Live From Ft Bragg!

2009-09-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Declan wants to show mommy how excited he is (face to face)!

Soothing little booboos away with a couple of goldfish - yum yum.

I can feed myself! I'm usually 5 for 10 with my veggie puffs and 10 for 10 with the baby goldfish! The more he wants it, the better his aim gets!
The high chair - a gift to all moms! And he loves being able to pick up his own food. It is probably time to retire the trusty old bumbo. :(

I can get my own toys out of the toy box now too! I'm just not as good at helping mommy clean up the toys after I'm done... If I wasn't so fast at everything, mommy would be able to take a picture of me standing without holding on to anything. I'm able to do this for a few seconds before I latch back on but I'm beginning to trust my balance more. Soon enough I'm going to be cruising all over the house without holding on to anything. But no need to rush in to anything right now!

2009-09-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

Declan is learning these things so fast, I am having a hard time keeping up with him. I had to go out and buy another gate for the kitchen last week because he discovered how much fun it was to fast crawl into the kitchen and play with the dog food. I would catch him heading that way and call his name. He would look back, give me a sneaky look and a smile and then speed crawl his way into the kitchen. From the video, you can see that now he can only go visit with the puppies and taunt them from the other side of the gate! Watch how fast he comes up to stand with ease - that's only after a week of trying. Now he stand up and sits back down about a hundred times a day.

First Steps!

2009-09-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

Here's Declan taking some of his first steps all by himself! He knew how to walk with someone holding on to his hands before he knew how to crawl. Now he has gotten strong enough to push his walker all around the room. He gets so excited and the walker is heavy enough that he actually has to step one of his feet back and dig into the carpet sometimes just to get it to go forward.

Roadtrip to MD

2009-09-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

Now that Declan is getting a little older (here he was 9 months), he is finding it more difficult to sit in his carseat for 6 hours while I am driving. We typically take 2-3 breaks along the way and this time he was very cute. I had unbuckled him and while I was getting his snack ready in the front seat I turned around and there was his big beautiful smile staring straight at me. I couldn't help myself but take a few pics. And on top of it all the carseat was making his hair stand up from the static so if you look close you can see his hair standing straight up!

The ice cream pics are from a little mini excursion we took while at Aunt Christina and Uncle Joe's house. He needed a nap and so I took him for a walk in his new umbrella stroller up to the boardwalk. He slept as I walked around the little shops up there and just as we were going to go back he woke up. We decided to stop at one of mommy and daddy's favorite ice cream shops before heading back. He had his first taste of mint chocolate chip and from the looks of it, he liked it just fine! :) He definitely loves his dairy!

2009-09-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well, this video is a couple of weeks old, but this is Declan just learning to stand up on his own. It only took a few tries and a couple of days to get his pattern down. He had the advantage of seeing all the other kids in his class doing the same thing. I think he was tired of seeing them be able to reach all the cool toys on the top shelf when he had to stick to the bottom shelf toys. At first he had a hard time understanding how to get one of his feet underneath him so he could pull up to a stand from that one foot.

2009-07-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

This was a very fun bath. Declan always loves bath time but this time he had quite an audience (Kate, Megan, Nate and Mommy). Before we took him out, I put him on his belly and he instantly went into a frog kick! He did a fantastic job of keeping his head above the water and using his hands and legs to move around the tub. However, his bottom is like a floaty and would lift his whole bottom half of his body and it would float in the water. Future Michael Phelps!

Rub-a-dub-dub - Declan loves the tub!

Are you talking to me?!

Bottoms up! :)

Mommy, you're going to embarrass me with these pictures later, aren't you?
Why, of course, Declan, that's what mommies do!

Splits!

Misc Zoo Pics

2009-07-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

Enjoying his stroller ride

Declan was actually more interested in his bottle than this hedgehog but I was able to get him to touch it once.

Bouncy, bouncy...Declan doesn't need a carousel to have a good time. He was bouncing his bottom the whole time he was on this lion statue! so cute :)

Hello birdie! Declan is so strong now that I barely have to hold on to him.

Grrrrrr! Scary lion.

2009-07-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

Patiently waiting (STANDING!) for the gorilla to come out for lunch.

WOW! That's all that can be said. A huge, 400 lb grey-back gorilla. Declan was confused and astonished at once.

Don't leave big guy, I want to look at you more!

1st Trip to the ZOO!

