COFFEE IS ON...: 8 Week Recap

Since I just started this blog, I thought I would summarize her first 8 weeks with firsts and with visitors and such...

Ryley would first like you to know that it is a hard life...

At birth:
8lbs 11oz
20.5" long

I was in labor for 11 hours and plan to post her birth story at some point so be looking for that in the near future!

Out of Town Family Visitors:
Sharon Joy (Nana)
Suzanna (Aunt Suna)
JT (Cousin JT - 16 months)
Jamey (Uncle Ja)
Teddy (GrandDaddy)
Trish (Grammy)
Danny (Poppy)
Jack (Uncle Jack)
Pat (Mimi)
Dawn (Aunt Dawn)

Aunt Dawn and Ryley

Poppy, Uncle Jack & Mommy

Aunt Suzanna & Ryley

Uncle Ja & Daddy with Ryley

Grammy & Ryley hanging out!

Raeanna & Christian - Mommy & Ryley (they are 2 weeks apart and already best buddies!)

Nana & GrandDaddy with Ryley

Mimi & Ryley

A few people from our small group at church brought us meals and they also put a babyshower together for us where we got some great stuff, including diapers and wipes! YAY!
Places Ryley has been:
New York (Drove)!!
Starbucks
Red Robin
Carraba's
Maggie Moo's
Target
Wal-Mart
Publix
Blue Coast Burrito
Church
BW3
Mall

*Ryley started to hold her head up at 3 weeks!!

*We saw her first smiles in her sleep around 2 weeks and at 6 weeks, she was smiling in response to Jody and I. That is the best thing in the world!

*Her burps put any grown man to shame.

*She LOVES her mat that she lays on in the living room! It sings to her and has bright lights and she loves it.

*She is cooing and gurgling all the time now!

1 month doctor appointment:
10lbs 13 oz (gained 2lbs 2 oz)
22.5" long!
Doctor Hixson said she was doing just awesome and looked great and she is in the 90th percentile! She's our big, healthy girl!

Dr. Riley! This is who delivered our precious Ryley!

Ryley and her Pediatrician, Dr. Hixson! We all love him!

And she's been seeing the chiropractor since she was 5 days old!! She loves it and loves Dr. Mueller!

Ryley & Dr. Mueller

We started a schedule for her at 7 weeks, including putting her in her crib for the first time. She loves her crib and the monitor next to the bed instead of the bassinet has been an adjustment but one that has been easy to come by after seeing the results it has yielded.

I wake her up in the morning between 7 and 9 depending on the night before and every 3 hours throughout the day it goes like this:

Wakey Uppey
Change Diaper
Eat
Playtime
Naptime

Her last feeding is around 7 - 9 and I put her down for the night. I was waking her up for a last feeding between 9 and 11 but realized that was actually causing her stay awake for hours at night whereas making her last feeding between 7 and 9 causes her to sleep and not be awake.

She has responded VERY well to this method and so have Jody and I. It has helped us to know what to expect and be able to plan our days around when we know she'll need to eat, etc. This schedule is to eventually get her sleeping through the night (7-9 hours). So far, she is still waking up once during the night to eat but I am hopeful this will change after a week or two more of her schedule.

I tried giving her cereal in her nighttime bottle to help fill her up more for hopefully longer sleeping but I think I have figured out that it actually keeps her awake more... which is opposite of what it does for most babies (no surprise there... haha!) I guess she's just like her Mama... already the exception to most every rule.

My favorite thing about the schedule? Waking her up! It is such a sweet time when she is just waking up... she is warm and cuddly and stretches and makes the cutest noises and barely opens her eyes and grins just a little. Then Daddy comes in and she always gives him the biggest smiles... It is precious.
She is always this adorable and cuddly, of course, but when she wakes up, it's extra special.

Sleeping in her crib for the first time...