Krystal had several of us James Hill mommies over for a playdate. It was so much fun...for me and baby! Krystal has the cutest little boy, Sully, who is a little over a month younger than Hudson. We really enjoyed our lunch and time with all of the other Moms and little ones. It was an especially exciting day, because we got to meet Hudson's newest friend Zoey! She is a doll and has the most beautiful smile and laugh! So glad you are finally home sweet girl! Our neighborhood is so great, because there are so many young families. This neighborhood is going to be wild in a few years when all of our little ones get a little older! Here are a few pictures from the playdate!

Hudson and Sully :)

Hudson and some more of his buddies!

Hudson checking out what the older kiddos are doing...

On Wednesday, we had Landrygirl over for most of the day because her daycare was closed. Those two babies are so precious together and so funny to watch. Landry really is not very "concerned" with or by Hudson...she pretty much does her own thing. I hope she will start to take a little more interest in him when he gets a little older and a little more interactive. However, she did always want whatever toy he had and had no problem getting it from him...leaving poor baby boy looking dumbfounded as to why his toys kept disappearing. ;) Here are some pictures from our day!

Landry and Hudson playing!

Trying to figure who gets the toys...

I think Landry decided she wanted them all ;)
Sweet boy sitting up like a big boy!!
(The pill bottle in the back is a toy of my niece's, we do not have pills
scattered throughout the house!)
Lanlan playing in Hudson's jumperoo! Precious girl!

FYI: I am use the IE browser instead of FireFox and my spacing is all off :( Will be getting this fixed asap!

Love,

J, E, & H

Hudson: 5.5 mo

Landry: 13.5 mo

Hudson and His New Fav!

2011-07-05T20:47:00.007-05:00

His Sippy Cup!

We gave Hudson a sippycup to try out for the first time last Saturday (7/2) and he LOVES it! Here are a few pictures of our big boy and his new cup!

Hmmm...

Hey, I know what to do with this...

NOTHING is coming out Mom...

Reclining helps...lifting your feet apparently helps too :)

So sweet and smart!

Love,
J, E, & H

Hudson: 5.5 mo

A Happy 4th of July Weekend!

2011-07-05T09:02:00.006-05:00

We had a busy, but oh so so fun weekend that was full of food and friends! I think those kinds of weekends are the best! On Saturday, we started the day off at the Fresh Market on the Green in our neighborhood and spent the rest of the day at the pool with our friends Wes and Merrick and then grilled at our house that night. They introduced us to "summer beer" (ingredients: in a pitcher, put 4 cans of beer, 1 can of frozen minutemaid pink lemonade or raspberry lemonade, and using the lemonade can...add a 1/2 to a whole can of vodka) and it was dangerous and delicious! Here are a few pictures from Saturday.

Mommy and baby at the farmer's market...we got some great produce!

Sweet pool boy! ;)

Aunt Merrick & Uncle Wes at the pool
Sunday, we spent the day at the pool again with my sister and her family and with some of our neighbor friends. That night we went over to Josh and Beth's to cookout and had a great time as always! Here are a few pictures from that day. Hudson was so tired by the time we got to the Alford's that we didn;t take any pictures of he and his sweet friend Dax.

4th of July Family Picture :)

Bath time for the cousins!

Sweet Landrygirl :)

On Monday, we spent the day at the pool (once again) with our sweet friends Nathan and Amy, and their precious two angels, Hayes & Watson. We all had such a great time together watching the little ones. Hayes is just the best big sister and I am always so amazed at how great and sweet she is with Hudson:) Here are a few pictures from Monday.

Watson and Hudson...best buddies:)

Sweet Hayes having some ice-cream!

My boys gave me an awesome camera for Mother's Day this year and I have been oh so intimidated by the camera. I finally really tried to figure it out yesterday morning (I had no clue what I was doing and was just pressing buttons and changing settings like a mad woman!) and was able to get some fun/ok pictures of Hudson. He did great! And just smiled and smiled! So all in all, not a bad attempt...thank you little Hudson! I will upload a few a little later :)

Hope everyone had a great weekend too!

Love,

J, E, & H

Mom & Dad...

2011-06-28T10:27:00.004-05:00

At Four Months Old!

So...I know I posted a picture of Jason at 4 months on Hudson's 4 month post, but never got around to adding one of me. Well the other day, I stumbled upon some pictures of myself and knew the ones of me below were when I was 4 months old, bc it was Christmas and I was born in August.

Hudson at 4 Months:

Dad at 4 Months:

Mom at 4 Months:
(Our scanner no longer works, so I took a picture of the pictures!)

He is really just the perfect mix of us both! Skinny baby like Dad, smile like Dad, eyes and little round face like Mom, & just a little bit of hair like us both! :)

It is SO hard to believe that in just a few weeks, he will be SIX MONTHS OLD!! I really can't believe it!

Hope you're having a good week so far!
Love,
J, E, & H

There's a Hole in the Ground...

2011-06-22T08:01:00.004-05:00

Yep, as you can see there's a hole...and what has occupied that hole for what seems like a lifetime was the "FOR SALE" sign. YES, the sign is gone & NO we did not sell our house. We decided to take the house off the market! NO MORE living in limbo or only getting to make plans 30-45 days in advance!....AND no more showings! Many different things played into our decision, but most of all...we just want to enjoy our life and where we are. It is so hard to do that when you are in limbo with trying to sell and contemplating a move and NOT EVER knowing when "it" will happen. PLUS: Jason having an office outside of the house makes our home just a bit bigger and makes it all that we need for now. So we decided that we are just going to "live" and are making no plans...which honestly, feels so good. This decision made us realize something...it is so unfair to yourself to always live in planning mode and to live wanting tomorrow. So we are going to do better at just enjoying today and embracing the state of contentment.

So there is our big news! Happy Hump Day everyone!

Love,
J, E, & H

Daddy's First Father's Day...

2011-06-18T19:50:00.006-05:00

Well, his first real Father's Day! Last Father's Day, I was pregnant with sweet baby and I surprised him with a few little things. But this year was the real deal!

Jason is the most amazing father...he is simply perfect. It is so rewarding watching he and Hudson interact...they simply adore one another and I am so thankful for that. Hudson and J have the greatest connection. Jason can make him smile and LAUGH like no one else can! And I could spend the rest of my life watching those two together. Hudson is one blessed little boy to have his Daddy! And the fun is only just getting started for those two!

So HAPPY FATHER'S DAY my angel...thank you for being the wonderful person you are, that makes you the wonderful husband and father that you are. Thank you for taking care of us and so generously providing for us. We are so appreciative of you and all the many wonderful things you do for us. We love you so very much!

Here are a few pictures from our Father's Day Weekend!

Daddy's Special Father's Day Sign

Daddy's Favorite: Ice Cream Sandwich Cake!Daddy and Sweet Boy at the Pool!

Watching Golf with Dad!
Daddy's Favorite Breakfast: Original Pancake House!

A very special Happy Father's Day to all of the other wonderful fathers in our life! We love you Grandpa, Great Grandpa, Great PawPaw, & Great Granddaddy! Thank you all for everything that you have done for us to shape us into the people we are today! We love you all dearly and feel so blessed to have each one of you!

With all of these wonderful men in Hudson's life...I know he will grow to be just as wonderful as you all are!

Happy Father's Day everyone!
Love,
J, E, & H

Happy 5 Months!!

2011-06-15T14:41:00.004-05:00

Wow! Really?! Our little guy is FIVE months old! And such a little stinker! He is so full of personality, smiles, and is just a mess already!

Weight: A bit over 15 lbs
Length: 25.5 "
Bottle: 6 ounces
Sleeping: 7something to about 3am, then gets bottle and then back down until 6:30-7ish
Napping: Cat naps throughout the day, but no long naps
Diaper Size: 2...close to moving up to a 3

Likes:

-SMILING! SMILING! SMILING! At everyone he sees!
-Rolling around and moving around...we'll be in a mess when he is really mobile!
-Curling up in a ball and grabbing his feet to suck on his little toes :)
-Lifting up his legs and putting them straight out in the air when he is in the stroller or car seat
-Sleeping on his tummy and on his side
-Playing in his Jumperoo
-Being Outside
-He is still in love with Mickey Mouse! And loves his new Mickey Mouse stroller Grandma bought him
-He loves for us to rub his face and head as he falls asleep
-Sophie the Giraffe...she is his girlfriend :)
-The light up Frog toy on his carseat
-He loves to stand up...ALL THE TIME!
-He likes to look around
-He likes to tell people "stories"
-His voice! He jabbers and talks all day! He has become quite vocal and loud :)
-Sucking on his fist, hands, fingers, anything he can get his little hands on!
-Being in the water...the bath tub or pool, he loves it!
-Still loves medicine...he simply is not fazed by it!
-Loves trying to sit up on his own...he's not quite there yet. I think if he would try to sit more instead of always wanting to pull himself up to stand, he could figure it out!

Dislikes:
-Falling asleep...this child throws some kind of fit!! :(
-Getting out of the tub
-Not having one of us in sight

Hudson has gotten to be so much fun these days! He just laughs and smiles (unless he's fighting sleep as he is doing at this very moment) ;) We are really enjoying taking him to the pool and having a little more flexibility since, at the moment, his feedings are better. We did introduce baby food a few weeks ago as the pediatrician suggested, but that did not go well as Hudson's tummy got all out of whack :( I am going to nervously try it again soon...wish me luck! He is still on the same formula and meds...we hope to have him off of these meds one day soon :-/ We have learned that Hudson really enjoys being in his "element" where things are familiar...he just does so much better at home. Our latest goal to reach is trying to teach him to be able to soothe himself...not the easiest task in the world especially when you aren't an expert and you are learning as you go! Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Here are some pictures of sweet angel! :)

Eating Oatmeal for the first time this morning!
He did so well! He was going after the spoon like a big boy!

Trying so hard to figure out how to get out!

Love that half smile!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!...honor all of the wonderful fathers out there, yours, someone else's or someone who was like a Dad to you!

Love,
J,E, & H

Grandma > Alabama!

2011-06-06T12:09:00.011-05:00

Grandma came down last week/weekend to play her number one little man while I was in Enterprise for my best friend's wedding and Jason was in NOLA for a bachelor party. Hudson sure did have a great time with his Grandma and Aunt PB! He definitely has those two wrapped around his precious little finger! Here are some pictures of sweet Hudson's time with his Grandma and Aunt PB:) Thank you again Grandma for coming down! We appreciate all of your help so much!

Waiting on Grandma at the airport!

Snuggling with Grandma!

Pool time with Grandma!

And with Aunt PB!

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS to my very best friend, Shay and her HUSBAND Wes :) Shay looked gorgeous and I am just so happy for them! They make an amazing couple and I am so happy that I could be apart of their special day :) Here are a few pictures from the weekend:) I only have pics from Friday night, as I did not have my camera on Saturday :(

Hope everyone has had a great week! Big boy will be 5 months old tomorrow!!

Love,
J,E, & H

Landry's 1st Birthday Slideshow

2011-05-30T16:51:00.001-05:00

Landry 1st Birthday_Final

Pictures coming soon!

We've Moved...

2011-05-25T09:49:00.005-05:00

Jason to a "real" office....nope, not for real move. Ha ha ha...not funny, I know! So it is just me and baby at the house now. We are certainly going to miss having Daddy here with us all day, but it is for the best for many reasons.

Jason can actually concentrate!! (FYI: not all my fault...we have a rather loud child that makes it clear that every room in this house is HIS) ;)
We thought it might make the house look better for showings
Moving the nursery to the old office, makes the home feel more like a home
And well....Jason and I may not pull out each other's hair now! haha! JK! But a little bit of space can't hurt ;)

SO...we moved him in last night and he is there now in a "real" office for the first time in forever. It is certainly a transition for us all, but it is for the best. WE MISS YOU DADDY!

Before:

After:
(We are going to recover the valence, a rug is on the way, and we have to re-hang baby's stuff)

Here are some photos of baby helping his Daddy move into his new office;)

Hope everyone is having a great week!!

