Hudson's Thoughts on Codi - WOW

Nov 6, 2013

Hudson, My Love,

You are a very very special child.  You were born under a very special star.  Always remember that. 

Codi died a few weeks ago and it has been difficult on us all.  You cried and you have been trying to process it all.  Your thoughts before you went to bed tonight were so sweet, so honest and so true that I cried!

You have really talked about Codi and tried to process that she isn't coming back.  The other day, you grabbed her picture, started chewing on the wood frame it was in and started to cry.  It was so sad, yet so important!!   It's important to cry when you are sad and it is ok to be sad and let it out. Don't forget that.  Daddy and I watched you with heavy hearts and hugged you tightly. 

Tonight before bed, you were very introspective for a boy of 5.  You talked about Codi.  You asked if Dog heaven was in space or in the sky.  Then, you asked where God lived - space or sky - and if God was dead-- "Where is God?  How is He everywhere and why can't we see Him?"  Then, you explained that one of your classmates did not believe in God and she had said that God was dead.  You couldn't believe that your classmate had said that.  I told you God was everywhere.  

You continued, "If Codi comes back... Wait,  she is never coming back, right?  She had a stomach bug, and I understand mamma, the bad stuff took over the good stuff in her body."  Then, you talked about how she was happy in dog heaven - eating and playing - and we both agreed that we would meet her tonight in our dreams and play.  

BUT THE VERY BEST PART the part that moved me, and I quote:

"I will always be connected to Codi.  There is an invisible line from my heart to her in dog heaven.  A line with the heart at the end of it and the line cannot break because love never dies."

WOW.  You are so profound.  You made me introspective.  I thought of my father.  I sure love you sweet boy.  You have a beautiful heart Hudson.  It's deep and soulful.  

xo Rhondi 

Gracie and Codi's First Day on Tod's Point Beach

1-19-13

Today, we took the dogs to the beach for the first time. They ran all over and had a blast. Gracie's leg is hurting but she still ran all over - it's her nature. Hudson had a blast and wrote his name in the sand! I thought that was awesome. I see Hudson write his name on paper all the time and to see it in the sand was amazing. John Henry was in the Bjorn and he loved being on the beach. There was a very large footprint made by someone or something (hmmm). We were thinking it was a dinosaur footprint, however Hudson said "Maybe someone drew it?" You are growing up on me my Hudson! You would not have said that a year ago.

Beautiful day at the beach!

Xoxo Mamma

Adventure Walk w/ Daddy, Gracie and Codi

October 2012

You and Daddy have found a place to take adventure walks. I actually Googled hiking places in Greenwich and I picked a great trail, the Mianus, one weekend. It's a great place to hike- seems like your in the woods in CO. You and Daddy have been going more often and taking the dogs. You all have a great time together. You all had a lot of adventure walks with the dogs in Dallas in Highland park and now you have a new place. I know Daddy really enjoys this time with you. I went last week and you showed me a cave you as Daddy had found. You were so excited about it. The adventure of life continues!

xoxo Mamma

Daddy and Hudson's Adventure to Bear Mountain

July 7, 2012

Today, you and Daddy went on an adventure and 9 months pregnant Mamma got some alone time and rested. You and Daddy had so much fun! First, you went to see Gracie and Codi. They are staying in a a doggie ranch up North in New York during our transition and move from Dallas to NYC to CT. The dogs were great and they were very happy to see you all. Then, you all went to Bear Mountain. You rode the carousel and hiked. It stated to rain hard during the hike. Daddy said you got very worried, and said "We have to head for shelter and we need to go check on Mommy!" Oh, my sweet, sweet boy- I love how you want to take care of your mamma and hope you will always want to :). I love you! You know you were as safe as you could be - Daddy is a protector by nature and would have never let anything happen. You are so precious my baby. Xoxo

Fact- Bear mountain is located on the west side of the Hudson River (your river). Bear Mountain offers beautiful views of West Point and became a state park after Sing Sing Prison, which was located on it, was demolished. You can hike, bike, boat, camp and even cross country ski there. It's beautiful!

Adventure Walk with Daddy

Sept 4, 2011

You, Daddy, Codi and Gracie go on long adventure walks in the park on St John's in Highland Park on Turtle Creek.  It's an amazing creek.  It goes for a long time and.  You all put on your rain boots and walk all the way through the creek all the way to this huge tunnel, which you walk through.  Sometimes you talke your head lamp.  You all have so much fun!

Daddy loves these walks with you!!

It's 95 Degrees - Yay!

August 11, 2011

So, Dallas is a basically a desert in the summer. We have had almost 40 days of 100 degree temperature or higher. This was some kind of a record. Needless to say, we can't go outside much unless we go to the pool. The last week was 107, 108, 110, 111. Crazy hot and no fun to be outside. It's like opening an over door and sticking your head in.

So, it was 95 degrees today and it was like a cool wave had blown through. People were out walking, which I haven't seen in months. We went to the park, which we haven't done in months. You climbed on top of the tunnel. You are so much bigger bow. I remember when you were just a baby trying to get up on that jungle gym and I'd help you, and now, you are a little monkey. You were so proud. You climb everything! Of course you had to climb on top of it instead of it (you always take the road less traveled by). You liked the challenge. The last time we were there, you could not do it, but the bigger boys were and you remembered.

