Lots of Schot has been going on!

It has been way too long since I've hopped on the ol blog here. So much has happened in the past 8 weeks its almost daunting to think of trying to recap. Largely the loss of my hard drive and the external hard drive for which it was backed up to (10,000 pics) has caused me not to be able to do this for a while. That and the fact that's it has just been kinda nutty.

Hudson Updates

Biggest thing though is my baby boy is 1! (now almost 13 months). Please tell me how in the world that is possible.

I am in true awe at the pace in which he is learning new things. Every single day there is something new that he has picked up. I wish I could bottle up all of this cute-isms so that I would never forget them. Bottle up his sweet little voice, bottle up he way he says his words (especially Mommy), bottle up every one of his little mannerisms, bottle up the little way he chews up his food, his little toddle run around the room....its all going so fast, and I'm so scared I'm going to forget it.

He is talking up a storm now. He says about 50 words. The cutest of which is his name. The other day we were out. I was holding him and pushing the stroller that he was totally done with, and he was patting me saying Mommy. I patted him back and said, Hudson. In turn he patted himself and said, "Hudsie!" He totally gets it. You pat him and ask, "Who is this?" He proudly replies back, "Hudsie." I melt every time.

He is in constant motion. Crawling is pretty much a thing of the past. :( And he is in constant discovery mode. We have thankfully mastered the words, PLEASE and THANK-YOU! We had a few weeks of so much whining I thought I was going to go nutty. He knows so clearly what he wants, and didn't know how to tell me. Now (through ignoring lots of whining) he goes directly to pointing and asking "Pease." Sometimes it takes a bit for me to figure what exactly he is 'please-ing,' but it is so much better than the squeal. Once he gets it, he does a quick nod and say 'tank-to.' Southern boy's gotta have is manners!

(getting these pics is next to impossible now)

Birthday Schindigs

We had a great time getting to celebrate his birthday the day before we loaded up and made the big move to Nashville. Hudson loves animals and his first two animal sounds were an elephant and a lion...so we had a circus party! I think he quite enjoyed being the center of attention.

Hudson's first word was balloon, and he loves them! So we woke him up with a ceiling full of balloons to celebrate his big day. He was pretty jazzed. Especially about the Elmo/Big Bird one, as he is quite infatuated with those two.

Hud's party was in the lobby of our condo. It worked out perfectly...didn't have to pack up everything to a diff location when we were in the midst of packing up the whole house. 

 

He quite loved opening up all of his awesome presents! (side note: thank-you notes are written, but haven't exactly made it to the mail box yet. Please forgive the lateness!)

 

Nashville, Y'all

10 months after putting our condo on the market, we finally made it to Nashville. It really feels good to be home. There's nothing like Tennessee green. There's nothing like family. We have gotten to see my family so much since we've been here and it has been so wonderful. It is still quite an adjustment though! We are working to get our daily groove down to feel more settled. Though this is where I grew up, with the exception of summers and 6 months after college, I haven't lived here full time since high school. So I'm having to re-learn the city as an adult, married, mom. Pretty different! 

As great as it is to be here and as much as this is where we want to be, I definitely miss Cincinnati. I miss my friends. I miss my daily groove. I miss the familiarity I had with things. It really is a great city and it was truly good to Justin and me. (Hudson too.) I miss my girlfriends (you know who you are) to go get a glass of wine and dinner with and have easy, therapeutic conversation. 

However, the Lord has orchestrated everything so clearly for us right now, I know that He is going to bring sweet friendships into my life. I can't wait to reconnect with friends from the past (you know who you are), and also make new connections. I'm totally gonna get on the dating scene with girls. Watch out Nashville moms...I'm probably gonna try and pick you up soon. "So, do you come to this park often??" :)

Justin is working in the same office now with my Dad and I think they are loving getting to work/hang out every day. They, along with my brother, Austin, have started daily Crossfit workouts and lunch and are machines. Gonna have some ripped up men in this family by the end of the summer. 

We are living in a lovely little apartment. And by lovely I mean, 25 years old, every board (literally) squeaks in the Barbie kitchen, and the bathroom counter is about knee-cap level. It is just for 5 more months though, and the location is awesome. 5-10 min from just about everything. And now that we are settled it feels quite cozy. We can't wait for our house to be finished though! It is being built about 10 minutes from where we are now and I'm so excited for it. 

My new passion currently is junk...and by junk I mean yard sale treasures! I am so excited to find yard sale pieces to refinish and fill our house with. Much of my inspiration is coming Vintage Revivals and The Lettered Cottage. I love making things, and I love a good deal...this is like a collision of two things that make me so happy! Stay tuned for before and afters as I get moving on this stuff. 

So, there we go, folks. Long update, but I'm suuuure it was well worth your time. :) 

Go do something fun today!

Ash