Ruby starts swimming class

Earlier this week we started swimming classes with some gals from our playgroup. Ruby and her friend Maddie have matching swimsuits. Here are some pics of Ruby expressing how excited she is about getting in the water!

Hold my hand mama!

Ruby loves to 'walk' around the room holding my fingers. Sometimes when she is leaning on the ottoman or sofa she will turn around 'asking' for my hand so we can make a lap around the living room. Her legs are gettting strong and occasionally I can get her to let go so she can 'stand' on her own for a few seconds. She may just skip crawling and move on to walking!

Happy Birthday Alex!

This past weekend we celebrated Alex's birthday with burgers and some bowling with friends and family. We had a great time!

Portraits of our beautiful daughter, 9 months

My friend Jennifer took these amazing pictures of Ruby a few weeks ago. These expressions are ones that I see, but have never been able to catch with my camera.

Feeding the ducks at the park

Earlier this week we met some friends at a local park to feed the ducks.









Ruby watching the ducks...





Ruby and her friend Maddie drive the car...









Such a cutie!



She loved the swing!




While we were there, Ruby and Maddie shared Cheerios for a snack.



Ruby also got to visit with her friend Thomas...(they enjoyed eating the mulch)



It was such a nice afternoon out. I can't wait for Spring so we can have more days at the park!

Last Day at Gymboree

This was our last week of Gymboree classes. Ruby has been going to classes since she was around 5 months old. It has been lots of fun to see her interact with the other babies and learn some silly songs, but now we're ready for something different - SWIMMING is next!!!




Ruby reflecting on all the fun times at Gymboree...









It was such a fun thing to look forward to each week! We've made some good friends and established a great playgroup through Gymboree.

Table food- YUM!

Over the last few weeks we have been giving Ruby table food. At a restaurant we will order some vegetables or pasta and chop it up for her. At home we give her a bit of what we're having (if it isn't too spicy!) Earlier this week I made pulled pork in the slow cooker which we made into wraps with shredded carrot and sliced red pepper. It was delicious. We gave Ruby some bits of pork and red pepper and she loved it. Here is her expression - love the teeth!

Happy Valentines Day

Last Sunday we went out to breakfast for Valentines Day.







Ruby played happily in her high chair.








Reaching for table food!










Tolerating a mama kiss!










Then, we went to the science museum in Fort Worth. We went on the CSI Experience tour which was great.



Ruby was mesmerized with all the neat things to see and touch!

Ruby is now 9 months old!

On February 13th, Ruby celebrated her 9 month birthday! We had her dr. checkup and she is now 29.5 inches long and weighs 19.2 pounds. I don't normally pay attention to percentiles (all babies are different and I am so sick and tired of comparisons-who's crawling, who's walking, who's drinking from a sippee cup!) but the pediatrician said Ruby is particularly tall (we knew this already since her feet were bursting through the 12 months size pajamas and she is now wearing 18 months size pajamas and pants). Her bottom two teeth are very visible and her top two have just come through in the last week or so. She still has fuzz for hair...I can't wait til it grows long enough where I can put bows in it! Her eyes are still blue, for now. Several weeks ago we finally got Ruby to eat pureed foods and now we are moving on to table foods. She is sleeping around 12 hours a night, but still wakes at least once. She is on the verge of crawling...and loves to 'walk' while holding my fingers. Ruby is quite the talker and loves to talk/screech at the other babies in our playgroup (as well as random babies and toddlers we pass in the store).

A few of my random observations/reflections on the last several months...

1. I have even more appreciation for my mother...all the bottle feedings, diaper changes, all the stories, picking up toys, all the singing songs, funny faces, all the laundry, clothes buying, driving to and from activities, all the bathtimes, comforting, hugging, rocking to sleep, love. Thank you mom.

2. This is the hardest job I have ever done...It requires continually learning new skills, using my brain in a completely different way, finding energy even when I have none left, creating fun out of nothing, mastering the art of distraction. Wrangling a squirming child into clothing or in a carseat or stroller is quite a feat. Reading 'Ten little ladybugs' everyday (since she loves it...it is the favorite book right now) is a bit mindnumbing. Demonstrating how exciting it is to play with measuring cups, spoons and bowls takes a lot of silliness. Exaggerating the yumminess of pureed squash or peas is a stretch sometimes first thing in the morning. Parenthood is physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging!

