Welcome Tobias Edward Thornton

Tobias Edward at birth

Tobias Edward Thornton was born yesterday (April 11th, 2012) at 4:44 PM at Hamot Women's Hospital.  He weighed in at 7lbs 4oz.  He was born via C Section.  I was later told that the number 444 indicates the presence of angels, which is very fitting with his religious name.

Tobias wrapped up in the NICU

During the C Section some complications were encountered and Tobias' lungs filled up with amniotic fluid.  He was admitted to the NICU for monitoring because he was straining to breathe.  After 4 hours they admitted him and will monitor him closely for at least 48 hours.  Due to the complications with the surgery Ashley was not able to see or hold him after the C Section.

Ashley holding Tobias for the first time

 

 Mommy and baby again

 

A few hours after giving birth, we were able to get Ashley stable and wheeled down to the NICU.  The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife, nobody was quite sure how mommy would react.  As the nurses rolled Ashley's bed up next to Tobias, you could feel how happy Ashley was and we didn't think she could be any happier.  She was forewarned that she would not be able to hold Tobias and was only allowed to ask once.  If the NICU staff said no, she wasn't to complain or ask again.  Before mommy had a chance to even ask, Lisa the NICU nurse at the time, offered to let Ashley hold Tobias.  Ashley cried tears of joy and was the happiest person that she has ever been.  Even though he was hooked up to the monitors and they had to hold oxygen to his face, she didn't notice anything other than how amazing he is.

Around 3 AM last night, the NICU staff took Tobias off of oxygen and he was maintaining good oxygen levels on his own.  First thing this morning at 9:30 AM the nurses took Ashley down to the NICU and she has been down there ever since.  Around noon the staff put Tobias into a "big boy bed".  I stopped in on lunch break and got to hold him for awhile.  As I was leaving Ashley started to breastfeed Tobias for the first time.

 

A special thank you goes out to everyone that visited Ashley at the hospital, those that brought gifts, and everyone that offered to help in anyone.  A friend of ours, Katie, even stopped by our house and started cleaning it for us and taking care of Gizmo.

I will keep you all updated as things progress, below are some videos of our experiences.

Tobias Edward Thornton Enters the World

 

Ashley Hold Tobias for the Very First Time - Part 1

Ashley Hold Tobias for the Very First Time - Part 2

Another ER Trip!

 We made another trip to the ER for some concerns that we had about Ashley.  We called her OB and they arranged for us to go to the women's hospital.  They did the standard testing and everything came out okay.  I was exhausted before we went, but I was completely burned out after we left.

I don't like to leave you guys with cliffhangers (because I don't write on the weekends), but Ashley is back at the doctor again this morning for some other complications.  At this point we aren't getting worked up, but we would like answers as to what is going on.

See you all on Monday with more stories from the journey of a Daddy To Be!

Sometimes you can't be too sure....

Yes, she took three...

 

Ashley was told that due to a thyroid condition she would probably never be able to have kids.  We still tried to conceive for well over a year since she stopped taking birth control.  Well, we started to notice that all of the side effects of her condition were going away.  Her hair stopped falling out, she gained a lot of color in her skin, and she had more energy throughout the day.  Then she started to go to the bathroom a lot and I jokingly said, "Well you must be pregnant".  She took a pregnancy test that she had from a previous scare and ran to the bathroom.  A few minutes later I heard, "Um, Ryan, Come here!" and I ran in to see her looking at something on the sink with a huge smile on her face.  We hugged, kissed, and laughed.  For the following 2 days she took the other tests and finally got it confirmed by a doctor.

That's the story of how we find out that Ashley was pregnant, I hope you all enjoyed!

It's Friday!

Don't worry I won't be playing any Rebecca Black for my readers, I'm not that cruel.  Friday is by far my favorite day of the week, it means that I will have 2 days to spend with my friends and family.  Weekends are huge for Ashley and I, because we can't spend a whole lot of time together during the week.  Ashley has been busy organizing the house and getting everything set and I would like to be able to help her with that.  My birthday is Monday and we will probably celebrate it this weekend.

This wait is killing me though, 54 more days (assuming he comes on his due date) and I don't feel like I could wait 1 more day.  Everyday I wonder what he is going to look like, how he is going to act, and if he is going to love me from the start.  I'm nervous, excited, and impatient all at the same time.  My weight loss is motivated by him (http://wedding-weightloss.blogspot.com) and I want him to meet me when I am in shape.  I know he won't remember, but I will.

