Barnes Family

Glamour Girl!!!

2011-03-31T11:55:00.001-06:00

Rylee is almost 16 months old now, and we FINALLY took her for her “1 year" pictures! (Oh well, size-wise she still looks like a 1-year-old!) She did much better than expected. Even through the multiple wardrobe changes and nervous giggles, she still turned on her charm like only Rylee can and we got some REALLY SWEET pictures! Thanks to our friend, neighbor, and photographer, Alisha Hatch with Lee Photography, for being so patient and taking the time to let Rylee shine!!

Christmas Morning!!!

2011-01-04T14:15:00.001-07:00

We woke up Christmas morning to find that Santa had found our house and left presents for everyone! I guess we were all good boys and girls this year!

Rylee Morgan, the best present EVER!

Lance helping Rylee open her presents.

Rylee helping me clean out my stocking, which happened to be filled with . . . more “stockings”!

The “busy ball popper”.

Rylee’s not so sure about this thing!

Books, books, and more books!

This girl’s gonna be one fantastic reader.

OK mom, enough with the camera already.

If I look very sweet can we be done?

Christmas Eve Pictures

2011-01-04T13:51:00.001-07:00

Rylee in her party clothes (which didn’t last very long. she soon changed into her party P.J.’s).

Playing with the wrapping paper, every 1 year-old’s favorite toy!

Uncle Austin doing his “sexy” pose for the camera (: Work it baby!!!

Our first attempt at a family photo (we’d only been there for a little while and Rylee was already sick of her dress and soooo over having her picture taken!)

Our best family photo. Rylee wouldn’t smile, but at least she wasn’t throwing a fit in this one! You’ve just gotta love her spunk!

Our 1st Christmas

2011-01-04T12:35:00.001-07:00

(FYI: This post does not have any photos, I had to wrap it up early so I could feed the little munchkin, but I promise the next one will have plenty!)

Technically it was Rylee’s 2nd Christmas, but since none of us got to enjoy much of Christmas last year, it was really our FIRST Christmas together as a family. This Christmas was special for us for a lot of reasons, and we really enjoyed being HOME for the holidays!

We actually put up our tree this year, and even had presents underneath. Rylee spent most of the month of December stubbornly attempting to get at the gifts and tear off the tags and bows (once she figured out the crawling thing it was game-over).

Christmas Eve was spent with the “Jones” side of the family. We had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and then the “boys” watched The Polar Express while the “girls” discussed amongst themselves. It was a nice relaxing evening. It wasn’t quite the same though, without my sister and her family, who spent their holidays this year in North Carolina. We can’t wait until Dave is done with school so they can move closer to home.

Christmas morning Lance, Rylee, and I opened our presents. Rylee had a hard time at first with the idea that it was now acceptable to tear open the presents and play with the bows, but she got over it and had more fun with the wrapping paper and bows than she did with the toys!

And finally, Christmas Day was spent with the “Barnes” side of the family. We at a delicious meal and opened a ridiculous amount of presents (kids and adults alike)! We always have a fun time with everyone on Christmas, but yet again, this party was missing Lance’s brother and his family, so things were again much quieter than usual. All in all though, 2010 ended much more happily than 2009, and we are expecting an even better 2011!

You’ve Had A Birthday, Shout Hooray!!!

2011-01-04T12:04:00.001-07:00

Rylee Celebrated her 1st Birthday on Thanksgiving this year, and boy did we have reason to be thankful! She has been such a wonderful blessing in our home, and this last year, while it’s definitely had its low points, has been the BEST year ever! Rylee literally makes us smile from the moment she wakes up in the morning, until she reluctantly closes those beautiful blue eyes at night.

Since her birthday was on Thanksgiving and my whole family would already be together, we decided to open presents at grandma’s house ON her birthday, but to save the birthday cake and singing for another day later the next week. Rylee got lots of nice presents from both sets of grandparents, her Aunts Brittney and Cindy (and her cousins Marley, Bentley, and Jaycie), and of course from dear old mom and dad. Her favorite gifts were her farm set and her little stuffed puppy that sings and talks to her.

