half birthday

So I just had an epiphany that this blog used to focus on all of my Alaskan adventures and as of late it has turned into the banterings of a new smitten momma.  If the change has bothered you I apologize, my life outwardly is NOTHING like it was 6 1/2 years ago when I started this blog!  NOTHING besides the fact that I am a displaced southern girl LOVING and everyday appreciating living in the wilds of Alaska.  Inwardly though, deep down I am the same God fearing, fresh air breathing, daughter of 2 amazing full of life parents who in the last 6 months has undergone a major role shift, being a parent myself!

And boy am I LOVIN' it!  Every minute of it!

Yesterday we celebrated Ruthann's half birthday (today is the official day) by climbing and MOUNTAIN, her 2nd, and crashing a party to make the captive audience celebrate with us!  They weren't too in pained by having to celebrate, because it did involve delicious CAKE!  And Ruthann sure enjoyed the sensory play (Thank you Beth our earily childhood trained, a new mom herself and as of March 1, Ruthann's nanny!) for the vocabulary term for the event of Ruthann squishing birthday cake and frosting in her fingers.  Ruthann isn't eating solids yet, but she sure did dive bomb her cake!  It was a little odd just making 1/2 of a cake and according to my dear friend Emily Clark (formerly Buck), the 1/2 birthday cake tradition needs to come to a healthy end after her first true 1/2 birthday.  Apparently her husband's mom created a monster of a son who was raised on 1/2 birthday cakes and therefor she is the recipient of an entitled 1/2 birthday cake desiring husband, something no spouse should have to marry into.

So happy 1st and only half birthday dear sweet Ruthann!  Your dad and I couldn't imagine a more wonderful daughter or what we used to do with all our free-time (ah hum, climbing mnts constantly) before YOU!

Sharing our love of climbing mountains with our little squirrel baby!

Ruthann smiling for the camera!

Sensory play in action, I think we'll have to start giving her solids soon!

Working mom!

So here is the update to those out there that are on the fence about whether they should go back to work or not:

It's actually not all bad.  In fact for this working momma, it has been pretty good.  Some things that you will need to make it successful are:

1) a supportive husband!  Thankfully for me, Aaron was in charge of both breakfast and dinner (by the way he did an AMAZING job, and I ate like a queen).  I did the menu planning (I LOVE menu planning) and he made it happen (he even hosted 5 folks for dinner last night, way to go Aaron!  I was amazed by this non chef who has in the last 2 weeks turned gourmet);

2) child care that you feel good about!  The 1000 times a day that I thought about little Ruthann and knew she was in good hands, made all the difference;

3) a rewarding job, one that you really ENJOY going to;

4) a positive attitude;

5) and you have to be able to give yourself massive amounts of grace!  No, you aren't going to be able to be a momma, a full-time worker bee, run a 3:15 marathon, make visits and/or treats your friends everyday and hang out with high schoolers outside of school every week.  That is completely unrealistic!  So although, these are things I've been able to do in the past I've have to make some compromises with myself.

And although I was only able to go out for a run 2 times this week, I think next week I'll do better.  I have lowered my exercise goals to 3/4 runs a week, not much from someone who is used to hitting the trails everyday, but realistic.  And I am probably only going to log about 10 miles a week, again down from around 20 pre-baby!

So maybe I'll have a different opinion in a month, but it has been a nice start.  My time with Ruthann is sweeter than it has ever been.  My time with Aaron is more valued.  

Doable, check!  Maybe even enjoyable!  What a rich life I lead.

Aaron, the deer slayer, killed this buck last Saturday, 2nd of the season... hooray for free-range meat!

yum, yum, yum, every now and then we still have pizza night.  Here is our greek pizza.

Ruthann hasn't been able to go swimming at the pool recently, so we had to try on her newest swimsuit in the tub.  Ruthann typically takes one bath a day, she LOVES the water. 

Terrible quality photo, my apologies, but totally hysterical, here is Ruthann fighting the swaddle, she is a great escape artist and resists sleep anytime we have visitors at the house, equally as social as her folks.  

We sent this picture to my cousin Anne this past week.  We LOVE being in Sitka, but we always are missing our great families back home. 

My favorite time of the day is wake up time with Ruthann, she is in her sweetest just after a nap.

Ruthann had more bottle time that ever before this week.  She LOVED holding the bottle!  One day her dad said she started shaking, almost looked like she was convulsing with excitement when he brought out her mid-morning snack.

