great friends already

James' love for Declyn continues to grow every time he sees him.  However, I made the mistake of one time letting him hold him and now it's "Hold" (with arms stretched out) every time he spots him.  This particular time got a little strange...

After his arms out request, I allowed James to hold Declyn.  Since Declyn is only 2.5 months old, I like to sit on the couch for supervision (nothing new) but today, this is how the conversation went--

James: Aunt Kate, leave.

me: Excuse me?

James: Aunt Kate, leave.

me: Where do you want me to go?

James: (pointing to the other side of the room) Go over there.

me: Why?

James: Because.

Nice.  My once sweet nephew now wants nothing to do with me, and everything to do with my son.

We went from tummy time to zoo activity / stimulation time and with Cali getting a little R & R in her crate, Fenway literally laid her body almost in my lap and her head next to Declyn.  My favorite part was when Declyn would wildly kick his feet into poor Fen's head and all she did was shake it off, twitching her ears back and forth.  As Mike pointed out to me this morning, Fenway favors me and Cali favors him.

Mike and Declyn finally got to meet sweet baby Caden!  Looking at our best, Kristen and I wanted to take a Mommy & sons picture...

Followed by a Daddy and sons.  These two men could not be more proud Papa's.

 

 And before we left Declyn wanted his friend to know that although Caden slept most of the visit, he still had love for him.

shots now have a new meaning in our home

Today is Declyn's two month check up!

 Updates...
weight: 11 lbs 9 oz -- 30(ish) percentile
height: 70(ish) percentile
head: 40(ish) percentile

*Mom of the year, I know.  I can't remember the exact number's but hey, at least I remembered to take him!  Unfortunately I can't say the same about Fenway's appointment ... I may have forgotten to take her to her last one.  In all fairness they called Mike's phone to remind us and it was turned off in Puerto Rico.  Don't worry, I was able to reschedule.  And when I recalled it was that morning, I called and the guy said they didn't have it written down (probably because the appointment was at 9 and it was 12:30).

 
 

Just hanging out in the doctor's office -- oblivious to the four shots (one oral) he's about to receive.  Good thing his thighs are beefing up -- more cushion for the needles.

Taking advantage of the wait time.

Tummy time before the vaccinations. 

 We took advantage of one very sleepy baby and went out to dinner.  He slept through the mexican-themed music and the crowded restaurant like a champ.

four years ago we said, 'I do'

Mike was on a plane flying home the day of our four year anniversary, so I sent him this number to make him smile before a day of sitting in an airport and transferring planes.  

Our little man continues to change daily and it absolutely amazes me.  In these pictures he's sitting/standing in one of his favorite positions -- over someone's shoulder.  Here it was Nanny's (Smalls) shoulder.

 

 Another pool opportunity for my nephew means drumming for him and catching some rays for me.  Two is such a great age -- he can entertain himself without much assistance from me.  (I know that sounds horrible, so I will go on to say that I DO play with him, he just doesn't NEED me holding his hand in the water, picking up his toys, etc.)

B did well -- more flowers from a volcano in South Africa.  My favorite part is always his thoughtful cards.  He really has a way with words.

This little guy definitely takes after his dad-- very philosophical, always deep in thought.

Teething bib found here.

 

 We decided to spend our anniversary away for the weekend at Lansdowne Resort - just the two of us.  Although it was our first night away together from Declyn, we really enjoyed some quality alone time for the two of us.  And spending a day ordering drinks at the pool doesn't hurt, either.

It's always fun to get dressed up for your loved one, eat at a nice restaurant and sleep in past 5:00.  And oh yeah, some champs and chardonnay were just the icing on the cake. 

it seems so long ago

Caden and Declyn -- already friends and they haven't even met!

Today I finally got to meet the little man!  He is even more of a doll in person, and Kristen is doing fabulously!  It was nice going back to the hospital and not having to be there for any Declyn-related issues.  Caden looked so tiny (even though he was down to around Declyn's birth weight) and it was amazing to see the little man that he is.  I can not believe that Kristen and I have both finally had our sons.  Now it's time to start doing all the ideas and adventures we have in store for our boys!

Are we Mom's?  Really?

our first dad's day

Truth be told, Mike was in Puerto Rico on Father's Day for business.  It was our poor planning -- we didn't realize when Father's Day was when he booked the trip.  Fortunately, we got to celebrate a little the day before.

Even though I've posted it before, this was my favorite first picture of Mike and Declyn.  It just speaks volumes of the love that he has for our son.  I knew it before he arrived, but this man really will go to the end of the world for Declyn and seeing them together is such a special thing.  I am so happy not only to be married to Mike, but to have my children call him Dad.

Just a little daddy-and-Declyn action.  Declyn is also on the favorite spot of Mike's -- his chest.

sorority aunties

Declyn locked eyes with Mike, giving me the chance to take some cute pictures of what we usually see when he looks at us.  What we usually don't see, however, is Fenway sniffing him out and licking his face.  See the shock on his face?  Just another new sense in life to get used to.

