"I'm two and a half and I'm gonna be three in October"

Ladies and Gentleman, Start your engines....normally one would here that in May but around the McGarr household it comes in October! We are having a Cars (Disney Movie) weekend to celebrate Brady's 3rd birthday! He woke up to the sounds of the movie playing on the "radio" - and he opened up a couple of presents from mom and dad and Cullen....Max (aka as Mack) and Lightning McQueen are now part of the household toy collection! Brady has really been a trooper the last couple of weeks with Cullen's surgery and his birthday couldn't have come at a better time! Cullen needs some new toys!!! Gotta love being the second sibling -- everything has that "worn" in feel to it...no worries about scratch and dents in Cullen's mind!

Brady (and us included) has finally gotten use to Cullen's new smile and we are not trying to constantly wipe it off and looking for the old one. For quite sometime, Brady would inform us that Cullen's boogers needed wiping...no longer, now we all rejoice in his snot bubbles! Now these are not your ordinary snot bubbles...Cullen had his tubes removed on Monday, Oct 5th at TCH. Without the stints in his nose, the nostrils have shaped themselves now and are much more narrow. Although it would seem that would affect Cullen's breathing, snoring, etc...it has only allowed him some serious bubble making abilities -- I am talking the size of big gum ball! Brady thinks it is quite funny and fortunately so does Cullen! While snot bubbles might seem a little gross and immature -- the constant sneezing of carrots, green beans, sweet potatoe baby food out of his nose before the surgery was all to often more disgusting and at the same time funny and immature -- you just kinda roll with it around the dinner table! Someday, I am sure Cullen will be the kid at the restaurant sticking a straw up his nose and -- you know what I am talking about -- we all did it!

From snot bubbles to real meat and potatoes. Cullen found out that after the surgery he could pretty much get away with anything, well just about, he decided that crawling was cool but the arm restraints had to go -- I think he wore them for about 3 days before the entire house including Sassy was like -- Alright, already -- we all need sleep! The arm restraints are commonly referred to an "no-nos" and if you are trying to get a laugh put a set on your 3 yr old and tell him to scratch his nose. Brady did what Rebecca refers to as the Elaine dance from Seinfeld! We did use the no-nos as prescribed and obided by the letter of the surgical law, however, there was definitely some fudging when sleep deprivation set in...and my was Cullen thankful. Cullen also decide that baby food was well for babies..he is now on to table food and likes his chicken, meatloaf, noodles, macaroni and cheese, but forget it if it begins with a VEG sound! He also enjoys the freedom of his tongue and can quickly down a bottle in 10 minutes flat -- progress from the 45 minute feedings! Also the squeezing of the Haberman and/or Pigeon bottles is gone..although the very good handshakes that Bec and I will have not to mention premature arthritis will remain. The Haberman and Pigeon bottles are great but definitely require a lot more attention than the new stage of Cullen sucking the life right out of the bottle!

Hearing is a wonderful thing. Cullen also got a set of T-tubes in his ears and they are doing very well. He can now understand when you call his name and he will stop, sit-up, turn his head, and then give you a great little smile! And if he is in the crawling mood -- he comes right to you! Now if he is in the "trying to stand" mood - forget it, hearing or no hearing, you are about to be ignored unless your part of the solution. Cullen really wants to walk and I suspect will be by Christmas! Somthing about seeing Brady have a "little" more fun than him...competition begins early! So Cullen's hearing is doing well and the ability to ignore is coming right along with it!

The weekend holds a lot of cake, candles, hats and fun for the family. We are having a school party with cupcakes and there is another little boy, Rylan, who is also celebrating his 3rd birthday. Brady and I went for haircuts yesterday in hopes that at least one of us would look younger in the birthday pictures. Rebecca has been working long and hard on the party stuff...we had some fun decorating last night. Hint: hang up the Pinata the next morning as it might fall around 6:00 A.M. and scare your wife and you will have to ease her concern by saying -- "it is OK, it was just the Lightning McQueen pinata in the kitchen, go back to sleep." Then you get out of bed and have to check it out! We have parties to go to tomorrow and with the nice weather rolling in we might take in a Rice vs. Navy free 2nd half. When you are 0-5 they pretty much do anything to get you to the game...we discovered this last year after Brady took a 3 hr nap and I still made everyone go to the game for the 2nd half. Sunday, Brady will be having a small family gathering with the McGarr clan! Burgers and cake and he wants "lots of candles, like Grammy and Granny!" Both of whom celebrated their 69th and 70th birthdays with Brady at their sides! He wants lots of candles -- did I mention that!

Happy Birthday kiddo as my dad always use to say....Happy Birthday