Happy Birthday Baby!

One year of life with Hudson. Every tear he (and I) cried, every giggle, every diaper, every cuddle, every moment... seems like too much for one little year to hold. My son is such a joy in my life. I feel so special that God allows me to be his mother.

Here's a little bit about Hudson at one.

He loves books, balloons, bathtime, and airplanes. This morning I got him a balloon at Publix, and except for naptime, he literally has not let it go.

He eats a lot, but favorites include strawberries, bananas, oatmeal, and pretty much anything else so long as it comes off someone else's plate. If you're eating it, he wants some. We call him the Baby Vulture. Right now he is trying (and succeeding) to get some of the cupcake I am eating.

He still nurses a few times a day, but mostly at night/naps and in the morning. So strange, this whole breastfeeding thing - in the beginning, it is all you do and it is so frustrating and difficult that you want to quit. And now, every time he is nursing I see how much he has grown and how independent he is becoming, and I don't want it to end. I think if it was up to him, he would just do it at bedtime and in the morning. I think I will slowly try to let that happen, though it is bittersweet for me!

He has zero teeth. Zilch. Nada. Toothless.

He walks almost exclusively; even if he falls down, he rarely crawls anymore. Just picks himself up and continues toddling along.

He doesn't talk yet, but makes lots of sounds and knows several objects by name and can point to them when asked, like puppy, mama, and daddy. Just this past weekend he finally started saying "mama" but not to or about me. He just says it while he's playing or jabbering. I still love it!

He had his first major sickness a few weeks ago, when he somehow caught Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease. And then I caught Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease. And Ben was out of town. We were a pathetic mess. It was awful.

He takes one nap, usually around noon, and it lasts for 2-3 hours. He goes to bed about 7:30pm and sleeps basically all night. Sometimes he wakes up around 5am, nurses, and then I can usually get him to go back to sleep for another couple hours. He sleeps in his own crib in his own room, and that is the way HE wants it. He's not a snuggler and he won't sleep in our bed anymore, not even in the morning like he used to. I miss it. But sleep - for everyone - is also wonderful.

I'm reading back over this and it seems like such a surface-level summary of who he is. Hudson is so much more than a list of his milestones. He is our baby-becoming-a-toddler, a little boy of quiet confidence and curiosity, with smiles and happy laughter to spare. He is everything I was terrified he would never be in those first few months when all we knew was crying and exhaustion. And while motherhood is still exhausting, most days it is from having too much fun and trying to keep up with Huddy and housework. I'll take that trade in on sleepless nights and endless sobs!

I am so excited to watch him grow and learn each day! Here are a few pictures of our new one year old.