Merry Christmas to all

Uncle Dan and Ryan

Cousin Aiden and Ryan

Ryan with MorMor Jo at the piano

Ryan, Dad, Aunt Julie and Cousin Olivia

Ryan's Baptism with our Pastor and Ryan's Godparents, Uncle Dan and Aunt Tara.

Ok, So I am a little late. We have had a very busy week and a half. On the 21st, we celebrated Ryan's Baptism and First Birthday. The baptism was beautiful. Our pastor, Mary Gene, had a special sermon, just for Ryan. It really touched our family and we are so grateful to have such a wonderful church family. The party was fun. 30 people in our house was quite a challenge, but I think we pulled it off. We had a birthday cake just for Ryan. I wasn't sure what he would do, since he has never had table food, but he loved the icing. He threw a fit when we took it away. SO cute.

On Christmas Eve, MorMor Jo, Uncle Dan and Kelly came over for dinner. Dad made a great dinner..prime rib and asparagus (my favorite). Christmas day was such an adventure. He did so well, making out like a bandit. Santa was very good to Ryan. He LOVES his laptop from MaMa and PaPa B. He gets so excited whenever he sees it. At GA Jamie and GU Mike's, he played the piano with MorMor Jo. Everytime he would hit the keys, he would laugh. I think we have a musical talent on our hands.

The day after Christmas, we went to the doctor again, yeast rash from the antibiotics to help with his ear infection. So his pediatrician gave him a different antibiotic, he still had a little redness in his ear. Well, the next day, we found red splotches all over. It kind of looked like chicken pox in some areas and a heat rash in others. After advice from the doctor, we gave him a second dose. If it got worse, we were to go to the ER.
On Sunday, it was worse. We went to the urgent care, much quicker than the ER. He prescribed a steroid and took him off the antibiotic. We now need to get him into an allergy doc to see what type of antibiotic he is allergic to. Bummer. I was hoping he wouldn't get all of my allergy traits.

He is doing well now. Mom and Dad are tag teaming it this week. Daycare is on vacation. So if Mom is at work, Dad is home with the little guy and vice versa. Anyway, enjoy the photos. They are of the past 10 days.

Its My Birthday!

Today is Ryan's First Birthday! Where did the year go? He is such an angel and is so big...nearly 22 lbs.
Unfortunately he has a double ear infection. He isnt acting fussy but he hasn't been eating much the past few days.

Here are some photos from his first professional photo shoot last week.

We have a busy weekend. Uncle Dan comes in town this afternoon while MaMa and PaPa B arrive on Saturday.

Enjoy the photos. The first one is my favorite!

Photo with Santa at DGC Christmas Party

Just wanted to post this. I received today from DGC. How cute is this little guy!!!

Busy weekend; getting ready for the big bash!

We have been busy this past week.

Ryan went to Buddy Builders on wednesday again, at the Delta Gamma Center. On Friday, he had an appointment at CGCH for a fitting for a splint on his right hand. This should help keep his right hand open and his thumb out, enabling him to use his hand. It should arrive in about a week.

Saturday we ran all kinds of holiday errands, including a visit with Santa.

Sunday we went to a baby shower for a friend of ours who is having a boy in February. We cant wait.

We also went to the Holiday Party for the Delta Gamma Center. We met a few other parents and kids who have CVI and other ailments. We talked to a couple who have a little boy who graduated from DGC last year. They are all so welcoming and encouraging. We had another visit with Santa too. So cute, Ryan was great. He was comfortable on Santa's lap, occasionally looking back and up at him and his beard. I hope to see those photos soon.

Here is a photo I took on Saturday in our family room.

This week Ryan got 2 more teeth....now total of 6; 4 on top and 2 on bottom!!

More posts later this week....preparing for the big Birthday on Friday and Christening on Sunday.

One Year Ago....My water broke

I can't believe it has been 1 year since my water broke! We have come so far in one year. Tonight on the news, I saw a story where a little girl, who was born Oct 2007 and she finally got to go home today. She was in the NICU/PICU at CGCH for 13 months. I balled through the entire story. I recognized the dad of the little girl, I know we saw him in the family lounge when we had our stay at CGCH. Just amazing, how far we all have come. I think back to the morning my water broke and they told me I would be in the hospital until Ryan was born. I was so scared, but everything we have gone through is so worth it. We have an amazing son, who inspires us everyday. We are so blessed to have him in our lives.

