Happy Halloween from Our Little Monster!

Nine Month Photos...if you couldn't open them...

https://picasaweb.google.com/118301509034895916002/Month9?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCP-LwJblhY6zXw&feat=directlink

9 months

Ryan has had a busy month!  Mommy can not keep up with him - and did a horrible job of keeping track of all his mini milestones.  We can tell you that now that he is nine months old, he can cruise along the furniture, and talks all the time (no real words, but he's quite the babbler).  Ryan can definitely say mamamamamamamamama....just not to me - but we're working on it.  There was one afternoon I directed him to play with his blocks and he chose right among all his other toys - although they are his favorites,so it could have been a fluke (I'll choose to believe he understands everything I say).  He is almost through with his swim class.  He has done such a great job - he's gotten his ears and his face wet, but failed going under water (probably more due to his mother than himself).  We'll get one last try this week and see what happens!  He has definitely become more social and loves to play with other kids. I know, I know, the pictures are more important than anything...so here are a few links...

Month 9 Photos
Zoo Pics
Pumpkin Patch
Knox's 1st Birthday

Ryan was 7 months old a month ago! Now, Ryan is 8 months old!!!!!!!!

Month 7 Photos                          Month 8 Photos

Ryan is 8 months old! Now that he is super-mobile, time is going by faster than ever...(see the title, and the links two months worth of pictures!). 

Ryan had a very busy "month 7."  He had a few fun weekends at the Lake House with his friends and family.  He got his very own life preserver and took his first ride on the pontoon.  Although it might look like he hates it in some of the photos...I think it was the preserver he hated, and not the boat.  Alas, it was so hot most of the time, Ryan got left behind and was forced to stay in the air conditioned house while we sweat it out on the boat.  Within about 10 days, Ryan visited U.S. Cellular Field for the first time for the Grinder Bash, went to his first game (with his grandmas on Polish Heritage Night), and finished his baseball season with a Yankees game.  He did a great job at the games!  He made a new best friend (keep in touch Ron Kittle!) and not only got to touch the World Series Trophy and give a press conference, but he even got to wear an official ring!  I guess he's a White Sox fan for life (boo hoo).  We also celebrated Daddy and Mommy's birthdays and Ryan had a great time with all of his grandparents while we took a little birthday vacation to Mexico.  (Much harder for us than for him, I'm sure.)  Ryan also got to meet a bunch of his cousins at the Bugajski Family reunion.  Five little Bugajskis were born this year, and Ryan is the oldest of them all - but they're all little miracles!  So glad four of the five babies were able to be there and meet for the first time...it'll be so cute to watch them grow together (just one girl among them - watch out Rose!)

Month 8 was a little less "eventful," but Ryan just continued to grow and really come into his little personality.  He lives up to his reputation of being Mr. Smiles - but its hard for Mommy to capture any of his eight teeth on film.  He is crawling as fast as can be.  I can't tell how he decides between the army crawl and going on all fours, but either way he's fast (sometimes too fast - I have lost him a couple times - behind the couch, under a table, etc.).  He can pull himself up on anything, including door frames, and he slowly taught himself he can't just let go (quite yet).  He moved out of the baby tub and into the big tub just in time for his first time in a pool at Uncle Mark and Auntie Casey's.  He loved it so much that we promptly signed him up for swim so he can continue to enjoy being a little fish!  He also started baby signs class - which is really more for mommy than for Ryan.  He just shows off how fast he can crawl in class - and while all the other babies are paying attention to stories and the signing puppet they use - Ryan is tyring to escape out the front door or eat the paper handouts we get each week.  So far, much different from his parents - no interest in books or learning...good thing he's fast (wink wink). 

Happy 2nd Birthday Libby!

It's hard to believe that Libby has been a part of our family for only two years.  Sometimes it just seems that she has always been here.  It's also hard to believe she let us put this hat on her!  We celebrated her birthday this year with a pink princess dog cookie.  Jonny and Lori got her a great big bone, and Ryan got her two brand new squeaky tennis balls.  She's in heaven!  Happy Birthdya Libs.

White Sox Grinder Bash 2011



Daddy's Proudest Moment...



...and Mommy's Proudest Moment :)

Grinder Bash Photos

Today Ryan took his first trip to U.S. Cellular Field to take part in the White Sox's fan appreciation day for season ticket holders.  Luckily it wasn't too hot and Ryan seemed to enjoy his day out.  He definitely did not like Southpaw - he screamed pretty quickly, and we were afraid our day would be over before it began.  Fortunately, he was ready to take everything else in. 

Ryan had his bottle in the White Sox conference room and had his photo taken with the World Series Trophy and then gave a short press conference.  He strolled around the grounds, took a nap at home plate and sat nicely while mom and dad ate up the buffet and drank a beer.

