Ruby monthly update: 3 months

Weight:  About 10 lbs 8 oz

Vision: You are focusing great and love to watch mommy, daddy and your brother.

Movement: You aren't a fan of tummy time (even though you hold your head up great), but you like laying on your back and moving around your arms and legs. You've started to rest your hands on things rather than just bat at them.

Eating habits: You generally eat every 2-3 hours during the day. You eat quickly, nursing about 5 min on each side.

Sleeping patterns: You sleep through the night!! You started doing this consistently at about 10 weeks. You are in bed around 8 pm and will sleep until 7-7:30 am. You are a bit all over the place with naps. You are good at your first nap of the day around 8:30. Otherwise you are usually up for about 45 min after you eat and then you are ready for a nap. You usually nap in your crib twice a day but the others are on the go or in the rocker/mommy's arms.

Sounds/words: You're starting to make cooing sounds and "talk" to us. It's super cute!

Sibling updates: Not much of a difference here. Keegan still loves you so much!

New discoveries/accomplishments:

• You started sleeping through the night! (started at 10 weeks)
• You started smiling at us and we love it so much!
• You love facing out or being up on mommy's shoulder to look around.
• You are drooling so much!
• You got your first scrape...big brother fell with a pretzel thin in his hand and it hit you on the forehead. 
• You hate getting in your car seat. You cry for the first few minutes of every car ride but then settle down once we get going.

Places you went/adventures: 

• We've started venturing out more this month. We've gone to lunch with friends several times and out to dinner as a family.
• You went to Keegan's first soccer game and liked hanging out in the Ergo.
• You've been out to run errands and are great just going with the flow.  
• You celebrated daddy's birthday. 

 

 

Ruby monthly update: 2 months

Height:  21 and 3/4 in. (17%)
Weight: 9 lbs. 8.5 oz. (9%)

Head circumference: 36 cm (3%)

Vision: You are focusing so much now; you love watching mommy and staring at your brother.

Movement: You are so strong, rocking tummy time (for about 5 minutes at a time before you've had enough). You have rolled more than 20 times from your stomach to your back, so I think we officially have a roller. You also kick your legs and move your arms a ton.

Eating habits: You generally eat every 2-3 hours. Sometimes more often during the day.

Sleeping patterns: I think it's safe to say that you wake up once a night now. Sometimes you make it all the way to 5:30 or 6 am and other times you'll get up at 4 am. Napping is pretty sporadic but you typically are awake for a little bit after you eat and then you doze off for a bit. You usually have one longer nap around 1.5 hours and the others are more like 30-45 minutes.

Sounds/words: You have started to make outbursts of sound. You're a little fussier these days as you go through some developmental changes.

Sibling updates: Keegan loves you so much! He likes to join you on the floor for tummy time and playing on your mat. He likes to help give you a bath and wants to have you in his the room for story time. Whenever we do something, he asks "Ruby's coming too?" It is so much fun to watch him show interest and affection toward you!

New discoveries/accomplishments:

• You made your first purposeful smile and now you smile all the time. Especially in the morning when it's just you and mommy.
• You love observing and just looking around.
• You are doing great holding your head up when on my shoulder.
• You can roll from stomach to back.
• You have been fussier the past couple of weeks and love to be held. You nap best in people's arms.

Places you went/adventures: 

• We're still hibernating because of the flu and all the crazy viruses out there. You did accompany me to my postpartum visit.
• We go out on walks most days unless it's raining or too cold. You have started to look around when we're outside now, but typically fall asleep.
• You celebrated your first valentine's day!
• You went to your grandma and grandpa's house and your Auntie J's apartment.
• You met some of mommy's best friends, Brittany and Lucy. 

Ruby monthly update: 1 month

Height: 20.5 in. (17%)
Weight: 8 lb. 3 oz. (17%)

Head circumference: 35.1 cm (9%)

Vision: You've started to make eye contact and will follow sounds that you hear by turning your head.

Movement: You try every day to hold your head up when on our shoulders; you are starting to turn your head from side to side when doing tummy time.

Eating habits: You generally eat every 2-3 hours. Sometimes more often, and at night you last longer for at least the first stretch of sleep.

Sleeping patterns: After the first week you have given us some solid stretches at night and now will typically do one longer stretch from 4-6 hours (falling asleep between 9:30-10:30) and then another stretch from 2-3 hours.You just moved to your room, and you’re doing great!

Sounds/words: You making grunting noises all the time, especially when you're trying to fall asleep. You sometimes get fussy in the evenings, but nothing too bad.