It Finally Hit Me

I thought all along that it had hit me that we were having a baby.  While the baby shower was going on I listened to this song because I had heard it on Glee before.  Yes, I know this song wasn't written for the show but it is something Ashley and I watch together.  I don't know what it was about the song, but I started tearing up and had to stop and think.  I really was excited about Tobias before, but now it feels completely different.  Last night while celebrating Ashley's birthday someone mentioned how nice Ashley looked and that it seems like she's lost weight.  She told the person that she was actually 8 months pregnant and the person was kind of embarrassed, but we all got a good laugh out of it.  Ashley's grandma mentioned that there was only 4 weeks to go, and Ashley corrected her and said that it was longer than that.  For a mere second I believed that we only had 4 weeks and I was ecstatic.

Listen to the song if you have the time, I thought it was a pretty good song.

Ashley's Birthday!

Today is Ashley's 21st birthday and Tobias is 32 weeks!  Her mom and grandma took her to the casino today to celebrate.  Ashley ended up winning a decent amount of money and cashed out, so she is very happy.  I will be taking her to our favorite restaurant (El Canelo's) tonight after I get out of work.

As far as her appointment from yesterday is concerned, everything is okay as far as we know.  The doctor wants her back in 2 weeks for a check up, which is standard procedure for how far along she is.  Thank you to everyone that prayed for and is praying for us now.

Ashley received a few gifts already of money this year, which is very nice seeing as she can't work.  She has had problems her whole pregnancy eating enough and lately she has been eating healthy because she has extra spending money.  I am very happy about this, because it is very hard to get her to eat 3 square meals a day.

Overall, everything is going pretty well for us and we have really enjoyed unpacking and organizing all of the baby shower presents.  I will try to get some pictures up from the baby shower within the next few days.

Pray for us

Ashley had a routine doctor's appointment today for the pregnancy and they found that she had high blood pressure.  They performed a non stress test and found that Tobias' heart rate was a little low.  They did clear Ashley and let her go home, so everything should be ok, but prayers can't hurt so if you could include us in your prayers today we would appreciate it.  Her pregnancy hasn't had a whole lot of problems, so this has her pretty worked up.  I will be going home to spend time with her and try to calm her down.

25 Week Sonogram

Daddy's little guy...

Father's Weight Loss: Motivation, Moderation, and Pride

I have mentioned it before, but I wanted to elaborate a little more.  I am currently dieting and exercising and writing about it on my other blog (http://wedding-weightloss.blogspot.com). My reasoning and motivation behind this is very special to me.  I don't want to be the father that is lazy and out of shape, I want to be the father that my son can't keep up with.  I know a lot of fathers that I know are busy men with no time for dieting and working out, and I also know that all of these men share one thing in common... good excuses. 

Working 40 hours a week and leading a family can be almost too much for a man to deal with and free time can be hard to come by.  Being in shape can extend your life so my view is that the time spent is returned to you later in life.  Most children I know will tell you that their father is the strongest man in the world, and that is an amazing thing to hear.  When a father really is the strongest man in the world it is even more amazing.

America on average is an overweight/obese country and we the American men can band together and change that.  Just think if every father took 30 minutes out of their day to exercise that stereotype could fade out tremendously.  We have one thing going for us that is a great secret weapon, Testosterone. This hormone gives us the ability to build big muscles and be strong.  Now don't get me wrong, women can be strong too, but ask any woman that is losing weight and trying to build muscle they really do have it harder.

I want to be the father that other fathers look at and think I wish I could be that physically fit.  Quit kidding yourself men, you can be that fit and I want to be the one to show you all it is possible.  Run, swim, lift weights, jog, take up boxing, go to the gym, or even take exercise classes.  The possibilities are endless and just imagine what the father-son sporting events could be like.  If you take an interest in your fitness, I can promise you that you child will as well.

This doesn't mean that you need to get rid of your video games, favorite recliner, or even your favorite foods.  The word of the day is moderation, read it, love it, and remind yourself of it everyday.  Forget about the beers on the weekend, cut back to a few but don't overdo it.  When you order chicken wings get a smaller order and have carrots and celery to fill you up.  Don't bring the whole bag of chips to your chair to watch the game, put some in a small bowl and when they are gone don't get up for more.  It really is all of the little things that lead us to be overweight.

Convenience is one of the biggest obstacles to overcome.  As cheesy as this may sound, just think if it is convenient it probably isn't healthy.  Instead of eating a convenient TV dinner, cook up some fresh food and make some extra for lunches and when you are busy.  I know we are all busy, but we all know that home cooked meals are the best.

