Ryder--1 month old!

How can my baby be a month old already??? On one hand it feels like we just brought him home from the hospital, and on the other it seems like he's always been part of the family. I can't imagine not having him here. He has definitely changed over the past month! He's getting stronger by the day--he does a great job of holding his head up and looking all around, and when he kicks his feet out and locks his legs, you better have a good grip on him! He's now wearing 3-6 month onesies. Because he is so long, the 0-3 month onesies were looking more like v-necks by the time we fastened the snaps below his diaper. A big fashion no-no! Just in the last two days he has begun to smile at me and Andrew when we make eye contact and talk to him. I got to witness his face light up today when Andrew was holding and talking to him. I don't know who was smiling more--baby or Daddy! :)

Ryder likes... eating, car rides, cuddling with whoever wants to hold him, snuggling in bed with Daddy, his little lamb swing, listening to music, diaper changes (as long as he isn't hungry at the time), and bath time (as long as warm water is constantly being poured on him)

Ryder dislikes... having lotion put on him after his bath, having shirts pulled over his head, and the hiccups--he gets so frustrated!

I guess we better add "Mommy's photo shoots" to Ryder's dislike list! Right after this picture was taken, he spit up all down the front of his sweatshirt, letting me know how he really felt!

A busy weekend

Saturday after lunch we piled in the Suburban along with our friends Mike, Jen, and Kendall and headed north to visit Aunt Alison and Uncle Steve. They hadn't seen Ryder since he was only 8 days old, so they definitely noticed a difference in his size. We had a great time visiting, and the girls even had a chance to go do a little grocery shopping while the guys stayed at home with the kiddos. Another couple came over in time for dinner with their 2-month old twins, so there were babies everywhere! We did a little comparing, and Ryder is definitely longer and heavier than the twins. I have a very "sturdy" little boy. :) Alison said this was her first "baby dinner party", and I think it was a great success!

Alison fed Ryder a bottle when we first got to their house. Unfortunately, a spit-up incident forced her to change her clothes soon after! Sorry, Auntie Alison!

Kendall (7 months) is crawling everywhere! I managed to get a picture of her resting on her quilt before she took off again.

snuggling with Daddy on Sunday morning

Sunday afternoon our friends Nick and Christine came over to visit and bring us a late lunch. Christine got a chance to get her "baby fix" and hold Ryder until he got fussy because it was chow time. After being fed, he snoozed in his swing so the four of us could eat together and catch up since we hadn't hung out in a few weeks.

Mommy's turn to cuddle!

Get a grip

I put Ryder on his playmat again this morning while he was awake and looking around. I jiggled one of the rings that was within his reach, and he didn't hesitate to grab onto it! He has quite a grip and loves to hold onto our fingers, so it didn't surprise me too much that this orange ring hanging by his face looked appealing. What's funny is that he ended up wearing it more like a bracelet as he flailed his little arms around. :)

        

What a fashionable fish bracelet!

Finishing touch

As far as decorations go, Ryder's room has been complete for a while. I didn't realize what was missing until a long-time friend of Andrew's family sent us the perfect finishing touch--a quilt she made especially for Ryder that matches the bedding we picked out for his crib. My bargain wall art that was hanging over the changing table was immediately displaced and moved elsewhere so that the quilt could be hung where Ryder could see it multiple times each day. Thank you, Fran, for such a beautiful and thoughtful gift!

Baby, Dogs, and Toys

The dogs haven't quite figured out who Ryder is and why we decided to bring this little noise-maker into our home. They are creatures of habit (very much like their owners!) and their world has been turned upside down. The other day Andrew was on the floor with Ryder, introducing him to his play gym, when Ashley decided to crawl into Andrew's lap. Yes, this 100+ pound dog still thinks she is a lap dog! And why else would Andrew be on the floor but to play with her?  She snuggled her head between Andrew and Ryder, and I couldn't resist this adorable picture! 

No pictures with Cody yet because he still keeps his distance--he's like a nervous old man. Although I think he's starting to warm up to Ryder. Yesterday I put the baby down for a nap in his crib, and about an hour later when he started fussing, Cody nudged the bedroom door open with his head as if to say, "The baby is crying in here. You better go check on him." I guess we could have saved money on the audio/video baby monitor we bought and just used the Golden Retriever we already have! And in the middle of the night when I go into Ryder's room to nurse him, Cody lays by the foot of the glider; he only leaves the room if Ryder gets really fussy. I'm sure he'll come around--he's an old dog set in his ways!

I love those navy blue eyes!

I took advantage of Ryder's awake time yesterday morning to lay him down under his little play gym. He's starting to focus more and more on different objects--he seems obsessed with the floor lamp in our family room!--so I thought he might enjoy all of the dangling toys and links. He focused the most on the stars hanging directly above him, and he looked pretty happy about it!

