Ryan's Birthday (Party)

I know what you're thinking....how many times can I blog about Ryan's first birthday?  Right?  Well, the answer is, as many as I want!  This is my blog after all. :)

The day before Ryan's actual birthday, I hosted a little birthday party celebration at my apartment with all of my new friends and their babies.  It wasn't anything super exciting.  We had some sandwiches, sang Ryan happy birthday, opened a few presents, and she got to eat a cupcake.  Oh and drank mimosas (the Mamas not the babies).  I honestly didn't take near enough pictures of the festivities, but it was super fun and I'm glad we at least did SOMETHING.  Plus it gave Ryan a chance to wear her adorable 1st birthday outfit again, which washed surprisingly well after her cake smash.

Wooden pennant flag banner from RyleighandRue.

Ryan's new friends are all so sweet and showered her with some super fun gifts!  Then we headed up to the pool for a little swim.

Her very own Dr. Kit! 

Assuming we get to stay in Massachusetts for all of Josh's residency, I know it's going to be so fun to watch all of these little girls grow up together.

Reagan, Avery, Ryan, Charlotte, Avery, & Isabella 

Reagan Kathleen and Ryan Cathleen (only 9 days apart!)

Ryan's ACTUAL birthday was pretty low-key.  Josh was working (no surprise there) and so we woke up and ate some chocolate chip pancakes.  Totally Ryan's idea and who am I to say no to the birthday girl. :)

Pancakes were followed by a balloon crib photo session.  I'm sure she was wondering what in the heck was going on but she seemed to enjoy it.  That is until it was time to pop all of the balloons the next day and she was terrified.... Mom Fail.

We met up with the girls later in the day for some shopping and lunch, which is a great way to end any birthday if I do say so myself!

I can't promise this will be the last post about Ryan's 1st birthday.  I'm still waiting on her big first birthday gift from Josh and I to arrive and I'm sure I'll definitely want to post about that!

Residency: The First Two Weeks

Josh's first two weeks of his surgical residency are over.  Well, okay, he has to work tonight.  So I guess his first two weeks are officially over tomorrow, but close enough.  I am betting there are a number of people out there who are curious how residency really is compared to 3rd and 4th year clinical rotations.  And to be quite honest, there are a lot of similarities while at the same time a lot of differences.

First of all, Josh is loving residency.  He loves finally being a doctor.  He has his own patients, writes orders, creates plans, executes plans, assists in surgery, does procedural stuff in patient's rooms, and basically, gets to make decisions (some not all) without another physician having to sign off on it.  It seems to be at this hospital, that if you prove you can handle the work, you get more work.  Which is actually a good thing.

He is working a lot of hours as an intern, coming close to hitting the 80 hour limit set for interns each week.  It's hard to have him leave the house before 5am every morning and not get home until sometimes as late as 7pm.  He doesn't see much of me or Ryan but it could be worse.  During clinicals, he had to take 24 hour call 2 days a week and had some weeks where he was working 100+ hours.  If anything, ARMC prepared him for long hours.  ARMC also gave him confidence in patient care because he was required/allowed to do so much as a student that being an intern resident isn't quite as overwhelming for Josh as it may be for others.

He is really enjoying working with his senior residents and attendings and feels like it is really a team atmosphere.  Which, as a previous quarterback, he can appreciate.

He feels quite a bit of pressure to perform well, which I am sure is typical for most interns in any residency program, but since he is a preliminary surgical resident, that pressure is increased.  He and I really like Massachusetts so far and considering that he basically fell into this surgical residency position, UMass seems like the most amazing fit for Josh and I.  Despite the long hours of work, we are the happiest we've been in a long time.

We would love to stay here for the remainder of his surgical residency and so it's hard not to think about it on a daily basis. But for now, Josh can only work as hard as he can and hope that that's enough to keep us here.  I have faith that God will keep us here or put us where we are supposed to be.  And He hasn't let me down yet.

Ryan: 12 Months

A week ago today, Ryan turned 1 year old.  I don't know that I'll continue to do "monthly" posts anymore now that we have entered the toddler phase, and God knows I won't be sad to not have to do the monthly photos anymore.  But I am sad that my baby is not so much a baby anymore.

22lbs 14oz (75%ile) and 29 inches (40%ile)

I will be the first to admit, the infant stage was really not my favorite.  Yes, I love holding newborn babies that just sleep in your arms and weigh only a few pounds, but I didn't love the sleepless nights, the every few hour feedings, the crying for no discernible reason, not feeling like I could leave the house, and basically having a baby attached to me every moment of every day.  I have a few friends who are in the middle of this stage right now and the only thing I can say is, it won't last forever.  Suddenly you'll snap your fingers and your baby will be a one year old and you'll wonder why you were so anxious for the infant stage to be over.

