Running and Fussing

Ryan and Ruby went for a run today when Ry got home from work. It was unusually cold out today - in the 60's - so we bundled Ruby in a mismatched assortment of pants, hats, socks and a jacket. She loved it!

In other news, life with a newborn can be wonderfully trying at times. Ruby's "fussy" time typically starts after I feed her around 8 or 9pm. Most nights after an hour of screaming her head off she's asleep, but some nights she just keeps going until I feed her again around 11 or 12...and a couple of times in her short life she has continued to cry into the wee hours of the morning before finally falling asleep. It's incredible. 

Even now, as I type this Ryan is sitting next to me on the couch with his index fingers stuck in his ears. I just have to keep reminding myself that babies are supposed to cry for a few hours a day - it's good for them. She is such a doll during her "non-fussy" times, so I guess it's okay.

On Living and Learning

A few days ago I made my first major mistake as a mother - locking myself and my 17 day old baby out of the house on a 95 degree summer day. Everything started out great. I was feeling really great, Ruby was happy as can be and we were taking a long walk around the neighborhood. Ruby loves her stroller, so we just kept walking and walking enjoying the exercise, the sun and the fresh air. After an hour and a half we were pretty hot so I decided to head for home so I could feed Ruby and get her cooled of in the air conditioning.

I took Ruby out of the stroller and parked it in the garage - only to quickly realize that my keys were in the back pocket of the stroller and the garage door had locked behind me. My sweet baby was all sweaty, miserable and hungry. I sat in the back yard and cried for a minute or two before I remembered that I had conveniently stored my cell phone in my bra (it's a very handy storage location).

Ryan was swamped at the hospital, Ryan's parents were out of town for the weekend and I don't really know our neighbors yet. Luckily Christopher was in town and could come to our rescue! Crisis averted! It's incredible how much more important a spare key is when there is a tiny baby involved. I am also going to make it a point to meet some of the people on my street right away!

The best news is that Ruby doesn't realize that her mom is stupid sometimes. Whew!

Guest Blogger Question

Does anyone have any idea how much longer I must wait for this pink
camo to properly fit Ruby? As you know, correct "fit" is very
important.

- Guest Blogger, Mark Beeson (Amber's Dad)

Ruby's Newborn Photoshoot

When Ruby was 9 days old we had my friend Mindy take some pictures. If you want to see the proof gallery, just go to http://www.mindyleigh.com/, enter the flash site, click on the "client" section and put "ruby" in the password.

Mindy is an awesome photographer. She had lots of great ideas and Ruby liked her too - so the pictures turned out awesome!

On Botox

This is Aaron - Ryan's roommate from med school. He is in residency right now becoming a dermatologist...this is a video of him getting botox injections - talk about a hands-on learning experience!

Father's Day at Cox Cottage

Today we spent the afternoon with Ryan's family at the lake. 

One of the highlights of the day was Ryan opening some gifts (for Ruby). I have a feeling this song book is going to be quite a hit with Ruby as soon as she realizes how hilarious her dad is singing from it.

We discovered that Ruby is the perfect travel companion - whenever she is in transit, be it by car or boat, she is silently snoozing away. Here are some shots from her first pontoon boat ride.

In addition to meeting Uncle Kyle and Aunt Sarah, Ruby met her Great Grandpa and Grandma Fisher.

It was a wonderful Father's Day!

First Fathers Day!!

Happy first Father's Day Ryan! I love you so much. Ruby couldn't have a better daddy.

Bath Time

Ruby loves bath time - she gets really calm and looks around a lot. I have a feeling she will be quite the little water bug when she's big enough to swim in the lake.

Uncle Christopher

Chris got home from his trip to NYC and met Ruby for the first time. He has begun imparting his knowledge on her already. She has a lot to learn.

Sleepy

When she sleeps - there's no waking her up.

Little Stinker

"Say Cheese"

Ryan would like you to know that Ruby is so neurologically advanced she had her first smile today at a mere 5 days old!

