Cullen @ 3 Months!

Three months. Our fourth trimester is over and although I should remember how fast these first few months go, I'm still in awe of the fact that this little baby is so... big! I feel like I'm weight training all day carrying him around and every morning when I peer in at him I swear to you he's a different child; bigger and more aware all the time. He has traded in his worried scowl for a magical little smile that brightens my life daily. (Ok, so he does still look worried sometimes, mainly when he's trying to focus on his 100-miles-a-minute big brother) Cullen fits into our life so perfectly it's hard to imagine our family without him.

Behind the Scenes...
Avery continues to insist on being a part of Cullen's photo shoots. Even after I take 20 photos of Avery alone and 20 more of Avery with Cullen, he has a hard time stepping back so I can take Cullen's photo alone. To spite me, he has to have some sort of his body visible in the picture. (a finger, feet, hair) When I do finally get Avery out of the frame, he gets upset/jealous and starts to scream which in turn makes poor Cullen cry too. Maybe next week I'll capture it on video, it's quite the circus.

Here's what Cullen has been up to this month:
He prefers to be held facing out so he can see what's going on around him. Gone are the days of my snugly newborn being content lying on my chest...
 
Although he doesn't spend as much time in it as he used to (mainly because he can't see out like he wants to) he will still occasionally ride around in the sling when we go on short walks. It almost always lulls him right to sleep.

On May 30, Cullen woke up with a clear left eye, which means both of his tear ducts are open and working normally - his eyes seem so much bigger and brighter now!
 
He wears 6 month size clothes

He took his first inter-state trip to visit LOTS of family in Wisconsin! Although he isn't a huge fan of his carseat, he did a pretty good job being stuck in there for 8 hours. He did exceptionally well on the trip home, 
which ended up taking 15 hours and included a 'layover' in an interstate oasis for 2 hours (where he napped like a champ while I carried him around in his seat, nursed while I stood in a family bathroom, and was totally content people-watching while we walked around) and a short stay in a hotel room while we ate pizza and watched 'The Sandlot' on TV. It's a good story...now that the nightmare of living it is over :)

Cullen started taking naps in his own crib! He looks so tiny on his great big mattress and he sleeps so soundly in his own room. He's become pretty predictable: he usually takes a short morning nap, a big nap when Avery takes his (usually 2.5+ hours!) and another short afternoon nap before dinner. He

still sleeps swaddled (although he manages to work his arms out like a Houdini) and likes to nap on his side so I put a rolled-up quilt behind him. He is really becoming a good sleeper :)

The week of June 2-8, Cullen had a textbook growth spurt. Nursing constantly, uncharacteristic fussiness and lots of quality time spent with me in the rocker during the night. Just this week, he's (thankfully) gotten back to taking great naps and sleeping longer stretches at night. (6-7 hour stretches!)

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The best picture I got of these two coordinating cuties at Avery's 2nd birthday party (Cullen kept this outfit clean for about 10 minutes before blowing out of his diaper... Sorry, Susan ;)

When he's hungry (and even if he's not) he tries to stick his whole hand whole arm in his mouth

Avery continues to be the best big brother of all time. Cullen loves to watch everything he does rewards him with lots of smiles :)

Cullen's hair continues to be pretty red, but has thinned out drastically. He now has a bald spot on the back of his head and random patches of long hair (along the nape of his neck and on top of his head) so it makes for an interesting look :)

He's finally starting to grow into his cheeks :)  (I'm such a sucker for chubby cheeks!)

Cullen loves tummy time... for about 10 minutes, then he's ready to give his shoulders a break from holding up his heavy head!  He has great head control and doesn't really need much support anymore, which makes him look extra-big when he's sitting on my lap.

Sweetest baby of all time? I think so. :)

 Click here to revisit Avery's 3 month post