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Potty Break

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

 

I can't pinpoint when it happened but at some point over the last few months my baby became a big boy. A really big boy. He loves getting dirty and picking his nose, he wrestles with everyone/everything, he runs around making blasting sounds with sticks, he eats on a big chair with us at the dinner table, and he wants privacy in the bathroom ("bye mama!" *closes the door in my face*)

Let me start off by saying that beginning this potty training adventure was 100% Avery's decision. Prior to this week, he had gone on the potty twice at random times and after a little prompting (and a fair amount of luck). I didn't get my hopes up but was glad he wasn't intimidated by the potty and knew how to use it.

On Tuesday morning, we had some friends over to play. At one point during their play, Avery's potty trained friend (who is a girl) decided she had to do her business and Avery decided he needed to watch her. A little later, Avery had finished his lunch and ran out of the room to play. About 10 minutes later, he came back into the kitchen pants-less and said, "Mama, poop! See!" Not really knowing what I was going to find, I followed him and to my utter shock found that he had indeed taken himself into the bathroom, removed his pants and diaper and pooped in his little potty - all before I even knew what he was doing!

I want to sing this from the rooftops: 

I haven't changed a dirty toddler diaper since Monday.

Avery has chosen to go #2 on the potty all week! Not only has he done this, but he has done it all by himself without much prompting (and in privacy, of course.) I'm trying not to get too excited because I know he's a long way from being considered 'potty trained' but I think something has clicked and all he needed was to watch his little friend use the potty to say, 'hey, if she can do this, so can I!' (thank you, Sara!!) He's so proud of this new big boy activity and so is his mama.

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"Big Tractor. Whoa."

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

There are some weeks that I can barely pull off a quick snapshot of Avery to use as his weekly portrait and other weeks that I sit and ponder over 3 or 4 photos and I just can't decide. Week 39 was one of these weeks. While Justin was busy at work, Avery, Cullen and I took off on a 8 hour road trip to Wisconsin two weeks ago and spent 8 beautiful days soaking up the sun, the landscape and the many people that we don't get to see nearly enough. 

It was pretty epic. 

I was a bit nervous about how we would all fair being on the road for that long, but I knew the only way to find out would be to try it. I'm happy to say I underestimated what good boys I have; they always surprise me by rising up to a challenge. Avery got a cool new book for the trip and was allowed to have as many snacks and watch as many movies as he wanted. (Avery hasn't really watched many movies, so I pulled out some Disney classics for this trip that he's never seen before- he's been talking about The Fox and the Hound, Beauty and the Beast and Frozen ever since) Cullen got thrown a new toy every 30 minutes or so and napped on and off when he got bored. We only made 3 short stops and had great weather and traffic. Seriously, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. 

The trip home was equally as awesome until we hit Chicago rush-hour traffic which added over an hour to our trip and Cullen was sick of being stuck in his car seat so he cried the rest of the way home. For 2 hours. So. Much. Crying. It was heartbreaking and I've never been so happy to see our exit in my life.  That said, with only 2 stressful hours out of 17 total, I still consider the trip a success. It's given me lots of travel confidence and I'm already planning our next solo adventure :)

The weather during our week in Wisconsin was so perfect, our last taste of summer before we had to pull out the coats and hats and head to the pumpkin patch:

 

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"Yee-Haw!"

My goal over the next few weeks is to get a photo of Avery without his sunglasses on. It's tricky because if we're outside (or even inside sometimes), he's got those glasses on - they've become his signature look, but I miss seeing those beautiful eyes!

(I took so many photos in Wisconsin, I'm working on sifting through them to share soon!)

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Autumn in the land of corn

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

The last couple of weeks have sort of flown by and not because we've been super busy, maybe just the opposite. We've been hanging around home and spending lots of time out-and-about in the neighborhood enjoying the fall temperatures. 

I've been a little overwhelmed by the amount of photos I've taken the last couple of months and I really need to do some organizing. It's one of those daunting tasks that is just easier to put off... but the longer i put it off, the more daunting it becomes. Anyway, I dumped enough photos on my computer to find one from last week and this one :)

 

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World's Best.

