Ruby plays with her Giraffe

Since Ruby is starting to reach out for things occasionally I started showing her this giraffe toy...she loves it. She starts kicking her feet and moving her arms all around, breathing heavily and making cooing noises. Here is a pic of her smiling at her new friend.

Ruby and Roman

This morning a few friends and their babies came over for coffee. I snapped a few pics of Ruby with Brenda's son, Roman. They are about 2 weeks apart in age.

Video - Waking up happy

Ruby wakes for the day sometime between 6:30 and 8 most days. The past few days she has been rather chipper(at least briefly)...once the trauma of waking up passes, we have about a 10 minute window of playtime before suddenly she realises that she is staaaarrrrvinnnnnggg. Here is a short video of her acting happy to see me.

Ruby out and about in Central London

We took Ruby to see some London sights - Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. James Park, Picadilly Circus, etc. Then we met Nadim and Tessa at De Hems pub near Picadilly Circus. It was a hot London day, but we did fairly well...managing to feed Ruby in a sushi restaurant and on the tube on the way home! Luckily we got back to our neighbourhood before it started pouring rain. Overall a really fun day out!

Lunch at the Tate Britain

Friday we took the bus to the Tate Britain. Ruby enjoyed a delicious bottle lunch outside and then we browsed the galleries together.

Ruby tries out her new swing

We decided to get Ruby a swing so she'd have somewhere to sit while in the kitchen. She seems to enjoy it and occasionally the rocking motion puts her to sleep. Another
good thing about the swing is that it converts to a high chair she can use later on.

Ruby makes new friends

Earlier this week Ruby and I went over to Lesley's house and met a few other other moms and their new babies. They were all between 2 weeks and 9 weeks old. We lined them up on the sofa and it was so neat to see how different they all are! Ruby is in the center of the picture.

Ruby at 6 weeks

Here are a few photos of Ruby at 6 weeks. She has just started cooing, tracking things and people with her eyes, almost supporting her neck when sitting up, grabbing things...and today for the first time, she smiled at me...not a gas smile, but a real 'I'm looking at you and you're making me happy smile.' Ruby's 6 week doctor checkup went well and she now weighs 10.5 pounds.

Video of Ruby being entertained by her reflection in the mirror

Ruby is 6 weeks old today! She is getting bigger and bigger each day and is learning new skills like grabbing my hair (and holding on!) and cooing at her reflection in the mirror. Here is a short video from today.

Father's Day Outing to Wimbledon

Today was Alex's first father's day. To celebrate we went to a pub in Wimbledon Village and then went for a walk in Wimbledon Common and Cannizaro Park. Ruby must have known what day it was because she was really putting Alex's fathering abilities to the test! She continues to eat every 2 hours or so (in the day time) and is requiring a lot more settling lately.

Who does she resemble?

Here are a few pics of Alex and me as babies. I keep looking at them and looking at Ruby, wondering who she will resemble!

Ruby spends the night in her nursery for the first time

Ruby is going through some sort of growth spurt at the moment...For the past two days she has been eating almost every 2 hours (normally she eats every 3-4 hours) and is just being restless. Supposedly babies have a major growing period around 6 weeks. And in the past few days she has really started outgrowing the small crib we have in our room. If she startles herself, her arms stretch out and hit the sides, and she wakes herself up. So, we made the decision to move her into the nursery officially! Alex and I (well, mostly Alex) put together the cot in the afternoon and last night Ruby had her first sleep in the nursery. Everything went well and she slept for slightly longer periods than usual. It felt a little strange because it is one step toward independence for her (well, sort of).

Lesley and Holly come over to visit

Friday morning my friend Lesley came over for a visit and brought her daugher, Holly. Ruby and Holly were born 2 days apart! Unfortunately Ruby wasn't in the mood for a photo session (she wanted to eat!) but we took a few photos anyway!

Ruby out and about

This week we have been out and about quite a bit. One day we went over to Lesley's house and Ruby got to try Holly's swing...Then we met Brenda out for coffee with her son Roman. Then on Thursday we went to baby massage class. The instructor is holding Ruby in the photo (You may wonder what Ruby has on her forehead...they told us putting a piece of cotton on their forehead cures hiccups...)

Guess who slept from 11pm to 6 am?!?!?

I can't believe this...We fed Ruby last night at 11 pm and she slept until 6 am!!! Yes, she is formula fed and I know they can go for longer stretches, but isn't that exciting!?! So, Alex got to skip his 3 am feed!

It might have been because yesterday we had a busy day out and about...a walk and a feed in St. George's park, a few hours of shopping, an afternoon meetup with a few girls (Lesley and Jo) from my NCT birthing class in Wimbledon Park, and then a late afternoon visit from Hana. Plus, to top it off, a nice warm bath, followed by a nice aromatherapy massage.

Anyways, let's hope it isn't just a one-off and that there will be more restful nights to come.

Grannie Lynn returns to Texas

Yesterday morning my mom headed back to Texas after staying with us for nearly 5 weeks (she arrived the day after Ruby was born). I'm so glad that she made the trip and am so grateful for all of her help. Her company, helpful tips and advice has made such a difference in this whole experience! Although I was a bit tearful right after she left, I also was quite happy as she has given me so much confidence as a new mother. I know it sounds silly, but I feel like I can do this! Thank you again Grannie Lynn.

Buses, Boats, and Trains - Ruby's trek across London to visit dad at his office in Canary Wharf

Yesterday, my mom, Ruby and I went to visit Alex at his office in Canary Wharf. For the occasion, Ruby wore a really cute dress that Marie gave us - green definitely suits her! To get there we took two buses and then rode on the Thames commuter ferry from Embankment. And to top it off, on the way back Ruby had her first ride on the London tube! She did really well, sleeping for most of the journey there and back. Alex's work folks enjoyed having a visitor and took turns holding her. It was such a nice day out.

Sunday afternoon portrait session with daddy

Alex took these cute portrait shots of Ruby this past weekend.

Video of Ruby - 4 weeks old

My mom recorded this 2 minute video of Ruby awake and alert.

Late afternoon park stroll

Yesterday was nice and warm, so we went to the park in the late afternoon for a short stroll.