As for the cake party later the next week, she wasn’t too sure what she was supposed to do! Things started out pretty serious, until Lance showed her how to dig in and make a mess, and she checked with mommy that it was OK!

Our Little Honeybee!!!

2010-11-10T17:20:00.001-07:00

Rylee was the cutest little bee for her first Halloween, and although these pictures show a pretty happy girl, our trial run with the costume didn’t go over so smoothly. The Friday before Halloween, Lance and I planned on taking her to “Boo at the Zoo” at Tautphaus Park. We stopped at my mom’s for the wardrobe change, and were met by the BIGGEST hissy fit we’ve ever seen from our sweet little angel!! Lots of driving and a missed nap= grumpy Rylee. Needless to say, we skipped the zoo that night (or it might have been renamed boo-hoo at the zoo!) The next evening we braved the costume again and were met with success. Very little fuss, and a few smiles for the camera!! Yeah!!

Rylee and cousin Jaycie . . .

“Flight of the Bumblebee” . . .

Having fun with Grandma and Grandpa Barnes . . .

Just Chillin’ With Daddy (and gnawing on her fingers, yep more teeth on the way!)

Blessing Dress

2010-10-04T16:43:00.001-06:00

It’s been a little over 2 months since Rylee was blessed, and I’ve finally gotten around to posting her sweet little pictures!!!

Rylee’s cousins Addi and Liv wore the same dress when they were blessed and when they went to the temple. They all looked like little angels in this dress! Thanks to Auntie Erika for letting us borrow it.

Lance and I tried really hard to get her to smile like she did the day she was blessed, without much luck!

Rylee made a big impression on everyone in the blessing circle that day. Most tiny babies do pretty good, some fuss or cry a little. Lance and I were both a little nervous that because Rylee was 8 months old she might get scared and cry, or try and grab the microphone. We were way off! Instead, so I’m told, she looked up at everyone with a big grin and smiled through the whole thing! Her Grandpa Barnes and Great-Grandpa Cammack still talk about it, and rank it as the best baby blessing of all time! Rylee really set the bar high that day!

Also, a little update on what “stinker 1” has been up to(as Lance affectionately calls her):

Rylee has begun the super-fun teething process, and now boasts one and a half teeth! She’s been a real trooper, a little more cranky than normal, but still sleeping through the night! (Bless her heart)

Rylee has been getting better and better at sitting up with less and less help. She now enjoys spending time in her big girl chair, watching mommy do dishes, cook dinner, and Rylee even eats her baby food in her big girl chair!

She has gotten very good at rolling over, and seems to make her way around pretty well. She occasionally finds herself in a tight spot requiring rescue from mom or dad (usually crammed sideways up against the couch).

Rylee has also shown great interest in learning to crawl, and we know it won’t be long! For now she just rocks back and forth on her tummy, and occasionally pulls her knees up under her. No hurry Rylee, take your time, REALLY!

Barnes Family Reunion

2010-10-03T12:22:00.001-06:00

Over Labor Day weekend, Lance’s aunt and uncle planned a really nice family get-together at their home in Idaho Falls. Everyone had so much fun! They had all kinds of activities planned for everyone: an inflatable jump house, home-made “train-ride”, and bracelet-making for the little girls and for the ladies, some wonderful game involving lots of candy and chocolate, delicious home-cooked food and desserts, and a nice little family roundtable where the all the aunts took turns sharing what their children and grandchildren had been up to over the last year. Lance and I truly enjoyed spending time laughing and catching up with everyone, hopefully it will become a Barnes Family Tradition!!! THANKS AGAIN TO THE COLLINGS!!

This awesome train-ride kept all the kiddos entertained all day long, courtesy of Uncle Brad!

He made it himself, just one of his many projects.

As you may have noticed, many of the little girls also played dress up, aren’t they adorable?