However, I AM loving this age.  At a year, we occasionally still have sleepless nights, there are tantrums now when she doesn't get her way, she's on the move 24/7, and she's still with me every single day all day, but she is also my best little friend.  I've gotten used to doing everything with her.  In fact, the other day I was able to go to the grocery store by myself and while I was in and out of there super fast, I missed my little buddy sitting in the cart basket making all kinds of noises and drawing a ridiculous amount of attention down every aisle.  And dare I say it, grocery shopping is kind of boring with out her.

Her biggest milestones this past month?  Well, the biggest by far is that we now have a walker!  About 2 weeks before her birthday, Ryan got brave enough to take steps without holding on to something.  And now, she toddles around the house like it's no big deal.  I still find it funny to look over and see her walking into the kitchen while I'm cooking, I mean really, it's the cutest thing!  With her new ability comes an increase in blood pressure for me, as we've already had a couple close calls after catching her feet on the rug and falling face first toward the coffee table.

What else?  We are still breastfeeding, usually once in the early AM, once around 4pm after her afternoon nap, and a 6oz bottle of pumped milk before bed.  I cut her 12pm feeding this month and that went super smoothly.  Honestly, we are so busy most days that she didn't even notice it.  And I started adding cow's milk to my breast milk for her evening bottle.  Currently, we are doing 3oz of each and she's taking it fine.  It won't be long before it's a full bottle of cow's milk and I can be done pumping for good.  Can I get an Amen!?!?  Next I plan to cut the 4pm feeding, which I don't anticipate being that hard.  The early morning one and the occasional middle of the night ones could prove to be the most difficult.  But I'm not in a huge hurry.  I'll be happy to have my body totally back to myself, but I know I'll miss it to a degree.

Ryan's been napping extremely well the past month.  I feel like we FINALLY got her on a great nap schedule and as it turns out, my child CAN take good naps.  Go figure.  It only took a year.  She now naps twice a day around 10am and 3pm.  Her morning nap is usually close to an hour while her afternoon nap has been about 1.5-2 hours.  Heavenly.  It's best if her naps are at home and in her crib.  Occasionally she has to nap on the go, especially for her morning nap and she only cat naps in the carseat or stroller.

A few of Ryan's favorite things:

• Mickey Mouse Club House show (and the "hot dog" dance)
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit pop-up book
• Raspberries
• Hot dogs with marinara
• Her "my-size" chair
• Being chased by Dad
• Splash Parks
• Pulling dvd's out of the dvd rack, laundry out of the hamper, make-up out of drawers, pots out of the cupboard....you get the idea.
• Bath time/Shower time
• Stacking blocks
• Playdates with baby friends
• Feeding herself

A few of her not so favorite things:

• Being forced to sit still longer than she wants to.  For example in the stroller.
• Being forced to lay down on the changing pad for diaper changes.
• Having "toys" taken away.
• Basically not having free reign over the entire house. :)

I hear toddlers can be quite the challenge, but bring it on.  After surviving year one, I feel like we can survive anything. :)

Smashing Some Cake

One of the newer trends for celebrating 1st birthdays is having a "cake smash" photo shoot so that you can fully document your new toddler in full frosting face glory, totally demolish a birthday cake.

She's not loving it or anything.

Since I knew Josh and I wouldn't be hosting some fabulous party for Ryan's first birthday, because let's face it, even though Josh is now an MD, we are still poor as s**t and honestly, we don't know that many people here in Worcester; I reasoned that it would be okay for me to spend a little money on a fabulous 1st birthday outfit and then pay someone to take pictures while Ryan ruined it.

I found a really sweet lady by the name of Michele from Normand-Ashley Photography, who took a few great pictures of Ryan doing a cake smash at a local park for an even better price.  On top of that, she got the edited photos back to me ridiculously fast.  If you are interested in seeing her other work, please check her out HERE.

Ryan loved it! And was surprisingly dainty about eating the cake, which she had never had before this day.  She really just picked at the frosting.  No face diving here.  But it was so sweet.

My top tips for doing a cake smash:

• Get a photographer: This way you can enjoy watching your 1 year old devour the cake and not worry about whether you are documenting it accordingly.  You can find one for a pretty inexpensive price if you just do a little searching on the internet.

