Just this once.....

All of you know that I am a HUGE Tennessee fan and Todd LOVES the Crimson Tide. So this year has been pretty interesting at our house since Alabama has had an amazing season and Tennessee....well we all know what happened. So Hudson poor guy has been in the middle of all of this...he has a few Tennessee outfits and few Alabama outfits that we let him wear when they played each other in October. I thought I would be nice.....JUST THIS ONCE...and let him wear the Alabama outfit that Summer got him on Saturday during the SEC Championship game. I personally didn't really care who won but knew that I would be hearing about it the rest of the night either way. I was sorry for Todd that his team lost but mainly just happy that a SEC team will be playing in the BCS title game.

Todd and Hudson in their Alabama gear. I personally think he looks better in orange:)

Hudson sitting in his Bumbo seat the first time.

Thanksgiving....

My family almost always goes to Arkansas for Thanksgiving. My aunt Linda(my dads sister) is a wonderful cook and always loves to cook our Thanksgiving meal....and she likes to say that my mom doesn't know how:) We also get to visit with my dad's parents while we are there. So we made our annual trip to Fort Smith on Wednesday morning. When I say we I mean Todd, Hudson, Gracelyn and I along with my parents....it was a very long seven hours:) We had gotten word that my Grandpa had gone into the hospital on Tuesday night...this was his second or third trip to the hospital in the last month or two. We knew this was just the beginning of his decline in health and my dad tried to prepare us for that the whole way there. I still hoped and prayed that he would get better and that maybe he would get to come home from the hospital while we were all there. Once we got there my dad and mom went on to the hospital to see Grandpa while Todd and I stayed at my aunts with Hudson. We had decided we would go on Thursday when he felt a little better....I never got to see him. Grandpa passed away about 7:30 on Thanksgiving morning. He was just so weak and his body couldn't take being sick anymore and he had a heart attack. We were all so devastated....we were thankful that he wasn't sick anymore and free of pain but we just weren't ready for that. Throughout the whole week I tried to be strong for my Grandma and all the rest of the family and tried to think about the blessings in my life. I was so thankful that we were all there to be with Grandma and that my dad had gotten to see him one last time. We all came together for Thanksgiving dinner but it just wasn't the same. Grandpa LOVED Thanksgiving when we all came together and he especially loved my aunts turkey and dressing...so needless to say it was a very hard day for all of us.

I didn't take too many pictures that day but I did manage to get a few pictures of Hudson's first Thanksgiving.

Hudson taking a nap with his daddy....before the big meal.

We like to say he is saying "touchdown" but he has his arms like this a lot!

Hudson meeting Great-Grandma Farris for the first time. She thought he was precious. It was funny because she didn't realize how red his hair was at first and then when she did she LOVED it!!

After the funeral, Todd, Hudson, Gracelyn and I decided we would go and stay with Zack and Cherith since they just live about a hour away. Hudson was not sleeping good and we just kind of wanted to get away for a day. We enjoyed getting to spend some time with them and sweet Ella Kate. Ella Kate is so much fun and she is finally starting to interact with Hudson more. She sat in the floor and played with him for the longest time and would kiss on him and "burp" him. She would give him his passy if he was crying and then should clap and say "Yay".

This is what EK does when you tell her to burp the baby...so cute.


I love love love watching them play together....well I guess her playing with him. We are looking forward to watching them grow up together. We just hope Hudson has a few more cousins to play with:) We also enjoyed a surprise visit with my brother Chad. He hadn't planned on coming for Thanksgiving because they are coming to Tennessee for Christmas this year. He flew from Denver to Tulsa on Friday afternoon so he could be with the family for Grandpa's funeral. We were happy to get to see him a month earlier than we had planned but not the circumstances around it. We were glad that Hudson finally got to meet his Uncle Chad and we are looking forward to him meeting his Aunt Brandy at Christmas:)

Bonding time....Don't they look manly in the leopard chair?!

Just before going to Chili's for dinner...If you know either of my brothers you know we go to Chili's just about every time we are together. I Love Love Love this picture...so sweet.

Ella Kate loved having Uncle Chad here too. We get to see him again in a couple weeks:)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Last year Todd and I set a record and put our Christmas tree up on Halloween...crazy I know. We did this for various reasons since we were living in Missouri we knew we were going to be in Tennessee and Alabama for most of the holiday so we wanted to enjoy it early. This year we weren't that crazy but we did get it put up a couple weeks ago. I love decorating for Christmas and even though this is just our second married Christmas we have lots of ornaments and they all have a special memory behind them. I am also proud to say that our tree is already full of presents:) Santa was very eager this year and got his shopping done early.