Love,
J, E, and H

Such a FUN Weekend!

2011-05-22T19:26:00.007-05:00

We had such a fun weekend! Friday night, my sister and I went out to eat some yummy mexican food for a little girl's night. And then went out for a few drinks and met up with my other sister (inlaw) :) My sweet boys held down the fort at home to let me out for a little girl time...sweet, sweet boys I have! No pictures to share of the night out...not one of us had our camera:(

Saturday, we went over to the Kennedy's house for dinner and a wonderful time! It was so cute to see Hudson and his friend Watson (who is 1 month younger than Hudson) together and Watson's big sister Hayes play together. They have two of the most precious and beautiful children EVER! Here a few pictures of Mr. Watson and Mr. Hudson "playing" and Miss Hayes being so sweet to Hudson giving him a hug and kisses and sharing her "baby" with Hudson.

Letting "Baby" give Hudson kisses :)

Giving love to Baby Hudson

Sunday morning, we took Hudson to the pool for the first time just to see if he would like it and it was a success! Being that he loves to stand, he enjoyed standing in the kiddy pool:) He loved the big pool too which is GREAT! We then left and got ready for a baby shower for our friends, Eric and Lauren, in the neighborhood and had a great time catching up with our neighborhood friends. We can't wait to meet Zoey!
Since we had an open house and could not go home, we went back to the pool and Hudson did great! Thank you Josh and Beth for letting us borrow your house and a big thank you to Dax for letting your friend borrow your float. Hudson liked the float as long as Daddy was holding him by his tummy under the water.

Tired little boy after swimming :)

We go to the doctor tomorrow for our 4 month checkup...I can't wait to see how much he has grown! We have Landry's 1st Birthday party this coming weekend and we are so excited for our sweet girl!! LOVE me some Landrygirl!!

Hope everyone has a great week!
J, E, & H

Happy 4 Months!

2011-05-16T08:58:00.007-05:00

Weight: A bit over 14 lbs (will confirm next Monday)
Length: A bit over 24"
Bottle: 5.5 ounces
Sleeping: 7something to about 3am, then gets bottle and then back down until 6:30
Napping: Cat naps throughout the day, but no long naps
Diaper Size: 2

Likes:

-SMILING! He has the most precious and biggest smile!
-LOVES his Bumbo! He always tries to slide out of left side of the bumbo.
-Curling up in a ball and grabbing his feet
-Rolling onto his side...has not grasped the full roll yet.
-Turning sideways in his crib
-Sleeping with his hands over his face...we think he is trying to keep his paci in
-He loves his new Jumperoo
-He is still in love with Mickey Mouse!
-He loves for us to rub his face and head as he falls asleep
-Sophie the Giraffe
-Mommy's songs
-Giving Mommy a kiss...he opens his mouth wide open and kisses me
-He likes for me to tickle him with my nails...he laughs and it is so cute!
-Biting Mommy's face
-The light up Frog toy on his carseat
-He loves to stand up
-He likes to look around and face outward to see everything going on
-He likes to tell people "stories"
-His voice! He jabbers and talks all day!
-Mommy and his special language :)
-Daddy's silly sounds and faces :)
-His bottle and holding it...he's still drinking 5-5.5 oz now! Still on the sensitive formula.
-Sucking on his fist, hands, fingers, anything he can get.
-Ceiling Fans
-Playing on his farm playmat.
-Facing outward in the Baby Bjorn with Daddy
-Bathtime...he has really started splashing and kicking his legs! We got in the bath tub together the other night with bubbles and he had so much fun. He just wanted to kick and splash and stand up. :)
-He still likes his stroller
-Grasping on to everything
-Talking to Grandma on the phone
-Still loves medicine...he simply is not fazed by it!
-Loves trying to sit up on his own...he will be sitting up on his own in no time!

Dislikes:
-Being hot...he still sweats like a little pig!
-Getting out of the tub
-Not having one of us in sight

We have really started pushing napping in the crib and he is doing well. I have also started trying to just lay him in his crib cold turkey...he fusses a little, but usually falls asleep. He is not big on napping so I think he is fighting sleep more than anything. Feeding has finally gotten better and he is back taking a full bottle after a few weeks of not eating well. The Bethanachol must be helping (it's a motility med that helps move food from his stomach to his intestines). I get so much joy seeing my baby eating! :)

Here is a special photo that I woke up to on Facebook! Grandma posted this picture of Jason when he was 4 months old:) So sweet!! I love my boys!

Hope everyone has a great week!
Love,
J, E, & H

Blog Post Disappearance

2011-05-13T11:40:00.002-05:00

So the "What a Weekend" post magically disappeared!! And I have NO IDEA how! And I am not happy! Especially because time is limited to update our blog! It is so weird because I have not logged into Blogger since I posted the blog.

To Be Continued...

What a Weekend!

2011-05-11T14:01:00.000-05:00

The above title has two very different definitions!

The first story:
We took our first family vacation to the beach together last weekend to celebrate Mother's Day! I am one blessed Mommy to have two very sweet handsome men in my life! They are just the best! My boys were so sweet to take me to the beach and they surprised (and I mean SURPRISE) with some very wonderful and awesome gifts for Mother's Day! They are so thoughtful, but did WAY too much! The trip to the beach was suppose to be my Mother's Day gift! But I am not complaining! J and baby surprised me last Wednesday with an awesome new camera! J asked me to go and get some stamps out of the cabinet and so I opened the cabinet and remembered that I had moved the stamps. I told him that they weren't in there anymore and quickly turned my head because I noticed something that did not belong...there it was!! So surprised! Here it is! I can't wait to learn how to use it!!

Then, on Sunday my sweet angels surprised with a precious charm necklace! It has a little "h" on it:) I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!!

The second story:
Sweet boy had some GI stuff done last Tuesday...one of which was an Upper GI. He was given Barium in his formula for the procedure. The staff warned me of constipation issues, so when he was having some problems the following day, I was not surprised. On Thursday, he was still having issues and was not eating as well. So when we met with his GI specialist, he wrote a Rx for us to help him. By Friday at lunch, baby boy was not doing good at all and still was not eating. Without going into to detail, we discovered that what was bothering him could not be broken up and passed. We got really scared when we realized we weren't sure what we were dealing with and baby was getting hurt from all of the straining. He was absolutely beside himself and it scared us both. All I could do was cry for him. We went to the closest medical facility to the condo and they were IDIOTS to say the least. But they did do an x-ray and determined that he still had a significant amount of Barium in his stomach. The x-ray clearly showed two pieces in there, one large and one mid-sized mass of solidifies Barium. Most children apparently break it down and pass it with a regular BM, but Hudson apparently could not break the Barium down. The clinic suggested the ER in Pensacola. Being that they were the dumbest people I have ever encountered, I was on the phone with our pediatrician's office relaying what was going on. Our dr suggested a Fleet enema and a few other things to do. So back to the condo we went, praying we could manage this on our own as our dr suggested to do first and would not have to drive to the pediatric unit an hour or more away. Without getting too graphic, baby boy ended up passing the solid pieces pf Barium (yes, ONLY Barium...no stool in the large mass) that had hardened in his stomach. Both were larger than a quarter in diameter and one was 2 inches long. None if us had EVER seen anything like this. Our poor, poor baby was just pitiful and had been through it! Ugh...we seriously remained in shock for the rest of the day about it. Yes, I took pictures of what came out (won't scar you with the images) and will be showing the dr because I do not think that they thought it was Barium ONLY when we were on the phone. He is better now thank goodness, but has a little cold now....which he probably got from me, because I was sick the entire weekend :(

So, while it was nice to change the scenery a bit...we probably will not take anymore vacations for a while! We were in the sun maybe 3 hours??! I think we will wait until he is 2 or older before we go on vaca again! We think it will be a little bit easier then. However, we have been told that if your children are going to get sick, it will be while you are on vacation. But that's ok, we are just glad he is better!!!

Despite the rocky weekend, we still managed to eat some delicious food and take a few pictures!

Maybe an hour before sweet boy's troubles flared up :(

Precious Crutcher's :)

Sweet Lanlan LOVED the sand!Scooter and his SWEET Mom, Grandma Syd aka Gammy

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's day weekend!
Love,
J, E, and H

I Love My...

2011-04-28T13:51:00.007-05:00

Exer-saucer!

Mickey Mouse!

Watching Mickey :)

Very Hungry Caterpillar!

I feel so blessed to write this post, as we are so fortunate to have one another and our home after the horrible tragedy that this beautiful state endured yesterday. My heart is so heavy for those who lost loved ones and those who were hurt. Holding my little family a little tighter today...

Love,
J, E, & H

Baby's First Easter and Road Trip!

2011-04-26T09:20:00.015-05:00

We had such a wonderful Easter! We all had such a great time and Hudson was just the sweetest little baby and did so well with the long trip! We left late last Thursday night to head to Arkansas so we did not throw off Hudson's sleep schedule. He did so good in the car! Normally when we get in the car, he immediately falls asleep...like even to Walgreen's just 3 miles down the road. I kept checking on him (in the dark with my cell phone light) as we started our trip and I kept seeing those big, precious eyes wide open! I could not understand how and why?! This went on for an hour or more. I finally figured out that he was probably thinking the baby mirror and all the lights from the cars reflecting in it was a television! He LOVES the tv! So I immediately took it down and he was then out for the night! Haha! We finally made it to AR on Friday a little after lunch and were so glad to be there! I will let photos tell the rest of the story of our trip!

Seeing Grandma for the first time in 3 months!
Since our trip, Grandma has booked a flight to come down in June! ;)

Meeting Great Grandma and Grandpa Gibbs
Catching up on lost time with the best Grandma and Grandpa in the world!

Getting to know Great Grandma and Grandpa!
Hudson and the Girls
Hudson and the Boys

Happy Boy's First Easter!

Aunt PB's Bunny Ears
He can thank her for those when he's older ;) hehe!

Mommy and Daddy helping Hudson look through
what the Easter Bunny brought him!

Sweet Family!

Love,
J , E, & H

On the Road!

2011-04-21T08:24:00.006-05:00

In less than 12 hours, we will be departing on Hudson's very first road trip! We are going to Bella Vista, Arkansas for Easter to see these very special people! We can't wait to see you!!

Great Grandma and Grandpa!

Grandma and Grandpa!

And I am sure this guy will make an appearance! ;)

Wish us luck on traveling with a 3 month old! We are leaving tonight, so that hopefully sweet boy will sleep the entire time! Keep us in your prayers as the weather is not suppose to be the best. Have a Happy Easter!

Love,
J, E, & H

Happy 3 Months!

2011-04-12T15:27:00.012-05:00

Happy 3 Months sweet Hudson!! Time is sure flying and he is getting so big! It is such a joy and blessing watching our little angel grow and change! We are so blessed to have him and are so thankful for such a special, sweet, and healthy little boy!

Likes:
-His voice! He jabbers and talks all day!
-He loves smiling and is just the happiest little guy!
-Mommy and his special language :)
-Daddy's silly sounds and faces :)
-Looking at his Lanlan and wondering what she is doing to him!
-His bottle...he's drinking 5-5.5 oz now! He also likes to help hold it. Feedings have gotten better, thank the lord! We switched to a sensitive formula and he is like a completely different child! We are so glad he is feeling better!
-Sucking on his fist, hands, fingers, anything he can get.
-Ceiling Fans...even if he can't see it above him, he will find it in the mirror behind the recliner ;)
-Laying in his boppy watching his mobile in the crib.
-Playing on his farm playmat.
-Facing outward in the Baby Bjorn
-Bathtime...he loves to move himself off of the baby seat. He thinks he is ready for just the big boy part of the baby tub!
-Riding in the car and stroller....LOVES to be on the move.
-Grasping on to his bunny, my clothes, Daddy's clothes
-Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa
-Talking to Grandma on the phone...he even left her a message last week :)
-Adores his Great PawPaw...those two are 2 Peas in a Pod! He is PawPaw's "spokesmodel"!...I was his "spokesmodel" back in the day!!...Auntie Amy was too! ;)
-Still loves medicine...he simply is not fazed by it!
-Loves trying to sit up on his own...see picture below!