Sibling updates: Keegan has been great with you from the start, but we're working on being gentle. He just wants to love on you; either that or he's ignoring you. You can tell he feels that mommy time is being split, but he's starting to figure out the new dynamic.

New discoveries/accomplishments:

• You have started to be more awake the last week or two.
• You are starting to hold your head up for a few minutes at a time and have moved your head from side to side during tummy time a few times.
• You make a lot of facial expressions in your sleep; it’s super cute!
• You love napping in people's arms and snuggling.

Places you went/adventures: 

• We have been hibernating because it has been SO cold and flu season is at its height. But, you have been on a few walks and out to the playground while your brother plays.
• You have met family and friends.
• You took newborn photos!

 

Welcome to the world, Ruby Jane

On December 28th the Beard family grew into a family of four. We welcomed our little girl in a much calmer, smoother - and honestly easier - fashion than her big brother. I'm still in awe of what my body can do and how each and every women is so amazingly strong.

For me, pregnancy for baby number two was a lot rougher. I was sick a lot longer and just so physically exhausted all the time. I had more back pain, and our little girl didn't want to turn head down until almost 36 weeks. Not to mention the 2-year old boy I was chasing around. Shout out to my husband for taking on a lot of added things while I could barely function.

We weren't dealing with the same growth challenges as when Keegan was in utero, so we just played the waiting game on her arrival. I went to my 40-week appointment on my due date (December 27) and everything checked out great with amniotic fluid and the stress test. My doctor said she could see a few super tiny contractions, but it was pretty normal to see these and it didn't necessarily mean anything. Since I was now full term, I was put on the induction list for the following evening. Given the holidays, there was a chance it could take a few days to get me in. So, I left the office with a "plan" of sorts - aka more waiting...for a phone call.

That night, we had a normal evening with Keegan. After he went to bed, I was watched Netflix (Fuller House to be exact) on the couch. I started to feel some cramping around 9:30 pm, but I had been having some cramping off and on for a couple weeks, so I thought nothing of it. I went to bed around 10 pm, and shortly after I thought I felt a contraction. I had about 4 in one hour, but still wasn't positive I was in labor. The contractions weren't painful at all. At 11:30 pm, I got up and told Chris, who was still downstairs watching TV, that I thought I was having contractions. Naturally, he decided it was time to go to bed. It only took me 30 more minutes to realize this was it and we needed to get ready to go.

With my super fast labor with Keegan, my doctor had told me that I needed to come to the hospital when my contractions were 10 minutes apart. At midnight, I was nearly there. I called my parents who rushed over to be with Keegan. I called the doctor and my sister, did a few last minute prep things, and we were on our way to the hospital. We arrived at 1:30 am. In the less than 20 minutes it took to get to the hospital, I had gone from contractions at 10 minutes apart down to 6 minutes. I was admitted pretty quickly and my sister arrived.

Since I had already been put on the induction list, I had paperwork about epidural and pain management written up. Again, due to the fast labor with Keegan, they were ready to get things moving really quickly. I decided to go ahead with the epidural this time, so they put in the order pretty immediately and hooked up fluids, IV, etc. My mom arrived around 2:30 am, and we all chatted a bit as I managed through contractions. They were getting closer together (anywhere from 2 minutes to 4 minutes a part), and progressively more painful. Right about the time contractions were getting much worse, the anesthesiologist arrived (4 am). Having a contraction while getting injected is no joke!

And, can I just say that epidurals are completely amazing? I had one more contraction that I could feel and then nothing. Coming from a natural birth the first time, this was a dream. I wasn't sweating, I wasn't red. I could actually talk. Wow. I still only had the epidural 30 minutes before our sweet girl arrived, so I barely got it in time. In hindsight, I probably could have toughed it out but this definitely made me a lot more comfortable.

I then felt my water start to break. It was a slow dribble this time rather than a big gush. The nurse came in to check me, and I was already feeling pressure. I remembered this feeling well, but it was far less painful this time. The on-call doctor was called and we got everything ready to go. Everything was so calm. There were only 2 nurses in the room, and the doctor actually had time to put on her gown for the delivery.

The baby's heart rate dropped a bit, so they put an oxygen mask on my face. That seemed to do the trick. I pushed 5 times and our baby girl was here! Ruby Jane Beard you're perfect.

