Time Flies

Ryan has been making us smile for 4 weeks today. Hard to believe- but is is also hard to remember what made me this happy prior to 4 weeks ago. She has changed a lot in 4 weeks, but especially this past week. Ryan now weighs 9 lbs 4 oz. That is 2 lbs more than at birth! She is a good eater just like her parents. She is getting longer everyday- now 22.5 inches! She will be a tall girl. We are finally getting to see a little chub on her legs. So cute! She had some complexion issues this week- baby acne. Her Dad thought it was funny to call her "pizza face". Poor girl. Her Grandpa got her to smile for the first time (non gas related) yesterday. I wish I had gotten a picture! I will be ready next time. She is way ahead of schedule on that one. She has started tracking objects with her eyes. See video below. Her personality is really starting to show up! She is making more sounds and is very expressionate.

Ryan had more out of town visitors this week. My girlfriends from Houston, Rox and CiCi came to meet her. Roxie brought her darling 3 year old daughter, Avery who was so sweet to "Baby Ryan". We had a great visit with all of them. Chris went back to work Friday- we have survived the 2 shifts he has been at work. Thankfully, my parents watch her for a few hours during the day so I can workout. We are getting into a routine and I am starting to feel less zombie like. Life with Ryan is wonderful- what the heck did we do beofre her?????

Here are a few pictures from the past week and her newborn pictures that we just got back.

Those big eyes are tracking

Ryan has started tracking things! This is a quick video of her laying in her pack-n-play and following the mobile when Chris moves it. She really enjoys wiggling around on her back. She is such a good baby. By the way- there was not an earthquake during this video- just a poor camera pass off!

Here are a few videos. The first is Ryan taking her first pumped bottle from her dad! The second is Ryan spending some time on her tummy strengthening those neck extensors. The last video is my favorite! We love waking her up from a nap. She is always so cute and stretches out to wake up. Make sure you have the volume up though, because she stretches out a toot! So funny!

3 weeks old

She is already three weeks old!!! I cannot believe it, and I am apparently having trouble accepting it. It may be from lack of sleep or the fact that the days and nights have kind of run together, but I have caught myself telling people that Ryan is only 9 or 10 days when in she is 21 days old today. I think part of me doesn't want to accept that she will soon be a month old, no longer a newborn. I actually corrected Chris when he answered a stranger that Ryan was two and a half weeks old- I turned and said "no, she is 9 days". I didn't even realize until we were home later and Chris brought it to my attention that I had said that! He was nice enough to not embarrass me in front of the stranger!

A lot has happened in the past 9 days since she was born- just kidding - 3 weeks! Ahhhhhh! I have started pumping and Ryan has been taking one bottle a day from her Dad. We were nervous that she wouldn't take it or wouldn't want to breastfeed after she had a bottle. We were wrong! She chugged down the first bottle that I made her which was 2 oz and then nursed because she was still hungry. So, now I have been making her bottles 4 oz and she finishes those! Pumping is kind of a pain because of all the setup and clean up, but it will be what I have to do if I continue to solely breastfeed her when I return to work. I get to stay home until Oct. 14! Yippee! Unfortunately Chris returns to work Friday. I will have my first 24 hours alone with Ryan. I am a little nervous. Thank goodness my Mom and Dad are close by!

Ryan has had some out of town visitors from Austin this past weekend. Two of my best friends from Austin came to visit- Olivia and Cindy. We had a good time. Ryan went to her first party- her Grandma's 50th b-day party! She was a good sport and got passed around to a lot of people without any fussing.This week Ryan has proved that she can make it 5 hours during the night without waking up to eat. Although she has only done this twice- I see this as a sign that I may get to sleep more than 2 hours consecutively someday! We are enjoying daily walks and Chris and I have gotten to go to the gym together in the evenings while my parents watch Ryan. I have posted some pictures of this past week. I haven't figured out the best way to put pictures on here with captions. Anyhow- the pictures from top to bottom and right to left are: Ryan with her Aunt Bethany, Ryan with her grandparents, Cindy holding Ryan, Olivia with Ryan, Olivia, Cindy and me, the next one one is Ryan in her favorite spot- her Dads lap. That is where she wants to be from 9-11 every night. The next is picture is a grin! I know that grins this early are caused by gas- but they are still adorable! The last picture is Ryan laying on her quilt that her Mamaw made for her!

Ryan is two weeks old today! I can't believe it. She is starting to outgrow some of her newborn clothes already! I am trying to make sure she wears the cute girly stuff before she is too big! She has proven to us that she can make it over 4 hours at night- she did not prove this last night though. She decided that she wanted to eat every 2 hours last night. I am glad she has an appetite, but I sure am dragging today! Her favorite spot is napping on her Dad's chest. The two of them get some good naps in! It has been great having Chris home to help- I don't know what I am going to do in ten days when he goes back to work! It will be 24 hours on my own! Good thing is that my Mom and Dad are close by! Here are some pictures from the past few days. She can't be any cuter if you ask me! Chris is modeling the BabyBjorn in the first picture! Ha!

I can't believe it but Ryan is almost 12 days old!!! It makes me sad that she is changing but I also love watching her grow! Since I started this blog a lot has happend with our little girl. She has had many more visitors and we have enjoyed getting to see everybody! She had her newborn pictures done, which I may go broke trying to buy them all! They were too cute and I was sobbing when we got to look at them! She saw the pediatrician and had already gained almost a pound in the 6 days since she left the hospital. She left the hospital weighing 6 lbs 13 oz and she weighed 7 lbs 11 oz at the pediatrician! I guess she is getting enough breastmilk! She has put herself on a great schedule and is eating every 3- 3 1/2 hours and sleeping great in her own crib! She can already roll over onto her side and is very active with her arms and legs. She has started staying awake for a couple hours in the morning and in the evening. She has had 3 baths and her umbilical cord fell off yesterday (I kept it! -couldn't help it - I said to Chris that is the last part of me that she has- he had to remind me that she is made up entirely of me and him!) I am attaching soem videos of Ryan's first bath (please ignore me- this is 2nd day home and I look terrible!) and her falling asleep and her dancing with me and her Dad. She is so fun!

This is one of our favorite picture of the little girl. This was minutes after she was born when her Dad took her into the waiting room to meet her Gran, Papa, Mamaw, Grandpa, Aunt Meredith and Aunt Bethany. She was so wide-eyed and alert just taking it all in!

Ryan is here!!!!!

We are by no means bloggers, and I am sort of stealing this idea from my sister, but this is the best way to share pictures and videos of our sweet baby girl! I am going to try my best to update this at least once a week! Ryan Layne Ivie was born by C-section Tuesday, July 28, 2009 after a long 12 hours of labor on Monday. She weighed 7 lbs 4.8 oz and was 20.25 inches long! She scored a 9/9 on the Apgar and arrived wide-eyed and alert after delivery. She had a full head of dark hair and big blue eyes. She instantly stole our hearts. We have been home since Thursday July 30 and a lot has happend since she arrived! She has had many visitors and has been showered with lots of love and gifts. She has been to the pediatrician, been to Mamaw and Grandpa's house, had breakfast with us at La Madeline, had her first bath, been on her first walk, met her 2 dogs and 2 cats, and had us smiling the whole time! We are in awe of her and can't get enough. She is crazy about her Dad and I love watching the two of them together. We have been taking tons of pictures and videos- not wanting go miss a second of her life! It is hard to believe that she is already 5 days old! I am also recovering well. It felt good to go on a walk last night but it also showed me I need to take it slow. I had a breeze of a pregnancy so this is no big deal- and totally worth it! I can't believe that she is finally here and that she is so perfect! We are so lucky!