Ruby

After all the stress and hassle of seeing to Ruby's nutritional needs early in life, today things have changed again. Over the last two weeks, Ruby has not been taking her bottle with any sort of consistency. Sometimes every feeding, sometimes four times a day, sometimes just once. Months ago I had resolved myself to supplementing her forever - well, until she was weaned, I mean. And Ruby has always been a spitter; she may have some reflux, but I think she's just a plain and simple spitter. But this week, she was spitting up more than usual - which was a lot. So I took her to the doctor. She was thoroughly examined. Her weight now is 15 pounds and her length is 25 1/4 inches long! Both measurements put her in the 95th percentile. Big AND tall! That's my girl!
Her doctor didn't seem too concerned about her throwing up. She told us to quit offering Ruby the bottle altogether. No more supplementing. Obviously, the girl is gaining plenty of weight. In a matter of two months, she went from Failure to Thrive to 95th Percentile! So yesterday, Ruby took one bottle, and today I'm distracting her after she nurses with pat-a-cake and toys and singing. She has virtually been weaning herself off the supplement for the past two weeks anyway, so she is doing really well today. Still spitting, of course. Kent has inclined her mattress in the hopes that she won't reflux so much while she is sleeping. And in the daytime, I'm trying extra hard to hold her upright for longer after she has eaten.
This was such a relief to me - to not be bound to preparing and carrying bottles everywhere we go. To finally have the peace of mind that she is getting enough to eat from nursing. I guess all it took for my milk supply to increase was to move to the Texas heat, give up the fenugreek, the Reglan, the oatmeal, the pumping, and the brewer's yeast. Who knows what made the difference.

Now she's playing on the floor, which she loves. She talks, and shouts, and sings. She loves to put toys in her mouth and stick out her tongue. And she loves people. She'll award just about anybody with a big cheesy grin. She is still spell-bounding! It's no wonder I still have boxes in my living room; I can't take my eyes off her.

In other news, Mom and Dad are moving out of their house into a Hendrick Home. Geoff and Jamie are moving into Mom and Dad's house. Please pray for this oh-so-rapid and oh-so-huge transition in my family's life.
The Carters' (our friends in Indy who had their baby one week before Ruby came) baby, Zoe, had surgery yesterday on her throat and a permanent feeding tube was placed in her stomach. Please pray for this family. It has been a constant trial since she was born, and it's bound to be hard on a marriage.

Kent is on call all day today and tonight, and he won't come home until tomorrow afternoon. So. I'm thinking... Pride and Prejudice! Anybody care to join me, I have mint chocolate chip gelato to accompany it. Tonight. My place. The more the merrier.

Member

I am now a member at the LA Fitness in Fort Worth. It's the largest in Texas. There is a place for Ruby to play while I'm in cycling class. Hendrick Health Club in Abilene spoiled me to classes. The gym here only offers cycling once a day and only three days a week is it a morning class. Kind of a bummer, but on the alternate days I can take step aerobics or aquatics.

Commercial

After an in-home demonstration from my Aunt Laura, I went to the store to make a purchase. $1.50 has never been better spent.

Love it! It really IS "magic!" I used it in our front bathroom where it erased grime and build-up that has been there - well, since 1954!

I am only beginning to uncover the many uses of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, but my house has infinite possibilities.

Ruby's 3-month Pictures

Tammy has put some of Ruby's pictures on her blog. They look fantastic! Check them out here.

headache

Is it due to a cold virus Ruby and I have both caught or does it have more to do with the dream sequence of "Fiddler on the Roof" that keeps replaying in my head...

"If Tsidel marries Laser Wolf...
I'll come to her by night!
I'll take her by the thrrroat!
And this I'll give your Tsidel; That I'll give your Tsidel
*insert maniacal laughter here*"

Giggles

Ruby loves bath time, but hates for it to end.

Enjoy this video of Ruby's first giggles. Her Aunt Carole is the only one who has gotten her to laugh so far. The sound is precious!

Fiasco, Part III

Mom and Dad left Friday for South Africa. They are there visiting George Funk, a missionary, with our dear friends Dr. Mark and Cebia Martin.
While they are away, Kevin and Anne are staying with our Uncle Tim and Aunt Laura in Denton. So Kent and I left Abilene on Saturday with Kevin, Anne, and Ruby in the back seat. Before we left town Kent told them to go to the bathroom because "We are not stopping!" Ha! How those words have haunted us...
About 30 miles west of Weatherford on I-20, Toronado (my black 2001 Murcury Sable) quit. We all felt a "thunk" and we coasted to a stop on the shoulder. Kent and I both looked at each other like "now what?" Who do you call? Well, my Dad - the first one we think of - is on the other side of the planet and his dad is at work - in Indiana. Okay, but didn't we enroll in Emergency Roadside Assistance when we bought our insurance? Right. Kent gets on the phone immediately. But where are we? He started walking down the road to see what mile marker we are nearest to. Ruby is steaming in her carseat. And Anne and Kevin are just chilling in the back seat. Let me just say here that they are the ultimate troopers. They never complained once. Never did they say how hot it was or worried about what we would do. They kept their cool and went with the flow.
After sitting on the shoulder of I-20 for about 10 minutes, Ruby wasn't quite as calm and collected as her uncle and aunt, but she did okay.
About that time a red vehicle pulled over and slowly backed up to talk to Kent. I was on the phone with my Uncle Tim (in Denton) at the time. I looked up and saw that the people who had stopped were the Andersons from Southern Hills. We had just met Channel (spelling?) the day before at our niece's volleyball game, and she's a friend of Carole's (Kent's sister in Abilene). !!! When we all realized we knew each other, you could see "relief" written on everyone's faces. They said they've never stopped for anybody before, but thought Kent looked like a clean-cut guy who needed help; they didn't even know the rest of us were in the sweltering car. They admitted they just felt like they needed to pull over and see if they could help. Can we say GOD?! They gave Anne, Ruby and I a ride to the Pilot station in Weatherford. Ruby was soo soo happy to be in the air conditioning. We were, too, of course. Kent and Kevin stayed behind with Toronado to wait for the tow truck, which was coming from Mineral Wells. Uncle Tim was in his car and on his way to Weatherford to meet up with us. Tim to the rescue! I don't know what we would have done without him and the Andersons. The tow truck could only carry two other people. The boys and the car made it safely to Weatherford, and we all arrived in Denton - 2 1/2 hours after we had planned. Ruby slept from Weatherford to Denton. We stopped at our house in Fort Worth to get Kent's car. There we realized our house key was at the mechanic and the garage door opener was on my visor - in Weatherford! Ugh! BUT, because of Kent's forethought and attention to detail, he had made an extra key and left it with Uncle Tom - just in case. Perfect! If only I hadn't latched the screen door! Another problem to solve. Tim slithered the water hose through a break in the screen and pushed up the latch to release it. Hooray! Safe and sound.
Dinner with Tim and Laura was delicious! It was great to show off Ruby to Meredith and her friend Katy. Kent and I made it home again without a glitch.
We have learned much in the past two weeks. First and foremost that God is in control and He will always take care of us.