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30/52
All boy.

A portrait of my Avery, once a week, every week, in 2014

Avery received this little bobcat for his birthday and it has become a favorite of my tractor-loving boy. The bucket goes up and down and hauls rocks, dirt, grass, pigs, cows and whatever else his imagination comes up with from day to day.

With all the construction happening in our neighborhood this summer, Avery now points out bobcats (his personal favorite), cranes, dump trucks and cement trucks by name and continues to get crazy excited when he sees or hears one coming down the road. 

He's all boy, the sweetest one I've ever known. 
And with this new haircut, he looks older than ever.

Linking up here

29/52

29/52
Dancin' and Cruisin'

A portrait of my Avery, once a week, every week, in 2014

Yesterday was one of those magical summer days that made me wish it would never end. The weather around here lately has been heavenly, mild and sunny and perfect for a picnic so early in the day the boys and I did just that. We met up with some good friends, took a little nature hike in the woods and snacked on a blanket under a tree. After naptime, we headed out as a family to 'Dancing and Cruising in the Streets'- a downtown street festival that included bands playing on numerous stages, a car show, and a balloon artist that makes really good cows. It's like this festival was created for Avery! 

It brought so much joy to my heart to see how outgoing and independent Avery was all evening. He chose to have his face painted and sat like such a big boy while a mustache was painted on (he was a hit with the crowds!), bounced and slid down the inflatable slide fearlessly with the big kids, danced with his sweet reckless abandon and posed in front of a car for a photo (so much progress!) He had a blast! (his stone-face stare in the photos is him showing off his mustache, he was very aware that it was there and thought he was pretty cool ;)

At one point toward the end of our evening, Avery noticed his buddy Gage had a spider painted on his cheek so he decided he needed one too. My usually shy and reserved boy walked up to Justin for a ticket, walked over to the painting tent all by himself and found a girl holding a poster of available images to paint. He pointed at the spider, handed the girl his ticket and walked with her to the table to have the spider painted on. When it was finished he walked back over to us and was SO PROUD of his spider (I think he was the most proud that he had done the entire process all by himself!) Moments like this remind me just how big my sweet little boy is getting... it's sneaking up on me way too quickly.

After the boys were in bed, we capped the night off with a couple of adult beverages.

This day was exactly what I needed. :)

Cullen is Four Months old!

4 months... FOUR MONTHS! This boy is growing so fast and does something new every day. He continues to be the sweetest, most go-with-the-flow boy ever and we are having so much fun watching him grow into his own little personality.
Cullen weighs in at 19 lbs 5 oz and is 26.25 inches long. His well-baby checkup today went great but apparently was pretty boring, he fell asleep in my lap waiting for the nurse to come in and give him his shots (what a rude awakening that was!) Naturally, he took the checkup and shots like a champ and is as healthy as can be.

Although he is back to being healthy today, this last week was a rough one for poor Cullen. On Wednesday night, he woke up with a high fever and I spent the next two days consoling a very uncharacteristically fussy and uncomfortable baby (so. much. crying...) and the next two nights rocking and worrying. No sleep makes baby feel even worse and mama feel like a zombie. Now that his fever has broken, I'm hoping we can get back to our regular nightly routine. (It's amazing how a little perspective can make getting up every two hours to nurse seem like a good thing!) I'm thinking he caught a little virus of some sort and he will continue to feel better, I can't stand seeing my baby so miserable. Although with his drooling and chewing on EVERYTHING, I'm sure cutting teeth is just around the corner. It's always something, right?

Up until this last week, Cullen's sleeping habits were like clockwork (the predictability was awesome). He woke up at 8ish, napped from 9:30-10:30, 12:30-2:30, and 5:30-6:00 and was ready to go down for bed at 7:30-8 (although it usually takes a good hour to get him to actually stay asleep) and he's still been getting up to nurse about every 2-3 hours.

This month,Cullen enjoyed his first hotel stay and pool swim in Cadillac MI, his first trip to the beach (Warren Dunes Beach on Lake Michigan), his first go in his exersaucer and bumbo seats, his first bath with Avery, his first sickness/fever and doses of Tylenol, and he finally got to meet Grandma Jodi and Grandpa Richard!

