8 Month Checkup

Declan had his 8 month well-child checkup today at 8.5 months.

He weighs 19.5 lbs (50%) and 29.5 in (90%). He still has a big head (95%)! Hehehe.
When he was a teeny tiny, he was a little chunk, but now he is tall and skinny.

He is eating 3 meals a day + 24-30 oz of formula a day. We are integrating more and more people food every day, such as cheese quesadillas, eggs, chicken, ground turkey. 

He is CONSTANTLY on the move. Crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything. He is my little wild man! I have a feeling he will be walking before we even know it!

Sleep is not going so well right now. He is difficult to put down because he has started getting separation anxiety. He cries as soon as we walk out of the room. :( When we hold him, he wants to get down and crawl around. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he cries until he gets a bottle. Our pediatrician told us to let. him. cry. So we are gonna try that!

He still loves his baths. We have not really had a "bedtime ritual" up to this point, so we are going to start working on that. My plan is to have a bath at 7, followed by a bottle, brushing his teeth (5+3 more coming in!!!!), reading a book, and putting him in his bed.

He is becoming more and more verbal everyday. He says "ma ma ma ma ma" when he is upset or really tired.  He has also started "copying" a certain noise he does.

And the best thing ever - he's giving kisses! Melts. My. Heart. He opens his mouth really wide and leans in to your face. It is the most precious thing EVER!

Baby Declan,

 You are the most amazing little man. You have such a cute personality, and I can definitely see that you are going to give me a run for my money. Please forgive me for letting you cry in your crib. Know that it is hard for me, but I know that it is best for you and our family. I love you so so much, and I am always here for you! I can't wait to see how you continue to change in the next 3 months. Your next appointment at the doctor will be your 1 year appointment. I can't even believe it!! 

I love you to the moon and back!

Momma

An Update

It makes me sad that it has been so long since my last post. When I first started this ole' bloggy, it was with the intention of documenting our life, not only for my friends far away, but also as a way for us to look back from the future. And now I'm disappointed that I have been unable to keep it up. Life just gets in the way sometimes, ya know?

That being said, a lot has happened since my last post.

My child turns 8 months old in 5 days. 8 months old! I can't even believe it. He has turned in to the sweetest little man - with quite the temper, of course - and I just love him to pieces! 

He now has 3 teeth, all on the bottom. I keep worrying, "what if he doesn't have any teeth on top?" My mom tells me I worry about the weirdest things. Hehehehe.

Declan started officially crawling in Disney World. Oh wait, you didn't know we went to Disney World? Ooops! I had a research project to present in Orlando in October, so we decided to make a family trip out of it. See?

And here is my little peanut crawling around at home:

Don't worry, he didn't have a stroke. That's just a new face he's doing these days.

I just returned from a 24 hour trip to North Carolina. No pictures of that, as I was busy interviewing and touring the hospitals. That's right...I'm interviewing for residency. It's crazy stressful, but crazy fun. I have 9 interviews scheduled from now until January. All over the country. From Colorado to North Carolina. Pray for me.

And here's my little pumpkin, with a pumpkin:

And what does a 7 month old do when surrounded by a pile of leaves?

Well, he eats them of course.

Declan was a dinosaur for Halloween. The most precious, green with irridescent scales, dinosaur in the world. Mommy didn't take any pictures. She's still trying to convince Daddy to dress him up again and take some pictures. So hopefully you will see some soon! ;)

So that's all I've got for now. Hopefully you will hear from me again sooner than later!

The Delta Fair and a Celebration

Every year, the Delta Fair comes to the Agricenter. I thought this would be something fun for the three of us to do, especially since it has cooled off so much outside.

It was not exactly what I expected, but it was still nice to spend some time with my boys doing something new.

