C and D

C and D

Monday, April 26, 2010

My new favorite picture

Subject to change, obviously.....but currently this is my new favorite. A classic:


Declan...........meet Declan!

Paying it forward.....

There is no doubt last week was a huge stepping stone for me as a mom, a wife, a woman etc etc etc and there is also no doubt that I couldn't have done it without some unbelievable friends to hold my hand thru it. My mom kept telling me, "you're going to have SO much more confidence after making it thru this week by yourself" but I was completely unable to see the forest thru the trees, as one might say ;) I couldn't imagine "making it thru the week" until some amazing friends came and pulled me out of the gutter. I have to say a huge thank you to the Hempens, Maggie Yost, Tracy, Goody, Kara, Keller, James, Jose, my neighbor......the list goes on. The Hempens saved the day (or day after) I got the phone call that Paul wasn't going to be back until Thursday night, at the earliest. I know it probably doesn't seem like much to most people but I had just gone back to work the week before, which, by itself was very traumatic. It was the worst guilt I have ever felt, leaving my little boy every morning and coming home only to basically put him to bed. So with those feelings, my mom leaving again, Paul not going to be around for the next 6 days, I was a full on basket case. In come some phenomenal friends that gave me that confidence I needed - to know that no, I probably couldn't do it ALL BY MYSELF, but I can absolutely do it with them in my life. Tracy came over every night just to keep me company and play with Declan, she brought me coffee and breakfast one morning before she went into work just because she's a great friend, Jose and James came over one night to cook dinner for me (two men in my kitchen lucky me!!!), Goody, Kara and Keller all came over to give me some awesome girl time and love on Declan and then my dear sweet Colorado mother, Maggie Yost, not only spent her days watching my boy so I could work but she too brought me coffee and breakfast, lunches, veggies and fruit to munch on etc etc etc. I mean the woman is phenomenal. I've told her before, but she, time after time, digs me out of a ditch I can't get out of alone of because I get very overwhelmed very easily thus becoming pretty negative (one of my most endearing traits ;) ) Maggie gives and gives and gives and it is simply because she has the biggest most pure heart in the world. She does it because she loves our family, and I dare say I love hers even more! 
Thank you to everyone who helped me get thru last week - I know it might not seem like you did that much but from where I was Saturday night to Thursday night - it is light years.......I love you ALL. Now its my time to pay it forward. 

My Irish Boys

Well Paul finally made it back - hooooooray!!! - and brought a couple goodies back for Declan - namely a little onesie (what else do you get for a 2 month old that he really NEEDS?!?!) and its pretty cute. Paul's buddies, Bob and Andy coach one of the Irish National Teams and gave him some gear which he has proudly been sporting every day since he got back. Sunday, Declan and daddy were in their Irish outfits so we had a little photo sesh. Declan gives me the evil eye every time I break out the little black square and shove it in his face - sorry buddy!! Gotta document every single second of your life apparently :)

Declan dribbles for Northern Ireland Soccer Association......what a chub he's turning in to!!

In a little better mood there fella....

Irish buddies



Smiley buddy

Tuckered out and in need of some cuddles.......oh yea, Declan was too ;)

And just for kicks, here's a video I took yesterday of my two boys - Declan LOVES to look at faces and mimic what you're doing - which lucky for us, means lots of smiles and laughs.......too cute for words.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

GiGi's visit!

Oh my goodness how much do I love my mother?!?! She came and saved the day - wish she could have saved more but we'll get to that later ;) I started work again last Monday and Paul left Tuesday for his college roommate's wedding in Ireland - those two together is enough to give me major anxiety but add to it that we don't have childcare starting until May 3rd and I was a leeeeettle nervous about what we were going to do with Declan. In comes my amazing mom! She came in on Sunday and stayed the whole week, watching our sweet little boy and calming my nerves about being away for the first time.........if you cannot watch your child, you want someone who is the most LIKE you to watch your child and that is easily my mom. If Paul and I aren't there to love on him, it makes all the difference in the world knowing that your mom is loving him the way she loved/loves you. Oh I just can't thank her enough - AND to top it off she made some killer meals :) What more could a girl ask for??????
That said, if only she could have stayed a liiiiitttttle longer. Apparently the second coming is near as a volcano erupted in Iceland, haulting all air traffic in and out of Europe for a week - thus Paul has been stuck in Ireland and won't be back until (hopefully) this Thursday.....I got this call as my mom was about 5 minutes into her flight back to Charlotte. Needless to say I had a couple glasses of wine and there have been many tearful phone calls back and forth trying to figure out how I'm going to manage this unpredictable 2 month old by myself and go back to work without childcare. Its been an interesting past few days but I can't say enough about our friends out here. I spent the entire day with the Hempen/Mayberry clan on Sunday and today I've had Steph, Lucas, and Maggie Yost all here to help/bring me food/bring me back some of my sanity that I briefly lost :) I am so so so very lucky to have such amazing friends.
In any case - here are some cute pics from when GiGi was here! I got hourly texts and pics of my boy while she was watching him. And oh how I looked forward to hearing my phone do the little "ding" to tell me I had a new one!

Cheeks McGee

Watching the Masters with GiGi

His new BFF


Where'd you get that round face?!?! Not me.....clearly. Mommy has such a THIN face! ;)


Smiles


Giving GiGi the look........


My mom testing out Declan in the awesome sling she made....she's pretty talented. Just putting it out there.


Attempt #1 in the Bumbo seat


My favorite text pic from last week


Declan has found his hand and he likes it!





Monday, April 19, 2010

Daddy misses his family!!

I left Denver, Colorado last Tuesday morning to attend my good friend Trevor Nulty's wedding in Belfast, Northern Ireland. What a great trip, a reunion of sorts with old college teammates I haven't seen in years. The Wedding was stunning and we partied to all hours of the morning. The next day we partied to sunrise. All good things however my trip took a bit of a detour when we found out a volcano erupted in Iceland and that the volcanic ash was so bad that they cancelled all the flights. AWESOME right........not when you have a beautiful wife at home who misses you and a 2 month old son.
Here I am stranded in Ireland writing on a blog at 2:00am. A lot has changed in my life because at some point in my life getting stranded in Ireland would have been a dream come true. I am staying with some great friends I have in Northern Ireland but I do miss Team Hogan. It will be good to get back.
Miss you dear!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Happy Easter from DB!

We had a great Easter yesterday, and are looking forward to even more fun Easters in the future! We went to brunch with our friends, the Yosts, and I kept watching all the kids coming and going with their baskets from the Easter egg hunt and couldn't help but imagine him a few years down the road doing the same. I cannot WAIT to see the excitement on his face when he finds his first egg................oh boy!

In any case, Declan was the lucky recipient of a number of different "My 1st Easter" outfits so we took lots of pics of him yesterday in all his different outfits! He was a great sport...............such a cute little model we have ;)


Easter outfit from Nana and Pop!

I love my Easter basket!! :)

Easter outfit from Aunt Ellen

Outfit for brunch :) and he's showing off his big muscles........



Declan's first pic with the Easter Bunny!

Family pic!