2009-07-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

Declan's first trip to the zoo! Megan and I were thinking about what we could do this weekend and we both have been wanting to go to the zoo. Good thing for us, the Knoxville Zoo is only 40 min from John and Kate's house and they were having a free day for military since it was july 4th. It was a great time and the weather was perfect, warm with a chilly breeze.

Camels to Declan = big furry dogs!

They sure like to eat. They would stick their heads way out into the crowd to sniff at everyone's hands!

Not much like dogs anymore. I let the camel sniff Declan's hand and he sniffed ALL over it! I pulled his hand away so the camel wouldn't confuse Declan's hand with food!

Trial #2: Look at those hairy lips!

Summer fun in the pool

2009-07-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

Splashies!! Come here Mr. T-Rex

I got you!Cold splashies! (the water was fresh out of the spicket! oops!)

Mommy get me out of here!

Dog Gone Cute!

2009-07-05T10:15:00.000-07:00

Piggy back rides on Bradley! Declan LOVES - Bradley, not so much! :)

With Sampson and Bowser.

The infamous Flashypoo cooling off in the garage.

Megan - dog training extraordinaire!

Racing through the yard - and gramps Bradley is actually in the lead!

I love my family!

2009-07-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

For the last 6 weeks, I have been attending a training class in AL for the Air Force. Kate, John and Megan have been gracious enough to take care of Declan and Flash while I am away. Declan loves giving Aunt Megan leg kisses and playing with her toes! He spends his days playing and animal watching. Kate and John have 4 dogs and 3 cats of their own so there is always constant movement in the house. When Declan sees the dogs, he squeels at a high pitch and smiles. If he gets a cat within arms length, he reaches out and grabs 2 handfuls of hair in his hands and laughs excitedly. Baxter is staying with my parents and desperately misses his brother. Flash also misses his brother but he has 4 other dogs to preoccupy his time. They are going to need some doggy counseling when we get home!

Happy 1/2 Birthday, Declan!!

2009-05-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Well...we now know Declan love, LOVES chocolate icing! He definitely outdid all my expectations for his first taste of cake =) That's all I expect from my little love bug!

McGarry Family Get Together

2009-05-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

The newest additions - Bowser and Luna
Big "Papa Bear" Bradley, "Puppy Mama" Gracie, Bowser "BooBoo Baby", Luna "licious", and Sampson The FamSilly shot :)

I LOVE the news!

2009-05-16T18:17:00.000-07:00

Lately Declan has been very interested in anything within an arms reach of him. Actually very interested probably isn't even the best way to describe it, he is obsessed. Now that he knows he can reach stuff, he is grabbing for everything. Declan dares you to turn your head away from him - you do and he will have a very firm grasp on your plate, cup, remote, keys, paper and the list goes on. This time, Megan, Declan's aunt, was watching him and he got a hold of a magazine. As you can see, he totally devours and detroys anything he gets his hands on! And being the great aunt she is, Megan caught all this on camera and pimped his hat out in the process!

Drunken Baby!

2009-05-16T18:09:00.000-07:00

Before Sean and I sat down for dinner, we propped Declan up on the oversized chair with his bottle. When I went to go check on him, this is what I found! A half eaten bottle flipped around backwards with his shirt all the way up his belly sprawled out and passed out! And notice how his hand is still tightly gripping his bottle! :)

Family Picnic :) Part 2

2009-05-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

"I guess this is a headrest..."

"Swings are fun!"

"I love when daddy pushes me high in the swing!"

"I love talking to daddy!"

"Daddy makes funny faces!"

Family Picnic :)

2009-05-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Grapes!

Puppy!

GRAPES!!

PUPPY!!

decisions, decisions...

Daddy's Home

2009-05-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

Easter 2009

2009-04-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

This Easter we went over to Grandma Edwards's for a family dinner. We are learning as we do big group events how to introduce Declan to the big group. When we first got there, everyone wanted to hold him, but Declan wasn't all for this plan! He hadn't seen these people since he was much smaller and now he is recognizing people so he only wants to be held by those he knows or will let others hold him so long as he can see me or my mom close by. I tested out a new theory when one of our married couple friends (Rachel and Marshall) came over for a visit. Instead of instantly handing him over to them, I held on to him for a few minutes and let him check them out and they talked to him and he got used to seeing them. Then after about 5 min, I handed him off to Rachel. No fuss - so far a success. Then Rachel had been holding him for a little while and Marshall was next to her talking to him. So Rachel then passed Declan off to Marshall - success! He started playing with his face and talking so for now, I think my test has worked. Below are an assortment of pictures from Easter and Marshall and Rachel's visit.

