Trying to Improve

I can hardly believe it has been a month since I last updated. My goal is to post once or twice a week. I guess there's a little room for improvement here.

Per the usual, we have been going non-stop. We had Cullen's first haircut, his baptism, his first flight and trip out of state, and his first Garner trip. Whew. Needless to say, we will be taking a break from travelling and overwhelming activities for a couple of weeks.

Cullen was such a great sport about his haircut. He sat on my lap, stayed relatively calm, and strolled out of Visible Changes with the cutest mohawk I have EVER seen. Since we didn't get a very good shot of the mohawk on camera, I'm considering recreating it for his zoo trip this weekend.

The day after the fabulous haircut was Cullen's baptism. We had such an awesome time with friends and family. We had a great crowd at the church and 30 people over for lunch afterwards! It was so fun to catch up with friends and so fabulous to see Cullen's happy expressions at church. I just pray every night that James and I can be role models for Cullen's faith as he grows!

My favorite picture from that entire day is from the end of the day. Cullen and Scout were both so wiped out from the day's excitement, and they took a nap in the middle of the floor together. Too precious for words!

After a very brief recovery from the hoopla of that weekend, we started packing for our trip to California. Cullen finally got to meet his great grandparents on the Shuler side of the family. It was a high-stress trip, but we are so glad we got to make it. I don't think either of us wants to fly with an infant in the foreseeable future, and I don't think I would recommend it to others. As it turns out, there are an awful lot of people in the world who hate children. On the positive side, Cullen really enjoyed the fresh air in Morro Bay!

Of course, the most entertaining thing for Cullen was that his inflatable duck bathtub kept showing up in every new place we went. That thing is beyond entertaining for him, and it really creates some entertainment for us, too. His favorite bath activity is to flip over on his belly and wiggle while you wash his hair.

Of course, there is no rest for the weary, so we headed straight to Concan as soon as we got back from California. Cullen spent more time than I ever thought possible in the pool and river. I'm amazed by the fact that I have a water baby! Now I just need to make sure he never knows about my fear of water. I love how much he enjoyed the pool, and I was seriously proud! Cullen is even sporting a little tan. Considering the fact that he wore SPF 70, I'm a little shocked. At least he didn't get burned!

Every day is so fun with Cullen right now. He has started some really primitive crawling/dragging, and he's even getting more vocal. Last night, he woke up at 2 and stayed awake for 45 minutes saying ba ba ba. So amazing! He'll be talking before we know it!

This weekend we'll be celebrating James' first father's day. In all honesty, I feel more excited about it than he seems to show. On Saturday, Cullen is making a fun trip to the zoo to check out the monkeys and the dinosaur exhibit. I know I can't wait!

xoxo ashley

Half A Year

Six months isn't a long time period, but it can take forever to run it's course. When I look back over the last six months, I am absolutely in shock. My little boy is six months old today. Wow.

Over the last six months, I have grown as a person. Maybe I physically lost 40 pounds, but I also gained so much wisdom and love that I never anticipated. Being a mom is such an amazing experience. I've heard people say that you can never be completely prepared to be a parent. It is SO true, but I felt sure that I had waited long enough to be almost prepared. I don't feel like I'm behind at all, but I learn new things everyday. Yesterday, I learned that my son likes to flail like a fish in his little duck bathtub and laugh. The day before that, I learned that sweet potatoes are harder to scrape off a highchair than oatmeal is. Every single day is something new. I can't wait to learn today's lesson.

There are moments when I wish for peace that will never come, but I will never wish that I didn't have my son. He is a blessing and my everything. God has truly blessed my last six months. The best part is that I have a whole lifetime of blessings to come. I am one lucky girl.

Blessed

Have you ever been so busy that you are given a chance to forget how blessed you are? I love those moments! Sometimes we neglect the opportunity to be thankful for our blessings. Today, I am taking a step back. I have so many amazing things in my life, and I couldn't be much happier!

There really isn't much to update today. Just a reminder to praise God for your blessings when you send up your prayers!

When Did We Get So Busy?

I just now realized that I've been at work for over three hours. I think I've been productive this morning, but I'm not really sure. Every time I get a stack cleared off my desk, I get another one to start. This job is a blessing and a curse. The best of a bad situation. I can do this job, and it certainly is nothing taxing to me. I am actually getting paid more than I was in Austin, and I have two people doing most of my work for me. We shall see how long I can subsist on busy work before I start picking up extra tasks. How blessed am I to want more work?

Little Cullen doesn't seem so little anymore. He is growing so much, and every day he is doing new things. In less than 2 weeks, he will already be 6 months old. Wow! On Saturday night, I woke up to his screams of terror. It is always an interesting walk up the stairs, because you never know why he is screaming. Sometimes he has a leg stuck through the crib slats, sometimes he turned on the water toy in the crib and it won't stop, sometimes he's just angry. Saturday night, Cullen learned how to put himself up on all fours. Ah! It is so funny how babies learn new things and don't now how to undo them. As soon as I helped Cullen back to his belly, he was out like a light. I am frightened and delighted to admit that his creeping may be turning to crawling soon!

Yesterday, we went with the Amends to Independence, Texas to see the original Baylor campus and take Cullen's pictures in the bluebonnets. After all, his first bluebonnet season only happens once. :) The big plan was a leisurely stroll through Old Baylor Park, followed by pictures and lunch at a kitschy diner. Sounds perfect, right?

After making a full tour of Old Baylor Park, we find that there are NO bluebonnets. None. Not even one random one. Did someone mow the fields or something? So we decided to trek over to the former women's campus. I kept thinking that I must have misread the website. Clearly, we weren't in the right place...  So we walk around the pillars at the women's campus and find no flowers again. I seriously read earlier this month that Independence had the best display of bluebonnets in the state of Texas.