Seriously, these two. Avery is just the epitome of an awesome big brother. He gives so many hugs and smooches, and makes Cullen laugh like no other. I took quite a few photos this weekend, but for some reason the look on Avery's face in this one and the way he is so proud to have his little bro giggling on his shoulder spoke to my mama-heart :)

The boys and I are preparing for a pretty big adventure this week... I'll be back with an update!

Cullen - 6 Months Old!

Cullen got a clean bill of health at his 6 month well-baby checkup on Monday, weighing in at 
21 pounds, 9 ounces and 
28 inches long - in the 97th percentile for both! I know he's going to start to plateau one of these days, so I'm going to cherish those chubby cheeks and thighs before they turn into long skinny running legs like his big brother :)

Cullen's whole life thus far has been one big growth spurt and he is on the cusp of a few pretty
big developments. He's working on popping out a couple of teeth, he watches everything his big brother does very closely and will be fully mobile any day.

Cullen barrel rolls all over the place these days and can pretty much scoot his way toward whatever he sets his sights on (which is usually whatever Avery is playing with.) He can also turn a 360 on his tummy in 10 seconds flat (I timed it ;) and although I still put him

This just in: Cullen chews on
everything. EVERYTHING.

on a blanket to play, he finds his way off it in approximately 13 seconds and is off getting into something that I swear was far enough out of his reach. (Baby-proofing is proving to be even harder the second time around with a sneaky toddler depositing rocks, acorns and 'jewels' in every corner of the house)

Now that Cullen is all up in Avery's business during playtime, Avery has been doing a really great job being patient with his little brother and including him in whatever he's doing. This doesn't mean that Avery doesn't sometimes get frustrated or territorial but he's generally a very kind and gentle boy. Even when Avery does snatch toys away, Cullen is such a calm dude he doesn't even seem to mind (he sometimes even laughs when Avery takes his toys away (what?!) we'll see how long that lasts.) I love that they're starting to play together more, it's so fun to watch them interacting all on their own and the giggle fests fill me up with happy :)

 

Cullen is still smitten with his buddy, Bella and lights up whenever she comes near him.

Cullen and Avery take baths together and are so cute playing and splashing around in the water.

Cullen naps once in the morning and once in the afternoon (and occasionally once in the early evening depending on how his afternoon nap went.) Sometimes I'll get really lucky and both boys will overlap naptimes, but it's becoming more likely that they take turns. This doesn't give me much time for myself, but it's nice to have a little one-on-one time with each of them every day.
In the evening he goes down to sleep around 8, but sometimes wakes up 2 or 3 times before he settles into sleep for good. Once he does, he usually only gets up once or twice during the night before waking up at 7-7:30 am. AND he no longer sleeps in his swaddle! He moves around so much now that he was just feeling confined so I put him in a sleeper one night and *bam!* he slept just fine. I should've known he would be so cool with it, silly mama.

Cullen nurses to sleep and about every 3-4 hours during the day. He's a very efficient eater which is the biggest difference I notice between him and big brother. I swear I spent HOURS nursing Avery during the day, but Cullen is in-and-out in 5 minutes

flat. Even putting him down for a nap only takes 10-15 minutes, something that took WAAAAY too long with Avery.

Cullen has started to experiment with some purees. (I was REALLY excited to pull that Baby Bullet back out!) So far, he's had sweet potato, pears, peas, banana, and a little rice cereal. His favorite is bananas and his least favorite is the rice cereal (I couldn't even get him to keep 2 spoonfuls in his mouth, he spit it out! I didn't mix it with a fruit or veggie though, maybe that would help.) He wasn't super excited about eating 'solid' foods at first, but now he gets excited when dinnertime rolls around and we put him in the high chair.

Overall, Cullen is at a really fun age right now where he is just so happy-go-lucky about everything and is learning and growing way too fast. He has been having a few fussy days here and there which leads me to believe those teeth are on their way to the surface and Avery is keeping a close eye out for them ;) Stay tuned for updates of Cullen on the move (also known as Mama Get Your Running Shoes ;)

The happy boy with the last remaining evidence of his first bruise - right between his eyes
(thanks to a ill-placed lego block when Cullen took a dive for the floor one day)

Click here to see Avery @ 6 Months!