Being the only roommate not to have met him, Kristi drove in from Pittsburgh to meet Declyn.  We all met at National Harbor for a day of eating, shopping, and the sun.

We couldn't help but notice after this picture was taken that Aubrey had let the poor little man's head just dangle in the photo.

Even with the closeup, poor Dec is still all over the place.

hello, friend

Today was a moment we've been waiting two months for -- the arrival of one of my best friend's son (and Declyn's future guy pal), Caden!

How precious is he?  And the fun part about his birth was the fact that Kristen was texting our group of girls up until she was 9.5 cm dilated, and ready to start pushing!  It definitely made me feel like I was there and going through it with her.

Mike and I were walking to waterfront in Georgetown to meet up with some of his co-workers that just recently moved into town, and we walked right past this.  I had to stop and take a picture, and we started a conversation about how neat it was going to be that soon Declyn will be up and walking and would love to come and play in something like this.  Time is already going by so fast.

intriguement

I don't know what it is about this dang peacock, but Declyn is obsessed.  Even if he is screaming while getting his diaper changed (something he has come to hate), this bird 9 times out of 10 will catch his attention and cause him to calm down.  If he is just awake and looking around, his eyes usually shift to the bird.

Similar pajamas here.

Just hanging out in his Nanny's arms, looking up at Mommy.  The best part about this age is that he's able to recognize Mike and I and will give us a genuine smile, laugh or 'coo.'  Each and every one of those sounds or looks melts my hearts.  I just can't believe that he's starting to get excited seeing us.  :)

two months

First photo of the shoot - partaking in a little Irish jig.

 Smiling at his Momma.

 Declyn loves to check out my hairline while I love to go in for the kisses.

 This picture cracks me up because he was mid-scream and I started doing a little dance and making weird sounds to try and distract him.  I think he was just too stunned to really have any emotions about the situation.

And this is when we knew that you were over having your picture taken.

At two months we can't live without...

1. a wubbanub to keep him calm

2. our whale bath tub 

3. a pack 'n play to sleep in

4.  the baby bjorn so mommy can get things done around the house 

5. the sheep sleep sound for night time

6. the next size halo sleep sack for night time

7. black and white baby books

8. this crazy but extremely eye-catching peacock 

our first night without daddy

Getting to know his zoo activity was quite the time today!  He spent a decent amount on it looking around and taking in the colors and shapes, now that he's much more alert and can see more.  However, I do think he started to get a little overstimulated when everyone around him wanted to also join in the fun.

James was being a wonderful big cousin and kept making the animals move so that Declyn could watch them.  It reminded me of a few times I've changed Declyn's diaper and James requests to "shake the rattle" while Declyn is being changed.  Hey, if it keeps him happy I'm all for it!

Just stretching out.

Mike was in Atlanta for business, so I used his sweatshirt to keep me warm during my battle with mastitis (that kicked in literally a few hours after Mike boarded the plane).  Anyone who has had it knows that the flu-like symptoms that accompany the soreness on your rashed boob are not pleasant.  Nor is the 101.8 fever (the highest it went for me).

I digress... I thought it was cute that Dec was holding onto Mike's sweatshirt, which is why I snapped this moment to show Mike.

sunday treat

We left my in-laws around 2:00 with the intent of getting on the road and getting home.  However, we stopped at J.Crew for a suit and some clothes for me, Sunglass Hut so Mike could replace his Ray Bans and finally some Sweet Frog to top off the trip before we started our drive back.  Needless to say, we were not home early.

Our bundle in his Bjorn.

While we were waiting for Daddy to buy his suits, Declyn let me cut his nails.  This only really happens when he's passed out, which was the case here.

I came around the corner at Sweet Frog and stumbled upon my familia.  Such a cute bunch they are, despite Mike not smiling for this secretive picture.

Passing the time while waiting for Mike.  I need to get better at capturing his smiles.  I usually get them at the end, or he'll smile right as I put my phone down.

a white hall wedding

I know it's blurry, but this was the only pic I was able to snatch during his smiling time.

Out cold.

Mike was responsible for this photo shoot.  For some reason he reminds me of Hugh Hefner.  Maybe it's the chair...

This was the longest we've ever left him... I may have been a little sad, but I did enjoy my evening  of alcoholic beverages.

One of my suite mates from freshman year got married at her parent's river house and it was absolutely gorgeous.

Four of the seven suite mates.

This was the first picture we took together, but I wanted another one since I'm no longer pregnant and Mike doesn't need to put his hand on my belly.

I love the lighting in this picture.  All of us with the beautiful bride (minus her husband) on the dock as the sun sets.  Can you believe I've known these girls almost 9 years?  We're getting old!

black and white

Mike has made it a nightly ritual to spend a little QT with Dec and it usually results with him falling asleep on his chest.  This time Cali decided to join in.

On our drive to Williamsburg I caught this happening in the rearview mirror...super precious.  Declyn's starting to show interest in black and white books, so it was the perfect solution to a little one who didn't want to be in his car seat.