She's One!

Well we made it. Ruby turned one yesterday. I was going to write, but was too tired from the days events. Ruby has changed our lives forever and we love her so much for it. It has been an amazing, emotional, wonderful, and challenging year, but we survived. Yay for us. I think she still loves us for now.

Yes, time does fly with kiddos. It doesn't seem possible that it has been a year. I don't remember other years flying by this fast. It did have it's moments though when I thought oh my is this moment going to end. Like the endless crying during her first 8 weeks or the grinding of her top teeth a couple of weeks ago (sent chills down my spine everytime she did it, I should be frozen by all the chills actually). But I wouldn't give her back for a moment. She's beautiful, spunky, funny, and makes me smile so much my face hurts at the end of the day.

Thank you God for blessing us with Ruby!

Ruby Facts

Still not walking, but likes to make us walk her.

• Has a total of 3 teeth that you can see, but more coming in, making her Miss Cranky Pants.


• Is great with the ball, loves to kick it and is actually pretty good.


• Loves stairs and will manipulate any unsuspecting person into walking her up and down, up and down, up and down, and up and down them with her devilishly sweet dimples.

Well Hello There, It's Been a While!

Pickles!

Swingin'


Easter. Yes, that's a bow.

Ruby Collage. Savor the sweetness!



I've been very busy is all I can say. So here's a list of things that's happened in the life of Ruby and her parents. Enjoy.

• At Ruby's 9 month appt. she weighed 17 pounds. We've made it out of the single digit percentile surprisingly.




• Ruby started crawling on our 5 year anniversary. 5/14/10 Yay, but can I say exhausting. She really wants to walk so she immediatly crawls to something she can pull herself up on. We haven't gone too nuts baby proofing. Just around the fireplace. I try to give a firm no, but she's just so cute. I think we are going to have to fill in those dimples pretty soon.




• She waves like a sweet beauty queen and claps at everything, even people on T.V. She waves by and hi.



• She said dada first, but has started saying mamama. Oh melt my heart. It's adorable, for now at least.



• She loves to swing. See pics.



• She throws things and enjoys watching us pick them up.




• She has a false teeth pacifier. Hilarious. Pics will come soon.




• No one told me how hard it would be to blow up a stinkin baby pool. Especially when you don't have the proper nozzle thingy. I would have just bought the silly blue plastic pool. The neighbors I'm sure got a good laugh. I think I burned 1000 calories in sweat. Ruby seemed to enjoy it so I guess that made it all worth it.




• My first mother's day was great. Josh got me a ring with a Ruby in the center and 14 diamonds surrounding it. Good job Josh. Now I've got to figure out what to get him? Hmmm, ideas would be appreciated.




• I'm so excited to be off for summer break and be a stay at home mom for a couple of months.



• Stinky diapers smell worse when you leave them in a 100 degree car for 8 hours.



• Ruby likes pickles just like her daddy. I forsee even more pickles canoes around the house. As long as I don't find them floating in the toilet I'm okay with them. Though I think pickles really stink.

• She hates peas.




• Josh needs to start cleaning that shot gun. She's a big flirt and boys seem to like her. We have a list of husbands to be already started. It's like The Baby Bachalorette.

• She has spent the night at her Memaw's, Uncle Stephen's and Aunt Kelly's, and Grandma's & Grandaddy's all in the same weekend. And no one sent her home early.

Well that's about it for now. Maybe since I'm off for a while I'll keep up with this more. I'm sure a post about walking will be in the future.

Ruby News

Ruby now weighs in at a little over 13 pounds. She is small for her age only in the 1%. Doctor says we shouldn't expect a 5'8 basketball player or anything. She's healthy though so that's all that really matters. She's wanting to walk. Our backs are a little sore these days. She stiffens up like a board when we try to sit her down. She's also fascinated with the fact that she can control her hands. Which is very amusing to watch. I had to tell her no the other day, but her sweet dimples make it hard to be very firm. That might be a problem later on. We might have to fill in those dimples. Botox anyone?

SNOW

Thoughts of a New Mommy on a Snow Day

Today was the first snow day of the year. This is just as exciting for a teacher as it is for the kids. I knew the night before we would be out. Last year this would have meant sleeping in and getting a little extra cleaning done or making some art. This year, however, was different. I have a new alarm clock this year. She doesn't know that it's a snow day. This is an alarm I have little control over the settings. Life has definitly changed.

I'm not going to cherry coat my thoughts. In the beginning I thought about it when people asked me how life was going now that we have a baby. I would have been lying though and I'm not good at that. My eyes cross and I break out in red spots when I try. Anyways, I digress. The last 5 1/2 months have been hard. Terribly hard. I have struggled with my new position that God has blessed me with. I have struggled to try and remain sane when I am so tired that I could fall asleep bouncing her. I have struggled to balance home and work. I am learning a lesson in selflessness. Which I really needed. I have felt guilt that aches at my soul so much I want to throw up for thoughts that want to creep into my head. Don't worry none of them have been life threating. But enough about what I know seems like a whiney, pessimistic, hormonal, crazy person talking. Here's the wonderful blessings that have accompanied all this.