We were excited to learn that Minnie Minoso and Ron Kittle were signing autographs.  A few months ago Mommy (yes, you read that right, his mother) bought him a "White Sox 101" book - and it has a photo of Minnie in it and I thought it would be perfect to have his autograph in Ryan's little book.  We waited in line for about 35 minutes and laughed when we first realized that Minnie and Ron were sitting just a few inches from each other at the same little table.  As we approached the table, Minnie got up and left.  He looks at least 100 years old, and I figured he must have been exhausted.  Nevertheless, Ron Kittle was very nice and put a nice signature in Ryan's book.  As we were leaving we spotted Minnie Minoso on a golf cart, so I stopped and asked him to sign Ryan's book.  I had it open to the page where his picture is, he looked at it, skipped over it, and signed his name above Luke Appling's picture.  I'm okay with it...safe to say we're never getting Luke Appling's autograph.

Ryan is Six Months (and a week) Old!

(links to pictures below)
Its getting harder for me to get these updates done on time now that baby Ryan is on the move! (And harder to take these monthly photos as you'll see in the Six Month Pictures.)  Mommy and Daddy bought Ryan a brand new colorful, cushy play mat for the living room, and Ryan loves to be anywhere but on it.  As I type this note he is throwing a toy down the hallway and chasing it.  Ryan started doing his army crawl the day before he turned six months...and we can't believe how fast he has progressed from slowly moving a few inches to moving anywhere and everywhere he wants...quickly.

In addition to the two bottom teeth at five months, he now has four top teeth that have broken through and we see the whites of the next two bottom teeth ready to poke through at any time.  I would guess any day now since Ryan has given up his 12 hour nights for waking up and crying a few times a night, or a few hours at a time over the last several days.

Based on his eating habits, I think Ryan's going to need those teeth and we'll be having steak for his birthday.  We got off to a rough start with rice cereal, but now Ryan loves his oatmeal and multi-grain cereal (he is a health nut!) and so far we have given him squash, carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes and peas.  He loves them all and cries out "oooo oooo oooo" for any of his vegetables after his cereal.  If he loved sweet potatoes, I'm excited for his first tastes of fruit next week.  If you'd like to see a bunch of pictures of Ryan eating check out his Food Highlights.

Over the past month, we celebrated Father's Day at the lake house with Daddy, Papa and Gramps.  And Ryan got his first "ride" on Gramps' super cool motor cycle.  He had his first Fourth of July and had something patriotic to wear every day!  Ryan also had his first night away from Mom and Dad.  We went to see Dave Matthews and a few other bands in the super-hot sun and spent the night in the city to "practice" for our big vacation last month.  Ryan did perfect, and to show us just how much he was "fine with it," he started crawling while we were gone. (Glad all four grandparents were there to witness!)

And He's Off...

Ryan is 5 Months Old!!!!!



Month 5 pictures
Brooke's Graduation
Hanging out with Jack and Annie

For Ryan's 5 month "birthday" his first tooth broke through!  Quite a present for such a little baby.  The bottom right tooth is his first to break through, but the left is not far behind.  Mommy and Daddy can see the white just under the gum, itching to get out. 

Ryan continues to suprise us every day with how much he is growing.  His favorite toy is his piano that goes in his crib and he can kick, kick, kick away!  Every once in awhile he will throw in a little eyebrow raising at the same time if he thinks he's cool that day.  Jon says his favorite color is yellow and he now he notices Libby and puts on one of his big smiles when she comes close to him.  Ryan grasps his toys with both hands, passes them back and forth and has even figured out how to gather up the blanket he's laying on to pull a toy closer that's out of his reach.  Also, he has mastered rolling from his back to belly (to his right, and to his left), but can't quite get rolling from belly to back.  He is working on sitting up, but tends to tip over rather quickly.  He seems to be interested in skipping those moves and is trying to move straight to crawling, or walking (if he had it his way).  He is getting his little butt up in the air and pushing his feet like a little frog.  There have been a few times that he's given himself a big PUSH, but it seems to scare him more than motivate his to move any further!  If we have Ryan grasp our fingers and pull up his arms, he skips right past sitting and pulls himself to standing.  We let him stand on tables and countertops and those are his favorites to "walk" across.  Given all this movement and his hatred for being confined in anything (car seat, high chair, blanket - you name it and see below) I think mommy and daddy are in for some trouble with this little guy sooner rather than later.

