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.