Birthday Boy!

November happens to be a very busy month for this fam jam.

Fun fact : out of the 5 of us, 3 have birthdays in November - Declan (9th), Myself (28th) & Sadie (29th) ;)

Last week, we celebrated little man's birthday. He turned 2! He is my strong-willed, crazy, fun-loving boy.

These are a few of Declan's favorite things, at the moment -

Favorite breakfast - toast with scrambled eggs
Favorite food - apple sauce
Favorite treat - chocolate chip cookies
Favorite song - Happy by Pharrell Williams from the movie Despicable Me
Favorite movie - Disney's Tangled, especially this part
Favorite toy - anything on wheels
Favorite phrase - gasps, "oh no!"
Favorite book - Color Book
Favorite thing to play with - crayons or measuring cups
Favorite shoes - his 'Cars' crocs
Favorite time of day - bath time

We had planned to spend the day at the Telus Spark Science Center for his birthday but it snowed over night and all morning.  With one bad tire, slippery roads and the Science Center almost 40 minutes away, we decided to save it for another day.

The girls wanted to help out with the cake. I baked Declan's cake while the kids were in bed so I let the girls draw on the cake when they woke up. They had so much fun drawing pictures for their brother.

Pictures for the birthday boy from his big sissy's and balloons - we love balloons!

 

We were unsure of what to get the birthday boy this year. We decided to get him this Imaginarium Train set/table a few days before his birthday. We were a bit iffy about buying the table because we thought all the pieces would end up in different places of the house and that we'd lose most of the trains. I can happily say that after a week of having it, the tracks are all still together, no pieces missing and the kids actually play with it. I decided not to put it in Declan's room just yet because the main floor is where the kids normally hang out most of the time. They still play with it for most of the day which is nice.

My sis-in-law made this tipi for Declan. She made it the day of! Can you believe it? It's super cute and the kids love it. We are so lucky to have such a talented sister/auntie. She really can make anything and she is an amazing cook/baker. If she ever invites you over for a cooked meal, say yes! I promise you will never be dissappointed :)

August, this cutie celebrated with the birthday boy. He had fun playing (or should I say, sucking) on all the trains, tracks and the little people that came with the set. Such a cutie. If you have Instagram, you need to follow him - @hi_my_name_is_August

 When it was time to sing "happy birthday" to the birthday boy, he had all eyes on the little rainbow balls that outlined the cake. As you can see, most of it is gone because he was eating it throughout the day with his sisters. When we finished singing to him, his mouth was full, if he tried blowing out the candles, he'd be spitting out marshmallow fondant, so his sisters helped and blew out the candles for him.

Declan's birthday cake - I baked him a rainbow cake with vanilla buttercream and marshmallow fondant. It didn't turn out the greatest, I had used tons of icing trying to keep the cake together because I had made the layers too thin. It was so easy to make it tho, so I definitely plan on making another in the future for another birthday. 

 And last but not least, a little video of his day. Enjoy :)

 

Once upon a time... happy birthday!!

Have I told you how I went into labor with my littlest, Declan? I wrote about how my contractions started pretty early here. My contractions came and went for a week and a half. I remember always waking up late in the evening to contractions and then falling back asleep. After what happened earlier, I never really paid any attention to my contractions.

So, here I am, laying in bed and waking up to my contractions. I turn over and try to fall back asleep, but I can't. It's about 5:45 am. I manage to fall back asleep but wake up again soon after. This time they're stronger but I pay no attention to them and try to fall back asleep - not happening. I tossed and turned for about 20 minutes until I had the sudden urge to use the bathroom. *warning: the next few sentences may be a bit disturbing for others and not intended for those with a weak stomach*
So, I sit on the toilet, expecting to pee but instead a gush of fluid comes out of me. Is this what I think it is? Did my water actually break? No, it didn't break... I'm going crazy. Ohhhhhh yaaaa, it broke. Owww Owww Owww. Wake Michael up - NOW!!! Once I was done talking to myself. I yelled for Michael. My contractions went from a pain level of 3 to 9 in a second! They hurt like crazy and I just wanted to cry. After waking Michael up, telling him my water broke and that I was in so much pain, we had to figure out who could watch the kids. I remember him frantically searching for my phone and his phone on my night stand, still half asleep. I laugh now, but it wasn't funny then. After calling my brother and SIL, we started calling our neighbors. At the time my brother and SIL lived about 20-25 min. away from us and there was no way I could wait that long, so making a couple calls, we were finally able to get a hold of one of our fab neighbors. She came right over, with no hesitation and I was ready to book it to the hospital. I had my hospital bag in hand, sweater on, boots on and the only thing - or should I say, person - I was waiting on was Michael. Instead of running to the door with me, he decided to make his way to the kitchen, grab a shaker, fill it up with protein powder and then fill it up with water. I watched him do this in so much pain and it felt like it was taking him FOREVER to fill that f'ing shaker up with f'ing water. Seriously - FOREVER! I definitely yelled at him, reminding him that I was in fact, in labor. Oh hey, remember me? The woman in labor and having contractions every 10 seconds. Oh and did I mention that they hurt like a MF!??? So, shaker is filled, thank goodness! And off we go.

