True Sign of a New Parent...

Ryan has a feeding around 8ish and then another around 12ish. So I usually feed her at 8 then fall asleep on the couch until Bill tells me to go to bed. Well, when he woke me up the other night to move me to bed these simple words were spoken clear as day...

"I'm gonna go sob and put."

I wish I has some sort of connection with this quote to my life, but I honestly have no idea what I could have possibly been dreaming about. Bill wrote this quote on our fridge with a date above it so we never forget the early days of Ryan taking our sleep:)


Couldn't resist putting this picture up. After Ryan finished her mat time, I guess Radly thought it was time for his!

So Alert

My favorite change Ryan has made over the last week is her alertness. She is always looking at Bill and I, or any other visitors for that matter. The fabulous ladies from our bible study have been bringing Bill and I dinner every other night and last night she was just starring starring starring at Ashley and Laura Ann. Bill said it was almost like she was talking to them.
She is almost smiling now too. I say almost because it is very rare, but I have made her smile 3 times. I could tell they were genuine smiles because she did not have a poopy diaper. Enjoy the pics...

Pa's visit

We've have had a great day of rainy weather, NCAA basketball, and Pa visiting his sweet grandaughter. When Ryan was born, my dad was only able to see her the day after she was born. He had to leave due to a severe cold. He was so upset that he could not hold his little grandaughter, but he DID NOT want to get her sick. So, after all of our other visitors have found their way home, my dad came down for a weekend of his own with Ryan.

Ryan had a pretty bad night last night and was wide awake with mommy from 2-4, so she has been pretty tired today, but we've had a great time with her. My dad said this is the easiest phase of parenthood, all they do is eat, sleep, and poop- well said father, well said!







On another note, we decided to get out Ryan's tummy time mat to entertain us during the rain. I have been using the boppy but she really just gets her mouth all shoved into the pillow, and it does not seem very productive. The mat we have is pretty impressive, it also serves as a shopping cart cover, and it's themed very cute! Anyways, Bill put Ryan down on her watermelon pillow and was her number one cheerleader to raise her neck. After about 3 solid lifts, this is what happened...







So so so precious. This is the first time she has slept on her stomach and she loved all 3 and a half hours of this nap!

Growing Girl

Bill got home last night just in time to give Ryan her 9 o'clock feeding. I know she loves getting her feedings from Bill because she does not get fussy when he burps her. When I burp her she tends to put up a little fight and holds her neck up in defiance, only to head butt me when her little neck can no longer support her big ol' head. Anyways, here are some hilarious faces from our burping moments. I cannot believe how much she is changing.








From the moment Ryan was born we told ourselves that we would not hold her to get her to sleep. We would just lay her down and she would magically fall asleep. Well, that has not been the case at all. Truthfully, she probably could self sooth and go to sleep, but mommy wants to hold her all the time. Ryan just loves laying against my chest and this is THE way she goes to sleep. We look like this before every nap and after every feeding to get her back to sleep. She just curls up into this little precious ball of baby and I hold her until my elbow feels like it is going to fall off, then I put her in her boppy. So already she is manipulating mom and dad to go things her way:) We are such suckers!





Last little update, yes we still have dogs. I know I have not mentioned them much lately, but let's face it they have taken a serious backseat to a certain princess in our house. I will admit, they have adjusted beautifully to Ryan and are very protective of her. They wake up with me during night feedings and sit at my feet, they follow me in her room EVERY TIME I change her diaper, and they lick the back of her head whenever they get the chance. Well, the other day I put Ryan in her crib so I could start some laundry and the dogs did not follow me, which is weird- they ALWAYS follow me! So I walked back into Ryan's room and this is what I found..



Yes, Kramer collected all of Ryan's dirty clothes from the night before and used them as a little pillow! Hilarious!

Sleepy Baby

Ryan has a new favorite sleeping position, on her side. I just love it when she lays like this, she looks like a real person. Yes, I said real person. See to me she is still this little baby who has human like traits and qualitites:) I love this child, tell me you do not want to kiss her all over when she is laying like this.







Look at those lips! So perfectly plump!!

