Ryleigh's First Cross-Country Road Trip

Many people would say I'm crazy for taking a 3 month old on a road trip across the country to North Carolina.

But those people just don't know how amazing and important it is that my Great-Grandmother (so that makes her Ryleigh's GREAT-Great Grandmother) who is in her early 90's get to meet Ryleigh!

This is Ryleigh and Great-Great Grandma Emily Casper

Ryleigh and I at the Cradle of Forestry

My mom and my sister and Ryleigh

Ryleigh and I

My Dad and Ryleigh

Ryleigh and I at the Waterfall

The whole family. Just missing E!

We also went to Dollywood's Water park. Of course Ry and I mostly hung out on the big tube and floated the "river" lol

She was a trooper on the trip. She played with her rattle ball and Gamma (my mom) bought her a toy set that goes across the car seat handle for her. She nursed at every stop and just did wonderful. I see a future travel buddy!!!

3 Months Old

We have a 3 month old!! Time is just flying by!!

 

Nine Week Old Picture:

 

We have found out she is pretty good at the CBF. Poor baby ha. She can also pass gas better (or should I say grosser?) than most men.

 

 

 Ten Week Old Picture:

 

She loves to stick her tongue out! She also found her hands.

 

 Eleven Week Old Picture:

 

She got her Ears pierced. And she weighed 10 pounds 12 ounces. She is also starting to lift up to sit up. She went to the lake this week for the first time. She smiles to others when she is being smiled at.

 

 Twelve Week Old Picture:

 

While in your lap she can almost sit up when she is laying down. She is also trying to break out of her car she is a strong and smart little girl.

 

 Thirteen Week Old Picture:

 

We just got to NC from TX. We drove for 3 days. She did amazing on the drive.



2 Months Old

What? Our little Blessing is 2 months old? How can that be?

 

 

Five Week Old Picture:

 

Her neck just gets stronger and stronger. She is sleeping very well at night and eating on demand. She has started to smile. Especially at her daddy. Music is very soothing and helps her fall asleep.

 

 

Six Week Old Picture:

 

She is very interested in her cousins and loves to watch them play. She likes to go for rides in the car and she loves going places. She is going to be one busy little girl.

 

 Seven Week Old Picture:

 

She tries to bounce when you stand her up in your lap. She weighs 9 pounds and 5 Ounces

 

 Eight Week Old Picture:

 

She is really starting to babble a lot more now. She went on her first road trip out of state this week/month. She can hold your finger or a toy (rattle) very tightly. (She did come into the world holding her daddies finger really tight so that is no surprise). She also has really pretty blue eyes. Like her momma.





1 Month Old

That is right I said it. Little miss Ryleigh is 1 Month old (yesterday) . How can that be?

 

 

I wanted to do weekly pictures so I did just that.

 

 

One Week Old Picture:

 

My first Easter was the same day I was a week old. We didn't get to meet the Easter Bunny this year because the store dropped the ball and no one wanted to get in the costume. But We were allowed to see a real bunny and duckies (I'll share her Easter pictures later)

 

 

 Two Week Old Picture:

 

Eating every 2.5-3 hours on demand. Loves bath time and will stay in the bath forever. Can roll her tongue which her daddy thought was pretty cool. Was also lifting her head up and holding it for minutes at a time. She was also growling in her sleep. How silly.

 

 

 Three Week Old Picture:

 

Loves tummy time and kinda scoots when my knees are under me, especially while on daddies chest.

 

 

 Four Week Old Picutre:

 

Really loves new people and wants to babble but just can't yet. Mom let daddy give me a bottle and I was a champ at it. Which made mommy happy.

 

 

 



The Birth Story

Friday April 11, 2014

 

After a great day of just my mom and I and relaxing for baby to come we loaded up and headed to the softball field to watch a little bit of my little sisters game before going in for induction. We got some burritos for dinner so I don't go in starving (I knew this was going to possibly be a long process.

 

 

Just before we left the game I wanted to take a picture with my daddy.

 

I'm 38 weeks and 5 days in this picture. Super swollen. And I look all belly. My legs look tiny!!

 

We got to the hospital, registered, and got settled into the L&D room. My mom and best friend rode with me (well my mom drove) and my mother in law came soon after. E was working until 8pm, but we weren't worried because Doc wasn't going to come in until then anyway.

 

E and Doc walked in just minutes apart. Doc talked about a few different game plans. He checked me and I was at a 1/1.5. But I was a solid metal door (0% effaced. So he started with a  pill. With a second dose at 3 am.

 

Since nothing was going on everyone left except E and we got some rest.

