Declan's 1st Birthday

My sweet baby boy turned 1 today.
One year ago, at 2:37am, I gave birth to our first born, Declan Stirling Connolly.
It is a miracle that brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.

We had a wonderful weekend celebrating Declan and his first year of life. My family came up from California which was so special for me, and we gathered on Sunday with more family and lots of friends for a party at Bear Creek Park in Medford.

I am so very blessed to have been given the pleasure and responsibility of being Declan's mother, and I believe Sean and I are better people because of the life changing journey that is parenthood.

We love you Declan Boy!!

Mischief

The other day I was in the kitchen doing the dishes and Declan was in the living room playing with toys. If you've never been to our house, you have to know that from the kitchen you can not see into the living room (which I am not a huge fan of, but what can I do?). So since I could not see him I had to rely on my hearing.

I could tell he was happily playing from the sounds I was hearing, but then I realized that all was too quiet.

I thought, "Ok. What kind of mischief is he getting into?"


When I cam into the living room, this is what I saw:

I didn't even know that he knew where the tissues were since we keep them hidden from sight. It almost looks as if Elphie got to it instead of Declan. What a funny little monkey! Thankfully, it wasn't worse...

Grammy

Tuesday evening, July 7th, 2012, my Grammy, Ella May Good passed away. She had been sick for several years and her health was declining pretty steadily. On Tuesday she had been rushed to the ER where they did all they could to assist her, but basically her body was just shutting down. It was her time to go. And now, she is at peace.

One of the first things I thought of when I heard that she had passed was that I wish I could have seen her more frequently, but she lived in San Jose, CA and it was often difficult for me to get down there. The next thing I thought of was that I am so very glad she got to meet Declan. And the third thing I thought of was the Bible she gave me on my wedding day. I have included pictures of the Bible below, as well as the inscription she wrote on the inside of the front cover.


May 23, 2009
My Dear Kadance,
Please accept this gift with all my love.
I carried this bible at my wedding 66 years ago. You were our first grandchild and a large part of our lives for 27 years. My prayers are with you and Sean for a wonderful life.
May God watch over you.
My best wishes! 
Grammy

I so cherished this gift the day she gave it to me, and will cherish it even more now.
I love you Grammy. Thank you for all the love you gave.

First Hair Cut

It's the day most mother's dread. The day we put off for as long as possible. The day when our little baby instantly becomes a bigger, older baby. The day of the first hair cut.

Up until last Saturday, I had been trimming Declan's hair on a fairly regular basis. But I am not by any means a gifted hair professional, so there were always uneven bits here and there. Sean had been wanting to give him a real hair cut for many months, but I always hesitated because I didn't want my baby to look like a big boy. I wanted to keep him baby-like for as long as possible.

But...the inevitable caught up with me and I decided to let Sean trim the whole thing with his hair clippers (the electric kind). Before he started I was crying and I said, "Wait, I don't think I can do this." Sean was so patient and just let me have my moment. We rationalized the whole thing all over again and then I was really ready.

Before

"Hey. Whatcha doin' Dada?"

He did so well!

After

When it was over, it took about a day for me to get used to the new look, but I realize that it definitely works for our toddling little boy.

Water Park

Last week our friends Mandy & Cole invited Declan and I to join them at the Water Park in Central Point, OR.
Central Point is a suburb of Medford, just like White City, where we live, and the two are very close to each other.

It is a great park and on a hot day, it's the perfect place to go to cool off.

Declan had never been before, and I wasn't entirely sure how he would react to all the water being sprayed and the kids running every which way. But he handled it like a champ. He is so fearless and enjoyed every moment, even when the water would spray him directly in the face.

This is a park we will definitely revisit.