Ryan's 1st Blog Entry

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Seriously!

This was Ry's nap schedule: (as written by daycare)

Naps:

8:45 - 9:00

11:15 - 11:35

1:00 - 1:05

1:45 - 2:10

Are those really considered naps? Seriously?

I put him down at 4 when we got home. It's been 1/2 hour. I expect him to sleep at least until 5. On the plus side, his eating schedule was every 3 hours today instead of every 2 hours. Poor boy just needs to sleep!

Getting Better

Today was a better day at daycare. He did cry to be fed every two hours but they held off a little. He really doesn't need to eat that often. He really just needed to take a nap.

I gave him baby oatmeal cereal instead of rice cereal. (He had gotten a little backed up.) His first response to the new cereal was to gag. Eventually, he got into it. That kid is not one to refuse food.

I've decided that some things that I usually do to get my classroom ready just aren't going to get done this year. I just have different priorities now. I don't really want to devote all day prepping things. I have to ask myself: If I don't (fill in the blank), will it impact my teaching or my students' academic experience? If the answer is no, it's not happening.

First Day at Daycare

Ryan had a rough first day at daycare. He barely napped (which I predicted) and he ate too often. When he continued to fuss and wouldn't sleep, they fed him. He immediately fell asleep in the car on the way home and is napping now. I hope he can adjust and be able to nap at daycare. Poor thing was exhausted. At least when we stopped by the Molls for a quick hello, he had smiles for Adrienne, Ellie and Richard! What a trooper.

I was able to get a lot done at school and didn't worry much. Given how today went, I may worry more tomorrow.

Time Flies

Wow! Ryan turns 6 months in a week. I can't believe it! I'm going to try and keep the blog updated on a more regular basis. Here's what's happening with us:

Ryan's torticollis has caused him to develop plagiocephaly (flat spot on his head). He has been evaluated for a corrective band also called a helmet. They compare two diameter measurements of the skull and compare them. His measurements are 13 mm off. The normal range is 0-6 mm. We return on Aug. 20 for a rescan and will make a final decision on treatment at that time.

Daycare starts tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be a wreck but baby will be fine. I know that! I will try to stay busy getting my classroom ready for the new school year. The students start on the 19th. My goal is for him to stay through lunch time.

Ryan is a wonderful, happy funny baby. He is eating rice cereal with gusto and enjoys sitting up with help. He babbles quite a bit and sounds like he's saying "day, day, day, day."

I need to get some pictures up soon.

Hello Clean Car Seat, Goodbye Onesie - WARNING TMI

We had quite a weekend. I would like to recap two incidents:

Incident #1: We were all ready to go to the grocery store. Ryan was in his car seat and spit up/threw up all over his car seat. I don't think there was a surface untouched by "cottage cheese." There was no way around the fact that the car seat had to be disassembled and completely washed. It was amazing how many parts there are. Everything went into the wash - seat cover, straps, buckles - you name it. The canopy was the only thing that didn't need to be washed. In the mean time, Ryan got his first ride in the other car seat in the BMW.

Incident #2: Ryan had a truly amazing poop blow-out. It was so bad that we cut his onesie off (thanks for the idea Christina) instead of pulling it up over his head. That onesie was a little small anyway and we really didn't want to spread things around anymore.

I know we're in for many more incidents as parents. We're just trying to keep our sense of humor and take it in stride. The best part is that Ryan smiles and laughs through it all too!

Back on the Blog Again

Wow! It's been awhile. I was looking at the last post. The funny thing is that on the same night as it was posted my water broke and Ryan was born the next day.

The last 10 weeks have been something!

I'll catch everyone up with a few highlights and from now on I'll try and be more timely.

Ryan Charles was born at 3:49 p.m. on Feb. 16. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz. and was 21 inches.

12 hours of labor, two hours of pushing and an epidural and he was out!

Ryan was crammed in and on the big side. The side effect was that he developed torticollis, a contraction of the neck muscle on one side of his neck. He had a pronounced head tilt and only turned one way. He is getting physical therapy and has shown lots of improvement. It did make breast feeding hard and uncomfortable for him. He has developed a preference for bottle feeding. So, I'm pumping and he's getting breast milk by bottle.

We spent several late nights with what we thought was colic. It was later discovered that Ryan is allergic to cow's milk protein which passes into the breast milk he eats. I am now on a dairy-free diet and he is doing great.

Mike and I feel truly blessed by our little guy. He is smiling and laughing a ton. He definitely loves his dad. He smiles and giggles when he sees him in the morning and when he comes home at night. Knock on wood, he's been sleeping 9-10 hours a night for the last two weeks. That helps with everyone's mental health and we can enjoy each others company!

More updates to come and pictures!