4 months

Declan is 4 months old today. I have no idea where the time is going! It seems like we were just bringing him home from the hospital yesterday but then again it also seems like I've had him forever! I can't imagine my life without him. As a very good little surprise today, my little boy rolled over all the way for the first time! He's been super close to rolling over for a while now, but today, while he was on his tummy, he rolled over onto him back! I kept putting him back on his tummy and he kept rolling over. After about the 5th time, I just let him be and he then rolled back over onto his tummy! He's done that about 4 times today! It was so exciting to see. Marty didn't get to see him roll over til this evening but he did get to see it. I also got some of the ones from earlier on a video on my phone. It is so fun watching all the advacements and new things he does. I always knew that I would like being a mom, but I didn't know really how much I would love it! I didn't know how fulfilling it would be.
I've been reading this book that my sister loaned me (I'm almost finished with it.) Its called I Am A Mother by Jane Clayson Johnson. For any mothers or soon to be mothers, I DEFINITELY recommend it! It is such a wonderful book and it has really changed my perspective on a lot of things, especially the way the world looks at being a mother (stay-at-home-mom) compared to the way I should look at it. She says that when she was just a new mom, she was in a group setting and the were going around telling what they all do and some of the other moms seems almost ashamed. When they would say it, they would say, "oh I'm just a mom", like it's nothing special. He was baffeled by that. It really talks a lot about being proud and exclaiming, "I AM A MOTHER". That is what I plan on doing from now on. This is by far the hardest and most rewarding job I have ever done and I am proud of that! Just because it doesn't come with a paycheck doesn't mean it isn't the greatest thing in the whole world. So I take back what I said in my last post. My life is exciting! I am a mother and dang proud of it!
This book has really made me think a lot about Heavenly Father, too. I'm barely getting a small glimps of what Heavenly Father went through when he watched his son suffer and die for us. Declan has been sick a couple times since he's been born. Nothing serious. The first time, he was a week and a half old and he caugh a cold. When he was about 2 1/2 months, he had rotavirus, and he is now just getting over a cold and an ear infection, and seeing him not feeling good, and in pain completely tears me up inside. I would give anything to take away his pain, or have it be mine instead. I have really had that though on my mind a lot lately. There is also a quote in the book by President N. Eldon Tanner that says, "A mother has far greater influence on her children that anyone else has, and she must realize that every word she speaks, every act, every response, her attitude, even her appearance and manner of dress, affects the lives of her children and the whole family. It is while the child is in the home that he gains from his mother the attitudes, the hopes, and beliefs that will determine the kind of life he will live, and contribution he will make to society." I gotta be honest, that hit me hard! I am bound and determined to be a better person for my family. Not just act like a better person, but really, deep down right to my core, be a better person. I'm trying to act better, watch what I say, incuding gossip, and even what I think.
Anyway, just a few of my thoughts the past week or so... I'm going to go kiss my baby boy goodnight. :)

My big boy, 4 months old

Family Picture for Declan's blessing

Our Unadventurous Adventures

Marty typically works 6 days a week with only Sundays off, so when his boss decided that he was going to close the shop for Memorial day, we were pretty stoked! We decided that we would go to Rexburg and visit my sister, Marty's sister and some friends that we have there. We haven't been there since we moved away more then a year ago. We left Saturday night right after Marty got off work and met Sam and Kyle in Idaho Falls. I took Declan and went with Sam and Kyle and Marty went to a fight night thing at a friends house and Sam and I went home to eat, feed the kids and put them to bed. The guys got home around 10:30 and we all went to bed. Sunday we went over to Marty's sister Melanie's house and visited her, her husband and their 9 kids. It was good to see them, especially since we used to live just down the lane from them and they hadn't seen Declan yet. Then we had some friends over to play games and Sam and Kyle's. Monday Marty and Kyle went out shooting first thing and Sam and I and the kids went to Walgreen's and got some diapers on SALE for $3.00 per package! AWESOME DEAL! We were pretty happy about that! 6 packages of diapers for less then $20.00! :D Then we got all packed and went to a bbq in Idaho Falls and then met my friends Kayliegh and her husband Tyler at Cold Stone to catch up a little (I had no idea Cold Stone did smoothies!). After that, went to the mall for a while and got Marty a few new pairs of pants (he was in desperate need) and me a few shirts! I also got this long dress that I am in LOVE with! We stopped in Pocatello on our way home and visited my brother Adam on our way home! It was such a wonderful weekend! I could not believe how angelic Declan was the WHOLE TIME! It was wonderful! He slept great, he wasn't fussy! He was just good! I was a little worried because this was the first time we have been anywhere overnight with him since he was born but it was awesome! It was a very much needed thing for us and we both just had such a great time!

Declan has also started laughing in the last couple weeks! I am totally loving it! He is such a fun little guy. Everything he does just absolutely melts my heart! And everytime Marty gets home, Declan just gets so excited to see Marty and have him start playing with him! Marty is the only other one (besides me) that can really calm him down if he is freaking out. He just LOVES his daddy like crazy (but I think he is a little bit more of a momma's boy hehe).

People always ask me what I've been up to lately and seriously, it's always the same answer. I really don't do much! My life (from an outside perspective) might not seem all that exciting, but it is soo very wonderful to me! Declan and I have a nice little morning routine we do every morning, we bring Marty lunch in the afternoon, and go home and watch a movie or clean and then Marty gets home and we kind of take it from there what the evening is going to be like. Its simple, and maybe not very exciting but I love every single minute of it! I always knew that I was going to like being a mom (and a house wife) but I didn't know I would love it to this extent! I can't imagine life any better then this, having my best friend by my side and my sweet little monster melting my heart with his smiles and giggles! How does it get any better? (well there are a few things I wouldn't mind changing so much, like no more apartment living, but that will just take a little time.) I just look at my life and thank the Lord for how blessed we are!

So, I posted something on Facebook a while ago about trying to cut out dairy to see if it makes a difference with Declan since I'm breastfeeding. So I cut it out and it made a HUGE difference! He is no longer fussy all the time, he still spits up but only a fraction of what he used to, and I can tell his tummy isn't just hurting him all the time like it did before. This has been a major thing for me. I am a major milk drinker. I used to drink so much milk, and eat ice cream, and yogurt, and sour cream and cheese, etc... so this has been a really big change for me. Its extremely hard and I miss drinking milk every day but I know that it is totally worth it to make my baby happy and healthy! I complain to my husband sometimes but all I have to do is see one of Declan's adorable little smiles :)

Well, thats about it for tonight (sorry if it was kinda long and boring haha). I'm having kind of a hard time even thinking of things to blog about because everyday is pretty much the same, as I was talking about so I guess I'll just blog again when something new or exciting happens (which may not be very soon haha) Have a wonderful weekend! I know we will! PS Enjoy the pics of my handsome little man!

Declan sleeping on my bed yesterday

Declan today in his cute outfit! He's always so smiley