It snowed over night, so when we left, the roads were slippery and covered with snow. It was also 7:30 AM, on a weekday. Usually, when it snows over night, it seems as though eople forget how to drive the morning of. There are always accidents all over the place, people rushing to get to work so they're speeding or not yielding to other cars, of course there's an accident waiting to happen. So that morning, Mike and I were stuck in traffic - bad! We were honestly moving every 5-10 minutes. At this point, it felt like he was coming out, like now! So I tell Mike that he needs to find a different route or else I'm having this baby in the van. He pulls over into a Husky parking lot (it normally take 10 minutes to get to this husky from our house, but it took us 30 minutes that day). He calls 911 and we wait. The ambulance and fire crew came right away. As soon as they came, I can hear them all talking to Mike and after finding out that this was baby number 3, they all pretty much said, "ya, this baby is coming any second. let's get her in the ambulance. we might not make it to the hospital". Screw that noise. I am having this baby in the hospital, on a bed with an epidural!!! They take me out of the van (it was freeeeezing out!) and put me on a stretcher and into the ambulance. On the ride there, my contractions got even worse and I just wanted to push at this point. It honestly felt like he was trying to come out but I was motivated to keep him in and get my epidural. I'm guessing half way there, the paramedic asked me how I was doing and if I thought I was  ready to have the baby now. I ask him if he had epidural on him. He said no. I tell him that there was no way that I'd be having this baby without an epidural, so no, I am not ready to have this baby. He was fine with my answer and also said, "ok, that's good to know because I haven't delivered a baby in years and am not feeling confident." Glad we're on the same page, just get me to the hospital ASAP! So we get to the hospital and they wheel me in, nurses and doctors are running towards me and I'm laying there asking for the epidural. They wheel me into a room and transfer me to a bed and the doctor who was on call, walks in and says, "alright, sounds like we're ready to have a baby." First off, where's my epidural and second, Mike isn't even here yet. I asked for the epidural a few more times. I barely spoke, I was in that much pain. The only word that could come out of my mouth was, epidural. Mike shows up and the anesthesiologist shows up a few minutes later. Hallelujah! Needle in, epidural in, and within a few minutes, I was pain free and able to talk. As soon as I started talking, the nurse I had said, "Oh, so you do speak english. I was beginning to think you couldn't." I don't blame her for thinking that because I honestly did not speak a word other than "epidural" to her. She would ask me questions and I wouldn't answer. She'd ask me more questions, and I still wouldn't answer. We definitely laughed at that.
After getting the epidural, Mike showing up and then my mom (or was it the other way around?), I was able to get a bit of rest and soon after I woke up, I was ready to go. And after a couple minutes of pushing, he arrived! Declan Garland Donahue. When my doctor weighed him, he was 9 lbs even. She then said, "No wonder you wanted that epidural. He's huge!". A few minutes later, my nurse came in with my folder  of records and said, "So he's 9 lbs, your second baby was 8 and your first was 7. Are you planning on having another one? If so, be prepared for your next to be 10. You're on a roll." Ha ha ha.... eh ya, not happening.
He was finally here and I fell in love all over again. Now, 2 years later, I'm amazed at how much he has grown and the fact that all this happened two years ago. I know everyone says this, but, where has the time gone?

To the baby boy who has me falling in love, over and over again, every morning when I see that smile - you'll do great things and I'll always be here cheering you on, front row and center. After all, I am your number 1 fan. Happy birthday, buddy! xo

T.I.M.E

"Make time for your kids. Enjoy their laughter and silliness. They are so innocent and real.

Make them feel special, because they truly are the biggest blessing of your life."

I couldn't agree more with this quote. I love it so much. It's true, you know. Time with your kids is so important. Setting your priorities so that your kids/family are on the top of your list. They don't need all the cool toys or have all the money in the world spent on them. They just need your time. Whether it be in the living room, kitchen, their bedroom, on the floor, in the backyard - wherever it may be. Just spend time with them.

