Just MORE Adorable Pics!

It's been over a week since our last entry...

Wish there was a really good excuse, but mostly we are trying to get used to such a big change in our lives.

Lois had to go out of town to Los Angeles & then rushed home for a long weekend with the family. MAN, did I miss her! Those round the clock feeds can be brutal when your solo! I deeply respect single parents after spend several days without Lo!

Riley is starting to act more like a newborn as we approach his actual due date of Sept. 9th, he's
still sweet and barely cries, which is great! But he is more fussy now, though it's short lived. (thankfully!) His face and skin is changing, looking more like a chubby baby...

We never get tired of holding him or watching him with all those faces he makes... Here are few more pics of the last week.

Mama Lo during one of those feedings, our lives focus around every 2.5 hours- amazing what you can get done in that amount of time!

Posing with the little man...

Love the outfit! Says "I love Surfer Girls!" How appropriate...

Cosmo's expression tells ya how she feels about the whole change... (grin)

My version of "Jaws" (From James Bond of course..) Can't WAIT till those braces come off! Riley loves to stare at them when the light hits them...

Riley's Most Recent Pics, See BELOW FOR UPDATE!

MORE pics!

Ri & me on his 3rd week birthday

Pucker up!!

Friends Angie & Tami

The girls dog, Jeepers.. "Mmmmm baby snack!"

Pottery Barn's Island Monkey Boy is the SAME size as Riley!

Riley's Fan Club

WARNING: A load of pics are coming up!! Trying to catch up...

Well, Riley has settled in now. He has had a few visitors this week. More like a parade of folks! He has even been out to eat with us to local haunts. Yes, even Taco Mac!! (Everybody knows it's my favorite...)

He is three weeks Wednesday this week- born 7/27/05. Now at 5pds 8oz's! Amazing growth for such a small guy...

Here is the most recent pics of him, his fan club and Cosmo's buddies...

San Diego friends came by, Steph and Lori!

The Blair Riley Project....

Decatur girls, Jen and Dee...

Riley's close up....

Riley REAL close up!

He looks so small!

First Week for the Family

It's Friday and Riley has just completed his first 'work week' at home...
But as I recall, the only people working was Mama D and Mama Lo.
Someone I know, sleeps through his 3AM feeds while his mom's are WIDE AWAKE or possibly groggy but awake.

He saw his Pediatrician, our friend Dr. Carol Price... and we weighed in at 4pds, 14.5oz's!! Practically a heavy weight... He checked out ok, but will be checked weekly for while till he adds a few pounds. (Lois keeps offering him pork chops...)

The best part of that first visit out is that I was so tired & worried about him being in the car seat (have you seen a 4pound something baby in a car seat? Looks like he is being swallowed whole!) that I didn't realize my shirt was see-through... I managed to show my nice 'nursing' bra & belly to Carol & her staff, without knowing it.
Lois had to point it out when she got home... GREAT!
Bet they can't wait to see what I wear to the next visit.

I am feeling much better and finally stuffed (and I mean STUFFED) myself into regular jeans. It's gonna be a long, WIDE winter for me.. Thankfully, I have a jogging stroller & it's gonna be getting alot of use.

Lois had to go back to work... Riley and I miss her already. She rushes home to see us & spend family time in the evenings.

Riley had his first visitors this week!

Our friends Jody and Messina, who happen to live down the street. They are the designated Cosmo caretakers & all around good friends.

Our buddy Wendy from Charleston happen to be in town & stopped by to see him... She called our other Charleston friend- Teri, to brag about him...Obviously, I didn't stop her. (grin)

Riley has a way of making everyone smile that way...

Riley Has COME HOME!!!

It's finally the big day!!

Our son has come home....

I got to the hospital half expecting to be disappointed, but much to my delight the nurse told me the instant I walked in that he was being discharged. Additionally, as soon as I was ready he could go home... Well, I've BEEN ready for 2 weeks! Needless to say, I called Lo at work & she shot home to meet us. (Not before running to Baby's R Us for another Pack-N-Play for him to sleep in, in the living room...She's great!)

I have honestly spent the past weeks crying more than I ever have. I never expected to be so emotional about all this. I try to blame the pregnancy hormones as much as possible, but I think it's because I am just going soft... all those years as a nurse, seeing ALOT of the harsher side of life with traumas, poverty, illness and death - it can make you rather detached & you learn to have that professional 'wall'....but when it's your own, your family... all that 'strength' deserts you.

And you know, I'm ok with that...
I LIKE crying happy tears over this little child. It's weird, but it's a good feeling.

Anne Lamott wrote, "I've come to believe God is in the bathroom...". I would agree. I prayed while showering Sunday, asking for a little 'relief' in all this... to help our son learn to take his formula & you know... IT WORKED. It's nice to know sometime your prayers get answered. I might not be a bible thumper, but God is still in my bathroom & I am grateful.

We plan to have folks come visit in a week or so, just getting enough time for us to get a routine down and get him settled. So stay tuned!! We would love for folks to come see our beautiful boy!!














