Avery @ 2.75

I printed all 52 of the weekly photos I took of Avery in 2014 and looking through them is priceless, I'm so glad I stuck with it all year. I've been continuing this project in 2015 but have fallen off the blogging train lately. Below are the first 8 weeks of Avery's 2015 photos along with some bits about who Avery is as a 2.75 year old.

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The spitting image of his daddy.

Although I think babies become big kids much too quickly and I've been mourning Avery's growth since the day he was born, I have found that each new age and stage just gets better and better and this almost-three-year-old age is the best one yet. He gets sweeter, smarter, more creative and more funny every single day. He certainly has a mind of his own and is developing a strong opinion about everything but I stand in awe of his imagination and his creativity and am so proud of the sweet little boy he's becoming. I'm so lucky to spend my days with this vibrant spirit :)

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Bedhead all day long. Every day.

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Finding him hiding out in a corner reading a book out loud is just my favorite.

This boy is almost accident-free on the potty training front. He has made leaps and bounds in the last month becoming more aware of when he needs to go and being very independent in doing his business. About a month ago we switched entirely to wearing underwear (with the exception of diapers at nighttime) and he's had fewer and fewer accidents each week. We were using tractor videos on YouTube as an incentive but he doesn't even ask for them anymore, he just goes to the bathroom when he needs to and goes about his day. Yesterday, Avery got a prize for making it through a whole week accident-free, and then we headed to the store for new undies. (he chose Olaf, no surprise there!)

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Superboy at mach speed.

Avery's favorite things right now:
Building forts
Vehicles. Tractors, boats, excavators, cranes, trains
'Hunting' bears, deer, snowmonsters, rabbits, squirrels, wolves,  etc etc...
Calling family members on numerous devices that may or may not resemble a phone
Cuddle time before bed
'Climbing mountains'
Dancing (and participating in Zumba :)
Frozen and Brother Bear
Bathtime (and drying his hair 'crazy')
Snacks
Wrestling/chasing/tickling Cullen
Singing 
Typing messages to his 'boss' while helping dad work in his office (he takes it very seriously) 
Watching 'Wheel of Fortune' and yelling out the letters
Watching tractor videos
Hiking in the woods
'Chopping down trees'
 

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Down with the sickness.

This sickness was THE. WORST. Avery had influenza and this is the first time he has been this down-and-out sick in his whole life. It was pretty terrible to see my sweet, active little boy want to do nothing but sleep or sit still all day long- for over a week. I was never so happy to have my sweet boy back to health, sickness sure has a way of helping me appreciate all that toddler energy!

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Still crazy pale... but sporting some of the first smiles in a week.
The bond these two share is something seriously magical.

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This is his 'seriously mom' face. He's a tough cookie to crack some days ;)

Avery is such a kind soul. So sensitive and so polite. We toured a preschool a couple of weeks ago and it was sort of surreal to see him in that space interacting with other little people so independently. He was so excited to be there yet it was so bittersweet for me to think that in a little over a year he will be starting 'school'.

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One evening we were enjoying dinner together as usual and glanced over at Avery who was giving us
^^this look. Totally out of the blue. Tears of laughter followed :)

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Constable Avery

From the day Cullen was born, Avery has been such a good role model and protector over his little brother. I can tell that these two boys have a strong bond that I hope only continues to grow. Although they've started having some power struggles over toys (and Avery is quickly learning that Cullen's personality isn't quite as passive and as his own) the majority of their days are spent in harmony. Watching them run and play and laugh is like food for my mama soul and I can tell it's going to be a really, really fun summer.  

Cullen @ 11 Months!

11 months. I can barely wrap my head around the fact that this sweet boy is almost a whole year old. And if you were to watch him cruise around the house sorting toys  (un-sorting toys would probably be a better explanation) and jabbering away, you'd swear he was closer to two.

This month, Cullen has gone to some zumba classes, library story-times, a trip to the Children's museum in Indy, an indoor waterpark, spent a few of the warmer days strolling the sidewalks outside, and made countless laps around the house. He is getting so sharp and figures things out that I swear are too advanced for such a little person.