Today, while Mike was at work, Sadie called him asking to play "Go Fish" with her when he was done. So, as soon as he got home from work, he took a quick shower and there they were - sat at the kitchen table playing "Go Fish". They played a few rounds of the game until it was time for bed and Mike had to leave for the gym. When Mike left, Sadie asked to call him. So I gave her the phone and she started talking to him, "Hey dad, I had a fun time playing cards with you. Good night, I love you.". That phone call melted my heart and it put the biggest smile on my face. A few games of "Go Fish" was all it took to make her night.

I need to say this more often...

To the man who has made all of my dreams come true - THANK YOU!
To the man who loves me for who I am - THANK YOU!
To the man who loves his children, who helps care for them, who nurtures them and who always wants the best for them - THANK YOU!
To the man who works hard, to give his family the best life we can live - THANK YOU!
To the man who works hard so I am able to stay home with our kids - THANK YOU!
To the man who makes the time tuck the kids in bed, give cuddles before work and listens to stories after a long exhausting day - THANK YOU!
To the man who always tells me I'm beautiful - THANK YOU!
To the man who is patient, who barely complains about anything and who always thinks positively - THANK YOU!
To the man who is constantly making us laugh - THANK YOU!
To the man who lets me sleep in - THANK YOU & I LOVE YOU! (haha)
To the man who gives us security - THANK YOU!


My list of "thank you's" are endless. I'm so blessed and grateful to have this man in my life.

7 months old!

.23 lbs

.sleeps thru the night, 14 hrs is his record

.sitting up on his own

.mastered his rolling

.joined his big sisters, eating his cereal and solids

         favorites being: wheat and mixed fruit (he could eat it all day... and I mean all day!)

                                 sweet potatoes

                                 squash

                                 brown rice and green beans

                                 apples and blueberries

.the amount of drool that comes out of  his mouth a day can fill up the kids mini pool. seriously so much!

.did I mention, he sits up on his own? growing so fast *sad/happy face*

.caught him on his hands and knees/(sometimes feet) the other day and that's all he does now

          (i see crawling in the near future) *another sad/happy face*

.i'm not sure who talks more, him or his oldest sister

          (Sadie still wears the crown for being miss chatty kathy, but Declan is right behind her, 

           but I do love hearing his "bah bah bahs" and "da da ah ahs")

.spitting. it's his thing

.his laugh, it melts my heart

.he smiles all day, up until he wants something, then he makes it known with big cries

.so curious

.he loves his daddy, can't stop staring at daddy once he has walked in the room

.no more random cuddles for mommy, he is always moving and on the go

            mommy sneaks in cuddles before his naps and bedtime tho

.water baby

.loves fart noises, such a boy

.holds his own bottle, my independent boy

.hates shoes, they get in the way of playing with his toes

.refuses to drink water from his sippy cup, just another chew toy for him

.always knows how to put a smile on his mommy's face, blessed

5 months old. Can he get any cuter than this? Yea, I think he can ;)

I am a day late posting his 5 months. Yesterday was just crazy! Back to having 4 kids Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I'm lucky the little guy I have those days is so easy going and just loves playing with the girls!

Back to the topic, my little guy turned 5 months old. Amazing! I always tell people that after having your third and last child, you'd think time would go slower so you'd actually be able to take in the cute little moments for more than just a second or two. I was wrong. He started eating baby cereal last week and is loving it! He still prefers the bottle but definitely doesn't mind being able to sit with his sisters around the table (in his pink high chair, may I add) and eat with them. Last month he rolled over from his back to his tummy. Such a bitter sweet move he was able to do. Yes, he can roll onto his tummy but he would start freaking out from frustration because he was stuck. Now he is a rolling machine. Rolling over from back to tummy and then tummy to back. I honestly don't even know when he started doing this but he has and is enjoying the fact that he doesn't get stuck on his belly anymore. He'll roll from one end of the blanket to the other end. Sometimes even off the huge blanket I have laid out for him. Such a roller. Now, what I'm about to say next... I don't even know if I should say it... but... he has been sleeping 12 hours straight this whole week!!! Every morning this week, Mike and I ask each other if one of us fed Declan in the evening and we both shake our heads no.

For example, our conversation as per this morning:

Mike: "Did you feed Declan during the night?"

Me: "No, did you hear him cry at all?"

Mike: "No."

We then both look at each other and smile...

Me: "I don't even know if I should say what I want to say right now, I might jinx this whole thing"

Mike: "No, don't say it... I'm sure we're both thinking it... don't say it"

We are so unbelievably happy that he is being an amazing sleeper. Mckenzie was 2 months when she started sleeping a whole 12 hours, never had a problem with her. So you can see from that, I wasn't exactly used to waking up in the middle of the night for feeds. You are probably thinking, "well, he's 5 months now, aren't you used to waking up in the middle of the night to feed him?". My answer is, no. I don't think I will ever get used to waking up in the middle of the night. As much as you think my body will train itself to get used to being up... It won't, because what this body (my body) loves most is rest and sleep. I love resting and sleeping and  I'll take as much of both as I can (which, by the way, doesn't happen too often). If you know me, you know how thrilled I am about all this ha ha.

