This week I had too much fun visiting with family and spent too much time traveling across the country – I am late for my weekly update! Somehow we have entered into double digit territory – hard to believe. In fact, when we woke up Friday morning, Casey was convinced Cullen was only nine weeks old. Nope, he’s the big 1-0.
This was a big week for Cullen – his first Christmas, first plane ride, and first time traveling! These past ten weeks Cullen and I have figured each other out pretty well, and by now I have a good sense of his schedule and his cues. But I had no idea how my little man would do when taken out of his familiar environment and thrown into an unpredictable schedule.
One of the main changes I have noticed recently is my own confidence in taking care of him and incorporating him into my old everyday activities. In our first few weeks, Cullen’s mood and schedule dictated my every move, and I was terrified to take him anywhere for more than short periods of time because I felt he was so unpredictable.
Now I feel familiar and prepared enough that I can take him anywhere I need and know how to handle it. He rarely cries for reasons I can’t identify, and I feel pretty confident that I can usually make him happy. We are a really good team.
As we reach the double digit weeks, I can really tell that Cullen is growing and developing. His expressions are different, his stability is improving, and his sleeping and eating patterns are changing. It’s so fun to watch him continue to grow and change.
We spent this entire week out of town, and all things considered I think he handled things pretty well. The first few days in Indianapolis were really overwhelming for him. So many new hands, new dogs, new sounds, and new surroundings were a little too much for such a tiny person. Thank god for his grandpa running out to buy him a swing – it made our lives so much easier!
In addition to suddenly being passed around all day to family members, Cullen also had to deal with a three hour time change. Casey and I did our best to keep him on pacific time, meaning that he stayed up until 10:30pm with the rest of us! Usually by dinner he was ready for his nightly naked time.
We also discovered this week that he LOVES watching TV! At our house, I never watch TV during the day, and we only ever watch shows at night once he’s gone to bed, so he really never sees our TV turned on. His grandparents have a gigantic wall-mounted flat screen TV in their living room, and he was very content to sit on someone’s lap and stare at it for long stretches of time. He better not get used to it!
Once we left Indianapolis, we headed south to Cincinnati to see my side of the family, which meant that Cullen got to see his cousin Jonah again! Jonah is 6 months old now, and it’s amazing to me how different they are with four months between them. This was my mom’s first time seeing the boys together, and she was just beaming with grandma pride.
I can’t wait for a few more years when these guys are toddlers chasing each other around the house.
Now that we are back home, he is in full vacation recovery mode. The constant handling and stimulation was very fun, but also very tiring for this little guy. He’s catching up on a lot of much needed rest!
As this new year starts, it’s hard for me to believe that Cullen’s birth year is over. In a way it makes me sad, as 2011 will always have a very special place in my heart. But I can already tell that we will create so many special memories with Cullen in 2012.
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I love Cullen’s smile! He’s so handsome! Happy New Year to you and family :)
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I love the part about you being confident ;) I think that attitude alone makes you an excellent mother.
I obviously have no kids so I have no idea what I am talking about :)
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He is so adorable. It’s amazing that iit has been 10 weeks already! Happy new year!
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Our little one loves TV, too! For now we are sticking with Baby Einstein! Happy New Year!
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I can’t get over those pinstripe pants. So cute!!
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I’m glad you guys had a great vacation. That second photo is gorgeous! Good job Mama :D
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Cullen is beyond adorable. :) I find it so funny that being naked makes him happy. Hope ya’ll had a great New Years! I’m still loving the weekly updates.
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Wow, what a social butterfly that Cullen! Glad to hear he’s doing well in the new year :)
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I can’t get enough of Cullen! He’s just the cutest baby ever!
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It took me about 3 months to feel confident that I could handle whatever my kids threw at me while away from home. Congratulations on getting to that place @ 10 wks!
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Aww fantastic! Glad all was well with the travelling. Cullen is so adorable. Happy new year! Much love, from England.
http://hannahalehandra.blogspot.com/
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Emily
Your confidence shines in these great photos – good job all around
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I am sure it is so neat and rewarding to see how your confidence level, with Cullen, has matured over the past 10 weeks! It seems like you are doing such an awesome job with your little guy. I am trying to soak in all the little tid bits and momma advice I can get before our little girl arrives in May! :)
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Two words…BABY EINSTEIN!
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CAROL Reply:
January 2nd, 2012 at 5:08 am
And Happy New Year!! Looks like you had a great time!
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Cullen is SO stinkin’ cute! I love his smiley pictures, and the picture of him in the swing made me laugh out loud. As for the confidence, that will get better and better. I believe that babies are adaptable, and as long as you keep them on a predictable routine/schedule it will make it even easier. Of course, I use the word “schedule” loosely ;) Congratulations on a successful first time traveling!
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I love that red star onesie! Where did you get it? AFM, I was toddling between 2011 and 2012 for my baby’s birth year. Guess 2012 it is!
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Sounds like a great week for Cullen! It is amazing to see the size difference in the to babies with just 4 months in between then. hard to believe he will be that big so soon!
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He’s so cute! It’s really nice that your kids can both grow up together :)
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you did get some cute (clothed) first christmas photos! i thought he was naked in all of them. hahaha. i love the red outfit in front of the tree.
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Happy New Year! Just be glad he hasn’t seen elmo yet- or you’d be forced (by him) to buy out all of the elmo merchandise from every store you walk into.
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He is adorable, and a great traveler. Love those bamboo baby blankets too!
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Cullen gets more and more handsome by the second. Happy 2012 to you and your family!
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I love reading all of your updates on Cullen … makes me more and more excited to have my own baby boy in March.
Not sure if you’ve done this already or were planning on it … but do you think you can do a post on your favorite baby items? It seems like Cullen is really liking a lot of the baby equipment you use with him and it would be helpful for someone like me to know what brands and styles of things work well (and don’t work as well) for you and your little man.
thanks :)
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That will be so fun for Cullen and Jonah to have each other when they’re a little older. I have first cousins that are right around my age and I loved being with them as a kid (well, and now too!)
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Oh Emily, that last picture of Cullen is so beautiful. He looks so peaceful.
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He is so adorable and getting so big! Im glad your first big trip with Cullen was so good!
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I’m glad to hear you guys had a good trip! I’ve already said that I think Cullen looks like you, but I actually think he looks a lot like Jonah too now that I can see them together. He is such a cutie! Hope you are all resting up now that you are home again.
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The road is so much easier in some ways from here on out. you’re both familiar with one another and he’s more used to the world around him! Happy 10 weeks.
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I can’t believe he’s so old already!! I remember when you first found out you were expecting. Crazy how time flies…
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Ahhh he is STILL just the cutest baby ever!
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It is so nice that he and Jonah will be close in age for their whole lives. And it’s cool that the next generation is little dudes so far! :)
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I just can’t get over how cute Cullen is! So smiley! What a gorgeous family you have!
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Such a cute little reindeer shirt in that top pic!
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So sweet! Every time I see a Cullen post I get so excited and happy! :) He’s such a cute little guy.
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So sweet :) Glad your trip went well!
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I just want to eat him up he’s so cute!! Happy New Year to you and your family :)
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What a good little guy! I just love his nakey time. It is the cutest thing in the world.
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Cullen is starting to look more like you! I can’t believe he is 10 (almost 11) weeks!! Reminds me that my little girl is 3 months this week .. crazy!
Glad you guys had a great vacation!
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