We came home and played with Gracie and Codi in the backyard. You and Gracie had a little tug of war game! The question is - is it sad when you are happy it's 95 degrees outside? Haha. We had a great time!

I love you, Mamma

Tornado! Get to Your Safe Place!

May 24, 2011

Tonight in Dallas, there was a crazy storm. I grew up in Oklahoma City in tornado alley and this seemed like one of the worst storms I have ever been close to. Daddy was traveling for work, so it was just me. I had to hold down the fort. Daddy is the one who usually worries about the weather, watches it all night and is always ready for a disaster. I guess I have witnessed so many storm warnings, I am immune to it. However, I knew when the sirens were going off for more than thirty minutes that this storm wasn't just going away. There was wicked thunder and lightning. You were sleeping through it all and my big debate was, "Do I wake my baby up and take him to our safe place?" The dogs were freaking out, especially Codi. They had come upstairs and would not leave the bed side. Codi was freaking out! Codi seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to predicting storms. Long before the skies darken and the rain falls, our thunderstorm phobic dog, Codi, becomes agitated, fearful, and clingy. Furthermore ,there is nothing on TV because the news has interrupted all the shows. I am texting Daddy a play by play, Uncle Vic has called to check on me and tell me to get to our safe place (the tornado had already swept through Oklahoma City), and Aunt Stephie tells me I better go wake you up. When the weather man says that the tornado has been spotted at Love Field, I knew it was time. We live 5 minutes from Love Field. I did not want to scare you. I did not want you to have bad memories of storms. I was scared of the dark and thunderstorms my whole life and I don't want you to be this way because there is nothing to be scared of. Thunder is God talking. The sound of thunder confirms that there is something much bigger than us up there. Rain is good. If there was no rain, the trees, the grass and the flowers wouldn't grow. We need rain. I always tell you this and when it rains you say, "Mamma now the grass, the trees and the flowers can grow." It's precious.

So, I wake you up and you are annoyed by this. I don't wake you up often. In fact, I can't remembering ever waking you like that. Off the cuff, I say, "It's raining and there is a hole in your ceiling. I don't want you to get wet so let's go down stairs until the rain passes. It will pass soon." Don't know where I came up with that one. You lay your head on my shoulders and you are agigated. So, you, me, Gracie and Codi proceed down the stairs into the tiny bathroom under the stairs. This bathroom is NYC tiny. We call it the oompa loompa bathroom because it is so small and the ceiling is so low. It was not easy to get the dogs in there too. You are getting more annoyed by the minute, "No Mamma. No. Mamma..." The dogs don't want to go into the bathroom. They're freaking. You just want to go back to sleep. We stay in there for about 10 minutes, the sirens stop and I put you back to bed. All was ok! WHEW!!!! The sirens did go on and off for awhile and there were some wicked cracks of thunder, but it all finally subsided three hours later!

I sat and watched the weather for like three straight hours. It was nuts. I never do that, but now I have my baby to protect and life is different. I would do anything to protect my baby.

*Fun Fact: Canines are more sensitive to drops in barometric pressure than humans. Barometric pressure is the pressure of the atmosphere. A drop in pressure means that conditions may be ripe for a storm to develop. A dog may learn to associate this pressure drop with the arrival of a storm.

*Love this quote: Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work. -Mark Twain

Hudisms 01/31/11

Hudson,
I have to write these precious Hudisms down because I don't want to forget them....

Today, Codi was eating a plastic knife. Codi eats everything, just like a Lab! You said, "Codi, you gotta stop eating everything." It was the cutest! You were so serious, but the way you said it was funny. You are funny Hudson, for real. Many people tell me this, even your teachers. You love our dogs, Codi and Gracie. You have now shortened Gracie's name to Grace. I said, "Gracie" the other day and you said, "No Mom, it's Grace." So cute!


Hudson Codi and Gracie at the park January 2011


Hudson, Gracie & Codi January 2011

We watched the American Music Awards today after school. I TiVoed them and we have watched it about a 100 times. You love it! We watch all the performances and we dance. Carlos Santana is one of the performers. I always tell you that he is an amazing guitar player, one of the best. You said to me while we were dancing, "No one will ever be as good as Santana at the guitar." You almost sounded dismayed. I said, "Oh baby, you can be as good. If you practice everyday, you can be better. I know it." You are 2 and a half and you say the most amazing things. Also, Usher is one of the performers and I have told you "Usher can dance. He can dance his teaso off." You said to me today, "Usher can dance his teaso off Mamma." Cutest.

We were in the car today listening to the radio and you know the words to so many songs! There is an Usher song called "DJ got us falling in love again." It came on the radio and I hear you say, "remember those eyes eyes eyes." I can't believe it. The line goes, "I think I remember those eyes eyes eyes." I mean the fact that you know these words astonishes me. You know the words to so many songs and you are not even 3! It's a talent (one you got from your Mamma, Daddy can attest to that). We will be in the car and you will just start singing a song I didn't even know you knew! AMAZING!


Carlos Santana, A Mexican American guitarist who pioneered salsa and jazz fusion. Rolling Stone named Santana number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2003

Baby I want you to know that you can do anything you want. You are a star. I can see it. If you put your mind to it and practice, you can do anything you want and Daddy and I will support you every step of the way. We love you sweet baby.