Goodbye...

In the past two weeks we've said "goodbye" to two things in our household and in doing this not only have we lost those two things, but we've reached milestones in our life.....milestones in which we realized we no longer have "babies" in our house.

FIRST: Hudson got his very first "big boy" haircut. I had no intentions of cutting his hair.....we were just going for a little trim to clean it up. But something happened that day. Hudson decided he wanted "spiked up hair" like daddy's and Brady's. I tried everything to talk him out of it and as he sat in that chair and begged I realized he's not a baby anymore.....he'll soon be 5! His face lit up when I agreed and I knew it was more than "just a haircut". For Hudson, it was gaining a bit of independence and being just like his two favorite people - his daddy and his big brother. For me, it was heart wrenching....I couldn't watch. My stomach was in knots and my heart was broken. My little boy was growing up and I was having to let go a little and allow him grow. For those of you who know Hudson, you know his long hair fit him.....words can't explain it other than his precious hair was an example of his sweet, precious personality. Well, he's still such a sweet boy, but now just minus his precious hair. Here he is before and after!

My heartache was worth this smile!!!!

SECOND: Ella has been paci free for 2 days!!! HOORAY! I've been telling her she had to get rid of her paci when she turned 3. Well, her 3rd birthday came and went and her paci was still existent.....I guess it would have something to do with the fact that I was dreading giving up the paci more than she was because this girl is obsessed with her paci!! I finally decided this wasn't going to be an easy task and and there's no time like the present!! So long story short I created a little story about the paci fairy.....she's really into fairies and Tinkerbell. She took interest in this so I started talking it up and telling her that when the paci fairy sees that you're a big girl and you can do big girl things like ride a big girl bike and swim without floaties they come and get your paci's and leave you a special "big girl" suprise.....by this point she was all into it and telling the neighbor's what a big girl she was and she didn't need a paci anymore. So we went home and I distracted her while I did a quick run through the house making sure there weren't a stash of paci's anywhere. Andy and I both were thinking of any and everywhere she might put a paci....we searched the house hi and low and found not a one. Not sure where they are....I'm beginning to think the paci fairy may be not be make believe after all!! It's been much easier than I ever expected. Other than a few short crying spells in the middle of the night she has done GREAT!!! Way to go Ella....I'm so proud of you!!! Since the whole paci fairy was kind of on a whim, I told her that the paci fairy left money for her to go and pick out her own special suprise.....so today we're headed off to Target for Ella to pick out her very own big girl suprise!!!

Two of the few pics of Ella without a paci!

I know this post is about milestones for Hudson & Ella, but I just couldn't leave out this handsome big boy!!!