Tim took Ryan to Buddy Builders at the Delta Gamma Center on Wednesday. He was asked if they could use a picture of Ryan in their flyer. We are so excited. Watch out, I think we have a star on our hands!
Last week, we had a meeting with our case manager and his therapists. It was decided that Ryan has made some great improvements, yet he is still developmentally behind. He was approved to have PT and OT once a week instead of every other week and Eye once a month. We are so excited and grateful to our therapists for the increased visits. I think they will really help him catch up.

Enjoy some pics taken over the last week.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

Ryan did not eat all of the food on this plate, nor did he actually eat the turkey leg, though he did enjoy playing with it. We had a nice and relaxing day with MaMa and PaPa B and Aunt Tara.

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day. Enjoy

11 months old today

Today Ryan is 11 months old! I truly can't believe it. He is growing every day. The photo in his red pajamas was taken tonight after his bath. I bought these pj's last week, hoping they would last him a few months.... I hope they fit through Christmas. The size is for 18-24mos! and they just barely fit him. I bought him an outfit for Christmas that is 18mos. I hope I dont have to exchange it!

The sleeping shot was taken a few days ago. Tim took it after he was picked up from daycare. What an angel!!! That is all for tonight. Enjoy

Busy Week

This has been a very busy week for all of us. I was in Kansas City a few days for work. The first time I had been away from Ryan for more than one night. It was torture. By Friday morning, I was counting the hours until I would be home with my guys. And there they were, waiting for me at the airport, with flowers. What a wonderful husband! On Tuesday, we had a nursery followup visit at CGCH. His provider was really happy with his growth. Ryan is in the 85th percentile of his birth age! 21lbs 4oz and 28.5 inches long. He is growing proportionally and fast. I cant imagine how big he would actually be if I would have carried him full term.

She wasnt as happy with his tone. His muscles are still tight in his arms and legs, yet little tightness in his trunk. She is recommending that we have PT and OT every week instead of every other. She is also recommending he wear a splint on his right hand. It is like a little glove with the fingers cut out. This will help his right thumb stay out and use his hand more. His left hand is progressing well. He uses his left more than his right. (We are still hoping for a future left-handed pitcher). So now we have to work to even this out. He will be fitted for the splint in the next few weeks.

His eye sight is also progressing. Just this week, he started grabbing my face when I got really close to him. I think every day he sees more and is just a little bit stronger. He is almost able to sit up by himself too. He can hold the position for 5 - 10 seconds and then starts to tip over.

He is also starting to get frustrated when he drops a toy and cant get it himself. He will try to reach out and grab it, but if it is too far, he starts to wimper. I hate having him get frustrated, but it is a good thing, he has to figure out how to get the toy on his own. He will thank us for it later.

On Wednesday, Tim took Ryan to Buddy Builders at the Delta Gamma Center. They met other kiddos with CVI and their parents. It was a good meeting and a fun time. They had music hour and Ryan responded well to the activities and seemed to have a good time, so much that he fell asleep during the parent break out session. We will go again in December.

Ryan turns 11 months old this Wednesday too!!!

The above video is from Saturday. We were playing with him on the floor. Below is also from Saturday. He tried turkey for the first time and he did not care for it. So cute. Enjoy.

First Attempt at a video upload (Go MIZ-ZOU!!)

Ok, So we finally found the installation software that came with the camcorder and I finally got it to work so I could upload some video. This was taken last Sunday. Just a brief laugh, but it shows his funny personality.

Enjoy

Happy Halloween

Tonight Ryan celebrated his first Halloween. We dressed him as a 'Red Hot Chili Pepper'. He was a hit. We first went next door to visit our neighbor. We then went to our Church, a safe place for kids to trick or treat! Our Pastor was a witch this year. Our last stop was at Scott and Renee's. Ryan was really tired, since he is normally asleep by 8pm. Each time we got in the car to go to a different location, he fell asleep. So, we made it a short night. Here are some photos. I have to admit, I did take the Chili Pepper photos this morning (the lighting was better and we were pressed for time last night). This afternoon, we are going to Great Grandma's and MorMor Jo's....so more pics later too. Enjoy

Hoodie Headshot

How cute is he! This was taken on Sunday. A beautiful Fall Sunday in our backyard on the swing. He was laughing like crazy and I caught this shot and couldn't wait to post it.

We have been so busy this past week, well I have.