This is my favorite Ruthann face these days, she puckers out her bottle lip and just hangs out looking as if she has jowls. The guy holding her is looking pretty good too! 

Change for this momma's 2014! Here we go...

Tomorrow this momma is going back to work.  It has been an amazing past 5 1/2 months with little Squeaks growing and developing like a weed.

I am going into this full-time work thing with an open mind.  Aaron and I are probably the most fugal folks we know, so if and when Aaron goes on full salary with Young Life, we could do the one salary thing for a while if we chose to.  However, for now at least Squeaks is going to be in good hands.   Plus, I have the best job I've ever had, so perhaps working full-time will be the way we go!?

Gratefully we have top notch childcare!  Tomorrow she is going to spend the morning with her dad (who works more swing shift hours and weekends) and cared for by a dear friend and mother of 2 (TWINS, YIKES!) in the pm.  Jan. and Feb. different friends have volunteered to care for Ruthann in the afternoon, praise God and in March we have something more regular: a friend who just gave birth a week ago today will be her childcare provider.  We are grateful, because not only is she a close friend, but she also has a degree in early childhood and is a baby expert, hallelujah!

I am not so naive not to know this transition is going to be difficult.  Some big changes are going to have to happen.  For one, Ruthann's laissez faire lifestyle is going to have to be a little more regimented and sleep patterns are going to have to fall into a routine here soon, or life could be difficult!  I also know that caffeine and I will probably be stronger connected that ever before.

So praise God for 5+ wonderful months to bond with cutie-pat-tootie, an incredibly supportive husband and a great job to go to.  There is so much to be thankful for.  Here's to a great 2014!

But it sure isn't going to be easy leaving this sweet face:
(these are two photos taken earlier this morning)

Month 5

Wow!  I have a 5 month old!  Here is the latest:

Ruthann is 16 pounds and nearly 25 inches long.  She has tiny squishy feet a big round belly.  She loves to snuggle and will sit content in my arms for long extended periods during the day, often times all swaddled up.  She eats approximately 12 times a day!   She sleeps about 12 hours a night and naps 2 or 3 times a day.  When not snuggling her feet kick continuously.  One of her favorite day time activities is trail running with her mom and dad.  She looks all around and watches the trees zip by, often times singing and blowing bubbles as she goes.  Anytime she is upset we go outside and her crying stops immediately.  Sometimes she just hangs out on the front porch in her carseat just as happy as can be.  She also has really started to take a liking to all of her toys.  She also adores grabbing and chewing on everything, especially my hair and glasses with ice water.  She loves to stand up and sing "oooohhhh oooohhhhh."  She lights up when people pay her special attention, and if you get her at the right time she will squeal with delight.  She is a happy baby and typically only cries if she is suppose to be sleeping but would rather be playing or hanging out socializing.  She knows no stranger and makes friends easily.  Happy 5 month Birthday dear sweet Ruthann!  It is so much fun watching you grow and develop!

parts

Ruthann

I'm not exactly sure my full end goal with this blog post.  I know  I want to make a tribute to my grandparents, in particular Nancy Prancy who passed away this past week, just a few days after our visit and thank her/them for the way they've impacted me, in positive ways as a person, and maybe even in so far as how I choose to parent an their impact on my children a.k.a. Ruthann.

So here I go... PARTS:

It is amazing, when it boils down to it, how little I actually know about my grandparents.  My namesake, Emily died when I was just 8, so nearly all I know of her comes from stories.  I know she was adored by all who knew her, she loved to talk, was the center of parties, made legendary biscuits, and by the time she finally married at age 28 everyone had written her off for an old maid.

In honor of Emily, a talker.

I was given a little more time with her husband, Bill, who died when I was 19.  He greatly valued education and started a college fund for all of his grandkids.  He had a quick wit and endless expressions, many of which have stood the test of time.  For example, hardly a day passed in my childhood where I wasn't awoken by his phrase "It's not whether you get up but how."  He also made quite a breakfast spread, unfortunately for his grandkids you had to be up by 6:30 in the morning to enjoy! He was a skilled parallel parker, due to his time spent in Washington D.C.  He had voluptuous   lips and a rather large derriere which was later coined "the Bradford butt" fortunately all 3 of his sons inherited! I also remember he had a great love of ice cream though he didn't "love things, just people."

In honor of Bill, a doer.

In honor of Rudd, a mover.