Dislikes:
-Being hot...he still sweats like a little pig!
-Getting out of the tub

He has gotten a lot more tolerable of transitions and is a much more happy little guy! YAY! He is napping much better...longer and some in his crib. He also slept through the night for the first time on 4/8! And has continued it to some degree since! He is still on meds for acid reflux and they appear to be still helping.

Here is our last post from the 2 month mark to compare!

Trying to sit up and go somewhere!

Hope everyone has a great week!
Love,
J, E, & H

One Last First!

2011-04-11T19:01:00.009-05:00

I left this very special first out for a reason! It deserved its very own post:) And it is especially for Grandma, because we wanted to get her even more excited about the Easter trip! :) On Saturday, we had our very first Easter portrait session as a family:) If you know me well, you know I love Easter and I LOVE bunnies!! Our sweet neighbor Lauren took the pictures and did a great job! If you are interested in scheduling a session with her, please see my previous post here. Lauren and her husband are doing these sessions as a fundraiser for their sweet little girl, Zoey, who they are in the process of finalizing the adoption process.

Here are some of the wonderful pictures Lauren took that we just LOVE and are so happy she could capture these wonderful memories!

Our Sweet Little Family :)

Sweet Boy!

Where's My Bunny Going??
Precious!

Loving His Hand :)

Enjoy!
Love,
J, E, & H

A Few Firsts!

2011-04-11T10:45:00.005-05:00

This weekend we had a few firsts around the Fill household!

The First 1st: Sweet Boy slept through the night for the first time on Friday night! He slept 6 hours straight!!...I fed him and he slept another 5 hours! Wahoo!! We're moving on up!!! Saturday night was every 4 hours and Sunday night, I only had to get up once!

The Second 1st: Dad got to get out of the house and play a round of gold for the first time since becoming a Dad! For his birthday, we gave him a gift certificate for a minimum of 2 rounds of golf that must be used by May of this year. So, I am so glad he allowed himself some free time from the office and parenting to play :)

The 3rd First: Mexican with the boys! It has been so long since we have been able to go out for drinks or dinner with friends. I met J and Wes at La Brisa after they played golf for some yummy mexican!
The 4th First: Baby boy got to see his first Masters! Here he is all dressed and ready to watch the Masters with his Daddy!
He is just growing too fast! And we are having so much fun watching his personality come out....and boy does he have lots of personality!! Here is a really funny video of little guy when he could not decide if he wanted to be happy or sad!

Have a great week!
Love,
J, E, &H

My Wish

2011-04-08T12:51:00.004-05:00

I am the type of person that loves all types of music and I love listening to the words of songs and finding/listening to the meaning behind them. I was driving the other day and heard a song that I have heard 1,000 times (and I am sure you have heard it too), but it was not until that moment that I truly heard the song...and well, it brought me to tears because it completely encompasses everything I could ever want for my sweet Hudson. If he never hears what his mother tells him, I hope he will hear this song and understand what I was always trying to say. The song is "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts :)

My Wish
I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow
And each road leads you where you want to go
And if you're faced with the choice and you have to choose
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you

And if one door opens to another door closed
I hope you keep on walkin' til you find the window
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile
But more than anything, more than anything

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish

I hope you never look back but you never forget
All the ones who love you and the place you left
I hope you always forgive and you never regret
And you help somebody every chance you get

Oh, you'd find God's grace in every mistake
And always give more than you take
But more than anything, yeah more than anything

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish, yeah yeah

My wish for you
Is that this life becomes all that you want it to
Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small
You never need to carry more than you can hold

And while you're out there gettin' where you're gettin' to
I hope you know somebody loves you
And wants the same things too
Yeah, this is my wish
(My wish for you)

This is my wish
(My wish for you)
I hope you know somebody loves you
(My wish for you)
May all your dreams stay big
(My wish for you)

Our Sweet Baby Boy

Love,
J, E, &H

Easter Photo Session

2011-04-06T19:53:00.003-05:00

A sweet neighbor and friend is so very talented and has taken up photography as a fundraiser to help cover the adoption costs to help bring home her new baby girl, Zoey. She does amazing work and will be holding a few sessions out here in Ross Bridge with the cutest real bunny! Check it out!! (Click on the image above to read the details)

Yes...The House Is Still For Sale

2011-04-04T11:27:00.003-05:00

So many people constantly ask us, "you still trying to the house", "are you still moving north?" We were talking yesterday and it is so hard to believe that we have been trying to sell our house for the past year and 4 months...I mean we are approaching year 2!! It isn't that we have an ugly, problematic house...we have just been fighting the bad economy, a new construction neighborhood, and being priced wrong for too long.
BUT we decided to list our home with a realtor 1 month ago and have enjoyed seeing the interest and traffic that they have generated. Our realtors, Kelli and Chris, use to work in the model home here in our neighborhood, so we figured if they can't sell this house, no one can! Kelli has been in this ballgame a LONG time with Ingram/Signature/Daniel and we are so confident in her.

Here's a link to our listing:
http://3902jameshillcircle.com/

Here's a link to their site:
http://www.birminghamrealestateinsider.com/

If you know anyone, please send them our way! We are ready to sell!

Have a great week!
Love,
J, E, &H

My Morning Sunshine...

2011-04-01T15:44:00.007-05:00

While the outdoor kind of sunshine has been lacking, our sweet boy has been brightening up our home with his sweet little smiles in the morning. There is nothing better than seeing him smile and being happy :)

We are now giving him 100% of the formula, and I hope to not speak too soon, but things seem to be much better for him. We started it Monday afternoon and have decreased the amount of my milk we gave him over the past several days. PRAY this continues for him, because it is so sad and frustrating to watch him cry and not know exactly what is going on! I sure hope the formula does the trick 100% for his little tummy!

Here are some pictures of our little sunshine from this week :)
Take note: Monday's picture illustrates his mood quite well...he was not eating well and was very fussy!

Sweet Boy this morning:
Thursday Morning:
Wednesday Morning:

Tuesday Morning:
Monday Morning:

Hopefully Hudson will not be looking like Monday morning anymore!!

Have a great weekend!
Love,
J, E, &H

Hudson's New Obsession!

2011-03-30T11:58:00.006-05:00

Our sweet boy discovered his thumb last week (3/25). I sat and watched him try and try to find his little thumb. He normally ends up with his fist in his mouth and it is so cute to listen to him sucking on it. Here is a picture of sweet boy's success. :)

Since then, he has become obsessed with sucking his thumb and/or fist! This morning, I found little boy in his swing just sucking away on his little thumb and holding his bunny :) Please know that I am not a fan of thumb/fist sucking, but I know that it is developmental at this age and there will be NO thumb sucking as a toddler! But right now, it is precious!

Here is a video of sweet baby and his new loves :)

We're still experimenting with sensitive formula...we are going to give it some time. Pray this makes our baby feel better and will make him a happy baby!

Have a great day!
Love,
J, E, &H

Poor Baby...

2011-03-28T12:50:00.003-05:00

Our little one has been so pitiful! Pretty much since he was 2 weeks old, we have been battling colic and tummy issues. Colic is no longer the big issue (we think). He is on 2 different meds...one, twice a day and another 4x a day. (FYI: I HATE medicine and hate that he has to have it BUT if it helps, I can deal) However, nothing that we have given him or done has really helped makes things even 80% better. We've thickened his milk with rice cereal, tried different meds, elevated this and that, used gripe water (we should purchase some stock in that company!!), gas x, ETC, ETC, ETC. But nothing has come close to hitting the nail on the head.

After several days of baby not eating well (at most, 1/2 his bottle)...yesterday turned into a nightmare for our angel. he cried pretty much every moment he was awake and I just ended up in tears with him. He has been very gassy (which is partly my fault bc I forgot that I am not suppose to eat collards!!! :( But that shouldn't have bothered him for as long as he has had issues) So I went to the store early this morning and bought some Enfamil Soy formula...he 110% rejected it! Not even mixed partly with my milk. I do not blame him...it smelled horrid. Then we read that it is not suggested boys take soy formula long term dues to some hormone issues/imbalance. There were also MANY links that I did not click on that said something about a chemical in the soy formula that is in birth control pills...and one day of the soy formula is like giving your baby 5 birth control pills. Enough said. (FYI: I rarely google stuff bc there is no telling what you will find, health wise).

SO...BACK to the store I went! This time I picked up some Similac Sensitive. PRAY this helps. This is our last attempt before a visit to the specialist...if we have to go, we will. But I hope this will be a simple fix. I also picked up baby a prize while at the store bc he deserves a happy gift after all of the pain and sadness he has been through :( My heart hurts so much for him!

He is napping now and has been asleep for about 2 hours now...he is just worn out! He never naps this long, but he obviously needs it!

On a happy note, here is a picture of his little prize :)
As some of you may or may not know...he is my "Little Bunny". I have a great love for bunnies, bc that is his Dad's pet-name :)
Sweet boy has little bunnies all throughout his room :)

Keep sweet boy in your thoughts and prayers :)
Love,
J,E, &H

A Fiesta and a Few Countdowns!

2011-03-27T14:47:00.006-05:00

We are SO proud of little Hudson! He got to go on his first trip to our favorite Mexican restaurant, Habaneros (well, his first visit in person...we went there a lot when I was pregnant!). He slept the ENTIRE time and we were able to enjoy some delicious food and an even more delicious margarita! For those around us that know how things "have been" with sweet Hudson, you know that this is a milestone for us and we appreciated every second of our little fiesta! Last weekend, when we went on a date and left him with Uncle Scoot and Aunt Amy...he provided quite a bit of entertainment for them :( Plus, they have a very active 10 month old...so those two together made things very difficult for them. I don't think our sitters are going to be available to watch Hudson anymore :( He is a handful :-/

Here is a picture of sweet guy at Habs :)

We have a few trips and events coming up! My very best friend, Shay, is getting married in June and she has her bachelorette party coming up in April at the beach. Jason will be holding down the fort while I am gone. I am sad to leave my boys, but I know that J has it all under control as he is a wonderful, hands on father. There's nothing that he can't handle! However, I will be leaving early to come back home, because I know he will need a break!! Hudson's Aunt PB is going to come over for a bit on Saturday to give Dad a little break. Thank heavens for family in town!!!! But don't feel too sorry for Dad!...he is going to New Orleans in June for a bachelor party! I think it is a well deserved trip and will be a nice break for him!

Here we are at my bachelorette party!
Bachelorette Party: 19 days away!!
Here is a picture of me and my Shaybelle at my wedding :)
Yours isn't far Shaybelle!!...76 days away!

The next trip will be to Arkansas for Easter for Hudson to meet his Great Grandparents, Don and Shirley!...and to see his BEST IN THE WORLD Grandma and Grandpa!!! He has not seen them since his first week of life! The three of us and Aunt PB will be making the trip together:) We are so excited to spend Hudson's first Easter in Arkansas and are looking so forward to it!...it's something like 26 days away?!

Here is a picture of Hudson's sweet Great Grandparents that he can't wait to meet! :)

Until next time...
Hope everyone has a great week!
Love,
J,E, & H

A Day at Aunt Amy and Cousin Landry's House!

2011-03-22T12:12:00.006-05:00

On Monday, Hudson and I decided to go hang out with Aunt Amy and Landrygirl! Mommy and Auntie Amy thought it would be fun rotating laying out in the beautiful warm sun and taking care of the little ones. Well, the 2 babies actually went down for a nap at the SAME time so we were able to hang out together without the little ones for a bit! Which was short, but nice and relaxing...and very much needed for these oh so white legs!

Here are some pictures of our day :)

Let's all hope that this beautiful weather sticks around!!

