And then He was Four

Happy Birthday My Darling Judd Bugs!!

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Today is my baby's 4th birthday! I can hardly believe it is already here!

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Birthdays are so fun and special, and yet I cry each year for each child. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE that my children are getting older and more independent and able to do things for themselvses. But there is always that small part of me that realizes that the time is gone and never coming back. Ugh. Sad for me!

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I have yet to make it through singing Happy Birthday to any of my kids without choking up, having to pretend that I am still singing and that I got something "in my eyes". This will be the 18th time I have sung Happy Birthday to one of my OWN children...and not once have I made it through without choking up!

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But enough about me...

Today is about my

Juddie!

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Four years ago yesterday I went into labor with my Judd. It was about 9 at night when I knew it could no longer be denied that the day was here. Judd was not due until February 11th, but I was quite certain that like it or not, labor was ON!

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I was tired of looking at pictures of me post labor looking like a person who had nearly died, so when I realized I was in labor with Judd, I jumped in the shower, shaved my legs and suffered (and I did suffer) through blow drying my hair and doing my makeup. I was literally hanging on the counter during contractions, and then picking up the blow dryer between em! Nuts huh?!

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Kiki came over to watch Madysen and Cooper, and my Mom and sister Ashlee and my hubby drove me to the hospital. I was obviously only 36 weeks but was far to dialated for them to stop the labor. I laid there from 11pm till about 6am, dealing with contractions but not getting anywhere fast. At 7am they gave me PIT and within 45 minutes, Judd was here! The only problem was I was 100% certain that Judd was a GIRL. I had decided that I wanted to be surprised at birth, but I just KNEW it was a girl. I didn't hold him for about ten minutes just trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I had another son, NOT a daughter. The moment I held him, all else was lost. I was IN LOVE with him.

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Because the gender was not known, Matt and I had not totally settled on a name for him. We had it narrowed down to: Jack, Andrew and Judd.

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About an hour after I was put in my recovery room, Grandma and Grandpa stopped by to see us both! Grandpa asked what his name was and I told him the 3 we had narrowed it down to. OVER and OVER he told me how much he liked the name Judd, so I called up Matt and we decided...

JUDD MATTHEW

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Judd has been a joy since the moment he arrived. He was a very easy baby, and let us sleep right from the beginning. He has had a rough time, dealing with asthma and allergies, but the bottom line has always been if he is rested and fed, he is the MOST pleasant boy!

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Here is one of my all-time favorite Judd pics...this was his very first birthday (before we knew he was deathly allergic to milk haha) and his excitement of his first cake!

 WOW how time flies right?

 Don't you just wanna eat up those CHEEKS?!

And here is my darling boy today! He has grown up so much! He is such a joy to my heart that I can't really put into words how much I love and adore him. He will forever be my baby, although I try really hard not to treat him different than my other kids, but he is the only one who still likes to snuggle and give kisses so I am FORCED to allow him these guilty pleasures :)

Happy Happy Happy 4th Birthday my sweet boy!

You are the most wonderful JUDD in the whole wide world!

We all love you VERY much!