• Take pictures outside:  Oh my gosh, the cleanup is a breeze compared to trying to do this in your house.  Even if you don't hire a photographer, go to your local park and take them yourself.  Much better lighting and much better than having frosting dug into your carpet or smeared across your walls!  Because let's be honest here, there will be frosting EVERYWHERE.

• Balloons are great photo props:  And they are cheap too!

• Make your own cake:  This will cut down on your photographer cost and it's really not hard to do.  With things like youtube and the baking section at Michaels or Joanns, you can pick up a piping bag and DIY pretty easily. I assure you, I had NO decorating experience prior to making this cake and I think it turned out great! It doesn't have to be perfect, it's going to get destroyed anyway.

• Don't be afraid to let your little one do their thang!: So your 1 year old cries during the photos?  So what? Makes for even funnier pictures!  They tip over the cake? HILARIOUS!  
  
  
  
  

So there you have it.  My tips for a great cake smash and some amazing pictures that I will truly treasure forever of Ryan's 1st birthday.

Photo Credit: Normand-Ashley Photography
Tutu: Simply Elegant
"One" Onesie: Olive and Birdie
Flower Headband: Little Addie's Boutique
Gold Party Hat: Kutie Bowtuties

A Letter to My One Year Old

My Dearest Ryan Cathleen,

Today you are one whole year old.  As your Mama, it's just hard to believe that you are a one year old, a toddler.  My how this year has simultaneously been slow and fast at the same time.

I remember when you were in my tummy and I used to sit in your room and daydream about what you would look like.  Would you have Mommy's eyes or Daddy's smile?  Would you have lots of hair?  I couldn't wait to hold you and smell your newborn smell and kiss your sweet cheeks.  I would sit in your rocker and imagine rocking you to sleep or look over at your crib and picture my little bundle sleeping in it.  Ten months of waiting seemed like such an eternity to me.

One year ago today, July 3, 2013, at 6:35pm, the Dr. placed this perfect 7 lb 15 oz baby girl in my arms and I just fell instantly in love.  You looked a bit like a red prune, with a cone shaped head, chubby little cheeks, and dark hair but you had 10 perfect fingers and toes and eyes that locked onto mine instantly.  I like to think that we were best friends from the beginning.

The past 12 months have been some of the hardest and yet most rewarding months of my life with you, Ryan.  We've had to learn all sorts of things you and me.  From breastfeeding to bottle feeding to real food, from long sleepless nights to sleep training and teething, sick days, and fussy days we've been through it all together.  You've learned to roll and sit and crawl and now walk and it's really just amazing that God has blessed me so much that I could be witness to all of these huge firsts in your life.

Ryan Cathleen, you are the sweetest little girl with a personality that lights up every room.  You draw everyone's attention when we are out and about and there aren't many people who don't stop to say hello to you, which makes for extra long shopping trips!  You smile and laugh all day long and you are the biggest talker!  I laugh daily while watching you chat away about God knows what!  You are independent while at the same time a huge Mama's girl.

Ry, I know that in the years to come we won't always see eye to eye.  We will probably fight about how much makeup you can wear or at what age you'll be allowed to go on dates, drive a car, or how late your curfew is, but I hope you always know how much I love you.  You have brought me more joy in your first year than I ever thought possible and no matter how much of a big girl you get to be, you'll always be my baby.  Happy 1st Birthday Ryan!

I love you to the moon and back,

Mommy

Mommas, Babes, and Farm Animals

I feel so very blessed since moving to Massachusetts that I was lucky enough, through social media of all things, to meet the most fabulous group of women, who also happen to be Mommas to a bunch of adorable little girls.  God just knew I was going to need some friends here in Worcester, especially now that Josh has officially started his intern year and will probably be gone 5 zillion hours every day.

Since meeting them all for the first time a few weeks ago, we have literally done something practically every single day.  From walks on trails, baby time at the public library, swimming playdates, and shopping trips; we seem to come up with something to do just about daily.  And that works out perfectly for Ryan and I because we have nothing to do most days of the week!

Yesterday, we made a trip to Sterling, MA (about 25 minutes away) to a place called Davis Farmland.  This wasn't just your average farm.  First of all, there is a massive petting zoo with lots of goats, sheep, baby chicks, and turtles!  Ryan got a kick out of all the animals.

Just some baby friends!

Then we went on a hayride.

And took some selfies....obviously.

And last but certainly not least, we visited the huge splash pad! Ryan seriously loved it.  This child is definitely not afraid of the water.  She was playing and splashing and WALKING all over.  She could hang with the big kids and that made me kind of sad!  I thoroughly enjoyed watching her play and ran around with her attempting to take pictures while dodging random streams of water.  It was too fun.

All the babies and the mommas!