Parrr-Tay! Ruthie Style

For Ruthie's 2nd birthday party I went back and forth about different ideas for what she would like the most.  I started out with a beach party but after realizing the logistics of getting everything down there, bathroom, etc. (thanks Gigi), the backyard bash seemed like the perfect solution.  We didn't have a big party, we only invited 3 of her little friends, and had family and some neighbors stop by.  I didn't want it to be overwhelming to her and I think it was just the right number for her.

Gigi (and Papa) came down before the birthday weekend and Gigi helped make lots of flowers to decorate outside.  I didn't take enough pictures of that, but here is one with the 2 poster I made.

We hung lots of balloons around the fence, and on the little playhouse.

It was a gorgeous day and definitely hot, so we had the baby pools out

We had the bouncey house for the kids.  Ruthie, at this moment, is not a fan of a bouncey house. She's warming up to it, but hasn't quite come around yet. 

Thankfully, the other kids loved it!

We had the party in the morning (before naptime!) and ordered pizza and had snacks (goldfish, peanut butter filled pretzels, animal crackers, juice boxes and water).  A note for me to remember, we ordered WAY WAY WAY too many pizzas. I thought we'd eat maybe 5, so we ordered 7 I think.  In total, we ate 2!  Two pizzas.  When I was pregnant, Joel and I could easily put away two pizzas??  Still strange to me.

Gigi brought her snow cone machine and we had snow cones, which was the perfect treat on a hot day! The kids loved them!!

Then it was time for cake, or in this case, sugar cookie butterfly cake!

There was lots of holding Lainie

and Cousin time!

But the best part of the day was seeing a super happy a two year old piggy tailed girl!

Feeding her new "pet" turtle ottoman a marshmallow!

Swinging with her snack

It was a great day and a huge Thanks to Gigi for all your help!  Like usual, I couldn't have done it without you!!  We were totally exhausted (I don't know why), but this sweet girl had the time of her life and I can't wait to see what this year holds!

Cinco de Ruthie-Months 18-21

I intended to only do 6 month updates after Ruthie turned 1, but she has changed so much in the past three months, I couldn't resist. Plus, a lot has changed in our house in three months, so this is due!

There is one word that best describes Ruthie and it is BUSY! As a new baby, people would always call her busy and I never got it.

Now, I totally get it.

She NEVER stops. She is constantly moving and doing something, she doesn't sit still or stay in one place for more than a few seconds. We're getting to where we can read most of the books we have in one sitting, instead of only a few pages. I honestly can't imagine what its like to have a baby/toddler that isn't busy. I love it.

Over the past three months Ruthie Loves:

-Lainie, or NayNay. Loves loves loves her. It is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen in my entire life.

Ever.

She hears her before I do and loves to bounce her in the bouncey seat, hug and kiss her, show her toys, help me give her a bath, the list goes on. She is the best big sister I could ever hope for.

-Chloe and all dogs. Loves them, big or small.

-Ice. She really loves some crushed ice and asks for it daily. Its a nice, cheap snack thats easy to clean up!

-being silly

-being outside

-anything way up high, spinning, dropping her tummy, adventurous, etc.

-She loves going on the deck

-She loves watching videos of herself or seeing her picture on my camera.

-she's crazy about the beach and gets so upset if we don't make the turn to go to the beach when we're walking

-She still loves her blankies

-Loves Elmo and Mickey Mouse. She's starting to like Veggie tales, but it isn't quite as good to her as the others.

-Papa. She's definitely Papa's girl.

-She loves the bath and especially the bathtub crayons she got at Christmas. She asks for them every night.

-She loves baby toys, the bumbo, bouncey seat, etc. i think she likes them better now than when she was a baby.

-She really really loves to wash her hands. Its about 75% the fact that it involves water and 25% that she gets to climb up on her stool. She's really proud of that.

Sleep:

We have cut down to one nap. She is going down around 12/12:30ish and gets up between 3-4ish. Most of the time, she spends about 20-30 minutes reading her books and playing with her toys and I love watching her on the monitor. Its so cute.

At night, she is going to bed around 7pm and getting up between 7-7:30am.

Eating:

She's still a great eater. One of her current favs is edamame. It cracks us up that she can eat them right out of the shells just like an adult. She also loves blueberries, gogo squeeze applesauce, fruit snacks, brown rice, cheese, apples which she can also eat whole with the skin on..so cute.

She doesn't love yogurt.

She drinks whole milk and water. She doesnt' drink juice. We don't have any, but the times I've given it to her she hasn't be interested in it.

Mobility:

She's still super fast and runs like a combination of Pheobe off friends and Willow. It cracks us up. We were just talking about how we'll be sad when she doesn't run with her arms flailing anymore.

