life with our sweet girl

time sure seems to be flying since ruby kay joined our world. flying in a good way. each day she grows more and more alert and interactive with us, and we are just loving it.

a good friend once described the first few months of parenting as a challenge because of the one-sided relationship you have with your new baby. your world revolves around their every need- nursing, burping, diaper changing, spit-up cleaning, bathing, dressing, bouncing, holding, soothing, kissing, and overall loving of your little one. in reply, you receive poopy diapers, spit-up stained clothes (theirs and yours), sleepless nights, and cries upon cries. basically, it's a one sided relationship. but, it's not all bad--- the older they grow the more they love you back. starting the beginning of ruby kay being a month old, she started intentionally smiling at us. and now that she is almost two months, the smiles come overflowing from her. it's such a joy to start to receive her love, even in the small form of smiles and baby-coo's. 

a peek into the nursery

since we are currently living in an apartment, ruby kay's nursery is shared with our guest bedroom. there are many pros to living in a small space- keeping all our baby supplies in one place (pacifiers, changing station, hair bows, etc), being able to hear her cry when i am in another room, and living like a minimalist. 

we had such a fun time putting ruby kay's room together before she came and tried to keep everything gender neutral. people often would ask what our nursery "theme" was- and my only answer was navy, yellow, gray, and red. i think ruby kay fits so well into her nursery now that she is here. some of my favorite parts of her nursery are:

-the pom pom cluster made by my baby shower hostesses originally for the shower, now on display for ruby kay to admire from her crib

-the books on the shelf from my work's "book shower" they threw for me. it was hard to choose from all the great books ruby kay has!

-the homemade quilt i made for "baby seiler" before i knew that she was ruby kay

-my diy elephant mobile

-the sweet print gifted to us right after ruby kay was born with all her birth details

and now to show the star of our show: miss ruby kay, herself! i love how tiny she looks in her big bed. she is such a sweet girl, and i'm so proud to be her mama.

1 month with Ruby Kay

to our sweet ruby kay,

you are officially one month old and have changed our lives. both your daddy & i can't imagine life without you. you are the sweetest baby, and have made our transition into parenthood so easy. you are such a good baby- sleeping 6+ hours through the night (the record has been 9pm-5am), rarely cry, and are almost always happy and content. our love for you grows deeper each day- so much that we can't imagine loving you more. one of the first nights with you was pretty sleepless due to many feedings, but i woke up with a stronger love for you because of sacrificing my sleep for you. it is so humbling to realize how dependent you are on me for food, warmth, and love. i am so thankful that God chose me to be your mama.

already over this short month, you have grown so much. especially in the last week you seem to be changing before our eyes. your growing is bittersweet- i love how interactive with us you are, but don't want you to grow up so fast. everyone says that their kids grow up too fast, so i'm trying to savor each moment i get to spend with you.

some sweet things to remember from our first month with you are:
-how you love to be swaddled, especially at night and how well you sleep when swaddled tight
-how well you sleep when you are close to mama's chest, and how you fall into a deep sleep every time you are in the beco carrier
-how you wiggle your arms and legs as soon as you are free from your swaddle
-your sleepy hints are when your eyes cross, then you smile and then you slowly drift off
-how you hold your head up while i burp you after nursing and our cheeks touch
-how often you have the hiccups and how much your tiny body shakes from them
-how much you love your pacifier
-how you fall asleep every time we put you in your carseat, and almost always stay asleep during our outings
-how well your eyes focus on us when we talk to you
-how you are beginning to smile when we speak to you

your daddy and i love you so much, ruby kay!