Ryan’s birth story

Well, we had baby Thom  #4 since I posted last!

April 2nd: very faint line!!

3rd: vfl

4th: BFP!!!!

Thursday 12/6- I could feel my body changing. I could feel some contraction pain. 

Friday12/7- contractions 5-10 apart, painful, vomiting with each one,

-hospital check, dilated to 3 & sent home with prodromal labor, nurse Megan

Saturday 12/8- contractions still 5-10 apart, very painful

-10:30-got our of bed to pee and felt a huge gush. Told DT my water broke but when I got to the bathroom and turned on the light it was all blood, so much blood.  bloody show with mucus and lots of blood. Called the hospital and they said to come in immediately to make sure I didn’t have an abruption.

-hospital at 12, dilated to 5, fully effaced, no abruption. start antibiotics for strep, meds to relax, Dr Chesney, nurse Megan 

Sunday 12/9- 

-dilated to 6cm at 245 am & asked for epidural

-345 got epidural, BP drop to 54/61, pass out, vomiting, meds to raise

-checked at 4:15, dilated to 7 cm, epidural working except bottom left. Did some tossing and turning to even it out.

-water broken after two bags of antibiotics complete and dilated to 9 at 8:45

6:00-rachel

2 contractions, 3 pushes 

No tears 

-9:56 

7.1

19.25

4 months {Rawlings Tate}

Rawly baby, you are four months big! You're getting so big and so strong! I'll say thank goodness, because your brothers are ready to roll around with you!

At 4 months, you:

-Weigh 16.6 lbs (At 4 months, Ryder weighed 17.5 and Rowdy was 16.2 lbs)

-are 25 Inches tall (Ryder was 26 inches and Rowdy was 25.5)

-wear 6 month clothes and size 3 diapers

-celebrated your brothers' 2nd birthday!

-traveled to Florida with Mommy, Daddy, Mimi & your big brothers. You put your toes in the sand! I can tell you are going to be a beach baby! 

-watched your first Cheifs game with Dad! They beat the Patriots!

-you have such a big, smiley personality! You giggle and laugh often! Your belly is ticklish 

-you've started sucking your fingers. You can also grasp toys and bring them straight to your mouth

-You've definitely started teething. You're trying to chew on everything and you're always slobbering!

-you can lift your head straight up and are very steady during tummy time. 

-you can bear some weight on your legs 

-mommy calls you Rawly Tate (Papa Greg calls you raw tater- hehe!)

-you make eye contact and follow us around with your eyes

-you have started going to the church nursery. Mrs. M. loves to snuggle you! 
-you have cradle cap! A little bit of head and shoulders, and oil only before a hair washin' is fixing you right up!

-you haven't been resting well at night this month. Talk about 4 month sleep regression. It ain't no joke You've been waking up all throughout the night. Mommy and daddy moved you back to your crib on 9-11 and you slept until 445, ate and then went back to sleep until 645. It took a few nights of fuss, but you are really learning to self sooth (and without your bink)! 

-I don't know how but we finally have a binky baby! We're trying to take it away already. Mommy finally found a night night for you to have instead! 

-you're trying so hard to sit yourself up! You really love sitting in your bumbo. I don't know how it's not cutting off circulation on your legs! Your head starts leaning a little when you're sitting up but I'm sure you'll be sitting on your own by our next update!

Rawlings,

I think you're going to be our funny boy. Rowdy is pretty tender hearted, Ryder is wild, and you are always squeeling and laughing! I love watching you three together. You boys are Mommy & Daddy's whole world. We try to give you guys lots of fun memories and toys that you'll enjoy, but sweet boy, what we want to give you most, is a foundation where you can build your relationship with Jesus. Rowdy is starting to understand that God made everything, including you, baby Rawly, for his glory, and it makes me so proud. I pray that all three of you can be be not only brothers in our family, but brothers in Christ. 

Love, Mommy

3 months {Rawlings Tate}

Here's a little bit of info on your life at 3 months, sweet boy!

-not to be outdone by your big brothers, at 3 months you weigh 15.5 pounds!

-wear 3&6 month clothes, 6 month sleepers because 3 months are too short, just like your brothers!

-sleep swaddled up tight in your Halo swaddle in your rock n play

-your hair still looks RED & you've still got cradle cap. We're wondering if we'll have a brown haired, blonde and red haired boy!

-you went for your first swim with your brothers and Peyton and Elias! 

-your summer has been filled with lots of poolside time. Mommy put you in our pool, we floated around and you fell right to sleep. You are another water baby! It's a good thing because our family loves the water!

-you are typically our last babe to put to bed at night and then you usually sleep until 430 or 5 and wake to eat off and on for the rest of the morning

-went to your first VBS. Mommy volunteered in your room!

-you are a champ at nursing and bottles, both! When you have a bottle you typically eat 6 ounces. Your favorite bottle is the avent.

-you can bring your hands together and right to your mouth

-you're still rolling over from your tummy to your back when you get tired of tummy time

-you take a few cat naps in your swing throughout the day, definitely the third kiddo, as you're on the go most of the day. This swing that Papa & Zannie purchased for you has been such a blessing and you really enjoy it! 

-size 3 diapers. Mommy bought a bundle of honest diapers and they are awful. They are always leaking. Can't wait to get finished with those and back to pampers swaddlers.

You are so loved, Rawlings. Someone is always in your face & stealing all your slobbery open mouth kisses, but your steel blue eyes are always on Momma! Our days move so quickly and are filled with your brothers' activities, and mommy wouldn't trade our sweet snuggle time for anything!

2 months {Rawlings Tate}

At 2 months, you:

- weigh 13.2 lbs

- are 22 Inches long

- wear size 1 diapers and 3 month clothes. Going to switch to size 2 diapers when this package runs out.

- you had your first cold. You were so pitiful as you were so congested. We had to use lots of saline and the nose Frieda. Luckily it cleared up quickly.
- you went out of state for the first time! You, mommy and Mimi went to Oklahoma to pick up Mimi's golf cart

- experienced your first wonder week. You began seeing things in contrast! You started looking at things for longer periods of time and started trying to smile!

- have been more awake and active

- celebrated Father's Day. You are very lucky to have DT as your daddy! 

- slept in your crib on June 30th! 

- celebrated the 4th of July! We celebrated at Nana and Papa's house this year! 

- rolled over for the first time one July 10th (8 weeks)! Daddy got to see!

- I guess rolling over wore you out- you slept for 6.5 hours on July 10th! (Not so much the next night)

- went to your first ball game!

Big brothers: Rowdy asks to hold you all the time, but only for a second or two! Ryder still just wants your binky. He also likes to point out your eyes and nose. 

Baby gear: we're still using the Halo swaddle. I packed all the other swaddled away. We're also using the swing, play mat and Gas drops like they're going out of style.

Post partum update: Momma is surviving on little sleep, but still feeling good! My tummy is still very squishy. Rowdy keeps asking if there's something else in there. Pre pregnancy pants aren't fitting yet. 9 months to grow you so I should give myself 9 months of grace, right? 

Sleep: Oh bub. You sleep well until about 2:00 am. Then you like to cluster feed the rest of the night/morning. I honestly think it's because your belly hurts. You are the gassiest baby I've ever seen/heard. We'll be talking to your pediatrician about ways to help your belly at your appointment! 

I have looked up many times at you three in the midst of all the noise and toys and chaos and thanked God for letting me be your Mommy. You three and daddy are my dreams come true!