Ryleigh's 1st Birthday!

October 24: The day before her birthday Ryleigh and I went down to my Grandma's in Orange County to set up for the party. Ryleigh hung out with Grandpa and helped him put together her new "Whisper Buggy", her present from GG (her great grandma).

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Not to shabby for not having directions! It came with the gourmet kitchen directions instead :/

October 25: Ryleigh's 1st BIRTHDAY!!

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

"Good morning Birthday Girl!" "Look mom's got the camera!"

Here's the house all decorated before everyone arrived.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Lei table for the guests to get into the Aloha Spirit.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Dining room table and cake table

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Closer look at the chandelier and table decorations.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

A game we played. It's a series of events in Ryleigh's life in chronological order. Guests had to guess the exact date the events occurred. They got 3 points for the correct date, 2 for 5 days +/- the correct date, and 1 for the correct month.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Cupcakes and Ryleigh's smash cake.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Cupcakes

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Smash cake

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Luau ducks all lined up. The kids played with and got to take home the ducks.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Luau supercoupe. (In lieu of a highchair.)

Ryleigh was down for a nap when everyone started arriving. So we had to wake her up to greet her guests. She was a little shocked to see so many people, she just stood there like this for quite a while!

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Then we had lunch. My parents made teriyaki meat sticks, teriyaki chicken sticks and kalua pig (in a crockpot). With rice, potato salad and some haupia, it was delicious!

Then we played games. Here's everyone debating the dates.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Then it was present time.
Ryleigh got a baby...

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

and clothes...

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

and a new hat...

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

more clothes...

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

and Little People (anniversary schoolhouse, castle, and house)... and a princess ride on, and a doll stroller...

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

and another baby (she loved this one cause it was a bigger version of the cabbage patch she has at home).

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Then it was cake time.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

"Why is everybody singing together?"

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

*Warning: 3 min video*

From Videos

After we got cleaned up, we tried to put her down for a nap again, but of course that didn't happen. But after playing in icing it was time for a wardrobe change (gotta use all her cute Hawaiian outfits!) and to play with toys!

Drinking and driving!

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

"Grandpa, you sure you know what your doing?"

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

So excited to push her new baby in her new stroller.

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

Chillin' with Grandpa, tuckered out from her big day!

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

From Ryleigh's 1st bday

I cannot believe a year has past since we brought our little bug into the world. It has passed so quickly. She brings so much joy into our lives and can always make us smile. It is so amazing to see the transformation she has made from a new helpless life, into the independent, self-assured, confident little person she is a year later. Happy Birthday Ryleigh! We love you!

Ryleigh's Birthday Luau

Here's a teaser collage (my 1st collage attempt) of some photos from the party. I'll do a full picture post when I get all the photos off Chris's camera. (Click to make it bigger.)

From Collages

Stay tuned for more birthday photos!

Video post

Last week, Ryleigh was just starting to get sick. I got her up from her nap and she had pooped. So I went was changing her. Everytime, I went "whew, stinky stinky" she started cracking up. I thought it was just a one time thing. Then I noticed that even if I made an "eewwww" type face, she'd laugh hysterically. I never thought I'd get it on video, but she kept doing it! (Notice the blanket she wouldn't let go of! It's definitely her security blanket! And she has a favorite one too.)

From Videos

Today I came across the Miley Cyrus "Hoe Down Throw Down" video and started watching. Ryleigh came over and wanted to watch too. Then she started stomping her feet dancing to the song. She stopped doing it when the video stopped. It's the first time I'd seen her do it.

