Two months old!

Today Miss Rayley Grace is two months old (8 whole weeks)!! We have had so much fun this last month. She is really starting to show her little personality. She is very expressive and sometimes rather dramatic, imagine that?! :) She makes a lot of sounds now, especially when she is eating. She can really get into a feeding and tell you all about it. She wiggles all around and can be very vocal, especially if she is extra hungry. She is eating 4oz every 3-5 hours. For the most part she only wakes up once at night. She also takes her naps regularly and is on a pretty good routine schedule. She has a fake cry she often uses now, its so adorable. She is really a good baby and such a delight to be around. She still does not like her diaper changed, she cries or fusses about 85% of the time when changing her diaper. She doesn't mind having a dirty or wet diaper but changing her is not an activity she enjoys. She really likes looking out the window next to her changing table. Often times after we change her we let her sit there and gaze out the window. I believe the dark blinds and the light contrast really spark her interest. Ive finally started taking videos of her! Captured a really precious moment between she, Daddy and I. It was one of those moments I will never forget. We were talking to her while listening to one of her toys play music. She was very responsive and talked back to us. It also appeared as though she was singing or dancing too. She seems to enjoy music. She has really stole our hearts!

Grammy is babysitting Ray now here at the house while I work. This is her second week and she is doing such a wonderful job! She is so careful with Rayley and doesn't like to see her cry or be upset. It's so sweet. We are so blessed to have this luxury and be together. I really enjoy spending my lunch break with the girls. Grammy's birthday was September 16th so Ray & I decorated a onsies that said "Happy Birthday Grammy" and made her a cake!

Rayley also started smiling in the last few weeks. It has got to be my favorite milestone so far! She lights up the whole room with that little smile. We all try different techniques to make that smile appear. So far "baby talk", peek a boo and tickling are a huge success.

 
She enjoys car rides a lot, yesterday she was a little fussy and as soon as we got in the car she was happy again. Everywhere we take her people tell us how pretty she is and I couldn't agree more! She looks so much like her Daddy but she does have my blue eyes and the prettiest eye lashes. I'm starting to see more of myself in her as she gets older, time will tell. Daddy sure is happy that she favors his looks. :) We took her and the boys to the Great State Fair of Oklahoma last weekend. She slept most the time we were there while her big brothers played and rode rides with Daddy. Hunter and Reese are so good with her. They are both very protective of her already. Hunter loves to rub her head and thinks her hair is soft. Reese calls her a 'him' and asks a lot of questions about her. Jo & I love seeing them all together.

She has her 2 month old checkup appointment on October 4th, I'm looking forward to seeing how much weight she has gained. Judging from her cute little chubby cheeks I'm guessing a few pounds at least. I'm very excited about the months and milestones ahead. Motherhood is really the best!

The first four weeks

Week One:
We spent a lot of time sleeping, eating and recovering. Hayley was here for our first night at home and she got up with me every time the baby did. She gave me the confidence and support I needed. We were blessed with lots of homemade meals from family which made things so much easier for Mommy. When she was 6 days old Daddy and I took her for a stroll in the neighborhood. She was so tiny she barely fit right in the stroller. When she was 7 days old we took her out for the first time to go see the Pediatrician for her weekly checkup. I rode in the back seat with her and was very nervous as we were driving. Her appointment was a success! Her Pediatrician said she looked wonderful and was doing very well. She had only lost an ounce of weight.Then we went and had lunch at Chipotle, one of my favorite restaurants and a place I visited often during my pregnancy! Some of her first noises were the cutest squeaky sounds. Her Daddy was calling her 'squeaker'.

So peaceful

Going for a stroll

Week Two:
Aunt Laura came from Florida to visit! When Rayley was 8 days old Aunt Linda brought Laura and her friend Lynn over to meet Rayley. We had a nice afternoon together. As we ate lunch Rayley was sitting in her chair in the middle of the dining room table and we all starred at her in aww. She was sleeping so peacefully. Later that night we all went to Aunt Linda's for a family dinner. It was so exciting to share my sweet daughter with the family that helped raise me. My dear friend Sharon came to visit towards the end of the week. She was so happy to finally meet her new little niece! We spent the day taking pictures of her and catching up.

Family portrait

Photo shoot with Aunt Sharon

Week Three:

Rayley lost her umbilical cord in the beginning of week three. After a couple more days we gave her, her first bath! Daddy facilitated most of it while I watched. She screamed at first but later calmed down. I was right there to hold her hand and comfort her. Rayley found her voice and started coo'ing alot, especially during the wee hours of the morning while feeding. I started her on the bottle towards the end of week three. I'm strictly pumping and giving her breast milk through the bottle. Its so much easier and has allowed me to track how much she is actually eating. Her cute little squeaky sounds have now changed to grunts. She grunts when she is eating, stretching or just to grunt. Its so funny.  Now we are calling her our 'little grunt-er'.  She and I had a nice quiet week together, spent a lot of time just the two of us. Often times I just sit and stare at her. What a precious gift from God, she makes my days so much brighter!

Sleeping beauty

Splish Splash!

Week Four:
Rayley is really starting to get bigger! Bottle feeding has her gaining weight rapidly. Her little face is filling out so much and she gets more beautiful every day! She started connecting more during the fourth week. Her eye contact is longer and she seems to be realizing who she is looking at. She stays awake for much longer periods and only wakes up once or twice during the night to feed. She really enjoys her vibrating bouncer chair. We normally have it on the kitchen counter and she sits in it while I cook or clean the kitchen. She is very content when she is sitting in it and looks out the windows. She also loves starring out the window next to her changing table. Her eyes are so big and full of wonder. They are still blue too, by the way! One of the few features she has of mine so far. Everyone continues to agree how much she looks like her Daddy.

Hanging in her Pack-N-Play

Gazing out the window

1 month old!

How wonderful life is now you're in the world!

On Thursday, August 4th 2011 at 7:17pm Rayley Grace made her entrance into the world! She weighed 7 pounds 2 ounces and measured 21 inches long. She was absolutely perfect in every way! Delivery was a bit rough but well worth it. I was very fortunate to have an amazing doctor and support system to get me through the toughest yet most rewarding moment in my life. In the delivery room was Daddy Jo, Grammy Vicki, Mamaw Gay & Aunt Hayley. I couldn't have done it without the strength from God, the love and support from my family. My life was now forever changed. I had been blessed with a miracle, a child of God. My heart was so full of love and joy! I look forward to every new memory we will make.

The first moment we met our baby girl=priceless!

Dr Crouse, Rayley and Momma

Sweetbaby Ray

We were released from the hospital 24 hours later. We came home to a wonderful meal made by Hayley. During delivery the doctor asked me what my favorite meal was. I told her Mexican food, she then encouraged me by saying "as soon as you have this baby you can have that meal!" Hayley was so kind to make that happen. She made tacos, rice, beans, guacamole, queso, a big bowl of fruit and brownies! We spent that Friday night recovering, eating and enjoying every minute of new baby Rayley.

Car ride home

Are we there yet?

Rayley Grace is due to arrive in this world on or around August 6th, 2011. We are all so very excited to finally meet her and see her sweet face for the first time. I truly look forward to all the many ways she will brighten and fulfill my world! I will use this blog to update our friends and family on all her many milestones. Please feel free to follow us. Thank you for your love and support! 

"It takes a village to raise a child." -Old African Proverb