Family Roundtable

Deanne tells her family story, including how Uncle Brad is still “feeding the sheep”.

(We found out later that he actually has a contract to provide feed for the elk in Jackson, among other things. Brad was glad to know his wife took such a great interest in what he does for a living!!)

Uncle Jeff pays close attention as his wife, Marilee, tells all about events for their family over the last year, broken bones, weddings, expecting mama’s and all.(:

Sherry busted out a list for her “sharing time”!

It was such a busy year (thanks in large part to Lance, Rylee, and me), that she didn’t want to leave anything out!

It really was big year:

I started a new job, got pregnant, Lance and I got the Swine Flu, built our first home, had our beautiful miracle baby 3 months early (recovered from a C-section), Lance graduated, and I had my appendix out! Whew!

Amidst all of that chaos, Brett broke his hand showing his son’s baseball team how to hustle, Brady and Cindy had their first baby girl, and Angie and John baptized their little boy!!!

And Allison told everyone all about their trip to Cooperstown, Paige surviving her first week at BYU,

and Bowen needing a little help with the ladies! Yeah right!! Poor Bowen):

All in all, it was a wonderful day!

Rylee: 9 Months-Old

2010-08-28T13:26:00.001-06:00

The last 9 months with this sweet little squish-bum have been better than we ever could have imagined. For all the trouble she had those first few months, she has more than made up for it in the last 6 months or so. She’s getting to be quite the big girl now! She can almost sit up by herself, she loves to eat pears and “nannas”, and continues to amaze us with how easy-going and sweet she is! We have had a blast with her so far, and can’t wait to see what she has in store for us down the road! We LOVE you Rylee!!!

Babies, Babies, & More Babies!!

2010-08-11T17:28:00.001-06:00

The last couple of months have been pretty exciting for us in the baby department. My sister Brittney had a bouncing baby boy, Bentley (who weighed in at well over 9 lbs!), and my sister-in-law Cindy had their first baby girl, Jaycie (who clocked in a few ounces shy of 7 lbs!). Also, Rylee has enjoyed a fun-filled summer with lots of family get-togethers, and ended the month of July by FINALLY being blessed (July 25th, exactly 8 months old, to the day).

Here’s handsome boy Bentley, rockin’ his monkey hat . . .

Sweet little Jaycie snuggled up to Lance . . .

Rylee & Jaycie with Grandma & Grandpa Barnes

on Rylee’s blessing day!

Say Cheese!

Giving each other the once-over . . .

Mom, is this okay?

Jaycie and Grandpa Barnes . . .

Babe in A Basket

2010-07-16T13:15:00.001-06:00

I hope nobody is tired of all the Rylee pictures, but I love to take them and I love to share them, so . . . . here she is!! (:

Being thoughtful . . .

Saying her prayers . . .

More thinking . . .

Showing her sweet shy side (:

OK Rylee, all done!

Pretty in Pink

2010-07-14T10:14:00.001-06:00

More playing around with the camera

with Miss Rylee as my muse(;

She is such a sweet, beautiful, and patient little girl.

Clark Family Reunion

2010-07-06T17:06:00.001-06:00

On the last weekend in June my mom’s side of the family gets together to catch up with one another and have some fun. This year we all met at Heise Hot Springs and enjoyed a beautiful summer day together. The boys went and played a round of mini-golf (with “Uncle Blake” coming out on top with a few lucky hole-in-ones), a brave soul or two ventured over to the pool, and the rest of us hung around to watch the little kiddos have a blast in the plastic pool and sprinkler. All-in-all, it was a nice day and we really enjoyed getting to see everyone, especially those we haven’t seen since last year’s reunion. A big thank you to Laneice and her family for another great reunion!

Here are a few fun moments I happened to capture:

Baylee, Marley, and Addi all giggled, laughed, and squealed as Uncle Lane spit water at them!

Marley and Addi enjoyed drinks by the pool.

Marley, bracing for impact from Uncle Lane’s “super-soaker”.

