Mmmmm...blackberries are the best!

Like most babies, Ruby loves fruit! I usually give her some fruit for her afternoon snack. This afternoon it was blackberries. You can tell she enjoyed them!

Naptime

We have finally figured out the afternoon nap. I feed Ruby her lunch around 11:30, then give her some milk, and then somewhere around noon, I put her in her crib. Sometimes she cries for a bit, sometimes she talks to her babydolls for an hour, but eventually she falls asleep. (I've tried to sneakily grab some video of her chats with her babies, but this is tricky because she usually sees me!) Here are some pics of Ruby sleeping.

Bookstore

I took Ruby to the bookstore. She had a blast! We read some books, looked at all the neat stuff in the children's area. And, we sat in the storytime chair which she loved.

Tutu playdate

Last week Lori and Maddie came over for a playdate. We put the girls in their tutus for playtime.





Ruby shared her playfood.





Maddie gave her a hug.





They both enjoyed the ball popper that the Hendricks gave Ruby for her birthday.

Storytime and clowns at the library

Last week we went to the library for storytime. While there, Ruby got to visit with Betsy and Tom (some visitors from England she met at last week's storytime) and she also got to watch a clown show afterwards.

Playdate at Preston's house

Last week we went to a playdate at Preston's house. Ruby got to visit with her friend Maddie and check out all Preston's cool toys.

Backyard pool fun

i set up an inflatable pool for Ruby in the backyard. Unfortunately she only enjoyed it for a few minutes (actually less time than it took to inflate!). I think she prefers the big pools! She looked cute though.

Ruby at 13 months

Ruby has really been developing so quickly over the last few weeks. She now knows how to point out certain things in books, she can point out clocks, pictures, babies, cats and cows in person. She can say 'baby' and point to her belly button, and my belly button. She has been meowing and mooing for some time now. She switches light switches off, can open drawers, takes childproofing latches off cabinets and can now eat finger sandwiches. She says something resembling 'wheel' when we pull out the 'Wheels on the bus' book. She sings Eee-ii-ee-ii--o and can't resist clapping her hands to 'If you are happy and you know it.' In her crib she talks to and hugs her baby dolls. She knows how to hug other babies.

I know these sound like little things, but to Alex and me they are monumental and adorable. We are so proud.

Laura and Steve's Wedding

This past weekend Alex's friend Stephen and Laura were married in Dallas. Here we are before the wedding.







The Hendricks came and stayed with us the evening before (we had so much fun!) We got to meet Jackson for the first time and all the kids got to play together. It was so neat to watch them interact and we can't wait to see them again in another week or so!









All dressed up, and without Ruby (who stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Macnab for the night).




Newly married -Laura and Steve.








We had such a fun table!



Steve and Laura were staying in the penthouse and after the reception they invited guests up for an afterparty. We went on the balconies and rooftop to take some photos.

Pet store fun

Since it is too hot to go to the zoo, we went to the local pet store to check out the animals. Ruby meowed at the cat, waved at the fish and talked to the birds. She loved it!

Ruby learns how to make thread

I returned to the nearby peach orchard and picked some more peaches. While there they were showing visiting kids how they used to harvest cotton and make thread on a spinning wheel. Ruby watched intently while eating her raisin and cheerios snack.

Girl in a tutu

I put Ruby in her tutu for playtime at home. She looked just like a little fairy!

Sandwiches - Yipee!

Last week I gave Ruby her first finger sandwiches. One day I tried hummus and peas, another day we tried hummus and thawed frozen spinach with lemon juice on it. She loves it!

Storytime

Last week Ruby was a bit under the weather. She caught pink eye and a cold so we stayed at home a bit. But when she was better we went to storytime at a local library. Ruby loves all the songs they sing, especially 'When you're happy and you know it' and 'Wheels on the bus.' We met a nice British woman and her 3 kids and they came over to play at our house later in the week.



Ruby loves the painted mural wall and likes to point out all the animals (including the cat which she meows at).




Since she is still a baldie, we have to accessorize with fun bows.

Peekaboo mama!

Ruby was playing peekaboo with the curtains yesterday. She thought it was just hilarious!

Nowadays she is getting more and more interactive and entertaining. I sing to her a lot and she has started participating with a few key words: eee-i-ee-i-o when we sing old Macdonald, and the latest word is 'wheel' when we sing the wheels on the bus go round and round. When we visited my parents a few weeks ago, my mom got Ruby hooked on playing patty cake and now Ruby claps every time I start singing it. At storytime when we sing 'if you are happy and you know it...' she wants to clap then too. When we sing 'five little monkeys jumping on the bed...' she knows how to make that pointing finger gesture when I sing the part, 'no more monkeys jumping on the bed.'

I'm not one of those people who cares which sounds are more/less difficult to say or how many words she knows by x number of months. I'm just proud that she is exploring sounds and words and is learning how to express herself. I love to hear her babbling and finding out which sounds she likes to make, and seeing what she'll surprise me with next.

Visit with our neighbors from our old neighborhood

We've stayed in touch with our next door neighbors from our old neighborhood, Wayne and Julie. Today Ruby and I went and visited with them and had lunch at their house. We got to catch up about their recent travels and Ruby got to chase after one of their cats named Pepper. She kept meooowwwing and getting excited everytime the cat would peek around the corner. I miss living next door to Wayne and Julie since it was almost like having another set of grandparents nearby!

Ruby in the peach orchard

I found a peach orchard 15 minutes from our house, so one morning I packed up Ruby and we went to pick some peaches. It was so cute and the peaches were delicious! We are definitely going back soon.

Sunday afternoon swim and dinner

We invited Alex's parents, his sister and her family over for a swim and dinner this past Sunday. Ruby and her cousin got to visit.

Family Portrait Session - Ruby 12 months

We took a few family portraits this past weekend. Ruby wasn't in a particularly good mood, but at least we managed to get one or two!

Ruby and Maddie

At the First Birthday Bash, Ruby got to play with her friend Maddie.




Maddie gave her a nice hug...










And then decided to kiss her! Awww, friendship! (But look at Ruby's face!!!)

Gymboree Playgroup First Birthday Bash

We've stayed in touch with our friends from Gymboree over the last 8 months or so. This past weekend one of the girls hosted a first birthday bash now that most of the babies have turned one. It was a lot of fun!


Ruby and Maddie played in the kitchen. They loved this playhouse!










You can see all the dads looking on with their margaritas.