One Word Wednesday

*PRECIOUS*

Another Day at the Pool

Today we met Sharon & Sophia at the pool again, but Angela & Carter joined us this time. Carter wasn't so sure about the pool, Sophia had a blast as always, and Ryder just relaxed in the warm water. As for the Mommy's - we did what we do best...talk, talk, talk.

Soaking Up the Sun!

We went to Poppy & Nana's for dinner after the pool since Daddy is working nights. Ryder was so exhausted from his play date, he was past the point of being able to go to sleep. As you can see, he is in a complete daze, sitting on Nana's lap, trying to remember how to get his fist in his mouth!

"Look At All That Hair"

This is the one thing that people always comment on about Ryder. It doesn't matter if it's a complete stranger in the grocery store or a relative that we are around all the time, this is what they will say as soon as they see him. Ever since he was born he has been known for his full head of hair. They even left a brush on his table in the NICU and the nurses would stop by to brush it throughout their shifts. When it was a little shorter, we would always spike it up and it would dry like that and be so cute. Now that it's longer it doesn't spike as well, so I always find myself just brushing it all to the side. I decided today that there has got to be more that I can do with this beautiful mess than just slick it over to the left. And that is how this happened...

All I can say is...he's lucky he's not a girl (this photo shoot would've been a lot more painful)!!

And just for fun, look at this picture that was taken of the back of his head when he was 7 days old:

Four Months Old!!

Another month has come and gone, and this one brings BIG changes! The most noticeable difference to me is that he no longer acts or looks like a newborn. He is now aware of his surroundings, is very interactive, and is growing like crazy! Here's our baby at 4 months old:
And lets see what this big boy is up to these days:

• He weighs 11 pounds 11 ounces and is in the 3rd percentile for his age.
• He is 24.5 inches long and is in the 35th percentile for his age.
• He is sleeping in his crib in his very own room now! He sleeps for 7-8 hours at night, and has been able to put himself back to sleep if he wakes up in between.
• He still gets rice in every bottle and has been eating about 4 ounces every 3 hours.
• He still takes 2mL of Bactrum every day - it is a preventitive dose of antibiotic to avoid any kidney infections. He is also back on 1mL of Zantac for reflux.
• The hair on the left side of his head continues to fall out, but the rest is growing longer and thicker!
• He rolled from his tummy to his back 8 times one day, and has never done it since!
• From his back he can roll onto his side but hasn't made the complete flip yet.
• He is getting really good head control when sitting supported, and can lift it when he's on his tummy - but still hasn't figured out how to push his chest up with his hands.
• He really enjoys laying on his back and hitting & kicking the toys on his activity gym.
• He grasps his toys now, and has learned to bring them to his mouth.
• He's completely content chewing his fist and drooling for hours!
• He is down to only wanting his pacifier when he is so sleepy and ready for bed.
• He smiles when people talk to him, and laughs when Daddy tickles him!
• He is trying very hard to communicate, learning to make new sounds and use different tones all the time. Will he be a talker like Mommy? Or the quiet type like Daddy? We'll see!!!

At his 4 month Dr. Appt today, we were given the go ahead to start feeding him rice out of a bowl! She also said we could start fruits and vegetables whenever we're ready since his body is already used to the rice. They also gave us a list of things to work on with him since he's a little behind on development as a preemie. So, looks like we're going to be busy, which just means we'll have lots to write about!

He Moved Out

Ryder slept in his crib, in his own room, for the very first time last night. Of course, this was a hard move for me to make, but we both did surprisingly well! A huge thanks to Rachel for passing on her Angel Care Monitor - this thing really helps put a Mother's mind at ease. If there is no movement (it is sensitive enough to detect every breath) for 20 seconds, an alarm will go off alerting the Mommy to go check the Baby. I heard him making noises around 2:30 but I just laid there and listened and after less than a minute he had fallen back to sleep on his own. then at 5:30 he was ready to get up. So, 10pm - 5:30am...I'd say it was a success!

Waking up in his own bed, what a big boy!
Ahhhh, I have so much room in here!
As long as I have my fist, I'll be alright!

Ryder is 4 months old today!! I'll Post after his Dr. Appt tomorrow when I have his height & weight. Tomorrow brings shots and blood work :( Poor baby, pray that he handles it well!

Is This Teething??

I can't figure out if Ryder is starting the teething process, or if this is just what baby's do. He has a new obsession with chewing on his fist, today he has started trying to put any and every object he can touch into his mouth, and has a steady line of drool pouring out! He has been a little cranky and just seems to be kind of uncomfortable. It seems like it would be too early for teeth, but who knows...I guess we'll find out soon!!

Check out the puddle of drool to the left!

That feels gooooood...

Now he's eating his horse...

The drool is dripping down his chin...

Making bubbles and chewing his lip...

But his fist is his favorite thing to chew on:

You tell me........is this teething??

Grace in Small Things

~ Coming home to a clean kitchen yesterday (thanks to the best brother-in-law a girl could ever ask for.........yes, i'm sucking up!)

~ Getting my first full paycheck since I went out on maternity leave.

~ Dress down Friday's

~ When Ryder wakes up in the middle of the night and looks at me with a huge smile, reminding me of how lucky I am to wake up to his smiling face - even if we did just go to sleep 2 hours ago!

~ Beasley & Bentley wagging their tails in their sleep because they just know I'm coming to say Goodnight to them.



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