Three Months!

Greetings to my fans out there! It's time for another update from your favorite blogger. First, I feel the need to clear the air in light of my mom's previous post. I'm not perfect, but I am pretty close. Also, I'm here for her sanctification, right? Yeah, I said it. SANCTIFICATION. And I do not know where she gets these pictures of me crying. That never happens...

It's been a full month for me and my family and word on the street is that it will just get busier. We started the month with some crazy road tripping. Seriously, we drove a lot. In a span of 7 days, Friday to Friday, we [at least Mom and I] were in the car for at least a day. Here's some calculations I did—

Friday:          Auburn to Decatur =    3.5 hours
Saturday:      Decatur to Auburn =    3.5 hours
Tuesday:       Auburn to Decatur =    3.5 hours
Wednesday:  Decatur to Nashville = 2 hours
                     Nashville to Decatur = 2 hours
Thursday:     Decatur to Florence =  1 hour
                     Florence to Decatur =  1 hour
Friday:         Decatur to Nashville = 2 hours
                    Nashville to Decatur = 2 hours
                    Decatur to Auburn =    3.5 hours

The first trip to Decatur was so I could meet some more of my family. Boy was it a reunion!

My Aunt Erin and Uncle Adam came down all the way from Indianapolis. They have two children, Madelyn and Harrison. This was the first time I got to meet all of them.

Emma and Aunt Valerie came as well. They're living in Florence now, so it's only an hour drive for them. Unfortunately Uncle Brandon had to work. He missed out...

Aren't they beautiful? I have a good lookin' family.

The Memphis Moders came to show some love as well. Can you believe they drove 6 hours in one day just to get some time with us? That's love right there...

Great Aunt Anna and Great Uncle Jeff. They have 3 children— Ben, Amelia, and Sam.

Then there were the Madison Moders. They didn't have to drive that far, but I still was feeling the love from them as well. I sure do have a great family...

Great Aunt Debra and Great Uncle Bobby. A lot of these pictures are from his camera - thanks!

Finally, the patriarch of this all... Papa Bob! He was a trooper and I even got to sit with him for a little bit. We're all very thankful for him.

4 generations!

It was a whirlwind of a trip, but I got a whole lot of attention, so that made up for all the travel time. I'm definitely looking forward to growing up with these folks.

Emma and Maddie hanging out with me while I swing.

Papa Bob with his grands and great-grands: (L-R) Ben, Amelia, Sam, Valerie, Emma, Madelyn, Erin, Harrison, Mom, me!

Yeah yeah... so funny.

All these people and pictures wore me out. I love napping on my parents' chests.

They sure do love each other.

The next trip came about because Dad had class in Nashville [well Franklin, actually]. We weren't sure who would be free to house a married couple and their newborn, so Mom and I spent our nights in Decatur with Nana and Papa. That Wednesday, Mom and I drove Dad up to class. Then we got to spend the afternoon with Meghan and Evie. I know what you're all wondering and no, I did not punch her this time...

We also got to have dinner with Mom's friend, Lauren. She's so cool.

 

Thursday- Mom, Nana, and I went to Florence to have lunch with Aunt V and Uncle Brandon. It was good to see him again! It had been a while. Then Friday- Mom and I went to pick up Dad from class in Franklin. We had lunch with Meghan, Drew, and Evie [I finally got to meet Drew!]. We took some pictures and then hit the road.

We made a pit stop in Decatur for dinner and then had to head to Auburn that night so Dad could be back for something the next morning. Thus ends our around the world adventure. Well, I'm not very good with geography right now, but it felt that way to me!

In other news, I'm balding. Yes, balding. I've heard that it happens with old age, and I am getting older, so I guess it was inevitable. I actually blame it on Mom. I had a nasty patch of cradle cap, so she took it upon herself to rid me of this menace. She did accomplish her purpose, but probably took most of the hair on the top of my head with her. That woman...

Another note concerning my head is that it is apparently kind of big. Since it's gotten cold out, mom tried to put on about 10 different hats we had and they all just popped right off! Thus we've had to result to more creative ways to keep me warm in these cold months...

Lastly in the Haddon head news is that, in spite of its large demeanor, I can move it around pretty well! My neck is growing stronger every day and hopefully soon I'll be a pro at keeping it lifted. 

I also got a nice little war wound this month. This is when Mom gets the hint that my nails need to be trimmed. Just call me ScarFace.

This probably happened while attempting to shove my fist in my mouth. I do this all the time. At first Mom thought it was a new way of telling her I was hungry, but no, I just like to do it. Just trying to keep myself entertained, ya'll.