Count calories, it isn't just for chicks anymore.  Men can do it too and I think that we all should.  You can keep it to yourself, instead of saying I am close to my calorie allotment for the day just say you aren't hungry.  You probably really aren't hungry anyways.  Check out MyFitnessPal.com and get the app for your smart phone and start today.  My other blog (http://wedding-weightloss.blogspot.com) has a post today with more information about this.

If you do weight lifting in addition to cardio, avoid the scale for a while.  You may be losing fat, but if you are gaining muscle that scale isn't going to move much.  Maybe weigh once a month to get an idea and look in the mirror more often.  Visual results are always much nicer than the number on the scale.  Set a goal, but don't be frustrated if you don't reach it.  You may want to lose 50 pounds and only lose 25, but be the epitome of physical fitness.  I would say if that is the case you found your goal and blew right past it!

My final advice is, DON'T PROCRASTINATE!  Please don't read this and utter the words, I'll start tomorrow.  Start now, every minute we waste with bad health is another minute we could be doing something about it.  Even if you ate terrible food all day, still count the calories and see where you were before you started.

Related Videos

So some videos were shared with me and I thought I would share them with all of you.  The first one was shared by Ashley it is a song by Rodney Atkins with lyrics and I thought it was pretty cool.

The other video was shared by one of my readers, DoceanMotion, and it makes me really think about what I am doing with my blog.  It is called DearSophie by Google Chrome and it is about a father emailing his daughter while she is growing up to show her later in life.  I can only hope that I will be able to do the same with Tobias.

I'm sure that someday, whether I want to imagine it or not, that Tobias will find out that he is becoming a father.  I want him to be able to read this blog and understand how I felt during this process.  I want him to know that I am excited to be his father and want to play a huge role in his life.

Tobias' Nursery

 His name above his window

I told you guys the other day that I would post pictures of Tobias' nursery, well here they are.  The ceiling is panted white and the walls are painted tan.  The blinds in the window will be replaced soon, but for now they do the job.  Ashley picked up letters at a hobby shop and painted them green, I was able to just set them on the window and they stay just fine.

 Tobias' crib and stroller

This is where our little guy will sleep once he is able to sleep in his own room.  The blanket hanging over the crib is a crocheted blanket that Ashley made.

 Jungle animals above his dresser

I got a little creative with wall appliques and thought it would be pretty cool to do over his dresser and above his door.  We may add more, but we ran out after doing 2 sets.  I needed to add a little color in the room so that he has something to look at.

 Jungle animal above his door

His changing table and closet

Nothing too exciting here, just his changing table (sorry for the mess) and the door to his closet.  We need to get a pad for the changing table, so hopefully someone buys one as a shower gift.

That is all for the pictures, but what you can't see is my big smile behind the camera.  The thought of Tobias having his own room makes it feel to me that he is already here.  Every time I walk by his room I get a smile on my face and I'm sure that will ring true after he is born as well.

I saw Tobias yesterday!

Ashley at 30 weeks 5 days

I saw Tobias yesterday and it wasn't on a computer screen.  Ashley was laying in bed and he was moving around in her belly and I could see it through her skin.  It was probably one of the coolest things I have ever seen.  I then rubbed her belly and talked to him and he responded by moving around more.  How cool is that? 

It is amazing how much he is growing everyday and how much Ashley's belly grows over a short period of time.  Being in the home stretch makes me even more impatient, knowing that he will be here so soon!

Baby Shower

Ashley's baby shower is coming up quickly.  It is next Sunday at a local church.  Everyone is scrambling to get everything ready for her big day and she couldn't be more excited.  I hope that everything goes off without a hitch, which I'm sure it will as she has a lot of great people helping her.

I decorated Tobias' room over the weekend, I will try to post pictures tomorrow.  We put up jungle animal wall appliques and put his name in wooden letters over the window.  It is starting to shape up into a pretty neat looking nursery. 

Yesterday, I spent time with my niece (Brooklyn) at a Chuck E. Cheese birthday party.  It made me feel really good that she told all of her friends that Uncle Ryan is the best at getting tickets.  She went into the ticket blaster and came out with 1,100 tickets, which had her pretty excited.  I helped her win a few hundred more and she got a huge ball to play with this summer.

I've said it before and I will say it again, I can't wait any longer to meet my son.  I am so excited to become a father and be a proud one at that!

18 Week Sonogram

Our little Tobias...

