Apple Cider Century

Another Michigan weekend, 100 miles in the saddle, another year of success, and a day full of wonderful memories.

Congratulations Scott, Brad and DeChantel...you guys rocked!!!

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Remember this???...sniff, sniff (turn off playlist at the bottom before playing)

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AND HERE'S RYLAN!!

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SWEET baby Boy..

Are you really one month old already? It's hard to believe that the time has gone by that fast but at the same time, you seem to have been part of our family for so long already. Has it really only been 31 days? What a contradiction, I know!

When I was pregnant with you, I knew I would be just as happy with another girl as I would with a boy...but now that I have YOU, my life seems that much sweeter to have my sweet little boy. I can't wait to share life with you and watch you explore the world and develop into the person you will become. But meanwhile, I will just love the baby that you are...your little toes, your fingers that wrap around my shirt and finger, your little head that snuggles into my body just right, your precious eyes that capture my heart with one look. Really, could you be that perfect?...Yes, you are, my sweet Rylan.

At one month, you are 22 inches long and are back to your birth weight of 9 pounds and 4 ounces. You can hold up your head for long periods of time and love to look at lights and faces. You can focus on us when we talk to you and we know a smile is just beckening to come through one day soon. You are content unless you are hungry or have the hiccups and love to be snuggled and held. You don't really care for the swing too much but love to be held close in the sling. You are such a good baby and we enjoy you every day.
And even when those ugly hiccups emerge, and cause you such freight, you are still so cute.
It's okay, Rylan...we are here to LOVE you until the hiccup monster goes away! xoxo

Govt Affairs Conference: Daddy goes to Washington

Last Saturday, I had to go to Washington, DC, for our annual government affairs conference for work. I also had board meetings to attend to as well. Because of the nature of the meeting, I left on Saturday and it was go-go-go through Wednesday night when I came home.

On Tuesday, we visited Capitol Hill to speak to members of the Illinois Congressional delegation on issues about our work. In between those meetings, I managed to sneak a tour of the Capitol which was guided by a staffer for my Congresswoman, Judy Biggert.

The Capitol is AMAZING. I also was fortunate to meet the work Congressman for my office, Mike Quigley, who won the special election to fill Rahm Emanuel's seat. I actually went to college with his Chief of Staff, who also lived in my dorm. The universe shrinks once again.

Pictures below.

Meet Rylan Thomas!

We couldn't be more in love with this little guy and he is such a wonderful addition to our family. Being a family of four now is so wonderful and we are loving every day. It's hard to believe he is going to be one month old this weekend...why oh why does time have to go by so quickly??!! He is a very good baby...appears to have a laid back, go with the flow personality and is becoming more awake and alert each day. He adores being held, loves his baths and only really fusses with his frequent occurring hiccups {hello pacifier ;)}. Makenna Claire loves having "baby Rylan" as her "little brother" and just can't give him enough kisses during the day. We couldn't feel more fortunate for these two little gifts of love!

Sibling Admiration and Such LOVE!

Hello little brother....hello big sister!!!

After Mommy and Daddy, Makenna Claire was the first to hold "Baby Rylan" and she couldn't of been more ecstatic. And today, over 3 weeks later, she is still beaming and just adores the little guy.

Can you see the Awww!
And the firsts of many daily kisses Rylan gets from his big sis.

He's "so beautiful!" Makenna saids multiple times a day, everyday.

Yes he is, and so is his Big Sister.
Welcome home little brother. This is just the beginning of the magical relationship between a sister and a brother. What a gift you have in each other.
REALLY, can we get any luckier...I think not..my heart is full of happiness, love and pure joy.

xoxo

I know I have been a bad blogger and many of you are patiently waiting to see the many promised pictures of sweet Rylan, and they are coming...I promise! We have just been busy being Mommy and Daddy to our wonderful two children, enjoying the moments and cherishing the time because we know it goes by so quickly. And yes, also trying to find the time to rest, sleep, and keep up with the daily chores. Now that I have a few moments to spare, before I tuck myself in for much needed sleep, I am here to add a few photos.

So here's a few to wet your palate, and I will try and add more as the days go on! Thank you for your patience and I won't let you down!

Aug. 20..One last photo shoot of the belly profile! 4:45 am right before leaving for the hospital!

At the hospital, waiting my turn for the operating room, but enjoying passing the time with our families. One more snuggle....Me and our sweet little girl who was about to become a big sister. She was so excited and was sure she was going to have a little brother!A family of three, about to be four!!
OR Beauty...hee,hee...aren't we cute???
And welcome little boy!! Minutes old, in my arms....We love you so much already lil Rylan!!!
Stay tuned!! Nighty night...

A word from dad to anybody who reads this...

Well, two words.

Thank you.