All the little girls, playing in the sprinkler.

Addi, cup full and ready, with her famous impish grin!

Auntie Erika baby snatching my Rylee!!

Rylee getting to know her Uncle Lane.

Livster taking a break . . .

and snuggling up to Lance.

“Grandma Teressa” and Rylee, observing the pool party from a safe distance.

Chelsea and Joel playing tricks on Uncle Steve . . .

A cold, wet awakening. . . who did that?

Addi and me (:

And finally, a little family photo to end the day!

Bath Time

2010-07-04T19:17:00.001-06:00

Rylee is warm and snuggly in her pink monkey? towel, courtesy of Aunt Brittney! Very CUTE! (The towel, Rylee, and Lance of course!)

Learning the Ropes: A New Digital Camera

2010-07-04T18:30:00.001-06:00

I recently decided that it was time to trade in my old digital camera (that I purchased in high school), for a newer and much nicer version. Having Rylee has made me realize just how important pictures are and I wanted to have a camera that could produce high quality photos. Now all I have to do is learn how to use it! I’ve posted several pictures of Rylee so far, but I’m also going to post pictures of randomness in order to document my photo-taking progress. Wish me luck!!!

Flashy Photos:

Camera on auto with built-in flash. . .

Still on auto, but with external flash bounced off ceiling. .

45 degree angle. 90 degree angle

Rylee's Rolling!!!

2010-06-28T07:42:00.002-06:00

About a week or two ago Rylee rolled over for the first time and, of course, as soon as we got the video camera out she stubbornly refused to do it just one more time. So ever since then we've been attempting to catch her in the act, and yesterday we finally got her! Lance and I are thrilled at her big accomplishment, and a little sad to see our little baby girl growing up so fast before our eyes!

OLD GLORY

2010-06-25T17:25:00.001-06:00

Long before we had even given serious thought to building our home, Lance and I had agreed that a nice flagpole to fly the stars and stripes was something we both wanted on our wish list, and this last week this particular wish came true. With a little help from Lance’s brother, Brady, the hole was dug, the cement was poured, and 3 days later the flag officially flew! Regardless of how we feel about our government, we are PROUD to be AMERICANS!!!

These Little Hands of Mine . . .

2010-06-25T16:58:00.002-06:00

Over the last month or so Rylee has found great interest in these new toys of hers we call hands. I’m afraid her interest is turning into an obsession!!

I’m So Glad When Daddy Comes Home!!

2010-06-18T11:41:00.001-06:00

It’s been a while since we’ve posted any new Rylee pictures, and since I know that’s why most of you even look at our blog, I figured I’d better get busy. My favorites are of Rylee and Lance. I took them the day after he got home from Europe, and it was obvious the she missed her daddy and was very glad to have him home again!

Look at her grab his face like he’s not going anywhere without her!

PURE JOY!!

Ready for some summer fun!!

Rylee’s Room

2010-06-18T11:27:00.001-06:00

This is what happens when Lance is away for more than a week. I used all those lonely hours to work on my latest little project. Finally, 6 months after she was born, Rylee finally has a room that looks more like a nursery and less like a storage room with a crib!

I should have taken some before pictures, but let’s just say there were no curtains, no tulips, and basically no color other than yellow! And yes, I hung the curtains and rod all by myself! Yea me! Oh, and I hand-painted the tulips, it took me hours and hours. . . J/K, they’re stick-on wall decals, but they almost LOOK hand-painted. Rylee loves to lay in her crib and stare at her new flower friends!

Lance’s European Tour

2010-06-07T15:52:00.001-06:00

Well, Lance just got back from yet another week-long business trip to Europe. This time he got to see a little bit of everything. A lay-over in Rome, a couple of days in Barcelona, Vigo, Genoa, and a flight home from Frankfurt. It sounds like a lot more fun than it really was. Lots of time spent traveling between cities and countries, working, and a few stolen hours to see the sights. Let’s just say, we are ALL glad he’s back home!!

Here are a few pictures he took in his “free time” . . .

