Ruby: I am going to need a new Mommy and Daddy.
Me: Why?
Ruby: When I get older, you and daddy will die and then I need a new Mommy and Daddy.
Me: No, we’ll always be your mommy and daddy…even when we die.
Ruby: Oh. Okay.
Somehow, I don’t think she was convinced.
Daddy: How was your day, buggy? Were you good today?
Ruby: I listened at school, but didn’t listen to Mommy. I said sorry lots of times today.
She’s pretty awesome…even on the rough days.
(NOTE- This was written back in November 2013…I just published it now. Don’t judge.)
Another year is almost over and all my promises to be a better mommy blogger were never kept. My poor Ruby will have only bits and pieces of her life typed out for her to remember. I guess having something is better than nothing!
So, it looks like my last post marked the moment that pink and all-things princess entered our household. Let’s say I did my best to keep it at bay as long as possible, but the inevitable was going to happen. Ruby loves the Disney princesses, and mommy and daddy have realized it isn’t that bad. I wouldn’t say she is obsessed, but loves them more than I would have allowed to happen if I had control over the matter. However, I don’t and I’ve learned to accept that. She is a perfect mixture of liking dresses and glittery shoes, and playing outside in the dirt with crazy tangled hair. It is one of my favorite things about her!
Ruby also enjoyed playing and eating (clean) snow back in February…one of the great things about living out in the Pacific Northwest. It was supposed to be her first year to snowboard, but it never happened. It is on the list for 2014, which makes me really excited.
In the summer we had a trip out to South Carolina. It was one of the best trips, I think, we had as a family. Although it was partly for work, it was actually relaxing to be out on the beach in warm weather. Ruby really enjoyed playing in the sand and jumping waves. There were even a few days of rain and thunder storms, but it never dampened the trip.
We also had our first family vacation. To where you ask? Disneyworld, of course. Come on, silly, did you think this wasn’t coming? I have to admit it was the perfect age to go. It was all still magical for her and we did learn a few things about our dear girl on this trip. We learned she HATES fireworks. Really…HATES. She doesn’t like any ride that is dark, loud, or bumpy. This negated most rides. She loves any and every person in a Disney costume, which brought her such pure happiness that the meet and greets alone were worth the heat and the lines and the crowd.
At three, Ruby never ceases to amaze me. She is very inquisitive and wants to understand everything about everything. The questions never stop! She can write her name all by herself and her school work still feels like playing to her. The girl also has an AMAZING memory. Really, it boggles the mind how she remembers people, places, events. She is very observant, even when you think she isn’t paying attention.
She started a new school this year- a Korean school. She’s been able to pick up Korean here and there, and I really appreciate that she is exposed to the food and culture. It is important to me that she identifies with that part of herself.
Ruby is a people person and continues to introduce herself (and us) to every stranger she meets. She becomes fast friends with everyone, especially other kids. Ruby will force and insert herself into any playground game and friendship. It truly is a skill!
What’s her favorite thing these days? SINGING! She loves to sing. I see musical theater in her future. It is something that she inherited from her daddy (although her mommy did love to act in theater as well). I do enjoy hearing her little voice in the car while I drive. Her favorite songs at the moment are songs from Nightmare Before Christmas and various Disney movies. It really is a lot of fun.
This was the first Halloween where she was aware it was a holiday. I think it is going to be one of her favorites. She loved dressing up and trick or treating. The candy didn’t hurt either.
It’s been a good year, and I’m glad to say we still have some more fun to look forward to with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up. Ruby is going to love it!
My baby is no longer a baby! Miss Ruby is a full-fledged kid. She has changed so much and continues to become her own unique person every day.
Since my last post (which has been awhile, I know), we celebrated Ruby’s second birthday. She had a CHOPPED birthday party where all her friends and family in Seattle had to create dishes using her favorite foods- Trader Joe’s O’s Cereal, pepperoni, garbanzo beans, and apple sauce. It’s a strange combo but all the food was delicious and Ruby ate it up! Her Nina and I even made her a Mickey Mouse cake.
Ruby has also been busy with family weddings. She was a flower girl in two weddings this year- her Uncle Jacob and Auntie Katie’s wedding AND her Auntie Anna and Uncle Matt’s wedding. She successfully completed her duties of walking down the aisle, with some help and ushering, of course.