Big Boy's coming home outfit..Covered in xoxo. he peed on it as soon as I got home... LOL

Cosmo was WIGGED at first, she was shaking & sniffing Riley...

I think Cosmo's expression says it all.... "WHAT is that??"

Over time Cosmo decided to go with the flow & took a nap on Lo's foot....

Riley is becoming a big boy!!!

Our family... Lois and I's hand holding his...

Some good news!

Riley is doing much better... The past two days he has been improving steadily.

His weight is up to 4pds 9oz & he is eating much better. He even got the nasal gastric tube removed. (He looks great without it!) We've learn he is a sensitive skinned kinda guy as the tape to hold it in place left his little face all red! Ouch!

There is a good chance Riley might come home Monday... He seems to have turned a corner & if he keeps it up, he will come home!! Lo and I are praying like crazy that he'll be home soon... Please do the same!!

Will keep everyone posted!! A few more recent pics from this past week & the weekend!

More Riley Pics

(See below for Riley's First Week)

Ok, these are just more pictures of Riley & us.

It was hard to narrow down from the jillion pics we have taken! (grin)

He got a nasal gastric tube from not taking the bottle well. The downside is it looks awful! The upside is that he gets to rest and still get fed, which has him up to 4 pds, 6oz as of 8/3/05!! Yeah!! (He had gotten down to 4pds, 1oz)

High Five to Mama Lo!

The new family...

Mama Lo up close!

Feeding time!

You can see how small he is, my hand is almost as big as his body and legs!

BONUS PIC: Lo and I got locked out as we came home for a visit. We had to go through the dog door & Lo was on the only one who would fit. (I wasn't even going to TRY to get my post-prego body through there!) Poor Cosmo was so confused she tried to escape RIGHT OVER Lois!! I just laughed the entire time and snapped this pic!!

I will be posting new pics as we take them...

Riley's First Week

(See Below of Riley's Birth)

Riley was taken to the Special Care Neonatal. He spent the first few days in a warmer, feeding small amounts & learning to control his own tempature.

He looked so small... and well, he was!

I wasn't able to see him since I was STILL on the Mag (Aka Evil Drug)... That was hard. Lois spent her day running back and forth between the two of us...

Mama Lo to the rescue!!

Finally, after an entire day. The nurse kindly smuggled me out and to the neo to visit him for 10 minutes...

Lo and I spent the whole time in awe of him. We both had these silly grins on our faces.

BOY, do I look rough or what??

I think Riley just wondered WHY was it so bright??

I still looked pretty rough. The pre-eclampsia made me swell, badly. Not to mention, you STILL look pregnant AFTER having a baby. (No one tells you that....) But Lo really loves this pic of our second day with him. (I think it's because SHE wasn't swollen and looks great!)

OH MY! Riley is Coming!!

(See Below for Pre-Birth experience)

The 6th day, things got ALOT more exciting....

My blood pressure began to rise and the question was: Do we wait till I am horribly ill OR do we deliver a baby early?

My OB gave us the option. When asked what SHE would do in this situation, she said directly, "I would go ahead now. You could wait but the danger will only go up for you."

Lo and I discussed it, but felt it was right to move forward. Neither of us wanted Riley to come out early, but neither did we want my health in jeopardy.

The induction of the pregnancy started at 1:30. They said I might be able to deliver the natural way (meaning from da vagina...), so we started that route.

By 9:00 PM, things were not progressing. They had given me 6 hours of a powerful medication called Magnesium Sulfate- which is actually a nice medical name for "EVIL DRUG FROM HELL"... It's to be sure you don't have seizure due to increased blood pressure. But it's ALOT like having a severe case of the flu..

My pressure went up to 190's/110 & it was decided a C-section was needed..

My Thought: OH goodie, not!...(and) At least I can stop the Mag sulfate...

Lois' Thought: Oh Lord, anything to get her off that Mag stuff...

Then there was Riley's Thought:

WHAT THE?? It's bright and COLD in here! Put me back in! Quick!!

He came out with a weak cry. I just about had a heart attack...

As it turns out the Mag was in his system and sedated him- they reversed it & he started to wail.. I have never been so relieved.

I started to cry & Lois was comforting me when they brought him over to see us.

He was perfect! Beautiful.. and tiny.

4 pounds, 4.4 oz @ 17 1/2 inches

It was incredibly thrilling...

They treated Lo so well. I was very pleased. They had her hold him & show me. It was our first moments as a family. I cried some more....

This was by far one of the best and scariest moments of my life.

Yet, Lo and I agree- He was worth it.

My Time in Captivity

I spent 6 days on bedrest, completely bored...but assured knowing that Riley was inside and still growing. My blood pressure didn't rise much at first, but by the 5th and 6th days it was up and still going that direction!

Here are a few pics of that stay....

I spent most of the time in this position with straps around the belly to record babies heartbeat!

Man, I really HATED that bed. What I didn't realize was the air mattress was broken and I was sleeping on the metal supports! DUh....

Lo spent many nights sleeping on this HARD and LUMPY chair that pulls out to a sleeper!

The "Pre-mommies".... Goofing around with the camera. Can you tell we needed something to do?