Ruby-isms

I love this age.  So, so much.  It is probably my favorite stage so far.  Ruby makes me laugh constantly.  She is getting so opinionated and can make decisions and follow directions and I really just love her.

Parker and I were talking about some of the things that she has been doing the last little bit that we wanted to remember...

She nods her head one great big nod and says "mm hmm" or, more often than not just "mm" when she means "yes."  This is also usually accompanied by a thin, toothless grin which really makes her dimples stand out.  She probably does it 50-100 times a day.  Including as a response to "I love you" or "You're welcome." She also says "no," naturally.  But, at least so far, it is not overused.  She usually only says it when she actually means no and it's usually said in a sweet, little voice.

When you ask her a question she often replies with a long "ummm..." before she answers.  Lately she says "ummm... d'know" which means she doesn't know.  I'm not really sure how to type what she actually says because it is only one syllable, but also clearly different from sounding like the word "no."   She does know that she is one (finger motion included) though the first time you ask her she will almost always say "ummm...." and that she doesn't know. 

Ruby loves to walk around and label things.  Everything.  But she especially loves it outside.  Water, grass, airplane, ant, rocks, dirt, yucky (dog poo), lights, slide, mail, cars, flower.... etc.  Oh, and flowers!  We cannot walk by flowers without Ruby needing to stop and smell them.  Such a funny girl.

She walks around our house saying "daddy daddy daddy" or "momma my momma my momma" until we reply.  Also if we say "what Ruby?" she often just comes back with "what?" and will play that game going back and forth until we redirect the conversation.

She is a great cook.  Her imagination is getting soo awesome.  Whenever I am making food- and often even when I'm not- she loves to go into the kitchen, grab out a pot or bowl (she knows where both are stored), grab the dish towel that hangs off the stove, and beg under the drawer where we keep the wooden spatulas until we hand her one.  Then she "stirs" and cooks.  Yesterday she told me that it was "soup" and it was "hot" and showed me how to blow on the spoon before she made me pretend to eat it.  

She still adores her baby dolls.  More than any other toy.  Don't get me wrong, she loves all her toys, but she really loves her baby dolls.  She insists on wrapping them up, feeding them, carrying them around with her, and lately, making me "hold you baby momma."  There are two dolls that she carries around most often.  This morning she made me hold both of them on my shoulders, like she likes to snuggle, and then she tried to snuggle too.  So I was holding all my babies.  She also will look right at her baby and talk straight to her.  For a good amount of time.  She is definitely telling her baby something important.

She sings and dances all of the time.  Dancing is usually done with her hands slightly behind her back or straight out to the sides while she walks around, or the last little bit, walks in small circles (her version of spinning).  The last few days she has added standing in place and rocking her head up and down as well.  She sings real songs that I can recognize sometimes, but mostly just long, drawn out "Ahhhhs."  

She loves to read.  She would insist on sitting on my "lap" and read for hours.  She also likes to look at her books by herself.  The other day I walked in on her "reading" and she had the book "Five Little Monkeys" in her hands.  She was doing the motions for the song and kept stopping at the same part.  I could tell she couldn't remember what the next words were and she was so happy when I finished the song for her.

I've already mentioned it in the blog, but she loves to hide.  When she wants you to hide with her she holds up her blanket and pleads "hiding?! hiding?!"

Ruby is such a great helper these days.  Yay!  She is very good about following instructions.  Even when they are two or three step directions.  She is awesome about throwing things away in the garbage for me.  Unfortunately, she also likes to tell herself to do this, too.  I've had to keep my eye on the garbage to make sure she doesn't throw anything away that we actually still want or need.  A few days ago I was sweeping and I heard her get too quiet so I went to see what she was doing.   She had pulled the garbage can by the toilet out, pulled off all  of the almost full toilet paper roll, and put it in the garbage saying to herself "garbage."  She then proceeded to push the garbage can back to the corner where it belongs.  There's a chance she did this in both of the bathrooms that day... haha.

She loves short stroller rides.  And hates if they get longer than she thinks they should.  At that point she stands up or turns around.  I don't know how she breaks free from the straps.  It makes for a long walk.

She gives the best hugs ever.

One instruction that she is not good about following at all is "come here."  For some reason she has decided that means "run away!" so she will come to where we can see her, and then make a quick getaway so we will chase her.  Even though really we don't chase her because because we don't want it to be a game.

Most days she is better about not throwing her food on the ground and just asking politely to get "out" or letting us know she is "all done" or even just waiting nicely.  Sometimes she figures out different ways to entertain herself.  I can't help but laugh.

She compliments my hair.  Melt me.  She will tell me that my hair is "pretty" or "cute" and I just really like it.  She also is really good about getting her hair done and lets me play with her hair.  I spent so much time growing up praying and wishing for a little sister.  I always would beg the girls my mom watched to please let me do their hair.  Sometimes I did my brother's hair.  When Parker and I got married I wanted nothing more than to be able to do his little sisters' hair every day.  But those things just aren't realistic.  Ruby lets me do her hair every day.  Sometimes multiple times if she needs it fixed before the day ends.  And I love it.  I am so beyond grateful to have a daughter.  I never knew how much something like that would mean to me.  Saturday morning I was playing with her hair and put it in a pony tail.  Isn't it the cutest thing ever?  I didn't even try to keep it because I think it still needs to grow a bit before it will stay like that all day, but I thought it was pretty darling.  So did she :)

She recently figured out how to open closed doors at our house. 

Every time the dishwasher is open, she is grabbing something out of it and trying to make an escape before I can catch her.  She hasn't figured out that I am still faster yet...

She loves to see herself and say goodbye to herself in the mirror on the way out the door.  When she is pretending to go somewhere, she will grab her little toy purse (sometimes called "purse" sometimes called "bag" in her words), say goodbye to us, say goodbye to herself in the mirror, and then walk towards the stairs until we make her come back.

Sometimes when Parker requests hugs or kisses from her, she turns and automatically gives them to me instead.  I'm not complaining.

She loves to run back and forth between the two of us (as if she is just learning to walk) and give us a great big hug in celebration of her huge accomplishment!

When I ask her to take a picture now, I get one of three responses.  First, and most preferable, the regular, good model-trained smile.  Phew.  Picture #1 below.  Second, she will say "no" and look sideways.  See picture #2 below.  Third, she stops whatever she is doing, plops down on her bum, and gives me this cheesy chin-up smile.  Third picture.  That girl...

She has her bedtime routine down.  Often, she won't even let me snuggle her anymore.  Which is bittersweet.  Definitely good for before the new baby gets here, just sort of sad as her mom.  Anyway, she'll say "crib" and just make me lay her down.  And bam, she sleeps.  What a sweetheart.

She really is just overall opinionated and perfect.  At the library a few days ago she was playing with the trains and noticed a chair not too far away.  So she walked over, pushed the chair up to the train, requested help "up," and sat on the chair while she played.  Her favorite toys at the library really are the pretend kitchen stuff though.  She found a little cup and kept filling it up in the pretend sink and drinking her "water."

She does what she want mostly when she wants.  Including crawling all over dad if his work calls continue once he's home for the night.

Lastly, for now, she loves to "wash" everything for us.  Give her a rag or a wipe and this girl is seriously happy helping us clean.  Love her so much.

Couldn't imagine my life without this sunshine in it.  She makes me happier than I ever dreamed and I'm so glad she is my daughter.