Ruby kisses baby brother (in mama's belly)

Ruby is slowly getting the concept of the baby coming. There are lots of changes happening in the baby's room, and my belly is obviously different!

When I point to my belly, she says baby brother in there.

We got her a lifesize newborn doll and I put baby boy pajamas on him. We call him baby brother and let him ride in her baby buggy and sit in the baby bouncers and swings that are being stored in the nursery. She carries the babydoll around, talks to it, feeds it and keeps it entertained.

When I'm looking at boy clothes I tell her they are for baby brother.

I can't wait to see her as a big sister.

More gymnastics fun

Ruby is still loving gymnastics. I've noticed how it has improved her strength and coordination.

Here she is getting on the balance beam.

And singing the 'red, red touch your head; blue, blue, tie your shoes; green green washing machine' stretching song.






Doing the parachute.






Doing a bear crawl. (She can also roll, and jump forwards and backwards).





and RUNNNNINNNG!








Crawling over stuff...






Balance beam time.

Mama, I want to fly.

For weeks now, Ruby has been talking to me about how she wants to fly. She says she has wings like a butterfly. She says she wants to touch the ceiling fans or fly in the sky. She will say, 'you do it' as in, 'mama, you fly' so I have to explain how I don't have wings. She gets frustrated that she can't fly and keeps saying, 'I want to fly mama.' All I can say is, 'wouldn't that be fun?'

I got her these green wings so that we can pretend fly in her playroom.

VIDEO - Ruby sings her ABCs

Ruby can sing her ABCs. I caught this video of her getting it mostly right!

She just thinks of it as a fun song...but she has started to identify things that have writing/ABCs on them.

It's a start.

Rocking Birthday party

Ruby went to a joint birthday party for 4 of her playgroup friends. It was a rock and roll theme and it was at a fun play area called Paradise Pond.

They have lots of stuff to climb on, a bounce house and many toy stations.






One of her favorite things was this car that rides down a ramp.

Ruby visits the Dallas Museum of Art

Ruby and I went with some friends to the Dallas Museum of Art. On the first week of the month they have a free entrance fee, so that's when we go!

FOUNTAINS...Ruby loves fountains!


Ruby and her friend Addison check out the waterfall.








We walked around for a short time, then had lunch in the cafe, then listened to storytime there.





It was a fun day out!

Happy July 4th!

We hosted a small bbq with some friends for July 4th.

I made Ruby a cute dress for the occasion.

July 4th playgroup playdate

Ruby and I went to our playgroup's July 4th playdate.

Mama, belly and Ruby.




Dressed festive for some swimming...






Happy girl!







Having fun with her friends in their waterslide pool.

BBQ with the Jaaskelainens

The Jaaskelainens came over for BBQ several weeks ago. Alex grilled and the kids played outside.

Ruby at gymnastics

Ruby is taking another session of gymnastics. She loves it! It such a great outlet for her toddler energy.

Here she is doing her 'TA-DA' after jumping off the balance beam.



RUUNNNNINNNG...








Swinging like a monkey on the bars...

Ruby update

I'm finding it hard to keep up with this blog. I take pictures, but not near as many as I used to. We're still doing lots of fun things, but I guess I'm caught up in what we are doing, or chasing Ruby, so I don't 'document' as much.

Over the last month Ruby has been busy growing more and more toddler-like. Even though with her bald head, she still looks like a baby to us, she is capable of so many big girl things.

She learned how to climb out of her crib a few weeks ago. I was in the next room waiting for her to stop talking to herself in her crib and fall asleep, when she just came walking in my room, saying 'mama I got out. I jumped.' She was so proud of herself. I tried not to act impressed and immediately took her back in her room and put her back in her crib. I asked her to show me how she did it. She showed me how she carefully pushed herself up and over the corner of the crib, slowly lowering herself down to the floor. So, we took off the front rail of her convertible crib and put a lock on the outside of her door. Bedtimes and naptimes have been pretty rough over the last several weeks. For some reason, she acts like going to bed is this new, scary, traumatic thing. We have to sit with her and calm her down, read and sing to her, and stay in the room until she drifts off...otherwise she cries like she is scared for a solid 30-45 minutes.

