6 months

I hate that the 5 month mark got skipped, I do have a picture but no stats. I guess that is what happens when school starts and we didn't have internet at home.

For now, here is your 6 month stats:

You weigh almost 17 pounds- 30th percentile

Lenghth is 28 inches- 90%th percentile

Wearing size 2 diaper

Clothes is so hard because you are so skinny- pajamas 6-9 months, onsies 6-9, shirts 3-6, and shorts/pants are 3-6 month but falling off of you. When you wear 3-6 month pants they are way too short. Not sure how to fix this problem, but hopefully one day Mommy will.

Your 2 bottom teeth FINALLY broke through at the same time

You can sit all by yourself

Love playing with your toys and when you get bored with one you let us know and we move on to something else

You would rather be standing than sitting, but you don't have the strength yet to stand on your own, even though you try really hard.

You are rocking on all fours ready to start crawling

Your favorite thing is when Mommy or Daddy say your name .you stop what you are doing and look and smile.

Whenever you make eye contact with someone you give them the biggest smile.

People say you are the happiest baby they have ever seen. You never cry unless something is really bothering you, and your smile is amazing!

You love to belly laugh at your Daddy whenever he is playing with you.

You started Day Care with Ms. Tina and you LOVE it. There are many days you would rather be there than home, which makes me happy that you love it, but sad because I want you to want to be with me.

You still eat about 30 ounces a day and have 2 meals a day one with fruit and the other with veggies. If you had your choice it would be all food and no bottle.

You still don't really nap, maybe 10 min here and there in the mornings, and an hour on a good afternoon.

You go to bed at 8:00 and sleep between 5-6.

It is crazy how much you have grown in the last couple of months. Your personality has really come through and I cherish every moment we get to spend together. I cannot wait for the many more memories we will share. Love you beyond words!

A Promised Post

On July 14th, 2010, a day Shaylor and I had been dreaming and praying for for 2 1/2 years finally cam true with a positive pregnancy test. I always thought I would tell Shaylor in a really cool way, but it didn't happen. I was going out with the girls that night and wanted to drink since I hardly ever got to, but took a test to ease my mind, keep in mind I had probably taken 100 test by this point. So not thinking anything of it, I took the test and walked away to get ready. I ended up taking a peek and saw two lines. I ended up taking 3 more test. Shaylor was already at work so I sent him a picture but didn't hear back from him, so I called his work and surprised him by telling him at work!!!! Needless to say, he didn't appreciate that too much. I called our fertility specialist the next morning and went and she took blood and confirmed I was pregnant, but I still took probably 10 more tests just to be sure. I had to have blood drawn every other for about a week just to be sure everything was progressing. At 6 weeks we got to have a sonogram and see our miracle. It is still so surreal that I have a son that I can hold and love and do everything else a mom can do.

We decided this year we would do something to celebrate the day we were given a miracle and we went and toured the cowboys stadium, which is awesome, had lunch with some great friends, and ended the day just getting to love on Kysen. I never know what we will tell Kysen about our journey, or if we even will. I do hope one day he knows that God is good and He does give us the most amazing blessings! July 14th will probably always be a day that Shaylor and I will celebrate, and hold so dear to our hearts.

I know many friends that are struggling with infertility right now, and are getting pretty beat down by it. Whenever you read this, I ask that you lift them up in prayer. Many people who read our blog either have dealt with infertility or have been by our side as we struggled and you know what we through.

Thanks for continuing on this journey with us!

4 months

We can't believe Kysen Allin thata you are 4 months old. On July 14, 2010 we found out we were pregnant with you, so this milestone was really special. We will blog later with what we did to celebrate.

You weigh 14 pounds 2 ounces- 30th percentile

You are 26 inches long- 90th percentile

You are wearing size 1 diapers still

If you are wearing a one piece outfit then you are in 3-6 month clothing. If it is separates, bottoms are 0-3 months and still big on you, and your top is 3-6 months.

You smile the second you lock eyes with anyone, but when you hear Mommy or Daddy's voice, or see us, you squeal and smile your biggest smile. You already know how to melt some one's heart.

