6 Month Check-Up

Today the twins got to visit with Dr. Owens, their awesome pediatrician, for their 6 month check up and shots. My how they have grown!!! Here are their current stats:

Miss Isabelle weighed in at 17lbs 5oz and was 26.75 inches in length. My little travel size twin is not so itty bitty anymore...though she was never that tiny, only in comparison to her sissy! She falls somewhere around the 85th percentile for her height and 80 or so for her weight.

Miss Sophia weighed in at a mere 20lbs 11oz (1oz heavier than her brother did at this age!) and was 27 inches in length. My little chunky monkey continues to be off the charts!

Both girls are doing amazingly well with everything. They love to experience new foods and continue to eat and sleep like champs! We noticed their bottom pearly whites poking through on the eve of their 1/2 birthday. They can almost sit unsupported and love their jumperoos. They even want to crawl already...they're just like their brother. Isabelle gets up and rocks on all fours, and Sophia does this army crawl maneuver with her arms and an inchworm act with her tush to try to propel herself forward. At this point, Dr. Owens thinks they have a month or so before they really take off....so look out world! Both are just as happy as can be....they love to "talk", to play, to jump, to roll, to swing outside, to play with anything that makes music, to swim, to read, to chew on all of their toys, to play peek-a-boo, to cruise in BOB, to take baths, to be tickled, and to watch their big brother no matter what it is that he is doing. They are making great progress with their DOC bands and should "graduate" in about 3 weeks! I also must say that Hudson is the most awesome big brother and takes such great care of his sisters. He carefully inspected their little legs where they got their shots, gave them sugars and hugs, and told them that he would make them all better....that kind of love is truly the sweetest thing. I look forward to each new day and the joy that they bring to our lives. We are beyond blessed and have the three most amazing kiddos! As their cousin says....they are "perfectly perfect"!!!

Happy Father's Day

I am abundantly blessed, truly grateful, and forever in awe...I have the greatest father and husband. Today is a day to take the time to reflect on their respective greatness. My dad: a man who works and works hard. He has built not only a life but a legacy, one that will live on through my children and no doubt the generations to come. There are not enough words to properly express the love and gratitude in my heart for all that he has done for me and for what he means to me. So to my dad, I thank you...for your honesty, for your generosity, for your kind heart, for your willingness to help, for always going above and beyond, for all of your hard work, for the sacrifices you have made, for all that you do for our family, for making me want to be a better person, for your love and support, for being the most awesome GoGo...and simply, for being you. My husband: a man who is steadfast and true. He, too, works incredibly hard and does so for the same reasons, to provide a better life for our family. So to my husband, I thank you...for your unconditional love, for being an amazing father to our children, for leading by example, for your trust and respect, for always doing what is right, for working so hard so that I can be with our kiddos all day every day, for the sacrifices that you make for us, for having faith, for all that you do for our family....and simply, for being you. I know that one day my children will have the same appreciation for their dad as I do for mine and that in itself is priceless. Margaret Truman once said, "It's only when you grow up, and step back from him, or leave him for your own career and your own home--it's only then that you can measure his greatness and fully appreciate it. Pride reinforces love."

Happy 1/2 Birthday & Weekend Fun!!!

Our fun-filled weekend celebrating dad and the twins' 1/2 birthday went something like this....
Daddy took off Saturday so that we could fully enjoy the weekend and partake in all the festivities...woohoo! It is hard to believe that our babies are 6 months old. For this particular milestone, we celebrated in typical fashion with what has become tradition for the 1/2 birthday...cookie cake...not that the babies were able to indulge but we sure did...yummy!!!

Then, so as to not feel so incredibly guilty about eating the cookie cake, Hudson and I ran in our very first 5K! Let me back up a bit about the running. For those of you who claim to love running, I must say you are crazy! I do not love anything about running except for maybe the satisfaction of finishing a trek. I began to jog after the twins were born because it is the only form of exercise that I could do with all 3 kiddos. So to force myself to stick with it and stay motivated to work hard at it, I decided to register for a 5K....a little over 3 miles when I was barely able to run a mile or so before having twins, what the hell...we'll go for it! So Saturday morning Hudson and I ventured to Seguin for the Triple A 5K Run. He got to ride in style in BOB (aka the jogging stroller) while I got to push. And though there were several instances at which I wanted to switch places with him, we kept going....and finished in 31 minutes! Turns out we won for my age group! We then hurried home to pick up the rest of the family to head to the lake for fun time with family. The twins got to meet some of their cousins and Hudson went on his first waverunner ride!

