Dippin Dots

Over the past few weeks, we've been on a ride.  One minute Declan's happy and giggly and the next he's throwing a tantrum and all his food on the ground.  We've fed him while holding him, while sitting with him, inside, outside, on a train, on a plane...you get the idea.  

In between tantrums, Declan has turned into quite the ham.  Recently, he's discovered dipping.  He takes his fork, spears whatever is on his plate, and dips it into a sauce (usually barbecue).  Such a little feat for us, but for Declan it defines his whole meal experience.  I know if I offer him something to dip, we'll have a good mealtime.  A few nights ago, Declan wanted to dip his bread in my tomato soup.  He loves this particular soup (Amy's Chunky), so I wasn't surprised.  Then dessert time came.  We gave him oranges, which are a new favorite, but he still wanted my soup.  And as soon as the spoon came up to his mouth, he smiled.  Not a "thanks, mommy" kind of smile, but a calculating, idea-forming smile.  And the orange went into the spoon.  Oranges and tomato soup?  I thought he'd screw up his face in that "this is nasty" look, but he happily chewed and then pointed to my soup for more.  Yes, he ate all of his oranges with tomato soup that day.  This is a kid that doesn't like mac and cheese,  and refuses pizza half the time, but this he adored.  

One of my favorite things about being a mom is watching Declan's personality emerge.  He is just the most mischievous thing.  And I can see his little brain coming up with new ways to explore, destroy, and maneuver everything.  I swear he scans a room, terminator style, and evaluates how fast he can tear it apart. 

A few weeks ago, Jess and Charlie came to visit, which is always so fun.  Declan adores Charlie, and I swear he soaks up everything Charlie does like a sponge.  In February, he tried to say no, no, no after seeing Charlie, and this time it was the front roll.  Charlie and Declan have the cute hambone thing in common.  And one of Char's best party tricks is a perfect front roll.  It always elicits a round of applause and while it looked like Declan was just standing by watching, it turns out he was learning how.  He's certainly not as agile as Charlie, and the downward dog turns into a side roll, but he expects applause all the same.  And he giggles.  He is immensely proud of himself.  He hopes to one day be just like Charlie.

And the thing I've been waiting for the most...Declan finally started dancing!  Tonight he kept picking the same song, looking to Rich and I and as soon as we started bopping to the music, Dec's legs started a Flashdance "Maniac" march and kept going until the music stopped.  I think Rich was more proud when he started dunking the basketball or playing t-ball, but this was my heart bursting moment.  In the end, I don't really care what Declan ends up loving, but I want him to grow up knowing that every option is open to him.  And it doesn't hurt that he seems to love music along with climbing and throwing and dunking.  

Traumatized by constant temper tantrums. Need wine. Will post soon.

Master Blaster

Have you ever had an epiphany? I'm usually too busy...but the other day, after Declan had thrown his fifth "I'm sick and I want to be held" fit of the day, I realized that we're Master Blaster. You know, the two-man killing machine in Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome? There are two parts to Master Blaster: master the brains, aka Declan, and blaster the brawn, aka me. Master controlls blaster while sitting on his shoulders, and while our main focus is not controlling the general population, Declan does give a lot of demands while perched on me. I've known for awhile that he's not exactly sure we aren't one person, but with this epiphany I think I finally get it! I'm here to do his bidding and exist for no other cause.

But seriously, Declan's been sick and I don't know why, but this is making him extra, extra clingy. He's screamed all the way through several meals all while pointing and lunging toward me. It would break my heart if I wasn't so damn exhausted. The first few days, I endured and took him everywhere he needed. Now, I'm ready for it to be over. But I don't get to choose, so I'm predicting one stressful weekend.

Chardonnay take me away...

New Frontiers

In our excitement about Declan's new found ability to point on command, I started really emphasizing noses. I point to my nose and say the word long and slow and then point to his nose and do the same. And I was so excited when I saw him pointing his finger at his nose the other day. I silently patted myself on the back for being such a good teacher. After all, it was my profession for several years. But, as always, just when I start feeling overly proud, the world shows me that I'm not that great. Because Declan wasn't exactly pointing at his nose...

