One Month

Ruthie has been home for one whole month!  She is 10 lbs 2 oz and somewhere around 21" long (not sure exactly because I think the doctor's ruler is off a little).  She has grown out of all of her newborn footie-pajamas (but she still fits in the stuff without feet for a little while, anyway).  She has pretty much grown out of newborn diapers, but I am using up what we have before I move her up to size 1.

It has been nice having her home and not having to drive back and forth to the hospital... but it's also really difficult.  I miss having the nurses around to answer all of my questions... and I miss having her checked out by a doctor every day.  Paranoid mom stuff, I'm sure.

Ruthie loves to be held.  At first, I thought she was a lot needier than G at this age... and then I remembered that for the first few months, all G and I did was lay in bed.  Once I realized that, I felt bad that I don't get to just sit and hold her all day.

I am having to learn how to handle George again.  He was a totally different little boy before Ruthie was born.  While I was running back and forth to the hospital, he entered his terrible twos.  I feel like we are improving every day, but some days are still difficult!  I have found that what he needs is all of my attention. So as long as he has that, he's fine.  As you can imagine, things start to fall apart when I am feeding Ruthie or she wants to be held.  He doesn't get mad at her, though... he gets mad at me.  And he pulls my hair.  So that's where cartoons come in handy.

So I ordered "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" the other day.  I was so happy with "The Happiest Baby on the Block," so I really, really hope this works, too.

Ok-the girl wants to be held, so I need to run!! 

This & That

Just a few stories about our lives lately:

First, this requires back-story:  I have been listening to T-Swift in my car non-stop since my honey surprised me with the cd the day it came out.  (And when I say "surprised," I mean that I reminded him and reminded him and finally reminded him as we were passing Target... so he went in and got it.)  Well, on Sunday, Steve came in after church and said, "I could totally do LA Reed's job.  I heard the song 'Begin Again' in your car and I thought, 'This song is a hit.' and now it's on the radio all the time."  So there we go, my husband has a great ear for great music... but I will not support this career change.

On Saturday, Steve was in the kitchen near the fridge and George was trying to push him out of the way. I said, "George!  Why are you pushing Daddy?" and he yelled "I WANT TURKEY!"  So, ok!  We got him turkey.

The pediatrician sent Ruthie to the opthamologist for an exam to make sure her optic nerves were healthy (an issue for preemies).  Thank goodness that this appointment went perfectly!  You never know with this girl... she likes to make us worry!

I've gotten to know our night-owl neighbors very well (maybe too well...) since I've been up nursing in the middle of the night.  Well, last night they woke me up and they even woke Steve up... which is a big deal.  Steve doesn't wake up for anything.  We heard loud banging and yelling and crying.  Now, I know these walls and floors are not sound-proof, but I shouldn't be able to hear voices and sobbing.  So I called the cops.  I hope they are embarrassed about their behavior.  There is no reason for a grown adult to be acting like that.  I heard the cops talking to the girl upstairs and all I heard was her crying and the cop saying, "What's going on, Sweetie?"  That's when Steve made me shut the door.  I secretly hope that they break up and she makes him move out... and he takes his drum set with him.  

(As an aside--Did I tell you about the time we called the cops on our upstairs neighbors in OH?  They fought a lot, but one night we heard screaming and things being thrown and doors being slammed.  Turns out they were just watching an Ohio State March Madness game.  Oops.)

Ruthie only woke up once to nurse in the middle of the night last night!  Actually, I woke her up because she's not supposed to go more than 5 hours in the night without eating.  She ate a lot and then slept another 5 hours.  Too bad I don't go to bed at a regular time and still woke up exhausted.

We are so excited for Thanksgiving tomorrow!  We have most of our ingredients acquired.  We are having turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, cranberry sauce, stuffing and pecan pie.  Yup--for only 2.5 eaters.  We will be eating left-overs for a long time.  We are mostly excited that Steve will be ours allllll day!  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

My Week in Pictures.

Alternate title: "Why I Couldn't be Happier This Week is Over."
Other Alternate title:  "My First Week Without Grandparents."

George found out this isn't a real drawer.

He was obsessed with getting eggs out of the fridge... until this happened.

Steve gave him a sticker... and this happened in 2 seconds.

A black eye.  Sadly, not his first one.

Probably not even his third one.

And this is kind of how I felt:

But to be fair, it did get better:

He really loves his sister.

(And you can't tell, but she loves him, too!)

AND someone had a big day yesterday....

it was Ruthie's DUE DATE!

At her 2 month check-up she is:

8 lbs 8 oz

&

21.75"

Silly Georgie

Here are two funny George moments that happened before I even ate breakfast:

Ruthie was fussing and then started crying.  I turned to get my nursing pillow.  I turned back around to find George standing by the bassinet... and Ruthie had a diaper on top of her.  I guess when you're sad, you need a new diaper?  It's so funny to see the connections he makes when he's "helping."

