Our perfect, precious boy!
You entered the world fast and furious and we wept when we met you. Our sweet miracle.
Welcome to the world, Ryder Thomas!
Ryder was born on Monday afternoon – his due date! – at 3:29 p.m. weighing 7 pounds and 7 ounces. He’s 20 inches long and completely perfect. We are so in love!
A couple of hours after Ryder was born he was admitted to the NICU for meconium and fluid in his lungs. It was terrifying as we waited for more information and heard the results from his first x-rays. Not being able to hold our baby, attempt nursing and snuggle up to his face has been so challenging. I’m trying not to focus on the fact that we will very likely be discharged from the hospital today and Ryder will not.
My focus has been on Ryder and his incredible strength and the amazing response he’s shown to his treatments. We’ve seen such incredible progress from our sweet boy in a short amount of time and I have full belief we will continue to see him improve and be able to take him home soon.
Ryder didn’t have a name until late last night. Yesterday he was transitioned off a CPAP machine for breathing and onto a smaller tube for oxygen which allowed us to better see his face and my heart to grow as I soaked in his precious cheeks and perfectly pink little lips. We stroked his dark brown hair and felt like we could really SEE our baby for the first time since he was admitted to the NICU and picked a name we hope will serve him well.
Ryder means warrior. Our guy is so strong. We selected Thomas, his middle name, as a tribute to Chase who knew all along he was going to have a little brother and confidently told everyone his name would be “Thomas the Train.” It’s a name that makes us smile so big.
When I shared some very short updates about Ryder and his time in the NICU on Instagram, I received so many comments and messages from all of you and I cannot thank you enough for your incredible reassurance, prayers and kindness. To those who have had little ones in the NICU, your comments have touched me so deeply. Thank you for sharing your experiences with me. I am reading every single message and comment and feeling so grateful for all of you right now.
Seeing such tiny babies fighting so hard in the NICU is unbelievable. They are so resilient! The parents we’ve met are so kind and so strong. And I can barely speak about the nurses and doctors who have watched our boy so closely without feeling overwhelmingly grateful for the work they do, their compassion, expertise and knowledge. I know Ryder is in the very, very best hands.
I am hoping to share Ryder’s birth story on the blog but right now that seems so distant from everything that came up after his arrival. I need some time to focus on our baby boy, pumping (which is incredibly challenging since I am getting nothing and my milk hasn’t come in yet), healing and pouring all of my energy into caring for our baby boy in whatever ways I can, even if they’re not the ways I envisioned right now.
Ryder Thomas, we love you so, so much and I am so lucky to be your mama.
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I am so happy for you and your family! Ryder is a cutie pie and I am praying for you both.
This brings back so many memories…our little guy was in the NICU for 4 days and it was rough. Our hospital didn’t have a NICU so he was whisked away from me less than 24 hours after a rough birth. I got discharged at 24 hours to go there but was told by the nurses to rest as much as possible and use a wheelchair at all times when visiting. it was great advice…I recommend doing the same after you are discharged. it’s exhausting but so eye opening to have a newborn in the NICU. our guy is now 3 and a perfectly healthy full blown boy! yours will be too. they are amazing!! We had issues with our baby getting released so hold to your mom instinct and talk with the nurses as much as you can…they are SO helpful and special people. Prayers to you and that precious boy!
Yes- I second what Jen said. After discharge, I went back to the hospital every day for a week. The adrenaline and wanting to pour everything I had into helping my baby however I could made me feel like I could stand, walk, whatever. My husband encouraged me to spend as much time in the wheelchair as I could – it was already enough walking to get down 3 flights of stairs, into the car, the walk to the hospital, having to walk to the bathroom to change pads and to the family waiting area to eat – all of that takes SUCH a toll on your newly postpartum body. Try to sit as MUCH as you can in the NICU – I know it’s hard! A week later, I was so sore and worn out from the experience.
It’s exhausting for sure!! I like to think on day 4 that wheel chair (and quite a few tears during rounds) may have helped just a smidge to break out of the NICU 😉
Same! So, so many tears at rounds. Also, just thinking back on how utterly hysterical I was the first time I got to go to the NICU 2 hours after delivery – I remember just screaming and sobbing and looking around at everyone like they were aliens speaking another language. Looking back, I get a little embarrassed thinking about it, but it was a truly primal, emotional reaction. I always wonder if the nurses thought I was a crazy mess, but I guess they’re used to seeing anguished families as they were nothing but gentle.
Congrats on your baby boy! I pray that Ryder gets to come home healthy soon.
