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.
