Two weeks old!

Ryan is two weeks old already and time is just flying. The days go by so quickly considering how little it seems we do!!! Here is a photo of Uncle Jer, Ryan and Curious George. Aren't they cute?

Grandma and Grandpa Brown were in town this week from Colorado to meet their new grandson and we had a great time. Grandma Berna couldn't put Ryan down! They will be back for Christmas, which will take on a new meaning for all of us this year with a little one to celebrate with.

Grandma and Grandpa B. bought Ryan a new bassinet and he is sleeping like a champ! We are getting a lot more sleep which makes a world of difference. He has slept for stretches as long as 4 hours at night! Now we are trying to rouse him every 3 hours or so at night to eat since he needs to gain weight. I gave breastfeeding a wholehearted try, but Ryan was losing too much weight. Although it was a struggle to get him to latch on and stay awake while feeding, I thought he was gaining weight. When we went to the lactation consultant the second time we realized he was losing so the pediatrician recommended we supplement with formula in addition to pumped breastmilk which I am still doing. So, we are going through a lot of bottles, but Ryan is gaining weight and still getting breastmilk which Keith and I feel very comfortable with.

While I was pregnant people kept telling me to "sleep while you can!" and "enjoy your free time!". But you don't really understand what that means until your sleep and free time are gone. It's like telling a teenager to enjoy their youth. They won't appreciate it until they are in their 30's!!! And while sleep isn't as abundant as it once was and free time will be non-existant for many years, those things have been replaced with this little life that has been entrusted to us and more love than I could have ever imagined. When I first got home from the hospital with Ryan I could not look at him without crying. That sounds bad, but as I would quickly say to Keith when he realized I was crying yet again, "Happy tears!". They were tears of joy, relief, pride, satisfaction, the realization that life is so good and that prayers do get answered. Ryan is such a miracle and was completely worth the wait. Luckily the emotions have gotten more under control, but the intense feelings of joy will always be there. I know it will only get better as Ryan gets older.


Here are some photos of the family toasting our newest member, and Grandma Berna holding her pride and joy.