Jack-Jack and Duck-Duck

My sweet little Jack-Jack has had a rough go of it since day one. Because of all his tummy issues, he spent the first 6 months of his life, a little "disgruntled." However, now, he is the most layed-back, go-with-the-flow kid, and laughs at EVERYTHING!! I would have never imagined that, after all the screaming that took place initially. Now, don't get me wrong, when he does get upset, you better believe that he is going to make some noise and let you know about it, but other than that, he is just SO SWEET!!!! During all his screaming times, I told Mark, "How am I ever going to know if he is teething, because he screams all the time?" Also, Hudson was such a SLOW teether, that I didn't even expect any teeth before 9 months. Well, guess what, Jack has now cut two teeth, and there are two more coming, and I never knew it. AND, he is only 7 months old. He has been a little fussy over the past week or so, and he has been constantly chewing on "Duck-Duck," as noted in the pics. So, the other day, he put my finger in his mouth, bit down, and sure enough, there were two teeth. CRAZY!!! I felt like such a bad mom for not even being aware that he was teething. Poor kid got no motrin or anything. He is going to be a TOUGH ONE!

Dallas World Aquarium

This past weekend, we had a "family day" and went to the Dallas World Aquarium. None of us had ever been, including Mark, who grew up in the metroplex. Let me just say it was AWESOME!! So awesome, that we are going to get a family membership for the whole year. It is set up by different levels. The first level is the rain forest, then you work your way down to the bottom of the ocean. Hudson was just beside himself. He has a favorite book that has all the tropical animals in it, and when we walked into the rain forest section, he said, "Oh look, a multi-colored toucan!" This was one of the creatures in his book. Jack was just totally enthralled by all the beautiful animals and fish. When we finished we went to the the busiest Chick-fil-a in the nation, which is in Downtown Dallas. It really is the busiest in the nation, but by far the best service EVER. It had a 4-lane drive thru, and a HUGE eating area. It was great!! Then we all came home and crashed. Such a great day making memories. Here are some pics from our great adventure...

Easter Pics

Our sweet friend Bee, who keeps the boys on Tuesday and Thursday, takes the BEST pics. Here are some of the Easter pics she took for us this year. Most of them are action shots, which will probably continue to be that way, until the boys are 20. Hope you enjoy!! I sure do love my BOYS!!!

Blogging Marathon

Well... Here I go again! I have the best intentions with keeping up with my blog, but then I don't, and I have to do major catch-up. SO, stay tuned for a marathon of posts, as I try to update you with what has been happening in our little world.

A Day Out With THOMAS!!

Thanks to our wonderful Nana and Big Daddy, Hudson was able to experience something amazing in his two-year-old world this past weekend. He was able to ride, "THE THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE!" Hudson LOVES Thomas!! He can name every single engine on the Island of Sodor, along with every number and color of each engine. He is OBSESSED! The day out with Thomas was just awesome. Even, sweet little Jack enjoyed it. He sucked down his bottle as we went for our ride. Hudson also got a chance to meet Sir Topham Hat, although he freaked out when he got up close. It was so great to see his excitement as Thomas pulled up to the station. Just one of the incredible things you get to experience as a parent, the JOY and EXCITEMENT through a child's eyes. Thank you Nana and Big Daddy for such an awesome time!

ABC...As Easy As 123...

Hudson and I did a really fun little project, so I thought I would share. He is absolutely crazy about letters and numbers, so... we decided to make an alphabet book. I used construction paper to cut out each letter of the alphabet. Then, I took all the white sheets of paper that he colors all over and glued one letter to each page. Hudson ran around the room laying all the pages next to each other exclaiming, "Wook at all dease wetters!!!!" (i.e., "Look at all these letters!!!") He was SO CUTE!! Then we went through all of my Parenting magazines, and looked for something that started with each letter. We cut out the things we found and glued them on the back of the page that corresponded with each letter. Then, I laminated the pages, punched holes, inserted binder rings, and "TA-DA!!" A very cool alphabet book, that he "reads" several times a day. I think we are going to do on with numbers (1-20) next. Here are some pics from our crafty day!! Enjoy!

Fertilizer? Humidifier? Same thing...

Sweet little Hudson had as rolling again a few weeks ago, with his non-stop narrating. Mark had put some fertilizer down in the backyard because we were about to get some rain. Well, Hudson, our outdoor boy, really wanted to go outside and play on his fort. I had to explain to him that we needed to wait until it rained because Daddy had just put fertilizer down on the grass, "and we never play in fertilizer." He actually seemed okay with this response and we found something else to do. Later that evening we were getting ready for bed, and Hudson was talking about his humidifier, "Pete, the Penguin." Oh yes... we have names for our humidifier. Hudson has Pete the penguin, and Jack has Fred the frog. (Hudson sometimes asks to pray for Pete. It is hysterical! My prayers go something like this, "Thank you God for Pete as he keeps our room so moist.") Anyway, the next morning, Hudson got up and came downstairs and immediately looked out the window and said, "We can't go on the grass, it has humidifier, and we never, ever play on humidifier. Those four syllable words are tough! What a silly boy!! Love him!

