Ruby at Ten Months

At ten months you:

-have your two bottom middle teeth (first 5/22, second 5/24). you really had no problems and very little fussing with teething. you slept normally and just sucked on your fingers. you like to suck on a wet washcloth more than a teething ring. 
-weigh 18 pounds 5.6 ounces (25%), are 27 inches long (25%), and your head is 45 cm (75%). your doctor thinks we need to fatten you up. ha ha! has she seen the size of your thighs? ;)
-can clap
-can show us "so big" (5/31)
-have stood up by yourself for a few seconds (5/30). you are really trying and practice doing this all the time.
-are in twelve month clothes. you won't keep any shoes on. you even succeed in pulling your mocassions off.
-have a very large vocabulary for a ten month old. a lot of times you will try/say a word once and not say it again (boob, fan, katie). words you use a lot: mama, dada, sis, hey, hi, that, i need (you add mama or you to the end), "acie."
-can crawl on your hands and knees but prefer to scootch on your belly.
-sleep in bed with mommy and daddy. you wake up to eat one or two times a night.
-are very good at using a sippy cup. you will not let us feed you anything, but if we put a food on your tray you will try it.
-still breastfeed a lot during the day. you can go four to five hours, but there are times you want food every two to three.
-still have your ducky hair (which i love).
-are a little bit better with other people. you still don't like when other people hold you, but occasionally you tolerate it, and you will smile at people from afar.
-are very ticklish. you love being tickled and laugh and laugh.
-love your sister and playing with her.
-your favorite toys-sit and spin (you can't spin yet, but you stand up and push the buttons to make music), blocks, tea cups and kitchen items
-are terrified of grass. you scream hysterically when we put you down in it. you curl your little toes and jerk your feet up if i try to just touch your legs down.
-are always getting into things you shouldn't. you love cords and putting things in your mouth that are too small and crawling as fast as you can to try to get my Fenton on the bottom shelf. my naughty bumpkin.

Oh Ruby D. I love love love you. You are just so stinking cute. And adorable. And lovable. And smart. You make us laugh all the time. You grab me with your little arms and give me kisses and hold me tight when other people try to take you. You are a Mamma's girl through and through and you've got me wrapped around your little finger. I can't believe you are almost a year old. What!? That just doesn't seem possible. Stop getting so big Ruby D. I miss my baby, but I am having so much fun watching you become you.

Recent pictures:

Gracie's Room

Gracie's room is almost completely done. I still need to finish touching up the edging and a few spots on the baseboards. Hopefully I get that done sometime this weekend when Andrew is home, but I'm not counting on it. She also needs a chair for her desk, but I may hold off on that, because I can just see her crawling on top of it to reach her piggy bank.

Doorway

Walking into room

 

Sources:

• Rainbow Door Hanging-IKEA
• Frames-IKEA (All professional portraits were taken at Portrait Innovations)
• Comforter-Wal-mart.com
• Bedskirt-K-mart
• Light Fixture-IKEA
• Dresser (painted)-Antique store (Noblesville, IN)
• Nightstand (painted)-Three Blind Mice Antiques
• Print above desk and above dresser (etsy.com)
• Pink Star-Antique store
• Book rack-My Great Grandmas
• Shelf-Hobby Lobby
• Desk-Wal-mart
• Silhouette picture-Disney World 
• Piggy bank-from Mimi and Papa
• Spelunking hats-Ohio Caverns and Indiana Echo Caverns

Gracie loves her room.  Her books and some of her favorite toys are in her closet. She runs in and out of her rainbow all the time. She does want another spelunking hat to add to her collection though.

Mary Mary

Or shall I say Gracie Gracie quite contrary. Gracie never went through the terrible twos. we are currently in the midst of the trying threes though. She has started to disagree with everything I say just on principal. I do not like rude nasty little girls, and I am trying to teach her how to be polite. Unfortunately I think most of what I'm saying is falling on deaf ears. Sigh. She was awful while we were visiting my Grandma. She just wanted to be loud and scream no if she didn't like what I was saying. To put it lightly-vacation sucked. I tried to keep my patience, but when she told me in the car today that she liked being bad it just irked me to no end. She also tells me that I make her mad all the time, but I told her that was Mommy's job. She also likes to ask me, "Do you love me when I'm naughty Mommy?" I love her all the time, but I would like it a lot more if she listened to me. We can try again tomorrow though.