Ryan the Baby Whisper

Yep - Its been a couple of days since I posted...

We've mostly been trying to figure out how to do this "being someone's mom/dad" thing. So far I think it's going well. It was hard for Ry to go back to work this morning - but he survived the day and has been hanging out with Ruby ever since he got home.

Ryan is such an awesome dad. We watched the highly recommended "Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD yesterday and Ryan has been loving the "5 S's" techniques to calm Ruby. This is what her face looks like whenever he holds her on her side like this. 

Grandpa and Grandma Cox

Hey Face!

Welcome Home Ruby Dawn!

I love how she looks at Ryan. Whenever she hears his voice she turns her eyes toward him. She loves her Daddy.

Me and My Girl

Last Morning at the Hospital

Cheeks

Ruby is so awesome! She is feeding like a champ and all the docs are really proud of her progress. She has been getting great scores on everything from hearing to muscle tone and everything in between. We love her so much.

Ryan is really funny - as a pediatrician he never really gets to kiss the babies cheeks - but he can kiss his own baby's cheeks as much as he wants...so that's what he's been doing a lot of.

She's a hit!

This is what happens when my dad guest-blogs...okay okay, it might have something to do with Ruby as well.

Aunt Gela and Uncle Johnnie

Aunt Gela (Angela - get it? get it?) and Uncle Johnnie came up to GR to meet Ruby this afternoon. They seemed to love her squishy cheeks as much as Ryan and I do. I thought Ang was going to try to steal her...she brought a big purse! Haha

We are Three

1st Morning

Ruby Dawn slept well and the rumor circulating around the hospital -
and the greater Grand Rapids metroplex - declares she is the "...most
beautiful baby ever born in these parts..."
(We're unable to verify whether or not Sheila is responsible for
starting these rumors. We report. You decide.)

- Amber's Dad / Guest Blogger

Feelin' the love

Hi everyone! Its me, Amber again! Ryan, Ruby and I are so thankful for your thoughts and prayers over the last 36 hours! 

We slept a lot last night (because we've never been more exhausted and it didn't matter that Ryan's "bed" was a piece of plywood with a sheet on top) and now we're gearing up for our first full day with Ruby. My dad is coming over soon with the camera, so you'll have more pictures of her little face. I'm not gonna lie, she is really really cute - even more today than last night.

Thanks for your comments!! We love you all and are thrilled to introduce you to Ruby face-to-face someday soon!

Ruby Dawn Cox

She's here!
Weighing in at 8lbs 12 oz, Ruby was born about 10:30PM. Amber is doing
great and Ryan is levitating (which I consider a good sign).
Ruby is 19" and eyes wide open!

Amber and Ryan say, "Thanks for praying."

- Amber's Dad / Guest Blogger

Not Yet

OK.
If this baby is a girl...when she's finally willing to be born I don't
want anyone singing the Country Western song, "Waitin' On The Woman."
No birth yet. Amber is getting tired. Keep praying.
- Amber's Dad / Guest Blogger

Waiting

Ryan just came down to let us know Amber is doing well. We're still
praying, waiting, praying, waiting....

- Amber's Dad / Guest Blogger

Boy or Girl

Good thing camo is made for boys or girls.

It does appear the girl's camo might not blend into the wilderness
quite as well. But deer can't see reds in the color-spectrum....so
it's all good!

Either way, we're set.

- Amber's Dad / Guest Blogger

It's Time

The next time we see Amber she'll have a baby in her arms. She is in
good hands. She is in God's hands.

- Guest Blogger / Amber's Dad

Thumbs Up

This is the happy "labor" face of an EPIDURAL.
- Guest Blogger / Amber's Dad

Don't even think about it.

That's right. No visitors. As I post this I'm running in a serpentine
fashion across the hospital lobby, putting my best moves on security
personnel, shouting, "Don't taze me bro'!"
She means it. No visitors.
- Guest Blogger / Amber's Dad

Is it a boy?