O Christmas Tree!

Tag....I'm IT!!

It is pretty sad that it takes me getting tagged to FINALLY update my blog. My friend Arika was so nice and tagged me. I am supposed to go to my FOURTH picture folder and post the FOURTH picture and tell you FOUR things about it.

1. This is Todd and I with his brother Byron and his wife Jennifer.

2. This picture was taken at their gorgeous wedding in Dallas, Texas on Memorial day weekend.

3. Todd and I got married fifty six days from this day!

4. We are both blessed with AMAZING families!!

So now that I have done my part in this fun game of tag I get to tag FOUR people to do the same on their blog. I tag...Megan, Mindy, Rebecca and Jill. Have fun girls:)

One of my heroes

Today, being Veteran's Day I wanted to dedicate my blog to all the Veterans in my life. My dad and Todd's dad both served in the Air Force. Them along with many other important men in our lives out their lives on the line everyday for our country but the one who had the most impact on me was my oldest brother Chad. Chad enlisted in the Army in the Summer of 2001 and little did we know that all of our lives were about to change. On September 11, 2001 ironically Chad was finishing up the last stages of his basic training at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina. I know that he will never forget where he was on that horrific day in our nations history. We all feared what would happen next and all of our fears came true. My family traveled to South Carolina a few days later for Chad's graduation. We enjoyed every minute with him and were all so proud of him. The day we left him was a day I will never forget. We all stood together and held each other as my dad said a prayer for him, for us and our country and then we all stood and watched him head back to his barracks....alone. I don't think any of us spoke for several hours on the car ride home or at least until it was time for a bathroom break or some food:) Chad was later stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado and not long after served a year in Iraq. We all anxiously awaited his next phone call or letter and prayed for him everyday. I think it was probably the longest year of ALL of our lives. Thankfully Chad made it home safely and we are all so so proud of him. Today I honor him along with all the other amazing men and women who have served our country! Thank you!!!!

Chad, Zack and I inside Chad's barracks....September 2001. Look how skinny we all were.

Answered Prayers

I know that being a mom I am always going to worry about my baby and have been told you never stop worrying about your children. Which is of course why I worried when the doctor told us at Hudson's two month check-up he had a heart murmur. I had been told by numerous people that they are very common and heal on their own and usually don't cause any problems in the long run. I truly wanted to believe that he would have that kind of murmur and prayed very hard for that. Our prayers were answered and Hudson does has a very common kind of murmur. It of course has a very long name and I won't bore you with the details but it should heal by about nine months of age. The doctor also said that even if it doesn't I shouldn't worry because it will not cause him any problems. We were very very thankful! Thank you so much for you thoughts and prayers. It means so much to have all of you to lean on for support. I guess now I don't have to worry and Hudson can still play football....at the University of Tennessee!!!

You know I couldn't end my post without adding a couple pictures. I caught Gracelyn sitting with Hudson on the couch and I couldn't resist taking a picture of them together. For those of you who know us well you know how much we love our other baby Gracelyn. She is so spoiled and thinks she is a baby too. She has been with us for three and a half years and she is definitely a mommas girl. If Todd has Hudson she takes advantage of it and sits as close to me as she can. She is a mess. She has handled the addition a lot better then we thought she would but you can tell she gets jealous at times. We hope one day her and Hudson will be the best of friends but for now we will just have to enjoy times like these:)

My babies:)

Don't worry Gracelyn will be getting a hair cut VERY soon!

Honeymoon Friends

Our friends from Birmingham Jefforey and Annah Grace came for a visit this past weekend. First, I have to tell you how we met our good friends from Alabama.....on our honeymoon in Jamaica. A lot, of people think I am crazy when I tell them that but it was almost like we were meant to meet them. I guess it was the first or second night we were there and were sitting at the beach side grill and looked up and saw this sweet looking couple and he had a braves hat on...at first glance Todd thought it was an Alabama hat so of course he yelled "Roll Tide" so we immediately started talking to them. They too have a house divided since she is an Auburn alum and he attended Alabama. Through out the week we would see them and meet up whenever we had the chance. They left on Friday and we weren't leaving until Sunday so we were very sad to see them go and promised to keep in touch. Thanks to email, Facebook and cell phones we have been able to do that. Last year we visited them the weekend of the Alabama/Tennessee game and then they visited us this past weekend. We hope to continue our friendship with them as well as our annual reunion.