I remember thinking that she looked just like Keegan, but her hair was darker brown. We heard her sweet cry as she spread her fingers not knowing what the heck was happening. Chris cut her cord, and she was placed in my arms. I didn't hold Keegan until after he was bathed since he had some fluid in his lungs. Getting to hold Ruby immediately was so special. My little girl was here and in my arms!

Ruby's stats:
Date: December 28, 2017

Birth time: 4:31 am

Weight: 6 pounds, 6 ounces

Length: 20 inches

Keegan monthly update: 16 months

Since I'm not so great at the blogging thing, I'm lumping some updates together. :-)

Movement: You took your first steps on Nov. 4 at 13 months; for a while you were holding your hands in the air while you walked (it was pretty funny); you've started to run which was scary in the beginning. You've also started to climb everything!

Eating habits: We transitioned cold turkey to milk out of a sippy cup and you've done great with it! No problems there at all. You're not a big eater in general, but you eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and usually two snacks a day. You're obsessed with hummus, avocado, yogurt, cheerios, cheese, carrots, bananas, peas, black beans, eggs, waffles, crackers and noodles. You made a breakthrough at 16 months and seemed to be eating better.

Sleeping patterns: You're sleeping well! You still go to bed between 7-7:15 and I wake you up for school around 6:40. And you'll sleep until about 7-7:30 on the weekends. You transitioned from two naps a day to once a day in the afternoon typically for 2 hrs.

Sounds/words: You can say mama, dada, ball, hi, dog and are trying to say Alba (sounds like balba); you talk a ton, we just can't understand what you're saying yet.

New discoveries/accomplishments:

• You took your first solo steps between 13 and 14 months, and now have it down pat and are even running now.
• You haven't been gaining a lot of weight, so we had a blood test done to make sure all looked good. It did - so we're just continuing to try with foods. You seemed to eat a bit more around 15-16 months, but you're just not a big eater.
• You love to race around on your push toys.
• You've gotten two hair cuts (about once every 2 months); you've got a head of hair.
• You're love to laugh and are such a happy and go with the flow kid!
• You have 6 new teeth and seem to still be teething. We've started brushing your teeth every night; you don't love it, but you're tolerating it.
• You wave hi and bye.
• You had RSV and bronchiolitis. RSV was the worst!
• You now sleep in a big boy cot at school.
• You love the slide, but need our help going down them.
• You know the words 'more', 'please', 'milk', and 'all done' in sign language, which is really awesome and helpful.
• You also recognize body parts, pointing out your toes, ears, nose, mouth and belly button.

Places you went/adventures: 

• You went to your first pumpkin patch and trick or treated for Halloween. You dressed up as Michael Phelps (you screamed when we tried your first costume - a ninja turtle). You liked going from door to door and watching all the other kids.
• You went to your friend Ethan's first birthday party.
• We all went to Savannah for Brittany and Cory's wedding; daddy did a great job hanging out with you all day. Janna and Glenn came to babysit you at night so daddy could go to the rehearsal dinner and wedding with mommy.
• You ran a 5k with mommy.
• You celebrated lots of family birthdays, grandma, grammy and grandpa.
• You celebrated thanksgiving and Christmas! When you saw Santa, you were skeptical but didn't cry at all. You had so much fun getting into all the bows and wrapping paper on Christmas
• We celebrated new years with the Crowleys and the Moores.

Keegan monthly update: 12 months

Weight: 17 lbs. 8 oz.

Movement: You're still pulling up on everything and now walking while holding onto something or our hands.

Eating habits: You generally eat every 2-3 hours and we give you whatever solids we're eating (you don't necessarily eat them, but we're still trying). We are about to go cold turkey on transitioning over to cows milk and dropping breast milk/formula.

Sleeping patterns: You're sleeping well! You still go to bed between 7-7:30 and I wake you up for school around 6:40. And you'll sleep until about 7 or so on the weekends.

Sounds/words: You are babbling up a storm and are starting to say mama and dada knowingly.

New discoveries/accomplishments:

• You are showing more and more personality, especially since you've been pretty healthy and only had one minor cold this month.
• You walk while holding our hands or onto something (like a table).
• You learned how to give a high-five and you love it!

Places you went/adventures: 

• You had your first sleepover with Grammy and Pops while mommy and daddy celebrated their anniversary.
• You celebrated your first birthday with family and friends. We are so lucky to have such special people in our lives.
• You "watched" your first college football games (Go Dawgs - and Hokies!)

Keegan turns 1!

Happy first birthday to our baby boy!

It's hard to believe Keegan is one. We celebrated a great day with family and friends!