Another milestone was my first day of errands with my Mom in the stroller. I did really well, but we went to so many places that I just decided to fall asleep. If you've seen one store, you've seen them all...

I'm also enjoying play time more and more. We have a couple of mats with dangling toys that I like to whack. One of them lights up and plays music, but it decided to freak out on us about a week ago. The music skips like crazy now and Mom can't handle it, so we don't use that feature any more. It's still fun to wiggle around on though.

I'm also continuing to smile and coo like a pro. It's so funny to see people's reactions. They LOVE it. You can check out that cuteness here and here [if you haven't seen it already]. 

I'm still enjoying baths these days and have even moved up to just sitting in the tub without that sling thing. Aren't you impressed?

I guess it wouldn't be an update if I didn't tell you how I was sleeping. If you had asked that question yesterday, I was sleeping through the night. 10 to 7 to be exact. I know, I'm awesome. BUT I decided to mix it up on Mom again last night. 10 to 3:30. Then 6:30. Then 9. Just keeping her on her toes. I don't want to get too predictable.

Faith to be Strong

Hello out there! We're alive and well. Most of the time...  I realize that a lot of moms out there struggle with comparison and I won't say that I'm exempt from that struggle. I also don't want to cause someone to struggle by the way I talk about my family on this blog. Our days aren't perfect. They don't always look like this...

They sometimes will look like this...

Though Kameron is better at smiling during these times than I am... My husband really is such a blessing. What causes me to absolutely meltdown [yes, I have meltdowns] usually doesn't even make him flinch. He's kind of strong and resilient like that :) But alas, he's not perfect either. I promise I have a point with this post, even though now it feels all over the place. I guess that helps me to even further prove our point.

I do hesitate to write about the hard days for a couple of reasons. The first is that I don't ever want to sound like I'm complaining or discontent for what the Lord has put before me. There are days I do feel like that, but I never want to blast those sinful thoughts on the internet for all to see. The second reason is that my life is sooo easy. There are so many wives and mothers out there who are absolute warriors and have conquered [or are currently conquering] so many more trials than my 24-year-old self [25 tomorrow, whoop whoop] ever has. Therefore, I'm hesitant to even begin to paint my life as "hard."

But there are hard days. There are days when my sweet, handsome, blue-eyed son whines— wails, even. He isn't always a sleeping angel or a cooing ball of perfection. And I cannot always console him. I cannot fix it. I react in ways that are not worthy to bear the name of Christ. His grace restrains me from so much, but the battle is often disheartening. So tired of sin. So tired of impatience, anger, frustration, bitterness... I was briefly expressing these struggles to a dear friend the other night via text [I know, how personal, right?] and her response was so absolutely perfect that I even gasped a bit as my eyes brimmed with much needed tears. "Jesus was perfectly patient for you."

Now I don't want to ruin the sheer simplicity of that statement by rambling on about Jesus' righteousness and how that is imputed to us or that even though we are justified that doesn't mean we are to go on sinning so that grace may abound [not that those truths would ruin anything, I just tend to talk too much and for the moment would rather save those theological conversations for another day]. Well, now that I have ruined the moment with all my asides, time to go nutshell mode...

I fail every day. I am not a perfect Christian, daughter, sister, wife, mother, or friend.

"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:56-58)

If you are in Christ, be encouraged by this truth. Know this victory. I'm not trying to encourage you by saying, Oh we all struggle—it's okay to be frustrated and angry. Everybody does it. I'm wanting to encourage you by saying—You are not alone. It is a daily battle to put my sin to death, fight temptation, and strive to be holy. But God's grace is sufficient. Take heart— for His power is made perfect in our weakness. Talk about crazy! Therefore may we boast all the more gladly in our weakness, so that the power of Christ may dwell in us. May we be content in our weaknesses, for the sake of Christ. For when we are weak, then weak are strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Picture break! I was getting a little text heavy... Sorry if I lost some of you :)

A few other encouraging nuggets for you...

"Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give you victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up." —Charles Haddon Spurgeon [thanks Katie!]

"I guess I learned the hard way that this world can’t give me what I need.
Even though the house I built on sand was swallowed by the sea,
You never let me down.
Sometimes I think I’ll only be content with things that money buys.
Its like trying to squeeze water from a stone – it will not provide.
But You never let me down.
You might let me cry.
You might let me sing.
You might let me feel a fraction of your suffering.
But you won’t let me down.
If I could just stop striving and surrender to Your holy power I know Your loving arms will lift me up and never let me down." —Andy Gullahorn, Never Let Me Down

But the real star of the encouragement show is Andrew Peterson. This song of his is absolutely wonderful [I listed the lyrics under the video, you must follow along!]
May this be my daily prayer as I strive to live in a manner worthy of the gospel.

