5 months!

 

Oh, this girl is growing up WAY too fast for me! We call her "angel" because that is really what she it....the easiest, most laid back baby ever. She's truly a pleasure, and it pains me that it's going by so quickly. Below are a few things about her 5th month (turned 5mo on 12/9).

-So aware! She has started staring us down-she just looks into our eyes for the longest time. She will look up at Steven when he's holding her and just study his face. It is too cute, and we love it. She is now watching us eat and drink and acts so curious about it. She will follow out fork or cup up to our mouth with laser focus and curiosity.

-She has gotten really into toys and always needs something in her hands. She's so handsy in general! She grabs things from me while I am holding her-and immediately wants to put them in her mouth-like one time with a leaf Henry had given me:) She loves getting her hands on paper of any kind, too. She's found her feet and grabs them and also pulls her socks off.

-She now has her two bottom teeth! This explains the crazy amount of drool, hands in mouth, and just need to gnaw in general-like a rabbit! She got the first one the day after Thanksgiving, then another 2 days later. Sniff, sniff! This makes her look and seem so old!

-Over Thanksgiving her aunt Mae put her hair up in a little sprout for the first time. It was funny how  many comments she started to get while we were out-lots of attention and things like, "She looks like a little doll!" Her hair has gotten long enough in the front that I pretty much always have a clip in it now. She does not much hair in the back! And it's just funny because it's blonde in the back and still dark in the front when it is down, but when I put it up it looks more blonde all over that way. She has a lot of looks going on!

-She rolls over onto her belly and raises way up to look around. She's getting really strong and looks so old doing this.

-She loves to hear singing!! She is all eyes and big smiles when we sing to her. It is the sweetest thing. If I sing while I am feeding her (sometimes have to feed one kid while putting another one to bed simultaneously....oh the challenges of motherhood:), she will just smile and eat and stare at me. Just precious!

-She sucks her bottom lip all the time!! It is uniquely Ruby, and we love it. I kind of think she is curling her tongue up as she does it, but I'm not exactly sure. It makes her happy, though! She has to consciously let go of her lip to nurse, and I get a kick out of her sometimes as I can see she's having to really decide which she wants more:)

-She is finding her voice! The kids get a kick out of her squeals and the "talking" she does. 

Grabbing those tootsies!

These last 3 are my faves. They really look like Ruby to me.

What a sweet baby you are, Ruby girl. You are loved.

September 2016

Well I just found this post that I never actually posted....oops! I'm sure I was waiting on some particular picture or something, but it's certainly too late for whatever it was now! Ha, ha-I have good intentions. 

September was BUSY!! Check it out below!

Ruby started having more play mat time. She stretched and kicks around on it quite a bit.

September 1st started Tennessee football. Steven needed everyone dressed appropriately for the first game:)

Sept 2 was the first Lowe Mill concert of the fall, and we were in attendance! It was Ruby's first (out of utero!)

The kids love dancing around at the concerts and eating a picnic dinner. Annie especially loves when it gets dark and the tower starts to change colors-Henry did too at her age!

On Saturday of Labor Day wknd, we made a day trip to visit my folks. Ruby got to meet her girl cousins for the first time, and her Aunt Marie also since she came and picked up the girls that night. My friend Abby came for a visit with her 2 kids and they all got a little dip in the pool, too!

Papa with Ruby

Annie loves to swaddle her babies and carry them around everywhere. After church she was so proud to have her "2 babies" beside her on the sofa!

She also likes for Ruby to have babies as shown here with 2 dolls that she certainly got get herself. And she's covered up with her blankie and lovie thanks to her sister, too!

More play mat time!

On actual Labor Day, Grandpa and Peggy came for a visit for a few hours. Ruby decided she would grace them with her presence for a few minutes between naps.

Get a load of that hair

Grandma came for a quick visit the weekend of 9/9 and came to a soccer game with us. When she left, she delivered Annie to Grandpa and Peggy for Annie to have 2 nights away-just her! Annie got totally spoiled with them taking her to the zoo, church, Chuck E Cheese, and generally giving her whatever she wanted. I have a whole series of great pics from Peggy, but if I include them I'll never end this post!

