Ruby is 2!

Ruby turned TWO on July 9, 2018. Hard to believe that our baby is TWO! I think this means we don't have a baby anymore! We did all of her celebrations prior, so her actual day was just a our family having a fun day with our big girl! The kids love to help her celebrate.

We moved her car seat to forward facing. So exciting!!

Our sweet girl

Her personality is a bit shier than her siblings, but she is such a chill girl and such a jokester when you get to know her!

We painted toes and fingers on her special day-one of her very favorite things to do! I put her in the same dress that Annie wore when she turned 2:)

Steven got home a little early and we opened gifts-peppa pig riding toy, a swim doll, and I don't remember what else! Ha!

We told her we could go get ice cream for her bday treat. We always order one and make the kids share, so getting their own was a big deal!! She was SOOO cute waiting in line for hers. The siblings received theirs before her, so it made her wait seems so long!:) That counter seemed a million miles high!

When she finally got it, she was in awe! :)

Our family-Happy Birthday, dear Ruby!

In hindsight, chocolate was a bad idea-July is HOT, so it melted fast! We quickly transitioned from cone to cup!

She was too cute feeding herself and took it so seriously!:)

9/11 we took Ruby to her 2 yr appt. She was a little unsure walking in, and as soon as she realized it was for her, she BROKE DOWN! She just started crying her eyes out! She's been to enough appointments for her siblings to know that sometimes it doesn't end happily!

She didn't refuse anything, just cried while obeying! Annie was so cute helping her sis-she's very compassionate. If anyone understands being emotional, it's her! Ha! We laughed about this photo, because it's how we adults feel when we step on the scales! She checked out all healthy and was 34.5 inches tall and weighed 30 pounds-75% in height and weight. Big girl! 

A bit about her at this age!
-Stubborn eater, but I don't worry to much about it bc she's a healthy looking girl! She will fairly often refuse dinner and go to bed without eating anything. I can match her stubbornness. Some new things she has eaten are baked beans, guacamole, and she had an amazing time gobbling strawberries when we went strawberry picking in May. When I ask her if she wants water or milk to drink, she says, "water AND milk!" Of course the few times she has gotten a special drink like juice or chocolate milk, she guzzles it.
-She is such a talker, and has her own little vocabulary. She can pretty much say whatever she needs to say to get her point across. She calls feet-peet "my peet! My peet got wet!!" , swim-tim "I'm gonna go tim", says Imunno for I don't know and ugg for hug. She calls finger-pinger and fun-pun "It's pun!!" or "It's punny!!" Calls her belly button her "tummy button." pain gun for penguin. She says "yes" and "yes, please" often and accurately. A few other phrases...yeah! Me too! Ok! My turn! Ruby's turn!! Watch this! Thank you, mama! Thank you, dada! That Mommy's coffee? No, YOU do it. I CAN'T!! If I ask her if she needs help out of her seat, she says, No, I help YOU. She's also been talking about the potty lately and will tell me she needs to go poop. I tell her just to go ahead-I'm not ready to potty train her yet!
-She is an independent little thing, and we appreciate it for the most part! If she gets hurt, she will immediately say, "I'm ok, I'm ok!"-so different than her sis who immediately looses it whether she is actually hurt or not. She wanted me to take something from the backseat from her while driving, and said, "Here ya go, here ya go. LOOK" when I didn't look right away. Says, "Can I have that? I want that" and gets very passionate about brushing her teeth-"I do this, Daddy. I'm doing this" about putting toothpaste on her toothbrush. She's also said, "Give that back, mama!" when I've taken something away. She likes to "watcha movie" and will ask for George. Then when I get up to do work in the kitchen, etc, she says, "What are you doing, mama? Sit DOWN!" "go Blazers!! Go Bubba!!" (cheering from stands at brother's baseball games), "excuse me!" and pushes her way through wherever she wants to go (our crowded bathroom especially),
-She loves peek a boo, pat a cake, and hide and seek. She will say "here I come!!" over and over even though she doesn't really know how to play. She certainly thinks she does! She also loves to say, "Ready? Go!" while standing against the wall, and then take off after go and run across the room. She says bye bye to whatever toy she has in the car when we are getting out-"bye, bye baby!" or says bye to whatever food is on the table when she leaves-"bye, bye chicken!" One time I got ready during her nap to go out for a girl's night, and when I went in to get her up, she said enthusiastically, "I love your dress!"
-She loves school and goes on T, TH, and F this year. I see her a lot and hear her in the halls and she is so happy-squealing, talking, and laughing. She waves at everyone as they stroll by in the bye bye buggy. She has lots of buddies, but will tell you about  Reid and Piper and Charis, and Annie's friends Connor and Owen. The teachers talk about her knowing her colors and counting. She will fill in the next number if we say 1234, she will say 5! She will use a pointer and point to posters like she's reciting something (seen it in prek!). She loves to be read to and also to sit and look through books. Her very favorite teacher is Mrs. Faith, and she gets spoiled on Fridays with her by special snacks and stickers and getting her nails painted
-We have a sweet bedtime routine. She sleeps (still in crib) a good 11-12 hours at night and about a 3 hour nap every afternoon btw (about 1-4, sometimes less). We read books, then she loves to sing songs while being rocked-usually twinkle, Jesus loves me, whole world in his hands, rock a by baby, and go to sleep are her favorites. We pray each night, and she started out with just listing who she is thankful for....bubba, dada, Annie, mama, ruby, then she says, "I love you Jesus, Amen!" She also wants to kiss everyone night night, which we can't always do (this could go on and on!). When she first started asking the would make the kiss noise and say the person's name to ask to kiss them. So, "mmmm, Bubba!" and then "mmmm, Dada!" as we would go around the house to the next one on her list.
-Doing bubba's hair, "Sit down! I'll be right back." (loves being in charge)
-Wouldn't pet the baby gorilla book of baby animals. Acted scared!:) Went to zoo and loved all the animals except the chimp!
-Fireworks-"Don't like it. Too loud." so I asked her if she wanted her earphones and she said  no. Later she looked up at me and said, "Pretty!"
-Occasionally shaky upon wake up. Once in morning was pretty severe so consulted doc. Said fairly normal to wake up with low blood sugar and just to watch it.
-So scared of John Zorio at my bday in May! It cracked us all up!
-Obsessed with shoes on and off, also with putting our shoes on us. She loves to find Annie or Henry's shoes and put them on and walk all over the house in them.
-Obsessed with the forbidden bathroom drawer with all the toothbrushes, etc. Will catch her in there brushing her teeth at odd times. Loves chap stick, lotion, tissues, taking things to the trashcan.
-Now that she's a walker, she really is a little collector and reminds us of Henry. She has something clutched in her hand often (rocks especially, but any little treasure she can find).

There's more, of course, but I must end this random list! We certainly love you, Ruby Jane! You are a sweetheart!!