Give us faith to be strong
Father, we are so weak
Our bodies are fragile and weary
As we stagger and stumble to walk where you lead
Give us faith to be strong

Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it's hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us peace when we're torn
Mend us up when we break
This flesh can be wounded and shaking
When there's much too much trouble for one heart to take
Give us peace when we're torn

Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it's hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong

Give us hearts to find hope
Father, we cannot see
How the sorrow we feel can bring freedom
And as hard as we try, Lord, it's hard to believe
So, give us hearts to find hope

Give us faith to be strong
Give us strength to be faithful
This life is not long, but it's hard
Give us grace to go on
Make us willing and able
Lord, give us faith to be strong
Give us peace when we're torn
Give us faith, faith to be strong

Excuse Me...

Haddon has something to say. Well, a few things actually.

He's Growing!

This handsome boy had his two month check-up yesterday. [Yes, we're a little bit behind on the dates already]

This is the first time we've seen him "suck" his thumb. I use quotation marks because it wasn't a very active thing— just his sweet little thumb resting in his mouth. Lately it's been his whole fist, so the thumb was a slight improvement.

Any way, the real reason I'm here is to let you know his stats.

When he was born [8.10.12], our little boy was:
> 6 lbs. 11oz.
> 20 inches long
> His head size will forever be a mystery, because "7.5" is written on his charts. Which makes no sense...

At his first month appointment [9.12.12], he was:
> 8 lbs. 11 oz. [15th percentile]
> 20.25 inches long [5th percentile]
> Head circumference of 14.75" [50th percentile]

Big head, little body :)

Yesterday, at his second month appointment [10.22.12], he was:
> 10 lbs. 15 oz. [15th percentile] Even though we're convinced he's 11 lbs...
> 22.75 inches long [20th percentile]
> Head circumference of 15.75" [50th-75th percentile]

Even bigger head, little body—I wonder who he gets that from...

Well his check-up was memorable for more than just his fun little stats... he got shots. Four of them... It was so sad. I didn't think I'd cry. But I did...

Our little man was pitiful the whole day.

Tuckered out after enduring such hostility.

We love you so much, Haddon Pugh. It's already so hard to see you hurting. Boy, have we got a long road ahead of us!

My Boys

Taking care of these two is the best job in the world.

Two Months!

Well your favorite blogger is back folks. J-Had here, coming to report about my second month of living in the Pughplex. Man has it been a full one! I'm really beginning to enjoy myself on this planet they call earth.

Speaking of enjoyment, I'm smiling now. That's right! As if I wasn't already cute enough, I'm beginning to woo everyone with my sweet looks and open-mouthed grin. Eat your heart out ladies.

I started showing off in this manner around week 7 for T and Big Daddy [Mom and Dad were really jealous]. I did a few for Nana as well. Hey—I've got to show some special love to the grandparents, they're going to spoil me a lot in the future so I might as well start storing up credit now.

Now that I've got the hang of it. I'm smiling for Mom and Dad a lot, too. They're impressed every time...



They also like it when I make other noises besides crying. I'm starting to do that, you know. Throw in a few oohs and aahs and flash a smile and they're putty in my hands.

Mom and Dad are also appreciating my ability to focus on things, especially their faces. I now look at them as opposed to around them or through them. It's the little things...

I guess we might as well talk about my sleep schedule, though it might make Mom a little sad. I don't know if you remember, but in my one month update I mentioned that I was beginning to sleep through the night. Mom would feed me around 9:30, I'd fall asleep around 11, and I wouldn't wake up until around 7—one time even 8! I did that for about 3 weeks and Mom and Dad thought they were living the dream—a cute newborn and one that slept through the night. Well, then I decided to mix it up a bit. They just had it way too easy. So now I like to get hungry again around 4 or 5. Don't be upset, Mom. You're milk's just that good. Oh and she's also letting my arms free at night. I used to get the swaddle treatment so my arms wouldn't wake me up, but I fought it so much that I'd end up in crazy positions in my crib. Seriously, I could wiggle my way anywhere. This is why Mom tends to call me her little "Wiggle Worm." That lady has a nickname for everything I do. And a song...

How can you get upset at this sweet sleeping face?