My Baby is 6 Months Old!!!

Oh how the time flies. My baby boy is now 6 months old. I just can't believe it. At times, it seemed we would never be at this point, but now that we are here, I just can't believe it. Jack is so precious, and so unique. I love how I have fallen in love with him, and how the things I love about him are so different from his big brother. I remembering thinking about these things before he was born. I am so crazy about Hudson, and wondered how I would be able to love another little boy, if he wasn't Hudson. But that is where God is so amazing. The fact that he gives us such amazing little miracles to raze, and the capacity of love that he gives us for these little miracles is just mind-boggling!! Here are some pictures of our ENORMOUS little man. We had his 6 month appt. today. He is in the 97th percentile across the boards. 28 1/2 inches long and 21 pounds!!! He is just such a JOY!!!

UPDATES!

Well.... I almost don't even know where to begin.  I feel like my reasons are always the same for not keeping up with my blog, but I guess it is just where I am at right now.  Thankfully, both the boys are sound asleep right now, so I thought I would try to hit the highlights on what has been happening in the Caswell house for about the past MONTH!!  

First things first,  in keeping with the tradition of last February, everyone in our house has been sick from the beginning of February, until just about a week ago.  I am sure we can thank the 40 degree changes in temperature every other day for that.  : )  Both Jack and Hudson had ear infections and upper respiratory junk.  Mark had a pretty yucky cold, and lucky me, I got bronchitis.  I don't think I have had that since I was 12!  Anyway, we spent most of the month at the doctor.  

Jack is continuing to do better with his bouts with colic.  It has been a long road, but I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  He still has good days and not so good days, but we have learned to take it one day at a time, or more like one hour at a time.  He is so precious, and has the CRAZIEST hair I have ever seen.  His pediatrician told him it looked like the Donald Trump combover.  There is just so much of it.  He laughs at everything, and is just about sitting up on his own.  He cannot keep his eyes off of his big brother, and sometimes I think he is going to jump out of  my arms just to get to where Hudson is playing.

Hudson continues to have us rolling!!!  He just says the funniest things ALL the time.  We have officially started potty training, and that has been hilarious as well.  I never thought I would be singing songs that cheer my toddler on to taking care of business.  Oh but I am.  Complete with a little dance!  Hudson thinks it is great and will sing these songs of praise throughout the day, even when he isn't on the potty.  He has also become very obsessed with things that you can and cannot eat.  For instance, when he sits on the potty he says, "You don't eat poo-poo.  That's nasty."  I am glad he is got that one figured out!  He is still CRAZY about Thomas the Tank Engine, and LOVES to color.  He has started making H's for his name.  He is also really into numbers and letters and books.  And, like most little boys, he ALWAYS wants to be outside.

Well, I am going to try not to make this post like reading a novel, but I am thankful I had a little time to catch you up on our craziness!!  God Bless!!

Bubbles & Cars

Here's another precious one.  Oh the voice of a sweet child.  God is so GOOD!!  Thank you for such a precious blessing.  

Jack Gigglin'

Everyone has been a little "under the weather" at our house, but sweet Jack is still smiling and gigglin'.  Mark caught this on video yesterday, and I HAD to share.  I hope you laugh right along with him.  God continues to bless us in SO many ways.  

My Little Heartbreakers

Here are some pics of my little Valentines.  I hope that you all are spending this day with those you love most!!  Have a blessed Valentine's Day!

An Update From The "House of Testosterone"

Hudson "going to the North Pole."

Jack in his Bumbo (or bimbo as Hudson calls it)

Jack in his warm winter suit.  "So Cute!"

Sweet little Jack

The boys!

My sweet sister-in-love, Molly, bought me the most hilarious book for Christmas, called "House of Testostorone."  It is one mom's account of living in a house with 4 boys (her husband and three kids).  It is HILARIOUS!!!  Even though I just have 3 boys (Mark, Hudson and Jack), I think I still qualify as living in a house of testosterone.  Okay... so it has been quite a while since my last blog, but let's just say it has been pretty insane here at the Caswell house.  Our sweet Jack has had tummy trouble from day 1 and it just continued to get worse and worse.  He continued to scream more and more, and sleep less and less.  He went to see the GI doctor twice, and now, after 4 months, we have discovered that he is lactose intolerant.  So, we switched him to a lactose free formula and problem solved.  Wish I would have known that 4 months and no sleep ago.  His temperament, however is a "little" different from his big brother, and he puts up quite a fuss when you lay him down for a nap.  Let's just say he throws a serious fit, and then he gets over it and goes to sleep.  With Hudson, we could just lay him down wide awake, and he would put himself right to sleep.  Good thing Hudson was the first. : )  : )   Hudson has had a string of viruses for the past couple weeks, and he has not quite been himself either.  But, such is life with 2 under 3.  I have some cute pics of the boys to post.  Even in the midst of craziness, they are still so stinkin' cute.  

