Thursday, September 24, 2015

Hudson turned 2

Foster was born about two weeks before Hudson turned two and in all the hustle and bustle of a new baby, and planning a small birthday party for Hudson, I completely forgot to write about it. Sorry Little Man!

Hudson is growing into such a little boy.

He's become very independent. He wants to put on his clothes and shoes by himself. He wants to get his own snacks in the afternoon. He wants to hold Foster on his own. Whenever he says "me, me, me, me" it means "I'm going to do it, don't help". Most of the time, he does a great job, and it's nice that he can do a lot by himself; however, every once in a while, it can become a problem challenge- like when the cereal box spills all over the floor, or he splashes water every where trying to wash his own dishes.


Along with being independent comes being strong willed. He is the definition of first child, type A, strong personality little boy. He knows what he wants, what he likes, what he doesn't, when he wants to do something, or doesn't. We're working very hard on being a good listener and following directions the first time they are asked, but it will certainly be a learning process for him and us.

He loves to laugh and make people laugh! He's always had a fun, humorous side, and it's such fun to play with him. One of his favorite games to play is hide and seek, and he cracks up every time we find him.


He still loves to be outside, and we get out as much as possible. He loves just playing in the dirt and collecting rocks, acorns, sticks, bugs, and dirt in buckets, adding some water and stirring it all up together! He loves kicking and throwing beach balls and footballs. He still loves going on walks around the neighborhood and every once in a while he's able to actually walk with me and not just ride in the stroller; he's very observant and notices birds, rocks, plants, bugs, anything!


He still isn't talking much. He does have a few clear words in his vocabulary, but mostly it's just one or two sounds from words and we have to act as interpreters. He also calls animals by their sounds - so a cat is "e-ow", a sheep is "baa-baa", a cow is "moo", etc. We're constantly working with him on making sounds and having him repeat after us. He'll catch on soon enough and when he does, I doubt he'll ever stop talking! He already has a lot to say!


He's very creative. He's really starting to create structures with blocks, or draw pictures. He loves making hand prints with paint, and anything involving glue!

He loves to sing, and sings all the time - again, mostly just the melody is clear, not the words, but you can tell the song he's singing by his tune. Recently it's been a lot of Twinkle Twinkle, Are You Sleeping, ABCs, Wheels on the Bus, and Itsy Bitsy Spider.


He is still a really good helper for Mommy and Daddy. He loves to help us with anything and everything - feeding Vance, planting flowers, making meals, cleaning, reading books, hanging bird feeders. He definitely likes having and participating in tasks.


He is an amazing big brother. Every morning and afternoon, he loves to help me get Foster up from sleeping. When Foster is in the swing, Hudson will run into his room and go right to him and say "hey" and start laughing and trying to play with him. When Foster is laying on the floor or doing his tummy time, Hudson will want to be right there with him, patting his belly, talking or singing to him, laughing with him, encouraging him, bringing him toys/animals. It's really sweet to watch him interact with Foster, and I can't wait to watch their relationship grow and really develop as Foster gets older and more interactive.


This little guy is truly a blessing, as I have said many, many times!

Happy Belated 2nd Birthday, Hudson Noah!

God Bless






Monday, September 14, 2015

One month...

... a little late.

Foster was one month... a couple of weeks ago. Sorry! It's a little harder to blog on a "regular" basis than I thought it would be.

However, I do want to keep some record and updates of this sweet little boy just like I did with his brother.

Retrospectively speaking, Foster has been a wonderful baby. He sleeps well, as well as any new born, is very attentive when he is awake, and likes to cuddle. He prefers being up right as opposed to cradled, but does enjoy being rocked. He hates being swaddled, but obviously still needs it, and sleeps better when his arms are tightly wrapped by his side. I'm hoping he will eventually just get used to it until its time to give it up. I don't give him a pacifier much, only when he's fussy, because I don't want him to become dependent on it, and so far, he's doing ok without it. He does not like baths! So basically, I just wipe him down with a warm wash cloth and a little soap. Again, I hope he learns to enjoy bath time - we have a lot of fun splish-splashing at this house! Hudson is doing great with him. He loves to hold him in his lap, rub his belly and head, and give him kisses. He really is a great big brother just like we knew he would be.

This has been a whirlwind of a month, but we survived, and each day we are getting more and more settled into our new normal. I've been waiting a long time for this role as a stay at home mom, and while it's harder and more challenging than anything I've ever done, it's also the most rewarding and brings more joy (and honestly sometimes tears) that I could have ever imagined. My prayer every day is that I can raise these sweet boys for God's glory and that I can be His light shining onto them.




God Bless

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Foster Scott

I know I'm late with this post, but we welcomed Foster Scott into our family on July 27, 2015. He has been a wonderful baby so far, and brought so much joy to all of us.

The quick story:
His due date was Friday, the 24th. The day came and went, no contractions (that I could feel), and we kept going on with our daily lives!

I went to the doctor on Monday for my weekly exam, and she said I was already 5-6cm and that we needed to go straight to the hospital unless I wanted to have him at home!

