New Stages.

Cullen has now moved from the high chair to a booster chair at the dinner table. He feels like quite the big boy! After he began trying to climb out of his high chair during meal time, we decided it was time for him to join us.

Cullen got his stitches out last week. It was quick and painless - literally. He didn't even flinch when the nurse took out the two stitches.

I think we may be entering our "terrible twos". Cullen is not fond of hearing the word "No", yet it seems to be his favorite word to say. Hopefully, this is a short-lived phase. Even though we are frustrated at times, we still think he's adorable.

Stitches 2010.

I have titled this entry stitches 2010 after coming to the realization that we are raising a little boy and will probably endure a few trips to the ER for stitches in the future. Hopefully, none too serious! Cullen fell and hit his head on the coffee table and split his forehead open. Thankfully Grandma Liz and Grandpa Mark were here to help the frazzled parents. Within 5 minutes, the bleeding and crying had stopped, Cullen said goodbye and kissed Grandma "Wiz", "Bapa", and "Mase", and we were out the door. He was such a little trooper. The worst part came when mom and dad had to help hold him still while the good doctor put in 2 stitches. He was numb from the Novocain, but the stitching up process was still pretty traumatic for the little guy. Afterward, Cullen took a 2 hour nap and woke up ready to play. Needless to say, we all survived our first trip to the ER.

Playtime with Mason.

Happy New Year!

The Christmas Spirit.

Now that Cullen has entered our lives, the true spirit of Christmas is present. And speaking of presents, Cullen raked them in. Here's a photo collage of Christmas celebrated over 3 days. You'll notice that Cullen loves spending time with family, but is not so happy about Santa. Maybe next year.

It was a great holiday. Plans had to be rearranged due to the weather, but we managed to get in all of the major family celebrations. And our best present was returning to our newly remodeled home. While Christmas decorations were lacking, it didn't matter. Because really, there's no place like home!

Merry, Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!

Ho. Ho. Ho.

We love you all.

From Santa 2009

Let It Snow

They say that writing is one of the best forms of therapy and after watching the Packers get beat on a last second TD and my top seeded fantasy team upset, therapy is needed. In my younger years a day like this would have been an automatic trip to the local watering hole, but as I have wised-up with age, the written word seems to be the smarter and less painful way to go.

It is an exciting time in the Swanson household. Our addition is winding down and we have begun the process of moving back in this weekend. It has been an interesting and educational process, watching our house ripped apart and then rebuilt. It feels good to see the finished project and we couldn't be happier with the result. We can't wait to be back there permanently. That's not to say that our current arrangements haven't been stellar. Many thanks go out to Bob and Mary Anne for housing us the last two and a half months. They have been an unbelievable help. While I know they wouldn't have had it any other way, it is still quite a sacrifice to have your house turned upside down by the constant chaos of a 21 month old.

Cullen has been enjoying his first winter on his feet. We got knocked with a huge snow storm a couple weeks ago and Cullen was ready to go. The snow pants went on and Dad put him to work...child labor laws, pfft. He grabbed his shovel and pushed some snow around. He took a few breaks to pick up, examine, and eventually eat the snow. Thankfully, Camp hadn't colored it up yet.

The holiday season is upon us and I'm about to get a bit sappy, so if you are turned off by this sort of thing I suggest you end the reading portion here and move on to pictures. Alright, still with me? Good. As I was saying the holiday season is upon us and I always enjoy taking a step back this time of year. Alot of stuff gets lost in the hustle of the world. Days come and go, decisions are made, and the things that seem so important at a moment are really insignificant in the grand scheme of things. The things that tend to get taken for granted, friends, family, health are really all that matters. So from our family to yours. Have a Happy Holiday and we hope to see you soon.