Past two months

The past two months

Daddy throwing Cullen up at the pool...love this one :)

Rylan checking himself out

Kid Venture on Cullen's bday

Cullen was not happy with his one year checkup...having to skip his nap, getting shots...who's idea was this?

Rylan LOVES to tackle brother...Cullen likes it about 10% of the time and the other 90%...see below

At harmony safari park last month...I still have animal food in all the nooks and crannies and on the floorboards

Our first Braves game :)

Our friend, Colin, showing us around the fire dept

Daddy is so much fun!

Checking out Lowe Mill...love the style of this place

How most Sundays look lately...Cullen is not a fan of nursery to say the least

Again...Daddy is so much fun

Rylan: 3 years old

Rylan,

I can't believe you're 3...I guess technically you're my little boy now, but you'll always be my baby. I can hear you saying,  "No, I'm a big boy!" And in many ways you are...you run around the playgrounds like you own them, you help teach your little brother all sorts of things, you walk in your big boy way when you know you're big stuff, you want to get everything right the first time...you hold yourself to a high standard. 

But, in some ways you're still my little boy...when you want me to hold you, "mommy, say 'my beautiful baby' is sleeping." You usually say that when we're almost home and you want me to carry you like a baby into the house and tell you how beautiful you are as you pretend to be asleep. Those times when you're afraid at bedtime or nap time and want us to stay longer, get in bed with you (under the covers or you won't have it) and read another book. And when you fall or hurt yourself and need a kiss to make it all better. 

You are learning your letters and you know all your colors (in spite of your color blind daddy trying to teach you). You ask questions ALL day long!! I feel like I am a computer that is taking in too much information in the form of question overload...I'm hoping I don't break soon. And ignoring your questions only makes it worse. 

You love frisbee and can throw better than most people I know (including a lot of ultimate players). You love taking it easy in the mornings...you're never in a rush to start the day. You love your fun socks...with aliens, helicopters, dragon feet, etc. You love being naked and having a blanket wrapped around you. You love your dogs and love when they lay with you. You have your version of an invisible friend, Ant (from word world) and y'all do a lot of things together...and sometimes invite other word world friends. 

You are so sweet and I have seen your compassionate side this past year. When you were just 20 months old I remember crying and you walked over to the wet wipe container and pulled a wipe out and brought it over and laid it against my cheek...I will never forget that. Anytime someone is upset you want them to be comforted...me, someone on tv, your brother, etc. You used to get frustrated when Cullen would whine or grunt (and still do a lot of the time)...you tell me and Daddy that Cullen is sad (or mad) and expect us to make it better immediately or try to comfort him yourself. 

You go one week being absolutely perfect...happy and content and obedient. And then you hit a week where you whine on and off all day and pretend not to hear me and daddy talking to you. 

You are my buddy...my constant companion (you and your brother). I love watching you two together. You already seem like best friends in a lot of ways. I pray it stays that way. 

I love you Rylan...your smile, your awesome laugh, your gentleness...your adventurous side, timid side, obedient side and even your defiant side. 

Happy 3rd bday my little boy!

x,o's,

Mommy

Letter to Cullen on his 1st birthday

Cullen,
My sweet, cuddly, stubborn and adventurous boy. These past 12 months have been such a joy...you have brought so much to our family. You were the easiest baby I had ever heard of...my gentle giant

2 months

3 months

4 months

7 months

and then you started crawling and developed a feistiness we had never seen in you and you have become my adventurous, stubborn one. You love exploring any and everywhere and you want what you want when you want it. 

You have developed selective hearing already...a skill you learned from your brother I'm sure. You love to eat...just about everything. You're more of a momma's boy than your big brother ever was. 

8 months

9 months

Some of your favorite things are steps...you love going up and down a hundred times. Any transition in the flooring (from carpets, to wood or a rug). Falling forward off of things. Food. Being in the water. Snuggles. Sitting in your brother's big boy chair. Throwing a ball and crawling after it as fast as you can. Dancing with your head.

One of my favorite things you do is when we get in the floor with you, you crawl to us and put your head down and rub heads with us...sweetest thing ever!

10 months

11 months

Some of your least favorite things are having your eight teeth brushed. Having your diaper changed in the morning before you nurse. When brother pushes you away from a toy you want to share. And you're not a huge fan of being in the church nursery yet, but hopefully soon. 

We are so blessed to have you Cullen Isaiah. Happy birthday my sweet little cuddly one...I look forward to every new memory we have in store.

Love,

Mommy

Rylan: 27 months

-You have counted to 7 a couple times on your own...don't really know what inspired you

-You've been forward facing in your car seat for about a month now. Well, you've been forward facing in daddy's truck for a while now, but mommy finally gave in after you said, "please turn me around mommy." How can I resist that?

-You have learned to take your pants and underwear off by yourself...you have put your pants on by yourself a couple times, but still need help most of the time.

-it's like talking to a little adult now..."no, I don't want to do that" or whatever we ask/tell you to do; "I want to read Cinderella and the dragon"; "I'm a mean dragon"; "I want my blue cup...no my red cup!"; "I want cheese itz"; "I'm alright"; "I wanna give baby Cullen a kiss"; "go outside on the deck"; when I tell you I love you lately you say, "no, I'm a big boy" I'm not sure how me loving you endangers your big boy status. You say, "because...(insert any given explanation in order to have your way)" You definitely know what you want and how you want it. 

-You know your colors

-You have started putting your shoes on the right feet most of the time now...you used always put them on the opposite foot. 

-Lately you have been saying: I always do that or this when we tell you not to do something ..."I always throw the ball," "I always put on deodorant," "I always say that," "I always cry," etc

-You sometimes wake up saying no repeatedly...my guess is you're having dreams where things aren't going your way

-You love to draw on your chalkboard and have started enjoying coloring in your colorbook, and on... my windows, the kitchen floor, etc when I'm not looking. 

Some sweet and funny stories:

-We went to the park a few weeks ago and you tried to help a little girl who was trying to climb up the slide by holding your hand out to her. This same day some bigger boys were playing and told you to get off their space ship (the play area) and you just stared at them...the mommy bear in me started to get mad, but I remembered that they are just little boys using their imaginations. You sat down and finished off you chicken nuggets and juice, so I don't think it bothered you at all. You gave me kisses and hugs in between bites...you are such a sweet boy and mommy loves you with all her heart!!

-Another funny story: At the grocery store a couple weeks ago I let you "be free" and didn't buckle you in. You were constantly moving the entire time..."I turn this way and this way, now this way, I turn this way," over and over again you'd sit with your back against the side of the buggy and you legs stretched out in front if you then you'd switch sides about every second...It was pretty hilarious and a bit frustrating at the same time since I was trying to shop...not only was this a distraction, but I had to go pretty slow so you wouldn't fall out. You also turned completely around in the buggy (sitting on the handle) and grabbing anything you could reach and pulling it out. The perks of shopping with Mommy because Daddy would never let you get away with all this. 

Cullen: 4 1/2 months

-You hangout in your exer-saucer a couple times a day and seem to enjoy it.

-You have started the teething process...more fussiness, drooling, biting down on whatever you can get in your mouth and lately you've been waking up in the middle of the night.

-You have really stinky gas which I don't remember your brother having.  

-You weigh 20.5 lbs and are 27" long. You are wearing 12-18 month clothing.

-You still smile most if the day and you laugh a lot. You are my jolly baby.

-You don't like to sleep much. I think part of that is due to teething, partly due to your older brother yelling and playing all day and maybe some of that is you. 

-Daddy said you rolled over for him this past week. I'm a little jealous, but you rolled over for me today :)