Ruby is still a super active kid. She loves to climb on the playground, jump like a frog, run and chase her daddy, and dance to songs she knows. She still loves buses and trains, airplanes, trying to catch the moon, counting the stars, and talking to random people at the grocery store. Her favorite movies at the moment are Belle and the Beast (or Beauty and the Beast), Wall-E, and Monsters Inc. She can spend time on puzzles and really LOVES swimming! Swimming has to be her all-time favorite thing at the moment.
She continues to really enjoy music. Some of the songs she (and her parents) listen to repeatedly are My Favorite Things and Do-Rae-Mi from the Sound of Music. She sings all these songs in the car, which her mommy and daddy both enjoy.
A big moment in her life this year was when she met her dream celebrity Mickey Mouse! I’ve never seen her so happy. She even met Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, and Goofy. That was a great day for all!
Ruby is very smart. She continues to learn more and more each day. She talks…a lot. She knows all the sounds the letters make, and every so often she’ll surprise us by reading a smaller word like dad, mom, or cat.
She knows who her family is and tells us “I Love You” without being prompted to do so.
Our little Ruby is amazing. We are in awe of her every day and enjoy every moment with her.
1. I love how you read your books out loud.
2. I love your love for ice cream and shout “ice cream” when you know you are going to eat some.
3. I love the fact you love to jump.
4. I love that you still enjoy listening to Taylor Swift and can sing it to yourself.
5. I love how you want to do many things on your own.
6. I love how you try to taste everything before you decide whether you like it.
7. I love when you sing with your daddy as he plays guitar.
8. I love the funny face you make so I can laugh with you.
9. I love the fact you hate to wear tights and dresses.
10. I love that you sing “Twinkle, twinkle little star” by singing “Winkle, winkle little star.”
11. I love your adoration for anything alphabet.
12. I love that you love shoes.
13. I love your crazy hair in the morning.
14. I love your friendly “hellos” to every store check out person.
15. I love your quick baby wit.
16. I love your love of strawberries.
17. I love how you say “truck.”
18. I love how you call for momma or daddy in the morning.
19. I love your strange obsession with buses.
20. I love that you are a happy kid.
21. I love you.
22. I love that you are mine.
I know I’ve needed to blog this but I kept thinking that I need photos from her various parties (3 birthdays to be exact) in order to do so. Since we moved to Seattle last month, our life has been a bit out of sorts so we don’t quite have everything to hook up the camera and load up her pics. Then I thought, why? Why do I need those exact pictures of her birthday parties when the real celebration of my little Ruby girl is just her as she is?
My dear Ruby is now thirteen months. She is beautiful, funny, happy, intelligent, kind, and the best little girl her mommy and daddy could ask for. She lights up everyone around her. It’s hard not to smile! She enjoys saying hi to everyone and has learned the art of perfect baby kisses and hugs.
Ruby is now a walker! She takes many steps from place to place and is comfortable on her feet. She is in day care with slightly older toddlers, so I think she may have felt a little bit of toddler peer pressure. She still has a big smile and claps when she knows she’s walked a long distance. We’re so proud of her!
Ruby also loves to talk. She continues to babble in conversation form but now can say several words pretty clearly. She says: mama, dada, thank you, please (or “peas”), banana (or “nana”), Elmo (or “Melmo”), up, down, hi, bye bye, bubble, no-no, and yes. She can even sing the “Row Row” part in “Row, Row, Row your Boat” and loves to say “LMNO” when it’s time in the ABC song. It sounds more like “MNOMO” but we get it. She recognizes the letter A too.
She can put up one finger when you ask her how old she is, and she can point to her head when you ask her to.
She is also a fantastic eater. No seriously…this kid eats almost everything…HAPPILY! She loves fruit (especially bananas and strawberries), and even loves to suck on lemon slices. She eats all her veggies, but they have to be seasoned. I can’t think of one thing she doesn’t like! A and I feel very lucky.
Another thing is that Ruby is an excellent sleeper. She actually has been a great sleeper since a baby. She doesn’t fuss when you put her down for bed and she doesn’t fuss when she wakes up. She may not fall asleep right away, but we enjoy hearing her talking through the monitor to herself and her stuffed animals. She is a fan of her stuffed animals.
