Rylee - Two Months Later

Well... Rylee has made it to two months. She even has an interview for her first job next week!!! They grow up so fast these days... sigh.

Rylee had her two month checkup yesterday and everything went well, with the exception of Mommy during the shots. I won't show that video here but it is available for pay on another website (drop me an email and I will send you the link). Rylee measured in at 10 lbs 6 oz, up from 8 lbs 5.4 oz at 1 month. She has also added 1 1/4 inches to her height, now checking in at 21.5 inches long. She received an oral medicine which she took like a champ. The two shots in her leg, on the other hand, caused her to cry more than we can remember, still whimpering as we walked out the door.

Please enjoy the two videos below of Rylee learning to comb her hair, talking about the doctor's visit, and throwing around a few smiles. You may be able to see her cute pink band-aids in the videos below where the nurse unmercifully stuck Rylee in the leg. Enjoy!

Swim Date with the Wentas

So here we are barely 6 weeks old and we are already showing off at the local pool. Big brothers Brendan and Aidan were invited to a pool birthday party for their friend Noah. Well, of course Mommy and Daddy saw this as a perfect opportunity to dress Rylee in the latest fashion for a quick dip in the pool.

Now, Rylee wanted to wear a nice sensible two piece but Daddy would have none of that and instead selected a one piece complete with cover and hat. Now as luck would have it Team USA was playing in the World Cup this day and Mommy managed to use nursing as an excuse to head down the road to the Wentas. Meanwhile, Daddy and the boys were dominating the cornhole tourney. Granted this is not relevant to the blog but Daddy just wanted to boast anyway.

PS... Rylee did dip a little toe in the pool and was less than impressed so far.

Rylee is One Month Old!!!

Our little girl is already growing way too fast. We celebrated her one month birthday a day late by heading to the doctor's for a checkup and an unknown immunization... Oops, we didn't warn her. Rylee checked in at a robust 8 lbs and 5.4 oz, a full 2 lbs heavier than her last checkup!!! She has also added 1.25 inches to her height so I guess that means Mommy and Daddy (well, Mommy anyway) are doing something right.

Rylee's checkup went very well with the exception of the shot, of which she expressed her extreme displeasure. She showed off to the nurse by cooing, smiling, following objects, and even gave some tummy time head lifts. All in all a great visit!

Let's take a look back at some of Rylee's recent adventures as she approached 1 month.

Rylee goes all Houdini on us and slips her arm out. Clearly not happy about Daddy photographing her secret move.

Tried out the new crib. Plenty of room even after gaining 2 whole pounds.

Had an emergency bath (don't ask about the details) and got to wear this onesie. It doesn't look like much but the back says above her tush "Hazardous Material." Very appropriate.

Flashed a lot of smiles!!!

Hot Summer Days

Most babies appreciate being "swaddled." Rylee, on the other hand, has decided that daddy is a little too cheap to pay for A/C and has figured out how to counter this. Please see exhibit A below wherein Rylee has managed to kick out of her swaddle in an attempt to find cooler climes.

Rylee in Her Bed

So here is Rylee in her pre-Bed bed. Please note her relative size compared to basically everything else.

Also, before Child Youth Services gives us a call, we have already discussed the proper handling of scissors and the appropriate storage of said scissoros with Rylee. The video that follows unfortunately captures a serious lapse in office and home safety. Enjoy!

One Week Old!!!

So here we are, one week later, and Mommy and Daddy have managed to not only support Rylee, she actually gained back half of her lost birth weight!!!  This is even more of a cause for celebration since Rylee was within 0.5 oz of staying in the hospital even longer for losing too much weight.  Now that we have passed one week, Rylee would like to thank all those who found the time to stop by and give her a big o' welcome!

Now please excuse the following translation as my interpretation of coos, hiccups, grunts, and various dinosaur noises is a little rusty:

"I (ed note: I = Rylee) would like to thank following persons for stopping by and giving me many welcomes: Grandma Beth, Mindy, Genny, Pepa Hoben, Big Bro Aidan, Mema Hoben, Lynn, Greg, Brendan, Jason L, Aunt Colleen, and Jason F.  I would also like to give large thanks to Big Brother man Brendan and Aidan for welcomes and not having sarcasm like I expected."

Rylee really appreciates all the visitors, including those who took the time to not only visit, but visit from lands far far away.  Grandma Beth and Grandpa Bruce hailing from NOVA have spent the last week with us and Aunt Alison found the time to travel right before her cutoff (she is 7 1/2 months pregnant with Rylee's cousin, "Reginald") so she could spend a few days with us.  Also, Aunt Erin and Bryce came all the way from New York City to say hi!

Thank you to everyone for all the support.  Even those who could not be here in person were still in our hearts.  Your well wishes, congrats, and gifts mean so much to us and we truly are thankful for the family and friendships we have.

Please enjoy the following few pics of visitors during my first week.

Genny

Mindy

Mema Hoben

Aunt Colleen

Grandma Beth

Aunt Alison

Aunt Erin

Grandpa Bruce

The Hobens

Welcome Rylee!!!

Rylee Taylor Hoben was brought into this world at 11:23 p.m. on May 14, 2010. Her stats included a length of 19 inches and weight of 6 lbs and 8 oz.

This story starts where one would think it should start, at the beginning of a new life at the end of a long day!

Rylee's entrance into this world was certainly not an easy one. Mommy and Daddy arrived at the hospital on May 13 at 10:30 p.m. The nurses started Mommy on a little medicine to start the process and help her sleep. The next day at 7:30 a.m. she received Pitocin to start contractions and the wait began. After a lot of flipping, turning the Pitocin on and off, and worry about the Sprout's (her name before we knew the gender) heart rate, we realized we had been in labor for 15+ hours, had reached 10 cm, but still weren't ready to push. Our nurse for the last part of the evening, Lindsay, did an excellent job of keeping Mommy on her radar and recognizing when a position change was necessary. We became very good at watching the heart rate of the Sprout and predicting when Lindsay would come rushing in.


Finally, at 11:00 with a very high heart rate (200+) the decision was made that Sprout would probably not tolerate pushing. Dr. Horlander was going to deliver this baby through "the sun roof." Clothes were thrown at Daddy, Mommy was rushed off, and for the first time people seemed nervous as though something was truly wrong. At 11:23 p.m. our little miracle was born and we were advised of the gender via the statement, "She's a biter" by Dr. Horlander. Mommy and Daddy both knew it was a little girl :)


How much of a miracle we soon found out. A C-section was probably unavoidable and very well may have saved Rylee's life. She had the cord around her neck, was trying to come out face up, and had a very rare condition called velamentous insertion where the blood vessels from the cord can run in front of the birth canal. This condition can be fatal for the infant.


Today, however, we are celebrating a three day old beautiful baby girl. And Daddy is already thinking about the wedding fund ;)


Welcome Rylee, we love you!!!