Cullen hasn't gotten any new teeth this month, but he insists on grinding the 7 existing ones he does have together- hard. (I swear he only does it to watch his mama cringe) He did catch a little cold while Avery was down the flu and I sat up with him one night when he was running a fever but thankfully, that ended up being the worst of it. *whew*

Poor Cullen fell and hit his mouth on a chair a few weeks ago and immediately started gushing blood from his mouth (head wounds are scary like that). As soon as I could clear the blood away long enough to see what had happened, I realized that he had completely torn his frenulum (the chunk of skin that runs between baby's front teeth) I freaked out a little bit because there was just a big flap of skin hanging inside his upper lip that was supposed to be connected between his teeth. I did some internet research and found this is pretty common and would heal on its own (eventually it would shrink away anyway to make room for teeth as they grow in) Once the bleeding stopped, Cullen wasn't in any pain and could nurse and eat just fine and now his front teeth have actually grown together more and the chunk of skin has all but disappeared, totally unnoticeable. *crisis averted*

This was the first month that he consistently started sleeping through the night (cue the heavenly choirs!) It sometimes takes him an hour or so to finally settle for the night, but once he does he's out until morning. He still nurses 4 times a day and naps once, sometimes twice (his nap schedule is really hit-or-miss)

Cullen has been much more of a willing participant in our weekly photo shoots than Avery was. (or maybe I've just lowered my standards and made less of an ordeal out of it than I did with Avery) Either way, Cullen is more than happy to pose on his back for a few minutes and flash me some cheese-ball grins, I rarely have to take more than 20 shots to get a good one- he's made it so easy!

This month, Cullen:
Loves Avery, cell phones, remotes, any toy with wheels, Bella's food/water dishes, books, music, splashing in the bath, climbing the stairs, clapping, waving, drinking from straws/sippy cups, rearranging the refrigerator, cuddling, playing peek-a-boo, the Little People zoo, being tickled, eating EVERYTHING.

Dislikes: diaper changes, clothing changes, being tired, being hungry, being alone, having toys ripped away from him, being told 'no'

Favorite foods: Beans, ham, eggs, avocado, yogurt, noodles, green beans, crackers, fruit (all of them)  He continues to be a great eater and eats pretty much everything the rest of us are having! He's also learning to use utensils while he eats and he's pretty proud to be drinking from a cup.

Cullen is just the sweetest little cuddly ball of baby, I could snuggle him all day long. I can feel him growling leaner and longer by the day and soon those cheeks will deflate. But for now, I'm going to squeeze those thighs, smooch those cheeks and breathe in that sweet baby breath like it's my job (I guess, technically, it is!) He applauded when I came into his room to get him up this morning. Is there any better way to start the day? I'm one lucky mama.

I've started preparing for his first birthday party (seriously one of my favorite activities ever) and I know it will be here before we know it. We are already excited to have some friends and family over, it's been a long few weeks spent isolated in the house! (and due to the nasty flu that made Avery miserable, we had to cancel our superbowl party that we had been looking forward to for weeks...) So bring on spring! We are ready for some warm-weather adventures.

 Happy Valentine's Day! I hope your day is full of love and fuzzy feelings :)

Avery @ 11 months

50-52/52 (A Little Catch-Up!)

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Breakfast Buddy

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"Mama, cheese!"

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Snow Baby

Cullen James - 10 Months Old!

Cullen continues to grow and become more charming every day. He is just the sweetest little lover and has reached the point in his babyhood where his looks are changing by the minute and he's trading in his sweet baby cheeks and thighs for a much longer, leaner big-boy look. Parenthood is such a time-warp; I've been by Cullen's side almost every single minute of his 10 months on this Earth and as I look back, I still can't fathom how fast he's grown.

This month, Cullen: 

Enjoyed his first Christmas morning at home followed by a 10 day tour of Wisconsin and lots of holiday fun with family. Unfortunately, he didn't sleep well AT ALL during our time away which was a bit stressful for all of us but now that we're home he's back into his normal routine and we're all a little less cranky :)

Is a mama's boy, through and through. He does best when I am in his line of vision at all times but when he's hungry, tired, or not feeling well, nowhere but in my arms will do. I truly don't mind it because I know all too soon the snuggles won't come so easily. 