From Videos

In other update news... I took Ryleigh to the doctor earlier this week. On Sunday night Ryleigh went to bed at her normal 8:30pm, but woke up around midnight and never really fell back asleep. Chris stayed up til about 3 comforting her trying to get her to go back down. I got up at 3 and tried changing her and giving her a bottle, to no avail. She finally fell back to sleep around 5 when I had to get up for work. Monday she refused to take a nap, and maybe fell asleep for about 30 minutes total all day. By 6pm she was exhausted. We tried to put her down early, but she just screamed for 2-3 hours. Everything we did just resulted in either fussing or screaming. So finally we had to just let her fuss and cry alone in her room. And she finally fell asleep. I didn't think that was normal, and yet didn't know what to do for her, but it's not Ryleigh. So I took her to the doctor on Tuesday. And of course he said she sounded fine and just had a cold. No ear infections, no sore throat, lungs were clear, etc. But during the day she acts normal, she's not abnormal til night. The doctor said she was probably having some sort of bronchospasm at night and was having trouble moving air, so she was having trouble breathing which was waking her up. He gave us a steroid and albuterol for her cough. And Tuesday night, she went to bed just like normal. And she's been normal at night since, so I think it's working.

Other than that, we've just been getting ready for Ryleigh's birthday next weekend! Hard to believe she will be 1 already!

Post surgery, a California wedding, and a Birthday trip to Arizona

Wow, another month between updates, and people are starting to beg for one...

Ryleigh is doing well after her surgery. We kept it covered (despite the doctor saying to keep it open to air). Since it was in the back of her head, we discovered she rubbed it when laying down on the changer, or in bed, or even against the back of the highchair. She'd rub off the scab and bleed. I also think she's one who needed the stitches to stay in for 10 days. Around 1 week after surgery we noticed it starting to split open, when the stitches were dissolving. But after a few more days of being covered and some neosporin, it's healing nicely and hasn't bled in a week or two.

Two days after her surgery we went to a wedding for my mom's cousin's son. Ryleigh got to dress up all cute and wear one of her new headbands finally. But not before helping daddy support his team (to the dismay of the Diemer's), even though they lost to USC.

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Here's some wedding photos:
Prewedding:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Cocktail hour:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Reception:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Checking to see if the coast is clear for her getaway:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Two weeks later, on the 23rd of September, we went to Arizona for my birthday, my mom's birthday, my brother's birthday and my Grandma Steele's birthday (all within 4 days of each other :) )

The day we got there, the dresses we ordered for her birthday luau arrived. And the next day, the headbands I had made came. So we had to try them on together!

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

On my mom's and my birthday, we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner. My brother Chris came out from Tempe, and my Grandma Steele came too.
Birthday Grandma and Ry:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

When we got home we noticed the pikake's were blooming, so I went out and picked some. I actually got one to stay behind Ryleigh's ear as she was running on fumes before bed:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

On the 25th I went and spoke to the perfusion class at Midwestern University about my journey from a student to a practicing perfusionist. That was fun, and they had some great questions. Then we went and had pictures taken.

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

For her bday invites:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Such a stinker, but TOTALLY Ryleigh:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

On the 26th we went out to dinner at the Yardhouse at Westgate to Celebrate Chris's birthday. Westgate is a shopping/dining area in Glendale, connected to Jobing.com arena (aka the Coyote's staduim). Chris's girlfriend Kristin came down from Flagstaff and Cory even showed up from Tucson to celebrate with us.

Here's Ry-Ry sitting pretty waiting for everyone to get ready (Can you tell she LOVED the pink phone Grandma got for her?).

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Perfecting the self-portrait with Uncle Chris:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Getting ready to go with Grandma:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Chris and Kristin:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Ryleigh and Daddy at dinner... Ryleigh was done with dinner.

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

Ryleigh has been able to drink out of straws since she was 5 months old. We forgot a sippy cup when we went to dinner so I figured it was okay since she can drink from a straw... well apparently she forgot how to drink from a straw! She'd just let it sit in her mouth, she refused to suck. So this is how we got her to drink:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

After dinner we needed some photos near the pretty fountain.
Me, Ryleigh and my mom.

