Happy 4th Birthday Hudson!!

4 YEARS OLD??? Why does that sound so big to me? I guess it is because Hudson becomes more of a 'big boy' everyday and moves a little bit farther and farther away from a toddler. I really do believe that from 3 to 4 is when kids make the transition from toddler-hood to a 'little kid'. He is such a big boy now and he loves it. He loves calling himself a 'big kid.' He likes doing 'big kid' things like dressing himself, putting on his own shoes, drinking out of a big boy cup, letting Ace in and out, and he loves that he is starting preschool in the Fall with his 'big kid' friends. He really has embraced being a big brother too. While he can get very annoyed with Harper, he is so helpful, sweet, encouraging, and loving to her too. He likes to show her things, answer her questions, and often refers to her as 'my baby sister.' He tells her a lot that when she gets bigger that when she wakes up in the morning she can come to his room and not ours. He loves to play with her, and YES they can fight, but he loves that she is becoming more of a play friend too.

Even though my Huddy is a 'big boy 4 year old', I still get glimpses of that sweet little inner baby boy that is still there. He still very, very much loves his bay (his blanket). Bay is still bay and never accumulated a new name over the years. That sweet little 1 year old tried to say blankie and bay is what we got. He has slept with bay since the beginning, and the love and bond is stronger than ever. Hudson likes to wake up in the morning and drink his milk while watching Diego or Dora. He has out grown the Wiggles and moved onto bigger and better things. HA! On occasion he will ask for me or Matt to hold him. We never pass it up...don't think we ever will. I love that at times he'll climb up in my lap and let me pretend to rock him like I did when he was a baby. He laughs and thinks it is so funny. He loves for us to tell him stories about when he was a baby or when Matt and I were little. His funniest saying is when he talks to Harper and he says, "Harper, when I was your age I did...." He thinks that he is soo much older and wiser than her. :)

At 4 Hudson still LOOOVES his pirate ship and all of it's accessories. That was the BEST gift EVER from Santa. 7 months later and I think he has played with it everyday. He loves batman and the batcave. Superheros are still a huge part of his little world. Hudson loves to dress up in full costume and pretend. He has the cutest imagination and I love that make-believe is so fun for him. Hudson is super goofy and makes us laugh all the time. He is all boy where he likes to be rough and tough. He and his daddy can have some fun wrestling matches. He loves to dance and be crazy when the music is playing. Hudson loves going to church and attending his class. He is smart-as-a-whip and doesn't miss anything. He NEVER forgets a thing. He remembers the smallest little details about every event in his life. Not even joking. Often times when I forget things I'll ask him because he remembers everything. He told me the other day when I was making his lunch for MDO that his friend Will from ARK school in FW (mind you he had just turned 2 and he only went to this school for 3 months before we moved here) brought goldfish in his lunch and that he thought he would like to have goldfish in his lunch. I asked him if he really remembered going to school there and he said, "yes, and I liked my teachers Miss Amy and Miss Brenda." Not even kidding 2 years ago and to him it was like it happened yesterday. I did not even remember his teachers names. It's wild to us.

Hudson at 4 is extremely independent. He does not want help and wants to figure it out himself. He also lately has been pushing the envelope on seeing what he can and cannot get away with. Some days he can be quite the handful. We have had our share of discipline issues with this feisty and very spirited guy, but overall he is such a good boy that tries to do good.

We absolutely adore Hudson. I cannot believe we have had him 4 years, but I can hardly remember what it was ever like not having him. I am getting teary-eyed as I write this, but I am so very thankful for the surprise he was to us almost 5 years ago. I can remember being humongous pregnant with him and sitting in his nursery in our apartment in Plano just day-dreaming about the little boy he would become. Well, I can honestly say he is everything and more that I ever dreamed he would be. I love being his mommy!

July 13, 2005

Hudson's 1st Birthday! It was such a celebration!

My little 2 year old. He was very new big brother. This is one of my favorite pictures.

PIRATE PARTY! My 3 year old full of imagination and spunk! What a fun day!

Our 4 year old!

Happy 4th Birthday Hudson!! What a precious little 'BIG' boy you are. We love you so much and are so thankful that you are ours! You make us laugh, you challenge us with all your questions, and we fall deeper in love with you all the time. What a special boy you are, and we are so confident that God has big plans for you! We tell you all the time (and you think it is so funny), but don't grow up too fast ok?!? Happy Birthday sweet boy!!

Love, Daddy, Mommy, and Harper