He was sticking his finger up it. And he's been doing it ever since. So far, there's no movement other than a firm planting of his index finger, but he'll figure it out soon enough. Then I'll have to worry about that finger going directly into his mouth, won't I?

Declan's totally into pointing, but he hasn't clapped yet. As parents, I think we're all worried about keeping up with milestones. Is nose picking a milestone? Is Declan advanced as I have believed all along? The next time I go to the doctor, I will definitely brag about Declan's advanced nose techniques. I think that's the best course of action, don't you? "No, doctor, Declan still doesn't clap, but he's got boogers down. And you know what? I think he gets it from me. I was an early nose picker."

Maybe I should get a video to show all my friends on Facebook. The caption will be "future prodigy".

You've got a point!

So I'm currently watching a Lifetime movie.  Yes, it's Saturday night.  And yes, I did say Lifetime.  Shit.  I chose a Lifetime movie out of all the options.  I even own a few DVDs and a Wii.  Is this the moment?  The one I'll look back on when I have mom hair and mom jeans?  The moment when I chose the Lifetime movie out of all the other options?  

But there's a reason I'm admitting this on the Internet and not just keeping it as my dirty little secret.  It turns out the main character's name is Declan.  And everyone but Faye Dunaway's character (yes, that Faye Dunaway) can figure out how to pronounce it correctly.  She keeps calling him deCLAN instead of DEClen, and it's driving me crazy.  Did I give my kid a name that people are going to mispronounce?  I love being Lana (Lawna), but I hate when people call me Layna or Lahna (rhymes with banana).  I hope Dec doesn't go through that yearly ritual in class where he's anticipating all the ways his teacher might butcher his perfectly wonderful name.  And while I understood people's inability to pronounce Guilfoyle, Corcoran is surprisingly difficult too.  And I have a friend who shall remain nameless who still spells my last name Cochran even though I've been married now for almost five years.

But this blog is really about Declan, and boy did we have a day today!  We're going through one of those leaps right now, and it's been so much fun.  In addition to throwing balls and a couple of new words like doggie and ducky (trust me, they are different), Declan has finally, finally started to like books!  He's still not interested in sitting down and listening to stories, but he's started bringing me and Rich books and pointing to pictures inside.  Tonight, he made me go through Brown Bear, Brown Bear five times.  I'm aware that in the future that might get annoying, but tonight, tonight it was lovely.  And it wasn't even the best part.  

As you all know, pointing revolutionized Declan's world.  A good point and grunt and Declan can communicate his wants and needs in a very efficient way, thank you very much.  And so we've spent a lot of time lately naming the things he points to.  Most of the time, I have no clue what he's actually identifying, so I improvise.  But sitting next to our kitchen table are three flower pots.  He's been pointing to them a lot, so today I decided to ask him to point at the flower.  Lo and behold, one chubby little finger stretched out right in the direction of the orchid. Not sure if it was really what I thought it was, I tried a few more times and sure enough, he was pointing to the flowers.  

Then we tried the light, then daddy and both times he pointed right to the place.  We were so incredibly thrilled.  Of course we tried "point to mommy" but Declan just looked at us.  I'm like his shadow.  I'm surprised he didn't just point to himself.  

But the coolest part was when Declan pointed to a flower and a doggie in a book and to the light in his room.  I can't believe I just wrote for 20 minutes about Declan pointing at the correct thing, but for us it's a complete revolution.  To me, this was just as amazing as Declan learning to ride a bike.  It's surprising how something so little can bring moments of such pure happiness.  God I'm cheesy.  First the Lifetime movie, now talk of pure happiness....  Next, I'll tell you about how home is where the heart is.  And the next thing you know, my blog will have a teddy bear border.  And when you see me, I'll be wearing a corduroy vest with a turtleneck underneath.