Has 7 teeth! SEVEN! Lucky number 7 broke through just a couple of days ago after a week of him generally being uncomfortable.  Babies teething is pretty much the worst thing ever.

Is so brave! He is an expert climber and has just about mastered climbing back down the stairs (climbing up is one of his favorite activities...yikes.) 

Started WALKING! He still usually thinks crawling is the fastest and most efficient way to get from place to place, but he's very stable on his feet and will walk up to about 15 steps at a time if he's motivated enough. It's amazing how fast babies master a skill after trying it for the first time.

Has finally started (usually) sleeping through the night! Last week he had a cold with a cough that woke him up numerous times during the night (along with that seventh tooth causing him grief) but now that he's on the upswing of both of those, he's making up for lost sleep :) Cullen naps twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon and almost always the complete opposite of Avery's nap... I'm hoping they will start to overlap a bit more in the next couple of months. 

Is obsessed with electronics (computers, phones, remotes, etc.) If he gets his hands on one, I pity the person that has to take it away. He does NOT take kindly to that at all. 

Is pretty adamant about taking part in whatever his big brother is doing. This means that we now have a list of activities that we only bring out during 'Avery and Mama-time' when Cullen is napping (Play-Doh, board games, crayons) We still try to do at least one fun/messy activity every day that he CAN take part it, but some things are just easier for Avery to enjoy if Cullen isn't trying to eat them.

Knows what 'no' means but often tries to be sneaky and dig in Bella's water bowl (or the toilet, which he can completely open on his own) when he thinks nobody is watching.

 
Cullen's favorite foods include sweet potatoes, beans, meat, bananas and frozen yogurt-covered blueberries. He has a great appetite and will eat pretty much anything, especially whatever he can swipe off of big brother's plate :)

I really enjoy spending my days watching this little boy learn and grow into a personality that is all his own. I'm sure it's because I've gone through this all once before that I really know how fleeting these moments are so I try to be mindful and soak up every moment, the easy ones and the tough ones, and take advantage of every opportunity to kiss, squeeze, snuggle, play and laugh. Isn't this what life is all about?

xo

Avery @ 10 Months

Cullen - 9 Months!

Cullen had his 9 month checkup at the beginning of the week and the doctor confirmed what I already knew: This child is growing like a WEED. Honestly, I swear I see him growing in front of my eyes most days. Literally. He's growing right now.
His 9 month stats: 
22.7 pounds (90th percentile)  
29.5 inches (90th percentile) 
He's almost exactly the same height as Avery was at 9 months, but 2 pounds heavier.

At 9 Months, Cullen...
Loves:
Anything Avery is doing/playing with
Opening & closing doors
Climbing everything, especially the stairs
Being put down in his crib on his side
Eating (sweet potatoes and cheerios/puffs are his favorite)
Swinging
Digging in plants
Bathtime!
Waving
Clapping
Drinking from cups and straws
Ripping -and eating- magazines 
Pushing walking toys
Music and Dancing
'Driving' cars and truck, sound effects included
Talking "Bah Bah, Dada & Mama"
Mimicking sounds (especially funny ones that Avery makes)

Dislikes:
Diaper changes
Getting Dressed/Undressed (imagine trying to wrangle a very strong octopus)
Being alone 
Not being allowed to eat dog food
Not being allowed to eat Play Doh
Not being allowed to eat paper 
Not being allowed to eat [insert any non-edible item he gets his little scavenger hands on]
 

In the early morning hours of December 4, Cullen woke up in the night with a scary barking cough and labored breathing. I spent the rest of the night lying vigil next to his crib listening to his raspy breathing pattern and jumping up every time he got quiet. It was torture. A doctor's appointment the next day confirmed my Google diagnosis: Croup. 

