Christmas came early!

The tree and Santa gifts all set out.

Santa came early this year!  Well, Santa normally comes early since we are always traveling for Christmas but this was the first year that Kemper really understood that it wasn't Christmas and Santa stopped by early.    Ever since James and I got married, we've traveled "home" for Christmas....from Germany, Richmond, and now Tennessee.  After we had Kemper, people kept telling us how we needed to stay and enjoy Christmas morning at our home instead of traveling.  That advice is wonderful for some and I know people had well meaning intentions but for me, if we can make it "home" to spend Christmas with family, it's worth it.

Hudson's stocking and gifts from Santa.

We get to see family so infrequently throughout the year that it's nice to know that Christmas is a time we will get to spend with family and celebrate.  Our kids don't have the opportunity to spend frequent weekends with grandparents....special arrangements have to be made for grandparents to be at birthday parties or to have extra birthday parties in Virginia while "home" for a visit....grandparents and aunties/uncles can't run by a t-ball game or school party.  For these reasons, celebrating the holidays with extended family is special and important.  

Kemper's stocking and gifts from Santa

So, in the past, we've celebrated Christmas before traveling to Virginia and Kemper was none the wiser.  We would sit cookies and milk (or Diet Coke) out and in the morning, Santa would have visited.  He didn't understand the concept of time so he had no clue that it wasn't really Christmas.  This year however, at four and a half, he's a smart little guy who is awfully inquisitive.  Why did Santa only come to his house early?  Why not his friends at school, too?

Kemper checking out the note that Santa left and the cookies.

Well, Santa needed to take the reindeer on a practice run!  He has to keep those reindeer in shape and ready for the BIG night so he takes practice runs to the houses of kids who he knows won't be spending Christmas at their homes but will be traveling instead.  He left a note explaining all of this to Kemper.  And, since Kemper had specifically asked what his favorite type of cookie was when we visited him at Bass Pro Shops, Mrs. Claus sent peanut butter cookies with Santa so Kemper could enjoy them!  Kemper had no clue that he was going to wake up to find that Santa had been to visit.  

Needless to say, he was pretty excited!  It took him a minute to figure it all out but then he thought it was pretty cool that Santa had to take practice runs and that he chose our house for one of them!

Hudson just enjoyed eating the rubber duckie that was in his stocking.  He's pretty easy to please. :)

New pacis - yipee!!  

We also used this morning as the morning to exchange gifts amongst ourselves.  We had Kemper pick out gifts for Hudson and then Hudson "picked out" gifts for Kemper.  It was pretty difficult to get Kemper to choose something that Hudson would enjoy rather than something he would enjoy taking from Hudson, but in the end, he ended up choosing a toy phone and toy computer for Hudson.  Hudson chose Buzz Lightyear Walkie Talkies and a dvd for Kemper.  

Santa even took the time to draw a moustache on Woody and an eyepatch on Buzz!  And Kemper thought being able to enjoy a cookie before breakfast was pretty cool, too!

Checking out his walkie talkies.

Hudson's laptop.

James and I exchanged presents and he surprised me with an external flash for my camera!  He's so good at surprises (and usually has quite a few little elves helping him behind the scenes!).

Kemper and Hudson - Christmas 2012

Pretty sure this little guy thinks Christmas was pretty fun!

So we got to have a Christmas morning at our home with our little family and we will still get to spend Christmas with our extended families in Virginia.  I don't regret traveling over the years....James and I have been lucky to have our own grandparents around for Christmases with the boys and having those pictures and those memories is wonderful.  This is our way of creating our own special Christmas traditions....maybe not in the most traditional way but special nonetheless!

Hudson is 9 months old!!!

Hudson, you are 9 months old!!!  This month has flown by.  We had your 9-month well baby check today and you weigh 19lbs 11oz and are 28.5in long.  Your weight has leveled off but the doctor isn't at all concerned after seeing how active you are and hearing that you just started crawling!  You were charming, as always, and flashed her a few big, flirtatious smiles.  You did have to get one shot, which you weren't happy about but as soon as I picked you up, you were fine!   You're still wearing 9-12 months clothes.

You made your first visit to Santa this month!  You did great...no tears but no smiles either.  You were mesmerized by him and kept staring up at him trying to figure him out.  It took forever to get a picture of you looking at the camera and not at Santa.  Kemper did great with Santa, too, but in his excitement of telling him what he would like for Christmas, he forgot to relay your list.  He was pretty sad when we asked him and he realized he forgot but he said that he'll just add your list to his when he writes his letter to remind Santa.  

You are such a sweet boy but are so different from your brother.  You sit back and take it all in.  You're not quick to flash a smile but once you warm up to someone, your smiles light up your face!  You don't seem to have much stranger anxiety and have been fine when I've needed to leave you with a friend for appointments.  

