Damian's First Halloween

We were debating whether or not to go trick or treating for Damian's first Halloween for a while.  Since Damian's other friends were going and my Grammy bought him his costume, we just had to go.  Damian had a great time with his friends, even if he didn't get any candy.  Mommy and Daddy enjoyed it for him.

Funny Faces

Damian's friend, Payton, had her 2nd birthday party and Damian was a riot.  Check out a few of our favorite faces we captured him doing.

Swim Classes

Damian and I did "Mommy and Me" swim classes during September and October.  Damian absolutely LOVES the water and swimming.  By the end of the swim classes we even got him kicking!  Granted, we had to throw a toy for him to swim to.

One day I couldn't find my swimsuit so Pat got to fill in!

Summertime

Summer was such a great time for us.  Pat's work schedule was less demanding in the first half of summer.  We were able to explore Mass and spend time as a family.  We spent a lot of time on the beaches of Cape Cod.

Another popular spot for us was the Aquarium.  Damian loves seeing the fish swim by.  The New England Aquarium is so wonderful.  They have penguins, sharks, sea turtles, seals, and all sorts of other marine life!

My Grammy came to visit for my birthday, and it was the best present I could have asked for.  Damian even recognized her!  I attribute a lot of his recognition to Skype, where he was able to see her on the computer and hear her voice.

Damian was able to see Pat coach for the very first time!  It was a beautiful day and I was able to find grass for Damian to crawl on.  He didn't like the feeling of grass at first.  Then, after about twenty minutes he thought it was cool.

Road Trip!

Hello Everyone!  Sorry about the delay of posting and web address.  We had some issues of people not being able to see the blog and I figured out how to change the web address.  Hopefully this works!

Anyhoo, back in June we drove from Olympia, WA to our new home in Massachusetts.  It took us almost 2 weeks but we took our time to see the sights.

Here's Damian during a diaper change/stretch break in Ellensburg, WA

Damian "driving" with Daddy (don't worry our engine was off)

 Our first stop was in Couer d' Alene, ID to see my Uncle Don and Aunt Ludy.  It was so wonderful to see them.  They have been apart of my life since I was in diapers.  It probably was interesting for them to see me have a child in diapers.  My camera was acting up so my pictures from this leg of the trip were from my phone.  Uncle Don: if you happen to have any I would love to see them when you get well.  We are thinking of you!  

How beautiful is Couer d' Alene?!  The weather was perfect while we were there.

Our next stop was Bozeman, MT.  On the way we stopped to see Pat's friend Garrett Graves at Fuddruckers, and then we stopped at University of Montana to check out their stadium.  It was so beautiful and there was a really neat hiking trail right next to it.  I wanted to hike so badly but a thunder and lighting storm started up. 

After spending time in Montana we made our way to Rapid City, SD.  We had to drive through Wyoming which had the worst weather of the trip.  It was raining, it was gloomy, it was miserable!  South Dakota must have understood how frustrated we were with the weather because it greeted us with this beautiful rainbow!

 Driving through Montana, Wyoming, and into South Dakota made us so hungry we had to stop and get a bite to eat.  Damian loved being able to cuddle.

 Pat and I were so excited to see Mount Rushmore in Keystone, SD.  If you have never seen it in person, I completely recommend it.  We were in awe of how grand and beautiful it is.

Our next stop was Sioux Falls, SD.  The drive seemed so long!  Thank God for the Wall Drugstore in Wall, SD for giving us a fun place to walk around and explore.  Over the next couple days we drove through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and to one of my favorite cities, Chicago!  We had so much fun going down to the Navy Pier, and spending the day walking around and not in the car!

Our next stop was one we were most excited for.  Damian and I got to meet Pat's Grandparents/Damian's Great-Grandparents.  They are truly some of the greatest people we have met.  It was so special to be able to see them with their first great-grandchild.

 Our last stop before we arrived in our new home was to see one of my very best friends, Beni.  We stayed with her and her boyfriend Mike in Philly.  They took us to Pat's to get an authentic Philly Cheesesteak, and to see the historical sights of the Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin's grave, and more!  Damian fell so in love with Beni that we started to call her his girlfriend.

 The newest McCann family had a very successful first road trip.  We created some great memories, saw beautiful sights, were able to see some loved ones, and most importantly Damian cooperated!

Wedding Bells!

Pat and I got married on May 29th, 2010 this year. It was the perfect wedding for us. It was very low key and had our immediate families involved. It took place at Tumwater Falls Park (one of my favorites) on the bridge with the waterfall behind us. I was so nervous it was going to rain, but thankfully it didn't! My friend Brittany officiated the wedding for us. It made everything so personal, especially since she's been there since Pat and I started...when I was 15! It's a day I will never forget. Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

My Favorite Things

I can not believe Damian is 7 months old already! He now eats baby food, sits, crawls, and now tries to pull himself up! He is getting into everything and keeping me very busy. I am loving every minute of it!

A lot of my friends are starting to have families and I wanted to share my favorite baby things!

• Ergo Baby Carrier. I am IN LOVE with this. I also own a moby wrap but the ergo is so much easier to deal with. It makes shopping so much easier. Now he can sit in the cart, but sometimes I like to carry him. It's great for going on walks because it's like wearing a weighted vest. I get to cuddle with my son and get a work out at the same time.
  

• Lil' Nursery Tent. Pat and I have gone to the beach quite a bit this summer and this tent was our life saver. It keeps Damian in the shade, his toys clean, and a safe comfortable place to nap.
  

• Baby Einstein Activity Jumper. This particular item allows me to work out with my fitness DVDs while Damian plays with his toys, and still be near mommy. He loves being able to "stand" and turn around.
  

• Fisher Price Precious Planet Cradle N' Swing. When Damian was younger, this swing is what let me take a shower. Now that he is older it is down in the kitchen so he can watch me cook but still be a safe distance from the heat. A plus with this item is it swings back and forth, and side to side.

• Pack N Play. My life saver. This has been everything from Damian's play pen when I shower, to his place to sleep, to his travel crib. It also comes with a bassinet attachment (perfect for the first few months), a mobile, changing table attachment, and light/music attachment with different nature sounds and lullabies.

• Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover. I am still breastfeeding and this lets me nurse in public comfortably. If Damian needs to be nursed in public, I just slip the cover on and could do so privately. Nursing him in my Ergo Carrier is a breeze with this. I can still have both of my hands free while he eats! Nursing has become my one of my favorite things in life. I get to have special bonding time with my son, and he loves to be next to me. I'm only doing so until he is 1. I am cherishing every moment until then.
  

• Medela Freestyle Pump. This is my favorite breast pump. It easily fits into my diaper bag or purse for work, and has a hands-free attachment. I recommend purchasing it at: http://www.awaybabyessentials.com/ They have the cheapest prices even after using coupons at Target or Babies R Us.
  

• Up and Up Diapers. Huggies didn't work for our little man but Pampers Swaddlers were the best! They recently changed their diapers by adding their Baby Dry technology to them. I've heard a lot of bad things about them (such as rash) so I decided to try to Target brand. These are awesome.
  

• Kirkland Signature Baby Wipes. These are my favorite wipes by far. They are diaper bag friendly and rarely, if ever, stick together.