Victory Arch in Genoa Italy, built a little prematurely during World War II.

There are 3 ships depicted in the garden in the background celebrating Christopher Columbus.

Some of the original defensive walls built around Genoa.

Christopher Columbus’ house and some of the defensive wall in the background.

One of their classical government buildings. Nice touch of Fascism.

A church

Another church.

The train station.

Rylee in Action!!

2010-05-03T10:29:00.003-06:00

Oh boy it’s home video time!

I just couldn’t resist posting these for those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting miss Rylee in person. She is such a sweet little girl! Both of these videos were taken while Rylee was being entertained by her favorite household fixture, the ceiling fan!

(Don’t ask me why, but the girl is a BIG fan “fan”!)

Rylee’s “Newborn” Photos

2010-04-02T18:59:00.001-06:00

Rylee had her very first “professional” photo shoot about 2 weeks ago, and I have to say, for being the roughest 2 hours she’s had since she came home, we got some REALLY good pictures! I know I’m biased but, being the proud mama and all, I have to say she is a BEAUTIFUL little girl!!!

View Full Album

I should mention, the gal we had do the pictures did a fantastic job. She was very patient and took plenty of time so we could get a nice selection of priceless pictures! Her name is Miranda and her studio is Sweetpea Photography.

View Full Album

Lance’s Trip to Greece

2010-04-02T18:16:00.001-06:00

Lance recently had the opportunity to take a business trip to Greece over his spring break. Aside from the long hours of travel, and a serious case of jet lag, he had a really good time. When he wasn’t working, he had the chance to visit some pretty amazing tourist attractions in Athens, and enjoy some real authentic Greek food! Lance had his own personal “tour guide” (a woman who worked for the company in Athens), and some very hospitable dinner companions (the boss and her husband).

Lance and his dinner companions. They took him out every night and made sure he tried all the right foods.

The Amphitheatre . . .

More of the Amphitheatre

The Parthenon

Lance standing in front of the Parthenon

Overlooking Athens

More ruins, Lance isn’t sure what they’re called (:

One of the super yachts in the port where Lance was working.

The view from Lance’s hotel.

More of the port.

Athens

The VERY narrow streets of Athens.

The lights of Athens.

Due Date, and Beyond!

2010-03-13T14:27:00.002-07:00

Rylee celebrated her due date on Feb 28th, yeah!! It felt really strange to think that she's been with us all this time, and has already experienced so much before she was even supposed to be here! She really is a very special little girl. Her doc appointment the Friday before her due date she weighed 7 lbs 5 oz, so she would have been a good size baby. She has been working hard, eating and growing, and is showing more and more of her little personality. She's so much fun!

We took her in again for her RSV shot, and she weighed 8 lbs 2 oz, and was 20 inches long!! I still can't believe she's getting so BIG (remember my standard is a little skewed, she WAS just a little peanut when she was born). She's 4 times as heavy as she was, and 8 inches longer!!!

Here are a few pictures of what Rylee’s been up to:

Hanging out with Lance’s Grandma and Grandpa Naef!

Seeing what it feels like to NOT have tape on her face!

Trying on her BIG girl clothes.

Relaxing after her bath.

(And FYI, that’s an umbilical hernia, so get your mind out of the gutter!

She really is our little GIRL!

Hopefully it will resolve as she gets bigger, but surgery may be in her future.

That is, unless you don’t think she’ll mind it when she’s 16 and wearing a 2-piece!)

Boy, those baths really take it out of you!

Sleeping in her cradle swing!

(Thanks to Aunt Nell, Aunt Laneice,

Chelsea, Brandy, and Elise! She loves it!)

Chillin’ with Grandpa Barnes.

Passing out after her dinner!

Sleeping like a mummy!

(She throws a fit now if we try to wrap her arms in her blankie,

so instead, she falls asleep with her arms straight out in front of her!)

Just hanging out, lookin’ cute!

Lovin’ on her daddy!

