More Rylie Cuteness...Cant Get Enough...

Until very recently, Rylie's head has been too small for big headbands and flowers to look cute on her. So I haven't been heavy on the bow and flower thing.  But now that she is growing, she's growing into the look.  So cute! She's no longer a new born...she's a growing baby. So awesome.

She is getting much stronger with holding her head up too.  Monday evening she was really doing well, so it was perfect to snap some great pics.  I love capturing her facial expressions to look back at how they change so quickly.  (If I could capture every moment of her day I would.)  She is processing this enormous and awesome world around her at sometimes very high speeds. I'm moved by the way she takes on her days. She's a little trooper! But boy is she pooped after each of her 2 days at Ms. Deeta's house.  She sleeps like a rock those nights. 

She has outgrown a great deal of her newborn clothes and can sometimes wear a six month outfits. But for the most part she is in the 3-6 month stuff. It has amazed me how different baby clothing brands differ so much in their sizes.  I cant wait to dress her in some very cute 6-9 month clothes that both Nana and Grammie have bought for her.  And when she starts wearing shoes???.... I think I will faint with excitement!!  The idea of her finding her feet and using them, whether correctly or learning from her mistakes...... sigh .......I just cant wait to guide her through life.

Sunday night we watched the Cowboys game.  They sucked...but I wont stay in disappointment-land for more than that brief moment I just shared.  We dressed Rylie in her Dallas onsie and read her her football book. That's now our Sunday night routine before her bath, bottle and bed... we dress Rylie in a sports outfit, pick the team we are going to root for, then Brian reads the football book with Rylie, and we practice the "touchdown" signal.  Then she gets to watch a little bit of the game with us before we get going on her bedtime routine.

I think she started to get a little spooked by all the new things we were exposing her to. Her little face below looks so confused. But she finally started to feel more relaxed once daddy held her tight and started reading her book to her.

Mommy's Back To Work...

I'm back to work. Full time.  

It was harder than I thought it was going to be. But I stayed focused and my first week back last week went by pleasingly fast!  It's funny. At 5:00 pm each day I get so excited that I get to come home to my baby girl and spend the next 3 hours hanging on her every smile!  I make the most of every minute.  It's quite a difference from the "joined at the hip" love affair I've had with my child the last 11 weeks. Now I only get three meaningful hours with her each week day evening.  So yay for weekends!

Those 11 weeks I was off work were great!  There were a few days that my mom would watch her for brief periods while I would run to the gym for an hour.  And I had to go to the office a couple of mornings.  So there was some separation.  But I pretty much spent every waking hour (and many napping hours) of my days with this beautiful little person for the last 11 weeks.  Taking her places, grocery shopping, teaching her things, parks and the museum, getting to know her, letting her nap on my chest. What an awesome gift that was.  Thank you so much Nana and Pops and Grammie for your love and support with our little angel.  Your support and love during these last 11 weeks made it much less of a struggle on us while I wasn't working. And I was able to bond that much more with Rylie. There is no doubt in her mind who her mama is, that's for sure, and I'm feeling darn good myself about thinking I know what makes that baby girl tick.  Family is so special and we couldn't be more grateful.

Grammie spent a lot of time with Rylie and me too while I was off work.  So I got a double blessing out of the deal.  During these last 11 weeks I probably got to spend time with my mom at least every other day, some weeks every day. It was great.  Whether we just stayed around the house, or went on one of our many outings, I feel much closer to my mom now. I guess that happens a lot when a child becomes a parent of their own.  It's been awesome to be able to rely on both grandmothers for advice and support going into this chapter of new motherhood/parenthood.

Speaking of grandparents. Brian and I made a holiday faus pax this week. Sunday was National Grand Parents Day.  We didn't know!!!!  Poor Rylie, she felt so bad when we told her.  So, to the new grand parents in our family, happy belated Grand Parents Day. We love you and cherish you so much!

Nana, Pops and Rylie

Grammie, Me and Rylie

RYLIE'S DAYCARE ARRANGEMENTS...

I don't know what we did to be so fortunate to have the daycare arrangement we do, but it's wonderful.

On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays my mom (Grammie) comes over to our house and watches Rylie. But when I say "watches" her, what I really mean is that she spends the day teaching her all about things. Grammie has already started ABC flash cards with her and bought the My Baby Can Read program to start with her. So far so good with the flashcards. They seem to keep her attention for a short while, which is all you can expect from an 12 week old baby. We also have a routine of singing the Head Shoulders Knees and Toes song every time she is on her changing table for a diaper change. It makes her smile when I touch her little body parts while I'm singing to her. One of these days she'll start singing it with me!

