2 Months Old

Renee is two months old now and she is really starting to take her place in the family. Gracie is such a proud big sister and is officially brainwashed into thinking that Renee and her are best friends forever. Gracie lives to entertain Renee by dancing around her and singing to her. Renee watches with such enthusiasm that you can just see her wanting to bust out of her little body and run and play with her. Needless to say, Mike and I are madly in love with our family.

Version 2.0

Renee Jean Ruland. Perfection version 2.0

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best dad Camp Ruland could ever ask for, we love you!
 -Gracie, Renee and Michelle

Introducing Renee Jean Ruland

Our new baby girl Renee Jean Ruland was born on Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 3:38 p.m. She was 7 lbs 11 oz and was 20 inches long. Unlike her big sister who was bald as can be, she has a full head of brown hair. Otherwise, she looks very similar to Gracie when she was a baby. She is completely healthy and perfect in every way. Mike, Gracie and I are completely overjoyed.

Camp Stubborn

As President, CEO and Dictator of Camp Ruland, I hereby declare that we are changing our name to Camp Stubborn. It has recently come to my attention that all members, both born and unborn, are a bunch of stubborn folks. It all started with Mike. He heads up the stubborn division with his unparalleled heel-digging abilities. Next came Gracie. Sweet little Gracie with her angel face which can turn to a pout quicker than a speeding bullet. And now Renee. Not to be outdone by her big sister who showed up to this world 4 days later, she has decided not to come out and play a second sooner than expected. Tomorrow is her due date and I fully expect her to arrive as it's only polite to be punctual. If not, I will tap in to my own stubborness and evict her from my body on May 9, 2012. Here's to hoping that things won't take that long and she will be here this weekend.

Uncharted Territory

I'm officially 39 weeks pregnant and Renee may be coming any day now. All of us at Camp Ruland are feeling both excited and nervous at the same time. Gracie and I are about to enter uncharted territory by becoming a family of four. I grew up an only child and Grace has been one thus far. I'm not gonna lie, it makes me pretty nervous. How do I handle the sibling element with zero experience? Gracie is pretty worried too. She is going to have to learn share her old room (she now thinks her old nursery is hers along with her new big girl room) and her toys. Mike, on the other hand, seems cool as a cucumber about the whole thing. I guess we will all just have to follow his lead since he is the only one with siblings on his resume, but if there is anyone I trust to follow blindly in to the unknown, it is Mike.

Gracie is really taking to the whole idea of having a sister now though. All of the baby gear is set up around the house and Gracie is practicing being a big sister with her baby dolls. She keeps pointing out that all of the baby items are "for baby nay-nay"and telling us that she will be here soon. 

Entering the unknown is scary business, but it warms my heart to think of all the life experiences they are going to share together as sisters and that we will all share as a family. My hope for them is that they will be not only sisters, but best friends too. With a little bit of parental brain washing and a lot of love within our family, I just know that they will be.

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life."

-Isadora James

 

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

written by Mike Ruland

Eleven days to go before Miss Renee Jean Ruland is scheduled to make her arrival! We are nervous but the excitement is definitely at an all time high for Michelle and I and even Gracie is filled with anticipation. I was looking back at this pregnancy and started thinking about all of the things I will miss…and not miss.

Here is a top 10 list of the good and not so good things about being pregnant from a man’s perspective!

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY!

1. Sex: For once in your life, you're neither worried about getting pregnant nor trying to get pregnant.
2. Dinner is served at 3:30PM to avoid acid reflux.
3. You consider buying your own pair of maternity jeans.
4. Being told you are the biggest ass and the best husband in the world all in the same day.
5. Making runs to every fast food restaurant in town for 9 months…and getting a shake at each one.
6. Asking your wife to fake a couple contractions real quick to get to the front of the line.
7. Your mother and mother-in-law start telling you what you should name your baby.
8. You are told by your wife to go out with some friends so she can have some time to relax only to be called 2 hours later by a crying wife asking why you left her and when will you be home.
9. You go to the movies and have to eat pineapple pizza with your beer.
10. Date nights become a game of counting/guessing how many times your wife will use the restroom.

It has been a wild ride but it has been one of the most enjoyable and fun times of my life. I have enjoyed the last 9 months and look forward to spending the rest of my life with these girls!

Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
Yes, pregnancy.

When is the best time to get an epidural?
Right after you find out you're pregnant.

What is the most common pregnancy craving?
For men to be the ones who get pregnant.

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring
them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is
old he will not depart from it.

