Elmo pjs take 2

Paul and decky doing some work in the guest bathroom. In their elmos


The other night when Paul and I were watching tv. They are insanely comfortable.... Thank you nana!!!!!


These were some hand me downs from deckys buddy and they are TIGHT with a capital T but still hilarious and cute


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The casa!

Lights were for some reason extra challenging and only worked on certain nights but here was one where it was all lit up!





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A family holiday!

SHOOWEE!!!!

We had an awesome Christmas/New Year this year but man it was tiring! Paul drove Declan and I up to Charlotte (well my brother, Graham, met us halfway) on Dec 20th and we were driven back to the beach by Paul's dad on 1/1/12! So we were gone for 12 days from home which is a lot with an almost 2 year old - but it was really a great time and we got to see both sides of our families this year which we haven't been able to do since before I was prego so it was a long time coming! Not sure if we will ever do that again BUT I'm glad we did it this year - next year, everyone can come to the beach! HA! ;)

So to recap and then pics -
Decky and I went up to Charlotte on the 20th while Paul stayed in MB to work until the night of the 23rd. Kenan lives in Clt, Grammy was home from college and Davis flew in from NYC so we got to see all of my brothers for what might have been in the first time in i don't know how long - but it was SO nice. we got to see grandparents, cousins from Germany, cousins kids we had never met (who by the way are all girls and are absolutely GORGEOUS - and total spitfires - i love it), aunts and uncle we hadn't seen in again, years, so it was all in all a really good couple of days at home. christmas eve was the big hunt family get together and my mom pulled off one helluva celebration - good work, GiGi!!!!! it was truly an unforgettable day with our entire family and we were so so glad to be there.

Christmas Eve around 7pm we took off for the ATL in hopes that decky would soon pass out and paul and i could have a peaceful drive - which phew, he did. we pulled in around 11pm and went right to bed because santa still had to come and no one wants to prolong that!!!! so we woke up the next morning, nana had made a delicious breakfast and nancy, scott and the boys came over to have the big Hogan family Christmas! which was hilarious with 3 under 2 yrs of age. lots of playing with wrapping paper - not so much the presents. Christmas night was topped off by my naked son dropping a big deuce on Nana and Pop's hardwood floors (thank God it was the hardwoods and not the carpet!!!!!). Poor buddy had a HORRENDOUS (probably the worst he's had) diaper rash so i was letting him run free for a bit when he decided to squat and let it go.................Merry Christmas to us!

Paul left for Florida to go recruiting on the 27th but Decky and I stayed with Nana and Pop so we got lots of time to hang with them, the twins, and aunt "nanny" and uncle "dot" - it was a fun filled few days and again, we were so glad to have been able to spend the time with them that we were. i always love seeing decky with the babies - this time he wasn't as sweet but that was kind of the theme for christmas this year - he was in a funky mood for about two weeks which was suuuuuuper fun let me tell you! but all of our family handled him well, thank heavens :) and didn't kick him/us out even though i'm sure they wanted to at times......

Here are some pics from our adventure!!! I'll post the phone pics/videos next! (sidenote, i did an extraordinarly horrible job of taking pics this go round ugh....)

Present from Uncle Kenan - John Deere toolbelt - pretty sweet!!!

Paul and his new girlfriend, Emmy

I cannot seem to get away from the little kids table......

Ornery Declan was not into the hugs.....

Cousins - too friggin cute! Emmy and Merrill

the WHOLE fam! We missed you, papaw...

boys. paul - my cousin, jay - my uncle, dave

brosefs minus kenan :(

BATHTIMEEEEE

The baby whisperer..........................

super de duper proud of his new elmo pjs!

as we all are :)

now paul gets a turn with teej...

Sorry dad....

It's basketball season and.......

The brainwashing has begun. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

I'm sexy and I know it

34 weeks. Boys - don't even think about it. As hot as that is, I'm taken. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Does his own thing..

My mom and dad got this awesome playset for decky for Christmas and he has figured out a better way to get in and down:

And I have no idea why he is waving and saying hi like a big goon in the beginning....That's my boy! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thankful....

just very very thankful.

i don't know why i do this to myself but there are a few blogs i've found (friends of friends) that inevitably give me perspective and bring me right back down to earth. these blogs are written by parents of kids that are either really really ill, or who have passed. and its horrible. beyond horrible, really. i cannot begin to imagine their pain and i will every once in awhile click on them to see how the baby is doing or how the parents are coping. i don't know them, but the fact that we are all parents in this universe link us forever together so i feel somehow connected. and i care about them. and their babies. and it makes me drop to my knees and thank God mine is healthy. and pray very very verrrry hard for this next one coming.

the past few days with decky have been so sweet. oh he's still throwing tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants but they don't last long and i've been overtaken with this extreme amount of patience. not sure where that came from but the screaming doesn't bother me right now. i can 100% smile thru it, ignore him (or put him in his room far away from me) and when its over tell him how much i love him and how we can better handle his frustration the next time (in 24 minutes) that he gets annoyed. so whatever, the tantrums are what they are...they aren't going away, CLEARLY, so we will just work thru them.

but he is my sweet cuddly super kissable mama's baby boy and i could not love a human being anymore. i read these blogs and i swear, it doesn't matter if decky threw 80 fits that day (which he might have come close to some days who knows) but i immediately go to a place of "what if something happened to him" and it reminds me to be thankful. thankful that i have a super healthy little boy. thankful that he's smart enough to know what he wants. that he is stubborn enough to fight for it. thankful that he wants to give me hugs in the middle of every single meal. every. one. that he NEVER wants to play by himself, always with "mama". thankful that he is my shadow. thankful that i get to stay home with him all day everyday - and that is WAY harder than any "job" i have had or will ever have, but easily the most rewarding. i know so many people say it so i will just echo their sentiments but i honestly do not know what my life would be without him and i'm just so thankful. so so so so thankful, beyond words.

my sweet baby, i wish there was a way i could describe the feeling of hearing your laugh first thing in the morning, or hugging you tight and spooning (his new fave) while reading books before bed but just know that you make my heart so full. you and daddy and little little buddy are THE best things to ever have happened to me and i love you more than life. thank you, God, for my boys. thank you.