Cullen now giggles and 'talks' all the time, Avery is still his favorite and they both get so excited to see each other every morning :) Cullen has taken to chewing two fingers (or anything that gets near enough to his mouth to chew on) and drooling everywhere. He is happiest in the morning and crankiest when he doesn't get put down for a nap on time. (or has to be strapped into his carseat)

Cullen loves to be upright - sitting, being held to look around, anything that allows him to see everything going on around him. He's getting so close to sitting by himself and he loves to bat at/grab toys that are within arms reach. He is SO much more interactive than he was last month, and loves when someone is up in his face singing, talking, making funny faces - pretty much everything a certain 2-year-old I know is really good at :)

Avery thinks it's really funny when Cullen hits the toys on his tray  |  Avery checking on Cullen in his hotel crib

Yesterday, the day after he turned 4 months old, Cullen rolled over from his front to his back - 3 times! And while big brother Avery colored on his hands with a red marker in the background, I got his second roll on video:

At this rate, he'll be taking off crawling after Avery in no time.
Take your time, sweet Cullen, your mama's not quite ready. :)

Avery's 4 month post here (check out his two-finger chew like little brother!)

**Also, for those of you still reading, while Cullen hit a milestone this week by rolling over, so did Avery! He peed on the potty for the first time!! He told Grandma Jodi that he had to pee and she took him in the bathroom. He kicked us both out, closed the door and 5 minutes later came running out yelling "mama! mama!!" so I rushed back to the bathroom with him and sure enough, he had peed - IN the potty! (after being in there by himself for 5 minutes - naked - I didn't know what to expect) So we did a little potty dance and celebrated with a sucker (he was SO proud!) We haven't had any repeat performances yet, but I think he's really starting to figure it out. Yay Avery!!

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28/52
Feeding time in the aviary!

"A portrait of my Avery, once a week, every week, in 2014"

This week, we were lucky to have Justin's mom and step-dad here with us. It was their first time meeting Cullen and Avery thoroughly enjoyed all the playtime :) On Wednesday, we all made the drive to the Indianapolis Zoo! It was everyone's first time there and we had the best day checking out the new orangutan exhibit, scouring the zoo for a hippo (Avery kept insisting we see the hippos... and the zoo had NO HIPPOS!), and feeding the birds in the aviary. Avery was so careful with the birds and was so proud to be able to hold the stick and feed them himself. I'm pretty sure he could've spent the whole day in that aviary :)

We are all so excited that grandma and grandpa are moving closer to us in just a few short weeks!

27/52

27/52
Blackberry Boy

"A portrait of my Avery, once a week, every week, in 2014"

This week, the weather was absolutely perfect in Indiana: mid-seventies, sunny and no humidity. We spent most of the week doing nothing but playing in the backyard and eating our meals on the porch. My favorite. Last Sunday, we went on a little family adventure to the blackberry patch and picked a bucketful (and ate twice as many). Avery ran quality control and ended up with the cutest little berry face and hands (and t-shirt, who puts their child in a white tee to go berry picking?!)

We spent our 4th of July down the street with friends. Avery was sort of out of it all evening, but he and his buddy Max tried out some sparklers and watched Justin shoot off some small fireworks. It was a beautiful day spent with friends, and Avery's first real experience with fireworks, which seemed to be a hit! :)

Linking up here

26/52

26/52
Under the weather.
And a pancake.

For the first half of this week, we got to spend some long-awaited time with Justin's sister and brother and their families. Avery was ecstatic to have his cousins around, I've never seen him give so many kisses! 
Unfortunately, toward the end of their stay Avery came down with a little sickness complete with a low-grade fever, cough, runny nose and overall uncomfortable-ness. He took extra-long naps (probably due to his restless nights) and wanted to do little else but cuddle. We spent the remainder of the week/weekend laying low around the house, watching movies and having picnics in the living room. 