Speaking of sleeping, I'm a pretty awesome nap buddy. I've definitely made the rounds. I even napped with a complete stranger when I went to Lakeview's nursery for the first time. Is that weird?

Not sure why I look like a grown man in this picture...

Other things I like to do include taking baths, swinging, and going on walks. I was finally able to take baths in the tub [and not my parents' arms] once that crazy thing on my belly button fell off. That was actually around week 2 or 3, and I've been enjoying baths ever since. I always seem to forget that I enjoy them though when I'm initially placed in the tub. I always get a really concerned and questionable look on my face, but then I warm up to it. Get it? Warm up to it? Okay, so maybe I'm still working on the concept of jokes...

I also mentioned how I like to swing. Mom and Dad have this really great swing in their room that I actually wasn't a fan of early on. Now, it's magical. Once you put me in there, I'm either quiet or asleep in less than 2 minutes.

I also took my first ride in the stroller a couple of weeks ago. I've always been a fan of being outside. It has a very calming effect on me. Up until this point, our walks had consisted of down the driveway to the mailbox or the occasional ride in the carrier around the block [you know, the papoose thing that Mom straps to herself and carries me in]. Now we've moved on to the heavy duty equipment and I am officially rockin' the stroller. [Thanks Papa Bob!] Walks have definitely been a hit [even though I've only stayed awake for maybe one of them] and Mom and I are both very thankful for the change in scenery.

In other news, I am now wearing cloth diapers. [I know, how trendy of me...] They're not too bad. Much more stylish than my previous ones. Mom's been a champ for all the washing she's done since I've started. I think I'll be getting some more for Christmas because of that. Because of this new addition to my bum, I'm now wearing 0-3 months clothes as opposed to newborn. [Cue Sir Mix-A-Lot's early 90's hit, Baby Got Back] Let's face it everyone, I'm a growing boy.

bumGenius baby

In month two, Mom and Dad also tried to introduce this evil thing called a bottle [cringe]. WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? I played along for about 2 ounces, but then rebelled. Meaning I screamed my head off until they stopped trying. As if that wasn't bad enough, Mom tried it again the next day. Something about not wanting to let this "liquid gold" go to waste. Again, I humored her for about an ounce, but then lost it. I then decided to be extremely inconsistent in my feeding habits for the next few days after the "bottle incident." It made Mom cry... a lot— which isn't always a hard thing to do, but I think this time she really was hurt. I'm sorry, Mom. We are still learning each other... 

Wipe that smile off your face, Dad— this is not a happy matter.

On to happier "firsts"— I went on my first road trip this past month. Mom and Dad took me to Tuscaloosa to visit Big Daddy and T. I was quiet the whole way there! A full 3 hours, people. Again, the parentals were wildly impressed. I didn't want them to get too confident, so I cried intermittently on the way back to Auburn.

During our time in Tuscaloosa, I got to meet two of my cousins! Ella and James are really great. I can't wait to get bigger so I can play with them. They seem to have a lot of fun.

Aunt Lynn took more pictures of me while we were there. She's so talented!

I also got to meet the famous "J-Stow" for the first time. She stopped by because she's a Bammer now :) I better get more time with her in the future...

She's so pretty...

The next weekend I got some more family time with Nana, Papa, Aunt V, and cousin Emma. Apparently Aunt V is going to bring me another cousin in April. That's pretty exciting.

She's going to be a great big sister.

I don't know if you know this, but Emma likes ears. A lot. I told her I'd let her touch my ear as much as she wanted during her visit—as long as she slipped me some goldfish crackers every now and then. She was happy to oblige. [Do not be alarmed, that was a joke. No solid foods for me until 6 months. So they say...]

Speaking of crazy cousins, another one escaped the womb on October 4th. Man I have a lot of cousins... Hey Karis, I'm glad you decided to join me out here. It's not too bad, I promise. I'm looking forward to telling you all my survival secrets over Christmas. [I feel this new sense of responsibility now that I'm not longer the youngest of the bunch!]

Another new face I got to see was Evelyn Rowe Jones. My mom gave you a little background on her and her family in a previous post. All this talk about an arranged marriage made me a little nervous, but I know Mom and Dad are just playing around. There's a lot of pressure to continue the Marannook legacy, though. Who knows what the future will bring...

She tried to hold my hand...

So I punched her in the face...