You have found your voice and talk ALL THE TIME!

You love to laugh when Daddy does babyquake.

You love to laugh when Mommy gives you kisses.

You are still sleeping in your swaddle, but we are trying to break you of that before Mommy goes back to work.

Sleeping is still a strong point with you. We just lay you in your crib and you put yourself right to sleep.

You get very cranky if you are not in bed by 8/8:30.

We can find you awake anywhere between 5 and 7, then you always go back to sleep until 9 or 10.

You have started talking instead of crying when you wake up.

You will not nap during the day.

Your favorite things to do right now is swim and play with your jeep.

You drink 6, 6 ounce bottles everyday.

We love you big boy!!!!!!

Happy 3 Months!

*You weigh 12 1/2 pounds, not sure length

*You are in size 1 diapers

*You are still in 0-3 month clothing. You are so long and skinny that 3-6 month bottoms fall off of you but are the perfect length. Shirt wise 0-3 months fits your skinny torso but we can hardly get them buttoned around you.

* You hate tummy time and it is a fighting battle with you every day. I have a feeling you will walk before you will crawl.

*You always want to be sitting up or standing (of course with help) and not laying down unless it is night time.

*You have discovered your hands and feet and always have them in front of your face. This makes you smile so big.

*If you are not in bed by 8:00 you scream which has made it hard to go and do anything in the evenings.

*To sleep, you have to be swaddled, not sure how to break you of this.

*You wake up between 5-7 and eat then go back to bed for another 3-4 hours.

*You have 6, 5 ounce bottles a day.

*You are smiling all the time and talking nonstop. It is so sweet.

*On your 3 month birthday you went to your first doctor's visit for being sick. Luckily it was just a cold, but you couldn't take any medicine so you had to just tough it out.

*You are so alert and love watching everything.

*Best of all, Mommy loves being home with you every day in the summer. She could get used to this.

Long Overdue

I am so sorry that I have been slacking in the blog. I went back to work for the last 3 weeks of school then we went on vacation for 10 days. It was hard to go back to work, but my mom and mother-in-law watched Kysen for me which of course eased my mind a little bit. I have never looked more forward though to a summer and getting to spend it with my little man!

After school was out, my family went on a vacation to Ruidoso. It was so much fun and relaxing. My sister and her family came and it was fun to watch Taryn with Kysen. She was such a big help and always wanted to know where "Baby" was. Then we went to El Paso for a couple of days. We got to see some friends and they got to meet Kysen which was awesome.

As for now we are just enjoying summer and I am loving every minute I get to spend with Kysen. I just hope this summer doesn't fly by! I will update everyone with pictures and his stats soon, I promise. :)

Accomplished???

To me, YES!!!!!

Shaylor has a crazy work schedule, and Kysen and I have had to adjust. It was hard having him home for 2 weeks after Kysen was born and then him going back to work. Shaylor usually handled the late night feedings, etc. Well when he went back to work some nights it was just me. I know from previous posts I have told you how he worked over night. We have a little boy that is a night owl. I try to put him to bed at 9 and it doesn't work. On Wednesdays Shaylor works until at least 1 am. Most of the other nights during the week he is home and gives Kysen his last bottle usually around midnight then puts him to bed. Every time I try Kysen just cries and cries and cries. It gets so frustrating, but I guess I don't have the touch that Shaylor has. I must not swaddle him right, or give him the right kisses, or say the right thing, but only at night. During the day we have no problems and he goes right to sleep. Shaylor has come home many times to me crying because I don't know what else to deal and I feel like a failure as a mother since I can't even put my child to sleep. I am trying to do what they say in Baby Wise, but it's hard.