Mommy's most favorite thing is that Ryan has decided he absolutely hates his car seat and high chair.  He has the endurance to cry for anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes on a car ride.  Mommy can throw every toy she's got into the back seat and that doesn't change a thing.  I've played the music VERY loud, I have played no music, I have talked the entire drive, yelled "RYAN" and banged on the seat (because this is what our doctor does...I guess you have to hear it to understand) - none of these things help.  What really helps is when I reach out and beg for help and people say "that's really weird, usually babies fall asleep in the car."  Whatever.  Lucky for us, Ryan kept his antics to a minimum on his first road trip!  We drove down to Clarksville to watch Brooke Jones graduate and celebrate with her and her family.  It was so good to see the Jones' and hope they can make a visit to Chicago this summer. 

Beside all that Ryan is having fun hanging out with all his baby cousins and friends!  He's lucky to be surrounded by so many friends - he's learning a lot from all of them.  Stay tuned for more updates.  Ryan is watching all the food and drink mommy and daddy put to their mouths with A LOT of interest...on to solids!

Libby's Day at the Park

On May 17, we were able to take our BFF Libby to her first White Sox game!  We thought it would be great to take both Libby and Ryan to their first game together - alas, with this cold weather, it was not to be this year.  So, Libby got a special night out with her owners and a few hundred other doggies.  She was very well behaved and seemed to really enjoy herself (even more so when she squeezed beneath the seat to finish the end of my hot dog - how did I ever think in a million years I could dispose of my uneaten food under the seats, five feet away from her).  Hopefully next year, we can get Libs into the pet parade!

Libby's Day at the Park

Congratulations Brooke Jones!

Congratulations to Brooke Jones who graduated from high school this past Friday!

Ryan is 4 Months Old!!!!

 

MONTH FOUR PICTURE LINKS:

• Month 4 Pictures
• Ryan Visits Brookfield Zoo for the First Time
• Mother's Day 2011

Ryan has done so much growing since last month it is almost unbelievable!  He is currently weighing in at 14 pounds, 13 ounces and is 25.5 inches long.  Given how much he loves his bottles its no wonder that he's growing to be such a big boy!

 

Ryan knows exactly what his bottle is. If mommy or daddy are holding Ryan when we start making his bottle, he watches every move - measuring the water, measuring the scoops, putting the bottle together and shaking it - he is scrutinizing your every move to make sure everything is done properly.  His eyes grow wide and he starts flicking his tongue like a little lizard and he's starting to reach out for it too.  Although he thinks he would like to hold his own bottle, he is still a king and gives up and is just fine with you holding it for him while he enjoys his meal (but he does try to keep at least one of your fingers in a vice-like grip to prevent you from trying to take the bottle away).  The only thing that may mess with his meal is how much he also loves his fingers. He's trying to figure out if there is a way for him to be able to eat his fingers and the bottle at the same time (there is not).  If he's not trying to fit his fingers in there, he is trying to "talk" to you while you are feeding him, or trying to squirm his way out of your arm so he can see what's to the left, right, above and below anything but you.  He's a very curious boy. 

 

He's sleeping pretty well through the night.  He loves to fall asleep with anything soft against his face.  Often times we just let him fall asleep with his favorite white blankie or one of his luvies and he's in heaven.  We just have to be careful to pick it up once he's sound asleep, because he also likes to pull everything over his face. 

 

Before he was four months old on May 11, Ryan had begun reaching for his toys.  Starting with the toys attached to his bouncers.  It has now gotten to the point where he seems to be getting upset that he can't get them in his mouth!  His current favorite is a blue peacock we hang from the rungs on his play gym.  Wanting to get at that little peacock helped him to roll over for the first time about a week before his four month "birthday."  He tends to prefer rolling to the right, but if forced, he'll roll to the left too.  He's experimenting with all this new movement - rolling around in his crib, sticking his arms and legs through the slats and screaming because he's not quite sure how to get them out.  I have a feeling he'll be on the move soon - he lays on his belly and gathers up whatever he's laying using his fingers - with a lot of determination.  I can't imagine where he wants to go!  Ryan seems to be getting tired of laying on his back and prefers to stand.  Every once in awhile, he takes a step (lol...we know this is a reflex).  His new favorite thing is his froggy jumper; his feet aren't quite hitting the "deck" yet, so there's not a whole lot of bouncing going on - but he prefers it to laying down any day! 

 

Best of all Ryan is loving to be talked to and to talk to you.  He does lots of ooooos and ahhhs.  We haven't quite gotten a good giggle yet, but he likes to gasp a lot when he gets excited!  We have some very good conversations - and they're not so one-sided anymore.  We did find one thing that Ryan doesn't like...

