Dear Hudson,

I’m really late posting your 15 month update. Your turned 15 months old on September 5 and we were in Dallas with KK, Poppie, and Uncle Walker. As every month is, this month was so much fun. You, Hudson, are so much fun.

Your little personality shines through more and more every month and we just love the little boy you’re becoming. You always make us laugh with the things you say and do. We call you a little parrot because you repeat everything we say– or at least you try.

You are still very sweet, but you are trying to be a little more defiant and that’s hard for mommy and daddy to take. We hate to have to discipline you, but we always want to keep you safe. Your most common way of showing your independence is when you stand up in your little chair and shout “sit down.” Except you don’t sit down and continue to stand up. We struggle with that every single day. You little booger.

Hudson, you are quite the communicator. You are so good at letting us know what you want and have gotten great at naming all of the items you want. If you can’t say it, you point and say, “that.” Which actually sounds a lot more like “dat.”

When I’m talking to KK on the phone, I’ll say to her, “okay, I love you.” And then you will say, “bye” before I can even get the words out. It’s so funny how you’ve picked up on our cues and have learned so much just be observing all of the people you love. We have to be extra careful to make sure that we’re showing you what is good and right.

You’re still a very big boy and we just love you that way. You’re a fast little guy, too. You run all through the house and your cheeks jiggle while you’re running. You love to play with the dogs and chase them, too. You love singing and dancing and will stop whatever you’re doing to listen to a song and try to sing along or dance.

You pretend to talk on your old cell phone that we gave you and say “hey” and “bye” and nod along while you walk and talk. I wonder where you’ve seen that before! You’ll give something to us that you found on the floor and say “thank you.” And when we say “you’re welcome” you say “thank you” again. I think you have it a bit backwards, but we love your little manners.

Hudson, you have gotten much more particular about what you’ll eat, but we’re learning what you like and still insist that you try everything we give you.

Thank you for being so sweet and loving. We’re so proud of you!

Love,

Mommy

15 month stats

Height: 35 inches long (above the 97th%)

Weight: 30 pounds (95th%)

Shoe Size: 6

Clothes Size: Mostly 24 month, but some 18 month stuff still fits, thank goodness

Diaper Size: 5

Food: grilled cheese, peas, carrots, green beans, apple sauce, bananas, blueberries, chicken nuggets, salmon, cheese, oranges, kiwi, oatmeal, strawberries, pancakes, pasta, mashed potatoes

Words and Phrases: thank you, please, that, zebra, hippo, puppy, Poppie, whoa, wheee, poo poo, “night moon” (Goodnight Moon), “Melmo” (Elmo), bubbles, mommy, daddy, Boo-doh (Boudreaux), Nona (Fiona), cheese, shoes, juice, milk, book, turtle, meow, dog, moo, bye bye, woof, cow, hey, chicken, baby, touchdown, banana, uh oh, ball

This morning was Hudson’s first day of school. Our church has a weekday program for kids of all ages and Hudson’s age group can go two days a week. I know it’s going to be so good for him to go and see his friends twice a week and it will be good for me to be able to get out and get some errands taken care of without trying to bring Hudson with me.

We got up this morning and had breakfast and then got Hudson dressed in his most “back to school”-looking outfit. I had to take some pictures of him outside our house before we left. He was a little upset with me because he wanted to “get down” and run around the yard rather than sit still. And by the time he started smiling at me my camera started to fog up in the humidity.

But I do think he looked pretty stinking cute!

He was pretty excited to put on the “Hudson” backpack that Kim gave us. He just carried some diapers, a change a clothes, and a sippy cup in his bag, but he was still proud.

And when we got to school he was so excited to walk in and check out all the toys. They allowed the parents to stay for an hour since it was the first day. He walked around and played with the toys and started playing with some of the other kids. When I got up to leave, Hudson didn’t even look back to say goodbye.

He didn’t seem like he was going to miss me too badly. While Hudson was at school, I ran home to pick up some things I needed to take to UPS and discovered that our darling Boudreaux had shredded one of Hudson’s favorite books. So I spent some of my time cleaning up that mess. Then I ran to Starbucks, UPS, and to Barnes and Noble to replace Hudson’s book. I ended up sitting at Barnes and Noble for the last hour before I had to go get Hudson and I just read and enjoyed the quiet.

I think I’ll probably spend the mornings that he’s at school taking care of my Junior League responsibilities and preparing for children’s choir activities, but it’s nice to get some errands run and take care of business sometimes, too.

When I picked up Hudson, he had done a little finger painting craft today, so that was pretty sweet. He was quietly playing and when he saw me he ran to the door and said, “go.” Ha! So even though he did okay he was still ready to go home, eat lunch, and get his nap!

Dear Hudson,

You turned 14 months old on August 5. I could go through a list of overused phrases such as 1) time flies so fast with you and 2) each month gets more and more fun and they would all be true.

It is so remarkable how much you can change in one month. You are such a sweet little boy and your heart is full of love for everyone you come in contact with. You are very obedient and easy-going.  You want to please and you know when you’re about to do something that you’re not supposed to do.

We’re working on trying to get you to be more patient. You know what you want and when you want it, but the grunts and whines aren’t the best way to get it. We’re working on “please” and getting you to just ask for what you want. You always say “thank you” though.

Hudson, I can’t even begin to describe my love for you. I was away from you for about five days and I missed you so much. I didn’t want to miss a single moment with you.

You are so good about just hanging out and reading or playing. You really like to sit and entertain yourself. And then as soon as you want some company, you come climb up in our laps and give us a hug. Or you ask us to read “‘Night Moon” to you.

