My First Week Home

I was so happy to be home finally and I could tell Mommy and Dad were really happy to have me home too. We spent lots of time cuddling and I did a good job of making sure they didn't get too much sleep. We also had lots of visitors and wonderful friends who made lots of delicious meals for my Mom and Dad. Here are some pictures from that first week...




After my first bath at home


On the back deck with Daddy and the ninjas




Auntie Shauna and cousin Bella holding me


The fun cake Starr made for me and Daddy and Oryon decorated, I hear it was YUMMY!


Tummy time


Bill, Padma, and Mommy looking at cute little me!

My last week in the NICU

Mommy and Daddy came and saw me all the time while I had to stay in the NICU. One day we even got to do a photo shoot while they had my feeding tube out, here are some of the pictures...








Our first family photo!

Mommy was so excited when she came to visit me one morning and I had decided to pull my feeding tube out the night before and since I had been doing so good with my bottle and breast feedings they decided not to put it back in, this meant I would be joining them at home very soon. Here are a couple of pictures from that first day without the tube...





Just a couple of days later the big day came, on Tuesday August 26 I got to go home! Here are pictures from that wonderful day...



All safe in my seat, ready to go...


Getting in the car for the first time...


and home at last...

Adventures in the NICU

Since I came into the world sooner than expected I had to spend some time with the wonderful people at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Dominican Hospital. I have to tell you the doctors and nurses who took care of me there were so special and they made the move from mommy's belly into this big world a smooth transition for little ole me! Mommy and Daddy were able to visit me every day and Grandma U even got to come and hold me while she was here. The great OT's even helped Mommy and me figure out breastfeeding when the time was right. I feel so lucky that they were all there to take care of me so I could go home as soon as possible! I did have a feeding tube while I was learning the whole suck, swallow, breath concept of eating but it didn't take too long. Here are a few pictures of me while I was there...


My first bed, I wasn't in there too long before I was moved to an open crib...


Precious me on my first day in the NICU


Daddy holding me on my first day in the NICU


Mom's first visit to the NICU


Getting weighed around day 3, I weighed around 4 lb 1 oz


Daddy holding my feeding tube


Mommy's hand and my tiny foot


Bath time!


One of my first bottles wearing my cool Olympic beanie!

My Adventure into the world

Hi World! My name is Ryan Jeffrey, and I made my exciting entrance into the world in the wee hours of the morning on August 3, 2008 weighing 4 lb 6 oz and measuring 18 1/4 inches. I came into the world 6 weeks sooner than expected after my mom had some problems with high blood pressure that landed her in the hospital for a week or so before the big event. Mom had really hoped for a nice normal natural childbirth but it just wasn't meant to be. Instead her doctors tried an induction that didn't get very far after 24 hours or so and I came into the world via c-section instead. Here are a couple of my very first pictures that daddy took right after the great surgical team took me out of my comfy home in mommy's belly and she gave me my first kiss... It was love at first sight!