 

In the past month, Ryan has taken his first trip into the city, where he met some of Daddy's friends from work at Cook County.  Mommy discovered that he wants nothing to do with Old Navy, but Filene's Basement and Macy's are o.k. (it could be the man outside of Old Navy, who I'm certain has been out there for at least seven years, when I first started working at HRS, cursing people who smoke cigarettes through a Sing-a-lodian machine).  He also met his Aunt Mary, Uncle Bob and cousin Steven for the first time and enjoyed them for a whole afternoon ...and their little dog too!  He had his first trip to the zoo, and saw quite a few animals for such a gray day!  He liked Daddy carrying him around in the Baby Bjorn - but Daddy didn't like all the extra stuff I hung on to the carrier - I'm sorry, but it was cold, and Ryan likes to lick everything, so he may as well lick a burp cloth rather than the carrier).  Ryan also took me out for Mother's Day to Elly's Pancake House and surprised me with a card that he signed himself!  What a big boy, and he used a Sharpie marker no less.  A big thanks to Jonny and Ryan for giving me a much needed day of rest at a spa - massage, facial, hands and feet!  It was fabulous. 

 

 

Ryan's First Easter

Ryan had such a special weekend celebrating his first Easter with his family!

Lake House Easter
Rimkus Easter


The Wojciaczyks and Kot family decided to take Easter two hours west and open up the Lake House for the first time this year.  Saturday morning Jonny and I woke up bright and early to get packed up and ready to go (I distinctly remember being awake at 5:30 a.m., so why we were just getting on the expressway at 9:30 I have no idea).  I was very proud to discover that I could actually pack one bag for just Jon and me, even though it was bulging at the seams (my excitement waned when I realized that we were packed for a less than 24 hour stay - so the "one bag" thing will probably never happen again).  Ryan had his very own 64 gallon Rubbermaid packed to the gills with all his "necessities," and Libby had her own bag too - filled with medicine*.  I stood back and looked at the two bags and Rubbermaid and though, "not bad."  Then we remembered we had to bring the Pack n' Play...and 'nice' clothes for Easter Sunday...and gym shoes for night time...and a light jacket....and Apples to Apples, Disney Edition.  So, by the time we finished collecting all the things we "needed " to have, we had one bag for Jon and me, one bag for Libby, Ryan's 65 gallon Rubbermaid, and 12 other random bags.  Finally it was time for Jon to bring the car around and get it packed up.  It was then we realized it was virtually impossible to effectively pack up all of our crap, a dog, a baby and ourselves into the car.  Flash forward twenty minutes and we're pulling away from the curb with Jonny and Libby sitting in the front and me and Ryan in the back (better me breathing in Ryan's face than Libby).  It was quite the caravan, but it afforded us the opportunity to try out the DVD player in the car for the first time in four years.



Thankfully, we were blessed with a beautiful day at the Lake.  The sun was shining and we took advantage of the weather and did as much out of doors as was possible.  The men split wood, the dogs played ball (even though Libby was tethered to the ground with a 50 foot cord - thankfully she didn't choke herself), and the ladies milled in and out of the house - mostly following whatever Ryan was doing - watching the men and the dogs.  Nana was so happy to hold Ryan for as long as he would let her...which was for as long and as often as she wanted!  What a good boy!  She fed him every meal and he just smiled at her most of the time. 

By the time Ryan went to bed on Saturday night he had spent a wonderful day with his gram and pa, Nana and his aunties and uncles, worn a hat for the first time (still not a fan of the sunglasses), went on a veeerrrryyy slow golf cart ride, colored his first Easter egg and got a visit from the Easter Bunny!  What an exciting day it was for him!

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Jon and I decided to rely on Ryan to be our alarm clock for Easter morning - and he did a fantastic job...of letting us sleep in.  What a good little boy.  When we finally got up and moving, Ryan got dressed in his first little Easter outfit.  I have to wonder why a 3 month old needs a belt, but whatevs.  He was dressed to the nines, and even wore shoes for the special occasion.  We repacked up all of our crap (see above), expect this time, in a much more messy and disorganized way, and headed up to Mokena to celebrate with the Rimkus family.  (Yes, I sat in the back on the way back as well.)

Again, it was a gorgeous sunny day and we arrived just in time for brunch (or brunch waited to be ready "just in time" for us to get there).  Auntie Jess got Ryan on the floor after we ate, and to our surprise, he decided it would be fun to try and roll over.  We must have spent an hour, with bated breath, on pins and needles, etc. watching him make it "almost" over.  We moved his arms in different positions, made funny faces, clapped, and tried to bait him little toys, but he just wouldn't do it for us...and, to date, he still won't.  (And if mommy wasn't so vain, she would post a video of his best try.)

As if he wasn't exhausted enough from his rolling back and forth on the floor, we then decided to see if he would like to "drive" in Jack's bouncy car...so, he borrowed his older cousin's cool sunglasses and took it for a spin.  I think he likes it, but it will take a few more weeks and another inch or so before he LOVES it.  He loved spending Easter with his cousins Annie and Jack (if you'd like to see how much Ryan and Annie love each other click here).  Ryan got another big Easter basket, with some very cool little toys and books and a chocolate bunny (I guess mom or dad will have to eat that...twist my arm).  And congratulations to Jess, for winning the egg cracking contest...again.  I'm totally pulling for you to get a turkey and win again next year. 