 

This sonogram was very special, because it was the day we found out our little baby is a boy.  I had a few tears of joy and Ashley did as well. At that point we officially decided to name him Tobias Edward Thornton.  I probably called every person in my phone contacts whether it was someone I talk to or not.

Ashley's appointment today

Ashley sitting on my parent's porch

Ashley had an appointment today to get her first RH immune-globulin shots.  Her blood pressure was somewhat high, which can probably be attributed to stress.  Her baby shower is next Sunday (3.4.12) and she is doing an awful lot of the planning.  She also had some family issues before her appointment today.  They held her for a little while, but let her go home and said everything was okay.  We will be doing a lot of relaxing this weekend and just enjoying our free time together.

I probably won't be posting over the weekend, but I do have some sonogram pictures scheduled to be posted on Saturday and Sunday.  Have a good weekend everyone!

Ashley and Gizmo

 Ashley at 30 weeks

Ashley was 30 weeks pregnant yesterday, it really seems like the time is flying by.  Now that we only have 10 weeks left it seems like time is just slowing down.  I am so excited to meet my little guy and he is all I can ever think about now.  Ashley is feeling good other than the occasional headache or some heartburn.

Gizmo licking his sore paw

Gizmo is healing up well, he is still pretty sore but he is getting back to being his normal self.  Yesterday he had his last dose of kitty painkillers and it is just so funny to see the way he acts after taking them.  I hope that he doesn't have a whole lot of pain now since there is nothing left that we can give him.  He is so cute when he shows us his paw, like look guys see what you did to me!  He has been cuddling with us and sleeping in our bed a lot more than he used to.

I can honestly say that I am the happiest man in the world and I know I will be even happier once Tobias is here stirring up trouble with his dad.

Proud Daddy

Today at work I brought pictures of the sonograms to show my co-workers.  I was walking proud while showing Tobias off.  It is a nice feeling having something that I can truly show off, which I'm sure will be even more true when my little guy is born.  It is an amazing feeling that I hope everyone can someday feel.

I find myself thinking all of the time about how different things will be when he gets here.  Five years ago I would've said that it was going to ruin my life, now I can stand up and say that he will define my life.  I am perfectly okay with that, he is my successor and I want him to be far more successful that I ever was.

Very Special Appointment

 Tobias Edward side-view 29 weeks 6 days

Yesterday was a very special appointment for a few reasons.  Ashley went through a Glucose test, which we will receive the results of within a few days.  We got to see our baby boy again, it seems like it has been too long since I have had the chance to see him.

 Tobias Edward 4D face 29 weeks 6 days

What made the appointment really special is that Judy, Ashley's grandmother, was able to come to the appointment and see the sonogram.  Just a little background, Ashley's grandparents raised her from a child and she looks at them like her parents.  Ashley's grandmother (Judy) was never able to have kids of her own, so we found it only fitting to let her be involved in the process of Ashley's pregnancy.

 Tobias Edward 4D face 29 weeks 6 days

Judy had quite a few questions for the ultrasound technician, which is quite usual for Judy, but that's why we love her!  Just to see her expressions and interest towards the procedure was a wonderful miracle in and of itself.

 Tobias Edward 4D face 29 weeks 6 days

The ultrasound technician offered to put the pictures on a CD for us, so that we can share them with the world.  Ashley is feeling good and is very excited about sharing the sonogram pictures as well.

Very Excited!

Today is a very big day for us, we have an appointment today to check on a couple of things.  Ashley will be taking a Glucose test today and also they will be giving her a shot to prevent RH Incompatibility.  At the end of the appointment they will be performing a sonogram.  I love to see the sonograms and I wouldn't miss them for the world!  Luckily I work for a company that allows me to take off work for these sorts of things. 

Sorry for the short post, I have a lot more work to do in a short period of time since I am leaving early today.  I will keep you all updated!

Baby Preparations Part 1

Ashley at 28 weeks and 5 days

 We have been preparing everything for the baby to arrive lately.  Ashley and some friends painted and cleaned the nursery, she chose tan to match all of his furniture and bedding.  She has decided on a jungle theme which I think Tobias will love.  

Gizmo

Gizmo (our orange tabby) went to the vet yesterday to be neutered and De-clawed.  I set up a cage in the basement for George (our German Shepherd/Blood Hound) for days when he is too hyper.

George

Our next preparations will be to secure our projector so that it can't be knocked over.  Also, we have some other rooms that need to be cleaned up and painted.  We just can't wait to meet our little guy!

Mommy and Daddy