Tonight I rocked my baby and held her tight for a lot longer than I really had too. Because I think she is the 2nd greatest blessing God has ever given me. Josh being the first. She is a blessing for so many reasons. Here are a few.

I am not a patient person. I have to be now and it's not so bad.
I am selfish. Can't be that either. I can try, but the consquences are not so good.
I thought I could handle everything on my on. I am weak and that is okay.
I took my husband for granted. The brief moments we get to spend together now are so wonderful and I see him so differently. He is great and I am undeserving of his kindness.
My job is not my whole life. Though I am thankful for it.
Life goes by fast. I held a newborn last night and already couldn't remember Ruby being that small. I need to slow down or I'll miss the important things. A super clean, could be featured on the cover of Better Homes and Gardens, house is really not that important.
I need God. I need His guidance every second and for His unwavering love I am thankful. I am also thankful for His forgiveness and His presence in my life.

So this whole Mommy thing, very hard, but I like the person it is molding me into. I would not trade it for the world. God knew I needed this position. He knew I would fail sometimes, but He also knew that it would make me a much better person. Even if sometimes it feels like a punch in the face, a wake up call. A really sweet wake up call that doesn't matter if it's a snow day.

KangaRuby and the Holidays

Ugh I hate it when this happens. It won't turn so you'll just have to turn your head.
Wooo paper. I love yummy paper.

Christmas morning.

One day Ruby might realize that Santa works in the bike shop with Daddy when he's not delivering toys to the good girls and boys.

Ruby's present from Santa.

The holidays have come and gone so I figured I should update the Ruby blog for everyone. She loved the tissue and the bows of course. Santa was pooped on Christmas Eve so he came at about 6:00 in the morning. He brought her a Jumper thing. You can see it in the pictures. She loves to bounce so Santa figured something that jumps would be better than a saucer. She forgot to leave him cookies though, maybe that's why he was so late.

I had so much fun with her over my break. It was hard to leave her this morning and go back to work. I have finally figured out how to get a few things done while she sleeps and we played a lot. She's grabbing at things now and her mouth is the typical landing pad for the things she grabbs. Ruby's also learned the dropping things so she can watch mommy and daddy pick up things over and over again game. Fun Fun! She's very vocal and we are trying to teach her some sign language. Ruby has also started cereal. I thinks she's been hanging around her great mema too much. Ruby looks eerily like her when she is eating.

Well enough writing. I hope you enjoy the pics.

4 Months and the Flu

Happy, Sleeping Ruby

Sleepy, not feeling so good, Ruby.


The 4 generations picture.

Sitting up in the BeBe Pod.

Ruby's look of infinite wisdom.

Well, well. Ruby's first Thanksgiving will definitly be a memorable one. She got the flu. The doctor said that it was H1N1, but it was not serious. Ruby is obviously a fighter. Mommy was sure worn out after it all.

On a much happier note Ruby can almost put her toes, that's right people I said toes, in her mouth. She has also discovered that she can pet Pedro. Her idea of petting is pulling his hair, which thankfully he doesn't seem to mind. She loves "feeling him up". This looks a little weird but oh so cute.

Sorry, we don't have very good 1st Thanksgiving pics, but I figured I can put her in the "My first Thanksgiving" shirt and recreate the whole event sans icky running nose, red eyes, hacking cough, and blood wrenching screams later.

Fingernails and blue jeans

I have successfully made a murder scene that looked like something from CSI. I cut Ruby's nails. I don't know if I will ever cut her nails again. They can just curl over and twist like those people with the world's longest nails in the Guiness Book of World Records. Although I don't know if I can take the scratches or the looks I get from the scratches around my neck. I'm sorry but I have no picture of the crime scene.

On a happier more exciting note. It might seem like a little thing, but it was exciting to me. Ruby got her first pair of blue jeans. She can wear them everyday and no one will say a thing because you can do that with blue jeans. Right?

My Little Stinker

I actually thought about dressing her as a booger, but after thinking some more decided that it would just be a little too cruel.

3 Month Giggles

Happy 3 months!
Her great mema.

Getting Chopper kisses.

Grandaddy, Uncle Buddy, and Uncle Kirby

Holding a toy on her own.

Ruby and Aunt Nancy

Ruby and Aunt Mary

Ruby and Aunt Marsa.

Ruby turned 3 months last Wednesday. I can't believe I've survived what seems like endless spitup, poop, and crying so hard that I still hear it after it's stopped. I must say that the last month has been the best so far. She changes every day. I feel like tommorrow I'll be having to send her off to college.