On Wednesdays and Fridays, we take Rylie down the street to a lady who has done in-home daycare her entire adult life. She is a career nanny, so to speak. She has anywhere from the same 3 to 5 small kiddo's in her home on any given day. Rylie is the youngest, there is also a little boy she keeps a couple of days a week who is 4 months old, and a couple of other kids who are between 2 and 4 years old. It will be good for Rylie to be exposed to other kids and people those 2 days. It's also great that she'll be in the security of her own home and surroundings during the other days of the week. I think it strikes a good balance between keeping her safe and sound in the protection of her own home for the majority of the time, but then also getting her somewhat socialized and comfortable being around others. Also, since she is the youngest of the group of kids, I'm hoping that she'll learn and develop quicker by watching what the older kids are doing.

We are so blessed and so thankful. Life is great!

I Am In Love...

I never thought I had it in me to love something so much. It's so incredibly indescribable how happy and fulfilled it makes me feel to be that beautiful baby's mommy. It's amazing to me that God entrusted raising one of his beautiful angels to Brian and I.  Our miracle baby. What an honor and responsibility we've been given. And oh how we love it!!!!

Below are some gorgeous moments from Monday night after Nana and Pops headed back to Springdale. Rylie was having a good ole time flirting with her daddy...

Now comes a big stretch! For those of you who know our baby girl, you know that stretching is her favorite activity of all time right now.  She loooooooves to stretch!  Which is very pleasing, since I enjoy so much to watch her stretch.  It is the cutest thing on the planet!  

About an hour later we put Rylie in the bouncy chair while we ate dinner. Daddy was making cute noises and sticking his tongue out at her. She was so fascinated by what he was doing she couldnt take her eyes off him. 

Look at that face! She is so amazing. And yes, I'm SO one of those moms! I think my little sweetie is absolutely the most beautiful and the most perfect thing God has ever put on this planet.  I could stare at the gorgeous face all day long and never get tired of it. I love that little stinker so much!

And the best picture of the evening is this one. After a fun night playing with daddy, what better way to end the night than by sucking down a big warm bottle and then being rocked to sleep on daddy's shoulder.  It really doesn't get much better than this. Brian, sweetie, these moments are so special to me. I love you.  Stacie

Labor Day Weekend...

Labor Day weekend was awesome at the Nutt house this year.  Nana and Pops came to town from Arkansas and got to stay the entire weekend.  We got to make lots of memories with Rylie and she had several "firsts" to remember.  For starters, Friday night we went to the Tulsa Drillers Baseball game, which was Rylie's very first (and definitely not her last) baseball game to attend.  I think Nana and I were watching more of HER than we were of the game though! She was such a good little girl throughout the game.

Saturday we all woke up and made sure Rylie knew it was the Arkansas Razorbacks first football game of the season.  She was all decked out in her Razorback onsie and booties. She might just be shouting Woo Pig Sooie before she says anything else.  

Saturday night Brian and I went to a couples wedding shower.  It was a great time and we got to let our hair down a bit while Nana and Pops spent some quality time alone with Rylie.  (Here's to a good party! We love you Beth and Hunt.)

Sunday was an exciting day for Rylie.  It was her very first day to attend church.  She did so great. She only got a bit fussy once, so I took her out and started her on a bottle. It was getting close to her normal feeding time, so once her focus shifted from hungry and fussy to eating and content I was able to sneak back inside. She fell asleep on Nana's shoulder and was fine the entire rest of the service. 

No Labor Day weekend would be complete without a swim in the pool. So after church that morning and then cooking out on the grill that afternoon, we waited until the sun started going down and we put on Rylie's swimsuit, filled up the kiddy pool Nana bought her, and let her enjoy her very first Labor Day swim.  Brian and I are both outdoorsy people, so it's inevitable that Rylie too will become an outdoor adventurer. I cant wait until next summer when she'll be old enough to put on a life jacket and go to the lake with us. That is, of course, after I take her to a water babies swim class.

More Social Outings...

Rylie's social schedule has been busier than mine!  Good thing she needs a driver, right?  I really enjoy taking her places, not only because I think she's the most beautiful thing God ever put on this planet, but because I enjoy teaching her about everyday activities as well as special occasions. Some parents seem to parent with the "hanging out with my kid" parenting style. I want to take more of a "i'm going to teach you all about everything" approach to parenting.  Oh, the places we will go and the things you will learn, my sweetheart!

I recently went to a friends bridal shower. It was held at the Dillards Home Department, an idea I thought was really cool. The shower was kid friendly, so I was glad I got to take Rylie with me. She did great. Being able to predict when Rylie is going to get hungry is the best skill I've developed over the 11 weeks I've been blessed to be home with her all day.  Planning for feedings around activities makes for such enjoyable experiences.  I just love her!

She did so good while being passed around to the ladies.

That night we decided it would be fun to go to the Boat/RV show.  It was the smaller one of the year and they didn't have too many outdoor travel toys to really explore.  But it was fun to get her out for a little while anyway.

On this day, our outing was to go to my office one last time before I returned to work.  I dressed her up extra cute for the trip. I probably was able to take her by my office at least once every two weeks while I was off work.  It was fun to expose her to the career side of me too.  This was the darling little pants outfit I dressed her in. She's starting to get such a personality and the cutest little facial expressions.