At this point, I am next to tears and really ticked off. We had driven over an hour, and there was nothing. James swore that he saw a field on our drive in, so were decided to get some lunch and take the pictures afterwards. On to our diner lunch, right? Ha. Apparently, everything that isn't a chain in the entire Brenham/Independence area has closed down lately, so we ended up eating lunch at Chili's. Hm. After lunch, we finally found a beautiful field of wildflowers. It wasn't what I had dreamed, but it totally worked. We got some beautiful photos of Cullen and our little family before heading back to Katy.

All in all, the day was an amazing success. It definitely didn't turn out as planned, but it was perfect in just about every way. We were blessed to have a fun day with friends under the bluest skies we've seen in a while.

Now here we are on another Monday. When did the weekend stop happening? I am exhausted, and I'm pretty sure I never rested. Just in case you haven't thought about it lately, hug a working mom this week. Not to be totally selfish, but I don't think we get the credit we deserve.

Changes Are Happening

Today is my second day of work. My second day of work since having Cullen. My second day of work since September. My second day of work in 2010. It is also Cullen's second day in daycare. I cannot even begin to convey the pain I went through yesterday when I had to drop him off for the first time. Ouch.

Let's review how this situation got started.

A couple of weeks ago, James and I agreed that it was time to build our savings up a bit and see if I could find a part-time job. Part-time. Ha. We sent my resume out to a few people we knew, and I was asked to come in for an interview at Gallagher almost immediately. Within the week, I had a job offer, and here I am a full-time employee. I know that I should feel blessed to have a job so easily, but it is so tough to leave your baby in someone else's care. James reminded me yesterday that it is my fault for being an intelligent, employable person.

The main upside to the new job is that I am just down the street from James. Right now, the three of us drive in together, we drop off Cullen at daycare, James drops me off at my office, and then he drives to his office. We are all on one little span of the same street. In the afternoons, I exchange my heels for sandals and walk down to James' office. Come July, I will get to work flex-time and take off every other Friday. I don't think I could ask for a much better office job. Now we can pay off bills and put money in savings. Woohoo!

Cullen is really starting to master the whole eating thing. We still have some really tough days, but it is a work in progress. He is already weighing in at over 16 pounds, and I find it hard to believe that he has grown so much! Our best milestone EVER occurred last night. Cullen slept from 10:30 last night until 5:30 this morning. We'll see tonight if it was a fluke or if we are starting a trend. My next goal is to actually go to bed by 10. If I did that, I might actually feel rested today.

Here's to hoping that work and sleep continue to go positively. I want to be a happy mommy for my sweet little boy and a fantastic wife for my amazing husband.

Learning Patience

All of my life, I've heard that patience is a virtue. I definitely agree with this thought, but it doesn't come easily. I am forced every single day of my life to be patient. With a lot of practice and a lot of prayers, it is getting easier.

Cullen is the best teacher of patience. At 4:15 this morning, I realized that I was only rocking myself to sleep. Patience. Here it is 5:30 in the evening, and I am waiting for him to wake up from a nap. Patience.

Yesterday, Cullen had his four-month check-up. He is doing great! He is a tall, skinny little guy with a winning smile. God really blessed us with an awesome son! The most news-worthy part of yesterday's appointments was the doctor's declaration that Cullen is ready to start solids. I am scared out of my mind! I went to the store and stocked up on a few different items that will help me make baby food. You read it right. I want to make his baby food. Keep tuning in to see how that one turns out. :-) Our first attempt will be on Friday when James and I can make this big step as a family!

On a sadder note, sweet little Layla Grace passed away yesterday. She was only two years old, and it totally broke my heart. I never met her or her family, but I cried when I heard the news. After reading one particular entry from her mother on laylagrace.org a few weeks ago, I realized that I needed to work on being patient. One day at a time, I am learning patience. Have you learned patience?

Spring Is Coming

Spring is coming. I feel absolutely certain of it. Cullen, Scout and I took a long walk today, and little man felt the wind on his toes for the very first time. I'm pretty sure he loved it. I have recently been making an effort to get outside with Cullen at least 3 times a week. Going for walks in the neighborhood, jogging in Memorial Park, or just swinging in the backyard. I want him to love fresh air.

After nearly two weeks of misery and sickness in our house, things are finally looking up. We are continuing breathing treatments with Cullen, but it is all getting easier. Maybe he'll even go back to sleeping at nights soon. I'm not getting my hopes up. Having a sick baby is probably the worst feeling in the whole world.

I am trying to remember to be grateful for the health we have in our home. In a previous post, I mentioned a little girl with cancer. If you are interested in learning more about her and better ways to pray for her family, the website is laylagrace.org. Layla Grace is a beautiful little girl, and she has been such a blessing for me. I have never met her, but she has reminded me to be thankful for my many blessings, to pray each time it crosses my mind, and she has helped me get up on Sunday mornings and get my little family to church. Each week, we are trying out a new church until we find one that feels like home.

Today, Cullen is four months old. It is so hard to believe that four months has already flown by. Some days, it seems like he looks more like a little boy than a baby. I am torn between pride and tears. God has blessed us with a beautiful, healthy baby boy, and I don't think I could love him any more. One of my favorite activities is watching him sleep. It amazes me how deeply babies sleep.

Lately, Cullen has been taking naps after his breathing treatments. I do the treatments with him wearing only a diaper so that his clothes don't get damp, so he naps in just a diaper. I honestly think he naps better this way. Just a diaper, sprawled out, clutching his frog in his hot little hand. I love my son.