Love,
J,E, & H :)

Great Weekend!

2011-03-20T19:41:00.017-05:00

The weather was just gorgeous! Sunny with a breeze and tons of daylight! We had a great lunch at Tip Top Grill on Saturday with our sweet friends Nathan and Amy and their little ones, Hayes and Watson (watson is Hudson's new little friend that was born a few weeks ago!) Uncle Scoot and Aunt Amy were so sweet to watch little Hudson for us Saturday night. We got to go out on a date to Chuy's and really enjoyed just the two of us...we missed sweet boy though:) Having time together like that is so great and special!...we really appreciate them helping us! We will get little Landrygirl next weekend for them to go and do something together...not a bad setup at all! Aunt PB came over on Sunday for burgers and played with her favorite little nephew!

Here are a few pictures from the weekend!

Playing with Daddy!
Napping with Mommy!

Hanging Out with Sweet Watson!

Playing with Landrygirl! She loves her "Hudsy Bun Bun" ;) And he fully intends on getting her back one of these days! He loves his LanLan!
Yes, this is what my sister lets her child do to our son...jk! ;)

Hanging Out with Aunt PB!
She fed and changed him for the first time!

Sweet boy said goodbye and goodnight to a great weekend
with one of his favorite things to do...taking a bath!

Have a great week!
Love,
J, E, & H :)

One lucky little boy...

2011-03-19T09:24:00.011-05:00

Love is something that you can't put a price tag on and the special bonds that love creates are things that are so very sacred. One thing our sweet boy has, is tons of love! We have been showered with so much love from our family and friends and feel so very fortunate to have so many people share with us this special time.

Here are just a few special people in our angel's life that love him dearly and that he loves and adores too!...

Mommy and Daddy
Hudson loves for his Daddy to read to him and he loves when mommy talks to him in their special language:)

Grandma and Grandpa
Hudson ADORES his sweet Grandma and Grandpa. He wishes they were closer, but skyping works for now. He loves to send them pictures of his everyday activities and loves to put on a show for them in videos. He knows he lucked up with these special people! And can't wait to be spoiled by them Easter weekend!

(Great) PawPaw
How wonderful that sweet boy gets to know his PawPaw, just the way Mommy did years ago. These two really hit it off and PawPaw has a new "spokesmodel". (He use to call us this when we were little).

Aunt PB
Hudson like to teach Aunt PB all about babies! And she loves it! Hudson loves for her to come over and hold him! He wishes she would change his diaper though! ;)

Aunt Amy & Uncle Scooter
Auntie Amy and Uncle Scoot are Hudson's favorite babysitters! He loves for Auntie Amy to hold him and he loves to scream when Uncle Scoot is trying to nap or watch something on tv ;)

Sweet Cousin Landrygirl!
These two are best buds! Even though Landry likes to pull his hair, poke his eyes, and push on his tummy! He is taking notes though...when he gets bigger he's going to go after one of her piggy tails! ;) Hudson likes to cry around Landry so he will make her cry too...they either take turns wailing or do it in unison! Haha!

This list is certainly not all inclusive, as there are so many special people in sweet Hudson's life and several he has not even met yet!

Love,
J,E,&H

Time flies!

2011-03-19T09:02:00.008-05:00

My goodness that is an understatement! I have missed blogging about our sweet boy, but I can't seem to find the time! It has definitely taken a back burner! So where do I begin!? Hudson is growing and growing! And constantly changing! He has had a rough go at it with colic and reflux...but thankfully, we are getting use to it and he is getting a little better. He is smiling more and more each day and it brings so much joy to our hearts! He has discovered his voice and LOVES to hear himself coo and jabber! He is currently 11 pounds and some change and is 23" long! The Dr has been impressed with his growth and health and we could not be more proud and thankful for that!
We are learning more and more everyday! And are enjoying him so much...the smiles are just priceless and are SO very rewarding! It feels like we have waited forever for those smiles and the "talking".

Likes:
-His voice and making noises! (He started this about 2 1/2 weeks ago or so)
-He loves Mommy and Aunt Amy's crazy voices, sounds, and their special language :)
-Daddy reading to him
-Aunt PB holding him
-His bottle...he's drinking 4 oz now :)
-Ceiling Fans
-Lights
-BEING OUTSIDE!
-walks in his stroller
-Bathtime
-riding in the car
-Pulling and holding Mommy's hair
-Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa
-Loves his medicine! Even the nasty one that parents complain about to the dr!
-Focusing on everything around him!

Dislikes:
-Being hot...he sweats SO much!
-Transition of any kind!

dressing and undressing
getting out of the tub
stopping feeding to be burped

-Napping...it's hard to get him to take a good nap! He loves to be involved with everything around him!

Here are some pictures of sweet boy and how he has changed!!

Day: 0
He looks nothing like this anymore!

1 Month!
February 17th

2 Months!

March 17th

I hope to be able to keep the blogs coming!!

Love,
J,E,&H

Hudson Downey Fill

2011-02-01T08:41:00.002-06:00

Hudson Downey Fill
Born: January 17, 2011
Time: 7:11 AM
Weight: 7.9 ounces
Length: 20.25 inches
And is PERFECT!!

There are simply no words that I could use to sum up the arrival of our angel boy, Hudson. We are so thankful that he is here with us and is a beautiful...excuse me... handsome, healthy baby boy! As I am writing this, sweet baby is laying on my shoulder and I would not trade this moment for anything! We are so excited for this new chapter in our lives and we are counting our blessings every second for this precious baby!

His birthday was an amazing day and fortunately we have plenty of pictures and videos to commemorate that special occasion! Everything is going wonderfully and he is such a great baby! We were discharged from the hospital on Thurs AM (1/20) and he had his first appt the following Saturday. Sweet boy was already back at his birth weight! And the dr said that he was doing exceptionally well! In fact, he said that Hudson was the best he had ever seen of a first born newborn! Yes, I tell everyone this because I am so proud of him! He sleeps and feeds well...and he is healthy...we could not ask for more.

Becoming parents for us has been an amazing experience and we have thoroughly enjoyed this past week. Jason is an AMAZING father. It warms my heart (and brings tears to my eyes) to hear & see him interact with Hudson...I love to hear him tell Hudson how much he loves him and how beautiful and perfect he is. He is so great with him...every fatherly instinct kicked in immediately. I am so blessed with these two! Being a mother to this angel is everything I have ever dreamed of and MORE! I feel so complete and finally feel I have found my nitch...nothing has ever felt so perfect and come so naturally to me. Sweet Mom and Dad Fill came down for the arrival of sweet baby...FIRST GRANDCHILD!! They love that little boy so much!! It was so great having them here and watching them fall in love with him with every breath and sigh of that sweet angel. We are so thankful for "Grandma and Grandpa" and all that they do for us...and for them loving our little boy as much as they do.

The past two weeks have absolutely flown by! We are learning a lot...especially the fact that Mr. Hudson runs the show;) We are so thankful for our all of our family and friends who have so thoughtfully expressed such kind word and excitement, sent cards and gifts, provided meals to make things easier....we are so blessed and are so thankful!!

Here are a few pictures!

Our First Family Photo :)
The most amazing moment of our lives...

Here's a collage of baby's first few days at the hospital and his big arrival HOME!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2011-01-26T14:59:00.006-06:00

Happy 60th Birthday to the best Grandma and Mom in the world! We love you so very much and are so thankful for you!

Today is Jitta Bug's birthday! We are so glad that we could celebrate her special day last Saturday night with her! And are glad baby Hudson could be there too! He was definitely the best gift of them all! Here are a few pictures of Grandma at her party and with her sweet grandson!

We Love You!

This is Really Happening!

2011-01-12T08:14:00.003-06:00

We are going to be assuming new roles as Mommy and Daddy NO LATER than next Monday! Oh my goodness, this is SO exciting and wonderful! We are so blessed and thankful for this wonderful blessing that we will be meeting REALLY SOON!...like 5 days or less!

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we approach delivery time.

Love,
J&E

One Little Decision...

2011-01-07T12:46:00.003-06:00

FYI: This is a sappy blog...I just want to document everything :)

As we get closer to meeting Hudson, I am so overwhelmed with emotions. Mainly being so grateful and thankful for this wonderful gift.

Jason and I have been talking alot about how funny it is that one decision can change everything. We both think back to when we first met and how if I had not gone to that Christmas party with my sister and Scooter...chances are that we would have never started dating. There were so many variables in that decision looking back, that I am so surprised that I actually went. But thank the heavens above I did! For my life would not be what it is now and I would not be where I am. That night I found my husband, my best friend...my everything! And now we have a little boy on the way that is a precious product of us both.

Hudson will bring on a whole new chapter for us and I am so ready to embrace this new portion of our life. I know that when he makes his big arrival, I will probably just cry and cry and cry...tears of happiness, tears of joy, tears of gratitude and appreciation. I seriously do not think I will stop crying for the first few days. Being a parent is a precious gift that you are given and I am so grateful to become a mother. I have always known one thing for sure in life...that I was intended to be a mother. It is something that has always felt so very natural to me and is something that I have always looked forward to. Waiting on this sweet boy is somewhat like a dream for me....a dream that you long and long for. You know how it is when you dream about something you want so badly, but it would just be "too good to be true" for it to actually happen? I constantly feel like that...I know this is all real and happening, but until I am holding our angel, I do not think that this wonderful gift/dream will truly feel real. So I just can't wait! And that is why I will probably just cry and cry and cry....and stare at him constantly and I might even pinch myself to make sure that I am not just dreaming!

So come on sweet boy! There are a lot of people out here waiting on you! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers that Mommy will do well and that our little boy will be a healthy and happy baby when the time arrives!

Love,
J&E

37 Weeks and Counting!...

2011-01-05T08:27:00.002-06:00

And we're just waiting and waiting! I swear every moment of the day, I am waiting on that one sign that he is coming, the contractions that do not stop or subside! I went to the doctor on Monday and am now 2 cm dilated. I have BH contractions constantly and the doctor seems to think that me constantly contracting should bring baby soon. BUT...you never know! He could hold steady, as he seems to like his little home now. It is really just amazing to think about how he will be here with us very soon! We are both so excited and ready! It is so cute to see and hear Jason get so excited when he thinks about Hudson being here. Sometimes he will just say (while looking at baby's swing in the living room or something else of baby's), "I want him here!" :) I feel so blessed to have such an excited and involved husband! We are both just so ready to see this little face :)

A Wonderful Year!

2011-01-01T17:18:00.017-06:00

How wonderful is it to be able to look back on a year and be able to say how truly great it was? I know just how lucky we are and I am so thankful for all of the many blessings that we have. When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of what I wanted my life to be like when I "grew up". I think most children dream about being famous or in some powerful role of some sort, having an endless amount of money to buy everything they desire, etc. I know I always wanted to be a doctor, lawyer, and a model...yes, all 3. Well, my lack of math skills quickly diminished any hope of me in the medical field, my complete hatred for school tossed any additional higher ed out of the door (for now), and well a model??...I'm 5'2 and am no Heidi Klum! But the one thing that I always dreamed about and always wished for (yes, on birthdays, stars, fountains, you name it...anywhere I could make a wish) was to be happy. Well, the billions of wishes I made for happiness for the past 20 or so years have finally started coming true...starting 3 years ago. My world changed when I met Jason and things have just continued to get better and better. I could have never have dreamed OR wished for a greater happiness that I have now. And I truly have a profound appreciation for the blessing of happiness that I/we have :)

SO! A few (certainly not all) happy highlights from the past year...

Feb. 28th...Jason's 30th Birthday! A great 30th Birthday trip to Cancun with Mom and Dad!
April 10th...The Day of a Big Decision! The night of my sister and Scooter's shower, we decided that we would try to start a family!

