Ruth Evelyn: 34 Weeks & A Big Brother Jacob Update

Today, we are approximately 34 weeks pregnant with BB2! We have one more 2 week appointment and then we will start having weekly appointments! Today's appointment was great! We have so connected with our midwife and are grateful to God for bringing her into our family's life. Jacob would love to just play with her all day! She is great with him and has all sorts of great toys in the office where we meet and he loves it! It makes prenatal appointments a family time that is really special. Joni (our midwife) has been really encouraging and speaking words of truth - reminding us today that our labor is in God's hands and we trust HIM with our baby and our birth. Amen! When I met my husband, I experienced one of the most tangible evidences of God's grace I had known. Having my son in my arms was the 2nd time I SAW God's grace. And this pregnancy journey is a third - seeing God reach down and shower love, healing, encouragement, knowledge and guidance through Joni, our doula Kaitlyn, and our childbirth instructor Jami has been SO incredible and humbling. A woman's heart can be strong and tender, fierce, powerful, gentle and broken to pieces as life unfolds. My last pregnancy and birth brought all of these things... and God is using this pregnancy to restore the areas the locust had eaten both in showing HIS great love for me and my children  - the babies He created and is crazy in love with and has great plans for - OH how blessed and grateful are Josh and I to steward these precious lives! Also, He has shown me His concern for the depths of my heart that longed for a healthier pregnancy both in mind, body, relationships, and heart. I know, just as He has in pregnancy, He will meet us in labor and birth however it unfolds! HE will catch our baby as He holds me through the process!

Baby B's Health

Our little girl sounded great! Her heartbeat was 136, which is pretty standard for her. She has been between 135 to 142 pretty much the whole pregnancy. This is so different from Jacob, who was always around 160! She is head-down right now with her little bottom up and to my right! I still feel her moving a lot, especially if I lay on my side. During our childbirth class this past Sunday night, she was having a total PARTY - Josh could see her moving all around - it was hysterical! I think she loves our childbirth class, too! I don't feel hiccups the way I did with Jacob - his were constant and daily at this point. Ruth seems to have them infrequently or at least with the anterior placenta I can't feel them the way I did with Jacob. But she moves so very often and it always makes me stop and revel in humility and gratitude. I cannot wait to hold this little one! We filled out paperwork today for various birth-related things and one of those forms we were given to fill out and bring back is the paperwork for our baby's birth certificate! THAT made it seem so real that she will soon be here!

Mama B's Health

I feel so good and my midwife told us that all my physical signs are really good! My blood pressure was 110/64 (I think - I can't remember the bottom number - it was in the 60's) and I've only gained 0.5 lbs since our last appointment 2 weeks ago! I was concerned about weight gain a bit because I had about 3 days where I let myself eat some carbs (bread and cereal) and could feel SUCH a difference both with some ankle swelling and my blood sugar - that is apparently pretty sensitive to simple carbohydrates when I'm pregnant. It makes me wonder about how my body is really processing such foods even when I'm not pregnant! I SWEAR by the Dr. Brewer approach - basically high protein, vegetables, limited fruits and no-to-low carbs in the white flour / sugar family. Also, the Liver Support tincture my midwife has had me on since early in this pregnancy has been amazing to help my liver process and minimize swelling. I'm still wearing my regular shoes!! My fingers have had some swelling, but I can still wear my rings and it is usually better in the morning compared to the evening, especially after cooking over a hot stove. We did our 3rd trimester blood draw and Joni is one of the best at drawing blood I've had - it didn't hurt a bit and I do NOT like needles!

I am excited because we pick up our birth pool at our next appointment and I will soon be ordering our birth kit! I've always loved October (as an October baby), but eagerly await October this year as I did 2 years ago! She could be a September baby, but I know that she'll definitely be here by some point in October!

A Jacob Update

Jacob is doing amazing! With a good probiotic, limited processed dairy, lots of water and his continued amazing sleep schedule - he has stayed healthy! Even when his little GI system seemed off a couple of weeks ago, probiotic made ALL the difference! He's on a great probiotic daily from our chiropractor. We still use his nebulizer - especially after he's run around a lot (which he does constantly these days - he loves to run and throw himself on the floor or our dog bed and say "BOOM!") and his breathing is a bit heavier. In addition to the nebulizer, I've been diffusing a great essential oil called Breezey in his cold mist humidifier overnight. We are enjoying our Butterfly Express essential oils! We are using one called Inside Out that is an oil blend that helps with GI issues - I mix it with coconut oil as a carrier oil and rub it on his abdomen before bed time. He giggles and says "more!" 

He is ALL about colors these days! His favorites seem to be green and red. His spoken language has taken off, and his sign language continues to blossom. When he is in a new situation or a new person is around, he turns off his voice and will only sign to us, which is adorable! Once he warms up, though, he talks constantly - Josh jokes we need a subtitle button for him! I love when he is signing because then I understand more than some of his speech because he goes on and on in "sentences" and only a few words come out really clearly. But he has a lot to say and I love that he knows we care about his thoughts and words! His current loves are cars, colors, dogs, and balls... plus BOZ the green bear and Curious George. We are using the Praise Baby DVDs for his breathing treatments and we all love those! They are like iWorship for babies/toddlers - we talk about colors, shapes, animals, children, and God when watching - it is great!

Daddy B

The oft unsung hero. Josh IS the anchor of Team Bruffey! After working a late night, he was up getting Jacob dressed and fed and ready to go to our appointment this morning while I showered and got ready. Josh has been an active part of this pregnancy, just as he was with Jacob - asking questions and being involved. He had a great talk with Joni today that was encouraging to me. He is exhausted and works long hours, but still gets up to play with Jacob - they are best buddies and I love it! Josh makes up fun games and Jacob adores his Daddy. I love this man and am so grateful to walk this journey with him! This has been a bittersweet week for us - this Monday marked the 2 year anniversary that Josh had to say good-bye to his amazing mother. We think of her SO often - her love and strength and the anchor she was to us as a whole family. She was passionate about her God/the truth of Jesus, her children and her grandchildren. I remember how wholeheartedly she celebrated the news that Jacob was a boy! It thrilled my heart! I remember the love she extended to me as my relationship with her son grew. We miss her so much. I long to see her with Jacob and with Ruth. She would just delight in Jacob - his little hands and mind and the precious things he says when he signs and talks. I saw her often delight in my amazing nieces and nephews and would just love to see her face watching them all together with my 2 children. When I think of her it is always my heart's desire to love her son in a way that would make her heart content and pleased. She taught him much about how to love, how to respect and admire women, how to have a tender heart for people, for children, for animals. She taught him a love of laughter and a joy in family time, playing games together, talking, sharing, and being together. I benefit from the blessings that are a part of my husband and am forever grateful for the mother who raised him and love him and offered that same love to me as her daughter-in-law.

The Bruffey Life

Some days are amazing and others bring challenges, heartaches, stress... but through it all: God is the same, our house has love, we have food to eat, gas in our car... and those are our daily blessings that we cling to when all else seems uncertain. For today - we have each other and 2 healthy children and THAT is my daily manna! Thank you Lord!!

~ Mama Bruffey

Wife of One, Mother of Two