59 degrees

I figured since the weather is what everyone is talking about these days it is appropriate to do a post about it.  :)  Hudson and I have totally enjoyed the amazing weather the past few days and have taken full advantage of it.  Two days of 59 degree weather = Two days of stroller rides and fun on the swing.  Thank you Lord for the warmth, sunshine, and smiles.  

  

sock monkey + Hudson + 1 =

Yes, just ONE week from today our little boy will be turing ONE!  Wow!  The birthday party preparations are full speed ahead around here.  As you can imagine, I am spending way too much time thinking about, processing, and creating things for the BIG day.  But, since I LOVE this kind of stuff I don't feel guilty making it extra work.  :)  Here is the invite, just in case you were wondering.  We are hosting an Open House for friends, neighbors, and family on Friday and a Family Party on Saturday.  We can't wait!  

The front of the invitation...

And the inside...

Monkey See!  Monkey Do!

Lil’ Swinger Wants To Invite You!

Please join us in celebrating

 Hudson’s 1st Birthday  

Open House * Friday, February 3rd * 5:00 - 7:00 pm

Family Party * Saturday, February 4th * 11:30 am

The Swinger Home

135 SE Westgate Drive

Waukee, Iowa 50263

Come for food, fun, games, family, memories, 

and Hudson (of course).  

Please RSVP to emily.swinger@gmail.com or 515.450.9362.

our BIG eater

Our little Hudson is changing every day.  Its amazing to see how he is becoming a little boy rather than a baby.  With that change means less milk and more solid foods.  The thing that constantly amazes both Roy and I is how much this little guy can eat.  Maybe its normal for a growing boy to eat that much, we have no idea.  We always think we are feeding him too much, yet he takes whatever we put on his tray.  Our pediatrician told us to feed him until he stops.  Honestly, we are not so sure when that would happen, as it rarely does.  He swallows most of his food whole, as we are still working on chewing. :)  

Hudson is introduced to a new food every three days and I have found very few things that he doesn't like.  His more recent new foods are asparagus, edamame, tortilla, and cucumber.  

My dad often comments about how he is a neat eater and doesn't make a mess on the floor.  I say its because he wants to get all the food in his mouth!  

Just last week Hudson started signing "milk."  Its so exciting to see him learning and catching on to things we have exposed him to.  In his high chair he whines when he wants more to eat.  We have been working on signing "more" too (for quite awhile now).  I think he has signed it a few times, but is not doing it consistently yet.        

  

Hudson is getting more practice with a fork and does pretty well getting it into his mouth.  

Sometimes he takes the food off the the fork and then puts the food in his mouth.  Do what works!  

This biscuit is sooo yummy Mommy!  

This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Hudson so I thought it was appropriate to add it to the post.

  

And of course, the sippy cup.  We are still working on this one, but he is certainly getting better.  

Daddy Days

Happy Saturday!  Emily suggests that I do some blog posts from time to time, so here goes. This past week Emily substitute taught for her former co-worker.  Two of the days during the week I got to watch Hudson.  Here are a few pictures of our time at home together:

We ate together.

Did SO BIG!

Played in Hudson's play corner with his farm and chair.

Explored in the kitchen and....

....under the kitchen table.

Looked outside at the snow.

Tried to eat our socks.  (Well Hudson did)

Smiled and laughed a lot.

It was fun to play together and just hang out with him.  I also got a little better picture of what Emily's days are like staying home with Hudson.

Thanks, Babe, for all you do to care for Hudson!  I now know why you can go a whole day and not get anything done.  I love you!

Roy

i created :: letter initials

Even though I am no longer a classroom teacher, I still have the opportunity to work with school aged kids on a weekly basis.  I loved teaching and encouraging kids as they grow and develop so I somehow wanted to stay connected in the world of education.  And I have had some great opportunities to do so.  I tutor 2 little girls, one who is a sweet 1st grader and the other an energetic 2nd grader.  :)  I love them both!  Each morning the confident neighbor girl comes over and spends time with Hudson and I until she makes her way to the bus stop.  So for the Christmas season I made these 3 precious little ladies a little something, their first initial letter.  Simple.  Sweet.  Inexpensive.  Easy.  Quick.  Cute (I think).

Price Tag ~

Wooden Letters from Hobby Lobby  $2.99

Scrapbooking Paper  $0.59

Ribbon  $0.00(already had)

Modge Podge  $0.00(already had)

Time  30 minutes

Oops, I forgot to take a picture of Kaylee's K before I gave it to her.  

Here are the other two, Stella and Caitlyn.

we created :: cut out cookies

Usually I entitle these posts "i created" but that wouldn't be entirely truthful for this particular project.  Having taken a year off (2010) from baking the annual cut out Christmas cookies, and since I had gotten some new shaped cutters for gifts last year, I initiated making cookies with my sister while we were home for Christams.  Yet, she ended up doing most of the rolling, cutting, and baking while I was caring for Hudson.  Surprise!  I did help out with the decorating though.  :)  I know its past the holiday season but I decided its not too late to share a favorite recipe.  This recipe originally came from a good high school friend and college roommate of mine, Mandi Roskam (Johnson).  Her mom made these cookies for us in college and the recipe stuck.  Even my sister thinks its an awesome recipe (and she is a "fancy" cook and doesn't repeat recipes all that often).  The key ingredient...butter!  Did I say yummy?  I have passed along this recipe to many - neighbors, coworkers, parent volunteers who helped in my classroom, etc.  So, if you didn't find the time to make Christmas cut out cookies this season, its not too late to give these a try.  Maybe make snowflakes, snowmen, or hearts for Valentine's Day.  Enjoy!   