Precious

Well I had my first day alone with Ry and I and it went great. It was very strange to not have family around, especially for that 5 am feeding! But we both survived and had a great action packed day full of activity mats, tummy time, and stories. My alone time was cut short when Ryan's Uncle Dan and Aunt Kelly came in town last night. Dan met Ryan the day after she was born and Kelly has not met her yet. We had a great day of starring at her and admirning her precious stretching faces (still have not captured them on camera). We also managed to all get off our lazy bottoms and go for a walk. Enjoy the pictures!


We finally got the Bjorne out and it is so nice. I tried it once, but I could not grasp the concept of it totally supporting her, so I would not let her go! I know I will get over it eventually.


Bill decided our sweet girl needed a mohawk. I couldn't stop him, look how precious!


Meet Aunt Kelly


Checking out Uncle Dan in his Best Buy gear!


Playing with Uncle Dan



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Making funny faces on our walk

All Gone!!

As I laid Ryan down to change her diaper yesterday morning I was greeted with a black blob stuck to the right of her belly button. Yes, it has finally happened, her umbillical cord remains fell out. I was so thrilled to not have to worry about cleaning it anymore, and now she can be totally submerged in water for bath time!


As soon as it fell out I thought of the Sex and the City episode where Brady's belly button falls off and Miranda's cat picks it up with her mouth and begins to bat it around the dinning room floor. I had a little giggle to myself and then threw it away so this scene would not be recreated with our dogs! I will say that her belly button is absolutely precious and I am so glad I do not have to fold diapers anymore!

On another note, we have had more family in town this weekend. Bill's grandparents came in from Johnson City to meet Ryan. Gramma and Pappy just love every inch of her and Ryan got along great with everyone! She fell asleep in Gramma's arms last night, which was precious.







We also had another visitor yesterday, Brooke and Will. Will is two months old and he is precious. I could not get over how big he is. I mean he is not a huge child, he only weighs 12 lbs, but he just looked so big next to Ryan. I will say I cannot wait until Ryan gets a little bigger so she is more durable. It was nice to hold Will and not have to worry about his head snapping down everytime you moved your shoulder. Enjoy the pics!


Ryan & Will


Radly not knowing his boundaries!

Catching Up!!

I cannot begin to explain how blessed Bill and I are with all of the love and support everyone has shown us since Ryan's arrival. We have had so many wonderful visitors and guests that we never want this time to end. We just love having people over to stare at her gorgeous face and comment on how cute she is.

Pictures with Ryan and all of her fabulous friends and family!

Now, here are some pictures from home the past couple of days. We are just having the best time with her. I cannot even think about Bill going back to school on Monday, I am going to miss him so much!!! He has just been amazing!

Loving It

I am just loving every minute of motherhood. Here are the most recent pictures of our precious girl...


My attempt to read to her, as you can see I do not have the book/baby hold down!


This was after her bath last night, I just had to take a picture of her, look how pink she looks!!!


One of my favorites, this was just so relaxing. Just finished a feeding and the little darling fell asleep like this. I could not move her, it would have been so cruel!

Look at those Eyes!

By far my favorite picture of Ryan.

Swinging Baby

I have been very very nervous these past couple of days as to what should I do with my daughter when she is awake. I don't know if I should be teaching her something, stimulating her mind, or just kissing on her. All I want to do it kiss on her, but I think I should be more productive than that. It is weird, I feel like everytime she is up I am just trying to get her back to sleep. But, she has been staying up in hour and two hour time gaps, so I need to be more entertaining.

My most recent stimulation activities have been putting her under her mobile and watching her dancing bears, she smiles a lot during this activity- and ends up alseep. Or, putting her on her changing table mat and letting her kick kick kick while I shake toys over her head and sing my number one hit, "Ryan is a Superstar!"- this eventually puts her to sleep as well. Or putting her in her boppy underneathe her activity mat. She really enjoys watching the changing colors and lights. Her two favorite creatures on the mat are the two butterfilies, don't worry I explained to her that they were in love like mommy and daddy- that is why they are so close together.



Although all of these activities are great, I have been eyeing her swing in the corner, but have not had the guts to try it out yet. Well, I was foolish to wait for so long. I think the pictures do a fabulous job of explaining just how much she loves her swing...


Just getting in the swing, checking everything out.


Knows she likes it, trying to fight the Zs


And two minutes later, this was the result. I think the swing could be a lifesaver!


Of course, she cannot just sit there alone. At least one of the dogs has to protect her! Radly was getting so close the swing kept hitting him in the head everytime it swung. I had to tell him to back up before he gets hurt.