Packing

I should be good at packing considering how often I visit my sister and go out of town, but I'm really not. I can get everything to fit into a suitcase, but I usually forget something that I need. I used to always forget my pajamas, but last time I forgot Gracie's pajamas. Ruby somehow didn't have any socks. Luckily there is always a Wal-mart near by, but maybe I should start making a list. Gracie remembers her Gabbas, Bun Bun, Alice, and Strawbaby (she has a very full bed at night). I doublecheck to make sure I have Ruby's medicine, but other than that I don't really have anything I need to have. Oh wait-phone charger-that is probably important. And my computer. We will see tonight what I ended up not putting in when we get to Grandmamas.

this week:

-trying to keep Ruby D out of the cat food at Auntie Ann's house
-watching Gracie hide herself in the empty sweeper box
-feeding the geese, especially the pair that stalk me each morning after I get up
-new sod in my yard (according to my husband-I haven't actually seen it yet)
-wishing gas prices would go down
-loving my babies in summer clothes
-enjoying the air conditioning (I'm not sure if I would have it on at my house, but Auntie Ann refuses to be hot)
-making a cake for the Gabba Gabbas (why Gracie is obsessed with her bath toys and has to carry them everywhere is beyond me. they are all losing their paint, but she throws a hissy if I mention buying new ones.)
-fishing fuzzy balls and everything else out of Ruby's mouth
-practicing listening with Gracie. and trying to keep my patience.
-getting up too early with little girls (time change and very bright sunshine in Auntie Ann's bedroom)
-trying to figure out what I need to work on the most when I get home
-wanting my hair to grow out long enough for it to stay in a ponytail all day long
-taking lots of pictures of my cutie girls playing

So proud of herself. Her favorite toy. Wearing her new pjs. Refusing to go to bed.

Hambone.

Gracie with one of her Gabbas.

Hoping that weaning won't be too much of an ordeal. She loves water in a sippy.

Checking it Twice

House Progress:

-Stack of frames filled with photos (but still need to be hung)
-Books unpacked and bookcases filled (to overflowing)
-Flowers/bushes planted
-Hall closet unpacked
-Kitchen counters clean
-Outlet in laundry room fixed
-New breakfast nook table assembled-old table in dining room until we purchase new larger one
-All linens washed and neatly folded in linen closet

Still to do:
-Unpack/organize scrapbook supplies
-Hang a curtain in opening to walk in closet
-Hang pictures/windows/mirrors
-Paint mirror yellow, touch up end table, paint new coffee table
-Organize walk in closet

It's getting there. The living room really just needs more furniture, but it's just going to have to wait. The crib should be moved to Ruby's room, but Andrew's parents are visiting for nine days in June so I don't know whether or not to wait. I hope to get a lot of organizing done in the next few weeks while Andrew is at annual training. I am going to be gone for a few days at my Grandmas though, so I don't know how much will actually happen. At least the majority of the boxes are empty.

A Word From Gracie

Learn about Foofa, Muno, Todee, Brobee, and Plex. And don't forget about DJ Lance Rock or his boombox. That way when I am at the store everyone doesn't look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them about my Gabbas. Thanks you very much.

A Word From Mommy:
Why does my child have to carry around bath toys (that are losing all their paint) everywhere?

Gracie's 3rd birthday. I didn't take a picture of her opening her bath toys, because I had no idea they would be such a hit (six months and counting-which is why there is very little paint on her favorites. Brobee gets in trouble all the time and Plex has to power down so they look pretty new).

Funny Gracie

I keep a Word document of funny things that Gracie has said. Usually I post to Facebook and then cut and paste. I have high hopes of scrapbooking some of these stories but who knows when (if) that will ever happen. If I need a laugh I can always get it from reading one of these:

Put in the corner by Daddy at church. “I don’t like the corner. It’s gross and grubby and makes me need a bath. And it’s humungous like a dinosaur!” (all said in one breath) 12/19/10

  

Shari told Gracie she was going to see Santa tomorrow. Gracie, "Can he bring me Uncle Bunny?" 12/6/10

Gracie pointing at the Fairy Godmother in her coloring book, "Grandmama in me book!" 5/18/10

Gracie to the cashier at KFC, "And don't forget the honey or daddys in trouble." 3/15/11

 Me, "Gracie don't jump on the couch." Gracie, "but it has elasticity!" 2/14/11

Gracie getting out of the tub and laying down on Daddy soaking wet, "I'm leaking on you Daddy!" 4/6/11

Two of my favorite pictures of Gracie (old school). 

August 2008

July 2008

I love:

-watching my girls play together
-feeding the baby geese
-trashy magazines
-bubble baths
-hanging baskets
-Disney World
-trashy magazines and celebrity gossip
-flippy flops
-little girls in swimsuits (especially kinnis)
-almost anything chocolate
-air conditioning
-harry potter (especially ron, i love you ron)
-glitter
-clean kitchen countertops
-old windows
-antiquing
-flowering tress and bushes
-getting a good picture

Cutie butt even though she keeps trying to eat cat food.

I love this picture. I plan on printing it out for our new house.

Oh Mommy, sister is so funny!

Look, I can be funny too!