Snuggling with mommy in THE tractor blanket!

Beautiful Baby!

2010-02-23T11:53:00.001-07:00

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Rylee’s lookin’ super cute, sporting her LITTLE baby beanie, BIG baby bow, and proving to us all that BALD is BEAUTIFUL!! (A big thank you to my cousin Denelle for the hand-made bows, they are darling!)

Cuddle Bug

2010-02-23T11:33:00.001-07:00

Grandma Teressa came for her weekly visit and Rylee snuggled right in!

Daddy on Duty

2010-02-23T11:31:00.001-07:00

Lance found yet another use for the Boppy!

Let’s Go For a Ride!

2010-02-23T11:15:00.001-07:00

Rylee’s all bundled up in her car seat. She just got back from her second weigh in.

Home Sweet Home

2010-02-23T11:09:00.001-07:00

Rylee has been home for 2 weeks now, and the 3 of us are settling in to our new routine. Rylee has done VERY well. She’s eating really well, sleeping most of the time, and overall has continued to be the same easy-going girl she’s been from day one!

She had her first check-up with our pediatrician 2 days after she came home, and everything seems to be going really well. She has to be on oxygen for the time being. Her doctor says she could be off of it in a couple weeks, or she could need it for several months. She was measured and weighed, and she posted some pretty good numbers. Rylee was an even 6 lbs and was 18 inches long. A week later we took her in to be weighed and she had gained another 8 1/2 ounces! I think she might have been close to 8 lbs if she’d been able to take it easy and finish growing in her mama’s tummy instead of doing it the hard way!

Lance and I are still figuring out what works best for both of us as far as taking turns with Rylee, but I think we’ve narrowed down a schedule that lets both of us get the sleep we need, and gives us both a little one on one time with our little sweetheart! Overall, the first 2 weeks have been a success (not easy, but definitely worth it)!

She's HOME!

2010-02-17T17:16:00.005-07:00

The big day finally came! Little miss Rylee actually got

to come home last Tuesday, February 9th, 3 weeks

before she was due! Here we are, leaving the hospital for

the first time as a family. Rylee practically disappears in

her car seat, but I promise she's in there!!

CPR: Car Packed and Ready

(Lance and I had to take an infant CPR class before Rylee

could come home. One of the questions on the test was what

does CPR stand for. Car packed and ready was one of the

options, not the right answer, but it was our favorite!)

Bath Time

2010-02-17T17:11:00.003-07:00

So Pretty!

2010-02-17T17:09:00.003-07:00

Chris N' Rylee

2010-02-17T17:03:00.003-07:00

Rylee's Last Night In The NBICU

2010-02-17T16:56:00.002-07:00

Rylee got to spend her last night in the hospital with her favorite nurse. He gave her a bath and picked out a pretty little bow so she could be super cute for the big day! (And, sticking with tradition, after they got her nice and clean and smelling nice, she had one last blow out for Chris!) We will miss all of the awesome people we got to know over the last few months, but we are also very glad to have her home.

Smile!

2010-02-02T14:57:00.003-07:00

Rylee has been trying to avoid letting us catch

her smiling when the camera is out, but we caught

her this time! She smiles a lot: when she has a

full tummy, when she hears mommy's voice, has gas,

and she even smiles when she hears other people

laugh! Our little angel has a sense of humor already!

Cute & Cuddly!!

2010-02-02T14:53:00.003-07:00

Snugglin' With Mommy

2010-02-02T14:47:00.002-07:00

Update

2010-02-02T14:36:00.002-07:00

A quick update since my last post: Rylee had a rough weekend a couple weeks ago and scared Grandma Teressa by not breathing while grandma held her, and then she had some pretty bad episodes over the next day and night, so her NNP and Doctor decided she wanted just one more blood transfusion, which worked wonders! A couple days later she had virtually stopped having her little "not breathing" episodes, and has been eating and breathing like a champ ever since. She weighed in at 5 lbs 4 oz last night, and took her first full feeding from a bottle! If she keeps this up she should be ready to come home in a week or two!