Todd and I with Annah Grace and Jefforey at the beach side grill at our resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

While they were here we decided to take a Saturday trip to Memphis. We enjoyed some ribs at the Rendezvous and visited the Peabody. We topped it off but having dessert at Jillians in Peabody Place and watched some football on the big screens. We then headed back to Henderson so the boys could watch the rest of the Texas Tech/Texas game. The boys being Alabama fans were really happy with the outcome of that one!!

Annah Grace and Jefforey posing in front of Auto Zone park. Jefforey was being...well Jefforey in every picture so this was the best one I got:)



They of course were so happy to meet Hudson and he was a very good boy while they were here. We were so sad to see them leave on Sunday but we are already planning our next visit with them!

Sweet baby cow!!

Tuesday night was Trick-or-Trunk at church so we decided to take Hudson on his first Halloween adventure. This was our first time for Trick-or-Trunk too so we enjoyed getting to see all the cars decorated and some very creative costumes. I on the other hand was not as creative and Hudson went as a sweet baby cow. I had originally wanted him to be a puppy dog but after a long search I gave up and I was just very happy to find an infant costume that actually fit him. I will say he was the most adorable baby cow I have ever seen and was the only one there. I will definitely start my search early next year for that puppy dog costume:)

Hudson with his daddy


I loved cuddling with my sweet baby. I was so glad he had a warm costume since it ended being a cold October night. He was such a good boy and stayed awake for most of the night.

Two month check-up

Today was Hudson's two month check up and time to get his shots. He was such a good boy and I think he did better than Mommy did. He weighs 11 pounds and 8 ounces and is 25 inches long so he has gained about four pounds and grown four inches since he was born. He is gaining weight like he should and seems to be right on track with everything. The doctor did find a heart murmur that they had not detected before. He said he could have already had it or he could have developed it since then. He seemed concerned but also felt that it is minor and should hopefully heal on its own. He is sending him for an electrocardiogram just to be sure. We will have that sometime in the next week or two and it will be sent to Vanderbilt to be reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist. I really didn't know what to think when the doctor was telling us all this I was surprised and a little nervous about it all. I asked him lots of questions and and he reassured me that they usually heal on their own and without causing too many problems. After, the doctor left the room...I was holding back tears....I teased Hudson that he can't have a heart murmur because he HAS to play football! Please pray that everything will be OK and that it is minor and will heal on its own.

I was able to snap a couple cute pics while we were there waiting for the doctor.

Waiting for the Nurse to come give him his shots. He had no clue...poor baby!

He is one happy boy!!!

October Fun!

Well we have had a very busy month....we started it off by taking Hudson on his first trip Missouri to visit Grandmommy and Grandaddy Lewis and all of our friends there. Since Todd was on Fall Break were were able to spend a long weekend there. We enjoyed dinner with friends, shopping with Grandmommy and a stroll downtown St. Charles. We also visited the school we both worked at last year and the kids I worked with while I was there. They were all so excited to meet Hudson and he was such a good boy while we were there.

Todd with Abby...she was in the classroom I worked in last year and I became very attached to her. Even when she would tell me now and fall to the floor I still cried my eyes out when I had to leave her. She was so happy to see us and especially LOVES her "Toddy"and we enjoyed getting to see her and see how much she has grown since we saw her last. We miss all our kids from last year but especially sweet Abby:)

Me and Hudson with all our favorite girls:) Amy, Bobbi, Tracy and Karen (Cindy must have been actually working) were the girls I worked with and became so close to. They were some of the first to find out about Baby Hudson and had to help me keep it a secret along with helping me with sweet Abby. They were amazing and I loved every minute at Castlio because of them. There were so many times after breaks I would come back to work not wanting to be there and they got me through it. Between the drama, gossip, making fun of my southern accent and lots and lots of laughter....they made my year. I miss them all so so much and want them to know just how much they mean to me:)

No trip to St. Louis is complete without taking a stroll downtown St. Charles. Todd grew up there and we took lots of trips there while we were dating. We were excited to take him down there for the first time.

Later that week...Zack, Cherith and Ella Kate came for a visit. Zack had to go out of town for work so Cherith and Ella Kate stayed here and we enjoyed every minute with them. We spent lots of time at Nana and Poppa's so that I could play with Ella Kate and Aunt Cherith got some quality time with Hudson. He loves her and she helped us out a lot while she was here. When it was pretty we spent some time outside so Ella could play. She loves being outside and running around the yard and playing in the leaves.