Ryder Thomas ????? I literally full on wept when I read how he got his name. SO SPECIAL ❤️
Yay! So excited for you 🙂
Hi Julie,
Congrats on baby boy!! Can you hand express until your milk comes in? after I had my son he was too sleepy to nurse. I wasnt responding to a pump yet, and a lactation consultant actually did it for me – it was awkward lol, but effective!! Just a thought 🙂
Love him! Prayers for recovery and that you will all be reunited quickly!!!
Congrats on your sweet boy! I love his name, so special. Keeping you in my thoughts and hoping you are all home together soon.
You are such a good mama!!! I love love love his name and the special meaning of Thomas- how perfect!! ❤️ Lots of prayers for you and your baby boy!
Congratulations Julie!!!! I have been following your blog for over a year now and am so thrilled for you and your family!!! That baby boy is absolutely precious! And I swear, last night while looking at your Instagram stories I thought of the name Ryder and how it would be perfect! Ryder and Chase just go together!!! <3
Welcome, Ryder, you are definitely a cutie.
I see you already are trying to keep up with your older brother. Let’s slow down just a bit because scaring Mommy and Dad is not good. You have plenty of time to conspire against Mom and Dad with big brother. Chase. Prayes that you feel better and you go home soon.
Chase you will be a great big brother. Remember this, you will always be able to tease Ryder you named him after a train when you get older. Only use this when he is bothering you. Also, show him the way to all the fun things in life.
Oh my goodness he is precious! He looks SO much like Chase in the photo where Ryan is holding him all swaddled up like a burrito. And what a sweet nod to Chase to include Thomas as the middle name. I love everything about this! Prayers and love and crossed fingers being sent your way that you are ALL home soon!
Ryder and Chase remind me of Paw Patrol, which my 2 year old is obsessed with. Love his middle name ?
Thinking of your family and hoping his NICU stay is short.
Congratulations!!! Sending you and your family so much love and peace during this time. LOVED the choice of “Thomas” for the middle name. Totally teared up, what a wonderful start to their brotherhood : )
What a perfect name for a perfect little boy! Ryder is a warrior indeed! So happy for you guys, and sending prayers for a smooth and quick NICU discharge in the coming days. I know you can’t wait to get that precious boy home and snuggle him up 🙂 Can’t wait to hear more about his birth, and how Chase does meeting his little bro for the first time! Stay strong mama!
I have been stalking Instagram, thank you for the update! Praying he gets to go home soon!! I love his name, especially the tribute to his big brother 🙂
Love how you chose his middle name… how sweet. He looks like Chase in the pic with Ryan holding him.
Congrats to you all!! He’s adorable.
Congratulations on your baby boy! He is beautiful. I had a NICU baby. She was in the NICU for about a week with various issues. She left the NICU at a tiny 4 pounds, but she is now a 14 year old powerhouse 🙂 I will pray for sweet Ryder and your family.
He is precious! Make sure you are eating, hydrating, and resting. I know it is difficult to do right now, but you need to in order to help your milk come in. You are doing a great job with your pumping schedule from what it seems. You should be seeing results soon!! Hang in there!
Can’t wait for Chase to meet his little buddy!
Congratulations on your sweet sweet boy! I am praying for you all! What a strong little fighter!
Congrats to you and your sweet family! Ryder is precious. I had a similar situation with my first, she had swollen meconium. It’s so hard, I’m only sharing for you to know you are not alone. ❤️ Hoping he gets to go home soon! Sending lots of prayer and love!
Hi Julie, Congrats on your little one! Hang in there – the NICU is an emotional rollercoaster (we’re going on our fourth week there with our twins), but I’m told this will all be behind us soon and we’ll just remember the joy of having the baby(ies) at home. I feel ya about the pumping struggle too! It gets better!
I have been following you through Instagram and am SOOOO happy he is finally here! I was definitely one of the ones who was on baby watch big time!
God uses circumstances and events in our life for a reason – to make us stronger, to lean on him more than we ever did before, and to be an example to others. You never know how your story will impact so many other people down the road. I pray for sweet Ryder and your precious family! I hope you all get to go home soon TOGETHER!
Congratulations! From one former NICU momma, stay strong!
Congratulations to all of you, Julie! Ryder Thomas is a beautiful name, which indeed will fit him for years to come! I know Chase will be a wonderful big brother, as he had faith so early on that the baby was a boy. Praying hard for Ryder today, and for you all as well! Find strength and peace in knowing that the Lord has his life in his hands and he is caring for him. Prayers sent to each of you! Congratulations again!
