G/G B Xmas

Monday we packed up again and drove to Syracuse to have Christmas with Ya ya and Pop pop!  It was the quietest Christmas ever!  Their house can get quite loud when the rest of the family is there, but it was nice to see the boys open up gifts with out lots of wrapping paper flying across the room:)  Santa left Declan and Conall some wonderful gifts...a waffle maker (or maker waffle as Dec calls it), Toy Story dvd, wooden pizza and sandwich set, new jammies for both of them, wooden blocks and too much more!  Thank you, thank you!

Here's Declan and Conall opening up their first gifts...a waffle maker and new blanket complete with boo 2's name:) 

 Eating, I mean playing with his new blocks:)

 Declan found his stocking and was super excited to find what was inside!

 Toy Story book and characters!

G/G O Xmas

After our family Christmas we packed up and drove up to FTW to Gram and Grandad's.  So fun to see all four of the guys together as Seamus is getting ready to move to Nashville for his new job.  And for all the cousins to get together too.  Our boys got some awesome gifts from everyone...thank you!  Blocks, bath toys, books, a bowling set and much more:) 

Here's Emmie showing Dec her gift!

Conall opening a gift with Aunt Emily and Aunt Kori:)

 Uncle Kienan, dad, Erin and Dec!

Dad and Conall taking a break from opening gifts!

Caitlin and Uncle Andy

Erin and Dec finding more gifts!

Our Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas from the O'Rourke's!  Here's the boys before going to Christmas mass (we thought we were early, but everyone else was earlier so we had to stand in the back!) and out for dinner at Changs (I missed the boat on Christmas dinner because I was preoccupied with Christmas breakfast).  This was our first Christmas at our house with the boys, which made it even more special and merrier!  It was a wonderful Christmas and we all received great gifts from Santa.  Declan got a Mickey Mouse, a new shape sorter clock, and some play clothes.  Conall got new books, sippy cups and a pig hammer. 

We baked cookies for Santa and left him some milk and a carrot for the reindeer!

This was taken in the wee hours of the night after Santa had been to our house!  He thought the boys were really good because he left them so many presents:)

Santa and his reindeer had a little snack:)

Declan opening his first present of the morning!  He's very careful to get all of the paper and tape off of the gift before seeing what's inside:)

Merry Christmas Conall! 

This is how he opens his presents:)

Declan's new vest and hammer...Santa brought him an awesome tool box!

Dad's new Endless Summer poster!

Opening gifts with mama:) 

Conall had a wardrobe change...he gave us a very stinky Christmas gift!

Declan opening a big gift!

It's a piano!  And he can make some great music:)

big news:)

...Conall's first tooth finally popped through (his bottom right) and Declan went poop on the potty all by himself this morning!!  It's way too hard to get a picture of Conall's little tooth and I could have taken a picture of Declan's poop, but I don't think you want to see it:)  Horray for the boo's!

Snow day!

Saturday Dad and Declan had a snow day!  Declan got bundled up in his snow pants and snow boots (the boots are my nephew Dalton's who is now 18!)  and headed out back for some fun:)  They were outside for about 45 minutes (longer than I thought he'd last) and made snowballs, snow angels and towers.  The boys had some hot chocolate when they came in to warm up, well dad did, Declan didn't really drink his!  Conall and I stayed warm inside while we watched:)

Snow pants and snow boots:)

Walking out with dad!

Snowball!

More snowballs!

Declan's first snow angel!

Declan and dad's snow angels:)

Making towers with the bucket!

6 months

 Little Conall D is 6 months old today!  Can't believe he's been a little brother for 6 months or that he'll be one in 6 months!  He's definitely coming into his own.  We're not sure he'll be blond like Declan or have blue eyes Declan, his hair is still kind of dark and his eyes look like they may be green or brown.  One thing for sure is he sleeps like his brother, as in he's a terrible sleeper too!  He's very curious and has the sweetest scowl we've ever seen:)  He can move himself around the crib and a room very well, it won't be too much longer til he's on the crawl.  He basically bulldozes straight ahead right now as he pushes with his legs, but he's been able to get up on all fours really well lately!  Ah how our world will change when he's on the move.  Conall is still not a fan of his car seat or the car, but atleast he doesn't cry every time!  He loves to be talked to and has the best raspy laugh ever:)  He went swimming for the first time a few weeks ago and really seemed to like it.  He's a happy, chubby little guy and we all love, love, love him!  Happy half birthday boo 2!