 Nap time came all too quickly and gave Mommy and Daddy just enough time to get ready for the next outing. We met up with the Walkers and made our way to Bulverde for the Fuller Birthday Bash for Chandler and Creed at which Hudson and Daddy got more swim time. Sunday morning came and we sent Daddy off to golf with Mr. Wille while the kiddos and I went to play at Meme and Papa's house with more cousins. The kids recharged with a good little nap and then it was off to the Ski Lodge for more fun in the sun! Hudson loves to swim and with the help of Daddy and GoGo he even went off the diving board...he is a little fish with no fear! Our next big adventure...Mommy teaching Hudson how to swim:)

Sushi?...I'm 2...Don't mind if I do!

While the twins are indulging in their new-found love of food, albeit baby food, Hudson has also been testing his palate with scrumptious new flavors and foods! Yes, this includes sushi. I don't know what I find more amusing....the fact that he really does like sharing veggie rolls and edamame with YaYa and GoGo OR the way he comes home and tells me: "Hudson ate sushi, Mommy!"...pure excitement in his sweet voice...and that coupled with his contagious laugh is priceless!  So, bring on the chop sticks and serve it up right because my 2 year old is a fan of the A-Tan. Though the crispy chicken and special desserts (almost always involving chocolate) seem to be his favorites, he dives right in to try almost anything....and yes, he uses the chop sticks...probably better than some adults. On the most recent dinner adventure, my parents gave him edamame to try. At first, he tried to eat the whole thing until they demonstrated the proper way to do it. At that point, I'm sure he most likely enjoyed squeezing them out of the shell, so to speak, more so than the actual consumption. It is little moments like these that I feel the need to document, so as to forever etch in my mind the simple everyday acts that make life so much sweeter. Oh how I love the way he talks about himself in the third person. I love the pure joy and excitement in his voice. I love that he loves the simple pleasures in life such as food...and tractors, which he always takes to dinner. I love the way he calls my dad Michael instead of GoGo when GoGo is "misbehaving"....with the proper inflection in his voice, mirroring how my mom says it. I love the way he jumps up and down in front of his sisters in their jumperoos to make them laugh and jump too. I love that he doesn't like spit-up (anything that comes out of his sisters' mouths) and his stipulation for sharing his toys is that they don't spit-up on them. I love his hugs times two with sugar in the middle. I love that, no matter what, he always makes me smile! I love so many things, everything about him, the list could go on and on. So for now back to the sushi... hats off to Hudson and his love of good food and fun!

Bedazzled Bands...Life is Good

STEP 1: Paint the bands...simple task, right??

 

Well, the painting part was a huge pain and I had to keep my filter on so as to prevent any choice words from escaping my mouth, but the finished product did turn out super cute...well worth the frustration and the extra coats of mod podge.

STEP 2: Bling them out

Specialty rub-on vinyl decals...somewhat difficult to do on a not so flat surface...but we managed. I decided to decorate them with the same designs: name, bird, and owl on front....branch with large owl and smaller birds on back....Hudson gave me a thumbs up, so I figure if a 2 year old likes it we are good to go!

STEP 3: Wear 23 hours a day....what a breeze!

 No big thing!

 Yes, we know we are super cute...Mommy and Daddy tell us enough!

Pure Mischief in her eyes!

 I just can't stop laughing...

Life is good! 

After 2 adjustment appointments, I am totally impressed with the DOC bands! What a difference already! They take measurements at our weekly appointments and carve out the foam in the bands to allow for growth in the proper directions. Isabelle has already grown 8 millimeters and Sophia 6 millimeters in just 2 weeks!!! Woohoo!!! It is truly amazing at the difference in their head shapes already. They had molds of their heads made off of the digital images they took to make the bands....they put the molds on a stick and call them a head-sickle....funny and a bit disturbing at the same time. Anyways, it is pretty cool to hold up to the girls to see the improvements! I can't wait to take them in this week.  Looks like we are on track and should only have 3-5 weeks to go!!!

Float like a Cadillac, Sting like a Beemer...

