Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We wish you all a happy and healthy holiday! love, BC, Shiloh and Declan

And the stockings were hung...

Along with our first Christmas tree we also have our first stockings...handmade by me! This was the second sewing project that I have tackled (I made a blanket out of my old t-shirts once). They don't have our names on them yet becuase I haven't decided how I'm going to do that, but the green ones are for dad and Declan and the red one is mine:)

2 teeth

This past week has been a tough one, exciting, but tough...Dec's 2nd tooth came in and he did not fare well with the discomfort, then again, neither did we! Today he was much better, but the last couple of nights weren't much fun. We're still unable to get a picture of the 2 little teeth, it's hard to even sneak a peek, but they're there and they sure are cute:) Oh, and he still hasn't taken to eating cereal or avocado...he clamps his little mouth shut and turns his head the other way! I think we'll take a week off while we're visiting family for the holidays and give it another go when we get back.

I'm 6 months old!

Our "little" guy is 6 months old! We just got back from the doctor and he weighed in at 18 lbs and 14 ounces (75%) and is 28 inches long (95%)!! He is healthy and happy:) He did great with his shots today...dad couldn't be there, so mom had to stay in the room with him:( Last month he learned to sit up and got a tooth, we are excited to see what this month will bring!He no longer lets me put his sign on his lap...that's why it is upside down in the first picture!

Downtown at the circle

Saturday night we bundled Dec up and went downtown to see the lights at the circle. It was a really chilly night, but he enjoyed looking around at all the people and lights...he loves sitting up in his stroller. We even got to see a real reindeer! He also liked looking at the horses...dad told him they were big dogs:)

Declan's first tooth!

Declan cut his first tooth! Last Wednesday night Declan woke up twice screeching and screaming and at 3 in the morning we didn't think to check to see if a tooth was coming in. It wasn't until Saturday morning that I noticed something in his mouth and when I felt his gums, sure enough there was a sharp little bottom tooth!! He's been teething for awhile and we had just bought him a new teether on Thursday...it's wooden and made in Germany by Selecta (the colors are vegetable dyed)...I think it's the greatest teether ever! Of course I can't get a picture of his new tooth because he keeps pulling his lower lip in when I try!

Declan's new drum

While Grandma and Grandpa were down we went to our new favorite toy store (Mass Ave Toys) and Declan got a new drum! He's doing a good job drumming (it lights up when you hit it) and if we put him on his tummy it rolls while making music to encourage him to move towards it and crawl. Since he will not even attempt to roll from his tummy to his back, maybe crawling will be next! Oh, and Grandpa bought a few toys for himself too!

Happy birthday Grandpa!

Happy birthday Grandpa!! Grandma and Grandpa Butler came down this week and we got to celebrate (a little bit early) Grandpa's birthday by going to the toy store and having cake...no, Declan did not get any frosting this time! Today is his actual birthday and we hope he has a wonderful day:) Love you Grandpa!

Forget cereal, give me cupcakes!

This morning Declan decided that he no longer wanted cereal and thought that a cupcake would be better! As BC grabbed a cupcake, Declan stuck his chubby little fingers in the icing and then put them directly in his mouth...this all happened in about 2 seconds, he was too quick for either of us to do anything! Being the mom that I am, he was promptly cleaned up and put in his chair for some cereal, which he didn't really eat because he still doesn't like it:) Oh well, I guess he has a sweet tooth just like his dad!

Yucky cereal!

Since Declan is almost 6 months old we decided to give him his first taste of cereal...as you can see he was not too happy about it! I tried it myself and have to agree that it is quite yucky:) Maybe he'll do better with bananas and avocado..oh I can't wait to see that mess!!

Our first Christmas tree...

Since BC and I have spent the last 6 years in LA we never had a Christmas tree (it didn't make sense to have one in an apartment and we always came home for Christmas anyway) so, we were very excited to go pick out our first tree this year! Monday night we went out in the freezing cold to find our tree and to get all the "stuff" we needed (thanks to my sister for her old ornaments and my brother for the tree stand). Seeing as though we had never decorated a tree before we thought that 2 boxes of lights would be sufficient...nope! The second picture shows our tree on Monday night:) Declan and I went out the next day to get some more lights and we finished "trimming the tree" that night. We still don't have a tree topper (I bought an angel, but we're returning it because it's kind of ugly) so, we'll have to figure something out for the top! Now we just need some presents to go under it!!

Declan's Baptisim

Sunday, November 30 was a very special day for us...Declan was baptized at St. Charles Borromeo Church, the church that BC grew up in and where we were married. Declan wore a baptismal gown that has been in the O'Rourke family for more than 100 years, BC was also baptized in this gown! Of course he left his mark on it by slobbering all over it! His godparents are Uncle Kienan and Emily (BC's cousin), we think the 3 of them are a good match:) It was a wonderful day with both of our families celebrating with us.

Boiler Up!

This is for all you Purdue fans out there! Declan, like his mom, is a boiler fan and wanted to show off his Purdue Pride yesterday when the boilers crushed IU!! It was a great send off to Joe Tiller:) Oh, unlike his dad, Declan does not cheer for Notre Dame, who should have won yesterday, but didn't!

A couple funny videos...

