How big is Decky?

SO BIG!!

12 month stats....

We had Declan's 12 month appointment last week, and as usual, Declan hammed it up for his doctor. He showed him all his new tricks (so big, clapping, waving, etc), and even whipped out the car noises when we tried to distract him with his toy car before he had his shots. He was in such a good mood, we felt so bad that in a matter of minutes, he would have four shots, and a finger poke.

He did pretty well - cried during the pricks, but after they were done, he was happy to walk outside into the sunshine. He is still a growing boy at 23 pounds, 13 oz (50-75%) and he is 2 feet/5 inches (75-90%). It's so funny to refer to him as 2'5'' - so mini!

Declan has turned into quite the character in the last month and has been so funny to interact with. Some of his new things include:

- Waving hello and goodbye
- So big! Raising both arms when we as him, "How big is Decky?"
- Clapping - he was in love with this for about a month, but this has died down a bit recently.
- He loves to point at things and say, "what's that?", which sounds more like, "whas sat?"
- He has discovered tummies, and likes to lift our shirts up so he can point to our tummies. Then, he will lift his shirt up, and point to his belly.
- Some of his favorite foods are pineapples, bananas, goldfish crackers, pancakes, & watermelon
- He is not walking on his own yet, but is getting a little more brave when cruising alongside tables and walls.
- He loves to crack himself up and rough house with Luca. He is understanding the concept of "being gentle" a little more, and him and Luca have become such best buddies.
- He likes to put his hand over his mouth and make babababa noises.
- He has been off of bottles since he was 11 months old, and it was so easy! He didn't even notice we stopped - I think we got lucky!
- He LOVES bath time
- Tony and I wonder if all babies are flexible, because Declan is like pretzel and can wrap his leg around his head - it's so funny!
- He is a true boy and loves to bang his toys on everything.

Happy Mother's Day!

I had a great Mother's Day. I slept in until 7:30 a.m. (yes, that is sleeping in for me), and when I woke up, Declan and Tony were no where in sight. They came home about a half hour later with some Starbucks, flowers, and some other goodies. What a perfect way to start out the morning! Declan was feeling a little better, so we spent the morning playing with his new toys.

Then, my sister Katie hosted a brunch at her new house, which was a lot of fun. After brunch, I had a ton of errands I needed to run, so Tony watched Declan all afternoon so I could run around and get everything done. It was perfect - thanks Tony and Dec for the best Mother's Day!

The other day at daycare, the boys put Declan's hair in a mowhawk, and we thought it was so funny. We thought it would be cute to give him another one for Mother's Day.

Kisses from Bristol - her tongue is so long!

Hanging out with Great Grandma and Dad on the comfy couches

My little man sporting his new jammies

Dec's 1st Birthday

Poor Declan woke up the morning of his birthday with a fever. We could tell right away he was not feeling well. All he wanted to do was lay on Tony - his little sick face was so sad....

We had planned a party at my parents' house for Dec's birthday, so we decided to continue on, knowing full well that there was a chance Declan might sleep through his party.

Declan's 1st birthday cake

Grandma Caswell brought a beautiful fruit display. I had to take a picture of it before people started diving in!

The gang out on the deck grilling

Sisters!




Declan's other 1st birthday cake (this was partially for Tony too!)





Fast asleep on Grandma Caswell




We can't believe Declan is already a year old - we survived!

Declan and Tony taking a little nap....

We tried to see if Declan wanted some cake, but he wasn't very interested.

The poor thing felt so sick....

We took Dec to urgent care on the way home, and it turned out he had an ear infection. By the time we got home and fed him, he started to feel a little better, so Tony and I got to play with him a little before he went to sleep. He loved all of the new toys - thanks everyone!!

Back to Normal....

In true Shannon style, I may have over-reacted in worrying about our security settings last week. I know there were some people who had problems accessing the secured blog, so I have decided to keep it open. However, I ask that friends and family not to forward the blog onto people I do not know. While the internet can be a fabulous communication vehicle, it can also be a scary place. While we do our best to post pictures and content that is secure and safe, I do post with the intention of friends and family viewing. Thank you all for your help, and I hope you continue to enjoy our family updates!

A good reminder....

For those of you who received an invitation to our blog today, it is because I recently changed the security settings. My good friend Sarah posted a very eye-opening message on her blog reminding all of us to be careful about what we choose to post on our blogs, and to keep in mind that anything we post on here can potentially be viewed by anyone.

Although I always knew this, I haven't been keeping it in the back of my mind with each post I put out here, so moving forward, we are just going to be a little more selective on the content/pictures and who we allow to view our blog. Sarah posted an interesting article in case anyone is interested in reading: Blogging smart: How to protect yourself and your family online.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week! We are gearing up for Dec's big first birthday on Saturday!

Weeeee!

I usually pick Declan up from daycare at night, and by the time Tony gets home from work, Declan is usually finishing up dinner and getting ready for bed. He loves when dad gets home and they get to play for a while. He loved going on Tony's shoulders. It's so funny...he just giggles uncontrollably.

Rich and Angela

We had our very good friends, Rich and Angela over Saturday night to grill out. Angela made a delicious potato salad, and introduced us to grilled bananas for dessert. She always bakes the yummiest recipes! Luca absolutely loves them and wouldn't leave their sides. Literally, all night long....as if she never gets attention from Tony and I at home. Thanks for a great night guys!

The Radio Flyer

Tony and I got Declan a Radio Flyer wagon for his 1st birthday. It was a week early, but because it was so nice out today, we decided to give it to him and try it out in the front yard while Tony cleaned out the garage. Even Luca joined us!

Declan loved is and had so much fun hanging out and playing in the grass. The wagon will be perfect for Tony's softball games this summer.

Discovering rocks for the first time....

Congratulations Linds!

My college roommate is having a baby in June, and today we went to her baby shower. It was so good to see her, and she is the most adorable pregnant girl ever! We had a great time catching up, eating some great food, and of course....playing a baby shower game!

Who can guess how big Lindsey's belly is with a string?

And the winner was....Ali!

Declan came along to the shower and had fun exploring in the front porch.

Hanging out with Finn, Declan's little buddy. They both look EXACTLY like their fathers!



Declan with the guest of honor