A Sappy Moment

Some thoughts and feelings I want to remember...


After Andrew left for work last night, I sat in the recliner, snuggling with Ryder. He had just finished eating and was lying on his tummy against my chest--his favorite position no matter who is holding him. I looked down at him, and out of nowhere I just started crying. I think the realization finally hit me that the baby I had waited so long for was finally here. And he's perfect! Even at 2 a.m. when he's screaming because he does NOT want any part of being undressed to have his diaper changed, I smile at how adorable he is. I love to watch the faces he makes as he drifts off to sleep, and I look forward to the day he smiles at us on purpose because he recognizes who we are. I've always heard from mothers that you just can't explain the love you instantly have for your child, and only now do I understand how true that is. My heart swells with pride when I see Andrew and Ryder together; watching Andrew step into the role of "doting daddy" as well as being a wonderful husband has made me fall in love with him all over again. I love the fact that the two of us "fight" over whose turn it is to hold the baby; there is no doubt he is extremely loved!

How can this picture NOT make you melt???

Playdate

After taking my parents to the airport yesterday, Andrew and I decided to visit some friends before driving back home. It was nice to get out of the house, and Ryder was such a trooper despite his feeding/napping schedule being thrown off a bit. Our first stop was Tim and Heather's house because we hadn't seen them since before their little girl Rylan was born at the end of September. The babies really aren't much different in size despite being 3 months apart in age!

Rylan and Ryder

Ryder enjoyed Rylan's play mat. Now that he's taking in his surroundings so much more, we'll have to get out his play mat at home and see what he thinks of it!

Our little Packer fan

Grandma and Grandpa couldn't come all the way from Wisconsin without bringing a Packer outfit for Ryder. (They decided this was more practical than a foam cheese head!) He'll be watching the game this afternoon between naps!

I'm in charge of the remote!

A clean bill of health

After playing a game of phone tag with the doctor's office, I was finally able to talk to the nurse about my blood work that was taken on Monday. All of my numbers (white blood cell, red blood cell, and hemoglobin) have headed back to the normal range, and the doctor doesn't see the need to put me on any other medications. The nurse told me I'm welcome to make a follow-up appointment in a couple of weeks if I'd like, but the doctor wasn't requesting it. YES--I'm healed! :) Now my only "ailment" is some minor sleep deprivation due to waking up with Ryder every couple of hours during the night for feedings. Sleepiness is something I can deal with!

Speaking of sleepy...

I love my lamb swing!

It's hard work being a baby!

Visiting with Mommy's friends/coworkers, Ann and Amber

PICC free!

I received a call last night from my home nurse saying that she had gotten orders to come to the house at 8:30 this morning to do some more blood work and then remove my PICC line. WOOHOO! Apparently my white blood cell count was good enough last Thursday that the doctors feel confident I won't need any more IV antibiotics pending today's blood work results. I should hear from the doctor tomorrow, and chances are I will have to be on oral antibiotics for 7-10 days, but I am totally fine with that; I definitely want to make sure this infection is out of my system! Now the only true schedule I have to follow is Ryder's feeding schedule. And I don't need a clock for that--he definitely lets me know when he's hungry!

Here are some more pictures of our little man!

hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa

holding on to Grandpa's hand

cuddle time with Grandpa

sleeping like a baby!

Photo shoot

Here are some pictures we've taken over the last few days. I've learned to keep my camera nearby at all times, just in case there's a "Kodak moment"! Enjoy!

Ryder has been kind enough to "let" me shower each day. With a full tummy and clean diaper, he will snooze in his Rock 'n play in the bathroom so I can keep an eye on him. I think the sound of the water running is soothing to him.

In the mornings, Ryder likes to hang out in our bed for a little while after eating his breakfast. What a life!

My parents arrived on Saturday to stay for the week. It will be wonderful having them here with me since Andrew has to head back to work. Ryder loves to cuddle with Grandma! (Grandpa has held him too, but I didn't manage to capture that picture yet!)

Grandma and Grandpa bought Ryder his first pair of Carhartt overalls. Daddy was sure proud!

our little monkey

"What is with all of the pictures, people??"

2 week doctor's appointment

Wednesday morning the three of us headed to the doctor's office for Ryder's 2-week checkup. Just like his first appointment, he peed and pooped all over the table as the nurse tried getting his measurements. (It all goes back to the fact that he doesn't like being naked!) We really like our pediatrician, and Ryder is doing great! He weighs 9 lbs. 13 oz., which puts him in the 84th percentile. Last week he weighed 9 lbs. 10 oz., and the doctor told us he should gain approximately 3 oz. per week, so he's right on track. I'm gad to know he's getting enough to eat because he does love feeding time!

