Stretch Ruthstrong

Ruth, when I was pregnant with you and people asked me if I felt you kick, I'd always say, "No, but I feel her stretch!" My belly would literally stretch left to right and up and down as you made yourself comfortable in the womb. Now that you're here, it's so amazing to see you do the same thing. You will stretch and stretch mostly when you first wake up. Maybe you'll have a little more flexibility than the rest of your family.
This morning Daddy and Sam are at church while you and I have the quiet house to ourselves. I noticed your fingernails were long and decided I would give you a little manicure. Instead I accidentally clipped part of your finger and you bled profusely!! I feel soooooo bad. If you were older you'd be getting ice cream all day long. :)
School starts this week and I had originally planned on taking a few more weeks of maternity leave. I've decided (for financial reasons) to head back tomorrow. I don't "feel" nervous or anxious about it, but I can tell that I am. I'm having a hard time sleeping and my heart will race throughout the day for no apparent reason. Even when my mind tries to convince me I'm okay, my body lets me know otherwise. I can't help but love being home with you and Sam, so it's always tough thinking about heading back to work. The reality is I have the best set-up any mom could ask for. This year I will teach three classes in the morning and be home by noon. I know, I know, I'm very blessed. How many people have a good job, are home by noon, and have weekends, holidays, and summers off? Not many.
I love you Ruth!

28 years old

Happy birthday to me! Sam and Ruth, you must know how extremely happy I am. I am married to an incredible man and have two of the most amazing children. I live such a charmed life! This is a day to celebrate.
Sam, you are just about the nicest two year old I have ever met. Of course you have your toddler moments, but you are genuinely kind. You love your sister and are so gentle with her. It has been so fun watching you be a big brother. You talk non-stop and so Daddy and I have tried to channel this into entertaining your sister. You will occasionally tell her a story and these moments are my favorite. My favorite story lately starts like this, "One day Sam and Mommy went to Target and we got so frustrated..." (I think I have a lifetime of you "telling stories" about me.) If you're not narrating your life, you're asking questions! All of your questions end with the word, "for." Example: What are you cleaning the dishes for? What are they dirty for? What are we going to HEB for? And on and on and on and on. I've even heard you say a few times, "What do I have so many questions for?" Ha!
Ruth, I was told not to bank on having two good babies - that I was lucky enough to have one baby that slept well and ate well and behaved well, but I have proven them all wrong! If anything, you are an even easier baby. I'm sure this has a lot to do with me being a much more relaxed mother to an infant, but you are spectacular. You nurse beautifully and have even slept up to six hours straight (and you're only six weeks today!). I'm looking at you now in awe of how GORGEOUS you are. Watch out, world.
I pray today that you both can feel my joy and praise God for the blessed lives we all lead!

Special Memories

On Thursday, June 15, 1981, Nana starts the first page of a new journal with, “I’m writing in this book to record all my special memories of our baby.” My mom proceeded to fill hundreds of hand-written pages over many years written about me and to me.
When I became pregnant with Sam, Nana not only gave me her journals but a brand new journal to dedicate to my child. During my pregnancy and for the first two years of Sam’s life I frequently wrote in that journal. One day I look forward to giving it to you, Sam.
It has been such a special gift in my life that I want to pass on a treasure like it to you and all my children. Since being pregnant with Ruth and now having both a toddler and an infant, I have ached to write but haven’t penned even one word on paper. Then I realized the technology that’s at my fingertips and I should use it wisely! I dedicate this blog to my children as a way to record all our special memories…
If there is anything I am sure of, I know I have been created and called to be a mother. (Nana even recorded in her journal on July 7, 1986, “You informed last night that you couldn’t wait to be a mother and that you were going to have 37 children!”) Some dreams never die. J I love you Sam and Ruth and I love all of your siblings to come.