Exciting Firsts

As we all know, Cullen is growing and changing every day. He is crawling like a pro, clapping, and even pulling up. Daycare told us yesterday that he is starting to cruise on the cribs, so we're looking forward to seeing that one at home.

On Monday, they went ahead and graduated Cullen to his next classroom. I'm almost glad it happened so quickly, because I didn't have a chance to get anxious about it. From what I understand, Miss Sylvia (his old teacher) is jealous of the new teacher, because she loves Cullen so much. When I got there Monday afternoon, he was napping in his old classroom. For the time being, he has a crib in both rooms. I love that his teachers love him. It sure does make dropping him off a whole lot easier.

One of my proud mom moments for the week was when I picked Cullen up yesterday. The director of the daycare told me that Cullen is by far the most advanced kiddo in his class. Not only is he crawling around better than the other kids, he is also the only one clapping. During music class yesterday, Cullen sat with the teacher and clapped his hands. I had to stop myself from letting her know that we already knew he was the best kid there. :)  My next project with him is waving. It doesn't take too much to thrill me.

Last week was my first week with a Friday off. Three day weekends are amazing, but they are incredible when I can consider the fact that it won't be months before my next one. I get another Friday off next week! Wahoo! Of course I celebrated by spending extra time relaxing and running errands.

My college roommate, Katie, came into town for the weekend. She arrived on Thursday and stayed until Sunday. I don't usually get to keep her for so long, so it was an extra thrilling time for me. We spent a good bit of time Friday shopping at the Galleria with Cullen. He was a really good sport for most of the trip, but his favorite part was the Nordstrom shoe department.

After purchasing his new Pedipeds (his back to school shoes for the fall that just happened to be a part of the anniversary sale), Cullen got his very first balloon. Funny how I don't recall getting a balloon when I bought my Uggs in the kids department. :) Cullen was completely enamored with the balloon, and it stayed by his side almost until bedtime that night. He really enjoyed playing with the string and teething on the balloon. I'm sure teething on a balloon is totally risk-free. I'm relatively certain that I'm not in the running for mom-of-the-year anyway. After the Galleria, Cullen had his first PF Chang's dinner provided by some of James' birthday gift cards. Thanks Lynn and Corie! Cullen really enjoys chicken fried rice, and I really enjoy his leftovers.

The next day, we went to a friends to go swimming and grill ribs. They are expecting a baby girl in the next couple of weeks, so it was fun for them to spend time with Cullen, and Cullen really enjoyed his time in the pool. I love seeing him so happy, and the day was made even better with the addition of sangria and loads of ribs. Someday in the not too distant future, Cullen will be eating ribs, too!

This weekend, Omi is coming into town. She hasn't seen Cullen since he was just a few weeks old, so we are all looking forward to her seeing the changes he's made. Maybe I can even squeeze a haircut into Saturday morning before their visit. With Omi living states away, it's nice for Cullen to look his best for his Omi. It will also be Cullen's first chance to meet one of my cousins, since Shannon will be making the trip with Omi. It is so nice to spend our time with family!

xoxo Ashley