No worries if it's a boy. Cabela's sells "Hunter Dan" too!
Think the baby's a boy?
God knows....not me.
- Amber's Dad. /. Guest Blogger

Is it a girl?

Luckily, Cabela's sells Hunter ANN dolls. Do you think the baby is a
girl? We'll be ready!
- Guest Blogger /. Amber's Dad

Jump For Joy

Amber's labor has begun! Her contractions are 5 minutes apart and
Amber's Doc says the baby will probably be here by sundown.
This is the first time I've actually jumped in the air in years!
- Amber's Dad / Guest Blogger

Octodog

I'm a little jealous...

...of this dog.

Our friends Aaron and Ashlee's dog Nadia just had 8 puppies yesterday. 

Does that make her an octodog? Yes. 

Does that make her not pregnant anymore? Yes.

In Due Time

Today is my due date...As you can see from this picture we took today, I am so full of baby that people get genuinely concerned for me when they see me out in public. Ryan and I went to the movies last night - people sitting around us were concerned. Today we had a nice afternoon out on the pontoon with Ryan's mom and dad...then we went to the grocery - people were concerned.

I think people think the baby might fall out any second.

I hope they're right!

We've been doing everything we can think of to help move things along. We took a long walk the other night - and by "long" I mean it took a long time, not that we went very far. Ryan is doing awesome and I'm feeling great - so I guess it's okay to wait a few more days if we have to.

We sure are excited to meet our baby!

Happy 33rd Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.
- Ephesians 5:25The same goes for you wives: Be good wives to your husbands, responsive to their needs...What matters is not your outer appearance - the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes - but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kinds that God delights in. The holy women of old were beautiful before God that way, and were good, loyal wives to their husbands.
- 1 Peter 3:1-4
Mom and Dad, I am so thankful for the love that you have for each other. Your marriage is a shining example to us all.

Dad, I love the way you have always cherished and delighted in mom - always wanting to have her around and always showing and saying out loud how much you love her. Thank you for your faithfulness to her and the way you have honored and protected her.

Mom, I love the way you have stood beside and supported dad so he could become the man God created him to be. I love how much fun you have together, your laughter and your constant encouragement. If I can be even half the wife to Ryan that you have been to daddy I will be doing really well.

Here's to another 33 years!

Farewell Designvox

Tomorrow is officially my last day working at Designvox and today my friends at work surprised me with a party! Here's the picture they gave me to remember them by. You can see that they will be hard to forget!

This has been my full-time job since Ryan and I moved to Grand Rapids. I've learned so much about all sorts of things. I've met great people and had the opportunities to work with awesome clients like SpringHill Camps and Turnstone Furniture. I think being a project manager at Vox has given me lots of skills that will help me in mommyhood/household management/Cox Corporation/Stay-At-Home-Mom (SAHM) and I think that I've contributed to the team in every way I knew how.

This job has been an adventure over the last couple of years, I am so thankful for my time here, for the experience gained and the lessons learned...and I'm so excited that Ryan has the job that he has so one of us can be home with our baby.

I am blessed.
Thanks Voxers!! I will miss you!

Guest Blogger / Rules

I can't take the baby hunting until the baby is born. This is Amber's
rule. Birth 1st. Hunting 2nd.

On being a crazy person...

I may or may not have become a bit of a crazy person in the last 6 days or so...

• I might have spent a good amount of time this weekend scrubbing the bath tub better than its ever been scrubbed before


• There is a chance that I have planned out our calendar (and the calendars of many of our friends) through next September


• Ryan might have asked me to stop organizing the grocery cart while we were shopping at Meijer the other day


• My newly serviced vacuum may already need the bag changed again


• I've had about 4 pedicures in my entire life - one of which I got tonight hoping that it might induce labor - So far it hasn't worked for me.


• What's next? How about a nice bottle of Mom Spit!

I'm kinda excited to get past this "preggo/crazy person" phase and into the "new mom/still sorta crazy" phase.