Baby Bear

Oh our little Hudson had us rolling tonight.  When Jack was born, Nana bought Hudson a "baby" bear from Build-A-Bear.  It was complete with its own diapers, bibs, bottles, rattles,etc.  Nana gave this bear to Hudson when we brought Jack home from the hospital.  I thought it was going to be great, but I was DEAD wrong.  He just looked at the bear and looked at his Nana and I like, "what do you want me to do with that?"  So, baby bear just sat in his room, occupying a space on his bed, until recently.  He has really decided that he likes baby bear.  We check his diaper often and give him his bottle and blankie.  Hudson is just as concerned about baby bear as he is Jack.  Today however, Baby Bear became an extreme distraction during nap.  I could hear Hudson over the monitor saying, "You need a bottle baby bear", "Baby bear is trying to poop", "poop baby bear", "I change your diaper", "patty cake-patty cake bakes man, put it in the oven for Jack and me."  So, being the intelligent mom that I am, I head upstairs and tell Hudson that baby bear is trying to sleep, and if he keeps talking baby bear will not be able to take his nap.  Hudson looked at me, an in all seriousness said, "But baby bear's eyes are open, he's not sleeping."  How can you argue with that?  What stuffed animal did you ever have that did not have his eyes open.  I am supposed to be smarter than my 2-year-old son, but today he definitely won.  The saga with baby bear continued at bedtime, as Hudson continued to talk to and play with baby bear instead of sleeping.  So Mark went up and told them that if the two of them did not go to sleep, baby bear would have to sleep somewhere else.  When he came down and told me what he said, we both just cracked up.  I told him what I had learned earlier, that baby bear could not sleep, his eyes were always open.   Oh what a mess.  : ))

Blessed to be a Mommy!

I must admit, most days I really do feel completely whipped, but also so completely satisfied.  Being a mommy is by far one of the most amazing, gratifying, intense, and wonderful things I have ever experienced.  I am just in awe that the creator of the universe would allow me the privilege and responsibility of raising two precious boys with Mark.  Whether I am dancing around the room with Jack, trying to relieve all his crazy gas, or playing Thomas with Hudson, the adventures never stop.  By the end of the day I pass out the minute my head hits the pillow, but I am so blessed.  Blessed to be a Mommy, and blessed with two precious boys.  

More Fun Holiday Pics!

Here are a few more pictures from our blessed Christmas time.  Enjoy!

"Bright eyes"

Let's go for a ride with Thomas.

Thomas' Driver

Our smiling baby boy!

"Rolling the dough."

"Conductor Hudson"

"Getting messy"

"Hudson frosting one of Aunt Molly's sugar cookies."

"Happy Birthday Jesus"  (Our seminary Daddy said we should put three candles on it for the trinity.)  : )

Happy New Year & The Cotton Bowl

The New Year began with a visit from my mom and stepdad and a trip to the 2009 Cotton Bowl.  This was our Christmas present from Mimi and Papa, and it was AWESOME!!! Eventhough our Red Raiders did not show up for the second half of the game, it was great to be there.  It was also a wonderful day for Mark and I to enjoy each other, minus our sweet boys. 

 "Get your guns up!"

"Me and my Stepdad"

"Happy Couple!"

Merry Christmas (Belated)

Well....  I have finally had some time to blog!!!  What a fun, fabulous, and crazy holiday.  We had some awesome family time over the past couple weeks.  I will try to fill you and give you some pics to see what happened at the Caswell house.  We spent a few days before Christmas with Nana, Big Daddy, and all our aunts, uncles, and cousins.  We had a blast, and Hudson absolutely adores his 7 -year-old cousin Sam, and his Uncle Chris (Sam's) dad.  Hudson got a really cool pick-up truck (thanks Nana and Big Daddy), and lots of cool "Thomas" engines,  and some great pjs and books (thanks Grandaddy & Mima.)  Jack continued to have tummy trouble throughout the holidays, but his sweet little smiles, giggles, and cooes kept us going.  He turned 3 months old on Christmas day and is just growing like a weed.

We started some new traditions at our house, like making peppermint bark (Hudson got to crush the candy canes with his toy hammer) baking sugar cookies with "Chef Hudson" and making  a happy birthday Jesus cake, complete with candles and song.  Most of all, we just enjoyed being together as a sweet family of four.  God has richly blessed us with beautiful children and extended family, and a wonderful church to serve at.  What a great 2008!