Ella Kate and Hudson playing outside at Nana and Poppa's

We tried all week to get some good pictures of Ella Kate and Hudson together but you can imagine trying to get a fifteen month old and an eight week old still long enough to take a picture. Luckily, we were able to snap a few cutes ones.

Ella Kate holding her "baby". She was so cute with him. Every time she would wake up from a nap or come into the room where he was she would pop that passy out and say "baby". She also liked trading pacifiers with him or if he was crying she would take him his. It was so precious. I can't wait to watch them grow up together and be the best of friends:)

Splish, Splash....taking a bath!!!!

We decided it was finally time to give little man a bath in his Rainforest tub and of course Mommy took lots of pictures. He liked it at first but I think he was glad when it was all over.

Hudson in his bath for the first time...he wasn't real sure what to think.

Isn't he the cutest?!

He wasn't too happy when it was over and he had to be dried off and changed so he needed his passy to make him feel better.

Much better...still doesn't look too happy though!

He was soooo tired!

So I have gotten a little behind on the blog....I am still trying to get adjusted to being a mommy and making time for my blog. We are loving every minute of our baby boy and have been very busy since his arrival. Hudson is growing so fast and seems to change everyday. He is a very active baby and is awake a majority of the day. He is sleeping much better than he did the first few nights and we are starting to get in a routine. We have had lots of company and blessed to have lots of wonderful people from church bring us food the past two weeks. This past weekend we were excited to have Todd's brother Byron and his wife Jennifer in from Dallas. They were so excited to finally meet Hudson and we enjoyed our visit with them too. Today we got Hudson's newborn pictures taken and some family pictures. He is was very good for the pictures and was awake for most of them. Here is one of his pictures....isn't he sweet?! We should have the rest soon!

Hudson is HERE!!!

So here is a short version of Hudson's arrival. I went into the hospital Wednesday August 27th around 5:00 AM (long story...I thought my water broke) only to be sent home around noon with "early" labor. The doctor said I would be more comfortable at home and to come back when it is time. I was NOT happy! So around 6:00 PM my water "officially" broke (although the doctor still told me it hadn't) and we made our way back to the hospital. I was in labor all night and was not making any progress. I began throwing up and the doctor was concerned I was getting dehydrated. He decided to keep me and that they would induce in the morning! They stated me on some fluids and then around 9:00 AM they started me on Pitocin to help get the process started and I was able to get my epidural. So thankful for that! Todd had decided to come back to Henderson to get a shower and get a few things for the hospital....and A HAIR CUT...seriously?! Well, a little pitocin was all I needed! While he was still in Henderson the nurse checked my progress and I was already at a 6. So, I call him to tell him to get back to the hospital quick! In the mean time, my doctor comes to check again and I was already to an 8! I was ready to push by 12:00 but they decided to let me rest a little so I would have the energy to push. I pushed for about an hour. He was turned so he had a little trouble coming out.

Hudson Miller Lewis arrived on August 28th at 2:09 in the afternoon and he weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. I also have to mention he has the most beautiful strawberry blonde hair you have ever seen:) We instantly fell in love with him and I can't believe he is finally here. Things have been kind of crazy since Hudson's arrival. Hudson had his nights and days mixed up the first couple nights we were home. Then my Mom, Dad and Todd all came down with an awful stomach flu and were sick for DAYS. I just prayed that I wouldn't get it too. So that has been keeping us very busy. We went for his weigh in at the doctor Tuesday and he weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces which the doctor said was great because they don't expect them to back to their birth weight for a couple weeks. The doctor said he was doing great!! I will do my best to keep you all updated on our little man. Here are some of his very first pictures.

His very first picture

Us with our great Labor and Delivery Nurse Linda! She goes to church with us so that made it extra special that she was there. Thanks Linda!

I couldn't get over his hair. Beautiful strawberry blonde and LOTS of it!

Kisses from Mommy

Resting with Daddy

And the waiting begins......

We have officially started the waiting game! Although, I am pretty sure that Hudson is going to wait until his due date or after but everyone says you have to be ready if he decides to come early. I went to the doctor Thursday August 14th and not much progress. The doctor wasn't certain I had dilated any and then he said well maybe a little. He also reassured me that most first babies make you wait so I am thinking little Hudson may do just that:) Everything seems to be healthy. His heartbeat was in the 160's, my blood pressure is still good and my Strep B test came back negative so that was very good news. We are just getting anxious to meet our sweet boy!

