Cullen Turns Four

This post was originally written on November 6, 2013. I just wanted it to post in chronological order. 

How did my precious first born become a boy? A big boy. Practically a conversational grown up.

A boy who loves Sesame Street as much as he loves Batman.

A boy who sings Bob Marley when his little brother cries.

A boy who loves Baylor, because Daddy loves Baylor.

A boy who can pretend and imagine worlds we've never dreamed of.

Yesterday, he was Batman, Jake, Captain Hook, Cullen, and "just a boy." As though he could ever be JUST anything.

As any mom does, I dream of great things for my son. Particularly as I see this tiny new addition to our family in Harrison, I am reminded how quickly our babies grow into boys. It makes me weepy, and it makes me proud.

Cullen's birthday party was Batman-themed. From the invitations...

...to the little brothers.

On Cullen's actual birthday, James had to be in Austin for work. We tagged along so that Cullen could spend his birthday in a hotel (pretty much his most favorite place in the whole world). He ate chocolate cake for dinner and put himself to bed around 9. 

Cullen got a BIG birthday present this year. I was planning on upgrading his swingset this year, as he had pretty much outgrown the last one. I wanted a galvanized steel one that wouldn't rust. James wanted this one. A quick trip to Tree Frogs, and it was done. Cullen spends a lot of time outside, and he loves launching his cars down the slide. It was expensive, but I'm so glad we did it!

The morning of Cullen's party, he had his final soccer game. Harrison took his usual bundled nap while we watched. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was having Jenni in town. She was such a huge help, and it was so nice to get to spend some time with her.

Of course, many of Cullen's birthday gifts were Batman-themed. Check out his first official Lego set!

He's already talking about being a five year old. I am not even close to being ready for that.

xoxo ashley

Fall Sports Wrap Up

Right in this time frame is when I got my new iPhone. I bet you can tell the difference in these pictures. Wow. 

Cullen wrapped up his tee ball season so well. He grew and learned so many new things, and we were really proud of the effort he put in. He looks so tiny. 

He learned the importance of listening to his coach and the basics of the game.

His coach learned to jump out of the way when Cullen was at bat. 

He even got his first trophy out of the deal!

And James got his first coach's trophy. :)

Soccer was a disaster from the very beginning, so we're all pretty glad to have that season behind us. Does anybody else know those moms that make you feel awful, because you sleep at night?

Like this mom? The one who made a soccer player out of snacks, a juice box, and a ping pong ball? I brought Capri Suns and crackers. At least the Capri Suns were reduced sugar...

Cullen also earned this fancy trophy. Competitor. Not really. 

xoxo ashley

2013 Halloween

Cullen and James carved pumpkins together this year. It was so much fun watching things develop, and Cullen enjoyed (despite the angry look on his face) a solid reason to stand on the counter. 

What kid doesn't like standing on the counter?

He was really good at making the same face as the pumpkin.

This was the first year Cullen requested a costume. Of course, he was Batman. On the way to trick or treat at a friend's house, James was searching for Batman clips to show Cullen, so that he could have the "appropriate" voice for candy collecting. Of course, YouTube struck gold with this one. The opening part of the first clip was Batman saying, "I'm going to kill you." Cullen popped in with, "Kill who?" No one, little guy. No one at all.

Harrison spent a total of five minutes in his PBK costume. Luckily, I bought it at a consignment sale, so I don't feel too bad about it.

xoxo ashley

October 2013 Oil Ranch Visit

Every fall, I go in search of the best place to pick a pumpkin. So far, I haven't found that magical place, but the kids always have fun, and we all sleep well after all of the fresh air. This year, we headed to the Oil Ranch. It was expensive, crowded, and not very well kept. I was pretty bummed about that one, but at least Cullen had a good time!

We got to pet animals,

climb in a haystack with Daddy,

climb in a haystack with Mommy,

milk a cow,

(seriously, he milked a cow!),

enjoy fresh air and sunshine,

ride a train with Lola,

take outdoor naps,

play on tractor tires,

and pick out pumpkins.

It's too bad they don't stay little. 

xoxo ashley

Boy Mom

It was just after bath time. Our usual witching hour. I swear, every time any one of us has been to the hospital in this house, it has been right about bath and bed time. 

Cullen was all cleaned up and ready for bed, so he was playing tag with Scout while we bathed Harrison. As luck would have it, Scout and Cullen collided. Cullen walked into the bedroom crying, with a bloody mouth, and a tooth pointing back at his throat. We loaded up and headed to TCH...

Cullen was a great little patient, and his tooth is doing just fine these days. I'm pretty sure only a mom would recognize how swollen his upper lip is in this picture. 

xoxo ashley

Little Cousins Fall Visit

Are y'all ready for this? Really really ready? I have got 32 drafts of blog posts just waiting to be completed, and I'm going to try to get it done. Here goes...

Back in October (yeah, I know it's been five months), Steph and the kids came to visit. It was so fun to see her kids interact with the newest addition, and I love getting to spend time with them. Luckily, I was still on maternity leave, so I got to soak up lots of activities. It was especially great for Cullen.

Cullen loved showing off for the camera. I think he was a little jealous of all the attention Harrison got from Lauren.

It's a long drive from Kentucky, but it's a lot more fun in an RV! The kids loved playing in it even when it was parked. 

Cassidy with Harrison

Carly with Harrison

Lauren really took ownership of Harrison, and she really enjoyed getting to cuddle with him. Even Hunter took a turn! I can't wait to see them all again in just a few weeks!

xoxo ashley

Merry Christmas from the Family

It has been nearly three months since my last blog post. Oh well... I've been spending every moment busy as can be, and I've hardly felt any guilt over it. 

Alas, I mailed Christmas cards this past weekend directing people to our blog to keep up with what's going on. Oops. So here's my promise. Check back in a couple of weeks. There will be more updates than you can shake a stick at. And until then...

Merry Christmas to all! Remember the reason for the season, and enjoy the time with your family!

xoxo ashley