BTW, next week's Nora Roberts movie has Brittany Murphy and Smith Jared from Sex and the City.  Guess Faye Dunaway knew what she was doing.  And Jerry O'Connell as Declan Fitzgerald has some Emmy-worthy moments. Maybe Lifetime is cool!  Or maybe this is how they get you.  Gotta go, I think I need to go look at minivans online. 

p.s. Here is a direct quote from my husband as he comes into the room "what are you watching?  This movie sucks.  Is that Jason Donnelly?"  Am shaking with laughter.   

Big Bites

So Declan turned one on Wednesday.  And aside from all the emotional transitions we were absorbing, there were some physical ones too.  The phrase "biting off more than you can chew" comes to mind.  Because we're so adept at time management, Rich and I spent last week cramming to finish painting Declan's new room upstairs, which we didn't finish until Wednesday night.  And that was just the beginning.  We had a party to throw.  

Declan's party was at 2:00p.m. on Saturday and we worked right up until it started.  After moving all the nursery furniture upstairs, we then transformed three other rooms in the house.  We'll just say that as of Friday at noon, our main living room contained piles and piles of, well, crap and our basement was in disarray.  If it weren't for my friend Becky who spent an hour helping me move around the furniture in my living room, I think I may have had a mental breakdown.  This is when you know you have PMS, people.  Rich, he knew since Tuesday, but I passionately refuted his absurd ideas.  Needless to say, I added way more stress to my baby anniversary than was needed.

In all my whirlwind of house transformation madness I neglected to really prepare for the party.  So Friday night I was scrambling to make the food, punch, and, my first priority, the adult punch.  I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to have adult punch, but by then I really didn't care.  

Amazingly, everything came together and I don't think anyone really noticed the placement of my wing back chairs...

Declan, meanwhile, had his first case of people overload.  I could just see the inner dialogue.  With every new face at the door there was recognition, slight panic, and then relaxation once he spied Mommy or Daddy.  To be fair, Declan was really great.  I think it was all the sugar.  In addition to some seriously sugary punch, Declan loved his cake.  I really know when he loves something when he points and grunts.  And there was a lot of insistent grunting and pointing at the cake.  Success!

My friend Trisha put it best.  She said that a first birthday party is like your wedding.  It whirls by and you don't get a chance to talk to everyone as much as you want.  We had a blast though.

Leaps!

So I'm not sure if I've talked about it before, but the most useful book I've read since becoming a mom has been The Wonder Weeks.  I found it when I was looking online for help with a baby who wouldn't sleep, clung to me for dear life, and seemed unusually fussy for no reason.  It was what Oprah would call an "ah ha" moment for me.  But for me it wasn't a clarification of my soul, it was a guidebook for how to understand all those things that were driving me bat shit crazy!  I just felt so out of control, especially when all the books contradicted each other and, often, my own intuition.  

Then I found The Wonder Weeks.  God, I sound like a commercial.  But I don't care.  Here's the basic premise:  when kids go through fussy periods that seem to have no reason, they are usually on the verge of a mental breakthrough or "leap forward" as it's called in the book.  These Swedish researchers spent years working on case studies and found that during certain weeks of a child's first year (and I think the years of toddlerhood too), children reach certain mental developmental milestones.  Before the leaps forward, when kids are working on the new understanding, they get fussy and cranky and don't sleep.

And sure enough, after all the books that didn't really apply to Declan, I found one that was trustworthy.  I'm talking freaky accuracy.  Right when Declan would seem not himself and we were up late because he wouldn't sleep; right when we were taking out the Ibuprofen because it had to be teething, I'd take out that book and count out the weeks (sometimes that would take a considerable amount of time, especially after about 25 weeks), it would be right on.  

The best part about the book is that it outlined the mental leaps that take place after the fussy period and would give examples of some of the new skills that would emerge.  And every time Declan would start doing those exact things.  

It totally makes sense that this would be the book for me.  Brain science makes sense to me; way more than some authoritative-author-voice telling me I was making all the wrong decisions; way more than some super regimented Nazi routine; way more than letting my child using my boobs as comfort until he was 5.  This book did not guilt me or tell me what to do.  I hate being told what to do, it's like Marty McFly being called chicken.  It just sets off alarms.