I'm grateful to have had even more time with Rudd, who just passed a few years ago.  Like Bill, he too had a way with words.  The stories from his youth could be made into movies.  He was frugal, strict, had a mean vegetable garden, kept honeybees, and had all his animals well trained and wrapped around his finger.  Rudd was an outdoor enthusiast if there ever was one.

                                                                           


His wife, Nancy also loved both the outdoors and animals.  She drove convertibles, loved to shop, I was a recipient of many a themed sock!  She was quick to laugh, quick to love and incredibly sweet in every way.  She adored her husband and her pets. She and Rudd traveled the world over.  They walked nearly everyday, together until practically the end.  They also road bikes together.  Nancy, my last remaining grandparent died this past week, in her sleep.  We knew it was coming.  Ruthann was able to meet her and say both her hellos and goodbyes.  It was a sweet memory.  I'm so grateful we were able to have it.  And I'm grateful for all the parts of my grandparents that I know, values they shared and passed along.  I'd like to think I am a mix of their various parts.

In honor of Nancy, a laugher.

BLUR...

2 weeks, 2 states, 1 wedding, 95 dear family and friends later we are home.  Aaron and I had the privileged of heading south for my little brother's wedding on November 23rd.  Since it was a brutal 2 day trip we decided to stay for a while, attend Thanksgiving and spend some quality time with family and friends.  From the moment we arrived we were in a whirl of commotion.  It was good.  It is also good to be home.

The wedding!

Ruthann got to meet her grandad!  This is them together at the wedding.

One of my most favorite singers, Gillian Welch!  We were able to attend her concert in Charlotte.  Here she is singing the classic Miss Ohio.  

Ruthann hanging out with her GREAT grandma!

The finish line of the Turkey Trot!  Here are the family finishers!  Unfortunately, and embarrassingly my brother beat me and Ruthann.  We let him win because he just got married.  

Thanksgiving day in our backyard. At some point during the trip we were able to see all of my family minus 4 of my cousins.  

My mom and her sisters at Thanksgiving.

An even newer member of our family, welcome Aunt Katie, my brother's wife!

Ruthann playing with my childhood teddy bear.

We even made it to my old home and stomping ground, Asheville NC!

We were able to squeeze in a 4 generation photo before we left.  Nancy is now in hospice care.  Goodbye sweet Nancy Prancy.  We love you! 

welcome fall!

What a wild ride it has been these past few months.  We are still on heels of the most spectacularly sunny Sitka summer I've ever experienced and now entering the most lovely of falls.  The sun makes such continual appearances I am beginning to forget the Sitka rain.  In fact brilliance has been everywhere!  We've had more fall colors than in my prior 6 falls, crazy amounts of mushrooms , whales singing and breeching galore, endless days of sunshine, northern lights, a much delayed first snow, plus we have the sweetest baby! 

I've been enjoying it all and taking absolutely nothing for granted.  This past week we also welcomed another Sitka baby into the mix, little Livi Rose born in Fairbanks, medevac'd to Anchorage and arrived in Sitka happy and healthy this past Monday. 

Ruthann has also had a lot of firsts.  She made her first girl friend, made her first mountain summit and saw her first northern lights!  We will save the trips out on the boat for later, so sorry Ruthann no whale viewing yet!

We have a week before Ruthann makes her first transcontinental fight to her uncle Joseph's wedding in York, SC, where we will introduce her to the entire Ross and Bradford family's, take her first 4 generations photo and charm them all with her sweetness.  We are basking in Thankfulness this November. 

The new family coming home from Anchorage! 

The northern lights from our bedroom window...!

Halloween at Family Night Dinner at Edgecumbe, Ruthann didn't like being a mermaid! I guess she wanted to be some other sea creature?

I'm in love with this photo. 

Party hostesses for Livi Rose's baby shower, fun and delicious!

Waiting for the guests of honor to arrive... Girls and decorating, we had a blast!

Here Ruthann is listening happily to her day rock out on the guitar! 

Here is Ruthann's first mountain accent, yes, she did sleep through a huge bulk of it!

She woke up at the top to check out her first snowflakes!  Puffin was even kind enough to stop frolicking for the family photo.

Here is Ruthann after the hike, wide eyed and ready to party.

Here is me after the hike, thank you Aaron Christopher Routon for a delicious meal of pan fried salmon, rice, shrimp and a yummy salad.  Can't get much more delicious than this!

And here are the wild mushrooms growing in our yard, they are everywhere!

Ruthann and her dad :) I love these guys so much!

WHALES!!!!  No dad, they didn't hit the boat this time... notice no zoom and Mnt. Edgecumbe in the background!