Adventures of Ryan Donovan!

Well, its definitely been an adventure so far! Little Ryan is precious as ever, and really a good baby.


Ryan had his first appointment at two weeks of age. He gained a pound and 10 ounces. 8 lbs, 4 ozs. We were so proud of the little tot! Unfortunately, this past week we discovered something just wasn't right with him. He was crankier than normal at night and in the morning. I would notice on the video monitor that he was choking and coughing when I'd lay him down in his crib, and soon after eating. So, having become a reflux-guru during pregnancy, I realized Ryan may possibly have GERD (gastroesophageal reflux). So, I called the doctor in the morning and she saw us right away. After he weighed in, we found that he hadn't gained any weight since his last appointment. This was a cause for concern for the doc, and myself. After examining him, and an explanation of what his symptoms were, she decided to put him on Previcid. AND, no more feeding and straight to bed. I now have to hold him upright for 15 to 30 minutes. So, that 3am feeding is a BLAST! :) And, we had to elevate one side of his mattress in his crib. I'll have to take a picture of him sleeping in his crib now. He looks like a litle old man in his hospital bed. It sounds bad, but its actually quite funny.


Mommy is doing okay. Yes, okay...not great, beautiful, marvelous, etc. Being a new mommy is TIRING! My mom and grandma (.T is in town) have been a tremendous help. Yesterday, I dropped him off at their house, and then came back home, showered, and napped for three hours. I still had my hair wrapped up in a towel when I woke up. Now, that was MARVELOUS!

Here are some recent pics of Ryan! He's really a great baby, so seeing him hurt from the reflux is heart breaking. :( But, the medicine has been in his system for the third day, today. He should start feeling better now.

Come visit Ryan, and he'll leave you a little present! He got warm and comfy on Uncle Jed. He's such a sweet baby!

Rod stated, and I quote, "Ryan's looking more like me now that he's getting a double chin."

Ryan LOVES cuddling with Auntie Jenny. So much love from his Auntie.

Ryan's first playdate at baby Caroline's house!!! It was so fun to watch the other babies, and to talk with the moms about our chaotic lives. I don't feel so crazy anymore. I enjoyed hanging out with everyone. Looking forward to the next playdate. Unfortunately, I didn't get a pic of all the babies and mommies. Next time. Thank you Allison for a fun day!

The Aderholt's came over to bring us dinner and love on Ryan!!! Always fun to catch up with them. Allison made us a YUMMY stromboli. It was incredible! I'm going to hound Allison for the recipe.

This picture is dedicated to Cindy Knocke and Kimmy Lovejoy!

Ryan's First Bath!!!

Ryan wasn't looking forward to his first bath. Nama is holding him as I prepare his little tub!

He did GREAT...so long as he had his pacifier in the mouth.

Nama Loves Me. Yes, she does!

Nama has been our rock over the last week! Her sweet, loving heart is HUGE! She's been such a help with all the laundry, dishes, organizing my brain, organizing my house, diaper changes, and her expertise in the newborn world. Thank you Nama for taking care of us! We LOVE you! Love, Rod, Jessica & Ryan

Hi! My Name is Ryan Donovan!

Mom thinks it's a good idea to start early, and learn how to blog! So, here I am, still in my pj's trying to learn how to post pictures of myself. I'm quite tired, but think I can figure it out.

We are celebrating two birthdays today! My cousin Mattie Sue is TWO!!! And, I'm one week old!!! Big day for us. I get to see her in two days, along with my Auntie Stacy, Uncle Boo, and my other cousin Malyn.

My mom keeps interrupting my typing. She wants to share some news. Hi! Its me, Jessica. I just want to share with you all that I pumped 9 ozs this morning! So, if Ryan tries to tell you he's hungry, he has no reason. :) Another big milestone this morning...Ryan lost the rest of his umbilical cord! It freaked Rod out when he saw a little "terd looking" thing on the changing table. Good job Son! Okay, here's Ryan.

Sorry, guys. I understand mommy loves to share silly news. All in all, my week of life has been one of relaxation, and poopie diapers. I haven't quite managed to keep my pee in my diapers, so any tips you have for my parents would be greatly appreciated.

Spurs have won two games since I've been born. I'd like to think I'm Daddy's "good luck charm". GO SPURS GO!!! Below is a picture of me with my Grandma. She and Grandpa loved on me all day! I LOVED IT!

My daddy is the BEST!! He has been taking care of mommy and I. We're so sad he has to go back to work today. Mommy cried early this morning. She's hormonal, I guess.