Angela's cookies vs. Emily's cookies

neat - creative - colorful - perfect vs. fast - simple - consistent - loads of frosting

Old-Fashioned Butter Sugar Cookies

4 cups flour

½ pound butter (2 sticks)

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. soda mixed with 1 tsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

Mix flour and butter like a piecrust.  In another bowl beat eggs well.  Gradually add sugar, soda, and vanilla.  Pour egg mixture into center of flour/butter mixture.  Mix together.  You may need to knead the dough with your hands.  Roll out and cut with a cookie cutter. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Brown Butter Frosting

Heat 1 cup butter on stove until it bubbles and just begins to turn brown.  Remove from heat and add 1/2  cup milk and powdered sugar until its thick.  Frost cookies and enjoy.    

eleven months

Just 3 days after the start of 2012 Hudson turned 11 months.  It is wild to think that next month I will be doing his birthday post.  These are the best pictures I could get in the 11 month onesie.  

A few of the highlights from Dec. 3 to Jan. 3 are...

...getting his top 2 teeth

...going to "Bible Class" at BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) on Tuesday mornings 

with other infants and toddlers

...starting to wear shoes 

...doing lots of Christmas shopping with Mommy

...going to walk at the mall in the morning with Mommy 

...clapping and dancing to the music

...doing "so big" 

...opening, closing, opening, and closing doors of any kind

...getting sick for the first time (ear infection and bronchiolitis)

...standing on my own for just a few seconds

...getting into EVERYthing   

...wearing size 4 diapers

...sleeping in until 7:15am (he woke up at 6:00 for the longest time)

...amazing us all by how much he can eat  

...pulling off his socks constantly and sucking on them  

GO little man GO

I'm not sure about anyone else, but these pictures made me smile pretty big.  :)  Hudson got this new "scooter" from his Uncle Ryan for Christmas and he has gotten the hang of it quite quickly.  Last weekend Ben, Jenna, and G & G Swinger came over to take care of Hudson for a few hours and Jenna captured some fun photos of him on the GO.  And a little video we took this week of Hudson "showing off."  He just loves this thing.  I'm sure he will be walking (unassisted) soon.    

swinger family christmas

On Saturday, December 31st, we celebrated the Swinger Family Christmas out at Roy's parents farm.  Again, lots of pictures to share.  Here is the recap...

Hudson liked looking out the window, watching and listening to the dogs.  

I gave the group the challenge of fixing a 500 piece puzzle in 60 minutes.  

I wasn't actually watching the clock, but I think we were successful.  

Hudson and his favorite guy.  Roy and his favorite little man.    

We tried our best to get a family photo in front of the Christmas tree.  But we were reminded how difficult it is to get a busy 10 month old to sit still for a picture.  Impossible!  These are the best ones we got.  :)  

Hudson enjoying the unwrapping and checking out his new toys.  

Grandpa Ed had way more presents than Hudson did.  How does that happen?  :)  

He must have been a good boy this year.  

Roy got this head lamp as a gift.  I'm sure he will come up with lots of practical uses for it.  

Lynn, excited about the green apple in her stocking.   

Spending some time outside enjoying the beautiful day.  

bomgaars family christmas

Initially I didn't feel like I did a very good job of taking photos over the Christmas holiday but now when I sit down to do another blog post I feel overwhelmed with all the pictures.  Therefore, I have decided to separate them into several different posts, one for each "family."  Enjoy!  

Helping Aunt Angela (the master baker/chef in the family) prepare the mini minty cookies.  

 

My mom got new stockings for everyone this year.  Nice job!  

Our chocolate fondue spread.  Can I say YUMMY!?

Posing for a few family photos after the Christmas Eve service.  

Hudson opening gifts...

Hudson's gift from G&G Bomgaars was his personalized Pottery Barn chair.  Love it!   

The extended Bomgaars family gathering was on Christmas evening.  

Hudson and Beckett (the 2 little peeps in the family) exchanged names.  

We gave Beckett a set of photo blocks (which I made) and Hudson received a puzzle and a red truck.  

The WHOLE clan isn't together very often so we took a group photo.
Grandma Dorothy has much to be proud of here.    

We stayed in Sioux Center for a few extra days.  Hudson had lots of fun (I think) and got lots of attention.  He was quite interested in Grammy's accordion.  

We went swimming at The All Seasons Center.  Hudson is becoming quite the little go getter (and splasher) in the water.  I am determined that he will be a swimmer.   

 We visited Great Grandma Dorothy at and Hudson enjoyed playing with her walker.  

It was just his height.  

 Funny story...Hudson got sick (for the first time at 10 1/2 months) the week before Christmas.  We had to give him breathing treatments twice a day, which he disliked very much.  My mom discovered that he was interested in the dust buster and it distracted him.  So, nearly every time we did a breathing treatment we just turned on the dust buster and he would sit still and quiet.  :)