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*For those who know Libby and how much she likes to eat anything and everything she finds on the ground - most things I can't even see before they go down her throat - for example some of my recent favorites have been a piece of pizza she found in the yard (brought over by the squirrels from the garbage next door), a chicken bone she found on the stairs, and a button the size of a fingernail I was able to fish out before she swallowed it.  We are unsure of what she got at this time, but last week she was throwing up and experiencing some other intestinal difficulties (is that a nice way of saying diarrhea?).  When it got to the point that she was not eating her food or drinking her water, it was time to take her to the vet.  She had an exam of her bottom and an xray to make sure that nothing was stuck...it would appear nothing is stuck.  Then a full round of antibiotic shots and a prescription for three medications.  Clearly, my vet thinks I have nothing better to do than dispense medicine for, between the three prescriptions, one could not be taken within one hour of another, and the other two hours before or after the other, and the third not within an hour of each of the other or within two hours of eating food...and, by the way, do this twice a day.  And also, the thirty dollar bag of dog food - give four cups over the course of the day - but break that down over 5 feedings (this I refused to do).  Long story short, a week later, she seems to be just fine.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!! Happy Birthday Randy!!

Congratulations to Lois and Joe, who celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary on Friday. 


Fortunately for us, the rain on Saturday kept Mom and Dad from going to the Lake House and Jon, Ryan and I seized the opportunity to treat them to pizza and cupcakes to celebrate the milestone. 


Looking forward to a big party when they hit 40 years in 2012!!

And a Happy Birthday to Randy, who celebrated his birthday Sunday morning (partly in the air after a great weekend of golfing in Arizona).  I'm glad we got to sing to you last weekend at Papa's birthday party! Sto lat!

Ryan is 3 months old!!!

Just in the past two weeks, Ryan grew out of his 0-3 month clothes!  It actually seemed to happen in just one day.  I was taking him for a visit to Nana's house and put on his overalls - they were at least an inch too short.  So I folded them up and put them in a box.  Then I put another pair of pants on him and left the house.  While Nana was feeding him she kept asking me if his pants were too tight - and I was like, oh they might be getting small.  Nana was right, Mommy was wrong.  After he ate his bottle I think those little pants were cutting off the circulation to the top half of his body!  Good thing Mommy always carries an extra pair of pants in her bag...also too small.  So, now, thank goodness Auntie Linda gave my mom a bunch of clothes from Gabriel...finally a pair of pants that fit!  Now, I am still going through all his little clothes, insisting that they will fit, when clearly they don't! Onto 3-6 month clothes, right on time.

We know that Ryan is getting to be a big boy, for as the days pass there is a lot less crying and a lot more smiling. While Ryan still enjoys doing most of his talking to Mr. Fan, every morning he also likes to tell his mom and dad all about what he dreamt during the night.  And, he is starting to get excited when he sees mom and dad - waving his little arms and kicking his legs.  Ryan also likes his new views of the world from his little green chair - its a whole different perspective for him.  He enjoys tummy time (a little) better and we can get five minites at a time, with his little mini-push ups.  I could swear he is accidentally going to flip himself over soon.  The other night, I thought he was making a considerable amount of noise in his Pack N' Play.  Boy was I right.  Daddy put him to bed with his head at 12:00 and when I finally got up to look at him his head was at 3:00.  He was spinning himself around...that brings us to the end of swaddling, just when it started to work!  Speaking of sleep, Ryan is doing pretty good.  Sleeping from about 8 p.m. until 3 a.m.  At this point, I think he is just used to waking up at three - and I tried to get him to go back to sleep, but he was talking and giggling away.  This added to the fact that he now doesn't like to fall asleep unless his face is snuggled into the biggest, thickest blanket we have (very safe!).  So mommy stays up until he is sound asleep to she can take the blanket away and get a good night's rest.

Like it or not, he's going to keep growing.  And we'll keep you updated on the special events in his life!

Weeks 11 and 12

Papa's Birthday

Nonni and Papa with their grandkiddies - Knox, Annie, Ryan and Jack

After a busy morning of getting Ryan's three month photos done (no, that was not fun - yes, we got some usable shots) and a photo with the Easter bunny (that was much easier than the professional photography, because he slept through it) we went to Ron and Joni's house to celebrate Papa's birthday.  Thank goodness for a (finally!) beautiful day. 