I am sure you keep asking yourself how do you feel accomplished? I have been dreading tonight all day. I didn't want Shaylor to go to work, and leave me tonight. My good friend Nicci came over to keep me company and she and her daughter played with Kysen to give me a little break. Well then they left and I didn't know what was going to happen. So, at 9:30 I gave Kysen his bottle, and then put him in his crib at 10:00. HE DIDN'T CRY!!!!!! He went right to sleep and has been for an hour and a half. To some of you this may not be a big deal, but to me it is HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!! He may wake up any minute and I would be OK with that, knowing that I can get him to go back to sleep. What a great feeling!

Happy 1 Month Kysen Allin

One month...
-I just started drinking 3 1/2 to 4 ounces of formula every 3 hours.
- I am still in newborn diapers.
-I wear newborn shirts and 0-3 month pants. I am tall and skinny!
-I sleep between 7-8 hours a night.
-I don't like to go to bed before 11:30-12:00. If you put me down before that I will kick, scream, and throw a HUGE fit until someone comes and gets me.
-During the daytime all I want is my mommy, and at nighttime I want to be with my daddy.
-Cuddling is my favorite thing to do with anybody that will hold me.
-Some days I like tummy time, and some days I scream the whole time.
-I am a lot more alert, and love looking around.
-I got my first prescription of eye ointment because my tear ducts have still not developed.
-I just started sleeping in my crib and I love all the room I have!
-I am a growing boy and gained 1 1/2 pounds in 2 weeks. I now weigh 8 pounds 11 ounces.
-I think everyone is adjusting to having me around, because I sure do get a lot of love.

What's Been Going On???

Our last post talked about all of Kysen's firsts he had going on. He loved every moment of it. He was spoiled by lots of my old friends on Saturday. He was loved every moment of it and soaked it up. We did get to skype with my parents, and it was so neat to watch him. He just stared at the computer and it was like he was really listening to Nana and Pops. I think they enjoyed it too! Kysen has been taking one nap a day in his crib in the afternoon and he really likes it. I think it will be a smooth transition for him to go to his crib, but I am sure for me I will be a basketcase. I will probably be sleeping in there for awhile. He loves being outside in the evenings. Shaylor bought me new patio furniture so we have gone out a couple of times and he just looks and is so peaceful. The first evening we took him out, the dogs looked at him like um what are you doing out here, this is our domain. It was so funny, and before long they were being the protective dogs they are with him even outside. My sister, Ace, and Jason, Zio, will be here this weekend. They of course are bringing Taryn and I am so excited to see her! Ace has met Kysen but Zio and Taryn have not. Once they come then Kysen has been fortunate enough to meet his whole family. The best news is the last 3 nights Kysen has slept between 7-8 hours. I am hoping this is a new trend for him. It sure helps when waking up in the morning and feeling refreshed. We hope everyone is doing well too! Come visit us soon. We miss and love you all.

Pictures

Those pictures below are horrible and I could not figure out how to delete them so here they are in a better quality!

Firsts by Kysen

Lots of "firsts" are happening. Here they are:

-I went shopping at Target today with just me and Mommy.

-I wore overalls for the first time today.

-I am going to some one's house, which happens to be Aunt Roo's house, for the first time tonight. My mommy hopes I am on my best behavior.

-I took a nap in my crib today and LOVED it!

-I have my first birthday party to go to this weekend. Happy 2nd Birthday Emma!

-At the party, I am going to get to meet a lot of Mommy's friends from college.

-I finally love bath time and fall asleep when my mommy is giving me a bath.

-I am going to have my first Skype session with Nana and Pops on Saturday, and maybe even Ace, Zio, and my cousin Taryn!

-My mom and dad are going to attempt taking me to church on Sunday.

As you can see, we are very busy! Kysen did so much better last night sleeping. Shaylor was home and took great care of him so I could catch up on some sleep. I was informed this moring that tonight Shaylor is sleeping and I have to get up with Kysen. I do owe Shaylor one because he is the one for the last 3 weeks that gets up with him every night, so this is the least I can do. We are looking forward to this weekend even though it is going to be a busy one, we are excited for everything we have going on. It should be lots of fun, I just hope Kysen is good.