The previous Saturday we went to another pumpkin patch. It was with the Delta Gamma Center. We met other kiddos that have CVI (Cortical Visual Impairment) and their parents. We had a great time. There was a petting zoo, train rides and mazes. MorMor Jo was with us while Dad was at work.

On Wednesday, Tim and I went to a CVI meeting at the Delta Gamma Center and learned so much about this ailment. We need to slow things down with him. We cut the clutter out of his play area. Simple toys, shiny objects, easy things for him to focus on. We have already seen some improvements. We are really excited to be part of the center!

Above are photos from the DGC trip to the Pumpkin Patch and from our backyard. Enjoy!

Big Day at Eckert's

On Sunday we took Ryan to Eckert's farm for some apple pickin'. I know we will definitely go back next year when he is older. Tons of stuff to do for kids.

Sunday night, he woke up screaming at 1am and pretty much continued to do so all night. This is not like him. He sleeps about 11 hours a night, all night, so we knew something was up. I took him to the doctor Monday morning to discover he had an ear infection. He was also wheezing, so his pediatrician put him on an antibiotic and an inhaler. By Tuesday afternoon, he stopped the screaming and was feeling much better. I pray he doesnt have ear infections like his dad had as a child (per mama B).

Today, we had an appointment at the Delta Gamma Center. This center is for children who are visually delayed or impaired. His therapist, Jo, is great. She confirmed our concerns about Ryan's vision. She cant diagnose him, but does say he is visually delayed. She says he has great potenial and room for improvement. We think it just takes him a little longer to process the information from what he sees and what his brain processes. Tim and I have seen him improve over the past few weeks. He really tracks toys that are red or orange. He is tracking them more when they are closer to him as well, not just from afar. We are just waiting for the day for him to make eye contact with us and smile!

The Delta Gamma Center is a great organization that is funded by the United Way. They offer support groups and group play with other families with children with visual impairments. We are actually going to a gathering this Saturday to a Pumpkin Patch. MorMor Jo is going with us since Tim has to work. We will get to meet and network with other families. We are so blessed to have them so close to us (about 4 miles away) and willing to work with us.

Also we want to wish Uncle Dan a Happy Birthday!!! Go Sox! Good Luck at your hockey game and Go Blues.

Enjoy some photos of Ryan from Sunday at Eckerts

Lunch with Mom, Dad and MorMor Jo

Today we went to lunch at Schlafly's Bottleworks to celebrate MorMor Jo's birthday. We had a great time. Ryan was a bit tired and fell asleep a few minutes into our lunch. I think he was mad because he couldnt eat the same food as us.

He is eating bananas and loving them. Though he has been a bit more gassy!

After lunch we came home and played in his activity center. He is now able to sit up in it without falling or leaning to his left! His torso is getting stronger every day. This kid has a really long torso. When we prop sit him, he falls forward because his arms arent long enough to hold him up! MorMor Jo says that Great Grandpa Lew had a long torso and was very tall. So I guess this runs in the family and at this rate, Ryan will be a giant!

Go Tigers!!!

Happy Birthday MorMor Jo!

Ryan would like to wish MorMor Jo a Happy Birthday! (Mom and Dad do as well).

Hope you had a good day.

Ryan is fighting a cold right now. He has a really good sniffle that has turned into a very congested cough. I feel so bad for him. We have to elevate him so he can sleep at night and breathe. We also thank the humidifier and vapor rub. He seems to do ok with that.

Tooth #2 has popped through. He wasn't as fussy as he was with his first tooth. In the above pic, you can just barely see it. He looks so cute. Enjoy. (Uncle Dan has requested more messy food photos, so here you go!)

Soulard Oktoberfest 2008

On Saturday, we went to Soulard to celebrate a traditional Oktoberfest, German style. We had a great time. We met up with some friends, some who had yet to meet Ryan.

He was a trooper. We were at the festival for about 4 hours before he was done! He was happy and really took in all of the surroundings. I tell you, so many people stopped by us and said 'How Cute' or 'He is Adorable'. I even caught someone taking his picture! I have to admit, he did look adorable.

When we got home, he had about an ounce of carrots and was done. He wanted that bottle. After, he could barely keep his eyes open and fell asleep about 7pm. This gave Mom, Dad, Scott and Renee time to watch Mizzou crush Nebraska and the Dodgers deliver the Cubs a huge box of kleenex!!! What a great day!

Anyway, not sure what we will do today. I pray he doesnt have my allergies. He has a little sniffle.

Enjoy some photos from Oktoberfest