A visit to Great-Grandma's house

Today we headed to Richmond to pick up my sister from the airport. She was supposed to arrive around 1:45, so we decided to make the most of our trip and go visit Mammy first since she hadn't seen Ryder since he was only a week old. We picked up some lunch to take to her and looked forward to a quick visit. While en route, I got a phone call from my sister that she had made it to Chicago, but that her original flight from Chicago to Richmond was canceled due to mechanical problems. This meant taking a later flight that would put her in Richmond around 3:45 instead. It ended up working out perfectly because we were able to spend more time with Mammy, and Andrew even stretched out on her bed for a quick power-nap! (He had to work last night and had been awake since yesterday afternoon). Ryder snoozed peacefully while we ate lunch, and then I fed him before handing him over to Mammy for some quality cuddle time. It was ADORABLE how happy he was in her lap. He was wide awake and relaxed (wearing only his diaper), and as she talked to him he grinned and cooed as if they were carrying on their own little conversation. It was the sweetest thing to watch; I only wish these pictures did it justice!

6 week update

Ryder will be six weeks old tomorrow--can somebody push the "pause" button please??? Of course I look forward to watching him grow up and discover new things (and sleep through the night!), but I also want him to stay my little baby. Ok, so maybe he's not so little! :) Here are some changes we've noticed in him over the past couple of weeks:
1. He has discovered his tongue! He likes to stick it out of his mouth as if he's trying to roll it. I can't roll my tongue but Andrew can, so we'll have to wait and see if Ryder has this "talent".
2. Being naked is not so bad! During diaper changes now, he is content to just lie there and look around. This is usually when we can get some smiles out of him when talking to him. Since he likes to spit up multiple times during/after every feeding, the other morning I decided not to dress him for the day until after he'd eaten. He was so content lounging around in just his diaper that I couldn't resist taking a picture. (FYI- When not being photographed, he was covered with a blanket. I don't want him to catch a cold!)

Underfed?? I think not!

3. He recognizes us! It is such a wonderful feeling when he smiles at us on purpose now. When Andrew first gets home in the morning, Ryder's either sleeping in his crib or having his morning breakfast, depending on how our night feeding schedule went. If I'm feeding him and he hears Andrew walk into the room and start talking, Ryder stops mid-gulp and his little eyes start looking around for Daddy. It is so sweet! I know he must get tired of looking at me all day long--he welcomes the change of scenery and the time to hang out with his dad.

I know this picture is a bit blurry, but he was practically laughing and looked so adorable!

Six weeks also means my follow-up doctor's appointment to make sure I've healed completely after having the baby. Due to the history of extremely long wait time at this doctor's office, Andrew and I decided it would be best to leave Ryder at home with him. My appointment was at 2:00, when Andrew is usually still sleeping, so I made sure to leave Ryder with a full tummy and clean diaper so that he would sleep while I was gone and not wake his daddy until at least 3:00. And wouldn't you know that this was the first time I had to wait less than 10 minutes in the waiting room and was back in my car within a half hour?? If I had brought Ryder with me, there's no doubt I would have waited over an hour and ended up with a screaming, hungry baby on my hands. Go figure. Anyway, back to my appointment. It was the first time I had stepped on a scale since having Ryder, so I was curious to see how much weight I had lost. I'm fitting into pants now that were too tight on me before I got pregnant, so I knew I had lost weight, or at least redistributed it. :) Drumroll, please......................I am now 10 pounds lighter than I was pre-pregnancy, and I've lost 40 pounds (yes, 40!) since that dreadful day when I was so sick and swollen that I headed back to the emergency room when Ryder was only six days old. Pretty amazing, huh? So here's my secret weight loss plan: get pregnant, have major surgery, and then develop potentially life-threatening complications from it. Voila! (Oh, and don't forget to breastfeed at least 8 times in a 24 hour period). All joking aside, I feel great!

I got so used to posting "belly" pictures, so here's a "non-belly" picture instead!

He definitely looks like he's plotting something!

