Happy New Year!

My Top Ten Most Memorable Moments of 2011

10. Meeting Santa Claus

  9. Eating solids foods

  8. Graduating 'baby and me swim' and receiving my first diploma

  7. My first plane ride- Darren and Cary's wedding in New Jersey
  6. Meeting my Grandpa who flew in from California

  5. Good times spent with uncle Rick and aunt Kelley

  4. Days spent at grammy's house in Delray Beach

  3. Playdates with friends- Chase, Coleman, Kolbie, Macy, Lanie, Jakub, Adrien and Hayden

  2. Learning to crawl, so I can get into some mischief

  1.  My first passport stamp- My incredible trip to Ireland for my christening and aunt Caroline's wedding. Meeting my Irish family and spending time with my cousins Aoife, Dan and Padraic

Enjoy a Peaceful, Healthy and Prosperous 2012!

Let us watch the play from the orchestra, connect with the Persons under the costumes, and have the strength to restrain from being pulled onto the stage.

Baby Declan- 4 days old

 

Playdates

This past year six of my friends had babies, so Declan has many little tykes to romp around with. Here are a few of our playdates captured.

              Jakub, Chase, Declan and Adrian. I teach with all their mommy's. This past year at my school there                    were 7 beautifu babies born (6 boys and 1 girl)- There was something in the water!

A real ladies man. Macy, Lanie and Declan

The 3 musketeers...Chase, Coleman and Declan

Chase and Declan

Hard at play- Declan and Chase

Kolbie and Declan enjoying the bubbles

Spider Baby

I guess it's time for gates! Declan's play area is blocked off by the couch and ottoman, but today Declan climbed up the couch so it looks like we need to make other arrangements....

When my cell phone's text message alert came through it caught Declan's attention...

Happy St. Stephen's Day

We enjoyed a great day with some family lounging around the house and pool. Declan had a barrel of laughs with his uncle Rick in his new play house.

 

Merry Christmas!

Declan turned 9 months today, and celebrated his first Christmas! Declan and I woke up early and played, then went out to get daddy some breakfast. Declan went down for an early morning nap which was perfect because once he woke daddy got up (late night behind the bar) too. We had breakfast together, opened gifts, skyped Ireland and then went out to visit a few friends. It was a jolly day!

My first Christmas!

Declan loved his presents and the wrapping paper!

Declan and Kolbie relaxing in the pool on Christmas Day

some chitchat

Declan talks about life with a full mouth

jingle bells

                                                                A present from grammy

Clapping!

Declan started clapping this week, we have yet to catch it on video! Everytime the video camera comes out it's like a light is to a bug, he stops what he's doing and comes in for a close up. But I did snap this picture.

       
                                                                               Yay!

Macy's Birthday Party at the Park

Today was Macy's 2nd birthday and we celebrated at Plantation Woods Park. It was perfect weather for a outdoors party, we had lots of fun and made some new friends!

                                                                 Happy Birthday dear Macy...

                                                                           
                                                                    enjoying the swing

                   
                                                                Declan with the ladies

The Graduate

This past Saturday, Declan Graduated from Baby & Me swimming and has been promoted to Mini Mudskippers! He will start classes again in January. We are so proud of our little fish! Check out his videos below.

Declan's first certificate

 

 

Swimming under water

                                                                      crawling the plank

                                                          If you're happy and you know it...

The Odd Couple

Declan gets a taste (and mommy too) of what a little brother is all about. For two weeks, Declan's friend Chase will be hanging out with us during the day. And they are like peas and carrots.

Cheese!

These are the days...

We had a lot of fun today- stroller rides, the jungle gym and bouncy seats oh my!

 

 

Making a Splash

Watch out Michael Phelps

Rockin to The Beatles

This week's theme at our Baby Rocks and Baby Rolls class is "The Beatles," and today was extra special because daddy joined us to see the action! I captured two of Declan's favorite parts of the class- parachute fun and peek-a-boo bumble bee.

HO, HO, HO

Declan meets Santa...

Cruising Around

Declan's cruising around the furniture pretty good these days...

Pat-a-Cake

Declan is all smiles when it comes to pat-a-cake

And he likes to shake, rattle and roll...

 

Gobble Gobble

 We have so much to be thankful for... a beautiful healthy baby boy, wonderful caring families, amazing friends, our health, a roof over our head and food to nourish our bodies. We are truly blessed! Happy Thanksgiving 2011.

