ON THE CRAWL & MY FIRST COOKIE

Well, on St. Patrick's Day, Dex decided it was high-time he learned to crawl. Actually, he was jealous of his cousin getting all the attention from the adults and so he got up on all fours and trekked across the room to get some of the attention. (BTW- Thanks Megs). Anyway, you'll find him here.....

and here....

and eventually here...

Needless to say, this little boy is everywhere! His favorite spot is to go to the dog pillow and mess with the dog. He'll pull his ears or grab his cheeks and of course Lucky just licks him to death and let's him do it. Eventually Dex chases the dog off his pillow and usually Dex will sprawl out.

On Saturday I gave Declan his first chocolate chip cookie (outside of the uterus, that is). He LOVED it! He was so quiet for about 20 minutes and then I found this.....

Dex's birthday is right around the corner and of course being his first year, it will be celebrated with everyone! I'm looking forward to that and will be sure to post pics of the events.

I just had to add this picture because it is so stinkin' cute! Man, this kid melts my heart!!!

Almost on the Crawl

This little guy is soooo close to crawling. He's figured out how to get up on all fours and he's figured out how to scoot backwards but he just can't figure out how to use the hands to move forward. It's so amazing watching him try to figure it all out. He's very, very determined and he gets frustrated when he can't move anywhere. I assume it'll only be about a week before he's got it down and in to everything.

SMILES ON DEMAND

Last night Mike's sister wanted to take a picture of Declan before we left her house. She pulled out her camera and Declan instantly smiled for her and she said, "Oh! He smiles on demand!" I just kind of shrugged it off. This morning I put him in his new walker and I pulled out my camera and sure enough, this is what I got.....

and then I got this.................

and then it was back to this.........

10 seconds, 2 smiling pictures...I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

3 KIDS, 2 DOGS & 1 BROTHER

Today started out terribly. Declan took his first (and hopefully last) nose dive off the bed and landed on his face. It scared me to death and it really shook him up. He spent the day being upset and clingy THE ENTIRE DAY. After two naps and being stuck in the house all morning long I decided to take him to the park. I figured since he loves to be outside and the weather was rather nice today, i thought what the heck. Our small trip to the park turned into a whole group. We called Logan to come with us and then we added Ruthie, Mya and Jason to the mix. It was a lot of fun.

This was Declan's first time in a park swing. He didn't know what to think of it.

There was NO way this kid was going to smile for me!

(Not sure if it was the bad morning or his unsureness of the swing)

Logan and Ruthie having fun with Uncle Jase

Mya and Lucky waiting for their turn to play

Logan throwing the ball for Lucky while Mya is waiting to get in Lucky's way

We threw the ball for the dogs for a little while and then we had to leave because it started to hail and we had to walk home 4 blocks. But we all had fun. Logan told me on the way home to his house, "I especially had A LOT, A LOT of fun at the park." So I'll consider the trip a success. Oh...and while I'm typing this Lucky is laying on the rug next to me and he's moving his legs like he's running (he must be dreaming about chasing a ball). Looks like everyone had a good time!

IT'S BEEN FOREVER

So I'm officially terrible at blogging...LOL. I've started a regimen of exercise and healthy eating hoping to lose the pounds I gained while being pregnant so life is definitely busy lately. Actually, I've finally decided that I need to take the time to learn how to use this program. Plus, I need to post current pics of the kiddaleewink because he's getting so big now.

Dex is now 9 months old. Where has the time gone? It's amazing this little guy has been in my life almost a year now. He's a happy baby who is social, loves to be with his cousins and is way too happy at 6 a.m. to be my kid. :)

He's now about 20 lbs. and sitting on his own. He's rolling everywhere and somedays I can get him to entertain the idea of getting on all fours until he realizes that it wasn't his idea. He's already a very determined baby and when he sees something he wants he does everything he possibly can to get it. When he learns to crawl, I am officially toast!

Here's a few random pics of what Dex has been up to.

Hanging out with Uncle Billy

Playing with Logan

Chillin' with Lucky

(which by the way...when Dex is upset about having to be in his carseat while we drive home, I ask him if he wants to go see Lucky and instantly he smiles and stops fussing - He loves this dog)

And last but not least, LOTS AND LOTS of bubble baths!!

Family

Lately I have been feeling very fortunate for having a family. I've been through some pretty crazy stuff this year and my family has been supportive through it all. They haven't judged. They haven't criticized. They've just been there for me when I've needed them. I have amazing sisters who are amazing mothers and women and have always been great examples to me. My parents have always loved and supported me in all that I do, and they tell me on a regular basis. My brothers are willing to give you the shirt off their backs if that's what you needed. I truly am blessed and hope that Declan will continue to be exposed to these great people whom I call my family.

Declan's First Real Holiday

Over the years my family has really gotten into Halloween (mostly because of Mandz and Scott - they've taken it to a whole new level, which is awesome!). I love Halloween and I usually end up making costumes for the little kids on Halloween. This year I got so involved with it that by the time it came to a costume for my kid....well this is what he ended up with...... a fly fisherman costume...

Next year though, I owe him a seriously cool costume. This year we went with Scott and Mandz and Logan to a Halloween Carnival, on Friday, which was fun. I know Declan is too small to really enjoy any of the activities, but I take him anyway. I figure he's going to have to get used to the atmosphere and the being out and about because that's who we are.

On Saturday (actual day Halloween was celebrated) Declan and I went and hung out with his dad's family. We visited his Aunt Misty and then we went to his Grandma Wendy's house and then his Aunt Noelle came over with her family to visit. It was a lot of fun and we had a good time. I didn't get any pictures of the visit, but will do better next time. (Still getting used to having to take pictures of the event's in my kid's life).

All in all, it was a great holiday. I have to include this picture just because I love it! This is how things usually go when Declan and Logan are "hanging out". This kid just kills me!