Henry got his official uniform and was SO proud.

Go, Buddy!

After school on Monday 9/12, Henry and I took Ruby to her 2 month checkup. She did beautifully and was a trooper for all of her shots. She weighed 11 lbs, 3 oz (50%) and was almost 24 inches long (95%-long baby!!). She's healthy and we are so thankful!

Then that evening we met Grandpa and Peggy on the interstate at  Mildred's restaurant to get Annie who'd been away for 2 days (first time away just her!!). She did awesome and didn't act homesick the whole visit, but as soon as she saw me she was ALL ABOUT mommy!! I'd never seen her act so needy for me and she would NOT leave my side (like had to sit in my lap while eating, couldn't leave the table without her freaking out!). She missed  me and it was very sweet. She wanted nothing to do w Daddy, although she did spot that he got a haircut from across the restaurant-so funny! Here are the guys with Ruby on Mildred's porch.

While Annie was away, the family of 4 went to dinner and here I am with my one girl. We kept just noticing how EASY our meal was, and it quickly showed us who is the difficult one when we go out....but we sure do love you, Annie girl!!:):)

The Grands spoiled Annie with the TN cheerleader outfit below with new shoes and everything, and they also bought Henry a new outfit to replace the 24 month one that he had STILL been wearing since they gave it to him almost 3 yrs ago. He was SO, SO happy. TN orange is not my personal favorite color, but at least these kids make it look cute!:)

Ruby was looking SO big in her car seat on this day! She's really starting to fill out.

Hehe...I put her in the play baby stroller one time during nap. The kids had been begging to, but I always told them no while secretly wanting to do it myself. :) A perfect fit! She started crying like a second after I snapped this picture. Not cool, Mom.

Sweet baby face

Sister snuggle time-they look similar in this picture to me-except the hair color of course!

Annie took her baby swaddled baby to soccer one morning. Such a cute little  mama!

The Andrews had us over for a football game on Saturday and we put Ruby in Autumn's doll crib for just a second....not cool, Mom. Not cool.

Steven's bday was 9/20, but we started a few days early with his cake because somebody got a sweet tooth:)

Happy girl by the pool. We've had some beautiful late summer evenings to enjoy.

Henry got great at diving this summer!

Wrap me up! she says.

Then on Steven's actual bday we opened gift when he got home from work.

We got him this inflatable boat that he and Henry can take out on the lake when we go camping, etc. Had to try it out in the pool, of course!

Then we went to Mexican (hey, that's kind of my bday gig!). He got a dessert and they put the whipped cream on his nose and sang to him. This made Annie very upset. She did NOT like that he got "cake on his nose" and would not partake of any of the dessert. You can see in this pic she wants nothing to do with being anywhere near it.

Then we came back home for a Sugar Belle...the kids were so happy to celebrate with their Daddy.

Everyday after nap (for the big 2) I let them watch a show. It was suppose to be for me to get some things done and them to get a nice, easy wake up. But it has just turned into snuggle time for me and Annie and so I try to just embrace it. I still have vivid memories of doing this with Henry watching ELMO after nap while I was pregnant with her! It's a 2 yr old thing I guess:)

Oh, I love snuggling this little sweet.

One of my favorite things to do is right in my own backyard-watch the kids swim and enjoy being outside. I feel blessed!

Oh, these pics melt my heart! Ruby  loves her quick bath times and you can see in this pic her mouth is poised to "talk" to me.

She is such a happy girl for each bath time!

All three have been snuggled in this towel post bath as infants!

If Annie can't snuggle me post nap if Ruby is awake, she'll take the next best thing!

Steven finally took the kids to the Monrovia trail near our house that we'd seen so long ago and said we needed to visit but never did...it was great! They took be back a few days later and we walked the trail and checked out the pond.

It was great bc of the shade. Maggie came along and took a dip in the pond, too.

I just wanted to include this one to document Henry's art table. It is in the dinette area and it is where many an hour is spent for this kid. Here he is contemplating how he can use this newspaper for some creation...he is so focused sometimes!

Getting SO BIG

She was so proud to have her hair up in a towel like this!

Awe