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He's a pretty big deal.

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

On Saturday, Justin ran the Warrior Dash and came home with all kinds of fun goodies for Avery, including this really cool 'helmet' and cape. Avery ran around the house with it billowing behind him and even decided to wear it on our evening walk tonight.
Oh, the carefree imagination of a two year old - I love it!

Sizing up each others' awesome outfits :)

Linking up here

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New 'do!

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

I cut Avery's hair this week. 
Now, this is probably the fourth or fifth time I've cut it but this time I got a little scissors happy and immediately regretted it. In 20 minutes time, I turned my baby into a much older looking boy and I'd be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears. I cut it in the morning and it took me until after naptime until I was ready to accept that it wasn't going to magically grow back. Once I came to terms with it, I took a few photos and Avery was so proud of his new 'do that he gave me some pretty cute smiles :)

Seeing so many back-to-school photos today makes me so so so grateful I have a couple more years at home with this boy. He may look like a 5-year-old lately but I'm nowhere near ready to share him with kindergarten. (obviously. I can't even cut his hair without becoming overwhelmed!)

Linking up here

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Beach Bliss

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

 

Last week we spent a few blissful days vacationing on the southern shore of Lake Michigan in Michigan City, IN. We rented a little house on the beach, left our computers and cell phones at home and spent time doing nothing but being together as a family. Just the four of us. Only 2 hours from home and it felt like paradise.

The day we arrived, we unloaded the car and headed straight to the beach. Avery's reaction to our new surroundings was absolutely magical. While walking the footpath from the house to the water, he stopped every five feet to fall in the sand and roll around belly laughing like he'd never been so happy to be anywhere in his life. Once we (finally) made it to the shore, we spent twenty whole minutes watching Avery run around squealing and laughing like the happiest two-year-old that ever lived. In turn, we were the happiest parents on the planet. It was one of those moments that I know will live in my memory forever. 

Linking up here

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"Papa?"

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

 

Our little family just returned from a heavenly getaway to the lake and are enjoying a bit of a 'stay-cation' here at home for the rest of the weekend. I will be posting about our trip soon, but wanted to share a few photos of the pit stop we made on our journey north at this perfect little railroad museum in Monon, Indiana. Trains, tractors, rocks and a phone (in a booth!) pretty much sum up everything Avery's dreams are made of :)

Linking up here

Cullen @ 5 Months!

I'm pretty sure Cullen is on track to pass his brother up on the scale. Weighing in at 21 pounds, he's only 8 pounds less than his 2 year old big brother and is currently wearing 9 month clothes (and already busting out of some of those)! I'm thinking he's got to start leveling off one of these days...

This month I've been trying to remember the little things, Cullen's quirks that will likely be replaced by something new next month. Like the way he squishes up his face and dives into my neck when he laughs, the way he kicks excitedly and rubs his eye with his free hand when he's nursing, the way he can go from whining to belly laughing in the same breath, the way he squeals at me when I peek in at him in the morning, the way he tucks his chin[s] in when he concentrates so hard, the way his eyes light up when he makes eye contact, the squeals and those rolls. Oh, those rolls.

Here's a little update on a few of Cullen's favorite things:
eating       
Cullen continues to be a very good nurser, although he's pretty distracted these days. He jerks his head around toward every noise he hears and wants to see everything going on around him, so nursing sessions that don't take place in his quiet bedroom are usually pretty short. (Short but efficient!) He's getting so big and so wiggly that I feel like I'm feeding a child much older than 5 months... *sigh* 

Cullen hasn't started eating any solid foods yet, but he does sit up in his high chair with us while we eat now and Avery has been up-graded to a seat on a big chair! 

sleeping             
Since the beginning of the month Cullen has been sleeping in his own crib in his own room. He still sleeps swaddled and with a fan for white noise. I can't for the life of me figure out how to transition out of the swaddle, so he may be sleeping in one until his first birthday!  Avery is a tummy sleeper so once he could roll over, I put him on his tummy to sleep and it's been [pretty] smooth sailing ever since but Cullen wants nothing to do with that tummy-sleeping business... 

