Dear Ruthie

Dear Ruthie,

Oh my sweet, spirited Ruthie, you are FOUR years old! It really seems like you have always been part of our family and it's so hard to grasp that we've ONLY known you for four years!
From the moment you were born you have loved life. One of my favorite memories is of bringing you home from the hospital and setting your carseat on the floor in the den and seeing your eyes light up as you met Franklin and watched your sisters play. From that moment on your greatest wish was to be one of the big kids. Sometimes it's hard to remember that you are so much younger than they are because you do such a good job keeping up with them and you've always acted older than your age. If the big kids can do something then NOTHING is going to stop you from doing it too (which is why you ended up on swim team at 3 years old).
I love your determination. You truly exemplify the Shakespeare quote, "Though she but little, she is fierce!". I remember you being just barely able to walk and finding you carrying the stepstool through the house so you could climb on it and get something off the counter. You rarely ask for help with anything. Instead you just figure out how to do it. This year, about half way through the summer, you decided you were NOT going to wear your float anymore. So you figured out how to take a breath while swimming. And that is just how you roll when it comes to most of life.
Ruthie this year you danced in your first recital (as the most adorable Aristocat EVER), started preschool, conquered your eczema (finally!), started soccer, went to lots of doctor's appointments to talk about your peanut allergy and what our plan was for the next year, learned so many new things, started swim team, had tubes in your ears and your tonsils and adenoids out, gained FIVE pounds in 6 months (super exciting to this mama...we finally hit the 30lb mark!), went to Disneyworld and the beach and had so many fun adventures!
You are my tough child. When you tell us something hurts we know it must be pretty bad. All of 2016, at just 2 years old,  you would tell us your ear hurt and we would take you to the doctor and it would be an ear infection...some of them were pretty bad including one where  you actually had a blister on your eardrum and you never complained more than just to say it hurt. We ended your 2 year old year with you having your first case of strep and a double ear infection and started off this year with you getting tubes. We were saying goodbye to those painful ear infections and starting the year off on the right foot! You rocked getting tubes and charmed the entire surgery center with your sweet, silly personality. We thought you were in the clear but by the end of May you were getting your tonsils and adenoids out. The first 24 hours were super rough and you were in lots of pain but once we got you home you did so much better and you bounced back like a champ! Since then you have been doing SO much better and it makes me so happy when I see you eat 3 big meals EVERY day...not just a few days out of the month. Sweet girl, I love seeing you happy and healthy! You have been through so much in the last 2 years but through it all you have kept your sweet, easy going personality. (Not to say there haven't been days where you have been a very typical 3 year old because trust me you've had those days but overall you have been a pretty easy going kid.)
I am so proud of how smart you are Ruthie Roo. You love to learn. This year you taught yourself how to write an R (not an easy letter!) and then wanted to learn the rest of your name. You picked up SO quickly on how to write the letters! You love to count as well. You started going to school this year which was a dream come true for you. I first took you to preschool when you were just a few weeks old and I'm pretty sure you've been ready to go to the 3 year old class ever since then! You of course love your teachers (you've known and loved Mrs. Terri for years and you because fast friends with Mrs. Lisa) and I've loved watching you make friends with the other kids at school! You always come home with a big smile on your face ready to tell me what you have done that day,
This year you have also done so well really taking ownership of your peanut allergy. You tell everyone that you have a peanut allergy and you are SO good about asking before you eat things. I am SO proud of you. You constantly blow me away with your maturity when it comes to your peanut allergy!
Ruthie you are such a good sister. You just adapt so perfectly to the role you need to play in each situation. When you play with Emmie you are generally happy to let her take the lead. You play with Ellie like I imagine most sisters play...lots of give and take, some bickering, but lots of giggles. And to JP you are another mother. This year, as JP has been old enough to really play with you, I have loved watching you really take on the role of big sister. I always tell people I have 2 sets of children. An oldest and youngest (Emmie and Ellie) and another oldest and youngest (you and JP). Someone forgot to tell you that you are a middle child. You are positive that you are an oldest child. You mother JP like nobody's business. You help him get dressed, take his shoes off for him when he gets home, WIPE HIS NOSE, and boss him around like any respectable older sister should do! JP loves you SO much Roo Roo. He wakes up asking about you and he gets so excited every school day when it's time to go pick you up!
Ruthie I could not imagine our lives without you. You bring so much JOY and happiness to every day. You have faced so many challenges in your life. From health issues that would have made a grown person pull the covers up and hide in the bed to figuring out how to keep up with your big sisters. Every single challenge has made you smarter and stronger and has not changed your lively personality a bit. I hope as you grow up you will always face your challenges head on with your sparkly eyes and big smile and your single minded determination to overcome any challenge. My tiny little nugget, "you is kind, you is smart, you is important". Never ever forget that. There are BIG things in your future sweet girl and I can't wait to see what adventures life takes you on!
I love you Ruth Mitchell!


Newborn Ruthie

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old