Bath Time!

Hudson is always super mellow in the bathtub...he may even enjoy it! He smells so good after a bath, it's one of my favorite things in the world.

Another Sleeping Picture

Apparently I'm obsessed with pictures of Hudson sleeping.

Hi Folks, I'm the Dad

Pleased to meet you, it's been awhile.

Darlene says it's my turn to write something. It's funny because this whole blog thing was probably my idea and yet I'm the least inclined to write in it, and I have no idea why.

I think it's because now that I have a son, I realize what an awesome and terrifying and wonderful thing that is, and I'm afraid that I couldn't ever write anything to do it justice.

Also, I'm absent-minded.

But Hudson is SUPER FUN nearly all the time. He giggles, he grunts; he stares into his world, nonplussed and occasionally glazed over (especially after a meal). He is easily distracted by shiny things. He really likes it when I make ridiculous noises that sound like I'm gargling a mouthful of tadpoles.

He likes to suck on his arm. I've been told that this is normal behavior. I need to be told this, because it seems weird to me. I thought babies were supposed to suck their thumbs (see above picture). Hudson rarely gets to his thumb. I'm not sure if he really knows it's there...he just goes straight for the whole arm.

I asked Darlene if it's early enough to tell if our son is, well, you know...dumb. Like maybe he just lacks the brainpower to discern between thumb and forearm. This is why I need to be told things. I make wild assumptions, and my imagination makes me ask awkward questions about four-month-old babies, such as: "can you tell if a baby is dumb?" What kind of parent asks questions like that?

This kind of parent. Sorry.

It's a wonder anyone puts up with me and my far-fetched theories. Of course Hudson isn't dumb. It is, however, probably quite true that his hypothalamus or his hippocampus or his whatchamathingy or some other high-tech brain part isn't developed enough to allow him tighter control of the 'ole limbs, hence the arm-sucking. He's probably aiming for the thumb and his brain quits in mid-flight and his hand veers off to the side, planting the whole thing square in his maw. He doesn't seem to mind.

He also likes fabric. When it comes to putting things in his mouth, Hudson likes skin, or fabric. We got him some toys that have soft rubber/plastic surfaces, but he doesn't care for them. Nah, he just goes straight for the closest fleshy thing he can find (even noses!), and failing that, he'll suck on a burp rag or a pull cord on his Dad's hoodie.

It occurred to me that that there's a material which is both like fabric and like skin, and could give Hudson the best of both worlds: leather. I suggested to Darlene that we wrap all of his toys in leather, but she didn't go for it. There might have been some cost issues involved with that plan. Instead she got him some toys that have fabric parts. I'm sure he'll love them.

His farts toots are often loud and wet, and he appears to save the best most epic blasts for the middle of church when the deacons are passing the Sacrament and everyone is trying to be reverent and thoughtful. You know, everyone has their heads bowed and we've just finished singing a beautiful hymn and RIIIIP there goes Hudson! At least they know we're feeding him regularly.

And now you, Dear Reader, know all the inconsequential minutiae that run through a father's head and end up on the page when his wife tells him its his turn to write on the blog.

See you in three months!

4 Happy Months!

WOW! Hudson is 4 months old today. He is getting so big! We went to the doctor yesterday and he was given a clean bill of health then he got his shots! Now he is miserable, poor kid. Can't say as I blame him. I don't care much for getting shots either.

On the bright side he met a new friend yesterday. We went to visit Emma and it was fun to watch them interact with one another. Hudson was very curious, Emma is almost 11 months old and is a lot closer to his size than anyone else he has met. When Emma would come close to the little exerciser he was in he would stop what he was doing and stare at her while she was trying to figure out what to do with someone so little. It was really cute!

My favorite thing is his adorable little giggle. His dad can get him laughing like crazy! I love it! I do love being a mom!

Where does the time go?