But I've already bored you, haven't I?  And this blog isn't about the book.  It's about the new leaps forward, and the last of Declan's first year, that have been so fun this week.  His walking has totally improved.  He's been getting on his little car and slowly moving it around the room.  He's started to point everywhere and waves bye bye when he wants to leave a room.  He's throwing a ball back to me.  And he's finally gotten "all done" in sign language.  

I'm really looking forward to having a toddler.  Declan's been so darling lately.  To be honest, I wish I could have my second baby and fast forward to the time he/she is one.  I know that probably sounds cold, but we established when I started blogging that I'm only interested in the truth, not some hunky dory, pretty picture.  And the truth is that I love my little kid.  I love making him laugh and walking around with him.  I love that he interacts with his environment and understands me when I show him things.  It's just so much better than the infant stage.  Not that I wasn't totally in love with him and everything he did then, but it's just so much different now.  And at the end of this first year of motherhood I do feel I am finally getting the hang of it.  

But you know how I feel about confidence...right when you're feeling pretty proud of yourself, something new comes along to knock you back down to size.  But I think I'm ready this time. 

Yucky

I remember it from when I was a kid, and I was warned so many times that it would come. But it really doesn't sink in until you are stripping the crib, bumper and all, and you look in the closet and see the four outfits that your son has soiled in a half-day. Yep, we've got it. The Stomach Flu. Yuck.

Wait, let me correct myself, "we" don't have it. "They" have it. And by "they" I mean Declan, Rich, and now my mom. It seems this nasty virus clings to anyone and everyone it can. Except me. Poor me. No, really! I've got about seven more pounds to lose! Two good days of a stomach flu, and I'd be back at my pre-pregnancy weight! And I'd get to rest. Rich got a whole day and a half in bed. Oh, what I would do for a day and a half in bed!

It really makes you wonder when you envy someone up all night with every kind of thing spewing out of his body. What kind of warped reality am I in? I'll tell you. The kind that needs to lose some weight and get some sleep. These are two of the top things on my to do list. They are my priorities. This flu could really get me there. But no, of course I'm the only one not really affected. No chills, no fever, not even a stomach grumble. Poor me.

The weird thing about this flu is that Declan was in a good mood. He was bopping and exploring and causing mayhem the way he usually does, but just with a lot more dirty diapers. I changed eight total on Saturday. Rich, on the other hand, has just had the worst time. I don't want to embarrass him, so I won't give all the details, but let's just say he's not so keen on going anywhere out of the house right now. And, he even took a day off work. I had to put my foot down and practically pry the computer from his pale, clammy hands, but eventually he acquiesced.

The message here is...flu shots, are they worth it?

Obviously I'm kidding. Kinda. All I'm saying is that it would be nice to fit into those jeans again. Uh, oh, gotta go. My stomach's grumbling.

Break On Through

Declan decided he'd like to send you all a message.  Here it is: #=Olp=[]\;p_.  That kid is obsessed with the computer.  Whenever he sees it, he'll zoom across the room and pop right up to where it is.  My very generous sister gave me her old iBook, and on first look Declan was in love.  He often accosts Rich's work laptop.  And by accost, I mean he rips the keys out, locks it, tries to pull the screen off, pretty much anything that could irreparably damage it.  So you can imagine his frustration when he tried the same thing with the iBook.  The keys didn't budge.  And Declan got his little nails right in there and worked feverishly.  After that, the luster seemed to have vanished and he moved on to eating my wrapping paper and trying to knock over my coffee.  

As you all know from the videos I posted about a couple of weeks ago, Dec has started walking.  We were told that as soon as a week after he started he'd be tearing through the house.  Not yet.  He's slowly becoming more proficient, but he's more likely to stop and drop than wobble and fall.  I'm telling you, that kid is just like his daddy.  It's all about calculated risk.  I'm convinced that Declan learned how to slowly lower himself to the ground before he'd risk standing for long periods of time, and mastered standing up on his own before he'd try to wobble around.  Our poor next kid will probably be like me and split its head open daily by just going for it.  