This next story requires a little back-story.  Last week, George grabbed a can of Diet Coke off of the end table and went running.  He splashed some onto the tile in the entry way.  I took the can away and handed him a paper towel and he actually cleaned it up!  George.  My child who never helps clean up (in nursery, he sings the "Clean Up" song while pulling the toys back out of the cabinet)!

This morning, I was walking out of the bathroom and George came up to me yelling "Oh no!  Oh goodness!  Oh no!  Oh goodness!"  He took me by the hand and led me into the living room where he pointed to a cup on the floor.  I noticed that he knocked it over.  There was something laying on top of it:  the shirt I wore yesterday.  So, he knocked over the cup and then went in search of something to clean it up!

That's my funny, sweet boy!  Seriously--I wonder what goes through his head.  It's so funny to see him imitate us.

And now, some pictures:

George going crazy in the bath

Ruthie sleeping... I think this hat might be too big?

Our first walk as a family of 4

(Steve was taking the picture)

(George didn't want to take a picture)

We're HOME!!

Last night we had a sleep-over at the hospital!  They call it "rooming in."  Ruthie was taken off of all of her monitors and we were given a hospital room to stay in.  The nurse came in to check on us every few hours and I kept a log of eating/peeing/pooping.  It's nice because I got a night with my baby with the nurses close by and it's nice for them because they can make sure that I'm taking care of my baby.  Seriously--I had to sign a paper saying that I would feed her.

So we checked into our room and I fed Ruthie.  We then called my mom and had her bring George up to the room!  So, after 6 1/2 weeks, Ruthie finally met her big brother!  He was so sweet!  I couldn't have asked for it to be any better.  Steve brought him in the room and I had Ruthie on my lap.  He kept saying "Baby! Baby!"  He was holding her hand and tickling her toes.  He was very gentle!  

Last night went well.  It was nice to be able to wake up to feed a baby and not to be attached to a pump!  The nurse practitioner checked her out for the last time and then we were good to go!  We had the same nurse take us to the car today that took us out with George!  She is so sweet and was so sad/excited to see Ruthie go home!  We got her info so we can keep in touch!

So we have been home for a few hours now.  Ruthie is sleeping and George is watching cartoons.  It's nice to be able to spend a leisurely afternoon at home!  I haven't had that in a while!  I never thought this day would come!  I know that the Lord has blessed and strengthened our family over the last 6 1/2 weeks because of the prayers and fasting of our family and friends!  Thank you all for your kind thoughts and words!  We look forward to introducing Ruthie to all of you in the coming weeks and months!! :)

Quick Update!

Little Ruthie has been tube-free since Friday night!  She has been caffeine-free since Monday morning!  Keep her in your prayers... they are keeping her for observation for a little bit and if everything goes well, she should be home soon!

And Georgie continues to make me smile!  When he sees a picture of Ruthie, he says "RUTHIE!"  (In fact, he's doing it now as I write this!)  He's going to love her!  

Also, he cracks me up and always has a hurt finger or toe that he wants me to kiss.  I'm starting to wonder if they are actually hurt or if he is faking it.  Either way, it's fun to give him a kiss and see him run away "all better!"  Today, he was laying on my lap going, "Aaaaw Baby!"  I just love this little boy and can't wait to get to spend more time with him again!!

We appreciate all of your prayers!  I know that Ruthie is doing better because all of the people who love her  and all of the prayers being given on her behalf!

Baby Update!

Ruthie is now 36 days old.  She is 5 lbs. 9 oz. and 18.7" long!  She has grown over an inch since she was born... and it's all in her long little legs!  Seriously, her legs are super long!  She was wearing some premie jammies and it was supposed to be a one-piece with long pants... but they hit her like capris!

She is now mostly out of premie clothes.  She had a nice little rotation going and then they wouldn't fit over her big head!  She still fits in some premie snap-up things... as long as they don't have long pants.

She is off of her feeding tube!  She takes all of her feedings by breast or bottle... and she is a champ at the bottle... unlike her brother, who could never quite figure out how a bottle works!  She will drink 50 ccs (almost 2 oz) in about 5 minutes!  Last night, for the first time, she finished a bottle and then screamed and cried for more!  She ended up eating 70 ccs!  What a hungry girl!  She will be chubby in no time!

She is getting to be more alert... and that's a lot of fun.  She is also holding her gaze and following with her eyes, which developmentally is what she should be doing at 5 weeks old.  Amazing!  For how early she was, it will truly be amazing if she stayed with her real age instead of an "adjusted" age.