"Mama, why are you sticking that big black thing (ie the camera) in my face?!"

He can hold his own bottle!!!

Happiest baby on earth! And what a cute easter outfit! :)

You have whiskers - I'm not so sure I like this yet.

At 5 months, Declan is already beating up the big boys! POW!

Tickle Me More, Mommy!

2009-04-06T20:27:00.000-07:00

Declan love, LOVES getting tickled! If you even pretend to tickle him, he will burst out laughing! Oh, and the poor kid has my unfortunate laugh :)

I'm a half sitting fool :)

2009-04-06T18:31:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: I promise on my life that Declan did not get hurt or cry during or after the filming of this video! :)

Just call me Goofy!

2009-04-06T18:18:00.000-07:00

I know all parents say this about their kids, but Declan is THE most adorable baby I have ever interacted with! He is soooo much fun to be around. Just such a cool kid with a calm personality and always looking to smile or laugh at you!

Drool!

I'm too cute for my shirt, too cute for my shirt!

Open sesame!

Look at those strong little man arms!

Roll, Baby, Roll!

2009-04-06T18:12:00.001-07:00

"I'm not too sure about this roll thing"

"This might be fun!"

"Now I'm having way too much fun - I think I like it right here on my side"

"The side lay is pretty cool; I think I'll hang out right here for a sec and chew on my fingers."

"I made it! Wow, what a workout!"

Hibernation

2009-04-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

So, I guess since Valentine's Day we have gone into a slight blog hibernation. This was not intentional but since Sean and I started using Skype (an online video call capability) I spend more time talking and trying to talk to Sean than doing anything else online like blogging. Well, since Valentine's Day, which was around his 2 month mark, Declan has moved day cares, started eating rice cereal and fruits and veggies, talks, laughs, gives weird looks, sleeps in his crib (thanks to LoLa), had a visit from LoLa, rolls over, and half sits. Wow, babies do a lot in such a short period of time! Here are a few picture updates to let you see how big our boy has gotten. At his 4 month check up, Declan weighed 15lbs 4oz and was 25.1" long!

Declan is a tummy time pro now and even likes to grab at toys and pull them closer to him. He is such an interactive little boy!

Declan's new thing has been to reach out for the dogs when they are close by. He sees them everyday and is now curious to see what they feel like. They aren't quite as interested in him - all they care about is being as close to me as possible - so close that all the air I breathe is their CO2 puppy breath!

Our beasts - Baxter (L) and Flash (R). They are now both somewhere between 75 and 90lbs!

Sean's Valentine's Message

2009-02-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

The BIG Ducky

2009-02-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

So I found this big ducky bath tub at Target the other day and decided it was worth a shot. It's inflatable (therefore a big cushion for Declan) and it is just the right size for him. He has really started to use his legs a lot now so whenever I had him in the sink I had to keep my hands cupped around his head so he wouldn't push on the sink and bump up his head. With this bath tub he can kick as much as his heart desires and in the video you can see how much he really likes kicking! I tried my best to keep it as PG as possible - this will just be one of those embarrassing things I get to pull out when he is older and starts bringing girls home! Oh, way too early to be thinking about those things!! :)

Puppy Talk

2009-02-12T18:57:00.000-08:00

First Solid Foods

2009-02-11T18:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this all started when we were eating dinner one night at Kate's. She had made chicken and stuffing with all the fixings (mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli). Declan was sitting in his little bumpo next to Kate and I on the couch. Kate just all of a sudden took a little finger full of mashed potatoes and stuck it in Declan's mouth. Boy did he LOVE that! It was the first time he had had anything other than milk. So we decided he might be ready for some rice cereal and Kate had a box already for feeding the puppies. This is what followed...

His hands always get in the way of him and his food! One day he will catch on :)
There go those fingers! This time it looks like he is trying to shovel the food in his mouth.

He is such a mess! I now know what bibs were made for!