Weights & Dates

I'm 37 weeks pregnant now and Renee's arrival is getting more near with each passing day. So, when is she going to come and how big will she be? We took a poll and here are the results (winner get to buy Renee her first bike, yay!!!):

* Mike - 7lbs 2oz May 3
* Michelle 7lbs 4oz May 5
* Warren Ruland 8lbs 5oz April 30
* Linda Ruland 8 lbs 0oz April 30
* John Waller 7lbs 0oz May 6
* Franci Waller 7lbs 8 oz May 7
* Tom Aaron 7lbs 8 oz May 1
* Brandi Aaron 6lbs 13oz May 4
* Tiffany Davis 7lbs 9oz April 30
* Jeff Davis 9lbs 3oz May 1
* Axle Aranda 8lbs 4oz May 3
* Betty Waller 7lbs 2oz May 5
* Jack Waller 7lbs 5oz May 7
* Ernest Montoya 5lbs 3oz May 7
* Alicia Collins 7lbs 4oz May 4
* Nicole Rossero 7lbs 6oz May 3
* Garrett Rossero 8lbs 0oz May 4
* Sheerah Pruett 6lbs 7oz May 4
* Barbara Leonard 8lbs 2 oz May 6
* Zach Leonard 7lbs 15oz May 5
* Elise Moore 7lbs 9 oz May 6
* Justin Pruett 7lbs 13 oz May 3
* Zac Hornsey - 6 lbs 9 oz  May 9
*Brittany Bolf- 8 lbs 0 oz May 5

Godparents

written by Mike Ruland

Friday the 13th. Closer and closer to the BIG DAY! Michelle is at the doctor as we speak and I am at work anxiously awaiting the new news. I hate missing these appointments but hopefully this will be the last one I miss. Easter weekend was great! Gracie and Michelle were both good according to the Easter bunny and he left lots of goodies.

We have another busy weekend ahead. According to my boss (Michelle Ruland) we will be cleaning out rooms, closets, getting things out of the attic and putting the girl’s rooms together. The anticipation and excitement of Renee’s arrival is building for both Michelle and I and Gracie too! We can’t wait!

Michelle and I are excited to announce that just like Gracie, Renee will be blessed with a great family and also some great Godparents that have graciously accepted this responsibility. Tom and Brandi Aaron, Ernest Montoya and Zac Hornsey will be Renee Jean Ruland’s Godparents. Tom, Ernest and Zac have chosen to tattoo Godfather across their collar bone. I will need the backup when a 13 year old Tom, Ernest and especially Zac call my house looking for Gracie or Renee, damn punks. Tom and Brandi have offered to watch the girls in the summers after age 13 (after the boys move out of course). Ernest offered to paint one of the rooms in his big new house pink and have the girls come swim (and said airfare and lodging to Vegas is included) and Zac even offered to come to our house dressed as the tooth fairy each time a tooth was missing (he said this tooth fairy brings $20’s-someone wants to be the cooooool Godparent)! What an awesome group of people!
THANKS GUYS!

We are truly blessed to have such great family and friends and these people are definitely considered an extension of our family. We can’t thank them enough for being great friends and family to us through the years and for taking on this task and being a part of our girls lives. These girls are truly loved and will have such an awesome group of people that help make their lives very special.

I want you to know how lucky the girls are
to have Godparents like you,
someone who always loves them
no matter what they do.
When we think of you we count our blessings and
thank the Lord above
that we have you for our Godparents because
Godparents are chosen with much love.

http://christeningessentials.com/what_are_godparents_

THANK YOU Y’ALL!

CAMP RULAND
Mike, Michelle, Gracie, Renee, Pugsly (Puggie) and Winston (Bubba)

Hunting Eggs

Today Camp Ruland packed up and headed out to Bethany Lutheran church for their annual Easter egg hunt. Last year, we got there 15 minutes late and missed the entire egg hunt. This year, we made it a point to get there early so the we didn't miss anything. We made it on time, but there were so many kids there, Gracie only landed 3 eggs.

While the egg hunt was kind of a bust, Gracie was able to ride a pony, ride a train, jump in a bouncy house, get a balloon animal, have her face painted and see the Easter bunny so it was definitely a successful trip! Plus, we ran into the Rossero family there so Gracie got to pal around with Preston and they had a great time together. As for baby Renee, she caused her mom some painful contractions throughout the day and mom's back and feet are really starting to hurt. Mom is 36 weeks pregnant today and we only have 28 days until Renee's due date. Overall, today was a great day for Camp Ruland and we are looking forward to Easter sunday tomorrow.