3. Alex is a great dad...We are so lucky that Alex works from home. He has been able to see all of Ruby's developments day to day. Of course, he helps with all the mundane stuff like bottle washing and feedings. But, what is really neat is watching him play with Ruby - her face lights up when he plays peekaboo, makes silly faces, or surprises her. I am so thankful.

4. I love seeing Ruby happy...Seeing her smile just melts my heart. I just want to find and do anything that will make her laugh or squeal with delight. For example, Ruby is really showing an interest in animals...dogs, cats, birds in person, in books, on tv. And so, I bought a bird feeder for the backyard, take her to see the fish tanks at Rainforest cafe, go to the zoo and the petting zoo, and point out animals wherever we go. I love exposing her to new places and things and seeing what catches her interest. I feel so fortunate that I am able to spend so much time with her and plan adventures for us.

5. Getting used to annoying comments...When I was pregnant I remember passing a screaming toddler while out shopping and someone said to me, ‘see what you have to look forward to.’ At the time, I remember wondering why some people enjoy trying to make parents uneasy about what is to come. It isn’t all that uncommon though…Some people just focus on the negative side of things. I still get comments such as ‘that’s parenthood for you,’ ‘just you wait’ or ‘see what’s coming next.’ I HATE hearing such things! No one can sum up parenthood for me or predict what Ruby will be like or how she will behave. Babies sleep through the night (eventually!), babies get into a rhythm (although it changes all the time!), they play happily while you cook dinner (sometimes), they peacefully eat cheerios in a highchair when you go out to dinner, they surprise you with what they can do, they melt your heart with toothless smiles, hugs, and squeals of delight. No one ever told me how holding my sleeping baby would give me such a warm, content feeling, how fun it would be to daydream about what she will look like in 5/10/15 years, how neat it would be to hear my baby’s babbling first thing in the morning, how energized and happy they are after they wake up from a nap, how fascinating it would be to see her interact and 'talk' with other babies, how much pride I would have in everything she learns how to do, how intensely she would watch and listen to me when I talk, sing or make funny noises, how there are so many special moments that make a tear come to your eye, how fun it all would be.

Snow day!

Today it snowed (the news said it was nearly 8 inches!) and we had a relaxing, cozy day at home. I made a snowman, baked cookies, and then we made a nice pot of chili for dinner.

Superbowl party at Lori's

Lori had us over to watch the Superbowl. We didn't get to see too much of the game since we were keeping an eye on the babies, but we had a great time! Here are the girls focused intently on their activity table!

Saturday afternoon outing

After Jenna's party we went over to Alex's parents house for a bit. Ruby got to visit with their dog. She is really starting to notice animals (in person, on tv, in books, etc) and makes 'hoo hoo' noises when she sees dogs, cats and birds.

Then we met Annette, Sakari and Matias at a yummy Italian restaurant for dinner. Ruby got to eat pasta (cut up of course!) and bits of bread. It is exciting being able to feed her table food now! At home she has been eating whole peas, chopped blueberries, corn pieces, and chopped green beans.

Alex and I shared a delicious pizza!

Early Valentines Playdate Party

Jenna hosted an early Valentines playdate/party for the babies...including dads this time!

Here is Ruby sharing a toy with Thomas.




Ruby is getting to be quite vocal! She enjoyed screeching back and forth with her friends.



Ruby and Maddie chat a bit


Ruby plays alongside Tyler.






Ruby is getting closer to crawling each day.

Petting Zoo

Tuesday we went to the Fort Worth Stock Show to see the petting zoo and children's bardyard. Ruby got to meet the goats, llamas, chickens, cows, rabbits, and pigs. She was squeeling with delight! Several gals from our playgroup came too which made for a fun afternoon out.

Ruby on the move

Ruby is starting to get more mobile. She can pull up on my fingers, lean on stuff, reach for things, turn herself 360 using her bottom, scoot toward things and is showing signs she will be crawling soon. From sitting she leans over on her hands and almost crawls except her hands get pinned and she forgets what to do with one leg!