Close encounters

2009-02-11T17:58:00.000-08:00

Since the puppies were going on 6 weeks old when Declan and I went to visit Kate, I found that I had to keep a constant eye on them if I had Declan around. The puppies were in a chewing phase and anything they came in contact with was free game for chewing practice. One time, Megan had her puppy (Bowser) and Wilson in the house on Bradley's bed. I went over with Declan in my lap to pet them and let them sniff Declan. Well, as soon as they saw me, they hopped over and went straight for Declan's feet! I had to use one hand to cover Declan's feet and the other to keep fending the puppies off. They just kept going after his feet anytime I didn't have my arm up to block them. I don't know what it was about his feet that they just couldn't resist! Below is a glimpse of how Declan felt about their chewing phase:

Close...

A little closer...

WAY TOO CLOSE! :)

Puppies, Puppies Everywhere!

2009-02-11T17:46:00.001-08:00

He's still more interested in his hands than the puppy! I guess by the looks of it the same could be said for the puppy :)

The pup finally found her way to Declan.

She looks a bit frightened by his flailing arms :) But look at that arm span - Declan's going to be one tall boy!

They were both a bit tired of each other after a while.

Lazy Sunday

2009-02-01T19:37:00.000-08:00

Declan is definitely getting more head control.

His smiles are never in short supply!

There's those big, beautiful blue eyes :)

Ayyyya! Future karate kid!

Oodles of Oogling

2009-02-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

Declan and I got invited to Great Grandma Edwards' "Sister's Club." Grandma has 5 sisters and they all live in this area so every month or so they try to get together for dinner and chatter. Grandma invited me to this one so all the sisters could meet Declan for the first time. Declan really had a great time getting passed around and getting to study everyone's face. He LOVES meeting new people! And I learned my lesson about leaving the house totally prepared for anything...I only had about 2 oz of formula ready for Declan and stayed out longer than intended so he was a little mad at mommy :(

Kid's Exchange

2009-02-01T19:09:00.001-08:00

Here's a look at some of the things I got at the Kid's Exchange. It was quite an overwhelming experience! The building was packed wall to wall with kid stuff from cribs and high chairs to books and puzzles and clothes and sooo much more. It's tempting to spoil Declan when everything is so cheap but I totally held back. I do believe that I won't have to shop for clothes again for the rest of the year!

Funny side note: I told Sean about going to a Kid's Exchange and he thought that I was going to be exchanging Declan for another kid for a day! The name is a bit misleading :)

He Grabbed for it...TWICE!

2009-01-20T19:26:00.000-08:00

Today, Declan did a new thing. And it wasn't just a fluke because he did it twice on two separate occassions. Today Declan grabbed the rings on his swing and pulled. The first time he did it I was downstairs cooking breakfast with him in the kitchen with me. All of a sudden I hear the music from his swing start playing and I knew I had not turned it on. And then I saw that he had his little hand gripped tightly around the rings on the swing. When he pulled, the music turned on. I got soooo excited that I ran upstairs to grab the camera (now that I have a camera, I have been doing that a lot lately!). By the time I got back downstairs, the moment had passed. The moment came back later in the day though while I was painting the living room. And this time, the camera was in the room with me so I was able to capture the proof of this first. Declan amazes me everyday. He is such a fun child. He smiles and laughs and makes little noises when I talk to him and these times are so rewarding. No matter how my day is going, I can always depend on Declan being there to brighten my day. :)

If you look real closely, Declan is smiling behind his binkie :)

Our little man...one step ahead.

Declan's First Snow!

2009-01-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

This is what I woke up to this morning! Declan's first snow!

Declan ate a few snow flakes...

Then came to the realization that he hated snow!

I never thought I would need to use my snow suits.

But isn't he just so darn cute!

Puppies First Snow

2009-01-20T17:31:00.000-08:00

Thumb Sucking

2009-01-19T19:42:00.001-08:00

I put Declan in his crib for a nap today and before I could put his binkie in his mouth he found his thumb instead! It was too cute to pass up for a picture! :) His naps used to be wherever he fell asleep. I am trying to get him more used to his crib so now when he falls asleep, I take him up and lay him down there.

First Sounds

2009-01-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

This is a glimpse of how Declan and I talk to each other every day. He is especially talkative after he eats - it must help him get the bubbles out. It is so very satisfying as a mother to look at your child and have him look back and smile.