Love you all, and if you haven't come by to see me, please do! You know where to find us! (Mom can't drive for a while).

Love, Ryan (one week old)

Ryan's First Five Days of Life!!

Enjoy some pics of Ryan! He's such a blessing in our lives. Rod and I can't stop staring at him. He's doing wonderfully. He's already sleeping in his crib, and allowing mommy and daddy to sleep at least three hours in a row. Hopefully, this will be a continued trend with future nights being three, leading to four, five, six hours of straight sleep. :)

Ryan has a little rash on his body. It looks like little bites. Its already better from this picture.

RYAN DONOVAN TOOTLE

Rod and I could not be more excited to share little Ryan with you all!!! Mr. Ryan joined the world on May 14th, 2007 at 4:58pm. He weighed 6 lbs, 10 ozs. He's 19.25 inchs long! He's the most adorable baby! Ryan was delivered by C-section after a long day of heart rate dropping, and him basically telling us, "I'm not going to fit in 'this' hole."

Thank you for all the love and prayers you all have sent our way! Boy, were they answered.

Our little family is doing great! Rod is a natural...SERIOUSLY. He has been a huge help with my breastfeeding, and my comfort! Ryan loves being held by his daddy. Oh, best news of all...I have yet to change a diaper! Rod, Brooke, and the nurses have all managed to cover that duty for me. I'm healing well. Been walking the halls, feeding Ryan, and I got to SHOWER!!! Tomorrow, I get a full hour massage. Someone will be in my room at 11am to relax this "dog tired" body. Many thanks to my TOSA friends for such a sweet gift!

Not sure when we'll be discharged. I should hear from my doc tomorrow. We're thinking either late Wednesday afternoon, or early morning on Thursday.

Love you all,

Jessica, Rod & Ryan

Emotional State at Nine Months

We're approaching "D" day! REMINDER: May 19th. With that, I've been thinking I'd be going into labor since the 3rd of May. Silly me. My emotions are all over the map, and my body is playing tricks on me...a.k.a. false labor. False labor is a really funny game. Good times. HA-HA. Catching my sarcasim?!?!



Mother's Day has come and gone. Thought we could possibly have little Ryan join us for breakfast this morning. Below is a pic of me making pancakes for Mother's Day at my parents' house. We had a great relaxing morning of reading the paper, drinking coffee, and stuffing our faces with the World's Best Pancakes....mine! Happy Mother's Day to all my mommies, pseudo-mommies, girlfriends, aunts, and grandmas!

8 Months and One Week

Well, here I am, at the end of the road. Check out Ryan's MANSION! He sure has made himself at home. That's Stacy on Skype checking out my belly. I wish she could be here.

This weekend was an eventful one for us. Friday, I had contractions all day, then at about 7pm, the contractions were every five minutes. So, it was off to the hospital. After getting checked out, it turned out that I was dehydrated. The dehydration caused my contractions. So, they gave me two bags of IV fluids, and a shot in the arm to stop the contractions. The stopped. But, I was wired from the shot. So, I got both bags of fluids, the nurse gave me two Ambien. I was hallucinating on the way home from the hospital. I thought the lights on the streets and on buildings were sooooo pretty. If you are familiar with San Antonio....we were driving down Wurzbach between Lockhill and Blanco. Well, I just thought that street was the most beautiful. It was that moment I realized that I just needed to get to bed ASAP. And, that's just what I did. It was about 3am, by the time I hit the bed.

We'll be in touch with you guys! My next appt is Tuesday, May 1st so I should hear something more.

Love to all!

Last Child-free Trip

Rod and I took our last trip before we're "with child". We had such a fun time at Lauren and Kristen's wedding reception! I've never seen two more beautiful brides! Here are some pics of me as a free woman! Check out the skinny on Dad!

This pic of Melanie and I was taken at the moment we looked at each other and realized "our situation". It's so funny, and fun to be going through this with her!!

I'm double the size of Jenny! Dang, its time to get this pup out!

Love to all! Congratulations Kost family!!!!

Anything Cuter?!?!

Like Grandma, like granddaughter! I couldn't resist. I just love this pic! She's definitely a part of our family! HAPPY FIESTA!!!

Ten for Tuesday!

