Reuben's First Birthday

Gratitude

Today marks day 8 at the big house. We are happy to report that Reuben is doing better and we should be released later today (with oxygen) or tomorrow. We have hearts full of thanks. We are overwhelmed with appreciation. Thank you for caring deeply and sending every ounce of positivity, prayer, lit candles, joy, love and blessing our way.
Here is a photo of the amazing view of Salt Lake City from our hospital room

Reuben and Dad--who has become totally addicted to the monitor that demonstrates heart rate, oxygen level, respiration rate, and blood pressure...

Reuben and Mom

He's priceless

Soldiering Through

The past two weeks have been extremely busy for Colby, Hollie and Reuben. We have much going on professionally, personally, educationally and developmentally. We apologize for the lack of photos and updates. We have missed deadlines, birthdays, holidays, phone calls, opportunities and sleep over the past 6 months because we are still learning how to juggle it all. We are not fluent in the skills necessary to parent, work, and contribute to the greater good. We try, our intentions are good, and we still fall short.

We have learned so much over the past 6 months with Reuben. Perhaps the most important lesson we have learned is that time is the most valuable commodity we have and we want to invest it well.

Many thanks to you, our dear family and friends for being gentle with us while we learn and grow. As our friend Terri would say, "stretching can hurt!"

Year of the EAR

Reuben is blessed with some prominent EARS! His Poppy Bus and his Great Grandpa Gilbert must have provided the genes for them. Momma's friend Dan M. said that Reuben is in good company with news makers this year--Michael Phelps and Barack Obama both have prominent ears, could it be the YEAR OF THE EAR?

Roadtrip!

The Reubster traveled to Nana and Poppy Bus' in Boise for the Thanksgiving holiday. This means he did 2, 5 hour road trips. He was a great traveler, thankfully! Let's hope this excellent car behavior continues for our upcoming Oregon trip to visit Grandma Sharon and Poppa Wilson...

Why he will always be BABY REUBEN... even when he is 30!

Here She Is!

Reuben's newest cousin:

Jillian Lynnette Pettersson

Welcome to the World Baby Girl

Reuben spent the afternoon at the hospital and has a brand spankin' new baby cousin, YAY!

Here's the specifics for the beautiful baby girl

Name (to be determined... stay tuned)
Weight 7 lbs 9 oz
Height 18 inches
Born Sunday, November 2nd at 5:23 PM

Congratulations, Aunt Hayley, Uncle Adam and Cousin Lacey

Pictures to follow... soon!

Socially Skilled

Reuben’s momma firmly believes that everyone needs essential skills--especially, academic and social competencies. And, if she had to prioritize those 2 skill groups, she would reluctantly admit that although good academic ability gives an individual access to more options and choices (good), social competencies are the MOST important skills needed to live a happy life (even better).

The hard part for me and Reuben's dad is answering this question, “how does a parent help their child become socially smart?” We think about this question A LOT. We read to him nightly because research shows that this builds academic potential and we plan to help him in any way possible to build his academic skills as he grows up--But, we especially want to help our son live up to his middle name (Friendly) and live a happy life.

On this topic of teaching your children to be socially smart, I want to give some credit to Reuben’s Uncle Matt and Aunt Angi because clearly they are teaching social skills in their home and the following little anecdote demonstrates this fact: Yesterday me, Reuben, and Cousin Jamin were getting ready for a walk. I was holding the Reubster and struggling to get his stroller out of the car. Jamin, who is 4 years old, noticed me struggling and said, “Hollie, I can sit down on the sidewalk and hold Reuben for you!”

This thing that Jamin did was commendable on many levels and may be inappropriately viewed as simple, here's 3 reasons why it demonstrates complex skill in the social arena:

1). He came up with a workable solution to a socially presented problem within acceptable social parameters—he knows we do not let him hold the baby unless he is sitting down and at 4 years old, he is probably too little to get the stroller out of the car himself,
2). He anticipated another person’s needs and acted—a skill many people 10 times his age are not fluent with, and
3). He was gracious—when I thanked him profusely and told him he was really smart he just smiled and asked if we were going to walk “fast or slow?”

We hope Reuben grows up to be socially smart like his cousins. Feel free to give us your advice on this issue of essential skills for growing boys.