Declan is a growing machine and I only wish he would stop growing. Literally! I just finished shopping for him because he grew out of all his clothes 6-12 month clothes and only had a few shirts in 12-18 months. I hope he lasts in this size a lot longer. Other than all the amazing things he's been doing, he is doing what any other cute little babe would be doing at his age : a lot of baby talk, drooling (and lots of it!), a lot of excited screams, laughing, smiling, staring contests, pooping, farting (the smelliest I have smelled too), peeing, trying to sit on his own... the usual :).

Here is a little clip from yesterday of Declan laughing at Sadie. It's an everyday occurrence here in this house but Sadie always seems to find something new to spruce her performance up a bit for her baby brother.

Enjoy :)

Just a few videos for your entertainment. Enjoy!

 

1. Mckenzie eating some ice cream and shaking her bum to some Ikea tunes.

2. Fun with daddy as he spins the girls around. Their absolute favorite!

3. Miss Mckenzie hogging the "stage". She sort-of has a sharing problem? As you can see, Sadie is not impressed.

4. A little happy birthday video for the kids' great grandma in Winnipeg. We love you Nanay!

5. A late catch of the girls doing "head and shoulders knees and toes".

the sweetest thing...

With Declan nearing his four month mark (yes, he will be turning four months and no, I can't believe it) his personality has been starting to come out more and more. He can be one of two things: 1. he can be THE saddest baby. His cries are so sad, it literally sounds like he is in so much pain, when all he wants is a bottle or to be held/have someone around him. OR 2. he can be THE happiest baby ever. Which has been most of the time lately. He loves to smile and laugh. Whether it be during his early morning feeds or changing his diaper or putting him to sleep. He will smile and laugh like you are the funniest person in the world. I fall in love with him again and again just seeing his smile.

That being said, he has shown a liking to his big sister Sadie. Sadie is so good with Declan. She loves him unconditionally and you can tell. She always wants to hold him, feed him and just be around him. Whenever she hears Declan make one little cry, she quickly runs to me and says "mommy, my baby is crying, I need to make him happy o.k?". Then she runs off in his room or to where ever he is and I hear her trying to to calm him down (usually by just making loud noises haha). She has been doing that since the day we brought him home and I think he is noticing her a lot more, now that he is older. He is being more interactive with Sadie. Either talking to her, laughing at/with her or just giving her that sweet smile of his. It is the sweetest thing to see and it melts my heart every time.

She could care less about being around her baby brother when he first came home. Now she can't stay away from him. Wanting to feed him, hold him, play with him and comfort him. It melts my heart and makes me the happiest mommy seeing her like this.

Look who finally warms up to their baby brother !

Our little (or should I say big) boy has finally decided to make his appearance!

Declan Garland Donahue
Friday, November 9, 2012 @ 11:18 am
9 lbs 22 inches long


We are SO happy to finally have him with us. Not so happy about the sleepless nights.

DADDA!!!

Her reaction everytime dadda comes home. Always makes my day.

SIX MONTHS

Our little Kenzie girl is 6 months old today. I can't believe how much she has grown. She is THE most relaxed baby ever and is always so happy. She has so much patience (i'll admit, she gets that from her daddy). She can sit ... I mean, lay anywhere and wait quietly to be picked up. In the mornings, I don't exactly grab her right away from her crib when she wakes up because I just love listening to her talking to herself thru the monitor. It's the sweetest thing. She is now an expert at rolling over. I lay her on her back in one spot and immediately, she'll roll over onto her front. Then a few seconds later she will roll over on her back and so on. I would leave her for a minute or so and when I come back she is off the matt and chillin on the carpet. Now that she has aced rolling over, she is now trying to get on her hands and knees so she can start crawling. Poor girl, it's hard seeing her struggle and get frustrated over it. She will push herself up with her arms and slowly try to get up on her knees but always ends up falling forward cause her arms give out. She tries and tries and tries, so I know she'll get there soon. And when that day comes, that's when the gates go up ha ha. 

It honestly seems like yesterday when I was watching Sadie try to crawl. Now it's Mckenzie. Speaking of Sadie, her birthday is in 9 days. Her THIRD birthday that is. Where does the time go??

here's a little video of Sadie and Mckenzie. Mckenzie sure loves her Sadie and Sadie sure loves her Kenzie.

 

play together, stay together