This month Ruth:
Helped bake cookies....
Ate ice pops on the porch as we waved to all passing Amish buggies and cars, trucks and tractors.
Learned to be a unicorn with early maple seeds.
Cutie!
She laughed at Petey lying on the steps in the morning sun.
Read piles of books.
Celebrated the difference a year can make.
She gave lots of gentle hugs to Caroline (and some not so gentle bites on her arm).
She ate heaps of watermelon.
Took untold number of wagon rides with big sis Carrie as her personal pillow.
Ate her first Whoopie Pie.
Sat with sisters and cousins at church for a snack.
Played with her cousin, Matteo's things as if they were her own at my sister, Audrey's new house.
Licked the beaters and put muffin liners in the pan for numerous batches of zucchini muffins.
Took her first trip to Tractor Supply Company like a good country girl.
Obviously had to sit on the feed bags.
Helped gather the gear for a camp-out.
We played in the tent but left the actual sleeping out to the over-age-3 crowd.
We celebrated her first 4th of July!
Picked wineberries.
Ate ice cream in the car.
Ate the first cherry tomatoes from our garden (which she actually doesn't enjoy but Caroline likes them so Ruth must have them as well)
Had her first appointment at the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic. This appointment went well and reminded us of all the appointments we weathered together in China. The surgeon is confident that she will only need one surgery to repair her palate. She does have fluid in her ears so will need to have tubes put in her ears at the same time as her palate surgery which is scheduled for September 20.
This scrunchy nose face is a new favorite, one which won over the hearts of all the professionals who met her that day.
We were told she needs to be weaned off her bottle before surgery. She only takes it two times a day (before nap and before bed) but I was pretty nervous about making what felt like a big change in her comfortable routine.
She ate Lancaster sweet corn from the Corn Wagon.
And shared.
So far she isn't a fan of the motorcycle, but I'm sure by next summer she will love it just like the other girls.
Watched mini fireworks at Grandpa and Grandma Hess's with Uncle Troy supervising.
Endured two weeks of watching big sisters have swim lessons.
Played peek-a-boo
She is being gentle here, covering Caroline's eyes.
She looked at her book from her year with her foster family.
We survived a weekend without Trent. This weekend included a power outage and allowed us to enjoy a dinner out for pizza, root beer and French fries. Such a treat!
Ate more ice cream.
Sat on Caroline's lap.
Ate more pizza at Mema's.
Ruthie met and visited my dad for the first time. She took an immediate liking to him and perched herself on his lap.
Played at the park.
Spilled her Cheerios 6 of the 8 days at swim lessons.
Cried when we said no bottle, just formula in a cup.
Thankfully it was short lived. She has taken the cup with no issues after that very first attempt. Ruth has proved over and over to us just how incredible she is. She has a passionate spirit but can be won over with patience and tickles.
She seems to enjoy matching her sister.
She LOVED the day I took all 5 girls to the pool just for fun.
Hess girls always have to wear this snake at some point in their lives. Tradition.
This is her glare for me taking too long to get her from her nap. She only wanted Caroline this day.
Ate inside at Burger King.
Laughed lots with Caroline.
Looking cute in her crib.
My big helpers attempting to make smashed cucumber like I enjoyed in China.
Of course, not every moment was sunshine and butterflies. Here she is crying because she is certain it is her turn on the tire swing. Or her turn wasn't long enough. And how dare that mean Mama make her share?
We managed to sit 2.5 hours on the side of the highway when our Suburban broke down on the way to take Mema to the airport. While it's not something I want to repeat anytime soon, I was amazed at the girls' willing spirit to be cheerful in a less than ideal situation. Ironically, one of my worries before we brought her home was the car seat. Car seats aren't required in China and, as far as I know, she never sat in a 5-point harness. But she proved the fear to be pointless, especially after this day.
She's loved this deer done to perfection in the crockpot. Thanks, Uncle Denny, for always sharing your harvest.
Two months home! Ruthie know several signs. She knows: more, eat, bottle, bird, horse, coffee, water, help me, Daddy, Mama, toilet (only used in joking context as Daddy toilet followed by much laughter from her and big sisters), and fish.
Our lives are better (and noisier) because Ruthie is in them. Words Ruthie can say are the following, (some more clearly than others)
Mama (or if I'm not paying attention it's MOOOM!!)
Anne
Am-Am= Maggie
An-nee = Abbey (she cannot make the /b/ sound)
Nan-nee = Daddy (cannot make /d/ sound)
Ine = Caroline (this is usually yelled)
Uh-oh
Yes
No
Nen-nen-nen = again, again, again
Mah= more
Mine (usually said forcefully)
On-oo-ee (1, 2, 3)
Oun-oun (round, round)
We greatly anticipate her surgery so she can continue to speak with clarity and share all that is in her heart and mind as she so desperately wants to do.
Not every moment is perfect, but we always focus on the good.
I'm humbled that I have the privilege to call this girl my own. She is a ray of sunshine, sure to bring smiles wherever she goes.
Daddy can always get the biggest and best smiles out of her.
We are looking forward to this next month with Ruthie. We plan to do some small day trips instead of a week-long vacation this year.
I'm not sure how things will go as we will start our homeschool year back up sometime in August. But, I'm not worrying about it because Ruthie has shown me countless times how strong and courageous she is. I have no doubt that she will do just as big sisters are doing. If I know anything about her after being her Mama for these two months is that she will not be left behind. She will rise to any occasion and come out victorious (just as her middle name, Veronica, indicates). She will be slaying her alphabet and numbers in no time.
Ruthie V. We love you. Happy two months home, poppet.