 {Declan dressed up for the occasion}

 {Me and the boy}

 {Declan meets a goat}

 {This man tried to guess Patrick + Declan's weight. He guessed 160. Really?!?!}

 {So we won a stuffed snake}

 {And then we had ProntoPups}

 {And you can't go to a fair without having Fried Oreos}

{They look better than they tasted}

We also tried to attend the circus they were having. Declan was not having all of those loud noises, so we had to leave. We did meet the "tiniest woman in the world." I don't know why, but we were expecting an optical illusion, and not a real woman. She was real, and it was sad how she was on display.

{Overall, I think he had a great time!}

After the fair, we went to Swanky's for Susan's birthday, and a celebration for Heather, who just finished her first round of tests in medical school.

 {Declan hanging out with Jason and Aaron}

{Our sweet (and crazy) Susie Q - the birthday girl}

Not bad for a random Wednesday afternoon!

Belly Laughs

Declan has been giggling for quite a while, but he finally had his first belly laugh yesterday. I was on the phone, and he was laying in front of me. Everytime I would speak, he would start cracking up. Once I got off the phone, I got the tail end of his laughing spree on video. Please excuse the horrible videography - I have to hide the phone from him or he becomes so distracted!

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Bad momma

Yesterday was a rough day.
I had just gotten off my 30 hr shift, and I went to pick Declan up from Patricks parents. When we got home, I had just finished feeding him, and we were sitting on the couch. Declan was laying on the couch.

I turned my head for one second, and heard a loud thud. I looked over in a panic, already realizing what had just happened. Declan rolled off the couch, onto our hardwood floors.

I immediately scooped him up, and tried to console him. He cried for about 5 minutes, and then wanted to go to sleep. I put him in his carseat and drove him to LeBonheur.

By the time we got there, he was resting comfortably, and I was a wreck. The initial assessment by the nurses was that he was fine, but they were going to let the doctors take a look at him.

We were taken to a room, and Patrick met us there soon after. Declan perked up really quickly, and was having a good old time.

We saw the resident first. I immediately recognized him, as I'm currently on my rotation at LeBonheur. He was great, and expressed no concern. The attending ED physician came in and saw him, and said we didn't need any imaging, as he appeared perfectly fine and there is always a risk to any imaging. What a relief!

By the time we were discharged, Declan was worn out!




I should say that I feel so guilty about this experience. I know that it can happen to anyone, but it doesn't make it any easier to see your baby in fear and pain. I will never forget the look on his face when I looked over and saw him on the floor!

One of the points that the physician made was that you should always be prepared a month ahead. If you think your babe is going to roll in the next month, be more careful leaving him on elevated places. If you think that he will crawl soon, don't leave anything dangerous on the floor.

So I hope this advice helps prevent some of my mommy friends from having a similar experience!

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Declan figures out his new toy

This weekend we bought Declan a baby activity center. I think he loves it already! He really enjoys being able to look around the room and be a little more "independent."

Here's a little video of the little man trying to figure out his new toy:

P.S. Please excuse the drool hanging from his mouth - we are teething! :)

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We have hair!

When I was pregnant, I had wicked heartburn. I swore my baby was going to have a head full of hair. Much to our surprise (or not, if you look at our baby pictures), the kid was completely bald when he was born!!

Tonight when I was giving him a bath, I noticed he is starting to grow a little more!

It's looking like he's gonna be a little brown hair, blue-eyed boy!



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4 Years Ago

4 Years Ago

{I married my best friend.}


3 Years Ago
{We celebrated 1 year by going on a picnic.}


2 Years Ago
{We celebrated 2 years by going out to dinner.}


1 Year Ago
{We celebrated 3 years by spending the weekend at the casinos.}


And 6 Weeks Later
{We heard the most beautiful sound ever - a tiny heartbeat!}


And 8 Months Later
{We met our precious baby boy!}



Patrick,
I am so glad that I met you 13 years ago. I am so glad we both knew, at such a young age, that someday we would be married and have many beautiful children. I am so glad that we are fulfilling all of our dreams together. I can't imagine being on this journey with anyone else but you. You are the most amazing husband and father, and I am thankful for you every day!
Happy 4th Anniversary, babe!
-Alicia

Baby Cooler

Sometimes Declan gets a little overheated...




