Merry Christmas!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

We had a great holiday with Uncle Brendan and the Nafziger clan...
Thanks for all the great gifts!!!







Ramey especially loves her new snowsuit!!

Chunky Monkey No More

My little chunkers is now a 2 foot skinny minnie :-P

We went for a 3 month weight check... 10.15... only a small gain and a drop in percentile again. She will now be getting a little milk in a bottle so hopefully at her 4 month appt she'll be a chunky monkey again!!

I think a growth spurt is just around the corner... she had a 2 hour nap today and yesterday, big change from the typical 45 mins and has been eating like a champ

Check out the little chatterbox (sorry can't figure out how to get it from youtube.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mKqV6atvc4

Uncle Brendan is coming over tonight to stay with Ramey so mom & dad can go out for sushi!!

My First Christmas... Photo Shoot

Auntie Angela came over this week and we had a mini photo shoot... Ramey was such a great subject:










Lefty had to get into the action too!






All I want for Christmas...

I'll get back to you on that







Still thinking...






Oh Christmas tree,
Oh Christmas tree...






But I was such a good girl...







MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!











Nite, nite...

Ramey rolled over!!!

Today during tummy time Ramey rolled over from her tummy to her back!!! She's done it a few times on the bed or couch...but today she did it on the floor!!! My little girl is getting so big!!!

So far she is sleeping great at night (from 9-5!!!) We are enjoying it while we can as I've heard this may change. However, she isn't much of a napper, I'm lucky if I get 45 minutes...most times I can get her back down, but not always and when I do it's only for another 20-30 minutes... I've decided not to fight it and just make sure she rest (preferably sleeps) again in 2 hours.

Ramey's First Thanksgiving

Ramey and Great Aunt Donna

Thanksgiving was spent out at Great Aunt Mary and Uncle Tim's with 60+ other people and consumed 6 deep fried turkeys (yeah healthy!!) We played a game of pass the baby. I gave Ramey to Suzi, who passed her to Cindi, who passed her to Mike... and so it continued!! (that is till ms fussy pants came out!) Luckily no cold so far!!!

Ramey spent a little time with cousin Cora (1 week younger than Ramey)

Grandma and Papa were great and took over baby duty so mom and dad could go to a movie!! Ron and I had a nice date night and took in 007!! (we even got popcorn)

On Friday, Great Aunt Donna, Uncle Bruce and Kris came up from St. Louis and Uncle Brendan brought Grandma from Chicago and we all went out to lunch and had a nice time visiting...

Oh I almost forgot... Ramey gave Brendan an early Christmas gift before we left Chicago... She had an explosive diaper as he was holding her (down her leg, on her sock, onto Uncle B's work clothes then to the floor, which Lefty proceeded to walk thru!!) She hasn't even done that to either one of us!

Great Grandma Betty!!

We had a great week with Great Grandma Betty!! She came up to Chicago from St. Louis for a quick visit!!

Grandma, Ramey and the boys...

She was so very helpful!!! She spent a lot of time walking and rocking Ramey. We took a field trip to the Museum of Science & Industry and saw Christmas Trees from around the world. While we were there we checked out the new U-boat exhibit... pretty cool!! In a few months, Ramey will really enjoy the Idea Factory!!!

Grandma said Cheryl was a finger sucker...so when Ramey finally finds her fingers, we'll know Grandma Cheryl gave her a helping hand (or finger!!)

Looking forward to Grandma's next visit!

2 Month Stats...

Can someone please pause time... my little girl is getting so big!

Ramey is a growing girl:
10 lbs 3 oz (25-50 percentile)
23 1/2 inches (90 percentile)

She dropped in weight percentile so we'll go back for a 3 month weight check just to make sure she continues to gain...

She handled her first round of shots better than her mother did... good thing dad came along too! She only had a slight fever (felt warm) that night.

Ramey loves to talk to her friends on her activity mat and enjoys telling us stories during diaper changes... she is one chatty cathy! She has discovered her hands and can spend hours just staring at them or trying to figure out how to fit them in her mouth (at the same time...)

She also loves to stand tall and show us how big she is!!! She is going to be all over the place before we know it!

Meet Frank and Wish...

Ron was at a conference so I spent the week with Mom and Dad... Brian and Kristin brought the boys over for dinner (and to see ms. Ramey) and Kristin brought over the leftover treats from her last day party (cupcakes with Frankenstein and Witch rings)... Gavin introduced us to a few friends:


(Sorry it took awhile)

Happy Birthday Ramey Ann!!!

I was bound and determined to keep Ramey in place till after all the services… my due date was Thursday and since many first babies are late I thought all was good. After Cheryl’s passing I put myself on couch-rest, thinking it would help… well I spent most of Sunday night wide awake timing contractions, they weren’t super strong or regular but they were happening. This continued thru the night, morning and afternoon. Monday late afternoon I decided I needed to get checked out to see what was going on since the visitation was in 24hrs.
When I first got to the hospital I was only dilated 3 but almost fully effaced. The monitor showed that I was in fact contracting on a regular basis but still weren’t super strong. This continued thru the evening with no progress, normally we would have been sent home but they knew the situation and let us stay awhile longer. We (mom and I) decided to walk around for another hour or so and if nothing progressed then we would go home… with a little help from Cheryl, I finally made just enough progress and continued too for awhile longer. Once I made it to 6, I got my epidural (HEAVEN!!!) then shortly thereafter we started the pitocin. Tuesday morning rounds the dr ruptured my water in hopes of getting things moving along again but by noon I had stalled again and the dr suggested a c-section if I still hadn’t progressed by 1… Well no change and we ended up having the c-section… Ramey was born at 1:30 Sept 23, 2008!!! My chunky monkey... 8lbs 15oz!!! and 21 inches long!!
She had difficulty maintaining her blood sugar and was put on an iv (they also had concern about possible infection due to maconium in fluid, all test came back negative!!) Poor thing was stuck over and over... I was discharge on Friday but Ramey had to stay, luckily the hospital let me stay on as a border till she was discharge which happened on Saturday.

Remembering Grandma Cheryl

On September 20, 2008, Grandma Cheryl past away after a long fought battle with breast cancer. She tried so very hard to hold out to meet Baby Ramey…

Cheryl was the best mother-in-law I could ask for. She treated me as a daughter and not as an in-law. I could go to her with any problem, including those involving her son and she would look at the situation with an open heart and mind…set me straight or would agree with me!

I remember times of laughter, like when she came to Chicago for my bachelorette party and danced the night away with my aunts. I remember times of support, like when Ron and I were debating wedding locations. I remember times of mothering, like when she took me to the emergency room while at the Lake of Ozarks. I remember numerous times of celebrating: graduations, weddings, new jobs, new homes and the prospect of a new baby… the memories will never be forgotten.

Grandma Cheryl may not be here in person but I have already felt her presence. In the midst of her passing I felt Baby Ramey move like I had never felt and I know that she made a stop and spent some time with Baby Ramey before the rest of us! Ramey has so much of her Grandma in her that Cheryl will be an ever present part of our lives…

For Cheryl’s birthday Ron spent countless hours preparing a montage for her:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILGwgdVmYNw

We miss you….