Two words, eight letters (if you don't count the space and the period) and they cannot even begin to touch on how I feel for everybody who has been part of our great adventure called life and especially the last two and a half weeks.

Thank you to our doctor, Dr. Heimburger, of DuPage Medical Group. He delivered Makenna and we've been working with him for the past four years or thereabouts and we followed him to Central DuPage Hospital to deliver Rylan because he's that good and we're that comfortable with him.

Thanks to the nurses in Labor & Delivery, Recovery and on the Mother / Baby unit at CDH. You love your work, you love your patients and it shows. This was our "second time around," not to imply it makes it any easier in the surgical post-op, but your attentiveness to Kelly and Rylan and insuring their care was top notch is greatly appreciated.

Thanks to the members of the Mom's Club who have been providing us meals for the past two weeks and continuing through this week. It has been a wonderful parade of people sharing food from their kitchens and hearts and making the bringing-the-new-baby-home pandelerium a little less hectic. Plus, the leftovers have meant that we've really not been lacking food at any time and that's one less thing to have to think about.

Thanks to all of our friends and friends of friends and family who have been so generous to Rylan and Makenna. The youngster is outfitted for at least the next six months or so, and that's assuming that he reaches Diva status pretty quickly and has multiple costume changes daily. Given his pooping frequency and strange means by which his clothes seem to be attracted to said poop, we'll give the wardrobe a workout.

Thanks to my family who have been so kind and generous with your time and gifts and love for us and Makenna and, unsurprisingly, with the addition of Rylan. Whether Ga-Ga and Pop-Pop and Auntie Kellie taking Makenna for an overnight, or "Unclebraddechantel" [Makenna runs it together] taking her to Chuck E. Cheese for an afternoon, or Nana watching the little guy so Kelly and I could have a grown-up night out on Saturday at Francesca's, or the wonderful decorations we came home to find after four days in that nice but still tiny box of a hospital room, my eternal thanks and love.

To Makenna, who I knew would be my personal project for these two weeks and the first couple of days home was a foreign hellion unknown to any of us, but quickly adapted to Rylan, I love you. Daddy and Makenna have had two great weeks together with all kinds of adventures and outings and trips and fun...daddy's got to go back to work tomorrow, so Mommy's in charge of nap time again. And I leave Saturday for Washington for five days, so be good to her at bedtime too, okay? You're an awesome big sister, you're a great daughter and laugher and the light of your daddy's eye.

And to the most important person in the world...my lovely bride. For the gift of you. For the nine months you nutured and cared for and watched out for that little guy inside of you (and you knew it was a boy...why didn't I listen after Makenna?) who made his grand appearance on the 20th of August forever changing our lives again for the better, my heartfelt and eternal love. The new chapters we write for the book of us are always full of exciting twists and turns and I could think of nobody better than you to walk that path with. To the moon and back...

So tomorrow, back to work. But certainly not now (nor ever) back to the way it was before I left.

Dancer? Gymnast? Gymnast.

Well, tomorrow is back to work day for me. It has been a magnificent few weeks at home with Kelly, Rylan and Makenna. The first week, Makenna and I spent a lot of time trying to get out and about giving Kelly and Rylan some time together as well as giving Kelly time to rest and recover from her surgery.

So there's a place near the house that had open gymnastics on Friday mornings. Makenna and I went and she was a natural. She bounced, she jumped, she ran...we were about 50/50 on the "swing on the trapeze into the pit of blocks", but couldn't get it on camera.

Enjoy a child's pure joy with an hour and a half of playtime.

And yes, unsurprisingly, she slept well that afternoon.

Train date with daddy

I realize that the photos of our family are going to be a little out of sequence, especially as I'm posting THIS now with pictures of Rylan Thomas taken previously to follow (as well as video), but the truth be told, it's been a full time job splitting duty.

Kelly has been Rylan's full time partner and job. This means that daddy and Makenna are having a LOT of quality time together over these two weeks that I am home, Kelly is recovering and we're adjusting. It also means that most of the action has to happen late at night (as everybody is snuggled in their beds).

Today, I took Makenna for her first train ride. She's been fascinated with them, even though she has less than zero use for Thomas the Train on television. They capture her attention when we're at the French Market in Wheaton and when she and we have dinner with Gaga and Pop-Pop along the tracks in Westmont and LaGrange, she wants to watch them all go by.

So we woke up and headed to the Metra station in Naperville, took a half-hour ride to LaGrange which she adored tremendously and walked around a while. We had lunch at Knead Market and then caught the train back and were home in time for a four hour nap. She's been on the go pretty hard the last four days or so, it was an overdue extended nap (she woke up around 6:30).

We're all doing well and you'll continue to see pictures of the family and Rylan in the days and weeks to come. It's all about finding the time.