Ruth is One Month Old!

Ruth's a month old today!! Time has gone fast, but not nearly as fast as I expected. I remember how Faith grew up faster than Nathan - mostly because I couldn't sit and stare at her all day long, like I got to do with Nathan. So I expected Ruth to grow up even faster. But it's been a pleasant surprise that the last month hasn't flown by - at least not too fast.

I still get lots of time to stare into her eyes....

, and play with those tiny little toes...

And smile at those big yawns and half smiles

(that never look like smiles when I try to take a photo of them)

I realize many people reading this probably won't care about all this information. But if I don't write it down, I won't remember it. And if I don't write it down here, I won't be able to find it later. lol 

I have been able to go back and look through the blog posts from when Nathan & Faith were a month old to remember what they were doing, and compare photos (Ruth looks nothing like her sister, but could pass as Nathan's twin!). I'm glad I wrote it all down back then, so I'll keep it up with Ruth.

As of last Tuesday (6 days ago), Ruth was 8lb, 13oz. She's been gaining 1/2 - 1 ounce a day. So I'm guessing she's right about the 9lb mark now, maybe a little more. And she's 22inches long - she's grown an inch already! And she still fits newborn clothing, but 0-3 months aren't too big on her either. In the photos above, she's wearing the same newborn outfit that Faith came home from the hospital in. It still fits. But not for long.

Ruth's hair is still dark brown. And her eyes are still bluish gray - much like Faith's were at this age. So I'm expecting they'll turn brown eventually. Her fingernails have straightened out - I don't remember this with Faith & Nathan, but Ruth's fingernails were long and curled tightly over the tips of her fingers for the first week - but they've straighted now. And her head? She's getting better at holding it up on her own for more than jsut a few seconds at a time. Still not too long, but she gets stronger every day!

And Ruth loves to eat. What baby doesn't? So far we haven't had to introduce formula at all - which has been an unexpected blessing! Things are going pretty great in that department. And she has been introduced to a bottle and taken it well 4 or 5 times so far, though Jacob has to feed her a bottle or else I have to hold her a bit away from me as I give her one. When she's close to me, all she wants to do is nurse. She could be super content in Jacob's arms and the second she smells or sees me, she thinks she's hungry. It's been a little discouraging that I was unable to cuddle with her for a while, but she's slowly learning to take a pacifier and has gotten back in the habit of letting me snuggle with her sometimes.  She's a pretty great snuggler ;)

And she's a pretty good sleeper, too - she takes after her mommy & big brother in that way! There have been two nights, so far, where Ruth has slept for a straight 8 hours at night! Those nights were awesome - they would have been more so, if I hadn't had to get up multiple times to pee, pump and just make sure she was still breathing....ha But being able to sleep for a couple hours straight, was wonderful.

Right now, Ruth sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time at night. I shouldn't complain, but I am very much looking forward to the day she decides to treat me with another 6-8 hour stretch ;)

For the last week or so, she's settled into the following schedule. Though, just by me writing this down eariler this morning, she's already started changing it up on me... ha  But a normal day goes about like this:
2:30am - eat
3:00am - sleep
6:00am - eat
6:30am - sleep
8:30am - eat
9:00am - sleep
11:00am-eat
11:30am - stay awake to watch the world
1:00pm - eat
1:30pm - sleep (today she didn't nap till 3:30pm)
5:00pm - eat
5:30pm - stay awake to watch big siblings play
7:00pm - eat
7:30pm - usually remains awake in Daddy's arms
9:00pm - eat
9:30pm - usually stays awake
10:00pm - snack some more just before bed
10:30pm - sleep till around 2:00am or 3:00am

Eat, sleep and poop. Yup, that's about her day. She's got it pretty good ;-)

For the first week of her life, Ruth didn't want to sleep anywhere but on my chest. It worked out ok, because I had to sleep propped up anyways; I couldn't physically lay flat from the surgery. So I knew she it was safe for her to sleep on my, while I slept, because my body was too afraid of pain to even think about moving while I slept.  And, since Jacob took almost two weeks off work after Ruth was born, he would take Ruth for a couple hours in the early morning and let her sleep on his chest while he was in the recliner.

But soon we learned a little trick... a heating pad. I would slip a heating pad under a thick blanket in her bassinet, and turn it on low. We'd warm up the blanket then, when we laid Ruth down, and turn off the heating pad. She melted right into that warm blanket and slept great! I've slowly since weaned her off the heating pad - well, almost. Next thing is to wean ME off the bassinet....

Until this afternoon, Ruth had yet to even see her crib... I laid her down in it to nap today, but she didn't last long. I'll try again tomorrow. At night, it's been nice to have her so close in the bassint by the bed. And Jacob's not complained - I think because he gets to sleep and doesn't have to share in feedings... lucky guy.  So I think it may be a little while longer before she sleeps in her crib at night - but she will eventually. For one, her rooms too stinkin' cute for her to not spend more time in there ;-)

Ruth has been such an easy baby! She's only given us a few, slight, challenges - learning how to get her to sleep flat in a bassinet, and slowly getting her to understand I am not a pacifier, have been the only semi-difficult things she's thrown our way. So far. We have been seriously blessed with a great baby who fits perfectly in our family!

And Nathan & Faith? There have been almost no jealousy issues. Nathan adores his baby sister and is such a great little helper with the baby. And Faith likes her too - but she doesn't slow down long enough to sit and stare at Ruth or love on her much. Then again, the baby doesn't do anthing exciting that would make a wiggly two year old want to play with her ;)

Jacob & I are slowly learning how to each spend qualilty time with each child, one on one. It's been a pretty smooth transition, so far.

God has blesses us more than we could have ever imagined or deserved. We are so thankful for all our kids, and today, especially, for our healthy, happy, adorable one month old :)