Avery's snack of choice while watching The Jungle Book: leftover pancakes. One of the positives of being sick - eating what you want, when and where you want it. :)

Linking up here

25/52

25/52
Buried

"A portrait of my Avery, once a week, every week, in 2014" 

This last week Avery, Cullen and I tagged along with Justin on a 3-day work trip to Cadillac, Michigan. It ended up being sort of a bust because the weather forced us to spend most of our time in the car or in the hotel room (not so fun with an active toddler and an infant that isn't so fond of his car seat). The day we drove there was beautiful and thankfully we stopped at Warren Dunes State Park on the way for some fun in the sun. It was our first trip of the summer to Lake Michigan and Cullen's first trip ever! Avery loves the beach and by the time we left he had sand in every crevice, was soaked in lake water and worn out. It was a beautiful day.

There's something about the sounds, sights, and smells of a big body of water that just soothes the soul (wading in the waves with a beautiful sleeping baby on your chest doesn't hurt either :)

Avery dug a really big hole with dad, buried himself in it, then walked fully clothed into the lake for a swim!

Cullen spent his first trip to the beach riding around in the sling with mom, taking in this new place until the sound of the waves lulled him to sleep. I could've walked that shoreline all day.

Linking up here

Cullen's 3 Month Close-Up!

Since Cullen was born, he's had a grumpy scowl concerned gaze on his face while he's been awake. I've always just said he takes life very seriously and is set on taking in everything around him. Let's face it- everything about this world is a lot to take in to a little guy (especially with a big, fast, loud brother all up in his face all the time!) Now that Cullen's smiling muscles are working and he smiles and giggles all the time, his face totally transforms and lights up a room. I had a great time taking these photos and while I was shooting he gave me plenty of smiles and laughs but I wanted to be sure to capture Cullen's 'signature look' as well - I think they're both equally adorable :)  This little man has so much personality already!

 

It's only a matter of time before these gray eyes turn brown!

And because I love to look back and remember what Avery was like at this age, here's a couple of comparison photos (it's totally a coincidence that they are posed almost exactly the same!)

Avery on the left, Cullen on the right - both at 3 months

And of course a photo shoot isn't complete without a few brother shots - Avery continues to adore his little brother and Cullen loves to watch and smile at everything big brother does. I can't get enough of these two!!

I'm still in awe of the fact that I got this shot.
Sometimes the stars align and the shutter clicks all at the perfect moment.

My heart runneth over.

24/52

24/52
That giggle.

"A portrait of my Avery, once a week, every week, in 2014" 

Summertime has been getting the best of us lately (in a good way!) and since we've been having so much fun, I've been taking more photos than I can keep up with. I have yet to sift through pictures from Avery's birthday party (which was already two weeks ago!), we've had some fun with family visitors, and last week I did a quick '3 month' photo shoot with Cullen that I can't wait to share. Of course Avery had to get in on the action, giving me lots of priceless shots of the two brothers together and lots of giggles from my usually camera-shy big boy. I can't look at this photo and not hear his contagious little giggle.

...and by accident we discovered Avery's favorite show of all time.
Here's a little preview:

Linking up here

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

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23/52
Birthday Boy!

"A portrait of my Avery, once a week, every week, in 2014" 

Last Friday my baby boy became a two-year-old and on Saturday, we celebrated with a backyard birthday party with some of our closest friends and family. Avery had the best time playing with his buddies and eating his fill of fruit, cheese, and cupcakes. He sure is one happy boy and watching him run and jump and play all day makes my heart smile. I'm so excited to see what adventures this next year brings for my sweet boy.


Linking up here

TWO.

Two years ago, Justin and I became parents to the sweetest little angel I'd ever set my eyes upon. Just like that, this boy made me a mother and for that he will always hold a special place inside my heart. My Avery Michael. 

Avery is, without a doubt, the sweetest, most kind-and-gentle-hearted little boy I've ever known. This doesn't mean he doesn't have his fair share of daily tantrums and evil glares (he's got a wicked mean glare), but his heart is solid gold and he never fails to make me proud when I watch him interact with his little peers.

He surprises me with something every day. Some new word, phrase, facial expression or piece of knowledge. He is so sweet, so smart, so funny and I'm head over heels for this two year old.
 
A glimpse of what Avery is all about as he begins his third year:
He's rapidly learning the alphabet. He knows segments of the tune and can recognize about two-thirds of the letters.