We were able to sit outside in front of the house with all the kids - although it was difficult to protect them from the sun with just one flowery sun hat to share amongst the three babies.  Good thing Ryan has his cool new sunglasses - good for his eyes, not so effective for his bald head.  Well, I have to say, I don't think this January baby knew what to do with himself in the 70 degree (plus) weather.  We had to strip him down to his white t-shirt to keep him comfortable. After that, he seemed to enjoy the breeze on his bare legs and finally settled into a nap when we went in the house to enjoy soup, salad and pizza...and cake of course!

After watching Annie and Knox all day, I think Ryan is going to try to catch up with them as quickly as he can.  Please look at the attached photos - there are some cute ones with the kids together!  Looking forward to Papa's next birthday, I see potential for complete mayhem as all the little kids will be catching up with jack and walking, if not running, by then.

Papa's Birthday

White Sox Winner



Jonny, Ryan and his White Sox tickets



Jonny attended his 11th White Sox home opener in a row today, the coldest since 2003.  It's his favorite day of the year, he said, and then quickly added besides Lori's birthday, or any other days centered around Lori - smart man.  He sorted through all of Ryan's White Sox gear (and there is a lot of it for a three month old) selected his black tee and camo pants, and tried not to take it too personally when Ryan cried his eyes out while he was being dressed in his get-up.  (To be fair to Jonny, Ryan cries when anyone dresses him in anything - he prefers to be clothing-free, and if at all possible, diaper-free too.)







At the end of the day, Ryan was happy in his t-shirt, Daddy was happy with his White Sox winner and great day spent with his Dad and brothers.  Here's looking forward to baseball season...

  

All the Rimkus boys were dressed today...see the photos of my nephews below that I stole off the Internet ;)

Jack



Mark and Knox





Jonny and Ryan

Annie and Ryan

These two seem to like each other...Annie was holding Ryan's hand, but I just couldn't get it on camera!

Ryan Joseph...officially

Ryan Joseph was baptised on March 6 at St. Mary of the Lake in Chicago.  It is the church that Jon and I have attended since we moved to this area five years ago.  It is an older, and quite lovely church, and we were so happy to have Ryan baptised there.  With Ryan's cousin Knox getting baptised the day before and a birthday celebration later the night before, plus dressing ourselves and our baby...we actually made it to the 9 a.m. mass.  Ryan was a little angel - until he pooped all the way up his back in the middle of mass.  Daddy and Mommy had to work as a team to change him and get nothing on his precious gown.  We were just about to give a high five on his awesome diaper change, when, in the one second between using the clean diaper as a shield and putting it under his butt - he started peeing.  Somehow, he missed the entire gown and got only his face - which didn't seem to bother him in the least.  Gown saved! 

Reverend Paul conducted the service, funny as he was, conducted the service.  He did such a fabulous job (and you will notice didn't miss one photo op and joined us for lunch like one of the family as well).  Ryan was the only baptism that day, so the little king had the whole church to himself (naturally).  Ryan was a good little Catholic boy and remained quiet for the service.  Based on the face only his parents and Godparents could see, he was perplexed by the sacred oils, and gave out one little chicken-like cry when the water hit his head.  We are honored to have Randy and Jess as Ryan's Godparents, for we know they will always be watching over Ryan right along with us.  He's a lucky boy to have them looking out for him - and to have each and every person that attended the celebration in his life.  There's no way he could go wrong with all those special people giving him guidance.  We were so happy that all of Ryan's family (friends are family too!) was there to witness his first sacrament. 

I'm not quite sure if a baby is supposed to have something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, but Ryan had it all.  His christening gown made from Nana's wedding dress.  A big thank you to Auntie Linda who worked tirelessly on the gown, worn first by Ryan, and to be worn in the future by any of Nana's great, great-great, and maybe even great-great-great grandchildren.  He used his daddy's christening socks, ring, and blanket and wore a St. Joseph, St. Gerard, and St. Jude medals - as we have prayed especially to these saints for Ryan and know they will always be watching over him.

There were so many pictures it was hard to choose just a few to represent the day...you can see a short version here...(and though there were SO many pictures...I don't think we did a great job for posing for many of them...could we all be any further away from one another!?)

Ryan's Baptism

Ryan - Ten Weeks

So, here we are half way through Ryan's second month.  At his two month check-up, he weighed 11 pounds 11 ounces (of course!) and had grown to 23 inches.  It was vaccination time for our little man.  Right after I had explained in great detail to Dr. N that Ryan has begun screaming - or screaching - randomly through out the day, he prepared the shots and told Ryan he wanted to hear those screams.  He gave Ryan the first shot in his right leg and Ryan said "Wah."  Dr. N. raised his eyebrow and proceeded to give him the second shot in his left leg and Ryan said "Wah Wah."  To which Dr. N looked at me and then looked at Ryan and said "RYAN - your mother is a liar."  I could swear that for a second I thought about pinching Ryan to see if he would cry (kidding!).  Imagine my pleasure when AFTER the doctor left the room and it was time to put pants on he screamed bloody murder - I hope the doctor heard that. 

