Ryan Thomas

Going to try this blog thing....for awhile. Who knows it might even be therapeutic. Kind of weird putting your thought out for the universe to see but it might be fun. Big news right now is that Anji and I are parents.....woot. Been 7 nearly 8 years of freedom from kids now we are gladly going into bondage. Anji is just the cutest mom and she does seem changed somehow...or maybe its just me. The little kid is so cute. There is so much I want to write here....so many feelings and I hate having to sensor myself....kind of misses the point of the therapy aspect of spilling your guts. He is super cute....I know I am biased. Its the first time that I have ever had so much invested in a kid. I want him to like me.....more than that....I want him to need me and I want to be there for him when he needs me. Poor little thing hasn't had it easy. Long story about how he has came into existence...longer story then I have time to write right now. Lets just say....I am glad your here son. Mom has been scared to death that you would die. You have been sick with the Pneumonia. Somehow you inhaled some fluid when you were coming into this world....Dr. Rogers (the doctor that delivered you) said that diagnosis doesn't make sense since you have had fluid in your lungs the whole time you were in your mothers womb. I agree doesn't make sense. You were grunting when you came out and most people but your mother thought you were fine. I did....I thought it was cute when you grunted and had no clue that it was something that would put you in the NICU. That's where you are now. We see you several times each day and were really sad when we couldn't take you home with us. Mom made sure that I go get the car seat so that you would be safe when you came home. It's still in the car...I haven't had the heart to take it out...I wanted you to be in it. First couple days you were here you didn't eat anything....the doctors were worried that you would throw it up and then suck it down your air tube. They call it aspirate....I am sure spelled it wrong. So you were burning up your brown fat....I know its weird but that what they call it. You have been in this world for 4 days now and you seem to be doing tons better. On the first day you were born, mom couldn't get you to breast feed at all....that's when we noticed that you were having problems with your breathing....well I really shouldn't say we....it was just your mom. You did a great job today with breast feeding...you mainly just like moms left tit. It gives the most milk out....she is trying to get the right one to be more of a participator but it doesn't want to play ball. I always try to get the nurses to admit that you are the cutest baby in there but they are always politically correct. Man you have been through hell. You have had at least 4 IV's go bad....but you have been poked lots more than just 4 times. For every one good place they have put IV in .....they have tried 4 other times in different areas. You can't help it that your a baby and have super small veins. They tried putting in a PICC line and all you got out of it is a super bruised foot....I know they were just doing their job but it still made me a little mad when I saw it. I hope you and mom figure out the whole breast feeding thing...it sure is more complicated than I first thought it was. You have a few tubes that makes it harder than all the non-sick kids....you have to suck and swallow with a pretty strong gust of air blowing directly into your nose. I ride a motorcycle and I don't do much eating and drinking on the freeway either. Man we were tired when you first came into this world...up all night...then in the morning mom had a raging headache from a bunk epidural. I don't know if you know how much your mom likes to sleep but she didn't get hardly any at all for the first couple of days and when your mom doesn't get sleep and food she gets very angry....and you wouldn't like her when she is angry. I really was walking around her like any minute she was going to turn on me like an hungry bear....but that never happened. You work miracles kid. She was pleasant to be around and for the most part was super good to me. We are still struggling with what to call you. At first we thought we would call you Thomas or Tommy...(after your Grandpa) but I don't know....mom calls you Ryan....I mostly call you Rye Rye. Mom says.....I love you so much Ryan but is looking right at you....its a little weird for me but it sounds good to my ears....she says she loves me lots...so I am used to it. You have a lot of options in the name department and kind of wish you could just tell us which one you like the best. We could call you RT for Ryan Thomas....you don't know this yet but later I am sure you will find out that RT might not be such a good name and some kids might make fun of you....it won't be till high school or junior high but it will still come. Mom called you RJ for Ryan Jr. and that might stick. Lots of people have given the thumbs up for that name. Your full official name is Ryan Thomas Stephens and that's not going to change. If you haven't figured it out yet ...your named after me. I guess I am a little narcissistic because I have always liked my own name.....it means "Little King". When I left the hospital ....the same one your in ....my name officially was Unnamed boy Stephens so I figure your doing much better than me in the name department than I was. I am the only one that likes the name Arty....if you say RT real fast that's what it will sound like anyways. When I was little my dad wanted to name me Thomas after his mission president....Thomas S. Monson. The S. in his name is for Spencer. My mom liked Ryan and my Dad name was Spencer. So I was called Ryan Spencer Stephens. Your Grandpa is named Thomas and now the same mission president of my dad's is now the prophet of the church...(The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint the only true Church on the planet...no offense to anyone but it just is). So you are named after me, your grandpa, the prophet and the guy my dad looked up to and wanted to call me. If I have my way....you will have a brother with the name of Spencer. Well thats all I have time for right now.....I wrote much more than I thought I would. Maybe in the next post I can tell you how much you hate feeding tubes.