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4 Months

Declan,

You are 4 months old today, and you...

are getting chubbier and chubbier everyday - you love you some food! :)
are consistently rolling over from your tummy to your back
smiling at me every time you see me, and I LOVE it!
starting to grab at your toys, and you are close to gripping them
rub your lovie in your face when you are falling asleep
hate getting dressed. You cry every time I put clothes on you!
are starting to chew and drool a lot - are you teething?
still like your paci, but usually only when you are tired
are getting so much better with alone time. We can just leave you on the floor to play.
still love when I give you your baths
sleeping in your own room - my big boy!
are learning your voice. It is just adorable to hear you in the backseat talking!
love when I read you books
chuckle every once in a while, and it is precious!

You are such a joy in my life! I am so proud to be your mom! I can't wait to see the changes you continue to make! I love you!

-Momma

My Cupcake

Happy 4th!

I hope you all had an amazing Independence Day!

Patrick was at work, so Declan and I had a lazy morning. We went to Patrick's grandparents to swim this afternoon. It was super hot, though, so we stayed inside!!

Declan wore the sweetest blue and red outfit. The shirt has a crab - perfectly appropriate for my crabby boy! :)


And he had the cutest little plaid swim trunks. I. DIE.

Sleep

I know that I am going to regret it as soon as I type this, but sleep is going great!!

When Declan was born, he was waking up every 3 hrs initially. At 9 weeks, he started waking up twice a night, at 2 and 5. Now, for the last few weeks, Declan has been sleeping from 9 to about 5:30 or 6.

He takes multiple naps throughout the day, usually lasting 30-45 minutes. He has one afternoon nap that lasts 2-3 hrs.

Declan slept in our room until he was 15 weeks old. He slept in the newborn part of the pack n play, and then we started putting him in the swing when he didn't fit in that anymore. Now he sleeps in his swing in his own room. We are going to transition him to his crib eventually, but we are enjoying the sleep too much right now!!

We are currently working on good sleep habits. We no longer allow him to fall asleep or sleep in our arms. We put him down right as he is getting sleepy. Apparently, this is important in teaching him how to self soothe. That way, when he wakes up in the middle of the night, he can soothe himself back to sleep.

We also do not allow him to fall asleep while or right after eating. We follow the Eat-Play-Sleep routine.

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Baby Food

So far, Declan has tried organic brown rice cereal, carrots, peas, sweet potatoes, and green beans.

His favorite is sweet potatoes, followed by carrots, and then peas. He DOES NOT like green beans. He makes the funniest face when he swallows them. (I tried to get a picture, but it's difficult balancing a camera, a bowl, and a baby that can't sit up on his own.) I'm going to try the green beans a few more times, especially since I have a whole batch frozen in my freezer. I'm hoping he learns to love them, and I can teach him to not be a picky eater like his dad! :)

I have been making baby food for about a week now, and it is going great! The processor we bought is so convenient. We buy all organic fresh and frozen veggies. I've never tasted "real" baby food, but I can tell you the stuff I make tastes like veggies. It is good!!

I plan on making squash next. I'm hoping he likes it, since it's the same texture as potatoes or carrots, but not as sweet. I'm hesitant to start the fruits because I don't want him to turn his nose up at veggies from that point on.

Declan nurses/takes a bottle every 3 hours. I am still nursing 2-3 times a day, pumping at work, and we are giving him formula in between. I did not think that I would be able to nurse for this long with me having such a crazy schedule. I'm so glad I can, because I love it!! And I know it is so good for him!! I will definitely be disappointed when we quit!

Sorry for this random post, but I wanted to be able to come back someday and see what I was feeding Deckers! :)

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My big boy!

