Happy 1st Birthday, Rylan!

366 Days ago you came into our lives, and we've been smitten ever since! You are such a happy, content baby! You're a mama's boy, and I love it! Those big brown eyes melt my heart! You're sweet, lovable, and laid back but "Watch Out!" If you get riled up about something, everyone will hear about it! Your first word was "Mama," which was such a gift to me since "Dada" was the only vocabulary of your siblings for a long time! The only other recognizable word you say is "Ry-Ry," the name lovingly given to you by your sister! You also make sounds like a duck and even flap your arms occasionally! You've been a real trooper through your endless Dr. appointments, difficult feedings, palatal obturator, and surgery! You did better than I could have ever imagined! I was sad that my baby would never look the same again. I didn't even recognize you after surgery! But now I am attached to your "new look" and can hardly remember you any other way! Your new precious smile opened up those big, brown eyes, my gift to you! You're a little lazy in your advanced age! You just began "creeping" this month and getting yourself into a sitting position this week! I feel sure you will make excellent progress in the near future! You will have surgery again in two weeks! It will be interesting this time since you are "mobile" and feeding yourself! The arm restraints and liquid diet will not satisfy you, I'm sure! However, you have amazed me before with your ability to adapt! I love you more than you will ever know. I am so thankful for my "little" surprise! You have been in our lives for only a year, but it feels like forever in my heart! It's as though you've always been with me! Happy 1st birthday, Rylan Nathanael!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Significant Day!

Since Rylan's palate repair surgery is four weeks from tomorrow, I am forced to take drastic measures to wean him from the bottle. I've been trying to slowly introduce him to a cup for months but he has resisted every effort I've made. He LOVES his bottle. However, he may not use a bottle after surgery, so he has to be efficient with another method of nourishing his body with fluid, which brings me to today.

In honor of the 1 year anniversary since Delaney and Landon took their LAST bottle (exactly two weeks before Rylan was born), Rylan drank his last bottle tonight. Tomorrow he will ONLY be offered liquid in a cup. I used the "cold turkey" approach with Delaney and Landon because they were also resistant to trying a cup. Rylan was scheduled for delivery a month later, and I didn't want 3 on bottles! I thought it would be a tortuous event for everyone involved. However, Delaney and Landon proved me wrong and gave very little, if any, of a fight. I wanted to approach the weaning process with a gentler method this time, but Rylan is giving me no choice. Since he is MY BABY, and there is not another one on the way, I would be in NO hurry! Unfortunately, Rylan's surgeon feels differently about the matter. He MUST be weaned before surgery! Hopefully, it will go better than expected, but Rylan is very obstinate about sipping anything from a cup. Therefore, I'm afraid it will be a VERY long week!

Here he is playing with the camera! He is a little performer! He has no idea what he is in for!

Rylan's Birth

Since Rylan's 1st birthday is approaching, I want to document a few things from this past year. (I really wish I would have started this blogging thing sooner!)

March 30,2007
I was up all night with intense gas-like pains! I was miserable and regretting the chili I had for dinner! I got up when the alarm clock went off (very unusual for me), not like I had slept anyway, and proceeded to get ready for school. (I was teaching 2nd grade.) My husband had to get Delaney and Landon ready for school because I could barely stand up! I showed up at my classroom and immediately went across the hall to my co-worker and very close friend's room. I will let her tell "the rest of the story..."

This is from the email she sent to the entire school after Rylan's arrival...

There once was a cute little blonde 2nd grade teacher who was very pregnant with her 3rd child in under 2 years (crazy woman :-)). One day she came to school very upset and crying complaining of gas pain that she had been experiencing since 11:00 p.m. the night before. It was hurting so bad
that she got a sub and decided to go home. Her good friend from across the hall (who is crazy too with 3 children in 4 years) told her that she thought that was NOT GAS PAIN AND THAT SHE COULD BE IN LABOR and to go call her doctor. So, being a good girl the 2nd grade teacher called her doctor only to find out that he was out of town. The nurse told her to go to her hospital to Labor and Delivery just to be on the safe side. The second grade teacher called her husband to take her to the hospital. She was nervous though, fearing it was really only gas and would feel silly going to the
hospital for gas pain. Meanwhile, the good friend from across the hall was in a bit of a panic, having had 2 of 3 babies so quickly the midwife was not present...that she called every 15 minutes to make sure she was okay...and sure enough the cute little 2nd grade teacher was having contractions! They tried to stop her contractions because she had not dilated yet but the little fella was ready to meet his family! So...

Rylan Nathanael arrived on Friday, March 30th at 4:35 p.m. by c-section. He is 6lbs. 7 oz. and 19 1/2 inches. He has brown hair and is adorable! Mom and baby are doing great and Delaney and Landon are loving their little brother, so is Daddy.

I should mention that I had never been in labor before. Delaney and Landon were delivered at 33 1/2 weeks because Landon was IUGR. (More on their story another time!)

Rylan was over 3 weeks early and LABOR never crossed my mind! I had NO idea!

Here is a newborn picture of Rylan...

4 Days Later...

Four days after the Texas "blizzard"...

This was Monday evening...upper 60s!

Snow Day!

Well, I guess I've been waiting for something outside of our regular routine to post, and today it happened! It snowed in Texas in March! I wanted to take the kids outside to play in the snow for their first time, but I was hesitant because they actually do not have coats, hats, or mittens! I didn't purchase any this winter since it's needed less than a handful of times during the "winter" months. We have gotten by with a few fleece hoodies just fine, but today we needed something more! So I bundled each child in 4 layers of clothing, which took nearly an hour! Of course, there were some distractions!

I dressed Delaney and was changing Landon's diaper when she announced, "I pooted!" I finished changing Landon, and then removed 3 layers off of Delaney and proceeded to change her diaper. (I should have mentioned we have succumbed to the stomach virus that is going around but escaped any symptoms yesterday, so I thought we were better! Apparently NOT!) I dress Delaney for the second time. Thankfully, all clothing was still clean! I begin dressing Landon when Delaney again says, "I pooted!" I hear the "poot" and know she is right, so I tell her I will change her again when I get the boys ready! She continues pooting and announcing it (and I continue hearing it for myself!) I dress Landon and then Rylan who is not happy about all the layers AT ALL! I undress Delaney AGAIN, but this time her clothing was soiled too! I have to completely change her bottom half! In the meantime, Rylan is screaming because he does not like all those clothes! He is also past due his nap! I dress Delaney for the 3rd time and put her jackets and Landon's jackets on them. I am putting Rylan's coat on when Landon tells me, "I pooted!" Yes, this is the third time somebody "pooted" since I began dressing them! I remove 3 layers, change his diaper, and dress him again. Rylan is STILL protesting loudly!

We step outside, and I load the choo-choo wagon. I thought it would be cute in pictures and make a good seat for Rylan to watch the fun! WELL, he did not agree. I ended up having to hold all 20+ pounds of him while trying to take pictures and play with the other two! (Rylan still refuses to try to get around on his own!) He cried most of the time we were outside! Landon enjoyed the snow and began playing on his own immediately! Delaney took a little encouraging but also enjoyed playing. When I finally had to give in to Rylan's crying, Delaney protested loudly about going inside! She was not finished playing!

In the end, an hour worth of preparation was worth 20 minutes of fun in the snow!