Conall on top:)

2 years + 6 months

Here he is with our advent Christmas tree and a reindeer we made:)

2 years and 6 months?!  That's 2 and a half, 6 more months til he's 3, half way to 5!  Ahh!  Our boo is getting big:)  He is every bit of 2 and half he can be and we're loving it!  Here's a couple of silly things he likes to do...spread out blankets or towels and have a picnic, say hello and good bye to the mailman, not sleep (oh wait, that's not silly, it's nuts, I mean he doesn't like to sleep, it's normally 9:45 pm or later when he finally falls asleep), get out all of his toys from the toy box in order to find one thing (that was probably on top), play with the spice jars (he likes to smell them all).  For almost anything he'll say "Oh that's my favorite" or "I like that", he said he liked garlic salt when he asked to taste while playing with the spices:)  He's getting really excited for Christmas.  We talk about leaving cookies for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer.  He knows that it also baby Jesus' birthday, but "now he's big" he'll tell us!  Declan is the best reader I know, he loves to read books at night and he likes to read them himself:)  He's currently into Perfect Soup, it's about a little mouse that needs a carrot for his soup but finds a friend along the way. Mickey Mouse is still #1 in our house:)  He asks the best questions and has an amazing imagination.  He goes for his 2 1/2 year check up in January (it's a busy time of year at the doctors office I guess) so I'll update with his stats then.  We already know he's awesome and we love our boo to pieces (even though he doesn't sleep)!! 

Making treats...

more like eating treats:)

Jolly Days!

Last night we went over to the Children's Museum for Jolly Days (BC's work had a special night for employees and families)!  Declan had so much fun and we enjoyed not having to wait in lines:)  We took him and Conall to see Santa for the first time...we had no idea how it would go, but it went better than expected!  I'm not sure if Declan liked the big slide or the cookies more, probably the cookies!  Here he is "ice fishing" with dad!

 And "ice skating" on the pond (well he was on the pond)

 This picture cracks me up!  He's thinking "what is going on with that big white hand?"

 "Is this okay dad?, I mean who is this guy?" he's thinking...Conall's thinking, "why do you guys do this to me?"

 Here they are telling Santa what they want for Christmas:)

 At the Snow Castle with dad:)

 More fishing!

 Going down the slide with mama:)

And with dad!

snowflakes:)

Yesterday we made snowflakes for our front window!  Declan loved opening them after I finished cutting out the little triangles and his big job was taping them on the window:)  His counting in the video is a little off...he loves to say 1, 2, 3, 9, 10...he knows it's 4, 5 but thinks it funny to count his own way! 

cdo

We just love his little laugh:)

"O" Christmas tree...

Get it?  "O" as in the O'Rourke Christmas tree!  Yesterday we braved the chilly, snowy weather and trudged through the parking at Lowe's to pick out our tree (they have great trees there).  We picked a bigger tree than we had last year and also a different type (Douglas Fir).  After dad got the tree tied on top of the car (we went inside and pushed all the buttons on the Christmas dancing/singing stuff a million times) we slowly drove home:)  BC got the tree all trimmed up and ready to bring inside.  We think he's really strong because he can lift a tree! 

 Here's dad and Dec putting up the lights:)

 Declan put on the first ornament, a tiny Pooh bear!

 Helping dad put lights on the staircase. 

(Those are the stockings I made two years ago!)

 "Where should this one go?"

 Putting on the tree topper...yes, it's a Santa hat, we can't find a traditional topper that isn't tacky, ugly or gaudy.

 Our Christmas tree!  Now we just need Santa to come with the presents!