Since he is semi-vaccinated, mommy has allowed him to leave the house!   He has gone to McCormick and Schmick's, Ann Sather and a few brunches with mommy and her friends.  (Once all friends have seen the little king, mommy is going to brunch alone!)  He has had his grand introduction at Sentinel and I think he was a big hit - no one seemed too bothered by his hungry cries floating down the hallway and he had his diaper changed on daddy's desk. 

Ryan is eating well, and mommy had to cry because it was time to pack up the four ounce bottles - I swear his new bottles are as big as he is!  Ryan has instituted a new policy of only pooping every three days - that mixed with a resurgance of spraying mommy and daddy (and the walls) has made for some interesting diaper changes.  While he still has his crying spells in the evening, he has grown to love the bathtub, which has led us to up the baths from two a week to one every day!  He just sits in the water and kicks his feet, smiles and, more recently, has added some quick laughs of excitement.  He found his hands and he loves to have them in his mouth.  It's an interesting sound to hear at 3:00 in the morning when he's slurping himself back to sleep.  Speaking of sleep (I'm knocking on wood now) - Ryan slept through the night quite a few times - as much as a little boy can sleep through the night.  We have been getting from 11 p.m. to 4 or 5 in the morning.  It seems like such a long time on paper - so why are mommy and daddy still so tired?

We continue practicing tummy time, which Ryan enjoys more in his crib than anywhere else.  It is amazing to see how he uses his little hands to get a tight grip on the sheets and do his mini push-ups.  After a few minutes of hard work he tends to get tired and then lays there and licks the sheet.  Truly, we are waiting for more nice days, because when we did get a few days above 45 degrees, he really liked walking with mommy in the stroller.  I bundled him up in his little football fleece from Uncle Randy and Auntie Jess and walked everyday when it was nice out.  Then I got a slap in the face with the weather going back down into the twenties. 

So, we don't have as many pictures for this month so far.  We acutually used up all the memory on our disc and I don't want to delete any pictures of my little cutie.  So, I have "buy new memory card" on my list of things to do (which I never take with  me, so the list just gets longer).

https://picasaweb.google.com/118301509034895916002/Month3?feat=directlink

As a side note - on March 25, two little friends were born into the world for little Ryan.  One, a new Bugajski cousin, Rose Alexandra (Annie and Chris' daughter) and Laura and Vince (and big sister Mia) welcomed Max Vincent.  I'm not sure if its the Bugajski in me, or the new mom hormones, but I cried for both little babies and can't wait to meet them! Congrats to the Leach's and Petrucci's!

Until the next time I have time...  :)

Ryan's Rattle

Tonight we got Ryan to grasp his rattle and to our suprise he put it to his mouth to taste it.  Eventually he had a rattle in each hand!  Big boy!

Ryan is Two Months Old!

Wow!  I can't believe that Ryan is two months old already!  Time is going by way too quickly for this mom.  At his one month appointment, Ryan had grown an inch and a half to 22 inches and the last time we went into the doctor, March 4, he weighed 11.5 pounds.  Unfortunately for Ryan, he has been a frequent visitor to the doctor's office during month 2 as we try to diagnose just what is bothering his tummy. He had his blood drawn to check jaundince (which turned out fine) and that process proved just as difficult for his mother as it is for him (he cried so hard it made Mom cry too).  He has some acid reflux, mixed in with some colic - and all of it will get better with time.  But his cute little face makes up for all those tears that come with colic...sometimes even the tears are cute.

On Valentine's Day Ryan started smiling to his Mama - a real smile that says "Hey, I know you" and not one that says "I'm going to pass gas now."  He has been showing off his little grin ever since then, but he doesn't like for it to be captured on film.  Don't get me wrong, he definitely has his serious moments (especially if Mom has just told someone how smiley he is) but its such a joy to see him smiling at us during a diaper change or when he's just hanging out in his rocker.  He had a little cough last week, that sounded like a "sick" cough, so I took him into the doctor.  When Dr. N. walked in, Ryan started laughing and cooing and doctor looked at me and said, "he is smiling...he is going home.  nothing wrong with him."  Fine.  I guess I'll learn!  Besides Mommy and Daddy, Ryan's favorite thing to smile at is who we call "Mr. Fan."  He loves ceiling fans and spends a lot of time smiling and talking to them.  I have to wonder what he sees up there.