She also started doing 'handstands', spins, rolls, etc. I think my girl is going to love gymnastics. I'm pretty excited about that!

Words:

Too many to list. She's started to say 2-3 word sentences. Things like more bread please. Which sounds like mo breh puh. I am fluent in Ruthie language, but I don't think many people are. I love the way she says things, her inflections and cute voice. She says Mama and Papa with what sounds like a brittish accent. Cute.

She has really good manners when it comes to please and Thank you. She saids cank cu and what sounds like there you go (for thank you) almost always when she should, its so sweet.

She now says Okay when she means yes. She learned this from her BFF Callie and it is so cute.

Signs:

I think the only new sign in wash your hands, which is something she made up while saying Wash wash. I have no idea what the actual sign is for it, but it works in our house.

Paci:

We have gotten rid of the paci (outside of the crib), which is huge! It has made for a lot more smiling pictures and has been so much easier than we ever thought.

Teeth:

We're still on a break from teeth although I keep checking for those molars.

Hair:

We've had some major growth on the hair front. Ruthie's hair grew in full mullet fashion, and then all of a sudden a mohawk came out! The sides are starting to come in and I was able to give her a Pebbles ponytail last week. I've cut the mullet about 10 times and haven't cut any other hair. She's getting little girl hair! I love it!

Tantrums:

Oh yeah. They've started. We're trying to get our hands around the most effective way to discipline and so far time out has been somewhat effective. She throws the kind of tantrum that engages her entire body by falling to the ground and flailing. Sometimes its just funny and sometimes its really, really not.

Other:

With every day that passes I realize Ruthie is more and more like Joel. Not only in looks, but in just about everything. She is serious, gorgeous, adventurous, energetic, super smart, hilarious (which only a few people will see) and has an inner circle. If you're not in the inner circle, you might get a look like this (only more stink eye) and possibly some tears (which Joel doesn't do :-)). There are a few ways into the inner circle.

First, if you have a dog thats friendly, you're pretty much in

Second, one of the fastest ways in is to completely ignore her and don't put her as your focus. She does NOT like to be the center of attention.

Third, french fries. Can't blame her for that one, she came by it naturally.

A few solid ways to be rejected are to laugh loudly (it doesn't have to be at her, just around her), try and get her to talk to you if she doesn't know you (definite stranger danger here), put her in a confined space with more than a few people. She much prefers wide open spaces with lots of room to run. She likes to play with 1-2 friends at a time, and if we go much over that she becomes my shadow with possibly a few meltdowns thrown in.

One of my favorite things that she has started doing over the past few months is praying. It is so sweet, she'll randomly look at me, fold her hands and call someone out. I fold my hands and say Thank you God for Daddy, then she calls out someone else and we go through the list of everyone she knows not leaving anyone off the list. I love it, she's so sweet. She has also started giving around the neck hugs, instead of just backing up into you and leaning in.

One thing that I love about this stage is that she's starting to help me bake and cook. We have so much fun measuring and pouring and mixing and just have the best time!

The past few months I feel like we've really gotten to see more of Ruthie's heart and it is so sweet. She is so loving, caring and hilarious. I'm pretty sure she loves being a big sister and there is not much that makes me happier. I can't wait to see how she changes over the next three months. I really can't believe she's going to be two!! How is it going so fast! These have by far been the best 21 months of my life. I am so lucky to be her Mom!

Cinco de Ruthie Month 21

I intended to only do 6 month updates after Ruthie turned 1, but she has changed so much in the past three months, I couldn't resist. Plus, a lot has changed in our house in three months, so this is due!

There is one word that best describes Ruthie and it is BUSY! As a new baby, people would always call her busy and I never got it.

Now, I totally get it.

She NEVER stops. She is constantly moving and doing something, she doesn't sit still or stay in one place for more than a few seconds. We're getting to where we can read most of the books we have in one sitting, instead of only a few pages. I honestly can't imagine what its like to have a baby/toddler that isn't busy. I love it.

Over the past three months Ruthie Loves:

-Lainie, or NayNay. Loves loves loves her. It is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen in my entire life.

Ever.

She hears her before I do and loves to bounce her in the bouncey seat, hug and kiss her, show her toys, help me give her a bath, the list goes on. She is the best big sister I could ever hope for.

-Chloe and all dogs. Loves them, big or small.

-Ice. She really loves some crushed ice and asks for it daily. Its a nice, cheap snack thats easy to clean up!

-being silly

-being outside

-anything way up high, spinning, dropping her tummy, adventurous, etc.

-She loves going on the deck

-She loves watching videos of herself or seeing her picture on my camera. This is what happens when I take her picture and she can't see it fast enough.