But I haven't even gotten to our latest breakthrough, or should I say break down?  The story starts out happy.  My mom and I were at lunch yesterday when Declan started saying "muh".  Now this is a big deal.  Every time we've tried to get Dec to say Mama, he stares intently and "baba" comes out.  That kid cannot get past the Bs.  But yesterday was the breakthrough!  After a few "muhs", a completely clear "Mama" came out.  Oh we cheered.  Finally!  After enduring the "Juh Juh" and "Baba", Mama was finally getting some love.  Except he seemed to be moving through the alphabet because right after Mama came the N sound.  And then it happened:  as I brought the spoon to his mouth, Declan turned his head and said "nuh".  I didn't think anything of it until there were a series of "nuhs" and they happened every time he didn't want something.  Seriously?  Is my kid learning "no" already?  So I kept testing it out.  I'd take away something he was playing with and "nuh, nuh, nuh".  Not that I'm claiming he's got "no" already, but it's the beginning.  And it makes its point.  

So, it's been a whole day, and no more "Mama".  Not even an M sound at all.  But "nuh, nuh" has stayed.  I have a feeling it's not going anywhere.  

The Patty Duke Show

I couldn't stop singing the theme song from The Patty Duke Show this weekend.  I don't think I ever watched that show, but for some reason I know some lines from the theme song: they're cousins, identical cousins through and through.  At least I think that's how it goes.  

So we spent the weekend in L.A. with the Pokaskis.  There's something so wonderful about being with people that are going through the same thing.  Although Charlie is almost two now, it wasn't long ago that he was taking his first steps, putting everything in his mouth, and falling out of the high chair.  Or maybe that one was just Declan.  

Needless to say, bringing Declan anywhere is a huge to do.  And this was no exception.  The time change messed all of us (or at least me and Declan) up from the start, and at 3:00 in L.A. it's dinner time in Kansas.  Well, I don't know if it was the sleep deprivation or just plain stupidity, but we arrived in L.A. at 2:35.  On a Friday.  Yes, L.A. is famous for its rush hours, and we were treated to a doozy.  Now, if I hadn't been half asleep myself, I might have had the foresight to bring something for Dec to eat, but if I had, it wouldn't be a story.  I'll cut to the chase because I've got a lot to cover: after an hour and a half in traffic, a good half hour of screaming, most of it from Declan, I dipped into Vladimir the driver's stash of Werther's Originals and, baby bird style, broke it up in my mouth and fed Declan little bits (none big enough to choke on, hold your horses).  Of course, he took those eagerly and calmed down.  Nothing like some good old high fructose corn syrup to save the day.

Everywhere I go, people tell me they love Declan's clothes.  Of course they do, Charlie has the cutest little boy clothes ever...and all of Declan's clothes come from Charlie.  I don't know what that kid would be wearing if it weren't for Jess who kindly sends me shipments of darling clothes every few months.  And shoes, tons of shoes.  So many shoes that I have pairs ready for the next three sizes.  Declan wears a 4.  My mom consistently pics 5.5s and takes Declan places in them.  And insists they fit.  But I digress, the point of this paragraph is that Declan gets a ton of hand me downs from Charlie.  And Jess, being practical, often buys twos of her favorite things.  

So it started the first night, when we put the boys in matching, red pajamas.  We giggled and took pictures and thought that'd be the end of it.  But then they had matching fleeces and hoodies and pants.  Pictures will come.  There's just something hilarious about kids in matching outfits.  Someday they'll be really mad, but for now, we'll just enjoy it.

Charlie was such a perfect little host.  He did cry when Declan crawled onto Jessica's lap and gave him a big, sloppy kiss, but later he returned the favor.  Kids giving kisses might just make my list of things to live for.  Right up there with hot fudge Sundaes...scratch that, so much higher.  

Declan was just enamored with Charlie right from the beginning.  He crawled after Charlie and watched him, enraptured with every wiggle, stack, and chew.  This extended to one of the highlights of the trip.  We put the boys in the tub together.  Then we gave them both Mohawks. Then we took pictures.  

I can't wait until the boys are making forts and building tents in the back yard.  Hopefully they will be buds and enjoy being together as much as we do.  I'll post pictures as soon as I get them.