Last week, Ryan started following Daddy around the room, not just with his eyes, but turning his head from left to right and he also mimics Daddy by smacking his lips and sticking out his tongue.  Tummy time is not his favorite, and I swear he is doing everything he can to get out of it.  He lifts up his legs and head and really wants to get away, but eventually, he gives up and lays there and licks the mat.  (Now I have to lay down blankets to make sure he doesn't get a mouth full of Libby's hair.) 



Please enjoy photos from month 2 HERE

I'm One Month Old!!

I can't believe it!  Ryan is one month old already - time is going by too fast.  He's a little cutie, we get a smile (one that we can tell is NOT a "gassy" smile, because he's using his eyes) every couple of days and he's "talking" alot more.  The poor little guy is getting fussy after he eats, but we're working with Dr. N to find out what might be going on with his tummy.  No matter what is going inside his belly, it is not affecting his desire to eat.  He weighs almost ten pounds now and doctor looked at him and said "Ryan! You are getting to be a moose."  I still think he's just a little guy, but I did have to pack up all of his newborn clothes - I already couldn't believe that he was small enough to fit into those tiny newborn t-shirts.  Somehow its unfair how sleep deprived you are in the beginning, because I feel like I can't remember enough!

We are anxiously awaiting some nice weather so Ryan can discover that there is a whole world outside of these four walls and his doctor's office. 

Enjoy the photos up to one month!!!!

Week Four (plus)

I know...I have lots of photos of him crying...I wish you could hear his little chicken cry to go along with the photos!

 

I Am Three Weeks Old!

Well, it seems like the third week flew by.  I feel like I can't remember what happened, as much of the week was marked by a fussy baby who strongly believes night is day and day is night.  The poor little guy's tummy hurts him after he eats - but he doesn't like to burp, and if we burp him too much he spits his food up.  So, we're figuring out what works for him - bicycle legs, laying on his tummy, gas drops, Mom cutting all dairy out of her diet - we'll see what works. 

Ryan got to meet so much of his family this week!  Lots of special Aunties and Uncles and his future playmates Jack and Annie.  To top off the end of week three, on Monday he outgrew his newborn diapers and Tuesday his newborn clothes (sniff sniff).  I can't believe how big he's getting so quickly. He's staying awake for longer periods of time.  Daddy recites his ABC's and 123's to him daily and I sing a lot of silly made up songs.  I am concerned that he starts screaming everytime I start reading a book to him yet he will stop in his tracks for football, basketball and hockey on television (yep, definitely a Rimkus). 

Jon was suprised at work on Tuesday with a baby shower at his office.  He was so honored (and red-faced for the first time in a long time).  Thankfully, he was able to reach me at a time Ryan was sleeping and I was able to listen to the festivites over speakerphone.  Ryan is going to be looking good in all his new clothes and have fun with his new toys!  We truly feel so blessed to have so many people care for our family. 


Week Three Photos

I Am Two Weeks Old!

Ryan had a busy week this week - he met so many of his Aunties and Uncles!  He is truly blessed to have such a wonderful family around him.  He loved meeting everyone, and everyone loved meeting him - but I think everyone hopes his eyes will be open the next time around.  He loved Nana's "la la la la la" song, and I'm trying to recreate its soothing effects at home, but its just not the same as Nana singing it in your ear.
Mommy and Daddy gave Ryan his first "good" sponge bath - up until then the baths were a little water here, a little water there and parents too afraid to move him around too much!  But he was a good boy and didn't complain too much...and as a bonus, during his bath his umbilical cord fell off.


Saturday morning, after a sleepless night - a bleary eyed Jon went to change little Ryan's diaper and, while we can laugh about the pee pee Ryan did on his face, clothes and the walls in our early diapering experiences last week, Jon was in store for something completely different.  He just finished cleaning him up and Ryan pooed all over his daddy, his clothes, his changing pad, and the diaper caddy...Ryan's poor little giraffe even got some on his nose.  The next day when Grandma came to pick us up, and it was her turn to change the little king, he somehow ended up with pee on his eyebrows and socks, but not on any of the parts in between...he must not have wanted to soil his new Bears jersey. 

Ryan is doing so great...he is a good eater, and a great sleeper (except for that 3 or 4 in the morning bottle, he likes to try to stay up for awhile after that one - its funny, we could be in the darkest of rooms and I can see his little eyes moving around).  He is starting to smile more (I insist it isn't just gas) and he likes it when you kiss him on his cheeks - and I'm pretty sure he's trying to kiss back, or maybe just trying to take a little bite.

For more pictures of Ryan's second week...click HERE

I Am One Week Old!

I can't believe a week has gone by so quickly!  Ryan is now one week old and is getting so big already.  Mom and Dad are getting used to their new schedule and loving every minute of it. 

We know a lot of you have not had the opporunity to come and see Baby Ryan - so please see the link below for a brief look at Ryan's first week.

Ryan - one week