At 15 weeks, Declan had his 4 month check-up.




He is a monster!!
He weighs 16.5 lbs (85th percentile) and is 25 in long (70th percentile). His head is in the 92nd percentile!!

He is still not rolling over, but the Dr said not to be concerned because he's got a lot of extra weight to move! Haha!!

We got the go-ahead to start solid foods and juice.

I immediately went to Williams Sonoma and bought their baby food maker - I love the idea of making his food.



Isn't it precious!!

We tried cereal last week, and Decs was not a fan. So I made carrots last night, and he LOVED them!! He ate way more than we thought he would!!







It is so much fun feeding him real food!!

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Happy Memorial Day!

I am so thankful to be off work today. Of course, Patrick is working, so Declan and I have had a lazy morning!



Happy Memorial Day, y'all!!

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Back to Work

I went back to work this week. And I LOVE it. I thought it would be hard, and it was. But now that I'm back, I'm thankful to have this as my future profession. I love taking care of my own baby at home, and I now realize how hard it is to be a SAHM - power to you ladies!! But I also love taking care of other people,too. I love coming home at night to my sweet baby, knowing I made a difference in someone else's life.

This week was Patrick's first week at home with Declan. I received this text this morning:
"He is a professional stay awake artist. And I am losin it. Come home please so I can clean this house." Haha!! I think it's so funny, bless his heart! I know he will get the hang of it soon!

I'm looking forward to a weekend with my boys!!

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My Favorite Room in the House

I think that one of the most special things about being pregnant is decorating a nursery. For months, I handpicked every little detail, with the idea that everything had to be perfect for my little man. I would get home from work, and Patrick would build me a pallet in the middle of Declan's room so I could just lay there and think about my son. For months I imagined myself rocking him to sleep in his cream glider, changing his diaper under his big initials, putting his clothes away in the dresser that was his great-great-aunts, and laying him in his sweet crib surrounded by safari animals. It quickly became my favorite room in the house!

I finally got around to taking pictures of Declan's nursery. I am not as good with the camera as Patrick, so the pictures do not do it justice, but you get the idea!

{30 weeks pregnant}

When I look at the last picture of his changing table, I chuckle to myself. Four months ago I would have been mortified by the plastic mobile and the straps hanging off. Oh, how things change when you have a screaming little one. We got the mobile as a gift, and after weeks of scream-filled diaper changes, my mom convinced me to use it. He absolutely LOVES that mobile. Sometimes I strap the kid in, sit on the floor, and just let him watch the thing go round and round!

Mothers Day 2011

My first Mothers Day was more than I could ever imagine!
I told Patrick that Mothers Day may be my new favorite holiday...I just love it! Ha!

The morning started off great with flowers and breakfast in bed - french toast, fruit, and a mimosa - yummmm-oooo!
When I was finished eating, Patrick brought me a beautifully wrapped present. It was the sweetest picture book that he had made on iPhoto with lots of pictures of me and Declan.
After that, Declan and Patrick brought in ANOTHER present. I was so surprised! I opened it, and it was a David Yurman ring with an "aquamarine" stone. Aquamarine is Declan's birthstone, so it just meant so much to me! I absolutely love it, and every time I look at it, I think of my boys!





Then we all started getting ready for church. It was Declan's first time to go to church, so we were really excited. We sat in the cry room, and he did pretty well. We fed him right when we got there, and he mainly just looked around while we held him the whole time. I loved carrying him up to get communion and him getting blessed.

After church, we came home and immediately started getting ready for our get-together. We had my family and Patrick's family over for lunch. It was a beautiful day, so we spent a lot of time swinging on our front porch and just spending time together. We ate meat loaf, grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Patrick's parents got me a St. Declan medal with an inscription on the other side that said Declan's name and birthdate. I was so excited! It was so nice having everyone over to celebrate the moms and grandmoms!