Ryder Hayden has arrived!

He was born December 16th at 1:46 pm and weighing 7 lbs 6 oz.  He is the most precious and beautiful boy I have ever seen. We are very excited to start this new chapter in our lives with this little man.  

First off I wanted to say that this is a crazy kind of love! I thought I would have a strong connection with my little man but it's really mind blowing how much I love him.  

The first two weeks were rough, trying to adjust and handle the "baby blues".  I was an emotional crying mess. The combination of not knowing what to do, hormones, anxiety and exhausted was really weighing down on me.  Everyday gets easier and I have kicked the blues.  I am so thankful that my fantastic husband took three weeks off and also my mom who took a week to help me figure motherhood out! They both were amazing! 

Sleeping:  I am no longer a zombie. Ryder sleeps for 3 hour stretches during the day and gives us one or two 4.5 hour stretches at night. He is sleeping in his crib and lets us know right away when he is in need of something. 

Breastfeeding:  Ryder latched right away after birth and is eating like a champ!  I ate a cabbage salad and didn't realize I was making a bad decision for my little man.  Poor guy had gas and an upset tummy.  Gripe Water has been really helpful lately and I know to eat foods that are a little more bland.  Breastfeeding has really helped my tummy shrink!  I lost 15 lbs in a little over a week!   

Thank you family and friends for all of the love and support on Facebook and Instagram.  I will try and update the blog as often as I can.