After his appointment we headed to Target to pick up a few things. He slept soundly the entire time, and that was the most exercise I had gotten in weeks! It was nice to get out of the house for a while and make our first real outing as a family of three.

Splish, splash!

Andrew and I decided to give Ryder his first real bath on Tuesday night to "freshen" him up a bit. It didn't go quite as well as we had hoped. You see, Ryder is not a fan of being naked; he howls at us during each diaper change. Despite the nice warm water, he fussed at us until we held him in more of a sitting position. From that point on he humored us and we managed to get a couple of cute pictures.

Hmmm, I'm not sure what I think about this!

Now this is more like it!

What a crazy two weeks it has been!

Life in our household has completely changed since my last post! Allow me to fill you in on all of the highlights.

Labor Time!

On Thursday, December 30th, my water broke at about 6:30 p.m. (Of course I was sitting at the dinner table at the time!) I hadn't been experiencing any contractions, and I never had that "flurry" of energy that I thought I would get right before having the baby. In fact, I spent the whole day lying around on the couch feeling kind of "blah". I did have a lower backache, but I attributed that to the nice little procedure I had done at my doctor's appointment the day before. I called my doctor and was told to head to the hospital. This was it! :)

right before leaving for the hospital--the last time it would be just the two of us!

Welcome to the world, Ryder Scott!

I was admitted to the hospital around 8 p.m., and the doctor started giving me Pitocin to make sure labor progressed. I had tested positive as a host for Group B Strep at one of my previous appointments, so the doctor didn't want me to be in labor for too long because it would pose a higher risk for the baby. I was in labor throughout the night and didn't call "uncle" and get an epidural until about 6:30 a.m. At 8 a.m. the doctor checked my progress and realized I was still only dilated 1 1/2 centimeters. WHAT?? The decision was made that this baby would be born by C-section since I had been in labor for 12 labors and nothing had changed. Apparently he was too big to make it down into the birth canal. I was prepped immediately and rolled into an operating room; Andrew was given a pair of scrubs and directions to wait in a side room until the doctor came to get him. Ryder entered the world at 9:49 a.m. on December 31st! The doctor and nurses commented on how big he was and how he didn't want to come out of the snug little home he had known for the past nine months. He weighed in at 9 lbs. 15 oz. and 22 1/2 inches long. How thankful I am that he was delivered via C-section!

glad to know that Ryder's arrival was just minutes away!

"Doctor" Drew

proud new daddy!

I had a pretty bad reaction to all of the meds I was given and lost a lot of blood, so I spent a long time in the recovery room instead of bonding with my little man. This was the first time I really got to snuggle with him late that afternoon, and it was so surreal. I couldn't believe he was actually here in my arms!

Grann and Ryder

Pops and Ryder

Heading home

We were discharged from the hospital on Monday, January 3rd. Ryder was able to wear the same outfit home that Andrew did when he was a baby. Ryder loves his car seat and slept soundly the whole way home.

Second hospital visit

After being home for only a few days, I ended up back in the hospital due to complications from my C-section. The doctors took x-rays, an EKG, and other CT scans thinking I could have pneumonia, a blood clot, or even post-partem heart failure. Fortunately, they were able to rule out anything really serious and discovered an infection at the base of my uterus. Treating it would be tricky though since I'm allergic to penicillin; the doctors had to find the right combination of antibiotics that would fix the problem but still be safe for Ryder since I'm breastfeeding. I was admitted once again to the hospital--one week after going into labor-- and wasn't discharged until Monday night. The absolute hardest part was being away from Ryder. Here I was, a new mom, and I couldn't be at home spending time with my baby. Thankfully Andrew's parents were able to stay a few extra days to help Andrew keep things running at home. I have to brag on Andrew for a moment--he has been absolutely amazing!!! He stepped right into the role of daddy, getting up for middle-of-the-night feedings and catering to Ryder's every need. Every morning he would get Ryder ready for the day and the two of them would come over to the hospital to spend the day with me so that our new little family could be together. Ryder even brought me a get-well card one morning with a picture of him in it so that I wouldn't be sad at night when he wasn't there. I cried like a baby! I guess it is times like this when you truly appreciate what you have and the importance of family. I feel so blessed!

I was sent home with a PICC line (an IV line that runs up my arm and to my heart) so that I can continue my IV medications for the next several days. A home nurse came to the house on Tuesday to teach Andrew how to administer the medications since they have to be given three times a day. It's a small price to pay to be at home with my two favorite guys! The nurse will be back tomorrow to do some blood work on me; hopefully my white blood cell count is returning to normal and I can be finished with the medications by the beginning of next week. 

Here's a cute picture of my little man snoozing--one of the things he does best!