You have just started crawling in the last few days (12/2 is when Daddy said you first crawled...Mommy was out with her friends and missed it!) and you're getting better and better by the minute!  At first you could see how hard you had to concentrate when picking up your hands and knees but now, you're starting to get it down without having to think so much.  You're getting faster!  Daddy and I are going to have to start paying better attention.  Kemper is going to learn the hard way, we have a feeling.  He's used to leaving his toys out (and gets in trouble) but once you get a hold of something, I'm sure he'll start to pay more attention.  

Along with crawling, you've started to pull yourself up on your toys, tables, etc.  Just in the last few days you seem to have gotten a little more brave and will cruise from one thing to another.  

You pulled yourself up on the music table and then found a door that would open.  Opening and shutting it was awfully fun until you realized that those DVD cases could be taken out...then you really had a ball!

You are a great eater.  You still nurse but luckily we've stretched it out to 3ish hours between feedings at this point.  Sometimes you'll even go 4 if you're well distracted.  You usually eat around 6:30pm and not again until 7am.  That's not to say you don't wake up in the night but you're not getting that middle of the night snack that you enjoyed anymore!

When it comes to solids, you're basically eating anything and everything that we eat with a few exceptions (still no nuts, peanut butter, shellfish).  Baked ziti was a HUGE hit (you look to be saying "YAY!" in the pic but you're really showing us just how big you really are).  You also really like cheese, ham, turkey, salsa chicken and bread.  Broccoli is one of your favorite veggies and strawberries are definitely your favorite fruit!  You're doing pretty good with a sippy cup....we've got a few and you seem to adapt to each kind fairly well. You can definitely get water out of the sippy (not a straw cup) and sometimes giving you the sippy is the only way that we can make it through dinner after you scarf down your food.

You really enjoy bathtime...you just splash and have started to get more and more brave at moving around in the tub.  Hopefully Santa will be bringing you a few more bath toys for Christmas because you're getting pretty bored with the bath squirters we have.  You know that as soon as bath is over, it's time for bed and if I'm not quick enough getting you in your pjs and into the chair to nurse, you let me know.  

Getting this months pictures was harder now that you're more mobile!  

You are still saying Mama and we're working on adding Dada.  If I wave, you will start saying "bababa" so I'm wondering if that's you saying bye-bye.  You talk and babble ALL THE TIME!  I wish I knew what you were trying to tell me because you're very passionate about whatever it is!

You're taking 2 naps a day (usually 45min-1.5hours in the morning and 1.5-2hours in the afternoon) and sleep from 7pm-7am with 1 or 2 wakings in the night.  Usually if we give you a paci you will go right back to sleep.  (On a side note, your brother was the same way.  The paci could be right next to his hand and he wouldn't attempt to put it back in by himself even though he was perfectly capable.)  A few nights, you've decided that your crib is the perfect place to practice new tricks.  Like going from laying down to sitting up.  One night you practiced that for an hour and a half and happily babbled to yourself the entire time!  It was funny watching you for the first 5 minutes on the monitor then mommy was ready for you to go back to sleep!  You also crawl from one end of the crib to the other.  Your favorite way to sleep is on your belly and you move ALL OVER the crib at night.  Your favorite place is curled up in the corner but as soon as you wake up, you move to the other end to get resettled.  

We love you Hudson and can't wait to see what the coming months bring!  

Thanksgiving

Hudson and I met up with Daddy on post for their Thanksgiving celebration.  Each year, the officers and NCOs dress in their finest and serve Thanksgiving dinner at the DFAC.  Kemper and I went last year to see James serve and this year, I decided to take Hudson even though Kemper was in school.  I don't think he knew what to think of Daddy in that uniform.

Bring on the food, Mom.

Handsome boys!

Kemper started Thanksgiving morning out by tracing and cutting out his hands so that we could make a turkey.

This little guy was super excited about all of the food we were making!  

<3 Brothers

I guess the Macy's parade was more interesting than taking a pic with Mom.

Love these boys.

Honestly the best family pic we got that day.  It cracks me up every time I see it.

James carving the turkey.

We had a very low key, relaxing Thanksgiving spent with a good friend and her little girl.  While we miss our families and would love to spend all holidays with them, Thanksgiving is such a fitting holiday to spend with our Army family.  I love that even though we're far away from family, there is always someone to celebrate with and spend the day with near an Army post.  So thankful that Addi and Amber spent the day with us!

He's a fan of the turkey.

Happy baby post meal.

It was a GORGEOUS day and we were able to spend time outside playing!  Hudson loves swinging and watching Kemper play.  

One of the few pictures I have of Kemper....he's too fast and stubborn lately.

Thanksgiving night, we took advantage of the mild weather and headed down to the river for Christmas on the Cumberland.  They have a neat little riverwalk area and every Christmas, they deck it out with tons of Christmas lights!  Unlike the Elks Home, you walk through this display.

One of his favorites!

Finishing up his turkey craft.

So thankful for my boys and that we got to spend this Thanksgiving with James.  So many of my amazing friends didn't get to spend this Thanksgiving with their husbands and they are always in my thoughts.  We are so lucky to be a part of a wonderful Army family and to be surrounded by such wonderful, strong Army wives!  <3