Just wanted to share a couple videos we took this past weekend. Declan was "talking" up a storm, so I decided to grab the camera and try to video it...well, he decided to stop talking and instead tried to eat the camera! The second video is of Dad and Uncle Kienan...BC had been "flying" Declan over to Kienan for awhile before I started the video (that's why it's so short) and with Dec weighing almost 18 lbs, Dad's arms got a little tired!

I'm 5 months old!

Our little guy is 5 months old now! Each month I've been taking a picture of him in only a diaper, while sitting in his boppy pillow...well, he's outgrown the boppy! It's so fun to see how much he has grown each month. Last month he learned to roll over and we can't wait to see what this month will bring...maybe he'll sleep through the night or cut his first tooth (he is a slobbery fool right now)! No matter what he does or doesn't do, we feel so blessed and fortunate to have him...he is just amazing!

Dad and Dec

Oh I just love my guys! BC was playing around with Declan the other day and I just had to video his little laughs:)

I've been tagged!

Okay, so we know that I'm new to blogging...well, Darcy tagged me so here it goes! My fourth picture in my fourth folder is... BC and I at the lake on Memorial Day:) This was taken a couple of weeks before Declan was born! It makes me laugh because people asked when BC was due! Just for the record, he was pushing his stomach out that far (he says!).

Okay, now for 7 weird things about me... 1. I am a vegetarian, but I don't eat salad (it makes me gag) 2. I don't like to drive...at all...BC does all of the driving unless I really need to go somewhere 3. On my birth certificate, SS card and license my name is spelled SHILO because that is the way my dad spells it:) 4. I like to do the dishes by hand, I don't think the dishwasher does a good job, plus I don't like to unload it 5. I need the faucet running in order to go to the bathroom no matter where I am 6. I eat my food "meticulously" BC says...for example, if we are having pasta, veggies and bread for dinner, I eat all of the veggies, then the bread and then the pasta, I don't mix up my bites:) 7. I can't stand touching raw meat, it is quite possibly the worst thing in the world

Happy Birthday Gram!

A big happy birthday wish goes out to Gram! Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Gram, happy birthday to you!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! We had a wonderful first Halloween with Declan. We headed down to Starbucks on Mass Ave and went trick or treating in Lockerbie Square. Delcan got lots of good candy (even though he slept through most of it)...dad even got a beer at one house! It was a beautiful night, we couldn't have asked for better weather. We thought Dec was the cutest bear, he may not think so 15 years from now though!

Carving pumpkins!

It's pumpkin carving time! Mom designed it and dad cut it as Declan held the scooper:) Just like every year, we watched Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin.

I rolled over!

Well it was a big night in the O'Rourke house last night...Declan rolled over from his back to his tummy for the first time! We were able to get his 3rd roll on camera. I'm not sure if he knows what he did, but we sure are proud of him:)

Pumpkin Patch

This past Saturday we took Declan to pick out his first pumpkin! BC and I have gone every year, so it was fun to pick out pumpkins with him. We got one big one to carve and a little one for Dec. He was very intrigued by leaves on the scarecrow!

Lots to say...

Declan has been "talking" to us for awhile now, but we were finally able to get it on camera. My parents were down for a visit and he had lots to say!

4 months old!

The day I turned 29, Declan turned 4 months! On October 16 we celebrated our special day...BC took us out dinner at Iaria's. Dec's 4 month milestone also meant shots:( He had his shots on Friday (Dad was the bad guy in the room again), but had a much easier time afterward. Declan weighed in at a whopping 16lbs 90z and is now 26 1/4 inches long! He's one big healthy boy!

Gram and Grandad visit

Gram and Grandad O'Rourke stopped by for a quick visit last Sunday after they spent the weekend in Nashville, IN. Here I am hanging out with Gram:)

Declan's first trip to LA!

The boys got to play whiffle ball and I got to visit with some girlfriends. Susie's little boy, Noah, is 3 weeks older than Declan...he has him beat in hair, but Dec outweighs him!
Here we are at Buona Vita for BC's birthday dinner...this was the 5th year that we celebrated his birthday here! I think we broke the record for reservations as there were 30 of us! We love this place because you can bring your own wine (no corkage fee) and they don't mind if you get rowdy. Thanks to everyone who joined us for dinner...it was great to see you all!

This was taken at the 5th Street Lifeguard Tower right down from where we used to live. We actually had our engagement pictures taken here!

Declan's first "swim" in the Pacific! Hermosa Beach is his favorite:)

For BC's 30th birthday we went back to LA to visit our friends! Declan was awesome on the plane, we were a little nervous that he would be "that baby", but he slept most of the way there and back. We had such a great time...we stayed with our friends Max and Courtney in their new house in Manhattan Beach, then a rental house that was right on the strand and our last night we were with our friends Lauren and Jason in El Segundo. We were able to stop by my old school (St. Mark) and two of the offices that BC worked in for Comerica. My first class that I taught are now 5th graders! It was so great to see everyone we used to work with. We even hit up some of our favorite places to eat...Pita Pit, La Cabana and C & O (BC and I went there on our first date). Declan got to meet all of his "uncles" in Venice (John, Rick, Patty, Daniel, and Bob) and his "aunties", Theresa, Susie, Ruthy and Lauren. He had lots of fun with Phil and Ashley too. My old roomie Jessy came over to visit with her little girl Taylor. BC's brother Kienan and his girlfriend Emily flew out for the big event along with Jake, "uncle" Leo and Emily Resig. We had a wonderful trip, but it went by too fast. Oh well, next September will be here soon enough!