We are trying to give George as much attention as possible right now.  The poor kid just knows that we are hardly ever around, but doesn't know why.  He has yet to meet his little sister!  We show him pictures, but he doesn't get it... he is just excited to see pictures of a baby!  He's running around like a crazy person and jumping off of everything.  He loves Thomas the Tank Engine these days and throws a fit if he's ready to watch it and we don't turn it on.  Grandma got him a toy Thomas that he even takes to bed!  No, it's not a snuggly toy.  He has been spending a lot of time with Grandma and he loves it!  When she leaves his sight he yells, "GRANDMA!  WHERE ARRRREEEE YOU??"  He has even starting picking up some words from her.  My favorite is how he says, "Oh, goodness!  Oh, goodness!"

So, we're still here.  Running back and forth and pumping leaves little time for anything else!

We're Still Here

I realize that the last picture looks much worse than it actually is.  Here's a new picture!  This one is a few days old.  Ruthie now has her feeding tube through her nose (with her smaller cannula) so that she can drink from a bottle easier.  Oh, and how she drinks from a bottle!  She's a champ!  She only gets a few a day but the first one she drank in about 20 minutes (she got the hiccups half-way) and the other, she ate it all in 8 minutes!  That's right--8 minutes!  So she is learning to take a bottle right now, but still getting most of her feedings through the tube because the bottle really tires her out.

She is now 23 days old and 4 lb 11.1 oz.  She's almost a full pound over birth weight!  She is wearing clothes that we took in for her.  I have a few premie things that she rotates through and the rest of the premie stuff I am slowly returning for newborn-sizes.  She's not going to be under 5lbs much longer!  In fact, the chubbier her face gets, the more she looks like George (but a very feminine George)!  She's so sweet and we love her!  They haven't said anything about her coming home... so I suspect we're still a little while from that.  But she's doing really well, so really, as long as she keeps moving forward, it won't have to be too terribly much longer.

Stay tuned!  We'll keep updating!

Surprise!!

This may sound familiar... but we had another surprise arrival in our family!

Ruth Kathleen

9/13/12 at 12:38pm

3lbs, 12 oz  17" 

She has thick, dark hair and she is absolutely beautiful.  We love this little girl!  She is currently in the NICU, but she is making improvements every day!  She will be there for a while longer than George was, but I suspect that it will be mostly to grow in an environment where she can be closely monitored.  We appreciate all of the prayers and fasting that we have received!  We are definitely feeling the calming effects of the Holy Ghost!  And I know that little Ruthie's progress is a direct blessing from those prayers and thoughts.  Keep them coming... she has a little while to go!  I'll update more later.  Right now I'm going to pump and take a nap.  I really forgot how lame it is to pump.  It's so much easier to feed and cuddle a sweet baby... and I can't wait until we can try it in a few weeks!

Big Foot Sighting

It's been a busy month... again.  So I guess this just makes it a busy summer!  I can't believe it's going to be September tomorrow!

I spent almost 2 weeks this month in AZ for my sister's wedding.  I got to hang out with my friend Dom from BYU!  It was so fun to see her!!  It's been too long!  She's having a little boy in December, so we got to talk pregnancy and babies!  We went to my favorite AZ restaurant... and then we went there the next night with Steve's good friend and his wife and daughter.  Yes... I ate at the same restaurant 2 nights in a row.  It was delicious.

I ate Greek food and liked it for the first time.  G loved the appetizer that they lit on fire and yelled, "Opa!"  He would yell, "YAY!!!" and clap his hands!  The drunk (but fun) owner kept coming up and grabbing his face and calling him a beautiful baby!  But we already knew that!  Look at this handsome face riding the helicopter at the mall:

The wedding was great, but it's weird that she's married!  I am a terrible sister because I did not take a single picture that day.... but it was hot.  And Steve and I were chasing G around.  It was a long day for him, but he hung in there like a champ (except he was not too happy at dinner).  He especially loved dancing with all of the nieces and nephews from Mark's side!  He's been a dancing fool ever since!

When we got back, G was so excited to see all of his toys.  He played with each toy as he took them all out of the toy box and made a huge mess.

I had another OB appointment.  I had to take my glucose test.  They gave me fruit punch this time and it was way gross.  I loved the orange drink last time.  Next time, I'll request that one... I saw it in her fridge, but thought I would try something new.  Since we had to be there for an hour, my great doctor decided to do an ultrasound.  It's still a girl (thank goodness... we're accumulating a lot of pink and purple these days)!  And when the doctor measured the leg, he said "Whoa!  Those are some big feet!"  He was so impressed that he printed a picture:

Once again, I have a baby that is measuring big.  At least this time, her abdomen is measuring big, too.  With G, it was always just his head that measured big.  I guess it still is always his head that measures big... it's full of brains!

We got a few good peeks at our little girl's face!  Here's a picture... it looked better on the screen, but she moved just as he was taking the picture.  Her forehead is to the right and chin is to the left.  Isn't she pretty??

So we've just been taking it easy the last week and a half or so.  Erin & Mark stayed here on their long drive back to AZ and eventually back to school.  They stayed all day yesterday!  It was so fun and G loved all the attention!

There you have it.  Our August in a nutshell!