Hopefully this will make you feel a little better: my son was born with an initial Apgar score of 1, which is frightening. Like Ryder, he had meconium in his lungs and was admitted to NICU. He later tested positive for e-coli and had to have antibiotics administered through a needle in his temple for 10 days. It was SO hard to leave him at the hospital and go home (and seeing him with a needle in his head was awful), but we showed up every day to be with him and he did GREAT. He is seriously the healthiest little boy on the planet now. And he’s been on an awesome schedule since day 1, which is an unexpected bonus of having a NICU baby. Ryder looks so strong and healthy and will be out of there in no time! It’s so hard not having the post-birth experience you imagined. Hang in there! He’s beautiful. 🙂
Chase and Ryder…Paw Patrol to the rescue!!!! Couldn’t be more perfect for two little boys!!! Love.
Our third child, our daughter, was admitted to the NICU at birth and then flown to a larger NICU at 2 days old. It was terrifying and so hard. She was on CPAP too and I hated not seeing her face! I remember thinking what that time was “supposed” to be like…and it didn’t involve pumping and sleeping alone! But 9 days later she was home and now is approaching her first birthday. God is good, and have her and Ryder so much strength! Try to remember his goodness and notice all the blessings. I loved connecting with other NICU Mama’s, praying for folks we met in the hall and realizing how much goodness and love there is in the world! I will be praying for Ryder and your family as he heals and gets strong enough to go home ?
Oh, and even after not being able to nurse for the first 7 days of her life she learned that skill quickly! And still nurses happily all day (and night too, ha!) So try not to be too discouraged every time you have to pump! And his name is just perfect 🙂
Congratulations!! He’s beautiful!!
Keep pumping mama. It’s so challenging at first but will be worth it. I had struggles at first with my baby but we pushed through it and now she’s six months and we are exclusively breastfeeding and have been most of her life.
So much love to you guys!! ❤️
Julie!! Congrats to you, Ryan, and Chase. Ryder is a beautiful baby, and he looks just like Chase in one of the shots. Hoping he is discharged quickly. You guys are in my thoughts. ❤️❤️
He is PERFECTION and his name is just the sweetest. Love, love, love.
Welcome Ryder! Wishing your sweet family all the best.
SO incredibly happy for you and your family! Seeing Thomas in the middle name made me smile since you have mentioned that Chase wanted to name him Thomas the Train. Keep being the strong mama you are and Ryder will be home with you before you know it!
Hi Julie!
Glad to hear hear ryder seems to be getting better! I had a meconium baby who was in the nicu for a week And had to pump initially. When He was able To breastfeed we hadn’t no issues at all and he went strong for over a year! Just wanted to give an example of a similar situation turning out well! Best of luck to your family!
Congratulations on your sweet boy! Love and prayers to you all.
Not sure if anyone has recommended to you but the Lactation Consultants at my hospital all recommend a pill called GoLacta to help with milk production. It’s different than Fenugreek and the reviews on their website and on amazon seem very positive!
Praying for comfort for you all. What a beautiful name you picked. I remember leaving without my first baby in the nicu. It was so tough. But now she is 14 and still a fighter. Hang in there your precious baby will be home soon.
Congratulations on the birth of baby Ryder! He is a beautiful baby, and as the mom of two boys (one about 3.5 yo and the other turning 5 on Fri) I’ll tell you that one of the best things about having the two of them will be watching their relationship grow and develop. Their love for each other will be one of your greatest gifts.
My first babe didn’t end up in the NICU, but ended up being readmitted into the hospital a few days after birth due to jaundice. Thankfully it was just overnight, but it was so hard to see his tiny body inside the incubator and not be able to do anything for him other than help feed him as best I could. My second babe was almost admitted to the NICU because he was big and had low blood sugar and remember feeling so nervous about being separated. I know that my apprehension and fear is only a fraction of what you and other NICU parents go through, and my heart goes out to you. I hope you’re all home together soon!
Congratulations!! I love the middle name- one day Chase will be so very honored that you chose the name for him. Too cute!
Our daughter was in the NICU because she had issues feeding. It was horrible and even though we knew it was minor, we were so worried. I also had to pump and got nothing, but keep going- supply and demand!
I hope your little sweet boy is out of the NICU and home soon!! Our hospital let us do one day as a “boarder”- they gave us the room but no meals. That way we were able to stay an additional day with our daughter.
What a precious name for a precious baby boy! Congratulations!!! Sending lots of love and strength to all of you.
