And Baby Cullen Makes 4

Our sweet baby boy made his debut on February 6th, 2010. Robert Cullen Cadriel was born at 11:02pm, weighing 7 pounds 15 ounces, and was 20 1/2 inches long. What a special and life changing day for our family.

I realize this update is coming almost two months after Cullen was born, but I still wanted to fill everyone in...

Cullen has been a wonderful addition to our life. From the second we saw his face, it was as if he had been with us all along. Now, I can't imagine not knowing him or having him be a part of our family. It's amazing how that happens in an instant. Having a son has been just as amazing of an experience for both Bobby and I as it is to have a daughter. Both relationships are so special and we are loving getting to experience both of them.

Cullen is growing fast and changing everyday. Babies only stay small for such a short time. His newest accomplishment: Smiling! Oh, to see that little face smile for the first time made my day :). I'm trying to take everything in and make sure I savor what I can of each phase. Can't wait to see what he accomplishes next!

He's just now giving us 5-7 hours of sleep at night. 7 is lucky, haha, but at least it's not every 3 hours anymore, which is really nice. Never do you appreciate sleep more than when you have a baby who finally gives you a small break! Since we are bottle feeding, Bobby has been a great help at night, so the tag teaming has made a significant difference in our amount of sleep.

Layla is great big sister! We have not had any jealousy issues or problems with her acting out (beyond the normal 2 year old stuff), thank goodness! Our biggest thing has been that she loves Cullen so much that she just wants to be around him all the time, and isn't always gentle. We are working on showing her how to love Cullen without sitting on him or rubbing her face in his, haha. She's doing amazing, though, with all of the changes.

Potty training is still in full force and Layla is getting better each day! She is no longer wearing diapers at night, and has managed to keep her bed dry more often than not. We are still working on #2, but she is leaps and bounds better and more willing than she's every been, so we're making big strides. Bobby and I are really proud of her. She's done an excellent job not regressing with all the changes that's happened in her life these past few months.

Layla will be starting preschool in the fall, two mornings a week, at Bellevue Christian Preschool. We are so excited that she is going to have something that is just hers, where she can grow, learn, and make friends. It's hard to believe she is old enough to be planning for this big step, but it's time, and she's ready. She is going to have an amazing experience.

As for Bobby and I, we are doing well. Going from one kid to two has been an adjustment and definitely requires more negotiating between he and I about who does what, when, but overall we're doing awesome. Bobby loves his job, and they are treating him very well there. I'm consistently grateful for how hard he works for our family and that he is in a place he enjoys. As for me, well, I'm trying to figure out what I want to be/do when I grow up. Being a mom is the most amazing accomplishment and I feel so blessed to have the privilege of being a mother of two, but I am still me, and still want to be growing and learning for myself. I don't know what that looks like yet, but I'm more open to new things than I've ever been.

Life is good and we love being a family of 4! Thanks for letting us share our life with you!

Here are a few pictures of Cullen's arrival...