May 15th...Before leaving for Atlanta for a bachelorette party, I thought it would be wise to take a pregnancy test and well, it was a very good decision! I think I took 3 or 4! (warning: this picture may be TMI, so just pass it on by if so!) We were so blessed to be given our baby so soon after trying for a little one...our Hudson is one special little baby boy!
This picture is from June :)
May 28th...The most beautiful baby girl was born! Our sweet niece, Landry is just the most perfect child in the world and it has been a joy to watch her grow!

August 23rd...We found out our angel was a boy!

August 29th...Our 1 Year Anniversary! I am so blessed to have my sweet and perfect husband!

Sept. 24th-28th...Anniversary/Babymoon Trip to NYC

Oct. 24th...Joined South Highland Presbyterian

These are just a few "big things" from 2010, certainly not everything. Jason continues to work so very hard and things are going really well for him with the many things/projects he has going on. I am so proud of him and just really admire his drive and ambition...he really honestly excels at everything he does and is so deserving of all of the good fortunes that come and will come his way. His success has allowed for me to stay home with our son, which we are so thankful for. 2010 was a great year and we can't wait to see what 2011 brings! I am so thankful for every ounce of happiness that I/we have and am so thankful that I can share it all with my best friend.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Love,
J&E

The Sweetest Gift

2010-12-29T09:19:00.007-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas and were blessed with many great gifts and a wonderful time with our wonderful family! Jason's favorite gift, which I love too, was a new camcorder from Grandma and Grandpa to record all of the sweet moments that we will share with our sweet guy for many years to come! My favorite gift was actually one given to Hudson from Grandma and Grandpa...it was 2 smocked outfits made by Grandma that were Jason's when he was a little boy:) Thank you so much JittaBug for passing these precious and priceless little clothes on to us :)

Here is a picture of the 2 longalls:
Here is a picture of my sweet guy (& Aunt Stacey) in one of the precious outfits! Isn't this THE sweetest picture?! Love it! :) I love looking at pictures of my sweet Jason...I love him so much and feel so blessed to have him as my husband and as the father of our sweet baby boy.

We officially made it to 37 weeks today! YAY! And are getting more and more excited each day to meet our angel! I can't believe that in a matter of 3 weeks or LESS, we are going to be blessed with a sweet baby boy...our precious Hudson:) I am anxious about my appt on Monday, as we will get a good idea from the doctor where we are with the progression of everything! I have had a ton of contractions very close together tonight, so I HOPE that has helped put us a little closer to meeting our baby! ;)

Love,
J&E

Another Week!

2010-12-21T13:18:00.004-06:00

We successfully made it through another week! I went to the doctor on Monday and there has been no change, which is wonderful news! I will go back tomorrow for my 36 week visit. One thing different though is baby's movement. Up until Monday afternoon, Hudson had been SO active! I don't mean a kick here and there...I mean crazy movement 24/7. Well that all changed, as he now is just calm and hanging out quietly. I feel him move every now and then, but no where near to what he was doing. Finally slowing down or quiet before the storm?? I sure wish I had a crystal ball!

Monday was my late grandmother, Mary Ann's birthday. My goodness I miss her so much. She was my absolute world and I wish she would have been given more time on this earth with us. My Granny loved Christmas and one of my favorite memories from my childhood was spending Christmas at her house. She always wore festive Christmas clothes, as most Grandma's do;) She had two special turtle necks that I remember the most: one black with red poinsettias and one red gingham with holly berries. I decided to have a special Christmas memory bear made out of her red shirt for Landry's first Christmas and also one for Hudson. I found a lady on Etsy to make a small bear out of a red and white polka dot fabric and she then made a little shirt for the bear out of Granny's shirt (I couldn't bring myself to have the whole shirt cut). They turned out just perfect! I named them Mary (Merry) Bear :) So now, they each have their own MaryBear for Christmas. She was such an angel and I miss her so very much.

We had a wonderful Christmas! Lots of gifts for everyone! Even some for sweet baby Hudsy:) We are so very blessed for all that we have and to be apart of such a loving family. I started getting sick on Thursday and it has lasted until today...but I am soooo much better than I was! I sadly passed it on to Jason and Stacey :( Mom and Dad Fill are still holding strong! And how about this snow?? Who would have ever thought Alabama would have a white Christmas?!?

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!
Love,
J&E

We're Moving Right Along Schedule...

2010-12-14T20:37:00.002-06:00

I went to the Dr today for a check up. The Dr was so happy that we made it another week! I am currently 34.5 weeks, but am measuring a little ahead at 35.5. We need all of the extra weeks we can get! I realize that this can change and he may not grow as much before the next appt. There is no way Baby Boy is going to stay until mid-January, so basically we are just waiting on him any day now and praying he will stay just a little bit longer!!...2 more weeks and we are in the clear! Please keep our angel and his health in your thoughts and prayers! I know he is going to be just fine...he's just displaying traits given to him by his mother...doing things on his time and in his way;) He must know I am talking about him because he is doing some serious moving around right now and has the hiccups :)

Love,
J&E

Nesting...

2010-12-13T14:05:00.004-06:00

I know I have been "nesting" throughout this entire pregnancy. I have become overly obsessed with to-do lists and heaven forbid something be out of place or look cluttered! I have had to take a step back a few times and just tell myself to stop obsessing over every detail and RELAX! So far, that has worked...well maybe 90% or a little less of the time. Well, since our little event that occurred last Wednesday, I am seriously in overdrive!

Why?? I have this major goal or yearning I should say to have everything DONE and in its place before our little guy arrives! My sweet Jason worked his tail off over the weekend on the nursery and we only have a few small things left to do. We rushed to Buy Buy Baby Friday night to pick up some last minute necessities for baby Hudson. My yearning to have everything in its correct place is even making me so very ready to take down the Christmas decor inside! Which is crazy, I know! I LOVE the Christmas season so much and I always have so much fun decorating everything....but honestly the tree has lights and a bow...no ornaments...and I am ok with that. There is garland on the mantle and a few festive items here and there, but that's it...so you would think I would not sit and stare at the few items and count the days until they can come down! Nesting or neurotic?? Perhaps both! All I know is that there are times when I begin to question my sanity and rationalization skills! My sister assured me that this was all normal...but also to get ready for the mother of all ups and downs after baby arrives. Given that I am an emotional person not pregnant, I am a little nervous about it. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who is my very best friend that will hold my hand through it all...as he has done for the past 34 weeks of this pregnancy...well actually since the day we met. Hudson and I are so blessed:)

Jason felt the tree was lacking something so he went out and bought some candy canes for it :) However, given his love for all things sweet, I believe he bought them to enjoy eating them while working. I must say he placed all of the candy canes quite well on the tree yesterday....but today there are some serious gaps! ;)

We knew prior to last Wed that baby would be here soon and that this was all really happening...but now that he could be here at any moment over the next couple of weeks has really made things so real. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, especially our little boy. After all, it does not matter if the garland is still up or if the throw pillows are in their correct place....we just hope and pray for a healthy little boy...that is the ONLY true thing that matters. Thank you to everyone who has been so sweet to offer to help us out and who are thinking of us, we appreciate all of our wonderful family and friends so much! If you are still reading this novel of a post, I am most proud! I did not mean for it to be so long, but I just wanted to document everything:)

Love,
J&E

Some New Photos!

2010-12-10T13:55:00.008-06:00

Here are some new pics that I thought I would share :) I chose not to do the traditional maternity photos as we have been taking photos of my belly throughout my pregnancy...that I do not intend on displaying anywhere other than Hudson's baby book! ;) But here are some great maternity/Christmas photos Catherine Mayo took of us!

This is what we used for our Christmas Cards:) I liked it for the cards, because I plan on keeping all of our cards in an album and it sort of documents Dec 2010 for us ;)

The 3 of us :)

Mommy & Hudson

Love,
J&E

Our Eager Little Boy...

2010-12-10T08:48:00.002-06:00

It has been a bit eventful in the Fill household lately. We have had a few hiccups along the way, but the biggest came on Wednesday. Sweet boy is just really ready and eager to come into the world! Long story short: I went into preterm labor and had to go into the hospital. They finally got baby and I stabilized and thankfully he is still safe in my belly! The goal now is to make to tomorrow, each and every day. The big goal is to get through the next 2-3 weeks. We are home now and taking it easy, praying that baby boy will stay inside just a bit longer! My medicine is thankfully keeping things under control right now, so thank heaven for that! I am just really glad that this is all under control at the moment and can be handled and monitored at home!! Hudson will be considered full term on Jan. 1st...so everyone hope and pray he makes it until then to avoid going to the NICU. But, as my doctor said...if he has to go, then that's where he needs to be and be thankful he has that option. They did give me 2 steroid shots to help mature his lungs, so we feel a bit more at peace knowing that if he just can't make it any longer...they have taken that precaution to help him. I go back to the dr on Tuesday...we'll keep you posted.

Now: GET THE NURSERY DONE and get all remaining baby gear that we need!! I am absolutely not stressing, nope not one bit ;)

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers...
J&E

Busy Week!

2010-11-27T13:34:00.008-06:00

We sure have had a busy week! Two of our best friends got married on the 20th (Congratulations Wes and Mer!) and J and I were both in the wedding. Sadly I did not take a camera, but I will post one of us when their photographer posts a few! Grandma and Grandpa Fill came down for the wedding and spent a few days with us...we all had a great time at the wedding!

We had a 4-D re-check last Tuesday to hopefully get some better photos of baby Hudson and WE DID! The first time we went, I had some sweet tea before the u/s, but that did not work....so this last time I ate a huge piece of cinnamon sugar coffee cake that was WAY TOO sweet and it did the trick! Here are a few images of our sweet angel :)
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at my sister's! Scooter's parents and grandparents from Montgomery came up too and there was so much good food! We also celebrated sweet Landry's 1/2 Birthday!
Sweet girl spent the night with us Thursday night so Mommy and Daddy could go to Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl. We had so much fun playing Mommy and Daddy! She gave us some good practice and Jason is definitely a pro now :) He is more than ready for Baby Hudson! It was so sweet to watch him with her...he is going to be a wonderful father that Hudson is so lucky to have. Landry was a little fussy because she is teething and just did not want to go to sleep on her own in the crib, so we tried going back and forth from the bed to the crib 1k times...well she ended up falling asleep in Uncle J's arms and he just put her in the middle of us to keep her from waking up and crying again. He did such a great job!! I am so proud to have such a wonderful and loving husband! Sweet girl loves her Uncle J too! I will post some pics later of our Landry play date!

To all of the Auburn fans out there WAR EAGLE!!!! What an awesome game! I am so proud of those Tigers!! Poor Jason is in bed sick with a stomach virus...I hate seeing him sick:( He is so pitiful! I hope he gets better soon and I pray Hudson and I do not get it! :(

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
Love,
J&E

The Paisley Peacock!

2010-11-22T18:40:00.004-06:00

I have a sweet, sweet friend (Beth) who is so good at monogramming and appliques and I had to share her blog with you! Her stuff is SO cute and very affordable! You can take items to her or she has some items available (clothing, burp cloths, etc). Go to her new blog and look at all of her cute stuff!!

http://paisleypeacockdesigns.blogspot.com/

This Makes My Day!

2010-11-11T11:25:00.003-06:00

My sweet and precious husband just sent me this picture that he was tagged in on Facebook :) And it just MADE MY DAY! This photo is of Jason in 1996 as a highschool sophomore and it just makes my heart smile! I told Jason to imagine a little, skinny 3rd grader standing next to him and he quickly told me to hush!...FYI: I would be that little 3rd grader!!! :) Haha!

I love any and all photos of him...birth until present day....they just make me smile SO MUCH! Anyways, this picture made me think of how one day our little Hudson is going to be a big boy and it is just so exciting! I can't wait to see what he is interested in...we're pushing golf like Daddy:) I pray he gets his father's coordination, as I have ZERO to offer him ;)

And in case you could not tell...that is my golfer front and center :)

Busy, Busy!

2010-11-10T12:55:00.006-06:00

Oh wow...it has been a while! I actually have written some posts and was suppose to add pictures to them to finish it....BUT that never happened!