He was given an oral steroid that helped relieve some of the swelling so he could breathe easier. Although the steroid did its job, it also made him WIRED so we spent the next 2 nights sitting up with a baby who only wanted to crawl in circles and bang on the wall. By day 3, this mama had about lost her mind due to worry and lack of sleep and Cullen could barely keep his eyes open so we discontinued the steroid and all finally got some rest. Cullen has now finally made it to the other side of this sickness and with some souvenirs: THREE new teeth to balance out his lone snaggle-tooth on top. (because apparently being uncomfortable with the croup wasn't quite enough, he had to be cutting new teeth too... poor guy.) It was pretty much miserable to see my happy-go-lucky boy so lethargic and sad. Thankfully he's finally back to his sweet self and seems happier than ever.
  
Cullen has mastered his 'rascal' face: the little pursed-lip smirk he gives when he knows he's doing something naughty (plant digging, playing in Bella's water bowl, etc.) 
Don't tell him, but it's my favorite of his faces ;) 

While nursing Cullen to sleep, he will sometimes pull off and grunt up at me to see if I'm awake. If I keep my eyes closed and pretend I'm sleeping, he will go back to nursing and fall asleep :) If I'm nursing him when Avery is around, they play a game where Cullen pulls off and cranes his neck around to get a kiss from Avery ("Hi Cullen! Kiss? Okay!") then turns back around while they both giggle (this cycle then continues for 5 minutes) 

My baby boy is creeping ever closer to his first birthday and it makes me so sad thinking about how fast time is going BUT I'm doing everything in my power to take full advantage of these baby days. I am soaking up every squeeze, snuggle and giggle and I don't get too worked up about him reaching any of his milestones too early. Some of the happiest moments in my days are spent watching Cullen laugh and play with his big brother. Those two have just been best buddies from the start and I can see that bond growing every single day. Is there anything better than that?!

I took this photo ------------> at the beginning of the month and I feel like he's aged so much more than 30 days since. With all the moving he's been doing this month, he's already losing this round baby face and it's amazing how those top teeth change his entire look! (but so far, his adorable little head of hair is still as red as can be!)

There's something so wonderful about a baby's first Christmas and Cullen is at the perfect age to take in every little thing with such amazement. This boy, his sweet big brother and his amazing daddy sure make me thankful for everything I've been given in this life.

I hope your Christmas is filled with wonder and magic. Cheers to another great year in 2015! 


Avery @ 9 Months

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Monkey

This week we spent a few days back in St. Louis spending time with family for Thanksgiving. We had the opportunity to visit a couple of St. Louis' neatest 'museums'. This one, The City Museum, blew our minds. Avery had the time of his life crawling and climbing and sliding and exploring, it was so fun to watch him being so adventurous and brave! It's a place checked off my bucket list that I didn't even know was on my bucket list. There really isn't a way that I can explain it that will do it justice; It's like one gigantic living piece of artwork that adults and kids alike can climb all over. If you ever get the chance, GO. You won't regret it. We have already talked about making this an annual trip.

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Heartbreaker

This picture. 
I'm almost to the end of my first 52 weeks of this project and I feel it wouldn't be giving a fair glimpse into the life of my sweet two-year-old without documenting this face. Looking at it now it breaks my heart but in the heat of the moment during a 2 year-old meltdown it doesn't quite have that effect. 

On this particular day, Avery used his dry erase markers on some toys that were not his dry erase board and got his markers taken away for the day. To help diffuse the situation once the crying started, I grabbed my camera off the counter and started taking his picture. It distracted (and confused) him enough that he completely forgot why he was crying and the tears stopped just as quickly as they began. Score!

And to leave you on a happier note, I had to share this video because I want to remember how Avery refers to himself in the third person. It's just the cutest thing ever and now that he's starting to say 'me' and 'mine' more, I know the days are numbered.

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Experiments in Color

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

Now that cold days are upon us, I've been trying to set up some new and exciting activities to keep us from going crazy on long afternoons. Even if they only sometimes last 10 minutes, it gives Avery something to look forward to after naptime and it helps to break up the hours until dinner. The liquid watercolors were a hit, I can see us finding many more uses for these as the months go on.

And because I couldn't swallow the cost of buying liquid watercolors just yet, we made our own, thanks to Happy Hooligans  (and Justin thought I'd never find a use for all of those saved baby food jars ;)

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"Avery, Smile!"