I'm Getting SOOO BIG, But My Binky Is Still As Big As Me!!

2010-01-19T11:25:00.003-07:00

Our First Family Photo

2010-01-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

No News is Good News!!

2010-01-19T11:12:00.002-07:00

I know it's been a very long time since I updated our blog, but as you can imagine we've been pretty busy over the last month! Rylee is doing EXCEPTIONALLY well, she amazes us each and every day. She is now off of her C-PAP, and needing less and less oxygen all the time. She has more than DOUBLED her birthweight of 2 lbs (as of Jan. 18th she weighs 4 lbs 5 oz) and seems to get noticeably bigger every day! She has started "practicing" breastfeeding, and is catching on quickly (she took about 1/3 of her feeding last time we tried, which is awesome for being only 34 weeks gestational age). And, biggest news of all . . . Rylee has graduated to an open crib and gets to wear real clothes now!! Lance and I haven't gotten to see her in her outfits yet (we left the day before they moved her), but I promise to post pictures of her all bundled up as soon as I can.

Holding Hands

2009-12-14T16:24:00.002-07:00

Our Little Angel

2009-12-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

Dec 5 thru Dec 14

2009-12-14T12:25:00.003-07:00

Another big week for miss Rylee! She's still doing pretty well for being such a tiny little girl. She's had a few ups and downs this last week or so but is still plugging right along. Here are a few big moments since our last update:

Rylee got a visit from the big man himself, SANTA (and Mrs Clause)!

It's official: Rylee's on the GOOD List.

Mommy got to HOLD Rylee for the first time! She was such a good girl. She snuggled in her blankie and held mommy's finger, and peeked at mom from under her little hat. She liked being held so much that she protested going back into her isolette! Daddy wasn't able to be there because he thought he might be getting sick (he got to hold her the next time, a few days later).

Rylee is showing a little more personality and "voicing" her opinions. Her nurse says she has decided she doesn't like her CPAP very much (she gets hold of it with both hands and tugs as hard as she can!), and she apparently isn't a fan of having a wet diaper (who can blame her?).

She had a rough night on Tuesday (she had more episodes of apnea and bradycardia than usual and just wasn't looking or acting her sweet self), so she got a blood transfusion, which did wonders! By the next day she was back to herself, breathing better and being less fussy.

FYI: That same night she also lost her umbilical cord (at 2 o'clock in the morning)!

She's still tolerating her feedings very well, and has gained 5 ounces over her birth weight (as of Sunday, December 13th she weighs in at a whopping 2 lbs 5 oz!!)

Her biggest issue seems to be remembering to breath, which is very typical for a baby born as early as she was. Her doctors and nurses are keeping a close eye on her and helping her out when she needs it. They say it's frustrating to see her have her ups and downs with her breathing, but it just takes time and when she's ready she'll let us know! So far she's done VERY well and all her tests have come back normal! We are all just taking it a day at a time, and enjoying the time we get to spend with her and missing her when we are away!

Tiny Hands!

2009-12-04T13:19:00.002-07:00

Snug As A Bug

2009-12-04T11:23:00.003-07:00

Rylee's First Week

2009-12-04T11:01:00.006-07:00

Our little Rylee has done so well her first week!

Here's a just a few of her accomplishments:

*Graduated from ventilator to CPAP on her 2nd day (she's only getting a little help to breathe)

*Passed her echo with flying colors (her heart is looking good and working like it should)

*The ultrasound of her head was totally clean (no brain bleeds, yea!)

*She's using mommy's milk to gain weight

(her tummy is working, lots more poopy diapers!)

*No infections (she gets to stop her antibiotics)

*Her feedings are going so well she doesn't need her PICC line anymore! (Less risk for infection)

Other happy moments this week:

*Daddy's first diaper change!

*Mommy's first diaper change

*Grandma and Grandpa Barnes came to visit

(Grandpa wants to know where her socks are!!)