Things are going great with us! We are staying busy. Baby Hudson is doing so good! He is just growing and growing...which means I am too :) I am currently 29 weeks along....will be 30 weeks this Saturday:) It is just so crazy and so amazing to think that he will be here in just a few more weeks. I hit a huge growth spurt in the last 2 weeks and I mean a BIG one. I won't go into numbers, but everyone around me has noticed it too and reminds me frequently. Even strangers have asked if I am expecting twins...or are shocked beyond comprehension that I am due in January. Those close to me have reminded me that I am still so tiny (in frame) that this big beach ball has no where to go but out. So anyways. I have slowed down alot more than I want to and alot sooner than I thought I would....so that has been an adjustment. We had a few "hiccups" over the past month & some, but baby and mommy are doing great so far....so that is all we can ask for. So, I have been taking it easy...which is so hard because I have a hard time being still and focusing on one thing for an extended period of time. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband that is so sweet to me and is so helpful and understanding. I, excuse me....WE are SO thankful for him! My sister has been such a great support too in making sure her Baby Sis is doing the right thing and taking care of herself. My sister has always been such a wonderful, nurturing person and has ALWAYS taken care of and looked out for her Baby Sis...which is why she was always my "MamaSis" ;)

The nursery is almost done! We're just left with the hardest part (or the hardest part in my opinion)...hanging things! I am SO bad with placement and changing my mind. I am such a perfectionist, so I am praying this does not take us until January to do. We are going to start a project this weekend that I am excited and nervous about...we are going to attempt to make some frames. The large wooden ones that you see in boutiques for $$$ (ridiculously priced!!). We'll see how that goes! I'm creative and Jason is pretty handy, so I think it'll work out! I will post some pictures when we are done!

We had our Christmas and maternity photo session last Sunday. We used Catherine Mayo (who we were referred to by a friend) and are so excited to get them back! She has a great portfolio and I felt that her style was the best match for what I like. I did not want to do the traditional maternity pics, as I have been taking pics every 2-4 weeks of my belly...so i did not see any reason to do the traditional ones. However, during our session...we took some that focused on baby and then the rest were just "normal" photos of us :)

Jason and I are getting excited for next weekend! Mom and Dad Fill are going to be here!! We can't wait to see them! They will be coming down for our best friend's wedding (Wes and Merrick) that we are both in. Hopefully I will not look like a blimp...but if I do, it's ok...because we have a precious baby boy joining our little family:) I went through a rather big growth spurt over the past 2 weeks that is causing an issue with my bridesmaid dress...but I have a lady that is going to work magic on it for me! Thank goodness!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

NYC

2010-10-01T12:58:00.010-05:00

We had so much fun in NYC! Wow at the walking one must do to get from point "a" to "b"! Hudson and I hung in there though!...Jason lost a little weight I believe, from all of the walking!

Here is a very brief summary of our trip: Friday and Saturday were spent going all around Manhattan: up and down Avenue of the Americas, 5th, and Madison :)...Times Square, Soho (had a great burger at a place called South Houston), Battery Park, Ground Zero...and more! Saturday night, we found the bar in Manhattan (Bar 515) where Auburn Alumni go to watch Auburn...so we went there to watch the game. It was so fun being around all of the orange and blue...you have to love familiarity! Sunday morning, we took a tour of several NBC studios...we saw: Dr. Oz's set, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, AND....the SNL set! (which I was so excited about!) We then went to Rockefeller Plaza to visit the Learning Plaza to see the Learning Styles area...Everything looked great! Sunday night we had dinner with work folks (Mac and Kim) at Carmine's and then went to see Sheryl Crow at Radio Music Hall with them. Brandi Carlyle was the opener and she was awesome! Loved her! We saw Mamma Mia on Broadway Monday night with Mac and Kim...we had a great time you guys, thank you again! Jason had work stuff Tuesday am, but we were able to grab lunch together before leaving for the airport. We at a wonderful, little French restaurant called "La Bonne Soup"...it was sooooo good!

We had such a great time and both enjoyed our first trip to NYC! I am still trying to figure out how people live there though....I seriously appreciate my car and the convenience it provides me:) I could never depend on walking and public transit to get me places (I get nauseated in cabs, haha!)....I am just an instant gratification kind of gal, that loves convenience:) Who could blame me?? ;)

Here are some pictures from our trip!

Bar 515...War Eagle!!

Education Nation

La Bonne Soupe

Delicious French Onion Soup

Croque Monsieur...the most delicious sandwich ever!

Baby Hudson Update :)

2010-09-21T19:36:00.002-05:00

I went to the doctor today for a routine visit...they just checked my blood pressure, weight, etc. I got to hear his precious, little heart beat...the rate was 156! So proud of our strong guy! We are so very aware of how blessed we are and we count our blessings everyday for this sweet angel:) My goodness, life is truly wonderful!

I have my sugar test at my next appointment, so lets all hope that goes well! I am sure it will be fine!

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!

Baby Hudson's Shower - Part 2...

2010-09-20T20:07:00.010-05:00

Here are a few pictures from the shower! We had so much with everyone! The company was the best, the food was delicious, and everything looked so pretty!

The Hosts :)
Minus Nathan

The Precious Cake

The Food Table

The many thoughtful gifts for Hudson

Uncle Scoot, Auntie Amy, and Sweet Cousin Landry :)

Aunt PB :)

Grandma and Grandpa made an appearance! Thank you Mom and Dad Fill! You guys are the best and we love and miss you so much!

Baby Hudson's Shower :) - Part 1....

2010-09-20T14:44:00.003-05:00

All I can say is that we always knew we had great friends and family, but this past Saturday really just reminded us how fortunate we are to be surrounded by so many wonderful people (family and friends). We want to thank our friends and family for hosting a wonderful shower in honor of us for Baby Hudson. Thank you for hosting such a wonderful day for us to spend with you and our other friends and family:)

Uncle Scoot, Auntie Amy, and Landrygirl: thank you so much for heading up the shower and putting so much time and effort into making the shower so special for us. "Hudsy" is going to love you guys so much!...just as we do:)
Aunt PB: thank you so much for everything and making the shower so wonderful! We appreciate all of your thoughtfulness...your little nephew is going to love his Aunt PB:) We love you!
Nathan and Amy: thank you so much for helping put on such a wonderful shower for us! You guys are & always have been such amazing friends to us and we love you guys so very much!
Wes and Mer: Thank you guys so much for helping host Baby Hudson's shower! We appreciate everything so, so much! We are so blessed to know you guys and have you both as friends! We love you Mr. and Mrs. Wilson!

I will post some pictures from the shower soon! (Hopefully tonight!) We appreciate everyone taking the time to make our day so special and are SO grateful for all of the wonderful and thoughtful gifts that were given to our sweet Hudson! Thank you to everyone...from the bottom of our hearts.

Updates...

2010-09-15T14:02:00.002-05:00

Shower: We are so excited for our shower coming up this Saturday! We have some great family & friends hosting it for us and we appreciate them doing this for us so very much! We are so excited to see everyone and are so lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives!

House: We have had minimal interest (if any) here lately on the house. But we are ok with that now, because we are getting closer to Hudson's arrival and would be fine if we did not sell until next Spring or so. That old saying is true again....everything happens for a reason and when it is suppose to happen!

Nursery: Sweet baby has his changing table! We still have quite the list of things to get for Hudsy's room. I can't wait until everything starts coming together...I can't wait to see his little crib and bedding all put together! I have a few little projects in my head for us to do!! :) Thank goodness I have the sweetest husband, who never questions my creativity and decor:) We have gone back and forth about painting the nursery or not...but I think we will paint it maybe the end of Nov, early Decemberish? I am liking a pale blue for the walls...it's called Club Soda:) I had wanted to do stripes (all walls or maybe just one), but the bedding is striped so that would probably be too much!

Family: Baby Landry, Mommy, and Daddy are doing great! Baby girl is just growing and growing and is healthy! She will be 4 months old on the 28th:) I get to watch her online at Daycare, which is so fun! I love being able to peek in at her during the day. Mom and Dad Fill will be coming down in November for our friend's wedding (that we are both in...I will be 32 weeks the day of the wedding!) and then they will be back in December for Christmas! And then the next time we see them it will be for sweet Hudson's arrival! I am hoping that all of the little events and visits in the next few months will make things go by faster!

Travels: We are taking a belated Anniversary trip to NYC! Jason has a work thing at the end of our trip, but it is at Rockefeller Plaza so that will be fun and I can go out and about to the stores around there:)

Here is a link to the event (Education Nation) that is going on all week at Rockefeller: http://educationnation.com/

Jason's company has partnered with one of the big sponsors of the event (University of Phoenix) to provide one of their products (SmarterMeasure). Rockefeller Center will have several different areas set up that cater to a specific learning style (verbal, solitary, etc) and UoP is providing several kiosks and a mobile version for the public to take SM (J's product) to determine their learning style and will suggest what area(s) they should visit in the learning plaza. He has been working so very hard on this (as well as everything else) and I am so very proud of him! Can't wait for us to get there and see how it all comes together!

Back to the play part of the trip: There is so much to do in NYC! I am just ready to finally go there! I have always wanted to...so this is the 1st time! I may or may not return to AL...;) jk!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and weekend! War Eagle!! and GO Trojans!!

Happy Anniversary!

2010-08-31T12:06:00.008-05:00

We have been married for 1 wonderful year! Being married to Jason has been the most wonderful thing I have ever experienced. How great to spend the rest of your life spending time with and loving your best friend! We really have a rare type of love and relationship that I am so thankful for to have found. And all I can think is how lucky our children are to have 2 parents that love each other so much and that will love them just as much. To me, life is all about love and giving and receiving as much of it as you can during our short time on this earth. Thank you sweet heart for being the wonderful man, friend, and husband you are to me...it has been a wonderful year being your wife and I look forward to many, many more years with you:)

We had a wonderful anniversary day and dinner...we got our wedding cake and defrosted it....to our surprise it was actually really, really good! For dinner, we made "Anniversary Shrimp and Grits". And let me tell you, I am a shrimp and grits connoisseur and they were the best I have ever tasted...from out of my kitchen or a restaurants! The recipe comes from the cookbook "Glorious Grits" which is written and compiled by a lady at work's sister, Susan M. McIntosh. The entire book is fabulous and so is this recipe...you must try it!

Link to the recipe: Anniversary Shrimp and Grits

Here is our finished product:

Have a wonderful week!
Love,
J&E (and little H) :)

BABY BOY!

2010-08-24T13:31:00.004-05:00

First of all, we are so thankful and happy to be:
1) able to conceive...
2) to carry a baby...
3) to carry a baby with a perfect, strong heartbeat (the most beautiful sound)...
4) that is healthy and is developing perfectly.

We are so blessed for this sweet angel that we love so much and we are so happy to be given the opportunity to name our son, Hudson Downey Fill.

To give you a break down of the name:

Hudson was a mutually liked and agreed upon name.

Downey is the last name of my sweet and dear grandparents that played such a huge role in my life and we chose it to carry the name on.

Then of course, the Fill last name is being carried on for another generation! The Fill's are very excited about this:)

Here are 2 photos of Mr. Hudson! More to come later!

Baby Hudson with his hands up by his head:)

Yes, Hudson is all boy! ;)

The stroller has arrived!

2010-08-20T09:39:00.005-05:00

I doubt that most of you find this exciting, but we were seriously waiting by the door for the UPS truck to come last night!...I think we might have been his last stop!! This is an amazing stroller and I can't wait for us to push baby around in it! We might have pushed it around outside on the back patio! ;) What is neat about the stroller is that it comes with a bassinet, a regular seat, and has the option to add the "rumble seat" for a toddler while still using the regular seat or carrier attachment for a baby:)

We put the stroller in the baby's room last night and before I left for work...I went and peaked in at it:) It was so sweet to look in there and see the stroller, a precious diaper bag (thank you again Mom and Dad Fill!!), a framed picture of baby, and a precious pair of baby Auburn socks:) So our house is starting to get more and more ready for baby! :)

Baby Update: I have started feeling the baby!! and where it is located at times. By that I mean: when I am laying down in bed, I can feel something and I know that the baby has pushed itself out either to my left side or right (below my belly button). When the baby does that, it is so funny because the side that the baby is on is hard and sticks out and the other side is soft and I can press down easily. You can cup the little baby bulge in your hand...it is really amazing:)

The countdown is finally about to end! We go on Monday afternoon to find out if Baby Fill is a girl or boy!! We can't to finally know!

