He's Here!

 Hudson Walker Fritts arrived at 11:55 pm on August 25th weighing in at 7 lbs, 8 oz and 21 inches long.  We could not be more excited to see this little boy out in the world.  And I am very happy to not be pregnant anymore.  Carrying babies just doesn't agree with my GI tract or skin.  I think we are done on the birthing babies front for now so I am very happy about that too. 

Hudson came with a full head of hair just like his big sister.  He looks a lot like Maddy (I'll do a side-by-side comparison soon!) as a baby, which means he looks like his daddy of course! He has been very easy-tempered, quiet, and hungry!  He likes to be held and takes a nice long nap after staying up all night from 6-10ish.  So far his favorite activities are looking out the window, attempting to keep a paci in his mouth for more than a second, and filling diapers...especially when it is time to go and he has a clean outfit on!  

Today we are going to the pediatrician.  This mama is so super in love with her baby boy words can not even describe.  I will post more pictures soon of Hud and Big Sis.  Thanks so much for your encouraging words and support.  We appreciate all of you sooo much! 

How to Talk to Little Girls

I love this blog article I just read. How to Talk to Little Girls  by Joanna Goddard.  Just today I commented to friends on two very cute pig-tailed little girls at lunch after church and then told Maddy she would be cute too if she let me fix her hair more often!  Ahh, what a horrible mom!  She is precious inside and out and I should definitely challenge her mind and not just comment on her looks.  She has actually fallen asleep with the same book on her face the past few nights and I can't believe we haven't gotten a picture.  We'll see if it happens again tomorrow night and I'll update this post.  I love that little girl...especially the incredible mind God has given her. 

Sea World!

We have absolutely loved our time at Sea World this summer. I got a free pass (special promo they do for teachers) and Logan got a season pass. We've only been twice so far, but I really hope to go at least two more times and I'd really love to go at night!

The best part of having a season pass and living so close is that you don't have to do it all in one day. This keeps us from walking all over the park, getting tired, and going crazy. Instead we can enjoy wherever we are, see a few shows, and come back for more the next time. (They are riding beluga whales in this shot. Kinda hard to see, but has been my favorite show so far.)


The dolphin cove was very crowded last time we were there so we didn't get to get many pictures. I think Maddy would have jumped in if we let her so she could swim with them. She is fearless in the water.





We don't have many pictures of the Sesame Street Bay of Play, but that is where we have spent the majority of our time. They have small rides like this carousel for younger kids, which Maddy loves every time.

Maddy was a little confused at first when I explained we were going to see sea lions and not real lions. She kept saying "roar" every time we talked about them, but I think she caught on after seeing them in the show with the walrus.


Lunchtime is always more fun when there are dancing sea creatures to watch.


Maddy even got to go to this past week with Paisley. The girls loved the shallow waters of the small pool at the Lost Lagoon and even made one lap around the lazy river with life jackets on. Neither were big fans of the life jackets so the squid slide made up for it.



We also fed alligators, but no pictures though since I was holding onto Maddy for dear life. Again, she would have jumped in if I didn't have my death-mommy-grip in motion. All in all it's been money well spent if you ask me and I hope to keep getting our money's worth throughout the summer. (It can't be over yet!) Maybe we'll plan another trip this week, who knows. Anyone want to join us?

Maddy Loves Pink

As Maddy turned three, we were thrilled to have a birthday party at our house for the first time. Maddy has been asking for a pink birthday party for months so it was easy to get started and decorate for a pink splash party in the front yard. (I blurred out the latter half of the invitation.)


Our day started with Maddy getting a haircut and getting a special birthday braid hairdo.



Next we found an indoor play area to burn some energy and time before the party. We let Maddy wear whatever she wanted since it was a special day and she played and played.

After nap time we started decorating until everyone arrived. Jane and Tim helped me capture these great pictures of the party. I was too crazy running around getting things going to take many so I was so thankful for their great shots!


She specifically requested pink cupcakes.


These sweet girls helped celebrate with Maddy. They swam, opened presents, ate cake and swam some more. It truly blessed my soul to see Maddy with good friends. I know she's only three and she may not keep these friends forever, but it's just nice to know your kid has friends especially since all of Maddy's cousins are so far away.


The boys played with Maddy's new toddler-sized Tennessee basketball and the play basketball hoop in the street as the party wound down.


We were tired and hot, but I made sure we snagged a family photo before the party was over. It was a great evening and perfectly pink in every way. Thanks to everyone who came out and celebrated with us. It is such a blessing to have you in our lives and in Maddy's life. Your friendship, love, guidance, and support makes us better parents so thank you, thank you, thank you.

Maddy is still talking about her birthday party and I think will for a while. She is loving her presents and plays with all of her pink goodies and new dolls everyday!

First 4th

This was our first 4th of July to not be out of town and actually stay in San Antonio. We were sad to not be in Friendswood, Fort Worth, or Knoxville (where we've spent the 4th in the past).

We started our 4th of July weekend with a road trip to Austin. The Hatters have moved to Austin now and we can not be more excited! Now instead of traveling 4+ hours to see them it's only about an 1:20. After lunch we went to the park and Maddy joined in on the Frisbee game.

Apple Shark and Tia (Scott and Jane) were good sports and hung out in the park for a while until we all felt the need for a drink from Sonic. After Sonic we split up at Target and Golfsmith (can you guess who went where?). We ended the night with tacos.

The morning of the 4th we woke up and went to the Terrell Hills neighborhood parade and family party. We found this cute dress for Maddy for about $3 and Logan was a good sport and offered to wear a red shirt for the occasion. Maddy was, of course, not in the smiling mood. I'm pretty sure she is saying, "smile," right now.

The party after the parade was terrific, not too crowded, and most of all....FREE! Food, drinks, and games for the kids all free!


Maddy's favorite parts of the party were the petting zoo...

the bouncy house (sans the roof so we could see in)...

sitting in the Terrell Hills firetruck...

a clown that made balloon animals (or a flower in Maddy's case)...

and a water slide. We saved this for last so we could get a towel and get out of there. We stayed a little over an hour which was the perfect amount for us to celebrate and not get too hot first thing in the morning.

After naps and time inside the AC, we went to Rudy's BBQ for dinner (yum!) and then to Kerrville for fireworks. Fireworks were banned in San Antonio this year, but luckily Kerrville was still able to have a show on the banks of the Guadalupe River.


We were really happy AC wore her amazing red, white, and blue vest! Maddy couldn't take her eyes off of it when the light hit all the sparkles. (Sidenote, for those that don't know AC, she normally doesn't dress like the Shoebox Lady, but just wanted to dress up a little for the 4th!)

My camera doesn't take great pictures of fireworks (or anything for that matter), but this was the best I could get. Hope you had fun celebrating our country with family and friends. We thank God for such a beautiful place to live and raise our family!