Ryan and Juliet

Tuesday night Ryan and Juliet slept a seven hour stretch (9:45 – 4:45am).  Dan had been awake since 3am wondering if I had fed them or not.  At 4am I woke to find Dan a little frantic.  I went upstairs to check on them and both were sleeping peacefully.  Dan and I remained awake for another 45 minutes until Juliet finally put us out of our torture and woke up hungry.  And so that is the life of new parents I guess.  When our babies finally sleep their first long stretch, we lie awake worrying.

Ryan and Juliet are now just 5 days away from being 3 months old and so this event, sleeping through the night that is, marks the beginning of some major changes (at least that’s what we’ve been told).  Everyone told us after they were born that we just had to survive the first three months and then things would get easier.  Of course then, it felt like it would take a lifetime, and honestly it really did.  But now I find myself wanting to freeze time so that they stay our little itty bitty babies forever.  Soon there will be no more middle of the night feeding and I will miss those quiet moments I have with them when all is so peaceful and quiet.  Just me and my babies.  These are the moments when I see their smiles as they drift off to sleep, and if I’m lucky they will even let out a little giggle.  Juliet will sometimes reach her little hand up to touch my face just to make sure I’m still there while she eats with her eyes closed.  Ryan will smile when his eyes meet mine and it is more than enough to make my heart melt and I am again reassured of his love for me.  And now, as I write this, Ryan sleeps peacefully and adorably on my lap.  These are the moments when I thank the God above for sending me my little angel babies and I promise to love and protect them forever.  And while I wish with all my heart that time will stand still, I also find myself anticipating tomorrow with all eagerness.  I can’t wait for the first time they hug me, or when they run to their daddy when he gets home from work, or when we play arts and crafts together at the kitchen table, or when they get a boo boo and run to me for hugs and kisses (although I don’t really want them to get a boo boo, but unfortunately it will happen). There’s just so much to look forward to, but so much I want to stay the same.

One thing is for sure, anticipating my family’s future is one case where the anticipation will not be greater than the realization.

• Ryan
• Ry Guy
• Ry Bear
• Little Big Cheeks
• Wiggles or Mr. Wiggles
• The Cuddler

Check out more pictures of our little ghouls

1. I love how he loves to cuddle
2. I love how his lips go crooked sometimes
3. I love his wrinkles on his forehead
4. I love his new happy little woo and ooh sound he makes 
5. I love his smile and how often he smiles at us
6. I love his big feet, big hands, and little boy legs
7. I love how he stretches
8. I love his big cheeks
9. I love how he burrows in our arms
10. I love his love of washcloths

Chapter 1

One day King Dan and Queen Elizabeth found that their babies, Prince Ryan and Princess Juliet, had magical powers.  Unfortunately, however, the evil goblins wanted to obtain their powers for their own evil deeds.  So the King and Queen stole away one day from the Kingdom of Chestnut to the Land of Gildairia where they could protect their own from harm.  To reach the safety of Gildairia they had to cross the treacherous forest of Lishakill.

As they traveled through the forest of Lishakill, they were mesmerized by the beauty of the trees and the golden shimmer of the leaves which reminded them of golden mountains of Gildairia.  Ryan and Juliet were secreted in slings for their travel across the unfriendly territory.  The King and the Queen kept a keen eye out for the goblin sentries they knew must be near.  As they rounded the bend (its always the bend!!), a goblin came out of its hiding hole to glare at the passerbys.  To the goblin’s excitement, he saw the seemingly defenseless family.  He stepped out into the path to confront the weary travelers.

“Avast ye!” said the goblin, “Move not, for I can have a hundred goblins breathing down your neck ere I count to three!”

The King and Queen were taken aback and were paralyzed by their fear.  Juliet, however, undeterred by the monstrosity blocking their path took a single, solitary slurp from her binky and the goblin was sent soaring into the air only to get caught in a thistle bush on his descent back down.  Hearing the raucous, a hundred more goblins poured from the hiding hole ready for battle.

End of Chapter 1

Chapter 2

The King and Queen stood staring a hundred goblins in the eye, not knowing how they would escape.  Ryan let out a soft, sad cry and at that moment, a flock of birds, a pride of lions, a herd of deer, and a family of grizzlies emerged from the forest.  The flock the birds swooped down and carried away half the goblin horde.  The pride of lions and the grizzlies ate their fair share.  And the deer, well, they cuted the rest to death.

Now that the goblin army had been destroyed, the path to Gildairia lay open.  They trekked on and as they crested the largest hill, the golden spires of Gildairia glistened in the autumn sun and they knew they were safe.

End of Chapter 2

Chapter 3

They lived happily ever after.  The End.  (Ryan is crying.)

Ryan had anoher tough week.  Wednesday Ryan lost his voice.  One day I will record Ryan’s cry and post is on this blog, however, until then just image the saddest cry that just breaks your heart when you hear it and that’s Ryan’s cry.  So when he lost his voice his cry just became all the more sad and heart renching.  The poor little guy’s face would turn all red and he would open his mouth to cry, but only dry air would come out.  So I held him all day and tried the best I could to give him a cry free day.  Then after feeding Ryan and Juliet at 3pm, we all layed down for a snuggle on the couch.  It was wonderful.  Ryan started to stir around 4pm and when he opened his mouth to cry I saw that he had thrush on his tongue and the roof of his mouth.  Thrush could travel down his throat and effect his larynx.  I immediately called the doctor who said to bring him in (and of course no more monkies jumping on the bed… I just can’t help myself).  We all hopped in the car and made it there before they closed (barely) and sure enough he had thrush.  By the time I got home I was so stressed out from rushing us over there during rush hour, and rushing us back to make it in time for their 6pm dinner.  And to top it off, my cry free day for Ryan was shot as he cried the whole way there and back.  Anyway, we made it home and King Dan was there to help and made us all feel better in no time.  Ryan took his medicine and Dan and I both woke up to hear Ryan’s normal sad cry Thursday morning.  We never thought we’d be happy to hear him cry.  Soon after though Dan said “Ok, now that we know you can cry, can you stop now?”  Poor baby.

Once  upon a time, there was a little baby prince named Ryan who lived in a kingdom ruled by his daddy, King Dan, and his mommy, Queen Elizabeth.  The king and queen loved their baby prince sooooooo much and wanted to make him feel happy, safe, and of course loved.  The baby prince was a fussy little eater though, and the king and queen did everything they could to help Prince Ryan eat his formula without getting agitated.  They went to see the doctor and the doctor said “No more monkeys jumping on the bed”.  No seriously, the doctor said to try a different formula that brakes the milk protein down and might help Prince Ryan digest his food easier.  The king and queen started doing this and so far eating seems to be easier for the little prince.  But when all else fails, Prince Ryan loves nothing more than to be cuddled by his mommy and daddy and that helps him feel better.  So one day, the king and queen decided that hence forth he shall be known as “The Cuddler” and he will be the sweetest, most cuddliest little boy in all the land.

Stay tuned for more adventures of The Cuddler…