Things have also been very busy for us the last couple weeks. Todd is back to school and staying very busy and I have started baby-sitting a sweet baby girl. She is almost a year old and a wonderful baby. The plan is to keep her until I have Hudson and then start keeping her again after he is born. I had planned on staying home with him and then eventually keeping a few kids and this opportunity came early. I am also keeping my cousins Miller and Andre two days a week which is another blessing because I can spend time with my two favorite boys while staying home with mine!

We also had a great visit with Zack, Cherith and Ella Kate. Zack had some business close to us so they came in for a long weekend. We love when they come to visit and hate that they live so far away. Ella Kate is getting so big and of course beautiful as ever. She is walking and talking...her favorite words our puppy and baby and "ba"or ball. I worked very hard on Aunt "B" but that just confused her with ball. I know she will say it eventually:) We hated to see them leave but we are looking forward to seeing them in a couple weeks for Hudson's arrival. Zack keeps asking me if I can wait until the weekend of Tennessee's first football game because they had already planned to come that weekend. I told him I would do my best but that also happens to be the weekend of his due date. We will see what happens:)

We are almost finished with all the work on the house. Just a little more painting to finish up and and we hope to start moving stuff in this weekend. So much work has already been done and it looks amazing. We are so excited about starting our family in OUR new home. I will post some pictures once we get all settled in.

Todd and Ella Kate were watching TV but of course she looked up everytime I took a picture. They were so sweet together.

The girls after church...we missed having Brandy there with us.

Todd and I with EK. I love her sweet face!

What a beautiful family:)

My Other Half

So I thought I would take time to devote a blog to my wonderful husband Todd. Since I am the one that usually updates our blog I sometimes forget to include him. Todd has been amazing throughout this whole pregnancy and very patient with me through mood changes, cravings and of course all the aches and pains that go along with it. I am sure that he is as ready as I am for the pregnancy part to be over and have our baby boy home. I am so thankful for him and all that he has done for me the past eight months.

Todd began his first day of school with the kids on Friday. Although they haven't started P.E. yet he did spend some time in the classrooms getting to know the kids. I am very excited for him to get back to school and doing what he loves but at the same time I am very nervous about him being 30 minutes away if I were to need him. Luckily, my mom has been helping out by taking me to doctor's appointments so Todd doesn't have to take off work but I would much rather have him there. We both know that Hudson is going to come when HE is ready not when it is convenient for us but hopefully Todd will have time to get there. So please keep the three of us in your prayers the next 25 days as we await baby Hudson's arrival.

Closing Time!!

It is official...we are homeowners! We finally closed on our house July 30th and we were thrilled. So as I am updating our blog my parents and Todd are at the house working on taking up floors and painting. Todd teases me and says I made perfect timing being pregnant during both of our moves. I would much rather be helping them then just sitting here especially since the "nesting" instinct is starting to set in. So I spend my time going through Hudson's things and trying to organize his clothes. There is lots of work to be done to the house but we hope to have everything done by next weekend so we can move in. I will post some pictures once everything is finished so I can show you the before and after. Thanks for checking on us!

What a difference a year makes!!!

Us on our wedding day

Todd and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary on July 21. We both couldn't believe that it had already been a year and never imagined that we would be spending it with me being almost 9 months pregnant. We have enjoyed every minute of the last year together and we are looking forward to many years to come.

We celebrated by going out to dinner at one of my favorite places.....Outback and then stopped by Dumplins to get a piece of Strawberry cake like one of the layers from our wedding cake. We of course came home and ate the top of our wedding cake which to our surprise tasted pretty good. Todd enjoyed the rest of it while I ate the strawberry.

We are looking forward to celebrating again in the fall after baby Hudson's arrival!

Us on our one year anniversary

Me at 34 weeks

Safari Adventure

Mom, Aunt Judy and I took a day to take Miller and Andre to Alamo to the Tennessee Safari Park. We called this "our little adventure" because we weren't exactly sure how it would all turn out but the boys loved it and of course we did too. We rode around in our car and got to see lots of animals including ostriches, zebras, llamas, camels and many many more. At the end there was a petting zoo where we saw some very interesting monkeys, pigs, a huge giraffe and even a hyena. Miller and Andre loved looking at all the animals. Miller even fed the pig a bottle while Andre was more interested in the tractors. The giraffe was in the barn trying to stay cool but we bribed her out with carrots and Aunt Judy got to feed her some. We enjoyed our adventure and topped the day off by stopping at The Green Frog for ice cream.

Aunt Judy feeding the giraffe carrots

Miller got to feed the pig with a bottle

Me with my favorite boys