-she's crazy about the beach and gets so upset if we don't make the turn to go to the beach when we're walking

-She still loves her blankies

-Loves Elmo and Mickey Mouse. She's starting to like Veggie tales, but it isn't quite as good to her as the others.

-Papa. She's definitely Papa's girl.

-She loves the bath and especially the bathtub crayons she got at Christmas. She asks for them every night.

-She loves baby toys, the bumbo, bouncey seat, etc. i think she likes them better now than when she was a baby.

-She really really loves to wash her hands. Its about 75% the fact that it involves water and 25% that she gets to climb up on her stool. She's really proud of that.

Sleep:

We have cut down to one nap. She is going down around 12/12:30ish and gets up between 3-4ish. Most of the time, she spends about 20-30 minutes reading her books and playing with her toys and I love watching her on the monitor. Its so cute.

At night, she is going to bed around 7pm and getting up between 7-7:30am.

Eating:

She's still a great eater. One of her current favs is edamame. It cracks us up that she can eat them right out of the shells just like an adult. She also loves blueberries, gogo squeeze applesauce, fruit snacks, brown rice, cheese, apples which she can also eat whole with the skin on..so cute.

She doesn't love yogurt.

She drinks whole milk and water. She doesnt' drink juice. We don't have any, but the times I've given it to her she hasn't be interested in it.

Mobility:

She's still super fast and runs like a combination of Pheobe off friends and Willow. It cracks us up. We were just talking about how we'll be sad when she doesn't run with her arms flailing anymore.

She also started doing 'handstands', spins, rolls, etc. I think my girl is going to love gymnastics. I'm pretty excited about that!

Words:

Too many to list. She's started to say 2-3 word sentences. Things like more bread please. Which sounds like mo breh puh. I am fluent in Ruthie language, but I don't think many people are. I love the way she says things, her inflections and cute voice. She says Mama and Papa with what sounds like a brittish accent. Cute.

She has really good manners when it comes to please and Thank you. She saids cank cu and what sounds like there you go (for thank you) almost always when she should, its so sweet.

She now says Okay when she means yes. She learned this from her BFF Callie and it is so cute.

Signs:

I think the only new sign in wash your hands, which is something she made up while saying Wash wash. I have no idea what the actual sign is for it, but it works in our house.

Paci:

We have gotten rid of the paci (outside of the crib), which is huge! It has made for a lot more smiling pictures and has been so much easier than we ever thought.

Teeth:

We're still on a break from teeth although I keep checking for those molars.

Hair:

We've had some major growth on the hair front. Ruthie's hair grew in full mullet fashion, and then all of a sudden a mohawk came out! The sides are starting to come in and I was able to give her a Pebbles ponytail last week. I've cut the mullet about 10 times and haven't cut any other hair. She's getting little girl hair! I love it!

Tantrums:

Oh yeah. They've started. We're trying to get our hands around the most effective way to discipline and so far time out has been somewhat effective. She throws the kind of tantrum that engages her entire body by falling to the ground and flailing. Sometimes its just funny and sometimes its really, really not.

Other:

With every day that passes I realize Ruthie is more and more like Joel. Not only in looks, but in just about everything. She is serious, gorgeous, adventurous, energetic, super smart, hilarious (which only a few people will see) and has an inner circle. If you're not in the inner circle, you might get a look like this (only more stink eye) and possibly some tears (which Joel doesn't do :-)). There are a few ways into the inner circle.

First, if you have a dog thats friendly, you're pretty much in

Second, one of the fastest ways in is to completely ignore her and don't put her as your focus. She does NOT like to be the center of attention.

Third, french fries. Can't blame her for that one, she came by it naturally.

A few solid ways to be rejected are to laugh loudly (it doesn't have to be at her, just around her), try and get her to talk to you if she doesn't know you (definite stranger danger here), put her in a confined space with more than a few people. She much prefers wide open spaces with lots of room to run. She likes to play with 1-2 friends at a time, and if we go much over that she becomes my shadow with possibly a few meltdowns thrown in.

One of my favorite things that she has started doing over the past few months is praying. It is so sweet, she'll randomly look at me, fold her hands and call someone out. I fold my hands and say Thank you God for Daddy, then she calls out someone else and we go through the list of everyone she knows not leaving anyone off the list. I love it, she's so sweet. She has also started giving around the neck hugs, instead of just backing up into you and leaning in.

One thing that I love about this stage is that she's starting to help me bake and cook. We have so much fun measuring and pouring and mixing and just have the best time!

The past few months I feel like we've really gotten to see more of Ruthie's heart and it is so sweet. She is so loving, caring and hilarious. I'm pretty sure she loves being a big sister and there is not much that makes me happier. I can't wait to see how she changes over the next three months. I really can't believe she's going to be two!! How is it going so fast! These have by far been the best 21 months of my life. I am so lucky to be her Mom!