You’ve started walking to your room when I say, “let’s go change your diaper” or “let’s take a nap.” I’m just so amazed at how much you understand and how fast the time flies. I say it over and over again, I know. 14 months ago, you were basically sleeping all day every day and weren’t doing much of anything at all.

If I could guarantee that every baby would be just like you I’d have 10 more! We love you so much!

Mommy (and Daddy, too)

Words and phrases: “night moon” (Goodnight Moon), “Melmo” (Elmo), bubbles, mommy, daddy, Boo-doh (Boudreaux), Nona (Fiona), cheese, shoes, juice, milk, book, turtle, meow, dog, moo, bye bye, woof, cow, hey, chicken, baby, thank you, touchdown, banana, uh oh, ball

Tricks: he has started making more and more animal sounds like meow, roaring like a lion, making “woof” sounds like a dog and imitating a monkey. He also does the signal for “touchdown.” And just this week he puckers up and makes a kissing sound if you say “give me a kiss” or “give the monkey a kiss.” (see above)

Food: grilled cheese, peas, carrots, green beans, apple sauce, bananas, blueberries, chicken nuggets, salmon, cheese, oranges, kiwi, oatmeal, strawberries, pancakes

A few days ago I was going through all of the magazines in my house and tearing out things I liked. Recipes, home decor, articles. And then I filed them all away in page protectors and put them in binders.

I think I threw away about 35 magazines. I try to do this every year, but I always like to hang onto the issues of Southern Living magazine. When I was flipping through the magazines I found this great article and knew that Hudson would need to see it someday. Because someday he’ll take a girl out for pizza and a movie. And someday he’ll take a girl as his date to a football game– hopefully an SEC football game. And I want him to have an idea of what she may be expecting from him.

I thought I’d share it with all of you to share with your sons and daughters, if you haven’t already.

If you’re not a southerner you may not appreciate it the way I do, but I like it enough to put it on my blog. I like chivalry. I like to think of myself as independent, sure, but I also like chivalry. And I want my son to treat his future wife, girlfriends, dates, and friends the way that we’ve always been taught that a man should treat a lady. Especially in the South where traditions don’t die easily.

15 Ways to Charm Her

Southern Living, July 2009

By Amy Bickers

“Want to impress a Southern girl? Just think “What would my grandfather have done?”

Number one: We still expect you to give up your seat for a lady. On a bus, at a bar, on a train. . . we don’t care where you are. Unless you are at a restaurant and the only lady in sight is the one taking your order, stand up. Now.

On a recent Friday night at a bustling restaurant bar, two friends and I waited for our table to be called. The barstools were occupied so we stood patiently, sipping wine and chatting about the workweek. When a couple nearby stood up, another woman – who had been there less time than we had – swooped in, reaching across us to put her purse on the stool. This isn’t the worst part. It’s what happened next: Her male companion then slid onto the other barstool.

Hang on while I do a geography check. Are we not in the South? If ladies are waiting for a seat and you have a Y chromosome, do you sit down? No, sir. No, you do not.

We know modern life is confusing. The roles of men and women have evolved over the years. As Pink once sang, “Shorty got a job, Shorty got a car, Shorty can pay her own rent.”

But come on, let’s keep some things old-school. My late grandfather- he of the East Texas upbringing, U.S. Navy captain status, and Cary Grant good looks – would never have allowed a woman to stand while he sat. And if you want a Southern woman to love you, neither will you. So, men, here’s a short list of things Southern girls still expect from you.

We still expect you to…

1. Stand up for a lady. Actually, this doesn’t just involve chairs.
2. Know that the SEC has the best football TEAMS IN THE NATION. Big 12 fan? Hmm, perhaps you should keep walking.
3. Kill bugs. Delta Burke as Southern belle Suzanne Sugarbaker on Designing Women said, “. . .Ya know, when men use Women’s Liberation as an excuse not to kill bugs for you. Oh, I just hate that! I don’t care what anybody says, I think the man should have to kill the bug!”
4. Hold doors open.  This goes for elevator doors too.
5. Fix things or build stuff. I once watched in awe as my stepfather built a front porch on the house he shares with my mother. He knew just what to do, cutting every notch, hammering every nail. The project was complete by sunset.
6. Wear boots occaisionally. Not the fancy, l-paid-$l,000-for-these kind. We’re talking about slightly mud-crusted, I-could-have-just-come-in-from-the-field boots.
7. Take off your hat inside.
8. Grill stuff.
9. Call us. If you want to ask us out, don’t text and don’t e-mail. Pick up the phone and use your voice.
10. Stand when we come back to the dinner table. “Just a little half-stand is enough to make me melt,” my friend Stephanie says.
11. Pull out chairs. Wait, that’s not all. Scoot them back in before we hit the floor.
12. Pay the tab on the first few dates. “If you ask me out, you pay,” Stephanie says. “If I ask you out, you should still pay.” Listen, guys, it’s just simpler this way.
13. Don’t show up in a wrinkled, untucked shirt. Care about your appearance but not too much. Don’t smell better than we do. Don’t use mousse or gel. You shouldn’t look like you spend more time in front of the mirror than we do.
14. Never get in bar fights. Patrick Swayze might look cool in Road House, but in reality, bar fights are stupid and embarrassing. You don’t look tough. You look like an idiot.
15. Know how to mix our favorite cocktail JUST THE WAY WE LIKE IT. Fix your favorite too. Sit down on the porch (it’s okay if you didn’t build it), tell us how your day went, and we’ll tell you about ours.

We’ll leave the long list to the girl who falls in love with you.