first weeks.

RYLIE JANE.

How we came up with her name:

Picking a girls name was quite the task for us. Before we knew the gender, we had a boys name picked out right away. So once we found out it was a girl...the work of choosing a name began. We couldn't really agree on anything! Haha We would veto each others picks...and when we would both agree on a name we would try it out for a week...and usually one of us didn't like it anymore. So when we both heard Rylie and both loved it...we knew it was the one. Still, we wanted to have a few backups in case she came out and didn't look like a Rylie! We officially named her the next morning after she was born. Her middle name Jane, is after my great-grandma Jane. My dads grandma. She was the sweetest lady ever. And also after my baby sister Carly, because her middle name is also Jane. And well I just love her. And we've always been super close. So I love love love that we used the name Jane. Also, we thought if she ever wanted to go by Jane that would be totally cute too! (Which is what my great grandma did!) So far she gets called, Ry Ry, Ryles, Ry, and smiley Rylie. And her daddy calls her Stinker. :)

The few days we were at the hospital were pretty long. We spent two nights there...and we were so exhausted, and they just kept coming in to check on me or on the baby and waking everyone up...so we were pretty excited to head home.

Her "going home" outfit. One of my best friends, Erin sent her this and I loved it. All of the nurses were of course dying over her!

I couldn't believe how tiny she was in the car seat!!! 

The nurse walked us to our car and double checked that the car seat was buckled in correctly. The drive home with a baby in our backseat was so surreal. Thankfully my dad was able to stay a few days after she was born...and my mom stayed for about a week and a half. (My mom had been there a week before as well) I am so grateful that my mom was there to help afterwards! My recovery was miserable, and way worse than I thought it would be..so I was so grateful for her help. She would get up in the night with me and Rylie and help me (because I could hardly move) She was just the best. I'm so grateful for her and everything she did for us during this new time for us! 

The first few days and weeks were overwhelming for me, but also some of my happiest. I was definitely the worrier mother that kept checking to make sure she was breathing all night and was concerned with every noise she made and color of poopy diaper. Haha Looking back now I wish I wouldn't have worried so much and just enjoyed those first moments..because they went so fast! And not to say that I don't worry about her now, because I do! Just not about EVERY little thing now. :)

Ohh I miss that little rat tail! Her hair was pretty dark when she was born...and then it just kept getting lighter and lighter! Now we have a little blondie! I could go on forever and post a million pictures of the first few weeks with our new baby girl. But I think I'll just sum it up with... Those first few weeks were full of LOTS of photo shoots & LOTS of swaddled snuggles!!! We couldn't put her down!!!!