Have a great weekend!

Stroller!...and other things!

2010-08-16T10:14:00.004-05:00

I never in this world thought that baby gear would be so fun and exciting! We made a few purchases this weekend that we are so excited about!

#1: Our UppaBaby Stroller!

We found it for a great price and can't wait to get it in! What we love the most about it is that it has an attachment for the front that allows 2 children to ride at the same time! Don't worry, I am not jumping the gun on Baby #2!, but we would like our children to be close in age, so this stroller was a great fit! Oh and FYI, it is grey...it looks kind of white in the photo. Our sweet friends John and Reagan (who have a precious Baby Boy that just smiles for days!!) have this stroller in black, so that is where we first fell in love with it:)

#2: Changing Table

We bought a simple white changing table for baby. I am changing out the drawer knobs to the bunny ones that I mentioned in a previous blog and I bought a great, inexpensive round glass knob for the cabinet door from AtHome in Homewood. LOVE that store!

We went to a wedding Saturday night and it was just gorgeous and so much fun!...Congrats Lindsay and Justin! The reception was at B&A and the food was to die for! They had a grits bar that was delicious (I put cheese and caramelized onions in mine...yum!...oh and made friends with the server, her name was Gail, as I frequented that station a few times), a Nacho Bar where you chose a bag of Frito's or Nacho Dorrito's and the server put the taco meat and cheese IN THE BAG and then you topped it off with whatever toppings you wanted, a Lo Mein Noodle Bar that you could add goodies to, served in a cute little take out box, mini cheeseburgers + toppings, A Little Debbie Assortment in place of a groom's cake, and MORE! It was truly a pregnant woman's dream! :)

Lastly, ONE WEEK from today we will find out if our Angel Baby is a boy or girl! And as you all know...we are SO excited to find out!

Have a great week!

Love, Jason and Emily

Sweet Baby's Nursery

2010-08-09T11:57:00.003-05:00

For most that know me well, they know that I am a planner...like big time planner. I love doing it! I love lists, spreadsheets, Google Docs to save images, my bookmarks of sites etc. When we got engaged, I had all of the big decisions made within in two weeks and had only small items left to do. Well...the baby's nursery is planned! Yes, completely! I have everything picked out for a boy and a girl...I just need for Aug. 23rd to get here so I can get my pink or blue stuff ordered:) I also know exactly what we will be registering for, so my sweet husband should thank me as it will be a breeze for us! Yes, I have the sweetest husband that is willing to go with me to register:)

The baby's furniture is going to be white and while just browsing on Pottery Barn Kids, I happen to run across these adorable knobs for the changing table! I think they will be just fine and adorable in a boy's or girl's room. I love classic, vintage things...so i of course fell in love with these!

I have several posts and pictures that I want to put on here, but I always seem to forget to do so! We went to the beach with my sister, Scooter, Landry, and Scooter's family and had the BEST time! Orange Beach is just as beautiful and perfect as it always has been!

I also have some tummy pictures that I need to share! I hit a little growth spurt in the past few days and let me tell you, I love it:) I never thought I would say this, but I love being pregnant. I love everything about it, but most of all I love that at the end of this journey, I am going to be a Mother. I can't imagine a greater joy in life than to be able to be a mother with an amazing man that I love, who is going to be a wonderful father. We are so blessed and I could not imagine a greater happiness.

Happy 2 Month's Little Landry!

2010-07-28T14:39:00.003-05:00

It is so funny to think that just two months ago, we were all anticipating this little angel's arrival! She is even more precious and perfect than anyone could have imagined:) My sister has done an incredible job during her first 2 months of being a Mommy...Landry is one lucky little lady to have such a wonderful Mommy. I am so impressed with how strong and dedicated my sister has been through the many changes and transitions that a new baby can bring and I hope that come January, I will be able to do just the same. Scooter is a wonderful Dad, who is already completely wrapped around her itty, bitty finger! I am really happy that he could be the father to my niece...again, she is very blessed to have another wonderful parent.
Jason and I absolutely love this little girl and have enjoyed getting to know her and have loved having the time to bond with her. Landry is the first baby that Jason has really been around, so she is being a great little teacher to him. I am so glad she is here to try and help him prepare for her little cousin that will be here in January.
Little Landry...we love you so much and are so happy that you here on this Earth for all of us to love:)

Cutest Things Ever

2010-07-25T15:23:00.004-05:00

So, I have always loved little kid plates and cups, etc. Don't ask me why, but they were always so fun as a child and I always loved eating with silver Big Bird fork and spoon and out of my Cookie Monster bowl:) Well, after I found out I was expecting I was in Old Time Pottery and saw the cutest little plates for children! Here's Baby Fill's first gift that Mommy bought:
We were in Auburn this weekend and I had to buy these precious little socks! War Eagle! (the photo is sideways, but oh well!)

Sweet Landry :)

2010-07-21T09:14:00.003-05:00

This is probably my favorite picture so far!! Just look at those rolls! She is such a big girl already! Can't believe that she is sitting up so well already to not even be 2 months old yet! She is such a funny and sweet little girl. She definitely has her Mommy and Aunt Emmy's (especially me) spunk in her...she is quite opinionated and head strong already!! I sure do love my Landry girl :)

Blue or Pink?

2010-07-18T18:19:00.003-05:00

What will Baby Fill be?...a Boy or Girl? Pretty much everyone has voted that Baby Fill is a little girl. I have not really been certain either way, but I have been more apt to look at girl items. At this point, if Baby Fill is a girl she has a nursery already planned out in my head. We have had 2 people say that it is a boy...one of those two people is a very sweet lady that works with my sister. She has a 100% accurate prediction record over her years and did I mention she predicted my little niece?? So that throws me off a little!

I am the most picky person when it comes to clothes and decor and because of this: I can not find any bedding for a boy that I am in love with. I have looked all over my favorite sites: Layla Grace , Baby Box , Rosenberry Rooms , and a few others, but have not fallen in love with anything. But I have a little more time;) FYI: if you are not familiar with my favorite sites, you must get acquainted!

We should find out if Baby Fill is a girl or boy on August 25th! We can't wait!

Yummy!

2010-07-05T10:48:00.005-05:00

In my previous post I talked about great and yummy food that are perfect for the 4th...well we had 2 out of the 3: hot-dogs and homemade ice-cream! Plus some delicious and oh so bad for you peach dump cake!

Our Vanilla Ice-Cream made with my Meme's special Vanilla :)
It tasted just like hers! :)

Peach Dump Cake....so sweet, but so good!

All you need for the peach dump cake is 3 regular sized cans of peaches. I use 1 can of peaches in Heavy Syrup and 2 cans of peaches in Light Syrup (1 drained of liquid). Dump the peaches in a 9x13 baking dish, cover with (dry) plain yellow cake mix, dot with small squares of (stick) butter all along the top, and lastly sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 30 min. It should look the picture above when it is ready! * TIP:do not use light butter, it just does not work like it should.

Finished Products :)

We are having a BABY!

2010-07-02T09:31:00.003-05:00

We are SO excited and SO happy to be sharing this wonderful news!!! Our little blessing should arrive on or around January 22, 2011! We feel so blessed and so lucky! We are ready for January to get here!

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-01T10:41:00.005-05:00

There is nothing that you reminds you of summer and the 4th more than:

Hotdogs!

Watermelon!

Homemade Icecream!

Those are three of my favorite things! My Meme made the best homemade icecream! I actually do not really like icecream unless it is homemade...and don't tell me to buy Blue Bell...it is not the same!

We did have plans for this holiday, but sadly they did not work out. We were suppose to go to Michigan for a wedding for one of Jason's good friends (Congratulations Todd and Kortne! Wish we could have been there for your big day!) and were going to spend a little time with Mom and Dad Fill at the cottage. But everything happens for a reason I suppose.

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday! Too bad the oil (BP) has ruined our beaches...it truely has taken so much away from all of the people that live there and those that do not, but who had spent many summers and weekends on those beautiful beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Hopefully a resolution is in the near future. Lets pray for all of those who have been adversely effected by this catastrophe.

Love,

Jason & Emily

Life is Good

2010-05-31T10:17:00.006-05:00

It truly, truly is! Our little niece, Landry Kate Crutcher, was born last Friday, May 28th at 12:23 pm. She was 7lbs, 7oz and 20.5 inches long....most importantly she is healthy and perfect in every single way. My sister did an amazing job and is also doing well! I am so proud of her and am so happy for the new Mommy and Daddy. I really can't express how happy I am for them. Landry is so beautiful and I love her more than anything. To me, this is what life is all about....the happiness that real and true love brings...you simply can't ask for anything better or more. The amount of happiness and love that sweet Landry has brought with her into this world is an amazing thing.

The picture above is my favorite so far! It seriously makes me smile, laugh, and tear up all at the same time....yes it is possible! I smile because she is so absolutely beautiful to me, I laugh because she has the most precious little arms that she likes to keep up by her head and that little hat adds a little humor to it!!, and I tear up because I love her so very much. I am one proud Aunt Emmy!...or Auntie Ems! And Uncle J is pretty proud too! Take a look at this photo;) .....

Landry is coming home today! She will be wearing the same dress that my sister and I both wore when we were brought home:) More pictures to come!

Love,
Emily and Jason

A Wonderful Weekend!

2010-05-10T09:54:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful relaxing, yet productive weekend! Didn't sell the house yet, but that's ok! We went to my sister's and Scooter's for Mother's Day lunch and the best time and the food was so yummy! Scooter's mom, Sydney, and his grandparents came up from Montgomery for the day. They are so very sweet and so funny! I was given dessert duty and because Scooter's grandma is such an amazing cook (makes everything from scratch), I decided to go with an Italian Cream cake from Edgar's Bakery! ;) If you have not had it before or their Strawberry cake, it is to die for and you must try it!

For Mother's Day, I gave Amy Landry's wreath that I made to go on the hospital room door for when she is born. I made it to match the nursery, which is precious! The bedding is my favorite! (see pic below!)
Here is a picture of the wreath I made for Baby Landry :)

Landry should be arriving soon and we can't wait to meet her! I can't wait to hold that sweet girl and give her lots of kisses!

Hope everyone had a great weekend too! Have a nice week!

Love,

Jason and Emily

Up to this point...

2010-04-28T15:09:00.003-05:00

Things are about the same...I always find myself writing about all of the happy and great stuff in our lives, but I never seem to cover the stressors too much. Don't get me wrong, we are blessed beyond belief and are so appreciative of everything we have, especially having each other. :)

With that being said...We are still waiting and waiting for a buyer. We have some major competition that we are still trying to compete with: 1) the bad economy & 2) a new construction neighborhood. The 2 play hand in hand obviously. From the time that we built our home until now, the ballgame of pricing and what things are selling for have changed quite a bit. Our neighborhood is about to expand by an additional 75 new lots in the coming months, so if we are still residents of James Hill at that point...well, you can say our hopes of selling will be quite low. Everyone keeps telling us that we will sell when we are "meant to sell"....and I completely agree and understand that notion, but boy is it hard to be at peace/ease with that. We started out in this process not caring if and when we sold, because we had no idea it would be so challanging as the neighborhood continued to flourish (seriously...it seemed like all other areas were dead, but Signature kept pushing on). But as the months have gone by, we have had little bundles of surprises come to light to prove time and time again otherwise. So yes, it will happen when it is intended to happen...lets all just hope sooner than later! The hardest thing for me has been trying to stop planning and anticipating our future so much (for ex: wanting to sell and move so badly) and just enjoy each and every day....after all, every single day quickly becomes a memory in a life that is just too short!