Ruby still loves music. She likes to dance when she hears some of her favorite tunes (and Taylor Swift is one of them). She likes to bang away at her piano, a gift from her Uncle Jacob and Aunt Katie.
All in all, our little Ruby is FABULOUS! We love her and can’t get enough of her. Even when I put her to bed, as exhausted as I am, I miss her and can’t wait to see her cute little face in the morning. Her daddy and I love being the ones to see her first thing in the morning.
Happy birthday little Ruby! You are the most wonderful little girl and we know the next year(s) will be the best of our lives.
My baby is now officially a mini-kid. Seriously! She is tall and very mobile. But, before we discuss all of her most recent milestones let us go back a few months. I know Ruby will someday tell me how disappointed she is that I missed all the months in between 6 and 10. Well, I can say they were wonderful and I have the pictures to prove it. Not all of them on her blog, but I’ve got them!
Let’s start back in December. Ruby’s first Christmas was fun for all of us! The holidays are so much more fun when there is a kid around. A and I enjoyed planning all the details from the meals to the stockings. It is not surprising that Miss Ruby basically won Christmas. She had the most gifts under the tree, which just shows how much she is loved by everyone. Santa also brought her a few books, bath toys, and her favorite puffs.
She enjoyed all the Christmas lights and ripping the wrapping paper off her gifts.
Also during this time, Ruby learned to not only sit up on her own but do her army-style belly crawl. She first would move a little very slowly, building up that upper arm strength. Then, she got really good and really fast. Next thing we knew she was full on crawling by the end of January and hasn’t stopped moving since. It all was such a fast development that it makes me regret not having a blog entry. I don’t even remember the moment it happened…it just happened! This has brought an end to her bounceroo since she would much prefer crawling all over the house. She can pull up on furniture (and toys and people and cats etc.) This will soon turn into standing alone and then walking.
Ruby went to the beach for the first time. We did have a sand-eating incident, which she loved. She wasn’t a big fan of the water. She freaked out a bit, but we’ll try it again soon.
Ruby is now in daycare. SHE LOVES IT! I’m so relieved that she enjoys her daycare as it has made my life easier. I feel guilty (as I believe most parents do) that I can’t stay home with her and be sure she is learning all the things she needs to know, but I am happy to report that her daycare provides her plenty of intellectual stimulation.
Lastly, Ruby is our little dancer. The girl loves to dance! It has been my most favorite development so far. I’ve been trying to get it on video, but she has been uncooperative when the camera is whipped out. The best moments are the ones that are uncaptured.
(NOTE: Ruby loves to play with clean laundry. She takes each piece out of the basket and tosses it all over the floor. It’s been a great way to keep her busy for a while!)
It’s been a busy fall, which is why I missed a post (or two). However, our little Roo is now 6 months old. SIX MONTHS OLD! She is such a big girl.
What has Ruby accomplished in the past few months? Quite a few things actually.
She loves to laugh and smile. She can fully enjoy most of her toys and make them rattle and move and roll. Ruby doesn’t quite crawl yet, but she finds ways to get from one place to another by kicking and rolling herself around.
She also is now eating solids. Her first taste of food was rice then oatmeal. Her first non-grain was peas. Then she had carrots, pears, butternut squash, bananas, sweet potatoes, and apples. She loves them all! It took some time since I think she had to get used to the textures of them all. Her favorites have been peas and bananas. She has been loving her apples though.
Ruby had her first visit to the pumpkin patch! We all had so much fun! It was great to sit her in the sea of pumpkins and see her eyes light up with all the new things around her.
Her latest stats from the doctor’s office:
Weight: 15.8 lbs
Height: 26.25 in
Ruby is in the middle on the weight curve, pretty tall, and supposedly has a GIANT head. She is on track with all her milestones. Doctor said she is very strong since she can already sit up on her own for a long period of time. Her legs are also strong…probably from all the bouncing she does in her jumperoo.
Mom and dad are doing well too. It hasn’t been easy, nor has it gotten easier. However, we just have to take one look at her and we know it is all worth it. We’re looking forward to celebrating the holidays with Miss Ruby. That will be the next blog entry!
Settling Down 