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

This is often what I get when I ask Avery to smile, a rapid blinking of the eyes. I'm not really sure how blinking relates to smiling, but it's better than a scowl! :)

Cullen the 8-Month-Old!

It's hard for me to believe Cullen has only aged a month since my last post, this month he has been on developmental fast forward. He learned to crawl, stand, and now takes steps along furniture and behind his walking toys. (Whaaaat?!) He's also had some of his fussiest moments this month, including a little sleeping regression and a separation anxiety phase. But who can blame him, that rapid growth and pushing out new teeth is hard work!   

This month, Cullen...

•Takes a morning and afternoon nap. Some days both boys will nap for an hour or so at the same time and other days they will sleep relay-style ;)

•Will occasionally sleep through the night but usually still gets up once or twice. These wakings usually happen before I go to bed or in the early morning so I'm getting some pretty solid stretches of sleep. Yay! He always nurses to sleep and shows no sign of doing it another way which is just fine with me. One of the things about having a second baby is knowing how precious these little moments are. Once they're over, they're over. I remember how sudden (and easy) it was when Avery stopped nursing to sleep, It was much harder on me than it was on him!

•Is all over the house! He moves so quickly, going from emptying out a toy basket to climbing the stairs to diving into Bella's water bowl all in a matter of minutes. 

•Got his third tooth but instead of getting one of his top middle teeth, which would be too predictable, he's got what we call his little 'fang', the one to the left of where his top middle would be. It makes for a pretty cute smile :) 

•Eats hearty meals of 'solid' food 3 times a day. He's a great eater and has upgraded to eating most of his food in chunk form. There isn't anything he doesn't eat, but prefers his food to not be super cold. 

•Love, love, LOVES Avery. They will sit and play together and have so much fun laughing and chasing each other around, I love to just sit and watch them. Avery has mastered redirecting Cullen when he gets bored or frustrated with something and is also really good at 'gentle wrestling'- it always makes Cullen giggle.

•Some days he doesn't want me to be out of his sight. If I walk out of the room for a minute, I can pretty much bet on hearing that pitter-patter of little hands speed-crawling up behind me a minute later. 

•Gurgles, babbles, and says 'dada' and 'baba' a lot. He also does a really funny low-growl and is a master raspberry blower.

•Dressed up for Halloween as the cutest little cow ever. What's funny is that Avery wore this outfit last Halloween at 28 months, and Cullen wore it this year at 8 months and it wasn't even too crazy big. We're thinking we likely have a future linebacker on our hands...

•Still has the cutest little head full of red hair that has really started growing these last few weeks.

•Claps when we say "Yay!" and puts up his arms when we say "So big!"  (Avery loves playing this game with him)

•Loves attempting to eat dog food and plants. I have 2 big pots on the floor that I didn't have when Avery was this age and I thought it would be a good experiment to see how long they would last. Well, leave Cullen alone for 20 seconds and it's safe to say he's probably found his way to those plants and has a face full of dirt. Rascal ;)

•Loves bath time. And who wouldn't, with a crazy older brother like Avery to splash around with! Bath time at our house is no less than a 45 minute ordeal and both boys are equally cold and tired by the end of it - the perfect pre-bedtime activity! 

•Although he doesn't do this as much now that he moves around so much, at the beginning of the month Cullen would do this funny balancing act while he was sitting up. You would think he was going to fall over backwards but he wouldn't, he would just balance back on his tailbone with his feet off the floor. He was just working on his ab muscles ;)

•Has started getting awfully wiggly during our little weekly photo shoots. He can go from lying on his back all smiley-like to rolling the fabric into a ball and crawling away in 10 seconds flat. From here on out, the photo shoots are going to be more of a workout for this mama!

•Has SO many things around the house to keep him busy! When Avery was his age, he had PLENTY of toys but it was nothing compared to the variety that Cullen has available to him now. You want to chew on markers and long wooden sticks while waving around 4 feet of PVC pipe? Sure! Here are some Hot Wheels cars, see if you can suck the wheels of of them while you're at it. ;)  
 
Overall, this boy is just the sweetest child ever. He's the missing piece our little family didn't even know we were missing. I can't imagine our life without him in it. Although he's growing far too fast, I love seeing him grow and learn and interact a little more every single day. 