These photos are so sweet! A big to congratulations to you and your family! I love his name and also love that you chose his middle name because of Chase! You’re lucky he picked a “normal” name – my son wants to name our baby “Mixer” as in “cement mixer” since he’s obsessed with trucks haha Inhope you’re feeling well and hope you’re able to take sweet Ryder home soon! XO
Congratulations and he’s absolutely beautiful! You chose the best name for him and I love the meaning behind why you chose Thomas! Sending prayers to your family!
Oh Julie-congrats x 1000 for your beautiful Ryder Thomas!! I have followed along your pregnancy and loss journey and have wept with you during your losses and prayed for you during your rainbow pregnancy. I also have a rainbow baby at home. I LOVE Ryder’s name and the significance of his name-what an amazing, beautiful tribute to Chase and a wonderful story for Ryder to learn one day.
Also, I wanted to share that I work at the March of Dimes and we recently released our new My NICU Baby App to help parents navigate their NICU stay. I hope it might bring you some comfort and help. It can be found here: https://www.marchofdimes.org/nicufamilysupport/my-nicu-baby-app.aspx. We also provide this PDF for parents of babies in the NICU for a shorter stay (I’m assuming he’ll be there for a few days/week): https://www.marchofdimes.org/materials/A%20Shorter%20NICU%20Stay%20Information%20Sheet%20-%20English.pdf
After all you’ve been through, I know having him the NICU must be so very hard when all you want to do is snuggle him and bring him home. I wish you all the best in your NICU journey and can’t wait to read all about the day you get to bring him home 🙂
Sending your sweet family so many healing prayers! I am a mom of 2 young boys also and I was brought to tears by your sweet story about your baby’s middle name! What an incredibly special connection your boys will always have! I hope your boys are home together soon!
Our first daughter was born full term and healthy but also was admitted to the NICU for swallowing meconium and then her throat was damaged when it was suctioned out. Then she would not feed much and blood sugars dropped. It was a trying experience as a FTM but I was lifted up by all the teeny tiny babies that were fighting a bigger battle. She was there for a week and it was the best feeling to bring her home. Hang in there mama. He’ll be home soon and you can all settle in as a family of four. He is absolutely adorable. Congratulations!
He is beautiful and absolutely perfect! Hugs to you as he gets stronger and you can bust the little warrior out of NICU. I absolutely love his first and middle names–and I bet big brother Chase will as well. Congratulations!
Hey girl – just wanted to reach out and say congratulations on your beautiful boy! Prayers that he gets to come home soon. Just wanted to share that I had a uterine rupture a couple weeks ago while giving birth and our daughter and I both ended up in ICU. I stayed for 72 hours after an emergency hysterectomy and was unable to see our girl until day 4. Pumped round the clock for my husband to take it to the NICU and my milk didn’t come in until day 6! We did a mix of formula and my tiny amount of colostrum I was able to produce for the first week. Just want to offer encouragement that I was able to breastfeed right when we both came out of ICU. She has continued to latch great at home and we are no longer supplementing. Hang in there – you are doing an amazing job and hoping Ryder can get home soon. Oh and one more thing – give yourself some grace if it’s a little harder this time around postpartum emotion-wise. I struggled for the past few weeks with some major baby blues much more intense than with my other babies. We think a ton of it was related to the trauma of ICU, etc. Just wanted to share our story hoping it may give you some comfort. Continuing to pray for your fam. Xo
Congratulations!!! Ryder is beautiful! There is nothing harder than being discharged from the hospital and having to leave your baby there. My babies spent 95 and 99 days in the NICU and being away from them was horrible. Just know that you can call the nurses any time for updates and visit as much as you can. And keep pumping! It was so hard for me in the beginning but I’m glad I stuck with it because it made me feel like I was taking care of my babies in some way, even though their care was out of my hands. Thinking of you and hoping Ryder comes home soon!
I never comment but just had to say that when I got to the part about choosing Thomas as a middle name I teared up so quickly! What a sweet tribute to Chase and a wonderful story for your boys to have their whole lives! Congratulations on Ryder and prayers for a short NICU stay!
Hi Julie! I am a LONG time follower but have never commented before…just wanted to send you and your family a HUGE congratulations on your sweet angel. He is absolute perfection! Hoping you will be able to take him home SOON!!
{Also – fun fact, I have two boys, 3 and 6 months and their middle names are Ryder and Thomas!! So clearly I love your name choice! What a fun story to be able to tell him about his middle name when he gets older} ?