Grandfathers

Reuben's parents think that grandparents are a VERY IMPORTANT part of childrens' lives. Reuben is named after his maternal Great Great Grandfather, Reuben Davis, who lived with his Poppy Bus' family for 9 years when his Poppy was a little boy. Reuben's first funeral was this week for a dear family friend's grandfather, who was a "Super Grandpa" and Reuben has 4 living grandfathers, Poppy Bus, Poppa Wilson, Great Grandpa Glen and Great Grandpa Vontz.

Reuben's Poppy Bus is not feeling well this week, which makes everyone at our house sad. Multiple Sclerosis is not a kind disease, but we are thankful for every good day that Poppy has and wanted to share this fun picture, taken on a very good day:


Reuben met his Great Grandpa Glen on his momma's side last week and we took this happy picture:


Here is a very fun picture of Reuben and his Poppa Wilson taken when Reuben was just 3 weeks old:


Next month Reuben will travel to Colorado to meet his Great Grandpa Vontz--we will be sure to post a picture!

Cousins & Growth

This weekend, Hollie's cousin Jordan got married and the family got together in Logan for the festivities. Reuben's cousins Jamin, Atti, and Lacey played with him (Reben's oldest cousin Chipper was back in Salt Lake City due to school commitments--we missed him). The cousins were exceptional helpers and showed "Baby Reuben" their love often. For example, while at the park Hollie told the kids to be careful with the chipped bark because if it got on Baby Reuben's blanket it might get on his skin and scratch him. Lacey then set out to move all sticks, rocks and bark from the vicinity... she was vigilant in her protection of Baby Reuben. Atti spent much of the time talking about all the things she is going to "teach" Baby Reuben--such as "to read and how to wear a life jacket when he goes swimming." On the way home, Jamin earned the hardest working caretaker award by holding Baby Reuben's hand for the 2 hour drive and making sure his pacifier was well placed... It was touchingly sweet. We are so lucky to have such great friends and cousins for our little man!

Reuben is a little guy, he is long and lanky but not chubby. And, while we, his parents, are not HUGE people--we aren't petite either (5'8" and 6'3", with a few extra pounds each). Over the past 3 weeks people have come up to us in public to ask his age and then some say "was he a premie?" (This weekend at the wedding, it happened again.) Unfortunately, these comments cause Reuben's momma (who is anxious anyway) to doubt her ability to give him what he needs. So, for the record, we feed him a lot--we even wake him up from naps and night sleep if he has gone longer than a few hours between feedings. And yet, he stays slim and trim. Here he is in a Michael Phelps pose that shows his lanky arms.
Photo blurred to edit for Family Viewing... YES he is too sexy for prime time!

Growing Fast

Reuben's parents are many things, petite is not one of them however... Surprisingly, Reuben was a smaller baby. Consequently, we didn't have any itty bitty outfits for the little guy. His Nana Julie rectified the situation, very quickly and bought him some cute newborn sized clothes so he wouldn't drown in his 3 and 6 month sized duds. We loved dressing him in his tiny outfits. Sadly, his days of wearing newborn size are almost over, as shown by the following picture. Check out the belly fat!



Here's Reuben sitting up on the couch, watching the Olympic swimming events with the aide of his "boppy" pillow (thanks Terri and Amber)... doesn't he look SO BIG?

A poem for Reuben

My dad always liked Rudyard Kipling. I remember him telling me about Rikki-Tikki-Tavi and he always loved jungle stories (heck, his favorite ride at Disneyland is the Jungle Cruise--enough said). Seemed fitting to me to include this poem because it sums up some of the hopes that I have for our Little Man, Reuben and reminds me of my pops:

If, by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Hollie's Brothers with Reuben

Adam on July 1st (only 2 days till Reuben's birthday!)

Matt on July 3rd (taken following a lesson for Colby on proper prep when changing a boy's diaper)

More Visitors Who LOVE Reuben

Reuben's Hospital Visitors

Reuben is so very lucky to have so many people who already LOVE him. Here are a few photos of some of the folks who saw him in the hospital. More to follow as we get our act together and coordinate with all the other cameras... We feel so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends to share in Reuben's life.. THANK YOU!