2009-01-17T06:04:00.000-08:00

Here's Declan showing off for the camera! He is really doing great with his tummy time. He follows objects and moves his head from side to side. Yesterday was his 2 month check up. He weighed in at 12 lbs 6 oz! That is a whole 3 lbs 4 oz since birth! His current weight puts him right at 55% when compared to the national average. He is just over normal but normal is good. His height was measured at 23.4" which is also 55% of the national average. Yesterday was also his first experience with shots. He had no idea what was coming! :) He received 3 shots and the technician was really good and quick - stick, stick, stick, bandaid, bandaid, and DONE! But those three sticks were like the end of the world to Declan! I have never heard him scream like that before :( very sad but kind of cute funny also because I knew he was going to be ok. He cried for a good 5 min and then fell asleep on my shoulder. That was a lot of work for my little man and he needed a well-deserved nap.

2009-01-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

Sit and Stay!

2009-01-16T17:05:00.001-08:00

Here is my first ametur video with my new camera. I wanted to show Sean how his boys (all his boys) were doing since he left. It took a few trys but Baxter and Flash finally learned how to stay sitting for a treat as I walked away from them. It's hard to be mother and teacher to three babies (and, yes, despite their size, the puppies are still babies and only 11 months old) but you take your victories where you can get them!

Oh, and please don't mind the condition of my living room. I'm in the middle of re-painting. It's kind of a constant "work in progress" kind of thing. :)

Hospital Visitors

2008-12-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

Remember Declan was born at 0519. This being said, I have no idea where the energy came from to stay awake all day. The first day is a blur of tests and vital signs checks and trying my best NOT to laugh. For those of you who have had babies, you totally understand! Boy it sucks to have the epidural finally wear off. It puts you in an unrealistic high of painlessness. However, it's hard not to laugh when you are married to Sean McGarry (it was really difficult for him to not make jokes but it was even harder to make me laugh and then hear me scream out in pain!) Sean and I really used this first day to stare at Declan and enjoy the awe of what we had made. Sean stayed overnight at the hospital despite the lack of sufficient sleeping arrangements. He had to sleep in plastic chairs that pulled out into a "bed." After the second day of waking up stiff and sore, he finally went home and brought back his military cot and set it up in the middle of the room. I wish I had taken a picture of this but it will just have to live on in my memory. Oh, and there was a spider on the cot when he started putting it together...he isn't a fan of spiders. :0

The second day we had visitors all day. Carol, Mark and the boys came, Sean's company commander and his family (he also has a new baby), Grandma and Grandpa (not Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa), Sean's squadron commander and his family (5 kids!), 3 of my college friends (thanks Steph, Beth and Em), and of course Grandma, Grandpa and Lola (Sean's mom). It was a busy day and Declan was the star of the show.

Grandma and Declan talking to each other.

Declan's poor little hand. Because I ran a fever during labor, he had to get a series of antibiotics before we left the hospital. He was of course clear of any infections.

Carol, Mark and Matt.

Great-Grandma and her first great-grandson.

4 generations.

More Birth Pics

2008-12-07T19:25:00.000-08:00

"Delivered From Above" - Future Paratrooper!

Proud Dad!

Our lives will never be the same - and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Having a staring contest with Declan :) Can't help but tell how much he looks like his daddy.

My breaking point...

2008-12-07T18:58:00.000-08:00

So after having several hints and guilt trips from my lovely sister, Christina, I am finally creating a blog. Declan Patrick McGarry was born at 0519 Saturday, 15 Nov at Womack Army Medical Center. After a long and arduous 21 hour labor, Sean and I finally got to see our beautiful baby boy. I guess to be completely honest only the first 12 hours were long and painful. The last 9 were hardly memorable since I couldn't feel anything from my waist down (oh, the gift of epidurals - which I swore I didn't want ;0 ) Declan weighed in at 9lbs 2oz and 21 inches long. I have recently come to find out that I was born with those exact same measurements! I guess Declan and I are destined to have a lot in common, poor fella. Anyway, here are a few photos from Declan's birth - a day Sean and I will always remember.

Declan's first bath. He still likes getting them just as much as this one! :)

Look at that big barrel chest! Even the nurse commented on how big his chest is - like father like son.

After 40+ weeks of waiting, I finally get to hold my son for the first time.

Sean's version of helping me through contractions :) He was a great support and I wouldn't have made it through this delivery without him.

We tried every possible laboring position but the exercise ball was my drug of choice and the only thing that kept me going without real drugs for 12 hours!
P.S. this is my first post so if the pictures are out of order, I apologize.