Like Father, Like Son

Ryder often furrows his brow and looks like he is seriously concentrating on something. After seeing the bath pictures, Andrew's parents emailed us this picture. See where Ryder gets it from? I think the resemblance is uncanny!

newborn Andrew

The Tummy Tub

As you know, Ryder hasn't been the biggest fan of bath time. He tolerates it, but for Andrew and me it's like a race against the clock to get the poor boy washed and rinsed before a meltdown occurs. Andrew was determined to find a solution to this bath-time dilemma, so after a little online research he found the Tummy Tub (a.k.a. "baby bucket"). Seriously, what did we do before Google and online shopping?? Here's a link to a segment on the Today Show where it was featured:
http://www.youtube.com/user/tummytubusa#p/c/4BD6E6DB9B9FF80B/0/IX33YuTQdos

Within a week the tub showed up at our doorstep and we were eager for Ryder to try it out. Just like using cloth diapers, I was skeptical that this tub would make the difference, but we gave Ryder his bath in it this morning, and he LIKED it! He was so content that we were able to take our time and even snap a few pictures. Doesn't he look like a little flower in a flower pot? :) Now if only we could get him out of the tub and dried off without the tears...hmm, I wonder if there's a product for that!

Sweet Slumber

Maybe it was the fresh air he got yesterday... maybe he felt bad that I have only been sleeping in 2-3 hour spurts... maybe it was a complete fluke! Whatever the reason, Ryder slept for 6 straight hours last night before waking for a feeding. I put him to bed around 10:30, and although he stirred and grunted a few times throughout the night, he didn't cry or fully wake up until after 4 a.m.!!! I know that by even acknowledging it I've probably jinxed it from happening again, so my fingers are crossed and I'm knocking on wood. Bless you, my sweet baby!

feeling extra happy after a full night's rest

my little sleeping beauty handsome, beginning to smile

Spring Fever

While 1/3 of our country is literally buried in snow today (my entire family included!), we had a bizarre heat wave that brought sunshine and temperatures in the 50's. After being cooped up in the house for the past month, I decided to make the most of the day and head out for some fresh air. After Ryder's lunchtime feeding, I threw on my shoes and gathered together baby and all of his accessories for a quick trip to the grocery store. As always he slept the entire time, making me feel much more confident in my ability to take him on errands by myself. Once we got home I put Ryder, who was still sleeping, in his stroller so we could go for a short walk. I didn't go on my usual 3 mile loop because I knew he would be due to eat again soon, and frankly I was winded by the time I set up the stroller and made it to the end of the driveway! :) I haven't exercised since before my pregnancy, so I guess being out of shape should really be no surprise. We strolled up and down the street, and it's amazing how sunshine and fresh air can lift your spirits and re-energize you. I can't wait for spring!

my little man, ready to stroll

"Wheew! All of this walking is exhausting!"

The Bodyguard

So last night I decided to make the big transition of having Ryder sleep in his room instead of the pack 'n play in our bedroom at night. My idea was that I wanted both of us to have plenty of time to adjust to the new sleeping arrangements long before I have to head back to work! Andrew helped me get the baby monitor all set up, and I moved the humidifier and sound machine (he loves the 'ocean waves' sound) into his bedroom. I knew he would be fine sleeping in his crib because he had taken naps in it several times over the past few weeks. I was more worried about me! I was used to having him 3 feet away from me, hearing every little grunt and squeak he made during the night. And I would occasionally roll over and look at him to see what adorable position he was in...usually both arms above his head as if giving the "touchdown" signal. Fortunately our monitor is audio and video, so I was able to watch him from the comfort of my own bed until I was sure he was asleep. When he woke up for the 2 a.m. feeding and I stumbled down the hall into his room, guess who I found sleeping on the floor by his crib? That's right--the Golden Retriever who wouldn't come into our bedroom because Ryder (a.k.a. the "noisemaker") was in there was now sleeping in that noisemaker's room and didn't budge when the crying began. Who would have thought? So yes, at 2 in the morning I grabbed the camera and snapped a picture of the bodyguard hard at work.

"Hey, stuffed iguana, you're not going anywhere near that crib!"