One Year!

Happy Birthday Cooper!  This post is a little late because we have been so tied up with your birthday party and family in town (post to come!)  You turned ONE on Saturday!  The year that I was pregnant with you was the absolute longest year (9 months) of my life, so it's only fair that your first year of life has been the fastest year of my life.  And honestly, it's probably been the best.  I LOOOOVVEEEE living with you, Coop!  You are a great roommate.  Messy, but great!  You really do make our family so much fun!

It's funny to think that this time last year we didn't know you at all!  Now Daddy & I can both identify all of your quirks and predict some of your funny behavior.  You really are a funny boy, Coop!  You are very independent, very serious, and VERY active.  You are always on the move!  

This month you have really taken off walking!  I don't even think I've seen you crawl in about a month!  That seemed to happen way too fast.  I love that you always have your hands out when you are on the go- sort of like a little Baby Frankenstein.  You handle tumbles like a champ- they really don't even phase you at all.  Wonder if you will be that way on the football field!

You love to hang out in the kitchen with me while I cook & clean.  The other day, you took out all of the Tupperware and moved them to the cabinet with the pots and pans.  Daddy and I always laugh because you love to "displace" things.  Books, rocks, toilet paper- no laundry basket left on the floor is safe from your hands.  We call you "The Displacer."  You got some blocks for your birthday and we cracked up as you lined them all up on the table and then one by one knocked them down.  The Displacer strikes again!

This month you had the yucky hand, foot, and mouth virus that went around Waco.  We were cooped up for about a week, but survived.

About two weeks ago, we started you on whole milk.  You LOVE it!  You look so grown up walking around with your sippy cup of milk- but I still often feed it to you in a bottle so that we can cuddle.  You get your milk 4x a day, but would probably drink it all day long if I let you!  You've tried a few new things this month and have really improved at self feeding.  Turkey dogs are your favorite - you like to just hold the whole hot dog and eat it like a corn dog!  You also love eating cheese, mango, blueberries, cucumbers, tortillas with hummus, animal crackers, sweet potato fries, and Mommy's special pancakes with veggies baked in!

Bobo is still your favorite (you've called him Buh-Bo a few times), but you've also been really into your 100 Baby Words book.  Well, really just the page with the pictures of the dogs.  You are obsessed.

Sometimes we watch YouTube videos online of dogs barking and you crack up like it's the funniest thing you've ever seen before!

We took you to the HOT Fair for the first time and I thought you would be so excited about the petting zoo!  You didn't cry, but you weren't super excited about those goats coming up and licking your hands.

Sometimes I just wonder what you are thinking!

We went to the lake with your good friend, Corban, over one weekend.  For as independent as you can be, it's funny to see you with Corban- you want to be his little shadow all the time!  He's one of your favorite "big boy" friends!  I can't wait for you to be on a soccer team or tee-ball team with him!

This was your first time in the lake

This paddleboat trip was a total bust, but now you can add "paddleboat" to your list of types of boats that you've ridden in!

We took you to the pumpkin patch this month, which was hilarious!  You didn't care a thing about the pumpkins- you were only concerned about the Humane Society dogs that were out there.  Again, where does this fascination with dogs come from?!

Wow.  I really can't believe you are 1.  I absolutely cannot imagine life without you.  You are the greatest gift, Cooper Hudson.  You make Daddy & me so proud.  I love spending the days with you- you are a great little companion.  I know that you will be an awesome friend one day.  I pray that this next year for you is rich- full of new discoveries and wonder, memorable milestones, and that you would truly know how wonderful and loved you are.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, COOPER!!!

For sale.

Today is an exciting day!  Today is also kind of a sad day.  Today our house is officially on the market, for sale!

It's amazing- the process where, all at once, a house becomes a home.  I'm not sure when in the past four years it happened, but at some point, it happened.  I know that it definitely didn't feel like my home at the beginning.  It was in ROUGH shape!  With its brown, scuffed linoleum floors in the kitchen, a Pepto Bismol explosion guest bathroom, and scraggly, dead Hollies planted in the front yard, the "homey" factor was definitely missing from this house.  Thankfully, Todd had a plan and saw vision where mine was lacking.  And so we got to work.

One kitchen remodel,

Two bathroom remodels,

{How do I not have a picture of the master bathroom before?  It was old & dirty and had BLACK wallpaper.}

Todd would come home and paint on his lunch breaks.

One re-landscaping job, 

And a dozen gallons of paint later, it feels infinitely more homey than it did four years ago.

We have shared so many special memories in this house.

Todd asked me to be his wife in the living room.

All of our Christmases as a married couple have been here.

We have celebrated three and a half years of marriage here.  

I learned how to bake apple pies in this kitchen.

Todd learned how to take care of a yard.

We've had our biggest arguments here.  We've had powerful moments of reconciliation.

We found out that we were pregnant here.  I was incredibly sick with bronchitis and Todd was sleeping in the guest room so that he wouldn't get sick.  

This is the house that we brought sweet Cooper home to when we came home from the hospital.

And its the only house that he's known.  All of his milestones have happened here- first baths, first smiles, first words, crawling, walking...

We have been SO blessed by this house, by our neighbors, by the ways that the Lord has visited us here.  Although I know that it could be months and months and months before we get a buyer, it does feel strange to think that this chapter could be coming to a close.  Still, we are so excited for the things that lay before us, in terms of housing.  Maybe I will take Cooper's "First Day of Kindergarten" picture on the front porch of the next house that we move into!  That's exciting to think about!

So... if you know anyone who is looking to buy a great house that has been filled with a lot of love (that's so corny, I know...), send them our way!  We are on the market!

Quarantined

Last week the babe was diagnosed with Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease.  Yuck!  I hate writing that!  In my opinion, it actually sounds a lot worse than it actually is.  Maybe Cooper just had a mild case- but that didn't stop him from passing in on to sweet Asher and Clara!

At any rate, we were quarantined for a week.  Thankfully, the pain from the mouth ulcers and blisters on his hands only lasted for about two days.  Poor guy!  So, we spent A LOT of time indoors watching Praise Baby, singing "The Wheels on the Bus," and crafting.  Boy, did we craft!

A little fall wreath for the door.

A ton of birthday decorations.  I seriously need to stop.  It's kind of getting ridiculous.

We took several trips to Home Depot, Lowes, Hobby Lobby, and Target.  Cooper spilled his entire container of Cheerios on Aisle 8 at Home Depot.  Woopsie!

We decorated for fall.  I LOVE fall.  Absolutely my favorite season.  A cold front came through this week, so now the high temps are around the mid 80s.  Thanks Lord!

During one naptime, I painted an end table with Chalk Paint.  

I painted a chalkboard.

I made a table runner.

We played outside in the yard.

He loves to pull the grass out!  Maybe next year we can teach him how to pull the WEEDS, not the grass!

I made some whole wheat veggie pancakes to trick Cooper into eating vegetables.  I think it worked!

We got some good mail- my Erin Condren planner...

And Coopy's birthday present.  I probably shouldn't have shown it to him, but he clearly was getting stir crazy and needed something new to play with.

The babe took a few naps in my arms.  My favorite, favorite, favorite thing in the world.

And then today, we were cleared to be around other kiddos!  So up to the Chic-fil-a Playplace we went! Justice, Pierce, Corban, Clayton, and Reid, we've missed you!  I am thankful for a productive (but restful) week, and thankful to now have a happy, and healthy little babe!