It's the quote of the week around the Bird House and I am not sure who likes it more....Hudson or Mommy! I usually say the first part and Hudson the last, in his super cute yet very serious voice. For those of you who have never heard these somewhat famous words, they come from the movie "Cars"...which we bought for Hudson a few weeks ago. Aside from a few words we deem inappropriate, it is a super fun movie for our little man. Plus, how could he not love it with a car called the Fabulous Hudson Hornet and "tractor tipping" to boot! Needless to say, when Hudson likes something it is go big or go home around here and his alotted tv time has been consumed with this adorable movie. Cars has climbed the list of Hudson's favorite things and is now a close second to tractors. We were even at HEB the other morning, strolling down the baby isle, and Hudson spotted a Fabulous Hudson Hornet bib which he said he really needed...mind you the child will no longer wear a bib, but I indulged so long as he promised to share with his sisters. Now Hudson is a busy, busy guy who doesn't really sit to watch for very long, so the movie plays and he catches bits and pieces at a time over the course of the week. I think I have finally seen the whole thing, though not all at once. I must say it is a great story and I was so amused to hear the things Hudson would say while watching it.
Here are some key take aways according  to our 2 year old...

1. Mommy, there really is a Fabulous Hudson Hornet and he's dark blue!
2. Never race a choo choo train
3. Tractor tipping is funny
4. Flo's is like Sonic but they get gas....Hudson gets ice
5. There's Mater, Mommy, Tow Mater!
6. Thunder always comes after Lighting...Ka-Chow!
7. Boogity, boogity, boogity
8. Is his name Lightning or Stickers? I like Stickers!
9. They drive fast...Mommy, don't drive fast like that!
10. And of course....Float like a Cadillac, Sting like a Beemer!!!!

Happy Birthday to YaYa!!!

Hudson loves birthdays....he loves to shop for presents, he loves the sweets, he loves the parties, he loves the people, he loves everything about birthdays except the singing of the "Happy Birthday" song! Well, today someone very special celebrated her birthday. The most fabulous and fun YaYa ever turned another year older, and Hudson was so excited to share in her special day. He told me that he wanted to pick out a gift for her. So, the kids and I ventured out on Saturday morning to shop for the perfect present for YaYa. Yes, all 3 and me, that is how we roll. Hudson was up to the challenge to find something special for the sweet lady who never wants for anything. I must say, the kid is a great little shopper and has excellent taste. He carefully looked around the entire store before pointing to what he wanted saying, "That one for YaYa, Mommy!" They were kind enough to wrap it for us and then we were on our way. When he woke up the next morning, he was super excited to take YaYa her handmade card and present. She, of course, loved it all and the smile across Hudson's face was priceless! I so wish I would have had a camera at that very moment. Part of it was pride, most of it was love! He immediately told her to put it on and then shot her that melt your heart grin! I am so thankful that he loves to give and that the very act of giving brings him true joy! We were blessed to end the day with a lovely family birthday dinner at The Gruene Door...wonderful company, great food, and fabulous chocolate mousse...what a perfect day! Happy Happy Birthday to YaYa...we love you bunches and hope you had as much fun as we did!!!

Contardi Wagon

Several times a year our bustling little neighborhood that is Cotton Crossing is graced with the presence of the "Contardi Wagon"... Tennis brings the sweet Contardi family from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Texas at least twice a year for events out at Newks Tennis Ranch. Their love for Gruene brought them to our neighborhood... connected to the up and coming, destined to be historic, mere 7 minute or less walk to the steps of Gruene Hall, Gruene Lake Village...and they now have their "Texas Home", as they like to call it, right around the corner from the Bird House. Now Mr. Contardi, whose passion is tennis and family, loves Dr. Pepper, good company, live music and Gruene Hall. Mrs. Contardi is a proponent of big glasses, even bigger hair, post-it notes and props, good manners and chandeliers...I could go on....and let's not forget the next generation of Contardi's, their children, Mario and Katie, who are equally as sweet and fun! We had the pleasure of getting to know them about the time I was pregnant with Hudson and have so enjoyed their many visits in the time that has lapsed since then. They always come with smiles, hugs, and humor; and when they come, they roll into the neighborhood in a big white van known to all of us as the "Contardi Wagon"! So, after the first siting of each visit, Hudson watches out the window and alerts me to any drive bys...in fact, their driveway is visible from our front windows and Hudson informed me first thing this morning, with much excitement, "Mommy, the Contardi Wagon is parked way over there! Hudson is having dinner with the Contardi's tonight!!!" He has a new friend for life in the Mr and even told his Auntie KK to go get Mr. Contardi to "come in here" to play. And for those of you present at tonight's gathering, you know the term "racehorse" has a whole new meaning to Hudson Bird....for those of you reading that were not there, I am sure your assumptions on the matter are correct. Anyways, we had a wonderful time with dear friends and family this evening and Hudson was not ready to come home. We even promised him that we would take him to Gruene Hall with the Contardi family during their next visit. He also cannot wait to go to Camp Contardi to learn to play tennis from the best! So, while we have missed seeing Katie and Mario on this trip, two Contardis are better than none!