Although his sleeping pattern has gotten MUCH better than last month, it's still pretty unpredictable. This last week, there were a few nights that it took me 2-3 hours to get him down to sleep (to stay asleep), but other nights that he was down for the count after only 20 minutes. He will typically sleep a big 6-7 hour stretch only getting up once or twice to nurse but every once in a while we still sometimes spend some long early morning hours awake together (when he thinks that 4 am is play time!) Overall though, my sanity is happy to report that sleeping continues to get progressively better. (After reading back on Avery's 5 month post, apparently Cullen is doing much better than his big brother at this age!)

Most of the time, tummy time is a group activity. Avery loves to roll around on the floor with Cullen and Bella never misses an opportunity to lay her head on the blanket. Cullen LOVES to stare at Bella and works so hard to creep towards her to catch a feel of her soft fur

playing            
Cullen's day includes lots of tummy-time, bouncing, sitting up working on his abs, learning lots of tricks from Avery, stroller/bike rides and many miles worth of airplane rides from mom.
Cullen rolls from his tummy to his back all day but isn't interested in rolling from back to tummy yet. He has a very strong core (or maybe it's the solid set of rolls?) and so his preferred position is sitting. In the last week or so he's gotten considerably more stable and can adjust his balance so he doesn't fall over nearly as much :) 

Even more than sitting, Cullen LOVES bouncing in the jumparoo. I think he would bounce in this thing all day if I let him. He's such a happy boy when he's in it and his chunky little legs just go, go, go :)

chewing         
This boy chews everything. All the time. His toys, his fingers, his toes, his bottom lip. Anything that nears his mouth goes into it. I don't see any teeth popping through anytime soon, but they've got to be working their way up! 

Hugs, kisses, belly-showing-off, and wrestling... so much brotherly love :)

avery          
Cullen continues to adore his big brother. As long as Avery is in his line of sight, Cullen is a content boy. His eyes lock on Avery and he laughs at everything he does. (In turn, Avery loves having such a responsive audience - "Cullen, look! Cullen! Cullen! Look, Cullen! CULLEN!" ;) Avery continues to be the sweetest big brother of all time. He makes sure Cullen always has something to chew on, loves to make Cullen laugh and gets really excited when he hears that he is awake from his nap. When Cullen cries, Avery tries to anticipate what he needs: "hungry, mama?" "nap, mama?" 
Avery and Cullen now take baths together! It's pretty cute watching them play and splash around in the water.

We have so many good days and some tough days too, but it is the highlight of my life seeing these two together and watching them grow. I sure am one lucky mama :)

Click here to see Avery @ 5 Months

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Dreaming of sandy beaches...

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

 With summer already coming to a close (school starts here on Monday... what?!) we finally booked ourselves a little family vacation to the southern shores of Lake Michigan. We've been getting pretty excited about it and I think all of our talk about the beach has got Avery craving the feeling of sand between his toes. He turned his sand table into a full-body activity this weekend and ended up with sand in every crevice. Our getaway can't come soon enough - we have to get this boy out of the table and onto the beach!!

Linking up here

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King of the Fort

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

This week, Justin fulfilled one of his fatherhood dreams and spent many hot hours building Avery his very first tree fort! If you know Justin, you know he doesn't take building things lightly, so he made numerous trips to Menards and then hauled all this wood out to 'the woods' near our house and build this awesome fort - all by himself!

After naptime, he took Avery out to their new hangout and they spent the rest of the afternoon hunting bugs, collecting sticks and spotting Curious George and hippos in the branches above ;)  As if Avery didn't think his daddy walked on water before, he's now reached an even higher level of awesome. I forsee many fond memories being made in this peaceful little spot in the trees!

Seriously, people. Does your heart not grow 3 sizes when you see these two together?!

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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