Survival

We survived last night, barely. Kysen did not want to sleep for anything! I tried everything with him. He would finally calm down and fall asleep in my arms and just as I would put him down, he would start screaming and crying again. I knew he was fine because he had been fed, clean diaper, and no temp. I kept telling myself "Everyone says just let them cry it out, they will be ok." But as a mom that is really hard to do when it is your own child and you want to comfort them. Overall we got about an hour of sleep. When Shaylor got home at 6, he fed him and Kysen went right to sleep and slept until 10 this morning. I don't know if he was just missing his daddy since Shaylor has not been home at night since last Thursday or what was going on. All I know is I told Shaylor that he can never work over night again as long as we have a 3 week baby at home. Needless to say we have all been pretty tired today. Shaylor once again is closing tonight, but tomorrow he will be home at night. I am hoping that tonight and tomorrow go a lot smoother. Thanks for all of the support!!!!! We need it during this time.

Day 2

So we are surviving our second day of it just being me and Kysen. Yesterday we had a rough day, but made it through. I decided I was going to try to make dinner, what was I thinking with having a fussy baby? He wanted to be held all day. I would put him down and he would scream. I did make dinner and let him cry and scream. The funny thing is dinner was ready at 6:30 but was not eaten until 8:45 when Daddy finally got home. Today has been a great day! We even ventured out on a trip to Target. We need diapers, pacifiers, and formula! He did great, slept the whole time. Tonight instead of trying to make dinner, we are going to have leftovers or sandwiches. Kysen really enjoys play time/tummy time! He loves looking at the lights and himself. He is holding his head up so well, but he has been doing that since he was born. He is a really strong boy, and I am not just being biased. Shaylor will be home with us tomorrow during the day but will be working over night on Tuesday, so please say a prayer for us. Shaylor usually takes all of the night feedings which is usually only 2, at midnight or 1 and Kysen doesn't wake up until 6 or 7. I hope I can survive.

He's HERE!!!!

I have been so bad about blogging! I am going to try to do better because I know there are many friends and family that read this and want to keep up to date on our lives, and our new addition.

Kysen Allin Richards entered this world on March 16th. He weighed 6 pound 9 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long. We had a very long and hard delivery. I was at an 8 for over 4 hours. Kysen became stressed and only liked one position and that was with me on all fours. As I am sure you can picture me on all fours with an epidural. It was exciting, let me tell you. At one point, they came in and prepped us for a c-section. My doctor came in and said we are going to try having this baby first. I am so thankful for someone like her. The scary part was I looked up and saw about 10 doctors and nurses standing around with so many different tools, this doesn't include my doctor and the 2 nurses that were helping me. My heart dropped though when I heard the roll call and NICU was a part of that. Luckily my doctor made it happen and we didn't have to have a c-section. When he came out he barely whimpered so of course I was so worried that something was wrong. Shaylor reassured me numerous times he was ok. They had to run a bunch of test before I could hold or see him, which took about 30 minutes. We later learned that our son had more of a whimper than a cry. Once he hit 2 weeks, he showed us his lungs.

God truly has blessed us with a miracle. Many of you that read our blog are the ones that said countless prayers for us. We cannot thank you enough for the love and support you have shown us. I cry every time I think about who God has put in our lives. It amazes me that there are people out there that read our blog and prayed for us. I hope our story can touch some lives and give people hope. I thought I would never be where we are today, but now I look back and thank God for the trial He gave us.

So Blessed

We have had 2 baby showers so far, and are just so overwhelmed by the love people have shown us. It truly is amazing how blessed we really are.

Kysen's room is slowly coming together. Thank goodness for all the goodies we have gotten so far. I see other people that are due in March already have everything finished, and we are no where close to that. Trying to organize everything has been really fun. I have had to make some sacrifices and give up my closet to Ky could have somewhere for his clothes, and toys. I got rid of a lot of clothes, but the hardest part was to get rid of about 30 pairs of shoes. I cried! On a more positive note, we do have the necessities we need to have a baby right now: car seat, bassinet, and some clothes.

I know that Shaylor and I both could never express how much we appreciate everything that has been done for us and our blessing!