*Grandma Jones came to visit (Can't believe she's soooo tiny!)

*Cousin Danelle got a quick peek

*Held mommy's finger while she slept (Precious!)

Lance and I and little Rylee are all doing well. We just want to say

thank you for all the thoughts and prayers, concerned phone calls, cards/letters, beautiful flowers, words of encouragement, and for everyone's willingness to help however they can!

We appreciate all that you've done and we love you all. Thank you so much!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING RYLEE MORGAN!!

2009-11-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

2009-11-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! The last week or so has been a challenge to say the least, and now that things have calmed down a bit (at least for the time being), I've decided to start this blog as a way to share my experiences and as a way to look back on all that we have been through so far, and all that we have left ahead.

Our "story" started back in June/July when Lance and I found out we were expecting our first child. We had been trying to start our family for about 8-9 months, and were on the verge of seeking professional help, when we got the good news. Needless to say we were ecstatic! About a week or 2 after we'd gotten "the 2 pink lines" on at least 5 pregnancy tests, I started spotting. It scared me to death! I called my Dr's office on my lunch break on a Monday morning, and was told to go home immediately and put my feet up. I was on bed rest for 3 days straight.

Lance had recently been to Brownsville, Texas for work, and picked up what we are both now convinced was the swine flu. Lance was the first to get sick, and ended up getting a course of IV antibiotics for pneumonia, and within about a week he was feeling well enough to at least go back to work. It was definitely the sickest he's ever been, and I think it really scared him. I, on the other hand, went from being on bed rest for bleeding/spotting, to being bedridden with whatever it was that made Lance so sick, only I ended up with bronchitis and a nasty fever for a solid month! Let's just say we've both had better summers, but eventually we both recovered and things went pretty well from there on out.

As far as the pregnancy, my biggest issue until recently was "morning sickness", which in my case was morning, noon, and night sickness. Zofran became my constant companion and my miracle worker. My monthly checkups went well, and by 20 weeks I had finally started to gain weight after the 10 lbs I had lost being sick over the summer.

We had our ultrasound on Oct 12th. Lance met me at the hospital for our 9 am appointment, and the U/S tech spent a good 30-45 minutes trying to get a look and what the doctor's needed, and what we desperately wanted to see. This was our first glimpse into what we were in store for with out little Rylee. We left the ultrasound not knowing if we were having a boy or a girl. Apparently, she wasn't in the mood that morning to reveal herself to the world, and preferred to keep the umbilical cord held snugly between her legs! That morning I got to make the uneventful phone call to my mom letting her know that we were definitely having a "baby". Instead of calling her our little girl, that morning Rylee became "our little monkey"!

Luckily, I took advantage of my lunch break that day to go and see if I could get a copy of the few worthwhile pictures we did get, and the tech said he would be happy to give it another shot if I had the time. This time Rylee was a good little girl, and we got beautiful pictures of her little face, feet, arms, legs, and the million dollar "money shot" that we'd been anxiously awaiting. I was so excited to finally know, but I still wish that Lance could have been there to see her in action.

From that point on the pregnancy was going really well. I had much less morning sickness, I was starting to show more and more all the time. Around the start of week 24 I started noticing what I thought was a bit of urine leaking whenever my bladder was really full, or when I would stand up after sitting for a while. I just thought it was one of those glamorous pregnancy changes, and joked about "peeing my pants" with friends and family. It continued to get more and more prominent as I worked through the week, and by the weekend I started to get an uneasy feeling.

Saturday, the 14th of November was a big day. Our family got to go to the temple and be together as Livie was sealed to Erika and Dave! Her and her big sister Addi looked like little blonde-haired angels. It was a special day for the entire family. After we ate lunch and visited for a while at Erika's house, Lance and I went on a shopping mission. Finally at 25 weeks I broke down and bought my very own maternity wardrobe! I had a good time trying on clothes and picturing how I would look a few weeks and months down the road. I even tried on the extra padding for my belly that's supposed to add 20 weeks!