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

My mom and dad with Ryleigh:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

The Uncles and Ryleigh:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

And Ryleigh has inherited the Steele trait of pointing in photos:

From Ryleigh Grace - 10 months to 1 year

We came back from Phoenix, and I have been on call since. Chris got a cold when we got back from Phoenix. He gave it to Ryleigh. So this week she's been sick with her 1st cold, a runny nose and now a cough. I know we've been lucky and not had her get sick sooner. Hopefully she'll get better quick, so she can be in tip top shape for her birthday luau!!

Cyst Removal Surgery

Surgery day!

We had to wake up bright and early to get to the hospital and check in by 5:45am. (I don't even have to be at work that early!) We woke Ryleigh up at the last minute possible so she wouldn't miss her "ba" (morning bottle) too much. Ryleigh got to change into a cute little kiddie gown.

From Ryleigh Grace - 8 months plus

She's all smiles, not having a clue what's about to happen to her.

From Ryleigh Grace - 8 months plus

Dr. Zarabi was her plastic surgeon. We met the anesthesiologist Dr. Rubin and his anesthetist Erica. I was concerned about what they'd do for anesthesia. In our pre-op discussion with the anesthesia the guy told us they would do general anesthesia. All the pedi anesthesiologists I work with told me that was overkill for the speed of the procedure. After some debating the surgeon and anesthesiologist finally agreed to a plan (try to do it with just a mask and some inhaled gas anesthetic and would go to general anesthesia with a breathing tube if needed), which was more along the lines of what I'd expected them to do. They gave her some tylenol with atropine which really calmed her down and made her go from fussy and antsy to super super calm and happy.

Look drugged up yet?

From Ryleigh Grace - 8 months plus

How about now?

From Ryleigh Grace - 8 months plus

Not long after that they took her back to the OR. It wasn't THAT hard to watch her go off, but it definitely pulled at me that I couldn't go with her given that I work in an OR. It just felt weird being on the other end. Kinda made me wish we'd done it at my hospital so I'd know the staff in there with her at least. Chris and I went off to breakfast. In the elevator to the cafeteria was another lady waiting for her husband who was in surgery. She noticed Ry when we were in the waiting room and was telling her friend about her on the phone when we got in the elevator. Ry definitely made quite the appearance at the hospital. Everyone was commenting about how cute and happy she is.

We went back to the waiting room for about half hour before Dr. Zarabi came out and said they were done. He said it looked like a globular sebaceous cyst and they had to use a microscope to get it all out, but they got it. Apparently it took them longer to get the IV in than to do the surgery. Since she's a little chunker who was a little dehydrated, they tried her hand, both ankles (one of which the IV blew), before finally getting one in the crook of her arm. So Ry's got all kinds of puncture wounds. I went back and saw her.

From Ryleigh Grace - 8 months plus

The red marks on her face are from the tape they put over her eyes during the case. Everyone was wondering why she was in that position; if it was related to pain, or what. They all cracked up when I told them that's how she always sleeps. She was definitely starving when she woke up and eagerly scarfed down her bottle. We ran to Target to get some neosporin and small gauze pads to dress her wound, but after she woke up and we left the hospital, she returned to (almost) normal.

Here's what she did when she got home:

From Videos

From Videos

Don't think she was hurting too much then! Just a little tired and still feeling the anesthesia a little with her drunk sailor walks. So glad everything went so smoothly and it's finally over!

Trouble trouble! and Ryleigh's surgery tomorrow

What a difference a (few) week(s) makes! About 2 weeks ago Ryleigh took her first steps, now she's strolling around like a pro. Still has her plops, but they don't stop her! She's exploring and getting into everything so quickly now. She's at such a fun age watching her discover her surroundings. I love it!

Here's her adventure for today. She figured out how to open her dresser drawer and pull out all her sleepers.

From Videos

Tomorrow is the day Ryleigh gets the cyst/nodule removed from the back of her head. We have to check in at 5:45am. So early. Starts at 7:30. Should be done by 8:30. They say she should be able to go home by 10 or 11am. We'll see what kind of bandage the surgeon comes up with. He said he wanted to do a headwrap, but laughed at the thought of her keeping it on, so we'll see.