We've been working on potty training. We have one upstairs and downstairs to help the process. Ruby has gone number 2 (which surprised her, and she had to ask what IT was in the toilet). We motivate with one jelly bean, and one chocolate easter egg (both leftovers from this past Easter). She is hooked on having one of each if she has a successful bathroom trip. My goal is to get through this before baby number 2 comes.

She is talking and talking. One of our funniest (and frequently had) conversations lately has been about flying. She keeps telling me she wants to fly and that she has wings like a butterfly. She has a fascination with wanting to fly up to the ceiling to touch the ceiling fans. I don't know exactly where this comes from. So, I got her a pair of green fairy wings,which she likes to wear daily, and jump as high as she can.

She loves listening to music and singing. For a while 'happy birthday' was the favorite song. Now we are back to old macdonald, twinkle twinkle, and row your boat. Wheels on the bus has always been a favorite. I love when she just starts singing out of the blue in the backseat.

She sang her ABCs all the way through, and does almost everyday. I know she just thinks it is another fun song, but I am proud of her.

She can count to 12...this I credit largely to Sesame Street. They featured a song called ladybug picnic, which counts to twelve. She loves ladybugs and this song. We sing it a lot. She also randomly counts things that are multiples...it often goes 2,5, 6, 9, but I'm proud that she understands the general concept of counting.

She knows her colors and shapes very well.

Every now and then she will say 'thank you' or 'no thank you' or please without us prompting. I think that is just too cute.

Her memory is really improving. When she hears a familiar song, or comes across a toy she hasn't seen in a while, she will say, 'I remember this.' She recounts bits from her day, her friends' names, where certain toys are stored, that some stores have elevators or steps.

For a while she has been wanting to do everything herself, or 'my turn' as she says. Even if it is something she physically can't do, she wants to try. She can now climb into the car and her carseat on her own, get her own water from the fridge water dispenser, take off her shorts and diaper to try to go potty, etc.

She does get really frustrated when she can't do something, when I take something away, when I make her leave a fun place like the playground or gymnastics, or when I get out of her sight. We do get tantrums, but I know this is a phase and it isn't as bad as I have seen from some other kids.

Bedhead after naptime

Ruby always wakes up from her nap with some crazy Einstein hair. I caught this funny picture of her as she woke up.

Happy Father's Day!

Alex's sister, Kate, invited us over to celebrate Father's day. They made a delicious dinner!


Alex and his dad...

Ruby and her daddy.

Fun with the Ebarbs

A few weeks ago we spent some time with the Ebarbs. It was so nice to let the kids play together and visit! Too bad we live so far apart...we'd love to see them more!

American Girl Visit

I went with some friends to the American Girl store in Dallas. For the occasion, I sewed Ruby and her doll matching dresses.


Pushing her baby in her friend's stroller.






So many (EXPENSIVE) dolls to look at.








Playing with the babies...






At the American Girl cafe the girls can eat alongside their dolls in highchairs. The dolls even get their own dishes and teacups.




We played in the Galleria play area beforehand. Ruby loved it!

Nursery fabrics

When we bought our house my brother helped us to paint several rooms. We painted one of the upstairs bedrooms a peach/apricot color, hoping that it would be a room for baby number 2 eventually. Well, now that I'm pregnant with a boy I faced the challenge of making that peach room look boyish, and also the challenge of finding blue and peach bedding.

Well, I didn't find anything already made in the stores or online, so I decided I would create my own. So, I set out to find fabric. I couldn't find any that blended peach and blue in a nice way...so I decided to make my own material by semi-quilting some different fabrics together.

I bought 6 different fabrics, all varying patterns of white and baby blue, or white and peach...dots, stripes, gingham. I cut them into strips and sewed curtains, a bedskirt and two pillows over the course of 2 months during Ruby's naptimes. I added some black ric rac to tie in with the black furniture in the room. I am so proud of the way everything came out.

Pictures of the nursery coming soon once we get everything else in there.

Baby update - 19/20 weeks

Here are some belly pics from 19/20 weeks. I'm definitely showing earlier with this pregnancy and I'm carrying really differently. The baby seems to be sitting high in a focused basketball shape.

We've had our anatomy scan and all looks ok.

I've felt lots and lots of movement...especially after I drink ice water, sit still for an extended period, and at night.

People keep saying how awful it is to pregnant in this heat (it has been 100+ every day for weeks now), but I don't know if I'm feeling it more than anyone else. I can't wait for cooler fall days.