So there's my little venting session for the day! And if you know anyone looking for a cute-little house, we are looking for some takers! ;)

We're back!....

2010-03-10T10:21:00.002-06:00

Well....I had every intention of writing a few blogs over the past couple of months, but I always like to include pictures with them. However, our computer stopped reading my camera's memory card SO it took us forever to get to the store to buy a card reader! We just got one and I was all ready to create a few posts BUT I can't find the memory card! We bought a new one on the way to the airport to go to Cancun and where we put the old one....I HAVE NO CLUE! I am so very sad by this and hope that we will find it soon! We do have the new one though and it has the photos from Jason's Birthday trip to Cancun and his surprise Birthday dinner with friends!!.....so those are coming!

But here are just a few little updates:

Jason turned 30 on 2/28 and we went to Cancun to celebrate it with Mom and Dad Fill! We had a great time and I will post some pics soon! I planned a surprise birthday dinner when we got back with all of our friends!
My sister and the baby are doing really well! They decided on the name, Landry Kate Crutcher (not a double name). Sweet Landry already has a closet FULL of clothes! I can't wait to meet her and hold her!!
The house is still on the market...but that's ok because we do not have to sell, we just WANT to sell! I am beginning to think that the "wanting urge" is greater than the need to urge! So if you know anyone, send them our way!
We sold my Honda (in 3 days on Craiglist...CL is the best!) and bought an AWD SUV (Volvo XC90) for our move to Michigan! Me driving the Honda up there would not have worked very well. I have every intention of taking driving lessons for driving in snow and ice from Jason, Dad Fill, or anyone that is willing to risk their life;) Just kidding, but I am from ALABAMA and we have NO IDEA how to handle those conditions! After all, we shut everything down for an inch of snow :), which is something I love and am use to! So when we're up north and the snow starts, I am going to have to remind myself that NOTHING will shut down!
Jason just started playing softball this week. He, my brother in-law, and several of their friends and old fraternity brothers are playing in a league together. They had their first game last night and it was a close one! They lost by 1 point...final score 11-10. :( I had my first experience of keeping the scorebook and boy was that a mess! I re-started a new page 3 times! But I finally figured it out!...I think. I will do better next time or will just hand it over to someone else because you can't talk to ANYONE or even cheer while you do it (or at least I couldn't)! Haha:) I found myself chatting with my sister and getting caught up in cheering the team on and I'd lose track of what I was suppose to be recording!

That is all I can think of for right now! Have a great day!

Love,

Jason and Emily

The BEST dish ever!

2010-01-12T14:57:00.003-06:00

I remember how delicious my Meme's Chicken and Dumplings were...and also that they were from scratch! Well, I have found an EASY and delicious version that does not take too much time at all!!! This recipe for Chicken and Dumplings is from Southern Living (my fave!)...it really is just the best!! It has so much flavor and really is fool proof!

EASY CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS (serves 4 to 6)

1 (32 oz) container of low sodium chicken broth

3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1 1/2 lb) *I boiled 2 chicken breasts in a a 1/2 tsp of chicken boul. for flavor and then shredded it

1 (10 3/4oz) can of reduced fat cream of chicken soup

1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 (10.2 oz) can refrigerated jumbo buttermilk biscuits *Pillsbury

3 celery ribs diced

2 carrots diced *I sliced some baby carrots and just matched the amount of celery

PREPARATION

1. Boil chicken breasts until done and shred.

2. Brings first 4 ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; return to a low boil

3. Place biscuits on a lightly floured surface. Pat each biscuit to 1/8 inch thickness; cut into 1/2 inch wide strips (if strips are long, cut in 1/2)

4. Drop strips, 1 at a time, into boiling broth mixture. Add celery and carrots. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevents dumplings from sticking.

* I let mine simmer a little longer bc I wanted to make sure it thickened well. The dumplings look strange when you first put them in, but they eventually take to "dumpling form")

Hope you give it a try! Great winter dinner!!

Some news!

2010-01-06T13:48:00.004-06:00

Well...this may be sad news to some, it is also good news for others. Jason and I have decided that after we sell our house, we will be moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Atfter much consideration, we determined that this move was the best for us and was also what we ultimately wanted. As of right now, we have no time frame...so how ever long it takes to sell our house is how long we will be here. Luckily, Jason is able to keep his job (he can work anywhere that has an internet connection)...so that is great!

I am really excited about this new chapter in our lives and am interested to see how a little southerner adjusts "up north" ;). Good thing is...to be so small, I am really hot natured! So I think the cold will be an adjustment, but I think I can handle that part! I will definitely keep everyone posted after we've moved. But until then, we will be here! We are really excited about this transition and are looking forward to it!

It's a....

2010-01-05T12:13:00.002-06:00

GIRL!!

We are so excited for Amy and Scooter! And how fun for us to become an aunt and uncle?! Amy looks just beautiful and her tummy is just precious! Scooter is so excited and I know he will make a wonderful father to that little baby girl! I am sure she will have him doing whatever she says;)! I can just see it now!! My sister will be a wonderful mother...she has always had such a wonderful and nurturing spirit about her. This baby is so very lucky. The baby looks healthy and perfect and we are so excited for them!

Today is an exciting day!...

2010-01-04T11:02:00.002-06:00

Today is the day that we find out what my Sissy and Scooter are having! Everyone says it's going to be a girl....however I lack that type of intuition...so I have no idea. However, we did do the string gender test over the weekend. I have heard that it works and is accurate. You tie a ring to a string and dangle it over the belly and it will either move (by itself) in a circle or back and forth...circle=girl...boy=back and forth. I'll do a new post later to reveal if we will have a niece or a nephew and also if the string test works!! We shall see!

Happy New Year Everyone!!

FOR SALE...

2009-11-19T14:44:00.003-06:00

Yep!....we can't believe it either! Our beautiful, place of engagement, sweet-little home is for sale. It's really a bitter-sweet thing! We have decided to sell our house in hopes of moving on to something that will give us a bit more room. Being that Jason works from home, we made the mistake not creating a better space for his office (right now it is occupying a bedroom). So we figured...hey! why not go ahead and try to sell it!

So if you know anyone intersted, here's the link:
http://forsale-byowner.com/listings/4700-4799/4732.html

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

2009-11-19T14:37:00.002-06:00

Yes, Yes, Yes I DO! So much that I thought it was best to go ahead and enjoy a Christmas themed blog! I love Thanksgiving too, BUT Christmas is just the best. I love the music and the love and joy that it sparks! I love the drive home from work so much more now that Christmas music is on the radio! Christmas really just brings back some of my favorite memories:) After all....I met the love of my life at a Christmas party;)

We have Wedding Pictures!!

2009-10-21T08:03:00.002-05:00

We are so excited to have our pictures from our special day! Kim Box, from Kim Box Photography, did an amazing job. She is so talented and I am so happy she captured our sweet moments from our big day! I have always been a fan of her work from my days at Troy as many of the children I knew in Troy had used her for portraits, Christmas photos, etc...which then led me to view her work in wedding photography. Needless to say...I had to have her:) We are definitely lifetime customers!

Kim's Website: http://kimboxphotography.com/

Here is a link to a slideshow of Kim's favorites from our day (so sweet!): http://www.kimboxslideshows.com/Mcmanus/

To view all of our photos, please go to Kim's website, click on "Kim Box Photography", and then "Clients". The password to our gallery is: McManusFillwedding_kb09

We have new names...Aunt Emmy & Uncle J!

2009-10-12T18:04:00.006-05:00

YAY! We are so excited for Amy and Scooter! They are due June 4th!! It is safe to say that I already love that baby SO much!! Everyone please keep Amy, Scooter, and that sweet baby in your thoughts and prayers as they continue down this amazing journey! Congratulations Sissy and BIL (brother in-law)!! I love you THREE so much:)

A little date night...

2009-10-02T13:36:00.003-05:00

Jason surprised me with dinner at the restaurant we ate at on our first date for our little Anniversary:) (The picture isn't great as the lighting was dim and the picture was taken with my I-Phone.) He is so sweet and thoughtful:) He also picked up some pretty fall flowers that he arranged himself in a vase from home, a sweet card, and my favorite candy!!...Reeses!! I picked him up some baby bites from the Pastry Art Bake Shoppe! They are the MOST WONDERFUL things you have ever eaten in your life! If you live in Birmingham and have never tried them...you must! Our favorites are the the french vanilla and red velvet baby bites! (Credit goes to Merrick for introducing us to the baby bites!)

Here's their website:
http://www.pastryartcakes.com/

Please select relationship status:

2009-09-28T21:03:00.004-05:00

Oh yes!...the selection would be married!! On Monday, I was filling out some paper work for work and was so happy to write in my new last name and was excited to fill in the "married" option as my relationship status:) Today is our One Month Anniversary! Happy One Month Anniversary to us:) The past month certainly flew by for us...I sure hope the rest of our wonderful years together do not! But time flies when you're having fun....and happy:)

Things we love about Fall...

2009-09-24T14:41:00.003-05:00

I felt like getting a little festive and picking out a new background for the blog that is a little more suiting for the season! Fall is such a nice time of the year and there's always fun things going on too!

COOLER WEATHER...While it is still hot here in good old Alabama, it finally starts to cool off...which is so nice!

FOOTBALL SEASON... is so much fun! Speaking of which, a sweet neighbor came over last night and gave us some tickets to the Auburn game this weekend! Thanks Kelly! So we are excited to make the trip down to the plains! I also get to visit with my best friend, who is newly engaged! Congrats (again!!) Stacee:)

HALLOWEEN... is just around the corner and we have our costumes picked out already! I'll keep it a surprise for later! :)

THANKSGIVING...is steadily approaching! Looking forward to some yummy sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, and some turkey and dressing! If you love sweet potato casserole, then you'll love my Meme's recipe (very seldom did she ever have a recipe as all of her wonderful "cookin" was from her head, so I am lucky to have this one to share!):

Ingredients:
- 4 medium sized potatoes (about 3 cups) peeled and cut-up
- 2 eggs, beaten-
1/4 c. milk
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. butter,melted
- 1 tsp. vanilla

~ Boil potatoes, drain. Either mash potatoes or use a mixer on low speed. Add butter, egg, milk, vanilla, and sugar.Pour into greased casserole dish. In a separate bowl, mix together the following topping. Pour topping* over potato mixture.Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

*Topping:
- 1c. light brown sugar
- 1/3 c . all purpose flour
- 1 c. chopped pecans
- 1/3 c. butter, melted

Until next time! Have a great rest of the week and a wonderful weekend!

The grass isn't always greener....

2009-09-21T20:27:00.007-05:00

The grass is certainly not always greener! Like many people (I think!), I (Emily) only learn through experience! But that's what I love about life, things happen and it just enables you to see things differently and appreciate something more. So what I am getting at, is that today was my first day back at my new-old job! Boy was I glad to be back! I have an incredible boss and I am so thankful to work for her! I had a wonderful day...nothing beats leaving work in a good mood and looking forward to the next day! The best part of it all is that I have my sweet husband always standing behind me and supporting me. Wow! We are so blessed...I just can't say that enough!:)

WAR EAGLE!....GO TROJANS!

2009-09-20T11:58:00.005-05:00

WAR EAGLE! So proud of Auburn last night! We had so much fun with our friends last night! Nothing like good times with friends and GOOD food! Yummy starters!!...Mom Fill's meatballs, spinach dip, and hot swiss and bacon dip. Burgers, homemade mac and cheese, Sis' (Amy) green bean bundles, and banana pudding for dessert! Sadly I forgot to take some pictures, but oh well! This lovely team logo will suffice! WDE!

We certainly can't leave out our Trojans! Troy played a great game against UAB!

T-R-whoop whoop- O-J-whoop whoop-Aaaaaa-N-S-WOOOOO!