Here's a little video from a couple of weeks ago when Cullen first started walking behind his walker. He goes 10 times faster now, it's amazing how far he's come in just a short time. I love Avery's encouragement :) 

  
And I'm a softie for brothers giggling together:

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Trick or Treat Ya'll

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

Halloween night in Indiana was a cold, windy, snowy one. Because of this, we spent our time indoors with friends (which was a super fun time!) but I didn't get any cute photos of Avery riding from house to house on his John Deere with his little cow sidekick. Thankfully I grabbed a few quick shots (with my phone) of him and Cullen on our way out the door and although it's blurry and poor quality, his sweet face in this one pretty much melts my heart. He was definitely the cutest little farmer I've ever seen!

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Pajama Boy

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

With the nights getting colder, we've gotten out all of Avery's 'warm jammies' and all he wants to wear these days are these Thomas PJs and cute footie pajamas. (seriously, if I have my way my boys will wear footie pajamas until they go to college. Cutest. Things. Ever.) Most days you can find Avery still in his pajamas when he wakes up from his nap. And he loves it.

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That grin.

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

Last week, the boys and I took another solo trip, this time to Scott Air force Base just outside of St. Louis where Justin's sister and her family live. Avery spent the long weekend getting lots of exercise on their trampoline, checking out some big airplanes and spending time with his aunt, cousins, grandma and grandpa! It's so so SO nice to have them all so much closer!

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Handyman

This weekend my brother, Josh, stayed with us which is always such a fun time. Avery is a big fan of his "uncle Gosh" and he had a blast watching tractors, doing yard work and showing off all of his toys. Josh is also one of the very few people Avery will allow to read him bedtime stories so he took full advantage of that :)

**Besides a few too-busy-having-fun-to-stop-to-use-the-potty incidents while we were in St. Louis and when uncle Josh was visiting, Avery is still rockin' the potty! :)

Cullen: 7 Months

This month, Cullen:
•eats even more foods and now eats twice a day
•takes two naps, times and durations vary
•gets up once, sometimes twice, during the night
•popped out his first (and almost his second!) tooth
•barrel rolls and army crawls wherever he wants to go (and he's fast!)
•started wearing cloth diapers during the day
•enjoys giggle-fests and 'wrestling' matches with his beloved big brother every day
•wears size 12month clothes (and is busting out of some of them...)
•wants to chew on (eat) everything, especially anything made of paper 
•loves to stand - he can't pull himself all the way up yet, but loves to be propped up 
•is a side sleeper 
•is ticklish and loves to be tickled

I'm not exaggerating when I say that Cullen is THE most mild-tempered boy of all time. I'm sure I'll regret putting this in writing when he's 16, but I'm amazed daily at how well he just goes-with-the-flow and doesn't get worked up about much at all. Of course he has his moments and is starting to develop more of an opinion about what he likes/doesn't like. Avery is finding out fast that he can't just grab toys out of his brother's hands like he has in the past and Cullen doesn't hesitate to take what he wants either. 

The last week of this month was a powerhouse one for Cullen. He popped out a tooth and started moving across the room using a series of different techniques (barrel-rolling, army crawling, scooting, push-ups and a variety of other moves that resemble yoga poses :)  all in the same week. (which also happened to be the week Avery started choosing to use the potty regularly - whew!) He took these developmental changes like a champ, the only collateral damage being a few skipped naps and a little extra cuddle time. I'll take it.

I'm sure it has everything to do with the fact that this is my second time around but caring for Cullen just seems easier. This doesn't mean my days are easy by any means (far from it), I just have so much less anxiety about having a tiny person around and I know more of what to expect that it is easier to predict what his needs will be. I have Avery to thank for teaching me so much about how to me a mama and I continue to learn new things every day. 

This 'job' challenges me mentally, physically and emotionally like no other experience I've ever had in my life. It's downright hard some days in ways I never would've imagined but it's also the more rewarding than I ever could've dreamed of. I may have more wrinkles than I had 2 years ago, but I also have these two sweet boys to call me mama. 
Total win.

Avery @ 7 months here