When I haven’t emailed Fran in a while I like to send her a little snap shot of how things are going with our little family…

We are doing well! Ruby, somehow, turned THREE on the fourth of February! She is fun and spunky and sweet and really so smart. She loves music, it just speaks to her little soul. We listen to a lot of Disney movie albums (Frozen, Moana, Mulan, Tangled) and she likes to tell me what’s going on during particular songs or ask me about the story lines. She is very into introductions lately, “this is my mom, Ashley; that’s my Dad, Marc; I’m Ruby; and this is my sister, Hazel.” And she usually will give that to the same person multiple times. Meal time can be very hit and miss with her, but when she likes it she is most complimentary. “ Mom this is delicious!!… You did a great job mom!… This is SO good!” We are slowly making progress in potty training and I will take the small victories where I can. (The goal is to have Ruby and if possible Hazel out of diapers before the baby comes the end of June. Diapers are just pricy. Pricy poop & waste management. But worth it, so I won’t complain) Ruby recently moved out of her crib and into a big girl twin bed and she loves it! She loves for us to lay down by her, sing her a song, or give her the chance for her to just talk and tell us a story. She is very animated and talks with her hands. She has to keep moving to prevent herself from falling asleep. I just love her!

Hazel is just a delight. She is our happy sweet thing. She is getting bigger and more independent and wants to do everything Ruby does. She loves stories. She loves having stories read to her but will also just sit and most contently flip through half a dozen books. She has a favorite book right now and likes it read multiple times in a row. I can’t always do that for her, but it has been read so many times that Ruby has it memorized. So if I ask, Ruby will sit with Hazel on the couch and “read” the whole book perfectly to her. It’s the cutest. Hazel loves trying on everyone’s shoes and will eat almost everyone under the table. She is just sweet. She has the best giggles and has a little waddle when she runs.

Marc is doing great in school. He works on patients full time and has 18 more months of dental school! (Graduation May 2020) his 4th year ( which is more like a residency year) starts in June and he rotates every other month in the school clinic or working in different community clinics in the valley and else where. We feel very blessed that Marc got 3 of his external rotations in Phoenix so he will be able to stay home. For half of August and September he will be working at a Native American reservation clinic near Flagstaff and will be able to come home on the weekends (which I am very grateful for because baby brother will just be 2.5 months old). And then next January 2020 Marc will be working in a clinic in Waco, Texas, and I am hoping to come visit one weekend with the babies.

I’m doing good. Did I tell you we are having a BOY?! We are really excited. Ruby loves to tell people that I have a baby in my tummy. I was nauseous for my first trimester and it pretty much went away when I hit my second trimester. But then I have had a pretty good case of “pre-baby baby blues”. I work hard to manage the anxiety and depression. I try to get enough sleep, eat well, follow a prenatal exercise program, stay off of sweets, and get sunshine; but I still have some seriously heavy dark days. Which makes me very angry in it because that is not my nature. It’s like my emotions and mind are high jacked. My doctor and I talk about it regularly and I work to track it, manage it, and focus on the good. My girls are a good motivator to stay positive and to engage and be positive for them. But most days are good. And I did have the pre-baby blues with Hazel, but less sever, and it went away during my third trimester so I am hoping that it will be the similar this time around.

I do a lot of normal “mom” things. One of my New Years resolutions was to be more organized and meal plan my dinners for the week. It helps me stay in budget and makes dinner a little more fun. We have tried out some fun new recipes like homemade green curry and cauliflower, green chili chicken bowls, sausage and lentil stew with biscuits, and tortilla soup. Making dinner makes me feel like I’m winning in the Mom/ homemaker department. I try to stick to whole real foods and get more veggies and fiber in where I can.

We are happy where we are. The girls are in such a fun stage. You have been on my mind the last few days so I wanted to send you our love and a small life update. I love you Fran!

Love ash