Hudson at 3 Months!

I can't believe my baby boy is already 3 months old... how is that even possible. It seemed like just last week that I was daydreaming of having another little one in our family. Winter in the NW has arrived and I have loved dressing you in your little sweaters and jeans! You are turning into such a big boy!

You are just starting to wear 3-6 months clothes. I just packed up all the 0-3 month clothes last week, they are officially too short for you. You are wearing size 1-2 diapers from Costco. I weighed you the other day and you were 12.6 pounds. Just a little peanut!

You are an amazing sleeper and I couldn't be happier. You sleep for 7-9 hours at the beginning of the night, wake up once to eat, and then go back down for another couple hours. You are typically sleeping from 8am-7:30am. I'll take it! I really need to rest because you have become quite the handful during the day. I'm discovering that you don't like to nap anywhere but at home, all swaddled up. If we are out and about for more than an hour or so, you get tired, won't fall asleep, and then proceed to scream and cry. Even at home, you tend to cry if not being held. So yeah, it's a difficult time for me, but I'm trying to make the best out of it and spend as much time possible at home with you so that you can get good naps in.

You are an amazing eater. You are still nursing like a pro. You have taken a few bottles when I've had to run errands and you seem to like that just fine, too. I'm finding myself not ever wanting to give up that special time with you. You look up at me so sweetly when you are eating, I think I could sit there for hours with you. I think we are coming out of your 3 month growth spurt, last week you were wanting to eating every 1-2 hours!

You are so full of smiles and coos during the day, I eat it up as much as I can. Love it! You are the happiest first thing in the morning, so I'm happy I get some alone time with you during that time. We stick our tongues out at each other, smile, and make silly noises.

You got your hearing aids on the day you turned 3 months and you seem to be much more aware of things around you. You watch and focus your big brother or the TV, you never seemed to do that before.

We love you so much and I am so happy and blessed to be your mom.

Hudson Got His Hearing Aids

Hudson had his big day last Friday, he got his hearing aids. I really thought I would be so saddened on that day, but I was so happy for my little man. We had an orientation for new hearing aid wearers in the morning. That was the only time I was sad all day...all the other kids in there were school aged. It made me feel so grateful that Hudson's hearing loss was caught so early. I can't even imagine waiting until he started struggling in school to find out that he had a hearing loss.

In the afternoon, we went back for his appointment. Babies grow so fast, that they have to get new molds every month or so. So, he got fitted for new molds and then we got to put his hearing aids on for the first time. His eyes got a little wider and he started looking around the room, almost to say "What the heck is going on around me?!". It was a pretty subtle reaction, but he is still pretty young. 

We're still adjusting to his little hearing aids. They are pretty easy to use, but it's still new to us and we are trying to get in the routine of putting them in first thing in the morning. We take them out at night and for nap time. But anyone with an infant knows that sometimes it's hard to know when they are going to doze off and take a nap. 

I haven't seen a whole lot of difference in his reaction to us talking to him. I think a lot of that is because he can hearing sounds without them, but not enough to learn language. I'm so excited for this little guy and what God has in store for his future. 

Starting to Feel Normal

I've heard lots of moms say that it takes about three months to start feeling normal and routine once you have a second child. They were right. It hit me this afternoon, that I think our family has finally hit that point. It just feels normal now to have two young children to take care of.

We have finally gotten into a pretty good routine. As I write right now, Hudson is down for a nap and Hunter is happily sitting next to me coloring or as he says "doing his homework". There is an ease that is found in most of our days now. I think we dealt with a lot of stuff during the first few months with two kids (kitchen damage, hearing loss diagnosis, and finding out that we are moving to Oklahoma), so that has helped it seem much easier now that all the things have calmed down a bit.

We still are averaging about three appointments each week for Hudson. In between the pediatrician, audiologists, ENT, speech pathologist, and occupational therapists, it ends up being a lot. The ENT just referred Hudson to have an EKG, CT scan, kidney ultrasound, and a couple blood tests.... he wants to rule all any and all rare disorders and diseases that could cause hearing loss. I feel so blessed to have him in such good hands and receiving wonderful care. We even have a hearing loss/sign language specialist coming for a home visit on Thursday morning. She will be working with both Hudson and I before we move to try to give me some tools for working with him.

Hunter has been a much easier three year old in the last couple weeks. He has his moments, but he has been responding pretty well to me and has been willing to pray with me throughout the day and ask Jesus to help him obey his parents and honor Him. He's consistently saying thank you after I do anything for him, which melts my heart...he's even been doing it after I wipe his bottom after he poos. Ha! Love him.

Hudson is sleeping really well! He consistently sleeps an eight hour stretch and then back down for another four. The other night he surprised me with ten hours straight! I am feeling plenty rested lately. He can be a little bit more challenging during the day though. He has crying fits and sometimes will cry for apparently no reason for an hour or two at a time. This is still foreign, frustrating, and heartbreaking for me. Hunter only cried when he was hungry, so this still feels new to me.

So yeah...I think it's safe to say that our family is starting to feel settled, rested, and routine. For now :)