1. Gained 4 lbs in two weeks...whoops!
2. Ice cream needs to leave my freezer, and Rod & I need to go on more walks.
3. Missing my little neicie-poos!
4. 4.5 weeks left til little Ryan's arrival
5. Love how marriages get stronger and stronger all the time!
6. Dr. appt today - cervix soft, and dilated to a fingertip. (I guess that means less than 1 cm), but we're progressing!!!
7. Body pillows are a Godsend to all pregnant women! Thank you Jenny!
8. I don't feel there is a need to wake up every hour "in preparation for what's to come when baby is here." (Its getting really old).
9. Three more weeks left of work! Last day is May 11th, should all be going according to plan.
10. NIOSA is right around the corner, and I'm determined to get there for the FOOD! (sweat between the legs and all...whatever it takes).
BONUS - (i'm so nice)
11. My house looks like a golf training facility! I should probably move out all my breakables to the attic now.

Five for Friday!

I'm copying my mom and Stacy with Five for Friday! So, here we go....

1. Dr. Finney saying "Pregnancy is just not fair for short-waisted bodies," constantly rings in my ear! She couldn't be speaking more truth in that statement.

2. Our good friends are in Hawaii right now staying on the same side of the island that Rod and I got married!! Kapalua Baby! Thinking about them constantly!

3. I love Ryan's pediatrician! Just met with her yesterday. She's originally from SA (always a plus), her OB/GYN is my OB/GYN, and her kids go to the day care that Ryan will be going to in August!

4. My sisters are my loves!

5. Little Ryan loves to make a debut for Rod when we lay down for bed each night. Good tumbles and rolls! Rod "zerberted" my belly, and we think it freaked Ryan out. He jumped big time! It was hilarious! Poor kid. We're going to end up torturing him for some good laughs.

BONUS:

6. Thank you to all those who love and support us!

Ryan's Room at 34 Weeks

This weekend, we got a very sweet surprise when a friend of ours stopped by. Don was thrilled to visit us once he realized we'd put him to work. We got a good six hours of unpaid work out of him. THANK YOU DON!!!!

Room has been painted, and crib skirt added! We still have some finishing touches to add to the room, but otherwise we're almost there! The skirt was HANDMADE by Rod's mom. Very talented woman. I'll try to get a close of pic of the detail to the skirt for the next post. The chair and ottoman are a generous gift from my mom and dad!! We love it. It will rock you to sleep in 10 seconds flat. Note my new Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag under the crib....a VERY sweet gift from Auntie Jenny! Boy, oh boy is this child LOVED!

For those who have not met my husband, I'd like to introduce to you, Ryan's daddy. For those of you that know him, this picture probably doesn't surprise you. :) This is the box that our chair came in. Rod took himself right back to childhood when he saw it. (I think I'm in trouble when Ryan gets here...)

Who knew an unborn child could have SO MUCH! Rod and I are floored everytime we look at his closet. All drawers and baskets are full of STUFF. Its unbelievable!

Ryan's Gear

Paint Color in Ryan's Room

First, I'd like to say thank you to those who took the time to pick out your favorite color. Well, we've decided on... NONE OF THEM! So, no one wins. Wasn't that a fun game?! :)

We ended up going with a light, light, light baby blue color. I wanted to stay away from baby blue but after jenny and I found a picture of baby blue with black furniture in it. It looked so good together, so we went for it. And, we LOVE it. We're not 100% complete yet, so no picture to post. Coming soon.

Trip to Grandma's House

After getting stuck overnight in Chicago, it was straight to Grandma's arms for a big hug! What a fun time we had. Lots of good conversation, napping, and EATING! I think I ate Grandma out of her house. (My portion size was quadruple hers). And, if you ever need a good nap, go to Bellevue. I swear Grandma has a sedative running through her air system. And, if you want to take a warm, yummy shower...Bellevue house.

My cousins and favorite Auntie came over to Grandma's on Saturday for a YUMMY lunch and lots of laughs. Of course...I got my "Auntie-hug" fix (a few times). I had a ball watching my cousins' kids run through Grandma's house just as we did when we were little. And, they loved the same toys that we played with over 25 years ago. My cousin Mary stayed the night with us. We stayed up till 1:30am! I hadn't done that since before pregnancy. I love my sweet Mary.

My favorite moment at Grandma's was when she came into my room, the moring I left, and crawled in bed with me, and we just talked and talked until we were forced to get up to shower and leave for the airport. A moment I'll always cherish. Oh, Ryan had a great time in Ohio. I told Grandma that Ryan didn't cry once on the flight there and back! Such a good baby. :)

If possible, try and take a look at the samples we put on the wall for Ryan's room. I believe if you double-click on the picture, it should open it up to a full view. Let me know what you think.

