Ryleigh's First Easter

Ryleigh's due date was originally April 20, 2014, which was also Easter!

Though since we were induced a week early Ryleigh was here for Easter at just a week old.

We did venture out Saturday to see if we could see the Easter Bunny. But unfortunately he never made his appearance and I was very sad that we never got a picture of Ryleigh with the Easter Bunny.

Fortunately, we drove by one of the local shops and they had these huge Easter Bunny stuffed animals in the window. My friend suggested we stop and ask to take Ry's picture with that!

The shop owner was over joyed and amazingly sweet to this overwhelmed and sad new mommy! ha

Here are some pictures:

Ryleigh was a perfect sleeping newborn while I snapped this pictures. 

After we did this little fun shoot we went to visit some friends who had baby bunnies and baby ducklings. Ryleigh had just nursed and had a diaper change so she was back asleep. I took the opportunity to take more pictures:

This yellow duckling actually ran across Ryleigh's belly and she continued to sleep right on through!

On Sunday we went to my parent's house to celebrate Easter. My mom got all three grandbabies an Easter basket and filled them with goodies. My mom went outside and "hid" some plastic eggs for my nephew to hunt. My niece is only 6 months so she is too tiny to hunt and Ryleigh well, is wayyyy too tiny haha. Here are some pictures: 

I think overall Ryleigh and her cousins had a wonderful Easter!! 

Pregnancy Week 38

This is my last pregnancy post. The Sunday I turned 38 weeks I was admitted into the hospital again for dehydration, lack of output, and a spike in my blood pressure. While at the hospital Doc caught my second super high BP which put me over the fence and on the side of Preeclampsia at which he decided to start induction the Friday before I turn 39 weeks.

 

 

At least I still was mostly belly with the exception of swelling. I felt great other than the dehydration. This was the fastest week of my life. I wasn't ready for her to come out. I needed more time with it just being her and I. I have loved being pregnant.

 

Thursday (which were our normal weekly appointments we went in and everything looked great. Even my BP had lowered and was pretty much normal for me. But since E was already scheduled the weekend off Doc went ahead with the induction. (We would have be induced the next week anyway since we were riding the fence, he didn't want to go past 40 weeks with me). To start the induction he stripped me and oh man was that painful.

 

The morning of induction my mom (who stayed home from work to spend the day with me) got up with me and we went to walk. But because he stripped me the day before I had a whole lot of pressure from her dropping even more. I felt like if I continued to walk she would fall right out. After our walk we went and got pedis.

 

Which felt so nice. Look how swollen my feet and legs were.

 

Then we went to lunch and came home and I got a nice bubble bath and mom painted my finger nails for me.

We packed our bags. Headed to my sisters softball game for about an hour and ate 2 burritos, and then we headed to the hospital.

 

Once we were admitted Doc came by and checked me to see what the game plan would be. I was at a 1, 1.5. So the stripping and the walking def. did some good.

 

(a post with the birth story will come next so stay tuned. ;-))

Pregnancy Week 34 through 37 Week

Week 34:

Belly feels like it is growing by the day. I also think its safe to say she has dropped. Baby is the size of a butternut squash. I still don't feel ready for her to come!! But she is coming soon!!

 

 

At 34 weeks we started to retain a lot more water. This week I gained 9 pounds between (weekly) appointments. (But by next week I would have lost 8 of them, I think the scale was broke).

So Doc decided to start monitoring baby twice a week for her movements. I also started to show a little protein in my urine and my swelling became out of control.

 

Week 35:

 

This weeks appointment my belly decided to finally grow and play catch up from being behind 3 weeks. Symptoms are still swelling only getting a little out of control, and my blood pressure has decided it wants to rise. Baby moves all the time, but mostly hangs out in the right side of my belly. I just love it.

 

Week 36:

 

Another day of baby monitoring. Doctor calls this Pre-preeclampsia. We are riding the fence and he's starting to become a little worry wart. (I love that, have I mentioned that doc is amazing?)

 

 

This week I also managed to catch a stomach bug. Which dehydrated me even more, landing me in the hospital for IV fluid. After two bags I felt so much better and was sent home. We had a few contractions, but nothing that was to worry about as far as labor goes.

 

Week 37:

 

Baby is the size of a watermelon (according to the apps) She is now officially allowed to come out and play whenever she decides is ready but Mom would like for her to stay put until due date.

 

 

 

 



Baby Girl's Nursery Part 2

Before I do the birth story post I should show you the rest of baby's room.

 

 

Because I'm a perfectionist and so is my dad I called him to come put the baby's name on the wall for us.

 

I love the tape measure. Also E was working crazy hours and was always at school so it was either I do them and possibly hurt myself or call dad. Always call dad haha

 

Then just before baby got here my best friend Meg took the letters back with her to paint them for me as a gift.

 

I love them and I think she did a fantastic job. E put them back up for me.

 

 

Baby's dresser with her bow holder her Auntie Bea made.

 

This cute little stand was a perfect thing my grandmother found. I love the baskets.

 

That picture of E and I was for a Pro Life even for our church. Super awesome they gave us the picture.

 

All of her stuffed animals along with her ABC wall.

 

Her crib with one of my favorite blankets that was specially made for us.

Brighter picture of her name in letters. Oh yes her name is Ryleigh Sloane

 





 

I had to add a touch of just her and I. ;-)

 

I think we are set on stuffed animals. What do you think?

 

And a close up on her ABC wall. My God-sister made these for us. I thought it was a super idea.