Vintage babies

I've also been hanging out with another little friend every now and then, Naaman East. His family goes to Lakeview and we actually had the same due date. We both decided to come early, but he beat me by 11 days. We haven't gotten much play time together yet, but I feel that will definitely be in our future. You know, once we can actually hold our head up and stuff.

buddies

Well, I think that pretty much covers the highlights. I had another photoshoot with Mom to document my growth at two months. You can see all 76 of those pictures here, if you're a facebooker. Yes, 76. But if you're laughing at her absurdity, please know that she didn't even post them all. She discovered this new little "blast" feature on her camera that takes 3 pictures at a time, so she doesn't miss a thing. All that to say, she spared you from at least 3 times that many pictures, narrowing it down to a mere 76. Oh Mom... Good thing I'm cute, right?

Until next month!
Love,
Haddon

Indebted

This past Thursday I was blessed to be visited by a dear friend of mine— Mrs. Meghan Cox Jones. She brought along her sweet little girl, Evelyn Rowe, who is just 3 days younger than Haddon. Yes, they have an arranged marriage. All joking aside, her being here brought a flood of amazement and gratitude for a sweet little place called Camp Marannook and how the Lord has used it to bring so much grace and change to my life.

I met Meghan at Camp Marannook the summer of 2007. We were counselors together and had no idea that those 3 months in this haven of gospel bliss would completely alter the course of our lives.

Oh how naive we were...

Camp Marannook isn't your ordinary summer camp. "Marannook is a Scripture training center designed specifically for college students with the practical application of that training through working with children." It's really more for the counselors than it is the campers. Needless to say, I had no idea what I was getting into, but by God's grace He got me there and I haven't been the same since! It was at Marannook that I met this fabulous group of people...

Who will be the first to find Kam's baby face in the crowd?

It was at Marannook when I gained life-long friends and beautiful sisters in Christ...

Oh how I love them! Top Row: Mary Emily Farnsworth, me!, Lyndsey Copeland, Kate Rhodes, Meghan Cox (now Jones), Holly Gaddy (now Stokley); Bottom Row: Cara Knowles (now Bryan), Alicia Russell (now Pitts), Carlin Klepper (now Whittington)

It was at Marannook that I met the man who would ask me to be his wife in this very place...

This was my sneaky attempt to get a picture with Kameron. I couldn't ask to take one with just him, that would have been too barracuda of me :) So I asked Drew as well so it wouldn't be too obvious! Have you seen that handsome cleft chin somewhere else lately?

Speaking of Drew [see caption above], Meghan also met her husband that summer at Marannook...

Can you spot the KamPughs in the crowd?

To keep with the similarities, when we were in Nashville to tell Mr. and Mrs. Jones that we were pregnant, they made the same announcement! How sweet it was to share this new season will our fellow Marannookers! Evie was due a few days before Haddon, but the Pughs came in first :) Now those silly counselors from 5 years ago are PARENTS!

Yes, her shirt says "Foxy Coxy." Yes, we're in the freezer section of WalMart.

The boys at the Nook.

Now proud papas! Oh how things have changed :)

Husbands are wonderful and children are a blessing, but most importantly— it was at Marannook that I met Jesus. You see, I thought I knew him before then, but boy was I wrong! I thought I was a good Christian girl with good Christian morals, that had lived a good Christian life up to this point, but come to find out it was all about me and not about Christ. By God's grace, through time studying His Word at Marannook, for the first time I saw my need for Jesus and the work He had done through His life, death, and resurrection. I wasn't a good girl, I was a sinner. I didn't love Jesus, I loved myself. This realization changed my life forever. That fateful summer, the Lord graciously led me to repentance and faith and by His sustaining power, I've been repenting and believing ever since. It hasn't been an easy transformation and it definitely hasn't been quick, but I know I am new. I know the old has gone (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Lord is patient and kind and it's so good to know Him, or rather to be known by Him (Galatians 4:9). May I never forget...

[please follow the lyrics to this wonderful song, I included them below the video]

I once was lost in darkest night 

Yet thought I knew the way. 

The sin that promised joy and life 

Had led me to the grave. 

I had no hope that You would own 

A rebel to Your will. 

And if You had not loved me first 

I would refuse You still. 

But as I ran my hell-bound race 

Indifferent to the cost 

You looked upon my helpless state 

And led me to the cross. 

And I beheld God’s love displayed 

You suffered in my place 

You bore the wrath reserved for me 

Now all I know is grace. 

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ 

Hallelujah! Jesus is my life 

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone 

And live so all might see 

The strength to follow Your commands 

Could never come from me. 

Oh Father, use my ransomed life 

In any way You choose. 

And let my song forever be 

My only boast is You.

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ 

Hallelujah! Jesus is my life