With Julie getting married this Saturday I've been thinking a lot about my wedding which seems like a lifetime ago. But it hasn't even been a year and a half yet! All the excitement and newness of being married is fun. I didn't think it could get any better but it did, and for Christmas last year I told James he was going to be a Daddy! Pregnancy is hard but wonderful and the miracle we received at the end of those long 9 months is more than I could have ever asked for. Hudson is such a good baby. It is me that struggles and sometimes feels like a bad mommy because I don't always know what to do for him. But I know that is part of the learning process and I am learning to be more patient with myself. He is so fun when he giggles with me and I can see in his eyes that he knows me. I keep telling him that I am his mom, mostly because I want that to be his first word but I hear that Dad usually comes first. Oh well! At least I can say that I tried.
I'm also extremely grateful for James who is so good to me and tries to make me believe that I am a good mom. I know I couldn't do it without him. Time goes fast and I am learning to enjoy the little moments!

Kinsey, this story is for you!

Today I had a very crazy and funny thing happen to me. Hudson is a very good baby and I love him so much but diaper changes with him are always a surprise! I can't tell you how many times he has peed all over everything. We've never really had a problem with poop until today! I had his diaper off for half a second and he pooped all over me. I was shocked at first. Then I couldn't stop laughing! Karl was pretty grossed out. He saw the whole thing! Needless to say I'm now doing an unexpected batch of laundry! Being a mom is so great! I love it!

Almost two months...

Wow! I still have a hard time believing that I am actually a parent! I was telling my mom the other day that sometimes it feels like I am just babysitting but the parents never came back for their child... It is amazing however to look at Hudson and know that he is all mine (and James's too of course) Hudson is such a blessing! He actually sleeps most of the night. I usually get a good 5-6 hours which is rare from what I hear. I think Hudson is just smart enough to know that if he wakes up in the middle of the night there is a good chance that both mom and dad would sleep through it even though they have a baby monitor right by the bed. Hudson is starting to smile and giggle, it melts my heart. He is a sweetie!

Baby is Here!

My son is born! Hudson Lothar Russell was born on 16 September, 2008 at approximately 01:45 AM. He arrived by Cesarean, and is a healthy, hairy boy. He weighs 8 pounds and 4.5 ounces, and is 20 inches long. He has brown hair with some blond highlights.

He is AMAZING. I love him so much.

Mom is doing well, recovering from her surgery. We didn't want to have a c-section, but little Hudson was in the breach position. The doctor tried to get him to move, but it didn't work and we just had to get him out.

But now we're just so glad that he's here! He's a little bundle of joy in our lives. I love to hold him; he just makes me grin from ear to ear. It's hard to believe that Darlene and I were capable of making such a wonderful thing happen. Of course, we didn't do it alone and we're grateful to our Heavenly Father for bringing us such an incredible miracle.

Here are some pics:

It's Sunday afternoon. We have church in an hour, and then we'll go to Darlene's parents' house for dinner. This is a normal thing, we do it all the time. The key difference today is that Darlene is now several days overdue and set to be induced on Tuesday. It's been a hard week; we don't want to have to induce, but it seems we have little choice at this point.

If only babies could access the internet from inside the womb! Now THAT would be a technological leap... then our baby could read our blog and know how anxious we are for him/her to be born.

Baby! Come on out! We're dying to meet you!

I think it's driving Darlene a little bonkers. We've tried all number of self-starters: walking, stretching, pressure points, That One Thing (ahem)...we've even tried balsamic vinegar, which so far was the tastiest method. I'll think we'll try it again for lunch.

And of course it's Darlene's Dad's birthday today. Happy Birthday Lothar! Everyone agrees it would be very cool if the baby was born today, and there are still several hours left in the day.

Do you hear that baby? You could be born on Opa's birthday! COME ON!!!

Still Pregnant!

Well we know that this baby is going to be like his/her mom in one way... LATE! Oh well, guess we are just being taught a lesson in patience. This baby was due Tuesday September 9th so now we are hoping that maybe the baby hangs on til Sunday and is born on his/her Grandpa Tegge's Birthday. Which is looking more and more likely. But at this point I'll just be excited when the baby finally comes!