He knows what 'same' and 'different' mean and is so proud to point out examples.

Not a day goes by that Avery doesn't either come up to me with puckered lips and ask, "kiss?" or just randomly walks up and plants one on. He seems to know when his mama's rope is fraying and that a simple kiss is what it takes to save her from losing her mind :)

18 seems to be his favorite number. "One, Two, Three, Eighteen, Eighteen, Eighteen, EIGHTEEN!"
 
"Mama, this?" -what he asks when he wants to know what something is or what it means. He is SO curious and always learning. This is my FAVORITE part of having a fresh two-year-old.

He begs to dance in the kitchen. He would like nothing more than to dance all day if his mama could keep spinning and spinning without feeling nauseous. It's in these moments that I just squeeze him and wish that I could keep him as this sweet, innocent little person forever.
Avery continues to be a rockstar eater. He is always willing to try new things and there are very few foods that he dislikes. Breakfast is his best meal of the day - he usually eats more than I do! (unfortunately though, dinnertime lately often includes food spitting and blowing bubbles in his milk. Let's hope it's a fleeting phase;)

After going through a 'hate bath' phase, he now loves it once again and is happy to swim and play with letter shapes until we make him get out. He is SO proud to show off how he can lay flat on his back, on his tummy, put both of his ears in and even his face!

Avery LOVES to have his own picture taken when I take Cullen's weekly photo. It's even gotten to the point where he insists that I take his picture first! (and I usually have to bribe him with something to get him out of the frame so I can take some shots of Cullen alone)

He LOVES to wear sunglasses. He won't go outside in the sunshine without them and keeps them on most of the day, inside and out.

Cows continue to be his favorite animal. He's a lover of all animals, but cows get the most energetic response (and usually a hug). "Mooo!" 

Avery loves to pretend (yay!). Pretend eat, pretend sleep, pretend fix things, pretend clean, pretend drive things, pretend to get 'boo-boos'. It's my favorite thing to do, just sit back and watch him pretend in his own little world. 

He's sort of a clean freak. He LOVES to do all kinds of cleaning: sweep, VACCUUM (with his play vaccuum, the real vaccuum, or a golf club), spray and wipe things, dust, empty the dishwasher, wash the dishes, pick up small pieces of lint and take them to the garbage. He has even started pretending to 'pick up Bella's poop' with two golf clubs... what a guy! :)

 He's the best little helper we could ever ask for. He always wants to help, whether it be mowing the lawn, emptying the dishwasher or changing his brother's diaper ("Oh no! Poop!") Even if his 'helping' usually doubles the time it normally would take to complete a task, it's well worth it to have such a willing participant that is so eager to learn.

He LOVE, LOVE, LOVES vehicles. Tractors, cars, trains, trucks, you name it. If it has wheels, it's a hit with Avery. (he's such a boy!)

Dad continues to be Avery's best buddy. He shadows everything his dada does and wants to be at his side the entire time he's at home. It's so sweet to see how he adores Justin, he's truly his hero.

Avery is SO polite! He says please, thank-you, bless you, excuse me, and sorry numerous times every day. (Sorry's are always accompanied by a caress and a kiss) He's such a little gentleman :)

His peanut allergy is pretty much under control. His skin does still break out every now and then, usually on his cheeks, his legs, or under his chin but it comes and goes and I'm not even sure if its his allergy or just sensitive skin. He will be re-tested sometime this summer to hopefully get a better understanding of his allergy.

Now that Avery is 2, I'm excited to start documenting some of the funny/cute things he says. Here are a few of my favorites so far:

"Boobies" = Blueberries, his favorite fruit. Not to be confused with...
"Drinks" = the mama-parts that feed baby Cullen :)
"Fortune!" *with a fist pump in the air* = it's 7:00 and time to watch Wheel of Fortune!
"Cars" = what Avery responds when we ask him what he dreamed about. Always cars. And sometimes "Cookie" (he sleeps a with Cookie Monster toy)
"Awake!" = the genuine excitement he has when he hears Cullen is awake
"Thank you" = the way he says this isn't really in the form of enunciated words, but more like two different mumbled tones.

What a world of difference 2 years makes...

I love you little boy. To the moon and back.