Happy birthday, pink lines

This is how my memory works: I can remember what I wore to school on my first day of my sophomore year of high school. But, I have trouble remembering to make it to a hair appointment (even looking at the mop on my head in the mirror doesn't remind me). I can remember that on my 10-12th birthdays I had mexican food and a cherry chip cake, but I don't remember if I've already worn my red scrub pants earlier this week.  Random Memory Girl.

 So here's my newest: March 30, 2008. I stood in the doorway as Rob got groceries out of my car holding a stick with two pink lines. He came up to me wondering why my mouth was hanging open. It was the only time in our marriage I've ever been speechless. We proceeded to take two more tests. Surely 3 tests wouldn't be wrong. Once it sunk it, we just couldn't quit laughing.  Maybe we were giddy. Maybe the idea of us being grown up enough to be parents was laughable. Maybe, just maybe, we were a little nervous. I don't care if I'm crazy for remembering the day I took THE TEST or not. It will forever go down in my Random Memory Rolodex as the day our lives changed forever. And ever. And ever.

What a difference a year has made. Rylan is now 4 months 2 weeks old. His original hair has all fallen out. His head spent a few weeks looking as shiny as Mr. Clean, but now some blondish brown hair is growing back in. He is still trying to knaw his hand off in efforts to grow some teeth. He has taken to shouting in a high pitched voice the minute his bottle is done, then standing up during the burping process. Not sure what that's about. He had another rocky cold/asthma/post RSV illness that got him down for a little while. The doctor thinks the RSV in January upset his airway so that now everytime he gets a cold, he basically has an asthma situation. He was on antibiotics, steroids and albuterol updrafts. Poor thing. They are hoping he will grow out of it.

I like to play with my gym from the side with one sock off

He keeps tricking us into thinking he's got the sleeping all night down. One night of seven hours in a row is followed by a couple nights of 2am eating and smiling. Smiling and eating for him, grunting with half slit eyes for mom or dad.

Thanks for the football, Aunt Tam and the bumbo, Zoe. Now I can hang with this fruit bowl.

 A post bottle meltdown

We are totally loving this cooky, crazy, crate of cuteness. He seems to have inherited mom's chattiness, still 100% dad in looks.  

I supported my friend, Parker, at the Heart Walk 5k. 

Top 'o' the mornin' to ya

Poor Rylan. Before he was here his mom used to buy outfits and hats for the dogs.  The dogs would fight tooth and nail to get away from the Costume Lady.  As much as they don't care for the attention that is given the baby, I'm sure they were grateful to give this bit of attention to Rylan.  So, now Rylan is the holiday superstar. He had a santa hat, reindeer outfit and a Christmas present t-shirt for Christmas, he'll have bunny ears on Easter and for St. Pats, we got this cute little leprechaun. 

A friend of my sister has a blog and she commented on her Christmas blog that everything seems so much more important now that the baby is here. From decorating a tree to ringing in the new year to that first road trip to Grammy and Papa's. I feel the same way. Maybe its selfish because Rylan won't remember his first tree, his Valentine's presents, his color coordinated outfits to match his eyes, but Rob and I will. So, even though my poor boy looks like the poster boy for Costume City, his dad and I will remember this first year of his life and know that we savored every moment.

To close I'll add some pics of yester year, before Rylan, when the dogs were still subject to my holiday dressup fascination.

Road Trip

The Qualls fam packed up and headed north for a much needed weekend getaway to see Papa and Grammy Rohr. Tammy and Angie and Angie's kids met us there.It was wonderful. Lots of games, family time, and a tiny bit of bargain shopping for the girls. Fishing for the boys.

Ry's grammy and cousin Zoe

The last time they saw Rylan, he was a little baby in the hospital. Less than two months later, they barely recognized the tall, spunky, 17lb (that's right, I said 17lbs) doll that we brought with us. Rylan has shot up to 26 inches. All 0-3 month clothing has been put away and we are, sadly, putting some 3-6 month clothing away already. It would seem that Ry is trying to be eye-to-eye with his daddy by his 2nd birthday!

Anthony is such a good cousin

I am fully aware that I'm about to sound like a dope. But, nobody warns you about how sad it is to put baby clothes away. All the little pants and shirts and onesies. I look at each one and an immediate memory of something cute he did in that outfit comes to me. I totally miss his little puppy dog onesie he wore at the hospital. And last weekend, I realized his baby-khaki pants were ending somewhere near his kneecaps. Those little khaki pants were so sweet on my little bumkin! Oh, the sadness!!!

Gimme a knuckle

Either Rylan really enjoys a yummy knuckle or we've got teeth coming to a baby's mouth very soon. Its not just knuckles he enjoys: bibs, his blankie, his fist, your shirt, your collarbone. Really anything but those nice teethers you stick in the fridge. Those bother him.  

I thought teething didn't start for a few more months. Considering Rylan tried to come out 9 weeks early, had 2 growth spurts by the time he was 4 weeks old and has already had a fun trip in an ambulance, it would seem he's in a hurry to get things done. Figures the son of two procrastinators would have a major to-do list! But, once again, I find he's merely a normal baby, maybe just a tad ahead of the norm. Dr. Google says anywhere from 3 months to 6 months. 

May I just add that being a pediatric nurse doesn't help you with a mundane new baby information if you only worked ICU and gastroenterology.  Trauma and constipation-not helpful. I'll stick with Google.

You caught me!

Who knew?

Who knew a 3-month old could be this much fun. If I could freeze Rylan at this age for the next six months, I would. He is so super cute and fun. And he still wants to be held, which I hear goes away before I know it.

We've both been around kids our whole lives. We've got neices and nephews, both baby-sat, and I've worked with at the Children's Hopsital since I was 21. But, we've never experienced that feeling that your child might just be the cutest, smartest, and sweetest baby on earth. I always think he's the only baby that does this or that, then I go to work at the hospital and I notice babies doing the same thing and I'm reminded that mine is just a normal kid.  For instance, Rylan is a bit of a stretcher. You get him out of bed and he spends a good five minutes with his face contorted and all four limbs in different stretching poses.  I thought he was the only one that did this.  I actually asked Rob "do you think he gets the stretching from me?"  What happens when you are a first time parent?  All logic goes out the window, that's what. 

So, here's some pics of our super tall, super cute, super sassy, happy, hungry, sack of love at 3 months. Its been a fabulous month (minus another cold and a stomach flu for all, but compared to that hospital stint, we're doing just fine!). 

With all his jungle friends

A sleepy frog


Not 100% loving tummy time


Oh, by the way I can stand now


Business casual day at the office