Trio

9:37am, nearly every day.

Item Number for Pride

Last week, Mops and Pops generously offered to pick up the Bigs and bring them to Grandparent Camp for a few days. It took us approximately three seconds to agree, and we were all looking forward to the fun the week would hold. Phoebe and Nora had an absolute blast staying up late, eating ice cream, and in general ruling the roost for four days.

For me, it was such a treat to be able to spend some time with just Ruthie. And to go from three to one felt like such a breeze! I was feeling like supermom, honestly, with my one baby. We played, crossed things off the to-do list, went for walks, and... we braved Costco at 5:00.

Costco at 5:00 is something I’d pretty much never do solo unless it was an absolute emergency. (For the record, we’ve done it plenty of times with Michael on board and a trip to the food court on the agenda.) But seriously, it’s not for the faint of heart. But one baby was just feeling so easy, that I felt like it would be no big deal. Oh pride, how it cometh...

We pulled into the parking lot, I strapped on my carrier, and I began to lift Roo out of her seat. And then the smell hit me. While I’d grabbed the diaper bag before leaving, I didn’t check it. So after a quick peak in the diaper confirmed that a change would be absolutely necessary, I opened the bag to discover that I had on hand exactly one newborn diaper and one size four. I’ve since figured out a better solution to this problem, but I MacGyvered that size four so that it would hopefully work long enough to get me through the store. I prayed that no urine would leak, since I was planning to wear her through the store.

So off we went, and I silently patted myself on the back for my abillity to stay cool under duress with a baby on board. But before I had loaded one item into my cart, I looked down to see that Roo’s feet were turning blue. Not good. I pull the cart over by the mattresses in the back, lay Roo on the carrier inside the cart, and decide that maybe the diaper was a little bit too tight around her tummy. I make adjustments, snap her back up, and get back to work. While going through this process, a sweet mama of four sends an encouraging smile as if to say, “You’ll get the hang of this parenting thing eventually, sister!”

Three more times we have to adjust for circulation issues. And three more times, this mama passes me while I’m mid-diaper-adjustment. Ultimately, I blamed the blue feet on the bjorn and strapped her into the cart, praying she would stay upright long enough to load up with chicken, milk and diapers. (She did.) But seriously, I felt like such a first-timer on this Costco run! And I decided that no matter what, it’s a challenge to bring your kiddos to Costco!

Stepping Back In

My heart has been so divided lately, wondering if maintaining this blog (however sporadically) is a worthwhile use of my incredibly limited time. These days, I hardly have a moment to sit -- much less to sit and tap out thoughts in coherent sentences. And yet, my heart still longs to share here. So here we are, perhaps in a more limited capacity, but here nonetheless.

I’ve also given this blog a new title. “Make Something Beautiful” is one of my most favorite songs, and I’ve borrowed its title for this little place as that is my daily - no, hourly - prayer as I walk through this humble, messy life: that God would make something beautiful (and He does!) out of my ugly heart.

Tentatively, carefully, I’m stepping back in, praying that this serves as a precious record and testament of the ways that He is making all things beautiful and new.

Ruthie is Six Months Old

Half a year, already? Time surely flies when we’re having fun... and we ARE having fun! This time last year, still throwing up and barely managing with two other babies, I questioned the Lord’s timing for our third child. I was fearful and anxious, wondering how on earth we would make it. Now, I can’t even conceive of a life without our little Ruthie. The Lord knew what a precious gift this little one would be, and I’m so thankful that he saw fit to bless us with her when he did.

Although I still am convinced that six months old is practically a newborn, I’m reminded often of how big she’s really getting! Just the other day at the pediatrician, the mama behind me in the checkout line held a sweet newborn (just two weeks old!) in her arms. I could scarcely believe how tiny that baby was...and how enormous our little Ruthie looked in comparison! I suppose I have no choice but to admit that she’s growing up, just a little bit, every single day!


At six months old, Ruthie is...
• 14 pounds, 11 ounces (25%ile) and 26.5 inches long (80%ile). Amazingly, she is the smallest of the three girls at six months!
• sleeping from 7:30am to 7:30pm most nights, occasionally waking at around 5:00 but going right back to sleep with a Mousie and a pacifier. She also typically takes two two-hour naps each day, followed by a shorter 45-minute nap in the late afternoon.
• taking four six-ounce bottles each day, and eating solid foods at her first three meals. Ruthie has liked everything she’s tried (and gerber has made it all), and she particularly loves her fruit. Like her sisters, bananas are her least favorite food. In her bedtime bottle, Ruthie also gets a tablespoon of cereal. I’m not sure if it makes a difference in her sleeping, but apparently she could use a few extra calories.
• still spitting up like a champ, and still unbothered by it. (I finally accepted that the spit up was here to stay, solids or not, and I got a friend to make me some precious bibs.)
• delighted by her sisters, especially Nora. She loves to be held by Phoebe, but there’s something about Nora that really makes Ruthie crack up. Honestly, she can just be sitting across from Nora and will burst into laughter. Nobody, not even Daddy, can make Ruthie laugh like Nora does.
• wearing mostly 3-6 month clothing with the occasional 3 month onesie thrown in for good measure. She also wears a size two diaper.
• rolling all over the place, and enjoys being on her tummy for extended periods of time. I’ll occasionally find her on her tummy in her crib, and she uses her rolls to get around. She likes to work her way into a new spot in the crib!
• starting to become sad when she’s separated from the rest of us. Ruthie has become increasingly social, and she no longer enjoys extended “alone” stretches in the pack and play. She did, however, do great in the nursery at church for the first time this month.
• able to climb out of the Bumbo, a first for our girls. (She never really was a fan of that thing...)
• not the owner of a tooth, as we might have suspected. The hard, white spot on her gums turned out to be a cyst, which went away on its own.
• in love with her Mousie. We’ve managed to get one more little one addicted to a lovey, and she rubs the tail over her face just like the other girls do with their critters’ ears.
• a fan of sitting in the red chair and playing with the baby in the mirror. She bounces, giggles, and loves to try and touch that sweet baby.


We’ve had such a blast with our sweet little Ruthie! I’m so thankful that the Lord has given us this sweet little Mouse to kiss on all the time! Happy Half Birthday, Roo!