Pregnancy Week 28, Week 29, Week 31, and Week 33

I didn't take any pictures between weeks 26 through 28. Not much had changed. I also skipped Week 30 and 32. Oops!

 

Week 28:

 

My belly looks a little weird I think. And something is up with my back in this picture. This was a huge goal we were aiming for. I knew that if we at the least made it to week 28 and she for what ever reason needed to come she would be okay. Baby is the size of an eggplant and measured 2 pounds 4 ounces. Still only swelling symptoms and always hungry as well as a little less energy.

 

Week 29:

 

There we go, my belly looks a little more normal. Maybe it was the way I was standing the last picture or the way she was. Baby is the size of an acorn squash. Symptoms I'm having are acid reflux and swelling. Baby moves so much! It's fun to watch her move side to side.

 

Week 31:

 

Baby is the size of a pineapple. Last week she was measuring a week ahead and at 4ish pounds, but my belly was measuring 2 weeks behind. I still have reflux and swelling as symptoms. I've only gained 22 pounds!

 

Week 33:

 

Babyis the size of a Durian Fruit. At my appointment my belly was measuring at 30 weeks so about 3 weeks behind. (Doesn't look like it to me hehe)

Only symptom is swelling and craving Chinese food. I haven't felt the need to nest yet though.

Pregnancy Week 20

I've officially made it halfway through my pregnancy. I'm feeling great. E and I are getting on our feet in our new home. I just applied for a job and I have been hired. I'm  very excited to start on December 6th. 

I went in at 9 am that morning. I was starting my training with the manager. That morning I had a good breakfast but was feeling a little off. 

To my surprise not thirty minutes into my first day did I start feeling really really bad. I started to feel hot and flustered. My eyes started to go dark and I knew if I didn't sit down I was going to faint. 

I asked my manager if I could sit down and the next thing I remember is waking up on the ground in my managers arms with her repeatedly saying "it's ok sam, it's ok." 

That was scary. My mind started racing. They tell you, and when you read, fainting while pregnant is not very good. Something could be terribly wrong. I hadn't seen a doctor since before we left California and I was 14 weeks pregnant. 

My manager called my mom and my mom called my mother in law and E. We went straight to the hospital. 

While there we got to see a new doctor (who later became my new OB and is super fantastic). He checked me out asked me a ton of questions and then sent us for our 20 week anatomy sono.
During the first check up with him we found out the fainting was most likely caused from dehydration. Not a surprise for me, I'm chronically dehydrated ALL THE TIME! He went ahead and measured my belly and I was measuring a week behind ( I was tiny).

20 Weeks Belly Picture

When we went to our sono appointment we were lucky because the sono tech is our cousin. So we got tons of pictures of baby girl (who is still nameless). Baby looked great and Thank God the doctor was correct and the fainting was from dehydration and that baby girl was perfect!!
 But since we know our cousin so well, we were able to read her face and noticed she kept going over and over the babies heart. Of course she couldn't tell us. But I knew that that next Monday I would be receiving a phone call from Doc to tell me some sort of bad/scary news.

But at least over the weekend we could enjoy looking at her 20 week profile pictures.

 

I was right and that next Monday I received a phone call from our new doctor (did I mention he was/is amazing?)

 

The found a spot on her heart called a Golf ball. It's a marker for Down Syndrome. His next plan of action was to send us to Midland (a bigger hospital with better equipment) for a 4D sono to check on baby. He mentioned other testing but I refused.

 

At this point it didn't matter if this baby girl had DS. She was perfect.

 

But of course I was fighting with insurance, and we weren't able to get to Midland to see the other doctor until late January.

 

 

When we got to go to that doctor for that sono E didn't get to go, but my mom and best friend were able to. We went in and the sono tech did the sono. She was sweet and printed us some pictures of baby girl.

 

Then we went into the doctors office. This was a scary visit. As soon as he started talking I started shaking. My mom was just about in tears. He started talking about all the different abnormalities she could have. He focused mostly on the one where they don't live outside the womb for longer than days or weeks. I can't remember which number it was. Then he stopped, pointed his finger at me and said "your baby is perfect and has nothing wrong with her. We do see the golf ball but your baby doesn't have DS or any other abnormality."

 

We drove back home feeling wonderful. She would have been perfect either way. But our baby girl doesn't have DS.

 

 

She looks like her daddy in this sono Picture.

Baby Girl's Nursery Part 1

The house that E and I rented was the house that my mom and I lived in when I was an itty bitty baby, and then when I was in 3rd grade through 6th grade my family lived in it again. The landlord is a wonderful lady by the name of Olive. She is like a second grandmother to me.

 

The house is very old and over the past few years and many other renters after my family and before my new little family has been through lots of damage and just not taken care of.

 

The first few pictures are of the floor. Its old wood flooring that has been painted over, carpeted over, carpet was ripped out, repainted over and just not taken care of.

It was ugly!!

 

You can see in this picture E has started to sand it down.

 



 

Once E spent a week sanding the floors down (he did babys room and the spare bedroom) He bought stain and he fixed them right up. It looks amazing!!

 

 

Ryleigh's dresser was given to us by a friend. It didn't match her crib at all and I needed to sand it down and then paint it to match.

 

I also bought new handles and it looked fantastic!! I was impressed with myself.

 

We also bought one of those cube things from target for her room for her toys and books. I got to put that together. Thanks to E for the pics haha!!

 

E was getting ready to move it and I decided to sneak a few pictures hahaha