Last baby bump photo!
We got to the hospital around 3:30, they got me admitted, and gave one dose of antibiotics I had to have, then broke my water around 4:00. My doctor said he would be back at 6:00 to check my progress. I asked if he had any idea how long it would take, and he said we should have a baby probably by 9:00. My goal was to try to have a medicinal free labor and delivery, but 5 hours seemed quite far away! I was praying it would go quicker.
Contractions finally started picking up and by 5:40, I was in real pain and knew the doctor wouldn't be back to check me for another 20 minutes. Paul was a wonderful support and encourager, and kept telling me I could do it. A few minutes later, we were talking about an epidural, but I knew I was already in transition and it was too late. Then it got really bad, and he said "12 more minutes, Whit. You can do 12 of anything!" (a line he learned at CrossFit!). Well, literally the next contraction and I could tell it was time! Paul ran to get the nurse, she confirmed that he was coming, then ran out the door to get the doctor. I had to force myself and struggled to get back into the bed, and almost started pushing without the doctor! He was ready to come! Two contractions later, and Foster was born at 5:56pm. It was amazing. We were finally holding our second sweet baby boy.
He weighed in at 9 pound, 2 ounces, and was 22 inches long! And just as beautiful as could be.
Not to mention, he looked just like Hudson when he was born! Hudson is on the left, Foster is on the right.
Hudson was very excited to come see his baby brother, and did so well meeting him. He liked finding his toes, and fingers, and was even able to hold him for a little bit. Hudson will be such a good big brother - he proved that right from the start!
Reid family, party of four!
It was a whirlwind of labor and delivery, but we made it, and now we are holding our precious baby boy and so in love!

God Bless

Sunday, July 19, 2015

This kid...

...is one of the best blessings I have been given by my Lord.

he brings so much joy...
happiness...
challenges...
love...
laughter...
sacrificies...
sunshine...
into our lives.

He loves to sing, play outside all day (despite the heat), run, play with his train set and blocks, rough house with Daddy, chase Vance around, read books, look at his boo-boos, try new things, push trucks, drink from someone else's water bottle, help Mommy around the house, vacuum/swiffer the floors, push any and every button with in reach, give Vance his food/treats, help Daddy with any and every power tool, wear his rain boots inside and outside, and make us laugh. 
 



 In a matter of days, he will become a big brother. While I do have some anxiety about it, I am also overjoyed. When we found out we were expecting again, I kinda prayed for another boy. I would love to, and hope we do, have a little girl someday. But right now, I just knew we were meant to have another little boy. They will be right at 2 years apart, and my prayer all along, ever since we found out baby is a boy, has been that they will grow up best friends; that they will love each other, grow with each other, challenge each other, speak the Truth to each other, support and encourage each other like only brothers can do. I know he will be a wonderful big brother. He is loving, kind, sweet, playful. He loves to be a helper, and I think he will really enjoy his new role and helping with the baby. 

 These past (almost) two years have gone by so quickly. It's been pure joy watching this blessing grow into the little boy that he is. I've learned so much from him, and I know I will never stop learning because of him. 

 Hudson Noah, you are our special gift from God. 

God Bless

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Celebrating it all

Last weekend Paul and I traveled to Beaufort, SC to celebrate our 30th birthdays (a little belated, but better late than never), our 7th wedding anniversary, and our baby moon.
Beaufort is a cute town, and we really enjoyed walking around the main street, and along a new trail. The town is really old, like Revolutionary War old, and there are some gorgeous old homes, cemeteries, and parks. We spent the mornings exploring and walking, and then spent the afternoons resting, something neither of us do much of anymore! It was actually really nice to just be lazy and have nothing to do. :) Plus, we were able to walk to a great ice cream shop down the road and the inn we stayed at had homemade pies every night for guests - at 35 weeks pregnant, I was not about to pass either of those up (don't judge)!
The Rhett House Inn where we stayed. 

The Spanish Moss Trail - great for walking! 

Hudson got to spend the weekend with his Gigi and Papa, and I don't think he really missed us that much! He had a blast going on bike rides with Papa, swimming at the pool, trying new foods (Gigi is a great cook!), taking walks around the block, and playing with new/different toys. It was hard leaving him for so long, but he did really well, and now we know that we can leave him and we'll all be ok!
Trying corn on the cob with Papa! 
Not so sure about all the people and the pool,
but glad to see that he at least got in and tried swimming with Papa. 
Baby Reid #2 is doing great! I am now 36 weeks along and everything is on track! It is really hard to believe that he will be here with us in 4 weeks! Everybody keeps asking if we're ready - and the answer is yes and no. Yes, we're ready for him to be here, but technically, maybe not so much. We don't have the car seat, bouncy seat, swing, or infant clothes pulled out yet, nor is my hospital bag packed. But, we're also just ready to have him with us and to start our lives as a family of four. I'm anxious again about the all nighters and how Hudson will adjust, but we will figure it out one day at a time. We have a lot of support, and for that we are very grateful!


All we can say now is we'll keep everyone updated and informed as "the day" gets closer! Hudson was induced 2 days late, so there's no telling when this little boy will make his debut. Prayers for a safe and healthy (and optimally quick) delivery would be greatly appreciated!

God Bless

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Summer is HERE

Actually it's been here for a couple of weeks, and we are loving it!

Before I left school for summer, we had to complete an assignment about what we were doing this summer. I basically said this summer was all about transitions. Transitioning to a full time stay-at-home-Mommy; transitioning Hudson to a new room with a big boy bed, and drinking from big boy cups; transitioning to having a new baby in our lives! Change is hard, especially for a little toddler boy, and two parents who like to have everything planned out and prepared for!

But so far, every thing is going great!

I am loving my time at home with my sweet little boy. Hudson loves his new room and is actually doing GREAT in his new bed! We started with just the mattress on the floor, and he did amazing. When his bed finally came, he was a little hesitant at first, but then got right on in, and has been fine since! He hasn't fallen out yet, which is great, and has learned that he has to stay in the bed until we come and get him.


We spend our days playing outside or in his playroom, reading, coloring, and exploring new things. Its not uncommon for Hudson to wear two or three different outfits each day just because he gets dirty, wet, sweaty, and hot. But I honestly don't mind the extra laundry - if it means my little guy and I are making memories in one form another, it's fine by me!











I'll post an update on Baby Boy #2 next week - I hope to get a 35 week photo this weekend!
Yes - 35 weeks along!! Hard to believe that he will be here in less than 6 weeks!!

God Bless