Declan's first handprint turkey!

my knees and my feet

This week Declan has learned how to bend his knees so he can get down by himself from standing. Before he would have to wait for us to help him down- Yay!!

He is also moving along the furniture pretty well.

Practicing the pincer grasp

I didn't know there was a name for it until I became a mommy. Using the thumb and forefinger to pick up things is called the pincer grasp. It's a mighty developmental milestone showing a baby's brain, muscles, and nervous system are becoming highly synchronized and capable of increasingly sophisticated coordination.This grip leads a child to button a shirt, use a pencil, or play the fiddle one day! We started giving Declan puffs last week and each time he is getting more and more into his mouth..... Check out my video

Splish Splash

Declan started swim lessons 3 weeks ago with his friend Coleman. He really enjoys the pool and we are having a lot of fun with it. Declan is learning to hold on to the side of the pool and swim back to the side as well as getting comfortable going under water. 

 Check out some video of Declan at swim class below....

Left to right- Baby Gavin, Coleman and Declan

Water on my head

Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall

Declan goes under water

I met my great Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Bonnie

This past weekend my uncle Jim and aunt Bonnie came down from Chicago. Declan enjoyed the company and the attention! We had a bbq, went swimming and spent a little time on the beach. My brother Ricky and his wife Kelley also came for a visit on Saturday afternoon. We had a lot of fun being with family, it was so nice to see everyone.

Fun with school friends

Declan goes to "baby rocks and baby rolls" class at Nova University every Friday. Before class begins we usually have some time to have fun in one of their playrooms. Today he had some laughs with friends before class go started.

Welcome to the Jungle Baby!

Declan's jungle gym was a great gift. It's been through the journey with him and has literally entertained him for hours! It traveled with us to NJ, Orlando, Denmark and Ireland. .

I remember the early weeks when Declan would just lay under it looking up at all the colorful toys. Then the day came when he started reaching for toys, I was so ecstatic and amazed by this developmental milestone! Next he started rolling over and putting the toys in his mouth-Wow, I thought! Now he looks like King Kong taking over the jungle! 

This first video is of him at about 3 months..... the second video is Declan today!

Declan's First Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Irish Soccer Team!

Today we took Declan to his first Halloween party downstairs in the clubroom. He had fun seeing the other kids dressed up.

Teddy Bear Picnic

Declan and Friends at 2 weeks

Declan and Friends at 7 months

Standing in his crib this morning

Declan has been pulling himself to standing the last couple of weeks, but this morning was the first time he was standing up in his crib....check out my video

Also here is a video of Declan crawling around......

Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we took Declan to the pumpkin patch. He wasn't to sure of what to make of it, but by the end he decided to see how one tasted!

Mmmmmmm, pumpkin!

Having fun in the swing

Seven months today....look how I've grown

March 25, 2011- 8 lbs and 21 1/2 in

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

Declan's 6 month milestones

Declan had a big month.... His two bottom teeth came in, grrrrrr! And he's had his hair (well actually just his bangs) cut. 

He is able to sit up on his own and then not long after he started crawling, which then led to him pulling himself up to standing using just about anything he can; couch, chairs, dresser, me, toys etc. So we decided to get rid of the coffee table, put down foam mats and soon the TV will be mounted on the wall, lol!

Declan also started sleeping through the night! He sleeps from about 6pm to 5am.

He is also eating solids twice a day. I have been making his baby food so far. He eats avocados (his favorite), bananas, sweet potato, butter nut squash, brown rice, millet, oatmeal, pears, and papaya. Check out my video           

Enjoying some sweet potato!

Look no hands!

Catch me if you can!

I'm a big boy!

Declan's Christening- August 3, 2011

Declan with his 1st cousins -Dan, Aoife, and Padraic

Declan was Christened on August 3, 2011 at St. Patrick's Church in Newtown, County Carlow, Ireland. It was an intimate ceremony with Donal's immediate family. Donal's uncle, Father Eddie Moore performed the ceremony. Declan's Godparents are Ed and Margaret (Donal's brother and sister).

Caroline and Alan's wedding rehersal also took place this day at the church. They were married on August 5, 2011

There was much cause for celebration. The evening continued at Donal's parents house with a wonderful spread of food, desserts and the champagne was flowing. We not only celebrated Declan's Christening, but the soon to be newlyweds Caroline & Alan and also Ed's (the godfather) birthday.