 

Saturday morning Doc came in about 10 am. I was barely at a 2/2.5 and still a solid metal door. So Doc decided on a catheter balloon filled with water that he tied to my leg. At that point some pretty strong contractions started (at least at that moment I thought they were) and I was given a shot (morphine I think, I don't really remember what meds I was given) and I slept all day Saturday. Though I smelt my family bringing in McDonalds I didn't care I was so sleepy.

 

I woke about 5ish and I was starving. My sister was visiting and she snuck me a little granola bar. I love her. I also found out that during my sleep at about noon the Doc said to start Pitocin. I'm guessing those contractions weren't that bad cause I never felt them. But the nurses said I was having some good ones.

 

Doc came back in that evening around 8ish. before he checked me he asked if the balloon had fallen out. I told him I didn't know because I hadn't gotten out of bed in a few hours. So he went to check me and he laughed saying the balloon was just sitting on the bed and I was officially at a 4.

 

He took me off the Pit, let me shower and let E go get me dinner. Then he told me I could walk for an hour and then we would start the Pit back at 11pm. And that is exactly what we did. Dinner was McDonalds, but it was the yummiest ever lol. While I was eating some old friends from when I worked at the PD back in 2008/09 came to visit with me. It was so nice because I haven't seen them since.

 

Then at 11 pm we went back to bed.

 

At 3 am the nurse came in the check me, I was at a 4.5 and I was 75% effaced. She made me get up and potty and then she dropped the feet of my bed to let gravity work in our favor. After about 20 minutes the pain was a little unbearable so I called the nurse in to ask for a second shot. She said I could get the epidural if I wanted it so I said to go ahead and call the guy but while I wait I'll take some meds.

 

At that point I texted my mom and my best friend to come. I knew it was fixing to be go time.

 

The nurse kept coming in and told me that she was still trying to get ahold of the anesthesiologist but he wasn't answering.

 

At 5 am I had a horrible pain. It felt like my belly was stretching so much it was going to burst, my mom was at my side, E was sleeping on the couch, and my friend was at the foot of the bed. I loudly said OMG what is that, then we heard the POP and then I yelled "that was my water." If you ask my mom there was a bad word in there also ha oops it hurt!

 

E jumped up, threw the bed together and his shoes on and started pacing. My friend ran to get the nurses. The came in and flipped me like a whale to change the bedding.

 

The guy still hadn't answered his phone. Mind you the nurse called at 3 and it was now about 530. The contractions started to get way way worse. My mom rubbed my back perfectly. My friend wiped my face with a cool rag. And the poor nurse was so stressed about the guy not answering.

 

I kept saying "I'm going to hit him when he gets here. I'm going to hit him hard." The nurse would laugh a little but she couldn't much because I was in so much pain and she couldn't do anything for me.

 

The guy finally answered his phone. It was now 710am and he got there about 730. He made everyone except E get out and he just stood there while the nurse held me as he poked my back. He poked me three times before he finally got it in the right spot. I was so mad but I felt so much better I couldn't hit him. He left, and as he walked out the nurse caught him and laid into him for not answering. Which then we found out he was drunk. He knew I went in on Friday and he just assumed I already had the baby cause he hadn't heard anything. Lovely right?

 

Doc came in about 8ish sometime, checked me and I was at an 8. A little bit later he came back in and I was fully dilated, 100% effaced, and the baby's head was at a -1. He let me labor down for about 2 hours before he came in and we started pushing.

 

I pushed for an hour. Baby was born at 11:58 am on April 13, 2014.

She weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.

She had a little bit of honey blonde hair on the top of her head and her eyes were blue. She was so alert just watching everyone. She didn't cry when she got her shots or poked. She held tight to her daddy's fingers. She would lift her head just a bit to look around. When she and I finally got to try to nurse she latched perfectly and had zero issues.

 

The moment she came out. I felt a rush of empty. She was no longer a part of me.

But she did have the cord around her neck and she was blue. I later found that during the pushing she and I started to stress. But we made it!!

 





The moment Doc put her on my chest. I couldn't believe it. She was finally here.

E was so in love.

Daddy's first time holding his little girl.

Gramma got to hold her next.

Then my best friend who took all these pictures for me.

Her first picture of just her. She is a beauty.

 



She was back in my arms. I just love her.

 



Daddy holding baby on day 2. She loved him from the start and his music.

My absolute favorite picture of her. She looks like me so much in this picture. She was so peaceful and happy and calm.

Holding on tight to daddy's hand.

 



 

We were finally able to go home. My mom and Mother in law were to there.

As well as my best friend. E had to work and was getting home later that night.

 

Baby we are free to go home and grow together.

 

 



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!!