The boys

I know it has been a while since I posted...maybe 7 months?!?  Things have been non-stop with the addition of Ryan. He had his 6 month check-up this week (a couple of weeks late due to a double ear infection).  He weighs 18 pounds and 1 ounce. He is 26.5 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for height and weight. His doctor told him, "Dude, you're boring" and then told me, "Mommy, boring is good." 

He can roll over front to back and back to front. He can get up on his arms and toes when he is on his tummy but hasn't quite figured out how to bring his knees up under him.

He has the best smile...his entire face lights up. He adores Jacob and thinks everything he does is hilarious. He has also started saying "da da da da da."  He also got his first two teeth (on the bottom) this month.

Jacob currently has strep. He has been pitiful. He's also had to do a breathing treatment and use his inhaler because his oxygen level was low.

His imagination is as wild as he is. Some days he's a firefighter or a pirate. He likes to pretend he's a cowboy or a puppy. He still LOVES Toy Story 3 and everything to do with it.

He can write his name and Ryan's name. He can write all of his abc's and can recognize them. He can do simple addition and subtraction. He loves movies and reading books. He's playing Sunday Soccer again this spring and is much improved from the fall. He scored the first goal for his team this past week! 

My life is as full as my heart. I am truly blessed!

Ryan, week 35

This has to be the fasted doctor's appointment I have ever experienced. It probably had something to do with the fact that I was 15 minutes late. I signed in and before I could even sit down, they called me back. My blood pressure was a little high, 130/80 but overall, ok. I found out that I cannot travel so no trips over an hour for me until after Ryan gets here. Since Jake came at 36 weeks, my doctor didn't think it was a good idea.

Here's what babycenter.com says about Ryan:
How your baby's growing:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Ryan, week 34

This is my last week to be pregnant and not have a doctor's appointment. After next week's appointment, I will be on weekly appointments. Everything is still rolling along! No blood pressure issues so far, which means I've made it a little further along than I did with Jacob!

The nursery has been painted and this week my Mom and I put up the border. That was not an easy task...especially for the long walls. It makes such a difference in the room. Jeff moved some of the furniture around and we put the crib together. I spent most of Saturday getting organized and cleaning baby toys and am happy to report that his room looks like a nursery!

Here's what babycenter.com says about Ryan:

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Ryan, week 33

I went to the doctor this week and everything still looks great! We were able to schedule my c-section and was fortunate to get the mid-morning slot. I'm glad I don't have to be at the hospital @ 5:00 a.m.! My feet have been pretty swollen and as I mentioned last week, the morning sickness has kicked it up a notch, but other than that, things are moving along!

Here's what babycenter.com says about Ryan:

How your baby's growing:
This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

Ryan, week 32

Well week 32 has brought me back to week 8...the morning started off with a less than pleasant visit from the morning sickness fairy. This visit was particularly fun since I had already gotten dressed, fixed my hair and put on make-up (the hair and make-up are things I seldom do on a work day but we had an all day meeting)...oh and I had ironed my shirt. Fortunately, my clothes, hair and make-up survived. Despite feeling terrible all day, I made it through the meeting and came home and went to bed early.

Here's what babycenter.com says about Ryan:
How your baby's growing:
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, he'll gain a third to half of his birth weight during the next 7 weeks as he fattens up for survival outside the womb. He now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth.

Ryan, week 31

Ryan and I had a successful 31 week check-up...not so much for the 4-D ultrasound make-up. The 4-D ultrasound was first and while he is no longer facing my back, he did have one of his arms across his face the entire time. It was still good to "see" him. We found out that he has hair...a lot of it on the crown of his head and he weighs approximately 3 lbs 12 oz and I'm measuring one day ahead of schedule.

My blood pressure was fine - though I don't know exactly what it was. I had a little distraction, Jacob, with me at this appointment. I didn't see my regular doctor, but the doctor I did see asked if I was having contractions...don't think so. I'd know, right? I go back in 2 weeks for my 33 week appointment.

Here's what babycenter.com says about the little guy:
How your baby's growing:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Ryan, week 30

Not a lot to report here...just trying to stay out of the heat as much as possible. Ryan is moving a lot these days. I don't know what he's doing, but sometimes it really hurts...it's like he's trying to come through my stomach. His room (nursery) should be painted this weekend and then we can get everything situated. Look for pictures, but don't hold your breath!

Here's what babycenter.com says...
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)