Baby Steps

Well, I've been stressing a little, just a little that Declan, who was so advanced on his crawling, hadn't seemed to get the walking bug. But, just today, Declan took some steps forward in that department (yes, I do love puns). He's been really sick for the last week, so he wasn't moving at all, much less making strides forward (puns are pun). Anyhoo, these videos move me (I just can't stop).

Tis the Season

For sickness.

Declan's had a few ear infections, and once, when he was really small, he was sick for a couple of days. But nothing, nothing has been like this. We've been to the doctor twice; first, when he had a cough, and then when he had a 103 temperature. That was Wednesday. It's Friday afternoon and that kid is still so sick.

He's got those puffy eyes people get when they have horrible colds. And his cheeks are bright red. He's got diarrhea, he's been throwing up, he's got a chest cough, and some serious snot running out of his nose all the time.

Of course, I find myself always leaning toward that what-if place. What if he never gets better? What if he has a seizure from too high of a temperature and gets brain damage? Does this ever go away? I guess it's karma for me always rolling my eyes at my mom when she'd come rushing into the room whenever I so much as dropped something. She practically had convulsions if I got a paper cut. I thought she was so annoyingly over reactive. Little did I know, it's genetic. Poor Declan. I'll probably put him in a plastic bubble just to make sure.

That said, I took Declan to the park last week on one of the days it was nice. While there, we met a woman there with her 15 month old and while we were talking, Declan did a triple sow cow off the gym onto the ground. Luckily, it was covered with rubber bits and he actually kind of sprang right back up. But, man, if that had been sand...

Back to my ill son, it's 68 today, so I'm going to take him outside. I figure I should take advantage of his lethargy and put him in the stroller. Normally, he'd complain right away because he hates to be confined, but I have a feeling he'll chill out today.

So that leaves the inevitable question: is it careless to expose the masses to Declan's cold or necessary to get out of the house and into fresh air?

News Feed

It's still been hard to get a good photo of the little one. He's much too concerned with moving and exploring to stop and look at the camera much less smile. But I did manage to get a few pictures when I took him outside last week.

We were so psyched last week when Declan started taking a few solo steps between cruising spots. Before that, he'd really not been interested in the whole walking thing. But baby things, they ebb and flow...no steps have occurred in a few days. Same with signs, while we were in Mexico, Declan started doing water, juice, and more. Now, he's just staring at what he wants and grunting with passion. I really should video it. If I didn't have to endure it day and night, I'd actually think it was pretty funny.

What has happened though, is that Declan is attempting to talk. Outside of the massive gibberish conversations he has with himself, he's now making sense with three words. Now, it's most likely one of those things that no one but his parents can understand, but I'm proud all the same.

Around the same time that he took some steps, Declan magically figured out waving, which is now his very favorite thing to do. Over and over. Once he figured out waving, he started opening his mouth massively and saying "Haaa", which made me laugh because I've been really emphasizing the wave myself. The books all say babies should be able to wave by 10 months, and as that milestone approached I was getting nothing. So naturally I spent hours each day waving and asking Declan to wave and each time I'd do it, I would get really excited, open my mouth wide and exclaim, "hi!!!!". Well, turns out he now thinks that in order to wave, you have to do the mouth opening and sounds too. And he thinks it's hilarious!

He's also been saying Dada for a few weeks now, which is just so cute and a really great thing for Rich to hear when he comes home from New Jersey. And I thought Mama would be next. I've been working on Mama for months! He's very interested in the words, but with all of his concentration, only Ba ba comes out, and since he babbles baba day and night, I just can't count it yet.

But no, he did not move on to Mama. He chose, instead, J.J., which is the name of our mean, antisocial cat who, of course, Declan is obsessed with. Every time he hears her collar jingle he looks around and says "Juh Juh". Seriously. I should just spend a day running away and hissing at him and maybe he'll come up with a Mama.

Overall, I'm really looking forward to him walking, especially because Spring is coming and I'd love to be able to take him to the park and have him do something other than pick up sticks and trash. But for now I'll be happy with targeted grunting and "Juh Juh".