Votes:
LEFT: 0

CENTER: 5

RIGHT: 2

I'm Cracking Up Laughing

....I've been wondering if I'm growing at all. Well, I sure answered my question when I looked back at my previous bump watch pic. My Lord!

32 Week Post -

I'm in my 32nd week right now!

Check out the point on that belly! Whoa! Who knew a belly could do that. With four more lbs to put on this kid, I'll be booked for a part in the circus...right next to the three-headed woman.

In all seriousness, things are going well here. I have an appointment tomorrow in the morning. Hope to hear more details about Ryan, and HOPEFULLY get a sonogram. I haven't had one since week 17, so I'm dying to see the little guy.

With the 20+ women we know that are pregnant, two just delivered. Both babies were early arrivals, and weighed under 5 lbs!!! You know what that means....Jessica's going all the way to 40+ weeks, with a 10 pounder. Just you wait! Anyone want to lay down some bets?

In case you've been worried about the reflex and indigestion, I've gotten it under control...somewhat. Heartburn hasn't made an appearance in a while. As long as I take my Pepcid, and throw down two Tums, I'm okay. Although, I can eat two bites of cereal, and I feel my Pops revisiting my mouth.

I'm heading to Ohio on Thursday to visit Grandma and cousins. I'm going to miss seeing my grandpa, but hope to get back up there in the summer to visit him...WITH RYAN!!!! My trip this week will consist of lots of good conversation, and RELAXATION! Rod is taking on the task of painting Ryan's room with a primer. The color MUST wait until I, Princess, get back to make sure I like what I have picked out.

Love to you all!! Depending on how I'm feeling, and looking, I'll have my next post in two weeks.

Big Day Today!

So, a co-worker and I frequent the local Subway sandwich store for lunch. I get the same thing every time. Turkey, ham, American cheese, lettuce, onion and mayo...and a diet coke and a bag of Doritos, and we're set!

I've noticed over the past month (okay so maybe longer) that I've been able to ingest more food in one setting than I have ever before. Okay, at this point, you're probably wondering why today was a "big day" per the title of the blog, so here it is...I ordered a FOOT LONG sandwich. Yeah, that's right. Six inches, which is bigger than the size of my stomach, just isn't enough. That whole idea of eating six small meals a day, went right out the door. Stacy, how do you do it?!?! That diet is for the birds!

As I type this blog, I'm staring at the second half of my foot long. Its staring back. So, do I eat it all now, or save the rest for my 3pm snack??? Oh, my 3pm snack is now a meal...a full meal. Whatever snacks and candy my co-workers have hidden in their desks, I've made myself fully welcomed.

Last night, mom busted me with American Idol Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream in my freezer. WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!?! What happened to my "I'm full" button?!? It doesn't work anymore.

This Saturday marks my 7.5 months. I'll be out of town so I may post the pic on Wednesday or Thursday before we leave for the Big D.

7 MONTHS!!!!

I can't believe I'm already seven months. Check out that polished belly! "She's" all lubbed up for the BIG pic. I've gained another 5 lbs since my last doc appointment. Belly measured 28 centimeters, and Ryan's heartbeat was in the 150s. When the doc was looking for his heartbeat, he kept moving around as though he was dodging her doppler machine. I think all the movement was from the sugar drink I had just thrown down in 30 seconds flat for my Glucose Tolerance Test. Proud to say that I haven't lost my drinking capabilities!!

I'm feeling pretty good for the most part. I LOVE to feel Ryan moving around, and enjoy a boxing match...alone. Poor kid doesn't realize he's competing against himself. :) So, I as his mother, have decided to punch back at him. Rod and I are quite entertained when we watch my belly move around like the old school Jiffy Pop popcorn bag that you had to shake over the stove top. Was it even called Jiffy Pop?!

Well, enjoy the 7 month pic. So far, I've gained a total of 19 lbs, and feeling every ounce of it.

Love to you all!!!

SURPRISE Baby Shower!!!

First, let me say Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Ryan had his very first party thrown for him...okay, me too! The wonderful people at my work surprised Ryan and I with the cutest, most loving baby shower. Another surprise, my mom was there too!!

Below are the pics of the fun day. My friends did an awesome job at keeping this quiet. You may not recognize me in the pics...I'm the big balloon in maroon. NOTE: Extreme excitement from the men.