It was harder to leave her and go back to work after fall break than it was when I first went back. She's so enjoyable now. It's not that I didn't love her the first time, but now she laughs and smiles so much. It can really melt your heart. My students love her, even though most have never met her yet. One student asked me where she was like he thought I was going to bring her to school everyday. I told him she was in the closet. She's the topic of many conversations. And I thought I would never get their attention the day I set her picture out by the computer. I didn't realize having a baby would make me super cool to a bunch of elementary kids.

Here are some milestones:

• Ruby can sit up by herself as long as her back is against something. However, she does start leaning like the leaning tower of Pisa and eventually she falls over.


• She grabs things and holds them herself. My hair will never be worn down again nor will I be wearing necklaces for a while.
  
• We actually saw her put her pacy in her mouth. I don't know if she was aware she did this.
  
  
• She is giggling more than ever.


• Just today she started talking baby talk. She and Josh had a full blown baby conversation for about 30 minutes. I also had to take her out of church not because she was crying, but because she was giggling so hard and making funny noices.
  
• She can do stomach crunches and curls better than any pilates instructor.
  
  
• She pooped all over her grandaddy for the first time. Lovely.

2 months WOW

Just a few days of diapers.

Doing her Jane Fonda workout.

Well our little girl is growing up. She turned 2 months last week on the 21st. It's going by fast and she seems to change everyday. Ruby has her daddy's sweet dimples if you haven't noticed by the pictures. You can really notice them now that she's gottn some fat on her cheeks. I think she's going to be a runner or a swimmer. Her legs are constantly moving and she already does her stretches.

She had her 2 month checkup. Which also means she had her shots. Call me a mean mommy, but I just couldn't help and laugh when she got her first shot. She was happy and then the nurse stuck her little thigh. Ruby cocked her head back and her face turned as red as a tomato. Her mouth opened wide and her lips quivered, but nothing came out for like 30 whole seconds. Then, the loudest noise I had ever heard was leashed from one of the tiniest little mouths ever. I'm sure the nurse thought I was crazy, because I was chuckling. I did hold her little hands during this whole episode. So maybe I'm not that mean.

Ruby now weighs in at a whole 10 lbs 6 ozs. She is 21 1/2 inches long.

Updates and stuff

It's Football Time. This will be Saturday's outfit.
She smiles!

I think this one is hilarious! She looks like she's gotten a little too much caffeine in the milk.

A teacher at school made this yummy banana pudding. I don't think Ruby is quite into it yet.

Bath time.

Ruby is doing great. Josh and I are getting a little energy back or our bodies are just adapting to life with a baby. She is only waking once during the night. She was going down around 9:00 last week and Josh and I were so excited. This week is a different story. One night was close to 3:00 the rest have been anywhere between 10:30 and 12. She's become very alert and wants to take in everything. I think she believes if she sleeps she'll miss something. I know I'm missing my sleep!

She took her first rode trip on Labor day. She rode with my parents to Land Between the Lakes. Josh and I lead the way on the motorcycle. We took the long way which took about 4 hours. She hardly cried according to mom. It was so nice to ride with Josh again. It had been almost a year. Ruby did wonderful. My parents took care of her most of the day . Thanks guys. I didn't get a lot of pics because my camera apparently got scared when Josh decided to disturb two copperheads with a photoshoot and quit working.

If she contiues to nap I'll post pictures, but if not you'll get them later.

one month pics

Ugh! I can't get this one to turn!

Gorgeous

Wow! I can't believe it's been one month already. Ruby is such a gift from God. He knew exactly when we would need her most. She has been such a positive light in the recent sad days. Josh's dad passed away this week after a long battle with lots of different things. He did get to hold little Ruby a couple of times and for that we are greatful. One of the last words he spoke was "Gorgeous" in a one word description of her to the chaplin at the Hospice center. I have a hard time calling her gorgeous as it makes my eyes a little weepy.

Without Ruby this week would have been tougher to get through for Josh and everyone. I believe that Ruby now has a special angel watching her from above and I don't care how cheesy that may sound. We will me miss Pepaw (Teddy), but know he's in better place.

2 Week Pictures and Noteable Firsts

Ruby is a traveler. I can't stay at home for very long so she has already been many places. This I'm sure appalls some germ fearing people, but my sanity and the feeling that she'll be exposed to so much more later on anyway makes me not fear the germs so much. She's well wrapped when we go out and I don't let strangers touch her. We've been to Target at 9 days old, Dos Margarita's and Daddy's work in Nashville at 11 days, Cracker Barrel at 12, an art show at 18 days, and Church at 19.

She lost her belly button stub this past Wednesday and has managed to spit up, pee, and poo on me all at the same time.

She started sleeping in her crib on Thursday. Yay! She's slept peacefully in her lovely crib for the last 3 nights, which means Josh and I have slept somewhat peacefully in our room for the last 3 nights also.