Operation Chubby Succeeds!

It's been awhile since I wrote, but since I have no idea if anyone besides my sister reads these, I tend to think no one's holding her breath impatiently...

Let's see here. When did I last write? Oh yes, it was the death of Bigfatbaby. I miss that kid. Well, after all $65 worth of dairy and snacks, Declan has put on a delightful 1 pound and 4 ounces. I knew he still had it in him! The doctor was a little shocked, to tell the truth. I tell you, people, when Rich and I are given a task, we do not relent until it has been achieved to the highest level. Especially when it comes to the bambino.

And, (some of you may think this is not an achievement at all, but we do, so be supportive) Declan officially slept from 6:30pm to 6:30 am last night. I think I accidentally turned the monitor off, but still! It proves that he's ready for night weaning. Hell, it doesn't matter if he's ready, I am. So starting tomorrow night, our first objective is to officially wean Dec during the night. It hasn't been that bad waking up once a night, but he'll be 10 months on Sunday.

I have no pictures from Cozumel because in Rich and I's frantic packing that included every toy Declan owns, we forgot one essential: the camera. And although Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Scott took some pictures, they didn't seem to want to follow him around night and day just to capture the cutest moments like we do. But, there are a couple of pictures, and when I do get one, I'll post.

Mexico was great. We stayed at a nice hotel, the weather, the sand, and the water were all beautiful, but traveling with a 9 month old is a little like being at a work function. You can't drink as much as you want; you're always on duty, and just when you're about to relax, you're needed for something urgent. Overall, I was so proud of my little Declonian, but it was obvious the day before we left that Declan had had enough! He refused to eat, wouldn't sleep, and, short of crossing his arms and sticking out his lower lip, he let us know it was time to go home.

Traveling home was a doozie. We showed up three hours early for our first flight only to find a one-room airport with no security line and, really, no one else there. Declan was good, crawling around and entertaining his grandparents, but I was already dreading the long day. We got there at 9:30am and didn't get home until 8:30pm. Loooong day.

The first flight was okay. Declan slept on my and Rich's lap most of the way. During our three hour lay over in Houston was when it got really interesting. We stopped to eat at a Chili's and Declan did well, and seemed to be enjoying himself. It wasn't until Rich looked at me, with laughing eyes, and asked me if I heard Declan that the real fun began. One look, and we could see that Declan hadn't just pooped, he pooped all over his back and it was seeping out of his onesie. In a panic, we took off for the nearest store, found a Houston onesie and went about our task. I hate to say it, but Declan's Baby Gap, adorable, "Apple of Daddy's Eye" onesie was a casualty. I actually spent a long moment at the trash can considering how hard it would really be to wash it out before coming to my senses. That thing was trashed! We had to put Declan's pants and long sleeved shirt in a bag and Declan was left in just a onesie. Luckily we had his blanket so we were able to wrap him up, but, seeing as it was about 30 degrees in Kansas, it wasn't ideal.

Next, (it may have been the lack of warm clothes or the fact that it was already past his bed time, and that Declan is nothing if not punctual) Dec cried almost the whole flight into KC. I just cringed as he started up each time. Especially because we were on one of those little planes with just two seats on one side and one on the other. Then this guy behind us started farting. I think it was the same guy who was glaring at us, probably farting for revenge. Like he thought he could blame it on the baby.

We've been home and it's been a tough week. I can't imagine that anyone reading this doesn't know why. It was heart breaking for me that I was in Mexico for Megan's funeral. No amount of sun or fun could make that go away. And that's all I will say about that.

Since I'm not sure if I've bragged about how advanced Declan is lately, I'll give you a list of his most recent accomplishments:

1. Flushing the toilet.
2. Drinking from a straw.
3. The death pinch.
4. Fish face.
5. Lifting up the toilet lid and reaching inside.
6. Waving.
7. Eating toilet paper. Big chunks. Chew. Swallow.
8. Giving things to Mommy, Daddy, and Scooter.
9. Singing/humming/making high pitched noises while music is on.
10. Pooping in the bathtub during naked time in Mexico.

Genius.