Planting

I am visiting my sister this week. We looked at five houses yesterday, and she put down an offer on one. It has a porch. Not that my sister cares about that. She does not like flowers. Or bugs. Or being outside. I like porches though. Andrew and I worked on the yard before we left town on Saturday. We planted (mostly Andrew and my brother Joe) two hydrangeas, two peonies, one foxglove, and two raspberry plants (Andrew bought these for a cent each). I also have three hanging baskets that are going to get hung sometime this week. My breakfast nook table came yesterday (I love site to store shipping). I'm not sure if Andrew is going to work on putting it together before he leaves for Marine drill this weekend. I don't even know when I am going home at this point. I have a lot left to do at my new place though. When I finish it it will be about time to start working on my sister's new house.

Oh Ruby

I have slowly been trying to transition Ruby from cosleeping to sleeping in her crib. She slept in her bassinet wrapped in her swaddle blanket until she was seven months old. I tried unswaddling her numerous times, and it always ended with her frantically swinging her arms around until she woke herself up. I started putting her in our bed unswaddled when she was almost eight months old. She still moved her arms a lot, but she was usually able to get herself back to sleep with only a pat on the back. I had Andrew put her crib in our room at the new house. I hoped this would help with the transition. I usually can get her in her crib after she falls asleep, but she only lasts a few hours (four is her max). She doesn't necessarily wake up hungry either-she just wants to see me. She is my little jack in the box. The minute she wakes up she pulls herself to a sitting position and starts screaming. If I get her back to sleep and try to lay her down (and I mean asleep-pacy has fallen out of mouth, deep breathing) she lays down for less than a minute and then pops up again. It's a good thing she is just SO stinking cute. I'm sure at some point she will sleep through the night (it only took Gracie three years) in her own bed. She just wants to cuddle with her Mommy.

Oh my little bitty Ruby D. A little less than two weeks old.

Look at those cheeks! Impressive.

Taken just a few days before I started putting her in bed with us.

See Mommy, you can't be mad at me for not sleeping. I'm just too cute. And you would miss me in your bed, wouldn't you? I thought so.

Landscaping

Andrew bought me a tree for Mother's Day. I originally wanted a Magnolia, but I fell in love with a European Snowball. It is a small tree and will not get very large (ten feet max). On Saturday we will be planting it in our side yard. The blooms are green right now and will gradually change to white. I love flowering trees and bushes. They put in the landscaping for our yard over the weekend. We have a dwarf crab apple (I was so excited-I had actually planned on buying one of these in the future), burning bushes, Korean dwarf lilac bushes, and what my mother believes are two pear trees (one in the front and one in the back). I also bought one hydrangea, two peonies, and few flowers to go in planters today. I hope they will put our sod in soon so that I can plant the bushes.

European Snowball Tree (fully grown)

European Dwarf Lilac Bush (fully grown)

Burning Bush (fully grown)

Waiting

My sister is having her baby today. She is thirty eight weeks and four days. That lucky girl. Ruby D refused to come. My doctor told me for weeks, "She is coming this weekend." Yeah right. I had strong contractions for an entire night. I went to the hospital, got hooked up, had a huge contraction, then nothing. The nurse told me, "We'll see you tomorrow or later this week." Three weeks later (and after I had my membranes stripped twice) I went to the hospital for a scheduled induction. I checked in at 5 centimeters regularly contracting. The nurse asked me, "Did you know you are having contractions." My response, "Yes, I have been for weeks. Could you do something about that?" My doctor could barely break the water to start my induction because of how Ruby's head was wedged. If I ever have another baby (I say yes, Andrew says no) I am not hoping for a repeat scenario. My epidural may have failed with Gracie, I may have had back labor, but she was five days early. My sister will now have had all three of her babies ten days early. I can't wait to meet little Nathan.

Checklist

Done:
Kitchen valance hung
Gracie's bookcase in closet/books unpacked
Gracie's dresser fixed/in her room
Curtain ring hung in breakfast nook
New ball pit purchased
China cabinet unpacked/organized

To Do:
Finish unpacking
Sort through/organize scrapbooking supplies
Organize Ruby's closet (hand me down clothes)
Unpack my bookcase
Hang pictures

Friday afternoon we finished cleaning/painting our old apartment. Goodbye mice. I will not miss you. Ever. I also will not miss the white linoleum floor that was impossible to keep clean, the iron rich well water that stained the bathtub yellow even with a water softener, the lack of overhead lighting, and the windows that froze over with ice in the winter. I love you new house. I do not love the outlet in the laundry room breaking causing me to think my washer was broken. This conveniently happened before the spin cycle. Awesome. Andrew hooked up a power cord in the kitchen. It works for now. We have a warranty on everything-we just have to fill out a report online. It could be worse-the washer could be broken. I am hoping to have most of the unpacking done (not counting the garage) by the end of this week. Here's hoping.