A little late...Thanksgiving Day

The Whitfords

Sophie, Ginger, and Christian

Ryan and Mark putting the table together.

Christian and Sophie feeding Reuben.

Handsome Reuben posing.

This year we spent Thanksgiving Day with some great friends of ours. Due to Ryan's work schedule we were not able to travel and see family. Mark and Ginger Hales showed great hospitality and fed us tasty food on a cold and relaxing Thanksgiving Day. We are so thankful for friends who are our brother and sister in Christ.

The Most Handsome Kid Ever...

Reuben tries to take over the microphone when we practice.

Reuben upclose and personal. Reuben in his favorite contraption.

The days have flown by since Reuben was born. I cannot believe that he is 7 months old! Now, he is sitting up on his own, trying to cut teeth, eating vegetables and fruit, clapping his hands, and much more. Every week he seems to be doing something he has never done before. Ryan and I are so happy to be his parents and are glad that the Lord has given Reuben to us. He smiles all the time and has the most contagious laugh.

Reuben Likes to Laugh

About a month ago, we were at a friend's house and Ryan was playing around with their dog. Reuben thought it was the funniest thing to see his dad chasing a dog around. Here's some footage captured on a cell phone:

Has it been 4 months already?

Wow! 4 Months has flown by so fast and needless to say I am not very good at keeping up with this blog. Hopefully, I will do a better job at it now that Ryan, Reuben and I are in a routine.
Here is a snopsis of our lives these past few months:
Reuben was born April 26 and had to stay in the hospital for 3 weeks. He had an issue with his platelets (due to Mom passing them to him through pregnancy) and was not able to go home until they were at a normal level. He had to go to the doctor about twice a week until his counts were stable. Now, Reuben is doing great (eating all the time, gaining weight, growing taller, sleeping more) and is loving life as a Whitford.
Ryan started a new job shortly after Reuben was born. He works five or more days a week and loves almost every minute of it. Most days he is very exhausted due to the physical aspect of his job, but that does not keep him from spending time with Reuben and I. We are so thankful for all he does for us.
I have recovered fully from the c-section and am getting used to being a mommy. My days are filled with housework, feeding Reuben, changing diapers, bathing Reuben, playing with Reuben, going on walks, cooking dinner, ironing, organizing areas around the house, hanging out with friends, going to the park, babysitting Leah Brown, cleaning other peoples houses, and much more. As Ryan would put it, "She has left a 8 hour job for a 24 hour job." I love being a mom and enjoy taking care of Reuben (and Ryan).
So, life here at the Whitfords is going great. God has blessed us with so much. We look forward to each day that we have with each other and we hope to use the time we are given for the glory of God.

Baby Reuben! - (Posted April 27, 2009)

Our son, Reuben, was born (or "extracted" as Ryan calls it) at 6:25 AM yesterday (Sunday, the 26th). God is good! There was long and difficult labor involved so we had to eventually have a C-section performed after the all-nighter. Reuben and Mom are both doing well. Reuben likes to eat, sleep, and just look around. These characteristics are attributed to his Dad, but Dad thinks these things are just true of men in general. The doctors and nurses are puzzled as to where he got his long, slender frame, but he certainly has his mother's nose. Dad says he came out just in time to learn how to mow and plans on teaching him how to play golf soon as well.

Reuben's Baby Shower - February 28, 2009

Kellie's Mom and Sisters
Pam, Jamie, JoAnna,
Emily, Karla, & Koralee









Ryan's Mom and Sister
Mrs. Carolyn & Wendy

An awesome and delicious cake made by Jessica Joslin.
Look at all the wonderful gifts Reuben received.

Ryan's favorite comic strip, Calvin & Hobbes:

The Painting of Reuben's Room

Much thanks goes out to my wonderful Mother-in-Law (Carolyn) and her husband (David) for helping me paint Reuben's Room. They did a great job making the room look catalog ready for Reuben's arrival. The room color consists of navy blue, red, green, brown, khaki, and orange. All of these colors are in the sports bedding that we picked out for him. I cannot wait for Reuben to occupy his room. I hope he loves it as much as we do.

Naming of our son...

So the time has come and we have finally settled on a name for our dear son. His name is Reuben Truman Whitford. Let me now tell you how this name was chosen. Reuben, mentioned in the Book of Genesis, was the eldest of Jacob's sons and it means, 'behold a son'. We also liked the fact that both Ryan and Reuben started with the same letter. Truman was the name of Ryan's grandfather, who had a great impact on Ryan's spiritual upbringing. Ryan's grandfather and mother would pray with him and read the Word of God with him. What a great reminder of passing on the Word of God from generation to generation, in which we will continue to do with our son.